The Edge of the World

 Asteria returned to the graveyard to sleep that night. She lay awake, staring at the stars through the shimmering forcefield. Her mind spun, turning over the disbelief that Perses had been right in front of her, and she hadn’t noticed. She needed to kill him, she thought frantically.

He was a traitor. A supporter of titans. A danger to the city, beyond what they already knew about his powers.

“This must be why the Moirai led me here,” Asteria realized out loud. “I need to eliminate him before he becomes a threat.” Anything else was secondary.

The next day, Alista slipped into the barracks. She stuck to the shadows, ducking out of sight whenever soldiers approached. Alista may have put out an order for Asteria to be taken into custody. Crouching behind a crate of supplies, Asteria eavesdropped on a pair of soldiers.

“—relieved that Ferazia is back.”

“Sure, but what do you think happened to the rest of her party? They’re all dead.”

“Don’t say that! She’s preparing a rescue operation; she believes they’re alive.”

“You’re so stupid, Lino. They just need confirmation for the families that they’re deceased. With a team like that, no way are they hoping to bring anyone back alive.”

“He’s been a good lieutenant to us," Lino retorted. The second voice scoffed.

“It doesn’t matter how good a leader Alexander is with that walking disaster on the mission.”

Lino didn’t respond for a minute. “You think that’s why he was in there? I thought he was giving his report about that monster yesterday.”

“Obviously not, dumbass. They’ve clearly given up, and the second that party sets out, the General is going to set us all on shroud duty.”

They kept bickering, and when their voices had faded away, Asteria darted toward the room they had left. She pressed her ear against the smooth wood, trying to hear inside. Perses was likely in there, and she just had to wait for a chance to get him alone so she could get rid of him without anyone stopping her.

The voices stopped suddenly, and the door was yanked open. Asteria wobbled, but before she could regain her balance, she was tugged inside.

Seated around a large table with a diorama of Athens and the surrounding countryside were Alexander, Aerin, and Ferazia. Perses (Rhei) stood in the corner as he usually did. Alista loomed over Asteria, arms crossed and expression stern.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to give you away, but Alista caught me. I couldn’t help but stare.” Aerin winced apologetically. Asteria glanced backward. Through the wooden door?

His piercing orange eyes were gleaming like a hawk that had spotted prey. Asteria shuddered slightly. Though he was staring right at her, it felt more like he was observing something completely separate.

She couldn’t help but look toward Rhei. He was staring at her, relieved.

“You’re okay?” He scanned her up and down. He seemed shocked that the brief skin contact with his cheek hadn’t immediately killed her. Asteria glared at him, hand itching toward the daggers at her hip. She ground her jaw, contemplating the merits of lunging into attack right away. A heavy hand at her shoulder stopped her.

“Down, Cadet,” Alista warned. She continued. “I’ve been waiting for you.” She turned to the rest gathered. “Asteria will be the fourth and final member of the recovery party.”

Ferazia looked alarmed. She was covered in bandages, one arm was in a cast, and she wasn’t currently wearing her prosthetic. Awake, her eyes were sandy yellow beneath the straight line of her dark bangs. “General, why would you send a rookie?”

Alista huffed, ruffling a hand through her hair. “I wonder that myself. It was apparently at the recommendation of Our Lady that the two who faced the Algea yesterday went on this journey. It is the first time she has passed orders in months.”

“I refuse to go anywhere with that man,” Asteria interrupted. Rhei shrank in on himself while Ferazia and Alexander looked confused. Aerin just tilted his head.

“You should consider yourself lucky you’re being trusted to do anything but sit in a cell.” Alista shook her head in disbelief. “Your token from Delphi granted you acceptance to this city. It did not grant you freedom from our laws.” Ferazia gasped, and her gaze switched intently to Asteria. Alista continued.

“You are going to go on this mission to redeem yourself. You must prove that you are not some unhinged combatant. You want to be part of the guard? You want to compete in the Games so you can meet with Our Lady? Then you are going to behave.”

Did meeting Athena even matter anymore, when Asteria’s murderer stood in front of her? She wanted to know what had happened, but not more than she wanted retribution. Asteria could let Styx and the Moirai have their way with her if she could get revenge. Asteria’s hand drifted up to the white line etched around her throat. It abruptly started to sting.

“The vibes seem off here,” Aerin whispered to Alexander. They watched as Asteria studiously glared in the opposite direction of Rhei while Rhei stared at her with hurt confusion.

“Gods, this is going to be difficult, “ Alexander muttered.

“Understood?” Alista asked. Asteria nodded glumly.

“Understood.”

“Good. Then. Alexander has already been briefed and will be directing this mission. I will let him take over.” Alista waved Alexander up and collapsed into her seat at the head of the table, clearly weary. Alexander stood tall and cleared his throat.

“Three days prior, Ferazia left with a squad of five Upper Division soldiers to investigate concerns that Our Lady Athena’s bindings on the titan Pallas could be weakened due to irregular astrological movement.” He paused to steel himself. “According to the report received on Ferazia’s awakening, we had the right to be concerned. There were signs that Pallas may be awakening. The group decided to split up, four members watching Pallas’s Grave, the area he was sealed in,” Alexander clarified for Asteria.

“Ferazia, George, and Ioannis came back to seek Our Lady’s advice. Unfortunately, George and Ioannis did not make it back.” Alexander’s vivid green eyes blazed. He turned to Rhei, who looked uncertain, and dipped his head. “Thanks to your efforts yesterday, we were able to defeat the monsters that killed them. But now, it is up to us to continue their mission of protecting Athens. Our Lady has given us instructions to update the seals confining Pallas in order to ensure that he cannot escape, which Aerin will be in charge of. Will you and Cadet Asteria accompany Aerin and me to Pallas’s Grave to carry out this mission?”

“Of course, Alexander Lochagos. ” Rhei seemed as genuine as ever.

Alarm rang through Asteria. Pallas was Perses' brother. Even if Rhei truly did not remember his life as Perses, if Pallas recognized him, he would convince Rhei to return to the titan’s side. They may have already been working together. Determination blazed like a fire within Asteria. She would go on this mission alright, but not to earn her place back as a soldier of Athens. She would keep an eye on Rhei. If he made any move to betray them, she would not hesitate to kill.

Alexander seemed to respect it, as his lips slid into a pressed smile.

“Good. I’ll be in charge for this mission, but we are of equal rank here and this one,” he jerked a thumb at Aerin, who beamed and gave him two enthusiastic thumbs-ups. “Won’t call me anything but Alex anyway, so feel free to speak casually.

“Asteria?” She grimaced at Rhei’s voice. He looked at her. “Will you join us?”

She nodded grimly, a savage smile threatening to split across her face. She would relish the opportunity if it came to her. She kept her eyes on Rhei as Alexander outlined the logistics.

It turned out that all the preparations had been completed before Asteria arrived. The group set out immediately, waving farewell to Alista and Ferazia, who stood on crutches instead of her prosthetic since the amputated leg had been rubbed to blood during her flight through the desert, a true sign of her desperation to make it home.

It would take roughly a day and a half to reach the site of Pallas’s Grave, which wasn’t nearly as far as Asteria had expected. The trek so far was thoroughly uneventful, but Asteria monitored Rhei distrustfully. Her heart jumped every time he made a sudden move, her hand clenching around her makhaira daggers. It was hard to read his movements, swaddled in layers as he was. She wondered if he concealed weapons before remembering that he didn’t need to. His touch was as good as death to many.

Eventually, the heat seemed to be getting to him, as he tugged roughly at the scarf and wiped sweat-dampened hair from his eyes. Asteria herself wore a lighter uniform better suited for travel through the desert, along with Kastallia’s gifted himation. Aerin peered at Rhei as he stumbled.

“You know, there's a lot of space out here. You don’t need to worry about bumping into anybody.”

“Are you sure?” Rhei laid a palm on his scarf, hesitant even as he swayed slightly.

Alexander nodded. “At ease, Rhei. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. With this heat and the long journey ahead, it's better than you wearing yourself out. Aerin and I know to stay away.” It went unsaid that Asteria couldn’t be trusted to behave.

Permission granted, Rhei began struggling out of layer after layer of clothing as they walked, stuffing them into his pack. Alexander boggled as ten layers came off. Finally, Rhei stood in a thin black shirt. It had been impossible to tell under the layers, but even his physique was just like Perses. The shirt hugged his trim waist and broad shoulders as he pulled his padded fermelli vest back over it, embroidery gleaming in the sun.

In the harsh light, his hair almost looked white. If only he would push his bangs aside, Asteria would be looking at the spitting image of Perses, free of a few scars. Luckily, he left his bangs in place. It occurred to Asteria that he might hide his eye color on purpose, assuming humanity hadn’t lost the knowledge that golden eyes were a marker of a powerful titan.

They marched on for as long as they could, but when the sun began to set, Alexander directed them to stop.

“The terrain can be unpredictable out here. We should locate a spot to camp before visibility becomes too limited.”

Aerin snorted. “As if that's a problem with me around. We keep going.”

“Is there a specific reason for this mutiny?”

“Ahah, you know me so well,” Aerin laughed. “In about forty stadia, we’ll reach an Edge. Should be relatively safe to have at our backs.”

Alexander grimaced, clearly not liking the idea, but he seemed to see its merit since he didn’t protest. Asteria tried to figure out what the edge was. She was tired of having to ask about everything.

As the stars came out over the desert, Aerin began guiding them, cheerily describing their surroundings in excessive detail. He took specific pleasure in keeping a running commentary with Rhei, whose bad luck stuck with him as he constantly tripped over rocks jutting out of the sand. Asteria kept her attention split between the stars and Rhei, one hand always ready on her daggers.

A sharp inhale from Rhei snapped her attention away from the sky. She crouched, ready to counter an attack, when her eyes fell on the sight before her.

It was as though the very land had been shattered. The desert transformed abruptly into jagged cliffs, golden sand streaming over the edges like water, and falling down into nothingness. The horizon stretched out, vast and empty, just blackened, scorched earth interspersed with areas where magma glowed through the cracked earth. Asteria could see no end to the wasteland. It was as though the world did not exist beyond the cliff faces.

It was wrong, completely wrong; Asteria’s soul screeched. Ice shot through her veins and goosebumps rose along her arms. Her heartbeat skittered unevenly, every atom of her being unsettled.

“It’s one thing knowing this was out here, and seeing it right in front of me,” Aerin murmured, suddenly looking uncertain about his plans to camp out here.

“I’d never seen it either,” Rhei breathed in horror.

The faint sounds of a river echoed up from the darkness, miles below.

“Okeanus,” Asteria breathed. The river that circled the world. “But the boundary shouldn’t be accessible from the mortal plane! And even if it were, it should be far from here,” she stressed.

“What are you talking about?” Alexander asked, disgruntled. “Even in the most isolated sanctuaries and nomadic tribes, this is common knowledge. There’s only so far you can go before running into the Edge, after all.”

That couldn’t be possible-- there was meant to be a whole world out there, millions of people living their lives. Splitting agony seared through her head. There were supposed to be whole civilizations out there, flourishing and building cities and culture and growing in number until the gods did not influence their lives anymore; it didn’t make any sense. Except that it did. The titans would have never been able to control the whole world. Unless, of course, they destroyed it.

Asteria’s attention flew to Rhei, rage filling her. This was his fault; she just knew. It had to have been the Titan of Destruction who caused this disaster. No one else was capable of such complete ruin. Rhei’s face reflected no guilt or pride, just soft mourning flitting across his features.

“Alex,” Aerin tugged nervously at his sleeves. “I was wrong before, I think. We should camp somewhere else.”

Alexander shook his head firmly. “No, you were right. It’s unpleasant, but the Talirus don’t come near the cliffs, and from this vantage point nothing will be able to sneak up on us. We’ll set up camp. Get some rations and get to sleep. We’ll want you on guard for mesonoxian. Midnight is when the chthonic spirits are most active, after all.”

Aerin didn’t protest further, and gnawed on some flatbreads and dried meat while the rest of the party set up the bedrolls and blankets. Aerin turned in quickly, falling asleep shockingly fast for someone so unnerved by their surroundings. The remaining three drew lots for who would take first watch.

When Alexander went to bed, and Rhei moved his blanket to a rocky outcrop to keep watch, Asteria followed him silently.

“You know,” Rhei piped up quietly, careful not to disturb the sleeping duo. “People don’t usually trust me to protect, but they do trust me to fight. I’m used to it.” His face was lit by silver moonlight as he turned it to the sky. “What I don’t understand is why you changed your mind.”

Asteria responded with a scowl.

“Did I do something to you?” he asked softly.

“Perhaps in a past life,” she spat bitterly before standing in search of another area to keep watch. She would not be sleeping. She frowned up at the sky. The stars had shifted position again. It was odd, though. They were moving far too quickly. She lurched forward.

It was faint, but she could feel their tug on her soul. Asteria reached inward toward the core of her magic. She hit the seal wall, but unlike before, mageia seeped through it.

Asteria splayed her fingers out in front of her, staring at them intently. Burn, she thought forcefully. Nothing happened. She tried again.

A flicker of white light sparked across her palm. She flicked her wrist, and it appeared more stable. It was small, no larger than a candle flame, but a tiny ball of starfire flickered in her palm before it spluttered out, crashing into itself in a flash of black.

She had felt the seal fracture when she touched Rhei, but hadn’t realized it would be enough to regain some of her powers. She spent the rest of the night calling the miniature star to her hand.