Chapter 261: Chapter 224: Periplous

Lara strode behind Master Tristan and Destiny while Ravyn led them to the end of the strip where a row of horses were stabled. Ravyn had been short and concise with her words up until now, and Tristan wore a series of difficult expressions during their trek.

“She’s hard to understand,” Lara mumbled as she tilted her head to one side. 

Destiny glanced at her before returning her attention to the young master.

“She has much on her mind,” a wispy voice said beside her. “The familiar knows more than he lets on.”

“How do you know that, Wind?”

Ravyn glanced at Lara next, rubbing the bridge of her nose and frowning.

“A dishonest one, to be sure,” Water rippled from a nearby bucket, her voice like a hollowed-out hum. “Perhaps she—”

“Are you okay, Lara?” Tristan asked with a hand on her shoulder.

“—Can teach us more.”

“Are you going to answer him or just stand there?” asked Wind, her impatience—

“Come on, get in the cart!” Ravyn beckoned as she jumped into the back of a merchant’s wagon.

Lara shook her head and did as she was told. She took a seat beside Destiny, who sat next to Tristan, and leaned her head against her sister’s shoulder. Destiny giggled and wrapped an arm around Lara’s shoulders. The wagon began to move, and for a moment, the Elements went silent.

“Is there anything I should know about Shulan?” Tristan asked, his curiosity as charming as ever.

“It is an awful place with awful people.” The voice sounded like a growl. As if it was constantly on the cusp of yelling. Lara knew this as the voice of Fire. He didn’t speak often, but he was exceptionally opinionated. Of the four spirits Lara could speak to, Fire was the most passionate and the only one who never took shape outside of his normal confines. “The children fight for scraps of food and steal anything they can get their grubby little paws on.”

“Reminds me of someone else,” said Wind.

“You want to run that by me again? I think I misheard you.”

Lara sighed.

“Something wrong?” asked Destiny.

“They’re angry again,” Lara mumbled.

Ravyn rolled her eyes. She’d been speaking for a while, but Lara had failed to catch much of what she was saying. 

Since the Elements were often much louder than anyone else, Lara sometimes struggled to keep up with conversations. On better days, the Elements would speak scarcely, and she could concentrate for a time. On the worst of days, she felt as if she were walking through a fog, trying to make sense of the sights and sounds she experienced. Entire conversations would begin and end in the blink of an eye, leaving her in the dark.

The wagon hit a rock, and the coachee briefly looked over her shoulder to apologize.

“Watch it. You tread on a god,” came a deep voice that resonated within Lara’s mind.

“Are you feeling better today, Earth?” whispered Lara. Destiny seemed to have heard her, but Lara’s twin never minded her musings with the Elements. Whether or not Destiny actually believed she could speak with the Elements was up for debate.

“What kind of stupid question is that? The woman just ran over me. What do you think?”

“I just meant compared to yesterday,” mumbled Lara.

A pause followed.

“Are you going to answer her or continue to feel sorry for yourself?” asked Wind.

Here we go, Lara thought.

Wind and Earth were the two most often at one another’s throats. While the influence of Fire and Water varied from land to land, Earth and Wind were near constant. Few areas could be explored without the soil beneath one’s feet or the wind in your hair. This meant the two were often arguing over who had more influence.

“Big words for someone whose redeeming trait is rustling leaves,” laughed Earth.

“I am not the one who bakes people alive whenever Fire is having an off day,” Wind spat back.

“Don’t you dare rope me into this,” Fire growled.

“Make sure you’re in [Combat Mode] while in Shulan,” Ravyn suggested, interrupting the voices in Lara’s head. “The little brats will take you for all you’re worth.”

“She’s right,” said Fire.

“Stupid thieves, stupid thieves! Squawwwwk!” cried the parrot. Lara struggled to remember its name. She wanted to ask but didn’t want to look like a fool. Ravyn was making enough effort to avoid her to begin with.

I really do wish I could get her and Fire to make up.

“Very good, Bally!” Ravyn awarded the bird with a small cookie, getting crumbs all over the floorboards.

The wagon hit another rock, and Earth sighed.

“Can I pet him?” asked Destiny. The parrot didn’t wait for Ravyn’s reply. He fluttered over to Destiny, perching on her thigh. She gasped and scratched behind his neck. “Oh, what a good boy! You’re so cute!”

“Whose team are you on?” asked Ravyn.

“Get over it,” Wind said, at last taking shape in front of Lara. 

Wind was playful, often childlike at times. Each of the Elements could take numerous forms, though Wind seemed the most experienced. At the moment, she’d taken the shape of a small fairy-like creature that reminded Lara of the tales Tristan had told her and Destiny. Wind bore long ears like Cailu, and her hair was a vibrant green. An invisible breeze played with her hair and dress. “So what if she didn’t like you. Not everyone will. Just don’t answer her pleas next time.”

I must have missed something again.

Earth appeared on the opposite side of the cart. He was a collection of rocks and dirt floating and rotating in haphazard fashions. A single carved eye frowned at the center of the mass, and his voice sounded much how Lara imagined rubbing two rocks together would sound.

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“Leave your petty insults for Lightning,” said Earth. “I do not ignore the pleas of others so readily like you and him.”

The tiny fairy furrowed her brow, perching on some invisible force. She crossed one leg atop the other. “Except when you do.”

“You speak lies.”

“Earth, if I may?” Lara asked, her hand held up. She drew the raised brows of Ravyn and Tristan, but Destiny was quick to distract them. “I understand you were upset with me, but when I asked for help—”

“You are not the only [Conjurer],” Earth interrupted. “Ichi Island is an incredible mass of land. I cannot be everywhere at once.”

“You’re lying again,” Wind said, shaking her head. “You are, quite literally, everywhere.”

“Life does not work without me. Of course I am everywhere,” the rocky eyeball turned around, glancing back at Wind and Lara occasionally.

“I cannot follow your thought process at all,” said Wind. “If you were any other Element, you would be an absolute insult to the forces of existence.”

“How dare you!”

“Please, just stop?” Lara pleaded.

“Hang on,” Earth continued. “I have someone else asking for my help. Unlike you, Wind, I actually help people.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Go on,” Wind said, shooing him away with her hand.

The bundle of rocks and dirt disappeared. Lara’s understanding of the Elements changed each day. She’d quickly learned that they were an emotional bunch, often fighting for power and influence. At least, this is how she understood Wind, Earth, Water, and Fire. To this day, the other four had never spoken to her.

“I see,” said Tristan. With Earth gone, Lara could pay better attention now. “Where would you suggest we go first, then?”

Ravyn sighed. “We’ll continue to Shulan as planned. Assuming we don’t run into any issues, I’ll show you around, and we’ll break for Zhuli. Add me to your Party, Tristan.”

“Oh, right! Appear, iPaw.”

“Why Zhuli?” asked Destiny. 

“If we’re going to solve the cunt’s economic issues, then my…” Ravyn paused to click her tongue. “My mother would be the first person to talk to.”

Lara felt a tinge of envy for Ravyn. It’d been over a decade since she and Destiny lost their mother, and although she struggled to remember her face, she could still smell the freshly baked bread and hear Destiny’s voice trailing behind her while they ran through the wheat fields.

“I would very much like to meet her,” Destiny said as she offered a warm smile. “She must be a powerful woman if you are her daughter.”

Ravyn looked away and crossed her arms beneath her chest, tapping one elbow with her thumb. “Yeah, I guess. She’s always had her claws in everything. Especially if it made her Bells.”

“Okay, you’re in the Party now, Ravyn. I take it your mom is experienced in these areas?” Tristan said as he leaned forward, dismissing his iPaw.

“Ah, they do look a lot alike,” said Wind.

“You know her?” asked Lara.

“I think so. I believe she’s Emberlynn’s offspring.”

“Emberlynn?”

Ravyn furrowed her brow. “How the fuck did you know that?”

Lara blinked. Earth had returned, and already he was upset. Lara tilted her head to one side—a habit that helped her concentrate—and fought hard to ignore Earth’s ramblings.

“Wind told me,” Lara said, eager to be a part of the conversation again. “She says you look a lot alike.”

“She’s a powerful [Arbiter],” Wind continued.

“And she says that Emberlynn is a powerful [Arbiter],” Lara said, swelling with pride.

Tristan filled the silence that followed.

“Emberlynn the Enchanted.” As soon as the words left his mouth, Ravyn pointed a finger at her open mouth, gagging. “I’ve read about her! She’s one of the most powerful women in all of San Island! One of the few [Arbiter]s left, if I remember correctly.”

“Oh wow,” Destiny gasped with a hand over her mouth. “The Emberlynn? Goodness, why did you never say anything? Her work is a luxury on Shi Island.”

Ravyn groaned, leaning on her elbow.

Maybe it was just Lara’s imagination, but she swore she heard Bally snicker.

“I like the parrot,” said Wind.

“I like him too,” said Lara. “I can’t wait to get to know him better.”

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