Chapter 44: 1-42: The North

It was cold. And white, and wet. I took a minute to collect myself, gazing over the snowscape before me. The air was thin, and I could already feel my breathing was much shallower not getting the air I was used to. Was there supposed to be snow at this time of year?

Actually, what time of year was it? I had lost track of any sense of time a while ago. It could be winter by now, or again even. That said, this was probably more a result of where I had ended up than the season that it was.

I shivered, scrunching up as I looked harder. There were no paths or encampments or any signs of anyone having been here recently. Great. Once again, my inability to not act rashly has gotten me lost and fucked over. Well, at least I had company.

Wait. Right. Hayli was-

“Where the hell are we, Terra?” She shouted at me from a foot away. She walked over and glared up at me, somehow managing to look intimidating despite her stature. “Answer me, Terra.”

Was she normal now and just cold and pissed or was she still under whatever Azrael had done to her? “Why would you think I’d know?”

“You brought us here. Bring us back to the Mistress.”

Apparently not. How to play this then? “Can’t. Wasted it all escaping. Not my fault you decided to hug me.”

“That wasn’t a hug.”

"Felt like one." 

 She fell into the snow and started rapidly rolling around. I stared absolutely baffled at her nonsense. She stood up and grinned as the snow she melted formed into a stream behind her. “I can still fulfill my orders regardless.” She attempted to do something, but the water froze before she could even attempt anything.

“First, she never said kill me. Second, do you think you’d survive on your own?”

Hayli glared at me, “I was trying to incapacitate you, not kill you. Mistress knows the orders to capture you non-lethally. You have value to her.”

“You and Quaza apparently don’t know what non-lethal means. And wow, is that the only reason to not kill me?”

“Hmm? What are you getting at Terra?”

I looked down at my feet. I could feel the two longer nails on my right hand dig into my palm as I squeezed it. “Oh. Nothing. I thought I was talking to Hayli, not you.”

“I am Hayli, Terra. And… yes, I would need- no, I will accept your help. But as soon as I can return to or contact the mistress, this truce is over.”

“Fine.” I nodded. “A truce.”

Hayli nodded and moved closer to me, “I shall allow you to walk only beside me. I don’t want you to run off or fall behind.”

“Where would I even go, Hayli?”

“I’m watching you regardless.”

“Even when we sleep?” I ask, unable to resist the chance to tease her.

She laughed, “I think our usual sleeping arrangements will prevent any escape from you.”

“Oh? You actually remember we sleep together?”

She looked at me like I had grown a third head. “Yes, Terra I do. Just because I now serve my Mistress with my whole being, doesn’t mean I forgot what you are to me. But why give my love to someone who defies Azrael?”

Okay, how was I supposed to answer that? “Oh. So, I guess we aren’t… that’s fine…”

She again looked as if I had now grown a fourth head. “I’d never breakup with you. After all, anything that helps me keep you with me until I deliver you to the Mistress should be used.”

“I see.”  Maybe if I knocked her out, she’d go back to normal? No, I wasn’t going to be able to do that unless she was attacking me. 

“Now, let’s get going. It is quite cold.” She grabbed me by the arm and started walking.

It was hard to tell if we were ascending or descending, each step in the snow slow and methodical, snow seeping into our footwear and all the way up to the middle of our thighs. Every time Hayli would take a big step out of the hole, she created for herself it would pull me nearly into a face plant. I had to be careful myself as well to not step in the holes left by her, each a slippery ice sheet by the time her feet emerged from them.

The day passed by in silence, Hayli not talking to me and I not seeing any point in engaging her in conversation. What would I even say? There was nothing in her that would care to speak to me, nothing that even cared about me. No, no. Bad Terra. Stay positive. Don't go down that path... But how couldn't I? If she truly had those memories, and still only cared for me in relation to what Azrael wanted- then what was I to feel?

Azrael. I tried to push my mind into the past, trying to remember her at all. (I am not fucking flashbacking to it, I do not care.) She was the daughter of the local priest- ironic given her feelings towards women. She and I had been in the same class and... that was it. I wasn't even sure if she had Light magic back then. Then again, it wasn't like I paid people much attention like that. When your sister is a Hero, your brother is a Shield and your friends with two demons, eventually everyone else becomes background characters in your life. That said, this wasn't how I would expect her to act- both as a woman of the cloth and what little I remembered of her. It felt like too chaotic of a change- and one I was sure wasn't something that helped whatever the hell the Heroes were doing. In fact, having four candidates organized into an independent force with total obedience would only make fighting them harder.

I stole a glance at Hayli. She was staring ahead, focused on wherever she believed herself to be going. Her hand was still squeezing mine, the only warmth I had at all. I wondered, could I force Dark Surface into her head somehow and fix her? Fuck me, that sounded bad. But still, could I? Or would that just fuck up her brain. No, that would probably only kill her. More than probably. I hadn't tested Dark Surface on things other than Magic like Avery did with her mirror magic, but if it worked like it did with Magic, then whatever I could do would be nothing worth trying.

As my thoughts tumbled over and over in my head, Hayli had apparently stopped and I ran into her, just being stopped from tumbling us both into the snow by her grabbing me with her tail.

"Watch it." Hayli glared at me.

"S-Sorry." I apologized for some reason.

"I see a cave over there. Let's rest and try to start a fire."

I nodded, not really having a reason or chance to refuse. We quickly made our way to it, a shallow cave, with a low ceiling. But it was enough to protect us from the wind that had been chilling us to the bone. Hayli ordered me to stay put while she gathered firewood. Not really having the energy to argue I nodded and sat down on a rock and waited. She was gone for around twenty minutes before she returned, face red and shivering. I took over from there, using the few useful skills Ulther had taught me to get a fire going.

"Hmm, well there's one thing you're useful for." Hayli commented.

"I could just let you freeze." I replied.

"Oh, I know you would not do that. You care about me too much."

"Much too much for what you're giving."

"Yes. But that is the way it is until you are kneeling to my mistress and pledging fealty. Then perhaps I'll treat you with something other than contempt, Terra."

"I so hope we run into the Heroes."

"Up here? Even if this is where they are, we are in the mountains- they should be in the valley." She scooted closer to me and leaned in.

"What are you doing?"

"It is cold Terra, and don't act like that blush is from the wind. Unless you want to risk freezing, this is the best position for us to rest in. Lucky you."

"Yes... that does make sense."

"Tell me Terra, what exactly was your plan here?"

"I am not talking to you."

"But I am talking to you. Now tell me, did you think I would change my mind if I got away from her?"

"Maybe."

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Hayli looked at me, and nodded, "But you know better now don't you, Terra?"

My gaze turned downwards, and I managed to nod in reply. I hated this so much. This Hayli. This wasn't Hayli. This was a personality fit for someone else- but for her it was wrong. Even Quaza in her most regal state of mind would never be this... blunt? Or whatever you call it. I hated more the fact I couldn't do anything at all about it.

"Good girl. Now, shush and close those eyes. We need to get going early in the morning. The faster we descend, the faster we can get to the end of this little game."

I began to complain when Hayli's antennas began to rise, and I heard a hum and my vision began to blur. I fell forward into Hayli's arms as my vision faded and I fell into troubled dreams.

("My lady. Are you sure of this?" I asked looking troubled at the Queen.

"Gaia, my dear, you worry too much. Of course, I am sure. Have I not gone over this for month after tireless month? Have I not stressed every minute detail? Have I not been right on things like this for as long as you have been in my service?"

"I apologize for doubting you, but to trust... them is well, simply a bit far for me."

"I will admit these other world pawns are harder to deal with, but if the offer is true, we can be free of the chains that hold us here."

"More like we will be turned away from what we are. Away from who we are."

The Queen shook her head, pulling my face next to hers, "Gaia, if you are worried about us, never forget we are tied by fate. No matter what this deal brings, you will be mine."

"Yes. Of course, my lady."

"Now. Tell me, what have your two friends been doing?"

"Alethian and Nyx? Unaware as always. Not like I've been paying much attention."

"Right, you've been with Ourana all week. You are lucky I was busy."

"Zalya, please. I don't have time for your jealousy. We should stay focused."

"Oh, fine. You're not as fun when you're serious."

"We can enjoy ourselves after this deal is finished. I'd rather not give any chances to slip up against beings that can destroy the very fabric of our reality."

"I think they would say the same about the little trio you have with your friends. Truth, Lies, and Words are quite unique concepts."

"Nothing compared to them. Or you."

"I am limited by this reality- our potential allies are not."

I nodded. "So, what do we need to do?"

Zalya laughed, "Just do what I ask of you, my love. And we can have all we have ever dreamt of." She pulled me closer and kissed me until the world blurred and came apart.)

(The world became the void. This time with a chair and tables. I think someone was a bit confused on how things worked. Or was this just dream logic? I walked over and sat down, sighing and touching my face. Behind me I could feel a presence come into being.

"Really love what you did with the place, Dione." I joked.

The other me, this time deciding to have a snake tail instead of legs for apparently no reason, slithered over and shook her head, "That might be the first actual dream you've had in a while, Terra."

"Terra, my name is G... wait, dream brain- oh shit. Really? Guess it was. Huh. Guess my brain finally has things to work out."

Dione ignored me and asked, "So, do you enjoy getting in trouble?"

"It is my sole companion." 

"So. How's things going with Hayli?"

"I am going to cut off your tail and eat it."

Dione laughed, "I see you still don't know how this space works. And, by the way I might be able to help here."

"How so?"

"Well, tell me. Isn't it weird that around the same time two girls who can use a unique magic wash up onto this continent, Azrael gains a mind control power that doesn't seem to be anything you recognize. In fact- you never saw it when searching for magic earlier, did you?"

"I... are you saying she's using Rune Magic?"

"Or someone gave her an item with Rune Magic etched into it."

"Now you are assuming how Rune Magic works."

"First, the Ancient that nearly killed you had runes that still were doing things, second, it's not that hard of a leap."

"Okay. So, how exactly is that helpful to me?"

"Maybe that creepy hand can undo it."

"Sure. If Nana was here, but hopefully her ass is on her way to Hana's throne room." I stopped to think, "So... are you like that hand?"

Dione shook her head, "No, no. I do think I am beginning to understand what I am fully, but... that is something I need to have more proof to fully decide on."

"So, any other advice?"

"West. Go west. With the sun."

"Why exactly?"

"I, unlike you, took the opportunity to use that useful little magic search you have. There's a small village that way."

"Oh. Thanks, me."

"Perhaps Hayli will treat you kinder if you tell her this."

"Why would I care about that."

"Because every time she's mean to you, you have to hold back tears."

"I hate you." 

"Yeah, yeah. Look alive, good luck, and rise and shine." Dione replied as the world itself began to crack and fade and the freezing reality began to drag me back into its grasp.)

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