Chapter 11: Act I Chapter 11: Crimson Light

Chapter 11: Crimson Light

When they finished training for the day, Wren said, “Come with me.” Enya blinked, but slowly moved to follow, fumbling to grab her sword which she’d set aside atop one of the crates. Her limbs still felt strange and heavy, like they weren’t her own. She’d done terribly at training that day, she knew. But Wren hadn’t commented, simply calling for more breaks and now ending a full hour earlier than usual.

Wren waited patiently for Enya, not seeming bothered at all by her slowness. “You ready?” she asked once Enya approached, and she nodded. The woman smiled. “Good. Come on, it’s this way.” She turned and began to stride deeper into the forest. Confused, Enya followed.

Wren kept a steady pace as they walked, the surrounding trees growing in height and density the further inside they went. The canopy soon became so thick that barely any light passed through the leaves, the scenery around them morphing into shadowy shapes that blurred together in Enya’s vision. Wren continued forward, unhesitating and unbothered by the increasingly difficult terrain, and Enya hurried to keep closer.

It felt like they walked for hours before their surroundings changed. Up ahead, a faint light could be seen in the distance. As they neared, it expanded, and Enya realized the trees around them were once again thinning out.

“It’s over here,” Wren said, gesturing through a thick wall of bushes partially obscuring the light. Wren pushed through them and, after a moment of hesitation, Enya followed, attempting to push the branches aside with as much ease as Wren had. She got slapped in the face a few times and had new thin scratches along her skin to show for it. Finally, she stumbled out of the bushes, and her eyes widened at the sight.

In front of her, a steep cliff stood overlooking an ocean of forest and distant buildings. The trees stopped a few feet of space between them and the edge, and from here, there was nothing to interrupt the endless expanse of the sky. The sun was setting, and the grasses and leaves around them were dyed in golden light, shifting in the strong wind like ripples in a lake. The gold gave way to a deep red color that together made the sinking sun look like it was burning a fiery, ash-less death. Enya stared, transfixed at the sight. The sky had never looked so large before.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Wren had taken a seat at the edge of the cliff, unafraid of the strong winds as she stared up at the red sky. Enya could only nod, and Wren patted the grass beside her. “Here, take a seat.”

She did as instructed, surprised at how soft the grasses were. They were warm to the touch, the earth heated up by the rays of the sun.

“I’m glad we made it in time,” Wren commented. “Was worried the sun would’ve already set by the time we got here, but it looks like things worked out.”

Enya nodded. It was a beautiful sight, but she still couldn’t understand why Wren had taken her here.

Seeming to sense her confusion, Wren turned to face her, and in the crimson and gold light, her red hair flaring out in the wind and glowing like fire, Enya was struck with the thought that she was speaking to someone who housed the soul of a god. She always knew, of course, but it was in moments like these that it felt so obvious.

“Something’s been bothering you,” Wren said simply. “I won’t push, but if you want someone to listen, then I’m here.”

Enya turned away, keeping her eyes fixed on the ground. Three days had passed since Raynor returned from the Rite, and she’d been taking shorter recordkeeping patrols to leave time open to visit. He had more energy now and could move around as usual, but there was visible fatigue hanging over his frame. And, though he never vocalized any complaints about the cold, he constantly wore thicker fabrics, and Enya often caught him shivering.

During those three days, Altair had stayed and watched over Callan, and Nadine would cook dinners for them for Enya to bring while she visited. Nadine herself still barely spoke to Enya beyond necessary phrases, and Enya could feel her sister’s eyes lingering on her when she left for training. There was a tension whenever they spoke, or really whenever any of them spoke to each other—an invisible line waiting to be snapped. Only her relationship with Theresa had remained the same, free of additional weight, but she was called away so often to help in other towns that Enya rarely saw her these days.

“I’ve just been thinking about some things.”

She saw Wren nod in her peripheral vision, and the woman hummed lightly. “Your friend returned from the Rite a couple of days ago, right? Is he alright?”

Enya nodded slowly. “It went well, but he only has a quarter of his reserves left.” She hugged her knees. “I offered to transfer magic to him, but he declined.”

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“He must be determined.” Wren’s voice remained casual, calm. It made it easier to talk.

She inhaled, letting her next words rush out. “Lately, it feels like Nadine’s been ignoring me. I think she suspects something is going on.”

A moment of silence passed, a wind rustling the trees behind them, sending a few leaves scattering into the crimson light. “You know,” Wren began, and Enya dared glance over her direction, seeing that the woman had leaned back on her arms, eyes staring into the distance. “You can tell your friends about Arks if you want. You don’t have to hide it.”

Enya’s eyes widened. “But I thought mortals weren’t supposed to know?”

“A few people knowing doesn’t matter much. The problem is if all of society found out.” The woman’s eyes narrowed slightly. “The oldest four Arks, they told the world many centuries ago and it didn’t end well. We’ve all been following their warnings.” She turned to face Enya. “If it’s just your sister and your friends, and if it’ll help patch things over with them, then I don’t think there’s an issue. If you do awaken this incarnation, it’d be a shame if things ended on a sour note. You should cherish your last mortal moments with them; you need good memories to hold onto when you’re an Ark.”

Enya imagined telling them everything, from her encounter with Aeon to meeting Wren to her own training in the hopes of awakening. She tightened her grip around her knees. “I don’t know,” she said, voice low. “I don’t think I’d know how to face them.”

Wren hummed to indicate she was listening, and Enya stared back down at the ground. “Raynor just sacrificed over half of his lifespan to become a practitioner, and Theresa’s doing the same thing. And now I’d be telling them that I can achieve everything they have, and more, without giving up anything.” Her brow furrowed. “I’d have to tell Altair I let him think another one of his friends was dying young. And Nadine…” her voice trailed, and she swallowed. It did little to soothe the dryness. “She never says it out loud, but I know how much it hurt her to give up on being a Paragon, just because she wasn’t born with enough magic.” Her voice quieted. If she told her sister, she didn’t think it would patch anything. If anything it might just make Nadine resent her more.

A long silence followed, and Enya wondered how pathetic she must seem to Wren. Her concerns must be absurd, to someone who had lived for so long and seen so much.

Then, she felt warmth. A callused hand gently pulled her fingers away from their vice grip, and Enya realized how tightly she’d been holding onto her knees. She raised her head and looked over to see Wren, face lit up in the evening light.

“Enya,” the woman said. “You don’t need to feel guilty for being an Ark.”

Enya opened her mouth to respond, but Wren continued. “It’s true there are many benefits we have compared to mortals, but there’s plenty to cherish about humanity.” She tilted her head back, as though trying to catch as much of the sky in her vision as possible. “At first it might feel like you’re just more powerful, but the longer we live the more obvious it becomes that you’re not human anymore. You’ll watch people you cherish die. You’ll see their reincarnations and recognize them and know they’ll never remember you. You’ll feel your body die again and again while your magic keeps it moving. You’ll fight the same battles, over and over, until time loses meaning. And while many Arks believe they have a duty to protect Elaren from the Rot, there’s others who’ve stopped caring entirely. When you live so long, nothing is precious.”

Wren turned back to Enya, a wry smile on her face. Her eyes seemed to glow gold in the light. “From what you’ve told me and the little I’ve seen, your friends will understand if you tell them. There might be some resentment at first, but if you’re upfront about the negatives, I don’t think they’d hold it against you for long. Especially when you’re trying to awaken for their sakes.”

Enya nodded slowly, Wren’s words churning in her mind. She swallowed, frowning, and the woman raised a questioning eyebrow.

“What is it?”

“It’s just, I’ve been training to awaken and become an Ark, but hearing you just now made me think I don’t really understand what being an Ark means at all.” I’m wondering if I made the wrong choice, she didn’t say. She closed her eyes, remembering the destruction Aeon could so easily cause and the promise dripping from her farewell. She couldn’t allow herself to hesitate now.

Wren released a long sigh, running a hand through her messy hair. “I’ve been a bad mentor,” she said. Enya opened her mouth to argue, but Wren continued before she could. “I haven’t explained nearly enough to you or even called for a gathering when I should have a long time ago.” She shook her head. “Oh well, better late than never.”

Enya blinked, tilting her head in confusion, and Wren smiled.

“How would you like to meet the other Arks?”

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