Chapter 31 – Reflections of Memories.

“What is your realm like, Callie the Witch?”

Callie blinked, and looked around her. The trademark whiteness of her mindscape. It had been a while since she was last here. Arianna had been quiet, and she didn’t have any other forms of magic that would pull her here. She half wished that it had more features to it, but at least she instantly knew where she was.

“Your habits, your mannerisms, the way that you do or don’t do things. It’s all very foreign. You have the power and feel of realmwalkers, but you’re not.” Arianna sounded genuinely curious. “Julia... is a very different type of person to you and the fox-boy.”

“You can tell, huh?” Callie answered, trying to see if she could sense anything more of the totem. Her magic would be flaring again, the connection established. And yet, she really knew little about her. “You called him my lover last time.”

Arianna all but laughed. “They’re all your lovers now, are they not? Well, at the least. The bonds you have with them are pretty clear on that.”

“True,” Callie conceded with a blush. And she had gotten a lot more used to it now. She could admit that she was comfortable in what they had. They all were, she was pretty sure. “We...” she started, and then paused for a moment. There wasn’t an easy answer to the totem’s question. “We had similar but different upbringings. Uri and I were trained to fight and survive, more on the fight side, though, while Julia... she was being raised to be a wife. Things that didn’t necessarily fit with who we actually are. I only got the title a short while before we were forced here.”

“Those from other realms were not common in your world? The choice of location for my siblings seemed very deliberate.”

“Not that we knew, beyond the originals. Their appearance was the first that we were aware of.” To be honest, she had never really considered that there could be others. But then, she hadn’t really given any thought to how many realms there could be either. And now they were here.

“What was it like?” Arianna asked the question again.

“It was a world of knowledge and technology, driven by money and greed. Well, it still is, just some people have magic as well.” Callie stopped, surprised. She really didn’t have a lot of positive opinions on her world, did she, outside of those that she held close? Her parents, what they were, and what they’d done, really had tainted it. Sure, there was the wonder of the stories that she had collected and read, but they were often about other places and people. Other realms, really, even if they only existed in the ink on the paper, and in the mind of the one who had penned the story. And the land itself, it was also beautiful. But, it had been, and possibly still was, her prison.

“I...” Callie paused again. Trying to describe it would be more than a mission, nor could she adequately compare it to where they were now, given how little that she’d seen. The grassy plains, the river, the mountains, and the forest, sure they were quite familiar, but there was more to this world than just that. And in this world, she was sure that magic had been native. “Can you see my thoughts? If I focus on them?”

“Perhaps? I’m somewhat new to all of this too.”

That definitely surprised Callie. The totem was a creature of magic, was it not? And she was the one that had forged the connection, had initiated the conversation. But then again, the array had come from Amber, and it was her own magic that was maintaining the connection as they talked. But there was no harm in trying.

“Alright then,” Callie mused, thinking about where she had come from, and the beauty of it. The positive aspects of it. The mindscape seemed to flare to life around her, images flashing of landscapes. Of what lay outside the town, the locations that they had visited on their most recent mission, and her, Uriah, Julia, and Felicia. Perhaps it wasn’t so hard after all. She sat there for a while, trying to showcase different aspects. The city, what life was like for most people, what technology was, the magic of books. Then she seemed to shift a bit, to her life and what she’d been through, or her training, and her life with Uriah. Never anything on her parents though. And then the Source, of what had happened there. The first and last time that she’d seen the other totems.

Then she let it all fade, floating there again in the white void, lost a little bit in her own thoughts. Of what it all meant to her, of what she valued, and what she didn’t. Of what she missed. Fresh clothes, a hot shower, a fully stocked kitchen. A bed. The books. But... much of what she valued, of what had made her life good, she had with her still. Uriah, and now Julia and Felicia. Their companionship. Their love. Sharing their lives together, even if it was just a lot of walking and trying to make sure that they had enough food and water to survive.

It had been another two months, since they’d initially reached the mountains. Since she had voiced her worries and fears about their relationship. Things had changed quite a bit, and not just the terrain around them. Julia had been true to her word, and perhaps that was part of what she had needed. To have some more confidence in herself, and the others too. Of what they all meant to each other. She had learnt, sure, and that... that was magical in its own way, but it was more than that. She had settled into her role, she guessed. As a lover, which didn’t necessarily relate to her being the Witch, the one with the title, the one that brought them all together. Sure, she was still a bit tender at times, and she wasn’t sure if that would ever go away, but that was rare now. She just enjoyed what they had. She loved them all. She truly did.

“It’s a fascinating world, Callie the Witch. Even for what you have gone through, and for that part of it, I am truly sad. But as I said before, they do not own you. Even with what they did, what they took from you, even with forcing you here, they no longer have any influence on you. It is an illusion that they cling to, but it is just that.”

“It isn’t that easy,” Callie replied, bringing her knees up against her chest. That they had taken her life away from her. Her home, her money, her freedom. The loss was still very much raw. Even if the totem meant no ill by talking about it. “Without money, there is little we can do. Not in that world.”

“Perhaps. My understanding of that is limited. But things will be different when you return. Not for them, but for you. You already are more than what you were when you came here.”

Callie really didn’t have an answer for that one. It really wasn’t on her mind at the moment.

“Do you remember the array that the Demon used when he sent you here?”

“No, not really.” Callie shook her head. It had given her a massive headache when she had looked at it, and she could barely recall any of it. Well... perhaps that wasn’t completely true, but thinking on it wasn’t helping it at all, the pain from it still just as sharp. She pushed those thoughts away, stretching herself out again. “Why do you ask?”

“If you had the option to travel to other places, would you?”

“I... don’t know?” It wasn’t something that she’d really thought about much either. She had always been curious about the realm that lay on the other side of the anomalies, but then they’d found themselves here, and trying to survive here had become the priority. And make the best of their situation. Sure, it wasn’t the most comfortable, but they were doing alright.

Except the days were rather short now, and winter really wasn’t that far away. They had managed to gather a little extra in the way of food, but that wasn’t going to really make a difference, and once the next season really hit, they would be in a bad way. No stash of supplies, no proper shelter, no extra clothes or blankets. That aspect had really been starting to worry her, and she had no idea what they were going to do about it. She had voiced it with the others, the same topic on their minds, but their knowledge was just the same.

“Perhaps I can help out there? Your fears are well founded, unfortunately, ignoring that you will have other considerations soon enough. The winters here are brutal, compared to what they once were. Death has wrought changes, and some aspects have borne the brunt.”

“In what way? And what other considerations?” There was something about the way in which Arianna had said it. Some implied importance.

“Once, realmwalkers came here, before the world was broken. Before it was isolated. Remnants of them still remain. Things of magic do not decay away so easily, just like what your fox-boy wears. You may find something you can use. It is out of your way, but, in that direction also lies the ruins of what was once a great city. What has survived to this day will not be brought down by the earthquakes. A place of refuge for the season to come.”

Callie couldn’t deny that she was interested. If the city could provide shelter, that would be one of the big worries off their list, even if it would only be for a season. And being in a city would help with being stuck there for three or more months. They’d be able to explore, though boredom was still a worry. She really did miss her books. “Will it meet our other needs as well though? Can we even reach it in time?”

“It should? It has been as much taken over by nature as not, and some of what sustained the people still remains, albeit rather wild now. You have shown that you are resourceful though, so I’m sure you will be able to make use of it. And, there is something else that I will offer that will aid you, if you make good use of it.”

“And that would be?” There was no harm in asking.

An array materialized in front of her, floating there as it glowed a soft green, Callie smiling as she realised that she understood this one, and knew what it did. Arianna was right. It would aid them a lot, assuming that they could find what Arianna had hinted at. And assuming that she could actually cast the spell. That’s what arrays were in the end, weren’t they. A template for a spell.

“It would work for you even if you didn’t have my blessing, Callie the Witch. But as you do, you should be able to both learn it and understand it.”

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“How will we find them though? We can sense you, but...” Callie couldn’t see any reason to refuse the totem’s offer, nor did she think that the others would, but for Arianna they had a clear direction. What she was suggesting? It could well be a stab in the dark, even with directions, and she didn’t think that they had that amount of time.

Her mindscape took on life again, images flashing all around her, this time from Arianna, and of the realm in which they were in. Of where they were, and then of the resting place of the walker, the body of a young man, lost and alone. Badly wounded, but not from here, but somewhere else. Some other realm. Succumbing to his wounds, unable to reach the help that he needed, his own power not enough. Gone, but still remaining.

“Alone, one cannot survive, Callie the Witch. You have good friends. Companions. Lovers. Together, you are strong.”

More images, as the land flowed past, of a grand city, towers and spires reaching into the heavens, mystical creatures vibrant in colour soaring through the sky. Rivers flowed through it, a carpet of colours and life, a merger of humanity and nature. Or of whatever species had inhabited it. They didn’t quite look human, but she didn’t have the time to focus on them to learn more. The city was absolutely beautiful, but then slowly it fell into ruin, the inhabitants lost, spires and towers falling as massive quakes rocked it, the creatures of shadow running havoc. Even the skies became empty, silent. A little returned, slowly, but only a shadow of the past.

“What happened, Arianna? Was it just the loss of your siblings? Or more?” She felt the sadness keenly, as if it was her own.

“What they did, they broke our home. It was delicate beforehand, perhaps a place that should not have been. But it did, and we treasured it.”

“Oh.” She couldn’t think of anything to say to that. Perhaps that was part of the reason that Amber didn’t want to talk about it? If they saw her again, no, when they saw her again, she would be seeking answers. Julia had a connection to her after all, and even with what was coming to light, the vampire didn’t seem like a bad person. Riddling, yes, but Amber and her lover? Not so much.

“Callie the Witch, you need to learn the array that the demon used to bring you here. It will be hard, it will take time, but I can sense that it is there, within your memories. Work out what parts do what, which are necessary, and which are not. With it, you will be able to return on your own whim, and, if you so desire, travel elsewhere. With the correct triggers and understanding, of course.”

Callie blinked in confusion. “I thought that we needed the seed to return?”

“Yes, and no. It will take you home, though with cost, and at the point where the divide is the weakest. Straight into his hands. He is strong, is he not? You said you would fight him, but how much do you know of his true power? I for one know little, but, truth be told, I do fear. My siblings, they are gone. With the array, you have the edge, and... it would allow me to gift the seed in the way in which I desire. It would also allow you to return without the seed, though... I would hope that you would still come find me. Grant me closure and allow me to gift you the seed, before this place ends.”

“I...” Callie wasn’t sure, actually. Would they return early if they could? Right now she wouldn’t, but if they found themselves here for a year or longer? They had freedom here after all, even if it was severely limited, and death could still be a reality. But Arianna had offered hope. That they would be able to survive. Of course, the big factor in it all was learning the spell, and in the end, it wasn’t just her decision. It was all of theirs.

“I don’t know, Arianna,” she finally said, her voice a little sad. “It isn’t my decision. It’s all of ours. It’s a moot point at the moment of course, cause I don’t know it, and I would like to say that we would irrespective, cause you have done a lot for us. But we really don’t know what lies ahead.”

“I understand that, Callie the Witch. I appreciate that you aren’t making a promise that you may not be able to keep. But still, I will hope. For all of us. The seed... it will be of great benefit to you all.”

And then Arianna was gone, Callie finding her awareness back to where she had been, her lighting still arcing around her, tracing patterns in the air, faint trails slowly fading in the darkness. The outlines of the array. Perhaps she should try and study that one too and see what she could learn. The totem had sounded both sad and hopeful at the end there. But she had only spoken the truth.

The sound of the rain thundering down and impacting the canopy of the forest was loud, and still a little worrying. They were sheltering underneath one of the largest trees that they could find, and so far, it had been keeping them dry, its blanket of leaves thick and keeping the water away from them. She could hear it pooling down to the forest floor in places though, and if it was still doing that in the morning then they’d definitely be taking advantage of it.

It was fortunate that they’d hit the forest before it had started raining. They’d watch the clouds gather and darken for days, the threat more than a little real, and if they’d been caught out in the open then there’d have been nothing that they could have done. They had pushed harder, and it had paid off, making it a few hours into the forest before the downpour had started. They’d still gotten wet, of course, as not all trees were equal, but they soon found themselves a relatively dry path to follow, and things had gotten easier. Foraging in the forest was a different beast as well, but thus far they had managed to do alright. But as they got closer to what they were assuming was winter proper, things had started becoming a bit more scarce.

And for the last few days it had just kept raining. Not always heavily, right now probably the worst that she’d heard, but always present. The down side of both the rain and the forest is that it got darker a lot quicker, and lighter a lot later, but she really wasn’t complaining about the additional time to snuggle.

‘The totem huh?’ Of course Felicia would have noticed. She was the most sensitive to her magic flaring, being her familiar and all.

‘Yeah.’ Callie sent back. She couldn’t see Felicia, given that she was a bundle of fur curled up in Julia’s arms, but Callie was well aware that she was fully awake. ‘We might have a new destination. Well, definitely, assuming everyone agrees. Hope for us to make it through winter.’ Callie sent her a rough outline of what had been said, not seeing any reason not to tell her now. It wasn’t like the mental communication took much effort.

‘I’m all for it. I don’t think we really have a choice, to be honest.’

“Yeah, me too.” Callie sighed, and leaned more into Uriah, his warm arms around her, as hers were around Julia, the blankets covering them as best they could. Not that the blankets were really doing much compared to the heat that Uriah seemed to be generating, well for her anyway. For that she was grateful, otherwise it would have been a very unpleasant night. Julia seemed to be less affected by the temperature, but even she wasn’t above complaining when it got too cold.

All of them snuggling up together was nice, even if they were doing it as much for the warmth as the comfort. It wasn’t always a thing, but she did like it when it was.

Callie looked out into the night. There was a form of comfort to it too, enclosed around you. It was kind of weird, but here, in this place, it wasn’t a bad thing. Outside of the shadow creatures, they had yet to find a threat to their safety. Perhaps that meant that they were being complacent in that area, but she would happily take that over what they had gone through.

She was feeling a little off though, and she couldn’t quite place her finger on it. Had been for a while now. Not sick, just off. Like something wasn’t quite the same. She wasn’t quite sure when she’d started noticing it either. Perhaps a month or so ago? Perhaps more? She was fully a woman, but she guessed there was still parts of herself that she didn’t fully understand. Not everything was instinctual.

...Arianna had said that she’d have other considerations soon enough...

Callie froze as the realisation hit her, Julia held tighter in her arms. Of what the totem had meant. It was all so obvious. She’d been so oblivious, especially because Julia... well, she was a vampire after all. But for her... It had been almost four months now.

‘Uri...’ She felt his body shift a little.

‘Callie?’ he sent back, sounding a little groggy, his arms pulling her closer to him, his ethereal tail brushing up against her leg. She liked that, it felt nice.

‘You know how you said you’d happily be the father of my kids...’ She was smiling. She couldn’t help it.

There was another moment of silence, Uriah resting his head on hers, and then he chuckled. A happy laugh, with an almost purr after it.

‘I meant it then, and even more so now. Umm, Wow. Just wow.’ Yeah, okay. He was at a loss for words. But she could feel his feelings, and she was basking in them.