Dreams of the Quill

Twenty-six

Miles burst into hearty laughter unbefitting his derelict appearance and walked over to the door. Opening it, he smiled at Mana, all the while his eyes narrowing further. When he spoke, his voice carried traces of his laughter, a tone unbefitting his words.

“Get the hell out of this city. Right now. I need to get back to my office before the hour is out and destroy the records of Ay having found you. Judging by his state, I doubt he’ll remember, so I won’t need to kill him. Now, Milord, if you so much as set foot in Mist again, I’ll personally drive a sword through you. Get going. Get the hell out of here!”

Mana’s astonishment delayed him, causing Miles’s smile to vanish.

“Leave!” he shouted.

Mana nodded his thanks, unable to find words to express his gratitude, and ran out into the street, heading for the nearest flight of stairs up and out of UnderMist. As he ran, the soles of his boots ringing on the cobblestones, many thoughts came to mind, all of them questions. What was the purpose of my capture if Miles just let me go? Why were those Underworld decoys almost killed by their own companion? Why did Ay hate me, when I trusted him and wanted to help him? Where would Oberon and Luke be right now? Has Gem made it out of the city yet?

But most importantly, he was asking himself why his great-grandfather, Lont al’Kondo, had instituted the Purge, a law that had killed hundreds and whose effects could still be seen decades later in the situations of people like Ay.

Mana ran as fast as he could when not watched, using trace amounts of his power to detect the gazes of others. Whenever a pair of eyes would turn upon him, he would slow down and walk with the flow of foot traffic, merging with the UnderMist people. He had, since his encounter with Ay, put his hood back on, once more hiding the long red hair that would give him away as the Guardian Heir. As he meandered through the crowds in the upper levels of UnderMist, he examined the people around him. Most of them wore gray and brown, most of them looked unhappy.

From the window of his room at the Mana Palace, Mana had been able to see the commoners scurrying around the village. They had all looked unhappy, tending to chores or other tasks and dealing with everyday troubles. Mana had seen the sailors on the Vapor, and they had all looked unhappy.

The sailors.

Mana stopped walking at this thought. I have killed someone, he realized. I killed a couple dozen people, all innocents. There was no way that the sailors, in their stopped states, could have jumped from the flaming airship as it descended into Vise Lake. Either burned to death on the airship before submersion or drowned trapped inside it after, the sailors of the Vapor were dead. And it was Mana’s fault, because he had stopped them with his magic. He wanted to tell himself that it was alright, that he hadn’t had a choice, but he knew that he could have gone to Terra on foot with Julien, using Jikkuu for speed. It would have had repercussions on the health of their feet and legs, yes, but better than causing the deaths of others.

Mana bit his lip as he continued traveling upward.

Eventually he made it to the surface and pulled himself out of the well that was the entrance to UnderMist. Looking around, he felt for any signs of Jikkuu users. He caught one to the east and went in that direction, hoping that it would the Joker. As he got closer, the huts of Mist disappeared around him, replaced with pine trees. All around was the thick fog of Terra and he was chilled to the bone, wearing only his light cotton robes. He couldn’t yet see anyone in the distance but he could make out hushed voices. No words, but that was the voice of Oberon. And that, of Julien!

Mana picked up his pace and ran as best as his robes allowed him, stumbling over roots as he made his way toward his companions. There they were, all of them. Oberon, the Joker, the Thief, Gem, Julien. Oberon, the Joker, and Gem were seated facing each other, talking quietly. Julien stood with his back to the circle, cutting in every now and then with a word or two. The Thief stood a distance away, not talking. Before Mana could catch any words, or even think to use magic to enhance his hearing, Julien remarked,

“Mana’s back.”

Silence fell on the party.

“That was faster than expected,” the Joker commented.

“Ay was an Underworlder.”

“That explains a lot,” the Joker sighed. “So? How did you escape?”

Julien made a gesture mimicking slashing someone with a sword. Mana frowned at his cousin at this, finding the comic nature of Julien’s exaggerated motions inappropriate. He was about to remain silent until he saw Gem’s face. The bounty hunter didn’t say a word. He just sat there, watching Mana, waiting for a response to the Joker’s question. His eyes, gray as the mist, showed apprehension.

“I didn’t kill anyone,” Mana blurted out quickly, seeking to ease Gem’s mind.

“That’s a relief,” the Joker replied, “for all of us.” There was no sarcasm apparent in his whisper-like voice, yet Oberon snorted.

The general sat on a log in his full plate armor once more, traveler’s cloak discarded. Thanks to the fog’s density, the armor wasn’t shining as it had in Verga or indoors in UnderMist. In fact, it looked just like Gem’s eyes, and the Joker’s robes, and Mana’s hair: gray.

“This fog is pretty depressing,” Julien commented.

“We’re leaving Terra, right?” Mana asked. “Gem needs to get away from the Underworld.”

“Yeah. We’re headed east,” the Joker said. “At least, five of us are. The general is taking his men and going south to take care of some business in Verga and Eldra. The rest of us are headed for Gaia.”

“Gaia?” Mana asked. “Why Gaia?”

“There’s a Crystal there. Why else?” Julien demanded in return.

“What about Gem—”

“I already passed on the request,” Oberon sighed. “Well, now that Lord Mana is here, I will take my leave.”

“I’m in your debt,” said the Joker, eliciting an exchange of confused glances between the other four present.

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever.” With that, the general slunk off in the direction whence Mana had come. Before long his polished back vanished into the fog and he was gone. Gem, Julien, and the Thief all breathed sighs of relief.

“What does Nai want with you, brother?”

“So you knew about Nai, Mana?” Gem was surprised. “Well, I guess you did stay behind to talk to Oberon. So, my new job is still unclear. My first task is to go to Atlantis—that is Oberon’s country, in the eastern seas—and meet Nai in person. Supposedly when we meet he will give me the details of this job he wants done.”

“I’m going with him to Atlantis, by the way,” the Joker declared. “So it’ll be just you, Julien, and Mark finding the Crystals for a while.”

“I thought you were joining the Hunt in order to guide me?”

“Yes, but then this came up. Besides, you have a good enough guide already in Lord Tryn. And who knows how long it will take Gem and me to make it to Atlantis and back? We might be gone less than a fortnight.”

“Isn’t the Net closed?”

“Alright, less than a month.” The Joker stood. “But before we leave, we’ll escort you into Gaia. We have horses, by the way—bought legitimately from an independent stable in Mist. They’re right over there—” the Joker pointed to the east, into the dense fog “—though you can’t see them from here.”

“You look cold, Mana,” Julien remarked, noticing Mana’s slight shivers. Removing his own heavy cloak, the Lord of Tryn stepped over to Mana and draped it around the Guardian Heir’s shoulders, smiling.

As Mana warmed up, he smiled a little, too, glad to have his cousin’s affection. Previous images of Julien’s forced smile and awkward explanations dissipated, replaced by this familiar picture of Julien doing something kind and heartfelt for Mana.

“Are we heading out?” the Thief asked, impatience clear in his voice.

“Yeah.” So saying, the Joker led the way to the horses, and the five mounted. The two former servants of Kieku took the front, Julien just behind them, and Mana and Gem followed a little ways behind, just close enough to not lose sight of the others in the fog.

Gem turned to the Guardian Heir and opened his mouth to speak, then, as though thinking better of it, closed his mouth and turned back to face those ahead.

“What’s wrong, brother?” Mana asked softly.

Gem looked back at Mana, then away, down at the ground by his horse’s feet. Minutes passed in silence. Then he spoke.

“It is my fault.”

“What is?”

“The Underworld apprehended you, right?”

“Not really.”

“Not really?”

“They only wanted to hold me until they—” Mana broke off, realizing Gem’s point.

“Caught me, right?” Gem said bitterly. “I did tell you that I was wanted by them. I would scold you about being more careful, but Luke explained to me under what circumstances you had been separated, and being who I am—the descendant of Gem al’Kondo—I could not agree more with your reasons for following this Ay person. So Mana… how did you escape?”

“Good luck, I suppose,” Mana lied instantly. He didn’t want Gem to know that he’d met with Miles.

“Amazing luck,” Gem laughed, but there was no humor in it. Mana could tell that Gem knew that he was hiding something.

“I talked my way out of it,” Mana amended.

Gem didn’t respond.

“With one of their leaders—” Mana hesitated, “—the Third.”

“And he let you go?” asked Gem after a few seconds.

“Yeah.”

“Damn it, Lord the First,” Gem growled, facing straight ahead but not looking at anything, “Mana had nothing to do with this.”

“He seemed like a good person,” Mana ventured.

“He did, didn’t he,” Gem snorted. “He is one of the worst. Ordered so many assassinations and robberies… he always seemed out of place in Verga City. Like he would fit better into the more ruthless Terran Underworld. I think even Ji is kinder. He is really one of the worst.”

“He said the same about you.”

“He would.” And saying this, Gem smiled. The two rode in silence for a long time, following the others out of the swamps around Mist. Mana had no need to say anything else to Gem and Gem was content with how their conversation had ended. As before, when he had apologized for getting Mana mixed up with Ji’Lopan and Kieku, he had been reassured that everything was alright. He needed to stop apologizing. He was doing the best he could for Mana and vice versa.

After a few hours of riding, Gem fished some dried meat from a saddlebag and shared it with the Guardian Heir. They munched on it quietly as they watched the mist grow thinner.

“We’re almost out,” the Joker said after seven or eight hours of riding. The fog had almost completely dissipated and the forest had given way to open land. They were trotting along on a field and they could tell in what direction the sun lay for the first time since entering Mist. It was almost directly overhead, indicating that it was midday.

“How long were we down there, in UnderMist?” Julien wondered aloud.

“I’d say that this is the first week of May,” the Joker replied. “Maybe the third or fourth day. So, if you’re counting from when you came to Mist, about fifteen or sixteen days. Mark and I were there a lot longer, though, and Gem came to Mist a day or two before you.”

“I didn’t realize Mist was so close to Gaia,” Mana commented. “We’re really almost out?”

“Yes, we are,” the Joker replied. “You can tell, right? That the mist is lifting?”

“Yeah.”

“We have to part ways in Gaia,” said Gem.

“You’re going far away, aren’t you?”

“I am.”

“How do you feel about meeting Nai?”

“Heh, how can I put it? Excited, frightened… it is really beyond my comprehension, meeting one of Chaos’s children.” Gem smiled and looked down at the ground as they kept going. “And he is my uncle, as Legend Reborn. When I think about the family tree, it is pretty messed up.”

“Speaking of which, all the Ly’ban are our cousins, right? And Oberon?”

“Yes—we all have Chaos for a grandfather.”

“Ah, family,” interjected the Joker, having fallen behind the Thief and Julien. “On that note, I have some information to share with both of you, concerning our so-called ‘family.’”

“What is it?” Mana asked.

“I heard this third-hand, through Oberon who found out from Lord Tryn, but you both felt your brother die, correct?”

“Zukro?” Mana asked while Gem nodded.

“I wanted to clear something up for both of you, in case this other name comes up in conversation: Ragnarr. Ragnarr, do you know who that is?” The Joker’s voice held no emotion as he spoke. Mana nodded hesitantly, remembering his previous talk with the Joker, but Gem shook his head. The Joker continued. “Ragnarr is Maha’s lieutenant, the commander of the Infernal armies. He was once known as Zukro—your brother. Ragnarr is the name that Maha gave him.”

“Yes, but—” Mana was cut off with a shake of the Joker’s head.

“Ragnarr died the morning you thought he did, killed by Ji’Lopan. Gem, he was brought back to life by the Eyes, as Zukro—no longer under Maha’s control, ready to return to the Light and apologize. But very shortly after being revived, Maha somehow took control again, and Zukro—as Ragnarr once more—killed the Eyes, who in dying closed the Net.” The Joker said this all very matter-of-factly, and Mana recalled the hatred that the demon had expressed for Zukro.

“That is a lot to process,” Gem mused.

“So that’s why the Net is closed,” said Mana.

“Take it how you like. I just wanted you both to know that your brother is out there, alive, working as an agent of Maha. Oh, and we’re here.” The Joker pointed out the obvious and then spread his arms wide, indicating the open air and the fog behind them rather than all around. They sat on their mounts atop a hill, facing out over a country devoid of people but full of life—dense forests, rivers trickling here and there, birds in the sky and all sorts of hill animals scurrying around. To the north lay hill after hill, like waves in the earth, and beyond them low mountains. To the east and south stretched the same forests Mana had seen from the Vapor in mid-April.

Gem fished in another saddlebag briefly, his hand emerging clutching his headband. He cast the gray rag from around his head on the ground and replaced it with his family heirloom. It rested on his forehead differently from how it had before, he thought, scratching around where it touched his skin.

“You still have that old thing, eh?” the Joker asked playfully.

“It is who I am,” Gem smiled.

“Our ride seems to be here.”

“Yeah.”

“What do you mean, ride?” Mana asked, bewildered. The Joker pointed up at the sky. Sure enough, there was a black dot against it, a dot that was gradually growing larger. “An airship?” The Joker nodded. Soon, the sound of propellors whirring incessantly became audible and then louder and louder as the ship’s contour became defined and it descended. The travelers became enveloped in a strong wind as the flying boat landed at the base of the hill.

“It’s time to say good-bye,” the Joker said quietly. Julien and the Thief, who had distanced themselves from the other three, came closer, drawing their horses with them.

“We’ll be back to find you soon, Mana,” Gem smiled. Before he could say anything else, Julien’s hand was on his shoulder. “And good-bye to you, Lord Tryn.”

“I said that Julien was fine, right?” The Lord of Tryn smiled. “I wish I could have met you sooner, Gem. Before Verga City was destroyed, at the very least.”

“I feel the same way.”

“You’re a pretty impressive guy, I’ll give you that,” the Thief chimed in. “To defy the Underworld like that, and get away with it.”

“Well, I have a kind of providence on my side.” Gem scratched the back of his head as he said this, and then he looked over at Mana and winked. Mana smiled back. In both their minds, Lord Miles, that near-skeleton of a crime-lord, smiled lopsidedly and waved.

“Now, now, gentlemen,” said the Joker, “this isn’t the end of everything. We only have one Crystal! We’ll be seeing each other again before the journey’s over.” That one Crystal sparkled in the noon sun, set in an earring on Mana’s left ear. Gem had made the earring before hearing the Joker’s news about the Underworld, but he hadn’t had a chance to give it to Mana until after they’d escaped Mist.

“I guess you’re right.” Julien removed his hand from Gem’s shoulder, and then extended it. “Still, this is a good-bye, and I wish to express the pleasure I’ve had in meeting Legend…” he trailed off, and then laughed. Gem laughed, too, grasping the hand tightly.

“Brother? Can I talk to you for a moment?” Mana’s voice seemed timid and small next to the enthusiastic Julien. Gem distanced himself from the Joker, Thief, and Julien, and he and Mana walked a little ways off after dismounting. “You’ll come back, right?”

“Like I said, of course,” Gem said.

“I can’t face Kieku without you.”

“I’ll be back. But just to check—Luke warned you about that sword, right?” Mana nodded. “And you don’t need me to tell you to be careful around other Jikkuu users, right?” Mana nodded again. “And Mana. Even if he was my mentor once, Ji is just a Ly’ban, an enemy Ly’ban. Should you come across him, don’t let my relationship with him hinder your efficiency in dispatching him.”

Mana almost couldn’t help laughing. Gem’s eyes held worry as he said that, and Mana knew that only a portion of that care was reserved for him. Most of it was fear for Ji’Lopan.

“I’ll deal with him if the time comes in whatever manner seems suitable,” he promised, giving Gem a reassuring smile as he spoke. “Don’t fail Nai, alright?” Gem nodded. “And don’t worry about the past.” Gem nodded again. “And beat Fate.” Mana smiled wide as he said this last bit, and Gem almost teared up.

“Thanks, Mana.” So saying, Gem mounted his horse once more and rode over to the Joker, who was already heading down the slope toward the airship. From the ship were coming shouts of “get over here now, Roof-runner!” and “hurry it up, will ya?!” Gem looked back over his shoulder once as he went down the hill. He waved at Mana, and Mana waved back, and then Gem was aboard the ship and it was taking off and Mana was just a green and red dot on the landscape.