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When I woke up, the memories lingered like a vivid dream. Where had they come from? How was it they came back? Why was it now that they came back? my thoughts questioned.
Raæin and Isaac were hovering over me, Raæin being in his Mira disguise. I wiped at my tear streaked face and when I finished I saw Isaac had walked away. I couldn’t say why he left, but with Raæin still there, a smile etched across my face as a sigh of relief escaped me.
"I know you!" I exclaim in a whisper, my joy exuding. Raæin smiled back..
"And I you," he responded. How familiar, how warm his voice was. Like a feeling of coming home to the people you love. I still had someone from my past!
"You really do remember everything?" I asked Raæin once more. The celestial charger nodded his head. It was funny how easily one could mistake a unicorn for a celestial charger. The only true difference was a charger could fly while a unicorn could not. “How long do you think it’ll take them to figure out what you really are?” I asked jokingly.
I barely had a chance to lay there, enjoying Raæin’s company when I heard something peculiar.
“Heironious is the most beloved and gracious God!” an unfamiliar voice called out, “And we shall defend ourselves from the mark!” I heard the familiar sound of Rekka snickering.
“You do know the mark means nothing right?” I heard Gideon say. There was a palpable hush.
“Blasphemy!” another voice cried out. Immediately I knew I had best go out there and hopefully pacify the people. As I came out, I saw a crowd of 10 or so folk rushing toward us. They looked somewhat familiar to those from my past. Their clothes resembled the clothing in my town. My neck prickled a little as a thought came to mind that these folk were from my past and had been released from their moment in time after sealing the portal. I knew then that things were about to get interesting.
“Whoa!” I said putting up my hands. I was somewhat startled that the crowd continued to advance despite my arms waving as I blocked the path. Isaac then stepped forward and a green beam of light shot out of his hand, blazing a path in front of the towns folk. Half of them immediately turned around and fled while the others coward.
We stood around for a moment as the townsfolk gathered their senses again.
“What do you want from us?” and elderly man asked.
“Could we at least help you get the townsfolk out of the well?” Cortanna replied. The elderly man nodded, though still shaken.
“That’s all we wanted to do,” Gideon added, “We just want to help you.”
I heard the elderly man mutter ‘blasphemer’ under his breath.
“He speaks the truth,” I defended, referring to what Gideon had said earlier. The elderly man made eye contact with me. I could feel my skin crawl as his eyes drifted over me, taking in every detail. I even had my wings out still... at least I had them looking white instead of black.
After a minute of intent studying of my features, the elderly man’s eyes grew wide as realization dawned on him.
“Arise?” he uttered. How I wish I had caught it then. Why had he called me Arise? I didn’t get a chance to reflect on that yet for the elderly man grabbed his chest and keeled over. I could feel a dark cloud hover over me as I felt every eye pierce my being. That wasn’t me. I did not kill him! But what was the point... I’m so good at killing people in defence of my cause, what’s another to add on to it with no effort on my part? No, I shouldn’t think like that... I scolded myself.
“Way to go Araja. An elderly man to go with that little girl you killed,” Jessica suddenly bated me from behind. I whirled around on Jessica. My eyes were wide with rage and my pulse raced as I imagined my fist sinking into her smug face. No, I told myself. I would not attack, I would not stoop down to my selfish desires to harm her. That was not me. I had bigger things to put my energy to.
It hurt not to lash out. It hurt that she would say such a thing to me... I screamed my frustration at her then bit my lip and folded my arms protectively around my body. I could feel myself shake a little as I strived to calm down.
As I hugged my body, I could hear the whisperings begin.
“It’s her!”
“Arise?”
“The General has returned.”
My skin crawled a moment when I heard General. It crawled even more once I looked back at them and found them bowing before me. I didn’t need that, I didn’t want that. I just got my memories back and there was already enough explaining needing to be done to my party, but now a group of people who knew of me with my old beliefs of how glorious Heironious was... how I knew there was going to be hurt feelings and offence taken.
“Well... how about we get those town folk out of the well,” Isaac spoke up, thankfully shifting the attention off of me. He then jumped up on the well and then jumped into it. I figured he had his boots of flying on so thought nothing more.
“I’ll go talk to the townsfolk,” I said. I needed to know a few things, mainly if they remembered the prophecy. No one objected to me doing that.
“So, where exactly did you folk come from,” I asked.
“We’re from Rehm. We left this place because other things began to happen here besides the war,” one man in his mid 40’s spoke. His eyes were green and dull. Clearly a human.
“What was happening?” They all shared a look with each other before the human man began again.
“Objects began to animate... and attack us. We had to go. We tried to make a new home, but with the mark ever prevalent, we had to work hard to avoid it too... so we never really were able to settle down.”
From how they looked, their appearance was worn. I had to wonder if they knew how much time has lapsed since the time of the mark... I figured I would attempt backing up Gideon’s mention of the mark.
“This may sound absolutely crazy, but my friend is correct about the mark. It’s still unpleasant and repulsive, but other than claiming the soul, the bearer isn’t evil or po- ssessed...” I trailed off as I watched them stare back in disbelief to what I was saying. I rushed on with my main intent on talking with them, “Perhaps you all remember the prophecy given, with Arise and Fall?”
They all nodded.
“We do,” the human responded. He looked like he wanted to say something more, something in response to my mention of the mark, but words seemed to fail him.
“Might any of you have the prophecy in writing or something tangible?” I asked. Heads shook all around.
“I think we’re going to go bury our dead...” the human said. They all move over to lift the old man up and carried him off.
Yep. Offence was made, I thought to myself as I hung my head. It was so much easier when I thought the same way they did about the mark and about Heironious... without that, how was I to lead? Nothing I said seemed to inspire nor was I as strong as I once was. I felt so inadequate with this notion that I had to lead again. But with a party that seems to just tolerated me... I hadn’t a clue how I was to fulfill that prophecy other than keeping Rekka safe. That I could do... or die trying.
I went back to the well where Cortanna and Gideon stood around looking in. I walked over and looked in myself. How I wish no one had gone down that forsaken well... Cortanna and Gideon were manning a rope, but no one had come up yet. It was too dark to see anything, I went into the well to help Jessica, Rekka, and Isaac get the townsfolk out. Yep, I just jumped right over the edge and into the anti magic field. I knew it the moment I felt my hair flutter about my ears, but I hadn’t realized the severity of the anti magic until much later.
Rekka and I were able to get out of the well, the teenager managing to crawl over the edge of the well wall before the rope Cortanna and Gideon were holding, snapped.
“What happened?” I asked Cortanna.
“I was about to ask you both the same,” the half elf said.
“Well, there’s an antimagic field down there and guess what we found out? All our gear got dumped.” I said lividly. As I flew around trying to help Isaac and the other people, Rekka called to me from the rope and asked me to pull out her lamp. I looked into her bag of holding and found nothing. I looked into my havard sack and found nothing.
Then I checked my glove that could store a small object and was horrified to find the dagger gone. I had placed Malfeiya's dagger in the glove thinking it’d be a secure place and a quick way for me to whip it out if ever I needed to use it. All of our magic, pocket dimensions had expelled their contents to the acidic water below- except I hadn’t realized the water was acidic yet.
“Yeah,” Rekka snipped out, “All our stuff is at the bottom of the stupid lake. I was wanting to use a lantern so the other’s could see, but ALL OUR STUFF IS GONE!” Rekka shouted. I wanted to freak out a little too with the loss of the dagger, but somehow I maintained my sanity. I suppose I could have dived down as a mermaid- oh wait. Circlet didn’t work down there...
“Here,” Cortanna said, going through her bag. She pulls out 3 ropes and a lantern, “Rekka you hold this rope with the lantern,” Cortanna tied the rope around the lantern’s handle and passes it off to Rekka, “Araja, you help me lower these two ropes down,” she instructed as I tied the ropes together, “and let’s see if we can get Isaac and the rest up now that they’ll have some light.”
It was a very sound idea coming from Cortanna. Rekka already had the lantern going down the well. The halg Elf then sent one end of our rope over the edge.
“There’s only Isaac down there right now... if he’s still there,” I mentioned. Oh yeah. Not only was the lake acidic, but the townsfolk suddenly began to disappear under the water one by one.
“Isaac? Can you see the rope?” Cortanna called down the well.
“Yep,” Isaac’s voice echoed back.
“Can you get to it?”
A few moments later a few tugs were felt on the rope with Isaac’s reply, “Got it.” Gideon, Cortanna, and I held on while Isaac climbed up the rope.
Suddenly the rope wiggled in my hand. I looked at it all curious like, but then I felt Cortanna being pressed against me as the rope entangled all of us. We were then pulled over the edge and down the well. Once we plunged into the water, the ropes released us. Immediately I flew up and out, spitting the bitter water from my mouth. I could see Gideon flying about with me while the partydid their best to tired water.
Goodness, while in the midst of trying to figure out how to get everyone out of the well, Isaac felt it was a great time to ask me about what had happened earlier. “Araja, why’d you fall out of the sky?”
“Now isn’t a good time Isaac,” I snapped at him.
Raæin called down, asking if there was anything he could do. I forbade him from coming into the well.
“What should I do about these chairs then?” he asked. Great, I thought to myself, the chairs are animated too...
“Avoid them Raæin,” I instructed thinking the chairs would be equally harmful as the ropes were.
“Brook says there’s some outlets over to the one side. He says he can see the villagers,” Isaac said.
“Who’s Brook?” I asked.
“My ghost familiar,” Isaac said, somewhat enthusiastically.
Without further ado, we swam toward the outlets and went into the one Isaac said Brook was down. Conveniently, there was a faint orange glow down that particular outlet. A little rise in the ground blocked the light source, so Rekka scouted ahead. While she did that, I helped Cortanna who had had a really rough time in the lake. With all the armor she wore, she nearly drowned.
I looked back at Rekka. Right as she began to signal to us to move slowly and quietly, Isaac and Cortanna had a melt down. The half elf doubled over, coughing so hard I was certain I was about to see her cough blood or throw up, maybe both. Isaac, on the other hand, was scratching at himself like a mad man. Their discomfort reminded me of my own, to which I itched my ear and my back.
Apparently there were two trolls on the other side of the small hill Rekka tried to warn us about. Luckily, they were no threat, even though Cortanna somehow managed to hit one of them with an arrow. Only Rekka was able to communicate with them. We found that out after Isaac had poked his eye on one of the spiked cages he and I were checking out, they containing the villagers, and Rekka spoke some language in responce to Isaac's anguish to which the trolls and her commenced communicating.
As Gideon, Isaac and I opened the cage doors to help the villagers out, Rekka was able to gather that some octopus had brought the villagers to the trolls and that we were currently in the Underdark. Isaac explained it to be another version of the mortal realm filled with nasty creatures.
“What’s beyond that door?” I asked after noting a doorway behind the trolls.
“Their dining room,” Rekka replied.
“And a way out that way?” More talking between Rekka and the troll. She contorts her face suddenly.
“He advises that we return the way we came.”
“Right,” Cortanna said.
The trolls then left the room. I was about to go mad with itching and as the people come around they too seem to be suffering. As I itched, I couldn’t help but remember how the dagger was lost. My stomach knots even now at the thought. It just seemed so careless of me to have put the dagger their in the first place. Why not have had it sheathed around my waste?
Isaac then brought our attention to Jessica. She had been pulled under the water like the villagers and she now laid lifeless on the cavern floor, her skin sloughing off her body. At the moment of reverence for our fallen comrade (even if she had pissed me off an hour prior), the trolls returned with some roots, mushrooms, and green meat. They really ought to be commended for their hospitality despite our aggression at first. They then muttered something to Rekka as they pointed to all of us, dead and alive.
“Well, looks like we’re all gonna slough our skin if we don’t wash the well water off our bodies...” Rekka said glumly. I stopped itching my arm. As I looked at it, I could see the skin I’d been itching had become red and somewhat scaly. Looking back at Rekka, I could see she wasn’t looking herself either. Infact, she looked scared. I didn’t blame her. We all were trapped. Yet in that moment of despair I remembered the wonderful wings that still protruded from my back. I could fly. Gideon could fly. We may not be strong enough to fly everyone out of the well, but we could go get water!
“Gideon, lets go get water!” I stated, flying toward the well. He followed and once we were up and out of the well joyful glee could be heard. I spotted Raæin, in his Mira disguise, riding a chair. So much for listening to me.
It was incredibly odd seeing him sitting on a chair, full of joy, while the rest of us were scared and dying below. I knew it wasn’t his fault the situation we were in, and honestly it was pleasant to see him so happy, but I was irked to say the least when I first saw him.
“Raæin,” I called out. Quickly Raæin hopped off the chair and transformed back to his true self.
“Um, yes...” Raæin began seeming embarrassed, “what do you need Mistress?”
“Call me Araja,” I automatically corrected.
“Yes m’lady.” I laughed to myself, my lips betraying me as a smile stole across my face. Raæin never called me by my first name, even in our first life together.
It took longer than I would have liked to acquire water. In the end, Raæin was able to communicate with the chairs (whom were quite helpful if not friendly) and they found us some buckets. Raæin then teleported us to a river (which was only 50 ft away, but it saved us some time) to which we filled the wooden buckets, teleported back to the well, and down we went while carrying the poorly crafted pails.
Once back to the group, everyone still looked miserable. Itching continued, Cortanna coughed more, and the trolls just hung out not sure what to do. Gideon and I washed one of the villagers with the little water we were able to bring down. After washing the villager, we rushed out to collect more water.
As we came back out, Raæin once more was riding around on a chair in Mira form with 3 buckets trailing after him. We got his attention and repeated our water collecting regime again. This time 3 villagers were dead upon our return.
“Were there any water skins?” Isaac asked after seeing our pewny attempts at bringing water.
“I dunno. An animated chair found the buckets for us,” I responded. Isaac lifted an eyebrow.
“Well ask that chair or those buckets if they know of any waterskins.” I gave a nod and took off with Gideon again to see if we could locate some waterskins. Once back to the surface, I asked two buckets about waterskins to which they shook at me aggressively and rolled away.
“Wait!” Gideon exclaimed,” Araja, the buckets can fly, I bet they could fly themselves down there faster than we can carry them.” I was about to remind Gideon about the anti magic field when he instructed the buckets to enact his idea. No sooner had Gideon said that all three buckets (the two that were offended by me thankfully listened to Gideon) took off to the river, flew past us and down the well with such speed and grace that I couldn’t help but feel impressed.
“You do know you just sent those ‘magical’ buckets into an antimagic field right?” I told Gideon. His dopey grin vanished as I mentioned that. Part of me felt bad for pointing out the flaw in his plan, but it turned out that I was the one with a foot in my mouth. The buckets reappeared a minute later, sailing off to the river before disappearing down the well again. Gideon beamed and pointed a finger at me in victory. I gave a defeated smile, commending him for his genius.
After the 3rd time of the buckets reappearing, they suddenly went rigid and collapsed on the ground. I looked over to Raæin who had continued enjoying his chair ride and saw that the chair too had fallen to the ground.
“Gideon, this could be our chance!,” I said excitedly, “Raæin, go find some rope please,” I commanded.
“But the chairs said they’re jerks,” Raæin responded.
“They’re inanimate now. Hopefully they’ll remain that way until we get the others back up,” I persisted. Raæin went off obediently, but when I saw him coming back, he had been tied up in ropes and was being dragged towards the well.
I ran over, scared of Raæin being sent into the antimagic field. I touched his flank and teleported him out of the ropes. The ropes crumple on themselves before straightening out and leaping at me. I was able to evade their initial lung for me and took off flying. Unfortunately I wasn’t fast enough for one of the long ropes reached out and tied around my foot. It thrusted me back down to the ground.
Next thing I knew was my body being tightly wrapped in the ropes. I managed to set off a fire bolt on the ropes. With the magic of the armor, the heat of the fire didn’t harm me. Unfortunately the ropes survived though very much singed. The ropes then maneuvered over my mouth. Unable to speak, I watched helpless as the well drew closer. Gideon then swung at the ropes with his sword. He was able to cut the rope but the loose pieces wrapped around him and soon we both were falling down the well again.
Next thing I knew was my body being tightly wrapped in the ropes. I managed to set off a fire bolt on the ropes. With the magic of the armor, the heat of the fire didn’t harm me. Unfortunately the ropes survived though very much singed. The ropes then maneuvered over my mouth. Unable to speak, I watched helpless as the well drew closer. Gideon then swung at the ropes with his sword. He was able to cut the rope but the loose pieces wrapped around him and soon we both were falling down the well again.
The bitter water engulfed me in it’s foul embrace. I could feel the ropes still pulling me down deeper into the lake and the fear of drowning creeped into my mind. I focused on holding my breathe and fighting against the ropes, hoping soon they would lose their magics that animated them. A few more moments later, the ropes went slack and I quickly swam to the surface. Once there I flew up and out of the well and right to the river. Gideon joined me a short time later. We took some time as we carefully cleaned ourselves up before sitting down on the river bank, weary.
“What are we to do?” I asked him.
“I haven’t an idea, other than to just go join them and help them find another way out,” Gideon responded. I looked at him. It was peculiar to be with another Angelic. There was a feeling of ‘I know him’ though I didn’t. Still, there was something nostalgic about sitting with his.
“Let’s return then,” I said standing up. Gideon followed and once more we made our way down the well and into the underdark.
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