“It’s not really my color,” said Lumira, who took a purple cloak from Seamstress, “But thanks anyway.”
“You’re welcome, hon,” said Seamstress with a kind smile.
Acantha had been the first to receive a cloak and after putting it on, she had warily dipped the tip of her toe in a puddle of water. The expected, excruciating pain had not been there and now she was standing with her feet submerged and smiling. Farmer, Morn and Lumira had received their magical cloaks not much later. The only one to receive one now was the little elfling More, who sat a bit far off, together with Jade. They were talking.
“More, dear,” Seamstress spoke up, “I need to take your measurements.”
Jade and More joined the others.
“What were you two talking about?” asked Acantha.
Jade ignored the question and watched as Seamstress made More stand with her arms spread out. Farmer and Morn had put Decker on the foldable bed, so that they would be able to carry him out of here.
Acantha performed her ritual of water breathing again, so that they all, including More, would be able to breathe underwater. She did not tell anyone that recasting the ritual would draw her power away from Black. She hoped that Black had somehow found a way to leave the water. The thought of water made Acantha shiver despite the protective cloak she had received from Seamstress. Besides five cloaks, Seamstress had also made flippers for herself, so that she would be able to propel herself upwards.
“Ready?” said Jade, after she had opened the door of the pool house.
Seamstress was the first one to step forward, followed by the very reluctant pair of brancard-carriers consisting of Morn and Farmer, who were both wearing a purple cloak. When they stepped into the water that they expected to burn like lava, they were relieved to find that it did not hurt them at all. Lumira, Acantha and More followed them stream upwards and Jade closed the doors behind them by turning the valve.
Swimming through the calm water was easy and Jade led them around the strong currents until they reached the shore. The party stepped out of the river, from what had meant to be a dry journey, had turned out to be a near-drowning experience. They took a moment to rest up and sat down looking back over the dark, magenta river. Jade stood on the lookout and she was the first one to see two figures coming their way. One of them was the shark-faced Kevins, who was still wearing his signature black robe with purple rims, but he was hunched forward and seemingly limping. The other figure was a naked, dark bearded elf with a burning light where his heart should have been as if he was carrying a fire around in his chest.
“Decker!” said the naked man and he sped towards his buddy lying on the foldable bed. “Is he ok?”
“I think he’s just unconscious,” answered Acantha, “He woke up Seamstress so that we could all get to safety.”
Black nodded.
“Here,” said Jade, pulling out Black’s clothes from under Decker’s body.
Black thanked her and put them on, he either didn’t notice Jade’s awkwardness or didn’t care. Jade couldn’t help but look at his muscular body and saw that on his back he had lines of lingua engraved in them, which she could read clearly.
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.*
“Excuse me,” said Jade with a flushed face and she took off. When the elf came back after half an hour she told the group:
“I took some time to look around and I think we’re relatively safe here.”
“Let’s set up camp here then, on the shore.” suggested Acantha and Jade nodded.
They both looked expectantly at Black, who smiled back.
“I won’t be able to build a cottage this time, not without Decker,” he said and his hand rested on the shoulder of his unconscious friend.
“We can’t possibly all fit inside my tent,” said Acantha.
“How big is it, hon? Show me,” said Seamstress and Acantha took off her backpack.
Seamstress inspected it.
“This is a really nice tent, interesting fabric, especially this touch of translucence,” she held up a part where, indeed, the fabric was a little see-through. Acantha shivered as she remembered the slurping sounds of the thing that had caused the fabric to change from an ordinary tarp to this supernatural aberration. Seamstress gave her back the tent with a smile and said:
“Your tent will fit four people, let me make another one, so that we can all sleep safely inside.”
Seamstress did as she said and within twenty minutes they were setting up the second tent. Where she did get all the materials from, they could only guess. With two tents they had enough space to sleep in. Farmer, Seamstress, Lumira, Black and Decker took one tent and More, Morn, Jade, Kevins and Acantha the other.
Jade took first watch and she sat just outside the tent so that she could keep an eye on her surroundings. When she thought everyone had fallen asleep, she heard a groan. She turned and peered inside.
“Are you alright?” she asked Kevins.
“It will pass,” he replied with a voice hoarse and bubbly.
***
“Good job getting rid of the little Morrigans.”Jade jerked awake when she heard someone talking to her. “If you want to find the other ones, let me know and I will help you.”
The voice sounded benevolent. Jade looked around but saw no one, she knew that the owner of the voice was somewhere else. This was not a whisper, she was being prayed to.
“Also, I am willing to buy you.”
Jade listened for more, but nothing came, no explanation. She lay herself back down, next to Acantha who was breathing audibly. Morn sat next to the tent opening, keeping watch, the orc nodded to her when their eyes met. Nightmares were a common thing in Hell. Jade turned away from Acantha, her eyes resting on the little girl called More. She had already understood that this child was not More, but Morrigan. The Cold One as More had called her. Jade remembered having her bare feet in the snow. Her family was there too, her brother. More was a fragment of the Totem who had once been her master. Jade had ran away from Morrigan in anger and fear. But now the Totem was here, weak and in her control.
Perhaps Jade would be able to get her revenge, or perhaps something even better. Jade did not have to close her eyes to see her brothers smiling face. Despite everything she had done to forget him, he was still there, like a burning wound that would not heal. When he died, Jade had given up all hope of ever seeing him again. But when Lumira, mere weeks ago, had given her the secret of rebirth in return for the Sloan’s passage through the Hell Gate, Jade had learned that death was in fact not irreversible. There were only two ingredients needed to have someone be reborn. One of which she had found thanks to More. The soul of her brother had been hers the moment she had saved the little Morrigan from the cathedral at the bottom of the river. Jade fell asleep knowing that she was now carrying her brother with her in her heaven.
*) Fire and Ice by Robert Frost
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