Chapter 15: Smoke
This time when they flew, Wren’s magic carried them lower in the sky so that they were floating within the clouds. The ground beneath them was still partially obscured, but only by thin wisps. Enya’s gaze remained fixed below them the whole time they traveled, trained on the rivers that looked like thin threads from above, the mountains that were barely larger than boulders. This high up, she couldn’t make out any distinct people at all; they were smaller than specks amidst the vastness of the land.
By the time the two of them landed, the sun was just beginning to descend. Enya’s boots touched soft grasses, and when she looked around, massive trees loomed overhead. Wildflowers of every color bloomed in thick carpets over the tall, dense grass, and she realized that the faint light speckling the earth had a slightly green tinge. This was the Emerald Forest, but not a part of it that she’d ever seen before.
Wren nodded at the unspoken question. “This area isn’t too far from your village, but most people don’t wander in this deep. It’s easy to get lost here.” She placed a hand against one of the tree trunks, which was wider than the woman was tall. “This place has some of the most dense atmospheric magic in Elaren. After you’ve awakened, if you ever feel yourself especially drained, it’s not a bad idea to stop by here.” She stepped back from the tree. “It helps that the Rot is very unlikely to show up here, too. The thickness of the magic keeps it at bay.”
Enya looked around, taking in the scenery, the way the plants seemed to glow in the light, and nodded slowly. “It’s beautiful,” she said. Wren had said it wasn’t too far; perhaps she could bring Nadine, Theresa, Raynor, and Altair here at some point. She’d have to wait for all their schedules to align, but she smiled slightly at the thought of the five of them sitting among the colorful blossoms, just like they used to when they were children exploring and getting into trouble.
“Do you feel any different?” Wren’s voice cut her out of her thoughts.
Enya frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Hm, just curious.” She peered up at the distant tops of the trees. “Arks can sense atmospheric magic, especially when it’s this heavy.” She smiled. “Of course, you haven’t awakened yet, so don’t worry about it.”
Wren turned, gesturing for Enya to follow. “Come on, it’s this way.”
After a final sweep of their surroundings, ingraining as many details into her memory as she could, Enya followed Wren and the two stepped deeper into the forest.
The trees only grew more dense the further they walked, and the place dimmed as less light was able to filter through to the forest floor. Still, Enya found herself feeling oddly calm. Perhaps it was the lingering exhaustion from the fight, or the old stillness permeating the area, but she found her mind free of unease.
The two soon came across a thick curtain of leaves draping down from the overhead branches, obscuring the path ahead. Wren brushed the leaves aside without hesitating, and after stepping through, Enya found herself standing in a clearing surrounding a small pond. The water was perfectly still, reflecting the golden light from overhead as clearly as a mirror would. The canopy here was thinner, and a large gap in the leaves was present just above the pond, allowing extra light to illuminate it. Enya squinted, eyes adjusting to the sudden brightness. Wren continued forward and kneeled down in front of the pond, and Enya did the same.
She peered into the waters, blinking in surprise as she realized that, despite how clear they seemed, she couldn’t see through them. The bright surface remained no matter how she angled her head, like a permanent shield sitting atop the pond.
“It’s magic,” Wren said by way of explanation, chuckling at the confusion on her face. “After Rebirth, the first three Arks brought Tynell here since the magic is so thick. He’s sleeping inside the pond, and the atmospheric magic being drawn in is what creates that constant light. If you actually touch the water, you’d see inside normally.” She raised a hand over the pond, and her palm glowed crimson. The brightness grew, and Enya watched as the water seemed to absorb the magic that Wren was channeling, pulling it in until it became an indistinguishable part of its surface.
“Just a simple magic transfer to help speed his recovery,” Wren explained once the glow had faded. “It’s customary for any Arks who stop by Reyin. It’s thanks to the first four that Elaren survived Rebirth, after all.”
Enya stared at the pond, brow furrowed. She began to raise her own hand, but Wren caught her wrist and shook her head. “You haven’t awakened yet, so there’s no need for you to transfer anything. Save it for when you’re an Ark proper.”
She nodded slowly, wondering what this ‘Tynell’ was like. She’d only caught a glimpse of Oriana and Brunhilde, and her brief encounter with Rigel could barely be considered a conversation, but the man had been kind. Her fingers drifted absentmindedly over to Nadine’s earring that she’d put on again.
“What are the first four like?”
Wren turned to face her, raising an eyebrow. “Why do you ask?”
“I was curious.” Enya ducked her head, a little embarrassed. “You’ve said that Arks aren’t all good people, and after the fight with Leor, well…” her voice trailed as she struggled to come up with the words. “I was just wondering.”
“I get it. We’d all hope the strongest people on the continent are kind.” The Ark hummed in thought. “Well, my previous incarnation was the one who knew Tynell, so I can’t say much about him. Oriana’s quite distant, and Brunhilde, well, I don’t think you’d like her much.” She didn’t elaborate on what that meant. “You met Rigel, so you should have some idea of what he’s like.” Her eyes were sharp as she stared into the bright surface of the water. “Honestly though, I think you’re better off not trusting any Arks. I know it might not feel right, since we house the gods’ soul fragments and it can seem like you’re doubting the gods, but even the best of us have done some pretty questionable things. Including me.”
Enya frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Well, take the first four, for example.” The woman stood, taking a few step away from the pond so that she was standing at the edge of the clearing. “I told you that the reason we don’t tell the rest of the world about us is because the first four tried it and it didn’t end well, right?”
She nodded, and the woman continued.
“Well, it’s odd that no one alive knows about Arks even though so many supposedly did at one point.”
Enya’s eyes widened, and she felt her stomach churn. “You mean…?”
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“I’m not accusing them of anything,” Wren clarified, leaning back against a tree trunk. “The four of them helped saved Elaren during Rebirth. No one can deny how much they’ve done. I just want to give you an idea of what I mean.” She chuckled. “This is a terrible location to be having this conversation, isn’t it?”
Enya’s eyes darted back to the pond. The Ark inside was unconscious, had been for centuries, but it did feel strange to discuss these matters around him. She hesitated, thinking. Finally, she lifted a hand. It glowed a soft red, though only for a few brief seconds before fading as the magic was drawn into the waters. She stood up and brushed off her clothes. It hadn’t been much, barely even a sliver of magic, but she hadn’t felt right doing nothing. Maybe what Wren said was true, but beneath the waters was still the same person so many legends had spoken of, even if he’d been falsely identified.
Wren didn’t comment on the magic transfer as Enya approached, simply nodding her head towards the curtain of leaves. “You ready to leave?”
After a final glance over at the pond, Enya nodded and followed the woman out of the clearing.
—
By the time they exited the forest, the golden hues of evening were beginning to give way to a deeper red. Long shadows crawled out from the line of trees, crossing into the dirt path they were on. Enya recognized it; it was the same northern road that she’d patrolled on for so many years, though they seemed to be quite a ways farther north than her patrols usually took her. It was odd, to think that a sleeping Ark, a living legend by all accounts, lay so close to Acrine.
The two walked quietly down the path. No other passersby were in sight, likely in their homes eating dinner for the night. Enya closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of the wind pressing against her face, and wondered how Nadine would react to her already being back. Her hand brushed against the earring, and she swallowed. Now that she was returning, she would have to tell her sister everything.
“What’s wrong?”
Enya jolted out of her trance, turning around to see Wren watching her, eyes sharp. “I promised my sister I’d tell her everything when I got back.” Her voice was quiet. “I wasn’t expecting it to be so soon.”
“Your sister works at the tavern, right? She seems to care a lot about you.” The woman chuckled. “She’s been glaring daggers at me every time she sees me these past few weeks. I wouldn’t worry too much about her reaction.”
Enya sighed. “That sounds like her.” She shook her head, clearing away the doubt creeping in her mind, and smiled at the woman. “Thank you. I’ve probably been over thinking it. I don’t even know if I’ll awaken yet.”
Wren didn’t respond to that, and the two continued walking, Enya’s steps lighter than before. A couple more minutes passed, the sky now truly red, no traces of blue left, when Wren stopped walking.
“Wren?”
The Ark’s expression was unreadable, her eyes focused somewhere deep into the forest looming by their side. When she spoke, her voice was devoid of emotion. “Enya, can you make it back to the village on your own? I’ll meet up with you later.”
Enya blinked. “Is something wrong?” Her own eyes traced the silhouetted trees, but she could find nothing unusual about their appearance. She tensed. “Did the Rot appear?”
The woman didn’t answer. A flash of light made Enya squeeze her eyes shut on instinct, and when she opened them, the woman’s entire body was glowing a dark crimson. Winds swirled around them, sweeping up piles of dust and dirt that made Enya cough as the Ark rose up into the air. She barely had the time to yell, “Wait!” before Wren vanished into the sky.
The dust slowly settled back down onto the ground, and Enya rubbed dirt away from her face as she strained to see where Wren had gone. She couldn’t make out anything, only the long clouds drifting gently overhead, dyed red and gold by the sunset. Enya directed her attention to the forest, but there, too, she found nothing different about its jagged outline.
A sinking feeling settled in her gut as she kept searching, as though looking a second time would yield different results. The wind, previously so soothing, felt harsh and chilling against her skin.
With heavy, slow steps, she continued walking down the road. It was probably something to do with the Rot, she reasoned with herself. Waiting here was pointless; she would return home, speak with Nadine, and meet up with the Ark again the next day for training. Wren would explain it tomorrow. She’d never failed to answer Enya’s questions before.
Still, despite her reassurances, the growing dread lingered, permeating each step forward she took. And then, she saw it. As she gazed absentmindedly up at the sky, there, barely visible, were a few faint golden lights disappearing into the moving clouds. She jumped back and drew her sword, jerking her head around and scanning her surroundings while she kept the blade pointed outwards.
In the corner of her eye, she caught movement and whirled around, only to find her gaze caught on the sight of grey smoke billowing into the air, twisting and coiling in the distance. Her eyes widened, and without thinking, her body glowed as she pulled at her magic and propelled herself forward with as much momentum as she could muster.
The trees passed by in a blur, and faint hints of old, long destroyed towns stuck out as darkened splotches in her peripheral vision. Even at this speed, her surroundings were becoming increasingly familiar.
She didn’t hesitate, and it was only once she was close enough to feel the heat, to breathe in the familiar thick stench of smoke, that she stopped her magic in favor of running as fast as her legs would carry her.
When the fire came into view, Enya skidded to a halt, lungs burning as she gasped for air, her limbs heavy and sluggish as a result of magic overuse. Her mind wasn’t focused on that, however. Her entire body was a numb afterthought.
In that moment, the only thing she could think about was the sight of Acrine Village ablaze in front of her.