Chapter 3

"Good for you. I'm leaving now. Stop following me," Reimei said, enunciating forcefully.

Zauber looked dejected.

Ouch, that hurts. But you did scare her and she has no reason to trust you and you don't know how to track anything, you couldn't find your boots for an hour this morning, plus I don't think she likes humans, fair reasons I bet, I wonder if that's how she got that scar over her eye, so you're probably just...

A moment later his smile returned and he nodded. "I'm getting in your way, sorry."

He turned to leave. Ah, she's going into danger all by herself, she probably knows what she's doing, she seems like she could beat you in a second, but— Oh!

Wait, really?

Yeah, I think so. Actually, I'm sure.

He span back around, rummaging through the pouch on his belt. "Could you take this with you?" he asked, producing a silver pendant.

"What? Why?" she asked incredulously.

"I think it'll help." he said earnestly.

Reimei paused for a moment before she grabbed it. "Okay thank you it's very nice." she sighed, watching him suspiciously, "You're leaving now, yes?"

Okay, at least you did something. Yep, got it, I'm off.

Relieved, he turned and started to walk away. He peered back through the trees, thinking about his next steps.

The tracker, I'll start there.

He focused on a point ahead, willing himself there. He felt the familiar texture of the weave as he visualised it around him, the rippling strands coming into focus as the world slowed. He contorted it, folding it to accommodate his path and released it with a crackling twang. His vision stretched and distorted, his destination rushing up to him, and he was there.

He jumped again a few more times, eventually returning to the clearing. With a heavy sigh he dropped his eyes to the poor tracker's remains on the ground.

"Where did she go?" he pondered, looking around.

He closed his eyes and focused. The sound of the forest around him dulled slightly as his mind shifted. Opening his eyes again, a faint blue shimmer surrounded his vision and he looked around for her.

She was off this way I think...

He wandered, accidentally finding the clearing again twice before he spotted what he was after. A white light that cast no shadows and lit nothing, moving slowly. He walked over to her calmly and quietly.

Eventually the details began to resolve and he could see the pale figure made of light. A young woman; dark hair, tied up behind her head. Practical clothing, clean and new, tracker's garb. Her expression was vacant and she stood still, staring up at the clear sky.

"Hey," he said softly.

She turned to face him, looking through him at first, but then her eyes seemed to focus.

"You again," she said happily.

But it faded fast, "Where am I? I can't see any stars to navigate by."

"Do you remember what I said before?" he asked gently.

She hung her head as she remembered their previous conversation.

"It got me. I died." she said. "But, I'm still here. What happens now?"

Zauber took a deep breath and smiled, "Big question that one. Um, some people stay a while, some don't. Eventually you'll wander off further than I can see you though. I have to say I don't know what happens after that."

"Might I go to the wheel?" she asked.

"Is that what you were taught about?" Zauber asked, sitting on a fallen tree.

"The druids teach that," she smiled, looking down, recalling an apparently fond memory. "Tierra used to describe it so fantastically to us as children, a great whirling vortex of space and time where souls wait for the next life."

Zauber smiled, listening intently.

"I know the temple has its own version," she said. "I like that one though."

"Not surprised," Zauber chuckled. "I bumped into Tierra a few days ago. Didn't speak long, she was preparing for a trip. Big strong orcish lady, right?"

She nodded happily.

"She's got a certain way of speaking, and a strong voice for a good story," he mused.

"The happy ones maybe!" she giggled. "Her ghost stories scared the shit out of me."

Zauber laughed with her, "I bet! I'd like to go back and hear some of those stories sometime."

The young woman's face fell again, "Am I a ghost now?" she asked hesitantly.

"Hmm," Zauber started, "I wouldn't say so."

He leaned forward, taking another deep breath before he continued.

"Some people have trouble letting go. They're angry, scared, frustrated. Very understandably in my opinion. They try to stay here, or get back maybe. And they manage to hold themselves to this plane." He ground his teeth absentmindedly, "I've not seen that end well for the most part."

He seemed to come back out of the thought and looked up at her smiling, "But you can't see the stars; you're here with me but not completely."

Zauber placed his hands on his knees and stood up slowly.

"I have to have a look around for something," he said gently.

"Can I stay with you?" she asked, quite urgently. "It's hard to think when I'm alone here."

"Of course you can," said Zauber, beckoning her along. "I don't want to wander around this place on my own either."

They walked a while, Zauber trying to keep on a straight line over the muddy roots and foliage.

"What's your name?" he asked casually.

She had to think for a moment.

"It's okay, it'll be there somewhere," he said.

"Geretté," she said, seeming relieved, "Rettie."

"I'm Zauber," he smiled.

"What are you looking for?" she asked.

"You know... I'm not entirely sure," he admitted, crouching down to look under some branches, "You see anything?"

"Um," she looked around, her eyes locking onto something, "tracks!"

"What? Where?" asked Zauber, trying to find them.

"Here," she said, bending down and pointing at a patch of lightly depressed soil. "Look, here's the heel. It's not landing hard, this thing has weird feet. Then the ball of the foot, and you can sort of make out the toes here and here."

"Remarkable," said Zauber, squinting to try and make it out. "See any more?"

"Yeah, they go this way," Rettie said, low to the ground, following signs he could barely make out.

"What is this thing?" she asked.

"I suspect," he grunted as he got up and followed her, "that this is more than just a dangerous animal.

"Something magic?" she asked. "Some kind of monster?"

"Depending on what you mean by 'monster'," he said in a low voice, "I worry it's not just a monster either. Something feels... off, wrong, hidden."

His eyes narrowed as he spotted something, "More..." he muttered as another ethereal light came into view in the distance. He walked towards it cautiously, looking back to make sure Rettie was following. As he approached he saw a man, older than Rettie but not by much; he also wore tracker's garb. He was swaying gently, looking at the floor.

"Hello?" said Zauber, but he got no response.

"What is it?" Rettie asked, nervously.

"It's—" Zauber stood back, walking up beside her, "Look straight ahead," he said softly.

"I don't see anything," she said.

"That's okay," he nodded, "try not to focus on the forest."

He walked around behind her towards her other side, "Try to let it slip away a bit, like you're almost falling asleep, but not quite."

"I see him!" she gasped, looking around for a few moments to find Zauber.

"There you go," he said, the corner of his mouth rising slightly. "Do you recognise him?"

"No," she said. "He might be from the other group? What's... wrong with him?"

"He's alright," Zauber assured her. "He's just a bit further away than you already."

"There's more!" Rettie exclaimed, looking further ahead.

"Yeah?" asked Zauber, smiling, "Where are they? Can you guide me over?"

She walked tentatively off the trail they had been following, heading for a rocky hill. They walked around it slightly and a cave came into view.