Svana hadn't spoken since the incident in Gnosh.

Her and Rina headed West, where she had intended to take Svana all along. Through the miles, Rina walked while Svana trudged behind. When Svana became discouraged and Rina became irritated, she pulled and guided Svana by hand. And when Svana was too tired, Rina would lift her and carry her on her back. Svana was depressed, empty of energy. Her Gift faltered, which gave Rina much access to her own, but the strengthening properties Svana was capable of providing was hardly there. Not that it mattered -- it only mattered in the case of Svana's lack of motivation to move.

Though, it did feel very wrong, forcing this girl to walk for hundreds of miles, but it was for her own safety. Rina was leading her away from the Kingdom, far away to Matrun, where the people were disconnected from the struggles of the rest of Nadi... besides locating and rescuing Gifted individuals from around the continent. The Kingdom had tried to get involved in Matrun affairs for decades to no avail. The Republic attempted peace treaties and alliances but were ignored. Matrun was a safe haven for the Gifted -- and powerful for it too. Despite the Kingdom's strength and influence, the Matrun government knew the Kingdom feared them.

For they were the land of the Gifted -- powerful individuals, who, when working together, could destroy an entire country if they had to. They would defend themselves if they needed to. But Matrun was its own corner of Nadi, peaceful and free from conflict. Except for the agents they sent into the world. Rina was one of the few who had to face violence. Was trained for it.

Rina knew Task would hunt them for a while, but perhaps not for long. He had other targets to claim, of course. Like this so-called En-Maer, who seemed to carry quite the powerful Gift. They were someone Matrun had been interested in bringing in for a while... but their Aura was strange. Nearly untraceable. And there was something... dark about it. Something that, even when the country's Tracers could get a read on it, they couldn't hold the connection, claiming they felt "too terrified" to continue.

En-Maer was for a later date. Svana was the important, immediate goal. As powerful as some Gifted were out there, Svana was on another level.

After a week of travel, Rina felt confident that they were no longer being followed. The moments when she had access to her Gift, which was typically at night while Svana slept, Rina felt the area with her Aura. Sent her amplified hearing out into the darkness. She sacrificed blood for her Duality-Point and pushed her radius far outward.

For many hours of the night, Rina listened. Felt the reverberations of the world. They had set up camp among the trees this night, no choice but to pass through miles of the Shadow Wood, a forest that was not as nefarious as the name might imply. The name was given for the darkness within, as the Cutbarks, which also weren't as dangerous as the name implied, towered high above and clustered close together, the canopies concealing nearly all moonlight within. Rina had started a fire, using some stones and some gathered wood for a spark, which was now nearly down to embers within its circle of rocks. Svana was curled up in a ball beneath Rina's cloak. Hunger and thirst were seeping in for the two of them, but slowly, as Svana's healing abilities not only healed injury but most ailments upon the body.

Rina opened her eyes and left the sounds of the world to focus in on the here and now. She watched Svana sleep in the dying light of the fire. Her abilities made her wonder. She had never met someone with multiple Gifts, if that was what Svana had. How could she have the ability to heal as well as the ability to erase Gifts?

Unless... Rina swallowed. Shivered in the night. What if Gifts were an ailment to be eradicated?

But if that was the case, how could Svana use the Gift if it, itself, was something to be purged? It was paradoxical.

Rina sighed and stirred the ashes with a stick, knowing that incessant wondering would bring no answers. She just had to complete her goal. The light was dying. But there would be more in the morning. She lowered herself onto the ground and breathed. Breathed through the chill of the night, past the discomfort of her body. Her Aura traveled down into the world and listened to its hum, distracting her from the uneven ground, the unwelcoming air, and was lulled to sleep.

Svana was deep within a dream that she mistook for reality. She was home, eating warm bread. Yellow was racing about the house as he usually did whenever morning came. Svana giggled and swallowed the rest of her bread to chase Yellow out the door into the streets of Gnosh. Sola, the bread lady laughed but told Svana to slow down. She did so, only for a moment, before speeding up again. Yellow was running so fast.

Jerra, the boy she would walk to the big river with sometimes, yelled to her. She waved quickly but was too busy. Had to run.

She reached the edge of the village. Yellow was gone.

Her smile faded into concern and worry. She cried out his name. She twirled around to ask for someone for help.

But the village was empty.

She flinched, inching her way closer to the buildings. All had become gray and the sky was clouded over. A whimpering was coming from the distance. From her house. Whispers surrounded her, coming from the air itself. She couldn't understand what they were saying.

Eventually, she made it back home. Mama was inside, sitting in a chair, facing the wall away from her.

"Mama?" Svana said slowly, not only confused by everyone's disappearance, but afraid she would get in trouble for being so irresponsible with Yellow. "Mama, Yellow is... he ran off somewhere." She paused, noticing the silence. "Where is everybody?"

She moved closer. Mama's body was so still. When she touched her shoulder, she got up so fast the chair fell back behind her, nearly knocking into Svana. And then, Mama was no longer herself -- she was the army man from back in the fortress. The man who interrogated her and tricked her. He had done so again. His face was large and wild with anger, but there was a grin spread across his face. He stabbed her with a sword that appeared out of thin air.

As the sword entered her belly, Svana shook and she was awake, in the middle of the dark forest.

She breathed heavily, gripping her stomach. All she could smell was the smoke of a fire. She could hear Rina's breathing beside her, but that was all. Bits of moonlight shone down between small gaps in the treetops but those strands of cold light were eaten up by the darkness. Svana could see the outlines of trees, shadows upon shadows. Only vague forms in the deep night.

It wasn't cold, but it wasn't a comfortable temperature either. Still, Svana shivered, afraid of what might be out there unseen.

The remnants of her dream hit her. Everyone was gone. Gone, gone up with the Gods. She got up, onto her knees and pressed her palms together. Her eyes clenched themselves shut and she prayed to them as she was taught to all her life. Within her mind she called to them -- most of the Scarred did not have the luxury of knowing many of their names -- so she simply referred to them generally. Begging to speak with Mama just one more time. Making sure Yellow was going on plenty of walks. She asked if Sola was still making bread up there -- she was sure it was still just as good. And made sure Jerra was making friends and was happy.

However, no one answered her.

She remained knelt, praying, for a long time repeating her message. She waited for a reply each time. Then, she opened her eyes and dropped her hands. The truth was, she had never heard the Gods when Mama had her pray before bed. Did they just not answer you when you prayed? Had they abandoned them for not being as devoted as the Kingdom says they should be?

Had they abandoned her... because of who she is?

The thought made her freeze. Her heart was racing now. No, that isn't right. That isn't what all those men say, who spend their lives talking to the Gods. They say the Gods accept anyone who believes. Why would they lie? But...

But... Svana believed in them. Why would they kill everyone she ever knew, ever loved? Svana began to cry, recalling Mama turning into that terrifying man in her dream. The man that called her worthless. The man that told her she was a plague. Was that why the Gods didn't answer her? Is that why the believers of the Gods hated her?

She flinched in sudden fear, a sudden, dark realization of her life. Because of who she was, they were all dead. And the entire world hated her because of something she couldn't change, something that didn't harm any of them. She sat on Rina's cloak and breathed heavily, rocking herself back and forth. What if this woman beside her was lying? No... Rina saved her life. Told her she was here to protect her.

But... Svana nearly had her killed. She cried heavily now in stifled sobs. She was going to get this woman killed for just existing. But Svana was too afraid to die, to disappear, to give herself to Gods that hated her soul. That thought led her to thoughts of death. Of where she would go if such powerful beings despised her so much. She feared for where Mama went. Had they punished her soul too for what Svana was?

So, she ran. Ran as fast as she could, crying wildly, yelping at the smallest sound around her. She ran into trees and cut herself on unseen branches and bushes. But she kept running. No, what if she was making a huge mistake? She would be safe with Rina wouldn't she? But no, Rina wouldn't be safe with her around. Svana was exactly what that army man said she was.

"I'm sorry," Svana wailed, racing through the trees, pleading for forgiveness with the Gods, panicking, not knowing what to do with herself she was so afraid and sad. "Forgive me, I'm sorry!" She tripped on something and plummeted into the dirt, tumbled and continued tumbling down a steep hill. She shouldn't have ran. Now, she was lost. Dizzy. So confused.

Eventually, she landed, hard, wheezing into the rocks, brush and dust. It was colder down here than where she was. Panic had overtaken her but her exhaustion was stronger. She slowly got up and cried out. Pain had filled her. Normally, she wasn't this exhausted or easily hurt. That power within her just wasn't doing what it was supposed to.

"R-Rina..." she started, noticing she had hurt her knee and couldn't stand properly. "Rina! Rina!!" Svana twirled about, limping, but could barely see a thing. She fell back down and backed away, arms out in defense of imaginary threats until she backed into something. She felt it quickly, worried that it was a person, but it was a tree growing out of the base of the hill she had fallen from. She backed into the corner between the thick trunk and the land and pulled her knees up.

"Oh no," she whispered, "Oh no, oh no." She had never felt such fear in her life. No, she had, though. When she saw En-Maer before her very eyes. When that army man who hated her so much stabbed her. When she saw everyone she ever knew dead upon the ground. This was that kind of darkness, that kind of fear of death, that sort of deep isolation and agony. Knowing she was forsaken, and that she lost Rina in a moment of stupid panic, she felt truly alone and beyond help. But still, she pleaded.

"Somebody help me," she cried into her arms. Her life had been stolen in mere moments, it seemed. Everything had fallen apart. "Somebody..."

All was silent, save for her heartbeat and her breath.

"Do not cry, child."

Svana nearly leaped from her skin, whacking her head against the tree. She looked about in useless worry, rubbing the back of her skull, her eyes tearing up further from the sudden ache. The voice came from directly next to her it seemed. She swung her arms out but there was no one.

"Wh-who's there?" she stammered. "Who's there?"

"I am." The voice giggled. The voice was in her ears now. Feminine. It would have been soothing but its sudden presence still terrified her.

"Please don't hurt me," Svana whimpered.

"I would never hurt you," the voice said.

"What do you want?"

The voice giggled again. "I want you to know that you are not alone."

Svana breathed. Settled down just a bit. Listened.

"You must be strong, child. If not for anyone else -- for yourself. But... do know that she does need you."

"Who?" Svana whispered. "Who needs me?"

"The woman who saved you. The woman you will save."

"Rina?" Svana swallowed. She found that she couldn't quite place the location of the voice. Sometimes it was before her or next to her. Sometimes it was resounding from within her mind. Other times it came from the sky. In any case, this mysterious person had succeeded in soothing her. Relaxed her muscles. Calmed her heart. Made her warmer. Again, Svana asked. "Who are you?"

"I am Thea. I am a friend." A pause. "I heard your prayers."

Rina slowly stretched out, the morning leaking in through the sharp leaves above. She felt her Aura, which meant Svana must have still been asleep, so she reached out with it and listened to the forest. All was natural, all was a calm sound of breeze and critter. But, far to the West, there was a disturbance. Her Gift paused in that area. Sizzled out. She couldn't hear anything over there. It felt just like whenever Svana --

Rina sat up, rubbed her eyes and saw that Svana was gone.

She got to her feet. Memories flooded her in an instant. Painful memories of --

No! No, she wouldn't think about that. She was gone. It was in the past. But Svana... Svana was another chance. A chance to make up for it all.

Rina pushed her Aura, sacrificed blood, wavered for a moment, her hunger and thirst not helping matters. But, wow, Svana's Gift truly was way more powerful. Rina's Aura could not penetrate hers no matter how hard it tried. And Svana didn't just stop her Aura from reaching her -- she completely eradicated its existence within her own bubble. It was unheard of.

But, such a thing still allowed Rina to find her by running toward the zone of silence, following only sound as her guide, avoiding all that was loud. That fact that she was out there cancelling out Rina's Gift was a good sign. That meant she was conscious. Alive. Rina left their packs behind and charged through the trees. Her boots crunched and slammed into the dirt, then came to a skidding halt as she reached a steep hill. Using only the strength and agility of her body, she slowed, hopped, slid down, and when she reached the bottom, her Gift vanished.

"Svana!!" Rina cried. "Svana where are you?!" She spun around, leaned side to side, peeking through distant trees, trying to spot her. But, her worry dwindled quickly, as Svana wasn't far away. She walked out from behind a tree. Some of her pant leg had ripped away at the knee. Some scrapes were there but nothing too serious.

Rina sighed and fell to her knees.

"Oh, thank the Gods," she said, taking in deep breaths. She looked up as Svana approached. "I thought someone had taken you."

Svana shook her head. "I'm sorry," she said. "For running. I... got scared."

Rina squeezed Svana's arm in reassurance. "It's okay," she said quickly. "It's okay. Just... Svana, you must trust me. Going out alone isn't safe. Your abilities aren't yet honed. You have a wonderful Gift, yes, but even the sharpest, most masterfully crafted sword in the hands of a fool is useless."

Svana flinched. Rina realized she had just come off very harsh.

"Ah," Rina rubbed her hands through her hair, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry. That wasn't..."

"How do I learn? To not be a fool with a sword?"

Rina smiled and motioned for Svana to sit down next to her. The Aura surrounding them reduced their hunger and fatigue just enough to forget about it among other conversations. Such an Aura wasn't something Svana wasn't aware of. It came and went at random moments, surged and faltered at varying times. She had to learn. Rina was an Adept Gifted, someone with years and years of training and use of her abilities. Why shouldn't Svana's training start now? It would help her once she reached Matrun.

Svana slowly sat down and looked up at Rina. Rina crossed her legs and faced her.

"As I'm sure you know by now, Svana, you aren't the only one with a Gift. There are hundreds of Gifted individuals out there. All of them are different and unique. But there's one thing all Gifted share," Rina lifted a finger. "One thing that connects us. Aura."

Svana looked at her intently.

"Are you aware of your Aura?"

Svana shook her head. "Sometimes I feel... a force emanating from me. But not always. And it's always a small feeling."

Rina nodded and smiled. "That's a good first step. It takes a lot of effort and time to connect with your Aura. Much focus. There are Gifted who can sense Aura much better than I can. But I can sense my fair share. Even without my Gift, I can feel yours." Rina breathed and looked around her, spreading out her arms for emphasis. "Yours spreads far and wide when it wants to. It's powerful."

At this, for the first time in a long while, Svana smiled. It was small. And it faded quickly as she looked down and said, "But it's not a good Aura. Not a good Gift. It steals things from people."

Rina nodded. "It does. But it also strengthens people. And someday you'll be able to control it and do things you want to do with it. And then, using your Gift and controlling your Aura will be as natural as waggling your fingers." Rina grinned and wiggled her fingers in quick fluid motions through the air. "See? Look how easy it is!"

Svana laughed.

"But just because your Gift cancels out other Gifts doesn't mean it is bad. In fact, it can be very useful. There are Gifted in the world who use their abilities to harm others. You're capable of stopping them easily. All of that being said, Svana... everything you're encountering with your Gift right now is not always the way it will be. Right now you're just letting it flow or surge as it wants to, as if you weren't aware of your own legs. If you need to move, you have no way of knowing how fast you'll go so you just shout 'Move!' and your legs move at an undetermined speed. You don't know how to run or walk or even stand still of your own volition."

Rina noticed Svana's mix of confusion and slight discouragement.

"Ah, what I'm trying to tell you, and doing a very bad job of it, is this -- someday, you can use your Gift however you wish. You can prevent it from cancelling out other Gifts. You can use it to strengthen others or to not. Your Gift is very special, Svana. Something many people would like to learn more about."

There was definitely more to her abilities than Rina has already seen. Bringing the dead back to life... unheard of. Not even with the powerful force of Alchemy has anyone figured out how to do such a thing. Perhaps her Gift was beyond simple "cancelling" and "strengthening". There was a depth to be explored. But Rina would not make Svana into an Alchemy experiment or lab rat for these other Gifted in Matrun. She would make sure that never happened.

Svana looked off into the distance. Then nodded. "I will try to learn more. I do trust you."

Rina smiled. "I'm glad. As I said before -- my duty is to protect you. And I will help you learn more along the way if you'd like."

Svana thought for a moment. Then completely changed the subject as they stood up. "Have you ever prayed?"

Rina paused. Blocked out those dark memories from returning. When she did, desperately, seek out the Gods. "A few times, I suppose." She walked and Svana followed, heading back to their camp for their packs both of them climbing up that steep hill.

"Have you ever gotten an answer?"

"That's a very personal question, Svana."

"You've asked me personal questions."

Rina sighed. She was right. "No," she said, stopping to look down at Svana with a sad expression when they reached the top of the hill. "No, I've never gotten an answer from any of the Gods I've prayed to. I'm sorry to say."

When Rina turned to start walking again, Svana said one of the strangest things she had ever heard in her life.

"A woman answered my prayer last night."

Rina stopped in her tracks again. Slowly turned to inspect Svana's face. "What do you mean? Did someone come through our camp in the night?"

"No," Svana said. "Before I... ran off... I tried to pray to the Gods. I've prayed to them before. I've never heard anything from them either. But last night I heard a voice. It came from inside of me -- or -- the air. I couldn't tell."

Rina was staring at her in awe.

"But she told me she was a friend. That you needed me. That I would save you. That her name was Thea. And she heard my prayers."

Rina was silent. Still. But then, closed her eyes, smiled and shook her head. "Svana. The Gods are male." Not that she believed in the Gods. But, if they were real, they would be men. "Perhaps you were sleepwalking. Or just exhausted. Half asleep."

Svana looked up at her with pleading eyes, eyes that begged for her to be believed. She certainly didn't enjoy feeling like a liar. The gesture made Rina flinch.

"I'm telling the truth! I asked her... I asked her where she was too. She said 'far away'. And then I didn't hear much from her again."

Rina was ready to simply, politely, entertain her claims but then recalled something Svana said earlier. "This person said you would 'save me?'"

"Yeah. She said that you needed me. That's why I waited for you... not only because I didn't know the way back, but, because you needed me. You saved my life. So I'm going to save yours in return. I was cold and afraid but she stayed with me as I slept and said I was safe."

Rina looked at her in awe. Was she really telling the truth? If anything, she truly believed she talked to whoever this Thea was. For a moment, she felt watched. She froze and slowed her breath.

"Can you... hear her right now?"

Svana shook her head. "I tried a lot when I woke up but she doesn't answer me. Maybe not all the Gods are male?"

Rina looked up at the canopy above them. Furrowed her brows. "I'm not sure, Svana." Then, she sighed and shook off her nerves. Svana was a child. It was an intense dream, nothing more. Had to have been. She'd been through more than any child should go through. "Come on, there's a town not much farther away. We can stop for some food."

They kicked dirt over the ashes, just to be safe and gathered their things. Svana was talking again, which filled Rina with happiness, asking many questions about plant life or the country they were going to. For a moment, it seemed Svana had forgotten those dark moments that silenced her. They would return, of course, but it was in these moments that there was true freedom.

And, for Rina, she had forgotten her own dark memories. Ever since she met Svana she felt like the mother she was always supposed to be, that she was with the daughter she had failed. It was moments like these she felt like she could move on. And the morning did hold more light as they emerged from the forest.

Huge Thank You to my Patrons!

-Jack

-Sonia

-D1M

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