Song of the chapter – God Is Dead? By Black Sabbath

The clang of swords crashing together had become a type of white noise to Eliana. She had heard nothing else for days on end as training for battle continued. Not an hour after the arrival in the Fae realm, Blaike had called together Fae soldiers and Watchers to begin the harrowing task of war preparations. Led by both himself and Zolen, the combined armies worked to learn each other's strengths and weaknesses, becoming a cohesive unit.

Blaike appointed himself to personally train Eliana, to her utter irritation, and as a result the two spent the better part of each day working one on one. Her frustration at being forced to stand mere inches from him, day after day, had become a handy tool. The emotions gave her enough energy to push forward and defend every blow he laid upon her.

"Your skills have quickly improved. Impressive." He nodded to her. "You won't be so easily overcome next time."

Eliana chortled, "Next time. Last time. What the hell time...how did I even end up in this mess?" She grunted while continuing to match swords with Blaike. "I should be reviewing notes on astroids, studying for tests, writing papers for heavens sake!"

"That is preferable?" Blaike asked in barely veiled surprise.

"At this point? Yes!" Eliana added as she successfully swung the sword with a backhand, enough strength to knock Blaike's hand away.

"Well, what ever it is that you are doing, continue. It has positive results," he said, rubbing his wrist from the force of her blow.

All Eliana could do was grunt, turn and stomp away. She was more than done for the day, for all of the days. Another groan left her lips as the stomping behind her indicated that Blaike was following her. She needed a break from him.

"What is it that goes through your head as you spar?" He asked what seemed on the surface a simple question. But the Pandora's box he was trying to open would not be so simple to explain.

"Nothing," she retorted.

"That is quite untrue. You are holding anger; that is most clear. But for what?"

"You don't want to know," she said through clenched teeth.

"Ah, but I do. Perhaps we can use it to more advantage if it is properly channeled."

Eliana stopped in her tracks, turned and took two steps toward Blaike, bringing her right into his presence. She lifted her chin, looking directly into his eyes. Would she say what she was thinking? Did she dare?

"I am sick of looking at your face." It was close enough to the truth at that point.

"Quite so. As am I of yours," he said with all seriousness, causing a lump to form in her throat. "I wish to see you where you should be; working with the rest of the Seers caring for our land, not here with warriors. That, however, is not the path you are on. Destiny is marching you right up to that Serpent's lair and you must be stronger than she. You must triumph."

Duty. His answers were always about duty. Fine. Eliana nodded her head in understanding, not acceptance. Knowing that Claec sought after her had changed everything. She was a target, but one with a skill that no one else possessed. Eliana would have to face the enemy head on, but she wasn't ready to deal with the consequences. There just didn't seem to be enough time to prepare for the after.

"You are right. Destiny calls," Eliana said after a moment. Then she turned and continued on her path to seek out Harper.

"Spend the evening working with the stones. I shall see you tomorrow after the first meal." Blaike called after her, chaffing her ears with the normality in his voice. Why did he have to be so damn cordial? All the time? She wished he would just fight with her about her attitude, or her skills with the sword, or the way she chewed her food. Something!

But no, she thought as she stomped on, taking her frustrations out on the Fae leaves beneath her feet, he has to be so...so...nice. Her mood remained sour as she finally found Harper, sitting with a group of children playing some kind of rock game.

"There you are, I've been looking for you," Eliana called.

"Done already? I'm surprised your warden let you out." Harper laughed. Blaike, although remaining even toned in his instruction, tended to keep Eliana long hours in training.

"But that's what you get for being a natural." Harper added at the end.

Eliana had taken to the sword as quickly as she had to throwing the knives while at the refuge. Her instincts took over and she seemed to anticipate every move made against her. The only problem was her lack of strength, which Blaike had made his mission to increase.

Harper, on the other hand, was strongly lacking in battle skills. For all of her desire, there was just no talent for sword or bow. She had tried everything when the training first began, spurred on by her feelings of helplessness during the attack suffered from the dark watchers. But try as she might, it was as if she was all thumbs. Every move was clumsy, not able to become one with her weapon as a warrior must be.

"It will come with time and practice." Zolen had assured her. But time was something they did not have. And patience for the hours of practice it would take was something Harper did not have. So she had taken to spending time with the rest of the community, learning their ways. Eliana had to admit, Harper made a pretty good Fae.

"A natural, perhaps. But this whole thing has been a pain in my side and I don't want to think about it anymore tonight." Eliana just wanted a bath and a good book. Something without battles or romance.

"Come with me to the reading room." Eliana requested, wanting to go to the Fae's version of a library. "I need to get my mind off of this for a while."

"You and books always seem to find each other." Harper mused.

"It's relaxing. I want to see if there is something about astronomy here."

"Sheesh! Read a romance or something! How is studying going to relax you?" Harper shoved Eliana as they walked toward the community reading room, which was basically a small home library. The Fae homes were simple, without much adornment or extras. They didn't have many material possessions.  Things like books or games were kept in community buildings.

They found their way to the reading room, and once inside Harper veered off to another section of the building.

"I'm gonna find something lighter to read. You go find your stars and planets and I'll find my next book boyfriend," Harper whispered. Libraries in the Ferlands were still quiet zones.

"Okay, come find me when you're done." Eliana waved her off and went in search of substance.

Twenty books and an hour later, she finally found one with the help of an older Fae. Reading rooms didn't have librarians so she had found a Fae to guide her. Eliana was able to sort through Ferlish history books to find one on their constellations. She had been curious ever since Blaike mentioned some of them on one of their journeys.

"A Star Map" was more than it appeared on the surface. It held a map of constellations, yes. But more importantly, the story behind them was also told. It was eye opening to say the least. Each constellation was based on historical events, rather than mythology as most of the constellations from back home were.

She read about the Healers, a line of four stars, equal distance apart, at least with the naked eye they were. Who knew what the actual distance in light years was. But the story told was one from Ferlish beginnings. There were four Seers, all with equal ability and strength to work with starlight. They lived in four different regions of the land and took care to use the starlight to nourish the land. Each of them possessed a StarStone.

"There were four stones?" Eliana whispered to herself, surprised at the revelation. Aine and Queen L'Oran had only spoken of three, but this history told of four. Eliana wondered if there was another one missing. She would have to ask about that when she had the chance

She went on to read that these four Seers passed on their training and knowledge to younger Seers as they began to gain their own gifted sight of starlight. These four were considered the Foremothers and fathers of the land, building up the honor and traditions that have continued across the generations.

When she first heard Blaike mention the constellation named, Destroyers, she assumed the story would have been about a battle lost to some evil attacker. But it turned out to be the opposite. At some point in time, the land itself was under attack by a disease killing off the Ferlish trees. It was before the time of the Seer's so the Fae and Ferlish alike did not have resources to battle whatever it was that was killing the trees, and therefore the land.

A famine spread, the disease even killing off crops being harvested, because the decaying Ferlish leaves were their fertilizer. Without the nourishment from the leaves, the land lost its richness needed for crops.  The Fae trees, with their knowledge of the past, had nothing to offer either, that being the land's first experience with the tree plague, as it had come to be known. The people began to horde what food they had, cutting themselves off from each other.

The Destroyers came later, to heal the land and destroy the plague. Two Fae warriors, desiring to do something about the tree plague, set off on a quest for answers. They traveled to the four regions of the known land, those same four regions that the Foremothers would care for generations later, and gleaned some element of the land from each place. The warriors combined what healing remedies they had discovered into one prescription. They spent the next moon cycle spreading the concoction across the Ferlands.

Eliana sat back taking in the story. A tree plague killing off the Ferlish trees, and then some type of plague destroyer... The history wasn't clear about what either was, providing no details. She wondered if there were other accounts of this period of Ferlish history. Perhaps details of their quest would help her on hers.

She now had two topics to ask about, however she wasn't sure when she would be able to pose those questions or to whom. Aine certainly would have told her if it had been relevant. And Queen L'Oran seemed to have limited knowledge. But the trees...she had mentioned that the Fae trees were ancient and held all of their knowledge. Eliana decided she would start there. Unfortunately, the Queen was still traveling, having meetings with a council of some sort. It was situations like the very one Eliana found herself in that frustrated her the most: a lack of knowledge and resources, and no telling when the situation would change.

Eliana sighed in frustration. The questions were swirling in her mind with no outlet to speak of. She refused to talk to Blaike about it, not wanting any more contact then absolutely necessary. Zolen also seemed to lack much detailed information on anything other than the Fae way of life, but she felt he would be a better starting place than Blaike. Time would tell.

She took a bit longer to glance through pages of the book before her. Just as she came to the final section, her fingers touched a section of the book that brought a tingle up her arm. Pausing in surprise, she turned back to the single page and opened the book fully. There on the parchment, in artistic script, were four lines of poetry that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

That which was wrong will now be made right.
That which was dark will be brought to the light.
Fate brought her back, fate calls her still.
Fate has been answered, the prophesy filled.

Eliana felt the words before her eyes were meant for her, waiting for her to read them. It spoke straight to her heart, each word more powerful than the last. And yet, to Eliana, it felt as though something was missing. There was no clarity in the words, just a sense of purpose. She scanned the pages around the strange prophetic words for more information but found nothing. Sighing and realizing that another layer of mystery had just been added to her journey, Eliana shook her head.

"You don't look relaxed." Harper noted quietly as she approached the section Eliana had been sitting in for the past hour and a half. "Wasn't that the point?"

"Truth." Eliana responded simply, grabbing the Star Map book to take along with her. "Did you meet a new book fella?" She asked Harper with a smirk.

"Absolutely. Fell in love by chapter 5. Married by chapter 10. But he cheated in chapter 12 and I threw him out. Now we aren't speaking...until tomorrow afternoon when I pick the book back up."

Eliana just shook her head. She had never understood the whole book boyfriend thing. Harper told her it was due to her own lack of good choices in terms of books. "You are always reading science non-fiction. How the hell are you ever gonna meet a good man that way?" she had teased.

"You never know I guess." Eliana replied absent-mindedly. The trouble was, she had met a good man already. But he was too wrapped up in his honor to see past his position. She needed to shake him off and forget. But it was impossible when he was in her face every single day.

***

"Again." Blaike instructed the next morning as training continued. Eliana ached to learn more about the fourth startstone and the healing elements discovered by the Destroyers. But duty was ever-present and she had a task to complete first.

"Keep working your wrist. It needs some added strength as you cut left," he tossed out as he turned away to work with the other warriors. Zolen had been absent that morning for an untold reason. When Eliana mentioned him, Blaike just waved her off, not giving any indication of the cause.

Eliana continued to swing the sword, holding the hilt at a now familiar angle as she cut through the air with ease. It was no longer as heavy as it had been in the beginning, finally starting to feel like an extension of her own arm. Blaike remarked on her first day that once the sword had become like a part of her, she would truly have the warrior's heart.

"It is a mindset," he had told her. "You are one with your weapon and command it with the same ease you would command your legs to walk or your head to turn. It should be fluid, without time to make decisions. Your muscles will already know what to do and where to strike."

She wondered if that time had come, even though it had only been a short while.

"Certainly the hours spent here have paid off." She whispered to herself, more of a grunt than anything.

"I would have to agree." Zolen's voice called to her. The tone, although encouraging, was also grim.

"What brings you to my training spot?" she asked, still in the middle of the repetitions with her weapon. Typically, no one other than Blaike interrupted or instructed her.

"I have news I felt you should hear, as well as Blaike. Will he be back soon?"

"He is working with the troops, so I don't know when he will break from them to check on me." She wished he would just stay away. "I have been strengthening my wrist, as commanded by my Captain."

"Said with hardly any irritation whatsoever. Bravo." Zolen mused, a smile in his gleaming eyes. Eliana just glared and continued her work.

"You can either go fetch him, or tell me, or leave. The choice is yours," she said with gritted teeth.

"I have only one option then, to go fetch your...Captain... so that the two of you can glare at each other, and then at me after you hear my news."

Eliana shot her gaze over to Zolen at his words, dropping her arm from its exercises. "Bad?"

His answer was a solomn face, and nothing more. Zolen turned and went to find Blaike, leaving Eliana wondering at the news he would bare. She found herself nervous for the first time in a while, not looking forward to putting her practice to the real test.

Not ten minutes later, Zolen came strolling back with a red-faced Blaike. He had been engaged in strenuous training, it appeared, covered in sweat as well. The previously grim faced Zolen now appeared to be smirking, so Eliana was confused.

"What's going on?" she asked, looking from one male to the next and back again.

Neither said anything, but Blaike was avoiding looking at her, she was sure of it. Zolen seemed to be holding back laughter, or a comment, or both. Very unusual for someone who took all things literally.

"Is something going on that I should know about?" she asked again.

"No!" both answered, Blaike with a note of horror, and Zolen still with his smirk.

Eliana just shook her head, clearing away the confusion and irritation. They really didn't have time to play games. There was too much at stake.

"Whatever. I don't really care anyway." She waved them off, then turned back to Zolen. "What news is it that you had to get Blaike to tell us?"

The solomn faced Zolen returned. "We were able to get one of them to talk," he stated.

The Fae guards had been interrogating the captured dark watchers for days, weeks. Off and on they would bring one of them to question, keeping them isolated from one another. None had given any helpful information. Until now.

"What?" Blaike asked, his red face now pale with worry.

"She has amassed an army. The dark watchers have swelled in their ranks, nearing five thousand."

To Eliana the number seemed relatively small. In her world that would hardly cause the blink of an eye. But in the Ferlands, the population was much smaller, the warriors more limited. Five thousand may as well have been millions. It was devastating news.

"Where have they come from?" Blaike wondered a loud.

"Compulsory. All males within a certain age must commit to her cause. Females without children have also been required to join. But..." Zolen stopped.

"Say it." Blaike commanded.

"She has gone to other lands, through passages, and found more willing to join her. The one who spoke, he was never committed, he claims. His betrothed was taken to join, forced. So rather than try to escape, he went with her. She is still there, at the dark castle."

"Will he join us?" Blaike asked. "If we can turn the tide of their troops, bring them to us..."

"Its hard to say. This watcher, Miklos, felt that many are committed followers of Claec. It could be a ruse, false loyalty, but we cannot put faith in having her army turn against her."

Eliana felt sick. The task ahead of them seemed impossible, and many were putting their hopes in her abilities with Starlight to save the land, as well as the people in it. Claec had her own plans, none that Eliana wished to know about anytime soon.

"We must move soon," Blaike stated firmly. "The time for training has ended. Preparations to journey to the village proper must be made."

"Very well, but not before Finding Night," Zolen replied.

Blaike rubbed a hand over his face, clearly irritated at Zolen's statement. "Fine. But we head out within the week."

"Agreed." Zolen nodded.

"Finding Night? What is that?" Eliana asked Zolen while Blaike turned to leave, feeling as though she already had a clue.

"Although Fae are not Seer's, or Watchers," he gave Blaike a side glance as he continued, "We do celebrate the Finding. It is the night that the first Seer was granted her gift of sight. It hasn't been celebrated in many moon cycles, at least a generations worth."

"Why not?" She continued to press as the two made their way toward the community buildings.

"There hasn't been a reason. Starlight has been sparse, horded by Claec." He shook his head, then paused his steps and looked to Eliana. "But once you arrived, things have been different. Now we have cause for celebration."

"Oh." They continued their trek through the trees. "When is this Finding Night? And is it a big occasion?"

"Tomorrow." He replied. "And this one will be." He added with a wink.

〰🖤〰

Eliana learns more, but then ends up having still unanswered questions. And the next chapter will have all of the details on Finding Night! Including a little aesthetic that I just love.

So what are your thoughts about her training, Blaike's aloof behavior, the history she discovered... all of it! There were many breadcrumbs in this one, but that's kind of my thing.

God Is Dead? is a pretty depressing sounding song. It's full of questions and confusion, that's how I felt with this chapter.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]