Dragon Aster Trilogy

12: SHRINE



Kas had recovered enough to walk into his own home without looking exhausted. They were outnumbered, out-gunned, and unable to use the Keol at the Harbor. Despite it all, they got out alive with the help of Urio’s Pack. Sybl had made it possible for them to take on the advanced weapons of their enemies. Where she walked, there was no Law of Aragmoth that prevented their somns from harming unsomned souls. Particularly in the case of the ones shooting at her.

He found Sybl in an unusual spot that night, in the center Shrine that held the statues of the caels. Aragmoth was in the center of them, and the Great Dragon twisted into a tight knot that all Fate was bound to. Next to him was Tenu, Nephena, Moon, his past self as Erebus and Asil. He had hoped to prepare as much of the Sanctus as he could for the presence of a human Caelestis. Most of his people simply avoided her entirely. Even his mentor, Jru, seemed intimidated by her. Only his friends Kenshe and Gwa seemed to be perfectly content with her presence.

What he saw before the statue of Aragmoth was not a human or a Caelestis, but a soul lost between both existences. Kas knew he had to help her, but she blocked so much of him out of her thoughts. He had never known so little of his soultwin before. While finding her on the Torian Continent had been hard, keeping her close to him would prove his greatest challenge yet.

He went over to her and sat down in the well-kept grass. Her mind was still closed, and he wondered what she was thinking.

“She’s skinnier.”

Kas looked at the statue of Asil, knowing that he had to be careful with his words. But creatively arranging words was not one of his talents; only his downfall when he tried. There was still more estus energy around the Sanctus than aeri, and it would only work to worsen any of her negative moods. “She is wearing less clothing.”

Sybl smiled and looked at him. “You’re getting better.”

“At what?”

“Engaging in human conversation.”

“I have had lots of practice.” Too much practice and heartbreak while he had followed her with his Dreamwalking on Earth. All to bring her here by a means all his knowledge and training over lifetimes could have never prepared him for.

“You have to work better on expressing your emotions. I feel like I’m not wanted here.”

“You are the only one I would sacrifice everyone else to have here.”

Sybl looked at him as her expression changed to the edge of surprise. Or was it shock? She looked at the statue of Aragmoth, and its cold, stone eyes looked back. “You have to stop talking like that.”

“One day you will understand me better. Your memories are still—”

“I have enough of my memories to remember you. But Fay aren’t the world—we’re just a piece of it.”

“And now you are the only one.”

“You are a Fay too,” Sybl said.

“If you remember, then you already know that even in this new body, I walk in death. An undead Fay cannot save this world from a similar Fate.”

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this.”

“I know,” Kas replied. “But it is all we have, sister.”

She looked at him again, as a flicker of light seemed to come from the innards of her eyes. Kas could only guess that the word had an equal or more powerful sway over her. He would have to learn how to wield it better.

“I used to imagine having a brother who would be, well…”

“Go on,” Kas said, and crossed his legs as if to meditate and calm any of his reactions from reaching his mouth. They usually disagreed to the point of an argument.

“Annoying.”

“Only because you had refused to acknowledge that what I said was the truth.”

“Stubburn.”

“Because you give up too easily,” Kas replied.

“Good looking.”

This one was enough to phase him. “That one is not fair. We are not of the same parents anymore.”

“I was just kidding,” Sybl laughed, having successfully broken his composure.

Kas had been so tightly gripped on his state, that he completely missed the fact that she didn’t mean it.

“But still, you called me your sister. To make it worse—I thought you were after me for other reasons when you Dreamwalked on Earth.”

“If I had told you then, what would you have said?”

“I would have thrown something heavy enough at you to be felt by your spirit.”

Kas swallowed hard, as he didn’t want to know where her imagination ended with that one. “Human curiosity can be useful. You did not know what to make of me, and by that, I was able to keep you close.”

“But you didn’t bring me to Aster, Daath did.”

“Daath brought you through a broken Gate I did not account for. But I found you, nonetheless.” Kas took in a deep breath, as he had to hold on to her and not break them apart all over again. “I am sorry that I could not bring you here.” He didn’t know whether she had accepted the apology or not, as her mind opened up enough to change the direction of the topic.

“Vanir will know I’m alive and back on Aster. Will he bring his army this far?”

“I have already started looking into that. Our main concern right now is adding more numbers to our current army. For now, the True guard our Borders effectively.”

“You have an army?”

“Every one of my Custos is a soldier. If the news of you being alive continues to spread, then more will join our ranks.”

“You don’t sound a hundred percent sure,” Sybl replied.

“It is our peace talks with the chimeras in the Efereal Mountains that holds the most of my concern right now. Our messengers have not returned for several weeks.”

“You think the chimeras sided with the Atrum?”

“If they did, we have a challenge before us. That would make a lot of chimeras against us in combination with the Fall’s forces. But Xirel is a pacifist. I think he would sooner choose to do nothing than fight.”

Sybl went quiet, and Kas was relieved when she didn’t mention anything about dragons. If the small one was enough to keep her content, he would have to consider keeping Loki around. “You should get some rest and not worry yourself over this. I have the means to handle it. Did anyone show you to your room?”

“Not yet.”

He got up, and she followed behind him down the halls and upstairs. “My room is right next to yours,” Kas said, stopping before hers and looking at his door. He showed her inside and felt a warm breeze brush past his cheeks, as if his mother’s spirit had peacefully left her former room. Sybl walked in and stopped at the portrait of the ayame on the wall.

His father had sent it from the Atrum as if to further help persuade him to take his throne. The Custos had accepted the gift on his behalf and hung it in here. It only made Kas hold tighter onto his own conviction against his father. “My mother.”

“She looks a lot like you. Except the eyes.” Sybl glanced back at him. “Your eyes are more narrow.”

“I suppose,” Kas replied. “There should be everything you need in here. Ishtar has the room on the other side if you need anything.”

“Kas, wait.”

He stopped in his leaving. “If you feel safer with a guard, I can have one of my Custos watch over you.” He looked to the side as he summoned one of them by psi. Kenshe appeared a minute later, as fluffy and tiny as a wolf pup. Kas picked him up like one, and handed him to Sybl. To his luck, she couldn’t resist how small his friend could shrink to. But Kenshe had done it more to appear harmless from having accidently hurt her psi earlier.

“He’s so cute! Can I keep him?”

“Until we create a Pack suitable for you, mine is already yours.” Kas closed the door then. He tried not to worry about Kenshe, even as his soultwin squeezed him hard enough to make him squeak.