Psyche

Chapter Twenty-Four

The campfire crackled at my feet, casting shadows everywhere. The field was alive with sounds of merriment and music. Bonfires had been built, and the soldiers were dancing around them, whooping and yelling, singing old songs, having a good time. All was well. But there was darkness on the horizon. I sat against the cliff of an old ravine, staring across the field. Shadows moved between the sun and the land. Things were coming.

"Where-where . . . are we?" I looked over at August who lay curled on her side beside me, staring with her mouth open at the spectacle in front of her.

"Rargard's Cliffs." I replied, staring at Kara, who was twirling around the fire with another one of my sisters, laughing. She had a beautiful laugh.

"This is . . . a dream?" She blinked.

"A memory." I corrected, "It's safer than a dream. I thought both of us could use a break."

"Then . . ." August sat up slowly, staring at my face, "Why don't you look happy?"

"Right there." I pointed, and quickly crossed my arms when I saw I was pointing with the finger that had my signet ring on it, "My sister. Kara."

August was able to follow my line of sight anyway, and caught sight of her, talking with some of her soldiers, answering their questions, starting up all the songs, dancing with everyone, "She's so pretty! And you two do look a lot alike."

"That smile right there." Kara glanced over from where she was standing, and she was looking at me, but she was looking at a different Phoenyx, because she gave me her perfect smile, and she wouldn't give me her perfect smile. But I remembered this night. And she'd had something to smile about. I'd been a good Canem back then. Now-?

I wasn't so sure.

"What about it?"

I realized August was still here, and looked back to her, sighing, "I miss her."

"Well, I guess that makes sense." August leaned back, sitting next to me, and stared at Kara, "You guys were really close, right?"

"Yeah." I had to stop sighing. It's not like you can wake the dead. Believe me, I've tried.

"You can do it Phoenyx." August told me, giving me a small nervous smile, "You can get over this. You've been wandering the world for thousands of years, and you don't think you can get over your family, keep them in your heart, and move on. But this-this is a good way. This is something healthy. This is something you can hang onto. You don't have to be scared anymore. Nothing was your fault. You were just a kid."

"Some of the things I remember from this time are very scary." I answered.

Things had quieted down now, and everyone was gathered around a bonfire. There was the high note of a flute somewhere, and Kara gestured frantically at me. Or. The Other Me.

From where I was sitting a shadow stood. It was a darker, more transparent version of me. Well, who I was.

August gasped, and I looked over at her, "What?"

"You're so . . . buff." She whispered, staring at Other Me.

"I'm still buff." I said curtly, but on the inside, feeling like she was right.

I was in armor, and had two swords and three knives and a lance that was strapped to my back. My hair was longer back then, and pulled into a braid. I still had war paint on my face. Maybe if I wore war paint, August would think I was still buff and not so lame and more Canem.

I watched the Other Me join Kara, and she leaned her head on my shoulder as we watched and listened as another Canem struck up a song that struck a deep chord in me, then, and now.