Naeva-To Fight a Monster

Chapter 20

Adrean sat in the training room in the middle of the night, shaking at the mere thought of what he was about to do. No one else had acknowledged it, but something had been watching them through the study window right before it frosted over. It had looked human, but its eyes were an icy blue. It just stood there, outside a fifth-story window, observing all of them like a child staring into a menagerie cage.

Then the window had shattered, and somehow only one piece of glass had hit anyone. And somehow, by pure coincidence (his royal rear), it hit him, the only one who had seen the strange watcher.

Adrean raised his hand to the cleaned wound on his left cheek, being careful not to break the scab. He couldn't be sure what exactly those runes had done, since there was only one point of reference. A small part of him knew that recreating that spell was an insane idea, but another part urged him forward, all so he could know what was happening. However frightening that creature was, not knowing the truth scared Adrean even more.

With that thought, Adrean took out a sheet of paper and began to write carefully, perfectly replicating the runes the Gefroren woman had drawn. Next to him lay a borrowed dictionary of the runes, which carried their pronunciation and meaning.

Kraftur. That meant power. Stjórna, Control. Hrun, Downfall. Frelsi. Freedom. Yfirráð. Domination. Ákvörðun. Decision. Koma. Arrival. Óveður. Storms. Gyðja. Goddess.

Hands shaking, Adrean held up the paper and lifted his lantern to properly read it. Voice shaking but clear, he chanted, "Krafur. Stjórna. Hrun. Frelsi. Yfirráð." He shivered; it felt like someone was reading over his shoulder. He glanced behind him, then chanted louder, "Ákvörðn! Koma! Óveður! Gyðja!"

He braced himself, but nothing happened. The paper didn't burst into flame. He didn't see any piercing, watchful eyes. Nothing seemed to be freezing over. What had he done wrong?

You're close... a whispering thought told him. There are eleven words, not nine. I can tell you the last two, if you need to know.

Shaking, Adrean nodded. Two words pushed their way into his mind, slipping out of memory each time they repeated, as if the last two words didn't like being known by lesser beings. They didn't sound Gefroren. The way they echoed and slipped his mind, they seemed more like a language that was far older and far more dangerous.

But he needed to know what this thing was.

Adrean took a deep breath. Against his better judgment, and along with the voice before it could slip his mind, he whispered, "Pattukamo, Shintsha."

A thousand more voices echoed the last two words in a round, though he couldn't see them. The chanting grew louder as the room began to fade around him. By the time the room completely left, Adrean couldn't even remember what he'd just said.

The floor disappeared under his feet, Adrean flailed around, only to realize he wasn't falling. Instead, he just seemed to hang in midair, aimlessly drifting through the void.

Before he could consider why he'd just vaporized himself for curiosity's sake, the void suddenly became a bright blue sky, blinding Adrean with the sudden light.

A figure formed out of a cloud in front of him. This was the woman who had been watching Adrean through Luisa's study window. She wore a dress that was tight in the top, but loose and flowing below the waist. The skirts blew to her side in an unseen wind.

In short, she was beautiful, but as great as she looked, Adrean kept a wary eye on her. Those piercing blue eyes seemed to see everything, although this time, they weren't narrowed. Her eyes were wide, childlike even. She held a wonder in her eyes that Adrean saw in very few adults.

She spoke, but he couldn't understand it. The language sounded similar to the last two words of the chant, and it slipped his mind just as easily.

"I... I know you can understand me," Adrean said cautiously. The woman's brow raised, and then she laughed. It was a pleasant sound, but Adrean still felt something ominous about everything she did.

The woman smiled. "I suppose that's fair. Forgive me my moment of fun; I like to see how people react to our language. Did you understand it, Kalena?"

Adrean shook his head. "That language leaves my mind the moment you speak. I can barely even hear it, let alone understand. Are you the one who was watching me through the study window?"

She nodded. "I was. And if you have such little attunement to us, and still have the mental prowess to repeat our language as you just did... You interest me, human. I'l like to make you an offer."

Adrean wanted to say no, that he just wanted to go back to his home, but he got the feeling he'd have to at least hear her out. "What is it?"

"I sense that you have the capacity to wield my power properly," she said. "I am Shintsha, and you could change your world for the better."

He hesitated. "Shintsha... The Gefroren woman. She said your name, while she was all pale and shaky. How do I know I can trust you?"

Shintsha's smile faltered, almost imperceptibly. "The last time I interacted with your world, I was met with some distrust. I assure you, that battle was not my intention. I only wanted a bit of change."

So you caused the civil war in Gefroren four centures ago, Adrean thought. "For the moment, let's assume I'm even considering any of this. Before I agree to anything, what would you do to me if I said yes? How does this 'power' of yours even work?"

"I couldn't do anything to you," she said. "If you agree, we'll perform a 'merging of souls,' is the best way I can think to translate it. We'll share control over your body, but I won't be able to do anything you wouldn't do. You can take over or break the bond any time you like. My power has very few limits: I am the essence of change. Think of how many people we could help with that!"

That actually sounded nice. Adrean almost reached out to take her outstretched hand. "But... How can I know you're telling the truth?"

Shintsha actually looked hurt by that statement. "You really don't know how any of this works, do you? This place is my home, only seen by people who call me. I can't lie here." Looking down, she whispered, "My family... we really have been forgotten."

Adrean watched her, and as he did, he realized that she was telling the truth. Whatever problems she'd caused in the past, she only wanted to fix them and make the world better than before.

She wanted the best for the world, and she trusted Adrean to help him summon her.

He took a deep breath. The logical part of his brain protested at the sudden trust, but he proffered his hand anyway. Shintsha looked at him in surprise, then took his hand. Her skin was smooth. "Thank you, Adrean. I promise, we'll—"

Shintsha and the blue mist both departed without warning, and Adrean was bodily thrown to the floor of the sparring hall. He rolled across the ground, groaning. He slowly sat up. "S-Shintsha?"

She was nowhere to be found. The one who had thrown him was a man with impossibly bright green eyes, and white hair in spite of otherwise looking Adrean's age. The arm he'd used to throw Adrean wore a silver bracelet with a flawless sapphire set into it.

"Who do you think you are?" Adrean demanded. "What are you even doing here?"

The man looked at him, his eyes flashing with quiet anger. "Stopping a royal infant from changing the world before he even knows how. You have two choices, child. You can either walk away from all this and likely not speak to her until well after your death, or you can listen, learn, and become part of something much larger than Tierisch."

Adrean stared at him blankly. "Uh... Who exactly are you?"