Homecoming - (Part 3 of the Ignaius-Saga)

Impossible?

Tanier put his arm around Variel to support him and offer comfort.

"They are all out now. Do you want to sit down? Or do you want to leave? We can always come back later, if you need a break, but I think we are really up to something here."

Variel leaned against Tanier gratefully. "I... don't want to interfere..." he whispered. "I... I will just sit until... we are done here..." He swallowed and looked up. "Sire, I... This area here..." He pointed at the edge of the ring. "...It is darker than places further out... I believe that means the fire burned the longest here... making this the point of origin... a-around... where I lay..."

He looked up at the king with a growing worry; he didn't like what this was starting to imply.

Tanier sat down facing Variel. "You are not interfering. You are closer to knowing what happened here than anybody else. I doubt we will get anywhere without you. But we don't have to get there right now or even today or even this week, if you need more time."

They were sitting all alone in an empty cell that should hold unpleasent memories for both of them. Instead Tanier felt completely at ease. Right now this was their own space. And different from their earlier stay, he now had the power to block out any intruders. He just wasn't sure what was going on in Variel's mind.

"You want to find out what happened. So what is worrying you?"

When Variel sat down, he shifted to sit more on his hip, as it was less painful. He let his cane lay beside him and grasped Tanier's hand, shutting his eyes and trying to get his breath after the effort of moving around. He felt so damn weak!

Tanier held Variel's hand and waited. He wasn't sure, if the young man was gathering strength or courage. Not that it really made a difference. He listened when he finally started to talk. A faint smile appeared on his lips, as Variel spoke.

"I wish to know what happened, sire, but... I am also afraid of the answer." He opened his eyes and looked around. "Never - in anything that I have seen or read - have I heard of anything like this. This scene should be impossible, yet it exists, and... I seem to... literally be at the center of it. I now have this... this word in my mind that I have no memory of seeing or hearing, yet it... came to my lips as if I had just... seen it written here on the ground..." He swallowed, trying again to summon the courage to speak that word. It was a little easier now that he was alone with the king.

"...Incendius."

There was a tense moment of silent expectation, but when the silence lingered, the tension passed. Nothing happened.

Tanier was amused, but not surprised, how much the young man was shocked by the idea that he could be at the center of anything. When he noticed how Variel relaxed, looking both relieved and disappointed, he said: "See? Nothing bad happened." He paused. "This sounds like High Varonian. Did you ever learn it?"

Variel jerked with surprise upon hearing the king's question. "W- wait..." Was it his injuries and weakness that had caused him to forget, or had he not wished to remember. "I... I did study High Varonian a bit when I was younger... It was on my own time, and... and I would not consider myself fluent, but..." He closed his eyes, trying to reemember. "...Thinking about it... that word... it sounds like it means something to do with fire... but why would I think of that word above all others when looking at this scene...? I don't understand..." He opened his eyes again to look across at Tanier. "...I feel like I'm slowly going mad the more I think about this..."

Tanier shrugged.

"You may think of it, because you are thinking of fire, maybe? That doesn't sound mad to me. I am curious to find out what actually happened, but it is not more than curiosity. If I never find out what exactly saved us, it will not significantly diminish my happiness. You are different, I know you want to know and think about it as hard and as necessary to find out, but it is really not worth going mad over it. And for the rest of the world you can always tell them you can't remember a thing. Do you want us to leave?"

"I..." Variel stopped when he realized he wasn't sure what he wanted. He closed his mouth and lowered his head, tracing a finger over the untouched stone upon which he sat. He was stirring ashes, ashes of wood and - mostly likely - the men that had been standing near him. It was unbelievably eerie, and that nagging little thought that he had somehow been responsible for this was downright terrifying.

"...I want... the investigators to finish up... but I have no more information to offer... I truly cannot remember..."

When Variel seemed indecisive, Tanier lightly rubbed his hand with his thumb to remind him that he was still there. All else he kept waiting. And then he posed the one question he needed answered right now.

"Do you want them to know what you just told me? Do you want me to tell them, do it yourself now or wait until you feel ready to tell them yourself? You should know that there will be more investigations. The people from intelligence are dying to talk to you. I told them you are not up to any interrogation so far, but eventually you will have to talk to them. If you don't want to talk to anybody about the fire, I don't mind at all. But I want to find out, who was behind this. I have a few ideas, but different from our miracle salvation I will not let this rest, before I have conclusive answers. So you may want to decide what to spend your time and energy on."

"I'm... afraid I have little energy to spare right now, sire..." Variel murmured, head hanging down as if to confirm his statement. "...It is... difficult to even think straight... a-and I... I cannot speak when others are around... I... I have been trying; I really have... If you... wish to tell them what I said, I... would not object, but... but for now.... I cannot..."

"Miss, you can't go in there!"

Variel looked up to see one of the guards attempting to block someone from entering the cell.