Anamnesis: Book 1

Chapter 11

The following morning, Levi felt the pounding in his head accompanied by a warmth in his ears. It was the consequence of spending the night drinking himself into a stupor. While at the time it seemed like a good solution to his problems, he awoke with the feeling of regret and nausea. After a warm shower and a hot meal, he was beginning to feel a bit better, though the headache had persisted despite some of his aromatic herbs. The only light at the end of the tunnel was that he had felt, without a doubt, the return of his essence like roaring waters. They were restoring quicker now, and Levi was certain that in the next sunrise or two, everything could return to normal.

This brought his thoughts to Aster, who had slipped out at dawn to return to the mineshaft. He took mild comfort when the barkeep had mentioned she had eaten a small bowl of oatmeal before heading out. It wasn't much, but at least she wasn't working on an empty stomach. No doubt she would be tirelessly digging into those rocks until well past sundown. Levi pictured her doing this, day in and day out, just as Ursa had since the start of the town. There was no guarantee the glam would be there, and yet, both of them seemed set in their ways. He would no longer have Aster to feed off of, and would have to come by the creationist of his own means. Though disappointing, Levi couldn't bring himself to try to con her into his bidding. And without the glam in her possession, he knew it would be a lost cause. Her wish, he knew now, was far different from his own and nothing was going to change her mind about it.

"Just one more day..." Levi mumbled to himself as he made his way to the mineshaft. Despite his confidence that he could, in fact, head out on his own that morning, he had somehow talked himself into staying one more day, convinced that Aster needed someone to reason with her before she dedicated the rest of her days to digging what could very well be her own grave. Perhaps he could offer her something of an encouraging word, or some sage advice before they parted ways. Even if the idea seemed absurd, and Aster was not likely to listen, he felt the need to try regardless. What was it about that woman that had made him lose his sense of self, he wondered? After all, the plan was simple enough. And while he looked forward to striking out on his own again, to follow no lead but his own, he felt compelled to aid her. He wondered if it was sympathy that guided his actions. And yet, even this felt a poor comparison to the nagging in his chest. They weren't friends, after all, and he owed her nothing more. She refused to open up to him in even the slightest way. Why, then, did he feel as though he needed to assist her? Why had he felt it necessary to wait one more day? This he couldn't answer. But he obliged the notion all the same.

Once inside, Levi listened for the sound of picking. One ax rang out in its solidarity over the seemingly endless tunnels. He followed it through the center opening, through the winding tunnels that sat abandoned. The emptiness was eerie, and every so often Levi caught himself checking over his shoulder as if looking for some kind of boogeyman. Of course, there was nothing within the mines aside from coal, ore, and a hard-headed woman digging away with persistence. But Levi was far too cautious to ignore the creeping suspicions he had developed.

Up ahead he could see Aster, clothes freshly soiled and hair pulled messily back. He watched each flex of her muscles as she struck into the stone and dirt with her pickaxe. When he was near enough, he called out to her, careful not to startle her when in proximity to the swing of her hand.

"Morning, Xena."

He saw the hitch in her stride before she was able to register who had managed to creep in undetected. She ignored his greeting, which no longer surprised him. He was used to her blatant disregard and no longer let it affect him. Instead, he peered around the emptiness, and when his eyes caught sight of a lightly rusted pickaxe, he took it in hand and began to follow Aster's lead. He could see, as she stopped working to stare at him quizzically, that she was trying to figure out his motive. But the longer she stared, pushing for answers, the less she seemed able to make of the situation.