The Search for the Eoz Potion

28. Reunification

Hailey and Tellis walked along the river looking for the others. They had no light except the moon and stars to guide them as they tried to find any sign of Josef, Zack, and Claire. Hailey, however, wasn't worried. She admitted to herself that maybe a day or two ago she would have been afraid, but now, having fought the Evil Spirit and won, even the uncertainty of her friends' location did not seem to weigh on her like it would have before. Tellis walked with the same sense of calm confidence as they remained close to the banks of the river.

Finally, Tellis noticed a small camp set up behind a few trees a short distance from the riverbank and walked slowly over. There was a small pile of food, some fruit from the garden, and a few other provisions. There were two small beds made out of leaves. Next to one of them was a symbol drawn into the dirt that Tellis immediately recognized. It was a Yllop Flower, a symbol of hope, drawn in the same style they had practiced so many times while in prison. Kneeling down for a closer look, Tellis traced the pattern of overlapping lines with her finger, and the calm she already felt grew into something deeper. It was not just a hope that things would work out, but knowledge. It was not just faith in the truth, but certainty of its presence. She closed her eyes and let the cool night air rest softly on her skin.

Meanwhile, Hailey spotted something else in the distance. She could hear the gentle sounds of the river behind her as she walked inland, and somewhere in the distance was something that sounded like an owl but not quite. She could see three people walking toward her, just shadows, but she could tell exactly who they were. As the figures came closer, Hailey smiled and ran to them.

When they finally met up with each other, Claire and Hailey threw their arms around each other. There was so much for each of them to tell the other, crossing the river on a dragon, finding Evan in the basement of a secret cottage, Josef getting caught in the poison rain, surviving No Man's Land. Neither, however, wanted to talk. They just silently held each other like two friends who had been through so much together that they didn't need words to communicate. When they let go of each other, Hailey looked at Claire, searching for the right words to express everything she was thinking and feeling. Recognizing that she was struggling to do so, and realizing that she too felt the same way, Claire simply hugged Hailey again and said, "I know. Me too."

Zack and Aileen were with her, and Hailey ran over to give Zack a hug too. They were so happy to see each other that no one seemed to notice that Tellis was not with them, that she had snuck off along the river after inspecting the mysterious campsite. Hailey gave Aileen a hug then followed the others as they led her into a small wooded area where the entire SG was gathered.

While Hailey had been gone with Tellis, not only had Aileen stood guard at her post collecting the scattered members of the Searchers' Guides, but so had many other leaders. And now, they had all assembled across the river. It was just as Tellis had explained to her, but it was still overwhelming seeing everyone. There were so many people she didn't know, but she did notice some of the other Searchers who had been with them in the carriage back in the Welcoming Forest. There was a feeling of celebration among the SG as they all talked and caught up with each other. Many of the members in the group were newly escaped from prison like Tellis and Aileen, and they were seeing their friends for the first time in years in some cases. They talked and laughed, but it seemed to Hailey like there was more to it than that. It seemed to her almost like they were looking forward to something, not just catching up on the past.

"What's all this about?" she asked Claire as they found a quiet place to talk.

"This was part of their plan all along," Claire told her. "Remember when we were in the forest and they said they were worried the HRA was trying to seal off the portal? This is their response, I guess. After they escaped from jail, they had locations set up for everyone to meet, then they all came over here."

Hailey nodded as she listened. This confirmed what Tellis had already told her.

"I guess the Prince's castle is not far from here," Claire continued. "They think the potion is hidden there. They're going to still take us to it, but they're also going to try to overthrow him somehow." She looked at Hailey and then hung her head with a sigh. "I know you probably don't want any part of this, but -"

Hailey cut her off before she could continue. She told Claire all that had happened since she left her. Claire listened as Hailey told her about finding Evan and how he had left them yet again, about the devils of No Man's Land and how the Evil Spirit had tried to kill them. Hailey tried to explain to her all that the experience had taught her, but she couldn't find the words to explain it well enough.

"It's okay," Claire interrupted as Hailey struggled to express her feelings. "A lot happened to me too."

"What about you?" Hailey asked, laughing. "You're ready to go into a battle? You, who can't walk through the Garden without falling over?"

It was good natured teasing of a friend, and Claire laughed too. She told Hailey about the River Dragon, how she had braved the river on the back of the beast and made it to safety. She left out the part about the poison rain and, instead, looked at the ground just as Aileen came up to check on them. While everyone around them was still busy celebrating their reunion, Aileen seemed to have a somber look on her face as she put her arm on Claire's shoulder. Hailey struggled to figure out what the reason was for the change in mood. It wasn't until Claire looked up and made eye contact with her that she realized there was someone absent from the festivities.

"Where's Josef?" she asked.

****

Tellis waited patiently at the campsite. She knew it was only a matter of time before the man returned, that he had likely walked off to find some more food. While she waited, she sat down on the ground and closed her eyes. She breathed in slowly, out even slower. In her mind she revisited every mistake she had ever made, but none took up as much space in her memory as the day she had come upon Josef and his family in the forest and all she had done to them. She knew she now stood on the edge of making it right. Even though she knew Josef had forgiven her, she had not yet forgiven herself.

Sitting by the river in the quiet, Tellis could hear the flow of water but tried to block it out. She tried to block out everything in the world around her. She imagined herself disappearing, but more than that, she imagined herself as nothing. It was an exercise she frequently went through in moments of trial. It was not that she wanted to escape them, it was because she knew it was the only way to conquer them. She had to truly and completely deny herself in order to defeat her demons. It was in this way only that the power of the Queen, the power that had saved and freed her from prison in more ways than one, could completely overtake her again and lead her to victory.

When she had succeeded in blocking the outside world out entirely, a small sound came poking through. She heard the approaching footsteps, but still she sat there, breathing slowly with her eyes closed, feeling the cool of the night, and waiting. The footsteps came closer and closer until they finally stopped right behind her. Tellis kept her eyes closed and simply felt the moment as best she could. She stood on the edge of redemption for a moment, like a free falling skydiver before pulling the chord. When she was ready, she stood up and turned to see the man behind her. It was the first time she had seen him outside of a prison in years, and she smiled when she saw it.

"Why aren't you with the others?" Tellis asked.

"I thought this was how it should be. You can bring me to him."

"Why?"

"You deserve to be free, Tellis. Truly free."