Threads of Fate

Chapter 51 ~ Every Option

    Rain began to fall the moment they reached the mountains, but Tissaia and Talarion didn't let it deter them. They had weathered many of Lochren's brutal coastal storms during Talarion's training, and they couldn't afford to waste time. They had to keep as close to their father and Kaius as possible so as to not lose Kaius's trail.

    Tissaia already suspected parts of it had been washed away by the rain and they couldn't let themselves become lost. But on the same hand, they couldn't afford to be reckless either. She had already heard several landslides in the night, and she knew Talarion was keeping an eye out for any signs of the Mountain Fae.

    Most of their Clans dwelled in the western and central parts of the Donoa range as she understood it, but they would take no chances. If Kyrgan's Clan had heard of his death and who had taken his life, they would seek retribution and that was another fight they didn't need to be caught in. They were having a hard enough time keeping their heads attached to their shoulders anyway.

    Tissaia spurred her mount forward and caught Talarion by the arm as his own horse stumbled on some loose soil. The beast managed to recover itself thankfully, though the ground around it remained crumbling. Talarion shot her a grateful look as she withdrew her hand.

    "Do you think we should continue on foot?" Tissaia asked hesitantly. "The horses just kept struggling. If we turn them loose now, they might be able to find their way back home."

    Her brother shook his head and sodden hair plastered itself to his face. "We can't afford to slow down." He guided his mount forward and it slowly picked its way over the terrain. Tissaia followed close behind.

    "How far do you think we'll have to climb?"

    "I don't know. Kaius only described the temple to me a little bit. He said it looked like it had been carved into a cleft in the mountains and the entrance protruded from it. It was domed, with several columns supporting it."

    "Similar to buildings from the Elder Age," Tissaia gathered.

    "Like he told us, he thinks it's a temple. I wonder if it isn't one of the first temples that were built in Asterria. Maybe one of the ones built by the gods themselves."

    Tissaia pursed her lips, mulling over the details. "What about the sky? Could he see the horizon or the coast?"

    Talarion shook his head again. "It was surrounded by mountains on all sides."

    "So it's in a valley somewhere." She squinted against the rain and observed the stony fortresses that loomed above them. "If Kaius's trail remains the same, it looks like we're heading to those two mountains." She pointed to a pair in the distance, one larger than the other, and the dark gulch where a valley would spread between them.

    "Maybe. If we lose the trail, we'll try to keep moving towards them. It's as good a guess as any."

    Tissaia nodded, but another thought pricked her mind, wedging a cold chill into the pit of her stomach. "What if Father already has the artifact? What will we do then?"

    Talarion's eyes narrowed. "We'll rescue Kaius, kill Father, and take it back. Either way, he's not leaving these mountains alive." He glanced at her and took in the pensive expression on her face. "What is it?"

    "What about Mother?"

    "What about her?"

    "Do you think she's in Lochren?"

    Talarion shrugged. "She's either there or still in Arcan. Father wouldn't have brought her along. Why?"

    Tissaia gritted her teeth and breathed a faint sigh. "What will we do about her?"