Lost Identity: Eloria Series Book 1 | ✓

51: Detour

7/28/3028

A new kind of fog surrounded us, different to that on the cliff top. It was so thick I couldn't see more than ten feet ahead of me. Mud squished beneath my feet.

"Where are we?" I asked Razelle in a whisper.

"We have to meet Rahaiwen here first," said Razelle.

"Hold on, Razelle. That wasn't a part of the deal. You said that you were going to take me to—"

"We will, Anmyn. We will."

Razelle proceeded to speak loudly in a language I couldn't understand. Her voice didn't bounce back in an echo—it just traveled forward and dissipated into the fog.

A moment later, two silhouettes emerged from behind the haze. One appeared to be having difficulty walking and was leaning heavily on the other. I recognized Rahaiwen straight away, but I was still unsure of who the frail cloaked person was.

I forced down a dry and very uneasy swallow.

"Master," Razelle said before going down on one knee.

"Arise, Ra," the cloaked man said when he was close enough to be heard.

I know this voice—I remember it in my dream.

My muscles tensed up. It was the voice of the man standing on the pillar. I had thought the events of that dream was just my imagination running wild. His voice rang in my mind at the Muirek Massacre.

"Hidelvus," I said with a shaky voice.

"Sye-Liene," he said.

I couldn't believe that he was standing right in front of me. How blind I was to believe that the Ras wouldn't take me to him.

Thoughts of escape flitted through my mind, but I knew it was impossible without my locket. If I had a chance of making it out of here, they had to think I was useful to them. I would have to impersonate Sye-Liene.

"Why are we here?" I tried to sound confident, but somehow my unsteady tone managed to slip through.

"It is redundant to state the obvious. I must say that I am pleased by how strong your natural instincts were to lead you to Razelle," he said with a slight cough.

I tried to see his face, but my efforts were futile. The hood of his cloak was pulled down so low over his face, it made it impossible. The fog didn't help either.

"Are you well?" I asked.

"In due time," he said. He wobbled slightly, but Rahaiwen was very attentive and helped stabilize him. I wondered if the Ankins were aware of his health. "There is a process that you must go through in order to retrieve your memories. The first step is here in Passim, but only you know the way."

"I know the way?" I questioned. "I have no idea what you mean by that."

"You know the way," he said more forcefully this time, causing him to go into a coughing spell.

Rahaiwen glared icily at me as if warning me not to aggravate him again—or else.

"It is the place of your deepest conflict and confusion," Hidelvus finally said after a moment. "You shall take Razelle with you, and there you must make contact with your true self."

"Making contact with myself in Passim will return my memories?"

"Like my Lord says, it will be the beginning of the process," Razelle answered. She held out her locket flat on her palm before grabbing my hand. "Place your hand over the locket and take us there," Razelle ordered.

"But I don't know where this place—"

"Allow your thoughts to gravitate toward the place of your deepest conflict and confusion," Razelle said with irritation brewing in her voice.

How was I supposed to know where the place of my deepest conflict and confusion was? I didn't have time to mull it over—arguing was pointless, and the longer I hesitated would make them suspect that I was a fraud.

Razelle was down on one knee again, speaking to Hidelvus in the language she had spoken earlier. I didn't understand what she was saying, but the words strewn together were connected with soft consonants and sounded beautiful coming from her. Hidelvus nodded before motioning for her to rise. After Razelle stood up she then held my hand with one hand and passed me the locket with the other.

"I shall see you soon, Sye-Liene," Hidelvus said. Although his tone was steady, it rattled me. I needed to get away from him. Now. Right now.

The place of my deepest conflict and confusion.

I shut my eyes tight and placed my hand over the corin stone. In a nanosecond, Razelle and I were whisked away.