The Fallen Goddess

Piece by Piece

"Okay, so the first piece is easy. It's like you said: no one really knows where the River is," I say at start, looking down at the slip of paper we wrote the riddle on.

"'It's location is top secret, and those who crack the code are bound to keep it,'" Koreena says, reading the next line. "So... it just means that anyone that figured out the riddle like we're trying to do can't tell the secret; they can't pass it on to people like us."

"Alright, but why?"

"I guess because it's supposed to be a test of your intelligence and devotion for Orathne, and if people can just go spilling the beans then it doesn't really serve it's purpose, does it?"

I nod, showing her I understand. I read the next line slowly, and Koreena follows my lead, but none of the words soak into my brain; one thing is on my mind, and it isn't the riddle.

"Koreena, do you like Orathne?" I ask, and immediately her head snaps up to look at me; her face is contorted in anger.

"Of course!" She says fiercely. "Why wouldn't I? Why would you ask?"

"I-I don't know. It just seems..."

The look on Koreena's face tells me I should shut up, so I do.

"Anyway," I say, looking back down at the slip of paper. "'In this riddle you will find, a way to undo the binds. Or else you may discover, the location by which are those that hover.' What the hell does that mean?"

"It seems like there's a way to get the people who know unbound by the riddle, as in there's a way to get those people to tell us." Koreena responds, squinting her eyes in concentration.

"And the second part?"

"The riddle is giving us options!" Koreena exclaims after a minute of studious silence. "It seems we can either find a way to get some people to spill, or we can actually find the location of the River! It's... it's crazy! I mean, have you ever read a riddle like that?"

"I don't know if I've ever heard a riddle like that, but there has to be one somewhere, right? It can't be the only one." I say calmly, apparently dispiriting Koreena a little bit. "Anyway, there isn't another part that explains how we get these geniuses to spill."

"So what? So we just find the location ourselves!"

"Okay, but the riddle doesn't explain how we find the location either! I mean, all it says is that there is something that hovers by the River. That's not much to go off of."

Koreena, though seemingly hesitant to agree, says, "I guess it is vague, even for a riddle. Usually there would be more hints to decipher, but this one..."

Koreena looks down at the floor of the hotel room.

"Is there any more to the fairy tale that you don't remember?" I ask, trying to comfort her while also trying to keep on track.

"No," she says, and I'm horrified to hear sniffling. "The rest of the riddle just says to solve the damn thing or let your ass rot on Earth forever."

Not wanting her to cry, I say, "Not all of it. Before the last piece it says that the... we'll just say things, are supposed to tell us what to do once we find them. See, look... 'And within these peoples things or places, you will find the correct paces.'"

I say this in an attempt to comfort her, but to no avail.

"Look, we'll figure it out. We know that it's near something that hovers, so we can just google it, and-"

"Oh, Blake. Just shut up," Koreena mumbles, not letting me finish my thought. I can see a few tears slipping down her face, and she is sniffling like crazy.

"Koreena?" I say tentatively, and she looks up, her face glistening with tears.

"We have enough information to start, so... uh," I trail off and my heart starts pounding so hard it hurts. Koreena is staring at me, not looking away, and her lips move up slightly. It might be my imagination, but I think I see her lean closer. "Uh, we have enough that we can start to... look for the River."

Koreena is leaning closer and I lean in too, but before I can make another move her arms are around my neck and she is hugging me tightly.

My heartbeat slows to normal and I hug her back.

"Thank you, Blake," she whispers in my ear.

"Y-Yeah," I stutter.

Very suddenly, Koreena rips away from the hug and jumps off the bed we have been sitting on all this time.

"I'm sorry Blake! I didn't mean- I didn't mean, uh, to... I mean, we haven't known each other very long and I dragged you into this and-"

"Koreena, shut up," I say, smiling. "It's okay. It's what friends do."

She looks surprised to hear me say the word "friend", but still happy.

"Thank you. I- I haven't heard that-"

"In a while," I finish for her, my smile fading slightly. "I know. Are you sure you're happy when you're in Orathne?"

Once again, she becomes very cold towards me, and I'm very taken aback by it.

"Yes, Orathne is my home. If you think you can dissuade me from going back, you are dead wrong," Koreena snarls at me.

Before I can say anything, she goes to the side of her bed, violently rips up the cover, and slips under them, turning away from me.

I sigh, angry with both myself and Koreena. I'm not tired, but I don't want to disturb her; I don't want to keep destroying the little bonding we had just a few seconds ago.

I am majorly pissed at her right now, but I don't think I'll end up really doing anything about it. All I can think now is that a cold beer sounds amazing at his moment, but of course I don't have and I can't get one.

As the sky outside darkens, I get into my bed as well, and, still not remotely tired, think about how tomorrow is another day.

But I know that that doesn't mean tomorrow will be any better.