Flower Falls and Crystal Calls

Into the City

Chapter 3

It was more than an hour later that Caius stopped the group and sent the hunters ahead. Elle turned to him with a raised brow as they took the three gorgonopsid corpses and left them with quiet well wishes. She had a feeling they would have been a lot more exuberant if she hadn't been there.

Once they were gone, Caius turned to her with a solemn look. "Emissary, I have been asked to escort you directly to the Seeress. We will take the longer way around the city, but it will be safer. At least until you have been given her blessing."

Elle gave him a sharp look. She had a feeling there was something he was leaving out, but she still wasn't convinced this was really happening. She gestured for him to lead on. "It's Elle, and after you."

He pointed to a small side path that she had not seen and ignored the rest of her statement. She sighed and again wondered what the hell was going on. Why were they calling her Emissary anyway? He had said something about gods, but none of it made sense. If it weren't for the sturdy feel of the stone under her feet, she would not have doubted her dream state.

When they cleared the top of the path, Elle was afforded her first view of the city below. They were on a cliff overlooking a bustling metropolis, and it took her breath away. It wasn't as large as some of the cities she had seen, but it was not small by any means. Even from where she was, she could hear the echos of people. She noticed that there did not seem to be any motorized vehicles, though she couldn't see all the streets. The thing that struck her the most was the fact that there appeared to be a plethora of green throughout the city. There were a couple of squares close enough for her to see that were filled with people, and each had a fountain in the center. In a word, the place was breathtaking. If she had to live in a city, this would be a city she could stand. At least from this vantage.

She was drawn from her appreciation by Caius. "Very few are allowed to see the city from this vantage. It is spectacular, is it not?"

She gave him a genuine smile. "Yeah. It is."

He gave her a stunned look. He hadn't expected her to agree so easily, but shook it off and gestured back toward the path. "Please, we are expected."

Elle felt her gut clench. So far, she had held it together because she still believed it might be a dream. She had to cling to that thought harder and harder as they walked farther down the path. She shook her head at her own thoughts. If this wasn't a dream, what the hell was it?

After a short distance, they headed back down another narrow path where they were intercepted by two more warriors. When they saw it was Caius, one of them stepped to the side, and the other took up the spot in front. Caius allowed Elle to follow the other man and took up the position behind her. She almost felt claustrophobic, as there wasn't much more room than for them to walk in a single file. At least not comfortably. She figured it was a security measure of some sort as they ran into two more guards at the head of the trail.

When they stepped back into the open, it was into a small courtyard similar to the ones she had seen from above. This one was smaller, but the most significant difference was that there were few people. A handful of guards were scattered around, and a few women were seen walking through talking quietly, but otherwise, it had a reverent air.

Elle was enchanted by the beautiful stonework but was pulled from her examination when a young girl's voice called out. "Ah, Caius, you have returned."

Elle turned to see who had spoken and froze as her eyes locked onto the speaker. There was no mistaking the girl for anyone other than who she was. No matter which incarnation, no matter the universe, no matter whether it was a dream or reality, Elle didn't need to ask who she was. All her carefully crafted denials came crashing down around her as she looked into the girl's eyes and saw more than herself reflected back. "Yeul."

Elle took in a sharp breath at the girl's nearly imperceptible nod. She was too busy trying not to hyperventilate to notice the looks she received from the few people close enough to hear her speak. Finally, her mind gave up trying to process it all, and she did something she had never done, not once in her entire life. She fainted.

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Elle groaned as her eyes fluttered open. Her head was pounding, and her stomach was revolting against the way the room seemed to be spinning. She knew she hadn't been drinking with the guys in weeks. She hadn't had any time. She reached up and grabbed her head and groaned louder when she brushed against a bandage covered bump that made her head pulse harder. She squeezed her eyes shut and willed the room to stop moving.

It was at that point that she heard a girl's voice. "Careful, you hit your head on the edge of the fountain when you fell. The healer said it didn't look bad, but you might be dizzy. You should take it slow."

At the sound of the girl's voice, everything flooded back, and Elle shot up. She felt bile come up in response to the double vision her motion caused, but she clamped her jaws closed and held herself up with one arm. She concentrated on the color blue in front of her until her vision finally cleared.

When it did, she saw the teenager sitting a short distance away, with a giant of a man standing just behind her. No one else was in the room. As intimidating as the man was, the girl had all her attention. "This is all real. I'm really here."

It wasn't a question, but Yuel nodded anyway. Despite the girl's reassurances, Elle started to reach out and touch Yeul anyway. The man behind her flashed forward and grabbed her wrist before she could. Elle glared at him until Yeul placed a hand on his. "It will be alright. Let her be."

The man glared at Elle, but he released her. She didn't hesitate to finish what she started. As soon as she made contact with Yeul's hand, she jerked back with a gasp and covered her face. It took her a moment to get herself back under control, and she looked back to the man with confusion. "Who are you anyway?"

The man raised a brow and looked down at Yeul. She nodded once, and he crossed his arms before answering in a gruff voice. "I am Yeul's guardian. Paddra Lor-Praes."

"What?" She gave him a confused look before she turned to the girl. "But what about-" Something in the girl's gaze caused her to cut off, and her eyes widened. "You've got to be kidding me."

The man looked slightly offended by her reaction, but it was Yeul that spoke. "I have not been shown why you have been sent, not in its entirety, but I do know you have a role to play here. The Goddess Etro has brought you herself. I watched as you would have died, and Etro stepped in."

Elle was already confused, but she hoped whatever was coming might help explain things, so she leaned a little closer. She tried not to jerk back when Yeul reached out to her and touched her chest. "Had the goddess not stepped in, the weapon would have struck you here, would it not have?"

Elle looked down to where the girl had pulled the edge of her shirt down and revealed the top of the left side of her chest. It was hard for her to see it clearly, but there was a mark there that hadn't been before. She jerked her head up. "What is that?"

Instead of Yeul, Praes spoke. "That isn't a brand, though it looks similar to one."

Yeul nodded up to him. "In place of her injury, Etro claimed her. You have been given a task. What that task is I do not yet know. I do, however, know there is more to you than what we see. You knew me. And you knew Caius. I find it strange that you do not know Praes. Why is that?"

Too many thoughts were scrambling through Elle's head at once. The goddess saved her, but she claimed her? And now she really was on Pulse, but back before Caius was the guardian. What the hell. Did that mark mean she was a l'cie too? None of it made sense.