Memoir of Xayah - The lost sparrow and the lonley fox

[26.1]

She was hardly breathing, overwhelmed by emotions she had to feel. First, there was fear, fear of hitting a point of no return, where she could risk her own life.
The Temple of Whispers was in front of her, and the entrance arch let her see the empty courtyard. She could hear only silence, like the last time, but the quiet was even more creepy in that moonless night. She knew that if she had crossed that threshold, she would have never come back and would have disappeared, like Zakai's gang.
She was prepared for everything. She had to find her tribe, but at that moment, she was hesitating. The memories of the last experience blocked her. They pressed her, as the negativity caused by the darkness inside that place. The solution was over that phantom courtyard, in the dungeon of the temple. If she had run, she would have been quick. She could be stealthy enough not to wake the priests. Probably the last time the people behind her had made a mistake. If she had retraced her old steps, everything would have gone smoothly.
But she was assuming the witch had not set a trap to her.
She tried to not think about that possibility; if she had wanted to eliminate her, she would have done it the first time. To extend her suffering was just stupid.
She turned to the forest to check she was alone. She had said nothing to Ahri. She had let her peacefully sleep while she was sneaking outside the cave. She had noticed that naming the temple had clouded her, and it was not wise to tell her she would have gone back inside that place.
She would have tried to stop her or, even worse, to follow her.
And she could not carry that weight on her shoulders. She could not put in danger the person that had saved her.
She regretted to abandon her. She suffered, thinking that, the following day, the Vastaya would have found her couch empty. She would have looked for her, asked herself why she was gone and, in the end, blamed herself.
She had to get out of the temple alive and came back even just to say hello for the last time. She owned that after all that time they had spent together.
She breathed deeply and tried to calm her mind, to lightened it from her problems. She had to endure the dark aura and proceed.
She turned again to the forest and then sprinted, hiding behind the building in the courtyard. There was still silence, and she could only hear the beating of her heart. Everything was like the last time.
She continued until the end of the edifice. She did not notice any movement and so sneaked inside the temple. It was dark, anguished and silent; nothing had changed. She moved carefully, looking for the red eye that had greeted her in the past. But she saw only the pale and still light of the small lanterns.
You are almost there, Vastaya.
That voice echoed in her head and made her flinch. It was the witch. She would have never forgotten that young and sibylline voice. She would have preferred not to hear it surrounded by the darkness of the night.
Move forward to the center of the room.
She was helping her. She was waiting for her. She feared to fall in a trap, but she had no choice to rely on that dark creature. She prayed she had not been too naive.
She moved the first steps, unsure. When the columns abandoned her, and the large atrium welcomed her, she ran toward the altar, recognizing it. The eye was not there, but the frozen censers were.
The ground started to shake, and she saw it sink in front of her. She jumped before it went down too deep. And in a short time, she was again in front of the witch. The air seemed colder, wearing a warmer vest, that Ahri had stolen for her, had been useless.
She went off the platform slowly and looked up, fearing that the priests would have appeared.
« They will not come. Not yet. »
She turned to the witch. She had lifted her face so that she could see her bloody red eye.
« Not yet? » she asked, worried, releasing a small cloud of vapor.
She tightened her arms around her body, trying to warm herself. The cold did not have to weaken her; the corruption of the temple was already disadvantaging her.
« Come nearer; we have to talk, » the witch said, without giving her an answer.
« What do you want from me? »
She wanted some clarifications. The witch behavior was not only disturbing her but also confusing her. She was not able to understand her intentions, and she feared them. She was a dark creature, an entity aimed at destruction.
« To help you. I have thought it was obvious since the last time. »
She did not like her smile. It was not as warm as her father's, and it was not as reassuring as Tikkewha's. It was full of malice, cold and bereft of empathy.
She swallowed and tightened her hand on her arms even more, as much she could felt her nails scratching her skin. She moved forward, step by step, carefully; she could still face a surprise attack.
She stopped some centimeters away from the witch. She had not mutated her grin. It seemed it grew larger when she had approached, enlightening some fangs too long for a human being.
« Why do you want to help me? » she asked.
She shivered and did not understand if the cold or the proximity to that creature caused it. The witch's red eye was vibrating and was looking at her full of greed.
She was not calm. She could not be if, every second that passed, she was more and more sure to be in Death's arms.
« Because balance is the essence of Ionia. Light and darkness in the same place, two powerful magical sources that permeate this corner of our world. »
She did not understand her words. They looked like the empty words of a maniac. She would have never convinced her if she had confused her. And neither if she had bent her to her will.
« What do you call wild magic can not live without darkness, and darkness itself can not survive without feeding on the other. But if one prevails, the balance will be broken, and only chaos will reign. Creation and destruction, life and death, one next to the other... »
« Be more clear, » she dared to say.
The grim disappeared from the witch's face, and it became a cold mask. She feared she had hazarded too much. She was not able to stop her cursed tongue again.
« Someone had decided to play with darkness, believing to play with a wooden sword. He wants to build a new empire, way too sure of his new powers. And to make them stronger, he has to absorb all the positive energy of Ionia, from his land and the people closest to it.»
« Is someone trying to steal the magic from the Vastayas? » she asked, finally understanding her words.
« Precisely, » the witch answered, smiling again.
She did not know if she could trust her but was ready to hold on that small hope. She could not believe she had lost her tribe forever. She could finally hug her father again and apologize for her words and her naivety. She could see her friends again and take back her old life.
But something did not sound right, and she could not give in so easily.
« And why do you want to help me to free my tribe? You are also a dark creature. You should be happy that wild magic will disappear. »
The witch laughed, and she remembered to be in front of a young girl with great power, too great for her weak limbs. With who she had decided to get involved?
« Have you not followed my speech? Ionia needs balance, and it is my eternal vow to keep it. The fools that are trying to control darkness one day will be overpowered, and they will become only puppets on its hands. The more they will have, the more they will get addicted. And at that time, nothing will save this land. But you... you can help me to stop them if you care about the magic that flows in your veins. »
Those words were perfect for deceiving her, but she was not so stupid to fall in her trap. But she could still pretend and get what she wanted.
« Ok, but now tell me where is my tribe. »
The room disappeared and everything became dark.
She looked around, shaking. She instinctively reached out to her feathers, ready to face an attack. She had still fallen into a trap. She was a fool, thinking she could stand up to her. She felt some tears wetting her eyes and stopped them. She did not want to show a single weak spot.
She moved a step back and heard some rocks crumbling. She turned and found herself on the top of a high cliff. From it, she could see a vast plan full of red trees.
She did not understand how she had arrived there, but she was not able to find a solution. The surroundings changed more times and quickly, too much for distinguishing the details. She just spotted the desolation, the dry grounds and trees, all the things she had found in her village and around the Temple of Whispers. The witch was guiding her through the places infected by darkness; she was sure, that creature was creating those scenarios.
But the last one was different from the others. It was not a dead forest. It was not a dry river. Darkness surrounded her again, but this time she was not alone. In front of her, there was a man, and his body was covered in armor. Even his face was hidden under a mask, but she would have never forgotten his eyes. They were red and vibrant, too similar to the one of the witch.