Displaced

Chapter 8

Somewhere on a lone hilltop engulfed in fog stood an old tree, its gnarled trunk and leafless branches suggesting it had seen better days. There a young woman sat, back resting against the tree, head bowed. For an eternity, nothing stirred. The wind was calm, and quiet enveloped the hazy realm. Suddenly, without a word, a young man in his late teens emerged from the fog and took a seat beside the woman. Neither spoke for what seemed like ages, each simply soaking in the silence.

"You're blaming yourself again, aren't you?" the man asked finally. The woman did not respond, and the world lapsed back into stillness.

"It wasn't your fault. You know that," the young man said eventually. "Just like Sebastian. Just like your father. None of it was your fault."

"I know," the woman finally replied, her voice soft and melancholy.

"And yet you drag me out every time just to have me say it to you. It would be nice if you came to visit just to say hi sometime, you know, instead of only whenever everything falls apart."

"I'm sorry, Peko."

"Don't say that, Arlette," the young man said as he wrapped the woman into a gentle embrace. "Thinking only of myself when my best friend is suffering right in front of me... I'm the one who should be apologizing. Call on me whenever you need me, and I'll tell you to stop blaming yourself as many times as it takes."

"If I hadn't brought them there, they'd still be alive right now. They trusted me to keep them safe."

"Oh, and you also summoned that monster down from the heavens? Should we all be blaming you for all the thousands of dead in that city?"

"Sometimes I wonder... Maybe I'm cursed. Maybe if I hadn't been there, the city-"

"Curses aren't real, Arlette. I know it hurts to lose those you care about, but you must remember to keep moving forward. Spend too much time looking back and you'll lose your way."

"They're gone, Peko! Just like that!" she wailed as tears fell onto the man's shoulder. "Why? Why are they gone and I'm still here? What did I do?"

"Shhhh..." Peko said as he stroked the crying woman's head with a brotherly affection. "Just let it all out. I'll stay here as long as you need."

Arlette cried into her friend's shoulder for what felt like hours until her sobs finally dried and she returned to silence.

"You should probably wake up soon. We both know how much work is left to be done, and you can't let Jaquet do it. He'd just mess it all up."

Arlette let out a dry laugh, a small hint of humor showing in her reddened eyes.

"And I'm serious, come see me sometime other than right after disaster strikes. I feel like you forget I exist sometimes."

"Sorry, I will," Arlette promised. "Thanks, Peko. You're the best."

"I'll be here any time you need me," he said as he ruffled the woman's hair with a loving smile. "That's what imaginary friends are for."

*     *     *

Arlette Faredin opened her eyes to a wooden ceiling and a window showing the predawn sky. She was in an inn, which could only mean one thing. They were already at Poniren, the closest town to Zrukhora big enough to be called a town instead of a hamlet or village. The Ivory Tears had stayed a night in the cheapest inn Poniren had to offer just several days ago on their way north. It had taken the group three days to reach Zrukhora from Poniren. It seemed that Arlette had been out for far longer than she'd hoped.