Dawn of Arcane Destiny

Chapter Ninety-Two

Lillia clung to the ancient tree like it held her last chance at life. She didn't know what she had just seen. Was it another dream from Keir's influence in her mind? It had felt so real, as if they had been standing right in front of her. But then again, her other dreams had been just as vivid. She had recognized Drayce, even if he hadn't seemed like his usual self. He had looked more worn. His usual spark of mischief that never seemed to far beneath the surface was gone.

She had no idea who the other man was. He was obviously a criminal, and a highly wanted one. But why had Drayce looked so sad to be arresting him? What had he done? Drayce had said he was wanted for murder, had he killed someone close to them? And that was putting aside the fact that the criminal looked eerily like Drayce.

She had to focus on getting them out of this place. She now knew she was approximately where she was supposed to be. She walked around the tree, keeping her back pressed against the trunk. If her senses were right, and she wasn't sure if they were, then the rock should be about ten paces in front of her.

She didn't know what she was going to do if she found it, all she could hope for was that she was able to find the rock and read the glyphs. Then what? It was going to be next to impossible to find the others in this fog. But she had to try.

She hesitantly left the tree, stepping directly forward. She took one step then another. She prayed fiercely she would be able to find the rock. She could be going the opposite direction for all she knew.

All these doubts registered in her mind a split second before she almost tripped over the rock in the center of the clearing. She gasped, but of course she couldn't hear herself. She knelt next to the rock. It was a decently sized rock, standing, the rock came up to her knees. She could make out indentations in the rock that were likely the glyphs, but not clearly enough to know what they said.

She reached out to touch the rock, but stopped herself. When Kesdan in her dream had touched the rock, everything had gone dark. It could have just been how the dream was supposed to end, or it could be a warning not to touch the rock. Just sitting in front of it she could tell that there was power emanating from the rock.

But she had to find out what the glyphs said. That was the information that she had come for. This whole endeavor would be for nothing. It was now or never. She tremulously reached out her hand and laid it on the rock.

Woosh.

The mist was sucked into the rock almost faster than Lillia could register it happening. A twister formed sucking the mist into it like a vessel. She squeezed her eyes shut against the onslaught of wind. Her hair whipped out of her twist, hitting her face.

And suddenly Lillia could hear again.

She hesitantly opened her eyes and looked around. It was still dark, but she had visibility. She stood letting go of the rock. Was the fog some sort of defense? It must have been, just like the traps in the Well of Tethoris.

"Drayce! Lillia!" Someone called from not far away. Lillia turned and saw Caelum and Ella running towards her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Drayce approaching from the opposite direction. He had a deeply disturbed expression on his face. Lillia felt the same way. Had he seen something in the mist as well?

Lillia looked down at the ground and realized she was standing in a circle that surrounded the rock. No grass grew in the circle. Something about it was off. A part of Lillia was screaming at her not to cross that line.

"Don't come any closer." She said, stopping Drayce just before he joined her in the circle.

"What is it?" Drayce asked, then looked down. "Oh. Do you think its another trap?"

"I'm not sure." Lillia responded.

Caelum and Ella arrived. Ella was one step away from running into the circle.

"Stay back!" Lillia and Drayce urgently warned.

Caelum yanked Ella away throwing off her momentum, causing her to stumble, but thankfully away from the circle.

"What's wrong?" Caelum asked, helping Ella right herself.

"This isn't right." Lillia said. "When I touched the stone, the fog went away, but if this is Keir's prison, why would it be so easy to leave? And why is there a bare circle around the stone? Everything seems to revolve around this rock. The trees, the clearing. I've never seen such a perfectly round clearing."

"Because it's not Keir's prison." Ella said staring at the rock. They all turned to look at the rock. Lillia knew those glyphs all right. She had only ever seen them in one spot. Zavian's journal. "This is the gods' sanctuary." Ella finished.

***

"But why would Keir want us to find this?" Drayce asked.

That was when Lillia collapsed.

"Lillia!" He exclaimed. He had to force himself not to step in the circle. She wasn't dead was she? No, she was moving. She stood, her shirt stained with dirt.

"Are you okay? What happened?" Ella asked.

"Stay back." Caelum said. "Lillia's not there."

Drayce felt the blood drain from his face. Lillia snapped her eyes open revealing obsidian eyes. "Oh merciful Non." He breathed.

"What do you mean Lillia's not there?" Ella asked confused.

"Lilly...?" Drayce asked.

She laughed. Keir's sibilate voice overlapping hers. "We've been through this too many times for you to not know the drill, Drayce."

He didn't answer. He couldn't.

"That's what I mean." Caelum said, looking equally shaken.