Saving Neba

𝐗𝐗𝐗𝐈𝐈: Trekma-ki-Asbhi

I shut my eyes and tried to concentrate on the lit candles that had been positioned on a raised platform in front of me. The burning flames reminded me of Luan's words and that angry look that had been on her face. It made me think of Emily's distant attitude to me earlier today. I felt some gush within me, like the blood in my body was being replaced with red heat.

"Tisq! Tisq!" Herald's slightly high voice ordered. I dropped my hand and glanced at the bunch of candles placed together and lit. "You're supposed to ignite the candles, not make them burn much more than it was."

"Sorry," I whispered. "I'll try again." I rubbed my hands together, breathed in and tried to concentrate on quenching the fire with my mind.

"You're thinking about something. Care to share?"

Herald was dressed in a pair of black trousers and a black shirt that hugged his body. A black leather jacket was over the top. He had told me he'd worn fire-resistant clothes, just in case.

"I..." I felt an ugly urge to tell him everything that had been going on to this point. An urge that I spurned as soon as it came. I sighed and ambled to the Nesylone Waters. Our shoes were off and placed somewhere close to the bank. I put my feet in the water and let its conciliatory effect fill my veins. I shut my eyes, going further as the water covered even more parts of my leg. I stopped walking when the water was at my knee.

"Does it take your strength, the training sessions?"

"It hurts me. More precisely, it reminds me of things." I peered at the crystal clear water and the waterfall up ahead. It still seemed far away, even now that I was closer to it than Tevessa and I used to be when we were swimming. "It's like larvae's flowing in my veins instead of blood."

"It'll get better each time you come here."

"To Asterion?"

"To Neba, in general."

"Why's that? Because I get used to it more?"

"Sa." I turned my head to look at Herald. He pulled up the hem of his trousers so that they were up to his knees then he came to stand beside me. He was standing on a higher rock, making him look taller than he was. His pointed nose looked like it wanted to run off and swim.

"What d'you mean by that?"

"Segika-hi-Merwinian works more than being just a major ingredient for making a pristil. If it were, then it wouldn't have mattered if it was rare or not. Ez, Segika-hi-Merwinian is a very powerful segika. Zhun, a power stone indeed."

I nodded. "You hate me, don't you? Because I refuse to tell you what I know about the Asterions, am I wrong?"

"The word 'hate' is one I never adopt. Nebans don't hate," Herald replied. "We are good people."

"Then why does Crypta hate the Asterions so much?" I asked.

"Emery, visor ami. Look at me." I turned to look at him. "Do I look like Crypta?" I sighed and shook my head. "Let questions be thrown to only those who can answer it, then."

He got out of the water and began to put on his sandals. "I wanted to show you something." I got out and began to wear my trainers just as Herald went to grab his bag. "Give me your Mehjazgeu."