ODE TO THE END: A BALLAD OF BROTHERS

CHAPTER 30

ADLAI

The eldest Arbitor danced through the darkness and dodged sites where he could be easily seen. His movements were swift, but never did he not consider the shy girl in his charge. His single arm made carrying her an awkward task, especially as he hopped the rooftops, but Adlai found no obstacle insurmountable. His sense of duty resulted in an unbothered mind and so the young man displayed his true power. In rare form, he did not check the strength of his jump or fear the eventual landing. Not even his single limb impeded him from securing Brielle with firmness and care. The whispers went unheard in his decisive trance. In fact Adlai hushed them outright as they presented plans he, in this moment, only found distracting. Indeed, in this moment, the eldest Arbitor had been all that he wished to be. If only he himself had known.

    Into a grove of flowers and ruins, Adlai found sanctuary. Moonbeams lit stone and old steel in a wind-swept hovel, and it made the area just bright enough to see without the aid of his demonic eyes.  Adlai searched for the perfect spot to set his ailing sibling, but Brielle began to stir with teeth bared. He had to hurry before The Beast broke from its coma. With no time to pick a suitable bed, Adlai made one. He pushed debris until a perfectly flat surface was created aside and he sterilized the area with purifying fire. By the time Nadine to caught up, she was surprised.

She watched the young man set Brielle down before he raised his hand. As fey-light flickers burst from his palm and adorned the grove, she said "You set the mood quite well."

"Entering The Abar requires a peaceful environment, right," Adlai responded. The eldest Arbitor assessed the freshly consecrated ground before setting two large stones for him and Nadine.

"Da," Nadine affirmed in foreign tongue. "A calm mind aids the participants in the ritual. You did well to remember that, but can you recollect the other requirements of this procedure? It goes better when there is zero confusion." She took point on the seat Adlai had set and began taking deep breaths in preparation. Adlai sat next to her, thinking about the details she had requested.

"We're pretty much going in there to get her, right? Inside of her mind or soul or something. B-because she's sort of stuck, in a way. I...I don't know for sure,"said Adlai.

"No, Adlai. You are correct," Nadine responded. "Devils have ways of burying us in our worst instincts. This is true for men and women of all kinds, but it is far more severe for those of black blood. Right now, Brielle is trapped in the winds of her own dark desires. She is lost in them, with only two ways out. She must find her way or we can show her."

Adlai listened and nodded. "In The Abar," he asked.

"Da," Nadine answered. "In The Abar. A place between the material world, where we are connected to all things. The bond between the three of us is very strong already. The curse we share makes it so, but stepping into The Abar makes it even stronger. We can find one another easily by tapping into that realm. It is often how I find you. Think of it as if I am dipping my toes into a great ocean, but what we are doing now is going deep. It can be dangerous. Do you know why?"

"...I-I don't remember," Adlai muttered.

"It is because The Abar, given its metaphysical nature, is a place where our demons can manifest in ways they cannot in the waking world. Not without a host." Nadine explained further "There, if they so choose, they can attack us directly. They can hurt us, kill us and, if they are successful, possess our bodies," Nadine stated. "It is dangerous if one is not properly trained, mentally prepared, and strong of heart. Even for those that are, anything can happen."

Adlai thought of the implication. "C-could Brielle be possessed by her demon?"

"Possibly. I do not know. That is why time is very important right now."

"Alright," said Adlai. "I...I think I can do this. If it's for Brielle." The eldest Arbitor quickly mimicked Nadine's stance and breathing cadence. He was preparing for the dive, but Nadine frowned.

"Adlai. I am...pleased that you are willing to sacrifice so much to save Brielle, but you will not be going with me"

"What?!" Adlai's concertation broke immediately. Her rejection ignited his temper and the faint flickers he released earlier began to flare in violent flashes. Nadine, disappointed in the sight, simply shook her head. She looked to his smoldering lights as proof of his failings.

"It is too soon, my little buntar. There are things you must learn before going into such a dangerous place."

"But Brielle! We have to get her before it's too late!"

"I will find your sister. It will take time and all my concentration, depending on what lies beyond, but I will find her."

"And if you don't, or if you take too much time. Then what?" Adlai felt his face wrinkle with an unfamiliar feeling: Concern.

Having forgotten how the eldest Arbitor looked when wrapped with worry, Nadine saw his whimpering lip and could not help but laugh. "I almost forgot how kind you can look when you are sad," Nadine said with a smile.  The black witch extended a homely hand, but Adlai was only repulsed. He no longer had use of it. He knew that for sure now. At his disdain Nadine sighed.  "...Have faith in your teacher, Adlai . If I do not return within the coming days, you have my permission to enter The Abar and assist me. But that is in the absolute worst case scenario. Am I understood?"

"Nadine, Are you sure"--

"Net! No objections. Simply agree," Nadine sternly requested. "Just this once."

Adlai was given a gaze of genuine comfort and lingering desperation. Even so, the eldest Arbitor held his suspicions close. Still though what would come of disobeying Nadine at this time? He was not the one at stake. Brielle was, and Adlai would not descend into the inter-world if it meant risking her loss. So it was with a bitter press of the lip that he accepted Nadine's plan.

"A day," said Adlai. "If it takes any more than that, I'm coming in to help."

"It should not take me more than a day. Shorter if Brielle proves more resilient than I gave her credit for," said Nadine.

"What should I do then? While you're down there?"

"Wait and watch." Nadine replied. "I am trusting you, Adlai. While I am in The Abar I will be cut-off from everything in the material world. Even if I try. I will not be able to sense you. To protect you...or...Assist you if you do something you have not thought through." Nadine stated. "So I am asking, Adlai. Please, just this once. Do as I ask. Nothing more. I am trusting you more than I ever had."

Adlai's thoughts consisted of nothing but a tired scoff. She did not trust him. She was merely forced to in the moment. Even so, the young man nodded knowing that they were not so different. "...Get Brielle back. I'm trusting you too," he replied. "More than I ever have in a long time."

No more words passed between the two once the requests had been exchanged. There was nothing more to say, so Adlai was left to his own thoughts.  Again, he took stock of his feelings, his desires, all the way up to the moment Nadine took the ethereal dive. Contemplating long into that lonely night, the eldest Arbitor took vigil over one family while haunted by the memories of another. The things Nadine said, the acknowledgment that was once so rare, had come at the worst time. Adlai was conflicted.

He idled into the wee hours, watching his black-blooded kin simply because it had been respectfully requested of him. During his vigil, the whispers in his ear tried to remind him of his past, but the vengeful hymns the whispers sang sat strangely in Adlai's ear. What were they worth now; those loves lost to injustice? As Adlai sprinkled that consecrated grove in a sprawl of gentle ember light, he looked upon his demon-bound brethren and wondered why he still found himself wanting. The answer came at first light, along with the return of the sun and that most pressing question. What were they worth now; the loves lost to injustice? As Brielle and Nadine were left in a sanctuary showered in fairy light, Adlai embarked for the final time with black blood boiling and wits he wrongly presumed his own.