The Named

Chapter 12: Aiolos

“I see you.”

The letters, slowly and meticulously written out in the dust, stare at us as if daring us to respond.  Who sees us?  What sees us?  What kind of game are they playing?  Rell and I shift carefully toward each other so we’re at each other’s backs.

“Do you see anyone?”

“No.  I still haven’t figured out how they managed that trick with the dust.”

“Zephyr?”

“I dunno.  I’ve never heard of one that could gust with that kind of accuracy.”

“Hm.”

Closing my eyes I reach for the door inside.  I’ve felt it move a few times since that first day Rell gave me my name.  Rell can’t explain it; none of the other Named have spoken of it so we’ve decided it’s best to keep it under wraps.  It’s not fully open but I can mentally press an ear to it and “hear” people nearby.  At first it was only Named ones but as my training in water progressed a Vatura can’t get anywhere within 100 meters of me without me knowing.  Rell is discoverable within 5miles but only by virtue of me being familiar with her essence.

There.

About 20 feet into the trees there’s a hollow one.  A man is hiding there, crammed awkwardly into too small of a space.  Not incredibly defensible.

Motioning to Rell, I slowly begin walking toward the writing on the ground.  Upon inspection the words are written in damp, harder packed dirt.

“Ah.”

Rell looks at me quizzically, “What?”

I hold up a finger.  At an angle, I start moving toward the trees.  Rell follows closely behind.

The howl.

An eerie shriek that creates an almost physical pressure pounds our eardrums.  Looking around wildly I locate Rell.  Her eyes are wide but she seems much less phased by it than I am.  What is that!?

Finally the horrific noise ceases.  Determined now, I march towards the hollow.  Blinded by my frustration I nearly miss the sensation of someone gathering their essence.  Barely in time I grab Rell, pushing her and myself to the ground, throwing up a stationary wave above us.  Angry gusts of wind push and shove at the wave but thankfully it absorbs most of the impact.

Rell rolls to the left and throws a small dart of flame at the base of the tree.  Instantly, dry debris on the forest floor catches.  Concentrating on the flame she keeps it to a minimum until the entire trunk is full of noxious smoke.  Loud coughing and some mild swearing echo out holes along its length.  Finally the whole right side cracks and breaks open as a largish man, covered in dirt, leaves and soot stumbles out.  Dropping the wave I swing my right leg around and with my right palm flash freeze his feet in place and cover them up to his knees in rime.

“What the hell’dya do that for?”  The man has an odd twist to his speech.  He’s also the tallest person I think I’ve ever seen.

“What did we do that for!?  Why do you think we did it you big oaf?  You’ve been tormenting my friend here and leaving creepy messages in the path of two people that never did a thing to you and all the while you’re hiding in a tree trunk like some kind of scared child!”

“Big oaf!?  Big oaf!?  As if you should be talkin’!  Look atcha!  Yer a midget of a Named One!  Where’s it they bred ya, eh?  In some kinda closet?  I’m free range kiddo, and I ain’t no child neither!  I been out here livin’ without my mama’s skirt to hide behind since ‘afore you was born thank you very much.”

Glancing back at Rell I’m suddenly concerned for the man’s safety.  Rell isn’t very tall, even for a Sane Demon, and she’s a tad sensitive about it.  Her face is as red the inside of a volcano, her hair is smoking and tiny flames are flickering and jumping dangerously up and down her arms.  If I were a full Vatura the heat exuding from her would have melted my hold on the man by now.

“Calm, Rell.  I’ll handle this.  Sir, don’t mistake us as incompetent children that won’t hold you accountable for what you’ve done here.  I am not the law but you should have heard of the Sane Demons.  We make our own laws.”  The man’s face is hard to see in the dark but I’m fairly certain it’s gone a few shades paler than before.  “Flaunting you’re essence out here on the road like this was a bad choice despite us having essences of our own.  You endanger other Named ones by giving the Empire greater cause to hate our kind.  Explain yourself.”

Scowling under unruly brows the man huffs at me, “I ain’t gotta explain myself to you Bub.  You say you make your own laws, well, I make mine too.  I get my kicks watching silly children that ran away from home looking for some grand adventure wet themselves over something they can’t explain, so what?  I ain’t hurtin’ nobody out here.  Let me go and leave me be.”

“You get your kicks!?  This is how you entertain yourself?  You are one sick piece of work.  We’re actually on an important mission, which you may have compromised by depriving us both of sleep and you try to justify it by saying you were just trying to entertain yourself?”  Rell is still fuming but I can tell the lack of sleep is really starting to get to her.  She’s frustrated to the point of tears.  The only thing keeping them from spilling is her inner heat evaporating any excess moisture.

Running a hand over my face I turn back to the infuriating man, “Sir, what’s your name?”

“Aiolos.  Little too fancy for me, huh?  Eh, my Pa was a city kid that loved books more’n anything ‘till he met my momma.  Still decided to give a name smarter’n I am.”

“Aiolos, it’s a good name for a zephyr.  Well Aiolos, you have two choices, either stay here in that ice until it melts as we continue on our way or apologize to my friend here and swear never to do it again.  I’ll know if you’re near Aiolos.  I’m not what you’d call average.”

Still scowling Aiolos looks at us sideways.  “How’s about this:  I go with ya’ll and help keep watch when ya rest?  Let’s face it; I really ain’t got nothin’ better to do here than mess with people, and you really have to set up a better security routine than you got goin’.  I could’a messed with you so much more’n I did if I’da been inclined.”

Closing my eyes I leaned toward the door again.  I don’t know what it is about the space behind that door but I can feel a person’s emotions as they get tangled up in their essence.  Aiolos is full of grief and confusion but he seems sincere.  There is no malice within him.

“Alright.”

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Ok, so, admittedly this isn't my best work but I'm gonna get it edited soon.  However, it is currently about 12:30am.  That is way past my bodily imposed bed time so be glad I actually managed to write in a coherent laguage :P

Also, if you get a chance and are interested, look up my characters' names on an etymology site.  I actually do some nerdy research for them.