Chapter 16.75: Despair

Phew!  This chapter was a monster.  I know I'm a little late to deliver my weekly quota, but better late than never.  I spent a lot of time trying to incorporate more elements from later in the series here so that we could get a little payoff and tension built before the big halfway point battle, which I don't really consider spoilers, there will be a halfway point battle.  Also, wow...I'm amazed at how long it took me to get this done, what with the various re-writes to make it flow better, make more sense, have more impact, etc.  My characters kept trying to tell me to take it this way, but I kept misinterpreting their pantomimes.  Anyway, this chapter is pretty heavy, I think.  It shows not only growth, but despair, longing, and pain for both our protagonists that has followed them throughout their lives.  I quite like how it is all handled, but who knows if anyone else will?  This is the last of my supplementary chapters before we get back to the main story, so I hope it is enjoyed.

Now, without further ado, Chapter 16.75: Despair

            Once they were outside Nerise's cabin, Celine and Mina followed Weiss over to where Cere was still whimpering.  The three headed, undead apocra raised his middle head expectantly and Weiss petted it before nodding.  Cere immediately jumped up, yipped at Weiss, and proceeded to slather him with slobber.  The Nihilon withstood the assault with stoic dignity and once Cere was finished, he let out a quick bark from each of his heads before bounding off towards the cave in the southern cliff wall.

            Weiss nonchalantly wiped excess drool from his body before turning to Mina and Celine.  "Cere understands what has transpired here," he murmured, as if reading their thoughts.  "He goes to tell his brothers."

            "That's great, but-" Mina raised the index finger of her right hand.

            "Wasn't he our ride?" Celine crossed her arms and let out a sigh.

            Tilting his head to the side for a moment, nonplussed, Weiss replied, "Did I not say earlier that I would take you out?"

            "Oh!  Well, I guess we didn't think you meant literally," Mina chuckled.

            "I did," Weiss dryly replied, lowering one of his large, glassy black hands.

            "Heh.  It's just a bit unexpected," Celine grunted, climbing onto the slick, smooth palm before helping Mina up.  "Something tells me you don't do this for everybody."

            "I do not," Weiss said, lifting his hand up and holding it close to his chest before walking towards the cliff wall at a leisurely pace.

            "Ummm...do you mind if I ask why?" Mina mumbled, looking into Weiss's large green eyes, sparkling like polished emeralds.

            "I...wish to thank you," Weiss's eyes narrowed and he bowed his head at the two girls.

            "Ah, jeez..." Celine sighed.  "Not this again.  Like I said before, we didn't really do anything.  Anyway, you don't need to be so formal."

            "Celi's right.  Besides, you've been here for her the whole time," Mina smiled at Weiss's featureless black face.  "You should thank yourself."

            The towering figure tilted his head at the girls and his eyes flashed.  "You are mistaken," he said, carefully stepping over a small contingent of skeletons carrying several large barrels on litters.  "I did what I could.  However, if had I tried to say what you said, I would have only made things worse.  Emotions are still difficult for me.  There is much I do not understand."

            "Hold on," Celine cocked an eye at the Nihilon.  "We've seen you laugh and play with Nerise.  Seems like you understand emotions just fine to me."

            "Hmmmhmmm," Weiss's body rumbled form a moment and an eerie chuckle emanated from within him.  "I have watched.  And I can mimic.  However learning takes time."

            "C'mon..." Mina scooted over to Weiss's index finger and gave it a reassuring pat.  "You shouldn't be so hard on yourself.  You care.  That's the most important thing."

            For a moment, Weiss merely stared at Mina, before glancing over at Celine, a smug grin playing at her lips.  "Perhaps," he nodded.

            Mina glanced through Weiss's fingers as they approached Nerise's purple-black river.  At first, it looked as if Weiss was going to fjord through it, however the instant his foot touched the water, something spread out from underneath it.  Black webbing sprouted from Weiss's feet and spread in a circle around them.  With these new feet, the Nihilon thrust his knees back and forth, gliding over the brackish water as he did.

             "Wow..." Mina gawked at Weiss's feet as they floated serenely over the water.

            "C'mon..." Celine gave her a playful buffet to the shoulder.  "You've seen him do crazier things than that."

            "Hehe, it's still cool though," Mina chuckled.

            "Hmmm," Weiss hummed, glancing down at them before stepping off the water.  Immediately, his feet returned to their normal shape, however small spikes shot out of the bottom.  Without breaking his stride, he started to walk up the side of the cliff face.

            "Hey...Weiss?" Mina chimed in, after they were halfway up the wall.

            "Yes?"

            "Ummm...so what will you do after you drop us off?" she asked, shivering as the temperature dropped around them.  "W-will you go back to Nerise?" Mina stammered, rubbing her arms for warmth.

            Weiss's green eyes vanished for a moment and he shook his head.  "No.  I must replenish my strength at the spring if I am to look after her later.  These...emotions..." he put his free hand over his face.  "They are...exhausting."

            "Hehe, yeah..." Mina mumbled through chattering teeth.  Her breath took form in the air and she scooted over to Celine, who put her arm around Mina.

            "Crap, it got cold quick!" Celine grunted, breathing on her hands and hugging Mina close.  "We didn't even bring our coats today."

            The two girls glanced skywards and saw that the clouds overhead had thickened since their arrival, casting a dim, gray light over Acacia.  When they reached the top of the cliff, dancing lights could already be seen in the forest and snowflakes were lazily drifting down from the clouds.

            Holding out his large, glassy hand, Weiss caught one of them and stared at it.  "Hmmm..." The Nihilon glanced skyward.  "Snow..."

            "I u-usually l-l-like snow, but..." Mina stammered, leaning into Celine for warmth, "B-but I usually have a coat, too."

            "Perhaps I wasn't clear earlier," Celine grunted, her breath briefly flaring out in front of her before disappearing, "What gives?!"

            "Aeon is perturbed."

            "Huh?" Both girls looked up at Weiss who had shifted his gaze to the crystalline tower in the distance.

            "It only snows in Acacia when Aeon is anxious," Weiss went on, narrowing his emerald eyes.  Mina tapped Weiss's finger and he looked down at her.

            "Ummm...s-shouldn't one of us go t-tell him about Nerise?" Mina stammered, "He's probably worried about her."

            "Hmmm...perhaps," Weiss nodded, lowering the two girls to the ground.  "I will leave that to you, Mina."  Mina jumped at the sound of her own name.  "Once again.  Thank you," he added, before turning away from the two girls.  Rather than walking down the cliff face, Weiss  skidded down the inclined walls and after only a few seconds, the glassy black figure had grown tiny against the backdrop of the barren valley.

            "I can see why the princess is unnerved by him," Celine grunted, hugging Mina close and guiding her towards the forest.  Mina's heartbeat quickened when the tan skinned girl pressed their two bodies together.  "Still...he's not so bad, once you get used to him."

            Nuzzling against Celine's armpit, Mina smiled.  "He's got a big hear-" She stopped when Gadius dropped out of the trees a short distance in front of them.  Panting and covered in sweat, the jela-vey knelt at the entrance to the forest with a large satchel clutched under his arm.

            He broke into a run and the earth seemed to move with each step he took, rising up underneath him and carrying him forward, as if it were a wave of ocean water.  He zipped past Mina and Celine and stopped just short of the cliff wall they had just climbed  up.

            Whipping his head around, he stared at the two girls and did a quick heel turn.  "Sorry!" Gadius panted, bowing quickly and holding up his bag.  "Nerise!  Sick!" he exclaimed in between breathes, "Have to-"

            "Woah, woah!" Celine released Mina and held up her hands in front of her.  A snort escaped Mina's throat and she hugged herself as she felt the warmth around her slowly dissipate.  "Easy.  Nerise is okay!" Celine went on.  "We just got back from seeing her!"

            Gadius glared at the two girls as if they were complete fools.  "I heard her scream!"  he growled, just short of screaming himself.  "She needs-"

            "She did scream, but she's fine now!" Mina interjected, slowly making her way over to the bare-chested jela-vey.  "We just left her and she's sleeping peacefully."

            Plopping down on the ground, Gadius took a few deep breaths and straightened his golden-orange hair, which was strewn with leaves.  "Explain..." he grunted, fixing the girls with a skeptical stare.

            "S-she fell asleep earlier and woke up sc-screaming," Mina stammered, shivering as a cold wind blew past them, rustling their hair, "And we tr-tried to get her to open up about how she was feeling.  She...she cried a lot, but once she was d-done, she ate some porridge and-"

            "She ate?" Gadius's ears perked up and his expression softened.  "She's eating now?"

            "S-sucked down three bowls of p-porridge while we were there," Celine said, her own teeth starting to chatter, "Then dr-dropped off to sleep."

            "She's eating again..." Gadius murmured, laying back on the frost tinged grass.  He put a hand over his eyes and began to chuckle.  A few seconds went by and his chuckle grew louder and louder until the jela-vey shook with raucous laughter.

            "Ummm...a-are you alright?" Mina said, trying to keep her teeth from chattering.  Bending down to examine Gadius, she saw a few droplets of water run down his cheeks before he pulled his hand away from his eyes.

            "How'd she look while she was sleeping?" Gadius grunted, rocking himself onto his haunches.

            "She was smiling," Celine smirked and offered the jela-vey her hand.

            "Thank the goddess..." Gadius smiled and took Celine's hand.  "Jeez," he grunted after pulling himself upright.  "That girl sure knows how to make us worry.  I even got my best medicine ready for her," he chuckled, patting his satchel.

            "Heh, it'd be a sh-shame to waste it," Celine said, a mischievous grin crossing her lips.  "Why not poke your head in and check on her...just in case."

            "I will," Gadius nodded and glanced down at Nerise's valley, "Just to be safe." The earth underneath him rose up and carried him forward.  "Thanks for the heads up!" he waved at the girls as he descended the cliff wall.  "This is great news!"

            "No pr-problem!" Celine called while she and Mina waved back.  Once he was out of earshot, Celine let out a quick grunt.  "Heh...don't say I never did anything for ya, pr-princess."

            "You're t-terrible, Celi," Mina stifled a giggle and leaned against Celine for warmth.

            "Somehow, I doubt Daryl'll mind," Celine hugged Mina before leading her to the edge of the forest.  "I suppose I should pass off the good news to Deminos and Yuka before visiting Dakon and Echidna," Celine mused aloud, taking her arm off of Mina's shoulder.  "Hopefully one of them will have a fire going."

            "That's a good idea," Mina nodded and glanced over at Aeon's crystalline tower.  "I'll do the same for Aeon and Vincent.  I'll see you later, okay, Celi?"

            "T-take care!" Celine called before bounding into the forest, rubbing her arms.

            Allowing herself a quick chuckle, Mina turned to face Aeon's tower and walked straight into a particularly strong gale.  Flecks of snow flew at her face and she had to hold up both hands to keep them out of her eyes.  Gritting her teeth, Mina took a quick breath and grabbed the air.  Scrunching her eyes shut, she jerked her arms to the left.  The wind slightly changed directions and granted Mina some relief from the flurry of ice and snow.

            Dropping to one knee, Mina gasped for breath.  A tear ran down her cheek and she hugged herself for warmth.  Suddenly, she felt a heavy cloak, lined with fur, drop over her shoulders.  Wrapping herself in the cloak's warm folds, she wiped at her eyes and saw a multitude of furry, black-winged creatures massing behind her.  Slowly, the creatures melted together and a pale man wearing a white bandana around his head stepped out of the swarm.  "I was wondering where you were," Vincent said, extending his gloved hand to Mina and helping her to her feet.  "You're late today."

            "Haha, sorry," Mina let out a half hearted laugh and smiled at Vincent.  "I've been busy."

            "I  know," Vincent gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.  "I've been watching."  The teythen flashed her a tired smile and a part of his arm dissolved into a tiny , black-winged familiar that hopped onto Mina's shoulder.

            The familiar chirped at Mina and she patted the furry creature's head.  "Riiiiiight.  You see everything that goes on in Acacia," she smirked.

            "Hehe, someone has to look after these lunatics," Vincent chuckled and waved his hand.  The air distorted and the icy tempest curled around them.  "Shall we?" Vincent ushered Mina forward, rubbing his eyes as they walked.

            "Thank you," Mina breathed a sigh of relief before falling into stride with Vincent.

            "You know..." Vincent let out a yawn and his breath became visible in the cold air, "For all my boasting, even I'm not all seeing," he chuckled and cracked his joints.  "I had no idea Nerise was alright until I heard you talking to Gadius.  Thanks for that, by the way," he added, giving her a big, toothy grin.

            "Then...you haven't you told Aeon yet?" Mina asked, pulling the fur cloak tighter around her.

            "Nope," Vincent shook his head and covered half of his face with one of his hands.  " Haven't had the time.  Actually, I'm not even supposed to be here right now."

            "What do you mean?" Mina mumbled, rubbing her hands together and blowing on them before taking a close look at Vincent's face.  The teythen's eyes were bloodshot and dark circles under his eyes adorned his usually smooth, pale skin.

            "I have missives from Aeon to carry to five separate parties all across the continent," Vincent said, holding himself at attention, despite the fatigue inherent in his voice.  "I have already delayed too much in seeing to you...however, I wanted to thank you personally for helping Nerise."

            "I-It was nothing," Mina flushed pink and shrank into the fur cloak around her shoulders.  "But...ummm...are you sure you're okay to travel?  You don't look like you've slept in days."

            "I haven't," Vincent replied, keeping his expression blank.  "These communications started the day after we brought Nerise back.  Whenever Aeon has not been with her, he has been reading and writing letters.  And..." he let out another yawn before shaking himself back to attention,  "It has been my duty to see that they were delivered and to carry their responses back to him."  Rubbing his eyes, Vincent pulled a flask out of his jacket and took a quick drink.  "I've managed to steal a little time in between my runs to visit with Nerise, but it has not been enough," he grunted before taking a larger swig.

            "At least now you can stop worrying," Mina gave Vincent's gloved hand a squeeze.  "Anyway, you shouldn't feel bad about not spending time with her.  I think we both know Aeon wouldn't work you this hard if it weren't important."

            "Indeed," Vincent nodded.  "Aeon believes this to be very important.  And what is important to Aeon is important to me," the teythen flatly stated before taking another drink from his flask.

            "It's a little strange, though...I never knew you were this busy," Mina grunted, glancing up at Vincent's stoic expression and shaking her head.  "Aeon's still made time for my training these last few days.  Though...they were definitely more somber sessions than before.  And I could tell his mind was elsewhere.  Sometimes he'd leave me, sometimes I'd catch him staring off into space in the direction of Nerise's valley..." A shudder ran through Mina's body and she hugged the fur cloak closer to her skin.  "I wish he'd told me outright.  I didn't mean to burden him like-"

            "You were not a burden," Vincent said automatically, fixing Mina with his tranquil, crimson eyes that glistened like pools of blood reflecting the midday sun.  "If anything, he was probably grateful for the distraction.  There is only so much any of us can take, after all.  Not even Aeon is infallible.  Hehe..." he let out a short snort and shook his head.  "Especially not Aeon..."

            Mina waited for Vincent to continue, but the teythen kept his eyes front and center and did not elaborate.  The cold wind howled around the pair as they made their way across Acacia's grasslands to Aeon's citadel.  Once they reached the crystalline citadel's doors, Vincent quickly pushed them open and guided Mina inside.  A sigh of relief escaped Mina's lips once Vincent closed the doors behind them.  There was no wind inside the citadel and despite the icy appearance of the bluish crystal around her, it was relatively warm.  Vincent followed Mina up to the glass stairwell leading up before bowing his head to her.

            "I must take my leave.  Please, tell Aeon about Nerise.  He could use some good news after a week like this."

            "I will," Mina said, bowing her head in response.  "Thanks for your help with the storm."

            "It was nothing," Vincent said.  He turned to leave, but stopped a few feet away, right before Mina stepped onto the stairwell.  A low chuckle came from Vincent and his shoulder's rumbled as he did.

            "Vincent?  Are...are you okay?" Mina raised an eyebrow at the teythen.

            "Strange," Vincent turned around and smirked at Mina, revealing one of his fangs.  "Even after what happened in Gollia, I cannot smell any fear in your blood."

            Averting her eyes from Vincent, Mina hid her bandaged arm in the fur cloak.  "It was no big deal..."

            "I could have killed you if I'd drained too much of your blood."  All mirth vanished from Vincent's voice and he stared straight at Mina.  His black winged familiar on her shoulder let out a little chirp.  Striding over to Mina, Vincent petted the creature on its furry head.  "You do realize that, don't you?"

            "Of course I do," Mina let out an exasperated sigh.  "But I'm not dead.  So, I don't see what the problem is."

            Vincent blinked at her and stood stock still.  Then, he began to laugh.  It was a small, quiet laugh, but it returned a smile to his lips.  "You really are a strange one," he muttered and scratched at the white bandana around his head.  "I guess I'm just a bit surprised.  On my way to meet you, I passed over Nerise's shack.  Even high in the sky, I could smell fear on your purple haired friend."  Vincent shrugged.  "Though, that's not too surprising.  After what you've gone through, it's only natural."

            "I don't think she's afraid of you," Mina quickly interjected and held up her hands.  "Daryl's just...just..." she mumbled, looking for the right words.  "Daryl's-" Upstairs, there was a loud crash and the crystalline tower shook violently, scattering bits of crystal into the air like snow.  "What was that?!" Mina exclaimed, glancing straight up to see a faint trail of smoke billowing downstairs.

            "That would be Aeon," Vincent said, his smile slowly vanishing.  "You may wish to rethink your desire to visit with him at this moment."

            "Vincent, I have to," Mina murmured, holding both hands over her heart.  "Weiss told me he's anxious and it won't get any better till he knows."

            "Heh, true enough," Vincent nodded, his eyes meeting Mina's.  A knowing smirk crossed his lips and Mina felt the familiar on her shoulder slink into her fur cloak and vanish.  "Watch yourself, Mina," he said, before turning on his heel.

            "You get some sleep when you get back!" Mina hollered after him.  The teythen raised a hand without turning to her and waved before pushing the doors open and heading outside.

            Once she was alone, Mina stepped onto the stairwell.  She stomped down and the glassy stairs began to carry her up the winding, spiral path towards the top of the tower.  Halfway up the tower, the smell of burning wood and sulfur assailed her nose and she held her cloak over her face, trying not to breathe in too deeply.  Glancing up, she saw smoke wafting through the opening in the center of the top floor, high above her.  Raising her hand, Mina clenched her stomach muscles, guided energy into her raised arm, and forced a gust of wind out of her palm.  Snatching a quick breath of fresh air, Mina felt her nose wrinkle as the stairs carried her back into the stench.  Waving her hand back and forth, she fired several more gusts of wind out of her palm as she went.

            Eventually, the sulfurous odor dispersed and she lowered her cloak to breathe in the clean air.  No sooner had she cleared the air around her, however, than she saw a flash of light through the opening in the top floor.  Mina's heart thumped in her chest.  She strained her ears, however the only thing she could hear was the whistle of a strong wind above her.  Biting her lip, she grabbed the stairwell's railing and began to climb up the moving stairs.  Within minutes, she was at the top.

            Panting for breath, Mina used the crystalline railing surrounding the opening in the center of the floor as a brace and glanced over at the double doors leading to Aeon's lab.  They had been blown off their hinges and lay smoking on the floor, only a few feet away from the railing.  Even from where she stood, she could make out scorch marks on the sturdy, aged wood and the stench of charcoal assaulted her nose.

            Furrowing her brow, Mina made her way over to the doors.  She reached down to touch the black marks, however a strong wind burst out of the laboratory and nearly bowled her over.  Whistling echoed around Mina as the wind wafted out of the open path into Aeon's lab, whipping the smoke about and spreading the pungent smell of burning wherever it went. 

            After getting a face full of smoke, Mina darted away from the doors and fell into a fit of coughing.  Glancing up at the exposed entrance to the laboratory, she took several deep breathes to clear her throat and edged over to the opening.  Peeking her head a little ways in, she saw that dozens, if not hundreds of candles, alight with blue flames, decorated the interior.  Near the very back, she saw a what looked to be another candle, only this one shone a bright reddish orange.  Mina's eyes fixed on the warm light.  Her heart pounded in her ears, louder than the whistling wind.  Swallowing hard, she wrapped her fur cloak tightly around herself and headed inside.

            In places, the floor was even more caked with ice and snow than Mina's first visit to the laboratory.  However, there were also a number of jagged holes cut in the ice.  Carefully sidestepping one hole, Mina saw a small puddle collecting underneath her from melted ice that was still dripping.  Turning her gaze to the stacks and stacks of ingredients around her, she also noticed telltale scorch marks all over the wooden shelves.  Despite this, neither the blue candles, nor the myriad containers lining the shelves seemed to have been disturbed.

            Mina nearly lost her footing when she tripped over one of the holes in the ice, however she managed to keep herself from toppling over by shooting a strong burst of wind out of her hand to right herself.  From then on, she proceeded at a slower pace, careful to avoid the holes and not lose her footing from the slick floor or the strong wind.  No matter how hard the wind blew, though, Mina never let the reddish orange flame in the back of the laboratory fade from her sight.

            After a few minutes, the holes in the ice vanished completely and the wind greatly intensified, caking her emerald green hair with frost.  Mina grabbed the air and tried to create a current of wind to guide the frigid gale around her, but it tore through what wind she could whip up and continued to buffet her. 

            Wiping ice from her eyes, Mina wrapped the top of the fur cloak around her head, held her arms up in front of her face, and pressed onwards.  The wind knifed through her, but she continued to make her way along the slippery floor, using the shelves of ingredients as a brace against the stronger gale.  Each step was an effort, however she was bolstered by the sight of a cloaked silhouette floating a few feet off the ground not far in front of her

            The wind died down somewhat and wave of warmth washed over Mina once she was close enough to spy Aeon's skull, his ivory bones practically glowing in the firelight.  Breathing a sigh of relief, Mina pulled her cloak away from her face and saw that the reddish orange light was not a candle.  It was a tongue of flames that poured out of Aeon's outstretched hand.

            Despite her proximity to Aeon, the lich seemed as oblivious to Mina as he was to the countless black scorch marks adorning the walls, ceiling, and floor.  Aeon's eyeless sockets were focused squarely on his worktable and seemed unaware that a fierce gale was billowing out of his body and winding its way through the laboratory.

            Leaning against one of the ingredient shelves, Mina took a moment to catch her breath and regain her footing before continuing towards Aeon.  She opened her mouth to speak, but her voice died in her throat when she saw what he was burning.  Mina's eyes widened and she suppressed a gasp.

            Sprawled out on Aeon's worktable was the body of a young woman.  The long, steady gout of fire surging forth from Aeon's outstretched palm bathed her in flames and made it impossible to discern anything beyond her gender.  The woman lay so still that she appeared to be dead.  However, in spite of the flames, her body neither melted nor burned.

            Mina watched transfixed.  A cold, familiar dread rose in her gullet and her stomach contracted.  Swallowing her fears, Mina kept to the shadows as Aeon's flames slowly petered into nothing.  The lich folded his hands behind his back and watched the body in front of him smolder for a few seconds.  Once her body had cooled, Mina managed to get a good look at the woman.  She was tall, well muscled, and her head was full of long, auburn hair.  However, though very lifelike, her skin was dark brown, like mud, and she resembled a doll of baked clay.

            "Hmmm..." Aeon stroked his jaw before holding up his hand.  Silently, the lich began counting off on his fingers.  When he had finished, he took what appeared to be a journal and an inkwell out from under his worktable, dipped his finger in the inkwell, and began to write.  "Experiment number seven hundred and thirty two," Aeon mused aloud, his voice cold and detached as he wrote.  "Previous experiment's failure attributed to an excess of carbon in the body, resulting in the skin being too think to re-establish a stable connection with the Leyline.  In order to," Aeon spoke as he wrote, occasionally glancing over the top of his journal at the woman's body, "Ensure a connection is established, the frame has been reinforced with Selvarian soil and powdered mermaid scales, with a proportion of one to four per gram of compound."  Snapping his journal shut, Aeon stowed it and the ink well under his worktable before letting out a long sigh.

            He placed his hands on either side of the woman's head and Mina saw the creature become momentarily engulfed in a thick black mist.  After a moment, the mist receded and the woman's dark brown skin had become cream colored, while her hair had turned a brilliant shade of gold.  Every muscle and contour of the woman appeared to be human, from her cheeks which held just a hint of fat, to the tiny toes on feet that were somewhat large for a woman of her build.  However, Mina saw that her green eyes were glassy and empty.  They stared up at Aeon with neither joy nor sadness.

            The lich ran the back of his hand along the woman's cheek before pressing his hand down on the woman's belly.  Mina squinted her eyes to try and see exactly what Aeon was doing, however his black cloak obscured her view.

            When he was finished, Aeon put a hand over his right eye socket.  "Everything is in place," he murmured, glancing from the woman to the curtained off area at the back of the laboratory.  "This time, it will succeed."  With some reluctance, Aeon pulled the curtain aside and a shiver ran down Mina's spine.

            She recognized the pulsing mass of green slime behind the curtain.  Aeon had told her it was called soul satchern.  In the light of the blue candles, it almost seemed to glow.  The creature undulated as it raised itself out of the pit, sometimes drawing close to Aeon, but always retreating before it could touch him.

            Wide eyed, Mina glanced from the soul satchern to the lifeless woman on Aeon's worktable.  "By the goddess..." she whispered under her breath.

            The lich gathered up his creation into his arms and carried her over to the undulating mass of slime.  "Lucia," Aeon bowed his head and the wind billowing forth from his body suddenly vanished.  "Please, return to me."

            He raised the woman's body up, as if offering it to the green slime.  When he did so, black and silver light flared up from the woman's belly while Aeon clasped his hands together, raised his index and middle fingers, and began chanting in low, raspy whispers, so faint that Mina could not make out what he was saying.  The undulating slime seemed repulsed by the offering at first, however, after a moment of hesitation, it snatched up the woman and engulfed her completely.  Mina watched the scene unfold in horrified fascination, her heart beating so fast she feared Aeon might hear her and her stomach twisting into knots with each passing second.

            A sliver of flickering light, almost like a silver flame, arose from the bottom of the soul satchern's pit.  Climbing through the inside of the soul satchern, the silvery wisp hovered over the body Aeon had offered.  It floated closer to the body, but stopped just short of touching it.  The sliver of light tried to move away, but the light emanating from the woman's chest pulsed and drew it closer until it was pulled into the body and vanished.

            The woman's body twitched and convulsed within the soul satchern.  Its limbs bent backwards at the joints and it opened its mouth.  Bubbles of air leaked out of the mouth before rising to the surface and sending high pitched screams echoing through Aeon's laboratory.  However, in spite of the otherworldly noise, Aeon never stopped his chanting.

            Clamping her hands over her ears, Mina scrunched her eyes shut and trembled.  Her breathes were shallow and haggard and sweat formed on her palms.  Reluctantly, she glanced up at the woman's body, only to spy it lying prone in the soul satchern, with its limbs bent back into their proper positions.

            The woman Aeon had created blinked and, with protracted effort, sat up.  Her fingers curled and uncurled, as if she were discovering how to use them for the first time.  She turned her head towards Aeon.  Mina felt her throat tighten and her heart pounded furiously.  The woman's empty green eyes now sparkled with intellect and clarity.  They looked human.  Refusing to blink, Mina leaned forward as the woman drew closer to Aeon, still immersed within the soul satchern.

            Slowly, the chanting subsided and Aeon allowed his hands to fall to his sides.  The lich gazed at the woman and she stared back at him.  "Did it work?" he murmured.  "Can you hear me, Lucia?"

            Reaching her head and one of her hands out of the green ooze, she touched Aeon's skull.  "At...ron?" her voice was gravelly at first, but as she spoke, it became softer and more melodious.  "Atron!  I can hear you!  I-" Suddenly, the woman froze.  Her face contorted with pain and she pulled her head and hand back into the soul satchern before clawing at her chest.

            "Lucia!" Aeon yelled, reaching into the green slime after her.  "Lucia, wait!"

            Bubbles rose from the woman's throat and she violently shook her head before her belly inflated.  Within seconds, it looked as if the woman was pregnant, however her stomach continued to grow in size until the sliver of white light burst out of it.  The spark of life in the woman's eyes died almost immediately and her body went limp.

            Mina felt something rise in the back of her throat but swallowed hard and forced herself to watch.  Aeon's eye sockets sparked with green flames, staring squarely at the flickering light, but it retreated back into the bowels of the soul satchern's pit and disappeared.  The green slime also retracted itself, dropping the now lifeless female body onto the ice covered floor.  Though the face still looked human, the skin around the hole in the woman's belly had reverted to dark brown.

            Aeon lowered himself down so that the base of his spine rested against the floor and cradled his ruined creation in his arms.  Pressing his skull against the woman's lifeless features, he was silent for a moment.  Mina tried to move, but her arms and legs refused to obey her.

            "Ae-" Mina opened her mouth to speak, but her voice caught in her throat.  A tear rolled down her cheek while she watched the lich solemnly holding the body.

            A low noise startled Mina out of her reverie.  It was coming from the direction of Aeon and sounded like a mix between the hiss of a man and the roar from an ancient, primordial apocra.  Rearing his head back, Aeon let out a baleful shriek.  "GRAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!!"  The flames in his eyes sockets filled his entire skull and were so bright it was blinding.  Floating up to his normal height, Aeon heaved the woman's body over his head and threw it against his worktable.

            "It failed!" he roared, reeling back with both of his hands..  "Why must it always fail?!" 

            Mina saw wind swirl around the finger tips of his right hand as he swept his left hand over the lifeless woman.  An immense tornado rose around the body, lifting it up and battering it about.  While the woman's body was airborne, Aeon slashed at it with his right hand and the wind around his fingers twisted into several hideous blades.  They were pulled into the whirlwind and swirled around, slicing up the body.  As they slashed, Mina noticed that the woman did not bleed and the cut skin turned dark brown.

            Aeon watched the whirlwind of blades for a moment before dispersing it with a wave of his hand.  He caught the mutilated body, now a motley mesh of cream and brown skin, before jerking it over his shoulder and slamming it down against the floor with such force that the ice cracked.

            "Wretched thing..." the lich hissed at the disfigured creature.  Holding out one hand, Aeon blasted it with a stream of water so intense that it broke apart, leaving nothing more than a dirty brown smear on the stones underneath the ice.

            "Why...?" he grunted, whipping his right hand aside.  Fiery explosions blossomed like flowers from his finger tips, blasting apart the walls to the right of the soul satchern's pit.  "Why?!" he repeated, clawing at the air with his left hand, sending blades of wind at the wall to the left of the soul satchern's pit and slicing it to bits.  "WHY?!"  Aeon shrieked as loud as he could, shaking the tower's walls and kicking up an immense ice storm around him.

            The ice storm hit Mina full on and the force of the frigid wind knocked her off her feet.  She managed to grab onto an ingredient shelf to keep from being blown away, but the ice, carried by the wind, caked onto her hands and face, sending waves of white hot pain through her body.  "Aeon!" she tried to yell, as her hair and cloak whipped wildly about in the maelstrom.  However, her voice was drowned out by the wind and Aeon's shrieking.

            "Why will you not simply answer my question?!" Aeon hollered.  Around the lich, ice began to spread outward in all directions.  As it spread, giant, frozen spikes, some as big as five feet around, shot out of the ice in random directions, skewering anything unfortunate enough to be in their way.  The crystalline spears shattered containers and jars on the shelves and tore through the walls, floor, and ceiling with ease, continually spreading out around Aeon, but never touching the soul satchern pit.

            Mina's eyes widened when she saw the sea of ice spikes charging towards her and forced her numb hands to release their hold on the shelf.  She was flung backwards by the force of the wind. 

            After rubbing some life back into her hands, Mina immediately started guiding Leyline energy into her palms.  Just before the frozen spears could perforate her, Mina threw out both her hands and pushed a massive burst of wind out of her palms.  She shot backwards, carried by the fierce gale, and her left shoulder grazed one of the shelves, spinning her about in the storm.

            Mina felt vomit rise in her throat, hot and steaming, but swallowed hard and guided more energy into her hands and feet as she drifted near another shelf.  Kicking out with her left leg, she sent a burst of wind out of her foot and pushed herself away from a shelf full of ingredients in glass jars.  Another shelf came up on her right and she grabbed her right arm, aimed it at the shelf, and thrust it forward.  A blast of wind passed out of her palm, sending her back into the center of the storm.  Panting for breath, Mina held both of her hands out and tried to keep equally powerful streams of wind coming out of her palms.  She wobbled for a moment and nearly toppled into a row of clay urns on her right, but managed to stabilize herself and kept to the middle of the laboratory, away from the shelves which lined the walls.

            No sooner had she managed to stabilize herself, however, then Mina saw the spikes of ice closing in on her.  Pumping her legs, she sent small gusts of wind at the sea of spears.  Mina momentarily catapulted away from the spikes, however the speed that they were forming suddenly increased and she had to jerk her left leg out of the way of one ice spear that nearly skewered her foot.  Holding both her hands and feet in front of her, Mina pushed wind out of all four limbs and shot forward.  Passing through the laboratory's open doorway, Mina felt her feet bump against the wooden doors which had been blown off their hinges.  She turned just in time to see the right side of her back collide with the crystalline railing surrounding the opening in the top floor.  The railing did not budge and Mina crumpled onto the floor after the impact.

            "Agh!" Pain lanced through Mina's back and side.  Gasping for air, she hacked up some red tinted saliva before raising her head to see the frozen spikes no more than a few feet from her face.  Time seemed to freeze as she stared at the sea of five foot spears, which continued forming on the ground in front of her.  They crossed over the wooden doors and were about to impale her, when something on her back twisted around her.  The fur cloak Vincent had given her turned pitch black and took on the shape of a hand.  The ice spikes cracked against an invisible barrier before they could touch Mina.  Once they did, the wind died down immediately and the spikes stopped moving.

            Mina stared unblinkingly at the shattered tip of an ice spear, barely able to catch her breath.  Trembling as she moved, she twisted away from the spike and crawled over to a patch of wall next to the laboratory's entrance.  Propping her back against the wall, Mina grimaced and held her side as pain washed over her in great waves.  A furry, black winged familiar clambered onto her shoulder and looked right at her.

            "Vincent..." Mina grunted, and closed her eyes, feeling a few tears stream down her cheeks when she did.  "You..." she tried to speak, but suddenly fell into a fit of coughing.

            "Vincent!" Aeon's voice echoed all around her, sounding cold, harsh, and tired.  Opening her eyes, Mina saw the lich float out of his laboratory and the sea of ice spikes disintegrated around him.  With a sigh, Aeon draped one skeletal hand over his face.  "How long do you intend to hide, old friend?" he murmured.  "If you have the replies to those missives-"

            "Over...here..." Mina croaked, before exploding into another bout of coughing.

            Immediately, Aeon's head snapped around and he stared at Mina.  The green flames in his eye sockets grew so large they threatened to explode outwards.  Before she could say anything else, Aeon was at her side.  He grabbed her head and turned it this way and that before placing his hands over Mina's and feeling her back and side.

            "Goddess..." Aeon hissed, almost collapsing next to her.  "You're...you are hurt!" the panic in his voice was palpable and Mina grimaced when he touched her.

            "Y-yeah.  I'm a bit banged up from my flight...but I'll live," she tried to smile in between her coughs, but Aeon was too busy looking her over to notice.

            The lich squeezed her shoulder experimentally and Vincent's familiar waddled onto his hand.  "I see..." Aeon bowed his head and tugged at the cloak's draw strings.  Pulling it off Mina, he flung it into the air and the cloak immediately burst into two dozen of the black winged familiars, who disappeared through the opening in the center of the floor.  "A wise precaution..." Aeon mused aloud.

            "Aeon?" Mina grunted.  Using the wall behind her as a brace, she tried to get to her feet, but the lich held her down.

            "Wait here," Aeon commanded, his voice brooking no arguments. 

            Mina watched him glide back into the laboratory with almost regal grace, however the instant he disappeared she heard the sounds of various items clanging about, bubbling, and shattering.  A moment later he returned, holding a steaming clay cup over a tiny red flame in his palm.

            "Drink this," Aeon whispered, dropping down to Mina's level and pressing the warm, cup into her hands. 

            After giving the steaming yellow liquid a dubious glance, Mina took a sip.  It was thick and viscous, but also had a sweet, fruity flavor to it.  Almost immediately, her throat loosened up and her stomach began to untwist itself.  Though the liquid was hot, it helped ease the pain running through her back and side as well.

            Emptying the cup, Mina smacked her lips and smiled.  "Thank you.  I...feel a little better," she coughed before clearing her throat and handing the cup back to him.  "It still hurts, but at least I can talk now.  Are...are you all right, Aeon?"

            Moving his hand over to Mina's side, Aeon pressed against it.  "Does it hurt here?" he murmured.

            "Ae-ON?!" Mina squealed and grimaced.  "Y-yeah, it hurts!  B-but...it's worse on my back..."

            "Let me know where the pain is," Aeon said, gingerly running his fingers down Mina's back.

            "Ah!  There!" Mina flinched when the lich's fingers drifted into the small of her back.

            Holding Mina's shoulder with his right hand, Aeon pressed his left hand into the small of her back.  Immediately, the pain in Mina's back began to dissipate as something cool seeped through her dress and into her skin.  Looking behind her, she saw white light flowing out of Aeon's hand and into her body.  When the pain had vanished from her back, Aeon moved his hand to Mina's side.  Leaning her head back against the wall, Mina suppressed a shudder as the white hot pain evaporated.

            "Wow..." Mina let out a sigh of relief after Aeon pulled away from her.  "The...the pain's gone...just like that."

            "You suffered minor abdominal trauma which jostled your lungs and stomach about, resulting in the cough."  Aeon's eyeless gaze turned to the crystalline rail where Mina had collided.  There was a slight dent in it.  "I have repaired the damage to your skin, muscles, and bones.  The drink you just had will help loosen your throat and ease your stomach.  The increased airflow will help compensate for your lungs until they settle."

            "Thank you," Mina blushed and bowed her head.  "You really are an amazing healer, just like Miss Kinana said."  Her shoulders drooped and she staggered to her feet.  "Sorry...about all this," she grunted, brushing bits of ice and debris off her dress.

            The lich was silent for a moment, before shaking his head.  "I am glad you were not seriously hurt," Aeon murmured.  "I...must apologize," his voice was heavy and he bowed his head so that Mina could not see his face.  "I was unaware of your presence.  I did not mean to put you in such danger."

            "Forget about that," Mina shook her head and took one of Aeon's limp hands.  "Are you alright?  I...I've never seen you so-"

            "I am fine," Aeon cut her off and pulled his hand away from her.  Raising his skull so that Mina was looking directly into the green flames smoldering in his eye sockets, Aeon whispered, "How much did you see?"

            Mina's eyes grew wide as saucers momentarily before averting her gaze from Aeon's.  "Erm..." she shifted her weight from one leg to the other.  "I saw everything, Aeon."

            "Hmmm...I see..."

            A heavy silence overtook Mina and Aeon.  Slowly, the fourteen year old girl raised her eyes to face the lich.  He was as impassive as a wall of stone and his eyeless sockets stared at her, glowing with just the flicker of green flames.

            "You were...trying to bring someone back, weren't you?" Mina stammered, feeling her heart pounding in her chest.

            "I was," Aeon nodded, "And I am."

            "Hehe...well..." Mina let out a nervous laugh and scratched the back of her head, even as her heartbeat accelerated.  "Guess this explains a lot.  The clay woman I saw when I first came here, the secluded laboratory, the soul satchern that...ahhh...tried to eat me..." Glancing up at the lich, she swallowed hard and said, "I..."

            "You understand my feelings on this matter, Minava," Aeon stated rather than asked.

            Letting her arms fall to her sides, Mina nodded.  "Y-yeah.  But you can't bring...I mean...could you...?" she stammered.

            Aeon put his hand on Mina's shoulder.  "I am sorry."

            "Hehe, I figured," Mina forced herself to laugh and smile, even as pain knifed through her heart.  "Guess this is why you kept me in the dark, huh?"

            "Minava," Aeon squeezed Mina's shoulder before floating closer to her and hugging her.  "You do not need to laugh.  It is alright.  I understand."

            Closing her eyes, Mina leaned against Aeon's frigid, bony body.  She felt his hand pat her on the head and she sniffled back a tear.  "I'm sorry..." she whispered, resting her cheek on Aeon's shoulder.  "I didn't mean for things to happen like this.  Stupid Vincent," she snorted, wiping away a tear.  "Wish he'd just told me flat out not to go."

            "He did not mean to hurt you," Aeon sighed and released Mina before folding his hands behind his back and shaking his head.  "Of that much, I am certain."

            "I know," Mina sighed before ambling over to the railing around the opening in the top floor.  "I just...I just wanted to tell you...heh" a somber snicker escaped Mina's lips as she leaned over the railing.  "Hehe.  I almost forgot."

            "Hmm?" Aeon floated back to his regular height and joined Mina, resting his elbows on the railing and glancing down at her.

            "I wanted to tell you that I visited Nerise today with Kinana and my friends," Mina said, a melancholy smile playing at the corners of her lips.

            "Indeed?"

            "Yeah.  We were really worried about her at first," she added, facing forward, but watching Aeon out of the corner of her eye.  "She tried to smile and pretend like everything was alright, but we knew better.  When we confronted her about it she...she cried a lot.  But I think she needed that.  She let out all her sadness and was able to...to move forward a little," Mina mumbled.  "Then she downed three bowls of your porridge and fell asleep with a smile on her lips." Mina managed a tired smile if her own and turned back to face Aeon. "It was good...seeing her so at peace.  It...it felt like she was gonna be okay."  Tearing her gaze away from the impassive lich, Mina let out a sigh and shook her head.  "Weiss said you were anxious so I...I thought you might like to know."

            "Hmmhmm..." Mina raised her head when she heard a low chuckle escape Aeon's skull.  Slowly, almost ponderously, the lich raised a hand to his ivory skull and covered one of his eye sockets, while the other sparked with green flames.  His lipless mouth curved into a grin.  Laughter began to echo out of the lich.  Hearty laughter, full of vigor and relief passed through his lipless mouth and he reared back, holding a bony hand over his eyes socket as he laughed long and hard.

            Mina felt her heart jump into her throat as she listened and watched.  Almost as quickly as the laughter had started, it ended, dying down to a few warm chuckles before Aeon turned to face her.  The girl's mouth hung agape, however Aeon paid it no mind.

            "Thank you," he bowed his head to Mina.  "Nerise has finally started to heal.  This is fantastic news."

            Feeling a fragile smile appear on her own face, Mina let out an exasperated sigh and nodded.  "Yeah.  I...I hope so, at least."

            "A story should help keep her spirits light this evening.  I must fetch my copy of the Leyline Arcanum," Aeon mused aloud, turning away from Mina and counting off on his fingers.  "And brew her some hot soup to fortify her."

            "Hehe, you fuss almost as much as my uncle," Mina smirked.  "Well, now that I've told you, I...suppose I should go."  She walked past Aeon and headed for the staircase, but stopped before she headed down.  "I hope you can heal too, Aeon," she added.

            "Minava," Aeon's voice was so sharp that it made Mina flinch.

            "Yes!" Mina exclaimed automatically, spinning around and looking straight into Aeon's eye sockets. 

            Floating over to her side, Aeon ruffled Mina's hair.  "You did well today."

            Mina felt her face flush with color and glanced up at Aeon nonplussed.  "Huh?"

            "While you were in that cloak, I believed you to be Vincent and that you were using telekinesis to navigate through the storm," the lich said, moving his hand from her head to her shoulder and giving it a squeeze.  "However, now I understand the truth.  You used your wind to guide you away from harm," Aeon's voice was tinged with pride and he nodded at her.  "Well done."

            "Hahaha, thanks but I...I was just acting on instinct, really," Mina immediately glanced down at her shoes as her face burned pink.

            "You are ready to learn the remaining elements," Aeon said.

            Immediately, Mina's head snapped up and her mouth dropped open.  "R-really?!" she squealed, grabbing Aeon's wrist and squeezing it with both hands.  "Are you serious?!"

            "Yes.  But tomorrow," Aeon sighed, shooting a sideways glance over at his laboratory.  "There is business I must attend to."

            "O-okay," Mina stammered, her heart thumping in her chest.

            The lich turned away from her and floated over to the opening that led into his laboratory.  "Minava," Aeon's voice was not as sharp this time and he beckoned for Mina to come and join him.  "Before you go, there is one more lesson I must teach you."

            "Hmm?" Mina ambled over to Aeon's side and followed the lich's gaze.  "What is it?"

            Her eyes fell upon the ruins of laboratory.  There were countless holes in the walls, floor, and ceiling.  Bits of timber stuck out at odd angles, stones hung loose, ready to fall at the slightest pressure, and countless ingredients, from dried herbs to grotesque pickled limbs, littered the floor.  In the back of the laboratory, the entire rear wall had been ripped asunder and grey light poured in from outside.  The only patch left unsullied was the tiny sliver of wall behind the soul satchern pit and the floor which led over to it.  Feeling her heart begin to thump faster, Mina put her hand to her chest and glanced up at Aeon, who was facing forward.

            "Take heed," Aeon hissed, his voice like a thorny branch on Mina's skin.  "When you wield magic, do not let your emotions get the better of you.  A mage who loses control can only destroy."