Elegy for a Star

After having everything explained, Tess sat by Mairaela’s cask like she was sitting bedside in a healer’s hovel. She felt horrible. Somehow the feelings of betrayal and fear and pain from Mairaela’s arrow had faded, leaving only guilt for the actions caused by Miri. It was the only way to avoid death, Tess knew, but she wished that she’d been able to keep some control. Or that she’d spoken to Miri before letting her loose.

When the armor slipped away from Mairaela’s body, Tess was relieved to see that she had been healed. Not so much as a scar appeared on her throat. It took some time for her to wake up, but once she did, it was with a frightened gasp.

“What happened!?” The Fey shouted, clutching at her neck and looking around at the others. She grabbed Tess’ shoulders and pulled her in, “Courts and stars! Tess, there was a demon. And you-...”

It likely dawned on Mairaela that none of it was a dream. Or perhaps she knew it wasn’t a dream, but hadn’t yet put the pieces together to remember that Tess and the demon were one and the same.

“I’m so sorry,” Tess said.

Mairaela shoved her away, and Tess fell onto her backside, scrambling to her feet. Mairaela was already up, though she looked a bit off balance. From the sheath sitting horizontal across her back, she pulled a knife and held it defensively in a backward grip.

“She’s awake!” Tess shouted to the next room over, holding out her hands toward the Fey, “Wait, Mairaela, please, we’ll explain.”

It was only when Joyona showed up and urged Mairaela to use words and not weapons that the archer sheathed her blade.

They’d taken shelter in a structure on the edge of town, just beside the gate and road that would lead them to the beam of light they were supposed to travel to.

Tess, Joyona and Gwen sat on the floorboards in what may have once been a family room. Mairaela elected to stand, keeping her knife closeby. No one could blame her. Tess decided to speak up first, which no one seemed to expect, “You know now, at least, that Miri exists. She’s the demon that I got stuck with. When I thought I was dying, I let her take control.”

“It was a last ditch effort,” Tess explained, “And if I had to make the choice again, I’d do it. I was terrified. I don’t want to die.” Her eyes flicked toward Mairaela, who held Tess’ gaze with resolve. “But at the same time, I wish that I’d had another option. I didn’t want anyone hurt, and I’m grateful that Gwendolyn was able to calm her down. I didn’t realize what she was capable of.”

Joyona and Mairaela were silent, but Gwendolyn nodded her head in understanding.

“You’re still a Dark Wyrden,” Joyona commented, “And that can’t be allowed to pass.”

Tess felt a sting, but bit back, “No one has even told me what that is. Maybe I could explain myself if I knew what I was being accused of.”

That one seemed to bring the point home. Mairaela and Joyona both seemed a little less aggressive. Mairaela explained, “A Dark Wyrden is one that uses the Black Sun as their Wyrd; their source of magic. It’s uncertain how, but this sort of casting harms living people on Auwra. They are the only kind of Wyrden that can cast within the Void.”

“Okay, but… why? What keeps the other Wyrds from working, like the Star Wyrd?” Tess pushed.

“Light cannot travel within the Black Sun. We see around ourselves only because of the Old Gods’ memories give us something to look at, and our souls don’t need the light,” Gwendolyn explained, “And the Blood Wyrd doesn’t work because we are souls, not flesh and blood.”

“But I’ve seen you bleed,” Tess gestures to the three of them, “All of you have. I have, too!”

“That’s just what we expect to happen when we’re hurt or stabbed,” Mairaela rebuked, “Or shot in the throat.”

Miri commented within Tess’ mind, “Technically, she shot herself in the throat…”

Tess furrowed her brow. Maybe Miri’s distaste was affecting her, too, but she wanted to lash back at Mairaela. She knew that it wouldn’t help the situation, but didn’t Mairaela try to kill her first? Why was Tess the villain here? Still, she bit her tongue.

“Point is,” Gwendolyn said, staring daggers at Mairaela before looking back at Tess, “It’s not actually blood. It’s what manifests to make sense to us.”

“And the Divine Wyrd won’t work either, unless you’re being given power by one of the Old Gods, which is about as damning as being a Dark Wyrden,” Joyona explained, rubbing her chin. She didn’t seem accusatory for once. She seemed like she was actually trying to figure this out.

“Okay, so… no Star Wyrd,” Tess said, “No Blood Wyrd. No Divine Wyrd. But then how did I cast my magic with constellations? Isn’t that-...”

“Star Wyrd,” Mairaela said, eyes widening. Mairaela pointed at Tess and insisted, “Show us. You did it once, do it again.”

“It doesn’t always work,” Tess explained, but both Joyona and Mairaela gave her dubious looks. Tess let out a little sigh and nodded, “But I’ll try.”

What could she do that would be harmless, but would be proof? Maybe some light? She readied her hand and began to draw in the air in front of her. The Stag for nature. The All-Father for creation. The Archer for truth.

Nothing.

Mairaela’s eyes grew lidded. Gwendolyn frowned and asked, “Are you sure that’s how you did it?”

“I could try the fire again, but I don’t think that’s very safe in here,” Tess explained, “Let me try again, okay?”

Joyona nodded.

Maybe she could create that block like she did in the alleyway. It wasn’t much—in fact it was supposed to be a shield—but it would be proof enough, right? How did she do it again? She knew that it took The Branch; That one was obvious. What else?

Tess nodded and gave it another shot. Her finger moved through the air and drew out the three constellations she needed for the spell. The Branch for fortitude, the Keepers for protection and the Crown for power.

Nothing.

Mairaela huffed and even Gwendolyn shook her head. “Just give me…”

“No, Tess,” Joyona said softly, “We have a deal. We’ll let you live long enough to bring you back to the Corps, but we’re reporting what happened and they’ll do what they will.”

Mairaela’s ears perked up. It was the first time she was hearing this, but she didn’t protest.

Miri’s voice prodded the back of Tess’ mind, “The Corps will kill us. I can only do so much outside of this place.” Tess’ mind was moving at lightspeed, trying to find any sort of solution, “If you go with them, it’s suicide.”

She needed to cast a spell as proof. She needed them to see her cast a spell. She needed to do that before they left the Void. Maybe then they would back her up when they returned to the Corps. She hoped that Philomena—who said she would be observing the exercise from the outside—saw the fire spell she cast before. More specifically, she hoped that Philomena saw how she cast the fire spell before. She hoped, but she had no way of telling how much the instructor could see. She needed her party on her side.

Tess decided to sleep. Maybe she could figure things out in the morning. Everyone else chose to sleep in another room—even Gwendolyn—which deepened the feeling that she was a pariah now. Regardless, she was determined to do her time and prove herself to be telling the truth.