The distant dawn light filtered through the trees in the park. The mana lanterns were still aglow, shimmering off the still water of the cracked fountain at the heart of the park. Aliya leaned forward and looked into the surface of the water. She saw the discoloration on her skin in the reflection that met her gaze. She bit her lip and turned away. She started to run, she needed to get out of the city, but her body betrayed her, falling onto the cold brick pathways of the park.
“Aliya!” Erik watched as she fell, running as fast as he could to her side. His heart pounding worried he was already too late.
“Stop! Don’t come closer!” Aliya yelled before he got close. He froze in place even though she looked like she was in pain. She was gripping her chest tightly as her form began to change. Her hair turned into fins, the exact same length and coloring, white that faded to azure. Similar fins flowed out from beneath her cloak and curled around her body. The bit of skin he could see was now coated in azure and black scales that shimmered in the dawn lighting. Her long tail that had the same fins splayed at the tip, flicked out from beneath her cloak as she shifted her weight to her hips since she could no longer kneel.
Erik was stunned by how beautiful her true form looked. She looked at him, agony and fear etched on her face that broke his heart to see. She quickly averted her gaze.
“Don’t look at me! Not like this!” Her voice was trembling as she reached up with her free hand and pulled her cloak around her to better hide her true form. He felt obliged to follow her request. He looked to the ground in front of him.
“Aliya! Please let me help you!” He could still see the elegant shimmering blue and white in his peripheral vision. “You won’t be able to take this Darkness much longer!”
“Never!” Aliya hissed as she curled into herself in more pain. She knew he was right but she didn’t want to cave into what he was getting at. “Never again will I have a human tether! I’d rather die! So unless you want to kill me then you can’t help me!”
“Are you really willing to do that to your friends that are counting on you?” Erik raised his voice as he squeezed his eyes shut. “Are you really going to do that to your brother, Zephyr? If you let yourself become a Fomorian, then you’ll hurt them, not to mention this town. If you died instead, it will leave an even deeper scar.” His words pierced her stronger than the Darkness creeping into her body. She slowly looked up at him, pure shock had taken over when she saw a genuine look of sadness and regret contorted on his face. “Think about them and ask yourself, is hurting them because of your own pride really worth it when you can still do something about it?!”
She was speechless. His words came from personal experience and she could get a vague sense of that. At that moment she felt like she was seeing the real Erik for the first time.
“Please!” He opened his eyes but didn’t look directly at her as he reached out his hand, his cheeks bright red. “Aliya, use me as your tether! At least until you find another one…”
“I don’t get it, why do you care so much about me?” Aliya felt tears stinging at her eyes. “You keep trying to protect me but I’ve been nothing but cruel to you!”
“I probably deserve it,” Erik knelt down next to her, his eyes closed and his head down. “I made a promise to myself a long time ago, ‘I would do whatever it took to protect Spirits.’ Spirits are more important to this world than we humans could ever be. If it came down to your life or mine, I wouldn’t hesitate to give mine up for yours.”
He paused and Aliya didn’t know what to say. He’d always seemed selfish to her but his actions seemed to support the fact he had a code. When he wasn’t acting fake and cheery, he seemed like a good person. He reminded her very much of The Captain of the Black Briar Pirates.
“Aliya?” His tender voice broke the silence. He tilted his head in her direction, still not looking her way. “Is it okay if I look at you?”
“Yes,” Ailya agreed hesitantly. He looked at her and couldn’t help but drink in the beauty of her true form. A sweet smile filled with sadness fell across his face at the thought that it could be lost at any moment now if the Darkness took her and corrupted everything about it.
“Aliya, I’m going to save you whether you like it or not,” Erik held out his hand towards her again shifting to a kneeling position. He had a determined expression that still held a bit of distress and urgency. “So please tell me your name in the Ancient Language so that I don’t have to give you a new one. I don’t want that power over you!”
“You’ll have it regardless… How do I know you won’t use that power to control me?” Fear that the past would repeat itself again filled her. She didn’t want to lose as much as she had the last time. She wasn't sure if it was even possible to lose any more but she didn’t want to find out.
“I swear it on my life and my sword that I would never do anything to hurt you like that!” There was power behind his words. It was as though he spoke an oath that was already binding him to her. The look in his eye and the meaningful voice made her want to trust him. It was just so hard to bring herself to do it. The only thing she felt she could lose at this point in her life was her family and despite the rivalry between him and Zephyr. She didn't see Erik as a threat.
“Ameyascu Navjewew,” Aliya whispered her name in the Ancient Language of the Spirits as her webbed hand reached out, releasing her cloak, to rest it in his hand. In that moment, he caught a glimpse of the scar he had thought he’d seen before while she slept. He knew he didn’t imagine it. He didn’t have time to dwell on it as she cringed in pain once again from the encroaching Darkness. He pushed that thought to the back of his mind as he returned to what was needed to keep her from being in more pain.
“Sacred waters that ebb and flow, grant me your strength and I will grant you protection. Ameyascu Navjewew, etch your name across my heart and let your soul dwell next to mine. So is the bond of you and I." As Erik spoke he felt the surge of Water Mana flowing into him like waves of the ocean crashing against his body. Aliya's true form slowly melted away until she looked just like a human again. She grew limp and started falling backwards. Erik tightened his grip on her hand and pulled her into his arms. She was out cold, breathing softly, her face at ease. Erik sighed in relief, all the tension and stress left him as he looked down at her sleeping face.
Erik felt the exhaustion creeping in as he carefully scooped her up and carried her back to the inn. When he approached the front door it was opened by Sigmis. He greeted Erik with a relieved smile as he stood aside to let them in. Erik noticed that Sigmis was the only one in the lobby area that wasn’t staff, even the tavern portion was rather void of patrons.
“What happened to Kindle?” Erik inquired as they walked towards the hall that would lead to the rooms.
“Terbius returned from their own night crusade,” Sigmis laughed lightheartedly. “She’s scolding them in their room.”
“I guess it’s better this way then,” Erik looked down at the sleeping Water Spirit in his arms. “I think she didn’t want to worry anyone.”
“I was awaiting your return, however, I have to say I’m a bit surprised it’s you carrying her back and not the other way around.” Sigmis opened the door to Aliya’s room for Erik to take her in. “Most humans lose consciousness at the sudden surge of Mana.”
“I’m just wired differently, I guess,” Erik shrugged it off. He gently set Aliya down on the bed. “I am tired too but I think that’s just from the all-nighters,” Erik yawned and stretched. “Hey, you wouldn’t happen to be able to tell how far my Sanctum for her extends would you?”
“Unfortunately, I cannot,” Sigmis shook his head slowly. “Your bond is still too fresh. Best to wait until both your bodies adjust to the change to test any distance.”
“Then I guess I’m napping in here,” Erik walked over to the rather comfortable looking chair in the corner. He rested his sword against the wall next to the window and plopped down into the chair. “If it’s not too much, could you find Zephyr and let him know that I’m her tether until we find her a new one? Let the others know what’s up too.”
“It shouldn’t be a problem,” Sigmis nodded as he stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him.