Rising Shards

Kara held the Exumi up as he kicked and flailed with the same energy of a puppy who didn’t want to be carried.

”Found him,” Kara said. ”Didn’t get his name yet, or much of anything out of him yet. But he knows what’s down there, so I figured you’d want to talk to him.”

”I won’t tell you anything!” The Exumi said. ”Just...don’t go in there!”

”So we can go into this statue, huh?” Tik said. ”What’s your name, little one?”

”I...I said I’m not telling you anything!”

”You could at least give us your name,” Tik said. ”We won’t hurt you.”

”This big lady already did when she tackled me!” The Exumi said.

”Well, we won’t hurt you any more,” Kara said. ”Will you answer this at least? Where is everyone? How come you’re the only Exumi we’ve seen around here?”

The Exumi didn’t look like he wanted to say even that.

”You know, our friend Tik here has a power that lets us see the past,” Mars said. ”We’re playing nice right now, but she could just pull some memories from you, so why don’t you just talk to us so we don’t have to do that?”

”That...is a strange power, I don’t believe...” The Exumi said. ”I’m not saying anything!”

Tik held her hand forward. The cloudy effect of her power surrounded the Exumi, then moved to make a wall of sorts. Images swirled on the newly formed surface, images of the Exumi standing in front of the statue.

In the vision of the past, the statue’s front was open, as though Endora opened her body, a dark cavern past it.

A man knelt before the Exumi. Tik gripped her cane seeing Arctus Kathron once more.

”This will be goodbye for now, Viserra,” Arctus said, patting the Exumi’s shoulders. ”It will be a long, long time before I return. Remember your instructions, my friend.”

”I will!” Viserra’s past self said. ”Thank you. For choosing me, and for being so brave. I’m sure you’ll bring her back.”

His present self did not appreciate seeing this vision, and began yelling, kicking more wildly against Kara’s grasp on him.

”I should be the one thanking you,” Arctus said. ”It’s absolutely vital that no one follows me.”

”You’re the only one who knows how to open it,” Viserra said.

”But there are those clever enough to figure it out,” Arctus said. ”So keep them away. And send any retention sprites passing out on their way, too.”

”I remember, I know just what to say when they pop out!” Viserra said.

”Excellent,” Arctus said. ”The next time you see me, I’ll return with Endora at my side.”

Arctus descended into the cave in the statue gate, which shut behind him.

The vision ended, but Viserra still flailed, unable to get Kara to let go.

”So, you’re working for Arctus Kathron?” Tik asked.

”Now that you know what she’s capable of, you really better talk,” Mars said. ”Or we’ll keep pulling from your memories, until we get what we want.”

The Exumi sighed. ”I can’t. I promised him.”

”So you trust this guy enough to just, what, hang out here forever?” Mars asked. ”What’s he doing for you that’s got you willingly on boring guard duty?”

”So much,” Viserra said. ”You don’t know what it’s like to meet a hero like him. He’s one of the ones that saved Vita Coa from the darkness long ago.”

”Hm,” Tik said. ”You know we were there as well, right? We were part of the Atrian team that defeated the shadows plaguing this island.”

”That’s impossible,” Viserra said. ”I never got to meet the heroes, but...I met Arctus, and...”

Tik paused while the Exumi stammered to put together what they’d learned so far. Arctus Kathron had recruited an Exumi to guard a gateway to some place below, where he hoped to bring Endora back, a typical desire of Endorans, though a futile one. Octa somehow knew enough about it to have the coordinates.

And the retention sprites Arctus sent out came from here? How long ago was that memory? How long has he been sending retention sprites out to this island and to the stable world?

”I have an idea,” Kara said. ”We know he’s in there. Why don’t we just like explode this whole place?”

”No!” Viserra said. ”I won’t let you!”

”Then you should tell us what you’re doing,” Kara said.

”We won’t tell Arctus,” Mars said. ”Especially about the part where you ran away from protecting him the instant you ran into trouble.”

”That’s...!” Viserra said. ”OK, OK...I’ll answer some questions. But I don’t know a lot! I don’t know how to get in, so I won’t tell you that.”

”Wonderful,” Tik said. ”We won’t keep you long, don’t worry. Kara, let’s set him down.”

”You sure?” Kara asked.

Tik nodded.

Kara put Viserra down, ready to catch him again if he ran away again. But he was too tired to do much other than sit, waiting for Tik’s questioning to begin.