Story: The White Ship II ~ Restless Waters (all chapters)

Elisha looked at her sword as she dressed in her formal white clothes. It had been two years since she, Arietta and the other members of the White Ship had found Sanctuary, a floating island used by the Ancients to escape the destruction they wrought upon an unjust world. They had raised their flags and proclaimed it home - all except Arietta, who had left, not wanting to live in a society cut off from men and still yearning to free her homeland Garania, ruled by religious extremists.

I should have gone with her, Elisha thought, looking down at the sword, She said that this was my home, but... I have never felt at home here. Everybody else is happy, they have found love and settled down. I’m the only one who is alone... still waiting...

A knock came on the door to her home, “Come in,” she said, and Thea walked in, looking magnificent in her white armor. Her long, white hair was tied behind her back and she walked with an air of elegance and dignity that belied her age. She had walked the world for hundreds of years, one of the immortal Ancients who had built the island, although she had just been a child. Now she was one of the last survivors of her race, and she was perhaps the only person who truly understood how alone Elisha felt.

“You’re not ready yet?” Thea asked, “Come on, we’ll be late.”

“I was just thinking...” Elisha said, “About old times.”

“Elisha... I know this day is hard for you. Everybody bathed in light and joy, while you stand alone, still looking out at the world, still waiting...” Thea walked over and put her hand on Elisha’s, which was still holding the sword.

“I’m happy for them, Thea,” Elisha said, “Truly, I am, and I don’t want my sorrow to overshadow their day. Let’s just do this.” She sheathed the sword and fastened the belt around her hips. She looked in the mirror. Brown hair, violet eyes, always the same, although a little older now.

Elisha let herself be led to the temple, where Thea left her to mingle with the gathered people. She looked around for any sign of the brides, but they hadn’t yet arrived. She received some polite greetings, but mostly people just passed her by. It was her fault, she knew. She hadn’t been very sociable since they had founded the colony - perhaps she was too afraid of getting comfortable, or of getting too close to somebody. She found herself standing alone in a crowd of women who were all talking to somebody else.

She decided to slip away and find Pandora. It was the immortal mage’s wedding day, and Elisha soon found her getting ready, her long, green hair flowing past her shoulders and vibrant green robes swirled around her. She was truly beautiful, Elisha noted, and she smiled.

“You look wonderful,” Elisha said, “Finally, you and Luna... I’m so happy to see this day.”

“I still worry sometimes,” Pandora said frankly, “Luna’s still so young, and I’ve lived so long... Is she ready for this?”

“She’s smarter than her years would let on,” Elisha said, “Don’t worry, Pandora. She wants to spend her life with you as much as you do with her.”

“I’m sorry,” Pandora said, “All these years I’ve been alive, but... I’ve never been married. I guess nothing prepares you for this.”

“You’ll be fine,” Elisha said, “Just trust yourself, and Luna, and you’ll be okay.”

“Thanks Elisha,” Pandora said, “You’ve always been a good friend. Even though things have been tough for you, you’ve been so brave through everything. Just remember, Elisha, you’re not alone. Just because Luna and I are getting married, doesn’t mean we’ll ever stop being your friends.”

“I know,” Elisha said, “Thank you.”

“We’re ready to start,” a white-clad girl said, rushing in. Elisha nodded to her, and she rushed back out to join the crowd.

“Well, it’s time,” Elisha said, “If you’re gonna back out, you better tell me now,” she joked.

“Not for the world,” Pandora said, “Let’s do this.”

Elisha took her arm and led her out into the temple. A sea of people dressed in white stood as they entered the room. Luna was entering from the opposite door, looking truly radiant in white, her smile as bright as the sunlight at noon. She had matured into an elegant woman, a beauty to be marveled at, graceful, sweet and completely in love with Pandora.

As they reached the aisle, Elisha let go and gave Pandora to Luna. They walked arm in arm down the aisle as Elisha watched from behind them.

Where are you, Arietta? Elisha wondered, They are your friends too... you should be here. Or have you forgotten about us?

Lost in her reverie, she missed most of the ceremony, looking up from her gloom for the kiss. This is how it has been for me, she thought, I’ve missed everything these past two years because of her. I’ve made no friends, I’ve had no love, no warmth, because I’ve been waiting for her to come back. I’m tired of waiting. I’m not going to wait any longer.

“Pandora and Luna Tahishi,” Elisha said, greeting them as they walked back down the aisle. Clapping and cheering raised the roof. They were certainly not the first couple to be married, but they were the most popular. Pandora and Luna were loved by all, surrounded by friends here on the island. They were home, in the place where they belonged.

The reception was also grand. Everybody bought something they had made or grown, and the result was a fine feast. There were smiles all over the hall, a few kisses, and more than a few drunk women slipping away to make things a little more intimate with each other. Elisha wondered if she should find somebody, but nobody eyed her. Sorrow pushed people away faster than anything, and Elisha’s eyes were always filled with it.

She excused herself as soon as it was polite and walked to the beach. A short fence had been erected to keep people from falling off the edge, and Elisha leaned on it, looking over into the depths of the night. Arietta was out there, somewhere, but where would she start? It was a huge world, dangerous, and had probably changed a lot since she had last been there.

Hours passed, and finally a voice broke into her reverie, “You can’t sleep?”

“Thea,” Elisha acknowledged, turning to look at her. The armor was gone, and she was dressed in a homemade woolen shirt and pants, designed to keep out the cold. The moonlight shone off her hair, “I can’t sleep a lot lately... It’s been two years...”

“I always hoped Arietta would come back to you,” Thea said, “I thought she would get bored with the revolution and come back here, signal us to lower the island. But nothing.”

“She would never get bored,” Elisha said, “She’s either dead, still fighting or she’s started a new life without me. She said this wasn’t the place for her. But she made me stay here and wait, and destroyed this dream for me as well.”

“That’s not true,” Thea said, “There are some who still care deeply for you, and you could still reach out to make friends. It’s not too late.” She walked over to stand in front of Elisha, and tucked Elisha’s hair behind her ears, “Perhaps it’s time to forget about Arietta and move on. Maybe that’s what she wanted you to do all along.”

“I don’t know,” Elisha said, “What if she’s in danger and needs my help? What if she’s been rotting in a Garanian prison for two years, awaiting rescue? I can’t just abandon her! I have to go and see for myself, one way or the other. If she doesn’t want me, I can still return and start again. But I have to know!”

“So you’re leaving,” Thea said, “I knew this day would come. I just hoped it wouldn’t...”

“I’m sure I’ll come back,” Elisha said, “I just need to know what happened to her. Even if she doesn’t want to return with me. I still love her... I can’t just let go...”

“I know,” Thea said, “That’s why... you don’t see me.” She leaned forward and kissed Elisha gently before pulling away, “I’ve watched and I’ve waited, seeing what Arietta has done to you... and it’s killing me,” she said, “Don’t go down there and get yourself killed for her. If she wanted you, she would have come back. Be with me, Elisha. We’ve both lost people we love. We can be happy together...”

“I can’t...” Elisha said, “As kind as you’ve been to me, I can’t give my heart to you or anyone knowing that Arietta’s still out there. It’s not fair on anybody. Thea, I have to go. Please let me have one of our boats.”

“Where will you go?” Thea said, “Who knows what could have happened down there in the last two years? The Garanian Empire might have taken over the whole world!”

“Perhaps,” Elisha said, “Perhaps not. That’s what I need to find out. I can’t hide here for the rest of my life, wondering what happened to Arietta. I could be holding onto a ghost...”

“You are determined, and so I won’t stop you,” Thea said, “But you won’t just sneak away in some small rowboat. We’re launching the White Ship again - and I, and anybody else who wants to come - will be with you.”

“You can’t do all that... just for my personal feelings,” Elisha said, “Besides, the people here need you, you’re their leader!”

“They don’t need a leader any more,” Thea said, “Look around you. Everybody here is living off the land, making their own way through life. They don’t need anybody to tell them what to do - especially me. After what I did - nearly destroying the world with the power of this place - nobody respects me any more. I stopped becoming their leader that day.”

“That’s not true...” Elisha started, but she knew that it was. Everybody from the White Ship had feared Thea a little since her identity as an Ancient and her attempt to use Sanctuary’s weapons to destroy all who had voted for the Moral Revolution. It had hurt Thea even more to see Pandora loved and exalted - but then Pandora hadn’t tried to kill innocents with her magic. They had let Thea have a place because on the council because Thea was one of the few who knew how to lead, but they no longer trusted her implicitly as they once had.

“You’re always too kind to me,” Thea said, “That’s why I fell in love with you, and that’s why I’ll help you find Arietta - because I want you to be happy again.”

“Thank you,” Elisha said.

~

Thea called a meeting the next morning, and that afternoon the town hall was filled with curious residents wanting to know what was happening.

Thea hushed the crowd as she stood up to speak, “We have been here for two years,” she said, “It’s been a prosperous two years, but we have not left the confines of the island in that time. The world outside has gone on without us and we have gone on without it. But that doesn’t mean it can be this way forever. There are certain things we need; more livestock, more seeds, more trees, more people. Our mission has not ended; people have endured two years without the White Ship, and they may need Sanctuary more than we can know. If we do not grow, we will die.”

She paused. All eyes were upon her. Knowing she had their complete attention, she continued.

“You may also recall that Arietta Sashrady, one of our own, left the island at that time, promising she would return. We’ve heard nothing. Our aim is to lower the island, launch the White Ship and travel for a while. Anybody who wishes to come may do so, for we will need a small crew. Sashiko can have my council seat while I am gone. If you have any objections, please state them now.”

“You leave us vulnerable!” one woman shouted, “What if you don’t come back? The White Ship is our only ship!”

“The island will float again after we leave,” Thea said, “You have enough materials to construct boats, should the need arise to leave, but you have been content here for two years. I think you will be safe.”

“We’re coming with you,” Luna said, and everybody looked at Luna and Pandora.

“You just got married,” Elisha said, “This isn’t a pleasure trip, it’s going to be dangerous!”

“Arietta is our friend too,” Pandora said, “We want to find her as well.”

Elisha retreated, knowing that Pandora was right. She didn’t want them to come - not really, this was her task, her responsibility, but they had a right. Arietta didn’t belong to her. She was a friend to all of them, had helped them through their pains and fears and had been an integral part of the White Ship. Two years of her absence hadn’t changed that, and they hadn’t forgotten her.

“Thank you,” she said, “It’ll be good to have you on board.”

A few others came along for reasons of their own, some wanted to leave the island, some wanted to settle personal matters, and others still were hoping to find love, somebody to bring back to Sanctuary, but remarkably few wanted to leave the island behind. And why should they? Elisha thought, This is their home, and who knows when, and if, we’ll be coming back?

~

It took them a week to prepare to launch the White Ship. Thea had ordered it be maintained in excellent condition, but it still had to be supplied and the island prepared for landing.

As the island started to descend, Elisha stood on the beach and saw the world again as they emerged from the clouds.

“We should be going, Elisha,” Pandora said, “Lady Thea wants to launch the ship as soon as we land, so she can send the signal up as quickly as possible to launch the island.”

“Okay,” Elisha said. She was dressed in her white uniform once again, her sword Twilight buckled at her side. She took a long look behind her at the fields and buildings. Sanctuary, she thought, but not mine. How I wish it could have been mine. Arietta and I, growing old together here... She turned away, tears in her eyes, and headed below the island with Pandora to where the ship was docked. She felt better when she stepped on board, even though the faces mulling about were few and far between. It was just like old times, only quieter, and without Arietta by her side.

As the island landed softly on the water, water flooded into the dock and floated the White Ship once again. Thea stood at the helm, looking more alive than Elisha had seen her since the fateful day when she had nearly destroyed the world.

“Cast off!” she declared, and the great anchor was pulled in, the great doors that kept the dock closed from the outside world folded back, and sunlight flooded in. The White Ship moved forward, escaping the island dock.

“Fire the flare!” Elisha ordered, and the crew sent up the signal to raise the island. Slowly but surely, the island began to rise, water dripping from its base. It cast a shadow over the ship as it loomed over them, before rising up out of view.

“San Ria, coming up,” Thea declared, and the White Ship began to cut through the waters of the world once more.

Chapter 2

“We shouldn’t take the White Ship directly in to San Ria,” Elisha said, “We need to scout ahead, find out what kind of a welcome we can expect.” She stood in Thea’s office with Pandora and Luna.

“You’re right,” Thea said, “The last time we were here San Ria was rebelling against the Moral Revolution but that doesn’t mean they won. We could be facing extreme danger.”

“Then I suppose we should change out of our white uniforms as well,” Pandora said, “I just got used to wearing this again.”

“Can I lead the landing party?” Elisha asked, “I want to feel like I’m doing something. It’s driving me crazy, being stuck on the ship!”

“I want to come too,” Luna said, “I want to see if my father’s okay.”

“I’m coming as well!” Pandora said.

“That should be enough,” Elisha said, “The three of us can probably avoid too much attention.”

The boat was lowered and they rowed the few miles to shore in plain clothes. Elisha hoped that the ship on the horizon wasn’t too recognizable as the White Ship, but the harbor seemed busy and nobody seemed to pay much attention to the three women in a rowboat. Coming ashore, they pushed their boat up an outcropping of rocky beach and tied it up before heading into the city.

“The guards were wearing San Rian city guard uniforms,” Luna hissed, “Not the uniforms of the Moral Revolution. Maybe that means they took the city back?”

“Or it just means that Valen’s men are assimilated into the city guard now,” Elisha whispered in return, “We can’t assume anything. We need to find a real source of information.”

“My father will know everything,” Luna said, “We have to go see him!”

They walked through alleyways and back streets, following Luna who had grown up in the city and knew every shortcut. Eventually they reached her house and knocked on the door. There was no answer.

“Father, it’s Luna!” Luna yelled at the door, “Please talk to me!”

The door opened quickly, and the three were hustled inside. Luna’s father slammed the door quickly and bolted it three times before putting a bar across.

Elisha looked at him. He had only one eye now, and scars crossed his face. He was missing two fingers on his right hand, and he shuffled to Luna with a limp, taking her in a big bear hug.

“Father... what happened to you?” Luna asked, “What did they do to you?”

“I was punished for my part in the counter-revolution,” Luna’s father said. He coughed deeply, the fit racking his whole body. Luna put her hand on his shoulder and he managed to stop, but it was several moments before he could speak again.

“Valen executed many... but he used me as an example of what would happen to others if they rose up against the Moral Revolution. You’ve been gone a long time, Luna. Did you find a place of safety?”

“We did,” Luna said, with tears in her eyes. “Father, come and live with us. Give up this vile city, as it has abandoned you. I know that nobody on the island would mind.”

“I can’t, Luna,” he said, “Even now, I’m still being watched. I know they would never let me leave the city. No, I cannot come. But you must go back! The Moral Revolution reaches from the Arian Empire to Haven’s End. I don’t know why you decided to leave your place of safety, but I urge you to go back! It is a dark time for our world. We need you to remain safe, to bring back the memory of what we once were once everybody else has forgotten...”

“We’re looking for somebody,” Elisha said, “Arietta Sashrady. She left Sanctuary to fight the Moral Revolution, but we haven’t heard from her since. Have you heard anything?”

“Everybody’s looking for Arietta,” Luna’s father said, “She’s the most wanted fugitive in the world, but nobody knows where she is, or even if she’s still alive. The last time she was seen was in Garania, but the resistance movement there was compromised. They were all executed.”

“She has to still be alive,” Elisha said, “Damn it, I should have gone with her!”

“You needed to stay,” Pandora said, “You weren’t ready to step out into the dangerous world again. Not even for Arietta. I’m sure she’s still alive, Elisha. Believe in her.”

“She’s become quite a symbol for the Resistance,” Luna’s father said, “She’s freed prisoners, exposed the torture of the Moral Revolution... she’s done a lot to turn people against what they voted for. But now the Revolution is so deeply entrenched that it doesn’t matter... Elections have been suspended across the whole world, and every government has declared a national emergency against the forces of sin. I fear that we may never be rid of them.”

“We can’t give up,” Luna said, “There is hope... Father, I want to tell you something... Pandora and I are married.” She put her arm around Pandora and smiled.

“You make an old man’s heart warm again,” Luna’s father said, “When I thought all warmth was gone from the world... It’s good to see you so happy. Please, go back to your Sanctuary. Forget this world and what it was and concentrate on your futures.”

“We can’t,” Luna said, “There are still people who need help... who need to find Sanctuary. It’s not good enough to just run away and deny them a safe haven to save ourselves.”

“Always such a good girl,” Luna’s father said, “You make me so proud, Luna. That is why I must ask you to go now. Get out of San Ria. Valen’s men are watching everything. You won’t last a day here. Flee, and live to fight another day.”

“Father...” Luna said, but he shook his head, “You’ve stayed too long already, because I wanted to see you again so much... You must leave now, before they come for you...”

As they left, Luna’s father called to Pandora, “Take care of my daughter,” he said, and Pandora turned to him, her hand over her heart.

“Always,” she said, and followed the others outside.

“Where to now?” Luna said, “I think we should go back to the ship and report.”

“You’re probably right,” Elisha said, “If what he said is true, then Arietta is in Garania and we should look for her there.”

“Garania?” Pandora’s eyes went wide, “The heart of the lion’s den? It’s suicide for us to go there!”

“Nowhere is safe now,” Elisha said, “It’s as we feared; the Moral Revolution owns the world. Going to Garania is no more dangerous then lingering here, and if Arietta is there, then that’s where we need to go.”

Luna looked away. She had come because Elisha needed their support, but she was now having doubts, “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea... Perhaps we should return to Sanctuary.”

“That’s it, you’re going to give up because Arietta didn’t magically chase the Moral Revolution away in two years?” Elisha said, “What did you expect? It’s been her -- alone -- against a powerful political force spanning half the world. I should have stayed with her, I know that now, and fought for what was right. But I’m going to Garania now whether you come or not!”

“Keep your voice down!” Pandora said, “Let’s go back to the ship and discuss it there. Now is not the time!”

They made their way back to the harbor and jumped down onto the rocky shore where their boat was tethered. Just as Elisha was about to climb into the boat, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw they were surrounded by city guards.

“You will come with us,” the guard said. Elisha looked hopelessly at her friends, but they shot back looks of equal fear. She looked at the guards. They were heavily armed. There was no way out.

“Yes,” Elisha said, and their weapons were taken from them. Elisha was reluctant to part with her sword Twilight, the one thing that still reminded her of her time with Arietta, but she knew she had no choice. They fell into step with the guards and were marched through the city. Imprisonment again, or worse... Elisha shuddered as she remembered her time in Garania, and the things they had done to others there.

“Pandora,” she whispered, “There must be something you can do.” But Pandora only shook her head sadly as the guard shot Elisha a look.

Some of the city residents gave them curious glances as they were marched past, but most kept their heads down. Elisha could tell that they had conditioned themselves to ignore such events, on the fear that suspicion would fall on their house.

Elisha thought that they were going to be taken to some kind of hearing as they were marched into the San Ria courthouse, but they were only taken below ground into a dungeon filled with prisoners. Some cried out as they passed; others sat silently in the corner of their cells, having accepted their helplessness. They were led to a cell and thrown in, the guards saying nothing to them as they left, locking the cell door behind them.

“We’re in trouble now,” Pandora said, “They must have heard us talking.”

“Or they saw the White Ship,” Luna said, “Thea and the others could be in danger! We have no way to warn them...”

“It’s up to the fates now,” Elisha said, “There’s nothing we can do...”

Pandora tried to bend the bars with her fire magic, but they were strong and she only burned her hands trying. Luna bound them and fussed over Pandora as they sat in the cell.

“I’m sorry I dragged you two into this,” Elisha said, “I was being selfish - I didn’t care about anything other than finding Arietta, and I was willing to move the world to do it. But she’s not your responsibility...”

“She’s our friend,” Pandora said, “We wanted to come with you, so don’t blame yourself. We can’t give up yet, we’ve just started. We’ll get out of here and go to Garania, don’t worry. We’ll find Arietta and then... everything will be okay.”

“Will it?” Elisha said, “I don’t even know what I’ll do when I find her. I just want to shake her and ask her why she didn’t come back after two years... Even though I know now that it’s because she’s still fighting this war, I still think to myself -- what if she’s found somebody else? What if another woman fights by her side and she’s forgotten all about me? What if she never intended to come back to Sanctuary for me?”

“Arietta’s not selfish,” Luna said, “She always wanted what was best. She didn’t come back because she couldn’t leave her people like this! Look at the world and what it’s become... She never would have been happy at Sanctuary, knowing that all the people down on the ground were suffering...”

“Luna’s right,” Pandora said, “You have to think about what you want, Elisha... If Arietta is not willing to come back, will you stay and fight the Moral Revolution with her? Are you willing to give up your life for the cause?”

“I hate the Moral Revolution as much as anybody else,” Elisha said, “I just know that someday people will see the error of their ways. I’m not into direct action like Arietta. But it turns out that I’m not so patient, either. I couldn’t just sit and wait for her... not knowing if I even still occupy a place in her heart.”

“We’ll find her,” Pandora said, “Have faith in her, Elisha...”

On board the White Ship, anchored out at sea, Thea stood with her telescope looking out at the ship that she had been warned of.

“Is it them?” One of the girls asked, “Is it the San Rian army?”

“I don’t think so,” Thea said, “I’ve never seen that flag before, but it’s possible that San Ria may have adopted a new one since the Revolution.”

“It’s certainly coming closer,” Thea said, “Be ready to surrender... There’s no way we can hold off an army with a skeleton crew.”

“I’d rather die than surrender to that scum!” One of the women cried, and others agreed.

“Hopefully it won’t come to that,” Thea said.

The ship came closer and closer, and Thea could see heavily armed crew milling around on the decks. She looked for a captain, for any sign of who this ship might belong to, but there was none.

Eventually she saw a man talking with a woman come up the steps and onto the deck. The woman looked familiar, but also did not. If it was Arietta, she had changed. She was dressed in black armor, and bore a scar. Her hair was shorter and the innocent face she had once held, filled with idealism was gone, replaced with a battle-hardened expression.

“It’s Arietta... I think...” Thea said, “They’re not firing on us. Raise a white flag and prepare to greet them.”

The ship came up by the side of the White Ship and extended a plank between the two ships. Arietta and the man she was with came over and stood on the deck of the White Ship.

“Arietta... Is it really you?” Thea said.

“Yes,” Arietta said, “I’m still alive. Why are you here? You found Sanctuary, you need to be there. The world is no longer safe for us.”

“Elisha has been waiting for you for two years!” Thea said, “Each day, she looked out at the ocean, her whole life on hold, praying for a signal from below that never came. So we came searching for you.”

“She should have moved on,” Arietta said, “I expected she would. Did nobody love her, out of the whole crew?”

“I love her,” Thea said, angry at Arietta’s dismissiveness, “But she won’t look at me. She has eyes only for you.”

Arietta paced, “Where is she?” she asked, “I would... like to see her.”

“She went to San Ria with Pandora and Luna, to test the lie of the land.” Thea said.

“Idiots!” Arietta said, “San Ria is the most dangerous city in the entire world! It’s been full of uprisings and counter revolutions from the people, leading them to crack down on everybody. There’s no way they’ll leave there alive!”

“Then we need to rescue them!” Thea said, “Pandora and Luna just got married. This is no way to start a honeymoon.”

“Good for them,” Arietta said, her face softening, “I always knew they were meant to be together.”

“Arietta, who is the man with you?” Thea looked over the man. He was tall and looked strong, but had a feminine quality to him as well, with long, black hair. The spiked black armor he wore seemed strangely out of place on him.

“This is Ariel Valentine.” She looked at him and then back at Thea almost apologetically, “He’s my husband.”

Chapter 3

A silence hung in the air as Lady Thea tried to absorb Arietta’s words. Married? How could it be?

“What did they do to you?” she cried, her whole being rejecting the notion that Arietta was married to a man. It couldn’t be, she was a lesbian, she had never expressed interest in anybody other than women in all the time she had been on the ship. But then the ship is almost exclusively lesbians... she told herself.

“They didn’t do anything,” Arietta said, “I know this seems strange. May I come aboard and discuss this in private with you?”

She turned to Ariel, who almost looked hurt, “Ariel, please... these are old friends. I will not linger long, I promise, but they deserve to know what I’ve been doing the past two years.”

“As long as you come back,” he said, then turned to Thea, “I want her back in two hours,” he said, “I dare not linger here more than that.”

“Fair enough,” Thea said, “The Moral Revolution has no love for us either, so we will make this quick.”

Arietta came aboard, and Thea hurried her to her office, where Arietta took a seat.

“What the hell is going on?” Thea said, almost angrily, “You never came back, never offered Elisha any sense of closure... and then we find you here, promised to a man for the rest of your life?”

“Things are more complicated than you could imagine,” Arietta said, “It hurt me so much to leave Sanctuary, but what I told Elisha was true. I didn’t want to live in a world with no men in it. I didn’t want to run away from the world. I wanted to get my world back. The last two years have been hard. I’ve questioned every tenet I thought was true, lost so many of my beliefs and given up my innocence, but I’ve never felt clearer in my own mind.”

“But why him?” Thea asked.

“Selesti would understand,” Arietta said, “She and I were far more alike than I ever realized. I’m bisexual, Thea. That’s why I can’t live in your exclusive town for lesbians - I don’t belong there. As much as I wanted to come back so many times, to give up this fight, take Elisha in my arms and hold her, I knew it wouldn’t be right to deny this half of myself.”

“So you deny the other half by marrying a man?” Thea said.

“Quit being so judgmental and closed-minded,” Arietta said, “The world isn’t as simple as you would like it to be. Ariel helped me when I needed help, believed in me when I had lost faith, and gave me the material resources I needed to continue this mission against the Moral Revolution. Wasn’t it only rational that I should fall in love with him? Trust me, nobody was as surprised as I was. When he proposed marriage, I was terrified. I told him no, that I could never commit like that. And he showed me that we don’t have to be bound by the rules of the world, that the contracts we have between us are of our own choosing. Yes, we’re married, but it’s an open relationship. I’m free to see whoever I choose, and so is he. He’s showed me a whole new world, free from the restraints of everything that we’ve been taught to believe.”

“You think Elisha will be content to share you?” Thea said, “Did you ever take her feelings into account at all?”

“I never meant to hurt Elisha, of all the people in this world,” Arietta said, “I wish that everything could be as simple as she wants it to be. Sometimes, I think it could have been nice, me and her on the island, living out our lives in peace.”

“Elisha thought you were the one,” Thea said, “She thought that was what you wanted, once the world was a better place again, so she waited. Why did you lie to her, Arietta? If this is who you were all along, why weren’t you just honest with her?”

“I was as honest as I could be, as little as I knew myself at the time.” Arietta said, “I thought she understood that we were saying goodbye. As time passed, I thought it more and more unlikely that we would ever meet again. I hoped that she had found happiness with another, maybe you, Lady Thea. I know you always loved her. You still do, no?”

“I do,” Thea said, “Very much. I thought it was impossible to love another after losing Maia, thought it was betraying her memory, even. That’s why I’m so angry at you, because I know you’re going to run away on your ship with Ariel and I’ll have to break the news to Elisha that the woman she loves is dead, replaced with a hard, cold bitch who didn’t even give her feelings any consideration.”

“I did,” Arietta said, “I almost didn’t go through with the marriage because of her. But this is reality, Thea. I have a war to fight, and it’s not Elisha’s war, it’s mine and Ariel’s. Whether you like it or not, we’re fighting for all of you, so you can stay up there on that island in safety, and we’re fighting for all the others who may want to go there someday. So quit telling me about what I should do with my personal life. I know I’ve hurt Elisha and I’m truly sorry for that, but you’re right - the woman she loved is dead. I’ve seen so many people I love die that I’m not able to be the person she needs any more, even if I was to give all this up right now and go back to Sanctuary.”

“So what am I supposed to do?” Thea said, “Tell her the truth, turn around and go back to Sanctuary?”

“Yes,” Arietta said, softening, “You earned your safety, fought for your freedom. Go home and enjoy it, because you can, and so you should. The rest of the world is only filled with pain and darkness, and I know you’ve seen enough of that. I don’t want you to join me in my war. I want to know that people like Elisha still exist, good, romantic, innocent people who still believe that deep down inside, every person has redeeming qualities. This world will need her once all this is over. But my path... doesn’t lead me to the same place. Please understand that, Lady Thea.” She stood up, “I have to go,” she said.

“Wait,” Thea said, “What about Elisha, Pandora and Luna? How are we supposed to save them?”

“It’s out of your hands now,” Arietta said, “If you go ashore, you’ll just be captured. You’re just going to have to hope that the Resistance finds them before they are executed. Don’t worry, they will. Selesti is good at what she does.”

“Selesti leads the Resistance?” Thea asked.

“Yes,” Arietta said, “She might be the only person left in this world who has triumphed over the Moral Revolution and wrested her soul back from them. I’m proud of her and the woman she is now, even if I’ll never hold her again.” She turned her back to Thea and left the room before Thea could ask any further questions.

~

Elisha sat in the darkness of the cell, mulling over her thoughts. Days had passed, and the prison was emptying out little by little. Whispers of executions reached her ears, and she knew they didn’t have much time. She looked over at Pandora and Luna, huddled together in the corner, sleeping. Luna had cried herself to sleep, soothed by Pandora. Elisha had accepted her fate, but it was hard to watch Luna and Pandora suffering. They had chosen to come, but they had just gotten married, just accepted that they would be together forever, never parted by anything except death. Now death was coming for them all too soon.

The worst part was when Elisha tried to sleep. She would have dreams of Arietta, swooping in wearing magnificent white armor, cleaving the guards in two with her sword and rescuing them. She’d tell Elisha how much she’d missed her, that she wanted to come to Sanctuary, to get a rest from the war for a while, and then maybe they could fight together to free the world, that she’d never leave Elisha behind again. She always woke with tears in her eyes, knowing the truth could never be so kind in a world filled with so much pain, but wanting it to be true. She’d had many dreams of Arietta in the previous two years, of her coming home, but that had never come to pass, and neither would this. They were alone, and had to find their own way out, or die trying.

A guard came to their cell, and Elisha looked up with horror in her gut.

“Get up.” The guard said, “Wake them.”

Elisha leaned down and gently shook Pandora awake. She saw the situation at hand and roused Luna immediately. The cell door opened and they reluctantly shuffled out, falling in step with the guards. There were five of them, so there was little chance of escape. Elisha looked down at the ground, not wanting to see Pandora and Luna’s faces. It was too hard seeing their pain, their dreams coming to an end. She could cope with dying. She had at least tried to find Arietta again, even if she had failed. She hoped Arietta would forgive her for her impatience, when she eventually came back to Sanctuary.

They found themselves being led through a series of tunnels which eventually came above ground. They were in a dingy alley. Elisha wondered why they hadn’t used the same way they had been led on their way in, but she simply followed along. Perhaps they wanted to avoid a rescue attempt by leading the condemned to the execution place secretly.

They were led to an inn and hustled inside quickly. The guards hurried forward and whispered something to the bartender, who ushered them into a back room where a trapdoor was open. They climbed down some steps and continued to be led through more dark tunnels.

“We’re not being led to execution -- we’re being rescued!” Pandora said, but her hopes dropped when one of the guards simply said, “Shut up!” and poked her in the back with a stick. She reached for Luna’s hand in the darkness and gripped it tightly, reassuringly. Taking strength from it, she uttered an incantation in the tunnel and fire shot from her other hand, knocking one of the guards backwards.

“Run!” Pandora said, and they broke into a run. It was hard in the darkness of the tunnel, but Pandora uttered another word and a ball of light appeared in her hand. Her other hand still gripped Luna’s, dragging her along, refusing to leave the love of her life behind, no matter what.

Pandora felt her slip and fall, and was nearly taken with her. Luna cried out in pain in the dark, and Elisha stopped in front of them, turning back to help her friends. The guards were catching up. One had lost their helmet, and Elisha could see it was a woman, with black hair tied back in a ponytail. A familiar woman...

“Selesti?!” Elisha said, and Pandora instantly looked up, shining the light on her face.

“I was trying to save you,” Selesti said, “but I fear you’ve made so much noise that half the town will know we burrowed underneath them. Guards will be coming any minute. We have to get back to the base!” The other ‘guards’ nodded, and Pandora saw a mixture of men and women, none of who had the look of real guards.

They hurried through the tunnels until they eventually saw a bright spot. It got bigger as it got closer, and Elisha could smell the fresh air coming in from outside.

They burst out into a grassy field, and looked behind them to see a hole cut into the hill.

“Where are we?” Elisha asked.

“We’re outside San Ria,” Selesti said, “We need to hurry into the forest. The temple isn’t far.

“Temple?” Pandora asked, “What is it that your worship, Selesti?”

“Once it was the essence of femininity. Now it is simply the freedom to live as our hearts guide us. It used to be a place where women gathered who needed a sanctuary, but since Valen won the election, more and more opponents of the Moral Revolution have come to us. They call us the Resistance now. Valen has tried to crush us many times, but we’ve pushed him back. The temple is in a good location to defend.”

A sandy-haired girl hurried up to Selesti and whispered something in her ear. Selesti chuckled and gave the girl a kiss. She turned back to Pandora and the others, “Things have changed a lot since I left the White Ship in San Ria. I’m not the same person I once was. A brothel owner called Alandra took me in and found a cure for the extreme need for pleasure the Moral Revolution’s experiments left me with, and sent me to the temple, where I’ve been healing ever since. She took the girl’s hand who walked alongside her, “This is Tami, my wife.”

“Congratulations!” Pandora and Luna said at the same time, and everybody laughed.

“Well, I’m Luna. Pandora and I just got married,” Luna said, “We’ve never met, but I’ve heard a lot about you. You were Arietta’s girlfriend once, weren’t you?” Then she swallowed hard, “Sorry,” she said, “that just kinda slipped out...”

“It’s fine,” Selesti said, “I loved Arietta once, and I don’t regret it. I’m glad she’s finally found herself, even if it’s not the path I ever imagined for her.”

“She’s alive?” Elisha said, “You’ve seen her? She’s my girlfriend, Selesti, you have to help me find her!”

“Her girlfriend?” Selesti said, “You’ve been away from the world for a while, haven’t you? Arietta’s... a lot different now. It’s not really my place to talk about her but yes, she’s still alive as far as I know, and yes, I have seen her, just not for a while. We teamed up to free some prisoners from an offshore prison ship and Arietta took them back to Garania, but that was six months ago.”

“How is she... different?” Elisha asked. A feeling of fear rose within her. Who was Arietta now? She’d always assumed that Arietta was unchanging, solid in her knowledge of who she was, but what if that wasn’t true... what if she no longer held a place in her heart for her?

“You’ll meet her, if you stay around in this world long enough,” Selesti said, “I can’t really say much more than I already have. It’s not my business to pry into her affairs.”

“I understand,” Elisha said, but she didn’t. She wanted to shake Selesti and make her tell her everything. Was Selesti being manipulative in order to make Elisha scared, out of jealousy? She didn’t know, but she seemed happy with her wife, and she didn’t seem like the person she had been aboard the White Ship, the broken, scheming person that had slipped into every bed she could and broke Arietta’s heart, not to mention sold her out to the Moral Revolution in Garania.

“Thanks for rescuing us,” Pandora said, seeing Elisha’s discomfort and taking over the conversation, “How did you know we were there, anyway?”

“My spies in the city guard reported that the White Ship had been seen out at sea and that some spies had come ashore in a boat and been arrested,” Selesti said, “I expected to find Lady Thea, but I’m happy to know that I rescued allies and that it wasn’t a trap.”

“We can’t stay with you,” Elisha said, “We have to get back to the White Ship and warn them that San Ria knows they’re there.”

“I know,” Selesti said, “But I need activity in the city to settle down first. You’ll be chased down if they spot a small boat heading out there right after a prison break. I know you want to find Arietta, but you need to be patient for a few hours until they stop searching for us.”

They reached the temple, and marveled at the scale of it. It was well-defended, almost like a castle, and a moat had been built around the outside. It could see over San Ria, and so they had the advantage in that they could see their foes coming. People milled around, some dressed in white robes, others in rags.

“Welcome to the home of the Resistance,” Selesti said, “All who oppose the Moral Revolution are welcome here, and our numbers grow every day.”

“That explains why San Ria is so on edge,” Elisha said, “Valen is scared of losing his power.”

“Indeed,” Selesti said, “San Ria’s no ordinary city. Yes, people voted for Valen, but many regretted it later when he came down harshly on the freedoms these people had taken for granted for so many years. He crushed the Temple of the Fire God, installed his own religion, and closed down any establishment that broke the Moral Revolution’s rules. But it wasn’t just him. There are many who work with him, some from Garania and the Arian Empire, and some from San Ria who felt that the city had become too liberal about sex and religion.”

“Do you think you can win?” Elisha asked.

“I hope so,” Selesti said, “As long as we are still here, though, the Moral Revolution will never go unopposed.”

“You’ve changed,” Elisha said, “You sound almost like Arietta.”

“We had a lot in common, once, but she always had more courage than me,” Selesti said, “Our paths may have taken us apart, but I learned a lot from her.”

“I want to find her,” Elisha said, “I miss her...”

“She’ll always be with you,” Selesti said, “No matter who she is now, or where her path takes her, the person that inspired you will never die.”

“Is she really that different...?” Elisha asked, but then she shook her head, “No, it’s okay, I’ll find out for myself. I think that’s all I can do.”

“Probably,” Selesti said, “I think she’s happy, though, in her own way, and I think that’s all that matters. She’s doing what she was born to do, and so am I. So are Pandora and Luna. But you... I get a sense that you haven’t found your purpose... and I hope you find it, Elisha. There’s something you have to do in this life, I’m sure of it.”

“Thanks,” Elisha said, “But I don’t think there’s much for me. I’ve just been hanging on for Arietta, wasting my life away. My only purpose has been to find her again. If I find her... and she’s not who I remember, then what will I do?”

“That’ll be for you to find out,” Selesti said, “All I can do is wish you luck.”

~

When darkness fell, Selesti and Tami took them to the shore and pushed their little raft out to sea. It had been quickly made and wouldn’t float forever, but it would get them back to the White Ship, and that was all they needed.

“Thank you,” Pandora said as they pushed off, and they all waved to each other.

“Selesti’s much nicer than I remember,” Elisha said, “Did I judge her too harshly, or did she just change that much in a few years?”

“She changed,” Pandora said, ‘But I get a sense that this is more like how she was before the Moral Revolution tortured her. Not the same, I’m sure, but more like herself, with added strength and experience. The person we saw aboard the White Ship was broken. The person she is now has healed, and passes that strength onto others.”

“She and Tami make a cute couple,” Luna said, “I’m glad the Moral Revolution didn’t stop them from falling in love.”

“You’re just happy that we’re not the only married couple down here on the ground,” Pandora said, smiling, but it was true. There was something reassuring about knowing they weren’t alone in this harsh world.

“I see the ship,” Elisha said, rowing the raft towards it, “I’m going to send a signal.”

A signal came back, and they reached the ship. They were hoisted aboard to cheering, but Lady Thea’s face was grave, Elisha noticed at once.

“What’s wrong?” Elisha asked, but Thea waved her away, “Set course for Sanctuary at once!” she said, and all hands rushed to make the order happen, as if they had been waiting for it all day.

“Why are we going back to Sanctuary, Thea?” Elisha asked, “I’m not going to abandon my search for Arietta! Tell me what’s going on!”

“Come to my office,” Thea said, “We need to talk.”

Pandora and Luna looked at each other with worried looks.

“What could have happened?” Pandora wondered aloud.

~

Elisha hurried into Thea’s office after her and shut the door, “Explain!” she demanded.

“There’s no easy way to say this,” Thea said, “Arietta came aboard while you were gone. She has her own ship now, she’s fighting a war... and she has a husband.”

“What?” Elisha’s mouth was agape, “How? Did the Moral Revolution torture her?”

“Not exactly,” Thea said, “She’s bisexual. She said they have an open relationship, but that she loves him. She thought you had moved on from her. She didn’t consider the fact that you’d waited for her for two years. She’s colder, harder. I can tell she’s seen a lot of pain and suffering, and that... that she’s no longer yours, Elisha. I’m so sorry...”

“No...” Elisha said, “That can’t be... There’s no way... She never expressed an interest in men! You must have made this up, so you could have me!”

“I wish I was so cruel,” Thea said sadly, “But I could never do such a thing, not to you, not ever. I lament that she left me with the job of telling you and took off to fight her war.”

Elisha started to cry, “I can’t believe this,” she said, “Even after Selesti said she was different now, I couldn’t bring myself to believe that she’d moved on... I can’t believe that she married a man... I can’t!”

“Does it really matter?” Thea said, “Man or woman, she fell in love again, and that’s the thing that really hurts, isn’t it? The who is just another fact in a sad story...”

“I can’t believe she didn’t stick around to see me!” Elisha said, “She couldn’t even tell me to my face!” She was shaking. Thea took her in her arms and held her as she cried.

“It’s okay, you can cry,” Thea said, “She told me herself that the old Arietta was dead, so grieve all you need to. I already have. She was the hope of all of us that there was still some innocence left in the world. And now she’s so different, so dark. Yet I think, in some strange way, that she’s happy, that she’s where she needs to be. That’s why I’m not following her, not taking you to see her. There’s nothing to be gained by following her around the world, Elisha. You have to let go now...”

Outside, Pandora and Luna stood in the hallway. They couldn’t hear the words, but they could hear Elisha crying, could see Thea embracing her through the frosted window of her office.

“I think Arietta was here,” Pandora said, “And somehow, I don’t think it ended well...”

“Poor Elisha... To wait two years and find out you’re no longer wanted... what could be a worse fate?” Luna held Pandora tightly, “Let’s go back to our room,” she said, “If Elisha wants to talk, I’m sure she’ll let us know.”

“I hope so...” Pandora said, and they went to their room, Pandora taking one last look behind her at the silhouetted shapes in the office.

Chapter 4

Elisha paced around in her cabin, unable to sleep. What she had heard was so unbelievable that she wrestled with it. She wanted to believe that it was a lie, but many of her sisters of the White Knights had attested to the story that Thea had told her; Arietta had come aboard, and announced that she had a husband before Thea whisked her below decks to talk.

I don’t understand, Arietta. Help me understand. Why? What did he offer you that I could not? Elisha slumped onto her bed and buried her head in the pillow. Tears came to her again and she let them pour out, an endless stream of sorrow. She had been afraid that Arietta might be dead, but somehow this felt worse. It was as if someone else had stolen her skin and now walked around posing as Arietta.

Somebody tentatively knocked on the door, “Go away!” Elisha yelled, harsher than she had intended.

“Please, I just want to talk,” Pandora said, “Elisha, I’m your friend... you don’t have to face this alone!”

Elisha got up and opened the door, “Sorry,” she said, as Pandora entered. She closed the door behind her and Pandora embraced her in a hug.

“I know... everything’s confusing for you right now,” Pandora said, “I’m confused too, I mean... Arietta was our friend, I thought we knew her. Now I wonder if we ever did. Can people really change, or do they just become what they were all along? It makes me frightened... what if we don’t really know anybody? What if Luna will change as she grows older, as she experiences more? Have I changed? I feel the same...”

Elisha shook her head, “I don’t know,” she said, “Truth is, we didn’t know Arietta for that long. Before we met her, she’d lived in Garania all her life, living a pretty sheltered existence. Perhaps it makes sense that she didn’t really understand everything about herself. Yet I still find it so hard to believe... I wonder if I’ll ever be able to accept it without seeing her with my own eyes...”

“We should go back to Sanctuary,” Pandora said, “Lady Thea made the right call. I know you want to chase Arietta down, but... you’ve seen how dangerous it is down here. If we stay, we will get caught up in this war, there’s no doubt about it. I know you’re still thinking about it, so let me say this: are you willing to risk your life and the lives of everybody aboard, just to see a woman who no longer has time for you?”

Elisha seemed to deflate further, “I just wonder,” she said, “whether I’ll ever be able to move on, or whether Arietta will always be there in the back of my mind, no matter who I’m kissing, who I marry. Will every act of love become a betrayal? I can’t live like that. I can’t grieve without seeing that she’s gone, and I can’t see her without taking a huge risk. What am I supposed to do?”

“I wish she had stayed,” Pandora said, “I want to see her too. It’s so hard to understand her changes without seeing them. But I honestly believe we have to let her go.”

“At least for now,” Elisha said, “Perhaps after this war is done, we can come back, try again... It’s just not time yet.”

Pandora went to say something, but held back, “Elisha,” she eventually managed, “Try to get some sleep. We’ll be back at Sanctuary soon. Then you can start to think about what you want to do next.” Pandora smiled at her, “Everything’s going to be okay,” she said, “I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but it will be.”

~

It was dawn when Elisha finally gave up on sleep and went above deck. Thea was looking out at the dawn, her silver-white hair blowing in the wind. Somehow, she always managed to look majestic and elegant. Once, Elisha had believed she was royalty, but it turned out she was an Ancient, immortal and one of the last of her kind.

“Lady Thea,” Elisha said. Many of the residents of Sanctuary had ceased to call her “lady”, after finding out she owned no lands or real title, but Elisha, Pandora and Luna had continued to give her the style. It was a matter of respect, of love. Thea had been their friend, and it was because of her that they had found Sanctuary at all. Others might have turned from her because of her moment of weakness, but Elisha had understood. Thea had been angry at the world, hurt at the notion that people hated her for who she was and who she loved. She had lashed out, but they had stopped her in time, with the help of her dead wife’s spirit. Now, she was a calmer person, accepting of her circumstances.

“Elisha,” Thea turned as Elisha joined her, leaning on the ship and looking out at the ocean, “You can’t sleep?”

“I just can’t believe any of it,” Elisha said, “It goes round and round, but I can make no sense of how Arietta became who she is.”

“My theory is that it’s a combination of pain and experience,” Thea said, “She has scars, physical scars, and who knows what mental scars to go along with it? You told me yourself that when you originally rescued her from the prison in Garania that she was cracking up. Perhaps she has finally broken. But I also don’t believe that there is anything in Arietta that was not already there. She was too self-assured to be under somebody’s manipulation. I believe she married Ariel out of her own free will. Perhaps he offered her soldiers to fight the war, but they share common ideals, just as you and Arietta once did.”

“She’s really gone,” Elisha said. She wanted to cry, but there were no more tears in her. She was exhausted, and suddenly just wanted to be back home, curled up in her bed. Sanctuary felt like the sweetest prospect in the world, a place where she could forget about all of this for a while, and come to terms with it in her own time.

Thea put her arm around Elisha, “I didn’t want it to end like this,” she said, “I feel like the Moral Revolution owns the whole world, even Arietta. She was a shining star, a source of light and hope for everybody who had lost it. She stopped me from making a mistake I could not have taken back. Now she’s changed, and I can’t help but think; did I do this? Should I have commanded her to stay when she told you she was leaving?”

“You know she never would have listened,” Elisha said, “She was determined to go. Even I couldn’t stop her. I think I was the one who made the grave mistake. She was saying her final goodbye to me when I took her back to the world, and I was just too naive, too much in denial to see it. I’ve wasted two years of my life because I misunderstood what she was trying to say to me. I wanted our love affair to be permanent, but she did not. I feel like such a fool.”

“You’re not a fool,” Thea said, hugging her, “You just wanted to be loved, like every human being on this planet. Even the puritans who planted the seeds of the Moral Revolution want somebody to hold them at night.”

~

Day came upon them, and Thea eventually ordered the ship to halt, “Send the signal,” she said. They could not use flares with Sanctuary floating so high above the clouds, so Luna used her magic to send a ball of light. It took much concentration, and she sat on the deck, her legs crossed, her eyes closed as the ball of light rose from her hands and flew up into the sky.

Eventually the island began its descent and broke through the clouds. Luna out her hands on Pandora’s shoulders, “Good work, honey,” she said, “Finally, we can go home.”

Pandora’s eyes flashed open, “Wait!” she cried, “No!” She held her head as it filled with searing agony, “Send it back up! No, go back up!” She tried to send another ball of light, but collapsed to the deck, clutching her head.

“Pandora!” Luna cried, “Pandora, what’s wrong!”

“They’re... coming!” She pointed off the bow of the ship. Suddenly, where there had been nothing, several ships suddenly shimmered into view. They were surrounded.

“This is bad...” Elisha said. The island was still making its decent, “We have to stop it!” she cried, “Send up flares! All of them!” White Knights rushed across the deck, and flares shot out in all directions as the rockets were hastily set up and fired.

Thea stood looking out at the ships, frozen in place, “What’s that...?” she asked, seeing something mounted on two of the ships, “It looks like Ancient technology... oh no...”

“What are your orders?” Elisha asked, seeing Thea looking absently out at the ships.

“We have to get Sanctuary above the clouds! Hurry!” she cried, but it was too late. White Knights rushed to the side of the ship as the device started to pool energy. Everything seemed to move in slow motion, as if the device was taking the power of time itself to fuel its workings.

A beam shot up from the device, enveloping Sanctuary. Elisha and the others saw Sanctuary cracking and crumbling as it disintegrated before their eyes. Luna clutched Pandora as their eyes widened in horror. Thea looked like she was about to be sick. Elisha screamed, a primal wail of pure terror and pain. All were frozen in place as pieces of the island began to land in the ocean.

“This can’t... This can’t be happening!” Luna cried, “Sashiko... Lena... Tani... our friends! Our homes!”

“I’ll kill them all!” Pandora stood, her eyes glowing with power. She whisked her hand upwards and the device and the ship it was on exploded.

“You couldn’t have done that a second ago?” Elisha cried. Pandora smacked her and a wave of energy sent her flying. She landed on the deck with a loud thud, stunned.

“Pandora...!” Luna cried. Pandora screamed and lightning shot from the clouds, destroying several more ships.

“We have to get out of here!” Thea cried, finding her voice, “Full about, quickly! Cut through the space Pandora has made for us! It’s our only chance if we want to live!”

Thea’s cry broke through the shock among the crew and they rushed to battle stations, firing as they hurried to escape. Elisha sat up, stunned, “Pandora...?”

Pandora stood at the helm of the ship, her arms outstretched. A wave of pure energy shot from her and several more ships exploded. A primal cry of frustration escaped her and ships to the left and right of them capsized.

“No human can keep up that kind of power for long... I doubt even her Ancient blood is that powerful...” Elisha said, trying to get to her feet, “Luna, you have to stop her!”

Luna stood up, “Pandora, stop! Please! You’ll die!”

“I don’t care!” she cried, in a powerful, otherworldly voice, “They destroyed my home! They will all die!”

“Pandora!” Thea commanded, “That’s enough! We can escape now! Come back to us!”

“No!” Pandora said. Black wings sprouted from her back and she took off slowly, “I will end this world and its Moral Revolution forever!” As she pulled her arms apart, the very fabric of the world seemed to tear open. A black void appeared, and demonic creatures started to pour out.

“By the Gods...” Thea said, “She’s opened the Gate... We’re all going to die...”

A powerful force swept out from the Gate, a howling black wind that tore the sails from the White Ship like they were made of paper. The waves were whipped into a frenzy and the ship veered off course.

“I can’t get control!” the helmswoman cried, “The ship is breaking apart!”

It was true. Planks of wood started to tear up from the deck, and the mast went crashing into the ocean, torn away like a tree in a hurricane.

“Man overboard!” somebody cried, but Thea could barely hear. There was only the wind and the waves crashing around her, the sheer force of Pandora’s rage and the open Gate. She looked to see a creature crash into the deck and unfurl, some kind of demon with huge leathery wings. It shrieked and Thea felt sick to her stomach from the mere sound of it. She drew her sword, channeling all her rage and pain into her sword stroke. She took the demon’s head off and it landed on what remained of the deck with a sickly thud, as its body crumpled and disintegrated. She heard the hull of the ship split with a mighty crack, and her heart sank. They were done. The White Ship was going to break apart.

“Abandon ship!” she screamed into the night, not even sure if there was anybody to hear her. She tried to reach the helm, to see if she could somehow take control, but with a mighty heave the ship gave way. Thea struggled to hang onto a plank, but the last thing she remembered was the wind dragging her away before she hit her head and everything went black.

Chapter 5

Elisha woke, dazed and confused. Her mouth felt like it was full of sand, and she quickly realized it was. She sat up and coughed for a while, until all the sand and water was gone and she could take a clear, deep breath. She was soaked to the skin and cold to the bone.

Twilight was upon the world, and she could see the Gate casting its shadow over everything. She made for higher ground and looked out at the world from an overhanging rock. Sanctuary, the only place she had ever cared to call home, was gone, its many residents dead. Pandora had gone crazy, her magic out of control. The White Ship had been destroyed, and a gate to some other strange, demonic dimension had been ripped open. Her friends were probably all dead...

She screamed from the rock, screamed at the Gate until her throat was raw. She had thought she couldn’t feel any worse than she had last night, grieving for Arietta, but this was much worse, grief unlike any she had ever known. Everything she had worked for was gone. Friends she had loved were dead. It was all her fault, she realized... If they had just stayed on the island, they would have been out of range of the ancient weapon. The Moral Revolution had probably been waiting all along for them to be stupid enough to come back to the world.. and once they had found out they had returned, it had been a simple matter to use the technology they had uncovered to hide and destroy the island.

“I’m sorry!” she cried, “I screwed everything up! I was so selfish going after Arietta... Please Gods, let me take it back! Let me take it back!”

There was no answer but the wind.

She sobbed for a while. She thought she had expended all her tears, but there was another well opening up deep inside her. She had a headache, but she didn’t care. Inside her, there was only darkness. There was nothing to look forward to, nothing to care about. Everything was gone. She pulled out her dagger and looked at it. Perhaps it would be simpler to kill herself. Perhaps then she could end the pain, and never cause any more. Nobody would miss her, not after what she had done...

“No.” A voice came from behind her, “That’s not the answer.”

“Lady Thea...” Elisha could not bring herself to look at her, “I did this... If I hadn’t come to look for Arietta...”

“Do you honestly believe we never would have left Sanctuary again? We needed livestock, new recruits. Stop trying to blame yourself. You don’t have the power to see the future.”

“Everything you worked for is gone,” Elisha said, “Aren’t you going to be angry?”

“Of course I’m angry,” Thea said, sitting down beside Elisha on the edge of the rock, “But not at you. Not at Pandora. It was the Moral Revolution who did this. It was Garania and the Arian Empire and San Ria and Haven’s End who murdered our people. Never forget that.” Then she started to cry.

Elisha was disconcerted. She had never seen Thea in such a state. Thea had always been the strong one, the natural leader. Apart from the time on the island when she had almost destroyed everything, Thea had always been able to hold it together... Even then she had not wept like this.

“Now what do we do?” Elisha said, “We have no place to go, no ship... Luna, Pandora and the rest of the crew are missing...”

“We should start by finding survivors,” Thea said, “We washed up here, so chances are the current carried others here too. One thing at a time, Elisha. One thing at a time...”

The image of Thea vanished, and Elisha realized she had been alone all along. Was she losing her mind, like Arietta had in the cell at Garania? She stood up and looked out at the world again, her resolve to die fading away. Night was falling fast. She threw the knife off the rock with all her might, as though she might pierce the Gate with it, and turned her back. The image of Thea had been right. She had to find her friends. Thea, Pandora and Luna were still out there, among others. She had to know if they were alive or dead, but it was dark, and she could hear demonic shrieking in the distance.

Combing the shore, she found a small beach cave. Gathering some wood, she resolved to make a fire until she realized she had nothing to light it with. Exhausted, she gave up caring about demons and the cold and fell into a dark sleep, filled with nightmares.

She woke as cold as she had lain down. A chill had set in, and she realized she was going to get sick if she didn’t find dry clothes and warmth soon. She stripped down and left her outer clothes to dry in the sun, just taking her sword Twilight with her as she headed out to search for friends. If she was lucky enough to find them, the last thing she would give a damn about would be them seeing her in her underwear.

The morning sun was warm on her skin, even though part of the sun was blotted out by the Gate, and she started to feel better as she combed the beach. Occasionally she would come across a crate of supplies, or a body. She would rush to their side and turn them over to see the face of a crewmember. She felt guilty when relief set in that it was not Thea, Luna or Pandora. She wanted to dig graves, but she had no shovel, and resolved to come back if and when she had the tools for the job.

“Don’t feel so bad,” the voice of Thea came again, “You just love your friends. There’s no shame in hoping they’re alive.” Elisha turned to see her standing there.

“You’re just in my head,” Elisha said, “Go away and leave me in peace.”

“Am I?” Thea said, then she disappeared.

Elisha shook her head and continued searching, but hours had passed and she found nobody alive. She returned to the cave and was relieved to find her clothes had dried. She dressed, feeling much more comfortable in her uniform, even though it was filthy.

As she headed out again, a demon landed on the beach. Elisha drew her sword, backing up, “What do you want?” she cried, as it rounded on her, muscular and hungry-looking.

“Who dared open the Gate?” The demon looked at her with red, angry eyes, “Do you know what this means for your world? Do you?”

“No,” Elisha admitted, “I didn’t even know it existed until Pandora...”

“Pandora, the mage with green hair... Her rage and power is what opened the Gate,” the demon said, “I see her in your mind. She has doomed you all.”

“Why?” Elisha asked, “What is the Gate?”

“The Gate is a portal between dimensions. Demons once lived in this world, but were expelled to a parallel world by the Ancients. Since then, we have built a civilization of our own. But now that the Gate is open, demons can enter your world as they wish... I will tell you, human... We have not forgotten what your people did to us. We will kill and slaughter and take back this world if you do not find a way to close the Gate.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Elisha asked, “Why don’t you just kill me?”

“I liked the way our civilization had evolved,” the demon said. “We had reached a new level. We had moved on from the murder we were famous for, and built a world based not on revenge, but on our skills. The Ancients expelled us to a barren world, but we made the best of it. Now the Gate has opened and destroyed all that. Old oaths of revenge have been renewed, bloodlust is at an all-time high. We have yearned for your world since we lost it. Now we intend to get it back. The only way to stop us is to close the Gate, or we will kill every last one of you!”

“How do we close the Gate?” Elisha asked, “I don’t want our world to be destroyed. I want to save it.”

“I see it in your mind,” the demon said, “That is why I did not just tear you limb from limb and feed on your remains. There is only one way to close the Gate. The mage that opened it must go to the Shadow Tower in the heart of the Ancient Citadel and give her life to recreate the seal. It is the only way to close the Gate. Once this is done all the demons in your world will be banished and the breach closed.”

“Pandora is my friend... I cannot sacrifice her! The Ancient Citadel is in Garania, anyway! Besides, I don’t know where she is!” Excuses poured out of Elisha’s mouth before she could stop them.

“She did this... Friend of yours or not, she owes it to this world to undo her mistake.” the demon said, “I have told you all that I can. Finding your friend is your problem. She is an Ancient, I doubt she would have perished that easily. Unlike you weaklings, your ancestors were powerful.” He gave her a dismissive wave and flew away.

“I can’t...” Elisha whispered into the wind... “Pandora made a mistake... I can’t allow her to be punished for that...”

“You don’t have much choice,” Thea was standing next to her again, “She will understand, once you find her. If she is herself, that is. Otherwise she might just destroy you where you stand.”

“Stop it,” Elisha said, and Thea disappeared again.

Elisha sighed, pushing away thoughts of the future and focusing on the here and now. She decided to press ahead into the forest, since she had searched the entire beach and found nothing. She remembered the last forest she had traveled through, where her past had come back to haunt her. That all seemed like another lifetime now. A time where she had dared to hope that they could find Sanctuary and live in safety. Now that dream had been torn apart.

Cutting through the forest, she found a path that had been created by somebody passing through. It looked freshly cut, as though the person was less than a day ahead of her. She followed their trail, trying not to think of what the demon had said. If she found Pandora, what would she find? Would she still be out of control, or would she have reverted to her former self? How would Elisha tell her what needed to be done?

She almost tripped over the small encampment as she was so deeply lost in thought. Some provisions lay about, as well as a small, dirty blanket and the still-smoking remains of a campfire. This camp was still in use, she realized.

Just then, she saw pinkish-red hair jutting out from the trees and smiled as she saw Luna.

“Elisha!” Luna ran to her and embraced her, “You’re alive! Did you find anybody else?”

“No, I’m alone,” Elisha said, and she cut off the next question before Luna asked, “I’ve seen no trace of Pandora. I’m sorry.”

“Oh,” Luna said, downcast, “I’m so worried about her, Elisha. The way she went out of control like that...”

“I know,” Elisha said, “I never knew she had so much power.”

“Neither did I,” Luna said, “I wish I could wake up, Elisha. I want to wake up and find it’s my wedding day again and everybody’s okay and Sanctuary’s still there...” She started to cry and Elisha hugged her, the demon’s words still on her mind. Give her life to recreate the seal...

She couldn’t tell Luna. Luna was frightened and sad enough, she didn’t need to hear that the price of closing the gate would be her wife’s life. She had to keep some hope... at least for now.

“We’ll find Pandora,” Elisha said, “I promise. I’m sure she’s fine, and herself again. She was just overwhelmed by what happened, that’s all. We all were. If you’d had power, wouldn’t you have used it?”

“I guess,” Luna said, “But why that portal thing? Wasn’t destroying the ships enough?”

“I don’t know,” Elisha said, “I suppose she felt she needed the demons’ power, so she opened the Gate.”

“The Gate? Is that what you’re calling it?” Luna nodded, “I suppose it makes sense. I mean, it opens to a demon world or something, right?”

“That’s what Lady Thea called it,” Elisha said, “That’s not our immediate concern, though. We have to find Pandora as soon as we can.”

“Lady Thea, too,” Luna said, “She’s an Ancient as well. She probably knows about this Gate.”

“It’s her well-being I’m most frightened for,” Elisha said. There, at the corner of her vision, she could see Thea again. A ghost of a dead woman? No, she was just having side-effects from everything she had been though, that was all. That was all.

Chapter 6

On the decks of Arietta’s warship Twilight, the crew stood and stared as the sky lit up with the destruction of Sanctuary.

“It could only mean one thing,” Ariel sighed, standing next to Arietta, “They got to the weapon and snuck it out there right under our noses. Our spies must have failed.”

“Damn!” Arietta’s eyes were filled with tears, “I should have told them they were being targeted! Now they’re all dead! I told them to go back... but it was already too late! All I did was seal their fate...”

“I am sorry about Elisha and the others,” Ariel said, “I know Elisha was special to you...”

“Don’t,” Arietta said, brushing his arm off her. She looked down at the deck, “Everything I helped build is gone. I should have gone back to them, told them what was going on... They came down here because of me!”

“What’s done is done,” Ariel said, “We have bigger concerns, Arietta. The fleet snuck that weapon out of the Ancient Citadel excavation, put it on a ship, and got out to the high seas without us even getting a whisper of it.”

“You think somebody has betrayed us.” Arietta shook her head, “If I find out who, I’m going to tear them apart!” I should have destroyed that weapon when I had the chance. it’s my fault. My fault... She remembered her last foray into Garanian territory, when she had discovered the excavations of the Ancient Citadel and the lost weapons that were being uncovered there. She had just been scouting, though. If she had destroyed the weapons, they would have certainly caught her sooner than they did. They might have even killed her on the spot. She had thought they would be able to stop Garania transporting anything they found there. She had been wrong, and was now paying the price.

“Arietta.” Ariel put his hands on Arietta’s shoulders, “Stop it. I need you to think clearly, as a leader. We need to decide our next move. We may be in imminent danger.”

“Captain! Off the starboard bow!” came a cry from the crow’s nest. Arietta looked to see ships shimmering into view, as if they had simply appeared.

“Impossible!” Arietta said, “Full about! Go now!”

“It’s no good,” Ariel said, “We’re surrounded.”

“Then take your battle stations! We won’t go down without a fight!” Arietta cried. She would not go back to Garania, not again, not after what they had done to Selesti. Not after what they had done to her. She touched the scar on her face. We’ll make you so ugly no woman will want to touch you. The words echoed in her head. Ariel had rescued her, but he had been a little late. Arietta closed her eyes, drew her sword and readied herself for battle. Faith had a lot more names on it now, people she had known, loved and lost. It would have even more by day’s end, so long as she lived to see it. I had hoped that Sanctuary would never have to be engraved on this sword.

They boarded quickly, even though she had men on the cannons firing as fast as they could. She took on soldiers wearing the uniforms of the Moral Revolution and easily cut them down, but more continued to come. It was as though Garania had an infinite supply of troops, ready to fight and die to take them down. Ariel moved in close to her.

“I think this may be the end, Arietta,” he said, during a lull in the fighting, “I won’t try to tell you to put down your sword and go back to captivity. Not after what they did to you. I’m so sorry I was late, sweetheart...”

“It’s not your fault,” Arietta said, “I know you don’t believe it, but I’ve been happy with you. I love you. I’m so glad you came for me that day. I’m so happy for all the days we spent together...”

“You make me a happy man,” Ariel said, “Truly, sometimes I wondered if you married me for my army, so that you could free Garania. I thought I had been wrong in asking you to marry me.” He took her hand and kissed it, “There is still fighting on the horizon. I think your friends might still be alive out there. I know Elisha will always be waiting for you. Find her, and work out what your heart wants. You have my blessing. He drew her close, kissed her, then pushed her off the side of the ship. She tried to fight him, but he was strong and she fell over the edge, into the deep, murky waters.

She struggled with the water, fought with it. Would she die, here, trying to get away? Perhaps, but Ariel had known she would sooner die than be recaptured, and he had decided to take her fate instead. She pushed above the waves just long enough to see Ariel being stabbed and thrown into the ocean.

Arietta fought back her tears and turned her sorrow to anger. She had to escape, or everybody’s sacrifices would mean nothing, and she wasn’t going to let that happen. She swam and swam, leaving the battle zone undetected as the fight waged on. It was wrong to leave her crew behind, the captain always went down with their ship, but Ariel had given his life so she could go on. Go on to do what? There is nothing left I can do.

She started to tire, and searched for a piece of driftwood to cling to. In the distance, she saw Twilight sinking beneath the waves. The battle was done, and they had been defeated. The Resistance was over, Sanctuary was gone. Further beyond the battle zone she saw darkness, as though a giant hole had appeared and sucked the life from everything. She held onto a piece of wood she saw floating. Arietta had told herself not to think but now the adrenaline from the escape was fading fast and she could acutely feel the losses that had just been inflicted on her. Ariel had been her friend, her lover, her husband. They had fought together to free Garania, sharing a dream, and he had taught her that she could love men as well as women, and feel no shame in either. Now he was dead, run through by some pawn of the Moral Revolution. She spat in the water, watched it float along on the waves with her. Sanctuary was gone as well, felled by invisible ships and ancient weapons.

“Damn the Ancients,” she yelled, not caring who heard, “Damn them for all eternity!”

~

She floated for a long time. Once she fell asleep and let go of the driftwood, waking to find herself drowning. She pulled herself back up and clung to the wood again, coughing up the salty seawater and vowing never to sleep again. There had to be land somewhere... Somewhere...

She was so tired, and so lost, that she no longer cared if she did drown. Perhaps then I will finally have some peace. Yet still she clung on, afraid to let go. If I die, the Resistance will die with me, she thought. I can’t let that happen...

Arietta counted three days and nights before she saw land, and recognized it as San Ria. She was glad; Selesti would almost certainly help her and let her rest, listen as she spoke, help her grieve for the lost and find the living. She came ashore in darkness and skulked around the city, knowing that she was a wanted woman and vulnerable in her exhausted state. She had even lost her sword when Ariel had pushed her over the edge. She would have to forge another one yet again, carve all the names into it that she remembered, and she remembered all of them, all their pains, fears and lost dreams.

She saw the guard holding steady at the gate that led out to the temple path, and sighed. She would have to deal with him, which would mean trouble for Selesti later. She raised the torn hood of her wet cloak and started to shuffle towards the soldier as though she were a beggar.

“Spare some coin for an old lady?” she said, shuffling closer.

“Begone, old hag, it’s past curfew. Unless you want me to call the City Watch and have you arrested?”

Arietta shuffled closer, “Excuse me, sir... my hearing is poor...”

“I said--” but he was cut off by Arietta’s knee in his crotch. She took his head and slammed it against the wall, and he slumped to the ground, knocked out but not dead. She took his sword and unlocked the gate, locking it again behind her before rushing up the hillside path that led to the temple.

Guards were patrolling the temple, torches in their hands, a watch fire set, “Who goes there!” a woman called.

“Arietta Sashrady,” Arietta called, “I must speak with Selesti at once!” Arietta moved closer and pulled down her hood, “Please!”

“Arietta!” Tami was waiting as Arietta was led into the main hall, “What has happened? You look terrible!”

“Fetch Selesti. She will want to hear this,” Arietta said. Selesti soon rushed into the hall.

“Arietta?” Selesti looked at her with concerned eyes, “What’s going on?”

“My ship, Twilight, is sunk, Ariel murdered... but that’s not even the worst of it... Sanctuary’s been destroyed... reduced to rubble by some powerful Ancient technology, used by the Garanians who now sail on invisible ships...” Gasps came from Selesti and Tami.

“I saw a light in the eastern sky,” Selesti said, “but I never knew it was Sanctuary being destroyed. By the Gods!”

“I am truly sorry... about Ariel,” Tami said, “You must be exhausted. I’ll have someone take you to a room so you may rest. We will talk more in the morning.”

“Thank you,” Arietta said. Half dazed, she was led to a room. She closed the door and before she could even strip, she lay down on the bed and fell into a deep, dark sleep.

~

“Darker times are upon us,” Selesti said, when she was alone with Tami, “I hoped I had seen the worst, but I had never expected this.” She held Tami’s trembling hands in hers, “We have to disband and go into hiding,” Selesti said, “There’s no way we can openly resist the Moral Revolution any longer.”

“Where will we go?” Tami asked, “How will we get there?”

“We’re not going anywhere,” Selesti said, “At least, not as a unit. We must all split up and go our separate ways, blend into cities and try to get by for a while. The Resistance must go dark. It’s the only way.”

“But if we don’t fight back, the revolution is over! They win!” Tami said, “Selesti, you’re my wife! I won’t leave you now!”

“Then we all die,” Selesti said, “You heard Arietta, they have invisible ships! There’s no telling what other technology they’ve unearthed. They could destroy the temple entirely! All that is left of San Ria’s Resistance is here, Tami. All our eggs are in one basket, and that basket is about to get destroyed! I don’t see any other option.”

“At least let me go with you!” Tami said, “Even if we have to pretend to just be friends...”
“We can’t,” Selesti said, “I cannot ask the women of this temple to give up their lovers, their wives, their families and go into hiding without doing the same thing myself. You know that...”

“I’m afraid,” Tami said, “I’m so afraid...”

“So am I,” Selesti said, holding Tami tightly, “I’m afraid that if you’re not by my side, I won’t be able to protect you. That something might happen to you and I won’t be able to save you. I love you, Tami. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you. I don’t want to be apart from you. I just don’t have any other solutions...”

“I can’t believe Sanctuary is gone...” Tami said, “I can’t imagine what Arietta must be feeling...”

“Her husband too,” Selesti said, “I know everybody thought it was a strange decision on her part, but I understood. They wanted to save the world together...”

~

When Arietta woke, she felt calm for the first few seconds, then the enormity of what had happened hit her. Ariel was dead, Sanctuary had been destroyed... She started to cry. Ariel had given his life to save her. She saw in her mind the soldier running him through and throwing his body overboard... nobody could survive that, not even Ariel. He was gone, and there wasn’t anybody she could share her grief with who would understand.

Sanctuary, as well. She could have been happy there, but she had rejected it, and now that door had closed to her, to all of them, forever. There was no place left to run, and nothing left to run to. Elisha, Pandora, Luna, Thea... even if they were still on the ship, there was little chance they would have survived the invisible fleet. She cried for all of them as well. They hadn’t deserved to reap the fruit of her failures. She should have taken Garania back when she had a fleet, but she had been the one who had been too cautious. We should scout it out first, she remembered telling Ariel. Like the green girl I was, too naive to understand that we had only one chance. Then she’d been captured, and the shaky alliance she had made fell apart within a day. Ariel had come for her, but not before she’d been tortured and raped. They’d been on the run ever since, fleeing the Moral Revolution, trying to convince allies that they were strong enough to take Garania, but the moment had passed and everybody had convinced themselves that it was best to wait out the storm and let the Moral Revolution pass like a sickness.

Truth was, I wanted to go back to Sanctuary then. But I was too ashamed to go back in failure, and too afraid to face Elisha and tell her I’d moved on. There would have been no place for Ariel, either. I couldn’t leave him, he did so much for me...

A knock woke her from her reverie, and she opened the door to see Selesti standing there, her eyes sad and dark. Arietta let her in at once.

Selesti wiped her eyes, “I’ve decided to break up the Resistance here,” she said, “I don’t see any other way. Invisible ships, weapons that can shoot a whole island out of the sky... We’re in too deep, Arietta. The only way for us to survive is if we assimilate into the cities and lay low. Our time will come, but it is not now.”

“Do what you have to do to survive,” Arietta said, “I don’t care any more. Everything I ever wanted to protect has been snuffed out of this world. You’re the only person I care about that still draws breath. Everybody else is gone... I may as well fight back and go with them.”

“You don’t know that for sure,” Selesti said, “Thea, Elisha and the others may still be out there. Just because the island was destroyed doesn’t mean they were on it, or that the Moral Revolution sent a fleet with the weapon. In fact, they may have sent the fleet after you to stop you interfering. You can’t just give up, Arietta. Not until you’re certain.”

“What am I supposed to do?” Arietta said, “Swim to them? I have no ship, no money, nobody to help me, nothing.”

“I have resources,” Selesti said, “Take my gold and buy a modest boat. Find them, if they are still alive. I’m too frightened to go, but you can do it, Arietta. Find out what happened and if anybody still lives. Please.”

“Why do you care?” Arietta said, “They were never your people. You left the White Ship before we even really began our journey...”

“They were here,” Selesti said, “I rescued them from the dungeons just a few days ago. Pandora and Luna were married, and Elisha pined for you. They are good people, Arietta. Don’t give up on them. Don’t make what I risked to save them be for nothing. They’re your friends, so go save them.”

“Selesti...” Arietta said, “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Selesti said, “I owe you a lot, Arietta. After all I did to you...”

“You had your reasons,” Arietta said, “I forgave you a long time ago.”

“I know,” Selesti said, “With this, maybe I can finally forgive myself.” She handed Arietta an envelope filled with San Rian money, “Talk to Ed at the docks. He’s a friend of the Resistance. He’ll sell you a boat without trouble.” She stood up, “Farewell, Arietta. I hope the next time we meet, the world will be a place where we can live in peace. Until then.”

“Until then...” Arietta said, looking down at the envelope she clutched in her trembling hands. Elisha pined for you, Selesti had said. It was all too painful to think about, but she had to go. She had to know if her friends were still alive. Then she would work out what she was going to do next.

Chapter 7

Arietta bid farewell to the temple quietly, leaving without a grand exit. Selesti was gathering her recruits in the main hall to announce the dissolution of the Resistance, so after a change of clothes, she used the opportunity to slip away.

It wasn’t hard to find Ed, the shipmaster. “A small boat, big enough for about ten? Sure, I can do that.” Arietta handed him the money that Selesti had given him, keeping back a little for provisions. It was enough that he would certainly keep quiet if the authorities came snooping for information.

The Homemaker was an old boat, but sturdy. Arietta inwardly scoffed at the name, but she knew she could change it later if she wanted. She wondered what name lie below the cheaply-applied paint that the Moral Revolution had found it so offensive. Probably a reference to the now-banned Fire God of San Ria.

She hastily shopped for provisions, keeping her head low and the hood of her cloak up. It was a cold, dark day, so nobody thought anything of it, and she was soon back at the boat. She stowed the provisions, untied the boat, and headed away before any guards came to ask difficult questions.

“Arietta,” called a female voice from the cabin, once she had reached the open sea. Startled, Arietta jumped and drew her sword, to find Tami standing behind her, open-handed arms up in the air in surrender.

“Tami! What are you doing here! Selesti will kill me!” Arietta sheathed her sword.

“Doing what she can’t do,” Tami said, “She was the one who told me we have to be apart for our safety, but she has to stay in San Ria to help the others remain in hiding. I know she wanted to help you. So I came in her place.”

“They’re not her friends,” Arietta said, “She-- you don’t have to...”

“Selesti is not the woman you remember,” Tami said, “She told me what happened to her in Garania. She’s so much braver now, willing to put her neck out for others. I think she’s trying to atone for what she did to you. She wants you to find your friends, Arietta. She wants you to be happy, to find the place where you belong...”

“I had the place where I belonged,” Arietta said, her face sad, “With Ariel, fighting the good fight against the Moral Revolution. For the first time in my life, I felt like I was doing what I was supposed to do with my life. Even when I was aboard the White Ship, it never felt quite right. I always questioned why we wanted to live away from men, away from the world that we wanted to see and accept us.”

“The world’s not ready for us,” Tami said, “Not yet. Once the Moral Revolution is swept away, I believe our time will come. But until then, we need a place we can be safe. That’s why Selesti’s been fighting, and I believe it’s what those aboard the White Ship wanted as well.”
“First we have to defeat the Moral Revolution,” Arietta said, “That’s looking more hopeless by the day. They’re so deeply entrenched into society now that people don’t even see them as extreme. They use codewords to hide what really happens to their neighbors, their friends...”

“It’s not over,” Tami said, cutting Arietta off, “Selesti told me you had given up hope, but you can’t! Ariel believed in what you believed. Honor his memory by continuing to fight! We’ll find your friends, and we’ll start again. A new White Ship, a new Sanctuary, a new Resistance. Whatever we need. They can’t crush our dreams, Arietta. They can’t!”

“They can, and they have,” Arietta said, “The man I loved is dead. My friends may be also. The Resistance is in hiding. My warship adorns a murky grave beneath the waves...”

“Yet that’s not what made you lose hope, is it?” Tami said, “You started wearing black long before that. Right after you were captured and freed from Garania...”

She knows. Horror flowed through Arietta’s veins, “Tami, don’t... I don’t want to talk about it.”

“You saw the heart of darkness, the root of evil in human form. That’s what made you lose faith. Before it was a fight. Even when Selesti told you what happened, it seemed distant, unreal somehow. Then it happened to you...”

“Shut up!” Arietta slammed her fist down, “What gives you the right to come aboard my ship and presume to know what’s going through my mind? You don’t even know me!”

“I’m sorry,” Tami said, hurt in her eyes, “I just want to help you.”

“There is nothing you can do,” Arietta said, “You shouldn’t have come. This is a suicide mission, looking for friends who are most likely dead in an ocean full of invisible enemy warships. I don’t care if I die, I have nothing else. But you...”

“That’s why I’m here,” Tami said, “I’m not just going to let you throw your life away. I won’t let Garania take away the leader of the Resistance, the woman who embodies all our hopes and dreams. So they hurt you, and it’s hard. I get that, I’ve held Selesti after her nightmares. But you have to find a way to go on. Everybody is counting on you.”

Arietta turned away, hiding the tears in her eyes, “I can’t be who they want me to be,” she said, “I thought I was strong, but I made a mistake. I could have led the charge and destroyed Garania forever. Instead I scouted ahead and was captured. The alliance fell apart. The person who came back from that... wasn’t the same, I know. That’s what Garania wants, to defeat us inside, but still have us walking around. I don’t want to be like that... I don’t want to let them win... Yet I can’t help feeling this pain inside. I couldn’t even look at Ariel the same way again after I came back, I felt so ashamed.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Tami said, “So you made a mistake. You’re human. You didn’t want more people to die than had to. Did you ever consider that maybe you were right, even? Garania has technology we couldn’t have dreamed of, relics ripped from the Ancient Tower. Your fleet could have been torn to shreds. Caution wasn’t stupid. It was you, caring about what happened to the people who were fighting at your side. That’s what makes you different from them. You care.”

“Perhaps that’s true...” Arietta said, looking out at the waves, “Tami, would you take the helm for a while?” She pulled out a map, “We’re heading for these coordinates. I’m going to take a nap.”

“Okay,” Tami said, “Arietta...?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s going to be all right.” Tami said, and Arietta managed a wan smile.

~

“Wake up, Arietta! There’s something strange on the horizon!” Tami shook Arietta, and she was up at once, rushing out on deck.

“What is that?” Arietta said, pulling out her telescope. She looked through it and handed it to Tami.

“Looks like some kind of black void,” Tami said, “There’s a lot of activity around it, things flying in the air. What happened here?”

“Pull us closer, but not too close,” Arietta said, “We need to take a look.”

Driftwood started to appear in the water, growing thicker as they approached the void, “There was clearly a huge battle here,” Arietta said, “This is debris from several ships.”

“Look out!” Tami cried, as a demon spotted them and flew over. He landed on the deck and took a swipe at Arietta, who had her sword drawn and was on it in a second.

“Arietta, we have to get out of here!” Tami cried, “It’s too dangerous!”

“I’m not leaving until I find the White Ship!” Arietta said. Her sword cut through leathery skin, but the demon rushed her and knocked her off her feet, pinning her down. Tami abandoned the helm and drew her sword, lopping the creature’s head off. Arietta threw off the demon as it disintegrated.

“Thanks,” Arietta said, brushing herself off, “What’s that... over there?”

Tami moved closer to the white driftwood and saw a white clad figure hanging on for dear life. Arietta helped the White Knight aboard. She was badly wounded, but conscious.

“Arietta!” The White Knight looked both happy and frightened, “We have to get out of here at once...! The White Ship is gone, Arietta... and Sanctuary was completely destroyed... All that’s left of our dreams are a few rocks that fell from the sky... Everybody I cared about is dust...” She started to cry as Arietta handed her a cup of water. She drank heavily, her lips dry and cracked.

“Start at the beginning,” Arietta said, “What happened after my ship left?”

“We... were going home,” the girl said, “Elisha, Pandora and Luna returned to us, having escaped the San Rian authorities. Thea decided we should return to Sanctuary, where it was safe. There was a lot of crying, upset... mostly about you, Arietta, and how you’d changed. People liked you...”

“Yeah, well...” Arietta lowered her head. They haven’t seen what I’ve seen, known what I’ve known. They are still children, naively dreaming that this world will fix itself.

“Pandora signaled the island to begin its descent. As it did, ships appeared out of nowhere! Like they had been there all along, but we just couldn’t see them. Two were lashed together, supporting this giant machine that was directly underneath Sanctuary. Then it unleashed a bright beam that shot up into the sky. Sanctuary was caught in it... and it melted, turned to dust right before our eyes...”

“It must be the Ancients’ technology,” Arietta said, “The Garanians have been excavating the Ancient Tower. I knew they found weapons from the past, but I never imagined anything like this...”

“Pandora went crazy,” the girl continued, “She became really powerful! She could destroy ships with a scream or the swipe of her hand. She wiped out the fleet. If it wasn’t for her, we wouldn’t have escaped, but...”

“What about the void?” Arietta asked, “Where did that come from?”

“Pandora opened it,” the girl sighed, “It was as if she tore the world open with her grief and rage. Then she sprouted black wings and flew away, leaving Luna and her friends to their fate. Demonic creatures came from the void and landed on the ship. Thea fought one off, but the void also brought with it a black storm. We couldn’t get the ship under control and it tore apart... The last thing I remember from the ship is Thea telling everybody to abandon ship.”

“Then you clung to driftwood and survived,” Arietta said, “Tami, did you hear all that?”

“Yes,” Tami said, “It would seem that we need to find Pandora. She opened the void, she must know how to close it. If she flew away though, she could have gone anywhere...”

“We need to find other survivors,” Arietta said, unfolding her map, “It’s likely that any survivors would have washed up here, on Mason’s Cove. I say we go there and see if we can find any clue as to where Pandora might have gone.”

“Arietta...” the girl spoke up, her voice weak, “I can’t believe all this has happened...” Then she fell into a deep sleep, exhausted from her ordeal.

Arietta went to the side of the boat and looked out at the void, at the choppy ocean of driftwood that swirled all around her, “I can,” she whispered, “I can.”

~

Arietta spent the afternoon crudely scratching names into her sword. It was ugly, but Faith had been lost to the ocean and she suspected it would be a while before she could get to a blacksmith.

Tami came to her when it was time to change shifts, “What are you doing?” she asked.

“My old sword, Faith, had all the names of people who had lost something to the cause,” Arietta said, “I lost the sword when I escaped from my warship. Now I have to remember them all and engrave them on my new sword.”

“Arietta,” Tami said, “You know, the whole weight of the world doesn’t have to be on your shoulders. You have friends. You are not responsible for all these names, these people.”

“If I don’t remember them, who will?” Arietta said, feverishly scratching, “Garania won’t. Nor the Arian Empire. Not even San Ria. If they are remembered at all, it is as traitors. Somebody has to remember that they existed. Otherwise, they didn’t.” She started to tear up again, “I didn’t even know the names of all the White Knights who perished on Sanctuary, or all of Ariel’s warriors aboard Twilight. So many people are gone and we have no idea of their hopes and dreams, their wishes and desires... I should have stayed on Sanctuary. Maybe I could have stopped this if I’d just stayed with the others. They wouldn’t have come looking for me...”

“Stop it, Arietta.” Tami said, “Look at me. You can’t change it. Sanctuary is gone. Your ship is gone. Ariel and the others are dead. Regardless of what could or might have been, it’s gone now, and all we can do is grieve and move on.”

“You didn’t know any of the people on Sanctuary!” Arietta said, “It’s easy for you to say that!”

“That’s not true,” Tami said, “My childhood friend, Mira, left to join the White Knights. At the time, I was too afraid and uncertain about myself to take a stand. So I let her go, and never saw her again. I wanted to see her again so many times, to tell her that I’d overcome my fears and grown up to find love. I often hoped that Sanctuary would come down so I could speak with her, but time passed and I got on with life. Now I can never tell her.”

Arietta stood up, tossing her project to the side, “Rest, Tami. I’ll get us to the shore.” She stalked past Tami and out onto the deck. Tami, exhausted from the day, shrugged and climbed into the bunk below the White Knight they’d picked up at the shore. As Tami fell asleep she realized they hadn’t even asked the woman her name.

~

“Tami, wake up.” Arietta’s voice spoke urgent words, but they came with a quiet, sad tone. Tami rubbed the drowsiness from her eyes and sat up.

“What...” Tami protested.

“She’s dead,” Arietta said. The body of the White Knight was cradled in her arms, pale and still.

“How?” Tami said, suddenly jerking to awareness, “We gave her water, fed her, and I didn’t see any major injuries...”

Arietta held up the knife that she’d been whittling the sword with the night before, and Tami saw the knife cuts across the woman’s wrists, the dried blood all over her hands.

“Gods... she bled to death as I lay sleeping...” Tami buried her head in her hands, pulling at her hair.

“It’s not your fault,” Arietta said, “I should have paid more attention, talked with her. I didn’t even ask her name. She knew me, but I didn’t have a clue who she was...”

“The White Ship had a lot of recruits,” Tami said, “You can’t have known them all.”

Arietta shook her head and snapped back to business, “We’re near land, anyway. We’ll bury her when we get ashore. I have to get back to the wheel or the boat will stray off course.”

“Of course,” Tami said. You were right, Selesti. Arietta does need someone to watch over her... But what if I can’t help? I promised you I’d help her... but I don’t even know where to begin! You should be here, you know her better than I do...

~

It was dusk by the time they made their way to solid ground and buried the White Knight, along with two others they had found washed up on the beach. Tami said a few words, having had to bury people at the temple who had died.

“I’m tired of tragedy,” Arietta said, “Just when I think my heart can’t break any more, something else happens. I’m so tired...”

“We should go back to the boat and rest,” Tami said, “I don’t want to be out here when it gets dark. Not with those demons around.”

They turned to start down the beach when Arietta heard a distant cry. She turned her head and saw two figures emerging from the nearby forest; one with brown hair and one with pinkish-red hair that stood out.

“No... it couldn’t be...” Arietta said. She broke into a run.

“Arietta, wait!” Tami said, but Arietta was running.

Elisha couldn’t believe her eyes, “Could it be Arietta?” she asked Luna, who was standing next to her. In her mind, Thea stood there also, smiling, before she disappeared.

“That looks like Tami with her... Odd traveling companions... Where’s Selesti?” Luna asked.

Elisha, though, didn’t care about Tami or Selesti. She started to run, seeing Arietta’s golden hair as if she were dreaming. Arietta is running towards me... she wants to see me... perhaps Lady Thea was lying and she’s not married?

She embraced Arietta and spun her around. Arietta clung to her, tears in her eyes. They held each other for a long time while Luna greeted Tami and asked about Selesti.

Finally, they parted. Elisha saw Thea’s image standing next to her, “You should ask her if what I said was true,” she said.

“Arietta...” Elisha let go of her and looked down at the ground, “Is it true... is it true you’re married to a man?”

“Yeah... it’s true,” Arietta said, “Ariel Valentine, a young lord from Garania. We were going to take back Garania together...” She started to cry and Elisha put her arms on her shoulders, “He’s dead, Elisha. He died saving my life... My dream is over...”

Elisha was speechless. He’s dead... He’s dead! Gods, I’m a horrible person... Arietta is in pain and all I can feel is a sick feeling of hope...

“You’re only human,” Thea said, “It’s normal to feel jealous. Anybody else would do the same in your position.”

Get out of my head! Elisha thought, and Thea vanished. She looked up at the sobbing Arietta and held her close. Arietta rested her head on Elisha’s shoulder.

I’m the one you come to only when everything else is broken and lost, Elisha thought, yet somehow, I’m happy. I hate feeling this way, like a dog happy to receive a treat from its cruel master...

Yet she stroked Arietta’s hair until she was done crying, and took her by the hand to the cave she was using as shelter. She barely heard Tami and Luna say they were going to sleep on the boat, or notice them leave.

As soon as they were alone in the cave, Arietta was on Elisha, kissing her. Elisha kissed back, knowing that she should say no, but Arietta wanted the comfort, and so did she. It had been so long since she had felt Arietta’s warmth, smelled the scent of her golden hair, felt the curve of her breasts in her hands. She let herself be consumed by desire and gave in completely to Arietta’s touch.

While Arietta slept, Elisha looked up at the cave’s ceiling. A million spikes threatening to come down at any second and pierce her heart. That’s how this was. In the morning, who knew what Arietta would say? That they had needed warm comfort, but it was too soon after her husband’s death to enter into a relationship? Or that she wanted to go back to the way things were and pretend she’d never left and taken a husband?

Lady Thea appeared. Elisha was almost grateful to see her. She would give her some advice, surely, even if she was just a manifestation of her broken mental state.

“You look beautiful,” Thea said, sadness in her eyes. Elisha felt her nakedness but Arietta was wrapped in the blanket and she didn’t feel like getting dressed and possibly making noise. Let Lady Thea see her like this, did it matter?

What are you? Elisha asked inside her mind, You appear at any time, you can read my thoughts, yet you sound nothing like me... Am I going mad? Or are you a ghost, here to tell me what I have missed? That I should have taken your marriage proposal and stayed on Sanctuary?

“In truth, I don’t know,” Thea said, “I am think I am alive, but I am neither here nor there. I did at first wonder if I was dreaming, but you are definitely you and I sense that these events are certainly happening. I am sorry if I have invaded your privacy.”

Could it be some power of your Ancient blood? Elisha asked, But why me? Why not Pandora, the other Ancient? Or Luna? Someone less troubled than I...

“I would think that would be obvious,” Thea said, “You are the only person left in this world I feel close to. The only one I truly care for. Sanctuary is gone and everything I have worked for has crumbled down, but the truth is, it stopped being my dream the day I nearly destroyed the world. Everybody lost faith in me. They took Sanctuary and made it theirs, and I was happy for them... but I never felt I belonged there. That’s why I left with you. I thought if I could make you happy, give you some closure... maybe you would finally see me. I’ve been so selfish all along, I’m so sorry...”

I know you care for me, Elisha said, Sometimes... I wish I could fall in love with you. I love Arietta, but she hurts me and then comes back and expects my love... I give it every time, I can’t help myself around her. I hate myself for it. I’m so tired of being hurt, I just want something simple.

“That’s for you to work out,” Thea said, “I can’t make you love me. I don’t want to be second best, either. That’s how you feel to Arietta.”

What should I do? Elisha asked, I can’t find Pandora and honestly, I’m not sure if I want to. I don’t want her to give her life to close the Gate... I can’t let Luna’s heart be broken like that... Meanwhile, my life is a mess...”

“Find me,” Thea said, “I will help you work all this out. I don’t know exactly where my body lies, but I see a small island, with a beach. Beyond that, there is a field of flowers and a small temple. An old man and a child are caring for my body, but they can’t wake me...”

I’ve been there! Elisha said, Manheim Island. It’s a holy shrine built on an island way out in the ocean... in the heart of the Arian Empire! It’s at least three weeks from here... how did you manage to travel so fast so quickly?

“Who knows?” Thea said, “Strange things are happening. The very fabric of this world has been torn apart. Find me, and we’ll search for Pandora together. She’s the key to all this.”

The Gate, perhaps. But what about Garania? Arietta isn’t just going to give up on her dreams so quickly. Elisha sighed, There’s nothing we can do about the Moral Revolution, is there?

“At present, no,” Thea said, “If we don’t make the Gate our priority, the world will certainly perish. The Moral Revolution comes second. You have to make Arietta understand that, or go your separate ways.” Thea walked over to where Elisha was standing and took her in an embrace. Even though Thea’s form was intangible, Elisha still felt comforted, “You can do it, Elisha,” Thea whispered, before disappearing.

Down on the floor of the cave, Arietta began to stir. Elisha felt exposed and dressed before Arietta could wake fully. She went outside and looked at the ocean, the waves roaring and crashing into the rocks. It was a new day. Somehow, they had to pick up the pieces that were left and carry on. The world was depending on them for its very survival... and so was Lady Thea.

Chapter 8

Arietta woke, and they ate a small breakfast wordlessly. Elisha picked at the rations, not caring to eat. Emotions were swirling around in her gut. Beside her sat Arietta, the woman she had yearned for, the woman she had left Sanctuary for, but she felt no joy in Arietta’s presence. Thea had been right when she had spoken to Elisha in her mind; she felt second-best. Arietta had married, loved, lived, and only when it had all come tumbling down had she come back to Elisha.

“What now?” Elisha asked, as much to herself as to Arietta.

“We need to find Pandora,” Arietta said, “I think we need to check the northern continent; she could easily have gone there. I mean, most of it is uncharted but--”

“I mean, with us,” Elisha said, “What did last night mean to you?”

“I don’t know,” Arietta said, “A lot has happened. Ariel’s death, my ship’s sinking, the failure of the Resistance, the destruction of Sanctuary and the White Ship... I can’t even begin to process all of that. So don’t ask... I don’t know. All I know is we have to find a way forward.”

“We have to find Lady Thea,” Elisha said, “We have no clue where Pandora is, and we could spend months searching the northern continent for nothing. Meanwhile, I know where Lady Thea is. She came to me in a dream.” It was been a waking vision, not a dream, but dreams had been seen as a sign of things to come for thousands of years, and she had to make Arietta buy it. Even though she hated lying to a woman she loved. “She’s on Manheim Island, in the Arian Empire.”

“That’s impossible!” Arietta said, “That’s weeks away from here! There’s no way she could have gone so far so quickly! You just had an ordinary dream, Elisha; Thea’s probably dead. It’s insanity to even suggest going to the Arian Empire. We’d be killed!”

“I know it sounds ridiculous,” Elisha said, “Lady Thea told me that the world has changed, though, with the Gate’s opening. Anything is possible now. We have to reach her, Arietta. I think everything will fall into place then.”

“Fall into place? You think that Pandora is just going to fall out of the sky? Elisha, you’re going off the deep end! Let me decide where we’re going.”

Elisha stood up and threw her bowl of rations aside, “Don’t talk to me like I’m one of your soldiers,” she said, “I don’t care if you commanded a vessel of your own; I’m not yours to order about!”

“Then don’t talk nonsense!” Arietta said, “Like we’re going to go to the Arian Empire because you had a dream! Like we could just pick up where we left off like nothing happened in two years!”

“That was your choice, not mine,” Elisha said, “I wanted to build a life with you, but Sanctuary wasn’t good enough for you! You didn’t want to be safe, to be happy. You had to have it all - Garania, Arian, San Ria. Are you happy now? You have nothing!” Elisha stalked off down the beach, kicking sand as she went. Arietta stood silently.

Luna and Tami were waiting by the boat. They pretended not to have seen the angry exchange, and Elisha was grateful. Arietta soon followed and they boarded the boat in silence.

“Where are we going?” Tami asked, “We need to plan what we’re going to do next.”

“We’re going to the Northern Continent,” Arietta said, “There’s a good chance that Pandora may have gone there; there are many Ancient ruins that have never really been explored.”

“That’s quite a long shot,” Luna said, “But I guess it’s better than nothing.”

“There’s another option,” Elisha said. Arietta tried to glare her down but Elisha ignored her, “I had a dream. Lady Thea was calling me to her. She’s trapped in some kind of coma, a dream state between worlds. Her body is on Manheim Island, in the Arian Empire. She doesn’t know how she got there but she needs us to come to her.”

“Sounds a lot more solid than searching the Northern Continent,” Tami said, “I mean, I know a dream can just be a dream but it sounds far too specific for that. The legends of the Ancients I read at the temple speak of people who can send their consciousness to somebody who is close to them. Thea’s an Ancient, right? So it’s possible...”

“The Arian Empire is dangerous,” Luna said, “If we go there, we might not come back alive. Pandora needs us, wherever she is. We need to keep searching for her!”

“Then perhaps we should split up,” Elisha said, “I’ll sail to the Arian Empire with Tami and rescue Lady Thea. Luna and Arietta can keep searching for Pandora here, and head for the Northern Continent if they don’t find her. There’s a land bridge shown on the sea charts that should see you across safely on foot.”

“I won’t let you take my boat,” Arietta said, “We’ll be stranded here, miles from any inhabited places! If you don’t come back, what will we do then?”

“Lady Thea’s going to die if we don’t help her, I can feel it!” Elisha said, “We don’t have any idea where Pandora is! Don’t any of you care about Thea?”

There was silence. Elisha shook her head, “I can’t believe you, Arietta. If it wasn’t for Lady Thea, you’d have died in Garania. You stood there and you helped her overcome when she was weak, saying she was your friend. We all did.” She looked at Luna, “You too, Luna. I know Pandora’s your wife, but without Lady Thea you never would have met her!”

“I care about her,” Luna said, “I honestly do. I’m just worried about the woman I love, that’s all! My priorities are always going to be with her!”

“Understandable,” Elisha said, “It’s Arietta I don’t understand.”

“You ran away from us, led by her!” Arietta yelled, “Together, we could have had the strength to destroy the Moral Revolution but you isolated yourselves on that floating island and ignored the world! Every day, people are being murdered for who they love. Tortured because they care about somebody else, and all you ever cared about was hiding away!”

“Stop it,” Tami said, “Arietta, I know you’ve been through a lot, but you need to calm down. You can’t blame those who went to Sanctuary for what has happened. Don’t you think they’ve all paid enough? Plenty of us stayed on the ground and fought back, Arietta. It just takes time to fight back something as huge as the Moral Revolution. You’re so impatient sometimes...”

“We’re going to the Northern Continent,” Arietta said, “It’s my boat, and if you don’t like it, you can get off.” Elisha thought she could see tears in Arietta’s eyes as she turned and walked to the helm, but she felt no desire to stop her in her tracks, to argue further. It was all pointless, just hot air. Arietta wasn’t listening to anybody but herself.

Elisha lay on the bunk she’d chosen for herself and closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep. It was the only way to get any solitude.

I’m sorry, Lady Thea, she thought, I tried, I really did... but Arietta’s always been stronger than me, and I can’t win this battle. Nor any other, I fear. I can’t penetrate Arietta’s black rage at all that’s happened. It scares me to see her like this, lashing out, hurting me, hurting others... She doesn’t care what she says, like she’s intentionally trying to push everybody away...

“She probably is,” Thea said, appearing in her mind, “Perhaps the best thing is to give her some space. She’s been through a lot, I’m sure...”

I’d like to, Elisha thought, but I wanted to rescue you...

“There’s still a way,” Lady Thea said, “don’t give u--”

“Wake up!” Arietta was shaking the bunk. Elisha opened her eyes, “What’s the matter?” she asked.

“You can’t just lie here all day. You have to do your share,” Arietta said, “I know you didn’t agree to this, but you came along, so you need to help.”

“I wasn’t trying to get out of it,” Elisha said, “Arietta, please, stop this. I don’t want to fight with you. I’m just trying to understand what’s going on with you. You’ve changed so much...”

“I haven’t changed,” Arietta said, “Perhaps you never really knew me.”

Elisha shook her head, “I’ll take the helm,” she said, “I need the fresh air.”

The day went on, Arietta stalking the deck, barking orders. Tami and Luna took it in their stride but Elisha hated it, and she was glad when Arietta and Luna retired to the cabin.

“I can’t take much more of this,” Elisha complained to Tami, “I thought I loved Arietta more than anything. I left Sanctuary to find her, abandoning everybody else in the process. Now, I find her, and she’s... like this. One moment she’s tender and kind, the next, she snaps and starts demanding things of people. Are you really just going to take it?”

“Can you blame her for being bitter?” Tami said, “She’s been through a lot.”

“We’ve all been though a lot!” Elisha exclaimed, “What’s so special that she’s endured? We’ve all lost people we cared about. We’re all homeless and afraid!”

“She was captured by Garania, Elisha,” Tami said, “They... they...”

“Oh Gods, they raped her...” Elisha said, “Why didn’t I see it...” She felt pale and sick to her stomach, “Tami, take the wheel,” she said. She rushed below decks.

Arietta was asleep. The moon’s light illuminated a calm, peaceful face. Elisha felt tears sting her eyes but pushed them away as she gently shook Arietta awake.

“What is it?” Arietta complained, “I’m trying to sleep.”

“Please, come and talk to me for a few minutes outside,” Elisha said, “It’s important.”

“All right,” Arietta said, getting up. They walked out onto the deck. Tami looked nervous, but Arietta dismissed her calmly. “Get some sleep,” she said, and Tami went into the cabin. Elisha took the wheel, gripping it tightly.

“You didn’t have to push me away,” Elisha said, “Arietta, I want to help you, to be there for you I didn’t know... that Garania captured you.”

“Yeah,” Arietta said, her voice tight. She stood looking out at the ocean, her back turned to Elisha, “So you know, huh. I guess Tami couldn’t keep it to herself.”

“Don’t be like that,” Elisha said, “She was concerned for you. We all are. The strange mood swings, the commanding tone... We all know it’s not like you. Arietta, you used to shine so brightly. Even when you lost faith, you always found it again. When you left Sanctuary, I believed it was to pursue a dream, so I let you go...”

“There are no dreams in this world,” Arietta said, “Everything I had, the Moral Revolution has crushed it. I’m not even motivated by the hope of a better world any more. I just want revenge, plain and simple. It’s the only thing that keeps me going, the thought of it ending.”

“Arietta...” Elisha was lost for words, “There will be better days, I promise you. If we can just get through this, close the Gate... We can start again.”

“There’s nothing to start,” Arietta said, “I’m done. Elisha, you have no idea what I’ve seen. I don’t even care to tell you, or anybody. I feel like it’s a cancer, that if I tell you, your light will be extinguished also. I don’t care if I live or die, to be honest with you. I just want to make sure that what they do to people ends. Then I can rest in peace. Not until then.”

“Arietta, talk to me,” Elisha said, “Please...”

Arietta shook her head, “No, Elisha. You’re warm, kind, a good person. A person I loved, when I could still feel love. I won’t let them sully you with this... I won’t let them make you hurt too.”

“If you ever want to talk about it, Arietta... I’m always here for you.” Elisha said.

“I know,” Arietta said, clutching at a necklace around her throat, “Thank you, Elisha. You’ve always been a good friend to me. I’m sorry that I didn’t talk to you. That I’ve been acting strange and I’ve been picking fights with you... I thought it would be easier if you just grew to hate me... If you moved on with your life, found somebody else...”

“Lady Thea wanted to marry me,” Elisha confessed, “Before I left Sanctuary, looking for you, she told me to forget about the world below, to marry her. I’ve been wondering ever since how everything would be different if I’d just accepted her offer...”

“Is that why you want to find her so badly?” Arietta said.

“I don’t know,” Elisha said, “I’m honestly confused. I thought she was just a friend. My mind was focused on seeing you again someday. But ever since Sanctuary fell, she’s been appearing to me, and I realize... I miss her. I’m frightened for her safety. I want to see her again...”

Arietta stood quietly for a moment, looking out at the waves all around them. The wind caught her hair and Elisha thought she detected an expression of sadness on Arietta’s face for just a second. Then it was gone and Arietta looked steadfast and determined.

“Change course,” she said at last, “We’re going to find Lady Thea.”

Chapter 9

The small boat was tossed and thrown about on the wild ocean, but Elisha, Arietta, Tami and Luna stayed the course. Luna seemed dejected after discovering they weren’t going to look for Pandora, but she stayed quiet and did not protest openly. Elisha often saw her looking out at the sky, though, as if she hoped to see black wings above her.

“Luna... Are you okay?” Elisha asked one evening as she went out on deck to see Luna scanning the sky.

“I just keep hoping... that she’ll find us,” Luna said. “I’m scared that her power’s gone away and she’s alone somewhere, waiting for our help.”

“I want to help her,” Elisha said, “We have no idea where she is, though. Have you had any dreams? Do you even know where she might go?”

“I haven’t, and I don’t,” Luna admitted, “It just seems so wrong, leaving her out there. She’s my wife and I feel so helpless!” Tears stung her eyes, “I promised I’d always be by her side, that I would protect her, but when it comes down to it, there’s absolutely nothing I can do...”

“We’ll find her,” Elisha said, “Somebody with power as great as hers will attract notice. I know we’ll hear something. Perhaps when we reach Lady Thea, we’ll get some answers. Either way, we’re not giving up on her! Pandora’s our friend.”

“So... what’s going on between you and Arietta?” Luna asked, changing the subject, “You’re not fighting any more, and that’s good, but...”

“It’s complicated,” Elisha said, “Arietta’s been through a lot in the last two years. There’s a lot of changes with me as well. I’m not sure how I feel any more.”

“Do you love Lady Thea?” Luna said, “Is that why we’re going halfway around the world based on a dream?”

“I don’t know,” Elisha said, “Everything used to be so clear, and now it’s not... I feel like I don’t even know who I am any more.” She stood at the side and looked over at the rolling waves as Luna took the helm.

“I guess we can only wait and see,” Luna said, wistfully.

~

Arietta woke with a feeling of terror filling her entire body. She could see them surrounding her. In the dream, she was trying to strangle one of them, but they came at her anyway, having their way, doing whatever they wanted with her and she was powerless to stop them. Powerless...

Looking up at the wood supporting the bunk bed, she reminded herself that she was safe now. There was no immediate danger to worry about, and she was in the company of friends. Nobody here will hurt me, she told herself in her thoughts, over and over. I’m safe. Nothing can hurt me here. For now.

With that thought, she sat up. Afraid to go back to sleep, she went out on deck and looked out at the sea. In the distance, she saw the lights of settlements on the land. It seemed almost like they were surrounded by a hostile world. Each light was a soul that could bring her harm, a potential spy or informant. The once good people that made up the masses now seemed cold and cruel, doing whatever it took to save their own skin. That’s how she’d been captured. She’d just wanted a place to sleep and was offered hospitality by a local who lived near the ruins of the Ancient Citadel, a known friend of the Resistance. She’d been rudely awakened in the middle of the night and dragged away, while a sorrowful face whimpered, “I had to do it for my family!”

Arietta couldn’t blame the man, but it still hurt. She wondered if he would do the same thing if he saw what had happened to her. She knew he would. Friend of the Resistance or not, the thought of the same being done to his fifteen year old daughter would have made him sell out at any cost.

“Arietta.” Elisha was at the helm, “Can’t sleep?”

“Just some bad dreams,” Arietta said dismissively, “I get them occasionally.” She continued to look over the side, her back to Elisha, afraid that Elisha would read her features and see her pain.

“Are you worried about going to the Arian Empire?” Elisha asked, “It’s been plain sailing so far, except for the occasional demon attack. I hope the demons distract the army.”

“We can’t count on that,” Arietta said, “There will be danger, and we’ll just have to fight through it. We don’t have any other choice. There is no safe place anymore. No Sanctuary.”

The words hurt Elisha, the reminder of a tragedy too soon past, “Don’t,” she said, “I’m not ready... to talk about that.”

“You have to face it sooner or later,” Arietta said, “The sooner, the better. It’s a hard truth to face but you have to accept that Sanctuary has been destroyed. You’re all too soft. This world will punish you for it.”

“Perhaps, but I’m not willing to give into despair,” Elisha said, “There will be a time for grieving, a time to mourn, but right now, we have a job to do. We have to find Lady Thea. We have to find Pandora and return her to who she was. Somehow, we have to get this Gate closed before the demons destroy our world.”

“Bringing down the Moral Revolution doesn’t even fall into your plans, does it?” Arietta said.

“Not at the moment,” Elisha said, “If you couldn’t stand against them with a ship and an army, we’ve got no chance. I just want to save my friends and find a new home, try to preserve what’s left now that Sanctuary is gone.”

Arietta was shaking. Elisha wondered if she was angry, but didn’t dare to ask. When she eventually turned around, Elisha saw tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Everything I’ve fought for is gone... There’s no way we can win against the Moral Revolution! They’ve won this war...”

“All injustice comes to an end someday,” Elisha said, “It just takes time and patience. The Moral Revolution will fall. Nothing lasts forever. Even this.”

“It could be hundreds of years,” Arietta said, “Their hold is so tight! They have everybody fearing for their lives. How many of us will still walk this world by the time it is over?”

“We’ll survive,” Elisha said, “We’ve come this far, seen this much. I’m not planning to die before the Moral Revolution. But we have to assess our priorities. This entire world could be in danger from the Gate. Demons don’t give a damn about sexuality or pure values, they’ll kill all of us equally.”

“You’re right,” Arietta said. Then she looked up in horror. “Oh no,” she whispered, and pointed off into the distance. A huge ship was approaching them. Lights milled around the deck as soldiers moved about.

“Get the sails down, and get below deck,” Elisha said. She handed a torch to Arietta, “Hurry,” she said, “Then get the lights out!” She hurried below deck and woke Tami and Luna.

“What’s going on?” Tami asked. Elisha explained the situation.

“We may have already been spotted,” Luna said, “Are you sure it’s a Moral Revolution ship?”

“Almost certain,” Elisha said. Arietta raced below decks with a fearful expression on her face, “I think they’re heading towards us,” Arietta said, “They must have seen the lights.”

“Then we’re doomed,” Elisha said, “Should we jump overboard?” She didn't relish the thought of getting wet again, but even drowning was better than capture.

“Hold your horses,” Tami said, “I have an idea. Boats like ours operated out of San Ria al the time. They smuggled forbidden items into Garania and the Arian Empire. They were often raided, so they had hidden compartments to hide goods.” She looked around. Under the bed she found a trapdoor. “One person will fit in here. Arietta, you’re the most wanted. Go first.”

Arietta squeezed into the hole without hesitation. How you’ve changed, Elisha thought. Once upon a time you would gladly have been the last to go. You would have protested that somebody else needed to be safe more than you. That alone frightens me - to know that they can scar somebody as strong as you so deeply.

“Elisha!” Tami almost shoved her into the secret compartment behind the closet.

“Wait--what about you?” Elisha said.

“Someone has to do the talking. Leave it to me!” Tami said, “Just stay perfectly still and be quiet, no matter what happens, okay?” She shut the door and Elisha was left in total darkness. The small space scared her, and she started to breathe fast, her heart beating out of control. Got to get a grip, she thought. If only I could fall asleep and wake up when this was all over...

~

Tami lit the torches. It all has to look normal, she realized. She threw clothes that were obviously not hers into the closet, and made the beds so that it looked like only one person was currently using them. Even then, it seems like a stretch... Fire God, please be with us. It was a prayer echoed by Luna in her hiding place, who was fervently mouthing prayers. Arietta simply closed her eyes and readied her knife. If they should find me, I’ll die before I give myself up. She took a deep breath and waited.

The ship pulled up alongside and soldiers of the Moral Revolution rushed onboard, “Show me your papers!” the captain demanded of Tami. Tami showed them the ship’s purchase papers and her own citizenship papers. “Hmm, why is a citizen of San Ria so far into Arian territory?” the captain asked.

“I thought all of our lands were part of the glorious Moral Revolution!” Tami said.

Don’t overplay your hand, girl, Arietta thought, from her hiding place. She held the steel to her wrists. If they find me, I need to do this fast, so that I bleed out enough before they can save me...

“Indeed they are,” the guard said, “That still does not answer my question, though, young lady, why are you so far from home, and alone? Demons roam about; why did you not bring even a guard from your household?

“I was informed by bird that my mother is ill. She resides in the Empire. I simply wished to see her, as it does not look good. As for the lack of guard, I departed on this journey before I knew of the demons. It has been hard out here; I don’t suppose you could lend me a guard to protect me? My family would pay you handsomely...”

Brilliant, Arietta thought. No traitor or smuggler would request aid from the Decency Guard. We just have to hope he doesn’t actually agree.

Meanwhile, guards were tearing apart the room, looking in chests, under clothes, for anything that they could use against her. Tami protested enough not to arouse suspicion that she didn’t care about her belongings being casually tossed aside, but not so much that the captain would think she was hiding something. Eventually, he seemed satisfied.

“Back to the ship, men.” He ordered, “There’s nothing to see here.”

The guards shuffled out, but the captain stayed, “There’ll be the matter of the safety fee, then.”

“Oh, the safety fee.” Tami said. A bribe? I don’t have any money! I have to think fast, or he’ll order those men back to impound this boat on some made-up charges. She started looking through the possessions, hoping to find money. Hadn’t Arietta brought a bag of gold with her?

“Hurry up, woman, I don’t have all day,” the captain said, “If you can’t pay in coin, then perhaps you can pay me with... other pleasures.” His snarky smile made Tami feel sick to her stomach.

I’ll kill him before I let him touch her! Arietta thought in the confined space. She had her knife ready. It would take just a moment to squeeze from her hiding place, trip the captain up and slit his throat. Then there would be the matter of killing all the soldiers on the ship. Better to go down fighting then to let anybody else be abused like this. Nobody should have to carry this shame. I won’t let it happen.

Just as Arietta was ready to dive from the crawlspace, Tami laid her hands on a bag full of coin. She held it up to the captain. “Take it!” she cried, unable to hide her fear and revulsion, “Take all of it!”

The captain greedily snatched the bag from her hands and peered inside. “I suppose it will do,” he said. He laughed, “I could still have you if I wanted,” he said, “but forget it. You’re ugly anyway. No wonder you came alone - the demons must be afraid of your face! You're not pretty enough to risk my hide protecting.” With a self-satisfied chortle, he turned and left. Tami heard the ship sail away. Trembling, she fell to her knees and started to weep.

Arietta squeezed free of her hiding place and put her arms around Tami, “It’s okay,” she said, “You did well. We’re safe now.”

“Men are such scum!” she said, “I hate them!”

“That’s not true,” Arietta said, “and I think you know that, too. The scum are the leaders of the Moral Revolution, those who preach purity yet let such egregious abuses of power and decency go unchecked. Don’t blame all men for the crimes of a few.”

“I know,” Tami said, “I was just scared... I thought... I thought...”

“It’s okay,” Arietta said, “Don’t think. Just let it all out. It’s okay now. I wasn’t going to let him hurt you, I promise. Selesti would never forgive me if I let anything happen to you.”

“Thanks,” Tami whimpered.

Elisha and Luna came out from their hiding places, “That was a close one,” Luna said, “Thank you, Tami. You were so brave.”

“You were incredible,” said Elisha, looking visibly shaken, “I hope we don’t have to do that again.”

“This is just the beginning,” Arietta said, her expression steely, “If you’re scared, then we should turn back now.”

“We can’t go back,” Luna said, piping up, “We came to save Lady Thea and we’re going to do just that! I’m tired of worrying about what will happen to us. Maybe you’re the one who’s scared, Arietta, I don’t know, but stop being so negative! I understand you’ve seen terrible things, but are you saying you’d rather just give up? The Arietta I knew used to give us hope and the will to go on. You’re just a vampire who sucks us dry because you’re hurting inside!”

“You’re still a child!” Arietta said angrily, standing up to stare Luna in the eye, “Living in your innocent world, with love and marriage and virtue! You haven’t been sullied by those monsters! You don’t know how it feels to have somebody lay their hands on you like the own you and you’re powerless to stop them!” She stormed out onto the deck.

“I’m sorry...” Luna said, “But it needed to be said.”

Tami stood up, wiping the tears from her eyes. “What just happened?”

“We’re falling apart,” Elisha said, and stormed out after Arietta.

~

“Arietta!” Elisha grabbed her by the shoulder and she stopped. “Luna shouldn’t have said those things! We’re all just scared.”

“She might be right,” Arietta said, “I’m not sure I know any more.” She looked out at the ocean, the ship long gone, “Each day I live in fear of the past and the future. I’ve talked about destroying the Moral Revolution, but they’ve destroyed me. They’ve won.” She leaned on the side of the ship, staring down into the murky water, “Ariel said that perhaps with time and love, I’d heal. Find a way to put what happened behind me, but I’m so filled with rage and fear that I don’t think that’s possible.”

“We’re here for you,” Elisha said, “I know we can’t relate, but we do care. Perhaps Selesti is the only person we know who really understands what you’re going through, and she’s a long way away.”

“I think... I think when we get to Manheim Island, I should leave,” Arietta said, “My journey is over. My war has already been lost. I’m only bringing out my rage and hopelessness on people who are trying to achieve something. I need to be alone for a while, to work things out.”

“We’re not leaving you in the middle of the Arian Empire!” Elisha said, “That’s madness!”

“Manheim Island is virtually deserted,” Arietta said, “The Empire pays it little mind, and the Moral Revolution even less. I think I was supposed to go there. I’m not sure I’ll ever be myself again, at least not the person I was when I loved you, Elisha, but maybe I’ll find some peace, like Selesti did. I think it’s what I need to do.”

Elisha took Arietta’s hands in hers, “Arietta, please stay with us. Please. I don’t want to lose you again after going so far to find you.”

“Elisha, I don’t know what you want from me, but I have nothing left to offer you. They took it all from me, and I don’t know if I can ever get it back. Find Lady Thea, and let yourself feel the feelings I know you have for her. Don’t be bound by guilt or duty to me any more. I know you care for her. Otherwise you never would have been so adamant to rescue her.” Arietta closed her eyes, “You have my blessing, Elisha, for what it’s worth. Please, find happiness.” She let go of Elisha’s hands and went below deck, leaving Elisha staring out at the sea, dazed and confused, a thousand thoughts swirling in her mind.

Chapter 10

The demon attacks seemed to slow as they neared Manheim Island. Elisha put it down to the thick fog that enveloped everything for miles around. Even with Arietta’s experienced hand at the helm, the last few miles were slow-going.

“So that’s why nobody cares about this place,” Tami said. “I was surprised when you said that the Moral Revolution had no stake here. I thought they tried to control everything - I figured an island in the Arian Empire, so close to the origin of the Moral Revolution, would definitely be under their command.”

“Too much danger for too little gain,” Arietta said, “The last time I was here, only a handful of families inhabited it, all spread apart. There’s also a forest and some grassland outside the family farms. It could have been a candidate for Sanctuary were it not so close to the Empire.”

“So we’re hiding in plain sight,” Elisha said, as Arietta steered the boat into a small jetty. A few children were fishing, and adults nearby were skinning fish, but other than that it was quiet. Elisha was pleased to see a settlement with no guards.

Arietta tied the boat up and they disembarked, “I guess this is where I say goodbye,” she said. It was no surprise; she had told the others she was leaving after she had told Elisha and all had reacted the same - with a little sadness and a little relief. Unlike Elisha, none of the others begged her to stay, though Tami seemed reluctant to let her out of her sight.

“I know Selesti sent you to watch over me,” Arietta had said, “She couldn’t do it herself, so she sent you. You didn’t come of your own free will, you never would have left her side.”

“So you figured it out,” Tami said, “I will stay if you need me.”

“Your mission is over,” Arietta said, “I’ll be all right on Manheim Island, perhaps better than I’ve been in a long time. I need quiet, solitude - time to grieve and time to decide what to do next.” Her answer seemed to satisfy Tami, who stopped protesting after that.

“Are you certain you want to leave?” Elisha asked. At this point, it seemed almost more of a courtesy to ask than a real drive, and Elisha felt guilty. Of all the things she had expected to happen down here on the surface, for her feelings to dwindle and die so quickly had not been expected. Yet perhaps they had been dwindling for a long time, and new roots growing. I had to see you again to know that I’ve moved on, Elisha thought, and it was true, but she felt bad nonetheless. Just two years previously, if Arietta had asked her to get married, she would have jumped at the chance. But she hadn’t, and now two years later, they were different people, with different goals. You made your choice back then, Elisha thought, only I didn’t understand.

She wondered if Arietta had felt like this when Selesti had left; pain, relief and guilt all rolled into one. Elisha knew that Arietta needed help, but she also knew that it was beyond her power to ease Arietta’s anguish. That healing must come from somewhere within, she realized. So, with a brief kiss on the lips, she bid farewell to the woman she thought she would love forever, and watched as she walked away, disappearing into the fog.

“Will she be okay out there alone?” Tami asked, uncertain.

“Probably better than here with us,” Elisha said, “She needs to be away from danger, and she needs more time and patience than anybody but herself can offer. She needs to be alone. It’s the only way she can start to heal.”

“She will find her path,” Luna said. “We came here to find Lady Thea, right? We should split up and ask around.”

“Right,” Elisha said, and they made their way separately into the small hamlet, asking the fishermen and their wives and children if they had seen anything.

“A lady washed up here maybe two weeks ago,” one woman said, “They took her to the healer on the hill. If you leave this town and keep going up the hill, you’ll eventually find his hut. It’s surrounded by flowers.”

“Thank you,” Elisha said. She found the others, feeling hope for the first time since they had been shipwrecked.

“Don’t get too excited,” Luna warned, “Lots of ships were wrecked, and many people thrown into the water by demons. It could be anybody up there.”

“I know,” Elisha said. Please, let it be you, Thea. I need you now, more than ever. I need to hear your voice. I need to hear your wisdom. I need you to tell me everything’s going to be all right, because I don’t believe it any more. She had grown more and more anxious since the visions of Thea had stopped, and now she almost ran up the hill. Huffing and puffing, she soon stopped. “This is a steep hill. I can’t even see the top.”

“Perhaps it’s more of a mountain,” Tami suggested. “Either way, we should take our time. It’s no good getting there faster if one of us ends up collapsing.”

It took them the best part of an hour to climb the hill, but they broke through the layer of fog to find the sun shining. It was as though they had stepped into another world. Flowers surrounded a small lake, where water flowed into the stream that went downhill to the town. It was idyllic, like a dream after the hell of the world below that was full of demons and bigots. Down a small path was a temple, built in a traditional style.

“It’s beautiful...” Tami said. The sun shone on her sandy hair, and Luna wondered how the soldier could ever have called her ugly.

Elisha wasn’t looking, though. She hurried to the door and knocked sharply three times while her companions stared at the lake.

An old man answered the door, “Goodness!” he said, “Such haste! I was frightened the Moral Revolution had come to my door. What can I help you with, young ladies?”

“I was told a lady washed up on the shore a few weeks ago. I think she may be a friend of ours. May we see her?” Elisha said, desperate to get inside and see with her own eyes. Butterflies raged in her stomach.

“You look like her kind of people with that white uniform,” the old man said. He let Elisha and the others in and gestured to a bed where a woman with white hair lay sleeping. Elisha’s heart skipped a beat as she recognized Thea.

“It’s her!” Luna said, smiling for the first time since she had lost Pandora.

“Don’t get too excited,” the old man said, “She is in a bad way. She was okay when we brought her in, babbling and injured but I thought she would be fine. Then she slipped into a coma and has grown weaker ever since. I’ve tried everything in my knowledge, but without a miracle, your friend here may die any moment.”

“She’s not going to die,” Elisha said in a determined voice. She turned to the others, “I lied to you. I didn’t see Lady Thea in a dream. I saw her in a waking vision where she told me she was here and begged me to come. I saw her in many visions the first few days. Then they stopped. That’s why we had to come here...”

“Why didn’t you tell us sooner?” Luna said, a hurt look on her face.

“I thought I might be going crazy,” Elisha admitted. “With the loss of Sanctuary, and finding out how much Arietta had changed, I wasn’t exactly at my best. I wondered if I was losing my mind, and I thought nobody would believe me if I told the truth.”

“She came to you in a vision? Fascinating...” The old man shuffled to a bookshelf and pulled down a dusty old tome, “Could it be... that she has Ancient blood? No, it couldn’t be...”

“She is an Ancient,” Elisha said. The others tried to hush her, but she shook her head at them, “No. If he knows something, I need to know it as well.”

“It is said in this book that the Ancients can send their spirit to the side of somebody they love in times of desperate crisis,” the old man said. “To retrieve the spirit, one has to “dive” into the consciousness of the Ancient. Otherwise, the spirit will perish and so will the body.” He shook his head, “I thought the Ancients were gone forever, that what these books speak of are merely myths of a dead world. These are strange times indeed.”

A little girl entered the temple, flowers adorning her hair. She looked up at Elisha admiringly. “Grandpa, who are these people?”

“Guests, Maybine,” the old man said, “Could you make some tea for them? Be careful not to burn yourself, though.”

“Certainly, Grandpa,” the little girl said, hurrying off. The old man returned to studying the book.

“Only the person who has been called by the spirit may dive to retrieve it,” the old man read, “There are risks. If the host should die while the diver is still within, the diver will die as well.”

“I don’t care about the risks,” Elisha said, “I promised her I would come. I didn’t come all this way, through the dangers of Arian waters and roaming demons simply to turn away now. Tell me how to do it.”

“It says that you must rest your hand upon the wrist and feel the pulse. Breathe in time. You must become one with the heartbeat of the host. Then your spirit will dive into her. Once inside... the book is not clear. It says something about needing to move the host emotionally, but I’m not sure what it means.”

“I guess I’ll just have to try,” Elisha said. She knelt down by Thea’s bedside and took her wrist in her hand. It was cool, her pulse slow.

“Elisha, are you sure?” Tami said, “You might never come back!”

“I have to try,” Elisha said, “I made a mistake that set a chain of events in motion. I can’t change it now... but I still have something I need to say to Lady Thea, and I can’t just let her die. It’s worth the risk just to see her again...” Dissent quieted, and she felt the pulse of Thea under her fingers, felt the roar of the wind as it had been upon Sanctuary, that fateful night under the stars when Thea had asked her to marry her...

She slumped upon the bed, unconscious, her hand still tight around Thea’s wrist. Luna went to move her to a more comfortable position but the doctor shook his head, “It would be unwise to tamper with her,” he said, “Forces beyond our understanding are at work here. I can fix a stiff neck, but death... death I cannot cure.”

Maybine came back with tea and they went into the main area of the shrine, where they knelt at a table. Maybine served the tea and Tami and Luna drank restlessly, their eyes darting to the door of the other room.

“I hate waiting,” Tami said.

“Sometimes, you need to have patience,” the old man said. Trust your friends, and you will lend them your strength just with your faith.”

“Odd words, for a man of science,” Luna said.

“I am also a man of faith,” the old man said, gesturing to the temple. “When all other methods are used up, all sensible options expended, all that remains is hope.”

~

Elisha stood at the edge of Sanctuary, looking over the edge. She sensed Thea was behind her, and she turned.

“Tell me this is reality,” Elisha said, almost crying, “The sweet smell of Sanctuary, the feeling of the wind on my face... Tell me that everything that happened was just a bad dream.”

“I wish that I could,” Thea said. “Yet it happened. Sanctuary crumbled before our eyes, and with it, a lifetime of hopes and dreams. I thought I had failed when I let hatred rule my heart, but the day Sanctuary died made that seem inconsequential. I failed you all. I never should have encouraged you to find Arietta. It was pure selfishness on my part... I wanted you to find her. I wanted her to tell you it was over, so we could go home and be together...”

“That’s not what you said before,” Elisha said, “You told me you blamed the Moral Revolution for this. That you were angry at them, not any of us.”

“I didn’t want you to kill yourself,” Thea said. “Somehow, I heard you cry out in a scream that pierced my heart, and I couldn't ignore it. I let my body go and my spirit come to you. I told you what you needed to hear.”

“Come back with me,” Elisha said, “My physical body came to you as fast as it could. Come back to our world and we’ll make a new Sanctuary together.”

“I don’t want to come back,” Thea said, “That world full of pain and suffering... I’d rather be here, in my dreams. Sanctuary was everything to me. What do I have to go back for now?”

“You have me,” Elisha said. She reached for Thea’s hand and held it, “There’s something I wanted to tell you, Thea...”

Thea shook her head, “I appreciate it, Elisha, but I can’t be second best to Arietta. You love her. I’m sure she’s at your side, waiting for you to come back. Go back to her. I know she’s scarred, but she’ll be okay, with time.”

“I don’t want to go back to her,” Elisha said, “She left us to find herself, and I think it was for the best. I’ve been thinking a lot about that night - this night.” She gestured to the stars.

“I wanted to say yes. Wanted it more than I even realized at the time. I was bound to Arietta with chains of guilt, each night going to bed wondering if she was locked up in a Garanian prison, waiting for my help. I let those dark thoughts overwhelm me until I was certain that they were true. The guilt of leaving her in that world alone was only compounded by my growing feelings for you. I thought that loving another was the ultimate betrayal to Arietta. I wish I had known - I wish I had known that she wasn’t waiting for my help, that she had moved on, that my help was too little, too late, and that the Arietta I loved had said goodbye to me two years ago and had meant forever. I made a mistake, and it cost everybody on Sanctuary their lives.” She was crying now, standing at the edge of Sanctuary, looking over the edge.

“I spent two years looking down there when all the answers were right next to me,” she said, “I love you, Thea. I don’t know how to say it and I don’t know how I tell the others that the mission was a fool’s errand, but it’s true. If I could make a wish, it would be to turn back time and say yes to your proposal!” She crumpled, and before it she was kneeling on the soft grass, Thea’s arms around her and she was crying tears from the very bottom of her soul - powerful, gut wrenching sobs that tore at her.

“We could stay here together,” Thea said, “I know it’s not real, but it’s not so bad.”

“No, it’s our fault, Thea. We did this by not being completely honest with ourselves and each other. We have to go back and make it right somehow, or at least suffer with the others.” She stood up, helped by Thea.

“They’ll judge you for walking away from Arietta,” Thea said. “Luna will be angry. Her wife’s life is on the line for somebody you didn’t even want after all.”

“I know,” Elisha said, “But I must face the truth, even if they all hate me. That’s my burden to carry.”

“I’ve carried it for a long time,” Thea said, “Ever since I nearly destroyed the world. Nobody ever looked at me the same after that. It was as if they didn’t know me any more.”

“I never loved you any less for it,” Elisha said, “Though they would never admit it if they were still alive, many people harbored the same feelings about the Moral Revolution and the people who voted for it as you did. Even I felt that way at times.”

“There are few left to judge us for any of it now,” Thea said, her expression sad. She held Elisha tightly in her arms, stroking her hair, “Long nights, how I yearned to hold you close, Elisha. I’ll come back with you for the same selfish reason I came on this journey in the first place - because I want to be with you. I want to erase the love you feel for Arietta and have your heart all to myself.” She let go of Elisha and walked to the rail, looking over one last time, “I’m jealous and cruel and hateful, Elisha. You’ve seen my true colors. How can you still look me in the eye and tell me you love me?”

“Because I do,” Elisha said, “I think you’re too hard on yourself. You’re kind, loyal and wise. You’re strong and passionate and driven. You were by my side when all others turned away, you bore my sorrow and woe when you could have been enjoying your hard earned peace. You listened to me talk endlessly about Arietta, sometimes for days at a time, even though you wanted me.”

Elisha took Thea in her arms and kissed her passionately. It was a kiss tempered with experience, but filled with passion, a kiss of joy, of love, of feelings long repressed. When they parted, both of them were crying tears of mingled joy and sadness, for the time they had lost and the time they had yet to spend together.

“Let’s go home,” Elisha said, and Thea nodded.

“Let’s go home,” she agreed, and they both disappeared.

~

Tami was asleep in a chair by the bedside when Elisha woke. She first checked Thea, whose eyes fluttered open, then she shook Tami awake.

“Huh... Elisha? Elisha, you’re back!” Tami embraced Elisha in a bear hug. She looked over at the bed where Thea was starting to sit up.

“Hi, Lady Thea. I’m Tami, Selesti’s wife. I’ve heard a lot about you... Excuse me now, I must go wake Luna!”

It wasn’t long before they were all awake. Even the old man and Maybine were soon at Thea’s bedside.

“Honestly, I didn’t know if it would work,” the old man said, “You must be very devoted to one another.”

“We are,” Elisha said, and Tami and Luna fell quiet suddenly as they absorbed the news.

“So you’re together,” Luna said, trying her best to keep an even voice, but in somebody usually so happy, her voice sounded strained and discordant.

“Yes,” Elisha said, and Luna rushed from the room, angry and crying.

“I should go after her,” Elisha said, but Tami shook her head, “I’ll go,” she said. “Elisha, I’m happy for you two. I’m glad you came back safely.”

“Thanks,” Elisha said. Tami’s such a sweet girl; she reminds me of how Luna used to be, but then who can blame Luna? Pandora’s out there somewhere and we’re no closer to finding her...

Thea squeezed her hand as if she could read her thoughts, “It’ll be okay,” she said, “Give it time.”

~

Tami went outside to find Luna throwing rocks into the lake, “Luna,” she said, “Talk to me.”

“We came all this way for Arietta because Elisha told us for two years that she loved her, that she missed her. Now she turns around and wants somebody else instead? Even if it’s Lady Thea, that’s not acceptable! What was this whole mission for? Why did we sacrifice Sanctuary? My wife is out there somewhere and I’m the only one who seems to care...” She started to cry, “My Pandora, crazy with grief and pain, and I’ve done nothing to help her. Nothing! I wish we’d never come on this stupid mission!”

“Then you’d be dead,” Tami pointed out, “Pandora’s out there somewhere. You can’t give up hope, and you can’t blame Elisha and Lady Thea for their happiness. Things change, people change. Arietta has changed a lot. Selesti told me how she used to be, compared to how she is now. It’s not just what she’s been through, either. Arietta made her choice not to be with Elisha. Hasn’t Elisha earned the right to move on with her life?”

“I suppose,” Luna said, “I just wish she’d decided sooner, before we lowered the island. Then all the people I love would still be alive.”

“It’s easy to see in hindsight,” Tami said, “Nobody up there could have known what was going on down here. You could have come down to find Arietta smiling, waiting for Elisha with flowers in a fair and free world, a world where the Moral Revolution was a thing of the past. You just didn’t know. Nobody did. Don’t you think they would have made different choices if they’d known what would happen?”

“Yeah, I guess they would,” Luna said, “I guess I should apologize. Pandora wouldn’t want me to be angry at them, I know it.”

“You’re a good person, Luna,” Tami said, “Don’t let all this sadness blacken your pure heart. You might need it to bring Pandora back to us.”

“You’re right,” Luna said, “I’m going to sit here a few minutes more, if you don’t mind. Thanks for talking, though.”

“You’re welcome,” Tami said, and back inside the temple.

“Fire God, if you can hear me, heed my prayer,” Luna said. “Please give me a sign, anything to tell me where Pandora is. I have to find her, not just for me, but for the whole world. Please help me find her!” Tears sprung from her eyes and she wiped them away angrily.

She nearly jumped as the lake began to glow. The others rushed from the hut as they saw the light, but stayed at a distance as Luna stood and made her way to the edge of the water. Looking down, Luna could see a burning forest. The vision moved over the forest, to a mountain that seemed to have steps cut into it. Pandora was climbing the steps, her wings shredded, her face bloody, her eyes filled with rage and purpose as though she were climbing to challenge the Gods themselves.

“I know that place!” Lady Thea said, “Maia and I went there on our search for Sanctuary. The locals called it the Forbidden Palace. It’s far to the north.”

“Why would she go there?” Luna asked.

“A lot of the ancient temples are places of power, pieces of the old world that didn’t die,” Thea said, “She may have gone there to gather more power. There’s no way she could keep using such powerful magic at the rate she was... it’s a drain on the body, even one of Ancient lineage.”

“How do we get there?” Elisha said. “We can’t take the boat, it’s too slow. If the vision is true, then Pandora is there now!”

“I may have an idea,” the old man said, “The books tell of temples that connect to one another, ancient places that could be used to move quickly. There is such a temple near here, though it is only ruins now. How you would use it and even if it works is a mystery, but it is less than a day’s walk. It has to be worth a try.”

“Then it’s settled,” Thea said, “Get some rest. We’re leaving at first light. We’re going to find Pandora, no matter what it takes.”

Chapter 11

Unable to sleep, they soon gathered their things and bid farewell to Maybine and the old doctor. They began their quest to the ruins, guided by a map the doctor had given them.

“I’m so tired,” Elisha whispered to Thea, who was walking alongside her, “I wish we’d stayed at the temple longer.”

“Luna cannot wait,” Thea said, “She’s exhausted too, but the power of love is all that is keeping her going. Pandora is all she has left.”

“She has us... and Tami,” Elisha protested, but Thea shook her head.

“We have each other, and while she still searches for Pandora, our happiness is painful to her. Tami is a loyal friend, but she belongs with Selesti. Luna is all alone without Pandora and Sanctuary. All their friends were there. Everybody they were close to is dead. All they have left is one another.”

Elisha took a long look at Luna as they climbed another in a series of steep hills. She looked as though she had aged years since Sanctuary had fallen. Her eyes, once sparkling with innocence and laughter, were now glassy and closed off. Her hair, once a vibrant pink, was dirty and tattered. Lines had appeared on her face where previously there had been none. Did I look like that when I was pining for Arietta? Elisha wondered.

“I see it!” Luna said, and she pointed to the top of the next hill. She rushed ahead of the party, spurred forward by hope and desperation. Thea, Elisha and Tami all struggled to keep up and let her go ahead.

Eventually they caught up with her, and Luna was crying, kneeling in the ruins. All that was left were a few stones of what had once been some kind of temple, and most were overgrown.

“This can’t be happening!” Luna cried, “Why did you bring me here, Fire God? Do you taunt me? Don’t you understand? If I don’t get to her she’s gonna die!” Elisha rushed to her side and put her hands on her shoulders, but Luna shrugged her off angrily.

“It’s not fair!” She turned on Elisha, “Why do you get to be happy? You moped and complained and wasted the happy times we had on Sanctuary! You even threw Arietta aside when her burdens were too much for you!”

“Luna, stop,” Tami said, “Please, we’re your friends! Don’t you think we want to find Pandora as well?”

“You don’t even know her!” Luna said, “and you two,” she looked at Thea and Elisha, “you--”

They were enveloped in a bright light, and before Luna could finish her sentence, they disappeared.

~

When Luna woke, she found herself lying on the floor of a dusty temple. She sat up dizzily and saw a black winged figure, her wings tattered, green hair hanging down limply over her face, hunched over and sitting on the steps to the dais above.

“Pandora...” Luna said, trying to sit up. The world swam dizzily around her, but she used her willpower to steady herself. “Pandora!”

As if being called from a distance, the figure lifted her head. Cuts adorned her dirty face, and dried blood was stuck to her hair, but it was definitely Pandora.

“You’re... here. Good.” Pandora tried to stand, but her legs protested shakily and she sat back down, “Sorry...” she said. “Can’t...”

Luna’s legs wouldn’t work either. She looked around for her friends but none of them seemed to be present, so she pulled herself across the ground with her hands, her uniform becoming as dirty as the floor. It took a while, and her hands were cracked and bleeding, but Luna reached Pandora and put her arm around Pandora’s leg, hugging it tightly.

“I thought I’d lost you...” Luna said, starting to cry, “I wouldn’t want to go on in this world without you.”

“I need... more power,” Pandora said, “I need to... get revenge...”

Luna pulled herself up onto the steps and sat beside Pandora, “Revenge can wait, Pandy. You’re hurt. You need to rest.”

“There can be no rest!” Her voice still held traces of that otherworldly voice, though it was weaker now, “Not until the Moral Revolution is wiped from the world! Not until I have vengeance for our friends! For our home!”

Luna reached over and took Pandora’s hand in her own, “There are bigger concerns now, Pandora. Demons are spilling into our world from that portal you opened.”

“So what,” Pandora said, “It’s what this planet deserves.” She grasped Luna’s shoulders with a strong grip, “They took it from us, Luna. Our home. Our friends! They should suffer!”

“I don’t want any more suffering,” Luna said. “I just want Pandora back. My Pandora! I don’t want to destroy anything!” She flung her arms around Pandora, “I just want to be with you... Otherwise I have nothing left to live for.”

Tami, Elisha and Thea appeared in a shower of light, and fell to the ground. They pulled themselves to their knees.

“Pandora!” Elisha cried, “You’re safe!”

“What does it matter...” Pandora said, “Everything we fought for, everything we worked for... it’s all gone. How do you keep walking? How do you keep caring? I’ve seen you, wandering this world. Why does it matter? Sanctuary is gone. Our friends are dead. We are all that remain, and we’ll be hunted. Not a day will pass where we can sleep in safety. We’ll all end up like Arietta - sad, lonely, broken people, raped and tortured until we don’t know who we are anymore. We’ll all betray each other and the promises we made. Yet still you come here, seeking to close the Gate. Why? Why do you want to save them? They voted for this. They watched us get taken away, get hurt. They let the Moral Revolution get this kind of power, helped them unearth the ruins...”

“It was a question I asked, long ago, when handed the power to destroy the world,” Thea said, “The answer was simple. I didn’t unleash hell on this world because not all people are bad. The good shouldn’t have to suffer because of the actions of the cruel. Our home is gone, but others like us still exist. Our dreams are not yet destroyed.”

“Selesti had thousands of women devoted to the cause,” Tami said, “We can work together, seek a new Sanctuary. It doesn’t have to end here.”

Pandora stood, shakily, “I can’t believe how quickly you can all forget those faces. Lena, whose dog was about to give birth. May, who told the greatest jokes. Sashiko, who listened to all our concerns. Our friends. Our family. I can’t just start again. They were everything to me!” Power started to swirl around her again.

“Pandora, you have to stop this!” Luna said, “If you keep this up, you’ll die! Nobody can keep this kind of power going forever, even an Ancient!”

“If I die, you’ll be the only one who misses me,” Pandora said, “Even then, you’ll move on, as you’ve all done so well already.”

“Of course we miss Sanctuary,” Elisha said, “I haven’t even began to grieve. I’ve been holding it in, holding back the enormity of it. To know we can never go home again...”

“It was my dream, Maia’s dream,” Thea said, “I spent my entire life’s work looking for it. I refuse to believe it’s gone. I won’t let it be gone...”

“I keep thinking that we’ll all be going home soon,” Luna said, “And then I realize we won’t, that we can’t... I want revenge, but more than that... I just want everybody back!”

The power surrounding Pandora started to dissipate, and she slumped back down on the steps, head hunched over. Luna saw water falling into the dust, and realized Pandora was crying.

“I have all this power,” Pandora cried, “I can tear open dimensions, I can heal the sick, I can destroy a ship with the wave of my hand and burn a forest to ashes with no more than a thought. But I can’t bring it back! I just want to bring it back!” She slumped into Luna’s arms then, and Luna held her tightly as she sobbed, letting out all the pain and fear into her wife’s arms. Luna cried too, and as she looked over, she saw there wasn’t a dry eye amongst them. Even Tami, who had never been to Sanctuary, had tears rolling down her cheeks.

“We can’t bring it back,” Luna said, “Even though we would give anything...”

“All we can do is keep looking,” Elisha said, “Keep looking for a place where we can be safe, keep finding others like us, keep fighting back against the Moral Revolution. It’s all we have left... that one dream and each other.” Thea’s hand was on her shoulder, and slipped down to take her hand and grasp it firmly, “For the ones we’ve lost, we have to go on.”

“She’s right,” Luna whispered, “Sashiko, May, Lena, and everybody else... They wouldn’t want this. If you defeat the Moral Revolution with this power, then nobody will ever understand why they were wrong, and they’ll come back twice as strong.”

“Demons are pouring into this dimension...” Pandora said, “I did it. I opened the Gate. I wanted everybody to feel my pain, so I ripped open a hole to the worst dimension I could think of...” She put her head in her hands, “It’s a mistake I cannot undo. The Ancients banished them from our world millennia ago and I tore apart the seal with one angry curse. The demons will destroy this world, no doubt about it.”

“That’s not true,” Elisha said. The others looked at her. Elisha looked down at the ground, “A demon visited me... on the beach. He spoke to me. He said the Gate can be closed, but only at the Ancient Citadel, and the one who opened the Gate must give their life to create a new seal.”

Luna clung to Pandora’s arm, “No! I won’t let that happen!”

“There’s no choice,” Pandora said, “What I have done must be undone if this world is to survive. The demons warred with the Ancients and were a match for them. They will destroy ordinary humans without a second thought. I did this. I have to undo it. For Sashiko and everybody who died... I can’t be the cause of more pain.”

“What about me?” Luna said, “I’m your wife! Don’t I get a say before you sacrifice yourself? I don’t want to live in this world without you! I don’t want to roam the world, fearful of the Moral Revolution, without you at my side! You don’t care about my feelings at all, do you?”

“Luna...” Pandora took her face in her hands and gently stroked away the tears with her fingers, “Of course I care. You’re the reason I want to save this world. We’ll find a way, Luna. We’ll go to the Ancient Citadel and we’ll find a way to close the Gate without sacrifice.”

“Do you promise?” Luna asked, her eyes almost looking hopeful.

“...I promise,” Pandora said. She look Luna into her arms and held her tightly.

“The Ancient Citadel...” Thea said, “It won’t be easy. It’s at the heart of Garania. The Moral Revolution will be after us every step of the way.”

“We have to go,” Elisha said, “If we can’t get the Gate closed, the demons will overrun us.”

“We should rest,” Tami said, “Pandora, is it safe here?”

“I have been here for several days,” Pandora said, “It appears to be safe for now. I would avoid exploring too much, though there is a library. Thea, can you read the Ancient Language?”

“Yes”, Thea said, “It’s been a while, but I still remember. I will look at the books later.”

They made camp in the main hall, and Thea, Elisha and Tami were asleep before Luna even noticed. She was looking at Pandora’s black wings, “I didn’t know you had wings,” Luna said, “You’ve never shown them to me before.”

“They’re not real,” Pandora said, “At least, not truly a part of my physical body. My magic went out of control and transformed me into this. I don’t know if the change is permanent. There’s a lot I don’t know about my powers...” She sat still, looking down at the ground, “Luna, I killed a lot of people. I destroyed the White Ship. I even hurt you, and left you behind to die... I could have called you here at any time, but I waited... I wanted to hear your cry, to know that you still cared...”

“It’s okay,” Luna said, “In many ways, I understand your reaction to Sanctuary’s destruction the most. You were the one who was really able to understand what it meant in that moment. I’m still struggling with the thought that we’ll never go home again.”

“I understand why my people feared me so much,” Pandora said, “I never knew I held this kind of power, but I guess they saw it. They were right to cast me out. All I bring to any place is darkness and destruction.”

“That’s not true!” Luna said, “You were right to be angry. Our home was destroyed!”

“You don’t have to justify it,” Pandora said, “I let my anger and pain get control of me, and made a bad situation worse. Now they have to risk their lives to put it right again.” She pointed to the sleeping forms of Elisha, Thea and Tami.

“Elisha and Thea are the reason we’re here in the first place,” Luna said, “If they’d just gotten their feelings in order before ordering this wild chase for Arietta, Sanctuary would still be there!”

“That wound festers, love,” Pandora said, “You have to let it go, somehow, before it transforms you, my innocent, sweet Luna, into something you no longer recognize. You know they never wanted this to happen. They blame themselves, I’m sure of it -- don’t add to that burden. They’re our friends, Luna. They’re all we have left in the world. Don’t close your heart to them, or you’ll hurt people, just like I did.”

They curled up and slept, Luna’s arms wrapped protectively around Pandora, who fell into a deep sleep. Elisha cried out in the night, and Tami hugged her blanket, wondering if Selesti was safe.

~

When Pandora woke, she found the others had been awake long before her and had been getting ready for the trip. She found Thea in the library.

“Any luck?” she asked, as she saw Thea pondering the texts.

“These are mostly history books,” Thea said, “I was reading about the Ancients’ war with the demons. Seems the demons were once Ancients who used their powers in anger, transforming themselves and opening the path to untold power. The Ancients, considering this dangerous, tried to stop the demons, and this started a war between those who wanted to use magic freely and those who wanted to keep it under control. The battle raged for hundreds of years, and ended with a truce under which they decided they had to live apart. The demons were exiled to another dimension, and the Gate was created to seal them there.”

“They were once human... and they transformed their bodies with their powers used in rage...” Pandora looked at herself, “I’m a demon.”

“Don’t say that,” Thea said, “You were angry because you lost your home! That doesn’t make you wicked. You have a good heart.”

“Perhaps the demons aren’t wicked,” Pandora said, “One spoke to Elisha. That means they’re not that far removed from sense, or they would have just torn her to shreds.”

“Perhaps,” Thea said, “Regardless, demons have been attacking people and settlements. Elisha, Tami and Arietta faced them on the way to Manheim Island.”

“Who knows what thousands of years locked away from this world was like for them?” Pandora said, “I know what it’s like, to be exiled from your home for your powers... but I know, we have to close the Gate. The people here don’t hold the power of magic any more. The demons would rule this world, even if they’re not necessarily evil.”

“Right,” Thea said, “It’s tempting though, isn’t it? To think that they might defeat the Moral Revolution for us.”

“Luna was right,” Pandora said, “No matter how frustratingly slow change comes, we have to wait, or it won’t stick. If she can be patient, so can I. After all, I’m the one who’s immortal.”

~

They left the temple to see the surrounding forest was still ablaze, like in Luna’s vision.

“Did you do this?” Luna asked Pandora, and she nodded.

“I would put the fire out, but my powers have subsided. I’m not angry any more. I guess we’ll just have to wait for nature to take its course.” Pandora sighed. I’m a demon. I used my anger to fuel powers of death and destruction.

“We need to get through,” Elisha said, “Unless you can take us back with magic, Pandora?”

“I can only bring people to my current location, not return them,” Pandora said, “I’m sorry. I might be able to freeze some of the fire, but it won’t last...”

“We need to get through the forest,” Thea said, “Pandora, if we make you angry, will you be able to use your supercharged powers?”

“Maybe...” Pandora said.

“You can’t ask her to do that!” Luna said, “Do you want her to go out of control?”

“I won’t,” Pandora said, “I let myself lose control last time. Nothing you could say could be as bad as losing Sanctuary, don’t worry.”

“Then, um... Pandora, we hate you?” Elisha tried, but she lacked conviction, and Pandora laughed.

“You’re going to have to do better than that,” Pandora said.

“You’re a demon!” Thea said. The others looked at Thea, but she simply put a finger up to hush them.

Pandora felt the words as they reverberated through her memories. You’re a demon! The villagers had screamed at her. Inhuman! A monster! She’s a devil! Kill her! Cast her out! Pandora’s eyes turned purple and power gathered around her. She draw her arms in and dark clouds shifted in. Thrusting her hands up at the sky, it started to rain, huge droplets of water such as they had never seen.

“Take cover!” Elisha said, ducking back into the doorway of the temple with the others as the torrent descended. The fire was washed away, along with several trees until Pandora pulled her arms down and the rain stopped. She was drenched to the bone.

“Let’s go back inside and change,” Luna suggested.

Pandora’s wings still hung behind her, wet, blackened and broken, the feathers ripped and shredded. I’m starting to feel like they’re a part of me... that my transformation is permanent. If I keep using my rage to fuel my powers, what will I become? With that thought on her mind, she followed the others inside.

~

The rain had caused the ashen forest to turn to mud and soon their fresh clothes were wetter than their old ones.

“According to the map, we should reach Haven’s End as soon as we break through this forest,” Luna said.

“It’s not going to be safe there,” Thea said, “The Moral Revolution took it.”

“Yet somehow we’re going to have to get there and board a ship if we want to get to Garania,” Tami said, “There’s no other way. We’re a long way from Manheim, where we left our boat.”

“It was Arietta’s boat anyway,” Luna said, “Maybe she’ll need it someday. We’ll get by okay.”

You’re not the one we’re worried about was what Elisha wanted to say, but she couldn’t say it out loud without hurting Luna’s feelings. Just how are we going to get a winged mage on board a passenger ship going to the heart of Garania, though?

They kept walking, each lost in their own thoughts about the journey ahead, until they saw Haven’s End on the horizon.

The last time I was here, it was with Arietta at my side, Elisha thought. She remembered how they’d talked about Twilight and how Elisha had named her sword. Elisha wondered if Arietta still called her sword Faith. Faith was what had brought the Moral Revolution to power, wasn’t it? Faith hadn’t saved Arietta in her darkest moments, nor did she have much of it left in the human spirit. Feeling guilty for thinking of Arietta, Elisha looked at Thea. She looked tired, but still had the grace and elegance she was known for, that had made her a natural leader. She had fallen into step again as their leader, it just always seemed natural to follow her. Yet on Sanctuary, you slipped away into the shadows. I haven’t seen this part of you in such a long time.

Knowing that Haven’s End probably had a curfew, they made camp a few miles outside. Pandora was disturbed to see the flames had come this far. Will I get to Haven’s End to find I turned the city to ashes?

Luna was glad to change her clothes and warm up around a campfire. Her mood had improved a lot since finding Pandora, and she seemed to spend every waking hour by her side, even if Pandora seemed quiet and subdued.

“Elisha, you and Tami should go into town and scout. Your faces are less well-known, and you can bring back details of the situation there.”

“We’ll go at first light,” Elisha said, “I have some plain traveling clothes, I will simply say that I am a traveler seeking passage to Garania with my friend.”

After the others settled down, Elisha and Thea sat and watched the embers burn down.

“Do you suppose it will even be possible to sneak Pandora onto a ship?” Elisha asked. “Those wings are not going to be easy to hide.”

“This whole mission seems impossible, but we’ve done the impossible before,” Thea said, “We have to get to the Citadel. Only then will we know what the price will be to close the Gate.”

“Thea, what are you not telling me?” Elisha asked.

“When the Gate was originally created and the demons sealed into the other dimension, one of the Ancients sacrificed their life to create the seal. It takes the power of a human spirit to seal a gate between dimensions, the will of a soul, according to the books I read last night. I don’t see how we’re going to get around it.”

“Pandora made a promise to Luna. I won’t let her break it!” Elisha said.

“Neither will I,” Thea said. She looked at Luna and Pandora, sleeping peacefully. “It’s my fault we’re all here, that Sanctuary’s gone, that the Gate is open. I encouraged you to find Arietta. It should be my place.”

“I won’t let you!” Elisha said. “Never!”

“I’ve lived a long, full life,” Thea said, “Many more lifetimes than any of you have ever seen. I’ve had my dreams and lost them, and I have no desire to go back to searching for Sanctuary. I’m tired, Elisha. Perhaps it’s time to stop running and do something good for the world. I almost destroyed it too, once.”

“I love you,” Elisha said, “but you don’t believe me, do you?”

“I believe you,” Thea said, “but you’ll never love me like I love you. Arietta will always own a place in your heart, a place I can never touch. You only saw me once she was gone.”

“That’s not true,” Elisha said, “I told you that. Why don’t you believe me?”

“Because I’ve seen too much, and lived too long,” Thea said.

“So you’ll just give yourself up as a sacrifice? I won’t allow it!” Elisha said. She kissed Thea angrily, forcing her down to the muddy earth, pulling down her pants. Her fingers found wetness, and Thea’s back arched as Elisha rubbed, then moved down and licked. Her fingers slid inside Thea and she thrust them in and out as she licked hungrily, taking all she wanted. Thea tried to cry out in pleasure and Elisha stopped for a second, ripping a piece of her cloak off and trying it around Thea’s mouth so she couldn’t scream and wake the others. Thea came, her muffled cries sounding like an earthquake in the silent forest. Elisha’s anger was fading, but then Thea got the upper hand and wrestled her to the ground. Thea pulled up Elisha’s shirt and took a nipple in her mouth, sucking on it while she played with the other one. Elisha squirmed, but Thea had a dangerous but playful glint in her eyes.

“I’ve wanted this for a long time,” Thea whispered in her ear, “I’m going to take as long as I want.” She found a small tree branch and put it in Elisha’s mouth so she could bite on it and stifle her cries. Then she kissed down her body and teasingly licked Elisha until Elisha was begging and clawing at the mud beneath her. Finally, Thea let her come, and she thought Elisha was going to break the branch. She chuckled as she removed it and saw the bite marks.

“Wow. I never knew you could be so dominating,” Thea said, afterwards, as they lay in the warm mud, “That was incredible.”

“I mean it, Thea... don’t die on me,” Elisha said, and Thea could see the tears building up in her eyes. She stroked Elisha’s hair.

“Don’t worry,” she said, “We’ll find another way.”

“Promise me we’ll make another White Ship when all this is over. That we’ll go on a journey to find a new Sanctuary,” Elisha said. Thea could see the desperation in her eyes, the fear, sorrow and loneliness that had always been hidden beneath Elisha’s surface.

“You know I can’t promise anything,” Thea said, “The world needs--”

“Screw the world!” Elisha said, so angrily that Thea was worried she woke the others, “Why do we have to save the world? It turned its back on us! All I want is to be with you, like we used to be, sailing around the world, finding others like us, building a family of friends who understand us. Long before I met Arietta, I had a crush on you. I admired you. You were my personal hero, but there was always a distance between you and I. You were the mysterious leader and I was just a refugee who shared your vision. Then I met Arietta, and it was only through that journey that I learned more about you, about Maia. I let my feelings go but I never stopped admiring you, even while I loved Arietta. Then we made it to Sanctuary and you showed your true colors, becoming a black sheep in a world of white. Arietta left me and my sorrow tainted me in the eyes of others and suddenly you who I admired was my equal. It never really felt right without you being in charge. I want to be your second in command again, at the helm of the White Ship. It want it to be our dream again.”

“You always reminded me a little bit of Maia,” Thea confessed, “Always full of dreams, but never so pure that you were out of reach, like Arietta used to be. I know what you saw in her, but she always made me feel so old, so tainted by the world. But you... you dreamt just enough for me to love you, but never held yourself higher than anyone. I’ve loved you for a long time, but I always thought I was too old, and I wasn’t done grieving for Maia. Then I found her body, and I started to let go after getting that closure. By then it was too late, and you were already falling for Arietta, so I let it alone. Then she left, and I thought I had all the time in the world to make you mine.”

“I’m yours. Perhaps I’ve been yours for longer than I knew,” Elisha said, “Either way, I won’t let you throw your life away.” She sat up. “Let’s go to the stream and wash off. I can’t sleep covered in this muck.”

They made their way to the stream and washed, coming back to the camp naked, hand in hand. Pandora saw them come back. We came all this way for Arietta, the girl who inspired us all. Finding her in grief, we abandon ship and live our lives without her. Is this how the world works? Will Luna abandon me when she finds out I’m a demon? Even now, her anger and guilt made the power stir inside her. I can’t put the lid back on this bottle. I fear the damage is done, the transformation inevitable. Will they still love me if I am damaged and broken, or will I go back to being a hated being in a hateful world? She felt her wings healing, the broken feathers falling out and fresh new ones growing in. I feel a little less human each time I feel this rage. She held Luna tightly, as if clinging to a piece of driftwood in the ocean. I’m scared, Luna. Don’t let me slip away. Don’t leave me, like you all left Arietta. Please don’t leave me alone.