The Stubborn Light of a Dying Flame [Isekai - LitRPG]

Rayna kept her hood up, double checking now and then that her stealth charm was still working. Lord Emery had given it to her; a small wooden charm that was imbued with stealth magic by a runic mage. It was temporary, but it would last long enough for the meeting.

Assuming their mysterious summoner didn't take much longer to show, that is.

They had already been standing around for an hour. The shimmering barrier that marked the western edge of the woods provided a brief distraction, but Rayna was beginning to wonder if the person would even show. Perhaps they had already come and left.

At least the forest was brighter near the tree line than it was deeper into the woods. The canopy was thin, allowing a myriad of light patches to shine through onto the forest floor. The moss was thinner and dimmer than the thick growth that Rayna had first seen, but it was still present on most of the trees.

Oddly, the trees on the other side of the barrier had no moss at all. Lord Emery called the barrier 'the dome' and said it stretched around the known world—a massive peninsula stretching off the neighboring continent—protecting them from the monsters that roamed outside.

Whoever created the dome should have done a better job of zoning. They had cut through several trees, their bark visible through the translucent shield. On Ember's side of the barrier, the trees had long since been removed, roots and all, making for an eerie scene.

Rayna wanted to ask more questions, but she didn't want to risk speaking. The plan was that she wouldn't reveal herself at all unless N could be properly identified. Lord Emery hadn't been happy about this arrangement, but Rayna hadn't given him the choice.

If all went well, N would never even realize Rayna had come.

A figure approached them, the hood of their black cloak concealing most of their features.

"Are you N?" Lord Emery asked, his voice tense.

"I am," N said in a voice that was neither male nor female, young nor old. It was like the speaker had put a voice changer on and tweaked it to the most ambiguous settings possible.

"You have news of my wife?" Enalus asked without preamble.

"Some," N said. "But what of her ward? I asked you to bring her."

Enalus shook his head. "I haven't seen Rayna in many weeks. The last I heard of her, she was with my wife. What reason do you have to believe I would know where she was?"

The silence between them held an air of disapproval.

"I'll return in a week. Bring Rayna, or I won't speak with you," N said.

"Wait," Lord Emery took a step forward. "Why do you wish to meet her? Perhaps I could help if I understood the reason."

N raised their chin. "So, you admit that you have failed to produce her out of fear for her safety and not because you don't know where she is?"

Lord Emery squared his shoulders. "My wife's ward isn't young enough that I can order her about as I will. She refused to come. If you were to tell me why you wish to meet her, I might have an easier time convincing her."

N adjusted their hood, seeming to think it over, though it was hard to gauge their feelings without seeing their face.

"I heard there was a Lerian roaming the world again," N said finally. "I wished to warn her of the dangers that her species could bring. Please pass that along."

N turned to leave but Lord Emery, again, called for them to wait.

"My wife! I have come as you asked. Please tell me what you know."

N shook their head. "I asked you to bring Rayna. Your side of the trade wasn't fulfilled."

"So, you'll leave without revealing yourself or anything you know? Why should I even come again?" Lord Emery snapped.

"Because I know who kidnapped your wife," N said. "And until I see Rayna, you won't."

This was so juvenile! Rayna watched the figure walk away, wishing she could smack them upside the head for making her come this far for nothing.

"I brought her!" Lord Emery said, his voice desperate.

Rayna took three steps back, stopping with her back against the ward. What the hell was he doing?

N turned around. "Then show her to me."

From the tone, N already guessed that Rayna was there. That didn't bode well for them.

"Rayna, come out. Please, you said you would do this."

This was precisely what Rayna said she would not do. If Lord Emery wanted her to reveal herself, he would have to make an effort to learn who N actually was.

He didn't get the chance.

N lifted their chin and waved a glowing hand. Rayna ducked as a wave of magic spread through the area. Lord Emery stilled, and Rayna received a notification.

Paralysis resisted due to your special trait.

Rayna turned back to N, who was walking toward her, scanning the forest for any signs of Rayna's presence.

Lord Emery stood frozen, only his eyes moving as he watched the figure advance. Sweat poured off his brow as if he was attempting to fight the paralysis.

"I only want to talk," N said. "I know the paralysis didn't work on you. Come out and I'll release Lord Emery."

Rayna's heart sped up. She told Lord Emery that she would run at the first sign of danger, but could she really do that? He obviously couldn't handle this, which meant that Rayna—weak as she might be—was currently his only chance.

Rayna moved slowly, timing her footsteps to coincide with N's in an attempt to hide their sound.

"I don't know where Nali is," N said. "But I know who took her. The same person is coming for you."

Rayna fumed silently. So, not only was she right about this meeting, they had come for information that Rayna already knew.

"Release Lord Emery," Phira said, popping into view.

What the hell are you doing?! Rayna wanted to shout.

Buying you time, Phira said in Rayna's head. I have a few minutes left. Figure out a plan or get out of here.

Since when are you telepathic?! Rayna asked.

Since about two seconds ago, I think, Phira responded. That is when I realized it, at least. I told you, this new bond requires study.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"Who are you?" N demanded. "I said only Lord Emery and Rayna."

"I'm Rayna," Phira lied. "The disguise is for my own protection."

That's not going to work, Rayna told her.

You haven't lived on Ember long, Phira said. This is a more plausible story than you realize.

N hesitated. "Show me your true self."

"Unfortunately, I don't know how to break the spell," Phira said. "I would need Lord Emery—who you promised to release, I might remind you."

Could Rayna sneak up behind N? She was never particularly good at that. Maybe she could throw something from here?

A slight glow to N's clothing argued that this plan, too, would be unsuccessful. Whether they were personal wards or reinforced clothing, Rayna probably didn't have anything strong enough to get through.

"Why did you conceal yourself?" N asked.

Rayna wanted to laugh. N was asking that now? After she had just paralyzed Lord Emery to threaten Rayna into revealing herself?

"As you can see, I was right to be wary," Phira said. "Now release him and we can talk."

N raised their chin, watching Phira for a long moment, then they waved their hand.

Lord Emery stumbled forward a step, his breathing labored. He swallowed hard, getting two words out: "Rayna, run!"

Rayna didn't hesitate. She made a portal to Ashen.

N spun around, her hood falling back. The woman's golden horns poked out from beneath her long red curls. Her eyes, the color of a sunset, glowed slightly as she took a step toward the portal.

"No, don't—!" she tried, but Rayna was already through.

Ashen was as grey and gloomy as Rayna remembered, but this time, it didn't feel quite so suffocating. She closed her portal before N could try to follow her through.

The silence was eerie. Nothing moved in the dense forest that had replaced the sparse tree line. It seemed that the obsidian forest was denser on Ashen's side of the portal.

Rayna frowned at her surroundings, sensing monsters from multiple directions.

Now what?

* * *

Naomi lurched toward the portal, her hood falling.

"No, don't—!" she shouted, but the girl was already gone.

The cervinale illusion vanished with her, disappearing even before the portal closed.

"Queen Naomi?" Lord Emery asked, his eyes wide. "I don't understand."

Naomi waved her hand, paralyzing Lord Emery again.

She started to pace. This was bad. Ashen was no place for a Lerian—even one that didn't have a Lerian soul.

Enathar didn't believe her. He was under the impression that Rayna was simply confused but Naomi was sure: Rayna was one of the Chosen, and she came to be in that body the same way they had come to be in theirs.

Which meant that she was going to get herself killed.

Lord Emery struggled to break through the paralysis, causing more damage to himself and Naomi absently healed it away.

She would have to do something with him. She hadn't planned on immobilizing Lord Emery, but he was causing more trouble than she anticipated.

And now he knew her identity. He would ask more questions than she could safely answer.

She needed to get away before he broke out of the spell.

"Lord Emery, I'm only going to say this once, so listen carefully," she said, moving to stand in front of him. "Nali was abducted, but she is safe. She went willingly and I don't care what my brother says, she is more in control of her situation than he knows. Rayna is the one you have to worry about. My brother, Lord Myre, wishes to take her under his wing by force, but he won't believe her story about being one of the Chosen. His attempts to draw out her true memories will do more harm than good.

"Don't contact me about this issue. I was never here. And don't antagonize Lord Myre. His secrets aren't mine to tell, but learning them will only put yourself and everyone you love in danger. I'll contact you again if I learn more."

Naomi left before the paralysis wore off. She was fairly sure she was faster than Lord Emery, but she didn't want to risk it.

She sped off in the direction of the capital, drawing her hood back up over her hair. She didn't mind being a cervinale—at least her horns were similar to an A'lerian's. Many of the cervinales she met had large and ungainly horns, such as the antlers on the illusion Rayna had used. She also found that a cervinales overall constitution was similar to that of a Lerian in their early twenties, so she hadn't had much trouble building this body to something beyond what she remembered.

Who was she kidding? Being a cervinale was terrible! She missed her Lerian body and she missed the time before the world went insane; back when all she had to worry about was running through dungeons for the Essence and playing with her friends.

Naomi shook her head. She wasn't a child anymore. She needed to stop thinking like one.

She had one task right now: get Rayna out of Ashen before she wasted away in the Miasma. It was the only positive thing Naomi had found about being placed in this body: the Miasma didn't burn her lungs like it did when she was a Lerian.

She passed the capital and headed straight for the mountains. She had heard the rumors, and Enathar might not remember what they meant, but Naomi had only woken a few years ago.

The Caverns and Cave Rats dungeon was active again. Which meant that there was a portal open to Ashen. Naomi just had to convince the humans that she was just passing through.

She approached the hub with trepidation. She hadn't seen Amon since she was young. For her, it was nearly a decade; for him, six thousand years. Was he still the Keeper? Or had he been replaced by another simulacrum?

Naomi took a deep breath and knocked on the front door.

"What business have you with the Chosen?" Amon asked, appearing outside the hub.

He hadn't aged a day. His long silver hair glistened in the light reflected off the mountain snow. His wings—as large and beautiful as before—were folded behind him. Naomi had spent many nights writing in her diary about how much she would like a pair of wings just like them when she ascended. Now she would never get the chance.

"I wish to pass through the dungeon," Naomi said, swallowing her disappointment over that realization. "I have no other business. I won't kill any monsters without permission. Please allow me passage."

She held her breath, waiting for Amon's response. The meaning behind her request would have been easily understood before the cataclysm. Travel between Ember and Ashen was rare, but not unheard of. Usually, it was for diplomatic missions or scientific expeditions.

Or to retrieve those poor souls that were pulled through a portal crack.

"Identify yourself," Amon said. "And explain why you wish to pass through. The boss monster has yet to respawn, if your desire is the experience or rewards at the end of the dungeon."

Naomi hesitated. She wasn't sure how Amon would take the news if she told him the truth. He had always been a stickler for the rules, even as warm and personable as he was.

Naomi hadn't broken any rules, but she was the result of someone else doing so. Would he even help her if she told the truth?

"Would it be enough to say that I wish to travel to Ashen?" Naomi tried. "And that I'll return quickly, if I'm able?"

Amon frowned. "Where did you hear that name?"

"I can't say," Naomi said.

Amon narrowed his eyes, looking thoughtful. "What do you know of Ashen?"

Naomi shifted nervously. "It is a land of Miasma," she said slowly, trying to remember the details from her lessons. As a member of the royal family, fixing anomalies would have been one of her duties, and her education had centered primarily on diplomatic relations with Ashen. "A mirror world to Ember that is it's opposite in every regard. Miasma feeds the plants and life there while Essence destroys it. There is a portal in the back of the dungeon for the residents of Ashen to challenge the dungeon as we do and collect Miasma as we draw in Essence."

Was that enough to convince him that she knew what she was getting herself into? She hadn't mentioned Lerians or Corvi, nor anything else that had been long ago lost to time.

"And where did you hear about this land?" Amon asked again.

"I don't know. I read it in a book," Naomi tried, realizing how badly thought out her plan had been. She needed to find Rayna quickly. She didn't have time for this!

"Bring me the book," Amon said. "And I'll grant you passage."

He disappeared, leaving Naomi alone in the snow.

"No! Oh, goddess take me. Amon! I'll tell the truth!" Naomi waited.

Amon reappeared and Naomi let out a sigh of relief.

"You know me?" Amon asked, his tone, one of mildly curious distrust.

"Amon Palenir," Naomi said. "Keeper for the Caverns and Cave Rats dungeon. Honored for his valor in the Great Dungeon Break in the eighth millennia, a few hundred years before the cataclysm."

Amon's eyes widened slightly, a furrow appearing between his brows. "Palenir?"

There was something about the way he said it, and the slight mispronunciation of the word that made Naomi pause and really look at him. His expression wasn't surprised or suspicious; it was confused.

Did he not remember?

"You fought on the front lines," Naomi said, recalling all the times she sat listening to the old hero tell his stories. He always downplayed his role, but she knew from her history lessons that he had done more than he would ever admit. "Holding back the hordes single handedly until help could arrive, you saved millions of lives. It was a few centuries before I was born but I always—" She cut off, realizing that she had said too much.

Amon didn't seem to catch her mistake. "I'm afraid I don't have many memories of my life before becoming a Keeper. Perhaps, you could trade information for passage?"

His memories degraded? That shouldn't be possible. He was part of the System.

The memories of all the Keepers were stored on the main memory crystal in the System tower. Not to mention, all memories should be stored on a crystal within the Keeper's hub as well.

And if all else failed, a soul has it's memories imprinted on it throughout their life. It was why people retained their personalities between reincarnations. They may not remember who they are, but they carry the lessons of the past with them through each new life.

Naomi didn't have time to help Amon remember his past. Rayna was waiting.

"Allow me passage, and when I return I'll tell you everything I know," Naomi offered. "My errand is time sensitive. A Lerian child is stuck in Ashen."

Amon's eyes widened. "Rayna?"

Naomi blinked. "You know of her?"

Light flashed and Naomi was suddenly standing within the dungeon. She put her hand on the wall to steady herself, her stomach roiling.

She hated teleporting.

"Ashen is through there," Amon said, nodding at the blank section of wall. "I await your return."

He disappeared, leaving Naomi alone to wonder just what Rayna had done to leave such a strong impression on a dungeon Keeper that didn't even remember his own name.