Elegy for a Star Ch. 001-010

That left a bad taste in Tess' mouth. She didn't want to leave Gwen's side. Gwen was the only person that saw what happened to her. She needed the silver haired woman to vouch for her when she proves to know nothing about the way things are. She decided to not react aggressively, which would only damage the situation. "What about you?" Tess asked with a soft voice.

"What?"

Tess had to repeat herself over the sound of boots crunching snow. This time she was loud, and not so meek as before.

"Oh," Gwendolyn replied simply, "I'm going to join the Expeditionary Corps. It is my purpose." She took a deep breath and turned around to face Tess, "I'm going to fight the Black Sun."

Chapter 6 - Camp

Gwen had said that they'll make it to Hastenburgh tomorrow, but that they shouldn't risk traveling more for tonight, given that it was still colder than normal, with Thyr mostly covered by that black hole in the sky. Tess had more questions, but couldn't keep pace with the warrior she was following, so Gwen told her to conserve her breath for travel, and they could talk later. Tess found it difficult to let these questions linger in her mind, but wanted just as badly to get to Hastenburgh and see what Gwendolyn was talking about.

They made their camp underneath a large boulder with a sharp overhang that could protect them from most wings and any rain. Gwendolyn was busy with another campfire ritual when Tess took a seat beside it.

Gwen was sprinkling the shiny salt when Tess asked, "How do you do that?"

"Practice, creativity, and hoarding a lot of useless junk," She answered, "You don't remember anything about circles?"

"They're round," Tess offered.

Gwen gave her a blank stare for a couple seconds before continuing to build her ritual, "Okay, there's a few parts. One is your goal. What are you trying to do? Imagine what that thing takes or what it's represented by. My goal right now is to make a fire."

"Alright," Tess nodded. She looked Gwen over as the woman explained, finding it hard to focus when it dawned on her once again how beautiful her companion was.

Her attention was brought back quickly, "Then there's your reagents." She gestures to her circle, "I represent building a fire with wood chips, some quartz dust for the flint, and a bit of charcoal to symbolize warmth."

Tess was hung up on the charcoal part. "Why not add... straw, or pine leaves? Wouldn't that make more sense?"

Gwen gestured to her circle, "That's the creativity of it. As long as you have the right intent, and it makes sense to you, there's a chance that it works. This is what works for me. Maybe for you, you could do flask oil, ipe bark and pine leaves, or something. But this is what works for me."

"Where does the magic come from, then, if it can just be whatever you want?" Tess could remember that the gods gave magic, that one's blood gave magic, but not this.

Gwen snapped her fingers over the circle and their campfire burst to life. Tess found it even more amazing this time than last, given that she understood a bit more. "Somewhere between the Soul and Stars. That's what my sister always told me," Gwen replied with a wistful look.

"I get it that the reagents you use are a representation of yourself. Your soul. But what about the stars?"

"See how I have them arranged?" Gwen replied. It wasn't easy to see past the bright light of the fire, but through the rippling haze of heat, Tess could see that each reagent was placed in a very specific way.

"Constellations?"

"Mmhm," Gwen confirmed, "Each constellation has its own magical profile. They each rule over certain aspects of our reality. Knowing which pattern to put each reagent into is just as important as the reagents you use."

Tess muttered to herself, "Soul and stars." Gwendolyn nodded and Tess pushed further, "Will you teach me?"

Gwen sat back and warmed her hands by the fire. The light danced over her soft features and gave her light hair an orange, blazing hue. "I can't teach you anything about your soul, and if you are a demon, then you may not have a soul to use."

Tess' enthusiasm deflated for a moment, before she remembered Miri. Miri was the demon, not Tess. Tess should be more than capable, right? Hopefully Miri's ministrations last night didn't taint her in some way.

"But you can teach me the stars?" Tess persisted.

Gwendolyn nodded, "I can. It's good knowledge for anyone to have."

"Gwen?" Tess asked.

"Gwendolyn," she corrected.

"Gwendolyn, thank you."

"You're welcome, Tess. Now get some sleep."

But sleep didn't come to Tess so easily. Last night she'd been so distracted by other things, not to mention exhausted from the events that day. Tonight Tess had so many questions spinning up in her mind that sleep just wasn't a possibility until she'd mulled over at least a few of them. So while she sat beside the campfire, she looked into its fiery core as if expecting to find answers.

Tess knew that the best way to solve a problem was to list out all of the questions. Where did she come from? Why did she only remember some things and not others? What's with the dick? Who's Miri and...

"You called?" A familiar voice whispered into her ear. Tess turned and once again, Miri's golden gaze was staring her directly in the face. She nearly screamed before the demon clamped a hand over her mouth. "Relax, sweetness, I'm just here to talk. I'd never hurt you, unless, you know, you're into that thing."

Tess' eyes were wide, looking back and forth across Miri' features. She was too unusual to just pick a point to look at. There was definitely human-like familiarity, but even beyond the strange eyes, the fangs and the horns there was something decidedly inhuman about her. There was this uncanniness to her face that wasn't unsettling, but was just different. A gracefulness to it. Something beautiful. She was sculpted, not born by chance.

Tess took Miri's wrist lightly and moved her hand away. Miri obliged. Tess knew from before that if the demoness wanted, Miri could easily overpower her, so she was relieved to not have to fight against her. "Where were you?" Tess hissed under her breath, "I didn't even know if you were real. You just disappeared."

Miri just smiled with a softness that put Tess at ease. The horned woman reached out to brush some hair from Tess' face. There was a comforting warmth being in Miri's presence, something beyond what the fire was providing. There was something about Miri that made Tess want to be closer to her. To be important to her. To make her happy.

"Sorry for leaving," Miri cooed, "I had some things to attend to."

"Like.. like what?" Tess stammered at those big, golden eyes staring into her. Miri was dressed oddly. They weren't clothes per se, but some rubbery, skin-tight wrap that only concealed strips and small areas here or there. A line up across the navel connected the top and bottom areas. The top consisted of two cups that kept full breasts high and presented The bottom was a small covering of Miri's modesty (if you could call it that) that did nothing to conceal her rear end. There was so much to look at and ponder about her new companion that Tess wasn't sure where to look or what to examine.

Just seeing her sweet face again and smelling the caramel notes of her scent had something stirring deep within Tess. Miri used a clawed finger to hook some hair around a horn. She looked down at Tess' lap and purred, "Looks like someone's happy to see me again. I'm glad I made such a good impression last time."

"Miri, please.." Tess insisted, "Just.. answer some questions. There's too much that I don't know."

"But that's so boring," Miri complained, slipping away from Tess. She floated in the air, lounging backwards on it as though she were reclining on cushions. "But fine, ask your questions, Tess."

"Well, like I said, what was it you were 'attending to?'"

"Boring. Ask something else," Miri said, dismissing the question with a wave of her hand.

There was a twitch of irritation in Tess' face, but she didn't push it. "Okay, well, where did I come from?"

"How am I supposed to know?" The demon responded.

"Well, I was hoping.."

"This is all new for me too, you know." Miri added in a way that milked Tess' sympathy.

"So you're like me?" Tess inquired, hopeful for definitive answers, "Summoned? Unable to remember much?"

"On the memory front, I think I got the better end of the deal," Miri mused with a fanged smile.

Tess' confused look must've asked the question she did not have the composure to voice.

"I suppose it hasn't been made totally clear just yet. We're sharing this body, you and I. That's not your body. It's not mine. It's ours." Miri explained.

This wasn't the surprise to Tess that Miri may have expected. To be truthful, she had expected something like this. How else could Gwen not have heard her last night? How else could Miri have known her name? Of course, she didn't know for sure, but it was one of the suspected answers that Tess had thought possible.

"I remember more than you do," Miri continued, "Which makes me think we only came to this body with so many memories, and most of them were mine." Miri huffed and added, "Just a guess. Don't ask me to figure out the arithmetic behind that one."

"Can Gwendolyn see you?" Tess asked, moving along before Miri decided to perform her vanishing act again with only one question answered.

Miri shook her head, "Well, in a way, when she's looking at you, she's seeing me, too. Again, that body is mine too. Don't forget it."

"Right, of course," Tess said, apologetically, "But if she were awake, would she see you floating there?"

Miri slipped through the air like a fish in water, moving in a figure eight before ending up hovering just above Gwendolyn's half covered form. She reached out to poke Gwendolyn's face, but Tess hissed, "Don't! Start with the rock. Don't wake her."

Miri instead reached out to touch the rocky wall that they've camped against, but her hand stopped flatly upon the surface, "I can't go through this."

"Probably because I can't see past it. Your limit is what I can observe, I think," Tess offered, and Miri floated back toward her and nodded her agreement.

"Look at the big brain on you, Tessy," Miri quipped with amusement.

Tess wasn't sure if it was sincere or not, but didn't linger on the thought either way, "Well, if you don't know where I came from. Do you know where you came from?"

Miri nodded. Tess just looked at her expectantly, and one of those claw-tipped fingers pointed upward toward the sky. Tess didn't have to move past the rocky outcropping to look at where the demoness pointed. She knew.

"The Black Sun."

"That's the one," Miri acknowledged, "And I bet we'd find more answers there, too."

Tess looked confused, "How do we even get there? It's it.. You know, in the sky?"

"Further than that, actually. Maybe ask your pretty little traveling partner." Miri floated to be face-to-face with Tess, "In the meantime, you need sleep." Miri put a hand to Tess's face and with index and pinky fingers she closed Tess' eyes.

Chapter 7 - The Pack

"Tess, duck!" Gwendolyn shouted

Tess immediately planted herself into the snowy ground. The warrior flicked her arm and a spinning dagger caught the wolf that had been charging Tess from behind. It whined and circled around to try a new angle.

Their march today had been interrupted by some howling. Gwendolyn tried to circumvent the danger, but the wolves had already locked onto their scent. The sudden, eclipse-driven winter had likely starved the pack for a few days, so they were willing to take on some danger for the possibility of food.

When Tess lifted her face from the snow, her vision was blurry. She could still see Gwendolyn several paces ahead, a wolf with its teeth buried into her left arm. Gwendolyn didn't even cry out. Her face was focused and professional, even as she skewered the wolf's midsection with that broken sword, peeling it from the wolf's stomach and spilling its steaming guts into the snow. Gwendolyn pulled her arm to the side, toppling the creature, and gave it one strong hack across the neck.

There wasn't enough time to consider the violence, the gore, the death. Survival was all that ran through Tess' mind. Her gaze snapped to the side to see a gray blur charging Gwendolyn from behind. "Gwen!" She cried out. The warrior looked toward her and then spun to face the charge. It was too slow, and Gwendolyn was taken to the ground by the beast, her blade knocked from her grasp. With the snow in her eyes, it was too blurry to tell exactly what was happening, but she heard Gwendolyn struggle.

"Hold on!" Tess shouted, scrambling to her feet, only to be taken back to the ground, chest first. There was a weight on her back that kept her from rising, growling in her ear mingled with the sound of her panicked breathing. "No! No!" She cried out, but she heard a crunch and felt the weight immediately lift from behind her. She spun onto her back, and saw the wolf floating in the air. Its jaw was snapped down to meet its neck, its eyes unfocused, its entire body limp. Holding it by the scruff was Miri, floating just above.

"You can-.." Tess started, but Miri was already on the move. Tess followed the motion and saw Gwendolyn on her back, the wolf atop her. Gwen had her gloved hands pressed into the canine's chest to keep it at bay, but the wolf was beginning to overpower her, outmaneuver her, snapping its jaws wildly just in front of Gwen's face. Miri glided toward the struggle and pulled the wolf back just a bit, helping Gwen to push the beast enough to draw another dagger and drive it through the wolf's vulnerable neck.

The beast toppled, and the rest of its pack soon fled in a chorus of yelps and barks.

Tess rolled over onto her back, panting. Something burned along her shoulders and her chest felt sore, but she didn't care. She just wanted a moment to breathe. A chance to close her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Gwendolyn asked. Tess didn't have to open her eyes to know that Gwen was standing just above her.

Tess let out a heavy breath, "I think so."

There was a pause before Gwen asked, "Is that your blood or one of the wolves'?"

"I don't know."

Tess opened her eyes and saw both Miri and Gwen standing over her. Miri was licking blood from her fingertips. Gross. Gwen extended a hand to her, "We best make tracks before they come back. No doubt they'll be stalking us for a long while."

"No rest breaks. Got it." Tess replied neutrally.

"Yeah," Gwen nodded, "No breaks."

Even if they hadn't been attacked by the wolves, today's march was even worse than yesterday's. Not only did Gwen and Tess discover a number of bleeding yet superficial wounds along Gwen's arm and Tess' back, but she was already sore from the day before. Even worse, they had begun an incline up a hill, leading to a mountain. How was she going to ascend that, hurt and sore and unacclimated to this environment?

Still, she was determined to go wherever Gwen went, if only because of what Miri told her last night. Speaking of, Miri remained with them this time, floating upon her back just beside Tess, keeping an easy pace. To say that Tess was envious of the imperceptible-yet-tangible demon was an understatement. This morning had proven that Gwendolyn couldn't see her demonic second half.

One saving grace was that Thyr showed past the Black Sun in full now, and the snow was quickly melting at their altitude, which made each step a little less exhaustive and the wind less biting. Tess still lagged behind Gwendolyn either way.

This was good for communicating with Miri. Miri could read her thoughts, but that was a disturbing concept to Tess, so she liked to keep it audible, even if it changed nothing. It was more comforting. "How did you do that?" Tess whispered.

"Do what?" Miri responded, as loudly as she could to rub it in to Tess that she, at least, didn't need to be silent like Tess. The sound traveled the surrounding hills, but Gwendolyn didn't see to hear it. Or, at least, she didn't acknowledge it.

Tess scowled, "You know what I'm talking about."

"Oh, you mean when I saved your lovely asses?"

"Yes."

Miri gave a girlish laugh and slipped through the air to be in front of Tess, lying prone in the sky, arms supporting her chin. "Guess our bond is good for something. Maybe it means that I make us telekinetic. Or maybe I'm just our personal ghost that fucks shit up. Who cares?"

"I care," Tess replied.

Miri frowned, clearly feigning offense, "I haven't heard a thank you yet."

Tess felt bad for that. Miri had not only saved Tess, but saved Gwendolyn when Tess couldn't. "You're right. I'm sorry," Tess said softly, "Thank you, Miri. You saved us."

"You're welcome!" Miri chirped.

"Did you say something?" Gwen asked.

Tess's heart sank in her chest for a moment. But maybe some conversation Gwen could distract her from her burning calves. She tried taking some longer strides to catch up to Gwendolyn, to be within speaking range, before pressing some questions.

"No, no," Tess said, "Well.. I mean, kind of."

"No breaks, Tess. Sorry," the silver-haired woman replied, maintaining her pace.

Tess felt embarrassed by Gwen's assumption, but didn't take it personally. She did ask for a lot of breaks this morning and the day before. "You mentioned the Expeditionary Corps. Fighting the Black Sun? How does that work?" Tess was genuinely curious, beyond just what it meant for her and Miri's connection. How were mortals meant to battle against some celestial object? How does one take a blade to the stars?

"Oh," Gwendolyn replied, looking over her shoulder, like she was surprised to hear Tess asking about it. "Well, the Expeditionary Corps doesn't really share the specific secrets, but they take recruits and train them," Gwen started, hiking up her rucksack higher upon her shoulders, "When a recruit is ready, they're sent into the Black Sun."

"How?" Tess immediately asked.

"They don't share the specifics," Gwendolyn repeated, "But they found a way. While there, they battle against its denizens before returning."

"Its denizens?" Tess asked, confusion dripping from every syllable. For every answer, five more questions came to mind. Miri, aware of Tess' every thought and feeling, gave a laugh that Gwendolyn was deaf to.

Gwendolyn nodded, a motion that Tess only detected by the back of her head. "Yes," the warrior added, "The Old Gods."

Tess was tired of echoing every phrase that Gwendolyn spoke, and just requested, "You're going to have to run me through it all."

"It's a lot," Gwendolyn explained, "But I'll give you the short version." She took a breath and remained in silence for a moment. The crunch of snow was all Tess heard for a few long moments before Gwen broke the silence, "A long time ago, and I mean a very long time ago, there were gods for everything. A god for this mountain, for that river, for the roads we walk, for the fire in our stoves.

"Well, it was like that for a long time before those gods started to get curious. Guess they didn't know where they came from, just like we don't. The gods might be our caretakers, but they didn't make us. Anyway, they left, abandoning their powers and gifts to the pantheon that chose to remain--those that we worship now--to go search the entirety of the celestial black for their own answers.

"But the story goes that they found something terrible, and it changed them. When they came back, thousands of years later, they were what you see in the sky."

Tess looked up at that inky hole in the blue sky and imagined it as some great city owned by a myriad of gods.

"It's hard to see right now, with Thyr so close to it," Gwendolyn added, "But there's a stream of Thyr's light leaving it and pouring into the Black Sun. We call that stream the Arc, but someone else can teach you about that. Point is, the Black Sun is eating our star, and once it has, it will eat us. Not like it would matter at that point."