As Darkness Falls by Riley Storm

Chapter Nine

Snagging another hunk of bread from one of Vir’s magical tables on the way out, I munched on the perfectly crunchy exterior as I wandered.

I didn’t have any specific destination in mind. It was more about where I was coming from, this time, instead of where I was going. Getting out and away from Vir was the important part right now. The fact that it gave me an excuse to finally explore some more of Shuldar was just an added benefit.

My mind contained only fleeting memories of my panicked flight through the underground city. Now, as I exited Vir’s temple, I took it in. The Field of Gods, as I was starting to think of it, was a sight in itself with thirty-foot high statues of the various shifter gods. I recognized some, but others were a total mystery, their identity lost to the ages.

Lately, I’d had enough of divinity and the like, so instead of digging through the temples, I made an immediate beeline for the edge of the field and the city beyond. The Field of Gods was raised above the rest, so as I approached, I found myself able to look out and over the city.

“So much have we lost,” I whispered to myself, watching as row upon row of stone buildings faded into the distance.

Some were small, likely dwellings, while others were a bit bigger, likely workshops or some sort of businesses. A few large buildings dotted the underground city. I wondered if those were gathering areas or perhaps administrative buildings. What kind of government had been in place? Had it been like it was now, an Alpha ruling over the pack? Or had they done it differently back then?

It still boggled the mind to think that a thousand years ago, shifters had built a city like this. In the middle of nowhere. At least, now I knew why. That was one big mystery that had been solved. This was where the Direen touched Earth. A passageway between realms. It made sense that we would settle here. Close to our gods.

I could see it now. A thriving city where gods walked the streets with mortals. We had known the gods were real because they visited us. The proof had been obvious to even the most stringent non-believer.

“Then it was all taken away,” I mused, standing at the very edge of the Field of Gods.

When the barrier had gone up, effectively shutting off the Direen from Earth, the gods had stopped visiting. It would have taken no more than a generation or two for them to become nothing but mystical beings. Ideas and concepts instead of reality. Within a hundred years, the city would have been shrinking as people left, I’m sure. It wasn’t a good place for a city unless there was a reason for it to be here.

People had probably left in groups, and that was how the hundreds of packs across the continent had sprung up as they settled new regions.

“Fascinating.”

I stared silently out at the city, picturing what it must have been like in its heyday a thousand years ago. An overwhelming sense of sadness filled me that I hadn’t been able to witness such a thing.

At some point, it became clear that I wasn’t alone. The person didn’t make any sound, but I felt their presence behind me, nonetheless.

“Not now, Vir,” I said. “I’m sorry. I’m just not–”

I fell silent as Aaron stepped up on my right, also looking out at the stone city. I’d been so distracted, so lost in my contemplations, that I’d missed the gentle cooling effect he had on my mind anytime he was nearby. Now that I was looking for it, though, I could feel it, dampening the call of the Soulbond.

For the moment, I let myself bask in it. This was what I’d expected things to be like without a Soulbond. A return to that peaceful bliss that had been my mind for most of my twenty-one years. Nearly twenty-two now, actually. Only a few more months to go, and then another year would have passed.

It had definitely been the longest, most strenuous, most revelatory year of my life. It would be hard to top this going forward.

I noticed, thankfully, that Aaron had taken advantage of Vir’s magical trunks and found some clothes that fit.

“How are you doing?” Aaron asked at long last.

I didn’t detect any malice or humor in his question. As far as I could tell, it was a genuine, honest attempt to inquire about my well-being.

“I’m,” I started to say, then stopped. “I have no idea.”

“Sounds about right,” he said, and this time, there was a chuckle.

“Physically, I’m fine,” I said. “Healing up nicely, though it’ll be a day or so before I’m back to full health, I think. But up here…”

I raised a hand and tapped a finger to the side of my head.

“It’s a lot,” Aaron agreed.

“You don’t seem fazed,” I pointed out. “Nor surprised.”

He didn’t respond.

Okay, so we’re not going there just yet. Fine.

“It’s a lot to take in,” I said at last, agreeing with him. “I’m, um, overwhelmed.”

Aaron chuckled. “Being Soulbound to a god seems like an overwhelming thing.”

I stiffened. “You know?”

He nodded slowly but didn’t elaborate, leaving me to wonder if he knew about everything that had happened in the chamber or just the Soulbond. Had Vir told him? Or was this just an educated guess on Aaron’s part?

But if he wanted to talk about deeper things, then he needed to own up to some truths as well.

“What are you?” I asked, turning to look at him. I didn’t want him to think I was asking flippantly.

Aaron considered his answer for nearly a minute before speaking. “I am your guide and, if need be, your protector.”

“Even from Vir?”

He stiffened, his head turning slightly toward me. “I would…prefer not to do that, if at all possible,” he said. “After all, he is a god, Dani, and I, most certainly, am not.”

No, you’re not, but you’re much more than you say you are, Aaron.

“But,” I pushed, “what if Vir became…dangerous? To me?”

Aaron bowed his head. “If necessary, I would do my best, though I fear it would buy you no more than a bit of time. Even in this realm, Vir is powerful.”

“I don’t get it,” I said, shaking my head. “I paid you with a gold statue. How did something so small like that garner me such loyalty from you?”

“It is my way,” Aaron said as if that explained everything. “We signed a contract. I follow them to the letter. To the last day.”

“Which is what, tomorrow?” I pointed out. “Times almost up, isn’t it?”

Aaron smiled. “I’m sure we’ll find something in here that can extend that,” he said, gesturing out at the empty city before us.

“If you or your men want to take something, I need you to run it through me first,” I said. “I’m not sure everything we find here should be for the taking.”

“Agreed,” Aaron said with a solemnity that I found almost endearing.

“Have your men explore,” I ordered. “See if there’s anything that looks noteworthy, not just worth taking for you, but that might be interesting for myself or Vir as well.”

Aaron opened his mouth.

“Once they’re rested,” I added with a smile.

Mouth shutting firmly, Aaron nodded with an appreciative smile.

“Thank you.” I panned my gaze over the city blocks. “The more hands we have going through this, the better. It’s going to take some time.”

“What are you going to do in the meantime?” Aaron asked.

I took a deep breath, slowly exhaling, trying to force some of my stress out with it. In my mind’s eye, a picture of the scene before me took place. Row upon row of statues of the gods. All of them flanking the field, leading up to the end of the cavern, where a single carved statue stood, looking out at them and the city of Shuldar.

The Temple of Amunlea.

“I’m going to try and get some answers,” I said.

I’m going to try and figure out what I am.