Mist Rising by Eve Langlais

Chapter Five

“What really happenedto you out there in the fog?” Hiix asked, dragging Agathe away from the child, now sleeping within a wooden chest with its lid removed, the bottom lined with a folded blanket. A few solarus lights glowed softly in the stone chamber—not many since it took too many trips to carry them now, but they had no choice since they’d run out of candles.

“You really need to do something about your senility. I told you what happened. You were there with me, fighting a tentacled monster.”

Venna shivered. “What was that thing?”

“Reminded me of a flakan, if it had an ugly cousin.” Flakens were creatures with bulbous bodies and writhing fronds lined in feathers that skimmed over the fog. Harmless creatures. But the thing she’d faced wanted flesh and blood.

“Stop changing the subject. We all know we faced an Abyss monster. The first in forever. Is the fact you killed it why you returned…changed?” Hiix finally stopped dragging, and they stood by the basin for washing dishes. The spout—held together in a mishmash of parts—spewed water and soon covered the bottom. “Look and tell me what you see.”

A glance into the basin showed a reflection, not a great one because of the subdued lighting and the ripples, but enough that Agathe recognized her face—and didn’t.

She touched her skin, smoother than she recalled in a long time. Not completely wrinkle-free, but definitely improved. “I don’t understand.” Even as her mind flashed to the child.

“Could it be the mist?” Venna asked.

“I’m still just as wrinkled,” Hiix remarked.

“Had to be the monster, then,” Venna stated with a nod.

“None of the stories about fighting monsters had anyone emerging younger.” Agathe couldn’t stop staring at herself, running fingers over the newly firm flesh.

“Did it spit on you? Bleed? Breathe?” Hiix ticked off a list of items.

“Breathed, yes. And the smell.” Agathe grimaced as she finally turned from her reflection. “Recalling the fetidness, I highly doubt it has rejuvenating properties.”

“Maybe its breath moisturized?” Venna queried on a dubious note.

“That’s the result of more than a really good cream.” Hiix shook her head.

“The Goddess must have rewarded you for rescuing the child,” Venna declared.

Was it the Goddess, though? Agathe dimly recalled the baby grabbing her cheeks. And what of the glowing eyes? Could the child heal?

The baby certainly didn’t seem strange and otherworldly anymore. Her eyes were a rather ordinary brown. But like the others, Agathe would have sworn they had been another color when they first met. Did it mean something?

Agathe had only met a few violet-eyed folks in her time and had never seen them as out of the ordinary. Not that she had known them for long, as they ended up being offered in service to the King at the Vionox Festival.

“You must be right. The Goddess intervened.” And then, because it was sometimes fun to cause trouble, she added, “Guess I’m her favorite.”

Venna snorted. “Guess again. I’m her special daughter, which is why our Goddess woke me and told me I had a special mission to keep the child safe.” Her Soraer clenched her hands to her chest and raised her gaze to the ceiling.

At the theatrics, Agathe glanced sharply at her. “She spoke to you?”

Venna nodded. “A voice inside my dream told me to rise and go forth to help save a most important child.”

“The Goddess called me, too,” Hiix admitted.

“And me. Apparently, our Goddess wanted to hedge her bets,” Agathe muttered.

“Our Goddess is wise and smart. Obviously, the child is important to her, and we have been entrusted with her protection. It is a great honor.” Venna dipped her head and made a sign of fealty to the Goddess, her hand dipping up and down.

Agathe almost snorted. Everyone knew the Goddess preferred offerings of ale and blood. “If, by ill-chance, the child does manifest purple eyes, we’ll need to keep her hidden from outsiders.” Which shouldn’t be hard. They didn’t get many folks popping in for visits.

“Even if she doesn’t, if someone does show up, one of us should take her to the catacombs,” Hiix remarked.

“You do realize that if she is purple-eyed, and we harbor her past the Vionox, we could be executed for breaking the law?” Venna pointed out.

“I do.” Hiix lifted her chin. “They can toss my cold and dead body into the Abyss for the mist to consume before I hand over another child.”

“Caring for this babe is the Goddess’s will, which supersedes any laws from a King,” Agathe argued.

“I guess it’s decided, then. We’re keeping her.” Venna sounded most pleased. “A good thing I’ve got seeds left. We’ll need to expand our garden.”

“I’ll check the defenses, make sure nothing needs shoring.” Hiix’s shoulders straightened with purpose. “There might be more monsters coming.”

As for Agathe, “I think we also need to read up on our history.” Because she, for one, wanted to better understand what had happened outside. What did the appearance of the monster and the rising mist mean?

With common purpose, they came together as Soraers, doing the Goddess’s bidding and finding out that life still had plenty to offer. Especially for Agathe, who, unlike her Soraers, had regained some of her youth. Appearing in her third decade, it gave her the energy to care for the baby, who proved to be very well behaved. And for a while, it seemed as if life would continue as before, albeit with a new face.

That peaceful moment didn’t last.