Ethereal

~Marcie~

"Did you believe it?" I said, looking up at Ashan. We were making our way through the dead forest, searching for some sort of food.

He paused for a moment and then nodded. "Well, a young boy couldn't exactly tell the difference between a true Koreask and a false one. I suppose I believed it--at least to the extent of my limited understanding of exactly what a Koreask is."

"And what exactly is a Koreask, then?" I probed, climbing over a fallen branch. Ashan held out his hand but I had already hopped down.

"A Champion. A Savior, of some sorts. One who will bring light to darkness."

"Those are all things I've heard before. Tell me something new and interesting." I sat down cross legged on a stump, looking up at Ashan expectantly. He grinned and sat down next to me.

"Well, there is something rather funny,"

I scooted closer and widened my eyes at him. "What?"

He chuckled softly. "Well, all of this fuss about the Koreask...it's all rather silly,"

I stared at him. "Why?"

He grinned at me. "Because no one knows how to use one."

We burst out laughing together. After a moment I wiped tears of mirth from my eyes and smiled at him. And then I put my hand to my head suddenly, groaning.

"Ashan..."

"What is it?" He got up suddenly and moved to kneel in front of me.

"Ashan...we're so stupid!" I lifted my head. "There we were, at the tomb, monster dead, and what did we do? Run. We're such idiots."

"You're speaking about the records," Ashan nodded. "Yes, their presence would have been useful. But for now--" He took my hand in his. "--Our priority is the safety of the Koreask. We must first keep it from greedy Lodorvrin, and then we will be free to use it."

"Her. Charlotte. Not 'it'." I said absentmindedly. Ashan looked at me for a moment and then sighed.

"Charlotte."

"Did you ever wonder, what's going on with those two?" I said thoughtfully, looking in the direction of the white castle. Ashan took his seat next to me again, looking in the same place.

"They are very similar," He remarked.

"And very different." I said, gazing up at the ceiling of the cavern that soared above us into darkness.

"I suppose. Your friend is very strong."

"Are you saying Tennin isn't?" I looked at Ashan and raised an eyebrow.

He looked at the ceiling as well, lost in thought. "He is in his own way. But he is too strong--he pushes others out in order to build up a solid core, a heart of stone that no one can break. " He looked at me and winked. "Except for, it seems, a certain golden-haired maiden..."

I winked back. "Those crazy kids."

Ashan laughed and looked out across the landscape. "Indeed," He murmured, brushing a stray curl out of his eyes.

A dusty wind swirled towards us, and I lifted up my arm to shield my face as tiny flecks of dust peppered us.

"Why is it--sharp?" I asked questioningly. The dust bit into my skin, and a trail of red trickled down my arm.

"Get down," Ashan said suddenly. He grabbed me around the waist and we jumped behind the log.

And then, it was raining.

We huddled together underneath the log and I reached out a shaking hand. I pulled it back instantly with a cry--it was stained red.

"What is this?" I said, horrified. Small, sharp slivers of silver were falling from the ceiling, destroying anything they encountered. The log we were under was being peppered with the tiny shards.

Ashan simply pulled me closer and looked ahead, his eyes calculating. A piece of the cutting rain fell through the log, leaving a trail of blood down his cheek.

"We have to get to the castle," I said, reaching up and wiping it away with my finger.

He was still silent, shifting his position so that he hovered over me, shielding me from the rain.

"I think," He murmured, very close to my face. "That it's time for another magic trick."

He nodded at Deca, and I reached out to cup the Glow bug in my hand. He gave off a flickering, worried light.

"It's ok, darlin'" I said. "Let's do our thing."

I held him close to my chest and closed my eyes. I took a deep breath.

And nothing happened.

I opened one eye and glanced down at him. His light was fading, and he flittered his wings nervously in my hand.

"C'mon," I murmured. But it wasn't so much to the Glow Bug as to myself.

Ashan didn't look at me, only pushed me deeper into the crevice between the log and the ground.

The falling shards were larger now, about the size of neeedles. The log groaned and Ashan looked up, fear flickering on his face.

I looked back at Deca frantically. But his light was completely extinguished now, and as he gave one last spark I lifted him up to put him on my shoulder.

"I know what to do," I said.

Ashan turned slightly to look at me, his expression one of worry and disbelief. I smiled at him.

"We run."

I didn't give him time to think. I knew that if he had even a second, he would try to protect me, hovering over me as we made our way to the castle. But I knew this was a matter of speed, and so when I jumped out from under the log I was off, and I didn't look back.

They were the size of tiny daggers now, and hammered down relentlessly. I pulled my jacket over my head, running as straight as I could toward the glowing walls of Gralad.

I stumbled, and spots of pain racked my spine. I made my way forward, and one of them sliced my cheek.

I felt an arm wrap around my waist, and suddenly my feet left the ground. Ashan held me in his arms, bent forward, running faster than I ever could have.

I wrapped my arms around his head, trying to protect it from the sharp rain. I felt it cut my fingers, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

And suddenly it stopped.

We were through the gate, and Ashan set me down, gasping.

At that moment an arrow whizzed past my face.

In one swift movement Ashan pulled me to him and spun around, ducking down a side corridor. He held my hand and then pulled me suddenly through a hidden passageway. We ran quickly down it, and then he turned again and we were in a small, crouched space with a narrow, horizontal opening. He pulled me along carefully as he crouched down, looking through the space.

I leaned forward and I saw we were above a huge, circular room.

"How do you know an abandoned castle so well?" I asked breathlessly.

He put a finger to his lips and pointed through the crack. I looked again and saw the truly important thing--Charlotte and Tennin, both brandishing swords, standing in the middle of a circle of raggedy looking people.

"They're trying to get rid of us," I whispered, sitting up and peering through the opening. "The rain. It's not natural--we're underground. So these people--"I looked down at them. "They want us out. That's why they made that rain, to get us. And then they came to the castle."

My face paled. "They want Charlotte."

As soon as I spoke those words, one of the men spoke.

"We have no use for a Koreask," his voice boomed. I assumed they had just been talking. "Kill them."

The others advanced on Charlotte and Tennin. He pulled her close.

Ashan cleared his throat suddenly and cupped his hands around his mouth.

"Eh!" he shouted through the crack. the men hesitated, looking around wildly.

I pulled him down. "What are you doing?!" I hissed. He shook me off and yelled again."

"But do you have use for a Chorosin?" he called.

The men looked around again, And my heart sped up, even though I knew they couldn't see us.

"A Chorosin?" the man, the large one that had spoken before, called warily.

"A true heir," Ashan yelled. "And if these people come to harm, you shall never see my face." his voice had taken on a strange, unnatural quality. It was almost...commanding.

All of the men dropped their swords and fell hastily to their knees.

At that moment, a blond blur jumped at the leader, holding a shining silver sword to his neck.

Charlotte pulled him to his knees, holding her sword steady and whispered something I couldn't hear. As the other men jumped up in haste, he raised a hand.

"Stop."

Ashan shook his head and called again. "Do not harm them!"

"Same to you, Charlotte!" I called. I wasn't quite sure what all of this Chorosin business was, but I trusted that Ashan at least had a plan as he grabbed my hand and pulled me through the passageway and down a set of stairs.

We reached the doorway to the circular chamber, out of breath. Ashan stopped for a moment and drew himself up. He was already quite tall, but now he seemed even taller, and somehow regal. He strode into the room, still gripping my hand tightly.

"Ashan Rei Chorosin," the man gasped, Charlotte's sword still at his throat. Her eyes widened at the sight of us, but her grip didn't falter.

I looked up at him questioningly, but his eyes were fixed on the leader, and he nodded curtly.

"My good man. It saddens me to the people of Gralad stooping to such lows, unbefitting this sacred city."

He made a derisive sound, wary of the sword at his neck.

"You should know as well as anyone, that Gralad has gone to Waste," He spat, looking at Ashan levelly.

The other men shifted nervously, murmuring to each other.

"Perhaps due to your reckless use of the Kriskan rain," Ashan said coldly. "A unique defense, if I remember correctly, established by my father and placed in your care." His eyes narrowed. "This Waste is indeed your own creation, Grebon."

Now, Grebon laughed, and Charlotte pressed her sword against his throat. He swallowed, and stared at Ashan with laughing eyes.

"Yes, our fault, the common people. It had nothing to do with our fleeing Rulers, who left us to fend for ourselves against the Rae-saeed ourselves."

Ashan sighed, walking closer to Grebon. I followed slowly, warily.

"Ashan...what's going on?" I slipped my hand from his and tilted his face towards me.

He fixed me with an unreadable look. "Do you remember, the first day, when you met Master Arin?"

"The Shadow Man," Charlotte murmured.

"He was the king here," Ashan said softly, watching my face. "Before, when Sub-Terra had rulers. But when the country went to ruin, the aristocracy fell and reverted to the Order, an underground, more covert way of dealing with matters."

"I don't care about Master Arin," I said, searching his face. "What does he have to do with you?"

Ashan met my gaze.

"I'm his son."