Page 29 of Heart Shaped Wreckage
“We’re in a desert,” Kevin looked at Thoth like he must be daft. “Where would a swirling pool be?”
“Ah… A pool doesn’t always mean water. Swirling sand can cause the same impression. You will find it much more difficult to do laps in, though.” He chortled – birdlike. Like I said, Thoth had always been quite strange.
“Where do we need to go?” I stretched my arms, and my back popped loudly.
“Around the mountain and down to the hidden valley. Remember that in the pool, sometimes it is best to give up the struggle. Chaos destroys and sometimes brings peace with that destruction.”
“That makes no sense,” Kevin sighed.
“But it will,” Thoth clicked his beak at him loudly.
“Are we being searched for?” I asked, afraid of the answer.
“Do you believe that Aurelius would ever give up?” He looked at me with his beady eyes.
“Will he find us again?” I bent my head. I didn’t want to have to do battle against my brother. He may hate me, but I hold no ill will for the choices we both made.
“What are the affairs of angels to me, Magnus? The three stones will glow when the witch gets near them. Three, you must find, and then into the swirling pool you must go. Only together can you ever beat the current of the shifting sands. Remember everything I said, or this will be our last conversation. No matter to me. It is what it is, as they say. Time would somehow go on without you.”
“Thanks for the compassion,” Kevin huffed.
“Witch boy, the gods have never had any.” He opened his wings and snorted as he lifted into the air and sailed away.
“I guess we should get going?” I ruffled his messy hair back into place.
“I’m still hungry, I think.”
“Maybe we’ll find a buffet on the way. Come on.” We didn’t really have anything to carry except for the burned sword I had picked up and set aside. Maybe it could come in handy. Once I had a sword just like this. I still remember how to use it. I hoped. Honestly, I hoped I wouldn’t have to find out.
If Aurelius were looking for us, he would not be able to track us easily since Moon Cat moved us through space and time. But hecouldeventually find us. Kevin… Aurelius could use Kevin to find us. He couldn’t track the fallen. Our blended essence would keep us hidden even from him. How else did we survive during their hunt for us? But Kevin, his soul… It was possible, but it would still be a difficult task for him. We just had to keep moving.
Did Aurelius know the prophecy? He hadn’t heard it, and it wasn’t about him, but… he was mentioned. If he had heard it, we were possibly fucked.
“How far do you think that mountain is?”
“Far enough. A few hours, maybe.” I shrugged. It didn’t matter how far it was; it was where we had to go.
“Stupid cat,” Kevin sighed. “He couldn’t have dropped us there?”
I reached down and took his small hand in mine. “Let’s go.”
We walked for quite some time, and the mountain seemed to keep moving further back. Stupid mirages made the desert a hellscape of wind and sand. Kevin found it difficult to keep up, and eventually, I grabbed him and threw him onto my back. He wrapped his thin legs around my waist and his arms around my neck as I slowly kept my balance in the shifting sands.
Thoth’s words played in my mind.
I hated riddles, and the wise ones always loved to give you just enough of the truth to keep you confused. It was never a straight answer. Typically, that’s how all of the heroes of old died. The odds were not in our favor.
Finally, after the sun had started its descent, we made it to the base of the mountain.
“Now what?”
“You find the stones.”
“I… how?”
“Thoth said they would glow when you got near them.”
“That’s all I have to do? I walk around and hope we stumble on the right stones. Sure, Cher. Seems very easy to me.”
