Petrina (Day 298)

Terakiel could hardly believe it, but the trees that had so thoroughly enveloped him on all sides for days now were slowly beginning to thin out. The mist had ll but disappeared and the temperature had risen considerably. The thick grass he'd been trudging through for so long was beginning to lessen in volume as well. Now that he was making progress, he felt considerably less aimless and more motivate to press on than ever before. He could only hope that Casnie and Aisen had somehow found their way out as well. Regardless of what happened, he had to find a way to get them home. He was their responsibility. It was his fault thy were brought to that place.

He didn't want to think about never finding them. He realized the odds were stacked against him, but he would find them. He would. There was something about Lakara that had distorted perspective. It's possible it covered a much smaller area than any of them had imagined. It could conceivably be possible that his newfound traveling companions were waiting for him just on the Lakaran outskirts. Then again, they had no reason to be loyal to him, Terakiel reasoned. They'd not known each other for very long, and they only shared a common plight--a plight which Terakiel himself was technically responsible for.

As little as he wished to admit it, he'd been immensely relieved to have the companionship of those two, even for as little as he'd had it. He had been struggling with the immense guilt associated with what he'd done to his father alone for such a long time.Being in the company of others helped him to stifle those memories and concentrate on other things. They didn't need to know the details, but the very fact they were there and were willing to support him was enough to make him feel better. He hoped they didn't hold his accidental summons against him. It was completely out of his control--or at least he'd like to think so.

Terakiel had thought killing his father had been outside his control as well, but the more he searched his thoughts and emotions, the more he realized it was what he really wanted to do. He hated to think about it, but if he were to be completely honest with himself it was true. His father was a terrible man--that much was true--but no one deserved that kind of death and it wasn't his right to dole out justice in that way. If he'd been a braver man, he would have submitted himself to the Tombolin Justice Council's judgment. He would not have been able to explain how he'd done what he did--but he'd be able to explain why and to confess his guilt. His punishment would have been swift and severe, but no less than what he deserved.

It was too late for any of that now. Tombolin was countless miles behind him and there was little chance he'd be able to find it ever again, considering the obfuscating nature of Lakara. Just as the enigmatic forest had fought so valiantly to prevent its escape, he imagined it would prove just as much of a menace upon entry. He had to wonder if the machinations of Lakara were constructed by men. After all he'd witnessed over the past week, he wouldn't hesitate to believe it. It seemed reasonable to assume that someone (or a large group of someones) had wanted to ensure that no one made it into (or out of) Lakara. 

Why, then, did Terakiel find himself strolling serenely into the forest's outskirts? Was the forest a sentient thing that interpreted the needs of the travelers within? If so, why had it not opened up its doors much earlier? Had he managed to unknowingly break through Lakara's barrier with his natural aptitude for the Strand? It wouldn't be the first time that he'd exercised his powers in ways that he couldn't even begin to understand. It was as if some anonymous being was flexing its spectral muscles through him.

So often since his father's death, Terakiel had felt he lacked control. He wanted to take responsibility for what he'd been doing, but it was like he was sleepwalking--only instead of walking around harmlessly he was blowing holes through cavern walls and teleporting strangers from halfway across the world. Was this common for "Stranders" or were these terrifying shows of power even for experienced practitioners? He wasn't sure he wanted to live in a world where those kinds of things were commonplace--but he wouldn't mind some reassurance that he was "like everyone else" in some small way.

At this point, he felt sure he was in no danger of ever being classified as normal.