Deep beneath the earth, far below even the subterranean settlement of Jiendo, a series of twisting passageways snaked their way ever downward into an impenetrable darkness. The orb of eldritch light hovering above Terakiel's palm did only so much to light the way as he crept slowly forward, his footfalls scraping noisily through the dust-caked ground beneath him. He was outfitted now in a clean white tunic bound at the waist by a brown sash--gifted to him by Brea, the tall woman following a carefully measured six paces behind him. She had seemed eager to help, but Terakiel's strange powers were quite obviously upsetting to her.
Despite wearing a very common piece of local attire, Terakiel felt very much like an outsider--and not only because of his ability to access the Strand. His fiery hair and pale skin was a sharp contrast to the locals' dusky hair and complexions. He also felt very slight and frail beside most of the settlement's citizens, including even Brea herself, who stood a full head taller than him. Her companion Sarah seemed very out of place herself, although she had clearly been living in Jiendo for some time. She was certainly tanned, but it was clear her skin color would never match that of Brea's or any of the other men or women in the town. Where she had come from, Terakiel did not know. Of course, there was much he did not know.
There was a whole world of cultures and history that Terakiel had not even the faintest knowledge about. He wanted to learn and absorb all of that information but he wondered if he would be afforded the possibility. Brea seemed afraid of him and so too did Sarah. He wondered if they felt the same of Casnie. He cast a sidelong glance at the woman beside him. Is it possible she had not told them what she was capable of? It occurred to him suddenly that Casnie had not chosen to demonstrate her unique talents since they had agreed to embark on this little journey. There was certainly still a distance there, though. Maybe they did know. Maybe they knew about Casnie but for some reason they were more afraid of him. The thought made Terakiel uncomfortable.
He had not chosen to wield such powers. He supposed no man chose his destiny. Terakiel wasn't sure he even believed in the concept. He had done something terrible; he'd committed a crime of passion. That wasn't destiny. That was a stupid mistake that he would never be able to make up for. The fact that he could be capable of such a thing--that's why they were frightened. They could even begin to understand the kind of things he was capable of, but they suspected, perhaps. What they imagined couldn't possibly be worse than the truth.
He wondered if he'd ever be able to forge real relationships with other people without lying. How many people in Illatha could not only accept his strange and terrifying powers but also come to terms with the terrible things he had done? Terakiel suspected Casnie knew, thanks in no small part to their momentary communal during her trip through the Exod--and since they'd reunited, she seemed distant. He supposed she had no reason to feel any kind of bond with him, given the amount of time they'd known each other--and especially considering the circumstances surrounding their meeting. No matter how much Terakiel rationalized, it was an inescapable fact that Casnie was stranded in this place because of him.
Terakiel felt himself being drawn unneringly toward a source of great power and his companions seemed to believe this was a good sign--or at least Casnie and Aisen did. Brea seemed to follow the events with something like horrified fascination. She was likely ready to flee at any moment but her apprehension had thus far not prevented her from tagging along. Terakiel supposed he could understand. She lived in an exceedingly quiet place of almost total isolation not unlike Tombolin. When a group of mysterious (and possibly dangerous) strangers come to town with strange and unbelievable stories, it's difficult not to want to find out what happens, even if it might not necessarily be in your best interests to get involved. Terakiel could not recall a time something like that had ever happened in Tombolin--and he would have welcomed anything that would have stymied his interminable boredom.
On the other hand, Sarah seemed as if she didn't want to be there at all. Terakiel imagined it was only her fierce loyalty to her close friend that kept her there. She was likely sensible enough to know that certain affairs just should not be meddled in. If Terakiel were to be perfectly honest, Sarah was probably absolutely right. He acknowledged that he was dangerous, but he was glad that he had companions at least for the time being. If Aisen was right about his assumption, that might not longer be true very soon.
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