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Chapter Two: Viewing Beside the Woods

The air was still as the wreckage continued to burn, it's smoke billowing up into the still air. Heat beat down on the group from above. Midday in the middle of nowhere with nothing but dry brush, dry cracked earth and a single line of tracks to follow in one of two directions. Jason had never been out this far into the barren landscape of the central desert. They sat on boxes and rocks, calming down from the ordeal of the explosion. Hector looked to Jason for an answer. The wolf didn't know how to respond. He wanted answers, but didn't know what side to pick. Jason pondered for a more than a moment as the feline bard watched him

"I need to know your intentions." Jason said, looking to Hector.

The cat nodded, looking over to the twins, "Just a safe place. I don't want to harm anyone."

"You sided with a vampire and killed a Justiciary." Jason said, bluntly.

Hector paused for a moment then spoke carefully, "I can promise you we had nothing to do with that man's death."

"It's hard to believe you."

Hector nodded, solemnly, "I Know.. Look over at the fire."

Jason stood up, walking over to the burning train car. He scanned the wreck, seeing the corpse of the Justiciary laying lifelessly on the tracks. His mask broken, revealing the burned feline features beneath. While Jason looked over the dead Justiciary, there was a snap as it began to move. Slowly, it rose from the ground, his cold dead stare disobeying his lifelike movements. Jason stepped back, afraid.

"It's a spell.." The body spoke to him, "Turn around."

Jason looked back to Hector, who was holding a small puppet resembling the masked man. His eyes closed in concentration. He looked back to the corpse.

Jason stared at it, unable to speak as it crumpled to the ground. Hector stood next to him, throwing the puppet into the fire. He looked at Jason, a sadness in his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you to come with us without telling you what you're up against."

"It was you?" Jason looked over to Hector.

"Auriss found him dead. We've been posing as him as we made our way here."

"How did he die?" Jason asked.

Hector looked at the corpse, "Suicide by poison."

"Oh. I see."

"We found his final orders." Hector turned to the twins, gesturing towards them, "They're the last of their kind."

Jason frowned "Just them? How?"

Hector nodded gloomily, "Their numbers dwindled over time. An inevitability stated in the kill order. The Justiciaries decided to end it quietly." He sighed, "Save a dying race from an undignified end."

"Justiciaries killed the rest. Outside the eyes of the general population." Hector turned back to the twins, "They will chase us, so I am taking them somewhere safe."

"Where?" Jason asked.

Hector pointed to the northern mountains in the distance, "Up this way is a vampire. Ace Valhorne. He sent Auriss to help us."

"Do you really think you can trust a vampire?"

Hector shrugged, "We can trust this one. He is ancient. He has a plan."

"What's the plan, then?"

Hector looked over towards Rose, "Ace will care for them, they will live their lives in safety, maybe even become vampires, themselves. The child, too."

"Their race will live on like that?" Jason asked, uncertain.

Hector lowered his gaze to the floor, "It's something." He sighed, "There were talks of turning the males, and breeding half vampires, But."

"That doesn't sound like a good idea." Jason stated.

Hector laughed weakly, "Never said it was a good one." He turned to the twins, "There are no more good ideas left for them. But these are their options."

Jason sighed, "What can I do?"

Hector looked Jason over, "Well, a fighter can help. It'll only be a couple days, we'll end up pretty close to Luniskeep. We'll be back in West Varel in a few days" He grabbed Jason's hand, "Would you mind working for me?"

Jason nodded, "I will do what I can."

Hector smiled, "Good! Let's introduce you proper, then." He then turned to face the crows. Rose was sitting on a rock beside Zak, who was preparing some bags for the trip.

"Alright gang!" Hector yelled as he walked towards the crows.

Zak and Rose looked at him, confused.

"Zak, Rose, this is Jason, he's a freelancer, here to help."

"Help us how, exactly? He's got no armor, just a shield and sword." Zak stated, bluntly.

Jason shook his head, "I have my stuff in a bag." His heart sank when he looked around him and didn't see it. It got blown off him in the explosion.

"Just hang on one moment." Jason blurted out, nearly running over to the burning car. He checked around where he had landed, on the tracks, even a few feet away from the train. He couldn't find it anywhere. His protective clothing, even a few magic trinkets, there was no way he could be of any help without it. Until he remembered his talk with Auriss.

"It's back on the train. I must have dropped it." Jason stated gloomily.

"Truly one of us now." Zak chuckled, standing next to him on the tracks as he patted him on the back.

"Let's just get on with it and go." Zak said to Hector as he walked passed him towards his sister.

Jason walked to his shield, pulling it over his shoulder with one of the straps. He looked himself over as the other's set up to leave. He didn't feel prepared, though, none of them did.

With guitar in hand and a bag over his shoulder, Hector led the group north, following the edge of the forest. Jason occasionally looked into the woods. They were dark, a cool breeze wafted into the air from beyond the trees. It was always night in these woods.

"Where exactly are we going?" Jason asked, to no one in particular.

Zak responded, "The Valhorne Manor."

"That's the vampire's place, right?"

"Yup." Rose said, "He lives in the woods."

"Inside the woods?"

"Well, he lives right on the edge of them." Zak stated.

"Nestled on the cusp of the Feyhymn forests." Hector said, almost in song, "A mansion built to harness the dangers of a magical forest for both defense and research." Hector harmonized, "A powerful sort of magic protects the place. At least, that's what the legends say."

"Have you met him before?" Zak asked.

Hector nodded, "Our paths have crossed twice, from my memory. You see, he is a scholar. His thirst for knowledge has always overshadowed his other needs." He grinned at the group, the music he played a pleasant background to his story.

"Was he always a scholar?" Rose asked.

Hector shook his head in a bit of an over the top performing way, "Before he was one of the cursed, Ace Valhorne was just a slave without even a name." His song became somber and slow, "But he and his brothers escaped. Then, when they thought themselves dead, victims of the unrelenting desert sun, they were approached by sorcerers."

"Why were there just sorceress going through the desert?" Zak cut in.

Hector shrugged, "That is something you can ask him when we see him." He grinned.

"So you don't really know, huh?" Zak gave a chuckle.

"Hey! I know only how the stories are told, okay? I'm not a seer."

"A seer?" Jason asked.

"Yeah, someone that looks beyond this realm, into the past, present and future." Hector said, looking over to Rose and Zak, "Perhaps something one of you young magicians can try, hmm?"

Rose nodded, "I think I'd like to give it a try. Sounds useful."

"That does sound useful, but learning something like fire or lightning!" Zak exclaimed.

"Oh!" Jason let out, reaching into his pocket, "I have something for that."

"Fire and lightning? In your pocket?" Hector asked.

Jason found the piece of note paper Mika had given him, "Sorta, it's a spell for fire." He handed it over to Zak, who looked at it intently.

"Just fire?" Hector cocked his head, "That's kind of vague."

Zak put it into his pocket, "I will have to practice it tonight." He paused for a moment before looking at Jason, "Oh, yeah, thank you, Jason."

"It was nothing. I just wish I could have gotten more." Jason replied.

Hector began playing his song again, "Well, you are in luck, young crowling, Ace has an extensive library." He said cheerfully.

"How long until we get there?" Rose asked.

Hector shrugged, "We will have to camp out a night." He stated, "Then be there by sundown, tomorrow."

"You didn't think to get a horse or carriage?" Replied Zak, frustrated.

Jason chuckled, "Sorry guys, I left mine on the train."

"Very funny" Sighed Zak.

The twins could barely carry themselves as the sun began to set behind the trees. Hector decided it was time to begin setting up a campsite. The twins helped as much as the could, but it was Jason who did most of the heavy lifting. As the twins set up there only two tents, Jason and Hector gathered wood from the forest's edge.

"I'm sorry Auriss pushed you into this.." Hector said as he added another twig to his slowly growing pile.

Jason shrugged with a smile, "It's fine, honest." He picked up an armful of branches

"It'll be nice to have some company after I drop them off." Hector smiled.

Jason looked over to the cat, "You aren't staying with them?"

"Once they are safe with Ace, I'm heading home to West Varel."

Jason nodded, "Guess I can find a way south from there."

"I'll buy you a ticket on a carriage. It's only fair." Hector smiled, throwing the sticks into a pile.

Jason added his collection of wood onto the pile with a smirk, "Suppose it's part of payment."

Hector nodded, "That is correct!" He sat down by the pile of wood, his back to the woods "I almost forgot you're my freelancer."

With a nod, Jason sat across from him, "Do you have anything to light this with? I left my things on the train."

Hector's face lit up, "Yes! Thanks to you, we can try something!" He called over the twins, who wobbled and walked over to the unlit campfire.

"Oh, the spell!" Zak exclaimed, taking the small note from his pocket. He gave it another hard look as he handed it to Rose before the two knelt beside the pieces of wood opposite each other. Zak took in a breath, his hands extended over the crumpled leaves and twigs. He concentrated, but nothing. Jason thought he felt some amount of heat, but no fire.

"Can I try?" Rose spoke, extending her own hands towards the pile. Zak nodded, putting his arms down. The crow girl closed her eyes as small sparks danced between her hands and the wood beneath her.

"Woah." Jason watched as the embers floated down into the wood, the campfire beginning to light. He'd seen Mika do this more than a few times, but the old elf was much more efficient than Rose. But for someone to just read a paper and create fire was something Jason had never seen.

"Very good, Rose." Hector said, sounding impressed.

Zak watched, trying again himself. He succeed in creating similar embers. Soon the group sat at a nice campfire. Hector took some wrapped food from his bad as they began to cook a meal.

As the dusk settled into night, their bellies full, and Hector's pleasant song finished, Rose looked over to the cat. There was a question on both her and her brother's mind.

"You said there was a way to see the future?" Rose asked, rubbing her large stomach idly.

Hector nodded, "Yes. It's a kind of spirit magic."

"Spirit magic?" Asked Jason.

Rose nodded enthusiastically, "It's like normal magic, but with spirits."

"That doesn't explain anything."

Hector laughed, "Casting spells is more than just transferring energy, some of it is granted by spirits, gods or even demons." He grinned, as if telling a children's scary campfire tale.

"To see outside our realm, a medium needs to ask for aid, in this case, we can commune with the spirit realm to offer us insight." Jason continued, "Those with the gift can, in a sense, translate visions or messaged from those on the other side."

"Other side of what" Asked Zak.

Hector shrugged, "Wherever the spirit goes when the body dies?"

"I want to try it." Rose squeaked, "Do you know how to do it?"

Hector nodded, taking a book from his bag, "I have some books that explain the basics." He opened the book, thumbing around for a moment, "Ah, here it is. A ritual we can do without any specific reagents."

"We never performed any rituals." said said, sounding nervous, "Aren't they a little dangerous?"

"It should be alright to practice, there isn't much out here to communicate with." Hector smiled.

"So how do we know we did it right?" Zak asked.

"Only one way to find out."

"So what do we do?" Zak shifted towards Hector.

Hector flipped some pages in his book, "I remember there being one that just needed a campfire." He stopped on a page, "Ah here it is! This one sounds fun."

"Fun?" Jason cocked his head.

"Yeah, it's uses a large fire as a sort of crystal ball. Lets you see something in the flames? I think?" He said, sounding unsure of himself.

"Never done it before?"

"We haven't tried any of these before." He chuckled, "It seems simple enough." He then grabbed a small stick, instructing the group to draw a circle around the fire in the dirt. Each of the four had to draw a symbol that meant something to them and no one else at the fire. The magic called on strong memories of those in attendance. A beacon for a traveler who died on their road. The spell was designed to help find those lost in the wilderness, never making it to their destination. Mostly used by mediums looking for lost children. The smoke from the fire would grow dark and a lost traveler's spirit would emerge from the fire like a portal, leading the medium towards their body. It was a simple spell. Jason scribbled onto the floor stick figures of the family he was going home to see.

When the four had finished preparing the circle, Hector handed the book to Rose, who read the passage and handed it off to Jason. The book described the ritual. It wasn't arcane symbols and cryptic words that he couldn't make sense of. It just asked that you call on anyone lost, more effective if there was a known name and so on and so forth. To Jason it seemed less like a spell and more a guide to socializing with the dead. He handed the book to Zak, who read through it quickly and set it down. The twins nodded to each other and looked over to Hector and Jason.

"Are we ready?" Hector smiled, extending each of his arms towards either twin. Jason followed. The group joined hands.

The Twins nodded to each other and spoke in unison, "Spirit of the lost and wary traveler, we have-" They were cut off as the flames turned a bright green. The air grew silent as the stars seemed to disappear from the sky one by one. Hector looked around the desert for an answer. He tried to pull away but struggled. The ground around the circle began to crack and move as if something were trying to breach from beneath it. The flames spread through the cracks, though no heat emanated from them as they licked against Jason's fur.

"What's going on, this wasn't in the book." Jason said, looking at the twins who had grown quiet and still.

"I don't know." Hector said before his eyes shot open, "Oh."

"What?"

Hector's expression turned to horror as he turned around to look at the forest behind him.

"We need to stop this!" Hector said in a hushed voice. Jason tried to pull has hands away, but couldn't remove them from the crow's grasps. Hector struggled but he was always bound in place by some unknown force. Slowly the twin's hands fell into their laps. Even with his hands free, Jason found he couldn't move. It was like he was stuck in a state of fright.

Hector looked over to Jason, "I forgot the forest. I can't believe I forgot the forest."

"What's going on?" Jason said with a cracked voice.

"Feyhymn forest is home to many spirits." Hector looked over to the twins who were lost in some kind of trance.

The twins spoke out. "Here on the cusps of the maskfall." Their voices echoing through the unnaturally dark landscape. They spoke quickly, almost like they were rushing through lines in a paper. They never sounded like the same person twice. Mostly statements without context. Jason didn't know what any of it meant.

"What are they saying?" Jason asked.

Hector put a finger over his mouth, telling him to be quiet. His face was stern, paying attention to every word they said. The twin's expressions changed with every line they spat out. It was as if their lives depended on getting all this information out. They weren't always in sync, sometimes a sentence would start the same, but a word would be different.

"I'm sorry that you had to find out this way, Jason." made Jason's ears perk. Did they mean him? He couldn't wrap his head around what was going on. He wanted them to stop. They looked like they were in pain.

Suddenly, in their mirrored movement, they extended a hand towards each other and stated, bluntly, "I take no pleasure in ridding a blight on what could be a perfect world." Then they snapped, immediately their heads twisted dangerously to the side. Jason jumped as the two went slack. He feared the worst, he hear their necks make a loud crack just before they fall to the ground.

In and instant the fire was back to it's original color and the stars returned to the sky. Jason could move again. The area looked like nothing had happened. Before he could check on her, Zak pushed himself off the ground, rushing over to see if his sister was alright. Hector wasted little time in gathering a small journal from his bag and wrote in a manic frenzy.

Jason looked over to the twins, "What just happened?"

Rose and Zak, in unison said, "I saw you die." to one another.

"What?"

"They saw glimpses of the future." Hector stated, as he continued writing. His voice was shrill, "I'm sorry for suggesting we do this.. I couldn't begin to apologize enough for having you endure this Zak and Rose, but I will not let it go to waste."

"I thought we were just looking for a ghost."

Hector lowered his head, "I know. I made a mistake. I forgot what we were next to."

"What are we next to?"

"This forest has a deep magic to it. Spirits older and more powerful than anything living. And we let a sliver of it's power bleed into our world." He looked over to the twins, tears in his eyes, "And I let them try and channel it."

"Everything we saw is going to happen?"

"What if we saw things differently"

Hector shook his head, "I don't know. Maybe everything you saw is wrong." He dropped his book down onto his lap, "This is all new to me. I'm just trying to write what you were saying."

"We were talking?" Rose asked as he brother felt for a sign of life in her protruding stomach.

Hector nodded, "It was unfiltered, but I would recommend trying to remember what you can."

With a sigh of relief Zak lifted his body back into a sitting position, "I don't really remember much. Just bits and pieces."

"I saw Zak die."

"I saw Rose die in mine."

"Where? How?" Jason asked.

"We were in some ruins, or a courtyard. It was dark and everything was overgrown." Zak stated.

"In mine were were in the mountains, in the snow, there was fire everywhere."

"There were two of those masked things." The twins said together.

"What does it mean if they each saw something different?" Jason asked Hector, who was now frantically searching through the book he got the ritual from.

"It means one is true, or neither of them are, maybe both. They are shown possible futures. Nothing is truly foreseeable."

"So what do we do?"

Hector shrugged weakly, "We take notes, as detailed as we can. The two of you should rest." He said, turning to the twins.

Zak nodded, "I'll write what I can remember." he then helped his sister wobble over to their tent.

Hector gathered his things, picking them up with a sigh, "Best we can do is keep our ears open. We can't know if something was just showing them stuff for fun."

"For fun?"

"Some bored chaotic spirit having fun with some kids." He began walking towards the other tent.

Jason followed him, "Would something do that?"

Hector turned to him, stopping in his tracks, "I really don't know. Honestly, I hope Ace has something more useful to say on it." He slumped over, "I'm out of my element, here. I don't know what just happened."

They stood in silence for a moment before Jason leaned over and put his hand on the cat's back, trying to comfort him. Hector stood up straight, smiling at the wolfkin before stepping forward to hug him.

Jason embraced Hector, "I wish I could be more helpful with this magic stuff."

He felt Hector shrug, "This is good enough. I noticed you don't have a tent with you."

"I left it on the train."

"You could join me in mine, you know." Hector stepped back, grinning at the wolf, "I have a bedroll big enough for two."

"Oh." Jason felt himself blush.

Hector rolled his eyes, "I didn't mean it like that." He chuckled, "It's been a day and I am afraid I must wait until after our business is concluded before any attempt to seduce a fine adventurer like yourself is made." He bowed and backed towards his tent

"You really don't have to worry about that." Jason said, following him.

"Oh? Just call you over any time I like?"

"Wait, no, I didn't mean-"

Hector laughed, "It's fun to tease you, Jason."

Jason stood still. The voice was different, but the pauses, the inflections were identical. One of the things he heard the twins say.

"What is it?" Hector asked as he began undressing.

Jason shook his head, "It was nothing, just got lost in thought for a moment."

Hector grinned as he entered his tent, removing the rest of his clothes, "You don't have to keep them as just thoughts, you know." He unrolled the blanket, "Or have I been too subtle?"

"Huh? No, not that. Sorry just one of the things I heard earlier." Jason entered the tent, removing most of his own clothing.

"Which thing?" Hector's face grew serious, "The one with your name?"

"It was you." Jason said, sitting next to the cat on the sleeping bag.

Hector sighed, "I guess I should tell you now. Maybe change the future a bit."

"What is it?"

He sighed, "The Justiciaries are after me, as well. I stole something from them."

"Was it before you took them?" Jason gestured towards the crows.

Hector nodded, "I was how I made that doll. It's for a spell. I am part of a group. An uprising of sorts. We're still forming. Ace, Auriss and myself. There are others."

"You guys are going to take on the Justiciaries?"

Hector nodded, "We've been planning Maskfall for some time now."

"That sounds dangerous."

Hector grinned, "Would be less dangerous with you on our side."

"I-"

"Don't answer now. I don't mean to put you on the spot. We can talk about it with Ace."

Jason nodded, "I will think it over."

"Good." Hector smiled, "One more thing."

"What's that?" Jason asked.

Hector leaned over, pressing his lips against Jason's. Jason was startled by the sudden kiss, but returned the kiss. Hector pulled back, looking Jason in the eyes.

The cat grinned, "You're really bad with attention."

"So I've heard."

Hector laughed, "May I ask for another kiss? Or are my advances unwarranted?"

Jason froze, "It's not that I wouldn't like to or anything." He blushed.

"You don't find time for much romance, do you."

"I don't really think about it."

"Well, we are here in my private tent, just you and me. I know we just met, but I could use the company tonight."

Jason thought about what to say, it was a nice offer. He shook his head and decided to let go of his reservations before he talked himself out of it. He leaned in to kiss Hector. Hector eagerly leaned into the kiss. Jason closed his eyes and realized his heart began to race. He pressed himself further, letting himself experience the moment. Jason began to pull back, but Hector grabbed him by the sides, pulling the two of them down until they were laying on the bedroll.

They embraced for a moment before Hector pulled back, sighing contently. He turned himself around, taking Jason's arm, wrapping it around himself. He pulled a blanket over them.

"Would you mind if we stayed like this a while." Hector said, pressing his back against Jason's chest.

Jason held him close, "Too tired to make good on your invitation?" He joked. It did feel good, the warmth of another radiating into his chest. It quenched a thirst he didn't know he ever had.

"Oh we will, I promise you that." He laughed weakly, "But I just want you to hold me for a bit." His voice seemed distant, almost pained. He dropped a facade that he had carried since they had met.

"It's hard being the strong one in the group." He said, sniffling, "The danger we've faced is so much more severe than I've let on, and I have to be the one to they look up to. It's why I'm glad you're here."

Hector let out a long broken sigh, "I was ready for this, but I feel it taking a toll. Maybe Auriss saw it in me, maybe in both of us."

"Saw what?"

Hector let himself cry, unashamed of it, "You're still on edge, aren't you. Waiting for something to rip the tent apart and hurt us."

Jason nodded before he had a chance to think about it. Hector felt it.

"The things we've gone through to get to here."

Something in Hector's voice became vulnerable, he gripped him tighter.

"I'm on edge, too. But I can tell you have a good heart. I think I can rest with you." His speech began to slow, "I hope that you can, too." He then fell asleep.

Jason held Hector close until soon he too, was asleep.