Picture of Nazine by @phoenixfantasyfox

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Chapter 6 - Archangel

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While the Order prepared the campsite under the watch of a fading sun, Rena spent the time actively avoiding Nazine. 

A union? she thought, skirting behind a tree and pretending to be heading towards one of the other carriages. Does he even know what he's proposing?

She figured Cayden had the right idea, that Nazine had simply thought it would lure her back into the only lifestyle he knew without the threat of Elijah. Though he was a cardinal, one bad word from the halfling Mythic about him and the other cardinals would hold council and revoke his title quicker than a pegasus named Arion. 

But it wasn't without risk. If they were to complete the union properly, if they were to... to bond...

Rena fingered her key. We have no idea what would happen.

The fusion of ley might do nothing. To be part of each other's crystal keys might feel no different than it was now, but there was always the chance that whatever her Mythic was, it wouldn't take well to Nazine's energy. Her powers could change, they could warp or become unusable. A union wasn't something you did on a whim, because someone like Elijah was being the cranky old man he'd always been.

And I don't think Nazine is the person to be my life-mate. 

Rena found herself standing near a group of angel Mythics wrapped up in discussing the perimetre. 

She found herself entranced by their wings, the long feathered limbs of pure white tucked against their backs. They looked softer than anything Rena had ever experienced, while their simple, elegant robes of white and gold enhanced their perfect features. Though two were female, Rena found herself attracted just as much to them as the four males that stood with them. 

They're all in tune with their Mythic, thought Rena, awed. Physical features of their Mythic flawlessly merged with their human body. 

There was one, a male, that they clearly all deferred to. His wings were larger and edged in silver, like he'd flown to the clouds and skimmed their lining. Everything about him felt safe, from his illuminated skin right down to the key that hung around his throat, projecting his aura out to those that would embrace it. 

An archangel?

His eyes swivelled to Rena, greeting her with a kind smile. 

"Don't hide, Mythic. Come, speak with us if you wish."

Rena moved over, aware of how their eyes watched her as she stood beside them. Being typical angels, each introduced themselves by name with a respectful incline of their heads. Rena couldn't help but feel a little... rough around beings that seemed to have no flaws. Even the elegant lilts with which they pronounced their names escaped her.

I hope they don't expect me to remember that.

"I didn't realise the Order would send so many angels for protection," said Rena after the introductions were over. "I thought maybe three at most, let alone seven--one of which is an archangel."

"The safety of the phoenix is of the utmost importance," said the archangel, whose name had sounded something like Ill'iryni. "If he does not reach Leristith, we fear for what might become of the portals."

"Is the other halfling incapable of performing the ceremony?" asked Rena. "Why is Nazine required when they have much more experience?"

"Ah," said the archangel. "You refer to the unicorn Mythic, I presume?" When Rena nodded, he continued, lips pursed. "Unicorns are fickle creatures. Their fae side sees their power wane at this part of the year with the moonlight. During this time, the unicorn will effectively hibernate, and it is not natural for them to commune with the portals during it. To ask of her to perform the ceremony would surely meet a tragic end." 

"Why not perform the ceremony in advance?" 

The archangel looked troubled. "We were not aware that we would lose so many energy Mythics capable of performing it. The chaotic has claimed many in the last few months as the fae moon slips into darkness, and our power with it. However, if we are attacked, we are confident the seven of us may repel any intruders together."

Rena smiled back. "I have no doubt that you will succeed if it comes to that. I can only hope you would accept my meager help in that situation."

One of the female angels with hair like woven sunlight tilted her head. "You are the unknown Mythic, are you not?" 

Rena shifted uncomfortably, about to admit her guilt when another, a male with a golden tattoo that ran up his arm, held up his hand. 

"You do not need to apologise, Rena," he said. "Your journey has not yet come full circle. We are confident that when it is time, you will discover yourself and commune with your Mythic as the deities intended it to be."

"Uh..." Rena paused, not entirely sure how to take the reaction. "Thank...you?"

The archangel laughed, a rich sound that warmed Rena through. "We hear your illusions are things to be marvelled at, and that you can give even the phoenix a worthy flame."

"And who told you this?" asked Rena with a raised eyebrow. 

"The phoenix's protector. Cayden, I believe his name to be." 

"Of course he did," muttered Rena. "What else did he tell you?" 

The archangel gave her a knowing look. "That you would interest us, and that, you have done."

The conversation was interrupted as a member of the Order strode over, palms pressed together and head lowered. 

"Mythics, we are prepared for dinner, if you would honour us with your presence around the campfire."

"We shall follow you," said the archangel. 

Rena skirted to the side as the angels turned in unison, falling into formation without a word between them. She tagged along behind, marvelling at the fact that even their steps seemed to be in time. 

Slightly creepy in an elegant sort of way.

The Order worked efficiently, even in the middle of a clearing off the side of the road surrounded by otherwise thick woods. She hadn't realised how many they'd brought along, but there seemed to be at least thirty white-robed Order members running around completing various tasks, plus another twenty attending to the Mythics. 

Maybe they were waiting here for us? wondered Rena. There's no way they'd all fit in those carriages and how they got everything up so fast. 

The last of the carriages had been pulled into position, a large, open semicircle around the campfire that left plenty of room in the centre. When the horses had been unharnessed and left to graze on the other side of the fire to the gentle cooing of some kind of shapeshifter Mythic, the Order went to work on the carriages.

It looked like they were dismantling them as they pulled out screws and slid out slats of wood, but it soon became clear that the carriages also doubled as some kind of cabin. One side with the door pulled out and extended with the roof, widening it as the door itself came down and effectively became a ramp, not unlike chicken coops Rena had seen before. 

Really, really elaborate chicken coops.

With the seven carriages assembled into what Rena assumed would be where the Mythics--discounting herself--would be sleeping, the Order moved onto their next task which wasn't near as interesting for Rena to watch. She sat herself down on a log and gazed as someone tried to encourage the newborn flames of the campfire. 

Part out of boredom, part because she wanted to do something useful, Rena reached out for the flame's heart, feeding it strength, calling it to a greater life, to consume the poorly placed kindling and extend to the larger logs beyond. 

The Order member crouched at the side of the fire jumped back as the flames leapt up, though Rena made sure they didn't reach for him. He did, however, look up in surprise, searching for the Mythic he knew to be assisting his efforts. 

He noticed her hand, still resting on her knees but fingers kneading the air and her gaze on the flames and gave her a nod of thanks. 

"Thank you, Mythic." 

Rena flicked her eyes to him and gave him a small smile but remained silent. He took that as dismissal and stood up, brushing the ashes off himself and moving away to do whatever else he needed to do. Rena remained by the fire, flicking its edges into various patterned shapes and trying to get the smoke to cooperate. 

A white-blue glow caught her attention on the other side of the fire. Rena craned her neck to see the Order uncovering what looked like a large crate of ley vessels, each one full. In all of two seconds, every Mythic at the campsite proceeded towards it, patiently waiting for their hand out. 

Rena huffed and turned her attention back to the fire. 

"What, you don't want any?" said Cayden's voice from behind. Sure enough, he sat down beside her a second later. "The rest of the Mythics seem keen to get their share."

"Aren't you supposed to be guarding Nazine or something?" said Rena. 

Cayden clasped his hands together, and Rena noted how he'd chosen the side without the fire blocking his view from the Mythics. 

"I can see him from here. The only danger he's in at the moment is engorging himself on ley."

Sure enough, Nazine's distinct red-gold coloured clothes did nothing to hide him in the crowd as the Order summoned him to the front and handed him a glowing vessel. A second later it was gone, and the glow with it, absorbed into Nazine's body as the other Mythics pressed in around him.

Rena rolled her eyes. "They don't need it. Even out here, away from a portal, they don't need a daily dose to keep going."

"Can't say it doesn't feel good though," said Cayden. Rena raised an eyebrow, and he tapped his own vessel, once again full and on his waistband. "When I have to absorb this, the rush it gives you isn't something to sniff at." 

"Even more reason not to introduce daily doses. They aren't used to having more than once a week. They'll turn chaotic if they get too addicted to it."

"The Order wouldn't let it come to that," said Cayden. "There isn't much ley in those vessels, just enough to perk them up. Most of these Mythics don't leave the cities much. It's a shock for them, being away from the ley-rich air of a portal."

It was then that it hit Rena. "Which is why they're moving so many Mythics. With the portal cl--"

"Shh," said Cayden. "You're correct, but not all of them know it. Only the ones with a heavy reliance on the ley drawn from portals are here, the ones that won't survive for long if shipments from Leristith become a problem, like Nazine. Also why we're using carriages instead of some kind of wind or land spirit to transport us, because they need a portal to recharge at after every length."

The last of the Mythics received their ley and the Order replaced the cover and tucked the crate back where it'd come from. Judging by the size of it, there was a significant amount still left. Even covered, Rena could sense it.

And I wouldn't be the only one.

The Mythics gathered around the campfire, seeming to centralise themselves around the archangel. He said a few quiet words to a nearby grey-armoured man with a vessel like Cayden's clipped to his belt, and the man promptly disappeared into one of the carriage-turned-cabins. 

"I'm glad I wasn't assigned to Ill'iryni," whispered Cayden, pronouncing the archangel's name without a problem. "An angel is bad enough, but an archangel? They're so proud. At least Nazine I can discipline without the fear that he'll ignore my existence for the next month at risk to his own health or not. If Andre so much as uses less than formal language around Ill'iryni, he'll be lucky to avoid a lecture on it."

"Andre?" asked Rena. "The archangel's personal guard?" 

"Mmhmm." 

Andre returned, holding a silvery pouch which he promptly passed to the archangel's waiting hand. The strings were tugged away, the pouch threaded through his waistband, revealing an elegant harp that caught the firelight on its limbs and down the slim silver strings between them. 

Rena's jaw almost dropped, and that was before he began to play. 

The notes were golden. Smooth. Perfect. They rose over the crackling of the fire and melded with it seamlessly, giving the impression that the night itself was singing. As the other angels added their voices to the soothing melody, Rena found herself swaying, lost in the harmonious tide. 

"You look like you're about to get up and dance," came Nazine's voice from beside her. "Not that I think anyone would complain if you did."

Rena's eyes snapped open to find Nazine adjusting his robes around him, the long strands of blonde hair getting caught under him.

"Doesn't that annoy you?" asked Rena, gesturing to the strands. "Having hair that length?" 

He shrugged. "You know what the ley does. Makes it grow like crazy, and keeping it under control is something I gave up on a long time ago. When it gets to this length, it seems to dedicate less energy to its growth. Why argue with the ley?" 

"Just don't go chaotic on me," mumbled Rena, training her eyes back on the fire. 

Nazine nudged her shoulder. "Awh, someone cares." 

"I bet lots of people care about the portals, Zin," said Cayden, saving Rena from replying. 

Nazine raised an eyebrow and looked at Cayden. "Ouch." 

A new voice with a lilt to its edge sat down beside Cayden. "You two are getting along, as per usual I see."

"How's the archangel treating you, Andre?" asked Cayden. 

Andre put his head in his hands. "Don't go there. I need ten minutes to forget he exists. I apparently carried his harp pouch incorrectly, and am now in for another lesson on how to handle it with care."

Cayden clapped him on the back. "Ah, buddy. I'll buy you a drink when we get to Leristith."

"I'm going to need it long before we get there." 

"He didn't seem so overbearing when I spoke with him earlier," said Rena. "He even took the fact that I'm an unknown with barely a blink."

"You're a Mythic," Andre said as he gave her the once-over. "Even so, your looks could pass you for an angel and you carry yourself with the grace of one. Start speaking like Cayden, however, and I'm sure that he'll inform you of the correct way a Mythic should speak." 

Rena grinned. "By the ears of an elf, I think you might be right!" 

Andre laughed at that. "I see you know exactly what I mean." 

Cayden shrugged and stretched back. "Where I come from, it was perfectly normal. Weird if you didn't."

"And where was that, exactly?" said Andre. "A farm somewhere at the edge of the middle of nowhere?" A curious look passed over his face. "Did you even see a Mythic until you joined the priory? Did you even know what you were referencing?" 

"I had books," said Cayden. "They had pictures in them."

Cayden was saved from further interrogations about his past knowledge of Mythics by the dinner bell. As small rectangular packages along with utensils and beverages were passed around by the Order and the campsite broke down into different conversations as they ate, Rena took the moment to take everything in. 

Maybe I could do something like this more often. She picked at her own food, pushing the vegetables around with her fork. Some kind of guard escort for Mythics. They wouldn't care too much for my safety to argue that case.

Rena found she liked that idea. Travelling with a group, being near people, having a purpose to life. A goal. It seemed something like a dream, but becoming an Unbound hunter didn't seem much more of a permanent option. 

It wasn't long after dinner that the Order hustled them to their beds. Nazine offered Rena a place in his carriage cabin. Despite his insistence that there was a second bed, Rena declined, opting instead to sleep in one of the blanketed rolls the Order had laid out over the grass much to the surprise of everyone else. It only took a quick glance around to figure out why. 

I'm the only Mythic outside a carriage, thought Rena. She shrugged her shoulders, deciding she didn't care as she snuggled into the blankets, ensuring they were loose and gave her room to move. 

Cayden took notice of her setup and questioned it. "Won't you get cold?" 

Rena wiggled her fingers, eliciting a spark from her fingertips. "When you can do this, cold isn't a problem." 

"Fair enough."

Conversations dropped to whispers. Mythics disappeared inside their carriages and the Order members Rena was pretty sure hadn't sat down since they arrived finally made their way to their own bedrolls spread out around the fire and quiet descended. 

Rena lay awake for a long while, listening to the dying crackles of the fire and the sounds of the forest surrounding them, watching the sky's stars and the moon as they danced in some far off place of eternal night. The rhythmic sound of someone's nearby breaths soon lulled her eyelids shut, and Rena followed them all into sleep. 

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A/N - Playing catch up from yesterday's lack of writing. 3k words written today, even if nothing really happens in this chapter. But next chapter. Ooooooh next chapter. *evil giggles* Anyone wanna make a guess? ;D Shoutout next chapter if you get it right ^.- 

Vote! Comment! Prance like a unicorn! Wew! 

Word count: 18,813