Chapter 2: Guided by Mystery

​Donal chuckled as he stepped closer.

​"I see you two met my friend," he said with an easy smile.

​Zorn glanced at him warily. "Who are you?"

​The man set down his basket with ceremonial care, his hands hidden by black arm sleeves.

"My name is Donal. Don, if you like. Up there in the branches, that's Khor. Though..." He smirked. "I never call him Khor."

​Sabrina wrinkled her nose, leaning back slightly. "Why? What do you call that brat?"

​Donal cracked a wide grin as he folded his arms. "Plush."

​The name sounded far too soft for someone with such a strong personality. Donal nodded as if the name made perfect sense.

​"Found him in a giant flower, known as a Plushflora, last year. He fell from the sky, right into the petals. Said he didn't care for his old name—"

​"Not true!" Khor snapped from the branches. "I hate the nickname. Stop calling me that."

​A jolt of surprise went through Zorn's mind.

​Fell from the sky? That sounds just like me! This man might be the first key to the answers I'm looking for.

​Donal chuckled, brushing the protest away like an annoying breeze. "He's very grateful."

​Sabrina and Zorn exchanged a look. Was Donal deliberately ignoring him?

​Khor's arms folded tight across his chest. "I told you. Stop! Calling! Me! Plush!"

​"Well, either way," Donal said cheerfully, tapping the basket with the side of his foot. His eyes shifted between Sabrina and Zorn.

"Hmmm..."

The silence during his thinking hum was awkward.

"What a curious pair you two make."

​Zorn stiffened at the hint of mockery in his tone. "Funny, I was about to say the same about you and... 'Plush.'"

​Khor's voice cracked as he flung his arms up. "For the love of the gods, STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

​Sabrina's patience finally snapped. She cut to the chase, her voice sharp. "Your friend there practically threatened to kill us."

​Donal merely hummed. "Really?"

​"Yes!"

​Donal looked back at Khor and raised a single brow.

All Khor did was sit back against the trunk, arms folded, and give a single, firm shake of his head.

​Donal looked back at them. "He didn't threaten you."

​Sabrina's anger flared. "It takes only that for you to believe him!?"

​"Did he actually say he would kill you?" Donal's head tilted with a smirk.

​She hesitated, her confidence wavering. "He said all that lies in these woods is death, like he was hinting at wanting to kill us!"

Zorn's eyes shifted to Sabrina with a raised brow.

​"Holy overthinker..." Donal said, a lazy smile playing on his lips.

​A stunned silence fell over her. Sabrina replied, offended.

"Excuse me?”

“They were headed left,” Khor added.

"He was right. There is only death if you keep walking in the direction you were headed,” Donal stepped closer.

​"Explain," Zorn demanded.

​"It's the direction you two wanted to go. Further right, you would have been swallowed up by Di'Vines."

​Di'Vines? What the hell is that? Zorn wondered.

"Like divine beings?" he asked, tilting his head.

​Donal laughed out loud, a rich, amused sound.

Sabrina and Zorn didn't crack a smile.

​Something was seriously wrong with this man and his friend, Zorn thought.

​"Di'Vines are Diligent Vines," Donal explained, his laughter subsiding. "Allow me to explain. Warning, it's a little crazy," he chuckled. "Wouldn't want to scare the girl."

Sabrina stomped her foot.

"You don't have to be so rude and make assumptions about me!"

Donal folded his arms with a grin.

"Oh? Are we not doing that? I suggest that you shouldn’t throw bad assumptions at my buddy Plush, then. Yeah?" He shrugged with a chuckle.

Sabrina's eye twitched at Donal's snarky remark.

Donal gave a sly smile back at her irritation, then turned to face them fully with open arms.

​"Anyway, they are a poisonous plant species that hangs from the trees and captures people by coiling them up. They squeeze the life out of you. They have mouths like Venus flytraps. The plant's toxins melt human flesh, and the vines break your bones.

The two stare back at Donal, repulsed and horrified, in silence.

​"I... I'm sorry for accusing you," Sabrina mumbled, her cheeks flushing.

​"It's fine. I don't really care," Donal shrugged.

​"What!? I was the one being accused! That's not for you to answer, Don!" Khor chimed in from the background, still clearly annoyed.

​Donal tilted his head, ignoring his companion.

"You two are going to get yourselves killed in these woods. If you want to get out of here safely, you can follow me." He smiled warmly. "I'll leave these berries here for the fauna to eat," and then he turned away.

​Sabrina and Zorn looked at each other.

After a silent moment, they both nodded.

Khor sighed heavily and jumped down from the tree.

​Zorn's jaw dropped.

​Khor was shorter than him! He looked to be around four foot ten!

​How is someone so small, yet so intimidating?!

​His eyes trailed after Khor, lingering on his tense stride leading up to Donal.

Ahead of them, Donal's voice cut through the silence by asking questions.

​"So, what are your names?"

​Sabrina averted her gaze, her embarrassment from earlier still written across her face.

"Sabrina," she muttered flatly.

​"I'm Zorn," he said, with his nerves finally relaxing.

​Donal's smile softened, as though simply hearing their names was enough to satisfy him.

Khor, however, scoffed and rolled his eyes.

​"You all just hand out your identity like party favors? What if one of us can manipulate you with such simple knowledge?"

​"Yeah, right," Sabrina snapped with an attitude.

​"Stop giving them a hard time, Plush," Donal nudged, but in a lighthearted manner.

​Zorn blinked in quiet surprise.

​Maybe he isn't so bad after all.

***

​They finally made it to the edge of the woods after what felt like hours of walking.

The sun had died, and the moon had begun to rise.

​From the tall hill they stood on, a massive terraced kingdom sprawled in the distance. Clusters of villages surrounded a magnificent central castle.

Zorn's eyes widened. The view was breathtaking. The moonlight painted everything in a silvery glow.

​Donal smiled. "This is my favorite place to be. Welcome to Morrowind. The Realm of the Moon. That terraced kingdom in the center is Draconia."

​"With a bunch of stuck-up dragons," Khor sneered.

​Sabrina's head whipped toward Donal, her eyes glaring with anger. "You took us to a kingdom that follows the ways of the corrupted magicians?!"

​Donal glanced up at her. Khor also gave her a sidelong glare.

​Sabrina grabbed Zorn's wrist, gripping it tightly. "I won't let you two corrupt us. We're turning back."

​She turned away fast, making Zorn stumble as she pulled him along. Donal watched them, unbothered by their abrupt departure.

Zorn quickly looked back at the two.

Donal stood casually, unbothered. Khor stood by his side, relaxed, arms folded.

​This doesn't feel right. They aren't fighting for us.

​"Hey, Sabrina, wait," Zorn said, trying to dig his heels into the ground. "I think you might be a little rash. They could help us! If this were a trap, they'd try harder to keep us, no?!"

​"And let them taint your soul with their celestial lords' horrid ways? No. I won't let that happen." Her voice was fierce, protective. "If I can prevent any more victims, I can start with them not touching you."

​Zorn was... touched. It was something he wasn't used to.

​Donal's voice carried over easily to them, stopping them in their tracks.

"They'll arrest you, Sabrina."

​Zorn turned his head to look at him. Donal continued casually.

"You're in Draconian territory now, which means you're under the jurisdiction of their laws."

​"Why would they arrest me!?" Sabrina shouted back.

​Donal's eyes shifted between Sabrina and Zorn. He kept it vague, like he didn't want to give away too much. "Because of a little something red with you," he said playfully.

​Red? Is it my jacket? Or... her brooch?

​"Now, let him go." Donal's tone carried a lightness.

​Zorn stepped slightly in front of Sabrina, getting defensive. "You're being too vague to trust you, Don!" he yelled.

​Donal arched his brow. "Really?"

​Khor folded his arms, unimpressed. "Tch. Crazy talk from someone we saved."

​"All you did was redirect us in the woods. That's it!"

​"The hand in the sea," Khor cut him off, his voice flat.

Sabrina raised her brow.

"What does that mean? Is that code for something?"

​Zorn fell silent. His memory flashed back to the fall, the terror, and the sudden, miraculous hand of light that caught him.

​"That... was you?" he whispered.

​Donal chuckled. "Saw ya on one of the floating islands. Plush has some pretty impressive powers as a demon, but they are regulated under my control." he tilted his head.

​Zorn just stood there, his eyes widening as the familiar feelings he had earlier connected the dots.

So it was them I saw! Were they expecting me?!

​Sabrina looked at him, her confusion morphing into suspicion.

"Zorn, what are they talking about?"

​He couldn't meet her eyes.

"So, you two purposely banded together in that specific spot in the woods to... catch up with me?"

​Donal snapped his fingers. His black polish glinted in the moonlight. "Exactly!" He gave Zorn a wink. "And also run a little side quest," he said, smiling, his eyes discreetly trailing toward Sabrina's pocket.

"Side quest?" Zorn asked.

​"Zorn!" Sabrina yelled. "Is that story you told me about how you got here actually true?! Are you a star person?!"

​Zorn's heart began to race.

​Why is she so angry? Are star people bad?

What should I say?!

“Zorn!” Sabrina shrieked.

He finally lost his cool.

“Dammit, Sabrina! I don’t know!” The words burst from him. “I don’t even know you, and I don’t know them!” He pointed his finger in the direction of Donal and Khor. “Why are you acting like this?!”

Sabrina’s eyes darkened. “Don’t play dumb with me, Zorn! You dismissed falling from the sky as a joke! And I saw that glow on your wrist as if it branded you, commanding the sea! What in the world was that?!”

Donal’s eyes darted upward, catching Khor’s for an instant in wordless, urgent communication.

Khor acted quickly, summoning telepathy between the two of them.

Khor: (She’s getting too loud. Cool this down, or the city guard will arrest us all for public disorder and interrogate us about Zorn’s wrist. It could be a glyph.)

Donal’s chin rose almost unnoticeably, replying internally.

Donal: (Yeah. Don’t want that information gettin’ out into the open.)

“Guuuys~” Donal called, his drawling, lazy tone cutting through the moonlit grass. He waved his arms in a calming gesture. “Relax. We can sort this all out later. It’s not that much of a big deal, I promise.”

Sabrina and Zorn stared at him, both tightly wound with tension. Donal looped an arm around the shoulders of each of them, holding them in an uncomfortable hug.

“Listen, we’re strangers to one another, but blowing each other up over mutual recriminations isn’t going to do either of you any good.” He shifted his attention to Sabrina, then to Zorn; his tone gentled to something almost affectionate. “I did not railroad you two. You needed to get to the nearest city, and I delivered you there. Yes?”

Sabrina nodded slowly, uncrossing her arms as her puffed-out stance eased.

Donal added a light throw-in, “If it helps you trust me, I have a secret of my own. You see, I have a curse that forbids me from lying.”

“A curse?” Zorn asked, ill at ease.

Donal shrugged, smiling prettily. “If I don’t tell the truth, I just keep quiet. There are no 'corrupted magicians' here. I wouldn’t do that to my friend over there or to you two. I have better faith than that. Haha~”

His head tilted with a soft smile. "Let's get to know each other better besides our names. How old are you two?"

“I’m twenty-one,” Sabrina said curtly.

A heavy, uneasy silence fell.

Zorn went still. His eyes narrowed as they slowly drifted to her.

And she’s acting like a brat at this age?! Donal pondered, though his expression held a cool exterior. He let out a long breath, getting the conversation back on track.

“Okaaay… heh.” He glanced at Zorn. “You?”

“Exactly fifteen,” Zorn replied.

Sabrina looked away from him, her eyes wide with horror and shock.

I thought he was older! I look stupid now!

Donal raised an eyebrow.

"Haha! Zorn is the only child here,” Donal teased, pointing and laughing at Zorn.

“Only child?! Wait! How old is Plush?!” Zorn yelled in shock.

Khor’s voice echoed across the distance.

“Nineteen, Brick-head! And it’s Khor to you!”

Zorn glared at Donal in turn. And you? You don’t look much older than me! You actually look younger than me! You’re also an inch shorter than me!"

Donal smiled demurely, dissolving the final remnants of tension.

“I am five foot three,” he said, resting his hands on his hips proudly. "And these fairy bite piercings on my face tell others I'm older than you." He then leaned forward conspiratorially, pressing a finger to his lips. Sabrina and Zorn leaned forward with him, intrigued. “I’m really two hundred years old,” he winked with a mischievous smile.

Zorn rubbed his head as if to rub out the impossibility.

“You’re lying- oh wait, can’t lie. Right.”

Sabrina tilted her head, mystified.

“What are you?”

Donal merely smiled, keeping the finger to his lips, savoring the mystery. He stood upright. “We’re quite the eclectic bunch. Haha!” His expression turned serious as he confronted Zorn once more. “However, this place is strict.” He walked with Zorn, an arm around his shoulder. “Give us a moment, Sabrina, please?”

Sabrina let out a deep breath as she crossed her arms.

“Fine.”

This guy is strange, she thought.

Donal’s voice fell to a hushed whisper.

“That mark on your wrist.”

Zorn’s face was shocked.

“How did you notice that?”

Donal’s eyes shifted to the bare wrist. Zorn's eyes followed.

Embarrassed, Zorn hid his arm behind his back. “It’s a tattoo,” he muttered.

Donal gently called out the lie with a hint of mockery.

“'It’s a tattoo~'”

“Okay, I got it after making a wish—”

“I know,” Donal cut in, his teasing voice not breaking. “That mark is something more than what you picture. It’s much more.” He motioned toward it with his head. “I know you’re confused; you want to know. I saw the way your eyes lit up when you heard about how Plush fell from the sky like you. You’re wondering if he’s branded like you, aren’t you?”

Zorn’s eyes sprang open in shock. “Do you two have—”

“Ah, ah!” Donal interrupted him, inserting his finger in front of Zorn’s face.

“…sorry,” Zorn said quietly in embarrassment.

“I’ll tell you all about it when we’re in the city. But that will cost you. When I said ‘something red,’ I was referring to you. You can get Sabrina arrested for just being in your presence. They would convict her of harboring a Star Curse."

Zorn's eyes lit up.

"Star Curse?"

Donal gave a friendly nod.

"Mhm. That's you! But glyphs like yours will get you thrown in prison and executed in this world.”

The words hit Zorn like a slap.

Locked up?

Killed?

A chill of fear ran through him.

“I… I don’t have anything to hide my hands with, except sticking them in my pockets.”

Donal hummed as he pondered.

“Do that for now. I know a friend who can craft you special gloves that can handle the glyph's powers and conceal it."

He eyed Zorn's pants a bit, gripping his chin in deep thought.

"Your trousers are baggy enough; certainly, that means deep pockets, right?”

“Not always, but yes, they’re deep enough,” Zorn said, sliding his hands into the pockets.

“Heh, next you’re going to be saying there are fake pockets. Like, do your manufacturers hate you?” Donal laughed.

Zorn gazed blankly at Donal while the man just laughed.

I have no clue how to tell him.

“Anyway,” Zorn continued, still in a soft voice, “why are we hiding this from Sabrina? I get it, she's annoying, but wouldn't it reassure her?”

Donal tilted his head to one side, his eyes drifting up toward the moon as if consulting some sage counsel.

“Reassure her? No. Her position… isn’t in favor of yours.”

Zorn furrowed his brows.

“What do you mean?”

Donal patted him on the shoulder and walked back to where Sabrina waited.

“I will tell you everything soon. Just remember, don’t tell her everything about yourself. Less is more,” he said, placing a finger over his lips with a sneaky grin as he walked back toward Khor.

Zorn nodded, questions running through his head, and fell into step with him.

Khor folded his arms, his sharp eye on Donal.

“Settled then?”

Donal nodded, a pleased smile on his lips.

“Success. I’m bringing them to my favorite tavern so we can sort out this hot mess in safety without Sabrina around. I know someone at the tavern who can distract her." He nodded back with his thumb as he strode away. Then he leaned in close, his voice dropping to a whisper that only Khor could hear, and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Also. Sabrina is twenty-one.” He gave Khor’s shoulder a firm pat as he continued after.

Khor’s eyes flicked toward Sabrina for a moment. His face remained a mask of stone, but intense contempt flitted across it; he sucked in a breath with revulsion.

And she acts like that?!

Without a word, he turned on his heel and began making his way down the hill toward the city’s bridge.

I despise her.

***

The four reached the edge of a great stone bridge, its path stretching straight into the kingdom's arched walls.

Far below, the river rushed, its surface shimmering with the moon's magical glow.

As they crossed the cobblestone expanse, a deep, unsettling weakness seeped into Zorn's bones. His knees buckled with each step.

"Don, I... don't feel good," he managed, voice strained. "I feel... weak."

Donal gave a reassuring smile.

"It's to be expected."

Zorn looked at him, confused.

"What?"

"I feel fine, if not more energized," Khor remarked, glancing back at him.

Zorn shook his head as the world swam.

"I don't. Hold on, guys, I need a moment." He stumbled to the side, leaning against the parapet and planting his head into his palm.

Sabrina's eyes widened with concern.

"You're not going to pass out, are you?"

He shook his head slowly, dizziness washing over him.

"I... don't know."

Khor nudged Donal.

"Don, take Sabrina ahead. I need to talk to him."

He began walking toward Zorn.

Donal nodded.

"Sabrina, come on. The boys will catch up in a bit. Plush is good at handling stuff like this."

Sabrina hesitated, then followed after Donal, casting one last worried glance over her shoulder.

Khor's shadow fell over Zorn.

"Zorn..." he said, folding his arms. His voice cut, sharp and stern, into Zorn's skull.

"You feel it, don't you? Like something gnawing at your bones."

Zorn staggered, clutching the parapet.

"It's... killing me."

Khor regarded him as if weighing a decision, then looked both ways to make sure no one was coming.

"Hey, look at me."

Zorn lifted his head, vision blurring at the edges.

"Y... yeah?"

Khor pointed slowly at his forehead; a small, bright white light appeared at his fingertip, and a gentle breeze brushed their hair and clothes.

Suddenly, Zorn heard Khor's voice clearly inside his mind. The warmth and comfort felt mismatched with Khor's usual demeanor, almost like a different energy.

Khor: (Can you hear me?)

Zorn's eyes widened; he slumped as another wave of weakness hit.

Zorn: (Yeah... I can!)

Khor: (I'm only doing this because what I need to tell you is not safe to speak aloud. First, sit down. It's not worth fighting it.)

Zorn gave in and slid down to sit on the cold stone, leaning his back against the wall. His eyelids felt heavy.

Khor's eyes followed him down.

Khor: (You have a mark, right?)

Zorn: (Yeah, Don said I need to hide it. It's a weird glyph that looks like an 'M' with a sharp tail.)

Khor: (That 'weird glyph' is called Scorpio. It's a Martian glyph. You must have made a very deep and transformative wish, didn't you?)

Zorn: (I was pretty pissed off when I did. Why? Is it killing me?)

Khor scanned him. His eyes caught the tremor in Zorn's hands as he crouched.

The bridge's lantern light glinted off his features.

Khor: (That's Cancri constellation magic eating you alive. This land may be the Moon, but they use the constellation magic to shield this place from people like you.)

Zorn: (People... like me?)

Khor: (Martian beings. This land's magic barrier strangles Mars here. And you, you're stamped with Mars. Every planetary region has a magic barrier of a certain constellation that works with their planet.)

Zorn's chest tightened.

Zorn: (So, I'm screwed?)

Khor scoffed.

Khor: (Not if you stop fighting like an idiot. You're clinging to planetary magic, Mars, which does not work for you in general. You are a constellation, not a planetary. Planetary magic will kill you because you aren't built for it. Switch to your constellation magic.)

Zorn's teeth gritted.

Zorn: (I don't even know how!)

(Yes, you do.) Khor insisted, jabbing a finger toward Zorn's chest. (Scorpio is resistance, separation, and tenacity. Call on what burns you alive and use it to separate yourself from this land's barrier!)

Zorn: (I can't just—)

Khor: (Then die here. The vines will eat your corpse and no one will remember your name. You must not have much to fight for. What a waste of a wish.)

Images flashed in Zorn's mind: Lira, her scream, the rift that had torn her away. Him screaming at the moon. The words echoed, "What a waste of a wish."

Rage flared, hotter than fire.

The mark on Zorn's skin pulsed red. For the first time, the crushing weight lifted as violent, raging power surged through him. His eyes snapped open; the gold in his irises flashed a brilliant red for a split moment.

Khor's mouth curved in something like approval.

Zorn looked down at his hands, feeling the power coursing through his veins. Astonished at the powerful energy flowing through him like a current.

Khor snapped his fingers. A tiny gust blew through their hair, and the mental link vanished, leaving an odd emptiness inside Zorn's head.

"Get up," Khor said flatly, watching as people walked past behind him.

Zorn pushed himself up; his legs felt steady again.

"Thank you. A lot. You really helped me."

He hesitated, then pressed on.

"How do you know all this? About the marks—"

"SHH!" Khor interrupted sharply with a shush, then turned away and began down the bridge toward the city gates.

"Don told you he will explain everything. Let's catch up now that you're not dying or whatever."

Zorn watched Khor's silhouette against the lantern-lit bridge and found, against all odds, that he began to think the demon was kind of cool.

He hurried to follow, mind buzzing with unanswered questions, especially about falling from the sky, just as he had.

He flashed back to Lira talking about making a wish by the water to enhance its power.

In his pockets, his hands balled into tight fists.

Lira, your ritual worked. I can't wait to show you soon and beat that golden eye's ass.