I followed the rock spirits as they led me deeper into the mountains, along hidden trails and past ancient ruins that hadn't seen human life for centuries. The spirits paid them no mind, and I was so caught up in the sedate pace that I scarcely noticed them either. Time had stopped for me as the spirits brought me to a strange valley that looked to be completely filled with toppled boulders. On closer inspection, I saw that each rock and stone was a spirit, some larger than others, all of varying colour and size. The smaller spirits were almost child-like in their curiousity and hesitation, staring at me with large black eyes but making no sound or movement. The leader of the tribe brought me to what I assumed was his boulder, the largest of them all, and lifted me gently so I could sit on top of it.
"Leila!"
I blinked and glanced around, surprised to see a familiar face among the shades of gray. It was Clothis, bound to a tall jagged rock with rope, her face streaked with blood and her clothes torn and ragged. Instantly, the fog that had clouded my mind was gone, and I slid off the boulder to go to her. In that instant, I also remembered Jakob and glanced around for him. He was being tied to a similar rock, not far from where Clothis was bound.
"Clothis, what are you doing here?" I demanded.
"They told me you were dead," the Dyrel guard said, relief evident in her voice. "The Woodwalker sent me after you."
"Fynn?" I repeated. "Fynn's okay? He's alive?"
"Was last time I saw him," Clothis replied. "It'll take a lot to kill that one, you know. What are these creatures? What are they doing here?"
"You can see them?" I asked in a bewildered voice. "They're the rock spirits. Jakob can see them too."
I wonder why? I thought to myself. No one had been able to see the spirits before, only me. Clothis had not seen the fire spirits that had burned Oponoe, but she could see the things that had captured her clearly. Jakob, too, had not seen the wind spirits that saved me from the Huryl King's strange gladiatorial match, but now he was fighting against the spirits that had brought us here. I wondered what was going on.
"Leila, what are you doing? Don't talk to her!" Jakob shouted. "She's Dyrel!"
Clothis strained against her ropes to see who had spoken, her face paling more as she recognized the uniform he wore. Her eyes widened and she turned to me again.
"Are you with the Huryl now? Have you betrayed the Prince already? Is that what happened?" Clothis hissed.
"No, I'm not with the Huryl," I insisted. "Jakob saved me from them. He's a friend."
Clothis continued to regard him with mistrust. I turned to the spirits and gestured to my friends. "They are my companions. Please, can you let them go?"
The leader of the rock spirits hesitated only a moment, as if digesting what I had asked. Slowly, he nodded and both Clothis and Jakob were cut free. They staggered away from the rocks, rubbing their sore wrists and eyeing each other warily. I sighed and turned back to the rock spirits, trusting both Clothis and Jakob to sort themselves out.
"You have been promised to us," the rock spirit said in a slow voice.
"I have been promised to every tribe, it seems," I replied, seating myself once more on the large boulder. The tribal leader was kind enough to help me up again. I turned to face him, gazing into his black eyes. "Can you tell me about this promise?"
The rock spirits all seemed to gather around me, pushing Clothis and Jakob further away. The tribal leader took a deep breath, his rocky body creaking with every movement he made. I waited patiently for him to begin.
"The world belonged to the spirits," he said in a slow, ponderous voice. "When the humans arrived, our freedom was taken and we were banished to the other world. Our Queen kept us alive, gave us strength, and promised each of us that one day the world would be returned to us. One who could give us back what was ours would come. That was her promise."
"That was very... blunt," Clothis muttered.
I blinked in shock. "You can hear them too?"
"We made ourselves known to your companions," the leader said. "The effect will not last."
I breathed a sigh of relief, but Jakob looked disappointed. He was keenly interested in the large creatures that had brought us to this place. A part of me felt a little jealous that the spirits were not for me alone anymore, that somehow my special place had become normal. I shoved the feeling aside and tried to focus on the story the rock spirit had just told me.
"I'm supposed to give you the world?" I repeated.
The rock spirit nodded. "The Queen had promised you to us. You will return to us what is ours. You will give the rock tribe dominance over the world."
I swallowed hard. His last comment sent a shiver of fear down my spine. Is that what all the tribes wanted? Dominance over the other tribes and the whole world? Is that why they were helping me? I felt a little dizzy and pressed my hand to my head. So even the spirits were after something, even Fynn. He was a spirit too, wasn't he? Was all he wanted power?
"Leila?" Jakob's voice cut through my thoughts like a knife.
I was a pawn. A pawn to the Huryl, the Dyrel, the spirits, and even Fynn. Everyone I had met, everyone I had trusted, they were all using me. They didn't care. I was alone, truly alone.