Iriona

[Victoria]

For a moment she felt weightless, as if she didn’t have a care in the world. It had been a long time since she had woken up so relaxed. She owed that all to the night she had spent with Elion. The way he had held her, the way he had touched her was so different from how it had been before. It was different from Collin and any other guy she had been with. He could have had her last night, she saw the want in his eyes. But he hadn’t taken that chance, and even though she had her doubts about their situation – that she would ever return to Iriona, more so than him, the previous night couldn’t have been more perfect. She felt herself smiling as she rolled over on the bed, expecting him to still be there next to her. But slowly, brick by brick, the world laid its problems on her again, the weight settling comfortably on her shoulders once again when she realized she was alone in the bed.

Elion wouldn’t have left for the raid without telling her, especially since he knew her fears of what today would bring for them, but that didn’t answer the question of where he was. Silently she looked around the room, other than the drapes being open, there was no sign he had even been in here with her at all. Pushing up off the bed, she wandered over to the window, it was raining again. Fitting. Because today needed to be more depressing than it already was. Where her hand grasped at the curtain, holding it open, she could see a flicker. Almost like a movie fading in and out from the screen. She knew what was happening, she didn’t really have to look. Whatever the spirits had done to keep her here, it was wearing off. She could only hope that the next time she went to sleep they would bring her back again and they could work on finding a way to keep her here indefinitely. But all the spirits had warned that there were challenges ahead.

It was easy to believe they meant in capturing Adus, but so far that had gone effortlessly smooth. No, they meant with them, that it wouldn’t be easy. They were going to have to fight to be together, which meant she wouldn’t be returning for a while. She couldn’t live a double life, she had to stay in one or the other. It wasn’t long before Elion returned with breakfast in hand. She smiled when he entered, but it faltered. Together the two ate in relative silence; both contemplating what was to come. She couldn’t pretend like it wasn’t happening after all. But all the same it was a comfortable silence, there was some tension in the air, but that wasn’t just them. It was day five. The tension was wafting off the city as a whole, if they didn’t catch Adus today; there was no telling what would happen to Iriona and its people. It was almost as if every person in this city knew what was going on and they waited with baited breath for the agentes to make their move.

It wasn’t long before Elion had to start gathering his things for the upcoming raid. Which of course meant their time together was drawing to a close. She couldn’t keep the worry from touching her gaze when she looked up at him, this was really happening. She had finally found a place where she belonged, with a man who cared for her for who she was, and it was being ripped right from beneath her. She sighed and sank into him when he stepped over to her, there was no need for words right then. Together they headed down the steps, his hand wrapped firmly around hers as if that small connection was enough to somehow keep all of this from happening. As they neared the front of the inn, the rain once again caught Aria’s attention. But a sudden movement pulled her attention away.

There was a woman standing just outside the door in the rain. She didn't appear bothered by it, which was curious enough, but Aria felt drawn to her, like she had to go outside to talk to this woman. Dropping Elion's hand she stepped closer to the door, she didn't know what it was that was pulling her closer, but almost as if she had been expecting her, the woman turned around when Aria pushed the door open. "Do you want to come inside?" she asked and the older woman shook her head.
"I love the rain," she answered as she turned back towards the empty streets, "You worry," she stated simply, "You shouldn't."
"Excuse..." she started, but she shook her head, "I'm guessing you're the water spirit?" she stated. She should have known she wouldn't get out of Iriona without the last of the spirits stopping in to give her some cryptic message. Vesta and Haizea had been blunt in their messages, making it clear she was here for one purpose alone. But Cerintha had been kind, almost as if she had more in mind for the two of them than what the others wanted to allow.
"You can call me Nerida," the woman smiled softly, "I know now is a hard time for you, but believe me when I say there's no need to worry so much."
“But how am I supposed to not worry about all of this?” She asked, she was tired of the cryptic messages, she was tired of not knowing what they were trying to tell her. Couldn’t they just come out with it and say the words to her? “Will I be returning, or won’t I?” she asked bluntly, “Is there a way for me to stay indefinitely? Because now would be a really good time to tell me these things if you don’t want me worrying so much.” She could feel the tears brimming in her eyes as she stared at the woman. “You spirits pulled me out of a life, the only way I’ve ever known things, you show me this amazing world, introduce me to the most amazing man I’ve ever met, and now you’re taking all of that away, but you don’t want me to worry so much. Give me a reason not to worry then, please.” By the time she had finished her rant, the tears were falling freely down her face, she couldn’t keep it in anymore.
Nerida smiled sadly, “Everything you’ve encountered here has been designed just for you,” she promised, “We meant for everything to happen as it has. But even we have our limits,” she told her. “I promise what you’ve gone through won’t be for naught.”

[athena]

Silence seemed to be a constant companion that morning. Elion was not willing to broach the tension lurking in the air, and it appeared as if Aria was of the same mindset. Thankfully it was a companionable silence; neither felt the need to fill it with words but instead simply enjoyed each other’s company. Eventually though the time came for them to depart. The team was no doubt assembling at headquarters, and Elion would need to be there as well. He laced his fingers through Aria’s and together they headed out into the rainstorm.

It took a moment for his brain to register that she had disconnected her hand from his. A wave of familiarity struck him as he searched for Aria. She had not wandered too far, only to the other end of the porch. There was a woman there; she seemed to be made of the rain itself, and it was from her that the familiarity originated. The water spirit had finally appeared. He bowed his head slightly, but did not approach. He sensed that the spirit’s words were meant strictly for Aria, and so he remained rooted to the other end of the porch. Nerida’s appearance only set his mind at ease. This storm would bless their raid, and spoke highly of the blessings that had been bestowed on both Aria and himself. He stuck his hands in his pocket and patiently waited for Aria’s return.

She looped her arm through his, and looked up at him. Elion searched her face, but found none of the relief he hoped the spirit would bring. Instead, Aria looked more lost than ever. He brushed his thumb across her cheek before stepping out into the rain, Aria at his side. They trekked through the muddy streets and warm rain to headquarters with the silence accompanying them the whole way. Elion was not quite ready to admit that this was good-bye. He was still trying to convince himself otherwise, that it was only temporary. Another part of him whispered that it would be quite some time before he saw her again.

They stepped into headquarters to find a flurry of activity. Men and women were grouping off into squads based on ability. Armor and weapons lay scattered about the building, and there was a low murmur. The air was charged with a mixture of excitement and tension. Today was the last day they had to stop Adus. Vaguely, Elion wondered if capturing him meant it would stop him. If the spirits wanted his death to be the end, then it would take several more days and contention would be upon them. It was just another thing to worry about, and Elion shook his head. They would have to accept his capture as that was all he could do for now.
He strode into his office, both Aria and Grifad not far behind. The young apprentice carried Elion’s gear and set it carefully down on his desk. Without a word, he left to prepare the horses. They both already knew that Elion could prepare himself and that they would serve as a two-man squad. Still silent, Elion strapped his leather gear on. He adjusted the breastplate so that the sigil of the agente was centered on his chest. Carefully, he strapped on the remaining pieces of leather and finished it off with is swords and daggers. Aria watched the entire process intently, and it occurred to him that she had never seen how agente prepare for raids or confrontation. He wondered how differently things worked in Springmount. A conversation for another time.

With a sigh, Elion clicked the last buckle into place. It seemed the time had finally come to say something. He just didn’t know what. He had already expressed his belief that she would return to Iriona, and his feelings had been expressed quite clearly last night. There was nothing he regretted or nothing that needed to be said. It had already been expressed. Instead, Elion stared at her and tried to memorize all of her features. Mentally he drew a picture and filed it away with the others he had of her. Gently, he placed a hand on her cheek. Aria tilted her head into his hand and watched him. With a soft smile he bowed close to her and kissed her forehead. He worked his way down to each of her eyes then the tip of her nose before finally claiming her lips. The moments passed by and Elion simply held her, his rough armor no doubt chafing her delicate skin.

Eventually Grifad entered. “It’s time,” he said solemnly, as if he to could sense the feelings between them. Elion nodded and forced himself to step away. He loved Aria dearly, but he could not forsake his duty for her. He was thankful that he had found a woman who understood this part of him. Perhaps it was because she was like that too. “I will see you soon,” Elion said firmly. He hoped that she would believe him. Turning, Elion forced himself to walk out of headquarters and back into the rain. Azrel waited for him, her head lowered against the rain. His agente were already mounted, ready to pursue Adus. Elion steeled himself and swung into the saddle. With a click, he ushered Azrel on, and his force began to move. He turned and fixed Aria with one last stare. Elion waved before turning back and urging Azrel into a canter. He tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his gut and the sorrowful look on Aria’s face.

[Victoria]

She waited until his horse was out of sight, the rain soaking through her clothes, leaving her curly hair clinging to her face. But even once she couldn’t see him anymore, she still stood there. She knew it was selfish, but a small part of her was waiting for him to reappear, to promise that they would find a way around this. But he had a job to do, and it was so much bigger than them. Iriona didn’t deserve to suffer just because she wanted one more minute with him. She stood there a few moments longer, unable to will her limbs to move, to take her out of the rain. At least out here, the tears that had fallen weren’t noticeable.

Finally she turned slowly and headed back into the headquarters. It was oddly quiet now that more than half the team was off saving the fate of their land. She wandered through, not really paying attention to where she was going, but at the same time she knew exactly where she would end up. Her arms wrapped tightly over her chest as she came to stop outside his office door. Somehow it was all surreal to her, like none of this was really happening. It was like a nightmare she just couldn’t wake up from. She smiled at that, though it was cracked at the edges. Funny that now it should feel like a nightmare when that was exactly how all of this had started.

Going over to his desk she sat there for a moment before looking around for a piece of paper and a pencil. They hadn’t really talked, there had been nothing to say. But there were still so many things she wanted him to know. Without really knowing what she was going to say, or how she was going to go about saying it, she started to write.

I want to believe you. I want to believe more than anything that I’ll see you again. But I’m a cop Elion, we don’t give in to hope, we work on facts. And the facts are that I’m leaving. I won’t be here when you get back. I don’t know what’s waiting for me back in Springmount. I don’t remember what happened. At least not all of it. What if I can’t get back? What if this isn’t me waking up, but dying? God there are so many questions I wish I had the answers to, but I don’t. And the spirits made it quite clear that they can’t, or won’t help us. This is our fight, one that I don’t know we’ll win. I don’t know how to win. But because of you, I’m not going to give up. No matter how long it takes, no matter how hard it is, I’ll never quit trying to get back here. Back to you.

Before I first appeared in Iriona this time around, I was nothing more than a legend. Nothing more than a story parents told their children before bed. I mean, let’s face it, even you didn’t fully believe or understand what was going on the first time I appeared in your office. And when we started to uncover the truth about my past, I don’t think either one of us really wanted to believe that I was the girl from the book. Or more rather we couldn’t believe it. But the truth is when I was little I only appeared because the spirits needed me to. When they stopped needing me, they closed the door on me. Who’s to say they won’t do that this time around too? I want to believe that I’ll see you again, I want to just have that blind faith in the spirits the way you do. But there’s this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that’s telling me otherwise. And they all said it, that it would be a challenge. That hard times wait ahead.

No matter what happens though, you’ve changed me. You taught me how to live again. To trust my instincts. And you showed me what it really means to love someone. You gave me somewhere where I finally felt like I had a purpose. And someone that believed in me. And those are things I could never repay you for. So thank you, for putting up with the stranger who questioned everything, for getting to know me, for taking care of me, and for loving me. I’m rambling here, but I don’t want it to end. This letter, my time here, my time with you. And I’m trying to find the right way to say something, and I wish I had said it to you rather than written down on this stupid page. But at least this way you’ll have a reminder I guess. Point is, I love you Elion. No matter what happens I always will.

There’s no good way to end this, is there?

Congratulations, by the way, I know you got him.

Aria stared down at her hand, it wouldn’t be much longer before she woke up. Or died. Or whatever was happening to her. She could feel it, whatever it was. It was this slow tingle that was taking over, that pins and needles feeling that happened when a limb fell asleep. It was in her arms, her legs, everywhere. It was only a matter of time. Her gaze then shifted to the letter sitting on his desk, on final thought she scrolled her name at the bottom of the page. She leaned back in the chair and looked around his office. He would return victorious, she knew that without a doubt. There would be celebration, cheers, and congratulations for the agente that stopped a contention before it could happen. She wished she could be here to see it, to celebrate with him. At least then it wouldn’t have a dark cloud hanging over it. He deserved to be happy, to celebrate this victory that wasn’t just his, but Iriona’s as a whole. If only it didn’t have to be like this.

[athena]

The mud softened the sound of the horses’ hooves. It was a small favor that Adus wouldn’t be able to hear the teams approaching. Elion had no doubts that the man was prepared for the arrival of the agente. He had been watching their building for the past five days; surely he knew that they were fast approaching. The teams drew to a stop and the scout materialzed from the forest. She approached Elion. “His station is back in the woods sir. I didn’t see any mercenaries, but I suspect they’re stationed along the road and throughout the woods.” Elion nodded and wiped the rain from his face. Azrel shifted beneath him while he thought. They had a plan. The numbers were there. By all accounts, Elion should feel confident about what they were about to do. Yet, he felt something was somehow off. He couldn’t place his finger on it exactly, but he suspected it had to do with Aria’s absence.

He forced himself to focus on the task at hand. As much as he hated to admit it, Adus was the current priority. The fate of his bond with Aria could be determined later, after Iriona was safe from Adus. His teams looked at him expectantly, awaiting his signal. Elion sighed heavily before finally nodding. Silently, several of the teams melted into the woods. They would hunt down any of the mercenaries hiding in the woods and neutralize them by whatever means necessary. Ideally they would simply be arrested, but there was no telling what Adus’ hired hands were capable of. Once they were out of the way and the signal given, then Elion and the remaining squads would progress.

With a hand motion Elion indicated that they should move off the road. Seamlessly, he and his teams moved across the way and into the forest. The trees sheltered them from some of the rain, so the wait wouldn’t be too miserable. Full of tension perhaps but at least they were out of the rain. The seconds slid by into minutes and eventually into an hour as they waited for the area to be cleared. The day grew lighter, although the rain clouds insured that the light would never be particularly bright. Finally, a whistle echoed through the forest. Elion waited a moment longer to be completely sure that all threats had been neutralized. A second whistle confirmed it. With a nod, the remaining teams dismounted and crossed the road into the other side of the forest. Elion lagged behind his team taking the brief respite to collect and center himself.

Grifad remained at Elion’s side, although he cast his boss a questioning look. Patience had always been his apprentice’s strong suit. A moment later Elion finally dismounted. He could no longer put off his pursuit of Adus; he had to convince himself that all would go well. They had extensively planned for this raid, all possibilities had been considered. Adus would be in hand by this afternoon. And yet, Elion still felt a sense of unease. Grifad nodded solemnly at his boss and together they trudged through the forest.

The teams were already in place by the time the duo arrived. They surrounded the small cottage, bows knocked and arrows aimed. If there were any remaining mercenaries, they would pose no threat to the well-armed squad. Elion took the lead and drew his sword. He carried it low, approaching the door as silently as possible with Grifad close behind. Digging his heel into the ground, Elion centered himself before kicking in the door. He rushed in with his sword raised defensively. In a matter of seconds, Grifad and two other squads moved in behind him and fanned out.

Elion had expected Adus to be prepared. In his mind he had envisioned the man sitting in a chair, arms crossed and a smirk on his face. Instead, Adus was caught by surprise. He froze behind his workstation with his mouth open in surprise. Elion felt a brief moment of smug triumph before Adus sprung into action. The man swept his arm across the table, destroying the variety of glass bottles on the table. Chaos erupted in the small cabin. The various spirits that Adus had tried to mutate rushed through the cabin, destroying all in their wake. In that moment, it seemed that sending the jars to the Helm had been a good call. Whatever Adus had done, he had warped the beings considerably.

Gritting his teeth, Elion pushed through the gale force winds and tried to reach out for Adus. Abruptly the storms and chaos ended. And Adus was gone. “Damn,” Elion cursed as he looked wildly about. He had no idea what had happened, all he knew was that Adus was gone. “Find him,” he growled. The teams scattered, desperately searching for Adus. Elion could feel the spirits around him grow tense. He could not let the man escape again. His failure now would spell the end of Iriona. Hastily, he jogged back to Azrel. Never had he wished so strongly that Aria was there; he felt that somehow she could make this right. And then it dawned on him.

Elion ripped open his saddlebag and searched desperately for the orb Aria had been given as a child. In a way, Aria was there and this was her way of helping. Finally, his fingers wrapped around the orb. He pulled it from the bag and immediately knelt to bury it in the ground. He wasn’t entirely sure if that was what he was supposed to do, but he was short on time. Elion waited. The moments ticked by before finally he heard a groan. It started distantly, but grew louder as it approached. It took Elion a moment to realize that it was the trees groaning as the bent. They created a pathway deeper into the forest, and Elion did not hesitate. He jogged down the path. Eventually, the path opened into a clearing where he found Adus panting.

The man had finally lost his cool and was panicking. He struggled desperately against the tree roots and small sprites that clung to him. Elion approached cautiously. Adus was well and truly incapacitated by the rather angry spirits around him. Elion finally knelt and tied the man’s hands. Aria’s orb had helped him in more ways than he could possibly imagine. Adus had finally been captured. “You are done,” Elion said before solemnly reciting the traditional oath of arrest. Grifad and the squads soon arrived. They dragged the man to his feet and held to him tightly, and finally a wave of relief washed over Elion. The trial still lay ahead, but for now, the investigation was finally over.

[Victoria]

It was slow, which was different from every other time she had shifted between worlds. A sense of fatigue washed over her as she leaned back in Elion’s desk chair. Her head hurt like no other, but the most prominent change was the return of the stiffness and dull ache in her abdomen. She knew her stab wound had healed, although Lys had determined she still wasn’t 100% cleared yet, it was healed for the most part. Enough that she knew she wouldn’t be having pains. No, this pain was something that was currently intangible to her; it was what had happened right before the stabbing. She had been shot.

Everything was a blur to her, it had always been foggy, but weeks had passed since and she had pushed it to the furthest reaches of her mind as best she could. It had plagued her too much. She tried not to let it interfere with everything else that was going on. She had done her best to swallow down the feelings and keep a strong head about her, but there had been times she had been unable to prevent the fears from surfacing. Now she was staring at it head on with no escape. Somehow this was harder without Elion here to make it okay. She was left with her thoughts and fears and they were swarming her, so many things all at once her head was spinning.

It started slow, flickers of darkness washing over her. Which only alarmed her more. What did the darkness stand for? Aria knew she needed to stop dwelling on it, but there was nothing else to turn her focus on. She knew Elion would succeed this time, or else the spirits wouldn’t be sending her back. There was no use in worrying about the outcome of the raid. And even if she were unsure of their success, there was nothing she could do now to help him.

The flashes grew longer and more intense, her head pounded and the stiffness in her abdomen grew worse. She also felt something around her hand, warm, strong. She felt herself smiling, Jack. Slowly Elion’s office faded away and she drearily blinked, taking in her new surroundings, a hospital room. “Do you know anything?” she heard Jack ask, she assumed there was a doctor in the room, “Has there been any change?”
It was her mother who answered though, “They say she may not come out of it Jack,” she said, the emotions heavy in her voice.

Aria wanted to say something, but she found her voice wasn’t working just yet. After however long of not using it, it made sense.
“This is my fault,” Jack berated himself, “She was there without protection, I should have known that damn kid was going to open fire…”
“No…” Aria managed, the word coming out raspy and weak, she swallowed trying to speak. It wasn’t his fault. She was the one that had entered the scene without second thought. She had been standing there expecting that nothing would happen. She didn’t even think this kid actually meant to shoot her, he had just fired trying to scare them away. She had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. That didn’t mean the prosecution wasn’t going crucify the kid for what he did, but she found she didn’t blame him, or Jack, or anyone really for her predicament.

Jack spun around, her mother was instantly at her side, “She’s awake,” her mother gasped, “Get the doctor Jack,” she ordered. Aria slowly turned her glazed over gaze to her mother. She felt weak, she couldn’t speak, everything was so hazy, she could really comprehend anything through the fog that encompassed her brain. “Welcome back honey,” she mother said softly, the tears obvious in her voice. Squeezing her hand, she smiled at her daughter and Aria wished she could actually be happy about being back.

[athena]

The world seemed to tilt before it settled itself into its normal position. A wave of peace seemed to sweep through the forest as Elion watched his men lead Adus away. For now the spirits were satiated, and they were most likely to remain that way. The trial would no doubt be pushed to the top of the list so that the matter could be settled once and for all. Elion doubted the spirits cared little for anything that happened now. All that mattered was Adus had been stopped. The outcome of the trial was certain. Iriona would return to normal – well as normal as it could possibly be. There would still be crime and work for Elion to do. Grifad had more than earned his promotion, so there would be the necessary paper work to fill out, a position to be found, and of course the celebration. The thought of paperwork reminded Elion that he would have to quickly gather his papers and write a report for Adus and his trial. A tedious task, but he was not about to begrudge it.

As Elion walked slowly through the forest, he knew perfectly well what he was doing. He forced his thoughts in as many different directions as possible so that he wouldn’t focus on the one thing that had been nagging at the back of his mind. Aria. She had seemed convinced that her time in Iriona was at an end. Elion tended to think that it was only a brief interlude. If she even left at all. There was no telling what the spirits would or could do. Perhaps she was still there, waiting impatiently in his office. Elion could almost picture the irritated scowl as she sat waiting and her anger at having taken so long to arrest the man. The image lit a small spark of hope inside Elion…one that he knew had no place growing. Yet, he continued on hoping despite his mental rebukes.

Elion finally cleared the forest and found himself once again at Adus’ hide out. His teams stood alert and ready for their next set of orders. He had to think a moment. He did not wish to send Adus back to Eltal without himself in the escort party. Yet, the building needed to be investigated, and Elion did not wish to leave that either. Grifad could easily be placed in charge of one of those tasks, yet Elion felt uneasy doing so. He trusted Grifad, it just felt as if he should see the conclusion of the investigation in all matters. It was not possible, of course, but it was still something Elion wished to do. With a sigh, he finally delegated the task of cataloguing and investigating the hide out to Grifad. Elion felt it was more important that he travel with Adus back to the city. His apprentice nodded and selected a small team from the larger group before disappearing into the home. Elion waited only a brief moment before he swung himself into the saddle. The remaining squads mounted up and formed a barrier around Adus. One of the agente had been considerate enough to place the criminal on a spare horse. At least they would be able to set a quick pace.

They rode in silence for the duration of the trip back. It did not particularly bother Elion; in fact, he was glad of the silence. It left him time to reflect and brace himself for whatever lay in wait for him at headquarters. The solemn procession moved through the city. People stopped to stare and then quickly averted their eyes as if they were guilty for looking at the criminal. They had no idea just how close to disaster they had been. Before too long the group arrived at headquarters and with efficiency that showed their training, the squads dismounted, took Adus into their custody, and promptly marched into the building. Elion followed behind them to ensure the man was secured properly in one of their maximum security cells. It would not be a particularly comfortable stay for Adus, but it was perhaps more than he deserved. It seemed like the man had finally realized his situation, and he slumped against the wall defeated. He still shot hateful glares at Elion, but that seemed to be the most he could muster at the present.
Elion nodded his approval as the guards locked the cell. “I will be in my office drawing up the report,” he said softly. He saw Adus stiffen out of the corner of his eye, as if he knew what that meant for him. “Keep a close eye on him.” The guards nodded before assuming their posts. Slowly, Elion headed towards his office. He knew by now that if Aria were still there, she would have been by his side already. An air of celebration hung about the office, and already the cheers and singing had begun but Elion could not find it in him to join the revelry. He waved to everybody before closing himself in his office.

Even though he knew Aria wouldn’t be there, her absence crushed him nonetheless. He had hoped that the spirits would have favored them just this once. He should have known better. They did say it would be difficult. With a sigh, Elion settled himself in his chair and stared absently at the papers scattered across his desk. It took a moment for his brain to register the folded note with his name scrawled across the top. He hesitated a moment before he picked it up with shaking hands. Carefully, Elion unfolded it before he read the note. He read it again. And once more just because he could. Just as carefully as he opened it, Elion folded the note and tucked it into his vest pocket. He suddenly felt so, so tired.

[Victoria]

“No,” she argued as she tried to push the doctors away from her. Her voice, still scratchy from its lack of use, was growing stronger.
“Aria, you have to let them look at you,” her mother begged, but the more the reality of the situation set in, the more Aria wanted to fight against them. She couldn’t be back here, she needed to be in Iriona with Elion.
“No!” she fought against them. She knew there was no way she could make them see why they needed to leave her alone, why they needed to let her sleep. She just needed to know, for her own peace of mind, if the spirits had closed the doors on her. Could she even get back to Iriona? She knew she would find Elion with little issue, it was more than just the investigation that tied them together now. Before the spirits had guided her to him, now she knew with everything she had that she wouldn’t need their help. She would find him on her own. She just had to get back there.

Finally the doctors took the hint and backed off, “Wait,” her mother called, “Where are you going?”
Jack smiled from where he was standing in the doorway, “She’s fine Gwen,” he told her, “pain in the ass like always.”
Aria let her gaze flicker to Jack, she felt bad about what she had put him through. He had lost his first partner this way and now this. He didn’t need to know she didn’t want to come back. Not that he would believe her anyway. “You’re one to talk,” she shot back at him.
“You had us worried there James,” he nodded, “Starting to think you’d never wake up.”
She could only wish. She wished she could be celebrating the victory with Elion, that they could go back to his place and finally really talk about what it was between them. And, god forbid, maybe actually both find some happiness. But Aria knew it wasn’t that easy. The spirits had told her that much. She sighed and closed her eyes, trying to see if she could feel the spirits at all. But it was no use. Slowly she opened her eyes and looked between her mother and Jack, “How long has it been?” she asked.
“Two weeks,” her mother answered, coming back to her bedside and taking her hand. Two weeks. It had been a hell of a lot longer in Iriona. It had been long enough for her to fall for a man she could have only ever dreamed of before all of this happened. Back when she had only had Colin.
“How’s…” she started, her gaze once again going to Jack, knowing he would understand exactly who she was talking about.
He glanced down, “He’s stopped by a few times to see you, after he heard you were in a coma,” he confirmed, “He’s taking it hard, but Colin is a big boy, he can take care of himself. Right now you need to just take care of you, James. Need you back out there on the job.”

“The case…” she started and Jack sighed, “You didn’t…”
“He got away,” he confirmed, “Everyone rushed at you when he fired, we didn’t have the man power. A few went in the front to get him, but he slipped out the back. We’re on him though, we just haven’t gotten close enough yet.”
Aria shook her head, wasn’t that what happened with Adus the night she had been stabbed too? Both cases went to hell that night. At least Elion was able to turn it around, Jack didn’t seem so lucky. “I’m awake now, no need to hang around here. Get back to work Barnett.” She would have offered to help, but she had her own puzzle to solve. As much as she loved her parents, loved Jack like a brother, she knew now where she belonged. She belonged in Iriona, with Elion. Now she just had to find a way back.

[athena]

Elion worked continuously for the next several days. The trial date had been set for the end of the week, and he wanted to make sure all the evidence was in order. And that there was enough of it, although at this point it seemed that there was far too much evidence. Elion refused to complain though. Compiling the report kept him busy and focused. It kept him from thinking about Aria and what she was doing. He knew she was not dead. He wasn’t entirely sure how he knew that, but he did. Something would seem…off if she were.

An agente stepped into the office, temporarily distracting him. Yet another folder of evidence from Adus’ cabin. Sighing, he flipped open the file and skimmed it, trying to think of a way to incorporate it into the already large body of evidence. Elion wanted so desperately to be done with this case and yet he didn’t. Its conclusion meant that he would finally have to deal with Aria’s disappearance. He was reluctant to do that. Instead, Elion steeled himself and put his last vestiges of energy into completing the evidence packet.

Finally, the day of the trial dawned. As Elion and Grifad walked the streets, the agente found the bright weather to be somewhat reassuring. If the spirits had anything to do with it then this was no doubt a good omen. Hopefully, the good omen would carry through all of Adus’ trials and not just this first. This trial was only to determine whether or not he was guilty. Depending on the outcome, there could be two more trials determining the severity of his guilt and, finally, his punishment. Elion was only required to be present at the first trial, although his testimony, evidence file, and opinion would continue to be sought well into the other trials. And there would be more of them. Only a blind fool would be unable to see the evidence. Luckily, the judge was not blind, nor a fool. He was a well-respected and wise individual. Elion could not have asked for anyone better.

The court room was dimly lit and silent. Elion expected the turnout to be slim; they usually were, and Adus’ activities and trial had been kept mostly secret. The only people in attendance were agentes or family members of the agentes. Adus sat silently at the front of the room, his hands and feet chained to the chair. He would remain quite for the duration of the day; only his consultator would be allowed to speak on his behave. If he had one. Elion had not bothered to keep up with the man after his arrest. He ensured he was still in custody, but aside from that he had been swept away by the business of evidence compilation. The man shot him an angry glare before turning his gaze to the judge. Elion took up his post at the front of the room, facing the meager crowd. Judge Halsta began the proceedings, his deep voice carrying in the empty room.

“Adus, son of Adaar, you have been brought before this system of justice by Elion, son of Elammin and dux of Eltal. Do you understand why you are here?” Elion stared intently at the man, forcing his face to remain impassive. The criminal’s consultator spoke up. “He does.” Halsta nodded and opened the bulky packet Elion had provided him. He had had plenty of time to read over the materials and form questions to pose to Adus, or Elion if need be. Elion’s reports typically acted as his testimony as well. “Now, according to this report, you originally had an accomplice by the name of Suila. Is that correct?” “Yes,” responded the consultator. And so the process went. Halsta asked questions, demanded clarification, whatever he felt was necessary to forming his opinion. Adus’ consultator tried hard to paint some picture of his consultee, but to no avail. The evidence continued to pile against him.

The questioning lasted well into the evening. Finally, as the sun began to set Judge Halsta set the papers aside. “I have heard enough,” he said quietly. “My decision has been made. Adus, son of Adaar, by the power of the spirits and the people of Eltal, I hearby find you guilty. You will be judged the severity and nature of your crimes in one day’s time. I have deemed you to great of a threat to remain jailed for much longer.” With that, the man stood and exited the room. The agentes collected Adus, and the man had a blank look on his face. It was almost as if he expected he would get off without a charge. For the first time since the trial had begun, Elion allowed a smug smirk to settle on his face.

[Victoria]

It wasn't long before a nurse came into the room and chased Jack home, pointing out that now that she was awake he could finally go home and rest. Aria really hoped that Jack hadn't been wasting away at her side for the last... two weeks? Was that what they had told her. God, it had been so much longer in Iriona. But it hadn't been nearly long enough. Not as far as she was concerned anyway. She knew she had to find a way to open that door again, and she had to find a way to make it permanent.

The nurse came back into the room with a little cup in her hand, "The doctor prescribed this to help you sleep, it's common in coma patients to have some anxieties about sleeping. Senapel is designed to help," she explained as she handed Aria two small, round, black pills. At this point Aria cared little for what it was meant to do as long as it helped her get back to Iriona. They could figure out how to handle the rest of it once she was there again. Quickly she downed the pills and the offered water hoping the spirits hadn't shut her out completely. "If you need anything," the nurse said as she reached for the call button and placed it on the table next to Aria's bedside. "Someone will be in to check on you in a few hours otherwise. Get some rest." With that the nurse left her in her solitude. Aria settled back into the pillows behind her and waited for sleep to beckon her forward like an old friend. She could only hope that she could break through again, that he would be there wait on the other side ready to share the victory with her.

The sun was high in the sky, the air was beginning to grow crisp as facis left and ager began to settle in. Up ahead she could see an orchard, his orchard, though she doubted the trees bore any fruit anymore. The spirits always seemed to send her to him, though this felt too easy. Something nagged at her, but the second she saw him emerge from the trees, she didn't care how easy it was. She ignored all sense of warning that washed over her. "Elion!" she called his name to catch his attention, hoping she hadn't been gone too long, that she was still in time to celebrate the victory with him. When he looked up, she instantly brightened, she had thought once upon a time that she would never find a man like him. Someone that actually seemed to understand who she was and what she stood for. But it was more than that, she had thought that she knew those things, but knowing him- learning this land seemed to redefine her. She knew there was a reason she has hung around in Springmount despite the offers she had recieved. She needed to be on that case, with Jack, looking for Adam. Somehow the two investigations aligned themselves which caused the spirits to pull her back through. Allowing her to meet someone who would change the way she saw things, who would remind her of exactly why she did what she did. Without all the fancy gadgets and technology it took her back to the core of why she did this every day. And now they could figure out a way to keep her here, maybe they could work together on investigations to come. As long as she was with him, she really didn't care.

"Aria?" she could see her name form on his lips and she broke out in a run to him. Mid stride though something firm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back towards the woods.
"No!" she cried, trying to grab at whatever it was that was holding her back, "No! Elion!" Her eyes glazed over in panic, her heart began to pound in her chest. She clawed at her waist, but there was nothing actually there. "Stop! Let me go!" Finally having the nerve to look back at her assailant, she shuddered when she realized there was no face, it was almost shadow like, there, but not really. The grip was unrelenting, dragging her backwards. She could feel the tears then, hot and wet against her face. "Elion!" she called again as he ran for her, but before he could make it to her, she was back in the hospital, Jack standing over her. "Send me back!" she cried, fighting against the hold he seemed to have on her arms, "Let me go back!"

Her hysteria seemed to draw more attention, doctors and nurses came flying into the room. "No! Don't touch me!" she screamed, kicking away from them, "You have to let me go back! I need to go back!"
"Aria calm down," Jack tried, holding her down against the bed, but it was almost like she couldn't hear him through the frantic yelling, or maybe she just wasn't listening.
"I need to go back to him, please!" she cried as the hospital staff fought to hold her down, "Let me go back." There had to be a way, something that would send her back to him.

What felt like hours later jack knocked on the door, "Thought you'd want to know," he said as he came into the room and sat in the chair next to her bed. It seemed to take until that moment for him to notice the restraints around her wrists and ankles tying her to the bed. "The station just called," he told her as he reached out to take her hand. "We got him, James."
Aria turned her face away from him, the tear streaked down her face as she did her best to keep from losing her cool again, "Yeah," she whispered softly, but even to Jack it was obvious that she was caught up somewhere else in her mind. "I know."

[athena]

The remaining trials concluded with as much ease as the first. Adus had been deemed a threat to all of Iriona and sentenced to death. His execution would take place, privately, tomorrow morning. Elion and a few agente would preside over the execution in the morning. It wasn’t a particularly pleasant task, but it was part of the job and Elion could be sure beyond a doubt that the investigation was closed. Until then Elion had busied himself with the backlog of reports and paperwork that had piled up on his desk.

It was tedious work, and didn’t occupy his mind as thoroughly as his previous work. Elion found himself thinking of Aria. It had been over a week without a sign from her. There had been a moment when he thought he had heard her calling to him. He had looked around and even searched the orchard for her but found nothing. Perhaps it was the spirits way of telling him Aria was ok? Or maybe he was imagining things. There was no way of telling anymore. Elion just took it as a sign she was well. Or at least safe in Springmount. He was sure Jack would look after while she recovered. He didn’t know her partner well, but perhaps he would help her find her way back to Iriona.

As Elion sat at his desk thinking, he realized he could not rely solely on Aria. He would find a way to help her from this side as well. He refused to think she would never return, and he was determined to ensure that she would. They still had so much to talk about. And to learn about each other. They had only begun to explore the possibilities between them; Elion was not willing to through that all away. Not yet. He stared a moment longer at his desk and realized that finding a way to help Aria would be an all consuming task. It would be nearly impossible to maintain his responsibilities as an agente. Unless...

Elion pulled out a new file and began scribbling. He could not abandon his duties as dux nor could he abandon Aria. But perhaps he had found a solution. As he filled out the missing persons investigation form, Elion felt that perhaps he had a chance. He would need help. It would be a long ordeal, but it would be more than worth it. He finished the paperwork and felt a sliver of hope begin to grow. Now it was only a matter of time before he found a way to return Aria to Iriona.

To be continued in Season 2.