“Bry Would Have Saved Me If I Fell . ”

Cold. He had never felt this cold since he had left the waterfall, never felt this fragile since he saw the deathly ill look on his mother's face and his lover's. The tips of his hands were numb and unbearable. Every breath he took hurt. And all he wanted to do was make it stop, he begged inside him but there was no answer. Fragile. One move and he'll break.

A low whisper echoes from the back of his mind. The voice felt distant yet so familiar. He had heard it before.

There was shuffling from beside him and suddenly the light that was blinding him was covered by Ektes. "He's… conscious."

Both disbelief and relief could be heard in Ektes' voice. What had happened? All Jodeus could remember was…

"How do you feel, Jodeus?" Ektes' voice rang in his ears, making him wince. The man, noticing his reaction, remained silent before walking out of Jodeus' sight.

He tried to turn his head or move his eyes but he didn't find the strength to even strain himself. Instead, his gaze remained locked onto the room's ceiling. The tears in his eyes continued to roll down his cheeks against his own volition.

Jodeus had never heard of someone feeling both intense pain and acute numbness but that was what he felt at that moment. He wanted all this pain to end, he prayed to the Stones, begging them to end his torment.

It felt like he heard every single sound on the island, and it was all deafening. The voice in his head grew louder. He winced as his ears pounded, the powerful voice too overwhelming to understand. But he knew who—no, what it was.

'Too loud. Please be quiet.' He squirmed his head and felt his bones aching. So he stayed where he was, wishing for it to be over. 'Let it be over.'

"I know, take a rest now, I'll be back for some Pyre Stones." Ektes' sudden appearance made Jodeus' heart skip a beat in surprise. His soft, low voice was no longer too grating to listen to. As sudden as he appeared, Ektes walked out of the room, leaving Jodeus.

Jodeus tried to curl within the blankets, looking for a sense of warmth. He wanted Ektes to stay with him but he couldn't say it out loud. He wanted anything but the company of the Tanzanite Stone, which seemed intent on destroying what was left of him, its voice pounding in his head.

It was a huge risk and he knew it, and now he had nothing to show for it but his current suffering. Brytos was gone. Forever. 'And it was my fault. If only I were different, someone he would have depended on.' He breathed out, vapor coming out of his mouth. Maybe I deserved to die. He slowly closed his eyes, hoping to drift off peacefully but the pain was too much to ignore.

'Jodeus'

Everything went quiet, and he was drifting off above the ocean floor. He wondered if he had been here before. Then something called out to him, the same voice who did it a long time ago, and the one that has been tormenting him ever since he awoke.

Answer me, Jodeus.

And you will be free from this torture

There was a loud sloshing sound in his ear, like a waterfall or a river. The voice asked him a question but he felt hesitant, so with all his strength, he mouthed 'No'

Then he was back in agony once again, nothing helped until the heat of the fire came. Ektes came rushing in, he seemed disoriented but he couldn't tell as his vision started to become white. His body began to convulse on the bed again.

Alerted by the noise, Archius rushed into the room.

"He's dying!" He exclaimed as he ran to the bed's side.

"Help me place the Pyre Stones," said Ektes, putting one beside his head. And one by one, they surrounded him with the stones and the heat engulfed his sides. The cold subsided a bit but it was still there. He breathed in, his mouth drying up.

As Jodeus' body began to relax, Archius placed a hand on his forehead.

"I sense Tanzanite power in Jodeus!" They both looked at the man, hoping that Jodeus' blessings have been given back to him.

"Although, it feels too powerful, too pure to be Jodeus' blessings. I have felt this kind of power before."

"What is it Archius?" Ektes' calm voice contrasted with Archius' brash tone.

Ignoring Ektes' query, Archius hovered a clammy hand on Jodeus' chest. The healer's hand felt too cold and sweaty on his skin as if he was nervous.

Closing his eyes, Archius' hand glowed a white light. Not even a second later, a bright blue light flashes from Jodeus' chest, and Archius was thrown backward.

"What happened?" Ektes asked as he helped Archius up. All eyes were on the healer as he recollected himself.

"Jodeus-. Fractures of THE Tanzanite Stone have scattered into his chest! And they will kill him."

…

Days have gone past and Jodeus felt no better. The Tanzanite Stone had been cruel to him. He felt dry and thirsty no matter how much water Ektes had made him drink, he felt dry as sand and couldn't even sweat.

Until Archius' remedies proved more useful than he thought they would, he had given him odd rocks that would help him stay hydrated for long periods of time. Although, it wasn't permanent.

"It'll subside, then we'll have to remove fractures of the Tanzanite Stone inside you so it could no longer punish you for what you did," Archius explained in a serious tone, it seemed the remnant of his old sane self was out.

"And how many times have you done this procedure, exactly?" asked Ektes.

"I'll have many! And Jodeus would be the first."

…

The next morning wasn't much better for him. He had spent the whole day on the cot, unmoving, he didn't feel like twitching a muscle at all. But he was awake, staring at the bricked wall with an expressionless look. The Tanzanite Stone whispered in the back of his mind, but he had learned to ignore it, even if it lead to more pain.

Archius had miserably tried to 'heal' him, but all he did was pour drops of mint leaves on his arm and sing an Azurite spell about making a turtle blue, it seemed he had forgotten what he was doing in the first place.

Dinner time came and Ektes gingerly carried him to the dining table, a single glass of water sitting near him. His whole body felt weak and empty, he couldn't freeze the water nor move it on command.

'Back at nothing.' He bitterly thought to himself, although, it may be the Tanzanite Stone wanting to kill his spirit more.

Archius sat down on the chair across from him after lighting the fireplace. The fire flickered in front of him, he felt angrier by the minute as it flickered more and more. Like it was taunting him.

'Useless. Can't even save his loved ones.' He could just imagine figures in front of him. Familiar ones. They were happy and oh-so peaceful.

'How did it come to this?'

He felt a calming hand on his shoulder, but it felt somewhat heavy against his own. "Jodeus, you have to eat," His eyes flitted up at Ektes, who sat beside him, holding a bowl of soup. When Ektes moved to spoon-feed him, he forced himself to shake his head.

"M can do 't." Jodeus managed to slur out. He slowly raised his arms, groaning inwardly as he pushed down the pain of moving.

"Careful, it's hot," Ektes muttered as he cautiously handed him the bowl of soup., his hands assisting him in holding it.

He held it up to his mouth with his shaking hands and tried to sip it, but his lips only rested on the wooden rim. The spice and heat hovered against his lower chapped lips, it smelled wonderful but... 'Why does everything remind me of him?'

He blinked away and glanced out of the window, up at the stars. They seemed more distant and dim tonight, the irony that they were in the sky— or maybe that was just his eyes playing tricks on him.

The wind blew and it looked as though the hand of fire from the fireplace was reaching out in his direction, in trying to reach back, he accidentally dropped his soup. The liquid splattered on the wooden floors, seeping into the cracks.

"Waste!" said Archius as he menacingly pointed a spoon at him as if it were a weapon. His loud voice made Jodeus wince.

A blanket wrapped him from behind, "You're shivering," said Ektes.

'Was I? I didn't notice," he then knelt to pick the bowl up before walking over to the cauldron to refill it. Jodeus couldn't bring himself to say no, instead he turned away as the bowl was offered to him once more.

"Eat." Ektes' voice felt heavier with worry.

Jodeus shook his head, feeling his sharp eyes watching him. Then finally coming to a decision, Ektes gave the bowl to Archius with a sigh. The healer joyously accepted it and Ektes sat back down to the chair beside Jodeus'. It was only his even breathing he could hear, calm as it had always been.

They continued their silence, which Jodeus appreciated. Only Archius was making chomping noise as he ate and spilled the soup on himself.

He only bowed his head, hiding between his legs, closing his eyes as he curled into himself. The heaviness overcame him and then he felt lighter, someone was carrying him now. It felt good. Much more than he would admit to himself.

Jodeus wished they will lift off the ground and fly higher and higher until he could bring up the courage to open his eyes and see the world they had explored. So big and yet so small. He loved adventures, so he didn't know why he was so afraid when they were in the sky.

'Maybe I was afraid of falling? But Bry would have saved me if I fell.'

And everything would be fine right after. They'd go to his room after a late night and would spend the rest there. Like they always did when they had gone outside for far too long, making sure they weren't seen by the nightguards who were patrolling around the garden. Then they'd laugh as they sneaked their way in.

Jodeus took a deep breath and smiled at the memory, wishing he could relive it. "I miss you,"

…

Week after week, Jodeus did the same thing over and over. He spent most of the day laying on the bed, curling in on himself as his body felt too heavy to move. On the rare occasion that he would attempt to leave the bed, he would fall over after taking a few steps, his legs failing from under him.

He was only able to move when Ektes carried him from one place to another. And although his warmth felt pleasant, having to ask for help made him feel more useless.

…

Finally, Archius had gathered all the materials and knowledge he need to remove the Tanzanite shrapnels that burdened Jodeus' heart. After weeks of the agony of having to be confined to his bed, for the first time, he was provided a small glint of hope.

The removal was going positively quickly, despite it being Archius' first time. Although, it all went downhill halfway through when the Tanzanite Stone's voice spoke louder in Jodeus' head, refusing to be removed.

His eyes rolled back into his skull as he began to shake, his ears bleeding from the sheer power of the Stone's voice. Luckily, Archius had pulled away just in time, leaving him with no further complications.

When Jodeus woke up later that day, he was shattered to hear the Stone's voice in his head but he felt better. Some of the pain and numbness that overtook his body left as his heart felt less heavy. He finally felt that he could move.

…

The Tanzanite Stone's voice remained in his head. It continued to insist that Jodeus answer it but Jodeus refused to. The voice was always unclear as to what would happen when he finally responds so he preferred not to take the risk.

He had been in Archius' house for too long that the walls felt like they were going to cave in on him. It was always the same room, the same bed, the same suffocating feeling, worsened by his memories every time he saw something that would vaguely remind him of…

Heading out of the door, he was stopped by Ektes' voice.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Anywhere. I just need to walk." His voice was rough, it still hurt to speak.

Archius went in front of him to stop him. "Run! Run away!"

Something snapped inside Jodeus, he turned and pushed Archius roughly, his thin body falling flat on the ground. "SO WHAT IF I AM?! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT YOU CRAZY OLD FREAK?!"

"That's enough," said Ektes. "Go if you want, I won't stop you."

He looked back at the hurt Archius, feeling guilty. But he turned his back on them and wandered off. Unable to go too far without his blessings and any knowledge of Azurite spells, he dropped down onto the small island just under Archius's. Walking to the edge, he sat down.

His feet hung at the edge of the island. It seemed easy to just, fly and rid himself of the pain he had been burdened with.

'This is all your fault.' Says the faint voice in the back of his mind. He was unable to decipher if it was the Stone or his conscience.

All he wanted was to help. If he hadn't been so weak then he could have saved his mother and Brytos. "How is this fair? How is this my fault?"

The thin clouds that spread over the towns underneath seemed mesmerizing. He wondered how they would feel touching his skin.

'Jump.'

He had always been afraid of flying. Whenever Brytos carried him in his arms and they would take off, Jodeus would bury his face in his lover's chest, feeling how it would rumble whenever he chuckled at his actions.

He wondered what the islands must have looked like from Brytos' point of view. What it would have looked like if he was whisked from his feet and flown to his vantage point.

'Maybe if you jumped off. Maybe you could fly.'

Brytos had never mocked him for wanting to plant his feet on the ground.

…

Slow footsteps sound from behind Jodeus, making him tense, cursing himself for forgetting his dagger.

"Don't worry, it's just me." Hearing the man's familiar voice didn't help his tenseness, remembering how he burst out before walking away.

Jodeus turned to look at Ektes who sat beside him, intent on apologizing before he was stopped.

"It isn't me you need to apologize to." Jodeus pursed his lips, returning his gaze to the clouds beneath him.

"Archius went to the to—."

"I know, I know. I will apologize but… maybe not now."

"Look, I understand that Archius is a handful to deal with sometimes. But he has been a big help to us, and mostly to you." Ektes paused, stopping to think about what he was going to say.

"It may not be obvious, but he does feel bad about failing you. He may hide it well under his obnoxiousness but I've seen him go through sleepless nights reading scrolls hoping to find a way to heal you." The guilt Jodeus felt in his chest worsened.

"If you truly can't forgive him for failing, it's your choice. But if you do, take all the time you need to clear your mind, and then apologize to him." A few beats of silence passed, then Ektes stood up.

"Where are you going?" Jodeus looked up at the man and just now noticed the basket he held.

"I need to purchase some more vegetables and other ingredients, our pantry is empty." They nodded to each other as a goodbye before Ektes glided down to the town.

Sighing, Jodeus lay down on the dirt, covering his eyes with his arm. Had he been too harsh on Archius?

After a few minutes have passed, Jodeus decided to return to Archius' home. Opening the door he expected an annoyed or maybe an angry Archius, waiting to strike him down with a spell. All he was met with was complete silence, there was nobody home.

As he walked to 'his' room, pondering, he remembered that he had cut off Ektes when he was telling him where Archius was. Groaning at his stupidity, he plopped down on the bed, groaning again when pain shot up into his spine.

Laying down in bed, he noticed a thick book on the bedside table. Taking a closer look, it was the book he had seen Ektes reading, a book about Azurite spells. He quickly opened it and started to read it, hoping to find the spell Ektes and Archius used to descend.

As his eyes started to tire, he celebrated in silence as he found a slow falling or gliding spell that was similar to the one they had used when they first got on the islands. Only this spell had fewer disadvantages than the one-use scroll they used, and it also worked on 'non-blessed' people.

He took the Whistling stone from his bag, preparing to do the spell.

…

Jodeus stood at the edge of the island. If he had done the spell right, he would float down all the way when he steps off of the island. He knew that he had done the spell right, but there was still a big part of him that was terrified he didn't.

Taking the step off of the island was a big risk, it made his heart pound as he fought with himself.

Finally, after a couple of minutes spent psyching himself out, he stepped off of the island's ledge. His eyes were screwed tightly shut as he prayed to the Stones that the spell would work.

Jodeus opened his eyes when he felt the gentle breeze as he slowly fell. His mouth was agape as he watched the scenery from under the clouds. The bustling towns and villages were surrounded by greeneries and mountains, it looked so striking.

The time he spent gliding down was unnoticeable as he was hypnotized by the views he saw as he fell. It felt like it ended as quickly as it started when his feet finally touch the floor.

He was at the edge of the town's market. 'Now, where do I start searching for him?'

Archius was presumed dead by the Azrites so maybe he wouldn't show himself in the public. Right? But Archius is an old blessed, maybe he had a spell that could conceal his face or make him unnoticeable to the people. Or he may just not care.

Sighing, Jodeus started the search in the town market, ignoring every impulse he had when he saw something he wanted to buy. When he saw Ektes in the market buying vegetables, he approached him and asked but as far as Ektes knew, Archius was in town.

Jodeus spent hours searching for Archius in town but it was futile. So Jodeus decided to check where he and Ektes searched for the healer weeks ago, starting with the cave.

…

The cave's opening was looming over Jodeus. It felt like the Azurite Stone's residual power was reacting to the shrapnels of Tanzanite in Jodeus' chest. The whole time Jodeus stood at the cave's entrance, there was a constant pull on his chest, so he finally decided to enter it.

His footsteps echoed as he slowly walked into the cave. Immediately, he spotted Archius, who stood in front of the carved writing on the cave's wall.

"The cave recognizes you. You've been here." Jodeus opened his mouth to apologize but was cut off again.

"You need not apologize. I forgive you." Archius' words made Jodeus confused. He sounded so different. He continued to stay silent when the old healer started to read the carving.

Should the heart and soul be taken

And its vessel will be damned

The brain shall madden

Cursed shall be its unguarded land

"Have you heard of the legend of the floating islands? Where a lunatic stole the Azurite Stone and its power for himself." Jodeus nodded, Brytos have told him this legend many times.

"The legend painted the lunatic as the villain. Blinded by the greed for the Stone's blessings. But, truth be told, taking the Stone was his biggest sacrifice."

"A war was taking place when the Stone was stolen. The Carnelians were aiming to take its blessings for themselves. The 'lunatic' that the legend referred to was the Azurite Stone's vessel. Sworn to protect the Azurite Stone with his life. Each Stone had its own vessel. It may be someone chosen from birth or someone taught by the old vessel or the Stone itself."

"As Carnelian soldiers approached this cave, the vessel had no chance of winning against them. Die or flee. Those were the only choices given to him by the situation. Until the Stones glowed brighter, almost enticing him to take it. So he did. The cave split as he gently grabbed the Stone. And after he was blinded by a flash of white light, he wielded the Stone's blessings, eliminating all the Carnelian soldiers that threatened to steal the stone. But, the Stone's power was too strong that it took over his mind and body, raising the masses of land into the air." He read the carving again.

"Should the heart and soul be taken

And its vessel will be damned

The brain shall madden

Cursed shall be its unguarded land"

"The Stone's presence in his mind was too much for the mere vessel's brain. So he became mad. He hid the Azurite Stone away as he tried to find shelter. And everywhere he lived became cursed, magical plants, weird fogs. Until he moved into an island, land that the Stone deemed guarded and secure." Dots began to connect in Jodeus' brain as he continued to listen.

"These Stones, these powerful beings are all cruel in their own ways. Their blessings can be maddening or corrupt. They may harm your body thoroughly or gain complete control over your mind. They are ruthless as they are blessed. And if they united they can rule the world, or completely decimate it."

Complete silence took over the cave. 'Had the Carnelians always been attempting to rule over everyone?'

"Ah! I almost forgot! For me to formally forgive you, you shall purchase me more food in the market!"

And it seemed that Archius was back.

…

Archius then floated back to the island after giving Jodeus a list of the food he wanted from the market. After making a long, dreadful trip of hours and hours of searching for a stall that sold the things on the list, Jodeus realized that he had no means of getting back up.

Fortunately for him, after racking his mind for a spell that he may have read while he was searching for a slow-falling spell, he encountered Ektes again.

The two were mostly quiet as they ascended, only exchanging a few words as they slowly floated up. When they finally reached the island, Jodeus entered the house and was greeted by Archius.

"YES! This is delightful! You are forgiven!"