The pair followed the path spiralling up Mount Three Trials, their fatigue kept in check only by urgency. The sun set on the mountain, bathing everything in a warm glow. It was like the mountain was on fire.
A bit further, the mountain was on fire. Thyssa blinked, tried to register what she was seeing. A thick curtain of fire blocking their path, set ablaze by nothing in particular. It just…burned.
Thyssa froze, terrified by the unnatural phenomenon. “The mountain…it’s…burning!”
“The second trial,” said Merryway. They pointed out an inscription on the rock.
ONLY THE FAITHFUL PASS THROUGH THE WALL OF SMOKELESS FIRE
Thyssa stared at the words. She didn’t have a Mind’s Eye, and she doubted she was one of the faithful, either.
“We can do this,” said Merryway.
Thyssa swallowed. “You don’t mean…”
“Walking right through the fire. It’s possible. I know it.”
“What’s the trick?”
Merryway laughed. “No trick. Just faith.”
“I do not worship your Goddess,” said Thyssa. “I do not even know her name.”
“Neither do we,” said Merryway. “She is very old. My people inherited the worship of her from our distant ancestors. Somewhere along the way…people just forgot her name.”
“How?”
“If we knew that, we’d have the name. But it’s just been lost to history. Maybe everyone took her for granted and forgot to record the name. Or maybe records were erased by some rival faith. So we just call her ‘the Goddess,’ and her fountain ‘the Goddess Fountain.’”
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“The Goddess? You don’t have other goddesses?”
“We have only ever felt the blessing of this one.”
“Then your people are fortunate. My people have never known the blessing of any goddess. So we have never had faith in one.”
“If you cannot have faith in the Goddess,” said Merryway, “then have faith in her children. Have faith in me.”
Thyssa looked down. She’d had faith in people, and it had let her down time and again. Was she brave enough to put that much faith in someone she’d only just met? Her life depended on it, but she could guess what would happen to her if she faltered…
“It’s hard.”
Merryway held Thyssa’s hand. “Trust me.”
Faith hadn’t worked out for her before…but neither had trying to go it alone. She needed to start doing things differently. Seeing things differently. Just like how she had seen with new eyes when she became human. She needed to transform again – become something new, something stronger and lovelier.
“You saved me before,” whispered Thyssa.
“Hold on to that memory. Use it like a shield.”
“Let’s do this,” said Thyssa, surprised at the confidence at her voice.
Merryway smiled. “Yeah.” Their smile faded, their face became stoic. “Okay. On three, we run through.”
Thyssa nodded.
“One…”
Thyssa took a deep breath.
“Two…”
She tightened her grip on Merryway’s hand.
“Three!”
Thyssa closed her eyes and the two of them charged into the flames.
“Yes!”
Thyssa flinched at the sudden sound, but just as suddenly registered – Merryway had exulted in triumph! They’d gotten through.
Thyssa felt short of breath. “We…we did it…”
“It was hard, wasn’t it?”
Thyssa nodded.
“But we got through it.”
“You were a source of strength,” said Thyssa.
“And so were you.”
“What?”
“You had faith in me, so I could have faith in myself.”
“I thought you got through with faith in your Goddess.”
Merryway laughed. “It’s the same thing.”
“Don’t understand.”
“Maybe you don’t need to.” Merryway gave her a sly smile.
At the sight of that smile, Thyssa felt a wonderful warmth in her body. Then…something else. A quivering. An ache. First dull, then sharp, then unbearable.
Merryway rushed to her side. “Thyssa!”
“The venom. It’s getting worse.”
“Do we need to rush?”
“Depends,” said Thyssa. “How long before we reach the Fountain?”
“At the rate we’re going…I’d say a day.”
Thyssa winced. “Can’t press on that long like this. Let’s go a bit further, then find a place to rest.”
Merryway nodded. “Okay. Okay.”
