Ramifications

Dania's mind suddenly clouded with many thoughts at once. The things Taran made her do were almost unspeakable, and he seemed to be only getting started.

"What sort of abominations is Taran planning?" Alaron asked when he could see that Mairwen was not willing to press the scientist for answers.

The lady's eyes became so grey that they were nearly devoid of color. "It is hard to say for sure what they will be. But Taran has made some very…specific requests. One of them is the ability to fly."

"Fly? Like a bird?" Eira tried to picture a human covered in feathers. It was even harder to imagine than the wolves and lizards she had seen.

"Sounds more like a Harpy!" Polymedes scoffed. "Those blasted things are a nuisance as it is, no need to make more of them."

"I don't think these new monsters will look like anything what the Maker has made…" Dania was unable to elaborate on what exactly to expect.

She was both fearful of speaking it into existence and concerned that her current assumptions might be incorrect. The experiment had not been fully tested. As she had seen with Gela, anything could actually happen.

Her hands wrung the fresh clothing which Mairwen had given her, threatening to tear the new garment in two. Sitting beside her on the foremost bench, the princess took Dania's hands in her own.

"You have given us a lot to think about. Perhaps you would like to spend some time listening to the tale of our adventure?"

Leaning back slightly against the side of the boat, Dania nodded wearily. Although she had spoken until her mouth was dry, she could not deny the heavy burden on her shoulders had lifted—or at least was also shared by others now.

"Yes, please. I am very interested in how you finally found me." Dania rested her elbow on the low edge of the craft and placed her chin accordingly.

As the sun set, the princess went on to explain her journey with Eria, Renat and Alaron. She told of the difficulties in getting an official investigation started, her surreptitious actions to find her brother and get on Dania's trail when the official actions failed, as well as her journey to see Eliana and the time in Oblivion. She also shared the information that she knew of the abomination's attacks on the palace and the university.

Unsurprisingly, Dania was most interested in the news of her sister. The knowledge that a member of her family had been freed from Taran's clutches restored some of the hoped she had lost.

"Are you certain that Eliana is safe?" The female scientist asked once the story had been told.

"The lizards all went chasing after us. As far as we could tell, none of them stayed behind to keep an eye on your sister. They probably thought she was with us at first and then were too angry after that to turn back. Eliana had a clear shot at escaping, and I have no doubt she did." Alaron remembered the calm confidence of Dania's sister.

The woman was an analyzer. Alaron had confidence that she would be able to fix whatever problem came her way during her escape.

"Eliana was heading to a man named Kiz's house. I do think he would take care of her," Mairwen added gently.

Dania's face relaxed, the tension in her body leaving if only for a moment. "Oh, if Kiz is involved then everything will be alright. That man has luck like I cannot explain."

"Not a very scientific statement," Renat said from the rowing bench. His low chuckle rumbled in his chest.

"Not all things are scientifically explainable right now. Maybe they never will be, but I do know that when Kiz is around, everything seems to turn out alright." Dania tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Probably has a bit of leprechaun in him," Polymedes suggested. He ran his finger through the water as he listened to the humans ramble on. "Leprechauns used to not be so tiny, you know."

"I hope not!" Mairwen exclaimed. Her eyes widened. "I mean I hope Kiz does not have any leprechaun in him. I might have had an unpleasant encounter with a leprechaun or two…"

"Same," Polymedes shrugged, unoffended. When he did not elaborate, the conversation turned back to the topic at hand.

"Thank you for all you have done, Mairwen. Thank you all. I can never repay you for what you have done for me." Dania sighed. "I don't deserve any of it. My work has caused immeasurable damage..."

"What has happened is not your fault. You meant to help, not harm. You deserve all our help and there is no need to repay." The princess hesitated. "Though I would be lying if I said we were not hoping that you could provide something for us."

"Oh?" Dania lifted her head. She smiled softly in hopes that she would be able to oblige.

"Well, since you are the one who created this transformation. Or at least found a way to cause it…we were hoping you had the cure. You didn't happen to make good on the promise to find a way to undo the curse which has infected my husband, did you?"

"Alas, I did not. At least not yet…The best I can figure is that the magic needs to be cut off from the human's body, but I have not found a way to do that without causing more harm than good. I think I am close, but that could just be an illusion." Dania wanted to sound positive, but she also did not want to lie. "And now that you mention it, I am still confused on how Renat became an abomination. He said he did not drink my elixir."

"I did not. One of Livie's henchmen dug his claws into my jaw," Renat explained as calmly as he could. He had been so dehydrated and disoriented that it all seemed like a horrible dream.

"I don't understand." Dania felt a fear grip her that she could not explain. It only grew as Renat began to elaborate.

"When his claws pierced my skin, I could already feel something had changed. I wasn't sure what it was, and honestly I was in such bad shape when it happened right after surviving the flood that I wasn't thinking straight anyway. I was so exhausted that I passed out.

When I awoke, I was face to face with Livie. She tied me down and told me to let the poison in. She promised me power or death. The woman told me there was no in between. I believed her. So to keep my promise and make it back to Mairwen, I reluctantly let the vile process take its course. The result is what you see before you…"

"Are you telling me…do you mean that you transformed…from a scratch?" The female scientist could hardly manage the words. "How is that even possible?"

"That smell you all complain about? That 'wrongness'? It is oozing from my body begging to get out. My theory is that it will enter any weak spot in another's body and make its home there. Like a terrible disease, it takes over…"

Staring at the brown wolf's back as he rowed, Dania felt a chill run up her spine. "You mean…the process I stumbled upon and refined has the potential to change people through even the smallest scratch?"

Those around her nodded. That was their understanding. Dania looked out across the water, a solemn look on her face.

"Then all of humanity is at risk. If I don't find a way to stop this, then humans will cease to exist…"

"We will stop it. You are not alone anymore." Mairwen said warmly. "I am partially to blame as well."

"You did not know!" Dania exclaimed, turning to the princess with a furrowed brow.

"Neither did you," The dark haired Princess responded.

"Maybe not at first, but now…"

The princess shushed her softly. "None of that. No looking back, only forward."

"You humans sure do get yourself in a lot of trouble." Polymedes rolled his eyes. "Glad the magical folk have nothing to worry about."

Alaron, who was next to him on the back bench, rounded on him with a fierce scowl. "You think you are immune? You are perhaps in a worse situation than we are. One of those wolves just like the one you saw…it nearly killed a Fate! And if even the mighty Hanna is not immune to their might, a weakling like you stands no chance at all."

"Nearly killed a Fate?" Polymedes choked on the words. Fates were immune to…everything. "That is impossible!"

"But true." Alaron beat his fist against his chest. "And before you think about joining their side, it feels only right to inform you that they don't seem to be a fan of magic users."

"I would never!" The satyr began to defend himself but felt the judgmental gaze of the others bore down on him. "Let me rephrase, I would never act in a way that was contrary to my own interests. Therefore you have my full support…"

"Good. Then I must inform you it is in your best interest to get back on the rowing bench," Alaron said with a vicious glare. "We will take the first watch, and I don't want to let you out of my sight!"