Nadri wandered through the pathways for a few more minutes, moving from the filled graves to the placeholders. The graves for those who’s bodies weren’t found or recovered. She stood still for a moment, counting the rows with her eyes before glancing over at Malzhar, knowing full well what he did earlier with the man but made no mention of it.
Eventually, she started down the path once more, stepping slowly and steady up and around the path before turning down the row to the left and read the names on the plaques before finally stopping before one and turned to it. She said nothing as she knelt down and slowly started dusting off the plaque, letting the engraving show clearly as it read:
‘Bethany Clause
June, 5th of XX- October of XX’
There wasn’t much to it as the last year date just stated her former life’s age to end at 22 as of October. The month of her disappearance from this world.
“Malzahar.” She started slowly, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. “Do you remember when we first met?”
He followed, glancing at the names. None of them rung a bell. Not that Malzahar had expected any to-no one would bury his own outside his followers-but they were interesting to read. And the graves themselves, level as they were, were of note.
Then Nadri stopped. He floated just a bit behind her to get a look. Bethany Clause. Was that name familiar? It felt familiar, but the reason why escaped him. October. That must be this month. Was Nadri here to lament the death of a friend?
He didn’t have time to consider that. When we first met. Did she mean the day he tried to sacrifice her? Not that it had worked, but he’d certainly tried. Malz rested his cheek against one hand to think.
His eyes flicked down. No, that hadn’t been a sacrifice. That was something else, he recalled now. The Void had ordered a different ritual. But it felt so long ago. Time flowed different to one who not only lived quite long, but leapt through worlds, and it felt now as if he’d known Nadri all his life.
Malzahar hummed a moment as he thought. There was more to it. Nadri had been familiar when he dragged her in to cut and coerce. But why?
Why was it so difficult to remember now?
He tried to think. Was there something here that might remind him? Perhaps something on the way? Nadri had avoided the festivities. That meant...they brought back bad memories. And she did consider her change bad still.
The festival. Right. That ritual had been the night of a festival like this one. Yes, he’d met Nadri in that alleyway to drag her off. He had planned to meet her there because he knew she’d pass by. And he knew...
He’d met her there before. Malzahar had seen it happening, but he knew the alley because they’d met once before in it. She’d had something with her. A cube?
Malz finally let his hand fall. Looking to her again, “It is-difficult to say. But I-believe I do. I can not recall if we spoke. But-you had something with you, did you not?”
He looked to the plaque again. Bethany Clause. The day they’d first met. The two were related. “Is this-what they called you?” Was that why the name felt so familiar?
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