“First off, I‘m glad I get to finally meet you. I’ve heard about you and what you are capable of. It’s an honor that you would follow in my footsteps.” Enya flashed a smirk as she spoke.
“Thanks, I guess. There really isn’t much to say about it. I feel like I’ve failed at everything. I was even kidnapped and forced to do Liam’s bidding.”
“Ah, I wasn’t finished. It’s flattering that you would follow in my footsteps. You’re going about it in your own way, and I applaud that. I was never one for violence. I never took all the glory, either. It just so happens that my name is widely known for the exploits of the groups I traveled with.”
Mesu sat back in her chair. They had gone up to the library while the others were gathering supplies for their journey. The Red Rock Mountains were west of their location. It bordered the known extent of the continent. Mesu could recall stories of mountain tribes living there. They had also sent boats out, but stories varied on whether anything was found. It was another place that was made of legend.
“I didn’t know you went on these adventures with groups.”
“Aye, many of them. I won’t bore you with more exploits. The thing that makes the tales is the danger and my name. I had tried to stop stories of myself at one time. I tried to make the narrative more about the people I was traveling with and how they were vital to success. Some of these books here contain stories of them and leave out my name. I did it on purpose to see if the tales would stick.”
Mesu tried to recall any story that wasn’t about Enya. She couldn’t.
“Sadly, my name gets worked back into the story. There seems to be a fixation on a single person and their successes. I decided to stop fighting it, although I do talk about them every chance I get.” Enya looked up and around at the collection of books. Mesu could see a fondness in the look. It was something Mesu wished to have one day.
“I don’t adventure much these days. Only when it’s necessary. This Liam problem that we have is something that should have my full attention right now. It happens that there is another urgent issue that must be addressed, and my skill set better suits it. You and your group will do great in making sure this portal closes and stays closed.”
“Why us? If you have contacts in another realm, belonging to a pantheon yourself, why not get other Gods to help?”
Enya smiled.
“My dear Mesu, if you were to keep company with the Gods for a day, you would find that they are lazy. It’s not that they have nothing to do. There is a lot of planning, plotting, and not much action. This may change one day, but for now, they are looking out more for themselves and making sure to stay relevant. You were born for greatness. In fact, you all were. Tales of you are rising and being told around small villages. A new time for heroes has begun. Legends are beginning to rise again. This is an exciting time to be alive. Or immortal, that is a good scenario as well.” Enya blinked at Mesu.
“You know I still have a lot of questions.” Mesu tried to hold back her frustration. The moment she had seen Enya, a mix of emotions swirled inside of her. All she had wanted to do was to reach Eberdeen and to find out the truth of her long-gone relative. Both pieces were now known to her, but now she was being rushed along to take care of saving her world.
“More questions that you haven’t even thought of asking yet, as well, Mesu. Ask away. I’ll do my best and reveal to you what I can.”
Mesu blanked. She had not anticipated it would be so easy for Enya to open up about these things. She ran through a few in her mind before deciding on one.
“Are Anna and I related?”
“No, she isn’t of our blood. Anna was pulled here by me. I was signaled here initially by you. A warning system. Once you touched the door, I was notified by this trinket.” Enya pulled a little stone off her belt. “It let me know that someone was here. I then found Anna and gave her the ability to find you and to be able to access the location and everything in it. Mesu, she has just as pure a heart as yours. If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t have done what I did.”
Mesu nodded as she took in this explanation. She had known Anna was special after spending time on the road with her. They had complemented each other perfectly.
“Did you know I would be coming here?”
“I did. There are paths we can see, almost like a future sight. We don’t know exactly which one comes to pass, but of all the ones I’ve seen up to this point, you were always here. I must say that I’m happy that we get to sit and have this talk. There were a few other possibilities that were not so pleasant.” Mesu decided not to ask about those. Knowing that there was a chance that she didn’t survive this made her feel sorry for those other selves.
“What happens next?”
“Next, you ride with your group. You’ll make it to the portal, but after that, it’s not so clear. You need to be safe and make smart decisions. There are a lot of ways for things to go perfectly, but also a lot that can be disastrous. I’ll be around if I get a chance to help out. Count on your team.”
Mesu sighed as the answer didn’t give her much to go on. She thought that there must be something about not revealing too much of the future. Would she continue with this if she knew what was to come?
“I’ll be giving you all you need.” Enya got up out of her chair and walked towards the door. “Let’s go meet up with everyone else, then I have some gifts to hand out. I’ll show you how to properly use them.” There was a flicker in Enya’s eyes that Mesu hadn’t seen yet. There was a sense of pride along with a hint of victory in her look. Mesu was frightened a bit by what may be happening next.