Prologue
The young woman awoke in a plain room, lying on a bed. Except for the bed, there was no furniture. The walls were bare and white, with no windows and one door.
She found she could not remember how she got there. In a moment of panic, she found she could not remember who she was.
A tall young man walked in. His hair was long and black, and he wore an impeccable dark green suit.
“Where am I?” she asked. “Who am I? Who are you?”
He bowed slightly at the waist. “You are dead. You are—”
“I’m dead?” She couldn’t believe it. She wouldn’t. Except she remembered a smirking man’s face and a sword twisting in her stomach.
“Yes. I am sorry,” the man said.
“Is this Heaven? Or…” She did not want to voice the alternative.
“Neither. It is somewhere in between. You are destined for neither Heaven nor Hell just yet. You will have a second life of a sort.”
“Why me?”
“You have been nothing but honorable your entire life, is that not so?”
“I suppose…” She did not remember very much, but that sounded right.
“There are people who in life have held tightly onto their beliefs and principles, whether they were good or bad. They have strictly followed certain values. When they die, they are often chosen to embody those characteristics. The previous Honor has died. You are to be his successor.” He looked at her to gauge her reaction.
She had always been the sort that could calmly accept new things without fuss. Once she knew she was dead, she accepted it. Once she knew she was to ‘embody Honor’ she accepted it. If she knew something was true, it just was that way and she was fine with it. She then asked the first question that came to mind.
“And you are?”
“Courtesy. The previous Honor and I adopted each other as brothers. It is my responsibility to find the next Honor, seeing as I am the closest there is to next of kin.”
“And I’m the next Honor?”
“Indeed.”
“Oh. What do I do?”
“You take this stone, shape yourself a body, and begin to help people behave honorably.” Courtesy held out a plain white stone about the size of his thumbnail. The young woman took it, and it turned instantly to a rich golden color with small streaks of a very dark red.
“It is very beautiful,” she said.
“It is. Now you must fashion a solid body. It is best to stick to human, more precisely how you looked alive.”
“How do I do that? Make a body?”
“You simply envision what you wish to look like and you will form that way. Usually, when something living or large is made with one stone, it will not last. There is not enough energy. But right now, we have two of these stones, and that is enough power to do a living work that will last forever.”
She closed her eyes and somehow knew what she had looked like alive. She had been about average height, with light golden brown hair and tanned skin. Her eyes had been a muddy teal. She frowned, and turned the eyes a little darker and added some green. She put a few dark streaks and highlights in her hair and added a few inches to her height. Perfect.
She opened her eyes and looked down. She was just how she had envisioned.
“Are you satisfied with your body?”
“I am.”
“Are you ready to undertake your duties?” asked Courtesy.
“I am,” said Honor.
534 years later
Honor rounded the corner, skidding slightly in her soft slipper-like shoes. She frowned. Since when was there laminated hardwood flooring? Truth and Trust must have put it in yesterday using both their essences. Speaking of those two… She knocked on Truth’s door and the wailing of his electric guitar stopped abruptly. He opened the door and poked his head out.
“Hey Honor, what’s happening?” Honor idly noticed that his eyes were a migraine-inducing shade of turquoise. Like the flooring, this was new. Last time she’d checked, they were light purple.
“Have you seen Trust?” she asked.
“Not since, oh… yesterday. Why?”
“Some boyfriend you are. She’s not doing her job. Half the world is threatening the other with nukes.”
Truth frowned. “And I thought everything was relatively peaceful. I mean, these are humans we’re talking about, but still.”
“Not very peaceful anymore. Do you know where Trust might be?”
“No. We had a fight and she ran off.”
Honor sighed. “Where does she usually go?”
Trust counted on his fingers. “The hedge maze, the tea garden, and the river.”
Honor ran back out of the house. All three weren’t that far away.
She searched the maze first, got thoroughly lost until Courage pulled her out, and didn’t find Trust there. The tea garden was empty. So was the river, and Trust didn’t need air so she couldn’t drown.
Two hours and a thorough search of just about everywhere else later, there was still no sign of Trust. There was only one option left, however unsavory Honor might find it.
“We have to go see Sel,” said Truth.
Sel was their superior—she was in charge of all the Values that pledged to do Good. She was a middle-aged woman with fine wrinkles covering her kind face. Her hair was long and prematurely silver. She had a tendency towards wearing rosy colors.
Honor found Sel absolutely disgusting.
She’d always had a holier-than-thou, bow-down-and-kiss-my-feet air about her.
Honor turned to Truth and grumbled a little under her breath. “Let’s go.”
They quickly walked to the rundown little cottage that was Sel’s abode. Honor knocked on the door.
“Come in!” trilled a sugary-sweet voice from inside. They entered.
“Honor! And Truth! What a… pleasant… surprise,” Sel said, looking up from the floor where she was mending someone else’s gown. Honor bowed, seeing as she was wearing pants. Truth did not follow her lead, and instead skipped over to Sel and plopped down beside her.
“Milady Selflessness,” said Honor. “We have a favor to ask.”
Sel laughed in an irritatingly perfect way like little chiming bells. “Don’t be so formal darling Honor, just call me Auntie Sel!” she exclaimed. “And Truth dear, how are you today?”
“Fine, thank you Auntie,” Truth said happily. He actually liked Sel. Most people did.
“Excuse me, Milady,” said Honor louder than before. Sel’s body was at that age where it was deteriorating. Perhaps its hearing was going? “But maybe you did not hear me. We have come to ask a favor of you.”
Sel beamed at her. “Over tea, Duckie, over tea.”
Luckily for Honor, the tea was quickly made. It had too much honey and not enough milk, and tasted like those nasty perfume-sprayed plastic flowers.
“Now dearies, tell me what you ask of your old Auntie Sel.”
Truth started. “Well Honor came looking for me today and asked if I’d seen Trust and I told her I hadn’t, and she said that the humans are about to start World War III, and so we tried to find Trust so she could do her job, but she’s missing and can you find her?”
Honor was amazed that he’d managed that in one breath.
Sel smiled. “Of course, Truth darling. Just give me a moment.” She closed her eyes, and quickly slipped into a trance. Since Sel was the leader of the Good, she could locate any given Value at any given time.
A few minutes after, Sel looked up. She was confused. “I can’t find her. Let me try again.” After several more minutes, she said, “I can’t find her at all. Either I’m losing my edge or she’s passed on.”
Honor was starting to get worried about her little sister. Trust was, well, trusting. She might have gone off with someone and been killed. However, Honor knew how to test Sel’s abilities and see if Trust was dead or not.
“Sel, can you find Mil?” Humility lived in a small hut on the side of a mountain on the very border of Good. He was very much the recluse. If Sel was losing her edge, she wouldn’t be able to find him because of the huge distance. If Trust really was dead, and Sel wasn’t losing her edge, she would be able to find Mil.
Sel smiled, her teeth blindingly white. “Duckie, that’s a wonderful idea! I’ll search for him right now.” She closed her eyes yet again.
Honor waited for the agonizing minutes until Sel raised her head. She had a sorrowful expression on her face that didn’t quite convince Honor. “I can find him. I’m not losing my edge. She’s dead.”
Truth stood up and shouted, “No! She’s not—” He choked on his words.
Sel smiled sadly. “You always know the truth. Search inside yourself.”
Truth looked shocked. “She’s… dead.” His voice was hollow and he sat down abruptly.
Honor felt like she was falling. Trust, the closest thing she had to family now, was gone. She’d always been so cheerful and upbeat. Trust had relieved the monotony of the long centuries, and had made the inane and repetitive lives of humans interesting.
Honor felt someone calling her name, and then there was an acrid scent under her nose. She snapped to. Sel was leaning over her.
“Honor? Honor?”
Honor blinked. Wait, why was she on the ground?
Sel smiled. “She’s alive!”
“Trust isn’t,” Truth said. “And we all know the only way she could die is if she was killed. And the only ones who want to kill her are the Bad.”
Honor swallowed. Truth spoke, well, the truth. “What now?” she asked Sel.
Sel sighed. “You know.”
Honor did know. “I am Trust’s next of kin I must… find a replacement. On Earth.”
Sel nodded slowly.
Honor grimaced. “I’m going to need her essence.”
An essence was the stone that every Value wore that made them all they were. Without it, they were just a human. Since they had usually been alive for several hundred years, they were very old. Too old for their human body to handle. Because of this, they were usually a dead human.
Once Honor found Trust’s stone, she could find the baby Trust had been reborn in, then travel to the time of that person’s death. At the moment they died, she would collect their spirit and help them fashion a new body. But she had to have the essence to do any of that. Not just to make the person Trust. To do the time travelling and help make the new body, she needed two stones. Otherwise, she didn’t have enough power.
The only place Trust’s stone could be was with her killer, who had to be a Bad. No one else would want her dead.
Sel nodded. “You will need it indeed. Where do you think it may be?”
“The Bad must have… killed her… It’ll be with them, in the city,” said Truth. He was still in shock.
“Will I have to go to them?” asked Honor.
“Yes, probably,” answered Sel.
“Wonderful.”
“And that’s not the worst,” said Truth. “If you don’t get her essence in a day or two, all of humanity will be wiped out. I’d guess that without them, we’ll die too.”
Honor jumped up. “I’ll be leaving now. Goodbye, Truth.”
“Good luck!” Sel called.
Truth waved weakly.
There was no need for Honor to pack. All Values could manipulate the reality they lived in. That reality was a spirit realm that existed separately from Earth, although they were connected by many gates. This was how Values got back and forth between Earth and their world to influence people.
Honor’s body didn’t need food or water or sleep. Quite frankly, she didn’t need to breathe, although it was such a reflex she did anyway. Clothes, weapons, and other supplies could simply be created. She could even make a steed to take her to the lands that the Bad held.
In a flight of whimsy, she made a lion. It would carry her as well as a horse or any other animal.
Several hours later, she was regretting her decision. The lion had an odd gait that was throwing her balance off. She constantly had to readjust, but she had decided to ride a lion, and ride a lion she would, discomfort or not.
The only good thing about her discomfort was that her mind was occupied with keeping her balance versus… other things. Other things that she didn’t want to think about.
To distract herself, she thought about what to do next. She could use a break during which she could decide what her plan was. She wasn’t sure what the best approach would be. Should she storm in the front doors or sneak in the back? Should she ask for Trust’s essence or steal it?
Honor sighed and stopped the lion. She’d just seen a cave that she could use for shelter. Her questions would wait for an hour or two. She was far from the Bad still, and had plenty of time to plan.
As she stepped over the threshold of the cave, she dissipated the lion—next time she would use a good old-fashioned horse. She quickly created an armchair and sat down. She relaxed and began to move into a sort of trance, which was the way she rested her body.
“Who are you?”
Honor started back to full alertness. Standing above her was someone whose body seemed to be about the same age as hers looked—eighteen or nineteen. However, the power he exuded made her think that he was quite a few centuries older than her. His hair was white and cut somewhat long—the ends just barely brushed his shoulders. He carried a sword, which was odd. Any Value had no need to carry a weapon, since they could simply create one whenever necessary. However, the strangest thing about him was that he wore a large strip of black cloth tied around his eyes as a blindfold. There were no holes and no possibility that he could see, yet he stood as if he knew exactly where he was.
There was only one thing he could be, living out here on his own away from Good or Bad. He was a Neutral, also known as a Solitary. They were Values that had no allegiance to either side and lived in the lands in between the two demesnes. He would probably neither help nor harm her. However, it was best not to reveal who she was. He might report to the Bad just for fun or to mess with her.
“A traveler,” Honor said warily.
He shrugged. “As long as you don’t bother me, I really don’t care.”
This was odd. Usually Values were very paranoid, especially if they lived by themselves without friends to guard them. This one was perfectly fine with having a complete stranger who was potentially dangerous in his home. In fact, it was so odd that it had to be a part of whatever Value he embodied. But Honor couldn’t figure out what he was.
As if he read her mind, he called carelessly over his shoulder. “I’m Path.”
That settled it. “Path” was a nickname for Apathy. This certainly explained his personality and lack of caring about anything in particular. Honor frowned. She was sure there was some sort of gossip about him. Some scandal. She’d overheard a few Values talking about it. Something about him having been another Value originally.
This wasn’t unheard of, although it was rare. Sometimes a Value stopped acting how they should and became something else. Other times, they just died. At least that was what everyone assumed. No one really knew what happened.
Whatever the case, Honor should probably leave. Apathy was Neutral simply by nature, but he was close enough to being a Negative make Honor a little nervous. She could go find her own cave to rest in, thank you very much.
“Well, Apathy, I won’t bother you anymore. I apologize. I did not know this cave was already inhabited.”
As she stood up, the chair dissipated and a proper horse (well mostly proper; it was a funny shade of maroon) appeared outside the cave. Much better. She’d go find somewhere else to rest, and plan there, away from annoying Neutrals.
Path watched as the girl stormed out of the cave. He wondered what a Positive was doing way out here in Neutral territory. It might have to do with the rumors he’d heard of the new Pride’s plan, and the things he’d learned while he was a part of it. Apparently, Pride was plotting to kill most of the Good and had already started with Trust, who was, for obvious reasons, an easy target. This girl was probably Trust’s next of kin, traveling to Bad to get Trust’s essence and find the replacement.
Although Path was no longer who he had been, he was not fully Apathy yet either. A tiny part of him cared to find out what was going to happen.
That tiny part made him follow the girl.
Honor noticed she was being followed by the second day. It started when she felt a prickling between her shoulder blades—that feeling of being watched. By midday she was sure; someone was tracking her. She was pretty sure it was a Neutral because she did not feel any active Good or Bad in whoever it was, which meant it was probably Apathy. If it was him, she wasn’t in any—well, much—danger. Nevertheless, she urged her horse to go faster. She really didn't want to talk to him again—once was irritating enough. Also, she still didn’t really have a plan for how to find Trust’s essence. Honestly, didn’t really have a plan was too positive. ‘Didn’t really’ implied that she had a vague inkling of what to do. Honor did not have an inkling, vague or otherwise, about the best course of action.
So she rode on, ignoring the fact that she was being followed by an irritating Neutral. She had to have a plan. Her options for approach were straightforward enough; she could barge in or sneak. All of her wanted to barge; it was as ingrained into her very being as Truth’s inability to lie. But the little voice of reason reminded her that barging was a stupid idea. If she barged, she would lose the element of surprise and probably make the Negatives mad.
On the other hand, if she didn’t barge, she would be exceedingly uncomfortable. Going against the very thing she was caused her physical pain. It was possible, but not fun.
There was a way to get around that though.
Honor had discovered it by accident when she was trying to not tell Trust that the dent on the floorboards was her fault. It was one of those amazing human inventions.
Rationalization.
If Honor could convince herself that what she was doing was actually honorable, then she would be free from all the guilt and pain going against her nature ought to cost her.
The problem was that it would be awfully hard to rationalize. But she thought, and came up with something.
Her first obligation was to her adopted sister, to complete the task in front of her. If she did not do so, or endangered her chances of success in any way, that was dishonorable. She had basically promised to do this, and reneging on her promise was also dishonorable. If she did something that was not honorable, it was negated because it was all for the greater good.
It might just work.
Honor thought about breaking into the main city of the Bad. She felt a little twinge that would probably equate a medium-bad stomach ache while she actually did it. Good. She could handle that.
Now she knew that she was going to sneak into the city—she just needed to figure out how to get in and how to get the essence.
She just needed to do that.
Just.
What a funny little word.
It made the enormous challenge in front of her feel a little smaller.
Honor stopped pondering the little ingenuities of the English language and concentrated on her slightly-more-than-nonexistent plan. She still had no clue how to get into Bad. If it was anything like the lands of Good, there would be a few small villages of the lower ranked Values, and then a city surrounded by tall stone walls that had four gates; the North, the South, the East, and the West. The gates were guarded at all times, and it required permission from Sel to get in.
Honor didn’t honestly know who was in charge in Bad just then—if she had, she might be able to forge a pass. In Bad, the leaders changed a lot. When she’d first become a Value, Selesh (what most everyone called Selfishness) had been in charge. About a century and a half later, Ambition had taken over, only to soon be deposed by Greed. Greed had eventually fallen from power, and Pride had ruled. Honor thought maybe he still did, but wasn’t sure. Recently she’d heard that he was gone, only to be replaced by Ambition (a different one than from almost four hundred years ago).
“What do you think, Berry? Do you think Pride is still in charge?” she asked her horse. She vaguely remembered a childhood pony that she’d called Berry.
When she was human.
“He’s not, you know. In charge, that is.” Sure enough, it was Apathy.
“Had a feeling you were following me,” Honor said in an attempt to act nonchalant.
“Couldn’t help but be interested. What a nice young Positive was doing way out in the Neutral.”
“I could have sworn that the whole point of your existence is that you’re not interested.”
“Yes, well who says I am who I say I am?”
Honor paused. That hurt her brain. “Well… You, I assume.”
“Yes, and there’s no problem at all in trusting a Neutral.”
“Better than trusting a Negative,” Honor countered.
“Hm.” Apathy shrugged.
“So what was that you said about Pride not being in charge?”
Apathy grinned a little. He was sort of smug, and with the blindfold, it was positively creepy. “He wasn’t Pride anymore.”
“So did he become something else, or human?”
“Word on the street is, he’s a Neutral now.”
Honor stared sidelong at Apathy. The knowing way he said it…
“Do you know something ‘the street’ doesn’t?”
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
“Care to share?”
Apathy smirked. “Nope. That little bit of information is for me to know and for you to worry about and get an ulcer.”
Honor snorted. “An ulcer. Pleasant.”
They went on in almost companionable silence for a while. Finally, Apathy spoke up.
“Would I be correct if I assumed you are the next of kin to Trust and are trying to find her essence?”
Honor was startled. She stopped and stared at Apathy. “How did you guess?”
He tapped the side of his nose in a gesture that Honor had never seen outside of fiction until now. “I know things.”
“Such as?”
“Well, you’re either Truth or Honor. Last time I checked, Truth was male so… pleased to meet you Honor. I also know that Trust was indeed killed by the Bad and that her essence is in the castle right now. I even know how to get you in.”
“Will you? Get me in, I mean.”
“I’ve got nothing better to do. And I sort of want the whole evil plot foiled.”
Honor smiled. “And I thought you leaned Negative.”
“You’re saying you think I lean Positive?”
“I know you lean Positive. You just said you want to foil an evil plot.”
Apathy snorted. “Let’s keep moving. We aren’t the only beings around here.”
They continued, with Honor riding Berry and Apathy walking beside her.
After several minutes, Honor asked, “So what’s your plan?”
“You’ll be my prisoner. I’ll smuggle you in, pretending that I captured you. Then we’ll get the stone. I know where it is. Then you can find the replacement, blah-de-blah-blah. I can retreat to my cave, the world is saved.”
“You just semi-rhymed.” Honor had always been the sort that noticed little rhymes and alliterations in everyday conversations.
“So I did.”
They rounded a rather large boulder, and Honor got her first glimpse of Bad. It was, well, pretty bad. It was mostly a lot of rocks and scraggly trees, and way out in the distance she saw… a mountain? No, that wasn’t a mountain. There was no peak, and it was too regularly shaped. But the sheer size of the thing…
As if he read her mind, Apathy said, “That’s the city.”
It was huge. The walls were toweringly tall and made of roughly hewn stone blocks. The one gate she could see was twice her height and made of thick wood with metal reinforcements. It looked impossible to get in.
“Apathy? What do you think?”
There was a strangely porcine squeal behind Honor, and she turned. To see an animal with the head of a wild boar, the body of a lion, and the wings of an eagle charging straight towards Apathy.
Luckily, he already had his sword out from its sheath on his back. He gripped it and swung while dodging to the side, managing to take a tusk off. The chimera then swept him aside with the whole tusk. He hit a rock.
In the meantime, Honor had conjured a sword she’d seen somewhere in the human world. The hilt was made of tarnished silver vines with amethysts embedded in them, and the blade was long and wide. It was insanely heavy, but someone with the right shoulder and arm muscles could do an awful lot of damage with it.
Honor had the right shoulder and arm muscles.
She charged in and struck at the head. The chimera ducked, and she only nicked its ear. On the second swing, however, she got one of the wings.
Apathy jumped back in, and got in a long, deep cut on the chimera’s flank. It squealed, and reared, exposing its belly. Honor stabbed upwards and cut through its jaw up into its brain. Apathy stabbed it through the heart.
The chimera dissolved.
“A conjuration,” said Honor.
Apathy agreed. “A scout. It probably patrols and is most likely supposed to report back soon. We have to hurry.” He began wiping his blade on the sparse grass. Honor just dissipated hers.
“This could work to our advantage.”
Apathy’s head turned towards her. “How so?”
“You’ll have proof that I’m really a prisoner. You saw me kill the chimera and then took me in to Bad.”
He nodded. “I like it. So you’re not just a silly little girl on a ridiculous quest.”
Honor was offended. “I’m not silly! And it’s not ridiculous.”
Apathy didn’t bother to answer. “We’d best be on our way. We won’t want to see what they’ll send to kill us once this thing doesn’t report back.”
“Good point,” said Honor. “Why don’t you make yourself a horse or something to ride?”
“I prefer to walk.”
“Suit yourself.”
Honor mounted Berry and they rode towards the city.
“Hey Apathy?” said Honor.
“Path.”
“What?”
“Path. You can call me Path.”
“Okay. Well… Thanks for helping me out back there Path.”
The young woman awoke in a plain room, lying on a bed. Except for the bed, there was no furniture. The walls were bare and white, with no windows and one door.
She found she could not remember how she got there. In a moment of panic, she found she could not remember who she was.
A tall young man walked in. His hair was long and black, and he wore an impeccable dark green suit.
“Where am I?” she asked. “Who am I? Who are you?”
He bowed slightly at the waist. “You are dead. You are—”
“I’m dead?” She couldn’t believe it. She wouldn’t. Except she remembered a smirking man’s face and a sword twisting in her stomach.
“Yes. I am sorry,” the man said.
“Is this Heaven? Or…” She did not want to voice the alternative.
“Neither. It is somewhere in between. You are destined for neither Heaven nor Hell just yet. You will have a second life of a sort.”
“Why me?”
“You have been nothing but honorable your entire life, is that not so?”
“I suppose…” She did not remember very much, but that sounded right.
“There are people who in life have held tightly onto their beliefs and principles, whether they were good or bad. They have strictly followed certain values. When they die, they are often chosen to embody those characteristics. The previous Honor has died. You are to be his successor.” He looked at her to gauge her reaction.
She had always been the sort that could calmly accept new things without fuss. Once she knew she was dead, she accepted it. Once she knew she was to ‘embody Honor’ she accepted it. If she knew something was true, it just was that way and she was fine with it. She then asked the first question that came to mind.
“And you are?”
“Courtesy. The previous Honor and I adopted each other as brothers. It is my responsibility to find the next Honor, seeing as I am the closest there is to next of kin.”
“And I’m the next Honor?”
“Indeed.”
“Oh. What do I do?”
“You take this stone, shape yourself a body, and begin to help people behave honorably.” Courtesy held out a plain white stone about the size of his thumbnail. The young woman took it, and it turned instantly to a rich golden color with small streaks of a very dark red.
“It is very beautiful,” she said.
“It is. Now you must fashion a solid body. It is best to stick to human, more precisely how you looked alive.”
“How do I do that? Make a body?”
“You simply envision what you wish to look like and you will form that way. Usually, when something living or large is made with one stone, it will not last. There is not enough energy. But right now, we have two of these stones, and that is enough power to do a living work that will last forever.”
She closed her eyes and somehow knew what she had looked like alive. She had been about average height, with light golden brown hair and tanned skin. Her eyes had been a muddy teal. She frowned, and turned the eyes a little darker and added some green. She put a few dark streaks and highlights in her hair and added a few inches to her height. Perfect.
She opened her eyes and looked down. She was just how she had envisioned.
“Are you satisfied with your body?”
“I am.”
“Are you ready to undertake your duties?” asked Courtesy.
“I am,” said Honor.
534 years later
Honor rounded the corner, skidding slightly in her soft slipper-like shoes. She frowned. Since when was there laminated hardwood flooring? Truth and Trust must have put it in yesterday using both their essences. Speaking of those two… She knocked on Truth’s door and the wailing of his electric guitar stopped abruptly. He opened the door and poked his head out.
“Hey Honor, what’s happening?” Honor idly noticed that his eyes were a migraine-inducing shade of turquoise. Like the flooring, this was new. Last time she’d checked, they were light purple.
“Have you seen Trust?” she asked.
“Not since, oh… yesterday. Why?”
“Some boyfriend you are. She’s not doing her job. Half the world is threatening the other with nukes.”
Truth frowned. “And I thought everything was relatively peaceful. I mean, these are humans we’re talking about, but still.”
“Not very peaceful anymore. Do you know where Trust might be?”
“No. We had a fight and she ran off.”
Honor sighed. “Where does she usually go?”
Trust counted on his fingers. “The hedge maze, the tea garden, and the river.”
Honor ran back out of the house. All three weren’t that far away.
She searched the maze first, got thoroughly lost until Courage pulled her out, and didn’t find Trust there. The tea garden was empty. So was the river, and Trust didn’t need air so she couldn’t drown.
Two hours and a thorough search of just about everywhere else later, there was still no sign of Trust. There was only one option left, however unsavory Honor might find it.
“We have to go see Sel,” said Truth.
Sel was their superior—she was in charge of all the Values that pledged to do Good. She was a middle-aged woman with fine wrinkles covering her kind face. Her hair was long and prematurely silver. She had a tendency towards wearing rosy colors.
Honor found Sel absolutely disgusting.
She’d always had a holier-than-thou, bow-down-and-kiss-my-feet air about her.
Honor turned to Truth and grumbled a little under her breath. “Let’s go.”
They quickly walked to the rundown little cottage that was Sel’s abode. Honor knocked on the door.
“Come in!” trilled a sugary-sweet voice from inside. They entered.
“Honor! And Truth! What a… pleasant… surprise,” Sel said, looking up from the floor where she was mending someone else’s gown. Honor bowed, seeing as she was wearing pants. Truth did not follow her lead, and instead skipped over to Sel and plopped down beside her.
“Milady Selflessness,” said Honor. “We have a favor to ask.”
Sel laughed in an irritatingly perfect way like little chiming bells. “Don’t be so formal darling Honor, just call me Auntie Sel!” she exclaimed. “And Truth dear, how are you today?”
“Fine, thank you Auntie,” Truth said happily. He actually liked Sel. Most people did.
“Excuse me, Milady,” said Honor louder than before. Sel’s body was at that age where it was deteriorating. Perhaps its hearing was going? “But maybe you did not hear me. We have come to ask a favor of you.”
Sel beamed at her. “Over tea, Duckie, over tea.”
Luckily for Honor, the tea was quickly made. It had too much honey and not enough milk, and tasted like those nasty perfume-sprayed plastic flowers.
“Now dearies, tell me what you ask of your old Auntie Sel.”
Truth started. “Well Honor came looking for me today and asked if I’d seen Trust and I told her I hadn’t, and she said that the humans are about to start World War III, and so we tried to find Trust so she could do her job, but she’s missing and can you find her?”
Honor was amazed that he’d managed that in one breath.
Sel smiled. “Of course, Truth darling. Just give me a moment.” She closed her eyes, and quickly slipped into a trance. Since Sel was the leader of the Good, she could locate any given Value at any given time.
A few minutes after, Sel looked up. She was confused. “I can’t find her. Let me try again.” After several more minutes, she said, “I can’t find her at all. Either I’m losing my edge or she’s passed on.”
Honor was starting to get worried about her little sister. Trust was, well, trusting. She might have gone off with someone and been killed. However, Honor knew how to test Sel’s abilities and see if Trust was dead or not.
“Sel, can you find Mil?” Humility lived in a small hut on the side of a mountain on the very border of Good. He was very much the recluse. If Sel was losing her edge, she wouldn’t be able to find him because of the huge distance. If Trust really was dead, and Sel wasn’t losing her edge, she would be able to find Mil.
Sel smiled, her teeth blindingly white. “Duckie, that’s a wonderful idea! I’ll search for him right now.” She closed her eyes yet again.
Honor waited for the agonizing minutes until Sel raised her head. She had a sorrowful expression on her face that didn’t quite convince Honor. “I can find him. I’m not losing my edge. She’s dead.”
Truth stood up and shouted, “No! She’s not—” He choked on his words.
Sel smiled sadly. “You always know the truth. Search inside yourself.”
Truth looked shocked. “She’s… dead.” His voice was hollow and he sat down abruptly.
Honor felt like she was falling. Trust, the closest thing she had to family now, was gone. She’d always been so cheerful and upbeat. Trust had relieved the monotony of the long centuries, and had made the inane and repetitive lives of humans interesting.
Honor felt someone calling her name, and then there was an acrid scent under her nose. She snapped to. Sel was leaning over her.
“Honor? Honor?”
Honor blinked. Wait, why was she on the ground?
Sel smiled. “She’s alive!”
“Trust isn’t,” Truth said. “And we all know the only way she could die is if she was killed. And the only ones who want to kill her are the Bad.”
Honor swallowed. Truth spoke, well, the truth. “What now?” she asked Sel.
Sel sighed. “You know.”
Honor did know. “I am Trust’s next of kin I must… find a replacement. On Earth.”
Sel nodded slowly.
Honor grimaced. “I’m going to need her essence.”
An essence was the stone that every Value wore that made them all they were. Without it, they were just a human. Since they had usually been alive for several hundred years, they were very old. Too old for their human body to handle. Because of this, they were usually a dead human.
Once Honor found Trust’s stone, she could find the baby Trust had been reborn in, then travel to the time of that person’s death. At the moment they died, she would collect their spirit and help them fashion a new body. But she had to have the essence to do any of that. Not just to make the person Trust. To do the time travelling and help make the new body, she needed two stones. Otherwise, she didn’t have enough power.
The only place Trust’s stone could be was with her killer, who had to be a Bad. No one else would want her dead.
Sel nodded. “You will need it indeed. Where do you think it may be?”
“The Bad must have… killed her… It’ll be with them, in the city,” said Truth. He was still in shock.
“Will I have to go to them?” asked Honor.
“Yes, probably,” answered Sel.
“Wonderful.”
“And that’s not the worst,” said Truth. “If you don’t get her essence in a day or two, all of humanity will be wiped out. I’d guess that without them, we’ll die too.”
Honor jumped up. “I’ll be leaving now. Goodbye, Truth.”
“Good luck!” Sel called.
Truth waved weakly.
There was no need for Honor to pack. All Values could manipulate the reality they lived in. That reality was a spirit realm that existed separately from Earth, although they were connected by many gates. This was how Values got back and forth between Earth and their world to influence people.
Honor’s body didn’t need food or water or sleep. Quite frankly, she didn’t need to breathe, although it was such a reflex she did anyway. Clothes, weapons, and other supplies could simply be created. She could even make a steed to take her to the lands that the Bad held.
In a flight of whimsy, she made a lion. It would carry her as well as a horse or any other animal.
Several hours later, she was regretting her decision. The lion had an odd gait that was throwing her balance off. She constantly had to readjust, but she had decided to ride a lion, and ride a lion she would, discomfort or not.
The only good thing about her discomfort was that her mind was occupied with keeping her balance versus… other things. Other things that she didn’t want to think about.
To distract herself, she thought about what to do next. She could use a break during which she could decide what her plan was. She wasn’t sure what the best approach would be. Should she storm in the front doors or sneak in the back? Should she ask for Trust’s essence or steal it?
Honor sighed and stopped the lion. She’d just seen a cave that she could use for shelter. Her questions would wait for an hour or two. She was far from the Bad still, and had plenty of time to plan.
As she stepped over the threshold of the cave, she dissipated the lion—next time she would use a good old-fashioned horse. She quickly created an armchair and sat down. She relaxed and began to move into a sort of trance, which was the way she rested her body.
“Who are you?”
Honor started back to full alertness. Standing above her was someone whose body seemed to be about the same age as hers looked—eighteen or nineteen. However, the power he exuded made her think that he was quite a few centuries older than her. His hair was white and cut somewhat long—the ends just barely brushed his shoulders. He carried a sword, which was odd. Any Value had no need to carry a weapon, since they could simply create one whenever necessary. However, the strangest thing about him was that he wore a large strip of black cloth tied around his eyes as a blindfold. There were no holes and no possibility that he could see, yet he stood as if he knew exactly where he was.
There was only one thing he could be, living out here on his own away from Good or Bad. He was a Neutral, also known as a Solitary. They were Values that had no allegiance to either side and lived in the lands in between the two demesnes. He would probably neither help nor harm her. However, it was best not to reveal who she was. He might report to the Bad just for fun or to mess with her.
“A traveler,” Honor said warily.
He shrugged. “As long as you don’t bother me, I really don’t care.”
This was odd. Usually Values were very paranoid, especially if they lived by themselves without friends to guard them. This one was perfectly fine with having a complete stranger who was potentially dangerous in his home. In fact, it was so odd that it had to be a part of whatever Value he embodied. But Honor couldn’t figure out what he was.
As if he read her mind, he called carelessly over his shoulder. “I’m Path.”
That settled it. “Path” was a nickname for Apathy. This certainly explained his personality and lack of caring about anything in particular. Honor frowned. She was sure there was some sort of gossip about him. Some scandal. She’d overheard a few Values talking about it. Something about him having been another Value originally.
This wasn’t unheard of, although it was rare. Sometimes a Value stopped acting how they should and became something else. Other times, they just died. At least that was what everyone assumed. No one really knew what happened.
Whatever the case, Honor should probably leave. Apathy was Neutral simply by nature, but he was close enough to being a Negative make Honor a little nervous. She could go find her own cave to rest in, thank you very much.
“Well, Apathy, I won’t bother you anymore. I apologize. I did not know this cave was already inhabited.”
As she stood up, the chair dissipated and a proper horse (well mostly proper; it was a funny shade of maroon) appeared outside the cave. Much better. She’d go find somewhere else to rest, and plan there, away from annoying Neutrals.
Path watched as the girl stormed out of the cave. He wondered what a Positive was doing way out here in Neutral territory. It might have to do with the rumors he’d heard of the new Pride’s plan, and the things he’d learned while he was a part of it. Apparently, Pride was plotting to kill most of the Good and had already started with Trust, who was, for obvious reasons, an easy target. This girl was probably Trust’s next of kin, traveling to Bad to get Trust’s essence and find the replacement.
Although Path was no longer who he had been, he was not fully Apathy yet either. A tiny part of him cared to find out what was going to happen.
That tiny part made him follow the girl.
Honor noticed she was being followed by the second day. It started when she felt a prickling between her shoulder blades—that feeling of being watched. By midday she was sure; someone was tracking her. She was pretty sure it was a Neutral because she did not feel any active Good or Bad in whoever it was, which meant it was probably Apathy. If it was him, she wasn’t in any—well, much—danger. Nevertheless, she urged her horse to go faster. She really didn't want to talk to him again—once was irritating enough. Also, she still didn’t really have a plan for how to find Trust’s essence. Honestly, didn’t really have a plan was too positive. ‘Didn’t really’ implied that she had a vague inkling of what to do. Honor did not have an inkling, vague or otherwise, about the best course of action.
So she rode on, ignoring the fact that she was being followed by an irritating Neutral. She had to have a plan. Her options for approach were straightforward enough; she could barge in or sneak. All of her wanted to barge; it was as ingrained into her very being as Truth’s inability to lie. But the little voice of reason reminded her that barging was a stupid idea. If she barged, she would lose the element of surprise and probably make the Negatives mad.
On the other hand, if she didn’t barge, she would be exceedingly uncomfortable. Going against the very thing she was caused her physical pain. It was possible, but not fun.
There was a way to get around that though.
Honor had discovered it by accident when she was trying to not tell Trust that the dent on the floorboards was her fault. It was one of those amazing human inventions.
Rationalization.
If Honor could convince herself that what she was doing was actually honorable, then she would be free from all the guilt and pain going against her nature ought to cost her.
The problem was that it would be awfully hard to rationalize. But she thought, and came up with something.
Her first obligation was to her adopted sister, to complete the task in front of her. If she did not do so, or endangered her chances of success in any way, that was dishonorable. She had basically promised to do this, and reneging on her promise was also dishonorable. If she did something that was not honorable, it was negated because it was all for the greater good.
It might just work.
Honor thought about breaking into the main city of the Bad. She felt a little twinge that would probably equate a medium-bad stomach ache while she actually did it. Good. She could handle that.
Now she knew that she was going to sneak into the city—she just needed to figure out how to get in and how to get the essence.
She just needed to do that.
Just.
What a funny little word.
It made the enormous challenge in front of her feel a little smaller.
Honor stopped pondering the little ingenuities of the English language and concentrated on her slightly-more-than-nonexistent plan. She still had no clue how to get into Bad. If it was anything like the lands of Good, there would be a few small villages of the lower ranked Values, and then a city surrounded by tall stone walls that had four gates; the North, the South, the East, and the West. The gates were guarded at all times, and it required permission from Sel to get in.
Honor didn’t honestly know who was in charge in Bad just then—if she had, she might be able to forge a pass. In Bad, the leaders changed a lot. When she’d first become a Value, Selesh (what most everyone called Selfishness) had been in charge. About a century and a half later, Ambition had taken over, only to soon be deposed by Greed. Greed had eventually fallen from power, and Pride had ruled. Honor thought maybe he still did, but wasn’t sure. Recently she’d heard that he was gone, only to be replaced by Ambition (a different one than from almost four hundred years ago).
“What do you think, Berry? Do you think Pride is still in charge?” she asked her horse. She vaguely remembered a childhood pony that she’d called Berry.
When she was human.
“He’s not, you know. In charge, that is.” Sure enough, it was Apathy.
“Had a feeling you were following me,” Honor said in an attempt to act nonchalant.
“Couldn’t help but be interested. What a nice young Positive was doing way out in the Neutral.”
“I could have sworn that the whole point of your existence is that you’re not interested.”
“Yes, well who says I am who I say I am?”
Honor paused. That hurt her brain. “Well… You, I assume.”
“Yes, and there’s no problem at all in trusting a Neutral.”
“Better than trusting a Negative,” Honor countered.
“Hm.” Apathy shrugged.
“So what was that you said about Pride not being in charge?”
Apathy grinned a little. He was sort of smug, and with the blindfold, it was positively creepy. “He wasn’t Pride anymore.”
“So did he become something else, or human?”
“Word on the street is, he’s a Neutral now.”
Honor stared sidelong at Apathy. The knowing way he said it…
“Do you know something ‘the street’ doesn’t?”
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
“Care to share?”
Apathy smirked. “Nope. That little bit of information is for me to know and for you to worry about and get an ulcer.”
Honor snorted. “An ulcer. Pleasant.”
They went on in almost companionable silence for a while. Finally, Apathy spoke up.
“Would I be correct if I assumed you are the next of kin to Trust and are trying to find her essence?”
Honor was startled. She stopped and stared at Apathy. “How did you guess?”
He tapped the side of his nose in a gesture that Honor had never seen outside of fiction until now. “I know things.”
“Such as?”
“Well, you’re either Truth or Honor. Last time I checked, Truth was male so… pleased to meet you Honor. I also know that Trust was indeed killed by the Bad and that her essence is in the castle right now. I even know how to get you in.”
“Will you? Get me in, I mean.”
“I’ve got nothing better to do. And I sort of want the whole evil plot foiled.”
Honor smiled. “And I thought you leaned Negative.”
“You’re saying you think I lean Positive?”
“I know you lean Positive. You just said you want to foil an evil plot.”
Apathy snorted. “Let’s keep moving. We aren’t the only beings around here.”
They continued, with Honor riding Berry and Apathy walking beside her.
After several minutes, Honor asked, “So what’s your plan?”
“You’ll be my prisoner. I’ll smuggle you in, pretending that I captured you. Then we’ll get the stone. I know where it is. Then you can find the replacement, blah-de-blah-blah. I can retreat to my cave, the world is saved.”
“You just semi-rhymed.” Honor had always been the sort that noticed little rhymes and alliterations in everyday conversations.
“So I did.”
They rounded a rather large boulder, and Honor got her first glimpse of Bad. It was, well, pretty bad. It was mostly a lot of rocks and scraggly trees, and way out in the distance she saw… a mountain? No, that wasn’t a mountain. There was no peak, and it was too regularly shaped. But the sheer size of the thing…
As if he read her mind, Apathy said, “That’s the city.”
It was huge. The walls were toweringly tall and made of roughly hewn stone blocks. The one gate she could see was twice her height and made of thick wood with metal reinforcements. It looked impossible to get in.
“Apathy? What do you think?”
There was a strangely porcine squeal behind Honor, and she turned. To see an animal with the head of a wild boar, the body of a lion, and the wings of an eagle charging straight towards Apathy.
Luckily, he already had his sword out from its sheath on his back. He gripped it and swung while dodging to the side, managing to take a tusk off. The chimera then swept him aside with the whole tusk. He hit a rock.
In the meantime, Honor had conjured a sword she’d seen somewhere in the human world. The hilt was made of tarnished silver vines with amethysts embedded in them, and the blade was long and wide. It was insanely heavy, but someone with the right shoulder and arm muscles could do an awful lot of damage with it.
Honor had the right shoulder and arm muscles.
She charged in and struck at the head. The chimera ducked, and she only nicked its ear. On the second swing, however, she got one of the wings.
Apathy jumped back in, and got in a long, deep cut on the chimera’s flank. It squealed, and reared, exposing its belly. Honor stabbed upwards and cut through its jaw up into its brain. Apathy stabbed it through the heart.
The chimera dissolved.
“A conjuration,” said Honor.
Apathy agreed. “A scout. It probably patrols and is most likely supposed to report back soon. We have to hurry.” He began wiping his blade on the sparse grass. Honor just dissipated hers.
“This could work to our advantage.”
Apathy’s head turned towards her. “How so?”
“You’ll have proof that I’m really a prisoner. You saw me kill the chimera and then took me in to Bad.”
He nodded. “I like it. So you’re not just a silly little girl on a ridiculous quest.”
Honor was offended. “I’m not silly! And it’s not ridiculous.”
Apathy didn’t bother to answer. “We’d best be on our way. We won’t want to see what they’ll send to kill us once this thing doesn’t report back.”
“Good point,” said Honor. “Why don’t you make yourself a horse or something to ride?”
“I prefer to walk.”
“Suit yourself.”
Honor mounted Berry and they rode towards the city.
“Hey Apathy?” said Honor.
“Path.”
“What?”
“Path. You can call me Path.”
“Okay. Well… Thanks for helping me out back there Path.”
