As Sharmila knelt next to her prostrated husband, I leaped forward, no longer restrained, and dropped to the ground next to Avani where she had collapsed. I rolled her over onto her back; she was completely limp, like a rag doll. Her eyelids slipped open, and her eyes stared, blank and empty, at the sky above. Her chest was lifeless—no movement disturbed the stillness, no heartbeat broke the silence. I shouted her name and shook her, then flung myself across her and wept. To have come so far, to have suffered so much with her, only to lose her in the end… it was more than I could bear, and I howled in my grief.

With a flash of pale light, Sano and Uno appeared at her side, opposite to me. They set their forepaws on her chest, then Sano licked her face with a little whimper while Uno nuzzled my head with his nose. I sat up and looked at them, and they stood gazing solemnly at me for a moment… then they dove down into her, vanishing from sight. I gasped and scrambled to my feet, just as Sharmila stammered, “Y-your foxes!” I knelt again by her side, stunned, and stared where they had disappeared.

**************

Avani looked around, bewildered by the sudden change of scenery. She struggled to remember—who she was, where she was, why she was there. The name ‘Avani’ rang in her ears… it sounded familiar, then she recalled that was her name. With that, a few more memories returned: a brother, Rishi, and the names Sundara, Dylas, and Leon all came to mind—lovers, she thought, after thinking for a few moments.

She felt a slight tugging sensation in her hands and looked down at them. There was a tiny hand clasped in each of hers, belonging to two small children on either side of her: a boy to her left and a girl to her right. They looked up at her fearfully, but though they seemed to recognize her, she didn’t know them.

“Mama?” the girl said, again tugging at her hand. “Mama, I’m scared. I want to go back.”

Apparently she was a mother? Then she remembered a little more—Leon was her husband, and they were going to have twin babies. But then why were they here with her in this strange, grey, silent place? And where was Leon?

**************

Sano and Uno sniffed the stagnant air. The denizens here had no need of fresh air, they knew, but they still found it unpleasant after spending so long in the realm of the living. And there was no wind, which made tracking by scent difficult. But they were no ordinary foxes, and soon they detected the faintest trace of a familiar smell. They turned towards it and set off at a steady lope, pausing to sniff again now and then to be sure they remained on the right track.

**************

A formless shade, a puddle of not-light hidden beneath a grey snag in the monochromatic terrain—that’s all it was. Yet it radiated hate and malevolence and thwarted ambition as it expanded and contracted, seeking something, loose tendrils of shadow flicking out as if tasting the air like serpents’ tongues.

**************

The children crowded against her, clinging to her as they examined the strangeness around them with round, frightened eyes. She wanted to comfort them, but she didn’t know how—she was still trying to figure things out herself. As she stared at a fracture in the earth before her, she remembered another name: Bhima. The name filled her with both terror and triumph, horror and relief.

Then in a flood of color and sound and light and dark and scents and emotions, she remembered—remembered it all. She was startled by how much she remembered, even recalling the time before her birth, she and Rishi together in a warm, soft place, nothing but the two of them and the soothing sound of their mother’s heart.

That was when she noticed… her own heart was not beating.

**************

The scent they followed was very faint, and they traveled far, far, far, losing it many times along the way. Each time, they had to backtrack until they found it again, then continue on carefully. At last, through the unnatural silence, they heard the faint sound of sobbing as from a great distance. Their ears perked up, and in unison, they moved forward at a swift trot towards the sound.

**************

A tendril of darkness, weaving to and fro as it examined the air around it, detected something—some scent or taste or perhaps the faint vibration of a distant sound. Pulsating as if with excitement, the amorphous blackness changed course and slipped away, sliding quickly over the dusty grey earth.

**************

“Mama? Mama, why are you crying?” the frightened boy asked, sidling up to the huddled, sobbing figure. Though she wept, her eyes remained dry; though she gasped, no breath passed her lips.

“Mama, don’t cry, it’ll be okay. Daddy will be here soon, won’t he? He’ll help us, I know he will,” the girl said, putting her hand on Avani’s head. She didn’t understand why that seemed to make her mother cry even harder—she knew the thought made her feel better.

She still didn’t understand what had happened—why she was in this horrible grey place. She remembered Bhima’s death, and then looking at Leon, and then… and then nothing more until she found herself standing here, alone with the children that should be babies, still growing inside her, not partly grown and standing by her side.

She didn’t understand what had happened—but she felt sure that this time she had gone beyond Leo’s reach.

**************

The oozing malevolence sensed its goal ahead, and as it slid soundlessly along the ground, it began to take form, rising up above the ground like smoke. The snaking tendrils gathered, twining together into arms and legs and long pale hair that billowed behind him as he strode rapidly forward. Glowing emerald eyes narrowed as he spotted his prey, and a cruel smile spread across his lips as he bared his teeth, licking his lips in anticipation.

**************

Their keen eyes spotted the shadow taking form as it approached their target. Momentarily taken aback, the foxes sped forward, racing to intervene. But as fast as they were, it was faster… and nearer.

**************

“Mama!” the girl shrieked in terror, throwing her arms around Avani’s neck and scrambling backwards. Rising and turning in one swift motion, she saw him—saw her former adversary reaching out for her. She took a step back and tripped as the boy screamed and clung to her legs, falling to the ground as the children buried their faces against her chest.

Unable to rise, she looked up into the glowing green eyes that stared back at her, full of malice and covetousness. Holding her children tightly to her, she glared defiantly at her assailant, determined to fight to the end, and she realized suddenly that she no longer feared him.

Before she could set her children aside and rise to face her opponent, though, a brilliant light dazzled in that twilight place, radiating from behind and above the blackness that was Bhima’s spirit. It coalesced into the form of a bird—a large, beautiful, shining bird—as it dove down towards them. A moment later, she realized it was a peacock—a snow-white peacock—and it was attacking the darkness that sought to devour her much as it would attack a snake.

Bhima flung an arm out to knock it away, snarling at the interloper, but dazzled by the brilliant, luminous shape above, he missed it entirely. The bird extended its claws as it swooped down and snatched him up by his collar, and though he struggled, he had not enough strength in this strange place to free himself as the peacock slowly lifted him up from the ground.

It struggled with its load, but nevertheless it flew off with it. A short distance away, Avani saw two familiar foxes, their eyes glowing red and blue, racing towards her. The peacock dropped his burden at the feet of the startled pair, then turned and flew away past her, the tips of its feathers just brushing her cheek as it departed, then it again dissociated into formless light and vanished from sight.

**************

As I stared, stunned by the foxes’ actions, Avani suddenly choked and gasped, then her chest began to rise and fall again as she panted for air. I fell backwards in astonishment, then flung myself over her, pressing my ear to her heaving chest. Sure enough, I could now hear a heartbeat—weak and fluttering at first, but quickly growing stronger. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tightly and weeping thankful tears—I had no idea what had just happened, but I didn’t care. I had my Avani back, and that was all that mattered to me.

Once again there was a flash of light, and once again Sano and Uno appeared by her side, facing me as I raised my head. They looked at me, and Sano spoke—not in my head, this time, but rather with their own voices. From the surprised reactions I could see from Dylas and Chanda out of the corner of my eye, I could tell that they had even taken material form rather than the spirit form they normally preferred.

“Hear us, o human,” Sano said. “We were sent here, the servants of the great Ventu, with instructions from the Master of All to guard and assist you—the first and last Guardian of Ventuswill, the Divine Wind, the manifestation of his will on this plane—as you attempted to save her and restore balance to the runes of this world.”

Then Uno spoke, “We were then told that there would come a time when you and your savior would have need of our assistance, and that we were to remain with you until such a time. We were not told what the need would be, only that we would know it when it came—that it would be a need such as only we could fill it, no other would suffice. And so it came to pass as Ventu said, and your need and hers were great.”

“Being spirits ourselves, we therefore entered into the spirit realm, where we found the wandering soul of your mate, the Lady Avani. Her spirit has been returned to her body, where it belongs, thus also depriving her tormentor his final opportunity for revenge—for even as we sped to her side, his blackened, twisted spirit reached for her, trying to gain ascendancy over her in the spirit world just as his mortal body did on this plane. She is now restored to life; your children, too, are once again safe,” Sano continued.

“Our mission is now fulfilled, and we must return to the one who sent us. Fare you well—we will not forget you, Leon, Lord of the tower Karnak, nor your redoubtable mate. We shall return to dwell within the statues atop the great tower to await such a time when we will once again be called upon to serve our Master. Until we meet again, may Ventu bless and prosper you and your descendants.”

“We also have one final message for the Lady Avani from Ventu, the Creator. Please say to her these words when she awakens: ‘Ventu, the Creator of All, says to you: your petition for mercy on Bhima’s soul… has been denied’.” Then both foxes grinned savagely, licking their lips in a significant manner—and with that, they vanished.

As I looked down at Avani, her eyelids flickered and then opened. I looked into her beautiful sea-green eyes, and my own beloved wife gazed back at me, her tears a reflection of my own. And I sat and held her tightly to me, oblivious to everyone and everything around us.