The Obsidian Throne

by Michelle Soper

  “These tests are a means to an end, nothing more. Do not doubt, however, that the lost heiress exists,” the Oracle declared firmly before smiling at Razine. “Now, I have heard the most interesting report coming from the southern province. A supposedly elite agent of yours has tried and failed twice to capture an Unmarked and bring her in for testing. The emperor finds this girl’s success to be intriguing, as is your continued lack of success,” said the Oracle grinning, while placing his finger to his lips, as if to ponder the implications of such a failure. “I wonder how many times one can disappoint before they are deemed unworthy.”

  Razine was no fool, and he was not about to give the Oracle the satisfaction of catching him off guard, even if he had. Instead, he simply nodded and stated firmly, “It is being dealt with.”

  The Oracle looked directly at Razine and said menacingly, “Good. I certainly hope it is dealt with soon. I would hate for the emperor to learn you could no longer be trusted to carry out his divine will. He allows you a great many freedoms with the resources of the empire. Just remember, no one is beyond the emperor’s love or his wrath.”

  Razine stared at the Oracle for a moment before turning and walking out. He left that meeting with two thoughts. The first was that he should have seen to the Oracle’s swift demise a long time ago. Secondly, he needed to head south and find out what precisely the Oracle was referring to. Razine found it more than a little infuriating and unsettling that he had been blind-sided. He would not let it happen again.

  Chapter 5

  Nev and Wyatt had walked at a quiet and quick pace for several hours. They both had needed time to process the previous night’s events and ponder what was to come next. As the sun pushed directly above them, the misty weather cleared. The sun’s rays dared to peek through the clouds. Brief moments of uninterrupted sunshine did still occur during the unnaturally long rainy season that had clenched Obsidia, but they were rare enough that most people noticed when it happened.

  Nev paused, closed her eyes, and tilted her face towards the sun as she breathed deeply and let the warmth envelop her for a few precious minutes. Flashes of her as a child raced across her mind. She watched herself, at five or six years old, in pursuit of a marvelous purple butterfly. She remembered it almost seemed like it glowed. While she pursued it through her memories, she recalled becoming distracted by the sun’s rays dancing across the ground through the leaves above. She’d abandoned her chase to soak up the warmth of the sun. After finally getting her fill, she watched the butterfly skitter away in the distance. She remembered waving to it, like it was an old friend, and looking forward to the next time they played together.

  Those early years of her life had been filled with nearly constant training. She learned to hunt, build traps to ensnare both animals and people, and how to craft weapons. She had also learned which plants could heal, which could kill, and which could fill your belly in a pinch. Every day had been filled with lessons of survival, but there had also been other moments. Precious breaks that were filled with joy, adventure, and love. Those were always harder for her to remember. She smiled a bit before tilting her face away from the sun and opening her eyes again, hoping she would not again forget the butterfly of her memory.

  Wyatt had sensed that she had drifted far away, someplace happy. He couldn’t bring himself to interrupt, so he just watched and waited patiently.

  Back in the present, Nev felt his gaze on her. “Sorry,” she muttered, before continuing along through the grass.

  “No worries,” he replied, smiling warmly. “So, since we are going to be spending at least a week together. Maybe we should get to know each other a little more. I could tell you something about me, and then you could share something about you,” Wyatt suggested, moving to walk beside her.

  “No,” Nev replied flatly.

  “Umm… well, that was a quick and unexpected reply,” Wyatt admitted.

  Nev sighed with mild annoyance in response.

  Wyatt thought to himself for a few minutes. He was studying her and trying to figure out how to get her to let her guard down, at least a little. He rubbed his temples a bit as his head still protested any amount of concentration.

  Nev glanced at him and watched him attempting to alleviate his headache. “Wait here,” she directed, heading just off into the edge of the woods they were following.

  Wyatt followed her a few feet behind as his concern grew. For starters, he wasn’t entirely sure she hadn’t just decided to ditch him in the clearing they had been walking through. Wyatt was pretty sure he was capable of finding Birclan without her, but his navigation skills were a bit lacking. More importantly, he was not going to let her just leave and get herself hurt. He had only barely gotten her back on the road to recovery. No detours would be happening on his watch.

  Nev got to work searching the undergrowth amongst the trees. Spindle vine loved the prolonged damp weather and the partial sun that was abundant within the edge of the forest. It should be easy to locate. After a few minutes, Nev spied a fallen tree and her objective. The vine had voraciously wrapped itself around the log and was stretching its leaves just outside the canopy. She pulled a couple dozen leaves, careful to only grab the new growth.

  Wyatt observed her foraging and found himself perplexed and amazed. She seemed to know exactly what she was looking for and where to find it, even if he was utterly bewildered.

  Nev returned to where Wyatt now stood and handed him the handful of leaves. “It’s Spindle vine. It will help with your headache,” she stated.

  Wyatt, holding the leaves she had gathered, looked at her feeling confused. “So, two… no three things,” he pondered.

  Nev raised an eyebrow and stared at him perplexed. “What?” she asked.

  “Well, first… am I supposed to eat these?” Wyatt inquired.

  “If you don’t want them. Then just drop them. I was only trying to help,” Nev huffed, sounding mildly annoyed.

  “What? No, I didn’t mean to sound unappreciative. I’m sorry. It is just I have no idea what you handed me. I mean, I know they are leaves, but I have never seen someone use them before,” Wyatt explained, hoping she would accept his apology.

  Nev’s rigid posture relaxed at his admitted confusion. “Oh. Right. That is Spindle vine. Its leaves, well the new ones, will help ease your headache. You just hold a leaf in your mouth for a while. But, don’t eat it. Unless you want stomach cramps,” she explained.

  “Huh. Well, that is truly amazing that you know that. How do you know that?” Wyatt asked, looking at her closely with a puzzled look on his face.

  Nev lowered her gaze briefly before refocusing on Wyatt. “My father used to get headaches too, and those always helped, at least a little. When they were extremely awful, he used to say only my smile helped, but anyway,” she replied before her words trailed off. She shook the memory from her mind and continued, “I saw you rubbing your temples, and you did the same thing in your apartment. So, I thought I could help you a bit,” she replied, her voice growing momentarily distant again. The memory of her father was proving difficult to push back behind her mind’s walls.

  He sighed quietly as he felt a sadness touch her thoughts. “Well, thank you. Truly,” he said softly.

  Mentioning her father to anyone felt unfamiliar and uncomfortable. It threatened to unleash a lot of sealed off memories. Nev took in a deep breath, refocused, and nodded at him. “Yeah, umm… no problem. You should keep the rest. You know, in case you get another headache. So, was that all the things you wanted to ask me?” she questioned.

  Wyatt was staring at her. He had watched as hints of pain pushed to reveal themselves within her, and he saw her seal them off again. Maybe there would come a moment when she would let him see and understand more than that. It wasn’t now. “Yep. Well, all that and to thank you again. So, thank you,” he said, flashing her a smile. He popped a leaf into his mouth and placed the others carefully in his pack. The leaf had a sweet taste. He marveled as his headache beg
an to ease almost instantly.

  She returned his smile briefly and then gestured for them to get back underway.

  Wyatt smiled and then joined her. Walking side by side, he nudged her playfully. “So, is me chasing after you going to be a regular occurrence?” he asked.

  “Maybe. Only if you think I am worth catching,” Nev replied.

  He wasn’t sure if she was coy, playful, or serious in her response. Either way, he was coming to the realization that the answer for him was the same. Yes… I am beginning to think you are, he pondered, smiling to himself.

  Chapter 6

  Nev had led them to a spot about a mile past the forest’s edge. “It will be nightfall soon. We can camp here,” she directed, gesturing towards space under a large fallen tree. It was perched at an angle against a small ridge. The rain had stopped, but the ground and air were encased in a cold, dampness. Nev gathered wood for a small fire, feeling anxious to be wrapped in its warmth. After several minutes of fighting with the moisture saturated branches, a spark ignited.

  Wyatt had watched her closely. He wondered how many times she had forced flames from damp sticks and twigs. There was a great deal he was left to speculate on regarding the woman he now found himself traveling with. Wyatt suspected whatever inklings he had about her would pale in comparison to the truth, and the enigma was fascinating to him.

  Feeling his eyes on her again, she shifted reflexively. She’d felt his studious gaze upon her several times during their short time together. The attention made Nev uncomfortable. Sitting across from him, she found she had nowhere to hide from his curiosity. So, she lowered her head and began poking the fire with a long stick. She was grateful for the additional distraction when Wyatt handed her a slice of cheese wrapped in cloth and another piece of bread.

  Nev pulled a small pouch out from within her pack. She delicately removed a few dark purple berries and popped one in her mouth, savoring the sweet taste. Holding the bag of fruit out towards Wyatt, she offered, “Dewberries.”

  “Are these another fix for some ailment?” he inquired, taking the pouch from Nev.

  “Just hunger,” she replied, placing another berry in her mouth.

  Wyatt smiled as he let the contents of the bag drop into his hand. “Fair enough,” he stated. “So, I am curious about something. The vine from earlier, the fire and berries… how do you know about things like that?”

  Nev contemplated how to answer his seemingly simple question. The honest answer was more personal and complicated than she wanted to share at the moment… or ever. “I’ve just picked some things up over the years,” she replied, being purposefully vague. She dared to peek at him, curious to see if he would be satisfied with her answer. Nev was met with his inquisitive gaze. His hair had slowly dried, and soft curls were now evident. Losing herself in his amber stare for a moment, she became suddenly embarrassed when he smiled at her.

  He sensed there was much more to the story than what her response implied. He also had the feeling that peppering her with any more questions would only make her unhappy, and he did not want to see her in such a state. “Fair enough,” he conceded. “I should probably let us both get some sleep. So, goodnight Nev. Sleep well.” Wyatt smiled warmly at her as her eyes met his once more before she laid down.

  No one had wished her goodnight in a very long time. She’d forgotten how comforting those simple words could be. Maybe it will be good to travel with someone. For a bit, she thought. Her tired mind urged her to give in to sleep and leave contemplating “maybes” for another day. Closing her eyes tightly and curling up on her bedroll, she whispered, “Goodnight, Wyatt.”

  Chapter 7

  A few hours later, a nightmare stole Nev’s restful sleep and forced her awake. She sat up and rubbed her still closed eyes, hoping to wipe away the darkness that had disturbed her slumber. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her arm. She blinked her eyes open and saw Wyatt looking at her with concern.

  “Nightmare… again?” Wyatt asked. His voice and expression were full of worry.

  “It is… nothing. I’m sorry that I woke you,” Nev dismissed, pulling her arms close to her chest and away from his reassuring grasp.

  “I don’t mind you waking me. But your nothing seems a whole lot like something,” he prodded gently.

  “Maybe. It isn’t anything for you to worry about, though,” Nev stated, staring at the ground.

  Wyatt sighed softly as he studied her. “Perhaps. But you have them a lot, don’t you?”

  Nev didn’t enjoy his line of questioning and shifted uncomfortably on her bedroll. “Look, you probably mean well. But I really don’t want to talk about it. I’m sorry I woke you,” she said, sounding defeated and exhausted.

  “Alright. I’ll let it drop if you’ll do one thing for me,” Wyatt offered.

  “What?” she asked nervously.

  “Consider not trying to be as stubborn as me. You will never surpass me. And you trying so hard is really just awkward for me to watch,” Wyatt answered with a grin.

  Nev was caught off guard by his jest and found herself smiling at him.

  Wyatt returned her smile and watched her curl up and fall back asleep. “Goodnight, Nev,” he whispered, feeling hopeful that he would be able to make her smile again tomorrow.

  Chapter 8

  The morning had come, and they both felt eager to push themselves closer to Birclan. The light morning rain had given way to hints of sunlight slipping through the clouds. Nev had been quiet during their walk so far, finding herself distracted by her newfound traveling companion. He seemed to smile at her whenever she glanced his way, and she often felt him studying her.

  For now, his smile was what perplexed her the most. Her appearance in his life had abruptly upended it. Yet, he didn’t seem upset or angry. In fact, he seemed relatively happy to be in the predicament he now found himself. To be able to feel carefree was something she found herself feeling curious about and envious of.

  Wyatt noticed her deep in thought, sensing her trying to figure something out. Watching her and feeling the familiar pull of hunger beginning to gnaw at him, he thought they could both use a short rest. “So, I thought we might take a break for a bit. We should probably eat something, and it wouldn’t hurt for me to look at your shoulder,” he suggested.

  Feeling embarrassed that he had likely caught her distracted in thoughts about him, she put her head down and quickened her pace slightly. “It’s fine. We need to keep moving,” she said, as she continued to walk.

  “Alright, sure. We can keep going for a bit,” Wyatt relented while running to catch up to her.

  They walked for close to another hour before they came upon a small stream. The sunlight skipped across it, catching on the ripples. Along its shore and in its currents, tiny fish and frogs were swimming and playing. Nev gingerly walked next to it, watching each time she stepped to ensure she didn’t accidentally squish any of the tiny inhabitants.

  Wyatt had noticed her taking extra care around the creek’s residents, and found her cautious steps to be adorable. He reached down and scooped at the stream. “So, are you a tasty little fella?” he asked, staring at his cupped hands.

  Nev turned with a look of disgust on her face. “What are you doing?” she asked firmly.

  “Well, like you said, we should keep moving, but I am starving. So, I thought I would just grab a bite for the road,” Wyatt explained, holding out his hands tightly cupped.

  She stepped close to him and put her hands on her hips. “Open your hands!” she ordered, sounding coarse.

  “Are you sure?” he asked with a coy smile.

  “Yes. Open them!” Nev demanded.

  “Sure,” he grinned, before opening his hands.

  Nev leaned over his hands to catch a glimpse of the critter she had saved. She saw nothing but water in his hands. Before she could question him about it, Wyatt threw his hands upward. The water he had “caught” splashed Nev directly in the face. Her eyes instantly scrunched tight, and she let
out a frustrated sigh.

  Wyatt, however, let out a hearty laugh. Pulling the purple sash from his belt, he offered it to her. “My deepest apologies, my lady,” he stated with a warm smile.

  Nev begrudgingly took his sash and dried her face. She shook her head, handed him back his sash, and turned to walk away from him.

  “Hey,” he said, as he hurried to get in front of her. Wyatt stood, blocking her path, and tried to gauge how upset she actually was. “I am sorry, really. I would never harm a defenseless little creature like that. Also, I know you don’t know me very well, so this may come as a shock. But I don’t really do so well with prolonged periods of seriousness or quiet. Addi says my frequent need to ‘lighten the mood and hear myself talk’ are both my most endearing and frustrating qualities.”

  Nev let out a sigh and moved to walk around him. “It’s fine, but we really should keep moving,” she said, sounding tired.

  Wyatt was about to acquiesce when he noticed a few bright red spots of blood on her bandages. Her wound was bleeding again, and he would need to clean and rebandage it. He nodded his head in the direction of her shoulder. “If you let me tend to your wound, then I won’t bug you to stop again until nightfall. I promise,” stated Wyatt sincerely.

  Nev examined her shoulder. Reluctantly, she nodded in agreement. Glancing around the area, Nev spied a large flat rock that was near the creek’s edge. Heading towards it and sitting down, she watched as Wyatt joined her. “Thank you for helping with it,” she whispered, locking eyes with him briefly before staring down at the ground.

  “Yeah, of course,” Wyatt replied with a smile. He gently began to remove the bandages. Her injury looked much improved compared to how he’d first seen it. “So,” he continued. “You never have asked me how I kept you hidden,” he said, pausing his work for a moment to look up at her.