Queen Kaianan

by Cara Violet

  Caidus felt worry beneath his skin. He had just alerted Sile and his crazed mother to their location and it was all in the name of seeking refuge under Julius’s Sile governance. But the King was overthrown and missing. General Krivta would have them executed on the spot when he heard of their arrival. He’d just put Chituma in serious danger.

  But his mind kept telling him he had to find his cousin—but where had Julius gone?

  If he could persuade Julius to take back his throne, it could be a way to have Chituma not only accepted into Sile, but become a part of their governance.

  The question was, though, was running after Julius putting her in danger also?

  “Caidus,” he heard Chituma say a few times. After proceeding northwest, they had come to a clearing with multiple paths.

  “Which one do we choose?” she said nervously.

  Caidus closed his eyes and let his aura take over. He felt the Siliou wanting to continue northwest.

  “This way,” he advised, and Chituma followed.

  They hurried on and the ground turned clammy and moist when Caidus came to a sudden stop. A feeling hit him deep in the stomach. “Cousin!” he called out irrationally. The sound echoed loudly.

  “Why did you do that for?”

  Caidus could feel Addi’s Silkri presence close. “He’s here.”

  Julius’s grey ears pricked up as the echoing sound ran up behind him. He turned back, his robes swishing past him as he did.

  “What was that?” Kydra asked alongside him.

  “I think it’s Caidus,” Julius said almost certain.

  “Akki? Here? What do we do?”

  He looked back to her blank face, “I am not sure what he knows, or if he knows I have been stripped of my rule,” Julius admitted.

  “You are still the King, Addi.” Kydra said reassuringly, touching his arm, and Julius took his eyes to her: a confident face beaming against the shrubbery behind her, “it will just take a bit longer to convince Sile.”

  He smiled. Convince Sile? Who was this woman and who was she kidding? There had never been such an impeachment like this before. And it was unlikely it would be reversed unless those who murdered his father and ousted him were either restrained or killed. ‘A bit longer’ was an understatement, but he admired her positivity.

  “I can only hope,” Julius said looking back. After spending all day evolved, he reverted back to his preform right in front of Kydra. She glared at him; his green eyes under his brown wavy hair, staring straight back. “It’s time we went into proper hiding. Caidus can only sense me because of my lingering Silkri. You too. Change back.”

  “You want me unevolved?” she said stunned.

  “Kydra, come on.”

  “Absolutely not.”

  “Why not?”

  It took her a moment to answer. “No-one has ever seen my preform before, I mean not since my real mother …”

  “I don’t care what you look like,” Julius said patiently, “this is for your safety.”

  She pursed her lips, more frightened than he had ever seen her.

  “Kydra, it’s only me,” he said with a deep affection in his words. “You trust me, right?”

  She finally nodded in agreement, and let go of the effort required to keep her Necromancer form. Julius watched as she turned into a slightly different version of herself. Pale white skin against beautiful long hair, though not black, dark brown; and her features seemed softer, softer green eyes, softer pink lips; she was more attractive as a preform than he could have ever imagined. He could not deny her beauty and his face displayed his amazement.

  “What?” she said nervously.

  “Nothing,” he said. “I mean, you’re beautiful, Kydra.”

  She stiffened at this and went glass-eyed.

  “Never mind, let’s stay on track,” he said and grabbed her hand.

  They pressed onward, reaching a small entrance in the middle of a large round rock. This was the place. It was exactly the way Julius recalled it, from when Caidus and he were both locked in swordplay. They would have never found the entrance had not he tripped Akki over and sent him through the hole.

  “Where are we going?” Kydra asked, suspiciously.

  He squeezed her hand tighter, not answering, and daringly, they stepped inside the rock hole, into the jungle.

  Chituma, upon hearing the footsteps gain on them, questioned Caidus on where they should go now, fearing they’d be caught and hauled back to Sile if they didn’t get out soon. Going back to Sile had proven to be a big mistake. Now here they were, heading northwest, away from the Hunted Gorge Plain and the safer route north to tackle—

  “We need to up the tempo now Chituma,” Caidus advised her, breaking her concentration.

  Trusting his judgement was becoming increasingly difficult; not only could she see confusion in him, she saw fear, and making decisions under duress never did anyone any favours. Especially since the last time he told her he would work out a way for them to be together, she ended up abducted by a rogue Giliou and subjected to extremely harsh conditions. Holom! She was uncertain how much longer she could go on right now.

  Abruptly she stopped.

  There was a slight fall in the path and Caidus ran into her spine.

  “What the Holom, Chituma?” he said derisively, taking a step back.

  “Caidus,” Chituma started, apprehensively staring out to her surroundings, “why are we headed for the Jungle of Niek?”

  “Why do you have to be so knowledgeable?”

  “Caidus, I was taught thoroughly about the antiquity of Rivalex, and the dangers this hidden and said-to-be-unknown jungle presents—wait, are you even listening?”

  She was certain he was ignoring her. His blue eyes just scanned the area and then he murmured out: “Julius is here, I know it. He must be going into hiding.”

  “I don’t think that’s enough to put us in this position.” Her voice was irritated, even if she wasn’t emphasising it.

  “There, that rock. That’s where he went.” He raced for it and Chituma, with a groan, trailed him.

  Passing through the small opening in the rock had her feeling queasy and when they finally hit the jungle, the humid atmosphere suffocated her mouth and nostrils almost immediately.

  “There are far greater evils out here than Julius’s banishment,” she said, frowning and spluttering. Hundreds of scraggly dark trees with huge overhanging leaves surrounded them, rising gauntly among the poky shrubbery. Chituma took in the sounds of buzzing insects, squawking birds and low growls, at the same time trying to shake her foot to rid it of the forest floor’s sticky foliage.

  It was not winter here; no, nothing touched this place. Niek wasn’t even on the map of Rivalex. It was a wonder it had any contact with the outside world. She looked skyward, barely able to see the sun through the trees, resting behind clouds. She held her nose from the smells of rotting carcasses that drifted in their direction.

  “We must offer him help, Chituma,” Caidus said, “as we offered Kaianan.”

  Chituma did not say anything. She knew Caidus was doing exactly what she would be doing in his position, but it didn’t stop her from feeling exasperated. She looked down to her shabby clothes under Darlia’s robe, knowing a shower, a change of clothes and a decent meal was out of the question.

  So they strode, apparently in the direction of Julius; white and black webs tied between the overgrown feral trees kept them limited to particular paths. The Niek Jungle was the notorious home of the fire-enticing Bones and water-spraying Seevaar. It was seldom visited by any Rivalian. The stories they were told as children kept them out of it.

  Chituma jumped at a small hairy red spider on the tree next to her. “This is ridiculous! Where would he be?”

  “I think into the Niek hollows. Deep in the jungle.”

  “Is he insane?” Chituma asked, with anxiety. She was not liking the amount of sweating her body was doing.

  “Chituma, keep your voice low and be quie
t,” Caidus commanded.

  Too late. A web-covered shrub shook in the distance.

  Caidus cocked his head. “Move east now.” He whispered and transformed into his Necromancer form in an abrupt and steady burst of aura.

  The giant, four-legged Seevaar broke through the shrubs. Chituma froze behind a tree. Its two grey horns, side by side, jutted out of its long sandpapery grey beak. Sticking its nose out, it took another whiff of the foreigners. Its skin looked like crumpled charcoal iron and Chituma gasped at the flashing yellow swelling eye on the side of its head. It was the size of her hand.

  “Caidus,” she whispered, terrified.

  The Seevaar shuffled its giant hooves in a stationary stampede.

  “Shh; get moving, Chit,” he said, not breaking eye contact with the beast.

  “Not without you.”

  He shook his head impatiently. “I said get moving, now!”

  The Seevaar hurtled toward Caidus, spitting water. He waited as the beast sprinted closer and closer.

  He coiled his Silkri aura around him, leapt in the air and, as soon as the Seevaar was near, he landed on the back of the galloping beast, riding it like a Bone rider.

  The Seevaar lifted its back legs up, bucking several times. Caidus went up into the air and back down again. The last buck sent Caidus’s body up in more of a flip and when he came back down, he extended his arm out and latched onto the Seevaar’s left horn.

  He swung himself to the side of the beast as it kept running, and sliding across the ground, he pummelled through the sticky jungle bed aside it. Pulling hard, Caidus finally slowed the beast down, dragging the Seevaar’s charging head sideways toward him. The Seevaar growled and fell in an awkward spasm from Caidus’s pull. Its head spun underneath its body and it tumbled downward. The Seevaar kicked him in the stomach a few times in panic, before jerking its body upright and getting back on its feet.

  “Caidus!” Chituma said panicking.

  “Fear less … and move more … Chituma,” he spluttered, between tackles with the beast.

  “Not alone!”

  The Seevaar stared at her poking her head out from behind the tree, and upon seeing her, snarled and stampeded in her direction.

  “Move!” Caidus shouted at her and he lunged at the charging beast.

  He hugged the big-bodied animal around the midriff and fired up the flames on his second skin so ferociously, it penetrated the thick skin of the Seevaar and the animal began wincing in pain.

  Caidus jumped away abruptly. The beast came to a dizzy, stumbling halt.

  Caidus whirled a Silkri beam in his palm and threw it into the chest of the animal and the Seevaar collapsed.

  “Let’s go, Chituma,” he shouted over his shoulder, relinquishing his Necromancer form.

  This time, she didn’t have to be told twice: the beast was only temporarily paralysed. The couple raced through the jungle, pushing through webs and branches without looking back. Chituma was panting and unexpectedly her lethargic legs gave way; she stumbled, thrown into a neat row of black and white webs, down a soggy slope into a ditch.

  “Chit!” Caidus called. He slid down after her, fending off debris and bark. He pulled her up and unravelled her web-covered face. “It’s okay, breathe.”

  She sobbed and hiccupped. Brushing her hair behind her ear, Caidus cupped her cheek and her chest finally stopped pounding. By the time a loud growl hit her ears, he had already wrenched her back onto the path.

  “Come on, quickly,” he said.

  The sun gave them sporadic rays of light, guiding them through an easier, more manageable section of the jungle. They ran northeast and Chituma noticed Caidus bring them to an entrance of a Niek hollow. A Niek hollow was the inside of an actual molten rock that had been hollowed out; they were embedded in the jungle centuries ago, and now locked under the planet’s surface.

  “In here,” Caidus said. She was sick of arguing and did what he said.

  They slid a few metres and—with a crash—landed on top of each other.

  “Ouf,” Caidus huffed, “are you okay?” He pulled her hair back trying to breathe from under her.

  “Aye, I am,” she replied loudly as the Seevaar roar graced their ears.

  “Shh,” Caidus pressed his finger to his mouth.

  After a long few minutes the noise subsided. Chituma exhaled, hugged Caidus tight and collapsed her head in his chest.

  “I can’t believe we’re here.” Her voice was barely audible. Looking down to her roughed and bruised body overwhelmed her. Her tummy grumbled, the lacerations on her knees and legs had swollen into welts, and her skin felt like it had been dragged through the dirt like a grater ten times over. Tears swelled and she tried to hide it from Caidus. What had she just been through in the past few days? How had she gone from Rivalex to Croone and then ended up in the Niek Jungle, almost dead?

  “Relax, Chituma. You’re exhausted. Are you okay? How are you feeling?” he asked, rubbing her shoulders.

  “I’m fine,” she lied, “I’ve just missed you.” She worked her lungs and took a big whiff of him, through all the sweat, she was still able to smell his sweet scent. It intoxicated her, even in her state, and robotically, she ran her fingers under his tunic and over his skin.

  “So have I.” he responded, with a wide smile.

  Her tears had dried and she brushed her nose up against his nose, “Caidus, I don’t ever want to lose you.”

  “I know, we will find a place where we can be together.” His hands cupping her face, with a look of complete seriousness.

  “Where will that be though? We won’t ever be accepted anywhere, Caidus. I know you think your cousin will change things, but things have not worked out that way. I mean, look at what’s happened to us.”

  “Yes, we will, Chituma.” He pressed closer to her face. “It will be a place where any form is accepted.”

  That was his opinion, how it would occur or materialise was a mystery. Chituma stared into his big blue eyes, and dirty face. What was going on in his head? Was he slightly delusional? Right now, they had absolutely nowhere to go, and hiding wouldn’t last long, not in the Niek Jungle when they were about to killed and eaten by the wildlife.

  “What are the odds of that happening, Caidus?” she said sceptically and leaned back out of his grasp. “That place does not exist.”

  “It will exist, Chituma. With Julius, it will. He wants the same. We are not like our parents. As much as they tried to enforce traditional rulings, it didn’t work. Julius and I, and even Kydra to some degree, are not like them.” He looked out the cracks in the rock to the sky. “It’s ironic; for all the torture we have been through, all the distortion we endured, we still managed to learn differently. I guess we always wanted to save each other and that’s what triggered us.”

  He sat silent. There was no discouraging him from this. Chituma couldn’t deny his passion for freedom. For their freedom. But deep down, a big part of her knew, what he wanted, what they had to fight for, was going to come at a great cost, and over great lengths.

  “Caidus …” Chituma ran her hands through his hair, not wanting to argue anymore, and gently rubbed his neck.

  “My Gorgon Princess, how I have missed you. More than you know.”

  An odd feeling pressed against her. She felt, not saw, his aura seeping around her, into her, and tried to contain her shock as it filtered through her body.

  Caidus eased back from her. What was he doing? “Don’t worry about it,” he said quickly, acknowledging the look in her eyes, “It just fires up sometimes when my emotions run high.”

  She creased her eyebrows. “If I give into your aura in the Siliou … will I … will I lose who I am?”

  It was something he would have never thought would come out of her mouth. Chituma wanting to give in to the Siliou? “Learning about any aura within the Siliou is a long and gruelling process, Chituma. I should know: I spent the majority of my life learning it. The use of Silkri in the Siliou is not something th
at can be taught, like utilising the Kan’Ging is. It is through only birth that most Silkri auras are attained. But …”

  “But what?” she said eagerly.

  “I mean, well, if you and I were too, you know. You could take on my connection, you’d be my sre’shi obviously, but you would be able to tap into the power. Auras have always been able to connect between two.”

  “That’s what I want. I want to be with you through the Siliou.”

  Caidus had a feeling of standing in front of her the first time she expressed how much she liked him. She was wearing that lacey blue dress, supressing her smile and nerves. But her directness, and bold claim that she wanted to be with him, had him disbelieving even then that that was the truth, and partially still he found it hard to accept.

  But she didn’t falter, she just leaned forward when he went into shock and they had their first kiss—his hands became sweaty just thinking about it. Since then she had remained by his side, only seeing a side to him that he thought at one stage never existed. She wanted to be with him, he was certain of that. But engaging his Silkri aura? He was hard pressed to see this as anything more than something additional for her to ‘prove’ her love.

  “Chit, you really don’t know enough about it. The ways, the teachings. I won’t let you succumb to something you’re still ignorant about.”

  “Won’t you teach me?”

  Caidus’s brain played on that statement. Could he teach her about the Silkri? There was no risk of it destroying her goodness, but if he had a choice, he wasn’t so sure he would have chosen it for himself. Even though he had grown to love his culture, it wouldn’t hurt studying all the others and weighing up what suited her better. He felt she deserved that.

  “I was born a Drake, I wasn’t given a choice, you have one,” he said. “So it’s better you make an informed decision.”

  “Informed decision? I see you, who you are. I already know my choice.”