A Gleaming Path

by Jeffrey Pawlak

  “Even if you sail back to the coast right now, it will take you at least two days, and you still have a two-week march back to Caldeya,” Tiroku said. “It is not as if you can accomplish this much quicker than we can.”

  Tridian’s eyes moved in the direction of Tordale’s distant mainland. “It is still better than sitting this far away from our capital while it lies in enemy hands,” Tridian argued. “If we don’t make some kind of attempt to reclaim Caldeya, the entire kingdom will think that we’ve abandoned any hope of stopping that man and his army. Any faith that the people have in my sister and I will be gone, and anarchy will spread across the land, leaving it open to be conquered easily.”

  “At this moment, the peoples’ faith in you and Raissa is nowhere near as important as your safety, which will be in dire jeopardy if you take us any closer to Baldaron and his army,” Tiroku said.

  “What kind of king thinks that way?” Tridian asked. “No ruler should ever sit leagues away in comfort while his kingdom and his people are under attack, least of all, a son of the Hokara line. My father would have met this challenge face to face.”

  “Your father would have recognized his capabilities and seen that he could not resolve this problem on his own,” Tiroku rebuked. “He was not some battle-loving savage who charged headlong into a fight, nor are you. You have General Sagar and the rest of our military to deal with this threat directly, for the moment. The reason why he stayed behind in Geldiar was so that he could rally our remaining troops and defend the countryside surrounding Caldeya. He’ll keep Baldaron’s forces away from us as we continue our mission.”

  “That will not restore hope to our people,” Tridian said. “They need to see Tordale’s monarch marching against our enemy to protect its borders,” Tridian said.

  “As much as it may pain you to hear this, your Highness, the truth is that you will not restore any hope in such an attempt,” Tiroku told him, his voice cold and unwavering. “All that you will manage to accomplish is that you will lead an army straight into its demise.”

  Tridian’s indignant gaze shifted back to the Champion of Light. “You underestimate the will of the Tordalian military, especially the men and women I have under my command at this moment. These soldiers are among the very best in the kingdom. Caldeya may have fallen, but it did so while we were not there to protect it. I do not mean any offense, Tiroku, but I also believe that you underestimate what my men and women can accomplish while I’m the one leading them.”

  “Just as you underestimate our enemy,” Tiroku said, matter-of-factly. “You and a hundred soldiers cannot succeed where nearly half of Tordale’s military failed. No matter how strong of a force you command here, you would need far more than this to even consider retaking Caldeya.”

  “Then we will find more soldiers!” Tridian exclaimed. “We will march across the kingdom gathering those who were not stationed at Caldeya, as well as all those who survived. You said it yourself that General Sagar and many soldiers are in Geldiar now. They will be able to help us.”

  “General Sagar will also tell you that the idea is futile,” Tiroku said. “He was in complete agreement with our plan to set out and obtain the Radia to combat Baldaron. I assure you, Prince Tridian, that you cannot defeat him merely through brute force and manpower.”

  “You claim that the bulk of the military is helpless to eliminate this threat, but you want me to believe that my sister and Alamor can?” Tridian questioned, and their debate continued.

  Alamor’s eyes smoldered. His body went rigid with anger.

  He had sensed from the beginning that Tridian was skeptical of the Radia and their ability to challenge Baldaron; what he did not sense was how blind and how stubborn the Prince of Tordale was over the subject. Tridian was merely looking for the quickest, easiest way to deal with the threat at hand, and worse, he had the audacity to dismiss the quest for the Radia.

  It made Alamor furious. Tridian had no respect for what he and Raissa had to go through to claim the Radia of Gallantry. Tridian did not understand the magnitude of the task that they were able to accomplish together.

  Raissa spent her entire life learning to master Serenity, while Alamor had suffered numerous failures, endured immense tragedy, and overcame seemingly impossible odds to finally discover the means to control his own magic.

  All of that was on the verge of being thrown away now, because Tridian could not believe in Serenity.

  Alamor refused to let that happen. He pushed through the circle of officers.

  “You need to stop making excuses and start listening to Tiroku,” Alamor called out, his fiery eyes locked onto the Prince of Tordale. His words were commanding, something that was both uncommon for Alamor, and for the way anyone ever addressed Tridian. The Prince and Tiroku instantly halted their quarrel, and like everyone else on deck, they turned their eyes to Alamor.

  Tridian’s first reply was a sneer. “Stay out of this, Alamor,” he said, threateningly. “You have no place in this discussion.”

  Alamor came to the front of the crowd and stood firm. “Actually, I do. I wield one of the Radia, the only hope we have to save Tordale. I came on this journey to do whatever it takes to stop Baldaron, and I’m not going to let you jeopardize everything we’ve fought for.”

  Tridian approached Alamor until their fierce stares were inches apart. “What makes you think that I’ll answer to you, of all people?”

  “Because, unlike you, I realize that leading an army into Caldeya without the Radia will get everyone slaughtered,” Alamor replied. “The Serenity in the Radia is the only thing that can defeat Baldaron, whether you want to believe what Tiroku and I tell you, or not. The power of Serenity has a long history in your family. You should recognize its capabilities better than most.”

  Tridian eased back, his expression relinquishing some of its hostility, but it was still cold and unyielding. “I know that the Serenity in the Radia is sacred, but I also know that you were unable to become a Spiritcaster when you trained with Tiroku. So, you’ll have to forgive me if I can’t fully trust in the Radias’ power after you acquired one.”

  The Prince of Tordale promptly turned and began to make his way back to Tiroku, as if he had decided that the conversation was over.

  Alamor’s ire soared. He could barely restrain his emotions at the way Tridian so callously spoke of his previous failures.

  “Raissa believes in me,” Alamor eventually said aloud. “She has faith that I can use one of the Radia, and that together, we’ll stop Baldaron. Don’t you trust your own sister’s judgment?”

  Alamor said it as less of a question and more of a declaration—a ruthless barb that clearly struck Tridian deep.

  The Prince of Tordale looked back at Alamor with an equal amount of hate filling his eyes. “My actions and my decisions are always made with Raissa’s well-being in mind. I trust her judgment well enough, but I also will not let her risk her life in battle with a man as powerful as Baldaron. I will always do whatever is possible to protect her.”

  “With all due respect, while you’ve been out here on the ocean all this time just to appease some politicians and doubtful citizens, I’ve been the one protecting Raissa.”

  “Don’t ever question my devotion to my sister, you coward.”

  “Then show some faith in her like a loving brother actually should.”

  Tridian swung not a moment after Alamor finished. The Prince’s fist caught Alamor over the chin, nearly knocking Alamor off his feet.

  Before any of the bystanders could react, Alamor struck back. He leapt at Tridian like a pouncing beast, slamming into the Prince and throwing him to the deck floor.

  They traded blows on the ground, Tridian peppering Alamor with short punches, and Alamor striking with his elbow. They continued scuffling even as Rawner, Joth, and several of the officers came in and pried them apart. By then it seemed that nearly every person on board the Balcryst had scrambled to the bow to see the commotion, many of which jumped into the fi
ght to pull the young men away from one another. Still, Alamor and Tridian furiously tried to break loose of the men and women who held them back.

  “Enough of this!”

  Dayneth’s command immediately brought order to the deck. She stepped in between Alamor and Tridian, shooting both of them a fiery glare. They began to compose themselves, but they could not keep their sneers and their maddened visages off one another.

  “Is this how Tordale’s leaders will behave while the kingdom’s fate hangs in the balance?” Dayneth continued in a fervent tone. “This foolishness will solve nothing. Alamor, you’re a Champion of Light gifted with the ability to wield one of the Radia; and Prince Tridian, you are the acting King of Tordale, one of the rulers of this entire continent—neither of you should succumb to such childish animosity. The two of you are allies, not enemies. You need to be working together to protect Tordale!”

  Alamor finally turned away from Tridian to look at Dayneth. “He’s mocking our entire journey! Everything we’ve fought for—he has no respect for any of it!”

  Tiroku joined Dayneth at her side. The Champion of Light did not look to be persuaded by Alamor’s protest. “That does not give you cause to attack another man, whether it’s with fists or with words.” Tiroku’s dark gaze shifted over to Tridian. “That goes the same for you, your Highness. You should be ashamed of yourself for resorting to violence. A man of your power and your status should be displaying far greater poise.”

  Despite being addressed by Tiroku, Tridian never looked away from Alamor. “I never would have done so if your arrogant apprentice had known his boundaries,” the Prince of Tordale growled. “Next time you should—”

  “Don’t argue with him!” a cry rang out.

  Alamor recognized that it was Raissa’s voice, and his entire body went taut. After a glance at Tridian, he sensed that the Prince must have also realized who it was.

  Raissa burst through the bystanders, her expression brimming with anger. She shook as she faced Tridian. “What in the world has gotten into you!?” she screamed at her brother. “You’re the acting King of Tordale! This isn’t how father would want you to behave!” Her irate gaze shot in Alamor’s direction. As her eyes settled upon him, a look of disappointment began to leak through her furious expression.

  Alamor’s skin went cold as he watched tears form in Raissa’s eyes.

  “And you…” she said, nearly in a whisper, before she apparently became so overwhelmed by the situation that she ran off.

  Alamor immediately chased after her, pushing through the soldiers and deckhands. He hurried across the Balcryst, eventually catching up to Raissa near the entrance to the hull. He took hold of her shoulder before she could descend below deck.

  “Raissa, I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to—”

  Alamor never finished his apology. Raissa spun around and slapped his hand away. The tears that she struggled to withhold before began to roll down her cheeks, but her trembling features still showed anger boiling within her. “Don’t try to explain yourself!” she exclaimed. “You have no excuse for what you did and what you said back there!”

  Alamor was so caught off guard by her outburst that it took him a few moments to find his words. “I-I just didn’t like what Tridian said about our mission and—”

  “That’s no reason to suggest that he doesn’t care about me! You have absolutely no right to say that about a member of my family!”

  Raissa seemed to want to say more, but she caught herself. She looked away from Alamor, unable to contain her emotions as the anger on her face gradually gave way to despair.

  “He’s all that I have left of my family, Alamor,” she eventually said, her voice shaking. “Tridian may still have doubts about our quest, but you have no idea what he’s going through, what kind of pressure he’s been under. You can’t expect him to understand what we’re doing after just learning of it and all that’s happened in Tordale since he left.” Raissa paused for a moment and swallowed back some of her emotion. When she continued, her voice was more steady. “Tridian has always been there for me. He’s watched over me since we were kids, and he’s taken care of me through everything in my life: when I was growing up wondering why my mother wasn’t around, when my father died, when you never came back from your training with the Dawnwatch…” She turned her agonized expression back to Alamor. “He never abandoned me like you did!”

  Alamor felt a chill race throughout his entire body. He watched helplessly as Raissa wheeled and ran down the stairs into the Balcryst’s hull.

  He stood by himself, as his heart seemed to fall away into an endless void. It was as if all of the life was evaporating from his being. He could not comprehend what had just happened. All he knew was that a part of him was shattered after seeing Raissa so hurt, and realizing that he was the cause of it.

  Alamor did not even notice Hinton and Pauma join him by his side. The Bachus were clearly concerned for he and Raissa. “There, there, lad,” Hinton tried to console, patting Alamor on the elbow. “I’m sure she didn’t mean all of that.”

  Pauma nodded. “Aye. We all do and say things we regret when we get upset enough. The husband and I can attest to that better than anyone else in the whole land.”

  “She just needs some time to calm herself, and eventually things will get better,” Hinton added. “We’ll go talk to her and see what we can do to ease her mind.”

  “I got a feeling that I’ll do most of the good, of course,” Pauma said, half under her breath as she and Hinton started down the stairs.

  The Bachus made their way into the hull in search of Raissa, but Alamor still paid no attention to them. His blank eyes simply stared at where Raissa once stood, his thoughts consumed with guilt.

  * * * * *

  Leagues behind the Balcryst, the trading boat that Alamor and his companions used to sail out of Sleekleaf Forest bobbed on the surface of the ocean. After reuniting with Tridian and his host of soldiers, Alamor and the others abandoned the little ship, taking only what provisions they had carried onto it before boarding the Balcryst. They left the small craft to float atop the waves, unmanned, possibly for it to find its way back to the coast at some point.

  The creature beneath the waves sped toward the ship, picking up speed as it raced far below the surface of the ocean. It had caught the scent of the ship hours ago, following it for miles throughout the vast, watery realm.

  When it finally came to the ship, the wooden craft stood no chance. An enormous body of scales and muscle shattered the boat on impact. Fangs and claws tore apart what pieces of the boat endured the first blow, shredding the remains to splinters.

  In only a few moments, the lonely trading ship lay strewn across the surface of the ocean in countless fragments.

  The creature finally emerged from the waters amongst the wreckage. It was a gigantic beast, nearly as large as the Balcryst. Its reptilian head surfaced first, followed by the long neck that craned high into the air. Emerald scales covered its remarkable bulk, glistening in the sunlight. A frill of pale green membranes crowned its head and ran down the length of its dorsum. As enormous as it appeared in open air, only a portion of its entire mass emerged from the depths. The rest of it still lay beneath the waves: its four legs, the claws that were each as big as a barn house, and the sinuous tail that it used like a propeller to guide itself through the water with incredible speed.

  The monster’s deep-set eyes washed over the wreckage from the trading ship. The scent of living, breathing creatures still lingered, but the monster could see that no one had been aboard the craft when it attacked. It tilted its long snout to the sky, its nostrils recapturing the scent and reaching further to find where the source lay.

  Behind, two more creatures surfaced from beneath the waves, one coated in azure scales, and the other in vermilion scales. They looked just like the colossal creature that destroyed the trading ship, only smaller, about half of its size. In place of a frill on their bodies were series of thick
dorsal spines running from their heads down to their tails.

  By then, the largest beast had reclaimed the scent. Its quarry was still many leagues away, but that was a distance that could be covered in less than a day’s time.

  The enormous monster looked back at its brethren. It growled and honked, speaking to the smaller monsters in their own primeval tongue, telling them that they were not far from the ones that they pursued.

  Once it was finished, the three ocean beasts dove beneath the waves, and they renewed their hunt across the ocean.

  5

  A storm accompanied nightfall across the ocean. A ceiling of thick, dark clouds spanned the sky, blotting out the multitude of stars that hung in galaxies far beyond Tordale. The storm brought powerful winds with it—screeching gales that raced over the ocean and lifted the waves into enormous walls of water that threatened to engulf any ship that they struck.

  Alamor sat by himself in his cabin, watching through the lone window as waves slammed against the Balcryst. The swells looked like the hands of some watery giant who continued a relentless attempt to reach from beyond the depths and capture a ship within its grasp. In between the waves, Alamor caught glimpses of the black sky, and the steady rain which was only a precursor to the downpour that would eventually assail the ocean.

  The storm perfectly mirrored the emotions thrashing about in Alamor’s mind. Part of him was still consumed by anger, mostly at Tridian, for the Prince’s attempts to halt their journey, and especially for what he said regarding the Radia and Alamor’s role with them.

  A greater part of Alamor was wrought with guilt. He had hurt Raissa deeply with his words and actions; that was the exact opposite of what he had promised to do from now on.

  The worst part was that he had not even realized that what he did and what he said may upset her. At the time, all that he thought about was proving Tridian wrong. He was so driven to challenge the Prince and get his point across that he never considered the ramifications of his words.