"That tiny little beast is in my spot," he said indignantly.
Unable to contain herself, as the absurdity of all that had happened hit her, Astrid burst into a fit of hysterics. Tears streaming down her face, and she was barely able to breathe.
"Glad you got a laugh at my expense," Aronus snorted, before disappearing in a whiff of smoke.
"Oh come now, Aronus. I wasn't laughing at you. This whole situation is just... preposterous," she finished.
Her little dragon was nowhere to be seen, and taking it that he had gone off somewhere to pout, Astrid finally crawled into her tent, and promptly fell asleep.
Sleep was short lived, as what felt like mere moments later, joyful shouts could be heard. Emerging from the tent, hair disheveled, and hummingbird nowhere to be seen, Astrid followed the shouts.
"Astrid, look! Oh would you just look!" Ellowin shouted.
She chased after several soldiers who were all running in the same direction, back up the mountain, and that's when she saw it for the first time. How it had escaped her line of sight for so long, she didn't know.
A large pulley system that reached from Caelestis, all the way to Aequoris, and low and behold. The pulley had a crate attached to it.
"What is it?" she asked.
"It's a pulley system, we haven't used it in years... but back before there was war, our kingdoms used this to trade goods. I don't think any of us even knew it still worked," Ellowin continued.
"So what's in the crate?"
"Hey, Grimweld... open it up!" One of the Caelestan soldiers, Astrid recognized him as one of those who had landed a perfect bulls-eye when they were practicing with the bows earlier the day before.
He nodded to Ellowin, and Astrid noted a scar that ran down his forehead, over his eye, and down his cheek. It was both frightening and beautiful to look at, but it made her wonder what had happened to him and how he had suffered such a blow.
Grimweld cut the tie holding the crate up and carried it to them.
Right away, Astrid could smell the pungent smell of fish reaching her nose, making her stomach turn. She wrinkled it as her throat constricted and she gagged in her mouth.
"It's a miracle. The Aequorans haven't sent us goods in many, many years. This is a wonderful thing," Ellowin said.
"Is it really?" Grimwelds throaty voice asked.
Ignoring his question, Astrid rubbed her chin, brow raised. "Curious. Curious indeed."
Grimsweld opened the crate to expose more than a dozen fresh tuna.
Astrid's lips pressed together hard as she squinted at the contents. "It just had to be fish, didn't it?"
53
Svana
Saying goodbye to a friend is hard, but saying goodbye to a lover is unbearable.
King Michiel the Trusted, Third King of Caelestis, 492 A.V.
Gentle knocking roused Svana from sleep, and she sat up on the comfy mattress rubbing her eyes. For a moment, she couldn't remember where she was. Her eyes frantically looked around the dark room. A window she didn't recognize to her side shone the day's first light through the curtain.
"Hello?" she called out.
"Good morning. How are you feeling?" Jakobe's kind voice was like a salve to an open wound.
He gently pushed open the door a crack, and Svana brushed the hair out of her face and smiled brightly.
"Well, thank you." Her dry mouth made her voice come out throaty.
"Can I make you breakfast?"
She shook her head. "I'm fine. I really need to get back. I didn't tell anyone I was leaving. I don't want to break the king's trust. Even if don't agree with everything he says or plans on doing."
Jakobe's eyebrows creased at her remark. "So, because you serve the king, you can no longer eat?"
Svana laughed. "Fine ... fine. I'll eat."
"Good, are you decent?"
"Yes, of course." She jumped into his bed with all of her clothing on, save for her breastplate which rested against the wall, and her boots which were at the foot of his mattress. The tip of her toes peeked out from his blanket, and she kicked it forward, embarrassed that she hadn't been able to bathe in days.
Jakobe left the room momentarily. He returned minutes later with a tray full of food. He set it on the bed next to her and pulled up an aged wooden stool.
"I thought we could eat breakfast together."
She was genuinely touched by his thoughtfulness. "That is so kind of you."
"I must say, that I have ulterior motives. I thought that by showing you what it was like to eat breakfast together I could entice you to stay longer. Stay with me and have breakfast every morning. And help me in the shop. Don't return to the king." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't trust him. He has done nothing but steal from his people and the other kingdoms. He is greedy, and a thief. You are nothing like that, and returning to him means you will have to eventually conform to his wants for you, and I don't want that."
Svana smiled. "You act as if I am someone who will conform to anyone."
"Aren't you worried that he will kill you if you don't do everything he says?"
“Not in the slightest," she laughed. "I mean, back at the castle I knew if I didn't accept the position that he would kill me. However, to do everything he asks? I don't think that will be necessary. I can be very influential when I want to be." She winked at him, grinning wide.
Jakobe couldn't help himself but to return her smile, his eyes glimmering with joy at just being in her presence. "You look so much calmer today," he remarked.
"Yes, well... it could be present company." She pushed her fiery hair to the side of her face, and her ice blue gaze met his eyes. "I really can't stay much longer," she said, shoveling the steaming pile of scrambled eggs into her mouth. "This is delicious, so much better than Barinella stew."
"You don't like Eloise's Barinella stew? She'll be crushed," he teased.
"No, I love it, but it's just so earthy. This is... well, it's delicious. What is this herb?"
"Basil, it's my favorite. That and fresh grilled tomatoes, it makes for the best eggs."
His dark head leaned in, and he grabbed a fresh roll to offer her a bite. "Here, take a bite of this, best rolls and huckleberry jam in all of Verdil. I guarantee, if my eggs won't keep you here... Eloise's jam and fresh rolls will."
"We'll have to see about that." She leaned forward and took a hearty bite, the bread melting on her tongue as she did so. She leaned back, closing her eyes, savoring the tart, sweet flavors of the unfamiliar berry dancing on her tongue. "Oh my," she mumbled appreciatively. "Well, You're not wrong... I've never tasted anything like that. It's exquisite."
"Yeah, Eloise and Percival hoped they could get you to stay too. You have friends here, Svana. Friends who care and want to protect you."
"I know that, but I also have a duty to Verdil and the three kingdoms. Being lead commander of the king's armies is just one tiny step toward what I want to achieve. I came to protect you, all of you. You have to understand that."
"What?" he responded, confused at her confession. "How do you hope to save us all? What do you mean?"
Svana went silent, not wanting to reveal anymore, afraid she would put him in danger if she did.
"Why do you always do that? You open yourself like a book, and then like a sealed tomb, you close off everything and won't allow me in."
"Oh, Jakobe..." Her voice was desperate.
I want to tell you, I want to tell you everything. You could help me, we could work together.
No. You can't tell him, Lingaria interrupted her thoughts, just as she knew he would.
"What, Svana?" He scooted closer to her, leaning on the bed to grab her hands firmly in his. "Tell me. Tell me what you're keeping from me," he pleaded with her.
She withdrew from him, her entire body warmed from his touch. If she didn't get out of there as soon as possible, she could see herself making some very bad decisions.
"Jakobe, please." She flipped the blanket off of he
r, and scooted off the mattress, quickly pulling on her boots. "I have to go. I have to."
It was more of a declaration than anything else, and to her dismay, Jakobe stood to stop her.
"You can't," he argued.
"I have no choice. I have to." She pulled her leather breastplate over her soft linen shirt that barely covered her front. She tied off the leather ties and grabbed up her sword and shield. "I have no words to express my gratitude toward you, and I can only hope that in the future, our paths will cross again."
Rushing past him, she very nearly knocked him out of the way, but his strong hands grabbed both of her shoulders stopping her in her tracks.
"My dear Svana, I adore you. I want more than just breakfast and playful banter. I want the ..." He paused briefly, before he spoke again. "Look, just be careful." His hand went from her shoulder to the silky softness of her alabaster face. He cupped it gently, and the look in his eyes told her everything she could have only dreamed. Her breath caught in her throat, and her knees went weak.
Get out of here Svana, you're in over your head, Lingaria urged her.
Knowing that she may not be able to leave if she didn't walk out right then and there, she shrugged off his hands and took off out the door, her footsteps increasing in speed until she was running back toward the castle.
The run gave her the ability to clear her head, and Jakobe, her anchor, her light in the middle of darkness, would be there when this was all over. Svana was sure of it. For now, she had a mission to fulfill. Seeing him had made it even clearer and more evident. The sooner she could accomplish what was needed of her, the sooner she could have a life of her own, or so she hoped.
54
Hekla
Sometimes alliances are broken, and often times neither party wants to make the first move to patch what is broken. However, the only way to truly patch an alliance is to swallow your pride, and reach out. Make the first move. Offer them help when no others will.
King Martin the Truthful, Third King of Aequoris, 500 A.V.
As Hekla found her way back into the depths of the ocean, and the underwater city came into view once more. The water humanoids, the Aequorans, looked up in surprise as she descended. They watched her every move until she came to a standing position on the pathway that led through their city. Their cerulean eyes and flaring gills on their necks gently heaving in and out as they breathed.
Hekla walked softly through the city, focused on confronting the soldiers from before and having them hear her out. Word traveled fast, and she noticed the approaching horde of soldiers coming toward her.
Hekla would not give them a chance to attack her and quickly yelled, "Tranquis Impartum Expandum!"
This rendered the lot of them motionless for a time, and she raised her voice to address them as a whole.
"Listen, Aequorans. I do not know what I did to anger your elder Croecius so, but I am here to bring peace. Too long have our lands been at war, and too many lives have been taken because of it. I beg you, here and now... listen to me. Trust what I have to say and allow me an audience with your king so that I may present my request to you."
The soldiers could do nothing, nor could they move their mouths in rejection of her speech and so she continued.
"Listen, I know you may think I am a witch of some king, but I assure you I am not. I have been sent as I said, by Palladin the Great. I have come to help your kingdom be restored to its former glory, and I promise you that all will be well. You must stop your attack on me, and you must do as I say. If we have an agreement, I will free you." Hekla watched their eyes for signs of their approval, and seeing that they had softened, she muttered, "Rescindum Enchantum," stopping the freeze on their bodies.
They shook off the paralyzed feeling, some of them looking fearful as their eyes darted from one soldier to another.
"I know at the moment you do not know what to do, allow me to earn your trust and then you can determine if I am to meet your king."
That seemed to garner a few mutterings of approval, and a few of them even smiled.
"I promise, I will not harm you, and I will help in any way possible. Only take me where I am needed."
The soldier from the night before who had been so rough with her, glared into her eyes as if trying to murder her with his gaze. The rest of the army remained silent until he spoke.
"Well then, if you are here to help, and truly mean us no harm. You must come away with me right now. I have just the thing for you."
Hekla nodded her head.
"Wonderful, where are we going?"
"The aisle of no relief, though it was once called the aisle of prosperity." His gruff voice answered, and he continued to glare at her as if trying to pierce her through. Several men began muttering their contempt at such a proposition.
"What do you hope to achieve by taking her there?" one of them spoke up.
"If she is truly here to help, then she will be able to fix what is broken." He tossed his long sea green hair behind his head. His strong form rigid, eyes challenging her.
Watching his gills flare quickly as his breathing sped up, she nodded her head.
"I said I would do whatever it took, take me where you must."
The army shrugged their shoulders, allowing the angry man to lead the way, and like a school of fish, they swam in unison up and away from the peaceful village toward the dark unknown parts of the sea that had no lighting, or pathways. Hekla calmed her breathing, still in complete disbelief at the magic bubble that encased her as they swam through water. What kind of magic was capable of such a thing?
Mentally she went over all the spells that Speltus had told her, rehearsing them in her mind in case she had need to use them at any point against the men whose company she was presently in. As her arms tired, and legs grew sore, the light of another city could be seen and she felt relief. Ahead, an island loomed in the distance. The bottom of it could be seen from where they approached.
Slowing their pace, the rough guard dropped back to swim next to her.
"That is the aisle of no relief. Atop its small hillside, there is a pulley system. It was once a system that allowed us to exchange and trade good with Caelestis. You may have heard its tale about the lovers who were separated and used it to send each other notes?"
Hekla nodded her head, smiling at the thought.
"Yes, well. We never used it for something so trivial. It was a huge source of food for my people. The Caelestans have food we do not, and in return we gave them fish and other sea resources. The trade helped both of our people, and without it, our bodies are lacking. Our lifetimes have shortened."
"What do you want to do?" she said, her voice low, eyes watching his face intensely as they swam side by side.
"I want you to get it working again."
All right, that seems easy enough, she thought. I just need to make the first move. Reaching the surface, she crawled out on land, leaving her air bubble around her body in case one of the soldiers pushed her in or tried to drown her.
"Why not just send up goods to them and wait to see if they send anything back?" She suggested, wondering why they hadn't tried that already.
"No, because if they send nothing, we will be out." His stone face told her all she needed to know.
"What's your name?"
"I am the soldier Jetevius. Head of the army and in charge over you," he said.
"First of all, you could have just left off the part about how you are the head over me. I don't need your ego trying to mess up something that could be very good. We can partner, you and me, but we need to work as a team. Secondly, how arrogant to think that I could just get this pulley system working without sacrifice. All relationship is sacrifice, even ones of business. So if you are not willing to send up a peace offering first, then allow me." Hekla huffed, jumping off of the island and diving into the water.
In the darkest parts of the ocean depths, she knew she could find some kind of fish to send up even if it meant using her mag
ic. She hadn't given Jetevius the chance to respond, and part of her was glad. It was not that he was so rough, but he simply had no manners. His 'everything is owed to me' personality stressed her greatly. It was no way to be when a kingdom was at war.
She swam farther down, heading to where there was no light in hopes that she could find something to send up, next to her someone propelled through the water, swimming up ahead and stopping in front of her.
Jetevius' angry face was enough warning for her to not continue. She stopped mid swim and glared at him.
"You have no respect for authority!" he yelled at her, gills flaring.
"And you have no respect for anyone," she countered.
Jetevius remained silenced for a moment, and then responded, "It's not that. This war has destroyed many families, my own included. Why would I offer free food to the Caelestan kingdom when we should have been working together, but instead are against each other?"
"There can be no peace in war, if one side does not relent," Hekla countered, softening her gaze and swimming closer to him. They now floated underwater, less than a foot apart.
"You are an impossible woman," he retorted.
"I may be, but I want nothing but the best for you... and the kingdom of Aequoris. Please, partner with me. Let us defeat this evil together?" She reached out her hand.
The sea-foam green of his face that had only moments ago flared red, now softened.
"Fine, I will partner with you. You need to listen to me though, these ocean depths are no place for a land-walker. Return to the surface and my men and I will retrieve all the tuna we can find."
Hekla reached out, and underwater, her hand firmly squeezed his strong shoulder.
"Thank you, Jetevius. I think we have just taken the step toward friendship."
Jetevius humphed and signaled for the men that remained underwater to follow him. Smiling to herself, Hekla returned to the surface of the island and waited patiently while the men searched for a peace offering. Many crates lay strewn about, some whole, some broken. Their age evident in their sun-bleached wood coloring. Picking the strongest ones, Hekla fastened them to the pulley and rolled them up and down testing their hold.
Dragon Sword Page 36
