Spirit Followers

by Lydia Redwine

  “We will find a way to prepare for a possible upcoming war and to defend ourselves,” resolved Kazbek. “We promise to help anyone defending themselves against this…err… man…but we will not allow you to continue your journey.”

  Cam was appalled. “What? But I have to go! I have to complete training. Caleb will be with me anyway…” she pleaded.

  “We want you to be safe, dear,” Silva said gently. Grandfather gazed at Cam gravely. He was considering something. Her eyes roamed to his and locked her pleading stare with his steady gaze.

  “I think you should allow Cam continue,” he said during a moment of silence.

  “But why, Marcus?” Silva demanded. Cam was beginning to become furious that Silva and Kazbek thought it was their duty to keep her safe. She was an elected Royal now and no longer their responsibility.

  “She is a Royal now, or almost one. Whether you like it or not, this is not Camaria’s home anymore. The Royals have assigned this young man, Caleb, to protect her under all circumstances. I do not doubttheir abilitytomakewisedecisions,” Grandfather replied. His words seemed to soften Silva.

  “We will consider the options,” Kazbek returned gravely. “Why did you come here, Cam? Why didn’t you go to the Royalty Realm and tell them first?”

  "I do not have complete trust in those who come from Gnosi that now act as Royals," Cam told him. As she said these words, Lord Caddell and Peter's images flashed through her memory. Her blood began to stir and her heart pounded at a sudden realization.

  “What if they are involved?” she asked herself under her breath. It almost made complete sense. Amelia herself had talked about the Spirit Followers taking back Mirabelle. Saffira, Peter's sister, however, seemed to think that the revolt was a terrible incident, like something waiting to explode. Perhaps Ira was unaware. Cam leaned back in her chair, wondering who she could possibly trust. She remembered Amelia saying that the Spirit Followers did not want a rebellion but restoration. Surely one would not restore a nation by sparking a war.

  “This situation will most certainlytakesomeconsideration,” Kazbek said quietly, leaning on his elbows. He and Silva exchanged glances. “We will remain here tonight and discuss it while you girls and Caleb attend the festival.” Cam pushed her still full plate back and rose from the table.

  “You girls go and prepare to depart. It is almost dark, and they’ll be starting soon,” Silva ordered. Cam made her way to the hall, her sisters following her and surprisingly, Grandfather as well.

  After Fiera, Terra, Adria, and Mista had passed on their way to their chambers on the second floor, Grandfather gripped her arm. “Camaria,” he hissed, drawing close to her. “I have reason to believe that this Lord Apollyon himself is a Shadow Bearer.”

  Cam’s eyes widened. “What makes you say such a thing?” she whispered back, glancing at the dining room door. It was sealed, leaving her parents and Caleb within.

  “Never mind that for now. You must not tell anyone of this theory for the time being. I have other suspicions regarding persons I will not mention that tie directly to Apollyon. Keep all this to yourself. Do you understand?”

  Cam nodded. “I wish you would tell me.”

  Grandfather shook his head. “It could place you in grave danger.” He pulled her into a warm, close embrace.

  At that moment Cam’s curiosity was so mounted that she yearned desperately for Amelia’s presence. She would even accept Lord Caddell or even Peter’s in order to question them about the revolt. It was possible that the Spirit Followers, wherever they were, had come out of hiding and were now aligned with Apollyon. Were they the persons Grandfather suspected?

  She could inquire, but she doubted he would inform her. He was a man of determined stubbornness. A characteristic she assumed aided him through the war. Cam decided the most prudent decision was to journey to Imber Fel and the southern realm to at least complete training. “Be careful,” Grandfather murmured.

  “The people of Medulla do not have a certain, set religion, but they do hold a close connection to the earth and are taught from an early age to display deep reverence towards their natural surroundings. Citizens are encouraged to spend much time meditating in the confines of forests. They believe they are born of the soil, and that when they die they will once again become apart of it. They believe they will be the soil their descendants will be born of. They hold no belief in a god, but that nature is their source of life and healing. They are convinced that nature and fate are one in the same. I can agree with some portions of their beliefs but not all. Not when I have seen wonders that defy nature itself.”

  -From the Writings of Daniel Adriel during his stay in Mirabelle in the Third Age

  Fifteen

  From what Cam perceived, Grandfather did all he could to

  convince Silva and Kazbek to allow Cam to continue her journey, for it had worked. They have refused, however, to allow Adria and Mista to continue with Cam, Caleb, Fiera, and Terra. Adria seemed content, but Mista spent the day mourning the time she had now lost in Caleb’s company.Terraagreedto continuesoas toconduct Medulla training with Cam on their way to the next realm. Cam assumed at first that Terra would favor staying at home, but her sister seemed almost as eager to depart as Fiera. Fiera herself was grateful that Terra was coming along; one more person to ease the tension between her and her new admirer.

  The day following the festival the four travelers began their packing. Cam was eager to arrive in the next realm as soon as possible.

  “Where are we going next?” Fiera asked. She was sprawled across Cam’s bed, examining a knife she had just sharpened. Her slender fingers skimmed the sharp edge.

  "I have not yet decided," Cam replied, glancing at a small map Grandfather had given to her that morning. From where they were currently located, Imber Fel was to the far east and Cinis Lumen to the far south. Journeying to the south would mean travel through the forest known to be inhabited by wanted prey. If they ventured from the Medulla Realm to Imber Fel, there wouldn't be much danger, but then there was a valley between the latter and the south which hardly anyone seemed to know much about. Considering the details of the map, Cam wondered which route would be the most prudent to take. She decided to confide in Caleb before their departure.

  “If we arrive in Imber Fel first, we can get that out of the way. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to stand it there.” Fiera groaned. She had nicked her finger on the knife and was dabbing thesmall drop ofbloodwith a cloth. “Well that’s sharp enough,” she mumbled to herself.

  "Do you really think Lord Heiron and his people will help us, though?" Cam asked as Terra entered the room, clothes piled in her arms.

  "Help us? We aren't doing anything, are we? I mean besides warning the realms," Terra said.

  “If there’s going to be a war, I’m going to fight. Especially if Apollyon plans on attacking the south,” Fiera said, straightening herself to a sitting position.

  "I hope there isn't a war. And if there is, no woman should be fighting it," Terra retorted. Though somewhat annoyed, Cam found herself amused, knowing Terra and the rules she was accustomed to following. Cam didn't quite agree with her, however. She thought that if Fiera desired to fight in a war and the opportunity produced itself she should be permitted. The only problem was, Fiera knew not what to expect in a war. The thought filled Cam with a small sense of dread.

  “You didn’t answer my question,” Cam said before Fiera could throw herself into a passion.

  “My apologies,” Terra said. “I do not think the people of Imber Fel will. They are a peaceful population. I am convinced they will remain neutral and not choose a side.”

  Cam surmised that perhaps visiting the realm by the sea would be a waste of time. That was until she remembered her plan for training. “We leave in a couple hours,” Terra told her sisters as she made a brisk exit.

  “Is it just me, or has shebeen more‘follow the rules’ lately?” Cam asked, turning to Fiera.

  The latter shru
gged. "She has always been like that to me." Fiera, too, left the room. Cam folded designated clothing into a luggage carrier. They were the most comfortable. She stuffed the map into her bag along with some food she had snuck from the kitchen. She knew that this journey would prove to be stressful. Her sisters were not exactly their normal selves; Terra insisting that they go by certain rules, and Fiera being moodier than ever with Caleb around.

  Cam sighed, hoping that she could be distracted from their problems while Terra trained her on how to use the simplest magic, the magic of healing.

  The land sprawled as green valleys, golden fields, and

  shimmering blue ports along the river from Medulla to Imber Fel. Caleb had informed Cam that the journey would be less dangerous to first venture to Imber Fel. He pointed out that Apollyon would most likely suspect them to travel to the south first due to that realm’s skill in war and number in both weaponry and soldiers.

  “But Imber Fel is a cunning people in their own right.” He had chuckled. “It would do Apollyon ill to underestimate them.”

  Cam had believed him but found it hard to picture a people group that sought peace primarily to be cunning.

  “We will stay overnight in an inn,” Caleb said, and Cam realized they were entering a small fishing village along the river at the base of the Royalty Realm. All of Imber Fel’s ships had previously departed and thus could not transport Cam and her company to the seaside realm. The golden palace of the Royalty Realm loomed high above them. Cam could hardly believe that it had been only a little over a week ago that she had been confined within its walls.

  Glancing up at the magnificent structure, she remembered Peter and the message Saffira had requested she give him if and when she next encountered him. Cam could go to the palace, arrive unannounced and tell Peter what Saffira wished. But ever since the prospect of the Spirit Followers' involvement in the revolt had sparked, Cam was prevented from carrying the warning to him. In addition, it was late into the evening with hardly any time to allow her access to the palace.

  The quaint village was almost completely desolate since the Imber Fel Realm fishermen had by this time ventured home, and the Royals did not spend much time in the village anyway. It was almost dusk when Caleb led his three companions through a wooden doorway into a shabby looking building, the only inn in the vicinity. A man had taken their horses and had stabled them nearby to feed them at a price with Caleb had paid.

  The inside of the inn was dreary. A musty, whiskey, smell erupted into Cam’s nostrils. A barrel-bellied woman was hunched over a table next to a man who was gulping down contents from a brown bottle. Cam wondered why in the world Caleb had brought them here instead of the palace. Surely, they would be welcome. Cam asked him this in a quiet whisper. He dismissed her question, saying that the Royals would only delay their journey.

  Other than the two patrons that had first caught Cam’s eye, the front room appeared vacant. She glanced around as a shiver tingled up her spine. Through the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a figure sitting in a far corner. A small candle lit up part of his face. Inky, black hair hung to his shoulders, but the other side was hidden by a dark hood. Smoke slipped from his mouth and a pipe appeared in a grimy hand. His steady eye stared back at Cam. She shuddered and edged closer to Terra. Although Cam had looked away, she still sensed his steely eyes boring into her flesh.

  The rest of Cam’s companions did not seem to notice. Caleb was conversing with the woman about obtaining a room. “How many?” she asked gruffly.

  “Just one room, thelargest you have.” The woman snatched a key from a nearby hook. Grunting, she turned, bumping into flimsy, wooden chairs and led the four to a staircase. Cam was the last to begin the ascent. She glanced over her shoulder to witness the hooded stranger pass her. She saw that as the person passed, that he was not a man but rather, a woman. This was evident in the curves of her form. Her head was drooped, the pipe peeking from her dark hood. The woman’s other hand grasped the hilt of a knife sheathed at her hip. The stranger swept swiftly past Cam and from the inn. The candlelight swinging from a wooden chandelier flickered over her as she slammed the door behind her fleeting form. Before she could disappear completely from view, Cam managed to the see a glimmering object dangling from her neck. A diamond was encrusted into the stone’s center.

  “Gnosi,” she murmured to herself. Helplessly, she gazed after the ominous stranger.

  “Cam, you coming?” asked Terra, who now stood atop the stairs. She nodded and climbed up after her sister. The room given to the four had one window overlooking the darkening, eerie streets. There were only three beds, small and hard. Cam shed her cloak but instantly regretted it as the chilly air nipped her skin. Caleb started a fire in a small hearth and handed each of his fellow travelers a hunk of bread and cheese, the best the inn had to offer.

  “This is the best they have here?” Fiera scoffed, picking off bits of bread and frowning. Caleb nodded.

  “It’ll have to do,” Cam told herself.

  A scream jerked Cam from a surprisingly deep sleep. She had fallen into slumber hours before beside Fiera on the narrow bed. Cam peeked out from under the thin sheet to see Terra sitting bolt upright in her own bed. Fiera and Caleb stirred. “What is it?” Fiera inquired groggily.

  Terra forced her breathing to a normal pace and murmured, “Someone was in here, and I promise you I locked the door before we turned in.”

  "What did he look like?" Cam asked, sitting upright. Her mind pulled at a blurred memory just before she had come to full conscious. The door had opened swiftly, most likely blown open by the force of air.

  “I cannot describe him well,” replied Terra, shiv ering in the chilling air. “But I believe he was a she. It wore a black hood and dropped that piece of paper.” Terra’s stiff finger pointed towards a small white object lying on the floor near the door. Cam scurried from her bed into the cold air and reached for the parchment. Written in sprawling ink were these words: This is a warning. Go home. Do not continue to Imber Fel. All doves will be slain. A chill threaded up her spine, and her fingers shook, remembering the man’s steely stare.

  “What does it say, Cam?” Fiera asked. Cam handed it over, and Fiera read it aloud. “It’s just someone trying to scare us,” she scoffed.

  “What if it is from an ally or assistant of Apollyon?” Terra suggested. “We could be in great danger.”

  “And if it is from Apollyon, we know he’s serious about overtaking Mirabelle, and we’re in his way,” Cam added. Her stomach turned, and she wrapped the sheet around herself. She noticed that Caleb was being unusually quiet. He slouched on his bed, bent over. He stared at the floor, his mouth set in a grim line. Perhaps he knew what the phrase “all doves will be slain” meant. The doves must be the Spirit Followers, and Cam knew this though her sisters ignored it.

  “Besides,” Fiera continued, “What’d you expect on this journey? That we would be safe? If Apollyon knows we escaped because we knew what he was planning, he will have us hunted down. We shall not be safe until the revolt is underway. We know too much.”

  “But wouldn’t Apollyon have us killed as soon as we were found?” Terra questioned. “Those must be his orders. This means that whoever is hunting us is providing another chance.” Everyone turned to Cam, expecting her to make a decision on where they would now venture.

  “We’re heading east. Anyone that wishes to return home may do so with my blessing, expect for Caleb as he has been assigned to me. There are those who need to know what’s happening. I am willing to risk my life for that.” Cam’s words surprised her somewhat. The silence deepened. She questioned whether she was really willing to risk her life for such a cause. Cam never really knew it was true until tonight, unless it was all a deception. If it were a hoax, however, it would not hurt to continue on their journey, for she still sought to complete training.

  “I think,” said Caleb, leaning forward on his bed, “That we should leave at the break of dawn. We will inform th
e innkeepers we have decided to take an early trip home and will therefore not be in need of passage by boat. I say this just in case they are aligned with this strange huntress. Following this, we will head to Imber Fel by way of forest. His last sentence was barely audible, for they could not be sure who might be listening. Fiera and Terra reached for extra clothing to keep warm for the remainder of the night. In a matter of minutes, Cam’s three companions had once again drifted off to sleep.

  Cam’s mind was still reeling, however, and sleep would not come to her. She seated herself next to Fiera, staring off at the dark wall, lit only by moonlight. Restless in mind and body, Cam knew she had to do something.

  “Peter. I can findPeterandcarry Ira’s message tohim. And perhaps he will know something…anything” she said silently. Despite the very early hour of the morning, Cam stepped out of bed and pulled on trousers, a knee-length, form-fitting dress and black cloak. She clutched at the dove necklace Owen had given her. Perhaps it would comfort her. This errand could be dangerous. Fear and excitement surged through her, stabbing like a bitter wind. Her body tingled when she stepped outside of the inn and breathed deep breaths of midnight air. With the inn and its sketchy owners behind her, she began to feel somewhat safer.

  She sought the main road, the one which Lia had led her down the day they had explored the realm. Upon the main road, she would travel and find her way to the palace. She passed the tavern where she and Lia had dined and where Cam had encountered Caleb. She hurried past it, feeling nervous at the sight of its dark and gloomy appearance. She found the road, recognizing the intricate patterns of stone. The entire vicinity was desolate. Only the shadows followed her. Cam stole along the road, keeping close to the center so that she was walking in the moonlight. It caused her to feel more at ease though anyone watching could see where she was headed.