by D N Meinster
"Yeah I'd say a deck's long enough," Ratch said.
He was not going to let them take him from his bed. This was the only place where she could still be alive.
Aros started picturing her again, bringing her lovely features into view. But another knock on the front door interrupted his thoughts.
"Who are you?" he heard his mother say once she opened the door.
"Linus Oakworth," a man answered. "I am servant of King Halstrom and keeper of Castle Tornis."
"Come in, come in," his mother beckoned. "Can I get you something?"
"No thank you, ma'am," Linus replied. "I am here for the man of the house. King Halstrom requests his presence."
There was an awkward silence before his mother spoke again. "Can he wait a few days? Aros hasn't been well."
"I'm afraid not. It's rather urgent, and we can spare no more time."
"I don' think he's gonna see you," Ratch stated.
"Allow me to see him then," Linus appealed.
"Very well," Mrs. Asilias spoke.
Aros could make out the patter of feet climbing stairs after she acquiesced, and then heard his door creak open.
"Aros," his mother called to him. "Someone would like to see you."
"Mr. Asilias," Linus said, barging in beside his mother. "You have had several days to mourn but can waste no more. Our enemy already has a head start on us. Like it or not, the Goddess has chosen you. The King accepts that and knows we cannot proceed without you. Now, please, I beseech you to rise from your bed and come with me."
"Did you rehearse that?" Aros mumbled from his bed.
"There's no need to rehearse with such a vital mission ahead," Linus replied. "The moment speaks for itself."
"You don't need me," Aros said. "You have an army, and a mage more powerful than any of us. She's all you really need."
"She is waiting for you as well," Linus informed him. "So is the Prince. You're delaying them with your reluctance."
"I told you," Mrs. Asilias stated. "Come back in a few days. Maybe by then..."
"We do not have a few days!" Linus squealed. "Hatswick is going after those keys right now! If you'd like to see Neanthal released, then fine, stay beneath your sheets. Otherwise, get up and come with me! I will have the guardians come and drag you out if I must."
"They won' get past me," Ratch growled from behind.
Aros peeked out from his covers. Linus looked rather annoyed with the whole situation, while his mother was as fraught as ever. Ratch was still outside his room, the doorframe covering all but the bottom of his face, which was twisted in a menacing scowl.
"Why didn't they come get me?" Aros wondered aloud.
"Your house is out of the way from where they need to go. From where you need to go," Linus said. "But they are waiting."
Doren and Rikki were Aros' friends, but more than that, he owed them. They had let him tag along and had expressed concern for Leidess even though they didn't know her. They hadn't let him down, so why should he let them down?
Aros threw the covers off. Rikki's friend was still missing a piece of his soul. Hatswick still had to retrieve four keys. He couldn't stay here and let his friends do the hard work, even if part of him wanted that.
Aros tried to push himself up but wound up rolling off of his bed and onto the floor. Linus and his mother gasped, and they ran over to his side. He felt their hands close around his arms, and together they stood him back up on his feet.
"Does he have time for a bath?" his mother asked.
"He won't need it," Linus said. "He only needs those." He pointed to the clawblades, which were propped up against a nearby wall.
"Let me get you something to eat," his mother said, running out of the room and downstairs.
"Where are we going, exactly?" Aros asked.
"Can't say around them," Linus said.
"What do you mean you can' say?" Ratch roared.
Though obviously intimidated, Linus refused to elaborate. "I cannot say."
Ratch cracked his knuckles, but before he could move on Linus, his mother was back in the room with a plate of buttered bread and a glass of milk.
"Eat," she demanded.
"All I can tell you is that he will be gone for a while," Linus stated.
Aros shoved a piece of bread in his mouth while he fastened the straps for his weapons across his chest and back. He was still wearing the same shirt and pants he had on the last time he saw Leidess, and he wasn't about to change in front of everyone. He didn't want to change anyway. This outfit had taken on a new meaning.
"Gone awhile. Can' say where." Ratch snarled. "Do I have your permission – "
"No," Aros and his mother said at the same time.
"Fine," Ratch relented.
Linus was relieved. "Grab your swords. We need to go."
"When will I be back?" Aros asked.
"That's up to you," Linus answered.
Mrs. Asilias gave Aros a hug while he was gulping down the milk. "Be careful," she insisted.
Ratch almost suffocated Aros when he embraced him next. "You better not be gone too long. I'm not taking another apprentice."
Aros stuck the clawblades onto the magnets on his back, and then led the way downstairs. He grabbed open the door but couldn't force himself to step outside. He just looked out the door, well aware of the empty world that awaited him.
With a rather vigorous tap, Linus sent Aros skidding over the threshold. "Thank you," Linus said with a slight bow before trying to close the door behind him. But Aros stopped him.
Aros looked tenderly at his mother and Ratch, who were side-by-side as they watched him leave. "I love you," he said to them, before closing the door. He was sure he heard Ratch sniffling afterward.
Linus kept a brisk pace as Aros followed him down the streets. "Where are we going?" Aros begged for an answer.
"We are going to Wingless River," Linus answered. "Now hurry along."
"What's at Wingless River?"
"Liven your pace and you'll discover what awaits that much sooner," Linus remarked.
"You could just tell me," Aros griped.
"With each breath I waste talking with you, I could be moving that much faster."
Aros came to a swift halt. "And I can just stand here and wait for you to enlighten me."
Linus locked his hands around Aros' arm and yanked him along as he took a few steps forward.
"Alright!" Aros hollered, prying his arm out of Linus' grip. "Is this what Doren and Rikki had to put up with?"
"You should feel lucky to get the royal treatment," Linus said.
Aros followed behind Linus, unable to remain side-by-side as the castle servant sped down the streets of Kytheras. In their silence, Aros' mind turned to Leidess, and he recalled the spots where they had spent time together. There was the bakery where they had shared rather delicious cakes once. And there was an empty wall which they had decorated with arrows.
Aros' heart stopped as they passed by their school, the giant proclamation of "Kytheran Instruction Unit" still hanging over the entrance; the words just as daunting as when he was a student. He dragged his feet a bit as he studied the structure, it's elongated one-story unchanged since he left. It was as unwelcoming as ever, and he still puzzled over why Leidess would choose to stay after graduation.
Was Madam Tudith still inside? Did she know what had happened to Leidess? Or did she spend her days wondering where her apprentice had gone? Aros felt compelled to go talk to her, but Linus had already come back to tug him along again.
Madam Tudith probably knew. She had probably attended her funeral. Aros hadn't felt the need to force himself to go. Seeing everyone else mourn her, even though they didn't know her as well as he did, or love her as much, was not going to provide any relief. He had already held her lifeless body; he didn't need to be around for the rest of them to take a look at it.
Aros started to feel queasy, and he considered running back home. He could go back beneath those sheets, where it
was so easy to pretend she was still alive. He didn't care that the world might end. His world had already ended.
Rikki and Doren were the only reason he continued onward. He thought of their disappointment if he didn't show. Abandoning them was not going to fix anything either.
The further he traveled from their home and their school, the less familiar his environment became. He and Leidess hadn't ventured to Kytheras' bodies of water in ages and spent even less time in the areas around them when they did. The Door was their typical destination for the past few years, and he and Linus were headed nowhere near it.
Even at their brisk pace, it took over an hour until they neared Wingless River. The vibrant blocks lined with a plethora of shops and housing only broke away when the fields of trees and vegetation came into view. The abandoned buildings of the Outer had been torn down and replaced in this section of Kytheras after the Parting. Farming had to be expanded in order for the kingdom to ensure self-sufficiency. Kytherans could no longer rely on trade to obtain food, so they had to grow it themselves. As Wingless River and Strife Lake were the only major sources of water the kingdom had, and since it rained so little, farmers depended on irrigation for their harvests.
Linus zipped through the lines of fruit-bearing trees, while Aros tried to stay in their presence for as long as he could. He patted their bark with his hand and took in the sweet scents in the air. There were no trees in the bustling city; only here.
More guardians were stationed amidst the plants than in any other place in Kytheras besides Castle Tornis. Most were standing around or hanging in the shade of the trees, but their eyes were tracking Aros as he passed through.
Once out of the manmade grove, Aros stepped onto the more open farmland. He was careful to follow in Linus' tracks, so as not to disturb the blossoming vegetation that sprang up from the ground. It was here that Aros noticed the complete lack of sand beneath his feet. Instead, there was wet dirt.
"Where's the sand?" Aros asked, flabbergasted by its absence.
"We work extra hard to remove it," Linus said. "It's not healthy for the crops."
Aros watched the mud as he walked, amused by the imprint his sandals left with each step into the ground. He was so distracted by this that he didn't even notice the sound of rushing water until they were only feet from Wingless River.
Doren and Rikki both ran up to Aros as soon as he arrived, while King Halstrom looked on from the river's bank. Doren was clothed in a light green outfit streaked with pastel yellow, while Rikki had adorned a simple white and gray dress.
"How are you doing?" Rikki asked him.
"Not well," Aros stated, wholly aware of his condition.
Doren rested his hand on Aros' shoulder. "We're gonna get him for what he did."
"To Leidess and Milo," Rikki added.
Aros tried to give them a reassuring smile, but he was only able to manage a disheartening grimace.
"Children," King Halstrom spoke, with Linus at his side. The King was in his normal attire, Aergo's sword still on his belt.
All three of them shot a dirty look at the King.
Halstrom threw up his hands. "I know, but it got your attention, didn't it?"
"What are we doing here?" Aros asked.
Halstrom pointed up the river. "I'll tell you, but first, tell me. What do you see?"
Aros took a glance at the headwaters and squinted to make sure he was seeing this right. The Absentia Desert was clearly within view, but its sands seemed to transform into water right on Kytheras' border. "Is that magic?"
"Of course, but perhaps not what you are thinking," Halstrom replied. "Few have ever learned what I am about to tell you." The King took a deep breath, readying the words that had never left his lips. "The Five Kingdoms are not as separated as you have been led to believe."
"Huh?" Doren blurted, while his friends remained silent.
"When Amelia and Hatswick decided to isolate the Five Kingdoms, they did so to ensure the Keys never be brought together. But Amelia, wisest of mages, realized that the time may come when a powerful Thalian attempted to gather them all. And if the kingdoms could not communicate, then they could not be warned. So, when they parted the lands, an outlet was created so the kingdoms could remain in contact." Halstrom directed his hand at the waters. "Wingless River is Amelia's loophole."
"How?" Rikki asked. "Wingless River only ran through three kingdoms."
"Four, actually," Halstrom corrected. "It emptied into the Seas, which went with the Twilight Islands."
"What about Belliore?" she asked.
"There's a smaller river, that leads into Terrastream," Halstrom informed. "That was their channel. But, I must say, it has been ages since we've heard from the Bellish."
"How does it work?" Rikki asked again.
"Hatswick would change the flow of the river: upstream to send a message, downstream at all other times for receiving one."
"The bottles!" Doren gasped.
"The best way to send a message in a river," Halstrom stated. He gazed upon Rikki. "Since Amelia's death, Hatswick has been the only mage to change the river's direction. I doubt Amelia would have guessed he was the Thalian we'd need to warn the other kingdoms about."
"You want me to change the flow," Rikki concluded.
"You are the only Kytheran mage left," Halstrom said. "You are the default Grand Mage of this kingdom. But do not misconstrue these facts. I have full faith in your abilities."
"So you brought me here to watch you send a bottle?" Aros questioned the King, confused to why he had been summoned.
"No, that would be silly," Halstrom said. "We've only ever used bottles to communicate, but the outlet is large enough for other methods."
"Us," Doren said.
The King gave a single nod. "Faunli is just up this river. I don't know if Hatswick will go after their key first, but you must retrieve it either way. This will not be an easy task. The last message I received was from their emperor, notifying me that their kingdom is in a state of civil war."
Aros began gasping for air. His chest was pounding, and the panic was spreading. "Why send us? You can send an army through to get the Key. We were barely able to stop Hatswick this time. Now he has a head start, and he doesn't even need to travel by foot. He's also old enough to know these other kingdoms by memory. What do you expect us to do? I don't want to watch any more people I care about die!"
"But you did stop him," Halstrom said calmly. "And that is all the evidence I need. Magenine has a plan, and I am certain it involves all three of you." He reached into a pocket of his green coat and removed a key. "The Goddess told you where to find this."
"It's just a voice in my head," Aros whined.
"The most important voice," Halstrom stated. He held out the Key in his palm. "Take it."
Aros gawked at it and shook his head.
The King swiftly removed Aergo's sword from his belt and held it high above his head. "Aros Asilias!" He swung his sword downward so it aligned with the side of Aros' head and then nicked his cheek with the blade. "As King of Kytheras, descendant of Aergo, and wielder of his sword, it is within my rights to empower you as a Guardian of Kytheras. May you watch over the Five Kingdoms. May your courage withstand even the darkest corruption. And may this drop of blood be the last that you ever spill upon our lands."
Aros pushed his palm against his cheek, letting it absorb the blood dripping from his cut.
Halstrom shoved the Key in Aros' face. "You must take it."
To appease the King, Aros scooped up the Key with his free hand. Seconds later, Linus tossed him a key ring to fit on his belt.
While Aros fastened the Key to his waist, the King washed the blood from his sword in the river.
"Prince. Grand Mage. Guardian." Halstrom returned the wet sword to the scabbard at his waist. "You have already proven yourselves the heroes of Kytheras. Now, you must be our saviors. May Magenine's light point you true." The King bent forward and bowed before the trio.
; Linus walked up to Rikki and Doren. "I know we are not blood, but you are my family. I have watched the two you for your entire lives. Please come back safely." He made to leave but stopped himself. "You, too," he directed at Aros.
Aros snorted. He was glad not to have known Linus for much of his life.
"Rikki." The King summoned her to join him at the river's edge.
Rikki cautiously crept up to the bank of the river and looked down. The waters were rushing downstream. In spite of all she had accomplished, there was an apparent lack of confidence drawn out on her face. She looked back at all that were watching her, and then plunged the top of her staff into the waterway.
The channeling crystal illuminated the river in a pale-green glow, and the current gradually eased. The vociferous waters became a light trickle, until the entire body was brought to a standstill.
Rikki turned and gave her audience a smile, obviously impressed with herself. With renewed confidence, she focused her attention back on Wingless River, and it suddenly rushed upstream like it had always flowed in that direction. She lifted her staff out from beneath the water, and, without looking back, she jumped into the river.
"Dorenculous," the King said. He reached into his pocket and removed a scroll. "Show this to any ruler that might resist your presence."
Doren took the scroll and shoved it into his pocket. "I hope it's waterproof." He gave his father a warm grin and then followed his friend into the river.
Aros came up to the river's bank. Standing there, he could see his friends being carried by the tide. Their lead on him was increasing.
"I know you want to join her in the Bastion," Halstrom said without instigation. "Many nights, I thought...Well, I am the King. And you are a guardian. Our duties come first. Remember that before you choose to be reckless."
Aros raised his eyebrow at the King, while his heart sank just being reminded of her absence. He was going to join Leidess one day. It was the only comforting notion in this world without her. But that did not mean he had any intention of being reckless. There were five kingdoms at risk and a murderer who could be in any one of them.
Before Rikki and Doren disappeared into the outlet, Aros held his breath and leapt into Wingless River, letting the current take him. He knew what he had to accomplish, but he also knew who he was going to be thinking about every second along the way.
