by D N Meinster
Simma shuffled over to the carcass of a man whose navy-blue cloth was covered with bits of white plaster. She was taken aback by the skull exposed on one side of his face, but proceeded to bend down and sift through the remains.
Her hand patted down Sarin's corpse until she felt the stiff metal dig into her palm. She reached underneath his robes and pulled out the second Key. She traced the intricate design with the tip of her finger, and recalled all the emperors who had worn it. Had they forgotten what it was truly for?
She got up and headed straight to Aros, with the Key held tightly in her fist. She was about to turn over a lasting symbol of authority that had been equated with Korona's rule. She knew why she had to, but she had more qualms than she had imagined in doing so.
"Neanthal is on the verge of being released," Simma relayed to the crowd. Perhaps in convincing them why she was doing this, she could convince herself. "Right now, in the unseen lands, Thalians are working to open the Door. These Kytherans came here to prevent that from happening. My brothers refused to help them. I will not."
Simma extended an open hand to Aros. Lying in her palm was the Key, waiting for him to take it.
"Take it," Simma said in old Kytheran. "And make sure he never darkens our lands again."
Aros reached out and gently removed the Key from her palm. He hardly examined it before sticking it next to the other Key on his belt.
"Thank you, my Empress," Doren said from his side.
"Right," Aros added. "Thanks."
"When you look at that key," Simma replied, "remember what it meant to Faunli. Remember what you did for our empire. And remember our gratitude."
Her head turned to Lady Yveen, who was on her knees beside a velizard. Simma went up to her and requested that she stand.
"The war is over," Simma said. "I will relinquish any land the Korona dynasty has commandeered. You can go home."
Yveen's one eye gazed back as if she didn't fully believe her. "What'll it cost me?"
"Nothing," Simma replied. "This is an imperial decree." She switched back to speaking in her native language. "All of you may return home to your land. Any claims made against it are hereby eliminated. It is yours now, and forever more. Do with it as you wish."
"I'm disappointed," Yveen said. "I rather liked being an outlaw." She smirked at the Empress before climbing onto her velizard's back.
Simma suppressed a laugh before informing them all of one more thing. "Before you return home, you may want to accompany me back to Radite. I foresee a grand celebration in our future."
Men started getting back to their feet; others pounded on their padding in approval. The fields erupted in jubilation as Simma made her way back to her brothers. It was time to go home.
The journey back to Radite took more than two days. The sheer size of the Empress' army created more tremors as they traveled the grasslands to reach the capital. Men in gold pads marched next to men in red pads. It was a spectacular sign of the reunited empire. Yet, as they got closer to their destination, there was a noticeable decrease in both the amount of men and the trembling earth. For every town that they had passed, soldiers broke off from the main group and returned home. Though they had been invited back to Radite, many were eager to put the war behind them and return to their families.
Lady Simma stayed by her brothers the entire trip, leaving Doren and his friends in the company of Lady Yveen. While members of her gang departed when they neared home, she remained, using the upcoming festivities as an excuse. But Doren concluded she really wanted to be with her new Kytheran buddies before they left Faunli. Why else would she delay returning to a home she had so relentlessly fought for? It was the type of deduction Yveen would have made herself.
The red walls of Radite were a welcome sight. While they had been well fed on the way back, Doren felt like he had done nothing but hike across Faunli since they arrived. The initial wonder he had upon seeing the abundance of greenery had greatly diminished. It would be a relief to settle in a single place again, and all the better that it was a shining city constructed from Ligold.
Radite was easily overrun by the returning soldiers. Even though many had since absconded, it was nowhere near the size of Kytheras, with little room to accommodate the new arrivals. Pubs and eateries filled up, as did lodges and vacant structures. Many inhabitants invited the warriors to stay in their homes. The rest had no choice but to camp out, either in the streets or outside the wall.
Doren dreaded another night spent outdoors, but Lady Simma found him and his friends and invited them to stay in the imperial palace. After she ordered a familiar man in a red robe to guide them to their rooms, she suggested they head to the roof before nightfall.
By the time Doren was shown his room, the sun had already begun to set. Yet he was not about to leave until he had fully perused the magnificent quarters the Empress was loaning them. They had been fully furnished in Ligold, from the bed poles to the guest chairs. Marvelous marble pillars with swirling white and beige enhanced the grand decor. It was a room meant for royalty, more so than any he had seen in Castle Tornis. Nothing gave off the appearance of being out of date or worn down; instead, it was meticulously polished and brightly lit. Doren had to restrain himself to keep off the fluffed-up mattress. If he were to lie on that now, he would fall asleep and miss the night's activities.
Before he left to rejoin his friends, he considered leaving his shield behind. For once, maybe he wouldn't need it. They were in the imperial palace, surrounded by Faunli's best warriors. Why bring it?
Hatswick. Slythe. He could see them coming to attack when he was completely defenseless. They were not safe, even here. He left the shield on his back.
Doren met up with Aros and Rikki in the adjoining hallway. They, too, had held onto their weapons.
"How do we get to the roof?" Aros asked as they began to wander the halls.
"There must be a stairway," Doren replied, trying to think if he saw one when he was being led to his room. He and Aros both looked at Rikki.
"Why do you two expect me to know?" Rikki asked incredulously.
"Magic," Aros stated curtly.
"I could shift us there," Rikki suggested, tilting her staff toward them.
"That won't be necessary," Yveen said as she emerged from her lodgings. "Y'all weren't gonna wait for me, huh?"
Aros scratched the back of his head while Doren shot her an apologetic look.
"No matter," she said with a tip of her hat. "I'll still show you the way. Used to come here a lot in my younger days. Explored every inch of this place with the new Empress."
Yveen guided the trio down lavish corridors that neatly matched the style that had impressed Doren earlier. The staircases in the palace were twice as spacious as the ones Doren knew back home, and much better kept. They climbed up flight-after-flight until they came to a window with drawn wooden shutters. Yveen unlatched them and pulled them open. "Here we are."
Rikki was the first to step outside, followed by Doren and Aros. They took in the view of Radite as the last rays of the sun hit the golden city. The streets were stuffed with onlookers, who seemed more interested in the setting sky than the architecture.
"What are they looking at?" Doren asked as he took a seat on the roof beside Rikki.
"You don't know?" Yveen responded as she squatted down next to Aros. She beamed as she pulled the brim of the hat away from her eyes. "I bet you've never seen any. Oh, I can't wait to see your faces."
"Seen what?" Aros asked.
Yveen giggled.
"So why did you decide to stay?" Rikki asked in a flat voice.
"Me?" Yveen replied, unsure if she was talking to one of the two men between them. When neither responded, she said, "Well, I figure they owed this to me. Might overstay my welcome, even." She stretched her legs out across the slanted roof.
"What are we going to see?" Aros asked with increasing impatience.
"Calm down," Doren said. "We'll find out soon, I take it."
"Sorry," A
ros replied without urging. "I didn't mean to make it seem like...Maybe I should have left the clawblades indoors."
"No, you were right to bring those."
"Remember the last celebration?" Rikki reminded them.
There was a split second of silence before they all started cracking up. It was odd that they could laugh about it now, like it was some sort of inside joke.
Yveen was the only one lacking arms. "Y'all seem paranoid to me." That just increased the cackling amongst the trio.
Doren was glad to see Aros in high spirits. He had been unsure that the boy he had met in Kytheras, who had spoken to him with sincerity and wisdom when they were introduced, would ever be seen again. But he saw him now, even though there was a greater despondence present in his eyes. Aros was still Aros, and he felt more regretful of what he had tried to put in motion.
Why had he done that? When it came to misunderstanding someone close, he could only think of the way his father had treated him. Was it his own father that had caused this lack of empathy? King Halstrom had never understood Doren, up until perhaps the last day they spent together. Did Doren have the same faults?
He shook it from his mind. He didn't want to think he was like his father in that way. He had accepted Aros much sooner than the King had accepted his own son. And Doren had learned to never act in that way again. Would his father be so kind the next time they met? Or would he revert to his old ways?
Doren pulled at his untidy black hair. Thinking about his family, and his responsibilities, continued to stress him out.
"Can you tell us now?" Doren asked Yveen, eager for a distraction.
Yveen pointed up, at the sky that had been overcome by darkness. Now only stars and slices of the moons were visible. "Watch."
"Is it a sort of show?" Rikki guessed.
A resounding BOOM provided the answer. The sky was lit up by an explosion, which rained red sparks down upon the spectators. This was subsequently followed by two more thunderous blasts, which sent green and white embers hurtling through the sky.
"What are they?" Aros asked, astounded by the colorful detonations.
"Fireworks," Yveen replied. "Done with prop powder, not magic. Take a look." She cast a finger at nearby roofs, where archers were letting loose the exploding arrows at the stars.
"Amazing," Rikki said.
There was a POP as another firework went off and sent yellow hues through the sky.
They all watched as the multicolored explosions illuminated the night in a brilliant show. More and more arrows took to the air and left vivid hues in their place.
Rikki took the opportunity to draw close to Doren, cozying up to his side as the display went on.
Doren felt paralyzed as she rested against his arm. His heart sped up like he was finishing a jog, and his breath grew shallow. How was he supposed to react in this situation?
For as long as Doren and Rikki had known each other, they had never discussed any romantic inclinations. They had always been preoccupied. When they were younger, they had played around the castle, with Rikki occasionally using her magic to cause unintended injury. As they got older, their talk deviated, not to relationships, but to rebellion. They could spend hours complaining about their days and their already drawn up legacies.
As he felt her warmth permeate through his green top, he could only wonder: what had changed? Why was she doing this now?
Doren was vividly aware of his affections toward Rikki, but they had never been a priority. Before, it was getting out of the castle. Now, it was getting the Keys and preventing Neanthal's escape. Those goals always felt more important than how they might feel about each other. Any yearning could wait.
So he had embraced their friendship, and brushed off anything deeper. He'd been doing it for so many years, he had gotten rather efficient at it. Any lingering stares or awkward moments were best ignored.
But this was not so easily overlooked. They were far from Kytheras, in the midst of a potentially harrowing journey. This hardly seemed like the best time for her to act on any adulation.
Doren snuck a look at Aros, who had yet to notice what she was doing. He had recently lost the love of his life. It felt so wrong to engage in any infatuation when he was right beside them. He had improved so much since they came to Faunli. What if seeing this set him back? What if it sent him into a jealous rage?
Maybe he should shake her off. Or, even better, get up and head to the other side of the roof.
Yet the longer it took for him to make a decision, the more he grew secure feeling her attached to his arm.
This wasn't that serious; it was only a gesture. They weren't chatting about love or relationships. They were just staying close, after spending far too long apart. That, he could accept, and Aros probably could, too.
Doren felt his body relax as he dismissed any further implications. He smiled at Rikki, and they stared at each other for a bit too long before another BANG grabbed their attention. The fireworks went on for most of the night, and they snuggled until the last exploding arrow fizzled out.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Homesick
Aros did not want to get up. He had perfectly sunk into the cozy mattress and had one of his best nights of sleep in decks. Before he lifted an eyelid, he could tell that the sun had already risen and was lighting up the entire room. He probably would have slept through that, if he didn't sense that someone else had come into the room to wake him. Were his friends so anxious to leave? He would have preferred one more night in the imperial palace. Barring that, they could at least not interrupt him until he awoke naturally.
"Come back later," Aros grumbled as he pulled the sheets over his head.
"Not sure I've got a later," said a voice Aros didn't recognize. "This could be it."
Aros threw the sheets off his face and finally opened his eyes. Standing at the foot of his bed was a ten-year-old boy with fair skin and sloppy brown hair. Aros' hand immediately cupped the M set against his bare chest. "Who are you?"
"What is that?" the boy said, and he moved along the side of the bed until he was right at Aros' side. His robe appeared to be formed from clouds.
Aros warily opened his hand and exposed what was in his palm. "It represents Magenine."
"We didn't have anything like that in Kytheras, did we?" the boy asked.
"Got it here in Faunli," Aros replied. He looked the child over again, and saw not a weapon nor a threatening posture. It was curious that he had instinctively reached for his necklace and not his clawblades when the boy had appeared. "Who are you?"
"Are you awake enough to know this isn't a dream? I don't want you to think I wasn't really here."
Aros let go of the M and rubbed his eyes. He took a glance around the fabulous marble room before saying, "I know I'm awake."
The boy beamed at him. "Wonderful. I'm Milo. I came here to thank you."
Aros gawked at Milo. This was the second deceased person to visit him. He could understand why Leidess would want to see him, but why Milo? He had never known the young mage. "You shouldn't. I didn't kill Sarin. Doren did. He freed the last piece of your soul."
"True," Milo said. "But I ponder, if you had never been asked, would you have taken Sarin's deal? Would Doren have eliminated him if he didn't know what was at stake?"
"You're not allowed to see him, are you?" Aros asked, figuring these visits were not a coincidence.
"The Goddess was very specific," Milo replied.
"So, you've spoken to Her?" Aros asked, crossing his arms. He resented that She still refused to speak to him.
"Yes," Milo stated.
"What does She want me to do now?" Aros groaned.
"You already know what you have to do," Milo said. "I was the one who asked if I could thank all of you for what you did. She said I would have to relay my gratitude through you, and only you."
Aros scooted over to the edge of the bed, until his legs were dangling off the side. Milo was within his reach. Would his hand pass
right through if he reached out for him? He thought about testing it out, but worried there could be repercussions if he tried. Besides, there was a more vital piece of knowledge he sought. "What's it like? The Great Bastion?"
"I haven't had much chance to explore," Milo said. "It's more like our world than you'd think, yet vastly different. There are less limits there."
"So, it's not a bad place to end up?" he asked. Aros could feel tears welling up in his eyes.
"I wouldn't be thanking you if it was," Milo said. He gazed into Aros' eyes and said, "She's keeping an eye on you, you know."
That sent the tears falling down his cheeks. He shoved his hands over his eyes as memories of Leidess flooded his brain.
"Sorry," Milo responded. "I didn't mean to-."
"No," Aros said through his sniffling. "It's so hard going through every day without her." He wiped at his eyes until Milo ceased being a blurry image.
"I shouldn't have said anything," Milo replied. He headed to the foot of the bed.
Aros took deep breaths until he got his weeping under control. "You're leaving?"
"I don't belong here anymore," he answered. "Tell Rikki and Doren 'thank you' for me. Without the three of you, I would've been lost forever."
"Wait!" Aros cried out.
Milo turned his head toward him.
"Tell Leidess...tell Magenine, I'm tired of blaming Her. I'm tired of blaming myself. I know who's really responsible. It's Hatswick. It's Neanthal. I've got two Keys now. I won't let them get the rest." His fingers tapped against the Keys hanging from his waist.
"They probably already know," Milo replied. "But I'll tell them. Thank you again, Aros Asilias. Ghumai's future is in your hands."
With that, Milo vanished, leaving Aros completely alone in the room.
"How did I get stuck being responsible for Ghumai's future?" He brushed his hand against the tips of his spiky hair before slumping back onto his bed.
As he lie there, he considered whether he had been completely truthful with Milo. Was he done blaming himself for Leidess' death? He knew she didn't fault him for it. Had her words finally gotten through?
