by Walls, Devri
Focusing back in on her, he seemed to calm a bit, but his gaze was intense, those eyes still darker, bluer. “I have had a very hard time getting used to you, that is true. But I have never met anybody like you, Kiora. You really are remarkable.” His hand started to reach out to her cheek again and then realizing there were no tears he stopped, bringing it reluctantly back down. Kiora’s stomach ached in response. Looking down at the ground he finished, “And not just because of your magic either.”
Kiora could feel her checks turning scarlet, again. “But you don’t like that I am the one who can do magic.”
“I didn’t like it. That is different.”
“You like it now?”
“Mmm…” he grinned, “I am used to it now and am learning. How’s that?”
“I guess it will have to do.” She looked down at her feet not sure if she should say what she was thinking.
“What?””Nothing.””I can tell you are thinking something Kiora, don’t tell me it’s nothing.”
Her voice came out so quiet, so unsure, it was more of a squeak. “I do need you, you know.” Emane was quiet. “I would be a mess if you weren’t with me.”
“I was pretty sure you despised me.”
She smiled at her feet, too scared to look up. “I did at first. You were an arrogant horse’s ass.”
His laugh bellowed through the cave. She shyly looked up at him.
“I don’t think I have ever been called that.” He laughed so hard he cried. He tried to calm himself as he wiped the tears from his face. “At least not to my face anyway.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. That is one of the things that I love about you Kiora.”
She frowned, “That I call you horrible names?”
“That you are always so honest in how you feel. I was taught not to let others know when things bother me. It shows good leadership I’ve been told.”
Kiora snorted, “How’s that working for you?”
He picked up a pillow and threw it at her. “It worked great at home. It’s not working so great with you. As you so eloquently put it, it turns me into an ‘arrogant horse’s ass.’”
She laughed. “Yes it does.”
“Kiora?” He grew serious again, leaning towards her. “There is one thing I am curious about. I know this is off topic but, whatever possessed you to go with that dragon?”
“I’m not sure. I felt like I needed to talk to him.”
“Are you always going to be running off with creatures that could kill you?”
“No.” She thought about it for a moment. “I don’t know.”
Emane flopped back onto the bed, his arms out in exasperation. “Wonderful. How am I going to protect you if you keep running off with man-eating creatures?”
“Morcant isn’t man-eating! Just man-disliking I would say.” She looked down at him, asking the question that had been bothering her from the day they had met. “Do you want to protect me?” She grimaced, hardly believing that had just come out of her mouth. Her stomach tied itself into knots in anticipation of the answer.
Emane sat back up, his eyes darkening again as he reached out and put his finger under her chin. Tilting her head up slightly, he moved in closer to her, stopping just inches from her face.
“Do you know,” he asked, “that you are only the second person to ever ask me what I want?” His eyes searched hers, moving even closer. Her eyes fluttered shut too scared to breath. “Yes,” he whispered brushing his lips against hers. “I want to protect you.”
She wanted to pull him into her, to feel him, and then he was kissing her. His mouth hard against hers, and the nervousness melted away in a rush of fire than ran from her fingers all the way to her toes. Leaning in, she moaned running her fingers across his jaw. A tear slid down her cheek, as she ran her fingers through his hair. Emane pulled back looking at her curiously.
“You’re crying.”
She nodded, quickly swiping her tears away.
“You cry more than anyone I know,” he said with a gentle smile.
“I think you have mentioned that,” she whispered.
Leaning back in he kissed her gently on her forehead. She smiled, nearly laughing with an explosion of blissful happiness. Looking down at her he took her hand in his, “Should we get some sleep?”
She couldn’t do anything but nod. Sliding underneath the blankets he held his arm out, “Come here.” She moved over to him placing her head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. She drifted off to sleep, more peaceful than she had been in a long time.
Chapter Eleven
CREATURES
EMANE WOKE TO SUN streaming in through the opening of the cave. Looking down, he smiled happily. He lay there with Kiora for some time, listening to the sound of her steady breathing, when the sound of hoofs on rock announced Arturo’s arrival. The giant winged horse took a few steps within the cave and stared at the two of them lying down together.
“Welcome back, Arturo.” Emane said fighting back laughter.
Arturo walked over and nudged Kiora’s arm with his nose.
“Arturo!” Emane hissed, “She is exhausted!”
Arturo ignored him and nudged her again.
“Arturo!”
Kiora started to stir from her sleep.
“Nice job, Arturo.” The pegasus looked very pleased with himself.
“What’s going on?” Kiora mumbled sitting up.
“Apparently the horse wants to talk to you,” Emane said with an agitated wave of his arm.
Arturo snorted.
“Oh. I’m sorry, the pegasus,” Emane said sarcastically.
Kiora looked back and forth between the two of them. What on earth was going on? What are you doing? Arturo demanded.
Sleeping and waiting for you.
Emane sat, watching their silent conversation.
You two seem to have gotten closer since I left. It came out less of a statement and more of an accusation.
Kiora blushed. Why did she blush every time Emane was brought up? Yes, I suppose we have. You don’t seem very excited about that.
Arturo’s eyes moved to Emane and back. I am not.
He is different than what he seemed, Arturo. Give him a chance.
He looked again at Emane. Tell him if he ever calls me ‘the horse’ again I may accidentally drop him while flying.
Arturo!
Tell him and let’s go. Arturo turned and walked out of the cave.
Kiora smiled painfully at Emane.
“What?” Emane asked.
“Nothing.”
TELL HIM! Arturo demanded.
Kiora grimaced. “He said if you ever call him ‘the horse’ again, he may accidentally drop you while flying.”
“Did he now?” Emane laughed. “Perhaps you should tell him—”
Kiora interrupted, “You can tell him yourself, he is not deaf and I will not be in the middle of this.”
The two exchanged a few menacing stares in which Arturo managed to very clearly express his displeasure with the situation without saying a word.
“Where are we going?” Kiora asked as Emane came up behind her, helping her onto Arturo.
We need to move you to someplace safer.
“Safer?” she said out loud as Emane climbed on behind her. “Has Dralazar found us?” No, not yet. Although he will if I keep coming and going.
Kiora put up a bubble as Arturo spread his wings.
No, no bubble.
Confused, she dropped it. As the film around them disappeared Emane asked, “No bubble? What about Dralazar?”
Eleana is dealing with Dralazar. It is a long flight. You would exhaust your magic before we arrived.
“Eleana is taking care of it,” she relayed to Emane with a confused shrug. Arturo dove over the edge of the cliff without warning. Lurching backwards she barely had time to grab hold of his mane.
“I didn’t say anything,” the Prince yelled in her ear, his arms wrapping tightly around her. “And he i
s still trying to kill me.”
“Not just you, I am on here too,” she yelled back. “Arturo, what are you doing?” There was no response. Arturo was defiantly mad.
I am not mad! Arturo fumed.
Really? You haven’t been your usual self since you came in this morning, she thought as he leveled out.
It’s new to me, that is all.
She thought of the vision where she had watched Arian through himself over the edge of a cliff with complete faith that Arturo would catch him. They had obviously been close, closer than she and Arturo. That relationship, she had no doubt, would develop with time. Arian never had anybody?
Arturo snorted. No, not until long after the war had ended.
Who was his Protector?
A Guardian, and he was male.
Kiora burst out laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Emane asked
“I will tell you later.” She was still laughing too hard to explain. “Arturo, where are we going?”
Someplace safer where we can finish your training.
They were flying in a direction she had never been before. It looked like they were headed to the far northeast. As far as she knew, there was nothing this direction. The Sea of Arian was more to the east, and they were clearly going to miss it. She watched the forest fade away as they flew further and further away from the Hollow.
“Arturo,” Emane asked suddenly, “what is that?”
Kiora looked in the direction he was before jolting upwards.
Rockmen, Arturo answered.
“Rockmen?” Kiora repeated.
“How horribly appropriate,” Emane mumbled. They were enormous. They towered over the trees and were ten times as wide, looking like giant walking mountains. “Whose side are they on?”
“Dralazar’s,” Kiora answered for Arturo. “They look like rocks!” Kiora whispered.
“Yes, moving rocks.”
“Our threads!” Kiora gasped.
It’s alright, they can’t feel threads. They can’t feel much of anything.
Their arms and legs looked like boulders stacked upon boulders, swinging freely. Their heads were enormous and it was hard to tell if there were any eyes hidden in the crevices that ran over the surface. The Rockmen lumbered on below unaware that they were being watched by the three as that flew over the top of them.
“They are not fast, but those clubs look deadly,” Emane observed.
Each rock man was holding a club with three large misshapen and awkward looking fingers and an oversized thumb. The clubs were large enough to flatten several homes at once. Kiora shuddered at the thought of being underneath one of those.
“Aren’t we going to do anything?” Kiora asked spinning around as they flew over the top of them. She couldn’t take her eyes of them.
No. We do not want to draw any attention to ourselves. It is imperative that where I am taking you stay secret. Everything depends on it.
Kiora watched the Rockmen growing smaller behind them until her neck burned. Turning back to the front she rubbed it with one hand, keeping a hold of Arturo with the other. The landscape became rocky and barren with the occasional lonely tree poking up from the earth. Arturo came in and landed. The pebbles slid out from underneath his hoofs and he stumbled trying to gain a sure footing. Before them was an opening to what looked to be yet another cave.
“Another cave, Arturo?” Kiora asked sullenly.
I am sorry, Kiora. Go inside, Eleana will meet you later, Arturo thought before spreading his wings and leaving them on the ground.
***
Eleana nearly smiled to herself as she appeared in Dralazar’s throne room. He was always too sure of himself to put up proper protection. Dralazar sat on his throne talking to the only other creature that made bile rise in Eleana’s throat. Vitraya hovered next to the arm of his chair on her black wings. They both turned to look at Eleana at the same moment. Eleana quickly glanced around the room identifying what she was here for.
“Eleana,” Dralazar said smoothing over his surprise, and his anger. He always took on a certain tone when he was trying to hide his anger, always had.
“Dralazar,” she acknowledged as if she were here for a casual visit.
He leaned back smiling at her, “You remember Vitraya,” he said motioning to his left. Vitraya sneered at her.
Eleana took a few steps forward. “I would like to speak with you alone,” she said.
Vitraya flew at her, snarling, without warning. Eleana batted her away with an easy movement of her finger. Vitraya tumbled end over end, righting herself a few feet away. “Vitraya,” she said her blue eyes narrowing, “even I can only be pushed so far. Ridding the world of you would be far from an act of evil.”
“Yet you will not do it,” the Fallen One sneered.
“Stay and we shall see,” Eleana said taking a few more strategic steps in Vitraya’s direction. The sight of the little monster brought back memories she wished to forget.
Dralazar laughed. “As entertaining as this is… go Vitraya.” Vitraya bowed to him, offering one last sneer in Eleana’s direction before proudly flying out of the room.
“How adorable it is that!” Dralazar mocked. “She still has the ability to anger you, after all this time.”
Eleana breathed in deeply. Dralazar had always known exactly where to push. She would not let him see her anger, it was what he wanted, and she would not give it to him. “I am not here to talk about that, Dralazar.”
“Then what are you here for?” he said smirking. “To beg me to not hurt anyone else? To stop hunting the Solus?”
“I am here to tell you to stop, not ask you.”
Dralazar laughed, first just a snicker, but then it grew louder and louder as he stepped down from his throne. “Why Eleana? Are you going to join the fight this time? Is that what you have come here to tell me?”
She stared at him without answering. He laughed again walking up to her, his face inches from hers. “The past cripples you, Eleana, it will always cripple you, that will never change.” Walking past her he continued to talk. “What makes you think that you can just appear and that I will cease trying to gain what I deserve?”
Eleana moved quickly to the right, turning herself so she was leaning against the stone table that held Dralazar’s basin. Keeping her eyes on his back she put her hand behind her. Touching the base she began whispering the incantation she had come here to do.
Dralazar turned back around with his usual flourish. “You do know you could have ended this long ago?” he asked. “Saved thousands of lives?”
She stopped, narrowing her eyes. “I have heard that from you before, Dralazar.” Bowing her head she continued the incantation, her lips barely moving.
“Yes you have.” There was a pause, Eleana tensed in anticipation. “What are you doing? Eleana!” he roared, his hand flying out.
Eleana put her other hand out throwing up as much of a shield as she could. The magic it required for her incantation was staggering. Her shoulders sagged as the magic drained out of her, but it was finished. Putting up her other hand she used some of the small reserve of magic she still had left to throw Dralazar against the wall. He slammed hard, his knees buckling underneath him.
“What have you done?” he growled, trying to push himself back up before grimacing in pain.
“I have done what I will continue to do, protect the Solus from you.”
Then she vanished.
***
Dralazar struggled to his feet, staggering over to the basin. What had she done? Whatever it was, had drained her, he saw it happen as she had put up her shield.
“Show me the Solus,” he commanded.
The scene came into to focus, showing the Solus fighting Jarland, but as the scene progressed the picture went darker and darker until there was nothing in the basin at all. It was not as if they had bubbled. Whatever had transpired between then and now was gone. Eleana had erased it. Staring over the basin he questioned his own conclu
sion. The magic required for that… but the scene continued playing, in total blackness.
Throwing his head back he screamed, “Eleana!”
***
“Where is he going?” Emane asked watching as their ride off this barren mountain disappeared.
“I don’t know. He said he needed to take us somewhere safer, but…” Kiora turned slowly looking into the mouth of the cave.
“What’s the matter?”
“I have a bad feeling about this.”
“How bad?” Emane asked cautiously.
“Bad” She felt foolish, Arturo had told her it was safe. There was no reason she should doubt him, but something rubbed at her nerves. Staring into the void she shivered. It was dark and cold and utterly uninviting. Water dripped inside, seeming to tap out a slow and steady message. Stay out… stay out… stay out.
Kiora took a deep breath, taking her first step towards the unknown.
Emane put his hand on her elbow. “We are going to need light, Kiora,” he said, his eyes searching to make out anything past the opening.
Kiora looked around. “I think I might be able to get a light if I had something to keep it on.”
Emane walked a few paces and gathered some old dead wood from one of the few trees that had been there.
“Will this work?”
“Hopefully.” She focused a picture in her mind of fire burning at the end of the wood. “Light,” she commanded.
Emane yelped. Kiora opened her eyes just as he threw a flaming stick away from him where is sat burning in the rocks. He stuck his fingers in his mouth. “Kiora!” he shouted through them. She cringed. “Sorry,” he mumbled with a shrug of his shoulders that Kiora assumed was an apology for being an ass. “A little less next time please?”
“I’m sorry,” she slumped, moving to get some more wood. Holding onto it herself she tried again, with a little less force. This time it lit only the tip, she handed it over to Emane.
“Much better, I am liking this magic.” he nodded looking at the torch. “And I will like it even more when my fingers stop burning.”
“Do we need anything else before we go in there?” Kiora asked.
“We have wood, you can summon food. I brought my sword,” he listed off thoughtfully. “I can’t think of anything else.”
