“Svana, my dear child. You know that as long as I was a part of your life, you and your sisters were like daughters to me. Take all those memories, and all those things I showed you and use them to help you become the best warrior, and ruler that you can be. Despite all that has occurred, it is still the will of the ancestors that you and your sisters take the thrones. Do you understand?” An apparition of Melifera appeared from the smoke. Gone from her face were the years of age, and the wrinkles that once existed around her eyes and mouth. She was a sprig of a girl, almost childish in nature, and the smile she wore was the brightest that Svana had ever seen. She couldn’t help but feel the peace that seemed to flow from the woman who had raised and taught her everything she needed to know to be a warrior.
“But Melifera, what will I tell my sisters? We’re going to miss you so much!”
“Oh, my dear, tell them I died doing what I loved most, and more importantly, tell them I was ready. It was time. It was more than time, and I am completely at peace. There are a great many ancestors who have long awaited me. I have joined them on the other side. Be thankful for that, and no matter what is to come, know that this is what I wanted. I would not have chosen for it to happen any other way.
Know that no matter what you do, that I will always be by your side, watching you. For now, I am allowed on this side of the ancestral divide. You may call on me, and I will be there as much as I can. Now, it is your turn to do what you must, seek out Hekla. When she is rested, she will be strong enough to heal Lingaria.”
Svana could feel the little bit of energy she had gained, draining. A spiritual version of Melifera was not enough. Nor was it comforting that she had only to call on her. She needed more time, more time to learn and be taught. She needed more time to tell her sisters that Melifera was no longer here and wouldn’t be able to help them anymore.
What am I going to do without her? What am I going to do without Lingaria? She could feel the hopelessness creeping in as she thought about all that she had lost.
“There’s one more thing.” Eloise emerged from the shadows, lower lip trembling, as she approached Svana.
“Eloise! What are you doing here?”
The woman had aged, gray hairs kissing the top of her head like a halo, and her face showing wrinkles that hadn’t been there before. Before the woman even spoke, Svana knew what she was going to say.
“What happened to Percival? How’d he die?” Svana asked, not waiting for the woman to volunteer the information.
“There’s been a great deal of violence during your time away. Raiders have come through, destroying the villages of Telluris, not caring that the king has rescinded his attacks. He was controlled by an evil wizard, and for now he seems to be a reformed man. That doesn’t seem to stop his hardcore followers. These brigands have gone through, burning houses and business to the ground. There isn’t much left, Svana. Percival, and many others died in the raids.”
Svana tucked her wild hair behind her ear, not believing what she was hearing. “If only I was awake, I could have stopped them!” she said angrily.
“Svana, not even I could have stopped them. There was just too many, and they were too strong, too angry,” Jakobe chimed in.
“What makes you think I couldn’t have stopped them? I have done less with more!” her voice rose, as she became more and more overwhelmed with the severity of situation. The people had fought, and she could have fought for them, but it did not matter. More innocent lives had been taken. “What was the whole point of the war then, if they are going to continue to kill without cause?”
“That is why Telluris needs you, Svana. That is why your life is important,” Eloise said, voice breaking.
“Oh, I’m so sorry about Percival. He was a good friend. He took me in and cared for me when I was a stranger. I will make sure his death was not in vain. I can’t go on the road without my armor, though, how am to fight with no dragon magic? No armor? Nothing to protect myself?”
Palladin nodded his head in understanding.
“One moment,” he whirled one claw in the air in a circular motion, and Svana’s body was encapsulated momentarily by the smoke magic. When it cleared, her armor had been restored to her body, thicker and more resilient than before. The damage had been cleared, almost as if it had been made brand new.
She studied the leather with appreciation, flexing her elbows and legs to test the flexibility. It covered more of her skin than the other armor had and offered more protection.
“Thank you, it’s wonderful,” she said appreciatively. “Come, we mustn’t waste another moment. I need to find Hekla and restore Lingaria, so that I can take down these cowardly marauders who are destroying everything that I worked so hard to protect. Her teeth clenched, she grabbed her sword from Jakobe’s hand, and exited the cave. Seeing the inside of the volcano of shadows, her island, the island of Volican not far off, brought back feelings of remorse she didn’t have time to entertain. It was time to exit and head back down the volcano side as quickly as possible.
It was a few short hours to the rock stairwell etched into mountainous wall. Even though it had been months since she’d last been here, she remembered it like it had been tattooed on the back of her hand, and she quickly led them up and out, where they were faced with wild overgrowth, and heavy forestry that they had to fight their way through.
I’m going home, she thought, only the home in her mind was the land of Telluris. She was hell bent on restoring it to its former glory and bringing peace to the kingdoms. Even if a few more had to fall at her hand.
19
Hekla
Everyone has a motivation. It isn’t always clear what their motivation is at times, but if you dig deeper, you will find that there is always a motivation behind their mask. Whether that motivation is greed, anger, vengeance, or any other negative emotion, you will find there is a reason at its core. There is always a reason someone becomes the way they are. And despite what you may think, the core reason isn’t always a bad one.
King Rowan the Observant, First King of Telluris, 233 A.V.
Hekla awoke to a knock. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. Hekla could sleep for another three days. At least, that’s how she felt. She stood, stretched, then opened the door. Luna stood on the other side; her face cautious.
“Did I wake you?” Luna asked.
“It’s fine,” Hekla said. “I needed to wake anyway. I feel much more rested.”
Even though her body still needed to sleep, what she said was the truth. She did feel much more rested than she had before she laid down. And more than anything, she wanted to complete her mission. The constant traveling, running, and leading was wearing on her.
“How long did I sleep?” Hekla asked.
“You’ve been asleep since yesterday afternoon,” Luna said.
Afternoon? Hekla thought she arrived on the island at night, not afternoon. Perhaps she was just that exhausted. She rubbed her eyes again.
“Are you hungry?” Luna asked.
Hekla nodded. The sharp pang in her stomach made her feel as if her insides were devouring themselves.
Luna clapped her hands. “Good. Mom made shrimp and fish salad.”
Hekla’s face soured.
Luna’s eyes widened. “I forgot. You don’t like fish, do you?”
Hekla shook her head. “No, I don’t. I will do without. In fact, I should have some fruit packed in my bag. Do not concern yourself with me.”
“Fruit?” Luna asked. “We have fruit. I’ll fetch you some.”
Luna skipped away.
Hekla frowned. She wondered what kind of fruit grew underwater, or on the island. Hekla rubbed her eyebrows. She hoped whatever it was, that she could stand the taste of it.
When she walked into the kitchen, she saw Miralee setting the table. One of the plates was empty. Luna came rushing inside the house with several colorful fruits which she promptly sat on the empty plate. Hekla smiled at her as she took her seat.
“Goo
d morning,” Miralee said.
“Good morning,” Hekla replied, smiling as warmly as she managed to the woman.
Jetevius had a place at the table as well. Their eyes met momentarily, and she found him grinning in her direction.
“You’re in a good mood,” she stated matter-of-factly.
“I am, it’s good to see you up and about considering everything that has happened over the past few days.”
Hekla nodded, there was no arguing that.
“Well, for what it’s worth, it’s good to see a smile on your face,” she said, grinning wide. When they’d gone silent, Luna said a quick prayer to the Unseen Ones, then they began eating. Surprisingly, the fruit was delicious, the sweet juices dribbled down her chin, and she found herself wiping them away, only to lick her fingertips.
“I did good?” Luna grinned, watching Hekla eagerly eat them all up.
“You did wonderfully,” Hekla said, in between large gulps of the various water fruits. “The best thing is they don’t taste anything like fish!” That caused some well-needed laughs between the lot of them.
When Hekla finished, she turned to Jetevius, who finished eating his shrimp. Hekla’s nose turned. She had focused on the fruit during breakfast, and had done all she could to not think about the fish and shrimp, but now that she saw it again, the smell came back, and one thing Hekla liked less than eating seafood, was smelling it. The strong scent made her nostrils turn up, her full belly of fruit suddenly wasn’t sitting so well with the acrid, salty smell of dead fish.
“Are you all right, Hekla?” Jetevius asked.
Hekla rubbed her nose, trying to negate the scent. “Fine. Has Ecthelion returned?”
“I’m afraid not.”
Hekla frowned.
Before she could say anything else, a knock at the door startled them. Hekla’s eyes widened, and she and Jetevius stood, glancing toward the back door.
“Let me see who that is,” Miralee said.
She didn’t look as concerned as Hekla felt, but there was still worry on the older Aequoran’s face. Miralee walked unsteadily to the door and opened it. Hekla remained hidden, but she moved close enough so that she could hear whoever it was. She smiled when she recognized a familiar voice.
The door opened further and Ecthelion stepped in. He wasn’t alone. Hekla’s eyebrows furrowed when she saw the young woman who stepped inside with him. Skin of the palest seafoam green, and eyes as azure as the loveliest of ocean waters. She was very much Aequoran, but her mannerisms were delicate and fluid like a being not of the water world.
Hekla found herself without words as the woman glided into the room with dancer-like grace. She bowed slightly, and the smile that played on her corral pink lips only brought more beauty to her perfectly sculpted features and honey colored hair, that hung like a halo around her angelic face.
“Hekla,” Ecthelion said, his eyes staring deep into hers, “I want you to meet Isabella, King Renault’s daughter.”
Hekla’s eyes widened. She hadn’t known the king had a daughter. The only family she knew of for King Renault was his wife, which he had killed. She hadn’t heard about any offspring.
Jetevius stepped forward. “The king had a daughter?”
Hekla turned to Jetevius. Even he hadn’t known. How many people did know? Was this some well-kept secret?
“My father doesn’t talk about me,” Isabella said. “I was a baby when my mother was killed. Neither she nor my father had told anyone about me, and it was my mother’s best friend who raised me.”
“And your father?” Hekla asked.
“He knows about me. He visits me often. Sometimes, we go to mother’s grave together to say a prayer to the Unseen Ones.”
Hekla didn’t know what to say, even as she watched the elegant woman who moved with swan like grace. If she couldn’t convince King Renault to change, she knew she’d have to kill him, and yet, here was his daughter. How could Hekla do that to his daughter?
“Do you think there’s still good in your father?” Hekla asked.
“I do not know,” Isabella admitted. “But I know something is going on with him. I hear him talk… mostly to himself, but he also talks to his closest advisors and guards. He talks of a dark spirit. Some kind of dragon, or sea creature—I’m not sure. He speaks about paying homage to the dark spirit to keep him off our land.”
“Homage… how?” Hekla asked.
“Gold… and jewels,” Isabella said.
“Gold and jewels?” Hekla asked, her eyes widening.
“Yes… why?” Isabella asked.
“All he talks about is how he needs more gold and jewels,” Hekla said. “I always thought it was greed that was blinding him, but I couldn’t for the life of me fathom why. Perhaps this is why he collects so much of it.”
Hekla remembered stories of dragons hoarding treasure a long time ago. When she was a little girl, she thought the stories to be true, but after meeting Palladin, and Speltus, she dismissed such stories as nonsense.
Hekla, Speltus said, the tales were true. It was a long time ago, back when dragons roamed all of Verdil. Many of them were selfish, and desired treasure. But they were banished. The dragon elders banished them from this world and into the ancestral plane. Greed was unbecoming, and the dragon elders wanted to create an alliance with all the races of Verdil. Greed would not allow that.
“Do you know where he takes it?” Jetevius asked.
Isabella shook her head. “I’m afraid I don’t.”
Hekla rubbed her chin. “Do you know how often he sends his men to pay homage to this dark spirit?”
“I believe it’s at least once a moon, but I don’t know for certain,” Isabella admitted.
“That’s all right, Isabella. Thank you. You have been very helpful,” Hekla said.
Isabella nodded. “He’s done very little to be a father to me. And I know what he had done to mother. A part of me wants him to be saved—to realize all the wrong he’s done, but—” Isabella ran her hands through her long green hair. “Part of me knows that he will never be the man he was when he met my mother. I know he doesn’t deserve to rule Aequorus.”
“What are you saying, Isabella?” Jetevius asked.
“I know what must be done by the end.” She wiped a tear from her eye. It sparkled like a diamond on her finger. “And I’m all right with it.”
“I hope it won’t come to that,” Hekla said.
“As do we all,” Ecthelion said.
“What’s the next step?” Jetevius asked.
“We need to gather a small team to search for this so-called dark spirit. We need to see what we’re dealing with, because if there is something, King Renault may be the least of our problems,” Hekla said.
20
Astrid
It is a profoundly strong soul that can bear the weight of a dragon’s friendship. To be in such a place is a delicate space indeed. However, strength can quickly turn to weakness if proven to be unworthy by the scaled beast. That is why many a knight has turned down the opportunity to align itself with the winged creature. To all who dare, wisdom says beware good soldier, beware.
King Nicklaus the Brave, First King of Caelestis, 246 A.V.
Astrid and Cayden decided that they should return to Telluris. There wasn’t anything holding them here. King Bertram would not listen to them. It was like talking to a tree—every now and then you’d see it move in the breeze, but you wondered if it listened to a single thing you confessed to it. As much as Astrid wanted to convince the king that an alliance between the three kingdoms was needed, she knew it wasn’t going to happen. His hate for King Armand ran deep. A part of Astrid couldn’t blame him. She didn’t have a child, but she did have two sisters. How would she feel if someone murdered one of her sisters, then wanted to begin a friendship with her? Would she accept? Even if they hadn’t been of their own free will when they did it, would it matter? Could she forgive such an act? She shook her head. No matter what King Bertram’s feelings we
re, Astrid knew she had to bring peace to all of Verdil.
Before Astrid could have another thought, a gentle rumbling started under her feet, vibrating all around her, and as she looked about, throughout all of Caelestis.
“Woah!” Astrid yelled out, her evergreen hair flying about, as she struggled to maintain her footing. Her emerald eyes went wide, and she gripped Cayden’s hand tightly. The rumbling increased, and for a moment she wondered if the whole of Caelestis was going to crash down to Telluris.
Rocks broke apart from buildings all around her, falling to the ground and shattering into hundreds of pieces. People all around her fell to the ground, unable to stand straight. Several of the Caelestans leaped into the air, using their wings to fly above, and she noticed when they did, they were able to stabilize themselves. Whatever was happening, was happening on Caelestis itself.
Astrid wondered what it could be. Caelestis was a floating kingdom, and there were several floating cities all around her. Each looked like an upside-down mountain, with the bottom coming to a point, but each of the islands in the sky floated of their own violation. Astrid didn’t really know how it worked… only that it had always been. She knew the tremors. She’d experienced something similar when she lived in the volcano. Every time the volcano erupted, it would create a tremor throughout the entire land nearby. It even happened at times when the volcano didn’t erupt. She’d grown up with it. Melifera had called them earthquakes. Astrid and her sisters expected it to happen from time to time. But what would cause a floating kingdom to quake? It wasn’t attached to the earth. Then came the question she never thought of. What was keeping the sky kingdom afloat? “What’s happening?” Cayden yelled above the rumbling.
“I don’t know!” she answered, feeling fearful for her life, as she questioned the stability of the sky city. It eventually stopped, and as they steadied themselves, rotund Quimby came ambling from the tower of the great Vizier.
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