by Candy Crum
Stopping, Amelia placed a hand on Talia’s shoulder. “That’s why I was so happy when you applied. Someone from far away that had no experience with him or even knew much about him. Believe me, Talia. You’ll have a great start here at the new Academy. You’ll be in the position that I held for so long. As Dean, you have the opportunity to do wonderful things for this school, and unlike my predecessor, I can use my new position to help you see those through.”
Talia nodded. “So, you believe you can lead the Academy back from the darkness he left behind, Chancellor Amelia?”
“Even with things so strained, this city has more hope than ever,” Amelia said, “and it’s all because of a teenage girl from the Boulevard. It’s all because the people of this city came together and fought for what’s right, for what’s theirs. It’s so inspiring. Please, let me show you to your office. You’re gonna love it. Trust me!”
Amelia began ascending the stairs, Talia close behind. Talia paused, taking one last look down the hallway to where the statue of Adrien once stood.
No… You will certainly be the last person that I trust, she thought before faking an excited smile and following the newest Chancellor to the Dean’s office.
***
Elysia held tight to Chaos’ mane as Arryn held on to Elysia’s waist. The horse moved quickly, taking every silent direction that Elysia gave him as they navigated through the lush woods to the river.
“Ya think it’s something bad?” Arryn asked.
“Not long now. We’ll see once we get there.”
Chaos slowed to a stop before they crossed over the edge of the woods by the Kalt river. “Stay here with Chaos,” Elysia said. “I’ll call for you if it’s safe.”
“But you might need help,” Arryn replied.
Elysia smiled. “Trust me; I’ll be fine, child. Stay.”
With every step she took, Elysia pushed away her thoughts and worries about what she might find. She only focused on her connection with the forest around her.
She could feel the life flowing through every tree and every flower around her. Their power would be needed if she met with danger.
Once she came to the tree line, her eyes widened as she saw a man lying face down on the river’s edge. He’d washed down stream, more than likely from somewhere close to Cella, a town to the northeast.
Most of his body was in the water, but his head and arms managed to find enough land to hold him, though that would change if he were left there for long. The winter had passed, and spring had approached, but she knew the water would still be frigid.
If the current didn’t carry him away and kill him, the temperatures might.
Elysia approached, slowly at first, as she attempted to sense any danger. There was a moan that escaped him as he tried to move onto his back, but he immediately fell again.
“Arryn!” Elysia yelled as she ran to his side.
She rolled the rearick to his back. He strained to open his eyes, but was unable to manage even that. The sound of Arryn’s footsteps caught Elysia’s ears.
“Whoa. What’s a rearick doing here?”
He groaned as he tried to move.
“Don’t worry about that,” Elysia said. “Help me pull him to the grass. We can heal him there.”
Arryn did as she was asked, grabbing hold of his arm and helping her pull him from the river. Rearick were shorter than most people, but they were built like small, brick shit houses. They could drink a man under the table or kick his ass if the occasion called for it. They could even do both at the same time.
The men were feisty, and the women were worse. Still, they were good, honest people. If a rearick made a promise, they fought to the death to keep it.
Arryn remembered the rearick from her time in Arcadia. They came and went, bringing shipments of the mystics’ brew, the amphorald gems and magitech crystals that fueled the magical devices, and whatever other items the city might have need for from the highlands.
They always traveled together. Safety in numbers and all that. That’s why she found it so odd for him to be so far north—and alone.
“Place your hand over his heart and one on his forehead,” Elysia ordered.
“You should do this. You know I’m not the best healer,” Arryn protested.
“Well, I guess this is probably a good time to learn, now isn’t it?” she asked. “Now, do as I say.” Her eyes narrowed, showing Arryn she meant it.
***
Arryn looked down at the injured rearick. It was obvious he was on death’s door. His breaths were shallow, and his color was some mix between blue, purple, and white. It scared her to think he might taste death for the sake of her education.
“Arryn,” Elysia said sternly, snapping Arryn out of her thoughts.
Arryn nodded and took a deep breath, realizing Elysia was right. What better time to learn how to save a life than in an emergency? Or she hoped so anyway—for the rearick.
She made sure the placement of her hands was correct, then watched as Elysia placed her hands over Arryn’s.
“Push everything out of your mind and focus on the nature around you. It’s full of life and energy. Harness that energy and push inward, toward him. Fill him with it.”
Arryn didn’t reply as she followed Elysia’s instructions. She pushed everything away. The only thing allowed in her mind was the sound of the river, the feel of the wind on her skin, and the feel of the damp ground beneath her.
Soon, her hands felt warm as energy filled them. As she felt it grow, she released it, pushing it toward the rearick. Within moments, his eyes opened as he took a deep breath, coughing and rolling to his side.
Arryn’s face lit up as the rush of saving his life filled her. “I did it!”
Elysia flashed a quick smile in her direction before helping the rearick on his side. He coughed a few more times before groaning.
He had brown hair, but a large beard that had a copper tint to it; both were streaked with silver. His light brown eyes were bloodshot, and the freckles on his cheeks stuck out in stark contrast to his bluish-white pallor.
As he continued to cough and breathe, his cheeks turned rosier as their normal color slowly returned.
“How are you feeling?” Arryn asked.
“About as good as I am pretty, lass.”
Arryn tried not to laugh at the rearick’s joke. “Can you sit?”
He nodded as he struggled to get into position. Arryn and Elysia tried to help, but he grumbled something unintelligible about not being helpless, and they backed off.
“Thank ye, lass, but I doubt yer gonna wanna spend the night watchin’ over my old arse. I’d better start tryin’ ta get back on me own two feet.”
“What happened to you—” Elysia started.
“Samuel,” he answered after she paused, silently asking for his name. “As fer what happened—I got quite a hit on the head a little over a month ago in a battle. Well worth it, I tell ye. Still, it chaps me arse that I let meself get dizzy and tumble over like that.”
“You fell into the river?” Arryn asked. “You must’ve been pretty far north from what you’re used to.”
“Aye,” he said. “We had a delivery fer brew goin’ north to a noble’s house near Cella. Lord Girard is long gone, but the lady of the house likes ta treat the servants there ta the drink. On ol’ Girard’s coin, I’d say. Anyway—I ain’t one fer fancy dinners. I decided to kill mine. I went fishin’ when that damned bump ta the head came back ta pay a visit. Vision went cloudy, and I fell in.”
“You cracked it again from the looks of it,” Arryn said, pointing to a place just below his hairline.
He raised his hand and hissed as he touched the sensitive area. “Seems so,” he snorted. “Maybe that’ll knock some sense into me, and I can get back ta normal.”
“I should be able to help with that,” Elysia said, placing a hand on his head.
He pulled back for a moment, clearly unsure about letting someone directly cast magic on him. It was no
secret that rearick were extremely cautious about magic. They didn’t trust it at all.
“Relax, rearick. I mean no harm. Quite the opposite,” Elysia said.
“Have ta forgive me,” Samuel smiled. “Old habits die hard, I suppose.”
Her jade green eyes flashed an even darker green as she channeled magic through Samuel. The wound on his head disappeared, and Arryn imagined whatever pain came along with it as well.
“There you are. Perhaps that’ll help with the dizziness, too,” Elysia said.
“Magic users. Never thought much of any of ye until that whole mess in Arcadia. Now, I have a bit more respect.”
Elysia smiled. “I accept that as your way of saying thank you.”
The rearick only nodded in her direction. Arryn wasn’t certain exactly how much time Elysia or any of the other druids had spent around rearick, but Arryn remembered them to be kind, but brutish. Not much for apologies or praise.
“I do feel much better. Thank ya, druid.”
“Elysia. And you’re welcome.” She softly smiled at him.
Arryn couldn’t contain her excitement any longer. “So, you said something happened in Arcadia?”
It had been years since she’d thought about the city for more than a few minutes. She tried to ignore any intrusive thoughts unless they revolved around what she planned to do to overthrow Adrien at some point when she finally returned, or unless she was training.
Allowing that kind of sadness and rage to fuel her hatred really seemed to help her fight harder, both physically and magically.
She dreamed of going back and trying to find her father, but she was terrified of what she might find. Especially with Adrien still in control.
“Aye. There was quite a battle there. The people finally got off their pampered arses and did something about that shit stain Chancellor of theirs. He’s long gone now.”
Arryn’s eyes widened, and it felt like her breath rushed out of her. She hadn’t realized until that very moment just how much she’d wanted to go back.
It was all random thoughts and hollow plots of vengeance she never thought she'd have the resources for. But now, she felt conflicted. It should have been her that helped liberate the city.
She'd promised to go back.
Promised to save them.
He's really gone… she thought to herself. Hope filled her as she remembered her mother’s words. She'd made Arryn promise to go back when she was strong enough. Well, she sure as hell wasn't strong enough to reclaim a city on her own, but maybe she didn't have to be the conquering hero to fulfill her vow.
Maybe she could help in other ways.
Arryn scooted a little closer, focusing on him like he might disappear at any moment. “Gone? As in dead?” A cautious smile spread on her face.
“Arryn,” Elysia said, reaching for her hand.
She shook loose, once again focused hard on the rearick and any information he could give her. “Is it true? Is he?” Arryn asked again, continuing to ignore her adoptive mother completely.
“Aye, he is,” Samuel said. “It was a revolution. Some girl from the Boulevard came through with a wizard and a mismatched group of rebels, riled up everyone in the city, and then took it back. Damnedest thing I ever saw. That stone-hearted son of a bitch got just what he deserved if ye ask me. No one better than his own people ta give it to him, too. I never thought I’d live ta see the day when Arcadia wasn’t a shit ta get through. All those stuck up bastard guards with their magitech.”
He shook his head, clearly recalling his hatred for the Capitol Guard. “As far as I’m concerned, ye can’t call yerself a man if ye can’t even fight with yer own hands and a proper weapon.” He spat on the ground next to himself and patted the hammer lashed to his belt.
“I don’t believe it,” Arryn said, her eyes still wide and glistening from the tears of happiness that threatened to form. “It’s free. Everything they wanted… Everything my parents worked so hard for… It’s been done. I wasn't the one to do it like I promised, but that doesn't mean I can't still save the city. Help them rebuild.”
She couldn't help but smile as she thought about the possibilities of going to find her father.
“Arryn,” Elysia said. “We need to talk about this.”
Arryn looked to Elysia, her smile fading as she looked at the expression on the druid’s face. She realized then that her excitement had caused her to completely forget about her home in the Dark Forest. Even about Elysia. She did her best to pull it back, but it was hard.
“What is it?” Arryn asked, reading the lines on Elysia’s face. “I know you didn’t know them well, but this means their lives weren’t taken in vain. Hell, my father might still be alive! I can actually search for him! I can see the city the way they always prayed I would. Maybe I can even help now.”
Elysia sighed, her brows furrowing further as Arryn’s excitement mounted. “Before you go making too many plans and getting your hopes too high, there are some things that you need to know.”
CHAPTER THREE
Arryn and Elysia escorted the rearick to the edge of the Dark Forest. Without their magic, he'd never have made it through the thick wall that barricaded it. He thanked them and went on his way, but not before giving Arryn a promise.
“Ya saved me life, lass. If ye ever do find yer way back ta Arcadia, and ye need help, I’m yers. I don't like owing debts, especially ta some Arcadian, but yer not one of ‘em. The druid folk seem OK enough.”
Arryn had tried to tell him he didn't have to owe her a life debt, but it had been her magic that saved him—with Elysia’s help, of course—so it was her who received his promise. He refused to take no for an answer.
“Rearick are very strange, but noble creatures,” Elysia told her as they turned and headed back to the village. “He’d still owe that debt to you even if you continued to say no. That's how they work. Besides, if you do decide to go back, it wouldn't hurt to have his loyalty.”
Arryn tried to prod her for information about Arcadia and why they needed to talk, but Elysia was a steel trap. She wouldn't speak any more on the subject until they'd returned home.
By the time Arryn and Elysia made it back to their village, Arryn had become increasingly anxious. It was the tone that Elysia had taken with her that made her worry.
They soon crossed the threshold from the thick forest to the cleared section where the druid community was built. Above, the branches of the trees stretched overhead, struggling to shade them, but coming up short. It was where the sun shone through the forest the brightest, allowing the various plants to grow larger and stronger.
Only grass and smaller crops and flowers grew within the borders of the community—no larger trees grew for fear the lack of sun would stunt the growth of their food, which needed ample light.
Elysia turned to Arryn. She thought Elysia looked either guilty or concerned, only increasing her anxiety. “Wait here,” Elysia said, giving Arryn’s hand a light squeeze. She turned away then and walked toward the Chieftain’s home.
“What happened?”
Arryn jumped when Cathillian came up behind her, once again taking her by surprise. His long blonde hair was pulled back in a loose bun, a sign that he’d been training in hand-to-hand combat, judging by the redness on his cheeks and the sweat on his forehead.
“Would you stop doing that? I don’t know how you manage to get me every single time,” Arryn scolded.
For once, Cathillian didn’t seem to take delight in scaring her. “Sorry. I actually didn’t mean to that time. I saw Chaos running in your direction, and I got worried, but knew Mom would be pissed if I came nosing around. I figured if it was important, she’d have sent Chaos to fetch me or one of the other warriors. Is everything OK?”
She shook her head, her hand still over her jumpy heart. “We were walking and talking when she sensed something in the Forest, so she called Chaos. We rode to the river and found a rearick in the water that had nearly drowned, but we pulled him out in
time.”
Cathillian looked at her, confusion on his face. “That’s it? Then what’s with her telling you to stay here? Did you piss her off or what?” His expression changed, a smile growing at her expense.
Arryn chose to ignore him. “Nothing like that—I don’t think anyway. She started acting weird after the rearick told us there was a battle in Arcadia. There was a rebellion, and the Arcadian people rose against Adrien.”
“Oh, yeah?” he asked. “That's pretty huge.”
She paused, taking another moment to smile and enjoy the heroism of her people. “Yes! I still can't believe it. I think I may have overreacted—maybe that's why she's upset. Surely, she wouldn’t expect me not to care about Arcadia, though. She shouldn’t be angry with me about that, right?”
Arryn stopped to replay her reaction to Samuel’s news in her mind, hoping she didn’t seem too eager to leave the Forest. She shook her head. “Anyway… She said there were a few things I needed to know and hasn’t spoken much since, which leads me to my current station. Standing here. Talking to you. Which—by the way—is the highlight of my day.”
Her backhanded insult was suspiciously met with silence. She looked toward Cathillian when he didn’t give a snarky response. His eyes were focused on the ground. He nodded his head without saying a word.
Arryn’s eyes narrowed. “No smartass retort?” Silence. Her eyes narrowed. “You know something. Spit it out.”
“I don’t know anything,” Cathillian said. His eyes dodged hers. Even when he faced her to respond, his eyes never met hers.
“You’re lying!” she accused.
“I’m sorry!” he yelled. “She made me swear, or I’d have told you. Look, it’s nothing bad. But I’m telling you this, if you’re thinking of going back to Arcadia to search for your father—you need to think hard. It might be under new government, but it’s no less dangerous. You have no idea what it’s like there. Just because the almighty Chancellor is dead and gone doesn’t mean there aren’t others there like him. I’m sure most were identified and cleared out. Those assholes usually stick together, but it could still be dangerous. Don’t let emotions control you. That’s their way. Not ours. You might have been born there, but you’re one of us. Anything she needs to tell you—well, it was done to make damn certain you were safe.”
