by Ceri Clark
Shenella made her way to the stern of the ship. As the ship slowly left the harbor, Sori joined her.
“Do you know who you are?”
She nodded. She was young when her real parents died but she now knew everything that three-year-old did. The feeling of loss was as if it had happened just yesterday and in a sense it had. As she gazed into the crystal she had felt the emotions of that three year-old’s mind. She had felt the happiness and feeling of safety in her mother’s arms. The fear and pain as her father died and the confusion as she was taken by her Ashrey nurse.
She didn’t understand how she could be here though. That was a hundred years ago or as near to as made no difference. Sori guessed what was troubling her.
“You’re wondering how you came to be in the future? I can make an educated guess at that.”
He rubbed his chin. “None of the children were ever found. There was always the hope that you had escaped, but until now it was only that - a hope. There was an heir to all the families at the time except for the Omnax family. However, from that little show the other day - even that is in doubt now. If they all escaped... if it is true that the High-King had an heir that escaped - the Elementi circle can be reborn. There is a chance that Eleria can be at peace again.”
Shenella wrapped her cloak tighter around her to protect her from the sharp breeze. As they pulled further from shore the breeze began to grow colder. She didn’t know what to think. She was on the boat, and she was alive. She didn’t know the stranger but she knew deep down that he was safe. She supposed it was the crystal. It seemed to be almost talking to her. If she concentrated she felt like it was trying to enter her mind. That if she only let go she would discover something incredible. She was scared.
Sori stepped back. Shenella wasn’t responding. He decided to leave her alone for a while; she probably just needed some time to think over everything. Her whole world had been turned upside down.
He knew a little about her supposed history. Her parents had died in a carriage accident a couple of years ago. Her guardians who he heard were in the pockets of the emperor had brought her to the castle. He supposed she didn’t go willingly. Even that was a lie, she found out today the mother and father she grew up with weren’t even her parents. He could feel some of the turmoil she was feeling. There was nothing he could do for her at present. He needed to take her home. She wouldn’t be completely safe but it was the best place for her now.
There would be war over this, but her power could be enough to ensure the autonomy of his, no, their people. For the chance to overthrow the Magi’s influence in the islands - it would be worth it.
He melted into the darkness and headed back to the cabin. They should reach their destination by morning and hopefully a brighter future.
CHAPTER TWELVE: PURSUIT
Aras was furious, of all the ungrateful... They wouldn’t get away with this! The urge to smash something was strong, his hands clenched and unclenched as he battled with his anger. The servants standing nearby froze, unwilling to make a noise and become the outlet. With no obvious available target, Aras took some deep breaths and managed to restrain the urge. He should have paid more attention to the girl. She had been given far too much freedom!
“Guards!” he shouted. Two guards by the door rushed to his side.
“Send some men to find the girl and the Ambassador.” They didn’t move immediately, his head whipped around.
“Now!” he barked. They jumped and ran out almost tripping over themselves in their hurry.
Aras was never good at waiting and the whole castle knew it. As he moved to sit back down on his throne, the courtiers quietly left one by one, each intent on finding something else to do, somewhere else to be.
Hours later the last guard to come back entered the hall cowering. Aras stood on the dais, his face impassive giving nothing away. The other messengers were already lined up on the right, their eyes fixated on the wall opposite. To provoke his anger in this mood would probably mean their death.
The last messenger was a small man – surprisingly so, Aras thought. He was surprised he had made it past the height restriction to even get in his guard. Aras saw with contempt the man’s gaze was pointed at the ground, refusing to meet his eyes. Coward! Anger welled up inside him sending his fury to new heights. There was no need to guess the man had not found the fugitives.
Hesitantly looking up, the man began to speak.
“Lord, the ship had gone by the time I got there. There was nothing I could do. I asked at the port but there won’t be another ship until the tide turns. The Admiralty said it wouldn’t be safe to go through the straits until tomorrow.”
Aras’ eyes flashed, “You lost them?” his voice was dangerously low.
“We know where they went!” the man quickly interjected. “A beggar saw a couple beg passage on to a ship. They meet the description. They asked the Captain to take them to Pumar.”
Aras stormed out of the hall. He headed for the ante-room and slammed the door as he thundered through. It was time to talk to Adramelech.
Once in the secret room, he paused to calm down. He knew never to contact another being while not in full control. He leant on the table nearest the door, his head in his arms. He concentrated on his breathing. His heartbeat gradually slowed. He felt betrayed and now it was time to act.
Once he was sure he was calm enough he strode to the edge of the painted circle. Clasping his hands in front of him he began to murmur the words that would bring the fire-being under his control. After a few minutes he felt the pressure in the air alter imperceptibly. His voice rose.
“Adramelech, I command you to return.” He all but shouted. A burst of fire illuminated the circle - he caught a brief glimpse of a bird like shape and Adramelech was there.
“Why have you called me now!”
“I was about to ask you why you have not killed the boy-king yet!”
The creature’s eyes glowed red. “I was about to get to him when you pulled me here, stupid human.”
Aras flinched. Twisting his finger, he muttered some arcane words in a low voice. The creature writhed, its red flames turning yellow blue. The creature screamed in pain.
“While you are in my circle you would be wise to show respect,” Aras snarled. While I may be losing control of his court, I can still master this creature, he thought with satisfaction.
Adramelech howled in impotent rage. How dare this human threaten him? The human need only show just one weakness and he would...
Aras screamed, his head! He clutched it forgetting about all else. He could hardly see. The pressure was intense. It felt like it was about to explode. His concentration broke for a moment. His grasp of the force field faltered, and it collapsed. Adramelech roared. He was free! The Deoc leapt out of his temporary prison in glee. Now was his chance. The demon readied himself to pounce, tensing his thoughts to devour the human’s energy, but a stray thought stopped him. He swiveled his head.
Why had the circle broken? The boy? The boy was here! - In Eleria! Adramelech turned his attention back to Aras cowering on the floor. He cackled, who was in charge now? He touched the man on his forearm, branding him with fire. Never again would he be able to control him. The creature took one more look at his pathetic opponent and disappeared. He would deal with him later.
Shenella landed on Pumar with mixed feelings. She had never been to the islands before. She knew it was a popular tourist spot but her family had never left their estates other than to visit the city. Her father had always said, “Why buy glass when you already have crystal?” He didn’t know what he was missing, Shenella thought.
She was amazed at the differences. She wouldn’t say people in the city were unhappy, but here... the very air seemed to be lighter, happier. The few people in the harbor she saw all wore bright dyes as if the sunny colors on their clothes reflected in their natures.
Sori had explained on the ship that Pumar was just a stopping off point and they still had a fair way
to go. She was fascinated by these people and had begged to explore just for a half-day. Sensing her need to get away for a while, Sori acquiesced reluctantly. Now he had met her and touched her mind he knew he would be able to find her anywhere on Pumar. He would sense it if she got into trouble.
The path to the village was short but she decided to take it slow to enjoy the breath-taking scenery. She had grown up in the mountains of the highlands so she had never been deprived of good views. The snow-peaked mountains during midwinter were particularly beautiful but there was something about the sea that called her. She wasn’t sure if it was the sound of the waves crashing against the surf or merely the sense of freedom she felt when it was impossible to tell where the sea ended or sky began.
She still found it difficult to accept she was the Water Queen. She smiled - no wonder she loved being beside the sea. Why hadn’t it occurred to her to visit the port in the city before?
The gravel crunched underfoot as she trudged up the steep path. The sun felt gloriously hot on her back and the sounds of the birds calling to each other only served to make her even more at peace. In just a few minutes she stopped to rest. Her wanderings around the castle were no preparation for climbing a cliff. Stretching her arms above her head, she twisted, and straightened her spine, taking in the panorama below her. The ship was on its way out. In the distance she could see the sailors as they ran around the deck of the ship like an army of worker ants. Her gaze switched to the beach. She searched for Sori; he must have rounded the cliff to the right. Shenella shrugged. He said he needed to see someone who lived there. Climbing again, she resolved to just enjoy herself. There was still most of the morning left to explore. He would find her when he needed her.
A strange grove of oak trees was ahead of her. Curious, she stepped off the path to have a closer look. Getting nearer she could see that the grove must have some religious significance. She remembered reading about the old gods in a book of mythology in her parents’ library. She was in the islands so they probably worshipped some sort of water god or goddess. Her memory of the book was a little hazy on the subject but if she remembered right, the gender of the royalty in power affected the deity worshipped. Maybe they’ll worship me? She giggled at the blasphemous idea.
The grove of trees was set in a semicircle around a low stone altar. The shade cast shadows on her cheeks as she walked through the nearest trees. Their symmetry was lovely. As she examined the altar, she noticed some fresh fruit had recently been laid there in a woven basket. Interesting, she was sure the Empire had stamped out such worship. Someone had been here recently. Perhaps the grove was all part of the tourist trek.
She considered staying there for the morning, since it was so peaceful, but she didn’t know when she would be able to come back to the island. Having been cooped up in the castle for so long she wanted to explore!
Shenella pushed on and re-joined the path to the village. She had heard some of the nobles discussing the village after their trips. Her cheeks colored. If she ever needed proof that she was invisible to them, those conversations were it.
Reaching the clearing at the center of the village she saw it also doubled as a busy market. She wove through the stalls, picking up and putting down small local crafts. Tired after her brief walk, Shenella bought a drink at the first stall that sold refreshments. Settling into a brightly covered chair, she crossed her ankles and picked up her drink.
She was still there watching an argument with a stallholder and an awkward local when Sori arrived at midday. They were making a scene. The customer’s voice was far too high-pitched for the size of the man.
Shenella’s blond hair spilled over the back of the chair she was sitting on. Her eyes were half-open and her face was relaxed into a smile. At least she was smiling, Sori thought - a definite improvement on the morning. Slipping into the seat next to her, he languidly put his legs up on the chair opposite.
“Enjoying the show?” he enquired.
Shenella laughed. “These people are very different from the city people aren’t they?”
“Well, of course. The city is only a small part of the Empire. There is a whole world out there.” Sori’s voice lowered in earnest. “We need to get to the underwater city soon. It is the only place you will be safe. The Emperor has the old High-King’s blood and magic in him. He may be able to search for you through your magic, but the sheer weight of water above the city should disguise your power. It is getting stronger by the way, even since we met. I can feel it.”
“I know, it’s since I found the crystal. Something else happened a couple of hours ago. I don’t know what it was. It was as if the very air changed. It seemed charged somehow.”
Sori frowned. “I don’t know what that would be. We need to swim from here to get to the underwater city. There is no other way of getting us there safely. It is impossible to charter a boat or ship to take us there directly. It is forbidden to go there any other way.”
“How far is it?”
“A few miles.”
“Wh-a-a…?”
Sori chuckled softly. “To do this I need to show you how to use your crystal to breathe underwater. Do you trust me?”
“Of course, you know I do. I wouldn’t have gone this far with you if I didn’t.” she replied.
Sori stood up and held out his hand. “Come with me.”
It was a lot quicker getting back to the beach than it had been walking to the village. The ship had gone of course by the time they got back to the deserted beach. Shenella looked up at the sky. The weather was taking a turn for the worse; she could see steely grey clouds coming closer in the distance. The water was calm now, but she wasn’t sure how long it would stay that way.
Barefoot, Sori walked into the water. He beckoned for Shenella to join him. Taking off her silk shoes she left them out of reach of the water on the beach and picked up her skirts. Cautiously she picked her way over the sand, avoiding small stones and sharp shells until she was ankle deep in salt-water standing beside him.
“It’s difficult for me to explain,” Sori began. “Our people can live under the sea instinctively. We don’t have to think about it, we just do it. We can breathe underwater because we have gills under our arms. We also produce a small electrical charge that we can extend a few millimeters away from our bodies. That keeps our clothes dry, if we wish.”
“To be able to breathe underwater you will need to metamorphose your body to have the gills. That’s what the old royalty used to do.” Sori pulled one side of his shirt up showing her what they looked like.
Shenella took out her crystal. Taking comfort from Sori’s small smile of encouragement, she concentrated on the jewel. Nothing happened. Frustrated she glanced up again at Sori.
“Have patience Shenella, I would have been surprised if you got it straight away. Concentrate on the crystal and imagine the gills on your skin.”
She concentrated on its depths again. This time there were answering lights swirling like currents in the sea. She suddenly understood what she had to do. She needed to believe that she had gills - that she would be able to breathe underwater - to trust in the power.
Moving away from Sori, she walked deeper out and lay down until the water covered every part of her. Moments later her lungs burned as her body fought for breath, she refused to breathe through her nose and mouth. Her eyes closed in concentration. With that, it happened. Her skin felt as though it was tearing as gills formed under her arms. The pain lasted only for a moment before they opened and suddenly she could breathe. She twirled in the water, enjoying the feel of the current against her face.
Startled, she unexpectedly heard a voice in her mind.
‘That wasn’t so hard was it?’
How was this possible? In the murky water, she couldn’t see Sori but she knew he was close.
‘Come on we need to go further in. It will take you a while to get used to the gloom.’
‘How are we talking?’ she asked.
‘Mind to mi
nd. There is no other way of talking in the ocean. If you tried talking with your mouth it would soon fill with water.’ She could hear his laughter in her mind.
Bristling, she followed the direction of his thought-speech. After a while, she could see clearer. Schools of glittering fish swam alongside them for a few moments before they were replaced by another of a different color. They were surrounded by life. ‘They know who you are Shenella; they can feel the old power in you.’
Tucked safely in her shirt she could feel the crystal glowing gently against her skin in response. This was where her power was coming from. The life around her was somehow charging her crystal. She could feel it. She closed her eyes, sensing them with her mind.
There were millions of minds all around her, pinpoints of energy going for hundreds if not thousands of miles around. The sheer expanse of the sea astounded her. She never dreamed of such an amazing place.
Mechanically she swam, using the crystal’s power to ease the way, trailing behind Sori’s mental pattern through the ocean. It seemed like hours to Shenella before they were near the city. After the first few minutes in the ocean, she closed her eyes. Sori chided her but she insisted on keeping them closed. What she could see was too confusing against her mental image. The sea was too immense to take in all at once. It was easier to concentrate on Sori with only one sense.
Effortlessly she kept pace with him, the energy around her buoying her own and it was her power that let her know when they were nearing the city of the Merpeople.
Opening her eyes, she gasped. Sori must have sent a message ahead to let the Merpeople know they were coming. They were drifting at the bottom of a deep canyon. Steep rocks walls rose on each side creating a highway beneath them. Either side were caves carved in the hard rock. People stood in doorways and windows curiously watching their arrival. The water felt warmer here she realized. They must be near some natural hot springs.
