Anya's Freedom

by Lisa Daniels

  Presently, in the encroaching darkness, a flickering spot of light appeared in the near distance. The light bobbed, as if carried by something, waving in the familiar quality of a torch with the shadow of the bearer casting itself across trees and bushes, along with other signs of movement. A group of people. Or monsters. Andrea grew desperately prayerful, hoping help had finally arrived, but Jackie kept her hope dimmed, wanting to assess the threat first.

  The light bobbed close enough to reveal a man and two women. The man held the torch, his face draped in shadows, and though he didn’t look particularly well-geared, along with one of the women, the third member of their group came well-equipped with gear and enchantment, a navigational artifact glowing green from the chain hung around her neck.

  The other woman had some kind of bottle, and she crouched by the side of the bog, scooping up the blue iridescence. Andrea let out a yelp as she slipped, leaning too close to the edge of her branch, and the male exclaimed, “Who’s there?” He cast his light around until he saw the two princesses in the branch. “Wait… are you humans?”

  The well-geared woman nodded, answering for them. “Yes. They’re princesses. I can smell the entitlement from here.” The comment made Jackie snigger, and the male squinted at her. In the dim light, he appeared attractive, but Jackie kept her guard up as he turned to the others. “Well, I suppose we’d better rescue them then. How does that work out? Do we own them or are we their saviours?”

  “Both,” the well-dressed woman replied, her black armor clanking. “You and Elzara can own one each. There’s nothing that says Quest Givers can’t own princesses.”

  “Good to know. Right, let’s save our princesses.”

  “Can I ask who you are?” Jackie called. Since she was going to be saved by them, willingly or not, she wanted to know whether they were monsters or not.

  “I’m Durza. Dragon of High Mountain. This is my sister, Elzara, also dragon of High Mountain. And this is Morgana, the witch of High Mountain.”

  Jackie processed the information. “I’ve never even seen a female dragon before.”

  Elzara grinned at her, standing tall and proud. “There are not many of us. But we like owning our princesses, too.”

  “Oh.” Jackie hesitated again. “Quest Givers?”

  “Let’s just save the chit-chat for later,” Morgana growled. “And get you idiots out of here.”

  “Alright. Though I’m going to point out that out of the seven people of this former group, I’m the one who tried to stop everyone else killing themselves. They went into the Swamp of Illusions without a navigational device.”

  Elzara gasped at this. “That’s insane!”

  “I know. But they didn’t want to listen, because I’m just a silly princess.”

  Durza examined her for a moment. “Silly princess, huh? You’ll do.” He then snapped at Elzara, “She’ll be mine, Elzara. Back off.”

  “Aw… I like her, too.” Elzara glared at her brother, hands on hips. Elzara did the rescue, shifting into a small dragon with glimmering blue scales, swooping above them and letting both princesses climb onto her talons. Morgana, nonplussed, continued collecting the blue glowing things with Elzara’s bottle, and Elzara encouraged the princesses to clamber onto her back once they reached stable ground.

  “I was supposed to be saved,” Andrea wailed, now resorting to bawling her eyes out again. “I finally got released from my dragon captive, and now I’m captured again!”

  “Goodness, you’re a grateful one, aren’t you,” Morgana said, stoppering the bottle and tucking it into her robes. “Right, you two, follow behind. We can start flying once we reach the Blue Rock.”

  Morgana walked next to Durza, his strong, solid back exposed. Jackie clung onto Elzara’s delicate spikes. Nestled in the crook of the dragon’s neck, she found that riding a dragon was not that dissimilar to riding a horse, and she settled into the rhythm quickly.

  I suppose this was to be expected, really. Of course I’d get recaptured, and probably spend another two years or so in captivity. Still, at least I’ll have somewhere okay to sleep and eat in again. As long as I’m not holed up with fourteen other princesses, I’ll be fine.

  She hoped.

  Chapter Two

  Seated in her new home, Jackie concluded it was a step up from her former living arrangements. For a start, Durza gave her the run of the place. So instead of being stuck inside one building, she could wander in and out of the caves as she pleased.

  By way of explanation, Durza said, “I never made a tower, because I never intended to keep princesses. I chose a different life. So, well – if you want to take your chances and escape, be my guest. You may find it slightly awkward to do so, though.”

  Durza’s words held weight. Outside of his rather impressive cave lay a terrifying, twisting domain of cliffs and mountains, with thin rope bridges connecting each of them. Even if Jackie risked life and limb to crawl along the bridges to the bottom of High Mountain, she then had a rather charmingly named area called the Forest of Madness to go through, and she knew enough about the Forest of Madness to understand that anyone who entered such an area without adequate protection would be cursed to wander the confines of the forest, never dying, even though their bodies aged and sagged. Even when their minds dissolved into nothing, leaving gibbering nightmares.

  The people in that place wandered like silent ghouls, not harmful to anyone, but a horrifying, twisted reminder of the deceptive calm of the forest, which housed a sinister evil. An evil that whispered into their minds and drove them to the brink of insanity, then pushed them merrily off the cliff, snapping their minds.

  “The air is cursed as well, so if anyone tries to fly through it, and they’re not dragons, they’ll be attacked by the Hunger Clouds.” Durza pointed to some fluffy, pure white clouds floating in the air just above them, when they stood at the entrance of his cave. “Those turn into jaw-chomping monsters if they sense people violating their airspace.”

  Jackie gaped at the clouds in astonishment. “If you’re a Quest Giver, how do you expect people to reach you in the first place?”

  “That’s why only the exceptional can come to us,” Durza replied. “And that’s why our rewards are substantial for any Quester who succeeds.”

  Since being taken by Durza a week ago, Jackie had slowly been adjusting to life in her new home. On High Mountain, she had a fantastic view of the Wilderness in all directions, seeing the bump and change of terrain, from forests to swamps to plains, and even a desert. The only thing she couldn’t see was any of the kingdoms, signifying just how deep into the Wilderness they lived.

  Durza employed small animals to help tidy his place, from mice to squirrels and birds, and they did a fine job keeping his floors clean, the sink and bathtub unblocked, and the bedsheets always fresh. He aimed for blue and gray tones in his cave, from pale cyan carpets and tablecloths to dark blue sofas, and paintings depicting cloud-strewn skies. Pale orange light illuminated the place. Jackie slept two doors away from Durza, and admitted that her new small bedroom was a massive improvement on her former home – despite the obvious fact that it would be even harder to rescue her than before.

  Only the brave and the foolhardy would penetrate so deep into the Wilderness.

  Durza proved an interesting study of character as well. He didn’t match the prince stereotype at all in his build. Light brown hair, dark brown eyes, a body neither too muscular nor slender, neither too tall nor short. Just average, really. Except for an “average” body in terms of sliding out of the blonde hair/blue-green eye spectrum, he looked like a fine specimen indeed. There was something about his oval, chiseled face that gave an aura of softness, of eerie beauty that matched the way his eyes glared out from under his long eyelashes. And when he smiled, two dimples formed on the sides of his lips under his high cheekbones. His eyes held a thousand years of wisdom, sadness, and observation, so when they looked at her, she felt as if she were being undressed, with her ribcage exposed to a
llow her beating heart scrutiny.

  No, she wasn’t in love. Jackie didn’t fall in love like that, didn’t feel that overwhelming need to commit herself to anything or anyone. But she was fascinated. Yes. Fascinated by the space he occupied, the soft, melodic drawl of his voice, the self-assured way he conducted himself, like someone who was bold enough to be himself, and brave enough to be himself, no deception necessary.

  Coming from a world where no one acted like themselves, but rather as a caricature of what the kingdoms expected them to be, it was refreshing. A breeze of lemon-scented air.

  If Jackie couldn’t escape, she could study. And through studying, she learned how to operate and conduct herself in this place, and to operate the kitchen enchantments so she didn’t starve to death.

  “What are your Quest rewards, actually?” Jackie followed Durza outside his cave, to where one of the thin rope bridges swung tantalizingly, making her ill at the notion of ever having to cross it. “I can’t imagine you have an infinite supply of artifacts to give away.”

  “Our rewards are potions,” Durza explained, leaning against a rock, smiling lazily at Jackie. “Morgana’s a very good Brewster, and possibly the only witch in the world who knows how to craft the potions included. The effects are permanent, of course.”

  That could be a way to make a profit. “Well. What are they?”

  “One gives the ability for your body to regenerate from damage quickly. It will regenerate pretty much anything but being decapitated. One gives the ability to pierce all illusions, sense all dangers, and navigate the Wilderness safely, and the last gives you the ability to track rare items and see up to ten seconds into the future – when you want to.”

  All fantastic-sounding abilities. Jackie whistled, impressed. The ten seconds in the future one would be absolutely perfect for preventing fatal accidents and anticipating people’s moves in combat – and for gauging reactions to words. She knew instantly that if she had a choice, that would be her potion. “Morgana can brew these?”

  “Yes. It took her half a century to find the right ingredients, but she, Elzara, and I have drunk them all, and we’re offering the same chance for anyone who is able to essentially gather the ingredients.”

  Jackie reflected upon this, biting her lip. Magic that lasted in the soul was a whole different brand of desire from gaining an artifact that may grant the same effect. “Have you had many Questers come?”

  “More than you think,” Durza said. “The smart ones tend to take the future potion first, since it makes it easier to obtain the other two. The rare tracking is also another good choice, but it won’t stop you from dying like an idiot.”

  Such complicated potions! Jackie had to compliment Morgana; that witch knew what she was doing. She considered asking to take the potions herself, but with such magic in her blood, there was nothing to prevent her from just walking away. And, well, Durza could probably read ten seconds into her future, and gauge her intentions. If he happened to be activating it.

  “If you want the potions for yourself, you can take them on certain conditions,” Durza said. “You help us operate a fourth potion trial for a few months. Morgana’s come up with a new recipe. It’s a potion with an ability to heal someone with a touch. So, if you want to be a Quest Giver, you’ll be in charge of this little beauty.”

  Jackie blinked. “Are you sure about making me contribute to your schemes so early? You don’t know me. I don’t know you. I’m interested in the potions because I can use them to escape. I’m not so interested in being a Quest Giver, nor do I really understand how I can be one, anyway.”

  Durza nodded, impressed. “I see you’ve figured out that you need to be honest.”

  Jackie let out a choking laugh. “If you can see ten seconds into the future and sense danger, I suspect that helps you in detecting lies as well.”

  He winked. Then he pointed at someone making their way along one of the thin rope bridges. “Look! There’s a Quester!” The bridge swayed dangerously and the poor figure clutched at the ropes, clearly terrified out of his mind. Jackie clapped her hands over her mouth, urging the poor soul on, not wanting to see him plummet to his death.

  “Couldn’t have made that easier, could you?” She indicated the rickety bridges.

  “Where’s the fun in easy?” Durza said, grinning. “Anyway, if they want the potion of healing, they need to grab six incredibly rare ingredients. One of them you saw when we found you in the Swamp of Illusions last week. It’s called a gloamfly, and they can only be found at night in the Swamp of Illusions. The rest, well… I can tell you, we had some fun seeking those out.”

  His nonchalant attitude, his willingness to include her from the start rather than lock her away, puzzled Jackie. She expected a dragon to associate with her only when necessary. Instead, not only had he, his sister, and friend saved her and Andrea, they also easily shared the details of their lives in High Mountain. Jackie sucked it all up, her interest blossoming, because out of all the things she ever dreamed, she had never once put “Quest Giver” on her list.

  All this nice talk didn’t change the fact that she was trapped, though. Stuck on High Mountain. Her best bet was to take the deal, drink those potions, then find her way back home alone. Without relying on the incompetence of others around her. A soft breeze curled through her long, blonde hair, stirring the ruffles on her yellow sleeves. The air had a way of biting into her bluntly, cold and electrifying at the same time, the kind of atmosphere that woke you up from the inside out. A fine, light freedom existed here, different from the heavy aromas of the streets in her kingdom, packed with bakeries and horse droppings, and the pungent flowers they used in the royal gardens to try and mask the scent of the city.

  Eventually, she saw the Quester head into a small cave.

  “Ah,” Durza said. “That’s Morgana’s cave. If he accepts her Quest, he’s looking for the rapid heal potion ingredients.”

  “Huh.” Jackie nodded. “Would you be doing the same for Andrea? Will you make her a Quest Giver as well in exchange for trying out the potions?”

  Durza grimaced. “She’s not the type. You are. She belongs in her kingdom, though Elzara’s determined to make her more of a Wilderness princess. You, on the other hand, do not. There’s something about you that tells me you can handle it.”

  Flattering as that was, it also singled Jackie out and made her slightly regret being too brash and truculent in her mannerisms. She had some issues with keeping quiet, with tucking her sharp tongue under wraps.

  They visited Elzara and Andrea an hour later, and all of them sat around Elzara’s round table. The female dragon had blue hair. Jackie had no idea if it was dyed or natural, but the hair matched her intense, abyssal blue eyes and mischievous face. The resemblance between the siblings held strongest when it came to their jawlines and eye shapes, but otherwise, they could have been from other sides of the planet in terms of how related they looked.

  Andrea sat on Elzara’s left with a sullen, puffy expression, the kind that occurred from centuries of crying nonstop.

  “Are you sure you won’t trade with me?” Elzara asked, pouting as she examined Jackie. “She’s not bad-looking, is she?” When Elzara licked her lips, Jackie felt suddenly uncomfortable – intensified by Durza delivering a similar expression. As if noticing her fully for the first time. Noticing her curves, the way her breasts squeezed into the yellow dress, and the manner in which her hair cascaded over her shoulders, trailing to a thin waist. The brown in his eyes shrank, turning black.

  “No, dear sister. I already told you. She’s mine.” The possessive way he stated mine made Jackie feel off-kilter, and also wonder how she could manipulate the situation to her advantage. Clearly, Durza liked her. In a physical way. So did the sister, apparently, which was nice, but not really her thing. Jackie had broken one of the main princess rules a long time ago, by pretending to be a servant and having sexual relations with a known gigolo in the area. She paid him to learn everything she could ab
out sex. It had fascinated her, reading about it in the books, reading about the attractions people harbored, forbidden or not, passionate and dark and sad all at once. Enough for her to taste it for herself.

  These people aren’t idiots. They won’t be like Horace or Reginald, who refuse to listen to reason. No. They’ll reject lies and eat the truth.

  Andrea, however, was examining Durza in a new, lustful light. Uncomfortable with this, Jackie cleared her throat.

  “So, uh, how long have you all lived here?” Small talk. She hated it, but didn’t want to sit here in awkward silence as Andrea drooled over Durza, who sat there in a casual white tunic and black pants, his thick collarbones showing through the top of his shirt, the sleeves covering his muscles just a little bit too tight. Andrea looked stunning as well, with an incarnadine dress, gold bangles on her wrist, and matching ruby earrings. Elzara claimed that she wanted her princess to feel comfortable by having her creature comforts. Jackie wanted to explain that princesses just didn’t think like that.

  We’re not grateful, or appreciative. We just gobble up everything that’s in front of us, never mind if we end up squashing you in the dirt.

  “Oh, about fifteen years,” Elzara explained. “We came from Vrytal, one of the royal kingdoms. Let’s say the royal family there really wanted to marry me off to one of the princes, and my brother offered to let me come along and help fulfill his dream of being a Quest Giver. Then we met Morgana in her little cave here, and well… that’s what we’ve been doing ever since.”

  “You didn’t want to marry a prince?” Andrea gaped at Elzara, shocked beyond reason. “Why?”

  Elzara gave a half shrug of her shoulder. “Not for me.”

  “But doesn’t it get lonely here? Don’t you, like, want someone by your side?” Andrea refused to let the concept go. Again, Elzara shook her head, a gentle smile upon her face.