Illuminated

by Jackie Castle

  “Hush, child. You’re safe. I’ve got you now.” He led her next to the fire, gave her a cup to drink, and then checked her bloody hands. Tenderly, he wiped the dirt from her face, and poured cooling water over her raw palms. “Here, Alyra, squeeze this cloth. It’ll stop bleeding in a minute.”

  “But Issah, you don’t understand…”

  “Yes I do.” He gripped her shoulders firmly as his intense eyes penetrated her very core. “And I know everything that happened. I know ... everything.”

  Of course he knew.

  He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Rest here while I go to the others. They have fought hard and will also need tending.” He stood and left her there with the other two.

  Katrina came over to her, tears streaming down her face and wrapped her arms around Alrya's shoulders. “I thought the beast men got you, poor dear. Where is big centaur, and our warrior friend, Jerin? They are okay? Yes?”

  Alyra’s throat burned with scalding tears. “I don’t know. Jerin was fighting....” She buried her face in the girl’s neck.

  “We are back on the white path. Yes? We are safe again.”

  Alyra sat arm in arm with Katrina while Stitch paced beside the deep blue lake, blond tail swishing. Finally, the Logorian warriors returned. The girls stood and hurried to meet them. A large group came through the woods carrying something she couldn’t make out toward a shallow cave. Was it Jerin? Or Lotari? Or one of their own? Could the Logorians even get hurt in battle? She slowly made her way toward them, searching the crowd for her friends.

  Jerin emerged from the trees, supported by two tall warriors. They sat him on a rock, outside the group gathered around the cave. Alyra ran to him with Katrina on her heels. The sight of the large gash on his forehead, and the blood splattered on his clothes drew Alyra to an immediate halt. Katrina hurled into her, knocking her a few steps forward. She gasped. His hands and arms were also covered in dark stains. Then she spotted a long cut on his left thigh, which one of the men began to close up.

  “You’ve been hurt.” Alyra said.

  He turned toward her with his blue eyes full of frightened sadness. “I’m fine. But they got Lotari. They got him really bad.”

  Alyra spun away from Jerin, shoving through the crowd of warriors. Finally, they began to stand aside, allowing her to pass into the shallow cave where most were gathered. She froze, finding Lotari lying with his head in the Issah’s lap. Four arrows stuck from his chest, arms and three from his flank and thigh. Blood seeped from the wounds and she wondered how he still managed to breath.

  “Easy there, my friend.” Issah stroked Lotari’s pallid face with a wet cloth. “We’re going to get those arrows out first. Then we’ll need to make a decision.”

  Lotari nodded, his bloody hands clutching at Issah’s coat as if fearing he’d be swept away if he let go.

  Alyra fell to her knees beside him. “Is he going to make it?” she asked, while stroking his horse leg.

  Issah’s brows furrowed. “Our friend is quite stout. A centaur is not easily destroyed. We will tend him the best we can here. Then decide what course to take next.” He met Alyra’s eyes. “Go rest. He’s in good hands.”

  “I’m staying,” she declared, knowing it would push his patience. She fully expected him to unleash his anger on her like she deserved. “Please, Issah. I can’t leave him like this.” If he died, it would be all her fault.

  “Sire,” Lotari gasped. “Obedience simply isn’t her way. You do get used to it… after awhile.”

  To her surprise, Issah chuckled, his face turning to amusement, not fury.

  “He jokes.” The prince nodded. “You have been good for him, child. Come sit here while I prepare a drink to ease his pain.”

  She gently took Issah’s place, allowing Lotari’s head to rest against her chest. Issah walked away conversing with some of the Logorians. The tears flowed as she said optimistically, “I’ve seen Issah heal before.”

  “I’m not one of the children!” Lotari’s teeth clenched so tight that his jaw muscles bulged. His grip on her hand became excruciating. “I need to be sent to where my ancestors dwell. I can’t go on like this”

  Alyra held him, planting soft kisses on his head and rubbing his velvety, long ears. She didn’t know where his ancestors were, but she knew it probably wasn’t in this land. “You’re my best friend, Lot. You have to get through this.”

  His eyes squeezed shut, as he battled to collect air in his strained lungs. “Speak to the King on my behalf, will you?”

  “We’re not in Aloblase yet.” Was he losing touch with reality?

  He sighed. “Haven’t you listened to anything I’ve taught you?”

  Jerin limped over toward them and knelt next to Alyra. He laid a hand on the centaur’s shoulder. “We will speak to him, my friend. Don’t worry. I’m sure your act will be rewarded.”

  He grinned at Jerin, his red-rimmed eyes full of awe. He extended three fingers. “With one swipe of your sword. You are a mighty warrior. Amazing.”

  Lotari the centaur lost consciousness.

  Chapter 36

  Pink and orange hues splashed across the eastern sky. Alyra dipped her hands into the cool water and watched it turn from clear crystal to cloudy crimson. The smell of sizzling meat and fried eggs wafted toward her, turning her stomach. Katrina and Stitch sat next to the fire where one of the remaining Logorian warriors prepared morning breakfast. How they always managed to have access to fresh food and an excessive assortment of cooking gear never ceased to amaze her.

  Jerin had wandered down the shore and in the growing light, she spotted him sitting on a rock at the water’s edge, his head propped in his hands.

  Last night, before Issah started working on Lotari, Jerin took her hand and placed his other on the centaur’s shoulder. Then, just as she’d seen Marya and even General Marcel do, Jerin petitioned King Shaydon for help. He’d broken down in sobs as he recounted their friend’s bravery and loyalty not only to them, but to the Kingdom as well. Afterward, the Logorians and Issah began the harrowing work of removing the arrows from the semi-conscious centaur.

  Gravel crunched from behind bringing Alyra out of the reverie. One of the warriors, still dressed in armor, approach with a wooden plate heaped with meat and eggs.

  “Eat.” He commanded. “You must leave soon.” He clutched a spear, nearly twice her height in his free hand.

  She stood, water droplets falling from her fingers, and faced him. “Where did they take Lotari?”

  “Prince Issah will do what is best for the centaur. This should be enough information for you.”

  “Well, it’s not!” Her yell broke the morning silence, sending a flock of birds scattering from a nearby trees. Immediately, she regretted her tone. He was a warrior of the King, after all. She looked down at the plate and said in a more somber voice. “I’m worried about my friend. Will he live?” Her mind tried to piece together what had happened. Issah seemed so sad, and Lotari had grown so still….

  The Logorian stood nearly a foot taller than Jerin. His perfectly etched face and diamond colored eyes softened slightly. “The centaur is strong. His spirit can never be destroyed. King Shaydon decides in what form it will continue. You must focus on completing your journey. Eat.” He shoved the food toward her, which she took despite how her insides crawled.

  While Lotari was conscious, he had begged Issah to send him to his ancestors. Hoping to keep her friend’s mind off his pain, she’d asked where they lived. He’d told her they ran amongst the stars. He was always talking strangeness like that. She wanted his hooves to remain on the ground, not galloping across some starry sky.

  Alyra clutched the plate. “How can I go on when I don’t even know what’s happened to him?”

  The warrior’s spear hit the ground with a force that echoed across lake filled valley. “You embarked on this journey with no one.”

  “But—”

  “Look around you!” He pointed toward Katrina and Stitch,
then over to Jerin. “You have many friends now, and they must get to Aloblase, as well. They need you, as you need them.”

  His words cut her. Shame poured out. “I’ve done nothing but cause problems. What help have I been to anyone?”

  His massive chest swelled as he sighed. “None are without blame, daughter of Alburnium. All have the ability to choose. Choose well, and stay on the path! The White Road will protect you from further harm.” With that, he strode away to join the small group of remaining warriors.

  Stitch slowly made his way over to her. His furry arm draped around her shoulders. “I think we better do what he says. They don’t seem like the type who care to debate matters.”

  Feeling her heart had been beaten into something unrecognizable, she buried her face into the downy fur on his chest. The plate was lifted from her hands, as he guided her over to the rocks next to Katrina.

  “We are worried about Lotari, too, Miss. But the big man is right. We have to finish this. We can only hope to find all our answers in Aloblase.”

  Jerin limped over to the group and took the last breakfast plate. “We’ll need our strength.”

  He glanced at Alyra as he spooned a mouthful of eggs. He too was covered with the centaur’s blood. They had both remained at his side, trying to comfort their friend while Issah and the warriors worked on his many wounds. A human would have died before they even got started.

  Katrina urged Alyra to try to eat. The aroma smelled wonderful but her stomach rebelled after swallowing a few bites. Stitch began packing their gear while Katrina went to refill everyone’s canteens.

  Jerin pushed more food around the plate than he actually put into his mouth. When they were completely alone, he scooted closer. “If anyone is to blame, it’s me, not you. I’m always looking for a shortcut.” He shook his head. “I’ll never learn!”

  The Logorian cleared his throat to get their attention. Tossing a bulging bag at Jerin’s feet, he gestured toward the White Road. “When you find you can trust the path, then you will start learning.”

  The other warriors approached, carrying various fighting gear. “We wish to equip you with proper weapons before you go on your way.”

  A chill snaked up Alyra’s neck. Why now?

  She, Jerin and Kat were provided with shields. Stitch took a quiver full of arrows and a new bow, along with a breastplate. Alyra kept her slingshot. She wouldn’t accept anything else, not knowing what to do with such items. Katrina picked a spear but used it as a walking stick. Jerin traded his old sword for a Kingdom made one that he found larger, yet lighter.

  “Three days should find you at the border of Aloblase. You will be helped on along into the city from there.” The Logorians bid them good-bye and in a bright flash, were gone.

  Jerin jumped backward, hiding behind his new shield. “I’ll never get used to that.”

  Stitch grinned. “Wow! Awesome! Just like the way Prince Issah disappeared with Lotari last night.” His arms waved over his head as he made a whooshing sound like wind. “Dust and leaves blowing everywhere. I could hardly see a thing. Then….”

  “Gone.” Jerin finished. “Vanished. Right there…then not. Along with half the warriors.”

  * * * *

  They traveled at a slow pace until midday, heading downward now as the path zigzagged against the mountainside. When they came upon a crevice in the rock, the trail turned into a bridge made from golden rope. For the most part, the trek was pleasant and easy. Alyra could have kicked herself.

  Jerin remained quiet as if needing every ounce of concentration and effort to stay on his feet. He often stumbled, but refused help. Alyra offered to break for short rests. Jerin insisted they keep going. Stitch tried to coax him to accept a ride, but Jerin said he was fine walking. Alyra wondered why he remained so quiet and distant. Was he still in pain? When they stopped, she’d make him some healing tea and check his leg. Hopefully he wasn’t getting an infection.

  They walked on until shadows crept across the mountain slopes, turning them from purple to black against the glittering sky. The path followed a watercourse, so they camped next to a small waterfall, beneath the shelter of trees as tall as a three-story building.

  Stitch headed into the surrounding forest to gather more firewood. Katrina worked on a stew of dried meat and potatoes from the provisions bag. Jerin collapsed beneath a tree and fell asleep before he even got a chance to put out his bed roll.

  While the herbal tea brewed, Alyra studied the gray cliffs which resembled ramparts and porticoes or windows high above.

  “Funny how these rocks look like an abandoned castle. Do you see?” She asked Katrina.

  “A city, actually, formed within the mountain peaks. The City of Knowledge.” She added at Alyra’s amazed expression. “At one time. Yes.”

  “When?”

  “Oh, long years ago. The evil one brought a battle and defeated the Curians. I was merely an infant when it happened. So I only know the stories my foster parents told me.”

  Alyra poked at their small fire. “Lotari-” The name clogged her throat, “-mentioned them once. He said the Curian people were special instructors?”

  “They were the all-knowing ones.” Katrina also stared into the fire as if lost in her thoughts. “Some believe a remnant survived but none have located them.” She sighed. “Perhaps they never will. No?”

  Alyra shrugged. “Who knows, Katrina. Maybe someday.”

  Stitch nestled down next to her. “Wait a minute, Kat. That battle happened nearly eighty years ago. How could you have been an... oh, oh wait.”

  Her thin lips turned up in a crooked smile. Alyra noticed they’d become as good of friends as she and ... She shook her head of that thought.

  “Yes, my years exceed my appearance.”

  Alyra sat up, realizing the girl who seemed not much older than fifteen summers was really somewhere in her eighties? Amazing.

  “My family was killed in the battle. I was taken to a northern village by the town’s healer and raised by a kind couple. Once I learned the truth about where I’d come from, I came back here.”

  Stitch reached over to her, pushing aside the black curtain of hair that always hung against her pale face. Alyra straightened, leaning forward, unsure of what she was seeing. Where a centaur’s ears pointed upward, hers drooped down and had dark swirls running along the lobe.

  “Kitten...” He gasped. “Oh, I can’t believe this. I not only know the evil one’s precious light treasure, but now one of the Wisdom Keepers he desires to have, as well.”

  She gently pushed his hand away and covered her ear. “This is our secret. Yes? I’m aware of Lord Darnel’s intent. My hope is to locate the lost remnant before he does.”

  “Do you really believe they will be found again, Kat?” Jerin was not asleep after all.

  “Yes.” She grew quiet, stirring the bubbling soup.

  Alyra nudged Jerin and offered the cup of tea.

  He accepted the drink. “I guess there’s little hope of the city being revived until the Dark Lord is gone?”

  Katrina shrugged. “Only his influence. Yes? The people’s passion for Shaydon needs to be rekindled, and when their passion burns again, nothing will hinder this city from coming back to life.”

  After they ate, Stitch offered to take first watch. Jerin told him to wake him next. “Save Alyra for last. Maybe if she gets a good night’s sleep, she’ll actually stay awake for her watch.”

  She glared at him, but didn’t respond, knowing he spoke the truth. He and Lot had eventually given up on letting her guard during the night as she always managed to doze off.

  “I think we can reach the bottom of this summit by tomorrow evening.” Jerin settled beneath his blanket. “The path will weave down through more cliffs and then across a plateau. Once we make our way past that valley, we’ll come upon a bridge which is the entrance into Aloblase.”

  “The Logorians told you that?” Alyra asked.

  He nodded. “They updated my map f
or me so I’d know how far we should progress each day. If we don’t poke around, we’ll reach the city in two more days.”

  Stitch leaped to his hooves. “Whoo-hoo! Almost there, folks.”

  Alyra smiled, despite her racing heart. She wished more than anything that Lot was there to lull her to sleep with his pipes and soothing music.

  The next morning, Jerin seemed more alert, but still weak. All three refused to take another step, insisting he ride upon Stitch until he relented.

  Alyra checked his leg, and found it healing nicely. “Jerin, do you feel ill?”

  He shook his head. “I’ll be fine. I don’t need all this fuss, really.”

  “You’re not fine.” She helped him to tie his bed roll. “You seem…”

  He stared down at his pack. “I’m just…It’s…” His eyes closed. “I can’t get over how stupid I’ve been.”

  “Don’t Jerin. We’re both to blame. The decision was mutual.”

  “I know … I ... can’t shake this off.”

  She felt completely helpless and wanted to tell him to get over it. However, she struggled with the guilt as well.

  “We’ll be there soon, right? Then…” What exactly did they hope would happen?

  Stitch trotted into the camp with everyone’s water bags refilled. He patted his horse back.“Hop on, Cowboy. I’ll be sure to give you a nice ride.”

  Jerin stared at the spotted centaur for a moment, before turning to Alyra with skepticism. “He is so completely different than Lotari, isn’t he?”

  She chuckled. “Yeah, but he has an endearing quality, you know? You can’t help but like him.”

  “Well, he seems friendly in a mischievous sort of way.” Jerin secured his sword belt around his waist. “Endearing is a bit of a stretch if you ask me.”

  Stitch eyed him impishly as he waited for Jerin to slip on his gear and pack.

  “Aly? What is it about your ability to befriend any blasted beast that comes your way?”