“The Masquerade is in two days.” Eva whispered darkly. “The Queen… I mean, Queen Zarrennia, will be here tomorrow.”
“Indeed. Lady Kirra you must be on your best behaviour, not only for the sake of your life but for all of Esper. And Miss Eva, since you and I are the only two who know the truth, it is our responsibility to help Lady Kirra in every way possible. As her handmaiden, I ask that you do not leave her side and continue to advise her.”
“Of course.” Eva curtseyed, then smiled wickedly. “I can’t wait to see that Demon get what’s coming to him.”
“All in good time Miss Eva.” Mr. Darwood frowned but his tone seemed to share the sentiment.
Amri continued to stare in stunned silence at the portrait before her. Her parents looked regal in a way that she could never have imagined. A gentle smile cracked against the corner of her lip as she thought about telling her friends. Browen would finally be able to get back at her for all of the noble bashing she had done over the years.
“What happened? Why did they flee?” Amri asked as she looked down at the dagger still in her hand.
“Esper was holding its own against Queen Zarrennia’s armies, it was a thorough stalemate. Queen Zarrennia had power and strength but her numbers were still few at the time. She relied heavily on Na’tyr forces and hadn’t acquired the Orcs yet. Esper had numbers on our side, and our technology was a boon against the magic that her armies wielded. We could have stood against the armies for longer had betrayal not come from within.” Mr. Darwood’s jaw clenched at the memory. “Luckily word reached the castle ahead of Queen Zarrennia’s armies and the King and Queen were able to escape with their baby daughter. The bloodline needed to be ensured and they fled. It was hoped that they would return when the time was right and reclaim our homeland. All they brought with them was a record of the royal lineage, official certificates of blood, and the royal daggers. It is a shame you only have one of them.”
Wordlessly Amri reached beneath her skirt and pulled the second free to present it to Mr. Darwood. “It’s all I had left of them, they’re my prize possession.”
He beamed at the sight and ran his fingers over the delicate engravings. “The two things that every good ruler needs, strength and wisdom.” He then looked up with a soft frown. “You should not keep them with you. If someone were to see them, they would know exactly who you are. If you trust me my Lady, I can keep them safe for you.”
Amri hesitated. “I’d rather have them in case things go badly.”
“You… use them?” He blinked. “But they are ornamental, a symbol.” He then shook his head. “It matters not… I can provide you with plan daggers if safety is of concern. These markings are too distinct to leave this to chance.”
“Fine, but I want to keep them in my room.”
Mr. Darwood conceded with a nod. “Very well. Speaking of which, we should return you there before someone else finds us.” He then rested his hands on Amri’s shoulders. “My Queen, please take your lessons seriously. This old heart couldn’t take losing you a second time.”
Amri nodded as the dread of the upcoming Masquerade settled over her. She doubted that she would ever feel prepared, even with another week of lessons let alone two days.
Chapter Thirty Four
Miri
Mistress Avia’s boat moved silently through the depths of the endless swamp. The rain had been relentless since the morning that they had left, but Ralis had used his wings like umbrellas to keep the four of them dry as best he could. Eventually he grew too fatigued to keep it up, and the four of them were soon thoroughly soaked. Everyone shared the responsibility of moving the boat forward through the sludge and muck. They used a pair of long poles to push the boat through the worst of it. It was slow going and everyone was exhausted as night fell.
As the sun set, the rain continued and threatened to put out the lantern that Mistress Avia held aloft. It was her direction which guided them through the dense swamp. Everything looked the same to Miri and she wondered how Mistress Avia was able to navigate through the reeds.
Then Miri saw something oddly familiar between the trees. She leaned forward with her pole and squinted through the gloom. “That’s the Shrine.” She gasped as she recognized the same oddly round shaped structure that they had found at the top of a mountain weeks ago.
“We have arrived.” Mistress Avia nodded as she held her lantern up higher for them.
The mud felt thicker, even as the trees thinned out around the Shrine. Miri and Tylo both struggled to move the boat even an inch through the thick swamp. As she worked to move the boat forward her eyes searched for the guardian that she had been warned of. Without Amri, Browen and Ezra, she feared how they would triumph over the challenges ahead.
Miri tried to pull the pole from the sludge to push forward again and struggled as it was caught in something. Tylo also cried out as he attempted to pull his pole free of the mud. Curious Miri looked down into the dark water and gasped when she saw hands and arms made of mud and water. They clawed at the boat and held it in place. She screamed when she saw the expressionless faces of the creatures as they pulled the pole from her hands and dragged it beneath the surface.
“There is something in the water!” She gasped, moving away from the edge.
“The guardians.” Mistress Avia answered darkly.
But before she could say anything further the entire boat lurched, and Miri cried out as she realized that the hands were trying to tip them over. Watery arms curled over the edges of the boat. They pulled hard on the lip, desperate to bring it down into the muddy depths.
“Quick, use our weight to…” Ralis began but was cut off as the boat rocked aggressively in the opposite direction.
The force of the creatures below and their combined weight was enough to spill them into the mud and slime. The last thing Miri saw before she tumbled into the swamp water was Mistress Avia using magic to teleport herself to a nearby shore and Ralis leap into the air. Then her head was beneath the thick mud. She tried to swim against the sludge and only barely managed to get her head above the water. Miri gasped as she felt a sea of limbs shifting around her. They clawed at her and strained to pull her down with them. Desperate she kicked and punched at the forms but felt only water, it was like hitting nothing. The creatures reformed after every useless attack and grabbed hold again with an icy cold grip.
She couldn’t fight against them and was pulled under with a final desperate breath of air. The mud was thick across her skin, filling in her ears and nose as she struggled to swim. And the hands were relentless as they pulled her deeper into the cold mud.
Then a hand locked around her wrist and she felt something pull her back to the surface. She gasped and coughed mud, as air hit her face. With her free hand she tried to clear the sludge from her eyes. Ralis was holding her by the arm and desperately trying to fly upward. He struggled against the hold that the creatures had onto Miri’s torso. She looked over to see Mistress Avia as she struggled to pull Tylo to solid ground with one of the poles. He too was covered in reaching watery arms that clung desperately to every inch of his body.
“Hold on Miri, I’ve got you!” Ralis cried as he stained to pull her free.
Miri felt like she was going to be torn in half by the force and she cried out in pain. Ineffectively she kicked her legs and smacked back the forms as they reached for her head. More of the water creatures reached for Ralis’s legs that dangled too near the swamp’s surface.
“Sing Ralis!” Cried Mistress Avia as Tylo sank below the surface again.
Miri gasped as she too was pulled under again and didn’t hear what Ralis replied back. She kicked and fought against the shapes in the water futilely. Her lungs strained for breath when suddenly the creatures holding her down pulled away. She burst free of the mud and desperately gasped in the pungent air of the swamp.
With a hearty beat of
his wings Ralis pulled Miri free and into his arms. She coughed the mud from her lungs as he flew her to Mistress Avia and set her on the firm ground. He flew back to where the overturned boat was sinking and sang a single long discordant note. The sound was both beautiful and terrible. The creatures in the water fled at the noise and Ralis reached into the mud and pulled Tylo free.
He flew back to solid ground and laid Tylo’s limp form down. Miri gasped as she realized he wasn’t breathing. Ralis didn’t hesitate however, as he cleared the mud from the boy’s face and breathed air into his lungs. Miri felt herself shake as she stood and watched Ralis continue with alternating chest compressions and breaths into his small lungs.
After what felt like too long, the boy suddenly lurched forward and coughed the mud and water onto the grass beside him. Ralis gently patted his back as Tylo worked to clear his airways. While the two caught their breath, Miri felt slightly flushed as she recalled a similar moment from not so long ago.
“Thank you Ralis.” Mistress Avia had clasped her hands over her chest at the sight. “Had I seen this; I would have left poor Tylo behind.”
Miri looked to Mistress Avia with a sympathetic smile. She knew all too well how horrible it felt when failing to prevent something that should have been prevented. Mistress Avia smiled back, then turned towards the Shrine. Miri followed her gaze and watched in horror as the swamp around the structure writhed with arms. At the edge of their small shore, hands reached into the dirt and clawed at them.
“What do we do now?” Miri asked.
Their boat had mostly sunk into the turbulent muck, but even with it, there was no way that the hands would let them get near enough to the Shrine to open it.
Mistress Avia looked back to Ralis with a mysterious grin. “I do not think that the Heroes of Legend anticipated someone with wings.”
Ralis looked up from Tylo, whose breath had only just started to sound normal. “We could fly to the door.”
Miri nodded.
“You should know that Tylo and myself will not be joining you within. Only those with the spirit of the Hero should enter such a place.” Mistress Avia helped Tylo to his feet and rubbed his back motherly.
“Do you know what we’ll find inside?” Ralis asked as he looked anxiously towards the Shrine.
“One of the Heroes of Legend.” Miri offered with a shudder. “And if what Amri and Ezra learned is true then they will still be alive.”
“That is all that I know of the Shrine of Wind.” Mistress Avia nodded. “The Hero of Legend within is not himself. To claim his power, he must be slain by your hand Ralis.”
Ralis visibly shuddered and looked down at the soggy ground. Miri wanted to comfort him, but her cheeks burned red at the thought and she stayed her hand.
“Alright.” Ralis breathed heavily, then looked towards the Shrine. “When you’re ready Miri.”
Miri didn’t feel ready, but she nodded and let Ralis pull her into a tight embrace. With a mighty flap of his wings they were in the air and easily flew over the reaching hands. The guardians of the Shrine lunged but seemed bound by the water and slime that contained them.
The door was eerily identical to the Shrine of Flame’s door and Miri was again confronted with Elven runes, whose meaning she only barely understood. She resolved that she would get Mistress Avia to teach her once they had a moment to breath. Like Ralis and Amri had done once atop a mountain, Miri examined the door while Ralis held her tightly in his arms. Her face burned red at the closeness they shared, and she struggled to focus on the words.
“What am I looking for?” She asked.
“Amri found a hole and reached her hand inside.” Ralis explained. “I don’t know what she did inside though. I think she said it was trapped.”
Miri lamented that they had been separated, Amri was uncontested as the best at this sort of thing.
“We can do this.” Ralis squeezed encouragingly, as if he had read her thoughts.
Together they scanned across the face of the Shrine’s door. Below, the reaching hands lunged and clawed at the air, desperate to grab any part of them and drag them under. Miri had started to feel anxious as they were forced to hover near the writhing waters and pulled her legs up as high as she could. Then she saw what she was looking for. At the center of the door was that strange symbol that had started to become familiar. It contained the four artistic symbols of the elements like before and the center remained the chaotic explosion of circles. Hidden in the design of the element of wind was a small hole, large enough for an arm to fit through.
“There.” Miri pointed and Ralis flew in as close as he could.
“Careful Miri.” Ralis offered as she ran her fingers around the opening.
The stone was unnaturally smooth and cool to the touch. Carefully, she slipped her hand inside and felt the edges of the small hole. She gasped as her fingers grazed something sharp like the blades of a knife. The thought made her retract her hand nervously and she tried to peer into the darkness to see what was inside. All she saw was black.
Below the hands were trying to climb up the sides of the Shrine’s door in desperation. They piled atop each other and Miri gasped as she realized they were actually getting closer. With a whimper she slipped her hand inside once again and felt carefully along the edges. Not all of the walls were sharp, and she kept her hand as far from them as she could. It was challenging as Ralis could not help but bob slightly as he flapped his wings to maintain their place in the air.
“Whatever it is you need to do Miri; you need to do it quickly.” Ralis said.
Miri looked down; the reaching hands were nearly at Ralis’s feet. She bit her lower lip and reached deeper, then her hand hit something solid. It felt like an impression in the shape of a hand carved into the stone. It was clear that she needed to press her hand into the indent, but the blades that rubbed ever so slightly against her skin were enough to give her pause. She had felt no mechanisms, or switches of any kind to work with.
She placed her hand against the smooth indent and heard a soft click. A second later the blades snapped into place and Miri screamed as her arm was shredded. Instinctually she pulled her arm back from the hole, but the action only cut her worse. Her skin had been flayed from her arm and burned as if with some sort of poison.
Then Ralis cried out and Miri felt the two of them slowly lower into the mud. The hands hand grasped tight around Ralis and together they were pulled into a watery grave.
Miri screamed and pulled her arm back as the vision faded from her. Her skin was still smooth and uncut. Below they still had a few more seconds before the arms reached them.
“What’s wrong?” Ralis asked.
Miri shook her head; she didn’t have time to explain. If the indent wasn’t the answer, she needed to quickly figure out what was. She reached her hand inside of the hole again and searched with her fingers for another way. But she felt nothing aside from the blades and smooth stone. She could feel Ralis’s grip tense around her as the arms grew closer, but forced her eyes closed. Her vision had warned her against pressing the smooth stone indent, perhaps it would show her the correct path.
Doubt washed through her as her fingers felt nothing and the hands below grew nearer. Her mind was blank, and she internally cursed her fickle visions. Then her fingers felt something. Hidden within one of the groves filled with blades was a slight indent. She hesitated but when no vision stopped her, Miri decided to chance it. She took a deep breath and placed her finger against the grooved stone. Something shuddered beneath her fingertip and then the entire structure started to shake. In response the blades started to move along the edges of the hole, and she pulled her arm back as fast as she could. She wasn’t quick enough to avoid all of the blades however and the action left a deep gash along her arm. Miri cried out in pain but knew that it was not as bad as it could have been.
Ralis flew back as the S
hrine began to rise from the mud. The ground shook as more smooth stone burst from beneath the mud and slime. Water drained from the structure as it rose high above the trees and a narrow path formed from the dry patch of land where Mistress Avia and Tylo waited. It led to an opening that soon became exposed. More mud and water drained from the mouth and into the swamp, flooding most of the surrounding patches of dry land. Mistress Avia and Tylo were forced to stand on the stone path that had risen from the swamp. The final exposed structure looked like a black polished pyramid and dripped with greenery from the swamp water.
Ralis set Miri down on the path at the entrance and moved to examine her arm. She couldn’t feel her fingers. Her arm was numb with pain and she feared that she could see bone through the torn strip of flesh. Ralis struggled to calm his breathing as he prepared to heal her with his song. Miri felt dizzy from the blood loss and leaned against his chest as he began to sing. The magic of his voice was fast in stitching up the recent wound and Miri’s breathing steadied as the pain faded into nothing. Ralis held her close as she took a moment to recover.
Then she blushed furiously as she realized how close they were, and Miri moved away with a blush. Ralis gave her an innocent smile, glad that she was ok, and together they looked into the open mouth of the Shrine.
The inside was pitch black and the sound of running water continued to drain from the stonework, even as the shaking stopped. The path was high enough above the mud that the guardian’s reaching hands could only slide uselessly against the polished stone.
“Are you ready?” Ralis asked as they looked inside.
Miri shuddered, her fear of the dark threatened to overwhelm her again. She looked to Ralis and saw his own fear of his upon his face. It looked so foreign to see anything but a smile.
Sunken Wind Page 35
