by Eric Vall
“Spilled what beans?” Vallen’s perplexed expression made me chuckle.
“It’s an expression from my old world,” I laughed. “I just mean someone has already told the secret of one hiding place, so now we have to make sure no one else gets them.”
“That was the gods’ goal when they separated them,” Naomi said. “They didn’t want anyone else in Inati to have that much power, especially not the humans back then.”
“The story says the gods feared the humans would combine the objects and be able to destroy the heavens,” Miraya added. “Then the gods would be forced to live on land, and the rest of us would suffer greatly.”
“So, how do we protect the artifacts if they’re hidden from man?” Laika asked.
“I’m not sure yet,” I replied and frowned as one of the guards walked in and whispered into Vallen’s ear. “They could be anywhere. What’s going on?”
“It seems we have another problem on hand,” the lizard leader announced as the guard stood and strode from the room. “Many of the plants that were cured of the curse have died.”
“How?” I asked. “The reversal returned them back to normal.”
“It could be the curse had already brought them to the brink of death,” Polina replied.
“And they were unable to recover,” Marina added.
“Especially since the spell was simply reversed,” Trina pointed out. “None of us used any healing power on the plants.”
“Shit,” I muttered. “I didn’t even think about that.”
“So, in addition to the ones that didn’t recover from the curse, there are the ones we tried to save before you got here,” Vallen continued. “The loss has left us with less than half of our normal food supply.”
“The ones you tried to save?” I repeated and lifted an eyebrow. “What does that mean?”
“I experimented with some spells to reverse the plague,” Naomi answered. “I wasn’t successful, as you saw, and many of the crops died from my efforts.”
“Jasper says we’ll be scrounging for food within a month if we don’t find a solution,” Vallen said as he wrung his hands. “We need to resolve this situation, or my people will starve. We cannot live only on what we hunt.”
“We can help replant in the areas that have lost their crops,” I suggested. “It would be small at first, but it could grow as the fields do.”
“There are not enough supplies to replant and be able to feed our people,” Vallen replied. “We have enough for one or the other. How is anyone supposed to choose between those two options?”
“We may be able to help, but we would have to see the areas to be certain,” Polina said.
“Okay, let’s finish up here and get down there before it’s completely dark,” I decided.
Everyone nodded, and we finished our meal in silence. The only sounds I could hear were chewing and the occasional rumble in a stomach.
As soon as our plates were empty, I stood from the table and gestured for Vallen to lead the way. He and I walked in front as the rest of our group followed us out of the castle on the road, then down the dune to the fields where Jasper paced back and forth in front of the toolshed.
“Lord Vallen!” the farmer cried out and loped over to us. “Lord Evan! Thank the gods you’ve come. I’ve tried everything to save our crops. I’m out of ideas.”
“Okay, what have you done so far?” I asked as the dryads walked closer to listen.
“We tried to use the plants you fixed to plant some sprouts, but they won’t hold in the soil,” he explained. “It seems to be different now in some way, and I’m not sure how. I’ve tried several different plant foods, I’ve tried creating some new rows to plant the sprouts in, and we even tried to pull one stalk from the healthy section and use it to replant, but when it didn’t work, I didn’t want to keep taking from what was growing well.”
“I can certainly understand that,” I agreed. “We wouldn’t want you to continue to risk the good crops and leave your people with absolutely nothing. Let me speak with the dryads. We’ll do something.”
“Thank you!” Jasper clasped his clawed hands together. “I will be grateful for your help.”
I dipped my head and motioned for the dryads to follow me closer to the fields. Then I reached out and ran my fingers across the leaves of one of the stalks. The crispy leaf crumbled as soon as I touched it, and the dryads gasped.
“This is much worse than we imagined,” Trina murmured.
“Our magic can’t bring the dead back to life,” Marina nearly whispered. “These are…”
“Dead,” Polina finished with a sigh. “I’m not sure how we can help. Our magic essentially moves the life cycle forward. If we move forward from death, the crops will only return to the soil to provide it with the nutrients. It won’t create any more stalks for the lizards.”
“I’ve never tried to heal something dead,” I muttered. “Can you tell what’s going on with the soil right now?”
All three of the sisters crouched and placed their hands on the ground between the stalks. Then they closed their eyes and focused on the soil in silence.
I wondered what they saw as they peered into the nature below us, so when I put my hands on Polina and Trina’s shoulders, I took a sharp breath as the images from the root system underground appeared in my mind’s eye with incredible clarity. It was almost like looking at the nervous system of a human body, and it reminded me of the classes I’d taken as an EMT back on Earth. I could see root areas that seemed to be inflamed, and some of the infection had bled into the soil around them.
Suddenly, I knew what to do.
I poured my healing magic into the pathways I could sense through the sisters’ nature power. The glittery wave of my power flowed into the ground, and I could see it travel along the root systems in my mind’s eye. The injured roots began to knit themselves back together, and the infection dissipated without a trace. The pathways began to glow, and it seemed like I could feel the life flow back into the ground.
It felt like rejuvenation.
“You did it,” Trina whispered.
“The land is healed,” Polina murmured as she rose to her feet.
“Amazing,” Marina agreed with a sigh. “Lord Evan is amazing! He’s a god!”
“Well, I dunno if I’m a god yet,” I snickered.
“But you healed the land!” the three sisters said in unison as they gave me wide-eyed looks of complete adoration.
“How did you do that?” Jasper’s mouth hung open as we watched life flow back into the crops.
“Dragon magic and dryad magic make a pretty tough duo, I guess,” I replied. “I’m glad it worked.”
“Me, too!” Lord Vallen chirped. “Now, we can continue with harvest plans as normal, right, Jasper?”
“Yes, my lord,” the farmer confirmed. “Everything will be back to normal in no time at all.”
“Perfect!” Vallen grinned.
“Now, we all need some rest,” I said. “It’s been one hell of a day.”
We climbed back up the dune to the stone path and began the walk back to the castle.
“That was an interesting idea,” Alyona murmured as we walked.
“Yeah, I’ve never seen anything like that,” I replied. “I could see the roots underneath the land like the sisters see it. It was amazing.”
“Well, it seems Lord Vallen is grateful,” she said with a smile.
We both looked up to see Vallen nearly skipping his way back to the palace.
“I suppose so,” I chuckled. “I’m just ready for some sleep. I don’t think I even got a wink last night, thanks to you.”
Alyona giggled as I winked at her.
We arrived at the castle and made our way to our chambers without a word. It seemed everyone was exhausted from the day.
As soon as we walked into the room, Alyona and Miraya sat on the edge of the bed, and they’d barely taken off their slippers before both women had tipped backward and fallen asleep.
I started to lay down next to them, but I reeked of oil and sweat from today’s events, so I had to get cleaned up.
I sighed as I grabbed some fresh clothes and made my way to the bath.
When I reached the door, I could hear giggles from inside, and I gently pushed the door open to see the dryads naked and covered in soap. The white bubbles left little to my imagination, and heat rose up in my chest as I stared at the beautiful sisters and their bare bodies.
“Lord Evan!” Marina squeaked.
“We just had to clean up before bed,” Trina said as she rubbed more soap across her ample bosom and kept her eyes on me.
“Care to join us?” Polina winked and grabbed the washcloth from her sister.
I growled as I closed the door behind me.
A while later, I walked the dryads to their room, and the three satisfied women sighed as I pushed open the door for them.
“Goodnight, ladies,” I said with a grin.
“Goodnight, Lord Evan,” the sisters replied in unison.
I chuckled as I made my way back to my own room and walked inside. Alyona and Miraya were still asleep, and the moon outside the window was high. I was just happy to see the sun wasn’t out yet, so I could get a little bit of sleep this time. I had to recharge just in case more shit popped up tomorrow, and my mind wandered over the possibilities in the bandits’ plans.
Before I could even finish my thoughts, I passed out.
When I awoke the next morning, I heard a shrill ringing sound. I reached for the nightstand to grab my cell phone and felt nothing but empty air as the sun streamed in through the open window. Then I blinked a few times and remembered there weren’t any cell phones here in Inati.
So, what the hell was that noise?
Alyona stirred next to me, and she sat up and looked around.
“Do you hear that?” she mumbled.
“Yeah, I was trying to figure out what it was,” I answered as I continued to look around the room for the source of the sound.
“Oh!” she gasped and reached into her spatial storage.
The princess took her white jade hand mirror out of the magical chamber and held it up for me to see. Her father had activated the mirror message, and I realized it had been several days since we’d spoken with him.
We sat up together, and she held the mirror in front of us. King Rodion’s pale face appeared on the surface, and his grim expression relaxed when our faces showed on his own mirror. His long white hair whipped around his head, and his violet eyes were alert and focused. Though the dark clouds continued to circle behind him, he seemed calm in the storm at the Breach.
“My daughter, Lord Evan, have you completed your tasks in Colaruma?” he asked. “The traitors and the Sect?”
“Yes, Your Highness,” I confirmed. “I apologize that we haven’t reached out to you again since we found the traitor. It seems the former Head Magistrate Whitaker decided to divide the rations as he saw fit. He is… no longer an issue. The new Head Magistrate is Mateo.”
“Ah, a worthy successor,” King Rodion said with an approving nod. “Mateo was raised to understand politics and navigate problems with the intention of finding a solution. Very good. And the portals?”
“Successfully sealed once more,” Alyona replied. “Though once you are able, they will probably need your final touch.”
“I will get there as soon as it’s possible,” the king agreed. “What about the Sentinels?”
“Safe and sound and back at their posts,” I answered. “We wouldn’t have left the city unguarded, Your Highness.”
“I understand,” he said with a nod. “Now, you appear to have made it to Kana.”
“Yeah,” I said. “We found the Sundex. You’re familiar with it?”
“Indeed,” King Rodion said and raised a white eyebrow. “Are you?”
“I wasn’t,” I admitted. “I’ve been caught up on the story, but the problem is that some bandits have stolen it.”
“Stolen it?” the king roared, and his purple eyes darkened with rage. “How? Why do the Kana people even have it?”
“Father, we’re learning more as we go, but it seems someone gave it to their people long ago,” Alyona explained. “They’ve been keeping it safe in their city ever since. Well, until now, that is.”
“As for how it was taken, the bandits used an Oleum spell to distract us,” I said with a frown. “By the time we found the mage and killed him, another group of them had taken it. We were surprised by their numbers and their determination to steal it. We had already stopped one attempt at that point.”
“This is a serious issue,” King Rodion muttered. “Do we know why the bandits wanted it? Are they in league with the Green Glass Sect? The Sundex could certainly turn the tide of the war at the Breach.”
“We captured one who said their goal is purely profit,” I replied. “It seems they want to sell it to whomever has the most money.”
“They mustn’t be allowed to complete the Celestial Triad,” he said.
“Wait, you know about the other two relics?” I raised an eyebrow. “It seems we’re the last to know.”
“Man was never supposed to know,” the king sighed. “But I do know where they are hidden, and we need to get them back.”
“Why?” Alyona asked.
“If someone has told the thieves about one, they could have told them about the others as well,” he explained. “We must find a new place to hide them.”
“Where can we hide them?” I asked. “They’ve already been found once.”
“I’m not sure yet,” the king replied as he stroked his beard in thought. “But you must retrieve them first. They are much safer in your hands than with anyone else, especially someone willing to sell them.”
“Do you think they know what the relics can do?” I wondered.
“I would imagine not,” he said. “No one would want to sell them if they understood the power they would have with them, but it doesn’t matter. If the Green Glass Sect gets a hold of them, it would be catastrophic. I am most certain Olivier is aware of the Triad’s power and how the gods feared the relics.”
“I thought they preferred demons to gods,” I muttered.
“If the Sect uses the Triad to open the Breach, they could send demons to the heavens,” the king declared. “The war would most certainly be lost, and the world as we know it would be destroyed.”
“Gods,” Alyona gasped.
“Okay, so we have to save the world,” I said. “No biggie. We do this all the time. Where do we get the other two relics?”
The king looked around behind him and grimaced. He was clearly not alone, and he seemed uncomfortable at my bluntness.
“We can’t be too careful with this information,” he nearly whispered. “I’ll send you the locations in code. You’ll have to decipher it together, but we must ensure no one else can figure it out, especially these bandits.”
“So, you’ll send it to us?” I narrowed my eyes. “How?”
“You’ll see,” King Rodion replied with a humorless smile. “Take care of my daughter.”
“Always,” I vowed.
The king gave us a nod before he severed the connection, and the surface of the mirror rippled and then reflected our own worried expressions.
“How strange, I’ve never heard him discuss the Triad before,” Alyona murmured as she rose from the bed and began to pace the room. “It seems we happened upon quite the secret.”
“What I want to know is how the bandits happened upon it as well,” I pointed out. “If it’s such a big secret, how did they know where to go?”
“I’m not sure,” she replied. “But as soon as we receive the locations, we must hurry there in case the bandits have that information as well.”
“I agree,” I said. “We should update Lord Vallen and the others. It smells like breakfast is cooking, so at least they may already be in the dining hall.”
The princess nodded and slid her feet into her slippers.
> I sat on the edge of the bed and pulled on my boots as Miraya rolled over and gazed at me with her pale blue eyes.
“Lord Evan?” she murmured. “What’s going on?”
The spirit had silently slept through our entire conversation, and I’d almost forgotten she was in the room. Now, she rubbed her eyes as she looked at me with an innocent, sleepy expression.
“Come downstairs with us,” I replied. “We’ll fill you in along with everyone else.”
Miraya nodded and slid off the bed with a yawn.
“You slept well?” Alyona asked and smiled.
“I did,” the spirit confirmed. “Though I wasn’t aware that I could sleep. I’ve never done so when I lived in my masters’ spiritual seas.”
“It’s probably your physical body that was tired,” the princess suggested. “You aren’t used to so much activity.”
“True,” Miraya murmured as she bent down to strap on her sandals.
I led the women down to the dining hall, and only Vallen, Naomi, Nike, and the dryads were sitting at the table as they waited for breakfast.
“Lord Evan!” Vallen chirped. “Did my cooks wake you?”
“No,” I replied. “The king did, and he had some interesting information.”
“The king?” the lizard leader repeated with wide yellow eyes. “This must be serious. Does he know about the missing Sundex?”
“Yes,” I replied. “Now, I’d like to get everyone else down here before we go through it all.”
“Of course,” Vallen said, and he dipped his head.
I nodded and returned to the hallway to find Laika and Aaliyah as they walked back from the bath.
My eyes drifted down their loosely clothed bodies, and a deep growl rumbled in my chest as I imagined taking them back into the bath or maybe even just right here in the hall and marking them as my own.
“Lord Evan?” Laika asked, and her hand fluttered up to the collar of her robe. “Is something wrong?”
“Ah, no, um… ” I shook my head to clear it of the images of the two naked women writhing beneath me. “We all need to get downstairs. Grab Ravi, too.”
“Okay,” the wolf warrior replied with her head cocked to the side.
