Finally, at the mountain base, she found the easy road to the top. Her feet flew up the path, unhindered by the encampments of Tellurian soldiers that had scared her into more rocky terrain when she had climbed before.
When she finally reached the steps to Caelestis, night had passed, and morning was peeking through the clouds above. Astrid stopped for a moment to admire the sunrise. She’d always enjoyed the rising sun, being the eldest of her sisters, she was always the first to wake, therefore seeing more sunrises than both of her sisters. Even though the sunrises by the volcano were magnificent, they didn’t compare to the sunrise Astrid witnessed before her. In the sky kingdom, it seemed like she was close enough to touch the sun. Its golden rays whispered through the clouds, touching her face in several spots to warm her. She had to turn away, as to not be blinded by the sight. Taking a deep breath, she turned back to the task at hand, taking her steps two at a time, her focus only on reaching Quimby to tell him of all that had happened.
“Curious that I did not see him fight this day, but perhaps that is for the best,” she said aloud. Taking comfort in the sound of her own voice for the time being. Hoping to find Quimby, she made her way toward the Vizier’s palace.
“Astrid! You’ve returned!” Quimby had emerged from the Vizier’s home as if he had been waiting for her. His white wings were in awkward proportion to his rotund belly, as he ambled toward her.
“Indeed, I have. How are the Caelestan’s?” she asked, worry evident in the crease of her forehead and her sad eyes.
“They are as well as to be expected. Some have gone to the infirmary to be tended to, but we consider ourselves fortunate. If not for the blue-haired girl, we would have lost a great many more.”
“That blue-haired woman is my sister. Yes, all our kingdoms would have lost a great deal more had she not come to our rescue. That is certain. I am thankful she was there today, but in the interest of getting back to her, I need to see the king to tell him of our plan to unite the kingdoms finally.”
“She was your sister?”
“Yes, she is.”
“She did magic, Astrid. No one can do magic, why then have you and your sister been given this ability?”
“I don’t know, but Quimby... there is a wizard assisting King Armand. Shouldn’t we bring that to the king? Shouldn’t we tell him this may be why there has been so many issues?”
Quimby’s face went paler than usual. His stocky, rotund body jiggling as he started pacing back and forth quickly. “A wizard? A wizard? The King and the Vizier will not tolerate that at all.”
“There is another thing, I wish to ask the King if he would come to Telluris, as my sisters have gone to their kings. We wish to do a ceremonial burning of all of our fallen people, together.”
“Astrid, I do not think the King will go for that at all. Let us go to the Vizier and speak to him on this matter. He will need to know.”
“Quimby, why not the King? Why am I not allowed to meet with the King, always the Vizier?” Astrid could feel her frustration rising. If they could not agree to get the kings to meet just once, in something as necessary as burning their dead, there was no hope for there ever being peace among the kingdoms.
“The Vizier is the most trusted of the King, and when it comes to decisions in our kingdom, he has more power than anyone here except the King. He will pass on any information that is needed to King Betram. You should be thankful for that, they do not call him King Bertram the heartless, for nothing. He’d have your cold carcass for the information you just told me.” Quimby ambled back inside the Vizier’s palace, leading the way up the stairs, and motioning for her to follow. Though she hardly needed to be told to do so.
Astrid’s green leather boots barely made a sound as they ascended the steps to the room belonging to the Grand Vizier. The foreboding that had settled in her stomach grew heavier with each step.
“Enter,” the Grand Vizier said, before they even had a chance to knock on the thick wood.
His pale, aging face, and hunched form told her all she needed to know for the moment. She could see the frown and look of sadness in his eyes.
“I know that you come here with news of a truce. It is not to be, young one. It would have been better off if you had stayed in Telluris. King Armand cannot be trusted, his treaties are farce. Take our best soldiers, return to the land kingdom while he is weak, and overtake the kingdom. It is your best hope for winning this battle.”
“With all due respect, Grand Vizier, I cannot. I cannot see any more of our people senselessly slaughtered. The Tellurians, they are loyal to their king, and if it is as you say, a farce... then forcing them into battle means that there will be more innocent lives lost. We have to figure out another way.”
He slammed the edge of his staff hard against the floor. “There is no other way!” he yelled.
“There has to be!” Astrid cried out in desperation. “Please, let me speak to the King. Let me at least ask him to join me in Telluris. If we can return there and join the others... we can burn the bodies of our dead, together. There is no greater bond in life, than death.”
“No, absolutely not! The King will never have it, and none of us will let him. He may not be a good king, but he is the only king we have and if he is murdered then we will be leaderless, and the Caelestans will come after you.”
“I don’t care!” She threw her hands to her side angrily. “I don’t care if they come after me! We must put an end to this. The Caelestans and the Aequorans will die for the lack of nutrients. If we can once again unite as three individual kingdoms, then we can restore the trade between us, and once again thrive together.”
“Silence! You know nothing of what you speak. There will never again be peace among us, unless it is facilitated among the people themselves. That is your best bet, but to ask to bring the kings into it... it will never happen. I can assure you that if you are expecting the Aequoran King to join in your little peace party, he will not have it.” The Grand Vizier’s voice was loud, and stern, not angry, but simply telling her the truths she refused to hear.
“I don’t believe you. I think that as long as the kings are alive, there is hope.”
He shook his head, remaining silent for the moment.
“Please, can I go to the King?”
“For the last time, no! Return to Telluris. Find another way to bring about this peace that you so long to have. There is nothing the King can do for you, and nothing more than I can do for you. Perhaps call upon that Dragon magic you’ve been given. We already know that you are a strong warrior... use that to your advantage to save the people you say you care for so much.”
Astrid sighed. There was no way to convince him otherwise. She would have to find another way, even as she knew in that moment there was no other way. Perhaps war was the answer. It couldn’t be the only answer. I will return to Telluris, and so help me, Unseen Ones, I will find another way, even if it costs me everything.
Aronus chose then to make his presence known, whispering into her mind, it will cost you everything, but I will not leave you through it. We can do this.
Astrid didn’t respond to his words of comfort. Instead, she left the room, descending the steps and walking out of Caelestis without another word to Quimby or the Vizier. She would not speak to them again, until she had found a solution.
Even though she had traveled straight from Telluris to Caelestis, she found herself leaving as soon as she’d arrived. The hopelessness of the situation overwhelming her as she made her way back to the land kingdom, broken with the thought of dealing with the dead without the support of her king.
As she found herself taking the steps that led out of the sky kingdom and to the mountain, Aronus’s presence became heavy in her mind.
Aronus, I need your guidance. I don’t know what to do with the bodies! There are so many. Should I burn them with the others anyway? What if I am caught and the kings determine it as an act of disrespect?
It is an interesting predi
cament. Your human ways are much more different than our dragon ways. You prepare them for death, dig them holes and bury them in the ground. In the Dragon Realm, when one of us has passed on, we go to the highest peak of the Dragon universe and send them off to the sky. We know that their souls already live with the Unseen Ones in the Celestial Plane, but we believe their bodies break down and all the goodness, wisdom and magic contained in their being goes back into the Dragon Plane and those that remain are the lucky receivers of all the wisdom and magic that that Dragon Being contained, Aronus finished softly.
That’s lovely, Aronus. It really is. When we die, our bodies turn to dirt, which we believe is what we were created from. I suppose like you, our spirit goes to reside with the Unseen Ones as well.
You are wise, Astrid. What you said before, there is no greater bond in life, than death. For death is where we are all equal, no matter what happens to our physical form.
Indeed, Astrid replied.
Astrid quieted her thoughts as she journeyed back to Telluris. It was nightfall before she found her place in the land kingdom. The smell of death had begun to hang heavy in the air as she approached. The land people had long since departed and stayed away. For that, she was grateful. Even as she walked among the dead, a gentle glowing orb in the distance caught her attention.
Could it be? Hekla had returned as well. The joy bubbling forth inside was enough to make her dance. She ran to her sister, who was accompanied by the sea foam green forms of several Aequoran soldiers.
“Astrid!” her younger sister yelled, throwing her arms around Astrid, clinging tight.
“Hekla, to see you again so soon, it is more than I could have hoped for,” Astrid responded as she returned the embrace.
“Well, what are you doing here?” Hekla asked.
“I think the same as you, though I had no luck with seeing my King. The Caelestan King will not be joining us.”
“Well, I saw my King, but he had no interest in joining us either.” Hekla’s voice grew heavy as she looked to the ground.
“Do not be down, sister. It is not your fault. These kings have lived at odds for so long that they refuse to change their ways. It will be the death of them, as it has been their people.” Astrid knew these things with certainty, but it was a truth that ripped through her soul. To have the option for peace but not fight for it. That was devastating.
“You speak the truth, sister,” Hekla said. “Only we are here now, and we must figure out what to do with this knowledge. I think you know as I do, that there must be another way. We don’t see it yet, but there is. There has to be.”
“I agree, Hekla. There has to be another way.”
“I am with you, and I will stand by your side as you fight to find it,” one of the men who had come with Hekla and stood next to her the entire time, finally spoke up.
“Thank you?” she let the end of her voice raise in question, hoping that he would share who he was and what he was doing there.
“I am Jetevius, head of the Aequoran armies. I am here to assist Hekla in bringing our dead back to the ocean so that we can release them in a way that is respectful to them, and to our people.”
“Thank you for being here.” Astrid bowed her head gently, offering him a smile.
11
Svana
When it comes to family, it is hard to give up. You want to believe they can be the best version of themselves. You don’t believe the same with strangers, but somehow—with family, it’s different. You don’t want to lose faith. Sometimes, it’s a good thing, and you can reach them, but other times—it’s best to just let go.
Airlyoth, The Warrior, Second Dragon Elder, Third Age of Verdil
“Svana, wait!” Emmeline’s trembling voice stopped Svana as she began running down the hallway, away from the room with the dying king.
Brushing the fiery hair out of her eyes, Svana tucked a tendril behind her ear before turning to face the young woman. “Yes, Emmeline... is there something else you require of me?”
“Please don’t rush out of here on impulse, at least let me tell you what I know before you take off,” Emmeline’s hair held a ghostly glow, which came from the torches lighting the hallway.
“Well, I’d rather not waste a moment of time. We don’t know how much longer the king has, and if I can help save him, then just perhaps we can ‘bring him back’ as you say. Perhaps then, he will see that even as my enemy, I saved his life. That has to count for something.” Svana looked to the ground, scraping her red-leathered boot against the plush carpeting.
“Do not be ashamed, dear Svana. It is not your fault that he is the way he is. He was long since growing dark before you came here, and if you saving his life brings him back to the light, then it is more than I can hope for. If I’m being honest, I think there are darker things at work. I don’t know what you’ve heard, or what you believe... but the Wizard in the tallest tower, I don’t know if it’s true—”
“Have you ever been there?” Svana asked.
“No, Svana, I cannot say that I have. The king has forbidden it, but honestly, I haven’t had the desire to go there for fear that something far worse awaits.”
“He’s forbidden your presence in the tallest tower?”
Emmeline nodded, her large crystalline eyes blinking slowly, the sadness that echoed in them as deep as a well.
I must help her; I just have to.
“Dearest Emmie, if he has forbidden you there. Doesn’t that mean that he is indeed hiding something, or someone there?”
“It most likely does, but I haven’t the heart or the guts to find out. You must understand, my uncle is more than an uncle or king, or even a parent. He is my best friend, and confidant. He’s all I have in the world.” Her crystalline eyes glistened with tears, and it pulled at Svana’s heart. She’d never felt such brokenness, even when it meant leaving her sisters.
“Then I must go there. I must find out just what he is hiding in that tower. All of our lives could depend on it.” Svana turned to go, bent on putting a stop to whatever it was once and for all.
The more Svana thought about it, the more absurd it seemed. Perhaps the girl was right, why would the king hide a wizard in the tower? What of the treaty the dragons had that only they could do magic? If there was an actual wizard, who had granted the man his power? None of it made sense, and even though she’d thought about it before, she’d never been in the castle with the tower so close. She had to deal with it.
Cold, soft hands grabbed her arm. “Don’t do it Svana, don’t go. Whatever is there, if it has something to do with my uncle, he could die before you have a chance to put a stop to whatever is there.”
“Emmeline, I know that you are worried for him, but don’t you realize that if there is someone or something there that is responsible for the evil inside of your uncle, it could affect us all. If he dies, what’s to stop it from moving onto its next victim?”
Emmeline went silent, closing her eyes to think. Finally, she spoke, her voice soft but assured. “I think that whatever has a hold of my uncle, started a long time ago. Long before there were rumors of a wizard living in the castle. I also think whatever is here, has the power to cloak itself. So, in the interest of protecting the people, I think it’s best to continue on as if we know nothing about the tallest tower.”
“You make a good point. If it suspects that we know, it could make things much worse.”
“So, what do you we do, Svana? I trust whatever decision you decide to make.”
“I think you are right. I will do what I can to find medicine that will help your uncle, and even your Tristan. If your uncle lives, perhaps we can convince him to reverse the damage that has been caused by the dark influence. I think we are both convinced it is not your uncle,” Svana said.
Svana’s hip throbbed with the power of her sword, that ached to fight. The cool metal blade called to her, a fight against the dark entity was eminent. Svana had no doubt. However, rushing off to find some medicine
that may or may not exist brought her no comfort, but her friend had been right. Svana had to put aside her impulsiveness and would have to be wise about when she would attack, if that was even a possibility.
Where magic was involved, she needed to speak to Lingaria, but it would not be safe to do so, until she was out of presence of the young woman.
“Please, Svana, you have to trust all that I have said. The king was kind, caring, and a friend and guardian to the people. If this man or beast was able to turn my uncle the way it has, it’s powerful. We’re going to need my uncle’s help to put a stop to it. For now, I wish to continue on as if there was nothing wrong except for making sure King Armand lives.”
The woman pleaded with Svana to understand, and even though everything in Svana made her want to run toward a fight, she knew that Emmeline was right.
“As you wish, dear Emmeline. I will take my leave now, and when I return, all will be well. I will see to it. I promise that somehow, someway, we will bring back the man who was like a father to you. The man who cared about the people and cherished you above all else. We will restore Telluris, and its relationship with the other kingdoms. Even if it costs me my life.” Svana gave Emmeline a reassuring hug, and then quickly ran from her before she could be stopped again.
The steps leading down to the main hallway of the castle were longer and steeper than she had remembered. When she hit the landing, she sprinted toward the exit of the castle, pausing only to catch her breath at the door before she was back out in the bright sunlight again.
Lingaria, tell me all that you know? Is there a wizard there?
Svana, I told you what I could. If there is something or someone there, neither I nor Speltus, nor Aronus could break past it, there’s a wall.
So, there is something there, then? Svana asked, some kind of magical block that isn’t allowing you to see what is in that part of the castle?
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