“I’ve no idea, Astrid. I only know that he demands an audience with you at once.”
“Very well, guard, gather the people and get them back to the city. Cayden and I will hurry back to Caelestis to see the king,” she said matter-of-factly, nodding her head to him.
The guard nodded back, and hurried to the Caelestans who had been practicing, and Astrid turned to the man she knew that she would not be able to stop her feelings for.
“I know that my response may have been off putting but come with me to Caelestis. Help me finish my goals, and then we can figure out everything else.” Normally level-headed Astrid, whose natural mothering instinct had given her wisdom beyond her years, had no idea what to do in that moment.
“As you wish, Astrid.” Cayden nodded to her, a half smile playing at the corner of his mouth. “It’s not what I had hoped for, but it’s better than you running off in the middle of the night again.”
“Oh yeah, that. Sorry about that, I was new, I didn’t trust…. Well, I still don’t trust anyone. It’s been key to my survival.”
“You’re going to have to take a chance at some point, Astrid.” He stepped uncomfortably close to her, brushing a tendril of her hair behind her ear.
She cleared her throat, grabbing his hand gently, and pushed it away. “This is the kind of thing that can be very distracting, and I can’t focus on this now. To Caelestis… please, before I change my mind?”
He nodded his head again, and they began their journey away from the woods, and back toward the stairway leading up to the sky kingdom. Astrid had many things circling in her brain, which kept her silent for their short journey, however, once they arrived in the air kingdom, they were met with many angry faces.
“Astrid, how dare you bring a Tellurian to our kingdom!” A guard yelled at them, stopping them from proceeding any further.
“I’ve been summoned to the king,” Astrid retorted.
“Yes, but he hasn’t. Tellurians are not welcome here,” he yelled angrily.
“He’s coming with me. He’s here to help me with the kingdom, regardless of what you say.” She reached behind her back to grab her bow, in case the argument escalated, and she had to fight back.
“Stop this at once!” A familiar voice interrupted their conversation, and to Astrid’s relief, the Grand Vizier stood not far off, looking regal in his robes and hard-set eyes. He slowly moved toward them, still holding the staff in hand, and when he approached his gaze changed. “Astrid, you have done a very ill-advised thing. Tellurians have not been welcoming here for a long time. You will be brought to the King, and I cannot stop what will happen now. It’s your choice that has led us to this today.”
“Very well, I take responsibility for it,” she said sternly.
The Vizier frowned, and though she had no fear of the king, she worried for Cayden’s safety. As they walked toward the castle of Caelestis, Astrid’s heart skipped a beat as she thought seeing the king again. Her first goal had been to kill him, but from the beginning, she had always desired peace. If she could reach an amiable solution for the three kings, she wanted to do so without death or fighting. There had been enough of both on her journey.
“Keep your head down, and do not meet his eyes. Remember that you are in the presence of the King, and you must listen to whatever he has to say. Understood?” The Vizier warned them.
“I do,” she nodded.
“I do,” Cayden replied.
As the large glass doors opened and they entered the king’s court, his roaring voice boomed out over them.
“Who has permitted the entrance of Tellurian scum into my kingdom!?” the king bellowed.
Astrid studied the Caelestan king, his body like those of the other Caelestan’s, he was tall. Taller than most and held a cerulean blue scepter in his hand that was nearly transparent. His pale hair was ghostly white and flowed around his face and shoulders like the smooth flow of a waterfall. It was out of place with the reddened fury of his face in the moment, and Astrid had to check her emotions. They had done nothing wrong, and Cayden had every right to be there just as she did, or any of the Caelestans.
“Your majesty, Cayden is here to help restore the kingdoms. He is loyal only to me, and no Tellurian king.”
The king stood, staring hard at her and then the man. “You are loyal only to her?”
Cayden nodded his head vigorously, realizing that his life may depend on it.
“Tell me, why not the Tellurian king?” The King sat in his chair, staring at them. His face slowly returning to its normal pale hue.
“Your majesty,” he said, “it has been a long time since I have lived in Telluris and served the king. As his head captain, I saw firsthand the darkness that he could do, and I would have nothing of it. He took every life he desired to take, women, men, children. It didn’t matter if they were innocent, and…” His voice became full of emotion, and he trailed off.
King Bertram snarled. “Like my son.” He took a deep breath, then looked into Cayden’s eyes. “So, are you willing to fight on my behalf?”
Cayden looked from Astrid to the king, and then nodded his head. “I will fight where it is deserved, but I cannot take an innocent life.”
The king grew quiet, contemplating what had been said. “Astrid, prove his loyalty. Right now, as we sit, I’ve received word that the king of Telluris is dying. Now is our time to strike, I demand that you march on Telluris and declare war.”
Astrid paled at his request, her head feeling slightly faint. They had just fought against the Tellurians, and many people from all kingdoms had died. How could she march on them, without the help of Hekla to heal those who were injured?
“That is an order!” he yelled again, and Astrid looked to Cayden. His eyes were understanding, and she knew that whatever she decided, he would be by her side.
38
Svana
True darkness can overwhelm you. It shadows all light, making the truth hard to find, but if you’re persistent enough, light will always find a way in even the darkest places. All you must do is let it shine.
Airlyoth, The Warrior, Second Dragon Elder, Third Age of Verdil
Heart palpitating in her chest, Svana pushed open the door leading to the king’s still slumbering body. The advisor stood close to the king’s bed, and as Svana observed, she realized the man seemed genuinely concerned about the king. His hands were crossed in front of him as he looked down at the king, his chin touching his chest.
“Your excellency,” she said to him, “I’ve come to offer my assistance as a loyal servant to the King.”
The man looked her up and down, dark eyes shadowed by the hood of the cloak that kept most of his face hidden from view. Svana felt the familiar chill down her spine, as she had before and fought against the growing urge to run far away from him.
“Hmmm, I suppose I could use your assistance,” he said in cool monotone. “You may come with me.”
Grabbing his robes, he lifted them slightly as he swept from the room and took Svana down the hallway to descend the steps to the main entryway. Svana followed closely behind, hand on her sword, at the ready. No matter what happened, she would not let her guard down around the man for any amount of time.
“Where are we going?” she ventured, wondering if he meant to kill her in secret.
“There is much to be done around the kingdom, with the battle recently fought, and rumors of battle to come, we must ready the people for such things. This is where you will come into play, you will gather the army and train them. You will make sure that our people are ready—no matter what is to happen. I have it under good authority that Aequoris will march on us soon, and we must be prepared.”
Svana tried to stifle the shock she felt. He had it on good authority that Aequoris meant to march on Telluris? But they had only just battled? Had Hekla already prepared soldiers for another fight? Lingaria, please advise, she asked her dragon.
Lingaria’s voice, strong and steady reached into her min
d. Svana, keep your distance and stay prepared for anything he may throw at you. I cannot read into his thoughts. There is a darkness inside of him that not even my magic can’t penetrate. I’ve never experienced anything like it. There is an air of something around him that throws me off. I feel as if I should know what it is, but I don’t. I don’t trust him.
Lingaria’s response only increased Svana’s worries.
Nor do I, she replied back.
Lingaria was already confirming everything Svana was already feeling. Svana’s thoughts took her a step further as she tried to explain away the feeling she had about the man. They exited the castle, and he ordered the servants around as if he held the position of king himself.
To Svana’s dismay, they listened and acted accordingly. They even bowed and called him, ‘your majesty’. She wanted to yell out at them and tell them they were being disloyal to their king. The storm brewing in the man’s eyes was enough to ward her off from trying to tell anyone the truth.
“Your majesty, I have word that the Caelestans are also planning an attack,” a young boy approached, unannounced, his eyes to the ground as if afraid to speak to the man.
“Thank you, please send word to the soldiers that they must prepare. This time, we will not be surprised, we will kill any who attempt to fight us!”
The young boy looked afraid and took a step back. “Your majesty, are we to kill everyone?”
The boy’s ginger hair was speckled with bits of hay, and his hazel eyes looked wildly from the advisor to Svana. He appeared to be pleading with her, but Svana didn’t know what to do.
“Do you dare question, me?” The advisor’s tone was heavy with anger.
“No, no your majesty!”
Like an animal backed into a corner during a hunt, the young boy stumbled backward, nearly tripping over his own feet. “Am I to tell everyone to prepare to fight, or prepare to murder?”
“Insolent boy!” The man waved his hand, and a flurry of red sparks sprayed from the man’s hands, or it appeared that way. The red-haired lad flew back several feet, and the advisor’s hand stayed in place as if he had just backhanded the boy.
Svana had sworn that magical sparks had driven the boy back, but now she realized it could have been her eyes playing tricks on her. The advisor had hit the young man so hard, he had flown across the ground, landing and rolling with a sickening thud.
“Hey! He didn’t deserve that!” Svana’s face reddened with contempt at the treatment of the lad.
“Silence, or you’ll be next!” The advisor growled loudly.
Had she seen red sparks? In a moment they were there, and the next moment they were gone. Only that wasn’t possible, was it? Had she just imagined it? Had the last few weeks gotten to her? The lack of food and sleep?
Svana, I don’t understand it either. For just a moment, I felt the influence of magic, but it was gone so quickly, it could have been my own magic I was sensing.
Lingaria, is that possible? Do you sense your own magic?
From time to time, he responded.
Still, it didn’t make sense. As they walked away from the boy, and the advisor continued spouting orders to any and all he encountered, Svana convinced herself she had imagined the whole thing. She had to be delirious, so much had happened.
“Svana, here, remain with these soldiers. Prepare them, and then send them out to gather more, we have much to do to prepare for what’s to come. I must return to the king. Someone must keep watch over him to make sure that he’s all right.”
At his words, Svana felt an odd sensation overtake her body. Her only desire was to follow what the advisor had said, even though moments ago, she knew that was the last thing she had wanted.
“Yes, your excellency,” she said softly, acquiescing to his orders. The robed man gave her one last look, the hood still hiding the details of his face before he rushed off back in the direction they had come.
The further he got away from them, the more the sensation to do what he told her lifted. She fought against his influence, until it seems her entire mind was back under her control.
Lingaria! He does magic, he must!
Lingaria remained silent for a time, before he finally spoke up. Svana, though I feel as if what you speak is truth, I see no magic. Nor can I fight the barrier to see if it is indeed a spell holding the barrier up.
What else would it be? she asked, ignoring the soldiers around her who were waiting for her training and instruction.
Something dark, something very dark, Lingaria responded.
His response made Svana’s skin grow cold, and her hands go slightly clammy.
She was afraid, more afraid than she had ever been.
39
Hekla
The bravest men and women don’t stand against opposition in silence, knowing they cannot overcome it. The bravest men and women will admit they’re afraid, knowing the whole world is watching, and accepting it.
Civeress, The Champion, Third Dragon Elder, Fourth Age of Verdil
Still beaming from Speltus calling her the future queen and amused by the laughter of the Aequoran people and soldiers who had watched her defeat of the bandits, Hekla smiled wide.
“See, it’s not so hard,” Hekla said.
A grin took over her face, and the sight seemed to put her surrounding allies at rest.
“That was quite a little show, Hekla of the scepter!” one of them called out.
“Just a little magic,” Jetevius said with a smile.
“That’s only part of it, Jetevius,” Hekla said in scolding tones.
“Can you teach us to do magic?” one of the soldiers asked.
Hekla shook her head. “I wish that I could. I wish it was something I could share with you to make certain of our success in stopping the Tellurian king or whatever dark force may control him.”
That set them clamoring amongst themselves again, chatting with each other and making comments, but Hekla held her hand up immediately.
“I suppose not all of you know, but the magic I hold, it is not my own. It has been gifted to me by the Unseen Ones. I am only to use it in certain occasions, and only for certain reasons. Sparingly at best,” she admitted.
“I thought only dragons could do magic,” one argued with her.
“It is true, it is indeed a dragon with whom I share this magic with. That is why it is limited,” she confessed.
They went silent with her reply, looking to each other. The cool wind whipped against their softly scaled skin, as their gills continued flaring.
“If you’re worried, you shouldn’t be. She’s the reason so many of you are alive after that battle with the Tellurians. If it had not been for her magic and bringing back many of our soldiers from the brink of death, we would have lost much more,” Jetevius confessed.
“Jetevius has never led us astray, but I fear that there may be blinders over his eyes in regard to the woman,” someone said.
“What does that mean?” Jetevius growled.
“I mean—” An Aequoran soldier stepped out from the group, his cerulean eyes flashing with challenge. “That her magic may have its hold on you.”
“Silence yourself, soldier, or return back to the waters.”
The man looked highly irritated and looked out toward the sea.
“Choose wisely, for if you return to the water, you will be deemed a coward, and the king will hear of your actions. Choose to stay, and your loyalty will be rewarded, but you will not say another disrespectful word, do you understand?”
The man nodded his head and stepped back into place. From the seas edge, they heard soft floundering of waves splattering gently. Hekla, worried that danger was on the rise, ran to see who had come from the water.
A familiar dark-brown haired sea otter flopped its way out onto the shore.
“Oh, hey!” Hekla squealed happily and ran to greet him.
It was as if they were great friends who had been separated for a long time. The otter flopped along the s
hore quickly to reach her. He made a happy chirp as she reached him, and she leaned down to scratch the soft, wet fur on his head.
“She is friends with the sea animals?” someone asked from behind her.
All the Aequorans began chatting amongst themselves. Turning to face them, Hekla could feel her anger bubbling to the surface.
“What is wrong with you? What do I need to do to prove myself to you!? I saved your soldiers, taught you how to fight, told you the truth about what I was capable of, and fought off bandits who would have surely killed some of you… and still you look for any reason to turn against me?”
Her outburst seemed to silence them for the time being, and the little sea otter was nuzzling at her hand, begging for her attention.
Hekla sat on the ground next to him, surprised by his behavior, wondering what had merited it. He’d never been so considerate before. Shortly after, gentle splashing interrupted her thoughts. Immediately, she jumped to her feet, her scepter at the ready.
Another Aequoran soldier? “What are you doing here? Did the king sent you?”
The soldier shook his head. “No, I come at the request of my mother.”
Hekla squinted her eyes slightly, curious as to who he could have been talking about.
“Miralee,” he said, answering her unspoken question.
“W…Hadrian?” she stuttered out, staring at the handsome Aequoran man.
Hadrian’s youthful face was unmarked by battle. Not a scar or wound to be found, even though Hekla had assumed the reason he hadn’t returned was that he had died in Telluris.
“I thought you died,” she admitted.
Hekla was surprised to see him face to face, but completely delighted for Miralee and her daughter, Luna.
“I should have, but…” Hadrian turned away from her, clearly holding back something of importance. The red that tinged his pale green cheeks indicated something.
“What happened, Hadrian?”
He shook his head, frowning. “I can’t say it… everyone will think me a coward.” His response was muted. Hekla found herself straining to hear what he said, until she realized that it was something, he wished for no one to hear.
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