by Ajax Lygan
Tempest chuckled at the absurdity of the question. “Yeah,” he said, bringing the back of her hand to his lips. “I am okay.”
Riika smiled and yanked Tempest off of the bed as she leaned up. The sudden motion caught him by surprise and he stumbled into her chest. He looked up at her and smiled.
“Good, because we need to get the fuck out of here.”
The group finished getting dressed and gathered the gear they had stored in the room. As they exited their room, they found guards in full plate armor lined along the hallway. Each wore a bannered surcoat over the front, secured with the belt. It was red, white, and black striped with the same symbol on it that was engraved on Sophia’s breastplate. Two guards and Sophia led the way, while two additional guards fell in behind them to cover the rear. Many of the guests staying at the inn watched as Tempest and his companions exited the building.
Once they reached the foyer of the inn, a potbellied elefantin man shouted at Sophia. “Ma’am, please, a word. I’ve been trying to talk to your men all morning.”
Sophia rolled her eyes before turning back to the group. “Follow my men outside. They’ll take you to the carriage.” She split off from the group, and the elefantin man began his prepared tirade about requiring compensation because of the events that had transpired. Their voices trailed off as Tempest stepped outside the front door.
In the drop off area in front of the bed-and-breakfast, he found an armored carriage to the right and the group’s wagon to the left. A member of the guard was driving their cart with Gusto, Spirit, and Crux pulling it. Guards marked off the area, establishing a perimeter around the inn and holding back a crowd of onlookers.
The crowd that had gathered, however, were pointing off into the distance. This pulled Tempest’s attention. He nearly dropped what he was carrying as he stopped in the middle of the descending steps.
“Oh, my gods,” Tempest whispered. Across from him was a rising hill and a thick tree line. Standing tall on the crest of the hill was a white fireoak tree that had sprouted during last night’s events. Bodies of the fifteen assailants hung lifeless from its limbs, each body pierced through the chest by a massive branch. Dried blood stained the white bark of the fireoak.
Members of the guard were attempting to remove the bodies from the tree limbs. Tempest turned to Saïgra and pointed up at the tree. “Queen Maileath, did this?” Saïgra slowly nodded. “Why would she leave them like that?”
“She wanted this to be a warning,” Saïgra said.
“A warning? What kind of a warning?”
“Don’t fuck with the Firegrove.”
2
A Returning Feeling of Dread
Tempest was in awe at the size of Halairim’s castle. The royal campus itself was large enough to be considered a small city. The square base of the keep was the size of several of Ashwreath’s rings and nearly as large as Meadow’s Crest itself. Each of its three towers was as wide as Ashwreath’s spire, but nearly double its height. Flying buttresses lined the exterior walls that complimented the pointed arches.
The dark gray stone created a very ominous feeling when paired with the overcast weather. Tempest swallowed hard as he peered up at the structure. He had a knot in his stomach that hadn’t gone away since they left the Firegrove. Saïgra’s soft voice called his attention back to the stairs in front of him. Ella, Riika, Sophia, and Saïgra were all further up the stairs staring back at where he had stopped.
“Come on, Tempest, the Queens and King are likely waiting for us. We shouldn’t meander,” Saïgra said, waving him forward. Tempest nodded and jumped about ten steps with ease.
“I can see you’re feeling rather spry,” Ella said.
“Yeah, more like anxiousness,” Tempest said, wiping the back of his neck.
“I was commenting more on the fact that you just jumped up ten steps without using your magic. I should take note of this.” Ella looked Tempest up and down, taking her time to remember each and every detail.
They had all changed since the nights they spent together in the Firegrove. However, until they’d slept together, no one could have predicted what would happen.
For Ella, she now had a photographic memory. She could see events like a play was being performed in her mind’s eye. Physically, and according to her she had grown one-point-five inches. She measured her top speed to be ninety-nine-point-three miles per hour and increased her overall strength by twenty-seven percent. The biggest physical change was that she now had nine tails, instead of the one. Ella believed the number of tails were somehow related to her raw magical abilities. However, her physical changes were nowhere near as alarming as Riika’s.
Riika grew almost seven inches taller overnight, and her arms and legs became thicker, too. Thankfully, she was in the nude when these changes happened, as her clothes would have been ripped from her body. It was a problem they planned to prioritize after they made it into Halairim’s borders. Until then, she was stuck wearing a leaf bra and skirt that the dryads had made her.
These changes weren’t just for show, either. The growth of her strength astounded everyone. They witnessed her lift several ton boulders like they were wicker baskets. That’s not to say these changes for both Riika and Ella were indefinite, though. Both of them required magic to fuel these abilities. Should that ever run out, outside of the physical changes that increased their base strength and speed, they could not leverage their new abilities.
Surprisingly, Tempest saw only a few, minor changes outside of a base increase in height, speed, and strength. He did not unlock any alternative forms of magic, nor did his magic power increase. Where he saw a significant change was in his magical stamina.
His ability to cast his force magic more often was an enormous boon. Instead of only using it a few times before taxing himself out, he could now use it fairly regularly without completely exhausting himself. It was something he took full advantage of, floating his swordstaff near his back, allowing him to have free use of both of his hands, should he need them.
Stepping inside the castle was like stepping into another city. At the entrance, there was a map carved into the side of the dark stone showing their current location and all the different areas of the castle. Each of the hallways was thirty feet high, with large ribbed vaults supporting the ceiling. On the sides were individual offices, shops, inns, condos, and restaurants.
Halairim’s wealthiest and most important families walked casually between the many establishments with no care or concern. Tempest wondered if the children living here would grow to know of the travesties that occurred outside the walls. Those with all the power in the world would never appreciate what it was like to know the fear of not being able to find enough food for the day.
Tempest gritted his teeth just thinking about it.
Eventually the group rounded a hallway only to find it blocked off by a guarded checkpoint. Sophia checked in with the guards, who all seemed to turn toward Tempest as Sophia spoke of her entourage. As they passed through the checkpoint, Tempest noticed all the eyes on him.
He swung his swordstaff side to side like the pendulum of a clock, before spinning it and bringing it into his hand. He figured if they were going to stare, he might as well put on a bit of a show. The quick jerk of plate mail that echoed through the hallway put a smile upon his face. As they continued down the empty hallway, Sophia slowed down to walk with the group.
“I was told that only Queen Vatia will be attending the meeting.”
“Do we know why?” Saïgra asked.
“No idea; however, she is wrapping up a meeting with several members of the city nobility. Once they are done, we’re up.”
Tempest watched Saïgra’s demeanor change. Her brows furrowed as she bit her lip. Whatever she was thinking about seemed concerning to him. She must have felt Tempest’s stare as she looked over at him and let out a nervous laugh. He returned it with a smile and a gentle wave.
The hallway opened up into a central chamber with a
familiar-looking lift, only this one, in fashion with the rest of the complex, was much larger. It had four openings for passengers to embark and disembark, and translucent siding which seemed to contain glowing sparkles of light.
As the group reached the top of the steps leading up to the lift, Tempest noticed one of their party was missing. He turned around to see her arms tucked to her chest, biting her nails. He smiled as he walked back down to Riika.
“I fucking knew this was going to happen, yet I still hate it every time,” Riika whispered.
“Hey,” Tempest said, extending her a hand. “It will be all right. I’ll be there with you the whole time.” Riika’s eyes darted from Tempest’s hand back up to the lift where everyone was waiting for them. She reached out, grasped his hand, and let him lead her up into the lift.
Sophia mumbled an incantation, which surprised Tempest, since the lift in Ashwreath functioned by just speaking the floor you wanted.
I wonder if that’s a security precaution, Tempest thought.
A familiar feeling of weightlessness informed the group they had begun to ascend. Tempest felt Riika’s firm grip tighten around his. When he turned his head, he noticed Riika had her eyes closed. He looked up to see a group of individuals who were descending while Tempest’s group were ascending.
Curiosity took hold of him as he wondered how the lift would handle them not colliding. Seconds before they were to collide, Tempest felt a horizontal shift as the lift pulled one group to one side of the lift and the other group to the other side. Pain shot through his hand as Riika’s grip tightened when they felt the horizontal shift. Much like Tempest had trouble controlling his magic at first, it seemed Riika, too, had a similar problem.
“Ow! Ow! Ow! Riika, you’re going to break my damn hand!” Tempest shouted.
“Sorry!” she replied, loosening her grip but not letting go. After another minute of ascension, the group reached the top floor. They hovered for a moment as a glass floor slid underneath them, allowing them to walk freely from the lift.
Riika waited a moment for the remaining members to walk off the lift. She leaned over and whispered her thanks into Tempest’s ear, followed by a nice firm squeeze of his behind. He winked and smiled, leading her out of the lift. Tempest caught Saïgra’s blushing cheeks as he and Riika joined the others.
Sophia stood and looked around at the three branching hallways before recognizing where they needed to go.
This place is a maze, he thought. We could have easily gotten lost in here if it weren’t for Sophia. I’m glad she is with us.
The hallways here were just as large and decorative as the walkways down in the main complex. However, the decor was even more lavish. Everything had some sort of gold engraving on it. The metal scones that lit the passageway had gold accents along the hilts. The waiting chairs had gold woven through the woodwork as if they were painted. The doors looked like they were made from solid gold themselves. The reflected light from all the ornate objects became almost blinding the further they ventured in.
Tempest found himself squinting just to get through the walkway.
With the increased opulence, came an increased presence of armed guards. There were a pair of castle guards stationed at each room, with more random guards patrolling the hallways. To Tempest, this definitely felt like the area where the important decisions were made.
After a few minutes of walking toward what he envisioned was close to the exterior of the spire, the group came across an enormous set of heavy golden doors. The doors had the Halairim sigil carved into them, however, this sigil only had one dragon carved into it, rather than all three.
As they approached, the doors opened, immediately followed by a congregation of men who were busy discussing a project to expand the nearby port. Two of the eight were arguing about the costs associated with clearing the land needed. One man wanted to expand the existing northern port while the other argued it would be cheaper to build one toward the south.
Sophia bowed as she passed the group and the rest followed in turn. The group of men seemed to hush as they approached Riika, taking a few seconds as they walked by to look her up and down, before continuing on about their conversation. Tempest could discern the disdain exuding from Riika. As they reached the door, one of the guards waved his hand toward the doorway.
“Queen Vatia is expecting you. You may enter.”
“Here we go,” Saïgra whispered, as the three glanced at each other and held their breath. When the group entered the room, Tempest found himself surprised by the woman standing at the opposite end of the conference table.
He had envisioned a fifty-foot-tall dragon that he had heard stories about. While she was taller than Riika, she was not nearly what he expected. Nevertheless, it was hard not to have his gaze drawn to her.
Her five-pointed horns acted as both a crown and an elaborate headdress. Her cheekbones were as sharp as serrated glass. Her golden scales etched along her arms and legs, giving the impression of full plate armor he had seen on her guards. Strands of luxurious golden thread fell along her soft white chest and abdomen that enriched her figure. It was her wings and tail that added familiarity to what Tempest had envisioned. The Queen had an aged voice; however, she was confident and commanding as she spoke.
“Please come in, I’m sure we have much to discuss.”
Sophia led the group around the long table and bowed as she stood in front of the presence of Queen Vatia. Tempest couldn’t help but sense the power of the Queen’s presence as they approached. He looked over and could see his companions sweating as they bowed to the Queen. They were afraid.
“Thank you for seeing us, my Queen,” Sophia began. “I have brought with me Lady Saïgra of the Firegrove, diplomat of Queen Maileath. Lady Ellazarra Fleetfoot, alchemist and warden of Sir Tempest. Lady Riika Treehammer, infamous bounty hunter and warden of Sir Tempest. And finally, Sir Tempest the Aspect.”
Tempest observed the Queen’s eyes scan each of the members before settling on him. He felt her eyeing him, almost like she was holding the group in suspense, before calling out to Saïgra.
“Lady Saïgra, I believe you have a letter for me?”
“Y-yes, your majesty,” Saïgra said, as she materialized a letter from a root that extended from her hand.
The group watched in surprise as the Queen grabbed the letter and then destroyed it in one of the ever-burning torches.
Saïgra’s words were raspy and quick, revealing her frightened disposition. “I’m sorry if I have done anything to offend you, your majesty. Please forgive me for any transgressions I may have caused.”
Queen Vatia smirked as she walked back toward the group.
“Come now, child, you just arrived here. There’s been no transgressions. I am already aware of the contents in this letter, as I had spoken to Queen Maileath moments after you all left the Firegrove. I am merely destroying written evidence of the Aspect’s true identity. Given the events that transpired yesterday, the last thing we need is for more people to find out who he is, ahead of the official announcement.”
Queen Vatia turned and extended a hand toward Tempest. “For now, we shall keep the information limited to those who already know, if that’s all right with you, your Eminence.”
Tempest jerked his head back and furrowed his brow. “Your Eminence?” Tempest asked, confused. “Why do you and Queen Maileath call me that?”
“That is the proper designation for an Aspect,” Queen Vatia said, smiling. She tapped her finger on her lip before raising it out to the front. “Ah, I recall Queen Maileath noting that your memory is fractured. She was able to determine that you were the Aspect, which is good enough for me; however, if you’d indulge me a moment, I would like to perform my own test.”
Tempest chewed on the inside of his lip but did his best not to look deterred. “Yes, what would you have me do?”
“Excellent,” Queen Vatia stated. Her grin exposed the many pointed teeth lining her mouth. “If I could have the r
est of you stand back away from his Eminence.”
Ella and Riika glanced at each other before joining the other two a few paces behind them.
Queen Vatia extended a hand and shouted an incantation. Her eyes turned a brilliant yellow as sparks of electricity jumped from the sides. A shining yellow circle appeared on the floor around Tempest. He looked back at Riika and Ella, who nodded at him in unison. His body shifted back toward Queen Vatia, who took a few more steps toward him until she reached the edge of the circle.
“Now, I just have one question for you, and I want you to think long and hard before you answer. Are you the Aspect?”
He closed his eyes, thinking about the long journey that had led him to this point. He remembered the moment when Ella first told him who she thought he was. How he’d doubted her. His doubt turned into confirmation when Queen Na’esta informed him he was not the Aspect. His confirmation turned again into confusion when time and time again he produced powers unseen before on Iðna. Then finally, he met with Queen Maileath, who confirmed who he was.
Earlier in his journey, he hadn’t wanted to be the Aspect. He’d argued with Ella and Riika about enjoying a simple life together, away from the weight of such a responsibility. He knew that was wrong of him—selfish of him.
All he had to do was look outside at the poverty, the stark differences between the weak and powerful. He had to do something. He had to become a conduit for change. He knew he was the Aspect.
Tempest opened his eyes, turned, and looked up at Queen Vatia with all the confidence he had. “Yes, I am the Aspect.”
Queen Vatia’s mouth dropped open initially before she caught herself and morphed it into a grin. With a blink of her eyes, the circle disappeared beneath Tempest, and her eyes returned back to normal.
“I will not lie. I thought that maybe Queen Maileath had lost her mind, in her old age. The story she told me was so far-fetched and unlike any Aspect who had come before. But as Yuria as my witness, I believe you.”
