by Cara Violet
“We need to sleep. The night is quiet for us for a reason.” Arlise placed his hand on her shoulder and Kaianan wiped her tears from her face. He tucked his arm under her and she breathed out; snuggling into his fragile warm chest she waited for sleep.
Kaianan awoke wrapped in warm arms. She was mesmerised by the tattoos she could see around Arlise’s wrists as his tunic fabric had been pulled back during the night. A ring he was given. What possessed him to tattoo himself? Kaianan had nearly forgotten about her BI Rivalex Mark. Her hand went to her shoulder and she dropped the top of the sleeve to look at it.
“It’s not as nice as mine.”
Kaianan turned to see Arlise half-sleepy staring at her as he laid his back against the rock.
“It’s not supposed to be nice,” she replied.
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Because it means I am the person who started some forsaken period of enlightenment and will re-order the Universe in some Gorgon utopia.”
“Doesn’t mean you should disregard what it feels to you when you look at it. It’s not a burden.” His fingers were up and across her shoulder, smoothing over it. She pulled her sleeve back up to stop him.
“You’ve no idea what this meant to my parents,” she said flatly.
“I might have a faint idea.”
“Then you would know the pressure I am under,” she said intensely.
Arlise shrugged. “It’s only what you place on yourself.”
“I wish it was that simple.”
He manoeuvred away from her and stood. “You’ll work it out,” his voice was distant as he spun his head sidelong taking in the horizon. “We’ve been lucky to have no encounters, but I think we should keep moving. There are no streams nearby for me to go fishing. We’ve got a few things in the bag, want to share a bar of nuts?”
Kaianan nodded, her mind was still on her Mark, still on Arlise and how he disregarded talking about it. Kaianan felt like he had a split personality. How could someone be so caring one minute and then so cold the next.
“Here.” Arlise handed her half the bar.
“Thank-you.” She ate in silence. An empty feeling filled her—her parents. She hadn’t thought of them in so long. Hadn’t wanted to remember the blood that ran over their bodies when they died. Arlise’s words hit home last night.
“Are you feeling better this morning?” he asked.
“Yes,” she lied, “are you?”
“Surprisingly, on top of the world. We need to keep moving though … so it’s time to get up.” Arlise spoke although her face stared straight at the rock in front her in daydream. “Kaianan, I said get up.”
She got up without looking to him again, and they made their way to the Felrin Conductor.
It wasn’t until a couple hours into their walk and she saw the blue watchtower, made of shiny steel carved with curvy soft patterns, that she relaxed a little. They were back in a Felrin desert landscape. When they got close enough, she could actually see the patterns on the tower were of birds.
“The Dovelet,” Arlise said, stepping into the dessert rubble. “Felrin’s bird of purity and peace.” She heard complete sarcasm in his tone.
“Saffie … I think I knew a Dovelet once,” she muttered, trying to remember, but took her eyes back to the tower. It was a very pretty tower compared to the watchtower of Rivalex. Felrin seemed to laze under a warmer climate and atmosphere, and the buildings were greater and far superior to any of those in Layos.
“This is not like home,” she said to herself, then looked to Arlise. “Why is the tower so open and not guarded?”
“The Felrin seldom use Tiegra,” he replied. “They have generated Euclidean Vectors on their cruisers and a few Conductors on close hand in the capital. Tiegra keeps watch and isolates any unwarranted Euclidean Vectors. That said her guards are inside. Come.”
Unlike the Rivalex watchtower, the Felrin tower had an open elevator of glass that clung to the outside of the blue exterior. Arlise clicked open the glass door with a wave of his hand and gestured for Kaianan to enter. The two ascended upward and within a few seconds, staring through the elevator glass, the view of the Felrin city came into sight.
Kaianan’s jaw dropped. This was so much more than the watchtower.
It stretched far and wide, sail-like white and silver steel dwellings and pale grey roads built around the streaming violet rivers, wove throughout the capital. There were flying vehicles streaming everywhere, Siliou pulsed. The city boasted of grand, fluid architecture Kaianan hadn’t seen since Forsda—but even then, the home of the Giliou could have no comparison to Felrin. She was in awe of it, and it only increased when the violet rays of the sun began glistening off of all the shiny buildings in sparkles and glitter. It was like an overactive playground, only separated from the desert around it by the huge white walls and river that was coursing its perimeter.
“Felrin, an indulgence to the eyes, but a burden to the heart,” Arlise stated dispassionately, breaking her smile.
She jerked her head back. “How so?”
“Never has any species tried so hard to keep such an archaic govern over the universe.”
“I’ve told you before, they are elected, Arlise … the galaxy chooses it.”
“Aye, at what cost? Does anyone know what it is they do for the people of the galaxy? I mean who prohibits spaceship travel?” Arlise said, this time slightly saddened by the view of his home.
“I would die for my people,” Kaianan stated with a fire in her belly.
“That has always been your choice,” he said. “Not everyone has the same liberties, nor reasons to be that assertive for anyone else. Felrin is very much a self-seeking entity, able to control others with this power …”
“They don’t do it to be prestigious, Arlise. They are not trying to control everyone. Not everyone is like your mother.” She blurted it out, wished she hadn’t, and searched his face for a heated reaction. After a moment, he smiled at her. She exhaled in relief and slowly smiled back at him.
“I’m glad you’re so sure,” he commented, as the elevator finally chimed, indicating they had reached the top level. “Be still, Gap and Path will smell us,” he said, changing the subject. Kaianan shot him a quizzical look but there was no time to question him, the doors had already opened to black smoke, the sound of growling, and four yellow dots in mid-air. Kaianan immediately reached for her blade.
“Gap has the half-torn ear,” Arlise muttered.
Kaianan glared at him. “Are you serious?”
“He is very serious.” The harmonious words resonated out of the depths of the smoke, which now was fading. Kaianan’s heart beat increased and then slowed once the woman in a white dress and bronze curly hair outlined by a pearl headpiece resting loosely in the middle of her forehead, walked forward. Kaianan was in admiration of her small-elfin face and porcelain-like doll perfection—maybe it was a gatekeeper thing.
Arlise stepped into the bright room and Kaianan, with a bit more confidence, followed. As soon as they were in the open room, they were under the threat of the four gleaming yellow dots she had seen in the smoke moments before. But getting a better look, she realised she was wrong; they were not yellow dots, they were yellow eyes, yellow eyes of big snarling, sharp teethed animals. Kaianan immediately went back to her scabbard and blade.
The two lean, dark, four-legged beasts came at them slowly. Midnight fur covered them, and long tails, twitching behind them indicated either their excitement or hunger. As one got closer to smell her, Kaianan noticed they were nearly as long as she was high. She felt the moist swipe of Gap’s nose against her arm and froze.
“Don’t worry, you have nothing to fear,” Arlise reassured her, and she removed her fingers from the hilt of her blade.
“He is right. Who is scared of a Fluger?” The Conductor of Felrin spoke with a soft voice. The Flugers growled in response.
“Nice to see you again, Tiegra,” Arlise said in quite a boisterous tone given the
situation.
“Down and side, and hush my babies.” Tiegra caressed one of their large heads and Kaianan grimaced as the Flugers pivoted and jogged off to sit down next to the black chair toward the back of the room. “It is comforting to see you, Arlise. I felt you enter Felrin,” she said with an eager look.
Arlise looked worried by her comment.
“I didn’t call on the Principals: I could sense your duress,” she said “However, I sent scouts.”
“That was you?” he said, watching her make her way to her chair and elegantly lower her body into it. “Since when did you have control of the scouts?”
“Arlise, I control many things outside of the Felrin Congress,” she said with a sense of muscular prowess. “They do not control me; you should know that.”
“I do, Tiegra.”
Kaianan felt a tension between the two: she wasn’t sure what it meant. Had Arlise been here before? In this glass room of the watchtower? The whole city was visible through the walls. Tiegra’s whole living quarters were in this room, her dark bed was to the left and what looked like her kitchen was to the right. It was so clean, no ornament or small trinket in sight. Just clean lines of furniture and deep wooden cupboards. Many. Were they filled with books? Maybe it was the Woods Devine trees that produced these fixtures, she wondered. Her father would have loved seeing this. She sighed at the thought of him and quickly took her eyes back to Tiegra.
“You’re here for a favour, Arlise,” Tiegra said, “I think you have already received one by me keeping your arrival under wraps.”
“Tiegra please, I must depart incognito,” he said.
“And your guest?”
“I am Queen Kaianan of the Gorgon,” Kaianan stated, boldly.
“I know who you are. Question is why should I let you leave without notifying Congress? I can crush your Euclidean Vector.” Tiegra smiled viciously.
“Because you owe me,” Arlise said, cutting off Tiegra’s grin at Kaianan.
“I seek an allegiance,” Kaianan explained, “allies, if you will, during this so-called period of enlightenment.”
“I care nothing for your cause, Queen,” Tiegra scowled with a sniff, “I am ever so reliant on Arlise, however. Conductors usually linger together. Why are you off track?”
“I am not to be toyed with Tiegra,” Arlise said. “I have given you every opportunity to redeem yourself, and this is it. This is your chance.”
Tiegra stared at Kaianan. “Did he tell you what he did for me, Kaianan?”
Kaianan looked to Arlise. “No, he didn’t.”
“Let’s keep this light, Tiegra, we were children. It was years ago: there is no need to go into details. We need to get to Croone.”
“Croone? Why such a daunting place? Away from the serenity of Felrin. Our serenity.” She gazed at him longingly, while black smoke swirled around her fingers and palm.
“That part of my life is over,” he said, keeping his golden pupils fixed on her.
“You feel something for Kaianan?” she said straight through him.
Arlise did not acknowledge her question. “Perhaps you can send us on our way in the cover of your Euclidean Vector? Otherwise, I am happy sending my own through and having the Liege on my tail.”
There was a heavy silence. Kaianan could see how upset Arlise was. She moved closer to him and latched her hand through his, closing her fingers around his palm. He, in complete shock, looked to her and smiled, squeezing her hand in return.
Tiegra glowered at both of them. “I will send you through … I owe you that much.”
Kaianan didn’t know what had gone on between them, but she didn’t care—whatever got them through without being traced was sufficient and Tiegra, for some reason, in a change of heart, seemed willing to help.
“Thank you, Tiegra,” Arlise said.
“I bid you adieu, Kaianan; you are a lucky woman to be in the presence of such a virtuous Felrin. Goodbye, Arlise, I think of you more than you know,” she said, pushing her arm forward in a whisk of black smoke, opening the Euclidean Vector in front of them. “Gap, Path, come.” The Flugers moved to the other side of the room, following the white long dress of Tiegra.
“They are her protection; they love her as she loves them,” Arlise explained to Kaianan’s puzzled face.
“Unconditional love,” she said.
“We are all capable of it,” Arlise said, staring at the fear rising in Kaianan’s eyes, “even you.” He smirked and dropped her hand from his grip. “Come on you, let’s go.”
Kaianan followed closely behind, staring at Arlise. Again, her mind took over. Underneath that aggressive exterior of his, she could see what Tiegra saw. She was somehow, some way, understanding Arlise. Then, the temperature around them dropped and he motioned for her to step onward. She brought herself back to the moment and shifted her feet. The Vector penetrated through the blurriness of space and the icy coldness overcame her on the cloud platform once more.
“Walk until I say, Kaianan,” he said as the stars whipped past them. They walked a few more paces. Arlise touched her arm and she looked back. “Here,” he said. He created a new opening. This time, she braced herself.
Chapter Fourteen: Duty of a King
Dense, robust wind and mountainous snow covered the city in the south of Rivalex—inconveniently clogging the clay roadways. Employed hands in black hooded robes kept the Sile streets clear, shovelling dense slush and ice aside out the front of the Sile Mansion. The dark charcoal building was covered in the soft white mush and seemed just like a silent and abandoned repository. No dignified or illustrious look to it. If it wasn’t for perhaps the loud voices and cheer from within, you would not have suspected it was a King’s castle.
“Step lightly!” The Necromancer maiden called in the courtyard, directing servants around the veering concrete path. She clicked her grey fingers at other workers to usher the path clear. Her chefs were carrying a black three-tiered cake, with beads of red icing, into the newly raised outdoor marquee. “What a most exquisite day,” she commented to whomever she could and kept pointing, “to the left, Dorcus … yes, perfect!”
“Yes, lady Gregia,” Dorcus said while turning his body slightly to keep it on the path and, at the same time, trying to shake his grey hair of snow, which was also catching in his eyes. Actually, it was everywhere, on his face and soaking his chef’s uniform. He currently looked more like a snow man, than a grey-skinned, red-eyed Necromancer. He puffed and started moving just that little bit quicker to get the cake inside the reception.
Though the marquee was only erected the day before, the snow had thoroughly conglomerated on the roof and, as soon as the fabric entrance was lifted up and sideways for maiden Gregia’s chefs to enter, a huge lump of it fell on her mid-speech. She snapped her lips shut while the others roared with laughter. The sound echoed right across the courtyard, making its way inside the second storey of the Mansion, where Julius Addi Nermordis stirred under his satin black bed sheets. He was sweating, but couldn’t wake himself to the noise—his mind kept him trapped inside his nightmare …
He looked down to his hands, back to being bound and tied in the Sile courtyard, stripped of his robes and tunic outside the House of Swordsmanship and delivered fifty lashings in front of an audience of Onyx Office delegates and Sile publics. Humiliation wasn’t the only thing he felt, pain swept through him as he again felt each penetrating crack repeatedly. His body morphed to and from preform. He could see Caidus and Kydra glaring at him. He fell to his knees and wept, begging for it to end …
No, please, no more, please!
*CRACK* the leather whip sliced across his back like a knife.
Are you a traitor to the Silkri, Addi?
No, I’m not, I’ll do anything, please!
*CRACK*
“Enough of that, you lot!” This time, Gregia’s voice was so loud Julius’s eyes snapped open and he sat up, clutching his throat for air.
“Now, inside, and rest it carefully in the
middle of the table,” she concluded, rounding up her three chefs and heading back to the Mansion kitchen, still brushing the snow from her face, hair, and apron.
Julius glanced to his slightly ajar bedroom window covered in snow, unable to see any of the commotion outside; instead, he heard rehearsal music begin and rested his head in his hands. Long brown hair fell across his olive skin to his shoulders and he deeply exhaled. There was no time for self-pity; yanking the sheet off him, he headed for his wardrobe.
He hadn’t realised how untidy his room was—looking at the clothes and books scattered everywhere over the dark stained Miry furniture and floorboards had the dark room looking even gloomier—then again, he didn’t care. He had one thing to do for his father today, and getting dressed in his ceremonial robes, he’d get it done.
Chapter Fifteen: The Man Named Dersji Brikin
The freefall from the Euclidean Vector was not as jarring as Kaianan’s previous trips, but this time she had fallen right on top of Arlise and had winded herself in the process. He was wedged between her and a gravel surface, and he was slowing trying to ease her off him.
“Up now, Kaianan,” he squeezed out, gently sliding her onto the ground next to him and sitting her up. “Breathe,” he exhaled, as if showing her how to do it and tucked her loose hair behind her ear. His eyes were then on the rocky and forest terrain and the dim blood orange horizon of Croone. “We need to find cover,” he said and she nodded, tilting her head.
Somewhere, in the distance to the right of them, Kaianan heard chanting. Immediately, she felt Arlise’s hands on her; he hauled her by the waist and, grabbing the bag of supplies on his way, got them out of sight. Lodging her behind a section of rock and crouching down beside her, he threw the bag of supplies at her feet, again scanning the area.
Well he was clearly in deep concentration, yet Kaianan bent the corners of her mouth in an attempt to show him an appreciative smile, concluding it perhaps turned out to be more of a, clenched teeth, ‘I’m slowly dying’ look than a smile. She decided to take a look over her shoulder, and in following Arlise’s vision, located the commotion he was staring at, high above on a remote mountain. A small ledge jutted out of the rock face some way off the ground and small maroon-skinned bodies filled the rocks on the mountainside waving wooden staffs.