by Adria Eustis
“Get down on the ground!” The soldiers all yelled, their booming voices scaring the wits out of her. She turned just to see Frank and Cohen's feet flat to the floor beneath the mist, before Cain tugged her away. Through the flashing blue lights and the rifle wielding men in the king's colours.
“What the hell is going on?” She demanded.
“We're going home.” Was all he said.
With the breath-taking beauty of Shadow's Kiss in his hand he charged towards a thick door and bolted up dirty old steps. She heaved herself along with the metal railing as she tried not to lose his fast pace.
“I don't live in Yorehelm,” she said between breaths.
“My bad,” he said, “I could have sworn you said Yorehelm.” He stopped outside a door and laughed. She held her cramping side, they'd gone up at least ten flights of stairs.
She shot him a serious glare. Winced in pain from her stitch. “Cain!”
“Not far now, can you keep going?”
“I guess so. Why did we leave your friends? Are you all taking it in turns to go on that island? Is it a game to you?”
“Nina. You're adorable. Come on.” He shoved open the door, they came out in what looked like a hotel. Fancy red carpets and multiple closed doors lined the hall. A maid pushed a trolley of sheets as she whistled.
“Adorable? Adorable?! You're a maniac!” She huffed as they ran along the corridors.
“Long as you're into maniacs I'm happy to be one.”
They rounded corner after corner, took left turns, right turns, it was like solving maze that he'd already mastered. Every which way they went he seemed sure of. Up more stairs, down more halls, she hobbled along, his pace clearly slowed just for her sake. People went about their day around them, not able to see them. Bellboys carried suitcases, guests slammed doors, and children played tennis along one overly long hallway. Eventually after when seemed like ten minutes they left the hotel via a window.
“Biggest hotel in history,” she said as Cain carefully manoeuvred Shadow's Kiss through the small gap.
“Maybe we'll stay here one day,” he said, climbing out with just his legs, never letting go of her.
“Hmm.”
Outside she was shocked when the mist didn't return to haunt her, instead it was far below her in the darkness. They were on a fire escape, metal steps along the outside of the building and the mist-obscured view underneath them was surely a good thing, because she felt vertigo kicking in even though she couldn't see the ground. They continued on up the fire escape but soon reached the flat rooftop of the hotel where they dodged discarded bed frames and old buckets of paint as they went.
“Gotta let you go for a second,” he said fading out along with his touch.
She took a deep breath and looked around, the clouds seemed close above her head. Standing near the edge of building, only a small wall held her back from falling to her death. The tops of smaller structures poked out of the haze and in the distance she could see the tops of the famous temples of the city of Yorehelm. Golden and red slanted roofs of bell-towers peeked out at her. Far to the left of those were the tops of twisting white and gold spires from a different temple. Her sight seeing was interrupted when a huge plank of wood stood up by itself, flew through the air and rested on the edge of the next building, creating a bridge across.
“No way,” she said as Cain took her arm once more.
“Its not far, you'll be alright.”
She kicked it with her foot, it sure was thick and heavy and it didn't very far but the wind was picking up, what if it caught her?
“Come on Nina, you can do it.”
“What if I don't to.”
“You can stay here, I guess, you should be safe up here until I can get back to you.”
“What if I don't want you to come back?”
“Why?”
“I don't even know where you're going, you're clearly not taking me home. Your friends are off to the island just to get you here, and now you're running about with a big ass bow with some plan. What is it? A mass execution of the citizens of Yorehelm and then handing yourself back in, you seem to like handing yourself in? I don't know you. Maybe it's better if I don't.”
She didn't quite know why her mind decided that right then was a great time to finally bring up everything she'd be thinking. But now that it was out, she wanted to take it all back. Though her worries were valid, there was that huge part within her that trusted him and thought the world of him. But his secrecy was just tearing her up. She deserved answers, if only it had come out... nicer.
“You're right. You're exactly right. But I'm afraid I might only have minutes left to prove my worth to you. So I have to leave you and hope for the best.” He kissed her hand and let go.
“Cain!” She yelled as he exchanged himself for the blazing sun.
But he didn't come back, the only voices were that of the buzzing crowds of Yorehelm far under.
“Get back here!”
He was gone.
To hell with it! She walked slowly and carefully across the wide plank, looking straight ahead. She wasn't about to leave it like that, she felt an undying urge to press him for answers, she'd waited too long. The mystery was overwhelming and she hated cliffhanger endings. Though as she stepped off the plank and on to the next building, she half expected him to reach out and bring her back to the realm of the fifth moon, sadness gutted her when he did not.
Nina ran across the second rooftop, around huge water containers, looking for a clue to which way he might have gone. He probably went quickly, he had been in such a rush. Spotting another DIY bridge ahead she darted towards, hoping he'd still be there.
“Cain?”
Nothing.
She sucked in her breath and crossed the second thick plank, this one was narrower, forcing her to a teeth-clenching crawl half way across. Then she did the unthinkable – she looked down. Frozen to the spot, she flung her arms around the wood and lay down flat. Beneath the people were just dots. Outlined in the usual drab grab of their clothes, centered with typical hair shades. They stuck to the sides of the streets. The roads for some reason were empty and cordoned off with railings. There were king's banners everywhere – viridian green with a golden flying dove in the middle. His flags flapped in the breeze all along the long city street. They made her feel sicker than the thought of falling to her death. That gave her the courage to move – knowing there was a worse fate than tumbling that skull smashing distance. By the time she had edged herself to the other side at a snail's pace, she figured Cain was long gone. What point was there trying to find him now. She'd just wait for his return, if he indeed did return. Nina considered that he might not bother now after her weird outburst.
Walking to the edge of the third building, she was confused by the sudden quietening of the city folks. Leaning on a wall she peered over the edge of the building. Crowds were gathered and packed in tight like sardines, all staring up at a gorgeous white temple ahead. It was gigantic, polished white stones stretching out tall and wide. With belfries, spires and red stained glass windows. A small bunch of soldiers stood atop the wide temple stairs that led not far from the pavement. There were television crews at the front of the congregation and the expected traffic of a city was non-existent. The horde of grey-clad people looked on expectedly, was this the speech that she'd heard about in the van? Where those soldiers giving an announcement?
The ear-splitting sound of speaker interference filled the air and the entire city fell silent.
“Citizens of Yorehelm. I present to you, his Imperial Highness King Dederick Oros, first of his name.” The soldier stepped aside, as he comrades yanked open the massive triangle arched temple doors.
The wind sucked the breathe out of her as the king stepped forward. A fur lined, green velvet cape draped his tall, bulky figure. There was hardly a space left on his fingers for anymore jewellery than he currently wore. His auburn hair sat gelled beneath his golden crown, its red rubies glistened in the
sun, they were so large that even from the distance she could make them out. Dederick stroked his hand through his beard, held his head high and relished in the crowd's applause. Though it would seem only those at the very front were cheering. Out of what appeared to be around one thousand spectators, barely half of them made a sound.
Her blood boiled. Murderer. Her fists clenched into tight balls. Die. Die. Die. I hate you.
A soldier hovered near King Dederick, attaching a microphone to his shining golden suit.
“Good people of Yorehelm. May the gods and goddesses be with you. Today is a great day, and blessed that you are that I chose your fine city for my very important announcement. Such a beautiful city. The great Temple of Eina behind me here, our beloved Goddess of Calm. Calm, serene, tranquil. Everything that I have made Ainin.”
Yeah right.
“Eina was a revered goddess, especially amongst the Elven. Across the seas stands Eumor, an idyllic continent, that in which the Elven folk call their home. Once we lived in harmony with the Eumor Elves, their land was ours, and our land theirs. Six years ago, when my cherished brother Everart passed peacefully in his sleep, and I came to rule, those Elves decided to keep Eumor for themselves. Well no more. I, your hallowed king, am sending my Peace Bringers to Eumor. The people of Ainin will know the foreign lands, and know them as their own. As your king I am obligated to unite the world, and bring peace to all. No longer will they keep from us Eumor's native treasures, medicines, species and wonders.”
His cruel tone echoed through the silence city streets. Quiet gasps rang out, quickly hidden by hands on mouths. No one dared to be seen disagreeing with His Imperial Highness the Pig. But how very dare he? How dare he stand there and declare war on Eumor. The Elves did not banish Ainin folk from their lands, it was the other way around. This so called ruler was a piece of work. A lying, rotten, murdering, corrupt, insane scum-bag! When it suited him, he changed all the facts and all the rules.
Nina wanted nothing more than him to drop down dead on the spot.
CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
ADMIRAL ADAM
January, Year of the Pearl Acacia
...Adam stared at the map that the prince had laid out before him.
“Drith Atoll,” Adam said, shaking his head, “you're telling me the trinket is on Drith Atoll?”
“It is no trinket, and yes. As you can imagine, it won't be easy. What we do know is that it is on the south-east section of the island.”
His men gathered round, a surge of life somehow made it's way back into them. “Sir, I'll do it,” Amos said, “Whatever it takes.”
Bryce looked the fellow up and down, “you must be forty by now.”
“Forty six your highness.”
“Thank you, but I'm afraid you're too old. This island is fortified by a sky-high barrier amplified with conjured lightning. The only way in is through a portal - a portal designed to admit only those with their names on a prisoner list. To get in you'd need to be an inmate or a guard. To get to the south-east, you'd need to be a prisoner. We can't fly in either, any aircraft that leaves the mainland's border will be shot down without question – but I'm sure you men already knew that.”
“Forgive me, but what has age to do with that?” Amos asked.
“I'm sure all are aware of the usage my brother gives to the island. The south is split into two fighting areas - if you will - and he places the age-group under twenty one on the east. So you see our problem.”
“And if we do happen to retrieve this item?” Adam asked.
Prince Bryce rose to his feet, clamped his hand against his chin. “My brother Miles stole the throne unlawfully from dear Everart. It is a shame that he took our grandmother's divinity-genes, blessed by the Goddess of Fire, he lacked the defence to save himself that night. His mind is corrupt by the religious upbringing of our uncle Oscar. Since he was able to walk, he was taken aside and fed lies. It was always Oscar's plan to use my brother to inflict his warped idealisms on the kingdom. But I am not saying that is an excuse for what he has put the people through. There is no excuse. I'm afraid his execution is the only option. His crime against Everart should have removed him from the line to the thrown. His ruling is illegitimate. I am the true king. You will kill him in my name.”
“Are you forgetting, he's the most powerful man on Etath? He holds the most Light-magic any one person has ever held. His wounds heal instantly – that's if we'd manage to get near to him, and get a shot off.”
“I've witnessed the Hallowed Shield myself your highness,” Fenkel, the youngest seaman, said. “Oh it was beautiful, he shone like an angel, and this lucent orb surrounded him. He was completely invulnerable to anything, gunfire, magic, my lord, not even an air-born virus could get through that shield. And then it exploded, killing all the rebels that opposed him. An entire protest rally of thousands.”
“Aye I saw it too, watched from a bell-tower, he walked through the crowds, everything that came close to him was incinerated instantly, watched an old fella lose his hand just reaching out. Bullets turned to ash, fire magic just smoked, ice melted. Then he stopped, in the middle of um all, bang! They all died, corpses dropped like flies from the sky, mangled and twisted, blistered and scorched,” Amos said.
“And he was just stood there, completely unharmed, laughing, I'll never forget that sadistic laugh,” Fenkel continued.
“What they're trying to say,” Adam said, “is how do we kill a man with an impenetrable shield?”
“My brother might be all powerful, but the Light does not protect him at all times, he has to concentrate incredibly hard to maintain the Hallowed Shield. You'll target him when it's down, and these days, with the rebels too scared to act, he has become over confident in not using it.”
“And even if we got off some shots, he'd simply regenerate, patch up his wounds within seconds, activate his bulletproof shield and send the lot of us to hell,” Adam said, shaking his head.
“Even if one of us was a Diviner, which we are not, spells would hit his fortitude aura first. He'd notice right away before any corruption could take effect,” Fenkel said.
“You are all very wise, I am glad I have chosen my men well. I too one day will be as powerful as Miles. Alas he had the benefit of proper training and access to ancient scripts. And he owns the entire collection of godly treasures in his vaults. My vaults.” He sighed. “I was not blessed by The Light, but I will grow to be a great Guardian. Even so I believe we can take him down.”
“If he killed Everart my lord, can we not expose him?”
“I'm afraid we have no proof. But I know, and my mother knows. She awaits my return. And the kingdom will praise the death of my brother, they care not for proof of his first crime, when his latest ones surpass all. Fear not judgement. If you succeed, I will return the old system of law, and under that law your destruction of the king would warrant your hanging, but you will receive my pardon.”
“This trinket must be one hell of a bauble.”
“Oh it is. That I promise you. I return to my animal form now, the frost threatens to take my toes. I have great faith in you Admiral. Perrie if you will.” Prince Bryce whipped off his black coat, before it hit the ground, his lower body was covered in white fur. He dived forwards as his limbs morphed, in the blink of an eye he was gone, replaced with the body of a polar bear.
“Perhaps you can lose some of that hostility towards me now Admiral?” Perrie said, smiling sarcastically.
“Perhaps you can get on with it, I'm freezing here.”
“As you wish. The Nymph Esmina has shown to me an artifact left behind the gods. Thousands of years ago it was forged by Ekther, God of Shadow. There lived a mortal human woman named Imperia Thornheart, who died from an accidental fall. After death she found herself walking through the shadow realm, the place between here and the after-life. Whilst there Ekther offered the woman her life back, along with immortality, in exchange for slaying Libertia, Goddess of the Fifth Moon. A cruel act, brought on by
love turned soured. It's well known that the gods were immortal themselves, only they and their weapons could inflict death on each other. Ekther knew that if he himself shot the killing blow at Libertia he would forfeit his own life, to be replaced by a new creation. But he wanted her dead, and so he manipulated the human into using his very own weapon - Shadow's Kiss. Once the goddess was struck with an arrow from Shadow's Kiss, Ekther honoured only half of the bargain, returning Imperia back to life as a mortal. In was on Drith Atoll where the scenes took place. It was there she dropped the bow and there she left it. Moments later, Nivaris, Goddess of the Ocean, after realising what had happened, in anger sent her waves crashing over the island. Killing Imperia and everyone on it. Ekther's plan to frame the human did not go as he had imagined. He was captured and destroyed by the One God Ona and a new guardian of the shadow-realm was birthed; Cevrasil. Shadow's Kiss remains lost to this day.”
“Long story, couldn't really keep up.” Adam lit his third cigarette. Tapped his foot. Heart was racing now more than ever, Melanie's mission was fast becoming the most important assignment of his entire career. But it was all god and goddess nonsense. That was Melanie's expertise.
“I think she's trying to say we're looking for a weapon, a bow. One strong enough to do-in a goddess,” Fenkel chimed in.
“He is correct. Shadow's Kiss is a longbow, the most powerful that exists, it lies hidden in the shadow-realm where its creator forged it. Ekther enchanted it to take its wielder to the Realm of the Fifth Moon where his lover Libertia dwelled. Its conjured diamond arrows from the nether will defeat even the everlasting. One shot, one kill. If King Dederick is to die, that weapon is your only hope.”
“Why didn't you just say that when I arrived woman?”
“Why didn't you ask nicely?”
“Sod you. Men, we need to get settled somewhere, get warmed up, and get started on this plan. We're taking down that bastard, for Melanie, for Ainin. ”