by Katie Cherry
And in a flash, he was at his side. Scampering up his pants, he finally perches on the boy’s knee and shivers in anticipation as the boy slowly lifts his head and looks at him, his eyes nearly hidden beneath his hood.
<<
What now? Nathan groans, wearily lifting his head. Something had landed on his knee. He could barely feel it, but something had changed. Lifting his head just enough to peer out from beneath his hood, he stares in surprise at the tiny grey monkey crouched on his knee, its head cocked expectantly. That monkey… the one the merchant was selling. How did it get here?
Straightening, he continues to stare at the Rabazi monkey, intelligence gleaming in its eyes. Reaching out to it, he carefully strokes the fur on its tiny head. It pushes into the touch like a cat, igniting a spark between them. “Ouch!” Nathan gasps, yanking back his hand. “What was that?” he continues, turning to the monkey, though it clearly couldn’t talk back.
Then he notices something, in the back of his mind. Focusing on it, he feels relief at finding… himself? Focusing harder, he sees himself through the monkey’s eyes.
Yelping, he scrambles back from the monkey, knocking it off of his knee. It lands easily and tilts its head at him as though saying “What?”, its ears flicking in confusion.
Continuing to stand, Nathan stares at the monkey, which doesn’t try to touch him again. He could still feel it in the back of his mind. It was similar to his connection with Greg, his Familiar. No. Don’t bring him up, Nathan lectures himself, shaking his head as though he could loosen the thought and drive it out of his head. It’s just a monkey. It’s not a Familiar- otherwise it would be able to talk to me. …Still, he muses, carefully bending down to better examine the monkey. A connection clearly was forged between us just now.
“I don’t suppose you can talk?” he asks, giving in and scooping the tiny, soft creature up in his hand. Tilting its head to the other side now, it appears to think. Fuzzy images of Crystal come to his mind. Why am I thinking about her right now? He sighs exhaustedly to himself before realizing that these weren’t his memories.
“Wait, have you seen Crystal?” he gasps, holding the monkey up to his face. It gleans the intent from his words and nods. The connection between them grows stronger every second, their minds communicating to each other in ways words couldn’t. “She’s alive?” Nathan collapses to the ground, fresh tears seeping from his eyes, profound relief seeping into his bones. “I knew it!”
Drawing in a deep breath, he turns back to the monkey. “Take me to her.”
*****
He wasn’t expecting to be taken to the castle, but the monkey, whom he’d decided to name Flint, seemed adamant about it. “Well, how am I supposed to get inside without getting myself killed?” he groans, nodding to indicate the guards standing at the gate. Flint, however, doesn’t reply, but settles into the pocket of his jacket instead.
Sighing, Nathan shuffles hesitantly over to the two guards, who look extremely bored but straighten up as he approaches. “State your business,” one gruffly demands.
“Uh… I’m… looking for my friend,” he awkwardly begins, finding it hard to meet their eyes as his panic of being discovered as an otherworlder flares up. “I hear… the princes took her in?” he finishes, his voice cracking at the end as he makes his guess sound like truth.
“Ah, you must mean the ice rain girl,” the other one chuckles. “I’m sorry, but only the royal family or those they invite can get inside.”
“But…”
“Nathan?” Tears spring to his eyes as he hears the voice he was beginning to fear he’d never hear again. The guards part, looking behind them curiously, as Crystal walks up. “Nathan! It is you!” she gasps, tears rushing to her own eyes. “Please, let him in,” she begs the guards. As one turns to obey, the other stops him.
“Wait- she’s not a royal. They have to give the say-so, remember?”
“I’m pretty sure I count now,” Crystal unexpectedly says, showing her left hand to the guards. Nathan’s heart freezes and his lungs forget to take in air at the sight. There’s a big, gaudy ring on the one finger reserved for the man she was to marry. He doesn’t even notice as the guards open up the gate until Crystal’s there, pressing against his body and wrapping her arms tightly around his body. “Nathan! I was so worried you wouldn’t be able to find me!”
“Looks like I was too late anyway,” he mutters, unable to look her in the eyes or return her hug.
After recognizing his coldness toward her, she pulls away, a confused and hurt look on her face. “It isn’t what you think!” she begins before catching herself, glancing back at the guards. “Listen, I’m not allowed to leave the castle right now, but I’m pretty sure I can get you inside.”
“I don’t care anymore,” he whispers, choking on the words as he turns his face from her.
She catches him by the hand. “Nathan,” she whispers harshly. “We need to talk. I’m not taking no for an answer,” she growls, pulling his melancholy body onto palace grounds. Pulling him around the castle, she finally releases him in an orchard that he’s too shut down to notice. “Nathan,” she whispers, pleading with her voice.
Somehow, Nathan finds the willpower to look at her, ignoring the tears streaming down his cheeks. “Whatever. I get it. I upset you enough that you’ve given up on me and found some rich prince to marry.”
“Oh, good heavens, Nathan!” Crystal groans, pulling his face up to look into her eyes as she continues. “This. was. not. my. fault. The prince just… proposed! What was I supposed to do? Every girl here was lining up for the chance to be with him- I accidentally ended up in that line. If I was the Quagon girl we’re pretending I am, I would have leapt at the chance to marry this stupid prince.”
“So you’re playing your part to cover up that we’re not from Quagon. You still said yes,” he mutters.
“I actually didn’t,” she sighs, sitting down in the grass and pulling him down to join her. “He assumed my tears of fear were tears of joy and took it as a yes. And now… I don’t know what to do.” Her voice chokes, causing Nathan’s gaze to snap back to her face. She was starting to cry. “I’m trapped, Nathan. I can’t call off the engagement- I’m sure that he would kill me and make it look like an accident, to save face with his people. I don’t want this,” is the last bit she can manage before breaking down into huge, heaving sobs.
<<
Savitri stumbles back, stunned at what he’d heard. Glancing back into the garden, he sees the boy, Nathan, consoling the girl. The girl who was engaged to his brother… and didn’t want any of it. The girl who, somehow, wasn’t from Quagon.
Stumbling back to his room, he manages to get there without seeing a soul. Collapsing into his bed, he struggles to digest everything he’d just learned. The girl- Crystal, apparently- the only girl who had ever caught his eye… didn’t want to marry his brother. While he was heartened at the fact- no one had ever turned his brother down for anything- he still struggled with one thing. Well, more than one thing. She was still technically engaged to Noran, who, she was correct in assuming, would kill her should she tell him the truth.
Which brought him back to the fact that she was from another realm. He’d only heard whispers of rumors of other realms existing from his father, and Savitri had always thought him crazy- especially when he demanded that should they ever meet someone from another realm, they were to be put to death. Immediately. Without question. Savitri had agreed, thinking he’d never see someone from another realm anyway, but now…
There was something about this girl. Something so sincere and straightforward, that he just couldn’t entertain the thought of killing her. Instead, he focuses on the hopeful bit he’d learned- she didn’t want Noran.
Maybe I’ll actually get a chance with this girl. For once, I’m not standing in Noran’s shadow. He blows out a deep breath before slowly drawing in another. I just have to be myself. …Shouldn’t be too hard.
…Right?<
br />
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The Farmers
“Hunter!”
Jumping at the sound of Dexter calling his name, Hunter scrambles to hide the egg he’d pulled out to examine, shoving it back into a pile of his clothes, which he then shoves into his closet. He finishes just as Dexter strolls into the room, throwing open the door without bothering to knock. “Hunter, I’ve been looking for you,” he admonishes gruffly, looking a little out-of-sorts.
“What’s wrong?” he asks, immediately on edge.
“Nothing immediate,” Dexter sighs, sinking into the chair by the desk in the room.
“Okay…”
“When are you planning on attacking the werewolves?”
“Oh, uh… in a few days,” Hunter replies, looking at Dexter curiously. “Why?”
“It doesn’t matter. The sooner the better, though… Astrid is anxious for you to prove yourself as a leader. …Should you fail, I’ll be the one to replace you. Unless, of course, I can convince her to use Bryce instead. Which is doubtful. The Higher Power grows weary of waiting. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, sir,” Hunter replies, feeling a little stunned. He knew that Astrid was waiting for him to prove himself- he just didn’t realize that she was so impatient about it. “I’ll make sure to have everyone prepped to attack by the end of the week.”
“Good lad,” he replies, wearily standing. He stops at the door frame and looks back at Hunter, his eyes bloodshot. “Don’t mess up. For all our sakes.”
“Of course,” Hunter replies, watching him leave his room, the door still ajar. Dread settles in his stomach. He had one chance to prove himself.
Dravyn didn’t give second chances.
<<
It hadn’t even been a full day since she’d been dropped off among the werewolves, and Alyssa’s already filthy, with every bit of hard-earned peace from her stay with the dragons dashed to pieces. Perched on a rock in the middle of the werewolf camp, her arms are circled tightly around her legs, pressing them to her chest. Tucking her chin behind her knees, she warily eyes the leader as he swaggers past her, his wet-dog-like smell burning in her nostrils.
This wasn’t all of the werewolves on Zilferia, obviously, but it was easily the biggest pack. Alyssa knew she would survive thanks to the threat of extinction hanging over the wolves’ heads from the dragons, but that didn’t mean they would be any kinder to her than any other female the pack had ever come across. And, unfortunately, her clothes were beginning to wear through, leaving small to moderate holes all over her body.
The wolves loved to try and poke at the exposed skin in those areas, undaunted by her ability to keep them away. They seemed to enjoy fighting to get to a hole. It had become a game with them, and Alyssa was seriously tired of batting away rough paw-like hands, coming at her at every moment of every day. She knew that should a single claw get into a hole, they’d easily tear through the rest of the garment, leaving her utterly exposed to the beasts.
Catching a bit of meat flung her way- cooked, thankfully- she shoves it in her mouth and chews, keeping her eyes darting around, always on the alert for an approaching werewolf. It had become a habit already. As a Dragon Hunter, she was always alert, but now it was heightened more than ever before- even more than when she had first been taken to the dragons.
The wolves let out a low chuckle, rumbling from furry chest to furry chest. “I wonder if the girl would be so quick to eat what we provide if it was human?” one speculates aloud to the group.
“It’s not,” she sharply replies. “I know it isn’t.”
“This meal is not of the succulent human flesh, true,” another wolf responds, “Which is another problem. You know how we deal with humans, girl- you lead humans to us, and we spare you.”
“You have to spare me,” she replies for what felt like the tenth time that day.
“Yes, yes, the dragons’ threat,” another sighs. All three talking to her seemed to be the closest to the leader. “What makes you think they care about you enough to come back for you after the appointed week?” he snarls, ripping another chunk of meat off of the huge lizard leg they’d given her to eat. “I’m inclined to believe they’ll decide you aren’t worth all the effort. Should that happen, sweetheart,” he spits, the word sounding vile coming from his strangely formed mouth, full of fangs. “You’ll want to be on our good side. Otherwise, we’ll pounce on you ourselves. The deal with the dragons comes on a deadline… it buys you mere days.”
Pressing her eyes closed, pushing back despair, she growls, “I guess we’ll have to see.” Swatting away another paw she felt approaching, she opens her eyes once more. “But I believe in the dragons.”
Still, as the sun sinks below the horizon, casting her into darkness- surrounded by hundreds of feral, ever-hungry beasts- she can’t quite combat the doubt and despair creeping into her heart. Maybe the dragons won’t come for her. Maybe she will meet her end, being torn apart, screaming, by hundreds of monstrous fangs.
<<
Nora sits in the corner, preening her feathers out of boredom. They were already perfect, but she had nothing else to do. The wedding planning happening at the table didn’t interest her, but she had decided to remain in the room because it was still less boring than waiting in Crystal’s empty room.
She’s beginning to doze when Pearl makes a sound out of the blue. She was sniffling, but not like she was sick- more like she was crying. Fluttering her wings, she darts over to the Queen’s side. Kate gently holds her hand as Nora lands on Pearl’s other shoulder. “What’s wrong, Queen Pearl?” she asks anxiously. Humans felt such intense emotions… she never had much of a clue what to do for them. Which made caring for Crystal much harder- she felt emotions even more strongly than most humans. Perhaps she’d be able to at least help Pearl.
Pearl sniffs, using her free hand to daintily wipe at her nose. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me…”
“I was under the impression that weddings are joyous events?”
“They are,” she chuckles. “It just… brought back all my hopes regarding Crystal before she was even born. She wasn’t supposed to live like this… going most of her life not knowing who we are, then once we finally meet… Pat goes and tries to ruin her life even further.” A sob breaks out at this, and she has to take a moment to collect herself. “She was supposed to grow up a princess. She wasn’t supposed to know this kind of hardship. We were going to grow close… she’d confide in me about her crushes, and eventually when she met the one she was to marry… I would give her advice, I would get to know the man about to become my son-in-law, and we… we would plan her wedding together. Pick out the flowers she liked, have it in her favorite place in any of the realms… but now…” Cutting herself off with heavier sobs, she’s unable to continue further for a couple of minutes, during which, Nora feels utterly helpless. What was she supposed to say? She was right- Crystal’s life had turned out drastically different than it should have been. Nothing she could say now would be able to fix that or change it.
Finally, Pearl’s able to collect herself enough to add another few sentences to clarify her feelings. “I had hoped that planning this wedding with Kate would help ease the ache, but…”
“It’s just reminding you of what you’ve lost,” Kate solemnly finishes, bowing her head in dismay. “I’m so sorry, Pearl, I didn’t mean…”
“I know,” Pearl cuts her off, sending her a watery smile. “It’s not your fault. I’m so happy for you- I am- I just… I miss my Crystal,” she finishes with a sigh, sinking into a chair and burying her tear-streaked face into her delicate hands.
Nora watches her, feeling a pang in her own feathered chest. “…I miss her too.”
<<
Nathan had been worried about getting the Princes to let him stay in the castle with Crystal, but the younger one, Savitri or something, had been strangely kind and understanding about the situation. Which would have been strange to
him, except he could see the look in his eye. This prince had a crush on Crystal, just like his brother.
It’s not like Nathan could blame him. Crystal was alluring to most guys, it seemed. She was strong, yet vulnerable and open, kind and considerate, yet didn’t take anyone’s crap. He just hoped this ‘Savitri’ would eventually move on. Still, that left the other brother, Noran, who had swooped in in the mere hours Nathan wasn’t by her side and snatched her up to be his wife, his Queen. He wasn’t likely to give her up easily. It would be a delicate business, finishing their search for Rex without being found out, as well as somehow getting her out of this engagement she was now tangled up in.
Sitting on one of the plush beds beside Crystal, he keeps his eyes focused on Flint, the Rabazi monkey, as he scurries happily over the sheets. They were having the same conversation they seemed to be stuck on for the past few days, since she’d accepted the ring slipped onto her finger- whether willingly or not.
“Crystal,” he growls, cutting her off. “It’s too dangerous- now more than ever.”
“We were always at risk of being found out!” she argues back, nearly the same words slipping from her lips as the day before. “When we leave here, we won’t be able to come back. We can’t miss out on the chance of finding Rex! If he’s here-”
“What makes you so sure he is here?”
“Nothing! I have no idea if he’s here. I don’t want Quagon to be a repeat of First and Second Earths- we kinda sorta searched, but we had to leave before we had any real idea if he was there or not. If we scour Quagon, the smallest of the realms, we can officially scratch it off the list. No one would have to come back and check and clean up after us and risk themselves being discovered. We have a cover, and we had help. We’re almost done here- don’t you want to see it through before we bail?”