by Ai Meléndez
Kuu slammed a fist into the wall beside him. “Lycans are still able to travel between the worlds freely right now, when any of the moons are full. If Sik has been corrupted… Now I understand why lord Ru-Kai was overwhelmed. This bringer must be siphoning magic from Aeros through Sik to fuel his work.” He growled again.
“So, what exactly are we supposed to do by going to the lycan territory?” asked Mahnii, trying to stay level-headed despite his inner panic.
“You will go as friends of Kuu, which is everything you need to find out who is behind this and either sever the tie to Aeros, giving us a fighting chance, or find the solution that we need,” said Cel-Lok. “Then, Celeste and I will merge to defeat this threat and at last I can be at peace.”
It all sounded both insane and logical at the same time. They didn’t have much choice, though. They had already witnessed the chaos and they had already come this far.
“We’ll rest tonight and leave for my home tomorrow,” said Ri Kuu, his usually cheery tone dark and somber.
Chapter 18
They set out shortly after dawn. Mahnii noticed Kuu had been up before any of them. His face was drawn with worry etched on every line and deep in his eyes.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
Kuu just shrugged. “I will be when I know Rosa is okay,” he said.
“Who’s Rosa?” asked Mahnii.
“Are you dense?” Shim said, jabbing Mahnii with an elbow. “Hell, you’re blunter than me sometimes, and that’s saying something.” She rolled her eyes.
Mahnii sheepishly rubbed his head.
Kuu glanced at both of them. “It’s not like that. She belongs to Sik,” he spat.
“Mmhmm,” said Mahnii, staring at Kuu for a moment. “Oh, love asunder,” he began, though he coughed and stopped when Shim jabbed him with her elbow again. “Ow,” he whispered.
She just shrugged and looked off.
Mahnii sighed. Maybe he had been pushing it, though he had been attempting to lighten things a little. He looked at Celeste, who once more was lost in thought, her eyes distant.
All of them were silent after that for much of the journey. It was only three days from Cel-Lok’s tower to the edges of the lycan territory, as the two realms bordered each other, and they were once more travelling in the large wagon being pulled by Chew. Once they reached Ri Kuu’s home, they would have another half a day’s travel to reach Sik.
Mahnii had a large question on his mind, though he’d been biting it back since they left Cel-Lok. He finally decided to ask as he wanted to know before they plunged into the heart of the chaos.
He cleared his throat, shifting to lean toward Celeste. “Are you okay?” he started.
She smiled at him, staring into his eyes with a look that said, ‘Are you seriously asking me that right now?’
“I just mean… well, are you really okay with letting Cel-Lok take over your body?”
Celeste laughed and grinned widely. “Don’ ya get it? She thinks she’s gonna take over an’ get all tha glory. Bu’ think of it. I’m gonna be tha one tha’ takes down this big crazy, scary evil when even Kami-Shi and Ru-Kai couldn’ do it. I’m gonna be known as tha world’s strongest conqueress!” She emphatically stuck out a thumbs up.
Mahnii just stared at her for a moment. After all this… everything that had happened… that was still the goal on her mind? “Right,” he said, realizing he hadn’t responded. He shook his head slowly. She was hopeless.
He glanced toward Shim, suddenly grateful that the twins were on this journey with them. It was now clear the role Celeste and Ri Kuu played in the destiny all the dragon-gods kept mentioning. However, Mahnii had no idea what role he was supposed to be playing or exactly what was in store for Kah and Shim either. Surely, there had to be something, right?
He brushed it off. It wasn’t like he could go back and ask Cel-Lok now.
Shortly after, they were reaching the Blalou Tribe village and howls rose in the air once the lycans spotted Chew and Ri Kuu. “Kuu Kee is back!” many were shouting as they approached.
The lycan tribe lived within dense forest. Enormous trees towered over them, shading the huge tents scattered everywhere. At the heart of the village was the biggest tent of all, supported by six trees with multiple levels woven across the thick branches.
As they got close to the chieftan’s tent, Kuu leaped out of the cart, Chew stopping and yipping softly. “Stay here, buddy,” Kuu said, patting Chew on the head. He put his hands on his hips. “Welcome to the Tribe of Blalou,” he said.
Celeste, Mahnii, Kah and Shim all got out of the cart and followed Kuu inside. He led them through halls made by posts staked in the ground and tapestry hung between them. Despite the heavy tree cover, natural light still filtered in from above them, though Mahnii also noticed magical balls of light dancing along the tapestry walls.
There were coverings Mahnii assumed were to protect them from bad weather, and he did notice that what ceiling there was seemed to be built over the bedrooms they passed.
Finally, they stepped into a large, circular room with a thick animal skin in the middle and other smaller skins scattered around. Three lycans stood waiting with a cloaked, hooded figure standing slightly off the animal skin near the young male Mahnii assumed was Sik.
Mahnii couldn’t help noticing that the woman lycan, standing to the right of Sik, was noticeably older and larger than the other two. In fact, the female seemed larger than Kuu! She had brilliant red fur and eyes like the night, with defined features and even more defined curves. For her size though, there was something warm about her because she had a broad smile and her face was lit up. “Kuu, I’m so glad you’re back!”
As Kuu was walking ahead of them, Mahnii noticed a flick in his tail before it swished back into place.
Kuu bowed, then rose again.
“Please, what is the news?” the female lycan asked.
“Ru-Kai was unable to help. He warned that the humans have all but been completely corrupted. He sent me to Cel-Lok to find a last hope,” Kuu paused, stepping sideways slightly and held his arm toward Celeste. “And I did.” He smiled at Celeste.
“Kuu Kee, the lycans are already dwindling as it is. We are far from full strength and our hope lies in… this woman?” It was the male lycan, who stood as he spoke.
Mahnii then noticed how oddly short he was. He had already recognized he was younger than Kuu and the woman, but he seemed especially short, which Mahnii found intriguing. Sik had dark fur and dark eyes, and he was definitely defined and muscular despite his height.
“I’m sure there is more,” said the female lycan. She bent, whispering something to Sik, and then stepped toward Kuu. “Come with me,” she said with a warm smile. “Come along, Lulu,” she added.
The small child lycan, which had been standing near the woman, leaped forward and followed as well, gripping the female lycan’s hand. She looked like a perfect blend between Sik and her mother, her dark eyes bold and penetrating despite her age.
As soon as they were clear of the chieftan’s hall and had moved down two other halls, the female lycan paused and looked at Kuu. “I was worried, and it’s been miserable without you.”
Kuu grinned, looking the happiest he had since before they had travelled to Cel-Lok. “I’m glad you’re okay,” he said.
Despite the happiness to see each other, neither made any move to hug the other and instead, the she-lycan continued walking.
“Kuu Kee, who are these others?” the woman lycan asked.
“Oh, yes,” he said sheepishly. He pointed to each of the others, “This is Celeste, Mahnii, Kah, and Shim. They are my companions who have come to help.” They passed a look between each other and Mahnii wondered about their unspoken words. Perhaps Kuu was indicating assistance with something only he and this woman knew about.
The woman smiled. “So glad to meet you. I am Rosa, daughter of the Tribe of Blalou. Any who are friends of Kuu Kee are welcome here.” Her eyes lingered on Celeste, a
crease forming in her brow, before she once more looked at Kuu and finally ahead.
She seemed incredibly well-mannered and held her head high.
“Lady Cel-Lok said… he got to Sik?” Kuu asked Rosa slowly.
Mahnii frowned, “What’s going on?” he asked.
Kuu sighed. “I couldn’t share openly back there. That was Sik on the throne, and I have no idea who the cloaked figure was. But based on what we learned from Ru-Kai and Cel-Lok, Rosa may be the only one we can really trust.”
Rosa’s face then seemed drawn as her lips thinned. “Come, you must all be weary after your travel.” She led them to a beautifully decorated banquet hall. Colorful banners hung from the ceiling and along the tapestry-walls, and the long table held every food imaginable.
“Please, all of you, make yourselves comfortable,” said Rosa. She gestured toward the chairs about the table as well as the food.
Celeste was the first to take the offer. True to herself, as Mahnii had learned, she had no hesitation when it came to – well anything really. She immediately filled a plate with food and started eating happily.
Mahnii recognized he would probably never get a chance like this again and he sat, though bowed his head slightly toward Rosa. “Thank you,” he said simply.
Kah and Shim soon followed, and finally Rosa and Kuu sat as well. Kah was as expressionless as ever, though he seemed to glance toward the exits and at Shim periodically.
Shim ate while shifting her attention between Mahnii, Rosa, and the decorations around the room.
“What is this news from Cel-Lok?” Rosa asked Kuu.
Mahnii glanced at Celeste, hoping she wouldn’t decide to spill all the details as she typically did.
“How much do you already know?” Kuu asked Rosa.
She sighed slowly, folding her hands in her lap. Mahnii couldn’t help noticing a silent strength in the way her shoulders were pushed back and he was intrigued by the idea that she was essentially the lycan queen here.
“Sik is not himself, nor will he listen to reason. He is determined to go to war with the human kingdom along the borders,” Rosa said. “That person you saw… he has somehow gotten very close to Sik, so close he won’t even let me around when they are discussing things. He refuses to show his face. He says his name is Christopher. Somehow, he has managed to get into Sik’s head, and now Sik will only listen to him. He won’t even consider any other advisors. He’s convinced that going to war and destroying the humans is the only way to ensure the safety of our clan.”
“Does anyone else know of this?” Kuu asked.
Rosa shook her head. “No. This Christopher visits Sik and vanishes frequently. We don’t know where he goes.”
“Sik isn’t even a little bit suspicious of the secrecy?” Kuu asked.
Rosa grimaced. “I’m worried about Sik’s sanity. We can’t go to war. We all came to this world for peace… to get away from the darkness on Aeros.”
Kuu gently gripped one of Rosa’s hands.
Mahnii couldn’t help thinking there was definitely more to the feelings between Kuu and Rosa than either of them wanted to show.
Kuu was still talking to Rosa. “We learned from Ru-Kai this man has already been corrupting the humans and spreading chaos. Ru-Kai kept things calm as long as he could, but he’s at his limit. What we learned from Cel-Lok is that he – this man – was after Sik so that he could use him as a link to siphon magic from Aeros for himself. If we don’t do something to stop all this, he’ll destroy this world and may even take over all of Aeros.”
Rosa stood, beginning to pace.
“If Christopher has already been corrupting the minds of the humans, this war is likely brewing on both sides.” She stopped, looking at each of the companions, ending with Kuu.
“All of you must go to the human kingdom and find out if that’s where Christopher has been disappearing to and if there’s any hope of avoiding the war. If not, we must be prepared to do as we need to.”
Kuu nodded, then looked at the others. “Are you guys with me?”
Before anyone could respond, Celeste had stood with a grin. “O’ course we ar’, Cookie!”
Kuu grinned sheepishly as Rosa’s brows raised on hearing his nickname from Celeste.
Since Celeste had apparently spoken for everyone, Rosa continued, “Come, I will show you to the guest rooms and you can leave tomorrow once you’ve rested.”
She paused, lips thin. “I will keep Sik occupied as best I can. He cannot know of your journey.”
She led them along the hallways once more, turning twice and going up a curved stairway. She stopped at two large, fully furnished rooms. “Please, make yourselves comfortable,” she said with a smile.
Celeste was immediately bouncing all over one of the rooms, inspecting the furniture, décor, and items she said were fancier than anything she’d ever seen.
“I’ll see you all in the morning,” Kuu said.
“Where are you going?” Mahnii asked.
“I need to take care of Chew and I don’t really do sleeping in the castle anyway. Under the stars is best for me.” He walked off.
Mahnii just shrugged. After how much time they had spent sleeping on rocks and dirt, he was looking forward to a comfy bed again.
He wondered if he were the only one, however, Celeste promptly swished one of the blankets on the bed and laid it out on the floor before plopping herself in the middle of it. “It’s perfect!” she said with a grin.
Kah and Shim had taken the other room.
Mahnii tried his best to ignore Celeste’s normal antics and instead made himself comfortable on the large, plush bed.
Chapter 19
Similar to when they’d all first met, the next morning after breakfast, they left the castle to find Kuu waiting for them outside with the cart loaded and Chew ready to go. The enormous wolf yipped and licked Celeste’s face when she approached, wagging his long bushy tail.
“Awe, I missed ya too,” Celeste said to Chew.
“Let’s get going,” said Kuu.
All of them got into the cart and Chew set off at a decent pace. The neighboring kingdom was not far but would take a couple of days to reach.
Mahnii moved closer to Kuu. “So, what’s between you and Rosa?”
Kuu frowned. “She belongs to Sik.”
Mahnii didn’t push further. Especially since Shim shot him a death glare and he was afraid of incurring her wrath.
“What all do you know about this human kingdom?” Shim asked Kuu.
“Well, not that much,” said Kuu. “Even living so close, we kept to ourselves mostly. We have different ways of life. But their prince, Ruben, used to visit regularly and there was a peace treaty between the king and Sik. He stopped visiting though after the king died a couple of years ago.”
“Do you know how the king died?” asked Mahnii.
“No,” said Kuu. “But our best chance is to see if we can visit Ruben and talk to him. He has always been a friend of the lycans.”
That evening, Celeste and Kuu left together to hunt while Kah, Shim, and Mahnii prepped the fire and set up their camp.
When Kuu and Celeste got back with a boar of some kind, Mahnii had thought of something that was stirring his nerves. “So, how exactly are we going to get an audience with this prince in the first place?” he asked while they were roasting the meat.
“When we arrive, we may or may not immediately be welcome depending on whether this Christopher has already gotten inside the prince’s head. Either way, as a lycan, I’ll be drawing plenty of attention and it won’t be hard to demand at least an audience with the prince,” Kuu said.
‘May or may not be welcome?’ Mahnii didn’t think that sounded very reassuring but they didn’t have much choice.
“Don’ worry, Mahnii,” Celeste said smacking his back, “Cookie will handle it jus’ fine!” She beamed.
Celeste’s attempt was even less assuring for Mahnii but he tried to focus elsewhere – like on eating.<
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They travelled most of the next day and arrived at the human kingdom neighboring the lycans during the early afternoon.
Already, the humans there were eyeing Chew suspiciously as they passed and murmuring to each other when they saw Kuu, Celeste, Kah, Shim, and Mahnii.
By nightfall, they had reached the king’s city at the heart of the kingdom and began making their way toward the palace. The pillars formed tall shadows across the rest of the city and there were huge flags hanging from the turrets.
Chew stopped suddenly when three heavily armored guards approached. One of them spoke, his voice rugged and booming. “What business do you have here, lycan?”
Kuu leaped out of the cart and walked toward the guards, stopping to stand next to Chew and scratch behind the enormous wolf’s ears. “I’m here on behalf of Rosa of the Lycan Tribe. We seek continued peace and request to see Prince Ruben to discuss these matters.”
The guards all looked at each other and whispered amongst themselves, then they faced the group again. “Is the crown prince aware of your coming?”
“You’re aware of the disturbances between humans and nonhumans, yes?” Kuu asked. The guards nodded. “Then take us to the prince.”
“Alright,” said the guard. “We’ll take you to the gates, and if the prince accepts your company, we’ll let you past.”
“Fair enough,” said Kuu, who then walked beside Chew as they followed the guards through the city toward the palace.
“That went well,” Mahnii whispered to Shim. She gave him a look and he knew what she meant. It wasn’t over yet.
They all stopped and waited as the guards went to ask about their request to see the prince.
Mahnii had no clue exactly how long they waited, but he was starting to get hungry again when a loud creaking as the gates opened brought him out of his thoughts.
Kuu patted Chew on the head and walked forward as the giant wolf pulled the others in the cart behind. “Let’s hope for the best, buddy,” Kuu said to his pet.