by D. E. Morris
When she entered the nearest house, all the excitement she felt left her in a cold rush. It was as though she looked at a family portrait that had been faded over years of being forgotten in a storage room. Four children sat at a table that was covered with bowls of food. A man, wide in the shoulders, sat at the head of the table and reached for the baby in the arms of a woman standing beside him. Whatever had frozen this city had frozen them as well. Upon further exploration, she found carts being pulled by donkeys and cattle all iced over where they stood. In the marketplaces, goods were in the middle of being exchanged, someone was tossing a blanket over the back of a horse while a young boy held a saddle ready. Men, women, children, and every living creature one could find in any normal place of inhabitance were frozen exactly where they stood as though they didn't even have time to react to the very thing that would kill them.
Sage flew on. Though she knew the castle would probably be much like the city that stood before it, there was a quiet hope within her that, for whatever reason, it had been empty when this horrible freeze hit. The plan was to find an open window to fly through, but as she drew up closer to the front of the castle, she saw one of the main doors was open enough for someone to get through. Upon further inspection, she could see where the ice had been chiseled away enough so that the hinges were free. Footprints in the snow showed a bit of a struggle, but it was impossible to tell whether it was from fighting with the door, or someone else. She landed as softly as she could, letting her noisy wings rest on her back. Drawing a short sword from a scabbard on her belt, she entered the castle with bated breath.
It was like something from a faerytale. Broken shafts of sunlight filtered in through the ice it had managed to melt on the tall windows, making every surface and unmoving person glitter in the light. Trying to keep herself from being too distracted, Sage followed the footprints for as far as they went, but the little snow that had drifted in through the open door didn't extend far, and no prints could be found on the icy floor. She stood still and looked around the grand foyer, straining her ears for any tiny sound, looking for even the smallest movement. When nothing happened to capture her attention, she gave a soft sigh and relaxed. From the pack strapped to her back, she pulled out a copy of the map she'd left with Killian and looked it over carefully. He was searching for places where the ancient Elementals might have drawn power, where they may have even been initially brought into the world. If this was one, it would be the northernmost spot, and it would be well outside of the perimeters he'd given her to search within.
“Who are you?”
A voice, male and deep, quivering with age echoed around the great room. Sage gasped and nearly tore her map when she jumped at the sound. Her eyes darted from left to right, trying to find the source of the voice. A movement on the balcony across the room drew her eyes upward. A man dressed similarly as herself in heavy furs and scarves peered across the distance between them in her direction. Instead of answering, Sage rolled her map up once more and tucked it safely back into her bag before slinging it over her shoulder. She picked her sword up again and stared at the man who was too far away to have any sort of discernible features.
“Hello,” she called, her voice light and amiable. “I didn't think anyone else was up here.”
“You thought wrong.”
Something in his tone made her shiver, but she forced herself to laugh. “So it would seem. Are you all alone?” The man said nothing. Wondering if he saw her as a threat, she lifted her sword to give him a better view of it, then slowly sheathed her only visible weapon. “I'm not here for trouble, I promise. I honestly didn't think anyone else would be up here, given all the stories I heard.” Her eyes swept the wide open space before her, but her attention was not away from the man for long. “I'm just exploring.”
“As am I.” Whatever threat he must have perceived her to be seemed to have diminished once she was without the sword in her hands. He sounded almost wondrous as he nodded at her. “Give me just a moment and I will be right down.” Disappearing behind a door, he left Sage to exhale the fear that had tightened her stomach upon encountering someone else. She crossed the open floor slowly, taking care not to slip and fall as she went. It was unbearable to look into the faces of the people frozen within, laughter in their mouths as they walked in pairs or groups, concentration on the pursed lips of servants as they went about their duties.
“Remarkable, isn't it?” The man, old enough to be Sage's grandfather by the look of his wrinkled skin and thinning gray hair, had reappeared on the lower level and was just as careful to walk as Sage was.
“What happened to them?” she asked, unable to look away from a little girl, mid-twirl, in a pretty gown.
“No one knows,” the old man said softly. “Whatever it was, it took them by great surprise.”
“There used to be a village in Ibays...something like this happened there, but people were turned to ash. I don't know which would be worse.”
The man regarded her carefully, nodding his head. “Bás.”
“That's right.” She finally looked at him, question in her eyes. “Your accent is Caedian. What are you doing all the way up here?”
He smirked. “And your accent is Braemarish. I could ask you the same, or how you know about a village in Ibays that was destroyed less than a year ago.”
She shrugged one shoulder, a grin of pride turning up the corners of her lips. “It's like I said, I'm just exploring. It's sort of my trade.” Cordial, she extended a gloved hand. “The name's Sage.”
The old man shook her hand in his own. “My tribe calls me 'Cam'wethrin.'”
“Sounds elvish.”
“It is indeed.”
“Mind if I just call you 'Cam?'”
He chuckled and shook his head. “Not at all.”
Sage stuck her hands in her pocket and looked up toward the balcony from which he'd come. “Have you been here long? How much of the castle have you seen?”
“Oh, I've been here a while. I've been going through each room as carefully as I can.”
“How did you know I was even here?”
His eyes fell to the scarf at her neck. “I was passing by the open door and saw a flash of yellow. That isn't a color I've seen here before.”
She touched the bright fabric with a quiet laugh. “I suppose this would give me away just about anywhere, but it's my favorite scarf. It's also my trademark. Anyone I work with knows it's me when they see me wearing this.”
Cam nodded slowly as though processing the information, then inclined his head toward the open door behind him. “Come in a bit farther. I've managed to start a fire to keep the numbness from settling in to the extremities. Take great care not to bump into anyone as you go. One of my companions accidentally knocked into a young man and sent him tumbling over. He shattered like glass on stone.”
Sage shuddered at the thought, but his comment pushed the mental image aside. “So you're not the only one here?”
“Oh, certainly not.”
She couldn't see his face when he spoke, only the back of his head as she followed him down icy hallways, through a maze of rooms and passageways she wouldn't know how to navigate, but once more, she was struck by an odd sense of discomfort at something she couldn't name in his voice. “So,” she hedged after a moment of walking in silence, “are you out here on some sort of expedition?”
“You could say that.” He paused outside another door and swept a hand inward, inviting her to enter. “Perhaps some tea?”
“Tea would be much appreciated.” She felt her body buzzing with anticipation as she passed the old man, ready to shift into her hornet form the second something felt wrong and fly away before she could be caught. The room she entered, however, was not filled with people just waiting to jump out and attack her. All that was within was a meager fire in the very middle of the room, burning low over wood that had to have been chiseled free from the ice. A simple kettle sat on a frozen stool and a blanket was laid out on the floor
close to the fire. “Well this is cozy.”
Cam nodded and moved past her to put the kettle over the flames. “If I close the door at night, it actually stays quite warm. Did you know there are men who live much farther north than this and their homes are made completely out of blocks of ice?”
“I've heard that.”
“Please sit. Sit.”
Sage took up a spot on the blanket and admired her surroundings. There was a bed far to one side of the room, as well as a vanity. Tall pictures hung on the walls and flowers sat on a low table under the window. Each and every thing was covered in thick layers of ice. “Where do your companions stay?”
He waved a hand. “Here and there. What brings you this way? I mean, other than exploring.”
She took her pack off and considered what to share. If this Cam'wethrin was an explorer himself, he had the potential to help her find what she was looking for. Then again, she couldn't shake that odd feeling that kept creeping up, telling her there was something eerie about him. Knowing she could get out of there quickly, she decided to throw caution to the wind. After all, Killian was counting on her. If she missed a true opportunity to gain new information, she'd be letting him down.
“A friend of mine is looking for some places of legend.”
“Like the City of Gold? The Drowned City?”
She chuckled and shook her head, pulling her scarf from her neck as she began to feel the heat creeping back into her skin. “Something a little more real than that. Are you familiar with the Elemental dragons?”
“Who isn't?”
“Well, his search and mine are for places that may be tied to the original Elementals.”
The old man's eyes twinkled with curiosity. “And you believe this frozen kingdom is one of them?”
She tilted her head to one side. “It was a long shot. All of the places we've found have been long shots, really, but Killian seems determined to see his theory out to completion.”
“Killian.” Cam repeated the name, the wrinkles on his face creasing more deeply as he gave a knowing smile. “I have never had a female friend who would go to such extreme measures to help me as to travel to a lifeless place like this.”
“Oh, no,” Sage argued with an embarrassed laugh. “We've been friends for a long time, nothing more.”
“So you two are searching for places tied to the original Elementals. What do you think you'll discover if you find these places...if they even exist?”
An answer didn't come directly to mind. In truth, she didn't know what kind of outcome Killian was hoping for. She knew the high queen in the country he was calling home at the moment was an Elemental, and that some of the others had positions of power among the Nations, but he'd never expressed any sort of interest in knowing more about them, let alone their origins. The blind girl he cared for, Rowan...she was an Elemental now, though. Maybe that had changed his level of investment in the subject. Maybe he thought that if he could find the place that was linked to the original Water Elemental, that by some miracle if he brought her there, her vision would be restored.
Sage shook her head, her eyes leaving the hypnotizing flames before her to wander once more. “I don't really know.” Something was peeking out from the corner of the blanket. It looked like a weathered old piece of parchment with odd drawings on it. She tipped her head to the side to get a better look, brows drawn together, and realized they were ancient runes. “What's this?” Pulling the parchment free, she saw one side of it was torn as though it had been part of a larger, bound collection.
“That doesn't belong to you!” Cam snapped, snatching the runes from her hand so quickly that she had no time to react. She looked up in alarm, catching the glint of his red eyes before they turned back to normal.
“What are you?” she whispered, frozen in fear. His body began to transform before her, clothing melting into his changing shape and turning into scales as dark as pitch. Sage jumped up, a white light beginning to pulse around her as her own transformation began, but two more black dragons dropped from the ceiling, knocking her back as they landed on top of her. Startled, she had no time to brace herself for impact and felt a sharp crack of pain rip through her head as her skull met the floor. Mercifully, she lost consciousness before the dragons tore into her.
As the other three dragons fed, a short man with long gray hair pulled up into a knot atop his head stepped out from his hiding place behind the door. His slanted eyes narrowed as he watched the dragons, but his attention was quickly captured by the discarded bag by the fire. Hiking up the thick furs he wore so as to be able to crouch, he picked up Sage's pack to rummage through. There was a change purse half full of Sinessian gold coins, a flint, and a small sheathed knife, some candles, and a bundle of rope. What was most interesting was the rolled up map she'd hidden at the very bottom. Certain places within the seven Celtique Nations were circled, some were crossed off within circles, while some had question marks next to them.
“Enough.” The feeding dragons paused in their meal and looked up at the rough command. “Find the Shadow King. He will want to see this.” Hissing their unhappiness, the three scurried off and disappeared into the depths of the castle. The man looked over the remains of Sage's body with a detached interest. He was careful as he removed the furs not soaked in blood, and took her sword for himself. Lastly, he picked up her discarded yellow scarf, half of it splattered red, and tucked it into his belt. If he knew anything, it was that his master liked to have trophies of those left in his wake.
“She came from Siness,” his master hissed once the stolen possessions were in his hands. His back was to the room as he stared out a window he'd broken to allow air and light inside. For a moment he said nothing more, a contemplative silence settling around him. The man who had brought him Sage's things stood in silence, waiting. Turning his head enough to look down at the map he held, the man at the window was little more than a silhouette against the bright sunlight that seemed to frame him. “So her people search for the origins of power, do they? That vexatious little girl they call their high queen...I should have been rid of her when I had the chance.”
“How may I serve you, Master?”
The silhouette clutched the map tighter, crinkling it in his bare hands. “I want the Gaels destroyed. I want the dragons destroyed. I want all of them to disappear from the face of this earth until none are left but the Elementals, and then I will pick them off one by one until she is the last one standing.”
The man's bushy brows came together. “The Sinessian high queen?”
No answer came from the silhouette. Instead, he held out his free hand, palm out and fingers slightly curled as though he held something invisible in his grasp. From the floor, Sage's bloody scarf lifted by itself and floated up to rest in the outstretched hand. He moved his fingers over the silky fabric without even looking at it. “You will go,” he said eventually. “You will plant the seed of fear and doubt among them. Your own hatred and anger for the dragons and their kin will make your threats real.”
The other man's lips twitched downward. “I have never been to Siness and I do not know anyone residing in the high court.”
“Ah, but you know someone who would be granted audience with the high queen without question. In the meantime, I will watch her without her even knowing I am there.” A quiet laugh came from the silhouette. “She already fears an attack from other nations. Why not use that to my advantage?” He lifted his chin, the light shifting just enough to show a bit of ice that clung to his salt and pepper mustache and beard. “Do you have the page?”
“Yes, Master.”
“Good. Deliver it to our friends in Cieria. We leave for Shihou in the morning.” He lifted the scarf to his face and sniffed it. “String what is left of the girl up at the gate. If people feared coming here before, I want them to be terrified now.”
“Yes, Master.”
The man bowed deeply before turning on his heel to carry out his orders, leaving the silhouette alone. �
�One by one,” he whispered to himself. “They will fall one by one until there is no one left but me.”
Chapter Four
The sun was setting by the time the bustling port city of Amme came into view. As the ship drew closer to land, the more tolerable it was to be above deck as winds calmed to only a slight breeze. It was no longer just the crew moving about in preparation for docking, but other passengers who had made the journey: Caedian lords and ladies, men and women of power returning home from visits to Siness and Altaine, as well as Jaryn and Ashlynn's personal guard. Killian was there as well. As she stood close to her husband, Ashlynn spotted Killian standing alone, staring at the approaching land before them.
“I feel bad about leaving Rowan behind.” She turned her attention to the distance also, speaking only to Jaryn. “She was so excited to have time together. Now not only has her father gone, but we have left her as well. The original plan was for us to keep her, and not someone else.”
“I wouldn't worry too much about it. She still has Elas there. I'm sure he'll continue working with her, helping her learn more about her Element. She'll be too busy to even miss us, and her father was quite all right with it.”
“Perhaps you are right.” Thoughtful, she asked, “Did Killian tell you why was coming to Caedia?”
Jaryn shook his head. “Not specifically. He simply asked if Rowan could stay at Altaine while he came to Caedia to clean up some messes Jessiah left.” He glanced in Killian's direction. “He's a bit of an odd one, isn't he?”
“How so?”
“He's alone most of the time, except for when he's with Rowan, and every time he speaks he sounds like his favorite cat died. I reckon it can be blamed on what he went through...but still. I have a hard time not feeling depressed after a conversation with him.”
Ashlynn giggled behind her hand. “Stop. That isn't very nice.”
Jaryn chuckled and dropped an arm around her shoulders. “True, though.”