Once

by Alyson Serena Stone

  The moment she landed on the boat, it took off with a gentle jerk, moving her swiftly and carefully down the river. The longer she rode, the warmer she actually felt. It was as if the river had some kind of warming pattern to it.

  The warm breeze blew behind her; its whispers moving the boat forward.

  The boat suddenly lapped up against another bank in front of yet another series of doors.

  This time the wind pulled her toward the middle door. On the other side, there was another series of steps.

  Sighing, Amberfall began to climb them.

  It seemed as if they would never end. She was so high now that the light from below did not reach her. She peered down over the side of the steps; she could faintly make out the glow, but that was about it. Above her, only darkness greeted her, like an old friend.

  Turning away from her lookout, Amberfall urged her burning calves further up the steps. If only she could tap into her magic, then she would not feel all of this burning.

  Her heels clicked over the stone. Amberfall knew that if she could see the steps, it would probably be made of stone, covered with a fine layer of mist. For the past ten or so minutes, a fine layer of water had been spraying down on her. It really wasn't enough to do any kind of damage, but it certainly was enough that it would soak her to the skin over a period of time.

  The steps were now making a gentle turn of some kind. Amberfall could tell that it wasn't a full turn, but it was for sure trying to change her direction a little bit and the incline did seem to be getting a little bit steeper.

  She kept herself close to what she hoped was a wall. The fine layer of water was trying to turn to ice and she didn't fancy sliding over the other side to her death. She stared ahead, trying not to focus on that fact.

  The turn was starting to take Amberfall away from her safe place against the wall. At first it just started out as a small gap, one that was just right enough for her to still keep a steady side on the wall. However, after a few more steps, the gap was clearly a lot bigger. Trying not to stay close to the edges, he moved himself more toward the centre.

  The layer of water was for sure a layer of ice now. She could feel her feet threaten to pull away from her. More than a few times, she had to stop to regain her balance. She was too far up from her to even think about turning back. Plus, she was pretty sure that the path was disappearing behind her.

  Carefully, putting one foot in front of the other, Amberfall climbed a few steps. She paused, bending forward to make sure that she was still in the centre of the steps before going to the next set. She did this until it became far too difficult for her to keep herself upright.

  Even though she couldn't see any kind of light, she was sure that she was getting closer to the top. It was getting colder and getting colder meant she was getting closer to the top.

  Didn’t it?

  Amberfall felt her feet start to go out from underneath her. She quickly grabbed onto the step in front of her, but it was no use. She kept falling forward until her chin hit the step in a blinding whirlwind of pain. Blinking the tears out of her eyes, she spit out a round of blood over the side. She could feel the coolness of the blood running down her chin, wincing as a little bit managed to find its way onto her neck.

  She carefully started forward slowly, chin still burning.

  Ahead her, another icy turned greeted her. Groaning, she slowly began the turn, trying not to focus on how close she was to the actual edge and how much her body wanted to slide. This was probably one of the worst things she had even done before. The reward at the end had better be a good one.

  Amberfall winced as her chin bumped against another step. She hated to see what she looked like once she got out into the open.

  She listened, but could not hear anything, but the wind. Didn’t wind mean she was almost getting closer to the top? Maybe she was going to get out of this one in one piece after all.

  Upwards, she went as the wind grew not only colder, but heavier. Some of the gusts came at her with a force that almost sent her falling over the sides. It whipped at her clothes, exposing the littlest bit of skin to the harsh elements.

  Amberfall fought back a whimper as a little bit of water managed to find itself to the small bare section of her back. She would not cry out…She would not cry out…She would not give in.

  Then, suddenly up ahead, she saw what she had been looking for: a way out.

  She picked up her pace as quickly as she dared. This had better be a for sure why out and it was.

  Well, sort of. She found herself in yet another chamber, but, unlike the tunnel, was actually pretty warm.

  She looked around, surprised to find the chamber was littered with riches and old riches for that matter. Most of them looked far older than mankind.

  However, this was not what drew her in. The centre of the room, resting on a table was a sword. She moved closer to it, trying not to gasp. She had only heard of this sword in legends. It had been lost for so long that many people actually thought it had been destroyed or truly doubted its existence.

  For it was this sword that could suck the darkness out of any land...

  Amberfall carefully ran her hand over the sword. "Hello, Soul Reaper, Longblade of Truth." She smiled. "I know just what to do with you."

  It probably would break the Trelian curse, but it would for sure get rid of a dark king. Now, if only Captain Morninghelm returned in one piece.

  And she managed to get back to the castle in one piece.

  Chapter Thirty-One: Trelia

  Ryanon climbed off her horse, looking around the courtyard. There for sure had been a dragon here and it had done a lot of damage. Silence surrounded them as they looked around.

  She followed Dak deeper into the courtyard. The sense of both death and threatened to overtake her. Everywhere she turned, she was greeted by something that reminded her of both. A flower blooming from a cradle of ash...A bird's nest in the middle of a dragon's footprint...

  Their footsteps echoed against the walls, but there was no sign of the dragon. Still, she kept a tight grip on her sword, just in case. One could never let their guard down.

  The hard ash crunched beneath Ryanon's feet as she stared up at the palace. It just seemed so simple to just go in through the doors and pretend to slay the sleeping king. She only hoped Queen Amberfall had been able to reach her contacts in time. If she didn't, then it was not going to end well for all parties involved.

  The group meandered through the courtyard, kept going through the exquisite, but silent gardens. Every once in a while, Ryanon would see one of the legions bend down and place an object on the ground, in case they would need to find their way out.

  Ryanon kept a firm grip on her sword as they rounded each corner. It would make more sense to just get into the palace and see if they could get the curse broken. All of this wondering made it a lot easier for the dragon to figure out that someone was on its lands.

  She could feel her heart racing, blood pumping. She looked around at the others, who had calm expressions on their faces, as if they were out for an evening stroll through the gardens. Birds flew out at them, but didn't linger. They were slightly larger than normal birds, but otherwise looked like the birds back in Xandria.

  Trelia's wealth surrounded them. Even through the ruin, she could see that most of the palace was lined in fine jewels and minerals. The worn path actually seemed to have some kind of shinning crystal in it. The few windows that reminded in the palace were stained glass, made of the finest quality.

  The legions seemed to notice all of this wealth too. Ryanon could see their eyes were feasting hungrily on the treasures. King Teodric was going to have a hard time keeping all of this treasure to himself.

  Dak stopped so suddenly in front of her that she almost ran into him. "Pay closer attention," he snapped.

  Ryanon narrowed her eyes, making sure that none of the others saw it.

  He nodded to the path. "See that?"

  Ryanon peered around him.
The path disappeared into the darkness, which was odd. Everything else about the land had kind of a haunting mixture of daylight and night to it. This, however, had no light in it; a certain stillness seemed to linger around it, as if nothing living wanted to come near it.

  "Do you suppose?" Ryanon asked, not wanting to speak the word dragon.

  Dak only shrugged. "I think it's something we want to pay attention to."

  Ryanon only nodded. "What do we do?"

  "We just do our job. I'll make sure to station some men close to the path; hopefully they will have enough brains to run if they see the dragon."

  "Or die."

  "They could do that too."

  Ryanon eyed the path. "What happens if this doesn't work?"

  Dak gave her a long look. "Do I really have to tell you what happens?"

  "It is just a nice reminder to think about it."

  He shook his head. "You are one strange woman."

  She smiled. "Well, I'm not actually supposed to be a woman right now, remember?"

  "I guess not." He looked her over. "Just remember if you fail, you will die."

  "That's what I was looking for."

  They moved away from the path. Ryanon could not get the feeling that someone was watching them out of her head. Whenever, she looked back over her shoulder, she did fully expect to see the dragon's eyes starting out at them, but only the darkness greeted her.

  She followed Dak back over toward the palace. Everyone else seemed to be waiting on them. The king gave them both dark looks, but didn't say a word. The prince actually seemed to be smirking.

  "I want some of you to stay out here," Dak said, ignoring the king and prince. "There is a path on the west side of the palace that I don't like the looks of."

  A group of men broke away from the group, carrying out Dak's orders without any complaints.

  The first men pushed open the great doors, scanned inside, and motioned for everyone to enter.

  Dak turned to Ryanon. "Good luck," he muttered as she slipped past him.

  "I'll see you soon." She scanned the area before slipping away.

  With one final nod, Dak turned and followed the prince up a steep flight of stairs.

  Ryanon gripped her fists tightly before sliding through the throne room's doors.

  The moment she entered the throne room, a damp and musty smell filled her nose. Wincing she pulled her mask closer to her face, but it did no good. She actually considered pulling her helmet's visor down, but didn't want to risk it getting in the way of the job.

  She pulled out a torch and slowly made her way around the sleeping forms of the people. It almost looked as if they curse had been released on a Public Day. Most of the people were dressed in things that were nothing more than rags.

  Ryanon paused to a small sleeping child her arms filled with flowers and a lovely smile filled her face. She stepped back. It just seemed so haunting and seemed to be right out of a dream.

  Gasping, her eyes darted around the room. There were so many children, so many innocents who were about to be awoken to horror.

  Blinking, she stared up at the king. He really did not look like a tyrant. In fact, he looked like a loving grandfather.

  She tightened her grip on her knife. No, she could not let her emotions get the best of her. Every failed female in history had allowed her emotions to get the best of her. She was not about to go down in history as a weak human being.

  She knelt down in front of the king, running her hand under his chin. The life of his pulse thundered heavily in her hand. It just seemed impossible easy it was to take a life. "I'm sorry," she whispered, "but you just have to go. I'm just doing my job, I hope you understand."

  The king did not move.

  "I just want you to know that your death is not going to happen today. It may look and feel like it is, but I promise you it’s not. Just try and understand." She gulped. If things did go wrong, the king would die. She was putting all of her trust in the fairy queen. "Now, I have to do this before the curse is broken and the dragon finds me. Don't worry, your daughter will be safe."

  She stared down at the knife with wide eyes. Why did everything look so good on paper, but the actual event felt just so wrong? She shook her head. Crying was for females, but she understood why she had to do the job.

  Murder was male and no one would dare suspect a female assassin.

  Ryanon drew the knife against the king's pale throat. "I really am sorry about this, but you would be better off dead. The world is far more evil than you remember it. You do have to live though. The world still has a use for you.” She really had no idea why she was even talking. It did make her feel better, like this was giving her a chance to redeem herself for all those whom she had killed.

  Besides, it didn't hurt to always play the part of the killer, just in case someone was actually watching.

  In a swift movement, she pulled the blade across his throat, stepping back as the blood started to run out. She bent down and wiped her knife off on his robe.

  It's not your fault...You are just doing your job. You didn't actually kill him...If only looks like you did.

  Now, all she had to do was wait a couple of minutes for the effects of the Ekrourmum to take effect.

  She crossed her arms over her chest as she stared down at the king. He really didn't look that old and threatening. If anything, he looked like a teddy bear.

  A few minutes passed before the king started gasping. She quickly looked around the room. The other people were starting to stir.

  "Hurry up, old man," she hissed.

  The king looked up at her with wide eyes, then down at the blood. "What did you just do?"

  Ryanon yanked him to his feet. "I'm saving your life."

  The king fought against her. She didn't have time for this. The people all around her were starting to move. She supposed that Vicar had actually had the power to break the cruse, as shocking as it was.

  "Move." She dug her fingers into the king's ribs.

  "What happened?" the king asked, still digging his heels in.

  Ryanon rolled her eyes. "I don't have time to discuss the matter with you. If we don't get moving, then I will have no choice but to kill you for real."

  The king's gaze slowly shifted back down to his throne, where a look alike, but dead, king lay. He looked back up at Ryanon with wide eyes. "What will my people think?"

  "They will think you are dead." She pulled him toward the tunnel. "I'm not doing this out of the kindness of my heart. Queen Amberfall sent me."

  "How do I know you're working for her and not Nightstone?"

  "Would someone working for Nightstone go to this much trouble to keep you alive?"

  The king narrowed his eyes.

  "That's what I thought." Ryanon moved behind the throne, pulling up the tapestry, revealing the tunnel. So far, Amberfall was proving herself to be of the upmost help.

  "How did you know-" the king started in.

  "I already told you, Queen Amberfall sent me."

  The people in the throne room were moving even more, a few of them were even talking. They couldn't afford to lose any more precious time. If they were spotted, it would all be over.

  "Go!" Ryanon barked at the king.

  The king cast one final look over his shoulder before going into the tunnel. Ryanon darted in after him, letting the tapestry close behind her, leaving them in a world of darkness.

  The smell of mold and mildew filled her nose. If the king noticed it, he didn't say a word. Together, they slowly made their way down the tunnel. Ryanon mentally counted off the time; she didn't know how much time she would have before someone noticed she was missing.

  The tunnel didn't seem to be ascending or descending. It kept a constant straight path and there were no break offs, which made Ryanon feel uneasy. How were they going to lose anyone who happened to be following them? She didn't think anyone was on their trail, but it was not something she was willing to chance.

  The king kept loo
king at her. "I'm sorry, but who are you again? I know you're friends with Queen Amberfall, but that really doesn't tell me much about you."

  Ryanon looked back at him over her shoulder. He really did look weak, but there was no denying the sense of power around him. After all, Trelia was once the greatest nation in the world. "I already told you, Queen Amberfall sent me to save your life. There was a threat on your life and she asked me to make sure you came out of it alive."

  The king's eyes narrowed. "Why would she ask you? You're human. Why didn't she come herself?"

  Ryanon mentally cursed. He was prodding and a prodding king meant that he was getting suspicious. She could not afford to have him find out that she was the one who was supposed to kill him. She kept on going.

  The king grabbed at the back of her uniform. "I can tell you aren't a man and I know for a fact that Xandria doesn't let women in the guard."

  "How did you know I was from Xandria?" she asked.

  "Your coat of arms and accent are a dead giveaway." The king's expression grew dark. "Now, I strongly suggest that you tell me what is going on." She opened her mouth. "Telling me that Amberfall sent you is not enough."

  Ryanon's eyes narrowed. "We have to keep moving."

  "I'm not going anywhere until you give me some answers."

  And based on his expression alone, she could tell that he meant every word.

  Ryanon rounded on him. "I am trying to save your life and I can't do that with you questioning everything that I say!"

  The king actually took a small step back. "You may be trying to save my life now, but I'm pretty sure you slit my throat earlier. I know Ekrourmum when I see it. Tell me, did you really think this plan through? What are people going to say whenever I appear to be back from the dead?"

  "You will tell them that Queen Amberfall saved your life, nothing more, nothing less. This is her chance to make everything right." Ryanon softened her voice. "You know, she blames herself for everything that has happened."

  The king frowned. "She shouldn't do that."

  "Well, after all these years, she is." Ryanon looked the kind right in the eye. "Now, will you trust me and allow me to carry out my word?"