“I got it, now go on.”
The cabin door creaked as it swung close, a soft click rising from the stairwell. Alone again at last with the worries rotating around my head like a tornado, I released a pent up puff of inadequacy.
It was eye opening, behind my assertiveness and sometimes confrontational demeanor, an entirely different woman emerged. She was timid, fearful, yet determined to save the day. Listen to my heart huh, it couldn’t hurt. Alright heart, what do you have to say for yourself?
Jared was mostly conked out when I slipped into the tiny cabin. He looked over with drooping eyes as I entered, then nodding back off once deciding it was safe, that I wasn’t some random assailant here to cause havoc. Unless they were manning a stealth model helicopter or manually crossed a great expanse of ocean, the odds were next to impossible. With my luck, I shouldn’t make light of such dire complications.
I pulled off my jeans and tossed them to the carpeted floor with a jingling thud. Jared didn’t stir˗˗˗no surprise there. A bomb could be exploding right next to him and he would keep on snoozing away. His knack for drifting off in the blink of an eye, then sleeping like the dead, pissed me off to no end. Somehow it didn’t interfere with his uncanny sense that danger was near.
In that regard, he was like a blood hound hot on a trail. So as you would expect, my overly cautious pulling back of the covers and climbing into bed were well wasted. For me it was the principle. I was raised to be courteous of others, despite their unnatural sleep patterns.
63 by my count˗˗˗that was the number of tiles that glowed stark white down from the cabin’s ceiling. Per usual, I was lost to the constant buzz of my brain refusing to shut down. Even when my body was screaming in exhaustion, random thoughts ran rampant, taunting me, pushing me into restlessness.
I don’t recall how long I laid there tossing and turning, muttering about the effects of sleep deprivation˗˗˗too long if you ask me. It wouldn’t matter. As quick as a lightning bolt strike, streams of words filled my head, meshing together like cursive neon signs.
Sentences formulated into place, their structure conveying a specific purpose. Scanning the gathered text I felt my breath catch. There was a simplistic eloquence that I didn’t think I was capable of.
Pinpointing whether or not Jared’s sound advice played a major role in my breakthrough could be left for later deliberation, when the future of Azulyria wasn’t on the line. Inspired by him or not, fragments of remorse and redemption helped to build the foundation for a spell worth reciting.
Many a soul lost at sea,
By blood and tears, I give tribute.
Reverse the sins of the past clear and free,
So that life can thrive and suffocating fear is moot.
Rise Azulyria. Reclaim your existence.
I call to thee, rise and let it be.
My handwriting was only fractionally legible. I had to record the spell before whatever soul awakening spurt of creativity abandoned me. Excitement flooded my senses. This was the fruits of my labor, mental labor, but just as daunting as any physical obstacle.
Then as sudden as it came on, the exhilarating high I was experiencing dissipated at the last stroke of my pen. A hollow emptiness rose, bringing a tide of draining overexertion with it. I was out before my head hit the pillow. Sweet darkness, here I come.
I stood barefoot in a lush forest, bright rays of sunlight filtering through the tangled masses of braches that formed the canopy. Sweet melodic humming played on the breeze. A dream that wasn’t filled with vicious killers or gore, this was a pleasant change of pace I could get behind. Either that or this was some form of trickery willing me into a false sense of security. At my most vulnerable, that’s when the horror would sink its teeth in.
Standing at the base of a tree in what resembled a casual pose, a woman with teal green hair had her back to me. She seemed to be the source of humming. Was this too part of the plan, to lure me in further with a harmless façade? Feminine laughter broke me away from my calculating analysis.
“It’s wonderful to meet you face to face Alex. Your resourcefulness is quite remarkable if I may say.” She turned to face me with a playful twinkle in her light purple eyes.
“Who are you, and how do you know who I am?”
“I would think that by now it would be obvious.” The high pitch and timbre struck a chord in me. I knew that voice. Recognition flared to life.
“You’re Ivyssa, aren’t you?”
“Yes my dear vessel. I am the one whose power is housed inside of you. I do ask for your forgiveness. You are carrying this burden because I wasn’t strong enough to protect my kingdom.”
“From what little Jared knows and has inferred over the years, it wasn’t your fault. You were ambushed.”
“That is no excuse. My five years of training should have prepared me for such an underhanded strategy, yet on day one I failed to defeat the enemy.”
“The past is in the past, and with my help Azulyria will once again be free.”
“Your faith is noble, yet we both know that there are outside forces at work who mean to do their best to stop you at any cost.”
“Since you brought it up, is there anything you tell me that could possible help identify her?”
“I wish I did Alex. All I can tell you is that she is of Arbourothian blood.” The indentifying feature fell flat with me. Ivyssa surmised at much from my blank stare.
“She is from the region of Azulyria known as Arbouroth, with a primary trademark of its inhabitants being auburn or scarlet hair,” she clarified. I had gotten a glimpse of that fiery mane back in Germany. In a crowd it would for sure stand out.
“I guess she wasn’t expecting me to come along and try to unravel all of her work.”
“Indeed. You were an unforeseen variable in the puzzle that no one saw coming, not even myself. I had hoped that my magic would find its way into a capable host, but after so long, that hope had withered.”
The forest around us abruptly began to flicker and pulse. Iridescent lines of color wobbled like static from an old TV that was experiencing terrible reception.
“What’s happening?” I shouted.
“You’re waking up. Sor˗˗˗ we could˗˗˗ talk long˗˗˗” I could only make out every other word. More streaks of light filled my vision, bleaching the landscape until the last remaining outlines were snuffed out.
Metallic clanging of a most annoying variety cut my conversation with Ivyssa short. From its intensity, the source was like a sledgehammer in my eardrums. My hands flew up in an attempt to block out the disturbance. It sounded like a handful of keys were being dragged across a chain link fence right next to an amplifier. Repeated cranking whistled between the brassy thuds.
My other hand reached for a pillow, aggravation burning in my eyes. Centimeters from contact, the infuriating grinding stopped. Any longer and I would have screamed. Jared poked his head into the cabin, holding his hands in a placating sweep.
“Let me guess, you were the one making that ungodly racket.” My foul temperament was raging.
“I was raising the anchor. I thought you would be up by now. Sorry if I woke you.” My anger dwindled. I couldn’t stay mad at him, even if he did interrupt an enlightening conversation with the former queen of Azulyria. While not providing me any additional details about the mystery woman, meeting her face to face gave me solace, a renewed conviction that I was doing the right thing.
“I’ll let it go this time, but a little warning next time would be nice. Besides, the only real fallout was interrupting a pleasant dream where I had the honor of speaking with Ivyssa.” I prattled in a singsong tone, dangling that tidbit to see if he would bite.
He bit. “What! Oh wow, that’s remarkable. So it wasn’t just her voice, you actually got to see her.” He was fidgeting like a kid in a toy store.
“Yes, I actually got to see her face to face. She was in a forest humming. We spoke about our quest and the woman that is after us.” Jared went to b
ombard me with another inquiry.
“And before you ask, no, she didn’t know any more really than we do about who the woman is.” He presented as a bit peeved that I beat him to the punch. Whatever, he’ll get over it. No sense in dragging it out. Zilch was still zilch, except for learning the woman’s lineage.
“So you pulled up the anchor. Do we have much further to go?” I asked, steering the awkward silence back to the original point of our verbal interaction.
“If the GPS is operating accurately, it shouldn’t be any more than another hour or hour and a half tops, given the current weather conditions.” Damn I was getting nervous again.
The make it or break it point was encroaching on my nerves with needle like precision. It’ll be fine Alex, your spell is sound. Don’t worry. Teetering back and forth from confident to uncertain was going to give me a gray hair. Worse things have happened to me, so I’d wear that gray hair with pride, like a badge of honor for surviving.
Golden and blinding, the early afternoon sun beat down with a burning persistence. The blue canopy that spanned around the upper deck shielded me, keeping the harmful rays from touching my skin. Beads that sparkled like diamonds caught the water, casting a prismatic display of colors. My eyes opened into a dilated stare fixed on the horizon, willing it to meet our vessel in amicable merriment. Crazy I know, it was an unobtainable destination that would forever be out of our grasp.
A sharp sputtering whine wailed a shrill song, grating and mechanical, revving to a fever pitch that preceded a punctuated hiss. Brassy chain like clanging, less irksome than my previous encounter, shattered the serene stillness I had surrounded myself with. We were here. Somewhere beneath the cerulean currents, Azulyria was waiting for us.
Sporadic tremors rattled the boat in the process of coming to a halt, shooting a jarring shudder up my spine. Jared appeared at the top of the stairs, icy blue and pale green mirroring a faraway expression that put a deep crease on my forehead. His short nod was all I needed as confirmation. My chest tightened in anticipation.
“So, are you two going to stand there all day, or are we going to do a little geological rearranging?” Maliya chimed in from her perch on the stairwell railing. Way to add stress to the tangled knots already strangling my gut Tinkerbell. She needs to learn when to keep the scathing commentary to herself.
“If you insist on interfering, you should know by now that I can’t just wave my hands around and say Abracadabra,” I said, only marginally containing my annoyance. There was too much at stake, so I did the mature thing and let it go. She huffed at my dismissal. She could be pissed for all I care.
“There’s no rush Alex, pay no heed to Maliya’s misguided advice,” Jared said, directing a hard glare in the nymph’s vicinity. His tolerance for her antics had thinned over the duration of our trip. Not to say that he hasn’t been cordial, but it was obvious that his patience was wearing out.
I managed a weak smile, having no desire to get into another verbal spat with Maliya. Proceeding to the stairs, I descended below deck to retrieve the dagger and my hastily written spell. Wrinkled at the corners, the yellow ledger page lay on the bed where I had left it. In my rush to minimize the obnoxious racket that had woken me, it had been discarded in a flurry of blankets and flailing limbs.
Lapisera’s Dagger glinted in the ambient light that filtered through the blinds. Elegance and deadly beauty all wrapped in one package, it was a shame that so many have suffered, and that a simple blade was the solution. I tucked the sheathed weapon in the waist of jeans and headed back up the stairs, spell in hand.
“I’m ready.” I announced, crossing the deck to lean over the railing. My reflection stared back at me from the ripples, a shadow of indecisiveness flickering across. A gentle shake erased those lingering traces. I was ready to get this show on the road.
I unsheathed the dagger and set it at my feet, primed and waiting for when it would serve its purpose˗˗˗conjuring a sacrifice of my life’s essence to charge the spell.
Ledger paper held firmly in both hands, I recited the words written upon the lined surface. Voice steady as a stone bridge, I projected a steely resolve. An image of what I thought Azulyria looked like flashed before my eyes. The spectral glimpse caused an influx of overwhelming joy. Was it perhaps residual energy left from the islands inhabitants showing their appreciation for my actions?
My concluding invocation was on the tip of my tongue, soon to emerge. I reached down and picked up the dagger, fully prepared to deliver a beseeching call.
Scabbed over and linear, the wound I acquired from my last offering, burned from my sudden scrutiny. Metal sliced through my skin, opening a crimson thread to bead up and swell. Funny how it didn’t hurt as much this time, maybe it was adrenaline.
Hand upturned, I watched as a few droplets fell from my bleeding palm to mesh with the pristine waters that rose to accept my precious sacrifice. For good measure, I repeated my final command to anyone that was listening, wishing for my plea to be heard.
“Rise Azulyria and reclaim your existence. I call to thee, rise and let it be.”
A lone tear escaped from the corner of my eye, an unintentional addition, but a heartfelt necessity to aid my vow. All I was missing was the sweat to complete the metaphoric trifecta.
Flying overhead, the cawing of distant birds was an excellent auditory accompaniment to my flurry of rapturous prose. They grew fainter, becoming silent as I waited for a response. I should be used to it by now, the dramatic pause that magic tends to display, testing its bearer with the stirrings of worry. For the love of Octrisia come˗˗˗. My pleading musing halted.
It began as a subtle rumble, like thunder rolling across the clouds. That was only a precursor to the cacophony that was to follow. On par with a freight train, the ocean pulsed and screamed in a deafening roar.
Dagger in one hand, and the railing in the other, I held on for dear life as the boat rocked violently, threatening to toss me aside like a sack of potatoes. Jared hollered my name from somewhere behind me, his desperate cries barely comprehendible over the onslaught of hurricane strength winds. When I thought that death was only moments away, the rumbling weakened to a mild tremor. I stood slack-jawed in amazement when the first spire of trees broke past the surface, rising to the sky.
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Drenched land and open air met. Barren, stark specks of topography flourished, having shed their ashen shell. An entire spectrum of colors was returning to the islands, cascading downwards like a waterfall of ink dripping across a blank canvas.
Temptation of steering the boat closer was almost too much to resist, but I did. Rationale won, my brain warning me of the potential hazards associated with that type of recklessness. Is this how the great explorers of the past felt? Though I doubt any of them were witnesses to the resurrection of a sunken island.
Five distinct mounds of carved earth penetrated the water’s stormy surface, reclaiming their territory in a display of crashing waves and vibrant greenery. Azulyria, once fully emerged, would be a lush paradise overlooking us mere mortals like the giant stone sentries that it once was decades ago.
Jared’s stoic mask was cracking, and like any other man concealment only got you so far, until further attempts would be in vain. Droplets of moisture ran an arced path from his eye down across his cheek, and they weren’t from the constant sprays of salty ocean mist. A connection from his past which he thought lost forever was reforming deep in the recesses of his heart.
Rising from the azure depths, that chain of islands was his past, a remnant from a childhood wrought with trauma and a fleeting reminder of the evils that walked alongside us at any given moment.
I placed a supportive hand across his shoulder, giving it a solid squeeze. The edges of a smile lifted Jared’s mouth, chasing away the somber storm with its million watt glow.
“It’s really happening Alex. Serena and Erika would be overcome with joy that their hard work didn’t go to waste.” He all but choked out, still utterly mesme
rized by Azulyria making its measured ascent.
More of the gravel painted stone shell faded, trickling away into nothing. We didn’t dare risk moving the boat closer. The rows of cresting waves alone would make the feat dangerous to attempt. Maybe once our geological alterations settled down, a safe passage would be granted.
My being an outsider might ruffle some sensibilities, but I had come this far, no way was I going to be denied access. Was that a selfish whim? Yes. Yes it was. Worries aside, I don’t think I would be turned away.
For one, I had the power of a queen, and two, I gave my blood and tears for a greater purpose. That should count for something. There would a period of adjusting after a many decade’s long slumber. They would need all the support they could get.
“It’s quite a sight to behold. Who can claim that they watched an island nation rise from the ocean floor? It’s a rare once in a lifetime event.” I mused.
“Humph˗˗˗yeah, a rare event that shouldn’t be happening in the first place, all because a malevolent force created a chain reaction that would challenge even the powers of a god.” There was a frigid callousness present, chilling his disdain to arctic levels.
With any immense source of power came responsibility and a dedication to keeping the forces of light and dark in balance. The practitioner in question chose the darker path, one that led to destruction and heartache.
“That’s the irony about freewill, you can either live a decent existence, or you can spend your time skating on the fringes of society as a thorn in its side.” I don’t think my philosophical ranting was comforting him much. If anything, it only proved a point that despite our best intentions˗˗˗a lot of us are born inherently evil. Most of us just don’t feel the temptation to tap that well.
Distinguishing itself from the crashing tides and rumbling vibrations of shifting earth, I caught a series of faint harmonic humming notes drawing closer to our stagnant position. The source was coming from the east. It could have been interference from some natural phenomenon, but I was fairly certain the mechanized beats were from the propeller of an approaching water craft.
Threads of Blood and Silk: The stone Wielder's Legacy Trilogy Book 2 Page 16