She dared not wake her parents. Essentially she was ready to confront her father, but preferred all the same to avoid it. She was dressed uncharacteristically plainly, keeping to a dull blouse, a brown cloth pants and rough leathery sandals she had bought for her trips with Cid to the farmlands near Orlo forest.
In the kitchen she left a letter painstakingly written to her parents. Even after she had reread the thing half a dozen times the letter was still more secretive than she intended, for despite her quarrels with her parents she did not want them worried while she was away. In short it told only as much that she was off with the Rangers by their request, that she would be safe, and that she would return soon enough. Sheathing the letter in among the fruits of the fruit bowl on the kitchen counter, Elmira hastened her escape. Lastly she slipped her engagement ring on her finger, knowing that from here on she could wear it shamelessly.
Everything was well until she attempted to leave the estate, the two guards refusing to let her pass alone into the streets. She started panicking, quietly pleading with them to let her out. They would not budge, refusing to let her go before the town guard commenced their morning shift. Elmira started eyeing some crates against the manor walls, wondering if her little adventure would start off with her scaling a twelve foot wall.
I’d do it, but I’d probably break something trying.
She was then saved by a Ranger, before she could ponder more desperate escape routes. One of Olexion’s men, named Troas, came into view on the street just outside the gate. He beckoned the two guards to speak with him.
They complied, wide eyed and unsure. Elmira stood closer, intent on listening and ready to jump into her own explanation should it be necessary.
Troas spoke quietly with the men, assuring them that Elmira had business at the Castle and that he was to escort her there. The guards dared not impede on the wishes of the Ranger. Whether official and dictated by law, or unofficial and dictated by reputation, the Rangers wielded massive influence anywhere in the Kingdom, and everyone knew it.
Elmira was released, thanking the guards as they let her through and greeting the man Troas. The Ranger was mindful enough to have brought a spare horse from the castle stables for Elmira’s use. He helped her atop the mount, rather unnecessarily now given her clothing, yet still appreciated.
Troas mounted his own steed and they set off. Excited now Elmira slowly rode alongside Troas through the streets, growing bored quickly with their leisurely pace. She had expected something more of a hush-hush, glances-over-the-shoulder, keep-to-the-shadows escape to the castle.
Pointless now that I think about it, but still more exciting than this.
For now the sun was just starting to settle on Lanston and the only other men in the streets were craftsmen or bakers readying for the day’s work, so rather the ride to the castle was peaceful and Elmira decided to enjoy the rare sight of an awakening Lanston.
Her companion was quiet and did not show any overt interests in his surroundings. Just like yesterday, Elmira thought the Rangers as almost being surly in nature, not with the intention to be rude, but rather as though their occupation discouraged idle conversation. They were either trained not to indulge in small talk or they were all introverted like Cid had been when she first met him, quite possibly both, thought Elmira.
Elmira understood Cid well enough to know that he did his best to be sociable around her, but being true to himself he was a man who only spoke when he felt something needed to be said. Nevertheless Elmira respected him for it; not only could she bear his silences, but she knew that when he said something it would be because he meant it.
The Castle was not far from the district in which Elmira lived and even though they kept the horses to a slow trot they were at the Castle gates before dawn was spoiled.
Troas, garbed in his official dress, effortlessly gained entrance past the giant gatehouse of the castle. Suddenly, the one gate Elmira had been curious to get past all her life was the gate that would lead her to Cid.
Past the gate a decorate road led straight through the grounds to the Castle doors. Elmira basked in all the splendour that was the castle’s garden, finding much beauty reminiscent like that of the city’s central park. Troas led them to the stables at the Castle’s west flank, were they handed the horses over to some sleepy-eyed stable boys. On foot, Troas and Elmira retraced back to the double doors where they once again gained instant admittance.
Elmira knew that the Castle of Lanston was considered somewhat small in comparison with those of Asheva.
To her though the castle was grandiose in every aspect, its mix of ancient architecture and contemporary remodelling prickling her fairly suppressed appreciation for opulence. Inside they found but only a few servants, preparing much for the day like the craftsmen in the streets below.
The Dauflon and his kin are probably all still asleep, thought Elmira in amusement.
Dressed as plainly as she was Elmira felt a rare sense of inferiority as a parade of painted portraits on the walls in the peripheral corridors stared down on her as though noticing her common attire. Troas walked them through the older parts of the Castle, quite detached from the royal family’s living quarters.
They halted at a massive bronze plate on the wall that held engraved on it a coat of arms. It was a shield crowned with the Kingdom’s patron symbol; the Red-Rocket Aloe, the plant's seven tower-like red flowers each representing a city of the Sovereignty. In fascination Elmira looked on as Troas unlocked the man-sized bronze plate like a door. He did it so swiftly that Elmira only realized what he was doing when he swung the whole thing open on hidden hinges, revealing a small passageway. He beckoned Elmira to enter first.
‘Please my lady, watch your step, there is no light inside save for that which comes from the aviary.’
As Elmira treaded inside the passage it immediately became an incredibly tight and dark stairwell, the walls so narrow that two persons could not ascend or descend with or past one another. Troas closed the plating solidly behind him, shutting out even more light. Like Troas warned, Elmira almost had to guess where the next step would be and she knew this would be but the first time to be grateful to herself for dressing as comfortable as possible. There was some light though, and it did indeed come from above.
Elmira wondered at the secrecy of the passage and concluded it was to keep the Volje safe in any case, or at least out of reach and sight from daring servants and pages looking to pass the time. As she carefully climbed with Troas just on her heels, she came to the realization that she wasn’t just going to see a Volje up close, but also ride on one. Her excitement to thus far had nullified that awareness and she couldn’t help but feel nervous now, wondering whether she could stomach flying at all.
Around and around they went, the stairwell revolving at least twice per floor, the tall Ranger forced to walk somewhat stooped. Even though it wasn’t, the small enclosed darkness made the climb feel long.
The narrow stairwell finally emptied out into the aviary, a room of incredible contrast proportionally to that of the passage. It was a single vaulted ceiling hallway, leading up to a yawning cavity into the sky that served as a drop-off or landing.
Elmira immediately spotted Olexion and the other Rangers, already tending to their Volje individually. The aviary had a great many cabinets and accessories lined against the walls, but Elmira paid it little heed as she focused on the Volje.
The sight of the beasts made Elmira lose composure for a moment, her body automatically walking slower. She liked and adored horses, having grown up with well trained steeds, yet the Volje was another animal entirely.
The two-legged bodies were mostly furred, having only feathers on the furled wings, which it used very effectively as front legs. Even walking all fours the stature was still that of a large stallion and greater. Elmira was immediately struck by the giant head resembling a keen hound's, huge yellow eyes looking intelligently at her, seeing her for the stranger that she was. Their ears were up
right, and their snouts ridged as though armoured. She could imagine the set of teeth they must have.
‘Cid was right. They do look like bats,’ said Elmira in distress.
Olexion at first gave her stern look, but changed it into an amused smile soon enough. ‘You will come to like them my lady.’
Along the centre fold the wing were a hand-like paw, armed with claws that looked like clouded glass, and the claw size could fold over a man’s head and crush it like a bird could a worm. Its tail Elmira noticed was long and thin, and twice again the length of the body. There was no doubt though that this creature was something that belonged in the sky, its other features being distinctly avian - and then there were its wings!
An immense creature like this could do with nothing less than the most impressive wingspan a person could see in this part of the world.
As they were, the Volje folded their wings neatly to their sides, yet one of the foremost, Olexion’s Volj in fact, responded to Elmira’s presence, encroaching, and then in a display of power, opened its wings wide and flapped once, the resulting gust of wind almost knocking Elmira from her feet.
‘I didn’t think they were that big,’ said Elmira in dismay in the shadow of the towering Volj.
‘Having second thoughts?’ asked Olexion.
The Volje turned away, clearly satisfied with its message sent.
Elmira shook her head. ‘No, this should be better than riding anyway right? Let’s get on with it.’
‘Fine, you pair up with Sedger-’
‘No, I’ll be flying with you,’ pressed Elmira quickly.
‘My lady I insist-’
‘No, I will not be fooled and then dropped off somewhere by one of your subordinates, I coming with you,’ said Elmira.
Olexion sighed silently.
‘Very well, stand aside while we prepare them,’ said Olexion.
‘Remember, I still have this,’ said Elmira, holding up the stone.
‘I’m painfully aware of that my lady,’ said Olexion.
‘You know, you should really start calling me Elmira, all this milady stuff is painting me out as nobility, which I have no intention of being.’
‘As you wish,’ he said.
Elmira sure he wasn’t going to adhere to the agreement.
Standing near the stairwell doorway she watched quietly as the Rangers saddled their Volje, Olexion obviously saddling his beast to take two. The Volje were inspected and Elmira was impressed by the series of stretches the Volje did on their own at the command of the Rangers. They would bound into the air, flapping their wings once to almost reach the height of the hall’s vaulted ceiling, landing with another gush of wind. It was over all too soon.
‘Come now, let’s be off,’ said Olexion when they were done, motioning for Elmira to come closer.
Trepidation caught Elmira now, her heart pounding hard as she neared the Volj.
‘Don’t be afraid.’
Olexion cupped his hands, hoisting Elmira up as she stepped onto them.
A bit higher up than usual, but not unlike a horse, thought Elmira, at least there would be no more side saddling for me.
Olexion then ushered a command and his greyish Volje lifted its front left leg. Using it as a step Olexion agilely pounced, turning his body in mid-air perfectly into the saddle. Elmira instinctively held on to him. She looked around. The other Rangers were mounted as well.
Olexion gave the command and the Volje turned, forming a line to face the great exit some thirty yards from where they stood, the launching point laying ahead like a cliff edge.
There was some enthused shouting and the Volje roared with a deep-bellied sound. Elmira winced as the Volje suddenly burst into a run, the dash of the five beasts playing an eerie sound of clicking claws on the stone floor. The initial rocking was far worse than that of riding a horse and Elmira was glad she had Olexion to hold on to. They reached the edge of the landing and the beasts jumped forth into empty air.
Elmira was breathless as the sun hit her face.
There were moments of free fall - and then Elmira felt the beat of the giant wings by her sides. They descended for a moment more and then gained rhythm, the flutter becoming quicker and more powerful, and then slowing again as they stabilized. It was alien to say the least and Elmira wasn’t exactly sure whether she was nauseous yet or not, her position powerless and at the mercy of the beating wings.
But then it became wondrous. The Volje reached an ideal height, caught a draft, and spread out their wings rigidly to glide.
‘See my Lady? Its flight is more like an eagle than any creature staying in a cave.’
She admitted it was very majestic, a smile creeping over her face.
They banked, swerving right around the perimeter of the castle to set their course northwards. The tilting and the wind blowing her hair out behind her made Elmira giddy, only just suppressing the urge to whoop, reckoning Olexion would disapprove. She was unlikely to say it, but she was grateful to the Ranger for allowing her to come along and so she was keen on keeping the man content.
Elmira looked down and saw a whole new face of Lanston; the city she had known all her life became an entity that she could marvel in its entirety from a single vantage point. Everything was in perspective; every building, square and garden, part of a great whole. See saw the stadiums, the towers and even the castle in a way now that the Dauflon himself would be jealous of.
The city soon past out of sight though, the Volje gaining in speed. From Lanston a winding road carried on, cutting a line through the country. Elmira followed it with her eyes, knowing all too well that it ended with the town Ralna, from where only dirt trails existed to Taverka, the border, and the lands beyond. Even though the world had never seemed as vast Elmira could not understand how swift they were moving over landscapes, how quickly one horizon would be traded for another.
Their speed altogether brought up another question. The wind in Elmira’s face and ears were but a gentle breeze and she knew Olexion’s body was not enough to block out this much wind. Their passage through the air was too light, too easy. She looked over Olexion’s shoulder and was not sure whether she was imagining it, but the daylight seemed to bend slightly around them, like it was hitting a water droplet. Immediately she wondered whether the stories were true.
‘Ranger?’ she asked, and upon hearing her own voice not being lost in the wind she thought she already knew the answer.
‘Is it true then that you and your men can use magic?’ she asked shamelessly.
‘Yes my lady, though we are not born magicians. Our Volje are creatures of a magical kind, they share their innate abilities with us as a pact of trust, and lend upon us the power needed to create spells. To be honest our repertoire is rudimentary, but in the instance of both battle and travel our skills are crucial,’ said Olexion. ‘How did you notice?’
Elmira looked up, seeing a faint rainbow of colours bouncing from Olexion’s magic.
‘I saw this… bubble of yours,’ said Elmira as she recognized the faint contour. Now that she knew it was there she was sure she could see its outline enclosing the entire Volj, fixed around their speeding mass.
‘Bubble?’ asked Olexion.
‘Yeah, you know, like when you’re taking a foam bath and pick up some foam in your hands, and if you blow it just right the bubbles spurt out flying. They have the same sheen of rainbow colours when the light hits them right,’ said Elmira.
Olexion chuckled. ‘I’ve seen your bathtub phenomenon before. I guess it really is a better description than barrier or shield, although the Rangerhood are a prideful bunch, calling our most prevalent magic a… bubble, would simply not have gone down well with them,’ said Olexion.
‘Can’t call a man’s toys by its name, huh?’ laughed Elmira.
‘No, I guess not,’ answered Olexion in amusement.
‘Are you then blocking out the wind with your bubble?’ asked Elmira.
‘Yes, I’m redirecting air to suit our n
eeds and comfort. I’m also filtering daylight; the sun is merciless up here in the open. In battle we use the physicality of the barriers as weapons or as a way of protecting ourselves.
‘I see. What is your Volj's name?’ asked Elmira, seeing if she couldn’t keep the conversation going a little longer.
‘The conclave received him from the breeder as Oel Dannel. It means “grey one” in the old tongue. I’ve been partnered with him for all the years of my service. Our bond is strong, and our magic better off because of it,’ said Olexion.
There was silence and Elmira conceded that getting Olexion to talk was going to be hard. She rather craned her head again to watch the landscape pass by. The land was now puckered with verdant hillocks and she saw a lone antelope bounding in fright to the threat of this unusual aerial predator. Only hours ago Elmira would have envied the buck’s freedom.
Yet it was here, flying, that she felt her freedom, a feeling that released her from all the troubles that the corners of a city had cultivated in her mind. Best of all it gave her hope and renewed her strength. It was all the more better knowing she was off to see Cid, slipping the shackles of her life to chase the man she loved.
Chapter 35
A Memory of Years Past
Olexion felt Elmira behind him resting her head on his back. It wasn’t long before she fell asleep, her slight weight settling against Olexion’s. It was strange for the Ranger, so at first it unnerved him a bit, but then, well…
Olexion had never married. The Rangerhood usually required sacrificing marital bliss. Against the odds many of his younger counterparts were indeed wedded, but then again they would never make the highest positions.
It has always been a question of the kind of woman Olexion encountered; most of them did not appreciate his way of life, or his demeanour for that matter. Yet here behind him now was a woman with a will of steel, accompanied by many other characteristics he thought could not co-exist.
Remnant Pages Spearhead Page 26