by James Hunt
"Kelria, I hold your duty fulfilled." Niyana spoke as she touched the mark on the girl's neck. There was a flash of purple light, as the tattoo came alive and started to evaporate from her skin. When it was gone, Niyana's glowing wings receded back under her robe. They were ethereal, unhindered by the presence of the fabric, but disappeared underneath it none the less. Niyana left the awestruck girl alone then, she would need a moment to herself. Kelria was still in shock when her Queen rose from the water and started to walked calmly back towards camp. When she was sufficiently out of earshot Niyana whispered.
"Never again. My first royal decree." She didn't need to say it, but Kalek needed to hear it. She put an understanding hand on his shoulder as she turned to leave. "Our ways need to change to save what is left of us."
"Never again, not while I live." He acknowledged. He watched his Queen leave them.
"I could use an apprentice," Tarin mused to himself thoughtfully, as he stroked his chin. "I'm not getting any younger, and it would be easier on her they being a knight." He put his hand on his son's other shoulder. "You should mention that to her. I have our Queen's royal battle wear to stitch." And with that he left his son to face one of the hardest struggles Tarin knew Kalek had ever faced. Forgiveness was not always an easy road; having spent a century bonded to their Knight Captain was proof enough Tarin had learned that.
After a long meditative moment, when he heard his charge resolve herself of her happy moment and resume her bath, he calmly steeled himself for what was to come, and proceeded to the pond. But not without putting the customary blindfold over his eyes. H hoped it would earn him some points towards redemption. His approach was stealthy, and he came to sit at the water's edge. He gave her a few moments to see if she had noticed him. "Kelria?"
"Where is my lord's knife?" She said coolly, yet respectfully.
"Absent," He stated matter-of-factly. He was about to say more but caught himself. "Would my lady grant me the undeserved request of listening to my plea?" It was a carefully spoken request.
"My lord has the honor of being above such requests, as he is of the Children of the Leaves" She responded with equal formality, and a bit coldly.
"I resign myself from such honors. Where my lady is concerned, I am unworthy of them." He managed to work out.
"Speak," she sighed, annoyed. She knew he was blindfolded. The gesture, although meant to be endearing and reminiscent of their first meeting, made her anger more the worse. And yet she kept herself submerged below the waterline despite it.
"We were distraught at finding our Queen so far gone, we thought there was no hope left." He started. "There was no going back to Lunar, we could not rise up in rebellion and we could not stomach the injustices we heard tales of and witnessed. We had decided to attack an enemy strong hold, and to avenge ourselves on the villains that were somehow connected to our homelands trouble. We did not expect to survive. We gauged their strength in arms to be greater than ours." Kelria listened and took it all in, but said nothing. "You would have perished as soon as the fighting started. We couldn't afford to protect you without sacrificing the strength of the whole. I didn't want you to die thinking you had failed... I asked my mother what would be best. She simply said, 'End her misery'."
"It was not the noblest of choices." He admitted. "I deeply regret having made it."
"You were right," Kelria said softly, and Kalek paused in his confession to regard her. "Your sin was in bringing me back." She couldn't look at him now. "How could I live now, knowing the noblest man I knew, the kindest soul to whom I would gladly shield him from his enemies swords with my own body... would do something so cruel? To give me peace, only to take it away and inflict a life of knowing of his betrayal?" Kalek had no words for that.
"I am weak, cowardly creature." Kelria admitted. "I was afraid of death before I met you. I thought our people were doomed to the evil infesting us. But I am not a fool. When I meet you, I saw hope, but I knew I would just be in the way of it. I would have understood, Kalek, and I would have gladly gone before you to the Great Spirit. You didn't understand that part of me. The strong part of me." Kalek's whole body crumbled and he sank forward. "Please leave me Kalek," she managed to choke out, before the tears finally came. He abided her wishes and rose to his feet.
"My mother, still extends her offer to be your Master should you wish." He said over his shoulder as he turned to leave. "My father, also extends an offer to take you on as his apprentice. He admires your skill in magic, and thinks you will find it a more peaceful path."
"Thank you, My Lord," She said quietly, and hugged her knees to her chest. Kalek left her then, and Kelria finally had peace. The pain in her heart subsided then, she found could deal with him now. They had said their peace, and if he had pursued it any more, she would have fallen apart. Kelria took a deep breath and let loose a long, relaxing sigh.
"I am sorry for your loss," came a gentle, disembodied voice. It was deep, melodious, with a slight flavor of predatory nature. Kelria looked, but couldn't place the speaker.
"Who are you?" She said aloud. A bit perturbed at being disturbed a third time.
"We've met before..." it cooed. She tried to place the voice but it wasn't coming to her. There was only one person that used such theatrics in his greetings.
"Grelwulf?"
"If you like," he responded. Kelria wasn't sure it was the Furrell. "You are right. He doesn't see how strong you are. Forgive me, I watched your Queen remove your mark. It was the most beautiful moment I have ever seen. Congratulations, dear Kelria."
"What do you want?" she asked. Disembodied voices were not to be trusted.
"A friend," He stated off handedly. "I would like someone to share my nightfire with, and to swap stories. Someone to share my pain... but only a special someone that would understand it."
"Where are you?" she swam out into the water away from the pond's edge. Somehow she felt safer there.
"I will tell you, but you might be afraid once you meet me. I don't want you to be afraid. I won't hurt you."
"So say they all," She scolded him skeptically. The voice laughed.
"True, true," he laughed. "I like you Kelria, you're very clever. I will trust you, as I hope you will trust me. Dive down... and follow the cave." The voice grew quieter. Kelria waited a moment, unsure of how to proceed. But she did as instructed and plunged down below the water's surface.
"I want to show you something beautiful," the voice reached her under the water. The moon's light didn't penetrate this deep, but Kelria had learned a few tricks recently. She summoned up a glowing whisp of light and searched the pond's floor. There was a small opening in the ground just large enough for her to swim through.
Kelria surfaced, and quickly retrieved her hunting knife from her clothes. She thought to dress as well, but she wasn't sure they would survive without tearing in that tight passage. Armed with knife alone, she dove back in and made her way through the cave. It was a tight squeeze at first, but it opened out immediately and she soon followed it down until it opened into an underground cavern.
Kelria was awestruck The room was filled with natural glowing crystal formations. Small ones dotted the walls, larger ones on the floor, and even a few skinny ones protruding form the ceiling. They gave off a pinkish-purple light that illuminated the whole room brilliantly. They were breathtaking to behold, as Kelria had never seen such a formation before. She climbed out of the pool's edge, and strode boldly to the nearest crystal and touched it.
"Beautiful, aren't they?" his voice came from no where in particular in the room to greet her.
"Yes," she breathed appreciatively. "Come out, but be warned. I'm armed."
"I know," He said. "Come, I'm waiting for you on the other side of the largest crystal. I wanted you to see I was telling the truth first before we met."
"What are you so afraid of?" she asked as she cautiously walked around the crystal. On the other side, she saw the Zecairin swordsman from earlier that day leaning aga
inst a crystal on the ground. He sat motionless, wearing a dark blue shirt unbuttoned halfway down, and dark charcoal leather leggings. But no boots, no weapons she could see, almost as bare as he dared to be. She startled at first when she saw him, but he still wasn't moving.
"I'd open my eyes, and greet you," He said with a hint of dry humor, speaking from his own mouth this time and not the disembodied voice. "but you are naked. And I must admit that even though you have a very attractive figure, I believe you would be very upset at me if I looked without your permission now that we are face to face." Kelria started to panic, she brought her knife up defensively before her. She tried to take a step back, but her legs were shaking too much. "It's not easy is it? Living with people that want you to be something you can never be? Having to suffer their attempts to constantly mold you into something that goes against your pure nature? Forcing yourself to lie to them in order to be respectful of their efforts, all the while wishing you could just scream and yell at their unfairness and stupidity?"
Kelria subconsciously dropped her knife. His words had resonated with her true feelings and completely disarmed her for the moment. She stood transfixed on him.
"I understand," he stated matter-of-factly. He slowly rose and walked around one of the crystals only to reappear a moment later with a dark silken gown with long sleeves. "Would this make you feel less naked?" He mused and looked at her. His eyes were a rich blue hue, the color of sapphires, and the specifically looked at her eyes and avoided her bare flesh. As mesmerizing as they were, she forced herself to look away as reached out for the gown against her better judgment. He lifted it over her head and stood back as it floated down to cover her gently. "Silly isn't it? I have seen your soul, but it is your exposed flesh that bothers you."
"Very silly," Kelria admitted, a bit breathlessly. His charm was having a powerful affect on her. At her very core, was a violent urge to act -- to attack him, or to flee back through the water tunnel -- but her stubborn reason was not allowing it. He had not given her a reason to do either, yet. Her hands smoothed the fabric of the gown, it covered her nicely, although it was cut too low in the front for her comfort. The light material clung to her damp skin, and soaked in the moisture, leaving only mostly dry and only her braid to drip water on the stone floor.
"Will you join me?" He offered his hand. "You can take your knife if you like." There was something off about this man. His features were nice enough to look at, despite being Zecairin, and his demeanor was non-threatening almost casual, and charming. He had disarmed her despite herself. But Kelria knew Zecairins firsthand. She had suffered their evil in many different ways. There must be a trap here. But this... was not exactly evil, yet.
She took his hand, and he guided her around the crystals to a camp of sorts he had made in the back. There was a fur lined bedroll, some fish on spits over a red glowing crystal, an assortment of traveling gear satchels, and his sword.
"I never intended to harm your companions," he said earnestly. "My partner did, but not seriously. We wanted information, not death. Our threats were... hollow. We just wanted to scare them enough to be truthful." Kelria took the seat offered on a bundled blanket next to the red crystal formation. It was giving off a comfortable amount of heat.
"Are you hungry?" He offered. "I caught these in the river, just recently."
"No." she replied, a bit too sudden. Then she corrected herself. "No, thank you."
"I'm sure this is difficult, speaking with the enemy." He smiled. His smooth words were calming, and his voice dangerously debonair. "I'm not very good with that," he nodded to the sword that lay behind Kelria well out of reach of her host. "But I am very skilled with magic. A genius if I do say so," he smiled smugly, but only briefly. "Your Cleric would have shattered me all over the ground if I had not made my body lighter than air. I also spoke to you by projecting my voice through the water. That method also allows me to hear words uttered from far away, or in secret so long as I share the same air as the speaker. Its one of my many... talents." He gave her a charming smile, and reached into his camp gear for a wooden canister. "I could teach you if you wanted... Have you ever had mioh mushrooms? They are very sweet, but intoxicating. Here." he offered her a hand sized blue ball. He took one for himself, and bit into it. It was juicy on the inside. Kelria only regarded it curiously, as she had never seen one before. It was soft, furry, most of its exterior was delicate, but there was a heavier center she could feel. Finally she dared to take a bit. The fluffy part was sweet, but mostly air. It was the gel center that was the true delicacy she found. Sweet it was, but it also had the slight tang of fermentation. She would have finished it eagerly, but prudence told her not to.
"We are not so different." He smiled at her as he ate. "I was given Demon's Blood when I was old enough, just like all the other noble Zecairin children. But it didn't affect me. So I was cast out, branded, and conscripted into a dead-man's duty. I was expendable..." he said with disappointment. "It wasn't fair, but it gave me, and those like me. Fresh eyes to see the terror Zecair was becoming. We have our own 'corruption'. Your Queen is the only one I have ever known to be cured of it. A feat I would doubt if I had not seen her before and after it. The purpose of all this..." he gestured to the cavern with his half eaten mushroom. "...is I am curious as to how she beat it. Perhaps we could come to an understanding and we could help each other. That, and I'm a bit infatuated with you, its your..." she was staring off at the crystals lost in thought. She was ignoring him.
"My lady?" he asked demurely. "I apologize if I bore you."
"A gentleman usually introduces himself first, before blabbing on..." she scolded him. There was an unusual flush to her cheeks, despite the scowl on her forehead. Her host dropped the mushroom and threw his head back in a fit of laughter. Kelria was angry at first at his reaction, but couldn't help to be caught up in the contagious laughter. A smile escaped her reserve.
"I am so sorry," he pleaded once the laughter subsided and he wiped his eyes. "How terribly rude of me. My name is Tamain." He rose to one knee, and offered his guest his hand in greeting. Unsure of the custom, she took his hand -- with which he brought to his lips and kissed it affectionately. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Kelria."
"I am no lady," she scolded him.
"You are now," He grinned and released her hand. "You are no longer an Yvarna, and you are a close personal friend of your queen. Her, sister, practically as I heard it. If that does not make you a lady, well... I will still call you Lady Kelria." Kelria turned away to hide the blush she felt creeping up her cheeks uncomfortably. She smoothed the long sleeves of her gown.
"Do you frequently keep women's clothing with you?" she inquired.
"No, I borrowed that from a friend." He answered. "You may keep it if you like, I'm sure she won't mind. She has others, and I promise to compensate her for it if it pleases you." Kelria huffed in exasperation. He was thwarting her every attempt to take the wind out of his sails.
"Why are you doing this? Why are you being so nice? So charming?" She scowled. He looked at her with a familiarly unrequited, never ending, longing but said nothing. She knew what that look felt like. "You're lonely."
"I am," he admitted. "Just like the others in my troop, I am not a monster. I am just... angry. Frustrated. Vengeful." He said with some retrained pain. "I know what it feels like to be cast out and to loose all hope, but to still strive on in hope that one's miserable life might actually serve some grand purpose." He turned away from her and laid back to stare at the crystals on the ceiling. "Your homeland is in crisis. My homeland is in crisis. But are we be the only ones that see the similarities? Is it bravery to conspire with a misjudged enemy to change that? to unite? Or is it madness? You know what I speak of." He stated. "Tell me, dear Lady Kelria, is there a difference between a Zecairin and an Lunarin in the evil they can do?"
"No." she said coldly and stroked her neck where her mark used to be. Tamain let it end at that, and took a moment to think. H
e glanced her way to catch her eyeing him, but she quickly turned to look at the crystal again.
"Does it bother you?" he asked sincerely.
"Not physically." She muttered.
"Neither does mine." He sighed.
"Yours?" Her curiosity peeked. He regarded her for a moment before beckoning her closer. She crawled forward until she was almost leaning over him. He asked for her hand with his own, and she quietly assented. He placed it on his chest, letting her feel his smooth, warm skin. Slowly he guided it down the length of his torso, letting her feel every detail of his muscled frame. It was right past the first row of abdominal muscles that she felt a scar -- a brief line. And then another, and another. The further her fingers traveled, more rough, and ragged they felt. "May I?" she asked and he nodded. With polite respect, she gently unbuttoned his shirt and pulled the two sides apart. There on his belly, was a large symbol branded into his skin. She ran her fingers over it, entranced, feeling the rough scarred flesh and the smooth sections between it.