“Someone just saved my life,” she stated.
She groaned from the pain in her ribs. It was definitely broken. Usually her lionfish form would protect her from such damage but the impact of that water jet was so strong that it had broken through her spell. She looked up at the kraken again and saw a bird-like figure fighting it. It looked like a man with the wings of a swan.
“Is he here to aid us?” she questioned, hoping she was right.
Serena saw a shining white light coming from the man with wings. The kraken howled then all its tentacles fell back into the water and its body began to vanish.
Serena heard a shriek like that of an eagle and gazed up at the sky. Another bird-like creature flew over the city. Its wings were far and its body was shaped like a human with two arms and two feet but the head of a falcon. Its wings spread black and red and much larger than its body. The black monsters swarmed towards it but it killed them all with a simple swipe of its claws. From the giant bird’s back, a man yelled, “Return to Necros!” then a yellow beam struck the black monsters and they tumbled from the sky.
“What is going on?” she asked Oceamus. “Has the dragon god of water brought aid from the sky?”
The dark creatures fell from the sky, and as they fell their bodies turned to ashes. The giant bird cleansed the city’s sky of its infestation. From the mouth of the giant bird a beam of energy destroyed the monsters. It flew over the city attacking the monsters and casting powerful winds. The man atop the bird was manipulating the water from the lake and using it as a whip, striking down the black creatures.
“Who are these…these…champions?” Serena asked the dragon god of water.
“Are you alright?” she heard a voice from above. The man with wings hovered aloft. Her eyes widened and she gaped. She could feel the kind maju radiating from him. His armor was silver with white filigree, hemmed with gold and he wielded a sword that was clear as glass. He descended and gently landed on the raft just a few feet from her. He extended a hand offering to help. Serena was frightened at first but, looking at his hazel eyes, she saw there was no threat. His skin color was similar to her people, tan like hazelnut. His ears were long and pointy and when she stood up with all the pain in her abdomen she was one foot taller than him.
“Well, you are much taller than I expected,” he said. “I saw what you did back there to that giant octopus. You are one powerful mage.”
“Thank you,” Serena said in a shy manner, blushing. “Who are you, pointy eared stranger?”
“You have never seen an Elf?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.
“Elf?” Serena questioned, unfamiliar with that term. “Aren’t you human?”
“I guess there are no Elves in this country,” he said then laughed. “It is complicated to explain but humans and Elves are different, yet we are friends. I will explain later but now we need to get you to safety.”
“I can help myself,” Serena said proudly, then groaned holding her abdomen.
“You are much too weak and I sense that your maju is very low. Come with me, I will get you to safety,” he insisted.
A giant sea serpent burst from the lake, hissing and wrapping its long body around the raft that they stood on. The armored winged man swung his glass-like sword and from it, he released a beam that sliced the serpent in two.
“Grab on to me,” he urged but Serena was hesitant. The pointy eared stranger gently took her arm and placed it around his neck. Serena was speechless and was enjoying being rescued. She grabbed on to the pauldrons of his armor. The stranger began to flap his wings and they ascended. Serena’s heart hammered with excitement, she almost did not feel the pain of her broken ribs. Who is this man? she thought and suppressed a smile. What am I thinking? This is not the time.
When she looked down the entire city had shrunk as she gazed at it from a bird’s eye view. She could see every house on the slope of the city and every boat on the lake. The people were like ants and the buildings the size of toys.
“I have never been this high up before,” she said then looked at the face of the stranger who carried her. His stare was fierce with those hazel eyes and she found those long pointy ears very arousing. “What is your name, stranger? Why do you help us?”
“My name is Eckxio. Me and my friends have been fighting these monsters around the world,” he answered. “Here they come again.”
A swarm of monsters flew towards them. Some looked like gargoyles and there were two headed flying lizards and birds with long beaks and boils on their heads. They were eyeless creatures but they moved and attacked as if they could see. The stranger named Eckxio raised his sword. “Don’t let go. This will be quick,” he alerted. His sword released a blinding flash. Serena was forced to close her eyes then all she could hear were the monsters shrieking in death. When Serena opened her eyes again they were gone, as if it had been an illusion.
“You can kill them with nothing but light. How?” she asked.
“Only light can vanquish darkness,” Eckxio answered. “And what is your name?”
“Serena. Princess Serena Sarbock,” she said and her smile bloomed through her resistance. “Bring me back to the castle.”
“As you wish, your majesty,” Eckxio said.
The winged stranger closed his wings and they began to fall from the sky. Serena shrieked and wrapped her arms tightly around him. Wind whistled as they fell and she had her eyes closed the entire time. His wings thudded and the fall eased. She opened her eyes again and saw that they were gliding to the castle. When they reached the port of the castle, Eckxio left her there, kissed her hand, saying, “I will be back, your majesty,” then flew away.
She watched him in awe, destroying the black monsters with his sword of light and quickly cleansing the skies of darkness. “Good Oceamus, this hero that you have brought to us, please tell me that no woman has claimed him.”
“Watch out!” someone yelled from her left.
Serena looked over her shoulder and saw a long haired man with pale skin. The man hurled a sword at her and she quickly shifted her body to dodge it. Looking in the direction at which it flew, it was not aimed at her but rather the monster behind her. It was another black creature; this one looked like a canine with spikes like daggers on its back. The creature howled, collapsed then turned to ashes.
Serena looked back at the man and he showed no threat.
“Sorry, I did not mean to scare you,” he said.
“Who are you?” she asked.
The pale face man approached her and bowed. “Your majesty, my name is Akielas. Me and my friends sensed dark maju in this city so we decided to come and help.”
“Akie…las,” she struggled to pronounce. She was not sure who these strangers were or where they came from but she was sure that her city would be safe.
*****
An hour later, when the strangers from the sky eliminated all the monsters, Serena had invited them into her castle. They stood on a balcony of the second floor gazing at the city. The lake was crimson from the blood of her Narb Thales and her people. The lake was also tainted with black from the ashes that the monsters had left. There were boats carrying injured men and women. Limbs had been torn off, body parts floated in the lake and her Narb Thales were cleaned the mess. They cried for the ones they lost and water mages danced on the lake creating aquatic ribbons that coiled around the dead. The dance was a ritual so that the dead could have a peaceful journey into the afterlife. The Maerians believed that after death their souls would swim in an endless ocean that is not of Odealeous. Endless oceans with spirits, sea creatures and stars like those of the night. They believed that they would meet their ancestors in the aquatic afterlife; they called it Maerhalla.
Serena looked over her city, heart heavy, eyes moist, tears trickled down her cheeks but she felt blessed. Perhaps it was not her god, Oceamus, that brought the heroes from the sky but she was grateful and felt in debt to the man named Akielas. He stood next to her with hands on the balust
rade. The short man with wings that had saved her, Eckxio, leaned on the balustrade and next to him was a flaming red haired man called Auron. Sometimes she would glance at Eckxio, and when he caught her looking at him she would dart her eyes away. She was shy around them. Never had Serena seen men with red hair or pale skin. Never had she seen an, Elf, before, she was not familiar with the term and surely there were none of these Elves in Maer Weeyar.
The sun was rising from the east. It was still morning, the most dreadful morning she had ever experienced.
“What are they doing?” Akielas asked and pointed at the water mages dancing on the lake.
“Oh, my water mages, they dance for the dead,” Serena answered.
“Dancing? Is it some kind of ritual?” he asked curiously.
“Yes,” Serena replied and wiped the tears from her eyes. “It is a way to help them journey well into Maerhalla, the endless ocean where our ancestors await. The dance prevents their souls from feeding from any negative maju. It prevents them from haunting others and becoming ghosts. The water mages help them release negative emotions with a combination of white magic. Our loved ones then leave this world in peace knowing that they can rest now and not feel like they have some unfinished business in this world. Today their deaths were harsh so the water mages show them love and tell them that they don’t need to keep going anymore, that they can sleep and that we will take care of the rest.”
“That is beautiful,” Akielas said. “May their souls find their way to Maerhalla.”
“Thank you,” Serena said. “Now I must ask you a question.” She turned to Akielas and stared at him. “Why have you come to our country and how do you know of these black monsters?”
“I am glad you asked your majesty,” Akielas said and bowed. His long black hair cascaded over his shoulders. He seemed older than her, yet he barely had any wrinkles. She still found his pale skin bizarre, as if someone could have such a light skin tone and not be burnt by the sun. The man was covered by a leather cloak, but such attire was only used in the winter of Maer Weeyar. “We heard that the Sapphire Cosmo Jewel was in this country and so we decided to hunt for this treasure.”
“You will not find it,” Serena stated and returned her gaze to the city.
“Yes, I do understand that it has been lost for many years,” Akielas said. “However, we intend to find it before our enemy does.”
“Whoever your enemy is, they won’t find the jewel either,” Serena stated again. “If we cannot find it, then no one else can. Even the Laguans have given up their search for the sapphire jewel.”
“I see,” Akielas said and fell into deep thought.
“Sorry to disappoint you,” she said. “Who is this enemy of yours?”
“The Specters, the ones that summoned those black monsters,” Akielas explained. “Fiends from the underworld. I am sure you saw them. They wear white masks with horns and only one eye.”
“I saw many monsters today but none like your description,” Serena replied.
“Darn it,” Auron snarled. “It seems like they are always just one step ahead of us.”
“They summoned their fiends but did not appear,” Eckxio said. “I find it strange how they did not show up. Before I saved Princess Serena I was trying to find the Specters first but I could not feel their dark presence anywhere.”
“Is that so?” Serena asked.
“Yes, usually when their fiends appear they always show up,” Akielas answered. “It is definitely bizarre.”
“Well, I do remember one time when I was with Willow in the forest,” Eckxio said.
“We don’t want to hear your romance stories,” Auron mocked.
“Would you let me finish,” Eckxio snarled. “Fiends were searching for mythium in the forest of the Elves back home. The Specters were not around so I am guessing they let loose their fiends to search for more mythium or kaminyte.”
“You have a wife?” Serena asked. Samird was not around and she wanted to know more about the Elf.
“Willow was going to be my wife before the Specters stole her soul,” the Elf answered.
“I am so sorry,” she said and frowned.
“Do not be sorry your majesty, one way or another I will get her back,” Eckxio swore.
“I wish for you to find her again.”
She heard steps echoing from the hallway. A Narb Thale entered the balcony and she saw that it was Samird. She could not show her love for him in the presence of others so she simply beckoned for him to join her.
“The people of Sar Thale mourn the dead, my lady,” Samird said. “However, everything has calmed down now. Many of the bodies have been removed from the lake. The city will be completely cleansed soon.”
“Thank you, Samird,” she said then gestured to her new friends. “These men here are the ones who saved our city. They are from the eastern countries, do show them respect.”
Samird bowed to Akielas and his companions. Serena felt that their intentions were good and they were kind hearted. However, she felt that there was something off about the red haired man called Auron. Maybe she was just being prejudiced because of his color and ignored such thought. They helped her and now she wanted to repay them.
“You may stay here for seven days and seven nights,” she told Akielas. “We will make beds for you and your friends. You may join us for dinner and some wine. I want to hear more about where you came from.”
“Thank you for the invite your majesty, but we are in a hurry,” Akielas said. “Our enemy is planning something extremely dangerous and it is important that we find the sapphire jewel before they do. They sent their fiends here because those creatures can sense maju and the energy of the jewel. This means that it is nearby.”
“As I said before, neither us nor the Laguans have seen the sapphire jewel in three decades,” Serena replied. “However…if it is not too much to ask, I would like for you three to come with me to the city of the Laguans tomorrow.”
“Princess you cannot trust these men with our conflict with the Laguans,” Samird advised.
“Why not? They did save our city. I am asking too much of them already,” Serena said. She looked at Akielas and smiled at him. “Akielas, come with me to the underwater city of the Laguans. We can both find out more about the sapphire jewel. I believe that the Laguans might know something that has eluded us. I know we are both strangers but we want the same thing. I believe that you have come here as a catalyst for what we sought for so long. I believe we were fated to work together.”
Akielas
He woke up to the waterfall that was behind the castle. Through the window in his dorm he could see it cascade beautifully and with the light of the sun it created a rainbow mist. He rose from his tatami bed and donned his clothes and chest plate. He covered himself with his cloak and strolled to the window to marvel at Sar Thale, the capital city of Maer Weeyar. He had visited this country before but only some small towns and villages. He never once saw the capital city and it seemed that nothing had really attracted him towards this part of the world, until now. Akielas had always explored the east and west continent as well as Yama and the United Pathways but his curiosity of Maer Weeyar was very dim. Why did I not spend more time here in the past? He asked himself. It is like a beautiful woman that I was too shy to meet.
He exited his dorm room and walked down the long halls of the castle. Fish tanks built inside the walls with bones and seashells interspersed between. The tiled floor followed a spiral with wavy patterns like the sea. As he walked down the hall he came across a Narb Thale. “May I escort you somewhere, Sir Akielas?”
“Yes, take me to your balcony, I would like to gaze upon your city,” he said.
The Narb Thale guided Akielas to the balcony of the second floor where he had stood with Serena yesterday. At the end of the hall he could see down to the first floor. A chandelier shaped like a jelly fish hung from the ceiling with glowing tentacles. They turned left at the end of the hall then another left towards the s
econd floor balcony. Akielas gazed down at the first floor again and saw a koi fish pool built into the floor. He was amazed by the architecture of the Maerians; it was like none he had ever seen before. Maer Weeyar was truly an aquatic kingdom. Once he reached the balcony, the Narb Thale left him alone and returned to his duties around the castle.
The sun blazed and the breeze was soothing. For the first time in days Akielas did not wake up with nightmares, and endless worries and apprehension. Today he woke up clear-headed. He had slept better than he had in months.
“Can’t get enough of the view,” he heard Serena from behind him.
He looked over his shoulder and beckoned her to join him. He took her hand and kissed it as a gentleman would. Her body was covered in tattoos and only wore a short top and skirt. She walked barefoot and her ankles had chainless shackles. Her hair was wild dreadlocks past her shoulders and down to her mid back. Her hair was in various shades of blue held together with black bands. Serena had small eyes, her nose curved down and her full lip were painted blue. She was stunning, her tan skin was exotic and Akielas was tempted.
“It looks like an amphitheater,” Akielas stated. “The houses on the slope of the city are the seats, the castle is the stage and the waterfall is the curtain.”
“It is a design of our ancestors. This city is about five hundred years old,” Serena said. “South of here there is a city called Sor Thang. It looks similar to this one. The Theemas River runs through it too.”
“I don’t know what it is about your city but when I woke up this morning I felt refresh,” Akielas said. “Perhaps it was the waterfall or the soothing breeze through the window. Either way I had no nightmares of the Specters and my head was clear and more…present.”
“My father had captured some maju from the Sapphire Cosmo Jewel and placed it behind the waterfall to help enchant the waters,” Serena explained. “It helps us sleep better and calm down.”
“Interesting,” Akielas stated.
“The element of water is the element of emotions,” Serena continued. “The attribute of water rules sleep and the realm of fantasy and dreams. That is the power of Oceamus. That is the power of the sapphire jewel.”
Blood of Mages (Rift of Chaos Book 3) Page 11