by D N Meinster
"But you believe Magenine rules such a realm."
"There is no other way to see it." Rikki set Ji-Ji on the ground and held out her staff. A ray of light shot out from the channeling crystal and bounced around the crystalline houses. With each one the light touched, the abode illuminated, enhancing the multiple colors despite the sunlight. "The Goddess gave me these gifts. She spoke to my friend. But that does not mean that your ancestors could not have been here." When she was done with the demonstration, she set the bottom of her staff on the ground. A slight vibration climbed from the bottom of her staff up to her hand. Rikki examined her staff before shooting looks in every direction.
"What is it?" Simma asked.
For a moment, Rikki believed she may have disturbed and awoken the souls that resided here. But then she heard the soft patter of footsteps. A group of people shot out of one of the houses and were running right at them. As they got closer, Rikki recognized one of them. "Thalians!"
Simma slipped her hands into her pockets and Rikki raised her staff in preparation for battle.
But the Thalians did not slow down. Led by a man she knew as Vezeo, the group ran right by Simma and Rikki, ignoring their presence entirely.
"Run faster!" Vezeo shouted as they abandoned the vicinity.
Rikki watched them disappear from view. "What was that about?"
The tremor she had noticed earlier had increased its intensity. For the second time, she wondered if it was caused by Simma's deceased relatives.
"Dammit," Simma said, recognizing what it was.
"What's causing this?" Rikki asked.
"Men," Simma replied, and she headed deeper into the village.
"Men?" Rikki didn't understand. What men could so easily cause an earthquake? It would've made more sense if she had said it was caused by souls. She chased after Simma, and the two soon came to the end of town. There, Rikki saw what she had meant. More men than she had ever seen were marching together, causing the ground to shake with each step. It was an army, dressed for battle and on a direct route to war.
"Luewen," Simma moaned and she made for the rows of soldiers.
Rikki gathered Ji-Ji in her arms and reluctantly followed. This is what Simma wanted her to prevent. If she could show these men the truth, she might save their lives. But they had to believe what they saw, and in her conversations with Simma, she understood that they were naturally disinclined to trust magic. So why did Simma even want her to use it?
Simma approached the nearest battalion. "Vaso de qin? Where is my brother?" she demanded.
The soldiers eyeballed her but did not reply.
"I know that you heard me." Not getting a response, she held out her hand and signaled for them to stop.
The soldiers may not have been willing to speak, but they also weren't willing to trample a member of the Korona dynasty. They promptly came to a halt, ending the march for all the men lined up behind them.
"Vaso. De. Qin. Nal co ersp." Simma's eyes lit up in a fury.
A single man shouted out from a distance. The annoyance in his voice became more noticeable as he grew nearer.
Simma made her displeasure evident to her brother as he emerged from between the ranks of his men. Rikki was relieved that a warrior had never given her such a look.
Luewen was aghast to see her there but hastily altered his expression to be more familial and welcoming. "Lady Simma! This is unexpected."
"Unexpected?" she repeated. "You say unexpected? I was making my way to Radite to speak with you. But here you are, outside of Karisu. I suspect this isn't a second pilgrimage."
Luewen's face turned red. "No. It's not."
"Off to kill your own brother? Can you even fathom how idiotic it is to leave Radite? Now I find you surrounded by men instead of walls."
"I'd say I have at least three times the men that Kuwain does," Luewen replied, his lips frowning as if he'd tasted something bitter. "Who needs walls when I have that? It is time this civil war came to an end."
"You didn't give peace much of a chance," Simma replied. "You didn't give me much of a chance."
"Was Kuwain open to any of your proposals?" Luewen asked. When Simma didn't answer, he did. "I thought not. He is a traitor. He went to Karisu and performed the sacred rites for himself. He dishonors our ancestors and our traditions while he continues to threaten all of Faunli. He must be eliminated. You can join us, if you'd like. Or go back to Radite. The choice is yours, dear sister." He was about to leave when he finally noticed Rikki. "What are you doing here?"
"I will tell them," Simma warned. "I will tell them everything."
"They won't believe you," Luewen responded. His eyes flashed back to Rikki. "Your friends are here somewhere." He flicked a few fingers toward his soldiers before turning his back on them. With that, the battalion was marching onward again.
"We have no choice now," Simma said, but Rikki wasn't paying her any attention. Doren was somewhere among the masses, as was Aros. She had to find them. But how? Spotting two Kytherans from her position was improbable. What she needed was a pegasus. From the air, she might be able to see them. There was only one other way to cover so much ground.
"I'll see you later," Rikki told Simma before she began shifting away. She was in two places at once: by Simma and between another row of soldiers. And then she was only amongst the soldiers. "Doren!" she shouted. She didn't see any sign of him so she shifted again. And when she didn't see him near another unit of troops, she shifted again.
She kept going. Shifting from one place among the armed men to another. And every time, she called for her friends. But there was no response, and no indication they were near. After she lost count of how many times she had shifted, she decided to take a break and consider another tactic. If she couldn't find them, maybe she could help them find her.
With a thrust of her staff, Rikki sent a pillar of green light into the sky. She kept it there, hoping they might notice it and come running. As far as she knew, there were no other mages in Faunli at the moment. They should recognize that it was her creating the light. "They'll come, right Ji-Ji?"
He whistled in response.
When they didn't appear after five minutes, Rikki started brainstorming what else she might do to get their attention. What sort of signal would it take? If a pillar of light wasn't enough, what would be?
She could start a bonfire. Or maybe she could give Ji-Ji wings and he could lift her just enough so she might spot them.
"That won't work," Rikki whispered to herself.
What else? Why was she so short on practical ideas? The only real alternative was to wait for the soldiers to take a break and start shifting again. It might be easier to see them if the rest of the men weren't moving.
Rikki concluded that was the most feasible idea, and she terminated the pillar of light.
"Rikki!" a voice yelled once the light was extinguished.
She nearly dropped Ji-Ji in excitement. It had to be them. Who else would know her name? Rikki sent the pillar of light airborne and waited for them to find her.
They showed up within minutes. Doren and Aros broke through the multitudes of soldiers and ran up to her. At first, they only stared at each other. None of them could believe they had finally found one another. Then they started to smile and laugh.
"Why do you have a denhare?" Doren asked.
"This is Ji-Ji." Rikki set him down and then shot over to Doren. She enveloped him in the tightest hug the two had ever shared. She literally had trouble letting go of him. She would've held on to him for a lifetime if she could.
Doren was the first to let up in the embrace, and she followed. Then she moved over to Aros and gave him a warm squeeze. "How are you?" she asked.
"I've been worse," Aros replied as they let go of each other.
She looked over both of her friends. "Are you two wearing pads beneath your clothes?"
"Those are bandages," Doren said. "You've missed a lot."
"You two are so helpless without
me," she teased. "It's amazing you've survived."
"It is," Aros said matter-of-factly. "I was shot with an arrow and left for dead."
"And I was taken as a hostage," Doren added. "Twice."
Rikki let out a wild giggle. "I bet you think that means you've got a better story than I have. But you'd be wrong. You won't even believe where I've been."
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Final Moments
1 D.R.
The mattress was cozily familiar, as was the sound of his wife breathing. Shine had missed it even when he knew she was coming back. The room had seemed hollow in recent decks, but now, even with Narai by his side, it continued to feel that way.
Shine had scarcely slept since his wife had returned. He lie awake on his bed, hearing her breathe and thinking only of what that sound had cost. Leaf wasn't supposed to die. The man he had considered an older brother for his entire life was meant to partake in the celebrations upon Narai's return. He would be the one to get all the credit, since he was the better fighter. He would be the one to quell the King since they had disobeyed him.
Every night, the events of that day played over in his head. Who else could he have brought? There was no one he trusted more. Another mage, perhaps? But he had seen Olley perform better than any mage half his age. Who else would have sacrificed for his cause?
He wanted to blame Cillian. It had been a setup. That's why Leaf was dead. But it wasn't the only reason. Shine deserved the blame.
His father had hardly spoken to him since the funeral. No doubt he wished the Prince would have waited until a proper army was ready to storm Belliore. But what if that was too late? Narai might not be here at all.
Did it truly come down to that? Either Leaf was here, or Narai? He didn't like to think that was the choice. There had to have been a way to save them both.
Shine sprang off the mattress. He was tired of thinking of this. He took a few steps towards the window and peeked outside. Sections of the city were lit up, as many Kytherans refused to give in to sleep no matter what the hour was. What were they up to at this time of night? Would they mind if a prince stopped in?
"Can't sleep?" Narai asked groggily.
"Don't worry about it," Shine replied. His wife was managing better than he was in the face of recent trauma.
"You should see the Healer tomorrow," she suggested.
"Narai," Shine whined.
"You need to sleep, Shine. You know what's coming, and you can't be tired when it arrives."
Maybe that's why he couldn't sleep. He wasn't tired. Guilty. Angry. Upset. But not tired.
King Aergo watched the sunrise from his balcony. It was one of the few pleasures left in a world at war. The light touched the islands and rippled up the seas until it finally made landfall on Kytheras. For one glorious half hour, his thoughts would quiet and he could be that light. He wouldn't worry about the safety of family or his citizenry; only that a cloud might get in the way.
Five days. That's all he had left of this serenity. And then he would lead his men to battle. First to Belliore, and then to Faunli. This would be it for him. If he succeeded in putting the First Kingdom back together, then he would be done with it all. His hairs were turning white, and his will to lead was fading. There had been enough decades with him on the throne. They had been good, most of them. He had brought peace. He had brought prosperity. Now he had to keep it.
Were his losses a sign that he had overstayed his welcome? Did the Goddess mean for his rule to come to an end?
How he wished She would speak to him and tell him that his actions were proper and necessary. No matter his ill feelings toward war, the Five Kingdoms must be united. This Neanthal must be removed not only from the throne in Faunli but from Ghumai itself.
It was strange that his deepest desire was to kill someone he had never met. But this man, no, this beast, had taken from him that which he valued above all else. Neanthal was responsible for Leaf's death. Neanthal had caused Uterak's betrayal. Neanthal had torn Kytheras apart. He had done this all from afar, not unlike the Goddess accused of steering Ghumaic affairs.
Aergo held the railing to keep himself from falling. Here he was, a mortal man, caught between beings too great to exist in this world. He knew so little about them all but had somehow featured in their manipulations. What did they get from this? If so beyond humans, why were they interested in his kingdom? This was no Great Bastion. It required constant surveillance and stabilization. The living were not so content to keep things as they were.
Aergo dropped to his knees. "Magenine," he said, hoping the Goddess was listening. "Please help me put my kingdom right. Grant us the power to defeat Neanthal and give us the opportunity to restore this land. Let not this malefactor victor over the people. Help us. Guide us."
He did not hear words in reply to him. He did not suppose he would. However, the sunlight eventually reached his face, and the warm rays told him he had been heard. But a minute later, the light was gone, blocked by an incoming storm.
Amelia threw the book she had been skimming high into the air. Without even paying attention, she steered it to its proper place on the library shelves.
Several decks into her historical research and she had found no mention of Neanthal or anyone like him. She had found more on the Goddess than she would have suspected, but never a name. Magenine was unheard of until it had been spoken to Quentin. Had this invader into their world revealed a truth that had been suspected but never confirmed? Amelia thought so. The origin of magic was now clear. One word provided better understanding than Valal's research ever did. It was a divine gift, imparted on a few by the Goddess. Indeed, it could go even further than that.
These books were no help. Amelia had her mages going through them all in their spare time. Yet they never had access to Faunli's records, they had very little time to sort through Belliore's before it was overrun, and Kytheras' had proved vastly incomplete. She was going to have to call this research off in another day. No matter how incomplete their knowledge about their enemy was, they would have to face him. And he was formidable.
She'd lost Cillian to him. True, he was no longer among the ranks of Kytheran mages, yet she felt accountable for the betrayal. Should she have checked in on him more? Tried to persuade Aergo to give him back his staff?
And now another had joined Neanthal's side. Why? Why were they so willing to betray their king? And by joining a beast that fought against the very Goddess who imparted them with their magic? It was deeper than betrayal. It was a sin.
Hatswick's outline began to fade into the library before her. His yellow and black cloak, mustached face, and trilby hat swiftly filled in.
"Hatty!" she exclaimed as he completed shifting.
"Aergo's called for another meeting of the High Council," Hatswick said. "He's expecting you. I'll continue on with the research while you're gone."
"Don't bother," Amelia said. She pointed to a nearby stack of unread books and they all floated back to their shelves. "We'll not learn anything more of Neanthal or Magenine from these. We must depend on the battle to bring us answers."
"Unless we lose," Hatswick grimly stated.
"That would still teach us something," Amelia replied. She considered defeat as a possibility but had no contingencies if it actually happened. Could they escape torture or execution? Only an isolated place might offer protection, and Ghumai had hardly any of those.
"Have any more left?" Hatswick asked as he sat down across from her.
"You heard about Spira?" she responded.
Hatswick took off his hat and placed it on his lap. His jet-black hair was a tangled mess. No wonder he kept it hidden. "What compels them to leave us?"
"If I knew that, my friend, I would be better suited to prevent it." Amelia grabbed her staff and stood up. "You'll be joining us in Belliore, I imagine?"
"I'll be at the King's side," Hatswick affirmed.
"There are only seven mages I can count on to stay there," Amelia replied.
"The rest could easily follow Cillian and Spira."
"Has the Grand Mage so little confidence in her students?" Hatswick asked.
Amelia didn't say it out loud, but she believed that outside her most dependable mages, any of them were subject to join their deserters in sin. Some no doubt harnessed resentment against the system, for taking them away from their parents after they were born. Others may have little faith in Aergo or find their loyalties stretched across multiple kingdoms. And for all she knew, Neanthal could entice them away from the castle they had grown up in, though with what promises she did not know.
She gave Hatswick a rather despondent look before shifting away. The King was waiting for her.
Queen Eloris wandered the halls of Castle Tornis like she may not see them again. She memorized each painting and every scraped wall, in the occasion that she wanted to revisit her home. Her only chance would be to call up the memory of the place, and she intended it be a recent memory. She made sure to peek in on places she hadn't seen for years, like the kitchens or the servants' quarters. She only stopped when she finally reached the Entrance Hall.
Eloris played with one of her brown curls as she gazed up at the photograph of her husband. An eerie likeness of King Aergo stared back at her. The Bellish had used some new invention to create the image. They had grown fond of the King as they continued to work together to spread the power of lightning throughout Kytheras. They intended this photograph to be a sort of gift, and Aergo enjoyed looking at the spectacle from time to time. His wife would have preferred to take it down. It was bizarre and unsettling; completely lifelike but without color. She would have ordered it removed but kept it to placate the King.
As she looked at it now, she did not think of the stalled project that had led to it, or the arguments to remove it. No, she thought only of her most recent dispute with Aergo. He had been planning to leave her home while he marched to war. That was unacceptable. She was not some fragile mistress that feared battle and fainted at the sight of blood. And she was not going to be the worried wife that spent her days waiting for news from a post bird or mage. She would be there, on the battlefield, with her husband.