by D N Meinster
Yes, he had been honest. He was done wallowing. By this point, he'd learned that Leidess' soul was unspoiled; that Hatswick had not been able to touch the essence of the graceful woman he had known. And he knew that she was closer than he thought, watching out for him on this perilous quest. What more could the Goddess do to soothe him in his time of mourning?
He wanted her back. He'd always want her back. Not a day would pass when he wouldn't think of her or wish for her return. But he also knew she wasn't completely gone. And the time would come when they would be together once again.
Aros slid off his bed and picked his scrunched black shirt off the floor. He squeezed into it and took a peek out the window.
There was no clock in here, and, unlike his mother, he could not tell the time based on the sun's position. Was it too early to go bother Rikki and Doren? He needed to tell them about his visitor. They probably wouldn't mind being woken up for that.
Fortunately for them, they were both already awake when Aros pounded on their doors and announced he had news for them. Lady Yveen, however, was still sleeping, and the noise woke her. She barged into the hall and demanded Aros shut up. As she was missing her eyepatch, so her scarred eye socket was in full view, she was all the more intimidating and promptly sent Aros scrambling back to his room.
Rikki and Doren joined Aros in his lodging less than a half hour later, so they had time to dress in a suitable attire. Though there was a disheveled look to them, as neither had been able to make use of the imperial bath, there were pleased expressions as they saw a more eager and easygoing friend when they came to his side.
Aros ambled about the room as he explained Milo's visit, doing his best to point out where he'd been and quote their conversation exactly as it had happened. When he was finished, he checked their faces to see if there was any evident doubt.
"Rikki?" Doren spoke, as if she could verify Aros' story.
"He was here," Rikki confirmed. "Milo's alright."
Doren did not appear as convinced as she was, but he was not about to contradict either of his friends. He nodded and brought up a different topic. "So, how long are you two planning on staying here?"
Both Rikki and Aros would have continued to discuss the morning's events, but they indulged Doren.
"We should leave today," Rikki said. "There are still three keys out there."
"Where do we go next?" Aros asked.
"Terrastream and Belliore are both north of here," Rikki informed. "Or rather, they were when Ghumai was whole. I suppose no one's told you which should be our next destination?"
Aros shrugged.
"How are we gonna get to either?" Doren asked. "The river again?"
"I can shift us," Rikki guaranteed. "We can even head to the Twilight Islands next, if you want."
"Where should we go?" Aros asked, hoping the Goddess might answer with a whisper in his ear. But he received no response from Her.
Rikki and Doren eyed him anxiously.
Aros shook his head. "Nothing."
"We'll figure it out," Doren stated. "Right now, we should pack what we have and prepare to leave."
"I want to use the bath," Rikki said, as if the matter wasn't up for debate.
"How about we leave at noon?" Doren suggested.
They all agreed, and parted for the morning.
Aros spent the rest of the morning getting lost in the imperial palace. He wandered every hallway, examining porcelain art and the occasional crystalline statue. None of this usually interested him, but he wanted to take the opportunity to appreciate Faunli before he left. He had spent so much of his time here thinking of Leidess, he never considered what she would have wanted for him. Since she could not enjoy the Five Kingdoms, she would insist that he try to imagine how she would feel in these foreign venues. And she would be in constant awe.
He had never wanted to leave Kytheras, but he was doing his best to share his experience with her as he toured the palace. He took a break at every odd mural or unique piece of architecture, relishing the new sights and expecting he would never see them again. Sometimes, he could feel her right beside him, doing what she had always dreamed.
More than once, Aros got spoken to in a language he did not understand. When he talked back in his own dialect, the Faun would merely walk away. Whatever they were saying must not have been that important.
Yet when it came time to return to his room, Aros had no idea how to get back. And since no one he spoke to could understand him, he was left to meander until he finally stumbled upon his destination.
Rikki and Doren were already waiting for Aros in the hall. Even Ji-Ji was ready, poking his head out from a sack hanging under Rikki's arm. He ran by them, returning to his room so he could swiftly put on his straps and lay the clawblades on their magnets. He rejoined his friends and the three of them headed to the entrance chamber of the palace.
Empress Simma was stretched out on her throne. She gave them all an enthusiastic greeting as they came into her presence. "I'm trying to get used to this."
"I like seeing a woman on the throne," Rikki said. "Kytheras hasn't had a female ruler in a millennia."
"We had a female ruler?" Aros asked, having no recollection of such a time in their history.
"King Iela was our only one," Rikki stated.
"And she insisted that her husband be called Queen Norm," Doren relayed with a chuckle.
"This is a first for our empire, since its founding," Simma stated. "And it would not have been possible without you." She stepped down from the throne and straightened the crown atop her head. "There are so many hazards ahead for you. I wish there was something I could give you to ease your travels."
"You already gave us the Key," Aros said. "We don't need anything else.”
"And you've given us room in your palace, and a bath," Rikki added.
Simma closed in on them, reaching into her red frock and pulling out a slip of parchment. She held it out to Doren. "This is all I could think to do. Show it to any that doubt the veracity of your claims. They will have to answer to both the King of Kytheras and the Empress of Faunli if they refuse you."
Doren gave a grateful gesture before taking the note.
Her lips curved upward before she returned to her throne. "I know that you do not owe me anything, but I have two favors to ask of you."
"We will be most obliged," Doren said.
Simma relaxed against her seat. "Please restore Wingless River's current back to how it was. It has caused much disruption in our boating and fishing."
"We can do it right now," Rikki replied, eager to depart.
"That is my second favor," Simma said. "I ask that you travel there by conventional means, so as not to cause more trouble with General Kortermos and his company."
Rikki was not so pleased with this request, but Aros replied with an "Of course."
Simma clapped her hands together. "You three will always be welcome in Faunli. Perhaps once this Thalian threat has ended, we can discuss migration between our lands, as our connectedness is now an open secret."
"I will bring it up with my father upon our return," Doren guaranteed.
"Until then." Simma spread out one of her arms. "Go forth, and keep that door closed."
Aros, Doren, and Rikki said a brief good-bye before heading out of the palace and down the drawn-out staircase. The crater left from the explosion during their first visit had already been repaired. They made their way down the streets of Radite, familiar enough with the layout to make it to the encompassing red wall.
The three of them stopped as soon as they stepped through the gate and outside the city. "Do you know which way it is?" Doren asked.
"I could shift us to the vicinity," Rikki said mischievously. "Do we really want to waste a whole day getting there?"
"We promised Simma," Aros replied, not wanting to go back on his word. She had willingly turned over the Key. They could at least respect her wishes before they left.
"I'm with Aros on this o
ne," Doren stated.
Rikki shot him an icy stare before fumbling around to retrieve the map. After she unfurled it, they all studied the best way forward, completely ignorant of the approaching velizard.
"So you three were really gonna leave without a word?" Lady Yveen asked as she crept up on them.
"I thought you were still sleeping," Aros said, recalling the distressing moment he had with her earlier.
Yveen flicked the brim of her hat. "Obviously not. Where are y'all headed? I can show you the way."
"The Empress requested we return to Wingless River," Doren told her. "Do you know the fastest route?"
"It's about a day's hike from here," Yveen said. "You could get there by velizard in half the time. Though I'm wonderin' why you don't magic them there."
"Simma's orders," Rikki uttered with obvious gall.
"Empress for a day, and she's already giving out orders, huh?" Yveen swung herself off the velizard. "You take my girl here. She'll get you to Wingless River before sundown."
"Why?" Aros asked, gaping at the creature and its owner.
"If you're smart enough, you'll figure it out," Yveen said.
"So I guess we'll never know," Doren teased, patting Aros on his arm.
Aros bit his bottom lip and hopped onto the back of the velizard without another word. It was nice that Yveen was helping them, but he still held a grudge from when she took his clawblades and left him for dead.
"What do you think?" Doren spoke. "Can you tell if we're gonna succeed?"
Yveen scratched her chin. "You three are indomitable. You want to, but I've only glimpsed your obstacles. Having seen you end our civil war, though, I'd definitely put my faith in you. You've already accomplished the improbable. What could be so hard about collecting a few more keys?" She winked at Doren and held out her hand. "Go kick some Thalian ass."
Doren shook her hand and joined Aros on the back of the velizard.
Yveen came to Rikki. "You're a lucky lady. Magic and a prin – "
"I can fix your eye," Rikki interjected. "If you'd like."
Yveen peeked at Doren before responding to Rikki's offer. "This injury makes for too good of a story. I'm not gonna let you take that away from me. Besides, I can see more with one eye than some can see with two. Go on."
Rikki folded the map, tucked it next to Ji-Ji in her bag, and climbed onto the velizard's back. She grabbed onto Doren's waist with her free arm and spoke again. "So what is the best way to the river?"
"Oh, she knows," Yveen replied. "Take care of yourselves." She slapped the back of the velizard and it took off.
The trio looked back to see Yveen waving her hat at them as the gap between them grew. Only Doren attempted to wave back.
"Do you really think she knows where she's going?" Aros asked as they bounced around on the creatures' back.
"My Mirabelle would know," Rikki hollered from the back. "I'd be more concerned that we're riding right into a trap."
"I trust Yveen," Doren replied.
"What if we're attacked by Roamers?" Aros cried out.
"Then we'll worry about it when we are," Doren said.
"What's their deal, anyway?" Aros asked. They hadn't conversed much about these Roamers; who they were or where they came from. All they really knew was that they were after the Keys to, if they were to be believed, protect them.
"They fought with us against Sarin, so they can't be all bad," Doren said.
"Did they?" Rikki asked.
"But he wasn't looking to release Neanthal anymore," Aros reminded him. "So what if that's why they were really trying to kill him?"
"We won't trust them," Rikki said, "until we have reason to."
"Fair enough," Aros replied.
Yveen's velizard cantered across the plains, keeping a single focus on getting the trio to the river. So nimble were its movements that dirt and grass remained undisturbed, leaving no trail behind. Towns and villages were far off in the distance, and completely ignored. Caribou and birds fled in their wake. Only gnats and the like were unperturbed by the rushing creature.
As promised, the trio made it to Wingless River before dusk. General Kortermos greeted them like they were old friends, even though some of his men kept their crossbows trained on them.
"I hear we owe you a great debt," Kortermos said like he sniffed something foul. "I am so pleased that it was I that brought you to Radite."
"Do you know why we're here?" Rikki asked, hopping down from the velizard.
As soon as the three of them had left its back, Yveen's velizard sauntered back toward the way they had come.
"Of course," Kortermos replied. "We will not get in your way." He gave a motion to his troops and they lowered their crossbows. Before he got out of their way, he added "If you need anything, do speak up."
Rikki walked up to the side of the river, accompanied by Doren and Aros. The waters were still rushing upstream, unobstructed by the empty nets that lay across it. She drove the top of her staff into the water, the crystal lighting up right beneath the surface. Within seconds, the entire flow of the river was brought to a standstill. But it did not stay that way. A light trickle began making its way downstream, until the entirety of Wingless River was once again surging toward Kytheras.
All three of them glanced reflectively at the point where Oblivion met the river.
"Home," Aros sighed. He felt the tug of his past urging him to return to Kytheras. His mom was there waiting for him, as was Ratch. The Kerus might even be upset he had never given them a formal farewell, or attended their daughter's funeral. He owed them better for their years of kindness.
Aros was technically still a blacksmith's apprentice, in spite of all that had happened. Ratch wouldn't replace him while he was gone, would he? If he made it back after all this, what else would he be able to do? "Would it be so bad if we made a detour?"
"You know, I never thought I'd miss that place," Rikki said. "But I wouldn't mind checking in."
"We can't," Doren insisted. "We already have Kytheras' Key. We need to get the rest. Haven't we wasted enough time?"
"I suppose you're right," Rikki responded. She held out her staff to her friends. "Grab on."
Aros halfheartedly turned from the river to his friends. He understood why they couldn't go back. But Kytheras was his home, and they were so close. Was there any argument he could make to convince them?
As Doren placed his hand on Rikki's staff, he realized it was too late to think of a convincing case. They were heading to the next kingdom, and that was that.
Aros touched his fingers to Rikki's staff. "So, where are we going?"
Rikki gave him an amused look before Faunli faded around them. The trees, the grass, and the river all became transparent. As much as he missed Kytheras, Aros knew he wouldn't miss Faunli at all.
As Faunli dissolved, their new destination came into view. Aros couldn't comprehend what he was seeing even after they had finished shifting. On every side of him were towers that climbed into the sky, their reflective surfaces mirroring the clouds that their spires so easily surpassed. Buzzing between these colossal buildings were hundreds of metallic insects, their size indeterminable in the distance, but their shine giving away their distinctive membrane.
Aros was accustomed to not understanding certain things, but he had never felt so insignificant beside these rectangular behemoths. "Rikki," he turned to the mage that had brought them here. "Where are we?"
A Note From the Author
You've done it! You made it to the end of the second book in the Kings of Ghumai series. That's two down, three to go.
I mean, I'm assuming you read Book One before getting here. You did, right? That's how it was designed to be read: Book One then Book Two.
If you didn't, this must've been one confusing novel. I won't apologize for that, though. It's your fault! Didn't the "Second" in the title clue you in? Come on. I guess you can go back and read Book One if you'd like. It's called The First Kingdom. Get it?
&
nbsp; And if you liked it so much you want to read Book One, please leave a review. If you didn't, you can scream at me on Twitter @dnmeinster.
If you want to know when the next book in the Kings of Ghumai series will be released, you can sign up for my mailing list by clicking here.
I've also got a Tumblr page and an actual website.
Yes, I copied and pasted the last couple paragraphs from my last note, but it's the exact same information. What did you expect me to do?
Alright, I'm done. But you're not. Tell all your friends, even if you hated it, 'cause they might not.
You could at least tweet about it.
Please?
Until I write again.
– D. N Meinster
D. N. Meinster
Copyright © 2018 by D.N. Meinster
Cover Illustration © 2018 by eishiya
Table of Contents
Chapter One - At the Foot of the Tower
Chapter Two - Decontamination
Chapter Three - Cortex
Chapter Four - The Key Chamber
Chapter Five - Halfway Into the Sky
Chapter Six - A New King
Chapter Seven - Fire and Ice
Chapter Eight - The MR
Chapter Nine - Transport
Chapter Ten - Roamer Rescue
Chapter Eleven - Recruitment
Chapter Twelve - Reprimand
Chapter Thirteen - Assistance
Chapter Fourteen - Power
Chapter Fifteen - Assassin
Chapter Sixteen - Storm Clouds
Chapter Seventeen - Engorged
Chapter Eighteen - Quarantine
Chapter Nineteen - Restless
Chapter Twenty - Mission In Tropical
Chapter Twenty-One - A Lot Like Home
Chapter Twenty-Two - Underwater
Chapter Twenty-Three - Disruption
Chapter Twenty-Four - Missing
Chapter Twenty-Five - Gravity
Chapter Twenty-Six - Weaponized
Chapter Twenty-Seven - Progress
Chapter Twenty-Eight - Project Head