by D N Meinster
"I didn't realize how many awful people there were in the world," Aros said. "Everyone I knew in Kytheras was so kind."
"That's because you didn't live in Castle Tornis," Doren replied. "My father was no benevolent king. The High Council was composed of the worst kind of aristocrats you can imagine. And Hatswick always seemed a proper gentleman, until he betrayed us all."
"It's like we were in two different kingdoms," Aros remarked.
"In a way, we were."
"Kwee!" Mr. Kwee squeaked from Aros' waist.
Ji-Ji let out a reply whistle from the nook of Doren's arm.
"Do you think they understand each other?" Aros asked.
Doren glanced at the denhare. "I know this one can understand us." He poked one of Ji-Ji's ears until he changed his focus to Loraya. "What do you think about her?" He pointed so Aros knew exactly who he was referring to.
Aros turned his head toward the green-haired Revolutionary. "I trust her."
"Is that all you have to say?" Doren replied.
Aros absentmindedly stroked one of Mr. Kwee's tails that was wrapped around his torso. What else was there to say? They were fortunate to have found this group when they'd arrived. Otherwise, they might be wandering aimlessly around Terrastream or trapped in Kahar's dungeons. "We should stick with them."
Doren shook his head. Aros was the one that needed to stick with them. Maybe he'd sort out what Doren was getting at eventually. He didn't feel like it was his place to tell him.
As Kyer returned with a full canteen and began passing it around, Doren realized it was only Aros that needed to stick around. Doren had to go.
"Drink up," Loraya called out to them. "We're moving out."
Doren took a swig of the water when it finally came around to him, and he poured a few drops onto his face. He was exhausted, but he had a long trek in front of him. And this one would be worse because he'd be on his own.
Unsurprisingly, Loraya approached the two of them as she came to fetch Aros before they moved out. Did Aros truly not understand why? Did he really think she was just looking out for him? Doren would have burst out laughing if he’d been in a better mood. It wasn't his place to clue him in, but she could anytime that she wanted.
"Ready?" Loraya asked as she took the canteen from Aros.
Aros nodded. "Will we get there before nightfall?"
"Just after, at this rate," she answered.
"Well, you won't have me to slow you down," Doren stated.
Loraya and Aros glared at him. "What?"
"I can't go any farther. I have to go back for her."
Aros slapped a hand to his forehead. "Rikki can take care of herself."
"Don't, Aros," Doren said in a foreboding tone. He had no intention of getting into an argument. He'd made up his mind to go after her and he wasn't changing it.
"She didn't want you to," Loraya stated, trying to reason with him.
"You should follow her wishes," M'dalla said as she and Slythe neared.
Doren knew the perfect response. "Tell me exactly who you are and I won't go."
M'dalla glanced at Slythe before falling silent.
Loraya's brothers joined the gathering. "What's the hubbub?"
"Doren's deserting us," Loraya informed them. "Are you going to join him, Aros?"
Before Aros could answer, Doren spoke up. "I'm going alone. The rest of you can continue to the forest and prepare to take down Kahar."
"Sounds exactly like what Rikki said before she left," Yayne recalled.
Aros wanted to convince Doren to stay with them, but his friend had been miserable in Rikki's absence. He needed to go after her. So, even though he didn't want to lose another friend to some other quest, he wasn't going to protest any further.
Before anyone could debase him for leaving, Aros placed a hand on Doren's shoulder. "May Magenine point you true."
Aros' support somehow meant more to Doren than he'd imagined it would. "Thank you."
"Alright then," Loraya sighed. "Looks like we're down to six."
"When I find her, we'll shift to you," Doren told them.
"If you find her," Slythe grumbled as he and M'dalla made to head off.
"You will," Aros said with certainty before he allowed Loraya to lead him away.
Doren watched as the Revolutionaries and Roamers walked into the tall grass and disappeared behind a tree line. As he was left alone around the greenery, he wondered if it'd been a mistake to abandon the only people in this kingdom who could watch his back.
A whistle from his arm reminded him that he wasn't on his own. Ji-Ji was with him.
"Do you really want to stay with us?" Doren asked.
Ji-Ji let out two short whistles in response.
"Even if that's a no, I can't let you go until we find Rikki."
With that said, Doren headed back the way they'd come. There were no footsteps he could trace, so he depended on his memory of certain landmarks. He remembered a tree that bore purple fruit and an empty nest set amongst a circle of rocks. If he found those again, he’d know he was going in the right direction.
Being as tired as he was, there wasn't much else he could recall passing along the way. In fact, if he found that nest, he'd probably take a nap in it. All the walking he’d done had sapped his energy and depleted his will to continue onward.
As he pushed through another patch of tall grass, the shield on his back seemed to become heavier and weigh him down. The denhare in his arm felt like it might cause his limb to break off.
"If I set you down, do you promise not to run?" Doren asked Ji-Ji.
Whatever the whistle meant, he let Ji-Ji onto the ground and tried to shake the muscles in his arm loose.
Ji-Ji stayed nearby, only darting back and forth to chase a butterfly.
"You're not gonna eat that, are you?" Doren wondered aloud.
He took a few steps away before dropping into the tall grass. There was no way he was even going to make it back to the empty nest before he got some rest. Was it wise to seek sleep out in the open? The grass obscured part of his body, but if one of Kahar's loyalists was looking for them, they'd undoubtedly be able to spot him.
Doren knew he had to get up, but found it incredibly difficult to compel his body to listen. Ji-Ji eventually wound up squatting on his chest, waiting for him to move.
"Times like these make me wish I could shift." Doren nudged Ji-Ji off him, slid the shield from his back, and used it to propel himself up. "This suit's probably weighing me down." He considered removing it, but that would only take time to figure out and would end up making him more vulnerable.
"Let's go." And he waved at the denhare and finally headed for a rolling prairie that should've been beyond the tall grass.
There were moments as he went where Doren walked forward with his eyes closed. He figured Magenine would guide him as he let his eyes rest. There was little worth seeing in these parts, anyway. Sure, he might stumble upon some creature native to Terrastream, but he doubted anything he'd see here would be much different than what he'd already seen in Faunli. The plants, the flowers, the fruits, and the birds were all mere variations of what grew in that other kingdom. Only the mountains hid something unique, and even then, those things were not worth seeing.
Doren recalled how Aros had felt about Faunli, and he was beginning to feel that exact same way about this kingdom. He wanted to leave as soon as they possibly could. He'd been infected with a plague in Belliore, but even that place hadn't left him feeling so distraught.
Maybe it was because of Rikki. Cortex was where they'd finally opened up to each other. Terrastream was where they had been forced to part. And not really forced. More like she'd chosen to part ways, if only temporarily.
Why hadn't she asked him to go with her? He would have, no matter the risk. He wanted to.
Once they were united, they should get the Key and leave. Aros could stay and fulfill their bargain with the Revolutionaries. But Doren wanted to move on. He and Rikki could go
to the Twilight Islands and take their Key. Beaches on an island paradise sounded much more enticing than the endless green of this realm. Aros might even be okay with it, if Loraya had revealed how she was feeling to him by then. Or perhaps they wouldn't even tell him. They could leave and come back for him at some point in the future.
Doren twirled his shield before returning it to his back.
Could he really do that to his friend? Given how he felt about Terrastream, he had the unfortunate suspicion that he could.
That seemed something that his father might do. Leave and never return. Thinking back, it was a wonder that his father never abdicated after his mother passed. What had kept him around? Was it having a son?
Before Doren could meditate on King Halstrom's motivations, a racket from above caused him to pause and look up.
A fox that was red as blood fell from the branches and landed in front of Doren. It stared at him before dashing away, its cotton ball of a tail wagging back-and-forth. Ji-Ji chased after it almost on instinct.
"Wait!" Doren called. He did not need to lose that denhare.
The branches above stirred again, and this time a completely new animal fell into Doren's path. It was a brown insect as big as a dog, with six stick-like legs and a body covered in leaves. Its bulbous green eyes locked onto Doren as its mouth slapped open and closed beneath its slender snout.
Doren reached for his shield, but before he could withdraw it, another creature fell from the trees. This one was a completely hairless human, with each hand attached to a katar. The insectoid was relinquished of its eyes and head before the new arrival set its sights on Doren.
"Who are you?" Doren asked as the Streamer stood at full attention. He was dressed in a violet loincloth, but nothing else. Even in the shade, his hairless scalp and chest appeared to glisten.
"Donic," the Streamer replied as he examined him. "Doesn't look like you're from around here. That's gonna be a problem." He raised both of his katars and charged.
Chapter Twelve
The Last Debate
10 D.R.
The High Council chamber in Tunsev Manor was overcrowded, with more in attendance than at any other time since the exile. Despite the overwhelming number of bodies, all eyes were focused on the latest member to join. His skin was whiter than a pearl while his hair and eyes were blacker than the suits of armor his former compatriots wore. He was a curiosity as much as he was a potential threat. Why had he come? Was this a trick? Was he going to exterminate them when he got a chance?
Amelia tried to commence the meeting, but she could tell there was not a soul in the room who was paying her attention.
Azzer felt guilty every time his eyes flickered to the Grand Mage and back to the being known as an Ifta. He wanted to listen. He was there along with everyone else because this was intended to be their most important gathering since they'd arrived on the Twilight Islands. Yet the enemy was right there, feet away, and no one was willing to relax until they knew why.
"I can see we'll get nowhere until Hatswick explains Zrhsh's presence," Amelia relented. "Hatswick, if you will."
Seated next to the Ifta was Hatswick, clad in a black cloak with golden lace, and, as always, a trilby hat atop his head. His facial hairs had grown wild since Azzer had last seen him, which tended to only be at every other High Council meeting. Hatswick was busy keeping up with the goings-on in Kytheras and didn't always keep track with how long he was away.
Hatswick cleared his throat as he stood. "Allow me to properly introduce Zrhsh to you. He is what we might have once called a Massku, but, as some of you know, is more accurately an Ifta. He is not human, nor is he native to Ghumai. Neanthal recruited his race from some other world."
Though everyone tried to keep their voices low as they murmured about this revelation, it became impossible to hear Hatswick over the ruckus.
Azzer kept his blue lips shut, but he eyed Amelia in search of confirmation. She gave him the slightest of nods, which caused him to hop onto the table from his chair and raise his ornate blue staff vertically as the channeling crystal began to glow. It became bright enough to temporarily blind any that dared look at it.
When the distraction silenced the room, Azzer spoke. "Please continue, Hatswick."
Hatswick appeared annoyed that he needed help gaining control of the audience, but he continued anyway. "The Ifta are not like the single-minded demibeasts. They have a will of their own. They are like us."
Azzer stepped off the table and returned to his seat. He flattened the blue hairs on his head and listened as Hatswick went on.
"There is a place where we go after we die. We call it the Bastion. But it is not only us that go there. Beings from these other worlds end up there, too. The Goddess..." Hatswick let loose a brief sneer. "She rules this Bastion with even more control than She has here."
"Where are you going with this?" Rantiford asked in his typically throaty intonation.
"The false King Neanthal attempted to overthrow Magenine," Hatswick stated. "He recruited the Ifta to his side and fashioned demibeasts from his own soul. And with this army, he waged war."
"Are you saying the Thalians are right?" a bulky fellow seated next to King Shine interrupted. His green armor appeared to be too small for his body, and his beard stretched below his waist. Azzer knew the man to be the General Commander, who was in charge of training and keeping the army on the Twilight Islands. He was usually quiet at these meetings, but hearing his high-pitched voice was only the second most outlandish occurrence so far. "Neanthal is a god?"
Zrhsh spoke in a flat yet melodic tone before Hatswick could respond. "Only to you would he appear to be a god. Anyone that's met a true god would know that he is lesser."
"Demigod, then," Dashel, one of the two Twileans on the council, said.
"Have you met a god?" Prince Slythe asked the Ifta.
This Zrhsh did not answer. Instead, Hatswick spoke. "There are Ifta who regret their part in what is known to them as the Early War. They are willing to side with us when we invade."
"How many?" the General Commander inquired.
"Maybe one hundred," Hatswick replied.
"Pathetic," Queen Eloris said aloud what many were likely thinking.
"Well we're not going to convince any demibeasts to join us," Hatswick shot back.
"We appreciate any and all allies," Amelia said, taking charge of the meeting once again. "And we have learned from the Ifta that we cannot kill Neanthal with mortal weapons. In our world, he is as good as immortal."
"How do you defeat an immortal demigod?" Queen Narai asked, her hand intertwined with King Shine's.
"Allow the mages to deal with that predicament," Amelia answered as she stole a glance at Grace.
Azzer hadn't heard of any plan amongst the mages to take on Neanthal. Was Amelia bluffing to instill confidence? Or was he being kept out of the loop? It seemed like Grace knew the answer. He'd have to have words with her once the meeting concluded.
"What's the point of risking my men's lives if we're going to let you take care of everything?" the General Commander snarled.
"We can't take back Kytheras without an army, you buffoon!" Rantiford screamed back at him.
An argument broke out across the table. The tension between the guardians and the army was common knowledge, as each side believed they should be consolidated with the other. Yuurei barked from behind the King, while M'dalla blared her contempt while she stood at the General Commander's side. Eventually, some mages joined in, with Pila and Kavir howling back and forth while the two Twileans begged for calm.
It was more notable who remained silent. The two queens maintained exasperated expressions as they rested their heads on their hands. Hatswick and Zrhsh patiently waited for the argument to end. King Shine stared off into the distance, as he was prone to do, while his brother joined the squabble for personal gratification.
Azzer watched with a slight thrill but did not join in on the commotion. As there were more guardian
s and soldiers present than in any other meeting, the debate seemed to be more virulent than was typical. Too many voices and too many strong personalities were going up against each other. Azzer was not about to jump on the table again to restore peace.
"If you would let your guardians join our training!" the General Commander screeched.
"I train them fine!" Rantiford shot back.
The mages did not have a side in this quarrel, but that did not stop some of them from partaking. Kavir and Lyle had already transitioned from politics to a personal matter as the spit sprayed from their lips with every harsh word. Pila was begging Amelia to interfere, but she was letting them all get it out of their system.
Azzer's amusement dwindled as the dispute dragged on. Seeing the men tense up and try to outmatch one another could only satisfy for so long. There were real matters that needed to be agreed upon before they struck back at Neanthal. If they let the pettiness overcome their planning, then the false King would continue to rule.
This was going to delay their timetable. There was no way they'd be ready in a deck. They'd have to use the days just to coax everyone back into this room.
Did no one care what was happening back on the mainland enough to settle down? If not for his gift, Azzer would be a slave in Belliore right now along with the rest of his people. And the rest of them should've realized how their magic had saved their lives. Without it, Pila would be with the last pockets of resistance in Terrastream, hiding from the demibeasts as they hunted them down. Lyle would've been another conscripted Kytheran. Kavir would've been fine until Neanthal finally decided to cross the waters. They were all fortunate the Goddess had blessed them when they were born.
Azzer was never fond of his home, as the Bellish were glad to get rid of their mages and did not welcome them back once they were turned over to Kytheras. His first trip back there had been after the Dark Reign began, when he was doing reconnaissance for King Shine. But what he'd seen engendered a sympathy within that he had yet to let go of, especially since he'd heard it'd gotten worse since. In spite of his apparent exile, he wanted to save the place of his birth.