He wouldn't be able to draw any sort of conclusions regarding her appearance if he didn't know what to look for. That might buy her some time, maybe even enough time to figure out her next move. She could flee, perhaps. She knew how to survive on her own and with nothing but the clothes on her back to protect her. She could survive again. She just needed a plan for escaping the palace unnoticed.
“Aasimah?”
“Hm?” she mumbled.
“Are you all right?” the knight was asking. She was hardly paying him any mind, lost as she was in her own thoughts. She jerked away when she felt his hand touch her shoulder, and he withdrew it sharply, his face twisted into an expression of concern.
“I'm fine, just leave me be,” Aasimah said, almost as though she were ordering him.
“Aasimah, don't be ridiculous! You're clearly not—”
“—Just – just drop it. I'm all right. I just want to leave now, get it? You've put me in enough danger for today. Don't you understand?” Aasimah asked, her voice shaky, her movements uneven as she backed away from him.
What a dolt, she thought, watching him stare at her with a look of hopeless bewilderment. Never did he look like such a fool before then! She was surprised by how vicious her thought process was in that moment.
What did she become?
Was she always this cynical, this hateful?
Was she even capable of changing?
I could have changed. If I were not what I am, I could have changed. I could have been more like them. Not anymore. It's over now. I must flee... I must be alone... Again!
“I'll leave,” Glanen said, his voice steady, almost quiet. He moved aside. She couldn't bring herself to look at him, keeping her head down as she passed by him. “Where will you go?” he asked, giving her pause.
“Do you—?”
“Know? I'm not as stupid as you think me. I don't want to see you go, but if you must... I cannot lie to my prince, do you understand? As far as I know... you left of your own accord, and you gave no reason. That is all I know, and that is all I will be able to say.”
Aasimah grasped the handle, but she did not open the door right away. She simply stood there, leaning against the door for strength, and fearing that she might yet fall. Glanen noticed her hesitation.
“Where will you go?” he repeated.
She forced her body to comply with her demands, opening the door and beginning to walk through it. She did not look at Glanen when she answered, saying only, “I don't know.”
And just like that, the knight was left standing there, alone.
Not for the first time, and likely not for the last.
He found himself alone far too much these days.
Adsuni was relieved to have run into Glanen. He was a bit surprised to find him so quickly upon leaving the workshop, until he realized that perhaps his friend meant to seek out either Aasimah or Itholera. If so, it was a risky move, but the prince could understand. All of them had been isolated from each other. The four of them came together from very different backgrounds, stood by each other through many trials over the months, and it was their willingness to trust in each other that helped them through such difficult times.
As for the prince, he had a little bounce in his step once his talk with the king came to an end, for his father had given him permission to speak with his friends again, and lightened up on his punishment quite a bit. He wouldn't be allowed to leave the palace for a while, but at least he didn't have to suffer through everything alone again. Old king Zaeem admitted that it was cruel to cut off Adsuni from everyone else. He realized his mistake, and he was willing to fix it. He wanted to be a better father!
Adsuni would strive to become a better son, and hopefully someday, an even better prince. With Glanen at his side, ever the loyal knight, he would lead Dinavhek into a better future. He would break the chains that bound his kingdom to its terrible past. He would free the people of Dinavhek.
“Glanen!” he called cheerfully, holding his arms out to embrace his friend.
“My prince,” Glanen said, returning the gesture not quite as warmly. There was a heaviness about him, as though he were shouldering the weight of some horrible burden. Might the prince relieve him, and spare him such agony?
“It's all right, my friend! Father has given us permission to see each other again. I still can't leave home yet, but it's a start, isn't it?”
The prince's grin slipped when he noticed that Glanen did not seem so joyful. Something else must be amiss, then.
“Glanen, what is it that troubles you so? I thought you would be happy! Have I done something?”
“No, my prince, it's not that.”
“Then what is it?”
Glanen took a breath and steadied himself. He was distraught, and it was obvious to the prince that he was weighing some sort of issue internally. He was making a decision, a difficult one. At long last, he answered him.
“Aasimah has gone.”
“Gone?” Adsuni repeated, not understanding. “Where to?”
“I know not. My prince – my friend, I don't believe she will be coming back.”
Adsuni clung to his friend, his hands digging into his forearms. “When? When did she leave? Does father know? Did he send her away?” he demanded.
“Not long! And no, the King is not aware.”
“Come, then, we must go after her!”
Glanen pushed the prince aside, holding him out at arm's length. “You cannot go after her, you know that. It was her decision to leave... If we are to think of her as a friend, we must respect that. She had her reasons.”
“Do you know?” Adsuni asked, less frantic, and far more suspicious. “Glanen, answer me! Do you know why she left?”
“I... no, my prince, I do not.”
It wasn't technically a lie; Glanen did not know for certain why Aasimah left, for she hadn't actually told him her reasoning. He only had his suspicions, and those alone were not enough. What if it truly was something else? How could he live with himself if he revealed such a terrible secret, if he put her in such great danger, only to be wrong?
Adsuni didn't believe him. Glanen wouldn't have believed himself.
“Help me find her,” Adsuni ordered at length.
“My prince, you are not allowed to leave the palace grounds! You'll only get yourself into more trouble!”
“That is my decision to make. I have my reasons, too, you know.”
Adsuni brushed past him without another word. He couldn't believe he was about to disobey his father, so soon after their heart-to-heart conversation. He was risking all of the freedom he'd just gained, and for what? To find Aasimah? Glanen was telling the truth about her willingness to leave, that much was clear. In the time that Adsuni had gotten to know her, Aasimah revealed herself to be incredibly independent, the ultimate free-spirit. He admired that part of her, he even felt inspired by her, and after saving her from that slaver, surely she at least owed him a farewell!
The prince stopped when he realized that Glanen was not following him. He half-turned, looking back at his friend. “Do you want to come with me?”
Glanen looked lost.
“Prince, I...”
“Adsuni. My name is Adsuni, Glanen. We're still friends, after all of this. Just once, can you forget our ranks?” the not-prince pleaded.
“My friend, the conversation that you and Aasimah must have need not include me. If you go after her, you will have to go alone.”
The prince's breath left him. His best friend, his knight, was leaving him to fend for himself! Was Aasimah's secret truly that dark?
“Glanen, think about this! There is no telling what sort of danger I might be rushing off into – alone. How can my best friend, my most loyal and capable knight, leave me so vulnerable? Why do you fear to join me so?”
“It's not fear!” Glanen protested. “Never that. I would lay down my life for you, tear out my own heart if you asked.”
Adsuni blinked back tears. When did he s
tart crying? He hated that. It made him feel weak. He turned back around and ran off, hurrying through the grand entrance and out into the withering sunlight. In another few hours, the sky would be burning red as the sun descended beneath the horizon. Soon, those glowing white stars would be piercing the darkness above them.
***
Nightfall was approaching fast. The lands of Zarama were never safe after dark, for all manner of monsters roamed the wilderness at night. Staying along the road offered some small amount of protection, but it was not enough for a lone traveler, and Aasimah made a point of distancing herself from the city as much as possible.
She didn't manage to bring much with her, either – only the clothes she wore, the small knife she kept hidden beyond the sleeve of her robe, and a piece of bread she snatched from the kitchen. She didn't have time to look through her room for anything else before she left.
This was more than enough for her, however. Aasimah was used to surviving on almost nothing. Going a few days without food was fairly common during her childhood; the hunters and gatherers in her group needed to eat to maintain their strength and protect their community, the children did not. She ate when there was spare food available, she wore whatever she could find in order to protect herself against the brutal sun, and she slept wherever she could. She would awaken covered in insects, and often with itchy, swollen bites.
She survived before, and she would survive again.
Aasimah found her way to a creek, hidden deep within the woodlands of outer Crortear. At first, she traveled by wagon, accepting the help of a kindly merchant to bring her out of Aranaot. Satisfied that he'd brought her far enough, she took to her feet, hoping to settle down in the wilds of Dinavhek for the remainder of the night.
She was in the middle of deciding on a spot to rest at when she heard the distinct sound of snapping twigs. Quickly, she withdrew her knife and brought herself into a defensive crouch, waiting with bated breath. For a moment, there was silence, and she thought perhaps she'd just been imagining things. Then, she saw something stumbling toward her.
It was a strange creature, an utter abomination known as an elgnyr – the elven word that roughly translated to “undead one.” Such creatures used to be one of the goblinoid races, until they were corrupted by the late king of Takirar. It was said that these creatures were created using only the foulest of magic, long before the madman even took to the throne.
He used these creatures to take over Takirar for himself, but his “experiments” proved fatal, for they inevitably turned upon him and devoured him. Without their master to control them, the elgnyr dispersed, roaming the wilds of Zarama and mercilessly destroying any unfortunate travelers they crossed paths with.
This creature had a fair bit of purplish flesh clinging to its skeleton, exposing small bits of bone here and there. It was a head shorter than Aasimah, its face was elongated oddly, with terrible fangs growing almost to its chin. It had short tusks, as well as a small, tangled patch of hair atop its head, which hung off in chunks.
Where there was one, there were bound to be more. Aasimah backed against a tree, prepared to strike at any moment.
The creature pitched forward, bringing up a club crudely carved from some sort of large bone. The sight might have been a bit comical under different circumstances. Aasimah's arm swept out, and she managed to slice the creature's upper arm, almost severing it entirely. It hung limply, no longer usable, but the elgnyr were not capable of feeling pain, and the loss of one arm meant nothing to the foul monster.
There were shrieks sounding in the distance, and Aasimah knew that its companions were calling upon it. Soon, she would be surrounded. Again, she struck, this time slashing he creatures throat. The elgnyr fell back, and she plunged the knife deep into its skull, bringing an end to its terrible existence. The knife stuck, and she tugged desperately at it.
She heard another shriek, and another, more still, but no more of them came for her. She heard a last shriek that sounded closer by, and she heard the soft thud of a body hitting the forest floor, leaves crunching and skittering beneath it. Aasimah both heard and felt something approaching her from behind, just as she managed to pull the knife free, and she whirled around, stabbing almost wildly.
A strong hand caught her wrist in mid-air, and a second, gentler one took hold of her left, restraining her.
“Glanen?” she gasped, recognizing him in the dim light left by the setting sun.
“I'm here, too,” Adsuni said, letting go of her hand. Glanen, too, released her. Unlike Adsuni, he backed away, seeming reluctant to even be there.
“How did you find me?” Aasimah asked them, pulling away from the prince a bit.
“One of our guards saw you board a wagon. We asked around, and found someone who knew the merchant, and had some idea of where he might be going. I figured that if you were trying to hide, you'd probably ditch him and head straight for the forest.”
“As for finding you here,” Glanen added, “that was more luck than anything else. We saw a group of elgnyr moving along after something, and followed them up until a few of them noticed us and started attacking.”
“Despicable creatures,” Adsuni added, nudging the one Aasimah killed with the end of his boot. “No matter how many of them we kill, they just keep coming back, night after night. At least they're not getting into the city. We have enough problems to deal with!”
Aasimah backed away even further, holding herself, and shivering in the chilly evening air. She couldn't believe they'd managed to track her! She knew she hadn't gone terribly far from the capital, but she thought she'd put enough distance between herself and the palace that they wouldn't find her so quickly. She underestimated them – again. How arrogant could she be, that she found herself doing so regularly?
“How could you leave like that, Aasimah? Without even telling me why? My father just agreed to let me start spending time with everyone again! I know now, you understand the risk of going out alone, but I can't believe you did so in the first place.”
Aasimah closed her eyes, as if the prince's words were either too painful or too stupid for her to accept. “You just don't know,” she said.
“You're right, I don't know! That's why I'm here – that's why we're here! Why can't you just tell me? Did something happen?”
“Prince, stop! Please, just... just stop. Walk away. Go home!”
Something twisted painfully from within her. Aasimah felt as though she were about to come undone. Her breath caught, and she fell against one of the nearby trees, feeling dizzy. Adsuni hurried over to her, and she felt his hands upon her, trying to steady her. Glanen, strangely, was hanging back, a look of foreboding clouding his features. He knew what Adsuni did not. He knew that he was looking into the eyes of a monster.
Aasimah tried to push Adsuni away, but she was too weak, and he would not budge. She tried to keep her eyes closed, but for some reason, she found herself opening them to look at him. Some small, wicked, self-destructive part of her being wanted to betray her, and it did.
The prince got a full glimpse into her glowing eyes, truly noticing, for the first time, just how feral she could look. Adsuni drew back sharply, but the damage was done. He understood what he was seeing.
He knew.
The prince drew back quickly. “Aasimah – your eyes, they're... they're different.”
“Different?” she forced herself to ask, playing dumb.
She'd always had an exotic sort of look about her, but this? Suddenly, it all started making sense to the prince. Aasimah had a knack for getting into trouble, for finding things that she wasn't supposed to.
He thought back to that day in the market, when they saw each other for the first time. She appeared so much like a wild animal. How had her eyes looked in that moment? They were glowing when he first saw her. He thought he was just imagining things, or that it was a trick of the sunlight. She stared him down, practically staring into his soul. He found her alluring, that was why he rescue
d her. And she was a monster. She was a descendant of the creatures that murdered his ancestors.
A descendant of the race his family was sworn to eradicate.
“No! Not you!” Adsuni cried. “It can't be – no!”
“Prince, I – I can – I can explain!” she pleaded. “I didn't know that I was one of them! I... I had no idea.”
Adsuni backed away from her as though she were brandishing her knife against him. That was absurd! At least, that was what she thought, until she realized that she was indeed still holding the bloodied weapon. She dropped it to the ground, leaning against the tree again.
“Did you know about this?” Adsuni asked through gritted teeth, but the question was aimed not at Aasimah. “Did you know?” he asked again, looking at Glanen as though he were facing a completely different person.
“My friend, I—”
“Friend? Friend? So you did know! Glanen, how – how could you keep this from me? After everything... you just... How could you?”
Glanen reached out toward Adsuni, but to the prince, he might as well have just been stabbed by the man. He avoided the knight's outstretched hand, staring coldly at him.
He shook his head and wrung his hands, terrified, betrayed, and at a loss for how to handle the present situation. So many surprises... so many lies! Was there a single person he knew that was truly how they appeared, deep at heart? Or were they all putting on an act for him?
“Oh, goddess... What do we do, now?” Adsuni whimpered.
Aasimah said nothing and refused to look at either of them. She shivered again. It was cold, she told herself. She didn't feel cold, but maybe she just wasn't feeling right. She felt something twist again from within and dropped to the ground.
Cartilage cracked, her heart pounded, and she found herself unable to breathe. Her muscles strained, twisted, and pulled. She found herself fighting against her own body and the agony was brutal, so much more than she could have ever thought possible. Still, Aasimah resisted. She would not become the monster the prince now thought her to be. She fought to her last breath, before sinking into the dirt.
Dinavhek- The Fall Page 23