Mortals & Deities

by Maxwell Alexander Drake

  Moving toward the door, Aritian spoke over his shoulder. “Your mate can still attend. She can give your excuses. You will join me at the Chandril’elian within the aurn.” Pausing, he glanced back with a look that sent a shiver down Delmith’s spine. “I will leave one of my Gralets to help you…carry anything you may have need to bring.”

  Swallowing hard, Delmith bowed. “As you say, my Prince.” Turning, he glided over to Melisian. “Please let our Princess know I would have attended had I been able.”

  When he looked back to Aritian, his Prince still stared at him. “Gralet, attend me.” The large Warrior Servant bent low to enter the doorway. Even inside, it had to crouch and bend its neck forward so it would not scrape the ceiling. “Stay with Delmith at all times until he joins me at the Chandril’elian.”

  The massive creature swiveled its head until its hollow eye sockets fell full upon Delmith. It appeared to grin as it nodded.

  Despite himself, Delmith shivered. And well he should. Servants they may be in name, yet Gralet’nars served only Blues. And the Royal Family above all others. He knew if that…thing decided its duty would be best served by snapping Delmith’s neck, it would not hesitate.

  Not wanting the creature near his mate, he stepped forward. “There is no need, my Prince. I am ready now.” Without a backward glance at Melisian—he did not wish to further raise his Prince’s suspicion—he stepped past Aritian and walked out into the fading light of the setting sun.

  If I must see this test through to its bitter end to protect Melisian, so be it. I must simply find another way to deal with my Prince.

  The tenday spent trudging through the jungle affected Elith little. She listened to the others complain of many things, however. The ground being either too soft and wet or too strewn with stones and boulders, bothered them. Either the trees stood too close together or the underbrush grew too thick. The food they found—mostly fruits Elith had never seen before—was either too tart or caused them upset stomachs.

  Though the Mah’Sukai has been able to kill the occasional animal with a well-aimed bolt of lighting.

  Yet by far, her companion’s biggest complaint—the insects. Large and small, they filled the jungle in swarms, relentlessly attacking anything they found. Unlike the others, however, the insects paid her no attention. This had always been the case with her, even back home in Komar. The Father had said that insects would never bother her because she was special. His words filled her with pride back then. Now, she found hidden messages in almost everything he had told her.

  She had never minded being different from everything around her until she met Arderi Cor and his conversations. It was not as if she did not enjoy her time with him.

  On the contrary, she finds him…fascinating.

  Looking around at the others traveling with her, she had to admit they all fascinated her in one way or another.

  The Kithian was every bit as formidable as she had hoped. Strong, fast, and primal. He hobbled along in his strange gait, as if his body had never been designed to walk upright. He never let more than a few paces separate him from the small boy, Charver Vimith. While she watched them, the boy slipped and the Kithian’s paw reached out and caught him by the shoulder. She knew that eventually she would have the opportunity to test herself against the Kithian.

  If nothing else, for his attitude toward Arderi Cor.

  The two had a history, even if it was only a brief one. The Kithian held onto his grudge. His looks were never friendly when he turned an eye to Arderi Cor.

  Less hostility, however, than the Kithian projected toward Rohann Vimith. In the lead and keeping a steady, ground eating pace, the older Human slapped at his neck and mumbled to himself. Every so often, he would look over at his son and the Kithian. The way the two fought over the child, she did not think it normal. She did find it quaint that the Kithian bristled whenever the boy’s father tried to separate them. Tension between those two sat thick. She understood why the Kithian kept the boy away. It was the fervor Rohann Vimith held in his eyes. The intensity in the way he followed his unseen guide. She had seen that same look in the zealots who mired themselves in the priesthood of Fatint.

  No, this is different. It is more than just blind devotion.

  The Human smelled…wrong. Smelled…tainted somehow. She was at a loss to explain it, even to herself.

  The snap of a twig pulled her eyes to the Mah’Sukai. That man still escaped her. His control over his power grew daily. Yet, he abdicated leadership to everyone else. At least once the jungle thinned out, he stopped complaining about having to take his turn hacking underbrush.

  Even the jungle intrigued her. The rich greens, broad leaves, and trees that rose higher than most buildings—even those found in Mocley! The upper limbs, so high above her head, fanned out and created a leafy roof, throwing the jungle in perpetual shadow.

  It is all so beautiful.

  The sounds of running water had been growing louder while she studied her companions and surroundings. Stepping through a particularly thick bit of underbrush, a wide river cut through the jungle in front of her. At least fifty paces across, its waters raced by. Looking in both directions, she saw that the river ran for leagues.

  “How are we supposed to cross that?” The Kithian’s growl echoed off the water.

  The Mah’Sukai walked out onto the pebble-strewn beach. “Mayhaps we can find a way around?”

  “Nix!” Stumbling, Rohann Vimith scrambled over the rocky beach to the water’s edge. “We cross here! Our path is that way.” Jutting out his finger, he pointed to the far side.

  With a roar that sent a flock of colorful birds into the air, the Kithian stepped forward. “How do you know! We have been traipsing through this god’s-awful jungle for more days than I care to remember. Following you, though you have no map. And you will not tell us how you know where you are going!” Pulling his pack from his back, the Kithian shook it at the Human. “We are almost out of provisions. I have no idea how to return to our base camp. And these damnable bugs are driving me crazy!” Throwing his pack to the ground, he moved forward, closing in on the merchant. “Tell me how you know where we are going or I am taking Charver and finding a way out this gods forsaken jungle!”

  “You will not take my son!” Spittle flew from Rohann Vimith’s cracked lips. The Kithian towered over him, yet the smaller man paid this no mind. “You sound more and more like Timms with each passing day!”

  “Mayhaps I should have taken the man more seriously and left with him.” Muscles bulged beneath the fur of his arms. Baring fangs, his claws extended and retracted.

  “Enough!” Arderi Cor slid in between the two. “I am not sure how the man knows, Klain. However, my brother says we are going the right way. And I trust Alant.”

  Everyone looked at the Mah’Sukai who shied back, not appreciating the attention. “I did not say we were going the right way, Arderi. I…said I feel that we are getting closer to…something.”

  “Closer to something?” Bending over, the Kithian snatched his pack from the ground. “Closer to what?”

  The Mah’Sukai gazed off in the direction that Rohann Vimith had pointed. ““I am unsure. Something powerful. Or at least, something that is drawing upon the Essence like nothing I have ever felt before.”

  Smiling up at the Kithian, Arderi Cor bobbed his head and grinned. “See? We are heading toward something powerful that will probably be the death of us all. We are going the right direction.”

  Curling his upper lip to show his fangs, the Kithian let out a long, low growl. He did not remove his stare from Arderi Cor’s back, who turned and headed for the river’s edge.

  Yes. It will not be much longer before she gets the opportunity to test herself against the Kithian.

  Wading out into the flowing river, Arderi Cor stopped when the water was up to his thigh. Looking back at the group, he shrugged. “It
is not that deep!” He shouted to be heard over the rushing water. A look of surprise filled his eyes. Arms flailing, he plunged under the water.

  “Arderi!” The Mah’Sukai ran past Elith.

  Whipping out her hand, she snagged him by the arm “You do not need to add yourself to those who need rescuing.”

  “Let me go! He is—”

  “There!” The Kithian pointed a short way downstream at a soaked Arderi Cor making his way onto the riverbank.

  Waving his hand in the air to show he was fine, he regained his footing and sloshed his way back to them. “Not that deep. Yet, there is a strong current and the bottom is slicker than sheep snot!” He gave his easy laugh.

  Rohann Vimith stepped forward. “We must get across!” His twisted scent growing, he whipped his head from side to side like a cornered animal.

  Circling on the man, the Mah’Sukai’s eyes filled with anger. “My brother just tried and was nearly washed away! If you are so bent on drowning, be my guest.” He waved a hand out over the water.

  Arderi Cor stepped between them, water still draining from him onto the rocky beach. “That is enough out of you both.” He glanced around, taking in the entire group. “All this arguing is getting us nowhere. We must work together. What we need is a rope or something.”

  “Vines.” The Kithian’s word sounded more like a growl. “We used them to cross the gorge. Why can we not use them to cross this river?”

  The Mah’Sukai shook his head. “They were attached to the other side then.” Pointing to the far side, he shook his head. “There are none over there. I do not think I can use my powers to tie them from here.”

  “Mayhaps we will not have to.” Arderi Cor sat down and dumped a stone from his boot. “We can tie the vines between us. That way, if someone is pulled down by the current, the others can catch them.”

  “That is a bad idea, Arderi Cor.” Elith did not like getting involved in the group’s discussions. Yet, she would not let the Mah’Sukai put himself into harm’s way needlessly. And grudgingly, she admitted to herself, she would not let Arderi Cor do so either. “Tied together, if one slips, all risk drowning. She is an excellent swimmer. She will cross with a vine. Once on the other side, she will tie it to a tree. The rest of you can then use it to pull yourselves across.”

  Arderi Cor looked at her for a long time. Finally, after looking around at the others, he raised his eyebrows and shrugged. “All right. Let us find a vine long enough to reach the other side.” With that, he stood and led the way into the jungle.

  She would not have thought finding a long vine in a jungle where almost every tree had them wrapped around their trunk would have been so time consuming. Still, near an aurn passed before they found what they needed. They were forced to tie several together to span the distance.

  Once everyone returned to the beach, Elith tied one end of the vine around her waist while Arderi Cor held the remaining length in a loose coil. Leaning in close, he winked at her. “I was not joking about how slick the bottom of that river is, Elith. Be careful.”

  Never having been winked at before, Elith stood staring at him, at a loss as to how to respond. Without answering him, she turned and headed into the river. Arderi Cor was correct—the water moved faster than it appeared from the bank. And the rocks forming the bottom were not only slick, they shifted under her feet, adding to the difficulty.

  Once the water rose above her knees, she knew she would not be able to walk any further. Looking back, she whistled. “Arderi Cor. Move downstream as far as the vine allows. She will have to swim the rest of the way.” Nodding, he let out the coil of vine while he walked downriver. Once the vine stretched taut, he waved a hand over his head. When both his hands held the vine once more, Elith dove into the water and swam for the far bank.

  She had always been a strong swimmer. Going out into the ocean’s water that surrounded her home had always been one of her favorite pastimes. Yet, this was different. As soon as she dove in, the rapid flowing river carried her toward Arderi Cor. Stretching out her arms as she swam, she pushed for more speed. With a glance back, she saw that she had passed where Arderi Cor stood. Before the vine went taut once more, however, her fingertips brushed the stone-covered bottom of the far side and she worked to regain her footing. Looking across to Arderi Cor, she was happy to see that she had not been washed as far downriver as she had feared—only a few score paces past where he stood. With the vine stretched out over the water between them, Elith and Arderi made their way back to the two trees chosen to aid their crossing.

  Once both sides were tied in place and the Mah’Sukai had added a little strength to the ends with his power, he made his way across. Before the water reached his knees, the strong current pulled him from his feet. Only his grip on the vine saved him from washing away. The Mah’Sukai did not attempt to regain his footing. Instead, he half-swam, half-pulled himself to the other side. Elith, standing as far out in the water as she dared, helped the Mah’Sukai stand and directed him to continue up to the beach.

  Rohann Vimith was next to cross. He fared no better than the Mah’Sukai. Still, before long he stood safe on the shore.

  An argument broke out between Arderi Cor and the Kithian. Elith’s palms became slick at the thought of the Kithian attacking Arderi Cor with her on the opposite side and unable to help.

  It will upset her if that Kithian lays a paw on Arderi Cor!

  Before she had taken more than a few steps in their direction, however, the Kithian threw up his arms and turned to the boy. Kneeling down, he spoke to him for a moment before picking the boy up and placing him on his shoulders. With a few minor adjustments, the Kithian stepped into the water and started across, using the vine for support. For such a large creature, in the water he moved slower than the Humans. By the time the water passed his waist, his wide-eyed stare and firm grip of the vine showed how frightened he was.

  The Kithian cannot swim!

  Smiling to herself, she tucked that knowledge away for later.

  Mayhaps the information will come in handy in the future.

  With a vicious growl, the Kithian lost his footing and slipped into the water. Only his fur-covered paws gripping the vine were visible. When his head broke the surface, the boy was gone.

  “Charver!” Thrashing his head around, the Kithian looked in a panic. Letting go with one paw, he groped in the water around him.

  Arderi Cor ran down the other bank. Elith moved into shallower waters and gave chase as well. A small hand broke the surface some ten paces from the vine, followed by the boy’s head. She heard him suck in a gulp of air before he disappeared once more below the river’s surface. Arderi Cor wasted no time once he saw the boy. Running out as far as he could, he dove into the water. Elith kept pace on her side, running in the shallow water of the shore.

  Arderi Cor swam out to where the boy had last surfaced, then tread water. The fast-moving current kept him even with Elith, even though she ran as fast as she could in the calf-deep water. “Behind you!” Her yell cut across the top of the river and Arderi Cor spun.

  Charver Vimith broke the surface once more about a pace behind him. Lunging, Arderi Cor caught the boy’s flailing arm and pulled him to his chest. Rolling to his side and keeping the boy’s head above water, he swam one-armed toward Elith. She continued running even with him until he was almost to her, then she moved further out into the water’s depth. When she was close enough, she reached out and grabbed them. Taking hold of the boy’s arms, she pulled him up before helping Arderi Cor to his feet.

  He breathed hard, yet flashed her a confident smile. “Another fine day in the jungles of death.” Bending over, he sucked in more air.

  A quote from the Book of the Twelve came to her mind—one about tempting fate twice in the same day. She decided not to voice it.

  Arderi Cor does not seem to appreciate the teachings of the Twelve.

&nb
sp; The boy had collapsed on the bank in a fit of coughing. Slipping an arm under Arderi Cor’s, she helped him to where the boy lay.

  Without being prompted, Arderi Cor plopped down next to Charver Vimith and gave the boy one of his smiles. “I had no idea you liked to swim so much. Mayhaps when we are back in Mocley, you can show me more of your swimming techniques?”

  Coughing too much to answer, the boy frowned at Arderi Cor and shook his head.

  Rohann Vimith came running up and slid down next to his son. “Charver! Are you all right?” Engulfing him in a hug, the man rocked him back and forth. “I was so frightened.”

  Looking over his shoulder, Elith saw the Mah’Sukai and the Kithian walking up—the Kithian looking like a half-drowned rat. His head hung low and his shoulders slumped as he stopped and glared at Rohann Vimith holding the boy.

  “I am fine.” Arderi Cor raised one hand in the air from where he lay on his back. “Nix. Do not fret over me.”

  Rohann Vimith reached over and patted Arderi Cor’s shoulder. “Thank you, Arderi. Thank you for saving my son.”

  If anything, the man’s words deepened the Kithian’s glower. It was then Elith realized how much self worth the Kithian put in his ability to protect the boy. He must see what happened as a personal failure.

  The boy could be used as a weapon against him if needed.

  She filed that bit of information away as well.

  Arderi Cor hacked at the vine wrapped around a broken branch he wanted for their fire. Once the vine cut free, he bent over and plucked the log from the ground. Adding it to the small pile tucked under his arm, he headed back to this eve’s campsite.

  After the incident at the river, the group trudged through the jungle in a more somber manner than before. Rohann still walked out in front, his renewed interest in his son after the boy’s near death lost in his fervor to find their destination. Klain sulked at the back of the party, as if ashamed he had almost lost the boy to the river. The boy, caught in the middle, began hanging out more with Arderi and his brother as they traveled. Arderi did not see how Klain could blame himself for what had happened. The Kith had done his best. Besides, Charver was fine. It was odd seeing the Vimith boy spending so much time away from the Kith.