by T. K. Chapin
Turning, the man said, “Wait out here for a moment. I need to see if the elders can see you.” He vanished behind the door and left Amon and Katlynn on the stone stairs that led up to the towering building.
Able to see almost the entire town from the steps, they stood in awe as people moved about the town down below. “So did all these people seek refuge here?” Katlynn asked.
“Not everyone. Some people come to study the Crystalline Coast, the stones that appear in the sand is rare and not found anywhere else in Belstrom. Other people come for work in the shops; some of the finest artisans of all Belstrom reside here in Eken.”
“How is it some of the finest artisans end up here?” Katlynn asked.
“When people seek refuge and get approval by the elders, they are eternally grateful and repay the protection with the hardest work they have ever done and thus breed some of the finest artisans of metal, leather and weapons.” Sticking his head out from the door, the elderly man nodded to Amon and Katlynn.
“They will see you now,” he said pushing the door open. Walking down the oversized foyer, they looked up and Katlynn noticed a painting of a mandolin on the ceiling. What beautiful paintings, She thought to herself. There were paintings of the stars, moon and even the Great Unknown. All the world of Belstrom seemed to be orchestrated in a myriad of paintings across the open foyer’s ceiling. Statues of warriors lined the hallway they traveled that led to the throne room.
Stepping into the throne room, they saw three elders sitting on thrones with a fourth seat empty. As they stopped before the stairs up to the thrones, the elderly man joined the other elders, taking a seat in the fourth throne.
“We understand you two are seeking refuge,” one of the elders said.
“We are,” Amon said bowing his head.
“We don’t want to hear from you priest, we are talking to the princess,” The elder snapped at Amon.
“Yes, we are seeking refuge…” Katlynn said as fear shook her voice.
“Is this priest the reason you neglect your royal duties?” Another elder asked leaning his head against his hand as his elbow was propped on his throne seat’s arm.
“We love each other and my father, the king, wished me to marry Prince Nikolas.”
“You don’t need to explain to us how the royal family works, we are well aware,” one of the elders said sternly. This doesn’t feel like it’s going very well, Katlynn thought to herself.
“Will you grant us refuge in your city?” Katlynn asked brashly. The elders all raised an eye brow to her assertiveness.
“Be careful how you speak to us princess, you might be the princess of Belstrom, but within Eken you are nothing!” An elder snapped at her. “We are discussing,” The elder said gently, “the possibility of giving you refuge.”
“Why should we protect you from the King? What benefit does that offer us? You are a Durandel royal princess; you offer no services or help to anyone in this town.” Amon pulled out the stone from his robe and held it up.
Intrigued, one of the elders stood up and stepped down the stairs in front of the thrones approaching Amon. “Now where would a priest get a hold of a Firestone?” He asked suspiciously as he approached Amon. “Aren’t you priests supposed to value Omad and others over valuables such as these?”
“The stone has been mine since birth, I showed up to the priesthood with the stone and a note indicating it was to stay with me,” Amon said respectfully with his head lowered.
“Then what are you doing offering it to us?” The elder said snatching it from his hand. Katlynn’s heart twisted in pain as she saw the one thing Amon had left of any family ripped from his hands. These people are mean… Why would we want to be here with them ruling over us?
“Give it back to him!” Katlynn shouted. The elder with the stone looked at her and laughed.
“You think I should give it back to him?” He asked as he walked up to Katlynn. “You are a rebellious little princess aren’t you? Your father, Grungar, raised a horrible little defiant woman.” Katlynn took her mandolin from her back and raised it to strike him. “Hit me, I dare you… See how protected you are in MY town.” Katlynn looked over to Amon to see him shaking his head.
“Forget this,” another elder said rising to his feet. “Give the priest back the stone Tolf. We don’t need the drama these two bring to our city. They already brought the entire legion of the king to our doorstep.”
Tossing the stone over to Amon, Tolf returned to his seat as Amon leapt through the air to catch it.
“Be gone out of Eken by nightfall,” Tolf said. The elder that brought them stood up from his seat and escorted them to the door.
Chapter 18
As the door slammed shut behind them, Katlynn felt all the hope she had left inside fall away. Amon put his arm around her as they walked down the steps back into the city square.
“What are we going to do Amon?” Katlynn asked as they walked through the town.
“I don’t know… Eken was the plan from the beginning… I don’t know what we can do now.” Hopelessness tagged along with Katlynn and Amon as they walked the city of Eken. “We should get back to Ada, maybe she can help…” Amon said somberly.
“How?” Katlynn asked.
“She took your brother in when he was in need… maybe she would do that with us?” Amon asked shrugging. “I don’t see much of any other option.” Amon grabbed Katlynn’s hand as tears began to stream down her cheeks. “I promise we will figure this out my love,” he said kissing her on the side of the head. Katlynn felt better but still scared of what the future might hold for the two of them.
After spending the afternoon roaming the town of Eken, they came to the bridge. The guards had left and they were able to leave without issue. “Why do you think the guards left?” Katlynn asked Amon.
“They probably assumed they had failed and retreated. Usually people get the protection they need from the elders…” Amon said letting his words trail off.
“Don’t get down on yourself love,” Katlynn said putting her arm around his shoulder. “We will get through this together.” Venturing down the path, they made it only partially the way to the Great Tree before needing to rest for the evening.
“Without supplies or anything, it’s going to be a rough sleep,” Amon said as they ventured off the path into the Darkwood Forest.
“I know,” Katlynn said softly as they found a couple logs with moss. “This will be fine, we only need to rest for a few hours and we can leave quickly.” Amon and Katlynn laid down to rest.
**
After a night of being woken up by strange sounds and uncomfortable sleep, they arose and continued their journey to the Great Tree. Standing at the base of the tree, they looked up and shouted for Nejik.
“Nejik!” Katlynn shouted. There was no response.
“Nejik!” Amon hollered upwards. Silence again was returned. “Hmmm….” Amon said looking around the glade. “I’m not sure what to do…” Suddenly sounds from the forest alerted them both. Rushing into Amon’s arms, Katlynn was stricken with fear.
“You think it’s another assassin?” Katlynn asked fearfully looking into Amon’s eyes. Holding her tightly, Amon kissed her forehead.
“They’ll have to get through me if they want to kill you,” Amon said confidently holding her. Katlynn felt safe in his arms even though she knew he was no match for an assassin.
Nejik suddenly appeared in the glade from the direction of sounds. Katlynn and Amon sighed with relief at the sight of him. “You scared us!” Katlynn shouted across the glade as he approached them.
“I scared you? You scared me! You are supposed to be in Eken! What happened?” Nejik asked as he approached.
“It didn’t go so well… basically got denied residency,” Amon said.
“That is unfortunate,” Nejik said. “I don’t know if you noticed, but I cleaned up the animals that were wounded by the guards. The ones that died, I concentrated to the ground and the wounded I
healed. Those black diamonds make life SO much easier.”
“How many are left?” Amon asked looking at the sack three-quarters the way gone.
“Not many… I’m guessing around 20 or so,” Nejik said handing him the sack.
Amon huffed in agitation at the depleted supply. Katlynn put her arm around Amon’s shoulder and kissed his cheek gently.
“It’s okay, it was for a good cause; we were trying to get us to Eken,” Katlynn said.
“Yeah, all for waste,” Amon said angered.
“We will figure something out,” Katlynn said.
“I’m sure Ada will be returning soon, she probably has an idea on what to do. Plus she could provide some insight on that parchment we found on that assassin.” The three of them sat and waited for Ada.
**
Ada appeared through the Darkwood Forest into the glade laughing as she approached. Confused by her laughter, Katlynn asked, “Why are you laughing?”
“The three of you just sitting there bored was far too amusing,” Ada said. “What if I decided not to come back for a while? Like a week or something? I could have gone anywhere but here.”
“I don’t know…” Katlynn responded. “We found this on someone trying to kill us,” Katlynn said handing her the parchment. Ada’s laughter quieted as she read it.
“Oh dear…” Ada said quietly. Panicked, she looked around the glade. Quickly, she casted the spell that created the cloud and took them to the platform up in the tree. Stepping off the platform, she continued, “This parchment confirms what I’ve suspected for a while now…”
“Which is?” Katlynn asked.
“The Vul is actively pursuing to awaken a dragon,” Ada said with a bit of fear in her voice.
“What’s the Vul? Why would they do that?” Nejik asked.
“It’s a religious sect that abides in a remote part of Belstrom up in the Fireblade Mountains. They are usually a quiet religious sect, but throughout the years they’ve been known to act out violently against royal carriages and attack guards, but this list confirms they are seeking to destroy the ones who can cast the spell to stop the dragon egg from being summoned.”
“Why would they decide to do it now?” Katlynn asked.
“They saw an opportunity with your rebellious actions,” Ada said. “Was there any symbols on the assassin’s clothing?” Ada asked.
Nejik thought for a moment before he said, “Yes. There was a masked shape on the shoulder of his black armor.”
“They hired the Shadow,” Ada said trembling raising a hand over her mouth. “They will not stop until they succeed. How many have you come in contact with?”
“Just the one,” Amon said.
“What about that thing hunting us in the Ironwood Forest Amon?” Katlynn asked.
“I don’t know if that was an assassin… They were a horrible shot and ended up shooting up our horse,” Amon said.
“Regardless, The Shadow will hunt you until you are dead,” Ada said as she began to pace. “I have an idea,” she said smiling as she stopped. “You were wise Amon to offer me black diamonds earlier, you have a good heart and I can sense that by your kindness I would not offer this.”
“What is it?” Katlynn asked.
“What if I can give you both new identities and new lives? Would you go settle down somewhere?” Katlynn looked at Amon and nodded.
“I would. We tried to get into Eken while you were gone and failed miserably,” Katlynn said.
“Those elders are snobs. I knew you were going to struggle with that. How about you boy?” Ada asked Amon.
“I would also,” Amon said. “What about the dragon egg being summoned?” Shaking her head, Ada looked at Amon with heavy eyes.
“Katlynn’s parents will be able to keep the summoning from happening until they die. That shouldn’t be for at least another 30 or 40 years. Hopefully they can have another child before they depart from this world. That’s not something we can do anything about though. If they don’t have another child, we need to keep Katlynn safe.” Ada said.
“She casted the Song of Fusion… she’s a bard now,” Amon said.
“All magic has loop holes. The most important thing right now is to get the ritual done before the assassin finds you again,” Ada said.
“How will the new identities work?” Amon asked curiously. “Won’t people recognize our faces? Or if we talk to Nejik or you?”
“That’s the thing about it. You don’t want to communicate with anyone you knew previously except one another. As far as people recognizing you, you will not be noticed. This spell changes your appearances.”
“Where will we go?” Amon asked.
“Do you have any preferences?” Ada asked.
Amon turned to Katlynn, “Any ideas?”
“I don’t know… Anywhere with you will be perfect,” Katlynn said smiling.
“Haden will be in New Haven just outside of Silvermeer, let’s go there,” Amon said. Turning back to Ada, Amon said, “Silvermeer.”
“Okay. Names?” Ada asked.
“Tessla, it’s part of my middle name,” Katlynn said.
“I’ll go with Illardi. It was my father’s name,” Amon said.
“So be it,” Ada said. “I will work on getting the ingredients needed from the forest for the ritual while you two get your much needed rest.”
“Will I be able to visit them?” Nejik asked.
“No,” Ada said with heaviness. “Unfortunately the illusion creates a life for them with the people who live in Silvermeer around them. Basically the spell extends across the town and everyone will know Amon and Katlynn as Illadari and Tessla as if they lived there for years. It can’t extend to you because you are not in Silvermeer during the cast.”
Katlynn ran over to Nejik and hugged him tightly. “You don’t need to worry about me brother, I will be okay.”
“You can visit Silvermeer and see her, you just cannot spend time with her. The city will already be accustomed to Amon and Katlynn and an outsider coming in and befriending them could throw off the entire spell.”
Chapter 19
After a short nap, Katlynn woke up to find Nejik whittling a piece of a wood. Sitting up she crawled over to the edge of the platform and joined him on the edge. “What’s on your mind?” Katlynn asked.
“The thought of not seeing you again after we just reunited…” He said looking out over the Darkwood Forest. He sighed and continued, “You are the only family I have and I’m losing you again. At least if you ended up in Eken I could visit you and Amon.”
Putting her arm around his shoulders she scooted closer to him. “I love you Nejik. I’ll just be across the Darkwood Forest in Silvermeer. While we can’t hang out and know each other, you can see me in town when you come for supplies.”
“That’s true I suppose,” Nejik said.
“Won’t the people in Silvermeer know you are the son of the king?” Amon asked waking up behind them.
“No,” Nejik said over his shoulder. “There’s an official decree of my death. Plus I wear the black berry tar around my eyes to conceal my identity in case someone was to recognize me.”
Finishing his whittling, he handed Katlynn a small wooden doll. Rubbing it with her fingers she felt the intricate groves and details in it as admired its beauty. Glancing up at Nejik she said, “Thank you,” and gave him a hug. “I love it.”
“That’s like the doll you use to have when we were younger. Being the mean older brother I was, I’d take it from you and ultimately I was the one who broke it. Take that as a replacement, sister.”
Ada reappeared in the glade with a basket full of various gems, plants and wood. “Quite the assortment of ingredients you have there,” Amon shouted down at Ada as she casted a cloud to bring herself up to the platform.
As she ascended she nodded, “It’s quite the ritual we are doing.” As she stepped off the cloud onto the platform she set the basket down on the ground and retrieved some berries from it.
> “Back up everyone,” Ada said motioning with her arms for them to step back. She squeezed the berries and juice dripped from her fist onto the platform. Drawing with the drops a circle, she made it large enough for the two of them to lie in.
Next, she pulled out blue leaves and placed them into a mortar. Crushing the leaves into a dust with a pestle, she sprinkled it over the berry juice. “Lie down in the circle,” She said to Amon and Katlynn.
“The next thing that will happen is you will wake up with your new life in place. People will already know you and your names, so it’s important to learn quickly. I will finish the rest of the ritual, but you will not remember anything pass this point. This spell only works as long as I keep casting it every day over this circle, which I will. If someone ever gives you a strange look or doesn’t recognize you, leave town immediately and come to the glade.” Turning to Nejik she said, “Say goodbye to your sister Nejik.”