by Aaron Thomas
His father always said he could sell more for his horses in Basham than he could in Humbridge. He thought it would be a bit higher still in Leviathan. Daniel hoped to start his own stock of horses and cattle soon and would have to remember to make every effort to sell here.
The cities buildings were more glass like than the frosted outer wall. The shadows of fish could be seen swimming inside the walls of nearly every building. Fountains and pools of water throughout showed that the shadows were more than just a magical illusion. A few times Daniel could see gardens in full bloom bearing fruit that shouldn’t have been able to be grown in the last week and a half that the castle had been there.
Jessica drew his attention to the tall spires throughout the city. She pointed at flowers, small fruit trees, and crystalline-like sculptures. The longer they traveled, the more often and ornate the sights became. Captain Wells directed them to a large icicle-like gate that stood higher than Mayor Bingham’s inn.
With a wave, the guards opened the gate admitting their wagon inside.
“Come take the livestock to the stockyards around back,” Captain Wells bellowed to the guards. “Come on, I will take you to see the queen. I hope you wore your comfortable shoes because it’s a lot of stairs.”
Daniel raised an eyebrow to his wife, and Jessica lifted the hem of her dress to reveal a slipper underneath. She gave Daniel a smile and bounded up the front steps of the castle. He shook his head knowing that if she kept bounding, he would have to carry her up the last few flights. He took it slower, stepping up two stairs at once. Knowing he could keep her pace for a while, he laughed at Jessica who ran to look at every detail in the castle.
In the short time they had been married, Jessica had expressed her regrets about not marrying into the Everheart family. They were one of the wealthiest in their hometown, and by marrying Kilen, she would have gained instant status. She would be able to afford things she had only dreamt of. Daniel's father, on the other hand, wasn’t wealthy and worked hard to keep building his business. She knew that Daniel would have to do much the same. Jessica had professed her love for him and had said her love was worth the difference in status and wealth, but she still thought sometimes of how much easier her life would be with money.
Daniel didn’t care either way. He had looked at Jessica for years knowing she was supposed to marry his best friend. When Sahera told him to marry Jessica, he thought for a moment that his heart would stop beating. All the money in the world mattered little to him as long as he had her by his side.
When word came that Kilen had become the king of the Water Realm, Daniel knew some of the regrets would come back to the surface with Jessica. He just hoped it didn’t cause her to distance herself from him. Daniel would love her the same either way, but he wished he could give her a tenth of what Kilen had now.
Daniel watched the spiral steps leading up as he climbed. He listened to his wife’s slippered feet on the glass-like bricks. Eventually, they started to slow along with the armored man’s pace. At the top of one of the stairs, he found them waiting and breathing hard. He smiled and scooped up his wife.
He looked at the tired captain, “I can’t carry you and her.”
The Captain nodded and continued up the stairs at a slower pace. Daniel watched his footing to make sure not drop her. Soon, her breathing slowed, and he found her looking at him instead of the castle’s walls and fixtures.
“I should have just worn my vest,” Daniel said.
“Oh no you don’t, not when meeting royalty,” Jessica said, smiling.
“I’m going to put you down now, you seem to have caught your breath,” He said as he reached the next landing.
“Not just yet,” She said with a smirk on her face. “I’m enjoying the view.”
He smiled, Daniel loved when she looked at him in a way that mirrored his love for her. He continued up the stairs, listening to the clank of armor getting more and more distant. The captain must have gotten a second wind because he moved so far ahead Daniel couldn’t hear him anymore.
When Daniel reached the next landing, the soldier was leaning against a wall with his helmet removed, wiping the sweat from his brow. The armor must have weighed just as much as the man himself and yet he was still standing after all those stairs. Daniel had underestimated the man’s strength.
“The throne room is just ahead, how would you like to be introduced?” Wells asked with heavy breaths.
“Uhm, just as Daniel and Jessica Peter,” Daniel replied.
The captain took a swallow of water and walked away from them, waving them to follow with a gauntleted hand. A curtain had been let down in a large doorway separating the hallway and room on the other side. Daniel thought it was odd and looked around to see that none of the other doorways had a door. He then remembered that none of the buildings in the city had doors or shutters at all. He thought it odd but shrugged it off.
From the other side of the cloth barrier, he heard the captain in a winded voice, “Your Majesty, I have Daniel and Jessica Peter from Humbridge outside. They came to bring you gifts from their village.”
A small voice was heard from the other side of the cloth, “From Humbridge? Of course, bring them in.”
Soon the captain was holding back the cloth and waving them inside. Jessica went first, and Daniel followed. The room was one of the oddest he’d ever seen. As soon as he entered he had to walk down the stairs where two women sat in the center. The throne room was a giant circle with stairs and seats being raised in every direction around a sunken floor. A stack of books sat to either side of the women. A large man sat off to the side with a stack of armor next to him. He was in wrist shackles and looked to be bored. For some reason, Daniel couldn’t keep his eyes from wandering to the man.
The two women were dressed in plain clothes; both of their dresses were a dark brown wool with a linen sleeved undershirt. The blonde was younger and wore a small crown with a single blue gem just below the centered peak. Upon closer examination of her face, the older brown- haired woman could have been as old as Daniel’s grandmother.
“Your Majesty, Daniel and Jessica Peter from Humbridge,” Captain Wells repeated as they came near.
Jessica curtsied, and Daniel gave the best bow he could without his shirt coming untucked from his pants.
The young blonde woman stood, “It is an honor to meet both of you. Please come and sit. Do you know my husband, Kilen?”
“I do. He is my best friend, your majesty,” Daniel said as he took a seat in the inner circle of the throne room.
“Oh yes, Daniel, he told me all about you,” The queen said. “I don’t remember seeing you at Springfest, but I did visit a lot of towns that day. My name is Twilx, it is very nice to meet you.”
“Twilix, you were the little wizard at Springfest?” Jessica asked.
The small queen smiled, but Daniel couldn’t remember a bit of Springfest. Bowie had made sure to fill him with ale. The only thing Daniel remembered was stumbling out of Mayor Bingham’s inn.
“Yes, I have aged since then. I forgot that I may look different now,” Twilix said.
Jessica cleared her throat and spoke as if confused, “We have all aged a bit since Springfest, but we didn’t age like that.”
“Wizards age differently,” Twilix said to Jessica then turned to face Daniel again. “I hear your father is a stable master.”
“He is a breeder more than a stable master. I man the stables, and he gets new horses in and works on creating the better ones,” Daniel said.
Twilix walked to the captain and leaned into him to whisper something. The captain then held out his hand to the older woman who briefly touched him. Wells took a deep breath and straightened his back.
“I will return as soon as possible,” Wells said before he jogged out of the room as if he hadn’t just run the steps.
Daniel was still a bit shaky after carrying his wife the last few flights. He knew it was well worth it to see the look on her face. He looked at
her again but found Jessica’s eyes motioning for him to look back at the queen.
When Daniel turned away, he saw the small queen staring at him with her hands clasped in front of her. “We have received a few gifts of livestock from Basham, and we have even obtained a few horses that ran away from the Earth Realm’s army. I need a stable master, Daniel. I want you to take the position. Please,” Twilix said.
Daniel cleared his throat, “We have obligations and livestock in Humbridge.”
Before the words had finished leaving his mouth, Jessica was on her feet, “He will most certainly take the job.”
The queen simply smiled and looked back at Daniel.
“I am sure your obligations can be moved to someone else, and you are more than welcome to mix your personal livestock with our own,” She said, stepping forward. “The real reason I ask is that Kilen could use more familiar faces here. I know having you here would help keep him in touch with the people.”
Daniel knew he didn’t need any more convincing than his wife's answer. Twilix’s words at least gave him an excuse that it was still his decision and not just because Jessica said he would take the job.
“Because I think it would help Kilen, and because my wife has no objections, I will take the position. I would like a chance to breed my own horses as part of my privileges,” Daniel said.
“I don’t think that would be a problem,” Twilix said. “Jessica, I also have some room in my personal advisors for another woman. Would you be willing to work for me?”
“I am sorry, Majesty. I do not know how to serve a queen,” Jessica said, curtsying.
“Please, stand. You may call me Twilix. I was hoping that you and I would become friends after all, our husbands are friends. Besides, I simply have no one to talk to that isn’t involved with matters of the Realm. I’m asking as a friend, would you aid me in my small day to day tasks that I may be a better queen?”
“It would be my pleasure, Twilix,” Jessica said, giving another curtsy.
Twilix smiled, and the two women hugged. Twilix went back to sit on her throne, “Please, sit and join us for some tea. The captain will be back shortly to show Daniel to his stables and your new home.”
Daniel hadn’t stood, so he made himself more comfortable and undid the top button of his shirt. It earned him a look from his wife, but he knew as soon as he was clear of the throne room he would be putting on a vest.
“Jessica, we have many merchants moving into town today, and I have need of some items. If I gave you a list could you see to it that they are purchased and brought up?” Twilix asked.
“Yes, I think I can handle that. What kind of things?” Jessica asked.
“Furniture, art, dresses, and doors for each one of the rooms. Of course, the captain is already looking into the doors so you won't have to worry about that. Perhaps you could pick out the best looking doors for the upper floors of the castle,” Twilix replied.
“You want me to pick out your dresses and furniture?” Jessica asked with glee.
“Well, yes. These are the tasks I need you to do. I won’t have the time to pick them out myself, and you look lovely in the one you’re wearing so I can see you have a good eye,” Twilix said, smiling.
“I will do my best. When should I start?”
“Tomorrow, if you don’t mind. I will give your husband leave to return to your home and gather your things. Meanwhile, you will be here under escort to retrieve the items I need. Is that okay?”
“That sounds better than fine. I was hoping to get an opportunity to do some shopping,” Jessica said, smiling.
Daniel was happy that they had gained some status from Kilen becoming king. He knew now she wouldn’t have a reason to complain or wonder what her life would have been like.
The old woman sitting off to one side lowered her book as she turned a page, “My name is Ria. I am the Earth Wizard Council Seat for the Water Realm. Since her Majesty is not going to introduce us, I might as well.”
Daniel stood and took her hand kissing it, “It is a pleasure to meet you.”
She arched an eyebrow, “Your manners are much like Kilen’s. I am glad to see that they aren’t like Bowie’s. It took me a month to train that fool boy.”
“You know my friend Bowie?” Daniel asked.
“Yes, I had the pleasure of working with the unique man,” She said unique as if she would have preferred to use a less cordial word.
Daniel laughed, “Unique is one way to describe him. A thorn in your heel is another way I have heard him described.”
“I’ve heard of him described as a legend,” Twilix said. “He is the reason that so many of the guards have agreed to join our ranks. They either fear to face him or want to adventure with him.”
Daniel let out a laugh that echoed through the empty halls, “I say anyone who thinks either one of those must be mad.”
Twilix raised an eyebrow, “He broke Kara out of Deuterium, faced the Fire Realm’s Army and defeated thousands of men single-handedly. I heard this from more than one source and believe it to be true. Master Crescent may not be the man you knew when he left your hometown.”
Daniel was left scratching his chin when Ria spoke again.
“Have you ever used magic before, Daniel?” She said.
He shook his head in response.
The wizard looked at the man in armor, “Ray, this is your man. We could search for some time to find someone who meets the requirements perfectly. I say this man is close enough that you could let him be the one,” Ria said.
Daniel stood and looked from the wizard to Ray, “Man for what?”
Ria looked at him, “He needs someone innocent to open the armory, someone who has never killed a man, someone who has never held magic, and someone he can trust.”
The man spoke in a gruffled irritated voice, “How do I know I can trust him?”
“Kilen Everheart, your student, the king, and fellow weapon bearer trusted him,” Twilix said.
“Fine, but the weapon will stay within my sight,” He said standing.
Twilix and Ria stood. Daniel reluctantly stood as well. The whole group was standing and looking at Ray until Twilix broke the silence.
“Lead the way,” She commanded.
“You are standing on top of it,” Ray replied.
Twilix turned around and looked at the floor, “We have been standing on the armory, and you didn’t tell me?”
“You didn’t ask its location,” Ray said in return.
“Yes, I did!” Twilix argued.
Ria placed a hand on her arm, “Actually, you didn’t. You asked if he knew where the armory was, but not its location. Ray, is a true practitioner of the Elder’s ways. He may twist your words.”
Twilix was red in the face, “Give Daniel your sword.”
“I’ll lend it to him. I’ll allow him to open the armory using my weapon, but you should’ve let me do it long ago,” Ray said.
Daniel scratched his temple, not understanding what was going on, “Why don’t you just open it?”
“That’s a good question, stablemaster,” Ray said in return.
Ria cleared her throat, “Ray is an expert blades man, wielder, and former king of the Water Realm. If he wanted to take back his throne he only needed access to the armory for a moment to gather enough imbuements to overpower us. We wouldn’t allow him access to the armory, and as he tells us, it takes a three element blade to open it. A weapon only a king would own.”
Twilix did not take her eyes from the red-bearded man, “Lend him your sword and back away from the throne.”
Ray gave a half bow and turned to Daniel, “When you touch the sword you will feel an increase in strength. Move slowly and carefully so that you do not kill someone.”
The bearded man effortlessly snapped his shackles pulled a long sword from a sheath at his side and handed it hilt first to Daniel. The man held it between two pinched fingers by the very tip of the sword as if it was light as a feather. Carefully, Daniel
wrapped his hand around it and felt the power of magic flow into his body. His legs stiffened. Trying to compensate for the weight of the sword causing him to thrust his hand forward when his strength increased. Ray cursed as he walked away with blood dripping from his arm.
Twilix crossed the room quickly and placed a hand on the man’s shoulder. Daniel watched the wound closed, and the bleeding stopped, but Ray looked as though he had run for half a day. He slumped to the floor and leaned against the first row of large steps.
“What do I do now?” Daniel asked while trying not to move.
“There is a hole in the floor under the throne, put the sword in there and turn it,” Ray said pulling himself up onto the first step.
Daniel shuffled his feet and moved towards the throne. He tried to give the stick-woven throne a push but sent it crashing into the step nearby. It shattered at the force of the impact.
“I’m sorry,” Daniel said as he looked at the queen.
Ria laughed, “You are fine, Daniel. The stronger you are, the more the earth magic affects your strength. You are going to have a harder time trying to control the magic than most. Besides, I grew that one and I can grow another.”
Daniel gave a slow nod of his head and then looked at the floor he had uncovered. He saw no hole to put the blade into.
Without being asked, the large, bearded man spoke, “The hole is there, you just can’t see it. Put the blade directly in the middle, and you will see.”
Daniel focused his effort to keep from swinging the sword about and moved very slowly until he was pointing the sword’s tip directly at the center of the floor. He noticed his forehead was sweating with concentration and every muscle in his body was flexed with nervousness. The sword began to close in on the floor’s surface, and Daniel still did not see the hole. He trusted the man would not lie and kept going until the tip met the surface.
The floor rippled on the touch of the blade, sending concentric circles out from where the metal met the glass-like flooring. Daniel kept lowering the blade until nothing but the handle remained outside the rippling floor. He looked around at the women shying away from the waves. They escaped onto the first step as Ray looked on in amusement.