I wanted to chuckle at her comment for she was awake at the same time as me and I know just by the sights of her weary eyes that she had stayed up just as late maybe longer.
“Lady Pandie, you look just as tired as I do,” I said. She huffed in defiance.
“Leben, you are only a little older than a child, more sleep is necessary, Me I'm an old woman, I have gotten my worth of sleep. Plus I am not that lady like.” She said sticking her head up.
I looked her up and down and saw that something was missing from her; she lacked her 5 snakes as I had seen before and she looked terribly pale.
“I’m not allowed to have snakes wandering the ship causes a lot of commotion and may scare the ship's passengers. He doesn’t want to lose business.” She said looking back into her room where I know that's where she kept them. “Tires me, doesn't the captain know that I can't sleep well without them, He should know that old people need more sleep than the young” She said cracking me a smile. I burst up laughing.
“Let me show you to the dining hall, no need to wait for kind, he hasn't slept just watched over you. He likes to pretend he doesn't care about you, but I know you remind him too much of the girl he loved once.”
I wrinkled my nose at the thought of Nate actually caring for someone, he seemed so harsh and hidden, it was hard to tell his feelings because he holds everything back.
“Why do you think he's so closed off and almost emotionless?” I asked her. She let out a sigh.
“It's because he is a Lumine, they are practically trained to never show their feelings, never to feel anything actually, most Lumine end up that way and it’s hard for them to turn back around,” She said. I nodded in acceptance.
Lady Pandie linked arms with me like children would do, and we walked down the hallway with big smiles on our faces, I liked her, she was a lovely strange lady. She called me Leben even though she knew my name is Amaryllis, like the flower.
We got to the dining hall which was surprisingly empty, the ship swayed under our feet as we gathered our meal, we walked out to the deck and sat on the floor eating. We talked about all the stuff we had seen on the ship and how the one crew boy had got his foot stuck in a pail of water and slipped falling on his back getting himself drenched. We laughed and ate until our stomachs were full. Lady Pandie took my plate for me and refused to let me clean it up.
I sat alone looking down at the water below, I felt eyes on my back. I turned around to see a woman staring at me with her head tilted to the side in a curious way.
When she saw my face, her eyes widened in a look of recognition, and she scurried away.
I stared at the strange woman, then quickly jogged after her. I followed her through every twist and turn through the ship. She climbed up a single ladder that any reasonable person would have missed in the crook of the wall without looking for it. I was curious about why she was staring at me.
I watched as she walked through a door slamming it on her way in. I pressed my ear against it and listened for voices.
“Father” I heard the girls say. I listened to the rustling of something in the room. “Father, wake up that girl is here, she's on the same ship as we,” She said. If I knew her, I would correct her on her improper English, but it looked like the father had that covered.
“It's us, darling she's on the same ship as us, not we. and who are you talking about now?” He asked in a curious tone.
“Father it's the ghost of Princess Amaryllis, I saw her I swear, I saw her wandering the halls last night too and walking towards the ship before we got on.”
The girl yelped in excitement but fear, I wanted to chuckle about this but kept quiet to hear what the father said next. I held my hand over my mouth so a laugh didn't escape.
“Darling maybe it's just another person who looks just like her.” The father said in an unconvinced tone at his adult daughter.
“Daddy!” The girl whined. “I know it was her, she had the same lovely green eyes, and she was wearing her hair in the same braid and was wearing those hideous trousers and shirt. It was her daddy, I know it. Do you think she is alive or is she dead father, she looked right at me?” She rambled in a shriek. Her voice was so loud and squeaky I had to pull away.
I looked down at my clothes, slightly annoyed that a girl would call traditional stable clothes hideous.
Wait stable clothes….. Where is my horse! I hadn't seen her since I had awoken. I jumped away from the door and stormed away from the room with the girl all the way back to Nate’s room. I pounded on his door.
“Where is my horse” I shouted my voice full of anger. Was she dead? Did she get left behind?
The door opened revealing a sleepy-eyed Nate. He looked slightly annoyed. “A small cargo ship took her ahead of us, it's smaller and faster and will reach the destination a day before us, she’s in there.” He said. His teeth ground and I could see the anger in his jaw set like stone. A murderous look was in his eyes. I backed away from him but only enough where I could still say my small thanks and give out a sigh of relief.
His stern look softened and then he slammed the door. I huffed and walked away down back to a quiet place.
Days went by a lot like this, Hanging out with the children, I told them many stories and played many games with them, listening into people's conversations. I wandered down the halls, until I fell asleep and ended up back in the soft bed.
The morning sun touched the horizon on the 8th day of our trip, It would be only one more day to go after today. I opened my door to the halls and wandered around like usual.
I sat back in my room and read a novel on the nightstand. I didn't know how people had the patience to write a book or the creativity to imagine one.
The room felt hotter than normal, I heard people start to scream. My eyes widened, and I jumped up from where I sat. The hair on the back of my neck rose.
I yanked the door of my room open and saw people rush out, and down the halls, many screamed fire and others cried Lumine.
I had to get the children was my first thought. I ran down the corridor opposite of the way all the other people were going. I finally got to the bottom of the ship.
I threw open the door to see panicking children and a small fire licking its way through the window. Smoke billowed filling up the room making it hard to see anything.
“Follow me” I shouted over the yelling, they all looked up at me with big frightened eyes. They left the room in a single file line, and I counted them to make sure they were all there.
The room started to get hotter, and the fire would lick closer and closer to us every second. I made the children all hold hands and duck low so the smoke wouldn't get them as it billowed to the top. We got to the top of the deck, and I lead the children on the rowboats being prepared.
One of the children yanked at my arm. “One of the girls went back to get something, you need to save her!” Cried the little girl.
My eyes widened, “Stay here children and get on the boats when the men say so!” I yelled over the roar of people. I ran back into the vessel, Ignoring Nate calling my name.
I ran down every staircase and hallway, my breaths were coming out ragged, and the fire consumed most the air around me. It burned at my bandaged covered skin. My eyes stung from the heat, and I tried to stay down low as the smoke wrapped itself around my throat.
I found the girl who usually sat away from the others crying holding a picture frame of two people with her. “Come on we have to go!” I screamed over the roar of the Flames.
She looked up at me with big eyes filled with tears, she got up from her spot on the floor and rushed to me, she had a limp in her step, and I could see the hidden pain in her eyes.
I held her hand and made our way through the falling structure of the boat. I saw that a hole had been made near the south staircase and water rushed in making no way to exit that way.
I panicked that was the only way out, but the little girl tugged at my arm. She pulled me away from the stairs, and our feet pounded thr
ough the sheer amount of water.
The air grew thicker as she led us down the hall to a metal ladder I hadn't seen. The flames licked the ladder, and I knew just by touching it would burn through our flesh.
I pushed her up the ladder so she didn't have to touch it and I crawled up it myself burning my hands in the process.
I felt my skin melt by just a singer touch, I bit my lip open in the process of trying to hold back my tears.
My mouth was dry, and I couldn't breathe very well. The little girl led me through the hallways that I hadn't seen before, yet I had memorized many of the main ones.
We walked through an entryway to part of the main hall. I heard the cracking of wood and looked up to see part of the boat snapping. I pushed the little girl out of the way and shouted run. As we quickened our pace, a chunk of burning wood fell upon my leg.
The little girl stopped and started to cry when I couldn't get out. The fire licked at my pant leg. I tried prying it off burning my hands more in the process. “Run” I yelled to her as the ceiling started to crack again. Her eyes widened, but she hesitated only a second before running out of the way. The section of the roof collapsed, and she was out of sight.
“Get to one of the rowboats” I yelled. I heard her scramble away. I pulled out one of my thin swords made just for me and used it to try to pry away the wood. The fire burned at my leg, and I cried out in pain as I wrenched the wood off my leg. I pat down the fire on my leg until it was just smoke and ash. I scrambled away with a harsh limp. I made my way to the door just as part of the boat snapped and water broke free surrounding me, engulfing me. I couldn't breathe. I coughed and struggled to make my way away from the vessel.
My legs were tired and weak, and I felt dizzy and lightheaded.
I could hear the cracking of the ship and the current grew stronger. I could barely move, but I kept trying to swim.
I tried to swim, but the current was too much spinning me round and round in circles.
My head was submerged in the water, and I tried paddling back up to the surface. Back up to air. I started to fill my lungs up with water. I was going to die.
I didn't know which way was up or down, There was no place I could breathe...
XI Joy
Nate
I sat in the rowboat, trying not to show the worry on my face. Lady Pandie sat next to me stroking her snakes. She eyed me curiously. I knew she was looking to see if I would snap and go find Amaryllis to see if she was alright, but I held still, my jaw rigid. I pulled out the small mirror that Queen Daya gave me, the one that would show me the worst future.
I looked into it and saw myself staring back, everything looked healthy, the fire was pouring off the boat like an angry lion wanting to swallow it hole.
Then I saw something float up on the water, A girl littered with bandages, her hands burned and her deep black hair spread out floating in the water instead of in its natural braid.
Her bright green eyes were lifeless as she stared up at the brewing sky.
I dropped the mirror in pure shock. It clattered on the bottom of the boat. Lady Pandie picked it up, but I was too busy searching the water behind me.
I didn't see her, but what if it was true, what if I didn't go after her and that was her fate. But what if I did?
I got ready to jump out of the boat, but Lady Pandie grabbed my wrist to stop me.
I looked her in the eyes, and she shook her head with a sad look in her eyes.
I sat back down, but my eyes still searched the water.
“You won't find her,” Lady Pandie said. “Leben is okay, she's just not here yet.”
I glared at her. “Who are you talking about, I'm looking for a sword, I left mine.” The lie rolled off my tongue like the waves, but I could tell that she didn't believe a word of it.
We sat in silence for a long while, but when the burning remains of the ship were out of view, I helped row the boat.
Lady Pandie started singing a song, for someone who worries about the sea.
There was a girl with eyes as blue as diamonds.
She lived on a small little island
Her hair was like woven gold
And she was the prettiest woman to behold
One day one day she is part of the sea
One day one day the sea will cover me
The waves rolled in, and thunder rattled her hut
She got on her boat with a small little strut
The waves rolled over her, and she died in the sea
In the sea, she belongs her spirit was let free
One day one day she is part of the sea
One day one day the sea will cover me
She sang it over and over in a haunting voice staring at the water. The snakes slithered all over her skin, and a small smile touched her face before she started singing it again. She sang it over and over, in a haunting voice. She seemed almost sad.
I rowed faster now, but still waited to see if what happened if the mirror came true.
Soon I grew tired and let slumber overtake me.
. . . . .
Joy stared at me with a smile on her face.
“What is it?” My 10-year-old self-asked. She just smiled more. My face grew concerned more, why was she just smiling for no reason?
She shifted on my bed; she had snuck in my room again. She drew close to me, her eyes shining with laughter. She poked my nose then laughed. I frowned more. Why was she crazy?
She frowned back at me, and I had a feeling she was imitating me by the laughter still dancing across her eyes.
She said in a serious tone with her hands on her hips, “Nate, why are you always so sad and serious, sometimes you have got to smile.” she broke out into her natural grin. She used her fingers to pull at my cheeks making a smile by pulling my mouth up.
“There,” she said then laughed. She hopped up from the edge of my uncomfortable bed and pulled me up too.
“Let's dance,” she said.
“What's that?” I asked. She laughed then did some weird movements with her body.
“Come On I'll show you, but it's harder to do it without music.” She said with a small frown.
I tilted my head to the side in a look of confusion. She sighed then started singing a soft melody about two little girls in the forest. A small smile crept up on my face at the tune, I loved anything involving nature.
She started with a different song more upbeat than the last, and started doing more weird movement to go along. She stopped what she was doing then said: “That's dancing, come on.”
She moved my arms and legs, and all the weird movements made sense with the song.
It was fun, by the end she was laughing, and I had a rare smile on my face. She did that to me, make me laugh.
“Thank you, Nate,” She said wrapping her arms around me in a hug, I hugged her back. “You're my best friend,” I heard her whisper before she snuck out of the room.
I let a small smile play across my mouth before I crawled back into the hard bed in my little room; I was ready for another day. Before I went to sleep, I whispered these last short words, “As you are mine Joy, as you are mine, now and always.”
…………
The dream changed Into something else. I was 14 years old. Blood stained the floor of the training room. Guards grabbed me by my arms to control me, It was a day after Joy died and they had shoved me in here to get me ready for my regular training. I was a lifeless body the entire day until they dragged me in here. I screamed and fought back with an almost animal vengeance. This was where she died. This was where I perished in a way, I would never be the same.
I let out a roar, and I twisted out of the guard's grasp and grabbed one of the wooden swords for training in the corner. I beat one of the guards until the sword snapped and his blood covered the floor. The other guards grabbed at me. The man who had slaughtered Joy watched me in the corner with a smile on his evil face. I heaved; anger flowed through me, around me, and inside me like the lava in a
volcano.
“Take him to the conference room. Chain him up, leave him with no food or water, 2 days punishment for beating the guard.”
My anger swelled, I screamed dirty words and tried yanking away from the guards. “You will pay for this!” I screamed with the most malicious face ever.
He let out a small chuckle then burst out laughing as the guards pulled me away. He was mad, crazy mad. The other boys my age around me watched this in silence.
When he was out of view I collapsed so it would be harder to drag me, I didn't care what they did to me if they beat me it wasn't like I hadn't been through it before if they killed me, then it wouldn't matter. Nothing mattered without Joy...
. . . . .
I awoke with a start, and everyone in the boat was staring at me. I was covered with a thin layer of sweat.
Lady Pandie’s eyes bored into mine with a sad knowing look. She put a hand on my lap and looked at me with tear-brimmed eyes. “I'm sorry kind; nobody should have to go through that, nobody.” She said.
I nodded then looked away from her searching gaze to watch the currents of the ocean. Feeling like my life had been spilled out with just a simple dream.
XII Spirit
Amaryllis
I felt dead like I was absent from my body, I had remembered dying, did I die?
It felt strange, but I slowly started feeling normal, and I knew I wasn't dead.
I opened my eyes, and everything was fuzzy at first, but then everything began to clear up.
I was laying on a piece of driftwood. A white fox was laying next to me…
Wait! A white fox? Those were rare and very dangerous animals! It stared at me with bright blue eyes in a caring way. Its tail wagged when it saw my eyes open.
Was this little guy that dangerous?
He stuck his face into the water and pulled out a struggling fish. He chomped down on it with its poisonous teeth, and it went limp.
The fox set the fish down in front of me and pushed it with its dripping snout. It oozed a weird green substance.
Without Joy Page 7