Rising from Dust (Light from Aphelion Book 1)

by Carlsson, Martine

  “Of course,” the commander replied. “Here on the right is Captain Faremanne. A brave knight from the Windy Isles who joined the Rebellion with enthusiasm. He has fought at my side for many years now. Always ready to do the best for his country and bring us victory.”

  Faremanne raised his glass respectfully and bowed. “My lady.”

  “Here in front of me is Louis, from Neolerim,” Bertrant continued. Selen sensed that the commander searched his words with mixed feelings. “He is…a brave soldier,” Bertrant said hastily as to get rid of it.

  Selen saw Louis gape with disbelief and tried hard not to laugh.

  “And in front of you, my lady,” Bertrant pursued, “is the valiant captain who crawled through your mines and opened the gates of Millhaven to the Rebellion.”

  Selen squirmed. A brave soldier would have been enough.

  “And what is your name, Captain?” Lady Khorkina asked. She looked at him with curiosity in her eyes while rolling her wine glass in one hand.

  “Selen,” he whispered. “From the Frozen Mountains,” he added. He did not wish to sound as exotic as the fruits in the bowl.

  “Well, let me thank you all three once again. You fought bravely today. I only regret that this beast— excuse me—the orc general escaped,” she said with repressed anger. “We have lived in terror, my people and I. I saw everything from my cell. My poor city,” she lamented but with such restraint that Selen wondered if she could actually cry.

  Selen remembered the gigantic orc he had met on the ramparts. He had preferred to jump into the melee than to face such a monster. So this orc was the general. Selen was sure that they would hear from him soon. The creature would want his revenge.

  While they conversed, the servants brought the plates. As usual, there would be food for a company though they were only five around the table. The game was declined in pâtés, roasted birds, smoked fillets, and venison in sauces. Selen searched everywhere for the salad, waited, and gave up. Most of the dishes were served in a sea of cold gravy. He had never understood why the nobles would fill themselves to death with such unhealthy food.

  The cutlery and plates were made of silver and stamped with the arms of the countess. With his spoon, Selen picked some carrots and boiled onions, conscious that he filled his plate with the decoration. More food was served on the table. A large meatloaf, covered with candied cherries, was laid in front of him. Bertrant cut himself a big slice and ate it with appetite. The commander told of his battles with the Rebellion while the countess listened to him attentively with a charming smile. Discreetly, Louis placed an orange on Selen’s plate. Selen took it and peeled it. The fruit was fresh and sweet. Though it had been a common fruit in his previous life, he had forgotten the taste.

  The countess explained how they had lost the city and the humiliations she had had to endure in her cell. “It will take a long time for the city to heal its wounds,” she said. “But we will do all that is possible to help you. I will call my soldiers and the officers who are still alive. We will need to make lists of our stocks before we can promise any food or materiel. It will leave you time to organize yourselves.”

  “Thank you, my lady,” they all replied.

  “I will see you all tomorrow,” Bertrant said to his captains. “We have to plan the following operations. I guess that Agroln will take us seriously now. This victory will have a cost.”

  “Do you fear the return of the orcs?” Louis asked the countess.

  “As you could see for yourself, the one who holds the bridge holds the city. We won’t make the same mistake again. And thanks to your friend, now we know our weakness,” she answered, smiling at Selen.

  “You could train your people in the arts of war. If they were armed and ready to fight, no one would dare take that city again. And by training, I don’t mean to throw a spear in their hands and a boiled leather helmet on their head. I mean to turn them into fighters,” Louis suggested.

  The countess and Bertrant looked at him with incomprehension. “Arm and train the populace?” she said. “What a peculiar idea. No. My only fear is Rylarth, the dragon. No one can face a dragon.”

  “What do you know about this dragon, my lady?” Louis inquired.

  “There are no dragons in Trevalden. Agroln created it. The king controls it like a pet. This creature does not have its own will. I fear the beast is invincible.” Selen noticed that she looked tired. Her years in captivity must have worn her out.

  “Forgive me, my lady, but it may be more correct not to use the word invincible in front of the soldiers and the people,” Louis noted.

  “Yes, of course,” she approved. “We need to keep their spirits up.”

  “It’s not only for their spirits. It is the truth. Nothing and no one is invincible,” Louis added.

  Bertrant turned to them, with a black eye on Louis. “I think my captains and myself have had a long day, my lady. We will take our leave, if you will excuse us.”

  “I think we all had an animated day. I will retire as well to my apartments. Good night, my lord, Captains.” They all rose as she got up and left the room. The countess walked away with the pride of a queen. She had faced that hideous general for three years and could still act as if nothing had happened. Selen admired her strength.

  “You. I want to see you in my apartments tomorrow morning for a word,” Bertrant said, pointing at Louis. Without waiting for an answer from Louis, the commander rose and left the hall with Faremanne.

  When he saw the ire on Louis’s face, Selen avoided his friend’s gaze. It was preferable to let him brood than to aggravate the humiliation with words. They returned to their chamber in silence.

  The room was dark. Selen lit candles on the bedside table. He untied the ribbon holding his hair and undressed.

  “Is there something I…” he said, but Louis raised a hand to tell him he was not ready.

  Louis stood near the window, his arms crossed. Sitting on the bed, Selen waited. He counted the arabesques on the canopy, gave up, and observed the tapestries instead. Standing in front of a tent, a woman in an elegant burgundy gown held a necklace in her hand. In spring vegetation, she was surrounded by watchful animals. There were rabbits, birds, dogs, a lion, and also an animal Selen had never seen. It looked a lot like a horse, but it was somehow different. “What is this?” he asked.

  “What is what?” Louis asked out of his thoughts.

  “This,” Selen pointed at the tapestry.

  Louis came closer. “It’s a unicorn,” he said. “Have you never seen one?”

  Selen shook his head. “Are there unicorns in Neolerim?” Louis smiled at him as if he had said something stupid. “What?” Selen asked, slightly offended.

  Louis sat down on the bed. “I’m sorry. That was just too cute. Unicorns don’t exist. They are a fairy tale.”

  “Like dragons? But there is one dragon now.”

  “Well, a bit like dragons. Yet, they are different. The unicorns are pure and a symbol of innocence.”

  Selen crawled behind Louis and held his shoulders. “But you just said that they don’t exist, so how can we know? Is it a fable?”

  “Precisely. Like a fable. But maybe they exist somewhere. If there are dragons…” While he listened to Louis, Selen massaged his friend’s shoulders. Maybe one day, he would see a unicorn. It must be beautiful in reality. “The unicorn is a common symbol in heraldry. It is a proud and noble animal.” There was awe in Louis’s voice.

  “How do you know such things? Was it all in your books in the archives?” Selen asked. He did not consider himself as an idiot, but sometimes Louis’s knowledge lifted him off the ground.

  Louis rose and undressed. “The archives were actually pretty boring I must say. You can count thousands of papers on taxes, disputes, donations, and other administrative, tedious acts for one relevant document and precious information. No, I have not learned what I know in the archives. I guess that my previous self already knew all that.” Once naked, Louis climbed on
to the bed and sat next to him.

  Selen realized. He moved in front of Louis and grabbed his friend’s bent legs. “Are you aware of what it means?” he asked, joyful. “It means that we are not a blank page. We carry in us the knowledge we had before. It is more than just reflexes. This is why I can fight. This is why you can lead the men and talk about unicorns. You have souvenirs.”

  Louis looked at him, speechless. “What did you say? The word you used.”

  “Souvenirs?” Selen repeated without understanding the importance of it.

  Louis was lost in his thoughts again. Selen sighed. He took one of Louis’s legs on his lap and massaged it.

  “It felt familiar,” Louis said.

  His friend stayed silent for a while. Selen continued his moves on both legs. His fingers searched for the pressure points on the muscles. Not a sound could be heard coming from outside. The silence in the room and the amber glow of the candlelight made the atmosphere peaceful.

  “Do you think he hates me?” Louis asked, looking at the swaying candle.

  Selen had no idea what Louis meant. “Considering your long list of friends, I feel obliged to ask whom you are talking about,” Selen answered in a teasing tone. He now sat cross-legged with Louis’s feet on his thighs.

  “Bertrant,” Louis said. “I know that I took liberties, that I should have followed his orders, but I was right.”

  Selen sighed. “You are always right, at least, most of the time. But you do it wrong.” Selen stopped his massage. He leaned forward on Louis’s bent knees and looked at him. “You’re taking over his army under his eyes and considered yourself his equal when you only arrived in the camp a month ago. You can’t show so little consideration for other people’s feelings only because they are not ready to follow you blindly into the fire. Bertrant is a good, willing man. He likes you and will probably forgive you. Or you would be dead by now.” Selen looked down. The simple idea frightened him. “You have to respect his authority. Be his counselor,” Selen suggested. “He will listen to you. He has always done it.”

  Louis looked at him. “I find it hard to trust weary men in battle.”

  “You find it hard to trust men,” Selen rectified. He smiled, crossed his bare arms under Louis’s knees and rested his chin on them. “Yet, I have to admit that only a few can be trusted.”

  “You lived in the woods,” Louis said. “Why? What did men do to you?” There was anger in his voice.

  “Nothing.” It was a half lie, but he did not want Louis to be angry again. “Precisely because I lived in the woods. I was lonely, but I was safe. The wilderness is cold and cruel, but still less than the men. I know what I look like. I know what I am. I would not have had a long life expectancy in a city.” Selen smiled, but it was a sad one.

  “This is so unfair. They will have to get used to your presence now. I won’t let anyone look down on you.” Louis’s voice was firm.

  “I’m not sure I want it. Not that I don’t care about what they think, though I can’t change who I am and I like how I look. But to change minds is a tiresome, useless fight.”

  “It is never useless if it is for the better. It is a duty for men to aim for the highest virtues of their hearts and spread them around.” Louis stopped and pondered on his own words, frowning. He shook his head as if he brushed a feeling away. “How was it in your previous life? Were you…like the others?” Louis asked.

  Selen laughed. “If you talk of my look, I was not the worst.” He massaged Louis’s legs again. “I was what this world would call a knight. We soldiers had a very harsh life which consisted only of training, learning, and fighting with spears and swords. The rules were severe, the food scarce, and the pay low. We had no right to talk if not addressed. We were not allowed to have a life of our own. I don’t even remember having had parents. Soldiers began their training at an early age, and only the strong and tenacious survived. I became part of the elite. The tattoos I have on my forehead are the marks of the king’s guard. An owner’s brand, but the symbol of the highest rank in knighthood,” he said with a hint of pride.

  “Were you a slave?” Louis asked.

  “No!” Selen exclaimed, outraged. “I was respected. The city was proud of its best warriors. No one could touch us. The slaves… I don’t know how they could endure their life,” Selen said. He remembered the abuses and rapes he had seen. He brushed the thought away and continued his description.

  “We lived in a wonderful city with red walls. The terrace gardens were full of colors and heady perfumes. And the birds, you should have seen the birds. The streets filled with the chants of the voices of merchants and singers. We had magical, snowy winters and warm summers,” Selen carried on with dreamy eyes. “Everything was a display of luxury. The nobles had beautiful clothes of precious fabric and eccentric haircuts. They waxed their hair to make it shine and dyed it. My color is extracted from sea snails. They also underlined their eyes with black kohl, even the men.”

  “Now you mention the aesthetic, I don’t think I have ever seen you shave. Can’t you have body hair higher than your hips?” Louis joked.

  Selen laughed. “Warriors waxed off their hair on their face, chest, and armpits. Some waxed their whole body, but I didn’t need to as I have fair hair. Though a beard could be a mark of prestige for the nobles who had reached manhood, hair on soldiers was considered unhygienic and disgraceful. That’s why I can’t grow a beard anymore, and I don’t miss it.” Selen answered. "Anyway. The city was rich in gold, metals, and gems. But as always, greed and corruption took over the hearts of the men.” Selen’s lips twitched. “A war began, first opposing factions and rival families, then the victorious factions fought against other realms. The land was destroyed. The beautiful nature, devastated. Poseidon punished us, drowning the kingdom in ashes and walls of waves. In the chaos, our enemies launched a strike. This was when I died.”

  Louis raised his back and sat in front of him, holding Selen’s hands. “Do you miss your world?”

  “Not a single instant,” Selen answered, gazing at his friend. He stretched his lips and kissed Louis. He felt Louis’s tongue and welcomed the intrusion. “What I did earlier today,” he whispered with arousal, “let me try again.”

  Louis looked at him, intrigued. Realizing what Selen meant, his eyes narrowed, and he smiled naughtily. Louis let his back fall onto the bed. Selen stretched his hands and lowered his head.

  CHAPTER 37

  Louis had to tell the truth. They had crawled to him in the darkness of the night, whispering lies and sweet promises in his ears. Their honeyed smiles could not disguise their sharp teeth. Treason, crookedness dwelled in their hearts. He could have saved his life for the price of his soul. It would have been a pact signed with the blood of his dreams, with the immolation of his love. The demons would have offered him favors, maybe glory. Still, it was not him. No, it was not him. And there he stood now, petrified. The air was warm, suffocating. His vision was coated in white. He could barely breathe under his layers of clothes. His ears buzzed. Slowly, his eyes focused. Louis saw all the faces turn upwards, looking at him. Faces of anger, faces of hate, and faces of fear. Cowards and demons, he thought. He grabbed the balustrade. His legs were giving way under him. He could not faint. Not now. He spoke, loud and clear as he used to, but his words sounded void, even to his ears. All hope had left his heart, leaving him empty as a shell. Yet, he must hold on. His friend, his love, counted on him. But their eyes. All those eyes. He raised his head and looked at the white wall on the other side of the hall. Louis forced himself to utter the words written on the pages in his hands. He noticed the change in their faces. They were deformed, elongated. Fangs grew from inside their mouth. Dragons, he thought, dragon hatchlings. They snapped their muzzles in his direction, crying out at him with rage.

  “Say our names!” the hatchling shouted with hatred. “Say our names!”

  The hundreds of dragons turned into a ring of fire. He closed his eyes. “I am here to tell the truth. I fi
ght for my land and for justice,” Louis whispered to himself. He opened his eyes and looked straight forward. “My fight is pure,” he countered, resolute. From the circle of fire rose a gigantic dragon head. Its eyes blazed with the intensity of hell. The heat was unbearable. It drew closer to him, but he did not twitch. The dragon moved its massive jaws. “Say. My. Name,” his guttural, stentorian voice clamoured.

  Louis woke up with a start, panting. His eyes were wide open. He placed a hand on his chest and tried to calm down. He was covered in sweat. His nightmares had never been this intense. However, it had not been a dream this time, not all of it. This was a déjà vu. He put his head between his hands, trying to remember what he had seen, what he had felt. Scraps of memories came back to him, but he still wandered in the shadows. There could not have been dragons, he thought. What was the meaning of this? Why had he held the speech? At least, he had felt himself. Though he could not understand it, he was persuaded that what he had been doing in his previous life was good. He had followed his heart, and it was all that mattered for now. Louis hoped more dreams would reveal his past. At the same time, he did not want to live something similar again. It seemed as if the dragon focused on him. He remembered the artifact. Maybe the beast was his fate.

  He turned his head to the left. Selen slept on his back. The moon’s silver beams gave a white radiance to his willowy body, playing a game of shadows and light along his fine muscles. One of Selen’s hands was delicately folded under his navel. His hair was pushed from behind his back and spread in waves across his chest. Louis looked at his face. His eyes were shut tight, his long lashes twitching. His mouth was slightly open, revealing the white edge of his teeth behind his curved lips. He looked tender and as innocent as a white dove. It only made him more desirable in Louis’s eyes. Louis lay down on his side, facing Selen. He considered everything they had to prepare to be ready to leave in three days.