by Steven Drake
“Kesz welcomes Jerris and Niaries back.” The little white dragon twitched his undersized wings and swiveled his head back and forth. “Welcomes elf friend as well. Kesz does not remember name.”
“Ceres,” the elf woman said politely.
“Yes, Kesz remembers now, quiet one. Jerris’ servant. Kesz wonders, where is dark friend, Dariens?”
Jerris looked down. It still didn’t feel real. He had said the words enough times this evening, and felt weary of repeating them.
“Kesz understands. Very sad, very sad.”
“Kesz, we need a place to stay,” Nia said quietly. “I can’t stay with my grandfather.”
“What has happened?” The glow in Kesz’s eyes seemed to brighten with curiosity, and he raised his head.
“It’s… It’s hard to explain,” Nia said. “Please, Kesz, you always know secret hiding places.”
“Yes, Kesz knows many secrets, will always help his friends. Follow.” The little dragon scurried off into the dark streets, ducking down alleys and weaving through ruined streets, taking a circuitous but deserted route. Jerris and Nia followed, hand in hand, trying to keep up, doing fairly well, though Kesz still had to stop and wait several times.
Within a few minutes, they reached the gaping tunnel where the beast army had entered Kilnar. The main hall still tilted on its side, slowly sliding into the tunnels of the gloom crawlers. The entrance to the tunnel had suffered further collapse at some point, and the path was narrower, but Kesz led them safely underground. They passed into the storeroom below the great hall.
Kesz led them to a spot on the far wall, took a stone from a pocket, and then tapped it against the wall. The stone flickered blue for a moment, then something clicked, and a section of wall swung inwards. Kesz led them down a dark and narrow hallway. Jerris conjured a light in his hand. There appeared to be side passages on either side of the hall. Jerris stopped to shine the light in one, only to realize that they were not side passages at all, but narrow alcoves, just large enough to accommodate a sleeping person. Jerris found himself staring into the eyes of a very surprised lower caste dragon, who unexpectedly jumped up and gave Jerris an odd-looking salute he did not recognize or understand, but which he returned anyway.
“Kesz what is this place?” Nia asked.
“Secret tunnels. Not enough beds up above, so Kesz sleeps down here with a few friends. Kesz does not trust big dragons, always finds his own place to sleep. Not very comfortable, but very quiet, very secret.”
“It’s fine Kesz,” Jerris said. “This is just what we needed. Thank you for your help.”
Kesz led them to an unoccupied alcove where some blankets had already been laid down. Though it was only a few blankets over hard stone, Jerris felt sincere gratitude. “Nia, you can take this one. I’ll take the next.”
“I want to stay with you,” Nia said. She clutched Jerris hand tighter and pulled close. He felt Nia’s aura push against him, like an incessant plea for closeness. It felt like when their auras had somehow joined together after they had found the Star Sword. Before he could think to resist, he felt his aura open to her and hers to him. He again felt the odd and exhilarating sensation of having a second person inside of his own mind. For a few seconds, he reveled in the warmth of touching Nia’s spirit. After several seconds, he suddenly felt a twinge of fear as he realized he had no idea what was happening to him or why. He pulled away, only to be assaulted by a sudden sense of loneliness and loss. A few seconds passed as he tried to compose himself, but the fear lingered like a warning in his mind. What is happening to me, to us, Jerris wondered? Is this something the Star Sword is doing? Is it something I’m doing with my magic?
“Nia, I’ll be close by,” Jerris said regretfully. He wanted nothing more than to hold Nia close, to feel her warmth. It would certainly make the cold cave a good deal less unpleasant. Still, though Ceres had been more supportive lately, he did not want to push his luck. Sleeping together, even if sleeping was all they did, seemed to cross a line. “It will be alright. Kesz and his friends are all around us. We’re safe here.”
Nia instead turned around to face Ceres. As the light struck her face, Jerris noticed a rather strange look. She seemed almost absent, somehow lost in thought. It seemed rather an odd moment to be distracted. She had to have heard what they were talking about, but she looked like her mind was hundreds of leagues distant.
“Ceres, please let me stay with Jerris,” Nia asked plaintively.
Ceres only nodded weakly. “Alright, I’ll be nearby if you require anything.” Jerris jaw almost dropped to the floor. Ceres had said it almost absent mindedly, as though she were preoccupied with something else. After the weeks of constantly trying to keep him away from Niarie, what had changed her mind? Ceres had not known Nia was half-elven until recently, but still, this reaction shocked him. Jerris’ mouth moved but no words came out. Had he really heard that correctly?
“Kesz, is this next one occupied?” Ceres asked as she pushed past Jerris and turned into another alcove. Jerris stood for a moment, waiting for Ceres to change her mind.
“Hmm, are Jerris and Niaries well?” Kesz asked. “Kesz gives best blankets to friends.”
“No, Kesz, it’s wonderful, thank you,” Nia said. “We’re so grateful.” Then Nia pulled on Jerris hand. She laid down on the blankets and Jerris laid behind her, wrapping his arms around her stomach, clasping her to him, just as he had when he had managed to pull her out of the raging river. He wrapped the blankets around him, and immediately felt sleep pulling on him. It had been a long and arduous day. He took just a few moments to enjoy the feeling of being close to Nia again, before he allowed sleep to claim him.
Chapter 8: Hiding in the Dark
Niarie woke up with Jerris’ arms wrapped around her, enjoying the closeness as exhaustion had prevented her from doing the previous night. Had it been night? Was this the morning? In the utter darkness of the caves beneath Kilnar, who could say? Only the sound of Jerris’ breath and her own interrupted the silence. She felt his exhalations tickle the hairs on the back of her neck and stifled a giggle. She pressed herself backwards into him, reveling in the shared warmth, recalling the time he had pulled her from the river and held her for warmth, so determined not to let go.
She had nothing to hold onto except Jerris now. She could not go back to Trinium, nor could she stomach the idea of following Geoffray. Thanks to him, everyone would know her secret, everyone would know she carried elf blood. The very thing she had feared since learning of her origins had come to pass, all because of words carelessly spoken in a tense situation. It hurt less than she expected, perhaps because of Jerris, but perhaps because she could no longer imagine living among people who thought so little of elves, having to hide what she was, turning away at every hateful comment, pretending she didn’t hear.
What mattered now was the future, and she now could not imagine a future without Jerris at her side. Though she had known him only a few weeks, he had quickly become the most important person in her world, and the only person she could trust. Over the course of the journey, they had grown close. Jerris had saved her life, and she had saved his. They had fought together, and found the Star Blade, a moment that now burned brightly in her memory. She remembered the complete fear of that moment, when she had grasped the sword, then been unable to let go, the sensation of having her soul pulled out through her hand. All that terror had ended when Jerris had embraced her, and kissed her. At that moment, she had felt something so strange, as though their two auras had joined as one. She had felt a mingling of energies, an intense and sudden intimacy. That moment, that feeling, would stay with her forever.
Much to her surprise, it had happened again, the previous evening, when she had felt the intense need to be close to him, to have his warmth beside her through the night. She felt certain Jerris had felt it as well, but she had yet to say anything about it. How could she, with Ceres watching constantly?
After several minutes, she finally s
tarted to get uncomfortable, and decided it was time to move. She took Jerris’ hands in her own, and unclasped them from her waist. He stirred almost immediately. She had not intended to wake him, but now that it was done, there was much to talk about.
“Nia, are you awake?” Jerris groggily asked.
“Yes, do you know what time it is?”
“No idea. I suppose I should ask Ceres.” Jerris lit up a ball of light in his hand, and the dark cave walls suddenly brightened and came into focus, though in truth, there was little to see, only stark gray rocks above and below. “Ceres?” Jerris called. The elf bodyguard appeared quickly just outside the small alcove where she and Jerris had slept.
“Good morning, Prince Jerris, Niarie,” she said, remarkably politely.
“What time is it?” Jerris asked.
“Not certain down here, but I’d guess mid-morning. The dragons left a while ago, probably for their daily duties.”
“Well, what should we do now?” Jerris said dejectedly. “We have the Star Sword, but now what?”
“Didn’t Darien have a plan?” Nia asked tentatively. “I thought he must have.”
“Not that he told me,” Jerris said. “And I guess if he did have one, he would have told me. The only thing we know is that we have to get to the Demon King. If we can strike him with the Star Sword, even a small cut, it should drain his power.”
“Will that work if Darien is dead?” Ceres asked.
“Damn, that’s a good question,” Jerris said, suddenly realizing that had never occurred to him. “Darien must have thought so. He didn’t seem to be worried if he died as long as we got this.”
“Well, I’m not convinced.” Ceres folded her arms across her chest. “He complains about our faith in the prophecy, but he put a great deal of faith in his own. Perhaps he only sees what he wants to see. He wanted to die, so it was easy to believe it. Then again, perhaps he simply placed his faith in you, Jerris.” Jerris gulped nervously. Nia took his hand and squeezed it. He smiled over at her. “So, what do you think we should do, my liege?”
“Well, perhaps we should return to Kadanar,” Jerris said. “But we should be careful. I’m worried about Geoffray. I don’t know what his plans are, and I don’t want to be anywhere near him. He’s upset about not being able to search for the Demon Sword, and he doesn’t seem to like us very much,” Jerris continued. “Ceres, why don’t you go scout the city, see what he’s up to. Check on Violet as well. I haven’t had a chance to see her.”
“As you command,” Ceres said with a nod. Then she disappeared into the darkness.
“Wait,” Nia said. “Can you open the door?”
“Yes. They open from the inside without magic, but Kesz gave me a stone anyway. I’ve been awake for a while.” Ceres voice echoed from around the corner. Nia relaxed, and Ceres’ footsteps resumed. Nia heard the door creek open and then shut. Finally, they were alone.
“I have to ask you something.” Nia and Jerris blurted it out almost simultaneously, then both giggled.
“You first,” Niarie said.
“Alright, well, umm… when we found the Star Sword…” Jerris face was beet red and the conjured light in his hand flickered dangerously, as he seemed to be having difficulty concentrating. “Well, when we, you know…”
“When you kissed me,” Nia smiled
“Yes, well, when we kissed I felt something strange, then last night, I felt it again, like something with my magic.” He did feel it. Nia’s heart felt lighter now the she knew she was not going crazy. “It felt like my magic and yours, I don’t know, connected somehow.”
“I felt it too,” Nia said. Jerris immediately sighed, and the light in his hand grew stronger. “It felt like our auras blended together, like we were, joined, or something.” It felt strange to say, and the words were almost embarrassing. Nia had never experienced intimacy with a man. She had kissed a few boys, more out of curiosity than out of genuine attraction. It had been an uninspiring experience, and she had mostly lost interest. It was easy to wonder now if that had to do with her elven heritage. As a half-elf, would she fall in love only once? With Jerris, everything had become so intense so quickly. Every time he so much as held her hand, she felt light, as if she could fly. She had resisted it, tried to suppress her feelings for Jerris even as the enchantment on her blood suppressed her elven nature. She had even promised Darien to stay away from Jerris, and she had meant it at the time. She had tried to put it behind her, dismiss it as a simple infatuation, but now it had gone far beyond that. Whatever it was, it felt wonderful, and she wanted more, so much more.
“We should be careful,” Jerris said. “It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy it. It felt wonderful to be so close to you, but we don’t know anything about this. It could be something dangerous. It may even be a side effect of the sword.” Nia reached down and touched the ebony hilt of the Star Sword. She had never thought of that possibility, but it did make some sense. She had first felt that sensation when she had taken the Star Sword.
“You’re right,” Nia said. “We shouldn’t do it again, if we can help it, but we can do this.” She grabbed Jerris shirt and pulled him forward into a passionate kiss. He did not resist, and matched her passion. The light in Jerris’ hand fizzled out, and they were plunged into darkness. Nia felt her mage aura flicker under the pressure of Jerris power pressing against her. She struggled against an intense desire to be closer, to feel her spirit join with his. All she had to do was let go, drop her resistance, and her spirit would join with his, fusing two passionate souls into one, flooding her with that sense of connection that she craved. It was almost agony, but she resisted, and the moment passed. She exhaled, and leaned back, opening her eyes.
“This is going to be hard,” Jerris said as he rubbed his head.
“Yes, we should practice.” Nia smiled and leaned it to kiss Jerris again. This time they fell over on to the blankets and continued to exchange kisses for several minutes, and it did indeed become easier to resist the strange force that seemed to pull them together. As Nia savored the feeling of Jerris lips upon hers, she felt free. No more secrets, no more doubts, no more deceptions and lies. She had lost everything she had ever known, but she had gained something she had never realized she wanted.
Ceres returned a few hours later to report all was well, and they debated what to do. Everyone agreed that the safest course was to wait for the Golden Shield forces to leave before they emerged from hiding, so they settled into a routine. Ceres spent the days keeping track of what was going on in the city, while Jerris and Nia remained in the cave. Sitting day after day in the caves proved mind-numbingly boring, but Ceres retrieved a few books for them to read, and they took turns reading to one another. The down time also allowed their injuries to heal more quickly, and they caught up on the many hours of missed sleep that had accumulated during the journey.
Ceres kept them appraised of the progress, and after about a week, it seemed that Geoffray had gotten most everything prepared for departure. Nia looked forward to it. She wanted very much to speak with her grandfather, at least to tell him one final goodbye, and it seemed as that would come soon. On the sixth day, however, an agitated Ceres returned early, interrupting a particularly passionate moment between the two young lovers. Nia got up quickly, and ran her fingers through her hair in an effort to make herself as presentable as possible.
“You’re back early today, Ceres. What’s wrong?” Jerris asked.
“The Golden Shield forces are preparing to withdraw,” Ceres said, “but your bearcat, Violet, is gone.”
“What? Gone? Did she run off?”
“No, I managed to find Kesz, and he said that he checked in on her last night. I asked around and finally heard a rumor that someone had seen her north of town.”
“That’s so strange,” Jerris remarked. “Why would she leave?”
“She is a wild animal, after all,” Ceres said. “We could just let her go.”
“If she really has run away, I suppos
e that’s her choice. I’m not going to keep her as a slave the way Zariel did,” Jerris said. “Still, it’s rather odd that she stayed this long only to leave now. It doesn’t make sense. I hope she doesn’t think I abandoned her.” Jerris drummed his fingers along the stone wall. “She’s my responsibility, and if she’s loose, she might hurt someone, so I think we should at least search, if you think the city is safe.”
“For us it should be,” Ceres said. “The Golden Shield are preparing to leave. Most of them are gathered around the south gate. We can avoid them if we’re careful.”
“Alright, let’s go,” Nia said.
“Not you,” Jerris said. “I’m still worried that they’ll be looking for you. They don’t know about this place.”
“Jerris?” Nia hesitated. She really did want to stay with him. She did not want to be alone. “Do you have to go then?”
“I could search alone,” Ceres said. “But what would I do if I found her? Jerris is the only one with the ability to control the animal.”
“Hmm…” Jerris said. “Good point.”
“Let’s get going,” Ceres said. “A proper search will take hours, and it’s already past mid-morning.”
“Alright,” Nia nodded reluctantly. “Good luck.”
Jerris and Ceres stood and left the secret cave. Nia heard the stone door make a slight scraping sound as it opened then shut. Alone in darkness, the only sound Nia heard was the soft sound of her own breath. Occasionally she would hear a distant thumping from somewhere above, some evidence of the construction that continued in Kilnar. Without Jerris, she had no one to talk to, and nothing to do but wait. She laid down on the blankets, hoping to pass the time with a nap, but sleep proved elusive. Soon she heard the soft scraping sound of the door opening again. Strange, it seemed only a few minutes had passed, though it was hard to say in the darkness. Certainly, it could not have been longer than an hour. Perhaps they gave up.