by R J Kaldanis
“It’s not disrespectful if it’s true, Chastion.” She smirked.
“Aardriyah, Chastion - enough!” Pateras glared at both of them, forcing them to give up their resolve.
“Fine.” Aardriyah muttered, as she paced the small circular room, contemplating further.
“Then there was… Miss Farrow” she paused to think about it. Old Man Teme and Pateras shared a confused glance before the former asked,
“What about her?”
Aardriyah struggled to find the right words,
“She, well she, did my work for me. She cleared out the waste buckets and all without even hesitating.” She finally managed to enunciate. It didn’t seem of much importance on the surface, particularly because Miss Farrow was one of those people who always seemed to be extremely busy pretending to be busy. To anyone who didn’t know her well enough she just seemed like a hard-working woman, which was exactly what Old Man Teme and Pateras assumed in this moment. What Aardriyah had failed to express was the bizarre trance like state Miss Farrow was in when performing the tasks, how Aardriyah didn’t even have to ask for her to assist and how Miss Farrow truthfully never lifted a finger every other day at the inn.
“Right, well that’s a relief I suppose, but it still doesn’t explain the -” Old Man Teme was cut off by Aardriyah before he had a chance to finish.
“Purple… no … amethyst… there was….” she struggled to recall what the memory held, it was a vortex of darkness, strange tribal markings, gold skin and a glowing amethyst eye.
“What did you say?” Teme approached Aardriyah and tried to look into her glazed over eyes. She didn’t respond as she swam back into her mind, retracing the moments that appeared as a lost dream. Old Man Teme grasped both her shoulders and shook her to awareness. She stared blankly up at him, confused as to his sudden urgent questioning. While she was aware he had been talking, she couldn’t recall the beginning of it as he was now rambling at a fast pace,
“- amethyst, the crystal it’s not known how or where, but if that is what you saw, you remember then, well we need to know every detail to write it down and store it, just in case.” He reached into his side leather bag and drew out a book and charcoal. Aardriyah looked around the room, Pateras and Chastion both standing behind Old Man Teme, watching his wild scrawling in the book.
“When did this happen?” He impatiently asked Aardriyah.
“When did what -”
“When did the amethyst crystal find you? Was it attached to someone or something? Where did it find you?” His words started to tumble over each other.
“Amethyst?” Aardriyah questioned.
“Yes, amethyst, the purple crystal you just spoke of!” He exclaimed exasperated by her confusion.
“Aardriyah now is not the time to be quiet or hold back, we must know everything you remember.” Pateras continued in a concerned but far more reserved tone than Teme.
“Alright! I’m trying it’s just that I don’t remember. I only think I saw it, but I’ve had next to no sleep lately and I’m just so stressed by all this talk of Sonas going to the trials that honestly, I can’t tell you if it was real or just… a dream.” She sat down on one of the curved marble benches and placed her head in her hands.
“I’m sorry.” She whispered, sure that her lack of memory was somehow burdening everyone. Chastion sat beside her and placed a palm on her back, trying to soothe her into calmness. She jumped at the touch, his palms were characteristically cold but it had been so long since she had felt his touch, she had forgotten.
“You have nothing to be sorry for.” He quietly spoke to her, yet it felt like a lie. Her whole life she had felt as though she needed to apologise, for her burdensome existence. For being the only unblessed child in the family, for not living up to the expectations Chastion had set. Most of all she was sorry for causing her little sister to see what happened yesterday - a moment she knew would stay with her for years to come. The look of absolute fear and terror in her little sister’s eyes would haunt her forevermore.
“Who are those men that took me? Why are you forcing me into a ship I don't want to be on, away from my family?” She said through newly formed tears. Chastion’s face fell, pained by the accusation that he somehow had anything to do with the current predicament his sister found herself in. He was hurt by the thought that he was somehow forcing her apart from Sonas and Pateras.
“Don’t you understand I’m just so tired, I’m tired and all I want is my bed, my Sonas, my Pateras… my little backwards Island of Veros…Mt Tromos and all... I just want…”
“Comfort” He finished for her and she nodded before placing her head into his chest and crying somewhat uncontrollably, the lack of sleep now really taking a toll on her.
Pateras spoke softly at first,
“I never really told you why I raised you and your mother didn’t, Aardriyah.” He paused, contemplating his next words.
“There are more kinds of magic in this world than most people are aware of. Your mother, well, I worried that she possessed some of this magic and that it would inevitably be the death of you or your little sister.”
Both Aardriyah and Chastion showed their father full attention as he continued.
“From what I can tell, there are very few of that possesses this magic. It seems that perhaps through fate or destiny, most of them have died out, for lack of a better word. I only know about it from the books Chastion finds for me and sends back. Little by little I have been able to piece together a basic understanding of what it is and how it manifests in different individuals. Sometimes it is hard to decipher fact from fiction, some of the stories they are…pure fantasy, surely they have to be.” He paused and looked at his daughter with sad eyes, almost apologetically begging for understanding with what he was about to utter next.
“I have wondered for a long time, if you also have this affliction. See your mother wasn’t always the way she is, I think that perhaps whatever magic it is that you possess didn’t adapt well with her body when she was pregnant with you. Almost as if she was corrupted by it, just as if a water blessed had a fire blessed child within them, the woman would burn from the inside out. I think this type of blessing or magic or whatever it may be, stuck with her in some way. Corrupted her mind, perhaps.”
Old Man Teme interrupted, trying to refocus on the situation at hand and the facts they had,
“Yet there is only one way to be sure just as it seems someone else has become aware.”
“How?” Aardriyah muttered.
“An amethyst crystal test.” Old Man Teme responded quickly, “Administered in the same manner as the other crystal tests, but this one is administered with a rare and elusive crystal, purple in hue - an amethyst. If, as I suspect, it glows purple in your presence, then we can be certain that you are…”
“Cursed” she finished for him. The room fell silent, no one wanting to admit the truth that hung in the air. Aardriyah knew at that moment in time that she had taken being unblessed for granted, that in fact there were far worse fates than possessing no blessing from the gods. She wanted to scream, to damn the creator of all existence to the Netherworld, to run at this very moment and jump from the highest cliff on the island and plunge into darkness forever more. But she couldn’t, not while a sweet girl with white hair sat in the next room, a girl she loved more than she loved herself and would do anything to protect.
If this was all true, if Aardriyah really did have a magic inside her that threatened to corrupt those around her, then she knew that she had to be as far from Sonas and Pateras as possible. Thoughts from the night prior now radiated through her, the screams and cries of Sonas as she begged for Pateras to wake up, begged for the guards to let Aardriyah going and cried as a part of her innocence was stolen from her in that moment. Aardriyah felt sick at the realisation she had unknowingly caused it all.
“What do I do?” She asked, needing some kind of plan, some way to overcome her cursed exi
stence and to put her sister out of harm’s way.
“You need to get as far from your family as possible, they are all at risk if you stay here.”
Old Man Teme said.
“From who?” She asked.
“From whoever has been tracking you with that amethyst crystal and entrancing royal guards to ignore orders from their regent.” Teme continued.
“But who are they? Why only act now?” Chastion started to piece together the information in front of them all. Pateras and Teme shared a glance, before Teme continued.
“We only have suspicions at best, no solid evidence on who they are and what they want. I think it has something to do with your dreams, Aardy. Just as when your mother was pregnant with you, she also had so many sleepless nights as nightmares seemed to invade her mind the more you grew inside her.” Pateras sighed, wishing it wasn’t all making sense and piecing together. He wanted it to all be a coincidence with no basis in fact, but Old Man Teme seemed sure he was correct.
“What we know is they have made their move and we don’t have the luxury of time to continue asking these questions. It’s obvious they can infiltrate all levels, so our best chance to keep you and your family safe is to place you aboard the Royal Fleet, disguised, of course. I have an old friend in Rovik who might be able to help us find some more answers. Right now, that’s the best option we have to keep you safe and figure this all out.” Old Man Teme hastily said, before he rose along with Pateras and strode towards Aardriyah and Chastion.
“I need you to know I wouldn’t ever let you go if I thought there was an option of you staying and being safe.” Pateras took his turn to let the tears well in his eyes,
“But I have failed you as a father, I know I can’t keep you safe, can’t protect you the way I should be able to, so I have to let you go and have faith in Undina that she will keep you safe.” He grabbed his eldest daughter tightly and embraced her in such a way she was sure he didn’t believe he’d see her again. The knowledge of this almost broke her, she felt her knees getting weak as she collapsed into him, giving him every last bit of her heart through the embrace.
“You have never failed me, Pateras, and never will.”
CHAPTER TEN
expectations
The rest of the time spent before boarding the royal fleet was bittersweet. Sonas didn’t need to know the danger her sister was in or the curse that seemed to be manifesting within but keeping the truth from her made Aardriyah feel sick. Sonas deserved to be happy and safe, to continue living life as best she could blissfully unaware of the danger her sister was in or the tainted magic growing within her. So Aardriyah resolved to enjoy their last moments together, impart as much wisdom she could and truly enjoy being in her presence one last time. It was hard to leave her and Pateras, to say goodbye to the two people who made her life worth living, but the thought of putting them at risk made Aardriyah sure that one way or another she needed to be as far from them as possible. With that in mind, she made her way to the docks just before peak sun and found the ship and room she had been assigned to.
The four large galleons that made the United Water Kingdoms Royal Fleet stood proudly in the volcanic soil covered bay. Magnificent flags flew from the top of the mast, while banners of each of the four united water kingdoms were tacked to the sides of each galleon, making them a brilliantly colourful fleet. Aardriyah noticed the banner of Mizu, a blue circle with eight lines stemming out from the centre in a pale blue hue on a white background. The patron animal of Mizu was an octopus, wise and generally docile but strong and fierce enough to ward of potential threat. The banner of Veros nestled beside it, the underside of a breaching whale in navy blue with silver lines down its throat upon a white backdrop, light blue waves lapping the base of the banner. Sia’s banner was simpler with two strips of white triangular shapes across the top and bottom upon a deep blue backdrop, representing the often-deadly stalactites and stalagmites found in the western ice wastes. The last banner, and Aardriyah’s personal favourite, was of Hala. Six lines fell from the top, forming rectangular shapes that peaked in the centre and cascaded to the sides of the uppermost borders. The shapes were coloured in lightening shades of blue, representing the ever-flowing waterfalls spanning the lush green forests of Hala. It was a land that Aardriyah had always wished to visit given the beauty described to her from Chastion’s tales of his adventures in this magical land on the other side of the realm.
Aardriyah searched for her ship, number four, and made her way towards it. She recalled Chastion telling her that the Royal Family never travelled on the same ship for fear of ambush wiping out the entire line. Therefore, they were secretly split up and very few knew which family member was on which ship. However, given Aardriyah’s cover as Princess Kibo’s animal handler she assumed that number four must also be the ship the princess herself travelled on. Kit presently bounced along the docks in front of Aardriyah, chasing the sea gulls from their comfortable perches. His excitedness spurred hope within her, calming the trepidation and fear that was churning away inside.
Placing her trunk down in room sixteen, she took in the scarce surroundings. Two single beds were nestled on either side of the room, a solitary table with two oil lamps sat between the beds while a small wardrobe took up space at the end of the room. Kit’s bed was also present at the end of the bed furthest from the door, so Aardriyah supposed this was her designated bed. Given her lack of sleep over the past two days, she plonked herself down and muttered to Kit,
“Just a few minutes, I promise.”
However, before she knew it she was lost to a deep sleep that not even Kit’s constant nudging could wake her from. The complete exhaustion from two weeks of terrible sleep, meant Aardriyah’s mind didn’t conjure any dreams or nightmares. Instead her mind fell into an infinite darkness, still and quiet, just as she needed.
She awoke several hours later to a woman’s voice and the sensation of being prodded incessantly by a pointy finger. Aardriyah groaned, rolling to her side hoping this would fend off the unwanted disturbance.
“Excuse me, sorry to wake you but I was just wanting to introduce myself.” The voice continued, awakening Aardriyah to her present situation and reminding her that she was not asleep in the same bed she had been in for the past eighteen, almost nineteen, years. Her eyes shot open, looking up to the porthole she could see the sun had set and night was blanketing the sky. As she slowly rose from the bed, still too tired to really function, she yawned and held out a hand. A soft warm hand reached back and shook Aardriyah’s a little too enthusiastically, she thought.
“I’m Rachida, I’m going to be your…. Ship … room … mate? Friend? Ship buddy? Room Pal?” She continued to put words together to try to form conjunction that rolled off the tongue. Aardriyah looked over the loud woman standing in front of her and took in the uniform she wore, same as all others, perhaps a little more immaculately looked after she decided. Atop the nape of her neck stood a ruby red collar with a shining red crystal, indicating she was fire blessed. Rachida was substantially shorter than Aardriyah, coming only to her shoulders at best and had glowing golden brown skin. Her fine mass of dark hair was tied tightly in a bun at the base of her head, a few strands seemed to be non-conforming and were sticking out of place here and there. For the most part Rachida presented an extremely polished and poised exterior. Her eyes were large and full of light, while small dimples impressed on her cheeks as she excitedly spied her other roommate.
“Oh, this must be the Princess’ new friend!” She shrieked as Kit pounced down towards her. She bent down and embraced the canine in a warm embrace, before noticing a prickle or two stuck in the fur. Frowning, she mumbled some words while pulling out the prickles and smoothing the fur back down on Kit.
“Shouldn’t you be staying with the other fire blessed?” Was all Aardriyah managed to get out in her still overwhelmingly tired state.
“Maybe, but they ran out of beds and Master Keelie said that no one h
ad volunteered to share with you so, here I am.” Rachida beamed, now standing to face Aardriyah.
“It’s Riyah Veros, right?” She held out her hand again.
Shaking it, Aardriyah said,
“That’s right.”
“Well Riyah Veros, I’ve just finished my shift and I am absolutely starving so how about we go up and see if anything is left from last meal?” Rachida looked down at Kit and continued,
“You definitely look like you could use some food too!” To which the canine bounced on the spot before making a noise as if he were trying to speak in agreeance, only it came out in muddled whiney noises.
The mess deck on the ship was almost empty by the time Aardriyah and Rachida reached it, only a few other servants and staff were scattered at various wooden tables, slurping down the stew on offer. The women grabbed a bowl each, Rachida grabbed a second one and promptly filled it with stew for Kit who didn’t hesitate a second before gulping it all down. Both women could barely stifle their laughter as the canine pawed the bowl and made a whining noise, begging for more. Of course, neither were immune to his charms, that was abundantly clear as both women eagerly went to pour him more.
After filling their own bowls, they sat at a table with only one other person at the opposite end to them, far enough away that they could eat undisturbed. Aardriyah was enraptured by the food, which surprisingly tasted better than most other meals she could recall. She wasn’t sure if it was because it was the first decent meal she’d had in almost two days or if it was genuinely a well prepared, seasoned stew. Rachida stared on, giggling to herself as she slowly took a spoonful to her mouth, she said,
“Wow! Like dog like owner.”