by Selva, SK
“We’ll need a distraction.”
Aaryav kicked at a small stone wall in frustration, pain shooting through his hooves. There was no way they would get past those guards without someone seeing them.
Veeran watched Aaryav hop around, holding his foot in pain. There had to be something they could do. He tried to drown out the sounds from the crowded courtyard, the many conversations distracting him.
Veeran looked up with a sudden idea, turning to Aaryav, who understood immediately. His eyes widened as he brought his hoof down.
“No,” he said. “You’re not doing that.”
“Why not?” argued Veeran. “What bigger distraction can there be than a demon suddenly appearing?”
“First of all, you’re supposed to be locked up in my hut.”
“Aaryav, it was a huge risk to come here already. You convinced me. You’ve done your part, and now I can do mine. We can’t turn back now. I do this and run. You get the map.”
“It’s too dangerous. There’s got to be another way.”
“We don’t have the time.”
They had slowly inched their way toward Karnan’s chambers. With all the creatures that came in and out of the library, it was a wonder the centaur leader never got distracted.
“I’m going to do it,” said Veeran, raising his hands.
Aaryav slapped his arms down. “No, you’re not.”
Veeran stepped back several steps. “Get the map. Meet me in the woods,” he said as he began to lower his hood again.
As quickly as he had reached up, another pair of hands pulled his hood back over his head and held it there. He struggled to fight it off, twisting and turning his body, but the powerful arms did not budge. Aaryav stood rooted to the spot, fear the only thing he could feel at that moment. He was not looking at Veeran, but at the creature behind him. Veeran did not realize he had his eyes closed as he slowly forced them open.
The biggest centaur they had ever seen was staring back at them. Aaryav knew who it was.
Karnan was back.
CHAPTER 2 2
***
T halia had to blink several times to make sure what she saw happening was real. Turning away, hoping against hope, she looked back in time to see Veeran and Aaryav racing in the direction of the Yonder Gate.
It didn’t take a genius to know where they were going.
It amazed her to see Aaryav being so reckless. For someone who had always followed every order he had ever been issued, this was a terrible time to start disobeying. What’s worse was bringing Veeran along, possibly the most wanted creature in the land.
She turned back toward Aaryav's home to see two unicorns from Balaraj’s class standing guard by the door, reloading arrows back into their quivers.
“What do you think is happening?”
Thalia shifted over to allow her roommate to look out the window as well. Fara’s beauty was known throughout Marutam, enhanced by her leadership of the dancers. Thalia had only felt so lucky to have her as a mentor when she first came to Ilemuria and stayed with her ever since.
“I think they’re guarding Veeran,” she said.
“You know, I’m surprised by how he acted last night.”
“Veeran?”
“No, Balaraj.”
Thalia’s brow furrowed as her roommate offered her a warm cup of tea.
“Roshna has had her back against the wall ever since she allowed Veeran in,” said Fara, sipping on her own drink. “But you know what, I think that’s what Samara would have done. You don’t become revered as the real queen of the land without knowing what to do in times like this.”
“But we weren’t around when she was.”
“Oh, I know, and neither were most of the villagers. But we still feel her presence to this day, and that is the mark of a true leader. You can see how well she set up Roshna and what she meant to Marutam. I know Roshna is doing the same for you.”
Thalia blushed. “I’m nowhere near Roshna.”
“You don’t have to be,” said Fara. “You are Thalia.”
It was amazing how Fara seemed to dance even as she walked, grace in her every step.
Thalia plucked a small feather from her back and whispered softly to it, sending maybe the most important message she had ever needed.
Maybe Aaryav had a point and it was time to do what she thought was right instead of what was ordered.
*
It had been a long time since Balaraj felt this happy. He had hoped never to see another demon again. He would never forget the years of pain he suffered because of them. He promised never to forgive them for what had happened to Sonia.
Not today, though. Justice was finally going to be served.
It had taken one of his students nearly being killed to finally make others leaders see reason. A shame it had come to that, but if that was what was needed, at least he finally had proof. Nothing short of banishment forever would serve as a proper punishment.
Balaraj glanced at Roshna and felt a twinge of regret. She would surely be asked to step down as leader of the unicorn tribe after this. She has proven that she was not impartial, no matter her history. Bringing that demon to their village was an unforgivable mistake.
He would immediately assume the leadership. There was simply no one else. Perhaps he could keep Roshna on as a minor advisor. She had paid her dues, and Balaraj did not want to be heartless. At least she would have learned a valuable lesson and never doubt him again.
The billowing smoke from the ancient towers signaled Tirakan was close by. The sound of curious and tense chatter was a delight to his ears. The other creatures were wondering why they were there, questions and rumors flying about, each more unbelievable than the last.
Hemadri was already waiting. Roshna excused herself.
“Blast it,” said the troll. “If you ever were going to apologize in your life, it better be for waking me at this godforsaken hour. I had barely laid down before arising for this.”
“It will all be worth it. Trust me.”
The courtyard was crowded. No one wanted to miss such an important event, especially after what happened the last time. The sound of several hooves silencing the worried conversations signaled Karnan’s arrival.
“You will make sure he is banned, won’t you?” asked Balaraj.
“I will listen to all arguments,” responded the centaur. “However, my goal here is to make sure the king is aware of something I have noticed. I was the one that called this meeting, so it is of the utmost importance that we discuss what I have found out.”
“There cannot be anything more important than banning the demon. Imagine if he attended the games, with all the magic flowing between the participants and spectators. It would be a feast for him.”
“We will see what the best course of action is.”
The hesitancy in Karnan’s voice annoyed Balaraj.
If he’s not going to help, then I’ll need to convince others as well.
Several ogres and orcs grunted nearby, seeing Balaraj approach. The merpeople beside them strained their ears to hear better, while even the leprechauns looked over curiously.
Hemadri felt a reassuring arm on his shoulder as Karnan looked at him with solemn eyes.
“He’s rallying more to his cause, old friend,” said the centaur.
“And he should. You know how dangerous the demons are.”
“How dangerous they were.”
Karnan had never shied away from making the difficult decisions, but it still never got any easier. He excused himself to find the one creature he needed to talk to more than ever. Thankfully, Roshna was not too far away, speaking with Yachana.
“Praise Ilemuria you’re here,” she said, embracing her old friend.
“Are you all right?” asked Karnan, holding her tight.
“I’ve had better days, but we need to have a plan for this.”
It was the Roshna that Karnan wanted to see, the determination and assertiveness from the one leader
he trusted above all others.
“What do you have in mind?” asked Yachana.
“We need to ensure he doesn’t interrupt the meeting,” said Roshna. “Not just for the sake of the unicorn tribe, but for all of Ilemuria.”
“But doesn’t the king know and trust Balaraj?” Yachana questioned.
“He does,” said Karnan, “but we need to be united.”
A heavy creak announced the opening of the doors to the castle. The all too familiar path to the council seats used to be a joyous walk, but not today. Each step felt forced to Karnan, dreading the very stage upon which he would cheer with the land’s finest creatures. His usual seat felt different somehow as he sat down, the weight of his discovery adding more pressure to the groaning legs of the chair.
Roshna scanned the crowd carefully, attempting to locate her fellow unicorn without much success. Maybe it was for the best. Seeing him had made her blood boil, and now was not the time to show a loss of control.
A roar of wind greeted the meeting chambers as King Nahusha flew down. His powerful landing nearly created a hole in the stage. Not a single creature spoke in the crowded auditorium.
The king was not happy.
“There are a few points I’d like to discuss, but I will let my council speak first,” he said, his voice a lot calmer than his expression. “Karnan, you called this meeting, so please advise.”
The centaur leader was not listening, though. His eyes were transfixed by the kingdom’s official scales, sitting calmly, as though mocking him.
They were perfectly balanced.
“Karnan?”
“Apologies, Raja,” said Karnan, taking a moment to focus himself. “For centuries, centaurs have been at one with Ilemuria and its nature. I remind you that we are the ones who created the balancing scales at first. I look to your scales and see a perfect balance, but that is not what I see with my ancient set. The original scale. We are close to tipping. There can be only one reason. We are using magic, but the land is not getting it back. It is going somewhere, and we need to find out where. Perhaps we can add urgency to this.”
King Nahusha had not flinched. “The official scale shows a clear balance. I do hope you have another reason for calling this,” he said without a hint of worry.
Karnan had never felt a chill in his spine this deeply. Why is he taking this so lightly?
“We have an update on Veeran.”
A murmur went through the crowd. Who is Veeran?
The king stared down Karnan, unblinking. “I see.”
Balaraj was furious with Karnan. He was clearly trying to protect the demon boy with some false narrative on the magic balance. To interrupt the council or the king was almost a treacherous act, but sometimes justice required breaking a few rules. He began to rise. But then...
“Who’s Veeran?” asked a rather rude-looking orc in the audience.
Balaraj patiently held his tongue.
“It’s a demon,” shouted a troll, standing up. Balaraj recognized him as one of the guards to the Great Vayil. “He tried to sneak into the land in disguise. What has he done?”
“A demon is in the land, and we have not been informed?” another voice added.
“How could you not tell?” The leprechaun leader jumped as high as he could to be noticed. “He was at Kiramam Square.”
“Orcs need telling!”
Balaraj could feel his smile grow wider as chaos began to ensue. The orcs lifted their clubs angrily while the dwarves pointed fingers at the trolls. The leprechauns threw their hats to the ground as the ogres stomped loudly, creating cracks in the floors. It was exactly what Balaraj wanted.
“Every clan in the council knew, but they couldn’t tell us non-council tribes. Think you’re better than us? With your high-caste council seats?”
“Why don’t you all go defeat the demons on your own then? We fought them off!”
Karnan glared furiously at the fighting tribes. He had always made it a point to have his villagers learn how magic worked in the land and how it needed to be balanced. It could not be any more obvious that the other clans did not value this education as highly. It was clear that the council seats had become so precious that these other clans were willing to sacrifice anything to get one, including the knowledge they should be passing down to their youth.
The room began to tremble as several orcs and ogres were now flailing their clubs as they argued. Several smaller creatures quickly ran for cover.
A loud roar filled the auditorium, followed by a deadly silence. King Nahusha was not about to let his meeting get out of order.
You did not want to anger a raging dragon.
“I have heard you all,” he commanded. “Now it is my turn to talk and ask questions.”
The king lowered his gaze to Roshna. “What happened?”
Before Roshna could say anything, Balaraj stood bravely.
“If I may be so bold, your Grace,” he said. “Roshna was not present at the time, but I was. I believe it would be better to hear from me.”
An irate Roshna began to protest, but to her enormous surprise, a strong but gentle arm was laid on her shoulder. Karnan was holding her back. His emerald eyes bore down on Roshna imploringly. It took everything she could to back down.
“Balaraj,” said the king. “You were ever a loyal warrior for the unicorn clan and our land. I will never forget how much you fought for us. Please tell us what occurred.”
There were gasps and whispers as Balaraj recited a gripping tale of bravery from a young unicorn and how he stood up to the wickedness of the demon. Had it not been for the quick work of his men, they would have surely lost their young hero, who had fought valiantly.
“I understand you instructed Roshna to imprison the demon boy in his hut, but I do not believe this is enough. Even now my trusted men are guarding him at the risk of their own lives. We need to do what’s best for the land and banish him outright, never allowing another one in again.”
His words were met with thunderous cheers as the other creatures in the audience roared and stamped their approval.
“Thank you for your counsel, Balaraj,” said the king. The light from the torches could not hide his gloomy demeanor.
“My kingdom, a grave tragedy has occurred. However, this is the time that we must show our strength as leaders, as creatures and as Ilemurians! We will be continuing with the Vlatta Potti. Please ensure that your best warriors, racers, and mages are ready. You will all hear of our decision with the demon after I have discussed this with my council. Balaraj, I would be grateful if you joined us.”
Balaraj delightfully watched as the auditorium began to empty out with curious creatures as he made his way to the stage. One of the dragon disciples brought him a chair, in which he happily sat. Not even the deep, distrusting look on Roshna’s face could bring down his mood.
This is where I belong.
The curtains closed as everyone turned to the king.
“Raja, this is most unjust,” began Roshna.
Karnan gripped her shoulder tighter, but she was not going to back down now. She was annoyed at the king for giving in so easily. She was infuriated with Karnan for stopping her from defending Veeran. Most of all, she was enraged with Balaraj, the man who was responsible for the death of her sister.
“You let the other leaders listen to Balaraj’s council and not ours? How often do new creatures to the land lose control of their magic without training, especially in battle? Not one clan leader here can argue that it hasn’t happened. This is why we educate our young ones about the land and how the energy works. So that they can understand the dangers. Veeran was not trained in battle. It was irresponsible of Balaraj to force him into that training drill.”
“How dare you accuse me of irresponsibility after you brought that thing here!” shouted Balaraj.
“It does not matter what those other leaders think. They are not on the council and therefore not in our caste. You cannot continue to protect the demon after wha
t he’s done.” Hemadri had joined in.
“What do you know? Not like your clan even teaches magic and control. And shut up about caste!” retorted Yachana, not backing down.
“Enough!”
The room filled with smoke, embers flowing steadily from the corners of the king’s snout. Not a single creature moved, waiting dangerously for the smog to vanish.
“We are the council and the government of this land. If we lose control, it is Ilemuria that suffers. I will not have you all acting like this.”
“Yes, Raja,” they responded.
The tension in the room could be felt even by the dragon disciples that were waiting outside.
“Roshna,” began the king. “I tasked you with watching over Veeran. You remember our agreement? I even came myself to make sure you could handle it. Unfortunately, I do not feel you did as well as I would have expected from you.”
The unicorn leader bit her tongue, her rage burning hotter than the king’s own flames. The lies Balaraj had spread during the meeting had clearly gone to the king’s head and confused him.
“Raja,” she said, “I ask that you judge Veeran at his trial based on his actions and not his clanship.”
“Thank you,” said King Nahusha. “Is there anyone else who wishes to advise me? Be warned, I will only listen to those who speak in a calm manner.”
Hemadri did not hesitate. “Raja, Balaraj came to us after the incident because Roshna would not do anything to protect their clan. It was Karnan who sent the call for the Sammelanam Karoti. If you had not told Roshna to imprison the boy, he would be walking the streets of Marutam as we speak.”
“If I may interject, Raja,” began Yachana. “It is a great pride to use magic in this land. Understanding the system and how it works is of the utmost importance for any creature. It is evident that some clans have been neglectful in this regard. If Veeran was indeed put into an intense magical battle without any prior training, it is irresponsible of the teacher.”
“I have explained what he was able to do without training,” said Balaraj. “Imagine what he would have done with it. Just picture how dangerous he would be if the land and its elements began to trust him.”