by Selva, SK
“Maybe you should have a talk with Roshna before you leave for Kiramam Square,” Fara suggested. “See how we can further our support for her.”
“She’s been hiding in her room ever since she got back,” said Thalia sadly. “I really thought my strength would be enough to get her out of her misery. I’ve been trying to rally those on our side all day, but they’re just too scared of the dragons. What more can we do?”
“Endure,” said Fara. “Hard times come for all of us, but more so those we always perceived to be so strong.”
“I know your dance team has been decimated with those who have quit to show support for Balaraj. How do you get those who stayed behind to work together? I’ve been out all this time, trying to get people to stop fighting, but they’re all just so scared.”
“And what do you think?”
Thalia stopped packing and looked at her roommate.
“Veeran and Aaryav are out there for a reason, and it could be more important than the games. May the land help them, wherever they are.”
“May the land help us all.”
Fara’s constant comforting words to Thalia was why they were such good friends. It was then she realized that maybe this was something Roshna needed too.
“I need to go see Roshna before I leave. Good luck with the opening ceremonies,” she said, making her way to the door.
“I wish you luck in whatever is coming,” said Fara.
Thalia shuddered as she roamed to the embassy. Several unicorns had already left for Kiramam Square. It seemed the safest place away from the demon threat. The silence in Marutam left her with a twinge of sadness, unable to remember the last time the village had not been happy.
The dragons continued their patrol, eyeing every little movement. Ignoring them, Thalia continued her march to Roshna’s quarters.
She had always loved coming to the library. Being fluent in Agastya was a must for those who wished to do well in magic. The land showed more trust in those that asked in its native tongue. The door to the leader’s quarters stood in front of her as she passed the many books. A couple of loud knocks rang through the hallway as she waited patiently.
“Come in.”
Thalia turned the doorknob and walked in. A disheveled Roshna sat upon the only chair that could be found. Books were littered all over the floor, and pages had been torn out. There was no room to walk without stepping on something as Thalia tiptoed closer to her leader.
“We’ll need to get to Kiramam Square soon,” said Thalia. “The opening ceremony is tomorrow evening.”
“Ah, yes,” said Roshna. “If you could just give me a moment.”
Old feathers and rocks littered the floor. Her once beautiful plumage lacked its usual fullness.
“Is everything all right?” Thalia asked.
Roshna’s head sank. “No,” she said. “Things are not alright.”
A cold silence filled the once warm room.
“The villagers have turned on each other,” said Thalia, despite herself. “It’s a good thing they’ve all started to leave for Kiramam Square. Don’t think they’d fight with each other over there.”
Even though she had come here to show Roshna her support, it felt good to air out her own frustrations.
“I suppose we could call ourselves lucky,” said Roshna.
“Not we,” Thalia blustered on. “I. What have you been doing up here? Do you know how hard it is to try to keep peace in this village? They’re at each other’s throats.”
Roshna did not answer.
“Veeran and Aaryav are missing while the whole land is looking for them. I don’t know how the games are going to happen with all these dragon guards. But that doesn’t matter. I’ve needed you the last few days, and you’ve been nowhere to help.”
“It must have been very hard for you,” said Roshna.
“You have no idea! I’ve lost friends over this. I know Veeran is a good kid, but I don’t know how much more I can handle leading this village.”
Roshna looked up with a sad smile. “I understand how you must be feeling,” she said.
“How could you?”
“Because you sound exactly like I did when Samara left me alone all those years ago.”
Thalia could feel all the air leave her lungs as she gulped.
“Oh yes,” Roshna continued. “She left me in charge of this village just days after my sister’s death. I had to deal with an infuriated Balaraj and a land that was not lending us any magic. Samara had left to find out whatever it was Ravanan wanted. Her support for him never wavered, and she never complained. At the time, I did not understand why.”
Thalia’s eyes did not leave the ground, her head hung in shame.
“I do now, though,” Roshna continued. “Samara needed to know the truth, no matter how terrible it was. How else were we going to save the land?”
“Are Veeran and Aaryav okay?” asked Thalia, finally finding her voice.
“I sincerely hope so.”
As the moments passed, Thalia wanted nothing more than the floor to swallow her whole.
“Sorry,” she said softly.
“No need,” said Roshna. “I said much worse to Samara.”
Despite everything, a small smile escaped Thalia’s lips.
“I’m glad you’re here, actually,” said the unicorn leader. “We need to go to Kiramam Square and meet up with some important creatures.”
“Me too?”
“I can think of no one better.”
Still extremely embarrassed about her outburst, Thalia grabbed her bag and helped Roshna pack hers.
Guess leadership is more than what happens when creatures are watching, thought Thalia. She’s clearly been formulating a plan and not sitting around. I need to be better. Leadership is more what happens when you are alone.
As they made their way to the Yonder Gate, Thalia watched a lonely leaf float through the empty village. It seemed as though not a single unicorn was going to stay behind. Only the few dragon guards remained.
“Do you think Veeran is in danger?” Thalia asked.
“I think we all are,” said Roshna as they stepped through the gates.
*
Balaraj tugged at the wooden barricade over one of the small entrances to Kiramam Square. It did not budge. Satisfied, he left several ogres as guards. They were too incompetent for the bigger assignments, but he needed the numbers. He could never be too careful.
“We’ll need to station more guards at the main entrance,” he said as they arrived at the central fountain. Several creatures were waiting, hoping to be assigned to his important tasks. “If he tries to come in, we’ll need to subdue him.”
“Still don’t understand why you think he would be stupid enough to come to the games, but we have already staffed them accordingly,” said Hemadri.
They had recruited help from the ogres, orcs, and goblins. The pixies and griffins patrolled the sky, looking for any sign of a flying creature they did not expect. The unicorns were told to arrive on foot so as not to cause any trouble.
Hemadri had assigned his best men as leaders of different groups, manning different stations within the village itself. Their required hourly reports had not yielded any information deemed useful.
“Are the leprechauns still monitoring our messaging network?” asked Balaraj.
“Yes,” said Hemadri. “Nothing from the demon boy or Aaryav. They haven’t been seen at any of the nearby Yonder Gates either.”
He lowered his voice to a hushed whisper. “Also, I don’t understand why you made me tell them to start monitoring Karnan and Roshna. They haven’t sent anything to each other. Do you know much I had to bribe them to keep that secret?”
Balaraj did not answer, choosing to meet the group of ogres that had arrived through the main entrance.
“We have not seen any trace of them outside,” said Drok. “Every entrance is heavily manned.”
“We will need to make sure we keep our guard during the game
s as well,” said Hemadri, scurrying over.
I grow weary of waiting.
Balaraj excused himself and walked to his rooms. With all creatures staying in Kiramam Square for the games, it had been almost impossible to get private quarters for those who weren’t competing. Fortunately, Balaraj had entered the battle games himself and was allowed to stay at the competitors’ lodging. He slowly dragged his tired legs back to his lonely dwelling, ensuring that the door was shut firmly behind him.
Balaraj walked over to the water basin to splash his face. He took a deep drink and stared back at his own reflection, knowing that he was never alone.
“If the boy is not here yet,” said Balaraj, “perhaps he is not coming. Maybe we should leave and explore the land. If you’re able to sense him, then we can find him easily.”
“No,” his reflection responded. “I do not have the power for that. My shadow will return. We need to be near the strongest creatures always, to feed off their magic. The demon will come to us.”
“What makes you so sure?”
The darkness that fell was now soothing, a most comforting tenderness. Balaraj glanced behind him and saw nothing. He turned back to the water, regarding the shadow that had suddenly appeared beside his reflection.
“Master,” it huffed. “I’m sorry I could not come quicker.”
“You found them?”
“Yes,” the shadow hissed, “but they proved too strong. Poombuhar empowered the demon boy, but all is not lost. I told them our plan with the unicorn leader.”
“You told them?” hissed Balaraj’s reflection.
“Yes. They’ll surely come now to try to save her.”
“I see.”
Balaraj lost whatever sympathy he might have felt as the pitiful shadow groveled.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t bring them to you, master.”
“You have failed, and that cannot go unpunished. You were always so weak. I have no need for you.”
Balaraj had to shield his eyes as an enormous flame erupted from the water. He plugged his ears, trying to drown out the shrieks of agony.
As quickly as it began, it was over. Balaraj peeked back into the water, which was surprisingly still cool. The shadow was gone.
“What did he mean? That part of the unicorn leader?” asked Balaraj. Something about that did not sit right.
“We will be taking Roshna back to the king instead of the demon boy. Her powerful magic might prove enough.”
A slight twinge pulled at Balaraj’s heart. “You did not tell me she was in danger.”
“Why do you ask? We are here for one sole purpose. We are here to save the world from the demon child. We are here to make this world permanent.”
“Only if we use the demon boy,” argued Balaraj. “No one else.”
“Do not speak weakly about us! No life is safe from our goal. Sacrifices must be made!”
A loud knock on the door tore Balaraj away from the water basin. It had not been a conversation he wanted to continue.
“Is everything okay, Balaraj?” asked Maran, jumping inside the room as the door opened. Jagan had his bow at the ready. “We thought we heard a shout.”
“Smells like something was burning,” said Jagan, sniffing the air.
“Never you mind,” said Balaraj. “Drop your weapon.”
Jagan quickly followed his instructions.
“What’s your update?” asked Balaraj.
“Nothing again,” said Maran. “No one has seen any sign of the demon. A few pixies saw someone that sounded like Aaryav, but that turned out to be false information.”
“I need better,” demanded Balaraj.
“The orc leader is not listening to us,” complained Jagan. “He keeps asking why he has to deal with us instead of you directly.”
“He’s clearly jealous that our clan is a higher caste than his,” grumbled Maran. “He needs to respect our council seat, especially if he wants one of his own.”
Balaraj did not especially care about the orc, but he needed to have everyone in his army on the same page.
“Make sure that no one is slacking on their duties,” said Balaraj. “I will not have the demon boy arrive here when we lack discipline.”
“Yes, sir!” They saluted.
The perfect pawns.
“Do you really think he’s going to come to the games? Is he going to attack us here?” asked Jagan.
“Yes,” said Balaraj. He thought back to what the shadow had said. The demon knew that Roshna was their backup, and dangerous as he was, Balaraj was certain he would want to warn the unicorn leader. “Gather the guards that are not stationed. I need to address them.”
This time, he won’t get away.
*
Roshna scrutinized the troll guard angrily as he rummaged through her bag while Thalia impatiently put items back into her own.
“Safe,” he grumbled.
Grabbing their things without a word, they pushed into Kiramam Square. It was so crowded that they barely had space to move.
They did not walk by a single face that was not filled with fear. Their heads turned as the two new unicorns strolled past, whispering to their friends. It did not take long before Thalia realized what they were thinking. They blamed her leader for Veeran’s presence.
Despite it all, she had to admire Roshna. She walked purposely through the crowd, her head held high and full of confidence, as Thalia followed.
“Until someone proves otherwise, none of my decisions were wrong,” said Roshna. “And no one can take that from me.”
The most prestigious building in all of Ilemuria, the Royal Lodgings, stood tall, overlooking Vattapi Arena. It was considered a great honor to enter the games, and the accommodations matched accordingly.
Thalia could see griffins soaring into their rooms in the highest towers as they reached the entrance. The dragon statues that adorned the front doors were joined by their real-life counterparts, taking attendance. They marched up to one that did not look particularly busy.
“Names?” he asked rather lazily.
“Roshna, unicorn leader. Thalia, magic competitor,” said Roshna.
The dragon did not look up as he shuffled through some papers and crossed off names on a list, clearly some of the last to have arrived.
“Your quarters are on the second floor. You may use the stairs or fly,” said the dragon.
Roshna nodded her thanks and continued inside. Thalia could not help but feel excited. Some of the greatest mages in their history had stayed in that very same lodging, and she hoped to one day add her name to the list. Several creatures were showing off their skills, hoping to intimidate their competition. Those entering the hunting games were competing to see who could hit a target with a bow from further. Some of those who signed up for the battle were trying to impress others with great feats of strength. A moment of regret filled Thalia as she saw several creatures racing short distances. Aaryav would have loved it.
Roshna had begun walking up the stairs but did not stop at the second floor. Thalia did not argue but followed. Even though age was catching up to her, Roshna did not falter in her climb as Thalia had to pick up her pace to keep up. They passed several other competitors who did not stop to greet them. Thalia looked out the open windows to see those creatures that could fly enjoying their time in the skies. Surely they were looking to get out the last bit of nerves before the opening ceremonies the next evening.
Roshna walked down a long corridor. Thalia could make out a door guarded by a centaur near the end.
“I believe I am expected,” said Roshna to the guard.
“You are,” said the centaur. “She’s not.”
“She is with me. If you need permission, please let Karnan know. Her name is Thalia.”
The centaur disappeared into the room, returning quickly and acknowledging that they could both enter.
Thalia had to squeeze past two creatures stationed by the door, nearly banging her knees on the small table they were ga
thered around. She recognized Karnan and a few other centaurs. A young fairy that Thalia knew to be a clan leader smiled at her.
“I have managed to convince the merpeople to our cause,” said Karnan, nodding at the two sea creatures present. “As well as the dwarves.”
Two tiny creatures popped their heads over the table.
“I’m glad,” said Roshna. “We’ll need all the support we can get.”
“Before we go any further,” said one of the dwarves, “let it be clear that we have not taken sides and are here to only listen to your story. Kurunji is very loyal to the king. What we would be doing here is treason.”
“Can it really be treason if we are trying to save the land?” asked Yachana..
“Depends on who you ask,” said the mermaid. “We were at the meeting. We heard what Balaraj said and how the king reacted. Something is fishy, pardon our pun.”
“Excused,” said Karnan. “Now that we have Roshna here, maybe she can help fill in the gaps.”
He offered the only chair in the room to Roshna, who politely refused.
“The rumors are true of a demon here in Ilemuria, and they are true that he attacked another unicorn with dangerous magic. I do want it to be known that there is more to every story, and he has not been at fault for anything. However, there is something more pressing we need to talk about, and Veeran and Aaryav are out there right now getting help. The magic is not balancing.”
“Our scales are all fine, though,” said the dwarf.
“They are being tampered with,” said Karnan.
“But by who? If you are right and the magic is being unbalanced, wouldn’t the demon be at fault for it?”
“No,” said Roshna. “He has been struggling to get any sort of energy from the land. The imbalance has affected him more than any other creature. He cannot even use the simplest of magic.”
“So if it’s not him, what could be causing it?” asked the mermaid.
“We do not know,” said Karnan.
The dwarves did not look convinced. “How are we supposed to fight an enemy we don’t even know, and why have you not brought this to the king?” asked one.