《Bane of Ashkarith》


 Chapter 1

    The team worked over the rubble on Dubarin hill while Kaidan Tadegan, leader of their expedition, picked over the far side of the hill, nearest the Rithian side. He worked with fervor but with care, not wanting to damage anything. The sun glared down on him, roasting him alive, and he wiped the back of his neck with a cloth.Who knows what we might find! Perhaps we''ll find some proof of the ancient lore about this place.


    The hole he was digging had turned into an open-roofed tunnel that sloped gradually downward as he went. At around seven feet down into the side of the hill, his shovel struck something with a dull thud. He tested the soil with the tip of the shovel, trying to determine what it was. When he shifted some more dirt, he saw a flash of white under the sun.More bones?They''d found many bones on this site, an indication that the legends of the battle that occurred between the gods might have some merit. Still, so far, he hadn''t found any bones on this side of the hill, and he''d begun to think the battle hadn''t raged this far.Perhaps I just hadn''t found any yet.


    Minutes later, he''d cleared the remaining layer of soil off to find the bleach-white bones of a corpse glaring up at him in the harsh rays of the sun. Kneeling down on his knees, he brushed the dirt away and grabbed a trowel, gently clearing packed clods of dirt and loose soil away from the corpse. When he had, he backed further up the slope and sat on his heels, staring down at it.


    Inside the tunnel, the bones of the corpse rested. Time and worms had rotted through the clothing of the deceased individual. The slender facial structure of the skull and the tiny stature indicated it was a woman. He frowned.Who is this? All the corpses we''ve found so far have been of men and boys, not women.


    A book lay locked against the corpse''s chest, her skeletal hands clutching it to her even in the rigor of death. He leaned down, seeking to pry it from the hands of the skeleton. The hands wouldn''t move, and he didn''t wish to snap the bones. Jumping down into the hole again, he tried to find a better angle so that he could slide it out of the corpse''s grasp.


    This time, the hands relinquished their prize, and he stared down at the book''s unmarked leather cover, which was worn with age and crusted in dirt. He returned to the mouth of his tunnel and opened it with a frown. The book''s pages were stuck together with time and a dark brown substance, though they yielded with some gentle prying. Upon closer examination, he realized it looked much like dried blood.What have I stumbled across here?


    "Kaidan? Kaidan, what are you doing over here?"


    Kaidan looked up to find his wife Zerua strolling down the hill toward him. "Zer, look what I found!" He pointed to the grave site and waved the book.


    She rushed to see, a smile lighting up her gray eyes. "What is it?"


    "I think it''s some sort of burial site. It''s the first woman we''ve found buried here."


    "Any clues as to why she was buried here?"


    He shook his head, hefting the book up onto the grass and clambering out of the hole where his ramp downward had begun. "Not yet. Let''s take a look at this book though. She was holding it."


    Zerua fingered the ancient leather. "This is in awfully fair condition for being buried thousands of years."


    "Outside maybe. I opened it briefly a moment ago, and it looks like there''s dried blood caked to it. It''ll be a wonder if we can get pages apart to read any of it." He settled cross-legged on the ground beside his wife and pulled the book into his lap. "Let''s see what we have here..."


    He eased the cover open, minding the brittle crackling of the paper as he did. The scent of iron still lingered on the pages, and he frowned, flipping past the first empty page to look at the next. "There''s writing on this one."


    His wife leaned over his shoulder, fingering the flaking black-brown substance. "How strange that this substance on the pages didn''t render it illegible."


    He stared at the first words on the page.Sedra cannot be trusted. She has lied to them all, but they do not know the extent to which she has deceived them.His gaze lifted to meet his wife''s wide-eyed gaze. "What have we found?"


    ***


    By the light of the torches, Kaidan and Zerua examined the book and its words. "Who do you think it belongs to?" Zerua traced her fingers over the cover.


    Kaidan batted her hand away with a snort. "I''d be able to tell me more if you let me brush all the dirt on this cover away."


    "Brush away then." She held back and let him set to work cleaning the dirt off the book.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    When he''d finished, the two of them stared down at the crest embossed on the leather of the book. He ran his fingers over the symbol. Two wings spread to either side with a strange sigil of lines and swirls in the center.


    "What is that?" His wife pointed at it. "I haven''t seen that one before."


    Kaidan smiled. "Not often I know more about history than you, my love."


    She rolled her eyes. "You give me too much credit. Now, what is it?"


    "This was the sigil of the royalty of the house of Rith. According to the stories, Rith and his two eldest sons died in the Battle of Dubarin Hill."


    "Yes... That''s why we''re here."


    "But the legends also claim that his wife fled with their daughter, the youngest of their children, and one or two other children also survived by fleeing the battlefield in the chaos." He tapped the sigil. "This sigil is the symbol of the psyche, and the wings were supposed to represent the overshadowing of Rith''s protection of his kingdom. Queen Banach was said to have watched as Sedra hunted down and killed the last of her children. Supposedly, the woman went mad and spent the remainder of her life wasting away in a prison cell at Aghraban, what we now call Kier, the capital of Argos."


    "So... What is our corpse doing with a royal diary here in the hillside of Dubarin?" His wife frowned and began pacing the length of their tent.


    Kaidan shook his head. "That, I do not know."


    "Who was this woman? Why would she have such a thing?" She spun to face him. "Is anything said in the legends about the diary?"


    Kaidan shrugged. "Some tales say that Banach had a book in which she wrote prophecies. But it was lost with her when she disappeared."


    "Disappeared?"


    "People say she died because one day, when she had reached her five-hundredth birthday, the guards found her cell empty. No one ever saw her again, though it''s said she haunts the ruins of her former capital, Ashkarith. Legend says that she is the reason everyone who goes into the city disappears or returns raving mad." He shook his head. "As for why our mystery woman has this diary, I couldn''t say."


    Zerua sighed. "Well, only one way to find out. I suppose we''ll have to read everything in this to determine where it came from and whose it was."


    Kaidan sighed. "I suppose you''re right. There''s not much else we can do since the author didn''t leave their name in it." He tucked the book under his arm. "But for tonight, it''s late. Shall we retire, my love?"


    Zerua smiled up at him. "Indeed, we shall."


    He wrapped his free arm around her shoulders. "Zer?"


    "Hmm?"


    "Do you think we should tell the others anything?" He bit his lip. "I can''t explain it, but I get the feeling we should keep this a secret."


    She hummed softly, a sign she was considering his question. "I have the same inexplicable feeling. For now, let''s keep this to ourselves."


    "Agreed. Do you think there''s more to the legends than people think?"


    "We wouldn''t be out here if there wasn''t a chance of it." She wrapped her arm around his waist.


    "What we saw in the beginning of this diary..." He cleared his throat. "Zerua, those words are heresy. Always have been. To say that the goddess of magic lied or deceived the Originals is blasphemy."


    "I know."


    "Why would the writer claim this?"


    Zerua clutched him closer to her and held the lantern higher. "I don''t know. But the sigil on the cover is from the House of Rith. The two siblings clashed all the time. The people of his house wouldn''t exactly be unbiased."


    "True. But what if they were on to something, Zerua? They had to have some reason for saying the things they did." He gnawed on his lower lip. "It doesn''t make sense."


    They reached their tent, and she set the lantern down, pulling aside the tent flap for him. "I don''t know, darling. But we''ll find out, won''t we? We''ve found something, and that''s what we were here for. To prove what really happened in The Battle of Dubarin. To prove it happened in the first place. This book could be a good first step."


    He ducked his head and entered the tent. "I suppose that''s true. But it''s curious, isn''t it? A diary from this time period that claims the goddess everyone revers isn''t who she said she was. If that''s true, what else might be a lie about the myths and the beliefs from the old times?"


    His wife ducked through the tent flap and set the lantern next to their bed roll. "Dangerous questions, husband." She tugged the book from his hands and set it at the foot of their bed. "But right now, it''s time to get some sleep so we can face tomorrow with a brand new outlook."


    She''s right, of course. As always.He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers with a sigh.


    She released a guttural hum of approval, threading her fingers through his hair and pulling him closer. He let her soft lips and pliable form melt away the distractions and worries of the day. With her next to him, things would work out anyway. They always seemed to.


    "I love you, you know." He smiled down at her, trapping her legs between his.


    She stroked his face, laughing when her fingers brushed over days'' old stubble. "I love you too. Even if you do need a shave."


    "You know you love the rugged look on me, though." He settled his lips on hers, laying on his side and pulling her hips flush against his.


    She laughed, kissing him back. "You know me too well."


    He slid his hands up her sides, letting himself relax and take his time with her. It had been too long since they''d had a moment to themselves like this thanks to the travel to Dubarin and the hard work, which left them exhausted each evening. Tonight, he wouldn''t let that stop him.


    "You know, whatever we find out there, I''m sure it won''t change that much." Zerua slid her hands along his chest then tugged at his shirt. "You and me... We''ll still be the same at the end. And we''ll have each other, no matter what."


    He grinned. "I need nothing more. Now, how about we finish what we started instead of getting distracted with that book?"


    "Someone''s impatient." She tugged his shirt up over his head.


    "We haven''t had any real alone time since we set out on this expedition. What do you expect?" He pulled at the laces on the front of her tunic, tugging them free of their grommets. She squealed in surprise as her shirt was peeled off her and joined his. The cool air in the tent played over both of them, and he trailed his fingers over her shoulder with a smile.


    "I couldn''t ask for a better wife, my love."


    "Nor I a better husband." She lifted her lips to his, and talking ceased.

 Chapter 2

    "Anything turn up with the book?" Zerua set a basket of unearthed artifacts down on the table beside him with a smile.


    He glanced up at her and returned to his reading. "The translation is slow going. Some of the words are proving difficult. The writer uses the words svaemel and bodashel interchangeably in places, and I''m still trying to place the words." He brandished the journal. "But, I''m almost positive about the identity of the writer now!"


    "Really?" Zerua craned her neck to get a peek of the book.


    "It''s Queen Banach''s diary. She refers to Rith as her husband, and she speaks of raising an army with him. Who else could it be?" Kaidan graced her with a bright smile. "This could be a major break through in our understanding of the Rithians'' side of the conflict. She''s already offered some great insight into what caused the war."


    Zerua raised a brow. "Has she?"


    "Yes!" Kaidan had to resist the urge to leap from his spot and pace. "She says that Rith saved her from Sedra''s wrath back when she was one of the six and was a failing part of Sedra''s great experiment."


    "Experiment?"


    "Oh, right... That''s another part we''ll have to check into. She claims that Sedra wasn''t a goddess at all but was instead a being from another world who played the part of a god and created them. But she didn''t do it for good purposes. She was experimenting on them for reasons Queen Banach never understood."


    His wife cocked her head to the side, both brows rising. "Are you certain? Maybe you just translated it wrong. That''s clear blasphemy. If you listen to the Church of Sedra, that is..."


    He bit his lip. "I know that, and I know what will happen if this is true. So, yes, I''m certain. I triple checked. She spells it out clearly. In that first entry we started reading, she explains that Sedra bound souls to each of them to give them life and power." He waved the book at her again. "If this is true..." His lips pressed together in a thin line, and he shook his head.


    "If this is true," she finished. "Then everything we''ve believed our entire lives is a lie."


    He nodded.


    "We can''t let anyone know about this until we''re certain that what this diary says is true." She knelt beside him, staring down at the blood-stained pages. "If we put this in the public eye without any proof that it''s true, we''ll be in a world of trouble."


    "Love, if we publish our findings on this at all, we''re going to be branded heretics and laughed out of every scholarly circle."


    She looked up at him and shook her head. "It doesn''t matter. Kaidan, we''ve devoted our entire lives to the pursuit of the truth. That''s why we''re here today even though people claimed the myth was a lie and wouldn''t produce any evidence." She tapped a knuckle against the book. "Something is going on here, and we have to find the truth."


    He sighed, staring at the damning words on the page. "I know. I just wish I could know ahead of time what we''ll get ourselves into while searching out the truth on this one. This won''t be like our usual digs where everything we''re after is long dead, Zerua."


    "What makes you say that?"


    He shot her a glance and opened the book to the last page. "Because of this."


    The last page had been written in a shaking hand as if the writer was now feeble or rushed. The ink had blotted the page in a few areas, blurring some of the words. Zerua frowned and pointed at it. "You know I don''t read the older forms of Wyrdhan."


    Kaidan raised a brow. "Zer, it''s not that different from modern Wyrdhan. It just switches the endings around a bit for the nouns. That''s pretty much it."


    "Either way, I''m too worn out to figure this out. What does it say?"


    He cleared his throat and took the diary back, running his finger beneath the text as he read. "Tomorrow it will be done. They will never be able to touch the scrolls that prove the truth of this book''s contents. The scrolls are safely hidden in a place where even the strongest will be brought to the ground by my curse."


    "How does that prove we''re not digging for things that are long dead?" Zerua settled her hands on her hips.


    "It ends with one last warning. ''To those who would find the scrolls, you must seek the truth with pure intent and justice in your hearts. If you do not, you too will fall to the bane of Ashkarith.


    Someday, someone will uncover the truth and will preserve it until the day when the Son of Shadows comes. I foresaw that someone would find the truth, but before this can happen, the spirits that she has wronged must be laid to rest." He lifted his head. "Zer, I don''t think Queen Banach, Bane of Ashkarith, ever moved on. And this seems to indicate that those souls Sedra supposedly murdered in their war never did either."


    The blood drained from Zerua''s face, and her lips moved in a soundless prayer for Albrith''s protection. "So, if we go after this, we have no guarantee we''ll make it out alive, and we''re dealing with a possible haunting."


    Kaidan nodded, his fingers shaking against the wood of the low table he''d spread his translation work onto.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Are we really prepared to take that chance?" Zerua chewed on her lower lip, looking at the book with a sharp intake of breath. "Take the chance with our lives and those of others?"


    "We won''t be taking anyone else for this one, Zer. We can''t." Kaidan cleared his throat when she shot him a wide-eyed glance. "If what that says is true, who knows if we''ll make it out, and we know anyone we hire won''t if they''re not there for the same reasons we are."


    "But we can''t just go without help or backup, Kaidan!" She threw her hands up. "That''s the same as asking to die!"


    He scrambled to his feet and wrapped her up in his arms. "Listen... I know that. But we can''t let this go without investigating, and if the evidence is out there, we have to find it. If this is true, all of us have been lied to for centuries of history." He held her back at arms'' length. "Zer, I can''t let that go. Not if there''s even a remote chance. So, I have to go."


    Her shoulders slumped, and she bit her nails. Kaidan took her hands in his, stopping her from chewing them to stubs. "Hey, it''ll be fine. We''re going to go, and we''re going to come back with the truth, Zerua."


    She took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright. You''re right... The part about dying shook me up, but we do have to know what really happened." She pulled out of his grip and snatched up the basket she''d come with. "I''ll keep working with the others on the dig while you work out where we''re supposed to go."


    "I have my guesses, but I''ll need to search into the lore more closely to determine what she''s talking about when she says ''the place where even the strongest will be brought to the ground by my curse''." Kaidan settled back into his place by the translation work, shifting on the grassy ground. "Then there''s the matter of the rest of the book, which seems to be a collection of prophecy of some sort based on the sentence case she uses."


    "The sentence case?"


    Kaidan nodded. "Back in the time period this came from, there was a prophecy case that was supposedly only usable by an individual if they''d received divine revelation. But people mimicked it all the time. That''s how the cult of Ishtral started."


    Zerua laughed. "I''ll leave you to it then. If I don''t leave to go work with the others, I''ll be in here all day listening to you."


    He rolled his eyes, still focused on the papers strewn over his work surface. "I doubt that. You have more self-control when it comes to this stuff than I do."


    She snickered and padded to the tent''s entrance. "Well, someone has to keep your head out of the clouds when people need you here on Alcardia, darling."


    He snorted and waved her away. "If you say so."


    The tent flap rustled, and she left him to his work with one parting quip. "You know I''m right, dear."


    ***


    Night fell all too soon, and the dig was coming to a close for the day when Kaidan finally pieced together all the clues to determine the location where Banach had hidden the scrolls the journal spoke of. He jotted down the location, his heart thumping against his ribcage, and then sat back, staring at it in disbelief.


    The voice of his wife and the workers'' headman drew closer, and he listened to her talking to the man. "Respect is important to everyone in this situation, I know. So, since we''ve proven what we came to prove, we''ll be finishing up with the dig tomorrow."


    "Much appreciated, ma''am. I''ll inform the workers."


    "See that they''re careful when they rebury the remains, please." His wife pulled aside the flap and ducked inside the tent as she spoke.


    "Understood, ma''am. They''ll be told to take care." The headman glanced inside the tent. "Evening, Master Kaidan."


    Kaidan smiled at the man. "Good evening, Leotwo."


    The man''s gaze wandered around the inside of the tent. Then he returned Kaidan''s smile and ducked his head. "Well, I''ll take my leave for the evening, then."


    The two of them bid him farewell, but Kaidan''s attention was only partially on the headman and the current situation. His wife sat down on the mat beside him, tracing her fingers down his spine. "What have you found?"


    "The location." He crumpled the paper in his fist.


    "And?"


    "You''re right... It is a suicide mission."


    "But where do we have to go?" She began massaging the knots out of his shoulders.


    He closed his eyes, groaning when she hit a sensitive spot between his shoulder blades. "Ashkarith. We have to go to Ashkarith."


    "Ashkarith?" His wife''s hands stilled against his back. "No one even knows for sure if the city still exists, though."


    Kaidan sucked in a deep breath. "I know..."


    "The jungle supposedly reclaimed it, Kaidan. How are we going to find that?"


    Kaidan shrugged. "No one will trek in there, and the captains of those new-fangled flying ships refuse to fly over the spot. They say it''s cursed."


    "That doesn''t answer how we''ll find it. That just means we''re going alone." She resumed kneading knots from his stiff muscles.


    "I know. We''re going to go to the village of Faeridhia. It''s the closest to the former city''s location, and if anyone knows whether or not the city survived the jungle and where to find it, it''ll be the natives." He slumped over the table to give his wife better access to his back and the sore muscles.


    "But that''s still deep in the jungle. No one will fly us there."


    "True, but we might be able to find someone to lead us there." Kaidan sighed as his wife''s nimble fingers removed the aches and tension in his back.


    "Kaidan, you know what''s said about the people of Faeridhia." Zerua wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his back.


    Kaidan snickered. "Come bearing gifts unless you want to be eaten alive?"


    She smacked his side lightly. "You know that''s not what they say."


    Kaidan sat up and drew her into his arms, stretching out on the mat with her beside him. "I know, I know. They''re unpredictable and vicious."


    "That doesn''t concern you?" She traced his cheekbones with her fingertips.


    "We''ll find a way, Zer. There''s no other choice."


    "We''re going to get ourselves killed." She bit her lip.


    Kaidan leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to the tip of her nose. "What better way to die than in pursuit of truth?"


    She rolled her eyes, but his words drew a smile from her. "Perhaps of old age in your sleep?"


    Kaidan brushed his lips over hers with a smile. "Boring."


    Her lips flirted with his own, and her breathy laughter greeted his comment. "I thought the same."


    "So, it''s settled? We''re going to go after this thing?"


    She nodded, her smile fading. "I don''t see another option. We can''t just let this go. Now that we''ve dug up this, we''ve got to find out if it''s true. I don''t know about you, but I don''t want to believe that wrong is right and truth is untruth for the rest of my life."


    His gaze dropped to the small space between them. "Neither do I."


    "Then we''ll set out for Ashkarith as soon as we finish up here." She tangled her fingers in his hair. "But for now, let''s take an opportunity to rest. I have a feeling we won''t be doing much of that in the near future."


    Kaidan gathered her closer to him. She''s right. Whatever we find in that jungle is going to turn our world upside down, and I don''t think either of us will have a chance to rest easy once we find out the truth. He closed his eyes with a sigh. The journal''s already disturbing enough. His mind drifted as the lack of sleep for the last few months caught up with him. Ashkarith. City of the dead. What will we find there? His breathing slowed, and after a few more minutes, he was out.

 Chapter 3

    Kaidan and Zerua glanced at each other before turning their attention back to the large double doors leading into the king''s audience chambers. "You ready?" He slipped his fingers through hers.


    She bit her lip. "Me? You''re the one who''s explaining what we found. Are you ready?"


    He took a deep breath. "To lie to the king and leave out our most recent discovery? No. But I don''t have a choice. We can''t reveal this until we know for sure that it''s true."


    She sighed. "I hope the king doesn''t question anything."


    Kaidan squeezed her hand. "It''ll be fine. I''ve had the last half hour of waiting to come up with something suitable."


    The doors opened, and the guards who had gone to see if the king was available slipped back out. "His Majesty King Aladhan will see you now." The bulkier of the two guards held the door open, his gaze piercing into them.


    Zerua resisted the urge to turn around and run. I can hardly believe we''re lying to the king of Argos about our discoveries... First time for everything, right? She swallowed back a laugh, her shoulders tensing.


    Kaidan tugged her forward, and she followed him into the audience chamber, clinging to him. He let go of her hand as they passed the threshold, and she fought the surge of anxiety begging her to turn around and flee the room. The two of them paused in the center of the room and knelt on the cold marble floor, bowing their heads.


    King Aladhan''s robes rustled as he shifted and stood. "You may rise. What news do you bring of the dig, Tadegan?"


    Kaidan stood, drawing Zerua up with him. "We''ve finished, Sire. The dig site has been cleaned up, and we''ve brought the artifacts we removed for your perusal."


    King Aladhan smiled. "Did you find the evidence you were looking for?"


    Kaidan glanced at Zerua. "We did, Sire."


    "So, the battle really happened?"


    "I couldn''t say if it was truly a battle between the gods, Sire, but we did find evidence of a battle, and we found multiple pieces with the crests of Rith and Sedra Valmurith." Kaidan ducked his head. "Besides that, we didn''t find anything out of the ordinary."


    Zerua kept her head down, remaining quiet as Argosian tradition dictated she should in the presence of royalty. Sweat slicked her palms, and she clasped her hands in front of her to avoid fidgeting.


    The king settled back into his throne, his robes brushing the marble platform in Zerua''s line of vision. "Well, have the artifacts brought to the Vault. My Imperial Knights are trained to work with researchers; they''ll help you with getting the artifacts placed in the proper places within the Vault. Bring me the records list of what you found when you finish."


    Kaidan cleared his throat. "Of course, Sire. I will deliver it myself."


    King Aladhan laughed. "I know you will. You came with high recommendations and commendations from previous benefactors. The two of you are dismissed. Thank you for the report, Kaidan. I wish you and your lovely wife the best with whatever you do next."


    "Thank you, Sire." Kaidan turned and strode toward the door.


    Zerua bowed to King Aladhan once more before turning to follow her husband. The two of them walked through the door without any comment from the king. Sweat trickled down Zerua''s back, and she bit her lip, hastening her steps. Kaidan shot her a glance as they strode past the guards.


    Once they''d moved out of the guards'' earshot, Kaidan laid a hand on her arm. "Are you going to be alright? You''re looking a bit pale."


    Zerua took a deep breath, her shoulders slumping. "I''ll be fine."


    He stopped walking, taking her hands in his. "Zerua, there''s nothing to worry about. No one has any reason to think we found something else there. We buried the body when everyone was busy, and we kept the journal under lock and key."


    She rested her forehead against his chest. "I know. I just can''t help wondering when the anvil will drop."


    Kaidan ran his hands up and down her arms with a sigh. "Me too, but we''re going to face much worse than this in this endeavor. We can''t get cold feet now or we''ll never make it through this."


    Zerua leaned into him, her pulse slowing down to normal rates. Her breathing steadied, and she exhaled, warmth returning to her extremities. "True... Well, we''d better get on with the labeling and storing of the artifacts."


    He pulled away with a grimace. "Yes, I suppose so. Though I''d prefer we got on our way now instead of later."


    She shook her head with a laugh. "Patience, dear." Looping her arm through his, she tugged him forward. "The sooner we complete this task, the sooner we can worry about the next."


    ***If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    On their lunch break, Zerua and Kaidan left the musty tunnels of the Kier Records Library and emerged into the bustle of the castle courtyard as others also went to find lunch or bartered with the vendors in the courtyard. They stepped aside as two children barreled by, one in hot pursuit of the other. Zerua smiled at the weary mother who was following on their heels.


    Dogs barked and quarreled over a bone by a meat vendor''s shop, and as they passed, they heard the vendor haggling with a customer over the price of a shank of agharval¡ªa venison-like meat that the vendor insisted was of the highest quality. Zerua and Kaidan glanced at each other with a laugh.


    "Vendors around here¡ª" Kaidan shook his head. "If you aren''t careful, they''ll swindle you quicker than the best actor around."


    Zerua looped her arm through his with a grin. "One might say they are the best actors around here. Look there. That woman''s paying that man twice what that shawl is worth." She pointed to a woman handing a vendor two gold coins for a shawl in a powder blue shade.


    "True enough." Kaidan guided her around a steaming pile of horse dung and through crowded stalls.


    The cries of vendors trying to sell their wares filled the air. The couple shook their heads at vendors who clung to them, begging them to buy and offering steep discounts if they would. Beggars and thieves wove through the market byways, snatching purses or pleading for a copper or two.


    Moments later, they burst out onto the main street and passed under the castle gate, following the crowd jostling and hustling across the drawbridge. Then they flowed out onto the streets of Upper Kier, and the crowd thinned, leaving Zerua and Kaidan to amble down the streets in relative peace.


    Zerua pressed a hand to her chest with a sigh. "Rith, but I hate crowds."


    Kaidan patted her back. "There, there. We''re free of it now."


    She turned a baleful frown upon him. "Are you mocking me?"


    "I wouldn''t dream of it, love." A smirk played on the corner of his lips.


    Zerua smacked his arm with her purse, narrowing her eyes. "You are!"


    "Well, perhaps a little."


    She huffed and turned her focus to the streets around them. "So, what have we ventured out of the bowels of the library to do?"


    Kaidan threw his head back and laughed. "Such impatience, woman!"


    "You said you''d tell me when we got out of the library and the courtyard."


    He shrugged. "So I did. We''re going for lunch, and then we''re going to commission one of those new-fangled flying contraptions for the journey to Ashkarith."


    Zerua raised a brow. "Really?"


    "Yes, really. You didn''t think I''d want to wait three months to travel all that way, did you? We''ve got the money, Zer. Better to find the truth sooner rather than later." Kaidan looped his arm around her waist and tugged her into him, laughing when she squealed. "Isn''t that right?"


    His wife''s lips curved up in a soft smile. "I suppose."


    He released her with a grin. "It''ll be an adventure!"


    She smoothed the creases from her gown with a shake of her head. "Yes, an adventure where we''re very likely to lose our lives. Quite entertaining, I''m sure."


    "Oh, don''t be sour." He elbowed her. "It''ll be the grandest adventure we''ve ever taken in the pursuit of truth. And if we don''t come back¡ª" He bit his lip. "Well, we will. But if we didn''t for some reason, at least we died searching for the truth, right?"


    She heaved a sigh. "Yes, I suppose you have a point there. Better that than dying of old age."


    Kaidan chuckled and threw an arm around her shoulders. "That''s my girl."


    Zerua leaned into his side, appreciating the rays of sunshine soaking the two of them and the comfort his presence radiated. For the moment, she decided, it would be best to set aside the worries. They had to go whether they had fears or not. Truth and justice demanded it, and that was what they''d stood for their entire lives.


    They went where the leads took them and told the tales they found. Nothing was kept secret and nothing was too sacred to be told. The truth was meant to be shared, to be used to enlighten others, not to be hidden away for fear of the repercussions.


    ***


    The flying ship, Rith''s Demise, tugged at its moorings in the breeze blowing across the air field. Kaidan tilted his head back to look up at the curling black letters that declared the ship''s name proudly to any onlookers. Beside him, Zerua clung to his side, a small hitch in her breath the only other indication of surprise.


    "What do you think, love?" He turned to her, drawing her close with a smile.


    Zerua cast the ship an apprehensive look. "Well¡ª" She bit her lip.


    Kaidan looked back at the ship too. The iron-covered boards were grooved from many flights, and the soft-bodied, gelatinous hael that followed the air ships clung to the hull, leaving their own trails of glowing slime over the clear film from previous feeders. "I''m sure it''ll be fine. Look." He pointed to the hull. "Plenty of hael occupying the hull. That means it''ll fly smoother."


    Zerua frowned. "Does it?"


    "According to the research I did, it does." Kaidan rubbed the back of his neck. "Supposedly, the slime they deposit hardens, and over time, the lightweight layers of the deposits are able to store more and more energy for the Endenes who guide the ship and keep it aloft."


    He tugged her to stand in front of him and pointed out the empty spaces on the hull. "The hull itself is made of iron because that conducts energy best. So, you see, the more hael that attach themselves to the ship to feed on the oxidization on the hull''s surface, the better the ship will fly."


    "So, it''s a sort of symbiotic relationship?"


    Kaidan squeezed her hips with a smile. "Exactly."


    She leaned her head back against his shoulder. "Intriguing. So, you say this ship is a good choice?"


    "For the price we''re willing to pay?" Kaidan wrapped his arms around her waist. "Yes."


    "Then we should find the captain and speak with him about passage to Ashkarith."


    "That shouldn''t be a hardship." Kaidan released her with a grin. "He''s been watching us since we arrived. Looks like he''s starving for business too."


    "Does it?" She craned her neck, looking for the captain.


    Kaidan pointed him out.


    The man stood in the shadow of his ship, long grass brushing over his boots. He wore all black, his long coattails whipping in the wind whistling across the field. His sharp gaze met theirs as the couple sized him up the same way he''d been sizing them up since they''d arrived. Kaidan shot the man a broad smile.


    Zerua cleared her throat, running her fingers through her loose black curls. "I don''t like him. Looks like a swindler."


    Kaidan''s grin widened. "That he does. Probably is. But you heard what they said in the tavern. He''s the best air-captain in port that''s affordable."


    She heaved a sigh, dropping her hands to her sides. "Well. Then we''d best start the process. Just keep an eye on your purse." She pursed her lips. "I don''t like the way his men are eyeing us."


    The men, Kaidan noted, had ceased their work on deck and were thronging the rails to eye the newcomers their captain had been sizing up. The looks on their faces were ones of unabashed greed. It mingled with the looks of curiosity and the longing for a reason to be back in the air, creating a peculiar mix of expressions on the crew''s faces.


    "They don''t seem so bad to me, love. Just a little starved for business." With that, he took her hand in his and tugged her forward, striding across the field to meet with Captain Eras Dhiabhan.

 Chapter 4

    Captain Dhiabhan was a shrewd man with a sharp gaze and hawkish nose. His blue eyes danced with flecks of light like sea foam on the dark blue of the ocean. He greeted them with the clipped speech the tavern''s occupants had said he would. "My lord." He bowed to Kaidan. "You need a ship?"


    Kaidan eyed the ship next to them as it tugged at its moorings. With a small smile, he returned his attention Captain Dhiabhan. "Indeed. I was told your the man to see." He stroked his chin. "But I''ve also been informed you have a habit of swindling customers out of good gold."


    The captain bared razor-sharp canines in a wide grin. "My reputation precedes me." He raised a dark brow. "Who told you that, I wonder."


    Kaidan shrugged, ignoring his wife''s tightening grip on his bicep. "People. I asked around like any smart customer would."


    Grunting, Captain Dhiabhan waved them toward a cluster of white tents that were peeking out from behind Rith''s Demise. "Well, I''m sure we''ll be able to come to some agreement."


    Kaidan and Zerua followed him to the tents, the walls of which shivered in the wind. The captain guided them through the fleet of tents to the one at the center.


    The tent was black like its owner''s clothing, standing proudly apart from the rest. Captain Dhiabhan brushed the tent flap back. Bowing to Zerua, he waved an arm toward the tent''s partitioned interior. "Ladies first."


    Zerua shifted next to Kaidan. When she showed no sign of letting go or moving, Kaidan cleared his throat and set a hand on the small of her back. "You should go inside, dear."


    She released her hold on his arm with a stiff nod. The captain watched the exchange with his bright, darting gaze. After she''d entered the tent, Dhiabhar fixed that sharp gaze on him. "Does she need your permission to use the privy too?"


    Kaidan''s cheeks heated, and he forced himself to calm down and plaster a smile onto his lips. "Only when she''s around rogues, Captain. I trust that won''t be an issue here?"


    Dhiabhan shot him a tepid smile and shrugged. "I can''t speak for all the men. But if it puts your mind at ease, the men obey my orders and are aware of what happens to those who cross me."


    Kaidan''s gaze flicked to the throwing knives sheathed at the man''s thighs. "I feel more secure already."


    Dhiabhan''s smile dimmed and shifted to a frost-coated smirk. "Good. Shall we go inside and join your lovely wife then?"


    He nodded at the captain. "Please. Lead the way."


    The captain eyed him, scanning over his form. He turned away with a grunt, satisfied with whatever he''d seen. He stalked through the tent flap and waved his guests to two cushions beside the low table adorning the center of the opulent interior of the tent.


    Kaidan glanced around as he settled onto the black silk cushion. Red splashed the walls of the tent in the form of silk tapestries and gauze curtains. Black draperies interspersed the red toward the back of the tent.


    A young woman peeked around the heavy drapes partitioning off the back half of the tent. A black gauze veil covered the bottom half of her face in the manner of servants of Aleshtanian royalty. Her gaze met his, and she lowered her lashes, stepping out from behind the dividing curtains. Kaidan found himself wondering who Dhiabhan was that he owned a royal''s servant and had the authority to dress her in the garments of such a station.


    Dhiabhan noticed her appearance with a smirk and fixed his gaze on Kaidan. "This is Rubhian. She''ll serve us the afternoon meal."


    Zerua''s gentle touch on his thigh brought his gaze to his wife. A warning shone in her dark eyes. He pursed his lips. "We wouldn''t want to impose, Captain."


    "Nonsense." The captain waved off Kaidan''s protest. "You won''t. It''s Aleshtanian custom to share a meal before negotiating business deals." He snapped his fingers, and Rubhian bowed, the bells around her waist tinkling. Dhiabhan watched her disappear back into the recesses of the tent before he spoke again. "You''d insult me gravely if you refused to join me for my luncheon."


    Kaidan fidgeted with the tassels on his cushion.


    Dhiabhan noticed but pointedly ignored it. "Where are you from, then? Not from Argos, I''d wager. Not with that accent. Montelishra, perhaps?"


    Kaidan stiffened. "We''re explorers of a sort. But yes, our home is Montelishra."


    The captain nodded. "I thought as much. And your wife? What role does she play in the explorations you undertake?" His gaze fixed on Zerua, and a lazy smile spread over his lips. "After all, a woman''s place is at home, not traipsing about the realms."


    Zerua glowered at him, her fingers fisting in her skirts. "Women in Montelishra have more freedom than those of Aleshtain."


    Dhiabhan chuckled. "So, you do speak. And without his consent too. Delightful." He clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "Since you have the freedom to speak your mind, what is your part in your husband''s expeditions, madam?"


    She sniffed, clenching her fists against her thighs. "I''m his partner. I help with preparations and work alongside my husband."


    Dhiabhan hummed, swirling some wine in the cup at his place. "I''d heard, you know, that there was a husband and wife team working on a dig at Dubarin Hill. As the murmurs fly, the team was working to prove the Battle of Dubarin Hill occurred." He sipped at the wine, eyeing them over the rim. "What did you find?"


    Kaidan shot Zerua a glance, biting his lip. How could this man know what they''d finished doing yesterday, and how could he know who they were? He didn''t like this at all. "The battle happened." He spit the words out, hoping Dhiabhan would drop the subject.


    Dhiabhan raised a brow. "And?" He tapped his fingers against his thigh. "It happened the way the Church of Sedra says it did?"Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Kaidan opened his mouth to lie, but Dhiabhan cut in with a smirk. "Don''t lie to me. If you want to travel aboard Rith''s Demise, you''ll consider your next words more carefully."


    Kaidan stopped. Dhiabhan knew who they were and that he''d been about to lie. He mulled over this, watching Dhiabhan closely. The man adjusted his cap with a sly smile, and Kaidan caught a flash of a black marking on the inside of the captain''s left wrist. He had a psi ability, Kaidan realized with a jolt. He recalled that Aleshtain marked each child according their ability''s division. So, Dhiabhan wanted him to know what he could do. "No, it didn''t happen the way they say it did. Or at least, we don''t think so." Kaidan rubbed his hands down his thighs.


    Could Dhiabhan figure out when he''d omitted information? Kaidan hoped not.


    "You found something you didn''t make public." Dhiabhan didn''t ask this time.


    A chill skittered down Kaidan''s spine. "How is this relevant?"


    Dhiabhan shrugged. "It has bearing on the journey you want to make, doesn''t it?"


    Kaidan swallowed, and he heard Zerua''s soft inhale.


    "I''m right, then?" Dhiabhan grinned as though he smelled blood and knew he had them now.


    Rhubian returned then with two platters of food. She settled them on the table in front of the three, and Kaidan examined the cold slabs of meat and cheese, slices of hearty bread, chunks of fruit, and cubed vegetables spread across the two trays.


    She turned and left, only to return moments later with two other trays: one bearing three platinum goblets and the other bearing two bowls with herbed oil for dipping the bread and rose water for washing hands. Fluffy white cloths draped over her slender left arm for drying their hands.


    The young woman passed Dhiabhan the tray with the oil and rose water. He settled it on the floor beside his cushion and placed the bowl of oil in the center of the table between the trays.


    Rhubian nestled the cups between the thick napkins used for plates and the trays of food. Her fingers brushed against Dhiabhan''s as he took his from her and lingered on his shoulder when she leaned over him to set his towel on the table beside him. She handed the two guests their towels with a smile and retreated once more to the private living spaces in the back of the tent.


    Dhiabhan watched her go with a spark of desire and tenderness in his gaze. Kaidan frowned, surprised the rugged captain would display such emotions. The gentleness in his gaze softened his hard features with a genuine look of fondness. Then the mask snapped back into place, and he began dishing food onto the cloth napkin before him. He reached out to dip his bread into the oil. When his guests didn''t move, he raised a brow. "I won''t eat all this alone."


    Kaidan reached out, biting his lower lip, and dished meat, cheese, and fruit onto Zerua''s napkin before taking his own portion. Dhiabhan waited for them to start before he began his own meal. Between bites, he watched them with his hawk-like gaze. This continued until Kaidan could hardly stand the stifling silence.


    The captain noted their discomfort with a smile, and he finally broke the silence. "Where do you want to go?"


    Kaidan frowned, wondering why the captain hadn''t pursued their findings. "We want to travel to Ashkarith."


    Dhiabhan''s expression remained placid. "I don''t travel there."


    "Why not?" Zerua popped a grape into her mouth.


    "I prefer to leave the spirits and that cursed place alone, dear lady." Dhiabhan dipped his fingers into the rose water and dried them on his towel.


    "Then we have no further business." Kaidan pushed his empty napkin away.


    Dhiabhan handed him the rose water. "I wouldn''t say that. I don''t fly to Ashkarith, but I sometimes visit the city nearby."


    "Arabhin, capital of Faelkish, you mean?" Kaidan rinsed his fingers and dried them before passing the bowl to his wife. "And you''ll take us there?"


    Dhiabhan smirked. "That depends. What are you willing to pay?"


    ***


    They finished documenting the rest of the artifacts in the Records Library down in the Vault and bid farewell to the King that night. Returning to their rooms, which had been rented at the inn nearest the air fields, the two pulled out the journal and stared down at it.


    "Why didn''t he ask what we found?" Zerua brushed her fingers over the worn leather cover of the journal.


    Kaidan bit his lip, rifling through notes he''d hidden with the diary. "I don''t know."


    "But?" She looked up to find him staring at her, and she slid off the bed to change. Lifting her dress over her her head, she waited patiently for his response.


    "But I have a few guesses. Either he already knows," Kaidan mumbled, "or he knows he''ll have time to figure it out on the trip." He watched her pull her night dress over her head with a tired sigh.


    "If he knows, what do you think he''ll do with the information?" Zerua flopped onto her side of the bed, lacing her fingers behind her head and frowning up at the ceiling.


    Kaidan stowed his notes and the journal in his bags and came to join her on the bed, tugging off his own work-stained clothes and exchanging them for a pair of shorts. He laid his sore body on the bed beside her, dropping a kiss to her shoulder where her night dress had slipped down. "I don''t know. But I hope he''ll have discretion."


    "Not likely." She tilted her head to the side, her long black tresses tickling at his neck. "He''s a rogue."


    "But he seems to be an honorable sort." Kaidan buried his nose against her neck. "For a swindler."


    "He''s Aleshtanian."


    Kaidan snorted, his breath warming her chilled skin. "Not every Aleshtanian is a villain."


    She shifted onto her side, placing her back to him and forcing him to move to accommodate her new position. "He believes women are mere objects to satisfy men''s base needs and to have their children."


    He ran his fingers down her side. "He didn''t say that, love." Kaidan looped his arm over her waist. "Did you see how he looked at Rubhian?"


    Zerua chewed her lower lip, thinking that she had but didn''t think it counted for much. "Aleshtain''s a barbaric nation."


    "True. But not every man and woman is a barbarian because they live in Aleshtain. Elventar was founded by people who left because they couldn''t take any more of Aleshtain''s horrific customs." He pressed his face against her shoulder, breathing in the fresh scent of heelspur and the floral smell of aldhel.


    She remained silent, unconvinced.


    Kaidan''s nose brushed her bare shoulder. "He''s an air captain. Maybe that''s his way of finding the freedom to reject the brutality of his country, darling."


    Zerua thought about the glint in the captain''s eye and shivered. Dhiabhan might not mistreat his women, she thought, but he was a wolf nonetheless. No matter how tame he appeared, a feral beast lurked beneath the veneer polite manners and pretty words afforded. She wasn''t fooled.


    Kaidan tugged her closer so her back pressed against his chest. "What''s going through that pretty head of yours?"


    She sighed, laying her head back against the pillow so that he could bury his face in her neck. "The predators that appear tame are the most dangerous kinds, you know."


    "I know. But we won''t find other transportation. No other captains will fly to Ashkarith or the surrounding area."


    She knew. They''d tried after the negotiations with Dhiabhan ground to a halt. Two hours later, they''d given up and sent a missive by messenger boy to tell Dhiabhan they''d take his offer. "We''ll be careful¡ª" She gnawed at her lower lip, trying to convince herself of the truth of her own words. "It''ll be fine. He''s better than the majority of Aleshtanian men, right?"


    "Of that, at least, I''m certain." Kaidan swirled his fingers in lazy circles against her abdomen. "Worrying won''t help anything, Zer. We fly aboard Rith''s Demise tomorrow, and we need to be alert and ready in case of danger. For that, we''ll need our sleep."


    She curled up, tugging the covers out from under her body.


    Kaidan helped her pull them down and slid under the heavy blankets beside her. Then he yanked the covers up over the two of them and spooned her, holding her slender frame close. She relaxed against him, and a few moments later, his breathing evened out into the steady rhythm of sleep. She lay there, unable to sleep as her worries nagged at her long after he''d drifted off.


    Finally, she too floated off into the realm of dreams, her mind conjuring fevered nightmares and lurking demons to disturb her sleep.

 Chapter 5

    The morning of their departure dawned bright and crisp. The summer sun beat down on the couple as they marched through the bustling streets, carrying their belongings in satchels and bags strapped to their backs. Zerua held her coat closed, shivering. "This morning is unseasonably cold for this time of year."


    Kaidan grinned. "It''s a nice break from the nasty soup Argosian summers usually present."


    Zerua shifted her packs higher up her back. "I suppose. But the summers here aren''t much worse than Montelishra''s, you know."


    "They''re worse than summers in Kateshvale in the mountains." He sighed. "I miss our little cabin. It''s nice to be tucked away in the hills away from everything."


    Zerua bumped him with her shoulder, laughing. "You always did like solitude."


    He snickered. "As if you don''t too."


    "True."


    The two of them fell into an amicable silence, weaving through the early morning crowds alongside each other. They burst out onto the thoroughfare to the air field. Zerua stopped on the edge of the field, and Kaidan bumped into her with a laugh. "Why the sudden stop?"


    She pointed at the fields. Kaidan stared at it too.


    The field had been gilded in gold with the morning sunshine. Flowers danced in the wind, their colors splashes of blue, yellow, and white against the gold and green grasses. The air ships bobbed a few feet off the ground, their hulls covered in the tiny blobs of hael. The hael remained still and unmoving as the sun sparkled off their oil-slick bodies. The light reflecting on them illuminated the brilliant blues, greens, pinks, and golds of the hael''s gelatinous bodies.


    Zerua turned to Kaidan with a smile. "Have you ever seen something more lovely, Kaidan?"


    Kaidan grinned. "Absolutely!"


    Zerua propped her hands on her wide hips with a raised brow. "Oh, really? What?" She waved a hand at the fields behind her. "The mountains certainly don''t possess this sort of idyllic beauty."


    A laugh bubbled out of Kaidan, and he stepped forward, resting his hands on her waist. "No, they don''t. But I''m staring at something more lovely than a field."


    A dainty blush painted her cheeks in shades of rose, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "You flatterer. I''m certainly not."


    Kaidan smirked, pressing his lips to her forehead. "You most definitely are. Now, if you''re done gawking and protesting, shall we proceed to the ship? I''d hate for Dhiabhan to leave us behind for some other venture. He did seem persistent that we be there precisely when agreed."


    Zerua rolled her eyes. "That man is too punctual for his own good."


    "Oh, hush. He''s an air captain. All of them are like that." Kaidan released her and threaded his fingers between hers. "Now, come on. You''re just procrastinating and delaying the inevitable."


    She wrinkled her nose and tugged him back into motion. "I''m not delaying or procrastinating. I''ve come to terms with the fact that we''re flying with the Captain whether he''s a sleazy sort or not."


    Kaidan squeezed her hand. "You''re such a worrier sometimes."


    She shrugged, continuing the march toward Rith''s Demise, which was bobbing in the breeze a few yards away.


    Kaidan took the opportunity to admire the way the sun slid down her tresses, leaving splashes of darkness and glints of light throughout her hair. It rippled with each movement she made, and the wind danced through it on its way through the meadow.


    His attention moved from his wife to the darkly clad figure striding across the air field. Captain Dhiabhan cut through the field, the grass and flowers brushing the tops of his boots and parting to let him through. His coattails flapped in the wind, and the sunshine cast his facial features into sharp relief as he drew closer.


    "Kaidan. Madam." He bowed to them with a grin, his blue eyes dancing with excitement and mischief. "The ship awaits." He pulled his watch out of his pocket with a smirk. "And you are thirty seconds past the sixth hour. Do you always show up late?"


    Zerua flushed, opening her mouth to speak, but Kaidan laid a hand on her arm. Not worth arguing over. She settled with a grumpy huff. Kaidan fixed the Captain with a flat stare. "No, Captain, we do not. My wife and I paused to admire the air field and the beauty of your ship."


    Dhiabhan bellowed in laughter. "Did you now? Well, you chose the wrong ship to admire!" He slipped the watch back into his pocket, still chuckling over Kaidan''s statement. "My ship¡ªShe''s no beauty. But she''s fast and fully-functional, so that''s all I care about."


    Kaidan coughed. Dhiabhan had to be the strangest air captain he''d ever interacted with. Though, if he was honest, he hadn''t interacted with many. "Yes, well¡ªWe''ve never flown before, so it seemed elegant to us."


    "If this amazes you, wait until we get up in the air," Dhiabhan said.


    Zerua''s lips curved into a genuine smile. "I''m sure it''s more beautiful up there. I''ve heard a few stories."


    Dhiabhan shot her a sly smile. "Have you? Well, we''ll see if we can''t show you a thing or two you haven''t heard of."


    Kaidan pressed his palm against the small of Zerua''s back. I really don''t like the look he has on his face. What''s he up to? "Well, since we were already thirty seconds late, Captain, shall we board the ship?"


    Dhiabhan''s smile thinned. "Yes, of course." He held out his hand. "But not without the payment first."


    Kaidan nodded and dug about in his side satchel for his money pouch. He pulled it out and opened it, counting the coins into Dhiabhan''s outstretched hand. "There. Twenty platiniums as agreed."


    Dhiabhan''s fingers snapped shut around the coins like the jaws of an animal snapping up its prey. "Indeed. This way." He turned and strode toward the ship''s boarding plank.


    Kaidan and Zerua followed. Zerua eyed the board dubiously before placing a foot onto it and testing her weight on the board. It shivered but held.


    "It won''t collapse beneath you, my lady." Dhiabhan leaned on the ship''s rail with a smirk. "I assure you that the board can handle your slight frame even with the added weight of your bags."


    Zerua shot him a withering glare, and Kaidan snickered, glad he wasn''t on the receiving end of her irritation. Dhiabhan, for his part, seemed unaffected by his lady passenger''s irate stare. When it became clear that he wouldn''t apologize, Zerua shook her head and stalked up the plank.


    This is going to be an interesting flight. Kaidan stifled a grin. Those two are probably going to be at each other''s throats the whole time. He hiked his luggage further up his back and started up the plank. It groaned under his weight, but he made it onto the ship without an issue.


    Dhiabhan clambered up onto the broad wooden rail of the ship. "Ifan, haul up the gangplank, would you?"


    A swarthy, dark-haired Mericusian jumped to obey the order. He grabbed hold of the gangplank, and the tattoos on his arms blazed. Then he lifted the heavy, splintered plank as if it weighed no more than a small child. Grinning at Dhiabhan, he thunked the board down along the rail.


    Zerua snickered at the little display. "Well, clearly Dhiabhan hired him for a reason."


    Dhiabhan glided up beside them with a snort. "Ifan? Yes, I hired him because my second-in-command is a useful fellow to have around. Knows almost as much about air ships as I do."


    Ifan saluted to Dhiabhan and then sketched a bow in Zerua''s direction. "Mi''lady, I am at your service for the remainder of your journey with us. Anything you need, just ask and Ifan will get it for you."


    Zerua''s laughter died in her throat. "Uh, yes. Thank you, Ifan. That''s¡ªIt''s a generous offer, I''m sure."


    "One we will gladly take you up on." Kaidan bowed to Ifan with a smile. "You seem a capable fellow. We''re glad to know that our safety is in such strong, skilled hands."


    "And we''re glad to have you aboard. You and your money, of course." Ifan crossed his arms with a bellow of laughter. His tattoos winked at them, silent reminders of his hidden strength and his status as a Tier-3 Phyden Inherent. The Phydens¡ªthose with powers that took a more physical form¡ªwere the only ones with tiers to their abilities. The varying tiers of power were determined by what could be done by the Inherent wielding it.


    Kaidan''s own power fell under the Tier-3 abilities, but it wasn''t common to find one of his own. He pursed his lips and watched the man quietly. Their two abilities were worlds apart, though both required an infinite amount of precision and care as was usually the case with Tier-3''s. Only the Tier-4''s¡ªthe highest tier known on Alcardia¡ªhad to exert more control in using their abilities.


    Ifan assessed him as well, staring at the black lines peeping out from under Kaidan''s sleeves. "You''re Tier-3 Phyden too?"


    Kaidan cleared his throat, crossing his arms. Not often someone pegs me on that one. How did he know when I keep the markings mostly covered? He bit his lip and nodded.


    Ifan grinned and held out a hand. "Well then! Not often I meet one of my own kind."


    That was fair enough, Kaidan supposed. He took Ifan''s outstretched hand with a firm grip of his own. "Likewise."


    Dhiabhan watched the exchange, his blue eyes narrowed. "Ifan, help me unfurl the sails and get those louts'' lazy rears into gear?"


    Ifan blinked and shot his captain a hard look. Then he bowed his head. "Of course, Captain."


    Left to themselves, Zerua and Kaidan wandered the length of the deck, dodging around sailors who snapped into gear at the barked orders from Dhiabhan and Ifan. The ship bucked against its moorings, eager to take to the sky where it belonged. A lilting tune floated on the air as the sails unfurled, and the wind thrummed over the deck.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Zerua clung to the ship''s railing and leaned over the edge to look at the meadow below. The wind picked up speed, and the ship yanked harder at the anchor. There was a sharp snap, and then the entire ship sprang into the air with a whine.


    Kaidan wrapped his arms around Zerua''s waist, and the two of them watched the ground become smaller and smaller as they pulled up in a steep climb. As the incline on the deck became steeper, Dhiabhan approached them with rope harnesses. "Lash yourselves in place at the rail." He pointed to the iron loops along the sides of the ship. "That way you can stay upright and in one place."


    Zerua took the length of rope handed to her and tied it to the loops and around her waist. She frowned. "Doesn''t seem like this will really keep us from slipping. What if we lose our footing?"


    Dhiabhan laughed. "Don''t. But if you need them, there''s slots at your feet to brace your calves so you don''t slide."


    Kaidan promptly anchored himself with the brace slots and the rope. He eyed Dhiabhan, who was standing upright and unconcerned as the ship continued to bank and rise. "Aren''t you going to tie yourself down too?"


    Dhiabhan shrugged. "No."


    Zerua bit her lip and dug her toes into the slots, wedging herself in securely. "But won''t you fall overboard?"


    "No." Dhiabhan winked at her. "Don''t worry about me, little lady. I''ll be fine. Perks of being the captain."


    Kaidan shrugged and turned to Zerua. "We should take the time to look over the journal."


    The captain leaned on the railing, crossing his arms in front of him. Wind tore at his dark hair and yanked it free of his ponytail. "I would wait to do that until we''ve settled. The wind''s going to pick up for maybe ten minutes here as the Endenes on board shape the air to cradle the ship at the right altitude."


    "I suppose we could wait then." Kaidan leaned his arms on the railing, eyeing Dhiabhan''s confident cross-legged posture and easy smile. He can''t have two abilities, so how is he going to stay upright if the ship''s slant gets worse? He kept an eye on Dhiabhan, determined to figure out the man''s secret.


    Ifan approached them and lashed himself in on the other side of Zerua. He flashed Kaidan a friendly smile and steadied himself against the rail as the ship''s deck-slant increased further. Still, Dhiabhan stood there unmoving. Kaidan frowned. "How are you still standing, Captain? If we weren''t lashed in, we''d be sliding all over."


    Ifan roared with laughter. "He''s got tricks up his sleeve, that''s how. Dhiabhan likes to soar with the wind, and he''s figured out a way to do it too."


    Zerua coughed lightly. "I''m afraid I don''t understand."


    The wind had increased its whistling gale, and the four of them now had to raise their voices to be heard. Ifan''s inviting smile widened into a mischievous grin. "Hey, Captain! You want to help the lady understand?"


    Dhiabhan laughed and bowed with a flourish and perfect posture despite the ship''s current slant of nearly thirty-five degrees. "I''m at your service, madam. Allow me to demonstrate!" With a flamboyant salute, he clambered up onto the rail.


    Zerua gasped. "What are you doing? You''re going to¡ª"


    Dhiabhan spread his arms wide, flashed her a grin, and then dropped over the edge into the growing bank of clouds around the ship. Zerua leaned far over the edge, a scream dying in her throat. Kaidan also searched the clouds for the captain, his heart pounding against his ribcage in sharp, staccato beats.


    "Ah, don''t worry about him, mi''lady. He''s fine. Look there." Ifan pointed to a shape zooming in and out of focus among the clouds near the ship.


    Zerua and Kaidan leaned forward, squinting at the shape. It grew closer and closer, and then the clouds around it dissipated, and Captain Dhiabhan hovered in the air a few feet from the ship, unmoved by the strong wind current the ship was generating. "Like Ifan said. I like to fly with the wind."


    Zerua''s fingers splayed against her collarbone, and her lips parted. "Y-you certainly do."


    Dhiabhan levitated until he was back on deck then dropped the last few feet to the planking as the ship straightened and leveled with a shudder. A boyish grin adorned his face, looking out of place on the usually reserved man.


    Kaidan slumped against the railing and took off his rope. Zerua did the same and sagged into him.


    "I think we''ve given them enough of a fright, Ifan. We should leave them to themselves." He bowed to Zerua with a grin. "Enjoy the sights, madam. They''re unlike any other you''ll find back on solid ground."


    Zerua straightened, her spine stiffening. "I''m sure. Much like the sight of a fool man jumping overboard."


    Dhiabhan shrugged with a smirk playing on his lips then turned and walked away. Ifan shot her an apologetic smile before hurrying to catch up.


    ***


    The day and a half of travel passed in a blur. Zerua was in a constant state of excitement as they came across various aerial lifeforms. Kaidan watched her from his spot by the helm the second afternoon as Captain Dhiabhan maneuvered the ship through the skies over the tangled jungles of Faelkish. Sunlight danced over her dark hair and she leaned on a rail, examining one of the telfies that had come to bounce on the winds around the ship. The winged creature had a tubular body and a long tongue for catching the sky worms that floated along near the ship''s hull to feed off the byproducts produced by the hael living there. It squealed at Zerua and did an aerial tumble as she reached out with a bubbling laugh.


    Dhiabhan glanced over at her, an easy smile on his lips. "Your wife is impressed by such small things."


    Kaidan shrugged, splaying his fingers across the pages of the diary in his lap to keep the wind from snatching away his notes and his spot. "She''s easy to please despite her quick mind. Rare combination if you ask me."


    The captain chuckled. "It is indeed."


    Dhiabhan''s slave girl joined Zerua at the rail, and the two women began tossing dried chunks of eel to the telfie. The telfie''s colors changed from its usual purple-grey to a bright orange yellow, and it snapped up the tidbits with a pleased nicker. The creature flapped its wings, coming closer and resting on the rail between the two women. Butting its large head against Zerua, it begged for more. She reached out and pet the down-covered beast with a grin.


    "They''re such big babies." Dhiabhan craned his neck to look at the telfie. "Always begging for attention and food when we fly this way. They''ve gotten to know the ship by now because Ru feeds them every time we come through here."


    "Rubhian?" Kaidan snapped the journal shut with a grin. "Seems your pretty waif has a large heart."


    The captain shot him a hard stare. "She''s not a waif. She''s mine, and you ought to show some respect."


    Kaidan shrugged. "As you say, Captain."


    Dhiabhan glowered at the sunny skyline. "And I thought Aleshtanians were the ones who treated their women with the most disrespect."


    Kaidan shoved the journal into his satchel and made his way over to the rail in front of the wheel. Leaning his back against it, he crossed his arms and sucked in a deep breath of the crisp air. "You know I was in jest. I know she means a great deal to you. Though¡ª" Kaidan tapped his chin. "I''m not sure how an Aleshtanian came to have such a high regard for women or decency in general."


    Dhiabhan bestowed Kaidan with one of his signature lopsided grins. The man had loosened up as soon as they were in the air, and Kaidan had found him to be agreeable for the most part if a little rakish. "What? Amending your opinion that I''m an awful person?"


    Kaidan grinned. "No. I just see the good qualities too now."


    "Oh, is that so?" Dhiabhan threw his weight against the wheel, turning the ship to the left. "Do elaborate."


    "I don''t think so. No need to feed your ego further, Captain." Kaidan closed his eyes and tilted his head back. "How did you turn out so decently for an Aleshtanian anyway?"


    Dhiabhan cleared his throat and didn''t answer.


    Kaidan opened his eyes to find Dhiabhan staring into the distance with a guarded expression on his face and a fierce gleam in his blue eyes. Dhiabhan''s fingers tightened on the wheel, and he shook his head. "Some stories are better off untold, Kaidan. Forget about asking again. I''ll not share that tale with you." He glanced over at Rubhian. "Be content that I''m not the man I once was and leave it."


    Kaidan opened his mouth to speak, but the lookout cut him off with a loud cry. "Land below, Captain! Faeridhia is three miles out."


    "Thank you, Chirsel." Dhiabhan turned his attention back to the horizon, and the easy grin was back on his face. "This is where we part then. I''m not taking my ship closer than two miles from that cursed city."


    Kaidan rubbed his temples. "Wonderful. I''ll get Zerua and help her gather the stuff then." He shoved away from the rail and headed toward his wife, who was still doting on the telfie.


    The telfie stared up at him with warm brown eyes as he came up beside the two women. Rhubian bowed to him and quickly took her leave. Kaidan leaned his arms on the rail beside the telfie, his mind whirring on all the things they''d need to do to get their bearings once Dhiabhan dropped them off. Something slick and wet ran over his cheek, startling him from his reverie.


    He jerked back and slapped a hand to his slobber-covered cheek just as the telfie let out a high-pitched scree of delight. His heart pounded against his ribcage, and he forced himself to take a deep breath before wiping the slobber from his cheek with his tunic. Next to him, Zerua stifled her laughter and rubbed the telfie''s fur-covered head between the two horn-like nubs over its eyes. He glared at the two of them, trying to calm his racing pulse.


    The telfie whined, flapping its wings with a whir before it dove for Zerua''s shoulder and hid in her hair. "Oh, look what you''ve done! You scared her."


    "Her?" Kaidan scratched his head. "That wee thing nearly frightened me to death, woman, and you''re concerned about it being scared?"


    Zerua smirked. "Why not? Now, what are you here to tell me?"


    He rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, yes. The Captain says that he''ll not go nearer than two miles to Faeridhia. So we need to gather our things and prepare to disembark."


    Zerua craned her neck to look over the side. "How are we going to land?"


    "Uh¡ª" Kaidan cleared his throat. "We aren''t. There''s nowhere to land, so we''ll climb down using a rope ladder, and they''ll lower our things down to the ground."


    She put her hands on her hips, gaining a muffled squeak from the telfie. "I don''t trust them not to steal¡ª"


    Kaidan raised a brow. "Zer, they won''t steal our stuff. I''ll stay up here to help them get it down in one piece, and you''ll go down to the ground first."


    She tapped her foot against the weathered planks of the ship''s deck. "Kaidan Tadegan, you mean to tell me you''re going to stay up here by yourself without backup? They''d just overpower you."


    Kaidan laughed and pulled her into him, pressing his mouth to her jaw. The telfie shifted and nipped at his ear, causing him to jerk back. Glaring at the creature, he rubbed his ear. Zerua threw her head back and laughed at him. "They won''t overpower me. We both know¡ª"


    "Ifan is a tier-3 phyden too, Kai."


    "And he''s one of the most trustworthy men on board." Kaidan took her hands in his, eyeing the telfie who released a lilting trill and wound its tubular body around Zerua''s shoulders while staring at him. "Come on. Help me collect everything."


    ***


    Dhiabhan leaned out over the rail beside Kaidan, and the two of them eased the bundles down. Zerua grabbed hold of the large bundles and steadied them as the men lowered them the few remaining feet to the ground. When they''d settled, she removed the ropes and gave the two of them a wave. Kaidan tugged his rope up, the fibers biting into his calloused palms as he coiled the returning rope at his feet.


    With their things on the ground and his wife standing with them, Kaidan knew it was time to debark. He turned to Dhiabhan with a quiet smile. He lifted a hand and placed his fist over his heart in his people''s sign of respect and goodwill. It was a farewell only used among friends, and he hoped the captain would understand the gesture because it spoke more than words could.


    Dhiabhan''s brows rose. "You do me an honor, Kaidan Tadegan."


    Kaidan bowed his head. "You''re a better man than they gave you credit for being, Dhiabhan. I thank you for your services, and you have my utmost respect."


    "And you mine." Dhiabhan pressed his fist to his heart and then touched the tips of his fingers to his forehead, using the Montelishrian gesture to indicate that Kaidan was a friend not to be forgotten.


    Kaidan grinned. "Glad to know I won''t be forgotten, Captain."


    Dhiabhan bellowed with laughter and clapped him on the back. "Who can forget a gangly archaeologist with a suicide wish?"


    Kaidan shot him a glare, but his smile fought its way back onto the corners of his mouth, softening the glower. He clambered over the rail and swung onto the rope ladder swaying from the ship''s side. Rith''s Demise hovered in the sky as he descended to stand beside Zerua. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into his side as they stood in the humid jungle and stared up at the ship overhead.


    The last thing Kaidan saw before Rith''s Demise sprang back into the heights was Dhiabhan''s buoyant smile and jaunty salute. Then the two of them were alone in the middle of the Faelkishian jungle. The telfie, which had been sleeping tangled in Zerua''s clothing and hair, woke with a yawn and stared after the disappearing ship too. Then it released a quiet mewl and untangled itself from Zerua''s hair to perch on her right shoulder.


    When the creature eyed him with its tongue darting out hesitantly toward his neck, Kaidan dropped his grip on Zerua''s waist and backed off with a scowl. "Stupid animal! Why didn''t it go with the ship?"


    Zerua grinned and flounced over to their things. "She likes you, Kaidan. Why else?"


    "Idiotic flying vermin," he muttered, sneering down at the telfie.


    It hopped off Zerua''s shoulder, its fur changing to a dark orange. Hissing, it stalked over to him and wound itself between his feet, nipping at his boots. The animal''s tiny fangs didn''t pierce the leather, but Kaidan bent over, trying to shoo it away before it ruined his only pair of sturdy leather boots. "Stop that!"


    The telfie spread its wings and wound its long tongue around his ankle, spreading the stench of eel and rotten meat over his boots along with slobber that was certain to eat away at the leather. Kaidan yelped and shook his leg, trying to dislodge the persistent mammal. "Would you please let me go?"


    The telfie ruffled its feathered wings and snapped its tongue back into its mouth with a satisfied chortle. Then it pranced back to Zerua, leaving him to find some broad leaves to clean his boots up. He shot the sneaky creature a glare and wiped the slobber off his left boot. To his dismay, the spit had already worn away the outer layer of cured leather and polish, leaving a strangely colored streak around his ankle. This is going to be a very, very long trip.

 Chapter 6

    A night in the swampy jungle did nothing to improve Kaidan''s mood. He woke to the odd sensation of something wet and very tongue-like in his ear. His eyes snapped open. The telkie had curled up on his chest and was sleeping. It was the culprit of the odd sensation against his ear. The creature''s tongue had lolled out of its mouth and slid against his ear sometime during the night.


    The tiny animal''s face was devoid of its usual mischievous look, and its large, purring breaths vibrated soothingly through his entire chest. Although the amount of slobber the creature had gotten on the blankets was going to stain, Kaidan tried to ignore the stench and the likelihood of a stain in favor of making peace with the furry, winged beast. It didn''t seem inclined to go anywhere, so if he didn''t want to be miserable, he''d better figure it out. Staring up at the tent''s white peak, he tried to muster the energy to move.


    Sleep last night had been difficult to come by in the heat, and the stuffy tent hadn''t helped. But it had been necessary to keep the tent closed if Zerua''s wardings were to keep the wild animals at bay. Her magic only worked if the perimeter was properly secured, unfortunately.


    Shame she didn''t bring any air cooling spell stones with her. He closed his eyes and groaned.


    The telfie''s purring stopped, and it grumbled, yanking its tongue back into its mouth and opening brown eyes to stare at him with an accusatory huff. He glared back. "What are you looking at? I didn''t do anything. It''s your fault you chose to sleep on top of me."


    Beside him, Zerua turned over, yawning. "Kaidan? Who are you talking to?"


    He huffed. "The stupid animal."


    "She''s not stupid."


    Kaidan eyed the creature with a sigh, his earlier intentions to get along with the thing fading. "If you say so."


    Zerua opened her eyes, laughing at him. "You''re engaging in a stare-down with a baby animal, Kaidan. Really." She sat up, the blanket slipping down to her hips to reveal her bare skin.


    Stripping had been the only way to make the heat somewhat bearable in the early evening, though the night''s temperatures had dipped to colder temperatures, necessitating a blanket. Now, they were high again, and neither of them had clothes appropriate to the environment.


    Kaidan''s attention shifted from the telfie to his wife, and his mood instantly improved. He reached out and trailed his fingertips down her back with a smirk. She gasped, shivering under his touch. His grin broadened. "Been a while, hasn''t it?"


    Her gaze raked over his face, and she ducked her head with a tiny smile. "I suppose it has."


    His fingers traced lazy circles against her skin, dipping lower to trace the curve of her spine. "We have time to fix that."


    Her fingers curled into the blanket, and her back swelled against his fingers with her sharp inhalation. "Do we?"


    He shooed the telfie off his chest, ignoring the animal''s throaty rumble of annoyance. "Mmm... I think so." Sitting up, he nuzzled her neck with his nose, flicking his tongue over her skin to taste the salty sweat lingering there.


    She bent her neck to the side, giving in to him. He dragged her into his lap, his mouth finding the pulse point of her neck. She arched into him with a whimper and tangled her hands in his hair. "Kaidan, is this really¡ª"


    "Shh..." He lifted his head and pressed his lips to her forehead with a smile. "Let me enjoy some time with you before we have to return to reality and our mission. Might be the only chance we have in a long time to do this."


    She closed her eyes, tilting her head back with a sigh. "Would it be so bad to just go back home and forget we ever found that journal?"


    Kaidan''s playful mood evaporated, and he stilled against her. "Yes. If what Banach wrote is true, then everything we''ve believed to be true is a lie and some great evil will befall us if anyone ever opens the Pathway without the reincarnation of Rith there. Zer, our whole world as we know it could be destroyed because of lies that are centuries old." He rested his forehead against her collarbone. "We can''t just leave it be. There are prophecies¡ª" He shuddered. "The things written in this book make it clear that good is evil and evil is good, assuming this is true. We need to find Ashkarith and discover the truth before it''s too late."


    She exhaled slowly. "Fine. Then we''d¡ª"


    At that moment, a rustling sound came from outside the tent, followed by a loud, unmistakably human whoop. Kaidan froze against Zerua, and she sucked in a breath. "K-kaidan?"


    He pressed a finger to her lips and shook his head. Placing his lips against her ear, he asked, "Will the wards hold against humans?"


    She shook her head, her cheeks draining of color.


    The tent flap was torn open before they could come up with a solution. A swarthy, red-brown skinned native stooped in the entrance, his entire torso and face painted with swirling tribal markings. Kaidan eyed them, trying to identify which tribe he might belong to. When he didn''t recognize anything, he gave up and offered the frowning man a wan smile.


    The man motioned for them to get up and move out of the tent. Zerua glanced at Kaidan, and he nodded. They couldn''t afford to anger the man. She grabbed her blanket and wrapped herself in it, hiding her slender body from the man''s disinterested stare. He stood aside, pointing for her to head out.


    Past the man, Kaidan could now see other braves standing about in loincloths and bearing the same sharp, angular painted lines and tattoos as the man standing in the tent''s entrance. He grabbed his own blanket and wrapped it around his waist, flinching when the telfie scampered onto his shoulders and dug tiny, sharp claws into his skin with a whimper. The man who had discovered them raised a brow at the telfie''s appearance but only motioned Kaidan outside.


    He emerged into the daylight, blinking as the harsh sun filtered through the foliage overhead. He eyed the sections of thicker canopy beyond the braves wistfully. The sun beat down on his head, and sweat beaded his upper lip. He stood beside Zerua, staring at the men surrounding them.


    Their captor barked an order to the men standing behind them. Rough, calloused fingers closed around his bare arms and wrenched them behind his back. He glowered at the man directing them, fighting the grasp of his captors. It was of no avail.


    He considered shifting into some ravening beast and killing all of them, but what good would it do? It wouldn''t help them find the city of Faeridhia and Ashkarith by extension.


    The men were gentler with Zerua. One of them placed a hand on her shoulder, guiding her firmly toward the darker portions of the jungle. Three of the braves enclosed her to ensure she wouldn''t flee while the remaining four surrounded him. The man who was leading them shoved him forward, sending him stumbling after his wife. He winced as the stones and roots covering the jungle floor dug into his bare feet, but he bit his lip and continued on. Albrith''s light! What a mess we''ve landed ourselves in. As they plunged into the heart of the jungle, he sent a silent prayer up to Albrith and Irafor for their protection. Then he set his mind to the path ahead and stumbled on.


    ***


    "We found them camping in the jungle near the borders of the city, Sire." The man who had found them kneed Kaidan in the back, sending him sprawling on his hands and knees in front of the king.


    Kaidan glanced over at Zerua, praying that she wouldn''t receive the same rough treatment from the men holding her. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her sinking to her knees before the king, her head bowed in a silent display of respect. Good girl, he thought. Adapt and we might just survive this. He returned his attention to the king seated atop the gleaming throne of polished, honey-brown alor wood. Good thing they''re speaking in the Common tongue so we can understand. That gave him a sliver of hope. Perhaps the men didn''t intend to execute them on the spot.


    "What were they doing there?" The king leaned forward, resting his chin on his palm.


    "Well¡ª" The brave who had ordered their arrest shifted from one foot to the other, his moccasined feet brushing against the marble flooring in a steady hush of movement. "They were engaging in the sacred rites of Mahala, Sire."


    The king''s brows rose. "In the middle of the jungle?" He stared at Kaidan with pursed lips. "What man is so desperate for his wife that he would do such an improper thing?"


    Heat bloomed in Kaidan''s chest and spread over his shoulders and up his neck before finally flooding into his cheeks.


    "Surely you speak Common, stranger." The king stood and began to pace the dais before his throne, his arms crossed. "Tell me, why would you do such a thing? Do you not respect your woman?"


    Kaidan swallowed, feeling like a small child enduring a lecture from his father. "I¡ªSire, I fail to see..."


    The king rounded on him, his face reddening. "You defile the rites of Mahala by taking her gift in such a crude manner, and yet you have nothing to say for yourself?"


    "Sire, we meant no offense." Zerua''s soft whisper echoed in the silence following the king''s question. "In our culture, intimacy¡ª" A fiery red splashed across her cheeks as everyone gaped at her. "It is not such a sacred thing. Had we known it was regarded as unholy to engage in such actions in the jungle, we would not have done so." She ducked her head, clutching her blanket closer to her chest. "Forgive us, your majesty."


    The king sucked in a breath and watched her in silence for a long moment. Then he crossed his arms. "As you are foreigners, I suppose it is understandable that you didn''t know of our customs and the affront you were committing against Mahala, goddess of marriage and love." He tapped his slippered foot against the marble dais. "I will pardon you, but you must bring an offering to Mahala''s temple so that you do not bring her wrath down upon us for allowing this atrocity to be committed within our borders."


    Kaidan bit his lip to hold in a relieved laugh. What strange customs these people hold to... Not that they''re necessarily wrong, but still¡ª He ducked his head to hide the smile on his lips. "It will be as you say, Sire."


    "Good. My bard will instruct you in the proper rites."


    "Are they to be executed for trespassing, Sire?" The painted brave who had taken them stepped up beside Kaidan. "It is the way."


    "I am aware of that, Kurifal." The king eyed Kaidan and Zerua curiously. "That is a well-known fact among the realms, as well, so I wonder¡ªWhat were you two doing trespassing on Faelkish land?"


    Kaidan lifted his head to answer when Zerua''s steady, gentle voice filled the room again. "Sire, we are here to find out the truth about what happened at the city of Ashkarith and the Hill of Dubarin. We wish to know the truth about the gods."You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "Badly enough to risk your lives?" The king stroked his black beard. "You are a strange one, woman. Rise." He waved for her to do as told.


    Zerua rose, keeping the blanket close.


    "What is your name? And your husband''s?"


    "I am Zerua. This is Kaidan."


    "And what is your profession that you would come to my kingdom, risking death to find the truth?"


    "We''re archaeologists, Sire. Seekers of truth from history." Zerua smiled. "And we have found what we believe to be the diary of Queen Banach."


    The king''s eyes widened. "That was lost when she was! You lie."


    Zerua shook her head. "No, Sire. We found it when excavating at Dubarin Hill."


    "Dubarin Hill? Why would you find it there?" The king returned to pacing.


    "We found it with the remains of a woman buried there. Her identity was impossible to confirm from the condition of the body." Zerua cleared her throat. "But the journal is in remarkable condition given the age we confirmed the body to be. Sire, the journal speaks of the writer''s husband, Rith. We believe it to be hers."


    "I would like to see the diary, if I may." The king rounded to face the two of them.


    Kaidan and Zerua glanced at each other. It was their only chance to avoid execution, Kaidan realized. He nodded to Zerua.


    She bit her lip and nodded back. "It''s in the belongings that were left behind when your braves took us, Sire."


    He crossed his arms. "Kurifal will retrieve your things. If it is indeed the diary, I will consider aiding you in your quest. If it is not, you will bear my wrath." He flicked his fingers at Kurifal. "Take them to a room in the palace and guide the bard to them. He will be responsible for their care."


    Kurifal bowed and grabbed Kaidan''s arm. Kaidan gritted his teeth and cooperated with the man''s rough handling. He glanced up to see a scowl etched into the man''s weathered features. Guess he doesn''t appreciate the change in protocol. Kaidan ducked his head when the man glared at him, hoping to avoid further altercations with the man as the brave dragged him down the stone halls of the castle.


    ***


    The bard was a wizened old man with a funny twinkle in his rheumy gray eyes. He leaned on his walking stick with a chuckle as he examined the couple standing in front of him. His robes swished against the floors as he circled them, clucking and mumbling to himself. Zerua shot Kaidan a glance and clutched the blanket closer to her. She bit her lip, hoping the bard would give them clothes to wear so she wouldn''t have to continue holding this blanket up. Wrapping it around herself like a towel had improved the situation, but she still fidgeted with it, concerned that it might drop at any moment and leave her exposed to the judgmental eyes of everyone around.


    The bard''s gnarled stick pounded onto the stone floor in front of her. "Yes, ye''ll do nicely, I think." He grinned, revealing blackened stumps where teeth should''ve been. Scratching his bald pate, the man hobbled to the bed and eased himself onto it. With a sigh, he nodded and waved the two of them closer. Once they''d obeyed and settled onto the floor a safe distance from his sandaled feet, the bard cleared his throat and tapped the flat end of his stick on the ground. "Now, I''m to instruct ye on the offerin''s ye must make to appease the goddess for yer crude behavior in the jungle." His face crinkled with a smile, and he chuckled. "Ye two¡ª" He pointed the end of his stick at them. "Yer either brave or stupid for comin'' here and doin'' such a thing."


    Zerua and Kaidan glanced at each other, fighting smiles. She was certain he was thinking about his grandfather, Miftul, who had much the same attitude as this man did. In fact, the bard had the same irreverent attitude toward life mingled with a healthy respect for the requirements to be followed if one wanted to continue on living.


    A groan came from the bard, and she looked back to the wrinkly fellow to find him rubbing at his back. He met her gaze without faltering and grimaced. "I''m gettin'' too old for this." His words ended with a strange lisping hiss, courtesy of his missing teeth, but he didn''t seem to care or notice. "At any rate, yer just goin'' to have to sacrifice those blankets." He pointed at them with another high-pitched laugh.


    The couple stared at him in silence for a long moment.


    Then Kaidan broke the awkward silence. "With all due respect, sir, we have nothing else to wear."


    The old man lifted his bony finger. "Ah. I knew I forgot somethin''."


    "You forgot what?"


    "Clothes, son. Clothes. Ye can''t go gallavantin'' about Faeridhia dressed in nothin'' but yer own skin, now can ye?" Another inane laugh bubbled out of the bard.


    "I see."


    Zerua cleared her throat. "Sir, could we please have clothing sooner rather than later?"


    The bard nodded, tapping his chin with a ragged fingernail. "I suppose ye might need ''em sooner than later. Well then, this way. Time for a little tour, I suppose." He stood, joints popping with each movement he made. Stretching his back, he sighed and hobbled toward the door. "I can do that, can''t I? Suppose I could. The king''s given me custody of ye."


    Kaidan shot Zerua a confused frown. "Is he fully sane?"


    "I can still hear, son. And I''m not fully sane, but I''m fully functional." The bard cackled as he marched down the hall, his walking stick beating staccato notes against the stone floor.


    Zerua shrugged and continued on past Kaidan. "Don''t think it matters much, Kai. He''s in charge of us, so we''d better do what he says."


    The bard burst into another fit of laughter at that. "Yer a canny one, aren''t ye, girl? Though I''m fairly sure ye could overpower me if ye pleased." His sharp gaze ran over her blanket-clad form. "Though yer a slip of a thing, aren''t ye? So, perhaps not."


    Kaidan caught up with her. Zerua pursed her lips, crossing her arms over her chest. She had the distinct feeling that the old man was playing up his madness for their benefit. Perhaps all bards around here were required to be a bit touched in the head? Well, so long as he gave them something appropriate to wear, it hardly mattered.


    The bard stopped in front of a room with a sign beside the door. The runic writing etched onto it wasn''t something Zerua recognized, but the bard seemed contented with his choice. The door itself had no handle or lock, which surprised Zerua. Do they have no crime around here? Or is it just the palace that''s like this? The bard began to hum a tuneless ditty under his breath and shoved through the door, sending it clattering into the wall.


    Zerua peeked around the bard''s skinny frame, looking to see where they''d been taken. The room carried shelves of clothing, bandages, clean supplies, and first aid materials. Zerua blinked, a frown furling her brow. Kaidan stopped short beside her, gaping at the room. "What in¡ª"


    The bard''s brass voice cut his question off. "Behold, the castle''s communal clothin'' and supply closet."


    "Communal¡ª" Zerua cleared her throat. "You mean people just come in here to get their clothes? No one has their own things?"


    "That is precisely what I mean, girl." The word precisely came out sounding more like preeshishely, but his point was made.


    "Even the king?" Kaidan spun in a circle, still staring at the room''s contents.


    "Even the king, son. Though¡ª" The bard staggered to a shelf and began picking through the clothing, shifting piles of examined clothes to the side to continue his hunt. "He has some of his own stuff, if ye catch my meanin''. Has to. He''s king, and he''s got to wear the ceremonial stuff sometimes, ye know?"


    "You''re joking, surely. Doesn''t that get taken advantage of?" Zerua pointed at the shelves stocked with supplies. "And who pays for it all?"


    The bard shrugged. "All of us, kid. And nah, it doesn''t get taken advantage of." He chuckled. "No one wants to do that."


    "What? No one?" Zerua couldn''t wrap her mind around it.


    "No one." The bard whipped out a pale blue dress and shook it out, holding it up and eyeing her. "And I think this''ll do nicely."


    Zerua examined the dress. It was simple, practically a tube with straps to hold it up, but the fabric was light, and the skirt flared past the waist to allow ease of movement. It looked like her size too. The bard held it out to her, and she took it from his twisted, veined fingers with a weak smile. "Better than a blanket, I''m sure."


    That seemed to satisfy the man. He grunted and shuffled to another shelf, weeding through clothing there until he found Kaidan a pair of pants like the braves wore and a loose, billowing tunic. These he shoved into Kaidan''s arms while he searched for a belt and a hat. Kaidan and Zerua watched him do this in silence, their confusion mounting as the seconds ticked by. Finally, the bard handed off the last of the clothing and pointed them to a dressing room off the main storage chamber.


    Kaidan and Zerua followed his directive and went to change. As they yanked the clothing on, the two of them examined each other. The hilarity of the situation hit Zerua when Kaidan finished dressing and strapped on the belt. As he checked the fit in the sheet of glass serving as a mirror, she took a moment to admire the fact that the clothing was so antiquated. She hadn''t seen this sort of outfit on anyone outside of costume parties and historical celebration events. The bard had dressed him in clothing that looked like something Montelishrians would''ve worn nearly two-hundred years ago. No one wore baggy pants and billowing shirts anymore. Everything was sharp and clean-cut. She clapped her hands over her mouth, trying to hold back the laughter.


    Kaidan turned to her with a scowl on his face, crossing his arms. "Stop laughing! It isn''t¡ª" Then his gaze fell on the dress she was wearing, and he began laughing too. "You look like something out of a child''s history book from the Ethlian era."


    Zerua snickered. "At least mine is only fifty years too old. Yours looks like something straight of the era of the Fedhan line of monarchs. It''d be just their style."


    The curtain rustled, and the bard poked his head around the cloth barrier. "Ye look just like one of us." He gave them a toothy grin. "Now, yer ready for a quick lesson in local history and a brief visit to the temple to burn¡ª" He looked over the blankets with a sniff. "Those."


    Zerua glowered at him. "Those are fine blankets that serve their purpose."


    The bard shrugged. "Nonetheless. That''s the sacrifice that the goddess told me ye should make."


    Kaidan coughed, covering a laugh. "I see. Well, anything to appease the goddess."


    The old man''s lips split in a broad grin. "Now yer catchin'' on, son. Whatever makes ''em happy so ye live comfortable-like for a few more years."


    Now Zerua was certain he was faking it. The man''s eyes held too much intelligence for him to truly be the insane old man he pretended to be. But, considering the situation they''d found themselves in, she chose not to comment on it. The bard smirked at her, seeming to know exactly what she was thinking. A twinkle danced in his gaze, and he turned his back on them. "Come along then, ye heathens." He rubbed his hands together before grabbing his stick from the wall and hobbling into the main storeroom.


    ***


    When morning came, it brought with a stickier day than the last. Kaidan groaned and rolled onto his back, throwing a hand over his eyes. The buzz of insects outside the mesh window screen and the sun streaming over him made him wish he could roll over and go back to sleep. But there were things to do and questions to ask.


    The bard, who had introduced himself as Teobhor the night that they''d been taken to sacrifice for their crime against the goddess, had many interesting tales to tell, and this morning, he had assured them that the king would decide their fate. Thankfully, word had come the day after their arrest that their story had been confirmed to the king''s satisfaction, so they were in no danger of execution. But whether or not they''d get any help from the king or permission to visit the Holy Site, as the bard called Ashkarith, remained to be seen.


    Beside him, Zerua groaned and turned onto her side, opening her eyes to greet the morning with a grumpy frown. "Why does it always have to be this hot?" She brushed her sticky hair off her forehead with a sigh.


    "I don''t know. Because it''s a tropical environment, maybe?"


    Zerua smacked him with a snicker. "Oh, quit being snide. You ready to get up and talk with Tebhor?"


    He moaned. "Yes. No. We should though."


    "Yes, we should." She laughed and sat up, the silk of her nightgown flowing over her fit form. Kaidan admired the lines of her body through the gown, thinking that he was blessed by the gods to have such a wonderful wife.


    She rose from their pallet and padded across the room to retrieve the clothing that she''d been given the afternoon after their first meeting with King Eranar. He watched her dress, still trying to muster the energy to get up and prepare for the day himself. The cooling spell that had been cast on their room had worn off sometime during the night, and even the slight breeze blowing through the many screened window slots in the room wasn''t enough to cool it off to a comfortable temperature.


    He finally roused himself from his lethargy and got up, lumbering to his own clothing and tugging it all on. He found himself grateful once again for Tebhor''s choice of clothing, which was lightweight and warded off the worst part of the heat from the sun.


    As he was tying off the belt, the familiar knock of Tebhor''s walking stick echoed in the hall. Moments later, the wizened man poked his head through the heavy curtain to their sleeping chamber, a broad, toothy smile on his lips. "The king will see you."


    "Now?" Kaidan drew the strap of his satchel over his head, securing it at his side.


    "Later in the morning. In about an hour." Tebhor hobbled in and eased his creaking body into the chair by the door. "Why?"


    "I wanted to ask you about Ashkarith."


    "The Holy Site?" The bard''s muscles tensed, and he gripped the head of his staff more tightly. "It is a bad place, son. Very bad. None of the light it once contained is left. Yer still bent on goin'', then?"


    Kaidan settled cross-legged on the ground before Tebhor. "We have to, Tebhor. What can you tell us about the place?"


    The bard shuddered, shaking his head. "No one who goes in comes back. Few who go there survive, and any who do wander the rest of their lives in a crazed state along the borders of the city, ravagin'' any who approach. No one goes there." He raised a trembling hand toward Kaidan, palm up. "Not since she took up residence there a millennium ago."


    "She?" Kaidan frowned.


    The bard eased to his feet, trembling. "Bane of Ashkarith. She guards the city. I''ll say no more. Just that ye shouldn''t go there. It''s not safe."


    Kaidan stood too. "What do you mean?"


    "I told ye what I meant, son."


    Kaidan and Zerua exchanged glances. She shook her head, shrugging. He turned his attention back to the bard. "Are you sure you know nothing more, Tebhor?"


    "Nothing that''s for polite company." The old man turned away from them. "I''m tellin'' ye not to go. Bane awaits any who enter." He shuffled toward the door. "Bane. Bane awaits," he muttered under his breath. Then he disappeared through the doorway, leaving the couple to ponder his frightening declaration.

 Chapter 7

    "Are you certain I can''t persuade the two of you to go back home without going to the city?" King Eranar stood with them on the outskirts of the decrepit city.


    Kaidan and Zerua stared out over the ruins, startled by the lack of life visible there and by the utter stillness surrounding even its borders. The braves shuffled behind them, muttering among themselves and looking back the way they''d come. Eranar waited for them, fiddling with the hem of his fringed belt.


    Returning his attention to the sweating king, Kaidan shook his head. "We won''t go back." He hefted the journal the king had returned to him. "We''ve got to know whether this is the truth."


    The king cleared his throat. "The city¡ªIt is dangerous. Most never return. Tebhor¡ª" Eranar gnawed on his finger nails. "He is not entirely right in the head, as you saw?"


    Kaidan nodded with a frown. Where is he going with this?


    "Tebhor entered this place looking for the truth and returned to us like he now is. He never fully recovered, and he still has moments of temporary insanity." The king swallowed, glancing into the depths of the tangled vines and towering trees woven throughout the ruins'' edges. "Please. Don''t do this."


    Shaking his head, Kaidan turned to face the border of Ashkarith. He swallowed hard, noting the darkness filling the trees and billowing out into the surrounding jungle. The sunlight seemed to shy away from the trees and stones here, leaving the ruins in shadow and gloom. "We have to go."


    Zerua pressed closer to him, wrapping her arms around his bicep. He laid a hand on her forearm, forcing his lips into a confident smile. "We''ll be fine, Eranar. And if we aren''t, we''ll perish doing what''s right."


    Eranar stepped back, biting his lip. "You two are either the bravest or the dumbest people I know. But if you ever return, you''ll be welcomed back into Faeridhia with open arms. I will pray for your return."


    The couple smiled at him more genuinely this time. Zerua''s voice cut through the uncomfortable silence. "Your graciousness and kindness is appreciated, Sire. We will find the truth and return, as my husband says."


    The king bowed to her. "May the gods smile on that wish, my lady."


    Zerua returned the customary bow, bending low at the waist. "And on yours, Sire."


    "This is farewell then to the both of you." King Eranar motioned one of the braves forward.


    The brave''s gaze flitted to the dark ruins a few feet away, but he came forward as instructed and extended a small pot to the king. The king took the pot and nodded to the brave. Opening it, he dipped his fingers into the red-clay interior. When he pulled his fingers out, they were coated in a viscous blue gel. He crossed the distance between himself and the couple, lifting his fingers. "This is the blessing we bestow upon all those who find favor in our kingdom." He traced his blue-coated fingers over Kaidan''s forehead, bowing his head and murmuring some words in the Faelkish language.


    Kaidan shifted, listening to the incantation. The blue gel turned blazing hot and then chillingly cold against his forehead, and he sucked in a breath of surprise, squeezing Zerua''s hand tightly. Then the liquid went back to the same sticky, lukewarm state it had held when Eranar first applied it. The king turned to Zerua and traced the same pattern against her forehead.


    She also gasped when the temperature change came, clinging to his arm and digging her nails into his skin. He gritted his teeth against the pain. Then she relaxed. The two of them stared at Eranar in confusion. The king smiled at them before closing his eyes and intoning the remainder of the blessing. "May this blessing of the gods follow you and protect you from harm. Fare you well and gods speed to you."


    Then the king turned and walked past his braves, disappearing back into the jungle. The braves followed him without a word, leaving the two standing on the borders of Ashkarith. The unnatural stillness settled over them, suffocating them with the silence. For a long moment, neither spoke. They remained where they were, staring after the group which was no longer visible through the jungle''s undergrowth.


    When no one returned, Kaidan shook off the heaviness sitting in his stomach and turned to Zerua. "Well, it''s just us now like before." He hitched the pack on his back into a more comfortable position. "Shall we?"


    She released his arm and stared at the darkness, which undulated between the trees as though it was a living creature. He bit his lip, staring at it too. Perhaps it was a living manifestation of some evil waiting for them in the ruins. He straightened, looping his thumbs through the straps of his pack. "I''m sure it isn''t as bad as it seems." He took a deep breath and plunged forward.


    Zerua followed then, still remaining silent. The two of them strained to catch the least noise of a bird tweeting or anything else moving through the underbrush, but nothing met their listening ears. Even their own footsteps brushed over the ground without a sound. Kaidan gulped. What an eerie place. How is it even possible for someplace like this to exist? There was only one answer: magic. Specifically, it was the work of someone with considerable strength. To work a spell that could keep the jungle from entirely reclaiming this place and could remove all sound would require considerable strength.


    As they passed through the band of trees, the shadows began to thin. Moments after the shadows began thinning, the two of them burst out into the ruins of the city proper. Kaidan stopped short, staring at the sight before them. Zerua bumped into him with a gasp.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The city stretched out below them, resting in a sunken circle miles wide. A small dirt path led down into the ruin and wound through the outer ring of broken-down houses, tapering off before it hit the city proper. A green pallor hung over everything, and vines cascaded down the sloping sides of the wall of earth circling the city. Some of the buildings were still standing in mostly whole condition, and on a hill at the center of the city stood a sprawling castle. It brooded atop the hill, pulsating with the green light that was washing over the rest of the city.


    Kaidan shivered, a chill skittering through him. Zerua peered at the city over his shoulder, pressing close to him, and he knew she felt the ominous atmosphere too. He bit his lip. "We''ve come this far," he murmured.


    She nodded.


    He examined the path down to the city. It looked sturdy, though it was rocky and dangerously narrow. "We''ll just go carefully. One step at a time, right?"


    Zerua hummed in response, but fear coated the usually happy sound.


    Kaidan sucked in a breath of humid, dense air. "Right then. Down that path, I suppose." He marched over to the path a few feet away. For a moment, he wrestled with his sudden desire to turn and run. His chest tightened, and his muscles tensed. We can''t go back. We have to do this. He took the first step, testing the ground of the path. It held. He took another step, and it remained firm. Turning back toward Zerua, he waved to her.


    She took a tentative step onto the path, biting her lip.


    This is way out of our depth. She''s petrified. Kaidan extended a hand to her. She took it, wrapping her slender fingers around his and squeezing them. He held her hand the rest of the way down as the two of them shuffled down the path, feeling out each step before continuing.


    The entire way down, his heart thudded in his chest. He glanced over the edge, noting the long drop to the ground, and gulped. I hate heights. Why? His throat tightened. Why does there have to be a giant wall? Just¡ªJust don''t look down. He focused on Zerua''s fingers clutching his, grounding himself. Behind him, he could hear her harsh breathing. He wondered why they could hear one another but nothing else. It was a strange place they''d found themselves in, he thought.


    He trailed one hand along the wall of vine-covered dirt. The reassurance of the vines at his fingers began to calm him as they continued down without mishap. Before he knew it, they''d reached the bottom of the wall and were standing on the soggy ground surrounding the first set of houses. "There." He sighed, his shoulders slumping. "That wasn''t so bad, was it?"


    Zerua sagged against him with a shaky laugh. "No. Better than I expected it to be."


    The two of them leaned against each other, laughing together. The sound rang out across the otherwise silent city. A chilly breeze threaded its way over them, coming from somewhere deep in the city, but still no noise met them as they stopped laughing and straightened up.


    "What''s with this place, anyway?" Zerua tugged at the end of her braid, biting her lip.


    "I don''t know. But I''m fairly sure this place is spelled." Kaidan rubbed her back with an absent mind, his focus on the houses and crumbling buildings beyond.


    Zerua shivered, rubbing at her bare arms. "I don''t like this place, Kaidan."


    "Neither do." He cracked a smile. "But hey, now we know why it''s called the City of the Dead."


    She whimpered and tensed against him, elbowing him in the side. "That isn''t funny!"


    "Sorry, sorry¡ª" He rubbed his side with a wince. "Let''s keep going."


    She nodded and moved forward, walking toward the rows of houses. Kaidan hurried to catch up, his heart in his throat. This is going to end so badly, isn''t it? Despite the sense that everything was about to go wrong, Kaidan continued onward.


    They wove between moss and lichen covered houses with walls knocked in and roofs caving into the one-roomed buildings. The screens that had kept out the bugs at one time hung limp against the stone walls. Kaidan eyed them with a frown. How is this stuff still here? It''s been nearly two millennium since this place fell. He brushed his fingers over a piece of the screen. It felt worn but in good condition. Dropping it, he continued walking, trying to ignore the strange lack of sound that filled this place.


    Something green flashed between the buildings in the corner of his eye. He froze, laying a hand on Zerua''s arm and looking to the place where he''d seen the streak of color. Nothing was there.


    "What?" Zerua craned her neck to see what he was looking at.


    He shook his head. "Nothing. Thought I saw something, but there''s nothing there."


    She frowned, shivering. "I don''t like this place. Gives me the chills. We should hurry up and find a secure place to camp for tonight before it gets dark." She shook her head, rubbing her arms. "Even thinking about spending the night gives me the shivers."


    Kaidan was inclined to agree. He forged ahead, one hand on the spell-infused rapier belted to his hip. If anything attacked them, it''d get a taste of the fire spell that ignited the blade on command. Kaidan hoped it would be enough.


    They walked further into the buildings in silence. Looming up ahead, a temple perched among the houses. The roof had a massive hole in it as though something had punched through it in a siege, but the structure looked otherwise sound. Kaidan pointed to the structure, which was covered in vines like every other building. "We could stay in there."


    Zerua eyed it with a sigh. "Looks safer than the houses. The door''s at least functional."


    Together, they approached it and clambered up the stairs. Kaidan gripped the iron ring, half afraid it would tear free of the wood. It didn''t, and when he pulled at it, the door swung open on hinges that were free of creaks or noise like everything else in this strange place. He peered into the dark, dusty interior. Nothing moved.


    Shoulders slumping, he walked inside and ushered Zerua in after him. She followed, latching onto his arm again with a shiver. "What is this place anyway?"


    The temple was entirely devoid of furniture aside from one giant pool of water at the front of the chapel. No seats or pews lined the interior, and the only sign that worship had been conducted here was a single silver chalice lying on the ground at the base of the stone retaining wall that held the stagnant water.


    Kaidan approached the still pool, his muscles quivering. Crouching down, he examined first the pool then the chalice. The pool was untouched by algae or any other grime. It moved sluggishly as though fed by some underground well, though Kaidan didn''t see the source. The chalice was similarly pristine. The surface gleamed in the greenish light shining through the hole in the roof. Behind the pool lay a giant black ball, likely the culprit of the hole in the ceiling.


    Behind him, Zerua let out a low whimper. He stood, still holding the chalice, and turned to see what the matter was. Her wide-eyed gaze met his, and his breath hitched in his chest when he saw what she was staring at. The chalice dropped from his unfeeling fingers as he realized what the flash of green he''d seen was.


    Four shimmering green beings stood blocking the entrance, angry scowls etched onto their glowing emerald faces. Kaidan gulped, willing his legs to move or to do anything, but he remained frozen in place. "Rith''s blade!" The words hissed out of him.


    Zerua took one faltering step back. The spirits'' gazes latched onto her, and they bared their teeth in a synchronized snarl. Then they lunged, and the world erupted into chaos.

 Chapter 8

    Kaidan darted forward, ripping his sword from its sheath and yelling at it to ignite. The spell did as instructed, and flame roared down the blade. He skidded to a halt beside Zerua and pressed a hand to her chest, forcing her behind him. The spirits released their own war cries, chilling screeches that reminded him of the screes of a dying animal. He had one moment to wonder why they were audible before they slammed into him.


    Biting cold enveloped him, and the flames on his sword flickered. The spirits veered away from the sword, screaming and roaring their fury. Zerua had tugged spell stones from her pouches by now, and she grabbed Kaidan''s arm with a scream when one of the spirits dove at her, its icy fingers grasping at the stones. Kaidan batted the creature away with his sword, his stomach clenching and his lungs seizing. The room''s temperature had dropped nearly sixty degrees, and the two of them shivered in the thin clothes they wore, their breath pluming in the air.


    The apparitions launched another attack, latching their hands around Kaidan''s arms and plunging the sword into a bitter chill. The flames flickered again and went out.


    The creatures roared in triumph, their laughter echoing around the temple. The largest of the four grabbed him around the throat while another pressed itself against his back, invading his body with the cold. Kaidan threw his head back and screamed, his nerve endings blazing with ice-cold fire as the apparitions sent their cold through his body.


    Zerua screamed too. "Kaidan! Kaidan, I need you to fight them. I''ve got a plan."


    Kaidan''s neck popped as he fought the hands holding him to look at her. She brandished her spell-stones, and he saw the runes etched into them. Fire stones. His lungs were seizing now, and drawing in any air was impossible. He choked, his throat growing raw and dry.


    Over the sound of his blood rushing in his ears, he heard Zerua chanting, and then there was a loud crack, and the world exploded with light and warmth. The blast from the stones knocked the creature on his back off temporarily, and Kaidan lifted his now mobile arms, latching onto the hands around his throat and tearing them away as the spirit wailed its displeasure.


    Zerua lunged for the door, grabbing his hand and towing him along behind her. He managed to get his feet under him just in time to run alongside her. They bolted through the door into the open. Kaidan paused for a moment to slam the door behind him, praying that if the creatures were solid enough to harm them, they wouldn''t be able to go through doors. Then again, who knew?


    Then they were off again, running deeper into the city, fire coursing through their blood and terror chasing on their heels. As they twisted and wound through the streets, neither had time to pay attention to what was around them. They barreled onward with no grace and only desperation keeping them on their feet.


    Kaidan stumbled over a broken stone and lost his footing, landing on his hands and knees. His wife knelt beside him, helping him up and glancing behind. A gasp from her told him they were still being pursued. He scrambled to regain his balance, and they bolted down another street.


    The houses had become less numerous, and Kaidan searched for any place they could safely hide. Nothing presented itself. The few houses were now mingling with trees, and they burst out into an open field surrounded by a waist-high wall of stones and shale. Nearby, the wall of dirt they''d descended earlier loomed, but this section had no upward path out.


    Kaidan gasped for breath and skidded to halt by the wall. "Here. It''s our only chance, Zer. We have to¡ª" He gulped the humid air into his lungs. "Hide. Now."


    She nodded, and they sprinted down the wall, finding a place where trees provided some cover. Then they threw themselves down in the ditch between the field and the wall, drawing in as much air as they dared. Zerua clapped her hands over her mouth to hide the noise of her breathing, which was all to obvious in the stillness surrounding them. Kaidan did the same, his heart pounding against his ribcage like a carpenter''s hammer against wood. He struggled to regulate his heartbeat and his breathing. Closing his eyes, he prayed to Albrith that they wouldn''t be discovered.


    They listened for the tell-tale signs of pursuit, but nothing made a sound. Kaidan raised his head to look over the lip of the ditch. As far as the eye could see, the field stretched. No ghosts were in sight, but his breath hitched in his throat when he saw the thousands of tombstones standing in the earth like proud sentries.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "W-what is it?" Zerua''s entire form trembled against his, and when he eased himself back down and looked at her, she had tears in her large, doe-like eyes.


    "I didn''t see the things pursuing us." He bit his lip, unsure if he should tell her what he''d discovered about their hiding place.


    "But?" Her voice was breathless as she pressed closer to him, tears running in rivulets down the planes of her face. "There''s a but, isn''t there?"


    He nodded, swallowing hard. "But we''ve hidden in a massive graveyard."


    Zerua tipped her head back, staring at the green-tinted sky overhead, and a silent sob wracked her frame. "What were we thinking? W-we never should''ve come. No wonder Tebhor¡ª"


    Something crunched over the grass nearby, and Kaidan pressed his hand over her mouth, shaking his head. They lay pressed up against each other, waiting to see what their fate would be.


    The coldness crept over their hiding place, and Zerua''s lips trembled against his palm. Her tears dripped onto his hands, and she released a muted whimper. He pressed a kiss to her temple, thinking that if he had to die today, at least she wouldn''t be left alone without him. She''d always said she couldn''t bear it if he died first.


    The first apparition appeared above them, towering over them and blotting out the strange emerald sky. A snarl twisted his features, and he bent down to wrap his bony fingers around Kaidan''s neck once more.


    Before he could, the breeze picked up, and this time, it carried with it the rolling of thunder. Energy crackled in the air, dancing over Kaidan''s skin and making the hair on his neck rise. He sucked in a breath, every nerve electrified by whatever was coming.


    The apparition seemed to recognize the energy. It snatched its hands back from Kaidan as though it had been burned, muttering and moaning. Then it turned and dropped to its knees, bowing its head as if in reverence of something. Kaidan rolled onto his stomach and eased himself to his knees, wondering what the creature could be looking at.


    A woman stood in the distance, the white light emanating from her chasing away the odd green glow that permeated the entire city. Her pure white robes flapped around her ankles and fluttered in the wind she seemed to be the origin of. The force of it nearly toppled him as he knelt there, and the smaller trees nearby swayed. She stared at him, her eyes boring into his soul. Transfixed, he stared back. Who is she? Her gaze held an agelessness that no ordinary person could attain in a lifetime, and all four of their pursuers bowed to her, abandoning their chase.


    Kaidan got to his feet in a daze and offered Zerua a hand up.


    She leaned on him, staring at the newest being as well. "K-kaidan¡ª" Her fingers trembled on his arm. "We should run now while they''re not attacking."


    He bit his lip and nodded. The two of them slunk to the edge of the trees, hoping to avoid the notice of the four warrior spirits bowing to the woman in the center of the field. When it became clear the warriors wouldn''t move, the two bolted for the woods.


    They went nowhere. One moment, they were running, and the next, they were in the ditch where they''d started. Now, the apparitions did turn to stare at them. They didn''t move, but they observed the two with silent animosity. Kaidan shivered as a chill skittered down his spine. Why do they want us dead so badly? And why is she holding them off? He tried to take a step toward the forest again but found his feet couldn''t move. "W-what¡ª"


    Zerua''s fingers laced through his, and she squeezed his hand in a death-grip. "Kaidan, I can''t move my legs."


    "Me neither."


    They turned their attention back to the four glowing apparitions and the woman in white. As they watched, the creatures disappeared one-by-one until only the woman in white was left. She meandered across the field, trailing long, glowing fingers over the headstones of grave after grave.


    Kaidan watched her approach, sweat trickling down his back. The usual humidity and silence returned with the other four gone, but the energy still crackled in the air. Its intensity grew as the woman drew nearer.


    She drew to a stop in front of them.


    Kaidan shaded his eyes from the light radiating off her, wincing. Beside him, Zerua gasped and buried her face in his shoulder. Then the light dimmed, and he was able to lower his hand away from his eyes to look at the woman who had rid them of their attackers.


    His breath hitched, and he wiped a clammy palm on his pants. The woman before him was a goddess. Her high-boned cheeks blushed with barest hint of pink beneath the glow that lit her from the inside out, and her dewy skin remained an alabaster white as though the sun had never touched it. Her hazel eyes held a strange emotion, one that he couldn''t place. Her full, petal-pink lips curved up into a smile.


    Kaidan could understand that smile. It held no warmth, no crinkling of the skin around her eyes, and no sparkle in her gaze. It was cold and dead. It promised no refuge, but it also promised no retribution. It was simply devoid of feeling. He swallowed and cleared his throat. "Who are you?"


    She turned away from him with a melodious laugh that tinkled on the breeze radiating from her person. "Me? I am Bane of Ashkarith. But you may know me better as Banach of Argos."

 Chapter 9

    Kaidan and Zerua stood rooted to their spot as Bane looked out over the field. Her long, slender fingers clenched into fists as she stared at the field of tombs. "Why are you here, travelers?"


    The two exchanged glances. This is the moment of truth, Zerua thought. She bit her lip and then said, "We''re here to find the truth, my lady."


    Bane whipped around to face them, her eyes blazing and no longer hazel. "Why do you seek the truth? And do not lie to me. I hear your thoughts, strangers, and I know your hearts'' darkest desires."


    "If you know them," Kaidan muttered, "Then why do you want us to restate them?"


    The blaze in her eyes dimmed, and her expression went back to the neutral one it held prior. "Often, people do not know the truth of their intentions until forced to state them. People¡ª" She snorted. "People are so good at lying to themselves." She wrapped her lily-white arms around her torso. "So, so very good at it."


    Zerua wondered if the woman had lost it.


    Bane snickered. "You wonder if I have lost my mind. Maybe I have. She certainly did enough to ensure I would. But no¡ª" She laughed again. "I have not lost my mind." The wind picked up again, whistling through the trees. She raised her hands, and thunder rolled again. "I haven''t lost it. But I sometimes wish I would so I wouldn''t have to endure this loneliness!" She spun to face them, the glow back in her eyes. "You say you have come for the truth, travelers? Well, let me show you my truth!"


    They shrank away from her, staring at her glowing eyes and wild red hair, which whipped in the wind. She raised her arms higher, throwing back her head and yelling words into the sky. The words were in a language Zerua had never heard, but the power behind them made the hairs at the nape of her neck prickle. Bane let out a wild scream then, which rent the silent air.


    Thunder boomed, and lightning ripped across the green-hazed sky. From the graves rose thousands of ethereal beings, their green forms in various states of decay. Zerua''s eyes widened, and her lips parted. Her stomach flipped, and she took a step back, releasing Kaidan''s arm. She clapped a hand over her mouth as she noticed that the man rising from the grave closest to her was missing half his head and the woman next to him was clutching a baby whose throat dripped black ichor.


    Zerua''s breaths came in ragged gasps, and she dropped to her knees, shaking. "W-what are they?"


    Bane''s lips peeled back in a vicious grin, revealing sharp canines and two rows of straight, pearl-white teeth. "This is what has become of my kingdom. Of the once great Ashkarith. Behold, those that have no rest! Behold, those that Sedra murdered and threw into this mass grave, burying them under the jungle''s floor to hide her atrocities from the world forever!" Bane swept her arm back in a wide gesture to include the thousands of decimated ghosts hovering over their graves. "You seek the truth, travelers? Well, you shall find it. And if it does not drive you mad, then¡ª" Bane cast them a sly grin. "Then, we shall see if you are fit to complete the journey you''ve begun."


    The ghosts began to fade back into the ground, and the thunder grumbled to a halt. Bane also began to fade, her body scattering into a white mist.


    Zerua threw out a hand. "No! Wait, please! Tell us where to go. How can we find you again?"


    Bane''s lips curved into a wicked grin, and she pointed with a dissolving hand to the center of the city where the green mist hung in lurid clouds over the center of the city.


    "We don''t know what that means." Zerua let out a cry and lunged to latch onto Bane''s disintegrating form. Her hand slipped through Bane''s chest, and Bane burst into a glowing white fog before disappearing all together. Zerua stood there, her hand outstretched and her eyes wide. Her lower lip trembled, and she stared out at the wasteland of graves, her chest heaving. What was done here¡ªThat woman. The baby. Those men. A shudder rippled through her, and she took a step back, her lips parting. W-we can''t stay here. She turned and crashed into Kaidan in her desperation to leave.


    He stood there, staring at the spot where Bane had stood. Her hand pressed to his chest, and his heart pulsed under her hand in quick, unsteady beats. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Kaidan! Kaidan, can you hear me?"


    His vacant gaze drifted down to hers. "What?"


    "Kaidan, we need to go. Anywhere but here." She grasped his hand in hers and yanked him toward the break in the wall they''d entered through.


    Kaidan stumbled along behind her. "Go where? Zer, what we saw¡ª"


    She shook her head, sucking in a breath. "We can''t¡ªno, I can''t talk about that. We need to leave this place. Now. Before it drives us mad like Tebhor."


    He ground to a halt, tugging her to a stop too. "She won''t let us. We have to finish this, Zer."


    "What?" Zerua spun to face him and released his hand to put her hands on her hips. "This is madness! All we have to do is go back the way we¡ª" She stopped with a gasp. The way we came. She turned to look. Nothing looked familiar. Houses filled the gaps between trees, and she could''ve sworn they hadn''t been there before. Spinning in a circle, she searched for the street they''d run down. The only street visible led further into the city the way Bane had directed them to go.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "We can''t leave until we do what she said." Kaidan''s voice cracked. "We can''t leave. Gods, we''re¡ªwe''re trapped."


    Zerua rounded on him. Grabbing his tunic, she tugged him into her. "No, stop it. Stop this instant. If you panic, we''re going to die in this gods-forsaken city of the dead. Do you want to end up like the poor people who came here before us?"


    He shook his head, his hands resting on her waist out of habit. "Of course not."


    She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her forehead to his chest. "Then find whatever courage you have left, and let''s get on with this."


    He wound his arms around her waist and held her close. She shifted to let him bury his face in her neck. "Whatever happens, know that I love you and don''t regret anything." He snickered, but the laugh shook more than usual. "Except maybe coming here."


    She squeezed him to her. "Neither do I. Except, you know, I regret coming here too."


    Their broken laughter was the only thing that made a sound in the surrounding area, and it carried across the fields in an eerie echo, bouncing against the houses and trees around them. They stopped laughing and straightened, smoothing wrinkles out of their clothing. Then they turned to face the path into the heart of Ashkarith and the fog-covered castle on the hill towering above the rest of the city of the dead.


    ***


    Moonlight drenched the vine-covered temple in silver. Kaidan and Zerua stood before the great carven doors, gazing at the emblem etched into the rowen wood of the doors. They glanced at each other then back at the door. Kaidan''s fingers trembled as he stretched them toward the iron handles of the temple. "S-should I?" He looked to Zerua again. "Last time we thought it would be a good idea to camp out in a temple, those glowing ghost men attacked us."


    Zerua bit her lip, the color blanching from her face. "We don''t have another option, Kaidan. Sleeping out in the open isn''t safe either."


    He took a deep breath. "You''re right. Of course. After that last experience though¡ª" He shook his head. "I''m never going to see temples the same way again." Stepping forward, he closed his fingers around the chilly iron handles. For a moment, he remained there, barely breathing.


    Silence draped over the clearing in which the temple nestled. Even his breathing was muffled in his ears. He swallowed hard, his fingers tightening on the wrought-iron circlets beneath them. Then he heaved backward, and the doors groaned outward. A sliver of space opened into the moon-soaked interior of the temple. Nothing stirred in its depths. Silence reigned inside just as it did outside. It was as if some invisible magic wave through the temple and the grove, hushing the world in reverence.


    He slipped through the crack. His footsteps made no sound within the chapel as he padded up the pew-lined aisle. The interior made of the temple was dimmer in the back where the moonlight could barely reach. At the front, however, moonlight filtered down through a hole in the ceiling and flitted over the water cascading down the fountain in front of an alabaster statue.


    The statue looked out over the forest chapel, her face carrying an open invite to all who approached. A knowing smile had been carved onto her cold stone lips, and one hand stretched out in a silent welcome to the weary pilgrim. Vines crept over the statue''s feet, lapping at the hem of her skirt and twining up it to her waist. The tendrils crept no further, embracing her slender waist and broad hips like a lover clinging to his love. There she presided over the silent sanctuary as she had for eons and would for eons more if the strange state of this city was any indication.


    Nothing moved, and for the first time since entering the haunted city, a sense of peace enveloped Kaidan. It felt as if this place had been intended for a safe haven even in the midst of the chaos of the siege that had brought this great city to its knees. Shoulders slumping, he strode back to the door and beckoned for Zerua to enter. "It''s safe this time. But close the door for good measure."


    She released a nervous laugh and stepped over the threshold. "Why bother? They''re spirits. Doors won''t keep them out."


    "No. But it''ll make me feel better." Kaidan dragged the door shut behind her when she stood unmoving at the entrance, staring at the statue. He frowned when she still didn''t move after the door was shut. "What is it?"


    "Kaidan, do you have any idea what we''ve just found?" Zerua looked over her shoulder at him.


    He frowned at the statue she''d been staring at. Art was her area of expertise. Of course he didn''t know. "No. What?"


    "Kaidan, this is one of the original temples of Albrith. The one in Ashkarith was presumed lost." She wandered further into the temple, trailing her fingers over the pews and gazing up at the moonlight-drenched boughs of the trees that stretched over the open roof above the statue''s head. "It was said that this was the most beautiful of the temples for her. Rith created it as a memorial, according to the texts. Allegedly, Sedra had left it standing out of respect for her lost sister, but¡ª" Zerua shook her head. "When everyone declared the city lost to the jungle, it was supposed to have been destroyed. To find it here after so many years."


    "So¡ª" Kaidan cleared his throat and followed her up the pew-lined aisles. "Think it''s a coincidence that the only path we could follow led us right here just as the night got too dark to continue?"


    Zerua shook her head, spinning in a circle to take in the pristine chapel, which showed none of the decay the rest of the city showed. "It''s not a coincidence. She led us here." Her lips thinned into a tight line. "I just don''t know why. The temple of Albrith in Ashkarith is supposed to be a sacred place of protection. Those who had been declared guilty for crimes they hadn''t committed could flee here, and Banach would grant them a hearing for the sake of Rith''s sister because she was known to be a woman of justice."


    Kaidan flopped onto a pew. It groaned under his weight but held as he laid back, folding his hands over his abdomen. "So, it''s a safe place to sleep?"


    Zerua nodded hesitantly. "I mean, I think so. I doubt she''d bring us to the place where she pardoned the innocent if she was going to kill us."


    Kaidan grunted. "Didn''t seem like she was all that stable to me."


    Zerua shrugged and dropped her packs on the floor. Rummaging through them, she pulled out their new blankets, which had been provided by the Faelkishians for the journey, and spread them out over the hard stone floor. "We''re doomed one way or another if we run, Kaidan. Just come lay down with me and try to rest. We''re going to need it for what lies ahead."


    He sighed and threw his legs over the edge of the pew, sitting up. Padding over to her, he laid down and tugged her down beside him. He pulled their extra blankets up over their bodies, warding off the night air''s chilly nip. "Right as always, love." He pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. "And if we die here tonight, at least we don''t have to face the terrors at the center of this cursed city."

 Chapter 10

    Zerua rolled over with a moan. The green-tinged sunlight that coated the city in the daytime poured through the opening over the statue of Albrith and shone down on her and Kaidan as they stirred. She yawned, curling into him with a sigh. The warmth from the sun seeped through the blanket into her along with the muggy heat of the late morning.


    Her eyes snapped open, and she bolted upright. They had to get going. This place wasn''t safe. Memories of spending the night tossing and turning while trapped in nightmares filled her mind, and she scrambled to her feet, waking Kaidan in the process.


    He grumbled, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "What¡ª" He opened his eyes, blinking in the morning sun. Then understanding crossed his face and the weariness dissipated. "Oh." He dropped his head into his hands. "I''d hoped it was all a bad dream."


    She shook her head, shoving the blankets back into the packs and searching through their food for some of the dried quarfa meat. The tangy aroma of it filled the air as she tore the package open. "Here." She extended a handful of it to Kaidan.


    He eyed it with a grumpy sigh. "Breakfast?"


    She nodded, smiling. The smile dropped away instantly, unnatural to her in a place like this. "I know you don''t like the chewiness of it or the strong, gamy flavor, but it''s what we have."


    Kaidan took it from her and popped a few pieces into his mouth. Grimacing, he chewed it for a few moments then swallowed. "Better than starving."


    Zerua shivered. "Starving might be a better fate than whatever she has planned."


    Kaidan shook his head. "Doubt it." He got to his feet, popping his back before he knelt down to fold up his blanket and pack it away. "Come on. We can eat while we walk."


    Zerua pulled out another package that contained dried fruit slices and berries. Stuffing that into a pocket of her satchel for later, she tied the large rucksack closed and hoisted it onto her back. Tightening the straps, she took one more look at the pool and the statue of Albrith, which was still sending water cascading into the fountain. Her mouth was cotton, and looking at the water reminded her that they''d need to ration their own water carefully. Still, she needed to drink something. She untied the water skin from her back and took a quick sip, swishing the water around her mouth to dampen it.


    "Ready?"


    She nodded.


    Kaidan took her hand and walked with her out of the temple. "We need to make that castle by nightfall."


    Do we have to though? Isn''t there any way to leave? Zerua bit her lip. "You''re sure we can''t just leave this place altogether?"


    He nodded. "Look." He pointed in the direction they''d come last night.


    Once again, nothing looked familiar, and no pathway led through the houses back toward the field. The houses had only dead-end alleyways between the decrepit outer walls of the buildings, forcing them to continue onward.


    She stared at the giant wall of earth surrounding the city and the jungle that topped it with tears in her eyes. Will we ever get out of this place? No wonder Tebhor went mad! The silence alone is enough to drive a lone traveler insane. Her gaze moved to the moss-covered, broken up stones of the path leading further into Ashkarith''s heart. "Was the truth worth this, Kaidan?"


    He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Yes. We have to know, Zer. No more lies. No more wondering what really happened. No more questioning if they were really the gods everyone claimed. The world deserves to know whether what they''ve always believed is true or not."


    She tugged away from his embrace and began trudging along the cobblestone road. "They won''t believe it even if we show them all the proof. They''ll never change their beliefs to fit the truth."


    Kaidan caught up with her and shrugged. "You never know. Some people will. And if we''re the only ones who ever believe the truth, it''s worth it to know we believed what was right, isn''t it? I''d rather be alone in believing the truth than with thousands of others believing a lie."


    "What if the truth isn''t what we hope it is? What if we don''t like what we find out?"


    "Zer, what did we like about what we saw at that mass grave?" Kaidan ran his fingers through his black waves. "Nothing, that''s what. This whole thing is a mess, and I''m hoping that either Sedra isn''t the murderer we think she is or that Bane can shed some light on what happened so I can make an informed judgment on what on Alcardia I should believe if not the mainstream religious fanatics."


    Zerua bit her lip and played with the ends of her braids. "You''re right. I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have doubted the reason we needed to come here. It''s just¡ª" She shivered, glancing around at the green fog drifting around them and the abandoned housing. "I don''t want to die."


    A bark of laughter escaped Kaidan. "Neither do I. But we don''t determine when we die. Just what we do with the time we''ve got."


    She twisted the ends of her hair around her fingers, staring at the castle on the hill several miles away. "I know that."Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "Then why spend time fretting about when we go? The gods decide that, not us. Just focus on getting to the castle, and we''ll worry about the rest there."


    Taking a deep breath, she released her hair and quickened her pace. "Alright. Reaching the castle by nightfall. That''s the new goal. Looks pretty close. How far can it be?"


    ***


    The castle was further than they''d expected. Night had fallen once more by the time they trudged up to the silent entrance. The two had fallen silent much like the city, the stillness of the place getting to them to the point where their own thoughts were better than the loudness of their own voices.


    Nothing had been locked so far. They''d walked through the yawing gates of the castle unhindered. The courtyard was devoid of life, though there were bones strewn across the blood-stained stones. The remains bore the signs of their struggle even in this state of decay. Arms had been broken, skulls crushed, and entire rib-cages bashed in. Beside him, Zerua dropped to her knees, retching on the grime-covered ground.


    He wanted to join her there after looking at all this carnage. Somehow, even they''d both seen thousands of corpses in varying states of disrepair, this was different. Perhaps it was the ominous vibe that hovered over the city as a whole, or perhaps it was simply the thought that this had been a wholesale slaughter, not a battle, but either way, Kaidan didn''t want to spend another moment in this place. He paused and held her hair out of the way, squeezing her shoulder as she huddled there, shivering.


    "We''ve got to go on, Zer." He''d barely whispered, but it sounded to Kaidan like he''d screamed at her.


    She rose on trembling feet and wiped her mouth. "I don''t want to keep going anymore."


    "I know. But we have to." Stumbling past piles of bones and blood-stained stones, Kaidan crossed the courtyard and approached the doors into the castle.


    Zerua crept up the steps beside him, her face wan in the green glow emanating from everything around them. He curled his fingers around the door knocker, intending to see if anyone would let them in, but before he could, the doors swung open on silent hinges. The couple exchanged a glance, but at this point, it hardly surprised him that the doors would open of their own volition.


    He peered into the dim interior, which was lit by the glow coming from the rock walls alone. The shadowy fingers of night groped at the corners where the light wasn''t strong enough to keep the darkness at bay. Nothing stirred inside. Well, there''s no going back anyway, so really, it doesn''t matter, does it? He straightened, squaring his shoulders, and marched inside. Zerua followed and grabbed his hand, clinging to him as they walked.


    A damp wind made the hair on the back of Kaidan''s neck stand to attention. He wheeled about just in time to see the doors slam shut without a sound. He and Zerua stared at each other with wide eyes. He swallowed hard and turned to face the rest of the corridor and the network of corridors leading off it. "We''re trapped."


    She bit her lip, and a tremulous giggle erupted from her, echoing down the halls. "Thank you for stating the obvious."


    "I¡ª" Kaidan gulped. "I try to please."


    The two of them walked further down the corridor together. As they did, the corridor''s glow brightened, guiding them along the twisting passageway. The halls shooting off the main corridor didn''t light up as they passed, so they continued walking along the one that was bright enough to walk through without stumbling about. Without a torch, they had no chance of finding their way about the dark reaches of the castle in a blind attempt to find an exit.


    The tunnel twisted and turned, veering off first to the left and then to the right until they were hopelessly lost. Each footstep pounded against the stone and sent thunder down the tunnels. Kaidan and Zerua began to tiptoe, wincing at the racket their passing caused in the eerie tunnels.


    The tunnel came to an abrupt end in front of an intricately carved door of rowen. Kaidan frowned, reaching out to trace the curving, looping symbols etched into the door''s surface. "How is this here? This tree died out back when Ashkarith was built. This can''t be in this kind of condition."


    "Kaidan¡ª" Zerua swallowed a hysterical giggle. "The entire city is in the same condition it must''ve been back when the siege happened. And you''re asking how the door lasted in this state?"


    He cleared his throat and dropped his hand away from the door. "Fair enough."


    Zerua reached out to run her fingers along the door too, some of her fear dissipating as she examined the work of art. "This is amazing though. This artwork is from two-thousand years ago, but it''s still in its original condition." She dropped her hands away from it and ran them over the snarling stone dragons framing the door. "And look at this, Kaidan! Dragons. Those went extinct during the Break after the continents split apart." She shook her head. "This is work from when Faelkish was on the same continent as Argos!"


    Kaidan brushed his fingers over the fangs of one of the dragons. "These teeth are bigger than my hand. Imagine what a full-sized one of these could do!"


    She grimaced. "According to the legends, they were able to take out an entire city on their own. It''s a wonder they didn''t burn down more of this place."


    "They had no need to." A familiar voice whispered down the hall.


    Kaidan and Zerua jumped, spinning about to figure out where the voice had come from. They faced back the way they''d come, peering into the now dim hallway. No woman in white stood there. A blast of frigid air hit them in the backs, and they stiffened.


    "Come in." Bane chuckled. "You came for the truth. So now, you will receive it, and we shall see if you are the ones I have been waiting for."


    They spun around to find the doors opening onto the throne room of Ashkarith Castle. Green fog trickled from the room and billowed up over their feet to dissipate into the halls of the foreboding castle. As the doors yawned wide, the couple teetered on the threshold, and Kaidan pressed a hand to his chest, convinced his heart was going to pound out of its place. He placed one foot forward and took the first step into the fog-filled room.


    At the end of the long hall, through the fog, he saw a throne. And curled up on a glowing apparition of the rowen wood throne that had once graced the stone platform, was the ethereal spirit-form of the woman who was responsible for their presence in this forsaken city. There she rested, her spirit preserving the great city of her past until the time came for it to divulge her secrets. She opened her eyes as he approached, and he gasped, stepping back.


    Her sooty black lashes framed sightless eyes that somehow laid bare his soul to the woman staring at him. He dropped to his knees, a sudden weakness overwhelming him. Behind him, he heard Zerua cry out as well and then heard her body hit the floor. As the room spun before his eyes and darkness encroached on his vision, Kaidan fought to maintain control of his body, fought to stay awake. "What are you...doing to us?"


    Bane smiled and meandered over to him. She pressed her cold, clammy palm to his forehead. The room spun faster, and the darkness surrounding him grew. As he faded, he heard only a few words from the woman in white. "Showing you the truth."

 Chapter 11

    Kaidan found himself standing beside Zerua at a window. He looked down over the side, and his stomach churned as he realized they were in a tower high above the city. "Zer?" He reached out and touched her arm.


    She turned to face him, her eyes wide and distant. "W-what happened, Kaidan?"


    He shook his head. "Bane did something."


    "You are here to see the truth."


    The couple spun to face her. The Queen looked healthier here. Her skin bore the faint blush of life, and her hazel eyes glinted with determination. Beside her, a man dressed in the black robes of Ashkarith royalty examined them with stormy silver eyes that bore traces of weariness.


    Zerua sucked in a breath and dropped to her knees. "Your Majesties."


    Kaidan followed her example with a frown. Who is the man beside Bane? Could it be¡ª


    "You may rise." The man''s voice was an inviting baritone, holding threads of steel and hints of warmth. "I am unlikely to be king of this city for much longer." He wrapped an arm around Bane''s waist. "Besides. My wife didn''t bring you here to pay homage."


    "No, I did not." She smiled up at her husband. "I have brought you here to witness what happened to our great city." Bane swept an arm out toward the slitted windows around their tower. "And to see how Sedra treats those who do not comply with her demands. When you have seen the reality of the woman you worship, we shall see what becomes of you. Now, watch."


    Kaidan and Zerua stumbled to the window together, and Bane came to join them with Rith at her side. The four gazed out across a city plunged into darkness. Fire lit the sky as great, winged dragons soared over the city, lighting up the world with their flames. They snatched soldiers from the battlefield and carried them high into the air before dropping them. Bodies plummeted through the air to land among their former comrades. Trolls lumbered into the city, smashing down the outer walls to let Sedra''s armies in and batting archers off the walls as they wreaked havoc on the city''s defenses.


    Then the armies came. Clad in black and red, they poured into the city, filling the streets with war cries and magic. Fire and ice slammed into those who fought back and was met with walls of earth and stone thrown up by the Inherents in the defending army. Soldiers on Sedra''s side were picked up by some invisible hand and thrown into walls or other soldiers that were still pouring into the city.


    Bane sighed. "I''d almost forgotten how much of a dervish Alefor could be."


    Kaidan glanced over at her. "Alefor?"


    Rith pressed a kiss to his wife''s cheek with a sad chuckle. "Alefor is our oldest son."


    Tears fell from Bane''s eyes as she turned her attention back to the destruction on the battlefield. "It is through him and our eldest daughter that the last descendant will come. When I fled with my youngest daughter at Dhubharin, we took his baby with us and hid her away. She carried on the line the last descendant comes through."


    "The last descendant?" Kaidan watched the battle below with a lump in his throat. Even with the help from the king''s Controdene son using his psy abilities against the oncoming hoard, it was clear who would win.


    "The prophecies you found in my diary were only the beginning." Bane pointed to the battlefield below. "This was the event that triggered a much greater prophecy. The remainder of my prophecies are in the scrolls I hid here before I passed on."


    "But the last descendant? What does that mean?"


    Bane crossed her arms, leaning into Rith. "Our eldest son took our eldest daughter as his wife. We had little choice but to say yes since there were no other suitable matches. If my brothers'' and sisters'' offspring had been kinder, we might''ve sought a match there, but Sedra forbade them to have any contact with us. No one was willing to risk her ire. To preserve the line, we agreed to his request¡ª" She trailed off, staring off across the flaming city as the battle raged on.


    The screams of dying men filled the silence, and then the bellowing cries of the dragons as they were gradually shot down out of the sky by the Ashkarithians overpowered those cries, filling the entire city with their death keen.


    Bane turned away from the window and paced the interior of the tower, dragging her fingers through her hair. "The last descendant. The last descendant comes through their line. Their daughter¡ªmy grandbaby..." She tugged at her vibrant red locks. "My grandbaby had Rith''s abilities. She managed to survive Sedra''s attempts to slaughter every one of our descendants, and through her will come the man who will destroy Sedra''s offspring once and for all. How he does that will determine whether Alcardia is doomed or saved." She spun on her heel and returned to the window to watch, gripping the window sill until her knuckles went white. "Now, watch."


    The four of them returned to watching the battle. By now, the soldiers had been forced back into the houses and then out into the field where Kaidan and Zerua had hidden. The wall was in good condition at this time, but as the soldiers retreated back over it, the wall was reduced to the decrepit state it had been when Kaidan and Zerua took refuge against it.


    "This is the end!" Bane turned away from the window with a cry. "I cannot watch it. Not again. I''ve seen him die too many times. But you two must. You must know what happened here."


    Zerua trembled against Kaidan, her shoulders curving over her chest, and his heart pounded in his breast.


    As they watched, the trolls stampeded through the ranks, unheeding of the magic being thrown at them. They were resistant to magic, and so they plowed over the soldiers. A few fell to the arrows of archers on the roofs of nearby houses, but the slaughter continued anyway. Screams and cries of agony filled the air.


    Then the mages of Sedra came on the wake of the trolls'' destruction. A slender, dark-skinned woman stood in front of them, robes flapping, and beside her stood Sedra, her white hair whipping around her with the force of the wind howling across the battlefield. The dark-skinned woman lifted her hand, and walls of earth rose from the soil before them. The earth shook, and the tower trembled beneath them at the force of the quake. Then the walls collapsed inward with a boom, landing on the hapless soldiers and sinking down into the ground to level the field once more.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Bane wailed, clutching her stomach and sagging against the tower wall. Rith wrapped her in his arms, holding her as she sobbed. He rocked her back and forth, meeting Kaidan and Zerua''s wide-eyed gazes. "It''s over. Ashkarith falls again."


    "My son... They''ve killed my baby." Bane buried her face in her hands and released a scream that pierced the battle.


    As Kaidan and Zerua looked back over the field in stunned silence, they saw Sedra look up at the tower where they stood. Bane continued to scream, her voice cascading over the battlefield. Sedra turned her back on them and strode across the fresh dirt that had buried the soldiers of Ashkarith miles underground.


    When she reached the center of the field, she raised her arms and her voice rang out across a now quiet battlefield. "This is what happens to anyone who defies me! Run while you still can, Rith. You and your bride. I am going to hunt you and your remaining armies down and destroy every last one of you." She lowered her arms and yelled to her armies in turn. "Find anyone who''s hiding in these houses and then take the castle. I want every man, woman, and child in this city slaughtered."


    Rith''s fingers tightened on his wife''s arms, and he bowed his head. "It''s time to show them the rest, love."


    Bane''s screams died to mewling whimpers, and she huddled in Rith''s arms, sobbing. "Then take us to where we need to be."


    He nodded. Smoke and shadow filled the room, billowing up around the four of them. As they looked out over the city, they saw the darkness resting on houses around the city as well. Then the darkness took over, and they saw nothing.


    There was a sudden jolt, and all of them stood on a promontory looking out over the burning city. Thunder clouds rumbled overhead, dark and foreboding. Lightning flashed through the clouds. The rain began to patter down, its tempo slowly increasing until it was falling hard enough to put out the fires.


    "That would be Mericus''s work." Bane spat the mage''s name out, staring out over her ruined city. "Sedra didn''t want the dragon fire to burn everything to the ground because she wanted this city to stand as a memorial to her victory for the rest of time."


    Kaidan and Zerua took in the burning city then turned to look at the soldiers and the few women and children scattered behind them. "Are these the only ones who remained alive in the city?"


    Rith shook his head, closing his eyes. "I couldn''t bring them all. I wasn''t powerful enough, and Sedra had my sister lock my power away from the ones her soldiers found. She knew I''d try to take them all anyway."


    "Albrith could lock away your power?"


    Rith looked out over the city. "Well, hinder it at least. Her light was stronger than my darkness if I spread myself too thin. And if she concentrated it on specific people, she was able to keep my shadows from reaching them. There''s a reason her name means one without darkness in our language."


    "So¡ª" Zerua''s voice shook, and she pressed closer to him. "Does Sedra really kill all of them? That woman I saw with her baby. Did Sedra¡ª"


    Bane nodded. "Every last one of them."


    Zerua sunk to the ground, digging her fingers into the rocky dirt at the edge of the promontory. "E-every last one..."


    "Look and see." Bane pointed a trembling finger at the scene beneath them, and it zoomed in. The weeping of women and the frightened screams of babies and young children filled the air. Men who had been injured in the battle lay groaning on the ground, clutching bleeding legs or stumps that poured their life force into the dirt beneath them.


    Kaidan straightened, staring out at the field below their hiding place. Light drenched the huddled masses even as the moonlight had been blotted out by the dark clouds and smoke. Albrith''s work, no doubt. Sad that she believed a woman who would do such a cruel thing. The soldiers of Sedra dragged a screaming woman to the front of the crowd, tearing the squirming baby in her arms away from her.


    At his feet, Zerua clapped her hands over her mouth with a sob. He glanced down to find her rocking back and forth with her eyes closed and tears streaming down her cheeks. If she couldn''t watch, he didn''t blame her. But someone should. Someone needed to tell the world the truth.


    So he watched as the baby was the first to suffer Sedra''s wrath. And he continued to watch as the mother was given back the dead child and quickly sent to follow her baby into the afterlife. The killing went quickly after that. Some tried to run, but it didn''t matter. Everyone was mercilessly cut down. The dirt turned red with blood, and the stragglers who tried to flee slipped in the mud it created, tripping over bodies of those who had already lost their lives. Then the last survivors were gone too, destroyed by a blast of fire here and there or a sword in the back.


    Sedra presided over the scene with a baleful grin on her thin features. When it was done and the cries had been silenced, she looked at her soldiers and her grin widened. "Jia, bury the bodies."


    Kaidan turned away, bile stinging the back of his throat as his mind grappled with what he''d seen. Zerua was openly weeping now, and he dropped to his knees, pulling her into his arms. There they huddled until the darkness draped over them.


    Then he was opening his eyes, and the strange green glow of the castle throne room was back. He sat up, pressing a hand to his head with a groan. Bane still crouched beside him, but her sightless eyes were now rimmed with tears, and a more human element could be seen in her inhuman features. "Now you see." She brushed away the tears. "What will you do with this knowledge, Kaidan Tadegan."


    "Tell the world."


    She bit her lip. "Then there''s something you must do for me."


    "What?"


    "Set them all free."


    Kaidan frowned. "Set them free? How?"


    She wrapped her arms around herself. "You have to tell the rulers of your time the truth. Sedra cursed these people to remain trapped here with my husband''s soul for eternity unless the truth was revealed. She made sure it never would be, or she thought she had. I preserved this place to keep the secrets we hid here from dying with us. But I''m tired." She rubbed her temples with a sigh. "And the energy I use to sustain this place is rapidly fading as the soul that fueled the spell and my magic throughout my life weakens without its body. I''ve been waiting all these years for someone who would tell the truth of what happened here. No one came until you."


    "No one?"


    She ran her fingers through her tangled locks. "Well, some never had the chance. They perished trying to get here. And¡ª" She sighed. "When I first took up residence here, I was very angry. Angry at how I died. Angry at everyone for supporting Sedra. So many of the first travelers who came here after I drove the walls of earth up to protect the city died by my hand."


    Nearby, Zerua groaned. Kaidan''s head whipped toward her. She sat up, blinking away tears and stared back at him. When she saw Bane, she burst into sobs. "I¡ªI''m so sorry."


    Pain twisted Bane''s features, and she ducked her head. "You have nothing to be sorry for. What happened two-thousand years ago is not your fault."


    Kaidan pulled himself into a sitting position. "After you stopped killing those who came here, why didn''t anyone tell the truth about this place?"


    Bane looked away. "Many of them lost their minds and their will to live. They became subject to the curse when they died here, and they spend their time wandering the borders of the city aimlessly. Others came here for their own gain, not in search of the truth. Those of that sort died by my hand." Her jaw clenched. "The world is better off without those who callously disregard the pain of others."


    "What about those who returned to the world of the living?"


    "Mad. Everyone of them mad." Bane shook her head. "Their minds couldn''t handle it, but they refused to die. Once they left my domain, I do not know what became of them."


    Kaidan got to his feet and went to help Zerua up. "We will do as you ask and spread the word of what really happened here."


    She smiled, tears running down her cheeks. "Then I can finally have the peace I''ve longed for."

 Chapter 12

    "You must pass the information I share here down through the generations." Bane walked just ahead of them, guiding them down the tunnels into the depths of the castle. "When Sedra came to this place, she came with the intention of building her own empire. To do that, she was trying to create perfect thanes¡ªmen and women who would obey her without question but would still be able to think enough to come up with good strategies and ways to better the empire."


    Kaidan snickered. "Clearly, that worked out well."


    Bane chuckled too. "No. It failed from the start. She created me, but when she bound the two souls to me in order to bring me to life and give me my abilities, she made a mistake. The soul she gave me to become what we came to know as our ashtra was much too strong for her and for me at first. I was a wild child initially, and she tried to beat me into submission. The attempts failed, and Rith stepped in just in time to keep her from killing me. He did not steal me away from Sedra as she claimed. He won my freedom by staking his own life on it and by blackmailing her into complying with the terms of their bet."


    "The more I hear about this woman, the more I wish I could kill her myself," Zerua muttered.


    "Believe me. I wish I could''ve killed her too." Bane''s pace increased, and she stormed down the halls of the castle. "Anyway, she failed. We had about a thousand years of peace¡ªback then we lived much, much longer than you do now because the genetic coding she spliced into us from their race kept us alive and young for a longer period of time. It''s too diluted to do that for you now."


    Kaidan frowned. "Genetic coding."


    Bane tapped her chin, slowing down. "Oh, you don''t know about that?" She sighed. "So much information has been lost since I was alive. It doesn''t matter. Suffice it to say, we had a thousand years to raise our army. Rith and I had children while I was still considered very young for my generation. I''d lived for twelve years under Sedra''s torture, and she couldn''t break me."


    Kaidan whistled. Twelve years under that woman''s thumb. How she didn''t break, I''ll never know. "Incredible."


    Bane smiled at that. "I always had a spark of defiance that just wouldn''t die, according to Rith. He and I spent two years at Ashkarith after he rescued me, and we built the city with the help of the workers Sedra had given him back when she was trying to bribe him into staying out of her way. Between us, we managed to build this place. After it was built, Rith and I married. We had fifteen children together, and those children married and had their own children. By the time Sedra attacked, we had a large, booming population here."


    "So, what happened after the battle here?" Zerua laced her fingers with Kaidan''s. "We have our mythology, but clearly a lot of it is false, so what really happened?"


    "Well, we fled to a small keep in Dhubharin."


    "Dhubharin?" Kaidan scratched his head, glancing at Zerua.


    "I believe it later became known as Dubarin." Bane stopped in front of a door and pressed a hand to the lock.


    Kaidan and Zerua waited for the snick of the lock opening, but it never came. Instead, the door swung open, silent as everything else in this city that had become a mass grave. The two exchanged a look and then turned their attention back to the darkness below.


    Bane waved her hand, and the hallway lit with the same dim green light as the rest of the halls had. Steps led downward into the gloom, offering them a way to access all the secrets they''d come here to uncover. "At Dubarin, we faced Sedra for the last time." She took the first step down the stairs.


    With a frown, Kaidan noted that her steps made noise just like those of the other ghosts while theirs made none. How odd. He followed after her, tugging Zerua with him. "Yes, we found the evidence of it."


    The queen sighed. "I imagine so. There would be no hiding the evidence. Too many died. Rith sent me and our youngest daughter away from the fight. We were to survive and carry on the line if he didn''t make it out." She pressed her fingers to the glowing pendant nestled against her pale breast. "We watched him die." Her head dipped, sending her flaming hair rippling against her back. "Our daughter and I evaded Sedra for a year or so before she caught me. Our daughter escaped to continue on the line, and she has done so. I saw her one more time before I died."


    "How did you die, if I may ask?" Zerua cleared her throat, playing with her hair. "No one could ever figure it out. Some said you just disappeared without a trace, and others say you died in Sedra''s dungeon where you belonged."


    Bane''s fingers twitched, and her spine stiffened. "I didn''t die in her dungeon, nor did I disappear without a trace. After a year or more in Sedra''s clutches, I mustered the strength to escape and do the final thing I needed to do. I fetched my diary and wrote down one more prophecy before going to Dhubharin where I cursed the city of Ashkarith to drive all but the promised ones mad. That''s the truth of the city. You would''ve gone mad like everyone before you if you weren''t the promised ones."


    "So what happened? Where did you go after you left Dhubharin?" Kaidan watched her for any further signs of anger.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    She tensed at the question but then relaxed. "I never left."


    "Never¡ª" Zerua gasped, her hand flying to her collarbone. "You mean¡ª"


    "Sedra''s men killed me on the hill, and with my dying breath, I cursed Sedra to create her own ruin and the ruin of all that was hers." Bane bit her lip. "They dug into the grassy hill and buried me under the hill with my book of prophecies and the truths of what happened."


    "I-it was you we found then." Zerua''s voice wavered. "It was your diary as we thought."


    Bane paused at the bottom of the stairs and turned to face them with a sad smile. "Yes. And what you find here is essential. I saw many visions during my lifetime. Most of the visions surrounded a man. That man will break my curse, but I couldn''t see in my visions if he would save or damn our world." She bowed her head. "After I died, I realized that my curse on Sedra could bring about the ruination of all of Alcardia. You can''t imagine how the guilt has torn at me. I wanted the truth exposed, but I didn''t want everyone on this planet destroyed. Yet, in a moment of anger, I may have doomed everyone to destruction."


    Kaidan''s gaze danced around the large room of books and scrolls Bane had taken them to. "These carry the rest of the evidence needed to prove what''s in your diary?"


    Bane nodded. "All of my prophecies are in these scrolls as is the history of what happened to us. We had the scribes keep close records so that someday, you would be able to take them to the world."


    Zerua stared at the manuscripts with wide eyes. "How will we carry all of this out of the city with us?"


    Bane folded her hands in front of her. "You don''t need them all. Some of the information is irrelevant to your purpose for coming here."


    Kaidan turned back to her with a frown. "Bane, you said that you never saw what this coming savior would do?"


    She nodded.


    "So¡ªYou know he''ll break your curse, but you don''t know the consequences?"


    "Precisely. I''ve seen that there will be a woman who will anchor him, but her future too is uncertain and shrouded." Bane bit her lip and toyed with the hem of her sleeves. "It may be that the girl provides the key to his decision whether or not to save Alcardia."


    "Then there is hope yet?"


    "Yes, though I fear it''s tenuous." Bane wandered through the shelves, easing books and scrolls out of their locations and piling them onto the table. As she worked, she continued to explain. "The girl will be his lover, and the path I''ve seen is tangled. She may die or she may not. I don''t know. But if she dies, the future was certain. Alcardia is doomed. Why, I do not know."


    Kaidan and Zerua ran their fingers over the smooth covers of the books. Zerua brushed the dust from one of the books, examining the title. "So, where do we come in?"


    Bane paused in her work and glanced over her shoulder at Zerua. "You two will be the ones to keep the truth of my husband''s lineage alive. These scrolls contain prophecies that must guide the Savior and his Bride. But more than that, these¡ª" She waved a hand at the books on the table. "These all hold information about his abilities. He will need to study them and practice the things he learns if he is to face the darkness to come."


    "Do you know when he''ll come?" Kaidan began helping his wife clean the books off, marveling at the weathered but solid condition of these books. Much like the journal they''d found on Banach''s remains, these books were preserved in a condition that should''ve deteriorated long ago.


    She shook her head. "I don''t. Just that he''ll be born in Dubarin where my husband died. And that he''ll come at a moment when the followers of the Moon are trying to open the Pathway there."


    "You mean the Ishtralians?" Zerua snorted. "Those people are full of violence and insanity. They don''t have the intelligence to¡ª"


    Bane slammed her armful of books down on the table, eyes blazing. "They will. When he comes, they will, and his fate will be tied with them as well. Without them, he will not do what I have seen he is to do."


    Zerua''s shoulders hunched, and she ducked her head. "I meant no disrespect."


    The queen sighed, her posture relaxing and the blaze in her eyes dimming. "I know. I should not have been so vehement. But you must believe me. That tiny cult is going to grow. The kingdom of Aleshtain¡ª" She cleared her throat. "Some of those who came here spoke of it as the stronghold of this cult, though it isn''t yet as strong as it will be. I''ve seen that wicked place in my visions." She shuddered. "They will become stronger than you could ever fathom. I swear it. And when they''ve reached their peak of strength, then the promised Savior will come."


    The couple pulled off their packs and began nestling the books into it. Kaidan looked up to find Bane watching them in the growing silence. He smiled sadly. "Is there anything else you need us to do for this place to have the rest it deserves?"


    She shook her head, running her fingers through her hair. "Tell the world what you''ve found, Kaidan. Do that, and we''ll be free. That is the only stipulation of the curse. This information must leave these walls and this city of death."


    Kaidan bowed to her and took her hand, pressing a kiss to her chilly skin. "We''ll do as you''ve asked. It''s been an honor to meet you, my Lady. You did all you could for them, and I hope that you will rest in peace knowing that."


    Bane''s sightless eyes filled with tears. She turned away and strode to a nook of the underground library. From there, she withdrew a strange object and brought it over to them. The object turned out to be an ancient box of rowen wood in a hexagon shape. It bore markings in its sides, but Kaidan couldn''t read them. A bronze lock gleamed against the dark wood, looking brand new. The queen extended it to him with a tearful smile. "You must take this with you and return it to Dhubharin."


    "What is it?"


    "My husband''s soul. Sedra locked it away in this box to ensure my prophecies would never happen. When she cursed this place, she also placed a curse on this box. Then she trapped him in it." Bane chewed on her lower lip, her fingers trembling against the wood. "It can only be opened by one who is living and knows the truth about what happened. Release him before you share your discoveries. I know you face dangers in telling what happened, and he must be freed. If you die¡ª"


    Kaidan grimaced and took the box from her. "We''ll free him as you''ve requested."


    Bane pressed her fingers to her lips, then her heart, and then against the box. Kaidan watched her as she did this, his heart lurching in his chest.


    "This is farewell then, travelers." She ducked her head. "I will return you to the borders of Ashkarith. When you wake, you''ll be a bit weak, but you''ll be at the place where you entered the city."


    Kaidan and Zerua bowed to her. "Thank you."


    She nodded. "Lay down then. Wouldn''t want you to hit your heads or injure yourselves somehow."


    They did as instructed, watching her. Then she began to fade away and the world went dark.

 Chapter 13

    Zerua groaned and clutched her head. Pain throbbed through it as though someone were clanging pots and pans about in her head. She rolled onto her side and struggled to her knees, squinting at Kaidan. An involuntary whimper escaped her.


    A long, wet tongue slapped against her hand, and she looked down to find the telkie that had followed them sitting on the ground. The tiny creature whined, its big eyes filling with tears. She blinked at it. When the fog cleared from her head, her heart squeezed. Has this poor thing been trapped in the city just like us? It wouldn''t surprise her. With everything that they''d gone through, she suspected the poor telfie hadn''t been able to go back up the path but also hadn''t know where they''d gone. She scratched the whimpering creature''s soft head, avoiding its nubby horns. "Were you stuck here?"


    The thing released a mewl, its fur changing to a depressed blue. A loud grumble came from the creature''s belly. Zerua smiled and rummaged through the packs for something to feed the baby telfie. "You didn''t have anything to eat while in here, did you, you poor baby?"


    Spinning in circles when it saw the dried meat, the telfie released a sharp whine. Zerua laughed and handed it the meat. A moan from Kaidan''s direction alerted her to his return to consciousness. She stopped laughing and crawled to where he was lying. "Kaidan? Kaidan, are you alright?"


    He threw an arm over his face with another moan. "Can you quiet down a bit? Feels like someone''s using my head like an anvil."


    Zerua smothered a snicker. "I know. It''ll go away. Water?"


    His arm moved to his side, and he cracked his eyes open. "We have some?"


    She nodded. "I''ve got it in the packs somewhere." Returning to their baggage, she dug through it and found the water skin. Still half-full. Thanking Albrith for the fresh water they''d found in her temple, she returned to Kaidan and handed him the skin. "Here."


    He forced himself into a sitting position and pressed his lips to the mouth of the water skin. Zerua watched his throat work up and down as he swallowed. Her mind wandered to what their life had been like the past few months¡ªno, the past years even. She and Kaidan had been snatching moments together where they could, but with the near-death experience they''d just had, she realized she didn''t want moments only. She wanted back the easy camaraderie and sweetness they''d had when they were first married. Not that he doesn''t dote on me. But with all the work we do, we hardly have time to spend a moment in each other''s company. Certainly, we don''t have many moments of privacy to have the intimacy we used to have.


    He watched her as she watched him, and she blushed, looking down at her lap. The telfie crept over and scampered into her lap, curling up there. Kaidan grunted, but he didn''t try to shoo the creature off. "Why are you staring at me like that?"


    She bit her lip and shook her head. "No reason."


    "That look wasn''t one without reason, love." Kaidan screwed the cap back onto the skin. "What''s wrong?"


    "It''s just¡ªKaidan, I miss when it was just us. You know, back when we didn''t traipse all over Alcardia to do some dig or expedition." She petted the telfie''s soft, downy fur. "I just miss it. How long has it been since we''ve actually made love? Not just satisfied our need, but actually connected?" She hugged the telfie close, and it licked at her cheek.


    "I¡ª" Kaidan played with the strap on the water skin. "I don''t know. But I miss it too. I just didn''t say anything because you seemed so happy doing all the archaeological work."


    Zerua smiled, burying her face in the telfie''s fur. "I was. But near-death experiences tend to get you thinking afterward, you know."


    "True." He sighed and eased to his feet. "Well, I think after this is over, we''re going to be forced to find someplace else to settle."


    She frowned. "What do you mean?"


    "Zer, I can''t work for people who expect me to keep the truth to myself. And that''s what they expect. We can''t just share what we found with them and expect everything to go back to normal."


    Zerua''s shoulders slumped, and she stood too, padding back to their belongings. "I guess not. I hadn''t thought about it."


    The telfie scampered onto her shoulder and curled up there to sleep, her tiny horns pressing against the back of Zerua''s neck. Kaidan eyed it, his lips pressing together in a thin line. "I can''t believe that thing waited around for us."


    He doesn''t want to think about what''ll happen to us after we do what we promised we would. She played with the ends of her hair. "I don''t think she had a choice. She was probably stuck just like us."


    "Fair enough." He pursed his lips. "It was probably starving."


    She nodded. "Are you going to chase her off once we get out of here?"


    He hesitated, shifting from foot to foot. "No. If the telfie matters to you, so it can stay, I guess. But you''d better name it if it''s going to be sticking around. I can''t keep calling it ''creature'' or ''it''."


    A grin spread over her face. "I''ll name it. Don''t you worry. But I want to think about it so I pick the right name. These things are important you know."


    The telfie yipped sleepily.


    The couple laughed and stared at each other. Kaidan crossed the distance first. He strode across the uneven dirt and wrapped his arms around her waist. He shot the telfie a hard look. It burrowed further into her hair without a noise. Kaidan rested his forehead against hers. "When we finish this mess, we''re going to buy a nice plot of land near Dubarin, and we''re going to have our own place. I''ll get a normal job. You can have that garden you always wanted."


    "Mmmm¡ª" She smiled, her eyes fluttering closed. "And children?"


    "If you want." Kaidan brushed his lips against hers. "I want a girl."


    She opened her eyes. "Really?"


    He grinned. "Really. But come on. None of that''s going to happen if we don''t get back to civilization." He glanced out at the city and shivered. "And it certainly won''t happen here."


    ***


    The two of them staggered into Faeridhia, wiping sweat from their brows and panting. The braves guarding the main entrance stared at them with paling faces. Their eyes widened in a way that would''ve made Kaidan laugh had he had breath to do so. Instead, he gave them a weary sigh and a tired smile. "Is the king available? We''ve brought word about Ashkarith."


    The braves exchanged glances and then nodded.


    "I am Ash." One of them stepped forward and looked their dirty, torn clothes over. "You come with me." His Common was broken and heavily accented, but Kaidan understood.


    "Yes, of course." Kaidan steadied Zerua beside him before she could collapse. "But I''m afraid my wife may not be able to make it that far without help."


    The brave bit his lip and nodded. "I carry her. You give Zash the packs."


    Kaidan tugged the packs off Zerua''s back and removed his own. A heavy sigh escaped him as the weight on his back dropped away, exposing his damp skin to what little breeze was available in the city. Sweat plastered his clothing to his body, and he shifted uncomfortably, wishing for a bath and change of clothes.


    The other brave reached out for the packs with a smile. Kaidan handed over all but the two that contained the books and scrolls. Zash frowned and pointed to them. Shaking his head, Kaidan held onto them. "Not these ones. They''re fragile. I must carry them."


    Zash glanced to Ash. Ash shrugged and relayed the message in the strange, clicking dialect of the Faelkishians. Zash smiled and nodded, shouldering the packs Kaidan had given him and plodding ahead. Ash beckoned him forward, and Kaidan stumbled after him, forcing his exhausted limbs back into motion.


    "You came back. Not crazy." Ash had a frown etched deep into his brow.


    "No, we''re not crazy. Well¡ª" A laugh rattled through Kaidan''s dry throat. "No crazier than we were before we went."


    Ash cracked a smile. "You two crazy for sure. Your kind always are."


    Kaidan blinked. "What?"


    "No offense meant. Plaindwellers¡ª" Ash searched for the words. "All are not right." He inclined his head, shifting Zerua.


    She rubbed the sleepiness from her eyes, yawning. "Well, from our perspective, you people are the ones who''re crazy. It''s how you look at it."


    Ash chuckled. "For crazy lady, you are wiser than thought."


    Zerua smirked. "I try."


    This gained her a confused frown. "Wisdom is not something to try."If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Zerua dropped her head against his shoulder with another yawn. "Never mind. Thank you for helping us. We''ve been walking through the jungle for two days, and my legs are dropping off."


    Ash blinked. "They look firm to me."


    Kaidan coughed. "Forget it, Ash. It''s just a saying in the plains."


    "I see." His frown didn''t fade.


    Kaidan surmised that he didn''t actually but was being polite.


    The palace came into view up ahead, and Kaidan''s shoulders slumped. Thank Albrith! I don''t think I can go on much longer. As it was, he still had to tell the king what they''d found, and he wasn''t happy about that idea.


    He walked alongside Ash, looking around at the houses with roofs thatched in layers of green fronds and walls dabbed with red clay to keep the cool air in. Even the palace was constructed with that simple, practical structure to weather the jungle weather. Children darted between buildings, their laughter lilting on the humid breeze. Mothers jostled babies up and down on their hips in cloth slings as they watched their older children from the doorways of houses or worked on various chores. The doors of the houses were covered only by thick hides, and Kaidan shook his head, marveling at the frankness and trust among these people. It was rare to find a society that could have so few barriers to crime and still operate in such a smooth way.


    They labored up the steps leading into the castle''s courtyard. His footsteps rang on the marble, and Kaidan almost laughed in relief. Sound. He could hear sounds again. The sounds of the jungle had been the first real sounds he and Zerua heard after leaving Ashkarith, but it hadn''t fully sunk in until he heard his own footsteps ringing on the stone beneath him. Funny how we take these things for granted until we lose them entirely. Every thud of his boot boomed in his ear, and he savored each noise, grateful that he was no longer immersed in Ashkarith''s nearly silent depths.


    The hush of linen robes on the cobblestone of the courtyard and the excited voices greeted the three first. Then the king and his entourage burst into sight. Eranar stopped short when he saw them, and then he broke into a grin. "It is you! When Mordhel told me you''d returned, I hardly believed him."


    Tebhor cackled beside him, leaning on his knobby walking stick. "I''ve been tellin'' ye for days that they''d return, Sire. And wut do ye know? Here they are."


    "Days?" Kaidan frowned, glancing at Zerua, who had fallen asleep from exhaustion.


    Eranor strode to them and sighed. "You were gone for nearly three weeks, Kaidan."


    "Three weeks?" Kaidan blinked and shook his head. "No, that can''t be right. We were in the city for about three days, and it took us another two to find Faeridhia again. That''s not even a full week, Sire!"


    Eranor crossed his arms with a shrug. "Time in that city... It passes differently."


    Kaidan chewed on his lower lip. That must be it. It was the only explanation for Eranor''s claim, and the king had no reason to lie about how long they''d been gone. "Well, be that as it may, we have news."


    The king nodded. "I will hear it here and then you both should spend some time bathing and resting. We will have a feast in your honor this evening when you are better rested."


    "In that case¡ª" Kaidain cleared his throat, glancing over at Ash, who was shifting from foot to foot while holding Zerua. "But first. Ash, I can handle her. Just set her on her feet for now."


    Ash nodded and woke her, setting her on her feet as she reoriented herself. She stumbled into Kaidan and rested against him. Her gaze drifted to the king and widened. Stiffening against Kaidan, she straightened up and bowed. "Sire! I¡ªThis is not a usual occurrence, I promise."


    Eranor chuckled. "You''ve been through an ordeal, madam. No offense is taken. Perhaps you two would like to settle in the inner court where you can sit?"


    She glanced up at Kaidan. He smiled at her and redirected his attention to the king. "We would be most grateful, Sire."


    The king grinned and waved for them to follow. "This way then."


    The couple followed him across the courtyard without a word. From the wide-eyed look on Zerua''s face, Kaidan guessed that she was relishing the sounds they could hear once more. He certainly was. The walk through the muggy courtyard was over too soon for them both, but they settled into chairs woven of wicker and rushes. Zerua released a breathy groan when she settled into hers, and Kaidan held back his smile.


    Sitting down on the love-seat in front of them, the king settled his arm around the raven-haired, milk-skinned woman beside him. She watched them with her crystalline brown eyes and offered a polite smile. Eranor looked down at her, the corners of his mouth twitching up. "This is my wife, Kaeryn. She can hear whatever it is you need to say."


    Kaidan cleared his throat and began, looking forward to a hot bed and cup of tea. "When we went into the city, it was haunted. To shorten a long story, we ran into the spirit of Queen Bane of Ashkarith. She''s the one who gave us the scrolls and books we were looking for and asked us to share the truth of what happened at Ashkarith so that the spirits there could be free."


    Eranor frowned, and Kaeryn fidgeted with the layers of gauze that made up her dress. Clearing his throat, Eranor nodded. "Tebhor mentioned something about seeing her when he went, but we''d thought he was mad."


    Zerua shook her head with a sad smile. "No. If anything drove him mad, it was what she showed him."


    "Showed him?" Eranor stroked his beard. "What did she show him?"


    "The same thing she showed us." Kaidan bit his lip. "Sedra sieged the city and razed it. After doing that, she slaughtered everyone left in the city, starting with the women and children."


    Kaeryn gasped, lifting trembling fingers to her lips. Eranor laid a hand on her knee, his lips thinning. "I see. What else?"


    Kaidan sucked in a breath and ducked his head. "Sedra and Bane both laid their own curses on the city and each other." He drew the box Bane had given them out of his satchel. "Sedra cursed the spirits to remain trapped in the city unless someone took the truth of what happened outside of Ashkarith. Bane cursed everyone except those who came searching for that truth to go mad after entering the city. Beyond that, Bane and Rith were both cursed to remain trapped in the city with the ghosts." Kaidan lifted the box. "Rith''s spirit is trapped in this box, and Bane asked us to free him at Dubarin where he died so he can be at peace."


    Eranor sighed. "She was a good woman, according to the legends. The things that happened to her during her lifetime would''ve turned another woman bitter. She just wanted to set things straight."


    Zerua reached over to weave her fingers through Kaidan''s. "She was angry though. Terribly, terribly angry. That''s why she cursed the city to remain in its current state and to drive travelers mad. Well¡ª" Zerua sighed. "That and to protect the documents she gave us."


    "Precisely." Kaidan squeezed her hand. "We hope to take these documents and read over them before deciding what to do with them. Whatever we do, we can''t let this information fade away, nor can we allow people to remain in the dark about this."


    Eranor grinned. "No, you can''t." His grin dimmed. "It''s sad though how people have come to believe that what was right is wrong and what was wrong was right." He shook his head. "It''s a pity."


    Kaidan hummed in agreement. "We intend to do what we can to change that. People deserve a chance to know the truth at least."


    "Indeed they do." Eranor stood and offered his wife a hand up. "Well, you two look as if you might collapse any moment. Please, follow Ash and Tebhor. They will bring you to the baths and give you fresh clothing. Then you can rest until this evening."


    Kaidan rose and helped Zerua to her feet. Then they bowed to the king together, smiling. "Your generosity is appreciated, Sire," Kaidan murmured.


    Eranor turned with his wife clinging to his hand and laughed. "I''m simply glad you''ve found the way to settle the spirits without being driven mad yourselves. Never expected you to return, to be frank."


    Kaidan and Zerua didn''t respond. He strode off with Kaeryn gliding along at his side. When he was gone, the couple glanced at each other, their shoulders slumping and smiles breaking over their faces.


    Kaidan''s smile broadened to a grin. "How does that bath sound now?"


    "Wonderful." Zerua leaned into him. "You smell."


    "I''m sure." He wrapped an arm around her and looked to Ash. "If you would lead the way, sir?"


    Ash grinned and did as asked.


    ***


    Dusk settled heavily over the jungle, and the torches blazed in the large pavilions outside their window. Zerua blinked at the lights with a yawn and sat up, rubbing her eyes. Kaidan lay snoring beside her, still recovering from their ordeal. In truth, she still couldn''t get her mind around the idea that they''d been missing from the regular world for three weeks when they''d only lived five days on their adventure. The thought rattled around in her head, and she shivered at how much they''d lost.


    The hide covering the door rustled, and her head snapped up. She expected Tebhor to come strolling in, but instead, another familiar face stared back at her, a light smile perched on the pale lips. Zerua''s eyes widened, and she shook Kaidan awake.


    He released a grumpy huff and opened his eyes. "What do you want?"


    She elbowed him in the back, glowering at him. "You make it sound as if it''s a burden to wake up to your wife''s presence."


    He blinked the sleep from his eyes. "No. Not that. Just¡ª" He stopped when he saw who was standing at the door. For a moment, he stared. Then he bolted upright. "Queen Bane? What are you¡ª" He shook his head and rubbed his eyes. "How?"


    The queen smiled and glided to the window to look out over the glittering lights scattered over the pavilions. "We''ve been freed. Telling Eranor what you saw must have lifted the curse." She ran a palm over the stone window-frame. "So this is how our descendants have been living."


    Kaidan frowned. "What do you mean?"


    She turned back to them, a warm tilt to her full lips. "I used to wander here back when I had enough strength to override the curse. That was long, long ago. But my daughter and her husband made their way back here with their children and settled down. He was one of the few soldiers from Rith''s army to escape Sedra''s massacre."


    "It must be strange to see what has come of them after all this time." Zerua wrapped her blanket around her shoulders, shivering in the night breeze flowing through the screen on the window.


    "A bit, I suppose. I was there when she gave birth to her first child. A baby girl with Rith''s eyes and his abilities." She returned to staring out at the preparations for the feast. "I watched them grow into a great civilization. They have the greatest number of Rithden on Alcardia."


    "Rithden? That''s what we took to calling those who gained your husband''s power. But¡ª" Kaidan tapped his chin. "We''d thought none of them still existed. The church of Sedra arrests anyone who shows any sign of having the darkened ashtra as they call it. Even if they don''t have it, many are burned at the stake anyway on suspicion of it."


    Bane''s sightless eyes pooled with tears. "So, her legacy of hatred continues, then?"


    "I''m afraid so. But we''ll do what we can to help change that, your Majesty." Zerua''s heart squeezed. "What was done to you wasn''t right. And it isn''t right that others still suffer for it."


    Bane nodded. "I appreciate you both. You are good people." She glanced out the window and then faced them. "It''s time for me to go now. I wish you well, but it''s time for me to rest at last."


    Kaidan and Zerua bowed. Zerua bit back a sob, wondering why the idea of the dead Queen finally having her eternal rest made her so emotional. After all that had happened to her, though, Zerua believed that Bane deserved that rest most of all. "We will always remember you." She whispered the words, unsure if Bane would hear them at all but needing to say them.


    When they looked up, Bane was gone and Tebhor was shoving his way into the room. He cast them a knowing look and a toothless grin. "Time for the celebration. Yer wanted to join the royal table."


    Zerua scrambled to her feet with a laugh. Kaidan rose more slowly and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Someone''s excited about this," he murmured in her ear with a chuckle.


    She sniffed. "Of course! I''m going to see a traditional feast of Faeridhia. When else will this kind of opportunity come?"


    Tebhor released a raspy laugh and pointed his stick at them. "Yer wife''s a smart one, Kaidan. Ye ought to listen to her more."


    Kaidan pressed his warm, chapped lips to her temple. "Believe me, I listen to her quite often."


    She laughed and winked at Tebhor. "It''s true. He does listen to me. More often than he ought to, I''d say."


    "I didn''t realize you disliked being spoiled." Kaidan''s warm breath fanned across her cheek. "Remind me not to do it anymore if you dislike it so much."


    A grin broke out over her face. Laughing and smiling still felt a bit surreal, but it also held a newfound glee for her. It felt as though the days spent in Ashkarith had stolen something from her, but now she was regaining it and savoring the light moments more than before. She knew now how easy it was to lose those moments, and she wanted to cherish every moment she had.

 Chapter 14

    The morning dawned clear and balmy, perfect for a trip through the jungle to the nearest town with an airfield. Kaidan gave Zerua a hand up into the hovering cart. The Endine operating it flashed them a grin. "You''d better hold on." The driver belted himself in with a leather strip that connected to rings on either side of his seat.


    Kaidan frowned, settling into the seat beside Zerua and following the driver''s example as he belted himself to the seat. "Why do we need to hold on?"


    The cart rose a bit higher into the trees and kept rising until it skimmed the treetops. The driver steered it forward, one hand on the wheel that guided the rudder and another on the thick metal pole holding up his corner of the canopy. "Because this thing gains a lot of speed, and if we hit rough patches of air, it jolts around a lot." He snickered. "Trust me. You want to be tied down for the flight."


    Zerua paled and caught his gaze. "Kaidan¡ª"


    He cleared his throat and looked up at the driver. "If you don''t mind, sir, please drive with care. My wife doesn''t do well with turbulence and high speeds."


    "I''ll do my best." The driver turned his attention back to the clear skies ahead.


    Zerua clung to his arm with a grateful smile. He pulled free and squeezed her knee with a smirk. "It''ll be fine, love. Don''t worry about it."


    She swallowed hard as the cart rattled up to a higher speed. The treetops whizzed by beneath them. The telfie, which she''d since named Arania after Banach''s youngest daughter, curled closer to her abdomen where it sat in her lap. It released a squeak and buried its head in her skirts. She stroked its downy fur with a soft sigh, and Kaidan wrapped his arm around her waist. "It''ll be fine. Don''t worry yourself about it. The driver is able enough to control the wind and the craft. We''ll get there in one piece."


    She looked a bit green at the thought, but she didn''t contradict him. As the craft gained speed, she buried her fingers in the telfie''s fur, biting her lip. After a moment, she buried her face against his shoulder. He rubbed her hip, hoping she would calm down and perhaps sleep through the journey. Her muscles un-tensed one at a time, and her breathing steadied out as the ride evened and settled into a steady rhythm of ups and downs.


    The wind whipped past them, tugging at his hair and hers. Kaidan rested his head atop hers, letting his own eyes close. Their adventures had taken much more from him than he''d initially thought. His own breathing evened to match his wife''s, and soon the two of them were sleeping peacefully as the Endine pilot guided the craft through the calm sky.


    ***


    The pilot shook Kaidan''s hand with a laugh. "You two are the quietest passengers I''ve ever taken this trip with."


    Kaidan bit back a smile. "Well, we''re pretty worn out from our journey."


    The pilot grinned and doffed his woven reed hat to them. "As I saw, sir. Good luck finding a craft to take you back home. And may the gods smile on you as you carry that news to the world."


    Zerua clung tighter to him at the man''s comment, and he glanced down at the bags of books resting at their feet. "Thank you."


    "We''re all grateful to you, you know. Because of you, the spirits in that place can have the rest they should''ve had thousands of years ago."


    Kaidan drew in a deep breath and nodded. "We''re glad we could do so."


    "This is goodbye then." The pilot capered back to his cart-like air ship with a buoyant laugh. "Fare you well, Tadegan!"


    The two of them grinned and returned the farewell. Then they stepped back to give the man room to take the cart back up. The off-white cloth covering wobbled with the force of the wind, and the pilot released a whoop as the wind gathered at his command, picking up the ship and sending him rocketing back toward Faeridhia. The couple watched until he was gone before turning back to look at the little town just feet away.


    The people milling on the outskirts paid them little mind as though they''d seen plenty of travelers arrive this way. Kaidan wondered if they had. He tucked Zerua close to his side, grabbed the bags, and shouldered them. "Ready to go home?"


    "Indeed, I am. Of course, I''m not sure it''ll be our home for long."


    Kaidan sighed, staring at the colorful flashes of skirts and tunics as a group of children hurdled by a few feet from them, laughing and giggling. Zerua also watched them pass with a wistful gleam in her violet eyes. He pressed a kiss to her temple, smiling. "Home is wherever you are, my love. And someday, we''ll have children just like those little ones there."


    She ran her thumb over the back of his hand with a contented sigh. "Let''s go home then."


    He grinned. "That''s the spirit." Removing his arm from her waist, he strode forward.


    She followed a moment later, weaving her fingers through his and squeezing. "You think we''ll be able to find an airship here?"


    "They have an airfield, so I imagine so." Kaidan craned his neck to see where the field might be. Up ahead, he noted there was a space behind the other side of the village that boasted no trees. He pointed to it. "I''m guessing that''s where we have to go."


    Zerua wandered through the small town with him, eyeing the mud-daubed houses and the people dashing between them. He stared too, the bustle of the place causing his own energy levels to rise. The atmosphere was charged with friendliness and warmth. They passed a woman with a woven basket balanced atop her head, and she flashed them a smile, her teeth gleaming against her dark skin. Two men passed them after and inclined their heads with warm greetings. The couple returned the greetings, the corners of their lips tugging upward. "See," Kaidan murmured in her ear. "They''re friendly, and I''m sure they''ll be able to help us."


    She nodded. "We should make sure we''re heading toward the airfield before we keep going that way."


    Kaidan squeezed her hand. "Right as usual." He stopped a wide-eyed young woman with a friendly greeting. "Miss, we''re looking for the airfield. We just came from Faeridhia, and we need to know which way to go."


    The girl played with the beaded ends of her thick black braids. Her full lips split to reveal pearly white teeth. "You''re already going the right way, Mister."


    He bowed to her with a grateful smile playing on his lips. "Thank you." Straightening, he said, "I''ve noticed all of you speak Common well. Is this a main location for trade?"


    She nodded. "We may have kept our simple lifestyle and quaint housing, but we''re the last main outpost for traders looking to rest before pressing on to trade with Faeridhia."


    Kaidan and Zerua glanced at each other with a laugh. Zerua put her hands on her hips, shaking her head. "Don''t they know they won''t get a very happy reception?"


    The girl shrugged, grinning. "I don''t know, ma''am. Some of them¡ª" She tapped her head. "They''re not right in the head, you know? Others have been coming and going for years. The people of Faeridhia know those ones well and welcome them."


    Kaidan nodded. "I see. Well, thank you again for your help and for welcoming us into your wonderful village. We''ll be off to the airfield now. The gods bless and smile upon you, miss."


    She laughed at his overly polite speech and dropped a curtsy. "And to you. Mister. Missus."If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Zerua and Kaidan bowed in farewell and continued on their way.


    "Everyone here is so kind." Zerua sighed, staring at the people passing and responding to the cheerful greetings of the natives. "It makes me wish I could live here too."


    Laughter rumbled out of Kaidan. "And lose all the amenities civilization has to offer? I couldn''t see you enjoying the seclusion for long no matter how friendly it is."


    Zerua elbowed him with a sniff. "I''m more resilient than you think."


    "I''m sure you are."


    The scent of freshly-cut undergrowth and the creak of ships straining against their moorings intruded on the conversation moments before the airfield itself came into view. The couple paused to take in the ranks of ships that were moored and awaiting their cargo or passengers.


    "Which one should we¡ª"


    "Ah, there you two are!" A familiar voice bellowed at them from behind. "Captain, I found them!"


    Zerua spun about with a gasp, and Kaidan also turned to look. Ifan smirked, striding up to them and wrapping Kaidan in a bear hug. Kaidan grunted, and one of his ribs popped along with every joint in his spine. "E-enough. Ifan, if you continue¡ª" He wheezed for breath. "You''ll break something."


    Ifan dropped him and bellowed with laughter. "Captain said you''d be here."


    Dhiabhan strode into view then, his hands shoved into the pockets of his black pants and his boots gleaming despite the dirt and humidity of the town. The wind tugged at the strands of his black hair, pulling it free of its tie. He had removed the captain''s hat that he normally wore and had left his head bare. His lips curved up in a languid smirk, and he ambled to a stop beside Ifan. "We meet again, Tadegan." His sharp gaze swept over Kaidan and Zerua. "Worse for the wear, I see."


    "Dhiabhan?" Kaidan shook his head. "What are you doing here?"


    Dhiabhan shrugged. "Waiting for you two. Took your time too, didn''t you? Three-and-a-half weeks." He shook his head, tapping his foot against the dusty track leading back to the village. "Late as always."


    Kaidan narrowed his eyes. "We didn''t have an appointment, and we''re not always late."


    One thick black brow rose in response to that. "You may not have had an appointment in your mind, but in my mind, you did."


    Zerua snickered. "Too bad you forgot to tell us. We might''ve hurried up if we''d known."


    The captain snorted. "And how was I to do that?"


    "Well, you knew we''d be here." Zerua crossed her arms, glancing at Kaidan. "Speaking of. How did you know we''d be here?"


    Dhiabhan lifted one shoulder and shot her a sly smile. He strode past her, pausing his stride to lean close to her and murmur in her ear. "A man must keep some secrets, my lady. Allow me to keep some of mine, would you?"


    She uncrossed her arms. "I suppose I could make an allowance this once."


    "Good. That''ll be the price for riding back to Montelishra with me." He strode back toward the Rith''s Demise, which was bobbing on its moorings on the opposite end of the airfield.


    Kaidan hurried to catch up, dragging Zerua with him. "Wait! What are you talking about?"


    "You two need to go back to Montelishra, don''t you?"


    "Well¡ª" Kaidan cleared his throat. "Yes, but¡ª"


    "And I''m going that way anyway."


    "You are?"


    "I''m not in the habit of repeating myself or of lying, am I, Tadegan?" Dhiabhan''s voice lilted as though he was holding back laughter.


    "I suppose not." Kaidan scratched his head. "But¡ªWell, Dhiabhan, it makes no sense! How could you know we''d come here?"


    "Deduction would say¡ª"


    Kaidan snorted and grabbed Dhiabhan''s shoulder, spinning the Captain to face him. Dhiabhan cocked his head to the side and crossed his arms. Raising a brow, Kaidan stared back. "You don''t expect me to accept that answer for fact, do you? You may have deduced the port, but you had no idea if we''d even survive, and you''re not the type to wait around for dead men."


    Dhiabhan''s lips curved up. "How perceptive of you."


    "So, how did you know?"


    Dhiabhan grinned. "Had a hunch, you could say. Now, quit wasting my time or I''ll make you pay me with more than information and a favor."


    Kaidan gaped at him. "Are you kidding right now?"


    Dhiabhan tapped the side of his long nose, his blue eyes calm. "I believe that we both know I''m not in the habit of doing that either. You decide for yourself based on that." He spun on his heel and strode across the remaining feet to Rith''s Demise before bounding up the gangway.


    Kaidan glanced back at Ifan, who was still standing behind them. "What''s wrong with him?"


    Ifan roared with laughter, his broad shoulders trembling with the force of it. "He''s a bit touched in the head."


    "I never would have guessed." Kaidan shook his head with a laugh and followed the Captain''s example, though he moved up the gangway at a slower pace.


    Dhiabhan leaned against the rail much like he had when they''d first boarded his spry little ship. When they were all aboard, he clapped Kaidan on the shoulder and roared at the crew in the rigging and at the fore of the ship. "Prepare for take off, you lazy spawn of Rith!"


    Kaidan winced at the bellow and took his place at the rail. The ropes for tying themselves to the ship''s rail were already in place, and Kaidan smiled at the memory of their first take off with Dhiabhan. Much had happened since then.


    With the crew scurrying about and following Ifan''s bellowed orders, Dhiabhan joined them. To their surprise, he tied himself down with them this time. The playful smirk from earlier disappeared, and he stared out across the village. His silence remained steady, and Kaidan left him alone, figuring he''d talk when he was ready.


    The sharp snap of the ropes releasing their hold on the ship cracked through the air, and the ship bucked a moment before leaping skyward. The wind roared past their ears as the ship''s Endines guided it upward. A glance confirmed that Dhiabhan was still lost in thought, leaving Ifan at the wheel to keep the rudder and the ship''s sails in the proper positions.


    For a long while, no one spoke. The wind screamed across the ship, the one thing that the Endines couldn''t control as they mounted to the proper altitude. The noise made speaking impossible, so they stood there, clinging to the ship''s rail, and waited for it to die down to a reasonable level.


    In a few minutes, the ship stabilized, and the deck evened out. The wind eased up as the Endines turned their attentions to keeping the ship aloft and wrapping it in a protective bubble of air that kept the oxygen levels at a breathable level and fended off the cold winds at their altitude of flight.


    Dhiabhan untied himself with a frown. "You found the truth in Ashkarith."


    Kaidan bit his lip. He always makes statements about things as if he knows what will happen before it happens. I wonder if that''s how he knew things he shouldn''t have back when we met. "We did."


    Zerua leaned into him with a shiver.


    Dhiabhan watched them for a long moment, propping his back up against the rail and crossing his arms and legs. "What will you do with it? The spirits are freed, aren''t they? So what remains to be done?"


    Zerua cleared her throat. "Kaidan, Dhiabhan has a point. I''ve been meaning to ask¡ª"


    "We have to inform our guild at least." Kaidan refused to consider remaining silent.


    "But Kaidan, maybe we don''t need to. They''re all free, with the exception of Rith''s spirit. But we''ll free him too when we get to Dubarin. Maybe we should just go there right away and forget about going back to tell the guild in Montelishra."


    Dhiabhan frowned. "With all due respect, when I asked what remained to be done, I didn''t mean you shouldn''t do anything at all? I simply wanted to now what you two thought was the next step."


    "We can''t stay quiet about this." Kaidan straightened and tugged his rope restraints free so he could pace. "People are buying into a lie without even knowing it. They should be informed so they have a chance to believe the truth."


    Dhiabhan ducked his head, his gaze focused on something across the ship. "Indeed."


    Kaidan followed his gaze to where Rhubhian stood, the black and scarlet scarves and breast bindings of an Aleshtanian royal slave once more adorning her. "We''ll spread the truth because only truth can make people free."


    The Captain shoved his hands into his pockets. "Does it?"


    Still staring at Rhubhian, Kaidan nodded. "Speaking of truths... Tell me something, Dhiabhan. I''ve been wondering ever since we met with you in Argos. Who are you really? What are you running from?"


    Dhiabhan''s lips cracked in a worn smile. "Me? What consequence does it make?"


    "You''re the one enigma he hasn''t solved on this journey," Zerua butted in with a snicker.


    Kaidan grunted and crossed his arms.


    She wrapped her arms around his waist. "You''re just mad because you know I''m right."


    He sighed. "Yes, you''re right." His gaze flew back to Rhubhian. "You dress her in the garments of an Aleshtanian royal slave. That''s a punishable crime in Aleshtain."


    Dhiabhan''s gaze fixed on his slave as well. "Not for me."


    "Then you''re royalty?"


    His facial muscles tightened, and a flash of pain sparked in his dark eyes. He closed his eyes, clenching his jaw. "I''m the son of King Arabhor Phael Thilain the Third of Aleshtain."


    Beside him, Zerua stiffened. "B-but¡ª"


    "But I''m so polite? So normal?" His eyes flew open again, and the mask was back. "I''m not what you expected?" He shook his head and turned his back on them. "I rarely am, my lady. Tadegan, rest assured that the truth does indeed set people free. But sometimes, people would rather stay blind. Remember that if you decide to tell the truth. Now, if you two will excuse me." He stalked toward the main deck of the ship.


    The two of them watched in silence as the captain took the wheel from Ifan, who stood beside him, engaging him in conversation. Kaidan shook off the stupor first. "He''s right, you know."


    "About what?"


    "The truth does set people free. But he''s also right to say that people prefer darkness to light many times."


    "Do we have to tell them what we found?" Zerua wrapped her arms around herself with a shiver.


    Kaidan wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close to him. "We have to. Even if it costs us everything, we have to inform them."


    She sniffled, burying her face in his chest. "I thought as much. Then it''s time for us to reveal to the world the secrets Bane took to her grave."


    Silence draped over the two of them, and they stood looking out over the jungle as the ship plunged through the sky, heading for Montelishra. It was time to end the two-thousand-year-old subterfuge. It was time to tell the world the truth that Sedra had buried so many years ago. Because as is often the case, the truth eventually comes out, and all lies must be revealed.

 Epilogue

    Kaidan lay wheezing in his bed. His sightless eyes stared up toward the ceiling but saw only darkness. A warm, work-worn hand took his, and he smiled, squeezing it. "Alefor, my son. You came."


    "Of course I did, Father." Alefor''s low voice rumbled through Kaidan''s frail bones.


    His breath rattled through his chest, and he coughed, his muscles spasming with the motion. Alefor shuffled closer and eased him into a sitting position, stuffing pillows down behind his back. The coughing fit passed, and Kaidan slumped back into the mound of pillows. "I''m tired, son. And I''m ready to join your mother on the other side."


    Alefor patted his hand, a protest strangling in his throat. "I know."


    "It won''t be long now until I go to the other side of eternity." Kaidan cleared his dry throat, swallowing to dampen it. "And someone must lead the others who have come here to follow the truth."


    "Someone should, yes."


    "I want you to do so when I''m gone, Alefor."


    Alefor''s grip on his hand tightened a fraction of an inch. "Father, I can''t! Give the task to Eorith. He''s better suited to the task."


    "Eorith is too young." Kaidan shook his head with a sad smile. "Someday, Alefor, you''ll have to start believing in yourself."


    "But not today. You''re still here to lead."


    "Not for long." Kaidan burst into another coughing fit.


    Alefor released his hand, and a moment later, the cool rim of his water glass pressed to his cracked lips. Kaidan took a greedy swallow of it, lifting a shaking hand to wipe his mouth when Alefor pulled it away. The rasp of dried, brittle skin and bone against his lips only reminded him that his time was now far more limited than it had been just a few years ago. His experiences had aged him more than expected, he thought. But he didn''t regret any of them.


    "You''ll get better. We''ll find a cure for your malady, Father."


    Kaidan guffawed, the laughter rattling and dying in his chest. "There isn''t a cure for what ails me."


    "Can you be so sure?" Alefor sat on the edge of Kaidan''s bed.


    Kaidan smiled, remembering the days when Alefor would sit on the edge of the bed and swing his feet while Zerua told him a bedtime story. "Yes. There''s no cure for old age. I''ve lived my time, son. Living to be nearly two-hundred is quite a feat for most."If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "I know, I know. The expected lifetime is only around a hundred and fifty. You''ve only reminded me of that a thousand times the last few years."


    "And it''s no less true now." Kaidan patted Alefor''s hand with a chuckle.


    Alefor didn''t say anything for a long moment. Then he cleared his throat and shifted on the bed. "Do you really think I''m ready for this?"


    "I do." Kaidan squeezed his son''s shoulder. "You will be the next leader, and it will be your son''s job to guard it after you. Keep her diary and the Chronicles of Banach safe, son. Someday, the savior will come, and he''ll need them."


    "I know." Alefor stood and paced, his footsteps thudding on the carpeted wood floor boards. They creaked beneath his weight.


    "Something else troubles you?" Kaidan rested his head back against the headboard, wishing the headache that had been ravaging him all day wouldn''t pound so much.


    "I don''t want you to leave us."


    "Everyone has their time. You know that."


    He stopped pacing, and when he spoke, his voice was quiet. "I know."


    Kaidan sucked in another rattling breath. "Best say your goodbyes now then. Your brothers and sisters and their little ones already did this morning. I likely won''t make it the night."


    Alefor rushed to his side, taking Kaidan''s worn hand in his. "Don''t say that, father! It''s so morbid."


    "Alefor, you''re already fifty, an adult by our standards. You know I''m on death''s door." Kaidan gripped his son''s hand weakly. "I can feel my strength fading. Please, say your goodbye so that I can rest in peace. If the gods see fit to give me another morning, then so be it. But don''t leave me without a farewell from my firstborn."


    Alefor''s head rested heavy against Kaidan''s shoulder, and he sighed. "Goodbye then. You''ll be missed¡ª" He choked off in a sob. "I¡ªI''m sorry. I should be more controlled¡ª"


    Kaidan patted his son''s head, burying his fingers in Alefor''s thick mop of shaggy black hair. He closed his eyes, remembering the days when he still had his sight and could watch as his baby boy grew into a fine young man with his lopsided grin and Zerua''s unruly curls. "No use holding it in, boy." His voice roughened, and his throat closed with sadness as Alefor let go and wept into his shoulder. "There, there. Someday, we''ll see each other again in the Realm Above."


    Alefor nodded and drew away with a sharp breath. "I should let you rest. If the gods do not see fit to give you another sunrise." He drew in a shaky breath. "If they do not, then rest in peace, father. And know that I will do everything you instructed."


    Kaidan smiled. "Good boy. Now, go enjoy the evening with your lovely wife and baby girl."


    Alefor hummed in response. Kaidan listened to his footsteps retreating. Then the door slammed, and he was alone. He blinked back tears, letting the weakness in his body wash over him. Sinking into the pillows, he shifted until he was lying down on his back again. His chest squeezed painfully, and he wheezed. As he labored for each breath he took and felt the last vestiges of strength fading from his body, Kaidan let go and let his eyes close one final time.


    When he opened them again, it was to the sight of Zerua in a pale blue robe and a field of green grass strewn with wildflowers. And he knew that finally, after all he''d endured, he''d found his rest. The truth had been told, and it would continue to be told to the generations to follow until the day it would reach the ears of the prophesied Son of Shadows. And then. Then all of Kaidan''s work would come to fruition, and the savior would set it all to right.