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Post by Markus Everglade on Jun 19, 2009 0:06:47 GMT -5
"No weapons? I’m insulted." Raythor said, standing behind the two of them with a characteristically bored face. "I’ve got one with me, if that makes you feel any better." Laura offered, tapping the small daggers sheath at her waist. "No, I’d really prefer to be threatened in a different setting next time. Maybe a desert. Thanks, though, really." "Um...hello..." Anella said softly. She was standing in the shadow of a tree, being so quiet no one had noticed that she was there at all. "You know, you were practically invisible. Feeling any better?" Markus asked. Anella blushed, sitting awkwardly where she stood. "Yes, a little." He smiled pleasantly, which made her turn an even darker red. "Can you skip stones?" Laura asked. One part of her was sure the blue light had been an illusion. The other part, especially if it was just Markus... "I’ve never tried." Anella admitted. "Really? Never?" Markus said, as though her life had probably been empty without it. "Um...no..." "You can’t possible be worse than I am." Anella nodded meekly, tossing the nearest rock without putting much strength behind it. Laura watched, heart in her throat, as it sank. Nothing. That was almost worse. "That went farther than Laura’s." Markus said cheerfully. "See? You are better than I am." Laura brought up how they used to go to a stream by the castle all the time, just to get away from it. Markus joined in, adding what a terrible archer he was. This made Anella smile, but it also made her feel strange. Before now royalty had, to her, been completely intangible. Markus acted as though it didn’t matter who he was, and Laura was just as comfortable around him as she would be if he were a pig farmer. They seemed to build every word they said off each others, working to weave their stories together unconsciously. "How do you do that?" Anella asked. "Huh?" Markus said, thoroughly confused. Laura laughed. "He’s almost like my brother." The maid explained. Anella felt a surge of mixed emotions, only one of which she could identify: relief. She wondered at that. "Raythor!" A sickly sweet voice they all knew as Kylara’s drifted through the trees. "I can’t imagine where you’ve been. "I bet you can’t." Raythor replied, not even pretending to care she was there. "A pleasure to see you, Kylara." Markus said formally. "Oh, hi. What are you all talking about?" Kylara asked, keeping her eyes on Raythor. "Skipping stones." "Fascinating. What do you think of stones, Raythor?" "Usually, I don’t." He started inspecting his nails. "Neither do I." "What do you want from me?" "Just to talk to you. Alone." Kylara glanced at the other three meaningfully. Raythor sighed.
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Post by Markus Everglade on Jun 19, 2009 0:07:05 GMT -5
"Fine." He started walking, and she followed. After they were out of ear shot Kylara stopped. Raythor leaned against a tree, his expression still carefully blank. "Well? Get on with it." "I want to get to know you better." "Then threatening me probably wasn’t the best way to do it." "I know that." "What do you want then? The reward money? That’s all I have." "No. I thought letting you know that I... recognized you was the only way." "The only way to what?" "To learn anything about you. The first time I saw you, you had this look in your eyes... I’ve never seen anyone so lost before." "I know exactly what I’m doing." He responded calmly, evenly. Kylara crossed her arms, not looking at him. "What? Punishing yourself?" "I killed them. You know that." "I want the truth behind all this... the Karian murders, the legends that came from it. Even you. I want to help you." "There’s no point in that." She stared into his ice blue eyes, looking for anything. He turned his head, so that his hair shaded most of his expression. Kylara pursed her lips. "Why not?" "Because I can never take back what I did. I’m beyond redemption." "Raythor..." "I murdered my own parents. Don’t you understand?" For the first time, he looked at her full in the face. Traces of fear and anger passed across his face. "Everywhere I went, they knew me. That was nine years ago, and I’m still running from it." "If you hate yourself so much, why not just turn yourself in?" "Because they would kill me, and I don’t deserve an easy way out." He turned away again. Obviously, he had told himself all these things over and over again, until they became excuses, and they became impossible to break. "Do you really think that’s what happened? That nine years ago, a seven year old boy killed his own parents in cold blood?" Kylara demanded, smirking. "Yes." "Then why don’t you kill me now?" "I couldn’t do that." "Why not?" "Because I don’t remember killing them."
Chapter Thirteen
Glowing Silver
"You know, Markus, you are never alone. Laura is always following you around." Rose said coyly. Beside her, the stream trickled. When Anella and Laura had gone back, Markus had stayed behind. The little book he and Rose had found wouldn’t stop playing on his mind. He could focus on nothing else. It was the first thing he had ever kept hidden from Laura, but... it hadn’t bothered him to lie to her, and that scared him.
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Post by Markus Everglade on Jun 19, 2009 0:07:42 GMT -5
"I guess I never really thought about it, but you’re right." He grinned faintly. "What are you thinking about? You have the strangest-" "I was just wondering if Rose-my Rose- would be anything like Laura." Rose blushed. ‘His Rose’. That was how he thought of her. How sweet. Shaking herself, she concentrated on the real reason she had wanted him alone. "The book, Markus. Do you believe it’s real?" "My father would say that this book is too vague to confirm anything, or that the writer shot Anella herself. But," He sighed, "I am not my father. He’s often told me I have more faith than common sense. I believe every word, and all that comes with it." "So do I." Rose agreed firmly. Their eyes met briefly before they both glanced away. "We’ve already read today’s message. ‘Take care of Anella for me.’" Rose repeated. "Does that mean that Anella is still in danger?" "I don’t think so. Laura is with her now." "Take the book. "Why?" "Because I’ll read it. I know that your little code of honor wouldn’t let you do that. Just take it today, please." "All right, Rose." She placed the little book in his outstretched palm, resting her hand over the cover longer than she needed to. He half smiled. "Why do I feel as though I know you?" Markus asked. "You could have seen me in the little time I spent at Everglade." Rose faltered. So... he felt it to. That tie that neither of them could break. Sixteen years waiting to see that face. Almost seventeen. Maybe it could work out for them, after all. She should tell him, he deserved to know who she was... "Markus!" Laura called. The prince glanced back. "Yes, Laura?" "Kylara came back, but Raythor didn’t. Do you think something’s wrong?" "No, of course not. It’s not as though she killed him. Raythor will come back." Markus consoled, resting his hand familiarly on her shoulder. "Laura, you’re worrying too much again." "I know." Laura sighed. Rose made a face at the back of her head. Stupid Laura. She followed Markus around like a love struck puppy. "‘Take care of Anella for me.’" Rose said icily, walking away. Markus watched her leave, tucking the book out of sight. Laura hadn’t seen it. That was good. That must be what Rose was worrying about. He would keep it safe for her.
****
Why had he told her anything? Why, after all these years, had he let the mask slip so far? Raythor had gone over his last words again and again, those last idiotic words... ‘I don’t remember.’ That had all been hours ago. Every sentence that passed between him and Kylara still rang in his ears, taunting him, telling him it was over. Kylara had said she wanted to help him. He didn’t believe that. She had to want the money. It was a fairly good sum, as far as he knew... A movement in the trees startled him back to reality.
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Post by Markus Everglade on Jun 19, 2009 0:08:02 GMT -5
"I’m warning you, Kylara..." Raythor said menacingly. "I’m not Kylara." Another voice spoke softly. Raythor glanced up. Anella was standing there, bathed in moonlight. She looked... silver. A trick of the light, perhaps. Some sort of head game. Yet, when she moved the color stayed on her, as though it were part of her dress. It sparkled in her hair, shone through her eyes, and illuminated her face. The effect was dazzling. "Anella." He said simply. "You’ve been gone a long time. I came to look for you." "Doesn’t it hurt to walk, with that injury?" "You came to find me when you were injured." "You owe me nothing." "I wanted to come." She said, blushing slightly. "You wanted to?" "Yes." Raythor almost smiled, but he wouldn’t let his mask slip again. "Did Kylara tell you?" He asked, voice level. "Tell me what?" "Never mind." Anella didn’t push it. All her life, she had been something of a neutral party. She didn’t start fights, and she didn’t cause them. She never openly showed her dislike. She didn’t hate anyone. So far, it had worked for her. "We could talk about something else, if you wanted to." She said pleasantly. "Like what?" "Oh, I don’t know. Anything." "How do you do that?" "Do what?" "With the moonlight. The silver glow." "I’m not sure I understand what..." "Forget it." "Fine." "Do they want me back?" "Yes." "Let’s go." He got up and started walking. Neither of them spoke again.
**** They were leaving Sinclair’s house in the morning, at Anella’s firm insistence that she was well enough to travel. She knew hers was not the only injury. Laura’s leg, Ketra’s shoulder, Raythor’s head... Dione had gotten restless and irritable, staying in one place. Perhaps it was best. "It’s a beautiful morning, isn’t it?" Markus said to his fellow riders. There were several groans in response. "How can you be so cheerful this early?" Rose complained. She brought her own horse in step with his. "My father has told me, and continues to tell me, that I need to be ready to give orders at all times. At least, when I become king, anyway." "In case you’re attacked at night or early in the morning?" "That, and..." "And what?"
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Post by Markus Everglade on Jun 19, 2009 0:08:29 GMT -5
"So that my future wife can sleep." "That’s very sweet." "He said that my wife will need as much sleep as possible, in order to produce healthy sons." "Oh... how charming..." Rose replied, reddening slightly. "Father’s like that." Ketra said bitterly. "He just wants Markus to have a son. Then he can die happy." "Only when he finds you a husband." Markus put in. "He won’t say it, but I know he’s worried about you, Ketra." "Tell him I don’t care." "You’ll see him at my wedding, you know." Ketra refused to answer him, her lips tight. Anything she said could betray Rose... "Is there a story here we peasants have missed?" Kylara asked coyly, from atop her pale gray mare Xwen. "Weave us a tale or two, won’t you river eyes?" Markus shifted uncomfortably, avoiding her gaze. She must have discovered, as everyone else had, how terrible he was at saying ‘no’ to women. "Of course not... I mean, not really..." Markus answered hesitantly. "You don’t have to tell her anything." Rose came to his aide, the fire back in her eyes. "Surely you don’t think I was trying to take advantage of him?" Kylara asked innocently. "I wouldn’t say it was below you." "Such harsh words, from a serving maid." "I am not... I mean, that’s not all that I am, you know. I’m a person." "Interesting answer. Why, exactly, do you-" "Hey, Kylara, guess what? I’m going to walk right next to your fine steed." Raythor said. He glanced pointedly at Rose. She mouthed the words "thank you" when Kylara wasn’t looking. "How nice, Raythor. Have you decided to let me help you?" Kylara asked eagerly. "As soon as Saria grows a brain." "That isn’t nice at all." Laura scolded. "Poor Saria." "She doesn’t care." Raythor shrugged. "She’s counting the hairs in her horse’s mane. You can tell, if you look closely, that she keeps losing count and starting over." "So would you! That’s a lot of hair." "Then why count it?" "I’m sure she has her reasons." "It’s nice how you never yell. Not like Rose." "How many girls must you aggravate in five minutes?" Rose retorted. "I’m really not angry." Laura said peaceably. "You don’t have to fight." Rose grumbled, and Raythor flashed his strange half-grin. "Markus," Anella spoke quietly, mostly to change the subject, "Why is it you’re engaged? Don’t male heirs usually get to choose their wives?" "Oh," Markus said, "Well, two reasons. It’s a tradition in my kingdom, and in Bloodroot, to engage the eldest of child to someone. Bloodroot’s queen had all girls until recently, so when I was born, the same year as Princess Rose, I was chosen instead. The second reason is that Everglade and Bloodroot have been on the brink of war for years.
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Post by Markus Everglade on Jun 19, 2009 0:09:33 GMT -5
Usually, my family marries into Carinian royalty and Bloodroot is not too happy about that. My marriage to their princess will finally assure peace between the two countries." "Then why not their eldest daughter?" "Lily? I’m not quite sure. She was probably already engaged by the time I was born." Markus said, smiling blankly. ‘Or just a spoiled brat’, Rose added mentally. She knew that her parents hadn’t wanted to send their eldest daughter to Everglade, not even if they could wait seventeen years to do so. That had been up to Rose herself, from her first day on earth. Her three other sisters, Posy, Flora and Poinsettia, had all been engaged at birth as well. Not Lily. Not their first born, perfect daughter. Or her brother, Ronald. He was different, though. He was Bloodroot’s heir. It was then Dione started yelling.
****
Caldria paced her room, with the baby always in her arms. She stared drearily out the small window, at the same patch of earth that had always lain below. Caldria had managed to keep a quiet strength about her, something that kept her from falling apart. She spent many of the dull hours pacing with Emma, and thinking of David. Where was he now, at this very moment? She knew that he would never stop searching for her, as long as he lived. As long as Lydrion let him live. The door creaked open, after the soft click of a key in a lock. Kenetari strode in, her usual demented grin on her face. "What do you want?" Caldria snapped. "Nothing in particular. Just checking on you. Lydrion’s busy." Kenetari said, sounding bored. "Probably ruining someone else’s life." "Lydrion is merely doing something that should have been done a long time ago. That weak, useless queen needs to be removed from her throne." "What right does my brother, the son of a shepard, have to make such a decision?" "As much right as that silly girl does. More, even. The time for bloodline supremacy is coming to an end, and Lydrion will be the one to do it. He knows how to use such power." "My brother isn’t trying to help anybody, or change anything. He’s just out to help himself. He told me as much. He even offered to make me a queen, if I cooperated with him. Lydrion isn’t going to stop with one kingdom, either." Kenetari smiled. She said: "I’m sure he was just trying to get you to trust him. He’s already promised that I will be his queen." Caldria shook her head, almost feeling sorry for the girl before her. "You don’t know him at all. I know when he’s lying, and when he’s not. Lydrion’s promises don’t mean anything, and you shouldn’t think that they do." "I know him. He loves me." "He doesn’t love you, not really. You’re just another girl to him." "How could you possibly know that?"
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Post by Markus Everglade on Jun 19, 2009 0:09:56 GMT -5
"Because he doesn’t love anyone. He will tire of you, just as he tired of all the rest." Caldria told her coldly. Kenetari grabbed her shoulder, and dug her nails in. Caldria didn’t flinch. "When I die, all those that I have killed will be waiting there for me. If it were my choice alone, your face and the face of your child would be among them." "What do you know about him, anyway?" Caldria said, a smile still on her face. She was playing with fire, and she knew it. Kenetari was unpredictable and unstable, but she also loved Lydrion and would do anything he told her to. Caldria felt safer than she should have. Lydrion had become her safety net. "I know that he lost his parents in that fire." Kenetari answered, squeezing harder. Blood started to seep from Caldria’s shoulder, pooling beneath her fingers. "Do you know that he had nightmares every night after that? Or that I worked as a barmaid at an inn, to support the both of us?" Caldria challenged, voice hard and tone low. "I raised him, Kenetari. Has he ever told you that? We’ve been through everything together. He took care of me too, when I thought I couldn’t take it anymore. Then when we were fifteen, I met David and he met... Kira." Kenetari released her grip, and took her hand away. "Who is Kira?" "The only girl he’s ever really been in love with. I told you, he’s just toying with you." "Then where is she?" Kenetari said smartly, her confidence returning. "I’m fairly sure she’s dead." Caldria said smoothly. Kenetari stared at her numbly. Then she turned and left the room. She had never been afraid before.
Chapter Fourteen
Crushes
Blade still was wasn’t entirely clear on why Dione had started yelling her head off. Something about seeing a ‘James’, whatever that might be, in the forest. Then she had added a long stream of obscenities. Dione was one of those humans that made the human species difficult to understand as a whole. Anella had said that humans and elementists were not that different. In that case, Dione had to be a law unto herself. In all the days he had spent in her company, not once had he seen her actually happy. It was always that look of unprovoked rage that dominated her features. It reminded him, strangely enough, of his brother. Sythe never smiled, or enjoyed anything. He talked as though the entire world were against him, and would do anything to take him down. Yet he did seem to care for his youngest brother, Cannon. Much in the same way Dione cared for Rea. An odd place, this world. Full of links he could never understand. "Are you thinking of all the things you could have done differently?" Gabriel asked, peering down at Blade as he spoke. Blade lay comfortably in the sunbathed grass, just enjoying the afternoon’s warmth. "Not currently. Are you?" "Always, Blade, always. And everything I might have said differently as well." "Surely there can’t be all that much to regret there. You don’t really say that much, you know."
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Post by Markus Everglade on Jun 19, 2009 0:10:19 GMT -5
"There are always those things I could have said." "What if you had said them?" "Maybe I shouldn’t have." Blade blinked. Circular logic. No way to argue against that. Clearly Gabriel didn’t get much done. "You know what? You should talk to people more often." Blade suggested. "I’m talking to you." Gabriel said. "True. But isn’t there someone who you’d like to talk to more than anyone else?" "I don’t know. Maybe." "Well, think about it for a second." Blade wasn’t sure why he was bothering. This human was just so pathetic. Blade just wished that Gabriel would go off and do something that he wanted to do for a change. That way, they’d both win. Gabriel would be happy, and Blade would be left alone with his lazy thoughts. In front of him, Gabriel looked around. People were talking, laughing, running. Why couldn’t he? His eyes focused on one thing. "Her. I want to talk to her." "Her who?" Blade asked. He followed Gabriel’s gaze. "Rose?" "Yes." "Why?" Blade said, before he could stop it. "Just watching her... something about her. I don’t know." "Go over there." "I can’t." "You can." Blade said insistently. He smiled as Gabriel walked away. Rose was probably going to do terrible things to him. Poor Gabriel. "R-Rose?" Gabriel stumbled over the name, turning slightly red. She looked back at him with her innocent, completely misleading eyes. "Oh. It’s just you, Gabriel. Hello." She said flippantly. Wordless, Ketra stood at her side. Apparently they had been having a conversation before Gabriel walked over, but he hadn’t actually heard Ketra say anything. Strange, for a princess to treat her maid as an equal. "Beautiful day." Gabriel commented, trying to sound causal. "Isn’t it." Rose said. It wasn’t a question. Gabriel struggled in his mind to find an actual subject to talk about. All he could think of was her name. Stupid, really. He felt so useless. "Have you ever met the princess you are named for?" "No, my... my lady has. I hope very much to meet her at the wedding." Rose seemed to be forcing these words from her mouth. It was a haughty of her to think of it at all, but it was true: Once she was married to Markus, she would have a higher rank than Ketra did. How truly backward this web of lies had become. "What does she look like?" Gabriel asked Ketra. "Blonde. Blue eyed. Tall." The elder princess replied shortly. That was the farthest thing from Rose that she could come up with. She hoped that Gabriel wouldn’t ask more, and she didn’t elaborate. "Doesn’t she have a lot of sister with flower names?" "Yes." Rose answered curtly. Why was he asking all these stupid questions? Had he guessed who she was? "Rather unfortunate ones, if I remember correctly. I was lucky." Her tongue almost tingled with the hidden spite for her siblings, and she smiled.
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Post by Markus Everglade on Jun 19, 2009 0:10:46 GMT -5
"I have a sister." Gabriel said, encouraged. "And?" "Her name is Isabella. She’s a healer." "How nice for her." She should have guessed earlier. Gabriel just thought she was pretty or something. Nothing at all to worry about. She looked past him slightly, at Markus. The prince probably had to deal with people talking like this to him all the time, with a face like he had. "What are you looking at?" Gabriel was just enjoying her company. It was obvious, even to him, that he was being humored but he didn’t really care. "A tree." "The forest is lovely." ‘Like you are’, he added to himself. "So it is." Her gaze drifted from his tentative features again, this time to find someone who would save her. She knew Ketra wouldn’t do it, Ketra thought Gabriel was nice. Rose supposed she was nice, but... Dasher! Perfect. They’d made that pact to look out for each other, back at Sinclair’s house. "Don’t you agree, Dasher?" She put in smoothly. The elementist jerked her head up. She had been daydreaming about nothing in particular up until this point, but one look at Rose’s face told her the human girl needed help. "Aye, a cascade of greens and bark as far as the eye can see." Dasher said playfully. Gabriel wasn’t at fault here, she knew that a once as well. The silly boy had just picked the wrong sort of tiger to fall at love with. Oh well, she knew how to handle tongue tied men, anyway. Gabriel just blinked back at her. "I’m a blacksmith." He said, as though he had forgotten it himself and needed to firmly establish it once more. "Yes, you are. Do you enjoy being a blacksmith?" "I do." "Why is that? Do you enjoy making something in particular?" "I love making swords." "You could make one for Rose. A really nice one." "I could. I could." "She would be thrilled if you did." "She would?" "Positively." "I believe I shall start it now." Gabriel said, his eyes actually lit up with excitement for once. There were some many possibilities... He walked off, not looking back. Dasher smirked. "Thanks, Dash." Rose said sincerely. "Don’t mention it. I know more about men than I’d like to. Furred or not, they’re all the same."
****
"What did Gabriel have to say?" Markus asked, amused. He had been waiting for Rose, away from the rest of the group. The little book lay on his lap, not open yet, but with all ten of the prince’s fingers resting on its cover.
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Post by Markus Everglade on Jun 19, 2009 0:11:45 GMT -5
"He’s just a silly boy with a crush, which is what I intend to do to him." Rose said hostilely, sitting a little ways away from him. "Poor Gabriel. He likes your eyes, you know." "That’s more romantic than anything he just said." "Give the man a chance, Rose." "Why, because I’m a maid and we’re supposed to give everyone chances?" "No, because he’s a nice guy. And I don’t think like that at all. Laura is a maid." "Oh, please. Your tag along puppy couldn’t find the time to have a boyfriend." "She merely doesn’t love anyone." Markus said, with such firm conviction that Rose was struck silent for a moment. "I do apologize, ‘my prince’." Rose said, guarding her own feelings. Markus turned a little red. Rose rolled her eyes. "Just read that stupid book already." Markus nodded, leafing through until he found the proper page, eyes flashing over the flowery text. "Tonight, she will return but does not intend to hurt a soul. Before, Kenetari was out for your blood. Now she is out for your secrets." "That’s it?" Rose scowled. "Why must it all be so vague and foreboding?" "I don’t know. I don’t think we should worry much about thus one though." "Yeah, well I’ve got better things to do anyway." Rose said. She raised one hand in an indifferent goodbye. There was no reason to worry about Laura, after all.
****
"Anella?" "Yes, Tallith?" The girl replied idly, sending the spores of a dandelion away with a flick of her fingers. She smiled as the white puffs danced in the wind. "Are you feeling better?" "A little bit more everyday." She said truthfully. She didn’t add ‘no thanks to you’ like she wanted to, but she really didn’t know him well enough to be spiteful. Most of what she knew of him came straight from Dione. "I’m glad to hear it." Tallith said, grinning. Before he could offer any other form of consolation, Markus and Raythor walked by. Markus was holding something in one hand, and gesticulating wildly with the other. Raythor gazed on mildly, alternately nodding or shaking his head. Anella waved and they both looked over at her. Raythor’s lips moved, and they trotted over. "Hello." Tallith said gloomily, obviously not happy to see either of them. "A pleasure to see you again," Markus said quickly, knocking out the formalities. "Anella, we need to see this bracelet on a wrist. Would you mind-?" "Not at all." She said agreeably. "This is only because we all know it doesn’t match Markus’s outfit." Raythor said jokingly. Anella laughed, slipping on the bracelet. "Couldn’t you have gotten another girl to do it?" Tallith whined. "We- well, Markus rather- just have a bunch of meaningless conjecture about this thing. Nothing solid, as of yet." Raythor commented, as though Tallith hadn’t spoken. "I know I’ve seen this red pattern before, but I can’t quite place it." Markus added.
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Post by Markus Everglade on Jun 19, 2009 0:12:17 GMT -5
"If you’re asking me whether or not I know anything about jewelry, the answer is not much. This, however," She paused, rotating her wrist, "This is a promise bracelet." "A what?" Markus asked, surprised. "They’re sort of like pre-engagement rings. Mostly, peasant use them to promise that they will come back to their loved ones, say if they have to go to war or are too poor to marry. Usually they’ve been in the family for generations, but most copies can be bought cheaply." "Is that a copy?" "No. My mother has an old one. This could very well be older still. Probably, there is a specific marking on it somewhere that designates the family it came from." "This leaves the question of why our mystery girl dropped it. If it was accidentally, where did she get it, and if it was an intentional, what was the purpose?" Raythor mused aloud. "Either Kenetari was a peasant, is a peasant, or stole it off a peasant." Markus offered. "Or killed one and took it. We don’t know what level she’d sink to, depending on the bracelets significance to her or to us, as the case may be." "This may sound stupid, but that dress she was wearing was too nice for any sort of peasant. At the very least, that was the dress of a lady." Anella said absently. Her fingers found the groves in the bracelet. Some of them were familiar; her mother’s had ‘Rainbird’ marked out in the bracelet’s special code on the side. If she could just... "She can’t be a princess, or I’d have heard of her." Markus said. As they fell silent, out of ideas, Anella deciphered her first letter. "Wait... I found the marking I told you about before." Anella said. She slipped the bracelet off, running her thumb over the grooves again. "Let’s see... six letters in all. I can’t read the first one... The second letter is definitely an ‘A’ then ‘R’ then ‘I’ then another ‘A’ and an ‘N’. ‘Arian’?" She gasped. "Karian. Oh, Raythor, is it possible that she-?" "I would think it would be very possible for anyone to have gotten hold of my mother’s bracelet. The way in which she died, so suddenly..." He said, very carefully. He hoped, for once, that her sympathy would save him here. "I’m so sorry." She said glancing away. "Yes, well, I think we have a little more information to work with now." Markus said positively. Raythor almost smiled again. Kenetari had just told him that she knew his secret too.
****
"Thousands of years ago, before the Solkentons united the six kingdoms; the Inferno family reigned over the kingdom of flame. Their eldest son, Phoenix, was born on the day Ilion’s kingdom shone at night." Dasher said, entirely lost in her story. "The sun." Blade whispered. Anella nodded. Rose gazed suspiciously at Markus and Raythor. "A prophecy was said upon his birth that if he ever took a life, the reverse of our world would swallow him up and hold his soul for two years.” Dasher continued. "In
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Post by Markus Everglade on Jun 19, 2009 0:12:36 GMT -5
those two years, his family would disappear, his friends would die and his life in that world would feel like a thousand years of torment. He was called ‘The Vessel’. "When he turned twenty, he fell in love. On the eve of his wedding, Pearl became very ill. The prophet of his birth told Phoenix that if he wanted Pearl to live, he would have to kill someone to take her place. At first, Phoenix refused. It became harder and harder for him to watch his love die. So, one night, when a murderer escaped, Phoenix killed him." There was a brief silence. "What?" Rose said disgustedly. "That’s it?" "The end is the prophecy. Both of them came true." Dasher answered primly. "What about Pearl?" "She lived, but not for much longer. She just sort of faded away." "And Phoenix?" "Pearl was dead, and his family was gone... he just disappeared." "So why would someone send us a threat about this fairy tale? The original vessel was a thousand year old elementist prince," Raythor said, "And Laura, if they were truly indicating her at all, had nothing to do with it." "Some of us think Phoenix will be reborn, hence the name. When that happens, the past will either heal or destroy itself." Blade shrugged. "It’s always been said it will be a human." "A female human?" Rose said skeptically. "Who knows? It’s just a story." "Could someone, theoretically, use the reverse world’s power?" Raythor asked. "Yes, but supposedly they would need this person to control it." "Then someone thinks Laura is the vessel? My Laura?" Markus interjected. Rose glared. "It’s probably just a meaningless threat." Raythor assured him. "Just like everything else." "Your Laura does have a strange..." Blade trailed off, searching for a word. "Aura?" Dasher suggested. "Close enough. It’s... different." "Then we’ll have to protect her from Kenetari, Lydrion, and any other homicidal maniac that happens to walk by." Rose said viciously. "Now you’re all getting pulled into this nonsense. All of you are more clearheaded than that. Why would anyone want to control us, or send us convoluted messages or repeatedly try to kill us?" "You’re scared by this, aren’t you?" Markus whispered. Rose squeezed her eyes shut, nodding. "Rose, you’re a maid. No one cares about you, anymore than they would care about me." Raythor said. "Just shut up." Rose shouted. "Stop being such a total idiot all the time." "If anyone’s going to hurt you, it’ll be me. The so called ‘forces of evil’ don’t stand a chance." "Yeah right. You’re tamer than your dog is. You wouldn’t touch me." Rose retorted. She didn’t look scared anymore. "We’ll all take care of you." Markus said, not following any of this, but trying to take it in stride.
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Post by Markus Everglade on Jun 19, 2009 0:14:26 GMT -5
"‘His life in that world would feel like a thousand years of torment...’" Raythor said inaudibly. Markus, Blade, and Dasher had gone back to their discussion. Rose, however, gave him an odd look. "Did you say something?" "No, nothing." "Don’t tell anyone I said it, but... thank you, Raythor." "For what?" "Exactly."
Chapter Fifteen
Everything’s a Nightmare
Tides of darkness held his eyes shut, bound his throat closed, made his heart quicken. He fought into consciousness, to escape it again, to shut out their lifeless bodies.... Raythor was having the same nightmare he’d had for so many years yet again. Sometimes it stopped for awhile, but it never really went away. Now that it was back again, it could take months to pry himself free of its terrible grasp. Sleep was torture. They were always waiting for him, there behind his eyelids: their bodies rigid with death, their blood on his hands, the broken glass scattered everywhere. He remembered little else of his mother, but that the shattered mirror had once been hers. Raythor started soundlessly away, toward the forest. Thunder lifted his head, yawning and struggling to his feet. The sound of a girl’s voice stopped them both in their tracks. "You can’t sleep either?" Laura asked. She shivered, gazing sadly at the moon. "No," Raythor said hesitantly. After his encounter with Kylara, he’d been paranoid about letting anything slip. How much longer could he hide the truth from them? He wasn’t even sure why he had stayed this long. It wasn’t foolish sentimentality, he knew that for sure. It had to be the pleasure of anonymity. "I have the most terrible dreams sometimes," Laura said blankly. She knelt and scratched Thunder behind the ears. "Your doggy must be hard to see at night." "He’s better that way." "Aw, don’t say that. Look at his sweet face. You love Raythor, don’t you Thunder?" The dog sat down, his tail thumping. He had a look of pure bliss on his face. "What did you dream of?" Raythor said, changing the subject. "My father. What about you?" "My parents." "Sleepless birds of a feather, us. You don’t talk about your parents much." "They died a long time ago. I barely remember them." "I’m so sorry." "Don’t be. Where is your father?" "Back in Laina, where I was born. I haven’t seen him since I went to work for Markus’s family." "He doesn’t visit? That’s very strange." "I know it. I was practically raised by the older maids." "Just practically?"
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Post by Markus Everglade on Jun 19, 2009 0:14:55 GMT -5
She smiled. "Almost entirely." They had been wandering away from the others as they spoke, with the dog trailing after them. "You know, Laura, you always look at the moon as though it’s offended you." "Do I? No one has ever told me that before." "There are always little things about ourselves we never notice until someone tells us." "What’s yours?" "No one has ever told me." The now familiar rustle came behind them. "That can’t be you." Laura whispered. "Markus?" "I wish I could say you were close, little archer." Kenetari stepped from the shadows. Her eyes passed almost hungrily over both of them, her sword glinting in her hand. Laura saw a large rock on the ground, and her mind started working quickly. She edged toward it slowly, her eyes locked on Kenetari’s. "What do you want?" Laura asked warily. "Simply to kill you." "Think you can take both of us?" Raythor said, frost seeping into every word. "She’s not armed." Kenetari said, grinning at Laura. A chill ran up and down the maid’s spine. Laura knew that, in an instant, Kenetari would kill them both in cold blood. It didn’t matter that Laura couldn’t fight back. To the dark girl, it was nothing. Less than nothing. "Why us?" Laura burst out suddenly. "Why are you trying to kill us?" "Do neither of you know who you are?" Kenetari asked smoothly. "I’ve got a pretty good idea." Raythor said, talking a step forward. He held his sword out, the point ready to sink into her heart. She gazed back at him with a look that was almost tender. "Do you, little orphan? Do you have any idea what you are running from?" "Are you afraid?" Raythor shot back. Laura felt as though Kenetari knew him, but he didn’t know her. Could that be possible? "What is it like, to be unable to sleep, unable to escape? To watch those you care about die before your eyes?" "You must know that I killed them." "But you didn’t start that fire." "Who are you? How do you know-?" "So much about you? I’ve been watching you for a long time." "Why?" Another figure moved behind the two of them, one that was much lower to the ground. For a moment, everything was lost in confusion. Kenetari cried out, something yelped, a rock hit Kenetari’s sword to the ground, taking her with it. Moving quickly, Raythor pressed his sword against her throat. Kenetari laid there, the same self-satisfied smile on her face. "Who are you?" Raythor demanded again. She merely laughed at him. Faster than he could react she recovered her sword, slashing his arm and knocking him to the ground with her legs. Then she was gone again, just as swiftly as she had come. Laura dashed forward, helping Raythor back to his feet. "This cut... it isn’t deep. Barely crossed the skin." She said, holding his wrist and looking at the wound.
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Post by Markus Everglade on Jun 19, 2009 0:15:15 GMT -5
"I don’t think she meant to kill us at all." Raythor said, somewhat shakily. "Then this was clearly just a distraction. We both know she could do so much worse." "Do we? Though she does seem to know a lot about me." "Just looking at her makes me think..." Laura shivered again. "Raythor, what do you mean by ‘I killed them’?" He grimaced. Backed into a corner again, by his own stupid mouth. "I used to work for a blacksmith’s family, a few years ago. They sort of took me in, after my parents died. He burned to death about two years later, because of the fire in his workshop." Raythor said passively. All of this was true, but it didn’t really fit ‘I killed them’. Unless... "I feel like I killed that family. Everyone thought I set that fire, because I was in love with his daughter and he wouldn’t let me marry her. I’m bad luck." "Did you love her?" Laura asked, smiling slightly. "No, I didn’t. I guess she was nice though. Her name was Serena." "And why are you bad luck?" "My parents died too. I imagine that’s why Kenetari said everyone I care about dies before my eyes." "Your life is fraught with misery, isn’t it?" "I wouldn’t say that." "No, you wouldn’t say it, but it’s true." "Do you think that she’s guiding us somewhere," Raythor asked, "Cat girl?" "Cat girl?" Laura said, amused. "I rather like that." A whining noise sounded at their feet, emitting from the throat of the slightly bruised Thunder. Laura, realizing he had been their savior, went to his side and started fawning over him, calling him a brave boy and a hero. "Stupid dog." Raythor shook his head. He picked Thunder up anyway, and all three of them started back to the others.
Chapter Sixteen
Water Human
Markus opened his eyes to a vision of pure green. He was so confused that it didn’t even occur to him to be at all bothered by it. “Water human!” The green thing exclaimed, “You’re finally awake! I was wondering if you could tell me where the prince of shadow is.” “An elementist?” Markus rose to his knees, “What kind are you? Leaf? “Earth, but that was very close,” The green one answered patiently. The symbol of a leaf was on his forehead, back, and on a necklace set with two other beads around his neck. His fur was a very pale green, like the first shoots of buds in spring. His legs were an even lighter green. Two curls of ivy grew from the very tips of his ears, both a much darker color than his fur. Another leaf of the same shade extended from the end of his tail, which he was swishing back and forth as he waited. “Do you mean Blade Ghosttail?” Markus said finally. The earth elementist flicked his tail like a cat.
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