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—no, 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—Kaidan, 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—" 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—" 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 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—" 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."

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

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—" 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—This 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—" 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—" 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—" 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—" 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.