Chapter XXII

Who among us has seen beauty? I am talking about pure beauty. That incandescent type, that burns any thought and prevents reasoning of any nature other than to appreciate it.

The kind of beauty that says: I am here. Admire me.

Who among us has ever had the pleasure of admiring such beauty?

Because it exists. I saw that beauty, fell in love with her and lost her.

I lost her on a cold night, on a ship, right after I conquered her.

Aeronn V. R. Thewnes – Journeys – Tome I

*

Arthur checked the condition of his legs and arms for the twentieth time in the past few hours. The miraculous recovery, generated by the absorption of the monster’s strength in the lake, amazed him and, at times, he needed to watch himself in order not to end up happy for the incident that killed so many innocents.

Alone, behind a group of trees near the hut that the creatures of the Great Forest provided for the four travelers, Arthur eats berries provided by the Council. As far as he could tell, the treatment they received was luxurious, with several servants constantly checking the condition of the place and asking if the guests needed something.

Although small, the shelter was carefully furnished and each item was made of well-shaped stones, well-modeled clay and fabrics made of fine materials. Despite having almost no technology, the artisanal prowess of the place would not leave anything to be desired by any earthling.

The boy ends up losing himself in thoughts about the amenities of life on his home planet, distracted by the desire to be able to return to his monotonous and repetitive life. Who knew he would want to return to the life he once rejected and longed to escape?

But would anyone blame him for preferring tranquility and repetition to the life of daily trials and battles?

He just wanted to go back to the time when he lived with his parents, worked every day at the same hours and played games after work – a task that was occasionally exchanged for a walk with some friends.

-Are you smiling?

The voice does not come from his head, but neither does it seem to be spoken by any creature, since there is nobody around. Despite being a very pleasant voice, it seems to come out of nowhere and that scares him.

-Who said that? – The boy turns to see the place behind him, as if the owner of the voice could have sneak behind him.

-Have you forgot my voice? Should I be hurt by that?

The fear of an attack keeps him away from thinking straight.

-What…? – Show yourself, whoever you are!

-Ok. Just don’t forget that you asked for it.

As soon as the phrase sounds in his ears, Arthur realizes that something is wrong with his shadow. In that portion of the ground, the black image distorts and grows, exceeding the limits of the boy’s contours and becoming a separate individual.

The image, at first, is blurred, but little by little it takes on very familiar shapes and features.

-Don’t ask me to do this too often. – The image says. – I do not like to pretend to be your shadow, but it is better to stay hidden for now.

-You-

He cannot finish the sentence because of the shock of what he sees. The girl in front of him has almond-shaped eyes that match her black-shiny hair. Her face has Asian features, she has a round-shaped face and her eyebrows are very expressive.

-I’ve been resting since we left the tower, because protecting your body almost killed me. – She says, as if the situation amused her. – Wow, I haven’t spoken in so long that I was afraid I had forgotten how to do it. It seems that I’m fine, though.

Her voice is gentle and has a melodious intonation.

He can’t react. His eyes are wide open.

She approaches him.

-What happened? – She asks. – Is it because I’m talking to you? Oh, this is nothing! You spread so much energy when you were at the lake that I ended up waking and feeling better than ever.

He takes a step back. She seems to enjoy the situation.

-Oh, come on, Arthur. There is no need to be so apprehensive. We have been through so much together, I was- - Her expression changes as she remembers something. – Oh, that’s so embarrassing… I never had the means to tell you my name and here I was, calling you by your name. How rude of me!

She extends her hand in front of him. At that moment, except for a weak luminescence that emanates from her figure, she seems almost entirely made of flesh and bones – or something very similar to it.

A smile shines on her face.

-Nice to meet you. My name is Akemi.

*

Within the commercial heart of the continent is the castle of the kingdom of Vivre. It is the largest and most respected monument on the continent in regard to commercial relations. In this realm, the balance between trade and power needs to be dealt by professional hands, otherwise, the power attributed to the influence of traders and investors would grow out of control, compromising the sovereignty of one of the largest nations on the continent.

That is why it is a contradiction that the commanding position of such kingdom has not been given to a business person, but to a magician – even if it is the greatest magician that the kingdom of Vivre has ever seen.

However, an attentive observer would know that the queen is not just a magician. Instead, an observer would notice that, in reality, the power was delivered to the hands of a temperate and experienced creature, capable of dealing with the nuances of a kingdom based on trade and commercial positioning.

Besides, not only the Queen, but her husband was also a well-known figure among traders and investors. The figure of the queen’s right hand was known to deal with the most obscure aspects of eventual deals, which did not suit a prominent figure like hers.

Both of them, right now, are inside the commercial heart of the continent. Two figures inside a monument, in one of the best furnished rooms in the world. The large conjugal bead is certainly the most comfortable piece of furniture in the entire kingdom. The mattress, filled with goose feathers, created especially for this purpose, is as expensive as the entire jewelry collection of some noble ladies.

Such mobile is placed in the largest room in the castle. It is in that bead that the king lies next to the queen every night, covered with silk sheets and wool blankets, all carefully worked by Vivre’s best craftsmen – known for their attention to detail. It is in that bed, every night, that he faces the dome of his room, painted in order to simulate the starry sky. That’s where he pretends to be camping.

-You seem worried. Are you thinking about the prisoner again? – The soft voice of his wife, Aetna, continues to reassure his heart, even after so many years. The soothing tone was certainly related to the magic that surrounded her.

-I wonder where he may have gone. Maybe he’s still inside the city.

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-That’s unlikely. – She says, finishing fixing her own hair, checking once more if everything is in place. – After all this time, we would have found him.

The king blinks a few times, staring at the dome.

-He must be terrified. Even though we have to kill him for our own safety, I still…

-Do you feel sorry for him?

-You don’t?

-I do, of course. But what other choice do we have but to take him down while we can? Or do you want to discredit the potential of his powers?

The king sighs.

-Aetna. – Sitting at the bed, the queen looks at the king. – Do you remember the way our ancestors came to this world?

-How could I forget? My parents loved to talk about the legends of how their ancestors came on the third wave, in a ship full of enchanted creatures, along with almost a hundred other ships from other worlds.

-I heard the same stories. About the creatures that fell from the skies. Fallen on an unknown continent, in an unknown land, with rules that defy every belief they had before.

-I know what do you mean and I also feel sorry for the boy, but… My dear, we had no other option.

-I was scared just thinking about going through the things he is suffering, darling. And I’m not used to be afraid. You know that, when I was young, I used to hunt in the most dangerous regions, going through inhospitable places, just to feel the adrenaline. But, even when I caught myself in a frightening situation, I always had people just like me, people who could offer some help. Even other races, like elves, dwarven and enchanted ones, were all willing to help me in times of need. If I was in danger, they would offer me hospitality, food and even the possibility to step up in society. A few years later and here I am, the consort to the Queen of Vivre. In comparison, what did this boy found in his way? Despair, loneliness and a death sentence.

The queen gets up and takes a few, slow steps across the room, looking at the floor. She thinks about the future and the decisions made in the recent past. She thinks about the search parties, who chase any trail of the fugitive. It is by looking at the floor that she notices how clean it is and, then, she thinks about how carefully the service was done by the palace servants. She thinks about how she swore to protect all the servants and all the people in her realm.

-It is bad for him, but it is, still, what we have to do. – She says, slowly, reflecting over each word. – It’s the best possible decision.

-I know, I know. I am not questioning your decision. – He shakes his head. – Come, lay down with me, dear. Only your company can make me forget this indigestible matter.

-What is this? Do we have a wooer in the palace? Maybe I should call the guards to say that there is a human trying to seduce me.

He smiles.

-Sorry for the sudden attack of guilty conscience.

She approaches him, putting her hand on his face and bringing her lips close to his.

-I know the feeling. When this happens, I always invoke the same thought: We need to think about the future of the kingdom; the kingdom that our child will have to lead.

He closes both eyes, fondly receiving her kiss. When they separate from each other, he looks at the bedroom door.

-Is he sleeping?

-Like a little angel.

-Oh, he is like his mother. I’m glad for that.

*

Arthur can’t remember everything about the previous night. Before Rinlia arrived at the hut, giving orders to everyone, so they could leave immediately, he had barely time to recover from the shock.

After all, the girl with whom he had secretly talked and who, again, was hiding in his shadow, was no longer a luminous image, a figure hidden in mist or any other type of abstract form of life. This time, she seemed, in everything, like a real person.

-Is your name… Akemi? – She had to wait a few seconds before he could utter a single sentence.

-Yes. – She continues to smile, as if the ability to materialize into the world has strengthened her good mood.

-And you were with me all this time?

-Yes. – She points to the ground, near his feet. – For now, it’s the safest place for me to hide, since your magic is the same as my own. Believe me: I spent a lot of time hiding before I met you. I usually did this with creatures of the forest, because some of them don’t fear incorporeals as much as the others, but, over time, I was losing my strength, so it was getting harder to do it. But, now, it’s okay, since we can help each other, right?

He can’t even remember how the conversation ended, since the sounds of Rinlia’s horse forced the girl to immediately dissolve into a black mist, melting into his shadow.

And, later, there he was, riding a horse as a passenger behind Rinlia.

-Pay attention to our surroundings. – The elf’s voice awakens him to the present. – If you see something that catches your eye, like when the lupines found us, say it right away.

He lets out a half growl, desperate to keep his balance on the animal.

-They’re good horses. – Yvanna strokes the black mane of the horse that was handed to her. – The dryads really know how to train their animals.

-Yes, they do. – Rinlia gives a half smile, looking at her own horse, a sorrel with reddish fur, which seems to like the elf. – Second only to the elves, they are the creatures that have the greatest affinity with their animals in this world. The relationship between a dryad and her horse is a deep bond.

-Oh, second only to the elves? – Yvanna tries to provoke her. – I would say that your opinion is quite controversial, isn’t it?

-Of course not. – The elf looks up, proudly. – Elves have an even deeper bond with the animals in their care. Dryads don’t discriminate, you see? – She seems to argue with herself. – They try to love all creatures of the forest, so their bond can never be as genuine as the selectivity of the elven people.

-Oh, yeah, because the love for a single horse is more important than the love for all the fauna and flora.

-I never said that. I said that the Elven love is more intense.

Yvanna smiles and Rinlia realizes what she just said. Instead of keep talking – as she originally intended – she turns her attention to the road, changing the subject.

-Prepare yourselves to be on horses until your butt hurts on the saddles. We won’t stop until we reach the place where the search begins. The wolves are escorting us from a distance and I don’t want them to think we’re trying to buy time. Is that clear?

-Yes, commander. – Thiago answers mechanically. Yvanna’s voice has a hint of irony.

Arthur doesn’t answer, too busy with thoughts about the girl who is hiding in his shadow.

*

-They’ll bring my jewelry. – The High Member of the forest does not even seem to be affected by the recent events. Whatever the situation may be, she always remains unshakable.

-And what will happen to the Henco Brothers? – Ann d’Moss is a dryad of caramel-colored skin, covered by a dress made of leaves and flowers. Her face has a severe expression and her limbs has a defined musculature, despite her slim figure.

-I didn’t see them in my vision. I can’t see Nafaester anyway, as she is an Oracle too. Gaenar is always close to her, so I don’t know if I’ll ever see him.

-Still, maybe we should have sent more subordinates with them. – Ann argues. – To make sure they don’t do anything undesirable.

-And threaten the lives of more of my children? No. The lupines are enough. The vision showed me the result and this action plan was what seemed natural to me at first. Destiny will make sure they will return safely.

The throne room is filled with members of the Council. None of them intends to speak or interfere. The Great Forest’s decisions, most of the time, are unilateral. Few of the Council Members do more than transmit the orders of the High Member to their corners of the kingdom. Without the Henco Brothers at the meeting, there were few figures left who could even open their lips.

-What about the boy of the prophecy? – Ann’s voice reverberates everywhere, making a shiver run down the spine of everyone.

The nymph closes her eyes for a moment. Even for her that is a delicate subject.

-I confirmed, in my visions, that the boy with the Fiandel Soldiers is, in fact, the one from my Prophecy about the end of this cycle. And, as we planned, we will serve Destiny the way we are asked. We will send messengers to all kingdoms, as I saw in my visions. The messengers will announce that we have seen him, but that he has fled to another kingdom.

-Will we announce his location?

The nymph reflects for a second. In spite of having an answer, she decides to search her mind once again, looking for a hindrance to the answer she was about to give.

-No. – She says after a few seconds. – Just let them know about his existence. Soon, everybody will know his location.

-What about the danger he poses to the forest? To the whole world?

Nida smiles in a way only she knows how. It is the smile of a creature that has seen everything: The Past, the present and the future. A creature that knows exactly the plan she wants to follow.

-Are you insinuating that we should do something about him? Are we the type of kingdom that marches to the sea to attack the waves, because they drown our people? Do we go into the storm and defy the thunderbolts, because one of its blows can electrocute one of us to death? Do we hunt canyons because a fall can kill our children?

The nymph gets up and everybody else kneels. She walks down the steps and stands in front of the dryad.

-Is it our responsibility to hunt and kill any of the races that inhabit this planet? Or is it our part to ensure that nature plays its part, guiding creatures towards balance? – She puts her hand on the shoulders of the dryad, giving her permission to stand up. – My child, don’t worry. Death and pain are part of the cycle that will come, but so it is with every cycle that comes after peace. We will continue strong until the arrival of the next cycle.

-And how many will die while we wait? – There is no hostility in the voice of the dryad. She is like a child, asking an adult how much they have to wait to get to a destination. Her eyes have all the faith in the prediction of the nymph.

-As many as Destiny wants. The time to fight will come, but it is not now. This is not what I saw in my visions. For now, we will only report the boy’s existence and, then, we will wait. Go ahead, Ann. Send your dryads to other kingdoms and continents. Send them to Fiandel, Markav, Rendall and all other kingdoms on this side of the world. Send others to Naeva, Kaedir and even to the wastelands of the Eastern Continent. Let everyone know that the boy has arrived and that the gears have started to turn.

“We will see what Fate will bring us after that.”

*

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