Two Years Prior – same time as the Prologue

Princess Aleria of the Lombock adjusted her day crown, ensuring its weight settled evenly over her thick silver hair. She pushed her long braid over her shoulder and ran her hands down the front of her white embroidered dress, trying to ease the tension building within her. Opposite the Princess, sat her teacher, Quinti. Princess Aleria reached forward and took Quniti’s hands within her own.

At sixteen years of age, Princess Aleria was a vision of Lombock beauty with her symmetrical features, large blue eyes and high cheekbones. On most occasions, however, her personality was tempered with an insolence of someone who’d always had everything they’d ever desired.

Everything but one thing.

There was always this one aspect of her life she couldn’t grasp. Something that she couldn’t reach or obtain. And now, just like on every other occasion, frustration crept at the surface and threatened to break through her royal training.

A frown formed on her forehead, and she pouted.

“Patience,” Quinti, stated calmly.

Quinti’s soothing words only made Princess Aleria more exasperated. How could she be expected to remain calm? A huff of impatience burst out of her lungs. She broke her hold on Quinti’s hands and flopped backwards onto the cushions behind her, sending the crown she had just fixed rolling across the wooden floor. The many decorated silver bracelets on her wrists clattered together at the same time as well. Princess Aleria kept her eyes closed and breathed deeply. Even in the sanctity of her quarters, high in the ancient trees of Valdrea, she wasn’t able to keep her tears at bay.

“I can’t find him,” she cried from where she continued to lie on the floor. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to find him.”

“You’ve never been expected to find him,” Quinti reminded her. A woman in her mid-fifties, Quinti came with an abundance of knowledge and, most importantly, patience.

From the corner of her eye, Princess Aleria was aware of Quinti settling her hands in her lap. Princess Aleria rolled onto her side and propped her head in her hand, her bracelets punctuating her movement once again. She stared at a fixed spot in the wood.

“He’s my brother,” she said softly, “my twin brother. If anyone is to find him, it should be me!” She sat up suddenly. “Every time I close my eyes and enter the Everold, I search and I search, but he’s not there! What if they did the same thing to him that they did to our father?”

Quinti tutted. “I’ve told you many times,” she began. “Your brother was lost to us when he was a baby. He has not been brought up learning the skills that we possess, and he would be bound by the spell. The spell may have prevented us from being our true Lombock selves within its walls and shifting to animals in the human Kingdoms, but we can still search for his presence in the Everold. He won’t be aware, but at least we would know. All we can hope is that the monsters who live within the spell’s reach would not do the same thing to a baby that they did to your father. And they know that we would retaliate no matter how long ago it was.”

“It’s still not enough,” Princess Aleria spat, her eyes narrowing and her lips curling back, turning her features ugly. She shuddered, and said with disgust, “I want to make them all pay for what they did to my father. And I tremble! I could not imagine growing up not knowing my abilities. Can you imagine never traipsing through the Everold and finding a creature that strikes your fancy? Never shapeshifting freely?”

“No, I can not imagine,” Quinti agreed, shaking her head. “It would be a very dull existence, indeed. But do not give up hope. You never know, one day we may be successful in finding Teal.”

Princess Aleria rose to her feet and moved to the edge of the wooden platform that made up her quarters. Her eyes fell on the cascading vines of violet flowers that overhung her platform providing her with privacy. She pushed several of the vines aside and gazed at the sky and then the other towering trees of her kingdom in the distance. Her eyes could pinpoint other Lombock in the royal family moving around in the neighbouring trees going about their everyday.

Down below, far down below, Lombock soldiers and civilians could be seen walking along the trees’ pathways and into the surrounding mountains.

“I wonder what my life would have been like if it had been my twin brother my mother had chosen on that fateful day,” Princess Aleria said quietly. She shook her head and turned back to Quinti. “Where would I be right now? I could never imagine having to make the same decision that my mother had to make.”

“It was a horrible decision to have to make,” Quinti mused. “Over the years, your mother has suffered greatly with her guilt of not being able to save both of you.”

Princess Aleria fingers clasped around the golden chain around her neck. “Wherever my brother is, I will find him and bring him back to us, Quinti.” She paused and lifted the sparkling blue medallion to her lips, and when she spoke again, her voice was full of much enthusiasm and energy. “Together, we’ll break this curse of a spell and bring the Lombock race back to our original glory and strength. We will rule the human kingdoms once again just like my great, great grandparents did and then, my mother will no longer be racked with her guilt!”

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“I believe you will be successful,” Quinti stated, nodding her head.

Princess Aleria approached Quinti and the cushions where she had been sitting before. “I want to try one more time. Will you join me?”

“Of course, Princess,” Quinti responded.

Princess Aleria sat on the cushion, set her crown safely beside her and took Quinti’s hands within her own again. She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to relax. It had taken Princess Aleria many years to practise entering the Everold and controlling herself within it, but now she had mastered an easy transition and could enter without a second thought.

The Everold enveloped the pair immediately, smashing a crackling energy and colors around, over and through their bodies. It was the abyss of life, a plane connecting all existing life in a realm that surrounded and engulfed the entire universe. Their souls hovered briefly allowing the forces of the Everold to settle around them.

At peace, life humming through their veins, they travelled out towards the Talbecan Empire; it was funny how souls stayed within a short distance of their physical form. This was where they concentrated their search. Focusing their trained skills, they blanked out the noise of the lesser lives; the insects, spiders, and small rodents whose energy was so honed in on their everyday needs and did not care for the greater world. Larger animals flew by including monkeys, bears, horses, and now people; they all blurred past on their own individual journey of life.

With Quinti with her, they could travel faster and further. Princess Aleria could only compare the sensation as to when she shifted into a bird. Only then did she feel the same sense of freedom as she felt now.

The flow of souls continued to wash over them. They didn’t pause. They had searched here relentlessly in the past. A mutual agreement was reached, connected as they were in the Everold, and they turned sharply in a new direction.

All of a sudden, a wall jolted up against them, blocking their path. The immense impact on their senses catapulted both Princess Aleria and Quinti out of the Everold. There was a physical component along with the mental push, that jolted them apart. Princess Aleria, not as strong as Quinti mentally, fell back to her elbows.

“Ow!” she cried, reaching up immediately to rub the back of her head. “What was that?” She paused and sat up hurriedly when she saw Quinti’s brow furrowed. “What’s wrong, Quniti?”

“Someone, someone sensed us and blocked our path.”

Quinti wiped the back of her hand over her forehead and took a long, ragged breath. Princess Aleria could see her hand shaking, and she wondered if her teacher had taken more of the mental wall than herself.

“Do you feel well?” Princess Aleria asked, scooting closer on her haunches.

Quinti pushed herself up onto her knees. Swiftly, Princess Aleria rose to her feet and offered a rare hand to assist Quinti. A royal Lombock would usually never offer such help.

“Who would try to block us?” she asked once Quniti was standing. “Who would even know that we were there?”

“It looks like the Talekan Assassins are trying to stop us from going further,” Quinit said, more to herself than to Princess Aleria. “The spell stops us from physically entering the human kingdoms and shifting within its boundaries, but now they want to stop us in the Everold as well?”

“The Talekan Assassins?” Princess Aleria asked.

“Distant cousins,” Quinti responded. “Some say they helped to create the spell that was our downfall.”

Quinti gasped and clasped Princess Aleria’s hands seeming to forget her exhaustion. “We must have gotten close! Why else would they try to stop us?”

Princess Aleria’s eyes widened. “Do you think we nearly found him?”

“Maybe. We can’t be sure,” Quinti said, reining in her sudden excitement. “But this is certainly something we need to discuss with your parents and the council.” She took a step and swayed to the side, and Princess Aleria tightened her hold.

“You should eat as well,” Princess Aleria stated. She had never seen her teacher appear so haggard after a lesson. “You look pale and weak.”

“I will,” Quinti responded.

Princess Aleeria turned sharply to her human servant standing in the corner of the platform. “Has there been an offering today?” she asked.

“Yes, My Lady,” the human answered, eyes downcast and bowing deeply. “A young male came forward to give his sacrifice today.”

Princess Aleria narrowed her eyes. “I want him sent to Quniti’s quarters. Obtain another sacrifice. I will eat later.”

“Yes, My Lady,” the servant responded.

“A young male will give you much nutritious flesh and blood to give you strength,” Princess Aleria said kindly.

Quinti smiled weakly. “You are starting to grow up fast. I feel like you will grow to be a very caring and powerful leader one day, Princess Aleria.”

“Only with your guidance.”

<<<>>>

“It worked,” the old monk said, his voice etched with fatigue. He glanced at the two other monks sitting on either side of him. They looked just as tired and weary as he felt. The Talekan Assassin paced in front of them.

“How long will the wall hold?” the assassin asked, pausing momentarily.

“We do not know.” The monk clasped his hand around a cup and took a sip of water before continuing, “You have to remember, the monk who built the original spell was one of a kind. The world had not seen a man like him before and we have not seen one like him since. Creating this kind of magic requires a great amount of mental and physical strength.”

“Forgive me,” the Talekan Assassin said with a nod of her head. She clasped her hands together in front of her chest. “You must know the urgency of this though.”

“Of course,” the monk responded. “Do you think the break in your sect can be fixed?”

“Unlikely,” the Talekan Assassin sighed. “Their leader saw a much different path to the one that was agreed upon to be the most likely outcome.”

The monk slowly rose to his feet, his counterparts allowing him to speak on their behalf while they regained their strength.

“Are the breakaways willing to talk?” the monk asked.

“No, we have not heard from them in some time,” the Talekan Assassin told him, shaking her head. “They are determined in the quest to see to it that the young Lombock does not come to power, but we will send them news of this latest feat. We will let them know that the Denroin monks have built this wall.”

“The wall will require constant monitoring and maintenance.”

“I understand,” the Talekan Assassin responded.

The monk’s face was grave. “We must remember, at present, the Lombock is innocent. He is controlled by the spell. If he stays within the walls of the spell, you do not need to worry.”

“In two years, he will meet the Emperor of Talbec,” the Talekan Assassin said. “He has promised to keep the Lombock Prince safe.”

“That was eight years ago though, wasn’t it?”

The Talekan Assassin nodded. “It was.”

“It might be a good idea to pay him a visit and remind him,” the monk suggested. “Do you still have a contact in the palace? What was her name?”

“Delba,” the Talekan Assassin said. “Her name was Delba.”