The next morning, I wake up with the sun. Kalen is polishing his sword, trying as hard as always to get rid of the stains made by the time. He lifts his gaze when he notices I am awake.
''How did you sleep?'' he asks putting his attention back on the sword.
''Great,'' I mutter getting up from the floor. My back hurts from sleeping on the hard surface and stretching doesn't really help. ''How is he?'' I point with my chin at the stranger who is still sleeping on the bed. I walk closer to him to check his temperature as Kalen talks.
''I think he is getting better,'' I can feel his eyes fixed on my back as I take a look at the stranger to make sure he is alright, the fever is going down. Kalen continues, ''but his nightmares aren't.''
I turn around to face my brother again. He is looking at the guy behind me with a worried expression. When his eyes find mine again, he shakes his head slightly, he is feeling sorry for him and I know what that means.
The thing with my brother is that he is a naturally compassionate and selfless person, his heart is too kind, and is always looking for ways to help anyone he can. Growing up he would always bring animals that were hurt or in danger to our home, to take care of them and protect them.
Our mother never once complained of having a herd of newly born rabbits that had lost their parents in a flood, roaming around our small house. Or waking up before the sunrise thanks to the crow of a rooster that had been brought home to heal from an injured wing. Or find out her favorite cloak had been chewed on by a one-eyed goat.
But it wasn't just animals. He would often get in fights with older kids who were teasing me or other younger and weaker kids. He would come home with a black eye or a broken nose, and smile because he had helped someone who needed him. Our mother would only give him a long sigh and tell him how there were other ways to confront someone than just fighting, before carrying on with curing his wounds. She understood my brother and his good-intentioned heart, as so do I. But having good intentions doesn't mean we are safe and exempted from problems.
''Someone needs to stay here watching over him.'' I finally say grabbing my bad. When I look at my brother, he is about to protest. ''You decided to bring him here, and I need to go to town to do a delivery. I will be back soon.''
Without waiting for an answer, I head straight to the door, leaving my brother and the stranger behind.
I walk slowly through the streets of the town. A sudden burst of sadness is born in me while I watch people walking through the market. Through the windows of warm homes, I can see families enjoying their time together; and I am not sure if it's because of the memories that have been coming back since the night before, memories of the times where it was my brother, my mother, and I, living a humble but happy life; but the feeling of longing something I don't have any more overtakes me, and I soon find myself fighting the warm tears that are starting to gather up in my eyes.
I get to the bakery and the sweet smell of freshly baked bread welcomes me. I take a deep breath filling myself with that wonderful smell before heading to the counter where an old woman is talking to a middle-aged man, he is the baker. His wife by his side sees me and greets me with a smile.
"Good morning, is it ready?" she asks the moment I stop in front of her.
"It is," I say looking inside the bag I have with me until I find the little bottle I was looking for. "Just put two drops in a glass of water once a day and it will be enough to control the allergies."
"Oh, Deases! Thank you very much." the woman takes the bottle while putting eight silver coins on the counter paying the one shiny the brew is worth. "My little Sori is having a very hard time, I hope this works."
"It will, just follow the directions and there shouldn't be any problems." I smile, putting the coins in my pocket. "I have to go now. It was a pleasure."
The woman smiles and nods at me as a goodbye. With a final nod to her, I turn around ready to leave, but before I can take a step away the woman's voice stops me.
"Wait a second." She says, I turn again. The woman has a strange look on her face, a small smile is still flickering on her lips.
"Is there something wrong?" I ask worriedly. Her eyes move to my neck for a quick second before finding my eyes again.
"Since the first time I saw you, I wanted to ask... your neckless...'' she makes a short pause. ''Are you from the land of the waves?" She finally asks.
Unconsciously I touch the round piece hanging on my chest. The neckless has a small stone, it is a small crystal that looks just like a real sapphire, there is water inside it, and floating above it a single purple petal.
"Yes," I answer still holding the necklace. It was a gift from my mother, and it is the most valuable treasure I have.
"I knew it." the woman says with an even bigger smile. "My husband and his family are from there too. His family arrived in town not so long ago.''
Her words catch my attention. It wasn't something common meeting people from the Land of the Waves outside the Sapphire Kingdom. It was a peaceful and safe place to live in, generally. People didn't need to leave and find somewhere better to go. The only ones who usually left were soldiers from the army, or diplomats living in other kingdoms.
"Really?" I ask without hiding the surprise in my voice.
"Yes," The smile on the woman's face disappears and it is replaced by a dark expression. "They had to run away. The Ruby Kingdom's army attacked their town and took control of it a couple of weeks ago. His family was lucky enough to escape, but not everyone ran with the same luck. A lot of people were stuck, and even died trying to flee."
The Ruby Kingdom attacked a town in the Sapphire Kingdom? How? Why? A couple of weeks. How come we never heard of this before?
That couldn't be true. The kingdoms had signed the Ad Finem over twenty years ago. It was the agreement the kingdoms made to cease the war. We were supposed to be at peace. Why would the Ruby Kingdom break the agreement?
"I didn't know the Sapphire and Ruby kingdoms were at war again,'' I say after a long pause. ''I haven't been back to the Land of the Waves in a long time.''
''The Water queen doesn't want anyone to know about it,'' the woman says with bitterness. ''She has kept it a secret. I still can't fathom her reasons, but she doesn't want the other kingdoms to know about it.''
''I'm sorry,'' it's the only thing I can tell her.
I feel sick to my stomach. And I know there is something wrong. It is not only the fact that since I was young, I've been prone to feel when something wrong is about to happen even before anyone else did but there is also something that tells me that the Ruby Kingdom's attack and the sudden visit of the stranger are related somehow.
''What is going on?'' The woman's attention has shifted from me to something in my back.
When I turn around, I see people running outside. The crowd is bustling around. The woman and her husband walk by my side, heading outside. I follow them.
People are crowded everywhere. I make my way around, poking them on their sides until they make room for me. I am now standing at the very front; the market is filled with people gossiping while pointing at something in the distance; some are watching from the windows of the small businesses and others from their balconies. All of them looking in the same direction.
''Oh no.'' I hear the baker's wife by my side.
I look at her to find a scared look on her face. I follow her eyes and finally realize what is going on. Dozens of troops are marching towards the palace. They are wearing black and red uniforms, and all of them carry swords on their sides. A few soldiers wearing silver armors and gauntlets encrusted with red crystals are leading the troops. Ignis Masters. My heart falls to my feet.
Ignis masters are the highest rank of ignismorphers, they are people who can control fire at will and have trained their whole lives to master this practice known as ignismorphing. They are dangerous. And they are here. The Ruby army is in the Palace City.
I make my way back to the hut. I run through the woods without stopping. If what the baker's wife said it's true, and the Ruby kingdom attacked a town in the land of the waves, then their troops' presence in the Diamond kingdom is not good. We need to get out of here as soon as we can.
I finally reach the old cabin and run straight for the door.
''That will make you feel better.''
''Kalen!'' I say as I open the door in a rush. I didn't notice my brother had been talking to someone until I meet his gaze.
My eyes move quickly to the bed where the stranger is laying. He is now sitting there, drinking water from a cup Kalen has given him. My brother is by his side watching him closely. I walk in slowly as if at any moment he could get up an attack. After what happened today, I couldn't be too careful. The stranger's eyes find mine as I walk to the middle of the room.
He looks a lot better than he did earlier. His skin has a little glow on it, and he wasn't as pale. I knew my remedies were effective, that is why people bought them, but the way he looks was almost as if he had gone through nothing more than a simple fever.
"Good morning." He says bowing his head before looking up again.
I stay in the same place. Something about him doesn't sit right with me. Even when he had only spoken two words, I can already see he is not like Kalen and me. The way he said the words, the bow, and even the way he is sitting down is too… perfect. I don't trust him, and I know he can notice it.
"Enia, come here, I want to introduce you to our guest." Kalen beckons me to come closer. I hesitate for a second but one look at my brother's eyes makes me move forward.
"Well,'' I clear my throat as I step closer, crossing my arms over my chest. ''Who is this stranger that honors us with his presence?" I ask sarcastically.
"My name is Sedrik kZary III of the house of Eyzen." He says and I feel as if all the blood it's been drained from my body.
It can't be possible. This has to be a joke. He has to be kidding. He couldn't be. He is lying…
"Enia." My eyes travel to Kalen, a small smile showing on his face. "He's Prince Sedrik, nephew of the Lord of the Wind, heir to the crown."