Chapter 14
"Ah!" Ifrit stretched and yawned and glanced around the bustling streets of Styx. "It feels great to be on land again!"
Shiva smiled and glanced after him. "Honestly, you're such a baby."
Ifrit returned the smile and scratched his cheek. "Yeah well, thanks for taking care of me."
Shiva looked away self-consciously. "Don't mention it."
Ramuh chuckled softly. Melchior glanced his way. "What is it, Elder?"
"Shiva! Ifrit!" he called. "I'll take the Magus on ahead. Stay here and relax."
"That's all right, we'll go with you," said Shiva.
"No. I insist," said Melchior indulgently. "I'll need to speak with Queen Lethe and Elder Ramuh privately."
"Sure thing Magus," said Ifrit brightly.
Ramuh waved and led Melchior up to the castle. Shiva cheerfully returned the wave. Ifrit glanced back and forth. "Can you wait for me here?" he asked her, pointing to the fountain.
Shiva sat demurely on the edge of the fountain. "Sure."
Ifrit was momentarily awestruck at the tableaux but then ran off. After a few minutes he returned carrying a small bundle. He sat next her, but quickly stood again.
"Are you okay?" she asked. "You're not still seasick?"
Ifrit vigorously shook his head. "No. I was just thinking how nice it is today."
Shiva nodded and dipped her hand in the water idly. "You're right. I wish this day could last forever."
Ifrit watched the mingling crowd passing by. "Yeah." He played with the bundle absentmindedly and set it down next to Shiva. "Here."
She glanced down and picked it up. "What is this?"
"Nothing really," he said quietly.
Shiva undid the bundle carefully and spread it out on her lap. She picked up a small ribbon of black cloth and admired the small blue sapphire set in the middle of it. "Oh! This is beautiful!"
Ifrit glanced briefly at her. "It's a choker. I saw it when we came through Styx last time."
Shiva held it up. "Thank you Ifrit! Can you help me with it?" She handed it to him and turned around.
Ifrit wrapped the choker around her throat. He marveled how small and delicate her neck looked compared to his own rough-hewn hands. He squinted and tied it in place. When his knuckles accidentally brushed her skin he pulled his hands away suddenly in a panic.
She looked at him worriedly. "What's wrong?"
Ifrit couldn't bear to look at her. "The last time we touched I burnt you."
"I burnt you too. Look at your hands," Shiva said consolingly.
Ifrit just sat there. "I feel like such an idiot. You must think I'm this freaky beast."
Shiva covered his hand with hers. "No more than I. I mean I'm this ugly snow witch."
Ifrit raised his head. "That's not true. You're even more beautiful as a snow witch." He blinked and hit his forehead with his hands. "Damn! Pretend I didn't say that!"
Shiva leaned her head on his shoulder. "Oh, just shut up."
Ifrit gulped and nodded.
Several stalls away Ramuh sighed happily. He felt a tugging at his sleeve and turned to see Melchior standing next to him.
"Why are we hiding?" she asked.
Ramuh's beard couldn't hide his smile. "Sorry Magus. Maybe I should do my peeping on my own time."
Melchior looked back toward the fountain. "You mean to say that we stopped in the middle of a vital mission to spy on them?"
Ramuh traced a spiral pattern in the ground with his staff. "Er.I guess you have a point. Sorry. I just wanted to have some fun."
Melchior laughed behind her hand. "No. I apologize. I don't often get a chance to have fun."
Ramuh smiled but it faded when he heard the murmuring of the crowd.
"Lord Odin has returned!"
"He's a got a prisoner!"
"I'll bet he showed those Golgatheans!"
Shiva rose and walked over to join the crowd in the street. They heard the sound of hoof beats and marching feet. Slowly neat rows of soldiers came into view. Odin seemed to be floating in a sea of soldiers. The crowd cheered but the soldiers and Odin remained grim. Chains dangled from his saddle that connected to the wrists of Cyrus. Ifrit joined Shiva as the soldiers marched past. When Odin caught sight of them he pulled on the reins and Sleipnir stopped. Shiva stepped into the street and spat at Cyrus' feet. She turned on her heels and walked back toward the fountain. Odin reached into his saddlebag and flung Ifrit the scimitar.
"Here," he said and snapped the reins.
Ifrit gaped at the blade. He looked up at met Cyrus' gaze. Sleipnir started in a trot and pulled Cyrus along. Ifrit stood in the middle of the street and watched them make their way up to the castle.
"Ah!" Ifrit stretched and yawned and glanced around the bustling streets of Styx. "It feels great to be on land again!"
Shiva smiled and glanced after him. "Honestly, you're such a baby."
Ifrit returned the smile and scratched his cheek. "Yeah well, thanks for taking care of me."
Shiva looked away self-consciously. "Don't mention it."
Ramuh chuckled softly. Melchior glanced his way. "What is it, Elder?"
"Shiva! Ifrit!" he called. "I'll take the Magus on ahead. Stay here and relax."
"That's all right, we'll go with you," said Shiva.
"No. I insist," said Melchior indulgently. "I'll need to speak with Queen Lethe and Elder Ramuh privately."
"Sure thing Magus," said Ifrit brightly.
Ramuh waved and led Melchior up to the castle. Shiva cheerfully returned the wave. Ifrit glanced back and forth. "Can you wait for me here?" he asked her, pointing to the fountain.
Shiva sat demurely on the edge of the fountain. "Sure."
Ifrit was momentarily awestruck at the tableaux but then ran off. After a few minutes he returned carrying a small bundle. He sat next her, but quickly stood again.
"Are you okay?" she asked. "You're not still seasick?"
Ifrit vigorously shook his head. "No. I was just thinking how nice it is today."
Shiva nodded and dipped her hand in the water idly. "You're right. I wish this day could last forever."
Ifrit watched the mingling crowd passing by. "Yeah." He played with the bundle absentmindedly and set it down next to Shiva. "Here."
She glanced down and picked it up. "What is this?"
"Nothing really," he said quietly.
Shiva undid the bundle carefully and spread it out on her lap. She picked up a small ribbon of black cloth and admired the small blue sapphire set in the middle of it. "Oh! This is beautiful!"
Ifrit glanced briefly at her. "It's a choker. I saw it when we came through Styx last time."
Shiva held it up. "Thank you Ifrit! Can you help me with it?" She handed it to him and turned around.
Ifrit wrapped the choker around her throat. He marveled how small and delicate her neck looked compared to his own rough-hewn hands. He squinted and tied it in place. When his knuckles accidentally brushed her skin he pulled his hands away suddenly in a panic.
She looked at him worriedly. "What's wrong?"
Ifrit couldn't bear to look at her. "The last time we touched I burnt you."
"I burnt you too. Look at your hands," Shiva said consolingly.
Ifrit just sat there. "I feel like such an idiot. You must think I'm this freaky beast."
Shiva covered his hand with hers. "No more than I. I mean I'm this ugly snow witch."
Ifrit raised his head. "That's not true. You're even more beautiful as a snow witch." He blinked and hit his forehead with his hands. "Damn! Pretend I didn't say that!"
Shiva leaned her head on his shoulder. "Oh, just shut up."
Ifrit gulped and nodded.
Several stalls away Ramuh sighed happily. He felt a tugging at his sleeve and turned to see Melchior standing next to him.
"Why are we hiding?" she asked.
Ramuh's beard couldn't hide his smile. "Sorry Magus. Maybe I should do my peeping on my own time."
Melchior looked back toward the fountain. "You mean to say that we stopped in the middle of a vital mission to spy on them?"
Ramuh traced a spiral pattern in the ground with his staff. "Er.I guess you have a point. Sorry. I just wanted to have some fun."
Melchior laughed behind her hand. "No. I apologize. I don't often get a chance to have fun."
Ramuh smiled but it faded when he heard the murmuring of the crowd.
"Lord Odin has returned!"
"He's a got a prisoner!"
"I'll bet he showed those Golgatheans!"
Shiva rose and walked over to join the crowd in the street. They heard the sound of hoof beats and marching feet. Slowly neat rows of soldiers came into view. Odin seemed to be floating in a sea of soldiers. The crowd cheered but the soldiers and Odin remained grim. Chains dangled from his saddle that connected to the wrists of Cyrus. Ifrit joined Shiva as the soldiers marched past. When Odin caught sight of them he pulled on the reins and Sleipnir stopped. Shiva stepped into the street and spat at Cyrus' feet. She turned on her heels and walked back toward the fountain. Odin reached into his saddlebag and flung Ifrit the scimitar.
"Here," he said and snapped the reins.
Ifrit gaped at the blade. He looked up at met Cyrus' gaze. Sleipnir started in a trot and pulled Cyrus along. Ifrit stood in the middle of the street and watched them make their way up to the castle.