Before-words:
1. This takes place 1-2 weeks after Chapter 4 ended.
2. The reader can interpret the ring-giving as an act of either friendship or romance. I wrote this with enough ambiguity that both should be plausible interpretations.
3. I spell Sahha with 2 H's to not confuse it with Sana.
4. Remember, I like reviews :).
CHAPTER 5: THE LAND OF THE WHITE DOE
~+.:.|:|:~~~~:|:|.:.+~
Tuaparang Airship, late evening
Myalkni looked up.
Latakia was taller than him, with a graceful figure and long, dark hair. There was something childlike about her, in a somehow tragic way. She had a subtle nose and her cheeks came to a soft point with her chin. The most striking aspect was her crimson-red eyes. The color of blood. Those eyes somehow conveyed both deep emotion and complete lack of emotion at the same time. They showed both a sort of savage joy and a deeper pain behind.
Her left hand alternated between grasping and releasing his right shoulder, as if to somehow comfort him. Meanwhile, her right hand brandished a whip with a spiked ball at the end, assailing his right shoulder whenever he gave an unsatisfactory answer.
It wasn't enough for him to merely tell her with words he was loyal only to the Tuaparang, specifically Arcanus and herself. It had to be true, and she knew it wasn't. He thought he sounded sincere, but he figured he probably sounded like what he was: someone who had been tortured for days on end, begging for reprieve.
The prison cell somehow reflected his state of mind: locked into a dreadful reality he couldn't escape, suffering bouts of agony.
Latakia seemed not to want to badly injure him. She was an Adept, and used her Psynergy to heal him after long intervals but not before he had received a full dose of agony. His shoulder bone and arm had been broken and healed many times already. I will bear through this, longer, he told himself. I won't let myself break.
But it was getting harder and harder to endure. It had already been days, which seemed like years. How long could he last? He shuddered at the thought of giving in and becoming another Tuaparang goon, or worse, his father's favorite goon.
He had bungled his only chance to escape by hesitating to kill Arcanus. Now, he had no chance of successfully escaping, and the consequences of a failed escape were probably unthinkable. He hoped against all reason that, somehow, he would be rescued.
-~:|~~|:-:|~~|:~-
Eoleo's ship's lower cabin, late evening, months ago
Amiti had just come back from revisiting his uncle, the King of Ayuthay, Tyrell remembered. The others had gone into the city, but only Amiti had entered the king's chambers. When he returned, Amiti was thoroughly depressed. King Paithos, it turned out, was not on his throne at all when Amiti visited him, but rather was in bed, apparently terminally ill.
Everyone had finished eating and gone up to the deck, but Amiti just sat there, unmoving, staring at nothing. He had a look of a man who foresaw the apocalypse.
"Well, now, when you come back to Ayuthay next, you might be king. I should be giving you my congratulations in advance," Tyrell said, trying to sound comforting, with a wry smile.
Instead of looking relieved, however, Amiti glared for a second, then turned away and resumed staring at nothing. Tyrell wanted to punch himself. Amiti was going to lose his uncle- who in Tyrell's opinion acted pretty much like Amiti's surrogate father- and Tyrell was joking about celebrating it. He had done it again, like Karis always said, acted before thinking. How stupid.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it that way, man …" he said.
"No … ts'okay. You're only trying to make me feel better," Amiti mumbled. "Actually, I appreciate the effort."
Phew, Tyrell thought, he's not mad at me. On the other hand, Amiti clearly wasn't feeling any better.
Amiti began twisting the ends of his sleeve, clearly thinking hard about something. Then, he abruptly looked up at Tyrell. He rolled up his left sleeve, which was rather frayed from how he hard he had twisted it.
"I have something I want to you to have," he told Tyrell. Amiti removed from his middle finger a silver ring, with a light blue gemstone embedded in it.
"What's that?" Tyrell asked.
"This," Amiti answered, "is the Heirloom Ring."
"That sounds pretty important, judging by the name," Tyrell breathed.
"True to the name, it's the Ayuthay royal family heirloom," Amiti replied.
Tyrell was taken aback. It was such a valuable item. He almost opened his mouth to refuse it but stopped himself. Think, Tyrell, he told himself. Important people get offended when you refuse their gifts. Where had he learned that? Oh, right- Amiti himself said back in Passaj. He didn't want to refuse it and make Amiti even more miserable than he already was, but he couldn't accept it either. So he just sat there silently.
"There is a reason why I'm giving you this. I'm not trying to get rid of it," Amiti explained, as if answering the question lingering in Tyrell's head. "This isn't just a family heirloom. It's also endowed with Psynergy-like properties. You can tap into it to heal even the deepest wounds."
Tyrell wondered why Amiti was giving it to him specifically, though.
"You," Amiti continued, "are the only one of us who can't heal using Psynergy. That's why you should wear it. I don't want you to be caught with a deadly wound that you can't heal, all alone… It'll keep you safe from death.
"Don't use it haphazardly, though," Amiti warned. "The energy within it could run out. It should only be used for the deepest wounds. Use potions or herbs when possible for the rest…"
There was silence for awhile, before Tyrell spoke.
"Okay, how about this. I get that you want me to be safe, so I'll wear it until this eclipse is over and all the deadly shadow monsters are gone. Then, I'll return it to you," Tyrell suggested.
"Oh yeah, that's… that's what I meant to say," Amiti stammered. "It could actually cause problems if that ring didn't go back with me to Ayuthay in the long run," Amiti said, his eyes sinking.
"One more thing… don't wear that ring while you're in Ayuthay. Hide it somewhere, where no one can see, if you're ever in Ayuthay and still have it. That could cause real problems," Amiti warned.
"Okay," Tyrell agreed as he accepted it.
"You sure this'll fit?" he asked. Amiti's fingers were much thinner than his.
"Don't worry. Remember, the ring is magical. It'll expand to match your finger. Here, give me your hand."
Tyrell gave the ring back to Amiti and held out his left hand. Tyrell watched the ring change width as Amiti slipped it on his ring finger, expanding as it went further down. Finally, it contracted when Amiti let go, grasping his finger. He was left staring in awe at the magical ring (which was also quite beautiful) for a couple seconds, before a thought came to his mind. Tyrell looked up at Amiti.
"Why not Eoleo?" Tyrell asked. "He can't heal himself either."
Amiti was silent for awhile.
"I'm not sure Eoleo would return it to me, and I know for-sure you would," Amiti said, with what looked like a guilty smile.
Maybe he still hasn't gotten over that whole distrusting pirates thing, Tyrell thought.
"Um… do you wanna play cards," Amiti asked.
"Sure, sure," Tyrell agreed, and the two went up to the deck together.
-~:|~~|:-:|~~|:~-
Town on the road to Belinsk, very early morning
Tyrell was jolted awake from his dream, which seemed suspiciously like a memory. He was sweating. And he had a burning pain on his left hand's ring finger.
He looked at that silver ring that was still on that finger. I forgot to return this, in all the chaos that was happening at Apollo Sanctum, he thought. I must return it.
But he wouldn't have the opportunity to for awhile. When he and the others had returned, their parents had vanished, and there was a huge Psynergy Vortex near their home in the canyon. So they had trekked back East, hoping to find information or assistance of some sort. And now they found themselves back in Morgal. They would be in the capital soon. That issue took precedence.
He hadn't told anyone else about the ring, ever. He wouldn't flaunt such a valuable item to people he didn't know. Matthew and Karis, meanwhile, would have no restraint teasing him about it. He was well aware that the giving of a ring could be misunderstood in a certain way. He would never hear the end of it.
Tyrell didn't know if he'd ever see Amiti again. He sure hoped we would, though.
-~:|~~|:-:|~~|:~-
Tuaparang Airship, midday
"So, Myalkni, my son," Arcanus said, "how was growing up in the Ayuthay court?"
The first thing that came to mind was that he hated it because he could never relax and had no friends. But he wouldn't say that.
"It was great. I got, literally, treated like a prince every day," he breathed icily.
It sounded corny, but that was the best Myalkni could manage. He was greatly tempted to add that life was perfect because Arcanus hadn't been there, but he was considerably afraid of his daily round with Latakia getting started early.
"Oh, don't lie to me, my son. You know you hated it there."
Of course, Myalkni thought, he's reading my mind. So why even talk to me out loud?
"The nobles are unworthy parasites. All they ever care about is themselves," Myalkni spat. "Even after the Alchemy Well was restored we had a famine in Ayuthay, just because the nobles decided to hoard the grain and sell it at ridiculous prices. People starved, and they unfairly blamed the monarchy instead of the nobles. Queen Zanfina was assassinated because of how angry the people were… "
Myalkni knew he shouldn't be telling Arcanus these things. But Arcanus could read his mind anyways, so what was the point in holding back?
"What would you do with the nobles, if you were in charge?" Arcanus inquired.
Oh, what the hell. "I would probably slowly wrest power from them, so they could never do something like that again. Ayuthay needs a powerful monarchy to keep them in check. But I wouldn't succeed. They hate me already."
"Well, if you ever do become king, I wish you luck in salvaging your country, my son," Arcanus said, smiling.
"…Thank you."
"Your mother once told me that she'd like to dump them all in a volcano." In spite of himself, Myalkni let out a laugh.
I'm enjoying this too much. I can't let myself open up… once I let him in, I'll never get him out, he worried. No, I'm just finally savoring the opportunity to badmouth the nobles, after all these years. I'm definitely not enjoying having a conversation with Arcanus. And perhaps, also, this was a respite for him after all the hours spent in the prison cell.
-~:|~~|:-:|~~|:~-
Belinsk Palace, midday
Matthew stared in awe as the doors to the royal chamber of the Belinsk Palace opened. He had been inside twice before, but its granite walls and elaborate chandeliers still amazed him.
Karis and Tyrell followed Matthew down the long hallway to the throne.
As they approached, Matthew noticed that Sveta was surrounded by advisors. Sveta he could talk to, but he wasn't so sure about these haughty-looking advisors. I'm just a common boy, he thought. Never mind that he was the son of Isaac of Vale. He didn't feel comfortable here.
Sveta was looking rather distraught, but her face lit up when she caught sight of the trio.
"Welcome!" she shouted. "So what brings you here?"
Karis opened her mouth to respond but was stopped by the huge sound of the chamber's doors being thrown open.
Matthew whipped around to see what looked like a young wolf dashing through the chamber toward the throne. The wolf stopped in front of Sveta, stood on its hind legs, and then changed into a human-form beastman boy. He was tall, but also somehow… cubbish, Matthew thought. His ears and tail were pricked up, as if on alert.
The courier fell onto his knees, cocked his head up at Sveta, and broke into a salute. "Queen Sveta! I bring grave news! The humans of the Eastern regions are revolting," he barked, as he handed a letter to her. After she took the letter, he changed back into beast form.
"Thank you, Zarelgy," said Sveta. She patted the fur between the wolf's ears. "You are dismissed." She gave a forced smile.
Zarelgy dashed off at the same speed as before.
Sveta, who now looked like she might've lost a parent, handed the letter to a thick-robed man standing beside her, and he read the letter with a booming voice.
It spoke of a rebellion of "furless humans" centered in Sahha, threatening the stability of all of Morgal. The rebels apparently claimed the whole Eastern part of Morgal, including Kolima and Rago, as part of a separate state they would establish. This jeopardized Morgal's access to the Eastern seas, and the loss of Port Rago would damage trade.
After the man finished reading, Sveta's advisors began a frenzy of shouting back and forth about what to do. In the middle, on the throne, sat a very flustered Sveta, looking torn and overwhelmed. She said nothing, but clawed up the chair's arms. Matthew was fond of Sveta, but at that moment, she looked like a weak ruler. Meanwhile, her guests were being completely neglected.
He heard a few comments about slimy human pigs. Matthew could almost sense Tyrell restraining himself. Some advisors spoke of Sveta's duty to crush the uprising with maximum force to avoid looking weak. They decried attempts to "divide Morgal" as plots of Bilibin or Sana, who were testing Morgal; they claimed most Easterners were loyal to the "great Morgal nation." If Sveta gave in, Morgal would be attacked, they claimed. Others condemned " human treachery" and recalled how some fought on Sana's side when in Morgal's own independence struggle.
The other group of advisors disagreed, arguing that crushing the uprising would only create more resentment and would legitimize the rebels' goals. They warned that warring with the rebels could jeopardize efforts to recover from the Grave Eclipse. Instead, they urged Sveta to negotiate with the rebels, who might have some legitimate complaints. One claimed Volechek had neglected the East, and that Sveta could win back their loyalty by working with them to solve basic problems. This advisor was condemned for insulting the deceased King Volechek, who was called Morgal's hero.
Another said Volechek was a battlefield hero but a misguided ruler. He emphasized that Volechek's lighting of the Luna Tower had caused the Grave Eclipse, which had cost many Morgallian lives and tarred Morgal's reputation across Angara.
Throughout the whole thing, Sveta looked like she was about to cry.
In Matthew's worldview, all people were good, and only wanted the best for themselves and those they loved. This whole situation was just sad.
Suddenly, the doors to the chamber were flung open again. Zarelgy came rushing down the aisle to the throne.
"Queen Sveta! An urgent message from the Kingdom of Ayuthay!"
-~:|~~|:-:|~~|:~-
Tuaparang Airship, midday
"Follow me," Arcanus instructed. Myalkni followed him to a window on the edge of the huge Tuaparang airship.
"Look out the window."
Myalkni did as instructed.
"What do you see?"
"The view is amazing." Myalkni had never seen Weyard from above before. They were fairly high up, and he could see most of Morgal, a big chunk of Sana, and much of the sea to the east.
Arcanus pointed at what looked like a group of green clumps. "Do you know what that is?"
"The Kolima Forest?" Myalkni guessed.
"Yes, the Kolima Forest. Ever been there?"
"Yes… It was very beautiful."
"Did you know this forest was almost wiped out? The ruling Lord McCoy of Bilibin wanted an enormous palace for his wife… For timber, he planned to deforest it all. He didn't actually need so much, but his wife urged him to flaunt the power of the royal family."
Myalkni had heard this story many times before. It always filled his heart with anger.
"If not for Tret's retaliation, the whole forest would be gone," Arcanus concluded.
"The McCoys had utterly no right to do that," Myalkni said bitterly. They had no idea that Divine Forest Gods had resided in Kolima, and they were bent on destroying it. If they had been successful, Weyard would have lost the tree spirits forever, and it would be impossible to reverse. "People are so stupid and arrogant."
"Wouldn't you stop these things if you could?"
Myalkni wondered where Arcanus was going with this.
"You talked earlier about the corruption of Ayuthay's nobles," Arcanus said, leading him on.
"I suppose monarchs can be just as bad."
"And just like you talked about reining in the nobles… wouldn't it make sense for there to be someone kings must answer to?"
I suppose that makes sense, Myalkni thought. Otherwise there's no one to stop kings from doing horrible things.
"I'm not only talking about the attempt to wipe out the forest, but also every other abuse these rulers commit," Arcanus continued.
This actually might not be such a bad idea.
"What do you think of wars, my son?" Arcanus asked.
"I never appreciated peace until I lived through Kaocho's war on Ayuthay," Myalkni said, recalling life under siege in the capital. All contact with the outside world was cut off, basic commodities nearly disappeared, and the constant fear that the defenses would be breached hung in the air.
"That's a good way to look at it. As for me, I see war as a humongous waste of human lives and resources. People naturally want to spend their time improving their lives and societies. War is a murderous, masochistic distraction."
I've never really thought of it that way, but that's so true, in so many ways. Myalkni thought. Maybe he'd been misunderstanding Arcanus, all this time.
A voice in his head dissented, saying Arcanus was a murderer, and warning Myalkni not to let Arcanus seduce him with pretty words. But Myalkni listened to Arcanus. What Arcanus was saying was interesting.
"All of this can be done away with. Corrupt rulers making selfish decisions which cause the suffering of the common people, wars that senselessly kill hordes of people, petty squabbles between tiny kingdoms that sow hatred where there should be cooperation. It can all go," Arcanus said. "And you can help."
What does that mean?
"I'll tell you more… but first, you'll have to take a vow."
Arcanus snapped his fingers, and the room's lighting seemed to darken. Ghostlike hands holding candles appeared all around them.
"A… vow?" Myalkni said, astonished at how suddenly the situation had changed.
"Yes, my son, a vow," asserted Arcanus, now looking intensely at Myalkni. "A binding vow that you will eternally be loyal to this goal and my quest to attain it."
Myalkni was taken aback. This was too sudden. "I... need to think about that," he said.
"Okay, I'll give you some time to make your choice," Arcanus said, and left.
-~:|~~|:-:|~~|:~-
Belinsk Palace, early afternoon
Tyrell listened intently as he learned of Amiti's disappearance and Rief's encounter with Alex. The letter concluded by suggesting that Alex was Amiti's likely kidnapper and that both could be found at Talon Peak's northern base.
Unsurprisingly, as soon as the announcer finished, the snotty beastman advisors began arguing. Tyrell wasn't sure how much more of this nonsense he could stand. He wanted to scream at them all to shut the hell up already. After all, we have an important message for you too, but we're getting completely ignored here. He had struggled to contain outburst many times. He tried not to listen to them speak. This time it wasn't working though.
"…Well, we have the Children of the Warriors of Vale here with us," he heard a kittypup advisor muse.
This angered Tyrell in many ways. First, it demonstrated the advisors knew the adepts were present, yet chose to ignore them. Second of all, Tyrell figured from the advisor's tone that they were thinking of using him and his friends as tools, reminding him of his experience in Kaocho.
Most importantly though, it reminded Tyrell of how he eternally stood in his father's shadow, a source of anxiety for Tyrell ever since he was a small child. His father was such a great man, having been one of the Warriors of Vale who helped save the world. Tyrell thought his father was ideal in every way: brave, handsome, strong, clever, polished, cultured despite his commoner background… And so was his mother, despite him never getting to know her because she left when he was only three years old. Tyrell was always expected to grow up to fit into his father's shoes but feared he couldn't. For him, it was a duty to live up to his father's example.
Tyrell wasn't afraid of many things. He had never shared his friends' various fears of crowds (Matthew), night (Karis), heights (Rief) or surprise attacks (Amiti). And yet, he was horribly afraid of being an unworthy son. It didn't help that both his father and Matthew's played on this fear when reprimanding him. He could still hear his father's thundering in his head at times.
The three adepts were definitely the conversation topic, though, and it irked Tyrell. This time, he didn't restrain himself.
"Instead of talking about whether you should use us in front of our faces," he blurted, "why don't you just ask us if we want to help save the prince? We're right here."
The astonished advisors all stared at him, making him feel somewhat awkward.
"And the answer is YES!"
Everyone gaped at him, including Karis and Matthew.
"Tyrell, first of all you need to mind your manners here in the court," Karis preached. "Second, we weren't discussing whether we want to save Amiti, but whether we should. And that's questionable."
How dare she question whether Amiti should be saved? Does she want to just abandon him?!
"Well spoken, young lady," an advisor said. "You seem to question the wisdom of a rescue operation. What is your reasoning?"
"Well," Karis replied, "this seems eerily familiar. Before, he used Hou Ju and Eoleo as bait to trick us into helping activate the Luna Tower… This time, Amiti is the bait. Alex is just like an anglerfish, and we shouldn't charge right into his trap without planning first."
Tyrell saw the advisors around the room staring at Karis with respect. Sveta was urged not to repeat the same mistake as "the Sanans and Valeans did." Tyrell noted angrily how eager Morgallians were to blame the Eclipse on him and his friends, rather than their conceited former king who had orchestrated it.
Tyrell was furious. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had expected resistance from advisors, but not Karis.
Her logic made perfect sense. Maybe she had a good point. He wasn't sure what to do.
For a second, the finger of the ring seared with pain, just like it had the previous night, reminding him of the dream. Tyrell was filled with resolve to rescue Amiti as soon as possible. Who knew what Alex was putting Amiti through, every second they wasted? He didn't want Amiti to go through that.
Tyrell listened intently to the conversation that was occurring in the hall. Some were saying saving Amiti was irrelevant, that the real issue Sveta should worry about was the presence of the Tuaparang on Morgal territory- and worse, on territory adjacent to a rebellion. Some argued dealing with the rebellion was more important. Some warned against walking into Alex's trap and suggested that Amiti being captured was just a hoax.
Eventually, one advisor suggested taking a month to plan a major military operation in Northeastern Morgal, to root out both the Tuaparang and rebels. With luck, he said, they might "even" be able to find Prince Amiti. Many people, including Karis, nodded in agreement. Another advisor suggested that another couple weeks be devoted to gathering more info on the situation. More approval followed. Nobody was questioning the notion of postponing rescuing Amiti for months. Matthew, of course, wouldn't say a word, Karis seemed to agree, and worst of all, Sveta seemed to be persuaded by the consensus.
Tyrell decided that, no matter how Karis might reprimand him, he had to speak up again.
"Amiti helped end the Eclipse! You should talk about returning the favor," Tyrell cried. "Instead, you'll help when its convenient, after you've studied the situation. But there's no time for that! Ayuthay requested help urgently, because with its prince missing, trouble brews. But you just sit around having a pleasant discussion!"
He glanced around and saw the advisors staring with a mix of offended pride and contempt. He saw Karis looking embarrassed by his behavior. He wasn't persuading anyone. They're so caught up in themselves, they don't even listen, he thought angrily. Well, so be it.
Tyrell rubbed the ringed finger. He was determined to rescue his friend, stuffy royal endorsement or not. And he didn't care what Karis or even Matthew thought anymore either.
"Well, you guys can chat all you want, but I'm done here," Tyrell stated, and he began walking down the long aisle.
"My queen," an advisor shouted. "We cannot allow him to attempt it alone. He could exacerbate the situation!"
"Tyrell, stop!" cried Karis. "We have to collaborate with the court!"
Tyrell was furious. He had no duty to Morgal, he was a free person. He was tired of being commanded. "You're not gonna stop me," he called, as he doubled his pace down the aisle.
Tyrell heard the advisors yelling for Sveta to do something. He turned around and saw a rather stressed Sveta literally tear off part of the cloth on the arms of her throne.
"We can't let him escape, Queen Sveta! He will endanger all of Morgal," an advisor cried.
As he ran, Tyrell heard Sveta's quivering voice command guards to barricade the door.
"You'll let me through, or I'll blast your pretty doorway to smithereens!" Tyrell thundered defiantly. With his right hand, he conjured up a flame to intimidate them.
Suddenly, a whirlwind blew his flame out. Before he knew it, Matthew and Karis were upon him, each tugging one of his arms.
"Let me go!" he cried.
"Please, Tyrell… calm down," Matthew begged. "We will save Amiti, I promise. Just calm down… We can't start fighting Sveta's people."
Tyrell considered what Matthew was saying for a moment. Maybe Matthew was right. But Tyrell doubted that people here even wanted Amiti rescued or would even allow it. Matthew is just doing what Karis wants, as always, Tyrell thought. I won't let Matthew choose between us two. I'll choose for him.
Tyrell used his superior strength to fling Matthew aside, sending the latter sprawling back a couple feet before he caught himself. Matthew looked sadly up at Tyrell, and then backed off.
"Seize him!" someone commanded.
With every second, the guards came nearer. He didn't want to be thrown in Belinsk Jail. He had to escape, fast, without harming Karis in front of Matthew- which meant using the last resort, though he hated to.
"Karis!" he bellowed, for the chamber to hear. "You tell Sveta to let me go, or I reveal a secret of yours that Belinsk might be quite interested in."
The guards froze. Matthew gave Tyrell another pleading look. Others looked with curiosity. Karis glared at him, looking both betrayed and livid.
"You wouldn't," she hissed.
"You sure?" Tyrell taunted.
Karis turned around, defeated. "Sveta," she called. "Let Tyrell go, or we will never speak again."
Sveta hesitated, torn as usual, before decreeing that Tyrell could leave the city as he wished.
Her advisors stared with appalled shock and protested. His friends looked miserable. He hoped they'd forgive him. For a second, Tyrell felt a little sorry. He suppressed the feeling.
This was the first time in ages Karis hadn't gotten her way with him. But he didn't feel a bit triumphant. He had a job to do.
Tyrell rushed to the inn to gather anything he might need.
-~:|~~|:-:|~~|:~-
Next Chapter: Oaths and Wills
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
1. It would really mean a lot to me if you were to review :). It helps inspires me to write.
2. I like surprising my readers :).
3. Zarelgy is from Mongol zarlaga, meaning messenger. For the names of Morgallians, I will use a mix of Russian, Mongol and Tibetan. In the canon, Sveta's name is Russian, and Volechek's Japanese name, Bortechino, is Mongol.