Chapter 29
"Elf," Seth'ius stalked up to Nissa threateningly, "Where is Mii'lian?"
"I have no idea," Nissa responded calmly. She studied Seth'ius intensely, "He could be anywhere by now. It's been over a week hasn't it?"
Seth'ius snarled, "You don't sleep, how could you have not seen him?"
"This is a very large building, Seth'ius, and an even larger city," Nissa explained simply, like she was explaining it to an idiot, "One set of eyes cannot keep watch over everything that goes on."
"You will help search or-"
"I will not," Nissa interrupted calmly, "I will remain here to look after the other children while you search." She watched his face contort with rage in mild amusement, "After all, you don't want them to go after him and get corrupted. Do you?"
Seth'ius clenched his jaw. He turned, without a word, and stormed away.
"Father!" Daria jogged up.
Seth'ius shook his head, "Not this time Daria'lis. I will find your brother on my own. The danger is too great this time."
"But Father, you said-"
"Silence, Shara'daria'lis," Seth'ius commanded cruelly, "You are not coming along. Your idiot brother knows full well what the consequences of his actions will be. You need not concern yourself with this."
Daria's eyes widened. His jaw clicked shut and he lowered his gaze, "Yes, Father. I apologize."
Seth'ius shoved past him and left the palace.
Kayla watched her father stride across the courtyard. She looked up at Tasha, "Lian's in trouble isn't he?"
Tasha nodded, "I believe so yes."
"Will he survive?" Kayla asked.
Tasha hesitated. She smiled at Kayla, "Of course he will. Father wouldn't kill him. We are family after all."
Kayla studied her sister's face, wanting to believe her. And yet she knew that Tasha didn't believe her own words. She smiled, "Okay!"
Tasha nodded, "Let's get some training in today, yeah?"
Kayla nodded, "Sure, Tash."
Nissa smirked in satisfaction, "That's what I thought."
Lian, you're going to need a boat.
"A boat?!" Lian repeated, "Why do I need a boat?"
No. I'm lying to you. Jace sounded annoyed. Yes. A boat. You're going to another continent.
"But I can breathe under water," Lian argued.
"Lian, you can't swim that far," Vadanya insisted.
Lian looked down at her, genuinely confused, "Why not?"
You'll exhaust yourself first and foremost. And you don't know how to tell that there is land nearby from under the water.
"Getting a boat means I'll have to go back to the city," Lian whispered. He glanced fearfully at the white wall that was clearly visible on the cliff, even from the within the forest.
Vadanya looked up at him, "I'll protect you. I beat him to a stale mate before."
Lian studied her. He glanced at the wall again.
Vadanya will be fine.
Lian mumbled, "I'm the god of the sea."
That just means you don't have to row the boat.
Lian scowled, "I'm starting to see why everyone always seemed so annoyed with me. This is frustrating." Most of what Jace said was sarcastic and unhelpful. What was helpful was very helpful but the rest of it was unnecessary.
You had to get your attitude from somewhere, because it certainly wasn't anybody you lived with.
Lian looked up at the sky, "We'll wait till nighttime. The streets will be empty. Everybody will be inside."
Vadanya nodded, "Sounds like a plan." She sat down and laid her head on her paws.
Jace and Lian continued to bicker in the meantime. Lian practiced deactivating, removing, replacing, and reactivating the cartridges in the gun.
When the sun was on the horizon Lian got to his feet. The sky was painted in shades of orange and red and pink. He watched as the ocean swallowed up the sun, "It's so pretty." The array of colors remained in the sky for a couple more minutes.
"Have you...seen a sunset before?" Vadanya asked as she stretched and got to her feet.
Lian shook his head, "It's bad luck to watch the sun set." He laughed, "But it's not like my luck could be any worse."
Vadanya nodded, "I always thought of the sunset as being a positive thing. There's no way something so beautiful could mean anything bad."
Lian looked out towards the horizon, "That is true."
The two of them made their way into the city stealthily. They had to get one of the boats out onto the beach in order to get it into the water. Usually that was a three person job.
Lian tossed his backpack into the boat. He studied it as he circled around it, "So..."
Vadanya hopped into it and followed him, "Yes?"
"If I split the levitation enchantment between both sides of the boat, then I should be able to just drag it to the beach just fine," Lian finished.
Unfortunately no boat in the city was designed for long distance water travel. They were designed to go out and come back in about thirty minutes total. Just long enough for desperate people to throw some coins into the ocean.
Lian grabbed an ink pen out of his backpack and circled the boat, drawing symbols on it. Once he was done the boat glowed softly and hovered a couple inches off the ground. Lian went to the back of it and started to push it forward. He grunted, "This thing is still heavy?!"
You didn't make it lighter. You just picked it up off the ground.
"You know what, Jace?" Lian snapped, "No one asked you for your royally unhelpful opinion on the matter."
Vadanya shook her head in amusement, "What'd he say?"
"He's being unhelpful," Lian grumbled.
"Isn't he always?" Vadanya asked mischievously.
Hey!
Lian snickered. He straightened suddenly, "I have an idea!"
Vadanya looked up at him calmly, "I'm listening."
"I can use the boots as an extra boost," Lian grinned.
Vadanya nodded slowly, "Just-Just don't break the boat."
"I won't," Lian promised. He changed the way he was standing so the boots would register it as him wanting to jump. He pushed himself forward. The boots responded, launching him. He almost slammed the boat into a wall. He skidded sideways and stumbled.
Vadanya's ears flattened. Her claws scraped against the seat that she sat on, leaving marks. "Okay! Let's not do that again!"
Lian giggled, "Okay. Okay. I won't. I'll be gentler this time."
Vadanya growled softly, "Alright."
Lian managed to get them to the beach and got the boat into the water. He collapsed into it dramatically, panting, "Holy Light, that was hard."
Vadanya licked his cheek, "I'm sure it was." She sat up suddenly, her ears pricked, "Someone's coming."
Lian sat up.
Vadanya's eyes glowed deeply green and her form changed into that of a large black wolf. She had barely visible darker stripes in her fur. She bit the back of Lian's collar.
"Wha-Hey!" Lian squeaked as he was pulled farther into the boat.
"There you are, Mii'lian."
Lian froze. He sat up, "F-Father." He curled in on himself. His grip on the gun Ral had given him tightened. He had never seen his father look this angry. And the man was terrifying enough normally.
Vadanya snarled. She looked at Lian, "Go." She leaped off the boat, pushing it out into the water.
"Vadanya!" Lian cried. He clambered to the end of the boat.
The water started to move. It gently pulled him away from the beach.
Vadanya barreled into Seth'ius, knocking the man to the ground, purely through force. She bit at his throat.
Seth'ius managed to hold her back but couldn't get the proper hold to shove her off him.
Lian looked at the ever growing stretch of water between him and the sand of the beach. He could do it. He could go back to the beach and help her. But then he'd be stuck. He wouldn't be able to leave again without another boat. And if he went back it was unlikely he'd be able to get one. Seth'ius would drag him back to the Gods' Palace and make absolute sure he stayed there. But what if Vadanya didn't survive? What if she didn't come back? What if he never got to hear the story she promised him because he didn't help her?
"Give up, Seth'ius," Vadanya commanded.
"You don't give me orders, abomination," Seth'ius snarled.
Vadanya's eyes flashed angrily. She snarled and bared her teeth. This time she caught some of his neck in her bite. Her teeth easily tore through the protective enchantment that kept him impervious to harm.
Seth'ius gritted his teeth and hit her in the side of the head. He wrestled her away from his neck and then tossed her aside. He put one hand on his neck and unsheathed his sword with the other.
Vadanya changed into her human form. A shockwave accompanied by a deep green light spread outward with her at the epicenter. Seth'ius fell backwards and skidded multiple feet away from her on his back. Lian's boat was pushed deeper into the ocean. A thousand armed and armored soldiers appeared. Vadanya looked down at Seth'ius, "Did you forget already? You made me the goddess of war." Her physical form was starting to disappear, but the soldiers stayed.
Lian's awe at her power quickly morphed into horror that she was disappearing. He leaned over the edge of the boat and his left hand slipped into the water. He scrambled back into the boat.
The soldiers she had summoned swarmed Seth'ius. He was easily more powerful than them but they had a numbers advantage. They drove him away from the beach. A bright flash of light was accompanied by a handful of screams. The clang of metal hitting metal rang through the air.
Vadanya looked at Lian over her shoulder and smiled. "Take care of yourself, Lian. I'm proud of you. But there's nothing more I can do for you now. I'm sorry," she whispered.
Lian saw her talking but couldn't hear her. He panicked, "You said you wouldn't go until the seals broke!" His voice cracked, "Vadanya! Don't go!" He reached out for her even as she disappeared completely from his view, "VADANYA!"