Fantasy continuation; Elemental Royals

[jones573]

A continent on the brink of war- The Earth King has conspired to set Dark and Fire against each other, using a convoluted network of pirates, revolutionaries, fanatics and other individuals who wish to upset the status quo. The surviving heirs are among the few who realize just how wide reaching this conspiracy may truly be, and how disastrous the fall-out could become if they can't figure out how to stop it. Anyone could stand to profit, but everyone is poised to lose.

posting order: jones - kjc - coso

 

[jones573]

There had been a fair amount of speculation regarding the summons- The people of Yarrin may have had a lot to do, but there was almost always time to talk. When Nima had come down the mountain, though, with her face streaked down the left side with two lines of her own blood, the speculation ran wild and time became a scarcity.

Even those who had never met Nima before knew that facial marking and its significance- It designated a state of emergency, and who was in charge. Bright children who played battle with sticks and weak fists were punished harshly if they painted the lines on themselves with dirt or berries, and the idea of doing so as a joke or a ruse was not even taboo to citizens because it would simply not occur to them to do so.

It meant /something/ was happening, and though everyone wanted to know what it was, they didn’t dare be caught unprepared. People flocked about town looking for things to do- Sharpening weaponry, ensuring harvest pantries were as stocked as possible and mixing poultices under the watchful eye of Yarrin’s medical team.

Edare had gone ahead and fetched Temo and Risa from lunch- They’d been curious as to why he needed to speak with their company’s leader, but had hurried to comply when Nima had revealed herself. Within ten minutes, Nima and the company leader had decided on the dozen warriors that would escort the Dark citizens home, and another three to carry Dagon’s missive to his father on the most well-rested horses available.

Temo’s mouth hung open everytime he looked over at Dagon, Cain or Edare, embarrassed by their earlier interaction, and it dropped even further whenever Nima would walk by. So far she hadn’t seemed to notice, but complimented his spear and suggested he bring the party to the armory later.

They’d been lucky to catch both members of the Assembled before they’d departed for the capitol- Boja, an older, olive skinned woman with grey streaks in her long silky black hair, and Adfri, a lanky man with Nima’s coloring who was perhaps in his late thirties or early forties.



“You’ve already deployed a quarter of a company? On whose authority,” Adfri asked with some degree of concern. They were meeting in his home, on the second level of one Yarrin’s few two-story buildings, and Nima had finished recounting their tale and was summarizing her most recent decision to send warriors to escort the Dark Prince home and deliver a message to Dagon's father.

Edare raised his eyebrows at the older man, a warning for him to reconsider his question.

“The Commander can only act with unilateral authority in times of war or emergency,” Adfri reminded the group, clustered around the open room on benches and large cushions.

The space below them served as an office and store amongst other things, to fit the needs of Adfri’s unusual business model as a merchant who traded beyond the valley and its unusual economy, selling what the Bright people and lands produced to others in exchange for what they could not make themselves.

“And the Commander may determine it to be such a time, even without input from the Assembled or the Throne,” Edare pointed out in turn, and Nima carried on.

“Which I have done. The whole of the Assembled may be in danger due to this summons- If our capitol is compromised as I fear it could be, you could all be killed. Or deceived,” she said, in such a way that made it seem that was the worse option.

 

[jones573]

“I have also sent runners ahead to scout for the nearest Assembled members, to warn them to stay beyond reach of the fortress and assess the situation carefully- But I know that none of those columns of light belong to my mother. Nor anyone else’s whose signature I recognize.”

“You would know better than most of us, Commander,” Boja admitted, yielding to Nima’s area of expertise. In many ways Nima considered light manipulation to be an inferior ability compared to something like Boja’s great talent for healing, but it had certainly be useful in getting them out of the castle the other night, and she certainly would not have developed the trick to discern between individual’s hues without it.

“There could certainly be any numbers of reasons for the summoner’s signature to be unknown to you,” Boja reasoned, lifting her warm hand and peeling back the foul smelling cloth she had placed over Nima’s wound. The cloth smelled fine now, but it looked disgusting, the infection that had been drawn out manifesting in dark red and nearly greenish stains and splotches.

“But considering what you have told us about what has transpired, I agree it is concerning,” Boja concluded. “Would your… friend like for me to look at her feet,” the older woman asked. Though she worded the question through Nima, she addressed Amarina directly, glancing down at her bloodied feet. “It is the least we can do, considering their help in bringing you home safely.”

“Yes, it is convenient that two citizens of the islands would be so willing and able to turn against their own people, just to end up in our valley,” Adfri mused. “Are you sure they are trustworthy?” Adfri may have been more experienced in the diplomacy and soft speaking needed to be successful in his role, but among his own people he shared a preference for directness.

“Absolutely,” Nima said without hesitation, and Edare was glad she had for once opted not to remind them all of the mercurial nature of trust in times like these. “They recognize the importance of preventing this catastrophe, and risked their own safety to protect Prince Dagon and myself- They are to be treated as members of my own entourage.”

Both Adfri and Boja seemed surprised by this but not appalled, though it seemed unlikely that Cain or Amarina could really be expected to be treated as Edare was. He had been keeping an eye on the town below them through the window and make sure Temo and Risa were still standing guard outside- they were- but he turned to nod his affirmation of Nima's statement.

 

[jones573]

“Yarrin does not have unlimited horses,” Adfri noted. “We must keep some of them with us if they are needed- But I and other have personal steeds that should be counted in this time, and you would of course be welcome to use one of my own if you wish to depart for your home immediately,” he told Dagon genially. “You should have sent him with the messengers, he could be back with his family by the moon’s peak, at the latest.”

“No,” Nima said firmly. She had been very sure to not even suggest that as a possibility in front of the young prince, and was irritated at Adfri for doing so.

“I will not send him back into Dark Territory, where several attempts on his life have already been made,” she concluded. That route would take him directly along where forces from the Dark Kingdom would march if they decided to retaliate, and then he would be in danger from more than just the conspirators. “There is no cause for him to return home if he cannot get there safely, or if danger is all that waits for him when he arrives.” It would take longer to go through the valley rather than around it, but it would be much safer.

“The boy is old enough to speak for himself, Commander,” Adfri chastised. “Let him give his opinions.”

“And I should like to hear more from your new friends,” Boja prompted- It had been well enough to let Nima summarize their experience, but even with Edare adding in as necessary, it was not the full picture.

“You said little of the delegation from the islands, besides the attack from their traitor,” Boja noted curiously.

“None of the royals had been formally introduced yet,” Edare jumped in, comfortable to lie where he knew Nima might falter, even just by omission. “And then things began to happen so fast- It’s difficult to say if they were there or if they may have survived.”

“What do you suppose your attacker wished to gain,” Boja asked the siblings directly, and Nima took the opportunity to drink deeply from her clay cup and take fruit and jerky from the tray. If she was not going to be talking, she had other things she needed her mouth for.

“That greedy ---- in the Earth Kingdom has always been looking to cause trouble if it will increase his own fortunes,” she noted, using a word in the Bright Tongue that was presumably not very polite. “But I doubt he could pull off something of such scope alone, he always seems to find some fools to actually do the work, or take the fall- What interests might your own Throne have in such a scheme, that he could have used to bring them in on it?” Boja had somehow managed a layer of insults in what she had presumed to be a simple enough question, that even Nima suppressed an internal wince.

It was not worth batting an eye at Boja’s use of Bright Folk terminology to refer to individuals with such power, but it was certainly uncomfortable to imply that the siblings own family may have been responsible for attacking them- And that they would not even be ambitious enough to come up with such a plan themselves in the first place.

 

[kjcanimals]

The discussion of their next step had been a lengthy debate. There were several reasons for this, but two came out as primary.

First, Dagon was adamantly against Viktor's decision to willing ride back into the same mess from which they had just escaped. The Dark Prince, he argued, would be granted protection within the Fire Kingdom; their mother would see to that. There was no need to risk his life on an endeavor that was unlikely to succeed. Viktor, on the other hand, had worried that doing so would appear as if he had been kidnapped by his country's enemies, not saved by them, and therefore only make the situation worse. Besides, it was added, if he could reach his father in time, perhaps the whole misunderstanding could be solved without any more bloodshed. In the end, the Dark Prince had won.

The second topic that was a matter of some debate was exactly which of the remaining royals should reveal themselves. Nima was the obvious one; their only chance at help was dependent on having the Bright Commander in charge. The other three, however, were not so clear. Personally, Dagon had intended not to reclaim his true identity until he was safely back within his own borders; however, it turned out to be necessary in order to get him home as quickly as possible. The younger Fire Prince and Festival Master was of immediate importance to his people under the circumstances; a minor noble was not. As the same was not true for the Water Siblings, it was agreed that it was better to keep their identities anonymous for now.

And so, after clutching his half-brother in one last, lengthy hug, Dagon had watched Viktor and his guards depart, knowing full well it may be the last time they ever saw each other. Following that was a hastily scrawled message to his father, written in Flametongue just to be safe and branded with his mark burned into a corner of the paper. Dagon had kept the details of their adventure brief, promising the whole story once he returned, and focused solely on the critical information. Soon after that, another trio of riders were on their way to the Fire Capital.

Now, Dagon sat with the others as Nima reiterated the situation. Although he was still dressed in the bland colors preferred by the Bright Kingdom, the Fire Prince had abandoned the hat as soon as they had returned to the town, and admittedly, it felt good to proudly display his shaved head once more.

Somewhere during the exchange, his mind had drifted. Now, as Adfri turned and offered him one of his own steeds, Dagon's attention snapped back to the present; although, Nima responded before he found his tongue. He would be lying if he said the idea had not occurred to him long before now. He could go home, warn his family in person, be present with his people to preform his duties as Festival Master even as they prepared for war. That was where he should be, standing beside his father and brother.

But he was no good to anyone dead, and he knew it. Well, except for maybe the Earth King...

Despite their host's admonition that he could speak for himself (and Dagon's suppressed annoyance at being called a boy -- his head had been shaved for nearly a year now), the conversation just as quickly turned to the Water Kingdom natives. Amarina could handle herself, of that Dagon had no doubt by now, but he still wasn't sure having all the attention focused on them was the best idea.

"We have no proof that any of the Thrones have an interest, except for the Earth Kingdom itself," he quickly pointed out. "The conspirator who started the fire in the castle was an Air native. We could just as easily ask what involvement they have in all of this. As for myself, I'm afraid I must rely on the goodwill of your Commander. If I am not allowed passage through your country, I will have no choice but to make my own path wherever it may lead."

 

[cosowarrior]

When all was said and done, the course of action chosen was not the one any of them would have expected. To send Prince Viktor back into the heat of danger was the dumbest idea any of them could suggest. And yet oddly, after enough back and forth, it seemed like their best option. So, the newly-discovered prince set off with his entourage, and the remaining survivors went the other way, deeper into the city. There, they found the two members of the Assembled, and the next part of their plan was soon underway.

Cain and Amarina assumed the identities of dislocated Water Kingdom citizens. On one hand, Amarina was loath to lose her rightful title. The demotion was insulting to someone as proud of her rank as she was. However, necessity called for anonymity -- she knew that. It was just too dangerous to trust strangers with the truth at a time like this. Instead, the siblings placed their faith in Nima and Edare, whom they entrusted to weave for them a back story that would sound most convincing and sympathetic to the other two Bright Kingdom representatives. It worked, for the most part. The Water siblings sat quietly as the others conversed, their silence appearing as the reverence of lower-ranking individuals in a foreign land rather than what it really was: a measure to keep themselves from blowing their own cover. Amarina sat with her legs folded under her. Her dark hair was braided into a thick plait, like that of a peasant, and she kept her head low in feigned submission. Cain sat with his legs crossed, his natural humbleness speaking for itself. Their stolen disguises -- white and beige outfits beneath travelers' capes from the Dark Kingdom -- masked their royal lineage.

Still, there was a twinge of distrust in the voices of the Assembled. Adfri gave wary glances and prodded with an insinuating tone. Boja seemed warmer towards them -- at least at first. She even offered to heal Amarina's sore feet, an offer the princess accepted by moving her exposed and reddened soles from under herself. But that, too, was pretense. There was no mistaking their true feelings toward the Water Kingdom. Their traitor. Your attacker. They might not have suspected the siblings to be in on the plot, but they certainly had no qualms in forcing accountability for the uprising on their crown.

Boja's last question, about the Water Kingdom's interests for joining forces with the Earth Kingdom, crossed the line. Anger swelled within Amarina, a bitter riptide that threatened to suck the patience straight out of her. She was lucky that Dagon had the clarity of mind to speak for her; she was prepared to give a cutting remark in return, to question what the Bright Kingdom stood to gain by the same logic, since one of their own was among the traitors as well. If that didn't blow their cover, then at the very least it wouldn't endear them to the Assembled. More suspicion was the last thing they needed. Cain glanced at his sister, his eyes hinting at worry and mixed with a warning. Amarina clenched her jaw.

"We suspect the Earth King managed to bribe individuals to act on their own behalves and against their own kingdoms for personal gain." He would be lying if he didn't admit that he was also a little offended by Boja's choice in language against his country. Even so, Cain kept it out of his voice. His tone was measured, quiet. "Which is why finding safe passage for Prince Dagon, even in friendly territory, represents such a great obstacle..."

 

[jones573]

Boja had wrapped Amarina’s feet in cloth bandages and held them in her own hands, a soft light emanating from her fingers. “Just money, then,” she said with a tone of disappointment and slow consideration, unwrapping the now stained and foul smelling cloth and tossing it into the same basket in which she had placed the bandages she’d used on Nima.



“I would not expect you to understand such a motivation,” Adfri told his peer derisively. “But it is hardly any more or less noble than Ryet’s own fanaticism towards the old prophectic tradition fueling her betrayal,” he pointed out.



“We have already discussed individual motivations and potential weakness the Earth King may be looking to exploit at length,” Edare interrupted. “I know our guests will share any insights they might have, should any occur to them.”



“The Prince may travel with us to the fort,” Adfri proposed, referring to the sprawling complex that made up the Bright Nation’s military center and meeting destination for the Assembled. “And cross the rest of the valley with the returning party for Assembled members from tribes that border his own home.”



“You are not listening,” Nima snapped angrily. “He does not need someone to guide him along the route! He needs to not be killed by one of our own!”



“The fort may be compromised,” Edare reiterated. “And I cannot imagine that at least one member of the Assembled is not in some way working for the Earth King. Prince Dagon is in danger, as is the Commander, even within our own boundaries.”



“We need to make a firm stance now, and force any traitors into action so that we may root them out,” Nima pressed. “We can take the fight to the Earth Kingdom and show the other nations we will not allow his attempts to turn us against each other- They will send their own fighters, and we can strip him of his power and his head!”



“Commander,” Adfri said slowly in the resulting silence of her declaration. “Be reasonable.”



“You have a strong record of defending our borders,” Boja offered in consulation. “But very little experience in offensive battles, much less leading a war…”



“And besides,” Adfri interrupted. “Do you really imagine the others would come to our aid?” He glanced at the foreign visitors, as if to get their take. “Both Water and Fire may have paid our citizens for their service as mercenaries to supplement their own troops- But they would never expect us to collectively support them! It is foolish to think they might be willing to lend us their own people, instead of just watching as we sacrifice our blood and bone.”

 

[kjcanimals]

Dagon hesitated. He wanted to immediately agree with Nima, to assure the two Assembled members that they would have the full support of the Fire Kingdom if they were to take such action against the Earth King. But... he couldn't. Not if he was being honest.

"If we do not find a way to prevent war with the Dark Kingdom, my people will find ourselves fighting on two fronts," he said, choosing his words carefully. The desert offered some protection against a large-scale invasion from the Earth Kingdom, but it by no means made it impossible. The Fire Kingdom would be caught in between two enemy armies like a hammer and anvil. With his father commanding half of their army on one border and his older brother on the other, their forces would be stretched thin even without sending a battalion to assist elsewhere.

"However," he added, "I can say that my father, the Fire King, will not be pleased when he learns that the Earth King is behind all that is happening." That was an understatement; his father would be furious. "Should you decide to strike against the Earth Kingdom, I'm certain he will offer whatever support we can. Unfortunately, I cannot say specifically what that assistance may be. By necessity, my people's priority at the moment must be on preventing conflict with the Dark Kingdom."

If they succeeded in that, he had no doubt that his father would turn his attention to the Earth Kingdom, with or without support from the other nations. However, Dagon was already dangerously close to overstepping his authority as Festival Master. He dared not say much more without first consulting with his family.

 

[cosowarrior]

It was clear from her silence that Amarina was on the verge of losing her temper. Even as Boja finished healing her soles -- as friendly as the gesture appeared -- the princess offered little more than a nod in way of appreciation. Her tongue was too carefully held to do much more. Had she spoken too soon, she surely would have given them away.

Their obstinacy was grating. The two Assembled members simply would not listen, and Amarina began to suspect, with a harsh feeling of helplessness, that nothing she nor her brother could say would make any bit of difference to them. Without their rank, none of their reassurances held any weight.

Regardless of this fact, Amarina tried. “The Water King will also cooperate,” she asserted. There was too much confidence in her voice. It won her another wary glance from Cain. Such assumption of authority was dangerous.

“He’s no fool,” she continued in spite of her brother’s furtive warning, “He will see how changing tides will endanger his own power. The balance between the Earth and Water Kingdoms has always been fragile.”

She knew they way her father thought. He had, on more than one occasion, explained the preeminence the kingdoms shared: of the elements, it was Water and Earth that dominated the world, land and sea. Though the relationship between the Water and Earth Kingdoms was amiable on paper, beneath the skin was a tense struggle for power. A series of treaties, both official and unspoken, was a thin veneer of protection that supposedly protected either kingdom from the other. At least from the Water Kingdom’s perspective, there had always been the suspicion that the Earth Kingdom could not be trusted to uphold their end. And now those suspicions were proven right.

“Were it any other power posing the threat, he may not be bothered to lend aid. But the Water King would never allow the Earth King the opportunity to get the upper hand.”

“A simple message explaining the situation would likely suffice,” Cain offered with a tone that was far less presumptuous than that of his sister. “It isn’t unreasonable to assume that the Water King would be more willing to lend a few forces to an allied country than to risk full-blown war against the Earth Kingdom and the nations they’ve conquered, alone.

“Besides,” he added, “there is no closer ally to the Water Kingdom than the Dark Kingdom. This attack on their closest friends will certainly move them to help, I believe.”

 

[jones573]

“It is… noble of you, to offer such reassurances. But perhaps idealistic,” Adfri counseled as both Dagon and Cain suggested their own kingdoms would be willing to aid a Bright force in a direct attack on the Earth Kingdom.



It was at least more polite than the scoff Boja had been unable to repress when Amarina had judged her own king’s foolishness, or lack thereof. She had moved on to eye at Cain, unsubtly inspecting him for any injuries.



“I may have thought the same, when I was younger,” he admitted. “But if things are as you suggest, the Earth King is a puppeteer and not a direct aggressor- Well. I think even your mother would agree, that initiating conflict on the grounds of something that cannot be proven is unwise. Especially against the country that controls so much trade.”



“I think it is best you take these concerns to the Assembled,” Boja added. “Even if some members have been compromised, the majority body has the legal authority Adfri and I lack individually- Neither he nor I can shape the path of the Bright Nation in international affairs.”



Nima knew that continuing on to the walled city of the fort was her best option to rally her people and her only way to really ensure her further actions would be seen as actions by her country instead of just one angry heir, but still- She felt very uneasy walking into a trap, and taking the others with her.



“The rest of you can stay in the outskirts once we are close,” Edare offered, knowing Nima’s concern. “I can ride in alone, and speak to Brightest to alert her personally of the danger and see what progress has been made of discovering traitors-”



This was hardly any more satisfactory to Nima, but a knock on the door frame interrupted any further conversation and the young soldier Temo appeared, with a wiry boy at his side. The youth looked familiar to Nima, but not overly, and he looked quite haggard.



“Pardon, Commander,” Temo addressed Nima, knowing he had interrupted when he’d been asked not to. “An apprentice of your sister rode here from the capitol, and says he has an important message for you. Won’t give it to anyone else.”



That was where she knew him from, then. He worked in the smithy, though he looked too young to do much more than get underfoot. Nima supposed she didn’t know much about the scope of her younger sister’s responsibilities, though, or what sort of duties the apprentices were given. Certainly not so many that looking liable to fall over was to be expected. He must have ridden hard.



He approached her and pulled a piece of parchment from within his tunic to hand to her. It was somewhat damp with his sweat, and there was a strange marking on it that Edare recognized as a symbol from the old visual form of the Bright Tongue, though he didn’t know its meaning. He knew the sign for ‘attack’, and that all of the runes carried only military meanings that could be joined up and projected across the sky to indicate plans or conduct troop movements.



Nima’s eyes widened at it, though- Both she and her sister had endured much more thorough education in these subjects than Edare had.



“It’s true, Commander,” the boy said quietly. “I saw it myself, from where I had hidden.”



Nima frowned, not any keener to open the missive with that ominous prelude to its contents.



“Temo- Get the boy some food and water, and find somewhere for him to sleep,” she instructed, and Temo nodded as he ushered the boy back out the door and down the stairs.



Edare glanced out the window and Nima read quickly, and saw the youth’s exhaustion had overtaken him to the point that Temo was more or less carrying him away.



There was a long uncomfortable moment until Nima looked up.



“Brightest has been executed,” she announced quietly. “The capitol is controlled by traitors. Their takeover was not as smooth as they had planned. Nearly a dozen are dead.”



He did know the symbol, Edare realized. It was ‘retreat’. Flee. Run.



“None could be saved?,” Adfri asked in alarm.



“Most of the healers who reside within the city,” Nima said with a chilling calmness, fixing her stare on Boja. “Left the day earlier. On an unplanned expedition to replenish supplies requested for research.”



Before Nima could even accuse who might have ordered such an unusual expedition, Boja had jumped into action. Her short surgical knife was at Cain’s throat, and she dragged him from his spot.



“I’m unsure if you are ignorant of your friends, Commander, or if you were hoping I was,” she said coolly. “But I am pleased with the result, regardless. The heir to the islands and his pretty young attendant are a much better bargaining chip than the Festival Master alone. Or perhaps it is as Prince Cain suggested- I’m sure his father can be convinced to aide the Dark Kingdom against the Fire King, given the right circumstances.”


Nima had jumped up, ready to attack, but Edare bodily restrained her, concerned about the ease with which a knife already meant for slicing into skin could slide into Cain's neck.

 

[kjcanimals]

Cain's words, although intended to be encouraging, sent a chill down Dagon's spin. It was true; there was no closer ally to the Dark Kingdom than the Water Kingdom. And if Viktor's mission failed and the Dark Kingdom declared war, what would that mean for his home? Would the Water King feel obligated to help his ally regardless of the surrounding circumstances? The number of opposing forces was steadily growing from one to two to three. Two nation's armies the Fire Kingdom might be able to stand against, but three?

He wasn't given long to dwell on the idea. A messenger who would only speak to the recipient, a message that was worth ignoring orders to deliver immediately, one that had obviously been delivered with the highest speed possible when war seemed imminent -- none of it pointed toward good news. That was confirmed by Nima a moment later. Before Dagon could fully comprehend what everything meant, one thing became suddenly, horribly clear as Boja made her move.

They had been tricked and fallen directly into the trap like blind idiots.

The prince jumped to his feet, flames springing to life in both palms, only to freeze as he realized the same thing Edare did. They couldn't do anything without risking Cain's life, and Dagon wasn't going to be so foolish to forfeit the same life his captain had already died to protect once. As long as Boja's knife remained where it was, she held them all hostage. With a near growl at the Assembled member, Dagon spat a word in Flametongue that was not at all complimentary.

 

[cosowarrior]

The arrival of the messenger plunged the room into tension. Then, silence. The news, once revealed by Nima with an unnerving coolness, struck them to the core. The situation was more dire than they hoped, their worst fears realized. The rebel forces were cleverer than they knew, and far more powerful. The odds seemed insurmountably stacked against them, and every bit of news only painted a bleaker picture.

Cain opened his mouth to offer what few words of comfort he could draw. The familiarity with which he spoke would have surely given him away had Nima not continued, cutting him short before he could breathe a syllable. Her mind was clearly churning. Though she fell short of making any outright accusations, her tone said it all.

Then, suddenly, in a flurry of motion, Boja was upon him. It happened in an instant. Cain felt her grab hold of him before he even noticed she had moved. He struggled against her grasp, but he was hindered by his entangled legs, which had been crossed just before the attack. But when he felt the coldness of a blade against his throat, his struggling ceased, and he froze in place just where she had him.

Amarina had jumped into action immediately. She reached for one of her shortspears -- the poison one -- which she had placed on the ground nearby when they were first welcomed into Adfri's home. Now she clenched it tightly in her fist and drew back as though to lunge. She was stopped in her tracks, however, with a single, raspy word from Cain.

"Don't."

Amarina froze. It was a short, quiet command, one croaked through a tense throat held hostage. But the single word held the power to disarm the princess. She lowered her weapon slightly. Her eyes, for a moment, were wide with confusion and fear. Then, in a flash, they flooded with rage.

"If you dare hurt him--!"

"Please, Miss Boja," Cain spoke quickly and quietly. His chin was angled up, instinctively away from the weapon she held against him. Though he tried to remain calm, his voice came through as strained. "I urge you to reconsider. Whatever they've promised you, whatever they're willing to pay, we will reward you with tenfold if you end your betrayal of the kingdoms."

He knew his promises were futile, but they were all he had. Boja's words had penetrated him to the core, made him feel cold and numb and sick. He regretted his prior reassurances. He never meant for them to be used against Dagon's people, but now he realized that Boja was right. They could turn Water against Fire. It spelled doom for Dagon's home. And now, unable to take it back, Cain felt helpless. He eyed the sword the Fire Prince had gifted him, the symbol of their alliance, but it lay on the ground far out of reach. He was at Boja's mercy. And though he tried to have courage, he was afraid.

 

[jones573]

“Careful, young prince,” Boja warned, more than willing to use Cain’s body as a human shield when she saw the flames spring out of Dagon’s hands. Evidence of burns on Cain’s skin would only serve to further anger the Water Kingdom against Dagon’s people.


Nima’s rage was palpable. “You are a fanatic too then, like Ryet? Swearing your loyalty to your people, but instead pledging it to prophecy and foolish stories of the past-”


“No, Commander,” Boja interrupted. Nima seemed almost as angry to have been interrupted as she was to learn the woman’s deception. “Healers take their oaths seriously. Your mother made sure of it.”


This was true- When a healer completed their training, many of them took vows to denounce their loyalty to the Bright Kingdom and its people, and to instead serve only the master who contracted them. Nobility and people of wealth, no matter their origin, had need for healers in their employ, but also had a need to be sure that their healer was interested only in their health, and not their secrets.


Healers were paid handsomely for their talent, and a significant portion of it was paid directly to the Bright Throne, to continue the education of younger healers and provide the nation with a source of currency the other kingdoms would accept.


Under Nima’s mother’s rule, the number of healers stationed abroad had increased exponentially, and become a vital cornerstone of the Bright Nation’s relationship with the other countries. It could not be afford to be compromised by doubts or accusations of wrongdoing.


The oath many healers took, to serve without spying, was already centuries old when Nima’s mother took the throne. But she was the first to enforce it so harshly. Even the slightest hint of misconduct led to a guilty verdict, and the accused were not given their choice of deaths as was the case in most other sentencings. Their executions were highly public affairs, and Nima herself had performed the act in service to Brightest.


It did not happen often. But it did happen.


“Do not speak of betrayal as though you understand it,” she spat harshly at Cain. “Children trust their fates to me, and all I can do is teach them to be such a valued commodity that we sell them off like fine wool- Even in they are not put to death for someone else’s mistakes, they must give up their home, their friends and family, everything they know-”


“It is a great honor to be selected for the healer’s service,” Edare corrected. “To denounce our nation in order to best serve it is highly respect-”


“So great an honor, that you intentionally underperformed at your own evaluation?,” Boja accused.


Edare said nothing. It had been noted, of course, that it was a pity the son of such a talented healer had only a mediocre gift. He seemed a competent field medic, perhaps if he had had more intensive training, earlier on- But at ten years old, he had already committed himself to a life of service to the twins. He hadn’t been willing to give that up, even for the chance at fame and riches and the chance to see the continent as a honored guest instead of a guard.


“There is no reason you can not continue to be Commander,” Boja suggest to Nima, who seemed shocked to be addressed in such a casual manner. “Your uncle appreciates your popularity-”


“My uncle-,” Nima spat angrily, her rage increasing. If her mother’s cousin had returned from his self banishment and was indeed behind this, it was technically a legitimate coup. His own brother and mother had been executed by Nima’s mother in her own uprising, and he had the right to do the same.


“-And I think the whole of the Assembled would sleep safer at night, knowing you will not allow him any misconceptions of power,” Boja continued undeterred. “We can even let the Festival Master return home- If you all support my version of what happened here today, anything he says will be seen as lies.”

 

[kjcanimals]

Despite Boja's warning, Dagon did not extinguish his twin flames, although neither did he make any move to use them. Instead, he let their flickering warmth steady him. He could control the fire; he could control his emotions; he could control his actions. Now was not the time to lose that control. Not when Cain's life hung in the balance.

Cain's life...

Dagon met the eyes of the older prince, seeing the other's fear reflected back. They had to find a way to get Boja's knife away, and if they couldn't attack, then...

"And what advantage would Prince Cain's death be to you?" he demanded, trying (and failing) to keep his voice steady. Although, whether it shook more from anger or fear, he couldn't say. "My message will have reached the Fire Kingdom by now. My father knows we are here. If anything happens to me, if anything happens to him, the blame will fall on the Bright people. If their heir vanishes, the Water Kingdom will be looking for answers. Answers the Fire Kingdom will have for them; answers royals from both the Dark and Air Kingdoms can confirm. The three of us were safe and under your people's protection. Are you prepared to take responsibility for why that changed?"

Dagon knew it was said that some members of the Light Kingdom could instinctively tell when someone was telling the truth, just as some in his kingdom could sense emotions. He also knew that he was exaggerating on more than one point: His message would be within Fire Kingdom land, but it was doubtful it had reached his family yet. Air and Dark could only confirm that they were alive upon leaving the capital and if Viktor survived his return trip respectively. Whether Water would take the Fire Kingdom's word over the Light Kingdom was also up for debate. Still, they had to try something. And if they couldn't attack, then they had to give Boja some reason to remove the knife from Cain's neck herself.

 

[cosowarrior]

So, it was ideology that drove her, not materialism. That made her all the more dangerous.
Boja's retort silenced the captive prince. He felt her anger -- but this was more than that. She was being driven, it seemed, by a sort deperate rage, a reprisal years in the making. Her intentions sounded almost noble, even if her actions were anything but. More than anything, Cain felt a deep helplessness for his own situation. This was beyond him, he realized. Beyond anyone in the room, even, except the Assembled and the heir to the Bright throne.

That didn't stop his allies from trying. Dagon made a solid bid for his freedom. Even knowing how uncertain each of his statements were, how much the truth hung on so many caveats, Cain thought it was a convincing argument. And for a second, he might have let himself believe Boja would let him go.

That optimism, however dim, was lost on his sister. It was clear enough how dire the situation was. Yet, the mention of Cain's death still managed to strike a cord. Amarina could restrain herself no longer.

"You would plunge the entire world into war," she uttered, "because you don't like your nation's policies?" Her voice trembled. There was danger in it; it was like a tremor before the eruption of a geyser.

"The Bright Queen is dead. Your point has been made."

 

[jones573]

“If my uncle thinks that mounting my mother’s head on the front gate will win him my loyalty, he should-”


“Consider himself correct? Your own mother did the same to his, and he served at her side for years,” Boja observed, and Nima could not argue.


Nima certainly did not view her uncle’s challenge as legitimate, but Boja did not seem concerned that it might be contested. He was family of Brightest, and so long as he bested her in fair combat, the other steps required to formalize a coup were unneeded. Her death could be a regime change, not a murder.


“It is the greedy ------- on the dirt throne who would see our continent devour itself whole,” she reminded Amarina, apparently party to this conspiracy but not in full support of its longterm goals. “He would have struck against us eventually, to keep from meeting us in battle- Better to do it when we can still negotiate the terms,” she reasoned.


So her uncle was to be not quite a puppet, but more of a prop- He would preach neutrality and keep their fighters inside the Bright Valley until to do so otherwise would be a death sentence. He would wall them up inside the valley and Nima would be forced to lead pointless border patrols, when the danger was beyond the reach of her leash.


Nima was unsure if the Earth King could be trusted to let them be if they did not interfere- Admittedly, the Bright Nation had little in the way of riches to exploit, and conquering them was likely more effort than it was worth. Their best resource was their people, and killing healers and fighters who could easily be hired to serve his own cause did seem an error on the Earth King’s part. But still.


“You are a fool, to think he would be content with our isolation-” she began to argue, but Edare cut her off.


“The Festivalmaster is right,” Edare told Boja firmly. “Whether Prince Cain lives or dies here, it does little to advance your plans. If the Dark Kingdom means to attack Fire, they will do so, with or without the aid of the islands. Presumably, that ‘---- on the dirt throne’,” he continued, borrowing Boja’s impolite phrasing, “Has his own plans to pull Prince Cain’s people into his wars, and may not appreciate your initiative.”


“Prince Dagon’s people are warned, that foul play may be afoot- If he is accused of murdering Prince Cain, they will surely believe that warning to be true,” Adfri added. “You will only give them motive to then suspect us as well, and fighting against our allies is far less a position of neutrality than fighting alongside.”


Boja did not lower her knife, but she did seem to consider this and the blade at Cain’s throat no longer pressed quite so tightly to his skin.


“His death would serve nothing,” Nima spat angrily in agreement.


“His death would serve justice,” Boja returned sharply, and Edare wished that Nima could hold her tongue, just once in awhile. “They did not give us the perpetrators of your brother’s death- They did not even return the body! Brightest was wrong, to hope we might forge peace with people so cold. Did she really think they would allow one of their own daughters to marry him, if they think us little more than barbarians?”


“You dishonor Kalden’s memory,” Edare said harshly, his tone approaching a temper that he had previously kept in check over the last few days. His anger, at least, diverted Boja’s attention towards him and away from the confusion on Nima’s face as she eyed both Edare and Adfri, and was even more confused to find that neither of them seemed surprised by what Boja had said.



“He was a good man, and would not have undertaken a mission he believed to have no value,” he growled. “If you kill Prince Cain now, and Bright Folk stand by and watch, we will all be responsible for unraveling what he started, and undoing everything that we might have hoped to accomplish in his name.”

 

[kjcanimals]

Dagon's eyes remained locked on Boja's knife. For a moment, their reasoning and arguments seemed to be working. Then the topic took a jump that he was in no way prepared to contribute. Even if his duties as Festival Master weren't limited to within his own kingdom, relations between the Light and Water Kingdoms (past or present) were of no concern to his people. It was information that would be talked about in his father's Counsel, rumors swapped within the upper circles of the Fire Kingdom nobility. Prince Thorvald and Princess Athena might even debate its significance at the dinner table, making Dagon semi-aware of the ongoings in the process. However, any comment he could make at this point was more likely to be harmful to their goals than helpful, and so, he kept his mouth shut.

Instead, he let out a soft exhale and fed the fires glowing in his hands. Slowly, ever so slowly, the colors shifted from yellow-orange to red. With the traitor distracted by the others, he hoped the change would go unnoticed. If they were lucky, it wouldn't matter anyway. However, a thought had occurred to the young prince: If Boja killed Cain, she would lose the only thing that protected her from the onslaught of three royals and a guard. If that happened, Dagon decided, he was going to put himself in the best possible position to strike.

Everything else was up to the others.

 

[cosowarrior]

With the bitter back and forth, it began to feel as though Cain was just a casualty in what was an internal struggle. This was the Bright Kingdom falling apart from the inside. Unravelling before their eyes. And in the midst of it all, there was Nima and Edare vying for his life.

For a moment, it seemed to work. An ounce of relief as Boja released some of the pressure from the blade, and Cain felt he could breathe. But the relief was short-lived. Of course it was Nima whose temper blew things up first (if not her, than it would have been Amarina, by the look in her eyes). Her words started something unforeseeable. The revelation that followed, it appeared, was something none of the heirs expected. By the sound of it, the Bright Kingdom had engaged in some strategy to forge peace with Cain and Amarina's people. Whether or not those plans ever reached the Water Kingdom, if their father was an active collaborator to this end, was unclear. Certainly, it wasn't something Cain had heard about. Judging by the consternation on Amarina's face as she looked toward Edare, she wasn't aware either. Strange, considering it was her hand on the line. Neither Edare nor Adfri expressed surprise, so the plot was surely known by some number of high-ranking people in the Bright Kingdom, but it seemed that privilege was not extended to Nima. What kind of plans were these, that the young heirs closest to it were kept so in the dark?

What was clear was that the Water Kingdom wasn't totally without blame. Regardless of whether their father was actively trying to forge an agreement with Nima's mother, their Kingdom's rumored part in Kalden's death and their failure to find the culprit drew a cloud over any insistance of innocence they may have made. Truth was, their kingdom hadn't done enough to cooperate. Even if their father was willing to haggle away his daughter's hand, this fact alone spoke volumes about their commitment to an alliance. Boja's skepticism was justified.

But that couldn't be the end of it. Not when they were so close to ensuring Cain's safety. Boja had been on the edge of freeing him -- he could feel it. All she needed was that final push. And hearing Kalden's secret mission aired before them all, inspiration hit him.

"And what I've come to finish," he added to Edare's warning. He spoke clearly and as calmly as he could, though his heart and his mind were racing. The words came to him quickly, as though they were not his own.

"Your kingdom may have lost its eldest son, but it does still have its daughters. And mine has me."

He chanced an instinctive glance toward Amarina in spite of himself. Her puzzled expression had darkened into something more troubled. With what Edare and Boja had revealed, she struggled to discern what was true. How much had been hidden from her? From there, Cain's gaze swept briefly over Nima, but he found it couldn't linger long. It rested, finally, vaguely in the direction of Boja, with whom he could not make eye contact at this angle.

"As an act of condolence, my parents proposed a new path to peace. That's why they agreed to send me to the Dark Kingdom. Princess Nima and I were to meet and finalize the arrangement."

It was a risky lie. He didn't know the nature of the Bright Kingdom's plans, nor whether his parents were supposed to have known about them. But if Brightest could keep it all from the heiress to the throne, then surely she could keep new developments from the Assembled. This lie was his last hope.

"So you are mistaken, Miss Boja. Peace between our two nations is still possible. But now you must make your next choice very carefully. If I die here tonight, my father will expect the Bright Nation to rise with him in war against whomever may be responsible. He will not believe that your people would stand idly by after the death of a second son. And if the Bright Nation refuses to fight by his side, then it will become the target of his rage and grief. My father would stop at nothing for vengeance. I prefer peace."

 

[jones573]

If Cain had meant to shock Boja, he certainly succeeded. The pressure on his neck receded not by any conscious decision, but because the knife blade dropped in sync with her open mouth.

"Do not be absurd," Boja scolded her captive with suspicion, looking at Nima with even greater suspicion. Nima had ducked her head to the side, her face red- Possibly with embarrassment that she had been used as a bargaining tool in such a way. Or in anger.

"They have their own princesses that they have no use for- What would they want with you, Commander? You may be beloved in our valley, but beyond you are little more than a tramp and a murderer, one whose own healers believe will be unable to birth children," Boja pointed out, and Nima flushed further. "You really intend to be married to this man and live your life behind bars?"

"Of course not," Nima spat angrily before she thought it through, and Boja smirked.

"I'd have a hard time believing your father would allow you to live here, even if the Commander does outrank you," she told Cain snidely, starting to think the Water Prince had been bluffing indeed.

"Yeshe is only a little more than halfway through his service," Nima said abruptly, suddenly bringing her half brother into the conversation, and then her half sister as well. "And Pemba even less."

"Her only sibling who has completed the two-thirds requirement is already intended for another, so Commander was the only member of Brightest's family able to enter a legal agreement with another individual, much less an agreement for marriage with foreign nobility," Adfri added cooly. The three years of service to the Throne were necessary to enter any binding contracts, but two years would suffice for a wedding if the couple obtained permission from their elders.

"It's a proxy engagement," Adfri continued. "Oh don't look surprised, I am significantly more involved in foreign affairs than you, and have been an advocate for Brightest's trade policies," he told Boja when she looked shocked that he would know these details and not her. She dealt almost entirely with the needs of the healers, and little else.

"Brightest would not have sent Commander to a social function without real cause, so soon after she became Heir. Cain and Nima were to be engaged on behalf of their siblings- Cain for his sister and Nima for Yeshe, or Nima for Pemba to marry Cain," Edare explained, stepping forward carefully so that he got closer to being between Boja and the open window.

"The King of the Islands was not so sure a Bright woman would make the best queen for his son, especially if it meant a two year wait," Adfri said, and his slightly bitter note regarding the schemes of royals and their annoying desire to keep as many options available for as long as possible seemed to convince Boja.

"Stay where you are," she snapped at Edare, and he froze obediently. She was perhaps coming to the same conclusion that Dagon had reached- Killing Cain would put her at the mercy of the others, and releasing him did the same. Neither Edare nor Adfri were completely blocking the window nor door nearest to them, but they clearly had both identified the possible exits.

"My disinterest in marrying him does not make the engagement any less real for the time being," Nima warned. "My... betrothed is correct," she said, stumbling over the word a bit, as it was not commonly used among Bright Folk, but she regained the arresting tone of her authority so effectively that Adfri, Boja and Edare all looked away from her face out of habitual deference as she continued.

"If he dies, his father would expect our assistance to avenge him. And I would be honored to ensure it is done by my own hand,"

 

[kjcanimals]

Dagon's flames were just beginning to tinge blue (a level which he couldn't hold without a great amount of concentration), when Cain dropped his revelation on the group. Boja's knife dipped, and the Fire Prince twitched. Unfortunately, it was no more than that. He was at a bad angle in this position and didn't have a clear shot without risking the healer using Cain as a shield. He clenched his teeth in frustration.

Whether or not the supposed arrangement was true, those present rolled with it, filling in the details of the contracted engagement. It was almost enough for Dagon to believe it himself; although, if it were true, it seemed odd that nothing had been said of it during their time traveling together. Whatever the case, the story, true or false, served its intended purpose of throwing the traitor off-balance. In a stroke of luck, perhaps intending to regain the space Edare had taken away by moving forward, Boja took a step back, pulling Cain to the side nearest the guard.

And for an instant, there was an arms-length of space between the captor and the captive.

Fire flew from Dagon's hand, crashing at Boja's feet and promptly springing upward in a blazing curtain that separated her from Cain. Boja stumbled backward, instinctively cradling the arm that had been touched by the heat. Springing forward, Dagon jumped through the fire and planted a kick squarely on her chest.

 

[cosowarrior]

It was all Cain could do to keep from wincing whenever Nima spoke. She was probably the least skillful liar out of all of those present, and he feared that with every blush, every word of protest, she would give him away. His own deception was fragile enough as it was without her contradicting it. Luckily, Edare and Adfri were quick to jump in. They filled in the details, weaving a cover so complete that for a moment, even Cain began to wonder whether he had accidentally stumbled upon a truth that had been kept from him.

It was a clever distraction. Even Cain hadn't noticed what was going on, until Boja snapped and drew his attention to the two Bright men. They had shifted their positions throughout the conversation and now nearly had the exits covered. He glanced toward Amarina again and saw that her knuckles were white; her grip on her spear had tightened, and she seemed to sink an inch closer to the ground as though preparing to pounce. Likewise, as Boja's attention were on Edare and Adfri, Amarina looked toward Dagon through the corner of her eyes and noticed the flames in his hands and their subtle change in hue. The tension was ramping up. In unison, it seemed they were all readying themselves for what came next.

It happened in an instant. Boja's grip readjusted, and suddenly, a flash of motion and light from Dagon. Cain rammed an elbow back into Boja, pushing her farther away to afford Dagon a wider opening, while with his other hand he tried to knock the blade out of alignment with his vital points. The flame sprang up, and, finally, Boja let him go. He pulled out of her reach.

At the same time, Amarina made a dive for Cain's sword. She flicked it upwards with the tip of her spear, caught it, and turned to her brother.

"Cain!"

She tossed it to him. He snatched it from the air and drew the sword from its sheath. He pointed it toward Boja, now down with the breath knocked clean out of her, while Amarina ran to cover her other side. Between the three of them -- Amarina, Cain, and Dagon -- the traitor was completely surrounded.

 

[jones573]

The majority of Bright Folk who lived and traveled in other parts of the continent were either mercenaries or healers. Common folk were unlikely to have the resources needed to hire a healer, but they had certainly sat next to the mercenaries on tavern benches or traded coin for goods with the wandering fighters. There was certainly basis for the belief that Bright Folk were all strong and physically capable, but in practice it wasn’t quite true.



Boja, for instance- She had not fought hand to hand, even for exercise or sporting, in many years. She was completely unprepared to defend herself against opponents younger, stronger, and much more recently trained than herself and when she fell, she dropped her hold on her knife. She pushed herself up on her elbows and began to right herself quickly, to scowl up at the heirs.



Nima’s eyes widened and she lunged forward- Only to be stopped suddenly by Edare’s arm across her chest.



“Nima, don’t,” he warned in a shout, all too familiar with Nima’s preferred way of dealing with traitors. Boja would be no threat with a snapped neck, but she would also be of little use.



“No! Her hand,” Nima yelled angrily, enraged at Boja’s betrayal and Edare’s interference as she tried unsuccessfully to shove his hand from her shoulder, “Don’t let her touch your skin!”



Healers manipulated the body, facilitating return of a person’s natural state- But there were cases when healers with enough talent, or enough desperation, could manipulate a body away from its natural state, and use their hands to cause harm instead of healing.



Boja’s right hand was already reaching towards Dagon’s ankle by the time Edare realized the intent behind Nima’s warning

 

[kjcanimals]

Prince Dagon was not a warrior by his nation's standards -- although he, like all Fire Kingdom royals, had been trained to defend himself both hand-to-hand and with the weapon of his choice from an early age -- but he was an acrobat. At the shouted warning, his gaze dropped to the indicated body part. What exactly the danger was he didn't know, but by now, he trusted Nima's judgement. Throwing himself into a backflip, Dagon catapulted back over the line of fire still burning behind him, feeling Boja's fingers brush against his foot on the way past. He landed in a crouch and gathered the flames with a wave of his hands. Exhaling, Dagon pushed them forward in an attempt to force Boja back against the far wall.

That was when a line of pain shot up his leg as he moved to stand.

The pain itself wasn't unmanageable, but it was unexpected. Dagon winced, and the fire faltered, sending out a plume of smoke as it flickered.

 

[cosowarrior]

Neither Cain nor Amarina understood Nima's warning. But the urgency in her voice spoke for itself. There was a moment of panic as all eyes fell on Boja's outstretched hand, which was already poised to grip Dagon's ankle. Fortunately, his reflexes were quick. The siblings jumped back out of reach in unison with the Fire Prince, like debris scattering from an impactor, both to avoid the traitor turning on either of them, and to let pass the wall of fire that rushed forth to fill the vacancy and force Boja at bay.

It was a lot of activity in the span of an instant. Cain let out a bewildered, "What was that?" just as he noticed Dagon wince from the corner of his eye. He looked toward him with concern.

Amarina's eyes stayed on Boja, who Dagon had trapped behind a barrier of flames. "She's a danger to us, as long as we keep her alive!" she interjected, pointing her tightly-gripped spear towards her. Both she and Cain turned to face Nima. Amarina glanced at Edare, who had held her back, with a scowl to emphasize her statement. But ultimately, she deferred to the Commander for their next move.

 

[jones573]

"Some healers," Nima explained breathlessly, annoyed at Edare's interference but relieved things had not gone worse. "Can do the opposite. The pain should not last," she reassured Dagon, with a sympathetic wince.

There were legends that a healer could stop someone's heart, but those were very old legends indeed, and Boja's fingers had barely glanced against his foot.

"It can be incredibly painful, if done effectively, but it fades eventually," Nima said with a confidence that implied it had almost certainly been done to her at one point.

"Adfri," she demanded. "Cloth, rope- Something to bind and wrap her hands, please."

She looked derisively down at Boja, trapped between them all.

"Give me a good reason why I should not kill you now," Nima said coldly.

"Because you don't want your fiancé to think you are a savage," Boja suggested bitterly. She had lost and she knew it, and was hoping she might at least satisfy herself by causing Nima distress. But Nima only snorted a laugh.

Her 'fiancé' had no reason to believe she was a gentle lady at this point, if he ever did- And besides, she hardly had to do the killing herself. Amarina seemed more than ready to serve as executioner.

"I think the Commander was hoping you might have useful information," Adfri said acidly from the other side of the room. "What can you tell us about the Earth King's conspiracy?"

Boja weighed her options, obviously displeased. "It depends," she said slowly. "On what you want to know."