Chapter 17: Ruled by Madness     Chapter 19: Two Faces of Evil

Chapter 18: River of Regrets

We passed back through Jehanna, heading east of the Hall, and turned north. We came to the one major river of the desert country: Narube River. Its sad brown waters flowed sluggishly through farmland and low mountains.

“I sent the Frelian army ahead to clear a path for us,” Innes said as we paused next to the southern bank. Ephraim and I were riding our white horses.

“Innes!” called Tana from high up. She sounded panicky. “They’ve been routed! I can only see Syrene’s regiment left! They’ve got civilians with them. Enemy forces are approaching!”

“Calm down, little sister!” barked Innes. “We’ll have to join with Syrene as soon as possible…”

A warp appeared right in front of Ephraim and me. Lyon appeared.

“Lyon!” I cried. He might help us save Lady Syrene and the Jehannian villagers. “Where have you been all this time? Are you well?”

“Wait, Eirika,” Ephraim said, a stern note entering his voice. “Lyon, we met recently in Grado, remember? Do you remember what you told me then?” His voice was harsh, and I shuddered and Lyon flinched, a terrible hurt look on his face. Continue reading →

Chapter 16: Scorched Sand     Chapter 18: River of Regrets

Chapter 17: Ruled by Madness

We approached Castle Renais three days later. As soon as we passed into Renais from Jehanna, the difference became apparent. We could see destroyed villages, some of them still burning, in the distance. Only the ones beside the road were intact, and those housed a sullen, dispirited people who only reluctantly put us up for each night. The fields were abandoned; heaven knew how these people would survive through the winter. Several times, we saw unruly bands of unkempt men, probably brigands, but they always shied away from our large, well-armed group. We did have some run-ins with revenants and baels, mauthe doogs and even mogalls, though. And although the sun shone, there was an air of gloom over the land. Perhaps it was all in my head, but I suspected not.

As we crossed a hill into the valley in which Castle Renais lay, the desolation was just as apparent. The castle town was paved with broken glass, and hardly a face showed at a shattered window in curiosity at our army, or to see the famed, and previously applauded Silver Knight, or at least the Prince and Princess of Renais, not to mention the other royalty. The roads stank.

At last we were through the town and in the mile-long open ground between town and castle. Forests lined the eastern side; nearly two months before? – I lost count, so I was not certain – Seth, Franz and I had ridden in haste through the western side of the valley to escape from the late Valter and his cronies.

The castle was in sad state, with its windows also missing, the white stones blackened by weather and perhaps wanton fire, the flags ragged and drooping at their staffs. The portcullis was sagging in the gate; apparently one of the chains was missing or broken. I shuddered to think what the interior might look like.

Ephraim spoke first. “What has happened to our home? How did it come to be so ruined? So desolate?” His voice was high-pitched with shock and sadness. Continue reading →

Chapter 15: Queen of White Dunes     Chapter 17: Ruled by Madness

Chapter 16: Scorched Sand

I stood at the edge of the ring of palm trees, watching the closer group of enemy soldiers as they watched us. Seth stood behind me. I was grateful the the red-haired paladin for his silent assistance and moral support, not to mention his…

“Princess Eirika?” I groggily heard him say, as if at a distance. I stared through him.

“Princess Eirika!” he cried sharply, shaking my shoulder almost roughly.

I came out of my reverie, shaking my head to focus my thoughts. “Oh… Seth?”

“Yes, it’s me,” he continued, still hurried and anxious. “Please, you must rest. If you continue like this, you’ll collapse in the heat…”

“No… it’s all right. We’re all suffering…” Even with the water of the oasis, Neimi had already fainted three times and was now resting in Danny’s cart. I told her not to fight in this battle. “We’re still completely surrounded by Grado’s armies… We may all die at any moment…” Finished reciting the army’s tale of woes, I turned to Seth. “I can’t lose focus now. Has anything changed?”

“Unfortunately, no. Our allies elsewhere meet defeat after defeat. Rausten’s knights, in particular, are scattered and worn. The enemy is closing in on them.” He prodded a booted toe at the desert floor. “And this accursed sand…” I guessed that if Seth hated anything, it was sand. “It’s slowing down all of our units; they can’t get good footing. Mounted units, especially. Princess Eirika… I must ask once again that you retreat to safety. We’ll hold the foe here with flying units and magic users.”

“No,” I said adamantly. “I will not retreat. If I give up now, my brother would never forgive me. I’m the princess of Renais.” I straightened to my full height, looking out at the Grado army. “I will fight, to victory, or to death.” Continue reading →

Chapter 14: Hamill Canyon     Chapter 16: Scorched Sand

Chapter 15: Queen of White Dunes

We hurried over the dunes. The great brown stone ziggurat that was Jehanna Hall drew closer steadily, though seemingly infinitesimally. The soft sand squished under our feet and the horses’ hooves. Seth and the other knights had dismounted as it was actually faster to go on foot over or around the great dunes. It was hot.

“This isn’t the hottest it gets sometimes,” Ewan said cheerfully. “Sometimes it’s even hotter. Good job we have lots of water.” We did. Besides the water in Danny’s cart, Cormag had generously taken several large waterskins onto Genarog, who carried them without trouble, the rider only warning that someone better take them off if fighting came about.

We paused for only a moment to rest at one of the springs in the oasis surrounding the palace. I was slightly ahead of the other royals, wanting to get inside and find out the worst. Seth moved over to me, looking through the desert palms to the great double doors, and I glanced up at his handsome face.

He returned my gaze, brown eyes meeting blue. “Please, do not overexert yourself, Princess. I cannot have you fainting away in the midst of battle.” His hand brushed mine, as if by accident, but I caught a faint pulse of colour in his face and felt an answering rush in mine.

I smiled. “I will not faint. And I will be careful.” Continue reading →

Chapter 13: Village of Silence     Chapter 15: Queen of White Dunes

Chapter 14: Hamill Canyon

Today, we were descending through a dry canyon as we ascended previously through a wet one. Saleh led us swiftly and surely down the way, choosing always the smoothest paths for the horses. Below us was a green haze, and beyond that was a blinding golden plain: the desert of Jehanna. Innes, with his archer’s eyes, could pick out the palace, no more than a distant speck.

Soon, we passed higher cliffs and could not see our destination any more. We took two days on that downwards road, seeing no other moving things than birds and gophers and the occasional squirrel.

As we found ourselves in a broad valley with worn brown mountains on either side of us, here called Hamill Canyon, Tana pointed at something small, white, and fast behind us.

“Look!” she said. “There’s Julia again!” A Frelian messenger on a pegasus dropped out of the air skilfully beside us.

“What is your news?” Innes asked, interrupting the rider’s raptures at finding her prince and princess alive and well.

“Frelia has invaded Carcino and engaged the traitor Pablo’s mercenary army. With aid from Elder Klimt, we are crushing the foe where we find them. Pablo’s faction is retreating southward, toward Jehanna,” the girl said in one long breath. Tana giggled. Innes frowned at her as he considered his reply.

“Towards Jehanna? They must be planning to join the Grado forces there.”

“Pardon me,” I broke in, “but I must know… is there any word of my brother?”

“Yes. Prince Ephraim has forced the surrender of Grado’s fortress at Rigwald. He is now marching toward the imperial capital.”

I thanked her and withdrew a few paces. Continue reading →

Chapter 12: Creeping Darkness     Chapter 14: Hamill Canyon

Chapter 13: Village of Silence

The others climbed to the top of another low ridge. I lagged behind, forcing my legs to move onward.

“My lady?” Seth asked as I tottered up next to Altha and him, breathing heavily. “You must rest.”

Innes, too, was panting in the thin air. “Whew… I didn’t think we’d be climbing so high.”

I took another step forward and almost slipped on a patch of loose gravel. Innes caught my arm. “Whoops!” I laughed a little self-consciously.

“As I warned you before, the footing may be a little treacherous around here,” Saleh informed us again. He was not panting. Of course, he was used to it.

“How much further is Caer Pelyn, Master Saleh?” Seth asked. I drew my narrow brows together and frowned at his back. I wished he would stop fussing over me when I couldn’t fuss over him.

“Less than half a day,” Saleh replied.

“In that case, then I think we should take a few moments’ rest,” Seth said.

Saleh glanced at me and the other people on foot, and nodded. Continue reading →

Chapter 11: Revolt at Carcino     Chapter 13: Village of Silence

Chapter 12: Creeping Darkness

It took several hours to actually leave the city. Innes sent another messenger to his father. Ewan was skipping with impatience, but finally we moved off.

We didn’t move far that night, stopping barely five kilometres later. Forde had taken a weary Ewan onto his horse.

The next day, we travelled through quiet country. Wide, flat grain fields gradually narrowed around the road. After the fields, we passed into hilly country where horses and ranches and mines were common. Ahead, the green and grey mountains loomed. The road wound through what valleys it could find, and forests closed in around us.

Seth stayed near me all that day, but we did not speak often. My heart ached, but I carried myself as I should, and I knew he approved, whatever it would cost him personally.

We stopped on a low hill beside the road for that night.

The next day was the same, but my heartache was worse. Tana was pestering me to tell her, dear friend, but I really couldn’t. Eventually, this would fade, and, if I kept it secret to myself, be as though it never happened. To make matters worse – I mean, better – Innes was acting the gentleman towards me now.

The road was long, but the mountains were much closer that day. Suddenly, the trees parted on the right and a crumbling mansion of dark stone and large windows loomed beside the path. Innes decided we should camp there. Though it was lacking a roof and the clouds were thick – and it looked to be growing foggier by the minute – if we pitched tents inside, we would have much more protection than in the open. Continue reading →

Chapter 10: Distant Blade     Chapter 12: Creeping Darkness

Chapter 11: Revolt at Carcino

We marched quickly along the mountain path, heading south to where Innes was supposed to be waiting. We finally crested the top and saw the next valley, filled with enemy soldiers. They were surrounding a sturdy fortification. That must be where he was.

“He looks vastly outnumbered,” Seth stated, his sharp eyes somehow managing to pick out the three figures on top of the fort. “I doubt he can hold out much longer.”

I nodded and turned to Tana. “Can you take me there? We should both talk to him.”

“Hop on!” Tana cried. I jumped up behind her, and Dancla leaped into the air, soaring high above the battlefield. I had forgotten how much I loved flying with Tana.

“I’ll have to fly a bit lower so my brother doesn’t see me as a target.”

“I think you should approach him from the front, so he sees you and recognizes you. If we swoop onto the battlements from behind, I think there’s a larger chance of us getting killed.”

“I understand.” She ordered Dancla down. I saw Innes back away from the edge of his parapet, an annoyed look on his face.

“Tana, what are you doing here? Go home, now!”

“I won’t! I’m only here to help, Brother. Eirika said I could help. I’m helping!”

I smiled as I dismounted to confront a very irritated looking Prince Innes. “You must be exhausted. Please, fall back and rest for a while.”

“I can’t do that. Falling back while a woman protected me would be rather distasteful… But I would be pleased to have you join me.”

“As you like,” I shrugged. “Let’s go.” Continue reading →

Chapter 9: A New Journey     Chapter 11: Revolt at Carcino

Chapter 10: Distant Blade

We made our way to the Port of Kiris in Carcino, first cleansing the Tower of Valni of the monsters that had moved in. We were in sight of the walls of Kiris when I was stopped by a shout behind me.

“Eirika! Wait for me!”

A golden-maned pegasus whizzed over my head and landed gracefully in front of me. The lady rider dismounted.

“Tana!” I exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

“I want to help!” Tana said indignantly. “You left so abruptly that I couldn’t ask you in the palace. And besides, you forgot to say farewell. You and Ephraim only just arrived, and then you set off again! You’re not leaving me out of it! I’m your friend, Eirika!”

“Does King Hayden know?”

Tana tossed her dark-blue haired head. “Oh, Father will just say ‘I forbid you to go on this foolish errand’ or something like that. But he and my brother and your brother and you are all fighting the enemy! I don’t want to just sit home and learn music and dancing and poetry like normal – I want to help!”

I sighed, looking at the still distant waves. “All right.” I gave her a rueful smile. “I could never refuse you anything, Tana. Lucky you went with me and not my stubborn brother – he would never let you come. We’re going to Kiris, and then to Rausten.”

“I know! I was at the council, remember? Thank you so much, Eirika!” She mounted Dancla, her pegasus, and hovered over us as we continued on our journey. Continue reading →