The Starcastle

As I thought, Lina was not in a good mood the following day. It was barely an hour past sunrise when I heard a knock at the door. Luckily, I was already wide awake, though it was after a restless night of pondering. When I opened the door, she was visibly agitated.

“What are you doing?” she snapped, “You said we would get an early start. So, why haven’t we left yet?” She was chewing her lip to the point I feared she would draw blood.

“Good morning to you, too,” I said, sitting back down and resuming putting on my boots at the same pace I had been before, mainly because the pain in my chest prevented me from rushing.

“Mornin’ Lady Lina,” came Dietrich’s groggy voice. He sat up in his bed, his shaggy mane messier than usual. “What’s the hurry?”

Lina barely registered him as she looked to her left and right, down each end of the hallway. “Oh, where’s Ulrich…” she murmured, “He said he’d be out in five minutes.”

“Let us have a quick breakfast, at the very least.” I could hardly contain a smile.

“I checked. It’s all spicy. So, let’s just eat on the way.” She would not meet my eyes again. Whereas I found this behavior irritating two days ago, today I found it amusing. I knew her agitation was not directed at me this time, which helped.

“I thought, we’d take our time today, see the sights. Fire Wind has a lot of interesting locations.” I, of course, was lying through my teeth, which I suspected Lina knew.

She scowled at me, her eyes cold and hard like rubies. “Does it?” Then her eyes softened. That smile of hers was back on her face. Lina touched a finger to her lip, something I had not seen her do since Pleasance. “You might be right.”

Her tone also became soft and more infantile in much the same cadence as when I first met her. “Hmm, I can’t think of anything else to see. But you know better than I do. Maybe we should ask Ulrich?”

I tried not to let my amusement show on my face. “I’m not sure we should. I think he would suggest that we move on. Blumentau’s still a few days away.” I could not remember the point at which Lina had dropped that voice during our journey. I much preferred her regular cadence.

Lina’s eyes became wide with innocence. “You think so? But I wanted to see more of Alten’s sights like you! I heard that the capital, Baldwin, is decorated with all the extra gems they mine. Everything is supposed to sparkle in the sun!”

“Does it?” So, this was the manipulation both Gertrude and Heide described. It was easier to recognize this time because her objective was obvious. And looking back, I could remember a few times she had used these exact tactics.

Well then, if Lina did not want to be honest with us even after all we’d gone through, I did not feel bad for using her tricks against her. “That would be a sight to behold. If that’s the case, we should leave immediately.”

Lina beamed, “Great idea! Let me help you pack!” She darted toward my discarded rucksack, which contained a few articles of clothing, with the rest strewn about. I had been in too much pain last night to bother with tidiness. Silva would have been upset with me, complaining that she would be the one to clean it up. But she was not here.

Lina made quick work of our belongings. The only mistake she made was trying to pack the socks Dietrich was planning on wearing. When she finished, Lina shoved the bag into his arms and was out the door with a last, “I’ll meet you by the cart with breakfast ready.”

Dietrich and I exchanged bemused looks. She really did not want to see the Straters again. I did not blame her. If I spent all this time building a persona, I would not wish to meet people who could destroy all that with a single word. But I, of course, was open and honest in all my dealings.

No one could say that Anno Wolfskreuz was a man of secrecy.

"Sure, you aren’t," said a familiar voice in my head.

“Quiet, you!” I whispered.

“I didn’t say anything, Boss,” said Dietrich with a confused glance.

“Forgive me,” I said, “My mistake.” Somewhere in my head, I could hear laughter echoing.

We met Ulrich downstairs, who scowled as profoundly as a horse could while pacing in the sitting room.

“Why the long face?” asked Dietrich with a yawn. We ignored him.

Ulrich shook his head, “That girl’s bein’ a right pain in the rear. She has the gall to accuse me of draggin’ my hooves while actin’ all sweet.”

I smirked, “She’s just having a bad morning, that’s all. Lina will calm down when we’re on the road again.”

Ulrich gave me one of his sideways glances. “Now, what’s this I hear about us goin’ to Baldwin? That's too far outta our way if we’re lookin’ to head towards Blumentau.”

“Oh, we’re not going to Baldwin. Lina just wants to throw a certain pair off our trail.” Before I could explain further, Lina appeared at the door. She was all smiles, but I could see a look in her eye that was hotter than the Fire Breath Special. “Oh, good! You’re all here. Let’s not waste even a second of daylight.”

She was gone again. There was no choice but to follow and meet her at the cart where she handed us loaves of bread; even Ulrich. Lina insisted that she take my place in the back of the wagon.

“You’re perfectly capable of driving, Anno.” With a smile, she poked her head out from behind the canvas curtains and gave my hand a soft pat.

“Drive?” I raised an eyebrow at Dietrich, who was harnessed to the wagon again. He shrugged at me, nonplused.

“I’ll follow your lead, I guess.”

The idea of guiding him with reins was ludicrous, far beneath the dignity of a prince, but if Lina wanted me to take the lead, I was not about to complain. It made my plan all the easier.

“Very well.” Taking my position in the driver’s seat, we set off.

“Where too, Boss?” asked Dietrich.

“Head to the plaza, if you don’t mind.”

Lina’s head popped out from behind the front curtains. “The plaza? What’s at the plaza.” She had forgotten to smile, which she returned to her face. “I mean, we’ve got everything we need, right? Unless I’m not remembering something right. Silly me.”

It was cute how hard she was trying. But I had her gauged now. “It’s just a small thing. Something I noticed last night that bothered me.”

Lina’s eyes narrowed, but she still spoke in that childish tone. “It must be really important, then! But is it important enough to risk being caught by my darling? He can’t be very far behind us.”

My eyes narrowed back. “You’re very right, Lina. I’m sure your darling is hot on our trail, but I must insist. It won’t take but a moment. As I said, it’s very, very small.”

As it turned out, it was not small at all—quite the opposite. We were met by an awe-inspiring sight when we turned onto the main road.

There was another mural.

It was not just painted upon a wall but across the road, too. The mural spanned at least thirty feet in all directions, the same silvery building set upon a cloud we had seen in Sunfield, only there was even more detail than last time.

The Starcastle. I did not dare speak the name aloud, for people surrounded the painting. All were muttering.

“–where did it come from? Who made this?”

“It can’t be that, can it? It’s only a legend.”

“I heard that it’s real.”

All of us waited in quiet anticipation, even Lina. She had forgotten her bad mood and stared, mouth agape.

“And I heard that it lies deep in the ground somewhere in the White Wing canyon. Somewhere real close by.” I recognized that voice. When I looked, I saw a familiar face. The man from the bar last night. What was his name again? Rutger?

The man next to him gave Rutger an odd look. “You crazy? I heard it was behind the Morning Falls, beneath the basin. If you drink the water there, your blood’ll turn into liquid silver.”

“If that ain’t a crock of tin, I don’t know what is. From what I heard, you’ll start cryin’ diamond tears.”

“Argh! None of that’s true. Get to the good stuff.” whispered a voice next to me. All of us jumped. Nova stood to my left, leaning an arm on the side of the driver’s seat, fingers tapping impatiently on the wood. As she watched the onlookers, Nova tossed a handful of what looked like raisins into her mouth.

Lina squeaked, disappearing behind the canvas curtains. Dietrich almost tripped on his harness, and Ulrich snorted.

I blinked at her and Moog. He stood beside his sister and watched the crowd with smirks on both their faces. However, Nova spared a moment to put a finger to her lips with a wink. “Let Rutger do his thing.”

Rutger shook his head. “Demon King’s dead, right? I think it’s a sign. Maybe she’s lookin’ to come back?”

There was a buzz among the citizens. One man, the drunk from last night named Anfried, was the loudest. “Now, who’s talkin’ tin! You thinkin’ that She wants to come down and live among us sinners?!”

“I thought you, of all people, would be eager to have Her back. Ain’t you one of those missoners, Anfried?”

The man stared at Rutger. He looked sober enough, but there was still a dullness in his dark eyes. “Was. But we caused the Mother to forsake us. We jest rolled over and allowed the Demon King to rule our world. You think we deserve her love after that?”

“The Mother wouldn’t abandon us, Anfried,” said a different man. He was another I’d seen at the bar.

Andfried glowered. “Then when was the last blessing Iliana bestowed upon her children? When was the last time She showed that She cared?”

“What about that hymn you used to sing? Didn’t it say somethin’ about Iliana lovin’ us no matter? How’d it go again?”

I could feel the siblings tense. Nova was nodding, licking her lips. Moog swallowed. Both were watching Anfried like a pair of starving wargs.

Rutger answered, “I remember some of it. Somethin’ like:

“Her flesh of gold beneath the ground

Flows into sacred waters.

Her tears bring forth a—”

“How dare you speak those words!” Anfried interrupted with a stamp of his foot. “A heathen like you has no right!”

Rutger was not deterred, “Well then, you recite ‘em. I only knew the first part, anyway.”

“I ain’t recitin’ nothin’! No one is worthy of the sacred verses any more, not even me!” Anfried was practically spitting at the man. Then his fire vanished immediately, “That boy’s been sent to punish us all, which we rightly deserve.”

With one last look at the mural, Anfried walked off, presumably back to Fire Breath. The crowd continued to murmur. However, the siblings had stopped listening.

Nova clicked her tongue and scratched her head. “Velvet Crystal! Thought he might be the one to talk! Poor, fella.”

Moog pressed a hand to his chest and closed his eyes. “May his winds be silver and his songs diamonds.” For a moment, he looked to be the model of a prince.

The onlookers had grown quiet. It appeared that Anfried’s ire had been enough to cull them into silence. As such, I felt it was safe to speak again. “You mean about that hymn? Wasn’t he about to recite ‘Iliana’s Tears?’ It’s fairly well known, yes?”

“Sure is,” said Nova, “At least, the canonized version is well known. But that’s not what we’re after.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Nova answered by shushing us with a finger, even though she had been talking. She jerked her head, indicating the road leading out of town, before she and Moog walked off.

A whisper came from inside the wagon: “You’re not going to follow them, are you, Anno?” One of Lina’s anxious eyes was visible from between the curtains. “They look like bad people. They might lead us into a trap.” She looked so timid that I was tempted to obey.

“You can’t say that you’re not at least a little curious? Weren’t you all for the idea of a treasure hunt?”

“Weren’t you against it only yesterday? What changed your mind so quickly?”

I did not feel that giving her the actual answer was the correct decision, so I shrugged. “A feeling, that’s all.”

Lina chanced to stick her head out from behind the curtains. “Sir Ulrich, you’re the most sensible one here. Surely, you’re opposed to following strangers out of town.”

I resented that. I was perfectly sensible!

Ulrich snorted, “They ain’t strangers anymore, little missy. When fellers dine together, they form a bond.”

Lina pulled a face that immediately evaporated into a plea. “You’re probably right, but can you say they’re trustworthy?”

“‘Bout as trustworthy as anybody,” said the horse, “Even longtime friends can turn on a G and stab you in the back.”

“Right…” No doubt Lina had touched a nerve. She pulled another face but could not entirely hide it this time. Her nose was stuck in a tight wrinkle, her lips thin. She turned to her last hope in Dietrich.

Lina’s voice was weak as she said, “I don’t suppose that you…”

Dietrich seemed not to hear her. With a cry of “Treasure! Yeah!” he took off after the siblings with a stride that could rival Ulrich’s.

“Of course not.” Lina slumped, then retreated into the wagon. I almost felt sorry for her. Almost. But I knew she would come around eventually.

Dietrich slowed when he reached the siblings, who remained silent as they walked further from town.

I decided to be the one to break the silence. “So, tells us more about—”

But I was silenced by another shush from Nova. I could not lie that I was irritated but held my tongue. As the princess of the Alten Kingdom, she outranked me. Like it or not—and I certainly did not—I had to respect her wishes lest I ruin the relationship between our two kingdoms.

Even being a prince had its downsides, but duty came first. So, I remained silent, as did everyone else. Lina was so quiet that we may as well be a party of three.

At last, when Fire Wind was well out of sight, the siblings stopped. Nova turned and continued the conversation as if there had not been a long, awkward silence. “We’re after the non-canonized version. Every kingdom’s got their variation on practices, hymns included.”

“Cross doesn’t,” said I, “We follow the practices exactly according to Ald Alira.” That’s how it should be.

Nova gave me a pitying look. “Didn’t realize y’all were so boring.”

I sputtered an incomprehensible response. I couldn’t say I disagreed with her, but to hear it from someone else— Cross may be boring, but it was my boring! That was its most significant appeal!

“Anyhow,” continued Nova, “Alten’s got all sorts of traditions, but the one thing we had over all the kingdom was our folk songs. You couldn’t go a single town over without running into a bard or missioner willing to sing yer ear off. Mind you, this was a long time ago; the number of folk singers declined ever since the High King homogenized Iliana worship, but they’re still out there, singing the old songs in secret.”

She smirked, “People think that Blumentau’s the music kingdom, but we had that reputation first, and we did it better; you remember that. All they’re good fer are their pretty flowers.” She fluttered her eyelashes in a mocking fashion, then scowled.

Ulrich tossed his head, “So, yer lookin’ fer these old hymns? And I’m guessin’ it’s not just fer entertainment.”

Nova smiled and pointed at the horse, “You’re correct, sir. ‘Cept Moog and I’re only looking fer one; the one that’ll tell us how to open the way to the Starcastle.”

Dietrich bounced on his feet in excitement. “So, tell us, what is the Starcastle?! Does it really make you bleed silver? Or cry diamonds?”

"It’s home," said a voice in my head. I jumped. Rudi’s voice was unusually somber.

“Home?” With a glance back into the wagon, I said, “You mean Iliana’s home?”

Nova gave a start. “How’d you know that, Headband? That’s a closely guarded secret in Alten.”

“Er… Just a guess? It’s not difficult to make the connection. I mean, Starcastle? Wh-what else could it…” My voice died slowly. Everyone was staring. And I did not like the look the siblings were giving me. Even I could not talk my way out of this one.

"Blabbermouth!" said Rudi, "I can’t tell you anything!"

You be quiet! I thought. This is your fault! Why didn’t you say any of this last night?

"Because I just remembered! But see if I tell you anything ever again!"

Brat!

"Idiot!"

Everyone’s stares were growing more intense. I must look ridiculous having a silent argument in my head! I would do the same thing if one of them were in my situation. Why did I have to be the one to inherit this sword?

I found myself looking up at the sky as if there would be an answer to getting out of this written in the clouds. I rubbed at my bandages and remembered they had not been changed since last night. Grateful for an excuse to change the subject, I returned my gaze to land. “Er…Lina? Would you be a dear and rebandage my wounds? I might be starting to lose feeling.”

“Yeah, in yer head, Mr. Prince,” said Ulrich.

There was no answer from Lina. “Lina?” I parted the curtain to peer inside, only to find that Lina was gone.

My anxiety spiked as I looked around frantically. She must have snuck out while we were leaving town. If she were smart, Lina was long gone.

Oh, wait. There she is. I spotted her within seconds. She was wandering off the path toward a random outcropping of rocks. She managed to get a decent distance away but was well within sight.

I could not tell if she meant to head in that direction or was trying to get back to town, but knowing Lina, she had gotten herself completely lost either way. At least it was clear that she was trying to make a break for it. One couldn’t fault her for trying.

Nova shook her head, “That girl…”

“I’ll get her,” said Moog. He didn’t have to walk very fast to catch up to her. Lina did not even attempt to run. She knew when she was outmatched. Yet she dragged her feet all the way; head slumped in bitter disappointment while they walked back together.

Nova shook her head, tsking as Lina shuffled her way back toward us. “That was just sad. You have a worse sense of direction than Bastian.”

“I do not!” snapped Lina, “He’s so much worse than I am!” Then she caught herself, widening her eyes and putting a finger to her lip. “I mean…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Nova rolled her eyes, “Oh, cut the innocent act, Red. You know exactly who we are.”

Lina’s eyes grew wider, her finger pressing deeper. “I do? I don’t think…I remember you.”

Nova leaned forward with a sinister grin. Despite being shorter than Lina by half a head, Lina shrank back as if Nova were as tall as her brother. "But we remember you.... Maybe you should try thinking harder, or do we need to remind you?”

Lina tried to counter Nova’s intensity with innocence, but she gave that up rather quickly; her round eyes darted between the rest of us, coming to a stop on me. I could see her mind racing behind them. Finally, she relaxed her face into a sour expression and folded her arms.

“Fine. You win.”

Nova’s face relaxed as well, “Good. Now, have a seat. You’re not gonna leave my sight from now on. Got it?”

Lina stomped to the passenger’s side of the wagon and hopped up next to me in a huff.

“Good.” Nova fished another handful of raisins from a pocket and threw them into her mouth. “Where were we?”

But the three of us were too focused on Lina to care. Her eyes darted between us but would not linger long enough to make contact. “I noticed none of you had a problem with her bossing me around.”

Dietrich, who looked the most hurt, asked, “Why would you try to run? Aren’t we your friends?”

She turned her nose up at us. “Hmph! Some friends. Talking about me behind my back. You know who those two are, don’t you?”

“Hello? We’re right here?” said Nova with a wave.

Lina ignored them and continued to pout. “And I bet they told you who I am? Alaya’s always been a blabbermouth.”

“Actually, no,” I said curtly. I did not like this new attitude from Lina. It was somehow even more childish than her feigned innocence, but I suppose we were finally seeing the real her for once. “We made a promise, remember? And a prince always keeps his promise.”

She perked up. Some of the light was back in her face. “They didn’t tell you?”

Nova shook her head. “I ain’t that much of a blabbermouth.”

I touched her shoulder, “All that we know is that you’re in a lot of trouble. They want to help you, and so do we.”

“Like, 20,000,000 G kind of trouble,” added Dietrich.

Lina’s eyes widened for real, “20,000,000?! That idiot!” She was pouting again, resting her chin on her hand. “He put you up to this, didn’t he?”

“He sure did.” said Nova, “‘Cept that money’s gone up in flames thanks to these tinheads.”

“You mean, thanks to this tinhead!” said Dietrich proudly, jabbing a thumb into his chest.

I refrained from smacking a hand onto my forehead.

“I don’t think that’s a name you should be proud of,” said Ulrich with a grin, “But if you insist, tinhead.”

Nova continued, “He wants us to bring you straight to Baldwin if we ever get our hands on you.” She paused, “But I don’t see an issue with making a few stops along the way, painting a few murals, searching fer the original, ‘Iliana’s Tears.’”

“Or I could just tell you,” said Lina. “I know it.”

I didn’t think Nova could be silenced twice, but Lina’s words made the jaws of both siblings drop.