Chapter 24

It took us a week to reach the far end of Akka’s Kingdom, and the closer we came, the more the tension grew. An unnerving feeling hung in the air, and even though none of us spoke, I could see it affecting the others as well.

Eden halted our party as we came to the border of Marbug, and the silent tension filled the air.

“This is as far as we go”, he said. “Be careful and may Goddess guide you on your path.”

Karim rode over to him, putting his hand on his shoulder.

“The sun will rise again”

“The sun will rise again”, Eden nodded.

He ordered his soldiers to turn back, and I watched them disappear in the distance and then turned to my companions. A wide river separated the two kingdoms, and an old stone bridge connected their banks. I didn’t know what to expect once we crossed the border, and from what Karim and Uruk had told me, anything could happen. We rode towards the bridge, and I saw a group of riders waiting for us on the other side. I shivered. They definitely didn’t look human. Some of them had furs, some just fangs or animal ears and strange-looking eyes. A tall man rode forth, and his black mane fluttered in the air. He halted and looked at us with a piercing gaze.

“Welcome to Marburg, travellers. On orders of King Isdar, I, Lanard, offer you our hospitality.”

Karim bowed his head.

“It is an honour to meet you, Lord Lanard. May Goddess guide your steps.”

I could see Lanard’s frown at his words, but he stayed silent. Another figure rode up and halted next to him. He looked older, with a grey, long mane flowing down his back. He looked at me with curiosity and smiled.

“Welcome to Marbug, friends. It fills my heart with joy to see the Light Bringer riding through this land once more”.

His words made me uneasy, and I was reminded yet again of what they hoped from me. I wasn’t who they thought I was.

“Manelia!”

Uruk rode forward to greet the rider, but Lanard interrupted their reunion.

“The King is waiting”, he said coldly.

“Of course he is”, Manelia said, amused. “And we shouldn’t make him wait”

Manelia turned to us.

“It will be an honour to join your company and show you the land you once walked on, Light Bringer. May the goddess offer you a safe passage.”

He emphasised the word ‘safe’, and I wondered if it was a hint to Lanard. They definitely didn’t seem to go along, and I could easily see that Lanard wasn’t fond of my presence. The entire encounter felt so staged and unnatural. I looked at the rest of their riders, and even if they stayed close together, I could distinguish two separate groups in it. Succession conflict… I suddenly remembered Karim’s words. A sudden thought struck me, and I rode forward, hoping it was the right choice.

The eyes of the riders fell on me as I halted before them, and my voice trembled as I said,

“T...thank you for welcoming me here…”

I took a deep breath and continued,

Soft like a feather,

hard like a steel,

shine like a star

in the starry sky.

Silence fell between the riders, but after a few moments, they repeated my verse and continued with the rest of the prayer. Lanard gave me a cold look, but even he whispered it quietly. I observed them carefully, wondering what the price had been for the choice I made. Karim gave me a reassuring look, but it wasn’t enough to dispel my doubts.

“Let’s ride, the King is waiting”, Manelia said, and our joined group set out.

I looked nervously at my companions. Selene leaned toward me and whispered,

“You can trust him, he was with us at Tarnis”

“The Lion of Tarnis is my good friend”, Uruk added.

“But he fell into disgrace when he returned defeated, carrying the King’s son's lifeless body hung across his saddle”, Karim said quietly. “If he decided to escort us to Marbug, things must be far worse than we expected”

“And Lanard?”, I asked, looking at the tall figure riding in front of our column.

“He serves Zaria, the King’s nephew.”, Selene said.

She frowned and looked at him.

“The sun will rise again. King Isdar still didn’t name his successor”, Karim said quietly, looking around. “This is why we have come here”

He looked at me.

“And who is the other candidate?”

“Nashka, his daughter, but...”

“She is young and weak. Choosing her would mean a war they cannot win”, Selene said bitterly.

“Zaria will betray us to the Imperium. Traitor”, Uruk spat.

Karim sighed.

“He offers peace and prosperity. After Tarnis fell, many feared another war. His words resonate with many.”

“Those are lies. The Imperium will...”, Selene hissed.

Karim nodded.

“They are, but they sound pleasant enough for many that want to believe in them”

My heart froze as I listened to them. It seemed that no matter what they would choose, people would suffer… It wasn’t fair, and who was I to decide their fate for them? Aki rode up beside me.

“I wonder what food they have here”

I smiled at her sudden interruption.

“Are you hungry…?”, I asked.

She nodded.

“You will soon find out”, Karim chuckled, patting her back.

We rode through most of the day, travelling through an endless plain, with only a few sparse villages popping up now and then. We never stopped by them, but I could see the people waiting for our arrival, watching us from a distance.

It felt very different from when we had passed through Akka. We only took a few short breaks, and Lanard kept pushing us forward to fulfil the King's order, although I suspected that there was another reason for his haste. I asked Karim about it, and he quietly said that Zaria didn’t want me to have much influence on the people.

We rode in silence when the uneasiness that had hung in the air suddenly grew. I looked up at the sky.

“What is it?” Selene looked at me, concerned.

She followed my gaze.

“They are coming… Or, I’m not sure...”, I said hesitantly.

Karim halted his horse and looked at the sky, squinting his eyes.

“I don’t feel anything.”

He turned to me.

“We are all just jittery.”

“I cannot feel anything either”, Selene added and put her hand on my shoulder.

I nodded, but I saw Karim conferring with Manelia, and he ordered the soldiers to ride on either side of us. I took a deep breath and tried to relax. Karim was right, we were all just nervous.

“Rina…”

Aki’s voice broke my thoughts, and I looked at her riding next to me.

“Can I ride with you?”

She smiled slightly too brightly, and I sighed.

“What happened?”

“I am just bored….”

I halted, and she dismounted her horse and climbed up on mine. I covered her with my cloak, noticing the curious glances from Manelia’s riders. Had I done something to displease them? But I couldn't say no to her.

She leaned into me, resting her head on my chest, but she stirred too much for me to believe that she was asleep. I wished I could help her somehow, but…. I wasn’t the one everyone hoped for, and now she would be dragged into something that she was too young to witness again.

As the sun slowly set, Lanard halted our group, and his soldiers set up camp. I sighed and looked at the landscape that surrounded us. It seemed that I had gotten used to Akka’s soft beds too early.

“Stay close and don’t wander into the night”, Uruk said quietly and helped me to take the saddle from my horse.

I tried to nod, but his words only fuelled the uneasiness I felt. I took Aki’s hand and followed Uruk to the fire burning in the centre of the camp. There was food cooking, but even if I hadn’t eaten much, I wasn’t hungry.

The soldiers glanced at me as I sat down next to Selene. She smiled and put her hand on my shoulder, and I tried to smile. I saw the riders clearly divided into two groups, sitting around the camp and Karim and Uruk sharing some news with Manelia and some of his companions. Everyone looked tense and uneasy. Even Lanard, who had managed to prevent me from meeting his people, sat quietly and gazed into the flames.

The war was coming, and they knew it, I thought. Did they hate me for it….? I looked into the flames. Aki leaned into me with a quiet sigh.

“Are you tired?”, I asked.

“A bit…”

She tried to smile, but her voice faded.

“Let’s get some rest”

She nodded, and I got up, taking her hand, and led her to our tent. The soldiers glanced at me as we passed them, but I tried to ignore them. We climbed into the tent and lied down on the hard ground, and Aki shivered and moved closer. We should have left her in Akka, I thought, but I knew she would never have agreed to it. I sighed and wrapped my arm around her, pushing away my own doubts and focusing on giving her the little bit of comfort I still had in me. Was she the reason for me to stay?

I heard Selene crawling into our tent and lying down on the other side of Aki. This time, I found their closeness strangely comforting rather than awkward, and the uneasiness I had felt all day felt more bearable. I reached out and put my hand on Selene’s arm. This time, it felt like she was not just tolerating it, but actually welcoming it, and her body relaxed under my touch. Was this the reason to stay…? I could hear the wind picking up and the tent’s canopy rattling, pulled by the blowing wind in all directions.

Aki shivered and quietly sobbed in her sleep, whispering.

“Father… Don’t go…don’t leave me… Father..”

My heart froze, and Selene reached for me and stroked my back, offering me warmth and comfort.

“It is okay, Rina”, she said softly.