Chapter 6

I would remember that day for as long as I lived. Kine and Aase stayed close to me as we continued making our slow progress through the jungle, and the realisation of what had happened to the familiar place I had known since childhood sank in.

What else had changed in these ten years? What was left of what I had once known? I only wished I could ask them and have Aase tell me everything would be all right, but the best she could do was take my hand and smile.

It was late in the afternoon when we finally emerged from the forest, and Aase pointed ahead. I followed her gaze. A large ship was moored on a river, but instead of wood, it was made entirely of bronze, reflecting in the late-evening sun. I stared at it.

Kine patted my shoulder and smiled, seeing my face. There was a faint splash, and I turned back to see a small rowboat leaving the ship. It set out towards the shore, and as it drew closer, I saw the tall, muscular man with long white hair and horns growing from his head piloting it. An Ice Dragon? I still remembered what the Council had done to their Crystal. Did it mean they had lost it? Why else would he be here and not in his land?

As the boat reached the riverbank, his eyes found me, and he looked at me curiously but didn’t say anything. Tore stepped into the water and started passing our sacks into the boat, and Kine nudged me to step in. I hesitantly waded into the water, avoiding the Ice Dragon’s curious gaze, and climbed into the boat.

“I'm happy you made it," he murmured once we were far enough from the shore.

Tore smiled.

“We too, Ifrim."

“It was a close call. The hunters found us,” Kine said.

“Hunters?” Ifrim frowned.

Aase shrugged and pointed at their sacks.

“Bad luck. But at least we got more than we’d expected from the Council’s caravan."

“Yes, at least you made it…and didn’t come back alone."

Ifrim turned to me.

“Who is our new friend? You seem to know each other well…”

I hesitantly met his eyes.

“I'm Silje…”

“And where do you come from... Silje?”

“Let her be, Ifrim. She went through a lot."

Aase frowned and put her arm around me.

“I meant no offence.”

He bowed his head.

“She's a Water Guardian from Naria, and she's my family," Kine said.

“Yes… The Flow around her was…unusual… It made me curious."

“She killed a Spectre," Tore said.

“Is that true?”

Ifrim’s blue eyes looked directly into mine. I hesitantly nodded.

“It hurt Aase... I reached for the Flow, and the light consumed it.”

“I admire your courage, Silje. You succeeded where wiser heads have failed,” he murmured and bowed his head.

I didn’t know what to reply, and instead we continued in silence.

As we reached the ship, Kine gestured for me to climb up. I took hold of the rope ladder before glancing back over the river and at the jungle we’d come from. It seemed so peaceful now in the setting sun, and if you hadn’t known that Monsters plagued it, you would have thought it was just the same as when I left. I didn’t have time to ponder it further, though, because Aase urged me to keep going, and I turned back and continued climbing.

I had barely got over the railing when an old dwarf with grey hair reached out a hand and helped me over. He smiled as he saw me.

“Welcome aboard Ageon. Who are you that I have the pleasure to meet?"

Kine replied before I could.

“This is Silje. She’s my long-lost family,” he said as he came up on deck.

The dwarf smiled.

“I’m Mitrandes. I’m happy the Flow has reunited you again.”

“We should be going. Even the river is not safe at night,” Ifrim murmured as he stepped onto the deck.

Mitrandes sighed and stared out over the river.

“You are right, my friend."

He turned to me.

“Silje, would you care to see what an old dwarf dreamt of when he was young and foolish?”

He didn’t wait for my reply but turned and walked back over the deck. I hesitantly followed as he made his way to the back of the ship and onto a roofed platform with low walls. It had bronze pipes sticking out from the floor, and every free space seemed to be occupied by a lever or a button.

“Are you ready?” he asked and, without waiting for my reply, began to turn a knob next to the steering wheel.

The ship began to vibrate under my feet, and I grabbed hold of the wall when the ship suddenly jerked to the side.

“Here we go."

I didn’t have time to ask him what he meant because at that moment, the ship took to the air, and we soared into the sky.

I stared at the river growing smaller below us. A flying ship?

“Do you like it?” Mitrandes chuckled.

I still clambered onto the wall as I turned to him.

“How…?”

He chuckled.

“Well, it’s a long story of a boy who wanted to make his father proud. I guess you already know my people have a knack for inventing things. We were the first to make lamps and glow crystals.”

I nodded. I did know that, but a flying ship…?

“Did he like it?” I asked, trying to keep my mind from the jungle disappearing below us.

He shook his head.

“He never got to see it. He passed away before the first prototype took to the sky."

“I’m… sorry… I shouldn’t have asked.”

I let go of the wall and put a hand on his shoulder, but he smiled at me.

“Don’t be. Flying Aegon reminds me of him every day.”

He fell silent, and I gazed out over the green canopy below us. What had happened to my family…? Dad… Mum… Uncle… Were they all gone? Had it been the last time I saw them when we left our village with Kine? Aase… She…must know.

“I’m sorry,” I said and squeezed myself past Mitrandes and out onto the deck.

Wouldn’t she have said something if they were gone? But we hadn’t had time to talk… I hurried down below deck, where I saw the others sitting around a table with a large map spread across it.

Aase smiled as she saw me and patted the chair next to her. I walked over to her but remained standing, putting my arms around her and resting my chin on her shoulder.

“Oh, there you are,” Kine said. “We were just discussing our next step."

I glanced at the map.

“Where are we going?”

“Kalla Island."

Tore pointed at it. I’d never heard about that place.

“Do…you live there?”

Kine shook his head.

"No… We bring messages and sometimes goods. There is no way to travel now but through the air…"

They fell silent, and I glanced at them.

“What…happened to Naria?"

No one spoke for such a long time I thought they hadn’t heard my question when Ifrim finally said,

“Naria is lost. Even the Council doesn’t dare to venture there."

He looked at me, and pure hatred flashed across his face as he mentioned the Council.

“We escaped before the Spectres came. We managed to take off with Kine,” Aase added.

“I tried to warn your aunt,” Tore said. “The Council were spreading rumours that she had lost her way, and she’d disregarded the counsel of the Master, dooming us all.”

She glanced at Ifrim.

“Just as with the Ice Dragons, some tribes saw their chance, believing they were more worthy of guarding the Crystal. I ran to the temple to warn her when the Council arrived… But it was too late."

Kine reached out and put a hand on her shoulder.

“You did what you could."

“You saved me that day," Aase murmured.

Naria had fallen… Did that mean…? I didn’t have time to ponder it, because Aase asked,

“And you…? How did you escape? I ran to the temple looking for you, but the Companions were everywhere… I thought…"

I sighed and sat down on the chair next to her and told them of our run to the sanctuary and Auntie’s last spell that was supposed to send me to safety. When I was finished, Ifrim got up and walked over to me, kneeling down on the floor in front of me. He bowed, resting his forehead on my lap.

“I offer you my life, Guardian of Air, for whatever it's worth in these dark times."

I stared at him.

"Ifrim…what are you doing?”

He looked up, and his eyes met mine.

“You are our best chance, Silje. We need to set things right and avenge what the Council did to us.”

“But…”

“Leave her alone, Ifrim. She's too young to carry such a burden…” Aase frowned and pulled me closer.

He bowed his head.

“I meant no offence, Silje, but I will keep my word."

He got up and left, and I watched him climb up onto the deck. I glanced at the others.

"What…was that about?”

“He…has a story to tell. Maybe he will one day," Kine said.

Tore got up.

“We should get some rest. It's late.”

Kine nodded and stood up, taking her hand. I blushed. Were they…? I glanced at Aase as they walked to their cabin, and she chuckled.

“They found each other after we escaped Naria and had too much free time on Kalla Island."

Silence fell between us, and I remembered why I’d come down here, but before I could speak, she said,

“I’ve missed you."

She pulled me closer.

“I…refused to believe that you were gone even though I didn’t understand how we would ever see each other again."

She stroked my hair.

“Let’s get some rest. You must be tired."

She took my hand, and I followed her to her cabin. I still wanted to ask her about our families, but being alone with her for the first time since we’d met made me push it aside.

I lay down next to her on the small bed, and she pulled me close. I hadn’t had time to reflect on the fact that she was ten years older than me now, but even so, it felt no different from how it used to be.

I reached out and touched her eye patch.

“What happened?”

She shrugged.

“It’s a long story…”

She played with my hair, and I felt the tension I’d held the whole day slowly falling off.

“I missed you too,” I murmured. “I’d thought I’d lost you when Auntie sent me away."

“But you are here now…”

I glanced at her.

“And the others…? What happened to them?”

Her hand froze in mid-stroke.

"I want to know…”

She sighed.

“I know some escaped back to their homelands. I heard that my uncle and a few others made their way to Akkadia, but I don't know if it’s true. I'm sorry, Silje…”

“Maybe the others found a safe place to stay…" I whispered.

She sighed and tucked a blanket around us.

“It was ten years ago, and I’ve searched for any news about them ever since."

Ten years… The last illusions I’d had about seeing my family vanished, and I sobbed against her chest.

I’m sorry…” she whispered.

“I wanted to weave you a bracelet the next time the Yari flowers were blooming. I hoped it would be over and we would go back home and…”

“I know…”

I heard someone moving on the deck above.

“What happened to the Council?” I sniffled.

She sighed.

“They’ve brought two Crystals to Akkadia. It’s the only place that is more or less safe now."