Chapter 10

Nolar’s words still rang in my mind the next day as I sat on the edge of the small pond, letting Aruna weave a bracelet of Yuri flowers around my ankle. She had wanted to arrange a Dedication Ceremony for us, ‘just like Grandma Nolar does', and I hadn’t had the heart to refuse her game.

I didn’t know what to do with the information that the Spectres could be defeated if you didn’t fear them. It sounded easy until their sleek voices whispered in your mind. If Ifrim hadn’t distracted it back then, I would… I shivered. Even though I didn’t like it, I understood how the elves had come to believe the Worm and become slaves under it. We’d saved them. They were free and he still… He still wanted it as their god…

“What are you thinking about?” Aase asked, poking me with her tail.

She had already finished her decoration, and white flowers covered her from top to toe. I sighed. She got up and sat behind me, playing with my hair.

“Relax… You don’t want to spoil our Dedication…” she whispered into my ear, making me blush.

I closed my eyes and tried to push the thoughts away.

The sun was setting when Aruna was finally satisfied with her work. She fastened the last flower, nodded approvingly and then took our hands as she murmured a blessing.

“I need to water the garden now."

She got up and, without another word, turned and ran back to her hut. I chuckled.

“Shall we go back?” Aase asked.

“Dressed in flowers?”

“It would be bad luck to remove them before sunrise…” she teased.

I sighed. I guess it didn’t matter. After all, hadn’t we wanted a Dedication Ceremony for a long while, and even though it was Aruna who had made it up, I guess it didn’t make any difference. I only wished that our families could see us walking together with Yari flowers woven around our bodies.

We walked back to the village, and everywhere, people stopped and offered their blessing as they saw us. Even though it was no secret we were together, I still blushed and was happy when we finally were back in our cabin.

I spent the remaining days practising with the wind rifle and the short spear that Yorun had made for me. It wouldn’t be of any help against the Worm’s voices next time we met them, but even so, it wouldn’t be wasted if we met the Monsters. I hadn’t told Aase about what Grandma Nolar had said or what I’d thought about the elves we’d seen. None of them seemed to think it was anything unusual, and I didn’t know how to remind them it hadn’t always been like this.

On the final evening, Mitrandes told us we would spend the next day preparing and then leave after sunset. I didn’t want to leave the only safe place we’d stayed at, but I knew they had to continue their route, and this was just the way of life now. At least our next stop would be the last for a while, and we would stay there until the Rains. Varja was far away from the Council's reach, and I was happy I wouldn’t need to meet the Masters any time soon.

I had been so focused on the Monsters and the Worms, I’d almost forgotten what they’d done. I shivered, remembering what Mitrandes had said about Akkadia. Auntie had been right, and they had turned people away when there was no more space for them. Had the Council really betrayed us? Or had they done what they could to protect the people from the Spectres? The others didn’t seem to care, having accepted a long time ago that the world had changed. It was only I who remembered how we’d looked up to them and how happy we’d been when they came to Naria to save us from the Spectres.

The next morning, we began loading Aegon with boxes of dry fish and grass mats to take with us.

“On the road again,” Tore chuckled.

Yorun smiled, but Stella grew quiet as she took another box. Aase had told me her people had run to Varja after the Saanors banished them, and that’s where they’d met her. I wondered what had happened to her after they fled.

“Can you help me with the boxes?” Stella asked.

I nodded and followed her to a low building at the outskirts of the trees.

“How are you feeling?” I hesitantly asked as we stepped inside.

She sighed.

“Yeah, it’s fine…”

She paused for a moment.

“It’s just…”

She gestured into the air.

“Going back…”

I hesitated for a moment.

“You lived in Varja."

She shook her head.

“No, I lived in Tovira. My family left me there with the other young ones on the way. The road was…too difficult for kids…”

“I’m sorry…”

She sighed.

“It is what it is. Mitrandes always says there is a reason for everything, and maybe things were supposed to happen that way so we could set it straight."

I waited for her to continue.

“Tovira is a mining town under the Council’s control. All the crystals for lamps and other tools come from there. We even use it to power Aegon. When I was there, I learned about their routes and caravans so now I can help organise raids, but… I left many of my friends when I ran away…”

She fell silent, and I dared to ask,

“Are they safe?”

She sighed.

“As safe as they can be under the Council’s rule. They need people to mine crystals, but it’s not a life I would wish for anyone. You are only safe as long as you work…”

She took a box and turned to head out and then paused.

“You are a Guardian… You killed the Spectres…”

I nodded, fearing what would come.

“Can’t you help save them?”

I shivered, but I didn’t dare to turn my gaze away.

“I…”

At that moment, Tore stepped in.

“Stella…”

She turned.

“I know you worry about them, but don’t ask the impossible."

Stella frowned, but before she could hiss, Ifrim walked in.

“It’s not impossible."

His blue eyes locked with mine as he went to stand by Tore.

“You killed a Worm, twice, didn't you, Guardian? If it is your wish, I will let the blood of the Master dwelling there flow from his body, washing away the crimes of the Council…"

I shivered under his gaze.

“Ifrim, you know it’s not as simple. The people will starve if the Council is gone. You know it as well as I do… We can’t just kill them.”

Stella dropped the box.

“I'm sorry!”

She ran out.

“Stella!”

Tore put a hand on my shoulder, and Ifrim bowed his head.

“I’ll look for her."

Tore sighed, and we watched him disappear out the door. I turned to Tore.

“Can’t we use Aegon to supply them if the Council is gone?”

She shook her head.

“The town is too big.”

“But how does the Council supply them?”

"They’ve built roads between the towns. They control the whole chain. It’s dangerous work bringing the caravans, but they don’t care if many of the workers don’t come back. Human life is cheap in Akkadia, and many are willing to gamble their lives to keep their families safe."

I sighed. She patted my shoulder, taking the box Stella had dropped, and we walked back to the ship.

By the time the ship was loaded, the sun was slowly setting, and Stella and Ifrim returned. She seemed to be feeling better, and I saw Ifrim laughing at something she said. The moment he saw me, though, his body straightened, and he went silent, offering me only a bow as they passed.

“We’re ready!” Mitrandes called.

I glanced at them and then followed the others onto Aegon, and we set out.

It took us two days before we could see the mountains looming on the horizon. We were still travelling by night and resting by day, but soon the landscape changed, turning the calm rivers into wild streams, and Mitrandes informed us we would need to find solid land to spend our days.

I hadn’t spoken more to Stella about saving her friends, but Ifrim kept locking eyes with me whenever he saw me. I didn’t know what I could do about it. Tore had said it wasn’t possible, but even so… It wasn’t right what the Council had done.

But I didn’t get a chance to speak with her after that either, because we had to spend our days in silence now when we rested on land. I took the chance to start learning the sign language or making ropes from dry grass whenever I had free time, and the days slowly passed.

It was one of those days, after my shift had ended, that Aase and I were resting on the deck, her tail on my lap, when a flock of birds suddenly erupted from the jungle. That was all it took, and the deck became a flurry of activity as Mitrandes ran to the platform. I stared at the jungle as the trees rustled, and Aase took her wind rifle, running over to the railing and aiming it into the forest.

There was a loud bang, and whatever Monster was coming at us suddenly halted. I glanced at Kine. He had shot his sling into the trees, trying to distract it, and moments later, I felt the ship take to the air.

I shivered as we rushed up, and the air grew colder, and it was only as we reached the clouds that Mitrandes slowed down.

“We will stay here until the night comes," he announced. “We have enough crystals to power us, and Varja is close, but I don’t want to risk flying during the day."

I trembled in the cold air, and Aase put her arm around me.

‘

“Let’s take turns to keep watch, and the others can stay below deck,” Yorun said.

Mitrandes nodded.

“Two on the deck and two on the steering platform should be enough."

Aase and I got the first watch, but at least we could retrieve our cloaks. We went to stand by the railing, watching the miniature ground below us.

“Look!”

Aase pointed at the ground, and I leaned over the railing and looked at the strange path cutting through the jungle below us.

“What’s that?”

“A road the Council built. They use it to travel between the cities for supplies.”

I shivered. Just like Tore had said.

“How did they manage to build something so big?”

She sighed and adjusted her cloak.

“In places like Akkadia, many do what they can to feed their families. Resources are scarce when the Monsters roam the land. They’ll work with anything they can."

I stared at the trail below us. It wasn’t fair what was happening. They couldn’t do this to the people.

“Why can’t we do something?”

She turned to look at me strangely and shook her head.

“You listen too much to Mitrandes… He means well, but we barely survive as it is...”

I took her hands.

“Aase...”

She smiled.

"What?"

“You… You've changed…”

“I did?” she chuckled, trying to poke me with her tail.

“Yeah, you would never have said such a thing before…”

She sighed.

“A lot has changed since then...”

She looked away.

“We must…” I began, but my voice faded.

“Must do what…?

I sighed and gestured to the road below.

“I don’t know… They can’t do this… We need to help Stella’s friends…”

She sighed.

“It's not that easy…”

“But did you even try...?”

She looked away and fell silent, letting the wind flutter her long hair.

“Let’s talk to Havan when we reach Varja."

I let out a sigh.

“Thank you…"

I was freezing when Kine finally came onto the deck and called for us to get some rest. We happily descended under the deck and shared some warm drinks before disappearing into our cabin.