Beneath the surface

Aurelia

I spent the following hours wandering around the camp helping where I could. The body count was higher than fifteen hundred now, all our number had been collected off of the battle field. Fires had been set and burned for the last three hours. The smell of burning flesh was overwhelming, but it was better than the smell of flesh starting to rot.

I needed some time to think away from Galorian. When I said I was leaving, he also had work to attend to among his men so we left at the same time. He kissed me softly leaving my lips warm after he turned away.

The dream had felt real in many ways. I could smell him, feel the heat of his lips on mine and the bruises that were left on my arms were in the exact same place that his fingers held me. I couldn’t get him out of my mind.

I didn’t tell Galorian what had happened when he asked, I tried to play it off as the wounds were from the battle. His eyes had lingered on them when I was changing and I knew that he did not believe my lies. It was to intimate, giving that kiss had been a mistake. It was a rash action; one I knew that I would be regretting soon.

At least I would soon have protection against him, my mind would be my own once more. I would be able to attend war counsel and make choices for my army. What was left of it. Now scouts had been sent out to make sure that no other demons were hiding in the surrounding area. They also had some instructions to search for the herbs that were needed for the wounded.

I was moving around the camp in a haze; my hands knew what to do but my mind was everywhere else. I was so distracted that I didn’t notice Kairios standing next to me. How long had he been standing there? I looked at my hands and noticed that I was tearing cloth into bandages.

“How are you? I Didn’t see you at the end of the fight.” I had been worrying about him, even though I had not been able to ask about him, I still cared.

“I’m fine. Used to much of my magic. I've been meeting with the generals mostly. They are afraid.”

I looked at him from the corner of my eye and cursed that he was standing on the ruined side. “After all of this, I can’t blame them. We always knew that they were weak and fearful. They want to go home, don’t they?” I had suspected this. We had won the fight but we had lost in a lot of other ways.

“Yes, I told them there is nowhere for us to go. His armies will follow us.” He was angry with them. Tired of their cowardice.

I couldn’t stop thinking about how much I missed him. The way it felt to stand next to him, to smell his honey fragrance. Even through all the death and mud, I could smell it. It called to me. I hated the world, for what it had done to us.

“There's something you need to know.” I had to tell someone.

“If it has to do with that pirate, then I don’t want to know.” His voice had such anger laced into it.

“No, it's not about him. Saira’s brother. He came to me in my dreams.”

He looked at me full on so I took the opportunity to look at him. He had bruises and some small cuts here and there, but for the most part he just looked exhausted. I wished I could touch him but I could see it there on his features, he was still angry with me.

“I gave him a death promise. And he gave me one in return. I have the marks that prove it on my arms.” The bruises seemed to burn as I thought about them.

“How did he get his hands on you?” He was surprised...

“I sealed my promise with a token, a kiss. He took control of it and left his own promise as well.” Saying it out loud like this, I felt like such a fool.

“You kissed him?”

“Not in the way you think. I promised to kill him. His promise is to take me.” Why was I blushing?

“For what?” He crossed his arms.

“I don’t know.”

“You’re in danger.” A flicker of something familiar crossed his face. Was he worried?

“I am always in danger; I was born with my life in danger. I don’t think I'll ever know a day of peace in this life.” The sad truth. My life was made for this.

“Did you tell the pirate?”

“No.”

“Why?”

Why didn’t I tell him? “I don’t know why. I guess I wanted to tell you first.”

We stood quietly staring at each other. I warred with my emotions and told myself that I had no right to look at him the way that I was. I wanted him told hold me, to tell me he was going to protect me against these new dangers. And when I looked deep into his eyes, I could see that he wanted that to.

“I do not forgive you. But I will fight with you. I’ll stand with you when we kill our enemy.” He raised a hand to my cheek. “We will see the children together.”

His hand fell and before my mind could catch up to what he had said, he was walking away. Tears streamed down my face and dripped onto my chest. We would see the children together, his own promise to me.

He left me feeling confused. My mind didn’t seem to work right, every thought came slowly and caused the pain in my chest to grow. Saira had been sleeping for hours now, it was time for me to go wake her up. I needed the company of my best friend.

I had left her in the care of the same old woman. When I came through the entrance, she was sitting at Saira’s side, needles clacking as she hummed a gentle tune. “How has she slept?”

“As soon as she laid down, she fell asleep and has not woken since.”

“She can speak for herself.” Saira said into her pillow. “How anyone can get any sleep with the sounds of those needles at work, is a mystery.”

“Well then, I'll just take my work outside.” She feigned annoyance as she hobbled out of the tent.

I took her seat next to the bed. “You look like shit.” Saira said.

“So do you.”

We laughed together both finding some healing in it. “We need to talk about your brother.”

“Zephyrus? What has he done now?” I had never heard her say his name...

“Same as always. What was he like when you were growing up?”

“He was quiet for the most part. Our father didn’t allow us to be around each other that often.”

“Did you ever learn about the history, of our families?” Maybe she would know what he was talking about. It still did not matter but I wanted to know.

“All I was told, at least what I can remember is that the dragon clans always dominated the lands. The warlocks wanted some of that power for themselves.”

“He told me that we tried to take control of your lands. That was why this all started.”

“I don’t know. Maybe after all of this we will be able to find the answers in the library. There is a large section of restricted books.”

“Yea, I just don’t want to make the same mistakes. I feel like there is so much that we don’t know. Do you ever think we are doing the wrong thing? That we should let Zephyrus take the throne?” For the first time I said his name. What was wrong with me? Why was my heart beating faster at the thought of it?

“No. It has never crossed my mind. Not once. You are the true ruler of this kingdom. The only one who can bring it all together. Our mothers knew that. They both died believing that.”

She was right, now was not the time to start doubting my path. I had to endure it, all of it. “How are you feeling now after some sleep?”

“Better. I can feel my magic returning.”

“Do you think you can do the spell now?” I was ready for all of this to be done.

“Yes. I found this ring yesterday. It's going to be too big for you but I think if you even wear if around your neck it will still have the same effect. I'm sure we can find some chain or at least a leather strap.”

“What do you need to do?”

“First, I'm going to try and get into your mind, so I get a feel for what I need to put in the protection.”

“Okay. What do I need to do?”

“Just relax.”

She sat up and took a few breaths before closing her eyes. I closed my eyes and tried to open myself up to her. I could sense the change in the air as her magic started to build up. My head started to tingle, similar to when my fingers and toes get too tired. I tried to relax against it but it was very uncomfortable.

Just relax. Her Voice said into my mind. I tried to focus on my breathing. In and out. Like the water on the lake side.

“He has his own protection spell against you.”

“What do we do?” He was in my mind even now.

“I'll make the charm and then see what happens.”

She pulled out a ring and held in in the pam of her hand. Her eyes closed once more. The air became electric around her. The little hairs on my arms started to rise. She seemed to glow as she worked her spell into the metal ring.

When she was done, “here hold this.”

She dropped it into the palm of my hand. It was hot! Not enough to burn me but I could feel the heat. While I held it, I could feel my mind start to clear. It was like a fog had lifted. I could feel my mind get stronger and stronger, like it was healing from some unseen wound.

“I think it's working.”

She closed her eyes again. This time they opened quickly. “I can't get in.”

“It feels like my mind is clearer. My thoughts feel normal now. Before I was starting to think stupid things like giving up.”

“That was from him. In the protection spell I could feel him. He was trying to control you.”

“That bastard. Wil he be able to get back in?”

“I don’t know. His powers are unknown to me. The only way to know would be to keep track of your thoughts. Never take that ring off or leave it behind.”

“Right. Let's go. I have some generals that I need to speak with.”