Quests Volume Two Page 7

  And then they reached the river that flew into Havenstock and said good-bye. Keneith and Raykim would keep the wagon and the draft horse, Bellinda and Hinrik would use either a boat or Hinrik's horse to reach the town.

  "I want you to have this," Keneith said, dropping a purse of gold coins in Hinrik's hand. "I won't need it, and you might use more cash to rebuild your life among Humans."

  "Oh, but it's the money you won in Flean!" Hinrik said, puzzled, recognizing the results of Keneith's bet on his victory.

  "Untouched," Keneith assured him. He hadn't needed it so far, and thought it fair Hinrik had it, since he'd worked so hard for that victory. Well, with a little help from Raykim, but they hadn't known at the time.

  "I saw you pay with golden coins until now!" Hinrik said, incredulous.

  "Hinrik, magic users get paid in gold," he replied patiently. "Everywhere."

  "Unless they turn silver and copper to gold themselves," Bellinda teased.

  "You can do that?" Hinrik wondered, eyes wide in wonder.

  Keneith rolled his eyes. "No, I can't do that. Alchemists have been trying for a long time to create gold and failed. And I don't need to create it when I can either earn it or win it by betting on the best fighter in the gladiator ring."

  "Helped by a sudden rain shower," Bellinda added, which made Raykim beam.

  Hinrik smiled and took the purse. "Thank you, Keneith. It was an honor meeting you and traveling with you for eight months. I hope I will see you again someday."

  "Who knows." Keneith shrugged. "I might not come back to the north in your lifetime." He turned to Bellinda and hugged her. "Have a safe trip, Bel. And take care of you both."

  "I will." She squeezed him. "You take good care of Raykim, will you?"

  She then hugged Raykim, as did Hinrik. Both climbed on Hinrik's saddle, and then they were gone.

  "Right, don't get mushy and get on the wagon," Keneith said, noticing Raykim had wet eyes.

  His cousin glared at him and sniffled.

  "Do you want to hold the reins?" Keneith asked, climbing to the front of the wagon.

  "Can I drive from the roof?" Raykim replied, flying up and sitting with his feet dangling on both sides of Keneith's head.

  Of course, his wings didn't agree with the wagon's walls. Keneith thought the horse wouldn't notice if the reins were a little higher than usual and passed them to Raykim.

  "Show me what you can do."

  Raykim giggled and spurred the draft horse with a light whipping of the reins.

  There we go. The adventure begins...

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Raykim loved to fly. And he loved the confidence he had acquired since he'd left the mountains where he'd been born. Whenever he was sick of Keneith's blunt manners, he took off on his own and looked at the world from high up.

  It had been a year since they'd said good-bye to Hinrik and Bellinda. The wagon was camped in the forest of Amrendra, the northernmost of the southern kingdoms, and apparently the only one with four seasons. Raykim was kind of curious to see the others, but neither he nor Keneith had decided to move further south yet.

  Raykim didn't want to go too far from Havenstock, just in case Hinrik and Bellinda needed him. Well, Keneith, more like. His elder cousin was teaching him some things, but others still puzzled him. He still didn't understand Humans much.

  They had encountered dwarves while moving around the Central Massif, but they'd proven grumpier than Fajrulo. Very few of them were bold enough to reach Human towns and villages around the mountains, and even less had actual Human friends.

  Dwarves weren't hostile towards the half-blood cousins, but they weren't welcoming either. They knew the way to the closest Genn underground city, but neither Raykim nor Keneith had been keen on entering the tunnels and caves system of the underground people. Keneith said he'd feel buried alive and Raykim was afraid his wings would hinder him in the narrower passages.

  And then one day, on his way back to their secluded camp, he saw two Sila flying towards him. He flapped his wings to stop mid-flight, puzzled, and looked around. There wasn't anyone else up in the sky, and the two Sila were definitely converging on him.

  He gathered a cloud and sat, waiting. He also glanced towards the ground to check how far he was from camp, just in case he needed to dive to safety like he had done when his father had attacked him. Just in case. Sila weren't belligerent, but... just in case.

  It was two female Sila, probably in their twenties, and they were smiling, therefore not threatening. Raykim relaxed a little as he observed them. One had blond hair and wings, blue eyes and a blue tight-fitting Sila two-piece – shirt and pants. The other had black hair and wings, brown eyes, olive skin like Raykim's and wore a cut shirt that barely covered her breasts, leaving her belly-button free, and her pants reached barely below the knee.

  "Hello," the blonde said. "Are you Raykim?"

  "Yes," he answered, surprised. "How do you know me?"

  "News flies." The dark-haired one chuckled. "Are you still with your cousin?"

  "Uh, yes... which nest do you come from?" Raykim began to fear his mother was dead and her offspring were trying to find him to get rid of him forever.

  "One of the nests of the Central Massif," the dark-haired one said, pointing back at the mountains below them. "Can we meet your cousin before we make all the introductions?"

  "Sure." Raykim decided that with Keneith he could deal with the two Sila. On his own, not so much. The memory of being kicked out of his Home Nest was still fresh in him.

  He guided them to the clearing where Keneith was preparing their lunch.

  "I thought you'd skip a meal," Keneith said. "Hello, ladies. Are you by any chance Winged Elsa and Winged Monia?"

  Raykim gaped at Keneith as the two Sila laughed.

  "It is us," the blonde said. "I'm Winged Elsa, and that's Winged Monia. We should have met earlier, Keneith, although you didn't have your interesting cousin with you back then."

  "I wonder why they chased him from his nest," the dark-haired one added. "He is unusual, but still..."

  "Would you do a mating flight with him?" Keneith asked. "Not that he's ready yet, but still..."

  "Why not?" Winged Monia's smile dazzled Raykim who held his breath.

  "Come on, Winged Monia, don't tell me that the Sila fear you because you have black wings!" Keneith teased. "I mean, I understand Humans being confused, but..."

  "Winged Monia has weird tastes," Winged Elsa said. She took a parchment from an inner pocket of her shirt. "Bellinda said you might use a map of the southern kingdoms," she added, offering it to Keneith.

  "Thank you!" Keneith unfolded it and spread it on the ground. Raykim peeked at it, but didn't say anything.

  "I'm sure Raykim can mark where you are right now," Winged Elsa continued. "I'm not sure of the names of the southern towns and kingdoms anyway, so you'll have to improvise as you go along."

  "I have a stylus to complete it," Keneith said. "Thanks, Winged Elsa." Keneith folded it again and turned to the fire. "I won't invite you for lunch, but let me feed my little cousin. If that doesn't disgust you," he stared at Winged Monia, "nothing will. But please show up in a few years if you want to mate with him."

  Winged Monia laughed and shook her head, which made Raykim feel relieved. He really wasn't ready for a mating flight. And he was hungry. Keneith passed him the roasted meat and he attacked it while the Sila sat with them without touching the earth food.

  "How are Bellinda and Hinrik?" Keneith asked. "Still together, I hope."

  "Yes, can you believe it!" Winged Elsa grinned. "I think she has found the right one."

  "And she didn't want to have him." Keneith rolled his eyes. "Are they still living in Havenstock?"

  "Yes, well, slightly outside of Havenstock, on the river shore. Wioleta keeps an eye on them," Winged Monia answered. "The Varian king is still trying to subdue the northern tribes, so he has given the Gallians some respite."

  "You might have felt it o
r not, but there was an eclipse," Winged Elsa said, serious now. "And a big clash between light and darkness."

  Raykim stared at them goggle-eyed, forgetting to eat. He had missed something huge. He could have watched from a safe distance – if he'd known of the clash. No earth-shattering explosions or columns of black smoke obscuring the sky had caught his attention, though.

  Keneith nodded. "Belfi and Manusia," he said.

  Raykim gasped. "You mean the twins fought?" he asked, incredulous.

  "Yes," Winged Elsa answered. "Manusia was immortal from the beginning, his demonic nature being stronger. During their first fight, centuries ago, Belfi absorbed part of his immortality, becoming invincible for the poor dark twin who was confined to his mother's underground kingdom."

  "He could have waited for Belfi's natural death, but he craved the sun and envied Belfi, therefore for three hundred and eighty years he tried to get out," Winged Monia continued. "Since their mother had used eclipses to try to get back under the sun, he decided to do the same."

  "So they fought during the eclipse," Keneith said. "Did you see anything?"

  Raykim shook his head violently. "No! I didn't even notice the eclipse!"

  "The clash was on the ground and very quick," Winged Elsa replied. "The eclipse was short and the cloud of Manusia's dark power didn't have time to rise up in the sky, since Belfi understood how they were tied and sacrificed himself to rid the world of the Lord of Darkness. You may have seen a flash of light if you looked the right way, otherwise you missed it like most of the world."

  "You mean the immortal half-blood is... dead?" Raykim's voice ended in a squeal.

  Both Sila looked at him and nodded. Raykim exhaled, bummed. He felt a lump in his throat, but fought it. Keneith already thought he was too much of a wimp. He looked at his cousin who was staring at the fire, pondering.

  "Thank you for the good and the bad news," Keneith said at last, looking at the Sila.

  "We thought you might be interested in hearing of Belfi's demise," Winged Monia said. "Manusia's energy liquefied with the demons. The Genn wonder where or when it will surface again. Since you're both half-Fajrulo, you're the only ones who will be able to handle it."

  "So you think the evil will come back?"

  "It keeps coming back," Winged Elsa said. "The Immortals might have buried the evil underground, but the dark magic keep resurfacing, calling on Human blood..."

  "The Ponds of Dark Magic. And they're toxic for the Magical Races except Fajrulo." Keneith nodded, thoughtful. "Although I have Human blood, so we better put all our hopes in this young half-blood who might one day save us all." He put one hand on Raykim's shoulder and smiled briefly at him. "Don't worry, little cousin, it will take years if not centuries."

  Raykim gulped and nodded. He wasn't too happy to hear he might have to confront evil and dark magic. The part of him that was Sila wanted to hide and whine. But the Fajrulo blood sort of looked forward to the confrontation.

  ***

  Keneith was upset at the news that Belfi had sacrificed his life to defeat his dark twin. He hadn't shown any of it to Raykim, of course, but it made him wonder. Would he sacrifice his own life for the good of others? To save the world? To get rid of a menace?

  He doubted it. He was more attached to his own life than to the world and the people living in it. Self-preservation was a strong instinct in him, one he hadn't really learned to control – he hadn't wanted to. It had kept him alive for fifty-six years, after all.

  And then there was the fact that one of his favorite mentors was gone. And they hadn't met again before Belfi's demise. Keneith wasn't sure he could mentor Raykim either. He wasn't as patient as Belfi had been, but he had no idea who he could ask to help him.

  He hadn't stayed with his own offspring and now he was stuck with a young half-breed who looked at him as a father figure – the father he didn't have. Of course Keneith was less threatening than Runedemon in Raykim's eyes, but Keneith didn't think he could handle his fickle cousin.

  "We should get moving," he said as they cooked their midday meal two days after the Sila's visit. "We've been here for a whole year. Either we go further south or we get closer to towns."

  "We're not going back north? Ever?" Raykim asked with his hurt puppy look.

  "Why would you want to go back to a place where they tried to kill you? Where you're not wanted?" Keneith's patience was very thin by now. He was a loner, and he had had enough of Raykim's company.

  "But our friends are there!" Raykim whined. "Can we just visit them in their house on the river?"

  Keneith rolled his eyes. "Raykim, we said good-bye to them. They're living happily ever after. Maybe they're even starting their own family. Why do you want to disturb them?"

  "I thought we were a family," Raykim grumbled.

  "You and me are family, since we're cousins," Keneith snapped. "Bellinda and Hinrik are a couple. Like newly-weds or freshly-mated or however you want to consider them. There's no room for us in their life at this time."

  Raykim sniffled and hugged his knees, losing interest in the food. Keneith refrained from groaning in frustration and took a deep, calming breath.

  "Now, if you allowed us to get moving, we might meet other people. You know how big the world is, you saw it from up above. Why do you want to stay here, in the middle of a forest, away from any other intelligent being walking these lands?"

  Raykim shrugged and pouted. Maybe it was his youth, but he was much more cuddly than Keneith. He needed touch, but was obviously afraid of new people. It must have taken him a great deal of courage to approach them that night a year and a half earlier.

  "Don't you miss Human food, like bread?" Keneith gave Raykim his portion of roasted meat.

  "Sort of," Raykim admitted, staring at the food before nibbling it. "I've never really tried Human food, have I?"

  "No, nor Human drinks." Keneith smiled. He wondered what effect ale or wine would have on his little cousin. Except he'd have to figure out what southern people thought of winged beings before taking Raykim to a tavern. "Besides, you might have a gift for languages, but I'm a lot slower. These lands speak a different language. If you don't let me go near a town, I will never be able to learn it and communicate with the locals and figure out if they'd be hostile to you or not."

  "I could help, if they let me touch them," Raykim said. "Or we could find the entrance of a Genn underground city and ask them. I saw a couple of openings that probably lead to either a Dwarven town or a Genn town."

  Keneith winced at the thought, but then, any place was better than being stuck in the Amrendran forest. Especially now that Manusia was no more, underground cities lost all their demonic aspects, if they ever had one. But he wasn't sure the Genn "exiled" underground were as nice as the ones living in forests or other secluded places under the sun.

  Raykim's yellow eyes widened as he seemed to listen. "Someone's coming!" he whispered. "They must have smelled our food!"

  "Great, I'm sick of hiding anyway."

  Keneith listened too and heard footsteps approaching. Didn't sound like an army, therefore he could handle a few people. He wasn't aware there were any in the vicinity. Raykim had mentioned a lone small palace somewhere on the outskirts of the forest, but Keneith doubted the smell of their meal had reached that far through the trees.

  And then two identical young men with gray eyes and brown hair emerged in the clearing. They had bows and arrows and dressed like hunters, but had golden medallions around their necks.

  Raykim straightened his back, worried, but Keneith was just curious. The southern language sounded harsh and impossible to understand at first hearing. The tone was questioning, but Keneith had no idea of what they were asking. And they were too far from the border with the Gallians to find an interpreter.

  "Wait!" Keneith raised his hand and looked at Raykim. "They don't seem to want to hurt us, or they'd have come out stealthily and with their arrows pointed at us. Why don't you try to touch them and understand
what they're saying?"

  The two young men seemed frozen now that they realized there was some communication problem. They were also staring at Raykim's blue hair and wings, but more with awe than fear. Still, Raykim was hesitant to go near them.

  Keneith turned to the twins and put a hand on his chest. "Keneith," he said. He pointed at his cousin. "Raykim." And then waving at them, "You?"

  "Mahesh Manish," one of them said quickly.

  "Mahesh," the other repeated pointing at himself. "Manish." He pointed at the other.

  "So, Raykim, why don't you try to communicate with Mahesh and Manish? Please?"

  "Will you protect me?" Raykim asked with a tiny voice.

  "Of course. No harm will come to you. Now please, go and touch them."

  ***

  Raykim rose slowly, his eyes on the two identical Humans who stared back at him with puzzled expressions. Not hostile, though, Keneith was right. They weren't touching their weapons. Raykim went to them and put one hand on each clean-shaven cheek. He felt them shiver, but neither stepped back.

  "I hope you can understand me," he said hesitantly. "Please speak now, touching you allows me to understand your words."

  "What creature are you?" one asked. "Are you a young god?"

  "Uh, no, I'm not a god," Raykim answered.

  "Half-god," Keneith said from the camp fire. "After all, Fajrulo passed themselves off as gods, so you're a half-god!"

  Raykim glared at his cousin.

  "What did he say?" the other asked.

  "He said I'm a half-god," Raykim grumbled. "He's a magic user, very powerful."

  "Will you come with us to our hunting pavilion?" the first one asked, excited. "Our father will be delighted to meet you both!"

  "You won't hurt me?" he asked, puzzled. "I have demon wings and wolves' eyes and..."

  "You are a half-god, how could we possibly hurt or slay you?" the other replied with a smile.

  "All right." Raykim sighed and let go. He turned to look at Keneith. "They want us to follow them to their hunting pavilion. I assume it's the house I saw from up above?"

  "Probably, but I thought you said it wasn't inhabited."