Two-Spirit

Character Description: Ilianna

2009-08-31T22:18:00.001-03:00

Physical description: Long blonde hair, green eyes. (In Two-Spirit V2.0: She has green, vine-like skin.)

First appears in: Chapter Two

Ilianna comes from the village of Bark in the Great Forest. She believes that her people are descended from trees, hence her appearance. Her father, Cairt, is the leader of their village. Her clothing barely covers her body, but she usually refuses to wear dresses because she believes it takes her farther from the tree spirits her people worship.

Ilianna accepted the guardianship of the green amulet when she decided to travel with Xya and Elijah. She is a gifted archer but is wary of outsiders. She is often distrustful of Xya and considers Elijah to be her only ally. This is the first time she has ventured this far from home.

Character Description: Elijah

2009-08-31T22:13:00.001-03:00

Physical description: Brown hair to the ends of his ears, and blue eyes.

Elijah is the youngest son of Nizhoni. He grew up in Mythokaste with his younger sister, Xya, and his two older brothers. As with all men in Mythokaste, he was drafted into the band of warriors that runs the village. But unlike other men his age, he longs for a more peaceful existence. That, and he often lacks the courage to kill. He will only harm others if it means saving the people he cares about.

When he meets Ilianna, he is convinced that she is the most beautiful woman in the world, but is too shy to tell her so.

Character Description: Xya/Xye

2009-08-31T22:12:00.001-03:00

Physical description: Short red hair and blue eyes. She is tall and thin, flat-chested with no hips.

Xya is the first Two-Spirit to be born in Mythokaste for eons. Her body has characteristics of both sexes, and a male and female personality struggle to dominate it. Her mother is Nizhoni. She was told that her father died when she was young, but the Wise Woman is convinced that he is alive, and that his name is Abraham.

Xya is impulsive and has the tendency to be a kleptomaniac. She does have a soft spot for one person: Elijahwani, her brother. He accompanies her on her journey to find her father, and to find the truth about the magickal amulets.

Characters

2009-08-31T22:07:00.004-03:00

This is the character homepage with lists of important and recurring characters from Two-Spirit, formally known as the Chronicles of Xya. I've tried not to put too many spoilers in them, but I've noted where certain important character developments have happened and in which chapter they occur.

Xya
Elijah
Ilianna
Zopyros
Nizhoni
Wise Woman Wikanda

Chapters for Two-Spirit

2009-08-21T21:47:00.002-03:00

Important note, I've changed the name from Chronicles of Xya to "Two-Spirit" as it is a better title for the story.

Here is a collections of the chapters for Two-Spirit. I'll end up re-writing them all eventually.

Just so you know, this is a first draft. I only do basic editing before posting. It's more of an experiment to see if I can write continuously and chronologically. I guess for a time, I did. But I would like to re-start.

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five

Hopefully character pages will be coming soon!

Coming Soon!

2009-02-19T13:41:00.000-04:00

I'm re-writing the first "chapter" of Xya, hoping to turn it into a book. I'm also working on a more suitable website within Faery Ink Press, so that Xya has a better home.

Will keep you posted!

Xya is on hold for the moment...but s/he will be back soon!

2008-11-08T23:01:00.002-04:00

The title says it all.

As much as I love Xya, school has taken to eating me alive. However, you haven't seen the last of her. While I'm busy, I'm slowly eating the past entries and turning them into a more comprehensive story. I'm also writing the prologue--the happenings before her story started so that it makes a little bit more sense. I'm thinking about releasing that in Splat! Fiction Ezine, but I haven't decided yet.

Keep checking back for more updates, and don't forget to stop by Faery Ink Press, while you're at it!

-Clare

Chapter 5.03

2008-10-03T01:12:00.001-03:00

The town around Agaia Court bustled with excitement. Unlike Thyrica, where the decorations stood for the anticipation of celebration, the cheery red and blue banners hanging from the shop walls represented the mood of its citizens. Peasants flocked around the bazaar, buying and selling their wares. Musicians played at the street corners with open cases. Noblemen trotted through the streets on their purebred horses towards the Agaia Castle, standing on a slight incline above the town.

Xye, Elijah, Ilianna and Sir Magnus were among them. Xye rode up front, wearing a blue outfit that matched his eyes and his amulet. Ilianna rode sidesaddle beside him, her green gown moving gently in the breeze. Elijah and Sir Magnus took up the rear, watching for guards and thieves.

Sir Viggo rode ahead of them. He turned in his saddle; they stopped in the middle of the street. Other nobles passed them, grumbling that they were blocking the way.

“I will ride ahead to alert the king of our presence,” Sir Viggo said.

Sir Magnus nodded, and with a brief farewell the nobleman rode down the crowded street. Seeing that they were congesting the road, Sir Magnus led them away from the main street and down another, less busy road.

“We’ll give Sir Viggo some time to speak with the king,” Sir Magnus said. “He will ensure that we speak with Abraham.”

“What do you know about the king?” Xye asked.

“Not very much,” Sir Magnus admitted. “I’ve never met him. I haven’t been to Court in over twenty years.”

I wonder what riches this king has, Xye thought. A treasure room, filled with gold and rubies, and other precious stones? What if the other two amulets are hiding there, waiting for me to--

“My lord!”

Xye’s horse reared. He leaned forward to steady the horse. Looking down, he found the cause of the horse’s distress. A villager cowered before him, his forehead touching the dirt in a reverent bow.

“Forgive me, my lord!” the villager said, lifting his head slightly. “I didn’t mean to startle you!”

Xye glanced down at his clothing and remembered his role. He cleared his throat. “Ahem, yes, it is quite alright, peasant. You may stand.”

The villager rose, rubbing his grimy hands together and then clasping them under his chin. “Thank you, my liege. If I may speak freely?”

Raising his eyebrow, Xye nodded. Who knew that some new clothes would affect a man this much?

“I didn’t know that my lord was gracing the streets with his presence this afternoon,” the villager said. “Had we all known, we would have had the decorations finished!”

Xye glanced around. “Everything looks fine to me.”

The villager’s face reddened as he bowed his head. “You are most kind, my lord.”

“We should be going,” Ilianna said. “We don’t want to be late.”

The peasant’s eyes lifted to Ilianna’s. He smiled graciously, and then looked to the ground. “Of course, m’lady is right. Forgive me for the interruption.” He bowed once more before Xye. “Good day, my lord.”

He sauntered off into the crowd. Xye watched him go, brushing the excess dirt off his shift. Elijah appeared at his side and sneered.

“No one ever bows before me,” Elijah muttered.

“My clothing is nicer,” Xye replied. “It matches the amulet. Isn’t that why you got me this, Sir Magnus?”

Xye glanced at Sir Magnus, expecting an answer. He never gave one. The nobleman’s gaze was steady on the castle, and the route that would take them there.

Chapter 5.02

2008-10-02T23:41:00.000-03:00

King Yasir gripped the railing of the balcony tightly. His ruby ring dug into his forefinger, reminding him of his responsibilities. Below, the citizens of Agaia scurried along, preparing the festivities celebrating his election.

He could barely believe he won the vote. It was only a year ago that his father suggested that he run for the position, and now, here he was, the ruler of an entire continent. Yasir smiled and praised the gods for his upbringing in the Court; otherwise, he knew he wouldn’t be able to handle the constant nagging of the noblemen, the complaints from the town mayors, and the inappropriate jests from the soldiers.

Yes, he was barely a man—but so far he had fulfilled the promises he had pledged during his campaign. He had ruled that each citizen must have travel papers in order to go from one town to another; thus, the population could be accounted for, and better census records could be kept. Yasir also abolished the death penalty in most cities; some mayors disputed this, but none were brave enough to address the king directly.

A timid knock at his chamber door interrupted Yasir’s thoughts. He bid the visitor to enter. A young boy, no more than twelve, peaked into the room. He carried a piece of parchment in his hand. Stepping lightly across the title, the boy bowed low as he greeted his king.

“I’m sorry for bothering you, your highness,” the boy said.

“Not at all,” Yasir replied. “What is it?”

“The Louchon tribal leader wishes to meet with you.”

Yasir struggled to keep his face neutral, but a grimace escaped him. “Very well. Send a rider to negotiate a schedule.”

“They insisted on meeting very soon,” the messenger boy told him.

“I’m sure they are,” Yasir said. “Tell them that I am busy with the festivities.”

“Should I extend an invitation, your highness?”

The king considered. “I would not want to upset the people. The Louchons are…unique, and Agaia may not take kindly to this uniqueness.”

“I apologize for suggesting it.”

“There is no need,” Yasir said, waving his hand. He changed the subject. “Has my father arrived yet?”

“No, your highness,” the messenger replied. “He is expected two days from now.”

Yasir nodded. “Very well. You are dismissed.” He turned back to the city view, and listened for the departure of the messenger. When none came, he glanced behind him once more. “Is there something else?”

The messenger cleared his throat. “Yes, your highness.”

Shaking, he held out a piece of parchment to the king. Yasir took it from him; his eyes were not ready for what he saw. He almost dropped the paper in surprise.

“What is the meaning of this?” Yasir demanded.

“Forgive me, my lord,” the boy said, bowing slightly. “It was found on patrol that stopped in the nearest village. They said every guard is looking for this criminal and his slaves.”

Yasir studied the drawing of the tall man with dark red hair. “Is this a joke?”

The messenger shook his head. “No, your highness.”

After considering the wanted poster for a few moments, Yasir folded the parchment neatly. “I want a full investigation into this.”

“Right away, your highness,” the boy said. “I will send a rider to Thyrica to speak with Sir Albert, the mayor.”

“Very well,” Yasir said. “Is that all?”

“Yes, your highness.”

“You are dismissed.”

The boy bowed and left his chambers. There was a brief moment when he remembered his time spent as a messenger for the kings; he rubbed his ruby stone on his robes and stared at his reflection proudly. A gust of wind whipped through his dark red hair as he returned to the balcony; he smoothed it out absently as he observed the people below.

Chapter 5.01

2008-10-01T23:13:00.000-03:00

The more distance Xye put between where Roverick fell, the quieter he became. While Sir Magnus enthralled Elijah and Ilianna with stories of the Court, and Sir Viggo educated them about their customs, Xye felt his mind drift further from his mission. The necklace pulled down on his neck, down to the ground where Roverick lay. He merely grunted in reply to Ilianna’s request to read Abraham of Mytovya’s book.

For the most part, they travelled on the road. When they came upon a town, Sir Viggo showed his official Court papers, and the guards waved them all through without a second glance. There, they stayed at the most lavish inn and Sir Magnus spoiled them with extravagant clothes. He entered Xye’s and Ilianna’s room carrying several boxes; Sir Viggo delivered Elijah’s to his room.

Ilianna protested when he opened a decorated box lined with tissue paper. “I can’t wear this.”

Sir Magnus pulled out the garment with two hands, holding it up to the light. It was a long emerald gown, with black and gold stripes on the sleeves and around the waist. “My dear, this dress accents your eyes perfectly. Every lady at Court enhances herself by presenting her best features.”

“You mean I don’t already do this?” Ilianna challenged.

Xye cleared his throat and sat down on his bed, rubbing his temples. “Oh, you definitely do.”

Ilianna raised an eyebrow and pointed towards him. “Xya is allowed to wear men’s clothing. Why shouldn’t I be allowed to wear the traditional dress of my people? Am I not there to represent them?”

Sir Magnus considered her words, and then folded the gown and replaced it in the box. “I will leave this here in case you reconsider.”

He left the room. Xye collapsed backwards onto the feather mattress, closing his eyes. He listened as Ilianna rummaged through the other boxes the nobleman had left.

“See? Men’s clothing. Men’s clothing. Oh—another dress…in green. For me.” She stopped; the paper rustled some more. “You might as well be sleeping in the men’s room, since they seem to think you as one.”

“Sometimes the clothing doesn’t matter,” Xye replied.

“At Court it does, apparently,” she said. Her bare feet crept across the room, closer to him. “Did you want to try any of them on?”

“Maybe later.”

“Sir Magnus paid for everything. I don’t know how we are going to repay him,” Ilianna said. He heard her sit on the adjacent bed, the springs bouncing quietly under her weight. “Xya?”

“What?”

Ilianna was quiet for a moment. The silence in the room gnawed at his soul; he could almost hear Roverick’s voice crying to him from six feet under the mud, demanding to taste her blood.

“Nothing,” Ilianna said finally. “I’m going to try this on now, I think.”

She stood and walked away from him. Xye opened his eyes and watched her open the box with the emerald gown. Ilianna looked up and caught his eye; it lingered momentarily before she turned around and began undressing.

Chapter 4.30

2008-09-30T22:13:00.001-03:00

The blade slid through his body like it was made of air, but the atmosphere in the forest clearing thickened. Xye felt his blood boil in his veins, but then freeze as Roverick hit the forest floor. He felt as though he would break apart into millions of little shards of ice; he almost wished he would, so that he would dig into Zopyros’ skin and kill him slowly.

Blood pooled underneath Roverick’s body. It took everything Xye had to move his eyes from the dying man to the murderer.

“He would’ve killed you, Xya,” Zopyros said simply. He spat on Roverick’s body. “Consider it a favour.”

The words melted him while the rage swept his body once more. Xye dove for Zopyros’ neck, flying through the air towards him. The thief lord dropped his sword and held out his hands to stop him—and instead grabbed him—as the two fell to the ground. Xye’s hands found Zopyros’ neck and squeezed. Gurgling, Zopyros kneed him in the stomach. Xye groaned and fell backwards. Zopyros reached for his sword; Xye curled into a ball.

I tried, he thought. I couldn’t save you, but I could’ve avenged you.

The imminent strike never came. Something thumped to the ground beside him. Looking up, he saw Zopyros, out cold, beside him. Sir Magnus stood above them, holding his sword carefully with both hands. He stared at the nobleman with awe.

“Did you kill him?” Xye asked.

Sir Magnus smiled. “Some cultures consider death to be an escape. No, I’m sure the authorities would love to see him locked up.” He looked over to Sir Ferdinand.

“Perhaps, Ferdinand, I could charge you with the responsibility of taking him back to Thyrica?”

“But the guards are looking for me,” Xye said. “They’ll never believe that Zopyros was behind this.”

“He’s a thief lord with a record taller than you,” Sir Magnus said. “They’ll find the right man guilty.”

Xye was about to protest, but then realized that spending time in jail for crimes he didn’t commit would further delay him in his mission. The nobleman helped him to his feet while Sir Ferdinand and Sir Viggo tied Zopyros’ hands and feet.

Elijah and Ilianna returned from the bushes with the green amulet sparkling and their wounds healed. They tripped and jumped over the thieves’ bodies as they approached Xye.

“Where’s Roverick?” Elijah asked, glancing around the trees. “Did he run away with his master?”

Xye gritted his teeth. “Zopyros is over there”—he pointed towards Sir Ferdinand and Sir Viggo—“and Roverick…he’s right there.”

Their eyes turned downward. Elijah’s eyebrows rose. Ilianna let out a small gasp, and then knelt beside him. She lifted his head and looked into his eyes; then, she placed her fingers on the side of his neck and counted softly to herself. Elijah lifted her gently to her feet.

“I think the blood speaks for itself,” he said.

Xye clenched his hands; the grief was too much for his masculine soul to handle. He glanced at Ilianna, his eyes falling to her chest. The green glow of her amulet emulated the last bit of hope for the man he could never have. Ilianna followed his eyes and cradled the green gem in her hands.

“I don’t think it would work,” she said. “We’ve only healed people that still had some semblance of life in them. Roverick is…”

He turned away, and Ilianna trailed off. Kneeling before his body, he ran his hands through Roverick’s hair.

I’m sorry, he thought. I should’ve told you earlier. It might’ve saved you.

Xye’s eyes drifted along the ground. Roverick’s sword lay beside him, covered in mud. He touched the blade, and wondered how many souls it had claimed. Shifting his eyes to his own abandoned dagger, he picked up both blades and sheathed them appropriately.
“We should get going, then,” Xye said stiffly.

“Xya,” Ilianna said. She placed her hand on his shoulder. “Do you want us to…bury him?”

He swallowed to keep his emotions at bay. “The dirt is too good for him.”

The words hurt him more than he thought. Clutching his heart, feeling the dagger he had stabbed there, he closed his eyes and saw his face.

Chapter 4.29

2008-09-29T13:13:00.001-03:00

The grass, once dry and undisturbed by man’s touch, withered as it became a battlefield between the thieves and Xya’s fellow travelers. Elijah fought the thieves bravely, and then turned on Roverick; he pushed him away, against not wanting to harm Xya’s brother, and continued to attack the thieves. The noblemen wielded their weapons proudly, fighting their enemies on horseback. Every nobleman except for Sir Pavel; he cowered by the edge of the clearing by the trees.

Zopyros stood by his horse; he urged on his men but barely took up arms himself. Ilianna, seeing an opportunity in this, shot an arrow at him. She missed; instead she turned her wooden missiles towards Sir Pavel. His gold in hand, he saw her intentions and tried to escape into the greenery. Ilianna released her arrow at him, and this time, didn’t miss.

One by one, the thieves fell against Roverick’s blade. The casualties were not one-sided, however. Elijah limped off towards the stream; Ilianna, after receiving a large gash on her arm, followed him. Xya stabbed and slashed and received the same wounds she gave, but she continued.

Then, her eyes turned to Roverick. Furious, she lunged at him. Roverick parried; both were aware that Xya’s dagger was too small to defend effectively against his sword.

“Xya, I was never going to hurt you!” Roverick exclaimed.

She attacked again, ignoring him.

“Listen to me!” he urged. With the blunt side of his sword, he gently hit her in the arm. Xya lost her balance and fell; Roverick dropped his sword and grabbed her, pulling her to her feet. “Why don’t you believe me?”

Real fear shone in his eyes, accompanied by brimming tears. Xya squirmed in his grip as she had when she first met him.

“Let me go!” she shouted.

He shook her. “Not until you understand! Why don’t you understand?” He wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her hair back with the other, forcing her to look at him.

“I’m not the only one with secrets. You’re not telling me something, so how can you judge me?”

She put her hands on his chest and tried to push him away. “Don’t, please, let me go!”

He yanked on her hair. “Tell me, Xya!”

Pounding her fists on his chest and kicking her legs, she got him in the shin. He dropped her in surprise. Seizing the moment, she picked up his sword and pointed it at his neck.

“You really want to know?” she asked. “Why should I tell you anything?”

“Zopyros is our enemy! Of all the times I had a chance to kill you, or steal the amulet, I didn’t. Doesn’t that count for something?” He slowly rose to his feet, putting his hands in the air. “I could never, ever hurt you.”

The sword was heavy in her hands. It shook noticeably in her grip. Gently, Roverick pushed the blade aside and stepped closer to her. “Xya, I think I…”

“No, you don’t,” she interrupted. “You couldn’t.”

“Your strength, your fury, your passion…yes, I do love you,” he admitted.

The words were like acid. They burned her heart and dripped into her other organs. She looked away. The poison infected her body so much that she couldn’t stand to look at him. The blade fell onto the muddy grass as she held her head in her hands. To have what she desired, but not able to feel desire for him, no, not like any woman could…the agony ate her inside out until she wasn’t sure if she had a body. Things would be easier that way.

“Xya, tell me,” he said softly. “Do you love me back?”

She realized she was crying. Angry, she wiped the tears away with the back of her hand. “I can’t.”

Roverick let out a small, nervous laugh. “Of course you can. Look into your heart, and--”

“No!” she exclaimed. “I can’t because…because…”

Her eyes noticed movement behind Roverick. Zopyros stood there, waiting for her to admit the truth. It lingered on the tip of her tongue, afraid to plunge into his ears.
“Because…why?” Roverick prompted.

She turned to him. If he truly loved her, he would have to understand.

“I’m not a woman,” she said huskily.

And with those words, she became a man. But as the words settled in the Roverick’s brain, Zopyros raised his sword and stabbed him in the back.

Chapter 4.28

2008-09-28T23:02:00.000-03:00

Her eyes slid to his. “What does he mean, Roverick?”

Roverick twirled his sword, passing it from one hand to another. “Now isn’t the time.”

“Look at him. He’s itching to kill something,” Zopyros commented. His voice deepened. “So why don’t you?”

“He’s not like you,” Xya chided.

Zopyros laced his fingers in front of him. They intertwined in such a way that reminded Xya of the way he had looked at her when the cloth had fallen off, exposing her deformed body. She instinctively drew her dagger closer to her breast, protecting her confused soul and the amulet that lay over it.

“No, he isn’t like me,” Zopyros admitted. He sauntered closer to him, taking giant steps to avoid the patches of mud-muddled grass. He smiled. “He’s the best at his job. That’s why I hired him.”

The blade moved faster between his hands, as if he was juggling. “Xya, don’t listen to him.”

“Hired him…” Elijah whispered under his breath. “Spy…”

“Not even,” Zopyros said. “It was a simple job really. But I suppose even the best are prone to failure.”

“What are you talking about?” Xya demanded. She pointed her dagger at him, stepping closer to his throat. “Tell me or I’ll run you through.”

“Perhaps you should point that at him,” Zopyros said, gesturing to Roverick. “After all, what does a hunter do when he captures his prey, if not kill it immediately? What if the deer was too precious to let go? Perhaps your spark of life was too much for a man who relishes in the fire of death.”

Xya’s arm lowered slowly; every other part of her body froze. “I don’t believe it.”

“I do,” Ilianna said, and aimed an arrow at him.

Roverick’s mask broke. He looked to Xya with pleading eyes. “No, it’s not like that…”

Zopyros signaled his men. She watched in slow motion as they rushed upon her like a herd of wild animals. Roverick turned to defend her, pushing her behind him so that she would not be trampled by the stampede. She pushed him away.

“You lied to me!” she shouted.

The thieves attacked her. She swung her blade in blood-red rage. She saw nothing but the colour of his betrayal spurting from their veins when she sliced them open. She heard the clanging of swords and the whizzing of arrows, but from which side they originated, it didn’t matter. Xya swirled around the clearing like a tornado, destroying everything—friend or foe—for the lines had been blurred between them.

Chapter 4.27

2008-09-27T21:51:00.000-03:00

Holding what canteens she could carry close to her breast, Xya ran after her brother back towards the horses. Her mind buzzed with questions: how many men did he have with him? Did he know about Roverick? But more importantly: How did he find them?

Xya dropped the canteens on the forest floor as she approached the place where they had tied their horses. On one side of the tree-spotted clearing, Ilianna stood with the noblemen. Her hand gripped her bow tightly. Following her line of sight, Elijah’s words were confirmed. Xya counted fifteen armed men, standing in a semi-circle formation around their leader. The thief lord sat upon his horse, staring down at them. Zopyros’ horse was as black as his pupils, which narrowed in the bright sunlight that lit up the forest. He haltered as he slid off his saddle, gripping his side where Xya had stabbed him during their last encounter. When his feet touched the ground he steadied himself, and then stepped towards her.

“Good afternoon, Xya,” he said, bowing his head slightly.

She didn’t respond. Zopyros reached into his pocket and pulled out a white sack. It jingled in his hands as he scanned the others. His eyes rested on Sir Pavel of Swabana. Nodding, he tossed him the sack of coins. The nobleman was so startled he caught the sack, juggled it like a hot piece of coal, and then dropped it.

“Thank you,” Zopyros said to the nobleman. “Accurate information is hard to come by these days.”

It hit Ilianna faster than it did Xya. She drew her bow and nocked an arrow, spitting curse words in her native tongue.

“Who are you?” Sir Magnus asked.

“My name is Zopyros,” he replied.

Ilianna swung her aim towards him. “Murderer.”

Zopyros grinned and stared at the glowing green amulet on her chest. “No more than you, my dear.”

“Leave, or we’ll kill you all,” Xya threatened, drawing her dagger and pointing it towards him.

The thief lord chuckled. “Your small band against my trained thieves? The odds aren’t in your favour, Xya. Why don’t you give me the amulets, and save some bloodshed?”

Xya matched his grin. “You won’t beat us. We have an expert swordsman on our side this time.”

Zopyros raised an eyebrow. “Do you now.”

She gritted her teeth, vying for a greater reaction. She glanced behind her. Roverick stood in the bushes, behind the fir trees. Upon making eye contact, he tensed.

What are you doing back there? she wondered.

Frowning, she gestured to him. After some encouragement, Roverick stepped out of the bushes with his sword drawn. His mouth was a straight line, and his eyes slopped downward like teardrops. Holding the hilt tightly, he positioned the blade defensively in front of his face.

“Ah, Roverick. It is a pleasure to see you again,” Zopyros said.

Xya’s eyes widened. See him…again?

Zopyros, noticing her reaction, smiled at her condescendingly. “Oh, dear Xya, you mean you haven’t figured it out yet? Roverick, why don’t you tell her?” He paused and looked to him. “I’m sure she has something to tell you as well.”

Chapter 4.26

2008-09-26T23:48:00.001-03:00

While the sun burned through the shade of the trees, and Xya and her fellow travelers burned through their water, leaving their mouths less than quenched. The sun had just left its high point in the sky when they came across a stream. It weaved its way down a hill and turned into a river a half a league away. They decided to rest the horses while they refilled the canteens. Xya volunteered to help. Her mind swirled with the new information about her father, and like the flowing river, needed space to run freely.

Looking forward to a brief moment of solitude, Roverick suddenly picked up the remaining canteens and followed her away from the others.

“Let me help you,” he offered.

Do I really have a choice? she thought.

Xya retreated into her thoughts and tried to ignore his trotting boots and pine tree smell as they walked along the stream. As it grew into a river, so did her thoughts of him, and the information about her father subsided as Roverick’s presence filled her. Afraid of drowning in it, she knelt by the running water and began filling the canteens.

Roverick dumped his canteens on the grass by the river and knelt beside her. “You’re still mad at me.”

It wasn’t a question, but she countered it with one. “What do you think of me, Roverick?” she asked. She dipped a canteen into the water and watched as its hungry mouth drank the river. “Do you think I’m…beautiful?”

“Well, I think--”

“No, you don’t,” she cut him off. “Because I don’t look like a woman.”

He laid a hand on her shoulder. “That doesn’t mean you aren’t a woman, Xya.”

Covering the canteen, she tossed it on the grass and grabbed the nearest empty one. Xya thrust it into the water.

“Being a woman is more than wearing dresses and looking pretty,” Roverick continued. “It’s about—“

“Looking pretty,” Xya muttered reflexively. “No, it’s about bowing to the man and cooking his dinner.”

“That’s not what I was going to say. It’s about what’s inside you.”

And if I don’t know what that is? she thought. How am I supposed to know what’s inside me if there is nothing on the outside to show for it?

She was about to reach for the last empty canteen when his hand stopped her. Gripping her arms lightly, he brought her to her feet. She resisted, but his hands cupped her face.

What are you doing? she thought. You could be holding a man!

But he wasn’t, and she knew it. Their eyes met and she fell into them. His lips invited her, but she didn’t know how to accept the invitation. She stood at a doorway that led to foreign lands. Entering meant choosing a side; giving up half of herself in order to pass freely through the territory. She didn’t know what to do. He drew her closer. The blue amulet pulsed between them, squished between them. It drove into her chest; she pulled away and grasped it.

“You know what they are, now,” she said, shaking the gem in front of him. The chain rattled. “If I took this off and threw it into the river, would you dive in after it?”

Roverick’s eyebrows knitted together, annoyed. “Xya…”

Wrapping the chain firmly around her hand, she took it off her neck and dangled it over the river. She gripped it tightly. “What would you do?”

His eyes darted between her and the amulet. They rested on her. “I know you’d never throw it in.”

She held his gaze. The trap she had set for him had backfired, and now she dangled over the river along with the amulet. No, she would never let it fall, but if her hand should slip, she would tumble in after it and drown in its power if it meant keeping it. Slowly, she brought the amulet back to her chest and replaced it around her neck once more. Roverick traced the back of his fingers along her face.

“I know you better than you think,” he said.

“Xya!”

Elijah’s voice echoed through the forest. Xya retreated from Roverick’s touch and gaze and grabbed the canteens as her brother ran towards them. He panted as he slowed, resting his hand on his knee.

“Xya, come quick!” he urged, gasping for air. “Zopyros…he’s here.”

Chapter 4.25

2008-09-25T23:29:00.000-03:00

Night crossed Agaia like a harsh wind. It swept the trees in a violent dance that rocked the branches and caused the frightened leaves to flutter to the ground. No dance was as violent as the waltz of betrayal, however, and Zopyros revealed in thought of holding Xya and the amulet in his grasp once more.

The young nobleman stood before him. Clean shaven, he spoke in a strange accent that Zopyros wasn’t familiar with.

“The reward from Thyrica will more than pay for the rising taxes in my village. The king is improving his army, and wishes the populace to compensate him for it,” the man said.

“I am not concerned with the king’s affairs,” Zopyros replied. “Thyrica’s gold is fair, but do you really want to spend it all in one place?”

The nobleman raised an eyebrow. “How much more are you offering?”

“I’ll triple the rewards if you hand the redhead over to me,” Zopyros said.

“Just the redhead?” he asked.

“The redhead, and the two amulets,” Zopyros clarified. “Do what you wish with the rest of them. Although I would suggest you turn the assassin in to the authorities. He is wanted for murder in countless cities.”

“Assassin?”

“His name is Roverick. No doubt he would fetch a price as well.”

“From you?”

“No, I’ve spent too much of my gold on him already.” Zopyros paused, fingering the gold coins in his coat pocket. “What is your name, boy?”

“I am Sir Pavel of Swabana, sir. And you…?”

Zopyros waved his hand. “It’s not important. I am your ally in this, to be sure. You will be paid when you bring them to me.”

Sir Pavel pointed further into the forest. “Our camp is not far from here. Where do I find you?”

The thief lord smiled. He could see the amulets’ power ebbing though him already. Picking up a dead stick from the ground, he knelt down to the direct and drew some lines in the mud. Pavel’s eyes followed his every move. Zopyros’ smile turned into a twisted grin.

“This is what you must do…”

Chapter 4.24

2008-09-24T23:14:00.001-03:00

As the nobles and the common folk walked together in the forest, Sir Magnus shared his knowledge of Abraham of Mytovya with Xya. She listened greedily, her ears absorbing the glistening gems that flowed from the nobleman’s tongue. Roverick remained silent and calculated the treasure trove of information that fell into his lap.

The biggest gem of all rested upon Xya’s flat chest, enriching it with every word that came from Sir Magnus’ mouth. Zopyros’ interest in the woman was more than justified.

Well, almost.

Her dark red hair, her blue eyes, her towering height—unusual, Roverick guessed, but not unusual enough that Zopyros would want to keep her. Her knowledge of the amulets, perhaps? No, it was miniscule compared to the nobleman. And to the rest of the world, apparently, if it was true that Abraham of Mytovya was only a storyteller.

Roverick’s horse stepped carefully through the grass. He rode next to Elijah and Ilianna. Her head rested on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. The green glow lit Ilianna’s chin like an afterthought to the scene, unnatural in the greenery around them.

No, that doesn’t make sense, now does it? Roverick mused. Why do I have to murder her, and yet keep Xya alive? Why is she worth so much more than the woman who looks like she sells herself to wandering travelers?

“So,” Sir Magnus said. “Elijah tells me you have a book that isn’t fictional, yet tells of the amulets and their power.”

“Yes,” Xya replied.

She reached into her pack hanging on the side of the saddle. Roverick caught her gaze and held it momentarily as she drew the book from its hiding place. He cursed mentally; why had he not gone through her things? Perhaps Zopyros was right, and she had bewitched him after all.

Xya handed Sir Magnus the leather bound book. Roverick glanced around to the other nobles; although their eyes looked to the sky or the trees ahead, their ears were pointed towards their conversation.

Magnus flipped through its pages, stopping occasionally to make a grunting noise or sound of approval at the text. Roverick gripped his reigns tightly and struggled to keep his mask on.

“This is fascinating!” Magnus exclaimed. He looked to Elijah and Ilianna. “Truly fascinating.”

Ilianna moved her sleepy eyes towards him and curled her lips into a small smile. Elijah nodded in acknowledgement to his phrase. Only Xya’s eyes lit up like her hair, fiery and vibrant amongst the forest background.

I have to have that book, Roverick decided. Perhaps it is the key to the answers I seek.

Chapter 4.23

2008-09-23T23:47:00.000-03:00

Xya was furious. When she saw Ilianna, she couldn’t hold it back any longer. Their betrayal and Roverick’s mysterious ways blended together to create a volcano of rage that erupted throughout her body. The knife was the conduit. She had been so close to slicing her, inserting her anger into the innocent veins that flowed through Ilianna.
Elijah and Roverick held her steady. Roverick crunched her hand; she cried out in pain as his fingers crushed hers. Her dagger fell to the grass with a soft thud.

“Xya, what’s wrong with you?” Elijah whispered.

Her face burned. She stared daggers at him, clenching her teeth. How dare you run away with her, leaving me alone with him? To betray me like that...for her...

There were four nobles, standing at a distance from them. One with ripped clothing and a beard approached her, regarding her glowing amulet with curiosity.

“Is she sentient?” he asked.

“What do you mean, am I sentient?” Xya snapped.

The man raised his eyebrows. “She understands me, at least.”

“I’m not stupid,” she muttered. She wrestled herself from their grip and bent down to pick up her dagger. Roverick stepped on the blade.

“You’re not getting this back until you calm down,” he said.

She restrained herself from slapping him. “I am calm.”

The bearded nobleman approached her and bowed slightly. “I am Sir Magnus of Lyrania. I presume you are Xya of Mytovya?”

“Yes, I am,” she replied.

“Daughter of Abraham of Mytovya?”

Her eyes widened. She grasped the blue amulet and puckered her lips to blow on it.

“Xya, it’s okay, he knows,” Elijah said, touching her hand.

“You told him?” she exclaimed.

The nobleman held out the tattered ruins of his clothing. “It saved my life.”

She turned to Ilianna. “You told him.”

“There is no use blaming anyone,” Ilianna said. “He was dying, and I did what I had to do. It turns out he knows of your father, and is planning to meet him at Court.”

Knows my father…

These magic words allowed Xya to see Sir Magnus in a new light. “You must arrange for me to speak with him.”

Sir Magnus chuckled. “Well, I don’t know him personally, but I am hoping to meet him, as you are. Those amulets may better your chances.”

Xya tightened her grip on the blue gem. The questions swirled within her, and it was too tempting to blow on the crystal and demand answers.

“Tell me everything you know about him,” Xya said.

Chapter 4.22

2008-09-22T23:39:00.001-03:00

She refused to ride with Elijah. She preferred to feel the moss between her toes and the mud beneath her feet as they travelled past them. Because there were five horses, it was easy for Ilianna to pace herself. They couldn’t go anywhere without her: she had reluctantly agreed to track Xya’s movements. It wasn’t particularly hard; the horses snapped weak tree branches as they passed, leaving an obvious trail behind them. Then, remnants of a fire and slight indents where they had slept.

“Are you sure this is the right way?” Elijah questioned as they passed the old campsite. “We’re heading back towards Thyrica.”

“They tried to follow us,” she reasoned.

And if they had found them? There was no doubt that Xya would rip the amulet from Ilianna’s neck and stab her with her jagged dagger. If she could get close enough, Ilianna mused.

But she came back for us, Ilianna thought. Gave up her quest, even momentarily, to think of someone other than herself…

She heard it before they did. A rustle in the bushes in front of them.

“Wait,” she said.

The men had already drawn their weapons as Roverick and Xya leapt through the bushes and into the clearing. Roverick saw only the threatening blades and drew his own. Xya followed suit.

“No, wait!” both Elijah and Ilianna cried.

Xya turned her head and saw her. The flame of her hair travelled to her eyes. Jumping off her horse, she grabbed Ilianna and held the blade to her neck.

“How dare you take off like that, with him!” Xya expostulated.

Elijah ran towards his sister and gripped her shoulders, trying to shake her out of the madness that consumed her. The amulets glared at one another, casting eerie blue and green shadows on their faces. She lifted her head, exposing her neck to avoid the brilliance of the light.

“Take it, then, if you want it,” she challenged, jutting her chin in defiance of the blade.

The knife was lifted. The searing stare of the amulets faded slightly as Ilianna heard Elijah and Roverick drag Xya away from her. Ilianna rubbed her neck tenderly.

“Let me go!” Xya shouted, twisting against their strength.

“Is that your sister?” Sir Magnus asked Elijah.

He turned a shade of red, and then nodded.

“Has she gone mad?” Sir Viggo inquired.

Chapter 4.21

2008-09-21T20:42:00.000-03:00

“Are you alright?” he asked her.

Xya glanced at the cut on her arm. She licked it, and then brought her lips to it, sucking on it to ease the pain.

He moved towards her. “No, you shouldn’t do that, it’s--”

She tensed at his approach, baring her teeth like a frightened animal. Realizing his weapons were still drawn, he placed them gently on the grass. She regarded him suspiciously.

“Let me help you,” he pleaded.

Without taking her eyes off him, she slowly uncovered the wound. Roverick tore off a piece of his shirt and wrapped it around her arm.

“Those were Zopyros’ thieves,” Xya said. “But they weren’t even interested in me, or the amulet.”

She paused. Roverick said nothing; he concentrated on tying the makeshift bandage around her arm.

“Do you know Zopyros?”

Roverick strained to keep his face a mask of stone. “Only what you’ve told me.”
“His thieves seemed to know you.”

“I’ve travelled around Agaia a few times.”

“You seemed to know them.”

He finished the bandage and looked down at her. The truth bubbled in his stomach like an explosive, but to give to it was to die. Roverick sheathed his weapons and stood above her.

“They look like all the other blokes I kill from time to time,” he replied.

She climbed to her feet. Towering above him, he felt as though her eyes could pierce through the charade. His heartbeat quickened; the only real thing in his body that he had attempted to share with her, she had rejected. And the truth, like a deadly mine, would explode whatever shred was left between them.

“We should retrace our steps back to the forest,” Xya said, gesturing towards the trees. “If we don’t find them, I’m going to Court without them.”

Roverick allowed his sigh of relief to exhale slowly. He praised her stifled ability to look beyond herself as they mounted their horses, and headed back into the forest.

Chapter 4.20

2008-09-20T20:01:00.001-03:00

The target wasn’t clear. It was her, or them. The instincts he relied upon that made his blade and body move as one faltered, and the thieves used that to their advantage. One of them swung his dagger and slashed Xya’s arm, tearing her clothing and breaking the skin. He grinned and giggled, jumping from one leg to another like a crazed jester.

Two others stood behind him. They stood with their daggers ready, waiting to attack. Their eyes were a fierce black with an animal-like rage. Fight me, they said. Show me your strength.

The animal within Roverick responded. He bore his fingers like claws and brought his blade over the thief nearest him. The thief shrieked like a monkey and drove his dagger into his back. Roverick barely felt it enter his body; he grabbed the thief by the neck and snapped it. He fell lifeless to the ground; letting out a thunderous roar, he pulled the dagger from his back. The blood dripped from the tip of the blade and stained the grass.

Zopyros’ two other thieves remained. They made no move toward Xya; Roverick imagined that they were given explicit orders not to harm her. Why Zopyros would send his men to their deaths, he didn’t know. He had hired him for a reason: he was the best. But there was no fear in the minions’ eyes.

“Go on,” urged one of the thieves. His voice was slivery, like his profession. “Why do you hesitate?”

“Why do you?” Roverick replied.

Wait a minute, he thought. He glanced between Xya and the thieves. They’re not waiting for me to kill them. They’re waiting for me to kill her.

The thieves grinned. Roverick lifted his blades. Although his blood trickled out of his back, he felt it pump throughout his body, bringing strength to his movements. The lust for death revitalized him and his actions were no longer his own. His blades swung; he felt himself flying through the air, towards them; he landed gracefully on his feet.

Two heads rolled on the grass, their faces frozen with their mouths open. Xya mirrored their expression.

What must she think of me? he wondered. A man without mercy for those weaker than him? A man…without honour?

She remained on the ground and backed away from the thieves’ bodies. They collapsed to the ground with the heads, blood pouring onto the grass. It formed a pool that Roverick was all too familiar with; it was merely a raindrop compared to the ocean of souls his blade had claimed.

Chapter 4.19

2008-09-19T23:50:00.000-03:00

The day was long. The sun traveled across the sky at a snail’s pace. Roverick rode along side Xya through the forest. His blade served as a reminder of his duty as it knocked against his hip. He watched her in his peripheral, expecting her to swerve her horse from their course and ride alone into the wilderness. The distance between them remained the same, however. She refused to grace him with her eyes.

The trees thinned; he could see the road in the distance. Roverick slowed as they navigated, watching for brigands and thieves. Xya looked him over and followed suit.
“They must be making good time,” Xya said quietly.

Roverick squinted. The plains stretched until it met the horizon, patched with bundles of trees placed randomly here and there. Thyrica’s walls loomed a few leagues from them, barring the nature that surrounded them. He turned and looked in the other direction.

“You think we’d be able to see them,” he said.

“They’re probably already gone by now,” Xya replied.

She slipped off the saddle. The horse grazed while she petted it absently, her eyes darting between the road to Thyrica and the road to Court.

It was the perfect moment. There were no guards on the road; the plains were clear of life. Roverick gripped his sword hilt and stared at the veins pulsating blood in her neck. One quick, clean slice. Even if the Thyrican archers were watching and saw her fall, they would never make it in time to save her.

Xya caught his eye and frowned. “What?”

He swallowed and opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came.

She made a disgusted noise. “If you’re going to leave, now’s the perfect opportunity.” She climbed back onto her horse and turned it towards the forest. “You’re right, they aren’t here. They must be somewhere else in the trees.”

Elijah and Ilianna weren’t in the trees, but something else was. The leaves rustled and fell to the ground along with three of Zopyros’ thieves. Xya’s horse reared in surprise, throwing her to the ground. She screamed.

Roverick drew his sword and ran towards her.

Chapter 4.18

2008-09-18T23:59:00.000-03:00

A chill settled in Ilianna as Elijah put forward the obvious suggestion. “You know it’s not about finding your father. She wants the amulets for herself. That is why she won’t let me read the book.”

“How far are we from Xya?” Magnus asked.

“We don’t know,” Elijah admitted. “They were in the forest, but they might be out by now.”

Magnus gripped the torn shreds of his clothes and mounted his horse. He gazed at the forest; it cast a shadow on the road in the afternoon sun.

“Then we should make as much with the time we have, before nightfall,” Magnus suggested.

Ilianna remained steadfast in her position. “I will not travel with her. I will return home and gather support, to slow Zopyros in his quest to find the amulets.”

“A friend of Thyrica?” Magnus inquired.

Elijah shook his head. “A thief lord, from Eurus.” He turned to Ilianna. “You can’t leave us, not now. We’re almost halfway to Court.”

She clenched her hands into fists. She could almost smell the burning trees of her forest home, and see the dead bodies of the Bark warriors that had been slaughtered mercilessly by the thieves. Ilianna closed her eyes and tried to erase the image from her mind.

“I cannot go,” she said.

“The Thyrican soldiers will follow and arrest you,” Sir Viggo said.

“Likely your bounty has doubled,” Sir Ferdinand added.

“I don’t think we had a bounty, only a death sentence from Thyrica,” Elijah said.

Sir Ferdinand picked up the wanted poster from the ground. “It says here there a 200 gold reward for your capture.”

To Ilianna, the number was nothing. Gold was but another piece of rock, found in some far off cave or in the flowing river that ran throughout the island continent. A stiff silence reigned. Sir Pavel glanced behind him, following the road with his eyes to the distant city of Thyrica.

“Even if I was captured, it would draw attention away from you,” Ilianna reasoned. She stared at Elijah, her eyes imploring him to understand. “I will not let anyone else be needlessly slaughtered.”

“Interesting words, from a woman who killed three guards,” Sir Ferdinand muttered.

Magnus bowed his head. “It is of course, your choice. But it would be a shame to lose the amulet. With the four of us, and your bowing arm, it would be well protected.”

“A piece of rock that glows is still a piece of rock,” Ilianna said.

“It’s a part of Bark, Ilianna,” Elijah replied. “Part of the mysterious magic that our villages share. You could go home and rally more warriors, but it won’t do any good if you’re captured. Likely Zopyros has everyone bribed, and the amulet would only fall into his hands.”

Elijah mounted the horse. The other noblemen already sat proudly atop theirs waiting for Magnus to ride into the forest. Ilianna’s feet longed to feel the cool grass between her toes, but instead she stood on the gravelly road. The amulet felt heavy on her neck, dragging her to the houses in the trees.

He rode close to her. She looked up at him. His hands gripped the reigns tightly, but his voice trembled slightly. “I told your father I would protect you. I cannot fulfill that promise if you’re not with me.”

Curse you, Elijah, Ilianna thought. Using that against me.

She suppressed her smile and held her chin high. Instead, she stepped onto the grass and walked towards the forest.

“Fine, I’ll go,” she said. “But when we see Zopyros, I want my arrow to be the one that kills him.”

Chapter 4.17

2008-09-17T23:59:00.000-03:00

Elijah swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. The sun disappeared behind the clouds, casting a shadow upon the noblemen’s faces. The green amulet’s light shone sharply in the momentary darkness, lending a mystic glow to Ilianna’s chest. Elijah clenched his teeth and tried to think of a witty reply to Magnus’ accusation, but the truth lay plainly in his healed wound.

“This is why we’re looking for him,” Elijah said finally, gesturing to the amulet.

“How is this possible?” Sir Ferdinand questioned. “How can magic be real?”

“It is Wise Woman magic, we believe,” Ilianna replied. “If only she would’ve let me read the book. Then we would know the answers, and we would not have to travel to see Abraham of Mytovya himself.”

“You mean Abraham of Neasa,” Magnus corrected.

Elijah ran a hand through his hair. “Actually…no…it is Abraham of Mytovya.”

Magnus and Ferdinand exchanged glances. “Then why would he--?”

“Neasa is my mother,” Elijah explained.

The wind whistled in the nearby trees. Magnus’ mouth pursed into an ‘o’ shape as if to mimic the sound. “My dear boy, then is it possible that…?”

Elijah nodded. “My sister is convinced that he is our father.”

Magnus glanced to Ilianna. “Are you…?”

Ilianna shook her head violently. “Of course I’m not his sister. We left her, so she could pursue her insane quest to find him at Court.”

“But Ilianna, now we know that he will truly be there,” Elijah argued. “Perhaps he will be able to give us more information about what the amulets are.”

Magnus stood. His ripped clothing hung off him, but he stared intently at Elijah. “In the story, there are four amulets. Do you have the other three?”

“My sister has one,” Elijah replied. “The other two…we don’t know where they are. She hoped that Abraham…our father…would know. What did he say in his fiction story?”

“That they came from the four corners of Agaia,” Ferdinand replied. “Why don’t you read the book?”

Elijah’s face reddened. “We don’t…we don’t…”

“He cannot read,” Ilianna finished. “And the book we had wasn’t fiction. From what little I read, it was like a manual, describing the functions of the magic and such.”

“I would like to read it,” Magnus said. He turned a firm gaze to the amulet. “I would like to know how this mysterious sorcery works.”

Elijah raised his eyebrows at Ilianna. “That means finding Xya.”

Chapter 4.16

2008-09-16T23:42:00.001-03:00

Sir Magnus of Lyrania fell to the ground. Elijah rushed to his side. The soldier opened his mouth in protest, stretching his hand as if to take back the wound he had delivered, but Ilianna relieved him of his guilt. She backed away a few paces and shot him in the heart. He collapsed next to the fallen nobleman.

Sir Viggo and Sir Pavel jumped off their horses and ran to them. Sir Ferdinand knelt by Magnus and held his head. He was still conscious; Magnus looked down at his chest. The wound was vertical, stretching from his left arm to his right hip. The blood blended with his suit, masking the depth of his wound.

Ilianna stood at the man’s feet. Elijah confronted her. “What is wrong with you? What are we supposed to do now?”

“They would’ve killed us,” Ilianna said, turning her sharp green eyes to his. “Even though we aren’t the ones who should suffer.”

Elijah’s hands trembled. He clenched them and then unclenched them again. He couldn’t bring himself to make fists. Instead, he looked to Magnus. The blood from his wound dripped onto the road. The noblemen were ripping their shirts and laying blankets over him, but the red liquid continued to seep through. Magnus pursed his lips and refused to look the other men in the eye; his body trembled.

Elijah lowered his voice. “You’ve got to help him.”

“Do you have any herbs that might reduce the pain?” Sir Ferdinand asked Ilianna.

Ilianna touched the hidden amulet. She looked to Elijah. “I cannot let him die, but…”

“There’s no but,” Elijah said firmly. “You have to.”

She glanced at the other men and grasped the cloth around the amulet.

“If you have the knowledge to aid him, why do you hesitate?” Sir Ferdinand persisted.

She sighed. Elijah watched her hand intently and feared it would never reveal the truth. She untied the cloth from around the amulet. Its green glow had diminished since departing from Xya, but it glimmered in the early afternoon sun.

The nobles stared at it cautiously. “What is that?” Sir Viggo asked.

Magnus’ fading eyes perked up. “My…Gods…could it…?”

Ilianna answered his unspoken question. She whispered her breath onto the green gem. It fluttered to life, emitting dancing sparkles and light. She knelt slowly by Magnus’ wound. The noblemen backed away.

“What is it?” Sir Viggo repeated.

Sir Magnus’ voice wavered. “The stories…”

She carefully tore away Magnus’ shirt to reveal the gash. The blood caked his chest hair with every heartbeat. Ilianna brought the light to the open wound and focused it. Elijah and the other noblemen watched as the amulet worked its invisible sewing needle through the skin. When it was closed, she used the extra clothing strips and blankets to wipe away the excess blood.

Ilianna stood. Magnus touched his chest, and slowly sat up. Sir Ferdinand was reluctant to let him go, but he waved him away.

“What sorcery is this?” Sir Ferdinand demanded.

Magnus moved his eyes from the amulet to Elijah. His lips curled into a small smile. “And you told me you knew nothing of Abraham of Neasa’s stories.”

Chapter 4.15

2008-09-15T20:28:00.000-03:00

“NO!” Ilianna screamed. “I will not die for that creature of the dark!”

The horse whinnied and shifted its weight with Ilianna’s outbreak. Elijah held onto Ilianna both to steady himself but also as an attempt to keep her in line. She twisted her body to resist him, kicking her legs against the horse’s side. The horse reared; Elijah lost his balance and tumbled to the ground. The guards raised their weapons and rushed at her.

“No!” Elijah shouted. “Don’t kill her!”

His voice was lost to the clanging of steel against steel. Elijah crab-walked backwards onto the grass to avoid the conflict. Ilianna circled the guards, trying to evade their blade while reaching for her bow. While Sir Viggo and Sir Pavel retreated to join Elijah, Magnus drew his own blade and urged Sir Ferdinand to follow him. Their horses’ hoofs raised the dust on the road as they charged the Thyrican soldiers. Surprised, they stopped chasing Ilianna and engaged the noblemen. She slowed the horse and grabbed her bow from the side of the saddle.

“We will report you to the Court, and your titles will be stripped!” the Thyrican captain threatened as he and Magnus clanged blades.

“Nobody’s going to Court,” Ilianna said, and shot an arrow at the captain.

The arrow whizzed through the air and hit the Thyrican captain in the back. His back arched; he struggled to draw breath as he fell backwards, hitting his horse and then bouncing off it to the ground. Sir Ferdinand and the other Thyrican soldiers stopped fighting; Elijah stood and leaned against Sir Viggo’s horse for support.

Magnus swerved his horse and cantered to Ilianna’s side. His eyes flashed as he reached for her bow. Ilianna nocked another arrow and pointed it at him.

“Ilianna! Don’t!” Elijah shouted.

He ran towards Magnus. Her gaze and aim was unwavering.

“I refuse to go any further,” Ilianna said. “We’re leaving, Elijah.”

Magnus slowly lowered his blade. “I’m not going to hurt you, Ilianna. I’m not the one holding you here.”

The soldiers on their horses galloped towards her. She swung her bow towards them. The arrow flew and knocked one of them off his horse. The other approached her and swung his sword. Grabbing an arrow, she rolled off the saddle to evade him.

“Stop this!” Magnus commanded. “We can come to some agreement.”

“She killed the captain!” the remaining solider shouted.

“I’m not going with him!” Ilianna retorted.

She struggled to nock the arrow but the horse’s hoofs were on top of her every time she moved. Elijah stepped forward to rush the guard but Magnus gripped him firmly by the shoulder. He raised his blade and charged the solider himself. The solider spun, and upon seeing Magnus’ advance, swung his blade and slashed his chest.

Chapter 4.14

2008-09-14T16:04:00.000-03:00

After Ilianna had finished her breakfast, they continued along the road towards Agaia Court. The noblemen rode in front of Elijah and Ilianna, who shared a saddle. Ilianna held the reigns so tight that her knuckles were white. She said nothing to Elijah. He held her lightly around the waist, afraid that his hands would incite her anger. The horses’ gallop lulled Elijah into a trance. He barely noticed when they slowed.

Three guards donned in red and turquoise armor approached them. Elijah’s stomach fell as he recognized the colours. The captain held a piece of parchment in his hands. Elijah slunk down behind Ilianna’s head.

They found us, Elijah thought. I thought that Zopyros would kill us first, but no, Thyrica has found us.

“Sorry to bother you,” the guard said, nodding his head to the gold trim in the noblemen’s clothing. “We’re stopping all persons traveling on the road to warn them about the escaped criminals from Thyrica.”

“Escaped criminals?” Sir Viggo of the Agaia Court questioned. “Is the Court aware of this?”

“Riders are on their way to the king as we speak,” the captain replied. “What is your destination?” the captain asked.

“The Agaia Court,” Magnus replied.

The second guard tilted his head and steered his horse around the three noblemen. Elijah and Ilianna sat uncomfortably on their shared saddle. He gestured to the captain, who held the wanted poster in a firmly between his gloved fingers, and the captain showed him the picture. Eyes up, eyes down, eyes up at the two of them again. They widened in recognition.

The captain drew his sword. “Step aside, or you will be charged with protecting murderers!”

Sir Viggo looked between them and bowed his head slightly to the captain’s command. He backed his horse away to reveal Elijah and Ilianna. Sir Pavel noted his actions and followed suit. Sir Ferdinand looked to Magnus; he remained in his steadfast position.

“Whom have they murdered?” Magnus asked.

“A loyal servant to our regiment,” the captain replied. “He was captured by three brigands and forced into slavery. We rescued him, but before we could apprehend all three criminals, he was murdered.”

“Ah,” Magnus said. “As you can see, there are only two here. And one of them is a woman.”

Elijah felt Ilianna’s grip tighten on the reigns.

“They match the drawing, and the description given by the citizens of Thyrica,” the captain said. He passed the paper to Magnus. “I have seen them myself. That woman is no ordinary housewife. She is wild, as you can tell, and has an excellent bowing arm.”

“Thank you,” Ilianna muttered sarcastically.

Magnus shifted in his saddle to look at Elijah. He could barely meet the nobleman’s eye. The faith he had had in Xya’s quest faltered and was replaced by a burning anger. Magnus glanced between the wanted poster and him, and held it in front of his face.

“Is it true?” Magnus asked. “Did you kill the man they describe?”

“We didn’t kill anyone!” Ilianna exclaimed. She bore her chin high as her blond hair fluttered in the wind—and in Elijah’s face. “We were set up by the sorceress with the blue amulet, Xya of Mytovya!”

Elijah couldn’t believe his ears. He grabbed Ilianna’s shoulder and pulled her backwards, twisting her upper body to face him. “How could you say that? She’s innocent! Zopyros—”

“Sorceress?” Magnus echoed. He rubbed his beard. “Magic…?”

The captain’s mouth was a straight line. “That’s enough, woman. Both of you are coming with us to Thyrica, where your death sentence will be carried out.”

Chapter 4.13

2008-09-13T18:49:00.000-03:00

He was Sir Magnus of Lyrania, a distant relative and good friend to the royal family that inhabited Agaia Court. His entourage consisted of three other nobles: Sir Pavel of Swabana, Sir Ferdinand of Lyrania and Sir Viggo of the Agaia Court, who had ridden personally to Lyrania and other cities to inform the nobles of their requested presence. That night, they chatted with Elijah in good spirits, exchanging stories about their respective towns, and Elijah relaxed his fears of the gentlemen.

The next morning, as they were packing up their things, Ilianna grabbed her bow and arrows and disappeared into the forest. Elijah stuffed his blanket into his pack as he watched her go, pulling the sack shut and hooking it to their shared horse.

Magnus approached him and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “She’s a stubborn woman, refusing our food. Does she always hunt her own breakfast?”

Elijah turned to face the noble and nodded. “She grew up in a forest village. Both the men and the women hunt for food, and fight.”

“Some would say that’s a backwards culture,” Magnus mused.

“It’s not like Mytovya at all,” Elijah admitted.

“When you venture into the world, you will find that very little is the same as home,” Magnus said. The nobleman smiled at Elijah. “A common theme in many of Abraham of Neasa’s stories.”

Elijah breathed inward sharply at the mention of his mother—and supposedly, his father’s—name. “Tell me about his stories.”

Magnus chuckled. “He likes to write about people going on fantastical journeys, sometimes involving magic.”

“What’s his most popular story?” Elijah inquired.

“Possibly his most recent,” Magnus replied, stroking his beard. “It’s about amulets with magic power. There are four of them…”

Magnus kept talking, Elijah’s thoughts were louder. My Gods…could it be? He fictionalized something that was real? Hiding it in plain sight…?

“…a good read. Perhaps when we return from Court, I will lend you my copy,” Magnus finished.

“Uh, yes,” Elijah said. “I think we’d like that.”

Ilianna returned from the forest, carrying a dead bird. She stormed to the dying fire, threw some herbs on it, and it cackled to life. She proceeded to gut the bird and prepare her breakfast. Magnus and Elijah watched her; then, Magnus left Elijah’s side and sauntered towards the forest princess.

“I noticed you have something around your neck,” he said. “I thought you might have some herbs you weren’t sharing.”

Ilianna’s eyes widened. She touched the cloth covering the amulet as if to hide it. Stealing a quick glance from Elijah, she concentrated on stabbing the bird’s insides.

Chapter 4.12

2008-09-12T11:59:00.000-03:00

The cool, night breeze blew Zopyros’ cloak around his body. He pulled it closer to him and looked up at the towering trees. Their leaves waved to him, only bowing to the wind as it swept them asunder from the branches. They caught in the breeze and twirled around the approaching Shadowy Man, encircling him, crowning him king of the forest. Zopyros’ boots squished on the wet grass as he walked towards him; the leaves slowly fell with the wind and were crushed by the Thief Lord’s sole.

“You didn’t bring her, or the amulet,” Zopyros observed.

“Her companions have split from the group,” the Shadowy Man reported. “I was tracking them.”

Zopyros clenched his hands into fists. “What about Xya?”

The assassin paused. He reached his hands under his hood, and pulled it back to reveal his face. His greasy, unkempt hair stopped at his shoulders; he had bags under his eyes. The whiskers on his face were almost a beard, representing every second that Xya and her friends retained the amulets of power. From his cloak pocket he retrieved a bag of coins; he tossed it to Zopyros.

“I can’t finish this job,” he said.

Zopyros examined the sack of gold. “Why is that?”

The leaves picked up again. They brushed against the assassin’s face, painting a different side of him. With his face exposed, the shadows surrounding the man vanished, and all that was left was a man with a gift for the blade.

“If you’ve been watching,” Roverick said, “then you already know.”

So the reports were true. “You have grown affections for her?”

Roverick’s silence was loud enough. A mixture of anger and excitement fluttered inside Zopyros. The wind picked up again, but this time, the leaves were dancing around him.

“Be glad that I’m not asking you to kill her,” he said. He smiled. “Get rid of her friends. Bring her to me, alive, with the amulet.”

“You can take the amulet,” Roverick told him. “But I want her.”

“Hmmm, I don’t know if I agree with that,” Zopyros mused. “Xya is an interesting study, with an interesting secret.”

He eyed him suspiciously. “What do you mean?”

Zopyros chuckled. “If you wish to go away with her, then ask her to stand before you naked first.”

Roverick’s face twisted with shock and horror. “And dishonor her?”

“Since when does an assassin have honour?” Zopyros replied. “You kill like a trained animal.”

Faster than Zopyros expected, Roverick whipped his sword from its sheath and held the tip to his throat. The blade pinched his skin.

“Then allow me to do my job,” Roverick hissed.

Zopyros smiled. He raised his hands slowly in the air and waved his right digits. The trees rustled. Thieves descended from their branches with arrows readied in their bows. They surrounded the assassin cautiously, stretching the tightened bow string, waiting to shoot.

“Yes, Roverick,” Zopyros whispered. “Do your job.”

No one moved. The assassin held his gaze, but his hand trembled. The blade rocked gently on Zopyros neck; finally, Roverick withdrew it. The thieves’ arrows relaxed. Zopyros nodded in thanks; he could see Roverick’s knuckles turn white as he gripped the hilt of his sword.

“Good hunting,” Zopyros said.

He signaled again to his men. His thieves put away their arrows and hung their bows on their backs, and followed Zopyros away from the assassin. He was taking a risk, turning his back on Roverick, but he trusted his other men hidden in the trees to watch him.

Could the assassin really be charmed by creature? Did she spin her siren’s song around his blade, right before it was about to strike? Zopyros entertained himself with this notion as he and his men trudged through the forest, stepping on the wet leaves. He came to the conclusion that as the wind can rip the biggest, greenest leaves from the trees, sometimes even the best man can fall. And when Roverick did fall, Zopyros would plant a large net and catch them both—and then, Xya and the amulets would be his.

Chapter 4.11

2008-09-11T22:21:00.000-03:00

Xya and Roverick were silent as they traversed through the forest on horseback. Each second was torture; Xya was so aware of each moment that she wished for him to say something, even though she had told him not to speak. She felt doomed to listen to the wind howling in the trees, the horse’s steady canter, and the buzzing of the flies that zoomed by her ear.

Night fell, and the noises changed. Crickets sounded, the winds calmed, and there was a faint scurrying of small animals as they came out of their burrows, ready to hunt. Xya continued to ride. Roverick didn’t object. She wondered if he would, if they rode until the moons surrendered to colours of the sunrise.

She wasn’t interested in finding out. The coldness of the day remained, and the air grew colder still. Without speaking, she slowed her ride when they reached a suitable space to stop. Xya dismounted and undid her pack, and then proceeded to make a fire. She struck the flit against her dagger. Fling. Fling. Fling, scratch, clunk.. The flint flew out of her hands and fell on the ground. Grunting in frustration, she snatched it and tried once more.

Roverick appeared at her side. He knelt down and placed a clump of damp twigs under the flint and steel. Xya kept her eyes on the sparks. They hit the twigs, but fizzled out upon contact. He slowly reached for the flint in her hand; she held it tighter in resistance.

“The rain made everything wet,” Roverick said, clearing his throat. “It might take a little…”

He coaxed the flint from her hand. She only let go because his touch confused her; her muscles relaxed and the tools were no longer in her hands. He rubbed one of the twigs on his pant leg to dry it, and placed her dagger in the ground. Surrounding the twigs protectively, he struck the flint on the dagger furiously. After the fourth try, he set the tools back down and yanked some grass out of the ground, once again rubbing it on his pant leg to ensure its dryness. He picked up the tools, and after a few more tries, fire found the grass. Roverick cupped the grass, arranging the twigs artfully so that the fire would stay lit.

They gathered wood without conversation, setting it near the small fire so that it would dry. Afterwards, they ate what little food they had as they sat around the flame, listening to the cackling noise and warming their soaking skin.

“Xya,” Roverick said finally. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m sorry.”

His voice was calm; his face was a mask. But there was something in his eyes, like he was begging on his knees for an answer. It was the only sign of weakness she saw in him; it was something she wanted to squish. Or, perhaps it was only the fire, playing tricks on her.

“When we’re out of the forest, and once we find Elijah and Ilianna, I’m leaving you,” he told her. “The three of you should be fine, making your way to Court by yourselves.” He paused and waited for her reaction. Xya bit her lip. He continued. “Is there anyone at Court waiting for you, with your father?”

Xya swallowed. She cleared her throat and spoke for the first time since that afternoon. “No, only my father.”

Silence. Roverick nodded. “He’s arranging you with someone?”

She frowned and stared up at him. “What do you mean?”

“Arranging you. For marriage.”

Xya drew her legs closer to her body. “No.”

He looked surprised. Again, he nodded and poked the fire. “Still, I’ve decided I can’t stay. I hope you understand.”

For a long time, she didn’t reply. She rocked gently back and forth to keep warm, and watched the ever-changing pattern of the fire.

“Fine,” she said softly. “Go whenever you want.”

It stung her as much as it did him. She tried not to think about his face as it swelled in defense. Instead, she curled up next to the fire and closed her eyes. When she was on the brink of sleep, a light, feathery weight surrounded her, and her body filled with warmth. Her eyes cracked open, and she felt a woolly texture brush her chin. Roverick spread his overcoat over Xya, and stayed by her side as she drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 4.10

2008-09-10T21:49:00.001-03:00

Elijah’s eyes perked up the same time his body froze.

“I’m sorry,” he said hesitantly, hooking his finger on his shirt collar, “what did you say?”

The nobleman cleared his throat. “Fire eating, fortune telling—”

“Yes, yes, but the part about Abraham of…” His words fell quiet. “Neasa?”

He wished to shout the words burning inside of him: Neasa is my mother’s name!, but he exerted some self control when he thought of the semi-exposed amulet hanging around Ilianna’s neck.

The black, hairy eyebrows lining his forehead rose. The other nobles behind him nodded excitedly. “You have heard of him?”

“I think you’re mistaking him for someone else,” Ilianna said pointedly. She smiled apologetically at the well dressed men. “The man he is thinking of is Abraham of Mytovya. Not Neasa.”

“No, no!” Elijah couldn’t believe that Ilianna didn’t know. The horse they shared felt Elijah’s opposition and shifted its weight quickly; he held her tightly to avoid falling off.

He fluttered his toes in his boots; it was the only way he could express himself without appearing insane. “This man—this Abraham of Neasa—he tells stories?”

The nobleman in red chuckled. “Oh yes. Very amusing. Stories of magic and dragons and other such mythical creatures. A smart man, too.” He pointed to his forehead. “Brilliant. I hope to speak with him.”

I can’t believe this, he thought. Xya was right. Xya was right! The Wise Woman was right! Abraham of Mytovya exists—he is alive—and he is hiding behind our mother’s name! And he’s going to Court…just like the Wise Woman said. We have to go to Court…we have to find Xya…

“I would like to speak with him too,” Elijah replied.

Ilianna shot him a furious look. “We aren’t going that way.”

“Yes, we are,” he proclaimed. He refined his tone and said to the noblemen, “We would be happy to join you.”

The nobleman chuckled. “I’m happy to hear this. I wish we had a spare horse, but it seems for now you will have to share with your unhappy woman.”

“I am not his woman,” Ilianna said flatly.

“Nonetheless,” he said, “you will accompany us?” He smiled politely at her. “Perhaps there is something I could do to make you more comfortable. Purchase something more suitable to wear at Court, perhaps?”

Her face turned blood red with rage, but she didn’t reply. Elijah’s stomach burned with guilt. He had brought unhappiness to the one person he cared the most about to satisfy his own ends. No, not even his own ends—it was Xya’s mission to find their father, not his. Still, he could not help but feel a sense of self as they joined the noblemen; the shadow he had walked in now reflected his form; he had, perhaps temporarily, been freed of the shackles that had chained him to the will of the forest beauty.

Chapter 4.09

2008-09-09T21:40:00.000-03:00

Although they had almost a day’s worth of travel behind them, Elijah’s thoughts rested with Xya. Even when Ilianna finally healed him with the amulet, he begged her to ride back. She was intent on returning home and hunting for Zopyros for herself, however, and little Elijah said seemed to deter her from this purpose. He worried that the anger his sister had was beginning to infect Ilianna—dear sweet, innocent Ilianna, alone for the first time in Agaia—and he hoped that returning home would cleanse her. At the same time, he felt like he was being dragged along on another hopeless crusade.

They travelled on the roads. Elijah feared running into guards or thieves—Zopyros’ thieves especially!—but Ilianna argued that it was better for the horses. She knew best when it came to such things, of course, but if they were attacked, Elijah would be little use in defending the scantly clothed Ilianna.

They met no one until the next afternoon. A group of men galloped towards them. Elijah wanted to steer off into the woods, but Ilianna’s archer eyes held firm. The men were too well dressed to be thieves, and rode with banners that represented the cities they heralded from. Both parties slowed to greet each other.

The leader, a nobleman dressed in red and trimmed with gold, nodded respectfully at them. “Greetings travelers. We have ridden long and far from Southwestern Agaia. Show me your wares, if you have any, and we would gladly trade with you.”

“We don’t have any wares,” Ilianna said quickly.

“No?” the nobleman questioned. “A young Woman in training, such as yourself, has gathered nothing from the forest of value that she would wish to trade with us?”

The tone was not disrespectful. Elijah and Ilianna exchanged glances, as if to mentally collaborate to discover the meaning of ‘Woman in training’.

“You are not the charge of a Wise Woman?” the nobleman asked.

“No,” Ilianna replied. “Perhaps when I am older, I will be.”

Elijah felt like he had to validate his manhood by adding something to the conversation. “I didn’t know the bigger towns had Wise Women.”

The nobleman smiled. “We don’t, and it is a tragedy that we aren’t blessed by their teachings. We hail from a city in the very Southwestern corner of Agaia—Lyrania—perhaps you’ve heard of it?”

“It…it sounds familiar,” Elijah admitted. “I’m from Mytovya, which is close by.”

“So you are also far from home,” the nobleman remarked. “Are you headed for Court?”

Ilianna was quicker to reply than Elijah. “Well, not really—”

“Yes, we are.”

The words fell out of his mouth. The nobles glanced between them and chuckled silently.

“It is hard when we are young to know what we want, or where we’re going,” said the nobleman, stroking his beard fondly. “I assume you’ve heard of the festival, then?”

“Uh, no, we haven’t,” Elijah replied.

“Festivals don’t interest me,” Ilianna said.

The nobleman’s hairy eyebrows rose. “That is surprising, considering this festival celebrates the new reign of the king of Agaia.” The noblemen behind him nodded proudly. “We have been chosen to represent Lyrania—as well as a few of the surrounding towns—at this festival. Anyone can go of course, but the trek is long.”

“Too long, perhaps,” Ilianna interjected. “Elijah, we shouldn’t take any more of their time.”

“It is no trouble, my lady,” the nobleman said. “You are quite welcome to travel with us, if you like. We would welcome the company and the stories of Mytovya.”

Ilianna shook her head furiously. “We really mustn’t--”

“What will be going on at the festival?” Elijah asked.

Ilianna flashed him a glare for encouraging the conversation, but the noblemen pretended not to notice.

“The usual shows,” the nobleman answered. “Fire eating, fortune telling, acrobatics, great feasts—oh and of course, the storyteller, Abraham of Neasa.”

Chapter 4.08

2008-09-08T20:57:00.000-03:00

The rain tapered off. While the last drops fell, Xya stood and left their shelter beneath the large evergreen. Her shoes sunk into the mud; her once-royal clothes were dirty and clung to her skin. This was secondary to her frustration with what was underneath her skin.

Now, of all times now! she raged silently. She didn’t know whether to mount her horse and ride away without Roverick, or to run up and kiss his unshaven face. She grabbed fistfuls of her dark red hair and pulled, wishing her inner torment to end. To want what she couldn’t have—no! How could she want anything if she didn’t know what it was she ought to want?

“Are you alright?”

He stood behind her. Like a wounded animal she turned and glared at him. As if getting the message, he backed away from her. She watched him without wanting to. Words trembled at the ends of his lips. She didn’t want to care. She wished she could forget about him, and pull the amulet hiding beside her small breasts and shove it in his face, blowing the fatal kiss of seduction along with it.

Roverick walked towards his horse. “If you don’t feel the same way, tell me.”

“Why?” she demanded. “Are you going to leave if I say no?”

“Of course not,” he said shortly. He focused his gaze on the knot that held his horse to the tree. Xya wondered if he distracted himself to hide his face; she imagined his calm expression boiling with rage at her rejection.

It’s the only way, she thought.

“Tell me why, Xya,” he said.

Xya scuffed her feet along mud, wishing she could dig herself a hole and hide in it. She cursed her tree-like body.

“I can’t. Don’t ask me to explain.”

“Does this have to do with the way you dress?” he asked. “Because if it does, I don’t care. If it makes you feel good…”

“You don’t understand!” she snapped. “You couldn’t understand!”

“You’re not letting me,” Roverick retorted. “Just like any other woman, you are now. Refusing to explain, and yet leading me on at the same time.”

“Leave me alone.”

“I said I’m not leaving you out here.”

“Fine then. Don’t talk to me.”

Xya mounted her horse. She was becoming practiced at it, and now it was quick and easy. It made her appear more confident than she felt as she gripped the reigns and told her horse to traverse through the trees.

Chapter 4.07

2008-09-07T22:50:00.001-03:00

It wasn’t long after Xya and Roverick began backtracking that it started to rain. Xya persisted, driven by the thought of the green amulet’s power in her hand and Ilianna’s blood staining her dagger. Soon the moss became soaked and unable to hold the horse’s weight. Within minutes a majority of the forest floor had become a sinkhole, and Roverick urged her to stop.

“They won’t be getting anywhere in this either,” Roverick said. “C’mon, we’d better take shelter.”

Drenched and cold, Xya reluctantly agreed. They tied their horses to the trees; they steadied their hoofs on the large roots to avoid sinking into the ground. Roverick and Xya huddled under the boughs of a large evergreen, watching the rain rape the forest.

Xya tried not to shiver. Her clothing was soaked; the extra clothing was no better. She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin on her knees in an attempt to keep warm. Roverick sat beside her, wiping the excess water off his face. He glanced sideways at her.

“We should huddle together, to keep warm,” he suggested quietly. “I doubt this will clear up any time soon.”

She met his gaze, and was afraid. Despite her fear, her body listened to his words and she found herself leaning against him. He smelled of sweat and pine needles; his whiskers brushed against her face.

For a long time they didn’t say anything. Xya found herself trying to concoct an excuse for her behavior, and reasons why she shouldn’t—couldn’t—feel the way she did. I’m not like the other girls, Roverick. You don’t know me. You haven’t seen me. Zopyros saw me, and that’s why he wants me. Because I’m different. Because I have nothing that tells me who I am, and what I’m supposed to do. Am I supposed to feel something for you, because you are a man? Sometimes I’m a man. Is it okay to feel this way when I’m a man? Even when I feel like a woman, how can I validate that when you want to--?

He interrupted her thoughts. “I usually travel alone,” he admitted. “Maybe that’s why I don’t understand your devotion to your brother. It’s different, being responsible for someone else.”

I’m not devoted to anyone, Xya thought sadly. I want power, and someone who can accept me the way I am…

“I sort of like it, though,” Roverick continued. “Traveling with you.”

No… Xya thought. Please don’t do this…

“We don’t have to find them, you know,” Roverick said. “The two of us could escape this forest. Continue to Agaia Court, if you’d like. The bounty there would be more than enough to make us happy and comfortable.”

Her heart leapt and fell. His words, although sweet, were painful like the thorns on the stem of a rose. He touched her cheek; she felt him lean in. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes; she couldn’t meet him. He stopped, sensing her refusal, and backed away.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

Xya’s eyes opened. She stared at the rain and wished she could let the truth flow as easily. “No, I’m sorry.”

Chapter 4.06

2008-09-06T23:13:00.001-03:00

Xya tumbled down the hill. Her head smashed against rocks; dirt rammed up her fingernails and her lungs were sealed. She fell downwards, shaking with the earth, shaking…shaking…

“Xya, wake up!”

She woke her eyes and shuddered. It was morning. Roverick sat beside her, shaking her body. Instinctively she backed away, pulling her arms closer to her body protectively. Roverick hesitated, and put his hands out as if to calm her.

“Xya,” he said. “They’re gone.”

Groggy from the dream, Xya frowned. “What?”

“Elijah and Ilianna. They’re gone.”

Xya jumped to her feet and scanned the clearing. Ilianna’s horse was missing, as was one of the backpacks. There was a trail of blood from Elijah’s bed to where Ilianna’s horse had been tied.

“The witch,” Xya cursed. “We have to find him.”

“But your father, he’s waiting at Agaia Court,” Roverick replied.

She was about to chide him when she remembered that she had told him minimal details of her quest. Xya rubbed her eyes and tried to think. I wanted to be rid of them, now they’re gone. Maybe this is for the best. But the witch, she ran off with my amulet! How can I find the other two if I don’t have two myself?

“We have to find them,” Xya said stubberonly. “They couldn’t have gotten far.”

Roverick grabbed her arm. “We’ll be backtracking. It’s a waste of time.”

Xya frowned. Her muscles tensed. His grip dug into her flesh; she pulled away, uncomfortable with his sudden display of force. Roverick noted her discomfort and looked apologetic; he released her.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized.

“We’re finding them,” she repeated. “And when I find her, I’m going to rip the amulet from her neck and slit her throat.”

Chapter 4.05

2008-09-05T22:58:00.000-03:00

For the rest of the day, they travelled through the forest. Elijah didn’t remember most of it; the momentum of the horse made him nauseous. At sunset, Roverick and Ilianna helped him off the horse. Ilianna made him a moss bed and rested his head once more on her knees, feeding him the pain-killing herb.

She smiled at him and whispered, “Don’t forget.”

How could he? He drifted off into an uneasy sleep while Xya, Roverick and Ilianna set up camp.

When Elijah woke again, the two moons shone above him. The fire cackled nearby; he felt comfortably warm. Glancing to his left and right, he saw Xya and Roverick sleeping on opposite sides of him.

She must have convinced them that she would stand watch, he thought. Clever girl. Perhaps too clever…

Ilianna sat on a large rock with an arrow nocked in her bow. Her eyes scanned the forest for predators and enemies. He tried to sit up; when she saw him move, her eyes shifted to him and she rushed to his side.

“Easy, easy,” she whispered. She held his head. “Do you think you can stand?”

Elijah willed himself to sit up. The wound in his side protested; he grasped it in pain. Ilianna shhhed him and stroked his hair.

“Everything will be better once we get back to Bark,” she promised.
If I make it that far, Elijah thought.

He leaned on her for support as he climbed to his feet. Xya rolled over. They froze. She cooed in her sleep and curled into a ball as a gentle breeze swept the camp. Elijah sighed, both in relief and frustration. Ilianna guided him towards her horse.

“Now the tricky part,” Ilianna said. “Are you ready?”

Elijah resisted her gaze. He continued to stare at his sister, helpless on the forest floor. Her fetal position reminded him of the cold nights in Mytovya. Their mother would gather the boys and Xya together in her room, and together they would keep each other warm while the moons shone in the sky. He closed his eyes and missed his home.

“Elijah?” Ilianna prompted.

He swallowed and opened his eyes. They met Ilianna’s, and he could do nothing but bend to her beautiful and strong will.

“Okay,” he said. “Help me up.”

Chapter 4.04

2008-09-04T22:10:00.000-03:00

They had a tough time deciding how to travel while Elijah was injured. Ilianna suggested that he could ride on horseback with her, but Roverick interjected, saying that she wasn’t strong enough to hold his weight, especially if he went unconscious. Xya smiled slyly as Ilianna’s face turned red. The forest princess muttered something about being as strong as any man she knew; Xya knew she was jealous that Roverick was an expert at everything, and he was trampling her domain.

The forest wasn’t as thick as the one near Bark, and so they were able to navigate through the wilderness on horseback. Xya and Roverick rode close together, while Ilianna hung back. Xya was pleased with this arrangement, because it meant she didn’t have to look or listen to Ilianna.

She stole glances at Roverick. He seemed so confident on horseback, even while supporting her wounded brother. She wanted to say a million things; ask a million questions, but she didn’t know what to say first. Her words mattered for once.

What is wrong with me? Xya wondered. These jittery feelings are silly. He’s just a man.

Xya swallowed. She replied to her own thoughts. He is just a man, and I am nothing.

Fortunately, Roverick broke the silence first. “Where are you planning on heading?”

“Agaia Court,” she replied.

“Ah, hence the clothes,” Roverick mused. “Will you pretend to be a man there as well?”

Her face reddened. “If I feel like it.” She paused. “Do you know the way?”

“It’s easy if you follow the roads north,” Roverick said. “But we’re in the woods, so it’s hard to tell whether we’re going in the right direction or not.”

“Actually it’s very easy,” Ilianna chimed in from the back. She steered her horse closer to Xya and Roverick. “At night, there is a red star that gleams in the north. Our hunters use it to navigate. I wouldn’t be surprised if most Outworlder people used it while traveling.”

Xya scuffed. “Sounds silly to me. Why would you use a light in the sky to find your way? Especially when it disappears in the morning.”

Roverick cleared his throat awkwardly. “Ilianna’s right, though. Travelers do use the Red Star to guide them at night.”

Xya’s face became redder. Wonderful. I just embarrassed myself in front of him. He’s so smart, but I’m nothing.

Ilianna resumed her position behind them, but not without regarding Roverick with suspicion.

Chapter 4.03

2008-09-03T21:31:00.000-03:00

Elijah was in terrible pain. The others couldn’t fathom how much he was suffering. He slept to escape it, but when he woke up that morning he felt as though all of the trees in the forest had fallen on top of him.

He stared up at Ilianna. His head rested on her knees. A feeling of gratitude washed over him, and for a moment his pain disappeared. She smiled and touched her fingers to his lips.

“Open your mouth,” she said. “I found some herbs that may ease the pain.”

He did as he was told. She slipped a leaf onto his tongue. It was bitter; his face twisted in repulsion.

“Don’t chew it,” Ilianna instructed. “Keep it on your tongue until its juices soak into your body.”

She stroked his hair; if anyone but Ilianna had given him the leaf, he would’ve spit it out in their faces. Xya had hardly heeded him since they had escaped to the forest. He didn’t know where they were, or how far they were from Agaia Court. The mysterious Roverick had saved his life, but what did he know of their mission? Elijah stared up at Ilianna; she was the only one he trusted.

Ilianna leaned closer to him. Elijah closed his eyes, and waited for his lips to touch hers. It didn’t happen. Instead, her voice found his ear.

“We don’t need them,” she whispered. “Tonight, I will heal you with the amulet, and we will run away together. In Bark, we can gather an army and find Zopyros, and gather revenge for the ruin he brought to my people.”

His eyes widened. Her words were his fantasy. Although he would rather hide than see Zopyros again, he dreamed a life far from the distractions of the outside world. And what Mytovya could learn from the Ilianna’s people!

Then another thought settled in: What would happen to Xya? His sister, his blood? How could he dare to leave her in the hands of a stranger? How could he face his mother and tell her that he had failed to protect her?

“No,” Elijah said. His lungs were fire; it hurt to oppose her. “We--”

Ilianna put a finger to his lips. “Shh, don’t strain yourself.” She smiled at him, stroking his cheek. “Tonight, we will be together at last.”

Chapter 4.02

2008-09-02T23:18:00.002-03:00

With Roverick watching the perimeter of their camp, Xya slept easy. She woke to the sound of cooking meat. Roverick was tending chunks of meat laying on a makeshift rack, constructed from twigs, held high above the campfire. The meat was brown; the meat had been cooking for some time. Xya drooled and realized she hadn’t eaten the day before.

“Good morning,” Roverick said. “I thought I’d make breakfast.”

Xya licked her lips. “I’m so hungry.”

“Me too,” Roverick admitted. “There happened to be a rabbit over there”—he pointed into the bushes opposite him—“so I caught it, skinned it, and here we are.”

Ilianna sat up and rubbed her eyes. She peered at the meat. While traversing to Thyrica, Ilianna was the one who had hunted for their meals. Xya wondered if Roverick threatened her position in the group.

Good, she thought. It’s not like I need her. Except for reading my book…

“That’s rabbit meat?” Ilianna asked.

“Yes,” Roverick replied.

Ilianna frowned. “You caught a rabbit?”

“You don’t think he could?” Xya challenged.

“They are fast creatures,” Ilianna said matter-of-factly. “When you manage to catch them, they scratch your arms while trying to escape.” She studied his arms; they showed no signs of a struggle. “How did you catch it and walk away unwounded?”

“I set up some traps while you were sleeping,” he responded coolly.

“I thought you said that you caught it, not your trap.”

“I made the trap, therefore I caught the rabbit.”

“Where did you put the skins?”

Roverick stood. “Are you hungry, or not?”

Xya glanced at Roverick and copied his stance. “You’re just upset that you didn’t get up early enough to catch the meal yourself.”

Ilianna shook her head. “You’re an idiot, Xya.” She grabbed her bow and arrows. “Don’t bother to feed Elijah. I’ll catch my own breakfast and share it with him.”

With that, Ilianna disappeared into the forest, taking care to step over the animal feces she had planted the night before to keep away the bigger animals. Xya made a disgusted noise.

“Don’t listen to her,” Xya advised, sitting back down on her mossy bedroll. “She thinks she’s better than us because she can walk around with no shoes.”

Roverick flipped a piece of meat with his knife. It flashed as it reflected the sun. “I’ll save some for her, in case she isn’t as lucky as I.”

Chapter 4.01

2008-09-01T23:11:00.000-03:00

They were back where they started: the forest. Ilianna was thankful to feel the moss beneath her hardened feet once more. No more walls, no more stone, no more staring men. The trees understood her, and she understood them. She lay awake, staring at the twin moons. Unlike the trees in the forest that surrounded Bark, these weren’t as tall, and the stars smiled down at her.

She turned her eyes to Elijah. He had drifted into an uneasy sleep. Not wanting to risk Roverick’s curiosity in the amulets, they had to treat Elijah the old-fashioned way. Fortunately, Roverick seemed familiar enough with the procedure. He had held him down while Ilianna broke off the tip of the arrow that had pierced him. Then, giving Elijah something to bite on, Roverick had pulled the arrow from his shoulder.

He lost a lot of blood. It had been close, but Elijah was still breathing. The amount of times he had almost died since she met him was astounding; she worried what the Tree-Gods had in store for him.

Ilianna glanced at Roverick. He was keeping watch on the other side of the camp. She wrapped her fingers around the covered amulet.

“If I could only heal you,” she whispered to the wounded, sleeping man.

But no. As much as Roverick was eager to help them, and useful with the blade, it seemed almost too convenient for him to appear in their time of need. Was she the only one who could see it? Xya’s eyes glazed over whenever she looked at him; although her appearance was that of a man, Ilianna could tell that she was taken with him. Was he Zopyros’ spy, sent to steal the amulets? She would take no chances. She covered the amulet with both her hands, fearing that its glow would attract his attention.

She closed her eyes and cleared her mind. Sounds of the forest filled her ears.

Snap!

That was not the sound of the forest. Ilianna sat up suddenly and grabbed her bow. Her eyes darted back and forth in the moonlight.

“What’s wrong?” Roverick asked.

“Did you hear that?” she responded.

“Hear what?”

Ilianna kept her eyes on the sound’s location as Roverick walked towards her. He stood next to her as she readied her bow.

“No, I didn’t hear anything. Could’ve been an animal, though. Deer, perhaps.”

“Deer wouldn’t come this close. They’d be too frightened,” Ilianna replied.

Roverick crept towards the bushes and brushed them aside. He stuck his head into the darkness and looked around. “I don’t see anything back here.”

Ilianna lied back down, but kept one hand on her bow. “I’m sure you don’t.”

Chapter 3.31

2008-08-31T21:33:00.001-03:00

Darkness fell upon the continent of Agaia, but the Shadow Man’s spirits lifted. The redhead and her companions had escaped the clumsy Thyrican guards. Now, they slept soundlessly in the nearby forest, unaware of the presence that watched over them.

He waited by the road, as instructed. A horse galloped towards him; Zopyros was on time. He seemed to move better than the last time he saw him. The scarred man remained in his saddle and spoke down to him.

“What is your progress?” Zopyros demanded. “Are the others dead yet?”

“No, they are not,” the Shadow Man replied. “Unforseen circumstances are to blame.”

“I was told you were a man of predictability, not of chance,” Zopyros retorted. “I heard a guard was murdered in Thyrica. Your work, I assume?”

“Yes.”

The horse trotted in place; Zopyros held the reins to his chest to keep it steady. “I didn’t pay you to arouse the suspicions of the locals.”

“I have reasons for my actions,” the Shadow Man said darkly. “Had he not died, the redhead would’ve found him, and she would have been arrested. It is harder to bring her to you when she is surrounded by the military of Agaia.”

“Thyrica is already pursuing her!” Zopyros snapped. “Why not kill the others now, while they’re sleeping?”

The Shadow Man put a finger to his lips. “Patience. I’m an artist, not a brute.”

“Don’t mock me,” the thief lord warned. “My eyes and ears will be everywhere in that forest, ensuring that you do your job properly. Snare her within the next few weeks, and I’ll double your pay.” He reached into his pocket and tossed the Shadow Man a sack of coins. “Now hurry, before I lose my temper.”

The horse reared, but Zopyros held on tightly. He made a clicking noise with his tongue and the horse broke into a steady canter down the road. The Shadow Man watched him ride with his peripheral vision, and then disappeared into the forest.

This redhead…Xya, she was called…she was a mysterious creature. He could care less about her taste in clothing; it was the glowing amulets that she and the forest beauty shared. The way she had tamed the guard that was about to capture her had mesmerized them. Zopyros said he had wanted the girl alive. The Shadow Man wondered if Zopyros would miss the glowing amulet around her neck.

Chapter 3.30

2008-08-30T18:20:00.001-03:00

Time seemed to slow around her. Freedom narrowed with every second of indecision. It was either give up her journey and become a prisoner in Thyrica with her friends, or strike out on her own and find her father herself.

Her eyes rested on the closing gate. Elijah’s shot. Ilianna is a threat. Roverick…Roverick can take care of himself.

But the amulet. And the book. Abraham of Mytovya’s leather bound book rested safely in the knapsack attached to her saddle. The green amulet around Ilianna’s neck, however, would have to be a sacrifice; the power to heal was nothing compared to the power to control.

She hurried on her horse for the gate. Arrows whizzed by her, but she could make it. She was so close. Just a little more…

And then, they were ahead of her. Roverick led the way on his stallion, with Elijah draped over his knees. Ilianna followed, her arrows singing retaliation for Elijah’s wounds.

If I don’t hurry, they’ll leave without me! Xya thought.

She leaned forward on her horse and yelled for it to go faster. Whether or not it understood, she didn’t know. Roverick passed through the gates and galloped out of sight. Ilianna retracted her bow and squeezed through after him.

Xya closed her eyes. She didn’t want to see her head hit the hard wood crossed with steel.

A gentle breeze blew through her hair. The gates shut. Arrows continued to fly from the top of the wall.

Her horse’s hooves galloped on the grass.

Xya opened her eyes.

“Keep riding!” Roverick shouted. “We’re not clear yet!”

The guards from the top of the wall continued to shoot their arrows, but they were getting fewer by the second. Before them lay the plains of Agaia, and in the distance, a small forest.

“In the forest. We’ll stop there,” Ilianna said, and steered her horse for the trees.

Xya followed. She glanced at Roverick. He nodded grimly.

It looks like I’m stuck with you, she thought. With all of you.

Chapter 3.29

2008-08-29T22:37:00.000-03:00

Frustrated that Ilianna had bested her, Xya found a white stallion and lifted herself onto its back. She attached the sacks to hooks on the side of the saddle. Elijah fluttered around, trying to help her.

“I can’t believe she’s out there! We have to hurry before she’s killed!” he muttered.
“Get your own horse then!” Xya snapped. “You’re weighing us down.”

Elijah looked nervously around the stable. “But I don’t know how to ride!”

“It’s the fastest way out. Let’s go!”

While Elijah scrambled to find a horse to his liking, Xya watched the battle Roverick and Ilianna were waging outside. Ilianna rode her horse around the guards skillfully, knocking them down with her whizzing arrows. Roverick slaughtered them like animals. Once again, in less than ten minutes, the streets of Thyrica were made of blood.

Elijah found a black and white horse, and began attaching bags. His hands shook as he struggled to tie the knots; he stole glances every few seconds out the window.

“Is she alright?” he demanded.

“She’s fine.”

More guards appeared. Xya knew that Thyrica was only a small town, and normally it wouldn’t have a military force of this size. She realized that the guard’s murder in the Thyrica Rest must have caused a stir in the military ranks of Agaia, and extra forces were probably sent to the colourful town.

They were no match for Ilianna and Roverick, however. Together they danced between the awkward blows of the Agaia soldiers. One soldier slashed Ilianna’s horse; Roverick sliced off his arm. She nodded at him in gratitude, and continued fighting.

They seem to be getting a little too cozy out there, Xya thought.

Elijah struggled to mount his horse. It whinnied impatiently. Once he was on, Xya kicked her heels to the sides of the horse and galloped outside. Roverick caught sight of her and gestured to the gate. It was open.

“Go!” he shouted over the clattering of blades.

She hesitated. “But--”

“Go!” he repeated. “While you can.”

She didn’t need to be told three times. Xya headed for the open gate. Archers from the wall noticed her, and began shooting arrows. She ducked, covering the back of her head with her hands while gripping the reins tightly. Elijah yelled behind her; he had been hit.

Xya glanced behind her. Another wave of soldiers was coming. Elijah was on the ground, gripping his left side. Ilianna was finishing off the archers, but her aim was off because she couldn’t stop staring at Elijah’s wounded state. Roverick was running for the stables.

Suddenly there was a clanging noise in front of her. The gates were slowly closing. If her horse was fast enough, she could make it through. The others would never make it, and they would be trapped. A choice had to be made, and Xya didn’t know what to do.

Chapter 3.28

2008-08-28T21:48:00.002-03:00

Xya pretended not to hear his question. She concentrated on placing one foot in front of the other; every step would bring her closer to her father’s book. But that would lead to more questions: Are there more of these amulets? Where can I find them? How is your father involved? And she dreaded: Why do you seek its power?

She knew Elijah and Ilianna weren’t pleased either. She felt their eyes looking at her, begging her not to spill her guts to this ruggedly handsome stranger. Ruggedly handsome, with his unshaved stubble, graceful moves and—
“Well?” he asked.

Xya tucked the glowing amulet under her shirt again. “It’s nothing.”

Elijah and Ilianna breathed easier.

Roverick raised his eyebrows. “Nothing. Really.”

“Really,” Xya echoed.

“The guards back there were pretty convinced it was something else.”

Ilianna glared at Xya. Her words were obvious: If you tell him, I’ll kill you. She wasn’t afraid of the forest princess in her scanty garb, but she knew Ilianna wouldn’t hesitate to carry out the unspoken threat.

Xya returned her gaze to the street. “It’s nothing.”

“Alright,” Roverick said, unconvinced. “Have it your way.”

There was no more conversation until they reached the stables. The stable man was outside, as before, sitting on a pile of hay. He looked around, scuffed his feet in the dirt, and then looked around again, as if waiting for someone. Xya pretended he didn’t exist, and walked into the stables.

She was unprepared for the barn smell. She wrinkled her nose. It was bigger than it looked from the outside, but it was a tight squeeze for the twelve horses that resided there. They made soft grunting noises. All of them were still saddled; likely, they belonged to the militia in the city, or to the wealthy travelers passing through.

The bags sat near the entrance, next to the first stall. As Xya knelt to take them, the stable man turned his head and looked through the glassless window.
“You…you fellas aren’t supposed to be here…” he stammered. He turned and backed against the outside wall. “Jailbreak! Help! Guards!”

The four of them moved quickly. Ilianna grabbed her bow, docked an arrow, and shot the stable hand in the back. He squealed, and continued shooting. She readied another one, but Roverick finished him off with his blade. She helped Elijah grab as many bags as they could carry.

Meanwhile, Xya was frantically going through the sacks, searching for the book. It has to be here, to has to be here…

“We can look for it later!” Ilianna exclaimed. “Just grab a bag and go!”

Down the street there was the sound of men running in heavy boots. Someone had heard the cry for help, or the lieutenant had already reached the general.

Roverick ran towards the nearest horse. “I’m assuming you three can ride.”

Xya groaned inwardly. “Sort of, yes, but--”

He took the horse by the reins and led it out of the stable. Outside, he mounted it swiftly just as a parade of soliders rounded the corner with their weapons drawn.

“He’ll keep them busy,” Ilianna said. “Let’s follow his lead.”

“Suddenly you’re excited to trust him?” Xya retorted, grabbing a sack.

She snorted and picked out a docile tan stallion. “Not as excited as you, I’m sure.”

Chapter 3.27

2008-08-27T23:23:00.001-03:00

The blue amulet around Xya’s neck had been glowing, but it wasn’t noticeable because of the blue material of her outfit. Now that both the green and the blue amulets were exposed, the light they produced together shone so brightly that it caught the surrounding guards by surprise. Xya used this to draw her hidden knife and stab the guard in front of her.

“This is suicide!” Elijah shouted.

She watched him grab Ilianna and run away from the chaos. Some of the guards went after them. She blew on the blue gem; it came to life. She aimed it at those who were running after Elijah and Ilianna, but they weren’t looking at her, so the amulet’s powers didn’t work.

One of the guards stared at her with widened eyes. “So the rumour was true!”
Grateful for the opportunity, she shoved the amulet in his face. The glittery magic entranced him, turning his surprise into nonchalance.

“Kill the other guards!” she instructed.

Xya already had an unstoppable force fighting for her, however. Roverick reappeared from the alleyways with his sword drawn. She stopped to watch him without fear of getting killed. It was like watching a dance; he engaged his dueling partner, spun them around, teased them with his sword and then slashed or stabbed them. When one fell, another rushed to him, wanting desperately to be Roverick’s next partner. The Thyrican people woke from their dreary existence to gaze upon the excitement; the women whispered about his movements and admired him.

The street was littered with blood and bodies. Only one remained; it was the lieutenant. Roverick held him, pointing his blade at his throat.

“Wait! Wait! Please, don’t kill me,” the lieutenant pleaded.

“Why shouldn’t we?” Xya demanded. “Where are the belongings we had before we were arrested?”

Roverick held the blade steady against his neck. The guard began sweating; his eyes darted around to the dead bodies of his fallen comrades.

“Answer her question,” Roverick said calmly.

The lieutenant stared at Roverick in horror. The absolute calm in the thief’s eyes was almost as frightening as the way he had quickly killed the soldiers.

“They’re…it’s at the-the-the…stables,” the lieutenant stammered.

“Convenient,” Elijah muttered.

“It…it was going to be taken back to the dead guard’s family!” the lieutenant continued.

Roverick was about to slit his throat when Ilianna stopped him.

“He gave us the information we wanted,” she said. “We should grant him mercy.”

Upon hearing the location of her father’s book, Xya couldn’t care less about the fate of the lieutenant. She was ready to run to the stables, grab her things and leave without them. But Roverick’s intensity in the eye of the battle kept her feet still.

He dropped the lieutenant. Spitting thank yous, the guard climbed to his feet and stepped over the guards’ bodies, running down the street frantically.

“He’s going to alert the general!” Elijah exclaimed.

“Then let’s go,” Xya said quickly.

Without waiting for anyone, she marched down the street. Elijah and Ilianna followed. After checking to ensure that no one was hurt, she covered the green amulet once more.

“So,” Roverick said, sheathing his sword. “Are you going to tell me about those amulets around your necks?”

Chapter 3.26

2008-08-26T23:06:00.000-03:00

The mayor sauntered off. The lieutenant took the rope that held Xya, Elijah and Ilianna captive from Roverick’s hands. Another one of his guards took the bag of clothes that Xya was carrying.

“A fine job, capturing the redhead,” the lieutenant said. “But, uh, report to the general immediately, so we can confirm your transfer.”

Roverick nodded curtly. “If I may ask, Lieutenant, what is the maximum sentence?”

“In all other cities in Agaia but Thyrica, it’s death by hanging, of course,” the lieutenant replied. “In Thyrica, it’s different. The maximum sentence is to be buried alive.”

Xya’s jaw fell open. She could almost feel the dirt filling her lungs.

“The sentence will be carried out tonight, then,” the lieutenant continued. “Come on, men.”

The lieutenant said good-bye to Roverick. His men surrounded Xya, Elijah and Ilianna, and led them back where they came from: the prison.

“I knew it!” Elijah expostulated. “He had it in for us all along.”

Xya glanced around her shoulder. She saw the mask that Roverick had created shatter for a brief moment as she walked to her doom. Someone she had only met a day before cared about her fate; now she wouldn’t live to experience what that would mean for her.

“We’ll find a way out,” Xya muttered.

“Not unless you like digging,” Elijah said darkly.

“Quiet,” the lieutenant snapped.

She glanced behind her once more. Roverick was gone.

Maybe he’ll rescue us, Xya thought. Either way, he’s done for. Once they take us to prison and find the dead guard, they’ll know he wasn’t really a guard.

Xya touched the chord of the amulet. She glanced at Ilianna and caught her eye. Ilianna shook her head slightly.

“There’s too many,” Ilianna whispered.

Xya grinned. Tugging on the rope, she swung her hands to Ilianna’s neck, where the green amulet lay wrapped in its cloth. She gripped the cloth and pulled it off; a bright light shot from the amulet as Xya exposed hers as well.

Chapter 3.25

2008-08-25T23:13:00.001-03:00

Xya’s plan was only meant for short term use, however. It wasn’t long before a parade of real Thyrican guards marched towards them. Elijah eyed them nervously. Although Xya couldn’t see Roverick’s face, she was sure that he was calm and collected.

As expected, the guards recognized them. He commanded his unit to stop, and held out a hand for Roverick to stop as well. “Where are you taking these prisoners?”

“To the mayor,” Roverick replied. “He wants them questioned.”

“Those aren’t the general’s orders,” the guard said. “At the briefing this morning, he said that they are to remain at the prison.”

“The orders changed when we caught the redhead,” Roverick said, gesturing to Xya.

Another guard stepped forward, stroking his five-o-clock shadow. “You know, I don’t recognize you from the briefing.”

“I’m a new transfer,” Roverick said coolly.

“Really. What’s your rank?” the first guard demanded.

The situation was turning sour fast. Xya slowly reached for the amulet. I wonder if it can work on more than one person at once…

Fortunately, Xya was spared the use of the strange magic. Sir Albert ran towards them, huffing and puffing, flailing his arms to attract the guards’ attention.

“Excuse me!” Sir Albert called. He stopped, flopping over like a rag doll to catch his breath. “Have you seen the general?”

“Oh! Mr. Mayor!” Roverick exclaimed. “You’re just the man I was looking for.”

“You’re not the general,” Sir Albert replied.

“No, no, of course not,” Roverick said, forcing a laugh. “I was—”

Sir Albert wasn’t interested. “Well! I’ve been running in circles all day looking for the general, but…” He trailed off when he saw Xya. “Oh, it’s you again. Greetings to you!”

The guard raised an eyebrow. “You know this one, Mr. Mayor?”

“Why yes!” Sir Albert said excitedly. “We had the loveliest chat about Thyrican culture. But I don’t remember very much about it, I’m afraid. I suffered a rather nasty blow to the head shortly afterwards. Perhaps if my floor weren’t so hard…”

“Lieutenant, the general said that armour was found outside the mayor’s house,” the second guard chimed in.

“Mr. Mayor,” the lieutenant said, “Circumstantial evidence has proved that this redheaded scoundrel is guilty of murdering the poor guard at the Thyrican Rest last night.”

Sir Albert gasped. “Oh! That is rather gruesome, I do admit. Hmm…well then…I think the maximum sentence is in order. An eye for an eye, so to speak.” He smiled apologetically at Xya. “I hate to lose such a bright young mind, but I hate explaining murder to the Court.”

“The maximum sentence it is, then,” the lieutenant said confidently. “For all three?”
Sir Albert glanced at Elijah and Ilianna and waved his hand. “Yes, yes, no need to have too many loose ends.” He did a double take of Xya and Elijah’s clothing. “Aren’t those my pants?”

Chapter 3.24

2008-08-24T21:39:00.002-03:00

Xya convinced her brother to wear Sir Albert’s clothes. It put a damper on her initial cover story that she was a lord, but she knew that Elijah and Ilianna especially would be easier to spot in their ragged, dirty clothes.

“This is a little tight on me,” Elijah complained, tugging at his sleeves.

“It’s a little short on me,” Xya countered, pointing to her legs. “But it will have to do.”

Roverick stripped the dead guard and put on his uniform over his clothing. He also took his sword and attached the sheath to his hip. Drawing both his sword and the dead solider’s, he demonstrated his swordsmanship by twirling the blades and attacking the air.

Xya took the bag of clothes and held it out to Ilianna. She crossed her arms and refused to take it.

“What I wear is traditional for my people,” Ilianna said. “I won’t take it off.”

“We’ve already talked about this,” Xya said. “Besides, your outfit is as obvious as my hair.”

“I’m not taking it off,” Ilianna snapped. “That’s final.”

“If she wants to get killed, that’s fine,” Roverick said. He sheathed his swords and stared Xya square in the eye. “We should leave.”

Glaring at Ilianna, Xya slung the clothing bag over her shoulder. “I agree.”

Ilianna was taken aback at her apathy towards her life, but Xya didn’t care. Ilianna, although useful for her archery and literacy skills, was merely another body she had to worry about controlling. If it weren’t for Elijah’s feelings, she would have taken the green amulet from her long ago.

Xya’s plan was simple, and didn’t need explaining. Roverick found restraining rope and bound their wrists. He gripped the rope tightly. Elijah complained about his new tight clothing, and asked why he had to wear it if he was pretending to be a prisoner again. Xya assured him that it could be useful later on, and that they probably wouldn't get the chance to change before escaping.

After ensuring that there were no guards outside, the four of them left the prison. Roverick walked ahead of them, pretending to be a Thyrican guard. The townspeople noticed Xya’s hair and whispered to each other, but did nothing because of Roverick’s presence.

Elijah walked next to Xya, keeping a weary eye on Roverick in front of them. He lowered his voice and whispered, “Does he know?”

Xya controlled her temper. “Of course not.”

“Where did he come from?” Ilianna demanded.

“Look, he’s not working for Zopyros, okay?” Xya hissed.

“We didn’t say that,” Elijah said. “But yes, he probably is.”

“I’m surprised you haven’t enslaved him yet,” Ilianna muttered.

“I have my reasons.”

“I’m sure you do.”

Xya’s eyes flashed. “If you’re not careful I’ll use it on you.”

Elijah grabbed Xya’s arm and squeezed it threateningly. “If you do, I won’t hesitate to--”

“Shut up back there!” Roverick shouted. He pulled on the rope; Elijah almost tripped over himself. Xya and Ilianna maintained their balance, and their anger, as they trekked through the Thyrican streets.

Chapter 3.23

2008-08-23T21:06:00.001-03:00

As Xya and Ilianna raided the various desks and cabinets in the small prison, Roverick expressed his disapproval. “If you don’t leave now, they’ll lock you up and we’ll be back to where we started.”

Elijah leaned against the prison bars. He watched them search for their things. Xya wished he would help, but then she remembered that he didn’t believe in her cause anyway. After pulling out the last drawer and throwing all of the papers around, she concluded that their things weren’t there.

“Where else would they keep our things?” Xya asked Roverick.

“I don’t know. I’m not from here,” Roverick said shortly.

“I thought you said you had a home here,” Xya said sceptically.

“My home is where I make it.” Roverick approached the window and looked around for guards. “I imagine you’re only wasting your time searching for your things because you lost something valuable.”

Xya and Elijah exchanged glances.

“It’s none of your business what we lost,” Ilianna said reproachfully.

Roverick continued to stare out the window. “No, of course not.”

Xya raised an eyebrow. If he assumes what we lost is valuable, why wouldn’t he be interested? Wouldn’t he want to help us find it, if not for its possible material value, but for…?

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. Glancing at her sack of clothes, and the dead guard, an idea formed.

“Roverick, put on the uniform,” she said.

His eyes turned away from the window. He saw her plan. “We’ll all play dressup, won’t we?”

“You’re not making me wear a dead man’s clothes,” Elijah said.

Xya smiled and tossed him the bag. “Wear a live man’s clothes instead.”

Chapter 3.22

2008-08-22T23:59:00.000-03:00

The jail was across from them. There were no guards in sight. The citizens of Thyrica went about their daily business; although they probably knew about the murder, Xya wondered if they would recognize her if they saw her.

Checking to see if the coast was clear, Roverick dashed across the street. Xya followed. She ducked her head, knowing it wouldn’t hide her dark red hair. Roverick casually opened the door to the building, and held it for Xya as they went inside.

There was one guard. Seeing Xya’s hair, he approached her. “You’re under—”

Shing. Roverick drew his blade, grabbed his hair and sliced him ear to ear. Blood spat all over his face; he wiped it off with the back of his hand.

Because Thyrica was small, so was its prison. There were three cages; two were empty. In the third, Elijah and Ilianna were huddled together in a corner. Their eyes were wide in terror as they stared at Roverick. Xya ran to the bars.

“Are you alright?” she asked.

Elijah shifted his eyes to his sister, nodded, and then returned his gaze to Roverick.

“Ilianna,” Xya said. “What about the…”

She placed her hand on the amulet underneath her shirt. Ilianna touched the wrapped amulet around her neck and nodded. Xya sighed with relief.

Roverick joined Xya, holding a roll of keys that he had taken off the dead guard. He tried them in the lock; he was successful on his first try. “We’ll have to find some way to get out of the city.”

The cell door swung open. Elijah and Ilianna rose to their feet, hesitantly.
“Xya…who’s this?” Elijah questioned.

“I’m Roverick,” said Roverick, throwing the keys over his shoulder. “Have you any supplies?”

“They took them from us,” Ilianna replied. “I don’t know where they are.”
“Whatever they were, you can steal more of them before you leave town,” Roverick said. “The guards will find Xya here soon. I can’t fight a whole army for you.”

“I hope you wouldn’t,” Elijah muttered.

Xya and Ilianna exchanged glances. They both knew that the book was as important as the amulets around their necks. If they didn’t have that, they would lose an essential key to finding the amulets, and the truth about Abraham of Mytovya. It was time that Xya took control of this operation once more, and moved her people towards her goal.

“Let’s do a quick check of the room before we leave,” Xya suggested, keeping her eyes on Ilianna.

Chapter 3.21

2008-08-21T23:43:00.000-03:00

Roverick reacted without thinking. He drew his sword and charged the men before Xya could even grab her knife from her belt. Leaping onto the bed, Roverick swung his blade. The guard, surprised by Roverick’s attack, was too slow. Blood spattered all over the wall as the guard’s arm fell to the floor. Xya ran to fight the other guard, but again, Roverick was ahead of her. The second guard blocked Roverick’s first attacks. Roverick jumped off the bed, spun around to avoid the guard’s blade, and shoved his sword into the guard’s chest. Groaning, the guard collapsed. The blood from the two bodies matched the red décor.

“I think I understand why you said you were only a thief sometimes,” Xya said, sheathing her knife. “Where did you learn to fight like that?”

“Later,” Roverick said curtly.

Sheathing his weapon, he put his arm around her thin waist and helped her out the window. Xya was hesitant, but for now he was her only hope to escape the strange hostility of the Thyrican guards.

The sheet-rope wasn’t long enough to reach the ground. Xya dangled a few feet from the grass. She released the fabric and tumbled to the ground. Rubbing herself tenderly, she saw that Roverick climbed down with great ease and agility. He landed on his feet.

Xya grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. She turned to Roverick, but he was already leaning against the stone wall that surrounded city.

“We’ll follow this around to the prison,” he said. His eyes darted around, looking for danger. “I’ve got the gold for bail, but I doubt we’ll need it now. Likely it’ll be unguarded, since everyone is out looking for you.”

Cautiously, Xya followed his lead and pressed her back against the stone wall. Together they moved silently along it.

“Why are they after me?” Xya asked. “I mean, I thought they believed me when I told them I was a lord, and that my servants stole the guard’s things.”

“They did believe you,” Roverick said. “But the man you stole from was murdered last night. Apparently you also took him prisoner.”

Xya touched her hidden amulet briefly. “How do you know that? How did they find me?”

“Your hair makes you hard to miss,” he replied. “And I know because it’s the talk of the town. The innkeeper went up this morning to check on him. He was found dead on the floor. He checked his records and saw your room was adjacent to his, and that you hadn’t checked out yet. Guards went to investigate the scene, and they were about to bust you when I showed up.”

“But I didn’t murder him!” Xya exclaimed.

Roverick glanced at her. He was silent for a few moments. “There was a blood trail leading to your room.”

“Yes, but I didn’t do it.”

Although I had a good reason to, she thought. He knew about the amulet’s power. He probably told everyone about it. If Zopyros hears that I’m here…

“I’m just glad I showed up in time,” Roverick muttered.

“I could’ve handled myself,” Xya said stubbornly. “Now that you killed the guards, they’ll think I’m guilty of murder.”

“You’re guilty of theft anyway,” Roverick replied. “Our best bet is to get you and your friends out of the city, before we all end up in prison.”

“What about you?”

Roverick didn’t reply. A band of guards ran down the street; Xya and Roverick hid behind the nearest building. They waited until their thundering footsteps subsided, and then continued to sneak through the back alleys.

Chapter 3.20

2008-08-20T23:34:00.000-03:00

After days of sleeping outside, Xya wasn’t used to waking up in a bedroom. She stared at the ceiling, savouring the feeling of the feathered mattress beneath her. It was only when she remembered why she was sleeping at the inn and not in the forest with Elijah and Ilianna that she leapt from the bed.

Her door was ajar. Curious, she sauntered towards it and peeked into the hallway. A few guards stood outside the room next to hers, talking. Blood stains spotted the wooden floor. The red trail stopped in front of her room.

Has someone been murdered? she wondered. And why does the blood lead to my room?

Xya knew she didn’t have much time. If the guards saw the stains, they would connect her with something that would further delay her journey. She rushed to the window on the other side of the room and thrust it open. It made a loud screeching noise. Panicking, Xya looked down. It was a two storey jump; she was not looking forward to the landing.

She could hear the guards drawing their swords. She glanced behind her, but they hadn’t entered her room. Instead there was commotion in the hallway. They had engaged someone in combat. Thumping noises signaled several bodies hitting the floor. Xya placed one foot on the window ledge, preparing herself to jump.

The door burst open. Xya perched on the ledge, and almost fell in surprise.

“What are you doing here?” Xya demanded. “The guards…?”

Roverick, dressed in a sharp looking white shirt and dark blue cloak, held a bloodied sword in his right hand. He sheathed it and extended a hand. “Come on. There’s no time to explain.”

Sceptical, Xya allowed her right foot to touch the floor, but kept the other planted on the ledge. “Did you just kill all those guards?”

“They would’ve arrested you,” Roverick explained. Eying the bag filled with Sir Albert’s clothes, he picked it up and stuffed it under one arm. “We’d better get out of here before more show up.”

“I’m not going anywhere until you give me answers,” Xya said stubbornly.

“Fine.” Roverick grabbed the sheets off her bed, twisted them, and began tying knots.

“I won’t let you jump out that window without holding on to something.”

He tied one end of the makeshift rope to the bedpost, and threw the rest out the window. It wasn’t long enough to reach the ground, but it would have to do. Roverick tossed Xya’s bag of clothes out the window just as two more guards appeared in the doorway.

Chapter 3.19

2008-08-19T20:03:00.001-03:00

The man who was once a prisoner was now free, but all he could think about was revenge.

He had told the other guards the story: a redheaded lord used a magic amulet—yes, a magic amulet—to confuse his mind. His memory of his time spent with them was fuzzy: he remembered stripping his armour, and walking for a long time. When his memory had returned, however, it was as if someone had struck him over the head: the evil lord of Mytovya had enslaved him, and for that he would be punished.

Two of them were arrested: the slave girl, and the man. No doubt they were also victims of the magic amulet. He pitied them, but while they were still influenced by the evil lord, they belonged behind bars.

The evil lord was still at large. The guard insisted that a unit be assembled to hunt him down, but nothing could be done without the mayor’s consent. The general stationed in Thyrica contacted the mayor, but he wasn’t answering his door. Finally, the general decided that the traumatized guard would stay at The Thyrica Rest for the night. Word was sent to the guard’s detachment in Eurus.

The room wasn’t luxurious, but it had red sheets and curtains. It was hard for the guard to sleep; he paced his room, thinking of ways that he could have his revenge. Once he found out whom this lord from Mytovya was, he would hunt him down and ensure that he was stripped of his title, his land and his women.

Everyone would know the injustice that had been done to him.

Cracking his fingers excitedly, he turned towards the window. It overlooked the back alley, and the wall. His fellow guards stood watch. The sky was clear, and while he couldn’t see the moons from the window, their light beamed on the wall.

Somewhere out there, the evil lord roamed free, capturing the will of the innocent with his evil magic.

Creak.

The guard spun around. The room was empty. Cautious, he decided to shut the curtains. The only sources of light were the burning candles on the nightstand beside the bed.

Creak.

Old wood, it’s just old wood, the guard told himself. He undressed and crawled into bed. His eyelids drooped.

Creeeeeeeeeeeeeak.

Light from the hallway poured into the room. It flickered as a shadow crossed it.

The guard was no longer alone.

He sat up quickly. He had no weapons: the evil lord stole them. Grasping the chamberstick, he held it in front of him.

“Come out, coward!” the guard exclaimed; his words sounded braver than he felt. He knew it was the evil lord, coming to enslave his will once more.

Something in the darkness moved. This time, there was no creaking sound to warn him. The guard’s neck snapped, but even then the only sound was the chamberstick hitting the floor.

Chapter 3.18

2008-08-18T21:44:00.000-03:00

Roverick glanced at his bag. It was filled with assorted silverware, rare books and decorated pottery. “Bail is expensive.”

Her eyes widened when she caught his meaning. “But that’s your loot!”

Roverick smiled. “The mayor can be knocked out more that once.”

Xya returned his smile. Hmm, I think Roverick should help me more often.

They walked down the street in silence. She couldn’t think of anything useful to say; she wasn’t good at saying thank you. Instead, she stared at the moons and contemplated her mission. It felt like ages since she left Mytovya, and yet her journey thus far was slow. Between their stay in Bark, and their delay here in Thyrica, she worried that she had missed her window of opportunity to see her father. Touching the chord that held the amulet to her breast, she wished that she could rid herself of all other attachments and run to her destination.

Roverick broke her thoughts. “There’s that inn I mentioned.”

He used his head to gesture to a nearby building. Its sign read “The Thyrica Rest”. Although odd in name, the sides of the sign were draped in red cloth that matched the curtains of the upstairs windows.

“Just convince them you’re a lord, and they’ll put the fee on credit,” Roverick said. He bounced the bag fondly. “I should get working on turning this bag into gold for you.”

If it were only that easy. I wonder if one of the other two amulets can change one thing into another, she thought.

Now came the hard part. “Look, uh…I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”

She had hoped to come off as genuine, but the words sounded forced. What was supposed to be the easiest task—lying—turned out to be harder than the truth. Xya swallowed nervously, and wondered whether the truth was slipping through.

“I hope so,” Roverick replied. “Being alive isn’t cheap.”

“I know.” Xya looked him in the eye. “Your help means a lot to me.”

What surprised her was that that wasn't a lie.

Chapter 3.17

2008-08-17T22:56:00.000-03:00

A while later, they arrived at the stables. The horses whinnied in their confined space. Two guards stood by the entrance. There was only one other man; he wore a white shirt and high boots. Shoving the bag of clothes at Roverick, Xya marched towards him.

“Stable boy!” she addressed him, even though he was clearly older than she, “Did two servants deliver you a white stallion earlier?”

The man chewed on a piece of grass; at the mention of the word ‘stallion’ he stopped. He studied her. “Were they yer servants?”

Xya sensed some sort of trap; she went headfirst into the question. “Yes, they are.”
“Then maybe the guards should arrest you.”

Her eyes widened. “Whatever they did, I assure you that my punishment is ten times greater than any prison.”

He shrugged. “Can’t pay the fees, can’t house the horse.”

Xya touched the amulet, which was hiding beneath her outfit. “I can compensate you with the required fees, so long as my possessions are returned to me.”

Yes, my possessions, she thought. The amulet…the book!

“’Is not me you gotta take it up with,” the man said. “They’re down at the jail tonight. Tomorrow, I reckon a judge will come and decide their fate.”

Xya twitched her nose sceptically at his accent. “You ‘reckon’?”

“Yep. Tomorrow, or the next day,” he replied casually.

We’ll be here forever! she thought. She struggled to keep her anger at bay.

“And my horse?”

“Wasn’t your horse,” he said. “Stolen, from a guard.”

Xya acted surprised. “They told me they bought that horse!”

“They’s liars, then.”

She swore repeatedly in her head. Thanking the stable hand, Xya clenched her hands into fists and walked back towards Roverick. He followed her down the street and turned a corner. When they were out of sight, Xya took her bag from Roverick and swore. “We have to find this man.”

“What man?”

She sighed. “We stole from a guard.”

“Not the smartest idea,” Roverick said. “What about your friends?”

She thought about the hidden amulet around Ilianna’s neck. “Yes, I have to get them out of jail somehow.”

Roverick looked down at his bag of loot. “I wish I could help.”

Xya breathed in sharply. His offer struck her like a knife; kindness was a rare poison that she was not used to, and she was getting it in mountain-sized doses from him. It was making her soft. She almost bowed her head and said no thank you. She realized, however, that Roverick the Sometimes Thief might have a use after all.

“I…I wish you could help too,” she said.

Chapter 3.16

2008-08-16T22:01:00.000-03:00

It was almost dark when Xya stepped out onto the streets of Thyrica. Torches hung along the wall and on the stone houses. All was quiet, save the shuffling from the guards on top of the wall. Standing alone in the night, she looked down at her attire, and felt at ease. She was a rich lord now.

Xya almost became Xye. She felt him surfacing, brought to life through the clothing. Roverick came through the alleyway, holding his bag so that it wouldn’t make a sound. She turned to meet him and her male ego was submerged.

“Where are your friends?” he asked. His voice was hushed, as to not disturb the guards.

Is he coming with me? she wondered. Or will he offer to walk me to them?
“They were going to the stables,” Xya replied.

“And then?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t think that far ahead.”

“Do you know where the stables are?”

Xya shook her head. She took a few steps away from him. “They shouldn’t be hard to find.”

Roverick’s lips curled upwards as he sauntered after her. “I’m not going to let you go alone, you know.”

She returned his smile, grimly. “I can see that.”

“No woman should travel alone at night,” he replied as they walked down the street. “Not even one dressed as a man. Do you and your friends have a place to stay?”

She eyed him suspiciously. “Not yet.”

“There’s an inn on this street. Low key, doesn’t ask questions. It should be adequate.”

“Adequate for a lord?”

“If you played your cards right.”

Cards was not something Xya had played before, and so she didn’t ask. She concentrated on breathing and followed his lead down the street towards what she hoped was the stables.

And what then? Xya let her mind wander. After seeing her safely to her brother and Ilianna, would he leave? Did she want him to leave? Xya didn’t want to think about it. She had a quest; a mission.

But could someone like her know what it was like? She thought back to Mytovya, to when she was growing aware of her body. Her mother, intent on having her married off quickly, had men lined up to court her. She had refused them all, afraid that they would want to see her naked.

Roverick was handsome; the scruff on his chin gave him a certain charm, and his easy manner was a nice change from Elijah’s anxiousness. But if at that moment she were to become a man, would she still feel the warmness she felt now in her chest? In her masculine guise, would he see her as a woman?

She shook her head lightly. No, I will not think about that. I feel nothing. I am nothing in a no thing’s body. I feel nothing.

Xya felt herself sweating.

Chapter 3.15

2008-08-15T22:27:00.001-03:00

Roverick was downstairs when Xya had finished looting the clothing. He sat on the sofa in the living room next to a cloth bag of assorted stolen objects. Sir Albert was snoring on the floor; Xya carefully stepped over him.

“I found some cloth bags in the kitchen,” he said, patting his loot. There was a gentle clang in the bag. “Unless you want to carry all those clothes in your arms.”

Xya had taken six different outfits from Sir Albert’s closet, along with some assorted hats, undergarments, boots and scarves. She clasped them tightly, afraid that a boot would fall onto Sir Albert’s sleeping form. Turning for the kitchen, a yellow scarf slipped from her grip and floated to the floor. Annoyed, and embarrassed, she realized she couldn’t bend down to pick it up without loosing more garments.

“Don’t bother,” Roverick said. “Here.”

Roverick handed her a bag. She was about to drop her clothes on the floor to take it when he held it open for her. Resentful for her weakness, but also grateful for his kindness, she dumped the clothes in the cloth bag. She stooped down to pick up the yellow scarf and placed it with the rest of the clothing.

“So, you’re off to find your comrades?” Roverick asked.

Xya took the bag from him, tied it, and slung it over her shoulder. “Yeah, I guess you could say that.” She paused. “What about you?”

He shrugged. “If all of Thyrica is this nonchalant about thievery in the daytime, I could make a killing here.”

“That’s true,” Xya agreed. Her eyes darted awkwardly between him and the door. Her body leaned towards the door; she kept her eyes on him. “I should be going.”

“Alright,” he said. “I’ll take the back door and meet you around the front?”

It was a question; he wasn’t imposing his company on her. Xya opened her mouth to object when she realized the logic behind his suggestion. She was better dressed; to an onlooker, it was plausible that a young lord would walk out of the mayor’s house, even with a full cloth bag. Roverick’s outfit was weathered; his dark hair and scruff would arouse suspicion if seen.

Besides, Xya thought, I could always outrun him if I wanted.

If she wanted.

“I’ll see you there,” she said finally.

Chapter 3.14

2008-08-14T23:48:00.000-03:00

The events following the guard’s accusation were a blur. Guards appeared from nowhere and grabbed Ilianna. The stallion reared; Elijah fell to the ground. Other men grabbed him. She reached for him, but the guards were already pulling her away. She screamed and protested, but a guard covered her mouth. Her protests were largely ignored by the surrounding townspeople.

Their possessions-including the backpack with the book-was seized by the guards. Their former prisoner was ranting and raving about his experiences, claiming to have been under the power of a mysterious amulet. Ilianna was unsure that the other guards believed him, but the fact that they were quick to arrest them showed that they were eager to rid the town of the outsiders.

It was then that Ilianna realized that she was the outsider for once, and that she had invaded their territory. This made her pause. The guards used this opportunity to knock her in the head, and the world that wasn’t hers became black.

*

On the second floor of Sir Albert’s house, Xya rummaged through the mayor’s wardrobe. To her dismay, most of the outfits were red and turquoise. Digging deeper, however, revealed an outfit similar to the one Sir Albert was currently wearing. Xya was about to take off her shirt when Roverick entered the room.

“Of all the valuable things in the house, you go for the clothes,” Roverick said. “Typical woman.”

Xya scoffed. “Hardly. This is men’s clothing.”

“Which would make your husband look nice, no doubt.”

“It isn’t for my husband.”

Roverick took a cautious step towards her. “Are you taking those clothes for you, Xya?”

“That’s Lord Xye to you,” Xya replied. “Leave the room, so I can change.”

“A woman, dressing up as a man,” Roverick mused. “I thought that only happened in silly children’s stories. Maybe you’ve read one too many.”

“I know what I’m doing, thank you,” Xya said frostily. “Now, please leave.”

Roverick mocked her by bowing deeply. “Yes, my lord.”

She was about to snap at him again, but he left the room, closing the door behind him. He could have left already, Xya realized, but he was still there. The possibility that he was working for Zopyros remained in her mind. Another idea was emerging, however. Her blood pumped with excitement as she entertained her private theory, knowing that the odds of it being fact were minuscule. Xya decided she would let Roverick follow her if he chose; it would give her a chance to discover his true intentions, and it would fuel the theory that she hoped, but feared to be true.

Chapter 3.13

2008-08-13T22:10:00.003-03:00

Today is my birthday, therefore there is no update :).

Stay tuned tomorrow to find out what happens to Xya, Elijah and Ilianna!

Chapter 3.12

2008-08-12T21:10:00.001-03:00

Xya knew that if she could get the dagger a few centimeters to the left, she could slash the man’s leg and he would let go of her. She was locked in her own embrace, however, and her movement options were slim. His grip was firm. Where Xya was panting, the man’s breath was steady in her left ear. She realized he was telling the truth about one thing: he could hold her like this all day. Her grip on the knife loosened, and she fell still.

The man released her slowly. Xya stepped away from him, glaring. The knife was still pointed towards him, but she made no further advances.

“Look,” he said. “There’s plenty in this house for both of us. We can split it fifty-fifty, and go our separate ways…uh…” he paused, “what’s your name?”

“I’m Xya,” she said cautiously.

“Xya,” he repeated. “I’m Roverick.”

Intrigued by the appearance of the thief, Xya momentarily lost interest in what she had come for and focused on him. It’s a little too convenient that both of us to rob this nobleman’s house in daylight. I did it because I had to. But him? No way both of us are robbing him for the same reason.

“Do you usually rob houses at this time of day?” Xya asked.
“Do you?” Roverick countered.

“I asked first.”

Roverick tilted his head to indicate that this was true, and conceded. “I’ve been watching this house for a few days. I don’t think it would make a difference to any of the townspeople if they saw me breaking in. Also, the mayor keeps irregular sleeping hours, so it didn’t really matter what time of the day I broke in.”

The mayor of Thyrica lay unconscious on his living room floor. A large bump was forming where Roverick had hit him. She wondered if the blow would knock some sense into him.

“How did someone so…insane…manage to get elected as mayor?” Xya asked.

He smiled. “That’s a good question. One that, unfortunately, many people aren’t asking. Or answering.”

“Why not?”

“Have you been living in the woods or something?”

Xya opened her mouth to reply, and then closed it again. Her eyes narrowed. “Why does that matter?”

Roverick brushed it off. “It doesn’t. I was joking.”

She inhaled deeply, and let it out slowly. She started to move towards the back door. Whatever he had meant, Xya didn't care. “I should get back. My people are waiting for me.”

“Your people?” Roverick questioned. He gestured around the room. “What about the things you came for?”

Xya stopped. “Oh. Right.”

“Like I said, fifty-fifty,” Roverick repeated. “I take downstairs, you take upstairs?”

Xya nodded quickly in agreement. So long as his clothes are upstairs, you can take all the red and turquoise sofas you want down here.

Chapter 3.11

2008-08-11T22:37:00.001-03:00

Xya didn’t know whether to be grateful or angry at the newcomer. It was understandable to want to hit him; Xya would’ve gotten around to it eventually. But to rush in and strike preemptively, without warning or reason! She wondered if he was as crazy as Sir Albert.

“That’s Sir Albert, mayor of Thyrica,” the man said.

She noted that he identified Sir Albert, and not himself. Still, it shocked her that he was in charge of the town; she decided to play along. “He’s the mayor?”

“Oddly enough.”

“And you knocked him unconscious.”

“It would appear so, yes.”

“Why?”

He chuckled. “Why do you think? We’re both here for the same reason. You’re just being a woman and sweet talking him until he gives you something. I’m taking a more direct route.”

He sees me as a woman, she thought. Odd, seeing as I’m wearing men’s clothing, and I definitely smell like a man.

That was her first thought. It took a few seconds for his words to sink in. Xya stood. She was a bit taller than he was. “You’re a thief.”

He shrugged his shoulders and smiled modestly. “Sometimes.”

“Where are you from?” she demanded.

“Why do you care?”

Xya stepped closer to him and reached for her knife. “Where are you from?”

“Okay, take it easy,” he said. His voice was calm and collected. “I’m from up north, from Valshore.”

Xya had never heard of that place, but on the other hand, she had never left Mytovya before stealing the amulet. For all she knew, he could work for Zopyros. If that was true, she realized, he needed to die.

“You don’t believe me,” he said.

She hated it when people read her. “Why should I?”

“I don’t see why it’s important. Unless…” he trailed off. “Unless you have someone after you.”

Xya swallowed. A little bit too convenient that you should know that.

Without further hesitation, she unsheathed her knife and lunged. The man dropped his club and grabbed her wrists. He didn’t even break a sweat as he twirled her left arm around, locking her own body in a self-embrace. The thief held her against him, her back against his chest.

She struggled against him, wagging the dagger, trying to get it to slice his pants. “Let go of me!”

“Fight all you want,” he said. “I could stand like this all day.”

Chapter 3.10

2008-08-10T22:22:00.000-03:00

The stables were on the other side of town. For Ilianna, it was a long, slow walk. The man she was holding was smelly; he also didn’t walk well on his own, and she didn’t have the amulet to command him. Ilianna regretted volunteering to aid the man, while Elijah rode the horse, but she couldn’t trade places now. She had committed herself to the job, and she feared Elijah thinking that she was weak for not seeing it through.

The streets ended slowly. There were a few hovels, and then there was a small grassy area before the gate. The horses were housed in a dilapidated shed. Ilianna felt sorry for them as the animals stuck their long necks out the window; it looked as though they had no place to run.

A man wearing high boots, tight pants and a long white shirt came towards them. He was holding a bucket of oats in one hand, and a whip in the other. He head-gestured at the horse, and Elijah. “Lookin’ to stable that?”

“Yes,” Elijah replied.

The man spit on the ground beside him. “That’ll be fifty gold a night.”

Elijah shot Ilianna a worried look. “But…we don’t have that sort of gold.”

“That’s fine,” the man said. He grinned, revealing his yellow teeth. “You give me the wench, and I’ll stable yer horse.”

She saw Elijah’s grip on the horse’s reins tighten. “I won’t do that.”

Her insides warmed at his words. She felt her face flush.

“Then I can’t help you,” the man said, and began to walk away.

“Please,” Ilianna called after him. “This man…he’s very ill.”

The stable man turned around and spit on the ground again. “I’m not a doctor, wench.”

“Obviously,” Ilianna said heatedly. “But--”

The former guard spazzed and inhaled sharply. Surprised, Ilianna released him and drew closer to Elijah and the stallion. The guard shook his head, confused, and regarded his surroundings. Looking down at his clothes, he patted them down, as if looking for his armor and weapons.

His eyes shot up to Elijah and Ilianna; recognition flashed in them. His pointing finger sealed their fates. “You!”

Chapter 3.09

2008-08-09T16:20:00.001-03:00

She couldn’t believe this. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for an alibi. “I was wondering why your house is so…pretty.”

The word slipped off her tongue, and she hated it. Pretty. A wonderfully condescending word that she might use on Ilianna when she saw her next.

Upon mentioning the décor, the man’s demeanor changed completely. He clapped his hands like a child and squealed with delight. “Well, I’m so glad you asked! Why don’t you have a seat?”

Xya hesitated. I just broke into your house. You’re not even going to ask me about my shabby clothes?

“Go on, sit!” the man insisted.

Giving in, Xya sank her behind into a plushy sofa with a turquoise cover with red spots. The man sat across from her, in a dark red chair.

“This is my legacy,” he began. He stretched out his arms dramatically, as if to embrace the room. “When I first came to Thyrica, the city was so drab. Lifeless. But now, I am spreading my colour and life. Thyrica will be awakened. It will have culture. It will be known throughout Agaia as the most beautiful city in the world.” He stopped and looked at her. “You are new in town. What beauty will you bring to this city?”

“Uh…” Xya cleared her throat. “We were just passing through.”

“Oh.” He sounded disappointed. “But on your travels, you will tell others about me, Sir Albert of Thyrica?”

He lifted his chin in the air as he pronounced his name: Al-bear. It was a feminine gesture, like the rest of his demeanor, but only then did Xya realize that regardless of that, he had wealth. A wealthy feminine man, with authority within the city.

That would never happen in Mytovya, Xya thought.

A creaking sound in another room caught Xya’s attention. At first she thought it was the house, but then a man appeared at the entrance to the living room. He had scruffy black hair; he wasn’t shaved. His clothes were ratty, and he smelled of pine. He held a club in his left hand.

Sir Albert frowned. “Well, who are you?”

As Sir Albert stood to receive the new guest, the new man swung the club. It hit Sir Albert with a ‘thump’ on the back of his head. He shrieked, and fell to the floor, unconscious.

Chapter 3.08

2008-08-08T21:03:00.001-03:00

Walking along the streets gave Xya a chance to view the city without having to worry about the amulet’s power over their prisoner. The city was structured differently than Eurus: where Eurus had a circular structure, Thyrica was square. The streets were slightly narrower, leaving less room for lone merchants with their charts and more room for citizens to walk. Colourful banners decorated the buildings; turquoise and light red cloths created makeshift awnings for shade.

I wonder if there’s a festival going on, Xya thought.

The townspeople’s demeanor seemed to deny it. When they overcame their curiosity and suspicion about Xya and her bulky attire, they stared listlessly into space. Where the snobby noble had been animated, the rest of the town seemed still. It was like she had used the amulet on the entire town, but they were still acting with free will.

The strange man in fancy blue clothes was ahead of her. She watched him climb a few stairs into a large, decorated house with blue trimmings. Turquoise and red banners hung from the roof. The neighbouring houses were drab in comparison.

Curious about the man, but more interested in his possessions, Xya walked towards the house and slipped around the back. The wall was only a few feet away; Xya looked up, seeing guards and archers. She looked down at her armor.

Okay. Time to take this off, she thought.

Being careful not to attract the attention of the guards, or the neighbours, Xya took off the heavy armor and set it on the ground. She decided that she would make Elijah go pick it up later, when it was dark. He could wear it, and pretend to be her bodyguard for all she cared. She would wear this man’s clothing, and look like a real nobleman.

There was a back door that opened to a small deck. She climbed over it, holding her breath as she landed on the hardwood. Glancing up, she saw that another deck above her hid her view of the guards; but she knew they could still see her if they wanted.

Xya sidestepped towards the door. Placing her hand on the gold knob—not real gold, she realized; it was painted wood—she turned it. To her surprise, it opened, and she backed slowly inside.

She blinked twice in shock. Colour attacked her eyes. The rugs, the curtains, the sofa: they were decorated in the same style and colour as the banners outside. Cloths hung from the ceiling. Vases and cloth-bounded books lined the shelves. Xya felt she was in a marketplace inside someone’s home.

Wow…look at all this , she thought. Now, to find his wardrobe…
While Xya admired all the things she wanted to steal, she had forgotten about their owner. The nobleman in blue walked into the room, realized she wasn’t supposed to be there, and gasped.

“Well! How did you get in here?” he demanded.

“Uh…” Xya glanced behind her. “You shouldn’t leave your back door unlocked.”

The man seemed confused. “But I don’t have a back door!”

Xya raised her eyebrows and pointed at what was obviously a door at the back of the house. “Yes, you do.”

“Oh, that,” the man said. He waved his hand as if it were nothing. “If you insist that it's a door, you're welcome to call it that.”

Now Xya was confused. “What?”

“Oh, don’t strain your plebian brain,” he said. “What do you want?”

Chapter 3.07

2008-08-07T22:31:00.000-03:00

Xya waddled down the street. It took concentration to lift one foot and place it in front of the other; she could feel her face turning red under the strain. She was not six feet away when Elijah yelled to her.

“Uh…Lord Xye?” Elijah called. He wiggled the gloves in the air. “Why don’t you take your gauntlets?”

Xya laughed nervously. There’s no way I’m walking all the way back there!
“Because you’ll need them for the horse,” she replied.

She continued down the street, trying to keep her breath even as she sweated to death under the bronze armor. Wow. I’m so glad I’m not a man. I would not be able to do this every day.

*

The town was a completely new place for Ilianna. New sights, new smells…new textures beneath her worn, bare feet. She knew that Xya could never grasp what it felt like to enter a world foreign to hers. Or, Ilianna thought, perhaps she could grasp it, but not care enough to hold onto the feeling.

Ilianna cared. The wall that separated the forest and the town was almost inconceivable to her. Why would they block out nature’s gifts? How could they not understand the feeling of oneness her people felt with it? To build a wall was to show fear, and Ilianna knew that people fear what they don’t understand.

Elijah understood. He had listened patiently as she explained to him the history of her people: their birth as moving tree spirits, blessed by the forces unknown with conscience; their isolation from the outside, and their adaption to the forest to survive. The forest was the only place she had known; she had watched the outsiders build their towns and walls, and invade their forest. The protective womb that had held her was now gone.

She watched as Elijah slipped on the gauntlets and took the reins. “I guess we’d better do this quickly, so we can go save her from whatever she’s about to get us into.”

A small smile crossed her face as he talked, but it vanished when the captured guard coughed. She looked over; the blank look that had dominated his face was beginning to clear.

“I’ll lead him, you lead the horse,” Ilianna said.

“I thought you were the one good with animals,” Elijah replied.

The smile returned, but she couldn’t dwell on it. She quickly took a hold on the former guard and led him down the street beside the horse. With one arm around his waist, and the other holding his right arm around her neck, she received many strange stares from the townspeople.

I’m only trying to help the man, she thought. Why do they look at me as if I were a criminal?

She remembered Xya’s words about her clothing, and wondered if her traditional forest outfit had anything to do with the word “wench”.

Chapter 3.06

2008-08-06T23:43:00.000-03:00

The shadowy man watched Xya and her friends ride into the city. When they were safely out of sight, he slipped behind the guard at the gate and dropped some coins in his palms.

The guard didn’t look him in the eye. “I’m not supposed to do this, you know. If the town found out that I let them in without the proper papers…”

“You let me handle the authorities,” the shadowy man said.

His voice was deep and husky; perfect for intimidation. The guards stared at the coins, and like the man hoped, their greed suppressed their conscience. He turned away from them, his cape billowing, and slipped inside the town before the gate shut behind him.

*

Xya didn’t know what to do with the guard. She glanced at him constantly, fearing that the amulet’s power would wear off at any second. She knew that using the amulet on him would draw attention. Their priorities were clothing and food, and without the proper clothing, they would not get housing at a respectable inn.

“We have to get rid of him,” she said.

It was the middle of the afternoon; Thryica’s streets were blooming with people and merchants. Those who passed by gave them odd looks.

“Good luck killing him in broad daylight,” Elijah muttered.

“There must be someplace quiet where we could leave him,” Ilianna said.

Suddenly, a townsperson approached them. He wore a blue felt shirt, black pants and leather boots. His thin moustache was styled. He looked in disgust at the horse. “You dare to bring this filthy creature into Thyrica?”

“How dare you insult my horse!” Xya exclaimed.

The foppish man turned up his nose and sniffed. “Horrible smelling creature. I hope you plan to leave him at the stables, at the opposite side of town.”

Xya raised an eyebrow. “How kind of you to tell us its location.”

“Yes, well, can’t have it stinking up the streets, now can we?” The man wrinkled his nose. His eyes turned to Ilianna; they widened in surprise. “Oh my. You’d better get some clothes for your woman; I dear say that she looks like a wench. We can’t have one of those running around Thyrica!”

“A wench?” Ilianna inquired.

“Hmm, not that bright either,” the man mused. “Well, I’ve waited enough time with you plebeians. Ta ta.”

With that, he continued his walk down the street, away from them. Xya watched him go, a plan formulating in her mind.

“What was that he called us?” Elijah asked.

“Help me get off the horse,” Xya said.

Elijah and Ilianna reached up to help. Her brother guided her slowly down the horse. Her armor was like an anchor, pulling her down. Once her feet were firmly planted on the ground, she took off the gauntlets and gave them to Elijah.

“Take the horse to the stables. I’m going after that man,” she told them.

“I’m not staying with the horse!” Elijah objected. “What if that guard comes to his senses?”

“What makes you think you can order us around?” Ilianna demanded.

Ilianna’s comment only heightened Xya’s growing sense of superiority. “Trust me. I’m about to secure our future.”

Chapter 3.05

2008-08-05T22:38:00.001-03:00

The joys of riding a horse quickly wore off. The pace was slow, and Xya’s thighs began to ache. Although Elijah and Ilianna didn’t voice their fatigue, she knew that they were probably getting tired of walking. She worried more that the amulet’s power would soon wear off, leaving their prisoner to turn the tables on his new captors. Their food was also growing scarce; they shared the last of their bread while Xya contemplated a plan.

List of things to steal: food, and nice clothing, Xya thought. Nice clothing first. Without it, we might not be able to get food.

Wooden signs on the road informed the travelers that they were approaching the town of Thyrica. Xya breathed deeply. She imagined the person she was pretending to be: a tall, snooty, rich son of a lord. She lifted her chin towards the sky and looked down at her subjects as a rich lord would. She didn’t dare to move too much, in fear that the imbalance of her armor would tip her off her horse.

Like Eurus, a wall surrounded the city. Two guards stood in front of an iron gate, controlled from the inside. The criss-crosses on the gate made the town look like a prison.

The guards stopped them at the gate. He looked up at Xya suspiciously. “Who are you?”

“What kind of question is that?” Xya demanded in her deep voice. “I am Lord Xye of Mytovya.”

The guards shared a look of disbelief. One of them circled around the back of Xya’s horse to Elijah and Ilianna. In her armor, Xya couldn’t turn to look.

“Who are you?” the guard asked.

“I…I…I’m but a mere servant,” Ilianna replied meekly.

“And you?” the guard said, presumably to Elijah.

“The same,” Elijah said quickly.

The second guard approached their prisoner guard. He squinted as his eyes darted over his face, as if trying to place his face. Xya feared that he would be recognized as a soldier, and took action.

“That one is mute,” she stated, looking down at them condescendingly. “Hit his head as a child, it seems. He follows basic commands.”

The second guard hesitated before nodding. The first guard finished his circle around the horse to face Xya.

“Where are your travel papers?” the first guard inquired.

Without taking her eyes off him, she gestured to Elijah. “Get them, and quickly.”

Elijah reached into his sack and pulled out Xya’s travel papers that Zopyros had generously wrote for her many weeks ago. Like the rest of their items, the papers were damp. He carefully unfolded them and gave them to the guard.

“It says here your name is Xya of Mytovya. Not Xye.”

“The scribe who penned it was an idiot,” Xya explained. “He thought it would be hilarious to fool with my papers and make me a woman.”

The guard twisted his mouth, as if deciding to believe her. He settled on a disinterested look and handed the papers back to Elijah.

“And your slaves? Do they have papers?” the second guard questioned.

Xya struggled to give a fake, manly laugh. “Slaves? With papers? I think not!”

“Everyone travelling in Agaia must have proper identification, or else they cannot be allowed into any town,” the first guard informed them.

She exhaled slowly. “Forgive me, then. We have been travelling a long way, and not always by the main roads. I will see to it that they get papers, as soon as they enter the city.”

The first guard pursed his lips, thinking. Finally, he said: “Be sure you do.” Then, he gestured to another guard standing on top of wall. “Open the gate!”

Xya nodded in thanks. The gate clanked as it the guards on the other side pulled it upwards. She kicked the prisoner guard lightly, and he led the horse inside the town.

That was close, Xya thought. I don’t think they believed me. We definitely shouldn’t stay here long. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep up the lord charade.

When the gate shut behind them, Elijah finally spoke. “You know, I don’t think slavery is legal in Agaia.”

“Everything is legal if you have gold and suave,” Xya replied.

“Wonderful. We have neither,” Elijah quipped.

Xya laughed. “Speak for yourself.”

Chapter 3.04

2008-08-04T21:24:00.000-03:00

Elijah was outraged. “What do you mean, servant? We can’t have a servant! Xya, you’re abusing the amulets!”

The guard began to strip down to his undergarments. Ilianna turned away politely.
“I’m not abusing them,” Xya objected. “This is what it does. You didn’t complain when I used it to save your life!”

He was about to reply when the guard took his sack and rooted it for clothing. He tried to keep it from him, but the guard wrenched it away, eager to please his new master.

“Frankly, I am not impressed either,” Ilianna said. “But if not for the amulet’s power, we would be fumbling around, trying to come up with a believable excuse as to why we don’t have papers.”

“Believable? I was going to be honest!” Elijah exclaimed. “It didn’t take much for Xya to get her papers.”

“They almost didn’t let me into Eurus when I didn’t have them,” Xya pointed out.

“Look. If you two pretend to be my slaves for a little while--”

“—I’m sure you’ll enjoy that,” Elijah muttered.

“—then I’ll try to get us some new clothing and stuff. Okay?” Xya finished. She rolled her eyes and tucked her damp red hair behind her ears. “The things I do for you.”

Ilianna and Elijah exchanged glances. Elijah was about to protest, but Ilianna stopped him. Once the guard was changed, Xya messed up his hair and smeared his face with dirt to further mark him as a slave.

The guard’s armor lay abandoned on the road. Ilianna gestured to it. “What are we going to do with that?”

Xya looked down at it. There was a breast plate, gauntlets and a helmet. The guard had also carried a dagger and a sword. Xya quickly stuffed the dagger into her boot, and picked up the armor. It wasn’t terribly heavy, but for someone Xya’s size, it was not easily to maneuver in.

“I’ll wear it,” Xya decided.

“They’ll recognize it as the guard’s,” Elijah said. “We’ll never get in.”

She put it on anyway. It was bulky; it was obvious that it didn’t fit. Ilianna stuffed extra shirts and pants under it for padding. The helmet was also too big; after trying various ways to make it fit, eventually they stuffed it into one of the packs.

“Elijah, you take my pack. It has the book in it,” Xya instructed. “And give your sack to the guard.” She turned to the guard. “Keep the stallion calm while I mount him.”
Her brother begrudgingly followed his sibling’s instructions. All three of them had to help Xya onto the horse. Startled by its new rider, the stallion reared. Xya held onto the reins for dear life, shouting at the guard to calm him. He stroked the horse’s nose, and eventually he settled.

I’ve never ridden a horse before, Xya thought. But I guess I’ll have to learn if I’m going to pretend to be a lord.

“Lead us,” Xya told the guard.

Handing the reins to the guard, he encouraged the horse to walk. Xya held onto the saddle. Elijah and Ilianna followed behind them as they made their way to the nearby town.

Chapter 3.03

2008-08-03T22:44:00.001-03:00

Elijah looked worriedly to Ilianna. He swallowed and stepped forward. The horse snorted, as if judging his dripping clothes and nervous demeanor.

This isn’t going to end well, Xya thought. I’ll have to do something.

“Pardon me,” Elijah began, “but we don’t—”

Xya stepped forward and pushed her brother aside. She straightened her posture to her full height, and deepened her already low voice. “That’s enough, slave, or it’ll be the whip for you.”

“Xya--”

She glared at him and raised her hand to strike him. “That’s enough!”
Ilianna raised an eyebrow. Xya could see the hesitation to accept the game that she had created, but she knew that she had little choice. Ilianna touched Elijah’s shoulder and drew him back slightly.

“We are sorry if we offended you…my…lord,” Ilianna said quietly.

Good, she catches on quick, Xya thought smugly.

“Lord?” the guard asked. “What sort of lord dresses like a common slave?”

“One who doesn’t wish to get his real clothes dirty,” Xya responded. She smirked and raised his hand in whisper: “They’re also easier to take off at night, if you know what I mean.”

The guard’s eyes widened as he glanced at Ilianna. They snapped back to Xya’s suspiciously. “What sort of lord are you? What is your lineage?”

“My father is Abraham of Mytovya,” Xya replied. “We are to meet him at Agaia Court.”

The guard rubbed his chin in suspicion. “I’ve never heard of him.”

Xya scoffed and shook her head. “Such ignorance! He is a grand sorcerer, a fountain of knowledge and wealth!”

“Sorcerer?” The guard grasped his chest armour and laughed. His horse shifted its weight and whinnied. “There’s no such thing as magic, silly boy!”

Tell that to the Wise Women, Xya thought.

“Oh, but there is!” Xya exclaimed. “And I will prove my lordship, and the existence of magic, with this.”

She lifted the amulet from under her shirt. Elijah opened his mouth to protest, but Xya shot him another threatening look. Ilianna looked on disapprovingly.

“What is that?” the guard demanded.

Xya smiled mischievously. Without taking her eyes off the guard, she blew onto the blue gem and pointed it at him. Sparkles flew onto his face. The familiar blank stare washed away all intelligence in his eyes. The horse reared, but the man still had some sense to hold onto the reins. Ilianna touched the horse’s neck to calm him, but even the forest princess had no power over the stallion. It opened its mouth to bite her exposed skin. Elijah pulled her back cautiously.

“Calm your horse!” Xya commanded.

“Easy, boy,” the guard said monotonously, stroking the white beast.

“I think I like this horse,” Xya said. She reached out to touch it, but it snapped its teeth at her as well. Turning back to the solider, she said, “I’ll take it, thanks.”

Without another word, the guard leapt off his horse. The reins fell free. It would’ve run away had Xya not commanded the man to hold it. Releasing that she couldn’t send the man on his way, she decided she could use him in other ways.

“Take off your armor, and put on the wet clothes in Elijah’s sack,” Xya ordered. “I think we have ourselves a real servant.”

Chapter 3.02

2008-08-02T22:30:00.001-03:00

They trudged on. It rained. Everything became soaked, even the extra clothing in their sacks. Xya didn’t complain; she gritted her teeth and watched for an opening in the ever-stretching forest. Elijah suffered, struggling to impress Ilianna by keeping his complaints silent. Still, Ilianna marched on; her bare feet sunk into the mossy ground, causing the murky rainwater to swell around them.

Soon, the rain cleared, and with it the forest thinned. Xya almost laughed in relief. Ilianna slowed her confident march.

Welcome to the real world, Xya thought smugly.

The ground sloped down gradually to the road, made of yellow and pink cobblestone. She heard Elijah and Ilianna rustling behind her; before they could continue forward, Xya held out her arm.

“You’ll probably want to change your clothes,” Xya said without turning to look at Ilianna.

“Why? I like them,” Elijah said.

Xya rolled her eyes.

Ilianna walked around to Xya’s view. “And since when are you an expert in women’s clothing?”

“I’m an expert in surviving as either sex,” Xya said pointedly. She lowered her voice. “And I know that if I were a drunk man in a tavern, I’d want to rip off your leaves and—”

Ilianna pushed her away, but not unkindly. “Okay, I see your point.”

“All of our clothes are wet,” Elijah pointed out. “Stuffed in bags all day, and last night we couldn’t even light a fire with all the damp wood. We have nothing dry to change into.”

“We’ll find something,” Xya said.

The three of them walked down the slope towards the road.

“How much gold do you have?” Elijah asked.

Xya slid her eyes sideways to him. “Why?”

“Well, I was thinking if you had enough, we could buy new clothes,” Elijah suggested. “Besides. If we are going to Court, we want to be dressed properly.”

“We’re a long way from that,” Xya replied. “And, I barely have enough gold to get us a room for tonight.”

“Then how are we going to get clean clothes?”

“I said I’d find something. Stop worrying so much. Since when do you care about what you wear?”

Elijah scoffed. “Since you started stealing my pants.”

“Do we have to argue about this?” Ilianna asked.

“I’ll argue about whatever I want,” Xya muttered.

Ilianna was about to reply when the three of them caught the sound of a galloping horse. They turned. A solider, wearing similar armor to the guards in Eurus, sat atop a white stallion. It halted in front of them. He looked them over, stopping his eyes on Ilianna. He took extra time in inspecting her head to toe.

“Let me see your papers,” the guard ordered.

Chapter 3.01

2008-08-01T21:14:00.003-03:00

The days were long, and Xya’s temper was short. The forest was thick with hidden roots, and soon her body was covered in bruises from tripping. Elijah and Ilianna entertained themselves by exchanging stories. Xya listened, not because she was interested in Ilianna’s stories about her culture, but to identify any weakness the strange girl might have. She walked with grace amongst the trees; where Xya fell, Ilianna stood taller than the six feet girl. When Xya went to draw her bow to hunt, Ilianna had already nocked three. Whether it was some ancient forest magic that Xya was oblivious to, or Ilianna was gifted by nature, Xya realized that she was now the shadow of both sexes; she couldn’t seek comfort in competing to be better as the opposite sex when a representative from each slept beside her.

Not that Elijah was the best example of a man. True, he was well built. From the way he looked at Ilianna, his reproductive organs were functioning. But contrary to what Xya had observed in Eurus, her brother possessed more feminine qualities than masculine. He talked quietly. He was awkward with weaponry, even with the blunt axe that he was fond of using. She also noticed that he took interest in Ilianna’s explanation of the forest herbs; only women in Mytovya foraged for plants and berries.
Xya realized that she had to stop applying the rules of her village to the rest of Agaia, or else she would never understand the world.

At night, the three travelers would set up camp under the twin moons, only partially visible through the sky of trees. Ilianna lined the borders of their sleeping area with animal feces, saying that it would keep predators away. Whether or not that was true, Xya loathed the woman that possessed both strength and beauty, and that she and Elijah depended on her for survival in the forest.

Xya stared at the roaring campfire that Ilianna had made using flint and her dagger. Elijah had passed out across from her; although he never complained, the forest bit him as much as it bit her. Ilianna sat between the siblings, poking a branch into the flames to stir up the forming coals at the bottom.

“The road isn’t far. Another two days, perhaps three,” Ilianna said suddenly. She twisted her stick into the earth to remove the burned tip. “How will you recognize your father when you see him?”

The question startled Xya. Her eyes snapped to the forest princess, but then retreated to the fire. “I…I don’t know.”

“Does the book describe him?”

More questions that Xya hadn’t considered. Is she doing this on purpose?

“You know I can’t read,” Xya said quietly.

“I could take a look at it, if you want,” Ilianna offered. “It’s our only lead on the amulets’ whereabouts. We must read it.”

Xya gritted her teeth and didn’t reply. Now you want to take my quest away from me? Sure, go ahead. You’ve already taken everything else. My masculinity. My femininity. My brother. If you’re so perfect, why don’t you grow the man’s organ to accompany your own? That way you can--

“Well?”

She sighed. “It’s in my sack.”

“If you don’t want me to, that’s your decision, as it is your book.”

“I only want two things,” Xya snapped. She stood to make her point. “My father. The amulets.”

“But Elijah says you’ve never met your father. Why are you so interested in him?”
Xya shook her head. “You wouldn’t understand.”

She was about to run off, but realized that there was nowhere safe or warm to go. Ilianna protested, urging her to talk, but Xya ignored her. Instead, she moved her blanket further from the fire and fell asleep shivering.

Chapter 2.31

2008-07-31T18:51:00.000-03:00

After their visit with the Wise Woman, Xya, Elijah and Ilianna climbed down the tree. Cairt was waiting at the bottom; the villagers stood a few feet away in a semi circle. Their packs—stuffed full with food, clothing, weapons and the book—sat at Cairt’s feet. His eyes were fixed on his daughter. Ilianna stepped forward, her face heavy with an emotion that Xya wasn’t very familiar with: sorrow.

The green amulet, the gem portion tied with a white cloth, lay in Cairt’s hands. Ilianna bowed her head to her father as he placed it around her neck. He cupped her face in her hands, and said nothing. His eyes said more than Xya could understand; she looked away.

This is the father’s love that I am looking for, she thought.

Without releasing his daughter, Cairt turned his gaze on Elijah. “You will ensure that she doesn’t come to harm?”

“I swear to the gods she won’t,” Elijah promised.

Xya resisted making a face. “Ilianna’s skills with the bow are extraordinary. She will be fine.”

Unconvinced, Cairt nodded stiffly. He spoke to his daughter in a language Xya didn’t understand. The villagers came forward, offering her gifts of clothing and food. They surrounded her, leaving Xya and Elijah on the outside to watch the spectacle. Never before had Xya witnessed this strong sense of community and feeling for another; she felt more awkward than normal in her own skin.

When they were finished, the villagers sauntered back to their business. Cairt took one last look at them, and without saying goodbye, headed for his tree. Ilianna watched him go briefly, and then turned away.

“That’s it? No goodbye?” Elijah asked.

Ilianna gazed at him. Her eyes were lined with tears. She wiped her face defensively. “To them, we are already gone.”

*

It hadn’t been easy, but he’d finally tracked him down. He had been brought to their underground lair blindfolded. Zopyros sat across from him with one arm clutching his side, and then other leaning on the table. He explained the important details to the shadowy man, and emphasized the imperative of the mission.

“There are three of them,” he said. “A blonde forest beauty, a coward and a redhead. Kill the first two. But leave the redhead alive.”

The shadowy man smirked and pointed at the scar on Zopyros’ cheek. “Isn’t she the one who gave you that?”

Zopyros gritted his teeth. “I was told you were good at not asking questions.”

“Alright, alright,” the man said. He held his smirk. “Just curious as to why the lead thief in Eurus is interested in a nobody redhead with poor knifing skills.”

Without breaking eye contact, Zopyros reached into his robes and dropped a sac of coins on the table. “This should sate your curiosity.”

The man grasped the sac and slid them across the table. He untied it with one hand and reached in. The coins clinked against each other as he played with them.

“No more questions then,” he said finally. He straightened his posture in his chair. “Where do I find them?”

Chapter 2.30

2008-07-30T21:42:00.001-03:00

The Wise Woman of Bark lived in a smaller but not less impressive tree house than Cairt’s. Like in Mytovya, the setup of her living quarters was the same: curtains sectioned off her sleeping area, wooden shelves were scattered with potions and rolled up pieces of parchment; rugs dominated the floor space. The only difference was the Wise Woman herself; she wasn’t as ancient as the Wise Woman in Mytovya. Her hair had streaks of brown amongst the silver; her eyes were not milky but a clear green like the trees that surrounded the village. Cairt waited outside as they entered her domain.

“I am honoured to meet you, finally,” the Wise Woman said to Xya and Elijah. “Our people are eternally grateful for saving us against the pestilence.”
“You do know we are planning to take your village’s amulet,” Xya said.
Elijah nudged her. She stepped on his foot.

The Wise Woman nodded. “We will survive without it, of course. I trust it more in your hands than in the man who threatened our village.”

“How do we stop him from getting the rest of the amulets?” Ilianna demanded.
Xya glanced at her; Ilianna’s hands were fists, and one of them was dangerously near the dagger hiding in her leafy outfit.

“The only way to stop this man from gaining this power is to find the amulets before he does,” the Wise Woman replied.

“That shouldn’t be too hard,” Xya said. “We’ve already got two. And the book.”
The Wise Woman placed a warm hand on Xya’s. She flinched at the physical contact, but didn’t dare turn away from the Wise Woman’s eyes. “The next two will not be easy, nor will chance bring you to them. You must use the book, and the people around you, to find the locations of the third and fourth powers.”

And then a question popped into Xya’s mind, as if it had always been there and not needed to be answered, but now begging for truth.

“Why does Zopyros want the amulets?”

“He’s a power-hungry thief?” Elijah supplied.

A small smile crossed the Wise Woman’s face. She squeezed Xya’s hand; her palm became cold. “Honey, I think if you look inside yourself, you will find the answer.”
Xya swallowed hard. That doesn’t speak well of me.

After a brief pause, the Wise Woman removed her hand from Xya’s and continued. “The next town is many leagues from here, but once you clear the forest, there is a main road that will take you to Agaia Court. Leave north of here, and continue in that direction until you reach this road. From there, go northeast on the road.”

“You’ll need travel papers,” Xya told Elijah and Ilianna. She eyed the Wise Woman. “You wouldn’t happen to have some extra ones laying around, would you?”

“No, you’ll have to wait until the next town,” the Wise Woman replied. She smiled at the three of them. “But no guard will bother you until then.”

“I’m assuming I have your blessing to go with them,” Ilianna said.

The Wise Woman grasped Ilianna’s hands and squeezed them as she had for Xya. “Absolutely, honey. You are Bark’s daughter, and you will represent us well in the outside world.”

A half naked girl running around the Court. Yeah, I’m sure I’d want that representing my city, Xya thought. That certainly doesn’t reflect Mytovya’s view on women.

And then, a countering thought: neither do you.

Chapter 2.29

2008-07-29T22:57:00.001-03:00

Cairt was waiting for them when they arrived at Bark. Not a lot of conversation was required for him to determine what had happened with his men. Ilianna led her father into her private quarters, where they could discuss her future. Although Xya wanted to question her brother about her time with Zopyros, Elijah collapsed on the bed, exhausted from his ordeal.

Xya stared at the ceiling in her shared quarters. She held the blue gem firmly; it hummed in her grasp. Its sister amulet was nearby, singing the same tune. She was too tired to lift the book from its place in her sack; her mind was too alert to fall asleep.

She rested her free hand between her legs. There was nothing there but a small lump of under-developed flesh, and a shallow hole. Fine red hair graced and guarded her wannabe sex organs.

I should’ve made him forget, she thought. I wish he would forget. Must make him forget…

But the amulet’s powers wouldn’t work on a wish or whim. Xya rolled over and closed her eyes. Sleep found her.

*

Xya and Elijah slept late. When they woke, the sun was past the high point in the sky, and Ilianna was waiting for them. She informed them that her father wished to see them as soon as possible. After eating a breakfast of deer meat and berries, Cairt appeared in the main room of the tree house. They rose to greet him.

“A new Wise Woman has made herself known,” Cairt said.

“Made herself known?” Xya inquired.

Cairt nodded. “When a Wise Woman passes, she leaves her powers of perception to another woman in the village. The new woman shows a sign to indicate that she is the new Wise Woman, and thus takes her place in the village.” He advanced towards his daughter, planting his hands firmly on her shoulders. “You may go with them, with the Wise Woman’s blessing.”

Ilianna’s face beamed at the news. She threw her arms around her father’s neck, kissing him and thanking him profusely. Cairt smiled grimly and squeezed his daughter. Elijah grinned, shifting his weight from heel to toe with delight. Xya smiled politely.

At least she can read, she thought. Maybe I can use her to help make sense of this book. Then I will be better prepared to meet this Abraham of Mytovya.

“Where is she?” Ilianna asked.

Cairt gestured to the ladder. “We will go to her now, if that is your wish.”

Ilianna nodded enthusiastically.

My second encounter with a Wise Woman this cycle, Xya thought. I wonder what she will prophesize about me this time.

*

It was like having a veil lifted from one’s eyes. He could finally see, and what he saw was blind vengeance.

He grabbed the man nearest to him—a loyal thief who had served with him for many years—and threw him against a tree. Pretending he was her, he slit his throat. The blood spurted over his face, and upset the knife wound in his side, but it made his pride feel better.

Turning to his other comrade, frightened out of his wits at the display of his master’s violence, he said, “Send word to every guild in every city. Give them the description of the man-woman and her friends. Tell them to meet me in Agaia Court with enough men to take out an army.”

The thief nodded, and ran towards Eurus. It was day time again, but the time of day barely mattered. Zopyros would find this man-woman and wring her neck, if it was the last thing he did.

Chapter 2.28

2008-07-28T15:40:00.000-03:00

Xya opened her eyes, and rose to her full height. Ilianna clutched Elijah, covering his eyes with her hand. Her face was buried in his shoulder. Xya was pleased that they had followed her directions, and that Zopyros’ men would be following hers. The thieves’ eyes were listless, reflecting the empty camp that they had used to fool them.

She spun around to the hypnotized Zopyros, proudly bearing the amulet like a badge. “Take your men and go far away from here.”

Zopyros shifted his eyes sleepily towards her. It was almost too easy. He nodded each thief in turn, and they turned to leave.

“And don’t come back!” Xya shouted after them.

They paused at this new command as it was processed. Then, they continued. Xya watched them navigate through the thick forest, caressing the amulet absently.

Yes, take my secret and go far, far, away, she thought.

“Should’ve told them never to look for the amulets again,” Elijah said.

“I don’t know how long the amulet will hold them,” Xya admitted. She blew on the gem once more, and the sparkles faded. Without looking at it, she hid it underneath her shirt. “There’s no point in telling them to not come. I know he will.”

“We’ll leave early tomorrow,” Ilianna said. “Elijah should get some rest.”

“We?” Elijah questioned. He glanced between the two girls, and pointed at Ilianna. “You’re coming with us? But…”

“Unless you don’t want me to,” Ilianna replied. She quickly removed herself from him. The gesture wasn’t apologetic; she smiled slyly.

“Oh…oh no…” Elijah stammered. “I think you should come. If that’s what you want.”

“She can come,” Xya said, “if the amulet comes with her.”

Ilianna raised her eyebrows, and started back for Bark. “I’ll talk to my father about it.”

“I’m sure you will,” Xya muttered.

The forest princess whirled around and challenged her. She gestured at the dead Bark warriors. “That man had our people killed. Threatened our village. You’re not the only one who has a quarrel with him now.”

Xya glanced at the bodies of the Bark men. For once, she couldn’t argue with her.

Ilianna turned and continued back to the village. Elijah touched Xya’s arm in a silent thank you, and then ran to catch up with Ilianna. Xya slowly followed, her eyes steady on horizon where Zopyros had disappeared.

Chapter 2.27

2008-07-27T22:26:00.000-03:00

As Zopyros grasped the gem, it burst with sparkles. His men drew back in fear, but they had nothing to worry about. The blue gem’s power, as Zopyros knew, affected those who looked at it while it was activated. As it drew Zopyros into its mesmerized gaze, Xya rejoiced silently.

“Release my brother,” Xya commanded.

Zopyros turned his glazed eyes to her. At first, she was worried that he had some immunity that she didn’t know about; her fears proved false when he turned to the guard.

“Release the boy,” he said.

The guard glanced at Xya, and then back to his leader. He dropped Elijah to the cold forest floor, and then drew his knife. “I’m going to cut--”

“Kill him!” Xya said urgently.

He was a slave to her will. Zopyros drew a dagger from his robe and stabbed the man before he got a chance to swing. His crony fell beside Elijah, blood staining the grass. Elijah, still gagged and bound, protested in muffled grunts about lying next to a dead person.

The other thieves exchanged fearful glances. Xya smirked at them. “You’d better let us go, unless you want to end up like your friend.”

Reluctantly, the thieves released Xya and Ilianna. Ilianna rushed to Elijah, and untied him. He ripped the gag from his mouth, and sputtered, “Thank Gods.”

“Now give the amulet back to me, gem side facing you,” Xya instructed.

The pain from his wound showed on his face as Zopyros limped towards her. His thieves shouted at him, trying to break the bond that held his will to Xya, but it was no use. He placed the amulet in Xya’s hand, as she instructed.

The man behind her took action. Xya heard him draw a blade, and she swirled around with the amulet in hand. Another thief punched Xya in the jaw. Elijah and Ilianna rushed to overtake them. Zopyros stood as if nothing was happening.

“Close your eyes!” Xya shouted.

Following her own instructions. She ducked and spun the amulet around. She heard the signs of a struggle.

Wow, I could really get my arm cut off by doing this, she thought.

Fortunately, she didn’t. Silence reigned in the forest, except for the gentle humming of the blue amulet whose powers held her enemies at bay.

Chapter 2.26

2008-07-26T14:22:00.000-03:00

Xya drew her dagger. Thieves leapt from the bushes, startling the Bark warriors. Ilianna drew her bow and nocked her arrows. They flew swiftly to their targets, making the odds more even. But the Bark men had not conceived that the thieves would surprise them, and so their long range weapons were rendered useless as they entered combat in close quarters. The thieves had knives and swords faired better than the wooden spears; the men were slaughtered.

She slashed a few that came close, but it was mostly dumb luck. One thief grabbed Ilianna from behind, forcing her bow to the ground. Xya struggled with another, but he overpowered her as well.

“That’s enough.”

Zopyros’ voice immediately halted the thieves’ attack. A torch was lit, and from the shadows, a man stepped towards him. Elijah struggled and kicked in his grasp. A rolled up rag in his mouth muffled his greetings to Xya and Ilianna; his eyes pleaded for a help that they couldn’t give.

Zopyros appeared next, holding a torch. He leaned against a tree. Although his clothing hid the wound Xya had generously delivered, she noticed his face twisted in pain whenever he was silent.

“How fortunate for the village men to see the camp,” he said wryly. “You never would have found me.”

The two girls glanced at the bodies of the Bark warriors. Xya felt nothing for them; they were not her men, it was not her city. But Ilianna…?

Who cares what she feels? Xya thought. Not me.

“I’m becoming quite tired of this game,” Zopyros continued. “Now, give me the amulets—and the book—or I will kill him.”

“I don’t have them,” Xya said.

He gestured to the man that held Xya. He pulled the chord from around her neck and exposed the gem. It reflected the light from the two moons.

“A brave lie,” Zopyros commended.

Elijah said something, but she didn’t know what it was. The man that restrained him squeezed him tighter.

“Don’t hurt him,” Ilianna said.

Zopyros chuckled. “That will be Xya’s choice, my dear.”

All eyes turned to Xya. Ilianna pleaded, begging for Elijah’s safety. Elijah’s echoed hers. Zopyros’ lips curled upward, straining not to show the pain from his wound, but also celebrating victory.

Xya looked away. Are the amulets worth more than my brother? I would say, yes they are. He’s been slowing my progress in my search for my father; he doesn’t even want to go.

But…

She stared at her brother. Although the lighting was not the best, she could tell that they shared the same eye colour; dark blue. It represented the name that they had in common; the blood that ran through them and through their home. This realization was fleeting, for it gave Xya an idea that would ensure her future.

“Alright, Zopyros,” Xya said finally. “I don’t want you to hurt him.”

Zopyros gestured once more. The man took the amulet from Xya’s neck. She sighed. As she exhaled, she made sure to tilt her head so that her breath landed on the blue gem.

Chapter 2.25

2008-07-25T23:38:00.001-03:00

They searched for a few more hours, but Xya knew it was no use. They returned to Bark without conversation. Ilianna played with the strap that held her sling of arrows, glancing around as if in hopes of Elijah appearing out of thin air.

Xya strained to control herself. She felt like bursting at the seams with anger; she wrapped her fingers so tightly around the chord that held the amulet that they turned purple. As they climbed the tree to meet Ilianna’s father, Xya felt that every second Elijah was alone was one more second that Zopyros had an advantage over her. And if he hurt him…

Just look at me, Xya thought disdainfully. I can’t get like this. This is girly, mushy, silly.

Or perhaps it was the capacity to feel something deeper trying to shine through.
Cairt stood in the middle of the common room. He greeted his daughter, and nodded stiffly to Xya.

“We couldn’t find anything,” Ilianna said quietly.

“My men came across a camp, many leagues from here,” Cairt replied. “There were foreigners there, dressed like the men who attacked our city.”

“Was Elijah with them?” Xya asked.

Cairt reached for a piece of white fabric that was lying on the table. “Pieces like this were found nearby. It was part of the shirt Elijah was wearing.”

“How observant of you,” Xya said flatly.

Cairt noted her tone. “We people of Bark have survived for generations by observing the surroundings, and the people in them.”

“If he’s there, then we must invade the camp at once,” Ilianna said.

Xya raised an eyebrow. You stole the words right out of my mouth.

“We will wait until nightfall,” Cairt replied.

“But he could be dead by then!” Xya exclaimed.

“We are at a disadvantage if we attack now. If we wait until they sleep, we have a better chance of rescuing your brother,” Cairt explained.

“Something tells me that thieves are more alert at night,” Xya muttered.

“We know the land,” Cairt said. “We will get your brother back.”

Xya and Ilianna shared a worried glance. Hopefully, in one piece, Xya thought.

*

When the two moons of Agaia shone through the trees, Xya and Ilianna joined a team of Bark warriors. They were tall and muscular, and wore the same bow and arrows as Ilianna. However, they carried long spears fashioned out of wood, fitted with a polished stone arrowhead.

The men led them stealthily through the forest to the alleged camp. A single fire showed three poorly erected tents. There were no men in sight.

“Three go around,” said one of the Bark warriors. “Ilianna, you and your friend go that way--”

“Where are the men?” Xya asked.

The Bark warrior looked at her as if she was crazy. “We will find them with our arrows.”

Ilianna squinted at the fire. “Wait. Wouldn’t the fire cast a shadow on the tents?”

“Possibly,” the man replied.

“Then if they aren’t around the fire, and not in the tents, where do you suppose they are?” Ilianna questioned.

A rustle and a grunt from behind them answered the question.

Chapter 2.24

2008-07-24T23:39:00.001-03:00

Cairt’s face reddened. “I’m sorry. Your attire…the length of your hair suggested otherwise.”

“It happens a lot,” Xya replied.

Cairt raised his bushy silver eyebrows and turned to his daughter. “You didn’t tell me…”

Ilianna blushed, and changed the subject to the more immediate concern. “We should find Elijah.”

Xya nodded promptly. “Before Zopyros’ men find him.”

She dropped her sac and took out her dagger, stuffing it into her pants. She was about to take her bow and arrow as well, but when Ilianna strapped on hers, she figured that she was outdone.

“I will send out some of my men to search the perimeter of the village,” Cairt said. He eyed his daughter. “I will not have you out there alone.”

“She’s not alone. I’m going too,” Xya said defiantly.

“The two of you against the men of that power hungry thief is not good odds,” Cairt replied.

Xya and Ilianna quickly climbed down the tree with Cairt after them. While Cairt sent word of Elijah’s disappearance to his men, Ilianna led Xya into the forest.

“He can’t have gone too far,” Ilianna said, perhaps more for her own sake than Xya’s. “But the forest is dense. It’s hard to see through the trees.”

“Well let’s hope your arrow sees the enemy better than our eyes,” Xya muttered.

They trudged through the forest, calling Elijah’s name. Xya knew that making noise gave away their position to possible spies, but she had faith in Ilianna’s aim to pick them out before they could touch them. Ilianna studied the ground, the trees and the sky for clues for Elijah’s whereabouts. Xya didn’t understand the signs that the forest girl muttered about, but she knew that the forest was her territory, and Xya wasn’t about to question the girl’s methods.

As the sun grew higher in the sky, however, Xya began to feel weary about her brother’s absence. Maybe Ilianna is wrong, and he is well on his way to Agaia Court. Or…maybe…

Ilianna interrupted her thoughts. “We’ve circled Bark, and then headed north. I don’t see any sign of him.”

Xya finally faced the worst possible scenario. “They must have captured him.”

“But he didn’t have the amulet with him. The green one is back in Bark, and the book was with you, as well as the blue amulet.”

Xya toyed with the chord around her neck. “They’ll use him as bait, to get to what they want.”

Chapter 2.23

2008-07-23T21:53:00.001-03:00

“Ilianna!”

Both Xye and Ilianna looked up. A villager from Bark stood on the shore.

“Your father is looking for you,” he said.

“Oh,” Ilianna said softly. She glanced at Xye. “Coming?”

“Uh…” Xye hesitated. “You go ahead, I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

He looked away respectfully as she ran out of the water. He dived and swam underwater, to ensure that neither Ilianna nor the villager saw him. It was a risk to be naked around anyone, but she hadn’t noticed anything unusual. He came up for air a few seconds later to watch Ilianna—now clothed in her scant forest wear—to run off towards Bark.

Once he was sure that no one was watching, he climbed out of the water and dried himself quickly with his clothes. Then, he put them on, knowing that the sun would dry him. His sac slung on his shoulder, he headed back to the forest village.

When he arrived, he climbed up the large tree to find Elijah. Searching their room, he found he was gone. Returning to the main room, he found Cairt and Ilianna.

“Have you seen Elijah?” he asked.

At first, they didn’t reply. The father and the daughter stared at each other heatedly, as if in a contest of silence.

“Did something happen to him?” Xye inquired.

Finally Cairt turned towards him. “I know your game, outsider.”

“Father, please—”

“Save the village, and in return, take my daughter,” Cairt continued.

“I’m not interested in your daughter,” Xye said flatly. “Where’s my brother?”

“Bathing with her, tempting her with notions of quests and glory?” Cairt retorted. He tore the amulet from Xye’s neck and squeezed the chord in his fist. “You will not have it.”

Xye grabbed the amulet and replaced it around his neck. “Listen to me. She asked to come with us. Personally, I don’t care whether she does or not. I care about finding my father. But more immediately, I care about Elijah. Where did he go?”

“He’s gone,” Cairt said shortly.

Ilianna gasped. Xye’s eyes narrowed. “Gone where?”

“Gone looking for you. Little did we both know you were with my daughter—”

“It had nothing to do with that,” Ilianna interrupted. She touched her father on the shoulder. “You shouldn’t be upset. I’ve gone bathing with other women millions of times--”

Cairt seemed taken aback. He glanced between his daughter, and Xye. “He’s…a woman?”
Xye crossed his arms defiantly. He didn’t want to lay claim to being either sex if he could help it, but he had to settle this argument to find Elijah.

“I’m not a man,” he said quietly.

Immediately, Xya felt the need to change her clothes.

Chapter 2.22

2008-07-22T20:35:00.001-03:00

Xye studied the forest princess. It was a trick question; he knew enough about women to know that she was probing him for information, trying to understand his mind as a hunter wishes to understand his prey.

He decided to feed her a feminine answer to appease her spirit. “I want to know why my father left.”

Ilianna raised an eyebrow. “And you have to be invincible to do that?”

Xye smiled cryptically. “If my father is searching for the amulets like Elijah and I, then I think our paths will cross at one point.”

“How do you know he’s searching?”

“The Wise Woman said we’d meet at Agaia Court.”

“That doesn’t answer the question.”

Xye hesitated. He glanced at the shore, but knew he couldn’t get out without her seeing him. “Why do you care about this? Your city is rescued, restored. You don't need us anymore.”

“Because I want to go with you.”

The words stunned him. He laughed at the irony, throwing his head back until it nestled against a large rock. He leaned against it, crossing his arms to hide his small breasts.

Ilianna splashed him indignantly. “Why are you laughing at me?”

“Oh, I’m not laughing at you,” Xye said, chuckling. “Have you told Elijah yet?”

“Of course not,” Ilianna said crossly. She blushed. “He was still asleep when I came down here.”

Xye smiled slyly. “Really. You know this for a fact?”

She splashed him again. “Shut up.”

Oh, wait until Elijah hears this, Xye thought.

“So I’m assuming since you’re coming, you’ll bring the amulet too,” he said.

Ilianna waded away from him, avoiding his gaze. “Of course.”

“Have you told your father?”

Ilianna became very interested in make ripples with her fingers as they touched the water. Her voice became almost inaudible over the sounds of the forest. “I don’t think he’d let me go.”

Xye cautiously swam towards her, constantly aware of the depth of the water and the distance between them. “Why do you want to go?”

She turned her green eyes to him. “Personally, I don’t think either of you will survive on your own.”

He rolled his eyes. “Please. Don’t worry about me. I’ll protect Elijah.”

Draining the lake water through her fingers, she made a disapproving sound, and waded away from him. “Yes…I’m sure you will.”

Chapter 2.21

2008-07-21T21:58:00.001-03:00

The next morning, Xye rose with the sun. After putting on yesterday’s clothes he realized that although he felt like a man today, he didn’t feel like smelling like one. Elijah was still storing as Xye climbed down the tree with his sac. The village was just beginning to wake up as the sun peeked through the thick forest.

After asking around, he found that the nearest lake was a short walk east from the village. He followed the directions, and making sure that no one was around, he stripped and jumped in. The water was cool and refreshing against his body. He relished the time he had alone.

Then, another splash. Xye took a big gulp ducked so that only his eyes were showing. The ripples and small waves from the splash pushed up against him; Xye stood flat footed on the rocky bottom.

“Xya? Is that you?”

He lifted the rest of his face out of the water, and took in air. He took a step backward.

Ilianna treaded water in front of him. Her long blond hair splayed across the water’s surface, disrupting the calm of the lake. She smiled at him.

“I’m sorry, am I disturbing you?” she asked.

Xye swallowed. “Well, actually—”

“I always bathe here in the morning. No one is usually here,” she continued.

He said nothing. Instead he gripped the chord of the blue amulet tied around his neck.

Maybe I could use it on her, he thought.

Confused by his silence, Ilianna sighed and swam to shallower water, where she could touch. She turned again to face him, the water hiding her naked body. He refused to think about what lurked underneath, knowing that the water hid him as well.

“Are you angry with me?” Ilianna asked. “Is there something that I don’t know?”

Xye fingered the gem. “We’re leaving today.”

Ilianna paused. “That’s not what Elijah said.”

“Elijah isn’t in charge of this mission,” Xye replied.

“Going to Agaia Court with the amulet,” Ilianna mused. “I suppose you’ll be taking our amulet as well.”

This made Xye pause. “Are you offering it to me?”

She inhaled sharply, seemingly ignoring the question. “Elijah told me that whoever has all four is invincible, and that you think your father wrote the book on how they work.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“So, tell me,” Ilianna said. She waded deeper, closer to him. “What will you do when you have all four amulets?”

Chapter 2.20

2008-07-20T20:45:00.000-03:00

Xye almost didn’t believe the words when Elijah said them. He abandoned the book on the bed and sat up straight to face his brother.

“What did you say?”

“Xya, this quest is pointless. It’s a death sentence. Zopyros wants the amulets. We don’t even know if Abraham of Mytovya is really our father. And…” he trailed off.

His unsaid reason was obvious, but Xye felt it to be the most important one. “You like her.”

Elijah swallowed; his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. He turned a light shade of red and didn’t meet Xye’s eyes.

Women. Nothing but trouble, Xye thought.

“Did she say anything about liking you back?”

Again, Elijah said nothing. Xye shook his head impatiently.

“Sure, she might like you today. But tomorrow? The emotions of women are like the river!”

“You’re one to talk,” Elijah snapped.

The insult jumped to Xye’s feminine nature, but he pushed it aside with his masculinity. He refused to surrender to his inner woman, even though she dominated his weak physical body. What hurt him more was that he couldn’t reply with any comeback that his brother would understand.

“Look. I know I’m not the best fighter in the world—”

“You killed a lot of men today.”

“—but I don’t think I can protect you.”

Xye’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

“Well, it’s like you always say,” Elijah said. “You’re not afraid to take charge and…and kill people, if you have to. For me…I…I’m not like that.”

“You took charge today.”

“Yeah, but that was different. Because…because I wanted to impress Ilianna. But when we leave…”

“Oh, I see,” Xye said. “You want to stay here, where the world is beautiful and the women are scantily clad because it makes you feel good, because when you leave, you’re back to being a scared little boy.”

“Xya, you don’t—“

“Oh, I understand.” Xye pulled back his blankets and stuffed himself under them. “Grow up, Elijah. Be a man.”

Chapter 2.19

2008-07-19T22:18:00.000-03:00

Cairt, the leader of Bark, stared down at the intruder to his forest village. The Eurus thieves hoisted Zopyros up, and tore off pieces of their clothes to stop the blood pouring out of his side. Zopyros held no hate in his eyes for Cairt, but turned his stare to Xye.

“You and your men will leave this village,” Cairt said calmly. “And if you set foot in our territory again…” He gestured behind him to Ilianna. “My daughter is a very capable archer.”

Some of the thieves looked around at their fallen comrades with arrows stuck in their bodies, and gulped.

“Fine,” Zopyros said. He kept his eyes on Xye. “But there will come a time when no one will protect you, and you will stand naked before me…”

“That is enough,” Cairt interrupted. “Leave, now.”

The thieves grumbled as they carried off their master. Xye watched them go, relieved that he had survived Zopyros’ attack and retained the amulets and the book. However, his words troubled him—you will stand naked before me—because as a man, he didn’t know if he could do that.

Cairt placed a hand on his shoulder. “Come, rest. You and your brother have brought my village enough excitement for one day.”

*

He gave Elijah and Xye a room for the night, as well as a hearty meal. Whether it was because he still thought that Xye was a man, or because of limited space, the two siblings had to share the room. They didn’t argue with their host, but both were clearly eager to protest the sleeping arrangements for different reasons. Xye was careful to change away from his brother, as to not reveal his unusual body. Elijah stayed up as long as he could with Ilianna before she retired to her bedroom.

Xye was pouring over the book, trying to make sense of the words when Elijah came into the room. He glanced at Xye before saying, “Don’t look”, and began stripping off his clothes. Xye didn’t even look up from his book.

“Ilianna said that her father was very pleased with what we’ve done for Bark,” Elijah said as he slipped on a fresh white shirt from his bag.

“Well, don’t get too cozy,” Xye replied. “We have to leave tomorrow if we’re going to make it to the Agaia Court in time to see our father.”

Elijah didn’t reply at first. Xye finally looked up from the page. Elijah was sitting at the edge of his bed with his elbows resting on his knees. He stared at his sibling with an apologetic look in his eye.

“Actually, Xya,” he said slowly, “I was thinking about staying here.”

Chapter 2.18

2008-07-18T21:54:00.000-03:00

Once again, Xye was impressed with her brother’s bravery in Ilianna’s presence. She gave him the green amulet, and he blew on it as Zopyros had blown on the blue one.

“That’s what I did,” Xye said.

He watched as Zopyros scampered across the village. Every instinct told him to run after him. He was about to yield to these instincts when suddenly Elijah thrust his hand up into the hair, holding the amulet towards the evening sky. A bright green light burst from the gem, shooting into the sky and then raining over the village. Sparkles touched the dead leaves on their tree homes, and revived them. The fires bowed to the power of the amulet, sinking into the ground in fear. The rays rejuvenated Bark and restored it to its former glory.

It was a momentary distraction. Xye snapped to his senses. Zopyros had not. Xye ran towards him and gripped the book. Zopyros turned his eyes to him and tugged back. Xye lurched forward; Zopyros was much stronger than him.

Someone ran up behind him and also wrapped his fingers around the book. Cairt had snapped out of his hypnotized state, healed by the green amulet.

“We made a trade, Xya,” Zopyros grunted, straining to keep ahold of his treasure.

“I don’t like trading,” Xye replied.

Xye released the book and gripped the blue amulet. Because Zopyros’ hands were occupied with keeping the book from Cairt, Xye easily lifted the amulet from his neck and placed it on his. He searched his pockets, and then realized he had lost his knife. Eying the dagger on Cairt’s belt, he drew it and stabbed Zopyros in his lower chest.

Zopyros cried out in pain, and released the book. Cairt took it hungrily, and then ran. The thieves, seeing their leader wounded, rushed towards him. Xye gripped the amulet and held it out defensively, gripping the knife in his other hand.

“Stay back,” he warned. “I know how to use this.”

They looked at each other, not knowing what to do. Zopyros was on the ground, bleeding.

“Help me, you fools,” he breathed.

“Stay back!” Xye repeated.

Despite his warning, a few brave ones stepped forward to help their leader. Xye lunged, but someone caught him. Xye flailed, waving the knife around in hopes of cutting his captor. He set him down, and Xye whirled to face him. It was Cairt.

“That’s enough,” he said. “There will be no more death in my village.”

Chapter 2.17

2008-07-17T21:34:00.000-03:00

Xye caught up with Ilianna. While he was almost out of breath, Ilianna was breathing calmly.

“What’s going on?” he puffed.

“The thieves are destroying the village, or destroying what’s left of it,” she replied. “But I think we figured out how to work the amulet.”

“Oh?”

Zopyros was gaining. Xye knew he could hear every word.

“Here, give it,” she said.

Xye reluctantly passed the amulet to Ilianna. She sped up, and passed the barrier between the forest and Bark. Xye and Zopyros followed. Chaos reigned as they entered the village. Thieves scurried up the rope ladders, looting any treasure they could find. Some villagers were smart and hid in the trees, cutting the ropes before the thieves could reach them. Some thieves were smarter, and began to light fires. Because the wood and leaves were dry, the fire spread quickly, and smoke clouded the evening sky.

Cairt and Elijah were at the base of the big tree. Elijah was fighting off two thieves; Cairt stood behind him. Xye was impressed by his brother’s bravery.

It’s only because there’s a woman present, and he wants to impress her father, he thought.

Ilianna shot an arrow at one of the thieves. It hit him in the back. Stunned, he fell over. Elijah quickly finished off the other one. Cairt began climbing the rope ladder.

“The book!” Cairt shouted to Xye.

He tossed it to Elijah, who handed it to Cairt. Elijah followed him up the ladder, with Ilianna close behind. Xye was about to climb when he was knocked to the ground. Zopyros pushed his way up the ladder. Ilianna struggled to keep ahold of the rope, but he sliced her arm. She fell to the ground, along side Ilianna.

Zopyros pulled Elijah’s shirt, and tossed him down. Nothing stood between him and the book except Cairt. The ruler of Bark held it protectively. He grabbed him by the back of his collar, took out the blue amulet and blew on it. It sparkled and glowed, and exerted its power on Cairt.

“You will give me the book,” Zopyros said.

Xye leapt to his feet. “No!”

But he couldn’t stop it. Hypnotized by the amulet’s power, Cairt dreamily passed Abraham’s book to Zopyros.

Ilianna nocked an arrow and aimed it at Zopyros. He scurried down the ladder, avoiding Ilianna’s attacks. She was about to fire another arrow when Zopyros held up the book as a shield; Xye touched her arm.

“Don’t. We can’t risk damaging the book,” he said. “Tell me how to work the green amulet.”

Chapter 2.16

2008-07-16T22:33:00.000-03:00

Zopyros gripped a nearby tree and hoisted himself to his feet. Xye thought of taking this opportunity to escape, but he realized that running without ensuring Zopyros’ unconsciousness—or possible death—would be foolish. He kicked him in the face. Dizzy but not ready to give in, Zopyros grabbed Xye’s leg and thrust it aside. To keep his balance, Xye reached out and grabbed ahold of the amulet chord around Zopyros’ neck. He choked and lurched forward, falling to the forest floor.

Xye tried to right himself, but Zopyros was balanced over him. He refused to release the chord. Seeing his stubbornness, Zopyros grabbed the amulet chord around Xye’s neck. The amulets glowed in unison. Together they were locked in an unwinable situation; neither of them were willing to yield.

“Why do you want them?” Xye asked.

“Why do you?” Zopyros countered.

Xye tugged harder. “I asked first.”

Zopyros matched his grip. “Don’t you want to be invincible?”

“I want answers.”

The blue leather bound book lay abandoned on the ground some inches away. Xye reached for it with his free hand. Zopyros didn’t copy this action. Instead, he snatched the blue amulet as quick as lightening from Xye’s neck. Xye fell forward onto his hands, and grabbed the book.

The two amulets glowed brightly. Zopyros added the blue one around his neck, and tucked them under his shirt to avoid being blinded. Xye held the book close to his chest.

“A trade, then,” Zopyros said. “Power, for knowledge.”

He lifted the amulets from under his shirts once more. He took them off his neck and dangled one in each hand, admiring their glow. Xye squinted his eyes. “Although I
think I have the better end of the bargain.”

Woosh. Zip. Boing.

An arrow stuck into the tree nearest to Xye. The green amulet hung neatly around it. Glancing quickly to the source, he saw Ilianna standing some distance from them. She was aiming another arrow to catch the blue amulet.

“Think again,” she said.

Zopyros would not be fooled twice. He hung the blue amulet around his neck and lunged for the green one. Xye grabbed it from the arrow, and ran towards Ilianna with the book in his hand. Ilianna withdrew the arrow and turned, running. Zopyros was very close behind.

Chapter 2.15

2008-07-15T23:36:00.000-03:00

When they were some distance from Bark, Zopyros turned around. He glanced between the men that held Xye. He didn’t have to say it. They released him.

Xye wasn’t one to pass up an opportunity. He started to run, but the nearest man grabbed him once more. Zopyros gripped the chord around Xye’s neck and pulled him forward; his eyes stared into his.

“Go back to the village,” he said to his men. “Bring the rest back here when you are through.”

They obeyed, and left Xye and Zopyros alone. Xye returned Zopyros stare, refusing to back down to his silent challenge. His captor held the chord around his neck like a leash. The amulet’s glow had dimmed since leaving the village; the sun was beginning to set in the west.

“Are you wondering why I didn’t kill you, like your friends?” he asked.

“My friends aren’t dead,” Xye replied.

And neither is my father! Xye thought. No matter what Elijah might believe.

Zopyros’ lips twisted into a smile. “I like you, Xya. I want to know what you are.”

You and me both, he thought.

Xye said nothing.

“Having all four amulets will make you invincible,” Zopyros said. “But one is still fallible to the weaknesses of man. Or woman, for that matter.” He paused. “But you, biologically, are neither man nor woman. So what would the amulets make you?”

Xye opened his mouth to reply, but then shut it again. He’s trying to make me object and say that I have weaknesses.

He smiled. “More powerful than you.”

Zopyros’ grip on the chord loosened and climbed up his neck, stroking it fondly. “Perhaps.” Then, his hand moved again and squeezed his jaw, bringing his face closer to his. “My question still stands.”

“Which one?”

“Men, or women?”

“What about them?”

“What do you prefer?”

Xye kicked him in the shins. Zopyros released his grip in surprise and did everything but fall to his knees in pain. Xye watched, half amused and partly disgusted.

“Sick bastard,” he whispered.

Chapter 2.14

2008-07-14T23:12:00.000-03:00

Rage burned within Xye, even though he knew that was what Zopyros wanted. He said nothing in his defense; Elijah’s eyes darted in confusion between Xye and Zopyros.

“So he doesn’t know,” Zopyros said softly. “Have you kept it a secret for your entire life, then?”

“What is he talking about, Xya?” Elijah asked.

Xye closed his eyes. He wished he could melt away from the thieves’ grasp, and take the crystals with him.

“Well?” Zopyros prompted.

“He’s just trying to stir us up,” Xye said.

Zopyros laughed. “Very well, then.”

He grabbed the crystal from Cairt and hung it around his neck. Gripping the book tightly, he gestured to his men once more. “Take what you will, and then dispose of them.”

The man holding Xye threw him to the ground. He reached for his dagger to defend himself. The thief stepped on his chest; all of the air in his lungs burst from his mouth. Xye gasped for air, and began to see stars. Zopyros interceded, holding his man back.

“Leave this one alone. We’re taking it with us,” Zopyros said.

The man released his foot from his chest. Xye breathed hungrily. Strong arms hoisted him to his feet. The dizziness was brief, but overpowering; Xye was dragged away from the others. He glanced around; Ilianna, Elijah and Cairt were attempting to fight off Zopyros’ men. The villagers joined in to defend their leader and their home. Xye resisted, but their grip was firm.

While the battle raged, the two men holding Xye and Zopyros disappeared into the woods, crossing the barrier from the destruction to the lush and beautiful. In Zopyros’ presence, however, it was difficult to tell the difference between the two.

Chapter 2.13

2008-07-13T22:13:00.000-03:00

Ilianna drew her bow and pointed an arrow. Xye was afraid to turn around, but was more afraid of what he would say if he didn’t face him. He turned, and before him stood a group of thieves, donning various weapons. Zopyros wore a long navy blue cape; his goatee was neatly trimmed. On his cheek he bore a scar, where Xye had cut him on their last encounter.

“Who are you?” Cairt demanded. “What is the meaning of this?”

Zopyros glanced at the book in Cairt’s hands. “That book is my property.” He pointed at Xye. “It stole it from me.”

“That’s an interesting claim, considering you’re leader of the Eurus Thieves Guild!” Xye snapped.

Zopyros sauntered towards him, smiling. “So naturally, we recognize a talented thief when we find one. I hope you’re not trying to sell my book to this man. Or do you recognize its value?”

“More than you think,” Xye said.

He yanked the chord of the blue amulet and drew it from under his shirt. Xye shielded his eyes as Zopyros drew back, crying out in surprise at the intensity of the blue glow. He gestured to his men.

“Seize them!”

No quicker than he had said that did Ilianna’s arrow fly. It hit one of the thieves in the heart, and he fell. She docked another arrow. Woosh. Another thief down, with an arrow in his eye. They came closer. Elijah drew his mace and bashed those that approached him. Xye drew a dagger and slashed any skin that wasn’t his.

It wasn’t enough, however. The thieves restrained Ilianna, holding her arms behind her back so that her chest protruded. Elijah protested, and his swing grew wilder, but three men were able to hold him down and take his weapon. Two more men grabbed Cairt; one held a dagger at his neck. Another punched Xye in the jaw and squeezed him hand until his dagger fell to the ground. Xye resisted, but his body was fragile.
Squinting his eyes, Zopyros grabbed the amulet gem. Xye thought he would cut it from the chord, or perhaps behead him and take it, but instead he replaced it down his shirt. The glow dimmed, blocked by the fabric.

He approached Cairt, and took the book from him. He held it under his arm. “Thank you.”

Then, he went to Ilianna. The men held her back and howled obscenities. Elijah struggled, but he was no use to defend her.

“She is pretty,” Zopyros said, holding her chin with his thumb and index finger. He glanced at Xye. “Tell me, are you attracted to her as you are men? Or do you exclusively prefer one sex over the other?”

Xye clenched his fists. His face burned as red as his hair.

“Bastard,” Elijah muttered. “How dare you insult Ilianna, and my sister!”

Zopyros chuckled at Elijah’s stupid bravery. “How little you know about your own sibling.”

Chapter 2.12

2008-07-12T23:25:00.000-03:00

Xye couldn’t take any more of it. Elijah’s claim that Abraham of Mytovya wasn’t their father wasn’t consistent with the Wise Woman’s words. Although Xye was not always one to follow authority, he refused to believe that his father was not associated with the amulets for the simple reason that he was drawn to stealing one in the first place. It was too much of a coincidence for Xye to become involved with them, and not have an important role to play.

Or maybe, Xye thought, he sees right through me. Maybe he knows that I want them for myself. Could he?

He stormed away from his brother, returning to Cairt and Ilianna. Xye heard Elijah follow slowly.

“Is there something the matter?” Ilianna asked.

“No,” Xye said curtly. “Except that Elijah and I are due at the Court of Agaia. We should go.”

“A shame,” Cairt replied, shutting the blue leather book and holding it fondly. “I would like more time to examine this. A fascinating read, for sure.”

After debating for a few moments, Xye decided that leaking more information about their quest would not hinder it any more than Elijah already had. “We’re actually on our way to meet the author.”

Cairt’s eyes widened in interest. “Really?”

“He could tell us so much about this amulet,” Ilianna said fondly. She stared at the blue amulet. “About all the amulets.”

Then, a voice that Xye had hoped never to hear again reached his ears, and frosted his soul.

“I’m sure he could.”

Chapter 2.11

2008-07-11T22:34:00.001-03:00

Cairt took the book from Xye and studied it. He stopped in the middle of the book, where the two-paged diagram of the man and the four amulets was. He flipped it to different angles, studying it, and then leafed through a few more pages.

“Can you read it?” Xye asked.

“Of course,” Cairt said. “It’s written in the Common Tongue.”

Xye pursed his lips and nodded. Cairt and Ilianna exchanged glances.

“Wait…are you saying you can’t read?” Ilianna asked.

“I’m learning,” Xye said defensively.

“And you?” Ilianna asked Elijah. He shook his head. “But everyone knows how to read.”

“Men, and women?” Elijah asked.

“Why would only one sex indulge in a particular skill?” Ilianna countered.

Xye raised his eyebrows and nodded at her insight. Maybe she isn’t so bad after all…

“What does it say?” Xye asked Cairt.

“It seems to be an instruction manual,” he replied.

“For the amulets,” Xye said.

“Yes,” Cairt acknowledged. “According to this diagram, if a person possesses all four amulets they become…well, invincible.”

Invincible… Xye thought.

He glanced around. Most of the villagers had gone back to their daily business. He stepped closer to Cairt. “What does it say about Abraham of Mytovya?”

Cairt flipped to the front of the book. His eyes moved across the pages for a few moments.

“He’s the author,” Cairt began, “but he describes himself as a traveler. A seeker of these amulets, to study their power.”

“A traveler?” Elijah questioned. He sauntered towards Xye. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

Xye nodded. They excused themselves and walked a few paces away, leaving Cairt and Ilianna to examine the book.

Elijah lowered his voice. “Xya…our father wasn’t a traveler.”

“What do you mean? The book says—”

“I don’t even remember our father leaving home,” Elijah interrupted.

Xye’s eyes flashed. “Are you saying that the Wise Woman was wrong?”

Elijah sighed. “You know I wouldn’t challenge her.”

“But you are!”

“I just don’t think Abraham of Mytovya is our father. That doesn’t mean our father isn’t alive.”

Xye shook his head. His eyes narrowed. “I know it’s him. It has to be.”

I have to have those amulets, he thought. They will solve the question of my identity.

Chapter 2.10

2008-07-10T22:11:00.000-03:00

Moments after the gem bits settled, they began to crystallize and harden. Xye watched as the amulet’s gem became whole once more. He caressed it, twirled the chord around his fingers, and held onto it tightly.

I have to have this, he thought.

He walked to the rope ladder and climbed down. The grass was lush where the pieces of the gems fell. Parts of the large tree were restored. Villagers surrounded the tree in awe of the strange magic. Cairt marveled over the miracle. Ilianna stood beside her father supportively, while Elijah looked relieved for averting a disaster.

When Cairt saw Xye, he gestured for him to come closer.

“Where is the amulet?” he asked.

Reluctantly, Xye held it out to him. Cairt gripped it carefully.

“The gem…it grew back…!” Cairt exclaimed.

“The broken gem bits were powerful enough to reform the crystal,” Xye explained.

“Extraordinary,” Cairt mused. He held up the amulet for the village to see. “The amulet of the former Wise Woman has been restored. Its power will now heal our village.” He gestured to Xye and Elijah. “They have saved us. You will treat them as if they were your kin.”

The village murmured in admiration. Ilianna smiled at Elijah. Xye swallowed.

I want that amulet, Xye thought. But how can I take it when it means so much to this village? What if they cannot survive without it?

“Now…to smash this once more,” Cairt said amiably. He smiled at Elijah. “Would you like to do the honours?”

Elijah smiled meekly. “With all due respect…there must be another way.”

Xye frowned. “What do you mean? You saw what the gem bits did.”

“Yes…but it doesn’t seem practical to design an amulet that only works when you break it,” Elijah replied.

“Magic isn’t practical. Especially Wise Woman magic,” Xye argued.

“How do you that it’s Wise Woman magic?” Elijah countered. “Did it say in the book?”

“What book?” Ilianna asked.

“Yes, what book?” Cairt echoed.

Xye breathed evenly, trying to cool his temper. He wanted to impart as little knowledge about the amulets as possible to the villagers of Bark, but Elijah didn’t have the same sensibility as Xye did about those matters. But, it was too late. He reached into his pack and dug out the blue leather-bound book.

He glanced at Cairt. “Maybe you can make sense of this.”

Chapter 2.09

2008-07-09T17:06:00.000-03:00

Cairt’s cape fluttered in the breeze that blew through the tree. He flexed his fingers. Xye could tell that he wanted to tear Elijah apart, but his sense of hospitality held him back.

“We are doomed,” he said distantly.

“I’m…I’m sorry,” Elijah stammered. He turned his imploring gaze to Ilianna. “Please…I didn’t mean to…”

Ilianna flushed red and looked away.

A hissing sound made Xye focus his attention on the floor. The broken gem particles emitted tiny puffs of white smoke as they burned into the stone floor. He quickly wiped his hands of them, fearing them to be corrosive to his skin, and climbed to his feet.

Then, screaming. Xye, Ilianna and Cairt rushed to the edge of the entrance, while Elijah hung back in shame. They peered down at the village.

“Cairt!” said one villager. “Come quickly!”

As quick as lightening, Cairt jumped over the rotten boards and gripped the edge of the balcony and the rope ladder. He looked at his daughter. “Stay there.”

Cairt descended the ladder and joined his people. They could no longer see him. Ilianna breathed deeply; Xye could see that she was trying to remain calm, but her true emotions were showing.

“Watch out for the broken gem bits,” Xye cautioned, pointing at the floor.
Ilianna looked down, and brushed them away with her leather shoe. “Thanks.”

The thanks was distant, but not with hate.

“Ilianna!” shouted Cairt from below.

“Father!” Ilianna replied.

“It’s alright!” Cairt replied. “Come see!”

Ilianna was about to go when Xye suddenly grabbed her arm. Her eyes flashed. He pointed at the floor, to the broken gems.

“Elijah,” Xye said. “Look.”

The tiny white smoke had disappeared. Where the broken bits were scattered, polished stone lay beneath. Xye knelt once more before the broken gem.

So this is its power, Xye thought. To regenerate, to heal…

“I’m going down,” Ilianna said. She glanced at Elijah. “Are you coming?”

“I…” Elijah hesitated. “I don’t know.”

“Go with her,” Xye said. “If the gem has this kind of power, I don’t think it would break this easily.”

Unless it also has the power of irony.

Elijah followed Ilianna down the tree, taking care when jumping over the rotten boards. When they were gone, Xye sprinkled the broken bits over the balcony. Sure enough, the boards regenerated.

Then, he sweeped up a few more particles and placed them gently in the setting that held the gem. His mind raced with possibilities.

I now have two of the four gems, he thought. Think of the things I could do…

Chapter 2.08

2008-07-08T21:38:00.000-03:00

Ilianna squinted her eyes and pulled away the cloth carefully with her thumb and index finger. Xye could hear it humming from where he was standing; the blue amulet droned in unison. It was identical to the one around his neck, except for the colour of the gem.

“Do you know what it does?” Xye asked.

Cairt tilted his head. “Do you?”

Glancing between Ilianna and her father, Xye stepped forward. He touched the green amulet in Ilianna’s palms, shielding his eyes witih his hands. A magnetic attraction drew the gems close, but they didn’t touch. They hummed loudly.

Remembering what Zopyros had done with the blue amulet, Xye puckered his lips and blew gently on the gem. He squeezed his eyes shut as a burst of green light blasted in his face. It faded quickly, leaving a wispy green smoke. Xye turned it away from his face, fearing the persuasion powers that its sister amulet possessed.

Other than the display of smoke and lights, nothing happened. Xye swallowed nervously. He inspected it, hit it gently on his palm, and tried blowing on it again. Still, nothing.

“Oh…” Xye said sheepishly. He returned the amulet to Ilianna’s waiting hands. “I thought that might work.”

Disappointed, Ilianna replaced the cloth. She didn’t meet her father’s eye. Cairt nodded understandingly.

“You tried,” he said.

“There must be something, Xya,” Elijah said. “Let me try.”

Ilianna held out the amulet. Elijah took it gently. Their fingers met briefly; blood rushed to his face. He stared at her.

The distraction would cost him. His soft grip on the chord slipped, and the amulet crashed to the floor. Xye dived after it, but he was too late. It impacted on the stone wood; the gem cracked into a million pieces and scattered over the room, fragments flying out the open doorway and down into the village.

He knelt in horror before the broken amulet, and cupped the tiny pieces in his palm. In his mind he heard the imagined voice of his father drifting further away with all the answers to the questions he dreamed of asking.

“Elijah,” Xye whispered. “What have you done?”

Chapter 2.07

2008-07-07T20:54:00.001-03:00

He barely made it. His foot touched the black wood, crumbling it on impact. Elijah yelped and gripped the stone edge of the structure. The remains of the balcony crashed onto the ground below, echoing a similar fate for Elijah.

Fortunately, Xya was not without a heart. She ran to help her brother. Ilianna was at her side. Gripping his arms, the girls pulled Elijah into the stone-tree room.

Elijah lay on the floor, gasping for breath. He looked up at Ilianna, and grinned. “Thanks.”

Xya folded her arms. “You’re welcome.”

Her brother glanced at her. “Oh…right…thanks to you too.”

A door opened. Xya looked around. An older man carrying a staff entered the room. His blond hair was graying, but his presence and armour marked him as a warrior. Ilianna skipped towards him, and greeted him in a language Xya didn’t understand. The man smiled at Ilianna, and touched her face affectionately. Then, he gazed over her shoulder at Xya and Elijah. Elijah quickly came to his feet.

“Ah…” said the man. “Ilianna has brought me two scrawny men to remedy our situation.”

Xya raised an eyebrow. You want a man? Fair enough.

Ilianna didn’t bother to correct him. “Father, this is Elijah, and Xya. They’re from Mytovya, and—”

“You have an amulet.” Ilianna’s father reached for the glowing blue gem around Xye’s neck. He stopped, looking up at him. “May I?”

Xye nodded curtly, and pulled the amulet from underneath his shirt. The blue light was almost blinding; Xye squeezed his eyes shut. He felt the man take the gem into his hands, and drop it quickly. It bounced onto Xye’s chest with a soft thud. Replacing it under his shirt, he opened his eyes.

“She says you have one too,” Xye said.

“It belonged to our Wise Woman,” Ilianna’s father explained.

“Why did you take it from her?”

“Xya!” Elijah hissed.

“She passed to the next realm,” he replied. “We didn’t know its power, until it began to glow a few days ago. Then, our village began to die. I sent my daughter to find help.” His eyes moved between Xye and Elijah. He laced his hands. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Cairt, ruler of Bark. Ilianna was fortunate to find you.” He gestured to her. “Please, fetch the amulet.”

Ilianna promptly left the room, and returned a few moments later. A white cloth masked the green glow of the amulet; she guarded it closely with her hands.

The blue amulet hummed gently.

Chapter 2.06

2008-07-06T22:20:00.002-03:00

Xya and Elijah followed Ilianna through the withered town of Bark. The inhabitants watched them closely as they passed. Their stares, however, were not those of anxiety like in Mytovya. Their eyes focused on Xya’s amulet, which glowed brighter the deeper they went into the village.

In the centre of the village stood the tallest tree Xya had ever seen. Its trunk was as thick as a longhouse, and its branches sprawled upwards to the sun. A large structure intertwined with the branches, and it was neither separate nor apart of the tree. Xya imagined it to be magnificent once, when the village was alive. Now, like the tree, it was graying, and the brown leaves drooped.

Pools of red liquid dripped from the knots in the bark.

Ilianna approached the rope ladder that hung from the master tree. “Follow me.”

Elijah stopped, his eyes darting between the red liquid and Ilianna. “Uh…is the tree bleeding?”

“It is dying, like everything else,” Ilianna stated.

“And you want me to climb up the dying tree?”

“It’s my home.”

Xya raised an eyebrow. In Mytovya, the Wise Woman lives in the biggest longhouse. But the Wise Woman does not have children. Therefore…this place is not ruled by her…but by Ilianna?

She mulled these thoughts over in her head as she followed Elijah up the rope ladder. The red sap smeared on their clothing as they climbed. Xya touched her finger to it and then licked it. Her suspicions were confirmed; it was blood.

Wise Woman magic…and not in a Wise Woman home,Xya observed. These people live a few days travel from us, and yet they are so different…

They reached the top of the ladder, and set foot on a wooden balcony. The wood was almost black, as if it had been charred. Gracefully, Ilianna leaped over the wooden floor of the balcony into the open structure.

“Watch your step,” Ilianna warned. “That dead wood probably won’t hold your weight.”

Elijah glanced down. He tested his weight on the floor; it creaked in warning.

“You go first,” Elijah said to Xya.

“How kind,” Xya said sarcastically.

For once, Xya was grateful for her height. She jumped over the floor with ease, landing in a large room. Quickly examining the area, Xya realized that the tree had been hollowed out, and hardened with stone.

Elijah’s knees trembled. “Um…help?”

“And you’re the one supposed to be protecting me,” Xya said.

“You can do it, Elijah,” Ilianna urged. “It’s only a little jump.”

His eyes darted over the side of the tree, looking down. He turned a light shade of green.

“Elijah,” Ilianna coaxed. “Look at me.”

He obeyed. Swallowing, Elijah jumped.

Chapter 2.05

2008-07-05T21:18:00.001-03:00

Xya caught up with them, but they barely acknowledged her arrival. Elijah focused his attention on the strange woman, responding with the appropriate yes and no when needed.

“It started happening a few moon cycles ago,” Ilianna said. “Everything in our village started to die. The trees and plants withered, and our water dried up.”

“That’s horrible,” Elijah replied.

“Our people became sick, because there was no food. The other villages didn’t want to trade with us, because they feared a plague.”

“What does this have to do with the amulet?” Xya questioned.

Ilianna turned a cool gaze on her. “I’m getting to that.”

“Then get to it.”

“Our Wise Woman passed on recently,” Ilianna said. “In her tree, we found a necklace, similar to yours, but different in colour. We took it from her tree, and that was when things began to die.”

Xya swallowed and hid her anxiety. The things that have died since I stole this amulet…

“What do you mean when you say, ‘in her tree’?’” Elijah asked.

Ilianna stopped and pointed upwards. “This is my village.”

Xya and Elijah followed her finger towards the sky. The sun shone brightly through the trees. The thick tree branches cradled more than two dozen houses, made of wood and moss. Puffs of smoke blew out the top, just as they did in the longhouses in Mytovya. Ladders made of ropes descended from the huts in the trees; the inhabitants climbed up and down them with skill and grace.

Ilianna stretched out her arms. “Welcome to Bark. It is my home.”

“It’s beautiful,” Elijah whispered.

The sun’s glare passed, and the true state of the village was revealed. The moss huts were browned. Flowering vines that had covered the houses were wilted. Even the trees themselves looked greyer than normal. The Bark inhabitants walked listlessly, as if they too had been affected by the mysterious force that gripped the town.

Xya glanced behind her. The shift between Bark and the rest of the forest was obvious. It was as if a border separated the death from spreading onto the rest of the forest.

Ilianna glanced at Elijah. “Do you still think it’s beautiful?”

Elijah gulped. “Would you hate me if I said no?”

The corners of her lips curled upwards. She made a noise of amusement and continued forward. Elijah smiled and followed. Xya rolled her eyes.

“My father has the amulet,” Ilianna said. “We will go to him.”

Chapter 2.04

2008-07-04T02:14:00.001-03:00

Xya stared down at her chest. The amulet underneath her shirt was glowing. She lifted it out. The blue gem radiated its colour intensely. Ilianna squinted.

“So you do have one, then.”

Xya frowned. “What do you know about it?”

“I didn’t know there was more than one,” she admitted. “But that’s fortunate for us.”

“You have an amulet too?” Elijah asked.

Ilianna nodded. “We do.”

Xya’s eyes widened. Do they know its power? More importantly: do they know my father and how he is connected? Or is that more important than its power…?

“Who is we?” Xya asked.

“My village,” she replied. She looked away. “Or what is left of it.”

Elijah looked concerned. “What happened?”

Her eyes flickered around the forest. “It isn’t safe here. Come with me. I will show you.”

Elijah moved forward to follow the strange woman but Xya grabbed him. “Wait. How do we know you’re telling the truth? How can we trust you?”

“I’ve killed all the men trying to get to you!” Ilianna said. “I just want to help my people.”

“We are expected in the court of Agaia,” Xya countered. “We don’t want any delays.”

Or else we might miss our father’s presence…

Ilianna’s eyes flashed. “Are you that selfish that you would not help another in need?”

“I’m not,” Elijah said quietly. He turned to Xya. “If you want to go, go alone. I’m going to help her.”

“You’re willing to trust someone you just met?” Xya challenged.

“She’s trying to help us, Xya,” Elijah argued. “Don’t you feel anything?”

Xya clenched her fists. Her eyes moved between the two. “You have no idea what I feel.”

Elijah stepped forward. “I’ll help you, Ilianna. Where is your village?”

“Not far from here,” she replied. She took one last glance at Xya. “Follow me.”

She watched as Ilianna and Elijah walk in the opposite direction. The court of Agaia lay to the south; she imagined her father there, waiting. She saw him open the book and explain everything…including her body.

As they disappeared over the hill, Xya’s thoughts changed. She saw Ilianna’s arrow pierce his heart. A thousand savages surrounded his body and thrust his flesh into their mouths. Xya blinked rapidly, trying to distill the images from her mind. Although she knew that her worries could not be manifested to that extreme, she refused to take any chances.

Xya rolled her eyes and sighed. She broke into a run. “Elijah, wait. You’re going to get yourself killed.”

Chapter 2.03

2008-07-03T01:00:00.002-03:00

The voice startled Xya. She turned and released the arrow. It gazed Elijah’s shoulder and stuck into a tree trunk. Beside misguided arrow stood the owner of the voice.

She was tall, with long blond hair. She wore a green circlet around her forehead made of braided grass, possibly to indicate some sort of status. Her skirt, barely to the knees, was also green. She wore a loosely tied white shirt, covered with a green vest.

Before Xya could apologize, the woman grabbed a bow hitched to her back and nocked an arrow. Xya barely had time to blink as Elijah forced her to the ground—get down!—and an arrow wizzed over their heads. There was a distant grunt, and the sound of a body hitting the ground. It tumbled for a few seconds, and then stopped.

Xya glanced beside her. Elijah was huddled into a ball with his eyes squeezed shut. Looking around, she saw a dead man a few feet away. An axe lay inches from his grasp. Squinting, she noticed the arrow had pierced his eye.

“They’ve been following you for leagues,” the woman said.

Her accent was strange. She wasn’t from any of the smaller cities near Mytovya, nor was she from Eurus. Her vowels were long, and pronounced with disdain, as if it were not her native language.

Elijah found his feet. He gazed at the woman; his jaw dropped. Xya would’ve had the same reaction, had she not glanced at the dead man oozing blood and brain matter behind her.

“Who are you?” Xya demanded.

“I’m Ilianna,” she said. She lowered her bow. “And you are…?”

“Elijah,” said Elijah. “And this is my sister, Xya.”

Xya raised an eyebrow. Taking initiative, are we? We should leave, before she manages to loosen your tongue even more.

“Sister?” Ilianna glanced at Xya’s clothing. “Why does she wear men’s clothing?”

“Better for traveling,” Xya said coolly.

“Skirts are good for…looking good,” Elijah stammered.

Useless!Xya thought.He’s completely useless!

Ilianna stepped closer. “Why are they after you?”

Xya mirrored her action. “What’s it to you?”

“She stole from them,” Elijah blurted out.

Ilianna laughed. “From the Eurus Thieves’ Guild?”

Xya raised an eyebrow. “From the Head Thief himself.”

“What did you steal?” Ilianna asked.

Xya slapped a hand over Elijah’s mouth before he could jeopardize any more information. “Why are you so interested?”

Ilianna jutted her chin towards Xya. “Because your chest…it is glowing blue.”