The Sapphire Eruption, page 35
part #1 of The Sword's Choice Series
After calming down the horse, they set off. Hilzen had suggested that some of the dogues could be taken for their meat, in case their supplies ran out. In spite of Dabayl’s refusal to consider Hilzen’s suggestion—her denial was accompanied with a gesture of disgust—Hilzen took several dogues, asking Noakh to help him carry the bodies to the carriage, claiming that they should be delicious, having been raised in the forest. Dabayl, meanwhile, was collecting her arrows, pulling them from the inert bodies of her ugly victims, and putting them back in her quiver.
Hilzen drove the carriage this time, moving at a good pace to get away from that nightmarish place. Noakh sat inside the carriage, along with Ribet, who had regained his composure.
“The queen herself, huh?” Noakh said with a smile as he grasped his shoulder. His wound had stopped bleeding and had been wrapped in bandages, but the pain remained. Those dogues knew how to bite.
Ribet answered Noakh’s question with a snort.
“Did you know what was going to happen?” Ribet asked softly, his blue eyes peeking out from under his hood. “That they were going to leave at sunrise?”
“No,” Noakh replied sincerely. “Thinking about it now, it makes all the sense in the world. It’s more than obvious: Everything about them is characteristic of any nocturnal animal. Their red eyes, their color… Now I’m even realizing that we first began to hear those cries at night. We were very lucky…”
“Lucky?” Ribet laughed. For him it had been more than luck. It had been destiny. A signal. Maybe a last chance. “You know, I thought I was going to die… and that’s the moment when you understand everything you’ve done in your life… and what you have not done,” he confessed in a melancholy tone.
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve always been good at business—no, exceptional. I’m not bragging, Noakh. It’s just a fact. I could count a million things I’m bad at. My mother used to say that since I was little I had a gift for negotiation, that I always went to bed later she wanted, thanks to my ability to bargain. In one way or another, I always got my way.
“That gift grew bigger and bigger. My achievements in the textile market did not go unnoticed by the rest of the guild members, and little by little I gained a prestige such that not even the successes of my youth could overshadow it. I ended up becoming the youngest head of a guild—any guild!—at the age of twenty-seven. And that was now fifteen years ago.” Ribet let out a sigh full of melancholy. “I made a lot of money. I earned the respect of my colleagues. No competitor overshadowed me…”
Ribet continued to tell his story, his eyes hidden under his hood, which he clasped in his hands as he was shaken by the movements of the carriage.
“Last night I assumed I was going to die. My whole life went by in my head. That’s when you realize… I wasn’t happy, Noakh. A life based on greed and money… I just felt remorse.”
“Remorse?”
“Yes. For all things I didn’t have. No family, no friends, even my parents… I always thought that everything personal was only a barrier that hindered success. Now I realize that my pretensions came at the cost of my happiness. Success catches you. It turns you into an ambitious person. You close a deal and you feel a happiness that little by little fades away… You need to close the next deal, and do it more cheaply, and for more profit!”
“It’s still not too late…”
“I try to make myself remain aware of that… If we manage to reach the earth kingdom, I will look for a business with few pretenses, something that doesn’t attract much attention, in order to live without fear, knowing that the queen’s dogs will not come after me… who knows? I might even be able to have a family, a little Rivetien to learn the family business…”
Ribet’s words served to relieve his pain. His idea of a future life for himself seemed more plausible when translated into words. At that moment, he realized that he had spoken his real name—Rivetien—and discovered what little it mattered now.
CHAPTER 39. Ruins
In front of them stood a small church in ruins. The huge roots of several trees had found their way around the structure and entangled the walls of stone and marble: The building had succumbed to nature.
As they entered the church, a swarm of bats fled out of the church and swooped down on Noakh, making him fall to the ground. Hilzen and Dabayl held their weapons at the ready, thinking they were being ambushed.
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” said Noakh dismissively while still standing on the ground. “Only bats welcoming us.” Both Hilzen and Dabayl lowered their weapons. Ribet extended his arm and helped Noakh get back on his feet.
The grounds of the building were decorated by statues of white stone that were severely damaged, missing several pieces, and being eroded by the rain, giving them a somewhat fragmented appearance. It smelled of moss, while the air was slightly colder than it was outside. Hilzen was kneeling at the foot of one of the statues, reciting his prayers. His fist was set in the center of his chest.
“What happened here?” Noakh asked, surprised as he walked along the church, his steps resounding on the walls. He ran his hand over a white marble statue. The statue’s head was missing, but its remains allowed him to guess that it had once held the form of a mermaid. “This place seems to have been swallowed by nature.”
“That’s a fairly accurate description of what has actually happened,” Ribet said as he dipped his head back down to his precious map.
“What do you mean?”
“We are close, very close!” Ribet replied, turning his gaze away from the map and exhibiting a smile that reflected his joy. “This is a sample of what awaits us… contemplate the powers of the Earth Kingdom! Or, better said, the powers of his king, Burum Babar.” He raised his arms and stood up, looking at the cracked roof above them. The four companions all admired the damage that the roots had incurred to the building: huge cracks shown in the walls and columns. The earth seemed to have embraced the marble feet of the statues, while a dim light went through the holes of the roof. It was as if there was still evidence of the greatness of something that had long ago become extinct but that refused to stop shining in all its beauty… a beautiful symbiosis.
“Did Burum Babar do this?” Dabayl asked, kneeling at the foot of a statue. Only a part of its marble torso remained. She raised her hand and moved some earth, revealing a hidden prayer carved into the stone beneath it. “Show mercy and listen to our humble praises,” she read. It was written in the common tongue, which meant the statue was not as old as the church itself; otherwise, the words would certainly have been written in Flumio.
“So they say,” Ribet replied. “The Tirhan monarch found himself in front of this church decades ago, where the Temple Guard and the Divine Protection fought him. The victory was not enough for him; he wanted a reminder of his triumph. This is the result of his work.”
Hilzen, Noakh, and Dabayl contemplated the reach of Burum Babar’s power, looking silently at the tree-shattered walls and the gigantic roots that entangled them. This is the power of a king, thought Noakh astonished. “Why do they not restore it?” he asked. “Isn’t it shameful for the Church of Water to have one of their temples continue like this?”
“On the contrary,” Hilzen said as he stood up. “This church shows the mistakes that were made in the past and teaches us how to learn from them. It is a way of teaching us humility.”
“That’s right,” Ribet affirmed. “The church army ignored the queen’s instructions—and as a result their sacred army, the Temple Guard, and their elite soldiers, the Divine Protection, were crushed by a higher power. Even soldiers with as much faith as those who form the ranks of the Temple Guard fainted before Burum Babar’s army and his power over the land and nature.
“Shortly after that defeat, they say, the queen took control of the church, acquiring the title of high priestess then locking her predecessor in the prison that not so long ago she had governed… As a merchant, I must say that it was a masterful move by the queen. As a citizen, well… that’s a different story. She took advantage of the weakness of the only organ that could overshadow her and subjected it to her wishes… a great scheme!
“I admire the queen,” said Dabayl with fascination. “She wants something and she takes it.”
“You needn’t tell me,” Ribet said softly. “Well, after this church we come to the place known as the Valley of the Fallen—there, a brutal confrontation against the Tirhan Army unfolded, and countless soldiers died on both sides. I’m sure you’ve all heard stories about that place; they say that the souls of the soldiers continue to wander around it, fighting tirelessly, unable to return home. Dimwitted fairy tales, in my opinion.”
“If we are near the Valley of the Fallen, that means that the North Sea is not far away. Is that the direction we are headed towards?” Hilzen asked.
“You know what they say: One sails out of the Aquadom by sea… but one does not return,” Ribet recalled. “The Sea Guard controls the seas, getting to the Earth Kingdom through the sea is not an option. Even if we obtain a boat, they would detect us before we reached the open sea. Believe me, I have tried. A boat that does not have to pay taxes for its merchandise and can use many of the routes throughout the queendom? Of course I’ve tried!”
“So what is the plan?” Noakh asked. “Go over the border and hope they do not stop us?” It seemed a plan that was meant to fail.
“Not at all. Don’t worry, Noakh. Leave it in my hands. That reminds me…” While talking, Ribet searched among the merchandise stored in the carriage, which was standing behind him.
Finally, he found a small can. “This is a high-quality dye,” he said, showing it to the others. “It will allow us to color our hair as brown as mud, and the dye will last so long that we won’t have to worry about being discovered. This way we will look like unickeys, having brown hair but not green eyes. When we are in the Earth Kingdom, they will think us simple merchants returning to our homes. The Crossbreed Curse at its best.” He paused and looked at his companions. “Two Tirhquos, a Tirheo and a Tirhtian. I must say, Noakh, that because your eyes and Dabayl’s are a different color, they lend great credence to our story,” Ribet said, smiling, but Noakh gave him a curious look. “Oh, come on, you know why!” He turned to the others. “So, who wants to start?” he said as he offered the can to his travel companions.
CHAPTER 40. A ritual
The wind howled loudly, making her white dress flinch and her hair flutter back. She was about to perform the Jump. The queen wanted Vienne’s powers to awaken as soon as possible. The Jump would allow Vienne to know her blessing. Some heiresses had shown enough talent to discover it for themselves before performing the ritual. Vienne was not among them. Different blessings had been granted to her predecessors as she had read in the manuscript her mother had given to her while she, Vienne, was lying in bed recovering after trying to summon Crystalline’s powers. She had read about the different blessings, summoning the beasts of the sea, making it rain, or summoning a torrent of water from the floor, as her mother did, were some of the blessings her predecessors had.
In her bare feet, she could feel the cold rock, the little stones breaking into her toes. The moon was before her, as round and large as she had ever seen it, as if it wanted to witness the ritual that Vienne was to face. She looked down, trying not to feel dizzy. She could see several ships. As usual, the queen had invited the Congregation of the Church and the noble houses to witness this act. The Lacrima must embrace the sea, the books instructed… Vienne thought of her sisters, who were also present at the event, protected by the Royal Guard and the Sea Guard, in addition to the Knights of Water, with the exception of Gant.
Igüenza had been told the act was simple. She just had to jump into the vastness of the ocean, together with Crystalline, which she held in her hands, and let the sea accept her as another of the Aqua Deus’s subjects. Vienne did not stop wondering whether Igüenza had once been in a similar situation, thereby causing her to call the ritual Vienne was to perform simple. The rock on which she was standing was high above the sea. The great Rock of Salt, one of the kingdom’s sacred places. Behind her stood two Guards of the Temple, who watched over her safety. The Guards of the Temple, along with the elite troops called the Divine Protection, were led by the Congregation of the Church instead of the queen herself, as was the case with the rest of the guards who protected the queendom. With Graglia, however, having also acquired the title of high priestess, the Guards of the Temple were also under her power, but not as firmly as the rest of the guards, since the Guards of the Temple obeyed the Congregation of the Church as a whole, not just the high priestess.
The queen had absolute control of all the guards, except for the Temple Guard and the Divine Protection, as these two only obeyed the Congregation of the Church, of which the queen was a part. However, the queen was unable to use its power at her will, unless the other members of the organization approved it.
Vienne lowered her head, staring at the rock on which she stood. The rock had different inscriptions in the Aquadom’s native language, Flumio. Vienne tried to remember her lessons. Flumio was a language whose use was very limited; she had not used it herself except on occasions such as this. With effort, she managed to read one of the inscriptions: “Welcome in your bosom the one who gives everything for you and with his humility faces the wrath of the ocean.” Finally, realizing there was no going back, she knelt on the rock.
She was about to jump, but first she had to pray, as Igüenza had told her to do. She paused for a second, realizing she had forgotten the praying. It was not her fault; it was in Flumio, she thought. Luckily she remembered what the praying said in the common tongue. “Aqua Deus, I, heir to the throne, chosen by your servant Crystalline, give myself to you. As your most humble servant,” she said, hoping the Aqua Deus wouldn’t care she had not said the praying in Flumio.
Then, as she approached the edge of the rock, a few pebbles fell to the ocean above her feet. As she held Crystalline tightly with both hands, she could feel her blood pounding in her head. Then she threw herself into the ocean, her eyes closed.
In an instant she fell, buried in the water, the force of the fall driving her toward the bottom. She tried to orient herself, but it was tremendously dark. Even with her eyes open, she could not see anything; soon, her eyes began to sting from the salt. She had Crystalline, but if she was unable to use it, how was she supposed to know about her blessing?
She stood there, under the water, not knowing what to do. Nobody had explained what she had to do once she jumped. Nothing happened. Maybe she would not be blessed? It made sense, she thought; she was not like her mother, after all. The Aqua Deus had probably made a mistake choosing her.
Then she suddenly felt as though something had surrounded her. With difficulty, she saw fish of all sizes and colors swimming around her. She tried to touch them, but as her hand approached they swam out of reach. Then she heard something under the water, a kind of singing in the distance. It was beautiful… breathtaking. At first she thought it was a single voice, but it was not like that. Several voices were singing in unison. Suddenly something wrapped itself around her leg. Before she could react, it had grabbed her tightly and began to pull her down into the depths of the ocean. She tried to scream and swim upward, back to the surface, but the water silenced her cries for help. Around her, the fish began to swim in all directions, frightened, ignoring her. Vienne kept sinking deeper and deeper…
She tried to free herself, but whatever was grabbing her was pulling her down with such strength that it was impossible for Vienne to loosen its grasp. It was a tentacle of immense dimensions. She tried to hit it with all her strength, reaching her arm down, making a fist, and pounding her fist against the tentacle. She also held Crystalline tightly with both hands and tried to cut the tentacle, but her blows, muffled by the water, seemed to go completely unnoticed. Even so, after a moment, the tentacle released her, leaving her motionless under the water. It was so dark she could not see anything. She began to tremble with fear. No matter how much she tried, she could not see anything. She could only hear how something immense moved around her in circles. Then, she heard a voice:
“What is this feeling that floods my home? It is not only fear, it is not anger—feelings I could regard with understanding… Is it indifference that I perceive?”
The voice spoke in an irritated tone, with a strange and fluid accent; Vienne had a hard time understanding it. After a pause, it continued:
“You have surrendered even before you started… You think you are weak, and that justifies everything.”
It’s just that I do not think I deserve any power. I’m not as strong as my mother or my predecessors! Vienne thought with sadness. Despite Vienne being underwater, tears formed in her eyes, her tears becoming part of the sea.
“The Lacrima must not be like anybody else,” the voice rumbled. It was a firm voice without any emotion. “She has only to be as unique as she is.”
In the distance, at the bottom of the sea, Vienne thought she saw two small yellow eyes gleaming. They were very deep down. Their gleam reflected off the rocks that spread across the sea floor.
Vienne still had a hard time clearly understanding the creature’s words. She felt she could stay underwater as long as she wanted, though anyone else would have run out of oxygen by now. After a moment of silence, the voice resounded again:
“You have been blessed…”
Vienne felt a chill. Somehow, she had come to consider herself unworthy of receiving even the smallest, weakest blessing.
What blessing has been given to me? she wondered. She wished it were to be able to control the creatures of the sea. She had dreamed that it was to be that blessing, so she could play with the fish.
