Chapter Three
Jaya hated it. Maybe hate was a too strong of a word. She strongly disliked being subservient unless it was Ma, Pa or Harduke. She was the daughter of an Overlord after all and much expected to take after him since…well she rather not think about that person. It brought bad feelings and memories.
“You know, you make a funny face when you’re angry,” mused Arilyn who was relaxed in her Jaya’s arms. The elf felt more cheerful than yesterday.
Jaya ignored Arilyn. She is so lucky Pa stuck that stupid spell on me! she thought and then glanced at the elf in her arms. Her eyes soften. Even if her Pa didn’t cast the spell, she’d still do whatever Arilyn wanted. She turned sharply around a small open court and passed the Snowy Mountain faade.
“Stop walking too fast. I want to take this all in,” said the elf woman who was fascinated by the palace’s decor.
Jaya ignored the elf again. She changed her mind. Maybe she only do most of whatever Arilyn wanted.
“Hey, cut that out!” snapped Jaya as she felt a tugging on her right ear. “Don’t touch my ears! I hate it.” She was beginning to regret resurrecting Arilyn. She hadn’t expected the elf to be so aggravating.
“I can’t help it. It’s so unique,” commented Arilyn and something caught her eye. “Stop here. What is this?” she said and she looked around at the sparkling walls. Above was a circular hole and she wondered what it was for.
Jaya had to stop and she flared her nostrils. “We are in the Star Trigram area. This is where the star mages conduct their studies and lectures. They also observed the night skies and try to find hidden answers to questions.” Though she thought it was a ridiculous endeavor and she had tried to get her Pa to throw them out. Perhaps, she admitted, she wanted them out was because she was a little upset that they called her theories ridiculous.
Impossible they said! Bwhaha! I did it! Jaya internally laughed manically. She couldn’t wait to see the faces of those who doubted her. In her arms was proof that it could be done, albeit only one time and probably only by her.
“Interesting,” nodded Arilyn and then looked down at her stomach. Her stomach moaned. “I really need to eat something. Can you walk faster?”
“I would be if you not keep telling me to stop at every area,” said Jaya with an attitude but quickly dropped it as she saw Arilyn’s eyes flashed like golden daggers. “To the kitchen we go!“
Jaya loped off with Arilyn clinging to her at the sudden movement. With in moments they were out of the corridors and into a giant courtyard. The courtyard was the opposite to the fantastic interiors of the palace; it was plain with open ground with statues and shrubs spotted far in between.
Instantly, Jaya picked up Harduke’s scent and slowed down. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask Harduke a quick question,” she said.
“Harduke is here?” asked Arilyn.
Jaya rolled her eyes and walked to a figure statue in the middle of the courtyard. Behind the statue they found Harduke sitting with eyes closed and cross-legged on the dirt.
Harduke’s silver hair was tied back and her untamed bangs swooshed to the left. She wore her typical grey robes that draped from one shoulder to reveal well-toned shoulders. Beside the demon was a simple iron staff.
“Harduke,” called out Arilyn as Jaya let her down.
Harduke opened her eyes and grinned. “Oh, I see Miss Arilyn is taking good advantage of young pup.”
“Yeah, whatever,” said Jaya agitatedly. “Tell me, how do I break Pa’s spell? I’ve been trying and I can’t seem to be able to.”
“The spell is what it is, pup. Miss Arilyn only needs to decide if she will go back to the underworld or stay here alive and you’ll be free,” said Harduke.
“That’s the problem. What if she never makes a decision?” whined Jaya.
“Then it sucks to be you, pup.” Harduke stood up and beckoned the staff to her hand. She gave Arilyn an up and down look. “Jaya, why haven’t you feed your master yet?”
“Uh-huh,” chimed in Arilyn and reached up to nip at Jaya’s ear again.
Jaya yanked her ears from Arilyn’s fingers. “We were just heading to the kitchens. Go back to your meditation, Harduke.” She grabbed Arilyn’s hands. “Hey, I said stop it!”
“I’m sorry, your ears feels so soft and weird. I can’t help but touch them. Plus I find it amusing when you are angry. Did someone tell you that you make a really funny face when you’re angry?” teased Arilyn.
“No,” snapped Jaya but it was a lie. Her Pa always told her that she inherited her great-great-grand Ma’s stupid expressions, especially when she got angry. “I’m the Overlord’s daughter! All those who oppose me I crush!” She growled and made a ‘crushing’ gesture by flexing her arms. “Who would dare to tell me so?”
“Me,” came Arilyn’s quick response.
Jaya stooped her shoulders and let out a sigh. She could never hurt Arilyn.
Harduke laughed and leaned on her staff. “Oh how the magnificent fallen, kuku!”
“Aw, shuddup!” Jaya picked up Arilyn. “I’ll see you later, Harduke.”
The silver-haired demon watched Jaya and Arilyn disappeared behind a column of trees, paying particular attention to Arilyn. “Hmm, isn’t that interesting, Isiana?” she said to herself and sat back down to continue mediating.
% % %
With all the banging and angry grunts, Arilyn didn’t think Jaya would make such an elaborate meal. They sat at a nook just outside of the kitchens. She looked over the dishes on the table with satisfaction. Some of the dishes she thought were very similar to the cuisines in the northern part of her kingdom.
“Oh, I swiped Ma’s utensils when she lectured me yesterday,” drawled Jaya and took out a tiny box from her belt. “I thought you’d need it. Don’t worry, Ma always lose them so she has another set stashed somewhere.”
“That’s really small for utensils,” said Arilyn and wondered if Jaya had lost her mind. That tiny box could barely hold a coin.
“That’s because I shrunk it for convenience sake.” Jaya placed the tiny box on the table and murmured something, causing the box to swell and expand until it was the right size.
“Oh, that’s a very neat trick.” Arilyn had seen magic done by the priests and priestesses of Isiana but those magic were only for healing or destroying demons. Even the mages of other gods were the same. Jaya here seem to do magic for every little thing.
“Eat,” said Jaya as she took the top of the box off and handed a silver fork and spoon to Arilyn. “I don’t want you to drop dead from starvation.”
“Thank you,” said Arilyn and then added, “slave.”
Jaya’s grin turned into a growl.
Arilyn ignored her and dove into her food. She could feel eyes glaring at her as she went through dish after dish. Either Jaya was a skillful cook or the fact she had been unable to taste since souls can’t physically feel was the reason the food tasted so good. Before she knew it she was stuffed.
Jaya gaped at her. “I knew you hadn’t eaten for awhile…,” The demon looked at the empty dishes. “Wow, I guess resurrected souls get very hungry.”
Arilyn leaned back into her chair and patted her stomach. “That was delicious, slave.”
Jaya sighed, giving up on the idea of having Arilyn stop calling her slave. “Dessert should almost be done.” She flicked her hands and all the empty plates and utensils floated up and back into the kitchen.
Arilyn had watched the dishes fly away and it disturbed her a little. “You demons here use a lot of magic. How are you, I mean, how do your people do that?” she asked. Despite being elven, she was not good with magic but she knew the basic at least and it involved invoking the power of the gods. Yet how can these demons able to do magic since no gods are aligned with them? There was something sinister about that.
“We just do,” shrugged Jaya. “It has always been that way in Arangkor and always will be. Isn’t it the same in Landoa?”
“No,” replied Arilyn quickly. “We channel magic through our gods or more precisely, our magic come from the gods themselves.”
“So what happens if there are no gods?” asked Jaya. It was a very good question for the demon could not wrap around the idea of begging someone in order to do magic.
Arilyn thought about Jaya’s question and was stumped. “I have no idea.”
“Interesting. Mind if I asked you something?”
“Go ahead.”
Jaya scratched her chin. “I’ve been meaning to ask when I resurrected you, before Harduke found us. I wanted to know why were you were so sad before?”
“Sad before?”
“I watched you--er,” Jaya took a breath, “I wasn’t stalking or anything, but I had been observing you for awhile walking in the underworld and it bugged me that you always looked sad. Why were you?”
Arilyn hesitated. “That’s because….” She felt her chest tighten and her throat constricting. Why? Why did it hurt when I think about…what happened to me? Azure eyes flashed in her mind and she was no longer sitting in front of Jaya. She wasn’t in Arangkor nor was she walking along to Yaaru in the underworld. She was in her room, alive and well, in the cold city capital of her neighboring kingdom, Bastile.
There was a loud knocking at her door and she opened it, wondering who would be waking her up from her nap. Gruff hands grabbed her and yanked her out of her room. Bastilian soldiers locked her arms in their grip.
She looked up to see a tall man with hooded sapphire eyes and dark hair. On his chest hung the regal chain of a lion’s head, a mark of Bastilian royalty.
“Xavier, what’s the meaning of this?” she shouted.
Xavier smiled evilly. “For treason.”
“Under what?” she spat.
Xavier slapped her. “Conspiracy to overthrow Bastile and assimilate it into Paramecia with the help of our traitorous captain, Allegra,” he announced, bouncing on his heels at every word as if he savored them in his slimy mouth.
“That’s absurd!” she spat. “Allegra and I are innocent!”
Xavier slapped her a couple of times and then held her chin up, admiring the way he was destroying that beautiful face. “How do I sum it up? Ah, my father is dead and in his chest is your lover’s sword. Do you think we humans are stupid not to figure it out?” He let go of her chin and smirked.
“You’re mad,” she said. “Allegra would never kill his majesty! He was a father to her.”
Xavier’s smirked wiped away and his face grew dark. “Father? That bastard!” He roared and grabbed her by the hair. He marched her down to the dungeons despite her cursing and struggling.
When she hit the cold stones she was trebling and shrank away from the cell walls. She looked up at the looming shadow beside her, ready to tell him every single thing her sister would do and what shit he was in.
“Do you think I care about that?” sneered Xavier and kicked her hard in the stomach.
She cried out in pain and cradled her midsection.
“Now, we could do this the hard way or the easy way,” he said as he knelt beside her. He took to out a blank fine parchment and a self-inked quill. “Write your confession and make it clear that Allegra had planned this all out.”
“You’re out of your mind,” she whispered through her cut lips.
“The hard way it is.”
% % %
Jaya didn’t wait for the first tear to slide down. She pushed the table away and was at Arilyn’s side, cradling the elven woman in her arms. “Ssh, I’m right here,” she said gently.
Arilyn buried her face into Jaya’s chest. “I signed it. I was the guilty one,” she cried out.
Jaya rocked the elf in her arms. “Whatever it is, I know it was not your fault,” she whispered.
“I did, I did,” Arilyn repeated. She sank further into Jaya’s arm. “I wasn’t strong enough for her.”
“Kuku, this will not do.” Harduke stood, leaning on her iron staff, under the open archway entrance. On the urged of her hungry, she had come to the kitchens to see if you could get Jaya to cook something for her too but instead witnessed Arilyn’s breakdown. She pushed aside a loose tendril of silver hair behind an ear and knitted her dark eyebrows together. “This pain you carry is unbefitting for someone like you, Arilyn. Let me take part of the pain. It will make living easier.”
Jaya looked at Harduke with wide eyes. “You can do that?”
“Of course, pup,” scoffed Harduke. She rested her iron staff on a pillar before squatting in front of Jaya and Arilyn.
Arilyn lifted her head from Jaya’s arms, trying to stifle the tears.
“Whaddya say, Miss Arilyn? Would you let me take upon your pain and suffering?” Harduke repeated her offer.
“I,” Arilyn’s throat was raw and thick, “it’s not possible.” She looked away and struggled to keep herself whole as another wave of pain passed over her. “That night I wanted to die. I wanted to die so bad!”
Harduke reached over and gently pulled Arilyn’s chin up. She looked into those golden eyes. “I know how hard to carry such pains alone. If you share them with me, it will be easier to heal,” she said wisely.
“I want to take then on too,” chimed in Jaya.
Harduke arched an eyebrow. “You sure about that, pup? You may not be able to handle it.”
“Even so, I can not stand Arilyn’s sadness. I want to help her,” answered Jaya and looked down guilty. “And it’s my fault that I brought her back….”
“Spoken as a true S’mraoha!” Harduke nodded approvingly.
Arilyn shook her head. “Even if what you offer is possible, I can’t ask--“ Harduke hushed her.
“Say no more.” Harduke nodded to Jaya. “Are you ready, pup?”
“Yes, Harduke,” replied Jaya firmly.
Jaya and Harduke placed their hands on Arilyn’s shoulders.
“Close your eyes, Miss Arilyn,” said Harduke.
Arilyn did so hesitantly. All of her memories of that horrific night rushed into her mind. Those memories of her torture and her betrayal to the woman she loved ran through her like a hot blade. Allegra, her beloved, a half-elven warrior with azure eyes. How can she ever face Allegra again? Will the warrior forgive her for what she had done? She felt shameful and wanted to shrink away and disappear from the world forever.
Be strong, came Harduke’s voice.
Arilyn suddenly felt the presences of two beings in her heart and mind. Harduke and Jaya each took a portion of her pain into themselves and immediately she felt better, even refreshed.
“It is done,” said Harduke softly.
Arilyn opened her eyes and saw Jaya’s tear streaked face. “I have to go back. I have to return to Landoa,” she said breathlessly. She couldn’t let Xavier get away what he did, what he made her do and there was Allegra. Was her beloved still alive? She didn’t see the warrior in the underworld and that gave her hope. Allegra, must still be alive! I must get back to her, she thought, and if I’m not too late, stop Xavier!
Jaya took her hand up and held it firmly. “Then you will go! I swear on my soul, on my family, and my ancestors’ grave I will get you back to Landoa!” swore Jaya. “How dare such deploring creatures…bah! I will find this Xavier and cut his chests up and eat his heart!”
“Not if I get to him first,” said Harduke. She stood up and plopped down in a nearby chair. She sniffed the air and smelled something burning. “Jaya, were you cooking something?”
“Holy shit! The dessert!” cursed Jaya. She jumped and rushed back into the kitchens.
Harduke chuckled lightly and turned to Arilyn. “You should be feeling much better now.”
“Thank you,” said Arilyn. She felt like a rock had been lifted off of her and she felt no pain. She was awed for no such magic existed in her land but, of course, these were demons after all.
“Aww, it was nothing. I must apologize in advance. I need to have a word with Jaya in privacy, however I have an obligation to meet Jaya’s mother soon. I know it’s awkward but can you go meet Jaya’s mother at the Miracle Garden in my place? I was suppose to help her plant some flowers,” said Harduke and stroked her cheek with her left pointy finger.
Arilyn nodded without hesitation. She was in their debt.
“Good.” Harduke traced a symbol in the air and a ball of light formed in front of her. “Follow this light and it shall lead you to the gardens. After we’re done, we’ll come fetch you and discuss about crossing over to Landoa. Have fun,” she winked.
“I thought Isiana putted up an impassable barrier?” asked Arilyn.
“Yeah but, uh, we’ll see. Now off you go before the palace floods with students.”
“Thank you again,” said Arilyn.
The light shot past Arilyn, making twinkling sounds for her to follow. The elf turned and walked in the direction where the light had gone.
After several moments, Jaya appeared, her face blackened from soot and carrying a tray of burnt goo. “I know it looks bad but it still good…hey, where’s Arilyn?” The halfing looked around.
“I sent her away. We need to talk,” said Harduke sharply.
Jaya cringed for she knew was in trouble, again. She set down the tray on the table.
“Do you think I didn’t notice? You can not handle all of Arilyn’s pain,” said Harduke.
“I’m fine,” snapped Jaya. She crossed her arms over her chest defensively. “I can handle it. Look, I’m not even bothered.”
“That’s what you say for now.”
“It’s okay! Just don’t tell her I took all of her pain.”
Harduke squinted her eyes and smiled wickedly. “Ohhhh, I see what’s going on. You like Miss Arilyn!”
“H-hey, don’t jump to conclusions,” shouted Jaya. “I felt bad and that’s why I did it…don’t tell her.” However, she knew Arilyn would never even like her back. She had seen, as much as it boiled her blood, the elf’s last memories and, to her displeasure, discovered that the elf had someone.
“About the like part?” teased Harduke.
“No! About taking all her pain. She’ll feel bad about it. Now, are we done talking?”
Harduke face became serious. “Actually, what I wanted to talk to you about is the barrier. Foolish of you to make such a promise. Your father has tried in the past to break it so that your mother could return however, even he, could not make a dent. What if we can’t do it? Arilyn will have to stay here.”
“Bwhahaha, I thought you could talk to Isiana since you negotiated with her last time--“
“No!” Harduke face was flushed with rage. “I will never speak to that insufferable goddess ever again!”
Before Jaya could ask Harduke why she is so adamant to not speaking to the goddess, the ground trembled and in the distant echoed a sound of explosion.
“That was from the throne!” said Harduke.
“Pa!” Jaya sprinted off followed by Harduke.