Anilyia (35 page)

That next day was all a blur to Princess
Anilyia. She held onto Tathan’s hand the entire time as he led them
through countless tunnels and caves. It was midnight when they
finally stepped out of the last one.

The companions gazed at the stars in
elation. Mountains attempted to touch those stars with their peaks,
but failed, as the twinkling lights were much too high. The trip
from the depths of the world had been a bizarre experience for
Liselle. She learned a great deal in the cavern with the unnatural
taint. The world of Ryallon didn’t mind the existence of the
Rojuun, but it
did
mind what they did in that cavern.

Ryallon. It was the name of the world they
lived on, but it was also something more . . . an entity in and of
itself. Ryallon wasn’t a god, nor was it a person. The world had a
consciousness, a survival instinct so to speak. The enormity of
that consciousness was more than Liselle would be able to handle if
Ryallon were to concentrate on her completely.

The experience in the tainted cavern had
been life altering. Ryallon held her with water and protected her
from the power while using her as a vessel for its will. It was
different from with the plants while killing sstejj. Those plants
were stupid and clumsy. Ryallon was intelligent and gentle. By the
time the casting was done, not only had the cavern been cleansed,
but Liselle had learned more about magic and how to channel its
energy.

Ryallon also taught her how to listen to
rocks and ground. They communicated differently than plants, but it
was possible to read them. Whereas flowers always talked when they
were awake, rocks never said anything, but it was possible to
understand what they knew. In teaching this knowledge to Liselle,
the world was able to guide her out of the tunnels to the world
above.

Vevin, standing next to her, said, “You look
pleased.”

Liselle smiled cheerfully at him. “I’m happy
to see the sky.” The late summer night was clear and warm with a
gentle breeze caressing her face. A river rushed by a short
distance away, filling nostrils with its spray, while trees on the
slopes of the wide canyon walls stood watch. The sounds of
nocturnal animals mixed with the noise of water tumbling over rocks
on its way to whatever ocean it would eventually find.

Liselle knew they would be able to get to
the Willden Forest if they traveled upriver to the west. Another
ancient road built by soldiers of the Kingdom of Morhain had been
here although no one had traveled on it in centuries. Ryallon
called it the ‘Lost Road’, but that was the extent of what the
world had told Liselle about it. She could see the overgrown
remnants of road to the east a little ways where a bend in the
river had eaten away at it, and to the west where it followed the
river.

“Where are we?” Princess Anilyia asked from
next to Tathan. She had been staying as far away from Liselle and
Vevin as possible. At first, the princess had stayed near Sir
Danth, but the knight was a quiet and intimidating force. Tathan
was nice to her so she began staying next to him instead, holding
onto his hand constantly. Throughout the journey to the surface,
she had remained quiet, speaking only when absolutely necessary.
Liselle got the feeling it was out of character for her.

“We’re in the Northern Caaldith Mountains,”
Tathan answered. “From here we go west to the Willden Forest, then
to the Kingdom of Kethril to find a way to travel to Mayncal.

“The Willden Forest is haunted!” the
princess exclaimed. “We know that even in Mayncal.”

“It’s alright,” Tathan reassured her. “The
forest is friendly to us and we’re welcome there. It’s great to be
out of those tunnels though!”

“Oh yes! It’s absolutely wonderful,” Vevin
agreed. “I can’t wait to fly again. It’s been far too long and I
miss soaring through the valleys.”

The princess looked at him with wide eyes
yet again. She seemed to be terrified of Vevin even though he had
promised not to eat her. Then she looked at Liselle, who smiled
gently at her. Anilyia looked away and held onto Tathan
tighter.

The princess was terrified of her.
Apparently having eyes of fire didn’t endear people to Liselle. She
made a mental note to remember that the next time she wanted to be
diplomatic about something. Liselle was trying to smile more often
and get on the princess’s good side. At the same time, there was no
way she was going to be a servant and obey her every command.
Luckily, Tathan and the rest didn’t suggest otherwise.

Tathan seemed entranced with the princess,
who appeared to adore him in return. It was a serious problem
considering she was betrothed and the future wedding was key to
establishing peace between two kingdoms. If Tathan and the princess
were to fall in love . . . She let that thought hang there for a
moment. Something would need to be done about it, but right now,
she wanted to concentrate on breathing in the fresh air.

Suddenly, there were packs on the ground by
Vevin’s feet. “I have everybody’s things here. I can’t hold them
anymore.” Liselle’s bow was there too.

“I was thinking we needed to take back our
things anyway,” Tathan said as he grabbed his pack. Liselle picked
hers up too and placed the bow and quiver over her shoulder.

She walked along the path a few feet and saw
a small patch of flowers between the path and the river. They
opened up and reached to her. She laughed and went to talk to them,
touching each and every one with her fingertips as they told her
how thrilled they were to see her.

She didn’t notice Princess Anilyia’s
reaction when the flowers arched toward Liselle. Nor did she notice
the princess trying to figuratively climb into Tathan’s body to get
further away. It was just so nice to finally see proper flowers
again and Liselle listened to them tell her about the weather and
which insects they liked best and how carnivorous fairies always
chased away the best hummingbirds.

Vevin came up behind her. “Dearest, I’m
going to fly for a little while,” he said cheerfully. “Will you be
alright without me for a bit?”

Liselle stood up. “Can I go with you?” she
asked hopefully.

Vevin stared at her for a moment with a
stunned look on his face. Then he asked, “Can you fly too?”

She frowned in confusion. “I don’t think so,
but I’ve never tried . . . at least not since I was a kid,” she
replied, grinning. “I was thinking I could ride on your shoulders
like in the caves.”

He looked hurt by the suggestion and took a
step back. “You want to ride me?”

“I don’t understand. I’m sorry if I upset
you, dearest . . .,” Liselle stammered, putting a hand on his
shoulder.

He frowned for a moment before answering.
“I’m not a horse. Dragons don’t give rides to people or . . .
anyone or anything.” Vevin took a deep breath. “In the dark caves,
I put you on my back to rescue you. I did it like when I carried
you after you passed out from talking to the world just the other
day,” he explained to her. “But it’s insulting to ask to ride a
dragon, even if he’s in love with you . . . especially if he’s in
love with you,” he finished sadly.

Liselle burst into tears and wrapped her
arms around his neck. “I’m so sorry, darling. I’m so sorry.”

He held her tightly. “No, I’m sorry. I
should have told you. For some reason, I thought you already knew
all of that.” He buried his face into her neck and she did the same
in his. They stayed that way and swayed together for a few
moments.

Everyone else had listened to the
conversation with great interest, saying nothing. They left the
couple alone and began to explore the immediate area. Tathan went
to the bank of the river with Anilyia attached to his hand. Sir
Danth walked up the path a ways to see if there were any immediate
dangers.

They separated after a few minutes of
holding each other. Vevin wiped the tears from her cheeks with his
thumbs. “I’ll go flying another time, darling,” he told her.

“No! Please don’t stay because I’m being
silly,” Liselle exclaimed. “Go flying. It’s who you are and a vital
part of what you do,” she encouraged him with a smile. “I’m alright
here. I just didn’t know.”

Vevin thought about it for a moment. It was
obvious he wanted to go, but at the same time, he didn’t want to
leave her when she was upset. “Go,” she told him, shoving him
away.

He gave her a big kiss, ran five long
strides, and leapt into the air. Then he went dragon, thrusting
into the sky with powerful wings. A piercing roar filled the air,
causing creatures to scurry in every direction. Liselle smiled as
she watched her beautiful lover accelerate into the starry night.
She stared at him until his shape became a speck in the sky.

When she turned around, she saw Anilyia
cowering behind Tathan who was grinning at the reaction. Liselle
smiled at him happily. It was nice to be free of the caves. “Do we
rest here, or continue traveling?” She asked.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m too excited
to be out of those cursed caves to rest right now.” He turned to
Anilyia who was still hiding behind him. “Can you continue awhile?”
The princess stood straighter and nodded, still holding his arm
tightly.

Sir Danth came back. “The road is clear.
It’s a beautiful night with no danger other than our purple friend
in the air,” he said with a grin. Tathan and Liselle chuckled while
Anilyia hid behind Tathan’s back, looking at the sky in fear. Sir
Danth took a deep breath, obviously appreciating the freedom as
much as the rest. “I’m going to scout ahead some more. Follow as
you will.” He turned and set a brisk pace while they followed at a
more leisurely walk.

A little bit of undergrowth covered parts of
the old road, but it was still mostly clear. The last few days had
been a constant escape coupled with climbing up long inclines.
Liselle’s legs were tired and a little wobbly from the workout. She
could only imagine how bad the princess’s legs were doing.

Liselle closed her eyes and drew in small
amounts of mystical energy from the night air, the rushing river,
nearby flowers and the very world itself. She transformed the
energy into strength and endurance for the three of them, smiling
when she heard the gasp from the princess.

“Thank you, Cousin.” Tathan gently touched
her shoulder. They walked alongside each other with the princess
staying on the other side of Tathan.

“What happened down there?” Tathan asked.
“Vevin said you were talking to the world and it was too much for
you or something like that.”

She nodded. “I did. Ryallon worked through
me to do that cleansing, but the world is vast and far beyond my
understanding. It didn’t take long for me to begin losing myself.
Ryallon recognized what was happening and released me.” Liselle
rubbed her temple. There was still a lot of knowledge she hadn’t
come to terms with and she had also forgotten a great deal. The
stuff that felt important was still there.

“Can you still talk to the world?” he
asked.

Liselle shook her head. “No, Ryallon will
never try to touch my mind again. It’s too big and I would likely
die. I still remember some of the things I learned. Things look and
feel different in some ways, but I’m starting to get back to
normal.” She took a deep breath and stretched her arms above her
head. “What happened is beyond my understanding, but I promise I’m
alright.”

“That’s good enough for me,” Tathan replied,
relief washing across his face. “I was worried about you. The magic
you’ve been channeling is more powerful than anything I’ve seen in
my life and it scares me.” He shrugged apologetically. “I know you
can take care of yourself, but it’s just so much!”

“It scares me too, but at the same time it’s
a lot of fun,” she replied with a shrug of her own. “I like using
magic and learning new things. Many times, it’s too powerful and I
don’t like that. What I like is making things feel better.”

“Like healing and giving us energy?” Tathan
asked with a grin. Liselle grinned back and nodded. He held her
hand with the one not owned by the princess. They walked together,
enjoying myriad sounds and unsullied smells of the mountain
night.

Sir Danth stood at the edge of a stream that
had washed out the ancient road. It came through a shallow canyon
that cut into the hills to the left, and then it merged with the
river on their right. He was staring at a point in the distance.
They walked up to him, but he didn’t seem to hear. “Sir Danth?”
Liselle asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

He jumped in surprise causing Liselle and
Tathan to exchange a glance of worry. “Oh! I didn’t see you there.
It truly is a gorgeous night, my friends,” he mentioned with a
smile. “I believe I have seen enough caves for one lifetime. Let’s
stay above ground from now on.” They agreed vigorously, even the
princess. He gestured toward the stream. “It meets the river here
and the water’s deep. I think we should go upstream a ways and find
a place to cross.”

The flowers were telling Liselle that there
was a nice place to rest in the shallow canyon where she would be
safe. “There’s a place to rest up in the canyon. Let’s go find
it.”

“Alright, that sounds good,” Tathan replied.
Sir Danth led the way with Liselle right behind.

“How does she know there’s a place to rest
there?” Princess Anilyia asked Tathan. “Why do you just accept it
without asking for details?”

The question irritated Liselle, though she
let it go. Tathan answered, “The flowers probably told her it
exists. Since traveling with her, I’ve grown used to the fact that
she’s extremely weird.”

Liselle stopped to glare at Tathan. When she
saw the wide grin on his face, she stuck her tongue out. Turning to
the princess, she finished the explanation. “I’ve always been able
to talk to flowers. They let me know things. These flowers,” she
gestured at nearby blossoms that had opened at her approach, “tell
me there is a pond a little ways up the valley. Bees, butterflies
and birds heard about it from the flowers that grow there.”