LAVEN HEPHAESTUS ARVENALDI, II
GORDANTA — WESTERN COURT OF VAIGON
C armen and Lorena are hand in hand as they approach Maivena and me; they still beam as flirtatious as the day they met. Lorena’s nose presses into Carmen’s cheek as guards open the gates and the two of them walk through.
Their dark skin gleams under the magically lit candles strung around the palace, but their smiles glow even brighter as they near closer.
Carmen is attired in his usual green and blue topcoat, it is fitted perfectly to his arms and chest, and lined with a gold paisley print. His black hair is now faded and closely cut; the last I saw him, he had dreads down his back.
Lorena’s dress barely touches the ground as she walks, two thin lace straps hold the dress up on her shoulders. The dress mimics the color in Carmen’s coat.
The style here is different than on the citadel. The women’s dresses are tighter and lower cut at the chest, only thin sheer and silk fabrics. Due to the heat that stays consistent in Gordanta it makes sense that they would wear rather less material.
A servant advances toward Maivena and me, asking to take the basket in my hand to my house not far from here. He is dressed well and glows in health. I know Maivena is observing this as well. I thank him before he gets on the back of a light brown Pegasus, he urges the Pegasus to run before taking flight into the sky.
Carmen and Lorena have always had that upper hand here, they treat their workers differently because they have sufficient control over their land. It is almost impossible for me to do what they do here with Lorsius still around. To Lorsius, it will always be them and us.
There is a grin on Carmen’s face, his arm already held out. Our hands powerfully hit as he shakes my shoulder.
“What in the hell took you so long to come back?” He exasperates. “Is it always going to take someone terrorizing the land to get you here?” His lilac eyes are bright as he continues to pick at me.
I smile. “No, I already planned to come here in the summer when the others and I get a break. After Summer Solstice, specifically.”
Carmen looks between Maivena and me, his mind is already working. “And who is this?”
He holds his hand out, and Maivena takes it. “I am Maivena; it is nice to meet you.” Her eyes drift to Lorena. “You must be Lorena,” Maivena nods. Their smiles are just as big as one another.
“I am. It is so lovely to have you here with Laven.”
“Your gown is remarkable,” Maivena says, finding that key to Lorena’s heart. Well, other than sharp objects and Carmen—clothing is most definitely up there with Lorena’s favorite things in the world.
A grin spreads across Lorena’s face as she tucks her blue-black hair behind her ear. “I could show you around if you would like? They will just be prattling the entire time we tour. Who knows when they will talk about what needs to be handled.” Lorena teases us.
Maivena looks up at me, and I nod. “I will find you.”
Lorena’s hand fills the place of my own before taking Maivena away.
“Look at you, you shining heir.” He pretends to dust off my shoulder that is clothed in a black topcoat. “This is sleek,” he smirks. “Of course, I am not surprised you still wear all black, even while being in the heat of the West. I think the only color your life has ever seen is the tunic given to you by Artemis, and even that is dark.”
“You know I have never been fond of wearing colors.”
He laughs as he hooks his arm over my shoulders. “Come, let us walk.”
We gravitate toward the gates, and Carmen guides me to the dining courtyard. Servants are laughing and talking amongst one another as they clean.
Not one of them are captives from Old Quamfasi; they are all hires from local people searching for occupations.
I have longed to be here for months—to be with the smell of the water. Hear the sound of waves crashing onto the shore. But the dining courtyard I have missed the most. Candles with unmoving flames hang across the stone pillars that stand in a square around the courtyard; flowers and vines have grown along the body of the tan stone. Double hollyhock flower arrangements are in assortments of centerpieces down the long dining table.
Carmen sits on one of the benches near the large tree shedding its white flowers as I lean against one of the pillars.
“Your dick of an uncle left to help the Duchesses of Partalos just yesterday, I do not know how much helping he truly does. I can say I am relieved he is gone.”
“And I can say I am dreading his return home.” Tension is all there is throughout the citadel when he is there, but it all feels at ease when he is gone.
Carmen grabs a flower that has fallen to the ground; it is nearly dead and wilted. He holds it in his palm, and it disintegrates from a stem and petals to tiny black seeds.
Carmen has the power to give land regrowth or to demolish it whole with one touch.
“The Warrior we found,” he drops the seeds into the ground and sways a hand over them. They sink, disappearing into the soil beneath. A green vine is already lifting through the earth. “Whoever he is, he is smart, but he is a pain in my ass.”
“Was he here before the passing of the Dragons? That is why Roaner put a shield over the continent.” This is a vital factor to know—if he and the other Warrior passed before or after Roaner’s shield was projected.
His head drifts from side to side weighing the possibility. “That is plausible, but he leaves no indications of being here. So it is impossible for me to tell when he arrived. I believe in the possibility of them roaming before Roaner put the shield over, and they are stuck until it is down. But, Old Quamfasian people are brilliant. They most likely do have a way out and also a way in.”
“What could they be here for?” Our previous war just years ago was about both sides laying down the line that neither can cross the border unless bearing news or severe matters only.
“That I am not sure of, he has not attacked. He seems to be fucking around on my land and tormenting those who chase him off. But he keeps coming back.”
We both nod to a worker as he wishes us a goodnight, leaving it to just Carmen and me in the dining courtyard.
“I have Warriors out to keep track of his whereabouts,” he adds. “We will get rest before beginning our search tomorrow.”
“Do you think they are looking to have another war?”
Another war within such a short length of years will put a strain on the continent more than the last.
He laughs. “I would not be astounded if that were the reason, but I do not think so. After all of these years, I am assured they have grown out of wanting back their land while some only ponder the debate to return for revenge. Now, I think they are testing us. Trying our strengths now that we have what was once theirs.” He stands.
“As in?”
“As in sacred land.” He responds. “There is power on sacred land, an upper hand. Bodies of the most powerful people lie beneath our feet. They could be inspecting if we have learned how to channel into them and gain our advantage over not just their people, but every realm.”
“Having the ability to summon the power of the dead is rare, Carmen. Mostly because Hades does not bless many with strengths as deep as that.”
He waves his finger. “Do not be so sure; someone must be able to. We are immortal, Laven. Everlasting. Even when we die, our souls live on because there will always be someone who can tap into us, even from the grave.”
“You think smart, Carmen, but that is not why I am here.” Our heads swiftly turn to the voice.
I know his face the moment he looks at us. His leather shoes are propped on the arm of the chair next to him as he eats fruit leftover on the table.
Carmen stands straighter. “High Prince Vorian.”
“Former High Prince Vorian,” he corrects, tossing a blueberry into his mouth. “I forgot how well fruit grows here; these blueberries are fantastic.” His long golden blonde hair hangs over his red fighting leathers, crowding his bronzed face.
“Vorian, why are you here?”
“Well, colonizer Prince Laven,” I narrow my eyes at him, and he smirks. “I cannot tell you.”
“And why is that?” Carmen asks.
“Because,” he shrugs. “It is a secret.”
I raise an eyebrow. “If it is secret, why are you so excruciatingly obvious with your arrival?”
“I was bored. Do you have any strawberries?” Vorian asks while walking along the side of the table, his red eyes are searching for food.
“Vorian, enough of this nonchalant shit.” My arms cross, and he cuts an eye at me.
“Or what?” He finds the chair he was previously sitting in and bites into a strawberry. “You will torture me like your uncle tried and failed to? Will you attempt to cut my cock off so I cannot have children? Or will you steal my sister and use her body as a vessel for bearing newborns of our bloodline?”
Carmen puts a hand on my shoulder as I take a step onward. “Vorian, you know he held no part in that. What happened to your people was horrific. Most of us did not wish for that to happen.” He tries to reason, yet I know it is not worth it.
“What is it that they say? The apple does not fall too far from the tree. Birds of a feather flock together.”
“What do you want, Vorian?”
Carmen’s hand tightens on my shoulder.
Vorian grins. “You have always been such an angsty little fucker. By the way, those rogue things were roaming your woods. I killed them for you.”
Carmen looks at me and then back to Vorian. “Did you kill them just as easily as you are saying?”
Vorian’s eyebrows furrow, and his head juts forward. “Yes.”
Of course, it would be easy for him. If we could not sense him here, the rogues surely could not either. As much as I hate to admit it, Vorian is one of the strongest and most intelligent fighters I have ever challenged.
“I should have trophies for how many of those things I have killed while being here.”
“How much do you know of this disease?” Carmen asks more questions, but I know we will not be getting any answers. Vorian has always played this game; annoy you enough until you blather at the mouth and say exactly what he needs to hear without directly asking.
“I am not telling you,” his face scrunches. “There is no reward here for me from telling you my secrets.”
“Then what the fuck do you want?”
His eyes meet mine again and his face falls solemn, all irreverence leaves.
“What I want is to warn you.” I study him as the words leave his mouth.
I find nothing, not a flash of lightheartedness is in his eyes.
“Something is coming. Something that could wipe us off the face of the earth. This is no disease. Someone has developed an infection, injected it into others, and it spreads from whomever they bite or harm. The creator controls them. I do not know how; I do not know what it is or why. But the only person they are truly conscious of is the creator of this mayhem.”
I choose to keep quiet about my own experience with rogues, that is a private conversation to be had later between only me, Maivena, Carmen, and Lorena. Vorian does not need to know I had access to something that belongs to his land to save my life.
“Why should we trust what you are saying?” Carmen questions.
“Because your feet walk over the graves of my ancestors too. I will not watch their land degrade to ruins. Start training your people harder, a war is coming, and you all are not ready. The privilege you now hold has made your people soft, toughen them up, and expand your Mandems. You will need it.”
Vorian is gone faster than the blink of an eye. Gone before I can question him further on who it is that has started this all. That is if he knows.
I look at Carmen, and he scratches his chin.
“Do you believe him?” Carmen asks.
I stand here a moment and nod. “Yes.”
When it comes to his family and ancestors, Vorian fights harder than anyone I know. Years ago, he may have lost going head-to-head with me, however, it was a hard fight to win.
I refuse to remember the look in Vorian’s eyes as the tip of my dagger was against his throat. I can still hear the uncanny screams of my uncle to kill him, yet, I remember the punishment that led after I did not.
“Oh,” Vorian reappears, sitting in the same chair. “My friend, the red-headed woman. She and I can get through your shield. Tell Roaner if he wishes to truly put up a shield to keep everyone out, have Stravan teach him when he visits.”
“How do you know Stravan is coming?”
Vorian throws a hand out. “He is my closest companion, of course, I know.”
“Why not ally with us since it comes down to you and your people worrying for the land? Do Vallehes and Penelope feel the same as you?”
Vorian gapes at Carmen. “My parents and I would rather spit on our ancestors’ graves than ally with you.” With that he is gone again.
We wait a moment or so, presupposing he will come back again.
“What a joy it is to have him around,” Carmen speaks, with sarcasm dripping throughout his words.
“I am sure he feels the same about us.” I begin to walk through the courtyard and pick a white hollyhock from a vine.
“In the morning, we will need to assemble everyone, and we will enact new training.” I advise. “Roaner, Amias, and Morano will arrive in the afternoon. We will give everyone more strenuous training, push them, make them train harder than they ever have. That is one thing Vorian is right about, and also something Morano has brought to my attention. Our people are weak solely because of privilege being on this land. Prepare General Vanytha; she may not be ready for all we will push onto them tomorrow morning. She most likely has not trained like this since the days of High Queen Penelope ruling Old Quamfasi.”
