Chapter 7 #3
“They were possibly travelers or explorers from old Earth. If it was thousands of years ago, it would have been during the early days of space exploration. They may have gotten lost or been a group headed out this way to make a new home somewhere.” She spun, excitement a fizz in her blood.
“My brother, Justyn, and his wife, Nissa, recently discovered an old starship wreck from Earth not too far from here…relatively speaking. So some Terrans made it this far.”
“So, you think the First Warriors were from this planet? Earth.”
“Yes. Earth seeded much of the life throughout the galaxy. War eventually destroyed the planet, although one of my cousins recently got the chance to go back to Earth. It’s pretty wild and still highly radioactive…
uh, poisoned from the powerful weapons used, but there are apparently some survivors. ”
“Incredible,” Chaldora breathed.
“Don’t tell Kavon yet. I need to do more research and beef up my theory a bit yet before I tell him.”
The elderly scholar frowned. “Beef up?”
“Never mind.” Aurina waved a hand. “Just don’t say anything yet.”
“I will not. If this proves true…it will be difficult for some Markarians to accept, to change the beliefs they have grown up with.”
“Let me do more work, first. Thank you, Chaldora, for your help. You’re a good sounding board.” Aurina tapped a finger against her chin. “So, if the First Warriors crashed here, and they had Durendal with them, then maybe the sword is still at the crash site. We need to find where they crashed.”
Chaldora made a humming noise.
“Any legends about places that are special to the First Warriors, or where they first appeared, or where they visited a lot?”
“Just that they came from the Wilds.”
Okay, that was as good a place to start as any. “Thanks.” As Chaldora turned to leave, Aurina thought of one more niggling thing. “Hey, Chaldora?”
The woman glanced back with a raised brow.
“Why, when the barbarian shoves food at me, does everyone look like he’s hit them over the head with the hilt of his sword?”
Chaldora smiled. “A warrior does not waste time feeding a woman he simply dallies with. When he takes the time to feed her, offer her sustenance with his own hand, he is…staking a claim.”
Aurina sniffed. “I should have known.”
“Not of ownership,” Chaldora said. “Of his intent to provide for you.” With a last mysterious smile, the scholar left.
After the woman had left, Aurina stared across the room for a long while before she shook off confusing thoughts of Kavon and went back to the books. She pored over story after story, but wasn’t having much luck finding any special reference to a specific location in the Wilds.
Suddenly the door slammed open. Startled, she spun and saw Kavon standing there.
Heat flushed over her. Dammit. She was hoping the hours apart would have dulled the impact of him.
But no. He looked just as tempting as earlier.
“Chaldora told me you’ve had a breakthrough, but she wouldn’t tell me anything about it.”
Aurina nodded. “I asked her not to, not until I’d done some more research.”
He strode closer, his long legs eating up the distance. “And?’
She pulled in a deep breath. “I believe the First Warriors crash-landed here, like me.”
Kavon jerked to a halt. “Impossible. They were of Markaria. From the north.”
She frowned. “Kavon, just because you say something doesn’t make it true. All my research shows you’ve never found any ruins or sign of anyone living in the north.”
His frown deepened.
She turned on the chair. “It doesn’t change the things they did, how they helped your ancestors.”
He grunted.
“I need to find where their ship went down.”
He strode closer. “There is no ship. They were not skyflyers.”
She leaped up. “Barbarian, I know you aren’t stupid. Why won’t you consider it?”
He was silent for a moment, staring past her at the wall.
“Kavon—”
“The First Warriors…they were benevolent, honorable. They were the protectors of Markaria.”
All the fight went out of Aurina. “You think if they crashed here and were stuck, that they just helped the native species because they had no choice?”
He kept staring at the wall.
She moved closer. “That may not be the case, Kavon. The truth is, even if we do find a ship, we will probably never know their motivations.” She lifted a hand, hesitated, then touched his hard chest. “It doesn’t have to change your beliefs.
They helped, they taught, they loved. They couldn’t have done all of that out of desperation. They may not have wanted to leave.”
“Unlike you.”
He was staring at her now, his amber eyes ablaze.
Her heart kicked in her chest. “Kavon?—”
“There is a distant mountain in the Wilds. Off limits to all Markarians. No vegetation grows there, and the beasts that call it home…are different. Bigger, twisted.”
Her chest hitched. “Go on.”
“It is riddled with the tunnels of an ancient mine, said to be filled with these beasts. It was cursed by the First Warriors, and no one is allowed to step foot on it.”
Adrenaline surged in her veins. “Why didn’t Chaldora mention it? I’ve seen nothing in the records.”
“Mount Furioso is known only to the warlords.”
“This could be it, Kavon. We need to get there. Durendal could be on that mountain.”
He was silent for a moment. “It is a dangerous place?—”
“We made a deal. I help you find the sword, and you give me the e-beacon.”
He cursed under his breath, then gave a short nod. “We’ll leave at first light.”