Chapter Thirty Three
Nevatis
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The Thilene, Loros.
Naal.
The sun had barely crept over the horizon, no telling soft light had spilt through the little porthole of Naal’s cabin, and there was already a none too gentle knock at her door.
Naturally, Naal was already awake. There was a reason she always rose before the sun did. To bask in the glorious peace of the early morning, in that time when the rest of the world still slept.
Someone was adamant on disturbing that peace, however, as whoever it was rapped their impatient knuckles on the door again.
Naal sighed and stretched her wings, resigning herself to the day ahead.
To her surprise, Kyra stood on the other side of her door, already dressed in floating black trousers and a light beige shirt, complete with three blades in sheaths at her hips and thighs.
One was her own crooked dagger she’d brought with her from Avaldale, though the other two were new.
She must have acquired the attire and the blades from Kawai at some point.
Her eyes were puffy and tired, and she looked very much like she hadn’t slept at all.
‘Can I come in?’ Kyra mumbled.
‘Of course,’ Naal replied, moving aside for her to pass and closing the door behind her. ‘I don’t think I have ever seen you up this early. Not by choice, at least.’ It was as though Kyra had not heard her. She merely glared out of the porthole, unblinking. ‘Is everything alright?’
Kyra turned around, expression unnervingly blank. ‘Kano’s in Nevatis.’
Carefully, Naal said, ‘I see. Does this revelation have anything to do with your door slamming late last night?’
They had not exactly been quiet about it. Naal’s cabin was opposite Kyra’s after all, and she had been forced to create an air bubble to block out the sound of their… escapades. Her knowledge of the door slamming was purely due to the fact it had rattled her own cabin.
Clearly the night had not ended well.
Kyra glared at her, and Naal realised the puffiness of her eyes had nothing to do with lack of sleep. ‘I don’t want to talk about it.’
Naal was unsure how to proceed. Kyra’s emotions were volatile at the best of times. She did not want to upset her further. ‘He will understand, Kyra,’ she said eventually. ‘In time, Kawai will understand why.’
‘I said, I don’t want to talk about it.’
‘Then I shall say no more.’
Kyra plonked herself down on the bunk and stared at her booted feet. ‘So, what now? We go to Nevatis, recruit Kano, then all travel back to Phaenon like one big, happy Warden family?’
Her tone of voice was unbearably sardonic. More so than usual. ‘Simply put, but yes,’ Naal sighed. ‘Though I think it wise to assume it will not be as easy as that.’
‘Of course not.’
Naal eyed Kyra for a moment, now inspecting her nail beds, and for some reason it felt as good a time as any to tell her. To take her mind off the betrayed raider. ‘Kyra, there is something you should know. The Fire Warden is in Phaenon.’
Green eyes snapped up. ‘What?’
‘The message the hawk carried was from Maida. There is still much I do not know, but apparently the Prince of Fire has had a change of heart and seeks an audience with me. I believe he wants to form an alliance.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me sooner?’ Kyra demanded. She appeared to be quite alarmed by the news. ‘Where is he? Did he hurt anyone else?’
‘No,’ Naal assured her. ‘My Eternals have him locked in the ice cells on the edge of the mountain. He will stay there until we return.’
‘And do you… do you believe him?’ Kyra asked slowly. Her throat bobbed. ‘That he’s changed?’
‘Nysari certainly does not think so, but it remains to be seen. When we arrive back in Phaenon, there will be a trial. We will hear what he has to say and decide amongst ourselves what ought to become of him.’
A troubled glaze rippled over the Earth Warden’s features. She fell silent, lost in thought. Naal did not want to interrupt her moment of reflection, but the need to reassure her young charge was too overwhelming. ‘It is perfectly normal to be afraid, Kyra.’
Kyra looked up, her reverie broken. ‘I’m not scared,’ she said quietly, and Naal believed her. ‘I’m just… surprised is all. I didn’t expect this. Not from him.’
‘I do not think even Eraura herself could have expected this,’ Naal said grimly. ‘Or perhaps she did. Even we cannot understand the ways and wants of the Mothers.’
Kyra nodded, and seemed, if possible, even more tired than she’d been before. As though this news was weighing heavily on her.
‘When the time of the Fire Warden’s trial comes, you will have a vote in the outcome, Kyra. Your opinion matters very much to me.’
Something seemed to soften and harden simultaneously on Kyra’s face.
There was pain behind those eyes of green, pain that Naal could not quite understand.
‘Thank you,’ Kyra murmured, then swiftly changed the subject.
‘So, Nevatis. How will that work? The last time I checked, neither you or I had a tail.’
‘Hopefully we will not have to get wet at all,’ Naal said.
‘My relationship with the mer-king is not quite as terse as it is with Therion. In fact, Cyraneous despises Therion as much as I do. If Kano is indeed in Nevatis, I have no doubt that the merking himself has kept him close at hand. Cyraneous has a deep distrust of outsiders but his faith to Corla remains unfaltering. He will have realised who Kano is instantly and vowed to protect him. If we appeal to the merking, we appeal to Kano.’
‘Great,’ Kyra said, though she sounded less than enthused. ‘Let’s go, then. I want off of this damned ship.’ She stood and skulked to the door.
‘Kyra.’
‘What?’
Naal waited until her eyes found her own. Waited until she knew she had her full attention. ‘I know this has been hard on you. I know your Warden magic is getting the best of you.’
She laughed humourlessly. ‘I think you mean my lack of Warden magic, Naal. Say it how it is.’
‘You do not lack the magic, Kyra, only the discipline it takes to wield it.’
‘That makes me feel so much better, thank you.’
‘I did not mean to-’
‘It doesn’t matter,’ Kyra mumbled, waving a dismissive hand. ‘Are we done?’
Frustration swept through Naal, for she wanted nothing more than to support her, to guide her into this life as a Warden. But at every turn, Kyra was battling that helping hand. Naal bit down on all of that and said, ‘I suppose we are.’
‘Good. Let me know when we’re leaving. I’ll be ready.’ The door slammed shut behind her and Naal was left staring at the back of it.
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‘Are you joking?’
‘I rarely joke, Captain,’ Naal said drily.
Damar’s expression fell into one of disbelief. ‘You want to sail to Nevatis… in a rowboat?’
‘Yes,’ she replied shortly, plucking a large gold coin from the pouch at her hip, then flicking it to him.
He caught it and surveyed it. ‘For your troubles thus far, Damar, and for departing with one of your boats. Kyra and I will leave at sundown. Please have the boat ready for us. Oh, and a few supplies to aid our journey would not be amiss either.’
Hours later, as the sky became a wash of every shade of the departing sun, Naal waited on deck for Kyra to meet her. Sword sheathed at her side, adorned once more in her full armour, wings flared behind her, Naal felt more herself than she had done in weeks.
Kyra emerged from her cabin just as the sun melted into the horizon. Her hair was pulled back in her usual ponytail, those shorter, fluffier curls framing her face. A cloak was now slung over her shoulders.
‘Are you ready?’ Naal asked her gently. Kawai was deliberately sitting on the other side of the ship, the shadow of the mast darkening his features.
Kyra pulled her hood over her head and nodded. Whether she’d said goodbye to Kawai or not, Naal could not be sure, though her gut told her it was unlikely.
‘Kyra, wait!’
They both turned to see young Jak running over, something gripped in his right hand.
‘In the last raid, I found this. Boony said it was stupid to keep it, but I thought you would like it.’ He dropped the item into Kyra’s palm.
It was a solid gold pin, soldered to the pointed shape of an awacca leaf.
The tree native to her fae kin in the Valfell woodlands.
‘Jak…’ Kyra said thickly. ‘I can’t take this. It must be worth a fortune.’
He shrugged. ‘We find stuff like that all the time. It should belong to someone like you. An earthling, that is… not some Lorish fae noble who probably stole it in the first place. I thought… I thought it might remind you of home.’
Kyra stared at it for a moment, apparently lost in thought, then quite suddenly she threw her arms around Jak in a tight embrace.
He blinked with surprise, his cheeks blushing profusely as his arms came up around her to awkwardly pat her on the back.
Naal threw a glance at Kawai but he was obstinately ignoring them.
Untangling herself from Jak with teary eyes, Kyra kissed the young raider on the cheek and said, ‘Thank you, Jak. I hope I see you again.’
Naal didn’t think it possible, but his cheeks reddened even more as he smiled sheepishly back, giving both of them a clumsy and completely incorrect salute before bounding away.
Kyra fixed the pin above her heart, a little smile now playing on her lips.
They climbed into the rowboat and once settled, Naal gave the signal for the raiders to lower them to the water. The waves below were relatively mild tonight, and if Corla was good to them, they would stay that way.
The boat hit the water and Naal looked up at Captain Damar, nodding her head in appreciation. Damar saluted back. Then, forgetting Naal and Kyra would be able to hear him, turned to Boony and said, ‘Three silvers says they’re dead within the hour.’
Kyra’s head snapped up with a frown.
‘Leave it,’ Naal said.
Pulling a wooden oar onto her lap, Kyra muttered, ‘Asshole,’ and Naal could not help but agree.
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Kyra.