I laid on the galloping horse several feet ahead from the others. The sky became my delightful canvas. Watching the clouds flowing by calmed the pain. It was, so peaceful.
My eyes closed, while I shivered, comfort fled my bones.
I needed Exodine.
“We are here.”
Lifting myself up, I flexed my jaw as a terrible pain traveled along my neck. Sandream walked up to me and was back to form in her original body. Her smirk made me forget pain existed. “You look…”
“Like I got thrown off a keep? That is actually what happened,” I said.
Sandream nodded with a slow concentrated waver of her eyes. “Sounds like another day at work.”
I flung my leg over the horse’s back. “I did not know I was working.”
Sandream shrugged, so I asked, “Maju arrived back?”
Sandream shook her head. I was wondering since we got separated. The whole city was a chaotic mess by the time we snuck out of it.
“I hoped Adu was fine, but I cannot contact him right now. I was…” I almost said alone. Once my feet reached the ground, it shook from the charge that channeled into my right leg.
The others caught up and surrounded me. Five was bondaged up, so he would take time to heal. Janilla brightened with an infectious glow.
Valor averted his eyes like I never saw him staring at me. Sandream laid her hand on her hip, yet staring at me like she was ready to sass me to death.
If she did, I would not have minded. Janilla asked, "What will we do now?”
I nodded. “I want to visit my father’s grave. Beyond that I am not sure… Bring Five to Wale, see if he has something for him.”
Sandream and Janilla did that leaving me and his cockiness.
Valor and I traded nervous quiver of the brows. “Guess, I won’t get that piece of land.”
I sighed and shook my head. “I have nothing to give, it seems. I have not achieved much to warrant this loyalty.”
Valor made a facial shrug. “No, you have not, but you will continue to get it though.” He grinned.
My hands clasped when that smile crept up for me with amazing speed. Life razed my hope like a bad dream. What did my life mean? I knew what was supposed to happen, but what was the meaning to this?
Did I truly achieve the life I have now with my own hands or is it from some unseen force?
Why could I not do anything else? Maybe…
“Who is Elliza?" I asked.
He groaned and turned away.
“What, you really think I was not going to ask about it? Please Valor who is she? What beef you two have?”
Valor frowned, but nodded. “Elliza killed my…coven mother, you can say my wife if you correlate the relationship to Shyia marriage. Elliza destroyed the Casnick coven, and… I had to leave. There was nothing there for me. I had a target on my back as well, so…”
Sadness gripped me to see his face like that. I saw the lost. Him and I were not so different.
My chest raised on the deep inhale, pausing in tranquil relaxation. Stress was not going to grapple me.
“Elliza wants you dead as well?”
Valor shook his head, saying, “Killing anyone in Elam is difficult.” I realized that. “They would just make your life a living misery.” That sounded familiar.
Valor looked away. “Besides that I am not that important. The beef was between the inner family of Casnick, she's looking for Casnick's children, not her soldiers. So she had no reason to seek me out. I have worser enemies anyways.”
“Those daughters and sons…are they of your blood.” Valor gave me a stern look when I asked that, but after swallowing the lump my courage pushed me to continue. “I m-m-mean, you said she…was like, your wife s-so I was won-wondering…”
“I do not know. Elamnites do not put stock on whether they are of their blood or not, they care about how useful you are to them, maybe, it's possible.” He groaned and his palm covered his face. “But Carmine even if we go there. I cannot go up against Elliza. I will be more dead than a rock if I attempt something so foolish.”
“It feels so hopeless most times.”
Valor gave me a dazed stare. “It’s always hopeless. We are, but ants trudging along under the careful hands of our Gods. Dutifully, without thought, without joy, until we die, or they deem us annoying.”
“I been called a cockroach.”
A grin rose. Valor replied. “I been called obsolete, a relic of the past. At least in this side of the world I am superior, but any win is always fleeting.”
We giggled.
Yes, a lost was possible at any time, death gripped us eternally.
I had no desire to talk about those things. Levity lifted my constinance once in a while. “You care about me?”
“Ahhhhhhhhhh…” He turned away from me.
I moved my feet and kept eye contact by following his head. Valor said, “Come on Carmine, we do not need to talk about such frivolous things.”
“Answer, the, question.”
“Yes,” he said it like it was a chore.
I pushed into him. “You say that like you hate me.”
He scowled. “No, no, my obsession with you feels like... one of those pets I love to keep close to me. I cannot get enough of your presence for some reason.”
Pet?
I said with mock disgust, “Liar, you are just trying to act like you don't love all of this.”
“Who?” Valor then frowned. “Carmine.” He lifted his index finger. “May I remind you what I really want is to be paid. Gold or salt, my food needs to be seasoned on a regular among other things in my life.”
I replied with a tilt of my head. “You want promises I cannot complete.” My tongue almost slipped in saying he should leave. I knew he would not, but I preferred a less guilty conscience.
In a sick way, we needed each other. Maybe he saw something in me worth protecting.
Casnick maybe?
Valor narrowed his eyes and gestured with his hand towards me. He spoke in a lighter tone. “Well, I suppose it is not so bad. Being around you is more entertaining than the romps I have with ladies who fancy me. B-”
I passed him and patted him on the shoulder of that hand. “Goodbye Valor.”
His laugh buoyed my anger as I walked off from that uncouth mouth of his.
An entertaining cast of friends, aren't they father?
No answer. He never was one to talk to me like he loved me, but I guessed he did one thing right. By making sure I lived, now a lot of people made sure I lived. That counted for something.
I was not sure where the road took me. My fate was not going to define me. I looked at my open palm. No, I was going to change it. If I killed my mother, it would have been, because I wanted to, not because I was fated to.
My fingernails scratched the surface of my skin when my fist crunched closed
I knew not what decisions I would make, but living it would have been worth it. That would become a God damned fact, written in stone, by my own blood.
YOU ARE READING
Carmine (Completed)
FantasyA young clever Princess of Ascus named Carmine is stuck in a daunting predicament by her father's decree. She wants to escape it by any means, for that was all she has ever done, running away from her duty, her crown. She must survive the darkest of...
