The Truth-Teller Of Estrella

Chapter 20. Bargaining Truths With a Buck

By the time the jagged shoreline of Voltani Island came into sight, Aleta was already back on her feet. It was green and lush, a stark difference to the grim grays that painted the port of Abaddon. The sun was high and vivid, casting colossal shadows against the rolling hills and brush strokes of wildflowers. In secret, Karisa's eyes stayed focused on Aleta and the way she swayed slightly with each stride. But no amount of food or training could help her, they were out of time.

"There's something we need to tell you." Karisa started as the crew prepared their horses. "It's about the book."

"Yes?" Aleta asked, her eyes still focused on the island before them.

"Bring it with you. We think there's information located in the library that can help encode its words..." She paused. "And since magic flows with you, we thought you might be able to break the spell that appears to keep it binded."

"You think it's binded?" Asked Aleta.

"There's an old story, one that has been passed along generations of rebels... about a book that belonged to the Crimson Sorceress. The book is said to be lost, and it is speculated that it was meant to be delivered to the library's shelves. Only, we don't think it was."

"And you think this book..." Aleta reached into her bag. She brought the leather-bound book into the sunlight, "You think this belonged to the Crimson Sorceress? That the book from those tales has been stuffed away with me all along?"

"It's a hunch... not mine... but from Samir. He said the others wanted to destroy it, that they seemed to think the book was cursed."

But the book was blank.

"And will you help me find any information about the deaths in Estrella... Any certifications or mention of my mother's death?'' Ask Aleta.

"Of course."

Orius' voice interrupted them as they docked, "Are you two ready?"

***

Stories of bucks were used by city folk to scare their children out of mischief and keep them from exploring beyond Estrella's walls. They were said to be demonic creatures, with bright putrid-yellow eyes. They were illustrated as short and goblin-like with pointed ears and teeth shaped like daggers. The descriptions were horrifying and children in Saypool always checked for the creatures under their beds before shutting their eyes at night.

But here, at the entrance to the Voltani library, Aleta could see that the real image of the buck was far more frightening. They indeed had the bright eyes and jagged nails and teeth described in the stories, but they weren't small, they weren't short... they were towering. Aleta stiffened at the sight of them, about two dozen perched ahead. They were nearly as tall as the trees.

"They sense fear." Samir warned as they dismounted their horses.

As she slid off Dani, Aleta said a silent prayer.

"You see that one, with the collar?" He whispered as they shortened the distance between them and the creatures. "The collar is a signal that he reports to someone. He isn't free."

"What does that mean?" Questioned Aleta.

"It means he does the bidding of someone else. It means we shouldn't trust him." He muttered into her ear. "That collar allows him to travel to his master, at any given moment."

The bucks were staring at them, their eyes bulged and intense.

"Samirrrrrr," Said one, his voice like gravel and death. "Is that Samir of Samas I smell in the air?" The creature smiled, his tongue gliding over his fangs.

"It is." Samir announced, stopping just feet away from it.

"Stay behind me." Karisa whispered.

"And what do we have here?" The buck questioned, "What do you wan-"

"Entrance into the library," Samir cut off. "I am seeking the Nibelungen ring. It is a short visit we request."

The buck's eyes widened. "Ah, the Nibelungen ring... an item that was forged from Rinegold... far more powerful than the carbon-steel your friend is wearing...." He replied, a crooked finger pointing in Karisa's direction.

"Tell me... where did you find such a jewel, lady?"

"Priestess." Orius interjected.

The buck smiled, his face sinister as he corrected himself, "Apologies, priestess."

"It's a family heirloom." Karisa answered, her words hard and short.

The buck stopped, as if pondering a thought in the back of its head.

"Long ago, before our land was even a colony of the western continent, Nibelungen's ring was forged with stolen Rinegold by a man — a greedy, human, non-magical man. He learned that the properties of the gold would grant him power — and so he stole it, forged it, and pronounced himself lord over all of the Nibelungen Empire... now known to you as the western continent." The creature averted his attention back to Samir. "Shall you use it for power, Samir of Samas?"

"We want entrance into the library, name your price." He replied coldly.

The buck's eyes focused on Karisa, her earrings sparking in the sun. But then, as if taken by a scent in the breeze, he shot up.

"A truther?" He croaked, his eyes growing wide. "Truther, come, come. Let me see you!"

Aleta straightened her back and drew a deep breath as Karisa cursed under hers.

"Truths... give me the deepest darkest truth between you all, and you shall be granted entry to our shelves."

Samir moved forward.

"It is mine, the truth you seek. I can give you words that have never left my lips, unsaid to others, even those who accompany me here."

The buck motioned for him to continue.

"My aunt is Drika, Empress of Estrella, cousin to my mother, Delphinia."

The creature grinned, "This is not news to me, boy-"

But Samir continued, "Drika has sent me to retrieve the ring for her, in her favor. But my motives are my own, and I have deceived her. I am here to destroy the ring, not deliver it to my aunt. I, to be truthful, have been planning for this moment for years, sprinkling bread crumbs for her trust, for her to believe I am like her... that hatred grows and burns within my heart for magic and magical folk. She believes I am to join her, to help her topple my mother's throne in Samas, out of anger that I cannot ever sit on it under today's rulings — as I am a man. In truth, I have no desire for the throne... and I wish to topple Estrella, not Samas... to free it for magical folk."

"And why, Samir of Samas, why do you seem to care for the magical folk so?"

Samir paused before uttering his final blow of truth, "Because I believe all people should be free."

The buck shook his head as if anticipating Samir's next words.

"Because I believe I may be one."