The Portal

I 1.9 The attack

Shailaja, 1133

Christine could already see the coast of Shailaja. The coast was beautiful, but even inside the ship it was cold. The weather was quite different from the Island's mild heat. The shore was dry, full of stones, and the sea was dark blue. A pine forest followed the black sand. The ship arrived at a peninsula. Shailaja stood at the foot of a quarry, but the ancient fortress was even taller than the rock itself, rising around it, with its long towers of dark stone, with peaks as sharp as snow-capped mountains.

The ship could not dock so close to the shore. Slowly, passengers began to leave in smaller boats carrying up to eight people. Sailors took their bags and descended, leading the way. The three got in a line with the rest of the nobles. On a boat almost ashore, Chris spotted the group from before.

- Ladies, you three are together, right? You can come in that one, let me get your suitcase, miss - asked the ship's aide.

Other girls were already on the boat. They fell silent as soon as Bia, Chris and Serena entered. Bia even said "good night", but no one answered. Two men began to row. There was an uncomfortable silence as the sailors moved the boat forward through the dark water. The others were already wearing beautiful winter clothes. One of them wore a coat so furry it took the place of two people. After a while, she spoke.

- Are you new around here? I'm Adaeze Afia. These are Méline and Zaila.

- Yes, it's a pleasure. I'm Christine. These are Serena and Bryanna - she replied, pointing.

- Welcome - said the one named Zaila. - I hear we'll have a lot of new companies this year...

But Adaeze had already lost interest and had returned to the previous conversation, which had been interrupted.

- Anyway, I just think it's weird that he didn't look for me. After all, he knew damn well I was on the ship. Isn't it like that every year?

- He must have arrived tired...

- Oh, don't try to spare me, Méline. It's all a disaster.

- Just explain to him that you had nothing to do with that note...

Chris had no idea what they were talking about, and she didn't care. The weather was cloudy, and she could smell the salty air and wet grass. She thought that the atmosphere there was more like Adij Rariff, her home. She hadn't visited for so many years... She closed her eyes and breathed in the night air, trying to remember her mother, her brother and the few happy moments she had lived in that land, but soon the shadow of her father covered her memories like the flight of a raven with huge wings that darkened everything.

***

The carriage moved slowly forward. Hannah was already vexed. That steady rhythm, the holes in the earth, the clatter of hooves against gravel... She never traveled in a carriage, she hated the feeling of being locked in a box while she could have been on top of a horse. Enzo Yezekael had not tried to start a conversation anymore. He had said what was necessary. They had been on the road for quite some time, when Hannah heard the clatter of other hooves slamming violently against the ground. She checked her dagger under her dress, alert. A stone came in, shattering the carriage window.

- What's happening? - shouted Enzo.

The men driving the carriage hurried their horses. Hannah pulled the blade she carried between her robes at her waist. With her fist, she finished breaking the glass and looked out: three men were chasing them, mounted on great black horses. They wore silver masks that covered the entire face, leaving only space for the eyes. They were all dressed in black: pants, blouses, shoes, gloves. Hannah thought as fast as she could. Mask: they didn't want to be recognized. Gloves: the skin color could be an indication of their origin...