The Lost Kingdom (The Fifth Element Chronicles)

Chapter 7 [part 1]

Something was starting.

I could feel it inside me. This was the beginning of the rest of my life.

I don't know why I was so convinced that I would never be the same after this quest, but I just knew it.

Maybe my whole life I had been preparing for this journey without knowing it. Maybe all the things I had been through, every humiliation, every suffering, every moment when I no longer wanted to go on, had made me strong enough to face whatever the Tree had in store for me.

And here I was.

The beach was quiet, which surprised me. Not even the waves dared to disturb that peace.

I wasn't sure how Caelus knew the place, but I hoped he knew the way well enough. I had to start trusting him.

Even if it was hard, I had to try.

I followed the tracks in the sand, along with Lightning, who wasn't sure of anything we were doing, but who seemed certain he wanted to follow me, no matter where I led him.

The trees loomed menacingly. For the first time in my life, I was afraid to enter the woods. Because in these woods, I had no idea what I would find.

I grabbed the sign I wore around my neck and took a deep breath.

'Here we go,' I said to my companion and stepped through the branches.

Caelus was waiting for me leaning against a tree. He was folding his arms and looked impatient.

We hadn't been on good terms after our argument on the ship, but honestly I was sick of trying to please him.

I had to concentrate on what was important, and what was important was not that he was happy, obviously.

'Where are we going?' I asked him without expecting him to answer.

'It's a short walk. There's a cave not far from here, that's where the map told us to go. I never went in there, but that's where it marks the X's.'

'Then let's go.'

I moved past him, and started walking.

'Your Majesty.'

'What?'

'It's the other way.'

Without showing how humiliated I felt, I followed the path he pointed out. I felt him smirk at the back of my neck, but I didn't think anything of it. If he wanted to get on my nerves, well, he wouldn't succeed, I wouldn't give him the power to affect me that way.

To say that only our footsteps could be heard is no exaggeration.

There was not a bird, no living thing but us and our horses.

The silence was haunting me, it felt heavy in my ears.

'How do you know this Island' I asked without turning around.

It took him a few seconds, but amazingly he answered me.

'Let's just say it's a perfect place to do business.'

'When you say business, what do you mean?'

'What do you think I mean?'

I knew exactly what he meant.

Smuggling.

It was the only way all those goods I had seen in the Lost Kingdom would have gotten there.
The Kingdoms were very strict about trade. There were ancient laws about how much each Kingdom received from each other Kingdom. So it didn't give those who had been displaced from their homes much of a chance.