Eternal Beasts

Chapter 21: Moving to a War Footing

Nikeera looked over her shoulder at the dozen denai clerics that marched behind her, their armor packed up and their belongings stuffed into a traveler's pack on their backs.

"A full dozen, Wren?" she said before looking over the woman who had not only outed her, but became the first to declare for her.

Handsome rather than pretty now that she had her helm off, Wren was an older woman, her face crisscrossed with more than a few scars. Yet there was a calm serenity that she carried that made the scars vanish and her blaze with beauty. Her dark hair was shaved to the scalp on either side, then clipped short on the top and back, the shaved sides tattooed with holy and mystical runes and symbols. Nikeera wasn't sure if it was that serenity, Wren's faith, or her confidence, but she strode easily beside the tuathan princess as if that's where she was always supposed to be.

At the question, Wren turned gray eyes towards her.

"The Lord Commander of our order wanted to empty the camp, Blessed Mother," she said with a half smile. "Send the entire century that was assigned to War Leader Jeremiah's regiment because he felt you needed a proper escort. We had to convince him to leave most behind with the WindSwords in case they ran into a fight on the way to Findias. Besides, not sure the sharpies, no disrespect intended, Mother, would've appreciated us portaling into the heart of Findias with almost a hundred battle hardened denai paladin with our current level of hostility between our peoples."

Nikeera had to chuckle at that.

"A fair point, I would think. And no offense taken." A swirl of magic went around her hand for a moment. "Although, I'm pretty sure I could convince Aaron to back off quick enough!"

"Are you truly the last tuathan pureblood that can cast magic, Mother?" Wren asked, lifting her eyes from the electric blue light that coiled lazily around Nikeera's hand to look in question at the princess.

Nikeera sighed and nodded, willing the gathered magic back into her body.

"Believe you me, Wren, it came as quite the shock to me as well, when Jared, Samantha and I portaled onto the griffon platform in the city and made the discovery ourselves."

"Samantha, Blessed Mother?"

"My Jared's griffon."

"Ah."

Nikeera shook her head.

"They had five thousand years to keep the number of tuathan magic users up and failed, even with their Starlight Academies, Towers of Sight and Wolfram's Logic."

"The calculation needed to ensure there were sufficient magic users to properly protect a population of a certain size," Wren said with a knowing nod, earning herself a surprised smile from the princess.

"Yes! You're familiar?"

"We are, Blessed Mother. Our magic users use those self same mechanisms to make sure our own population of casters remains strong and vital."

"Well done," Nikeera said with a nod before her smile faded. "I just wish the tuathan purebloods had shown the same amount of wisdom and foresight. Then I wouldn't have been forced to travel to beg for the Denai's aide."

"Ironically, Blessed Mother, I'm glad you were," Wren admitted with that crooked smile of hers. "Else the Ninth Codex wouldn't have been fulfilled and the Denai wouldn't have been called to war. Nor would I get the chance to serve by your side." And the denai cleric bowed her head in silent thanks.

Nikeera couldn't help but smile thankfully in return. It wasn't hard to like this woman with her humble and sincere way of looking at things. And her willingness to fight and die to keep Nikeera and her future child safe. This one denai had shown more faith than a room full of Aaron's foolish nobles and advisors. And more courage than an entire city, which now cowered behind its great wall. And here she was, thinking it was going to be a battle to recruit the Denai and their wizards!

Instead, after discovering she was a creature in one of their prophecies, they willingly bent the knee in service. And not only will their wizards be fighting in defense of the last city of stone, but their entire people were joining the fight. Which also meant, much to her surprise, a bodyguard consisting of battle hardened clerics. What did Wren call them? Paladin? An interesting name. She had a feeling darklings all over the Caer Nerath feared hearing it.

A presence on her right, opposite of where Wren confidently strode, made her look over. And she smiled to see it was Seth.

"Nikeera," he said with a nod in the way of greeting as he strode with easy, ground-eating strides beside her. "We're just about to the camp. Before we get there, I was hoping you'd let me know what your plans are, going forward from this point."

"I was just discussing that with the new captain of my personal guard," Nikeera said with a nod to Wren, which the cleric serenely returned. "And, while it's tempting to jump back to Findias with my mission to bring the Denai into the war accomplished, I think it would serve our purpose better if we traveled with the Lucht Taistil until we receive word Jared has returned from the west coast."

Seth smiled with a great deal of relief.

"Good to hear, your Highness. It'll give Ketha Encampment, my caravan, an opportunity to satisfy the requirements of the codices in escorting you to Findias."

"You ... have a requirement to escort me?" Nikeera said with a frown of confusion.

"Technically it was supposed to be Jared. But with his injury whisking him away, we found ourselves with a codec that had been initialized but then unable to finish without an essential part available. However, as Jared's betrothed, and newly christened Blessed Mother of the Hero of the Denai, you can help us by fulfilling that part of our codices."

"Ah. Well, I'm not going to pretend I understand all of that. However, I know both you and the Denai share that in common with your codices and their named codexes. So if I can help by traveling with you, I will absolutely do so, as long as you don't mind when I abruptly leave upon hearing of Jared's return to Findias."

Seth bowed.

"As is right that you do," he said. "If I recall the Ritual from my study with the druids as a lad, you still need to go through certain steps with your betrothed before it can finish fulfilling."

Nikeera sighed then nodded.

"It's been a challenge to even satisfy the Ritual's most basic requirements. Thankfully my Jared is a force of nature. Not even cholim assassins and war masters sent to Earth after him following his injury, could prevent him from grabbing hold of his destiny with both hands."

"Wait," Wren said, laying a light hand on Nikeera's arm. "Did you say ... the Lord of Griffons faced a cholim war master, Mother?"

Looking at her, Nikeera smiled proudly.

"In single combat. My Jared defeated him with skill, speed, and strength alone, no griffon magic. While fending off the attacks of two necromancers."

"Blessed Maker!" Wren breathed in astonishment, eyes wide even as Seth nodded in confirmation.

"I can attest to Lord Jared's skill," he added. "I watched him single handedly cut two full platoons of gladetori into ribbons before my eyes. While saving my life!"

"Then the sooner we get him back, the better!" the denai cleric declared fiercely.

"Amen," Nikeera said with heartfelt intensity before sighing wearily, her heart thudding heavily in her chest as longing and desire rushed through her in an emotional storm. For more reasons than that! Way more!

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