The Atheil Chronicles: A Call to Fire

Epilogue

    Ariana reached down to pat the Velukes neck gently, the pale of her fingers almost seeming to meld in with the silver stripes running across its fur there. She looked away, not wanting to be reminded of her new self, and looked ahead to the trees. She could see the towering trunks rising up before her, their branches stretching up to the sky as if they meant to touch the clouds.
    Tyrynion shifted behind her, letting out a barely audible exhale as they continued their slow pace toward the forest's edge. He had been the one to suggest that they take the Veluke out to the neighboring forest, letting it free there instead of forcing it to live in the palace stables. He figured that the Veluke would be happier in its own domain, free to move about and run as often as it pleased. Ariana was sad to see it go but she knew that he was right; for all it had done for her, she didn't think that it deserved to be tamed. It deserved the open space of the forest to roam as a free creature, just as it had been before it met her.
    Ariana watched as the trees came closer, her boredom nearly breaking her resolve. The flat grassy ground was becoming a little bit more wild and choppy, with hundreds of weeds seeming to sprout from the earth the further they got from the city's border. They were both quiet as the Velukes padded paws barely made a noise as it crossed over the soft grass below. It stayed like that for a few minutes until Ariana heard Tyrynion sigh behind her.
    She frowned, cocking her head to the side so that she was halfway turned toward him. "What is it?" She asked him.
    He laughed lightly. "Nothing," he said, clearly amused, "it's just that I can practically feel the daggers in my back from Ryonen glaring at me."
    Now it was her turn to sigh. Turning fully around on the Veluke so that she could look past Tyrynion to the palace gates, she gazed at Ryonen, who was currently standing arms crossed next to a handful of palace guards. He looked moody and sullen, his mouth turned down in a frown as he watched her moving further away. She turned away from him, facing forward again and watching as the Velukes large head bobbed in front of her.
     "I know that he's mad," she said, taking a breath and letting it out softly, "but what can I do about it? I didn't want him to come; I wanted you to come with me."
    "I appreciate that. I was glad to come." Tyrynion said, sounding pleased.
    She waved him off. "You deserve it, Tyrynion. If it weren't for you, they wouldn't have let me out at all." She frowned, still displeased about that.
    "Welcome to life in the Eastern Kingdom." Tyrynion said, all happiness draining from his voice. "That's probably how life is going to be from now on."
    Ariana felt herself growing annoyed, thinking back on the day before when she had finally met the Queen. They had been in Dalthoru for a day already at that point and Ariana was beginning to think that they'd never let her meet Ryonen's mom. Guards kept watch over her almost constantly, standing guard outside of her door at all times, not letting her leave to go anywhere except visit Rael. Even Tyrynion had only been allowed to see her once, only staying for 20 minutes to suggest that she take the Veluke to the forest sometime over the next few days.
    The morning before, however, Ryonen had come to her room and told her to get dressed, that she was finally going to get to meet the Queen. Ariana had picked out something fancy from the armoire in her room, brushing her hair so that she looked presentable but refusing to use a mirror since she still didn't like seeing her new self. When she had finally arrived at the Throne room, she'd been surprised to see Tyrynion there, too. She supposed he was part of the rescue team so he must have been summoned in relation to that.
    The Throne room was much smaller than she imagined it would be, barely 30 feet wide and 40 feet deep. Two large thrones sat at the very end of the space, their backs facing away from the bay windows behind them. A smaller throne sat to the right of the middle throne, Ryonen sitting in it and looking incredibly nervous. In the large throne all the way to the left, a man with long raven black hair and tawny yellow eyes sat looking somewhat bored, staring off toward the wall as if no one had arrived at all. In the middle throne sat a woman, her waist length ebony hair loose and ruler-straight, her jade green eyes trained on Ariana like a hawk, cold and calculating.
    This was clearly Ryonen's mother; tall and slender, she had the exact same build as her son and was practically his twin. She was beautiful and, yet, she was utterly terrifying. While she had listened to Ariana recall the tale of how she had arrived in Atheil, she hadn't made a single comment or changed her facial expression even a little bit; she had simply stared at her with her cold green eyes narrowed in concentration. When she finally did speak, all she did was say "Interesting" before getting up and leaving. Ryonen had looked after her, panic in his eyes, and that was the moment that Ariana had realized why he was so desperate to escape his life. Honestly, she would be too if her mom was like that.
    The whole interaction had made Ariana feel as if she were less a High Princess of Atheil and more like a pawn in the Queen's chess game. She came away feeling like she was just a strategic piece for the queen to have under her wing; something that would turn the tide for her in the upcoming war. Later that night she had sent a letter with a messenger to be delivered to her room. Ariana had unrolled the parchment and read her words, her eyes narrowing with every line.
            Ariana,
            On behalf of the Eastern Kingdom and my son, I wish to welcome you to our fine city. I hope that we will be able to be the best of friends and that we can     build a relationship together that will benefit the whole of Atheil in the long run. As long as you are in Dalthoru you are considered to be my honored guest and you should let me know if you are in need of anything at all during your stay. For your own safety, please do not stray from your room unless it has been previously authorized and stay close to your assigned guards. All hail the Lost Princess of Atheil.
            Regards,       
            Queen Ghaltha of the Eastern Kingdom
    The letter had given Ariana a bad feeling, like everything she had perceived earlier that day in the Throne room had been correct. This letter was written to sound warm and welcoming but Ariana could read between the lines; 'You're going to do what I say and you aren't going to complain. Be my puppet and smile and your life will be easier.' Ariana wasn't sure anymore where she was in more danger; outside in the wilds of Atheil or in these palace walls.
     Shaking her head, Ariana brought her thoughts back to the present. "Do you think this is how it's going to be here?" She asked Tyrynion, knowing he would understand what she meant.
    Tyrynion didn't answer her and the Veluke began to throw its head back and make a huffing noise, pawing at the ground impatiently as they finally came to the forests edge. As they crossed through the first row of trees, Ariana leaned forward and patted its neck, her fingers moving to wrap themselves into the long fur there. "Go." She whispered to it.
    Fast as a bullet, the Veluke sprang forward, leaping into the air as it put on a burst of speed. It wove in and out of the trees before them, chirping happily as it ran full speed ahead. The trees were a blur as they passed them by and Ariana's eyes, though they tried, were unable to focus long enough to truly make anything out as the Veluke picked up even more speed. She felt Tyrynions fingers gripping the fur just behind her and she laughed wildly, enjoying the feeling of the cool wind in her hair and the freedom that running so fast always brought her.
    Finally, after a minute or two of running, the Veluke slowed to trot, throwing its head back joyfully and looking at her with one great blue eye before turning back ahead. Her hair settled back on her shoulders and she reached up a pale hand to touch it. In the dimness of the forest, she could see a faint glow emanating from within the silvery moonlit strands, the effect being similar to those fiber optic lights that they had back home on Earth. She seemed to, very literally, be glowing as if imbued with the light of the moon.
    Disturbed by it, she let the strands go and pushed them behind her shoulders. The Veluke let out a tiny series of happy chirps, flicking its tail playfully and snorting into the surrounding trees as it walked on. Ariana reached down, stroking its soft neck thoughtfully
    Tyrynion, who hadn't spoken since before they reached the forest, sighed. "I'm not sure if it will be safe for you here, Ariana."
    She agreed silently but decided to ask why, anyway. "Why not?" She said, her hand tracing one of the silver spots on the Velukes neck.
    He was quiet for a moment. "Wheels are in motion now that can't be stopped; Atheil has not had a High Queen for many long years. They've not had anyone sit on the High Throne for 22 years, which means that these remaining kingdoms have stood alone all that time with no one to answer to. I'm afraid that they're going to feel threatened by you as they wonder whether their independence is going to be affected. They don't know yet how you'll rule; what if what you decide doesn't align with their own opinions? Ariana, you're a threat to them as much as you are a savior."
    Ariana thought this over, closing her eyes for just a moment as the stress of it all threatened once again to overwhelm her. "I never wanted any of this in the first place." She said, her feelings of inadequacy seeming to amplify as she realized everyone would be counting on her to do perfectly.
    "In my experience, the people who are most suited to power are the ones who never wished for it themselves. They often spend most of their time thinking they aren't worthy of it, that they'll never live up to the responsibilities it entails, but that's precisely what makes them worthy. Ariana, you should never be so confident in your own power that you believe you're infallible. We are, all of us, guilty of being flawed. It's the ability to adapt and learn that sets the best ones apart from the rest."
    She didn't answer but his words did seem to make her feel better. She was, for the millionth time over the past few weeks, so incredibly grateful to have him by her side. As they passed by a particularly wizened old tree, Ariana patted the Velukes neck again. "I think this is far enough." She said to Tyrynion as the Veluke came to a standstill.
    They both slid off of its large back, their feet making a soft thudding noise as they made contact with the bumpy ground below. Ariana looked around at the surrounding trees, the large leaves looming above, the familiar canopy with only a minimal amount of light streaming through, and, for just a second, she was reminded of home. No, she corrected herself, that wasn't her home anymore. The thought made her sad, a part of her breaking a little bit inside as she tried to think of anything else.
     She sighed heavily as the Veluke walked up to her, pushing its large head against her chest and nudging her, its enormous cerulean blue eyes staring at her intelligently as she stroked its face. "Don't go too far." She said quietly, her hand circling its large neck as she touched her forehead to its snout, both of them closing their eyes.
    "You should give him a name." Tyrynion said suddenly, making her open her eyes in surprise.
    "Oh." She said, not having thought of it. She moved her head back, gazing up at the Velukes face as she thought. Finally, she turned to Tyrynion. "I can't think of a good one. Give me a few examples of names from here that mean something. I want something noble, just like him." She said, running a hand down the fur of his ears as he flicked them tranquilly.
    Tyrynion thought for a moment. "Okay," he said, holding his hand out to count them off, "there's Galthor, Hyrabi, Rhylan, Sorel-"
    "That's it," she said, smiling, "that's perfect."
    Tyrynion looked confused. "What is? Which one?"
    She put her hands on either side of the Velukes face, looking into his eyes. "Sorel." She said the name softly, like a whisper, and the Veluke chirped as it pawed at the ground excitedly.
    Tyrynion came up to his side and patted a rough hand against his back. "I think he likes it." He said, and she smiled, her hand lingering in his fur.
    Finally, she stepped away from him, her hand regretfully falling to her side. "See you soon, Sorel." She said quietly. She waited as he turned around, trotting deeper into the forest. He was getting further away from her and, just as he was almost out of sight, he turned back his head once more, blinking at her slowly and bowing his head to her before turning around and disappearing into the shadows of the trees.
    The walk back was mostly quiet. Ariana had so much on her mind that she didn't know where to start. She felt like her whole world had changed in a matter of a second, just that one second, when she put her hand on that sword and pulled it out to protect Rael. Things were never going to be the same for her and the thought made her so sad that she felt grief rise up in her throat, forming a lump there.
    Tyrynion seemed to sense the change in her and nudged her with his shoulder. "What is it?" He asked her.
    Ariana didn't speak but just looked ahead. She knew that they would be getting close to the border of the forest again and she'd have to go back to the Palace. She wished that she didn't have to. "I just-" She stopped, trying to figure out how to put into words how she felt. "I don't feel like I belong here." She said, quietly, her own anxiety getting the better of her. "It's like you said; they've been without a monarch for so long and, Tyrynion, I don't even know how to be a Princess. How can I possibly be the Princess that saves all of Atheil from Malor?" She asked him, some desperation creeping into her voice.
    Tyrynion was quiet, looking up at the top of the canopy and listening to the sound of animals as they moved about, minding their own business as the world went on around them. Ariana was beginning to think that he wasn't going to respond at all when then he turned to her, his deep umber eyes serious. "You don't need to know anything." He said, his voice low and calm. "This is in your blood, Ariana. You ARE the High Princess of Atheil, you ARE the Princess of the Prophecy. You have a great destiny ahead of you and the good thing about destinies is that you can choose to live up to them. You're the one who gets to choose. I don't believe that destiny is just about suddenly being this person that they've said you are; you learn, you experience, and you decide everyday to follow your own path." He looked over at her, reaching out a hand and touching her wrist gently. "Ariana, you've already more than earned that title. What you've done, what you've accomplished, how you've acted; you never knew who you were before now and you made all those sacrifices, sometimes for people that you barely even knew. You saved that Phoenix even though you knew that it was putting you directly in danger, completely disregarding your own risks so you could help a creature in need. You showed sympathy to Vultan despite the fact that he initially treated you with indifference, inspiring him to reflect upon his own humanity once more and change for the better. You defended me from Ryonen even though you barely knew me, putting trust in me when others may not have. You were willing to die to protect Rael from certain death." He said, his voice nearly choking up as he said her name.
    Ariana swallowed, looking away. While she knew that Ruenen had been Raels twin brother, and that she had loved him dearly, he had betrayed not only Ariana but Rael as well. She knew that that had to be really hard on her, especially knowing that he was no longer here to justify his own actions. He had put everyone in danger without truly considering the consequences and had doomed himself in the process.
     Since they had gotten to the Eastern Kingdom, Rael had been grief stricken, finally having gotten the chance to really process what had happened over the last few days. It had taken nearly 2 days to get to Dalthoru from Peridien on the back of their steeds and, at first, Rael had been happy to see Tyrynion. Lately, however, she had been distant and sad, the only person that she was allowing to come see her being Ariana.
    "I'm sorry." Ariana said, finally. "She cares about you, Tyrynion, I just think that she's going through some things and she needs some time."
    He gave her a sideways glance. "If anyone could understand that, it would be you." Tyrynion said softly, and Ariana tried to fight back the tears that rose to her eyes.
    No, she told herself, push it down, push it away. Not now. She took a shuddering breath, trying to steady herself. "Well," she said, pleased to hear that her voice sounded normal, "she's safe now. That's all that matters."
    "Because of you." Tyrynion said. "You saved her, Ariana. She's so grateful for what you did for her."
    "I know." Ariana said, and she did. She had been spending a lot of time with Rael since getting to the Eastern Kingdom a few days ago. She had been visiting her every single day and had been spending most of her waking moments with her. "I just wish that she felt better, is all." Ariana said, looking away again into the trees.
    "You did so much for her already." Tyrynion told her, patting her on the arm. "Don't beat yourself up. What you did was incredible, Ariana, and you weren't even at your full power when you did it." His voice was full of barely concealed awe. Ariana let out an unimpressed huff. This was a sore spot for her and he definitely knew it because he let out a sigh. "I take it you still haven't been able to do anything?" He asked her, eyeing her sideways.
     "No." She said, not even trying to hide the bitterness in her voice. "What's the point of me being this 'Princess of the Prophecy' if I can't even do magic?! What kind of Elf am I?" She cringed hard, not at all enjoying the word in relation to herself.
    "Ariana-"
    She took a deep breath, clasping her hands and bringing them to her chin. "No, it's okay, Tyrynion, I'm just being stupid." She said, cutting him off.
    "You're not being stupid." He argued.
    "Can I ask you a question?" She said as they neared the edge of the forest. Ariana could see that the trees were thinning ahead and, somewhere in the distance, she knew that Ryonen was waiting for her. She really did not want to see him.
    "Go ahead." He said easily.
    "Tyrynion, you knew my mom and dad...Do you think-" She stopped. She didn't know how to ask him about it without opening up and letting herself be vulnerable with him. She took a breath, swallowing her pride. "Do you think that my mom would be proud of me?" She asked, feeling completely embarrassed even as the words left her mouth.
    Tyrynion let out a soft exhale. "Ariana," he said, turning to look her full in the face, "there's no doubt in my mind that she already is. She loved you more than anything in this world."
    Ariana swallowed, fighting back the tears that were threatening to spill over from her eyes. This wasn't just about a mother that she never knew, it was also about the mother that had raised her. The one that she loved, that she had had countless memories with. Somehow, wanting to know about her real mother and father made her feel as if she were betraying her mom and the thought made her sick with guilt, especially since her mom was still missing. "Tyrynion, do you think that you could do something for me?" She asked him suddenly.
    "Anything." He said without hesitation. "Just tell me what you need."
    They were on the edge of the grass now and the guards had seen them emerge from the woods, becoming alert as they kept a watchful eye on them. When they didn't immediately start walking toward the palace gates, the guards seemed to become antsy.
    "You better hurry up," Tyrynion said, glancing over at them, "they won't hesitate to come after you if you take too long." He paused, looking at her seriously. "What is it, what do you need?
    She stared up ahead at the guards waiting for them, watching even now as Ryonen began to pace back and forth in quiet agitation. She turned to Tyrynion, her vivid blue eyes meeting his deep umber ones, and took a breath. "I need you to summon my father." She said, and her eyes were pointed straight ahead as she made her way back to the palace gates, turning her back on the forest and the life that she had once had.