The Quest for Normania #1: The Door of Andrios

30. The End of One Mission and the Beginning of Another

The little party in the cave with the Door of Andrios finally decided they were ready to move along, back to the Viseral Palace of Silone.

Ayesha made no secret of the fact that she was scared of facing her father after running away, despite Mithra and Norin assuring her over and over that he was just afraid for her and blamed himself for it.

'He's blaming himself?' thought Ayesha bitterly. 'That's my fault, too! I've always been an ignorant daughter, which wasn't very bad considering the circumstances, I suppose, but being a bad daughter is worse!'

Norin could feel her thoughts and emotions through their bond that was slowly developing and maturing into a stronger bond. It was so different from the Sanguine bond that was developing at almost the same rate, that he nearly went mad trying to understand both. It was sheer struggle to maintain his sanity, to say the least. And yet, he managed it, thanks to Mithra taking away some of his fears and anxiety. He was glad she had agreed to still be friends with him; for, if they still had the tension as when they were forced to be engaged, he wasn't sure if the Sanguine bond would've formed at all, and if it did, whether he'd be able to handle all the tension, the bond itself, as well as Ayesha. Not to mention the mission on the whole.

"You're welcome," Mithra's thought-voice came across towards him as they watched two figures climbed down the mountain slowly.

Ayesha and Cassandra were a pair of monkeys – er, skilled climbers – and the latter seemingly even more so, for she agreed to let Teresa ride on her back! Neither of them consented to use magic when the two mages of the group offered.

And so, the only ones left at the cave entrance were Norin, Mithra, Cecil, Agatha, and Lawrence joining hands. The two mages concentrated on the ground below and cast the spell, "Omnes vectura!"

The next moment, they found themselves standing beside the two eurins and Teresa.

"That was quick," remarked Cassandra, her eyebrows raised in admiration, a smirk playing on her lips.

Ayesha nodded. "That is true. So, do we trek back from here?"

Norin and Mithra exchanged conversational glances, before the latter nodded. "Yes. The Viseral Palace is not very far from here—just a few metres."

"Right." Ayesha nodded. "Let's get moving."

As they began to walk, Cassandra said, "Now that this mission is over and done, well, almost, I think we have another to begin with."

Teresa's eyes widened in realisation. "She's right – we do!"

Ayesha frowned. "What's that?"

Norin pursed his lips grimly. "A mission to unite Normania at Sofia, just like it was two hundred years ago."

"With the Sinhala dynasty at the throne," added Cassandra.

Ayesha's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "I never got to ask, but... What is a eurin of a rival kingdom doing in our midst? And that handmaiden of hers – you're in cahoots, aren't you?"

Mithra intervened. "Please don't say that, Eurin Ayesha. Cassandra and Teresa are refugees in our kingdom, expelled from their own. Eurin Cassandra seems to be a little weary of the rivalling dynasties and thinks uniting Normania will solve our problems."

She still wasn't convinced. "What of it? What will she gain out of this, even if it is possible?"

"Nothing," answered Cassandra quietly. She so badly wanted to slap the other eurin, but reigned in her desire, for she knew where the suspicion was coming from: All ruling classes in Normania had learnt to regard one-another in suspicion, whether they proved innocent or not. It was become a tradition, despite the balance of power being maintained. Some rulers like her own father tried to find loopholes around the BoP Agreement the rulers of Normania signed a hundred years ago, after a series of bloody power-hungry battles.