The Cleansing (Book One: The Folara Chronicles)

018: Rion

Often when he was off duty and not in training, Rion liked to find solace in the ocean waves.  Usually, he preferred to run alone, but this twilight Crevan and Jayce had joined him and the sounds of their bare feet slapping against the wet sand, and their panting breath at every foot fall was liberating.

They spoke inside, in their combined Zalez, on a frequency they'd honed over years of such deep conversations. Of course, the idea on all of their minds was the searcher girl held inside the castle, unassimilated.

Crevan's mind voice was the most strident, by far the most concerned. "How do we know she will not use her melding powers to slip through the rock walls and re-enter the mountain. "

"The witch has placed charms or such on her cell, I am sure." Jayce countered easily, confidence in planetary magic a thing he took for granted.

"You give the witch much credit. Perhaps the searcher girl has spells that can undo whatever the witch has done. Perhaps she is not able to be assimilated."

"If she had such spells..." Rion advised. "She would certainly have used them already. And yes, she can be assimilated."

"Not if she is royal. I don't think the royalty can be assimilated. Perhaps she is Taan's own daughter."

"Is there something special about royalty that exempts them from the assimilation process? I think not. They are as vulnerable as anyone." Rion scoffed. "But I agree, there must be something different about her that Adara senses." He caught his breath on that thought. "If they-- any of them, even the royals-- were able to circumvent the assimilation they would have done it, Jayce! They would be the threat to us, and they would be capturing and killing us! Instead, they run and hide. Their sole purpose inside the mountain is to find the Talisman, we have very little to do with that."

"But Quildor would be quite happy if one of us found the Talisman."

Rion shook his head. "I don't think we can find it, brother!"

"What do you mean? You think it is only manifest to Aquarians or Carriganians? Another part of the exile?"

Their conversation was cut short as Crevan stopped running, one hand held to his head listening to another frequency. Jayce and Rion stood near, waiting politely. Rion bent over, his feet spread far apart, his hand massaging his lower back.

Crevan's eyes cleared abruptly. "Sorry to have to stop so soon."

They all grunted knowing they had come further up the coast than they usually did, and the way back would take Crevan at least two hours. They waited but he did not elucidate his reasons for going back, nor did he ask them to accompany him. He simply turned and began running back the way they had come. Rion watched as he became a silhouette against the rising moons and the sinking sun.

"Your royal father needs his Quarso captain." Jayce shrugged with a grim smile.

Rion's eyes flashed in annoyance, knowing that his status was well known among the Quarso, as well as his antipathy was understood. He did not acknowledge Quildor. Jayce was teasing him, as much as it bothered him, if the idea was to get a reaction, he would be the first to deny Jayce that reaction.

"Do you want to go on, or go back?" He asked Jayce.

"How about, go out?" Jayce jerked his head toward the foaming waves with a grin.

Rion nodded easily and began to run straight toward the sharp bank along the shoreline. Both experienced swimmers, they surfed vigorously, slowly making their way back toward the faint lights of the villages near the castle neither of them could actually see. All talk was about their progress, about the sea itself and the ways of waves and body surfing. Until finally Jayce expressed exhaustion and got out, flopping onto the cold wet sand.