Defending Ithriea

Chapter 3: The Kingdom of Kithedia

Walking up to the carriage I seen it was connected to these huge deer. They were as beautiful, as majestic.  Their doey eyes, I, in that moment, wondered how soft they were, but dared not touch them.
Prince Axius walked up beside me, and curled his fingers into mine.
  "They're pretty, am I right? " he says looking into my eyes.
  "Gorgeous creatures. Their names?" I inquired.
  The prince walks up to the first pair, placing a hand on the side of their neck.
  "These two, this is Daris, that one is Maris," he walked to the second pair, "this one Ke-pler, that one De-pler," he stepped to the last pair, "this one is Corvor, and the last one's name is," he stopped to look at the last stag, "Ike." he smiled, amused.
I giggled softly to myself, He is funny. Blushing, I started to wonder if I liked the god. He was very handsome, his chocolate curls falling down to his upper chest, his oceanic eyes boreing into mine, his strong muscular body, his skin markings were oddly attractive also.
"Are you ready milady?" he asks softly, offering to help me into the carriage.  I ignored his hand and pulled myself into it with the handles that were mounted on the side.
  I will at least act stubborn. I stated firmly to myself.
Taking my seat, I gazed out the window, I won't say goodbye, I didn't like to say it. Here in my country it ment that you may not return. I did however wave to my father. Then I heard the familure voice, he was flirting with the prince.
"Oh yes, thank you, your majesty." Jesper said softly,  giggling like a little girl, his pixie wings fluttered gently. As he stepped into the carriage, he sat beside me.
Oh hes crushing on the Prince. I grin wildly.
Axius sat on the opposite side of the carriage. Slowly it rolled away, gradually getting faster as it left Grendelden. I was excited for this long journey,  over land, then over sea.
  I bet it's going to be beautiful. I thought. It's a long haul though. I was midly disappointed because of that, but no less excited.  The only thing now, was to wait. I leaned my head on Jesper's shoulder, drifting in and out. It would take two days, just to reach port. Then it would be another four days aboard a ship.
I can take a nap. I thought, and I thought right. I fell into a deep sleep soon after.
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My head hit the tough spot of Jesper's shoulder, jarring me awake. It was hot. Really, really hot, pulling off my coat, I looked around. Jesper was asleep, leaned up against the ivory wall of the carriage. Prince Axius however, was missing. I poked at Jesper's side.
"Hey, Jesper." I shook him a little harder, "Jesp! Jesper!" he fell over, blood pouring from his sliced neck. His wings, teal, soft, fairy wings, were also gone. Cut from his spine.
Teary eyed, I grabbed his sword from the sheath.  I looked outside the carriage window, it was hot, it was black, and it was loud.
Sword against sword, only a few lanterns were lit. There was the soon to be God King, fighting. They were mercenaries. Fighting for the gold, for the wings of poor fairies to make potions. I heard the epidemic going rampid throughout the kingdoms, I however, didn't think people would be crazy enough to ambush a royal carriage, that had an accompanying small militia.
I cut my dress short, as it helped me move faster. I had to help my Prince. Jumping out of the carriage, I ran to his side, slicing away at the enemy's body parts. Watching them fall, I smiled. Blood always got me riled up.
"Oh thank gods, you finally woke up. I'm so sorry, Arielina, these people are, getting out of control." the prince said.
  "Who knew they would be wild enough to ambush us. What happened?" still cutting, slicing, defending blows, and landing them we stood back to back. Defending our enemy.
"They ambushed us, posion darts on half the guards. Grab my hand!" I done what he said, and he moved quickly, throwing me as I kept my legs out, kicking a man in the chest then planting my blade into him.
"We gotta get out of here, Axius, there are too many of them!" running beside him to punch a man in the neck before he stabbed my handsome god. I moved again, my sword an extension of my arm, his head rolled. I then kicked it so it hit another man in the head. Knocking him out.
"Not while you are around. I thought you were a princess!" he said. Almost like he was complaining.
  "Stop it. I trained very hard and since I was five. Father said I had to. Why are you complaining?!"  I looked at him, grinning.
"Why do you like this so much?! That's a bit concerning,  don't you think?"
  "Oh shut up! Make use of yourself and help us!" I screamed at him. I didn't like the idea of killing people, but in the heat of battle it's kill or be killed.
The prince changed, out of his back grew giant, black and silver wings. His hair turned a dark navy blue, his eyes went red, his skin markings even deepened in color, turning purple, he was a god, and a god of Death and Spirit he was.
"You dare try to kill my queen?!" he grew inches upon inches, growing to be eight feet tall.
The swords dropped,  the enemys cowered, being pushed down to one knee by a mysterious force.
"Who dares? I do!" a man says, grunting under the force trying to stand up, trying to fight. I walked over to him.
"Well you dare no more, you are filth. You killed my friend, in the carriage,  where are his wings?" I asked.
  "I tell no dwarf scum that." the man said, I looked to the Prince, and one of the other mens head, popped. 
"Where,  are,  his,  wings?" I asked again.
  "I will never tell!" he yelled. I heard five more heads pop.
"Tell me!" the man was now sweating under the pressure, whether it was the pressure on his head, or the pressure of his demise,  I didn't care. I just wanted my best friends wings. That's when I took note of a bag, it was slung over his shoulder.
"Axius, he has a bag. Shall I?" I asked the god.
"Yes, my love." the man handed me the bag, obviously under the control of the god. I looked inside,  and noticed the beautiful soft wings, were indeed inside of the bag. I picked up my sword and cut off the mans head.
  The other men were dead, for none were spared. I walked to my godly prince and took his hand.
"Take me to kithedia, I want to go home." I say softly.
  "Is there a way to preserve his wings?" I added in.
"Yes, my sweet. We are gods, we can do just about anything." he took my hand, extending his huge black, silvery tipped wings and flew us up.
  "Uhm, Axius,  my friend? "
"My guards will go get him, and your things." with that I just watched as we glided over castles, over trees, over rivers, till we reached the coast. Then it was calm smooth water. He flew quickly.  What would of taken days, took mere hours.
  As the sun crept up, outlines of mountains became visible. We approached the biggest one, Mt.Freyr, was where the Kithedian kingdom lied. Just like Landemburg, inside of a mountain,  the difference, this mountain was huge. A waterfall fell from heights here. The gateway of this huge kingdom.
Here we were greeted by a iridescent white bird with very flamboyant feathers.
"Good morning your majesty, who is this hatchling?" the bird cooed. Its soft feminine voice sent cold chills up my arms.
"Your soon to be queen. Dagnier, meet Arielina.  Arielina, meet Dagnier." that was when I noticed that we had landed beside the roaring waterfall. 
"You are beautiful. " I almost couldn't speak. The bird was gorgeous!
"I am no bird, child. I am a lesser god. Everyone here in the Kingdom of Kithedia are all gods. In fact, Axius do you know who she is?" the birds white, beady, eyes bored into the prince's.
"Oh, that's great though isn't it?" the prince finally says.
" I am very sure I just missed something. " I said softly.
"I must take her to father. Will you come with me and tell him what you see?" In that moment, I was really confused.
The waterfall split open. The white bird squawked flying ahead, he prince picking me up flying through also.
Does everyone in this kingdom fly? I thought. As we flew into the kingdom I seen huge white pillars. Clear crystal let an amazing ammount of light in from the top of the mountain.
Huge crystal archways helped support the mountain top. What wasn't rock, was different colors of crystals. Pinks, blues, purples, shimmering reds, and greens. It was beautiful. There were carvings in the rocks, carvings of the gods. There was the first god, his name was, Albuez. Long hair curled down his waist, a robe wrapped around his legs and waist. He had a medallion hanging from his neck, you could tell it was the prince's father.  He was just as equally handsome. Even though he has been here since the making of the realm, he didn't look over his 30th year.
"Axius, how old are you?" I asked softly as we flew.
  "I am three thousand years old, my love." he answers.
Wow. I thought. This man was old.
We reached a long corridor that was silver in color, glittering with gems that were embedded into the stone. At the end of this corridor was a huge doorway.
Trimmed in silver, the handles were crystal, the prince knocked softly. I guess he heard a reply because he opened the doors. There was the throne. It was absolutely spectacular. Four tailed lions carved out of marble and gems. Their eyes glowed green with hunter stone. The shimmer from them almost made them look like real lions.
On the throne was Albuez, him in all his glory. His hair not a strand out of place. His golden robes were meticulously woven from the soft golden threads. His eyes a bright white. He had no irises, but he looked right at me with raised eyebrows.
"Who is this youngling, Axius?" he said in a deep, smooth voice.
His fingers looked like they had been dipped in gold. His skin markings were even golden in hue. It was like he had embodied the precious metal. 
"This is the dwarven princess, Arielina. " Axius told the ancient king.
"No, she is no dwarf, son. She is a goddess. Though she had never known who her parents really were. Come here child. Let me see your sould." he pulls me closer. His scent hit it, it was intoxicatingly sweet, but musky.
I was now standing right in front of the god. His presence sending shivers through me.
"Ahh now I see." he chuckles.
"Your mother was a busy woman." he placed his strong hand on my jaw, turning my head from one side to the other. 
"My mother is dead." i looked down, tearing up.
"I never knew her your majesty." I stated softly.
"Well, you are a spitting image. I'm suprised my son didn't see it sooner." he replied, softly, it was very apparent he was trying not to scare me.
"Your mother, Catharith, she saved the world once. Her powers of water, and even though she left our kingdom, we will always remember her. Brave woman killed, Skadi, the ancient huntress that kept killing young children. Her power grew so much even I couldn't defeat her.  " he stood streaching out his huge wings. Not only was this man nine feet tall, his wings were three times that. Golden and shimmering with beautiful hues in themselves. He had an immence presence. 
"Your mother being cunning, being stubborn to let Skadi get away. She came up with a plan. She had you, my dear, Arielina,  made the huntress follow her. Your power combined with hers is what she needed to behead the woman. If it weren't for her,  if it weren't for you, we wouldn't be standing her. The realm would of been submerged into darkness. " he looked away, in thought he stiffened. Clearly reminiscing on the past.
"Brave but stubborn woman she was. You are just like her." he stated, finishing his story.
"King Albuez,  can you help me?" I asked quietly.
"We were ambushed on the outshirts of my kingdom, and my pixie friend was killed. They tried to take his wings." I handed him the bag with Jesper's wings.
"Can you preserve them?" I looked up at him.
"Of course, darling!" he grabs the bag and looks inside. His face went pale.
"Go get that pixie. Go get him now!" he roared.
Hundreds of soldiers, their wings shimmered in the sunlight. He lead the soldiers, and they flew away jumping off the balcony flying away.
Axius looks at me with a questioning face.
"Who was Jesper? " he asked.
"A child left on a ship. We don't know where he came from. " I stated,  he grabbed my hand and walked toward the balcony that was off the room. What we saw blew my mind. A beautiful purple sunset.
I wondered about my friend. I wondered about what the king saw when he seen his wings.
Now all that was left to do, was wait.