Cataindar

CHAPTER NINETEEN

 

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Finn’s mind raced to keep up with the feeling that crackled in his body. As Luisa had flown up the ratain dummy with such an unexpected ease he had noticed something. Her foot was too light, her grip was too strong, her movement had a glide he recognised, oh, how it had affected him!

He must hold onto himself! Calm his hackles! 

Far in the past he knew princes and princesses had arrived with great skill with a sword or dart.  They had trained from birth, already experienced in leading and despite their young ages had completed many rites in their lands.

But Luisa, had seemed so quiet, so passive. As she had jumped up the ratain, Finn had felt it immediately, the dewin of the famous black pendant, Llwyellen’s Pendant of which the senior readers tongues had been a-wagging. She had used it.

As she sat on top of the ratain, it nestled happily atop her red dress and he had noticed something else, for the pendant’s stone was not it’s black lifeless sheen, no! It was glowing, it was glowing a beautiful, cool blue hue.

He knew that it was possible, possible for a human to ‘find’ their cosmos stone quickly, despite their short lives they could truly master them in ways no catain could, ancient tapestries spoke of Sovereigns past leading Cataindar forces against the ratain horde, enveloped in a glorious blue light. 

He never expected to see such a thing with his own eyes. In front of him now, Luisa was awkwardly climbing down, feet struggling for purchase the dewin gone.

Cataindar’s history was one of blood, shame and secrets. But this time he would protect the princess, he would protect Cataindar, and together... could they make it strong?  He thought of what lay ahead for her; every prince and princess must choose a weapon. The Royal Weapons Chest was locked from the inside.  The secret to open it lay with the royal line.

Could she open it?

The abbot had told him the resemblance was uncanny.  Finn had to admit it was true, now the princess was not on all fours crying in the royal chamber… he could see it. She could pass as their former princess reincarnate.  She must be from the royal line.  But the physical resemblance was where the similarity ended. 

Luisa was nothing like the former princess in manner.  The former princess… Dragons, how it pained his chest to think of her.

In a blink scenes from long ago flashed before him. He was a cadet at the coronation, he saw her float through the stone and land perfectly in the royal chamber, looking out at the crowd, clasping her hands together in delight.

He was just a junior scouger when she gave her first great speech.  Her decisiveness, her strong headedness she had led them all; a reformer with so much intelligence, such will, and it led her straight to her death…  

Finn tried to shut out the vision before it occurred again.  Tried not to think of the young pale human head being separated from its delicate shoulders, her eyes wide in shock, mouth still moving, as it spun, such a strong brave head spinning fast through the air, their princess falling into two horrifying separate parts.

The aftermath, catain screams, swords clashing, darts flying.  Red eyes close to Finn’s own… the stench… Rat’s breath…

HOLD YOURSELF TOGETHER FINN.

Finn blinked and came back to the present day, the past image of the former princess spinning face replaced with Luisa’s which was looking at him quizzically,

“Finn?”

Finn nodded to her.

“Bravo… bravo Princess, I must say I… ”

But Finn was interrupted as the door of the training room was flung open with a bang. A mid-rank female scouger stood at the door panting and covered in blood.

Her voice was dark,

“Finn! Come quick!”

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