Raulin's Oath

“I smell the sea,” Arietta said, delighted by this. The salty smell of crashing waves and the distant cry of gulls was something she had not detected in months. That feeling of delight turned sour when her mind wandered and she thought to her grandfather’s flashing eyes, fear and rage whirling in their never-ending gray. She remembered the revulsion that she’d felt by the cold and careful pace of the destructive king. It was funny how the smell of the salty air of the sea suddenly turned to fire and ash. That night would be forever etched into her memory. Arietta sighed and the grin dropped from her face as her mind raced through all of these thoughts in a flash.

Nova scented the despair; it tainted the sweet smell of ocean breeze. Nova furrowed her eyebrows as she felt overwhelmed by the memories of Belamoris. Her features softened as the realization hit her like a Mack truck; she had a pack. For the first time in her short life, Nova had friends, and this brought a smile to her face. No matter what waited for them at the end of this journey, she wouldn’t be facing it alone. Nova looped her arm through Arietta’s.

“When we get back to Earth, we should have a girls’ day. I think that would be nice. Just you and me. We could go to an amusement park or catch a movie or something.”

A look of genuine content spread across Arietta’s face. “That sounds great, Nova.”

A wolfish grin spread on Nova’s face as she turned toward Jerry. “Don’t get jealous, Jerry, maybe we could all hang out sometime.” She had a devilish look in her eyes, as if she knew something. Arietta’s head turned in question.

“Jealous?” Jerry let out a fake laugh. “Why would I be jealous of you? As soon as I can pull my skinny butt out of bed, I would love to hang out,” he said with false bravado, and a light red spread on his face.

“Easy, fella, I’m not trying to steal her.”

Jerry spluttered at this, looking back and forth between Nova and Ari.

“Steal her? What’s that supposed to mean?” Arietta’s brow was furrowed. It appeared that there was some sort of hidden meaning, but whatever it was completely went over her head.

“You can’t steal her, we are all friends, right?” Jerry laughed nervously, but his eyes flashed.

“Faster, kids, we are losing daylight. I am not afraid to steal your voice if it’ll make you move quicker,” Arkas interjected brashly. Arietta’s eyes flitted towards Arkas, and she shrugged, urging the rest to pick up their feet. Nova disentangled her arm from Arietta, hanging back to walk with Jerry. Once she was sure that Arkas and Ari were engaged in conversation, she turned a sly eye to the boy who was now just about as red as a tomato.

“So, you like her?” His head snapped toward Nova. Jerry couldn’t help but feel unsettled every time that he looked into Nova’s eyes, one icy blue and the other dark brown. He could never get a read on what exactly was going on behind those eyes.

“I never said that!” he whispered sharply, and Nova chuckled. He looked up towards Arietta, relieved that her focus was on the old fart next to her.

“You didn’t have to,” she smirked. Jerry searched her eyes, trying to find her intent, yet came to no real conclusions.

“Where did the shy Nova go? What did you do to her?” asked Jerry. She laughed again, a sharp yet charming sound.

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s the wolf in me showing through. So, why Arietta? What’s got you all head over heels for my favorite songbird?” Jerry was flustered, his eyes bouncing back and forth from the girl ahead of them and the one next to him.

“I- uh…” he gulped, and Nova nonverbally prompted him to spit it out. “I don’t know! I don’t really want to talk about this…” He was promptly cut off by the wagging of a finger.

“Relax, I’m just messing with you.” She covered up a laugh with a cough. “I like her too, but I think that someone has a crush!”

A grin spread on Arietta’s face ahead as she inspected a map that had been produced from the bag that Arkas carried, and she pointed at it, questioning him. Jerry’s look further betrayed his true feelings for Arietta, and as he turned his gaze back to Nova, she smirked at him.

“I feel something for her, but I really don’t think it’s any of your business. She is pretty, smart, and very brave. Why do you care so much?”

“This group,” she motioned to the two ahead, to Jerry, and to herself, “this is my pack.” She said this as if it explained everything, yet it only raised more questions for Jerry.

Arkas turned to them. “Faster! We are so close, but we are running out of time!” Arietta and Arkas traveled at a much faster rate, and after little thought, Nova shifted into her other form. It was faster and, luckily for Jerry, prevented her from asking more questions about something Jerry certainly did not want to think about.

That was when their eyes landed on it: a cottage made of wood, its roof spiraling up toward the heavens, the windows glowing a warm yellow. “The Keep,” Arkas breathed. It was so much more beautiful than he’d remembered, so simple, yet even the walls were brimming with knowledge. Now he set out at a hobbled sprint towards their salvation.

***

Gustoff leaned forward, trying to rest his legs. Lucius had ordered that he would hang from the chains in the middle of the room two days ago. Gustoff hadn’t slept or eaten for those two days. His shoulders felt as though hot embers had been inserted into them. His robe and shoes had been removed, so the cold chilled him to the bone. Each rib on his chest was more pronounced than the last. The guards did have a wet cloth wrapped around the end of a long stick that they thrust through the barred window two times each day so that he could suck the dirty water down his throat to keep him alive. As he hung there, he thought of Ari and hoped that she was safe. Gustoff had sensed when she was called here with the others. He knew that as long as Arkas had a beating heart, he would do his best to ensure her safety.

The guards approached down the hallway outside of his damp, cold cell. They were talking about a festival. Lucius was on some great hunt. Gustoff mustered what was left of his strength and called out to the guards. “I need food and water. If I don’t get this, I will die. I am so weak; please bring me something.”

“Shut your foul mouth, or I will remove your tongue, old man!” The guard rattled a stick on the bars of Gustoff’s cell for good measure. “You’ll get food when I decide!”

In a dry, raspy voice, Gustoff continued, “I don’t think that Lord Lucius will be too happy with you if I die while he is away. All I’m asking for is a bowl of mead or a piece of bread with some real water. I won’t say anything about it.” Gustoff focused his mind on the guard who had rattled on his cell bars. The compliance that had been drilled into the guards throughout their lives reminded him of the late dogs in Gustoff’s life that he had trained to sit when told and to speak for treats. Gustoff nudged the guards’ thinking.

“I will bring you one slice of bread and a glass of water. After that, I don’t wanna hear a peep out of your ugly wizard face!”

The guards left, and a smile covered Gustoff’s face. He knew that he had them. Several minutes passed before the guards returned. One slid the bread and cup of water under the door. The guard kept his eyes down as he did this. Gustoff asked, “How can I eat when I can’t even reach the bowl? I am a tired old man who hasn’t slept or eaten for two days. My staff is not with me; please just untie me for a few minutes so that I can eat. You can hold your sword to the back of my neck while I eat. I am helpless as it is, but with a sword to my neck, I couldn’t possibly hurt anyone. You can tie me back up as soon as I am finished.” Gustoff nudged again, and the guard complied.

The guard unshackled Gustoff, careful not to look at him while doing this. Gustoff chose his moment, then doubled over and screamed in pain, grabbing his stomach. The guard studied Gustoff’s face. His eyes immediately turned from green to white. “Oh my, something is wrong with your friend!” The other guard hurried over to see what had happened. He was not as careful as his commander.

Gustoff whispered into the guard’s ear, “I need my robe and my staff. Where are they?”

The guard then turned and strode out of the cell and turned to the left. His partner stayed in the cell. Gustoff then asked the guard to close the door so that it would not draw suspicion. He reached up and grabbed the chain with both hands so that if anyone passed by, they would not notice anything out of place. Soon, the other guard returned with his staff and robe. “Now, I need you to chain my hands together and lead me to the back gate. If anyone asks, tell them that the king wishes to have the prisoner moved to a cell closer to his chambers so that he can question him when he returns.”

The guard nodded, and off they went. Gustoff did not realize that to dragons, the back gate was on the roof of the castle. Once they arrived, Gustoff told the guards to return to their station. He also told them that they had already checked his cell and would not need to check it again today. The two departed, leaving Gustoff on the roof wondering how he would get out of Draconis.

He was too weak to teleport far enough away for him to be safe. He also needed food and water for his journey. He thought to himself, “Man, I should have brought the bread and water.” As he paced the roof, he peered into a doorway at the other end. There was a large table layered with raw meat. He quickly grabbed the first piece off of the table and muttered “Ignis”. The meat quickly browned with the flame blazing from his fingers. He crammed the dripping food into his mouth, nearly forgetting to chew. His stomach turned sourly, demanding more, so he grabbed two more large cuts of meat and wrapped them in a towel for later. His muscles screamed at him every step of the way, but he knew where he needed to go. dragging one foot in front of the next, he climbed the staircase that hugged the castle walls. It was a long drop down, and the trees from this height reminded him of the model trees he’d sit up next to the tracks of his favorite toy train set when he was younger. It was dizzying, being this high up, but the stars kept him grounded and gave him hope for a better tomorrow. The cracks in the staircase made his already-upset stomach roil, and his cut and bruised hands gripped the stone wall tightly. He knew who he needed, and focus was required if he were to even hope to escape these wretched peaks. They were the only beings in all of Palidonaya that could save him from more torture at the hands of Lucius.

Gustoff leaned against the battlements along the outer wall of the castle, waiting patiently, but not comfortably. Soon, he could sense her approach. Adrenaline shot through his body, afraid that others would see her gliding to his rescue. A shadow soared through the skies, giant wings cutting through the puffy clouds. His savior, he hoped; his greatest enemy, he feared.

“Gustoff, we assumed the worst once we heard that the king had taken you hostage.”

A sigh of relief ripped through Gustoff as he laid eyes on the massive pegasus. Her snowy white feathers fluttered, moved by the eastern wind that ripped through the mountain range. “I have been outside of Draconis looking for a clue as to where they have been keeping you. I felt your beacon and raced here as quickly as possible. I stayed above the clouds so that no one saw my approach.”

“Let’s catch up later, Xersa; the guards might be on their way! Thank you for being here for me.” With that, Gustoff climbed on top of Xersa, of the Aphrodite herd. Once Gustoff had a good hold on Xersa, the pegasus stepped off of the castle wall, spread her mighty wings, and soared away from the castle.