Chapter Fourteen

Creia settled onto the pallet of blankets and pillows that Theia had made on the floor beside the bed that was too small to accommodate them. Though it had been a few weeks since their arrival in the Mikana kingdom, he still felt as though he was getting accustomed to being outside of his compound and in surroundings that were not familiar and not designed for his kind. He was used to being in the compound, the only King influencing those around him, but now he was learning to balance his cooperation with the other species that had gathered in the kingdom while also planning for the battles that lay ahead.

Theia slipped into place beside him and rested her head on her mate’s shoulder. He drew in a breath of her, comforted by the presence of her close to him. It had been so long since they had completed their bond that he could hardly remember a time before her. She was as irremovably connected to him as he was to her and he knew in his heart that he wouldn’t be complete if he had to spend even a moment without her as his mate.

“Do you think that we are adequately prepared for the war?” he asked.

Theia lifted her head slightly as if to look at him, but Creia couldn’t see her in the dark of the room.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“I don’t know if the people we have to bring with us to Penthos are going to be enough. We don’t know the size of the hybrid army or what they are capable of doing.”

“You have been so confident,” Theia said. “You said that there was nothing that was going to keep us from victory.”

“I know, and I believe that we are the most powerful of any army that could confront Ryan and his hybrids, but is it enough? Do we have enough people to be fully confident when we step onto that planet that we are going to be able to face them down and come out triumphant?”

“I don’t know,” Theia admitted. “I will ensure that those we have are trained as well as possible and that they are as prepared as they can be to fight in whatever ways the hybrid army uses. They will need to see that you believe in them, that you are not concerned about their efforts or their abilities. You must be strong for them, Creia.”

“I know,” he said. “But I have seen what the Valdicians are capable of doing. I’ve seen the severity of what they can do. They are only the minions of Ryan. They are only the servants of the man who has created the army that we are preparing to fight. If they are capable of the ferocity that I witnessed when they held me captive, what is Ryan capable of? What has he trained his army to do?”

“What do you think we should do?” Theia asked. “We have already gathered all of those from the compound, the Mikana kingdom, and the Nyx 23 settlement who are willing to come with us. Who else could we ask?”

“Perhaps we should reach out to the Eteri,” Creia said.

“Some already have,” Theia said. “They brought Azrael and Ariella with them to Earth.”

“I know. But that’s it. There are only two of their kind on Penthos right now and only one of them is a warrior. They are among the strongest and most skilled warriors outside of the Denynso that I have ever encountered. They have capabilities that are far beyond anything that our kind has. Even Loralia is only able to utilize some of the skills of the kind and that is half of her blood. I am certain that Ryan has used Eteri blood to create some of his hybrids so that his weapons would be able to access those skills. We need warriors who will be able to counter those hybrids. This is a war unlike anything that we have ever encountered. We can’t just use the same strategies that we always have and expect that we will get the same results. We need levels of attack, layers of strategy that will allow us to match each of the hybrids, skill for skill, drive for drive. If we can’t, we must be able to overcome them. I need to go talk to the Eteri.”

Theia rested her head on his shoulder again and nodded.

“We can leave in the morning,” she said. “I’m sure that Kyven, Rey, and the Mikana army can handle the beginning of the training until we return.”

“No,” Creia said. “You must stay here. This is something that I need to do alone. Besides, they need you here. They need your guidance. I will get there and back as fast as I can.”

“Are you sure that you’ll be safe alone?” Theia asked. “Won’t the Order be looking for you?”

“They might,” Creia said, “but there’s nothing that I can do to stop that. We need the Eteri. It has been a long time since the Denynso have called upon them, but the time’s come. I need to ask for their help. It can only come from me.”

The next morning, Creia boarded one of the vehicles that Athan had stolen for their use and started across the planet. He traveled as quickly as he could, pausing only when exhaustion made it absolutely necessary for him to pause. When he did, it was for the shortest time possible before he continued on. He followed the most direct route, though he knew that it would put him at the highest risk. Choosing to swerve as he went or to take different directions that deviated from the straight route could have distracted anyone who might be following him, but it also would have taken him off course and wasted precious time that he simply couldn’t afford to lose. Whatever risk that it posed him, he had to move across the planet as fast as he possibly could. Those in the Mikana kingdom needed their training and those on Penthos couldn’t be kept waiting for any longer than was absolutely unavoidable.

Creia didn’t know how long he had been traveling when he finally saw that he was approaching the compound. He had been away from his home for longer than he had ever been and he felt himself drawn to it, as if magnetized by the comfort and familiarity of it. He wanted to go back into the compound, to walk back through the banquet hall and sit on his throne, to climb the stairs and rest in his own bed. The more that he longed for the compound, however, the harder that he pushed himself away from it. He couldn’t go back there. Not now. Not yet. There was so much more that he needed to accomplish. As he moved past the compound Creia had to remind himself that the clan wasn’t there, that with the exception of the few women born into the families and the aged, the vast majority of the Denynso had reported to the Mikana kingdom to serve. He had left only Verity in his place, knowing that the years that the woman had lived and all that she had seen in her time as a midwife and the nurturer of the clan before Ty came of age would make her a strong and wise interim leader. She would protect his home until he was able to return and ensure that when they returned victorious, the compound would be prepared to welcome them.

He knew that it was his final night before he arrived at the Eteri village and Creia brought the vehicle to a stop, wanting to rest and refresh himself so that he would be prepared to go before the Eteri leader. Just as he had every other time that he stopped on his journey across Uoria, Creia stopped where he could conceal the vehicle and make as little change in the surroundings with his presence as possible so that he could guard himself from any who might be pursuing him. Though he hadn’t encountered the Order during his travel, that came as no comfort, no reassurance to him. Rather than making him feel that he might be safe and that they weren’t coming after him, it only increased his tension and anxiety, making him feel as though were only getting closer to the danger with each passing moment.

Once the vehicle was as hidden as he could make it, Creia walked across the rocky shore of the pond on the very edge of the Denynso compound. Though he knew that he couldn’t go to the village or do anything that might tell those of the clan who had stayed behind that he was there, he hadn’t been able to resist just this small part of the compound. He felt centered being within the parameters of the compound, even though he was still distanced from the stone wall that defined the primary area. This was a place that was sacred to him, a place where he had spent a considerable amount of time and that held many memories for him. Just standing on the bank and looking out over the purple water of the pond brought peace to his heart and allowed his mind to quiet.

Kneeling at the edge of the water, Creia dipped his hands in and filled his palms. The color of the water was so rich when it was within the deep pond that it looked almost black, but now that it was just a shallow pool against his skin the color was clearer and more vibrant. The thickly mineral smell of the water felt nearly as fortifying as food and pouring the handful down over his head seemed to purify and cleanse him. Creia closed his eyes and tilted his head back toward the skin. He could feel the drops of water sliding down his face and dripping onto his chest. When the calm had fully surrounded him, Creia opened his eyes and looked back into the water. Pebbles shimmered just beneath the surface at the very edge of the pond where the water lapped up against the bank and he reached in to scoop them up. He brought two handfuls of the pebbles back across the bank toward the camp that he had set up for himself. Spreading them out across the ground in front of his tent to dry, he climbed inside the meager shelter and wrapped himself tightly in the thick, warm blanket that still smelled of Theia and let himself fall deeply to sleep.

The Eteri village looked so much the same as Creia remembered it, yet the differences were distinct, reminding him of the time that had passed since he had been welcomed within the borders of the lush, beautiful area of the planet. He could hear the rush of the wind through the ferns and low-hanging branches of the fruit trees and smell the swiftly moving water and bright floral blooms. It was still early, but within a few moments of him approaching the village, he heard a new sound, a fluttering that told him that one of the Eteri was nearby.

Creia paused and looked around, knowing all too well that this species could be shy and fleeting, difficult to get close to, especially for those that the Eteri didn’t know or trust. He took a few slow, cautious steps forward toward the thick forest and peered into the shadows. Finally, he saw the glimmer of faintly colored light cut through the darkness in a quick flicker.

“Hello?” he called toward the light.

The flicker appeared again and he remained still, not wanting to startle whoever it was that was in the trees watching him. A moment later he saw another flicker, this one a shade of green that nearly blended in with the leaves around it.

“I mean you no harm,” he said.

A few seconds later a slender figure stepped around one of the trees to face him. It was a lovely woman, the glow around her timid, but the expression in her eyes curious. She stared at Creia, her head tilting to one side and then the other.

“Who are you?” she asked.

There was no aggression in the question, no anger or fear. There was only soft, musical curiosity.

“My name is Creia,” he said. “I am King of the Denynso compound that is just…”

“I know where it is,” the woman said. “Why have you come here? Did the rest send you?”

“The rest?” Creia asked.

“Those who were already here,” she explained. “I met some of your kind. They were younger than you.”

Creia nodded.

“The warriors are all younger than me,” he said. “Many of them are my children.”

The woman shook her head.

“Not in years,” she said. “In their hearts. You are carrying so much in yours. Too many years. Too much.”

The words crashed into Creia’s chest and he felt like he needed to draw in a harder breath just so that he was able to normalize himself.

“I need to speak with your King.”

The woman laughed and shook her head.

“No,” she said.

“No?” Creia asked, startled by her abrupt rejection of his request. “I am not permitted to speak to the King?”

The woman shook her head.

“No,” she said.

Creia felt himself becoming defensive.

“Why not?” he asked.

“We don’t have one,” the woman replied. “We have a Queen.”

It was said with sincerity, not as though she wanted to frustrate or anger him, but as if it genuinely amused her that he would wish to speak to a King when they may not have had such a ruler in a generation or more.

“May I speak to her?” Creia asked. “It is extremely important.”

“Of course,” she said. “Come with me.”

They made their way through the forest and toward the palace. It was just as he remembered it. Unlike the royal homes of many other species, the palace of the Eteri wasn’t massively large or imposing. In fact, it showed little difference from the other homes around it. The only clear differentiation was the position, lifted up slightly higher than the rest to afford the Queen inside a clearer view of all of her kind. The woman who guided him stepped up to the door to the palace and knocked on it softly. A few seconds later, it opened.

“Good morning, Evangeline,” the woman who opened the door said. “What can I do for you?”

Evangeline gestured toward Creia.

“I found him on the far edge of the forest,” she said. “He didn’t come through the tunnels. He says that he needs to talk to you about something extremely important.”

The Queen looked at Creia and he could see her eyes scrutinizing him, trying to understand why he might be there.

“You are Denynso,” she said, not a question but a statement.

“Yes,” Creia said.

“If you didn’t travel through the tunnels, that means that you know how to access the village through the ancient means.”

“Yes.”

“That can only mean…”

“He is King,” Evangeline said.

The woman straightened and drew in a breath.

“Is this true?” she asked.

Creia nodded.

“Yes,” he said. “But I come unarmed and alone. I wish to speak to you about a situation of the gravest importance.”

“I am Elsavetta, Queen of the Eteri. You once knew my grandfather.”

Recognition washed over him and Creia was struck by a memory of this woman when she was just a child playing at the feet of her grandfather when he was King.

“I remember,” he said. “Meirion was a good man.”

“He still is,” Elsavetta said. “He simply is no longer King.”

Creia nodded again and waited until the Queen stepped back into her palace, clearing a space for him to step inside with her.

“Please, come in.” She glanced at the young Eteri would had escorted Creia to the palace. “Thank you, Evangeline.”

Evangeline smiled and walked away, soon sinking back into the cover of the trees and joining the faint green glow of the Eteri who had remained concealed even as they traveled through the forest.

“Are you hungry?” Elsavetta asked. “We can discuss what has brought you here over breakfast.”

Creia had stopped so little when he was traveling that he had barely eaten and now he felt the hunger gnawing at his stomach. He nodded.

“Yes. Thank you.”

He followed Elsavetta into a small room off of the main chamber of the palace and settled onto a low couch that barely accommodated his body. A few moments later another winged woman came into the room carrying a tray of food. She settled it onto a table in between them and handed Creia and Elsavetta each a small cup of a beverage that smelled strongly of the fruit and flowers from the forest. He took a sip and then set the cup down, far more interested in the elaborate pastries on the tray. He waited until Elsavetta had chosen one and then reached for the one closest to him. The flavor was rich and unexpected, the savory filling a bold and delectable contrast to the sweet outside. The Queen gave him a few moments to eat before speaking again.

“So, what brings you here, Creia?”

The King finished the pastry in his hand and took another sip of the tea. Feeling bolstered by the food, he started to tell her about what was happening. He knew that she would know of the Order and what they were capable of doing. Her kind had already witnessed the wrath of the corrupt members and had marched into battle alongside Aegeus. Several had been with him the day that he died. When he was finished, Creia sat back and stared at Elsavetta, waiting for her response.

“It has been many years since you have had any contact with the Eteri,” she said. “I have not even seen you since I was a small child and my grandfather never spoke of you again after the final time that I saw you. I don’t know what happened between you, but I know that it changed so much. It has been many, many years since the Eteri and the Denynso have enjoyed an alliance.”

“But that alliance was powerful,” Creia said. “Our kinds enjoyed a closer alliance than either of us have maintained with any other species.”

“That was not the first time that the alliance ended, however,” Elsavetta said. “Many generations ago our kinds were closely linked but then fell away from each other. Then we drew close again only to have you turn your back on us.”

“That was not my intention,” Creia said. “I never meant to turn my back on the Eteri. I admit that it was the fears and the hesitations of the Denynso that closed off our cooperation.” He paused and took a breath, touching his hand to his chest to show his sincerity. “It was my fears and hesitations. I know that the Denynso have been isolated. There are many of my kind that never even knew of the Eteri until recently. I apologize for that. I know that we have not been there for you in the way that we should have been and that there is little that I can say that will show you my sincerity and earn your trust, but I ask that you put that faith in us. I know that two of your kind have already joined us and are currently on the battlefield. They are making a powerful difference, but we need more. We need as much strength and force as we can bring.”

Elsavetta hesitated and Creia felt his heart pounding in his chest, regret for the years that he had kept his kind blocked off from the rest of the planet blending with fear to create a sharp bitterness that flowed through his blood.

“Creia,” the Queen started, but he didn’t give her a chance to continue.

“Please,” he said. “I’m not here to represent my kind. I am not here as King. I am not here to symbolize the Denynso reaching out to the Eteri. This is just me. I am here personally asking for your help.”

“Why now?” Elsavetta asked. “You made it clear that you had your reasons for separating the Denynso from the Eteri, just as the King did so many generations ago. What is changing it now so that you would humble yourself before me? Why would you think that striving to repair the relationship between the Denynso and the Eteri would make a difference now?”

Creia met her eyes.

“The war is rising. Alliances that were broken for the protection of Uoria must now be resumed for the protection of all of existence.”

To be continued…