The crystal moon, p.12
The Crystal Moon, page 12
The four of them sat sore and exhausted, the days of travel by air taking much more energy from them than they anticipated. Even the fireflies were of little comfort to Dusk by then, their wonder having faded with his energy reserves.
“If we get up early and fly until after dark, we should make it to Ronja tomorrow,” Lord d'Ronja said after he’d finished eating. “The chateau is on the far western side of the city, tucked up against the mountain with the forest butting up against the back garden. If we can find a clearing near the base of the mountain, Lyra can stay within the forest to remain hidden while we go inside. Then we can figure out what to do from there.”
“Five days,” Dusk mused, laying back on the soft grass. “I was on the road for over six months to travel that distance. It doesn’t seem possible.”
“We took a lot of detours,” Lex smiled. “I think we actually went the longest way possible and got in trouble at every single point along the way.”
“I can take the blame for some of that, “Tara replied. “If I’d listened to Dusk back in Louring we could have avoided a lot of trouble later on.”
“I think we all had our moments of making things difficult.” Lex looked around with greasy hands from eating, unsure what to do with them, then shrugged and wiped them on his pants. “Though... I don’t think I’d trade it away for comfort. It’s been kind of fun don't you think?”
“It sure as fuck wasn’t boring.”
“And it’s not over yet,” Dusk added. “There’s still so much more to do.”
A silence fell among them for a few minutes, filled in by crickets and other insects Dusk couldn’t identify. He could feel the hesitation and anxiety in the group with what lay ahead of them. There were so many questions, the biggest being what was going to happen next. None of them knew what lay ahead, only that it was going to be unquestionably dangerous and probably life threatening.
“What can we expect when we get to the chateau?” Tara finally said, turning the attention away from the end of the world. “Are we going to have to fight our way in?”
“I should hope not,” Lord d'Ronja scoffed. “I own the place. I don’t see why I should be denied entry into my own house.”
“That crazy fucker Tiernan had you under his control for almost a decade. You don’t know what’s changed.”
“He’ll be able to get in,” Lex piped up. “I was still living at home just a little over six months ago. Nothing ever really changed except for the feeling among the staff and the servants. When I was young the house always seemed like a safe place full of laughter and smiling faces.” He looked at his father. “But after Tiernan took you over a shadow fell over the estate. Everyone fell into place, keeping their heads down and doing exactly what they were told. I expect you’ll have to do a lot of work to win their trust back. And mother has been scared of you for years... I don’t know how she’ll take this news.”
Lord d'Ronja’s face sagged. “To think, the woman I love more than anything in the world has learned to fear me. That alone is a terrible price, and something she never deserved.” He turned his gaze to the fire, pulling his knees up to his chest. “My own family, the one thing I held dear in all this world, driven away by my mere presence. I don’t know how I’ll ever forgive myself.”
“You can start by remembering it wasn’t you that did it,” Dusk replied sternly. “And then, since you won’t be spending all your energy blaming yourself, you can do something about it.”
He glanced up at Dusk, a bit of hurt in his eyes. “I will... do my best.”
Dusk took a deep breath to calm his nerves. Something about Lord d'Ronja, one of the most powerful men in all of Ditania, acting helpless, put him on edge. He had the power to do anything he wanted, all he had to do was try. But Dusk understood too well what it felt like to be convinced you were helpless. He tried to be a little softer.
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out in time. Start with your wife. If she’s half the woman you claim she is, she’ll make quick work of the rest of it.” Dusk glanced up at Lord d'Ronja, locking eyes with him. “Don’t forget who you are and the good you can do for this world. You can make a lot of people’s lives better with just a handful of words.”
Lord d'Ronja stared at him for a long moment and finally nodded in acknowledgement. Dusk hoped he would follow through with it once they reached the city.
The next day was an especially long one. After days of sitting atop Lyra’s back, the wind blasting in their ears until they felt deaf, and the rough scales rubbing through the thin leathers of their pants and chaffing their skin, each of them wanted nothing more than to be on the ground for good. Dusk loved flying, but wanted a few weeks to recover from the recent trip. Each night he felt like he’d never walk the same again and every morning his body was sore from head to toe from the day previous. He’d walked, ridden horses, taken ships, carts, and now had flown on a dragon. All of them, he decided, were great in their own way, but mostly he found he just wanted to sit still for a while instead of feeling like he was always on the run.
The sun set like it always did and darkness came, the light of Gartha the only thing that guided them through the sky. The lone mountain had grown close, and far below them Dusk could see the lights of a great city in the distance. The last time he’d seen a city from above was when they crested the hill near the Crystal Gate, overlooking Emerald Deep. It had been almost overwhelming, but Ronja was easily ten times the size of what he’d seen there. The bright yellow lights were so densely packed it almost looked as if all the stars in the sky had merged there, lighting the surrounding landscape. He stared in wonder, not understanding how a city so large could exist. His memories of Eblesal were permanently fractured and broken so that he’d never really gotten a feel for the size of that city while he wandered the streets. To him, Ronja was now the biggest city in the world. He just wished he was visiting under better circumstances.
Following Lord d'Ronja’s shouted instructions, Lyra banked to the west side of the city, flying lower to find her way and keeping a little further south so as to not be spotted. The chateau, which Dusk assumed was a fancy name for a big house, turned out to be a sprawling estate full of gardens, orchards, courtyards, and farmland all surrounded by a tall stone fence with its own guard patrol. At the back of the estate was a massive house, easily over four stories high with conical peaked roofs and decorative stonework on anything that could hold the weight. Even in the dead of night it was well lit and looking astoundingly impressive. It would easily have held twenty families or more just within the main house. After staring at it for only ten seconds Dusk found himself wondering how Lex could ever give up such a beautiful place. But he knew that all the beauty in the world wouldn't have made him stay at the mines and in some ways, the house represented a similar existence to Lex.
Lyra flew herself to the far western edge and over the wall, her tail skimming the tops of trees as they went. Suddenly the forest opened up into a large clearing dotted with jagged rocks that looked like they’d tumbled from the mountain long ago. It wasn’t unlike the valley on the island they’d just left. Swooping around in wide circles, Lyra brought herself lower and lower until she finally touched down in the tall grass, trotting until she came to a halt. Everyone hopped off, stretching and groaning as they finally stood up for the first time in several hours.
“Can you wait here Lyra?” Dusk asked, walking over to her as she flopped down on her side to rest.
“Gladly,” she cooed, making herself comfortable.
It had been the first real break she’d gotten in days.
“We’ll find a way to contact you tomorrow after we’ve all gotten some rest. I’ll come out to see you.”
“There’s no need for that.” She lifted her head, touching her snout to Dusk’s forehead once more.
Unlike the jolting sensation with the magical flare she’d given him, this felt more like a warm egg being cracked over his head. He felt something slimy seep over his hair and skin. When he reached up to wipe away, revolted by the sensation, he found his hands came back dry.
“That felt disgusting,” he said, shivering in place as the feeling died away.
“We’re linked now,” she explained. “Whenever you need to speak to me, just reach out with your thoughts. They’ll find me. But don’t go too far, it won’t reach into the city, just to the house and the grounds most likely.”
“I’ll keep you up to date and I’ll check in tomorrow.”
“Good. Now go. I want to sleep.”
“Sleep well.”
Smiling to himself, Dusk let her be and gathered up the other three. He put Lord d'Ronja in front and started marching their way through the forest towards the noble’s estate. It took them less than ten minutes to reach the house and Dusk was thankful to see a small iron portcullis leading through the wall to the back garden. They wouldn’t have to walk all the way around. The house towered up in front of them, somehow imposing from any angle.
“Halt!” a voice shouted from the top of the fence.
All of them looked up to see three guards with their crossbows trained in their direction.
“Who goes there?” a second called out to them.
Lord d'Ronja stepped forward. “The lord returns to his house,” he called back. “I lost my steed in the woods and these fine folk helped me find my way back.”
A brief silence met his words as the soldiers glanced at one another.
“Come forward slowly,” the man to the left said, lowering his bow slightly.
Lord d'Ronja walked within a few feet of the wall, his hands out to his sides showing he was unarmed. The soldier looked down at him with keen eyes for a long moment, studying his features. Dusk held his breath until he finally saw the man relax and the bow drop to his side.
“Open the gate!” he called out.
The portcullis was raised and Lord d'Ronja beckoned them all forward. The soldiers saluted him as he walked through, holding himself a little higher and prouder than he had amongst the group. It seemed coming home brought back some of his noble facade that insofar had proved less than useful in the real world. The gate was dropped again and a single soldier led them to the house and into the foyer, alerting the other guards that Lord d'Ronja was now home. More than one of them streaked off down corridors for some unknown reason to Dusk. In less than five minutes the entire house was in an uproar with servants and guards going in every direction. Lex shifted nervously at Dusk’s side. Reaching out, Dusk took his hand and gave it a squeeze, letting him know he wasn’t going anywhere.
A moment later a large set of double doors were flung open at the top of the stairs in front of them and a woman stepped out on the landing. She was tall, thin, and wearing a floor length dress in the most striking red Dusk had ever seen. Her skin was pale, like Lex’s, and her dark hair was pulled into a tight bun. She commanded a presence unlike anyone Dusk had ever met. He noticed Tara staring at her with her mouth slightly open.
“I see you’re back,” she said stiffly to Lord d'Ronja. Her eyes scanned over the group of dirty, weather worn people behind him. “And who are they? More of Tiernan’s ruffians I suppose?”
Lex took a step forward, still holding Dusk’s hand. “Hi mom.”
Fifteen
The poise and intensity Lady d'Ronja had displayed melted away in a flash as her eyes came to rest on Lex.
“Alexander...” she cried softly. “Is it really you?”
“Yeah...” he muttered, taking another forward.
She made a movement towards him, but stopped, her eyes locked on Lord d'Ronja as if looking for his reaction. There was a malice in her eyes that made Dusk shiver internally.
“He’s back too,” Lex said, grabbing his father’s shoulder. “The real him.”
Unable to contain it any longer, she let out a stifled sob as if she’d been holding it in for years. Hiking up her dress she ran down the stairs and threw her arms around them both, pulling them in tight. She kissed Lex on the cheek, looking him over.
“You look so dirty,” she said, tears in her eyes.
Then she turned to her husband. Gently she grabbed both sides of his face in her hands and pulled him close.
“Is it really you, Xander?” she asked timidly, her eyes welling up.
“It’s me Lucia,” he replied, hugging her around the waist.
They stayed locked in an embrace for more than a minute. Lex eventually sidled his way over to Dusk and took his hand once more. There was a smile on his face that could only be described as relief. Even a few of the servants had stopped to stare at their exchange, their mouths open in surprise. It was obvious that the Ronja chateau hadn’t seen any sort of familial love in a long time by their expressions. Tara stood to the back of the group, her eyes now turned away from Lady d'Ronja and towards the floor.
“I can’t believe you’ve come back to me,” Lucia said, finally pulling away from her husband. “It’s been ten years since you left to take Lex to Eblesal. When you came back, you weren’t the man I married. I never knew what happened but I always hoped someday you’d find your way back to me. What... what became of you?”
“I don’t remember any of it,” he replied, tears coming to his eyes. “It’s all gone, all ten years of it. What terrible things did I do to you? To everyone?”
“He was under an enchantment,” Lex cut in before his mother could find a reply. “It’s a lot to explain and we will eventually, but we just rode a dragon across the entire continent and we’re exhausted. I’m so happy to see you mother, but all I want right now is a hot bath and a soft bed.”
“A dragon?” Her eyes grew big, but then she shook it away, regaining her posie. “I understand and we’ll talk tomorrow. I’m still quite angry with you for running off like that, but I know why you did it and because of that... I can’t blame you.” She glanced down at Dusk’s hand held by Lex, then back to her son. “Your room is just the way you left it.” She turned over her shoulder and called to one of the servants, “Please prepare baths, meals, and beds for my son and his guests.”
“As you wish milady,” the servant replied with a bow.
He and several others scattered, heading in multiple directions to dole out orders to the rest of the staff Dusk assumed. They were all dressed in clean servant uniforms and he couldn’t tell which of them might be slaves and which were hired due to their long sleeves. He wanted to shake Lord d’Ronja and scream at him to set them all free, but he also knew that there had been enough disturbance for one night. A part of him also realized that Lord d’Ronja didn’t have to listen to him at all if he didn’t want to. He was the master of his own house and the maker of laws in his own city. If he didn’t want to set his slaves free or pay them for their services, the only thing Dusk could do was either kill him and wait for Lex to take his place. Neither of which seemed like the ideal plan. But as he looked up and locked eyes with Lady d’Ronja she gave him a slight nod, glancing down at his and Lex’s hand once more. The corner of her mouth curled slightly upward, a warm accepting expression on her visage. Somehow, even though they hadn’t even been introduced yet, he knew he had an ally that would listen to him when the time came.
“Please,” Lady d’Ronja began, “ask for anything you need from the staff, they will be more than happy to assist. There is nothing too big or too small that we cannot accommodate.” She looked at the three of them, smiling at each in turn. “Take a night of rest and we’ll speak in the morning properly. But for now, I wish you a goodnight.” She looked back at her husband. “We, however, have some things to talk about now.”
Lord d’Ronja visibly gulped, his brows knitting together in worry. His wife took him by the hand, hiked up her dress on the opposite side, and led him up the stairs. They passed through the double doors that swung shut behind them leaving the three standing in the middle of the foyer. Both Dusk and Tara looked to Lex for instructions, having no idea where they were in the house or what to do next.
“My room is over in the west wing. There are a few guest rooms as well,” he said motioning for them to follow. “The bathhouse is nearer to the central portion. It’s gonna take them a bit to get it going. We haven’t had guests here in years.”
“This place has its own bathhouse?” Dusk whispered, leaning in towards Lex.
“There’s a lot of things here.”
“I’ve visited Ronja, but never been to the chateau before,” Tara said, following a few steps behind them. “The city itself isn’t bad. The food here is fucking great.”
Dusk was feeling a little overwhelmed as they passed through door after door, turning through a maze of corridors that made him feel more lost than he’d ever been. They passed rooms that looked like they’d been sealed off for quite a while, cobwebs gathering in the high corners of the door frames.
“Maybe we can go into the city tomorrow for a couple hours,” Dusk suggested, training his eyes back towards the floor. “We deserve to rest a bit and I want to see it... At least once.”
Tara grabbed him by the shoulder, turning him around. “Will you stop fucking talking like we’re all going to die in a couple days?” Tara snapped. “You’re giving me the creeps. I don’t know about you all, but I don’t plan on dying anytime soon.”
“I don’t either, I just...”
“Then stop,” she said sternly, poking him in the forehead. “Half the battle is in your head. If you draw your sword thinking you’ve already lost, you might as well lay down and die right there.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. Just try to be better.” She sighed, patting Dusk on the shoulder, pushing him to continue walking. “I don’t know what we’re going to do yet, but if there's a fight, you need to be ready. Instead of trying to see everything just in case we don’t survive, leave yourself things to look forward to. A soldier with something to lose will fight a hundred times harder than the others. And it’s those like him that change the tide of battle.”
