Windrider, Ever changing life
#5 of Windrider
Alrighty, the last peice of Able Archer's request. I hope you enjoy it.
As always, comments are appreciated and requested.
Continued from "A plan derailed.."
Aldaz strode through the courtyard behind Lord Kandris, sandwiched between two stoic assassins. He was so nervous that he was barely able to stop himself from shaking. Gradis had been left behind just outside of the castle's gates with two guards loyal to the lord. Across his chest, the young Windrider had slung the dispatch satchel, the leather now glowing with a spell that sealed it shut, the mark of the most important messages. He was frantically running everything the Lord had told him to do over and over in his mind. His part was to play a messenger from the Mani province of Lorne, their southernmost territory, whose inhabitants, like the Heliopolans, were tan skinned. The trouble was remembering the accent he was supposed to use. Citizens of Lorne pronounced words with very clipped tones, something hard to pull off smoothly unless you had been doing it all your life. His temporary ally had told him that he wouldn't be expected to say a word, but if he was questioned, he would have to reply personally. As the quartet passed through the doors and into the keep, wild terror broke in his chest.
'What are you thinking?' his mind questioned, its tone accusing. 'You don't know a thing about acting. For that matter, why are you helping this Mani lord in the first place?' Aldaz tried to ignore the voice, taking a deep breath to steady himself. He kept telling himself that a few minutes of abject terror were worth the chance to get away free with his brother. But, the terror in his chest was starting to make it hard to breathe. The corridor through which the lord and his guards were walking was lined with soldiers, all of them clad in heavy armor. If he couldn't pull this off, this was the last thing he was going to see. At the end of the hall, doors of oak at least eight feet tall were flanked by two men in ornate armor that made them look less like men and more like demons from Hell. Another man, dressed in fine velvet clothes of black and light blue, moved over to block the way forward. Aldaz gulped nervously, but the Lord he followed was unmoved by the man's motion, stopping in place.
"What is your business here, Lord Kandris?" The man asked, crossing his arms.
"An urgent message has arrived from Lorne." The lord replied. "I am making sure the messenger arrives safely. There have been several...incidents...in the city recently."
"Very well my lord." The man replied, stepping to the side, a nervous look on his face. "Proceed."
The lord led the way inside and Aldaz had to admire Kandris. One look had told him that the populace was way too afraid to cause trouble, but Lord Kandris apparently controlled all information going into and out of the castle, and the guards seemed very nervous. Shaking himself out of his wandering thoughts Aldaz forced his mind to concentrate on his task. When the group had passed into the throne room, Aldaz suddenly felt nearly paralyzed by fear. The room was lined with more of the demon-like soldiers, more than a score of them. And sitting in the throne at the end of the chamber was the Emperor of Mani himself. The moment they passed over the threshold, the old man looked at him and it took all Aldaz's control not to tremble under that intense gaze. It felt like he could see through the disguise he wore, could see everything that was in his mind. Aldaz felt sure that the old monarch knew exactly who he was, what he was doing here, and by all the accounts he had ever heard, would not hesitate to order him killed. But a moment later, the man in the throne looked away from him and stared instead at Lord Kandris.
"Lord Kandris, what is this?" He asked, and the Lord replied with the same answer he had given the man at the door. "Really? I am surprised. I didn't think these Heliopolans were that strong willed."
That insult suddenly hardened Aldaz's resolve. He was a Windrider, and pride in that gave him the strength to carry on with this play. Whatever else he might have been, he wasn't weak willed. With that answer, Archadius waved Aldaz forward and the boy took a few steps towards him, removing the satchel from around his neck and going down to one knee as Arman had instructed, offering the bag to the man on the throne. The Emperor took the satchel and removed an amulet from around his neck, passing it over the glowing leather. The faint glow of the closing spell faded swiftly and he removed the single missive from the satchel. It was sealed with wax and looked quiet official, but Aldaz was still worried. The message had been forged by Lord Kandris an hour before, and made to look like it had been in the satchel for at least a week, but Aldaz had no idea whether it would fool the Emperor. But, just when it looked like it had worked, the monarch paused, looking him over.
"Its odd that the Duke of Lorne would entrust so important a missive to so young a messenger." He said, looking Aldaz in the eyes once more. With his will hardened by pride, he didn't quail under the gaze, staring right back at him. "Tell me, why does he trust you so?" Aldaz paused a moment, working the phrasing of his reply over in his head once more.
"I am the Duke's nephew." He replied, his words the reply that Kandris had given him, taking great care to pronounce everything just right. Suddenly struck by inspiration, he continued. "No bond is stronger than blood." The Emperor looked at him appraisingly for a few moments more, but Aldaz didn't waver.
"That is true." He finally said, breaking the seal on the message and looking away from him. He scanned the message quickly, then his eyes grew suddenly wide. Rising to his feet, he shouted loudly for his herald. Lord Kandris hurried to Archadius' side, playing the concerned servant.
"Your majesty, what is going on?" He asked, pulling off surprise well.
"The people of Lorne have rebelled." The Emperor said, hurrying to the door. "They have overwhelmed the Duke's army. I must send aid immediately."
"Of course my liege." Arman said, stepping back out of the way. The royal guards followed the Emperor outside the room, leaving Aldaz with Kandris and his assassins. The moment the door was shut, Aldaz let out the breath he had been holding, a shiver passing through him as he relaxed. He had actually done it.
"Well done boy." Kandris said, walking up to the Windrider. "You pulled it off." Reaching into a pouch at his side, Arman removed a rolled up piece of parchment and tossed it to Aldaz. "That will get you past the guards at the prison. The key's inside. Wait until tomorrow morning at dawn to make your move. Now go, before I change my mind."
Aldaz nodded, hurrying from the room, tapping the parchment in his palm, dislodging the small jewel. It certainly looked like the one the Lord had shown him earlier. The corridors leading out of the castle were jammed with so many soldiers going at a quick pace on their own business that he couldn't get out past the courtyard for almost a half hour. When he was finally out of the castle once more, Gradis trilled quietly in greeting and he walked over to where she stood in the shadows of the wall, the guards that Arman had left with her no where to be seen. While he walked, he noticed that there was quite a lot of activity in the city as well, with swarms of soldiers moving through the streets at a great pace.
"I was starting to get worried." She whispered as they walked off down the street. "Did it work?"
"Yes." Aldaz said, showing her the parchment roll and the green stone. "What's going on?"
"I'm not sure." She replied, looking around carefully while he led the way down the road, headed towards the market square once more. It was the one place in the city where they could hide out until morning, unnoticed by all. "I've seen nearly a dozen small airships go up to that big one already. Maybe it's leaving."
"I hope so." He replied, "Lets hurry and get out of sight..."
***
Arman walked quickly through the streets, headed for the warehouse district outside the Aerodome. The Emperor had done exactly what Arman had thought he would. Lorne was a rich province, one of the richest in the Empire. If it really had rebelled against the Imperial forces, he would have to take it back as soon as possible, and knowing Archadius' vindictive nature, he would want to send a message. Nothing sent a stronger message than having the Dreadnaught, the most powerful airship in the world, show up and start landing an army. The huge airship was about to depart, leaving only his garrison and the small royal guard behind in the city. And everyone in the garrison was loyal to him. The arrival of the young boy in a stolen errand rider's uniform had given him the perfect, golden opportunity to execute his plan. Smiling broadly, he stepped between the two soldiers standing guard outside the warehouse and opened the door. In the small room inside, Captain Varnil and a dozen other officers loyal to Arman sat or stood, awaiting his arrival.
"Varnil, did you complete your assignment?" He asked without preamble. The dragon rider nodded, speaking quietly.
"The weapons and armor have been assembled as you commanded, my lord." He replied, "No one questioned the orders."
"Good." Arman said, looking at another officer. "Lieutenant?" he questioned, looking at the junior officer expectantly.
"The men are ready to move into position whenever you desire sir." He said. Arman grinned deviously.
"Good, good." He said. "We will move at sunrise tomorrow. Be ready for my signal. Now go."
The officers all filed out of the warehouse, heading for their usual posts. Such quick meetings were common for the conspirators, since such a large number of officers being missing all at once would be suspicious. Only Captain Varnil, Arman's second in command, remained behind. The dragon rider waited until the last officer was gone, then slid the door shut behind them.
"Did you do as I asked?" Arman asked and the captain nodded.
"We burned the dead Heliopolan soldiers as you asked, and presented their ashes as proof." Varnil replied, and Arman's grin spread wider. The two officers walked over to the other side of the small room and Arman pushed back the door. Inside, fifty four pairs of yellow eyes stared at him once more, the monstrous soldiers waiting for his orders. Captain Varnil had been assigned the task of rounding up the monsters after the battle. Archadius had ordered him to slaughter them with his dragon's fire, since they were as much a danger to the occupying army as they were to the defenders. It was an order that Varnil had subsequently disobeyed. Once it had been explained to the monsters what their master had ordered, they had all immediately switched allegiance. Whatever else could be said for them, they understood treachery. Arman turned from the sight of his secret weapon and shared an evil smile with his subordinate officer. Soon, his plans would be complete. Soon...
***
Aldaz looked up at the prison's walls from the street with trepidation. The sky off to the east was starting to get brighter, heralding the approaching dawn. The building was dark and foreboding in the dim light, and the soldiers that walked the ramparts did nothing to help this image. It looked impenetrable and Aldaz knew that, once again, he had to make a flawless performance, or he would be stuck forever within those walls at the very least. Swallowing nervously, he smoothed the crumpled edge of the message Lord Kandris had given him, forcing himself to relax his grip slightly. He was thankful that he was wearing the stolen leather gloves, for if he hadn't been, the message would have long ago become unreadable, his hands soaking wet with nervousness. Thinking back over the last few hours, he waited for his moment.
He and Gradis had made their way through the confusion the departure of the dreadnaught had caused, moving with purpose but not running. Since he looked like he knew where he was going, no one, not even other errand riders, had given them a second glance. The moment they had stepped into the market square, the pair had disappeared into the ruins of shops he had once frequented, finally settling in to wait within a small clear space, bordered all on sides by rubble. Gradis had crouched down to better hide amongst the light colored stone and Aldaz had settled beside her, laying back against his feathery lover. They had talked for a while, considering their next step, unsure of what they were going to do if they succeeded in freeing their siblings. They had eventually settled on heading towards Tacitus, where at least they might find a safe harbor for a while. Once decided on that, they had fallen to talking about how they were going to free Falk and Aerin in the first place. Aldaz could still remember the conversation they had had, the words burned into his mind with embarrassment.
"Well, at dawn, we will go into the prison." He had begun, "I will give the guards this message, then we will head to their cell and open it. Then we will all fly away together before anyone is the wiser."
"Aldaz, I don't trust this Lord Kandris." She had said, regarding him thoughtfully. "He is planning something, something that we are only a small part of. But despite that, I sense that he is a cruel, heartless man. I do not believe he will let us leave so easily."
"You're right." Aldaz said, berating himself for his blind trust. "What do you think he will do?"
"I think..." Gradis had explained, "That if we wait for dawn like he told us too, we will be in trouble. Maybe the guards will change then, or maybe he has a trap laid out for us." Aldaz had nodded, considering all the possibilities. "And there is something else. I do not believe that they will have left Aerin and Falk just sitting in their cell without being bound somehow."
"Damn." He had cursed, grateful once again for his love's unique insight. Once again, she had caught the details he missed. Finally, they had pulled out the message and read it by starlight. It had been unsealed save for the cord tying it closed and he read it with interest. It was a pass allowing him entry into the prison, just as Arman had said. But then, as he had stared at the parchment, he had hit upon a desperate idea, one that had scant chance of working, but Gradis had agreed that they had had no other choice. Then, working by the pale light of the stars, he had used some spare parchment he had found with the errand riders and, using the pass as an example, he had forged an order releasing Falk and Aerin, then had painstakingly copied the Lord's signature. If he gave it to a low ranking guard or an officer, who like as not would not recognize it for what it was, they might have a chance.
So they had passed an uneasy night, unable to sleep, always on guard for people who might catch them. A few minutes ago, they had made their slow, careful way through the silent streets towards the prison. It reminded him of sneaking out to go flying with Gradis all those times, the experience serving him well. He knew these streets better than anyone else, which was definitely a good thing, since the stakes here were so much higher than they ever had been. And now, they stood, waiting. He knew he could not wait much longer, and he knew that his timing must be perfect. Looking up into the brightening sky, he nodded to himself. Squaring up his shoulders, he began to walk, crossing the open space before the prison gate with a confident gait. His heart was hammering in his chest once more, and his hands were trembling slightly within his gloves, but he did let it show in his face. There were four guards before the gate and a sergeant, with who knew how many above it on the walls. As he walked, he waited to feel the sting of a bolt or an arrow from some hidden marksman on the walls, but no such missile came. Gradis was walking proudly beside him, her reins in his grasp once more. Aldaz knew that to anyone watching, they were Imperial messengers with important news.
"Hold there." The sergeant commanded, holding up his hand. The guards leveled their spears at the pair and they stopped, Aldaz's heart speeding up even more. "Your pass?" Aldaz held out the message for inspection and the sergeant reviewed it without much interest. Apparently, this sort of thing happened enough to be routine, though Aldaz doubted that many people came to the prison at his hour. The sergeant handed the pass back and stepped aside. "Go on through."
Aldaz strode forward with the same calm gait he had had walking up, though every instinct was once again urging him to run. And then, he was inside the arch and the stone walls of the prison. A double row of large cells lined the courtyard, each one with its own guard. A large man in black leather walked between the rows, a ring of keys jingling at his side. Aldaz knew that he was the one he would need to convince. As he walked up, the swiftly gathering light allowed him to pick out more details of the man, and Aldaz was not comforted. The man was bald, ugly and horribly scarred, like he had gone through a meat grinder face first. Steeling himself, Aldaz strode up to him and the man paused, looking him over without interest.
"What do you want?" The man asked, his voice a quiet croak. Wordlessly, Aldaz removed the forged message from his pouch and handed it over. The man took it and reviewed it for a moment. Then, he looked back up at Aldaz and the Windrider felt that he was caught for sure. "Why does his lordship want these two released?" A dozen different replies washed through Aldaz's mind in an instant before he finally decided on one that seemed best.
"You are asking the wrong man." Aldaz said, trying to sound bored rather than scared out of his mind. "All I know is that he sent me to fetch them. Maybe he has some private entertainment planned for them." The jailor looked at him for a moment, then he smiled unpleasantly, the gesture making Aldaz's skin crawl. He laughed a low, throaty laugh and clapped Aldaz on the shoulder with one meaty hand, oblivious to his armor.
"I bet he does." The jailor said, then motioned for his men to unlock the cell, spitting a gob of phlegm onto the ground. "I only wish I could be there. I bet its going to be good." Aldaz gave a slight smile, utterly repulsed by this horrible individual, but unable to show his contempt for him. While the guards went inside and unlatched the chains from the wall, the jailor looked back at Aldaz and then looked Gradis over, a queer gleam in his eye. "What's with the bird, eh?" He began once again, the queer expression fading a little. "Never known a messenger to go about with his bird before."
"Orders." Aldaz stated, giving the single word a dismissive air, as if it explained everything. The jailor nodded his understanding.
"Officers," he said, "Don't know a damn thing do they?" Aldaz nodded his agreement and wished the guards would hurry up. Every moment that passed was another one that brought the dawn, and whatever Kandris had been planning, closer. But finally, the guards emerged from the cell, leading Falk and Aerin by halters around their necks. Both were secured with a single lock and Aldaz gave thanks that he had decided not to use the jewel. Neither of them appeared to recognize him or Gradis in the dim light and Aldaz couldn't help but give a small smile. When they had come out into the courtyard at last, the jailor spoke one last time. "Right, here you go. Do you want guards?"
"No, they shouldn't be any trouble." Aldaz stated, taking the chain in the same hand Gradis' reins were in. With that, he led the way out of the prison and into the city streets. They had just passed out of sight of the prison walls when the silence of the city was suddenly shattered. War cries echoed throughout the streets, soon accompanied by the clash of arms and the cries of battle. Quickly, Aldaz turned back and swept his coif and arming cap off his head, turning to his brother. Falk's face was first filled with sullen anger, then sudden joy broke over it as he recognized his brother at last.
"Aldaz?" He asked, surprised when his brother pressed the green gem to the lock. The lock clicked and the gem crumbled away. Aldaz wasted no time removing the halters from Aerin and his brother, finally speaking directly to them.
"Yes, its me." He said, tossing the chains down into the street before climbing onto Gradis' back once more. "I don't have time to explain. We have to fly now or we might not get away at all."
Falk nodded and leapt onto Aerin. The great avians then spread their wings, stretching a little before lifting off, and leapt into the air, their wings beating hard. Aldaz could hear the chaos of a surprise attack rippling throughout the entire city and he let Gradis pick her own way through the sky, hugging himself tight to her back to quicken their escape. It was an agonizing few minutes as they flew over the city, then the outlands beyond, waiting for a cry to go up that they had been seen, a cry that never came. But finally, they were out and away over the ocean once more, flying hard to the west. Once they were gone, he straightened up once more. He was now glad that they had decided not to wait for the dawn. If they had, they would have been caught in the chaos of the attack and most likely killed. But then, he breathed a sigh of relief. They had actually done it. They had escaped for a second time, this time without being noticed. Grinning broadly, he prepared himself for the long flight towards their destination. Still smiling in triumph, he closed his eyes, lying forward on his love's neck, breathing her comforting scent. Gradis turned her head back at him and smiled in return, speaking just loud enough for him to hear her.
"Sleep now my love." She said and he nodded, drowsiness steeling over him as the tension of the last few days finally left him. And then, high in the air, the west wind caressing him as he lay on his love's back, the Windrider slept in peace at last, not caring that behind him, a battle was raging in his home for the second time, the chaos seeming to be destined to further ruin the city of his birth...
***
Arman stood in castle courtyard, before the walls of the keep once more, his assassins around him. The sky was lightening towards the dawn, the sky filling with light on this, the most important day of his life. Captain Varnil sat mounted on his dragon, hovering above the courtyard, waiting for the word. Finally, as the stars were beginning to disappear into the brightening sky, Arman nodded. Varnil nodded in return, his dragon winging off into the city. The assassin waited calmly for a few more minutes, then, when a mighty war cry sounded outside the castle, he turned, pushing the doors to the keep open before him. The soldiers that lined the corridors inside were all members of the Royal Guard, and therefore theoretically followed only the orders of the Emperor, but as the sounds of battle echoed outside, they did not seem to mind taking orders from him.
"There has been a rebellion." He stated, "Rouse the others and make for his majesty's airship." The soldiers instantly scrambled to obey him, running either for the staircase leading up to their temporary barracks, or out into the city. While they ran, Arman and his men walked confidently up to the herald, who still stood outside the throne room with the two guards. The guards here, and those inside the chamber ahead, were all the personal body guards of Archadius and they would take a little more convincing than the lesser guards. The herald looked at him with concern and Arman spoke before he could get a word out. "The Heliopolans have rebelled. Apparently, much of their troops hid when we attacked. My garrison is trying to contain them, but we must see to the Emperor's safety."
"Of course." The herald said, turning and thrusting open the doors, the guards falling in step with the assassins. The Emperor, ever paranoid, slept on a futon in the throne room, surrounded by his guards. Now, Archadius was sitting up in his bed, looking groggy.
"Your majesty, we must get you to your airship." Arman said, the Emperor nodding sleepily, rising to his feet.
"What is going on, Lord Kandris?" He asked, and Arman replied when he had fallen in step beside the monarch, his guards closing in around them.
"The people have rebelled." The lord explained, "Apparently, they hid a portion of their army when we attacked. My troops are fighting hard to hold them at bay, but they are many. It would be safer for you to leave as soon as you can."
"I will do nothing of the sort." The emperor stated indignantly, looking at Kandris with outrage. "No, I will lead my royal guard personally and we shall crush this rebellion."
"Your majesty, you mustn't do that." Arman said, expecting that reaction. "Their force outnumbers my garrison, and even with the dragon riders, we are hard pressed. Besides, if they could hide that many of their soldiers, who can tell what else they might have? I fear that they may have allies on the way, perhaps entire fleets of airships. We cannot take the chance of you being caught and killed. The Empire needs you to survive."
"You are right, Lord Kandris." Archadius said, a grim expression on his face. "If you win the day, these people must be punished for this."
"I swear, it will be done." Arman said, giving a half bow while they walked.
"First Lorne and now this." The emperor muttered, quickening his pace as the sounds of clashing arms grew nearer. "If I didn't know better, I would swear these southerners were madmen, every last one of them."
Arman smiled to himself as they continued on. Both rebellions were his doing. The Emperor's personal airship could not have been more than ten minutes away, but they had not walked for more than five minutes when they found the streets ahead filled with a grand melee of soldiers. The rest of the Royal Guard was fighting for their lives with hundreds of soldiers dressed in the bronze and gold highlighted armor of Heliopolis, the metal catching the dawn's rays brilliantly. There was certainly no way through on this street.
"We have to go around." Arman stated, then led the way to a side street. "This way."
The small group walked into an alley that was clear of troops and the lord led them on. So far, the plan was working perfectly. The soldiers in the Heliopolan armor were actually his troops, decked out in the armor of the dead, and they knew the ins and outs of the Mani Royal Guard's fighting style. Before the end of the day, the Royal Guard would be wiped out to the last man. Still grinning slightly, the assassin looked up at a nearby rooftop, pretending to be gazing at the sky. On the roof, one of his lieutenants was waiting. At his glance, the officer moved off, ready to perform his part of the plan.
The small party of soldiers advanced through the alley until it came to an end, then turned onto the road once more. Ahead of them, around the last bend in the road, Archadius' airship waited for them in the Great Square. But then, just as they were passing the last crossroad, a mournful howl echoed in the air. The Emperor and his men halted in place, looking around warily. And then, from both side streets, the monstrous forms of the hybrid warriors flooded into the battle. The herald instantly began barking orders.
"You four, follow Lord Kandris and get the Emperor out of here." He cried, drawing his sword and turning to face the monsters with the rest of the guards. They were doomed, and everyone knew it. Arman knew it, the herald knew it, every guard knew it, and if the hybrid soldiers had been able to think that way, they would have known it as well. But they fought anyway, buying time for their charge to get to safety. Arman seized the Emperor's arm and hurried him forward along the road.
The small group, now much reduced in size, rounded the last bend in the road and hurried on towards the airship. Its crew would be sleeping on board, ready to fly, but they would not awake in time to stop Arman. The moment they entered the Great Square, the sun rose, blinding the guards. Arman motioned to his assassins with a deft movement of his hand, a gesture hidden within normal movement and quickly, before the Emperor or his guards could react, the assassins were upon them. Two of them grabbed the monarch, disarming him quickly. The other four each picked a guard. Daggers flashed in the light of the dawn and four clatters accompanied the bodies of the last of Archadius' bodyguards as they fell to the earth.
"What are you doing?!" The Emperor cried, indignant at their treatment as they forced him to his knees. "Unhand me at once!!" Then, he looked up to find Arman striding towards him at a slow pace, not in any hurry, dagger in hand once more. Archadius had not had time to don his armor in the rush to leave and his face was suddenly lit with surprise as Arman approached and stared down at him, an evil grin on his face. "You!! You did this!"
"You should never have given me this city." Arman commented, laying the dagger's point on the Emperor's neck. "But then, I suppose I should thank you. If you hadn't given it to me, I might never have carried out my plans. Goodbye, your majesty..."
***
Aldaz stood beside Gradis, his heavy cloak rustling in the bitter winter winds. He was dressed in leather armor over his robes, the leather pristine, freshly molded. It had been months since Heliopolis fell, and though the city was still under the control of the invaders, Aldaz had never been happier. The two brothers had escaped cleanly, no dragon riders or airships following them. They had spent a week or so island hoping to the distant coast, then flying northward to Tacitus' capital city. Along the way, he and Gradis had ditched their Mani disguises, and they had explained most of what had happened to Aerin and Falk. They had made no mention of the change their relationship had taken along the way. When the quartet had arrived in the capital, they found a welcome surprise waiting for them. Their entire family had escaped after all, bringing with them hundreds of other refugees. They had all but given the brothers up for dead and it had been a very happy reunion indeed, the resulting festival lasting for days.
When Aldaz had told his story to the survivors and to the leaders of Tacitus, everyone had been astonished. But then, when it became clear that they were telling the absolute truth, the pair were hailed as heroes. They had done something that no one had thought was possible. Though they were both relatively young, they had acted with the same skill and cunning as some of the best soldiers in the world. It wasn't until the hubbub of their return died down that things began to change. The first thing came soon after the festival. Aldaz noticed a change that had been worked in him over their adventure. Where before he had been a rather naïve boy simply living life, he was now more mature, with ideas of what he wanted to do with himself. Smiling, Aldaz looked over at Gradis, patting her neck with his gloves and giving her a gentle kiss. She returned the kiss just as gently, the pair standing side by side on a cliff overlooking the city.
In the months since they had loved, the mysterious magic that had given her a more human body had bound them closer than ever, Gradis using it always when they were alone, always when they were intimate. They had grown to count on the strange occurrence, enjoying it as much as they could before it faded, as it seemed it would last hours at a time. But, even as he looked at his love, his thoughts returned to the future.
That was another thing that had changed, something that had given him a reason to plan where he wanted to go. Soon the pair would be leaving, flying off to explore the world, or at least, that was what they had told everyone. His father had been dead set against his going, but he had soon realized that Aldaz would not be swayed on the issue and had relented. He had even paid to have Aldaz's leather armor made. They had been in Tacitus for all of a month when the reason had come to the surface. He could still remember the day it had come. The summer had been drawing to a close, and he and Gradis had snuck out into the wilderness to be together. And then, when they had been cuddling in the wild clearing they had landed in, Gradis had told him the most surprising thing. Wonder of wonders, against all odds and all reason, Gradis was pregnant. Aldaz had known at once that the child, or children more than likely, were his. They had managed to keep it secret until mid-autumn, when Aerin deduced it. They had finally told their siblings the whole tale of what had happened the day after they escaped. They had been surprised, but ultimately supportive. But, they could not take the chance of anyone else finding out about it. Soon, it would impossible to hide the fact that Gradis was with child, so they were leaving before awkward questions would be asked. Already, several people who had known them back in Heliopolis were looking at her strangely, as if they suspected something was wrong.
Besides, Aldaz had felt for a while now that his place did not lie here in this land. Though his family was there, though all the free Heliopolans were there, as long as they looked down on such a relationship as he and Gradis shared, it would never be his home. Smiling once more, he looked back out to sea and sighed. A winter storm threatened to break soon, so they would be here for at least another day. But, it didn't matter to him. He had realized that wherever Gradis was, so too was his home. Grinning broadly, Aldaz turned and walked back down the ridge, his mate beside him. For now, he was happy simply to have his love beside him, and as long as he had that, he would be happy...
The end