Balance of the World

Chapter 12: Curing the King

“Elias, he won’t let us onto the ship,” Zoey recalled as he untied the rope holding the raft ashore from a tree trunk at the edge of the forest.

“He may,” Elias replied, tossing the rope aside. “He’ll want to make the kill himself, I guarantee it.”

Zoey swallowed nervously and nodded but she frowned in wonder when she noticed a light flicker in the forest behind the beach.

“Elias,” she called, drawing his attention as he climbed onto the raft. “That looks like—Look out!”

A Dark Fairy zoomed out from behind a tree just as Elias turned and smacked him in the head so hard it sent him to the floor of the raft. Zoey gasped and knelt down to try to help him, but noticed the fairy recover from the stun it had received and zoomed toward them. The red head lifted a hand and swatted it with all her might, sending the fairy into the water where it flopped around a bit before slowly rising from the water and zooming back into the forest.

She turned back to Elias and shook him, calling, “Elias! Wake up! I can’t drive this thing myself! I need your help! Wake up!”

He didn’t respond and she leaned forward, her ear at his nose and mouth to make sure he was still breathing. She sighed in relief when she felt his breath fan her ear then growled as she sat up.

“The Great Masked General, Elias Blackwood, taken out cold by a Fairy to the head!” she snapped, slapping his shoulder, which only moved him but didn’t wake him.

Zoey sighed again and looked around, suddenly realizing that the raft was drifting out to sea from all the movement. She looked to the beach to see the line on the shore, separating the waters of mermaids and sirens.

“Right is good, left is…” Her eyes widened in realization when she realized they were drifting onto the siren side of the line. “Not good.”

Panicking, she looked around for something to paddle her way back to the safe side of the sea but found nothing.

“Who the hell has a raft without something to steer it with?!” she snapped and knelt in the raft to start paddling with her hands.

She hurriedly scooped water back as fast as she can, feeling like she’d been farther from the safe side than she’d first thought. She silently willed Elias to wake up so that he could help her, but he still lay, motionless beside her. She started struggling to paddle the raft, but she froze in terror when she reached her hand into the water and felt something scaly brush against her fingers. She swallowed, lifting her hand from the water and looking around, the raft drifting to a stop.

Zoey could only hear her own breathing and her thumping heart above the rippling water as she watched the surface closely. She was far from safe at the moment, and she just hoped that whatever she might have touched was a fish or a wandering mermaid. She lifted a hand to Elias’s shoulder to shake it, making the raft rock, slightly but she didn’t take her gaze from the water.

A hiss suddenly sounded behind her and she spun around to be met by an airborne Siren with solid hazel eyes and black hair, claws and teeth bared and diving toward her. Zoey tried to dive out of the way, but Galina grabbed a hold of Zoey’s leg as she tried to escape. She screamed as she felt Galina’s claws dig into her flesh and try to use it to pull herself onto the raft. Zoey turned and kicked Galina in the face several times to get her off of her.

“Elias!” Zoey screamed, still trying to get Galina off of her. “Elias! Wake up!”

“Your Half-breed General can’t help you now!” Galina snarled, still clamped onto Zoey’s leg.

Zoey ignored her as she grabbed onto Elias to shake him, but it made her lose her grip on the raft to keep her on it and Galina dragged her overboard and into the water. She screamed just before she was pulled under the water and instantly started struggling. She kicked and punched at Galina who only held her under the water, attempting to drown her. Zoey curled into a ball and thought of which spell she wanted to use.

Galina was thrown from her as a pulse ran through the water and the Siren shook the shock away to swim rapidly back toward Zoey as she tried heading toward the surface for air. Zoey took in a breath of air above the surface, but screamed in pain when her injured leg was pulled on again and she was, once again, pulled under the surface. This time Galina gripped her shoulders and swam Zoey down, farther from the surface as Zoey struggled to be free.

Her eyes suddenly widened when she was released as a blurry figure tackled Galina. She watched them tumble through the water in shock before trying to swim toward the surface, not bothering to see who had saved her and needing to breathe. She was halfway there when her lungs began to burn, and she reflexively began trying to take in breaths.

She suddenly felt a pair of hands around her waist, pulling her toward the surface and she took in a deep breath when she broke the surface once more then looked around to see her savior.

“Liona!” she panted. “Did you tackle that Siren?!”

“The least I could do was save your life since you saved mine,” Liona replied. “But thank me later. We need to get you to the raft and on board the Mela Ear.”

“You know why we’re here?” Zoey wondered in surprise as Liona pulled her toward the raft.

“Varen told me everything when he was heading back to shore,” the mermaid replied. “He said you would need help. A long awaited war has been brewing under the surface of these waters, and this was just the trigger we needed to finally settle it.”

They both reached the raft and Zoey stared up with wide eyes when Elias held his hand toward her to help her onto it.

“You’re awake!” she breathed as he and Liona helped her onto the raft and she threw her arms around him. “I was so worried about you!”

“I finally awoke when I heard you scream before you disappeared,” he murmured, holding her close. “I sent Liona to help you. Mermaids are equals in strength to Sirens.”

“I’m going to get you to the Mela Ear as fast as I can, Elias,” Liona reported. “Hold on.”

The raft moved rapidly over the waters as Zoey refused to let go of Elias, and he held her close as well, then he noticed the blood dripping from her leg.

“Zoey, your leg!” he breathed in wide-eyed horror, making Zoey look to her leg as well. “Did that Siren do that to you?!”

“Yeah,” she sighed, shifting to bring her leg up to her reach. “She really wanted to kill me.”

Elias watched as she placed her hands on either side of her leg and a silver flash shone around her leg. Zoey smiled as she lowered her hands then stretched her leg out to see if there was any pain then looked to Elias.

“All better,” she grinned, and they came to a stop, making them both look up to see the Mela Ear looming above them.

“May Seldarine be with you and the King,” Liona said, swimming away and catching Elias’s attention. “Long live King Kaysar.”

Elias nodded, watching Liona dive back under water before looking to Zoey who had been staring up at the ship they were next to with wide eyes.

“Zoey?” he called gently, catching her attention and she whipped her gaze to his. “Are you alright?”

She nodded, but said nothing for a moment as she looked up at the ship and swallowed, hard.

“Let’s do this,” she murmured, grabbing the ladder and starting to climb up.

“Zoey! Wait!” Elias whispered, hurrying after her as she neared the railing. “We’ve not asked permission! Do you wish to anger him further?!”

“Yes!” she hissed just as she reached the railing and climbed over it.

Two pairs of hands were instantly on her arms and pulled them behind her back, to which she instantly struggled. Two other crew members dragged Elias over the railing and restrained him in the same way Zoey was being held.

“Well, well…”

The two recognized the voice and looked to the captain’s cabin to see Kaysar strolling out of the cabin, his arm slung over Namir’s shoulders.

“Come for me throne yourself, have you, Enuria?” he ground out, stepping within an inch of her face, making Elias start to struggle again as Namir stepped away, quietly. “Couldn’t wait until you earned it, eh?”

“Sir,” Zoey began, calmly. “You’re under a spell. You’re not in your right mind, Captain. I can help you. Let me help you, please.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’d love that, wouldn’t ye, deary?” he smirked darkly, making Zoey’s heart race in panic as he stepped away and drew his sword to examine it. “Render the King unfit for duty. You cure me, and you’re the hero, as if you didn’t have enough recognition.”

“Kaysar, listen to her!” Elias pleaded, not liking the way he was taunting them. “You’ve been sprinkled with Dark Fairy dust and if you don’t let her help you—!”

Elias was cut off when Kaysar flicked his sword to aim the point at his throat, making the general lift his chin to avoid the blade.

“Elias!” Zoey called, desperately.

“You will speak when I allow it, Blackwood,” Kaysar ground out before lowering his sword and strolling toward Zoey again. “Tell me something, Enuria. Do you love General Blackwood?”

Zoey frowned at him as Elias stared wide eyes at him in disbelief.

“W-What does that have to do with anything?” Zoey asked, trying to dodge the question.

“Answer the question!” Kaysar boomed, marching toward her and lifting the blade sideways toward her throat.

“Pitkam!” Elias roared, trying to fight against his captors but two more men rushed toward him to keep him in place. “Get away from her! Fight with someone your own speed!”

“I want to hear her say it, and I know you’re dying to know as well,” Kaysar called back through a smirk, not looking away from Zoey as she held her chin up to avoid his sword, trembling with fear. “Tell me, lass. Do you love him? If you don’t answer, whether you do or not, I will kill him.”

Zoey’s eyes widened at him in panic before she looked to Elias, who had stopped struggling and was now staring back at her. He shook his head, silently telling her not to answer and she shut her eyes, a tear rolling down her cheek before she looked back at Kaysar.

“No answer?” he taunted, and Zoey took in a breath but said nothing. To her surprise, Kaysar laughed, heartily as he sheathed his sword as she and Elias stared at him in confusion. “It doesn’t matter. I know that he loves you. Which will make this all the more traumatizing for him.”

He waved his men away as Zoey frowned at him but he only took her arm to drag her with him.

“No!” Elias roared, starting to struggle even harder now, and it made Zoey struggle as well, suddenly realizing what Kaysar was going to do. “Kaysar! Let her go, or, I swear, I’ll kill you!”

Zoey still struggled, not wanting to use a spell out of fear that she would hurt him. Kaysar was steps away from his cabin when the doors slammed shut and Namir stood in front of them, bringing Kaysar to a screeching stop.

“Namir, get out of me way,” Kaysar ordered, glaring at the elf and she glared right back at him.

“No, Sir,” Namir snapped back with mock respect, making his glare burn deeper but she matched it.

“I’m warnin’ ye,” he ground out, still holding onto Zoey’s arm in a death grip. “Out of the way…now!”

“As First Mate, I’m deeming you unfit to captain this ship and this crew,” Namir replied.

“Ye can’t do that!” Kaysar boomed.

Zoey felt his grip loosen on her arm and she quickly yanked her arm from his hand, drawing his attention to her again. Before he could react, she placed her hands on either side of his head and making his eyes widen in shock.

“Deireadh A Chur!” Zoey called, still holding onto Kaysar’s face and he suddenly began seizing in front of her, but she held firm, closing her eyes to concentrate.

Elias shoved the men off of him as they stared at the scene in wonder and he ran toward Namir when she moved toward the two to separate them. He gripped her arms and gently pulled her back, to which she tried struggling, but he entreated her to wait. The first mate and the general watched in awe as Kaysar seized a moment longer and Zoey opened her eyes to reveal them to be in a black fog. Zoey finally released Kaysar, her eyes closing again and he stopped seizing as Zoey began falling. Elias hurried toward her and caught her before she fell to the deck, and Kaysar collapsed as Namir ran toward him to cradle his head in her lap.

“Get the surgeon!” she shouted at one of the men as Elias sat on with Zoey leaning against him, her head on his shoulder.

“Zoey?” he whispered, shaking her slightly when she didn’t open her eyes. “Zoey. Please tell me you’re alright, Angel. Open your eyes.”

Zoey groaned with a slight frown as she stirred, turning her face toward his gaze and slowly opening her eyes. They shone a bright silver before fading back to her original color of ice blue and she glanced around in confusion.

“What happened?” she muttered, holding her hand to her head to will away a starting headache as Elias only smiled down at her.

“You saved our king, Angel,” he murmured and Zoey looked at him with wide eyes, suddenly remembering why they were there. “You need to rest now, Zoey. You’ve weakened yourself quite a bit.”

“Is she…well?”

Elias looked up to his right to see Kaysar standing next to him, recovered but his head bowed in shame.

“She’ll be better after some rest,” Elias nodded, looking back at Zoey who had curled up on his shoulder and fallen asleep.

“Bosun!” Kaysar called and one of his men ran up to him as Namir knelt in front of Elias and Zoey to look at her friend. “Take Miss Walsh to me cabin and guard it with your life. Namir, go with her and watch over her, aye?”

Namir looked up and nodded as she stood to let the bosun take her place as Kaysar ordered the men to get to work. Elias reluctantly let the other man gather Zoey up and carry her to the cabin, Namir opening the doors for him and Kaysar turned to the general.

“Elias…” he began, then choked in a breath before murmuring, “Will ye…ever forgive me for this?”

“No harm was done, Kaysar,” Elias assured him. “Zoey is safe, and now so are you, my friend. I forgive what was not your fault.”

“Ye say that…but I don’t think me first mate will say the same,” Kaysar muttered, strolling toward the railing to look out toward the shore.

“She knew you weren’t in your right mind, Kaysar,” Elias admitted, which came as a shock to the captain as he looked to the general with wide eyes. “That’s why she went to Varen, who in turn came to us. We all feared for you, my friend.”

Kaysar looked back out to sea in shock, breathing, “That’s why she…”

Elias frowned when he trailed off but had no time to question the captain before he turned and marched toward his cabin, past the bosun who was now standing guard and inside with Elias right behind him. Kaysar stopped just beyond the doors as Namir looked up with wide eyes from patting Zoey’s forehead with a damp cloth.

“Captain?” she frowned in wonder, but he said nothing as he marched toward her. She quickly stood, still staring at him as he took her wrist into his and dragged her from the cabin.

“Private discussion, Elias,” he assured the general. “Ye understand. Gotta talk to me first mate here about some captainy things.”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Elias nodded as they passed him. “I’ll stay with Zoey.”

“Good thinkin’, General,” Kaysar called back as he rounded onto the stairs leading to the helm.

He passed it and continued marching until they were all the way to the railing of the sterncastle. He pulled Namir in front of him and she gave a squeak of surprise when he gripped her waist to lift her and sit her on the railing. She stared at him with wide eyes but said nothing as he lifted a hand to place it right below her ear, his fingers resting on the back of her neck with his thumb stroking her cheek.

“Captain…?” she breathed before swallowing, hard in nervousness.

He said nothing before pressing his lips to hers and her eyes snapped wide in shock at his gentleness before she melted into the kiss and slid her arms around his neck as his other hand came up to the back of her head to deepen the kiss.

Meanwhile...

Elias stood over Zoey, staring at her for a moment before he gently sat on the bed at her legs and still stared at her. She gave a small groan and shifted in her sleep, her back turned to the room. Unable to help himself, Elias shifted to lie down with her, his arm wrapped around her waist to hug her close as he buried his face in her hair.

“Elias,” Zoey smiled, making him shift to look down at her as she rolled onto her back to look up at him, still smiling. “What took you so long?”

He gave a scoff before lifting his hand from around her waist to stroke her cheek, asking, “Are you feeling better?”

Zoey nodded, snuggling her cheek into his hand before looking back at him and murmuring, “What Kaysar said about…your feelings for me. Is it true?”

Elias sighed, deeply before lowering his hand and not taking his gaze from hers as he leaned toward her, pressing his lips against her ear.

“It is, Angel,” he whispered so softly it sent chills up Zoey’s spine that made her shiver. “I love you, whether I was meant to or not, it’s true.”

Zoey closed her eyes and threw her arms around him to hug him close but said nothing as Elias shifted to lie on his side again, making Zoey roll onto her side and face him.

“May I ask…what your answer would’ve been to Kaysar’s question?” he whispered, hesitantly, making Zoey smile and he swallowed.

“I assume you want the truth?” she guessed, jokingly and still smiling.

“That would be ideal, Angel,” Elias smirked, hearing her playful tone as he lifted a hand to stroke her cheek again and she snuggled closer to him, their gazes locked.

“I love you, Elias,” she murmured, smiling when his eyes lit up and he gave a grin.

He pulled her into a passionate kiss, making her giggle before she moaned and slipped her arms around his neck. He rolled her onto her back, pinning her to the bed as his mouth trailed down her neck and she sighed in contentment as she ran her fingers through his hair.

“I wanted to tell you before,” he whispered. “Varen interrupted us.”

“I was going to tell you after all of this,” Zoey murmured. “I just—”

“I know, Angel,” Elias murmured in her ear. “It will only strengthen our bond when we go to Castle Dae to fight Jellina.”

“Elias,” she urged, gently pushing him away to look him in the eye and he looked back at her in wonder. “You can’t come with me.”

“I must, my love,” he argued. “I am your protector. It is expected that I would accompany you.”

“I don’t care,” she replied. “She’s too powerful. I can’t risk you getting hurt.”

“And I can’t risk you getting hurt.”

“Elias, are you really gonna make me say it?” she wondered, irritably making him look at her in wonder.

“What do you mean?” he asked, honestly.

“I just told you I love you and then you want to throw yourself in harm’s way?!” she snapped. “I can’t lose you!”

“Oh, Angel,” Elias smiled warmly, running his hand through her hair. “You won’t lose me, my love. I promise you.”

“Romeo, don’t swear your love on something so inconsistent as the moon,” Zoey sighed. “You can’t promise that to me. You don’t know if you’ll—”

“Then, Juliet, I swear on nothing,” he interrupted gently, catching her reference perfectly. “But you will not lose me, my love. Now, we should get some sleep.”

“No!” Zoey squeaked in astonishment. “We are not done with this conversa—!”

Elias planted his lips to hers in a passionate kiss and she tried to push him away, but he gripped her hands to hold them between them and pulled out of the kiss.

“You will not win out over my charms, my dear,” he smirked, playfully. “We can discuss it tomorrow morning.”

“But—” Zoey cut herself off and sighed in defeat, nodding, “Alright.”

“We’ll discuss a strategy to take care of Jellina as well,” he murmured, pulling her into his arms and snuggling her to his chest as she nodded again.

“I love you, Elias,” she murmured, snuggling closer to him, making him grin.

“I love you, Zoey,” he whispered, kissing her temple before he settled in to fall asleep and Zoey came up with a plan of her own.

Sunrise...

Zoey sighed as she stood next to the bed in Kaysar’s cabin where she and Elias had spent the night. The sun was barely starting to rise over the horizon as Zoey stared down at the sleeping general. She knew this was the only way to keep him from going with her, but she hated to leave him like this. Taking a chance, she sat next to him and slowly pulled his mask off to reveal his face.

“If I…don’t make it back,” she whispered. “At least I can do this much for you, my love.”

She leaned over and placed her hand gently over his Ramran scales and took in a deep breath, hoping this would work. She thought of the curing spell and concentrated on it until she saw the silver glow between her hand and his face. Her had suddenly burned, making her wince and pull her hand away to look at it. Small streams of black smoke rose from her skin, even though there were no marks on her skin. She frowned in wonder as the smoke dissipated then looked to the mask in her lap and picked it up to place it back over his face.

She didn’t want to look at how handsome he was or she knew she would stay and he would end up going with her. He stirred, making her freeze as she pulled her hands away from his face, but he only gave a small groan and rolled over onto his side, making her give a sigh of relief. She stood and headed toward the doors, opening the doors, slowly and quietly, then shut them behind her.

“And where do ya think ye are goin’, Miss Zoey?”

Zoey jumped and looked ahead of her with a gasp to see Namir and Kaysar standing in front of her.

“It’s rather early,” Namir noticed. “You wouldn’t be leaving without saying goodbye, would you?”

“And without, General Blackwood,” Kaysar noticed and tisked at her, shaking his head. “He’ll be so hurt and upset with you.”

“Captain, Kaysar…Namir,” she pleaded, stepping toward them. “Please, don’t wake him. You understand, don’t you? If I fight Jellina, I have to do it without Elias. I don’t want to risk him being hurt! I can’t lose him! And anyone coming with me will end up hurt or dead. Please, please say nothing.”

“We ain’t tattlers, lass,” Kaysar grinned, slinging an arm over Namir’s shoulders. “We just came to wish ye luck.”

Zoey’s eyes widened in surprise before she breathed, “Really?”

“Really,” Namir nodded, stepping out from Kaysar’s arm to hug Zoey tightly. “We all have faith in you, Zoey. If this is how you think you need to do this, then we will not stop you, my friend.”

Zoey felt her stomach tighten in nervousness as she threw her arms around Namir and hugged her in return.

“What if I can’t do it, Namir?” she whispered.

“You will,” Namir assured her. “You helped Kaysar before he was taken from us completely. You will defeat Jellina.”

Something clicked in Zoey’s mind. She gripped Namir’s shoulders and pushed her at arm’s length, making the elf frown at her.

“What did you say?” Zoey asked.

“I said, you’ll defeat Jellina,” Namir repeated, frowning even deeper.

“No, no, before that,” Zoey replied, shaking her head. “About Kaysar.”

“That, you saved him from being taken from us,” Namir replied and Zoey snapped her fingers, wagging her finger at her with a grin.

“That’s it,” she nearly sang, then clapped and jumped in a circle, chanting, “That’s it! That’s it! That’s it!”

“What’s it, deary?” Kaysar wondered and Zoey ran to Kaysar to place her hands on his shoulders.

“I know how to beat Jellina!”

“Cheers, love,” he nodded. “Care to share?”

“No time,” Zoey replied before turning to Namir and hugging her again. “You are a genius!”

She saluted them before running to the railing and climbing onto it with one step to thrust herself into the air with a levitation spell. Namir and Kaysar watched her in awe as she flew toward the shore and just as she was out of sight, the door to the captain’s cabin slammed open. They spun around to see Elias with a seething look on his face as he glared at the two.

“Where’s Zoey?!”