Nectar of War: The Song of Verity and Serenity (The Nectar of War Series Book 1)

DAEVIEN JORDESQA

XENATHI — QUAMFASI CITADEL

I vella?” I aim to grasp her attention as she watches the sun sink below the trees ahead.

Vaigon and Vorzantu play fight in the sky, just in front of the setting sun. The young Dragons have grown large in size, larger to the capacity where their play fighting in the sky seems much more aggressive than before.

Her eyebrows are furrowed as she sits deep in thought.

As I observe, the new armor she now wears fits her well, and it seems already somewhat broken in.

“Ivella?” I call once more.

She turns and she brings a smile to her face. I laugh and she does as well after realizing she was here yet somewhere else at the same time.

She is brighter in appearance and looks extremely well rested, though beautiful, she has always had an appearance of tiredness and stress. Today, this is an entirely altered person from when I last saw her just a day ago. Funny to think of it, I know that aggressive smell of Laven all over her must have something to do with this. She no longer just smells like herself, there is a combination of both of them celestially intertwined.

“What was it that you wanted to speak of?” She walks away from the balcony I have met her on and she takes down the large hallway.

“Dyena and Stravan wanted me to speak with you of forming your own Circle. As you are now considered someone high in multiple royal lineages, it is pertinent that you discover who to keep closest to you to handle any and all matters you cannot.”

“Oh,” she waves a hand. “I am fine on my own, or at least I would like to believe I can manage well enough. Do you think I cannot?”

I smile. “Ivella.”

She laughs and nods. “I know it is not that you nor Dyena and Stravan think I cannot, I spoke with them of this already and I was unsure of it, I am only guessing that is why you have been sent here.” She nudges my arm as we walk.

“It may have something to do with that.” I laugh.

Not only has Ivella formed a well rounded relationship with the Provanseva’s, all except one, we as well have formed a grounded friendship. Since the beginning of her arrival when it was only a small supper to thank her for choosing to bring back Dyena, it turned into them learning more about each other and then all of us. When one welcomes one, we all do.

There is something about the way she is so readily there for those she cares for that reminded us of how grounded we used to be. After Dyena’s disappearance all of our relationships began to falter and weaken. Stravan was absent, Savarina and I began to struggle, Sloan barely spoke to anyone which was out of his character, we all were not who we once were. When Dyena returned and Ivella arrived, we began to see how we could strive for the stability we once had.

This is what makes it all the more difficult when Savarina does not see what we see. Though, someone could ask what it is that we do not see that Savarina does. The conflict between the both of them could form dissension between our family if they do not mend. Ivella has made many attempts to reconcile with Savarina, when Ivella does not know what she did to require reconciliation.

Amongst many other issues above this specific one, we all have a relationship to rebuild with the High Princess of Provas.

“If I have a Circle combined of my people, Vaigon, and Provas it will make the other nations see that we are not only joined by me becoming Right Hand of Provas, but by me putting full trust into those around me despite prior differences. We cannot just be seen as united,” she stops and turns. “We must act as so. And I have already put thought into who I want, well, who I need.”

“And they are?”

As she forms the words to speak a terrorized voice shouts from below the balcony hall. “Ivella!” The child continues to scream.

Ivella moves like a blur, and she is running to her little brother Iysha as he frantically rushes toward her.

“What is it?” She urgently seeks answers as she sees his ripped undershirt. The lining of his small vest is torn across the shoulder and his curly hair is more disheveled than it usually is. “What happened to you!”

He jumps into her arms and her eyes fill in the fiery orange that electrifies from corner to corner.

She is searching the woods far from us where he came running from. Her senses are heightened, searching for a threat.

When I ascend to where they are I see the dirt all over his face and the small cuts on his cheeks.

“Iysha,” I kneel to his level. “You must tell us everything that happened.”

“I-I-I was–” he begins to cry over his words and Ivella’s eyes return to normal as she focuses on her little brother.

“Slow,” she places a hand on his chest and her other hand slowly rises up and down as she helps him regulate his emotions before speaking.

“Four men!” He yells. “They were in the Hashthyna Forest while I was there with my companion and we ran to lead them away from the forest.”

“What did these men look like?” She rests her hands on his shoulders to weigh him down from spiraling more.

“They were–” he stops, looking for the words. “They looked wrong! They looked similar!”

I visibly see Ivella’s heart drop.

“Did they touch you, Iysha? Did they touch you or your companion? Are any of these scratches on you from them?”

She grabs his face, leaning in closer to examine every scratch on his body, soon she is turning him around to check his back and legs.

“They did not touch us, Ivy. We ran away. But they took a Norpheyen, it was a large one! They took it from its baby!”

Ivella looks up at me worried.

“Ma and Pa are not here, but I will take you to Esme, she will watch over you while I am gone.”

“No, no, no!” He shakes his head rapidly. “I want to be with you!”

“Iysha, I have to go into the forest to see where they are now. I promise I will be back,” her hand rests on his bruised cheek. “Now come, we must go to Esme and she will clean you up.”

Iysha grunts and looks up at me. “You will go with her, she should not go alone!” The young boy shouts at me.

“Yes, I was already planning on going with her. I promise I will return your sister in one piece.”

His eyebrows furrow just like Ivella’s were moments ago. “You better.”

“Come, Iysha. You must get cleaned and examined before we leave, you will be just fine with Essi.”

*  *  *

Ethel and Ira come with us after hearing of the attack on Iysha. One of Ethel’s abilities outside of being an Elemental Bender, is the gift of Pinnacle Sensory.

After smelling what was on Iysha she is able to locate who and what attacked him and his companion. According to Ivella, she believes it to be the return of the rogues that were created by Yaro. Tonight will be my first time encountering them.

Although there are four of them and four of us, they are considered outnumbered. Given the four of us and our strengths and abilities, it’s as if it is six of us against three of them.

“The forest has gone dark,” Ethel says as she looks at the moon. “They could still be lingering here to hide.”

“When I took Iysha to Esme he said that he does not remember them following him outside of the forest lines,” Ivella walks closer to the end of the forest that turns to large fields reaching the Palace Grounds.

Ethel walks toward the last tree before the fields, her hand places on the tree. Her eyes roll to the back of her head and rapidly move from side to side as everything that last transpired between Iysha and the rogues crawls through her brain.

Her lips part to speak and she blinks. “They never left.”

Just as the words leave her mouth, one by one, the rogues briskly run by and head for the opposite end of the forest.

Ivella is quick to chase, the first to dart off like sharp wind through the forest. We all follow behind as we center our vision around us and on the rogues heading for an escape. Her vengeance to catch them is visceral, they tried to take the youngest child in her family, more specifically her little brother. This time, the people who attempt to take her family from her do not get to be free.

“What if they get too far!” Ira shouts mid run.

“When we get to the border patrol should be there!” Ethel hollers as we now veer through the trees. Moving at a speed so quick even Vampires would struggles to keep up.

Ivella and I gain closer in and at her sides, I see her hands form two flat spheres of fire electrifying, waiting to be thrown.

The first is released like a sharp frisbee that has no return, it strikes the ground beneath the rogue lagging behind tossing his body forward and Ivella releases another and this time, it slices directly through his body and he falls in two halves.

“There is another!” Ethel yells.

And from the left where the others are, the next rogue rushes ahead.

We exit the forest and reach the woods that lead to the border of Vaigon.

“We have to tell Laven!” Ivella shouts as we briskly make our way through the border.

Just as Ethel said, Vaigon’s patrol is there in Wolf form, riveting growls echo as they take after the rogues invading their land.

“Find Laven!” I yell over the wind whipping through our voices at the speed we run through the woods. “We will continue to track them!”

And through ascension, Ivella is gone and we cross the border.