The King Trials 2: Beyond.

By the time we reached the settlement. The early evening sun cast long shadows on the ground. The slanting rays of the setting sun gave a warm orange tinge to the sky. Tempers frayed between the Are and the Avangard, after the brawl was settled and my safety made apparent. I left to my cave dwelling, my bedroll packed along with my new items, ready to recommence our trek to Velheim in a few brief hours.

I sit slumped on the ground, leaning against the rock wall. Out of sheer habit, both scabbards are strapped to my thighs, even though only one of them is occupied. This fleeting gift of time is all I have to digest, all that I have been told. But I feel as if no amount of time in reflective solitude will allow my mind to fully wrap around the truth. The truth of what I am.

“Hera?”

I whisk my head to the left to see Solaris politely peeking his head beside the flap of the draping. My insides tangle into countless knots. I rise to my feet and walk out of the cave to join him. I emerge on the other side on the ledge in front of him.

With both hands, he offers me something I thought I had lost forever. “I wanted to give you this earlier, but you were not here.”

I take my father’s dagger into my grasp, holding it up to admire the bejewelled hilt that gleams under dying light.

“I went to inquire about your absence to Primus Kelan, but it seems he was already made aware.” Something is off in his tone, like he’s uncomfortable, stalling. “You should have seen him, I thought he was going to behead all of the Are if they did not disclose your whereabouts. Anthia had to keep repeating that Zoar refused to tell them where you and him ventured to. Where did he take you?”

I lower the dagger to my stomach, using it to distract my gaze.

“You do not have to pretend, Solaris,” I say to the dagger, denying eye contact. “I know… I know you saw me.”

Solaris drags out a heavy sigh. “I do not know what I saw, truth be told.”

I wince, then I sheathe my dagger. Crossing my arms, I hug myself.

“I do not know what that was,” he reprises in stark bafflement. “When I looked into your eyes, I did not see Hera Aurora, I did not even see a living being. Your eyes were vacant, utterly soulless. What you did…or did not do. It was horrific…bad.”

My head hangs in overwhelming shame, the tip of my chin touches the collar of my corsage.

“The act was… evil,” he whispers regretfully. “But you are not, Aurora. You are good.”

I raise my head slightly, my gaze still on the gravelly ground.

“Of course you are, and how can you ever doubt it. I knew you for many cycles before the King Trials and even now, the many moons that we have grown closer because of it. I know your heart, and it is good.”

Tears burn behind my eyes.

“It was why Zekei and Tamani rallied at your side in the Blood Games. It was even after all the torture Rimnick put you through, you spared his life. What happened afterwards was entirely his own doing, not yours.”

“Look at me.” He grips my shoulders, shaking me slightly. A smile wiggles its way on my face. I gaze into those eyes of enchanting, empyrean blue pools. “You are stronger than any hardship you may face. Alas, you are not the same high-minded Hera as before. You are much more, and still will be.”

He releases my shoulders and nods firmly. “I said my piece. I know as rivals, trust is an unobtainable commodity. But if you ever need—”

I lunge for him, yanking him into a bone-crushing embrace—he fumbles a step back in surprise, and I hold onto him as tightly as I can. Then his arms slowly coil around my waist, returning my embrace.

“This works too, I suppose.”

I break into a grin. I pull away; I swipe my hands beneath my eyes to make sure they are both dry. “Rivals or not, even after the King Trials, I hope we can foster something greater; an everlasting friendship.”

Solaris beams a flawless smile, filling with warmth. “I would like nothing more, nothing forges a strong bond like shared trauma. Does this mean, I have the Hera’s seal of approval?”

I free a light-hearted laugh. “More so, I only wish that I had responded to your correspondence long ago, and you could have been in my life a lot sooner. Including Seliah’s.”

Solaris’s face flushes, a pink tint rising in his cheeks. He looks away, smiling coyly.

My own smile reaches my eyes. “You know, my sister, she is multi-talented, exceptional in both cultural art and the arts of war. She has been desired by many, but I think you are the only one that deserves her.”

He eagerly meets my gaze; his eyes sparkle with immeasurable joy.

“Sit with me, I want to show you something.” He moves to edge of the ledge and settles down, legs dangling off the cliff.

I join him and seat myself on the brink beside him. I wait as he rummages through his trouser pocket and pulls something out. He flattens his fingers to expose a precious stone in his palm.

“Incredible…”

The polished stone is a mystical aqua with smooth edges. A delicate turquoise.

“I call it the soul of the seven seas.”

I smile knowingly at the colour. “Turquoise, huh?”

He mirrors my pointed smile. “I carried this stone since we left the Pantheon and long before. What preserved me through all we went through was the promise of hope. The hope of laying my eyes on her once again, and instead of pitifully marvelling her from afar. I would have finally garnered the courage to acquaint myself to her.”

He holds the rock to his eye like his looking into a spyglass. “I do not know if you knew this. But my Regnum regulates sea trade, we have an enterprise of merchant fleets linked to our holding. This beauty was part of the haul and I kept it because I want to make a ring out of it one day.”

A breath catches in my throat. “A ring? You certainly move fast, you barely know Seliah.”

“True,” he agrees with a lazy nod. “But if she will have me; I will have a lifetime to get to know her. It is not like I will propose immediately, I will court her first. Even if it takes a hundred lifetimes, I will happily wait. Because I only believe in a one true love and my heart believes she’s mine.”

Solaris safely tucks the rock back into his pocket.

Our gaze rebind, his eyes a storehouse of ageless love.

“Is it strange that I see her in your eyes?”

I lower my head and rest it on his shoulder. Then he lays his head on my own. In a tranquil silence, we watch beyond, the crepuscule of gloaming twilight.

“We should get going,” he says softly. “When you were gone, Vince found a natural fountain. We can refill your canteen before we need to get ready to depart?”

“Yes.” I lift my head. “And food? I am starving, I could eat an entire wild boar on my own.”

He chuckles and we both rise to a standing. His gaze attaches to my forearms and he gestures to it. “Why all that? You look like you are ready for a fight.”

I glance down and smile vaguely. “I have to be,” I say ambiguously.

Under the shroud of nightfall.

The three transport vehicles sail through the sands, operated by the Are operators on the narrow extensions. The Herems are I are bundled in the centre transport, our Avangard escort and the Hitsches share the other two on the flanks with Duce Merian.

Solaris and I sit comfortably back-to-back, each depending on the other for support. Vince shuffles restlessly beside me. Then he rests his torso down in front of me, resting his head on my lap, both of his legs bent.

“Uh, yes,” I say, driving sarcasm into my words. “You can use my lap as a pillow.”

“That’s why I’m resting on it,” he says peacefully, deliberately disregarding my cynicism.

I breathe deeply and look out into the expanse of pure black.

“Be wary, Emikrollian,” Markiveus says with scornful reproach. I look at him and his gaze is set on me, eyes glowering. “Good people tend to die around her. But fortunately for you, you are an Ethane.”

“Enough, I grow weary of your theatrics,” Treyton silences, sitting with one leg bent, his wrist propped on his knee. “What’s done is done.”

He scoffs at his words. “You will not say so when your blood is spilled, another name on the Hera’s kill list.”

“Be that as it may, we are all contenders. At the first chance I get, I will slit your throat as you would mine. We are competing for one objective, there can only be one victor. And in our own way, we all believe that each of us are worthy to be that victor.”

The sands of time dwindle, rushing past. Treyton’s words are like a weight in my mind.

In due course, the speed of the transport slows until it’s brought to a complete standstill. We all scramble to full height. Cramps stich in my sides, aching in my legs. We all disembark, stepping off the platform, and I watch ahead, everyone assembling behind Anthia and her brother. The rest of us move to follow.

Anthia stares off into the distance. But there is physically nothing around us for miles.

Zoar sidles my flank with his staff alite, blazing bright light. She raises her arm to her face and beside her hood is a spearhead-shaped blade and she hurls it ahead. The blade arrows forward until it suddenly dashed to pieces, disintegrated on impact by something unseen by the natural eye.

“We are here.”

Anthia and Aries clasp hands. Then in unison, they begin to chant an incantation and soon their voice merge as one, growing louder and louder, until somehow it is felt.

They lapse into immediate silence. Still holding hands, Aries walks backwards and pulls his sister with him. Where they stood, a hole forms like it was drilled in, sand spilling inside. From the created hole, something crawls out. A being completely fashioned from sand, sopping with shingles as it rises, moulding into a recognisable form, towering several heads above us.

The male wears an elaborate, knee-length kilt with golden broad collar sheet that adorns his bare, pearly black chest. His head is adorned with a gilt headdress that reaches his shoulders, decorated with an upright form of a gilded cobra at the apex. His arms crossed over his chest, clutching onto a gold-plated crook and flail.

“You have travelled far, descendants of the Decuria.” Its voice like a cold, catacomb.

“You know who we are?” Brennon asks.

“I know all who seek Velheim, pureblood.” Its eyes hollow and translucent. “Only few are worthy to pass.”

“Then are we?” Vince questions.

“Only because one of you are.”

It steps aside and uncrosses its arms to his side.

We all exchange uneasy looks. Boldly, Anthia and Aries walk ahead. We all watch as suddenly, their frames dissolves into nothingness, breaching the barrier.

Brennon squares his shoulders and walks on, Markiveus follows, then the Avangard soldiers follow one-by one, each of them disappearing. Instead, I remain rooted to where I am alongside Zoar, watching them go. Duce Merian is the last one to go past until it is only Kelan that remains behind, waiting for me.

I turn to Zoar. He extends his hand to me, in sync, we grab the other’s opposite bandaged forearm.

“It has been an honour, great Sagetai.”

I nod back at him resolutely. “Will I see you again?”

“Time will tell.”

We release each other. I rotate and walk briskly to align with Kelan.

We share a heavy look, loaded with unspoken words. Together, we face ahead and walk forward.