The Queen's Garden Mage

“Goddess that’s devastating.” Taeli stroked her fingers gently through my hair tears forming in her eyes.

“She can touch your hair but I can’t…” Libeth grumbled softly behind her.

Taeli turned on her, “In Kantari our first greeting is that of touch,” She pulled Libeth roughly against her. “We touch cheeks, we stroke each other’s hair ensuring in our hearts and our minds that our friends are well.” Taeli held Libeth’s face against hers as she stroked her hair while explaining our customs. “Our culture is centered on touch and camaraderie. Regardless of the fact that we haven’t seen each other since we were children it’s second nature, it’s an offer of comfort…” She shoved her away. “Not pity or a sick fascination to feel the difference. Do not question things you do not understand.”

I held them apart, “Now’s not the time to be at each other’s throats for something so trivial.” I argued looking at each of them in turn.

“She think she knows you…” Libeth countered.

“She does…” I murmured softly accent a little heavier than usual. “She knows my heart and my home she knows all the things I grew up with…but you do as well. You know the Gardener; all the struggles we’ve been through to learn new customs and a new language. You both know me, so how about instead of fighting over the things you think you know, learn about the things you don’t and get over yourselves.” I dropped my hands from between them. “Or I’ll make you…” They shared a look at that ominous threat.

“Did you two bring a group of guards with you?” Renka questioned finally coming back into the conversation once all was said and done.

“No…why?” Taeli gazed at her brow furrowed slightly.

Renka gazed into the treetops ears going back slowly, “I was hoping that perhaps we were surrounded by friends.” She offered softly.

I followed her gaze taking in the silence that had befallen us already sure of what I would find, shadows…shadows filled the treetops to overflowing darkening the lightening sky with their presence. More than I could think to count, I turned in a circle heart racing in my chest. “Goddess…” Taeli breathed drawing closer to me. “What are those?” her voice quivered slightly with fear.

“Shades.” Libeth replied stepping closer as well. We stood in the center of our camp surrounded by Shades, the fire slowly dying beside us. I’m honestly surprised it had lasted through the night…magic might have played a part.

“Is running even an option?” Renka questioned fists clenched at her sides.

“Running will get us killed faster than fighting will.” I replied trying to come up with a plan.

“Fighting will still likely get us killed.” Taeli countered voice quivering.

“Can you even fight?” Libeth asked, and I waited for a reply needing to know if she’d be an asset or a hindrance in this coming battle.

Taeli snorted, “You think my father would have let me leave the island if I couldn’t…but fighting several warriors with spears and swords is different than fighting something you’re not even sure you can touch.”

“They’re still men…under all those billowing shadows they’re still men. Fight them as if they are.” I supplied as the air grew tense. “Libeth do you have your pouch?”

“No…” I glanced over my shoulder at the smile I heard in her voice. “I have yours.” She hefted it in her hand as Shades rained down from the trees silent in their execution and just as several touched the ground she tossed it into the air.

Time slowed, my heart paused in its beat, I drew my blade, Renka transformed, Taeli…threw a tornado and Libeth used her magic to call forth the vines. After that I simply focused on keeping myself alive.

Vines danced, every now and again I could see Libeth using dragon’s breath to blow fire, Renka trampled a shade that nearly took off Taeli’s head and I twirled through the masses slashing every limb I could reach with my blade. It felt as if we fought forever, every Shade we defeated replaced by two more. I think one person even got set ablaze, falling into the campfire still slowly dying.

“Rhyme!” Libeth cried out, I turned to find her struggling on the ground with a Shade.

“Let….” I pulled down the vine that had once held Libeth watching it wither until the end held a narrow tip. “Her…” I flicked it outward catching the Shade around the throat. “GO!” I pulled backward flipping him over my head off into the distance while Libeth watched catching her breath.

“Remind me to never make you angry.” I offered my hand and she took it allowing me to pull her to her feet.

“Maybe later,” I replied punching a Shade in the face over Libeth’s shoulder causing her to widen her eyes as they fell to the ground behind her.

“Nice punch…” She glanced at the whip I held in my hand brow raised. “Nice whip.”

“How are you feeling?” I flicked my whip and Libeth and I watched another Shade go flying somewhere.

“Is that you, the vine or the magic?” Libeth asked curious at the effect. “And I’m okay I suppose, can’t do this forever. My magic is waning…” She took my blade and threw it, I turned to watch it catch in a Shade where I supposed the throat would be, right before they could capture Renka.

I glanced at the vine whip before answering, “Probably a bit of all three. I’m not overly tired magic wise, but I’m still weak in body after healing myself and eventually someone will make a mistake. Did you find my pouch?”

“I caught it when it fell,” she murmured guarding my back as she handed it to me.

With a quick glance inside I found exactly what I was looking for. “Make sure when we run you run for my blade…or I’ll never forgive you.”

Libeth bowed her head in understanding, before tossing several crimson petals at a group of Shades advancing towards us, the petals caught a tailwind from Taeli and whirled around them. The shadows melted away leaving them looking decidedly human and confused. Renka was easily able to handle them from there.

“Nice use of succubus.” I murmured softly in appreciation.

Libeth shrugged lips curling slightly, “I try.”

“You grab Taeli, I’ll get Renka.” I wrapped the vine whip around my shoulder as Libeth looked on curiously. I opened my palm and she stepped back as Child’s Slumber began to bloom. “You should start running…” I tossed it into the dying embers. “Now…” Libeth paled and turned sprinting as fast as she could towards my childhood friend.

I glanced around spotting Renka and raced towards her shoving Shades aside as I moved not wanting to be in the vicinity when the sleeping agent permeated the air. Just before I reached her a Shade sprang towards me, I chopped them in the throat before flipping them over my shoulder and then leaped on the next using them as a stepping to stool before finding myself on the Marr’s back. I leaned down closer to her ear, thighs clenched tight around her girth as she tried to unseat me. “Head for the open spaces Renka…beyond our campsite where the trees grew close together last night!” I cried breathlessly trying to get her to hear me through her panic.

She reared up trampling several Shades as she dropped down galloping towards the edge of our campsite. I glanced around us, catching sight of Libeth dragging Taeli in another direction grabbing my blade from the fallen Shade’s throat as she passed exiting the circle of trees just before we did. I called forth my magic, actually able to feel the large draw in such as short span of time requesting that the trees embrace for me. Renka transformed catching me on her back as she turned gazing wide eyed as the ancients swayed their towering forms closer together and the younger trees beneath filled in their empty spaces. Creating an unescapable chamber.

Gods and Goddesses what…how…” Renka stood speechless for as long as it took Libeth and Taeli to circle around and find us.

“What did you do?” Taeli voiced the question Renka herself could not ask while she admired the beautiful sphere that had formed completely of trees, awing in itself, and the magnitude of power it took to create.

“We killed them…” Libeth answered for me wiping my blade along her pant leg before handing it back to me.

“How?” Renka questioned turning to face us brow furrowed in confusion.

“There is a plant, called child’s slumber. Just a breath of its essence in full bloom can knock out a room full of people. At this stage that’s all it will do…over time the flower withers and the sleeping agent draws inward growing more potent.” Libeth traced her fingers through her hair as I tied my pouch to my waist heart heavy. She sighed softly fingers quivering as she held her hair back, eyes dark with emotion.

“It can be used as a way to ease a person’s passing…if burned and left it makes a person sleep and never wake up. Rhyme easily made the flower reach that point and then she tossed it in the fire…” Libeth turned towards the chamber I had created to keep them from escaping. The death chamber.

“There were so many…” Renka breathed, ears back, eyes solemn.

Taeli wrapped her arm around my waist pulling me close, “We should go.”

“We have to check to see if any of them are alive…we have to know if any of them are our people or imposters.” I countered with a lump in my throat.

We all stood for a moment listening to the normal sounds of the forest as the dawn turned to day. I took a breath and stepped forward, two trees parted for me creating an opening big enough for a large man to pass through. I stepped into the clearing that had once been our campsite and covered my mouth tears streaming from my eyes. The fire had finally died all that remained smoking embers. I covered my nose with my shirt tears staining my bloody sleeve. There were no shadows…just men laid out falling wherever ever they’d stood when the scent reached them. Their cloaks of obscurity gone in death. I moved towards the closest man and crouched gripping at his shirt.

“What are you looking for?” Renka questioned standing in the entrance to this place wishing to come no further than that. I could see Libeth crouched low between her legs gazing at the ground fingers still held tightly in her hair. Taeli stood beside her a look of concern on her face as she clutched her shoulder offering words of comfort I couldn’t hear.

I tore the man’s shirt and bit my lip at what I found there…more tears burned my eyes as I stood, nose still covered so as not to breathe the harmful fumes. I backed away taking one last look around to assure myself that no one lived before stepping out of the clearing. I laid my hands upon the young trees as they slowly moved back together sealing shut with not so much as a whisper of sound. As silent as the tomb I had just created. “We should go…” I murmured softly after sending a silent prayer of forgiveness up to the Goddess.

“We just killed…”

“No.” I turned wiping the tears from my eyes. “I killed them…”

“I didn’t stop you.” Libeth countered.

I didn’t argue with her, instead I once more tucked my blade into my belt hefting the vine whip on my shoulder. “We should go.”

Taeli gripped my shoulder, “Rhyme what you did…”

“Was necessary.” Renka finished ears flickering softly. “And if we want it all to be for nothing we can sit here and let more find us.”

Libeth stood, hair is disarray, “I knew that there would be death…after all he took our Queen…our Heir. I knew we would have to fight…but those were Shades Rhyme…not mere shadow mages, not imitations or imposters.” Libeth shook her head. “I saw the sorrow on your face exiting that…that tomb.”

“They’re traitors…” Renka countered.

“They’re innocent!” Libeth cried.

“Innocent save for the fact that they were in the wrong place at the wrong time infected by the Void they could not see; given orders they could not refuse. We are killing our own people all so that we may live because of that man!” Libeth wept silently while Taeli held her close. “I came to this country thinking that I would have a better life.” She turned to me anger in her eyes, “You should have killed him Rhyme…you should have killed him when you found him that night.”

“I could have.” I replied softly thinking of all the things we could have avoided. “But it’s not who I am.” I stroked a tear from Libeth’s face smiling softly. “Hold onto that righteous anger, onto the sorrow at the death we had to bring upon all those innocents. We’ll pay him back in kind.”

Taeli opened her mouth to speak and I raised my hand, “I’m not saying revenge is the answer. I’m certain it won’t erase this moment from our minds, nor will it ease our passage into sleep at night and I’m positive it won’t make us feel better…”

Libeth snorted. “Speak for yourself…”

Renka turned chuckling slightly while I fought not to crack a smile. Libeth gazed at us curiously, eyes still red from her tears. “What…” I shook my head. “What’s so funny?”

“It won’t make us feel better but at least he’ll be dead.” I finished ignoring her question.

“Truly…” Renka inserted before Libeth could repeat herself. “We should get going…” She furrowed her brow gazing at our companions. “Where are we headed to exactly?”

I gazed up through the trees allowing the sun to shine on my face as I listened to the spirits of the green heart aching with sorrow. Despite the darkness I felt a smile spread across my face as Libeth answered Renka’s question, “We’re going to the heart of Griffin Forest.”

“What lies at the heart of Griffin Forest?” I took a breath allowing my gaze to fall before marching forward following the spirits as they raced towards our destination in excitement.

“The largest ongoing project in Gardener history.” Libeth offered before chasing after me before I got too far ahead.

“That tells me nothing?!” Renka cried following in our wake with Taeli in tow. “I didn’t even know what a Gardener was before two days ago.”

I laughed softly as the trees glowed with inner light and the earth itself moved beneath us to push us forward faster than we could ever dream of going. “Though I don’t think I’ll ever forget...”

I gazed at her smiling softly as the world moved along beside us in waves of shimmering green and brown. “Whatever you do…” I murmured voice echoing all around us. “Don’t stop moving.”

“Can you do that?” Renka gazed at Libeth as the world slowed around us, coalescing back into trees of every shape and size, underbrush willing to trip the unwary at every turn and earth scattered with leaves and pine needles. I stopped moving, gazing around while listening to the green.

“I wouldn’t be foolish enough to try.” Libeth murmured her reply.

“You came in search of me together…but were there other’s?” I questioned turning to face them brow furrowed softly.

Taeli and Libeth shared a brief look. “As many as we could safely find. Guards, recruits, soldiers, some servants, many of the suitors including Emery and Eden and several of the foreign monarchs and citizens, Tailaan and Dahni among them. All of Anear though…the city itself is at their mercy.” Libeth offered with a grimace.

“I can hear their voices…” Renka raised an ear and everyone held their breath listening.

“I hear nothing and I am positive my hearing is far superior than yours.” I chuckled softly as she snorted causing Taeli and Libeth to gaze at her with wide eyes.

“Not with my ears…I hear them through the green…” I closed my eyes. “I can see them too, waiting.”

“Waiting for what…what is the project you speak of?” Taeli asked before Renka had the chance.

“When Angileri was young and the first Queen Alia sat the throne, she knew in her heart that others would challenge if not her then one of her daughters. She went to her first Gardener whom she loved with all her heart…some say even more than her own husband and she requested that he make a place where her family…where her country could be safe. That no man or beast may enter against his will not hers. May only my right hand, most trusted among my people and strongest of my Gardeners be allowed to enter and all others who wish entry follow in his wake. Even I. Were her words to him…” I opened my eyes. “Those words are inscribed on the ancients that guard the entrance to his creation. A haven large enough to house half of the Queen’s army and most if not all of the city of Anear at this point. It’s a Gardener paradise built in the treetops that did not exist before Alia came to power…in the heart of Griffin Forest.”

“May my right hand, most trusted among my people and strongest of my Gardeners be allowed to enter and all others who wish entry follow in his wake. Even I…” Renka murmured ears dropping. “The Head Gardener…has betrayed us. She meant to kill you and surely she knows of this place.”

“Rosen led us here as children.” Libeth supplied playing with her hair and just making it worse at this point.

“She will come with her Shades and her soldiers infected by the Void and she will destroy us.” Renka finished dejectedly.

I moved forward heading toward where I knew their camp to be, sure that I would know them when I saw them. “What hope do we have?” Taeli questioned receiving no answer, Libeth moved with me not wishing to be left behind.

“As I told Renka.” I breathed walking past several guards who gazed on me with wide eyed recognition to stand before the Ancients. I gazed up craning my neck to take in their magnificence, their song ringing gently in my ears, their purpose easily fulfilled. Their spirits towered high above me, “It’s all about perception...”

“You found her!” We turned as one to see Reason, Eden, Emery and another man racing towards us.

“Ahh I forgot to mention we found your brother.” Libeth offered sheepishly when I gave her a look right before Reason swept me from the ground and into his arms.

“Gods you get heavier every time,” He grunted setting me down and taking me in, cupping my face in his hands as he looked me over. “What happened to your hair, who’s blood is this, why are your clothes torn?”

I brushed his hands away, “I’m not about to tell the story a million times, let’s just say I came in contact with the man who did all this personally and move on.” Reason pressed his cheek against mine stroking his fingers gently through my hair. “Praise the Goddess that you’re alive.” He murmured softly in Kantar a language I haven’t heard since we were children.

“I would never leave you without saying goodbye.” I replied in our home tongue squeezing him softly.

“Only you would counter with something like that as if you could fight the Goddess if she truly wished to call you home.” He pulled away chucking softly at my confidence.

“I would fight her Rea, if it meant leaving you without goodbye. I would fight her.” I replied honestly.

My brother pressed a kiss to my brow trailing his fingers through my hair one final time. “Never change Rhy Goddess, never change.”

“I hadn’t planned on it.” I pressed a kiss to his cheek playing gently with his hair before pulling away.

“We should hold a meeting…” I turned staring for a moment at the man who was no longer a Prince.

“How is it that the Queen and Heir are possibly dead, and that Princess Mariel is infected with the Void but Sorel stands here before me beside the heart of Griffin Forest completely well and whole?” Eden pulled him closer to his large frame no doubt sensing my mounting anger and frustration.

“He’s not so bad after you beat the arrogance out of him Rhyme and now’s not the time for fighting. What he says has merit, we should hold a meeting or a small Council to discuss what’s happened and plan for the future…” I gazed into Eden’s eyes and sighed softly easily able to see how much he cared for the man who once would not have given him the time of day.

I glanced behind me deciding that the Ancients would go nowhere in our absence. “Call a meeting or, gather all those you think important…I’m going to get clean and then I’m going to eat.” Reason shook his head but didn’t fight me or call me back when I walked away.

I turned to find Renka trailing behind me, “Why are you following me?” I asked curiously heading for a river I knew to be close to here.

“You know this forest, better than anyone else and you can fight if something goes wrong. As well you treat me as an equal and if I have to choose someone to stick with among all these strangers why not let it be the one I know the most about.” We stood on the bank of the river while I slowly peeled off my clothes.

“You hardly know me at all,” I countered pulling off my boots.

“That’s still more than I know any of them.” Renka leapt into the river ending our conversation. “Gods and Goddesses that’s cold!” She exclaimed as she burst through the surface of the water.

I jumped in after her before I could give myself the chance to change my mind, agreeing whole heartedly with Renka’s assessment. “Goddess…” I gasped swimming towards the river’s edge easily able to find soap weed, I offered some to Renka before scrubbing myself furiously trying to work as fast as I could while shivering.

“You could have just asked me to warm the water you know.” I glanced up to see Dani walking towards us smiling softly a large bundle of clothing held in her hands.

“I wasn’t thinking.” I offered honestly ducking beneath the water to clean my hair before coming up again. “Are those clothes for us?” I questioned wiping the water from my eyes.

“Are you going to marry me?” Dahni countered smile growing into a grin.

I chuckled climbing from the water watching her eyes widen and her cheek redden as she took in my nakedness. “Not likely.” I replied gently taking our clothing from her motionless fingers. “But you’re welcome to enjoy the view…” I dried off as quickly as I could, before tossing Renka the towel. “So long as you don’t touch.” I smacked her hand as she reached for the curling tattoos along my torso. I pulled on my under things before hopping into my trousers. “Huh…” I slung my belt around my waist. “These are actually my trousers.” I glanced at Dahni waiting for an explanation.

I watched her admiring my half naked form, eyes wandering, cheeks flushed. “She looks as if she means to devour you.” Renka murmured softly coming to stand beside me.

“I’m letting her admire so long as she doesn’t touch…” I replied still waiting for Dahni to catch up and answer my question. She didn’t look as if she ever would. “Dahni…” I spoke her name loudly startling her slightly.

“Goddess.” She breathed forcing her gaze to meet mine. “You’re magnificent…” She held her hands to her warm cheeks. “As for the answer to your question, they are. Your brother, steadily refused that you were dead and brought much of your things with him when he escaped claiming that you would want them…it brought him comfort and no one was willing to fight the Horse Master of Angileri’s army. We’ve heard stories of your men…and he helped train those men. Smarter not to chance it.”

I silently agreed, “Thank you for bringing them to me…” I pulled on my tunic before tying on my pouch.

“He said you’d be missing this,” she offered me my sheath. I took it gladly sheathing my blade before buckling it properly to my belt.

“My brother knows me well.” I smiled softly picking up the vine I’d made into a whip and slinging it over my shoulder.

“Well... You guys are practically the spitting image of each other…the only difference being gender and now your hair. It looks lovely by the way.” I smiled at Dahni’s unassuming compliment.

“You’re the first person to tell me so,” we walked back towards the large camp that we could hear despite the distance, Renka falling into step beside us.

“I can’t imagine why…it makes you look more dangerous.” She hesitated for a moment before asking again. “Are you sure you do not wish to marry me?”

I laughed softly, while Renka shook her head. “I’m sure Dahni.”

“Just making sure.” I bowed my head in understanding smiling at her determination…

“How many times did that girl ask you to marry her?” Renka requested once Dahni had left us. We sat inside a large tent a table before us covered by a map of Angileri and the surrounding countries the Void the division between them all except, Erangi land of beautiful men and Kantari my home both safe separated from the masses by a large ocean, for which I was grateful.

“Many times, and I’m sure she will ask me many times more.” I smiled at the thought resting my hand upon Kantari tracing my fingers gently along the jungle paths that no one understood better than a native.

“When you said, it was all about perception what did you mean?” I blinked coming back to myself as Renka broke the lingering silence between us.

I opened my mouth to speak, paused and then went to speak again… Someone burst into the tent before I could find the words. We both stood ready for anything. “The meeting has been pushed back…Prince Eris sent us a message…” Emery left the tent and we followed quickly behind.

I pushed through the crowd of people gathered at the edge of our makeshift settlement until I came to the center Emery just ahead of me. “We haven’t touched her…because…”

I paused shuddering at the feeling that touched me when I grew closer, just as I could see the spirits of the green so too could I see the wisps of shadowy Void seeping off the person laid out in our midst. “She’s infected with the Void.” I finished for him, he bowed his head expression grave. “How did she get here, how did she find us?” I questioned as several soldiers pushed everyone back urging those who didn’t need to be there back to their tasks. Most went without a backwards glance glad in the fact that others were handling it. Some lingered but not for long. The soldiers were good intimidation.

“She just stumbled into camp, I imagine she knows because Rosen told her or guided her somehow.” Libeth offered crouching close to her body but not close enough to be touched if she were to suddenly spring awake.

“That means we have less time than I thought.” Taeli crouched down as well shifting the woman’s head with her sleeve so that we could more easily see her face. “They know exactly where we are, meaning they could come at any time and easily demolish us. There are not enough soldiers here to defend against this illness…” She pulled her hand back quickly gazing briefly at her fingers before shifting further away. “It’s growing stronger. When it first began you could fight it and truly you could not have said if it existed in a person at all. This is blatant…” She stood moving closer to us. “I swear I can almost feel it…something that’s just not right and if this is what we’re up against…” She took a deep breath before continuing. “We’ll lose. Waging a war against innocent people, infected before they realize what’s going on, fighting without will or understanding. It’ll destroy us, because who will want to fight?” No one answered and that was answer enough.

“We need to fix this...” Taeli murmured softly rubbing her hand over her mouth. “We need to fix it, to heal it and yet this blatant infection tells us we’re running out of time to figure out how.”

I moved closer to the body and crouched down beside Libeth wondering what held her so captivated startling slightly when I realized I knew her. I reached forward without thinking and gently stroked Kiyen’s hair back from her face. I glanced up to realize everyone gazed on me with baited breath…I stroked her cheek briefly watching the shadows cling to my hand. I shuddered at the feeling before quickly pulling my hand away. I gazed at my fingers until the shadows faded breathing easier once they were gone. Kiyen remained unconscious, “We’ll enter the Last Garden…and hope that in the time it takes to figure this out our entire nation is not destroyed.”

“We’re just missing one very vital person.” Reason breathed pulling his hair back into a ponytail as he grew frustrated. “Goddess I never thought my death would be at the hands of something created thousands of sun cycles ago by men and women I can’t even name.”

“I have read the tree…the Queen trust lies in Head Gardener Rosen above all else, she is her right hand in all things that her youngest daughter is not. She sits the Council and holds the Queen’s ear. She holds her title because she is strongest and she has betrayed us.” My brother shook his head. “We’re all going to die.”

“I have explored every inch of Griffin Forest…I have even been on the other side of the Ancients and you are right…but perception is everything brother and if I’m right…” I ran my fingers through my hair still able to hear the Ancients song ringing gently in my ears. It’s all I could hear this close to them, the other voices of the forest were just white noise in the background, I was aware of them but I couldn’t understand a thing even if I tried. “If I’m right then we don’t need Rosen at all.”