The Prince's Shadows Read online

  But it is only manage to annoy them.

  “Your little magic trick is no use here, my lord,” says the leader.

  The robbers leap in unison. I manage to get my sword from my saddle bag. I know I am not good at sword yet. I hope the sight of the sword at least make them pause.

  “Hide behind me, my lady,” Ryn commands me.

  And the fight break, there are tenth of them, all have menacing looking sword, and Ryn, alone, with his flaming sword, burning in yellowish red heat. They are parrying, slashing, although the robber is greater in number, their movements are clumsy, untutored. Ryn movements is graceful like a dance, jumping, rolling and slashing. It is apparent that Ryn's sword skill is better, he can handle them all with an easy finesse. The broken swords littered on the ground are its evidence.

  I hear faint buzzing sounds, then I see arrows come to us from many direction.

  The archers, I almost forgot about them. Ryn sees it too, but it is too late. I close my eyes, accept my fate. I feel gust of sharp winds enveloping me. My hair and clothes flapping around. Second ticks, but nothing happened after that. I open my eyes slowly, seeing those arrows lying on the ground, broken into pieces like being cut with an invisible blade.

  Ryn? How can he move so fast?

  I look at him, he is furious, his eyes pure red with a tinge of another color that I cannot name in the outer ring. He sends a blasting fire to those archers direction. Seeing the losing fight, the robbers step back and try to run. But I know, Ryn is not going to allow it. I see it in his eyes, it blinded with rage.

  He is going to kill them. I have to stop him.

  I grab his arm, hug him tight from behind.

  Please Gods, gentle his rage.

  I feel his body tense briefly, then the tension is leaving his body slowly, and finally he calms down. By the time, I let go of him, the robbers already gone. They’ve ran for their life.

  Ryn still angry but his murderous rage is gone. I can still see the red hue in his eyes, “What are you doing?” he barked, forgetting to be respectful, gripping my shoulder hard, as if trying to makes me come to my sense.

  “Please let them leave. No harm done.”

  “Are stupid, aren’t you?”

  I’ve never seen this side of him. And this is frightening.

  “You know what they are…”

  “But no need for the killing,” I say adamantly.

  “Don’t you see, they don’t have any guilt in killing and..." He catches himself, "AND others,” he adds.

  “Their next victims’ blood is in your hand, my lady,” he says in cold voice before letting go of his grip in my shoulder

  I come to despise his “my lady” now.

  We back continuing our journey, and ride in silent, mutual in our disagreement.

  Time goes so painfully slow, and I take no joy in beautiful scenery ahead.

  Finally before noon, we arrive in Lake Darg. It is twice bigger than Lake Ayle. The other side of the lake seems so far. It must be more than fifty miles. The lake’s water looks greyish blue reflecting the sky above, we dismount still in silent, our muffled footsteps are the only sound. This place is quiet surrounded by hills in all direction, far from houses and crowd, perfect place for training but my spirit has fled. I have no desire for training now.

  Does he really think I am stupid? Maybe I am… But how can one be at peace after taking lives?

  Maybe some do what they must even taking lives. But I cannot imagine myself will at peace after that. For the first time, I am unsure about my new path of life. Later, will I be like him? That is what I afraid of.

  A simple happy life is all I want. Maybe I should more careful of what I wish next time.

  I ward off my dark thought and once again checking my eyes in the looking glass. It is still dark brown, like the color of dark chocolate, a little bit lighter than when I was in the Kim Clan’s village.

  I force myself to do the training. It is the purpose why we come here after all. We take our stance near the lake shore, facing each other.

  “I will drain your force,” Ryn informs me, “Please don’t hold it back,” he adds softly. He seems back to his solemn and respectful self.

  I let down my guard, he wasting no time and drawing my energy through my eyes. He lets out his energy too, maybe our combined energy is too strong to hold inside. He never did it before. I can feel waves of heat radiates from his body, comes from his center and slowly spreading, circling out. It burn grass in the lakeside in circle pattern and us as the center of it. The lake now reflecting the flame, it is bright red color. He draws more of my energy. I feel dizzy but still bearable.

  Now, we are standing in the ring of fire. He makes a high ring of fire around us, it swirling and goes up to the sky. As he takes more and more, I feel weak and weaker, beads of cold sweat run down my body and my vision becomes blurry, world seems hazy and chaotic. I feel like stand in the strong storm of fire with hot wind circling, rotating, around us, twirling to the heaven with a buzzing sound. Its heat is scorching my skin. I sweat profusely damping my body, my bone feels weak and ready to give out. My head become lighter and lighter and my vision gets worse and worse; darkness is creeping to the edge of vision, it comes rapidly. And suddenly, all is black. I can feel myself start to fly back, falling to the ground.

  ***

  Chirping sound of birds wake me up gently, I find myself lying under big oak tree with a makeshift bed below. Winds blow my skin slowly, and I see blue sky greet me above. It is well past noon now. I feel my clothes damp with perspiration. It plastered to my skin, the gust of wind makes me shiver.

  Ryn crouches, hovering over me, wiping sweat from my forehead dutifully. He puts his palm on my forehead, checking my temperature. He stays quiet, looking at my face for a while. I see guilt cross his eyes and softened his gaze.

  “Please forgive me, my lady,” he whispers, and I know he truly meant it.

  “How long it’s been?”

  “About two hours,” he helps me to sit down, “You are too weak to travel. We’ll stay here tonight.”

  I just nod my consent. I do feel weak now, and want to go back to sleep.

  Dark comes, even here, far from the Sagha Mountain, in cloudless night like this, the holy fire’s flare still can be seen clearly although not as vivid as in the dark winter nights. It looks like a pale yellowish-green ribbon, smeared in its edges and glowing in the sky among the stars. It is starting right above the Sagha Mountain and swirling in all direction in archaic manner, and faded away above far distant land. Some people say that as long as we can see the light, it means that we are under Sagha, the Mountain God, protections.

  Is that means we can’t see it in Westland?

  After hearing many stories about that far away land, I want to go there someday. Since, I was twelve, my father promised me that he permit me go there after I turn seventeen, but just few months before that day come, our world crumbles. I sigh wearily, my fascination started after hearing Uncle Yezi adventure in his younger days, some of his stories seem so outlandish to be true, and I want to see it by myself. I even started learning Westlander’s language for years. And now, I am trapped, up there in the place that once was my dream castle.

  From the corner of my eyes, I see Ryn walking slowly, come back from the lake, bringing some fat fish.

  He makes a small fire from dried bushes, and makes grilled fish for dinner. It smells good, he gives me one, and I take a small bite, it tastes delicious. Maybe feeling hungry and weak help it tastes better.

  We are sitting beside the fire, finishing our food. I cannot imagine a city’s nobleman fishing or cook before. It obvious Ryn is no strange to these things. Perhaps it is different in wartime. War makes people harder and unforgiving too. I know that the prince and his shadows had gone to wars before. No matter how hard the empress tried to protect her son, sometimes she had to let him go to face danger. Once, I eavesdropped when the elders of my clan was talking about r
oyal family, they said about the opposing fraction at the court. They wish the prince dead in those wars. I cannot believe it, but it must be true, but sadly for the opposing fraction, the prince and his shadows always come back alive.

  I finish my dinner, and back admiring stars and the holy fire’s light. They are flaring in the sky shifting in shape and color, yellow to deep green and back again. They look bright in the midnight blue sky and seem so close, within reach of my hand. I never get bored by looking at them. Every day they look different both in color and shape.

  “They are so beautiful, aren’t they?” I say in dreamy voice.

  “It is just a sky,” he says solemnly.

  “But many thing up there. Holy's light for once. Starts and moon too. You know, Westlander said if you see a falling star your wish will come true.”

  “What do you know about this Westlader?” he looks at me, skeptical.

  I know he doesn’t believe me. He probably thinks I am a spoiled lady. “My lady” as he often says.

  “Uncle Yezi, Zeta’s uncle, is a merchant. He went there before. Across big sea in the west. When he back, he brought a lot of books and strange thing from the west.”

  “Zeta?”

  “My friend. My dearest friend.”

  We are silent for a while. Even with the fire blazing, the spring’s wind is chilling to the bone. I move closer to the fire, near where he sits.

  “Don’t you wish to go there?”

  “Dreams and wishes…” he says without looking at me, his side profile, is the only thing I can see, it dancing following the flame.

  Then he adds, “It’s never meant to be reality. It’s only for an innocence and a child,” his voice waver slightly in the end.

  He says nothing more for a while, “It’s late my lady. Go to bed. We will depart before the dawn breaks,” he says breaking the silent.

  ***

  Now is almost the end of fourth month and is a spring time. I am still tired and sleepy when we depart. I feel the dawn come too soon just after I fell asleep. Not long after we ride southeast soft golden sky welcome us, warming our skin. We go uphill, ahead I see trees with its white-pink flower, wriggling gaily following gentle breeze from the north, seeing them I find my spirit again.

  But Ryn says we have to go fast so we pick up our pace. Yes, now is not a time to admire mere flowers. We take a shortcut road, but it is coarser and narrower than the main road. We only pause for lunch and back to the road shortly after. We have to reach West City before dusk, he says. We ride following a winding road, passing a steeped curving hill called Cresent Hill.

  From his horse, he shouts, “Faster.” And we go in breakneck speed to the southeast.

  An hour approaching dusk, and few miles before the gate, he tells me to go ahead alone. He says that he senses some people are following us since the Cresent Hill, these people are trained soldier instead of a common robber.

  “They are after me, my lady. Please inform this to the captain of the wall.”

  “Who are they?”

  “The lost souls,” he then urges me to go fast. I hear desperation in his voice, but I hesitate to leave him in danger alone.

  The lost soul is the name of the rebel, they are the last remnant of the late crown prince supporters. Most of them are trained soldier and the Varr Empire’s former army, and some held high position in the past. It is said that they have the Blessed among them. Even after nineteen years after the prince death, his followers still defy the empress and call her the usurper, and continue the fight they had lost years before.

  And my sister… No I won’t believe that.

  “I will be safe,” Ryn assures me and force me to leave. “I promise.”

  With that promise, I ride to the wall, galloping fast. I must not let him die. I must go fast. As soon as I arrived in the gate, I tell one of the soldiers to fetch the captain quickly. Luckily, he is the one that let us out the gate two days ago. Then I tell the captain about the rebel and what happened. Thank to Gods he believe me. He is seasoned man, a man in his late forty and seems capable. Shortly after that, he and two dozen of his best solder set out to the west. I hope they are not too late.

  Please Gods, let them back safely. Let him back unharmed.

  Chapter 4

  The captain told me to wait in a small room in the gate house. The house is inside the Giant Wall, and this room is right above the gate. It has small window that can see directly to the west beyond the wall, but it is so high above so it is hard to see or hear what happen below.

  I wait in this room for many hours, I don’t know how long, but it feels like forever.

  Few hours after dusk, finally they are back, the captain himself escorts Ryn to the room where they put me. He looks weary but without any sign of injury. I resist the urge to march to him and give him a bear hug.

  “Your highness,” the captain says, bowing to Ryn, then to me, “My lady.” Then he leaves.

  Your highness? What is the meaning of this?

  Ryn must see my stunned expression before he says, “It’s common for a shadow to assume the prince identity,” he then bid me to sit down.

  “They will send dinner for us.”

  “What’s happened?”

  He is silent for a while as if to contemplate whether to tell me or not, “Nothing happens, my lady. They, the lost soul, only want to check on me or Prince Lex precisely.”

  “What do you mean check?”

  “Make sure who I am, they said.”

  “Then?”

  He let out a weary sigh, “I guess, they know who I am really is, so they let me go.”

  “Just like that?”

  He smiles a little, “Now, blood thirsty, aren’t you, my lady?”

  “That not–”

  “They just testing my power, that’s all,” he cuts me, “maybe they found, I was lacking.”

  Both of us hear light steps from corridor outside, and we cut our conversation there.

  The door is opened, servants come with our late dinner. They offer dinner for me before but I refused. Now, as my worry gone, I find my appetite back, and it is nice to see rich dinner once again. They serve hot soup and beef, it smells nice.

  I see the servants steal glances to Ryn in combination of awe and fear, “Is… is anything more you need, your highness?” one of the servant inquiry meekly.

  “You may go,” he says in cold voice, he use the prince’s voice, “And tell the captain to prepare fresh horses for us.”

  Then all the servants retreat and leaving us alone once again. After I hear no more of their footsteps outside, I ask him in hushed voice, “You often do this I suppose. If I don’t know, I’d believe if you say you are the prince.”

  He raises his eyebrow, “How do you know which one of us is the one?” He asks in cold lazy voice, the same tone he uses for the servant.

  That gives me a pause.

  Yes, how do I know?

  Seeing a doubt in my face he adds, “I merely jesting, my lady. It’s a poor taste, I know. Please forgive me,” he back to his respectful tone.

  We back to our dinner, but I just playing with my spoon. After a long silent, I want to ask him about the lost soul and my sister.

  Does he know?

  But I catch myself, not sure yet if I can trust him.

  We depart for the Varr City shortly after we finish our dinner. We are down to the yard and ready to mount our horse. But the captain insists to send six of his soldier with us. I see the six of them are ready too. All of them look strong with heavy muscle and tall build.

  “Danger is still lurking, your highness. I must insist,” the captain says stubbornly.

  Ryn finally relented, and as promised the soldiers are following us. Along the way they keep alert, as soon as they see something suspicious they immediately make humans shield around us. In less than two hours, finally, we reach outside the Varr City’s gate, before they going back to Wienna, they give Ryn a deep bow.

  �
�Please, say my thanks to the captain. And thanks to you all too,” Ryn says.

  “It’s an honor, my prince,” one of them says proudly, “And we are the ones that should thank you.”

  Ryn just nod slightly and lead his horse to the city gate, and I am following right behind.

  What that’s mean? Is something happen outside the Giant Wall?

  The two of us ride in the dark night guided by the holy fire’s light, passing through the city's empty street to the Varan Castle. After we arrive inside the castle, I feel tension left my body. Ryn dismounts from his horse too, and escort me to the door. Just beyond the door, he stops me. I wonder way, shortly he draw near, his tall frame hovering over me, my heart thudding oddly, the tension back in two fold. Then I realize he just wants to put my diamond pendant back, the pendant that its existence I forgot. He moves carefully, putting the pendant to the base of my neck, tries his best not to touch my skin.

  Before he went, he told me to keep today’s incident to myself. I nod my head in agreement, of course I will.

  ***

  Few hours later, sleep alone on my bed, in Blue Tower. My thought drifts again to Ryn and what he says.

  How do you know which of us is the one?

  The answer is I don’t know. Surely, he has the royal face, the image of the first Varr. The three of them, they all look royal, and all gifted too. The Masters say that the real prince can control both wind and fire. That is why he chose an Air Shadow and Fire Shadow.

  Does Ryn control both Air and Fire?

  Turning around in my bed. I feel sleepiness muddled my brain. I close my eyes slowly. The sky, I see them, those spring sky.

  I wake up slowly, it is almost noon. The sun light is bright, it is pass through the window glass in full force, blinding me.

  I go down to the library, Ari say that the masters tell me to rest today, and they permit me to skip the training. But the day seems dull after what happened outside the Walls. I feel live here so calm and safe, there is a wild world out there, a world that so different from mine. The world that different from stories too, from Uncle Yezi’s stories I pick up its wonderment, novelty and beauty, but there is ugliness too. Maybe that is why the Walls were built, not only to protect from the harm but to protect an innocence soul too.

  Hour turn slowly, I stay in the library until long after dusk. I bring one book back to my room. I just pick it up randomly, it is old book written in hieroglyph. I put it on my desk and curled up on my bed.