Memories of Gaia: Seeking Shadows in the Storm
Chapter 21 We had a deal

Valeena was the only one to say anything to Elden as they departed, leaving him alone with the bird. She wished he could travel with them but knew it was for the best. Valeena had forgiven him when she learned he had saved her life, deciding it was foolish to continue her angry.

Elden did not even bother to look up as the team departed, his eyes directed at the ground. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest and pretended to be asleep. In truth, Elden was fine being left behind. It just had felt so good to have Valeena mostly happy with him again. He did not want to lose her a second time.

He knew traveling with her was risky, as the beast was long overdue. If only he had not been so stubborn! Elden shook his head as the memory of Sheila bubbled to the surface. He could not think about her right now. He had been wrong about there only being five Elements, as they had found six. Elden refused to entertain the idea there could be more. Or that some were fake.

Valeena glanced back once, knowing Rowan was doing the same. She was looking at Elden, who had not moved. Rowan was searching beyond him. Aira was still nowhere in sight, and they were running out of time.

The city of Kingyosou was void of all people as they entered the streets. It struck Valeena as odd that the city that was always so full of life was now gone. An eerie silence had replaced the sounds of the carts being pulled on the cobblestone roads. A light wind rustling the leaves of the vibrant cherry trees took the place of the laughter that was once everywhere.

Fans and other assorted items littered the roads as though the people had fled in a hurry. A door was hanging wide one, striking the wall with a soft thump every time the wind blew. Not even the soldiers with their Cryscales had remained in the city.

Valeena emerged out of the city and back into the overwhelming heat of the desert, her feet crunching on the yellow grains of sand. Akari glanced at the team and opened her mouth to say something. She was immediately interrupted by the thunderous sounds of horse hoofs, sending waves of dust into the blue sky.

Caspian soldiers flanked the group, pulling on the reigns of their mighty tan colored horses. One of the soldiers slid off the back of his horse and faced the group, an unpleasant expression crossing his face.

Valeena recognized him as the thief she had literally bumped into back at the castle and returned his sneer. Apparently, he was now the general of the Kings army and seemed to think he was a God now.

“King Prydwen Caspian demands your presence at once!” He nearly shouted at the group, his face twisted in anger. He had locked eyes with Valeena and seemed almost pleased to be the one to tell her this.

Valeena crossed her arms over her chest as she faced him and said, “Well, we just so happen to be heading that way.”

The general said nothing as he indicated to a rather beat up looking cart that was being pulled behind one of the horses. Rowan, Akari, Nyles, and Valeena made their way towards it, climbing in carefully as the cart tipped forward. The floor of the cart was full of the desert sand and creaked heavily from their body weight. But it sure beat walking or flying in an unstable strawberry Valeena thought.

They reached the castle in a matter of hours, discovering the city was well on its way to being rebuilt. The citizens of Caspian were resilient people and had wasted no time patching their homes and rebuilding others. Piles of rubble were stacked beside the road as it was cleared off.

Several people were moving the stacks and using the broken bits to walls or breaking them down further in order to dispose of it. Some of them glanced up as the team passed by, looking away just as quickly. It was obvious the citizens blames them for the destruction of their city.

Once at the castle, Valeena followed the general through the halls of the castle, where there was little visible damage left. The floors had been swept and polished, the walls repaired. The massive window that had shattered during the Queen’s attack was nearly complete. Several men were installing the last panels of glass as she walked past.

The King was waiting impatiently in the throne room, pacing back and forth, his cane clicking noisily on the stone. His crown was again back on his head; the Griffin no longer damaged. He had the table top map already in place, the broken pieces from where he had struck it was repaired.

“Finally!” King Caspian said in annoyance as Valeena entered, her eyes narrowing at the sight of the impatient man. He hobbled over to the table as he said, “You certainly know how to waste time! It is no wonder it took you fifteen years just to leave the castle!”

Valeena ignored his insult as she approached the table, peering at the map. The Evil Forest was nothing more than a clump of crafted trees, and Valeena was not sure where the tunnel had ended within them.

“In Evil Forest there is-” Valeena began, but she was immediately interrupted by the King.

“A Night Demon. Yes, yes, I know all about the damn beast. I did not bring you here to tell me a fairy tale!” He shouted in angry, his eyes blazing as he spoke. Valeena did her best to hold her tongue and not say the rude comment that burned on the tip of it.

“AS I was saying,” She continued, tapping the top of one of the crafted trees. “Here in Evil Forest is the end of a tunnel that leads from the trees, under the ocean and back to the castle. The tunnel continues into the castle itself and leads to every floor in the castle. That is how I escaped the first time.”

King Caspian used his eyes to following an invisible trail from the tree to the castle. He stared at the castle itself for a moment before coughing, shaking his head.

“I grew up in the castle, you know. I lived there until I was fourteen years old and my sister Maylee took control of the throne. You see, my father, the mighty King Star, died mysteriously in the middle of the night on the eve of Maylee’s eighteenth birthday.” King Caspian paused to cough once more, holding his chest.

“Now, I am not saying she had a hand in the matter, but the same thing did happen to her husband I hear.” He raised his eyes to meet Valeena’s, who remained calm, doing her best not to react to his words.

“I used to explore the castle as a child, finding places to hide from my two annoying sisters. One of the pillars in the throne room is hollow. On the main floor, not far from that stupid fountain, is a trap door. It leads to a small room that is under the kitchen.” Valeena wondered if Princess Aurory knew about that secret. She would love to have a way to better sneak food.

“So you see, if this tunnel exists, I would know about it. And surely my eldest sister would as well. So please, spare me your lies. We had an agreement! I gave you a week to do whatever it is you’ve done. And in return, you were to tell me how to get in!” The vein on the Kings forehead was visible as his bloated face burned red. Valeena blinked her eyes slowly, doing her best not to shout. Her jaw ached as she had been grinding her teeth, her hands in a tight fist.

“One of the doors to the tunnel was up in my closet, I found it by-” Valeena paused. She did not want to reveal she had found the tunnel by having a temper tantrum. “By accident.” The lie rolled awkwardly off her tongue. The King raised one eyebrow, he had caught the lie but did not say anything.

“Enough!” A deep voice boomed, startling Valeena. She watched as Fenrir leaped from the window ledge he had been spying on them from, landing smoothly on the polished floors.

“The tunnels exist! I saw it with my own eyes! Hell, I even used the damn thing!” Fenrir barked as he moved towards Valeena, sitting on her right-hand side, his fur brushing her knuckles.

The King was not the least bit startled by the appearance of a talking wolf as he stroked his beard in thought. Valeena glanced nervously at Fenrir, but the creature ignored her, his yellow eyes glaring at the stubborn King.

King Caspian sighed, looking at Fenrir as he spoke. “You are positive of this?”

Fenrir rolled his yellow eyes as he growled the word, “Yes,”

King Caspian nodded, staring at the map once more before glancing at Valeena this time. “We leave at Dawn. Be prepared to fight. Or be prepared to die.”

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