Chapter 209 - Strength, Not Weakness
Ileus sighed, turning his face to the moon that was barely giving any light to the ocean. Even the stars were hazy because of the clouds that drifted intermittently carried by strong gusts of winds. He closed his eyes. "So many lives have been lost and still we haven't been able to find Iona. Will we ever be able to?" He glanced at his wife's face who was now peering at him and said, "We will go to Draoidh, my love, for only that place is secure for you." She frowned as if sensing the weight of the situation. "What are you thinking?" he asked.
Anastasia was studying her husband's behavior everyday. Although she was very nervous, seeing him in such a desolate state made her insides twist. She wanted to be her husband's strength and not his weakness. He had so many layers… Like a sword that had been forged by a sword smith, who had layered the steel after passing it through fire… the sword that had suffered the fire and yet came out strong inside out. Ileus was the man who could bend but never break. But now… he looked maudlin. The reality of not finding Iona had crashed on him like waves that thrashed Abra Heights. Though the waves hardly made a difference to the strong cliff rocks, she could see him… ruminating.
"Why are you feeling so sad, Ileus? We haven't given up yet. Please don't be sad because that is going to make you weak. There is no person in this world who hasn't been touched by sorrow and if they say they haven't, they are lying." She cupped his face with her hands. "I know you are grieving because you still want to see your ten year old sister. Trust me I am grieving too, but for different reasons. I want my name to be cleared from this mess. I want my parents to be free again." Why was it that her own burdens at this time felt lesser than his? "But let us not brood over what happened because I think it must have happened for a reason…" Her voice trailed away. Her hands dropped on her lap and she looked away. "Let us think of our next move. If you are taking me to Draoidh because it is safe for me, then every place where you are, is safe for me." She took a deep breath and turned her face back to gaze in his golden eyes. "I don't want to be your excuse to go back. I want to earn the respect of your people, not their hatred."
"Those are wise words, Anastasia, but pray tell me, do you foresee in the near future a chance to gain their respect?" he snapped. "They are fed with utter nonsense about faes. Since you are the one who represents all the faes, you are at the receiving end, but I know what you have gone through. All of us here know what you had gone through." His eyes were a fiery gold. "I will take you to the place you rightfully belong to and I am going to face any resistance, whatsoever, to give you what belongs to you. You are my wife and you will go back to Draoidh as my wife, as the princess of Draoidh!" His words were like steel, like the sword he was—sharp and firm.
"Hush!" Kaizan said and everyone fell into silence. They stopped rowing the boat. About twenty meters away, they heard a splash of water, the sound made ominous when they saw scaly skin of a colossal leviathan that broke the gentle surface of water. It stopped and revealed its disgusting serpent skull. It roved its yellow eyes that a narrow slit in the dull moonlight for a while and then glided away. The ripples that it sent across were as if a barge had sailed across with speed.
When it was far off, Kaizan and Darla started rowing the boat, this time harder. "What are we going to do when we reach the Tides of Bromval? Do we go back to the trade path?" asked Kaizan.
"No, I intend on creating a portal to Draoidh," said Ileus.
Aidan interjected, "If what Haldir said is right, you won't be able to get in Draoidh so easily. They have many check points."
"I can get in the palace, Aidan," said Ileus in a menacing voice. "Do you forget that I am the prince? How do you think I got the jāmbiya?"
"You are not understanding what I said. You can get in, what about her?" he pointed at Anastasia. "I am worried about her."
Frowning at him, Ileus waved his hand in the air to dismiss his useless trepidations. He changed the topic, "When we reach the village, just make sure that you pack everything from the inn, pay Cadux and Ada, and join us at the entrance of the village. I will take Anastasia over there and not waste time going to the inn."
"Okay," replied Aidan with nervousness in his voice.
"So you have really made up your mind, Ileus?" asked Anastasia. "You will face a lot of revolt."
"I don't care, sweetheart," he said with steely determination. "Enough beating around the bush." He heard someone in the group wincing. "We also have to take Guarhal to the healers to treat him after I ward off that foul sorcery. For that I need Isidorus' help." He knew that his mother might be reluctant to help.
Rest of the journey was in silence. Each of them was occupied in their thoughts. Aidan and Tadgh took the oars from Kaizan and Darla and covered the remaining distance.
As they were docking the boat, they felt heavy turbulence in water. Waves formed and crashed on the shore one after the other. "Fuck! We have more serpent guards," Kaizan said loudly. "Everyone hurry up and get out of the waters!" He was already out on the shores. Aidan, Darla and Tadgh were pulling the casket out. "Hurry up!" he shouted as he tied the boat's rope with the pole.
Ileus grabbed Anastasia's hand and jumped out of the boat, splashing lots of water around them. Behind them a head emerged. It hissed and slithered towards them with alarming speed, rippling water and rocking the boat dangerously. The serpent opened its jaws and charged at them. Ileus scooped Anastasia in his arms and flung her out on the shores. Kaizan caught her as if she was a weightless doll.
"Release me!" she shouted as icy panic prickled her throat. "I want to go back!"
"Sometimes intelligence is in lying low, Anastasia," Kaizan chided her. "You will weaken his efforts!"
The serpent struck Ileus with crazy speed but Ileus burst into shadows at that moment and saved himself. He turned towards the serpent who was snapping its jaws and thrust his hands forward. A frenzied beam of white light emerged and hit him right in the middle of his open jaw. The next moment, the serpent blasted into tiny pieces of flesh.
Kaizan pressed Anastasia's head on his shoulder. "Don't look there," he whispered and carried her further away.
The blast gave Darla, Aidan and Tadgh enough time to pull out the casket. However, as soon as they did that, Ileus saw one more serpent rising out of the water.