• Reign of False Kings
    Chapter Seven: The Elementalist



    Frost. Cold. Painful shards of ice torn at every opening it could find and then...warmth. Had it been a dream? She was almost certain that the storm had taken her but now she felt as if she were dizzy and a tad unsure of her surroundings.

    A low moan passed Luca's lips as she stirred. Her whole body felt feverish and she was sweating yet still shivering and the same time. Slowly she became aware of the strange weight upon her. The young general opened her eyes and saw the arm draped over her chest. She jumped a little, startled, and pushed away from the person but was only rewarded with a wave of dizziness from the sudden movement. Letting her vision settle once again, she discovered the source being the shirtless, sleeping prince. Both his shirt and jacket were still draped over her shoulders and her wounds had been freshly dressed. She looked down at them quizzically before looking back to the trembling royal.

    "Why..." She watched the boy breath for a moment. She had been an obstacle to their survival. So, why then did the prince still save her? And why risk his own life by caring for and covering her?

    The teen reached out with a wavering hand and touched Aran's shoulder, shaking him gently.

    "Highness..." she choked out, her voice a hoarse whisper.

    Aran's eyes fluttered open slowly, taking a moment before they could focus on the young general.

    "A-Are you alright?" The raven-haired boy managed, concerned. He tried to sit up, but only managed halfway before falling back to the ground.

    "Don't...know," Luca answered, a fierce shiver wracking her entire body. "C-Can't stop...stop s-shaking." She pulled the prince's clothes closer around her body. "Y-You should have l-left me there. Now..Now I'll j-just be more trouble."

    The prince was unresponsive for a moment, curling his body into a fetal position in an attempt to keep warm.

    "I-I do not th-think that's how..how you would have liked to have died," he managed with a bit of a laugh. "Not after a-all we have been through."

    She laughed a little, stifled by her shivers. "S-So you're telling me that...that you s-saved me because of th-the things...things we've been through?" She asked drowsily. "S-Since when we're we f-friends l-like that?"

    "Friends.." The prince echoed, his voice growing softer. "Yes, I think friends s-sounds right.."

    It was obvious that he was slipping back to sleep, but that just made the red head worried. If he fell asleep again with his skin exposed he might not wake up a second time. She shrugged off his jacket and laid it over him. The boy uttered a faint thanks before closing his eyes again.

    "C-Come on now," she admonished, shaking his shoulder again. "Y-You can't go back t-to sleep. Come on.."

    Aran nodded as his eyes continued to stay shut.

    "Highness? Highness!"

    She shook him again, then harder, but this time no response came from the boy. She leaned in and placed her head against his chest. He was cold and his breathing was shallow. The teen cursed, taking the borrowed shirt and placing it over the boy as well.

    A howling wind drew her attention to the cavern's entrance. The storm had raged on through the night and now the snow was falling thick and hard, but not with the intensity it had before. The sun peeked out from behind the thick, grey clouds but offered no warmth to the earth. Winter had just settled in for the long haul.

    From what she could see they were practically snowed in with nothing to offer them warmth. They wouldn't be able to survive in here for long.

    "We need to get out of here," she muttered to herself, rubbing her arms to try and work some heat back into them. The general crawled back over to the unconscious Aran and grabbed under his arms before lifting the both of them up. He wasn't terribly heavy, but his greater height made her stumble as she maneuvered them over to their horses. With a great heave she slung him over her stallion's saddle, waiting until she was mounted as well before shifting the prince around. He sat behind her, his limp body leaning heavily against her back. She could just barely make out his breathing.

    She urged the horse on and with reluctant steps it guided the mare behind out into the harsh cold. Aran stirred as they rode, his head nestling into the shoulder it was resting on.

    "Highness, stay with me," Luca called back. She received a low moan. He was still alive, for now.

    The trees began to lessen in number, the winds calming and the sun finally able to break through the clouds. Plains drew on before them, almost nothing in sight as they carried on. Luca glanced over her shoulder to her companion. He was still breathing steadily, his eyes occasionally opening to let her know he was still with her. Otherwise he was unresponsive and remained so for hours as she supported his dead weight.

    Eventually a small cabin came into view. It was covered in snow and forest brush, but Luca's tired eyes managed to catch it. She kicked the steed into a quicker pace and reached the dwelling, dismounting carefully and pulling the prince along with her. Her legs shook as she walked through the snow but still managed to reach the door without falling.

    She pulled Aran against her as she kicked the door with her foot. She did this three times before a voice finally answered.

    "Go away." It was the voice of a mature, perhaps elderly, man that sounded gruff and annoyed.

    The general seethed quietly, not wanting to anger the only source of safe shelter in sight.

    "Please. My... friend and I need help. He's weak and hasn't been conscious all day. If anything, help him."

    Five or so minutes of silence passed before the door opened a crack. Eyes from within took in the sight on his door step; A frozen child with an unconscious boy draped over her shoulders. The teen almost jumped when the door flung open.

    "If you're going to come in, hurry up," the gruff voice called.

    The young general immediately scrambled inside, pulling Aran with her. The door shut behind her, giving way to the darkness inside. She squinted her eyes, looking around in the pitch black for the owner of the voice.

    "Is anyone there..?"

    The auburn haired teen tightened her grip on her companion and locked her knees so that the two of them wouldn't fall over. Just as her eyes began to adjust, a small oil lamp was lit, exposing a tall figure right in front of her.

    The man was dressed in long, warm-looking robes. He had long, slightly greying brown hair with several small braids woven into it in random places. Bright amethyst eyes regarded them carefully and Luca could feel a sort of probing at her body as those eyes examined her.

    "Give me the boy," he demanded.

    That made Luca hold on tighter, but the man merely continued to watch her.

    "What will you do with him?"

    "Either you give him to me or you don't. It's your decision whether he survives or not."

    Luca reluctantly shifted Aran's weight and passed him onto the man who took him as if he weighed nothing.

    "Take care of your horses."

    She eyed him warily, but eventually did as instructed. Wandering back out into the bone-chilling cold, she led the two horses around the side of the cabin. There was a small structure that would shield them from the elements. She freed them of their reins and saddles and draped them with blankets she'd found lying nearby. With a great sigh she allowed herself to drop into the hay, using it as a blanket of her own for warmth.

    --

    The purple-eyed man carried the unconscious Aran to a small couch in the main room and brushed a hand across the young man's forehead. With a disproving noise he moved over to a small cabinet, returning and waving an item with a strong odor under the prince's nose.

    "So you were the one messing with my storm." He muttered as the boy beneath him stirred. "Can't get a moment alone these days..."

    Aran's face contorted into a grimace before his eyes slowly began to open. His vision was clouded, but began to clear after he blinked. He found that he was in an unfamiliar place, being cared for by unfamiliar hands. A strange, deep voice echoed over him, one he could not place.

    "E-Excuse me..?"

    "I said it was you who was tampering with my blizzard," the man almost grumbled this time.

    Aran shook his head. He could clearly see the speaker now, but was still confused as to what was happening.

    "Where's...Luca?"

    "The girl?" the man mused, tapping his chin. "Asleep in my stable it seems. I'll fetch her. Don't move."

    The aging hermit left and wandered outside to get Luca as promised. He prodded the teen with his boot.

    "Get up. Your friend is conscious now," he announced once the girl had opened her eyes and sat up.

    The general blinked rapidly to clear her eyes of fatigue and succeeded a tiny bit. She jumped to her feet, still shivering, and shuffled ahead of the strange man and into the house. When she saw the dozing prince the internal knot of worry faded. Though she made no sign of showing it externally. She knelt on the floor beside the small couch.

    "I was beginning to think you were going to die on me."

    The prince tried to sit up, but a rolling wave of nausea washed over him and he lay back down.

    "I am fine," he replied softly. "You look as if you are freezing.."

    "I am," she grunted, wrapping her arms about herself. "Hours of riding, supporting your dead weight, in that weather. Wasn't exactly holiday."

    Aran sighed inwardly. She had been civil towards him for a moment, but it was to be expected that it wouldn't last longer then that.

    "If you're both quiet finished," The hermit looked at them both through his piercing purple eyes. "You have a bit of explaining to do. Who are you and what are you doing in my wilderness."

    Luca narrowed her eyes at the elder man. She was a bit tired of people claiming ownership over the land and then antagonizing them for being in it. However, the prince spoke before she could voice her thoughts.

    "My name is Aran. We were lost."

    "Luca," the general said shortly.

    "You may call me Geraint. You two obviously don't belong here..." The man known as Geraint scratched at his stubble as he eyed the pair. "From the capital, perhaps."

    Luca stood to face the hermit, an irritant flash in her blue eyes.

    "Look, whatever rumors you might have-"

    "-I hear no rumors. Be quiet," Geraint interrupted sharply, turning towards Aran. "Now perhaps with you I can have an intelligent conversation."

    The auburn teen looked as if she were ready to protest loudly, but stopped and fumed silently. It earned a glance from the couched prince, but he withheld his comment.

    "Thank you for opening your home to us, Geraint." Aran spoke, not really sure how to address the older man. "As for your earlier comment. About the storm...?"

    "Yes, yes." The hermit scoffed and waved the boy's comment aside. "I'll answer your questions after you tell me what the Prince of Geese is doing in my cabin."

    Both companions looked at the man with confused glances.

    "How.." Luca began, but was cut off once more by Geraint's raised hand. Much to her annoyance.

    "It's an unfortunate business of mine to know about the ruling powers. Always about making new laws and further invading my privacy." He looked back to the young prince, nodding for him to speak.

    Aran nodded meekly.

    "Then you should know of my exile. Both I and my general were...imprisoned, but were able to escape. Here you have us."

    Geraint's eyebrows raised.

    "How colorful. And you're journeying back to the capital, I take?"

    "At the risk of sounding like an over imaginative bard, yes. To reclaim my unlawfully stolen kingdom."

    He snorted, a hint of a smile on the elder man's face.

    "Almost sounds fun. And you're going to do it with just the two of you?"

    Aran nodded.

    "If we have to, then yes." The hermit looked as if he were to speak but the prince cut him off quickly. "I have answered your questions. Now you hold to your end."

    Geraint remained silent before drawing a bemused expression. "Ah ha, very well then." He gave a brief bow of his head. "Geraint Wyndem. Elemental mage, if you will."

    "Mage," Luca perked, staring at him with a look of mild agitation. "A magician? You perform party tricks and yet act this highly."

    The hermit scowled towards the red head.

    "I assure you, whelp, that I produce more than mere party tricks. Why even when the role of fool seems filled."

    The two leered at one another until Aran broke the tension.

    "Elemental. Would it be wrong to say then that you conjured that storm?"

    Luca turned her glare towards him.

    "You honestly can't believe this hermit's talk."

    Aran returned her glance before looking up to the elderly man again. He was watching the both of them, idle fingers scratching at his stubble. Geraint spoke with confidence. What reason would the man have to lie about something of this matter to two strangers anyway?

    "You said I was tampering with your storm. What did you mean?" He asked.

    The mage perked a brow at the young prince before answering.

    "Your presence disturbed my blizzard. Nature is alive, you know. It feels like we do." He narrowed his gaze at the red head on the floor. "It can be sour towards strangers as well. I can see how though. You possess a strong will..."

    "Will?"

    "Spirit, soul, mana; a human's connection to the forces around them. A person with a strong will can communicate and harness their power." He glanced back to the young prince. "It lingers heavily in you. Very rare, but very impressive. You could have potential."

    Aran blinked, staring almost incredulously at the older man.

    "Are...are you offering to teach me?"

    "Teach you? Who said I could teach you?" the hermit huffed. "It's not something that anyone can do. Else you'd see people abusing the elements all over the place."

    "I doubt you would have mentioned anything if you did not have something in mind.."

    Geraint cracked a smile.

    "Hm, I suppose you're right." He chuckled a little. "Very well then. If you're serious, then I can try." He looked over the both of them, his face turning serious. "But I expect you to work as well. You will earn your stay here and you will be silent. I don't live all the way out here just to be pestered."

    Aran nodded, still in slight disbelief of what was happening. The mere thought of being a mage's apprentice was like a fairy tale. Even still, if it were true then it would be a great advantage in the fight to reclaim his throne. He looked down to his companion.

    "Luca, is this alright with you?"

    "Whatever." She scoffed, arms crossed in front of her chest. "Do as you please. As long as I get a swing at that blasted Daross.."

    The royal smiled.

    "A swing you shall have. If there's any left of him when I am done I shall place him in your hands." He turned back to Geraint. "If you are willing to teach, then I am willing to learn."

    The hermit nodded. "I'll prepare you two a room then." He gave a slight bow of the head before walking off to another section of the house. The two companions were left to themselves. They sat quietly, staring off at various parts of the room rather then one another.

    "Almost unbelievable, isn't it?" Aran spoke, looking down at his friend with a laugh. "Like a strange story book."

    Luca stared at him out the corner of her eye and scoffed, earning a confused look from the royal. Before he could question he sudden moodiness the mage had returned for them. He led them to a tiny room just off from where they were with two cots set in it. Aran walked slowly into the room, assuring the two that he needed no help. He nearly collapsed on the cot, snuggling into the covers.

    The general watched him for a moment before moving to sit on her own cot, pulling the blankets around her but not laying down.

    "Not sleeping?" Geraint questioned from the doorway.

    Luca glared over to him. "Not near him."

    "Mm?" Geraint smirked. "Perhaps you would prefer my company instead?" He laughed when the red head jumped back, waving a hand dismissively as he began to close the door. "That's what I thought. Now, sleep."

    She growled at the closed door and reluctantly fell back onto the cot, silently declaring her aversion of the mage.