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Five days.
Anthea had five days to prepare.
She would see him again—Endreth.
Haldrian had told her the Crimson princes would be waiting for them in the village. Memories of their last encounter flitted through her mind. Anthea had called him a monster. Hadn’t wanted to listen to what he had to say. Would he be glad to see her again, or disappointed, or angry that he would have to pretend again. She didn’t know?—
Anthea swallowed, rubbing her arms to get some warmth against the cold river breeze. She kept her eyes on the declining castle.
Five days.
She had five days.
Anthea tried to find distractions, burying herself in books, letting stories envelop her, hoping they might drive away her apprehensions. When she wasn’t reading, she would stand at the ship’s edge, observing the riverbanks that unraveled beside them.
She leaned against the bow of the ship, her fingers curling around the smooth wooden railing. The vast landscape before her was awash with a riot of colors as autumn painted the trees in shades of yellows, reds, and gold. Her black coat, generously lined with plush fur, shielded her from the biting cold. Anthea glanced upward, noting the distant mountain peaks capped with a fresh dusting of snow. The pristine white contrasted sharply with the dark gray of the rock, creating a breathtaking view.
Her gaze then shifted to the waters, where the Virens swam. In the open sea, they had shimmered and sparkled, their forms almost luminescent in the sunlit depths. But here, in the shadowy waters of the river, they appeared ethereal and ghostly pale, their vibrant colors muted.
They belonged in the sea, Anthea thought as she watched them. Remembering her journey to the Nephrite court, she turned to Kaelan. “Why doesn’t the ship’s captain use magic to guide the Virens?” she asked, her voice soft.
Kaelan’s eyes shifted to the water, watching the creatures move. “To guide the Virens, one needs to bond with them.”
“Like what? Like owning a pet?” Anthea tilted her head, thinking of the two cats back at home.
Kaelan cast her a pointed look, his eyebrows raised just slightly. “No, Anthea. Virens are free beings. They aren’t owned or controlled. They come when called, bound to the ship’s captain by a connection deeper than mere ownership.”
“What does that even mean?” Anthea took a step closer to him, narrowing her eyes with curiosity.
Kaelan’s gaze drifted into the distance, lips pressing together as he sought the right words. “Imagine an invisible string that connects the mind of a captain to a Viren. The captain doesn’t fully control the Virens. But when they’re needed—they’ll come; it’s a mutual connection of trust and understanding,” he tried to explain.
Anthea could imagine it alright—but the image that formed in her mind was that of a puppet master, tugging strings to make the puppets dance. She quickly shook it away—it didn’t seem right.
“In the Crimson court, there’s a long-standing tradition of captains forming these bonds with Virens. The most a captain bonded with is six,” he continued. “The Virens live freely in the sea, swimming and hunting. But when a captain calls, it’s like a gentle tug on that invisible string, and the Viren feels it, responding to the call.”
Anthea glanced at the creatures again, their graceful forms moving in tandem with the ship. “It sounds . . . otherworldly. Like magic,” she murmured.
Kaelan chuckled softly. “In a way, it is. Not everyone can form these bond with Virens. You need to be born with it.”
Anthea’s gaze lingered on the two luminescent seahorses for a moment before shifting back to the elf. “Is that why not every court uses Virens. The Nephrite court’s ship—it was pulled by these eerie creatures with red eyes. They looked like something straight out of a nightmare,” she began, a shiver running down her spine. “What were they?”
“Those are Mortyrs,” Kaelan explained. “Capricious river creatures known for their unpredictable temperaments. Several courts have managed to capture them, but it’s a delicate balance. The Cattleya court has some captains bonded to Virens, just like us, but they also rely on other creatures. And the Azure court . . .” he trailed off, his brow furrowing. “Gods know what they use.”
“The Azure court? Why are they isolated by that massive wall? I’ve heard whispers, but nobody seems to really talk about it.”
Kaelan looked away, the river reflecting in his eyes. “Honestly, I don’t have all the answers. It’s been like that for as long as I can remember. People say it has been this way ever since the War of the Races. Whatever happened back then, it led to the Azure court sealing themselves off from the rest of Isluma.”
“Has no one gone and checked up on them?”
“It’s an unbreachable wall, Anthea. No one has been able to.”
The journey led them to a quaint village in the Crimson court territories.
As they made port with their small ship, Anthea realized how much she had missed the white stone buildings of the Crimson court. The village, located between the river and the sea, was a perfect spot for their rendezvous.
“I don’t see the golden sails,” Anthea said to Kaelan, scanning the small port. “I thought they would be here by now.”
“They might have been delayed.” He merely shrugged. “They will be here soon.”
