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Chapter 10 - Kindling
Metheus
Traveling by boat that could barely accommodate ten people was my idea. It was not my most brilliant. In fact, it could lean towards senseless since it only served to prove a point – that I could get away with it.
Pragmatic was one thing, but stripping everything to its bare minimum was another. Of course, I knew we needed one of my father’s ships to bring all the men and tools we needed to return to Mogochislenia. We also needed to bring horses. We might not be as fortunate as the last time, finding good horses in the marketplace, and the men I would be bringing might not be as patient as my closest friends. The horses I bought in Leiderman even had to be left behind in Queenspell. They would weigh down our boat, but I also did not want to leave them on the shores with nobody to take care of them.
Emir and I took shifts sleeping. Someone always needed to watch the sails. While I had not sailed as far as Mogochislenia before, I knew since I was a young boy that the wind often blew from Arrowspear to the other continent. Our home continent was not exactly south of Mogochislenia but a little to the east as well. Storms that formed on our shores often wreaked havoc in the southernmost kingdom of Leiderman.
Personal experience showed that something had shifted between the two continents. The wind seemed to be blowing from Mogochislenia, even though the shores of Leiderman felt dry and windless. Muggy. It was not supposed to be the case, but the drought was in itself unexpected. The slow draining of witches’ powers made me suspect that something else was at play.
Emir was sleeping while our boat approached Arrowspear shores. Something shifted again, I could feel it. We were gaining so much speed because the wind was blowing in our direction. I also had the sail nice and tightly wounded. Then, it happened. It felt like the boat had slowed down a little, as if someone invisible had unfurled the sail. The wind was again coming from Arrowspear, resisting our approach.
I looked up to check just in case. Of course, nobody was tinkering with it.
“Emir, wake up. We are almost there.”
My companion rose from his corner of the boat. We had positioned ourselves from end to end, the rudder and the keel. He rubbed at his eyes, gave a stretch, and then grunted. I wondered if the Mogochislenian men would have done the same thing when they stirred from a deep sleep.
“Your Highness, did we slow down?” he asked, immediately feeling the change. His eyes had widened, and his whole body had become rigid, as if ready for a fight. I knew him well enough that the skittering of his fingers meant they were looking for his dagger. I sat on my end, calmly surveying the scene as our boat approached slowly.
“Yes, we did, Emir. The wind had turned just when we were almost there.”
“Look!” Emir cried, an index finger pointing to a place behind my back.
I turned to see the last curve of Mogochislenia disappearing into the horizon. Nevertheless, I still saw what my companion meant. Storm clouds seemed to have gathered over the continent. It looked like there was going to be a downpour.
It should have been welcome news. Perhaps all we needed to do was to return for Razuku, Eli, and Cora. Then, we could get on with our lives in Arrowspear as if we had never heard of Mogochislenia. Still, I felt a pang. Of disappointment?
I told myself that I was looking forward to healing the land. My palms itched to hover over the soil and take its heat. At the same time, however, there was another heat that my palms wanted to absorb, and her eyes had become vivid in my mind even as her home drifted further away.
However, I also had to accept whatever the future held. Perhaps it was for the best for me not to have to return there.
#
When I arrived at the palace grounds, my father was ready to welcome me there. Aha! Whenever I was not there, it seemed he was stronger. I caught him off guard, found him strolling with Rovali. Both of them seemed animated. Happy.
Rovali ran to me and hugged me around my waist, although I smelled like sea and sweat.
“How was Queenspell, Metheus?”
“It was lovely, Rovali. It is starting to look great. In fact, Emir and I saw that rain was beginning to fall on Mogochisleania as we approached home.”
“Oh, what does that mean? Does it mean you get to stay here?”
“I guess that is what it means.”
“Well, I would love that, Metheus. I’ve missed you.”
She tugged at my hand, leading me towards our father, who did not seem quite as pleased as Rovali. He must have heard our conversation.
“Good day, Father.”
“Your men, tools, seeds, and weapons are ready. You will get one of the best ships to carry your horses, too, this time. I should not have let you leave Arrowspear looking shabby and impoverished.”
I scoffed at that.
“Father, I did not look like that. It was also probably for the best. The rain had started to fall on Mogochislenia. I am not needed there. Not anymore.”
