Kaija: Queen of Stone

12.5

Baria.

She was beautiful. Hair soft and golden like a halo. It was drawn to the side, falling in waves to her side. She was vibrant and entrancing like a flame. The dress she wore was red, powerful and intimidating. The sleeves of the dress hung to the ground, almost touching the grass.

I remembered my breath caught in my throat when I first saw her.

Just as Jonga did, Baria struck. She pressed a dagger to my throat. "I will kill anyone who passes my land!"

"Please, no, no!"

I remembered she was human for a moment. She had displayed empathy for me.

"Why are you here?" she inquired, pulling the knife back. "Tell me now or meet your fate."

"We are lost," I spoke up for the two of us.

"I've been traveling for days, maybe weeks," Jonga expressed.

"Please, miss, don't hurt us," I pleaded. "Please."

She sighed, straightening. "Very well," she whispered. "Since you are lost, and I have found you, you now belong to me."

We rode on the back of the Guardian toward the river leading to Udan, and the rest was history. I was hers and Jonga was my brother.

I smiled as I opened the door to the cottage. Blackness waved me from within. Beyond the darkness was a window illuminated with the moon's light and a mess of a room. With enough light to see, I wandered over to the table near the front of the door and pulled open the drawer.

Within, I picked out a candle and a match. Striking it, the flame came to life. Quickly, I touched the flame to the wick and stood back. The flare of the candle provoked the shadows to lift. Hiding in the shadows was someone I knew well. My stomach twisted as I stared at his face.

Jonga.

I stepped back, faltering. At one time, I would have been thrilled to see his face but with the threat made...

"I am not here to fight today," Jonga whispered. "I have come to talk to you."

"There is nothing to talk about," I hissed. "You are a part of the Rabaka! You betrayed Udan." Anger roared inside of me. "How could you? The Guardian saved us from our deaths!"

"There is much you do not understand," he answered with a sigh. "I told you there is much I cannot tell you as well."

"Then why have you come back here?"

"I said to talk."

I scoffed, setting the candle onto the stand placed on the table. "Then start talking."

"I will not let a Kaijan rule Udan," he spat. "You and I both know I will not let it happen. It is unfair that Baria's rule ended and I have no choice of what happens to her or our kingdom."

Jonga had no say in the ruler of Udan. This was Baria's will.

"It's not your choice to make and it's not our kingdom," I growled. "It's under divine law that she rules over Udan."

"You are so blinded!" he shouted, his words coated in venom. "I wish you saw what I did. I wish you knew what I did."

"I wish, too. I never know what is going on in your head, Jonga."

He shifted his head and closed his eyes. "Her kind murdered my family!" he cried out. "I saw it. The Rabaka showed me what Kaijans have done."

"She isn't like other Kaijans. She isn't like the ones we learned about as children."