Heart of Netis

Chapter XI: Netis

Netis was about to try, but Arriway stopped her.

"Don't try. Summoning a living being, and a large one at that, requires advanced maegia, and practice. Besides, you've summoned things already today. You won't have enough energy."

"I suppose you are right."

Arriway took her hand and they walked silently. Along a gravelly dirt path, up to a river, across a rickety rotting bridge. The Sun began climbing down the sky as they were picking their way across a cluster of boulders, trying not to slip through the gaps between, because below them was an endless abyss. At one point, Netis tripped over what she thought were a couple of thick mossy roots protruding from the ground, and almost impaled herself on the edge of her bow. She shifted her body to the side as she fell, so the bow scratched deep on her side. Clutching her hand to the cut, it came away sticky, warm and red. Arriway winced and bit his lip, feeling Netis' pain through his rune.

"Netis! Are you alright?"

"I think so. My bow has cut my side, though."

Arriway reached forward to offer his to Netis, and as he pulled her to her feet, she saw what she'd tripped over. It wasn't tree roots. Sticking out from the ground at an angle were two large green snakes. Netis gasped, tried to cover it.

"What? What is it?"

"Oh...nothing."

Arriway raised an eyebrow at Netis, but said nothing.

"Can you walk well?"

"I think I can. The Sun is setting fast, we need to hurry."

Arriway put an arm round Netis, embracing her tightly, and they walked on.

The grassy, gravelly ground soon turned to plains as they approached the village of stone houses. The lights of gentle hearth fires glowed from all the windows, and Netis could just make out the silhouettes of maegiling children running back and forth, playing some kind of game. A few adults with twisted ivory horns and tentacle-wings like Arriway's were crouched around a campfire of sorts, cooking something. One of them happened look up and see Arriway and Netis approaching, and hollered something to their fellow villagers. The children stopped playing, and the other villagers came out of their houses to watch the two strangers arrive. Two of the adult maegiling that were cooking on the campfire ceased to do so, and got up to meet the newcomers.

"Greetings, people of this village. I am Princess Netis of the kingdom Idia, and this is my companion, the maegiling Arriway of Ectilea. We have been directed here by Ardnas." Netis announced as the two maegiling villagers came to a stop in front of them. At first, they had both seemed skeptical, their eyebrows raising when Netis introduced herself as the Princess of Idia, but their expressions softened when she mentioned Ardnas. They both bowed low to Netis, but she stopped them.

"You do not need to salute to me as a royal. I am not in my kingdom, so we are on equal ground. I am not above you."

"As you wish. It is wonderful to hear of Ardnas. They have been gone for a few days." said one of the maegiling who introduced themself as Lirpa. The other maegiling was named Ix.

After they had entered the village, and met the other villagers, Arriway and Netis bathed and changed their clothes, while their previous outfits were washed and mended. It didn't take long for the clothes to be mended, as all the villagers practiced maegia, and soon their garments were hanging on a sort of washing line.

"Won't they get wet again if it rains?" Netis asked about the hung-up clothes.

"No. Our maegia protects them from the other elements, other than the Sun's heat."

Lirpa replied.

Ix and Lirpa finished preparing the meal, and the whole village congregated for dinner, sharing with Arriway and Netis.

"So, I should introduce ourselves properly. As you know, we are maegiling, and we are the only sexless and agender maegiling on this Earth. I am the leader of the village, Ix is the maegia Sage- the one most practiced in maegia, and Ardnas is the Explorer- they are the one who scouts out past our village boundaries for threats or food or treasure- and they are also the Messenger of the village." Lirpa explained.

"We've already introduced ourselves, but we might as well also explain why we are here." Netis spoke. "We are on a quest, sent by the Prophetess Ectilea, to journey to the kingdom of Netia, to return the god-king Nereus' lost staff to him. It appeared in my possession, and I will return it, to appease Lord Nereus, and erase the tension between our kingdoms, and to end the drought Netia brought upon Idia."

It was about midnight; the Moon was in the centre of the twinkling night sky. Arriway and Netis lay each in a bed in one of the spare stone houses.

Arri. Netis spoke in their minds.

What is it, Netis?

Are there any restrictions to the maegial bond we share?

What do you mean?

I mean, are the two people who share the bond forbidden to marry or have romantic feelings for each other?

Arriway's heart began pounding in his head.

...No. No, there are no restrictions. Often the couple that shares this bond is married.

Okay. Arri, is it far to Netia from here?

No. I spoke with Lirpa and Ix earlier, and they told me that this village is near the sea. Lirpa said they will send an escort with us, to show us the way, and protect us. When we reach the sea, we have to jump in.

Okay.

Arriway and Netis were woken a few hours after dawn. They ate a quick breakfast of leftover vegetable stew from the night before, said their farewells to the villagers, and set off with the escort, with many bids of good luck shouted after them. Arriway and the maegiling escort flew over the plains, with two maegiling carrying a large basket between them, in which sat Netis. She poked her head over the side of the basket, and watched the landscape below for the entirety of the journey. She watched as the grass of the plains slowly gave way to gravel, and then sand; and finally, there was the glittering blue Sea.

The escort deposited her and Arriway on the shore, and flew away. Netis cloaked herself in a water-repelling spell, as did Arriway, and they stepped slowly into the water. When they were knee deep, Arriway brought out the staff, and sank the end into the sand. The ground under it began to rumble, and the water began to bubble. Arriway and Netis both grasped tightly to the staff as it spun them into darkness.

When they opened their eyes, they were standing at the coral gates of a magnificent underwater kingdom. A mermaid and a merman stood guard outside the gate, and levelled their silver spears at the two strangers.

"Identify yourselves and your purpose!" barked the merman gruffly.

"I am the Princess Netis of Idia, and this is my maegiling companion, Arriway. We have brought Lord Nereus' lost staff. I have found it, and we have come to return it."

The guards bowed to them both, and the great gates swung open to a citadel of sea-rock buildings, with a magnificent quartz palace in the centre.

As they swim-walked through the winding streets, mermaids and mermen turned to stare at these land-people, carrying their King's staff. When they reached the palace gates, they were admitted without hesitation and shown to the throne room where Lord Nereus awaited them.

"My Lord." Netis kneeled in front of Nereus, holding out the staff before her.

"At last! My staff is returned. I will end the drought in Idia at once." Nereus clapped his hands. Then he reached forward to retrieve the staff.

But something was wrong.

As soon as Nereus' hand closed around his staff, a brilliant blue light engulfed him, and his body vaporised instantly with a high-pitched scream.

"What?!" Netis shot to her feet. The guards were too stunned to act.

A terrible laughter filled the room. The worst thing about the laugh, was that Netis recognised it.

The Prophetess Ectilea.