At The Heart of Tale Kingdoms (COMPLETED)

10.2 NERTI

Qix Ix found them done. He strolled up to them slowly, his face looking at something hidden between his hands. As he got closer to them, Nerti noticed the boy had lost all color from his face and his arms were trembling and Nerti doubted it was from the cold. All excitement had vanished from the boy.

Nerti and Kaduri waited silently for the boy to approach them. They moved to sit on their respective pedestals. Nerti a little higher than Kaduri as they had observed that Qxlong was very conscious of their hierarchy and felt disrespected when it was ignored.

Qix Ix came to a stop before them dressed in the same outfit he had worn in the day, he didn't speak but stared at his hands. Nerti and Kaduri remained quiet until the air grew still. The Darkese girl turned to her friend unsure of what to do, her friend shook her head in response so they stayed silent.

Qix Ix moved to where Nerti sat and came to kneel in front of her, placing his head on her thighs. The young prince had gotten close to the dark child but he had never allowed himself to look vulnerable until that moment. Nerti waited quietly rubbing his hair.

"It's strange how many times I have thought of this day. How I feared its arrival. I have tried to prepare for it but now... I can't remember the plans. My Uncle Ing Ix was supposed to be here when it happened but he is gone. My mother, the empress when she died and others took her place, I had no fear. My father, the emperor was there and so was my uncle. But now they are all gone and its only me and the vultures." Nert was alarmed, she turned the boy's face to her.

"I don't understand. What is this day? What happened, young prince?"

"The emperor is gone. I went to his rooms to take this wristlet." Qix Ix sat up and showed the yellow faded stone wristlet covered with white veins. "He said I should always have it if I was to ever leave Aset. He said it would secure my identity in foreign lands and I went to take it because I thought we were going to go to the dark lands." Qix Ix struggled with his exposure, his eyes turned red and his face quivered but not a single drop of tear fell from his eyes. As if remembering who he was, he stood, regained his composure. Nerti panicked.

"I never planned for us to leave Aset, we were just going to imagine ourselves while in this dome crater. Wait." Nerti was talking too fast. "How can the emperor be gone. He was fine, I saw him today."

The tears rolled down the boy's face though he tried to remain calm and collected.

"When I sneaked into his rooms to take the wristlet, I noticed he wasn't snoring, he always snores. I moved closer, by then he would have heard me and started scolding but he didn't say anything neither did he grunt. I stood above him for a while, trying to hear him breath but there was nothing. As I looked at him, even in the darkness, I knew his eyes were open. When I touched his hand, it was so cold. Somebody killed my father." Nerti stood, startled.

"You can't be sure," she argued. The boy grew angry, his tremors more violent.

"I saw him, even when I lit the candle what I presumed was true. My father is dead and his eyes were looking at the face of his killer." Kaduri moved, grabbing Nerti hand and whispered harshly.

"We should have never left and now we can't go back. That blue bird had already marked us." Nerti eyed her friend, shrugging off her hold.

"We need to find you Uncle." The dark child declared.

"That's what I did. I found Ye Li in his palace alone. He is gone, he left the pink city three days ago. Ye Li claimed Uncle had told father he was going south in disguise to spy on the Iling army. But he left Ye Li behind, he never leaves him behind, he is his most trusted trainee. And Ye Li had seen a foreign colorless woman dressed in white enter his palace a few days ago. Nerti started pacing.

"If someone from Yth-Ird came to see your Uncle and he made up a trip where his whereabouts would remain unknown. It means he has left Aset." Qix Ix paled again.

"They will never let me rule. I am too young and Uncle was supposed to serve as my regent till I came of age." Nerti drew her hands into blunt fists over her thumb, a nervous habit. She looked at Kaduri who was far in thought.

"Don't you have anyone you trust, that your Uncle trusts?" Nerti asked the boy.

"Ye Li but he has no influence. Maybe We Fe but Uncle has accused him of being a smart schemer who only serves the fittest. I am no longer the fittest. The emperor's second consort is from Iling and she has a nine year old son . My half Uncle Qen Il and Niv Il, the leaders of Iling will campaign for him or themselves. But either way, they will want me dead, you too probably, they never wanted you Darkese to come east." Nerti froze. How the tables have turned. She turned to Kaduri whose face was resolved to an unknown decision.

"We need to leave, now," Kaduri whispered as she caught Nerti's gaze. She nodded.

"We are leaving with him" Nerti said. The Sycvoriss didn't argue.

"Then we can't go home. That's the way they will search for us. What's worse the dark land will be accused of kidnapping the emperor and that would mean war. The only way for now is North."

"Yes, north it has to be." Nerti took some time to think.

"Wake the others, tell Hyari, he will lead the others and the herd back home. We will go our separate ways before the borders of Aset. They won't be able to stop us at the gates if it's the whole herd. Tell Gradi and Freri to proceed to the gates, make sure they are open for us." Kaduri left before Nerti changed her orders.

"Qix Ix, do you know anything about the current north, if it's cold or harsh or not, or if anyone has settled there as of late?" The boy took some time to remember.

"Only the North-western and South-eastern parts of Erdunia are very cold. And I have read some strange accounts that say whoever who lives in the north of Aset don't wear clothes and if they don't wear clothes that would mean it's not very cold. Then again, it is said that no societies exist in the North." The Darkese girl smiled and went to fetch the bird's cage.

"Will your black big cats go back home?"

"No, they will come with us. I will assign two of them to protect you." She peeped through the cage to find her little friend asleep.

"How will you do that? Will you use a spell this time?" Nerti grinned at the boy's persistence on spells. She crouched before him.

"I will. I am going to use a permission spell to tie them to you. It only works if the animal consents." Qix Ix nodded.

"Can I ask you for a favor?" she asked him.

"Yes, but I don't like climbing high spaces"

"It's not that. Can you take care of this bird for me, when we are together?" Qix Ix looked at the cage.

"This is my Uncle's little friend. Father always wanted to kill it. He said it made Uncle sensitive."

"Do you think that true?"

"I don't know. It's a beautiful bird that Uncle loves. Why do you have it?" The boy narrowed his already swollen eyes in suspicion.

"Jemedari gave it to me as a present." The young prince considered the explanation.

"Okay, I will take care of it." Nerti breathed in relief. She couldn't move her eyes from the boy.

"Thank you for being strong, young emperor. I am truly sorry for your sudden loss." Qix Ix nodded looking at the cage he now held.

"Strong is the only thing I can be now. Thank you for taking me with you." He muttered

"Leaving home will be hard. But this isn't over."

"I know. When I find my uncle, we will come back."

"And the dark lands will come with you." They stayed there in silence until Kaduri came back.

"Everything is ready," she announced as they felt the dome-crater come awake.