The Beast That was Promised ✔

TWENTY-SIX: The Sanctum Of Teremtys

"We don't have much time," Isiah agreed, running a hand through his hair. They had so little time left that agitation flowed through her constantly. Harudan would be marching on her home as they stood in the sand and they were still searching for the stones.

Isiah strode past her, heading up to the treeline, Emrick trailing behind him. Benj and the Ishini doctor shrugged at each and followed. His name was Orvo and she couldn't find a single reason for why her brother would work with him, considering how he had reacted to Isiah and Emrick when they'd arrived in Maeve. But he had barely spoken since they'd reunited. His explanation of what had happened after they left had been quiet and sad; he felt guilty for what had happened, even though it wasn't his fault. He had done all he could, even if it wasn't enough.

Eventually, she and Skyt were the only ones still standing near the boat, her lost in her thoughts and them lost in their bags. "What are you looking for?" she asked and Skyt answered her by pulling out a bow and a quiver of arrows.

"My bow," they said and her mind flashed back to the fight at Maeve.

She frowned, knowing that the chances of her being right were low, but from what she had seen, there had only been one archer in that entire fight. "During the battle for Maeve, there had been an archer who killed a man who would have killed me. They saved my life," she said, earning a strange look from Skyt. "Was that you?"

There was a long moment of silence as they stared at her, the breeze making their hair flutter. It gave her a chance to get a better look at them. Their face was soft, kind, strange for someone so stoic, all chubby cheeks and small noses. "Yes," they said in a voice that was such a sharp contrast to their face that it almost shocked her.

She smiled and started up the beach, carrying one of the bags on her back. "I never got to thank you for that," she said, looking over her shoulder at them.

"You don't need to," they said as they caught up to her, walking slowly towards the group waiting by the tree line. "It was my job."

"I will anyway. Thank you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here now," she told him in complete seriousness. "That could be said for quite a few people too." She shot a look at Isiah and Emrick, who had saved her countless times from death. Emrick had rescued them from Huton when she was about to be executed and Isiah had been the one to first save her. She owed them so much.

The four men waited impatiently for them, Isiah's face scrunching with something she couldn't decipher. "Let's get moving," he said and there was a tremble in his hands. Her brief conversation with Skyt had served as a distraction for a moment, but it wasn't enough. Every single person there was a reminder of what they were trying to do and what was at stake if they failed.

She had come so close to going home, but she couldn't go back to a destroyed city and an Ishini on the throne. When she went home, she wanted it to be when they defeated Harudan and Ishin, when the war was over and there was peace. She wanted to be able to talk with her father about the things that needed to change in Minisia, and wanted to get ready for her reign as Queen.

But first, they had to find Teremtys and from the strangeness of the island, she was sure that they were there somewhere. There wasn't enough time to master the stones and figure out what was going on with Emrick, but there had to be something Isiah could do to stop Harudan and Ishin. There was so little time to do anything and there was always a chance that they would arrive in Ziya too late. If that happened, she would cut Harudan down where he stood and become the next Queen of Minisia.

She was the first into the trees, even though they hadn't picked a direction. None of them had any idea where they were supposed to go; it was best to just start walking and pray to Gods she no longer believed in that they found it quickly. "Come on," she said to those behind her, shooting Isiah her most reassuring smile.