The Exiled King

Chapter 14 - Crossing Kingdoms

Haverik's eyes widened—but not at the sight of Lirya. His eyes were glued to the lady beside her. The elven lady had sea-green eyes and a long white hair braided down her back. Hair quite like Haverik's own, when not covered in muddy brown dye.

The elven lady introduced herself as 'Eryna' and grinned at them, her brilliant eyes dancing and full of life.

"You must be the companions my charge mentioned?" She motioned at Lirya and they all nodded.

Still, none of them dared break the question—how had she come back? How was she, who was dead and buried in the ground, standing before their eyes, seemingly unchanged?

Magic was a thing of the past, slowly returning. Only those of the previous generation had any proper knowledge on it. And the demon war ended the lives of many who lived during that era. The knowledge of magic in Sanobar was wiped out like a candle to a strong gust of wind, extinguished and leaving only dying embers behind. But even the smallest spark could set the candle alight again.

Eryna grinned, "I'll not ask questions—just pay upfront and I'll get you to Silvardor!"

Leus was the first to break the awful silence as he asked Lirya what she had agreed to pay for their trip.

"Twelve gylins for the lot of you," Eryna replied cheerfully, as Leus went slack mouthed in sheer astonishment.

"Lirya! Don't you remember we only have a little more than a gylin's worth of money?" He hissed, lowering his voice.

Lirya smiled, unfazed. She reached for a bulging pouch at her waist and pulled it open, revealing a large quantity of coins—mainly gold gylins. It was a small fortune. Taking out fifteen, she placed them in Eryna's hand and said, "A few more for your silence."

Eryna let out a peal of laughter and returned the three gylins, saying, "Everything I do is kept silent. You think this is even the slightest bit legal? Think Lord Throeyns is going to spare me if I rat you lot out? Not a chance in Abyss! That man's as ruthless as they come."

Lirya looked as though she wanted to say something, to object or claim otherwise, but the words died in her mouth. What she wanted to say, Haverik had no idea. They'd never gotten around to introductions beyond names and the identifiable circlet on Jason's brow. Needless to say, although they had gotten closer, and all had mourned the passing of Lirya, trust was something that had yet to grow between them. Still, Haverik trusted his feeling that they were good people, just as he trusted his feeling that Eryna was more than what meets the eye.

"We leave at nightfall—so be back here by then. I don't care what you do in town as long as you don't get arrested," Eryna said, waving them off with a quick hand motion.

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Nightfall came quickly, and the group made their way back to the docks. Haverik had been briefed on their situation, and Lirya had divulged the story of how she returned, alive and well. She'd been sent back to Dargon, with a purse full of gold and a full set of enchanted clothing, in the woods half a day's walk from Jaromaen. Following the wagon tracks that cut a path through the forest had led her to the town, where she eventually learned of Eryna's services. As fate would have had it, the group reunited.

And it was time to finally leave the soil of one kingdom to enter that of another. Travel between the kingdoms was rare for the average citizen, and none of them had actually left the soil of Sanobar before.

Eryna reappeared, guiding them onto her boat, stepping off and returning with a stack of crates towering over her head balanced precariously in her two hands.