The Wicked House of Caroline

How does one face a person who once tried to kill her?

The late Queen had her fair share of stories, many of which Uncle Timur had told her weren’t fitting for a little girl to hear as a bedtime story. It taught Beks that the action one should take depended on the situation.

Of those paladins, four of the six who pushed her prison carriage to the edge of the cliff were present, including the one she stabbed in the hand. She would like her revenge to be quick, but the Shrine to the Goddess of Marriage wasn’t a fitting place. Beks may not have cared for paladins, but she wasn’t going to commit murder on sacred ground.

How would that look to the Goddess Retsa? Wouldn’t her offerings be meaningless?

The retinue of paladins walked past them without a second glance, wreaths in their hands and a brown chest between the two paladins she didn’t recognize. With Beks, and her brother and father’s faces obscured by cloth, as well as neat, but simple peasant clothing, no one would suspect that they were nobles, let alone the exiled Duke and his two eldest children.

Her clenched jaw and hands, the cold look on her face, and the way she seemed to stare directly ahead of her as if to avoid allowing her the temptation of revenge weren’t unnoticed by her father or brother.

“Are they the ones?” Deo walked on her right side, his voice icy.

“Four of the six,” Beks said in a quiet voice. Her eyes narrowed. “I told them before they pushed my carriage off that cliff that they better pray to their gods that I died.”

“And if you didn’t?” Deo asked with a raised brow.

Beks kept her eyes forward. “Then when we meet again, they will pray for death.”

“What do you want to do?” Her father’s voice was low, but patient and sincere, as if waiting to carry out whatever she asked of him. Beks took a slow breath, but didn’t answer. Her father’s gray eyes looked her way and softened. “You don’t have to deny your thirst for revenge. I know hatred when I sense it.”

As soon as he pointed it out, Beks closed her eyes. She let out her breath to try to loosen her tension.

“Nothing,” she said. “We won’t do anything here.” Her gaze swept across the lush gardens with the small ponds, fountains, and numerous people. “The gardens are open. All the structures lack substantial walls. Not to mention that there are many pilgrims here and it’s the middle of the day.”

Her father gave her an approving nod. “Today is not the last time you will cross paths with them, Beks.”

She took another deep breath. “If I never see their faces again, I would be lucky.”

“We can’t do anything at the shrine, but what about after?” her brother asked. “They’re not going to live here. They’ll leave sometime.”

Beks drew her lip inward. “Since this is a sacred area, I won’t do anything to them. I don’t want these people to have to witness that nor do I wish to desecrate a religious site for them. If we cross paths again after we leave, then I’ll take it as fate.”

“Fate?”

“As far as I’m concerned, if we cross paths again, then the gods are giving me permission. After all, someone has to punish unrighteous paladins for breaking their vows.”

Her father touched her head. “Then wait until the time calls for it. For now, go and pray for blessings for a true heir from your Brother Laurence and Lady Eleanor.”

The reminder of the two drew Beks out of her darker thoughts. She unclenched her fists and took a deep breath.

Her father was right. They had to wait for the right moment. She had more important things to do at that shrine.

There were six smaller altars beneath open air gazebos of varying sizes. They surrounded the main shrine building like moons with each altar dedicated to a saint affiliated with the Goddess of Marriage. The saints were patrons of aspects related to marriage from the harmony of two families, communication and trust between a couple, childbirth, children, and so forth.

While there was no specific order in which to pray to them, Beks started from the altar to the saint for marriage. It was said that a prayer at a saint’s altar would beseech the saint to appeal to the Goddess of Marriage regarding the aspect they were the patron of.

Some altars had a small line, so it took some time to get through all six. They had to light a candle or donate some coins. Beks sometimes did both when she threw in a prayer for herself. For one thing, she wanted her family to accept an engagement with the twins.

As they left the shrine complex, she glanced at her father, unsure how to tell him as he’d been so excited at the prospect of her returning home to the Sacred Valley. Part of her wanted to wait until they found her mother, so she could tell them at the same time, but she also didn’t want to return to the island without informing her father.

Laz and Lucian were affectionate and treated her well. Her father wasn’t ignorant. He’d notice something was different the moment he met them even if the twins didn’t say a word.

“You have such a tormented look on your face, Snow Flower,” her father said in a warm, teasing voice as they rode away from the shrine. “Do you regret postponing your vengeance?”

She blinked and tried to relax her expression. She never had this problem in Kadmium. The late Queen taught her to keep her emotions hidden when facing others, but Beks supposed she dropped her guard around her father and brother. In Kadmium, at the Gilded Palace, a certain decorum was expected of her.

If and when she deviated, she’d be admonished. Everyone would look at her differently, perhaps even lose respect for her. She learned that very early. It was only when she was away from her instructors, tutors, and the late Queen that Beks relaxed. And even then, that was only behind closed doors, playing with the twins, or being read stories before bed by Uncle Timur.

It was because she felt secure around them, as she did with her family. Security meant she could be vulnerable and show her expressions.

“I’m just wondering if I missed anything while we were at the shrine,” Beks said. “I think I covered everything.”

“I’m sure they’ll be happy to know you prayed so much on their behalf,” her father said.

Her brother chuckled. “I’m sure Snowflake will be happy, too.”

Beks smiled. “I haven’t read much on the shrines here. Is the Quartz Lake Shrine far from here?”

“I’m not sure,” her father replied. “However, the towns in the area are all mainly supported by pilgrims, so there is bound to be more information in town. I’m sure if we ask the inn, they’ll be able to tell us.”

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“What do you mean there are no vacancies at the inns? That’s impossible. There has to be some vacancy.” Her father frowned as Mr. Reidan stood beside their wagon at the edge of the nearest town. The plan was for him to meet them by the road entering the town and then take them to the inn he’d arranged rooms in for the night.

However, Mr. Reidan had approached nearly all the inns in the town and there were no vacancies.

“I’ve tried all the ones within our usual price range, but none have spare rooms. Most pilgrims tend to stay multiple nights in order to go to more than one shrine,” Mr. Reidan told them, appearing exhausted. “I asked for recommendations to other inns that may have vacancies, but when I see them, they’re far above the budget set.”

The budget set was an agreed upon amount they came to before they left the Stadium village in order to prepare for their journey. It took into consideration the cost of travel to find her mother and younger siblings, which would involve contracting a ship and crew. While it wasn’t a strict budget, they also wanted to save money for retaking the kingdom.

“If we go over our budget once or twice, it won’t have a detrimental impact on our spending,” her father said with a frown. “Take us to the inns that may have vacancies. It doesn’t matter if they’re expensive.”

With his approval, Mr. Reidan took them to a three-story inn in the heart of town, facing the main plaza.

“There are three inns, all along this plaza and one on the next street over,” Mr. Reidan said as he looked up from a piece of paper where he’d written down directions and names to the inns.

“They’re not bad,” Deo said. “And they’re quite large from the looks of them.” They looked around the plaza. The inns were of varying sizes, but they were all multiple stories tall and had wide store faces. They likely went further back, as well.

Her father walked up the steps of the nearest inn and entered, only to step out with his brows knit a few moments later.

“They’re expecting a pilgrimage caravan for Paraxes this evening and the last rooms are reserved for that group,” her father said.

Beks closed her eyes and let out a low ‘oh’. Because the journey to various shines, such as St. Cormac’s Trail, were long and arduous, most people would not be used to making such a trip. After all, most people were peasants who lived very sedentary lives in one location. At most, they’d travel around their area for labor. Travel for days without experience was dangerous.

As a result, most pilgrimages in Kadmus would involve a group meeting at a local location, then travel as a group to meet up with a caravan leaving from a city. The caravan would arrange for lodging with contacts in the shrine towns, as well as schedule stops. It was more an organized religious tour where pilgrims would pay a small fee.

If that happened in other places, it made sense that while there were some vacant rooms at the moment, they were actually pre-booked.

“Let’s try another one,” Beks said as she opened her eyes. Her father and Mr. Reidan went to two more inns on the plaza. Both inns appeared full. As soon as her father came out, he shook his head.

“There is one more left,” Mr. Reidan said as they reached the final inn on the side street.

“What are our options if they’re all booked?” Deo asked. “Is there a place where we can camp for the night?”

They’d had to do that twice on the way down from the High Desert, so it wasn’t unheard of, but from the disgusted look on their father’s face, Robert wanted to avoid it unless he absolutely had to.

He walked closer to them and narrowed his eyes. “My son, why do you want your father to suffer so much? I’m almost sixty-”

“You’re fifty-eight,” Deo said with dull eyes.

“That’s almost sixty,” Robert replied. “The point is that my body isn’t what it used to be, and sleeping on the cold, hard ground can cause unnecessary pains.”

Both his children looked at him with deadpan expressions, and in Deo’s case, a bit of disgust.

“Daddy, are you forgetting that you were in a fight club just a few weeks ago?” Beks asked.

“That was exercise,” Robert said without a hint of shame on his face. “Besides, it wasn’t as if I was hurt. With my speed and ability, I was difficult to touch.”

“My lord, I have bad news.” Mr. Reidan had wandered into the last of the inns and almost immediately walked out. He didn’t need to say it was bad news for it to be clear. “They are also full.”

Deo groaned and Beks frowned, more disappointed than anything else.

“How far is the next town?” Robert asked. Both his children looked at him and he met their gaze. “It’s not dark yet. If it’s not far, we still have time to go over and try again. This town is the closest to the main road coming out of the High Desert, making it a convenient first stop for most people. The further into the area we go, the larger the likelihood of an inn with vacancies.”

“There is a larger town further south, about a two-hour ride down,” Mr. Reidan said. “There are more inns there, including some of the best in the region, I was told.”

Robert nodded. “Then, let’s go. Let’s not waste time with the cheaper inns. Let’s go directly to the most expensive ones.”

Though he said it, Mr. Reidan was still being cautious with their funds. He checked the paper he’d written the inn information on and first took them to moderately priced inns, intent on working up to the expensive ones, if needed.

Beks appreciated his thoughtfulness. They didn’t need the most expensive inn, after all. Besides, they weren’t exactly dressed as an expensive inn’s guest.

“Is it the season for pilgrimages?” Deo asked with a frown. The second town was larger, but it was also busier. There were numerous inns and they’d passed at least a dozen small ones the size of a modest home just entering the town.

“I think it’s busy year-round,” Beks said. “It may not be the ideal time for northern pilgrims to travel considering the weather, but it may be a good time for southern pilgrims. I’ve seen plenty from Paraxes already.”

“How can you tell?” her brother asked as they waited at a small restaurant’s outdoor seating area, facing the town’s main plaza while Mr. Reidan and their father went to look for lodging.

“They dress differently and are speaking Paraxer,” Beks said with a roll of her eyes as she took a sip of her drink.

“You understand Paraxer?”

Beks frowned a bit. “Not very well and I’ve never learned to read it. I can pick up some sentences, but I can’t speak it. Brother Laurence is fluent.”

“Of course, he is, it’s his father’s mother tongue,” Deo replied. He leaned back against the wooden seat and watched the people come and go. “I don’t have much confidence that we’ll find an affordable inn tonight.”

Beks’ eyes drifted to the top of the buildings. “The sun is going to set soon.”

The sound of a chair scraping against the ground sounded from the table next to them. Beks glanced over and quickly looked back as a party of clergy and their attendants took a seat at the larger table next to them. A few paladins stood guard just outside the eating area, and Beks and her brother exchanged looks.

She brought her veil down and Deo made sure that his headpiece was on to cover his hair. The two fell silent, pretending to be interested in their drinks and resting as the clergy and their attendants spoke behind them.

From what Beks could understand, the priests and their attendants were staying at the inn connected to that restaurant. It wasn’t the most expensive inn in town, but it was still a very nice inn. It would’ve passed for the most expensive had they been in the other, smaller town.

“There are a lot of them,” Deo said in Sagittater. “I didn’t notice at first, but since it’s going to get dark, they must be coming back from their outings.”

Beks also looked around the plaza from beneath her veil. Her brother was right. Various carriages, wagons, and horses were arriving into the plaza with a good portion of them stopping in front of inns or restaurants. Various Temple people from clergy to attendants to paladins in various vestments and uniforms representing different orders and sects appeared.

Despite herself, Beks felt her skin crawl. There were just so many of them, she couldn’t help but be on guard. There weren’t this many at the shrine. In fact, she’d only see a few shrine acolytes and priestesses, all of whom were busy with something. The shrine didn’t have paladins on guard, either.

Another table was taken up by clergy. A few attendants seemed to have come on their own to take another table.

Finally, her father and Mr. Reidan arrived. Robert glanced around the surrounding area and raised a brow at the amount of Temple-related people present, but didn’t say a word regarding them.

He looked at his two children and gave them a nod.

“Did you find a vacancy?” Deo asked as he sat up straight.

“It was difficult, and we were only able to secure one room, but it’s large enough for all of us,” Robert said. He looked at his daughter. “Do you mind, Snow Flower?”

“Of course not, Daddy. As long as everyone has a comfortable place to sleep for the night,” she said. His expression softened.

“I knew you’d understand. Follow me. I’ve already paid for your drinks.”

“You don’t want to get anything?”

“We can order food and drink to our room,” her father replied. Beks narrowed her eyes. Order to their room? They were likely staying somewhere costly.

She glanced at Mr. Reidan, who looked tired, which only confirmed her suspicion.

Their father led them across the plaza to a large building. The only buildings larger than it were the town government building and a basilica complex on either side of the plaza. All building faces had elaborate stonework, including dormer windows at the very top, along with stone tiled roofs.

There was a portico facing the street of the inn held up by several Doric columns. There was one set of double doors in the center, flanked on either side by smaller doors, while doormen stood between them, holding the door open when guests climbed up the steps to enter.

Beks drew her lips inward. This building was clearly paid for with wealthy pilgrim money.

“The horses and carriage are already taken care of. We’re going to spend two nights here, as the Quartz Lake Shrine is almost half a day’s travel by foot up the nearby hill,” her father said as he led them up the steps.

Considering the way they were dressed, Beks half expected the door men to turn them away, but perhaps it was her father’s bearing as a Duke that caused them to open the doors wide for them as soon as he got close enough. Robert gave them small nods as he walked in.

“What about our things?” Beks asked. Her other gold lined petti-skirt was still in a box in the carriage.

“We’ve already had them brought up, Miss,” Mr. Reidan assured her.

The foyer had a vaulted ceiling with various candle chandeliers hovering overhead. A grand staircase greeted them from across the mosaic tiled floor.

Deo squinted his eyes. “I thought the purpose of a pilgrimage was to show devotion and humility....”

Beks was looking up. “Why is there a war scene painted on the ceiling?”

Deo, their father, and Mr. Reidan all paused to look up. “In the heart of a region with shrines, you’d think they’d choose a more fitting scene,” Mr. Reidan said with squinted eyes.

“Never mind that,” Robert told them. “We’re on the top floor. Let’s go.”

“Oh, wait I want to get information on the Quartz Lake Shrine,” Beks said.

“I’ve already requested that information to be sent to the room,” her father told her with a gentle smile. “They said they’d send up a map, as well.”

Excited, Beks trudged up the several flights of stairs to get to the top floor. She expected a generously sized room with multiple beds, but did not expect that upon arriving on the top floor, there would be a round entryway at the top of the stairs and one set of double doors. Two more doormen flanked the entrance.

“Welcome back, Master Snowy,” one of the men said as he bowed his head.

The other unlocked the door. “The kitchen has also been notified that you’re expecting dinner brought to your room. A full menu has been left on the dining room table for you. When you are ready, please bring it to us and we’ll run your order down.”

Beks clenched her jaw to keep from asking ‘what do you mean dining room table’? This was an inn.

“Excellent. Thank you both. By the way, these are my children. You may address them as Young Master and Miss Snowy.”

The two men chorused the names as Beks and Deo walked into the rectangular foyer with the hardwood floors, which opened up into a wide living area to one side and a dining room that could sit at least eight people on the other.

There was a hallway with multiple doors and outside the windows was a beautiful view of not just the plaza below, but the rest of the town.

The doors closed behind them and Beks slowly turned around to look at her father. “This is the one room?”

“Yes,” Robert said with a pleased nod. “It’s the most expensive room at the inn and is the most private. There are no other rooms on this floor. It’s only us.”

“My lord was worried that as there were so many clergymen and paladins passing us on the street, there may have been some here,” Mr. Reidan told them. “Several of the inns we tried earlier were also filled with guests from the Temple, but it seems that the price point for this particular inn may be out of budget for most.”

“What can I say, I have some trauma with paladins,” Robert said as he walked past them and into the large suite. Beks knew that he didn’t. Her father just didn’t want to risk running into the paladins that tried to kill her where they were resting.

She lifted her hand to remove her veil and held it in her hand as she walked across the room to hug her father. “Thank you, Daddy.”

His arm went around her and he gave her a gentle squeeze. “It is good to be on your guard, but too much for too long can have negative effects,” he said. He stroked her hair back. “You can deal with them when the time comes. For now....” He held up a small booklet. “You can look into what you need to buy for the Quartz Lake Shrine.”

Beks smiled and took the booklet from him. She took off her boots, left them in the foyer, and walked around barefoot. She fell back onto a sofa and began to go through the booklet, which came with a map of the area.

Behind her, Deo called out food from the menu to see what she wanted. She was still plotting out the route to Quartz Lake Shrine when the food arrived. Two inn staff set up the food for them in the dining room, including the plates, utensils, and cups before leaving, also telling them that they would return after dinner to clean up.

“It doesn’t look like I need to purchase anything for an offering before we leave town,” Beks said. “But considering the distance, even on horseback, it takes some time.”

“Since we don’t need to buy anything, we’ll leave before dawn,” her father told her.

“I will have the wagon prepared, my lord.”

“Take a rest tomorrow,” Robert told him. “It’s not easy for you, Mr. Reidan. I can take the children up myself. We’ll be back before dinner.”

Mr. Reidan furrowed his brows. “Are you sure, my lord?”

“The wagon isn’t needed.”

Beks still decided to make sure her saddle bags were cleared the next morning. According to the guide booklet, there were charms and things to buy to put on your animal as a blessing. She also made sure there was enough gold with her to buy them.

As they rode out of town, Deo held back a laugh. “Are you sure you don’t need the wagon?”

“I’m not going to buy that much. I have yet to see what’s there,” Beks said as she sat up straight on her horse.

“We’re not bringing Mr. Reidan this time on purpose,” their father said as he led the way.

“He doesdeserve to rest,” Deo agreed.

“Not only that, but the road to the Quartz Lake Shrine follows a mountain path part way. It deviates at one point. One road goes to Quartz Lake and the other is a shortcut to the main road going back to Kadmus.”

Beks turned her head to look at her father with wide eyes. “The paladins may cross paths with us again.” He gave her a small nod. “The gods may delay in giving you permission, but as your father, you have my blessing.”

Beks bit her lips and nodded. “I’ll consider it carefully.”

As her father mentioned the night before, the main road deviated. Two stone, engraved pillars marked the road leading to the shrine. One pillar had a small, hand sized salamander looking creature climbing it while the other had a wyvern with its wings wrapped around the column coming down the other.

“According to the legend, St. Akajai was an orphaned boy from the area. After his parents passed during a famine, he met a salamander-like creature at the lake. He treated the salamander as his friend and pet. It gave him the will to live and also saved his life, as the salamander would bring him food from the bottom of the lake,” Beks said as they road up to the shrine. “But the famine wasn’t going away, so the ancient peoples here decided to perform a ‘pure’ sacrifice; meaning they’d sacrifice a child.”

“And they picked the orphan because they wouldn’t want to sacrifice their own children, am I right?” Robert asked.

“You’re right.”

Her father shook his head and let out a small ‘tsk’ sound. “I never did understand the necessity for human sacrifice, especially that of children.”

“What happened? Did the salamander save him?” Deo asked.

“The villagers threw him into the lake with clothes weighed down with stone. He was too weak to swim up, but his salamander friend came to try to pull him up. Unfortunately, it was too small. The boy said to let him die because if he dies, he can come back to a better life. The salamander began to heat up and then in a flash of light, it turned into a water wyvern and flew out of Crystal Lake carrying the boy in his claws.”

“What happened to the villagers?”

“The water wyvern flooded their villages and drowned them.”

“Truly a legendary beast,” Deo said with a nod.

Beks nodded. “It reminds me of when Snowflake was small. I thought he was just a snake; a very smart one.”

“To be fair, while smaller than a horned serpent, Snowflake was by no means a ‘small snake’. He was as thick as your arm and was longer than you were tall,” Deo told her.

“Yes, but I didn’t know he was a horned serpent then.”

When they reached the shrine, they found it to be much smaller than the Shrine to the Goddess of Marriage, but it was nestled against a beautiful blue background of a crater lake that almost seemed to be glowing in the sunlight.

Beks let out a relaxed sigh as they got off their horses. The shrine was made of stone blocks and there was a large, round pool in the center of the circular building. There were flowers floating in the water along with golden and silver fish weaving in between. The steps of the shrine seemed to lead right down to the lake.

“It doesn’t look like a shrine,” Deo said. “More like a small summer picnic area.”

“There is a small building over there,” Beks said as she took off her boots to walk inside.

Past the building, which only had walls along the front, but was open to the lake in the back, there were small animals visible all over the shrine grounds. There was even a fox laying by the steps.

Beks lifted her hand to her chest. She would need to bring Wrath here. Wrath loved animals.

“Good morning, young one. Welcome to the Shrine of Akajai.” A raspy voice spoke up behind her and Beks turned around. An old man in a worn brown robe bowed his head towards her while Beks bowed back. “I am the head monk of the Shrine of Akajai, Brother Elias.” He motioned a hand towards the fox. “And that is my beast partner, Orange.”

“Good morning to you, Brother. Hello, Orange.” The red fox lazily lifted his head, nodded, and then laid back down. Beks nodded. Responsive, expected of a beast partner.

“Are you here to pray for a beloved animal?” the old man asked as he stood up and kept his hands together.

“Yes, I have a serpent named Snowflake and four birds: Thunder and Tempest, and their chicks Cloud and Whisp.”

A wide smile filled the man’s face, pleased to hear that they had all been given names. “You must care for them deeply to have come here.”

“The birds are very good to me. I wouldn’t be here without them,” Beks said. “Snowflake is very special to me, as he was my pet when I was a child, but my foster mother was worried that a snake would strangle me in my sleep, so she gave him away without me knowing....” Beks told her and Snowflake’s backstory to the monk, who nodded as he listened. He beckoned Beks to walk with him and they began to circle the pool as she told her story.

At the end, they stopped just above the top step leading into the lake. The old monk lifted his hand to bless her.

“The gods saw fit to bring you together. No mortal can take you from your Snowflake,” he said.

Beks lowered her head and moved aside her veil so the monk could press his thumb against her forehead. He first knelt down to dip his hand in the water, then made a sign in the air before pressing the center of her forehead and on spots just above each eyebrow.

He paused and tilted his head to the side.

Beks lifted his head. “Brother Elias?”

“You have a spirit core.” The old man smiled, his wrinkled eyes turning into lines on his face. “Very rare indeed. No wonder you have a strong affinity to a light beast.”

Beks blinked. “How did you know Snowflake has light affiliation?”

“Light, shadow, and life biha affiliated beasts resonate best with individuals with a spirit core, regardless of what the spirit core does,” he said. “But as a result, most other animals will not be as receptive towards you.”

Her eyes went wide and her jaw nearly dropped. Melon Cake the dog, who ran away, her various birds, the cat who went to live with her maid. None of them liked her no matter how hard she tried. “That’s it...that’s the reason....”

The old man chuckled. “Your other pets don’t like you?”

Beks pointed towards the entrance of the shrine, towards where her father and brother remained standing with the horses under a tree while eating some nuts younger monks offered them. “The horse I’ve been riding won’t even eat treats from my hand!”

The monk’s eyes were filled with mirth. “My dear young lady, it is because you were meant for stronger beasts and so they are intimidated. It is a residual fear, as if they compete for your attention, the beasts destined to you will become aggressive towards them.”

Beks nodded, enlightened. “This answers so much.” She paused. “But, wait, my little sister has a spirit core, but animals don’t seem to shun her.”

“There is an exception and that is for beast talkers,” he said. He lifted his hand to his chest. “Like myself.” The fox behind them let out a little huff and he glanced past Beks’ shoulder. “Orange says you ‘reek of light beast’. Orange, how can you tell?” The old monk seemed exasperated with his beast partner, but Beks giggled.

“He can sense another animal’s biha on me? I take it he is not a regular fox?”

As if to prove himself, Orange stood up and opened his mouth. A small ball of fire came out, landed on the stone step, and then was put out by one of Orange’s black forefeet. He looked at Beks, as if to ask ‘see? Are you impressed?”

Beks clapped her hands. “Very nice. I should’ve known!”

The old monk shook his head at the showy fox before looking back at Beks. “How old is your sister?”

“Quite young. She is only six.”

“Six...still young,” he nodded. “Right now, animals understand her clearly. She may also show sensitivity to the moods and reactions of animals around her, such as making a guess that an animal wants something. But wait until she is older and she will start to ‘hear’ them.” He furrowed his brows. “Tell her that it is normal. She will begin to hear many voices at once.”

“At once? From animals?”

“Their thoughts,” the old monk told her as he walked down the steps with a concentrated expression. “That is a lot of noise in the head of a child. This ability is somewhat rare amongst those with a spirit core, and it is good that it is. Without proper guidance, a child will not be able to filter the incoming noise.” He stopped halfway down to the water and looked back up at her, who had followed part way. “If you can, you must reassure your sister and help her focus.”

Beks nodded. “How old will she be?”

“I heard it varies. I started to hear them when I was about eight...that was so long ago,” he said. He looked out towards the lake. “Would you like a charm for her, as well?”

Beks hurried down the steps. “Do you have one? Something to ease her when the time comes?”

The old monk smiled and nodded. “I do. I used one myself and still do.” He lifted up a shiny, multi-colored shell tied to a thin cord around his neck. On the shell was a small lump and scraped around it were familiar characters.

Beks narrowed her eyes and squinted. “What language is that?”

“I am unsure, it was passed down through the shrine from ancient times,” the old monk said, also curious. “Does it look familiar? I know it is not Classic Esuser.”

“You’re right about that,” Beks said, containing the excitement swelling in her. It was High Berup, the written language of Gurani. What were High Berup characters doing that far inland?

She followed the old monk back into the shrine to be guided through a prayer. She got to sit on the edge of the pool and dunk her feet in as she prayed. A younger monk brought her a towel to dry her feet afterwards and then led her to a smaller building to get her charms.

She bought a similar charm necklace as the old monk for her sister, then five ribbons woven with High Berup.

“The treads are made from the silk of a mussel found in the lake,” one of the monks told her. “It is reactive to biha. As your beast grows, this ribbon will grow with it, so as never to strangle and cut into their flesh.”

“Really?” Beks’ brows looked up as she ran her fingers over the smooth silk.

“Orange is wearing one right now,” the monk said, motioning towards the lazy fox. Beks nodded.

Currently, the ribbon was quite long, but she wouldn’t use all of it. She planned to wrap one around each of the rokh’s legs and around one of Snowflake’s horns. She thanked the monk and paid for the charms and ribbon, as well as made a sizable donation.

Satisfied, she bid farewell to the monk, and he gave her a small book he’d copied on beast talking for her sister.

“Thank you, Brother Elias. If I ever have the chance, I will bring my sister here.”

He bowed to her and walked her out of the shrine, giving her a wave as she rode away with her brother and father.

“I can’t believe you spent longer at a shrine for animals than at the shrine for marriage,” Deo said.

Beks shot him a glare beneath her veil. “I learned some things about spirit cores. You said Wrath likes animals, don’t you?” She recalled seeing Wrath particularly interested in the exotic birds that she fed at the Old Tower.

“She loves them,” her father said. “Everywhere she goes, animals seem attracted to her. You don’t know the number of times we’ve gone to her room and found owls, foxes, rabbits, and once, even a goat inside.”

“She’s no longer allowed to keep her windows covered with just animal hyde shutters and tapestries,” Deo said with a tired sigh.

“The old monk says she may be a future beast talker, so he gave me a book and charm like his to help Wrath if the time comes,” Beks said. “Do you think she’ll like it?”

Her father gave her a warm smile. “No matter what face she makes and what she says, she will like it,” he told her. “Wrath tries to be more mature than she is, but she’ll be happy that you got her something.”

“Wrath didn’t seem to warm up to me as Thad did,” Beks said. “It’s likely because we’ve never met in person. I’ve only spoken to her briefly. Even then, she didn’t seem interested in me.”

Beside her, her father sighed. “That’s our fault. Your mother and I should’ve made a better effort to keep you in contact with your younger siblings.”

Beks shook her head. “Kadmium is far from the Sacred Valley.”

“But it doesn’t matter. Now that your engagement is broken, you can come home and spend more time with your siblings,” her father said, pleased with the idea.

Beks caught her brother give her a knowing look. She drew her lips inward.

“Daddy, about that-”

Before she could finish speaking, her father held out his arm. He pulled the reins back and stopped his horse, prompting Beks and Deo half a length behind them to also come to a stop. With their horses remaining in place, she heard hoof steps coming from around the bend, where the path to the shrine rejoined the main road.

Dirt and small pieces of gravel sound against wooden wheels as horses clopped along. The wagon coming up the road was very modest with no embellishments, not even a covering. It wasn’t very large, only having two wheels instead of four, and was drawn by two horses.

Two young men drove the wagon while four paladins on horseback escorted them along all four corners of the wagon, making her heart clench as she held her breath.

Behind her veil, Beks grit her teeth once more as she recognized the paladin closest to them. A ruddy faced blond man sat upright on his horse wearing a light version of his paladin’s uniform. His hands were covered with thick leather riding cloves.

The paladins glanced over at them, swept their eyes up and down the trio with cold gazes before they continued on their way without a word, not seeing them as any sort of threat.

The sound of the wagon and the horses faded away as the paladins rounded the bend.

The family of three didn’t move. Beks kept her eyes straight ahead. Her brother looked towards her.

“Beks.”

“Yes.”

“They’ve crossed your path again.”

Her eyes narrowed. This was permission.

She grasped the reins and turned the horse towards the direction from which the paladins had come from. She gave the horse a gentle kick of her heels, urging it to quicken its speed as they began down the road.

She didn’t see her brother and father exchange confused looks before following her.

“Where are you going?” Deo shouted as Beks leaned forward and raced down the road.

“This is the main road, but it’s not the only one!” Beks said as she recalled the map she’d memorized. “This entire area is a destination for pilgrims, but that doesn’t mean that’s all they do. There are plenty of scenic areas and amongst them are the Quartz Cascades. They’re a series of waterfalls that come from the same water source as the Quartz Lake in the crater on the mountain.

“There was an entire section on them in the guidebook I was reading yesterday. There is a narrow path along the side of the cascades. Due to its location and the surrounding area, and how narrow and steep it is, it’s not suitable for wagons or carriages, so most pilgrims wouldn’t go through it, but it’s a short cut,” Beks said. She saw a small gap in the trees by the side of the road.

A dirt path veered off from the main road and into the forest. “A short cut to where?”

“The main road back to Kadmus!”

The horses turned into the path and Beks followed the map burned into her mind. The path was only wide enough for one horse, and in some places, the worn path had become overgrown.

That did little to slow her down.

Ahead of them she could hear the sound of rushing water. She slowed her horse as the incline became steeper.

“What your footing,” her father said behind her.

Beks nodded and continued up the path. Soon, they were walking along a path not far from a rushing river. The source was a short waterfall up ahead and in order to go higher, they needed to follow a zig-zag path against the mountain.

“How far is the main road supposed to be?” Deo asked as he peered through the trees. “Is that it?”

“That's a strolling path meant to be a gradual descent from the main road. It’ll take longer to reach it and it’s further away from the cascades,” Beks said. “The steep path reaches the main road at the top of the cascades. The source is from a cave leading to an underground water source. The road is built above that cave.”

“You memorized all of this from a map you saw last night?” Deo asked.

“Beks has always had an excellent memory,” her father answered for her. “Since she was a child, her memory has been far stronger than anyone I’ve ever known. It only grew better with age from what I was told.”

Beks occasionally glanced towards the main road that could be seen in the distance, past the trees. One had to know where it was to know what she was looking for. She could see a wooden wagon making its way up the curved road against the mountain.

“I see them,” she said in a low voice as she urged her horse up. “The two paladins seated on the wagon have nothing to do with me. Can we separate them from the other four?”

“You’re targeting the paladins on horses?” Deo asked.

“If that’s the case, I’ll take care of the wagon drivers. I have a feeling that whatever is on the wagon is important. Deo, get on the wagon once I take control. Use your fire to slow them down. When they’re at a good distance away, see if you can find that chest they were carrying at the shrine. It must’ve been important. Take whatever is inside,” their father said. “Then get back on the horse and lead them away.”

“Bring them back to the cascades,” Beks said. “It’s out of sight from the main road. It’ll reduce the chance of witnesses.”

“What’s your plan when we get there?” her brother asked.

“Didn’t you notice that the third of the six waterfalls is not only tall, but lands on rapids leading into the fourth waterfall? They tried to push me to my death; it is fitting that they meet the same fate.”

Deo stared at her for a moment. “Did you plan this out last night after looking at the map?”

“Last night?” Beks shook her head. “I didn’t know we’d cross paths with them here. I came up with this right now.”

Her father laughed as his eyes narrowed. “Permission from the gods indeed.”

Deo nodded as the horses carried them up the final incline. To one side, a large opening in the rock face gushed with water coming from the underground source. It fed into the first of the waterfalls.

“They’re coming,” Deo said as he looked over his shoulder and saw the first half of the horses pulling the wagon.

Their father pulled his horse in front of them. “Block the road and follow my lead,” he said.

Beks fell into pace behind them and they slowed down, far slower than a wagon.

Behind them, the paladins reached them with ease.

“Excuse me!” One of the men shouted. “Move aside! Don’t block the road.”

Beks watched her father lead his horse to the side. She and her brother followed, making room for the wagon to pass.

Only the horses got past them before her father swung his fist and punched the nearest paladin on a horse.

At once, the other paladins reacted. Robert grabbed the sword hanging on the nearest paladin’s hip and used the hilt to hit the paladin again. Beks watched her fifty-eight-year-old father sweep close to the wagon. He tossed the reins to his son as he stood up, managed to get on the saddle with both feet, and jump onto the back of the wagon, like some sort of land pirate boarding a ship.

To add to the effect, Robert laughed as he knocked out the two paladins seated on the front of the wagon, shoved them to the side, and took control.

“Deo, get on!” he shouted in Sagittater.

“Catch!”

Beks caught the reins her brother threw at her. She didn’t know where her father got the idea to give her all three horses, but she did her best to maintain their speed while keeping hold of all the horses.

On the back of the wagon, Deo’s systematic use of fire biha to both distract and fend off the remaining four paladins was executed with precise efficiency. With each flame from his hand, the paladins fell further and further behind, unable to do anything but yell and try to keep control of their horses who were fleeing from the fire.

“They’re far enough!” Robert shouted after glancing over his shoulder. Beks could see the paladins behind them a good horse length away from the back of the wagon. To her, that wasn’t nearly far enough, but she had to trust her father. He was the one with actual battle experience.

She was just going with what her gut and head told her.

“Then let’s see what prizes are to be had!” Deo shouted, almost gleeful. “Let me borrow a sword!” Their father tossed the sword back and Deo grabbed it, using it to hack away an area above a metal lock.

The paladins began to yell. One of them was shouting for them to go faster before he broke the chest.

“Something important is inside Beks yelled at her brother. “Whatever it is just, just take it!”

“No need to tell me twice!” Deo said as one final blow loosened the weak wood and leather just above the lock. He pried the sword through the opening and broke off the lock. He then slammed the sword on the seat next to his father and pulled open the lid. His eyes narrowed. “It’s cloth!”

“Cloth?” Beks narrowed her eyes. “Why are they transporting cloth?”

Deo threw out another wave of fire to keep the paladins back before pulling a large mass of silvery-white cloth. “It’s a dress!”

Beks finally turned her head towards the wagon she was trying to keep pace with. Deo was lifting the dress by part of the skirt with layers of clumped lace and silk and jewel embellishments in his hands. In the midday sun, the glimmer of the gold woven into the dress caught her eye. She did a double take.

She recognized the intricate woven sleeves and the nearly sheer draping over it.

Her eyes dilated and disbelief swept over her. “Is this a joke?” She nearly balked as her jaw dropped.

“You recognize it?” Deo asked as he lifted it up awkwardly with one hand while throwing another stream of fire at the paladins pursuing them.

“Yes!” Beks yelled. “That’s a wedding dress!”

Deo drew his head back. “Why are they carrying around a wedding dress?”

“It’s not just any wedding dress!” Beks yelled as the absolute audacity of Luther and his oracle mistress infuriated her. It took three years just to get the materials, collected from all over the kingdom, ready. Then another year and a half to actually make.

The late Queen had been more particular about that dress than she was the wedding dress for Lady Eleanor, the future Queen of Kadmus. It was supposed to be locked away. Beks doubted Luther even knew where, but there it was.

“Whose is it?” Deo asked over the yelling paladins and the wagon wheels beneath him.

Beks wanted to rip her hair out as her face filled with indignation. “It’s mine!”