Chapter 5

Argasu

Looking out over the water, Aeosti could see the port. Saene came up
beside him. "So, are you leaving then?" She asked softly. "I see that you
have your bag." She nodded at his feet where his sack rested against the
wall. "Are you sure that's a wise idea? After last night, we know that you're
being targetted by something."
He cast her a sideways glance. "Yeah." He agreed. "That's precisely why
it's a bad idea for me to be around anyone right now. I thought seriously
about accepting the Nyslari offer, but I can't. Since you guys don't seem to
know anything about it, that crystal thing might be dangerous to you as
well. At least...well, I got the sense that it would destroy anything that got in
its way from reaching me.
"If I remained on the Sea Queen, I could be placing human lives in
danger. Nor do I wish to involve anyone else in this trouble. Nyslari included.
That's why until I discover what this thing is, I'm going alone."
She sighed in irritation. "There's strength in numbers, Aeosti. We could
help you."
He shook his head. "No. You can't even see it. It might kill you before you
even know it's there. I know it hasn't given up on taking me. Every time I
closed my eyes, I could feel a strong sense that it was watching me. Waiting
for me to come to it. So I will, but on my own terms. It's on that land
somewhere." He nodded towards the continent that the ship was rapidly
approaching.
"And if we decide to follow you anyway?" She demanded.
"Then I'll lose you somewhere between here and there. You know I can
disappear from you if I wish. I've no desire to hide from you Nyslari
anymore, but this task is my own. It's me that crystal is after. When I've
found it and dealt with whatever it is, I may seek you out then."
"We have supporters in almost every major city." She told him. "Look for
the symbol of a small bird in flight surrounded by intricate knots. Usually it's
carved in gold beside the entrance. Only Nyslari and certain humans can see
it. Make contact with one of them when you decide that you're ready to join
us. I guess we can wait for you until then."
"That's fine, but I don't know how long this will take, Saene. You
shouldn't wait for me forever."
"Aeosti, we have forever. At least until we die a second time. Or move
on."
Aeosti stooped to pick up his bag. "There's someone I have to say good-
bye to yet." He told Saene. "If I'm still existing after I deal with this thing,
I'll find a way to contact the Nyslari."
"You're making a mistake by actively seeking this thing." She told him as
he began to walk away.
He glanced at her over his shoulder. "Maybe." He conceded. "But it's not
going to give up just because it missed its chance once." He gave her a short
wave then was gone.
He walked down the corridor leading to Churin's cabin and knocked on
her door. She opened the door, her eyes still sleepy. She saw the bag slung
over his shoulder, and she hugged his legs. "You're leaving?!"
"I have to." He told her, laying his bag down. "Sorry, Churin. This is my
stop. It doesn't have anything to do with my circumstances here, but I can't
stay on the Sea Queen any longer."
She began to cry, and he picked her up. He held her against his chest,
resting his chin against the crown of her head. "Someone's after me, honey.
If I stay here, I'll be putting a lot of people in danger. You're one of them.
That's why I can't stay. I have to lead them away from here. Away from
people."
"Don't go!" She sobbed. "Daddy will protect you!"
"No one can protect me." He said softly. "Nor do I want anyone to. This is
something I have to do on my own." He tried to set her down, but he
gripped his shirt, refusing to let go.
"No!" She exclaimed.
He gently pried her hands off him. "Sorry, honey. I can't stay." He
lowered her feet to the ground. "I'm afraid that I probably won't see you
again." He ruffled her soft hair. "I'll miss you, Churin." He picked his bag
back up, and she reattached herself to his legs.
He looked down at her. "You'll have to let me go." He said softly. "Don't
you understand that it's something I have to do? I don't want anyone to get
hurt because of me. Especially not you."
"I don't care!"
"But I do. I can't allow what is chasing me to affect you or anyone else.
Good-bye, Churin." He gently pulled her off his legs, setting her aside before
he walked out. He didn't glance back, knowing that her tears might cause
him to change his mind. He hadn't realized that it would be so difficult for
him to walk away from her.
Churin started to go after him, but then she heard his voice. "Let him go,
little one." Ghadeon told her.
"But--"
"He's made his decision. For once, he's thinking of others right now.
There is something dangerous after him. While we could help him if he'd let
us, he intends to deal with it on his own."
"And you're going to let him?!" She demanded.
"To an extent. We'll be watching him, but we won't interfere unless
necessary. I've ordered Saene and Desmia to follow him but to stay out of
sight. I have no doubt that Aeosti will disappear from us again if he knows
that we're still tracking him."
Churin wiped her eyes. "So you're not giving up on him?"
"Not in the least." She could hear the smile in his voice. "He has the
potential to become very strong, and that's not something that I'm going to
let go. We still have time." He stepped out of the shadows, his white robes
whispering as he moved to her. A long, narrow hand caressed her face
lightly, wiping her tears. "Don't cry, Churin." He said softly. "You'll break my
heart. This is far from the end." He picked her up, hugging her against his
body. He rested his chin on the crown of her head. "You'll see him again,
sweetheart. The next time, he'll be one of us."
She reached up to pull the cowl off his face. She wanted to see his eyes,
but he took her hand gently. "Not on Askura." He reprimanded softly.
"But no one can see you anyway." She said in disappointment.
"I don't feel comfortable here. This is not my world." He kissed her
forehead. "We're going home, Churin. There's no point in lingering here.
Desmia and Saene will ensure that Aeosti remains safe."
"Okay...daddy." She whispered, hiding her face in the robes against his
chest.
He chuckled. "You still manage to throw me off every time you call me
that. Let's go back home. There's still work for us to do." In a flare of
brilliant silver light, they both vanished.

Now that Aeosti had left the Sea Queen, he wasn't sure what he was
going to do. The crush of people was almost overwhelming, and he couldn't
tell where the exit to the city was. He didn't want to stay here very long. He
had no idea when the crystal would next try to take him, and he didn't want
anyone to be around when it happened.
He could still sense it; close, but far away. It felt as though it was from
some other world, watching his every move.
The smart thing to do would be to get some supplies. If he was going to
travel across the land and avoid the cities, he would need to. He entered a
narrow deserted alley, and took out his pouch. He dumped the contents into
his hand; three gold, ten silver, and fifty bronze coins. That really wasn't all
that much. Oh wait...Otai had also given him a pouch, but he'd forgotten
about it. He reached into his other pocket; six gold, twenty silver, and no
bronze. Suddenly, he felt as though he'd robbed that good-natured
blacksmith. He hadn't realized Otai had given him that much.
He stashed Otai's pouch into his bag. For now, he'd pretend that he didn't
have it. Now he just had to look for wherever the supply store was. He might
also be able to ask questions there about the lay of this land. He wasn't even
really sure what continent this was.
Finding the store turned out to be fairly easy. The problem was figuring
out how to not get trampled on. There was a lot of people in there. He
hesitated too long in one spot, and got pushed aside. He was getting rather
angry when a pretty woman with pale blonde hair placed a hand on his arm.
She was wearing a white lace dress with pale blue trim. "Not used to cities,
are you?" She gave him a charming smile. "I'm Euriel. Can I ask what you're
looking for?"
"Traveling supplies." He told her quietly.
"Oh." She grinned. "My brother travels quite a bit, and he's taken me
shopping with him sometimes before he leaves. Ah, here's something that
he always gets." She handed him a small vial filled with what looked to be
bread crumbs. "Tulcara." She told him. "You add water to it and it expands.
It's traveler's bread. One crumb can last you a day." She began leading him
around the store, explaining each item that she picked up.
"Lightstones." She told him, picking up a pouch. "You break them open,
and you can start fires with them." She placed two of the pouches into his
hands. "They're small and if you're going to be gone for a while, you'll want
to have enough. Oh, and this too." She picked up a tightly packed bag.
"Hasni Jerky, it's a farm animal around here. Kind of like a domesticated
boar. And this too. Dried cashen berries. Dried food is the way to go. That
way you're not carrying too much, and it lasts much longer."
"I appreciate you doing this." He told her. "But you don't have to. I'm
sure you have your own shopping to do."
"No. It's fine. I have all day before I have to get back home. Besides, I
think you could use the help." She handed him another vial. "Purifying
caplets so you can drink any type of water you come across. Oh yeah...a
canteen too. You'll want that if you head towards the desert. My brother has
a borket, a type of traveling cloak. It's expensive, but it's useful in any type
of weather. You can also fold it to the size of your hand. And lastly, a small
dagger so you can skin animals and make more jerky if you wish."
Euriel then proceeded to haggle with the shop keeper for him. At first, the
little old man was trying to charge him one gold and five silver, but Euriel
convinced him that one gold was enough. "You have that much, right?" She
asked him.
He nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for your help." He tossed everything into his
bag, and started to walk out the door. To his surprise, she followed him,
looping her arm through his.
"Don't hurry off so soon." She grinned. "Come and have lunch with me."
"Uh...well..." He had planned to leave as soon as he had what he needed,
but he did owe this woman for her help. "All right, but then I have to head
off. I want to be out of the city before dark."
"I won't keep you much longer." She promised. "You should visit the
stables before you leave, if you have enough money left. It's easier to travel
if you're riding a horse or a Kidasi."
"Kidasi?"
"Another animal native to this continent. Soldiers have been using them
in wars for over twelve hundred years. Legends say that they were born
from a horse and a dragon. Of course, that's just something they say
because of the animals having scales on their six legs and other areas of
their body. I'd recommend getting a Kidasi instead of a horse. They're faster
and their endurance is at least twice as good. They're double the price of a
horse though, ranging anywhere from one gold and up. But they also live
much longer than a horse too. Almost a hundred years."
"Can you show me the stables?" He asked.
"Sure."
She led him down the street a ways, and pointed to a wooden building.
"I'll wait out here." She told him, sitting down on a white bench beside the
massive stone fountain.
Aeosti nodded. "All right. I shouldn't be long."
A tall man with blonde hair was grooming one of the horses when Aeosti
entered. He turned and smiled, his green eyes lighting up. "Ah, a customer.
Welcome. Are you looking for a horse? I'm Santur."
"Kidasi, actually." Aeosti told him. "Do you have any?"
"Two." He said thoughtfully. "Who told you that I would have them?
They're a rarity, and if they don't like you, I wouldn't suggest purchasing
one. There have been tales of Kidasi killing people that they don't like."
"May I see them?" Aeosti asked.
"This way." He said with a sigh, leading him into a back area. "I hate to
break up the pair, but--" He opened the last stall. "Take a look. There's a
male and a female. Don't go in, but see if one of them will approach you."
Aeosti peered into the stall. The area was huge, considering that the
animals within were large and long. He could see why it was believed that
Kidasi had come from both horses and dragons. They had short, coarse hair
covering the majority of their bodies, but scales covering their limbs and
along their necks. There appeared to be scales along their underbellies as
well. One was black with green and red scales; the other white with blue and
gold scales. Their heads were triangular with long manes.
"The black is the male." Santur told him. "He's the more finicky one."
Santur held out a hand towards the Kidasi in the stall. Both shuffled towards
him. He stroked their long muzzles. "I raised them from colts. Reach out a
hand slowly, sir."
Aeosti reached out a hand, and let the two smell him. The big black male
nudged his shoulder, staring at him with huge gold-tinged brown eyes. The
Kidasi tried to move closer to him, while the female backed off a bit. "He's
chosen you." Santur said, grinning. "He's yours if you want him."
"How much?" Aeosti asked.
"Two gold. Sorry. I can't let him go for less than that."
"No. That's fine. Does that include saddle and harness?"
Santur shook his head. "I have a fine set for two silver; or a cheap set for
seventy-five bronze. Which would you like?"
 Aeosti considered his options. He didn't much care either way. He could
afford both. "What would you suggest?"
"The cheaper one won't last you all that long. But with the other, you
won't have to buy another for several years. If you can afford it, I suggest
you go with the more expensive."
"What do they eat?"
"Pretty much the same thing as horses, although they will eat small game
at times. If you buy the set for two silver, I'll give you a feeding bag in
addition to it. Filled, of course. To get you started. If you're heading off into
the grasslands, they'll find plenty to eat though. I suggest you save the
grains for when you go beyond them. Or fill the bag back up before you
leave the grasslands. Although the Kidasi can go long periods of time before
they need food or water."
"All right. I'll take the fine set with the feed bag." He decided. "That
sounds a fair deal to me." He wouldn't have much in the first pouch left, but
he didn't expect to need supplies again for a while. "And how much for an
extra bag of feed?"
"Uh...let's see. Fifty bronze. I guess that would get you a small bag. You
won't need it for a while though. You'd reach the next city before you did."
"I won't be going into any more cities for a while." Aeosti told him. "I
avoid them as much as possible. I'll take the extra bag as well. Do I need
anything else for it? A blanket, maybe?"
"Unless you're traveling through heavy snow, the Kidasi would be fine.
There are no mountains here, so you don't have to worry about that until
you leave the continent."
Aeosti nodded. "That's something I wanted to ask. Where exactly am I?"
"The continent is Harscour. This city is Argasu. It's a three days ride
through the grasslands, then you enter the swamps. Beyond that is the
desert. I don't know what's further out."
"Thanks." Aeosti handed him the amount that Santur had told him and an
extra silver for the information.
"You gave me too much." Santur protested, trying to give him back the
silver.
"No. That's for your help. I had no idea where I was until now. I got off
the ship earlier than I expected to. Just take it. I still have enough to keep
me going for a while."
"Well, come back if you find you need something else. Meet me at the
rear entrance when you're ready to head off. I'll have your Kidasi waiting for
you. I'm going to make sure that he's fed and rubbed down before you
leave. Give me at least an hour."
"What were you calling him?"
"He doesn't have a name yet. Whoever purchases him gets that
privelage."
"Okay. I'll be back in an hour or so. I have a date to keep anyway." He
strode out of the stables to meet back up with Euriel, but she was gone. He
must have taken too long. Either that, or she had decided that she had
something else to do. He was somewhat disappointed. He hadn't realized
until now that he'd been looking forward to dining with her.
Ah well...maybe he should look around Argasu to see if he needed
anything else while he waited for Santur to groom the Kidasi. In addition, it
would give him time to think of a name for it.
As he was walking along some buildings, he saw a misty figure wander
into one of the alleys. She was dressed all in white and even her hair
seemed to be white, flowing down to the back of her knees. Curiously, none
of the other people on the street seemed to notice her.
She glanced over her shoulder at him, her eyes golden and brilliant. She
smiled. Her face childlike and innocent. Come with me. A soft, musical voice
whispered in his mind.
His feet started to move of their own accord, heading towards her. Her
form seemed to waver slightly, glowing in the dim shadows where she stood
standing. She was waiting for him. His mind thought of nothing else but
reaching her.
Then his direct path was blocked by a tall man who gripped his arm
roughly. "Don't." The man whispered softly. "Don't look at her."
"What?" Aeosti asked, dazed. With the man blocking his path, he couldn't
see the girl anymore. "Move out of my way." Aeosti commanded the red-
haired man who prevented him from reaching his goal. The man's hair was
very long, almost to his hips, pulled back into a single ponytail.
The man shook his head. "No. You don't have any idea what she'd do to
you if you joined her."
"And you do?" Aeosti demanded.
"None at all. Open your eyes. That creature only wishes to harm you.
Ignore her."
"Let me through!" Aeosti said, unsheathing his sword. Through the haze
in his mind, he knew this man was speaking the truth, but his body was
moving on its own. It wanted to reach her.
Before Aeosti could even think about swinging the sword, the man
clocked him in the jaw. Aeosti found himself lying flat on his back, holding
his cheek. "You're Nyslari?" He asked. He could think of no other reason that
this man could be so strong.
The man shook his head, his violet eyes laughing. "Not even close. I'm
Lhushir, Lord of Irisdaai."
At Aeosti's blank stare, Lhushir sighed and offered Aeosti his hand.
Warily, Aeosti grasped it and Lhushir pulled him to his feet. The girl had
vanished sometime during the punch and Aeosti getting to his feet. His mind
had also cleared, even though a few spiderwebs still clouding his thoughts.
"Irisdaai is in Talgara. I'm a demon." Lhushir told him after a moment.
With this proclamation, Aeosti was ready to attack again. But then
thought better of it. Very possibly this demon had just saved his life. "If
you're demon, then we're enemies." Aeosti said. "Why did you stop me? You
could have just let that ghost do whatever she had planned."
"Because I don't want to be enemies with Nysteria." Lhushir answered.
"In fact, I had come to Argasu to meet with the Nyslari that are presently
here. Then I saw her and you. You're strong, but you're no match for that
creature. Or for me."
The man didn't seem a threat to him, even though he claimed to be
demon. After that punch in the jaw, Aeosti wasn't certain he wished to find
out if Lhushir was lying about his own strength. If Lhushir could knock him
down so easily, he probably wasn't.
"Well...thanks." Aeosti said hesitantly. "I'd better get going."
"The exit to Argasu is to the west." Lhushir told him. "When you reach the
swamps, be careful. It's said that souls who have no place get trapped in
there. Since you're not fully Nyslari yet, you may have problems. And if you
see that girl again, avoid eye contact. She can't control you if you don't look
at her."
"No one else saw her but you and I. Why is that?"
Lhushir's eyes filled with sorrow. "She's after you for whatever reason. I
can see her because I knew her long ago. I'm sorry. I can't explain beyond
that. My heart still breaks whenever I think about it." He pushed the loose
strands of his hair out of his eyes. "Excuse me. I'm going to meet up with
the Nyslari now. They'll probably try to kill me at first, but I can deal with
that."
"Wait." Aeosti said, grasping his arm. "You're not like other demons, are
you? You can feel as we do."
"You may be surprised to learn that most of Irisdaai is like me. And I
don't know how humans feel; I'm not one." He walked away, vanishing into
the crowd.

Lhushir stopped in midstride, then abruptly whirled around. "You're not

going to talk to the Nyslari?" A woman with blonde hair asked, dressed in a
white lace gown. She had stepped out of the shadows to interrupt him.
He stared at her with narrowed eyes. "I do wish that you'd just stay
yourself. I'm not used to seeing you that way, Rynea."
She grinned. "So sorry, my Lord." She waved a hand over her hair and it
darkened to black. "Although, I'm not sure why you complain. Weren't you
just blonde a while ago yourself, Santur?"
He glowered at her unsuccessfully, then burst out laughing. "You got me,
my dear. It's fun pretending to be human every now and then, isn't it? And I
made a bit of money off our Kidasi as well."
"Money you don't really need." She pointed out.
"True. But I couldn't give him one for free, could I? He'd ask too many
questions."
 "You still haven't answered my question. What about the Nyslari? They're
why we came anyway. You're just going to ignore your mission now?"
"Not in the least." He replied with a shrug. "However, that one is far more
interesting than your average soul. I'm going to follow him a while and keep
an eye on him. I have a feeling I'll get further doing that than trying to talk
to a pair of women who are going to immediately think of me as the enemy."
"Don't you think it'd be easier going straight to their Lord?"
"Of course, but less fun. Besides, who's to say he would listen to me at
this point?" He paused for a moment. "She's been here, Rynea."
"Who?"
"Nesri's daughter. Well, maybe not truly here. But I've seen her. She's
hunting that new Nyslari. If she gets her hands on him, she might be able to
have enough power to escape her prison."
"That..." She cringed. "You can't be serious!"
He nodded. "Unfortunately, this time I am. As much as I adored that little
girl, I fear what will happen if she gains her freedom. It's in the best interest
for all of us if I don't allow her to take him."
"And if she does? What then? Will you kill her?"
His violet gaze hardened. "I may have to. In any case, keep an eye on
things in Irisdaai. Especially on Yni. I've never trusted him, and the look in
his eyes is getting worse. I may be gone for a while this time."
"Very well, my Lord. Good luck."
He chuckled. "With what's going on, I may need it. I never expected to
see her again at all. That she can reach out with her power while sealed
alarms me. I'm sure she recognized me too." He caressed Rynea's cheek
lightly. "Take care, Rynea. I'll return when I'm able."
"I don't think you can beat her, Lhushir." She said softly.
"Maybe not, but I can try."
"That's not what I mean. Your heart may get in the way. You weren't her
father, but you loved her mother. You would have adopted the girl if Nesri
had allowed it."
"All that happened long ago." He hugged her. "Don't worry so much. I'll
be fine. I'm not going off to war. Not yet anyway. I'll be returning to Irisdaai
as soon as I ensure that she never gets what she's after."
"You should just let the Nyslari deal with her. She's half theirs anyway."
Lhushir shook his head. "I never knew which Nyslari fathered her. Nesri
never said. She told me that he'd died before he even knew that she was
pregnant. That makes her my responsibility."
"You have a twisted sense of duty." Rynea complained.
"Isn't that why you love me?" He asked with a grin.
"No. That's why I think you're a fool."
"Don't forget the 'charming' part before the 'fool'." He laughed. "Now, I
really must go. I don't want to lose him before he's even left the city."
Rynea stared after him, wondering if she would ever see her Lord again.
Knowing him, he had no intention of killing Nesri's daughter. He'd try to
make amends for what he felt was a failure to protect her and her mother.
He'd cared about both too much to actually harm the girl, no matter how evil
she'd become.
She wanted to grab him and force him to come back to Irisdaai with her.
Forget about his desire to unite forces with Nysteria. This new plan was
likely to destroy him. If not physically, then mentally. But there was nothing
she could do. He wouldn't listen to her now. Not after seeing Nesri's
daughter. That woman and her daughter held more sway over Lhushir's
heart than even his own lands.