Chapter 36: Help from Outside

IRO

Cerys was pacing behind Iro, who was sitting on a dining chair, nibbling on a snack, and wrapped in a blanket.

“The council rep said neither Master Zeltaria nor you showed up, which means you were taken before you got to the council grounds. What do you remember, Iro?”

Iro’s forehead creased as he thought. He was frustrated that they were still at the mansion while Zeltaria was likely being held captive and treated badly. “We left the mansion…got in a carriage…I think I fell asleep? Then…”

Cerys put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. “It’s okay, Iro. You don’t have to go on. Who was driving the carriage?”

Iro thought hard. He hadn’t really paid attention to the driver. “It was a centaur, a man. He was wearing a blue uniform…Zel seemed okay with him.”

Cerys’s face hardened. Iro could tell she was upset that someone from her own race was involved.

“I see. That’s not much to go on. And you don’t remember how you escaped and got back here?”

Iro shook his head, feeling miserable. “I-I… I was just trying not to drown, I can’t…”

Cerys rubbed his head to soothe him. “It’s okay. We’ll find Master Zeltaria. We just need to figure out ~how~.”

Iro leaned into Cerys’s hand a bit before looking up. “What about Holly? Can’t she help? I feel like she’d be able to.”

Cerys’s face darkened, and she slowly shook her head. She pointed to a silver and amber pendant around her neck, something new that Iro hadn’t noticed before.

“Holly is…~gone~. For now. ~This~”—she pointed to the pendant—“is our friend’s soul. Her body was damaged, and I’m starting to think it was ~intentionally~ done.

“Master Zeltaria thought this was the only way to save Holly. And now Master Zeltaria is the only one who can bring our bodyguard back.”

Iro’s ears drooped, and his tail went limp as Cerys explained what had happened. “So…what do we do?”

Cerys started pacing again. It was just Iro and Cerys in the dining room, but a quick look at the kitchen doors showed Skalla, Mika, and Aranya peeking in to see what was happening.

“We need help from outside. Without Master Zeltaria and Holly, we’re not as strong. Skalla?!” Cerys called, not looking at the kitchen but clearly expecting Skalla to come out.

The big shark woman jumped, but pushed through the doors and stood at the end of the table.

“Y-yes, Cerys?” Skalla replied, sounding oddly shy and clearly embarrassed to have been caught listening.

“Eavesdropping isn’t a good look for you, Skalla. But I need your help. Do you think you can fight again?”

Cerys looked at Skalla closely, clearly knowing about the shark’s past even if Iro didn’t.

Skalla looked down for a moment before meeting Cerys’s gaze. “For Zel? Always. What do you need me to do?”

“Just get ready, like I will. We have to be prepared to do whatever it takes to get our master back. I’m afraid it won’t be enough. We can’t go to the authorities.

“If the people who took Master Zeltaria are in the council, then we can’t trust the official guards.”

“What about Alethria?”

Cerys and Skalla looked at Iro, a little surprised to hear the dog chiming in. “Do you think she would help?” Cerys asked, sounding doubtful.

Iro shrugged a little. “I don’t know…I hope so? I could ask her as a favor…I think she likes me.”

Cerys nodded slowly. “If you think she might be willing to help, I’d say ask her. Here—”

Cerys reached into a pocket and slid a small crystal across the table to Iro.

“We might have switched to phones and stuff as humans started to join our society, but we still keep old things like these.

“Hold the crystal and think about Alethria. The better you know her, and the more she thinks about you, the better the crystal will let your thoughts reach hers.”

“Like a magic cell phone?” Iro asked as he turned the small, sparkling gem in his hand.

“Something like that. Skalla? Let’s get ready. Iro, see what you can do with that.” Cerys and Skalla both left quickly while Iro stayed behind, turning the crystal over and over in his hands.

Taking a deep breath, Iro closed his eyes and focused, thinking about Alethria.

The softness of her voice, the warmth of her breath, and the freshness of her scent. As he pictured her, he started to think her name over and over.

~Iro?~

Iro jumped when he heard his name ~in his mind~ in Alethria’s voice. He wasn’t sure if he’d just imagined it. Shaking his head, he focused again.

~Iro? That ~is~ you, isn’t it? Where did you get a mind crystal?~

Iro shivered. It was ~definitely~ Alethria’s voice in his head. He focused on thinking his words. ~Alethria? Is that you?~

Alethria’s warm, motherly voice giggled in Iro’s mind. ~Who else, silly puppy? What’s wrong, and how did you get one of these? They’re really rare now.~

Iro was starting to get used to the strange feeling of hearing someone else’s voice so clearly in his head. ~I actually need some help. Zeltaria and I were kidnapped. Zel’s still there, I escaped.~

~Kidnapped? Is that why she wasn’t at the council meeting?~

Iro frowned. ~Yes. Were…you at the council meeting?~

Alethria’s voice echoed with a hint of worry.

~Yes, I’m not always around due to my responsibilities, but I am the representative of my region. What’s happened to Zeltaria? How can I assist?~

Iro tried to calm his racing heart. This was all so overwhelming. ~We need to locate her. I lost track of where I escaped from…and we need to figure out who’s behind all this.~

Alethria’s voice resonated in his mind. ~I understand. I’ll be there soon. We’ll find her.~

~Despite our occasional disagreements, Zeltaria and I share many beliefs and, as you may have noticed, friends. Stay at the mansion. I’ll be there shortly.~

Iro felt the crystal’s connection fade, and he slumped back in his chair, slightly out of breath. A gentle touch on his shoulder startled him, and he looked up to see Mika, her face etched with worry.

“Are you okay? You did well getting back, you know. You can rest now.”

Iro slowly shook his head. “No, I need to help. I have to—”

Mika firmly grasped his shoulders, turning him to face her.

“Hey. Listen. You’ve done your part. I don’t think you fully grasp what happened. Zeltaria, as you might have guessed, is a former badass who got kidnapped like it was nothing.

“The fact that you escaped is a ~miracle~, and now it’s time for the professionals to take over.”

Iro shook his head, “I-I can’t. I need to go help Zel…I ~have ~to.”

Mika sighed, exasperated. “Stubborn, ~loyal~ little fool. Do me a favor and stay out of the way, okay?”

Iro nodded slowly, but before he could respond, the sound of a gusty wind echoed through the house, and the front door swung open.

A flurry of vibrant green leaves swirled into the foyer, and Iro watched in awe as the leaves began to form a figure, taking on Alethria’s shape.

“Iro?” Alethria’s voice echoed, softer than usual.

Iro stood, still wrapped in his blanket, and approached the leafy figure. “Alethria? Is that you?”

The leafy figure nodded, reaching out to gently touch Iro’s cheek.

“Just a part of me. It can travel much faster than I can. I’ve already sent my dryads to search for Zeltaria and to keep an eye on her ~vocal~ opponents in the council. We’ll find her.”

Cerys and Skalla returned. Skalla was dressed in what looked like a thick, skin-tight wetsuit.

Tiny flashes of metal hinted at wire reinforcements, and Iro noticed her gloves were equipped with metal claws.

Cerys was clad in what resembled a partial suit of medieval plate armor, her humanoid torso shielded by a steel plate and a banded metal skirt protecting her equine upper half.

She carried a large sword on her left side and seemed taken aback by the sight of Alethria’s leafy form.

“We will find Master Zeltaria. ~Are ~you with us, dryad?” Cerys asked, her distrust evident.

Alethria’s leafy form stood tall, facing Cerys.

“As I told our canine friend, Zeltaria and I don’t always see eye to eye, but we share common values. And we both care for ~him. ~I will help you, and you have my word on that.”

Cerys nodded slowly, clearly wrestling with whether to trust Alethria. Finally, her face hardened into a determined expression. “Very well. Let’s start our search. We have a Succubus to find and traitors to expose.”