Chapter Eight. You Cannot Escape Your Destiny

You Cannot Escape Your Destiny

Lyanna was in the forest, feeling the coolness of the morning air on her face and hearing the crunch of leaves under her feet. Beside her, Lunar, the small black beast with yellow eyes, followed her with light steps. It had been more than a day since the young girl had fled Stormride Castle, and now, as the sun rose higher in the sky, Lyanna began to feel the weight of her decision.

Hunger roared in her stomach, and fatigue made her steps increasingly unsteady. Lunar, sensing his friend's condition, let out a low growl, as if trying to warn her of the danger of continuing without direction or provisions. The sound echoed through the air, deep and almost paternal, clearly suggesting that the best option would be to return to the castle.

Lyanna, with her face dirty and her hair disheveled, shook her head. She remembered all too well the cold walls of Stormride Castle, the disdainful looks from her adoptive family, and the constant watchfulness that made her feel like a prisoner. No, she couldn’t go back. Not after having tasted, even briefly, the sweetness of freedom.

“I won’t go back, Lunar! I’d rather die here than return to that place!” she exclaimed with determination, though her voice carried a hint of despair. Lunar, with his bright, expressive eyes, gazed at her with concern. Lyanna took a few more steps, but her strength soon failed her. She stumbled and fell to her knees, her arms trembling with exertion.

Lunar quickly approached her, his movements dynamic and agile. The pup let out a powerful roar, a sound so intense it resonated through the forest, startling birds from their perches. Lyanna looked up, her eyes clouded with tears and exhaustion, and saw something incredible.

A golden aura, like sunlight trapped in mist, surrounded Lunar. The air vibrated with an unfamiliar energy, and the surroundings began to shift. Trees and bushes blurred and twisted as if they were mere reflections in a rippling pond. Lunar's magic transformed the place in an instant. Suddenly, the familiar garden of Stormride Castle materialized around her.

Lyanna stood up unsteadily, stunned. She looked around, recognizing the neatly trimmed hedges and stone statues adorned the garden.

“What? What did you just do?” she asked the beast, who gave her a remorseful look.

Lyanna's astonishment quickly turned to frustration and anger. She glared at Lunar, and although she knew her little friend only wanted to protect her, she couldn’t help but feel betrayed.

“I don’t know how you did it, but you shouldn’t have brought me back!” she shouted in despair. Her voice echoed in the stillness of the garden. Lunar growled, seemingly indicating that it wasn’t intentional.

“Wait, you can’t control your power?” she whispered. “What are you, Lunar?”

Lunar looked at her with his yellow eyes, filled with a wisdom that seemed to exceed his short life. He approached her, rubbing his head against her hand in a comforting gesture. Though he couldn’t speak, his eyes conveyed everything she needed to know. Lunar knew that the forest, while free, wasn’t a safe place for a lonely, exhausted girl.

Lyanna sank to the garden ground, feeling the soft grass beneath her hands. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she grappled with the harsh reality surrounding her. Her heart pounded, a mixture of anger, sadness, and exhaustion.

“Lunar, you don’t understand… you can’t understand how awful it is to be here,” she whispered, her voice breaking. But the pup stayed by her side, offering his silent companionship.

In the castle garden, the tranquility was interrupted by the hurried footsteps of guards.

“Oh no, Lunar, the guards must have heard us. They can’t see you… you have to go,” she told the pup, gently pushing him away. Lunar stubbornly refused, staying by the red-haired girl’s side to protect her from any threat. However, a yellow aura suddenly surrounded him. The beast growled in frustration as he struggled to control his power, but soon the luminous magic engulfed him, making him disappear without a trace. A silent tear slid down Lyanna’s cheek as her lips whispered:

“Goodbye, my only and best friend…”

Soon, the men reached Lyanna’s location swiftly. Their faces were marked by irritation and concern, and they showed no gentleness as they lifted the girl from the ground. They grabbed her roughly, their firm hands clutching her arms as they scolded her for running away. Their reprimands were harsh and severe, a mix of anger and frustration for the trouble she had caused.

“What on earth were you thinking, girl? How dare you disobey? Your punishment will be strict and disciplinary!” barked one of the guards as they dragged her back inside the castle.

“This child needs to learn the hard way what happens if she tries to escape again,” added another, his eyes stern and unwilling to show any leniency.

Lyanna, defeated and exhausted, had no strength to reply. Tears continued to stream down her cheeks as she was led away, her thoughts still on Lunar and the brief freedom she had experienced. The hope of finding solace in her newfound friendship with the pup faded with each step she took toward the cold walls of the castle.

Meanwhile, hundreds of kilometers away, in one of the bustling ports of the West, Garath Thorne, Lyanna's former master, blended into the crowd, working as a crew member. His sailor's attire concealed him from prying eyes and potential informants. Garath had decided to desert, abandoning the horrors of war in search of a new life. Thanks to his previous illicit dealings, most of them carried out for Lord Stormride, he had leveraged those connections to secure the necessary help to flee to distant lands. He was acutely aware that the punishment for desertion was execution if caught, so his only hope lay in waiting for Captain Galdor de Valmont’s ship to take him south, far from the Cardinals.

The port was a hive of activity, with sailors, merchants, and travelers moving about. Garath, staying busy pretending to work as a sailor, kept a vigilant eye on his surroundings, ensuring no unexpected developments arose. His heart pounded, adrenaline coursing through his veins as every second felt like an eternity.

Suddenly, a hooded figure slipped through the crowd, bidding farewell to some companions with a gesture. Garath immediately recognized the man under the cloak: it was Cassian, the Bohemian, the brother of the Queen of the West. Known for his hedonistic nature and disdain for responsibilities, Cassian appeared to be fleeing as well, though likely for different reasons.

Amid the hustle and bustle of the port, Garath watched the Bohemian closely. The throng on the docks was a tangle of moving bodies, and both men wove through it like shadows in the night. Eventually, Garath, pushing a barrel onto the platform of the ship he planned to board, ascended the deck and placed the cargo in the designated area.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cassian speaking with Captain Galdor de Valmont, showing him some stalite coins. Galdor nodded discreetly and instructed a few sailors to escort the Bohemian to the hold.

Garath, driven by curiosity, slipped through the ship's commotion to ensure his plan hadn’t been compromised, silently following the Bohemian toward the hold.

The scent of salt and aged wood filled the air, and the silence in the hold contrasted with the bustling port. The sailors who had accompanied Cassian withdrew once the Bohemian reached the area. As Cassian settled in, he heard footsteps descending the stairs. He tensed, ready for anything.

But when a sailor appeared, he relaxed slightly. However, his unease returned as he scrutinized the man’s face. Something about him seemed off, distant from the usual appearance of sailors. His instincts, honed from years surrounded by aristocrats and bureaucrats cloaked in falsehoods and hidden agendas, told him this man was more than he seemed. Fearing he was in danger and that the stranger, likely a mercenary, had been waiting to capture him, Cassian began offering money in hopes of safeguarding his clandestine position on the ship.

“Please, take this money,” Cassian whispered urgently, pulling out a handful of gold and stalite coins from his pocket. “I don’t know who you are, but I can see that you know who I am. Whatever your clients are paying you to capture me, I’ll double it.”

Garath, remaining calm, raised a hand in a gesture of peace.

“I couldn’t care less about what you’re doing here, and I have no interest in apprehending you,” he said quietly. “It seems we’re both in similar situations. I’m from the East, and I, too, have my reasons for fleeing the Cardinals.”

Cassian, surprised by the statement, slowly let the coins fall, his shoulders relaxing slightly. Garath approached a nearby barrel and sat down, leaning against it.

“I know who you are… You’re the Prince of the West. May I ask what His Highness is doing on a ship like this?” the knight asked after a long, tense silence. Cassian, exhausted and seeing no reason to hide his main motive for fleeing from the deserting knight, sighed, rested his head against a nearby barrel, and began to speak, despair evident in his voice.

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“I’m a coward, a fool through and through. I ran because my nephew, the crown prince, went off to the Battle of the Golden Sands without my knowledge,” Cassian confessed, his voice trembling slightly. “He left at midnight, determined to fight. I don’t understand what went wrong. I left him with a harlot, thinking it was enough to keep him distracted, but he slipped away when I least expected it. He… he died in the confrontation on the beach… It’s my fault.”

Garath listened in silence, his own thoughts entangled with Cassian's words. The news of the crown prince's death was a devastating blow, and he understood Cassian's despair. Sitting in the dim light of the hold, they shared a moment of silence, both men acutely aware of the cost of war and the difficult decisions they had made.

“It seems your nephew died for a noble cause. His soul will be carried by Omnilum and will rest in our lord's realm until the end of days... or so they say in moments of grief,” Garath finally said, his words heavy with deeply personal bitterness. “But believe me, nothing anyone says will console you. You’ll pay for your mistakes until your dying day, and regret will hollow you out, leaving you an emotionless shell.”

Cassian leaned further back against the wooden barrel, the weight of his guilt evident in every line of his face. He took a deep breath, and his voice trembled as he replied:

“I had a duty, an obligation... I promised to keep my nephew safe,” Cassian began, his tone somber and full of remorse. “It was my responsibility. My sister, Elara, the queen of the West, entrusted me with this task in the hope that by keeping him away from the war, he could return home safe and sound. But I failed. I allowed my worldly distractions—alcohol and women—to cloud my judgment, and because of me... By Omnilum, what have I done?”

Cassian paused, his eyes filled with regret as he recalled the nights of revelry and debauchery that had taken precedence over his duty.

“I couldn’t stop him, and now... now he’s dead. I can’t dare return home. I can’t face my sister to tell her I neglected my charge once again, thinking her son was distracted with a harlot, only to lose sight of him at the most critical moment. I know my sister will never forgive me. I failed her in the worst possible way...”

Garath, listening silently, nodded with understanding. He knew what it was like to live with the weight of guilt and despair. After a moment of reflection, he offered an idea that could provide them both with a chance for redemption and peace.

“I understand... You can’t return to your kingdom, and I have something to do outside mine, specifically in Erial,” he began, his voice firm and resolute. “We could travel together. I know of an indigenous community in Erial, in the southern part of the continent. I’ve had some dealings with them in the past, completing tasks the crown forced upon me when I was a squire for a respected knight. They are peaceful people who avoid any conflict with the Cardinals or Erial itself. Despite their rugged appearance, they are friendly and believe in an extinct civilization and all things mystical. You might find refuge there.”

Cassian, intrigued, looked up.

“Why are you offering to travel with me? I’m the enemy of the East, and, honestly, you don’t know me at all.”

Garath smiled, a heavy smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“I’ve been traveling alone for years. I know this wretched world is dangerous, and I also know that, judging by your attire and what I’ve heard about the Bohemian Prince of the West, you won’t survive the dangers that lie ahead on your own.”

Cassian swallowed hard. Out of necessity, he had been forced to leave his personal escort behind. His decision to desert had left him vulnerable, and his men could only escort him as far as the ship he was now aboard, a ship they assured him would take him far from home.

“How can I trust you? How do I know your intentions aren’t to take me back to my sister?”

The knight sighed, lifting his right knee and resting his elbow on it.

“I don’t think you have a choice, Cassian. Whatever my intentions, your disadvantaged position allows me to do whatever I want with you.”

The bohemian swallowed hard and, instinctively, reached for his belt, quickly grasping the hilt of his dagger. Garath shook his head and continued:

“I’m not asking you to trust me. I wouldn’t trust me either. I’m simply saying our paths have crossed for a reason. I’m no subject of Omnilum, and I don’t believe in the will of our supposed lord or deity. But I know that unity is strength, and just as I can help you, I know you can help me in the future.”

The bohemian pondered the knight’s words. Cassian knew he was at a dead end, at the mercy of Garath’s will. Seeing no reason to resist further, he relaxed his posture and asked:

“And may I know the name of my new companion?”

Garath nodded and replied:

“Garath Thorne, knight of the Eastern army, bound for Erial.”

Cassian smiled faintly and soon questioned:

“And do you think they’ll accept us? I know the Erialians don’t look kindly on us, especially after how tyrannical we’ve been to them.”

Garath nodded confidently.

“If we were heading to La Kvin Urboj, I’d say they’d most likely kill us on the spot. But the Desert of Dýnami is different from the northern cities of Erial. They are a community that values peace and knowledge. They accept those seeking a fresh start and willing to learn their traditions. I know their language, Dýnami, and I know which village we could settle in before heading to Sunon.”

“I know very little about the map of Erial and its customs,” confessed Cassian, his precocious mind trying to retrieve his knowledge about the barren continent.

“Sunon is the capital of the Desert of Dýnami. It is built on ancient ruins of the extinct Aelorian civilization. Many merchants from all over the world travel there to obtain exotic pieces and sell them in the cardinals. Surely some of that will sound familiar to you.”

The Bohemian nodded, his mind spinning with the possibility of a new beginning.

“I remember reading something about that,” he admitted. “What will we find in the capital?”

“Sunon is a well-protected and defended city. The Dýnamis are skilled warriors used to their desert climates. They are very good at defending what is theirs. My situation requires me to go to the capital, and I will take you with me, so you can gain potential allies like the Afentikó,” added Garath, causing Cassian to frown, unaware of the identity of the mentioned person. Noting the Bohemian’s confusion, the knight decided to inform him:

“The Afentikó is an old friend. He is the leader of the Dýnamis, the spiritual guide of his people, and a very important figure. I know the Afentikó can help you fit into Erial and find the motivations to continue with your life.”

Cassian, after a long silence, nodded languidly. He suspected Garath had not revealed his true intentions, but given his disadvantaged situation and having no better option, he decided not to risk it and expose his doubts…

“Agreed,” he finally said. “We will travel together to Erial. I will seek redemption in some way, even if it is in an unknown place. I cannot continue living as I have been. If the opportunity arises, I will help the Dýnamis with everything I possess.”

As the ship continued its course, both men began to plan their journey to Erial. They shared stories about their past experiences, their mistakes, and their hopes for the future. The ship’s hold became a temporary refuge where they could find some solace amidst the storm of their lives.

The journey would be long and full of uncertainties, but for the first time in a long time, both Cassian and Garath felt they had a purpose. As the night advanced and the ship moved further away from the port, the two deserters looked to the future with a mixture of fear and hope, knowing their destinies were now intertwined and that together they would find a path to redemption in the mystical lands of Erial.

Three days after Cassian, the Bohemian, and Garath’s escape south, the capital of the West was enveloped in an atmosphere of mourning and despair. The castle, normally a symbol of power and stability, seemed to have lost its luster under the weight of tragedy. In the queen’s chamber, the pain was palpable.

Elara Belmont, a woman of great strength and elegance, was now crumbling, her eyes red and her face marked by tears. Sitting on her luxurious bed, surrounded by velvet curtains and golden decorations, she wept inconsolably for the loss of her son, the crown prince. Each sob echoed with a deep pain that seemed to penetrate the very walls of the castle.

Beside her, offering comfort as best he could, was Commander Alaric Drayton, an imposing man with golden hair and piercing eyes who had always been loyal to the kingdom. He had returned to the capital to personally bring the sad news of the crown prince’s death. His armor, marked by the scars of countless battles, gleamed dimly in the candlelight but could not hide the gravity of the news he had brought.

Through tears, the queen embraced Alaric affectionately, seeking comfort that seemed unattainable. The commander responded in kind, his strong arms around her, trying to offer her some relief amid her pain.

“My son, our child…” Elara sobbed. “My dear Cedric… How could this happen, Alaric?”

The commander, with a trembling and compassionate voice, tried to explain the inexplicable.

“I didn’t know, Elara. I swear I didn’t know he was there. When I realized, it was already too late. Cedric did what he believed was right. He was brave, very brave. But the circumstances… the battle was fierce and… I couldn’t get there in time.”

The queen pulled back slightly, her eyes shining with a mix of sadness and fury.

“And my brother? What has become of Cassian?”

Alaric lowered his gaze, aware that the next revelation would only add more weight to his already overwhelmed queen.

"Cassian deserted the morning after the battle. No one knows where he has gone."

Elara tightly closed her eyes, her pain transforming into hatred.

"He fled..." she said with a trembling voice, her words tinged with visceral hate. "Of course, he would flee! That's Cassian! Always abandoning his responsibilities! How could I have been so stupid to trust him to protect my son? All I asked of him was to keep him away from the battle! But he was unable to do that. And now it's all his fault! He has failed us like the traitor he is!"

The commander nodded, recognizing the truth in the queen's words.

"I understand, Elara. But what do you wish to do about it?"

The queen pulled away from Alaric's embrace, her face now a mask of determination and restrained rage.

"I will find him," she declared, her voice firm despite the pain. "I will make him pay for his betrayal and cowardice. Cassian will be judged and impaled for his actions against the crown. I will not rest until my brother is brought to Omnilum's justice."

Alaric, ever loyal, bowed his head in respect and obedience.

"I will do whatever is necessary to help you in the search for your brother. Cassian will not escape his fate."

As Queen Elara composed herself, her decision clear and her mind focused on revenge, the entire castle seemed to reflect her newfound resolve.

As the hours passed, the news of the search for Cassian quickly spread, and the kingdom's forces began to mobilize to find the Bohemian. The sadness that had enveloped the castle transformed into fierce determination, driven by the need for justice and the queen's will to restore the honor of her family and her kingdom.