Blood of the Sea, Chapter Fifteen

Chapter 15: Oath

Astrophel

“You’re not going alone, Ast,” Dionne’s voice is firm.

Astrophel sighs, familiar with the argument since he and Dionne headed for his home island of Gytheio once more, leaving Tiberius’ people to recover what they could of the ruined ship. “I could easily go with Iska. Slip away. No one else has to suffer whatever happened to that crew.”

“You’re not leaving. Not yet.” Dionne reaches across the water from Ryju’s back, gripping Astrophel’s forearm. “We still have the ceremony to attend, and the Hilts…”

“What does it matter? What does any of that matter when our world view has been flipped on its side?”

“Everything about it matters, Ast. Perhaps even more so now.”

Astrophel drops her stare, swishing his hand in the wake stirred up by Iska’s neck pushing through the water.

“Promise you won’t leave until we have the Hilts. If not for yourself, for the others.”

“With Phyrlin’s gaze upon my back…” Astrophel sighs, “I swear I won’t leave before then.”

Dionne nods, squeezing Astrophel’s arm and releasing him, satisfied with his answer. Astrophel feels the promise’s weight settle over him like another shirt and he wets his lips, glancing skyward. If Eulla is the goddess of the Ocean, Phyrlin rules over the principles of blood bonds between the clans, honor, and oaths. Astrophel always felt like Phyrlin, being a god of more abstract but real concepts, must float high above them in the currents of the sky. Thaesis, his people’s third deity, was honored on the soil of the islands, ruling over stability, home and hearth, so it seemed fitting that Phrylin should have a place in the sky. The pattern of the clouds reflects the motion of the waves, and as he stares up beyond them into the blue of the sky, he can’t help but wonder if Phyrlin had something to do with the ship being attacked.

“Eulla said they came from the sky.”

“Eulla… wait, you talked to Her?” Dionne’s voice is soft with awe and disbelief. She urges Ryju to cut Iska off, bringing both ‘urgas to a stop as they drift in the currents.

“The ship attack. We don’t have anything that can do that. That can…”

“Use fire?”

Astrophel nods.

“We use fire.”

“But it wasn’t us. It wasn’t… I mean, I don’t think it was done by people.”

“The journal said there were others.”

“The journal. Did it have anything about flight?”

“I can’t pull it out in the middle of the water, the pages will get ruined.”

Astrophel urges Iska forward, around Ryju as Pyxis’ head pops out of the water, the pup splashing water in their direction. “Then we better reach landfall.”

They pushed on to the nearest island, Valskog, Sulien’s home island. The lush slopes have continued to prove to be more hospitable over time than the rocky ones of Yerevan, but each island thrived in their own ways. When Iska and Ryju beach themselves, Astrophel and Dionne slide free, Dionne reaching for the water proof bag, and Astrophel digging around for a dry rag for them to use on their hands. Scaling the grassy slope, the green strands whipping against Astrophel’s bare arms, they find a place to sit, facing the ever present ocean, and Dionne sets the journal on the rag, flipping through the pages just slow enough as to not tear them. She reaches the pages which led them to the south island in the first palace.

“See, here is the reference to people of the wing. We still don’t know what that means, but then back here…” Dionne flips back a few pages, searching for the passages Tiberius read to them. “There was mention of… kin? Of some kind? Something aggressive at our backs.” She shakes her head, closing the journal again. “I can’t read too much of it.”

Astrophel lays his hand on top of hers, “It’s alright. I’ve already made up my mind to go. Knowing what we do, there will be something there which we haven’t seen before.”

“Knowing is one thing, Ast. You saw what it did to the ship. We’re defenseless against that.”

Astrophel’s mouth presses in a grim line, “I can’t not go, Dio. I… She has been very insistent.”

“Eulla?” Dionne’s voice quiets, her gaze searching the waves as if the goddess herself will appear at any moment.

Astrophel nods, though he knows Dionne doesn’t see. He rubs at his chest, feeling the echo of water filling his lungs. “I can’t stay here.”

“You swore you’d wait to go on the trip…”

“It’s not that, it’s…” he sighs.

“Then what?”

“I can’t come back. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I… it was made clear my place isn’t here for much longer.”

“The Five always live in these islands.” Dionne’s brow furrows.

Astrophel nods. “Things may change in the future.”

“Ast,” Dionne takes a hold of his hands, “you’re scaring me. Why do you make it sound like you’ve been given a death sentence? We have long lives out ahead of us.”

“The goddess has her plans for me. I don’t claim to understand them, but I’ve come to realize one cannot escape the ocean.”

Dionne snorts at that, the two of them sharing a smile before the expression fades once more. “I don’t want to lose you.”

“You…” the word won’t sticks in his throat, a large pair of eyes staring up at him from beneath the waves choking him. Astrophel coughs and rubs at the back of his neck. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

Dionne lays her head on his shoulder, intertwining their fingers. “You’re here. I have your back. We all will. The Five will go with you to the southern peoples and their sky creatures. You won’t have to go it alone.”

Eulla’s Voice’s words come back to him. Love those dear to you. Hold them close, but don’t hold them back. Time will tell your story, but you may not like the direction it takes. Astrophel bows his head, wondering why the goddess chose him in the first place.

~

The two of them sit there on the grassy slope for long enough that Astrophel’s arms become a crisscross of sharp grass-blade lashes and a set of footsteps approach them as the sun chases the horizon towards early evening. Jolted from his thoughts, he and Dionne dig into the water proof bag for the dried jerky Tiberius sent them away with as Sulien plops down at Astrophel’s other side.

The three of them are quiet for a long moment before Sulien jokes, “Great conversation, guys.”

Dionne snorts, offering him a piece of the jerky which their red headed friend takes.

“I have to…”

“We have to,” Dionne interrupts him.

“He doesn’t have to if he doesn’t want to. Neither does Khalil or Nox.”

“Don’t have to do what? You guys are almost as bad as my parents.”

Dionne frowns at Sulien, snatching back the half eaten piece of jerky in his hand. When he opens his mouth to protest, Astrophel rushes on, “Come with me to the lands south of Yerevan. I have to go once the Five are announced. Tiberius’ people came back in a boat scorched and falling apart.”

“What could do such a thing?” Sulien rears his head back, eyes widened in surprise.

“We don’t know, but Dio found a journal that speaks of a time when we did know. Someone went there and found people, creatures unlike what we have.”

“The goddess gave him a task, Sul.”

Sulien leans in, pressing his forehead against Astrophel’s temple. They breathe together for a moment before Sulien’s quiet voice reaches his ear, “I won’t leave you, brother. If this is the salt-road you must take, I’ll row your oars till my arms give out.”

“I wouldn’t ask this of you.”

“Which is why we all will join you.” Sulien leans back in his seat, giving Astrophel a most serious look, his eyes earnest and the tilt of his head contemplative. “Khalil will want to go for the experience. Nox will want to go because we are their family.”

Astrophel nods in response, words and emotions bottling up in his throat as they each fight to escape first. Sulien wraps an arm around Astrophel, squeezing Dionne’s shoulder as she leans into Astrophel’s other side. Astrophel finally chokes out, “Thank you.”

A chorus of “Of course,” comes from both sides.

The sky paints the water with melting blues, blushing purples and summer orange as the sun slips lower in the sky. The water swallows up the remainder of the day and Sulien stands, offering his hand to Astrophel. Clasping arms, Sulien hauls Astrophel to his feet, who in turn helps Dionne to hers. Their ‘urgas push off, disappearing below the dark waters for the night as Sulien escorts them to his home. The paths of Valskog are well trod foot paths rather than a paved or stone path, but it works for the island and its inhabitants. Sulien’s home is dome shaped, with moss and grass growing over the roof as an added layer of protection against the elements and erosion. The interior is dark but comfortable and Astrophel and Dionne are escorted into Sulien’s bedroom, their friend closing the door with a smile and a promise of breakfast come morning, ignoring their protests completely. Astrophel shakes his head with a short burst of laughter, and hugs Dionne close to him as they eye the bed layered in furs. A low-set window stares out into the darkened sky, the light of the three moons flooding through the pane and illuminating the room in silver.

Helping each other quietly out of their water-crusted, creased clothing, Dionne’s light touch lingers over Astrophel’s shoulders, his chest bare, hers covered only in the wrap the clanswomen wear for support. Astrophel moves her hands to his chest, gazing at her, the way her eyelashes flutter against her cheeks and taking in the way the silver kisses starlight across her cheeks and collarbones. Astrophel waits for her like a creature waiting for the song of the currents to pull him closer or push him further away. It feels like forever before she inhales, tips her head up, her hands sliding around his neck as she pushes to her tippy toes and their mouths meet in a warm exhalation of breath and comfort, sparks shooting through Astrophel’s blood and he closes his eyes, his fingers tangling in her hair while his other hand presses her closer, warming the small of her back.