The Land Below our Feet III (Legacy)

BIRTHDAY

The three youngsters seemed a million times rosier now that they had all taken a nice, cold bath and swapped their filthy garments for the clean, fresh clothes they had been provided with.

Sitting at the enormous dining table, they looked nothing like the sand-covered pities that had weakly crawled through Cahen´s gates a few hours ago.

The ladies now donned a pair of exquisite traditional uplander attires that consisted of comfortably ample fabrics which had been secured around their necks by a group of helpful maids, and then strategically arranged to cover their chests and gracefully fall down their legs.

Axe and his masked guardian had been stripped of their heavy armor, before simple tunics and trousers had been handed to them instead.

Their long manes dripped little wet patches on the light tissue as the strands cascaded freely over their owners´ broad backs. One blue, one dark… One framing a neatly shaved face, the other adding to the somber air of the enigmatic masked man.

The long, rectangular table had been abundantly stacked with all kinds of exotic delicacies that had been shamelessly gobbled down by the hungry visitors from the moment the food had arrived. Yet, no matter how greedily and copiously they had all eaten during the past hour, the wooden surface still appeared as crammed as it had looked at the beginning of the evening somehow.

-Is that who I think it is? – Phomtek asked, taking a few curious steps towards the black beast that sat avidly devouring the dromedary´s leg that Skhana had just tossed in his direction – I hadn´t seen him in years!

-He is not, and I wouldn´t interrupt his dinner if I were you – The blue-haired man promptly warned him, making the bearded soldier abruptly stop midway – Kohu died a while back, that is Rhoan over there.

-Is he tamed? – The captain inquired with a hint of fear embedded in his voice. Gesturing at the giant cat briefly, before raising an eyebrow at him with concern.

-No – Axe calmly responded – But that is a misleading concept. People never really tame animals. They simply choose to play along.

-Right – Phomtek wheezed, rolling his eyes at the boy´s puzzling statement, then redirecting his attention to his daughter this time – So, Alesh, uh? What´s the deal with that?

-The lad thinks that he can pay the Librarian a visit and find everything about his past – Akoh replied matter-of-factly before turning his face away from them and taking a sip of wine with a rapid lift of his mask.

-And what makes you so sure that I, of all people, can lead you to that place? – The Cahenean insisted with a confused frown.

-I knew it! – Skhana exclaimed even before he had finished speaking, pointing her long finger at the Xoltunian princess and pushing it against her chest – You lied to us only to trick us into coming here with you! Your father hasn´t even been there, you dirty cheat!

-Oh, I have. I have been there – Phomtek intervened. Reaching over the table and gently pulling the girl´s arm down as he stared intently into her blue eyes – I accidentally ended up there once…It´s just I wouldn’t know how to get there again if I tried.

-W-Why? – Axe mumbled. The disappointment permeating his voice and making it falter as he pleadingly looked at the tall, bearded man.

-Because that´s the way Aleshians like it – Phomtek responded – They don´t want to be found anymore. They fear that their precious library will be burned to the ground again if they are.

-Wait! Did that really happen? – The Yahurian scoffed in a skeptic tone – I thought it was just a tale people told!

-I thought that too – The Cahenean agreed in a grim voice – But then I saw the shambles that the old one had become with my own two eyes, and I discovered it was real… They say it took them centuries to rebuild, and even then, not every tome could be rewritten or recovered, so much was lost to that fire!

-More accurately, to the Garhians own stupidity and the envy of their callous king – The blue-haired youngster sneeringly observed – If the legend is true, then that fire was nothing but the atrocious result of human vileness at its worst. So, I´d say Aleshians mistrust is perfectly justified.

-But also, so terribly unfair! – Skhana cried out in despair – Isn´t it tragic how the foolishness of a few ones has ultimately deprived the rest of the world of accessing such invaluable knowledge for so long? And now, we might never be able to get the answers we need for you, Axe!

-Well, that is only one of the many devastating consequences that wars leave behind – The masked warrior opined with a faint air of fatality – Progress can only be achieved if cultures survive long enough to thrive…

He paused. Letting out a loud sigh and charmingly winking at the young, pouting girl while he patted her back.

-Fortunately – He continued saying in a slightly merrier voice – Something good came out of that shitshow when the Yahurian Order was founded around that time, to combat men like King Agharon and let the realms blossom in peace at last.

-And perhaps dad can´t tell us exactly where Alesh is – Phomeryka optimistically chimed in, clapping her hands animatedly – But he can surely point us in the right direction so we can find it!

-Not a chance, missy! – Phomtek amusedly sneered – What on earth has led you to remotely believe that I would ever let you kids blindly wander into the same forsaken hell where I almost died when I was around your age?

-The fact that you are perfectly aware that I am going to head there with or without your help anyway… Father – The princess calmly replied. Twisting a strand of hair between her fingers and staring defiantly at him – And the happy coincidence that it also happens to be my sole birthday wish. So, you can´t deny it to me.

-But sweetie – The Cahenean officer began grumbling with an emphatic shake of his head, until the young woman jumped on her feet and grabbed his strong bearded jaw as she looked intently into his dark eyes.

-Shhh, just think about it for a second, would you please? – She muttered, making him gulp his forgotten words down his throat when she tenderly brushed his hairy cheek, then started walking away – If you really don´t want us blindly wandering out there as you say, then you´ll tell us where to start looking for Alesh.

The stars sparkled brightly over the dormant city when Axe found the Xoltunian girl sitting at the edge of a balcony with her sight fixated on the million tiny dots that adorned the nocturnal sky.

-What a beautiful view, isn´t it? – Phomeryka distractedly murmured as the blue-haired man stood behind her and silently peeked over her shoulder, admiring the breathtaking sights.

-Thank you – Axe finally whispered in her ear after a long, vacant moment – It takes guts to speak your mind to a man like your dad.

-Don´t thank me yet – She chuckled. Abruptly turning to face him and positioning her open legs purposefully at each side of his hips – He has yet to agree to do what I asked.

-So… Happy birthday – The youngster hoarsely spoke, changing the subject and sliding a finger down her cheek, slowly descending to her neck – Why wouldn´t you tell us before that it was today?

-Because I hate celebrations – Phomeryka replied with poorly acted dispassion – And because I didn´t want you to feel pressured to get me a gift.

-Oh, I would never do that – Axe casually scoffed, making her arch a surprised eyebrow – But maybe I can try giving you something different. Something to remember me by.

-Yeah? Like wha? – The Xoltunian started skeptically saying, but her sentence was cut short when her lips were briefly grazed by the blue-haired man´s soft ones

He began with a gentle approach, barely pecking the corner of her agape mouth. But when he perceived her rising breath and her closed eyelids at the edge of his sight, he slowly deepened his movements, tugging slightly at her lower lip with his teeth before ending up being sucked into a passionate exchange of saliva and muffled moans as their tongues melted together with ease when she climbed down the balustrade.

Time froze and then flew mercilessly by all the same as they stood there, embracing the other and eagerly exploring their tastebuds until they both ran out of air, and they breathlessly stepped away.

-Well... As I was saying… Happy birthday – Axe finally mumbled, breaking the unusual silence that had settled between them while Phomeryka gasped and wheezed, shakily staring at him with broad eyes and trembling limbs.

Then he rapidly turned around and disappeared into the night.