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"Hoist the main sail!" the young woman cried, standing on the upper deck of the sea vessel. She squinted as fierce raindrops attacked her body, burning her deep brown eyes as if they were bullets of salt, and saturating her thick, mahogany-hued ponytail, which whipped fiercely in the cruel winds.
"Highness!" called an armor-clad warrior, "Please get below! The storm is worsening! You may be injured."
The girl threw a disdainful glare at the man, resting her fists on her hips, just above the leather belt decorated with a golden badge. "I am perfectly capable of maintaining my command, even during a seastorm."
The soldier bowed deeply, and returned to his station. The princess turned her dark gaze towards the angry skies, flashing with powerful bolts of lightning and clashing with furious thunder.
Her gaze narrowed when she looked into the distance, and saw the rocky shores of her destination ahead.
"We're almost at the island," she said, climbing down from her perch, "Yael, tell the rowers to keep at it. We are no more than twelve leagues from shore."
The soldier nodded, and the princess ran along the drenched planks of the deck, and entered the lower decks, where an enclosed chamber remained secluded from the chaos surrounding it. Without hesitation, she pushed open the door.
At the sound of the intrusion, a tall, slender young man lifted his head from deep meditation. A smile formed on his smooth, child-like countenance, and his large, pointed ears twitched. His bright yellow-gold eyes, which matched the shade of his short, dainty hair perfectly, rested on the princess.
"You're a mess, Nekayah," he commented in the high-pitched voice of a boy.
Nekayah frowned, twisting her waist-length braid in her hands to wring the rainwater from her locks. She then shook her loose indigo pants, which were sticking to her legs due to the moisture.
"Well, it's a mess out there, Indira," she commented wryly, grabbing a sheet hanging near her and drying her chocolate skin, "Perhaps you can do something about it?"
The young Tivon shook his head. "I can't. This seastorm is no force of nature. It has been conjured by powerful magic... which makes my Tivonite magic pale in comparison."
A shadow darkened his jeweled eyes. "Seth grows more powerful each day."
Nekayah pursed her full lips, turning away from the fairy's penetrating gaze. "I know," she said quietly, clutching her forehead, "I know. But there must be some way to escape his power! We must reach the island."
Indira shook his head, causing his shimmering hair to dance around the tips of his ears. "This was a bad idea, Princess. We should have remained in Abissinia, and organized our forces against Seth. By leaving, you are in effect letting your brother usurp the throne freely."
"Our only chance is to find Ivar," she determined, "and I am counting on you to track him down. We know he landed at this northern island several months ago. We must start our search there."
"There has been no word from the prince since his departure from Abissinia," Indira reminded the young princess, "There is no reason to believe he yet lives. Not even his guardian Tivon Chailyn knows of his whereabouts."
Nekayah's eyes narrowed. "Ivar is my twin, Indira. If he had died, I would have felt it. Ivar lives... somewhere on this island. And I shall not rest until he is found."
Just then, an indomitable force caused the vessel to shudder and sway. Nekayah hastily grabbed the edge of the door in order to keep herself on her feet, while Indira lifted his body off the floor, hovering safely away from any surface.
"By the gods," she whispered, "that didn't sound good."
Her dark eyes widened when she saw smoke pouring into the room.
"The ship's caught fire!" she gasped, covering her mouth, "It must have been struck by lightning!"
Indira's eyes narrowed, and he suddenly vanished in a flash of electrical energy. Nekayah's panic only increased when she saw her friend and protector vanish from sight.
"Indira! Indira?!"
From his vantage point above the ship, Indira noticed the flames that threatened to engulf the entire vessel and its crew. His cherubic face grim, Indira raised his arms to the heavens, his gold eyes flashing with electricity.
"I am Indira, Tivon of the Storm," he chanted, the energy in his eyes intensifying, "On behalf of my charge, I bid this storm... CEASE!!"
Surrounding his body, the winds quickened their thunderous pace, and the bright flashes of lightning increased. However, instead of following the ship on its trek across the sea, the storm maintained its focus on the human-sized fairy.
Indira shrieked as a searing bolt of lightning crashed into his slender body, only to be followed by dozens more.
"Angus!" Ivar shouted, "Return that talisman at once!"
The ebon-haired Mystic Knight of the Earth responded to the demand with a mischievous grin, holding up a golden badge. "What?" he coaxed, "This?"
Angus then enclosed the treasure in his fist, and passed his other palm before it. His eyes widened as he opened both his hands, revealing that the treasure was gone.
"Oh my!" he cried in mock surprise, "It's gone, Ivar!"
With that, Angus continued racing through the courtyard of the palace of Kells. A grin on his face, Ivar made chase.
He is so much like Nekayah, Ivar reflected in wonder, leaping over a wheel-barrel to keep pace with his rogue friend, More energy and spirit than a stallion, coupled with a child's hunger for mischief!
Ivar managed to keep up with his swift friend, until he noticed the druid magician Cathbad walking in their direction. Ivar stopped abruptly after deducing that Angus' present path would surely lead to a collision.
It did.
"ANGUS!" the elder shrieked, lifting his head and brushing the straw from his robes. He fixed the young man with a bone-chilling glare.
"Sorry, Cathbad," Angus muttered, standing up and offering the Druid assistance. Cathbad struck Angus hand, and stood up on his own.
"Perhaps I should concoct a potion to drain some of that energy out of you," Cathbad pondered aloud, still picking straw from his clothing, "Or at least, I should put you to work, and make good use of all that energy."
Ivar relished in his friend's humiliation, and grabbed Angus' upper arm before he could make a getaway. "The talisman?"
Angus' shoulders slumped, and he dug into his pouch to retrieve it. "I was going to give it back," he muttered.
"I am certain of it," Ivar said, still grinning as he attached the talisman to his belt, just off center. He then turned his attention to the druid. "Are you alright, Cathbad?"
The counselor nodded, brushing out his flowing white beard from any stray straw. "Yes. I was searching for Rohan. Do either of you know where he is?"
"I don't think he came back from that mission you sent him on," Ivar responded, "It can take a full day to find the black sand you seek. It's only located on small stretches of the shore."
"Am I glad I'm not a druid's apprentice," Angus said to Ivar under his breath, "Running all those errands...!"
"Don't worry," Cathbad said, a slight grin on his withered face, "I wouldn't trust you with any mission worth doing."
Angus frowned at the insult, and watched the elder return to the palace.
"Here we are!" Rohan sighed with relief, lowering himself to one knee along the shore of Kells. He detached a glass bottle from his belt, and began sifting the black sand into it, being careful not to catch any of the regular sand, which surrounded the small oasis of potent magical material.
"I wonder what Cathbad has planned for you?" he pondered, sealing the flask with a piece of cork. He then straightened, and began to walk back in the direction he came from.
Until, he heard a cough nearby.
Surprised, Rohan leapt atop a rock nearby, to get a better view of the narrow shores. He gasped in shock when he saw several bodies littering the smooth sands, and planks of wood strewn throughout. Gripping the flask in one hand and his powerful sword in the other, the leader of the Mystic Knights dashed along the shore, toward the unconscious people.
Rohan stopped his running when he reached the closest body to him. It was a man, with a dark skin tone that Rohan had only seen on one or two individuals. He also wore loose, light clothing, much unlike the furs and leather that clothed the people of Kells.
Rohan lowered himself to his knees beside the body, and gently touched the man at the base of the neck. He frowned, resting his hand just an inch or so above his nose and mouth.
He didn't feel the warmth of breath from either channel.
"He's dead," he said quietly, shaking his head. He then went to each of the other seven or so individuals in turn, and realized with dismay that they were all dead.
But... how did he hear a cough?
Pursing his lips, Rohan returned to the first downed soldier he had seen. After examining his garb more carefully, he noticed a gold badge that had eluded him the first time. Curious, he pulled the badge off the man's belt.
"Filthy thief!" came a raspy voice, startling the young warrior. He rose to his feet hastily, and saw a young woman standing behind him, fury flaring in her dark eyes, and a shimmering curved sword held tightly in her grasp.
Rohan quickly realized that she too was wearing a similar talisman.
"Wait!" Rohan said, holding up his hands, "It's not what you think!"
"Oh isn't it?" she muttered, "You come and find a dead crew, and decide to steal whatever wealth you can find on their bodies. That is an insult to them... the bravest and most noble members of Sultan Imlac's forces!"
Sultan Imlac? Rohan pondered, stepping back slowly from the sharp edge of the sterling blade, I have heard that name before...
Rohan then glanced once again at the talisman, and the carved image of a mountain expertly engraved into the surface. His eyes widened with realization.
"This is the seal of Abissinia!" he said, looking back at the young woman, "You are from Ivar's country!"
She faltered, dropping her scimitar in surprise. Breathing weakly, she fixed her dark gaze on Rohan again. "You... you know Ivar?" she breathed.
Rohan nodded. "Indeed I do. He is one of my closest friends... the Mystic Knight of Water."
Her eyelids began to flutter, and she slowly sank to her knees. "I... beg you... friend of Ivar... to take me to... my brother..."
Rohan was quick to catch the exhausted princess before her head struck the sand. Panic widening his eyes, Rohan hastily checked to make sure the princess was still breathing.
"Aideen!" he called into the air, "Aideen!!"
"What took you so long, Ivar?" King Conchobar inquired, turning his gaze from the territory maps laid upon the counseling table to the entrance to the throne room. "Deirdre and I have been waiting for you."
"Indeed," the young princess remarked, her eyebrow arched, "I never thought tardiness could be considered one of your faults."
Ivar grinned, bowing lightly to both the king and princess of Kells. He then took a seat at the table across from Deirdre, and beside the King. "I apologize," he said, "but I had to catch that scoundrel Angus before he did something to my talisman."
"He stole it again?" the king inquired, a smile on his face, "I believe he does it just to vex you, Ivar."
"I am most certain of it."
"So," said Deirdre, turning to her father, "any word from the front?"
"I have received from a messenger that there have been no confrontations along the border between Kells and Temra," Conchobar stated, laying his finger along a line drawn down the center of the island, "So far, Maeve has kept to the terms of the truce."
"I wonder how long that will last," Ivar sighed, "If there is one thing we've learned, it is that Queen Maeve of Temra cannot be trusted. She excels in trickery."
"True," Conchobar agreed, "yet we cannot forget that her powers have so far proven insufficient against the Mystic Knights. She has lost a great deal of soldiers, who are too afraid to combat the Knights. Perhaps she has seen that her cause is lost."
"But Father," Deirdre added, "once she gets word that Garrett has left Kells, she might see an opportunity. Instead of having five Mystic Knights, we are down to four. It could be several weeks before he returns from his mission, if not longer."
"I am aware of that," the king said, leaning against the back of his seat, "but we still have the rest of you. Also, Rohan is Draganta, the warrior destined to bring peace to Kells for a hundred lifetimes."
"That is true," Ivar said, nodding, "Somewhere inside Rohan's heart is an iconic warrior. He has tapped that ability several times, and soon he will realize his destiny in full."
"We should still refrain from letting our guard down," Deirdre advised, "We must keep the borders guarded, just in case. If any Temrans step across, then they break the truce agreement."
"Your Highness!" came a bell like voice, sounding from the nearby window, "Ivar! Deirdre! I have news from Rohan!"
The little fairy with fire-red wings floated into the chamber, and hovered near the center of the table.
"What's the matter, Aideen?" Deirdre asked worriedly, "Is Rohan alright?"
"Yes," the small fairy panted, "but when he was collecting black sand at the shore, he encountered a shipwrecked crew from Abissinia!"
All eyes fell upon Prince Ivar, who wore an aghast expression. "Shipwrecked?" he repeated.
Aideen nodded. "There was only one survivor. Your sister."
Ivar rose to his feet immediately, grasping his Barbed Trident that leaned on the wall beside him. "Show me the way, Aideen."
"Rohan is carrying her here," Aideen explained, following Ivar as he rushed to leave the palace, "He should be here soon."
"Wait, Ivar!" Deirdre called, hurrying to catch up with him, "I shall go with you."
"We must make haste," Ivar determined, moving steadily through the halls to the outer gates of Kells' castle.
"Ivar!" Angus called, once the prince and princess had exited the palace, "Thank Dagda! Rohan's just arrived, and he's got an unconscious woman with him. Rather pretty, too..."
"Unconscious?!" Ivar shouted, startling the Knight of Earth, "Where did he take her?"
"To Cathbad's chambers, to make sure she'll be all right," Angus said, watching as the two Knights raced towards the Druid's quarters. "Hey! Wait for me!"
"Well?" Rohan said, pacing by the entrance to the cluttered chamber, "Is she alright?"
"She is unharmed," Cathbad said, busily mincing some reddish-brown leaves in a stone bowl, "She is only exhausted. She has clearly endured terrible circumstances."
"So, what are you making?" he asked, walking to the table of powders and glancing into the bowl.
"Something to help her regain her strength," he responded, adding a few drops of liquid to the bowl, "but she won't be able to take it until she awakens on her own."
"Rohan! Cathbad!" trumpeted a panicked voice, causing both men to turn around. They were startled to see Ivar hurry into the room, his dark eyes wide with alarm, and his entire countenance flustered. The prince was always calm and collected. To see him distraught was unsettling to all the Knights.
"Calm down, Ivar," Rohan advised, clutching his friend's shoulders tightly, "The princess will be fine. She just needs some rest."
Ivar pushed passed the leader of the Mystic Knights, and knelt on the ground beside the bed. His eyes took in his sister's appearance with the precarious attention of a worried brother, and he tightly clasped her limp hand.
"Ivar," Deirdre said gently, resting her hand on his shoulder, "are you all right?"
"Yes," he said quietly, inclining his head to meet Deirdre's azure gaze, "I... I am just perplexed. Why did Nekayah come to Kells?"
Ivar lay his sister's hand back on her stomach, and rose to his feet. "Rohan, Aideen said all the others were dead?"
Rohan bowed his head, nodding slowly. Ivar pursed his lips tightly.
"Did you by any chance see a slender boy, with golden hair and eyes? He has distinguishing pointed ears."
Rohan blinked at the odd inquiry. "No. All the men looked normal enough, and they wore the same uniform. They appeared to be soldiers."
Ivar nodded, moving towards the door. "Excuse me, please," he said, moving past the bewildered Knights.
"We should follow him," Deirdre said, turning to the door.
Rohan stepped forward, grasping her arm. "Wait, Deirdre. I think he wants to be alone. Now, we should attend to Princess Nekayah."
"I'll gladly keep an eye on her," Angus offered, a sly grin on his face. Cathbad frowned pensively.
"Not in my chambers," he stated, pouring the mixture he had created into a goblet, "At this moment, all she needs is sleep. Perhaps you boys could carry her to a guest room? This dreary enclosure is no place for a princess to recover."
Ivar waited impatiently as the guards opened the front gate, leading outside the confines of Kells castle. Once the gates were opened, he briskly marched through the nearby woods, purposefully heading to one of his favorite spots for thinking. The waterfall.
After a short trek, Ivar reached the lake of water pooled beneath the small waterfall, and knelt at the bank. He reached to his belt, pulling off the golden talisman Angus had purloined earlier.
"Open a gateway," he chanted, holding the talisman just beneath the surface of the water, "from this world to Orenda, the home of the Tivona."
The talisman's surface image vanished, leaving the face flat and featureless. The surface then sank into itself, creating a hole in the center.
"Chailyn?" Ivar said, leaning closer to the medallion, "Chailyn, can you hear me?"
"Well, I can," said a girl's voice, sounding from the hole in reality, "but I'm not sure if I want to respond!"
Ivar frowned slightly. "I apologize for not communicating with you earlier..."
"I have never met a more selfish, egotistical, insensitive human in all my life!" the voice huffed, "You left Abissinia months ago, and you didn't think to send a message at all! You know I cannot follow you unless you summon me! I am your guardian Tivon, Ivar. I should accompany you wherever you go."
"This mission is a test of my ingenuity and ability," Ivar said firmly, "I had to find the chalice on my own, or else I would prove myself incapable of handling difficult situations without magical assistance."
"Well," the voice rang, slightly less annoyed, "you could have at least thought to talk to me once in a while. Everyone in Orenda and Abissinia thought the worst! There was no way for us to be certain you had survived the overseas voyage."
Ivar bowed his head. "I know, Chailyn. That was faulty judgment on my part, and for that I am eternally sorry."
"You've always had a way with words, Ivar," she sighed, "Well... I suppose I can forgive you. This time."
Then, a solid beam of aqua-blue energy erupted from the pocket, stretching into the air and twisting like a ribbon. The energy then wrapped around itself, forming a bubble of liquid energy. That energy finally formed into the shape of a young girl, about five feet in height, with alabaster skin, curly aqua colored hair, and jeweled aquamarine eyes. She smiled at Ivar, her flowing, shimmering aqua gown fluttering in the winds.
"I've missed you, my prince," she said, slowly lowering to the ground. She clasped her hands behind her back, her large pointed ears twitching. "After all, you were more than simply my charge. You were my friend."
"And I still am," Ivar said, wrapping the small girl in a welcoming embrace. "It is good to see you."
"So, what made you call upon me now?" the child-like Tivon inquired, "Did you finish your mission? Do you want my company back to Abissinia?"
"Not yet," Ivar said, once again attaching his talisman upon his leather belt, "Now, I need to ask you a favor."
"Anything."
"Chailyn, Nekayah has recently arrived on this island. Her ship was ravaged at sea, and she is the only survivor. Now, she is injured. I must know what happened."
Chailyn blinked. "I don't know, Ivar. You should as her guardian Indira."
"I would, but I do not know where he is," Ivar sighed, "I can only summon my personal Tivon. I have no way of communicating with Indira. Did you see him in Orenda?"
Chailyn frowned, her cherubic face creased with worry. "No. He didn't return home, so he must still be in the mortal realm somewhere."
Ivar folded his arms. "He must have been with Nekayah at sea," Ivar said, "but he wasn't on the shore. Could he have drowned?"
Chailyn bit her lip, her fear mounting. "We Tivona are ageless, but we are not entirely immortal. Any fairy can perish. If Indira were stunned or overpowered, he very well could drown. After all, he is a Tivon of the Storm. The oceans do not obey his command."
"But you are a Tivon of the Sea," Ivar pointed out, "The seas will obey you."
"To a certain extent," Chailyn added, rising into the air once again, "Quickly! We must go to the shores!"
"What do you think, Rohan?" Angus asked, leaning forward in his seat to get a better view of the sleeping Princess Nekayah, "The princess is quite fair, isn't she?"
"You'd better peel your eyes from Nekayah?" Rohan sighed from his post beside the window the princess' temporary chambers, "I doubt Ivar will be pleased by your sudden interest in his sister."
"I'm just making a harmless comment," Angus defended, a sly grin on her face, "and Ivar isn't here, is he?"
Rohan groaned in response, folding his arms to assume a soldier's stance, "It's just like you Angus to sit and memorize a pretty face."
"Actually," Angus said smugly, leaning back and resting his left ankle on his right knee, "there's a lot one can learn by studying a person's face. For example, I'd say that Nekayah is very aware of her surroundings. She's far less naïve than her brother."
Rohan glanced at his best friend in bewilderment. "How, in the name of Dagda, can you discern that based on her looks! You've never even seen her conscious!"
Angus smirked. "I, my friend, was a legendary thief in my day. The job of a true pickpocket is knowing exactly whom to prey upon. Now, Ivar is a great and noble warrior and all, but he doesn't pay all that much attention when he isn't in battle. This one... I wouldn't rob for the life of me. She'd grab my hand as soon as I make a move to her pouch."
"It is impossible to know that about a person based solely on appearances," Rohan affirmed.
"Well, we'll see when she wakes up," Angus remarked, "But I'll stake a gold coin that I'm right."
Rohan nodded, a grin forming on his lips. "You're on."
Suddenly, the chamber doors burst open, revealing a very worried Princess Deirdre.
"Deirdre?" Rohan asked, taken aback by her forceful manner and fearful countenance, "What's the matter?"
"Ivar has been gone for over an hour," she said, beginning to pace along the spacious floor between the door and the bed upon which Nekayah slept, "Now, under normal circumstances I would not worry, but his sister is here, and she is in dire straits! If I were Ivar, I'd be at her side until she awoke, but instead he has gone missing."
"Do you think something may have happened to him?" Angus asked, standing up.
"I don't know," Deirdre admitted, "but I don't feel right standing here and waiting for his return. He didn't even tell us where he was going."
"That's true," Rohan affirmed, "That isn't typical of Ivar."
"Go after him, Rohan," Deirdre asked, gazing up at the famed warrior, "Take Aideen with you. Angus and I will attend to the princess."
"I'll leave immediately," Rohan said, adjusting the sword strapped onto his back.
Ivar climbed up a large cliff, headed towards the rocky shores of Kells. Floating in the air above him was Chailyn, her gem-like eyes focused on the prince.
"I do not understand," Chailyn said, floating through the air as if she were lying on her stomach, "You were here to retrieve the sacred chalice. You know how important it is to Abissinia, and Orenda alike. It is the symbol of the union between the mortal and the fairy realm. It is the only way for the Sultan to communicate with Orenda, and our king Oberon."
"I know," Ivar said, tossing his trident a bit in front of him so he could grab a protrusion on the rock, "What don't you understand?"
"Why haven't you found it yet?"
Ivar's expression hardened. "I... I have found it. I know where it is, but I have yet to retrieve it."
"Exactly," Chailyn said, moving forward until she was at the top of the precipice that Ivar was ascending, "Now, correct me if I have understood your story improperly. You came to this island, in search of the chalice. However, instead of finding the thief, you met two Kellsmen on a journey for a fairy kingdom of Tir Na Nog. You accompanied them on their journey, and were appointed a sacred warrior of Tir Na Nog, who are called Mystic Knights. You accepted this privilege, and swore your allegiance with Kells. So, instead of trying to regain the chalice, and return to your kingdom, you occupy your time dilly-dallying with this ruffian nation."
Ivar glared at the Tivon, finally reaching the top of the rock. "Kells is not a ruffian nation," he argued.
Chailyn shrugged. "They are! They have no appreciation of the arts at all. They have no literature, or epic poetry. I doubt even their royalty has ever read Hesoid's Theogony, or the epics of Homer."
"What does it matter?" Ivar said, continuing on his trek along the top of the cliff, "They are but fairy tales, Chailyn. Relics of a culture that has ceased to exist. Also, the Greek Empire was a world away from Kells, but nearby Abissinia. Of course we have their knowledge. But, how would the king or the princess of Kells, at the edge of the known world, benefit by having read them?"
"You've always appreciated poetry. Don't tell me spending time with this Princess of the Barbarians has dulled your palate for knowledge."
Ivar spun around, his eyes narrowing. "Never speak about Deirdre in such a manner. It is crude an disrespectful, and beneath you, Chailyn."
Chailyn cringed at the malice in Ivar's speech, and watched in amazement as he began his descent towards the shore by way of the sloping hill. A knowing smile then crept onto her ivory face, and she sailed through the air to catch up with him.
"I've got it!" she declared, hovering in front of Ivar to meet his dark eyes, "I understand why you've stayed, even against your better judgment."
"That's wonderful, Chailyn," Ivar said dismissively, walking past her. The Tivon grimaced, and hurried to catch up with him again.
"It's because of this Deirdre woman, isn't it? You love her! It's the only explanation!"
Ivar continued to walk as if he didn't hear Chailyn's words. That merely convinced the cunning Tivon that she was correct.
"How charming," she cooed, "Well, I certainly hope this princess is worthy of you, Ivar. So far, I am not impressed by this 'Kells' place."
"You have no right to judge this culture," Ivar said, his feet landing upon the soft sands of the shore, "You've only seen but a fragment of it's wonders..."
Ivar's words died on his lips when he laid eyes on the sands stretching before him. Planks of polished wood from an Abissinian flagship littered the ground like a razed forest, and bodies lay strewn about the sands.
Swallowing hard, Ivar steeled himself, and marched forward.
"How awful," Chailyn whispered, lowering to the ground and continuing the trip on foot, "How could this have happened? Indira was with them! Why couldn't he have prevented this horror?!"
"I don't know," Ivar said, lowering himself to one knee beside the first body he reached. He wiped the sand from his face, and felt the air freeze in his lungs when he recognized the countenance.
"Yael," he whispered sadly, "my father's personal guard."
Ivar blinked, his face wrinkled with confusion. "Why would Yael come here? His entire purpose is to protect the Sultan!"
"Perhaps Imlac had wanted him to keep an eye on Nekayah?" Chailyn suggested, "She does have a skill for getting into trouble."
"It is possible," Ivar said, casting his eyes to the noble warrior once again. "Rest well, my friend."
Ivar took a deep breath, and rose to his feet. "I must bury them properly," he decided.
"As you wish, Ivar," Chailyn said stepping towards the crashing waves of the ocean, "but I do not see Indira anywhere. I can only assume he is in the ocean."
"Is there any way you can find him?" Ivar inquired.
"I should," she responded, walking into the waves. Miraculously, although the harsh waters crashed forcefully into her frail body, she managed to walk through them as easily as if they were mere air currents. "Indira is a Tivon, and emits a signature energy. I shall search for it. But, it may take time."
"Take care," Ivar said, watching as she continued into the water. He waited until she had walked so far into the waves, that she was completely immersed. Then, with a heavy sigh, Ivar returned to Yael. Hefting the corpse over his shoulder, Ivar proceeded to a rather large crevice in the cliff resting just a few yards from the shore.
"Aideen!" Rohan called, leaping over a fallen tree in the forest, "Do you see anything yet?"
"No, Rohan," she responded from above, "but I still feel that strange power. It is in this direction!"
Rohan continued to follow the small crimson fairy, until he heard the sound of water flowing. He stopped when he saw Aideen hovering just above the lake fed by the waterfall, not a quarter of a mile from Kells castle.
"It was here," she said, dabbing her dainty hand in the lake, "This is where the energy was released."
"Are you certain it wasn't simply a blast from Ivar's trident?" Rohan asked, glancing down at the lake. It seemed normal enough.
"I'm certain," Aideen affirmed, "It isn't magic from Tir Na Nog, so it couldn't have come from a Mystic Weapon or any of Tir Na Nog's fairies."
Rohan frowned. "Could it be Maeve? Could she have created a monster?"
Aideen shook her head. "It's not Maeve's power either. It isn't dark, but it isn't ours. It is unlike anything I've ever felt before."
"Well, can you track it?" Rohan asked.
"Yes," Aideen said, rising into the air again, "It went... this way."
With a heavy grunt of exertion and despair, Ivar finished covering the final makeshift grave. Lowering to one knee, he glanced at the wooden plank of the ill-fated ship that he used as a marker. With a sharp dagger, he carved the name of the brave warrior into the soft surface of the wood, and slowly climbed out of the cave, clenching his trident tightly.
He paused about ten feet away, and looked at the narrow cave once again. His eyes narrowed, and he slowly lifted the trident. Taking cautious aim, Ivar fired a stream of blue energy from the center point of the trident, crashing into the rock that composed the top of the entrance. The rock began to crack, causing a small avalanche of rock and soil. Once the air cleared and the rumbling ceased, the mouth of the cave was completely blocked.
"Rest well," Ivar said, his gaze locked upon the grave, "Rest undisturbed."
"Ivar!" called an urgent voice, causing the young prince to whirl around in surprise. His eyes widened when he saw Rohan racing towards him, accompanied by a steady red light that could only be Aideen.
"Rohan... Aideen," Ivar said, still a bit startled, "I wasn't expecting you."
"Are you all right?" Rohan pressed, "You've been gone for hours!"
"I had to make sure my people received a proper burial," Ivar said, gesturing to the sealed cave, "They were brave and noble warriors, and deserved more than being tossed into the sea."
Rohan nodded, grasping Ivar's shoulder. "Well, you're done now, so we can return to the castle together."
Ivar pulled away, shaking his head. "I can't yet. My business here isn't--"
"Ivar!" called a faint girlish voice. Rohan and Aideen both craned their necks in the general direction of the sound, but they saw nothing but the tumbling waves of the shore.
"Did you hear that?" Rohan asked.
Aideen nodded. "I could've sworn I heard a voice."
"You did," Ivar said, hurrying to the water's edge, "She's on her way."
"Who?"
"Chailyn," Ivar said, pointing his trident towards the waves, "a friend of mine since childhood."
Rohan's ice blue eyes widened when he saw a faint glow of aqua energy emerge from the tumultuous waves. He heard Aideen gasp when a figure floated out of the water, a nebula of energy surrounding her slender body.
"I've found him!" she called, raising her hand. This time, a bubble of gold energy, with faint wisps of aqua energy wrapped around it in a spiral shape, broke through the surface. There was clearly a silhouette within.
"Is he alive?" Ivar asked, watching as the girl floated to the dry sand, and gently lowered both herself and her cargo to the earth. She nodded, although her gem-like gaze was fixed on Rohan and Aideen.
"He managed to construct a power bubble, allowing him shelter beneath the waves," she explained, "It's still fortunate that we found him now, for I doubt he could have lasted much longer."
Her pale face then wrinkled into a frown of annoyance, and she glared at Rohan and Aideen malevolently. "What are you staring at? Haven't you ever seen a fairy before?"
Rohan blinked. "Ivar... this is a fairy?"
An amused smile faintly brightened Ivar's somber expression. "Indeed. Rohan and Aideen, may I introduce you to Chailyn, my Tivon guardian."
"A Tivon?" Aideen repeated, hesitantly flying closer to the blue-hued girl, "I've never heard of such a creature."
"We are fairy-folk, like you," she said, impatience in her voice, "from the kingdom of Orenda. It is a magical realm, reachable only through certain portals which connect it to the mortal world."
"There is a pact of alliance between Orenda and Abissinia," Ivar explained, watching as the young Tivon pressed her delicate hands against the faint golden bubble. The energy dissipated, and it's gold-tressed occupant collapsed limply to the sand. "Several generations ago, a hole between worlds was created in Orenda, and a young Tivon boy passed through. He was lost and weakened, and unfamiliar with our world. He stumbled upon Abissinia, where my great-grandfather and his court cared for the boy. That act of kindness forged a bond between our two kingdoms."
"That boy grew up to be Oberon, now our fairy king," Chailyn continued, kneeling beside Indira and brushing the sand from his alabaster face, "The Abissinian mages managed to recreate the hole in our world, allowing him to return. It was a cosmic anomaly that created the portal, and fate that allowed the humans to open it again. From then on, a debt was owed to Abissinia. Oberon decreed that all in the house of the Sultan would have his protection. Therefore, each child born into the royal house would be given a guardian: a Tivon charged with protecting the child ceaselessly until adulthood. At first, we are able to move about as we will, following the child when we feel it necessary, or when assigned to that task by the royal couple. Once the child is twenty-one, the guardian can only come into the mortal world if his charge summons him. Once the child is twenty-five, he is no longer a child, and therefore has no magical guardian."
"That's incredible!" Rohan said, his eyes fixed upon the two Tivona on the sand, "Chailyn is your protector, Ivar? Then, why haven't we seen her before?"
Chailyn threw Ivar a withering frown, which the prince duly ignored. "She did not come because I did not summon her. My voyage to Kells was a mission of honor, and I shall accomplish it without help."
"But you're more than willing to receive help from these humans," Chailyn pointed out, finally managing to roll her unconscious companion onto his back, "and these puny fairies."
"Hey!" Aideen shrieked, "I'm not puny! There's a lot to be said of a small-statured fairy! We can go places you can't."
"I doubt it, Pixie. Tivona can regulate our height anywhere between the size of a needle to the size of a tower."
"...but you cannot maintain altered height for very long, and it is a very draining exercise," Ivar pointed out, "So, is Indira well?"
"He's awakening now," Chailyn said, her expression softening as the golden Tivon began coughing.
Deirdre continued to pace across the room, her arms folded tightly over her chest, and her face cast to the ground, causing her copper-red tresses to drape about her shoulders and hide much of her profile from a side view. The hem of her sapphire gown dragged along the ground in pace with the princess, creating a brushing sound that was all that could be heard within the large room.
"Would you stop it, Deirdre," Angus sighed in frustration, leaning back in his seat beside Nekayah's bed, "You're making me nervous! Ivar'll be fine."
"It's not just Ivar," Deirdre commented, her pace slowing, "it's the entire situation. There are so many unanswered questions. Why is Nekayah here? What happened to the ship? It must have been a tremendous storm to create the damage Rohan mentioned, but the skies have been clear here for quite a while."
"The storm was at sea, Deirdre," Angus remarked coolly.
"True, but it couldn't have been too far from shore," Deirdre analyzed, "If it were, then how did so many people wash ashore, rather than sink into the brine?"
Angus shrugged, unable to provide an answer.
Deirdre took Angus' silence for agreement. "Weather patterns aren't so sporadic, Angus. If there's a dreadful storm, capable of sinking a flagship designed for terrible sea voyages, then the sky should at least be cloudy at Kells. Storms aren't so focused." She then rose her twilight blue gaze to meet Angus' dark eyes. "At least, natural storms aren't so focused."
Angus blinked, rising to his feet. "You think this was a magical storm, then?"
Deirdre nodded, casting her gaze to the ground again. She then began pacing along the ground, in the same path she created earlier.
"What could have caused it?" Angus asked the princess.
She shook her head. "I have no idea. Ivar hasn't said too much regarding his homeland, so we don't know how magical it is. However, if his kingdom had enemies powerful enough to cast magic like that, then he certainly wouldn't have stayed away for so long."
"Maeve?" Angus offered.
"But, what would she have to gain from attacking a ship from a land so far away?" Deirdre pressed, "Besides, her goal is to rule Kells, since she believes it is her birthright."
Just then, a soft moan drew the attention of both Mystic Knights. They turned towards the large bed, where they saw Nekayah rise to her elbows, her nose wrinkled with dizziness and fatigue. Deirdre and Angus both approached the bed, each standing on opposite sides.
Finally, Nekayah snapped out of her daze, and her head whirled in shock at the two strangers flanking her on either side.
"Get back!" she shrieked, scrambling out from beneath the blankets. Both Deirdre and Angus stepped back, flabbergasted by the princess' rude awakening.
"Calm down, Nekayah," Deirdre said gently, holding her hands forward in a gesture of peace, "You're among friends."
Nekayah glared at Deirdre with her vibrant dark eyes. "All my friends are dead," she growled, standing upon the bed in one fluid movement. She balanced herself between her two feet, casting her penetrating gaze from Deirdre to Angus.
She reached to her belt, and noted with dismay that her prized scimitar was no longer in her possession.
Her eyes narrowing, Nekayah suddenly performed an impressive aerial somersault, catapulting herself off the large bed and landing flawlessly on the floor beyond it. Flipping her thick braid behind her back, she maintained a ready stance, facing her opponents.
"We won't hurt you," Angus said soothingly.
Nekayah bit her lower lip. They seemed sincere, but... who could she trust? She didn't even know where she was, or how she got there.
Dimly, she recalled a blonde man saying that he knew Ivar. Did it really happen, or was it a dream?
She wouldn't take the chance.
Nekayah pulled her golden talisman from her belt, and held it over her head. Concentrating, she created a web of electrical energy, that flashed along her hand and channeled into the badge.
"Open a gateway," she chanted, the light intensifying, "I summon Indira, Tivon of the Storm!"
After a few seconds of agitated breathing, Indira's eyes fluttered open, and he gazed about dazedly, clearly not focusing on anything.
"The... princess..." he whispered hoarsely, forcing his eyes to remain open. He felt hands on his shoulders, keeping him in a sitting position, yet the people around him were still a blur.
"She's alive, Indira," said a noble voice, "and I am most indebted to you for insuring her safe passage across the seas."
Indira's amethyst eyes blinked, the shock of hearing such a familiar voice pulling him to lucidity. A smile of pure joy crossed his white visage. "My prince! You are alive!"
"Alive and well, my friend," Ivar responded with a smile, embracing the elvish boy, "Although I am rather confused. Why have you come to Kells?"
"We needed to seek you out," Indira said, allowing Chailyn and Ivar to help him to his feet, "There's been a horrible disaster in Abissinia!"
Ivar blinked in astonishment, and glanced at Chailyn. "Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded.
Chailyn cringed, her gem-like eyes wide with shock. "I... I didn't know," she stammered, "I haven't been in the human realm since you left. I cannot leave Orenda without being summoned."
"...and I have not left the human realm since the chaos began," Indira added, "I have been watching over Nekayah."
Suddenly, Indira gasped as his skin began to crackle with electric energy. Ivar and Chailyn stepped back.
"Wait!" Ivar shouted, reaching out to the Tivon's slowly vanishing form, "Tell me what's happened!"
Indira moved his fading lips, but no sound came out. Then, his body was completely gone, leaving only a flash of lightning. That lightning coalesced into a sphere, and then bolted into the heavens, headed inland.
Rohan scratched his head in helpless confusion. "Why'd he leave?" he pondered aloud.
"He had no choice," Ivar said, brushing the sand from his pants, "Indira was summoned."
"Well," Aideen said flippantly, as the group began walking away from the shores, "at least we can be certain that Nekayah is awake."
"We've got to get back to the palace," Ivar pressed, hurrying past the rest of the team, "I must know what tragedy Indira was speaking of."
"It'll take us half an hour to get back to Kells," Aideen pointed out.
Rohan frowned, wrapping his fingers around the hilt of a small dagger in his belt. "Not if we get a ride," he said, pulling out the blade and lifting it to the sky, "I summon Pyre, the Dragon of Dare!"
Once the golden badge had begun sparking with blinding bolts of golden lightning, both Deirdre and Angus ducked for cover alongside the bed. Thankfully, the electrical energy was focused only around the badge itself, rather than flashing uncontrollably through the large apartment.
Only seconds later, a pulsing sphere of golden energy sailed through the open window, and floated in front of Nekayah. That sphere unfolded itself, and took the shape of a elven creature.
While keeping one cautious eye on the two strangers, Nekayah spoke to the newly-arrived Tivon. "Are you all right, Indira?" she questioned.
"Yes," he answered, "Chailyn and Ivar found me within the ocean."
An excited smile stretched onto Nekayah's weary face. "Ivar? He is well?"
At the mention of the Mystic Knight of Water, Deirdre hesitantly rose to her feet slowly, so as not to startle Nekayah. "Yes, Ivar is well," she answered, "He's been here for the past several months. This is the palace of Kells, and I am Princess Deirdre."
Nekayah chewed on her lip thoughtfully, casting a questioning glance at Indira. He nodded in approval.
"I'm Nekayah of Abissinia, daughter of the great Sultan Imlac and Sultana Ereshki, and sister of Ivar."
Deirdre approached, and grasped Nekayah's hand in a gesture of greeting. "I'm honored to have finally met a relative of Ivar's."
"And I'm Angus," Angus declared, sauntering to the princesses and bowing casually, "the Mystic Knight of Earth."
"Mystic Knight?" Nekayah repeated.
"The Mystic Knights are the forefront of the Kells army," Deirdre explained, "We have been chosen by the fairy king Fin Varra to wield the Mystic Weapons and Armor against the forces of evil."
"You said 'we', Deirdre," Nekayah noted, "Am I to take it that you, the future ruler of Kells, are one of these Mystic Knights?"
"Indeed. And so is Ivar."
Nekayah frowned at the thought. Deirdre and Angus noticed her displeasure.
"Are you all right?" Deirdre asked.
Nekayah nodded, pressing her hand to her head. "I shall be fine. I'm still a bit unsteady."
Then, Angus recalled the potion Cathbad had prepared for the princess. He quickly grabbed the small goblet of liquid, and held it before Nekayah with one hand. The other hand gently clenched her shoulder, guiding her back towards the bed.
"Perhaps you shouldn't rush your recovery," Angus said, helping the foreign princess sit down at the edge of the bed, "Here, drink this. It should help you regain your strength."
Deirdre was shocked to see Angus so considerate. She was also shocked to see Nekayah accept Angus' hospitality without objection, only moments after she was ready to attack them both.
Just after Nekayah had swallowed the contents of the goblet, a screeching sound sliced through the quiet. Nekayah was so startled she dropped the metal cup, and once again reached for where her scimitar should be. Angus stood beside her, turning to the window. Deirdre, who was the closest to the window, cast her gaze outside. She smiled with slight relief.
"It's Pyre," she said, turning back to Nekayah and Angus, "Rohan and Ivar are back."
Indira perked up once again, and also stared out the window. "A Dragon?" he whispered, clearly awestruck.
Moments later, Ivar burst into the chamber, closely followed by Rohan, Chailyn, and Aideen. His sullen expression melted into a smile when he saw Nekayah standing on her own feet, rushing to greet him.
"Nekayah!" he declared, embracing her tightly. The wave of relief that struck him upon seeing his sister unharmed was overpowering.
"Oh, Ivar," she whispered, her arms still tightly wrapped around his neck, "Why did you leave us for so long?"
"My mission isn't complete," he answered, as the twins disentangled themselves, "I have yet to recover the sacred chalice." He smiled sheepishly. "I also found a purpose for my life."
Nekayah frowned, clearly hurt by that comment. "How could you say that?" she demanded, "There is no land as cultured, peaceful, and beautiful as Abissinia! What could possibly delight you here that we don't have at home?"
"Nekayah, Abissinia doesn't need me," Ivar pointed out, "Back home, I was an idle prince. I was trained in combat, but I had no use for it. I'm not even the heir, so I wouldn't even need to be prepared for rulership. Seth is the firstborn and oldest prince, and he is the only one of us absolutely needed by the country."
Nekayah cast her raven gaze down, as despair slumped her shoulders. "No, Ivar... we are both needed now. Abissinia faces an evil unlike anything it has ever faced before, and our parents have been ousted from the throne."
Ivar felt his knees weaken in reaction to Nekayah's horrifying declaration. Also, all the visitors displayed similar amounts of shock.
"...impossible..." Ivar whispered, "Everything was fine when I left..."
"That was months ago," Nekayah stated gently, "and that meant months without the silver chalice. Only about two weeks after you left, Seth showed his true colors. He and a few disloyal soldiers tried to assassinate our father, so he could rise to power prematurely."
"Seth?!" Ivar shouted in a voice of despair, hurt, and rage, "But why? He would rule once Father stepped down!"
"Seth has a darkness in his soul that we never saw before," Nekayah answered, "He took your absence as a sign that he would succeed. After all, not only were you, Abissinia's greatest swordsman, away, but also the silver chalice was lost. Without the chalice, Father couldn't contact Oberon for help. Only the guardian Tivona can enter the realm of mortals without the aid of the magical chalice."
"Wait," Rohan interrupted, stepping forward with a perplexed expression on his face, "Ivar, you always said your father was beloved by his people. I can't believe one traitorous prince and a handful of his followers can defeat the Abissinian army!"
"They didn't," Indira picked up, casting his amber gaze around the room to the captive audience, "Seth was captured, as were his soldiers. They were all sentenced to banishment from Abissinia, and were released into the desert."
"Banishment?" Angus scoffed, folding his arms, "Treason should be punishable by death."
"Our father is too merciful to condemn anyone to death," Ivar said quietly, sitting down on the bed as the surprise overwhelmed him, "and he loved Seth dearly. I... I can't believe Seth would betray him. Betray us all!"
"No one can truly understand the workings of another's heart," Deirdre said gently, sitting beside him and touching his hand.
"So, what happened next?" Chailyn demanded, her bell voice chiming impatiently, "How did Seth return?"
"We don't know," Nekayah sighed painfully, "It all happened so fast. Just four days ago, in the middle of the night, the desert nomads attacked the palace. I don't know how they managed to get into the walls of Abissinia, but they did. There were hundreds of them... if not more."
"The desert nomads have never been a serious threat!" Ivar suddenly declared.
"Never before," Nekayah agreed, "but this time, they were led by Seth. And somehow, he had become a powerful wizard. His forces defeated the Abissinian army, who were taken completely by surprise. After all, we haven't been to war in generations! Seth himself dealt with Mother and Father."
Ivar cringed, and glanced up at Nekayah with glassy eyes, wide with fear.
"They're still alive," Nekayah quickly answered his implicit question, "At least, they were when we left Abissinia. Seth bound them in shackles, and threw them into a dungeon room sealed with a spell. I was fortunate enough not to have been captured, thanks to Indira's help. I was able to summon him once I woke up, and he helped me escape the palace. There was no way we could defeat Seth without aid."
"We set sail immediately after," Indira added, "Nekayah insisted that you were the key to our victory in this civil war."
"We need you," Nekayah said in a pleading voice, as she slowly approached her brother and kneeled on the ground before him, "Now you are the crowned prince of Abissinia. You must go back, with the chalice in your grasp, and lead a band of loyal warriors, aided by Oberon of Orenda, against the evil that our brother has become."
With that, Nekayah took Ivar's hand, and placed it upon her head as a form of subjugation. "I will follow you until my death, Avenging Sultan."
Rohan's puzzled expression only deepened, and he leaned closer to Chailyn, who was standing beside him with tears shining in her jeweled eyes. "What's all this?" he asked.
"In Abissinia, the eldest child is the heir to the throne. Since Nekayah and Ivar are twins, Ivar has precedence for being a man."
"But, what's this about Avenging Sultan?"
"Ivar, as the heir of Imlac, has the duty to return and avenge the dishonor brought upon his father. It is his duty to return to Abissinia in triumph, and undo the evil Seth had done."
Ivar shuddered when he saw how his sister's dark eyes begged him. He was to be the conquering hero of his people. Suddenly, everything he ever knew was in question. His dear brother, who taught him so much about poetry and combat in his blissful youth, was a venomous traitor. His beloved parents were prisoners of war. His paradisaic homeland was under the thumb of a despot... and it was his fault.
Had he recovered the chalice immediately, instead of getting sidetracked with the Mystic Knights, he would have returned to Abissinia long before Seth had come back with the desert nomads and this inexplicable power.
With the forces of Orenda on their side, Imlac's armies would have been victorious.
Ivar blinked, breaking the spell his sister's pleading eyes placed upon him. He then withdrew his hand from her head, and slowly rose to his feet, straightening his back and folding his arms. He then glanced down at his sister, and offered his hand.
"Rise, Princess Nekayah," Ivar said, his tone deep and authoritative, "I accept your pledge of allegiance to me. Now, come with me."
Ivar helped his sister to her feet, and then quickly marched across the room, passing all the Mystic Knights on his way out of the chamber. Indira and Chailyn fell into step behind Nekayah, who followed him closely. Rohan, Deirdre, Angus, and Aideen traded confused glances.
"What's going on?" Deirdre pondered aloud, gazing at the door through which Ivar and his train just exited.
"We'd best follow," Rohan determined, "Something's about to happen."
"...and there has still been no breach of the border?" Conchobar asked, leaning his elbow on the armrest of his throne.
"None, my King," the soldier said, bowing deeply, "All is quiet along the Temra-Kells border."
"Hmm," Conchobar mused, "well, make sure to keep steady watch of the front, just in case."
Just then, Ivar walked into the throne room with an almost impetuous air about him. Conchobar straightened in his throne, and the soldier he was speaking to bowed once again, and made way for the determined Abissinian prince. Ivar stopped right before the throne of the king, and kept his steady eye on him, as three individuals unfamiliar to Conchobar stood in a row behind him.
Conchobar was startled by the fire in Ivar's eyes. The usually reserved, impeccably polite prince didn't so much as nod in reverence to the king of all Kells.
"Your majesty," Ivar said, leaning against his trident as if it were his royal scepter, "allow me to introduce my sister Nekayah, and our guardian fairies Chailyn and Indira."
Conchobar received the respectful bows with a nod, his perplexed gaze fixed upon the enormous fairies in a silent awe. His eyes remained upon them until he noticed the other Mystic Knights hurry into the chamber.
"What's going on, Ivar?" the king inquired. He was astonished when the turquoise-colored fairy stepped forward, malice glinting in her jeweled eyes.
"Don't speak to our Avenging Sultan in such a disrespectful manner," she said bluntly, "Does he address you without your title?"
"Avenging Sultan?" Conchobar repeated, glancing at Ivar questioningly, "What is the meaning of this?"
"There has been quite serious upheaval in Abissinia," Ivar explained calmly, "which has led to my temporary assumption of the tentative rulership."
"Why is it tentative?" the king wanted to know.
"I must win back the throne," Ivar answered, "I am here to ask your permission to return to my home land."
The king flinched slightly in his throne, clearly uneasy of the request. "Ivar, you are a Mystic Knight, sworn defender of Kells..."
"He was prince of Abissinia long before that," Chailyn interrupted. Ivar threw her a silencing glare.
"I understand that," Conchobar continued, "but I do need to know how long you shall be gone. We are already down to four Knights, and I doubt Maeve will maintain the peace treaty when we are so clearly at a disadvantage."
Ivar's expression became bland. "I'm afraid the peace treaty will be broken, my King."
"What?" Deirdre asked from across the room. Ivar turned to her for a moment, and then returned his attention to the king.
"Explain yourself!" he demanded.
"In order for me to save my kingdom, I must retrieve the sacred chalice of my people. It is vital to our victory, and I know it is now the property of Torc."
Rohan grimaced just at the mention of Queen Maeve's appointed leader of the armies. "If any Kellsman steps foot upon Temran soil, then we break the truce."
"I cannot allow you to do that," Conchobar decided, "I cannot go against my word. It will make further treaties impossible between Kells and Temra."
"But father," Deirdre spoke up, "Ivar needs to retrieve the chalice, for the salvation of his entire kingdom! Surely we can't expect him to turn his back on his home."
Conchobar sighed slightly. "Is there any other way?"
Ivar shook his head. "There isn't, my King. However, my entering Temra isn't quite against the treaty. I am not a Kellsman."
"But you're a Mystic Knight, Ivar," Angus said with uncharacteristic quietness, "You've pledged your loyalties to us. That makes you a Kellsman."
Ivar nodded at Angus' rare insight, a thoughtful expression on his face. He cast his gaze at the other Knights, keeping his eyes just a fraction of a second longer on Deirdre and her angst-ridden expression. He then exhaled deeply, and turned back to the king.
"I see," he said quietly, turning his eyes to the navy blue trident that rested firmly in his grasp, "It is time I established where my loyalties truly lie. I cannot be wholly dedicated to both Abissinia and Kells. I cannot be the Avenging Sultan and the Mystic Knight of Water at once. That would be unfair to both of the countries between which I walk a line. A decision must be made."
Despite himself, Ivar cast a final, somber glance at the princess of Kells. He opened his mouth slowly, addressing her more directly than the others. "I resign from the Mystic Knights," he stated finally, throwing his trident to the ground before the throne. Silence reigned in the throne room for several minutes... the echo of the metal weapon clanging against the stone floor ringing in everyone's ears.
