Chapter 2

My strength was quickly fading with each step I took. At this rate I wouldn't make it back home; the forty minutes it took me to get here in the first place would be impossible to attempt, given my current condition. That left the only reasonable option, head further southeast where I knew for fact several communities sat perched in the many clusters of Ceristham trees. 

They were one of the only two types of trees found in Arbouroth, the northern facet, and my current location. The robust scent of cherries mixed with the more crisp scent of mint made for a tantalizing bouquet. 

Almost directly in the center of AshPoint Forrest was a perfect little grove that gave a sense of privacy, but I knew on more than one occasion that I had an audience. Let them look, I knew I was pretty badass with a bow and arrow.

On the brink of collapse; with what was remaining of my strength coupled with my fierce stubbornness, I ran southeast as fast as my legs could carry me. Grass crunched under my steady footfalls. Just keep running. Low hanging branches scraped against my arms. Just keep running. A grayish blue pillar of smoke appeared in the distance, the odd sight seemed to trigger an uneasy feeling, but my mind couldn't seem to grasp its significance. 

Several paper thin cuts adorned my skin, more appearing with each stride. I was getting so close now, the bluish tint of the massive plume becoming more pronounced. Again I felt like something wasn't quite right, but the full train of thought still evaded me. I sure hope their Masculirum was close by and not on the other side of Arbouroth, because I felt like I could explode from the energy building inside my body.

A Masculirum was a chosen male close to the same age as the newly ascending Queen who would act as a partner of sorts to the new ruler. Just before the beginning of the last full moon cycle of a Queen's reign, the next facet in line will gather all of their young men who have reached their seventeenth year. Once they were assembled everyone would take on a rite of passage, and face the daggers of Lapisera. 

If for any reason, the ascending Queen could not reach the designated Masculirum of her local region, alternates from the remaining facets were chosen as well to ensure that the process was completed. Lapisera was the first ever Queen of Swords, so the duty fell upon her to find a way to help determine who would walk alongside any future Queen. With the help of her Masculirum, five daggers were forged using regional materials from all five facets in their construction. And as each blade was heated and shaped, drops of their combined blood were infused into the molten mix, giving each a portion of their magic. Smooth pebble sized pieces of Taurulieum were placed in the Ceritham hilts. After all, this was the stone that connected all of Azulyria. It was the basis of our earth and stone magic.

Buried deep in the ground along the borders of each facet were deposits enchanted with a protection spell that kept outsiders away. Those who traveled near would only see a small barren speck of land not worthy of notice, but for the more curious, it would be a fruitless endeavor.

Because you see, not only did the enchantment obscure Azulyria's full glory, it acted as a wall that prevented any foreign vessel from reaching its shores. You could paddle or row with all your might and never gain any ground, or I guess in this case, water. Eventually the news of numerous failures discouraged future attempts.

Each dagger was kept within a shrine located on the temple grounds where each Queen lived alongside her Masculirum and Shard. Every facet had their own temple, built in the local aesthetic to maintain unity with the surrounding landscape.

Making the short journey to the shrine was the easy part, but once you entered, that's when someone's life was going to change. At the entrance a Shard of Azulyria would stand sentry, waiting with a knowing grin for the visitors she was about to receive.

Each Shard of Azulyria acted as the region's primary healer, and administrator of most ceremonies you would encounter amidst our culture. While the Queen tried her best to be everywhere at once, she was only one person, so it was up to the Shards to act as her eyes and ears when she wasn't around. Being a Shard was a long term commitment lasting for as long as you lived. This role was then passed down from Shard to whoever she saw fit to train as a replacement.

Every step was a hindrance. New waves of burning pain flickered across my skin slowly, my eyes stinging when I tried to blink. Trees and rocks that were so easy to distinguish transformed into distorted masses of color. I could make out just enough to where I could stumble along without getting into a head on collision with a tree.

Even with my blurred vision, I could make out the forms of several people gathered near the pillar of blue smoke as I reached the outskirts of the community. That nagging feeling from before roared deeply; this time there was a glimmer of a memory from my childhood. It was a gleaming warning bell, but in my current state of mind I paid it no heed. Random images of the past were a mere distraction keeping from fulfilling my destiny.

I pushed forward through a sea of greens and golden coppers that made up the first outcropping of citizens, keeping my head bowed as to project the illusion of obscurity. Moving closer to my target under the cloak of anonymity was my strategy. Let them think I was some meddlesome beggar or an insolent child behaving in a most uncouth manner.

"Move, let me through," I yelled in a hoarse staccato. To hell with politeness, these people were in my way, and I was going to do whatever was necessary to get by. To my utter dismay, my pleas had little effect and seemed to fall on deaf ears. Everyone around me remained still as a statue absolutely enthralled by what was going on just up ahead. The source of their trance like state seemed to emanate from the same location as the blue smoke.

I had to keep moving, there was no other logical choice. Carefully as to not cause harm to anyone, I pushed through the dense crowd with the precision of a master acrobat, taking one delicate step at a time. My feet felt like lead weights, yet glided almost rhythmically across the uneven ground. A darting left here, stumble stumble, and a twisting right there. The syncopated pattern was like a sensuous dance, a gentle sway of the hips, but with a bit more urgency.

As the vibrant glow of a flame came into view, onlookers that had blocked my path became sparser the further I trekked. I was so close to finding my way out of this earth hued maze. So close now, almost there.

A flame on its own wasn't anything spectacular in my opinion, but one of this magnitude, now that was a perplexing sight. In Arbouroth, it was especially alarming.

Due to the housing choices of its inhabitants, the use of fire was restricted to cooking purposes only and was to be contained within a pit at all times. So you can see why such an enormous pillar of smoke was so out of the ordinary. There probably was an exception to this rule, but what I was seeing definitely did not fit in with the rules. Or at least that's how I perceived it.

Of the five facets, Arbouroth had the driest climate, yet was full of lush Ceritham trees. It was quite the puzzling conundrum how they coexisted so well with each other. The juxtaposition of sweltering heat and rich vegetation was poetry in motion. Under these conditions guidelines were put into place as precautionary measures to protect both the land and the people who called it home. With all the trees, there would be plenty of fuel should a stray spark wander off. The idea was to keep a catastrophe from wiping Arbouroth off the map. Permanently.

I finally reached the front of the crowd, a sigh of relief breaking past my parched lips. "Somebody help me," I cried out with what minuscule energy I had remaining.

With elbows flying to and fro, the last remaining obstacles in my way were a thing of the past. Yeah, so much for not causing harm, however minor it may be. Not a peep in response, although from my previous attempt, I should have anticipated the same deafening silence.

It wasn't until I fully breached past the last spectator with arms flailing and a cacophony of sound pouring forth from my mouth, that the harsh whispers and murmurs wafted past my ears.

"Who is she?"

"What is she doing?"

"How dare she interrupt our ceremony."

Quick as a blade hitting its mark, the reproachful chatter ceased. A shrill feminine scream rang out, resounding with a heart wrenching echo. I don't know if it was the sudden jarring sound or my brain coming back from a tea break, but the cloying fog that had ensnared my thoughts lifted away opening my senses to the scene before me. A very familiar looking alter came into focus accompanied by the fresh floral scent of lilacs. 

Like a river bursting at its seams, a raging torrent of recognition flowed across me. Ceremony, blue smoke, alter placed over a fire, Oh my goddess what have I done? The last thing I saw was a young boy crying his eyes out before I felt myself descending towards the ground, my eyes drifting close. Sweet oblivion, take me into your inviting clutches, for I was no longer worthy of seeing the light of day.