12. Guests.

What is that? So terribly annoying. Make it stop. I just want to sleep.

"M'Lady" a voice gently intruded upon her thoughts.

No, not just a voice. That's Antaryon. No it's not, he's a boy.

"M'Lady, try to open your eyes."

Liva. Yes, that's Liva. Oh!

Angelica sat upright rapidly, regretting it instantly as the pain slammed into the back of her eyes.

"M'Lady" the voice had genuine concern in it "can you see?".

Angelica leant forward, head falling into her hands. "What is all this ... pothor?" she said slowly, the words clipped and dark.

"It is the sailor Tarvald's dog, M'Lady. It calls to her lost master."

Angelica tilted her head towards the animal, an odd shaped thing for a dog, its snout all squished in.

"They call it a pug, he got it far from home, M'Lady."

"She's adorable" Angelica said carefully "I trust someone will give her the loyalty and attention she deserves?"

I wish I could just eat that thing, make it shut up already!

Angelica held her head in her hands and inhaled a long, slow breath.

Control. Above all else. Control.

She drew back the heavy curtains over her eyes, the muted reds and greys of the night seeping in. "What is happening?" she asked quietly, allowing herself to be gently lulled back into leaning against Liva, the cold vanquished as the cloaks were rearranged.

"We are underway, sailing as far from the coast as we can." Liva supplied. "We are safe now."

"Really?" Angelica replied sarcastically, her eyes instantly regretting her tone.

"-er? -ish?" Liva appended. "Would you like some water? Fael said wine will just make your head hurt more."

"Please."

The frigid water damped down the pain, permitting Angelica to look about her in earnest. "Who are they?" she whispered urgently to Liva.

"The survivors from that ship" Liva answered simply.

"Well?" Angelica's curiosity was chipping its way through the fog in her head.

"You really ought to rest. They will wait for you." she riposted.

"But ..." Angelica said with genuine confusion "I know her." she gestured ineffectively beneath the cloak towards a striking lady speaking quietly with someone mostly hidden by the shadows.

"She ... " Liva was unable to mask her surprise "she said the same thing of you, M'Lady." Then added rather discretely "We were not inclined to believe her."

"I want to meet her" Angelica said quietly.

"Shall I fetch her? M'Lady?" Antaryon offered from close by in the murk.

"No, I will go to her."

Liva gasped slightly at the implications, then quickly recovered. "M'Lady the Priestess was very specific: you should rest as much as you can until you are well. Just rest."

"After" Angelica rose unsteadily, but between Liva and Antaryon she was never in peril of falling. "This is best done without undue ceremony, anyway." Angelica whispered, nodding to the huddled blobs of children about the deck hiding from the chill breeze.

The trip from the lee rail to the small cluster of shadow beside the aft hold cover was a short trip, yet Angelica was exhausted after only a few steps.

As she approached, the strange woman rose effortlessly, silently gliding across the moving deck to close the distance. Her companions revealed their skills, rapidly emerging from their cloaks to stand beside their Lady with barely a rustle or clink of armour, which they all wore.

Angelica could feel Liva tense at the sight of armed men standing to, and she could not help but notice they were indeed adults, not children. They moved like her tutor the old cavalryman, with the deadly grace of veterans.

The Lady stopped two paces in front of Angelica as protocol demanded. One of her companions stepped up to her left and bowed low, his right arm across his knee in supplication, and spoke softly "May I have the great honour to present Her Highness the Lady Violet Esme Aber..."

Angelica stepped forward and hugged the woman about the waist, the older woman hugging Angelica tightly about the shoulders in return. "Cousin Vye" Angelica said quietly, her voice betraying her age "it's been forever!"

Without parting, Lady Violet replied "Indeed little hellion. You've grown a lot since. Do you still have that pony we sent you for your name day?"

"Yes Ma'am" Angelica replied enthusiastically "Caterham is here".

"I'm glad" Lady Violet replied, lighting up the deck with a genuine smile. "You'll have to tell me everything from the last few years, of course. But first" the levity fled from her voice "did your Mother and Father take ships?"

"No, they chose to stay."

Lady Violet stepped slightly, Angelica's arms dropping away, and looked into the young woman's eyes and said calmly "My condolences. All hail huh?"

"Pretty much" Angelica replied flatly "Yours?"

The taller woman looked to the flickering horizon, her eyes lost in thought. "I think we are ok" she breathed a sigh "at least that is what I want to believe. The Arch should still stand, unbroken; below will be safe from all this." Angelica's chin lifted at the words. "You and yours would be welcome, I see no reason to set aside our alliance." the Lady continued "But neither you nor I could possibly make it to the Arch with ... that." She waved in the general direction of the glow, her eyes saddened to see the hope slip out of the girl's posture.

"Forgive me" a Mann in gold armour knelt beside them, opposite the Herald, his raven black hair hiding is lowered face "Forgive me" he repeated in his strange accent. "But M'Ladies deserves to know there are other places that will survive this as well."

Angelica's gaze snapped to the Mann, a look of cold fury at the interruption yielding to curiosity. "Go on" she said amiably, her control centered, she pivoted to stand beside Lady Violet.

"This is Lord Dragor" Lady Violet beckoned him to stand up with a gentle wave of her hand "he fought superbly today against the Kraken. He is an emissary of the desert peoples."

Angelica could see the ephemeral flicker of annoyance that crossed the sun-touched skin of the Mann as he stood. He touched his big mustache in a belated effort to conceal his tiny slip behind his armoured gauntlet.

Emissary is accurate, no doubt, but he acts like a king. "Well met Dragor, were it under better circumstances." she offered.

The Mann bowed low in acknowledgement, then continued. "Great Ladies" he dipped his head as he spoke, his eyes lingering upon the deck "I fear my tidings come too late. Yet I am honour bound to given them to you, and do so gladly." He paused, lest either should wish to speak, then went on. "I trust you know of the Great Oak, named by some the tree of dreams?"

Angelica replied softly, a gentle smile playing across her lips "indeed, it is loved by all the Ancients and spoken of in many stories."

Dragor nodded slightly "We received word that the Seer called the Haruspex had foreseen the Burning, and with her Seven completed a ritual to protect the tree from the fires yet to come, sealing it by giving their lives in sacrifice."

"So if the ritual was successful ... the Great Oak and those sheltering beneath it will survive this?" Angelica offered quietly.

"Indeed High Lady. They have taken to calling it the Bloodoak now. Not only did they feast to the sacrifices made, but they sent emissaries to warn friend and foe alike of the peril."

"But" Olga said quietly yet firmly from behind Angelica "you did not come here to tell us of warnings sent out nearly a year ago."

Angelica straightened her shoulders slightly betraying her surprise, yet she said nothing.

Of course, how could I have missed it? These fishing ships are all new, and unlike the old ones can sail well at sea rather than just along the coast. This ship is new too. And he prepared for us to survive this the only way he could. Father knew.

"Indeed" the Mann replied, lifting his head, a broad grin upon his lips. "I was traveling to ..." he lifted his right hand and rubbed against his side, his words coming noticeably more slowly "bring you a gift ... of ..." he clutched at his left side as well then went down to one knee, his breathing rapidly becoming fast with an ominous rasp.

"Fael!" Olga yelled. "Quickly!"

Antaryon moved without hesitation to stand between Dragor and Angelica. Liva put her arm across Angelica's shoulders and insistently pulled her away, the pair retreating out of sword range just in case.

"What is it!?" one of Dragor's companions demanded, his hand on his sword hilt.

"No ..." Dragor rasped out, falling onto the deck on his side with a heavy thud.

"Get his armour off! Quickly now" Olga ordered "Where is Fael?" She began undoing the buckles holding Dragor's pauldrons on, Antaryon not hesitating to help, rapidly joined by Dragor's nearest companion.

"What is it?!" Priestess Fael rushed upon them, rubbing her eyes with one hand to try to fully awaken, healer's bag clutched in the other hand.

"He just ..." Liva offered, her hand motioning from up to flat.

"Get his chain off an lay him flat" Fael directed as she knelt beside Dragor. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"I ... star ..." Dragor gasped, eyes wide with pain and uncertainty "...must..."

"Don't talk, just breathe" Fael demanded, reaching into her bag as they laid Dragor supine. Two more of Angelica's guards had bought up lanterns, held high to throw light for Fael to see better by.

"St..." Dragor rasped "star ... fell" he sagged back.

Olga flinched, and Lady Violet's head snapped towards Dragor from where she stood discretely out of the way, but neither spoke.

Fael was lost in her task, glittering line of silver in her hand deftly sliced Dragor's tunic down the middle as she looked for wounds.

A long, tired breath escaped Dragor's lips, and he lay still.

"Oh no you don't" Fael leaned forward and locking her fingers together began to press hard and fast upon Dragor's chest. Up. Down. Up. Down. Over and over.

Nothing happened, only the creak of the rigging and hiss of the waves against the hull complimented Fael's increasingly labored breathes. "Maygus!" she called suddenly, and more softly "stand back everyone".

"What do you need?" Maygus loomed up out the shadows.

"Crack his chest" Fael replied matter of factly. "I need to get to his heart".

Maygus nodded, vanished, then promptly reappeared. "Fingers" he said simply.

Fael swaying back to get her hands out of the way as Maygus swung down with a short axe, landing with a sickening crack above Dragor's sternum. Maygus twisted the axe, and accompanied by the sound of ribs cracking Fael nodded as the bone and flesh parted.

"More light, bring it here" the Priestess ordered, reaching into her bag for a priceless bottle of adrenaline elixir as she waved at where she needed a lantern. Kneeling forward, she moved to take the lid off ... and gasped, throwing herself back and using her hands to push away from the body, the bottle rolling forgotten on the deck. "Back!" she gasped out in quiet fear "everyone back! Don't touch him!".

"What is it?" Angelica asked quietly, desperately curious to see but also unsubtly blocked from being closer by Liva and more guards.

"His insides ... they're ..." Fael struggled with the words. All colour had fled her face, despite her years of dealing with the sick and dying. "They're ... liquid. Something liquefied his insides" she whimpered, her words carrying ominously over the silent deck.

Lady Violet knelt gently beside Dragor, and with one delicate hand closed his open eyelids. "Kraken" she said softly "the Kraken must have stung him during the battle."

"Is it even safe to touch him?" Fael said quickly, forgetting her manners.

"Not for most, however I have dealt with this before though. I know Dragor's people's customs, I will prepare him for his journey." Lady Violet pulled the halves of Dragor's tunic together, and covered the ugly mess in the middle with his sash. She looked up to his two companions "Help me carry him below. Your gauntlets will protect you. He died that we may live, we will honour him."

Still utterly shocked at how their companion had succumbed, the two Menn simply nodded and obeyed.

Angelica watched mutely as they carried Dragor below, then her own day caught up with her and she slumped to the deck, her descent gentle thanks to Liva's guidance. "What ...?" she said simply.

"Here" Antaryon knelt before her, Dragor's brigandine chest armour in his hands, one of the lanterns set on the deck for light. The armour was made of rectangular plates each as big as a Mann's palm riveted onto leather. "Start here" Antaryon offered, pointing to the plate over the left chest where the heart would be. There were beautifully worked pictures on each plate, engravings for the most part with inlaid gems and inlaid metals in others. "I've seen these before" Antaryon offered "this is the story of his bloodline, from his founding father" he traced the plates "through the Great War" he continued "to ..." Antaryon peered closer to make out the images on the plates. "He was there, at the Bloodoak." Antaryon pointed to an engraved tree with the sun on one side and the moon on the other. "Then..." he pointed to the next plate "a falling star above a ... what is that?" Antaryon screwed up his face, trying to make it out.

"A city carved into the stone walls of a crescent valley" Olga supplied. "It's where his people live."

"Ah" Antaryon replied "so what is this?" he pointed at the next image, it looked like a lantern or maybe a very complex sword hilt. It was recent compared to the obviously older plates, and important, picked out with gems and inlaid gold.

"No idea" Olga replied after peering closely at it, and looking back over the other pictures added "a coronation? Maybe?"

Antaryon looked at Angelica and Olga, then back between the two a few more times.

"Just ask." Olga offered wearily.

"Thank you" Antaryon replied "May I ask please what is the significance of the falling star?" appending hastily "M'Lady?"

"Well" Angelica answered quietly "it could just be a lump of rock. Or ..." she looked up towards the stars "or it could be a sign that another Child of Daemon has come to Elyria."

Antaryon lifted his eyebrow slightly in question.

"A new Dragon is here."