Heir of Chaos

2

Author's Note: Shorter chapter since my grad school deadline was this week! Let's hope there's no typographical errors because I am not proofreading this week  👉👈 I'll be adding the illustration later!

Stormspire Mountain was a single high peak amongst a sea of trees. The pines gave way an expanse of deciduous woods, the trunks thick and boughs high. The soil was damp, sunlight trickled through the bare branches, and dew glistened on the undergrowth. Small animals skittered through the brush, foraging for seeds they'd hidden in the fall. Overhead Indigo could just make out the beginnings of budding leaves; spring was nearly here.

She should have considered herself lucky that Antium was hardly a two weeks' journey, or thanked the young priestess who snuck her a cloth pack stuffed with dates and hard bread. Instead, Indigo felt nothing but spite as she stalked down the trade route that ran straight from the northern forests to the capital. She hardly stopped to sleep, bitter from the years that had undoubtedly passed in her absence. She could sleep when Asteria made her.

From the outskirts of the city, the skyline was unfamiliar; had the buildings always been that tall? Some were piled so high it seemed they'd fall over at the slightest breeze, despite their stone and wood exteriors. They towered over the wall that circled the city, and even the turrets that were spaced evenly around the perimeter.

There were two guards posted at the main gate, donning simple breastplates and greaves. The armor was purely ornamental, given how little it covered. The spears they held, though—those were real. And they were pointed right at Indigo's throat.

"Reveal yourself," said the left guard, hands tightening around the polearm's shaft.

Indigo sighed dramatically, pulling back her hood. Her silver hair was slick with grease, and her face was surely smudged with dirt. The rest of the traveling clothes she'd been so graciously given were filthy; the grey of her tunic had gone brown, and her boots were coated in a layer of mud. She spread her arms wide and bent a knee, mimicking a curtsy. "I'm here to see your commander, if you'd be so kind."

The guards' eyes narrowed. Indigo stared back, unblinking. She was used to the initial shock at her appearance—there weren't many demi-fae, and even fewer with the indigo eyes she'd been named for. That was a trait that belonged almost exclusively to full blooded fae. Fae like her brother.

"I'm sure you're very busy protecting your city so if you could let me be on my way."

Their spears didn't budge. Indigo sighed once more, keeping her hands held aloft.

"I am unarmed. Now if you'll excuse me—"she moved to dip between the guards, but they stepped in front of the gate.

"You won't be going anywhere without an escort." The guard on the left nodded towards his companion. "Take her."

The other guard protested, but his complaints were met by a stony stare. "Take her, Jacques."

As the Indigo's chaperon led her through the winding city streets, she couldn't help but notice the stares. The merchants with their stalls, the women doing their shopping, the children playing in the street—they all stopped to stare. She'd been in Antium on several occasions. Her presence shouldn't have been that discomforting. But as she took in each face and their dark expressions, she couldn't help but feel uneasy. She pulled up her hood, hoping to maintain a shred of anonymity as they reached the stone staircase that led up to the palace.

The guard, Jacques, stayed firmly rooted at the base of the steps.

"Not going to accompany me all the way?" Indigo asked once he'd stopped.

He didn't even bother sparing her a glance as he said, "The royal guard has been notified of your arrival. They will handle things from here."

"Handle what, exactly?"

Jacques stared on, gazing over the cityscape. He was content to stare at the red gabled roofs, the dark timber beams—anywhere but Indigo's direction.

Indigo frowned. The grand staircase that led up to the palace was steep, and as much as she hated to admit it, she was growing tired.

"What a good for nothing...." Best not to finish that sentence. Her sudden appearance had set everyone in the city on edge, for whatever reason. It would probably be unwise to actively insult anyone. No one could stop her from grumbling all the way up, though.

Members of the royal guard flanked the entrance into the castle's courtyard. Unlike the city guard, they stood at attention, their stares unwavering.

"I'm here to see—"

"The commander. So we've heard."

Indigo eyed the man who'd spoken. He made no move to follow her, nor did any of the others. She passed through the white stone arch and into the pristine courtyard. Trees and bushes flowered, manicured into perfect symmetry with their emerald leaves and pastel blooms. A marble fountain sat at the center, the head of a lion spouting a stream of water into the pool. It was cleaner than Indigo remembered. The worn stairs on either side had been replaced with polished white stone, the once open windows closed off with glass panes.

A figure emerged from the doorway that crested the left staircase. Taller than any human, with dark, ashy grey skin and long, pointed ears.

"Indigo," said her brother. "You look well."

She sauntered what was hopefully the last set of stairs. "And you, dear brother, look like utter shit."