Within These Tangled Tales

Chapter Eighteen

—Saad'yna—

Teryn could hear it if she concentrated hard enough, the subtle ticking of a clock. It felt as though she was imagining it, so quiet was its sound. Yet she knew it was not. She had heard it before. Her last visit, so many years ago now, had been an experience she would never forget. In desperation, she had chased after a shadowy figure that had attacked in the middle of her home in Alfheim, tearing a rift in the world that he had dragged Lulu through. Even after so long, Teryn could still hear Orik's screams as his daughter was ripped away from him, how he had begged and pleaded for Teryn to get her back. She hadn't even considered the consequences, pitching herself forward into the rift without a moment's hesitation.

To Medyulana she had gone and eventually, she had found herself where they were now. Saad'yna, the home of the King of Bones.

The field of bones still crunched beneath her boots as they made their way toward the ruined castle in the distance. The clearing was quiet with their approach, though it was not vacant. Wraiths and plague maidens drifted slowly on the periphery, seeming to watch them carefully as pixies and fairies darted about. A pile of bones shifted to their left, revealing a strange, unknown creature that blinked up at them with wide black eyes. Its gnarled teeth protruded out from a severe underbite. It crawled slowly toward them, its small nose sniffing the air cautiously as they passed. Ravens cawed overhead, swirling around the castle, likely signaling their arrival. Teryn gathered her courage and pressed on.

The doors opened of their own accord as they neared. Teryn didn't pause, knowing already that the King of Bones expected them. The castle was cold as they entered, her breath dancing in small clouds. This place was ancient, and it carried with it the heavy, oppressive weight of its power. It felt as though every step required all her strength, like trudging through deep water. The last time she had come here, eerie singing had filled the halls, meant to unsettle her perhaps. Now, all was quiet, allowing their every step to reverberate loudly.

It was a short walk to the front courtyard where she had been before. White frost crackled against the crystal floor. Teryn shivered. At her side, Rhaena looked up to the windows above where obscured faces watched them from behind frosted glass.

"They are all dead," Rhaena whispered.

"So many years it has been, and yet it feels like only yesterday you walked into my home," his voice entered the courtyard before himself. The King of Bones looked just like she remembered, not aged a single day. The power that emanated from him was just as heavy as that of this ancient place. It growled in her ears. "You are as uninvited as you were that day, but I shall welcome you, nonetheless. What brings you to my door, Queen Mother?"

"You of all people should know I'm retired," Teryn watched his approach carefully. He walked slowly around the courtyard, circling them but seeming bored. "I haven't been a queen in a long time."

"So very true. Traded in a crown for a small hut, a tiny farm, and horses. How very romantic. Now, I believe you owe me an answer. I shan't ask again."

"Ori."

The King of Bones stopped his slow pace. He kept his gaze fixed ahead, not looking at her though she knew he listened intently.

"I haven't heard from her in five years," Teryn relayed quietly. "The last my husband or I had heard she was in Kiverryn. Idelle told us she had gone to the capital of Avarra, but then...nothing. We've heard nothing from her, and then...one morning, her brooch was on our doorstep, covered in blood. It came from Eivør in Valdornne. We have no idea how she got it."