The Exiles

31b. Chymer Keep

Vanylla trembled where she stood, clutching at her dress as if it were her shield. "You asked for me?" she said to no one in particular as she stepped into the temple, doused with heavenly warm sun. She could make out the stone statues of various gods and goddesses in the alcoves to her left and her right. Their stone-eyes peered at her as her old headmistress used to in the village of Elsevier. Hard and scrutinising.

Towards the front of the large, long room, the ceiling ballooned out into a dome with beautiful glazed glass depicting some ancient victories. It let in all that light she could see. Below it, her family stood, doused in sunlight as if gods come to life themselves. She wondered why they all stood upon the dais, beneath the pool of sun, yet seats sat empty before them in the shadows.

Perhaps they feel as cold as I. She shivered, wanting to wrap her arm around herself to keep in some of her fading warmth. She hadn't been able to get warm for quite some days. Perhaps it had something to do with the frost that was coming, as Granny had said, or perhaps it was all the bone-chilling screams she heard as they ferried her around the battlefield, blindfolded.

'No child should see this.' Papa had torn off a part of his dark cloak and wrapped it around her eyes. 'Do not remove this, no matter what you hear, my love.' With trembling hands, he'd pulled her in and bent down to kiss her head. For a while he stood like that, perhaps breathing her innocence in to fortify his courage or mourning its loss before he had helped her step into the special chariot meant to keep her safe.

"You're here!" Attin tried to rush off the dais in her direction despite his injury but something behind her froze him on the spot before he even took a step forward, just like he used to in the game of statues they used to play back home.

"What is this about? I thought the battle was over?" Granny's voice boomed behind her, causing Vanylla to jump with fright. She'd been doing that more often than not these days. "Why do you summon the children to this–this court?" If she wasn't mistaken, she heard contempt in Granny's voice.

"Mother? What are you all doing here?" Papa faltered a little.

All? Vanylla turned around to see Granny wasn't alone. Behind her, Nessa stood, faintly smiling at her as if she knew things. She looked much healthier than she had in Elselvier, Vanylla noted. 'With more meat on her bones,' as Mama would have said. Mawsie stood on the other side, pawing at Granny's skirt, utterly clueless.

Vanylla fought the urge to wrap her little brother in the cloak of Kazan, said to protect mortals from all toils in life, real or otherwise. If only the cloak was real, and if only she knew where to get it. At least, out of all of them, Mawsie hadn't suffered other than seeking Mama every night and she wanted to keep it that way.

"Well?" Granny swatted Mawsie's hand off her skirt while glowering at Papa.

Vanylla watched the two as she used to watch Amer and Attin kick around a ball made of old hemp bags that had torn over the years.

"I have a plan to rescue Mama and we need Vin's help!" Attin blurted before an elder answered Granny. Vanylla thought he was either brave or stupid, yet his answer had her intrigued. Need me?

"Oh, you need her, do you? How so?" Granny's head cocked a little, and Vanylla thought, 'Uh oh, you're in trouble now, brother.'

"It uh..." If Attin had been a turtle, Vanylla imagined he would have retrieved into his shell, but he was no turtle, so he only retrieved his step.

"He speaks the truth, Granny," Nessa stated, stepping out into the light. "It is the only way Papa and Uncle Rea reach Mama in time to help her. And Papa needs to be there. She needs him..."