Of Blood And Royal Bones

Chapter 24: The Queen of Knowledge

 "Dendranynes. That is the creature Heidra mentioned earlier." Kassia connected as the two walked on behind the others. Kassia attempted to conceal the very real and deep fear that sent spikes of adrenaline coursing through her from her near-death experience. "But why do you claim it should have killed me?"

"Dendranynes are deadly creatures." He explained, though there was little need in expressing such a detail as that had been all too clear in their previous encounter. "They do not bond with a master like Jurgen and his beast, nor do they seek out a leader. They are solitary beings and the only exception for that is on the rare occasion they seek out a companion. This is most commonly done for the sole purpose of mating, so it is peculiar to me why the beast did not attack you. I'm convinced that was its original intention."

"So why did it falter?" She wondered. She was not expecting an answer from him and contented in using the silence for the business of thought.

After a moment, Ziam spoke. "This is what I warn you of." He scolded bitterly. "Your carelessness will get you killed."

Kassia huffed and sped away to catch up with Adem, her arms crossed. Approaching Heidra, she tapped her shoulder and said irately, "Move to the back with Ziam." She made sure to coat her words in pure demand and authority, along with some untamed bitterness.

Heidra looked at her, surprised, and when she seemed to find no room for argument in Kassia's expression, she drifted solemnly behind them to match stride with Ziam.

Kassia did not speak as she walked alongside Adem. Instead she allowed her eyes to glide up to the airy chatter that poured from Jurgen and Edith ahead of them, and she noticed Jurgen had donned a shirt. A plain white shirt, it seemed, with simple cuffs at the wrist and, though she could not be sure from the limited view of his back, she suspected it was held together in the front by a line of buttons. "Where did he get that?" She said, her eyes moving to Edith who had donned a fresh blue dress clean of blood stains and dirt.

"I snagged it from the castle for him. Thought it might aid your focus." He said with a wink. She threw an elbow into his arm, though his statement held a scrap of truth and she bit her lip.

"Has he eaten, do you know?"

"I'm certain that was the first thing Edith asked him. I hardly think she'd allow him to walk around with the knowledge of his empty stomach otherwise. If I remember correctly of my brief time here before I was sent away, it is customary for his dragon to share a hunt with him."

At this, Kassia searched for Laori. She remembered her standing aside while her and Jurgen shared a dance though now it seemed the creature had vanished.

"Do not worry. He's instructed her to meet us in The Golden Land." Adem informed her, presuming the reason for her constant head swivels.

Kassia relaxed at this reassurance but cast her gaze to the shadowed forest floor as she remembered Jurgen's mental state. "He hasn't slept since the dungeons, you know."

A sense of sympathy seemed to wash over Adem's character at that. He took a gentle breath before saying, "His pain will not subside so quickly, Queen. They tortured him for weeks to no end."

His words stirred in her the memories of her time in the torture chamber when Ziam forced upon her the horrific illusions of her murdering those she loved. And before that when the shadow demons attempted to cut her foot from her body. Ziam had been there to stop them, but she now realized that no one had come to Jurgen's aid during such a traumatic experience. No one had been there to stop them. And with these realizations came a cascade of warm, salty tears that she could not contain. She wiped them away inconspicuously and hoped that Adem did not notice.