"We have arrived," Euri announced as she peeked through the wagon's opening, "Follow me," and she signaled for Jericho and Riordan to follow her.
Almost immediately, the boys descended from the wagon. They were standing before the façade of a three-storey sandstone building facing the seaside road. Behind them, across the paved highway, was a lengthy dike that runs far at both directions, and beyond it, across a darkened straight, the well-lit island that holds the center of the seaside city.
"Come," they heard Euri's voice disturb the roars of the waves. They stood behind her as she cadenced towards the building's closed entry. Two torches light the doorway as it was common among the buildings that line that side of the avenue. Euri stood in between these two sources of light, her shadows dividing at the floor behind her. She knocked thrice and waited for a response. A moment passed and she knocked again.
It was after her second knock when the door opened and a beautiful young woman with blue-dyed hair peeked out the limited aperture. Realizing who the guest was, she hurriedly opened the door wide and invited Euri in. The gypsy invited her two companions to follow. When all three guests were in, the woman with blue hair immediately closed and barred the door.
When she had locked the entry, the young woman who welcomed them directed the three to the dining area where a number of people, obviously composing an extended family, cluster around a lengthy table overflowing with leftovers. There was obnoxious noise among them – cheers and laughter blended in immeasurable quantities. However, when the girl with the blue hair called their attention and presented the visitors, the noise subsided until there was callous silence.
All eyes were glued on Euri. Undecipherable emotions were evident in the visages of those occupying the dining hall. Not a thud disturbed the tranquility. Then the bearded man, huge in his proportions, stood from his seat in the head of the table, opened his arms wide and smilingly said: "Welcome back."
Euri understood what the gesture meant. She did not wait for further signals rather ran to the man and hugged him. By then, tears rolled off her eyes as she greeted, "Pax father."
Only after such occurred did the rest of the people in the hall begin to move in accordance to the welcoming gesture of the man who acted like the head of the household. A little while later, the two other guests were given attention. The rest then of dinnertime was consumed in entertaining the newly arrived member of the family and being acquainted with her companions.
Regardless the fact that they were treated alike celebrities inside the household, Riordan did not fully enjoy the entertainment brought about by Euri's family. He was perplexed – disturbed in a manner without known cause. Something triggered his heart to beat faster from the very moment he entered the home. He is uninformed about what it could be but he was aware that such was the reason behind why he concentrated least on the conversation he and Jericho had with the sons of the household.
When it was very late, Euri's parents asked their children to escort the two boys to their rooms. None but the servant girl with blue-dyed hair answered the request. She led Riordan and Jericho up to the guest room while Euri solely approached her old room for rest.
"Here is where you shall sleep for the night," in her soft-spoken voice, the young woman presented Riordan and Jericho their abode. It was an averagely sized room with the view of the Princepolian Island and three beds arranged in a parallel manner.
"Thank you," Riordan gratifyingly spoke. The tone of his voice revealed an obviously nervous emotion. He parted his lips for another word but seemed unable to come up with the right expression, thus he resorted to smile. This appeared to him as the summit of that night's strange feelings.
"Please do not hesitate to inquire the moment you need anything," the girl said.
Stuttering, Riordan answered, "Ah…yes." Then he looked straight at her eyes that were trying to escape the vista before her.
Disturbed by the peculiar attitude unveiled by his companion, Jericho disrupted the conversation of the two youths by pulling Riordan into the room and telling the young woman: "Thank you for escorting us here, lady, but we both need our rest now."
As if awakened from a long sleep, the girl told the Qusor, "Yes, my duty, sirs," then she hurried away from the room's entry.
Jericho closed the door and led his companion to sit comfortably on the bed. Noticing the unusual expressions of his comrade's face, he sat on the bed opposite the other and made a deep breath before asking, "Are you fine?"
"I suppose I am," the baker's assistant replied.
"Are you sure about that? You are not acting normally since we came into this house, what is it that bothers you?" Riordan was silent.
Jericho observed him for a while before he finally stated, "I presume there is nothing which can distract you inasmuch as you are currently disturbed, young man, and in my knowledge such distraction would only come from within." There was no response. The man, which looked more like a little boy, cannot think of anything more to say thus he unfolded, "I shall not play with metaphors longer since your distracted state would, in a way, prevent you from uncovering the messages I intend to deliver beyond normal comprehension. Let me get to my point: do you like her?" For a moment, there was silence. "Many people agree with the maxim stating that silence means approval, however, I wish to make things clear with you, please bear with me. More than just your companions, we are your friends from now on."
Riordan smiled. He sighed and opened his lips to state, "I have never been attracted to any girl in as much as I was when I witnessed her."
"And there it goes!" Jericho exclaimed. "I did prove my predictions correct." He also sighed and smiled. Carefully, Jericho lied down on the bed where he was seated. He placed his hands behind his head and pulled himself comfortably such that the pillows would settle below his head. He stared blankly on the ceiling and blinked his weary eyes before finally closing them.
Riordan observed what his companion did. When the Qusor's eyes were closed, he himself lied on the bed and remained silently wondering. "Why did I feel this way?" he murmured to himself.
"Do not ask the question 'why'," Jericho's voice replied. He was still awake - only closing his eyes. "It will be hard to supply the proper answer to that query."
"You speak as if you are learned in this field."
"Have you forgotten what I am?" the boy confirmed. He opened his eyes but remained staring at the ceiling while he explained, "I am a Qusor, Riordan; I came from the long line of the mysterious fairy and human offspring. We are half-blood fairies and in this regard, we possess abilities beyond your human comprehension. To tell you frankly, Qusors grow very slowly physically. I am twenty-eight years old but I look as if I am only seven. That is the ratio of our growth. Considering this then, be it known to you that I have stayed on earth longer than you have, and that I have been through many instances you have yet not encountered. As for how or what you feel now, I have one thing to say; you have felt a bond build between you and the girl. There is no certainty as to what feeling that might be since it appears like you have never been there before but it is assured that you will make a move – that will either be to avoid her or bring yourself nearer to her. It is your choice, Riordan, but as a form of advice, I will request you to religiously study your choice, because matters pertaining to the interconnectivity of two inner selves are sophisticated, delicate, and may sometimes be fatal." The lad made no reply.
Assuming that his friend was aiming to hear more of his words, Jericho continued: "I have a wife back in Faia, yet we still do not have a family since such is expected of us when we turn fourteen years physically. She is a lady I met in our small village there and she is not actually the first woman I felt a connection with." He paused for a while before he went on, "She was only somebody who made her way into my life by accident. I never thought at first that we will be ending up together, but we did. Her father was a blacksmith and I furthered a relationship with them the moment Lady Lile'an assigned to me the task of getting her a new sword. I often visited their home to see if the weapon sought for by my Lady was done, and in the consequent encounters, we gradually developed an understanding that ended in marriage.
"You see, life is never as certain as you might think it is. There are particular things that looked or felt or sounded like the right ones but would end up being passages or means towards what is really sought for. I know that you will not understand me clearly now but life's lesson will unfold before you in due time. What I am intending to do here is but to assist you in your gradual discovery of what will be."
At that juncture, Riordan replied, "I am grateful for your concerns, Jericho, but I cannot promise to perfect what you expect of me."
"I do not expect you to be of perfection, I just want you to be the best."
Before the sun rose the next day, Riordan was awakened by noise. It was the sound of anglers industriously unloading their fishing vessels along the border of the sea. The busy street was just outside the window of their room, which was why the noise was disturbing as much. Regardless these, however, the lad intended to return to his peaceful slumber, he turned and covered his head with the pillow aiming to minimize the volume of the auditory distractions. Ere he closed his eyes though, he felt a force pulling the pillow. He tried to counter what was being done but failed. The pillow was removed, and there, before his dreary eyes stood the youthful Jericho.
"Wake up, sleepy head, it is time for breakfast." His sleepiness overpowered Riordan, thus he responded with several yawns. "Come on, we cannot skip a breakfast with Euri's family," but he was unwilling to rise.
Jericho thought of another idea how to bring the boy to his feet. He was silent for a while, and then, "Euri's father told me you will be seated next to the beautiful girl last night. It is a shame if you will not be there for the meal." Indeed, his strategy was effective.
Upon hearing the gentle words delivered, Riordan immediately opened his eyes, sat up the bed, and asked, "Do you know where I can wash?"
Laughingly, Jericho said, "Come and follow me." The boy led the teen to the bath-room at the end of the corridor outside their room. There, the lad arranged himself and pre-pared for breakfast.
When Riordan was done, Jericho and he descended two levels to the dining hall. There they witnessed the same number of people they have seen the previous night clustered around a neatly arranged table full of delicious food. This time, Euri was one of them. She was seated on her father's right and two other empty seats were placed to her side. The next seat was occupied by the youngest of her brothers.
Recognizing his seat, Riordan felt disappointed. He was expecting the promised seat Jericho introduced a moment ago. However, he knew he must not look saddened, thus, slower than he had formerly been, the lad rushed to position himself on the furniture.
Throughout breakfast, the lad had not caught sight of girl he eagerly awaited to see, yet by the time breakfast was over, the servant girl loomed from behind the kitchen door. She was holding an empty tray in her hand upon which she would expectedly arrange the dining equipment for washing. As she moved around the table, Riordan's eyes followed her.
It was nearly obvious that the girl was shying away from his view. Alongside the elder servant women, she hurried to fill her tray and exit through the pantry door.
Her presence in the dining hall, no matter how brief, appeared to be of great impact to Riordan. He set aside the jelly offered him for dessert, and stood hurriedly thanking the hosts for a satisfactory meal. Then, he rushed towards the kitchen excusing for a wash. Nobody yet responded to his declarations but he walked without waiting for any answer.
The baker's assistant followed close behind the line of servant women that was making its way through the pantry door.
"What business do you have in the kitchen, sir?" the last of the women in line in-quired.
"Does it trouble the servants if their master's guest intrudes into the kitchen?" Riordan rudely answered.
"I am sorry, sir," the woman replied realizing how annoyed the guest was of her behavior. "I wish only to inquire."
Riordan felt stupid by then. He knew he had done something improper, yet he was unaware he had done it that instantly. He reached for the shoulder of the woman who had only asked and steadied her to hear his words, "Pardon me, my behavior is perhaps disrespectful."
The woman smiled and said, "It is fine with me; what brings you to the kitchen dear boy? If it will not bother you, please supply the answer."
Riordan swallowed shame and said, "I wish to see the youngest of your group."
"Come," she answered and led the guest into the pantry.
It was not ordinary for the servants of the house to entertain their masters' guests more so in the kitchen, however, that day seemed to have altered the regularity of things in-side that humble abode. The woman Riordan approached was the household chamberlain and thus she gave Riordan the permission to walk into the kitchen, which is normally closed to public view. Furthermore, it was evident that fate smiled upon the baker's assistant then, since, as they walk towards the kitchen, the woman introduced herself as Megara, the blue-haired girl's mother.
Knowing that he was face-to-face with the mother of the girl, Riordan felt ashamed. He thought it would be better to return to the dining hall and set his plans to meet the girl formally aside. He excused himself from progressing further but the woman insisted.
"Do not think I will restrain you from your endeavor," Megara told the lad. "I would also pray for my daughter to have friends."
The statement startled Riordan. He tried to preclude his inquisition but his abilities proved weak against his curiosity. He asked the woman, "Does she not have friends?"
The woman replied, "She is too unaggressive – such that she would prefer to be alone than socialize with those of her age. She rarely exits this building because she seemed as if she feared the world outside."
"What is in the world that she is afraid of?"
By then they were approaching the end of the lengthy pantry and were moving into the kitchen's main chamber. Realizing that the next part of their conversation will not be among themselves any longer, Megara carefully chose the words she uttered whisperingly, "That I too want to know," then she paused and, even louder, said again, "Welcome to the kitchen, Riordan."
Riordan indeed is a baker's assistant; he had lived with Bartoc for almost half of his life, nevertheless, through all that time, he had never come across a kitchen as huge as that he saw in Euri's home. The chamber was as large as Mia's house where he spent his time while they were in Gobhy. It contained three massive ovens that continuingly release steam into the air. Maidservants busily crowd the area looking almost alike in their lengthy white vests.
Though astonished by the gigantic kitchen, Riordan obediently followed Megara who beckoned for him in the corner to his left. Then they started their way through the kitchen tables and sinks towards the front of the nearest kiln. There stood that girl with dyed hair fueling the burning furnace.
Regardless the heat dispersed from the burning oven, Riordan found her beautiful be-yond compare. He stared at her gently and made a narrow smile. Megara left after she whispered some words into Riordan's ear.
Once more, after the mother left, Riordan amazed himself with the pageantry of the humbled young woman before him. He gawked at the beauty possessed by her snow-white complexion, dyed hair, blue eyes and pointed chin. She was averagely tall yet her height did proportion with the rest of her measures. She was like a graceful muse.
Regaining his consciousness, Riordan realized that he had been staring at the girl for so long. She had already ceased working and was looking back at him wondering what he was staring at. Immediately, the young man searched for words.
"Hi," the boy began. He extended his right arm and spoke, "My name is Riordan, and may I know what is yours?"
"Ranjed," she replied, raising her head low. "Ranjed Zostchen." Then she retired to her duty.
"I am pleased to meet you," Riordan appended.
Ranjed, as though wondering why the boy had not yet left, inquired: "What do you seek in the kitchen, sir?"
Riordan smiled and nervously uttered, "You." The girl paused.
"I…I would like to befriend you," the lad clarified.
"I am yet too busy, sir. I may not be able to entertain you now."
"Then would you mind to see me later, Ranjed?" There was no response. The boy, confident in his approach, set the intended meet, "If you wish to consider my request, I will be in the dining hall after lunch. I will be waiting for you there, but do not assume I insist you come." Then he walked away from the kitchen.
At lunchtime, Riordan did not expect to see the dining hall empty. He wondered where the crowd had gone while he approached the bountiful table occupied only by Euri and Jericho.
"Where is everybody?" he asked.
"Work and school, I suppose," Euri replied. "This is what happens to the Adamar mansion in midday. Where have you been all this time, why have you not known?"
"I spent my whole morning trying to figure out what things compose this city. To an-swer my curiosity, I left the building and walked through the busy streets of Princepolis. Would there be any wrong about that?"
"The only wrong there," Jericho answered, "is that you never told anybody that you left. I have been looking for you since you disappeared with the servants after breakfast."
"Riordan," Euri addressed, "we are not here for pleasure. You cannot just go out there and walk around as if you are untroubled."
"Perhaps I am," Riordan replied.
"You are not. Our purpose is concealment, boy, for we are not on vacation rather we are on duty – most fittingly, a chase – a race for the welfare of this kingdom."
"There we go again," the boy sighed.
"Should I always remind you about the factuality of what we discussed with the courtier a few nights back?" Euri irritatingly demanded.
"I wish not to hear about that anymore."
"But that is the exact reason behind why we are here."
Riordan remained silent. He was hungry when he came but he lost his appetite. Instead of getting ready for lunch, he sat on his seat to clarify certain issues. His thoughts became confusion once more and he knew he wanted one question answered, "Exactly what is going on?"
Euri sighed and thought the time has come when she needed to make the boy understand. Frankly, she disclosed about the secrets coveted by the royalties of Ethyr and the current situation that troubles the kingdom. With no hesitation, the Adamar daughter stated every detail of the lengthy tale such that when she was done, it was past lunchtime.
Riordan refused to interrupt while the fortuneteller was delivering the long narration, but when it was all over and he understood the situation almost perfectly, he raised a question that lingered in his head since he left Bartoc. Puzzled, he uttered two syllables, "Why me?"
It disturbed both Euri and Jericho for a while. Absolute silence enveloped the hall. Then, "I have well prepared myself for such inquiry expected primarily from you," Euri answered. "For days since I came across this duty, I have always practiced how to deliver the answer in a manner most acceptable to a youthful mind."
"The tone of your voice makes me fear the very answer," Riordan interrupted.
Euri let out another deep breath before she continued, "You will find it surprising, maybe, but, I certainly hope, tolerable. This is something from which you really cannot run away. It has something to do with who you are and why you have to be the one to fill up that empty yet essential piece of the puzzle." Then there was silence again. "You may have heard it from me for more than a couple of times, but I will have to reconfirm that my master, Kalcifer, was tasked to oversee the status of the emerald phoenix regardless it being beyond the custody of Faia. With regard this then, it was his foremost duty to study and comprehend the people who are aware of the mystic bird's existence, particularly, its bearers. For the last ninety years, the fairy was involved in the arduous task of understanding the nature of every Ethyrian king. It was by this through which he uncovered the exceedingly unparalleled piousness of the late king resulting to the first open communication between a human and a fairy since after the second Great War; and it is also by this through which he learned that you are of royal blood."
The revelation shocked Riordan so much that he remained irresponsive for a while. He sat gazing, jaw dropped, at the woman. Jericho shook him several times but he ignored it as though he did not feel any. "Have you remembered anything about the times before you were in Bartoc's custody?" Euri asked.
There was no answer for moment, but later on, Riordan's shaking voice disturbed the tranquility as he exposed, "The baker took me inside his house when I was ten and I have lived a third of my life with him now. Throughout that lengthy duration, he cared for me as much as a father would for his son. We have many happy memories – memories over which I built my new personality – my present personality – this Riordan you see today. What came before Bartoc I left behind in the streets where he had picked me. I did not dare recollect them again since I know it will only pain me – not until now when you turned the keys to unlock the door that kept those memories shut."
"I am sorry, Riordan, but that is what is. It may be denied but it cannot be defied," the woman replied.
"I was told that my mother died when I was born and that my father brought me to his relatives in Fypto before he committed suicide. I am not assured if this is true but that is all I know of them."
"And who told you these?"
"That was the most of what I can remember from what my uncle in Fypto told me. I was very young then, about eight years of age. Soon after he had unraveled that truth, the military government that had only seized power over the city sued his family. He saved my life by bringing me away from his household. He left me in the streets of nowhere and thus began my nomadic existence." He bowed and covered his face with his cupped hands. A fainter voice continued, "I wandered all around the villages I come across and lived by the contributions of the kind-hearted people that crossed my path. It was like that for two long years until I finally reached Carthen and met the generous baker."
"If I give light to the misty chapters of your history, dear boy, will you promise to put faith in what I say?" Euri questioned. "Whatever I will disclose of you to you today, Riordan, did not come from me alone but from he who sent me – the diligent fairy who labored over studying the bloodline of Ethyrian kings. I have witnessed how he patiently dragged himself through the gritty process of understanding humans by observing their inconsistent behaviors and I respect his wisdom entirely because of the effort by which he garnered them. His knowledge is never a paradox in the eyes of any other fairy, neither in mine."
"So be it," the boy responded.
"Your mother is King Troy's older sister," Euri began, "a beautiful princess who was sent by your grandfather to study in the University of Zapya – then the most illustrious institution dedicated to the study of chivalry and knighthood. There she came across your father who was the son of a wealthy merchant in Fypto. Unknown to their families, those two developed an affair – a relationship which later on enraged King Ryan III. The monarch wished his daughter to marry the young governor of Cailea but she refused. This resulted to the lengthy duration of tests handed down by the king to the princess. Your parents were separated from each other. For years, they did not meet. However, Queen Celina, your grandmother, leniently considered the feelings of her daughter. She helped the lovers see each other again, and so it was materialized. King Ryan assumed the occurrence some sort of defiance of his power, which was why he denied your mother the rights of a princess. She was stripped of her royal inheritance. Then later on, the king also accused the queen of her disloyalty, this was the reason why the Royal Court proclaimed Queen Celina illegible of monarchic power a few years after the death of Ryan III. When King Troy assumed the kingship, he remembered your mother. He searched for the couple in Zapya – that one place where he knew they hid. Unfortunately, his search was somewhat untimely since by then, the youthful army of Zapya started the mutiny and later on gained power over the city. I am not informed exactly why that government sued your uncle, but all I know is that King Troy ceased to search for your family when he was informed about the death of your parents. Maybe he did not know you exist."
"Or maybe…" Riordan added, "…he assumed the Zapyan junta knew of my existence and killed me as well. That could explain the suing of my uncle's family." Then he was saddened.
There was another moment of silence. Sorrow was evident in the eyes of the baker's assistant, then, almost whisperingly, he muttered, "Mine is a tragic history. It cannot be denied." Then he bowed to reflect on the thought of him being a royalty.
Realizing it was her role to uplift the spirit of the boy, Euri told Riordan; "There are only two ways by which we can deal with the past. These are either to forget or remember them. Many would want to forget occurrences that had done them no good yet there are times when they cannot just let go of these memories. There are also memories worth remembering but a number of regrets often accompany them. Either way, it hurts."
Jericho observed his companions before he made his short yet meaningful comment, "In my life, I have learned that moving on does not necessarily mean leaving things behind. There would always be progress in life but it must be noted that 'go' is not 'let go'."
Then Euri added, "As for me, I came to understand that the past – either remembered or forgotten – had come our way and will never be coming back again. They are things from which we must learn in order to be ready to face what lies before us – the future."
Neither the woman nor the little boy received a response from the disturbed teen. He was undeniably plunged into an inconvenient emotion.