The jungle was even more frightening without being on a horse. The ground crunched and squished beneath your feet. The air was still clinging to that humidness yet the temperature continued to decrease.
Hydrangea walked directly behind the Sovereign as they continued through the foreboding trees.
They reached the shore at last and began to search for Brigitte and the horses.
"Brigitte, Brigitte." She whispered loudly.
"Your majesty, I am here." A feminine voice soon called back.
The pair ran to the origin of the voice an found the maid standing by a tree, the two horses tied to it.
"Your majesty, my Sovereign, where is the boat?"
Bastian clenched his fist around the torch and heard a crack.
"We got to the docks but we were found out by soldiers."
"Oh, dear." The maid exclaimed, her hand going to cover her mouth, "What were those things?" She asked after a few seconds.
"What things?" The flower asked, "Oh, the starbursts, I don't know, but they nearly saved our lives."
Bastian laughed as he climbed on the grey horse.
"What?" She asked, curious to know his reason for amusement.
"They did nearly save us but you nearly killed us. I saved us." He said pointedly, "And they were not starbursts, they were fireworks."
Urging the horse a few feet forward he waited for the flower to climb on.
She climbed on behind him and the maid alighted atop her black horse.
He clicked and the horse began to move forward, into the forest, but before they entered he took a glance at the shore and the sky and determined their position. He looked to the west and knew that Wanington was in that direction.
"We'll ride through the night, they know we were there and will be searching for us." He continued in the lead but an annoying nagging in his mind forced him to stop and face the maid on the horse behind him.
She blended in with the night and the only indication she was there was her face.
"Do you know a way through here to the Guillermo Estuary?"
Her eyes widened and she looked between him and the flower sitting behind him.
"I-I do not know of any road…"
He sighed and was about to turn the horse to face the front when the maid spoke again.
"But I do know that there is a river or stream that runs from the capital to the estuary."
He squinted his eyes at the reigns in his hands as he pondered the maid's words.
"We will travel just inside the forest by it so we can be safer."
He didn't wait for a reply and began to walk the horse forward.
The night passed quickly as they rode under the stars, he kept watch on the constellations to make sure of his direction.
He began to doubt the maid's words but they soon heard the faint trickling sound that indicated that water was near.
They arrived at the creek side and Bastian observed that the trees had overtaken the creek in some places and that it would be impossible to pilot any type of boat through it.
He nodded gesturing that the creek would do.
They continued to walk through the jungle the horses keeping steadily behind each other as they kept the creek in sight. At one point the jungle disappeared and they had to walk near the creekside.
The sun began to rise and the sky to brighten.
"My Sovereign, my Sovereign!" The maid called and he soon felt the slight warmth of the flower leave his back and then heard a splash.
Looking down the flower was sitting waist-deep in the stream. Gasping loudly and blinking her eyes, startled.
He laughed and she looked up but she didn't look angry, she looked devastated.
Still laughing he climbed off the horse standing on the grass on the ground overhanging the water.
"What? A little water never hurt anyone." He said loudly.
She simply stood, her dress soaked and the tips of her hair wet.
The maid helped her up and they whispered to each other.
"We'll make camp here then." He said and the maid only glanced back at him.
Looking at the sun he judged it to be nine or ten in the morning.
Standing he walked to where the horses were and tied them down.
~~~~~~~~~
Hydrangea was still upset and embarrassed over what had happened in the city.
He had saved their lives, but at the cost of others.
She'd reluctantly climbed on the horse behind him but she decided that it was fine if he rode Helle this time, hopefully they wouldn't run into trouble and if they did she could tell him how to run.
She closed her eyes as she recalled the blood and the sounds of screaming and gurgling.
Trying to rid her mind of the horrific memories she thought of the starbursts, or the fireworks that they'd seen. They had truly been astonishing. The loudness of them hardly mattered when you saw the brilliant after-effect.
The trio passed under the trees and Hydrangea passed into sleep.
Opening her eyes she found she was walking through a jungle lit purely by moonlight, the shadows were long and the green leaves glinted white.
She recognized this jungle and this path and wondered what he wanted.
Her feet were bare as she tread along the soft, earthen ground, slightly damp from rain.
She exited the long path after walking for what felt like hours and she emerged into the clearing, the shrine to Ratri-kar still there, the place unchanged.
She stood still as she waited for the message. He had not spoken to her since before the coup.
Her body chilled and she felt a shiver run through her. Turning she saw the moon Primal, his pale skin casting light around them, his dark eyes staring at her with a terrifying emotion.
She found she couldn't speak and her heart failed her.
"Hydrangea…" He started, circling her, "You do remember what I told you?"
His voice was a void and it sounded cold as night.
She racked her mind, he'd told her so many things.
"Hmm, no? I told you that it was your duty to keep your husband alive!" He roared.
Hydrangea opened her mouth and began trembling, only soft gasps exiting her lips.
"He nearly died tonight because of your foolishness!" He closed his smouldering eyes and opening them he looked calmer, smoothing his robes he spoke in a quieter tone, a hidden threat still behind his words, "Luckily, your husband's training saved both of you."
She closed her mouth and felt truly terrified.
"You need to trust him, that is the only way that you will both survive." His voice appeared to soften with his last words and Hydrangea looked into his eyes to see a desperate emotion.
"What will happen if I don't?" She asked finally regaining her voice.
"Do you really want to know?" He asked watching her carefully.
She thought for a second then nodded, "I need to."
Ratri-kar closed his eyes and sighed, "I warned you." He said and everything went black.
Hydrangea saw that she was floating on the bottom of what looked like the sea. Before she could test if she could breathe she saw a vision appear in the water above her.
It was the Sovereign fighting with a man.