The Darkness

From Fern to Fluvis

The air felt wet, moisture hanging between us we walked through the streets of Fluvis. The city here was similar to Spiris, but full of rich blues and whites. There was no wall and while there were small plants occasionally dusting the ground, water seemed to cling to the streets and buildings as if they belonged in the water. The streets were bustling with people who looked closer in appearance to us at the High Wall, though their hair color was vastly different from the blondes and silvers I was used to seeing. I saw blues and blacks as we walked along the paths, the smell of fish and rain left a sour smell in my nose.

There was only one way to Fluvis and that was across a vast body of water. I was surprised that Jonas knew exactly how to direct a boat, considering I had never ridden on one, but I realized quickly that Jonas was a man of many talents. Cage had wanted to swim most of the way, but Jonas warned that we didn't know what kind of creatures may be lurking below the surface of the water. The rocking of the waves pushing our path made what little food I had in my stomach churn and protest.

I was so happy when we had finally reached dry land.

I was surprised by how little attention we captured, but I assumed it had to do with the lack of visitors the Regions had on a regular basis and with the blue skirts Fern had provided for me, I blended in quite well. We hadn't planned to stop in Fluvis, but it was necessary to keep the Council from being suspicious of our real reason for travel and after the conversation with Fern about the possible answers for Paeris and the story that he had never gotten around to telling me about the leader here, it solidified the necessity to visit.

I figured if the Lady here could teach me anything useful and agree to peace terms, it would be a win for me. I frowned as Jonas wrapped his arm around my waist in a way that felt much too affectionate.

"What are you doing?" I demanded, feeling strange that someone I saw as a father figure was holding me so intimately. He shushed me and continued to direct me through the streets in a pattern that made no sense to me.

"We are being watched."

My blood ran cold at his warning tone. Who could be watching us? Were we in danger here?

I had recalled his warning tone during our briefing on the boat ride here: "people in Fluvis may not take as kindly to you as those in Spiris. Many of the people here are fugitives and the ancestors of refugees from your mother's reign. Don't expect this trip to be as relaxing and inviting as Spiris was."

If Fluvis was this uninviting, how would our time in Braun go?

Unlike in Spiris where Fern had been awaiting our arrival, the Lady of Fluvis was nowhere to be seen as far as I could tell. Jonas has briefed me on the boat ride here on what to expect when we arrived, but we hadn't thought about the dangers from the Darklings.

Fluvis had nearly fallen because of my mother's reign. While Braun was much more angry for the things Lorelei had done, it seemed like Fluvis was more suspicious.

"People of Essos and Atmos feld to Fluvis during the time of Lorelei's reign. Essos uses the waters as burial sites and for healing. While Atmos doesn't necessarily use water for their craft, they have a bond with Fluvis because of the storms." I nodded, understanding that we were virtually walking through a refugee camp. Small blue tarps and hand made huts littered the sides of the roads and many people looked tired and dirty. I wondered how many of these people had lost everything and had never recovered. A man was sitting on the side of the road eating an apple and using a knife to sculpt something in a small piece of wood. In Spiris, it had been primarily earth magic. Penum was still strict on only allowing their kind within the walls, which was why I had hoped Laurel and I could make a trip in the future.

Jonas' grip tightened slightly as a young group of girls passed by us in cloaks, baring a striking resemblance to Cage's dark skin color. I could tell that they seemed to be shifters, like us, as their scent drifted past us that was disturbingly familiar. I had never run across another pack outside of our own Enclave, but I had figured that Lorelei may have cast out any of us that wouldn't pledge their allegiance to her. My heart broke for these poor people.

As the girls giggled and skittered away from us, I wondered vaguely if this was the answer to the problem Fern had mentioned before. These girls were children, but I wondered for a moment if there were girls our age in Fluvis that also needed to be Mated. Did they even follow our traditions? Did they know their own culture?

I breathed in the smell of rain, enjoying the sprinkling of water that fell down onto us as we walked through winding paths. Jonas' eyes searched the road in front of us for signs of danger while Cage's presence stayed close behind us. I was surprised that he had shifted when he heard of the possibility of danger, but as his head bumped against my fingers, I ran my hand over his smooth coat fondly.

The silence that followed us was deafening. The only sounds around us now that we were away from the center of the city was the sound of our footsteps, echoing against the walls of the buildings around us. My hair stood on end as I felt unseen eyes on me, following us.

My clothes were beginning to soak and I felt a chill run through me as Jonas released me to knock on the door of the grand home. The bricks of sandstone and blue colored trim reminded me of the beach we had walked on to get to this Region.

"I think our spy is friendly, but I want to be certain."

"How can you tell?" I breathed as we walked up to the building that was once divided into three separate spaces, now joined together by what seemed like magic. "He would have shown us aggression by now if he wished us harm."

It was eerily quiet as we stood waiting in front of the large door. The few people that did pass us seemed to feel more comfortable with their eyes to the ground, not fully acknowledging us. I vaguely wondered if they knew who we were.

A soft noise came from the house as the door opened, revealing a middle aged man with chestnut hair and a touch of stubble on his chin. His stance appeared strong and protective though his blue eyes reminded me of Paeris' gentle orbs.

"Your Highness. I thought it would take you longer to arrive. I apologize for not meeting you at the shore." He smiled slowly, the corners of his lips tucking upward just a bit. "My name is Dax."

He didn't offer his hand or a hug as Fern had when we arrived at Spiris. There was a sadness about him that made me wonder if I should have pushed the topic more on Paeris to learn his story.

"It was a peaceful ride." Jonas supplied simply, obviously feeling like we were put out in the cold.

"I'm so sorry, Jonas. Delphine... well, she's in the water again. Should we go speak to her? I assumed from your message it would be a short visit."

"Ah. I should know how hard it is to keep her from the water." Jonas visibly relaxed at the realization. I was beginning to become more aware with each passing moment that Jonas had relationships and connections I never knew of. I assumed after living for probably hundreds of years, you meet everyone at least once.

"Hello, Dax. My name is Ray. It's nice to put a face to the name. Paeris spoke of you." I winced. "I mean, he said you and your wife are the leaders of Fluvis."

Jonas' eyes danced with amusement at my discomfort, but Dax appeared semi- relieved.

"I think Delphine, my wife, may be able to elaborate a bit more. Fern had sent her own message to let us know that we may be of some help to you."

I nodded slowly, thankful that he didn't openly state my motives for visiting. It was silly to think that Cage would be upset for my plans to save Paeris when we were also trying to save Allie, but for some reason it made me feel dirty. Like I was hiding a secret from him for the first time in my life.

"Thank you so much for allowing us to visit. I know it can't be easy."

"You will see, Delphine has... a way of knowing a person." He smiled to each of us then, a wisdom of sorts shining in his own eyes. "If you meant us harm, she would never would have allowed you to cross the water safely."