Chapter 83

The Nightingale weighed anchor near the hidden kingdoms of Antilla. A secret island dedicated to religious practices. Zinjo strapped the partisan on his back, and Gael shook his head, "You can't come. The people here will tolerate one or two outsiders on their beach, but any more, and they will do everything in their power to keep us here. It is why we left the other ships behind."

"Why would they shun visitors?" Aurelia asked.

"They fear their enemies are still looking for them. I found this place by accident. Lucky for me, I had exotic goods to trade, or else they wouldn't have let me go," Gael smiled and rolled up a list. "I don't mind coming here. People don't ask too many questions."

Zinjo seemed halfway to grumpy or sad. His facial expressions made it impossible to read him at times. It mattered little in the end, as his actions often spoke louder than his words. "I wish I could come on this journey, but Ayasu would say communion with gods is a personal affair," He embraced Aurelia like it was the last time he would ever hold her.

Aurelia smiled at her future husband and gave him a long kiss, "I will come back, My love. My biggest fear is the gods will find me unworthy, and we must search for a new holy person."

"You are of the people, Aurelia. The gods would be crazy not to choose you."

"I will go in confidence, without assumptions. It is not my place to question the plans of higher beings. I am merely going to get one important question answered, and then it's straight through to Shadowfen."

"Be careful. I look forward to sharing my life with you. After such a grand adventure, the rest couldn't possibly disappoint," Zinjo kissed her and turned his back, "Hurry before I whisk you away to our cabin."

The princess waved as the boat lowered her and Gael to the water. The salty dog smiled and grunted as he rowed toward the shore. He pulled a map out of his shirt, "Here is a map of sacred areas where a god supposedly appeared. People are encouraged to visit them and commune with their deities."

"Most places encourage people to stay away from such areas."

"The people of Antilla encourage the growth of spirit and commerce. Before I met Tess, I planned on retiring here."

"What changed your mind?"

Gael set the oars across his lap and let the waves carry them closer to the shore. "I used to be angry about a lot of things. My first time here, I started a bar fight. They caught me and tried me by their laws. Their leader at the time noted my anger and suggested I commune with my gods to find peace."

"I bet you found humor in the decision," Aurelia kept her eyes on the shimmering sand.

"Maybe at first. The Bishop sentenced me to three days of communion in an isolated spot. I frittered away the first day in anger, but there was no one to take it out on. On the second day, I knelt in prayer through the night. On the third day, I had a vision of Tess. When the guards came to retrieve me, I told them my path was clear. The Bishop gave me special permission to trade with them, so as long as I kept their island a secret."

Aurelia chewed on his words and digested them after a few minutes, "I hope a vision comes as easily to me."

***

Gael left Aurelia on the shore. Aurelia's feet dug into the warm sand and felt giddy, like the first time she saw the ocean. The princess inhaled the salty air and smiled to herself. She opened the map Gael provided for her and noted a prayer spot just beyond the golden sand.

She strode across the beach with the Lion's Fang in hand. She debated whether it was appropriate to commune with a god while armed. The gods were immortal, and she was not, and decided a weapon carried in self-defense wouldn't offend the deities of the world, or so she hoped.

A small shrine with lush vegetation creeping over it waited for her. The colors of the stone had faded over time, but she found evidence people still came to meditate. She laid her blanket out over the old blocks and sat cross-legged.

It was then Aurelia realized the only deity she'd ever prayed to was Amouria. Without her. Aurelia closed her eyes and focused on Amouria, and kept them shut for many hours.

The memories of her adventures danced across her mind. She favored her trip to the broken plains with Ayasu and Sahiri.

"I knew you could do it, Aurelia," A soft feminine voice spoke amid the whinny of a horse.

Aurelia dared to open her eyes. A woman with a crown of flowers on her head and a bright sundress smiled at her. "Amouria?"

"Yes," The woman slid off her horse and embraced Aurelia. The smell and sounds of summer filled her mind as the goddess squeezed her. When they parted, Aurelia struggled to find her voice. "Relax, I wanted you here."

"Why?" Aurelia covered her mouth against her rude response.

"The people of Shadowfen began to lose faith in me after the Heart's Call seemed to flop on you the first and second time. Their doubt in Zinjo only further proved my point. Then, during the third casting, you called out to me with an honest and sincere prayer. You still had faith."

"After Zinjo explained what happened to him, I realized the spell hadn't failed at all," Aurelia blushed at her own words. "You were aware of Lebende Dunkelheit?"

"Yes. Carmen called out to me after he learned to make the gems for the clockwork servants. Kivuli warned me after Lebende learned the secrets of machinery to them."

"Why would they call out to a goddess for help? Are they not your enemies?"

"Are they my enemies? Carmen remains ambivalent about her choices, which is why she toyed with you and told you what you needed to know. Kivuli paved the road to hell with his good intentions. He will spend eternity trying to reverse a spell he sorely regrets casting."

"What is different about Lebende?"

"He seeks to remake the world in his image. His travels have taught him how to do it."

"How?" Aurelia asked, point-blank.

Amouria smiled and motioned for them to sit, "What can Lebende do with gems and machinery given his current state?"

Aurelia knew she had uncovered the answer in her travels but struggled to put the pieces together. She reviewed each memory with scrutiny until the answer dropped on her mind like a ton of bricks. "He plans to kill himself over and over and use the newly made shadows to power the machines?"

"Yes. You will forge the prison for Lebende and his selfish progeny. You Have earned the right through your selfless actions. Some of the gods doubted you, but I had faith. You have yet to disappoint me, which is why you need to get married before you return to Shadowfen."

"Why?"

"I rule over marriages, and I have to anoint you so you can forge the bottle. A wedding is a perfect venue for me to do so." Amouria smiled and tiptoed over the soft moss, flowers. She looked up at the sun, "The people of this island will welcome a wedding. You will be among family and friends, most of all a queen when you return home."

"I will do as you ask," Aurelia giggled. "I can't wait to tell Zinjo."

"Be well, my daughter, and I will meet you at the altar."

Aurelia opened her eyes, and it was nightfall. She changed into the Anzu and flew to the ship to tell Zinjo the news.