Chapter 16

Amber

 

Casmir’s words sent a shock through her body and she halted in her steps.

 

“My father isn’t here,” Amber said.  She kept her voice steady and calm though on the inside she was conflicted.  “He died.”

 

“I know he did,” Casmir said.  He gave her a reassuring smile like she had done earlier.  “Trust me, I will explain everything, but we have to get to the Caves of the Fallen first.”

 

She kept silent after that, despite the burning curiosity in her mind.  What exactly had Casmir seen that was so bad to the point he’d been crying when she went looking for him?

 

He saw your father’s death, her mind chided, a bit too bluntly.  Any sane person would be crying, or at the very least, be upset.

 

“What did you see?” she asked, this time asking out of concern.  “You were crying when I found you.  My father’s death wasn’t that… horrible, was it?”

 

Casmie looked at her, eyes slightly glassy.  “It was just really overwhelming,” he said quietly.

 

The rest of the walking was done in silence, with the occasional chirps and small growls from Springroll being the only sounds heard.

 

Amber started to recognize the patterns of crystal placement the closer they got to the Caves.  There were more of them, lining the walls, the ceiling, there were even tiny fragments scattered across the path she and Casmir were walking down.

 

The walls opened up into a large, spacious cave, the entrance framed by an intricately carved obsidian archway.  Amber recognized this archway from when Crimson had shown her the Caves of the Fallen.

 

“Who was the dragon you saw?” she asked.  “Maybe I know.  The dragons told me a lot, and I’ve learned so much from them too.”

 

“Her name is Andesine,” Casmir said.  He sounded grateful to be talking about something that wasn’t related to the reason he was so upset earlier.  “Lapis said she’s—”

 

“That’s Crimson’s mother,” Amber said quietly.  “I’ve… seen her grave.  Crimson showed me.”  A small smile flitted across her face.  “That was the first and probably only time she didn’t try to mind control me.”

 

Casmir seemed to let her take the lead and she walked slowly into the cave, murmuring her condolences under her breath.  She had little idea what the dragons’ beliefs were, only that they claimed the dead would go live with the Drakafolk, who were beings that were supposedly dragon-human hybrids, if that was possible.  It had been a lot to wrap her head around when Lapis told her, and she just settled for calling them “the dragon-powered people”, much to the amusement of the blue dragon.

 

Amber found the resting spots of Crimson’s parents and stood beside the mounds.  She looked at the red stones, the namesakes of these two dragons, and sighed.  She had never met the two Erythrean dragons, but the dragons in the City claimed they were crazy and insane.  Having met Crimson, she believed them easily.

 

“Here it is,” she said.  Looking back to the entrance, she saw Springroll waiting patiently by the arch.  “He’s not coming in?”

 

Casmir shook his head and looked around, eyes scanning every single mound and taking note of the gemstones placed on top.

 

“What’re you looking for?” Amber asked.  She was starting to feel the sorrow and heaviness that came with being in the Caves of the Fallen.

 

“A green crystal… a prasiolite,” Casmir murmured.  “On the walls, right behind one of the dirt mounds.”

 

“This one?”  Amber pointed to a pale green quartz that grew from the wall, not far from where she stood with Casmir.

 

Casmir walked past her, kneeling by the mound and inspecting the stone on the dirt closely.  Then he lowered his head for a moment, falling silent.

 

Unable to resist the burning curiosity, Amber moved closer, also crouching beside her best friend.  She raised her head after staying silent like him.

 

Her eye caught onto the glimmering red stone, resembling a jasper stone with bands of purple and gold.

“Another jasper stone?” she asked.  “But… there’s only one, it’s—”  Amber cut herself off abruptly at the sound of Casmir’s quiet crying.  She felt concern for him, though the feeling faded away rather quickly.  However, the sorrow that came with being in the Caves of the Fallen was only amplified when she looked closer at the stone.

 

Her heart suddenly ached with pain she hadn’t felt in six years, and that alone was enough to allow her suspicions to take root in her mind.  Still, she tried to keep a more optimistic view on the situation.  Maybe she was overthinking this.

 

A small leather tag was attached to a leather cord, both items practically blending into the darkness of the cave and the mound of dirt.  But she looked closer, using the glow from her powers to read what was written on the tag.

 

It was barely legible, and leather was already peeling and cracking, but Amber made out faint letters.  She squinted, mumbling the letters under her breath and pausing to let the information sink in.  The whole time, Casmir watched her carefully, a forlorn expression still on his face.

 

Out of nowhere, the realization slammed into her.  Her body sagged against Casmir and she whimpered, not caring that he’d see her in this state of weakness and vulnerability.  One hand flew up to cover her mouth while the other gripped tightly on the hem of her coat.  She shook, looking up to meet Casmir’s gaze.

 

This isn’t… she thought, silently pleading to any higher being that what she was seeing wasn’t actually reality.  With her eyes, she asked, is it?

 

It couldn’t.  This should be impossible, why would he be here?

 

She broke when Casmir nodded once.

 

“Please tell me this is your idea of a cruel joke,” she whispered, burying her face into his shoulder as he rubbed circles on her back.  She didn’t care that he was holding her like this, in fact, she welcomed it.  She needed it.  “Please, I won’t even be mad.”  That was a lie.  She would be furious if someone did this as a joke.

 

“I’d never do this as a joke,” Casmir murmured, his voice sounding echoey and far away.  “It’s cruel and wrong.”

 

“I could’ve…” Amber pulled away for a moment to wipe her eyes.  She might as well have not done it at all since all it took was another glance at the marked grave for her to break down in tears again.  “He was right here this whole time…”

 

A wail tore from her throat and she sobbed harder, burying her face in her hands.  She felt like falling to the ground and drifting off into a peaceful sleep.  She wanted to close her eyes, then open them and wake up in the cave the dragons had given her.  This had to be a nightmare, because there was no way her father was buried here.

 

“They never found a body,” she mumbled, but her words might just be incoherent rambling.  “This is why, isn’t it?  Your father never told me anything, he said I wouldn’t like it if I knew.”

 

“Amber…”

 

“—and he’s right, because I don’t like this.  This is horrible and I really just want to—”

 

She felt hands on her shoulders and flinched, eyes snapping open.  She removed her hands from her face and stared up at Casmir.  He, too, was clearly upset, but was evidently more composed than she was.

 

“Hey, it’s not your fault,” he said gently, holding her at an arm's length.  “You didn’t know—”

 

“But I bet the dragons knew, didn’t they?” she asked softly.  The brief flash of anger she’d felt earlier faded away.  “They probably knew and never told me.  And I don’t blame them.  Look at me, I’m a mess.”

 

“Amber.”  Casmir’s voice snapped her from her raging thoughts and emotions temporarily.  She looked at him with wide eyes and quivering lips.  “Amber, calm down.”

 

She shook her head.  “No, you calm down—”

 

“Amber, please, just take a few deep breaths,” her best friend insisted.  “Calm down.”

 

Amber huffed and exhaled shakily, closing her eyes and doing a few of those breathing exercises Casmir taught her.  She imagined the sorrow and rage leaving her body when she exhaled, leaving her lighter and head feeling clearer.

 

When she no longer felt like screaming and crying until she collapsed from exhaustion, she opened her eyes.  Without saying another word, she moved to sit closer to Casmir, suddenly wanting him to hold her like before.  It made her feel safe, comforted, and she didn’t have to worry about anything—I don’t like this feeling…

 

He didn’t object and let her lean against him as silence settled around them.

 

“Casmir…” she mumbled, her voice still thick with emotion.  “This was what you saw, right?”

 

Casmir stiffened and he averted his gaze.  “Among other things,” he whispered.

 

“Other things?” she asked.  “Worse than this?”

 

Casmir laughed, a broken and hollow sound that was further amplified by the weeping-like sound of wind blowing past.  “You want me to tell you?” he asked rhetorically.

 

“If it helps get it off your chest,” Amber said.  She still felt the sadness, the disbelief and confusion, but it was more bearable.  She felt mentally stable enough to help Casmir with whatever that he was thinking of.  “You helped me, sorta.”

 

“You’d hate me if I told you,” he all but spat.  He sounded so torn and upset, so unlike his cool and collected composure from before.  “Gods, I’d hate myself if I told you.”

 

“It can’t be that bad… right?” she asked slowly.  “It can’t be worse than—” Amber let out a humorless laugh.  “—finding out my father was buried in the same place as the dragons.  That Crimson probably knew about this and never told me, and I had to find out from my best friend because he watched a memory of all things.”

 

Casmir looked at her, eyes slightly glassy with unshed tears.  “You really want to know that badly?” he murmured.

 

She nodded, albeit more hesitantly now.  Maybe it would be better to wait until both of them were calm and not running high on emotions and adrenaline, but Casmir was already tugging at her arm, pulling her to her feet.

 

“I don’t want the dragons to overhear us,” he said, his voice still thick with emotion.  “Come on.”

 

“Lapis probably told them—”

 

“Still.”

 

Somehow, after a few wrong turns and stops to recollect himself, Casmir managed to find his way out of the twisting maze-like tunnels and into the main cavern.  He practically ran up the spiraling path, with Amber not far behind him.  He didn’t stop until he was out of the main entryway, past the statues, and out into the stretch of grass that extended out from the mountain base.

 

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Amber was seated on the soft grass with Casmir in front of her.  Her best friend was restless, looking around and fidgeting as he prepared to tell her what he’d seen in the memory.

 

“It was normal at first,” he began, and Amber immediately hung onto every single word he said.

 

“It was just an expedition.  I’ve been on one before, but I was young,” he continued.  “It was a lot of walking and talking about the things they were going to find, and what kind of wildlife they would encounter.”

 

A flash of jealousy bubbled up within her though she quickly forced it back down.  She never got to go on an expedition with her father, and Casmir had gone, presumably with his father as part of his training.

 

“And?” she asked slowly, not wanting to sound too aggressive in her questioning.  “What happened next?”

 

“They stopped in a clearing.”  Casmir paused for a moment, thinking.  “I think it might be one you showed me before, I don’t know.”

 

“They stopped for the night, right?” Amber said before he could say anything else.

 

“Yeah, how did you—”

 

“I know enough about my father’s expeditions to know certain things.”  She motioned for him to continue.

 

“Yeah, anyways, they just camped for the night and your father told stories,” he said.  “And then they saw a dragon.  An Erythrean dragon.”

 

“The dragon killed him, right?”

 

When Casmir didn’t respond, Amber asked him again, this time with a hint of desperation seeping through.

 

“It was the dragon right?” she asked.  The more Casmir stayed silent, the more frantic she became, her words tumbling from her brain out her mouth without any pause for filter.

 

“Because Crimson was like that, she tried to kill us, so it makes sense it’d be an Erythrean dragon that killed my father—why are you shaking your head?”

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Very slowly, Casmir looked up and met her gaze. His expression was stony and calm, so much so that it scared her. He was still silent, though his fists clenched in his lap, shaking slightly with how tight they were held.

 

He looked at her the way the Captain did when she was told about her father’s death all those years ago.  With pity and sorrow and regret shining in his eyes, all of it directed to her.

 

Amber couldn’t help but feel annoyed, and that feeling grew until she was silently fuming.  Any previous sadness she’d felt while kneeling by her father’s grave in the Caves of the Fallen had faded.  She wasn’t someone to be coddled whenever she showed the first sign of emotion, he didn’t need to feel pity for her, he shouldn’t feel pity for her—

 

“It wasn’t the dragon that killed your father, Amber!” he snapped suddenly, his words practically echoing around the clearing.

 

Casmir was glaring at her, tears streaming down his face as he wept silently.

 

“And don’t look at me like that,” he said, standing up and turning away.  “You knew it wasn’t the dragon.”

 

Amber didn’t even realize she was staring daggers in his direction until he pointed it out. She blinked and looked away as well, unable to meet his eyes after his outburst.

 

“Then who—”

 

“My father killed him.”

 

Somehow, and she didn’t know how or when she came to that conclusion, she knew, but that didn’t make it any easier to hear.  She could only manage a choked “Why?” before her throat closed up.

 

“He was wounded,” Casmir said slowly, taking note of her unchanging expression.  “Andesine injured him badly . Really badly.  He wouldn’t have made it, and he was hurting—Amber?”

 

Amber barely heard him, too lost in the sudden wave of grief that hit her to even react.  Andesine was Crimson’s mother, that much she knew, but she didn’t know that the former queen of Drakania had a hand (claw) in her father’s death.  Crimson probably knew this as well.

 

She refused to acknowledge anything else Casmir said.  It couldn’t be true, it had to be some sort of sick joke.  She knew both their parents were the best of friends, why would he do something like this—

 

Pain mounted higher, overtaking grief and sorrow and replacing it with anger.

 

Casmir knew.

 

He must’ve known before this, given how calm he was when he told her.

 

She rose to her feet, never sparing a glance in his direction as she walked off, with no particular destination in mind.  She could hear him calling after her, but never following.

 

“Amber!” His voice sounded closer now and she picked up her pace, speeding up into a run.

 

“Leave me!” she hissed.  Without thinking, she flung corrosive energy behind her.  A shout of surprise told her Casmir likely avoided the blast, but it stopped him from following her.

 

She only focused on getting out of there, away from him — away from the truth she refused to accept.

 

Casmir

 

Casmir didn’t follow Amber after she used her powers on him, he didn’t dare to.

 

The beam of bright green energy streaked past his head, narrowly missing his ear and the left side of his face.  It would’ve killed him, had he not ducked and spun away in time.

 

For a long time, he remained where he stood, staring in the direction Amber disappeared in, until he started walking again.

 

The sun was starting to set but he didn’t pause to marvel at the beauty it brought.  He just ran until he spotted the borders up ahead, marked by that cluster of granite and sandstone boulders.  He could see blackened marks as he ran past — remnants of Amber’s occasional ability training — but didn’t stop.

 

It was night time when Casmir reached the city, and he immediately felt the atmosphere was off.

 

It was too quiet.

 

The buildings were tall and dark, surrounding him like the walls of a castle.  It caged him, made him feel more trapped than ever as he wandered through the darkened streets.  There were lanterns lining the path every few meters, providing some sort of light, but it wasn’t enough.  Part of him wished Amber was beside him, using her abilities to light the way.

 

He passed a shop with its lanterns still lit and paused for a moment.  It was a bookstore, one that sold both literature and empty journals for people to write in.  There was no one inside, though Casmir suspected the owner might come out if he opened the door.

 

He wanted to rest, to curl up in his bed back home and forget that everything happened.  He wanted this to be a dream, and that he’d wake up at any given moment, and his parents would be reminding him to get ready for training and work at Regia Liavis.

 

Casmir looked up, watching the sky darken, seemingly much faster than normal.  He kept walking, taking random turns at intersections without actually thinking of where to go, only that he wanted to clear his mind.

 

“Casmir,” he heard a painfully familiar voice say.

 

“Amber,” he greeted.

 

She looked exhausted.  Her face was blotchy with tears and her eyes were puffy and red in the light of a nearby lantern.  He felt guilt and regret rise to the surface after spending the past few hours pushing it down.

 

“I’m fine now,” she said before he could say anything.  “Sorry about… you know, almost burning your head off or whatever.”

 

He smiled softly, feeling more relaxed as he slid his hands into his coat pockets.  “I’m glad you’re fine,” he said quietly.  “I’m sorry too.”

 

“It’s not your fault,” Amber said.  “Even though I want to blame it all on you, on your family.”  She scoffed and looked away.  Casmir caught the glint of her necklace, shining almost as bright as the lantern beside them.

 

“Whatever, it’s in the past,” she muttered.  She disappeared into the night before Casmir could call after her.

 

He continued on his way as well, not wanting to wait around in the cold for her to come back.  He knew it wasn’t likely she’d go find him later.  He knew she needed to be alone, and to be honest, he did too.

 

He found a bench, one that sat on an overhang and looked across most of the city, and sat down.  A chill started to set in and he wrapped his coat around his body tighter, grateful that he’d packed it in his bag already when he blindly ran back to Drakania to inform Amber of her father being an Unlocked.  The coat was comfortable, woven from the strongest thread and lined with the warmest and softest fabrics, and it was what he normally wore during the colder seasons.

 

He felt himself start to nod, and he let himself sleep, just for a moment.

 

He told himself that he’d wake up in a few minutes.

 

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Casmir was shaken awake — rather urgently, he might add — by a hand clasping down on his shoulders.  He turned, spotting one of the soldiers he’d trained with, though he couldn’t recall the name at the moment.

 

“Yeah?” he said, not really focusing on anything.  He returned his gaze to the sky, watching the stars glitter overhead and the inky background start to lighten.

 

“We saw her,” the young man said, with a hint of excitement in his voice.

 

There was no mistaking who the soldier was referring to and Casmir felt a pit settle in his stomach.

 

“Where?” he asked, keeping his tone neutral so as to not give away how he truly felt in that moment.

 

“By the courtyard.  She seemed to like going there a lot.”

 

“As far as I know,” Casmir said slowly, choosing his words carefully.  “You could be talking about anyone.”

 

“I’m talking about the Unlocked girl,” the soldier said.  He sounded nonchalant, almost.

 

“Of course you are.”  Casmir feigned exasperation and made sure to keep his expression as calm as possible.  “Show me.”

 

“Of course.  Right this way.”

 

The two soldiers weaved between buildings and walked down paths that eventually merged into a main road, one that led right to the central courtyard.

 

There was no one in sight, as far as Casmir could see, but he wasn’t about to let his guard down.  There were still wisps of fog, hanging low to the ground as the morning dew evaporated.  The first beams of sunlight shone from over the horizon, casting the slowly waking city in a golden light.

 

“She’s right here!” the soldier’s voice brought Casmir back to reality.  “See?”

 

Casmir followed the finger, tilting his head and squinting to see the figure sat by the fountain, slumped over in a defeated posture.  He stepped closer and spotted a flash of green.  Amber had created an energy ball and was holding it in her hands, not doing anything with it.

 

“And?” Casmir asked, his tone challenging.  “Is that all?  She’s not doing anything.”

 

“She’s using her powers,” the soldier argued.  “Shouldn’t that be enough reason to do something?”

 

It was at times like now when Casmir wondered why he even bothered to put up with this whole mission in the first place.

 

“Oh, you’re waiting for me to give a command?” he said, hoping he didn’t sound too dismissive.

 

“Yes, you’re our field commander,” the soldier said.  “Unless you’re having doubts about this because you’re—”

 

“I’m not having doubts!” Casmir hissed.  “I’m just formulating a plan.”  He didn’t actually have a plan, nor was he formulating one.  He was, however, thinking about what the ruler might do to his parents if he failed.  That, and what might happen to Amber if he didn’t quickly take control of the situation and twist it so it would play out in both their favors.

 

“Well you better formulate one quick.  People are starting to crowd around.”

 

Sure enough, there were some curious bystanders walking to the courtyard, trying to see who the girl was.  That was enough to make Casmir’s blood run cold and for him to snap into action.  His mind threw together a plan messily, one that could very easily go wrong, but he had to trust that Amber might be able to figure out what he was doing and play along.

 

“Surround her,” he commanded in a tone of voice he didn’t recognize.  “But don’t hurt her.”

 

The soldier was gone as soon as he said ‘surround her’ and he sighed.  He knew deep down this wasn’t going to go as planned at all, but he had to hope.  With a pounding heart, he walked down the path, albeit slower than his companion, and approached the courtyard.

 

The crowd of onlookers had increased dramatically in size, with several people already whispering to each other on what the skirmish might be about.

 

Casmir’s mind backtracked as he registered what his mind had long since realized.  A skirmish, he thought with dismay.  She’s in trouble.

 

He could no longer see Amber, though he could hear her.  She sounded confused and scared and she was begging for her powers to work.  Ignoring the painful stabbing sensation in his chest, he stepped closer.

 

There were so many soldiers in the courtyard.  They must’ve already been patrolling the city, and had been drawn here.  Someone must’ve also sent word to the lookout posts stationed around the city for ‘reinforcements’.

 

The whispers increased when he approached the group.  Several people reached out, wanting to grab his attention, wanting to know what was happening because they assumed he knew.  Others just wanted to get his attention because they wanted his attention.

 

He closed his eyes, inhaling and exhaling slowly to calm himself.  He could do this without losing his temper.  He hadn’t lost it and lashed out in years, and he wasn’t going to start now—

 

“Casmir, what’s happening?”

 

“Why are there so many soldiers here?”

 

“Can I talk to you?  Are you free later?”

 

“Casmir—”

 

His mind snapped and he whirled around, eyes blazing with anger and annoyance.  “Everyone clear the area!” he shouted.  For an added dramatic effect, he unsheathed his sword, the silvery blade glinting dangerously in the light of the rising sun.

 

The crowd just stared at him, some with shock, others with awe (he didn’t know why, nor did he care).  Some edged back with fear and he felt a bit of satisfaction that they were intimidated by him.  They still didn’t move to leave though.

 

He growled and corrected his grip on his sword.  “Now,” he hissed, unable to keep the anger from his tone anymore.

 

They dispersed and went on their way after that.

 

Casmir didn’t pause to congratulate himself.  He turned his focus to the group of soldiers in front of him and walked toward them.

 

They parted for him and he was greeted with the sight of Amber, curled up on the ground with her head in her hands.  She was clearly crying and defeated, though he couldn’t let his concern for her show.

 

For both their sakes, he had to play the role of an unyielding soldier, the loyal protector of his kingdom.