Banished
Augustus had never been banished from anywhere before. Banished. The word sits poorly with him as he recalls being escorted beyond the palisade walls at dawn. As a noble of the capital, the shame of it sits heavily on him. Rennes had been the most relaxing stop of their journey—brief as it was. For those few nights, he had drunk himself into a stupor, befriending many locals. The cervi and lapine had been kind, and even the devilkin, prickly as they were, had warmed up to him with exciting tales.
The snow crunches beneath his boots, and Mido walks at his side, his expression conflicted, while the other three walk several paces ahead in silence. There is a bitterness in the air, and though Augustus feels annoyed at their situation, he has no intention of letting that anger linger. His rapier clatters at his side as he quickens his pace to catch up. His ears sting from the cold, and his nose is red and frozen.
Though he is upset with being banished, he understands Khimi’s actions. The cervi had pushed him too far with the cruelty of his words. In the time he had spent with them, he had heard whispers about Lord Zeybek and the aslan at his side—speculations about the difference in their age, Khimi’s status, or Lumi’s attire. In Loria, it was not uncommon for beastkin to take lovers with other races, though true partnerships or marriages were few and far between.
“I don’t want to freeze to death,” Augustus mutters between his chattering teeth. “We don’t even know where we’re going, or do we?” he asks, unsure of himself.
Ennui shrugs, tucking a fur cloak tighter around her shoulders. “We’re going north, right? We’re walking north. What more do you want?”
Lumi’s long silence finally breaks. “It wasn’t his fault,” he mumbles to Ennui.
“I don’t want to hear it!” Ennui snaps. “If we had just a few more days, we could’ve gotten horses—a wagon. Something.”
“She’s right,” Khimi replies, his hands tucked beneath his armpits. “I should have just let it go.”
“Let it go?!” Lumi hisses. “I was gonna beat his ass myself!”
Mido catches up through the thick snow. “Lumi’s right.”
Augustus scoffs. Really?
Lumi glances back with a look of disbelief, followed by Khimi and Ennui. “Really?”
“He was out of line. I was going to say something, but it seemed like you and Khimi had it handled,” Mido admits, red creeping into his cheeks. “Right, Augustus?”
Khimi chuckles. “You both abandoned us the moment things got serious.”
“Can you blame us?” Augustus chokes, “I’ve seen the way you can get—all intense and broody. Besides! We weren’t the first one to run off. Isn’t that right, Ennui?”
“I didn’t feel like sticking around to listen to some foolish man prattle on with his randy bullshit,” Ennui says dismissively. “And Rennes is supposed to hold some significance for my kind… not that I could find any meaning in the priestesses’ nonsense.”
“There were a lot of devilkin,” Mido whispers with a nod of agreement. “I was thinking maybe… it was like some sorta cult.”
“Cult?” Ennui snorts. “It’s a whole faith in its own. Much different than your own.”
Lumi’s head snaps toward her, his lips pursed thoughtfully. “You’re in a cult?”
“No.” Ennui groans. “I’m not like those people. I do my own thing… walk my own path. It just so happens that— Never mind, it’s not worth explaining.”
“Enlighten us,” Augustus says, draping an arm over her shoulder.
Her tail whips against his lower back. He recoils with a sharp cough. “Fine, don’t tell us.”
“It’s none of your business,” she grumbles.
“Don’t worry,” Khimi chimes, “she hasn’t even told me about it.”
“It’s not important,” Ennui snaps, and presses ahead of the group. “Maybe when we’re about to freeze to death, I’ll tell you all a fun little story.”
Augustus rubs his hands together for warmth. “Won’t be long now, then.”
A long silence follows. The wooden palisades fade behind them into a field of white. Based on the quick glance Augustus had taken of a map earlier—the mountains looming ahead hid a frozen lake beyond them. Hour after hour through the freezing cold and gentle snow, those towering mountains loom before them, unmoving, never drawing nearer. It’s maddening.
Mido’s teeth begin to clatter together in the freezing cold. His lips blue. Augustus nervously watches the group’s quickly deteriorating state. The light that remains is negligent. The cold only grows more severe by the minute. An occasional light flickers in front of Lumi’s hands, his palms extended before him, his eyes closed in focus while they walk. Bits of heat flash from the light. As welcoming as the heat is, the fleeting warmth is equally disappointing.
Twilight falls upon them. Augustus’ thighs ache. The tips of his toes tingle, the wet from the snow soaks through the leather boots. Exhausted and freezing, he once more breaks the silence. His cracked lips nearly rip when they open. “We need rest… and we need heat,” he says, his voice trailing. “Lumi… can you make a fire?”
Khimi turns back and lifts his hand, a ball of flames erupts from his palm. “We need shelter, we won’t be able to continue on through the cold like this.”
“We can’t stop moving,” Mido argues.
Augustus scans the treeline. “Why don’t we just camp there?” he suggests, pointing toward the snow-laden trees. “We could make a fire, rest for the night.”
Ennui’s eyes pinch closed. “Are you serious? Everything is going to be wet… you’ve no idea.”
“Then what? We just push on until we succumb to our exhaustion?!” Augustus responds. His damp hair clings to his face, the wet snowfall licks against him.
An orb of flames forms overhead. Lumi’s brow wrinkles in focus. The heat pushes over them, the snow at their feet sizzles. It expands, creating a fiery halo overhead.
“Lumi, you don’t have to do that,” Khimi mutters. “We’ll be fine…” The flame in his palm flickers away.
“Will we?” Lumi responds, his attention on the flames. “We need rest. The skies feel heavy… like the sun can’t reach through. Like it’ll never reach through. Maybe we should go back.”
“They won’t let us in,” Ennui says quickly. “If not because of what Khimi did… for other reasons.”
Mido raises an eyebrow and frowns. “Care to expand?”
“Envy, for starters,” Ennui mutters. “Samael plays favorites. And those without his favor resent those who do.”
Embers drift from overhead, perspiration drips down Lumi’s brow. Khimi takes his arm, walking alongside him. The halo moves along with them, a beacon in the dark. Augustus forces himself to follow, his eyes wide in awe.
“Khimi,” Augustus whispers, ignoring Mido and Ennui’s conversation. “We should rest… it isn’t good for Lumi to keep on like this.”
Though Khimi’s expression confirms his thoughts, he only whispers, “We’ll be fine.”
Through the night, they continue their journey. The distant mountains give way to frozen foothills, and the sparse trees thin further along the rocky landscape. The skies hang heavy, and a bone-chilling wind cuts through the group. The embers of their fire crackle and pop under the wind’s harsh caress. Augustus can hardly take his eyes off the flaming halo. You could probably see it from back from town. The further they travel through the cold, the heavier his eyelids become. He’s heard how quick and painless death in the cold can be. Just like closing your eyes. Just like sleep. Mido’s clap on his shoulder jolts his attention back to their situation.
The foothills make way into a rocky mountain path. The path is marked with, carriage tracks and signs of foot traffic are all around. Under the cover of the mountains, the winds no longer blow against them. The halo dissipates, Lumi crumples at Khimi’s side. Both Mido and Augustus reach for him, only to hesitate as Khimi scoops him into his arms. Alone in the darkness, the group finds themselves surrounded by the mountains.
“Is he… ?” Augustus starts.
“Dead?” Ennui scoffs. “No, knackered out.”
“Cut him some slack,” Khimi grumbles, adjusting Lumi in his arms.
“The boy can have a god puppet his ass, but he can’t keep a fire going for a few hours?” she mutters, annoyed.
Mido’s head twists and turns about, his tail wags behind him. “We should rest here… it’s better than being out in the open.”
“You’re right,” Khimi responds, shifting Lumi onto his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. “I don’t have enough strength to carry him and keep going for long.”
Ennui pulls her cloak over her shoulder and surveys the landscape. “I can take him if you’re too weak.”
Augustus, hearing the rising inflections in their voices, finally speaks up. “We should rest, Ennui. Just a few hours, till sun up.”
“This is not where we should rest. I’ll scout ahead,” she mutters before setting off down the pass.
Mido sighs as Ennui vanishes behind a limestone boulder. “The next town… it’s going to be weeks away on foot.”
“Maybe,” Khimi says, trying to sound reassuring. “Someone in the town mentioned there were smaller villages and towns from here to Winterholt.”
“There’s also a citadel city on the south side of the lake,” Mido adds, looking up at Khimi, hopeful. “Maybe they’ll let us in.”
Augustus shivers, standing in the cold. “Let’s hope.”
The night passes in the cold of a cavern Ennui had managed to find to the north a ways. The cavern is barren, dried grass inside serves as kindling to fuel their fire. The night passes, their spirits damped by the cold and their exile.
The following day, they continue through the rocky pass. At the highest points, they stop to appreciate the view. The lake extends as far as the eye can see. Ancient pines reach for the skies, their evergreen boughs covered in veils of snow. Along the neck of the lake, a stony citadel comes into view, gray walls surround what appears to be a small town. In the center, is what Augustus can only guess is a manor.
Despite his excitement, Augustus notes the stern expressions of the rest of the group. “Am I missing something? Aren’t we excited? Civilization is right there.” he questions, unsure of himself.
Ennui purses her lips. “That is a citadel, Augustus. We won’t be granted entry, and if we are, we don’t know what kind of reception we’ll get.”
“It’s not like walking into a town,” Khimi whispers. “They could be mercenaries. Soldiers.”
“Musicians,” Lumi whispers from Khimi’s side, shivering at the notion.
Augustus chuckles. “You mean minstrels?”
Lumi glances at Augustus, his ears twitching at his words. “Whatever they are,” he whispers as they begin to take the path to the foothills. “I hate them.”
Mido tilts his head. “Isn’t your cousin a minstrel?”
“Beatrix? Yeah, she studied music in the capital,” Augustus replies.
Ennui smirks. “Why couldn’t she have come instead of you? At least we’d have some tunes to listen to on our merry adventure.” Her laughter echoes menacingly around them.
“Oh, I doubt you’d want to hear her nagging,” Augustus mumbles, catching a smile from Mido.
“He’s right—she’s… a handful,” Mido laughs. “She’s known in the capital.”
“Known?” Lumi asks, raising an eyebrow as Khimi helps him down a boulder.
Khimi grins, his hands on Lumi’s waist. “He means… she gets around.”
“She’s a whore,” Ennui states flatly.
Augustus coughs. “I don’t think she’s a whore. Just… loose with herself.”
Khimi smirks at Ennui. “Your type?”
“Shut up,” she snips, rolling her eyes.
The hours continue to pass. They pass through the mountain pass in a tight group around Khimi. The heat from his flame extends outward enough for it to be felt against their skin. The citadel looms ahead, its stone walls stretching high, torches flickering atop the gatehouses. Shadowy figures pace before the fires. At their approach, a smaller door along the gate opens, and riders break through the thick snow to meet them. Despite the earlier warning, Augustus is hopeful and eager. Excitement shows across his features while the riders draw near.
The riders on horseback draw near. The figures, wrapped in heavy furs and cloaks, stop just paces ahead of them, a torch held high above their heads. The light from the torch dances with the light from Khimi’s flames. The air is thick and uneasy. Neither party wanting to break the silence.
Augustus steps forward. “We need entry to the Citadel,” he says finally.
The riders exchange glances before removing their sallets, revealing lapine features. Their long, rabbit-like ears stand erect. “The citadel is barred to outsiders,” one says. “But it is not in our nature to see travelers suffer. You may camp outside the gatehouse. We will provide wood for your fires and food for your bellies.”
“We can pay for horses… or passage!” Lumi pleads. “Right, Khimi?”
Ennui, glances about the group. “We need shelter. The weather is worsening.”
One of the riders clears his throat. “There’s a blizzard coming, but you can make it to the nearest town to the north of here. It’s a few days’ march—”
“And freeze to death on the road?” Khimi interrupts, the blaze in his hand flickers, the color shifting to a darker crimson.
A rider laughs aloud, his sallet tucked under his arm. “Travelers, we’ve offered our kindness, take it or leave it.”
The horses turn back to the citadel. Augustus’ desperation gets the better of him, he shouts before he can think. “Wait! Wait!” He calls. “I am Augustus Helvia of Loria. Son of Noctus and Alba Helvia! This is Khimi Zeybek of the Cerulean Star! We’re seeking asylum! I beg of you!”
Ennui glares daggers at him. “We’ll take your hospitality outside the gates,” she interjects smoothly. “Ignore the boy. He has no idea what he’s saying.”
The lapine at the center of the other riders looks them over. A whimsical smile forms on his lips. “I am Perri of house Barrau. While I have no awareness of Lorian nobility, I have heard of the Cerulean Star…”
“Then you’ll give us shelter?!” Augustus exclaims, hope lighting his face.
“We will ride back to the Citadel and share your plight with my father, Lord Barrau. The decision is solely his,” Perri replies, studying the group. “I am certain my father would make accommodations for such… notable guests.”
One of the rider’s eyes linger over Ennui. “Even if you travel with questionable company.”
Lumi bristles, ready to speak, but Ennui cuts him off. “Right, well… I am just a humble retainer of the Cerulean Star,” she mutters. “This one, and this one,” she adds, motioning to Mido and Lumi, “are also retainers.”
Perri sighs and offers the other rider a scowl. “No need to be discourteous. We will hear of their story and situation at the Citadel,” he says before he spurs the riders away.
The moment the riders arrive at the edge of the citadel, Ennui shifts back to the group. “I suppose you think you’re smart, don’t you?” She asks Augustus. “You–”
“At least we won’t be sleeping in the cold,” Mido interrupts, “And maybe we can get passage from here to Winterholt. They seem to know the Cerulean Star!”
Lumi looks contemplative, pacing back and forth before them. “Why would they know the Cerulean Star? Khimi, I thought you said no one in the north would know you?”
Khimi scratches the scruff of his chin, “I didn’t think they would…”
Lumi’s brow furrows further, his face screwed up in worry. “What if they’re like those other creatures? The ones back in Cochon?”
Mido sighs. “Not everyone in the north is a vampire, Lumi.”
“True, true,” Lumi agrees with a subtle nod. “But it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.”
“Right, so treat everyone like they are evil? Got it.” Augustus snorts.
Lumi pulls his hair in frustration, “Y-you’re not understanding! I didn’t say that.”
A short while later, the riders return with spare horses. They instruct the group to mount and lead them by the bridles into the Citadel. Thick stone walls rise to greet them, and the citadel is as quiet as a crypt. Once they pass through the gatehouse, they make their way across a cobbled street. Despite the structure’s vastness, the place feels empty—abandoned. The buildings are wood and beam construction, heavy stones along the outside with thick thatch rooftops. The buildings near the central manor are adorned with sloped slate rooftops, and painted brick walls.
The few citizens they do cross paths with in the dark of night are woolen shawls and heavy jackets. Thick wool winds around their legs and feet for warmth. None of them speak. They merely bow their heads in quiet acknowledgment as the group passes.
The manor looms before them, a multi-leveled building with wings which wrap around a frozen central courtyard. The entirety of the area is covered in snow, only the path through the iron gates appears to have seen any recent foot traffic. The group all looks at one another uncomfortably while Perri leads them into the frozen courtyard and dismounts from his steed.
“Welcome to Riverwatch!” he shouts, arms thrown wide in exuberant greeting.
A heavy sheet of snow slides from the frozen roof of the estate, hammering into a mound in the courtyard. The sound echoes sharp across the silent yard.