Page 23 of Terragnata and the Heir of the Earth

“What do you remember learning about the Endless Ocean?” Sanah asked.

“Strange tales, none really substantiated—but just as you explained. Travelers who got the idea to explore the Endless Ocean seldom returned. And if they did, they did so changed, confused. None in Argention left to explore it, but we are not the seafaring kind. Though, I did hear a tale from a wanderer once…”

I paused, remembering aloud. “He said the most peculiar thing—mentioning Fae, actually. I thought he was just another madman returned from the Endless Ocean, but now…”

“What did he say?” Sanah probed. I closed my eyes in concentration, willing the memory forward.

“Those who can survive beyond the barrier have more than power in body, but power in spirit. It is true, both are needed, but one aspect the rarer. Those who dwell there for their whole lives have both, but also neither, for they seldom find themselves tested. It is the interloper, the challenger, that has both advantage and disadvantage. For she sees the ways of the Fae and the Witch, maybe even comes to live by them, but she never forgets the human heart. Hers is a heart that will never grow cold.”

I opened my eyes to find Sanah staring at me, something unfamiliar on her face. I supposed the recitation was strange—it shocked me that I even remembered the whole thing. But before I could say more, she shook her head. “Sounds like a human with a scrambled head.”

Everything I’d known had been turned over. Now, the wanderer’s message felt more pregnant with meaning than ever.

But Sanah moved on, leaving my confusion in her wake. “We are headed to Valfalla, the capital city of Viribrum. Your father’s homeland, remember? Nebbiolo is off the coast of Viribrum. See here.” Sanah pointed to an island. “That is where I am from. You, too, were born there.”

“The Witch queendom.”

She nodded.

“And Dane?” I looked at him rather than Sanah, his chest rattling as it rose and fell. Even with medicine, he must have been in immense pain.

“He is Drakkarian.” Her words came out heavy.

My earlier conversation with Jana came back to me.The Viri King and Nebbiolon Queen publicly blamed Drakkarian operatives for your presumed death. The king has been using your disappearance to stoke the public’s desire for war.

“So any love between a Nebbiolon and a Drakkarian would be frowned upon… given the… tensions,” I ventured.

Sanah released a hollow laugh. “Try forbidden, not frowned upon.”

Interesting.“Is that why you’re here?”

She gave me a sad smile. “Itwouldbe nice if we could be together without giving up our families. It may be naïve of me, but I believe in a better world. An ambitious goal that starts with one small step. One you can help us take.”

Nausea roiled in my belly. These strangers’ faith in me still felt far-fetched and misplaced. What if my return to Viribrum didn’t make things right? What if they were wrong and showing my face wasn’t enough to quell whatever tensions were brewing?

I swallowed the doubt—tamping it far down—and instead pulled on the little thread of fire that laced itself around my heart.It doesn’t matter. Only Fayzien. Justice matters.

I rose. “Sanah, thank you… for the information.”

“How’s he doing?” she asked as I made my way to the exit. I knew she didn’t refer to the patient beside her.

I shrugged. “I think okay. When he changed—back to his usual form, I mean… I’ve never seen anything like it. He was… an animal that had lost its mind. Rabid,” my eyes grew glassy, recalling Ezren’s feral expression, the beast that was trapped within him, begging to be let out. I chuckled. “You would think the craziest thing to me would be seeing his Dragon form. That seemed a lot more natural than what came after.” I shuddered.

Sanah sucked in a breath. “Terra, you should try to stay away from Ezren. It’s not my story to tell, but he’s… troubled, I would say. I know you may feel indebted to him for saving your life, but I would keep my distance if I were you.”

I dipped my head, unsure of how to respond. Though its exact meaning was vague, her warning didn’t shock me. Ezren’s eyes alone seemed dangerous.

“Thank you again for your lessons tonight, Sanah. It was nice to meet you.” And then I set out to find a bed.

I wokeon the cot provided to me, this time verifying the tent belonged to no one else. I slept without dreaming, exhausted from the events of the day. Rolling over, I saw Leiya’s familiar shorn fire redhead bent over, examining the point of her blade.

“Good morning, watchdog,” I croaked, my voice hoarse from a deep sleep.

At that, she grinned. “Yer quite a self-important lassie, hey, te think I’ve been watchin’ ye all night. Nay, I’ve jest been here a few minutes. Yer to report te Jana immediately.”

I opened one eye to regard her, still adjusting to the morning light. “I agreed to accompany you all to Viribrum, not to be at Jana’s beck and call.”

Leiya rolled her eyes. “Et es about Fayzien, lass. She needs yer help te… assess hem as a threat,” she said, her tone soft.

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