"The Wanderer ~Spirals of Wrong~ Chpt: 1" by Morgan F Murray

Chapter 1

Impending doom, Iris thought to himself, though he didn’t actually think these words, it was as though the thought was so strong that it seemed almost ingrained into his very character. The intense heat continued to beat down upon his body like a merciless torturer. Hot sand stabbed at his feet while hot wind scratched at his face.

His name was Iris Veyena, skilled swordsman and a captain of King Reghar’s army, though you could not tell it then. He dragged his bare feet across the dessert while what was left of his ragged clothes whipped around on his back. His sword, or what’s left of it, was tucked into his belt, nothing but a hilt and an inch of blade.

A few yards ahead of him lay a large rock, his new destination point. Once there he tucked his body behind it and hid from the violent sandstorm. Placing his face into his hands he wept silently, or perhaps it was loudly, because of the screaming wind one could not tell one way from the other. Iris’s tears fell into the sand to leave tiny dark spots that disappeared in the wind quickly. It had been three days of aimless wandering through the Last Desert. Banished from his homeland for terrible reasons. Yes, he thought to himself, terrible reasons, reasons that could inflict doom upon the world. Unstoppable… for anyone but himself…

Iris closed his eyes and dreamt of his past…

***

The young woman paced before the fireplace. Her oleander skin was glowing a radiant red in the firelight. She continued to furl the front of her lacy, emerald-green dress, deeply troubled. This was a regular occasion for her, always at home waiting…waiting and worrying. The hours passed by like days to her on these cold, lengthy summer nights.

A noise from outside made her start. She looked through the window over the rickety rocking chair. Kneeling on the chair she leaned her head further out for a better look. Quite disappointed that the sound came from one of the stable horses, she pulled back into the cottage. Just as she leaned back to stand, the front leg of the rocking chair snapped and she fell to the floor.

Frustrated with everything around her, she growled and shoved her puffy dress skirt behind her legs and knelt down to try and fix the catastrophe before her. Cursing under her breath, she righted the chair and put the leg back into its hole on the rocker. She frowned and poked at the middle where there was an enormous crack that caused the chair to buckle over. Sighing, she gave up and began to pace once again.

No sooner had she stood than the door swung wide open and in stepped a knight. He was wearing elegant blue armour; each piece of metal was adorned with finely traced runes and designs of gold and silver. His face, his ever so handsome face smiled brightly when the young woman bound toward him with excitement.

“Iris, you’ve made it safely back!” she screamed as she leapt into his arms. She clutched Iris tightly and buried her face in his neck.

“Why, Jade, you really didn’t think that I would not be coming back to my beautiful lady?” he said, laughing heartily and holding her back at arms length. Jade’s eyes were home to Iris. He let their magic envelope his senses. “I would come back on foot from the other side of the world if I really had to.” He smiled and pulled her to him once more.

“It’s been so long, Iris,” she said, standing on her toes while he embraced her. She eased her hold on him, and he followed. She stepped back and held out a hand to a rocking chair.

“Please have a seat, I’ll put a kettle over the fire, will Khale be along soon?” Iris bowed his head and moved over to sit. Jade walked to the fireplace and picked up the water pale to pour in the kettle.

Iris cleared his throat. “Indeed, Khale is on his way, he wanted to pick up some provisions for our journey. I think he’s down by the lake right now,” he said before he sat down.

“You mean that you two are leaving soon already? Why can’t…Iris don’t sit there!” she held out both hands and groaned as the chair creaked once before collapsing under Iris’ weight. “I am so sorry, I forgot about that wretched chair.” She ran to his side and shoved her auburn hair behind her ears before stooping to help him up. Iris chuckled and dusted himself off.

“I’m fine, Jade,” he said, smiling again, “Please don’t mind me, put the kettle on and I’ll explain myself.” Jade bit her lip and nodded. She went to the fireplace again and set the kettle on its hook over the fire before looking over at Iris.

Iris removed his sword’s scabbard from his belt before sitting on the regular chair. He made sure to shift his breastplate so that it didn’t cut off his blood flow when he settled in. “Khale and I are assigned to meet with the High Elders in the Council Hall in Tsaroth. The journey there and back will be a while, but the meeting isn’t supposed to last long.” He looked from his hands to Jade’s green eyes, trying to see if she’ll smile. She turned around and began to stoke the coals in the fire.

Shaking his head he stood up and looked out the window, Khale still wasn’t on his way back. The lake was just over the hill in front of the cottage. When he stepped back his foot broke a piece of the chair. Bending to one knee he picked up some of the pieces of the chair and began to place them back together.

As he busied his hands, the only thoughts running through his mind were of Jade. A week before, Iris had planned to ask for Jade to marry him. He always pushed himself with thoughts that it was meant to be, or it was the right thing to do. Now that he was alone with her, he really couldn’t think of a proper way to ask her. He wanted to so much, but his mind was never in the right place to say anything.

Finally thinking he had the chair the way it was supposed to be, Iris walked across the room to stand beside his lovely Jade. Holding up a callused hand he placed it firmly on her shoulder that was warm and radiating in the fire’s light. Jade stopped fuming and stood still. Iris used his other hand to touch Jade’s chin. Finally Jade turned and faced him. Kindness and compassion replaced her mask of frustration and she held out her arms to wrap around Iris’ waist. She rested her head gently on his breastplate; she could still hear his rapid heartbeat through the steel.

The embrace lasted for several moments, and was abruptly interrupted by the door swinging open, a cold draft wafted rudely over them. The door was quickly shut and in walked another knight wearing the same armour as Iris. Jade pushed away from Iris, straightened out the front of her dress and walked toward the knight.

“Khale, its so nice to see you,” she said, giving him a friendly squeeze before picking up the satchels he had dropped on the floor.

“Wait, Jade, we’ll be needing those on our travels,” said Khale. He went for the bags, but Jade pulled them out of reach. Laughing she walked to the dining room. “I’m aware of that, Khale. That’s why I’m replacing your horridly old bags for some newly mended horsehide satchels.” Khale shrugged and sat on the chair next to Iris. Iris was too busy staring at the flames to notice that Khale managed to completely destroy the rocking chair the moment his bottom touched the seat. The loud crunching sounds made Jade poke her head out of the dining room. Iris finally snapped out of his trance and looked over to Khale, only to chuckle gleefully.

“My goodness, Khale are you alright?” he asked, reaching out a hand to pull Khale to his feet. “Did you hurt something?”

“Only my dignity,” Khale returned. “By the looks of these remains, I wasn’t the first person to break the chair.” He began to laugh and Jade came out of the dining room again with their provisions stored in large, tanned leather bags. She placed them by Khale’s new chair and left the room to return with a set of cups for the three of them.

Iris hurried to take the kettle off and pour the water into the cups. Khale dug into the bags and pulled out a handful of browning leaves.

“These should make it tasty, Jade, we bought them from a travelling merchant. He said the plants were grown with soil fertilized from berry and melon remains. The plants absorbed the taste, and the leaves even smell nice.” He handed them to Jade to mix into the tea.

“How nice of you, I haven’t had a decent cup of tea in ages,” Jade said, beaming brightly. She bade the brothers have a seat while the tea steeped. At long last, Jade took it upon herself to relax and sit on the arm of Iris’ chair.

Iris felt Khale’s foot tap his shin. Glancing over he saw Khale nodding towards Jade, rotating his hand; thumbs up or thumbs down. Iris shook his head slightly and Khale let out a heavy sigh and sunk deeper into his chair.

An awkward silence fell over the three of them. Iris absent-mindedly held Jade’s waist while she stared into the fire. Khale couldn’t take it for very long and cleared his throat distinctly.

“Well, the sun should be rising soon, by the time we’re done tea it’ll be coming right up there,” he said, nodding and biting his lip when no one replied for a few moments. Jade clung to Iris’s shoulders.

“Do you want to go on top of the hill and watch it Iris…when we’re done tea?” she looked into his eyes as if he would never climb that hill in his life. Iris grinned and gave his head a nod. “Thank you, dear. Oh, the tea should be good now.”

Hopping off Iris’ lap, Jade hustled to the tea and set a cup down on each of the small tables beside the brothers’ chairs. She took her own cup and moved to sit in the window-sofa and gaze out at the lush green hill. Iris watched her for a moment and turned to Khale.

“General BladeRinger told me that there was quite a few ruffian reports on the road to Tsaroth,” he said in a silent but clear voice. Khale’s eyes opened and he pulled the cup of tea from his lips.

“Is that so?” he said, “We’ll have to tell our footman and coachman to keep an eye out in case they see something.”

“That’s a good plan,” said Iris. He sipped some tea and was about to take another when he stopped and looked at Khale again, “Khale, do you remember where the Council Hall is? It has been so long since I was there with father, and you’ve been there a few times with your Talon lately, haven’t you?” He watched Khale set down his tea again.

“Its impossible to miss, Iris. It’s the tallest building in the city, and I think it’s the only one with no windows except for the upper floors on the West side of it.” He picked up the tea again and gave it a gentle blow before drinking down the rest. Khale never was a tea person.

Iris simply rotated his cup in his hand, watching the herbs swirl. His mind once again returned to the problem at hand; how was he going to ask Jade? The thoughts almost hurt his mind to linger on, but he knew that in his heart that this was really what he wanted. Perhaps he would try when Jade and him were watching the sunrise. Jade shifted in the window to stand and take Khale’s cup and her own to the dining room, she came back and asked if Iris was going to finish his and he shook his head. When Jade returned again, Iris rose from his seat and held out a hand.

“Shall we go watch the sunset, Jade?” he asked politely. Jade beamed and took his hand quickly. They were walking out the front door when Khale rose.

“Iris, I’ll just…wait for the carriage. I’ll come and get you when it’s here,” he said, feeling quite awkward with the position his brother always seemed to be putting him in. Oh well, thought Khale, at least he’s found a woman.

“Isn’t it amazing?" gasped Jade, "Could there be anything more beautiful?"

Iris turned his head from the sunrise and gently touched Jade’s chin with the tips of his thick fingers. "Well, just one thing," he stated. Blushing to the core Jade touched Iris’ smiling face.

"Come on, there could not be anything at all more beautiful than that," she said. Iris’ smile widened.

"If that sunrise is any more alluring than you, Jade, then it should not be on this plane of existence, for to have more beauty than your face would be too beautiful for mortal eyes." Jade’s blush deepened and Iris leaned in to kiss her. She closed her eyes and hoped she could make time stop to enjoy this kiss for eternity. The lovers held each other fast in an embrace that each of them had yearned to have for so long. The moment broke with great reluctance and they fell back onto the grass to look up at the milky clouds that drifted slowly across the colourful sky. Iris cradled Jade in his arm while she rested on his chest. Now is the time, Iris thought, he would ask her…

"Hey Iris, the carriage is here," Khale stood over him, a look of apology on his face.

"Well, Jade, do you still think the sky’s pretty? I think it just became a lot uglier," Iris laughed. "Isn’t there a moment when a knight gets to have himself some private time with his lover?"

"How about I think about that a moment…no, sorry, brother, the coachman wants to get going before the sun is too high. Oh and here’s your sword." Khale frowned, dropped the scabbard on the ground and walked down the grass-strewn hill and to the summer cottage, where a richly decorated carriage waited. Iris sat up and held Jade’s face in his hands, smoothing out the oncoming tears. His eyes gazed deeply into her soul, holding it and never wanting to let go.

"Jade, I am so very sorry. When we are done in Tsaroth I will come straight here to see you. It’ll be a long time until another mission after this one." He tried to make her smile. "More time for you." He lifted his hand and held up her chin, "Alright?"

"Well," a single tear rolled down her cheek onto Iris’ hand, "Alright, I’ll be waiting here, just promise me one thing."

"Anything," Iris looked into her bright eyes.

Jade shoved aside his hands and embraced him tightly, "Promise you’ll return safely." Tears fell from her eyes.

"Jade," He started, choking back his tears, "I promise." The goodbye was long and sad. The couple had been apart for so long and here they were, saying another farewell. Iris ran down the hill and lumbered into the carriage with his brother, tossing the sword to the floor. Khale gave him a caring pat on the back and pointed out the carriage window.

In the glass Iris could see his reflection. Much like his brother were his facial features and much alike they were in attitude as well. They both had hard, chiselled and handsome faces, lined with stubble and a solidly square jaw. His night-black hair waved fluently back and his brother’s was the same, except his was much brighter. It was their eyes that really separated them. His were crystal-grey with the bright ring in the middle of his iris. Khale’s eyes were a brilliant array of emerald and blue. Peering through his own reflection he saw Jade standing at the top of the hill, silhouetted against the sunrise, and waving them farewell.