The Curse Of Earthias

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The Curse Of Earthias - book excerpt

Chapter 1

The carriage jerked sharply to a halt, making Yusumi’s doll drop from her hands to land on her papa’s worn bag of blacksmithing tools.

'Easy, easy,' she heard him call to the horses. The animals snorted powerfully, stamping their solid hooves. What was going on? They couldn’t be at Xya yet, her papa had said they wouldn’t reach it for another half a day when they'd set out that morning, and the sun had barely moved since then.

The horses stilled, and she caught the sound of someone moaning. Not her papa, his voice was much deeper. But this voice…there was something strange about it. Another sound wasmixed in – a gurgle, or an echo, maybe – she couldn’t tell which, but it made her skin prickle uncomfortably.

Standing on her seat, she leant across to look out of the carriage window, just in time to see her papa leap down from the driving seat and run over to a man sprawled on the grounda short distance from the horses' hooves. He paused, gazing around as if trying to figure out where the man had come from. She copied him.

They weren’t in a town, and she couldn’t see any villages nearby, either. Only an old windmill, crumbled and run down. She couldn't imagine anyone wanting to live there, or even hide for a game. The stones looked far too loose for anything like that.

The weathered road was quiet too, and her papa hadn't bellowed out any greetings to other drivers in hours, so she doubted the man had been dropped off by another carriage. Yet there he was, as if he’d surfaced from the ground like a mole.

Leaning further out, she saw that the man was writhing about, his food-stained tunic and patched hose covered in the dusthis movements were clouding up from the earth. His skin was as pale as the sickly infant she’d seen in the last village they’d stayed at, and his eyes were completely grey,as though all the colour had been drained from them. They latched onto her, cold and intense...and hungry.Her breath caught nervously in her chest.

Her papa, noticing the man’s interest, turned to her. ‘It’s alright, Yusumi. Get back inside, we’ll be on our way again soon.’ His attention went back to the man. ‘Get up,’ he demanded, lending him a hand all the same. ‘There’s no way my horses could have even touched you, you're too far away. Any injuries you have were caused by flinging yourself down, not bythem.’

The man hissed back at him, muttering words that didn’t sound like any Yusumi knew. Perhaps he was from a distant land, like those in the tales the people from her home village whispered at night, the ones beyond Xylantria's wastelands.

‘Sorry, friend, but I only speak Xylantrian,’ her papa said, his eyes hardening. But the man was still looking past him at Yusumi. Her papa inched to the side, cutting off his line of sight. ‘You’re far too interested in my daughter for my liking. Move, or I’ll be forced to move you myself,' he ordered.

The man’s only answer was to throw back his head and utter a high-pitched wailing. Yusumi clasped her hands over her ears in an attempt to cut off the terrible noise, but it was no good. It penetrated her mind, overtaking her every thought, and sent pain searing through her skull.

‘Papa! Make it stop! Please make it stop!’ she screamed.

Reacting quickly, hesmasheda fist hard into the man's lower jaw, the force tearing it away from the rest of his face. Only a single strip of flesh remained attached, leaving it dangling uselessly down his front. There was no blood, not even a drop.

‘What in Xylantria…’Her papa's voice faltered, and he threw a concerned look towards her. Then hiseyes widened. ‘No!’

She barely had time to register his panic before a pair of cold, damp hands grabbed her from behind and plucked her from the carriage.

She struggled against them in every way she knew how; biting, kicking, clawing; hardly sparing a thought at the grotesque way her captor's skin split apart as they endeavoured to keep hold of her.

From the corner of her eye, she saw that the man with the broken jaw had crept up on her papa and grabbed him around the neck, preventing him from getting to her. But not for long. Ducking down and twisting, he broke free of the man's grasp while simultaneously catching him in a double arm lock. Two sickening cracks later, he'd pulled them out of their sockets. With a final blow at the man's sternum, he pushed him back into one of the horses. Startled, the animalreared up and kicked the man in the head, splitting his skull.

By this time, Yusumi had all but broken free herself, and with a last mighty kick, she dropped from her captor’s grasp. ‘Papa!’ she called, reaching for him, but suddenly an entire horde of the strange menappeared, swarming between them.

‘Run, Yusumi!’ her papa roared, launching himself at them to give her time. She fled, heading for the ruined windmill. Footsteps pounded behind her, but she didn’t dare look back. Twice, her feet caught on broken blocks embedded in the ground and sent her staggering forwards.But she scrambled upright again and kept going. Reaching the windmillat last, she hauled herself up one side of its partially collapsed wall and started climbing, grateful that the rough stone gave her plenty of edges to grip hold of.

As she neared the area with the most damage, preparing to shinny around to where theblocks continued, she finally spared a glance behind her. One of the men had reached the wall, yet he barely got two incheshigh before a large lump of stone sailed through the air and smashed into his head. He collapsed, unmoving.

Reversing the stone’s arc with her eyes,Yusumi spotted her papa, fearlessly attacking as many of the men as he could. Yet the hordewas swamping him, with more appearing every second.They tore at his limbs and face with vice-like fingers. Despite his efforts, there were simply too many. He managed to cast her one last glance, and then was dragged under. She knew in that moment, as her heart felt like it was being crushed, that there was no escape for him.

But there was no time to scream.

Already, the men were breaking apart, now covered in fresh blood, and making their way towards her. She began climbing again, hoping that the edges of the blocks she so easily gripped were too small for an adult’s hands to grasp properly.

Yet the men leapt up the wall as though it were a specially built climbing tower. She went faster, doubling her efforts, and reacheda slight edgesurrounding the windmill's roof. Now where could she go?

Next to her, the mill's tattered sails hung motionless. If she jumped onto one, her weight would start them moving again and she could swing to the ground and flee. She looked back at the men, almost upon her. That was it, she had no other choice. She had to jump.

Gathering up as much courage as she could, she leapt at the nearest sail, clutching tightly to the latticed wood under the torn cloth. The sailscreaked into motion; she was going tomake it!

Snap!

The sound tore through the air as the sail broke in two and fell hard to the ground, Yusumi along with it. Her body went numb. No shooting pain from the impact, no sting from the scrapes on her palms…there was nothing. She couldn’t move, she couldn’t see. She could barely even breathe.

The clumsy thumping of many feetsounded around her, followed by the smell ofputrid breath close to her face. Were theychecking to see if she was still alive? She found herself holding what little breath she’d drawn. She wasn’t sure why; surely it was all over now anyway?

Yet after a few minutes, they moved away. Were they really leaving her for dead?

Her head swam at the thought and she slipped in and out of consciousness, not knowing if seconds had passed or hours. Eventually, her mind cleared and her ears sharpened to a new sound. Horses' hooves and the groaning of carriage wheels.

The noise eased, andthe horrified voice of a woman carried across to her.‘My goodness! What…what in Xylantria has happened here?’

‘Who knows, Your Majesty? Bandits, perhaps, or wolves. Maybe even a family quarrel,’ a man replied. His voice sounded hollow, like it was coming from somewhere else entirely.

‘There are no wolves in these parts, Lord Razay. And even if there were, I doubt they would leave a meal half-finished. I might be inclined to agree with bandits, but this carriage and its horses remain untouched,' the queen replied.'As fora family quarrel…that is even less likely. They don’t resemble one another at all. Look at these pale men, look at their clothes! They’re patched and worn,they obviously haven’t been washed in months. Yetthis man,’ she said, hesitating. An icy chill spread through Yusumi as she realised the queen was talking about her papa. ‘This man’s clothes may not be finery, but they are well cared for, and what...remains of his muscles reveal him to have at least been well nourished.'

‘You’re very observant, Your Majesty, and surely have a much stronger stomach than I. My eyes would never have picked up such detail from so grotesque a sight. Perhaps you should take to investigation in your spare time, then we might find out who stole all the fine wines from the palace cellar last week,’ Lord Razay replied. His words were met with a smattering of laughter from somewhere close to him.

‘Do you really think that this is the time for jests, Lord Razay?’ the queen said icily. ‘Something terrible has occurred here. Lives have been lost, yet you wish to make light of it?’

‘My sincerest apologies, Your Majesty,’ he said, though there was no trace of it in his voice. ‘You are correct, as always. I shall have the guards dig suitable graves to bury these people, and then we shall be on our way again.’

‘One moment, my lord!’ another man cried.

‘What is it?’ Lord Razay snapped.

There was a pause, like the man was hesitating. ‘There may be a child about. I found this in the carriage.’

‘A doll?’ the queen said. ‘Lord Razay, have the Royal Guard search these ruins for a child. If there’s any possibility that they're still here, then we need to find them.’

‘As you wish, Your Majesty,’ Lord Razay said, notably irritated. ‘Men, you heard your queen. Explore the ruins and the surrounding area for a child. If you find any sign of one, report back immediately.’

A hundred feet moved off in search, vibrating across the ground. Briefly, Yusumi noted that some sensation must be coming back to her body for her to feel that. It was a good sign, but she couldn't give in to relief just yet.

She waited, her heart beatingfaster as she wondered if the guards would spot her.She tried to move her lips into the shape of words. They wouldn’t respond, and only a wheeze left her throat, masked by the breeze. Water formed in the creases of her eyes, but the muscles in her face would not let her cry.

Then the remains of the wooden sail around her creaked, snapping apart even more.Heavy footsteps approached, pausing momentarily before gingerly coming closer.Cold metal touched her skin, clinking. Chain mail, and by the pungent smell of it, freshly oiled as well.

‘Your Majesty, I’ve found her!’ the guardbellowed, making her ears ring. It was the same one who’d found her doll in the carriage.

More footsteps followed, along with the rustling of a skirt. ‘Is she injured?’ the queen asked. The sweet scent of orange mixed with a touch of vanilla entered Yusumi’s nostrils as she felt the queen kneel down to inspect her.

‘A few broken bones, I think,’ the guard replied. ‘But she seems to be in severe shock. I don’t think she can open her eyes.’

‘Very well. Pick her up and put her in my carriage, though be gentle with her. We’re taking her back to Xya with us,’ she instructed.

‘Understood, Your Majesty,’ the guard said. A rush of air touched Yusumi's face as he carefully lifted her up.

‘Are you sure this is a good idea, Your Majesty?’ Lord Razay interjected. ‘What I mean to say is, we have no idea who this girl is or what happened here. How do we know it’s safe to bring her along?’

‘She’s a child, Lord Razay. Not a thief or a bandit, but a child, who I imagine has suffered a great ordeal.'

‘Not all children are innocent, my queen. I have seen children younger than she running about picking pockets and carrying out various crimes for the so called “Lords of the Underground”. They cause more unrest in our fair city every day.’

‘That may be so, but I can’t leave her alone like this. She’ll die. We must get her to the royal healers immediately. Oh, bring her carriage and the horses along with us. They may help her find some security once she has recovered.’

Yusumi lay awake, her eyes focused on the intricate swirls decorating the ceiling as she tried to shake off the last remains of her nightmare. A decadehad passed since she’d thought of that day, yet in the past few weeks leading up to her sixteenth birthday, nothing had haunted hermore.

Too restless to attempt getting back to sleep, shethrew back her covers and dangled her legs over the edge ofthe plain bed. Unlike the rest of the room's furniture,which was inlaid with gold and different types of rare wood, the bed looked decidedly out of place against the marble walls.Simple cut timber, cotton sheets, and a thick woollen blanket on top. But that was how she liked it. The plainer things were, the better. Even after all these years, the grandeur of the palace was still overwhelming.

She got up and put on her dressing gown, a garment of thin silk sparsely embroidered with patterns of leaves. It wasn't the warmest item of clothing she had, but it lessened the chill of the early morning air enough to be comfortable.

On a glass shelf opposite the bed was her doll, as new as when her father had given it to her before they’d set out: a gift to help ease the transition from their village to the royal city, where he'd accepted employment by a wealthy lord. It was supposed to have been a time of celebration where they could leave the pain of her mother's illness behind and start anew.

Pickingthe doll up, she held it tight against her,inhaling the smoky aroma that lingered in its fabric from where he'd stitched it in secret in his smithy.

‘You cannotbring back the dead, princess.’

She flinched, startled from her thoughts, but relaxed as Jidan, her enormouswolf-lion, strolled in through the doors. How had she missed the sound of him opening them?He nudged against her and gently took the doll from her grasp using his mouth.Rearing up on his hind legs, he placed it back on the shelf.

‘I know that, Jidan,’ she replied, stroking the fur around his ears. His head, shoulders and front legs were like that of a giant wolf, but the rest of his body, down to the dark tuft on his sleektail, was all lion.

He had been assigned as her bodyguard as soon as she'd healed enough to live in the palace proper with Queen Celeste, but as well as her protection, he was one of the only people she could really talk to.

It wasn’t that life at the palace was particularly lonely, and she certainly wasn’t unhappy living there, but no one quite seemed to know how to treat her. Queen Celeste hadn’t adopted her, despite how much she’d wanted to. Lord Razay had seen to that, citing that Xylantrian law dictated only royals not in line for the throne may do so, to avoid ‘tainting’ the bloodline.

Lord Razay. Yusumi's mouth twitched in disgust at the very thought of him.She wished Celeste would banish him from court, but of course that wouldn’t happen. Lord Razay had been advisor to Celeste’s father, and had helped to organise a mounted division of soldiers; made up of elite members of the Royal Guard and a number of individuals; to protect Xya from the two peoples who lived in the wilds of Xylantria, the Heima Tribe and the Meixan warriors. Even though Celeste herself disliked him (to Yusumi’s amusement), the queen couldn’t deny that his experience was valuable.

‘Come, princess,’ Jidan said, stretching his front paws out and arching his back. He yawned and shook himself back up to standing. ‘Her Majesty arose early and asked to speak withyou in the throne room as soon as you were awake. Perhapsnow would be a good time to dress. Shall I fetch your maid?’

‘Absolutely not. For the hundredth time, I'm perfectly capable of dressing myself. And please stop calling me princess. You know it’s not true,’ she said, going behind the changing screen to wash and put on a light gown.

‘I suppose it is not, but I am your servant. Think of it merely as a term of endearment.’

‘My servant? Jidan, you know I don’t think of you that way. You’re my friend. My only friend.'

‘In that case, you may see it as a nickname,’ the wolf-lion said, somewhat stubbornly.

Yusumi stifled a laugh with her hand and reappeared from behind the screen, fully clothed. He bowed his head approvingly and led her into the hall, heading towards the throne room.

The hall was even colder than her room, so cold that she could see her breath mist out in front of her. It wasn’t surprising really; the year had only recently turned, and aside from the main entrance and the interior of the rooms, which like her own, made use of decorative marble, the rest of the palace wasbuiltfromgrey stone. It offered little protection against winter's keen bite.

‘What’s this about, anyway?’ she asked Jidan as he padded along beside her, the sound of his paws muffled by the thick carpets.

‘I am unsure. Her Majesty would only tell me that it was of utmost importance.'

‘Maybe it’s a surprise for my birthday,’ she pondered. ‘But it can’t be, that’s not until tomorrow.’

They reached the great double doors of the throne room, heavy wooden artworks etched with flowers and wildlife. The guards posted either side heaved them open for her, and she and Jidan went inside.

As expected, Queen Celeste wasn’t sitting on the throne, but standing near the fireplace warming her fingers. She smiled as Yusumi and Jidan neared her, turning to face them so that her wavygoldhair swished about hershoulders. ‘You must have been awake already, to get here so quickly,’ she said, embracing Yusumi and rubbing Jidan’s head. Then she looked into Yusumi’s eyes andher expression tightened. ‘You were dreaming about your father again, weren’t you?’

Yusumi nodded and Celeste drew her in close, stroking her black locks. ‘The pain that you carry will never leave you, but it won’t do you any good to dwell on the past. You can't bring back the dead.’

Yusumi pulled a face. ‘That’s what he said,’ she replied, casting a disgruntled glance at Jidan.

As much as his wolfish features allowed, he grinned smugly back. ‘It is good advice, would you not agree, Your Majesty?’ he said, cocking his head to the side.

‘I think it’s sound, yes,’ Celeste said, laughing.She drew in a breath, adopting a more serious manner. ‘It does, however, bring me to what I need to tell you. As much as you mustn’t dwell on the past, you should look to the future. And the future that I see...is for you to become Princess of Xylantria.’

Yusumi stared at her, open mouthed. ‘Butwhat about Lord Razay? To make me princess, you would have to officially adopt me, and the law states that—’

‘I have decided that now is the time for our laws to be updated. There are no suitors that I intend on marrying, so it is unlikely that I will ever have children of my own. And without an heir to the throne, the monarchy will crumble and Xya with it.’

‘What about your cousin Etchos? Is he not entitled to the throne?’ Yusumi asked.

Celeste frowned, touching a finger to her cheek. ‘Well, I suppose he is, but everyone in Xya – no, I’m sure all of Xylantria– knows how useless he is. I don’t think he could rule his own teacup, let alone a country. But you, Yusumi!You've shown so much promise in dealings of court and politics. You care about the people, and the country. There’s no one I can think of more suited to take the throne after me than you.' She hesitated, biting her lip.'So…what do you think?’

‘If I accepted and became princess, that would officially make me your daughter, wouldn’t it?’

‘Yes, it would.'

‘Then,’ Yusumi saidthickly as tears misted up her eyes, ‘that’s what I want. You’ve taken care of me and taught me so much since I’ve been here. How can I possibly refuse?’

Celeste wiped a tear from her own eye. ‘Then it’s settled. Tomorrow, on your birthday, I will announce our intentions to the court. And if Lord Razay complains, I’ll simply overrule him, like I should have done long ago,’ she declared, embracing Yusumi once more.