5. The Truth of Heritage
Normal POV
Leyva was walking along the deck when suddenly Captain Banhr popped out from behind a crate, startling her.
'Hey, Archie,' he said, as Leyva fumed at the use of the name Ruby had given her.
'Oh, hi. Nice day, isn't it?' She quickly adjusted her voice so it was lower than usual, to disguise it.
Banhr looked curiously at her. 'Why aren't you speaking normally? Why are you afraid to be a girl?' he asked, bending his head towards her so she could hear him talking in his quiet voice.
Leyva opened her mouth as if to say something, but thought better of it, and shut it again. A sudden movement from behind the wooden crates spun her around. It was Lena.
Surprise quickly crossed Leyva's face. 'What're you doing here?'
'I want to know why you're afraid to be a girl.'
'So no one knows who I am.' Wow. I can't believe she's standing up to me, since I'm someone she thinks is a complete stranger. Leyva shot her a glare, but Lena held it, and Leyva watched her eyes fill up with sadness, confusion, and a little bit of anger.
Why is Archie not really a guy? Lena thought. Hi-I mean�her eyes look so familiar. They look like Leyva's. Lena stood up and walked away slowly, still thinking hard.
'So. Now that she's gone�Is she one of your friends?
'Yeah, but my friend and I decided to play a prank on her. To dress up and act like different people. She hasn't found out. Ruby and I still don't know when to tell her. Oh! and�Ruby is Jenn.' Even as the now black-haired girl said those words, they sounded stupid.
Banhr studied her for a moment, his eyes reflecting the dancing waves, and the blue water.
'You remind me so much of Aergul and his daughter. The Sorcerer from the Sea, some called him, before he was taken by Ashgad. But�they're both gone now.'
The Sorcerer from the Sea! The one in the prophecy! I wonder if Banhr will recognize it?
'Do you know who El'Ruka, Lizzard Sworn, the Lizzard or Black Feather is?'
Banhr jumped. Apparently he was surprised that she would know about this type of stuff.
'Y-y-yes, I-I do,' he stuttered.
'Well, then, who are they? Do you want me to die not knowing?'
'Where did you learn who they are? And what made you think of them at a time like this�? Actually, on a second train of thought, come into my cabin and tell me. There might be some untrustworthy ears around.' Banhr looked about himself, as if to see if anyone was listening.
Leyva followd him into his cabin, which was a big area of old, weathered wood, with a table chained down in the middle off to the right, a bunk bed, a few sea chests off to one side and a fire in a fireplace. The entire cabin had the look of a well-worn room, one that had seen many years of use and hardship. There were also many dents in the wall, as if he had thrown stuff at it in a loud fit of anger. The thought made Leyva chuckle.
Banhr walked over to a cupboard and pulled out two mugs, a tea pot and a tin, which most likely held tea leaves. Banhr set the mugs on the table alongside a globe and some wrinkly old parchment. After pouring water from a tap outside the room into the teakettle, he placed it on a hook over the fire to boil. Banhr beckoned Leyva to sit after he had done so himself.
'Where did you learn about El'Ruka, Lizzard Sworn, the Lizzard and Black Feather?'
Leyva pulled the prophesy out of her belt, unrolled it, and set it in front of Banhr. Utter surprise crossed his young face.
'How did you get this?' he asked in complete amazement.
'Ruby and I were exploring underneath the ship, and Lena was coming. We had to hide from her, because in the dim light, it's easier to tell who we are. A crate fell, and distracted Lena for a bit, while Ruby and I slipped behind some crates and I opened a door that Ruby claimed she couldn't see. It led to a room with all sorts of silver, white gold and rare jewels. There was a dagger and two cloaks. The cloaks were purple, and the other was blue. There was also a mahogany desk, with scrolls inside. This was one of the scrolls.' Leyva indicated the prophesy in front of Banhr. There was a sudden noise, a screeching. Banhr looked up.
'Tea water's ready,' he announced, shortly after. Banhr poured some water into the mugs and added the tea leaves. She shouldn't have been able to see the doorway, he thought. Unless�no. Better not get my hopes up.
'So, did you take anything from the room? Did Ruby?'
Leyva blushed, but answered all the same. 'I took a dagger, a blue cloak and a flame pendant. Ruby took the purple cloak. I also took a belt that matched the dagger. The dagger had a blue hilt and a black sheath that had silver swirls and a silver point worked into it. The belt was the same black leather and it had blue glass stuff between the buckle holes. There were also a lot of other places for weapons to go.'
By now, Banhr was smiling. 'It seems you were meant to find that room and take those things. Since they are precious and full of magic, it seems you were meant to have them. Now, for your questions.'
'First, before I forget, the day we left, I spoke a strange thing. I want you to hear it, and see if you can make head or tail of it.
Of the two friends, El'Ruka, Lizzard Sworn,
One will return to the place where she thought she was born
The other is caught in a place that won't let her go
Only redeemed by death or the Cold Snow
Forced to scatter the seeds of evil in the one she loves
Or rid Black Feather's father of the plague in his lonely heart.'
'Damn! This could change everything.' Once Banhr heard what Leyva had to say, he let his head fall into his hands in a signal of defeat.
'What?'
'Oh, never mind. Okay, for your questions. Aergul is�an elf. He was born a commoner in the city of Tinuial, in the world of He'Anlae, the world of the elves. When he grew up, he was showing signs of a true warrior. His blood was that of the warriors. Of course, his parents were very proud, but when one day, he disappeared into the forest, they knew that he was off to the Hinlays, the highest elves. They were the ones with magic. He was off to see if he was capable of it and to train to be a warrior. Now when he got to the Hinlays, they instantly saw something greater than themselves. He had all the makings of a Lizzard. The Lizzard is a legendary warrior that roams the seas and forests looking for foes to vanquish, although they only come up in times of great peril. Nothing can beat them, except trickery or an ex-Lizzard, in the case of Aergul. Once Aergul had been trained as a Lizzard, he went to Dagsha, the home of Ashgad, who's somebody that has had rule over many of the northern kingdoms, and tried to kill him. The Dark King, so named by many, because of his terrible rule. Ashgad was frightened at first, but when he realized that Aergul wasn't the one that the prophesies said would overthrow his rule, he captured him, and turned him evil. To do that, there has to be a spark of badness in their heart, as there was in Aergul for some reason unknown.
'The dagger, sheath and cloak you found were the ceremonial garb of the Lizzard. Many, though, used it as their normal dagger and cloak. Someday you might get to present them to the actual Lizzard herself.'
'Herself?'
'The prophecy talks of Aergul being overthrown. It also talks of his daughter becoming Lizzard. Anyhow, the gender alternates between each of the warriors, though the reason is unknown to all but Dulan, the ruler of the next world who is all knowing.'
'Are you an elf?' The question seemed normal enough, but still, Banhr jumped.
'Y-yes. I am.'
'Do you know Aergul?'
Banhr cast down his eyes. 'He was my brother.'
'Was?'
'If you had a brother, would you call him brother after he goes to the dark side?'
'Oh. I see. Did you like him before he went to the Hinlays?'
'I suppose we were always friends. The way a friend can be a friend to a brother. We drifted apart after he became Lizzard, though, because he was always away.When we were young we had always pretended that we were in battle and fighting each other. He was always trying out his sword skills on me, so I hada chance to get pretty good. So good, that I beat him a few days before he left. Aergul thought that I was cheating, but I wasn't�unless you call throwing a stick and distracting him from fighting unfair.'
Leyva was giggling. She had the perfect image of Banhr throwing a flaming stick, Aergul speeding around and then Banhr pressing the flat of his blade to his brother's throat.
'I feel so bad for his daughter when he left,' the captain continued. 'Her mother was�somewhere else, and her father and I were all the family she had, pretty much. My parents kind of wandered around. Aergul and I would see them about twice a year.'
'How old was she when he left?'
'A year younger than me, and it was about six years ago. I was twelve.'
'Eleven, then. So, does she still live in He'Anlae? With her mother?'
'When evil overrode the land, Lanah came here. To earth. Her mother was a water elemental and left shortly after giving birth to her daughter. Aergul married the queen, then. She took a fancy to him, and pitied him, too. Then he�went to the other side�three years after bearing a son to her.'
'That's so sad!'
'Yes, but what's good, is no one knew the king had a daughter. Besides me, the queen, and now you. And Sihmé, the water elemental. No one knows where she is, now. Most likely roaming the ocean she always loved.'
'Why is it good that no one knows that Aergul had a daughter?'
'Everyone knows that he had a daughter, but don't know where she is. Nobody. They just don't that the Aergul who fathered Helent and the Aergul who fathered Haevenlanah, or Lanah, were the same.'
'Lanah. That's a beautiful name.'
'Yes, it is. I've always loved it. Lanah was like a little sister to me, only a year younger. She was my best friend. Helent is two years younger than me. He doesn't know he has a sister, but always thought of her as one. Since Lanah went away, he's been my best friend.' The captain sighed. 'I miss her so much.'
'Is the whole crew elvish?' Leyva picked up her cup of forgotten tea and sipped at it.
'Mmhm.'
'So�where're we going?'
'Down Zav Zena, into He'Anlae.'
Leyva drew a shocked breath. 'He'Anlae�' She finished her tea in one big gulp, stood up, and walked out of the room. 'He'Anlae,' she murmured once again under her breath, as she closed the door behind her. 'Now why would we be going there?'