Read The Saviors: Locmire's Quest Book Two A Tales from Calencia Novel Page 17

  Chapter 17

  Preparazionz

  "Where doez we'z ztand wiz ze preparazionz?" Jeszekia asked.

  "All iz well. We'z haz zecured ze marzh, zet ze trapz, and haz zcoutz roaming ze waterz," Kayliz said.

  "Good. We'z muzt ztand ready," Jeszekia informed her. "Any word from ze other kingdomz?"

  "Not yet," she replied.

  "Did you procure ze ingredientz zat I azked for?"

  "Yez, my Queen. Zey were very difficult to obtain, but I found zem all," her servant stated as she handed her a bag full of goods. "May I'z azk why do you'z needz zem for?"

  "No you'z may not," Jeszekia told her. "Exzellent work. You'z didz well."

  Kayliz looked both surprised and pleased with her Queen's response.

  "Zo, we haz no word regarding ze Human King and ze Zeztian?" Jeszekia asked.

  "No, my Queen," she answered.

  "Zend word to zeir kingdomz. Alert zem zat zey have not arrived," Jeszekia ordered. "Zey zhould have been here by now."

  "Yez, my Queen."

  "Zat is all."

  Kayliz bowed and took her leave.

  Jeszekia paced back and forth in her hut, her rock hard feet clacking against the wooden floor. Her stomach twisted in knots when she thought about the safety of her kingdom. Many things were amiss. The Human King and Sestian had not arrived yet, even though they had ample time to do so. Morgorath had fallen, and she had no word about the well-being of King Urganox. None of this felt right to her. The Raptilians made all the preparations they could to protect their kingdom from a potential threat. Now, they must sit and wait.

  She paced back and forth twirling her trident around and around. A loud knock on the door broke her concentration. She fumbled with the trident to keep it from falling to the floor.

  "Enter," she called out as she regained control of her weapon.

  It was one of her scouts.

  "Zorry to disturbz you'z, my Queen," the scout said.

  "It iz all right. What do you'z needz?" she asked.

  "Zere iz a Human in ze marzh, an old man. He zayz he iz looking for herbz to treatz hiz family who iz ztricken wiz illnezz," the scout answered. "He zeemz harmlezz."

  "He muzt go," Jeszekia replied. "It iz not zafe here. Tell him he muzt go now. Forze him out of ze marzh if needz be."

  "Yez, my Queen," the scout said, bowing his head as he left her hut.

  Jeszekia picked up the bag of herbs. She peeled open the bag and emptied them onto her alchemist table. She separated the ingredients and looked them over, making sure she was not missing anything.

  Jeszekia produced her frog shaped mortar and pestle and ground the ingredients together one by one. Several times she brought the mortar up to her nose and took a big sniff. She would add a drop or two of thick liquid from an unmarked bottle and grind some more. Jeszekia labored over the concoction for hours, mixing and mashing ingredients.

  "Perfect," she said.

  Jeszekia put a cloth over her face and tied it around the back of her neck. Then, ever so gently, she emptied the ingredients into a ceramic jug.

  I hope ze time doez not come when I'z muzt use ziz, she thought.

  Jeszekia held the ceramic jug by its neck and placed another hand underneath it, taking short, careful steps. Jeszekia lowered the jug into an old wooden trunk that sat at the foot of her bed. She inserted a rusty iron key into its lock and turned it. Then she gave the lid a good tug to make sure it fastened.

  Zis muzt be keptz zafe at all timez. No one canz getz zeir handz on it.

  Jeszekia walked out onto the porch of her hut. She took in a deep breath of the cool air and exhaled it slowly. Nozhing like a frezh breath of air to relievez ze ztrezz.

  She watched the Raptilian young tromp through the marsh with their nets, trying their best to catch thunder and lightning bugs. Jeszekia's thin lips grew into a smile as the small yearlings laughed and chased one another, unaware of the trouble that brewed.

  Iz muzt protectz zem at all coztz, she told herself.

  Jeszekia went back into her hut and added another layer of straw to her cot and laid down, but sleep did not find her. She could not stop thinking about Urganox. Her tail tapped the floor of her hut over and over again.

  I mizz him zumthing terrible. I hope he iz well. How ztupid could youz be, Jeszekia? Why didn't I tellz him my feelingz before he lazt left? Now Iz may never haz ze chanze.

  She rolled over onto her side and pulled a woven blanket over her, tucking it under her chin. The Queen's tears soaked into the straw of her bed as she searched for sleep and prayed to Suporah for Urganox's safety.