Divine War: The Lancasterian Chronicles

Nadjela has been so accustomed to a single landscape for fifteen years that such vastness and boundlessness feels sinful to her. Where is the flat-faced mountain? The clay brick houses and their domed roofs? The proud hunters patrolling on majestic ostriches?

(Feels wrong not to see any of that. I mean, compared, he walks so free...)

Nadjela gives Chester a sidelong glance. Even if she wanted to imitate the Lancastrian's confidence, the warm earth beneath her feet feels so unfamiliar to her that pretending willingness is difficult. Though to the princess's surprise, nothing is tinged with the evil depiction varnished by the stories of the village elders. The exterior is wild, yes, but also new, and perhaps hesitantly Nadjela would admit: attractive.

"Green!" Chester exclaims, and points his finger at a precipice in the open field leading to a wide slope, where a tree family with pale trunks and branches full of intertwined green leaves grow far and wide in the center. Bulging roots at the oasis' edge keep the sand at bay.

After squinting and discovering what Chester is pointing at, the princess looks up at the sky and thanks it for the gift.

The leaves and branches create a filter that allows the nature below to grow without being scorched by the sun. Nadjela wiggles her toes to feel the grass and fresh earth between them. There are flowers with white and yellow petals that she sees for the first time. Picking one, she brings it to her nose and inhales the sweet scent.

In the tree grove's center lies a small lake fed by a subway spring. Nadjela sits down on the shore and dips her feet in the cold liquid, which makes her shiver and gasp with pleasure.

"You're hungry, right?" Chester asks as soon as he appears.

Nadjela opens her mouth to say no, but her stomach growls first, she blushes and turns her face away. The princess hasn't eaten for at least a day. Chester, a real gentleman, says he'll take care of it.

A short time later the swordsman returns carrying on his shoulders a beast taller than him, with a disproportionately large snout compared to the body, and three white stripes on its black, furry back. A Tasmanian devil. Chester drags the animal from the front legs, careful enough not to cut himself with the six-inch claws, while the hind legs leave furrows in the earth offering post-mortem resistance. Chester reaches the oasis and discovers that Nadjela is absent. He opens the mouth to call her name, but realizes he doesn't know the companion's name.

Branches shake and a few leaves fall off. Chester drops the demon's limbs. Spreading his legs, he brings the hands to the katana's hilt, ready to raise it in a second by snapping his wrists.

Nadjela slides down and lands on bent knees. Chester, seeing her safe and sound, understands that there is no danger and moves his fingers away from the blade.

"I went up to look for signs of my town's whereabouts..." says Nadjela. The lack of joy in her explanation evidences the failure.

"You're good climbing"

"Near the mountain where I live there are very big rocks. When I was a little girl I competed with my friend Majani to climb them, and then we climbed the mountain itself..."

She's ashamed to admit to such a tawdry activity, so she chalks it up to a silly childhood pastime. It was Majani who recommended stopping it, arguing that it was inappropriate for the princess to be seen jumping around like a crazed dingo.

"Sounds like fun. Let's do it!"Chester exclaims.

Nadjela tilts her head to one side, not understanding.

"Seriously...?"

"After lunch! Let's climb trees like monkeys. Everyone likes monkeys. In the end, we're all one"

(That's crazy) she thinks. But since Chester's optimism is dangerously contagious, she agrees.

Chester eviscerates the demon. Nadjela uses dry grass to light a campfire. She starts the flame outside the tree family, because she shies away from lighting fires indoors.

Under the midday sun, Chester appears with pieces of meat skewered on sticks. They cook the meat, distribute it, and though tough, Nadjela eats with glee until she is satiated. A greasy trail runs down the corners of her lips. Chester passes her a thick leaf plucked from some plant. The princess uses the leaf as a napkin.

"You didn't tell me your name," Chester says.

The girl is stunned, swallows, and admits the error. She was so busy distrusting, thinking and wondering, that forgot the courtesy to introduce herself.

"Excuse my rudeness. I'm Nadjela"

"Good name. I bet it has a meaning, girls love that stuff"

"Surely nothing... Father always says not everything needs significance"

Chester nods and remains silent. 

Finishing their meal, they turn off the campfire and lie down to rest, each in the shade of their own tree. Ten minutes later, Chester jumps to his feet.

"Either I stretch my legs or I'll grow roots!"

"Really?" asks Nadjela with frank naivety.

"I don't know, and I don't want to know. Let's climb!"

They find the tallest tree growing at one side of the oasis, its tip slightly curved towards the water. They get into position, each standing at opposite sides of the trunk, peering into the leafy canopy. Chester shouts " Now!" and they both jump.

The princess plants her hands and feet in the tree bark. She reaches the branches in seconds. She hears the leaves on the other side rustling. Her heart races, and she deduces that at most she had a second or two advantage over the swordsman. Hurrying up the climb, her movements are natural and she doesn't even sweat, closer and closer to the top. A little more and she wins. But the rush leads her to take a wrong step...

Slips.

She spins among the branches, which hit her and scrape arms and legs. Wind blows, and then the slap of cold water all over her body. She sinks into the oasis without touching the bottom. She flails, kicks, and rises. Pulls the head out and spits the water out. Rinse her eyes before looking up, discovering Chester looking back at her with a triumphant smile.

"Fire in the hole!" shouts the Lancaster.

Nadjela doesn't need to understand the meaning of those words to read the man's intentions. She barely manages to move half a meter away when Chester crashes, dives, and raises a brief downpour. Chester surfaces and guffaws with his wild locks placated by the humidity.

"I needed to cool off!"

Nadjela, aware that he almost fell on her, glares at him. But her sternness softens as she notices the Lancaster's face twitch, and he adds with a tortured voice:

"Shit, I forgot!"

The man waves his hands, but that doesn't stop his nose from disappearing and afterwards his fingers stretched high in the air.

"It's not funny. Stop it" says the princess when Chester takes a while to come up.

The air bubbles stop popping. The princess tenses.

(He's playing... Right?)

Almost a minute, and still no response.

Nadjela fills her cheeks with air and dives madly. Underwater she glimpses the blurry figure of Chester deep within a sediment cloud. Nadjela wraps her arms around Chester's shoulders. Swimming with all her strength to ascend, she pulls him to the shore at the top.

After leaving Chester on the ground, Nadjela kneels on his side and pales when noticing that the swordsman is not breathing. She urgently searches her memory for Zakary's teachings in case one day a child should fall into the river. As the tribal children are not stupid, Nadjela has never needed such maneuvers, but now....

(The kiss of life... No! Other options, Nadjela. Other options)

She places both hands on Chester's chest, presses and softens her thrust repeatedly, but there is no improvement. Chester is getting colder and whiter. His dark glasses are missing, his eyes are sealant. He looks peaceful, if it weren't for the ethereal trace of an occasional wound, his face would be typically angelic. Nadjela thinks again....

(The kiss of life...)

Gulps saliva.

Her gaze drops from his eyes to the man's mouth, tightly set in a strong jaw. Nadjela licks her own lips reflexively, hesitates, and shakes the head.

(If you wait too long he'll die! You will be left alone in the forbidden zones. You'll never get back to your people because a big, ugly monster will appear and eat you!)

She argues with herself.

(Isn't this adultery?!)

(It's a question of life and death!)

(But I save my lips for the love of my life!)

(The mother of all birds will forgive you! It's not like you want to kiss him either, or that you were going to enjoy it!)

(Of course I'm not interested...)

(Of course you don't... Now to save a life!)

Nadjela takes a breath again. She bends down. Places her trembling hand on his mouth to half-open it, and plants the lips. Nadjela's blood rushes to her face, she takes a few seconds to remember that it is essential to blow. She gives Chester her first kiss and her breath. Repeats the mouth-to-mouth breathing, as well as the pushing with her hands, faster and faster because the growing urgency.

Chester gradually regains his color. His heart overcomes the slow march. Suddenly he opens the eyes, rolls onto his side, and vomits the water from his lungs. Nadjela steps back and waits for the swordsman to calm down. Chester stops coughing and lies on his back, his doughy gaze fixed on the treetops.

"I never learned to swim..." he reveals hoarsely.

Nadjela backs up to a tree and takes a seat among the white roots. She lets out a puff where leaks her feelings of joy and fury. Happy that he is alive. Furious that he is alive. She covers her face with both hands and says:

"Great idiot"

Chester lets out a bruised laugh and replies:

"That name does fit me like a glove"