31. Eros

Landing at yet another detour towards home, Brooke and Meredith are attacked. They are forced to head into the eternal hills of Eros.

            The ship wasn’t very big, but it was enough to carry Athena. She rested on the main deck, the only part sizable for her. Ellis held the map, reading it and directing them. She instructed Brooke who navigated the ship along the seas and awaited the shores of Alagracia. As she moved her hands against the wood of the helm, she thought about home. When home came to mind, Rogue’s cottage appeared in her head. Brooke wasn’t surprised. She missed her father, yes, but when things went wrong, she always went to Rogue’s place. Never did she cry to her father about anything. He was distraught about Mom, and he didn’t need to see Brooke mirror him. Did that create a rift in their relationship? Though she thought of Rogue’s cottage as her home, it didn’t stop the desire for her to visit her father. She wanted to apologize to him. He deserved it. He found happiness with Mary and Brooke wanted to encourage that. Encourage him to be happy and move on with his life. Maybe, just maybe it was time for her to move on as well. What about Shawn? Did he forget about her? Brooke made it up in her mind that she wouldn’t be sad about it if he did. That night will forever be in her heart. It won’t forget and neither will she.

Then, Brooke began to wonder if she was still a wanted prisoner. She looked back at the door that led to the captain’s cabin. Meredith slept most of the way. At first, Brooke thought she was lazy, but realized Meredith was sulking. She heard her crying and caught her in the act another. The behavior started happening after they departed from the docks of Desdemonia. Brooke assumed the princess was upset about leaving Yoko behind. She didn’t understand it. Yoko wasn’t Meredith’s baby to start. Didn’t she expect that she would have to detach herself away from him? Lately, her sulking annoyed Brooke because she didn’t want to leave Yoko either. Frankly, she would go so far as to say she missed the little tyke. She missed the light of his sapphire eyes when he laughed and giggled. She dreaded tearing apart the two who’d grown so close.

Meredith walked out of the cabin and faced Brooke with a puffy face. She gave her a big smile. “I apologize for my exasperating behavior.”

“It’s okay, I get it.”

“No,” Meredith shook her head. “I’m Princess of Alagracia; I shouldn’t have gotten so attached to Yoko.” Her words came out bitter and remorseful.

“You would have been an excellent stepmother,” Brooke said to lighten the mood.

Meredith chuckled, but then her face turned to a gasp. Brooke turned around and saw flying creatures. The upper part of their body held the shape of a woman, but the bottom held the shape of a hawk. Athena stood, her fur brisk with alertness. “Furies!” she exclaimed. Ellis hissed as they shrieked at them. Brooke reached for her sword, releasing the wheel, but Meredith gave her a fierce glare. “You take care of the wheel; I will fight.”

Brooke restrained her sword at the princess’s intense words. She grasped the wheel and returned to looking onward as Ellis fed her directions.

Meredith ran to the main deck beside Athena. Her hands glowed and she pointed her fingers to the furies. A white light flashed from the tips and wrapped around two of the furies, thrusting them down into the sea. It was as if she held a shotgun in her fingertips, shooting out ducks. A swarm appeared and Brooke felt herself panic. One of the furies swooped down and Meredith ducked. Another followed and Athena caught its wings, tearing them from the fury. Ellis shook in fear and Brooke had to yell at her, snapping her back to attention.

Meredith and Athena worked side by side. Meredith worked the magic, breaking their necks if they abandoned the skies. Athena attacked them from the deck. A couple of them remained and Brooke was sure they would be fine. Both lunged at Meredith. She stepped out of the way and Athena caught one with her teeth. The other made a hole through the main deck. Brooke and Ellis glanced at it. Meredith looked at them and ran down to the hold. There was a hole in it. She rushed back to the main deck and exclaimed, “People, we have a problem.”

“Don’t tell me we have a hole in the boat.”

 “Okay then, you already know.” The fury arose from the main deck creating another hole. More furies showed up and began attacking the ship.

Meredith and Athena continued to fight them off. Brooke worried about them. The ship will sink soon. Ellis suddenly grabbed the wheel. She spun it like a game of spin the bottle and the wheel was the bottle. Brooke wondered where she was going. “Ellis?”

“Just trust me!” she yelled, meeting Brooke by her eyes. Brooke nodded and allowed the anymalis to navigate. Brooke then joined Meredith and Athena in combat. She unleashed her sword and chopped them up.

The ship finally stopped. Meredith shot a flash of light and leaned on her knees, breathing heavily. Everyone was tired. There were two furies left. One lunged at Brooke as she struck the other. Meredith shoved her out of the way, and the fury’s claw left three huge marks on her back. Brooke gasped, her eyes wide in her sockets as she lay against the main deck’s floor. Meredith kneeled and her breath grew even heavier. Brooke awed at the marks, long and ugly. Did she just…? “Princess!” Brooke called. Meredith glared at her, but then the glare turned into an expression of pain. “Why did you…?”

“It seems we are in Eros,” informed Athena. Brooke’s eyes squinted as she gazed upon the stretch of land and endless hills. She saw some of the same trees that were at Lyriel’s mansion.

Brooke turned her attention back to the injured princess. “What can we do about her?”

“Find civilization first,” Athena suggested.

“No, I feel a waterfall’s end nearby.” Meredith’s body shook as she grabbed a clump of Athena’s hair. “Athena, take me there I beg of you.”

Brooke helped Meredith onto Athena and nodded for the tiger to guide her to Meredith’s designated place. Ellis was the last to get on. “Thank you Ellis, you saved us,” Brooke said as she petted the anymalis. Ellis meowed, her tail wagging in a mild wave and her ears perking. “And you-”

            “I don’t feel like talking right now, I apologize.” Brooke nodded and Athena led them into the eternal hills of Eros.

Author's Note

Dear Reader,

In this chapter, I wanted you to get a feel of Meredith's new attitude towards Brooke. Also, I wanted you to understand the mental shift in Brooke.

Thanks for reading!

Sincerely JazzSoulKeke,

God bless