The Secret of the Golden Gods Omnibus Edition

by Pedro Urvi

  “It is useful for learning, for improvement, for mastering the arts.”

  “Don’t you come the know-all with me unless you want me to give you what for!”

  Surprised by her reply, Adamis laughed. Then he turned serious once again.

  “We have a hard task ahead of us and not much time. You must learn, and you need to do it fast. I need you to make an effort, with all your soul. What I need to teach you takes years to learn. Albana studied for years in order to master her Power and turn it into skills. We do not have that luxury. I will not be able to teach you more than the basic control of Power, without going on to transform it into skills. But I need all your attention, all your effort.”

  Kyra made a face.

  “You don’t look pretty when you go all serious and preachy.”

  Adamis’s eyes widened in surprise. “You are simply impossible!”

  “Yeah, I know. Now smile a little. I do understand how important it is. I’ll try again, but I can’t guarantee anything.”

  “You will achieve it. I have faith in you. Sit with your legs crossed, looking toward the lake. Its serenity will help you focus. Put the hand holding the disc to your chest, like this.” He demonstrated.

  Kyra did the same, so they were sitting side by side.

  “When you do it, it looks so simple and natural.”

  “That is because I am a God and not a pigheaded slave girl. Now focus!”

  “Just let me…!”

  But he had already risen and was looking at her with a triumphant smile.

  She tried for hours, but without success. Her curses scared off the birds, which flew away. Night came, and Adamis insisted that she keep on practicing. He disappeared in search of food, then when he came back he made a fire in front of the waterfall and proceeded to roast a couple of rabbits.

  Kyra turned round. “That smells delicious.”

  “Keep on trying…”

  “But I’m starving!”

  “No dinner until you manage it.”

  “It’s not fair! I’ve been making a fool of myself here for hours. My head hurts.”

  “Go on. I shall let you know when you can stop.”

  “You’re… an unbearable… God!”

  “Carry on…”

  In the end he had to give in and let her gulp down the meal hungrily. Afterwards, disheartened by the failure, they went inside the cave to rest. They lay down beside each other in silence.

  “What if I can’t do it? What if I’m just not up to it?” she asked in frustration.

  He put his chest against her back and held her close.

  “You will. I know you will.”

  “Why do you have such trust in me?”

  “Because I see in you what you cannot yet see for yourself,” he said, and held her closer. “Trust me.”

  Exhausted from all the excitement of the day, she fell asleep in his protective embrace.

  The following day was long, demanding and deeply frustrating for Kyra. She could not manage it. Adamis had tried to teach her to breathe and relax, to bring her concentration to bear, but nothing had worked. Her fiery temperament was getting in the way.

  At nightfall she went up to him by the fireside and threw him the disc.

  “I don’t want it! There’s no way! I’m fed up!”

  He picked up the disc and laid it down beside him.

  “Sit down and we will eat. You will feel better.”

  They dined in silence. She felt totally frustrated, filled with rage. When they lay down to sleep Adamis held her again, and in the warmth of his body she grew calmer.

  “Sleep, rest…” he whispered, and she gave way.

  On the third day she kept trying with renewed spirit, refusing to give in. When night fell Adamis made a fire and began to roast a young deer. Kyra breathed in deeply three times, as he had shown her to. Her body was relaxed, in position, in balance. She placed her left hand underneath her right. She could feel the strange humming of the Disc as it hovered over her hands at chest level. She relaxed even more. There was nothing but the disc and herself. The universe around her vanished: lake, waterfall, fire, Adamis, everything. There’s only me and the disc. It’s right there in front of my chest, I just have to grasp it, see it in my mind. Rage began to rise from the pit of her stomach, frustrated rage. If I let it grow, it’ll consume me and I’ll fail again. I have to calm down, I have to put out this rage. And at that moment she realized what was really happening. It was not that she was unable to visualize the pip, rather her own frustration at being unable to get immediate results was sabotaging her efforts. I’m tripping myself up. What a fool I am! It’s my own rage that’s defeating me. She took three deep breaths and focused on calming down. It took her some time, but finally she reached a more harmonious state. She focused on the pip once more and made it out in the distance, but instead of feeling frustrated, she took courage. It’s right there, I just have to bring it towards me, towards my mind. I’ll manage, slowly, calmly, there’s no hurry. There’s only me and the pip. And for the first time the rage failed to make an appearance. Little by little the pip became clearer, came closer, growing larger, until in her mind it appeared completely transparent.

  And then came the flash. It bathed her completely. She felt strange, as if the energy had entered her body. She opened her eyes and found something wonderful: she could still see the pip in her mind. Even with her eyes open, even looking at the lake, it was there. She closed her eyes and saw it in full detail. She opened them and it was still there.

  “I can see it, it’s in my mind!”

  Adamis hugged her. “You did it. I knew you would!”

  Kyra was so pleased she cried out to the moon. Then she kissed Adamis with all her being.

  “Tomorrow I will teach you to use the Power.”

  The fourth day, she was ready even before the sun made its appearance.

  “I see you are changing your mind about this.”

  “Considering all it’s cost me? Of course I want to learn!”

  “All right, then,” he said, and smiled. “Now listen carefully.”

  She nodded. Her ruby eyes were fixed on his mouth.

  “The Power feeds on the five elements of Nature, and is more prone to interact with them. Each one of us has a greater affinity to one of the five elements. In my case Ether: the spirit, the Being. Others have an affinity to Fire, Water, Earth or Air.”

  “Can you only use the Power of Ether? Not that of the other elements?”

  “Not so. Listen carefully to the five principles which rule the Power.”

  Kyra gave him all her attention. She knew this was important, and she wanted to learn everything.

  “First Rule: Power consumes life. Every time a God uses the Power in any form, for any use, his life-span decreases.”

  She nodded. She already knew this from her stay in the Eternal City. She also knew that was not the case for Hybrids.

  “Second Rule: The Power is finite. Every being is born with a source of Power which is finite. The size of that source is different for everyone. This Power is regenerated once used, but the body needs time for that. Wise Nature controls it in this way so that nobody should be omnipotent.”

  Kyra looked at him in puzzlement.

  “Completely Powerful.”

  She nodded in understanding.

  “Third Rule: Power has an affinity to one element. Every being inherits from his ancestors a keener affinity to one of the elements. Power runs in the blood. One can inherit up to five elements, but one will always prevail over the others. The power of the inheritance is what establishes the prevalence.”

  “Fourth Rule: Power is not limited to one element. Using the Power of the other elements is possible, but inefficient.”

  “Inefficient?”

  “I might use another element ‒ water for example ‒ but as I have no affinity for that element, it is limited for me: the strength of the power exerted is much less and its use far more costly. And this lea
ds us back to Rule number One.”

  Kyra looked at him, thoughtful, puzzling over the four rules.

  “I think I understand it. So you can use the ether up to a point, then you have to regenerate your Power. Each time you use it you’re consuming moments of your life. And although you can use the power of water, then your life would be consumed faster and you couldn’t even do great things the way you can with ether.”

  Adamis was surprised. His fine eyebrows arched and his eyes shone with pride.

  “You are definitely intelligent.”

  “I may not look it, but that doesn’t mean I’m not,” she said, making a face and sticking out her tongue at him. He roared with laughter.

  “And the Fifth Rule?”

  “This is the most important one, though many forget it. Fifth Rule: Power serves Mother Nature. Every life dies at the end of its natural cycle and another begins.”

  “Interesting. Makes you think…”

  “Right then. Now that you know the laws which rule the Power, we had better continue. Unfortunately I cannot teach you to use your Power, not even to find out what element you have an affinity to. That would take too much time, since you know nothing of your family tree. All my ancestors belong to my House. Therefore my Power is pure and strong in Ether. In your case we would have to find out by trial and error, and it would be a long and costly process. Unless you want to leave the fighting and come with me…”

  Kyra considered her answer.

  “You know I can’t… I’d love to lose myself with you and have you teach me all these things… and many more… but my people need me. I can’t leave them now that the rebellion has begun. I have to stay and help.”

  “Very well,” he said with a friendly smile. “I had to try.”

  “Someday, I promise.”

  Adamis nodded. “I will hold you to your word.”

  Kyra kissed the tip of his nose.

  “Thank you for understanding.”

  He took her hand and led her to the lake.

  “Let us continue. The disc contains a pip that contains my Power, the Power of Ether. Therefore you will be able to use that element, albeit in its roughest and most basic form. There are two skills I need to show you which will be very useful to you. If you master them, I will be satisfied. The rest will have to wait for a better time.”

  “Very well, I’m ready. I hope I don’t disappoint you.”

  “Every moment by your side fills me with joy. Whether you manage it or not, you will not disappoint me. Your noble, courageous heart will never disappoint me.”

  “Keep on showing me. You’re making me blush.”

  “As you wish. The Power of Ether entails reaching the spirit, the essence of things, and manipulating them. It is easier to manage it with people, animals, plants: any living thing in Nature. With inanimate objects, like those rocks, it is more difficult, although it can be done. Let me show you.” Adamis twisted his arm and there was a flash. Thirty or so rocks were hurled off the shore across the lake at tremendous speed.

  “Wow! If they hit anybody…”

  “Watch.” He did the same thing again, but this time each rock hit a nearby tree.

  “Unbelievable!”

  “The Power can be used as a weapon, even though in itself it is not one. The only thing I have done is throw a few rocks. How I did it is what matters.”

  “Right.”

  “But let us start with something simpler. The first thing is to know yourself, your Power, and how to use it. Activate the disc in your hand and close your eyes.”

  Kyra obeyed immediately.

  “Very good. Can you see it in your mind?”

  She nodded.

  “Good. Now you must search for your essence, your spirit. You must search within yourself.”

  “How will I recognize it?”

  “When you find it you will become aware of a silver aura around your person. Once you see that, you will be able to interact with your body through the Power of the disc.”

  “Very well, I’ll try.” She concentrated, and with her whole being tried to perceive her aura.

  “Gently. It is not a simple task, it will take you some time. You need to isolate yourself from the rest of the world and search within, imagining that aura, until you find it.”

  Kyra tried all day, until she collapsed in exhaustion, but without success. Even so, she did not give up, and the following day she tried again. The same thing happened. But she did not allow her failure to turn into rage. She kept trying, with all her heart, putting out any spark of rage and starting over. And on the evening of the third day, she managed to glimpse something.

  “Adamis! Come here! I can see something!”

  “What can you see?”

  “A silhouette, quite faint… an outline in white light, a long way away …”

  “Good. You are nearly there. You need to draw it toward you. Pull as if it were an object you wanted to attract.”

  She followed his instructions, and a moment later a white light ran through her whole body.

  “I can see it! I can see my aura! I did it!”

  “Wonderful. You did well. Now listen carefully, because what we are going to do now is dangerous. You will need to focus really hard.”

  “All right, I’m ready.”

  “Now, concentrating on your aura, I want you to command the disc to slowly, very slowly, raise you two hand-spans above the ground. Two hand-spans. The measure is fundamental. Slowly, two hand-spans. I am here with you, do not worry.”

  “Right, here I go. By Oxatsi!”

  Kyra transmitted the order to the disc in her mind, concentrating on its silhouette. Suddenly she felt a tingle and a sensation of emptiness.

  “Do I open my eyes?”

  “No, or else you will lose your concentration on your aura. Keep your eyes closed. Now command the disc to move you two steps back. Slowly. Remember: measure is fundamental.”

  Kyra nodded. Concentrating with all her strength, she gave the order. Once again she felt the tingle and the sensation of emptiness.

  “Very good,” Adamis said, but his voice sounded distant. “Now open your eyes, but do not lose your concentration.”

  She opened her eyes, and the shock she received suddenly was as though a pail of icy water had been thrown in her face. She was six feet above the center of the lake.

  “By Girlai! What am I doing here?” The surprise made her lose her concentration, and with a scream she fell into the water.

  Adamis laughed without stopping as she swam to the shore.

  “I don’t see what’s funny about it. I’m soaked! And boy, was I scared!”

  He could not stop laughing.

  “You’re an idiot!”

  “I did tell you that the measure was essential, but knowing you I am not surprised at what just happened.”

  Kyra aimed a kick at him. “You conceited God,” she protested, and proceeded to dry herself.

  At night, beside the fire, he held her tight and her anger vanished, carried away in the breeze by his warm presence.

  “One thing I can tell you: your Power is great. Most never rise more than two finger-breadths the first time.”

  “Is that true, or are you just telling me a lie to make me feel better?”

  “I am telling you the truth.

  “Well then, I’m very glad. What will you teach me tomorrow?”

  “You will have to wait and see.”

  “All you Gods are so obnoxious!”

  “Let us rest, my temperamental little vixen.”

  “Idiot.”

  They held each other and rested, their joyful hearts overflowing.

  At dawn Adamis took her down to the lake once again.

  “Today you will repeat the exercise, but this time it will be me that you will take to the center of the lake.”

  “But how am I going to do that?”

  “You will search for my aura, focus on it and move me.”

  “I don’t think I ca
n…”

  “You will. Have faith in yourself.”

  “But you’re a God…”

  “I am a creature like any other, a child of Mother Nature, and that is what you must visualize in your mind.”

  “All right then. I’ll try.”

  And to her great surprise, she succeeded in seeing his aura almost at once. It was so powerful, so brilliant, that it scorched the senses. For a moment she thought it was burning her mind.

  She closed her eyes tightly, focusing even more, and gave the order to the disc. She felt the tingling, but not the sense of void, since it was not herself she was lifting.

  “Open your eyes.”

  When she did so, she found him hovering suspended above the lake.

  “Are you doing it yourself, to make me feel better?”

  “Check for yourself. Move me. In whatever direction you want. I will not know which.”

  She concentrated, without closing her eyes this time, and commanded: “Up, the height of two bodies, slowly.” The Disc flashed, and Adamis rose the same distance.

  “Yes! It’s me! I did it! I can’t believe it!” She was jumping up and down, shouting joyfully. The spell broke, and he began to fall towards the water. An instant before he hit the surface his body gave a flash and disappeared in a mist, then reappeared beside her.

  “Happy?”

  “Yes! Absolutely!” she replied, and flung herself into his arms.

  “Tomorrow I will teach you how to protect yourself, how to create a shield.”

  “And the next day?”

  “And the next day it will be time to leave. We have been here for many days. They will be searching for you, risking their lives to find you.”

  “Yes. It’s time to go back to Ikai and all the others. Time to begin the rebellion. We must unite the people, rise up, and bring down the Regent and the Enforcers.”

  Adamis was silent, but there was concern on his golden face.

  “Tell me, will you come with me? Will you fight beside me?”

  “Is there any way I can dissuade you from going to fight?”

  “Well, can you make the Regent, the Guard, the Hunters, the Eyes, the Executors and the Oppressors all disappear? Can you bring down the Boundary? Can you give us the freedom we crave and which is our right? Can you free the Senoca? If you can, there won’t be any fighting.”