by Ela Lourenco
“Keep it safe for now,” he ordered the Dohar. “I will think on the matter.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“And Dohar?” Ishkan snarled, his previous good mood fouled by Lyli and her tricks. Swirls of smoke-like magick wrapped around him as he prepared to leave. “Next time I come, I expect a proper sacrifice, not the paltry three you presented me with today.”
***
The tall figure hurried stealthily through the forests under the dark violet light of the twin moons. He had not thought to return to Jya so soon, but this is where the oracle had sent him. Before his departure, she had presented him with a small vial of her own blood, which was now hanging off a chain around his neck. Oracle blood was rare and precious, so much so that should the wrong person find out about it, they would be willing to kill him for it. The power even a tiny drop of Lyli’s blood contained was too much of a lure for most people. Used correctly, it could act as a locator for almost anything. The only problem was he didn’t really know what he was looking for. Lyli tended to be vague about her visions and predictions at the best of times, but in this case, she herself could not remember any details. Erasing her own memory of the prophecy had been the only way to protect the information and keep it out of the wrong hands.
Stopping by the gentle silver stream, he sat on a large rock; and after a furtive glance around, uncorked the tiny vial of blood. Smearing it on his forehead, he began to draw the glyphs Lyli had taught him. They were in a language he had never seen before, but she had made him practise the series of moves several times before letting him go.
Everything went pitch black just as he finished drawing the last symbol into the air. The steady thrum of wildlife came to an abrupt stop. Even the gentle breeze seemed frozen in place. He reached his hands out to feel his way around. He was blind! He couldn’t see anything, not even a shadow—everything was eternal darkness! He sunk to the forest floor. How could he find the prophecy now? What had gone wrong? Had he drawn the glyphs incorrectly? He stilled as the ground beneath him began to hum, softly at first, growing louder and louder until all he could hear was a loud drumbeat in his head. Standing up, he began to walk, his steps guided by the beating of the earth itself. His feet carrying him as though they knew something he did not.
He allowed himself to be led deeper into the forest. The only sound the soft crunch of leaves under his feet. After what seemed like an eternity, the humming stopped, as did he. Feeling around where he stood, he felt a large rock next to him. It was pulsating. And although he still couldn’t see, it was as though he could hear the light of the magick emanating from the stone. A soft chant arose from the stone in a language he did not understand—the same one as Lyli’s glyphs. Leaning on the rock with both hands, he felt a jolt of pure energy flow into his body. It was coming from the stone!
Casting his fear aside, he stayed where he was, absorbing whatever it was that he was receiving. A hazy picture appeared in his mind. There was an odd looking creature standing in a forest clearing. It did not look like anything he had ever seen before, and the image was blurred making it hard for him to see clearly. The creature suddenly turned as though looking straight at him and snorted, gesturing towards a large rock lying flat in the middle of the forest. What was it trying to tell him? The creature snorted again and tapped the stone with a paw. Frustrated, he looked down at the large rock. It seemed so interested in and frowned. At first glance, it looked much like any other stone on Xanos. I was bronze and glistened and yet, there was something so familiar about it. He felt as though he had seen it somewhere before, but the memory slipped away from him.
Then, just as quickly as the eternal night had descended, it lifted. The young man blinked, his eyes adjusting to the dark purple light of the night sky and stared in confusion around himself. There, in the middle of a forest clearing, lay the large rock he had pictured moments before. A strange feeling of déjà vu came over him. He had been here before. What did this have to do with finding the prophecy? Was it hidden inside the rock? Was that what the creature had been telling him? And why did this place seem so familiar?
Chapter Eleven
“It’s almost time,” Allaya noted sadly to her grandmother, as they sat sipping their tea. It was late, and they could speak in peace now that Sena was asleep.
“Do not give in to your fears, child,” Zehra comforted her. “None of us knows what the future holds. Remember, nothing is set in stone. What is to come is ever-changing, diverting its course through the decisions we make.”
“I wonder if we made the right choice. I have run over it time and time again in my mind, trying to see whether there was anything we could have done differently.”
“We made the best of a difficult situation, child,” Zehra sighed. “We did what we had to do. The only thing we could really do.”
“In two days, we find out,” Allaya whispered. “What if we lose?”
“You must not think like that,” Zehra stated fiercely cutting her off. “I refuse to believe that they would let that happen. You know what is written, and so it shall come to pass.”
“They have been absent since that night, grandmother. I begin to believe that either they do not care for the fate of mankind, or that they have merely forgotten about us altogether.”
“Hush, child, do not say such things,” Zehra chided her.
Allaya looked up, fury in her eyes. “Why not? Where were they when the Phylgia spread like wildfire across the cities? When children had to bury their parents, and entire towns were wiped out as though they had never existed?” She shot out of her seat and paced angrily around the room. “You don’t know the horrors I have seen, grandmother. Young, healthy men, women, and children cut down from one day to the next, drained of life until they became nothing more than skin and bone. You did not have to try to ease their suffering, as they begged in agony for relief knowing that there was nothing you could do for them!”
Zehra let her vent. Allaya was a born healer, a natural with a talent for herbs and spells rarely seen on Xanos. She had been working as the head healer in Sylios, the most coveted position for a doctor, when an outbreak of Phylgia had struck. Insisting that she could not merely delegate the dangerous job to her colleagues, while she herself stayed safely in the city, she had travelled all around the area giving comfort to those afflicted. The Gods be thanked she had not caught the disease, but even so, Zehra had barely recognised the young woman that returned home.
Allaya had resigned from her post, much to the amazement of everyone, and moved to the smaller town of Jya—one of the worst affected by the plague that was Phylgia. She had turned her back on the luxuries of city living and bought a small cottage on the outskirts of the town near the forest and embraced a simpler way of life.
“I do not know whether I tell you often enough, dear child, how proud I am of you. And I know the horrors you have seen. Do not forget that in my job as Aya, I have travelled all over Xanos to comfort and reassure the survivors. But we can only do what we are able to.”
Allaya sank back down into her seat deflated. “I know. But I am a healer, I should be able to do something, find a cure, anything! If only we knew what caused the outbreaks.”
“You worry too much about everyone and everything,” Zehra warned her. “We cannot always change what is meant to be.”
Allaya looked up, worry written on her face. “I know, grandmother. But I have a terrible feeling that something awful is headed our way.”
***
“You’re hardly around these days!” Phia exclaimed as she plonked herself on Sena’s bed. “You’re always out when I come by.”
“I’ve just been a bit busy lately,” Sena replied, crushing the feeling of guilt at lying to her best friend.
“Oh, my gods! You have a boyfriend, don’t you? Oh, you sly little thing! How could you keep such a thing from me? Who is he? Do I know him?” She wrinkled her nose. “Wai
t, It’s not Jake, is it?”
Sena burst out laughing. “No, it’s not Jake. And there is no boyfriend, or otherwise.”
Phia looked at her searchingly. “Really? No boyfriend?”
“No,” Sena chuckled. “I promise if and when I meet someone, you will be the first to know.”
“Well, all right then,” Phia settled down. “The reason I have been trying to catch you is to plan your birthday party.”
Sena rolled her eyes. “You know I don’t want to make a big fuss. Just a dinner with all of you guys and my mom.”
“What! That’s practically blasphemy!” Phia exclaimed melodramatically. “A girl only turns sixteen once! We have to have a big bash!”
Sena sighed. It wasn’t that she was shy, but she didn’t really like being the centre of attention. Besides, with everything going on in her life right now, she didn’t have the time or energy to even think of parties or birthdays. “Phia, I really would prefer a quiet celebration with you guys,” she admitted. Seeing her friend’s face drop she added, “Listen, your birthday is in a month, we should plan that instead. Big parties are more your thing than mine anyway.”
Phia’s face lit up as she instantly perked up again. “You’re right! I was so focussed on your birthday I forgot mine is soon too!” She frowned suddenly. “Oh, gods!”
“What? What’s wrong?”
“I just realised I only have a month to plan my party!” Phia panicked. She leapt off the bed, gave her best friend a quick hug, and practically sprinted out the door. “Sorry to rush out, I have to go and make some plans. There’s so little time!”
Sena watched bemused as Phia stopped at the door and blew her a kiss before disappearing.
“Her batteries are certainly charged this morning!” Z chuckled. “That girl is like a whirlwind and hurricane all rolled into one! I’m tired just watching her.”
Sena burst out laughing. “That’s what her mom says too. She’s always been full of life.”
“That’s putting it mildly!” Z stated wryly. “You two are as different as night and day. I guess opposites do attract.”
“We’ve been best friends since forever,” Sena smiled. “Every memory I have is of us doing things together.” Her smile fell slightly. “I wish I could tell her all that is happening. She’s practically my sister, Z. We’ve never kept secrets from each other before.”
“You feel guilty that you’re keeping things from her. Trust me, I really do get it. And I know that you also want to tell your mom. Right now, it’s important that you keep it to yourself just for a little while longer. I have a feeling that they will have to know eventually anyway.”
Chapter Twelve
“You sent for me, master?” Ari bowed respectfully, as he entered the Dohar’s secret chambers.
“Ah, my young friend!” the older man exclaimed, eyes alight with excitement. “Come, ward the door behind you. I have much to tell you!”
Ari did as instructed and performed the sound-blocking spell they used when they needed to ensure maximum secrecy.
“I have just received word that the council is meeting next week,” he told his apprentice gleefully. “I believe that the time has come to set our plan in motion.”
“But everything is not yet in place, my Lord.”
“I know, but needs must. Ishkan is becoming ever more difficult to deal with.” He shuddered at the memory of his last encounter with the God. “I had to sacrifice three of our own. This cannot be allowed to continue. We must break free from his hold.”
“You know, master, that I will do whatever it is that you command,” Ari stated. “But how can we part ways with a God? He has been the patron God of this group since our ancestors first founded the Sahat. He has always taken much, but also imbued us with power we could not have achieved otherwise. What will happen to our organisation if we separate from him?” A slight chill passed through him, as he thought of what the God might do if they tried to break from him. Ishkan was not the most emotionally stable God at the best of times. There was no telling what he would do if they rejected him. “Master, what if he tried to harm you?”
“You are a true and loyal soldier, Ari, and a friend,” the Dohar patted his shoulder. “Your worry for does you credit, but we cannot keep on as we are. Too many innocents have been sacrificed to Ishkan already.”
His master was right as always. And even though what he proposed put his own life and safety in jeopardy, he was willing to take the risk in order to save his people, not just the Sahat, but all Xanians. It was this patriotic selflessness, which Ari admired so much. It was why he would do whatever he had to in order to protect his master against anyone and anything.
“We must act now,” the Dohar continued. “If the warnings are true, we do not have much time left.” Pacing around his study, he sighed, frustrated. In the Sahat’s vaults, there was a secret scroll written many centuries ago concerning the future of Xanos. Although there was only ever one oracle, the ancient Lyli and no one had full blown visions like her. There had been a few Hectians or Sybeli over the years who had had some powers of foresight. One such man had been one of his own ancestors, Mykus, a man renowned for his dedication to the Sahat and to Xanos. It was he who had written the scroll after a particularly vivid prediction he had been given.
It could not come to pass! The Dohar crushed some papers that were piled on his desk. He had to do whatever it took to prevent his great great-grandfather’s prediction from coming to pass. Mykus spoke of a time when the Zamani once more came to Xanos. The Dohar knew all about the Zamani, a ruthless and powerful race who had sought to enslave them all. He had read all the scrolls in the Sahat library. The Zamani were shape-shifting monsters. They could not be allowed back on Xanos. His ancestors had found a way of making Xanos uninhabitable for them, but if Mkyus’ prediction was true, and the Dohar believed that it was, then either they had or would find a way to counter the effects unless it was that the spell used had weakened over time. He couldn’t honestly say he knew how, he just knew that he had to do everything in his power to stop these animals from destroying Xanos.
“I understand, master,” Ari nodded, snapping him out of his reverie. “But what you plan to do with the council … it is a risky move.”
“Needs must, Ari, needs must. We have to act now before the portals reopen and the planet is taken over by Zamani. The people of Xanos will understand once they know the truth.”
“Why not tell them now? Almost no one knows the Zamani ever existed, why not tell them? We could rally more support for our cause.”
“No,” the Dohar cut him off firmly. “To tell them now would wreak chaos and havoc. Those that believe us will descend into panic, and those that don’t will think we are posturing to gain power. We do not have the time or resources to convince all of Xanos of the dangers ahead. But, Ari, you are my lieutenant, my right hand. I need to know that you are with me all the way.”
“Never doubt me, master,” Ari raised his fist to his chest in a military salute. “I will ever be at your side.”
The Dohar nodded with a smile. “Then we set our plans in motion as of next week. I hope the council is willing to keep an open mind, Ari, or we will have some difficult decisions to make.”
***
“Now, close your eyes and open your senses to everything around you,” Sya said softly from behind Sena. “In order to truly connect with your magick, you need to first communicate with the magick within you. Remember,” she added. “Your magicks are alive just as you are. Yes, they are a part of you, tied intrinsically to your physical being, but they are also separate until you learn to bond them together.”
Sena’s eyes flashed open in surprise. “They are separate?”
“They are here,” Sya explained. “Xanians lost their tie to nature when they rejected the Zamani and never sought to become one with their magical essences. This is partially why
they could never be as powerful as the ones they feared.”
“But the Zamani are bonded with their magick?”
“Every Zamani child is taught to do so from the moment they can use magic,” her teacher told her.
“I’m only half Zamani though.” Sena bit her lip. “What if I don’t have that ability?”
“Everyone has the ability, Sena,” Sya clarified. “Even Xanians who have no Zamani blood, they just choose to ignore that side of themselves, but they too could achieve completion, as I like to call the process, if they tried.” She smiled kindly. “Shall we continue? It is important that you manage this before tomorrow.”
Closing her eyes once more, Sena focussed on the task at hand. Tomorrow, she was to undergo her first spirit walk and find out what her bonded animal was to be. She was excited, nervous, and worried in equal measures. What if she couldn’t do it? Or worse, what if she did, and she turned into something she could not turn back from?
“I want you to reach into yourself with all of your senses,” Sya gently murmured as though her voice were coming from a distance.
Pushing her minds inwards, Sena stretched out, an almost perceptible hand shaped wisp of magick billowing towards the gently pulsating core of her essence. It was beautiful, a perfect sphere of shimmering blue, bronze, and silver sparks, which danced in tandem around a golden epicentre as though held in place by some gravitational pull.
“Have you found the heart?” Sya asked.
Sena nodded, eyes still closed.
“I want you to reach out and meld your mind with the core,” Sya instructed.
Pushing the pale silver wisp of magic towards the sphere, Sena held her breath in anticipation. The tendrils fanned out as they neared it, and she watched amazed as they wrapped themselves around it, forming what looked like a silver gossamer cocoon around the spherical light, which began pulsating in a steady beat she could practically hear. Sena inhaled deeply as every cell in her body, every ounce of magick began to tingle as though waking up after a long sleep. Suddenly, the sphere went as still as a statue, all movement ceased, the ensuing silence heavy.