~
Gaian wandered off deep in thought after his father dismissed him. He really wanted to talk to someone about this, but who? Something about it clearly bothered Father. And Mother . . . well, it just didn’t feel right to pester Mother with a lot of questions. Father, either, really. He had more urgent things to worry about. But he could talk to Leria about anything.
His sister—well, half-sister—was five years older and the nearest thing Gaian had to a flesh-and-blood mother. At this time of day, she should just have returned from the Temple, where she was already studying to be a priestess herself someday, though she was still too young to enter the Temple as a novice.
Gaian raced up the steep staircase to the second floor of the Palace and around the corner to Leria’s chambers. He was relieved to find her there, just removing the pale green stole the female students wore to the Temple. Gaian had always thought the stole was redundant, considering the soft green aura that always surrounded his only sister. “Leria!”
She turned toward him. “What is it, Little Sun?”
Gaian didn’t even stop to object to the nickname that referred to his bright blonde hair, as he usually did. “Did you know it’s possible for me to become a god, like Mother?”
Leria sat down abruptly on the edge of her bed. “How did you find out about that?”
Gaian shrugged guiltily. “I . . . overheard Father talking to Mother—she was really there, talking to him—a little while ago. She said I might, when I’m big enough. Father didn’t seem very happy about the idea, though. How did you know?”
“There’s a prophecy in one of the big books in the Temple library. I read it . . . oh, a year or more ago, I guess,” Leria answered.
“And you didn’t tell me? What does it say?” Gaian asked.
“I can’t quote it word for word after all this time. It said one of the Goddess’s children would eventually become a god. That the mortal half would have to be burned away first.” She looked up and pinned Gaian with her eyes. “And that a lot of them would die trying.”
“Yes, Mother said about the burning,” Gaian answered, undeterred. “What else?”
“That’s all I remember of that prophecy.” Leria reached out and drew Gaian closer, until their knees almost touched. “Gaian, you’ve never seen anyone burn, have you?”
“No.” Gaian looked up at Leria’s serious face. “Have you?”
She nodded, but tears started in the corners of her eyes. “Once. In the far north just after Father sent for me, after he’d won the right to rule here, that first year. When his guards came to bring me here, we passed a village, on the river, right on the border between Khatar and Farea. The guards said it must have been bandits that set fire to the whole village. Some came running out of the burning buildings, on fire themselves. They were screaming.” She drew a shaky breath and had to pause before she could finish. “The guards didn’t think it was safe enough to stop and let me try to help.”
Gaian put a hand on her arm. Gentle Leria. Her mother had been a descendant of Bariana, the Healer. And therefore, so was Leria. But she could only have been about five years old then. Gaian tried to remember himself at that age. It seemed like forever ago, and yet . . . “You couldn’t have done very much for them Leria. Even if you had stopped. You were too young.”
Leria drew in a deep breath and nodded. “I know that. But it doesn’t help.” She grabbed his arms fiercely, squeezing so hard it hurt and Cat yowled and batted at her hands. Leria’s cat hissed back. “You have no idea how horrible a death that is, Gaian. You can’t . . . It’s not worth it. Nothing is worth that.”
~
Alone, except for the cat, Gaian lay on his bed and thought of all the things he would be able to do when he became a god. He could be with Mother—really with her, not just dream about her—anytime he wanted.
He could wipe that smug, condescending look off Benar’s face. No. That wouldn’t be worthy of a god. Besides, he could already beat Benar at anything. He didn’t need to be a god for that.
He could make all the whispering nobles and servants—especially the queen—take back everything they’d ever said about his parentage. He shook his head. No. That wasn’t worthy either. Anyway, Father and Mother knew the truth. And just becoming a god would prove all the whisperers wrong. Not just anybody could become a god, after all. He wouldn’t need to do anything else.
He had to think bigger if he expected to be worthy of such a destiny. No hero in the legends ever succeeded in a great quest by worrying about such insignificant things. They had bigger goals, like saving the world or their people or stopping a war. But here his imagination ran aground. He had no idea what he’d be able to do as a god.
What kind of god would he be, anyway? Mother was Goddess of the Earth and all that grew from it. That was already covered. What was left? The sea? The boys were taken down to the coast to play on the beach every summer, but the cold ocean water had never been very inviting to Gaian. It interfered with his sense of his Mother’s loving presence. He didn’t much care for that possibility. Fire maybe. That’d make a certain amount of sense, if he had to burn to become a god, but it seemed a little . . . limited. Maybe he’d be the bright and glorious sun, like Leria’s nickname for him, working with his mother to bring life to the earth. Or maybe bigger than that. Maybe the whole sky.
Gaian smiled. To be the sky itself! He could fly on the wind and move the clouds around to suit himself. He could even give Benar and the queen their own personal rain clouds. He shook his head. No, that was unworthy again. But . . . if he could control the clouds and the rain, he could stop that drought that had Father so worried. That was worthy. That was the sort of thing a god should think about. He needed to think about more things like that if he wanted to become a god.
Gaian imagined himself, flying on the wind and adjusting the weather so there was always enough rain and enough sun and the whole world was a beautiful garden. That would make Mother happy, too. The whole world lay at his feet and all he had to do was burn. In spite of what Leria had said, that didn’t sound too hard. As a Healer, other people’s pain affected her more than most people. That was all right for her. Right, even. But he had to be stronger than that.
Curious, Gaian sat up and reached for the candle by his bed. He put his hand into the flame, to see what it would feel like. Cat yowled in protest. Gaian bit his lip until he tasted blood to keep from crying out, fighting against every instinct in his body to keep his hand in the flame. He had to be able to do this. His arm shook with the effort and then his whole body. He snatched his hand back, but the pain didn’t stop. It hurt just as much now as it had when the fire danced across his skin. He cupped his injured had with the other and looked down at the angry, blistered wound.
In all his ten years, Gaian had never felt more than a momentary discomfort. Cat had always been there to protect him and to tend to any cut or scrape with the Goddess’s own healing power. He had never experienced a pain like that or known that pain could continue even after the cause was removed.
Cat pushed her nose into the wound on his hand. Her rough tongue on the injured skin elicited a small cry from the boy, but then the pain ceased and the burn healed, leaving Gaian’s hand unblemished. Cat put her front feet on his chest and butted her nose against his lip, healing that, too. Before turning to stomp back to the end of his bed, Cat swatted Gaian’s arm in admonishment, as if she were telling him not to do something as stupid as that again.
“I’m sorry, Cat. I didn’t know it would do that. Thank you for the healing.”
Cat gave a quiet purr and curled up.
Gaian licked his fingers and reached out to put out the candle. His hand stopped, shaking, inches away from the flame. He’d pinched out the flame like this a hundred times before. Tonight, he could not force his hand closer to the candle, remembering what it had felt like to have his hand in the flame. After a moment, Gaian cupped his hand behind the flame and blew the candle out.
He lay down, covering himse
lf with the blanket, still shaking. “Cat, is that what fear feels like?”
The cat meowed a sleepy affirmative.
“Huh!” Gaian said in a small voice. “I’ve never been afraid before.” Not like that, anyway. He couldn’t pretend that the queen didn’t intimidate him, sometimes. He could remember being a little anxious the last time Father had to fight in the Great Combat. But he’d never been physically afraid before.
He stretched himself to his full length, as if he was standing tall. “When I’m grown, I won’t be afraid of anything. I’m just not ready yet. Even Mother said so.”
Cat purred, stretched, and turned around twice before settling herself to sleep.
With a sigh, Gaian rolled over to his side and closed his eyes. “Goodnight, Cat.”
Additional Material
What Happened After
Orleus and Quetza remained together as life partners, retiring to his hunting lodge under the shadow of the mountains to raise their children.
Ariad successfully courted a young woman of the Lion Clan whose life mate had been killed in the battle and declared her his life mate a year later.
Sharila went back to the Valley with Miceus after the Battle of the Plains having been adopted into the Wolf Clan for her participation in the battle.
Balan and Zoria came back to Caere to stay with Vatar and his family for a year, where they temporarily took over as the Valson emissaries. Balan couldn’t come that close to the ocean without going to see it for himself. But he discovered, to his great disappointment, that salt water wasn’t much fun. The salt stuck in his fur and was hard to wash out if he let it dry there. The following summer, they went with Arcas back to Zeda. Arcas also took Miceus’s wife and children as far as Zeda, where Miceus’s guard met up with them and guided them along with Balan and Zoria back to the Valley. Balan and Zoria named their first son Zoridan. Their daughter, born two years later, was named Vatara.
Kiara and Theklan became life mates and raised their own children among the Eagle Clan, secretly teaching them the magic they would need to continue protecting the Dardani, like their parents before them.
Boreala and Cestus both started their own guilds, supported by contributions from the other guilds so that their services could be free to all, and took seats on the City Council. A new guild of message-senders, providing services especially to the Merchants’ and Fishermen’s Guilds was also started. Boreala married and had one daughter.
Veleus was given the post of first administrator of Caere. In part because he already knew a lot about what kept the city—and its trading partners—running. In part because he didn’t belong to any of the guilds and so could be an impartial leader of the council. He oversaw the transfer of the functions once performed by the Fasallon Council to the new City Council.
The structures on Palace Island were leveled by a tidal wave the year after the Battle of the Plains. Fortunately, nearly all of the inhabitants had already abandoned the Palace, following another series of earthquakes. The Caereans saw it as the revenge of the true Sea Gods and built a temple to them on the island.
Though Vatar did not return to Zeda until the twins’ initiation ceremony—and rarely thereafter, except for major family events—the clans gradually took up his offer to send a few young Dardani to him in Caere to learn smithcraft. While many of them became competent smiths, Vatar’s blades remained in high demand among both the Dardani and the Modgud for their superior quality and their uncanny ability to hold an edge.
Vatar eventually became Guild Master of the Smiths’ Guild. And Arcas was made Merchants’ Guild Master a few years later. Arcas, Elaria, and their children moved back into the city to be closer to their aging parents—and his work in the guild.
Savara stayed in the city and trained as a Healer. Zavar apprenticed to his father and became a smith, one of the finest in the guild. After his manhood test, Jadar stayed among the Dardani, taking the youngest daughter of Daron and Miriada as his life mate. After Vatar became Guild Master, Taleara petitioned him to be allowed to learn smithcraft, too, since both the Healers’ and the Teachers’ guilds permitted women members. Though she never worked iron and steel successfully, being small and delicate like her mother, she showed great talent for the fine work, with silver and gold, and was the first of many women to enter the guild under Vatar’s leadership. Eventually, other guilds opened to women in at least some roles as well.
Following Danar’s death of old age (for the Dardani), Lucina returned to Caere. She lived for a while with Vatar and Thekila, but eventually reunited with Veleus (also recently widowed) and they lived happily together for the rest of their lives.
Vatar and Thekila lived to see their great grandchildren born and died on the same day at an advanced age.
Genealogies
Cast of Characters
With Vatar (most of the time):
Vatar: Half Fasallon, half Caerean, raised by the Dardani. By profession a master smith engaged primarily in making knives, arrowheads, and spear points for trade between Caere and the Dardani and Modgud. The prophesied Harbinger who heralded changes in the government of Caere and all the cities of the coast. Possessor of forgotten Fasallon magic, the combined magics of the Fasallon and the Dardani, and through his bond with Thekila, also able to use Valson magic. A member of the Lion Clan. His avatar is an impossibly large (thanks to the interaction of the two kinds of magic) white lion with black mane and tail. Willing host to his distant ancestor, Taleus, who sometimes volunteers forgotten knowledge.
Thekila: Vatar’s Valson life mate, permanently bonded to him through their magic. At home, in the Valley, she was a teacher at the Academy, specializing in Far Speech and Far Sight. Adopted into the Eagle Clan. Her avatar is an impossibly small white eagle.
Theklan: Thekila’s younger brother. He was adopted into the Eagle Clan along with her. Unlike Thekila, who prefers life in Caere, Theklan’s heart is in the freedom of life on the plains, among the Dardani.
Zavar: Vatar’s young son from a previous relationship with Avaza. Savara’s twin. Zavar is aware of his father’s magic and able to respond to Vatar’s Far Speech much younger than is normal. Lion Clan by birth, not yet initiated.
Savara: Vatar’s young daughter from a previous relationship with Avaza. Zavar’s twin. She shows Healing Talent quite young. Lion Clan by birth, not yet initiated.
Jadar: Vatar and Thekila’s toddler son. Lion Clan by birth, not yet initiated.
Taleara: The infant daughter of Vatar and Thekila. Lion Clan by birth, not yet initiated.
Among the Dardani:
Danar: Vatar’s stepfather. A chief among the Lion Clan and the most honorable man Vatar knows.
Lucina: Vatar’s mother. A Caerean by birth. After finding herself pregnant following an affair with Veleus, she escaped from Caere and the Fasallon’s repressive policies toward half-breeds by marrying Danar and going out onto the plains with him. A deeply loving relationship has grown between them since. She was partly trained as a Healer in Caere and brought that knowledge with her to the Dardani. She was adopted into the Horse Clan, where her knowledge of Healing has made her a chief in her own right.
Kiara: Vatar’s half-sister, eight years younger than he. She is the daughter of Lucina and Danar. Fiercely independent, she prefers the riding with the herds to the kinds of work most of the women do. She’s had a fascination with Theklan since he first arrived with Vatar and Thekila. Lion Clan.
Fenar: Vatar’s much younger half-brother, son of Lucina and Danar. Fenar is fifteen years younger than his big brother, much nearer in age to his nephew and niece, Zavar and Savara. Lion Clan by birth, not yet initiated.
Daron: Vatar’s “cousin” and friend, son of Danar’s sister, Lanara, and Bion, a chief of the Horse Clan. Horse Clan. One of the survivors of the tiger hunt. Life mate to Miriada.
Miriada: Eagle Clan. As a girl, she was scarred in an attack by a Forest Tiger. Life mate to Daron.
Ariad: One of Vatar’s oldest friends. Ea
gle Clan. Miriada’s brother. One of the survivors of the tiger hunt. Year mate (for several years running) to Avaza.
Avaza: Raven Clan. She was Vatar’s first year mate and mother of the twins, Zavar and Savara. Her bitterness towards Vatar frequently causes him trouble and is the main reason she and Ariad have not progressed to life mates.
Among the Fasallon:
Veleus: Vatar’s real father. A highly Talented Fasallon and member of the Fasallon High Council.
Orleus: Vatar’s older half-brother, son of Veleus and his first wife, Gerusa. Veleus removed Orleus to Tysoe, a frontier town on Lake Narycea, at a young age to keep him away from Gerusa’s influence. Orleus is now Captain of the Tysoean Guard as well as an avid hunter. He keeps a very fine black horse, Racer, and two hunting dogs, Seeker (similar to a blood hound) and Arrow (similar to a borzoi).
Boreala: Vatar’s older half-sister, daughter of Veleus and Gerusa, raised by her father following her parents’ divorce. A Master Healer and newest member of the High Council.
Cestus: Vatar’s slightly older half-brother, son of Veleus and a Caerean woman. He has almost no magical Talent. The exclusion from advancement because of this led him to become the feared “Fasallon who is not a Fasallon” and lead a revolution among the Fasallon. The effects of that revolution are still working out.
Miceus: Vatar’s half-brother, son of Veleus and Gerusa. Being very young, he was initially left with his mother when Veleus and Gerusa divorced. Gerusa attempted to brainwash him against his father, but after a chance meeting with Orleus, Miceus reunited with Veleus and the rest of his family. He stammers as a result of emotional abuse by his mother.
Selene: Vatar’s half-sister, daughter of Veleus and Gerusa. She was also raised by her mother, as Gerusa’s chosen successor.
Gerusa: Veleus’s first wife and long-time rival for power on the High Council. Forced together only because they were the two most magically Talented of their generation, the marriage was doomed from the start. Gerusa lost her place on the High Council (the seat now occupied by Boreala) after she defied the High Council and kidnapped Vatar’s twins. She is an indefatigable enemy of both Veleus and Vatar.
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