by Kyrja
Siri had watched of the play of emotions across Amphidea’s face, making a mental note to ever distrust her no matter the circumstances. She’d exclaimed with great delight when she’d finally gazed into the water inside the crystalline vessel, then had covered it with her fluid hand, as if to hide whatever she’d seen. “Are you truly blind to this vessel’s contents, or are you playing at some jest?” she’d demanded, looking pointedly at their hostess. “Are you truly unaware of what has been wrought here? Do you not think we might guess that when such an effort was made to create this haven in all the cosmos that some incredible thing might not be created?” Siri was surprised at the sharpness of Amphidea’s tone, as if the Earth Goddess was responsible for some travesty. Still, she understood her role by now so stirred the conversation further.
“What is it Amphidea? You must tell me!” she pressed, tilting her head in just the right way to ensure Giya understood she, too, felt she was at fault for having withheld something important.
“No, Siri, I cannot reveal what lies within. It is far too dangerous, for it is the very future!”
“No!” Giya’s frown was fierce. “The future cannot be revealed!” she reached out a hand to retrieve the goblet from Amphidea who held it closer.
“Perhaps, because it is meant to hold water, Amphidea is the one who should be the one to keep it,” Siri quickly intervened, a frown of accusation still firmly in place.
Giya had argued that the waters of the world were hers to control and protect, not Amphidea’s, to which the Storm Goddess had merely lifted her hand, letting it flow into a puddle on the floor. They all watched as it reabsorbed into her feet. Then she had taken her biggest risk of all, holding the goblet out to Giya saying it had been forged in water, and had safely lain in the water until Giya had interfered, even disrupting the lifecycle of the desert with her meddling. It was her own concern for what Giya had done which had brought her to this very place on this night. But if she truly felt it was better to keep this “useless bauble” to herself, then so be it.
Giya took the vessel in her hands, looking once more into the depths of the device, her brow deeply creased. It was obvious she could still see nothing in the cup, just as Siri knew Amphidea had predicted.
“Take it then, and keep it safe,” Giya sighed, “though I dislike this entire affair. None should see the future.”
“I will not take it,” Amphidea returned. “I cannot. As long as you have power and control over the waters of this world, your influence will interfere with the timeline. If you had left it be - where it was specifically formed to ensure balance throughout the world, you would not have tainted the purpose of this sacred vessel. Even Siri should not have touched it, now that we know what it is.”
And though it had taken the rest of the night, by the time Sov’s light was raising over the horizon, Amphidea had wrested the precious goblet from Giya and control of the all waters of the world.
And then she had handed the goblet to her. Not a word had passed between them, but Siri understood perfectly that she would be indebted to the Storm Goddess for a very long time to come.
Siri had since learned much about the truth of time and what might be considered the “future,” and had paid the price for her curiosity. Amphidea would, indeed, eventually get her heir, but not exactly in the manner she’d hoped. Siri laid a hand on her abdomen, rubbing the fabric of her extended flesh. It had been a very long time since last she’d birthed a storm of such magnitude. The last had been at Amphidea’s request, so that she might, once again, confront Giya. She’d needed to extract the Earth Goddess’ promise to send all those who felt the water beneath the sands to the Temple of Life so she would have her heir. That had been Siri’s own doing, and only because she’d sought out the answer to another question within the goblet.
She’d wanted to know if gods ever really die. It hadn’t truly been a sincere question; she’d simply had too much time on her hands and had wondered the question idly. Unfortunately, she’d asked the question while she’d had the crystal goblet in her hands. She’d been startled to discover the answer was presented to her with a vision of Amphidea dying. She’d automatically asked how she could prevent such a scenario from coming to fruition before she could even think. She’d always been curious as to how things work – how everything works, really. It was a curse from which she was simply unable to deviate. Knowledge and information were her greatest weakness. Some might say she was curious, but the need to always know more, to discover and seek out knowledge was her greatest passion. And so she’d learned that Amphidea could, indeed, stay the hand of death by combining her might with that of her heir.
Siri had known Jarles would be born for a very long, long time now, and even considered killing him out of hand merely so she could watch how events played out if he died before meeting Amphidea. Instead, she decided she would do something very, very different. And so this time, when Siri released the simoon to careen across the desert, she would drive him to the sea so he would meet the Goddess of the Seas sooner, rather than later.
Amphidea had already ruined her first plan by snatching Aidena so far away from Jarles so unfairly. She was going to have to correct that misstep immediately. And, while consulting the crystal goblet had its advantages, it also had a steep price, and wasn’t nearly as much fun as watching to see how the mortals would react to the direct touch of unexpected divine influences in their lives. She stood very, very still for a moment then, allowing the energy of the storm to build just a bit more, then she released it into the desert, screaming as it tore loose from her.
Chapter Ten – Amphedia Meets Jarles
For three long days and nights, Amphidea had waited. She’d watched and waited while Jarles lay prostrate, thrashing about in his delirium as if he was running for his very life. She had listened while he screamed, while he begged and pleaded, and even while he’d lain perfectly still. Never had she felt so helpless nor impotent; not throughout all of the eons she’d existed. Amphidea was not accustomed to feeling useless nor powerless. She was usually the one who was responsible for striking terror into the hearts of mortals – not the one waiting patiently for something to happen.
She had even generously allowed the people to drink their fill during the entire time, noting those who stopped long enough to give her thanks or praise. Those she would remember when the time came. The rest would be beneath her regard – and would regret it.
As she watched Jarles begin to thrash yet again, she’d decided she’d had enough. It was time for direct intervention. Gathering herself together, she rose up through the burning sand, cursing her brother for his failure to see the obvious damage he was doing to this world and its frail people. She knew her own devotion to the mortals lay not in true concern for the individuals themselves – although there were certainly a few here and there who had earned her affection – but their existence at all as a species. She knew it was critical they be allowed to flourish and be nourished, lest they fail to provide service and worship to the gods, and especially to her. Sov had never bothered himself to take human form nor to walk among the creatures he’d helped to create. His ignorance of their plight, and his selfish disregard for their need for his mercy was unacceptable. Nor did she have any intention of dying – an impossible thought! – because of his belligerence.
She couldn’t help but to be amused that people screamed and went running in all directions when she took form. Undoubtedly, they had begun to gather closer together when they’d seen the pool of water forming, marveling at such a spectacle in the desert. And then to see a true goddess forming in front of their very eyes! Well! She was certain there would be stories told for generations to come of the day Amphidea came to claim her heir. So be it! Her only concern now lay with Jarles. They would have their stories, but she would see him restored to health. Her own life, after all, depended on his survival.
She’d manifest herself directly outside of the tent where they kept him out of the overbearing heat of
her brother’s light, so only had a few small steps to take. One brave soul – her name was Johlyn, Amphidea knew – stood with the tent flap held open for her. Her face was at war with itself whether to settle on fear or awe, but when Amphidea looked at her, she closed her eyes, bowing her head in reverence. Amphidea liked that. She liked it a lot. She didn’t often interact with humans, and then, no more than necessary (unless she was terrorizing them, of course, but that was something different altogether), so was pleased when this one stood her ground, paying her homage despite her own great fear.
Another surprise awaited her inside the tent. Another human who didn’t go running in fear, or drop to her knees in submission. Denit – touched by Giya. Heavily favored by the Earth Goddess, in fact, as was obvious from the great profusion of plants and flowers growing out of the sand and up the sides of the tent.
“My Lady,” Denit greeted her, impatience and distrust thick in her voice. She’d nodded her head – slightly – in deference, but had not lowered her eyes in submission nor reverence. Amphidea turned her head slightly towards Johlyn, narrowing her eyes and was pleased to see her jump, then flush while backing out of the tent, lowering the flap behind her.
“Leave us,” Amphidea ordered, turning her attention to Jarles.
“I will not,” Denit replied quietly. “He is my grandson, no matter that he may also be your heir. I will not leave him.” She raised her chin, though she spoke quietly. Amphidea remembered then that this one had come to her once, on her knees, grateful for the feel of the water beneath the desert so that she might be considered worthy of the Sea Goddess and whatever service she might perform in gratitude. Denit had produced Jonath, who had given his life – his eternal life – so that Jarles might be born.
“Why does he not waken?” Amphidea asked, reaching a watery hand towards his forehead. She heard Denit release a breath in relief at not having been killed out-of-hand for standing against her. She smiled inwardly. Fear was something she always appreciated, especially fear of what she might do to those who earned her disfavor.
“The girl who was with him, Aidena,” Denit replied. “She did this to him when she thought she was dying. Drowning.” Was that a touch of reproach? Amphidea wondered. “She is favored by the goddess Siri Ventura, though she doesn’t know it. It wasn’t her fault that Jarles was caught in the gees.”
Amphedia had asked the question automatically, not expecting an answer at all, let alone one which might be coherent or relevant. It took an effort not to raise an eyebrow in surprise. Giya must truly favor this woman, she thought, that this woman would know so much. Instead, she simply finished reaching for Jarles, laying her hand against his face. It was shocking to feel Siri Ventura there. Had her ally truly betrayed her then? A thousand thoughts reeled through her mind in that moment. What if everything the Goddess of Air had told her was a lie? What if Siri had truly never seen any more than she had in the crystal goblet? What if she’d played her for a fool all this time? What if she wasn’t dying after all and had no need for an heir at all? What would Siri have gained from such falsehoods? And then a deeper truth: wasn’t this exactly what she would have done in Siri’s place? Had she not always manipulated events to her own advantage? Why had she expected any other would do differently than she would? Would she not have been just as cunning, just as devious, given the opportunity? Nor had Siri been “given” the opportunity, she’d created the opportunity herself!
Amphidea felt her temper rising and almost – almost! – lashed out at the human beneath her hand, as well as any within striking distance. Her immediate reaction had been to want to drown the young mortal. And that’s when she’d realized that all of the ridiculous thoughts which had just cascaded through her mind were exactly that – ridiculous! She could no more drown Jarles than he could! He was drown-proof! Amphidea found herself laughing right out loud, ignoring Denit’s puzzled frown and the hope that suddenly flared in her eyes. His father, Jonath, had given his life to ensure Jarles would live because that was the necessary price to pay to create Jarles exactly the way he was. No matter if she willed it or not, Jarles truly was her heir and would inherit her powers once he agreed to her terms.
What had Denit had said? The girl didn’t know she was favored by Siri? That was entirely possible, of course. She’d been surprised herself when the girl had fallen into the sea with Jarles. That simply should not have been possible. Nor had she appreciated having to reveal to Savaar his own true identity. Not yet. He hadn’t been ready to learn he was her son. She’d known there was something about the girl, of course; she’d felt the power radiating off her the moment she fell into the sea with Jarles. But she hadn’t had any idea at all the girl was one of Siri’s disciples, and now she understood why the girl, this Aidena, didn’t know it herself. She’d had no choice, but to save the child, of course. Amphidea knew she had to find out why the girl had been able to penetrate the barriers she’d erected between the desert where Jarles had been and the sea, where she’d taken him. She was almost relieved to know Aidena wasn’t, after all, a simple mortal. She couldn’t very well have people walking through her boundaries to drop into the sea half-way across the world! What, though, was Siri up to? What had she done to this Aidena, and why? She was eager to discover that for herself, and to take some time with Savaar. Before he decided to turn violent.
If not for her immediate concern with Jarles, she would be paying more attention to Savaar and how he was faring with this newfound information. The last time he’d been born, he’d been furious. He had grown tired of being reborn if it meant he had to die over and over again. By now, he would be remembering more of his past lives and wondering what his role would be in this lifetime. To make matters worse, he was with the very same girl who’d done this terrible deed to Jarles. She’d meant to separate them, but hadn’t had time before Jarles had returned here, to the desert. She’d meant to have the girl return with Jarles, not with Savaar. She cursed her brother once more for his relentless brilliance. She knew Sov was the cause of her weakness. It was his fault she was diminishing and unable to do all she once had. Jarles should not have been able to return to the desert before she released him! There were too many things happening which were out of her control and she didn’t like it. Did. Not. Like. It. Here, though, was something she was sure she would be able to mend.
As she leaned into Jarles, covering him with her essence, she suddenly felt the mortals around her stir to life with a sense of powerful danger. Denit felt it too, torn between watching what she was doing and needing to find out what was happening outside. Because the woman had once done her bidding with gratitude, Amphidea spared her a moment of her attention.
“Go,” she said. “He will be safe.” Then she turned her attention back to her heir, no longer concerned whether Denit lived or died, although there was probably little she would be able to do to prevent the later, Amphidea knew. There was a storm coming. A terrible storm, the likes of which hadn’t been seen since she’d asked Siri for her help in convincing Giya to acquiesce control of the all the waters of the world. There was a small part of her which was becoming increasingly annoyed with Siri and her interference, but there was no time to concern herself with that now. Pouring herself into Jarles, she took him apart, molecule by molecule, re-creating him in her own image until he was nothing more than liquid himself. This time, she wouldn’t be able to simply move him to another location, creating barriers as she’d done in the past, because she couldn’t leave the portal between this place and the other open. Very soon now, there would be nothing left of “here” but the broken bits of bones of those who’d been in the path of the storm and those pieces of their belongings which weren’t buried beneath the sands by the pounding winds.
Enveloping Jarles into her own form, Amphidea sank back into the sands, seeking the underground streams which would lead her back to the vast ocean where she belonged. There, she would make Jarles whole again and claim him as her own.
Chapter Eleven – P’o
nyem’s Regrets
“I will never understand your devotion to this “heir,” Eruitt whispered, his voice a small disturbance in the dark. P’onyem knew it was too much to have expected him to have remained silent for very long. She shook her head at the perpetual impatience of youth, and its fiery passion. This one should have stayed in the desert, she thought to herself, he would have been better off serving the Sun God instead of coming to the city in search of something he would never find. And there was certainly little tolerance for Sov among the populace of the city by the sea. If one served a god or goddess other than Amphidea, one kept that knowledge quietly to oneself. The desert would have been a much better place for him to stay, P’onyem was sure of it.
Born two years before Jarles, Eruitt had grown up being able to sense water beneath the sand, albeit to a lesser degree than many born in the centuries before. The inability to sense water had become a terrible reality in her lifetime, changing the way everything was done in the desert. The Tuq’deb had never truly realized just how dependent they’d become on the Undia to keep everyone alive until that very special gift had been taken from them. Many had cursed the gift for as long as anyone could remember, angry – instead of pleased - to be relegated to a special class of people who would be treated very differently than everyone else. Everything changed once the gift was manifest, as she’d had occasion to know herself. Her daughter, Drena, had been born with the gift, much to the girl’s dismay. Drena had tried to hide it and P’onyem had let her. Until the Yahlah had found her out, sneaking bastard that he’d always been! Then there was nothing more either of them could do but to follow the dictates of the Lore. Drena was an Undia and would be given over to their care until she was sent to the Temple of Life to mate with their mad priests in the hope of producing Amphidea’s heir. And, of course, her name was changed to S’ray. How and why the changing of one’s name became a part of the requirements each Undia faced, nobody really knew nor remembered; it was simply a fact of life.