by R. Lynn
“Mari...my...love... please let... me... explain,” Sugoi said through labored breath.
By his difficulty speaking, Asima pictured Mari pinning him to the wall by his throat. She dearly wished she could be in the room with them and witness firsthand Sugoi getting what he deserved. Another large cracking sound resounded in the closet where she hid. And the wall that separated her from Mari’s room vibrated with the blow of a large object slamming into it.
When Sugoi started to speak his words were no longer restricted but came with ease. “Mari, I apologize that I did not tell you of her powers. I wasn’t sure of the extent of them until now. Sollara’s elemental side is strong— the sun was feeding her. I couldn't risk exposing her to you just to have you feast on her to exploit her youth.”
Before he could continue, Mari interrupted him.
“How dare you keep something like this from me! You know of our struggle to find a suitable replacement for our depleting supplies of ambrosia. We should have taken more ambrosia when we left the god forsaken Atlanticus. But we did not, and now when we run out I will age. Do you know what that means for us? If I grow old, I will get weak! I do not tolerate weakness! You know that an Elemental’s blood is a suitable replacement for the ambrosia. What would you have risked by telling me? Why care if the child dies?” She was so upset that her words were delivered with a deep tremor.
“Let us not make decision in haste. Think about it, Mari. We can use Sollara to get us back into Atlanticus and retrieve more ambrosia,” Sugoi reasoned, finding from somewhere inner confidence to challenge Mari. “Sollara is a gift from the gods. A bargaining tool so those damned Fates will let us back in. They cannot deny Sollara entrance; she is what they need to restore Atlanticus to its former glory. And the only way I will ever allow her to do so is with us seated on the throne. Don’t you see Mari? Atlanticus offers us so much more than these god forsaken caves! There you will not have to worry about aging. It is all too perfect.”
“You and your obsession with Atlanticus! If I knew that is what this was about, I would never have agreed to keep that ghastly child!”
“I would have never been forced to leave my home if those like you did not try to feed on the Elementals in the first place!” Sugoi raised his voice in frustration.
“Oh, you are such a moron,” Mari hissed. “The reason I aided in Atlanticus’ demise is because I hated it there. I much prefer our new way of life. Humans are easy to manipulate, to rule. You have not won me over, Sugoi. After the council meeting, two weeks hence, I will slit her throat! Her blood will run through my veins, and I will keep my youth forever! That is true power, true honor. Those damned Fates knew nothing about the way of life. Do you know what I intend to do? I will make Earth bow to me!”
“But Mari, you have not thought this through.”
“Do not question me Sugoi! If you want to be seated next to me for eternity, you had best hold your tongue, or I will share her blood with one who is more worthy. I am tired of looking on her face. She looks just like her mother. It makes bile rise in my throat every time I see her. This conversation is over. My mind is made!”
Before Sugoi could continue to argue with her, she was out the door and walking past the room in which Asima had hidden. Asima hoped that Mari would not find her eavesdropping. She held her breath and said an internal prayer, asking the Fates for safety. For if Mari found her, it would mean her life, and all hope of saving Sollara would die with Asima.
When she realized that Mari had not sensed her and had kept walking her course, Asima let out a sigh of relief. She had given up so much to be Sollara’s protector, and she wasn’t about to let Mari take Sollara from her now. Reaching down into her pocket, she let her hands fondle the crumpled piece of paper she had carried with her every day since coming to the Deep Kingdom. It was a prophecy that had cost her her family, a sacrifice she had knowingly made. Feeling its familiar creases and texture helped calm her rapidly beating heart. She repeated the words that had long since been rubbed from its surface. They were her last link to Atlanticus and her best friend, Luna.
“Two sisters, not from blood but by the bond of elements, will bear children. The first-born will be a male child gifted with the powers of water and sky. The next, a daughter of the sun. She will control its fire and harvest the powers of others. If the children bind their hearts in love, they will have the authority to obliterate the Dark Shadow that threatens to destroy life.”
As she finished her recital, a righteous anger pounded in her chest. Her hatred for Mari gave her the courage to do what she knew was required of her. In it she had only one regret, she wouldn’t be able to see Mari and Sugoi draw their last breaths before she died.
-7-
It was the day the Descendants would grace the Deep Kingdom for their quarterly council meeting. The servants had been working overtime, preparing for the soon to arrive council members. All the while, Sollara was lost in her world and happy to be chatting with her friend Lark.
He had visited her daily since her surprise first encounter. In just two short weeks, Lark had become her best friend. Sometimes she thought she could hear his thoughts. She couldn't be sure, but it seemed as though he responded to her questions and even asked some of his own. Sollara figured she was either mad or a mind reader. But she was not willing to risk having him caught to chance asking Asima. Speaking of Asima, she could hear her loud footsteps trudging down the hall.
“Hide in the crevasse. I will get rid of her,” she whispered to the Lark. He hesitated but took her warning and flew to the hiding place to wait. Shortly after, Asima knocked at the door.
“Come in, Asima.”
“I will never understand how you always seem to know it is me, child,” she said with a forced smile as she opened the door.
Sollara didn’t even let her get all the way in the door before she started asking questions. “I have been wondering why the Hellhounds look like beasts that came from hell. Do they exist on the Surface as well?” Sollara’s curiosity was boundless.
Asima made her way over to the bed and took a seat. “It is known that they were once a species of large wolves that dwelled in the caves of this mount. When Mari took up residence, she challenged the pack leader and won. They then committed to serve her, binding their souls to hers. When they did that, their physical appearance changed, and they became creatures of pure evil. It is further proof that all we have is our soul, and we are not to offer it to unworthy sources.” When she finished explaining, she lifted her eyes up to Sollara and forced another smile. Asima hadn't seemed her normal self the past few days. She even lacked energy when giving her familiar soul lecture. Sollara wondered if it was something she had done and wasn't going to risk losing the only human friend she had.
“Asima, are you ok? Have I done something to upset you?”
“Child don't be....” Before she could finish, she noticed Lark watching them from the crack. He cocked his head at Asima and flew down to her knee. Her eyes widened, and a mixture of fear and sadness flickered in her expression.
Thoughts of losing her new friend caused Sollara to drop to her knees in front of Asima and beg her to spare his life. “Please Asima, he’s just a harmless bird.”
“Sollara, get out!”
Asima had never yelled at Sollara before now. Because of this, Sollara did not hesitate and ran from the room. Her mind was a jumble of shock, fear, and confusion as she stood in the corridor and awaited Lark’s fate.
“Go to the Library and continue with your current studies. I will come and get you when I’m ready,” Asima yelled through the door.
It seemed weird to Sollara that Asima was reacting so forcefully because of a bird. He had meant no harm, and in fact caused no harm. But Asima had always been loving and loyal, and Sollara did not dare confuse trying to protect the Lark with a lack of gratitude. Instead, she did as she was asked. It wasn’t far to the library; in fact it was right across from her room.
Her mind was swirling
with thoughts, and she didn’t even bother getting a book. Settling down on one of the large feather stuffed pillows that graced the corners of the great room, she let her eyes drift up the twenty-foot wall to the thousands upon thousands of books that adorned the shelves.
Each volume held certain knowledge of a world she had never known. She had spent eighteen years in the same underground stronghold, and there was not much else to do with her time but read. So, she focused her pent up energy on learning everything she could about the world around her and the world above her. She read about fashion, automobiles, architecture and history in her studies. But when alone, she read tales of friendship, bravery, and romance; she would imagine herself in the magical worlds, embedded in the words of the novel before her. Every chance she had she would read, and often she had Asima send the servants to the Surface to get more books.
As she sat in the library waiting on Asima, her thoughts trailed to a book that she had read countless times— it was by far her favorite story, written about a land in an ancient world filled with magic and wonders. It always reminded her of what she pictured Atlanticus would look like. Even though Mari often spoke of how horrid it was, she imagined it to be a place of great beauty, a place where she could feel at home.
-8-
Asima’s body shook as she looked down at the Lark who had nested itself on her lap. His blue eyes brought back memories of her beloved son. When he was little, she would tell him a story of a lark that had fallen in love with an owl. She often took the form of the songbird in the story, and he would clap his hands in glee and beg her to tell it to him again. When Sollara told her of the blue-eyed stranger in the field Asima had hoped that it could be him. Now she wondered expectantly if her assumptions were right and that the Lark and the stranger was in fact the same boy, even more so she wished it to be her son.
“Kai, is that you?” she hesitantly asked. So filled with hope that she could hardly breathe. Letting down the mask that hid her true form, Asima vanished and Aurora appeared.
As though it were in response, the Lark began to twitch and stretch. In seconds, he had more than doubled his size. Aurora gasped and tried to crawl away from the ever-growing bird in front of her. After mere moments, Lark had surpassed Aurora’s size and stood towering over her frightened body. It cocked its head and let out an ear-piercing screech as it phased once more.
First, the wings changed into long human arms. They reached towards the bed and grabbed a blanket, skillfully tying it around its waist. Soon, the entire bird had transformed into the body of a beautiful young man. Aurora gasped.
“Kai...it's...it's…” she stammered before he cut her off.
“How do you know my name? And how did you know I was in form?” He studied her face with a sense of purpose, his stern eyes taking in everything.
She wanted more than anything to tell him she was his mother. But she feared he would not trust her. Fueled by that fear, she decided to explain everything to him first.
“I gave up my life, my marriage and my…my… child.” She had so much to say she rushed her words out of fear he would not let her continue. “I did all this to protect Sollara, the girl you come to visit. I made a promise to her mother that I would keep her safe even if it meant my life. My elemental powers were bound— my name changed and physical appearance masked, so that no one would recognize me.” She paused and seeing that he said nothing, she continued to clarify. “Many years ago I lived in Atlanticus. My best friend, Luna, heard of Sugoi and Mari's plan to overthrow the Sisters of Fate from their place of determining the future of life. When she heard of this plot to destroy them, Luna took me to the Hall of Knowledge to read from the sacred book. We had hoped to find something that would keep the world safe from Sugoi and Mari. That is where we read the final prophecy.”
“Does it have anything to do with how you know my name?” His patience dwindled with every passing second. She so desperately wanted to tell him the truth, but she needed him to understand first.
“The prophecy spoke of two women who have children. Very special children, destined to do very special things. Luna was one of these women, and her daughter Sollara was one of the children. Even though we did not understand the whole prophecy, and the children’s powers had not yet come to be, our children were the ones the prophecy spoke about. They had to be.”
“You said our children. Your child is a part of this too?” he asked, forgetting about his previous frustration.
“Yes, my child was also mentioned in the prophecy….” She realized it would not be right to continue with him not knowing the truth. So after taking in a deep breath, she tried to compose herself by smoothing out her cloak. When it did not work, she slipped her hand back into her pocket and felt the paper’s soothing familiarity. “I am your mother, Aurora, wife of Aquarius, your father.” She lovingly held out her shaky hand in longing to hold him. Upon hearing the words, he faltered in his confident stance. The look on his face revealed the betrayal his heart felt.
“I know that you believe I have abandoned you, Kai. No words I can say will ever give back the times you needed a mother. Please son, one day you will understand why I did this to us, to our family. One day, I can only hope that you will forgive me.” He still did not speak, but tears rose and pooled in his blue eyes.
“Your eyes are just like your father’s. Is he well?” she blurted, not able to control her feelings.
“My father is dead! He died of a broken heart because of you, and he left me by myself when I was only eight years old.” His words gouged into her heart.
She froze in grief, too forlorn to even cry. “I’m so sorry,” she managed in a barely audible mumble.
But he refused to acknowledge her and turned his back. She knew she needed to make things right. He was all she had left of Aquarius.
“Please Kai, let me show you why I did what I did.” Being very careful not to release her powers for too long, out of her fear of Sugoi and Mari sensing, Aurora cautiously pulled her hand away from her paper and placed it on his cheek.
His eyes rolled back in his head as she began transferring images and memories of the past to his mind. Memories of her heart breaking, when she had chosen to leave him in order to protect him, how she loved Luna as a sister and more than her own life, and how when they read the prophecy, they promised each other that they would protect the other’s child until their last breaths. She had been careful not to reveal the truth about Sollara and the part of the prophecy where they would have to bind hearts. For if that were ever to be, it would have to be by their choosing, not a result of something she had told him. She showed him Sugoi killing Luna and Sollara’s father, and herself hiding in the form of Asima so she could offer her services raising the child in exchange for her loyalty to him and Mari. When she was finished, she slowly pulled her hand away and studied his blank expression.
“It was the hardest thing I ever had to do, leaving you with Aquarius so that I could fulfill my promise to Luna. Believe me son, not a day goes by that I don’t wish things were different. My only reassurance in all this is knowing that Sollara must survive in order to save us all.” Just recalling the memories brought anger back to her. She had sacrificed so much for Sollara, and now Mari had sentenced her to die, all for vanity so that she could retain her youth by drinking the girl’s blood. Aurora let her anger cool as she turned her attention back to the precious moment she was granted with her son.
Somehow with her last words, Kai seemed to find understanding. He dropped to his knees and hugged her waist, his eyes swimming in sorrow.
She took this moment to study her child. He was every bit as beautiful as she had remembered him, and it was hard for her not to compare him to his father. She had pictured this moment the whole time she lived in the Deep Kingdom.
He was still trying to hold back tears. Aurora smiled when she saw him make the same face he’d made as a child when he hurt his knee. He was trying his best to be brave. Cautiously, concerned about offering t
oo much too soon, she pulled him into her embrace; her arms had ached to hug her son as her heart did for his understanding.
“You did… love me… you didn't leave because of me or my father… you always loved me.”
“Of course child, everything I have done is for you. I have loved you every moment of my life! I wish our course had been different, but it has not, and it gets worse. I need your help.” She joyfully held her son while tears streamed down her face. She knew this would be the last time she would ever see him.
“Mari and Sugoi plan to kill Sollara. We can’t let this happen. If we have any chance of defeating them, Sollara must live. Do you understand me?”
“Why would they kill her? They have taken her in, raised her as their own.”
“Yes, it is true, but only so that when the day comes they could use Sollara for their own advantage. I am afraid my son, that day is today.”
“I won’t let them. Sollara is my friend. We have to get her out of here!” He spoke with such passion Aurora couldn’t help but smile at the man he had become in her absence.
“I have an idea. I need you to guide Sollara out of here while I distract Mari and Sugoi.”
“No, you can’t stay behind. You can’t do this to me. I just found you. I can’t lose you all over again. I’m not strong enough.” This time Kai did not hold back, and his shoulders heaved forward as he wept.
“Kai, I wish with all my heart that I could come with you. But there is no other way. We must protect Sollara! I love you with every ounce of my soul. And, if for some reason I don’t survive, I will wait for you in the afterlife. When we can finally be together.” She stroked his head and held him tight.
He struggled to understand, but soon his drive to do what was needed outweighed his heavy heart. She could sense the change in his posture.