Echoes

by Christine Grey

  ‘What is it you want?’ I asked.

  I couldn’t think of anything else to say. It was an odd little creature, but close enough to dragon-kind that I was hesitant to kill it outright. Oke would never have harmed it, and that, more than anything, made me hesitate.

  ‘Grrreat Drrragon, you isss mighty. You isss ssstrrrong. Where you isss coming frrrom?’

  There was a lot of that. Rolling of Rs and drawn out Ss. I saw no reason not to answer, but, before I could respond, Tolah spoke to me, and told me to lie. He had never spoken to me before, and yet I knew his voice like it was my own. I would as soon cut off my own wing as disobey Tolah, and so, without hesitation, I lied.

  ‘I come from Mystland.’

  ‘Myssstland? I no hearrr of drrragon frrrom therrre like you.’

  Tolah was silent, so I was on my own.

  ‘I kept to myself. I don’t see that it is any business of yours, anyway.’

  The little creature hopped forward and looked at me, and for a moment, I felt trapped in that gaze. It was as though it were looking into my very soul. I don’t know how, but he was reading me. I saw flashes of images from my past whipping through my memory, and I knew I had not called upon them. I heard, ‘Look away!’

  Tolah’s command was strong in my mind, and I could not help but obey. I blinked, and turned my back on my little intruder.

  ‘I’m tired. I wish to rest,’ I said, dismissing it from my lair.

  ‘Yesss, yesss, I go now. Grrreat drrragon. I botherrr no morrre.’

  It hopped forward a few steps, and then took wing and was gone.

  Tolah spoke but a single word after that. He said, ‘Run!’

  I left everything. I even burned the books I had taken from Oke’s home, and I never looked back.

  I wandered for years, staying in one place for only a few days before moving on again, until I came to the Breken desert. You know most of the story after that.

  “Did you ever find out more about the little creature?” Darius asked. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anything like it.”

  No. I never saw it again, and for that I am grateful. Tolah would never have spoken to me directly and told me to run if it weren’t dangerous. Actually, even if it were dangerous, I’m surprised Tolah would intervene. He doesn’t usually involve Himself in the day-to-day of His children. It’s a mystery, that’s for certain.

  A gentle knock sounded at the door, drawing their attention.

  “Dearra, it is Aesri. May I come in?

  Dearra rose and opened the door, allowing the beautiful Etrafarian to enter her chamber.

  “Hi, Aesri. I thought you would be downstairs with the others enjoying the stories.” Dearra pulled forward a small chair and offered it to her guest.

  “To be honest, I find it draining to be around His Majesty’s court. They stare and whisper so. Niada seems to like it. She says she finds them all fascinating. She seems especially fond of the children. I, myself, adore children, but their parents are another matter entirely.” Aesri shook her head as if perplexed, but then she smiled and looked at Dearra warmly. “I thought I could join in the custom of storytelling. I would like to tell you some more about Etrafa. Unless I am interrupting something else?”

  “No, no, of course not! We would love to hear,” Dearra said, trying to reassure Aesri. There was no way she was going to pass up this opportunity to learn more information about Etrafa.

  “Excellent,” she trilled. Is there anything specific you would be interested in knowing, Dearra? Oh, and you too, Darius. I did not mean to exclude you.”

  “It’s fine, Aesri. Whatever you are willing to share would be perfect,” Darius said.

  Dearra thought for a moment, and then said, “Aesri, you talk about the Great Tree. I know you’ve shared how Rah breathed life into the tree, and that was when the fairies were created, but then what happened?” Dearra leaned forward and held her breath. Aesri was a very private person, and her request may not have been exactly what Aesri had in mind.

  “I will tell you these things, because Carly will need to know, and I believe that your knowing will help her. I do ask that you respect the sacredness of this information, and not share it with others.”

  Dearra and Darius both nodded.

  “We promise, Aesri. We wouldn’t do anything to disrespect you or your kin. If not for you, we would all have died in Parsaia.”

  Aesri smiled and patted Dearra’s hand. “I was glad to offer what assistance I could. We all were. It was the least we could do. Well now, I had better get to the story,” she said, trying to make light of Dearra’s praise.

  “The world was still very new,” Aesri began. “Rah chose the one tree and breathed onto it, making it grow to adulthood in the blink of an eye, or at least, in the blink of His eye. We do not really know how long it took. That tree became our symbol of life, because Rah had chosen it, and from it, we were created.

  “There were so very few of us, and we knew nothing. We needed protectors. Rah sent two of his servants to attend us in the garden he had created to be our home. Their names were Cifera and Auriel.

  “Time passed, and we learned and grew, and our numbers increased. Our guardians watched over us and nurtured us, almost like parents. Cifera was very practical, logical, and firm. She demanded obedience, but she would share the most wonderful knowledge with us. Auriel was softer, kinder, and gentler, but she reminded us often that all we were or ever would be, we owed to Rah.

  “Some of the Etrafarians preferred the pursuit of knowledge, always wanting to know more. They flocked to Cifera. Rah had not directly intervened in the Etrafarian’s lives since their creation, but this being was here, now, offering all that they could ask for, only seeking their obedience in exchange. The other Etrafarians sought out Auriel. They enjoyed learning new things, and seeing their power increase, but they believed, as Auriel did, that all gifts came from Rah, and it was to Him that they owed their hearts and minds.

  “It was gradual, but Cifera started to speak out against Rah. It was very subtle at first. She would question why Rah had been away for so very long while Cifera had never left them. Auriel tried to explain that Rah had gone nowhere. He was always with them, watching, loving, and caring.

  “Cifera planted seeds of doubt and discontent. She said that Rah had shared with her many secrets, but He had forbidden her from sharing them with the Etrafarians. Now, she doubted the wisdom of that decision. Why should ‘her children’ not benefit from the great power they would gain from that knowledge? She loved them best, and if they would only swear loyalty to her, she would deny them nothing!

  “Auriel begged them to reconsider. The knowledge that Cifera promised was not meant for them. It was for their safety and happiness that Rah withheld, not to punish, and His love was perfect. The Great Tree was proof of his love. They lived forever in His flawless garden in peace and contentment. Why would they question Him and throw that all away?

  “Cifera was jealous of Auriel. There were still far too many who sided with her. Cifera began to make plans to destroy Auriel. If she were eliminated, then all of the Etrafarians would belong to Cifera, and she would become their god.

  “Auriel was saved when Rah came to her and warned her. He sent her from the garden, so she would be safe from Cifera. Rah was very angry with Cifera and very disappointed in the Etrafarians. He banished Cifera from the garden as well, and He told her that she could not return until the end. What that meant, no one could say. The end of time? The end of the age? It was unclear.

  “He told the Etrafarians they had outgrown their need for protectors and that it was time they stood on their own. Rah told them that when they placed their love of knowledge above their love of Him, they chose the path of death. He said there was still time to choose life, but death would always come first, and that they would no longer be able to live forever.

  “The Etrafarians did not understand, but in time, some of us began to grow old and die, which had never happened before.
As the centuries wore on, there became fewer and fewer of us as a result.

  “Even the Great Tree itself is growing old and dying, and we can do nothing to stop it. We have spent millennia trying to understand and carry out Rah’s will, but I am unsure we have succeeded in doing little more than stumbling blindly in the dark. We lost our faith once, and I hope we will not make that mistake again, but I fear the time is coming when we will all have a choice to make.”

  “Whatever happened to Cifera and Auriel?” Dearra asked.

  “I could not say. I can only tell you they did not return. There are many who believe they did not exist at all. They say the story is nothing more than a metaphor, a warning to stay on the path with Rah. I do not know, but I think it is all true.”

  “It’s an amazing story, true or not,” Dearra said. “Thank you for sharing it with us, Aesri.”

  “I am glad that I told you. If only so you will be a support for Carly. She is a gentle soul, and I do not want to see her hurt in any way.”

  “We’ll look after her Aesri,” Darius said.

  Dearra thought Aesri’s face betrayed a moment of worry, but the expression was gone almost as soon as it came, and she let the moment pass without comment.

  Chapter 13

  Enough was enough! Dearra was going to speak to King Jaymes if she had to lock him in his own privy to do it. Dearra stalked from her room, and she made her way through the corridors of the castle.

  “Dearra?” Daniel asked as she breezed past the open door of his room.

  “Not now, Daniel,” she said without slowing.

  Daniel motioned to Darius, who was on his feet in an instant. The two men trailed behind her, keeping a cautious distance, not wanting to add to her obvious irritation.

  The few people unlucky enough to be in her path scampered out of her way after only a glance at the exasperated Lord of Maj. Dearra arrived at the throne room, and the guard shifted to block her way. She glared at them, but they stood unmoving, refusing, even, to meet her livid gaze.

  “Are you going to move, or do I have to move you?” she challenged.

  They have orders, Fuzzy. No small, blonde lords permitted.

  We’ll just see about that!” Dearra was done waiting. She would make the king listen, one way or another.

  “Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Might I have a word?” Dearra shouted, and the entire court turned in her direction. The king, however, acted as though he hadn’t heard a thing.

  “Your Majesty! We must talk about the Breken invasion! You can’t mean to do nothing! How much longer are you going to ignore me?”

  Queen Marianne leaned forward to speak a quiet word to her husband, and Dearra could tell by his expression that he was less than pleased by whatever she had said. Good! Maybe a good kick in the royal pants was just what he needed!

  The court was silent, completely consumed by the drama of the moment, and then the king stood to leave. Unbelievable! He was not even going to acknowledge her presence!

  Dearra was beside herself. The man was insufferable! Of all the stupid, pig-headed—

  “Damn it, Jaymes! Listen to me!” Dearra screamed in frustration.

  Now you’ve done it, Brin groaned.

  There was a collective gasp from the assembly. The king froze, and then he turned slowly, deliberately, until he faced Dearra.

  Dearra heard Daniel mutter behind her. It was a word she didn’t think she had ever heard him use before, but based on what she had just said to her sovereign and king, it seemed fitting to the situation. She swallowed her fear and stood unflinching, waiting for his reaction.

  King Jaymes glanced at the guard who’d barred Dearra’s way and gave them the tiniest nod. They each took a hurried step back. He then crooked his finger at Dearra, as one might to a naughty child, commanding her forward.

  Dearra hesitated only a moment before striding into the throne room. When she stood before the king, she bowed low before him.

  “Your Majesty,” she whispered.

  “A little late for that, isn’t it?”

  Dearra did not respond. She held her deep bow and stared at the toes of her boots, waiting for the King to release her.

  “Come.” King Jaymes turned to leave the hall, and Dearra rushed to follow.

  Daniel and Darius followed closely behind her. The king motioned to three of his guard who immediately moved to intercept the pair before they could shadow Dearra into the antechamber. There was nothing left for them to do but watch. Queen Marianne shared a look of sympathy with them before joining her husband and Dearra.

  King Jaymes was most assuredly not amused. He paced the small chamber, while Dearra stood stiff and straight.

  “Now, Jaymes,” Marianne said, “you know what the healers say. It’s not good for you to get so upset. Sit down before you make yourself ill.” Marianne fluffed her wide skirts, and lowered herself to an especially beautiful chair.

  “Dearra, child, you can breathe. The king isn’t going to bite you.” Marianne smiled.

  “The hell I won’t! Who does she think she is, speaking to me like that?”

  “Stop pacing, Jaymes, you’re making me dizzy. She didn’t mean anything by it, did you, Dearra? No, of course not,” Marianne said, not waiting for Dearra to reply.

  “Absolutely unheard of. How am I supposed to let this go, Marianne? Such impudence can’t go unpunished.”

  “Oh, tosh! Why not? You can do whatever you please. Are you the king or aren’t you?”

  “Clearly not, since this one can speak to me in whatever way she chooses!”

  “She’s young. She believes in what she is doing. Would you want less from the Lord of Maj?”

  King Jaymes stopped pacing and threw himself down on the chair beside his wife. He hated it when she made sense like that. He was completely justified in his anger. Why did Marianne have to step in with her logic and ruin everything?

  “There now, isn’t that better? You have been ignoring her, my darling. Maybe you should hear her out.”

  The king stared at Dearra for a moment, but then waved his hand, indicating that she was allowed to speak.

  Patience, Dearra! Think first, then speak, Brin coached her. He, more than anyone, knew what she was thinking and feeling, but raging at the king wasn’t going to help her now. The situation called for tact and patience. Kings needed to be led, not dragged.

  Dearra took a breath and then one more. “Your Majesty, I greatly regret my outburst and my disrespect. I was…desperate, and I acted badly.”

  King Jaymes grumbled something unintelligible.

  “Jaymes, she’s apologizing. Be the kind and forgiving king I know you to be,” Marianne said resting her hand on his.

  King Jaymes used his free hand to cover hers, and his expression softened. “You always think the best of me, don’t you?”

  “Of course!” she agreed.

  He shook his head, but the smile remained. He turned to face Dearra again. “I will forgive your indiscretion. You may return to your rooms.”

  Dearra stood rooted to the spot. It was now or never. “Sire, please, I must speak to you about the Breken.”

  “Dearra, there is no danger from the Breken! You are like a terrier with a rat between its teeth. Why do you insist on going on and on about this? I have made arrangements for the slightest possibility of a Breken raid, and I have sent two hundred of my guard to reinforce Maj. It will all come to nothing, I tell you.”

  “But Your Majesty!” Dearra was all out of ideas. The man was impossible!

  “No! No more buts! I’m right, and that’s the end of it!”

  “But what if you’re wrong, dearest?” Marianne’s voice was gentle but firm.

  “Marianne?” he said, looking at her. She rarely involved herself in his decisions. If she was speaking out now, there was a reason.

  The king turned to his wife. For just a moment, Dearra could see the young man he used to be before he was king and thought he knew everything there was to know.

&
nbsp; “I said, what if you’re wrong? If we do as Dearra asks, and we prepare for war, and it, as you say, all comes to nothing, then Dearra will look like a fool, but you, dear husband, will continue to be what you have always been, a king who places the safety of his people above all else. But if Dearra is right, and the threat is real, and we do nothing…”

  Wait, Brin warned. Don’t say anything, Dearra. Just hold on a moment.

  It was a hard thing for her to stand there silent, but she managed it by biting the inside of her cheek. The wait seemed to last forever. She watched the king who looked at Marianne as she waited, serenely, for him to speak. Dearra could only stare in wonder at the silent drama that played out before her.

  “Maybe…maybe we should prepare…just in case,” King Jaymes said warily. He rose from the chair and paced the room, stopping to look out the window.

  “If you think that’s best, dearest,” Marianne responded.

  “Do you think it’s for the best?” he asked the queen.

  “Not me, husband. What do I know about these things? I rely on you in these matters. I am so glad you have made up your mind to act. I feel so much safer now that you have everything in hand. It will be all right, won’t it?”

  “Of course, love!” Jaymes said, sitting next to her once more. “Don’t worry about a thing. I will see to it that you are safe, and the rest of my people as well.”

  “I knew you would fix everything. Thank you. You truly are a wise ruler. What would I do without you?”

  “You would be lost without me, as I would be without you.” Jaymes patted Marianne’s hand and then caressed her cheek.

  The interplay between the two was amazing. The king was the king, but Marianne had managed to steer him in such a way that he came away thinking the whole thing had been his idea.

  Dearra cleared her throat, sure that the king had forgotten all about her.

  King Jaymes reluctantly turned from his adoring queen. “All right, Dearra. I have decided that, even though a Breken attack is unlikely, it makes no sense to take the risk.”

  “Your Majesty is very wise,” Dearra said. What she would like to have said was ‘It’s about time!’ but she was smart enough to keep that impulse under control.