Giahem's Talons

by Katharine Wibell

  Apex was slowly catching up. “Then Aquila’s father, the chieftain of his people, is actually Giahem, or at least his Incarn.”

  Both Lluava and Yena nodded.

  “Aquila is going to take me to his father,” Lluava explained. “If I’m right, then…well, I don’t know what then.”

  “I will go with you,” Yena began. “I had foreseen a journey, though I knew not where. We have Crocotta’s blessing.”

  Apex added, “In that case, I will come as well. It’s time for a little reunion.”

  “You don’t have to come,” Lluava pointed out. “Neither of you does.”

  Yena smiled. “This is our destiny.”

  “Very well,” Lluava agreed. Her confidence was increased by the knowledge that she would be accompanied by the two Incarn. “We leave in three days.”

  With a graceful bow, Yena left to begin preparations. Before Apex could follow her, Lluava asked the huntsman, “Are you at all afraid of what we might find?”

  “No.”

  Apex’s assured response caused Lluava to eye him closely. He appeared to be in earnest, and she did not sense any hesitation. An emptiness gnawed at her. “Are you ready to become one with Ullr? Are you not afraid of losing yourself, of whatever it is that makes you, you?”

  He looked at her gravely. “I cannot lose something that I do not have. To be finally complete, fulfilled—that is not something to be feared. Look at yourself. Lluava the Elysian is still present.”

  “At times,” she acknowledged.

  Lluava trusted Apex’s judgment. Turning toward the window, she asked quietly, “Did I make the right decision? They had already submitted to us.”

  “You made the same decision I would have made.”

  She turned back to her unkempt room. The day was late, and there was much to be done.

  Apex inquired, “Need any assistance?”

  “I just wish I knew where my dratted bird keeps disappearing to.” Lluava sighed once again as she looked at the empty perch. Part of her hoped that Onyx had not followed Yamir. Part of her wished he had.

  Apex grunted and stretched. “She probably flew off to breed. It’s that time of year.”

  “She?”

  “Yes. Her instinct probably told her it was time to mate. To nest.”

  “Wait. He’s a she?”

  “Of course, she’s a she. I can stake my claim as a huntsman on that. Female ravens of her particular species are larger than males. And that raven of yours is the largest one I’ve seen.” Apex moved over to the window and looked out. “Actually, Onyx is a rare species. I haven’t caught sight of one like her in a long while. Not since my childhood, in fact.”

  “Apex,” Lluava said very slowly, as the image of Nott’s empty eye flashed before her. “You don’t think my bird is—?”

  She did not have to finish her question. Apex picked up on her train of thought. “No. No. No.”

  “But her eye, her strange behavior—could she be?”

  Apex closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. “There are too many Incarn in this world already. Your bird’s just another bird.” From the way he said it, it was obvious the huntsman was now doubtful.

  Lluava looked out the window, searching for black wings in the sky. If Onyx was a female Incarn, why didn’t anyone sense her as a Theriomorph? How could she stay in her dual form for so long? No. Apex was right. The raven was just another bird.

  “She’ll come back,” he said, leaving the young woman to her wild fantasies.

  Lluava was unable to concentrate on organizing her belongings. She kept stepping onto the balcony to watch for her bird. Giving up, she went in search of the one person she had to tell about her upcoming journey.

  Varren was sitting on a bench in the royal gardens; night was just upon them. Nerve damage had left the fingers of his right hand clumsy, and he had been trying to train his left to write with some sort of elegance.

  “Do you have a moment?” she asked. “I know it’s far later than you might wish.”

  He smiled at her, and Lluava felt her heartbeat quicken.

  “Of course. Take all the time you need. Would you like to sit down?”

  “No,” Lluava admitted. She didn’t know how to begin. After a few moments of silence, Varren moved the parchment with its illegible lettering to one side. He pointed to a thick book that had been left on the path several steps away from the bench where he sat. “Would you get that for me? There is something in there that I hope you will want.”

  Picking up the book, she sat down next to him and rested it on her lap.

  “Flip to page one hundred.”

  The yellowed pages felt pleasant under Lluava’s fingers. She thumbed through until she found the page. In the center of the page was a small, diamond-shaped cutout; hidden inside was a piece of jewelry. She pulled out a platinum ring set with a brilliant emerald. Her eyes widened as she inspected the beautiful gemstone, then looked up at Varren.

  The young king stood and quickly knelt down on one knee. Lluava couldn’t speak. Fortunately, that was not Varren’s problem. “I may not be worthy in your eyes, but I will try to do everything I can to be the man you desire. I love you, Lluava. I cannot picture a life without you in it, beside me. Will you—”

  “I must leave Elysia again.” Her words hung in the air and felt heavy on her tongue.

  Varren slowly stood up. His face had lost its earlier glow. “We have had this conversation before.”

  “Yes. But this time, I can let you know what I am going to do.” Lluava began to babble. “I believe I know where Giahem’s Incarn is. Of all the Incarn, he would be the one with answers. He would be the one to tell me why we are here. Clearly, we were not all needed to win the war. If not that, what other purpose must we serve, if any? When will I ever be able to control my own life? My own destiny? Without that…without that, I can never fully give myself to anyone.”

  Lluava’s voice caught as the tears gathered and fell. “I need to do this, Varren. I must do this. I have to go if I am ever to be able to stay.”

  Varren had listened quietly. “I want…” he began, then collected his own thoughts. “I want you to stay with me, but commanding you to stay would be wrong. I do not have that right. My purpose is clear: to govern my people, to rebuild Elysia. Your purpose—only you can discover that.”

  Lluava handed Varren the ring. Her voice shook. “I do love you. I will always love you. Ever since this,” she said, gesturing at her golden-striped skin, “I have felt myself, my humanity, waver. But whenever I’m with you or think of you, you bring me back. Me. Not the goddess.” Taking an unsteady breath, she continued, “You are the only man I want to be with, but I must go with Yena, with Aquila, with Apex. I need to search for the other Incarn.”

  “When are you leaving?” Varren asked, his voice cracking. He was looking at the ring he held in the palm of his hand.

  “In three days.”

  “So soon?”

  “Yes. We need Aquila to take us…to find his father…”

  Lluava tilted her face, now striped with tears, toward his. Taking her hand, he gently led her to the garden seat and waited until her tears abated.

  Brilliant green eyes gazed into sorrowful blue ones. “I have a gift for you,” she breathed. “I wish he were here now; I’m worried he won’t arrive before I leave.”

  “You’re giving me a person?” Varren seemed both perplexed and amused at the same time.

  Regaining her composure, Lluava looked directly at the man she loved. A smile played upon her lips. “I thought you liked people."

  “I do,” Varren chuckled. “I love one in particular.” His fingers tightened around the ring, and he studied his hands. Lluava felt her heart breaking.

  Taking several breaths, she said, “Themis will be arriving with a boy.”

  “Yes. Odel. The one you asked for.”

  “Varren,” Lluava said, “Odel is your son.”

  Silence.

  Lluava felt Varren�
��s gaze upon her. She matched it with her own. “I know things now, after—” Again she indicated her golden stripes. “Things that I could never have known otherwise. Odel is only seven, far too young to have been selected by the Shadows during the last Call. Random children are not brought to Erebos. When the girl you impregnated all those years ago had her baby, Themis hid him with the Obsidian Guard, a precaution lest something happen to you and your grandfather. The child has royal blood in his veins, and Themis would not dare destroy that. Odel has been with them since he was born.”

  Varren’s eyes were wide with disbelief. Lluava felt he needed more convincing. “I met Odel in the kitchens, where I worked alongside him. When Themis saw us together, he had me removed. At first, I believed he did it to spite me and my happiness. But that was not the case. He did not want me associating with Odel. I don’t know if he thought I would find out or corrupt him. But he looks like you, Varren; his hair, his eyes. And he’s smart.”

  Lluava realized Varren had been caught completely unaware. She paused to give him time to absorb this news.

  “I…I have a son,” Varren stammered.

  “Yes. You have a child, and that is my gift to you. That is the only child I can ever give you.” Lluava touched her lower abdomen. “When Yena attacked me, I was badly hurt. I will never bear offspring. I knew immediately. No amount of Idun will change that. I am truly the Incarn of Theri, the Virgin Goddess. She was never to bear a child, nor will I.”

  Varren remained quiet. Lluava filled the void by saying, “When Themis arrives, I am certain he will admit what he did. If not, ask Holly. She is privy to that information as head of the Obsidian Guard.”

  “Thank you.”

  Lluava had not expected those words from Varren. “For what?”

  “For giving me everything I desire. Your love. A family. A new and better future for the kingdom. Without you, all this would be lost.” He waved his hand at the plethora of greenery and vibrant splashes of flowers. Nearby, a butterfly danced above a stalk of Theri iris, and a lizard skittered on the ground.

  The pair continued to sit in the garden, holding hands and listening to mockingbirds sing and dragonflies whir by. The evening was hot, though not as hot as the year before, when a young girl had left her small seaside village in search of her destiny.

  Epilogue

  A moving shadow flitted over parched, cracked ground. The form was small compared to the vast expanse of desolate territory, yet it flew determinedly, farther into the desert’s heartland. The creature that cast the shadow cared little for the dried-out tongue that rattled in its clenched beak. Its destination beckoned on the horizon like a mirage.

  Heat from the sun beat down on ebony plumage. Wings grew ever wearier with each flap. Energy to continue ebbed.

  A small tree, bare-limbed, appeared in the distance. With rest now a necessity, this oncoming perch was the only appreciable source of safety from the vipers that slithered over the sandy earth below.

  Something else presided on one of the dead limbs, an avian much larger than the one seeking shelter. An eagle, whose feathers glinted golden in the overhead sun. There was no hope of an alternate destination. The smaller bird alighted on a branch alongside the raptor. Shrinking down and lowering its head, it appeared to give a sign of respect.

  Neither bird moved. No action was taken to indicate malicious intent. Together, they perched, surveying the harsh wilderness and the struggle to survive within it.

  A large-eared mouse darted from a hole under a stone. Scampering across the ground, the eagle took no note of the minute creature. The other bird twitched its head and scrutinized the little animal until the rodent retreated to its hideaway.

  Without a cloud in the sky, the bright blue expanse showed no sign of dulling. Time was marked only by the slow movement of the blazing orb above them. At last, the eagle turned to stare at its exhausted visitor. Cocking its glorious head, it seemed to consider the other bird for the first time.

  “It is done.” A woman’s voice emanated from the smaller bird’s beak. “She is more spectacular than we had ever hoped.” The raven tilted her head and regarded her companion with her one good eye, as if awaiting a response.

  The golden eagle turned and fixed his steely stare out over the arid desert. In a voice like thunder rumbling from its gilded shell, the raptor pronounced, “Now we wait for our family to be united once more.”

  APPENDICES

  APPENDIX I

  Diagram of the Theriomorph Pantheon

  APPENDIX II

  The Theriomorph Pantheon

  APPENDIX III

  Pronunciation Guide

  Alcazar ~ AL-ca-czar

  Alcove ~ AL-cove

  Amargo ~ a-MAR-go

  Ammit ~ AH-mit

  Apex ~ AA-pecks

  Aquila ~ a-KEY-la

  Austro ~ AWE-strow

  Berserker ~ bur-ZERK-er

  Cherin ~ CHEER-in

  Cronus ~ CROW-nus

  Crocotta ~ crow-COT-ta

  Durog ~ DURE-og

  Einherjar ~ ane-HAIR-yar

  Endun ~ EN-dun

  Elysia ~ ee-LAY-szuh

  Erebos ~ ear-A-bos

  Giahem ~ GUY-a-hem

  Hyrax ~ HI-racks

  Idun ~ EE-dun

  Incarn ~ IN-carn

  Issaura ~ i-SAR-a

  Ivar ~ EYE-var

  Jigo ~ JIGH-go

  Kargen ~ CARG-en

  Karmasana ~ CAR-ma-SAW-naw

  Kido ~ KIGH-dough

  Leucrocotta ~ LEW-crow-COT-ta

  Lluava ~ you-AA-va

  Maessa ~ MAY-es-sa

  Maruny ~ MAR-ou-nee

  Mandrun ~ MAN-drun

  Níᵭingr ~ KNEE-ding-gir

  Odel ~ OH-dell

  Óᵭr ~ OH-der

  Ojewa ~ OH-jay-wa

  Okeanos ~ oak-EE-a-nos

  Regin ~ REEG-in

  Rhadamanthus ~ RAD-a-MAN-thus

  Rosalyn ~ ROZ-za-lin

  Ruire ~ RUE

  Selene ~ sa-LEAN

  Shennue ~ SHEN-new

  Skipe ~ SKY-p

  Surtur ~ SUR-tur

  Sweyn ~ SWAIN

  Talos ~ TAL-ows

  Themis ~ THEE-miss

  Their ~ TH’AIR-ee (like Carrie)

  Therial ~ TH’AIR-ee-al

  Theriomorph ~ TH’AIR-ee-OH-morph

  Thoth ~ THAWTH

  Tyr ~ TEAR

  Úlfhéðinn ~ OOLF-he’ed-in

  Úlfhéðnar ~ OOLF-he’ed-nar

  Ullr ~ OU-yer

  Varren ~ VAIR-en

  Vidrick ~ VEE-drick

  Virisinu ~ VERE-i-SIN-ew

  Yamir ~ YA-mear

  Yena ~ YEN-ah

  Yorrick ~ YOUR-ick

  APPENDIX IV

  Elysian Military Ranks

  Terra Divisions:

  Private

  Corporal

  Sergeant

  Warrant Officer

  Lieutenant

  Captain

  Major

  Colonel

  General

  Chief General

  Master Chief (General)

  Grand Master Chief (General)

  Aerial Divisions:

  Private

  Airman

  Sergeant

  Lieutenant

  Captain

  Major

  Colonel

  General

  Chief General

  Master Chief (General)

  Grand Master Chief (General)

  Marine Divisions:

  Private

  Seaman

  Petty Officer

  Warrant Officer

  Ensign

  Lieutenant

  Commander

  Captain

  Admiral

  Chief Admiral

  Master Chief (Admiral)

  Grand Master Chief (Admiral)

  THERE IS ALWAYS MORE TO COME…

  Giahem’s Talons is the fourth and final book in the Incarn Saga series and follow
s Issaura’s Claws, Ullr’s Fangs and Crocotta’s Hackles. Although the Incarn Saga is at its end, I am currently working on independent novels and novellas as well as new series. Keep an eye out for upcoming works in the young adult, new adult, and adult categories. I hope that you will continue to support me as I reveal worlds and kingdoms beyond Elysia and expand upon the limitless universe that is Fantasy. I can’t wait to share some of the strange and mystical places that I have already begun to explore.

  www.KatharineWibellBooks.com

  Issaura’s Claws

  Ullr’s Fangs

  Crocotta’s Hackles

  Giahem’s Talons

  Learn MORE ABOUT THE INCARN SAGA on pinterest

  Have fun! Explore my author’s Pinterest page and see how I envision the Kingdom of Elysia, Lluava, Varren, Apex and all her friends, the Raiders and so much more. What does the city of Crocotta look like? How do Issaura’s Claws work? Have a suggestion for a pin? Contact me on my website at KatharineWibellBooks.com or on Facebook!

  NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

  As an author, writing the story is just the beginning. Next come revising, editing, formatting, proofreading, and marketing. Surprisingly, marketing requires a huge amount of time. If you enjoy an author’s work and want her or him to publish more in a shorter time span, you can help! Spread the word on social media and by word of mouth. Post reviews on Amazon, Goodreads and other websites. Believe me, I would much rather write a new book than spend time promoting the one I have just finished. So go ahead—pin, tweet, post, review, and like. Thank you, my dearest fans!

  let’s connect! contact me!

  I remember the excitement I felt when I wrote a handwritten letter to one of my favor it authors and received a response. Today, connoting is easy. Contact me on my website KatharineWibellBooks.com or on Facebook at the Incarn Saga. I’d love to hear from you! If you like the book, please leave a review. You can’t imagine how much your support helps an author.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Katharine Wibell’s lifelong interest in mythology includes epic poetry like the Odyssey, Ramayana, Beowulf, and the Nibelungenlied. In addition, she is interested in all things animal whether training dogs, apprenticing at a children’s zoo, or caring for injured animals as a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. After receiving degrees from Mercer University in both art and psychology with an emphasis in animal behavior, Wibell moved to New Orleans with her dog, Alli, to kick start her career as an artist and a writer. Her first literary works blend her knowledge of the animal world with the world of high fantasy.