by Lyra Shanti
The Riddle of the Gods
Book Three
of The Shiva XIV Series
by
Lyra Shanti
Copyright © 2016 Lyra Shanti
Published by Create Space
Cover Art by Timothy Casey
All rights reserved
ISBN-10: 1539356892
ISBN-13: 978-1539356899
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Dedicated, as always, to my beloved soul-mate, Timothy, and to my best friend and sister-in-soul, Juniper. Also, my thanks and gratitude to my friends and fellow indie authors who have been extremely supportive and helpful, especially The Fabs: Jeanne, Eva, Aliya, and Renee. I couldn't keep doing this without your unwavering friendship and encouragement.
Table of CONTENTS
Homecoming 1
Arrival 23
Becoming Sirini 31
Back to Kri 42
The Slave 60
Evidence 65
The Madness of the Fah 77
In Flames 87
Reunion 101
The Meeting 109
The Mountain of Fate 131
A New Alliance 152
Connection 160
The Riddle 190
Battle on Sirin 205
The Mourning After 230
The Promise 257
The King's Boat 271
The Eve of War 293
The Holy City 308
The Abandoned Temple 329
Battle for Deius 356
The Vortex 394
Union 418
The River 443
Glossary 464
More Books by Lyra Shanti 478
About the Author 479
Chapter 1: Homecoming
Blinding swirls of gold and white blasted through plasma-enriched pockets of oxygen, which bubbled in a circle, protecting them from the harsh cold of space.
Srah and Kren never thought they'd see such a sight, nor did they imagine they'd be traveling on top of a living, breathing Sarax. It was magical, and yet, terrifying.
Kren especially was lost within the spectacular brilliance of it all. It seemed a dream to him as he tilted back his head, eyes closed, letting his mind wander inside the swirls of light.
Srah was slightly less shocked, though still amazed as the epic music in her head played along, correlating to the surrounding visuals; it was immensely beautiful and she wished she could record it all somehow, so that none of the splendor would be lost to time.
Time; it seemed to be slipping by at a speed incomprehensible to their Sirini minds. For Axis, it was almost just as hard to comprehend. He had never done this sort of thing before, not even once! He was absolutely stupefied as to how he was flying through time and space, though he was doing it nonetheless. It was as though he were inside a dreamworld of his own making, and the deepest part of his subconscious had taken him over.
After what seemed like hours, though it was mere minutes, Axis felt a dire urge to wake from the dream. His instincts were saying, “It's time! We're here!”
Slowing his body and mind, Axis felt his eyes open as his wings simultaneously let go of their protective casing around Srah and Kren. He couldn't explain it, but he knew they were at Sirin, and they were exactly where they were meant to be.
Approaching the ground, Srah and Kren felt their own minds slowly wake to their surroundings. As Axis gently landed, they saw that they were in the mountains of Sirin. It was a place that Srah had only imagined from books and movies. Kren, however, knew the area like the back of his hand. It was where he had grown up, and he was filled with a sudden giddiness of pure joy.
“I don't believe it!” he blurted out with wide eyes and ear-to-ear grin. “I'm home!”
Axis hadn't been trying to take Kren home, nor did he remember what he'd just done with any sort of clarity, but he vaguely remembered Ayn telling him to take them to Sirin, and that's what he'd actually done, which amazed him just as much as it amazed his passengers.
“Do you recognize this place?” Srah asked.
“Are you kidding?” Kren replied. “This is where I grew up!” He pointed to the right where the mountains were lightly sprinkled with snow. “We're in the heart of the great valley of the Hana-Lo Mountains! Over there is where my grandfather first showed me the rock-statues of the Sarax, and near to it, but more to the west, are the cave paintings of the Hanas, our ancient queens throughout time! I can't believe it! We're so close to my own village!” Excitedly taking Srah's hand in his, Kren gently pulled and said, “Come on, I'll take you to my family!”
Srah stopped, shaking her head with a worried expression. She looked back at Axis who was rubbing his forehead with his tail, seeming a bit dazed and confused.
“We can't go anywhere just yet,” she said.
“What?” Kren replied, disappointed. “Why?!”
Srah walked over to Axis and softly pet his side. “Are you alright?”
Axis nodded, taking a breath. “Yeah... I think so,” he said with twitching eyes.
Srah could feel his disorientation and didn't like it. She was also worried about time. She had heard the stories about how the Sarax could travel through time and space, defying reality, going wherever they wanted, whenever they wanted. She couldn't help but fear, with all the hurried rush on Xen, they could have ended up in a time that wasn't theirs.
“Axis,” she said softly, “Do you know where we are? Or more accurately, do you know when we are?”
Axis cocked his head a little and looked at her. His dazed expression quickly changed to a proud, slightly offended one.
“Of course I do!” he said as he stood up straight, his golden-white wings extended in the breeze. Srah smiled thinking about how handsome he seemed, for a Sarax.
Folding his arms, Axis continued, “I know exactly when and where we are. We're on Sirin... and um... we should be exactly at the moment we left Xen... I think.”
Srah smiled, trying to hold back the giggle inside her. She couldn't hold it back, however, which made Axis smile too.
“Why are you laughing?” he asked as he repressed his own laughter.
“You sound so sure of yourself,” she sarcastically teased.
“I am!” he replied, still grinning.
If Kren didn't know better, he would have thought they were flirting. However, Axis was an ancient, God-like creature, so Kren couldn't imagine that was the case. Still, their obvious rapport bothered him greatly.
“Alright, alright,” said Kren with a slight sneer, “if you're both done, can we go see my people now?”
Srah smiled and replied, “Lead on!”
Her warm reaction made Kren feel a little better. He took her hand in his, then walked with her carefully down the mossy path of the mountain. “You've never been to your home planet, have you Srah?” Kren asked her as he led her down.
“No, I have always wanted to see it, but my father...”
She stopped, unable to continue her full thought. It hurt too much to think about her father who might presently be captured, or even dead.
“I understand,” said Kren. “Soon, you'll meet my family, and I'll find my father, and sister, and we'll all be together as a holy brinja that cannot be broken! You'll see! The Gods are with us, Srah!”
Looking back at Axis, she smiled
, feeling as though Kren might be right.
Axis nervously smiled in return. In truth, he had no idea if they really had arrived at the same time as they had left. He just said it without thinking and hoped his words were true. It felt true, but he wasn't certain.
He also feared what would happen if anyone from Kren's tribe saw him this way: big, golden-furred, and with outstretched wings of white. They most likely hadn't seen a Sarax since ancient times, and Axis was frightened they may not accept it so quickly. He worried they might scream, or worse, throw things at him! Maybe they'd even pull his tail!
Grimacing, he walked behind Srah and Kren, pretending he was a proud, perfectly normal Sarax, though he still didn't really know what that title even meant. He had a feeling his people always pretended things, like it was somehow part of their blood to imagine, act, and change accordingly, if needs be. It was all new, and he was making it up as he went along.
Axis' fears were soon tested when, out of nowhere, they heard an old man yelling, “Kren! My boy, is that you?!”
Kren's face lit up when he saw who had yelled. Running to the old man, he yelled back, “Yes! Granja, it's me!”
As the old Sirini man walked toward them with his long, Sarax-carved walking staff, he embraced his previously missing grandson.
Axis soon felt itchy, sensing the old man was deeply, religiously devout. He knew that after taking one look at him, Kren's grandfather would probably faint.
Without thinking, Axis suddenly grabbed Srah by her shoulders and pulled her in front of him so that he could properly hide behind her.
“What in the world?!” she yelped.
“It's alright, Srah,” Axis whispered in her ear, “I don't think anyone has seen me... yet.”
Stunned at what she saw, Srah couldn't help but stare.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” questioned Axis. “You're going to give me away! I don't want the Sirini villagers to see me! They just won't believe their eyes!”
Srah shook her head and rubbed her own eyes. “I... I don't believe my eyes either!” she said in a hushed voice, stumbling over her words.
Axis cocked his head slightly, not understanding what she meant.
“Oh, Kren,” said the old man with tears in his eyes, “I heard you had been taken by the plasma thieves. I thought I'd never see you again! After losing your father and sister to the mountain, I didn't think I could take any more heartache.”
Kren nodded and held onto his grandfather's shoulders. “It's going to be alright now, Granja, I swear it. I vow to bring back Father and Kuva, and this time, everything will be different!” Turning around to face Srah and Axis, he added, “Look, Granja, we have a Sarax on our side!”
However, right after Kren said those words, he was stunned to see what was in front of him. There was no longer a Sarax. There was only Srah and a young Sirini male he had never seen before.
“A Sarax?” said Kren’s grandfather. “Perhaps in spirit, yes, for something brought you back to us against the odds, and I am more than grateful.” Looking at Kren's companions while he wiped away tears of joy, the old man asked, “So, who are your friends?”
Shocked, Kren didn't know what to say, and neither did Srah.
“Uh...” Kren mumbled, “this is... Srah. She was captured and forced to be a slave on Xen with me. She's my good friend, and I trust her with my life.”
Kren's grandfather nodded to her, which made Srah nod in return. She was usually shy around strangers, but she felt such warmth coming from the old man, and it made her want to hug him tightly, though she refrained.
Kren's “Granja” was gray-haired with a sizable beard and whiskers sprouting from under his nose. Srah hadn't spent any time with other Sirini when she was growing up, but she had read about them in books and seen them in films. However, he was the first elderly one she'd seen, and the only person with actual whiskers. Most Sirini didn't have their ancestral qualities, save for their tails, bridged noses, and of course, wings.
Looking over at Axis, Kren's grandfather didn't seem all that shocked or like he was going to faint. It surprised Axis and made him question why he had even been worried about it in the first place. He wondered if maybe this was an extra open-minded and superior thinking Sirini.
“Hello!” Axis blurted, extending his arm to shake the old man's hand. “I'm Axis! It's nice to meet you!”
Where was this sudden urge to be friendly coming from? Axis had no idea. It was just happening.
As he shook the old man's hand, it dawned on him. Since when did he even have a hand and not a paw? What in the world had happened?!
Axis, realizing he was now much shorter than he had been before, looked at his hands in shock. They were Sirini hands! The rest of him looked Sirini too; hands, legs, feet, tail! The more he looked at his own body, the more he realized he was now actually Sirini, and it made him gasp.
The sight of Axis twirling around to look at his body made Kren's grandfather burst into laughter, which made Kren and Srah join him nervously. Axis truly was a magical and fun creature, and even though they didn't really comprehend much of how he did things, both Kren and Srah revered and loved him for it.
Kren was baffled as to how Axis had changed into a Sirini, but he was so happy to be home he was willing to go with the flow of it all. Mostly, he was just glad Axis had pants on. If Axis had changed his form, but was now completely naked in front of everyone, Kren couldn't imagine how well it would have gone over.
He did have pants on, however, though they were quite unique looking, almost like his fur had been: gold and shiny. Axis was also wearing a light blue, velvety blouse, which looked Deiusian in fashion with swirls of shimmering gold running throughout the shirt. How he had acquired such clothing, and so quickly, astonished Kren and Srah, but neither wanted to unnerve the other, nor Kren's unsuspecting grandfather, so they remained quiet along the entire journey down the mountain.
It was an amazing view. There were tall, ice-capped mountains to the East and gorgeous valleys of hills to the West. Srah had never seen such epic beauty. The only thing that seemed wrong was something about the air, though Srah couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Axis could feel it though, and he knew what was wrong. It was the plasma, or the lack thereof. He hadn't noticed it at first, but as they walked further down the mountain on the winding path, Axis found it harder and harder to breathe. Lightheaded, he had to sit down for a moment.
“Are you alright?” asked Srah, noticing the little beads of sweat running down his newly Sirini forehead.
“I'm alright,” Axis lied.
She frowned, sensing his pretense. “No you're not,” she scolded him. Turning to Kren, she asked, “Does your grandfather have any water with him?”
“I'm certain he does,” Kren replied as he walked to his grandfather to ask. Within seconds, Kren handed Axis a flask of water, which he gulped down as if it were the last water in the galaxy. In fact, he couldn't stop drinking. It felt unbelievably good.
“Do you have any more?” said Axis in a raspy voice, wiping his mouth.
A little dismayed, Kren shrugged, then walked over to his grandfather so he could ask if there was any more water.
“Your friend should not gulp it down so fast,” his grandfather advised, “for the water here is precious, as you are well aware.”
“I know,” said Kren, “but I have a feeling he really needs it.”
Sensing the truth of the situation, Kren's grandfather gave his spare flask. “Try to make him take sips, if you can.”
Kren nodded, then bent down to Axis who was breathing slowly and staring ahead, somewhat vacantly.
“Look,” said Kren, before handing him the flask, “I know you need this - I can feel that – but you need to drink it slowly. Can you do that for me?”
Axis looked at Kren, his eyes searching for focus.
Srah bent down and took the flask from Kren's hand. “He's over-heated and exhausted from the, um, the trip here. We should
let him drink as much as he needs.”
Kren's brow knotted, but he knew Srah was not a woman to argue with. There was a regal, strong nature inside her, even if she herself wasn't quite aware of it. Kren was more than aware, however, and it fascinated him. He was certain she had the makings of a queen. Plus, it just wasn't within him to argue with a woman. He had lost his mother to plasma thieves when he was a small child, but he had never lost honor for her, and it was customary for Sirini tribes to praise their mothers, as well as their sisters and daughters, for they too would become mothers one day.
As Srah tilted Axis' head back a little, slowly letting him sip the water from the flask, she was in full healer mode. Kren could see her inner light glowing around her, and it made him smile.
Axis, half in dream, saw her light as well, and it slowly rejuvenated him, even more than the water did.
As he took his last sip, Axis looked at Srah with love and gratitude in his eyes. “Thank you so much,” he whispered.
Unexpectedly, Srah felt his words penetrate through her entire body, as though she had drunk the water along with him, and became drunk by it. Touching her hand tenderly with his own, his hand felt warm and soft, and for a moment, Srah was completely caught within his gentle, blue eyes.
Kren noticed their strange trance, and again, felt jabs of jealousy. Ridiculous, he thought. She wouldn't dare try to love a Sarax! Who does she think she is? She may be special, but she's not a Goddess like Thali! Or... is she?
Not really wanting to know the answer, Kren cleared his throat, causing Axis and Srah to come out of their sensual trance.
“I think we should probably be moving,” said Kren in a serious tone. “You never know when the plasma thieves will come.”
Srah helped Axis up to his feet. “Are you alright now?”
“Yes,” he replied, smiling, “I feel almost all better, thank you.”
Kren walked forward and re-joined his grandfather who was looking out through elongated binoculars, which was adorned with Sirini symbols.