Earth

by Rosie Scott

  There was a silence as my friends seemed to quietly regard one another, taking the time to exchange glances since my sight was limited.

  “Cerin?” Theron said, after a moment. I watched the necromancer's angled face lift up to meet the ranger's gaze, before he nodded, and looked down to me.

  “The people of T'ahal have swarmed this hospital,” Cerin explained, slowly. “They wait in masses outside of its doors, waiting to see if they can catch a glimpse of you.”

  It was said as if this would be a shock to me, but I only nodded. “I am a god, and they are religious. I knew something like this would happen, if I made it out of that fight alive. Why do you think I mentioned my race before the battle, for all to hear?”

  Theron chuckled. “Even when you fear death, you are setting up pieces for your game,” he murmured, in admiration.

  “Of course,” I replied.

  “You pulled it off,” Cerin murmured, before chuckling softly in disbelief, and landing a kiss on my shoulder.

  “I hope all of this pain is worth it,” I commented, my eyes flicking around to the various companions I could see. “Maybe next time, you will all believe in me.”

  “Don't let your win get to your head,” Theron reminded me. “You were nearly killed.”

  I grimaced as I felt another shot of pain in my gut. “I'm aware.” After a hesitation, I asked, “Did I get my gold winnings and Anto's papers from Ali?”

  “Yes,” Cerin answered. “He gave them to me, because you were unconscious. You wrote me in as your beneficiary in case the fight killed you...?”

  “I did,” I admitted.

  “I'm pretty sure she meant to write in my name,” Nyx jested.

  I chuckled softly. “I trusted Cerin to spread the gold to you all if I died after my win,” I told the Alderi. “You? Not so much.”

  Nyx chuckled.

  “Do you have Anto's papers on you?” I asked Cerin. The necromancer nodded, standing up to retrieve them from his satchel.

  “I have to say,” the orc piped up, walking over to look me in the eye as he spoke to me, “I am glad that if I am to be owned by anyone, it is by you. You saved my life and offered me another chance at happiness.” At his side, Jakan fit perfectly beneath one of his muscular green arms, which squeezed the Vhiri softly into him. “I am indebted to you, and I will work hard for you.”

  Cerin handed me the papers, which were folded. I opened them up, reading them. The record of sale was conclusive, signed by both Ali and officials of royalty. It stated I had one hundred percent ownership over the orc, as of the date of the battle three days prior. Since the documents were official, I knew there were copies of them in the castle of T'ahal, proving that Ali's hold over the orc was no longer.

  I lifted up the papers, ripping them down the center at their middle crease as Anto watched with wide eyes. Overlapping them next, I tore at their next crease, before handing them back to Cerin.

  “Burn them.”

  The necromancer nodded.

  “Be indebted to me if you wish, Anto,” I told the orc, “but only by your free will. I told you I was going to free you, not own you. I have no need of slaves; I have need of friends.”

  Anto laid a warm, strong hand over my own. My hand felt lost beneath his, at half its size. I looked into his human-esque brown eyes, still wondering about his origins. His eyes glazed over with tears he did not dare shed, and when he spoke, his voice was thicker than normal with emotion. “Then a friend you shall have.”

  *

  King Adar's messengers let us know that now I was awake, he requested my presence at his castle as soon as I was healthy enough to get the surgeons at the hospital to let me go. I was told broken ribs usually required weeks of healing, but between the quality care of the king's royal physicians and Cerin's continued healing, it only took me another week of rest before I could leave.

  The physicians requested guards from the royal castle with which to take us from the hospital to the king, because the crowds were still waiting in groups around the building even a week and a half after I'd been transported there. Before we were allowed to leave, the guards had to disperse the crowds to the sides of the road, leaving enough room for me and my friends to walk.

  When the door finally opened before us and the hot Naharan sun greeted me after my long absence, the crowds cried out almost in unison. An entire religious populace scrambled over each other to get a closer look at a god. For years and years, spanning the entire lives of these people and their ancestors, they had never knowingly seen one. Now they knew their beloved Gavriel had actually been the god of war, but I had killed him before that knowledge could allow them to worship him. To these faithful, they could possibly believe they were living in a new age, where gods once more walked among them. So much time had passed since the Golden Era, and the gods had done so well at hiding their identities since, that if the people had ever come across a god before me, they wouldn't have even known it.

  Allowing my true identity to be known to the masses was both a blessing and a curse. I knew it would allow me to gain massive support from the mortal races of Arrayis for the wars I had yet to wage. On the other hand, those who held contempt for the gods would despise me. After all, I knew how it felt. I knew what it was like to go from having a lack of belief in the gods, to knowing they existed and despising them. There was a myriad of reasons to have no love for the gods, and convincing people I was different from the rest would be hard, particularly while I had a mission of conquest.

  If I thought I was hated by the other gods before, I was going to be their main target, now. News of my actions in Nahara would spread across the lands by both people who wished me harm and people simply giving in to gossip. I had wronged the other gods in all of the ways I knew how. I was a half-breed, which they despised; now, I could add to that the fact I had killed one of their most famous, and the fact I openly defied the laws of our race by revealing my identity. Nanya had told me the only way to peacefully live amongst the other gods was to either conceal my identity or live in solitude. I knew why, now. The gods were so arrogant, and had held their powers for so long, they deemed themselves immortals when they were not. Centuries of story-telling and myth had allowed them to secure their place in the theologies of the lesser races, where they could retain their power by barely lifting a finger. For the other races to know the gods could be killed by the so-called mortals, and that the need to worship them was therefore moot, would be to threaten the gods' very existences, when they had enjoyed power and stability for so long.

  I sure knew how to pick my battles. In my quest to gain allies to start a war against my own homeland, I had managed to set the ball rolling for a racial conflict within one of the oldest races which existed on Arrayis. Though my beliefs differed from most on the nature of the gods, I did know one thing for certain: they were powerful. It was possible I would have more than just Sirius's armies to contend with in the future. There would be hard battles ahead. Now, I needed to focus on gaining as many allies as I could get.

  My companions and I somehow made it through the crowds to the castle, where we were led by Talib to a diplomacy room, which sat just a few doors down from King Adar's throne room. When we went inside, I found King Adar was already sitting at the end of a long table made entirely out of mosaic glass, its colors deep and varied, depicting Naharan soldiers fighting various types of terrifying beasts.

  King Adar stood when I neared him, much to my surprise. Then, without a word, the king bowed before me. I was so shocked at the gesture that I glanced back to my friends, who appeared just as taken aback.

  “Have you been sent by the Ancients?” King Adar asked, even as his head was lowered, eyes toward the floor.

  I stared down at the king. It was clear he was just as religious, if not moreso, than his people. “No, King Adar. I am here for the reasons I explained to you.”

  “This is a prophecy,” the king replied, still unmoving. “There are stories that say the gods would
return to us.”

  “The gods have never left,” I told him, before becoming uncomfortable with his subservience. “Your prophecy is nothing but myth. Please stand. I wish to speak to you as an equal.”

  He did so, standing and regarding me with an awe I felt unworthy of. “Where are you from, if not from Sera?” He questioned, intrigued.

  “I lived my whole life in Sera,” I replied, taking it upon myself to have a seat at the table, when the king made no move to. Following my lead, he sat at the head of it, not taking his eyes off of me for a moment. “It wasn't until last year that I found out about my lineage.”

  “You are not Sirius's biological daughter?” The king asked, tilting his head.

  I stared back at him, confused. “Has he ever claimed otherwise?”

  “I have never heard him correct anyone. Perhaps he wishes to wield the gods as a weapon,” he mused.

  I nodded. “That's precisely what he wanted. He hired the Alderi to assassinate me as a teenager because the other gods requested it. When the attempt failed, I think he simply tried to keep me as a secret. He let me believe I was only human, so I would be afraid to use my powers for others.”

  “The other gods want you dead?” The king adjusted in his seat, leaning forward toward me. “Why?”

  “Because I am a half-breed. God and human. The gods are not supposed to breed at all, let alone with other races. It has never worked before.” I shrugged. “According to my mother, anyway.”

  “What do you know of the Ancients?” The king asked me next, as curious as a studious pupil.

  “Little to nothing,” I admitted. “My mother—Nanya—she claimed most of the gods were created by them.”

  King Adar nodded enthusiastically. “It is one of my greatest interests, learning of the gods and the Ancients. Life's biggest mysteries, are they not?” He grinned, and shook his head in disbelief. “And here is one, sitting right before me!”

  His words reminded me of Jakan's words, nearly a season ago in the deserts before our arrival in T'ahal. He had claimed the king had objects which had been retrieved from the ancient ruins.

  “I have heard you have artifacts from the ruins in the desert,” I commented.

  “Ah! Yes, I do. I can take you to them, and let you study them,” the king offered. “Perhaps you can make better sense of it than I could. I cannot find a translator who can decipher the messages hidden within.”

  I nodded. “Then let us do that, after our talk. For now, I wish to talk to you about an alliance.”

  “Yes.” The king looked toward Talib. “Get the scribes, Talib.” As the servant hurried away, he turned back to me. “I am fully prepared to enter into an alliance with you, Kai Sera. I am honored to have a god offer me her powers.”

  I exhaled slowly, before choosing my words carefully. “If you are going to enter into an alliance with me, make sure it is the right decision for you because of what we can offer each other, regardless of my race.”

  The king's eyebrows dipped toward one another in confusion. “But—you are a god. And you have chosen me and my country. We will follow you faithfully.”

  “I do not expect to be worshiped, King Adar, and I do not want to be worshiped. I have no love for the gods. Did you not see Malgor die by my hands? They are not immortal, as you once believed.”

  The king looked thoughtful, as if he hadn't realized this before. “But...he was a god, and he died by your hands. You, too, are a god. It is why you could do it.”

  “Yes...our powers were similar in strength. That is how I killed him. But had you thrown Malgor alone with one hundred humans, he may have been killed all the same. I saw him get worn down at the last battle before ours, and there were no gods fighting him then.”

  “You think he could have died that day?” King Adar asked.

  “Absolutely, with more fighters. It would have been much harder for a group of gladiators to take him down than it was for me, but it can be done. I promise you.”

  “Truly?” The king thought about this. It was as if a whole new world of information was opening up for him. “When I met you for the first time, Kai Sera, I had no idea you would bring this much light to my life. I am seeing things differently today, and I am an old man.” He chuckled. “That is hard to do.”

  Talib hurried back in, followed by two women in long, flowing robes of deep maroon. One carried a handful of scrolls, while the other carried inkwells and quills. The two scribes sat across the table from me, laying the supplies out on its surface.

  “We will be drawing up an alliance, my scribes,” the king informed them. At his words, the women began to write, their quills moving quickly over the thick parchment. King Adar, in the meantime, looked back to me, his eyes glancing over to my friends. “Do you wish for me to simply regard you as Kai Sera? Or do you have a name for yourselves?”

  I glanced toward my friends. “If you have any suggestions, feel free to speak up. I am not the only one at this table.”

  Jakan's eyes switched nervously between my gaze and the king's. “Are we introducing ourselves, or...?”

  Anto and Theron both chuckled at the Vhiri's confusion. Cerin finally explained it to him, saying, “The king is asking for our name, as a group. Normally, alliances are drawn up between countries.”

  “Oh.” Jakan laughed low, embarrassed. “Sorry. Not used to this.”

  “The Putrid Scoundrels,” Nyx suggested in jest.

  I laughed softly. “Speak for yourself,” I teased her.

  “Sirius's Seriously Spiteful Saboteurs,” Cerin suggested, which made us all chuckle.

  “Making up words again, huh?” I asked, reminding the necromancer of our first love session. He raised his eyebrows teasingly, giving me a charming smile.

  “How about something simple, which would allow people to know the gist of what our aim is by just hearing the name?” Anto suggested. “We are not all from Sera, but it is with the city that you have most of your disagreements, not with Chairel. Something like the Seran Rebels?”

  I nodded, slowly. “I like that idea, Anto.”

  “Give it some flair,” Theron suggested. “Renegades, perhaps?”

  “Seran Renegades...” I trailed off, listening to the sound of it on my tongue. Looking for confirmation from the others, I asked, “Is that good for everyone?”

  After affirmations, I turned to King Adar, who appeared amused by our conversation. “Seran Renegades it is,” the king said, looking toward the scribes, who wrote it down. Within minutes, we were prepared to get into the heavy subjects of the talk, as King Adar asked us for our terms.

  “We need your support,” I began. “If you hear we are in trouble and you can spare the men, I would like to be able to count on you.” I hesitated. “You currently allow Chairel military access in your lands, correct? I would like that to stop. Chairel's armies will be arriving in the coming moons. I don't know how many they will send, but they will be coming for me.” My eyes met evenly with the king's. “We defeated the Twelve during our flight from Chairel, so I know whatever armies they send will be enough to pose a threat, but I doubt they will be prepared for full-scale war. Sirius will not expect my negotiations with you, for he consistently underestimates me.”

  King Adar listened to this, pondering. “Denying them military access would be considered an act of war.”

  “Yes,” I agreed. “It would be up to them to act upon that or not. Though they will figure your armies to be weaker than theirs, so they will not send a huge army. Not at first.”

  “They may request units from Celendar,” Nyx commented.

  I shook my head. “They will not request from Celendar. Not yet. They know the Celds will not go to war if they can help it. For now, the Celds will insist the Seran Army handle it. I am, after all, one person.” Nostalgia washed over me as I thought of Silas. “I would hope Silas would do his best to talk his family out of getting involved.”

  King Adar cleared his throat, pulling my attention back to the older man.
“If I am to agree to denying Chairel military access to my lands, effective immediately, I would also need to end trade with them. I would expect you to teach my armies elemental magic, as soon as possible.”

  I nodded, understanding. “I can begin tomorrow,” I offered.

  “I will also need to strengthen my partnerships with other countries to supplement my gold loss,” the king went on.

  “We need to seek support elsewhere, anyway,” I pointed out. “If you send diplomats over seas with us, your men can start trade negotiations, and I can attempt to garner support for us, which will relieve you as well.”

  “Eteri will join you,” Jakan spoke up, from a few seats down the table. “Once they find what you are fighting for, it will be easy to convince them.”

  “You think your people will risk their mages for those who aren't Vhiri?” Anto asked.

  Jakan huffed in humor. “I admit, my people are arrogant, but they won't pass up the chance to go to war with Chairel.”

  “Let us stick to the present, for now,” the king said, quieting talk of other countries. “We have plenty of time to think of that in the future. Let us agree to the basics: we both seek a military alliance. I agree to aid you, and you will agree to aid me if time and location allows. I would expect you to teach my armies magic, effective immediately, as you offered. I would like to be able to set up a magic school of my own, here in T'ahal, but I need the time and the resources. You will supply the resources by making the most skilled of your students into teachers so that we may continue to teach magic in your absence, yes?” After I nodded, he added, “As for time, it is currently the 89th of High Star, 418. Would it be reasonable to ask that you stay in Nahara to work on this until, say, the first of High Star, next year?”

  “That's reasonable,” I agreed. It gave me three seasons with which to work on the school.

  “At that time, we may speak about the next steps for the both of us. But for now, we have our agreement.” King Adar looked over to the scribes, whose hands were swiftly grazing by the parchment as they wrote the details of our conversation. “Now, if neither of us has anything to add, we may sign off on this contract, because I tire of formalities.”