Earth

by Rosie Scott

  “What does Kai see in you?” Terran gritted his teeth, before spitting toward Cerin's boots. “You reek of death!”

  “I plan to reek of yours,” Cerin hissed back, thrusting his arms forward against his scythe. My brother stumbled back a few steps, his boots tripping over the sand. He fell backward to the ground, and Cerin followed.

  I was too far from them, and Terran's earthquake still stretched through the sands between us. I hurried to run around the gash in the earth. I could not witness another death of someone dear today.

  “La terra te risa!” My brother's voice was hoarse as he reached out to the sands at Cerin's feet. The sands exploded upward, throwing Cerin back from his pursuit. His scythe cluttered over the ground, before teetering on the edges of an opening canyon.

  Creatius le air! I thrust my arm forward as I neared the scene, and a gust of wind blew toward the scythe, forcing it back a few feet, saving it from the earth's abyss. Cerin scrambled to stand nearby, before he rushed to grab his weapon.

  Terran was already standing. He ran toward the necromancer, thrusting his sword forward toward his gut as he was bending to grab his weapon. Cerin retrieved his scythe, but my brother's aim was accurate. The sword thrust through the right side of Cerin's stomach, the tip of the steel exiting through the back of his armor, newly painted red. Blood splattered over the sands at his boots.

  My heart pounded so hard it felt like even my head was banging on a drum, for my whole body vibrated. Cerin was still, for a moment, before whipping his right arm up and across my brother's face with a closed fist, knocking him back. Terran's sword still stuck through the necromancer's stomach, though Cerin pulled it out with a grunt and threw the weapon into the nearest crevasse. It clattered down the thickening sands of earth until I could hear it no more.

  Terran bled from his nose from Cerin's hit, and scrambled backwards as my lover approached him in a rush of anger. Earth magic began to build in my brother's hands. Cerin tossed his scythe to the ground and reached out to his foe with both arms. Crackling death energy siphoned my brother's life into Cerin's palms through funnels of black. Terran's earth spells faltered as their resources were taken, the swirling energy slowing before they were forced to dispel.

  Terran reached out desperately, grabbing Cerin's arms in a last ditch effort of defense. The necromancer jerked his right arm away, letting my brother hang onto his left, for Terran no longer posed a threat as his strength depleted. Cerin's only free hand still leeched from Terran's life, and my brother fell to his knees even as he held onto his foe, dying.

  “Cerin!” My scream reverberated out into the air. I rushed toward my brother, collapsing to the sands to hug him. Cerin's leeching transferred to me as I blocked the energy, and I felt my life start to drain. Then, the spell stopped. My brother's body became heavy, and he fell to the ground as I held him.

  “Damn it, Kai!” Cerin's voice shook audibly with a number of emotions. I heard blood hit the sands, and I knew Cerin's wound was leaking.

  “Please don't kill him,” I murmured, my voice shaking as I put my ear to my brother's chest. He still breathed, but the breaths were shallow.

  “He is here to kill you, Kai!” Cerin exclaimed, frustrated. I glanced back to find him healing his wound, his face twisted with pain.

  “I...I don't care,” I murmured, realizing it sounded stupid. But I could not lose Terran. I was already in mourning. I lifted up, my eyes scanning over my brother's face. His skin was more creased than I remembered. It had been almost a year since I'd last seen my brother, but it appeared he had aged even more than that. Perhaps the stress of everything that was going on was aging him.

  “Right now, Terran is the general of the enemy army,” Cerin persisted. “Refusing to kill him—”

  “But he is my brother, Cerin, and I love him!” I exclaimed, still clinging to him.

  The air between Cerin and I was tense, but the necromancer said nothing more for the moment. I heard Nyx and Jakan approach, the two of them having followed us from around the broken earth.

  “Kai,” Nyx said, as she came to stand by my side. Her voice was lacking in energy given the day's events. “Leave him. Hasani will know what to do. Let him sleep here while we finish this fight.”

  I decided to follow my friend's advice. I stood up at my brother's side, my eyes meeting Cerin's. “Please leave him be.”

  Cerin was still in the middle of healing himself. “He was not going to do the same for either of us,” he protested. “Leaving him alive today will give him the chance to come after you again.”

  “Yes...but it won't be for some time.” I looked back to the battle still raging behind us. Both sides were suffering massive casualties, but our undead were finally helping to overwhelm our foes. “This unit of Sera's army will be demolished today. They will need time to gather more forces and allies. By the time it comes to our next battle, Terran may have changed his mind.”

  “You are being idealistic,” Cerin argued. “Your brother has a hatred for necromancy that rivals Sirius's, and it's clear he places most of the blame for all of this on me. He will come after us again, if only to come for me.”

  I knew he was right, but I did not wish to audibly admit it. I turned toward the remaining battle, leaving Cerin to heal his wound. “Leave him, Cerin,” I warned again, as I hurried away.

  Nyx and Jakan came with me, though none of us spoke. The sadness the day had brought would linger for some time. Both of my friends used crossbow bolts and throwing stars to inflict injuries and death on the Seran soldiers as we approached the battle. The field was littered with bodies of humans and beasts alike, the normally beautiful golden sands streaked with red. The stench was nearly unbearable. I knew well the smells of battle, but this was on a much larger scale. The metallic scent of blood, the acidity of released bodily fluids, and the stench of scat from release upon death were all heavy in the air. It was a truly ugly event to fall upon a startlingly beautiful day.

  I built death energy in both my palms, and released it in tendrils which slithered across the sands. This fight could be finished within the hour if I replenished our numbers, so that is what I did. Too many had died today; I looked to minimize further casualties.

  Many Serans became distracted and terrified at seeing their former comrades rise against them. The already fatigued enemy soldiers became more prone to mistakes, and some even ran. Both Nyx and Jakan charmed soldiers around us, adding further to our numbers. The Serans were not fans of illusionists in battle, so we came across none on the field today. I was grateful for that. Charming the enemy was a wonderful thing to be able to do, but it would be traumatizing to be on the opposite end of the spell.

  Bolstering our numbers with both death and illusion magic proved to turn the tide of battle. The Seran numbers depleted, until the only soldiers left fled in small groups to the north, unwilling to die against immense numbers of both humans and the undead in a strange land without the leadership of Terran. By the time the battle was won, the sun was finishing its arc toward the horizon, and the skies were a darkening blue to the east, where the huge retreating tortoise was still visible in the distance. We had won our first battle with Chairel, but winning did not feel as wonderful as I thought it would, considering.

  “Jakan! Thank the gods!” Anto's voice rose in volume as the orc hurried toward us from a different part of the battlefield. I hadn't seen him since he'd initially charged with the infantry, but it was clear he had been fighting non-stop. His arms were covered in the blood and thick tissue of his enemies.

  Anto and Jakan embraced for the first time in awhile, and I found myself grateful that they could. Theron's death today had reminded me just how quickly a life could fizzle out, and just how lucky I was to have each of my friends here.

  Anto glanced up toward Nyx and I. “Kai, could I bother you for some healing?” He asked, motioning toward a stab wound between two of his ribs.

  I hurried to him without an answer, immediately healing him. After us
ing my magic for death throughout the battle, it was a relief to use it to aid someone.

  “Where are the others?” Anto asked.

  “Cerin is a ways back on the field,” I answered softly. “Theron is dead.”

  The orc stiffened beneath my spell. “He is dead? What happened?”

  “Scorpion. Tore him apart,” I managed, my nostrils flaring with emotion. I finished healing Anto's wounds, and though my eyes teared, I did not cry.

  “I am sorry, Kai.” Anto grabbed me into a hug, careful to keep his arm blades from facing inward toward my armor. “Did my weapon serve him well?”

  The orc's good-natured question combined with his willingness to comfort me caused a new sob to roll forth. “Anto, he loved that weapon,” I told him, leaning my head against the orc's chest. He held me for a moment, patting me on the back. It was only when I became embarrassed at my display that I backed away from him, my face a contorted mess of emotion. I looked to Jakan, and said, “I can see why Anto comforts you, friend. He is a teddy bear.”

  Jakan chuckled softly, and looked to his lover with adoration in his gray eyes. “He is,” he agreed.

  “What of your brother?” Anto asked me next, ignoring my compliments.

  “Cerin nearly killed him. We have captured him,” I said, before looking back over the battlefield. I found Cerin in the midst of talking with Hasani, near where my brother lay. I was grateful to see Hasani safe. I had lost track of him during the battle.

  I made my way slowly over to the prince, who glanced up to me as I approached.

  “I am sorry for your loss, Kai,” he offered warmly.

  I glanced back toward the hundreds dead on the sands behind me. “I am sorry for yours.”

  Hasani nodded, his face conflicted. “We have won today, but it is still time for mourning. It is like this with every battle.” He looked off to the setting sun, the glare of its light glimmering off of the gold on his royal shield. “One day, it would be nice to succeed at something without the loss of life.”

  “Yes,” I agreed, swallowing hard. Thoughts of Bjorn and Theron were at the forefront of my mind.

  “At the risk of sounding like a hypocrite, I am surprised you let your brother live.”

  I said nothing. If Hasani was disappointed in me for that, I would be immensely hurt.

  “Perhaps surprised isn't the right word,” the prince corrected. “At this point, one would be hard pressed to find me with my ax at your throat. I consider you my sister-in-arms, Kai, and I am grateful for your friendship. That is why I understand your mercy, but it will bring you pain in the future.”

  “I know,” I admitted, my voice hoarse. “Would you prefer it if Cerin were to kill him quietly in the night? I know he would like to.”

  Hasani laughed low, humorlessly. “Leave him alive, Kai. We will take him back to T'ahal and let him recover. You can see what information you can gather from him about Chairel's plans. It may be of benefit to us, and you will not yet have to see your brother die.”

  “I appreciate your understanding, Hasani.”

  “And I appreciate your service. It is a shame you will be leaving us next High Star. It is nice having you around.” The prince turned his face to look at me, and he smiled softly.

  “You're not so bad, yourself,” I replied, which made him chuckle. “Regardless of what happens in the upcoming year, Hasani, we will be fighting with each other again in the future. I feel it in my gut, and Theron taught me not to discard intuition.”

  “If that is so, then may we fight, and may we be victorious.”

  Twenty-eight

  My pillow jerked beneath my head. No—that wasn't quite right. It was not a pillow beneath me, but my brother. The memories of the past few days came flooding back to me. Cleaning up the battlefield, returning to T'ahal. Bringing my brother, and holding him here at the castle to recover, hoping to the undeserving gods I could persuade him to my side.

  “Sister?” Terran's voice was thick beside my head. I lifted up, my eyelids heavy with fatigue, and found him staring back at me. His eyes moistened, and I swallowed back the emotion that threatened to break through. “Where am I?”

  “T'ahal,” I replied, my voice heavy with sleep.

  “I thought...” Terran trailed off, his eyes going distant with memories. “I thought the necromancer killed me.”

  “He nearly did, brother. I convinced him to spare you.”

  His nostrils flared, but he said nothing for the moment. He turned his head on the bed, his green eyes taking in his surroundings. They must have found Cerin sitting along the far wall, for he stiffened beneath me. “You,” he hissed.

  “Do not waste your energy on your hatred for me, Terran,” my lover said, tiredly. “It will solve nothing. Kai insisted that you live, because she has hope you may see reason. If it were up to me, you would be dead.”

  “Yes, because that is your nature,” Terran retorted. “It would be wonderful if everyone were dead, wouldn't it? So you could control the world and have it worship you.”

  Cerin huffed. “You know nothing of me.”

  “Why wish me dead, then, freak? What better reason than to add me to your undead army?”

  “I wish you dead because I love your sister, and you have threatened her safety,” Cerin replied impatiently. “You have broken her heart with your insistence on leading the Seran army against her.”

  Terran's eyes found mine again. “You think I wish to kill you, sister?”

  I laughed humorlessly above him. “Why else would you lead your armies here to me?”

  “Father wants you dead, Kai. I do not.” Terran looked away, conflicted. “I offered to lead his army here. I thought I would find some way to...” he trailed off, before a helpless shrug. “I keep thinking that if I speak to you, I can solve all this. I can fix father's transgressions and convince you to leave Sera in peace. I even thought that perhaps I could return to Sera and convince father you were dead, or missing. Make him give up his chase.”

  “Terran, it is much too late for that,” I murmured.

  “What is your end game? What do you hope to accomplish? You have already destroyed much of Sera, Kai.” Terran hesitated, searching within my eyes for answers.

  “I won't stop until Sirius is dead, and Sera is mine,” I replied, evenly.

  Terran visibly jerked back at my statement. “You...” he trailed off, before shaking his head. “You can't really believe that. You mean to kill father and me, if that is your wish.”

  “I want you to join me, Terran. I have never wanted anything more. If you were to come with us, I would not take Sera all for myself. It is rightfully yours, and I understand that. But if you continue to follow Sirius, I will have no choice but to continue to fight you.”

  “You are talking about war with the entirety of Chairel,” my brother protested.

  “I thought that was obvious, given our battle. As far as I'm concerned, I've already invited war with all of Chairel.”

  Terran looked away, in a state of both sadness and shock. “You have. Their involvement in this tiff of Sera's was contingent upon our battle. I have failed at my mission, so father will request support.” He hesitated. “I do not like where this is headed, sister. Father—I have never seen him like this. He thirsts for your death.”

  “As he has done before. You heard him admit to hiring the Alderi to kill me.”

  Terran was quiet a moment. “He was threatened to do so, Kai. He thought it was best—”

  “So you have heard that the gods requested it,” I encouraged.

  Terran nodded. “I did not know the gods still existed before your trip to Whispermere. Father was holding many secrets from me.”

  “Then tell me why he never attempted to kill me again, brother,” I pleaded.

  Terran was hesitant, as if he knew he should think twice before admitting such things to me. “The attempt failed, and it called attention to you. People wondered why the assassination attempt was on you, and not me, because I w
as the heir. If news of your powers had spread before, it doubled when that happened, so by trying to silence further news of you, they'd only amplified its spread. Father said he had an agreement with the gods to keep you from flaunting your skill, because if the people knew the gods lived among them, the gods' livelihoods would be threatened for the first time in centuries. It is why he kept you from work. He didn't want you to fight, because those who see your power know you are special. And the more you used your magic, the more you could realize it was not killing you. Eventually, he said you would find out for yourself.”

  “But I thought I was human, so he figured I would never go off on my own and test my skill, for fear of my own death,” I said, connecting the dots in my head.

  “Yes. And I think for awhile, he thought that once you found out your true nature, you would fight for him.”

  “The other gods despise my existence and would have held that against him,” I pointed out.

  “Yes, but the Seran army is powerful, and so are you. Father lost a lot of respect for the gods when they refused to act after your failed assassination. His fear of them subsided, because too many of them are lazy. Nothing happened to Sera as they said it would when you did not die. The gods were all talk and no action.”

  “Most of them are,” I agreed. “So Sirius's hatred of me has nothing to do with my blood.”

  “No. Your trip to Whispermere just so happened to coincide with finding his most wanted criminal.” Terran eyed Cerin from their distance. “Father wanted him dead. You'd already left his army, and you knew what you were and showed no interest in fighting for him. He was content with letting the other gods find and kill you, because he could not be blamed. But then...you broke the law and helped the necromancer escape. You ruined much of Sera and made him look weak before his people. His importance to the Queen falters.” My brother's voice teetered off as he thought over his next words. “Now, to get the Queen's high acclaim again, he must kill you. He knows others who want you dead, sister, and he works to request their help as we speak.”