The Apocalypse Collection

by Tara West

  ***

  “Daughter, wake up.”

  Imaya woke from a fitful slumber and peered up into her father’s surprisingly stoic eyes. Odd how she could not recall a day when she had seen such clarity in his gaze.

  Her own eyes swept the horizon. She was surprised to see the waters were calm and smooth, almost like the surface of her mother’s coral-handled looking glass.

  Renì was already sitting up, his little back propped against the side of the boat while he sucked the juices from a palma fruit.

  Imaya’s mouth fell open. “Palmas?” she asked her father.

  Father flashed a lopsided grin before nodding toward a pile of fruit at the bow of the boat. “I found a palma pod floating in the water.”

  For the first time in what felt like ages, Imaya smiled at her father. She launched herself into her father’s arms and planted a kiss on his weathered face before kneeling down beside Renì. When he offered her a fruit, Imaya bit into the succulent, sweet flesh before lifting it toward the heavens.

  “Oh, Heavenly Elements,” she called toward the clear summer sky, “thank you for this blessing.”

  But when Imaya turned her smiling eyes toward her father, her heart sank at the fear reflected in the drawn lines of his mouth.

  “Keep praying, daughter,” he said as he nodded toward the placid waters. “We are not out of danger yet.”

  That was when Imaya realized they were in even greater peril than before. There was a saying among the fishermen of her village: ‘Only fools set sail in tranquil waters.’

  Eris’s giant man-eating carnivus plants that rose up from the bottom of the sea had eaten many a wayward fishing vessel that had strayed from the trading route.

  The calmer the water, the more likely the plants were to strike, which was why some seamen would rather risk facing the wrath of Eris’s storms than be caught up in a nest of carnivus plants. Few had ever faced a carnivus and lived to tell.

  Imaya sent another prayer up to the heavens. That was when she noticed the small sail that propelled them forward. Painted on its canvas was a giant, inky black eye.

  “I do not recognize this boat,” Imaya said to her father. “Where do you think it came from?”

  “Eris’s fleet.” Father’s tone was grim.

  Imaya’s limbs went cold at the mention of The Sea Goddess’s name.

  This vessel belongs to the goddess! What will she do to us if she discovers we’ve taken it?

  “W-what?” she stammered.

  “Look there, her symbol.” Father pointed to the sail. “Her dragon’s eye.”

  “Naamaku,” Imaya barely breathed the words. Eris’s sea dragon, even more menacing and powerful than the carnivus plants. Then a thought struck her. Was this boat a gift from the Elements, or a trap set by Eris? “What if Eris sent this boat and we are riding to our doom?” she asked her father.

  But Father did not answer. Imaya gaped at him as all of the color drained from his sun-kissed face. His body appeared to be set in stone, as his gaze was transfixed on something in the water.

  Imaya slowly rose on wobbly legs and stood beside her father. She stifled a scream at the sight before her. Their boat was surrounded by dozens of gaping maws, some twice the size of their vessel. They floated in the water, not aimlessly but with purpose, as long, serpent like tongues protruded from between their razor sharp teeth and whipped wildly through the air.

  Shards of splintered wood were stuck to their scissor-like teeth, remnants of their prior destruction.

  “Oh, dear Goddess!” Imaya cried, as her legs nearly gave way beneath her.

  “Look there.” Father pointed to the bow of the boat.

  Imaya was stunned to see the massive heads of the plants bobble away from the boat’s path, as if they were parting to let the vessel pass.

  “Why aren’t the plants attacking?” she asked her father in a hoarse whisper.

  Father shook his head, never tearing his wary gaze from the water. “Perhaps there are enchantments on this boat?”

  “Dragon eye!” Renì shouted as he pointed to the painted sail.

  Imaya hissed at her brother to be quiet, but despite his outburst, the carnivus plants still kept their distance. And then the realization struck her. The dragon’s eye! Did the plants believe this boat to be the dragon? That would explain why they were afraid to attack. Imaya noted how the wooden planks of the boat were painted a bright green, just like the scales of the fabled dragon. This boat was no enchantment. This boat was an illusion.

  So many times, Imaya thought, she and her family had narrowly escaped death. But how? Were they truly blessed by the Elements? And would they always be so fortunate?

  ***

  After several days at sea, Imaya and her family landed at a strange port. Or rather, what was left of the port, for it seemed Eris’s monster tide had wreaked destruction on this village, too.

  Sunbaked and tired, Imaya barely dragged herself from the boat as she reveled in the feel of the wet sand between her toes. After Father hoisted Renì on his shoulders, they walked through the devastated village. Imaya’s heart sank at the realization that her family would not find food or shelter when so many others were without as well.

  Although most of the village had been leveled, Imaya was surprised to see people along the shore, sifting through the wreckage and mourning the loss of their town. Imaya had never seen a place so wondrous. Behind the narrow beach was a vast cliff that seemed to stretch to the heavens. Had the villagers been able to climb the cliff before the monster tide had reached them? If so, how did they know Eris would send the wave?

  The people here were darker than Imaya’s family, with skin the color of mahogany and black hair piled in rows atop their heads. The men wore long, loose robes and the women wore similar garments along with crowns of fine fabric that cascaded down their backs.

  A few stopped to stare at Imaya and her family, but most were too preoccupied with recovering their lost possessions. Then Imaya noticed a long caravan of people marching through the wreckage. Massive, four-legged furry creatures with awkward humps on their backs, laden with many goods, trailed behind the caravan.

  The tall, broad-shouldered stranger leading the caravan caught Imaya’s eye. Though he had the physique of a grown man, he had a youthful gleam in his eyes. A small child sat atop his shoulders. Imaya had to look twice at the child, for though the left side of her dark face was smooth, her right side was wilted.

  Her father hailed the stranger, who broke from the group and walked over to them. Though his gaze was focused on her father, Imaya blushed when he stole a glimpse in her direction. She had to steady her trembling limbs as he neared them. His dark face was smooth and his lips full. Though he wore a long robe like the others in his village, his sleeves had fallen back to expose well- toned arms. When he slanted a smile in Imaya’s direction, she realized he was beyond beautiful. Her blush deepened as she looked down at her torn and stained dress. What must he think of her?

  “Where have you come from?” the young man asked her father while the girl perched on his shoulders bounced her dangling leg. Though he spoke with a thick accent, Imaya easily understood him. He sounded much like the traders from the Shifting Sands.

  “Aya-Shay,” Father answered. “Our village was destroyed by a great wave.”

  “Then you are very lucky to be alive. I am sorry we cannot offer you more of a welcome. The same has happened to our port.” He swept his hand toward the trail of people and animals behind him. “Our caravan travels now to the Shifting Sands.”

  “The Shifting Sands?” Father turned to her. “Imaya, we have traveled across the sea!”

  “Imaya.” The young man spoke her name in a throaty whisper, as if he savored the taste of it. “I am Ammon.” He pointed to himself and then nodded to the child on his shoulders. “This is my sister, Nala.”

  “My father, Tunnuk, and my brother, Renì.” Imaya motioned toward her family as she felt her chest and face inflame with heat.r />
  To Imaya’s amazement, Renì began making hand gestures toward Nala. The girl answered him back with gestures of her own. It was as if they shared their own special language.

  “Do you know the source of this tide?” her father asked Ammon.

  Ammon ‘s dark eyes narrowed. “Madhea and Eris were at war.”

  “The sky and sea goddesses were at war?” Father rasped. “But did not Kyan stop them?”

  Ammon ‘s face fell as he slowly shook his head. “Our benevolent goddess is dead.”

  “Dead!” Imaya’s hand flew to her chest. “This cannot be!”

  “It is true.” Ammon ‘s eyes softened as his mouth turned down. “Her great dragon, Tan’yi’na, has spoken to my people. She weakened her powers with dark magic and was destroyed by Madhea.”

  “Dark magic?” Father asked, his voice laced with incredulity. “Why would Kyan do such a thing?”

  Ammon shrugged, and again he stole a fleeting glance at Imaya. “We were told love was to blame.”

  “Love?” Imaya shook her head, hardly believing what she was hearing. How could such a powerful goddess be destroyed by love?

  Father turned toward Imaya and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. When Imaya looked into her father’s watery, woe-filled eyes, she had to swallow the rising tide of emotion that threatened to overwhelm her.

  “Love has caused many of us to do foolish things.” Father’s voice cracked as he spoke. “I sacrificed eight years of my life, and of yours and Renì’s lives, to mourn the loss of your mother. It took nearly losing you both for me to realize I had been behaving like a fool.”

  Imaya could do nothing but gape at her father in awe. For so long she had wished for him to become the strong man she once loved. Could it be true? Had Father finally had a change of heart?

  “Kyan’s family was not so lucky,” Ammon said with cutting finality. “Madhea has killed the daughters of Kyan as well.”

  “Oh, Heavenly Elements!” Imaya gasped. “There are no benevolent goddesses left! All the world will perish.”

  Ammon heaved a sigh before turning his gaze to the heavens. “Let us hope the worst has passed for now.”

  “Until the goddesses decide to wage another battle,” Father said.

  “That is why we are fleeing to the home of the great golden dragon.” Ammon waved a hand toward the towering cliffs behind them. Then he fixed Father with a direct stare before flashing another smile toward Imaya. “You and your family are welcome to accompany us.”

  Renì and Nala both began to kick and squeal wildly.

  Ammon chuckled while patting his sister’s leg. She leaned over and whispered something in his ear.

  Then Ammon turned toward Imaya, a knowing expression in his dark eyes. “Your brother speaks to the wind.”

  “Wind speaker?” she breathed. Imaya had once heard about the wind speakers from the village priests. They were magical folk who spoke to the Elements. That explained so much about her brother. Renì was more than just a special child. He was blessed by the Elements! “My brother warned us that the tide was coming but the other villagers refused to listen.”

  Ammon shook his head. “Then they were all fools. Our harbor may have been destroyed, but my sister saved every last villager before the tide struck. Nala is never wrong about such things. She speaks to all of the Elements.” He tilted his head and kissed his sister on the cheek.

  Imaya couldn’t help but smile at the exchange between Ammon and Nala. “Your sister is very special,” she said.

  When Ammon turned to her and flashed a broad grin, Imaya thought her heart would burst with joy. “As is you brother,” he answered.

  At that moment, Imaya knew that she and her family had finally found a land where they belonged.

  Origin Myth from Keepers of the Stones

  The Beginning of Time

  In the beginning there was chaos, with no division between the land, sea and sky. Only the Elements reigned: air, soil, fire and water, colliding in discord, making Tehra a volatile, miserable planet. The Elements were unhappy with the constant state of unrest and change on Tehra. Since none of them could exist together in harmony, they knew they needed something stronger and more powerful to rule over them and bring peace to the planet.

  The Elements called upon the vast magic of the universe and created the Tryads, immortal keepers of the Elements. Their names were Madhea, keeper of sky and spirit; Kyan, keeper of land and breath; and Eris, keeper of water and life. But the Elements made one fatal mistake. They used magic, and only magic, to create the sisters. The Tryads were not of the Elements and so they had little regard for the safekeeping of the planet, save for one of the sisters, Kyan, who loved her land and the people who inhabited it.

  The Elements had believed the Tryads would rule Tehra peacefully, keeping the distinction between air, land, fire and water, and ending all chaos. The Elements, being simple in nature, had not planned for avarice and greed.

  Eris, keeper of the fin folk, was unhappy with her station below the surface of Tehra. She did not enjoy living among sea creatures and being tethered to an unsightly fish tail. She felt slighted by her air-breathing sisters who lived above her.

  Madhea bemoaned spending her days among the sky creatures, peering down at life below. Her land sister lived with beings called humans who had built a shrine in her honor. But the bird folk gave Madhea no such special treatment. Thus, she wished for nothing else than to shed her wings and take her sister’s place as ruler of the human world.

  Kyan, keeper of the land, felt no such resentment toward her sisters. She had fallen in love with Orhan, a handsome mortal. Together, they had conceived six daughters, each one the exact likeness of her mother and bearing magical powers. Kyan knew of her sisters’ envy, but did not fear them because, along with her daughters, she was more powerful than Madhea and Eris combined.

  If Kyan had one weakness, it was her love for Orhan. Though he had wealth, power, and love, he was still unhappy with his lot in life. He desired sons. Kyan, as a daughter of Elemental magic, could only conceive a likeness of herself. In order to give him sons, she would have to use a different magic, a dark magic – one that came not from land, sky, fire or water, but from the darkest recesses of the soul.

  Kyan loved her husband and could not deny him his ardent wish, so she birthed him twin boys, Dafuar and Odu. But something changed within Kyan after she’d called upon the dark magic. Her soul had been compromised and her powers weakened. Her daughters’ magic had been tainted as well.

  Madhea was the first to seize upon her sister’s weakness, flying fast from the heavens and striking Kyan and her daughters with great thunderbolts, sending their souls into the abyss and reducing their human forms to mere stones. Heartbroken and distraught, Orhan fled with his young sons to the shelter of the Shifting Sands.

  When Eris learned of Madhea’s treachery, she rose up from the waters, demanding her fair share of the land. Madhea refused, and thus began a war between the two sisters. Madhea pelted the waters with thunderbolts and hurled great gusts of wind. Eris retaliated with monstrous waves that eroded the soil and swept away entire villages.

  All the while, the Elements mourned the loss of Kyan and the ongoing destruction of their planet. The world had become chaos once more – something that the Elements had sought to prevent by creating the Tryads. Now they had to act before Tehra was lost forever.

  As each sister was consumed in destroying the other, the Elements manipulated wind and water and pollinated their wombs. Eris and Madhea each bore six daughters, the Elementals, who grew into adulthood before the first full moon. And though the Elementals had inherited their mothers’ magical powers, they were children of the Elements as well, and owed their loyalty to them, and thus to restoring peace and tranquility.

  The Elementals forced their mothers to sign a truce. Eris was made keeper of the sea, as well as all of the islands and shorelines. Madhea would rule the sky and the mountains. The land in between was given to
Dafuar and Odu. But though Kyan’s sons were immortal like their mother, the dark magic used to conceive them had robbed them of their inherent magical powers. They feared they would not make good keepers.

  The Elements presented Dafuar and Odu with seven sacred stones; each stone had once been the body of their mother and sisters, and they possessed great power. Through these stones, Dafuar and Odu could rule as keepers of the Elements. But soon it became evident that the sons had inherited their human father’s weaknesses, for though they lived forever as immortals, they aged as men. Their bodies became more weathered and decrepit with each passing year, and their memories began to fade.

  The Elements, fearing Eris and Madhea would find a way to seize the stones from Dafuar and Odu, stole the stones, hiding them in the darkest recesses of Tehra. The Elements then divided the remaining land between Madhea and Eris.

  Dafuar and Odu left their homes and wandered the land for ages, searching for something they’d lost, not remembering it was the stones they sought. They lived a cursed life, wise but unwise; immortal, but old and frail.

  Although Madhea and Eris were tethered by the Elementals, their powers grew. Displeased with the shrines built to her by the mortals, Madhea built one to herself; a giant palace of ice, rising up from the ground and reaching as far as the heavens. Eris built a palace out of fire, which rose up from the ocean; a towering cylinder, shrouded by plumes of smoke and guarded by molten lava.

  The two sisters had become so transfixed in building their shrines and strengthening their magic, that they had forsaken their duties as keepers of the Elements, paying little heed when ice storms and cyclones ravaged the land and people. The Elementals, likewise, had no time to manage sky, land and water, as they were most often preoccupied with their mothers.

  Slowly, once again, Tehra began to crumble. The ice melted, the wind howled and the land shook. The Tryads and the Elementals had failed to protect the Elements from chaos. Now, the people’s only hope of saving their planet lay in hiding, within the powers of the sacred stones.