Quest for the Sun Orb

by Laura Jo Phillips

  “I’m sorry, Kapia,” Tiari said, seeing the mixed sadness and anger in Kapia’s aura. “I did not mean to bring up bad memories.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Kapia said, smiling. “Marene seems to be an evil that I am not quite finished dealing with, and it is best that I keep that in mind. That reminds me of something.” Kapia pulled a gold ring from her finger and held it in her hand for a moment. “Can you still see?”

  “Yes, though it’s growing dark, I can see well enough,” Tiari replied.

  “Good, because you need to be able to see for this,” Kapia said. “Yesterday, when you said you’d like to be able to defend yourself, I thought of this ring. Before I learned the staff, I relied upon this. It was once my mother’s, and now I offer it to you to use until you, too, are able to defend yourself with a weapon.”

  “I am honored that you would offer me something so valuable,” Tiari said, looking at the ring in the shape of a snake on Kapia’s palm. “But I do not understand how it is to be used to defend myself.”

  “This is more than a ring,” Kapia said. “It’s called the Sting of the Naja. The Naja is a deadly snake that’s found in the deep deserts of Isiben. It’s venom is so deadly that one drop can kill in moments.”

  Tiari studied the ring closely, noting the intricately carved scales of the snake’s body that wrapped around the finger when worn, the flat, triangular head, the tiny eyes set with green stones, and the twin fangs in its opened mouth.

  “If you hold here,” Kapia said as she turned the ring over and held the band portion, “then twist this part at the top, two tiny needles pop out through the fangs.”

  Tiari smiled, understanding. “They have poison on them, don’t they?”

  “Yes, they do,” Kapia said. Tiari watched carefully as Kapia reset the mechanism. “The poison will never lose it’s effectiveness. The smallest scratch from one of those needles will kill in a few short minutes. A wound deep enough to draw blood will kill in moments. You must be very careful with it, though I will say that it isn’t possible to accidentally release the poison. It requires that you turn it on top and press beneath at the same time.”

  Tiari accepted the ring from Kapia and ran her fingers over it carefully, memorizing by touch as she had by sight. Then she slipped it over the middle finger of her right hand and smiled, enjoying the rare sensation of protection it gave her. “Thank you very much, Kapia,” she said. “I promise to be very careful with it.”

  ***

  Bredon sat staring into the dwindling flames of his campfire, thinking, as he did so often, of Kapia. It had been a long day for him. As a Knight Hunter, leader of his own pack of Hunters, he’d rarely spent much time alone during the daylight hours. The loneliness of just the past few days was already beginning to wear on him, but he had no idea how to guard against it.

  He’d left the forest that day around noon and passed into a landscape of low, rocky hills dotted with small groves of scraggly trees and wild brush. He’d seen no people, which wasn’t really unusual considering the landscape. Why would anyone want to live in such a barren place? He smiled to himself as he thought of the desert sands of Isiben. But that was different, he thought. That was home.

  “Bredon?”

  Bredon twitched in surprise and looked around warily, cursing himself for staring directly into the flames for so long that his night vision was ruined. He closed his eyes and focused with his ears, straining for the slightest sound.

  “Bredon? Can you hear me? It’s Kapia.”

  Bredon frowned but didn’t open his eyes. After a moment he realized that he wasn’t actually hearing the voice with his ears at all. It was in his mind, like Marene’s voice was in his mind. But this didn’t sound anything like Marene.

  “Kapia?” he asked cautiously, some instinct warning him not to speak aloud the way he did when he spoke to Marene. If he did, Marene would hear every word he said. Assuming that this wasn’t Marene trying to trick him.

  “Bredon!” she said. “Can you really hear me?”

  “Yes, I can hear you,” Bredon said warily. “Only, how do I know it’s you?”

  “Good question,” Kapia replied. “Ask me something that only I would know the answer to.”

  Bredon thought about that for a few moments. “What is my secret name for you?”

  “Surna,” Kapia replied at once, and Bredon blew out a surprised breath of air. No one but Kapia could know that. It was an archaic word meaning sugar that few knew.

  “How are you doing this?” he asked.

  “The Moon Orb,” Kapia replied. “Are you all right Bredon? I’ve been so worried about you.”

  “At the moment I’m better than ever,” Bredon replied. “You don’t know what it means to me to be able to hear your voice, my beloved surna. In a manner of speaking.”

  Kapia’s soft laughter filled his mind and he couldn’t help grinning, feeling happy for the first time in days. Her laughter always made him happy.

  “What about Marene?” she asked.

  “She’s still here,” Bredon said, his grin fading as quickly as it had appeared.

  “Can she hear us?”

  “No, I don’t think so,” Bredon replied. “I can’t tell what she’s thinking, so I assume it’s the same for her.”

  “Did Worrow try to get her out of you?”

  “Yes, he did,” Bredon replied. “I don’t know what happened, though. He gave me something to drink and that’s the last thing I remember until waking up yesterday, alone. Except for Marene. He warned me that it might affect my memory but I had no idea how much.”

  “Where are you now?”

  “I’m heading south,” he said. “To Darkly Fen.”

  “Darkly Fen?” Kapia asked in surprise. “Why are you going there?”

  “Because Marene says there’s an artifact there that will allow her to separate us,” Bredon replied.

  “And you believe her?”

  “It’s my only option, Kapia,” Bredon said. “I cannot come near you, or the others, so long as Marene is inside of me. The only bright side to this is that I don’t think she likes being here any more than I like having her.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Kapia said. “Being inside of you is better than being dead. She’s demon now, did you know that?”

  “Yes, Worrow told me,” Bredon replied. “Are you sure about that though? She sounds the same as ever when I talk to her.”

  “I’m positive, Bredon,” Kapia said. “Trust me on this. Marene is fully evil.”

  “I still don’t have a choice, Kapia,” Bredon replied. “I want her out, and she’s the only one so far who has offered a solution to the problem.”

  “I understand, Bredon,” Kapia said reluctantly. “Just be careful, all right? I don’t trust Marene, and I hate the idea of you having to rely on her for anything.”

  “I don’t like it either,” Bredon said. “I’m sorry, Kapia.”

  “There’s nothing for you to be sorry about,” Kapia said. “Don’t apologize to me for something that you had nothing to do with, and cannot control.”

  Bredon felt a wave of guilt wash over him, and was suddenly glad that Kapia couldn’t see him. “How are you?” he asked, trying to change the subject.

  “I’m much better now that I can talk to you,” she replied. “I wish that I could join you, though.”

  “No,” Bredon said sharply. He felt Kapia’s surprise and hurt at the vehemence of his response. “I’m sorry, surna,” he said. “It’s just that the very idea of you being so close to Marene makes me a little crazy.”

  “Then you know how I feel,” Kapia said.

  “Where are you?” Bredon asked, trying to change the subject again.

  “We’re going north,” Kapia replied. “We found the Maiden of the Sun, and are heading for---.”

  “Stop,” Bredon interrupted her abruptly. “On second thought, don’t tell me where you’re going. I don’t think that Marene can hear us, but I could be wro
ng. I don’t want to take a chance.”

  “You’re right, of course,” Kapia said. “Bredon, I don’t think I can hold this connection much longer. Can I contact you again at this time tomorrow?”

  “I’ll wait up until I hear from you,” Bredon replied.

  “No, don’t do that,” Kapia said. “What if I can’t do it again? Or what if I can’t do it again so soon?”

  “I’ll wait for two hours past sunset,” Bredon said. “Past that time, don’t contact me. Once I go to sleep, Marene can, and has, taken over.”

  “All right,” Kapia replied. “Take care of yourself, Bredon. I miss you.”

  “I miss you too, Kapia,” Bredon replied. “More than I can say. I love you.”

  Kapia opened her eyes and blinked several times, her head swimming sickeningly. She’d wanted to respond to Bredon, but the connection had slipped away. Now she knew how Karma felt. As much as she wanted to get up and go tell Zakiel and Karma what she’d done, she was sure that if she tried to stand, she’d fall over. She laid back on her bed and closed her eyes, going over her conversation with Bredon. Long before she reached the end of it she was sound asleep, the Moon Orb still clenched tightly in one hand.

  Chapter Nine

  “I did it,” Kapia said, nearly shouting as she burst into the tent.

  Karma jumped, sloshing tea over her hand, while Zakiel sprang to his feet, drawing both of the short swords he wore at his hips while still turning to face the entryway.

  Kapia froze, blushing furiously at her childish mistake. “I’m so sorry,” she said before Zakiel had a chance to reprimand her. “That was both thoughtless and rude of me, I know.”

  “It’s all right,” Karma said as she blotted her hand with a napkin. “You’re obviously very excited about something. What is it?”

  Kapia smiled briefly at Karma, grateful for her understanding, but the expression on her brother’s face was not quite so forgiving. “I spoke with Bredon.”

  Zakiel’s brows rose in surprise, telling Kapia that Karma had not shared their conversation with him. She hadn’t asked her not to say anything, but she was glad Karma had kept her confidence anyway. If Zakiel had known, he probably would have begun insisting that she try to contact Bredon whether she was ready for it or not.

  “The Moon Orb,” she said to Zakiel by way of explanation.

  “Come, sit down and tell us about it,” Karma invited.

  “Thanks,” Kapia said, stepping around Zakiel and taking a cushion next to Karma. “I meant to come and tell you about it last night but I fell asleep. I see now why you get so exhausted using the Ti-Ank.”

  “It can be draining,” Karma agreed. “You may get stronger with practice, but since you don’t have a natural talent for this type of thing, I can’t say for sure.”

  “What did Bredon have to say?” Zakiel asked after sheathing his swords and sitting back down across from Karma. “Was Worrow able to help him?”

  “No, he wasn’t,” Karma said. “But let me start from the beginning.”

  Karma and Zakiel nodded, then remained silent as she repeated her conversation with Bredon. When she was finished she poured herself some tea while they thought about all that she’d told them.

  “This business with the artifact in Darkly Fen bothers me,” Zakiel said. “I cannot imagine anything good coming from that place.”

  “I’ve heard of it,” Kapia said, “but only vaguely. I don’t know anything about it other than it’s a dangerous place.”

  “What is it?” Karma asked.

  “Darkly Fen is bad, if such a thing can be said of a place,” Zakiel said. “It’s cold, dark marshland. It is said that the dark fog that shrouds the area has never lifted, that sunlight has never touched the earth within its borders. All of Darkly Fen is wet and boggy, and it’s littered with sink holes and quicksand. There is one path of solid ground that leads into the heart of Darkly Fen from each point of the compass. It is said that if you step off that path, even a little, you will never find your way again. And it’s infested with demons.”

  “Demons?” Kapia asked, her face going pale.

  “I think they’re demons, from the descriptions I’ve read,” Zakiel said. “I’m sorry, Kapia, I do not mean to frighten you.”

  “No, it’s all right, Zakiel,” she said. “It does scare me to think of Bredon alone in such a place, I admit. But I am not a child and have no wish to be coddled like one. I need to know the truth.”

  Zakiel studied Kapia’s face for a long moment, then smiled. “You have become a woman I am proud to call Sister.”

  “Thank you, Zakiel,” Kapia said, pleased by such high praise. She took a sip of her tea and set her cup down on its matching saucer while she considered her next question. “Should I warn Bredon away from the place?”

  “From what you’ve told us, this is his only choice,” Zakiel said. “I don’t like him going into Darkly Fen any more than you do, Kapia, especially alone. But it’s his decision to make.”

  “I know,” Kapia said. “I just wish I knew what this artifact is that Marene is referring to.”

  “Will you be able to talk to him again?” Karma asked.

  “Yes. I told him I will try again tonight, and he said he’ll wait until two hours past sunset. After that, I’m not to try as Marene takes over when he sleeps.”

  “Is he certain that Marene cannot hear your conversations?” Zakiel asked.

  “He says that he is unable to know what she does when she takes over, or what she thinks, so he assumes the same is true for her,” Kapia replied. “But, he would not let me tell him anything about where we are, or where we’re going, just in case.”

  “Kapia, I know Bredon, the Knight Hunter, very well,” Zakiel said. “If ever he asks you to tell him what we are doing, or where we are, you must recognize in that moment that you are not talking to Bredon. Bredon, the true Bredon, will never ask for information that would compromise the Orb Quest, or endanger you. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Zakiel,” Kapia replied solemnly. “I understand, and I will not forget.”

  “I think you should ask him to find out more about this artifact from Marene,” Karma suggested. “I don’t like the sound of it.”

  “What bothers you, valia?” Zakiel asked.

  “He told Kapia that Marene said it could be used to separate them,” Karma said. “My question is, if Marene leaves Bredon’s body, where will she go?”

  Kapia’s eyes widened. “That’s an excellent question. I didn’t even think of that.”

  Zakiel tilted his head slightly as he studied Karma. “What else are you thinking?” he asked softly.

  “I don’t want to scare anyone,” Karma said. “But I think this must be said. What if this artifact gives Marene the power to force Bredon from his own body? If she has no where else to go, then maybe she intends to stay where she is.”

  Kapia gasped in shock. “I never thought of that, either. I must tell Bredon this.” She leapt to her feet as though she was going to run out and contact Bredon right that moment.

  “Wait, Kapia,” Karma said. “There is no need to panic. You can speak with Bredon tonight and suggest that he try to get more information from Marene. He is not at Darkly Fen yet.”

  “Nor will he be for some time,” Zakiel said. “I will check my charts tonight, but if memory serves, he has many days of travel before he reaches the outskirts of Darkly Fen from the village of the Sirelina.”

  “I would like to think on this matter today,” Karma added. “Perhaps we will come up with other possibilities to suggest to Bredon when you speak to him.”

  “You’re both right, of course,” Kapia said. “I’m sorry, I’m just so worried about him. He’s all alone and we can’t help him.”

  “You’re wrong about that,” Karma said. “Thanks to you, and the Moon Orb, Bredon is not alone any more. We will do all that we can to help him, Kapia.”

  “Thank you,” Kapia said, blinking rapidly to prevent the tears stinging he
r eyes from falling.

  Zakiel stood and put his arms around her in a tight hug. “Bredon has always been more brother than cousin to me,” he said. “I know that you love him, Sister, but you are not the only one. We shall not give up on Bredon.”

  ***

  Tiari sat sipping her tea while Caral and Lashi packed the tent. She’d offered to help, but both women had seemed scandalized at the very idea. They’d insisted that she sit and relax while they did the work which was, for Tiari, an entirely new circumstance. She wasn’t used to being waited on, and it made her a little uncomfortable. But, as she kept telling herself over and over, she would face this new world head on and embrace it fully.

  Truly, that wasn’t so hard to do. She felt as though she’d stepped into a dream world. A very luxurious dream world. And the best part of it was that everyone was so kind to her. No one yelled at her, or called her names, or struck her, or worse, threatened to lock her in a hut and never return. She shuddered at the thought.

  “Are you cold, Hara Tiari?” Lashi asked. “Let me fetch your cloak for you.”

  “Thank you, Lashi,” Tiari replied, standing up and looking around herself. She was surprised to see that almost everything had been packed already. “You two sure do work fast.”

  “We’ve got our routine down after all these weeks,” Lashi said, smiling as she draped Tiari’s new cloak over her shoulders. “Is there anything you need before we finish up?”

  “No, thank you, Lashi,” Tiari replied. “I’ll go outside and get out of your way now.”

  “You are not in our way, Hara Tiari,” Lashi assured her. “However, I do believe I saw Sir Tomas wandering around out there a few minutes ago. I think he might be looking for someone.”

  “Really?” Tiari asked, excited at the prospect of speaking with Tomas this morning.

  “Go on and see for yourself,” Lashi said, liking Tiari very much. Not only was the young lady sweet and polite, she was also very brave, as everyone had witnessed the day before. She was a fitting companion to Princess Kapia, and Lady Techu, the most courageous, and sensible, woman Lashi had ever had the honor to serve.