Quest for the Sun Orb

by Laura Jo Phillips

  Bredon reined the diplo to a stop and looked out over the circular clearing. There was no grass here, or trees, or anything green in spite of the warm sunshine. The ground was bare dirt and rock, completely barren.

  “It’s hard to imagine anyone ever lived here,” he said.

  “Look for a low mound, just a little bit higher then the ground around it,” Marene said. “It should be quite large. There may be chunks of building stone scattered around it.”

  Bredon walked the diplo forward as his eyes scanned the clearing. It was a fairly large area, perhaps the size of the palace training grounds times four. Not nearly as large as he’d expected it to be, but that was fine with him. It would be that much easier to find what they were after.

  “This looks right,” he said, stopping the diplo in the center of the clearing and dismounting. He walked around but saw nothing of interest. A few large chunks of stone that may or may not have once been part of a building, a few areas that looked blackened, as though they’d been burned. For the most part the ground was hard packed dirt with nothing growing in it. This was a dead place, he realized with a shiver.

  “Now what?” he asked.

  “Let me take over,” Marene said.

  “No,” Bredon replied, that scrap of knowledge he’d gotten a few moments ago rolling through his mind. “You tell me what to do, and we will work together. I am not letting you shut me out of this.”

  He felt Marene’s frustration, but he was confident in his new ability to keep her from forcing him to do what she wanted. He’d worked hard these past weeks, especially the past few days, and this was his pay-off.

  “Very well,” Marene conceded with poor grace. She was pretending she hadn’t tried to take him over. He would pretend he hadn’t noticed.

  “Go to the exact center of the mound,” she said. “There will be a circular stone there, about as wide as you are tall. It will probably be covered with dirt. You’ll have to look for it and clear it off.”

  Bredon walked toward the center of the mound and looked down. He kicked at the dirt beneath his boots and sure enough, there was a large stone just beneath. A short while later he’d cleared the stone of dirt and rubble.

  “What next?” he asked.

  “Bredon, there is a spell on this stone that prevents both demons and humans from touching it,” she said. “If you do this, you may be injured.”

  “I am human and you are demon,” Bredon pointed out. “Whatever made you think either of us could touch it?”

  “I am not demon, as I have told you before,” Marene said, but without anger this time. “With me inside of you, you’re not completely human. My worry is that, with you in control, you may still be too human. If so, you’ll get us both killed the moment you touch it.”

  “Since I just spent the better part of an hour cleaning the dirt from this thing, and touching it several times in the process, I think we’re fine as we are,” he said.

  “Very well, have it your way,” Marene said. “Go to the center of the stone and reach down into it. There is a small cavern deep in the center where the scepter rests. Grab hold of it and pull it out.”

  Bredon walked to the center of the stone and looked down. “I don’t see an opening here, Marene. Are you sure we’re in the right place?”

  “I didn’t say there was an opening,” Marene replied with exaggerated patience. “I told you to reach into it. Close your eyes if that makes it easier.”

  Bredon knelt on the stone and studied the area before him carefully. It looked solid as a...well...as a rock. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and lowered his hand as though he were going to reach into a hole in the ground. He was shocked to feel his hand slide through an area of icy cold, but he squeezed his eyes tightly shut and kept going. When the icy feeling reached nearly to his shoulder, he felt something different beneath his fingers. It was cool, hard, and smooth. He wrapped his hand around it and lifted it up, back through the icy, gritty stone and into the air.

  He pulled his hand close to his chest to be absolutely certain it was no longer in the stone, and opened his eyes. He grimaced at the object in his hand.

  “What in the nine hells is this thing?” he asked.

  “It is what we came here for,” Marene said, her voice low and soft, almost a murmur. “Zatroa, the sacred scepter. Give me a moment, Bredon. Close your eyes again and try to relax. Let me feel through you.”

  Bredon realized that Marene was trying to use her magic through him. He had no intention of letting her control him again, so he had to give her this much, otherwise they were stuck. He closed his eyes and tried to relax.

  He felt Marene moving through him, drawing on his energy, though she didn’t try to do more. He fed what she needed to her, and tried to understand what it was she was doing. It felt like she was examining the thing, testing it, absorbing information from it like a sponge soaking up water. The more she got, the faster she got it, until it was all a blur to him, impossible to follow.

  “They must think I’m a fool,” she hissed suddenly. “How dare they try to trick me this way! I dealt with them fairly and this is how I am repaid?”

  “Marene, what is wrong?” Bredon demanded. “How have we been tricked?”

  He deliberately used the word we in an effort to gain her confidence. He had to know what she was talking about. Would she be able to leave his body or not? Would he be able to return to where he belonged, or not? Would either of them live to see the outside of Darkly Fen again, or not?

  He felt Marene struggle with her anger, knew when she’d regained control of herself, sensed when she made a quick and irrevocable decision. How he knew all of this in the space of a single heartbeat, he didn’t know. He only knew it was real.

  “See what I have seen, Bredon,” Marene said ominously. And then, he did.

  Chapter Twenty One

  It felt strange to Tiari to be walking ahead of everyone else, but she resolutely set her nerves aside and guided Nosy toward the shining white wall that appeared to surround the entire mountain. Even after holding the metal ring again, no one else could see the wall. Worse, she couldn’t see the wall unless she held the ring, so that left her in the lead, though Tomas was right behind her. There was one area that seemed to be glowing a brighter white than the rest of the wall, so she headed for it because it was the only thing that looked different.

  “Can any of you see that brighter white area, right up there?” she asked.

  “No, we can’t, Tiari,’ Karma said. “We see nothing but this valley until it meets the foot of the mountain, and there is nothing on the mountain but snow. Even Nikura neither sees, senses, nor scents anything different.”

  They rode in silence for a few more minutes. As they got closer, Tiari saw that the glowing area of the wall was a gate of sorts. She stopped just a few yards in front of it, frowning as she searched for some way to open it.

  “Oh!” Tomas said suddenly. Tiari turned to him, and saw a surprised smile on his face. “I see it.”

  “Yes, I do too,” Zakiel said in the same tone that Tomas had used. Tiari turned to Karma who was looking up, and up at the wall that seemed even higher now that they were right next to it. Yes, Karma saw it too, as did Kapia from the expression on her face. Tiari breathed a sigh of relief.

  “How interesting,” Zakiel said, staring at the gate before them, his head tilted to one side. He raised one hand, palm out, and closed his eyes. Tiari glanced at Tomas, who shrugged slightly, then Karma, who shook her head.

  They waited patiently until Zakiel opened his eyes and lowered his hand. “They are waiting for you, Tiari,” he said.

  “Who is waiting for me?”

  “I’m not sure,” Zakiel replied. “They are Guardians, but they are not of Rathira.”

  “I do not understand,” Tiari said. “What do you mean, not of Rathira?”

  “Are they dangerous?” Tomas asked, unconsciously reaching over his shoulder to touch his bow.

  “When we collecte
d the Moon Orb there was a creature set to guard it called the Karaken,” Zakiel explained. “It was intelligent, but it was not of Rathira. The Vatra brought it here to guard the orb.” He looked to Tomas. “I am quite certain that they are extremely dangerous should they choose to be so, else they would not have been chosen. Their task is to guard the Sun Orb until the arrival of the Orb Maiden, which is Tiari. They are not dangerous to us as we are neither a threat to them, nor the Sun Orb.”

  “Why bring creatures from other worlds to guard the orbs?” Tiari asked.

  “Because they cannot be corrupted by demons or humans,” Zakiel replied.

  “Why would they agree to come here and guard an object for a thousand years?” Tomas asked.

  “I’m sure they have their reasons,” Zakiel said. “Karaken revealed only that he had been floating among the stars for a very long time before Vatra and Lady Techu offered him an ocean to live in should he agree to act as Guardian to the Moon Orb. I got the impression it was a deal he was pleased to accept.”

  “What is it that I am supposed to do?” Tiari asked.

  “That I don’t know,” Zakiel replied. “I suggest you continue toward that gate. We will be right behind you, but you must go first.”

  “Don’t worry, Tiari mine,” Tomas said. “I will allow no harm to come to you.”

  “I know you won’t,” Tiari said with a smile. Then she took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and urged Nosy forward with a light touch of her heels.

  ***

  When Bredon opened his eyes he was disoriented and confused, and had no idea how much time had passed. When he realized that he was lying face down on the rough stone he had uncovered, and that his body ached through and through as though he’d lain there for days, he became worried. He pushed himself to his knees, biting back a groan, then decided to give himself a moment before standing. While waiting for some of the aches to ease, he reached to the back of his mind for Marene.

  “Good, you are finally awake,” she said from behind him. He lurched around, startled by the sound of her voice in his ears instead of inside his head, and fell sideways into the dirt. He heard footsteps and struggled to his feet as quickly as he could before spinning around to face whatever was coming up behind him.

  He froze, barely daring to breathe as he stared at Marene. It looked like Marene, anyway, from her silky brown hair and matching brown eyes to the golden sandals on her feet. The jewelry she always wore in such abundance glittered in the light coming from above, and her eyes sparkled with some secret humor as she watched him.

  He struggled to pull himself together. He closed his mouth and relaxed his body, tried to arrange his face in a less stunned expression, and worked at breathing in and out in a normal manner. After a few moments the dizziness passed.

  “Feeling better?” Marene asked.

  “Yes, I think so,” Bredon said. “How?”

  “Do you remember what I showed you?” Marene asked.

  Bredon thought a moment. Oh yes. He remembered. Above all things he must carry this news to Zakiel.

  “Yes,” Marene said, studying his face closely. “I see you feel much the same as I do on this subject.”

  Bredon took a few moments to carefully consider all that he knew. Those things Marene had revealed to him, and those he had gleaned from her without his knowledge. In the end, he knew there was only one choice he could make. He bowed formally, fist to heart. “I will be honored, Hara Marene, to hear any plan or suggestion that you may have on this matter.”

  Marene nodded regally. “I knew I was correct to choose you as my fudaso,” she said. “Come, let’s have something to eat and drink and we shall discuss the future of Rathira.”

  Bredon looked past Marene, shocked to see a campfire burning invitingly. His diplo was unsaddled and grazing contentedly on a patch of tall grass that had evidently sprung from nowhere, and his pack and bedroll were laid out beside the fire.

  “How long was I out?”

  “Since yesterday afternoon,” Marene replied. “It’s about noon now. I apologize for leaving you lying there so long, but it took more time than I’d hoped to complete my...transition.”

  Bredon didn’t want to discuss that topic. “You did all of this?”

  “Yes,” she said, turning to lead the way to the fire. “I’ve learned a few things about setting up a camp over the past few weeks. Of course, with the scepter, I didn’t have to actually use my hands for any of it.”

  “The scepter,” Bredon said with a curl of his lip. “What was it again? Bone and claw, fang and horn?”

  Marene nodded, then waved one hand toward the ground beside the fire. A thick, red satin cushion appeared. Another wave and a black silk cushion appeared beside hers for Bredon. “It feels so good to be able to do things for myself again.”

  “I imagine so,” Bredon said, surprised at how calm he sounded. He was, in reality, shocked by her casual use of power beyond anything he’d ever heard of, but he was determined to handle this right. For the good of Rathira, he must not make a misstep.

  He sat down on the black cushion and reached for his pack. “How did you regain your body?” he asked casually while he dug out the fixings for tea. There was little in the way of food, but he could make a broth of sorts from the dried meat he had left.

  “When you passed out from the strength of the memories I gave you, I decided to go ahead and create my new body since you were already unconscious,” she said. “I thought it might be uncomfortable for you, and thought to spare you further distress.”

  “I thank you, Marene,” he said politely, reaching for the water skin, hiding his satisfaction at her unconscious confirmation of his suspicions. He’d spent days trying to figure out the pattern of how and when he was able to catch her thoughts, not realizing until now that it occurred whenever she told him a lie. Like she just had. He repressed a shudder at his memory of the truth, and poured water into a pot.

  He’d noticed that though the fire looked and felt like any other campfire, there was nothing feeding the flames. No wood, no dung, no coal. Simply flames on the dirt. He picked up the pot and wondered how he was to hang it over the flames without wood to build a tripod.

  “Allow me,” Marene said. The pot of water left his hands and flew to the fire, there to hang suspended from thin air.

  “Thank you,” Bredon said. “Are you able to keep the demons away?”

  “Yes,” she replied. “That was easily done.”

  “The scepter,” he guessed.

  “Of course,” she said. “The four kings of the Djinn each sacrificed a part of their own living body to make it when they swore to uphold one of them at a time as king over all. When the high king was killed here, in this very place, by the Vatra, the scepter and all of the power it was imbued with was lost to those on Skiatos.”

  Bredon withdrew his knife and began cutting strips of kinsaki into small pieces and placing them in another pan. While he worked he thought of the incredible information that Marene had pulled from the scepter, and shared with him. His brain felt swollen and bruised, but in this instance he didn’t care. All he cared about at the moment was getting out of Darkly Fen alive, and sharing his new knowledge with his Prince.

  “These Djinn, they wanted you to send them this scepter in return for something?”

  “They lied to me,” Marene said, suddenly furious. “They promised me the body of a strong demon if I would but find this artifact that had gone missing centuries past. They told me it had just enough power to help me transfer myself from your body to that of the demon. Then I was to perform another little spell to send the scepter across dimensions to the demon realm, Skiatos.”

  “Where was the lie?” Bredon asked, pouring water over the dried meat and setting it over the fire. He thought he should ask about the demon, but he couldn’t. The brief image he’d gotten of it had been monstrous. He would not be able to continue sitting calmly beside her if he had to think of it.

  “The spell to remo
ve me from your body would have killed you, to start with,” Marene said. “That would have eventually killed me as well, as we are connected now, as they know.”

  “And the second?” Bredon asked, ignoring the image that once again blasted into his mind at her lie.

  “The second spell they gave me, to send them the scepter, would have destroyed me, even in my new demon form.”

  Truth, he thought. “And once they had this scepter?”

  “They would use it to recall the pyramid to their world, Skiatos,” Marene said. “They would then destroy the Guardian, and use the pyramid as a means to transport themselves, and the Gate within it, back to Rathira.”

  The very thing the people of Rathira had come together to create in an effort to save their world would be used against them. Bredon felt ill at the knowledge.

  “Where is the scepter now?” he asked. As soon as the words were out of his mouth his Hunter instincts warned him that he was in great danger. He froze, not moving so much as an eyelash for long seconds until he felt the danger pass.

  “I have it in a safe place,” Marene said coldly.

  “I ask only that you give me your word to keep it safe from the Djinn,” Bredon said calmly, as though he hadn’t noticed her reaction, or cared about it.

  “You have it,” Marene said, relaxing at once.

  “I thank you,” Bredon said with a nod of his head, oddly thankful now for the time he’d had to learn so much about her.

  “Bredon, I want us to work together.”

  Bredon forced back his nausea and nodded, already knowing what she was going to suggest. “I think that is the most reasonable solution.”

  “I am not saying that I wish to become friends with Isiben, or Zakiel, or his woman,” Marene cautioned. “My desires have not changed, nor will I pretend they have. But these Djinn want to destroy the people of Rathira. I do not. That puts us on the same side.”

  “Except that you want to destroy Prince Zakiel, Lady Techu, and probably Kapia as well,” Bredon said. “I’m afraid that puts us on different sides.”