HawkShadow nodded and left and Lyra remained by the door for some time dwelling on his words. Finally she shrugged off her thoughts about the Khadoran Lord as being a diversion that she did not have time to ponder. She turned and was pleased with the progress her friends were making on the room and decided to go to the chapel.
The chapel was empty and silent as she walked in. She stood for a long time at the entrance and memories flooded through her mind of the day she came here and was presented as the Star of Sakova. It seemed so long ago and yet she knew it was not. She laughed inwardly as she remembered her own pleas not long ago at the Academy that something exciting and interesting happen because she was so bored. Be careful what you wish for, someone had said to her once, because you just might get it. How true that had turned out to be.
Her footsteps echoed loudly as she walked towards the center platform and stepped into the pentagon inscribed on the floor. She was not practiced in talking to God and felt awkward at first, but her needs were strong and she knelt on the floor and closed her eyes. She wondered at first what she was supposed to say. Was there some procedure she was supposed to follow? She should have asked RavenWing what to do.
She fell back upon her mage training and tied together all of the stray thoughts bouncing around in her mind. Once they were properly tied, she shoved them off into a corner to be retrieved later and concentrated on what RavenWing had said she needed help with, her self-doubt. No longer caring about proper protocol or ceremony, she silently started talking with Kaltara. Within her mind, she called Kaltara and waited for an answer. Nothing happened. She tried again and a third time and sighed when she recognized her failure to reach God.
She started to rise and felt a hand upon her shoulder holding her to the floor. She tried to open her eyes and turn her head to see who was there, but her body refused to cooperate.
“You not only doubt yourself,” a voice boomed through her mind, “but you doubt me as well. You do not need to call me to get my attention, my little Star. I am always with you.”
“Are you…” she faltered verbally. “Are you Kaltara?”
“To the Sakovans I am known as Kaltara,” the voice answered. “Why do you doubt me, Lyra?”
Lyra’s mind raced with the question. Why shouldn’t she doubt Him? She had not been brought up to believe in Kaltara. She hadn’t even known he existed before coming to the Sakova. How was she supposed to answer the question?
“You were brought up to believe in yourself,” interrupted the voice, “but you do not believe in yourself either. What must I do to make you believe in both of us?”
Lyra tried to shake her head in confusion, but it wouldn’t move. How can God prove that he is God? Perform some magical feat? That would prove nothing but a skill in magic. Do something that cannot be done? No, then she would think she was mistaken about whether the task could have been done or not. Is there something about the Sakovan people that Kaltara would know that no other would?
Suddenly the room was bathed in bright light and it started spinning. It spun faster and faster and colors flashed past her and sang to her. Each color had its own song and they mingled together harmonically like different musical instruments mixing their own song to create a beautiful symphony. Lyra felt light and happy and she smiled.
Suddenly, the colors shifted and took form and she watched in amazement as the forms grew into people and places. They were primitive people and they slept in the open. They fished along the coast. They had children and the children played.
The images started changing rapidly and her mind struggled to comprehend what she was seeing. The people grew in number and made structures, crude lean-tos that changed into wooden huts and then mud-brick homes. The people appeared in clothing instead of the scraps of hide they had been wearing. Still faster the images whirled and she struggled to absorb it all, but is was spinning too quickly.
There were struggles between people and cities appeared. Thousands of people flashed by and farms sprung up instantly yet looked as if they were old and had been weathered for a long time. She saw a man lying on a bed with a dagger through his heart and thunder peeled loudly. A flash of brilliant lightning shot down and the earth peeled away from where it struck like the parting of skin from a deep slicing blade. A lone man materialized carrying a scroll. Then boats arrived in great masses and warriors swarmed ashore. She tried to put her hands over ears as the people screamed as they died to the warriors’ weapons, but her hands would not obey her. Blood flowed like a river and stained the sand of the beaches and the fields of the farms.
The images whirled so fast now that they blurred in her mind, but she could still understand them somehow. Thousands of people doing thousands of things flashed by instantaneously. People making boats, learning to hunt, casting spells, mending clothes, training chokas, all things and all people appeared and flashed by. Then the world went black and silent.
Chapter 32
Awakening
The world slowly stopped spinning and light penetrated the dark shroud of Lyra’s void. Birds chirped and sounds of the city filtered through the buzzing drone of nothingness. Lyra’s head throbbed and her mouth felt like the trampled mud of a springtime field. She opened her eyes with effort against the brightness of the stark white ceiling. She moaned as she turned her head to get her bearings and StormSong and LifeTender blurred into view, concern etched into their faces as hard as a chisel mark in granite. They rushed towards her as if in slow motion and Lyra closed her eyes and opened them again, trying to gain some sharpness to the images and focus properly.
“Are you alright?” thundered LifeTender as Lyra’s ears recoiled from the loud harsh noise of her voice. “What happened to you?”
StormSong said nothing as she faded into the background allowing LifeTender to get nearer to the bed. Lyra finally recognized her own room and struggled to sit up, but LifeTender firmly pushed her back down.
“You should not try to rise until we find out what happened,” lectured LifeTender. “How do you feel?”
“Water,” croaked the Star of Sakova.
StormSong moved swiftly and poured a mug of water from the pitcher on the dresser and handed it to LifeTender. The healing mage placed the mug to Lyra’s lips as she raised her head to drink. Lyra rolled the water around in her mouth before swallowing to rinse the mud feeling away and sighed as she felt the cool liquid cascade down her throat.
“I will tell the others that she has awakened,” StormSong said in a monotone voice.
“How did I get here?” Lyra asked as StormSong left the room. “What happened to me?”
“That is what we want to know,” frowned LifeTender. “You were found in the chapel unconscious. StormSong went to your office to report on Lord Marak and you were not there, so she went to RavenWing and he said you might be in the chapel. She found you and brought you here. She would not leave your side until you awoke.”
“I am afraid I was not good company for her,” Lyra smiled weakly. “I guess I just fainted. Let me get up so I can deal with Lord Marak before he becomes disenchanted with the Sakovans.”
“I don’t think so,” LifeTender said shaking her head. “One does not remain unconscious for two days from fainting, and Lord Marak has been kept entertained. He will not miss you until you are well enough to function properly.”
“Two days?” queried Lyra. “It can’t be two days. You said StormSong stayed by my side.”
“I did say that,” confirmed LifeTender. “She must be a wreck herself by now. She refused to sleep or even leave the room for meals. I finally had to send food up for her.”
“Why?” puzzled Lyra. “Of all people, I would suspect that StormSong cared the least.”
“Then you do not know her well,” smiled LifeTender. “She has admired you ever since you stood up to her when you tried to escape, well before you became the Star. She values honor and courage as much as she values skill and you impressed her that night. StormSong is not the issue right no
w though. I must know what happened to you if I am to heal you. Tell me what happened.”
Lyra gently pushed LifeTender’s hands away and sat up, rubbing the back of her neck which felt like it had been struck with a hammer. She blinked her eyes and tried to remember what had happened at the chapel, but the throbbing in her head was too great a distraction. “Have you anything for a headache?” she asked.
LifeTender rummaged through her pack and extracted a thin reddish root and handed it to her patient. “Chew slowly on this,” she instructed. “You do not need to swallow it, but it will not hurt if you do.”
Lyra stuck the root in her mouth and bit down on it. A moist bitter liquid escaped from the root and burned the tender insides of her mouth like lava running down the mountainside. She winced at the heat, but it dissipated quickly and the throbbing lessened somewhat. She bit off a small piece of the root and held it in her mouth, chewing gently whenever the lava receded and soon the pounding in her head ceased.
She quickly swallowed the small piece of root and reached for the mug of water in LifeTender’s hands and washed the bitter taste out of her mouth. “Pretty potent roots you carry,” Lyra smiled. “The headache is gone. Thanks.”
LifeTender just smiled and nodded as Lyra tried once again to focus on the events in the chapel. She smiled as she recalled her talk with Kaltara and frowned as she remembered the images that came afterwards. She nodded as she understood what Kaltara had been showing her with the images and suddenly she knew what He had done.
“I became the Star of Sakova,” she informed the healing mage.
“No,” frowned LifeTender with concern as she shook her head. “You were already the Star. Try to get some more rest,” she instructed as she rose from the bed.
“You don’t understand LifeTender,” Lyra said as she swung her legs to the floor. “It is all well and good for all of you to say that I am the Star and you are willing to die for me, but it is quite another for Kaltara to tell me who and what I am. I spoke with Him. I must talk to RavenWing.”
LifeTender stared at Lyra with wide round eyes and her mouth gaping open. She frowned again and shook her head. “No,” LifeTender stated. “You are not well enough to move yet. If you must speak with RavenWing, I will have him brought here.”
“You will not,” declared Lyra sternly. She bit her lip and immediately regretted using such a harsh tone with LifeTender. “I am sorry, LifeTender,” she apologized. “I know how painful it is for RavenWing to move and I have already requested his appearance at the strategy meeting. I am alright, trust me. I am no longer dizzy and your root has vanquished my headache. I understand what happened to me now and while I cannot easily explain it, I can assure you that it will not happen again. Have MistyTrail meet me in my office to report on Lord Marak. I will go there as soon as I see RavenWing.”
“What about StormSong’s report?” inquired LifeTender.
“StormSong needs rest more than I do,” answered Lyra. “Let her get some sleep.”
“You still need some guidance with her,” informed LifeTender. “Reporting to you is her duty and she will not sleep until she has fulfilled it. Can you see her before MistyTrail?”
Lyra paused as she tugged a plain tunic over her head and smoothed it down her body. “Certainly,” she agreed. “I want her fully rested before the strategy meeting and I would like to hold it as soon as StarWind arrives, so make sure she gets rest after she reports.”
“StarWind arrived yesterday,” LifeTender reported. “She has been up here several times to see how you are. StormSong would not let anyone but me and her enter, so your father has not been able to see you yet.”
Lyra inhaled deeply as she felt the first tremors of stress fighting for recognition and she banned the unhelpful feelings to a distant corner of her mind. “Very well,” she said calmly. “Have Jostin in my office as well as StormSong then. I will use him to schedule the sequence of interviews. You probably need some rest yourself. Grab it while you can.”
LifeTender nodded and left the room while Lyra finished dressing. Lyra grabbed the mug of water that LifeTender left on the dresser and drained it. She threw open her door and strode purposely down the stairs to RavenWing’s chamber. Without knocking she opened the door and strode in.
“Praise Kaltara!” exclaimed RavenWing. “You had us all worried.”
“Praise Kaltara indeed,” smiled Lyra. “It was Kaltara who caused my unconsciousness. Why did you not tell me?”
RavenWing’s brow creased with puzzlement. “Tell you what?” he quizzed.
“You were the one who told me to go to the chapel and speak with Kaltara,” accused Lyra. “You could have warned me what would happen.”
“I don’t understand,” replied RavenWing. “I told you to pray about your self-doubt. I merely hoped that Kaltara would hear your prayers and answer them. I meant no harm.”
Lyra cocked her head and gazed at RavenWing as if in a stupor. “Then you did not know what would happen to me?” she asked.
“Lyra,” he sighed, “I do not yet know what happened to you. Why don’t you tell me?
Lyra shook her head and sat on the bed at RavenWing’s feet. “He spoke to me,” Lyra explained. “Not just his voice, but sounds and images. So fast, so terribly fast, but I understood them. I knew what He was trying to show me. RavenWing, I was not the Star until He spoke to me. Oh, the mark is genuine, but that is just to let the Sakovan people know who He has chosen. He showed me everything.”
“Everything?” queried RavenWing. “What did he show you?”
“The whole history of the Sakovan people,” informed Lyra. “All of it. I saw the Wound of Kaltara being created. I saw the massacres when the Omungans landed and began slaughtering everybody. The land turned red with Sakovan blood. It was horrible.”
“I never knew there was a blessing from Kaltara required for a Star,” admitted RavenWing. “There is no mention of it in any of our books or scrolls. I want to say that I am sorry for sending you to the chapel to be put through that, but I am not. I am happy that you have received Kaltara’s blessing. Surely you can have no doubt anymore after such a blessing?”
“I have no doubt about Kaltara,” confirmed Lyra. “I still have some doubts about myself, but that is only human. I will deal with it.”
“What else did he show you?” RavenWing asked. “I should record it so the next Star will know what to expect.”
Lyra stared out the window for a long time without responding. Finally she rose and gently gripped RavenWing’s hand. “Record nothing about it,” instructed the Star. “I must go,” she added as she released RavenWing’s hand and exited the room.
When she arrived at her office, Jostin and StormSong were there. She nodded to both of them and entered the room and surveyed the changes that Syman and Antello had made. There were flowers everywhere and gay carefree paintings on the wall. The chairs were covered in a light breezy fabric and a large rug occupied the center of the floor. Only the huge wall map of RavenWing’s remained, as she had requested. She was pleased with the new look and slumped into the chair behind the desk.
“Jostin, I am going to keep you lean today,” she smiled. “I want to see MistyTrail next and then StarWind.”
“Yes, Lyra,” he grinned. “I will get MistyTrail now,” he added as he scampered out of the room.
“Sit StormSong,” Lyra said as she waved her hand towards a chair. “You look wrecked. Thank you for being there for me,” she smiled.
StormSong nodded silently and took the offered chair. Her eyes were dark hollows and her face was drawn and taut.
“I will not keep you long and then I want you off to bed,” opened Lyra. “Give me your impression of Lord Marak. Can he be trusted and do you think there is anything he can do to help us?”
“He is most extraordinary for a man,” reported StormSong. “He is the most highly skilled warrior I have ever seen and yet he is without pride. The title Lord means nothing to him and he will not even notice if y
ou address him simply as Marak. He values honor and courage as I do, so I know he can be trusted. I would not have let him arrive in the city if I thought otherwise.”
“Good,” remarked the Star. “Other than a distant friend, is there anything he can do to help us?”
“I am not sure,” StormSong answered. “I believe his armies to be well trained, but they are very distant. I do not see how they can help, especially when his own footing in Khadora is so unsure. If the Omungans turned to attack Khadora before they were finished with us, then we could work together and attack from both sides, but I fear that will not happen.”
Lyra nodded solemnly and StormSong shifted in her chair. “There is one thing he could offer us,” StormSong suddenly suggested. “It is not much, but it may help. He has different fighting techniques than we do. I do not know how much time we can convince him to spare us, but if he could teach some of those techniques to our people, it would help.”
“Thank you, StormSong,” concluded Lyra. “I will see what I can get out of him. Get some sleep now and thank you again for standing by me. It means a lot to me.”
StormSong nodded perfunctorily and rose. As soon as she left the room, Jostin showed MistyTrail in. “Temiker after StarWind,” Lyra called to him and he waved and dashed off.
“You are feeling better,” chirped MistyTrail as she pranced into the room. “You had us all worried.”
“I am fine,” greeted Lyra. “I trust you have kept Lord Marak occupied while I rested?”
“Of course,” beamed the short Sakovan. “It was easy. He wants to know everything about everything. Even the smallest detail intrigues him. He spent the entire morning with the chokas today. He inspected the gear we use on them and their eating habits and how we groom them. Nothing was too small to catch his attention.”
“Is his inquisitive nature something that we should be concerned with?” Lyra asked.
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