‘We’ll only take those soldiers we can spare,’ said Navarr. ‘We will not leave ourselves exposed.’
‘We can’t spare any,’ said the officer smacking his fist on the table.
‘We can spare what we must,’ said the King, his chin firm.
‘But what about the journey? It could take them months,’ said Haelgon. ‘Months of travelling slowly across Frayon whilst our borders are attacked.’
Everyone nodded and looked at her. Issa glanced at Marakon. A knowing grin spread across his face that mirrored her own.
‘Velistor,’ they said in unison.
‘Oh no,’ Asaph shook his head and slumped his shoulders. Freydel covered his eyes. Everyone else frowned and glanced at each other, confused.
‘When the time comes, you won’t need to spare Marakon until the very last moment. We’ll either use the Transplaneal Gates or the ancient demon tunnels to get there,’ said Issa, triumphantly.
Looks of horror spread across the faces of those before her.
5
Meeting the Trinity
THE swirling magic cleared.
Issa wondered how she must look to the seers as she and Asaph materialised within the amethyst circle on Myrn, dressed in her Dread Dragon armour with Ehka perched on her shoulder. Now she wore dragon scale, his claws no longer dug into her shoulder quite so much.
She had one hand on Duskar’s back and the other gripping Asaph’s hand. He held the reins of Ironclad. The wooziness descended, making her sag. Duskar’s flanks quivered and Asaph groaned.
‘Freydel said the translocation sickness won’t last long,’ said Issa, gritting her teeth and trying not to vomit. But she could fight it no longer and sank down onto the grass. Asaph did the same and hung his head.
Naksu’s familiar voice cut through the woozy fog. ‘Welcome to the Western Isle of Tirry. Here, drink this. Edarna told me her recipe for the sickness.’
Issa took the small vial Naksu passed to her and, after a moment’s hesitation remembering Edarna’s potions, quickly downed the foul liquid.
‘Ugh, that’s definitely Edarna’s recipe,’ Issa grimaced. She glanced at Asaph as he drank his, and the disgust on his face soon matched her own.
Naksu chuckled.
‘It’s working though.’ Issa nodded, already feeling the sickness recede. A little relieved, she looked around.
They were on a grass-covered hilltop surrounded by beautiful amethyst crystals, and chestnut and oak trees beyond them. Strong magic emanated from the amethysts and she was certain a faint hum came from them. It was lush and warm, the skies were blue, and the leaves of the trees only just beginning to turn brown with the oncoming autumn. The wooziness had almost gone, and she took a deep breath, enjoying the serenity of the Western Isle. Asaph stood and held out a hand to help her up.
Three other women were walking up the hill and they came to stand beside Naksu. All were seers dressed in pastel blue robes and holding white staves, and all were much older than Naksu. One seer was grey-haired and very old and stooped, but had a kindly face. Another was a middle-aged brunette with unruly greying hair, and the last was tall with white hair and sharp, clear eyes. They wore their hair long and unbound, and they all studied Issa intently. They gave the impression of being very wise. Issa felt more nervous under their gaze than she had when she’d first met the Wizards’ Circle and been scrutinised by all those men. Maybe they sensed this for, as one, they smiled at her and Asaph.
‘Welcome to the Isles of Tirry, Issalena Kammy and Asaph Dragon Lord,’ said the tall, white-haired woman.
Asaph shuffled awkwardly at his title.
‘We are the Trinity and I am Iyena.’
‘I am Dar,’ said the greying brunette making a small bow.
‘And I am Suli,’ said the oldest women, nodding her head.
‘We have been looking forward to your coming here for a long time,’ said Iyena. ‘Naksu has told us all about you and we have seen many things in our sacred pools. Don’t worry,’ she held up her hands when Issa opened her mouth to speak, ‘all things we have seen will be revealed to you. We do not hide the knowledge that has been gifted to us from those who seek it.
‘Come, let us eat and talk and rest. You both look weary and we know you have seen the evil of war not a week past.’
Issa and Asaph followed the seers across the lush grassland and through a thick grove of orange trees laden with rich orange fruits. They were too taken up with the beauty of these mysterious isles to talk. The seers felt little need to speak as they walked, and so the short journey was spent in tranquil silence.
The sea between the isles was calm as they walked the jetty towards a white wood boat. Two men waited patiently to row them across. They took their seats and Issa watched with some excitement as the bigger island of Myrn approached. Its main port was small as ports went, but very busy with all manner of boats and ships coming and going. It was dominated by a huge Atalanph merchant ship filling the harbour. Its crew was busy loading and unloading crates and barrels, and the bellows of the captain could be heard.
Had her mother travelled these waters when she’d left Myrn carrying her? Issa liked to think that she had, it made her seem closer. Could her mother be here somewhere? Someone had to know who she was and where she had gone – surely they had records? Fraya had said she was kind yet strong, that she was tall with eyes like her own. Maybe someone would recognise her mother’s face in her, but then, the older seers had not said anything yet.
The boat docked at a white-painted jetty and they walked the smooth paved streets into Oray, the tiny capital of the Isles of Tirry. There were no tall buildings, rickety steeples, smoking chimneys or grey slated roofs. Instead, pristine, round, white-domed houses lined the freshly swept streets. Each house was surrounded by a neat garden filled with herbs and flowers. Butterflies and bees danced cheerily among them.
Further into the centre, the houses became larger domed buildings that turned out to be shops. Their wide open doors were filled with wares; bread, fruit and vegetables, or clothing, or tools. Seers of all ages, mostly women and a handful of men, smiled at them as they passed. The city ‘square’ was not a square at all but a circle surrounded by shops. At its centre was a beautiful fountain shaped out of leaves and flowers.
‘The fountain is also the main well,’ Iyena explained.
Two giggling children filled up their flagons and splashed water at each other. Issa noticed that the streets were also set in circles; with the pretty, white domed houses spiralling out from the centre and back into the trees. The city was more like a town in size, and beautiful in its simplicity and cleanliness.
They came to a larger house and passed under an archway covered in purple clematis and entered a courtyard. On the patio stood a wrought iron table and chairs shaded by manicured grape vines. A young girl emerged from an outhouse and came to take their horses.
‘We have a stable and a small paddock behind the house,’ said Iyena. ‘The horses won’t be far and they’ll be well looked after.’
Issa nodded and patted Duskar. She was surprised when he didn’t make a fuss and followed the girl with his ears pricked forwards. Maybe the serenity of Myrn was calming him too.
‘Why don’t we take a seat and have some food? It’s nearly dinnertime as it is and we have lots to discuss.’ Iyena motioned to the chairs.
‘I can always eat,’ said Asaph, making her laugh.
Issa sat down on the cushioned chair beside him. The seers disappeared through a glass door leading into the house and soon emerged with other, younger, seers carrying plates of food, steaming bowls, fresh bread, water and wine. They set them out on the table and Issa inspected them, her stomach rumbling. Some of the dishes were deliciously pungent with spices she had never smelled before. She took a plate and spooned yellow rice onto it. It was rich, sweet and tasty.
‘Those dishes are from Atalanph,’ said Dar, pointing to the steaming dishes filled with some kind of lentils or pulses in t
hick, vivid red or orange sauces, ‘and all the fruit and vegetables you see are grown on these isles.’
Issa nodded and eagerly began piling up her plate. As they ate, she caught Suli’s eye and wondered if the woman had been watching her the whole time. The old seer smiled and her face creased into a thousand wrinkles.
‘I may have come late to the Sisterhood, Iyena, but I recognise Tusarzan blood when I see it,’ said Suli. ‘My grandma was Tusarzan after all.’
‘I wondered when you’d say something, Suli,’ Iyena smiled.
Issa felt her cheeks colour as everyone looked at her. She set down her spoon. ‘You know where I’m from? Do you know of my parents?’
‘Hah, yes to the first,’ Suli nodded. ‘Tall and dark, graceful as an elf. Often gifted in magic, and we all know you are Daluni.
‘But no to the second; I do not know your parents. As I said, I was late to join the seers, filled as my life was with family and hardships. Only I remain of a family of ten. The rest were taken by Baelthrom. It is my rage that keeps me strong and living long, but it gets in the way of my spiritual growth.’ The old woman laughed and winked.
Issa wasn’t quite sure how to respond to her comments and said, ‘I’m sorry to hear that.’
Iyena laid a hand on hers. ‘We have spoken at length on it but none of us are sure who your parents are. It is a little strange, but then, over the decades, many have come to Myrn and left in these turbulent times. We can assume that they are not with us now, though we have no idea where they might have gone. There is, however, a sacred place we can go to where you might find the answers. When the goddess wills it, all things are revealed to us as we have need.’
Issa nodded, masking her deep disappointment. ‘I had hoped, with all my heart, that you would know.’ Her parents now seemed more distant than ever.
Asaph squeezed her hand and Naksu gave a sympathetic smile.
‘Moonlight.’ Suli nodded knowingly. Seeing Issa frown, she said, ‘Your name in Tusarzan. It means “moonlight”.’
Issa tingled all over.
‘And I’m the Dawn Bringer,’ Asaph grinned at her.
Issa laughed at him.
‘With a name like that, it’s obvious your mother knew your destiny,’ said Iyena looking up into the sky. ‘Zanufey’s Chosen…Perhaps that’s why she whisked you away—to save you and us. We’ve been trying to piece together what we know of this story ever since Naksu first told us about you. Baelthrom’s Dromoorai attacked us over twenty years ago. We almost lost our shield. Luckily we were able to react fast and hid ourselves deeper.
‘But if your mother was here with you, surely she would have left then. I would, if I thought my child was being hunted by Baelthrom. If that is true, then she did it to protect Myrn.’
Issa swallowed, wondering what to think. Even her mother had had to flee because of her, the whole of Myrn had been jeopardised. She forced down another mouthful of spiced rice. It was delicious but she had lost her appetite.
‘You cannot blame yourself for your mother’s actions. There’s great honour in such acts of heroism,’ said Naksu quietly, reading Issa’s emotions perfectly. ‘Tonight, why don’t we see if we can find out more about your mother?’
The thought lifted Issa’s mood and she smiled. ‘I’d like that very much. It’s hard not knowing where you’re from or who your parents are.’
She caught Asaph’s gaze and saw her own pain reflected there. He forced a smile.
‘Well, now you know you have Tusarzan heritage, so find honour and strength in that,’ said Suli, giving her a warm smile.
Issa nodded, feeling better. The old seer was like the grandmother she’d never had. The lost and forgotten land of Tusarza now became filled with mystery and intrigue in her mind.
‘It’s a pity you were not raised a seer from a young age,’ said Iyena. ‘You would have had the chance to answer all your internal questions and quell the turmoil. And you would have a strong sense of self and placement in the world.’
‘Is it too late? I know there’s much I have to learn but…’ Issa paused, wondering how to say what she was feeling without being rude. Becoming a seer just didn’t feel necessary. Sure, their knowledge and wisdom were invaluable and she hungered for it; she wanted to learn everything they could teach her, but becoming a seer was as unnecessary as becoming a wizard or a witch, or anything else for that matter.
The seers all looked at her.
Issa sighed. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t know how to say it without seeming rude… But it just doesn’t seem necessary that I become a seer—or, rather, that it’s not so important. The world is changing fast and things that went before won’t be important in the time to come. I apologise, I’m not explaining this very well.’ She shrugged.
‘No, on the contrary, please go on. What you say has meaning,’ said Iyena, frowning in concentration.
‘Well, as we know, the magic of the world remains divided ever since the Ancients orchestrated its division. But, over time, divisions have arisen with the people also. It’s as Freydel taught me, things that occur in the macrocosm, appear also in the microcosm.’ said Issa. ‘The elves have left and the Ancients have been destroyed…In the past, wizards and seers were one. When the orbs were whole the magic was pure. It’s such a long time ago now but I dream of a future where the people are united. The wisdom of seers and wizards would be far stronger if they worked together.’
Issa expected to see frowns, but she saw smiles instead.
‘ “When the world is in pieces and entering the void, there will come one in whom all things are made whole”,’ said Dar, shaking her mane of hair. ‘That is the ancient prophecy written by a seer called Yoo. Could the Raven Queen be this great unifier?’
Issa’s eyes went wide. ‘I don’t know how it will be done, I only know that it should be done. It’s obvious. Even without Baelthrom, it will take a long time to get from here to there. Baelthrom is a master of war and we are all divided in so many ways. I’m almost beginning to see how he has turned us against each other, by luck and by design. I still can’t decide if the Ancients should have ever split the orbs.’
‘The time for divisions has certainly run its course,’ Iyena said, looking weary. ‘Perhaps talks with the Wizards’ Circle should begin again, though I wish it were they who’d come to us. Always it looks like we are begging…’
Issa wanted to know more about what hung between the wizards and the seers, but the frowns of the seers stilled her tongue. With a rediscovered appetite, she filled up her plate, noticing Asaph was already finishing his second; the conversation had certainly done nothing to mar his appetite.
‘Asaph Dragon Lord,’ said Iyena, cupping her teacup in her hands. They had finished eating and Issa was full to bursting. The young seers returned from the house and began clearing away the plates. Asaph smiled at the seer, looking nervous as she spoke.
‘We mustn’t forget that the last Dragon Lord upon Maioria sits before us. We are honoured. I cannot even remember when a Dragon Lord last came to Myrn. Certainly not in my lifetime.
‘There are many things concerning recent events that we would like to know, if you would both honour us by sharing your knowledge?’
Issa nodded, then dropped her gaze. She didn’t want to recount what had happened in the Storm Holt. She trusted the seers, but she didn’t know them well and talking about her pact with demons always made her uncomfortable. Demon-speakers were executed, and that was enough to make her want to keep her mouth shut.
‘We have also seen terrible things concerning the Dragon Dream,’ Iyena continued. ‘One of our seers has seen darkness and destruction, a world with two suns turning black. We knew then what had befallen the Dragon Dream. Such a terrible thing…After, she saw dragons rising from snow.’
Issa glanced at Asaph. His face was pale.
Asaph looked at his hands. ‘The Dragon Dream is no more. Losing the Orb of Air, the dragon orb, weakened it and made Baelthrom strong.’
; With a start, Issa remembered the orb she had left in her pack on Duskar’s back. ‘Oh, our saddlebags!’ she said, sitting up.
‘It’s all right, they’ll be quite safe,’ said Iyena. ‘The stable girls will have taken them off the horses. If there is something you need, we can go and get them.’
Issa nodded and got to her feet. She trusted their things would be perfectly fine on Myrn, but she wanted them near, nevertheless.
Whilst Naksu, Suli and Dar engaged Asaph in conversation about the Dragon Dream, Issa followed the leader of the seers along the cobbled path through the grass towards a row of stables.
‘Naksu told me everything about your time in the Storm Holt,’ said Iyena, an understanding smile on her face.
‘Demon speakers are executed,’ said Issa, looking at the ground.
‘There are few demon speakers these days, and those who are involved in the black arts. You, clearly, aren’t,’ said Iyena. ‘And I suspect your relationship to the Underworld will have great importance in the turbulent times to come. In the history of Maioria, you are the first to form a positive relationship with the demons of the Murk.’
Issa blushed under Iyena’s gaze. ‘I didn’t do it by choice. I only hope they will do as they say and help us fight in our coming battles. I know very well that demons cannot be trusted.’
‘You are wise to have caution,’ Iyena nodded.
They paused beside Duskar’s stable. He stuck his nose out and nudged Issa. She scratched behind his ears. Ehka perched on his stable door, dozing. A stable girl stuck her head round the corner and Iyena motioned to her.
‘Yes, Seer Iyena?’ the girl said.
‘Please collect their saddlebags and give them to Asaph, the young man seated beside Dar.’
‘Yes, Seer Iyena,’ the girl curtsied and ran off.
‘So, you saw the Demon Lord Zorock?’ There was bright intrigue in Iyena’s eyes.
‘Yes, he saved my life. But as grateful as I am, I don’t care to see him again ... He’s rather terrifying,’ Issa added under her breath.
Dragons of the Dawn Bringer: The Goddess Prophecies Fantasy Series Book 5 Page 6