Iyena chuckled. ‘There is more to how you got the spear, Velistor, isn’t there? Someone tells me you have made a loyal friend.’
Issa frowned, wondering what the seer knew. ‘You mean Maggot? Yes, well, he’s a small shadow demon, and without him, I doubt I would have retrieved the spear at all.’
Issa felt the Flow move—move in a way as if it were parting, like curtains. Something pressed against her leg, but when she looked down there was nothing there. As she stared she saw her boot indenting as if something was indeed pressing upon her.
‘What the…’ she began.
With a small chuckle, Iyena raised her hand. ‘It’s all right. You can come through, little one.’
Issa frowned. Then she felt the Flow smooth and relax. A shadow bulged next to her leg, then Maggot’s face materialised, his thick red tongue darting out to lick his protruding tooth. His yellow eyes were wide and they fearfully flicked from her to the seer and back again.
‘Maggot, what on Maioria are you doing here? It’s all right, she won’t hurt you,’ said Issa.
One clawed hand materialised and scratched his head. ‘You called me.’ His tiny shoulders shrugged.
‘I could feel pressure on our shield the moment you spoke his name,’ Iyena explained. ‘The Trinity are keyed to the shield that covers and protects out isles. I relaxed the shield to let him through. The bond between you must be strong for him to find you here.’
‘Perhaps, but even so, how can he come here from the demon world?’ said Issa, reaching down to scratch the top part of his head that he was struggling to reach with his short arms. He let out a sigh and grinned. He was always scratching when he came to Maioria, the very air seemed to irritate his skin. Duskar reached his head down to sniff the demon and Ehka opened one eye to look at him.
‘Humans themselves are walking portals to other places,’ explained Iyena. ‘Everything is energy, remember?’
Issa nodded, but she didn’t fully understand.
‘When you go to a place, you share energy with that place—you make an imprint on each other. In the same manner, people make imprints on all those they meet. It seems that you and Maggot are linked in some way. Just like the ring you wear forms a link to Asaph which is visible in the Flow.’
‘Maybe through the power of Zorock,’ Issa said, half to herself as she fiddled with her flame ring.
‘It could be.’ Iyena grinned. ‘Having a friend on call can only be a good thing. Now then, Maggot, I’ve heard all about you.’ The seer bent down but Maggot slipped behind Issa’s legs and peered between them at the seer.
‘How do you know?’ Issa asked. ‘I thought I only told Freydel and Asaph about him.’
Iyena looked at her with a knowing smile and stood up. She reached into her robe and pulled out a beautiful round vial. Etched into the thick, clear glass, were flowers and leaves. She gently rubbed it and the contents began to glow bright green.
‘Urgh,’ said Maggot, wrinkling up his nose. ‘A swamp fairy!’
Iyena unstoppered the glass bottle and spoke soothingly. ‘Come on. Come out and say hello. You can sleep after.’
The light in the bottle wiggled then shot out with a loud buzz. It whizzed around in circles, as if glad to be out of the bottle, then buzzed in Issa’s face like a fly. She wafted it back.
‘They’re so annoying. And they stink.’ Maggot huffed and folded his arms. The green spark circled down gracefully and settled on the top of his head. He lifted a hand as if to squash it then sighed and dropped his arm.
‘Miss me?’ a high-pitched voice squeaked.
‘No,’ Maggot growled.
‘Liar!’ squealed the fairy.
‘Hmph,’ said Maggot, and clawed the ground with a toe. ‘Maybe a bit.’
‘It was you!’ Issa said, staring at Iyena.
The seer laughed. ‘Me what?’
‘You sent the swamp fairy. To help. To find the spear?’
Iyena nodded. ‘You can’t leave everything to chance, can you? After all, the goddess helps those who help themselves.’
‘You really sent the fairy to help me? How? Where did you find her?’
Maggot had told her how the swamp fairy had come out of the green crystal just to annoy him and thwart his mission from god. In the end, he’d conceded, without the fairy’s help, neither of them would have been able to steal the spear from the Demon Wizard Karhlusus.
‘Swamp fairies are one of the few creatures who exist halfway between Maioria and the Murk. Which is why I sent her to help you,’ said Iyena.
The fairy giggled. Iyena smiled down at the green spark. ‘Thiashar and I have a friendship that began many years ago when her home and family were destroyed. Now she prefers to stay inside her bottle never far from my side.
‘I feed and house her, and she runs errands for me and finds out all sorts of information. So, in that way, we help each other.’
‘I’m a princess, you know,’ squeaked the green spark.
‘I lost my home and family too, so I know how you feel,’ said Issa, still stunned at how everything had come to pass.
The fairy buzzed but remained on top of Maggot’s head. He didn’t shake her off and instead sat down scowling as if to make himself seem her fierce protector.
The fairy rolled around the bald surface of his head then slid down his arm to the floor. In a flash of glittering light, a green being crouched beside Maggot. She was fine-boned, very slender, and probably less than two feet tall if she stood up. Her skin was emerald green and her face was small and delicate with a pointed nose and chin, long ears and dark green eyes.
Strange wispy rags adorned the creature and long thin wings like a mayfly’s lay folded on her back. She crouched on the ground staring up at Issa, an uncertain grin forming on her face. She wasn’t pretty, not like other fairies, but she wasn’t ugly like Maggot either. With a giggle, she became a spark of green light again and jumped onto Maggot’s head.
‘She told me all about Maggot and you,’ said Iyena. ‘It’s a handy way to keep me informed as to what is going on in the Murk.’ The seer winked.
‘You mean a spy?’ Issa grinned wickedly.
‘Hah, well, you could call her that.’ Iyena tapped her nose. ‘I prefer to call her my Informer.’
Issa laughed. ‘Well, thank you for looking out for me. I’m very glad you sent her to help, otherwise we really wouldn’t have retrieved the spear.’
‘Come, Thiashar, you can rest now,’ Iyena held out the vial. With a sound like a yawn the fairy slowly rose into the air and disappeared inside the bottle. Maggot lifted his hand as if to wave. Iyena stoppered the vial and tucked it inside her robes. The little demon’s shoulders slumped as if he were sad the fairy had gone.
‘Don’t dislike them as much as before?’ Issa raised an eyebrow at the demon. He sniffed and shrugged then looked away, making her laugh. She bent down and patted his head, making him grin again.
‘There is something special I would like to do tonight at one of our sacred springs,’ said Iyena. ‘But for now, let’s return to the others, rest, and meet again later. We’ll come to you an hour before midnight.’
The seer smiled enigmatically, making Issa wonder. Would she meet another strange creature, learn a new secret or finally find out about her parents? She suddenly couldn’t wait for tonight to come.
6
Fire and Water
THE young seer curtsied, turned and shut the front door, leaving Asaph and Issa standing alone in the small, domed house at the edge of Oray.
A beautiful, pink crystal mosaic covered the floor and emanated a faint light. The house was round and the central main room was filled with reclining cushions. Against one wall stood a wooden table and four chairs. Four rooms with partially drawn, plain curtains surrounded the central room and two of them contained beds.
‘Finally, our own home,’ Issa smiled. Asaph grinned.
Ehka nestled down on one of the colourful cushions and shut his eyes. The sun was sett
ing and its rays burst full through the window, casting the white walls ablaze in orange. There came a knock at the door and a different young seer carrying a bundle of towels and clothes stepped inside.
‘Iyena sent me to tell you that the water is hot if you would like a bath.’
Seeing them frown, the girl walked over to a room and pulled back a pair of curtains to reveal a small wet room complete with a ceramic bath. A half-pipe stuck out of the wall, and when the girl turned the nozzle above it, hot, steaming water gushed out into the bath.
‘Wow!’ Asaph began inspecting the pipe and where it led.
The girl smiled. ‘The spring here is hot, like many on the Isles. There’s wine and cake in one of the cupboards,’ she added, then left them to explore.
Excited by hot, running water, Issa barely heard her shut the door. ‘My own bath,’ she sighed and swirled her hand in the water. ‘I’m going in first,’ she said firmly.
‘Oh really?’ said Asaph, coming close and stroking her arm. ‘Who says I’m not joining you?’
He pulled her to him, making her stomach flutter as he bent to kiss her. She hesitated then found her passion awakening.
‘Perhaps this isn’t prudent,’ she said when they paused for breath, her face pressed against his chest where his shirt was partially unbuttoned. She was all too aware of the firmness of his muscles and the smoothness of his tanned skin. ‘I mean, this is a seer’s house and not our own.’
Asaph laughed and ran his hands down her back. ‘I don’t think they would know or even care. And besides, you look so ravishing in your new armour.’
‘I thought it was less revealing,’ said Issa, shocked.
‘Well, it hugs here,’ he passed a hand over her hips, ‘and here,’ his hands trailed across her abdomen making her catch her breath, ‘and especially here…’ His hands wrapped around her back and squeezed her bottom, making her yelp in feigned shock as he pulled her firmly against him again.
He kissed her and Issa’s head span dizzily. She began to feel as if she were in a carriage that was moving faster and faster and she couldn’t slow it down. She wanted to see more of him and found herself reaching up to unbutton his shirt fully. Her hands trembled a little and her heart beat faster.
She pushed the shirt off his shoulders and trailed her hands over his chest, liking it when his nipples hardened. For the first time, she could look clearly at the flame scar on his chest. She touched it lightly and heard his sharp intake of breath. Had she hurt him? She looked up but his eyes were closed and he made no move to stop her. Her fingers tingled when she touched it again, and then her raven mark tingled as well.
Asaph undid the fastenings on her armour and pushed the leather jerkin off her shoulders. She let it fall to the floor and closed her eyes, enjoying his touch on her thighs as he slipped off her leggings. He held her against him and kissed her hungrily, his hands hot on her underclothes. His whole body was hot against hers and when the firmness of his groin pressed against her belly, a huge tidal wave of desire, or fear, or both, carried her away.
She always clammed up when he touched her. She’d thought it was because she was afraid of getting close to him and losing him like Tarry and Rance, or her mother and Ely, and everyone else she knew. It was that but, she realised, she was also afraid of losing herself, of drowning in her own desire.
This time she rode the wave, allowing the ecstasy to carry her as he caressed her firmly, his hands moving everywhere; around her shoulders, down her back, over her belly then cupping her bottom.
She looked up into his eyes, seeing fire within them and a golden dragon in the flames. For the first time, she was fascinated by, rather than afraid of, this Dragon Lord. His caresses became tender as he pushed the straps of her slip from her shoulders and the silken material glided over her underpants to the floor. His hands moved so slowly and gently over her bare breasts that she found herself trembling. She was losing herself.
He was kissing her again, his tongue dancing between her lips, sending sparks of lightning through her body. He groaned as she pressed her breasts against his chest and felt the thunder of his heart overpowering her own.
Desire made her moan a little and she pressed harder against him. Her raven mark touched his flame mark and the Flow exploded into her vision. Above them, a sea of swirling indigo, orange and yellow flames raged.
The magic surged around her, pulling her into it. She let it take her, unable to resist it if she tried. She fell then rose, completely at the whim of the energy moving through and within her. Her mind spun and she closed her eyes, unable to comprehend or master the forces.
She could feel Asaph’s strong arms around her physical body but he was lost in the Flow with her. Was he calling to her or groaning with pleasure? It could be either. Was he experiencing and seeing what she was? He must be.
She blinked, but all she could see were the waves of energy endlessly rolling around and through her. The flames surged closer, warm but not burning. The indigo sea lifted her, cool and calming. In an abstract manner, she understood the flames were Asaph and she was the indigo water.
‘Don’t let me go,’ she said. Or had she simply thought it? She was utterly lost and out of control, was that why she’d said that? Only he could hold onto her and stop her losing herself.
Those strong arms pulled her closer. Again their marks touched and the energy intensified until she felt as though she was rising out of her body completely.
The flames became more ordered, joining together to create a great fireball. A sun. The indigo light separated from the flames and also became a dense spinning orb. The dark moon. They turned on their axis and orbited around her; she, the centre of the galaxy.
She reached her hands out to them and they moved closer. She whirled her arms and the planets increased their speed. She turned around and they followed where she desired. Issa laughed with pure joy at the power to move planets.
‘I love you,’ she said, whether to Asaph or the planets or the magic, she wasn’t sure. Her voice came from somewhere far below. She was complete love.
The flaming sun responded, returning her love in feelings rather than words—the warmth and complete harmony of love, the playful freedom of pure joy, the safe contentment of protection. The sun and moon began to change and became fields of fire and water again. The flames drew her down into them. Under she went and the energies became gentle flows that calmed and caressed her.
To Issa, aeons passed in this gentle bliss. Eventually, she took a long, deep breath and opened her eyes. Asaph was looking down at her, his reddish-blonde hair dishevelled and framing his face. He looked frightened, excited and worried all at the same time. They were on the floor, both naked except for their underpants, and he was leaning over her, his belly still deliciously touching hers.
‘What happened,’ she breathed, closing her eyes and wishing the wave of ecstasy was still there. She trembled all over.
‘I don’t know,’ Asaph ran a hand through his hair. ‘We were kissing and…and then our marks touched and…this intense energy moved. The Flow, I guess. And we were rising, or you were rising and lifting me up. I could barely hang on! I was so excited I…I can’t explain it. Then we were back and you were gone. I laid you down, you were barely breathing. Then you came back!’
He stroked the hair from her face and passed the back of his hand over her breasts that glistened with perspiration.
‘You look so beautiful,’ he sighed.
She blushed and looked away, her cheek splashing in the pool of warm water in which they were both laying..
‘Oh goodness, that’s why it’s wet!’ She burst out laughing and pointed to the overflowing bath. Warm water seeped over the rim and all around them.
‘Oh no!’ Asaph jumped up and grappled with the lever. He managed to stop the flow and stared at the flooded wet room in dismay. He looked at her then laughed. She felt heat rising in her cheeks and covered her breasts with her hair.
‘Well, I guess we m
ay as well share the bath now,’ he grinned wolfishly.
‘Only if I get in it first.’ She stuck out her tongue. ‘And you’re not allowed to look at or touch anything. I can’t do that again tonight, whatever it was.’
They bathed in relative modesty, and to her surprise, Asaph didn’t try to touch her again, at least not in that way. Perhaps he was also scared or confused as to what had happened. She needed a long time to think about it. The premonition that strange things would happen on Myrn had already turned out to be correct.
Hot after her bath, Issa hesitated as she picked up her dragon skin armour, wondering whether to wear it or the soft seer’s robes they had both been given. The more she thought about it, the more her sense of dilemma deepened. She was here, as the Raven Queen, the warrior woman she was prophesized to be, and yet she was not at war right now. She was here as a guest and under the tutelage of the Trinity. Who am I supposed to be?
Asaph, already dressed in his robes, massaged her shoulders. He looked clean and handsome with his hair drying around his shoulders. Issa pulled on the seer’s robes. She didn’t want to stand out tonight.
There came a knock at the door. Asaph opened it wide to find Naksu standing there.
‘A seers’ attire suits you both,’ Naksu nodded at them.
They followed her out into the cool, moonless night. Stars crowded the sky and the Blaze of Eight shone perfectly above them.
‘There will only be us and the Trinity,’ said Naksu.
‘Where are we going?’ Issa asked.
‘Well, that’s sort of up to you tonight. There’s an especially sacred place here on Myrn but you can only find it if you are ready to. You’ll be alone. The Trinity wishes to speak with Asaph whilst the world is quiet and sleeping. You will both go on a journey, but in different ways.’
Issa was intrigued and a little dubious. What if she wasn’t ready for this mysterious journey?
Heading away from the city and into the trees, Naksu led them along a path lit only by the dim glow of orange crystals set along its edge. Issa hadn’t noticed them in the daytime and thought how pretty and useful they were. She realised they glowed brighter when they neared and then dimmed after they had passed.
Dragons of the Dawn Bringer: The Goddess Prophecies Fantasy Series Book 5 Page 7