Third Power

by Robert Childs

  Haldorum smiled kindly, “Let us hope it is as you say.” Without another word he stood and straightened the folds of his robe.

  Recognizing the signs, the other officers moved in from their separate locations and gathered behind the old wizard. With a motion Steve had seen a dozen times before, Haldorum’s magic split the air before him and the portal’s blue radiance bathed them all in spectral light.

  At first she was only a silhouette amid the swirling light, and then she appeared. The determined look in her eyes was surprising, but as she marched past them like a lioness it was evident that something significant had taken place.

  “Haldorum,” she said without hesitation, “I need you and all the senior officers in the war room immediately—and ask His Majesty if he would please attend as well. I also want to see all the officers in charge of the food stores, weapons, and training. I want to know exactly what our greatest strengths are, and I’ll need to be brought up to speed on the terrain surrounding the palace of Rajasthan.”

  Haldorum listened, and appeared surprised beyond words, and then gestured to the others gathered as he followed in the wake of the young wizardess even as she continued to give instructions.

  “Steven lad!”

  The youth turned at the sound of his name. “Jiv!” he exclaimed in surprise.

  The little man trotted forth from the portal and stepped up onto Steve’s lowered palm. “Happy ta see ya again, ah am. Saaaay, nice duds ya be wearin’; almost as spiffy as me own.”

  The past few moments had brought a whirlwind of questions to Steve, but one stood out above all others. “Jiv, what happened to her?”

  The sprite leaned over, looking past Steve’s enormous form to the retreating wizardess, and then straightened again. “With’er, ya mean?”

  “Yeah, Sonya.”

  “Well, ah know’er name, lad. Ya don’t think me so uncivilized as to ferget a proper intraduction, now do ya?”

  “Jiv, please!”

  “Well, awright, awright awready. No reason ta get yer drawers in a bunch,” Jiv complained. “Eh, do ya want the long er the short version?”

  The penetrating stare the sprite received threatened to burn holes in his tiny body.

  “Rot. The short version it tis. Okay, well, it be like this: the Memsherar did ask a’me ta serve as yer pretty friend’s escort, and lead her right off ta the heart of the wood. This ah did because, after all, the Memsherar can be quite temperamental iffen she wants ta be.”

  “This is the short version?” Steve pressed.

  “Rot. Rot. Didn’t mean ta be trailin’ off. Anyway, we come ta this pool, ya see, an it was so silver it was like lookin’ inta’ a mirror—most amazin’ thing ah ever saw! Your friend, well, she just traipses on up, goes ta ‘er knees at the edge an—brand me buzzard bait if ahm lyin’—starts glowin all kinds of bright silver. Like the sun, it was! Well, iffin the sun was silver, ya’know?”

  Listening from the side, Scott stepped forward to stand beside his friend. “So she saw something in it?”

  “She musta’.”

  “You aren’t sure? You were there, weren’t you?”

  “A’course ah was, an ah didn’t say ah wern’t sure. It’s rather ah learned a long time ago that it be often best ta keep clear a foreign magics. Caution tends ta further one’s longevity, ya know?”

  “But you know what she saw, right?” Steve asked.

  “Aye,” Jiv replied. “As near as ah can figure it, somewhere in all them pretty lights she caught a glimpse of her children.”

  Chapter XXII

  “Her what?!” Steve exclaimed.

  “Ya ‘urd me right the first time, “ Jiv replied. “Ah cun see that bit ‘uh news comes as a surprise, but ah don’t know what more ta tell ya, lad. She wadn’t too talkative after what ‘appened, an all.”

  Steve set the little man upon Kayliss’s head and then to Scott, “Come on. I’m feeling suddenly curious.”

  It was not long before the four rejoined the rest of the officers in the war room, and there, at the far side, Sonya stood with another officer leaning over a table strewn with maps and listening intently as the man explained to her the details concerned with each. None of them could hear the conversation but it was obvious by the expression on Sonya’s face she felt it important.

  The room was quickly filling as all key personnel of the Resistance from all over the camp filed in. Never before had all men in charge of such areas as the smithies, cooks, stables, armory and the like been called together with the higher officers to discuss matters of war.

  Sonya turned away from the maps she had been so critically analyzing and moved to the center of the room to stand beside General Duva. “Is everyone here yet?” she called out to everyone in the room.

  “Women bear children, they do not lead armies,” General Duva muttered as though to himself, but loud enough for Sonya to hear.

  Sonya’s expression darkened like one of the Greek furies themselves. Seizing the front of his gambeson with both hands, she pulled him close until their noses were mere inches apart. “Now you listen to me, you pompous ass! I never asked to be a part of your precious army, but the fact is you and I have no choice. I am the Third Power of Mithal, and you will listen to anything I have to say regardless of your feelings over my gender. And the next time I hear a sexist quip like that fall from your lips I’ll infect you with the plague myself and let you beg me for your life!”

  The general stood there with eyes wide, clearly shocked at the affront, and even looked a little fearful of her threat.

  Jiv nodded approvingly. “Now there be a lass with fire!”

  Haldorum stepped up casually, straining to suppress his mirth in the face of his old friend. “Well said, Sonya,” he remarked, “but please let the nice general go now. I think he has learned his lesson.” Sonya visibly relaxed, then nodded and released her hold on the man. “And to you, my dear friend Duva,” the old wizard continued, patting him on the shoulder, “I suggest you be a little more attentive in the future when the young lady needs to speak her mind.” His eyes shifted again. “You were saying, my dear?”

  She smiled in thanks.

  Sonya took charge of the meeting and voiced her opinions and ideas formed during her time thus far with the Resistance men and women. She did so with such confidence and forthrightness no one dared tell her otherwise—least of all General Duva. Every officer answered her questions dutifully when asked about current troop strength, morale, and discipline, or nodded thoughtfully at areas of improvement they had previously overlooked. No one had ever given thought before to the changes that could be implemented in training, patrolling, and camp maintenance, tasks Sonya had either directly or indirectly participated in for weeks, now that the worry of the plague no longer factored. Before too long, she turned it around and requested input from everyone, questioning each man in turn from the stablemaster to Haldorum himself about everything significant to the cause she now felt such a great fire for. The old wizard could not help but watch and marvel at her incredible turnaround. It was clear to all that whatever the Memsherar had done to her, it had done it well.

  For now, it mattered not. However the Memsherar accomplished this feat was a puzzle for another time. It only mattered the Resistance had found the Third Power, and she was diving into the role fate had dealt her. Certainly, there were many things yet to learn but none doubted she would learn quickly and well.

  The meeting continued into its second hour with still no appearance by the Emperor. To discover why, and mumbling low so as not to interrupt the Third, General Duva assigned the task to two men to seek His Majesty out. They each nodded and discreetly exited the room.

  Sonya was engrossed in a conversation with Haldorum, the general, and several other officers when the two men returned. They made their way through small crowd until they stood nearly in its center before General Duva finally glanced in their direction.

  “Please excuse me,” the general said by way of withdrawal.
Haldorum cast him a quizzical look but General Duva shook his head. “It is probably nothing.”

  Saying no more he left the small circle and spoke to the two men, motioning them to keep their voices down. “What did you find?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

  “We went to his quarters,” the first said, “but there was no reply. Whether His Majesty was asleep or simply not in we do not know.”

  “But no one has seen him come or go for many turns,” the second added.

  The lines in General Duva’s brow deepened. “I do not like this,” he said thoughtfully. “I do not like this at all.” Turning on his heel, he marched straight away to Haldorum’s side. “Forgive my interruption, my old friend, but I think we have a problem.”

  Orders went out quickly and the officers filed out of the chamber to spread the word to those within their chain of command to locate and report on the whereabouts of his Imperial Majesty.

  Haldorum’s hand fell on Steve’s shoulder. “Steve, I want you and Kayliss to stay by Sonya. Scott, I want you to find Kurella and keep her in your quarters until you hear from me.”

  “Sure thing,” Scott nodded, “but wouldn’t she be of more help with the search?”

  “Until I am certain of what is happening, I think it best for her own safety that she stay with you and out of sight. If the Emperor is missing it would not do to have a werewolf within the midst arousing false suspicions.”

  As Scott mulled over this last, Steve already knew the thoughts going through his mind. The fact Kurella was a werewolf was bad enough, but being the daughter of Gouroth would surely heighten suspicions of her even more if something untoward were occurring.

  Clearly feeling a sudden sense of urgency, Scott was out the door and moving at a run. In a moment, Haldorum also was gone.

  Now solely in the company of Steven and Kayliss, Sonya let out a heavy sigh and relaxed her composure. “You always made this look so easy,” she said.

  Steve smiled sympathetically, understanding exactly how she felt. “What can I say?” he replied, feeling oddly somber. “I fake it really well.”

  She dropped her gaze wearily to the floor and smiled with a slight shake of her head. “If that’s true, I’d say you should have been an actor but, then again, I remember you in drama class.”

  Steve paused, recognizing that contemplative look on her face. “Missing home again, are you?”

  “More now than I ever did before,” she admitted looking up at him.

  “Look, Sonya, for what it’s worth, I think you’re doing great. You did more for yourself the first few hours than I did in my first week; and I think you’ve earned the respect of a lot of people tonight.”

  Sonya’s eyes brightened and she flashed him a look of genuine gratitude. “Thank you, Steve. I needed to hear that.”

  He nodded and then moved to the exit. When he reached the door, he turned the latch and held it open for her to pass. “Moonlight stroll, anyone?”

  In a short time they found themselves walking through the fields west of the camp, chitchatting about inconsequential matters for a half an hour, when Steve finally found the mettle to pose the question that had been eating at him all evening.

  “Sonya,” he began hesitantly, “do you mind if I ask you…well, I guess it’s kind of a personal question.”

  “Does it go into details?”

  He laughed at her playfully flirtatious reply. “No. I think it’s harmless enough.”

  “Shucks!” she said snapping her fingers.

  Steve laughed again. “Come on, I’m trying to be serious here.”

  “Okay, okay, what’s the question?”

  “Well, I was wondering what happened to you in the Memsherar.”

  She stopped abruptly and Steve took two more steps before he realized she was no longer beside him. He stopped and looked back to find her gazing off to the side, her hands fidgeting nervously before her.

  “If I tell you something,” she said, “will you promise not to think less of me?”

  “Sonya, there’s no way I would ever –“

  “Promise!” she urged, almost pleading.

  Steve pushed aside his questions for a moment and nodded, not understanding what she could have possibly done to make her worry so. “I swear it.”

  The oath, however, appeared to do little to mollify her fears. She tried to look him in the eye but apparently found the contact too uncomfortable.

  “You have my word,” Steve assured her.

  Sonya nodded. “I suppose there is no other way than to just come right out and say it, huh?” She tried to laugh but it ended weakly. Finally, either fed up with her fear or otherwise, she reined in her resolve saying, “I don’t deserve the respect of anybody—especially not you—because I’m just using them; every last man and woman in the Resistance.”

  “That’s it?” Steve asked. “That’s the terrible secret?”

  Sonya groaned, her disappointment seeming born of the fact he was not angry with her. “You don’t understand,” she said. “I saw two possible futures out there. In the first I saw what will happen if the Resistance is successful. I saw the plague expunged forever, and people were celebrating in the streets of Rajasthan at Azinon’s downfall. The land healed itself and the fields were fertile again.” Gently she touched a hand to her bosom to indicate herself. “And I saw me—maybe two or three years older.” A single tear escaped the corner of her eye and she wiped at it with the back of her fingers. “And in my arms I held twin babies, Steve.” She spoke this last as though it were miracle. Sonya raised her eyes, her voice etched with emotion. “My twins. A boy and a girl.”

  Steve blinked. “Oh.” He felt foolish for the twinge of jealousy that gnawed at him with this revelation. He knew she was destined for someone else on this world—some undiscovered prince somewhere—and he knew he had no right to feel this way.

  Even so…

  “I don’t suppose you caught a glimpse of the dad?” Steve asked, not certain he really wanted to know. “I mean, up until now we didn’t even think there were any princes at all, let alone one with magic.”

  “I know this is going to sound odd,” she replied hesitantly, “but…I don’t even know what he looks like. In the vision I recognized him as my husband—I even knew he was from this world—but I could never see his face clearly.”

  Steve smiled kindly, though only for her that he did so. “Well, at least we know he’s out there. That’s something anyway.” He opened his mouth to say more but the intense sadness in her eyes stopped him.

  “That’s not everything,” she said softly. “I also saw what will happen if we lose this fight.”

  Steve waited quietly for her to say more, but she seemed transfixed where she stood, lost in thought, her eyes looking through and beyond him to some point far distant. It seemed a very long time before she moved again; at first just a slow shaking of her head, as though she wanted to deny the images in her mind. And then…

  “Hundreds of thousands,” she whispered in disbelief. “Everywhere there were bodies lying all over the ground. And their faces…they were…” She struggled to find the words to describe the hideous scene, the dead staring from empty eyes and their mouths contorted in a rictus of silent horror. She looked to Steve as though she wanted to run away and be sick. Jisetrians, Humans, Werewolves, and a host of other species Sonya had never laid eyes on before, all lay dead in the wake of Azinon’s dark forces.

  “But that isn’t all,” she whispered fiercely, the heat of her anger suddenly changing her demeanor. She clenched her hands into fists so tight the whites of her knuckles showed. “He will never touch my children,” she said through her teeth. “Never! I won’t allow it!”

  “Hey, hey,” Steve said concerned and placing his hands on her shoulders at arm’s length. “Take it easy.”

  Nodding with obvious effort, Sonya closed her eyes and took several deep, calming breaths.

  “Nobody is doing anything to anybody just yet,” Ste
ve finished.

  Sonya wiped at her eyes and sniffed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be bothering you with this.”

  “Are you kidding me? Look, put that thought out of your head forever. If you have a problem, I want you to talk to me— and if I’m not there then I know Scott will be. Okay?”

  She nodded, sniffed, then smiled gratefully. “Okay.”

  Kayliss then rubbed his head affectionately against Sonya’s leg with his tongue lolling out of his mouth. A short laugh escaped Sonya and she stooped, cupping the great tiger’s head in her hands and ruffled his fur. “And thanks to you, too, you overgrown kitten,” she said.

  Steve grinned as the tiger’s thoughts came to him. “He says ‘you’re welcome’.”

  Sonya stood and dabbed at her eyes with her sleeve. “You know, I do feel a little better. Thanks for that.”

  “De nada.”

  They turned and resumed their walk, neither speaking a word as they enjoyed the night air and the quiet company, each letting their thoughts wander randomly about anything and everything. Steve’s own led him inevitably to thoughts of the young woman who walked beside him, and he wondered if he entered her thoughts at all too before he then shook his head. Surely anything on her mind centered on what had happened to her today and all that she still must do in order to secure the more favored of the two futures she had seen.

  And there it was again; that same twinge of jealousy as thoughts of the prince she would one day marry came to mind. Steve silently cursed the fate that had played such a cruel trick on him by making him believe he was the Third Power. Then, just as quickly, he reprimanded himself for those same selfish thoughts. After all, he had a power like none he had ever dreamed, and with it came an opportunity to help save a world. Just because things weren’t turning out as he had hoped was certainly no reason to wallow in self-pity.

  Sonya stopped and turned to face him. “What are you thinking about?”

  Steve blinked as though she snapped him out of a trance. “Hmm? Oh, nothing.” But looking into those beautiful, brown eyes made him feel ashamed of his own selfish thoughts of wanting to reach out and hold her.