by Sharon Green
“Of course,” Ardanis said, but his grin had faded quite a bit. “I see something that I don’t in any way understand, so I must ask what you’retalking about, Dama Hafford. There’s something … looming in the future, but I can’t tell what it can possibly be—except that it’s related to the question you just asked. What about the signs that were supposed to be manifested?”
This time we all looked at one another rather than just glancing about, and no one answered Ardanis. I’d been expecting the man to say that his people were responsible for what we’d experienced, but it was obvious they weren’t. And yet those incidents had happened, something none of us could deny.
So if the Guild people weren’t responsible for the manifestations, the hidden people weren’t, and we certainly hadn’t imagined them… Something had caused them, and I couldn’t help wondering just when in the future we might manage to find out who that was—
And did we really wanted to know…?
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
Jovvi waited until everyone nodded their agreement, then she initiated the Blending. She expected the time to be the way it usually was, her identity merging with those of the others to produce the entity, but this time an odd thing happened. The entity most certainly appeared at once, but the Jovvi part of it was not completely submerged. It felt more as though a larger, much more strengthened Jovvi began to float along the road, heading toward the place where the enemy entity would be found.
The experience was unusual, but not enough to distract the Jovvi entity from what she was about. The invading force had made a temporary and very much emergency camp right there on the road, with quite a lot of their flesh forms hurrying back and forth. The ones who had inhaled the hilsom powder were quite beside themselves with agitation, and others apparently attempted to calm them. Those who had been disabled earlier by the entity and its allies lay stretched out on makeshift pallets, attended to and hovered over by other flesh forms. At first there was no sign of the main invading entity, but after no more than a moment it appeared.
*So those who are honorless have returned,* the invading entity sneered, hatred fairly pouring forth from it. *Is it now that you will claim all our lives?*
*Had this entity wanted your lives, it would hardly have come here unaccompanied,* the Jovvi entity replied. *This being has come instead to speak with you, in an attempt to—*
*In an attempt to gull, cozen, and destroy us!* the other interrupted, anger blazing hot. *Once before those from your empire came with sweet words of friendship, and those who believed them are long since dead! As I sense that you were indeed foolish enough to approach this entity alone, you may now pay for the deeds of those who came before you as well as for your own!*
And with that the entity attacked, all its strength poured into the boiling cloud of incandescent destruction which raged at the Jovvi entity. And that strength was enormous, just as the Jovvi entity had known it would be. Had her flesh forms not added to their own strength they would have been quickly overwhelmed, and even so raising the necessary resistance was no simple matter. But it was done, and the attack was deflected.
*It grieves this entity that one of yours was destroyed,* the Jovvi entity sent, adding a full measure of compassion. *Just as it grieves this being that one of our own was done the same. But this being’s flesh forms and those who support them were not responsible for what was done to your homeland. They, too, were victims of the same authority, an authority which has now been overthrown. Join us in sitting down together in the manner of rational beings, and—*
*No!* the other entity denied harshly, fury still blazing hot. *False words are too easily spoken by those who stand behind you! This being will listen to none of them, not now and not ever!*
And again an attack came ravening in, one which combined every aspect available to the entity. Just as it began, the Jovvi entity noticed something odd: she was able to anticipate what would happen a measurable amount of time in advance of its actually happening. Then the Jovvi entity realized that that must be the contribution of the Naran flesh form, a talent which the opposing entity did not display. The added talent allowed the Jovvi entity to block or avoid the opposing entity’s attacks, but even so the matter could not be allowed to continue as it had been going. Too much of the Jovvi entity’s strength was being used up in defense, leaving less and less should an attack of her own become necessary.
And it seemed that an attack might well have become necessary. Holding off the maelstrom of hatred and destruction accomplished nothing in the way of changing the opposing entity’s intentions, therefore a different tactic now seemed indicated.
*For an entity who is more mature than this being, you behave in an exceedingly foolish manner,* the Jovvi entity remonstrated once the second attack had ceased. *This being has come to offer true friendship, and yet you refuse to listen. Are you unable to tell that this being speaks the truth?*
*Truth is an elastic substance, stretching in the direction of choice designated by the one who speaks it,* the entity replied with impatience. *It may be ‘true friendship’ which you now claim to seek, yet in a short while that could easily change. This entity has no cause to believe your truth, and many reasons to doubt it.*
*You mean to force us to destroy you?* the Jovvi entity inquired, definitely perplexed. *Such a course of action has no logic to it whatsoever, instead being related only to emotionalism. Is that what greater maturity brings? An abandoning of logic for emotionalism? Do you wish to be destroyed?*
*The logic you value so highly should bring the proper reply to that inquiry,* the opposing entity responded with harsh intolerance. *It should by now be quite clear that this entity does not intend to be destroyed, rather that it means to do the destroying. Once that small chore has been accomplished, the rest of its vengeance will be taken!*
For the third time the opposing entity launched its attack, allowing no further discussion. It was now beyond doubt that simple defense would never suffice, therefore the Jovvi entity followed the demands of logic and deflected the attack, then countered with an effort of her own. As had been previously noted, the opposing entity had nothing of the talent to anticipate what the future would bring. The Jovvi entity’s own awareness was growing fainter as its Naran flesh form lost more and more strength, but that slender advantage still remained.
As did another advantage, one which more than one of its flesh forms had learned to accomplish. The opposing entity shielded itself—and its flesh forms—with its enormous strength, a shield which was impossible to penetrate. No single entity ever formed would find itself able to generate enough power to force a way through, and yet the Jovvi entity knew that force was unnecessary. It had proven possible in the past to go around such a shield, which the Jovvi entity quickly did.
Striking at both the opposing entity and its flesh forms at the same time was extremely difficult, most especially as the Jovvi entity had no wish to destroy either target. The situation demanded that her touch be exactly right, neither too hard nor too soft, so that the opposing entity might be shaken into a more reasonable state of mind. The sense of a scream came from the opposing entity, most likely due to the fact that it had believed its flesh forms disguised and impossible to locate, but the Jovvi entity knew that trick as well and had been able to negate it. The opposing entity and its flesh forms were now literally down, and the Jovvi entity deliberately loomed over them.
*This being feels foolish repeating words already rejected by you, and yet the words must be repeated,* the Jovvi entity sent slowly and clearly. *We come in friendship to aid you as best we may, yet not at the expense of those who are blameless. You may take your vengeance upon those who earned such treatment if you wish, but not upon those who have been victimized far longer and more harshly than you and yours. Should you find this offer impossible to accept, this being will have no choice but to destroy you. Give this being your thoughts, and let all consequences be on your head.*
*It…cannot be true,
* the opposing entity all but gasped, shock and confusion clear in its being. *Those in this land are enemies to us, yearning for nothing but our destruction. It cannot be true that our well-being is desired…*
The next happening came horribly fast, and yet the Jovvi entity saw it all with a clarity which made the horror even worse. First an awareness touched in, an awareness of suddenly much clearer vision. Before the Jovvi entity might wonder about the change, she became conscious of the presence of those lesser entities which had spread the hilsom powder among the invaders. Those lesser entities had left their places of hiding and had neared the makeshift camp, and now they had gained the wrong impression. Seeing that the Jovvi entity had not destroyed her opponent, they apparently believed that the Jovvi entity was unable to destroy it. With that in view, they realized their duty at once. If the Jovvi entity lacked the strength to complete her task, it was up to them to assist her.
For that reason the two lesser entities attacked simultaneously, unable to link and yet more than able to attack together. Their combined strength was certainly enough to destroy the now weakened opposing entity, but that could not, under any circumstances, be allowed. There was only one action open to the Jovvi entity, therefore she immediately attempted it. With a wordless cry of *No!* she threw herself before the opposing entity and its flesh forms, shielding them from the attack of her own allies. They were the newest and weakest of the allied entities, after all, and she the strongest…
The Jovvi entity screamed with pain, suddenly realizing that she had been the strongest, before facing the opposing entity. Holding off that being’s attacks had taken its toll, and now the Jovvi entity’s vast store of strength was nearly depleted. There remained just enough to deflect the double attack until the lesser entities realized their mistake, and then—
And then Jovvi came out of the Blending with a scream of her own, turning immediately to Tamma. Before the bond had broken she’d felt Tamma collapse, the effort to deflect those last attacks just too much for the girl to bear. It was Tamma’s strength which defended the Blending, and that strength had been taxed far beyond even her incredible limits.
“No!” Vallant cried, pulling Tamma’s limp body to him and rocking her as he held her close. “No, my love, don’t leave me! You promised, you promised!”
“Lorand, do something!” Jovvi sobbed, despite the fact that Lorand already bent over Tamma. “Please don’t let her die, please! The rest of us—and the Astindans—are alive because of her! We can’t let her die!”
“But the thread of her life is so thin and far away!” Lorand whispered, tragedy twisting his features. “I’m putting everything I have left into it, but I can’t get a good enough grip to pull her back! She needs support to fight her way back, but I don’t have enough left to give it to her! She’s slipping away … I’m losing her…!”
Even as the tears of agony flowed down Jovvi’s face, she suddenly became aware of something … different and powerful. She had no idea what it could be—and then Lorand cried out in sudden delight.
“It’s working!” he told them, his face, too, covered in tears. “There’s something there, helping me pull her back with the strength and support she needs. If it only keeps on for another few minutes, she’ll be out of danger!”
*The effort will continue,* Jovvi heard inside her mind, immediately recognizing the mental tones of the opposing entity. *The flesh form knowingly emptied itself to protect this being’s own flesh forms and existence, enemies though we supposedly were. How might this being allow it to die, and continue to consider itself honorable?*
“You’revery honorable,” Jovvi answered aloud with a laugh of delirious relief. “And we mean to prove that we’rethe same, just as soon as we can all sit down together. We will do all we can to help you bring life back to your land, as we feel responsible even though we weren’t the ones who caused the destruction.”
*The devastation will take years of back-breaking effort to repair,* the opposing entity replied. *With the large number of flesh forms destroyed along with the land, there is but one way it may be done. Let those who are responsible for the thing now be set to repairing it.*
Jovvi exchanged a glance with the others, their expressions telling her that they understood exactly what the entity meant. It was harsh and cruel, but a perfectly fitting punishment to suit the crime.
“We’ll have to discuss how it’s to be done, but we have no objection to your idea,” she said with a sigh.
The entity sent an indication of its satisfaction, and then continued to help Lorand strengthen Tamma. Jovvi simply closed her eyes, wondering if guilt would set in once she’d had enough sleep to turn her human again. The threat of war seemed to be over, but the price of peace would be the enslavement of every member of the former nobility.
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
I thought I wanted nothing more to do with this journal, but now that I’ve finally had enough sleep and a few decent meals, I’ve agreed to finish what I began. But I couldn’t have done the parts where I came so close to dying, so it was a good thing Rion rode—or wrote—to my rescue. It was proper that he be the one, as he and I were the two who were most changed after joining the group. In that way he and I have something of a closer bond than the others do, a positive accomplishment we share in that both of us are better people for the change. Or at least I hope I’m a better person than I was…
When I finally woke up, it was to find the entire group clustered around my bed. Every face wore the silliest smile I’d ever seen, but at least no one asked me how I felt.
“Well, now we know why I saw what I did about you,” Naran said instead, her own expression wry. “How much power you were able to handle had only a little to do with it.”
“That last effort drained you too far,” Jovvi amplified when I looked at Naran with confusion. “You were able to shield our former enemy as well as the rest of us from that mistaken attack, but in doing so you were taken right up to the brink of life and death. If the Astindans hadn’t made the effort to help… Well, I’d prefer not to even think about it.”
“None of us wants to think about it,” Lorand said, his arm around Jovvi. “If I’d had to stand there and let you die… I never would have gotten over it, and neither would any of the rest of us. The Astindans saved more lives than just yours.”
“Which is odd, when you consider what they came here to do,” Rion put in, his own arm around Naran. “But you look as though you could use more sleep, just as soon as you eat the food we’ve brought. We can talk about this again once you’remore like your usual self.”
Through the confusion and vagueness surrounding me, the word “food” had no trouble getting my attention. I did feel absolutely hollow, so I ate the meal they’d brought —with Vallant’s arm firmly around me.
The next time I awoke it was the following day, and I finally found it possible to remember everything I should have. I knew Vallant had spent most of the time in the bed next to me, holding my hand, but right now the room held me alone. So I got up and washed and dressed, then wandered downstairs to find something to fill the new hollow nesting in my insides. When some of our people noticed me, I was whisked to the dining room, seated at the table, then stuffed to bursting with what seemed like everything the kitchen must have held. Only when I could barely move did they relent and let me go, telling me that the others were outside overseeing what was going on.
Since I had no idea about what was going on, I went outside to see what could be taking everyone’s attention so thoroughly. I remember walking out the front door, expecting nothing but the sight of the large and pretty grounds around the house—but found utter chaos instead of peace and quiet. There seemed to be hundreds of people standing around in small groups with guardsmen ranged everywhere to watch them, and most of the people in the groups were hysterical in one way or another.
“I’m almost tempted to feel sorry for them,” Vallant’s voice came, and I turned to see him approaching me from the di
rection of the stables with a tender smile on his face. “You’relookin’ a lot better, love. Are you sure you’restrong enough to be out here?”
“I was just wondering that myself,” I replied, immediately stepping closer to the arm he was in the midst of putting around me. “I don’t understand what’s happening.”
“We’ve begun to make good on the agreement we have with the Astindans,” he answered, just the flicker of unease in his light and beautiful eyes. “Their country is in ruins because of what our armies did, and too many of their people were killed along with the land. If they have to work to bring the land back alive by themselves, a lot more of their people will end up dyin’ before they’ll be able to do it. That’s why we’ve agreed to let them have the people responsible for their trouble as workers, to use them in the rebuildin’ and get it done that much faster. And in a manner of speakin’, the Astindans are doin’ us a favor by takin’ them.”
“Of course,” I breathed, finally making sense of what I saw. “Those people are our former nobles, and that’s why so many of them are having hysterics and trying to demand their ‘rights.’ But why are they here? Is this the only place anyone can think of to put them?”
“We brought some of the Astindans here as our guests, so it’s as good a place as any,” Jovvi said as she and the others came up in time to hear my question. “We offered to let them use the house to … interview their newest workers, but they decided that the stables would be more fitting. They feel that these people need to get used to the conditions they’ll be working under as quickly as possible, since they aren’t being put under total control. The Astindans are simply making them obey any orders given them by proper authority—meaning someone other than each other—and also making it impossible for them to run away. Aside from that, they’ll be fully aware of what they’ll be made to do.”