by Pedro Urvi
“Apothecary… help…” he managed to articulate.
“What’s the matter?”
“Come with me quickly!”
“But what’s happened? Is it an accident?”
He pulled at Idana’s arm, his face twisted with worry. “My family. We have to help them.”
“All right,” she said, “take me to them.” She feared an accident. The Senoca were expanding into the neighboring territories; in their urge to build and develop they did not always take account of the risks, and accidents were liable to occur.
“Where are they?” Oltas asked.
“Behind the woods to the west, by the river.”
“Right. I know the place. Come on.”
The group followed the young man, who immediately started to run towards the forest. They crossed the woods and raced down to an area of open land by the river, and what they found left Idana speechless.
“By Oxatsi!” cried Oltas, and the warriors readied their weapons.
“What… what’s happened to them?” Idana stammered.
Tears were running down the young man’s cheeks. “I don’t know. I found them like that.”
Standing before them were his father, mother and two sisters. They were unmoving, frozen alive, like statues of ice.
“They… they’re… frozen…” muttered Oltas in amazement.
Idana went closer to them and examined them. It was true, they were frozen where they stood. Judging by the position of their bodies and the expressions on their faces, they had not even realized the fact.
“You will save them, won’t you?” the young man begged.
Idana smiled at him. “I’ll do all I can. We’ll need some wood, for a fire.”
“Sure!” the young man cried, and ran off to fetch some.
“Fire?” repeated Oltas. “Do you really believe…?”
“No. There’s nothing we can do for them. Now listen to me carefully. It’s very important. I want you to run to the New Shelter and raise the alarm. Do it quietly and make them all follow the proper procedure.”
“The alarm? In the whole New Shelter?”
“Yes. It wasn’t a Man who did this. This is the work of a God.”
Oltas stared at her, wide-eyed. He looked back at the family who had been frozen alive, and finally understood. “I’ll do as you say.”
“One more thing. Send trackers. There’s a God inside our Boundary.”
He stared at her with sunken eyes and deep unease in his voice. “They’ve found us?”
“Yes. That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“Are they coming?”
“They will, very soon.”
“Right, I’ll go at once. And you? What are you going to do?”
“Ask for help.”
A long way away from the New Shelter, in the west of the continent, Kyra emerged from the portal and fell to the ground, writhing in pain. She waited for the unpleasant feeling to pass, then got to her feet. Ikai and Albana were watching her. They had crossed a moment before and had already recovered.
“What now?” Albana asked.
Kyra pointed upwards. “Now we go up to the upper chamber of the temple, and from there out to the surface. Well, to a lake above the temple. So get ready for a dip.”
“Let’s get a move on,” said Ikai. “If this is the only Temple close to a Portal, maybe the Golden will have used it to get here as well.”
“And they might use it again.” added Albana.
“Do you think they’re following us?”
“We left them busy with the fire, but as soon as they’ve got it under control they’ll come for us.”
“Then let’s get out of here.”
The three set off at a run and soon reached the surface. Just as Kyra had warned them, they emerged in the middle of the lake. They swam to the shore and without wasting a moment looking back, disappeared into a forest. Night overtook them a long way from the temple, and they stopped in a clearing by a group of massive boulders with a brook running between them. They drank and dropped wearily to the ground, at the end of their strength. Ikai and Albana gazed at each other, hand in hand, but were unable to say a single word. Kyra gazed up at the moon between the clouds, and her eyes closed. The events of the last few days, and their escape, had exhausted them. They slept until dawn, when the singing and fluttering of birds woke them up.
Kyra felt she needed another week’s sleep.
Ikai mimed distaste at his own smell. “I’m going to take a bath. I need it,”
She smiled. They all stank. “And Albana?”
“She’s gone to check nobody’s following us. She’ll be back shortly.”
Kyra nodded and got up slowly. Her brother wandered off looking for deeper water and when he found it, he dove in.
She scanned their surroundings. It was an attractive green landscape, full of life. It smelt of resin and leaf-mould. Suddenly the bracelet on her right hand started to vibrate. She narrowed her eyes and looked at it in surprise. The communication bracelet… that’s strange. It must be bad news. We’re not supposed to use them to communicate, unless it’s something really serious… She took out her disc and got ready to receive the message. The disc of Power gave off a flash. Someone was trying to communicate. Something’s going wrong. Who can it be? Idana? Her stomach began to turn, and she cursed at being unable to control her nerves. The bracelet vibrated and the disc flashed again almost simultaneously. A silhouette began to take shape amid a gray mist. It was not a mental message, it was a manifestation. Now she was really nervous. The figure finished taking shape before her eyes. Kyra recognized it and cried out: “Adamis!”
“Greetings, my princess,” the Golden Prince said. His eyes were shining with the intensity of the love he felt.
“Adamis, how wonderful to see you!”
“I am even happier to see you are well. What happened to your hair?”
She put her hand to her head, the area that had been burnt. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you another time. I can’t believe you’re right here in front of me. You have no idea how much I’ve missed you! I so wanted to see you!”
“And so have I, my love.”
Suddenly Kyra realized something, and fear took hold of her heart. “Wait. Are you all right? What’s happening? Why are you making contact?”
Adamis made a calming gesture. “Do not worry, I am fine, there is nothing wrong with me.”
“Are you sure? You’re not lying to me? We agreed to make contact only if things were really dangerous…”
“I am not lying to you, I am fine. The situation is dangerous, but not for me. It is for you, for Men. That is the reason I am contacting you. To warn you.”
Kyra stared at his eyes, trying to read her beloved’s soul. Something was not right.
“Where are you? You’re not safe, getting better with Aruma, are you?”
Once again he repeated his soothing gesture.
“I will tell you everything. I do not have much time, they might intercept the message, so I will come straight to the point. You must promise me that you will not lose your temper. We have very little time. You must restrain yourself. Promise me.”
She nodded. “All right, then. Go ahead.”
He told her, briefly and precisely, what he had been through and the information he had discovered since they had parted. When he finished he noticed that she was making a superhuman effort to control her anger.
“You’re in the Eternal City! In the lion’s den!”
“Kyra…”
She sighed deeply, then stamped her foot and at last managed to calm down.
“When we’re together, you’re going to have to listen to me.”
Adamis smiled and bent his head.
“You must warn everybody. The Golden are sending an army of gods to finish off all Men. There will be Gods from all Five Houses. It is a maneuver by the High Kings to gain time while they complete their plan.”
Kyra nodded. “I’ll warn everyb
ody. Don’t worry.”
He smiled at her and blew her a kiss.
“I love you, my conceited Prince.”
“And I love you, my rebellious shrew.”
She reached out her hand to touch him, and he did the same with his own until they almost touched.
“I’d give anything to be with you,” she said.
“And so would I, my love.”
“And now you’re going to tell me that we can’t, that there are more important things than our own happiness at stake, that we must make sacrifices and fight for the good of our own people.”
“I did not say that, you did…”
She wrinkled her nose and made a face. “Hell!” she muttered.
Adamis smiled sweetly at her in return. His beautiful face shone with the Golden luster.
“Don’t smile at me like that, or I’ll lose my head.”
“I smile at you with the happiness and love I feel for you. I cannot help myself. When I am with you I am happy.”
“And me with you. You fill my heart. I want to hold you, touch you… kiss you…” She reached out further and the image blinked. Her hand passed through his. She heaved a deep sigh, filled with melancholy and frustration, and let her arms fall.
“So do I. There is nothing I wish more than to hold you in my arms. But this is not the moment.”
Stubbornly, she shook her head.
“You know I am right. We owe ourselves to the cause we fight for. We cannot allow ourselves to be carried away by selfishness, no matter how much we love each other, no matter how much we may long to be together.”
“I preferred you when you were an unbearable Golden Prince. Now you’re worse than my brother.”
Adamis laughed. I shall take that as a compliment.”
“I know you’re right, but I wish it weren’t so.”
“We must be strong, the end is near. We must save our people from the terrible end that is coming.”
Kyra stood tall and looked straight at his eyes. “I won’t fail you.”
His gaze lingered on her an instant. “I know, little shrew. Now I must go.”
“No…”
“Soon we will be together.”
“Promise me you’ll survive. Promise me we’ll be together.”
He nodded slowly. “I promise.”
His image blurred, then disappeared completely, leaving her engulfed in sadness. A flock of blue-feathered birds flew over her head, and she stared up at them.
“For freedom!” she cried.
A moment later Ikai came back. His hair was wet and he looked refreshed.
“Who were you talking to?”
“To Adamis. He contacted me. We’re in serious trouble.”
Ikai’s face turned somber. He readied himself for the bad news.
“Well, that makes a change,” came Albana’s sarcastic comment. They turned toward the trees and saw her appear. “The day we get good news, we’ll die of shock.” She smiled ironically.
“Are we being followed?” Ikai asked.
Albana shook her head. “What did Adamis say to you?” she asked.
Kyra told them. When she had finished, Albana snorted. Ikai was silent in thought, weighing up the implications of his sister’s news.
Suddenly the bracelets on their right hands began to vibrate. Kyra turned to Ikai, who looked back in surprise.
“Another communication,” she said.
He shook his head. He knew it would be more bad news. Brother and sister took out their discs. The bracelets vibrated and the discs flashed. A human form appeared between them. Kyra and Ikai waited anxiously for it to become recognizable. Finally the image vibrated and Idana appeared before them.
“Idana!” Kyra cried. “Are you all right?”
Their friend nodded.
“And the New Shelter?” Ikai asked worriedly.
“It’s fine for the moment. But I fear it won’t be for long.”
“If you’ve got in touch,” Albana said, “it must be something serious. What is it?”
“They’re coming,” Idana replied, and the three understood at once.
She told them what she had seen. The New Shelter was in a state of Alert. All the Senoca had armed themselves and gone into hiding, as they had agreed they would should this situation ever come up.
“Adamis has confirmed that the Golden are sending an army,” Kyra told her.
“Oh no! That’s dreadful! I was hoping it was a false alarm. That there might be some other explanation…”
“No,” Ikai said. “They’ve found us, and they’re going to attack soon.”
“We need to get ready,” said Albana.
“We’re going to need help,” Idana said sadly. “All the help we can get…”
“Very true,” said Ikai. “It’s time to call on our friends, to unite all Men and fight for our survival.”
“We’ll go and get them,” said Kyra.
Albana was looking at the natural world around them. “And not only Men. We need to warn Aruma and the Children of Arutan.”
“We can’t afford to lose a single moment,” said Ikai. “We’ll set off right now. We’ll meet at the New Shelter.”
“Hurry,” Idana begged them, her eyes deep-sunk with worry.
Ikai was turning over the possibilities in his mind. “We’ll take everyone through the Portals.”
“It’ll be complicated,” said Albana. “There are a lot of us, and the temples are narrow.”
“We won’t make it in time any other way. It would take us forever to reach the New Shelter on foot. The People of the Highlands and the West are too far away. It would take them months.”
“You’re right, brother. It might be difficult to organize, but it’s the only way.”
“Cross first with just a few, to show them the way,” Ikai suggested. “Then go back to the Portal to make sure they all cross over. That’s the most complicated part. Once they know the way, the first ones will guide the rest.”
“Sounds good,” Albana said. “We’ll do it like that, then,”
“By Oxatsi,” Idana put in, “don’t waste time. I have a bad feeling about this.”
Ikai looked her straight in the eye. “Idana, I know it’s a lot to ask…”
She nodded. “I’ll hold out till you get here. I won’t let them destroy the New Shelter, and the Senoca with it.”
“Thank you… I know you hate conflict and bloodshed. ”
“I’m the Leader of the Senoca in your absence. I’ll do my duty. Don’t you worry.”
Kyra smiled at her. “You get stronger by the day. Soon you’ll come to like being leader.”
Idana shook her head. “Not in the least. I hate it, all the harsh decisions make me feel sick, but we’ve been through a lot, and it teaches you to learn some courage and keep going. If I’m forced to make difficult choices, then make them I will.”
“Good for you!” Albana said.
“If the Gods arrive,” Ikai said, “keep them busy, don’t let them reach the New Shelter until we get there or else we won’t stand a chance.”
“Understood. I’ll do that. I won’t fail.”
“Good luck!” they wished her.
She smiled at them with her natural gentleness. The image began to fade, then disappeared.
A moment later Kyra was saying goodbye to her brother and Albana.
“Be very careful,” Ikai told her.
“And you too, brother,” she replied with a smile, and set off at a run.
Ikai gave a sigh of deep concern.
“Nothing’ll happen to her,” Albana reassured him. “She’s like a whirlwind. Nobody’ll be able to stop her.”
He nodded, but every time he saw his sister leave he felt it might be the last.
Albana smiled sadly. “Time to say goodbye,” she said.
He looked into her black eyes. Taking her by the waist and drawing her towards him, he kissed her whole-heartedly.
“I see you’re going to miss me,” she
said, her eyes shining with joy and passion.
“Look after yourself. Come back to me safe and sound.”
She smiled at him with real amusement. “I’m always very careful,”
“I know perfectly well you’re nothing of the sort. That’s why I’m asking you. Don’t take any risks, and come back to me.”
She smiled and gave him a kiss brimming with love and passion. Without another word she winked at him and ran off towards the woods.
Ikai let out his breath in a long sigh. “The beginning of the end,” he murmured, and set off in his turn.
Chapter 27
Adamis left the temple and took cover in the shadows. They had a small boat hidden not far away at a nearby pier, and he made his way towards it. He had to dodge several patrols: not Custodians, but Soldiers of the House of Water. Sormacus was right, the army was patrolling the streets. Adamis could not remember having seen anything like this in all his years as Prince of the House of Ether.
Suddenly Ariadne’s pearl vibrated again. He laid it on the palm of his hand and focused. A message came to his mind.
“The High Chamber.”
“What is going on, Ariadne?”
“I cannot explain, I am in danger.”
“Asu?”
“Go to the High Chamber, Adamis.”
A voice sounded behind Ariadne, and reached Adamis through the pearl.
“What are you doing? Who are you communicating with?”
“No one, Lord Erre. You are mistaken.”
“Yes, I am indeed mistaken. About you, you bitch!”
The sound of a blow reached Adamis.
“Ariadne! Are you all right?” he asked in alarm.
There was only silence. The communication was dead.
Adamis sighed. The risks the Children of Arutan ran were enormous. Thank you, Ariadne. I hope this information has not cost you your life. Unfortunately he had the feeling that it might have done just that.
It took him an eternity, and he had great difficulty in dodging the patrols and reaching the center of the Eternal City, where the giant monolith which fed Power to the city rose to the skies. Under its base: The High Chamber, the place where the Five High Kings met and ruled the destiny of the Golden. Enveloped in a blurred mist, he came out of the water and approached the building warily. He had been forced to leave the boat because of the impossibility of avoiding the patrol in the grand canal as he approached the central monolith. He had had to use a great deal of Power in order to travel through water surrounded by the misty blurriness. At another time this would have been a source of worry, but not anymore. His days were numbered; consuming Power and shortening his life in the process was now totally unimportant.
