“I don’t know if I want to strangle you or embrace you,” Leodos said, ruffling her hair. It seemed like he was finally calming towards the girl and warming up.
“I’m sure you’ll be wanting to strangle me again soon. All you do is fuss at me.”
“Because you’re always doing things you know you’re not supposed to be doing. Bastan and the other three men wanted to ask you something. Now that you’re in a better mood, maybe they can ask you and you not run off again.”
Volaris was even more confused. Somehow, the girl had said something that got Leodos and Esylle to confess their feelings for each other and he couldn’t see how when everything the princes did towards her confused her. He had no idea what the humans could possibly want from her. Did they want her blessing to go back to the other humans to fight against the tribes? They knew things they could tell the other humans about her and if they tried, Volaris knew he would have to kill them before they left. He didn’t want to hurt them because they had protected her so far.
He watched as the three human men came and sat by her. They seemed unsure of themselves. She seemed to be in a better mood and was smiling when she asked them what they wanted. Her smile faltered when the man with black hair and dark eyes that they called Bastan asked her to change him like she had changed Tollam. It went to a complete frown when the other three men chimed in that they also wanted the same thing.
She argued that she didn’t know how and she didn’t think they knew what they were asking. He didn’t want to risk her running off again and suggested she try and learn with them. She shot him a look and rather than yell at her, Leodos tried to calm her. Leodos told her he talked to all three men when she left and this is what they wanted. They would view this as a gift, not a curse.
“Do you know what form you would take? When Volaris helped me when I changed Tollam, I got the impression that the decision had to be made right away or it would be chosen for you. Have you talked to the tribes enough to know which one you would want to join? I still don’t know how to do it, but I can try.”
Volaris was surprised when the dark-eyed man admitted he wanted to fly like the Farkhi and would accept whatever form Volaris chose for him. Volaris knew they would accept him as one of their own. Volaris told him that he knew the humans and would make a good spy, but that he was also a soldier and would make a good bird of prey. He told him he would leave the decision to him.
Soryn refused to even try until Volaris called Fluvis and Terros over to their fire to discuss the form the other two men would take and if they would be accepted into the tribes they chose. She seemed surprised when Mafir wanted to join the Tarks and Kibal wanted to run like she did and there was no objection from Fluvis nor Terros. Both men noticed she seemed unsure and tried to say something to convince her this was best.
Terros seemed less angry and frustrated with her than this morning. Rather than yell at her like he always did, he told her gently that she had done well with Gritt and he was sure she would do the same with these men. Fluvis always gave both Volaris and Terros looks like he thought they were too hard on her and he reassured her that they would accept and teach Mafir their ways.
“I know you all want this, but I still don’t know how without getting upset again. What if I hurt everyone instead?”
“As much as I dislike it when you use your Tempris abilities against us, you’re getting better at controlling it,” Terros told her.
Volaris watched as the girl narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously and asked him why he was being so nice to her now. Volaris didn’t think Terros was ever going to calm down towards the girl and just looking at her seemed to send him into a rage. Volaris didn’t know what had calmed him towards the girl either.
“The Theran women made you look more like you are supposed to and you did well this morning with Gritt. I was angry with you when you left again, but you only seem to be able to use your gifts when your emotions are high.”
Volaris still thought she would look better with the Farkhi face paint and the girl looked bewildered again. “How does drawing on my eyes make you less angry with me and make Oris look at me the way Leodos looks at Esylle? Everything they did to me seemed silly.”
“You look more like a Theran queen and less like a child now. I thought your mother explained this to you.”
“I don’t see why what I look like matters,” she muttered.
“And now you look like a child again. You need to learn how to change these men.”
She sighed and inched over to Bastan. She seemed unsure and didn’t seem to know what she was supposed to do. She reached out and placed both of her hands on his shoulders and he could see her squint her eyes in concentration. She was concentrating so hard Volaris thought she may go up in flames again, but she released Bastan and blew out a sigh.
“I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know how I did it the other times.”
“Think. What were you thinking and feeling when you did it before?” Terros said. He wasn’t getting angry with her this time, he was trying to help her instead of getting in Volaris’ way and running her off again.
“I was upset or angry when I did it before. Tollam was going to kill me when I changed him. If I’m supposed to do this, why do I have to be in danger or upset to do it? Are you going to make me angry every time you want me to change something?”
Volaris didn’t know what to say to her. He saw Terros screw up his face in confusion. Fluvis just looked at her sadly like he always did. Getting her angry to change things worked, but they couldn’t keep doing this. She had to learn to do it on her own. He was surprised when Esylle had a solution.
“You have a Tempris temper and human emotions. Those came from me and I understand them. I don’t like that you have to be the Spirus and can’t just be my daughter, but maybe the gifts I gave you are how you need to change them.”
“How, without someone getting me angry?”
“Did Belisarus not teach you the heart flower? He taught me from a young age because it took so long to learn. He said it was the most important thing I could learn.”
The girl looked at her mother sadly. “Then why didn’t he teach me? If that’s how I’m supposed to do this, why did he only teach me to hide?”
“Maybe I’m supposed to teach you now. He taught me things he didn’t teach you and he taught you a few things he didn’t teach me. Before they continue with these lessons with you on changing things, maybe we need to have lessons, you and me?”
“If you are starting over and teaching me things from scratch, we need to move again. We’ve stayed here too long and there’s not enough time today,” the girl said, standing and motioning for everyone to leave.
Volaris at least had hope now that there was a solution. If this heart flower was the solution to her using her gifts, he wondered why it was taught to Esylle and not Soryn. He left to gather his tribe while the other kings left to get theirs and they began to walk.
Neptis
Neptis didn’t think he would ever get a chance to know the girl. Oris had taken her to the Theran and they had painted her face. She had been with a few of the Farkhi this entire time. They were walking again and had finally reached the ocean. He yearned to go back into the sea and all of this walking was quite taxing.
He watched as Soryn and Sono came back from gathering food and were joined at their fire by her mother and Joron. He finally had an idea and went and sat with them. There were fewer people around her now and he could talk to her.
“I thought I could take you swimming now that we are finally at the ocean,” he told her.
“I’ve never swum in the sea before. We only had a small pond for me to swim in and I was told I had to take the boats and not swim to get here. What’s it like?”
“If you’ll come with me after we eat, I’ll take you. There are things under the water I’m sure you haven’t seen and maybe you will find new things to eat.”
He was relieved when she smiled at him now th
at she was finally starting to relax around everyone. She told him she could only turn into small things when she swam at home, but there was something from the stories she was told she wanted to see if she could do. She told him she was told stories of beautiful creatures that were part human and part fish that would lure humans to their deaths. He didn’t want to tell her it was just a story when she asked if he had ever seen them, so instead he told her maybe she could create them.
“I liked those stories. I could never try because the pond was too small, but I want to see if I can make myself like that when I swim with you. What do you swim as?”
“A shark. If you try to swim with me as half human, I’ll be much larger than you.”
She only shrugged and said she would change like him if she couldn’t keep up with him. He smiled to himself as he watched her try to finish her dinner quickly so they could leave. He should have known everyone would flock to them when they attempted to leave. He didn’t know who would speak first or if she would get angry again and run off. He was surprised when Oris spoke first and hoped they wouldn’t fight in front of her.
“Where do you think you are taking her? It’s not safe for her out there. You can’t risk her.”
Neptis was about to speak that he was just taking her swimming when she stepped in front of him. “Don’t speak for me. If the humans come, they can’t get to me if I’m swimming.”
“And the rest of us? Who is supposed to protect us if you’re playing in the water with him?”
“You just don’t want me to leave with him,” she snapped. “Use your nose. The only humans nearby are the ones that are with us. None of the Farkhi have flown back saying they are close!” Neptis was surprised when she grasped his hand and led him away from everyone towards the ocean. She no longer appeared angry as they stood at the water’s edge with the waves.
“Please show me. I was never allowed growing up and I’ve always wanted to know what it was like to swim freely.”
“Come,” he said, taking her by the hand and leading her to deeper waters. When the water was lapping at their necks, he told her to change. He was going to wait until she did before he changed himself. He was surprised when she laughed.
“I didn’t know if I could do this, but I already have!” she said, laughing. She dove under the water and he was surprised to see a tail flip instead of her legs. Her head popped back up when he didn’t change and join her under the water. She asked him what he was waiting for.
“I’ve never seen anything like what you are now. I don’t know how fast you can swim. Can you breathe underwater with a human face?”
“I just tried and I can. If I can’t keep up with you, I’ll change like you. I want to be able to touch things while I’m under. Come join me!” she yelped, diving back under the water.
He was pleased to have found something to excite her, even if they couldn’t talk while they were underwater. He dipped his head under the water and let himself change. He knew she had never seen a shark up close before and initially hoped he wouldn’t frighten her with his rows of teeth, but she didn’t seem to be scared of anything.
She appeared in front of him and seemed a little surprised, but not scared of him. He let himself be still while her hands explored his rough skin. She wasn’t scared and she even touched his teeth. She smiled and motioned for him to swim with her. He wasn’t like her underwater and couldn’t communicate with her like she was doing with him. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to lead her and show her things when she swam by him and grabbed his fin so that he could pull her.
He took her deeper and showed her the colorful coral and the fish that grew there. She let go and swam over, but seemed to know she shouldn’t touch anything. She was smiling as she swam over the reef. The smaller fish, who had never seen anything like her, weren’t afraid of her. He kept his distance, as not to scare them off, and watched her smile grow bigger as they darted in and out of her hair and one even got close enough to nibble on her nose. The fish at the reef were not Tark, but they seemed to know she was special and swarmed around her, playing in her long red hair.
She swam back over to him and took his fin again and he led her into deeper waters. He took her to one of the Tarks greatest battles during the war with the humans. They didn’t fight on land with the other tribes, but they were able to bring several of the human’s ships down as more of them began to appear during the wars.
She was small enough to swim in and he stayed close and tried to watch while she went exploring. He wanted to bring her back up and warn her not to cut herself on anything because there couldn’t be blood in the water with her like that. It would bring other sharks that weren’t like him and he didn’t know if he could fight all of them off.
He was relieved when she swam out and made like she was going to the surface. He met her and she had the biggest smile on her face that melted his heart.
“If creatures like what I am now don’t exist, how are those ships down there?”
He mentioned getting back to shore. She ducked back underwater and he slipped back under and changed. He was much faster than she was in the form she was in. She grabbed his fin again and let him pull her to shallow waters. He suggested making a fire so she didn’t get sick, but she only laughed at him again. He watched as she closed her eyes and the water began to steam off of her until she was dry again.
“You forget I’m like you, but different. If you trust me, I can dry you too.”
“I’m used to being wet,” he said, sitting next to her. “Those ships are our history. During the wars, we cannot do much fighting on land. We were able to bring several of their ships down when they were trying to bring more humans here during the wars. Some of them went down naturally because of weather, but some we were able to sink with just our gifts.”
“He only told me enough about the wars to make me scared of the humans. The ones that are with us now are not bad men. I didn’t know they were going to ask me to change them, nor that your father or the other men would accept them, being who they are. I don’t know if there will be more ships this time and if they will expect you to fight on land.”
“The men that traveled with you have proven themselves to us and we welcome them. I don’t know what is supposed to happen next. I don’t know if we are expected to fight now that you are here.”
She looked disappointed that he had brought up what she was supposed to do and mentioned up getting back. She thanked him for showing her the ocean. At first, he thought he had ruined the entire night, but she asked if they could swim together again as they were walking back.
Esylle
They were up early and moving soon after they ate that morning. Esylle wasn’t sure when she was supposed to be teaching Lisana and she hadn’t brought it up. Esylle was having trouble getting near her now that she had spent some time alone with all of the princes and they had all gotten worse about competing for her attention.
Neptis and Oris walked behind her scowling as she walked with Sono. Esylle was walking behind her holding Leodos’ arm and leaning into him as she always had done. He had stolen several kisses now that they knew their feelings towards each other, but they hadn’t been able to be alone yet because of where they were. She was glad Leodos was calming towards her if they married after this and he would be her new father.
“I don’t know what those three are going to do if she chooses none of them because they won’t behave around her,” he whispered, leaning down towards her.
“I don’t know what she will do if they try to choose for her. She grew up thinking she would never leave Idric and I don’t think she ever considered marriage until she got here and those boys started throwing themselves at her. I’ve tried to explain it to her, but I don’t think she likes it. She’s getting used to the idea of who she is to them and it’s nice to see her finally smiling and relaxing.”
Leodos asked her why she thought the heart flower was the answer to Soryn being able to change things if Belisarus neve
r taught her how. Esylle explained to him something she had been thinking since she got her raven. She was starting to think that he never taught her how to use her gifts and only how to stay hidden because he didn’t want her to be the Spirus, like Esylle did. Maybe he stayed in denial about who she was and intended on keeping her there forever. If he was her grandfather, maybe he just wanted her to be a normal child, like Esylle did. That was the only reason she could think of that he lied to her for so long and only taught her to hide.
She didn’t know what had changed to make him send her out into the world that Esylle finally got to meet her again. Knowing Lisana now a little, she didn’t know if it was her constant questions and fiery temper or if something else changed. Esylle was glad he managed to convince her to come when she was refusing since he had spent so much time teaching her to fear everything.
“Despite all the headaches she has caused me on this journey, I’m glad she’s with you again,” Leodos told her. “She’s getting used to the idea and relaxing around you. I want to marry you if you’ll have me when this is over and I want her to get used to me too.”
“Of course, I’ll have you,” she said, pulling him down for a kiss. She yearned for just a few moments alone with him.
“She’s watching,” he murmured in her ear. Esylle looked up and she was looking behind her with the same impish look on her face when she came back to the fire and saw them together. She may not seem to want to marry, but she wanted Leodos and Esylle together because they reminded her of her stories. She smiled at the girl and was relieved when she smiled back.
The girl stopped and suggested they find food. When she moved to disappear with Sono, Neptis stopped her and suggested there was a Tark stew he could make her. Esylle watched Sono go to object, then look upset when she disappeared with Neptis. Frog couldn’t swim with them and came at sat by Esylle, Leodos, and Sono.
The Spirus Page 19
