The Spirus

by JB Trepagnier

  Sono was at the bed in seconds when he heard her take a gasp of air. They were all crowded around the bed at once hoping she would wake up. When her eyes fluttered open and she saw Sono by her bedside, she lifted one burnt arm and hand and touched his cheek.

  “Did you stay here all night while I was sleeping?” she asked, trying to smile. It looked like it was hurting her.

  “I slept in the chair. I couldn’t leave you while you were like this. Watching you at the door was awful and we didn’t know what was happening.”

  “Sono brought up food in case you woke up,” Leodos said, bringing her a bowl in bed.

  “I never want to see anything like that again and I think you should leave this place. I don’t think it’s safe for you,” Esylle told her.

  She ate and didn’t comment. She ate several bowls of food before she was healed. He wasn’t there when she healed herself the other times and wasn’t looking at his hand when she was healing him. He was surprised to watch the blisters scab up, fall off, and heal while her skin became its normal color instead of a burnt red. He touched her face because it looked like she had never been injured. “I’m sure that was even more uncomfortable than when you healed my hand. I don’t know how you keep doing it.”

  “Why didn’t you tell us it felt bad when you heal?” Leodos asked.

  “I didn’t think it was important.”

  “I want to know when you’re hurt and uncomfortable. Now that you’re healed, we should leave.”

  “I was able to open that door for a reason. I’m supposed to be here. I know you don’t like seeing me hurt and I didn’t know what was happening to me while I was trying to open it, but there are answers for me here.”

  “Do you think I liked watching my child scream in pain and not be able to breathe? Do you think I want to see that again?”

  “I think….I think I was meant to experience what it was like to die by everything I can do. My bones broke when the wings came out and I experienced what it was like to drown. When my hands changed, it felt like when the bear cut me. I’ve never been burnt like that before, but now I know what it’s like when the rest of you are around me when I’m angry. It felt like it was killing me before it stopped, but I think that was what was supposed to happen. It was supposed to teach me what it’s like to not be able to do what I can do.”

  “There are other ways to teach you without nearly killing you!”

  He watched her get out of bed and it looked like she was still in pain, even though he had watched her heal. He helped her up and asked her if she was still hurt. She reminded him she could only heal injuries, not being tired or having headaches. She couldn’t do anything at all to fix how she was feeling after Leodos gave her spirits. Esylle fussed she should stay in bed until she felt better and commented again they should leave. Soryn was moving around, just slowly.

  “This room seems familiar somehow, like I’ve been here before. How did I end up here?”

  “I carried you in here. It was the only door that opened when I kicked it. I was trying to find the closest bed to put you in after what you had just gone through.”

  “I’ve been here before, but I don’t know how. I know the tapestry above the bed, but I can’t remember ever seeing it before. Belisarus never showed it to me. He never showed me tapestries. I should go out and see if I can find out anything else.”

  “You need to get back in bed,” Esylle snapped at her.

  “If you want to know why I can’t just be your daughter and have to be what I am, I need to leave this room and find out. You’ve been telling me you don’t understand why I couldn’t just be your child. Your answers are here.”

  Sono thought they were going to get into an argument in front of him and Esylle would do to her what she had done at their lesson that made her faint to keep her in bed. Sono knew if he tried to stop her, Esylle could burn him in the process. When Esylle made a move towards her, Soryn stopped her.

  “You can’t threaten to take my fire every time you don’t want me doing something. Eventually, I will figure out how to fight you off.”

  Esylle blew out a sigh. “I know you don’t like it, but that’s how it’s done with the Tempris. My father did it to me when I was growing up. If you had been raised with me, you’d be used to it now. If I can prevent you from being hurt, I’ll do what you don’t want me doing.”

  “If you want me to stay here and not go back to Idric if I survive, then stop threatening me. I’ve already experienced what it’s like to die yesterday. Maybe it was preparing me because I’m supposed to. If you don’t lose me one way, you may another,” she said, stalking out the room.

  Sono was on her heels and could feel Leodos and Esylle behind him. He could hear Leodos whispering to Esylle trying to calm her. Sono didn’t like what she had just said either and was trying not to let her see it upset him. He didn’t want her going back to Idric and he certainly didn’t want her to die. She seemed to know where she was going down the hallway, even though she was passed out when she came down them the first time. She led them all to the large corridor they had all initially came through. She stopped and he nearly ran into the back of her. She was staring at the large stone throne. He couldn’t help it and wrapped his arms around her waist and asked her what she saw.

  “That used to be mine. I don’t know if sitting on it will tell me what I need to know or do what the door did.”

  “You’re going to sit on it anyway, aren’t you? Even if it hurts you and everyone else watching you. What if you can die here like before?”

  “The door didn’t kill me. It was just showing me what it was like to die. I think it was preparing me because I’m supposed to die when this is over. It was teaching me what it was like to be normal and have powers like mine used against me.”

  “Do you think anyone who has met you so far is going to let you die?”

  “I don’t think you will be able to stop it. I was only sent for one reason. You need to call everyone out in case something happens when I sit in that chair. If it does, don’t do anything. Hold my mother and Leodos back if you have to. Whatever happens, let it play out until it is over.”

  Esylle descended on her, fussing that she didn’t think she should go anywhere near that chair. Sono could hear them arguing as he left. He found his father first. His father was concerned about the girl and before he could tell him anything, he had to assure him that she was able to heal herself, aside from feeling bad. Sono explained to him that she was starting to remember who she was and what she was wanting to do. Volaris reminded him it took four Farkhi to hold the tall man back and told him to prepare men to do it again if the chair did what the door did to her. Sono explained why she thought the door did what it did and she was now sure she was supposed to die.

  Volaris saw his son looked upset and there really wasn’t anything he could say to Sono to make him feel better because they didn’t know what was supposed to happen to her when this was over either. They still didn’t know why she appeared this way. All Volaris would tell him was that maybe if she sat in the chair, they would find out why she came in this form and got a better answer about her future.

  When everyone had filled the corridor, they watched her approach the throne and some of the tribes were whispering they didn’t think they could watch what happened at the doors again. Some thought they should stop her. Sono noticed four of the larger Farkhi men go stand close to Leodos in case they needed to hold him back again. Two of the Tarks surrounded Esylle. They all watched as she slowly approached the throne. She seemed unsure of herself. She turned and faced everyone when she was close. She had never addressed everyone directly herself and normally Volaris spoke for her. She called out to everyone that whatever happened to her, to not stop it. She commanded them to do what was needed to keep her mother and Leodos away from her while she was in the chair. He looked over and saw Leodos eye the men around him, sizing them up to see if he could fight them off and get to her. Esylle turned to the men behind her and
told them if they stopped her, she would burn them. Volaris tried to warn her that if she got hurt trying to stop whatever would happen when she sat down, she didn’t heal like Soryn did. Esylle set her mouth in a grim line and still looked like she may hurt herself trying to save the girl.

  When it looked like everyone was settling down, the girl finally sat down. At first, it looked like nothing would happen and she could get up. She moved like she was about to when the room started shaking. Sono watched in horror as she was flung back against the chair and seemed to be held there, as if in chains. The room continued to shake and her violet eyes began to glow an intense white. He didn’t think he could look away, but he checked back to see what Leodos and Esylle were doing. Leodos wasn’t fighting this time, but looked like he was holding himself back from running to her. The Tarks were already trying to hold back Esylle and Sono swore when she burned them and made a move to run towards the girl. No one could stop her because of the heat. The Farkhi didn’t hold Leodos back when Esylle got close to the throne and a white light exploded from the girl, knocking Esylle back.

  Leodos was able to get close enough to bring her back to the rest of them. Sono knew he should be watching Soryn, but he went over while Joron and Leodos were checking on Esylle. There were no marks on her, but she appeared to be knocked unconscious by the blast. Soryn couldn’t heal that and she would have to wake up on her own. Leodos carried her out the room while they tried to watch the girl until the white light got bright enough that they could no longer look at her.

  When it got dim in the room again and the only light was the candle light, they all turned to look at her. The smell of resin filled the room and everyone was asking if she was fully formed now. Sono wasn’t sure. She still looked the same and she was slumped in the throne passed out again. Sono, Oris, and Neptis all went to her at once. They all stopped and looked at one another. Sono was still angry with Oris and didn’t want him near her.

  “You both spent all night with her. I know Sono was honorable when he was with her, but I still think you did something you knew you weren’t supposed to. Let me take care of her this time,” Neptis said.

  Sono stepped back and Oris looked like he wanted to fight Neptis. Sono pushed him back. “Let him take her. I stayed with her all night while she was recovering and you took her away from us when she was not herself. She won’t talk about what happened that night, but we both know you either forced her to do something when she couldn’t defend herself or you took advantage of the fact that she was drunk to get her to agree to something she knows she’s not supposed to do. I would kill you if it wouldn’t cause another war.”

  “I’m not talking about that night either. Just know, I didn’t force her and I didn’t take advantage of her. I just wanted one night alone with her.”

  Sono eyed him suspiciously while Neptis picked her up. Sono still thought something happened that wasn’t supposed to, but he left Oris and showed Neptis where to bring her.

  Leodos

  Leodos didn’t see what happened to Lisana after he carried Esylle away. He carried her back to the room and was trying to check on her. There were no marks on her, but her heartbeat felt faint when he pressed his head to her chest and she wasn’t breathing very heavily. He knew this was something Lisana couldn’t heal. He was worried he would lose Esylle and something had happened to the girl while she was in the chair and he would lose her too. He laid in bed and cradled Esylle in his arms, not sure what he would do if he lost either of them.

  He had to get out of the bed when Sono came in, followed by Neptis, who had Lisana cradled in his arms. Neptis set her on the bed and Leodos wondered how long she would sleep this time. There were also no marks on the girl, like with Esylle, so whatever happened to her in that chair, she wouldn’t be able to fix. He was starting to think Esylle was right and they should take her away from this place. He started to plot in his head if he could manage to sneak both of them out while Lisana was sleeping where no one would stop them. He knew she wouldn’t leave willingly and even if he got her away, she may try to come back.

  He leaned over the bed to check on her, but before he could place his head on her chest to hear her heart, she gasped and sat up. Color came back into her cheeks almost immediately and she turned to look at Esylle next to her in bed. She looked to Sono.

  “I told you to find a way to stop her from coming to me.”

  “She burned the men I asked to stop her. You and your grandfather are the only ones who can get near her when she’s like that. I asked him, but he was worried about you and refused to stop her.”

  “That will change now,” she said, confusing everyone in the room. “She’s dying and shouldn’t have come near me.”

  Leodos felt his heart drop, but before he could get fully upset, he watched in confusion as the girl placed her hand over Esylle’s heart. A white light appeared from her hand like the white light that was glowing in her eyes before Leodos took Esylle out of the corridor. Esylle sat up and took in a deep breath, the way Lisana had. Whatever had happened to her in that chair gave her the ability to heal more than just injuries now. He wanted to ask her, but he rushed to the bed and held Esylle. Esylle seemed confused and was looking around bewildered.

  “I told you to let it play out,” Lisana snapped at her. “If I hadn’t learned how to heal more than just cuts and scrapes in that chair, you would have died. I told you there were answers for me here and I got some of them in that chair. You shouldn’t have burned people to stop what was happening!”

  Esylle was feeling well enough to pull away from Leodos and argue with the girl. Leodos didn’t know what Lisana had learned in that chair, but she pulled Esylle back from death and had her in a fighting mood within minutes.

  “It looked like it was hurting you! I’ve already told you I don’t like seeing you hurt. How did I know it wasn’t killing you like the doors?”

  “The doors weren’t killing me! They were showing me what it was like to die. I’ve already told you multiple times you may lose me anyway because that is what is supposed to happen. I can’t do what I’m supposed to be doing if I’m constantly having to fix you because you tried to get involved in something you should have left alone!”

  Leodos saw Esylle go to say something to the girl and he pulled her back into his arms and tried to calm her. “Something good happened to her in that chair, even if you thought it was hurting her. She can heal more than external injuries now. Whatever happened to you when you were knocked out, it was going to kill you and she brought you back. Before she healed you, she seemed to know about a change that was going to happen.”

  “Why does she have to be hurt to learn here?” Esylle said, leaning back into his chest and pouting.

  “The chair wasn’t hurting me when you ran to me. The chair didn’t hurt me at all. It was like holding all the fire when we sent the fire message, but it wasn’t fire running through me, it was something else. I still don’t know what was flowing through me, but I can use it to heal now. I’m about to do something that I’m supposed to do and there will be people who can stop you from getting involved now.”

  “What does that mean?” Esylle demanded.

  Leodos didn’t know either. The Tempris had ruled so long because the rest of the tribes were helpless against their gifts. He couldn’t imagine what Lisana would do to change that. She didn’t answer and asked that Bastan and the other humans that wished to be changed be brought into the room. She said she could change them now and informed them that is what was supposed to happen. She wouldn’t tell them what she learned in that chair, but she no longer seemed unsure and uncomfortable. She looked like Esylle at her age when she had grown into her gifts and was confident in herself and her abilities. Leodos asked Sono or Neptis to go get them and neither of them wanted to leave. Leodos didn’t want to let go of Esylle after almost losing her. He thought they would argue, but Sono seemed to relent when Lisana asked him to go.

  When he came back with Bastan, Alirak, Mafir,
and Kibal, she got out of bed and had them sit on the floor in a circle. She stood when Joron burst into the room. She no longer looked like a young, confused girl. Whatever had happened to her in that chair had her spine straightened and the fierce look of one of the old Tempris queens on her face. Esylle had never even looked like that.

  “You refused to hold her back when they asked you to,” she said sternly.

  Joron looked a little taken back. “I didn’t want to stop her because I didn’t want to witness what happened at the doors again.”

  “The fire that burned me at the doors could have easily burned her and killed her if she came close to me. She would have died from coming to me in the chair if the chair hadn’t taught me things. I will be making changes today that if you refuse to stop her again, there will be those who can.”

  “What could you possibly do that anyone could stop us?” Esylle snapped.

  “I brought you back from death. The chair showed me a little of what is supposed to happen next and the changes Belisarus told me I would bring. If you refuse to let me learn here and continue to get yourself nearly killed trying to stop me, something is supposed to happen now that people can stop you.”

  Leodos asked her what was supposed to happen next since she seemed to know a little now. He didn’t want to stop her like Esylle did and he hoped whatever change she was planning on bringing did not harm Esylle. He knew the girl was warming up to Esylle and before she sat in the chair, he didn’t think she would harm her. He knew Lisana had already said multiple times she didn’t want to harm anyone at all. She was upset after changing Gritt because she was convinced she had hurt him. Leodos didn’t know, looking at the fierce expression on her face now, that something happened to her in that chair to change the gentle young girl who was worried about hurting people to someone who would even harm her mother. He didn’t know what she was remembering of who she was before.