“My name is Brellam. This is my wife, Ednidine, and my daughter, Claridine. I’ve never thought about what it was like to be one of the tribes. I’m a cobbler and that’s what I’m good at. I wouldn’t be of any use to them. The people are talking amongst themselves. I overheard them in the tavern. They think like I do. More taxes are coming and they are trying to scare us. We are also scared that things may change for the worst since King Joron left and one of the crueler Lords will take the throne. We’re too afraid of what they would do to us to riot or try to fight them. We only talk among friends if it would be better, or worse to stay or uproot and go to Idric.”
“Did they explain to you that you also had the choice to join a tribe? When I talked to them, the options I gave them were to stay at Idric, I could change them if they wanted, or they could stay and work for peace.”
“We all thought they were lying. We knew Leodos refused to continue study on the tribes and knew no one had ever discovered a way to gain their gifts.”
“You humans don’t trust anyone. You would never have gained the knowledge of their gifts through study. I gave them before and I’m here to give them again. If you want to remain a cobbler, then remain a cobbler. You don’t have to leave if you truly want to stay and I promise things will be different now.”
Brellam opened his mouth like he was going to speak, but Volaris flew back. He looked at Brellam suspiciously at first and Lisana told him he was harmless. Volaris informed there was no rioting or fighting from below, but there weren’t many people on the streets like there normally was. Everyone appeared to be staying inside and all of the street markets were closed. Lisana told him what Brellam told everyone and she may have to put on a show again to prove who she was again.
She told Brellam they would have to leave him now, but she hoped he didn’t go to Idric just because he was scared. Terros and Fluvis questioned her on how they were to join them on the way to the palace because they couldn’t fly.
Esylle was surprised when she told everyone they would walk, as they had been doing. Terros looked like he was going to argue with her, but she cut him off and told him the people were scared. She didn’t know how to rule, but she didn’t want people to be frightened of her when she did. She told them all that both Leodos and Esylle knew how to sneak out of the palace because they had done so the day she revealed herself.
Terros
Terros knew he should stop getting angry with the girl. She had done everything she said she would, even if he thought she was leading him to his death on Idric. He finally got answers about why he lost his first son there. It didn’t make him feel any better about it, but at least he knew those men didn’t slaughter a child on purpose just for being Theran. He knew she loved Oris and he thought she was putting him and everyone else in danger walking like this. Even if he healed like her now, both of them could still die. She put them in danger on Idric because she didn’t want to hurt anyone and now she was doing it again because she was worried about frightening people.
He knew that was part of what Oris loved about her and he thought she could do anything. His feelings for her clouded the danger she always put them in. He wished she had come to them fierce and ready to fight. He had seen it in her a few times at Inanos, but it never lasted. He wanted to pull Oris aside and tell him to be on guard when they got closer to the palace, but he refused to leave her side. The other two were right with her like they always were.
Terros wasn’t there when she told them her choice, nor what she said to Oris to get him to accept it. He had raised Oris to be a fierce king and any of the Theran girls would have thought it an honor to be his queen. They had been throwing themselves at him since he started growing into a man. Terros knew he didn’t like his choice for his queen, but knew if he told him he changed his mind and picked another Theran girl, he wouldn’t leave this girl’s side, even if it meant sharing her with Sono and Neptis. He could see how beautiful she was with his own eyes, but had no idea how she had managed to ensnare all three of them growing up alone the way she had.
He wound up having to make the heart flower because he was getting angry again. He had been taught and mastered it what seemed like ages ago and it still surprised him how good it felt. He was angry with her for making him more than Theran, but he had come to accept it made him more powerful.
They were getting close to the palace and Leodos and Esylle were leading them because they knew how to sneak in. Joron was walking with them and appeared to be saying something to Esylle that was upsetting her. They were arguing in hushed whispers, like they didn’t want Lisana to hear. He knew that was her real name long ago, but she wasn’t ready to be called that for so long, he always called her by the name she grew up with. He was used to calling her Soryn now and would now have to get used to calling her by her real name.
Leodos made Esylle stand behind him as he led them through the palace gardens. When they got to a door, Leodos and Lisana began to argue about who should go in first. She still didn’t understand why she could never go first anywhere. They both paused when Joron said he would go in first because he was still king.
They all filed in a line behind him and he led them to an area of the palace that no one seemed to know except Joron, Esylle, and Leodos. The girl hadn’t gone in this area when she was here before and asked where they were. He told all of them that this was where the Lords lived and they should get them before she addressed any of the people. There were guards outside every door and Joron told one to get all of them from their rooms.
They all started spilling into the hallway with tentative smiles, like they hadn’t wanted to kill all of them just a few days before. Autar went straight to the girl and told her they would send a crier to announce for everyone to come and they could show her to them. He hoped she could quell some of the doubt from the people. He warned her she may have to show herself the way she did for them at Idric for them to believe her. He told her they relayed her message and all the markets closed and everyone retreated to their houses. None of the Lords knew why.
She shook her head and told him he would have to learn to talk to these people like he was one of them. She told him about Brellam in the forest before they arrived and why the markets were closed. She told him there needed to be more trust all around. Terros noticed she shot him a look right after she said this. She didn’t connect him and he knew she couldn’t feel him like his son. He couldn’t imagine how she could have known he thought this was a bad idea.
Autar and the other Lords asked if they had eaten and Terros was quite hungry. They led them to a large dining hall and had food brought up. Terros had never eaten human food before and some of the spices were new to him. He noticed Fluvis and Volaris seemed unsure about it too. When he finally looked over at the girl, she was eating slowly. He hadn’t eaten the food she had prepared from Idric and didn’t know what it was like.
Esylle finally spoke. “Are you more used to the spices here now? When you made us Idric food, I could tell how new they were for you the first time you ate here and were making faces.”
“This is only the second time I’ve eaten these spices. When we left, Sono mostly cooked for me, but Neptis did as well and Oris learned. We had peppers on Idric that he cooked with sometimes, but they were not like this. I don’t know any of these flavors or smells.”
Terros was surprised when Autar suggested when she was queen, she could introduce them to the tribal food she ate on her journey. She pointed out that it would be a long time before she was queen and Terros finally found out what Joron and Esylle were arguing about. Joron told everyone that his rule had been tainted by the past. He wanted to step down and either let Esylle or the girl rule for what was to come. No one spoke as Esylle argued with him that he was being foolish and the girl argued she wasn’t ready yet.
When they both took a breath, Borin finally spoke. “You might not think you are ready, but it’s possible these people might not accept anyone but you on the throne. You’re clearly s
pecial and maybe you’re supposed to now.”
“If my grandfather wants to step down, then my mother will need to rule next. The two of them will need to teach me. I’m still young and learning, no matter who I’m supposed to be.”
“What if I’m not ready either?” Esylle asked. “What if there is more fighting because they want you and not me?”
“You’re more prepared for it than I am. You can show them that you are almost just like me just as good as I can show them what I can do. You know how much I didn’t want this.”
They were nearly done eating and Terros thought Esylle would say something and she would run away again. A boy Terros didn’t know came into the room and said the humans were gathered and ready to listen, but there was discontent among them. Borin told her she must settle the people the way she showed them on Idric. Maybe that would show her she could rule. She only set her mouth in a grim line and everyone followed them out to the front palace steps.
There were humans spilled out everywhere down towards the bottom of the steps, but Terros noticed they were all men. The women and children must have stayed home. He heard Brellam and he wondered if these humans were now willing to fight and stand up to their Lords. He took his place between Volaris and Fluvis. Joron went and stood next to the girl and Esylle. Leodos stood on the other side of Esylle with his body tense, like he also expected a fight.
Everyone paused for a moment to stare at the girl. Terros know what they were thinking. You couldn’t look at her and deny who her mother was. He didn’t know how she could have denied it to herself for so long. The smell of confusion was overwhelming at first, then doubt began to seep through. He could tell all of the men staring at them were most likely having the same thought process the man in the forest had. He knew these men all thought the same thing. She was only here to be paraded for show and had been taken in a plot by the Lords.
He knew she was smelling the exact same thing he was and it wasn’t new for her like Leodos or Esylle, who sometimes had to ask him what certain smells were. He saw her go to take a step forward and hoped she would just change and show them rather than try to speak. Borin ruined everything when he stepped in front of her and tried to talk for her. Terros tried to push the heat down as anger coursed through him. He didn’t know why Borin was trying to speak for her when she was the only one who could fix this. He seemed to understand over lunch when he told her she may have to take the throne now rather than later like she was wanting.
He saw something out of the corner of his eye and then he saw her shove Borin to the side. Borin wasn’t as large as Autar and hit the ground in surprise. Five voices cried out in pain and that was when he saw the arrow piercing her chest. He was worried she would faint and Leodos would have to carry her off. There would be fighting, even though she had already made peace with the Lords.
He felt a hot breeze and the Lords began backing away. Her hair blew back and she looked the way she was promised now. He knew she didn’t want to hurt anyone and she looked like she might want to now. The humans at the bottom of the steps began to back away from the encroaching heat and he heard his son give a cry of pain as she ripped the arrow from her chest. Those that were not backing away from the heat stared on, as if hypnotized as the wound on her chest closed up.
He wound up going to Oris and holding him as he appeared to be in pain. They said it hurt her when she became the serpent before and the transformation was slow before. He felt like vomiting when he heard the crunching of her bones as the small girl became the serpent much faster this time. Oris could feel her and it was hurting him. He knew he should be watching her, but he needed to make sure his son was okay. Oris whispered to him it didn’t hurt as badly as it hurt her, but got cut off when that unearthly shriek that came from her in this form filled the air. All of the humans ducked when fire blew from her snout, even though that reptilian head was many feet above them.
He looked away from Oris and the serpent for a moment because the peppery smell of fear from so many people was overwhelming and he could neither run to her, nor run away like his instincts were screaming to. All of the humans looked at her in terror and their bodies were frozen in fear. None of them could even run to save their own lives because they either couldn’t believe what they were seeing or they were too scared.
He didn’t know if she would become the flaming bird again and scare these people further. She made all of them walk, even though Terros thought she was putting them in danger, because she didn’t want to frighten anyone. She didn’t seem to be concerned about that now and let out another shriek. All of the humans cowered lower in fear. He had to whisper to Oris to ask what she was doing. Oris whispered back to him that she was hurt and tired and he didn’t think she would change back and calm everyone until the light healed her because she would faint again. He didn’t think she wanted the Lords, nor the humans to see her weakened. He asked how long this would go on before she was refreshed again because even the Lords were starting to look afraid of her and they were all pressed against the palace doors because of the heat coming off of her.
He was surprised when the air around her stirred and Oris grasped his arm and told him she wasn’t ready yet. She ended up on all fours in front of them gasping for air. Leodos moved towards her and Terros thought anyone who could feel her knew she would faint again. She held up her arm behind her to stop him. She gingerly made her way to her feet and cried out to everyone why they required so much proof. She asked why they couldn’t even trust their own kind.
She stumbled and Leodos took another step towards her and then stopped. When her spine straightened, Oris whispered to him she was better now and knew what she was doing. Terros wasn’t sure about that. Everything she had suggested so far worked, but he didn’t think she should have shown any of these humans she could be weakened and they could kill her again.
Everyone was starting to stand again, now that she was a small girl again. They weren’t afraid now, they were confused. She could have burned all of them in one breath as the serpent and she didn’t. He could tell they knew this and were thinking about it. Finally, one stood and addressed her. He was stammering and he could tell she knew he was afraid of her still.
“We are poor. The Lords have kept us this way since before I was born. We work to keep them rich and comfortable to look down their noses at us. When they told us they were leaving to wipe out the tribes because there was a new danger, they promised to better our station if we took up arms and joined their fight. They came back to tell us there was no danger and there would now be peace among us and the tribes. They told us things would change. Everything they told us about you didn’t seem possible, so we didn’t believe them. We thought they were lying and harder days were ahead. Those men who are like us that left to fight with them have not rejoined us to tell us what they saw in battle.”
She turned and looked sternly at Borin. He rushed to her side like he didn’t want to displease her when she told him to come forward. She asked him what he had done with the men that had joined them who could have settled these people’s minds without her taking an arrow for him. It was Borin’s turn to stammer now. He said they had done what they promised and set the men up in larger estates with farms and they were supposed to call for their families when they were established.
“You didn’t think when the street markets closed and people disappeared from the streets that those men could have confirmed your story and possibly been believed better than you?”
“We didn’t think-”
“No, you didn’t think at all. There was no reason for me to frighten these people. They wouldn’t have shot at you if you hadn’t acted like you were better than them for so long that they heard peace and assumed the worst.”
“Why did you take an arrow for me if everything we’ve done so far is wrong?”
“Because you’re like a child and don’t know better. I heal and you don’t,” she snapped. “Depending on where it hit you, I may not have been able to
heal you.”
Borin still didn’t look like he knew what to say to her, but he was cut off when the man in the crowd who first talked to her spoke again and asked her if it was true she healed Autar’s hand like he said. She pulled her robe aside and showed him there was no mark where the arrow hit her.
“I believe you are who they say you are and what will come. We need more help than just peace. There is a sickness that is affecting our children. They sweat and then a few days later, they fall asleep and never wake up. The physicians don’t know what causes it or how to cure it. My child just started sweating.”
“I can’t wipe out disease, but I can try to help those that are sick. Take me to your child and the others that are sick.”
Terros wanted to grab her and pull her back when she disappeared into the crowd of human men. Esylle and Leodos ran after her and he couldn’t stop them either. The only one he was able to grab by the arm was Oris, who immediately got angry with him.
“Do you doubt her even now, Father?” he asked.
“I don’t doubt her abilities. I don’t trust either of you to be safe in this crowd. I can’t stop her, but I can stop you.”
“I heal like she does now! You saw what happened after she took the arrow to the chest!”
Oris didn’t know about his first son, Quarris, and it was time to tell him. He managed to calm Oris and get him to sit while he told him why he didn’t want him in that crowd, even if he could heal.
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