by Lelia Eye
Skye snorted but allowed the man his moment. There would be plenty of time for good-natured ribbing later. “So where have you been, Cirrus? Was learning about our friend the Fenik here the sole reason you went among the Groundbreathers?”
“I was acting as your father’s agent when I went to the ground. And yes, my goal was to find out more about the Fenik and where it was, which turned out to be more dangerous than I had expected. I nearly left the castle unscathed, but I got too cocky. Yet though I had agreed with your father that it was necessary for me to go, I was worried. I suspected that the Seneschal was doing something to the king to impair his judgment, and I feared that Hawkins eventually meant to kill him. Unfortunately, I was right on both counts.”
“How did you escape from prison?” Skye asked. “I heard some pretty fantastical stories about your escape.”
“Don’t believe everything you hear,” Cirrus said with a laugh. “I still have a lot of friends in the Cloud Sentinel, as you’ve no doubt seen just now on the battlefield. With their help, I escaped the prison and hid from the Seneschal, hoping you would return to reclaim the sky realm. I did what I could to help stir people up against Hawkins. And of course, I encouraged people to support you when it was evident your father was so far gone that he would banish his own son. When that happened, I feared Hawkins might try to send someone to have you killed, so I tried to create a little trouble to keep him busy.”
Skye looked at his friend. “You took a lot of risks.”
“Yes. But it was worth it. The crown will go to you now. Your stepmother’s testimony and the testimony I’ve collected from some people around the palace about Hawkins’s doings—including his activities on the night of your father’s death—should help quell the doubts of any naysayers.” Cirrus smiled and clapped Skye on the shoulder. “I will be proud to call you ‘king.’”
Skye turned and looked at Tierra suddenly. “Oh! Cirrus, I’d like to introduce you to Princess Tierra, my fiancée.”
“Fiancée?” Cirrus echoed with a raised brow. He turned to regard Tierra with an unmistakable frown. “I knew about the Groundbreather involvement in our fight, but I had supposed it to be related to their fear of the Fenik. I obviously missed some of the details.”
“Yes, you did,” Skye said warmly, pulling Tierra into a one-armed embrace. She put her own arm around him, and he felt a great joy bubbling up within him. Everything was going to be fine. “She and I are going to unite our peoples to a certain extent. We’re opening up trade, and we’re ending the Groundbreather practice of slavery.”
“Well,” Cirrus said, “it sounds like you’ve been busy in the ground realm. But I think it might be best for you to let things settle down before you rush into anything.”
“We’re not rushing,” Skye said, looking warmly at Tierra and seeing her own love for him shining in her eyes. “Together, we’ll unite our two peoples so that their enmity can be put in the past where it belongs.”
“That is certainly a worthy goal,” Cirrus replied distantly.
A slight movement caught Skye’s attention, and he looked down at the Fenik, who was doing his absolute best to glare a hole into the lot of them. “Strix, what was the extent of your involvement in the Seneschal’s plans? And what were all of your plans, for that matter?”
“Skye, perhaps we should take this somewhere else,” Tierra said, glancing around. A number of Skychildren had made their way into the palace complex, and many were beginning to take stock of the damage.
“She’s got a point,” Cirrus said. “We should keep whatever we find out confidential. The Fenik is a dangerous weapon, and we’re going to need to figure out a way to keep it under control.”
A part of Skye wanted to demand answers from the bird now, but he recognized the sense in what they were saying and nodded his head.
* * *
A short time later, they had found a relatively private place in which to conduct the interview with the Fenik. While the palace had sustained heavy damage from the battle, it appeared that the damage was not nearly as bad as Skye had feared. The throne room was a mess, as was much of the outer wall near the front gate, but further back toward the royal apartments, the great edifice seemed to have withstood the action much better. It was to this area of the palace that they had retired after Skye instructed some Skychildren to return the Groundbreather soldiers to their home with reports of their success and the current whereabouts of Tierra. He hoped Sequoia had not even noticed that Tierra was missing, but he suspected that such was not the case.
Amazingly enough, there had been relatively few casualties, which seemed strange considering the fierceness of the battle and the fact that the world’s ultimate weapon had been involved. As for the Groundbreathers, they had suffered only minor injuries. Of those Skychildren who had supported Hawkins, the casualties had been heaviest, though the number of deaths was smaller than Skye would have expected. Among his own soldiers, they had been lighter, though the effervescent Typhoon had indeed died from the arrow wound he had received. Skye was saddened that there had been loss of life, but he was grateful it had not been worse.
“What do you have to say for yourself?” Skye asked the Fenik once they were away from potential eavesdroppers. “How involved in the Seneschal’s plans were you?”
“I knew nothing of your Seneschal before I came here besides what you had told me,” Strix replied sullenly. “But as soon as I saw him, I realized that his goals were somewhat aligned with my own. He was certainly much easier to use than you were.”
Skye’s eyebrow rose at the bird’s words. “You really planned on using me?”
“Of course,” Strix replied. “I am the Fenik, after all. I was created to destroy the ground world and everything on it. But Celesta—” the Fenik spat her name with a shocking level of contempt, “—abandoned that purpose and fell in love with a human.” Strix made a guttural noise in the back of his throat that sounded like the growl of a garm. “I was thwarted in my purpose and forced into this form until Terrain in his infinite wisdom decided to transform me into a hideous specimen of bird to hide me from the Skychildren.”
“You actually want to destroy the ground world?” Skye asked incredulously.
“It is my purpose,” Strix replied in an offhanded way.
“So when you returned to the sky realm, you took over Hawkins?” Cirrus asked.
The bird did not reply until Skye motioned for him to do so. “I cannot ‘take over’ someone. I can influence, cajole, intimidate, plead—whatever I feel I must. But I cannot simply control someone.”
“And how were you able to choose Hawkins over Skye?” Tierra asked.
“Because Hawkins was crowned king.”
“He was nothing but a usurper,” Skye replied, crossing his arms.
“Of course he was,” Strix said, a trace of smugness in his tone. “But with the accusations against you and the fact that he was in charge . . . not to mention the fact that the coronation ceremony had been held and he had married the previous queen . . . well, all of that gave him just enough legitimacy for me to be able to choose to follow him.”
Skye narrowed his eyes. “And the fact that he was a murderer who came by the throne only due to his heinous crime did not factor into your decision?”
The bird let out a cry, waving his wings in the air. “I am a being of destruction, not morality. Celesta created me to destroy the ground world, as I have said, but when she left me to the Skychildren, she was not completely specific when she commanded me to obey the ruler of the Skychildren.”
“So you’re not bound to the ruling family?”
“I am not.”
“Why?”
“I have no idea,” Strix said. “When Celesta left, she informed the Skychildren that she would leave me behind in case they ever needed me. I have learned over the years that I can respond to anyone who is noticeably in charge of the Skychildren. There have been times in the past, for example, wh
en the sky realm was administered by a regent since the ruler was very young. During those times, I was subjugated by the regent rather than the rightful king or queen.”
“How were you captured if you are only bound to Skychild rulers?” Tierra asked.
A look of disgust fell over Strix’s face. “A Skychild king had my wings pinioned some time before the Groundbreathers stole me. Since I could not fly away, I was unable to leave the Groundbreather kingdom. This form is not exactly a powerful one. I could not defend myself or escape. And of course, Terrain had to transform me into a hideous specimen of bird so that I could be hidden in plain sight.
“In time, the Groundbreathers forgot who I was, and I became a pet they handed down. I’ve been trying to return to the sky realm ever since; unfortunately, I’ve never found a Skychild truly determined to escape until you came along. Most give up after their one obligatory attempt.” The Fenik’s caw of contempt was unmistakable. “After your kind developed this ridiculous obsession with honor and its loss, you became practically useless to me as a people. I suppose I should be grateful that Hawkins exerted his influence on your father—your exile enabled me to finally escape my bonds.”
“And what now?” Skye asked. “You have to answer to me, so I assume I can command you.”
“You can,” Strix admitted. “But your pathetic life will only last for so long. What are a few more years to an immortal being? Eventually, you will die, and your traditions will only last for so long. And who knows? Your children may be much easier to influence than you are. I have all the time in the world to wait, and I can be very patient.”
Skye looked at his companions, catching their expressions, before he turned back to the Fenik. “You can go then. We won’t pinion your wings, but you are forbidden to leave the vicinity of the cloud on which the palace stands, and you must not try to influence anyone to do or say anything. You must also make yourself available to me whenever I have questions. I expect you to sleep in the palace every night; we’ll set up somewhere for you to roost.”
With a glare, the bird stretched its wings and exited through the door which Skye opened to allow its passage. He then closed the door and settled into a chair, exhausted from the events of the day. Wearily, he massaged his temples before he turned to his two companions.
“Well, what do you think? It would be easier if we could destroy it.”
“Perhaps we could discuss this privately?” Cirrus suggested. “This is a matter for the Skychildren, after all.”
“I have no secrets from Tierra,” Skye said, even as he noted the young woman was about to make an unkind retort. “Besides, this matter does affect the Groundbreathers. The Fenik could be unleashed upon them at any time, which would make it their concern as well.”
Cirrus inclined his head. His mouth was in a grim line, and the expression on his face as he glanced at the princess was less than friendly. But when he spoke, he did so mildly. “Yes, I’ll admit the Fenik does concern us all. As for destroying it . . . well, Celesta did not give it to our people with the intent for it to ever die. The Fenik may not be a god, but it has a powerful soul.”
“It certainly needs to be watched,” Tierra said. “And since it cannot be destroyed, perhaps it is best to simply help it be forgotten.”
Skye sighed. “That would be a lot easier if Hawkins hadn’t revealed the connection between the Fenik’s bird form and its dragon form.”
“It took some generations for our peoples to forget what the Fenik looked like, but we could try to help it happen again,” Tierra said. “We could destroy all records possessed by both our peoples to start with. With all the work you have done, Cirrus, I imagine you will know a lot more about where to find such information than Skye and I will.”
“I can help there,” Cirrus said with a curt nod.
“Of course, it isn’t a failsafe,” Skye said. “The Fenik can still act and think for itself. But if we’re lucky, knowledge of what he can do will fade into oblivion.”
“And in the meantime, he can be watched carefully,” Tierra said. “Perhaps one day, he should be returned to my people. They still have no idea what Strix is, and we know now that they cannot control him.”
Skye grimaced but nodded. “It’s something to think about. But I’m not making that decision right now.”
“Of course not. You have done enough for today.”
“And I still have to coordinate cleanup efforts,” Skye said with a sigh.
“You should leave that to me,” Cirrus said. “Take a while to relax, and then we can see about assembling a council to discuss the details of crowning you king. I’m sure nobody will begrudge you taking an hour or two to recover from battle.”
Skye let out a bark of laughter. “Just what I want after a day of fighting an indestructible creature is to face a bunch of squabbling members of my father’s old court.” But he made the statement lightly, knowing the importance of getting his entire kingdom in order as soon as possible.
Cirrus grinned at him. “Think of all the fun you have to look forward to.”
Skye groaned. “I take it back. I don’t think I want to be king anymore.”
Tierra gave him a light punch in the arm. “Oh, we both know how elated you are that this is all finally over.”
“You’re right, of course,” Skye said with a grin.
Cirrus chuckled. “Well, I’d best get down to business. I’ll see you in a little while, Skye.”
“And then we’ll have a good long talk,” Skye said.
“Yes, yes,” Cirrus said, waving back at him as he left.
After watching the man go, Skye turned to Tierra. “So . . . it’s over.”
“Yes, it is,” Tierra said.
He grabbed her hands in his, holding them against his chest to feel the pounding of his heart. “Tierra—”
“Skye,” she interrupted. She seemed flustered, and her cheeks were tinged with pink. “We’ve . . . we’ve talked about it, and we both know it’s going to happen, but we never . . .” She paused, took in a deep breath, and started to speak again.
But Skye put two fingers on her lips, caressing them and silencing her. “I think I know what you mean, Tierra.” Then, holding both her hands, he dropped down before her.
“Tierra,” he said, “there are so many differences between us, both because of our peoples and because of who we are. But I have seen the goodness of your heart—and fallen in love with it—and it has turned my head and melted my own heart of stone. I am often overly prideful and stubborn . . . yet you make me want to be a better person. You make me believe that with you by my side, I can be a better person. So I’d like you to answer me from the heart—not because of Terrain’s mystical waters or because of the prospect of peace between our peoples, but because I am a smitten man . . . and you are the woman I want to be with for the rest of my life.”
He took in a deep breath. “Tierra, would you marry me?”
The smile on her face was wider than any he had ever seen on her before as she threw herself down and flung her arms around him. “Of course I will, you silly Skychild!”
Skye laughed and buried his face in her hair, enjoying the earthy scent. Both of them badly needed to bathe after the battle they had just participated in, but he could not bring himself to care. He simply felt happy. “I’m your silly Skychild,” he murmured, nuzzling into her neck.
“Mmhmm,” she agreed, squeezing him tighter.
“And you’re my gorgeous Groundbreather.”
He could feel her chuckling against him, and he moved away from her slightly so he could look at her. He could see his entire world shining in those beautiful dark eyes. And then, pulling her back to him, he kissed her. In that moment, everything was perfect.
And so,
here ends On Wings of Air,
Book One of the Earth and Sky trilogy.
Book Two in the series, On Lonely Paths,
follows the continuing adventures of S
kye and Tierra
as they attempt to bring peace to a world torn asunder,
only to encounter relentless forces threatening to tear them apart.
Please enjoy the following excerpt from the upcoming novel On Lonely Paths, book two of the Earth and Sky fantasy trilogy.
Taking a deep breath, she rushed forward, following the stream, leaping over nearby rocks with all the grace and purpose of a deer. Already, she could hear the sound of the earth breaking and the wind whipping at the surrounding terrain.
And then she burst through the trees into a clearing. Two men were locked in battle.
One man was obviously a Skychild, with short and unruly hair that stuck up in curls every which way about his head. While his was a face that might have often looked kind, there was no kindness in his eyes as he snapped whirlwind after whirlwind at his opponent.
The other man threw stakes formed from dirt at the Skychild. Despite the manic nature of his attack, his face was almost expressionless, with only a slight tightness visible about the eyes. His long black hair was pulled back in taut braids that twisted this way and that as he moved in a sort of dance, sending forth a volley of attacks. Through it all, he remained calm, yet there was a hidden fury beneath his actions which bespoke of his solidness of purpose. As she gazed further at him, she noticed wounds on his face and hands, and she wondered if the Skychild had caught him by surprise.
A large stone flew up from the ground, forced upward at an angle by an explosion of dirt. The Skychild tried to twist to avoid the rock. But he was too slow, and it rammed into his side. He gasped and put a hand to the injured area in surprise, hissing in pain. Several smaller stones shot forward and pelted him.
She wondered for a moment why he had not flown up into the air to escape, and then she saw the mounds of dirt entrapping his feet. He could not move if he wanted to.
“You might as well give up now,” the Groundbreather taunted as he continued his assault. “I will destroy the Goddess’s temple, and I will destroy you with it.”
