Shadows of the Realm (The Circle of Talia)

by Lister, Dionne

  The giant cat’s lips turned up at the corners in a feline grin. Yes, I have a name; nice of you to enquire.

  “So, what is it?”

  Sinjenasta. It roughly translates as Servant of The Dragon God.

  “Were you with Drakon before?”

  In a way. It’s hard to explain. I was of this Realm, but not. I am of this Realm now and have lost a lot of the powers I once had. Drakon is sacrificing me to help you. I would have lived an eternal life, but for your plight.

  Bronwyn stared at the animal as the enormity of what Sinjenasta was being forced to do dawned on her. “Did you have a choice?”

  Do any of us?

  Bronwyn shook her head. As she felt more comfortable with her role in saving Talia, she also felt an increased sense of responsibility. If she failed, there were many whose sacrifices would have been wasted. She looked the cat in his yellow-green eyes.

  “I’m sorry I’ve been so rude. Please forgive me. I could only see my pain. As usual I forgot about what everyone else was going through.” Sinjenasta rumbled out a low purr, which brought a smile to the young woman’s smooth-skinned face.

  With a new attitude toward the Dragon God’s panther, she understood what she had to do. “When do you want to bond?”

  I thought you’d never ask. Now that you’ve made your decision, we can go to Drakon’s sacred lake. It’s within the confines of Vellonia, Valley of the Dragons.

  “I know what Vellonia is.”

  Just making sure.

  “How far away are we?”

  A couple of days. We would’ve already been there by now, but I needed you to make the decision by yourself. You humans can be rather stubborn at times. Bronwyn couldn’t help but look sheepish.

  She made a move to pack. Not so fast, cub. This is a safe place to spend the afternoon. We’ll travel at night because I don’t want to alert anyone to our whereabouts. Tonight I’ll ask Drakon to shield you until we reach Vellonia, just in case one of your realmist friends is looking for you.

  “Why?”

  Because Drakon commands it. I don’t want you trying to contact any of your friends either. We have to be invisible, to everyone. The panther’s wet, black nose was shoved in Bronwyn’s face. She sneezed.

  “I promise I won’t contact anyone.”

  Good. Now get some rest. I hope you’re not getting a cold. I’ll wake you when the sun goes down.

  Bronwyn’s sleep was dreamless. The weight of a huge paw on her shoulder woke her. The realmist ate some of her rations and packed up her things. Sinjenasta led the way. He ran easily, comfortably loping in front of Bronwyn’s trotting horse as they negotiated their way through the dark. The cat could see well, and once Prince had gotten used to the beast’s smell, he was happy to follow him.

  They travelled until dawn’s rays signaled the start of another day. People were stirring, and Sinjenasta explained to Bronwyn that the dot high in the sky, to the west, was a dragon. Whilst she didn’t quite understand why they had to be so secretive, she rushed her horse into the protection of a large copse of trees. They rested for the day and set out again that night.

  Approaching Vellonia, Bronwyn saw the dark outline of the mountain ranges to the west. She had never seen mountains so high. The closer they got, the larger the outline, until it practically blocked the stars and moon out of Bronwyn’s field of vision. For the past couple of hours Sinjenasta had been leading them alongside a wide river. The sound of water rushing past faster than they were travelling had a soothing effect. Bronwyn trusted the big cat, and felt safe knowing that Drakon, a god no less, was watching over them. She championed no god in particular, realmists being indebted to all gods, but she saw no problem in accepting any favouritism Drakon was willing to afford.

  Bronwyn sensed they were nearing their destination. She was tired; travelling at night when she was supposed to be sleeping was difficult. She found it was easy to stay awake at first, but as the night wore on she had to force her eyes to stay open. It was tempting to close her eyes and tell herself she’d rest her eyes for only a few minutes, until she would wake in a panic, just in time to stop herself from falling inelegantly off the horse.

  Sinjenasta halted at the foot of Vellonia’s great ranges. Bronwyn dismounted. For some strange reason it felt like she was coming home, almost. She remembered Bayerlon had felt the same. Maybe she just liked finding new places. Drakon’s panther sniffed around the riverbank near the first pile of rocks that signified Vellonia’s border. He raised his head and sniffed the air, mouth open, front fangs protruding.

  “Is everything okay, Sinjenasta?”

  Humans have been this way in the last few days. I can smell five of them.

  “Could any of them be Avruellen or Corrille?”

  No. I know their scent from the night I collected you. Theirs are not among them. The brief moment of hope left Bronwyn feeling sad for her family all over again.

  Sinjenasta stood silent.

  “What are you doing?” Bronwyn had to wait for an answer.

  Conversing with Drakon. Join me.

  The realmist walked over to where the panther sat—centimetres from the edge of the river. “Now what?”

  Face the river and step down.

  “Are you serious? I’ll fall in.”

  You won’t, and stop questioning me. I need your implicit trust. One day one of your questions will get you killed. Bronwyn was shocked at the bluntness of the cat’s words. She reluctantly did as she was told, stomach muscles clenched in anticipation of a fall into the icy water.

  Bronwyn stepped into the support of some kind of sturdy timber construction. Sinjenasta jumped in after her, rocking the vessel. Sit and strap yourself in. She did as she was told without voicing any of the hundreds of questions running around her head. Normally you would be given a blindfold, but Drakon has assured me it will be too dark for you to see anything anyway.

  With no warning they started moving. Bronwyn felt the cold night air blow stray strands of hair from her face. Her nose tickled and she felt like sneezing again. The boat entered the cave. Total blackness enveloped them. The same musty odour that filled the previous travellers’ nostrils now filled Bronwyn’s.

  The only indication of their speed increasing was the volume of air Bronwyn’s head was being pushed through. Her cheeks and nose felt cold: she covered them with warm hands. The speed increased until they were shot into the whirlpool. Without warning, Bronwyn’s hands were torn from their protective place over her face. She couldn’t help but let out a scream. She heard Sinjenasta’s deep, smooth voice in her head, calming and soothing her, reminding her she could trust him. He would protect her. It was difficult, but she stopped screaming as they spun faster and faster, out of control.

  Bronwyn’s eyes were shut tight, teeth gritted in forced silence. Finally the maelstrom spat them out, and they dropped metres into the calm waters of Vellonia’s underground lakes, where Bronwyn’s belt unbuckled by itself.

  Jump out now.

  Bronwyn struggled to lift herself onto legs as slackly fluid as the water they had travelled on. The easy part was falling out of the boat. Noise from the tumult assaulted Bronwyn’s ears, as it dropped cascades of water into the underground lake. She was disorientated, confused. She followed Sinjenasta, who spoke into her mind, directing her to safety. The icy river had recently come from its origins high in the mountains.

  Bronwyn concentrated on swimming after the big cat and tried to ignore her chattering teeth. She was too cold to even feel happy when sounds of the large animal lifting himself out of the water reached her. By the time Bronwyn touched land, her strength was barely sufficient to lift her out of the frigid liquid. Numb fingers cried out in pain as they scraped on the rough surface of the cave floor. She sat in a shivering puddle and tried to recover.

  Why don’t you make use of some of your skills? The light was only slightly improved in the cave, and Bronwyn could barely see Sinjenasta’s outline. It took a few moments for her to reali
se what he was saying. She placed icy palms on the ground and willed heat to rise. An ancient warmth filled her body. Hands and feet throbbed in excruciating pain as the blood vessels dilated to receive much-needed blood. It was like she was being stabbed by hundreds of tiny knives. Pain subsided and her clothes started to steam. She directed the heat out of her body and directly to her clothes, which dried in seconds.

  You have to learn to have more control over your mind. You can’t afford to stop thinking because your body is suffering. I shouldn’t have to remind you to warm yourself. Follow me, and don’t make a sound.

  Bronwyn kept her reply to herself. The cat hadn’t even bonded with her yet and he was already as bossy as her aunt. Maybe she should refuse the bonding and save herself years of torment. On the other hand, she should have thought of warming herself. Her aunt would have berated her for the same thing, saying she had learned nothing over the past eighteen years.

  As they made their way through Vellonia’s underbelly, Bronwyn remembered she was in the dragon city. It was exciting, but at the same time she could hardly believe they were there. She had always imagined their entry to be greeted by hundreds of welcoming dragons, not to mention how magnificent the city would have looked. At the moment she could barely see anything—not that it mattered. The only things to see here were dirt and rocks.

  Bronwyn spoke to Sinjenasta, mind to mind. Where are we going?

  Drakon’s Sacred Lake. It lies beneath the city. Most of the dragons don’t even know it’s here.

  That’s pretty sacred. What’s that got to do with us bonding?

  Stop asking questions.

  You don’t know, do you?

  Of course I know. It would take me too long to tell you. Just trust me.

  Bronwyn had heard those words so many times before that she was heartily sick of them. One day the trust she was always told to concede would lead to disaster. She hoped today was not the day.

  Sinjenasta’s soft paws made barely a sound as he padded through the caves. Any sound he did make was on purpose, for he wanted to ensure Bronwyn could follow easily. The only other noise Bronwyn heard was a faint drip, drip, drip, which echoed, the plonk of each drop repeating itself once to run into the sound of the next.

  Due to Bronwyn’s near-blindness, progress was slow as she tentatively moved forward. She had no sense of time passing. At some point she wondered if they had been here for minutes or days. If Sinjenasta decided to leave her, she would be in trouble. Without his guidance, Bronwyn could see herself wandering around disorientated for days, until she died from lack of water and starvation. Her thoughts fueled her sense of uselessness and inferiority, and she feared she would never truly be independent. She wanted to be the one who was in charge and knew what to do for once, but how could that happen when she couldn’t even find her way out of a cave?

  Oppressiveness smothered her. Indecision overtook her. Bronwyn stopped walking. Sinjenasta eventually became conscious of the fact the realmist was no longer following him. By the time he found her, she was curled up like a fetus on the hard, uneven floor, hands clutched protectively around her knees. Her eyes were clenched shut, blocking out the reality of total blackness. If she kept them shut, she could imagine that when they opened she would be able to clearly see everything around her.

  Sinjenasta lay next to her, leaning against her at the same time. Bronwyn felt his feline warmth radiate comfortingly through her clothes. Bronwyn, I’m here with you. You’ll have to get up and keep going. We don’t have far to go now. When we rise, I want you to hold onto my tail.

  “I’m scared.” Her voice sounded small in the vast, cavernous surroundings.

  There’s nothing to be afraid of. Vellonia’s caves can induce fear or self-doubt in anyone. It’s part of the city’s defence system. Trust me. His last two words stabilized her. Their familiarity brought her back to a more recognizable reality. They rose, and Bronwyn grabbed his tail.

  Don’t let go. His soft tail was her anchor. The negative thoughts faded until her head was clear of the destructive fog.

  They walked for a long while. Bronwyn’s stomach reminded her it was time to eat. “I’m hungry.”

  Not far now.

  “You said that hours ago.” They had skipped breakfast and now Bronwyn estimated it must be almost lunchtime. Her belly rumbled. Slowly but surely Sinjenasta became more solid to the realmist. His outline strengthened. She started to notice the rocks around her. Stalagmites and stalactites impressed her with their beauty. “Where’s the light coming from?”

  Our destination. I present to you, the Sacred Lake of Drakon: Vellonia’s soul.

  They stopped just inside the domed grotto. The ceiling was the height of two men, one atop the other. Light permeated from the walls and reflected off thousands of gems embedded in the rock. In turn, vivid colour splashed around the cavern, turning dull brown earth into the sky’s brightest rainbow. Bronwyn could not fathom from where the light was coming, and she was too in awe to ask.

  The lake itself was not unlike any other lake she had seen, however when she dared approach the edge, she could see clouds and blue sky reflected on its surface. She instinctively looked up, even though she knew only rock floated overhead. When she looked down again a hawk soared past, gliding through the image as if he were really there. Bronwyn stared in wonder at the beautiful body of water. Was there a world in there, a world which existed somewhere else, or was it a small world contained within these mountains? Her mind raced in joy at the marvel that lay before her.

  Sinjenasta stood quietly behind her. He had seen this sacred pool of water many times and knew some of its secrets. Whilst he loved its beauty, he also knew of the price it could exact to ensure its will was done. Sinjenasta had suffered for this lake. He was a creature of Drakon, so had no choice. He knew he would continue to suffer until the Sacred Lake let him go. He was sorry to have to ask Bronwyn to make her own sacrifices, but he knew they were necessary.

  Bronwyn. She turned to face the big cat whose head reached her shoulders. Are you ready? She nodded. Undress and stand at the edge of the lake.

  Her eyes widened but still she did not speak. Normally she would have been embarrassed at undressing in front of another, however, Sinjenasta was only an animal, and the atmosphere in this grotto was one of complete peace. Bronwyn had never felt closer to the gods. She hoped Avruellen would have the opportunity to see it one day.

  Bronwyn placed her clothes in a neat pile next to the lake. She sat on the edge and used her hand to test the temperature. Unexpectedly, and unlike the river that had brought them here, it was warm. She looked at Sinjenasta for reassurance, turned, and slipped into the picturesque pool. Soothing warmth embraced her body. Bronwyn turned back to see if the panther was getting in, when she was jerked from underneath. She had barely enough time to take a last breath before being dragged under.

  Her heart pounded and she tried to kick and thrash, to escape the murderous force, but watery hands held her tight. Her thoughts were wildly fighting the serenity imposed on them by this place. Before tipping over the precipice into panic, Bronwyn recalled Sinjenasta’s earlier words. It was time to master her mind. She ignored her mortality and the thought that she couldn’t breathe. She stopped fighting the invisible terror, retreating to a peaceful place to consider her options. She remembered water was really made up of air. Now she just had to think of how she could convert it to something she could breathe.

  She couldn’t boil it because she would cook herself. How did the fish do it? Could she alter her lungs? Avruellen had never mentioned whether or not one could alter one’s body. In the distance, her lungs were crying out for oxygen, her body doing its best to grab her attention before it died. She called out to Thireos, God of beasts, to show her in detail what gills looked like. If she didn’t receive an answer she would soon be dead. An image appeared in her mind. Bronwyn thanked Thireos and focused her will on the picture that was her only salvation.

  She could feel her body
losing consciousness. Pushing worry aside, she concentrated on her lungs. She realised the minute particles forming her lungs alternately winked in and out of sight. One instant they were there, the other they weren’t. Like pieces of a puzzle she replaced the different particles as they flickered in and out. When one particle disappeared she immediately replaced it with one that would help alter the form of her lungs. Her chest was shot with excruciating pinpricks of pain every time she replaced a particle. Finally she saw in her own body, the image she held in her mind. Against instinct, but too exhausted to care, she opened her mouth and felt a solid mass of liquid rush into her chest.

  She couldn’t believe she had done it! It was a strange sensation to be breathing underwater. Bronwyn opened her eyes, newly oxygenated blood causing the black spots to dissipate. She had never been so close to death. Now what? She could not feel Sinjenasta’s presence anywhere. Had he abandoned her? Was this all a ruse to kill her? She didn’t think so. The great cat could have sliced her open with his claws any time he chose. In her recaptured state of consciousness she realised the force that had dragged her under had let go. Was this the test, to alter her body? Bronwyn decided to float back to the top.

  The journey to the surface was gradual. Bronwyn enjoyed the relaxation of weightlessness. Light pierced through to where she floated; she was almost there. Her head popped through the soft barrier. Bronwyn looked up at the same blue sky and clouds she had seen earlier. This lake wasn’t under Vellonia. She had no idea where she was. She couldn’t breathe again. Was she on another world? Chastising herself for being stupid, she dove underneath the water and took a breath. She would have to reconvert her gills to lungs. She dreaded the pain, but felt confident she could do it.

  The process took a couple of minutes. She emerged a second time to gulp in fresh air. Turning her head this way and that, revealed no sign of the creature she was to bond with. She was surprised to see her clothes lying on the lip of this other lake. It was as warm out of the water as it was in. Bronwyn let her body dry in the sun before she dressed. The land surrounding the water comprised of gently rolling hills, adorned with thick green grass, dotted with ancient trees whose canopies cast vast, cooling shadows over the countryside.