“It’s all new information to me, I assure you.”
“Then I suppose you will be surprised at what happens next.” Talon fidgeted nervously as she settled back on the bench, first looking around to make sure no one was listening. “As a human woman, Astraeyu was able to gain the attention of Lyth by prominently displaying her skill with a bow. Lyth was the great Huntress, but Astraeyu rivaled even her skill.
“Lyth sought to meet this woman who some claimed could shoot the stars from the sky with her bow and flaming arrows. She wanted to see for herself if the stories of Astraeyu’s skills were true. Of course, at the time Lyth had no idea the inhabitants of this world referred to the Phoenix as Astraeyu. This came as an advantage to Astraeyu, having her name unknown by her enemy. Lyth found Astraeyu one night in a forest glade. The woman was more beautiful than Lyth imagined. Her long, flowing red hair glowed in the moonlight.”
“Astraeyu had red hair?” Jan cringed as Talon glared reproachfully at her for interrupting the story yet again. “I’m sorry to keep butting in like this, but I expected Astraeyu to resemble the Astraeyu Nouvins when in human form.”
“You make a valid point,” Talon said. “But don’t forget that Lyth was already familiar with the Astraeyu Nouvins. If Astraeyu looked as they did, Lyth would have thought her nothing more than another savage.”
“So the red hair was part of her disguise?” The more Jan thought about it, the more it made sense that the human Astraeyu would have red hair. Red was the color most commonly associated with fire, after all, and Astraeyu was a Phoenix, a bird that rose from the flames of her own demise.
“Exactly,” Talon replied. “Now, if you don’t have any more questions we should get back to the story.”
“Please, go ahead.” Jan knew this was difficult for Talon. It was the most she’d heard Talon say since they met. Jan decided she would try her best not to cause any more interruptions.
“Astraeyu knew Lyth was there. She turned to face Lyth, her golden eyes burning like embers in the moonlight. Lyth was spellbound. Never before had she seen eyes so deep, so penetrating, like hawk eyes staring out from a human face.
“Regaining her composure, Lyth approached Astraeyu. ‘I hear you fancy yourself quite the huntress,’ she said. ‘I propose we have a contest to determine which one of us is the better warrior.’ Astraeyu agreed, intent on banishing Lyth from her world once she won.
“The contest commenced the following day. Astraeyu and Lyth hunted creatures large and small, their adventures taking them to the four corners of the world. With each beast she felled, Astraeyu gave a silent plea for forgiveness. She did not enjoy causing pain to the creatures of her world for the sake of sport, but if she did not win, she knew things would become much worse. Lyth also hunted well, the game she brought down rivaling that of Astraeyu. Then Lyth did what Astraeyu had dreaded from the beginning. Bored with hunting the wild animals of the world, Lyth set her sights on the Astraeyu Nouvins, Astraeyu’s loyal followers.
“Astraeyu refused to hurt the people who looked to her for inspiration, even if in doing so she was forfeiting the contest. Thus, Lyth claimed victory and with it the right to decide Astraeyu’s fate. Lyth did not kill Astraeyu or exile her. Instead, she commended Astraeyu for putting up a good fight. By earning Lyth’s respect, Astraeyu gained a place by her side as she fought for conquest of the world.”
Jan struggled not to interrupt again, but her mind was whirling with questions. Astraeyu was once a companion of Lyth? She recalled all the accounts of Lyth’s settlement of Lythril she had ever read, but Jan could not remember anything about Lyth having a companion. In all the classic Lythrillian tales, Lyth conquered the wilderness and made it safe for her people to settle singlehandedly. If the High Council had excluded a few facts regarding Lyth’s persecution of early Astraeyu Nouvins, Jan supposed it was possible there were more missing fragments of history. She struggled to hold her questions until Talon finished the story and listened closely to what happened next.
“In spite of Astraeyu’s determination not to like Lyth, she found she could not help but respect her. It was for Lyth’s people that she wanted to make the world safe, and while that involved driving the current inhabitants from their lands Astraeyu had to admit it was an admirable goal. It was, after all, for a similar reason that she decided to travel with Lyth in the first place. Astraeyu was torn two ways. In the short time she had known Lyth, she had found a friend, something she hadn’t had in a long time. On the other hand, she had to defend the Astraeyu Nouvins who had always treated her so reverently.
“As time went on, Astraeyu and Lyth became inseparable.Their friendship deepened until it became love.”
Jan gasped at Talon’s words. Astraeyu and Lyth were lovers? That could explain why this tale was never spoken of in the Four Kingdoms. The basis of Lythrillian faith was that Astraeyu was a pagan goddess, worshipped by savages who reveled in the practice of the arcane. In the Four Kingdoms it was unheard of for Lyth to have a lover, especially a rival deity such as Astraeyu. Talon’s version of Lyth’s arrival to Lythril would be the subject of controversy if word of it ever surfaced in the Four Kingdoms. Jan doubted such controversy would serve to bring the two peoples closer together. She stole a glance at Talon. If Talon noticed her surprise, she made no sign of it.
“It was never Astraeyu’s wish to become romantically involved with Lyth,” Talon continued, “but now that she had met Lyth, she couldn’t simply forget about their time together. It was a real dilemma. Astraeyu originally set out to meet Lyth with the intention of driving her from the world. That was out of the question now that she had come to care for Lyth. Astraeyu supposed there was no other alternative, except for her to confront Lyth and reveal her true identity.
“Astraeyu arranged the meeting one night, in the same forest glade she and Lyth had first met. There, by the light of the moon, she revealed to Lyth her true form.
“Lyth was furious to learn that the woman she loved was actually the Phoenix she had hunted since first coming to Lythril. Astraeyu spoke to her, imploring Lyth not to harm any more innocents, but Lyth could not bear to hear the voice of her lover coming from the avian features. Lyth drew her sword on Astraeyu, ordering her to leave. As Astraeyu took wing, she heard Lyth vow that she would hunt her to the ends of the world. It broke Astraeyu’s heart to hear such harsh words from her lover, but she hadn’t expected that Lyth would accept the truth so easily.
“Astraeyu returned north, for at this point Lyth had already claimed much of the southern lands for her people. The descendants of the Ancients were driven to an island to the far north, the land of their ancestors. So far, Lyth had shown no interest in the land. The climate was harsh, the terrain was rugged, and it was generally not as suitable for settlement as the Mainland. Here, Astraeyu hid as she nursed her broken heart, but the threat Lyth posed still remained. Lyth vowed to hunt Astraeyu to the ends of the world for deceiving her, and Astraeyu knew that Lyth was a woman of her word. Lyth was also a noble person and not without compassion. If she knew of the fear and suffering she was causing the Astraeyu Nouvins, she might be convinced that they too were people and not frightful savages.
“Astraeyu held fast to the faint glimmer of hope that Lyth would see reason and sought her out. It was the first time Astraeyu ventured beyond the northern realm since she revealed herself to Lyth and it felt wonderful flying beneath the warm sun. Blinded by her own ambition and lulled into a false sense of peace, Astraeyu did not see the arrow until it was too late. The arrow of light pierced her heart, burning like a ray of pure sunlight streaking across the sky. At the end of its trail Astraeyu saw Lyth, her bow in hand as she watched the arrow strike its target. Such sorrow filled her features that it made Astraeyu’s heart ache, even as Lyth’s arrow burned like fire. For in that moment, Astraeyu knew that Lyth still loved her.
“With that realization, Astraeyu cried. Her tears fell upon the world, fell upon Lyth, healing all the pain and s
uffering that each had endured. As Astraeyu’s tears struck the wound left by Lyth’s golden arrow, something happened. The wound began to glow. Astraeyu’s pain was replaced by a feeling of serenity that grew until her entire body was like a light, like tongues of flame dancing in the sky. Astraeyu disappeared, returning once again to the north.
“From that day forward, the land to the north was known as Astraeyu Nouvi, Astraeyu’s Haven,” Talon concluded. “Whenever a volcano shoots fire into the sky, it is said that it is Astraeyu, returned to keep watch over her land.”
Jan clung to Talon’s words, particularly the part about Astraeyu’s wound glowing like a light. Without thinking, her hand went to her heart, to where her own strange scar glowed like a beacon beneath her clothing.
“Astraeyu’s entire body glowed like a light, you say?” Jan asked. “Do you think that is what will happen to me? Will this scar keep expanding until my body is engulfed by its light?”
“Astraeyu’s Light is a rare gift,” Talon said. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about. That mark means you have been favored by the deities.”
Talon seemed almost reverent of the strange scar, but Jan could understand why. Astraeyu was a goddess to the Astraeyu Nouvins. If the mark was truly a sign of favor by the Phoenix, Jan would likely be revered by many Astraeyu Nouvins, regardless of her Lythrillian beliefs.
“You said deities, as in plural,” Jan said. “What did you mean exactly?”
“That mark is not only a blessing from Astraeyu, but Lyth, as well. Astraeyu first became a being of light after her heart was pierced by Lyth’s arrow. In my homeland, it is believed that Lyth’s love for Astraeyu caused her to become ethereal and immortal. Astraeyu’s Light is an embodiment of their love, passed along to select individuals so that they might also find enlightenment.”
Once again, Jan’s hand went to her chest. She felt the warmth radiating from the glowing scar, but beneath that she felt the rapid beating of her heart. All this talk of the intimacy between Astraeyu and Lyth caused some of Jan’s old feelings to resurface. It was difficult to imagine the two deities as lovers. In fact, Jan was unaccustomed to thinking of Lyth as anything other than the Huntress Queen, the celestial being who founded the world of Lythril and conquered it for her people. The Lythrillian faith never spoke of Lyth as though she were anything other than a deity, but what if she was a woman, with earthly desires and needs?
Jan cleared her throat and tried to push the thought from her mind. Now was no time to start questioning her beliefs. She was the Grand Arbiter, the leader of Lyth’s warriors and the right hand of justice.
“I hope I didn’t bore you with my tale,” Talon said. “I warned you beforehand that I am not the best storyteller.”
“Not at all,” Jan said. “It’s more surprising than anything, I guess. I’ve always imagined that Lyth was despised in Astraeyu Nouvi, but you speak as though your people view her as a deity.” “The Huntress Queen hunted and killed Astraeyu for deceiving her, but that does not change the fact that the two were once lovers. In Astraeyu Nouvi, it is believed that they still love each other, even today. Lyth deserves respect for being not only a powerful goddess, but also a skilled hunter and the lover of Astraeyu. She is not hated for being the murderer of Astraeyu, nor is she hated for hunting our ancestors. Lyth represents strength and passion, both admirable qualities.” Talon paused. “Do people in the Four Kingdoms believe all Astraeyu Nouvins hate the Huntress Queen for what she did to Astraeyu?”
“Well, I’ve never heard the story the way you just told it,” Jan said. “I doubt many other Mainlanders have heard your version. I have to admit that some things are starting to make more sense after hearing it. I’ve always felt that it seemed like some parts of the tale of Lyth were missing or forgotten—possibly on purpose. The Followers of Lyth would be uncomfortable with admitting that the wild beasts that Lyth hunted were actually early Astraeyu Nouvins. That part would have been edited, along with the idea of Lyth and Astraeyu being lovers.”
“Is it such an issue in the Four Kingdoms?” Talon asked suddenly. “In Astraeyu Nouvi, love is love, regardless of gender.”
Jan swallowed hard and averted her eyes from Talon. She hoped Talon didn’t notice how uncomfortable the subject made her. She did not want Talon to think she was like so many Mainlanders, narrow minded and unfeeling for other cultures’ beliefs and customs.
“It’s not officially banned in the Four Kingdoms,” Jan said, “but it isn’t something we discuss openly.” She shrugged. “I suppose Mainlanders are accustomed to being secretive about such things.” Talon regarded her thoughtfully. Did she know? Had Jan done something to give away her innermost feelings? Quickly changing the subject, she added, “Thank you for sharing such an interesting story. It’s remarkable how two cultures can be so much alike and yet so different.”
Honestly, Jan was surprised that Talon would speak so openly to her at all considering how dismissive she was of her recently. It was not easy for Jan to look Talon in the eye since the night of the masquerade. The woman had saved her life, and in doing so awakened an emotional need in Jan. Jan knew she could never repay such a debt, and she doubted Talon wanted the affection of a Lythrillian woman such as her. That was why Jan decided to avoid Talon as much as possible. Remove the temptation.
If Talon was offended by Jan’s standoffish behavior, she showed no signs of it. Talon seemed to be having an easier time adjusting to Kalvatin than Jan, but Jan supposed Talon was more accustomed to being a foreigner in a foreign land. Talon had probably seen more examples of discrimination than a woman from Rider’s Vale could ever imagine.
“Speaking of different cultures,” Jan began, “how are you enjoying Kalvatin so far?”
“It is unlike anything I’ve seen before. The people here have an obsession with the arcane. They rely on it, even in instances where it would be just as convenient to perform the task manually.” Talon paused for a moment, and added, “It is disturbing to think that a man from this land could be the leader of the Coruscalli.”
“Why is that?”
“Morgsten is the dean of the Institute of Thaumaturgy. He’s practically on the Board of Thaumaturgists. With all the resources at his fingertips, he could build an undercover army to assist in the search for the Firebringer.”
“An army of sorcerers,” Jan said, understanding Talon’s concern.
“We should expect a fight, Jan.”
“I never expected Morgsten to give himself up quietly, but the possibility of facing a large number of sorcerers is alarming. Ah, well, I suppose that’s what the Arbiters have been training for.” Only her inner circle knew about the Coruscalli. That gave her only a handful of Arbiters against an unknown number of Coruscalli, along with any people working directly for Morgsten that they didn’t know about. “I’m not sure we can handle this alone. Maybe it’s time we inform others of our findings.”
“I don’t trust the Kalvat Arbiters,” Talon said. “We already know that at least one of them is working for the enemy. There’s no way of knowing how many more can be just as easily bought.”
“You’re right.” In all the excitement, Jan had nearly forgotten about the assassin that turned up dead in his heavily guarded cell. “But this is getting to be bigger than the people we have working on our side. Maybe Niercel can be of help. She’s been in Kalvatin for a long time. She knows how to get things done, even when Kalvat politics would attempt to interfere.”
Jan could tell by Talon’s expression that she did not agree to her suggestion of including Niercel. To be honest, Jan didn’t like it either, but they were running out of options.
“What do you propose we do?” Jan asked. Talon was the best source of information the Arbiters had on the Coruscalli. Jan did not want to place further strain on her alliance with Talon by pushing her away and bringing in people she did not trust.
“Give it more time,” Talon said. “We’ve come this far with no help from a
nyone. I don’t think Morgsten can keep quiet about his involvement with the Coruscalli for long, especially if he already has agents searching for the Firebringer.”
“He will want to join them soon,” Jan said. The truth was so plain and simple she wondered why she hadn’t thought of it before. “If the Coruscalli are able to locate the Firebringer, Morgsten will certainly want to be there.”
“We have reason to believe he has agents in place already,” Talon added. “Morgsten will likely attempt to leave Kalvatin in order to join them on their expedition. All we have to do is wait for that time, and then we will have him.”
Jan was glad Talon was on the Arbiters’ side. She only hoped that Talon’s conjecture was accurate and Morgsten would act soon. It made her uneasy knowing that it was very possible that someone would make another attempt at her life, especially while she remained in Kalvatin. The fact that one or more of the Kalvat Arbiters could be working for the enemy did little to help ease her nerves. The Vermillion Temple was infiltrated once already. There was nowhere in Kalvatin that she would be safe.
A WEEK PASSED, with still no suspicious activity. Morgsten had not attempted to contact the Arbiters since the masquerade. Rhys busied himself training with the cadre of soldiers they brought from Fort Solitude, while Beatrix occupied her time acquainting herself with the Kalvat Arbiters. Talon continued to stalk the halls of the Vermillion Temple sulkily, ready to draw her blades at the slightest movement. Everyone was on edge. Jan was beginning to think that her companions’ impatience was wearing off on her. Her spirits had been low since the assassination attempt, and not knowing what the enemy’s next move would be made her wary.
Jan had become so accustomed to daily life around the Vermillion Temple that it came as a shock when Niercel knocked on the door to her temporary office.
Tears of the Sun Page 18
