Wings of Arian

by Walls, Devri

“Well worth it!” he grinned, shouldering her sword. When she looked at him confused, Emane leaned forward as if telling her a secret, “I really just wanted to watch you not be able to do something.”

  “Are you serious,” she sputtered. “You gave me that sword just to laugh at me? Did you even talk to Aleric?” Her face flushed.

  “Of course I talked to Aleric.” Emane was trying to stifle his laughter but it wasn’t working. “And I am going to teach you to fight.” He buried the swords into the ground so that they were standing straight up. “But we normally don’t start with those. He pulled out two wooden swords he had stashed behind a tree. “Normally we start training with these,” he said, spinning them around in an arc before presenting her with the much smaller, much lighter wooden sword.

  She snatched it out of his hand. “You really are a jerk you know.”

  “Hmmm,” he said smirking, tossing his sword from one hand to the other. “I’m happy with jerk. It’s much nicer than what you used to call me.”

  “You’re that too,” she half grinned.

  “Nope, we have downgraded to jerk and I am keeping it.” He started circling around her. “First things first, you need to protect yourself. I will try to get past your guard. If you block me, you win. If I get past your guard, I win. And,” he drug out, “I will expect to be paid with a kiss.”

  “What do I get if I win?” she asked.

  Emane took advantage of the question and jabbed in quickly, connecting with her arm. “One kiss for me,” he winked, backing out again.

  “That was cheating!” she objected. Emane swung around the blade, lightly connecting the flat side of the sword between her shoulder blades.

  “Two kisses for me.”

  “Oohhh,” she growled. “You are an arrogant horse’s ass!” She took a protective stance and blocked the next blow.

  “Nice job.” He danced around her and connected with her opposite shoulder. “Three kisses for the horse’s ass,” he gloated. “Come on, Kiora you have to move your feet.” His eyes glinted mischievously.

  She started to move and circle, following his lead. She blocked blow after blow, but missed at least one out of every three. “Come on, Emane,” she complained, “take it easy on me. It’s my first day.”

  “I am taking it easy on you,” he laughed. “You’re terrible!”

  “Thanks a lot,” she said trying to force a glare at him. “You’re not exactly encouraging.” She lifted her sword to block another shot.

  Pushing his sword down over hers he leaned in, “I actually like the fact that you’re terrible, more kisses for me.”

  Kiora heard a few snickers from behind her and noticed that the camp was turning up to watch the training session. Pushing back, Emane jabbed in and caught her in the stomach.

  “HEY!” she yelled, doubling over.

  “That’s at least 15 kisses, I am losing count.” Spinning in a wide lazy circle he asked the spectators, “Anyone want to keep track for me?”

  “You… are such a ...”

  “Uh uh,” he said shaking his finger at her, “we have little ears amongst us, watch your language.”

  “JERK!” she yelled.

  “That’s better.” Emane swung again and she soundly blocked. It went on like this for longer than she had wanted. The crowd cheered when she blocked a shot and they counted kisses when Emane made it past her guard. And they laughed at every joke he made, which only encouraged him on.

  “Please,” she gasped. “I am dying, can’t we take a break?”

  “Breaks are for girls!” He taunted her, dancing around her with the stupid, albeit gorgeous grin, plastered on his face.

  “I am a girl, Emane.” He moved in to take another shot, which she barely blocked. “I mean it, Emane, I am going to cheat if we don’t stop.” He raised his sword over his head. With a flick of her wrist she swept his feet out from under him. He reached for his sword, but with another flick of the wrist, the sword slid across the ground out of his reach. She dropped to her knees, putting her sword to his neck, “Do you yield?”

  The crowd was in hysterics. Emane stretched his neck looking around. “How many kisses am I owed?” he shouted to the crowd.

  “Seventy-two,” the answer came.

  “Hmmm, seventy-two kisses,” he put both arms behind his head. “That should be enough. Yes, I yield.”

  “Thank heavens!” Kiora collapsed on the ground next to Emane as the crowd cheered and laughed with approval.

  Emane rolled over and leaned on his elbow, looking down at her through half open lids. “I think the Lady should pay up.” He leaned down and kissed her “One down, seventy-one more to go.” Emane jumped to his feet and offered her a hand up. “Alright folks, that’s it for today.” There were some moans and groans as the crowd dispersed.

  “You are shameless, you know that?” she said, brushing off her pants.

  “So you tell me.” He threw his arm over her shoulder. “Let’s go get some lunch.”

  That evening she sat and talked with Aleric at the campfire. Emane sat beside her, holding her hand. “Where is Eleana?” she asked.

  “She and the Shifters are evaluating, making sure that things stay quiet,” Aleric replied.

  “She made me a promise” she sighed staring into the fire. “I was wondering when she was going to keep it.” Looking up she asked, “What is ‘old magic?’”

  Aleric furrowed his brow, “Where did you hear that?”

  “Eleana. She enchanted Emane’s snake with ‘old magic’. It bit Dralazar and his magic started failing.”

  “That would explain the silence,” Aleric mumbled. “Are you sure that is what she said? ‘Old magic’?”

  “Yes. Dralazar seemed shocked.”

  Aleric stared into the fire. “I am shocked myself.”

  Kiora waited, hoping for more of an answer.

  Aleric took a deep breath, “Old magic is powerful and dangerous. It is filled with incantations and depends less on the magic of nature and more on the power of the user. Old magic is rumored to have created some very powerful sorcerers that almost could not be controlled. It is my understanding that a spell was placed, preventing old magic from being used.

  “By who?”

  Aleric pulled his gaze away from the fire to look at Kiora, “ By Eleana.”

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  THE GATES

  THE NEXT FEW DAYS were swirls of the same— questions, the little boy Rayen’s invisibility trips, and sparring with Emane. Nights by the fire were quiet as both Kiora and Aleric avoided any more conversations of old magic. As the days passed, Kiora’s anxiety, as well as her irritation grew that Eleana had not appeared to make good on her promise. The Guardians claimed to not know where she was, and Kiora’s calls to her had gone unanswered.

  Heading to bed, Kiora noticed the sky was abnormally dark. The stars were nowhere to be seen. She scowled, it didn’t look natural, which meant it probably wasn’t. Kiora found Leo and Malena conversing on a tree branch on the border of camp. Even they weren’t sparkling as much as usual without the evening light.

  “Kiora,” Malena said, turning, “How are you?”

  “Fine. I was wondering about the sky,” she said pointing up. Leo and Malena gave each other a meaningful look. “Something’s not right is it?”

  “No, I don’t think so.” Malena answered cautiously.

  “That… is debatable,” Leo added, looking at Kiora as if he had never seen her before. Spreading his wings behind him he inclined his head. “Have a good night, Solus.”

  That night she dreamed of the gate.

  It was just as she remembered it, beautiful scrolling iron, pictures of creatures she had never seen, the two halves melted together. And standing before it was Dralazar, his hand still red and inflamed, two puncture wounds oozing liquid.

  Putting forth his good hand he laid it on the gate and began muttering words that she did not understand. The melted iron that had held the two halves together split wit
h a thunderous crack and the gate began to creak open. He yelled to the sky, “This is on you, Eleana!” Thunder boomed and lighting clapped as the sky overhead offered an ominous warning.

  Kiora awoke with a start to thunder and lightning pummeling the camp.

  Dralazar opened the gate, she thought. But what did that mean? Kiora had no idea what was on the other side, and neither did anyone else. A fear seeped through her. She needed answers, now. Shoving her feet into her shoes, she ran out into the rain weaving around tents and trees until she passed the magical boundary. Worried she would wake the others, she ran further before throwing back her head and yelling, “ELEANA!” She turned in a circle staring up at the purple, rain dripping sky. She was already soaked to the bone, her hair stringing together and feeding little rivulets of water down her face. “YOU MADE ME A PROMISE!” she shouted.

  She was answered with nothing but the sound of rain falling around her. She kicked angrily at a rock, spraying mud and water in the process. Was there really no one she could trust? She had put aside her anger, her confusion to fight this battle— and now, another lie.

  “Kiora?”

  Whirling around, she saw Eleana, standing dry in the rainstorm.

  “Kiora, here,” she said reaching out her hand. “You’re sopping wet.”

  “I don’t want your help!” Kiora yelled, her ferocity surprising even herself. “I don’t want your help,” she repeated softer. “I don’t care if I am wet, or cold. Dralazar opened that gate.” She waited for a reaction, there was none. “I don’t know what it means, or if it’s good or bad, because you have told me nothing!” she shouted. “You promised, Eleana, I trusted you, even after…” she pointed in the gates direction. “And you lied to me! I have called you, and you ignore me! People died! Morcant died! For what?”

  “I’m sorry Kiora, I have been watching Dralazar.”

  “Wh- what?” Water stuck to Kiora’s eyelashes, blurring her vision.

  “I needed to know if he suspected why I opened the old magic.”

  Kiora stared at Eleana through the rain, shoving a wet and dripping piece of hair behind her ears, before swiping the water out of her eyes the best she could “Why did you?”

  “Kiora, I promised you answers. But I,” she drooped, “I can’t give them to you.”

  “What do you mean you can’t give them to me?” Kiora burst out, wanting to run at Eleana, shake the answers out of her.

  Eleana held up her hand, “You will have your answers, but I cannot...” she stared at the sky. “Kiora things have changed since I made that promise. There is much more you need to know. I have called Arturo to take you. But please, if you can find it in your heart, know that I ask for your forgiveness, for everything.” She bowed her head and vanished.

  Kiora stared at the spot where Eleana had disappeared, shocked. She didn’t turn around when she felt Arturo approach.

  Are we going? Or shall we stand out in the rain all night?

  “She left,” Kiora said, dazed. “She promised me answers, and she left.”

  She is giving you answers, just because she is not telling you herself does not mean she is not keeping her promise, Kiora.

  “But why wouldn’t she just tell me herself?”

  Guilt can be a powerful gag.

  Finally Kiora turned to look at Arturo. Lacking whatever magic had kept Eleana dry, he was dripping wet. His normal colors were muted, white feathers sadly beige.

  You don’t look so great either, Arturo answered her thoughts.

  Maybe it was the stress or the grief, or Arturo’s dry tone, but whatever it was, she started to laugh. Harder and harder she laughed until she was hunched over holding her stomach. “I’m sorry,” she wheezed to Arturo who stood silently dripping water “I’m sorry!” Trying to calm herself she climbed onto Arturo, still chuckling, “I’m ready.”

  You need to bubble. Dralazar must not find where we are going.

  She obeyed, finally calming down as they flew. “Where are we going?”

  The Hall of Protectors, it is where we honor the memory of those who have protected our Soluses. But you are going to meet Epona. She is an Ancient One. Very few have ever met her.

  “Have you?”

  I have.

  “She is going to tell me about the gate?”

  And more.

  She frowned, “Why can’t you just tell me, if Eleana can’t?”

  You are under the impression that Eleana has told me why she did what she did. As I said, grief can be a powerful gag, and one that becomes thicker and harder to dislodge if you allow it to remain in place.

  The two flew for some time before entering a canyon between two rocks shaped like wings. Kiora looked around in wonder. Arturo dove straight down nearly pulling her off his back.

  “A little more warning next time.” she yelled into the wind.

  Close your eyes.

  She looked down to see the ground rushing up to meet them. Pinching her eyes shut, she screamed. The impact never came. Cautiously, she opened one eye to find herself flying through a large cavern.

  I told you to close your eyes. I would have expected a little more calmness from you, Emane didn’t scream.

  “Emane’s been here?” she asked, her eyes trying to take in everything all at once.

  Against my better judgment, but Aleric insisted.

  Arturo landed softly, and Kiora slid off, gazing at her surroundings. It was beautiful. The light was everywhere, and yet seemed to be coming from nowhere. There were exquisitely detailed portraits hanging up and down both walls in a oversized, soaring hall. Besides those and a stone bench sitting in the center it was otherwise empty. She walked, looking at the pictures, trailing her fingers over the frames.

  “Are these the Protectors?”

  Yes.

  She looked at the different faces, all from different times. She was examining a portrait of a Guardian that vaguely resembled Malena when a soft angelic voice floated into the cavern.

  “Kiora,” it beckoned her to follow. She looked to Arturo who nodded his encouragement.

  Kiora’s wet clothes were sticking to her and she pulled her shirt away from her skin, trying to smooth down her hair as she made her way to the back of the cavern. Passing through a stone archway into a smaller, yet more elegant room she gasped, taking in the beauty of it all. The ceiling arched high above her in a perfect circle with orbs floating around giving off a soft beautiful pink light. The smoothness of the walls, the grace of the archways, it was one of the most beautiful spaces she had seen, even surpassing the craftsmanship of the Shifters. In the middle of the room, an ageless woman with shoulder-length hair that had just started to turn white, sat upon a delicate throne.

  She spoke, “You have come at last.” Her voice was so, melodic. The only other time Kiora had noticed that quality so distinctly was when Morcant had spoke. Yet where Morcant’s was booming and baritone, hers was that of a soft soprano, calming.

  Kiora didn’t know what to say, so she said nothing

  “You are so young.” Her gentle eyes appraised Kiora. “So young to bear so much: you and your Protector.” Motioning, she said, “Please, sit.” Kiora didn’t have time to ask where she was to sit before a delicately carved chair rose from the floor. Kiora mutely walked to it, and sat. “I am Epona,” she said warmly.

  Kiora forced a smile, “It is nice to meet you.” She bit her lip, shifting in her chair. “Why am I here?”

  “You are here because it is the only place where you can see what you need to see,” Epona waved her hand towards the wall. There was a muted grinding as two large stone wings began emerging to the right of them, pushing themselves straight out from the wall between two of the archways. Once they had freed themselves from the stone surround, a small dot of liquid light appeared in the center, growing larger and brighter. It swirled and moved, very much like the Wings of Arian, but instead of gold feathers this matched the silver grey stone they had emerged from. Kiora looked to Epona, but she was w
atching the wings.

  The light snapped into place, turning Kiora’s attention back to it, and without explanation the pictures began flowing. There were creatures she had never seen before. Plants and landscapes which were foreign to her. The scene moved from place to place. Each different, each unknown. Waterfalls and plains, mountains and streams, oceans and islands. The inhabitants of which she vaguely recognized as many of their figures had been immortalized in the swirling ironwork of the gate.

  When the pictures ended Kiora turned to Epona. “That is what is on the other side of the gate isn’t it?”

  “Yes. It is the only record we have left of the place we came from. The Wings of Arian were constructed after the gate.”

  Kiora stared back at the wings, “But why?” she asked, “Why did they put the gate up?”

  Epona settled back into her throne placing her hands in her lap, one on top of the other, much like she was settling in for a long story. “Before I can tell you that, you need to understand a few things. The other side of the gate is much different than the world you have lived in. It is based entirely on magic.”

  Kiora looked to the floor, trying to process that. “You mean outside the gate, they all have magic?”

  “Almost without exception, yes. There were legends of a race, humans, that were nearly devoid of magical ability. We Ancient Ones worked hard to make sure that you remained a legend.” Kiora leaned forward in her chair, elbows on her knees. “Before the gate, we tried to keep you hidden ourselves, your kind was so vulnerable. But word spreads quickly, especially among the magical community.”

  “What happened?” Kiora asked, scooting even further forward on her chair.

  “In response, we took two of the more powerful youngsters of the time, a brother and sister, and brought them here, charging them to look after your people and protect you from any who might prey on your weaknesses.”

  Kiora was beginning to understand where Epona was taking her, dropping backwards she said. “Dralazar and Eleana.”

  “Indeed,” Epona nodded, looking over the top of her head as if remembering. “It went well for some time. But Dralazar began to enjoy his power more than he ought to have. He thirsted for more and wanted his sister’s help to get it.” Epona looked down to Kiora. “He came to her with the plans for the gate, presented under the guise that it would offer complete protection from outsiders.” Epona sighed, “Eleana came to me, and I advised her against it. They were both so young,” she shook her head, “but she headed my words and refused her brothers plan.”