The Quest for the Heart Orb (The Orbs of Rathira)

by Laura Jo Phillips

  She stared at it for a moment, wondering what she was supposed to do next. The vision she’d seen in the orbs hadn’t given her this little bit of information. She spread her fingers wide and pressed against it hard, but it didn’t budge.

  “Khenzhu said you couldn’t claim the orb without being crowned first,” Marl said. Ren smiled. Of course. She raised the Wand and touched the pearl to the symbol on the stone. The moment the two touched, the stone slid smoothly inward, then down, revealing a large, glowing red orb. Ren hesitated for a moment, then reached in with a steady hand and picked it up. The moment she pulled her hand and the Heart Orb free, the stone slid back into place with no sign that it had ever moved.

  “Now we go back to the other side where the Trident symbol is,” she said. She looked down at herself and sighed. She had the orb in one hand, the wand in the other, and nowhere to put either since there were certainly no pockets in her breastplate. She didn’t want to give up the light of the Wand yet, nor could she reduce the size of the Heart Orb just yet, so she was going to have to hold them both for a time. She swam more slowly, nervous about dropping them into the deep abyss between the tower and the wall of the cavern. She didn’t know how far down it went, and had no desire to find out.

  “Here it is,” Marl said, stopping just ahead of her. She swam to his side and gestured toward the Trident he held in one hand.

  “This one is yours to open,” she said.

  Marl pressed the Trident against the stone the way she’d done with the Wand. The stone slid back and down, revealing a silver pedestal sitting in the space behind it. Ren placed the Heart Orb on the pedestal, a little reluctant to release it now that she’d found it, but knowing this was what she was meant to do.

  The orb flared brightly for just a moment, then the pedestal began to sink into the stone. Ren started to reach for the orb, afraid that it would vanish and she’d never get it back. Marl caught her hand.

  “No, wait,” he said. “This is what’s supposed to happen.” Ren subsided, twining her fingers with his.

  The pedestal continued to sink slowly downward into the stone until it was completely hidden from view, leaving only the orb visible. They heard a distant, ratcheting sound that came from high above them. Then the glow of the orb faded.

  “We’re done,” Marl said, smiling at her.

  “Yes, we are,” she agreed, reaching for the Heart Orb again and lifting it free of the tower. “Will you hold the Wand for a moment, please?”

  “Sure,” Marl replied. He took the Wand, then watched wide-eyed when Ren placed both hands on the orb and twisted it. The orb immediately became much smaller, its bright red light fading to a small glow. Ren took the Wand back and nodded. “Let’s get out of here.”

  “Do you want to return the Wand to your bracers?”

  “No, I think I’ll wait till we’re out of the water for that.”

  “Agreed,” Marl said, then turned and led the way back through the long tunnel.

  Chapter Fifteen

  After leaving Ren and Marl near the river, the remaining members of the Orb Quest walked straight into the desert. About two hours later Zakiel deemed they were far enough from the river to avoid being seen by anyone in Ausar, the river, or Ka-Teru. Then they’d turned east. After a couple of miles, they’d head back toward the river, until he spotted the rock formation. From there they’d go more cautiously, keeping the rock formation between themselves and the river.

  He’d kept the pace slow since they were all used to riding rather than walking. The heat, combined with the unfamiliar exercise, was taking a toll on everyone, so he called a halt about half way there.

  Kapia took a long drink from her water skin, then walked over to where Karma was preparing to sit with Tiari and Tomas. “Karma, I have an idea,” she said. “Do you think we can talk for a few minutes with Bredon and Zakiel?”

  “Sure,” Karma said. A couple of minutes later the four of them were sitting in a small circle away from the rest of the group. As soon as they sat, Nikura joined them, so Karma had to scoot over a bit to make room.

  “What is it, Kapia?” Zakiel asked.

  “I’ve got an idea, or at least, part of one,” she said, reaching over to take Bredon’s hand.

  “You don’t look very happy about it,” Zakiel observed.

  “I’m not,” Kapia admitted. “It may cost Bredon his life.” She looked up at Bredon and squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry, Bredon, but I’ve given this a lot of thought, and I think I’m right, or close anyway.”

  “Do not be sorry, little flower,” Bredon said. “We both know my life will probably be forfeit in order to rid Rathira of Marene, and we agreed to accept that.”

  “Yes, I know, but that doesn’t make it any easier.”

  “Kapia, we will do whatever we can to spare Bredon,” Zakiel promised. “Please tell us your idea.”

  Kapia gave her brother a tremulous smile of thanks, then took a deep breath. “Since it’s our plan that Marene will unmake the tear in the pyramid before the Djinn have a chance to use their new scepter, and since we have a way of reaching Ka-Teru that neither the Djinn nor the demons know about, it seems to me that the power of the Vatra won’t be needed against the Djinn. So what, exactly, is that power meant for?”

  “Maybe it’s not meant specifically for any one thing in particular,” Bredon suggested. “Maybe it’s just there to be used if it’s needed.”

  “Maybe, but I don’t think so,” Kapia replied, shaking her head.

  “Neither do I,” Karma said. “King Rhobar specifically said it would be needed, but that Zakiel would have to share it.”

  “Yes, exactly,” Kapia said, then took a deep breath. “I think it’s meant to be used against Marene.”

  “Used against her how?” Bredon asked.

  “You said that if you die, Marene’s extra power from Zatroa would prevent her from dying,” Kapia said. “But what if she didn’t have Zatroa? Would your death have caused hers then?”

  “Yes, I believe so,” Bredon replied.

  “We can’t take Marene’s power away from her because she’s too strong, but what if you were as powerful as she is? What if you had Vatra’s power? Wouldn’t that make you the same, and prevent you from dying when Marene is destroyed?”

  “Maybe,” Bredon said slowly. “I think it’s more likely that my strength would cancel out hers, and we would both die.”

  “Yes, I thought of that too,” Kapia admitted. “That’s why I didn’t want to suggest it.”

  “Just a moment,” Karma said, reaching for the Ti-Ank. “Nikura wants to say something.” She focused for a moment, then nodded to the Sphin.

  “I considered the possibility of you taking Marene’s power for your own through your connection with her, Sir Bredon,” Nikura said. “But, even though you are no longer fully human, Marene’s power, enhanced by Zatroa, would destroy you long before you had a chance to figure out how to use it. However, with the power of the Vatra to protect you, it might work.”

  “You think that I can take her power from her, and use it to destroy her?” Bredon asked.

  “I think it’s possible,” Nikura said.

  “I agree,” Zakiel said with a small smile.

  “There’s just one small problem,” Bredon said. “I’ve never used magic before. Even if I managed to take control of it from Marene, I’d have no idea how to use it.”

  “That’s easy,” Nikura said. “Picture in your mind what you want it to do, then will it so.”

  Bredon arched a brow at the Sphin, then looked at Zakiel, who nodded. “He’s right. The power of your mind will control the flow of the magic.”

  “Karma?” Bredon asked.

  “I wish I could tell you that it’s more mysterious than that, but it’s not,” she said. “You decide precisely what you want, picture it in your mind, and don’t waver. The stronger your will, the clearer your intent, the more precisely the magic will act as you direct.”

  “You are Firs
t Knight of Isiben, Bredon,” Zakiel said. “You did not achieve that office without strength of both mind and body. You have what it takes to do this.”

  “All right,” Bredon said with a determined nod. “Once Marene closes the tear, or unmakes it, or whatever she does, Zakiel can loan me the power of Vatra, and I’ll do my best to destroy Marene with her own power.”

  “Unless the Djinn finish the scepter and make a new tear before Marene closes the existing one,” Karma pointed out. “If that happens, we may still need her against the Djinn.”

  “You’re right,” Zakiel said. He sat silently for a few moments, searching his mind for the answer to how he was supposed to go about sharing his Vatra power. King Rhobar had told him he’d know it when the time was right. He certainly hoped so, because he did not have the faintest hint of what needed to be done. “We can’t know what will happen, so there’s only so much planning we can do ahead of time. We all need to think about the different possibilities, and solutions.” He stood up and looked in the direction of Ka-Teru. “And time is running out. Let’s go.”

  It took the remainder of the morning for them to reach the rock formation. Once they were all safely hidden against the back side of the formation, Kapia took a few minutes to cool down and drink some water, then she got up and stared at the twenty foot high, forty foot wide, green colored rock. Not seeing any particular area that looked significantly different from any other area, she went to the far end and searched again.

  She’d walked the full width of it, then back again twice before shaking her head worriedly. “I can’t find it,” she said. “I really feel like it should be right there, but it’s not.” She pointed at an area near the center of the rock wall at shoulder height, but no one else saw anything either.

  “It’s nearly noon now,” Karma said, looking up at the sky. “In a few minutes the sun will pass over us and this side of the rock will be in shade. Maybe then Tiari will be able to see something we can’t.”

  “Of course,” Kapia said, smiling with relief. “Thank you Karma.”

  “Well, I hope I’m right,” Karma said. “I could be wrong.”

  “You’re not wrong,” Tiari said, squinting at the rock. “I can see something there, right where you pointed, Kapia, but it’s very faint.”

  Everyone watched the sun’s progress in the line of shadow that began to slide slowly down the face of the rock. Karma wished they had something to shade the area with so they didn’t have to wait, but they’d sent everything but the clothes they were wearing, some kinsaki, and water skins back to Coris with the diplos. None of them even wore a cloak. She sighed, then looked down at Nikura when he began swishing his tail back and forth in an unusual sign of impatience.

  “What’s the matter?” Karma asked silently.

  “Nothing.”

  Karma ran one hand lightly across the top of his head, then began rubbing his ears. She could feel the tension vibrating through his body. “It won’t be much longer now, Nikura,” she said. “I promise you that I will do everything I can to see that you’re reunited with Ankiru as soon as possible.”

  Nikura looked up at Karma, and she felt him relax beneath her fingers. “Thank you,” he said. Karma smiled and continued to rub his ears, pleased when his tail settled and he seemed to relax a little.

  “There it is,” Tiari said softly as soon as the shade covered the area Kapia had indicated. “There are three circles, one white, one yellow, one red, in a triangular pattern.” As she spoke, Tiari touched the rock to mark each circle.

  “Show me the three corners of the triangle,” Kapia said as she unsheathed her belt knife. Tiari tapped the rock in three places, and Kapia nodded, calmly drawing the knife across her thumb before Bredon knew what she was going to do. She stepped forward and pressed her bloody thumb on the spot Tiari had marked as the top of the triangle and drew a line in blood from there to the right corner, then the left, then back to the top. Bredon whipped a square of cloth from a small pouch on his belt and wrapped it around Kapia’s thumb when she stepped back while everyone else watched the rock.

  There was a soft gasp when Kapia’s blood soaked into the rock until there was no trace of it left. A six inch thick square of stone two feet wide by two feet high vanished, leaving them all staring at the empty depression. Other than the fact that it was a precise square, there was nothing about the depression to mark it as any different from the rest of the rock. Except to Tiari.

  “I hope I remember the order,” she said, biting her lip with worry.

  “You will,” Tomas said. “Just relax and don’t try to force it.”

  Tiari smiled brilliantly up at him, then turned all of her attention to the back of the square. To her eyes, there were thirty white geometric markings on the stone in three rows. Circles, squares, triangles, octagons, ovals, lines, arrows and half circles in different configurations, no two exactly alike. She reached up, hesitating just a moment before she began touching the symbols in the order the orbs had shown her. When she was finished she stepped back and waited, but nothing happened.

  Tiari felt the tension rise around her and tried to ignore it. “I must have made a mistake,” she said. “I’ll try again, slower this time.”

  “You can do it, Tiari-mine,” Tomas whispered to her. She nodded, grateful for his confidence, and took a deep breath to calm herself. Then she reached up and began again, touching the symbols more slowly this time, thinking carefully as she pictured the vision the orbs had shown her in her mind. “Oh,” she said softly. “That’s what I did.”

  Karma counted, shocked when she reached twenty-four before Tiari stopped. She thought it was a miracle that anyone could remember that long of a combination after seeing it just once.

  “My mistake was in not touching the same symbol twice in a row at one point,” Tiari said as she stepped back again, this time with a confident smile. She’d gotten it right and she knew it. A few seconds passed, then a large rectangular slab of rock slid back, revealing a doorway that led into a dark tunnel.

  “Ren and Marl were successful,” Kapia said. “She’s claimed the Heart Orb.”

  “How do you know?” Garundel asked tightly.

  “Because the tunnel is open,” Kapia said. “According to the orbs, the Heart Orb was required to open the tunnel.”

  Garundel smiled, his shoulders relaxing. “Thank you, Highness.”

  “She’ll come back to us, Garundel,” Kapia said. “She and Marl both.” Garundel bowed, then stepped back.

  “Light the lamps,” Zakiel said, glad that Kapia had mentioned how dark the tunnel would be. Within a few minutes several people scattered throughout the group held small oil lamps, and they were ready to enter the tunnel. Zakiel went first with Karma and Nikura behind him, then Kapia, Tiari, Tomas, Bredon, and the rest of the Hunters.

  Once everyone had entered the tunnel Garundel took up a position just inside of it. According to the Orb Maidens, the tunnel would remain open so long as someone remained inside. He held his swords at the ready, and settled in to wait for his family.

  ***

  “Here, beloved,” Marl said, startling Ren.

  “What?”

  “We can leave the river here without being seen by anyone on the island,” he said. “From here we won’t have to go too far into the desert before we can cut back to the rock formation where Garundel is waiting for us.”

  “All right,” she said, and turned toward the bank, trusting him. When the water became shallow, they raised their heads above the water and sucked in great lungful’s of air, initiating the change back to human form.

  It took Ren a few moments to figure out that she now had legs and had to straighten them and place her feet on the river bottom. It was a little disorienting at first, but by the time she stepped out of the water the odd sensations had passed. She turned to look at Marl, who was just behind her, then bit her lip.

  “You were right, beloved, our clothes are dry,” he said, then looked up at her. “What’s the
matter?”

  “I’m…it’s…you….” She gave up and hung her head.

  Marl’s eyes widened when he saw tears fill her eyes. “Ren, what’s wrong? Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine,” she said, her eyes on the water between them. “You still have the corona stones, Marl. I’m so sorry. I swear, I had no idea that would happen.”

  “Do you find them so objectionable?”

  “Not at all,” Ren replied, shaking her head. “But I know full well that most people do find them objectionable. I would not wish that on you, or anyone.”

  “Ren,” he said gently, then waited for her to look up at him. “This has been a special day for both of us for so many reasons. I am quite happy to have corona stones, especially since they match yours. No one who looks at us will ever have cause to doubt we belong together. I honestly do not care if there are people who don’t like them. If someone says something I don’t like, I have a feeling this Trident will come in quite handy in a pinch.”

  Ren returned his smile. “You’re right, of course.” She tilted her head, then raised her arms to look at her wrists. “The breastplates are gone, but we still wear the bracers.”

  “Yes, I noticed that,” he said. “What’s more, I don’t think these bracers will come off. I think they’re like the corona stones. Part of our bodies now.”

  Ren looked at her bracers more closely and nodded in agreement. Then she crossed her wrists and tapped the tops of them together. The Wand left her hand, and the engravings of it returned to the bracers. “It worked.”

  “Did you doubt it?” Marl asked, then returned the Trident to his bracers.

  “No, not really,” she said, looking at the small orb in her palm before slipping into a pocket of her skirt. When she looked back up at Marl, she noticed that he was watching her with that dark, hot expression in his eyes again. Her breath caught in her throat, but he shook his head ruefully.

  “As much as I want you, as much as I need you, I do not want our first time together to be out here in the desert without so much as a blanket between us and the sand.”