I ran from the quaking earth as storm clouds gathered upon the horizon. Shafts of lightning fell from the sky and scorched the earth and men alike. I climbed a grassy knoll and looked down upon the destruction before me. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of men lay broken and bloody upon the ground. Ships were landing upon the shore. Men with golden hair wearing thick furs spilled from the ships and clashed against a sea of blue, red and brown.
“This is what awaits us if we do not stop him.”
I turned to face the speaker; my mother was beside me, looking down on the terrible scene. I knew the risks, but for once I was prepared to face it without hesitation. She wore her hood pulled up to conceal her features, but her violet eyes gleamed from beneath it. She pointed a bone-white hand, and I followed the line towards a distant hillside. Johai sat upon a white horse. The wind was running its fingers through his hair, tangling it and whipping it about. I looked back to my mother, but she had disappeared; instead I was standing beside Johai, and he was smiling at me. If you could call it that, his lips twisted in a cruel mockery of mirth.
“You think you can stop the full might of the prophecy? This day has been coming for centuries. If you do not choose me, then you will meet your end, make no mistake.” He pulled out his sword. The metal screeched against the scabbard. I stumbled backwards to avoid his slash. I fell to the ground, and my hand came back wet. It was covered in blood.
I brushed the blood off my hands. A few feet from me lay a corpse. Johai had disappeared, and I was alone in a chamber made of stone. Water was dripping from somewhere above. It plunked into a basin beside the body. I crawled over to examine it. It was a woman, judging from the long dark hair. When I turned her over, it was Sabine. Tears rolled down my cheek, and my vision blurred, and as it did, the body changed to Elenna, her faced burned and blackened.
“Spare them!” I shouted into the void. “It is my blood you need. It is my death that is necessary to stop the specter’s rise. I see that now. I will go to my death gladly if you will spare them!” I did not know whom I was begging. Maybe it was my mother, the first diviner, or the Goddess herself. I was not certain. All I knew was I could not stand the idea of any more bloodshed.
The body changed a final time, and for a moment I thought I was seeing my own corpse. Then the eyes opened, and I realized it was my mother. Her skin was bloated and pale, and there was seaweed tangled in her hair.
“Save me!” she said.
I was wrenched from the vision. I convulsed on the ground, kicking my arms and legs as I fought off imaginary foes. I saw my mother’s death face reaching for me, trying to pull me beneath the waves that had taken her life. I felt like I was drowning. I cannot breathe. Someone was shaking me. I kicked at them and rolled over onto my hands and knees and heaved for breath.
“Maea!” My grandmother slapped my back. I gasped and then inhaled. I am not dying. I can breathe. I took a few more shaking breaths before sitting back on my haunches.
Elenna was sitting cross-legged beside the fire, watching me with her dark liquid eyes. My grandmother watched me as well, her arms crossed over her chest.
“You saw?” my grandmother asked.
What did I see? War. Death. My mother’s bloated corpse. I shivered. This cannot be a good omen. This was what Elenna had run from, her death and her role in stopping the specter. I could not fault her for it. I, too, would like to run, to go to the farthest reaches of the known world to escape my forsaken destiny. I could not do that, however; if I were to flee, hundreds of thousands would die. I looked at Elenna. She seemed sad, but she did not move to speak. She saw as I did.
“I saw death, three women in one, and I saw the coming war; it will draw in every nation to destroy us all.”
My grandmother nodded her head. “Yes, time is running short. There is much left to do.”
I need to go to Danhad to stop the war, but am I ready? My grandmother had taught me much of herb lore and some healing. It would do me little good when I faced Johai at last in the Sea Chamber. Will my mother guide me in those final moments? I looked at the fire, where the aromatic herbs burned. What if Johai realized what I was trying to do and killed me for it? How did I open the gateway to the veil beyond? I had asked my grandmother about these things, but each time she told me the time was not yet, she would reveal all when I was ready. I was growing frustrated with the delay. Time was of the essence, but I obeyed, watched and waited.
We spent the remainder of the day reading the dreams of the other ten initiates. Their futures ranged from mundane to cryptic, none as dire as Elenna’s. I performed them all, and by the end I was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to collapse into a tired heap on my sleeping mat. Elenna had stayed behind, waiting outside while I divined the futures of the initiates. When the last of them had left, she came to me.
“There is much we need to speak of,” she said to me. “Tomorrow I will come to you. Be ready with the rising sun.”
I gave her a weary nod. It was all I could manage before I stumbled back into my tent. I collapsed upon my sleeping mat. I did not dream that night, for which I was glad. I woke in the early morning hours to find my grandmother had disappeared with the morning mist again. Where she went to, I did not know. She had become increasingly secretive, spending many late nights gazing into her basin. She seemed to sleep little and ate even less. It is not good for a woman of her age not to eat or sleep. When I return tonight, I will tell her so.
Elenna was waiting for me when I emerged bleary eyed from my tent. She was wearing a gown made from sewn-together hides. She had beads tied up in her forelocks, and she displayed her tattoo that marked her as one of the du-toath.
I had so many questions for her, but before I could speak any of them, she said, “Come, and stay close. There are enemies even here.”
She slipped up the hill away from the tent. I ran to catch up with her. Her legs were longer than mine, and she took long strides as she walked. I struggled to keep up with her. We skirted along the campsites, never close enough to be seen. The camps were only beginning to stir; cook fires’ smoke trailed upwards to the sky. To our right was nothing but grass and sky. The brown grass swayed in the wind. It reminded me of the sea, the way it rustled and moved. But it did not have the smell or the breeze. I felt a pang of longing for home, for Keisan and the cry of gulls and the smell of salt and the faint hint of fish from the harbors.
Elenna did not tell me much but that Beau was alive and back at the Neaux camp with the other survivors. We travelled for a while longer until the encampment burst from the grass plains. It was some distance from us yet, but I could see the crimson and gold banner of Neaux. What a relief the sight was. I knew some had perished, but many more had made it here to Mother Lake. From a distance I could not pick out individuals’ features, but I searched nonetheless. The tents were fewer than when we had started out, which was a sharp reminder of the losses sustained thus far. There had been casualties at the river, I knew. They were greater than I imagined. At least a third of the company was missing. When we drew close, we were hailed by a guard posted on the perimeter.
“Ho, what business do you have here?” the man called. I recognized him as the soldier who had tried to help pack up our tent at the onset of our trip.
Elenna stopped a few feet away. “I am Elenna, returned with news and a lost member of our party.”
The soldier nodded at her and waved her through. As we passed by, he saw my face and swore. I smiled, but it was difficult to smile carrying the news I bore. I must warn the ambassador about Danhad and the Biskis’ pact. He will not be pleased. They came far and lost many for naught.
Elenna made her way towards the ambassador’s tent. I saw it looming in the center of the encampment. It was little changed. As we approached, we spied a group gathering outside it. Laughter drifted over the heads of the soldiers pressed together. The men shouted and whooped. I heard a thud followed by a grunt. There was a gap in the circle, and I could see two men wrestling in a dirt ri
ng in the center of the surrounding men. I was preparing to turn away when I saw a flash of white. I stopped and stared. Johai was wrestling with a Neaux man, and winning, from the look of it. He had the man pinned to the ground by the shoulders.
Without thinking, I took a few steps closer. Johai was grinning in a way that seemed unnatural for his face. The Johai I knew, the real Johai, was not a man of brawn. The real Johai was one who enjoyed a good book. The truth did not keep my eyes from being drawn to the sweat glistening on his muscles and the way they bunched and corded as he worked to keep the other man pinned. I could not see the face of the man he wrestled, only that he was Neaux. The Neaux man arched his back and pushed Johai off of him. Johai stumbled backwards a few steps. He did not fall and lunged forward to attack the Neaux man once more. Johai’s back blocked the man’s face from view once more. Something glittered in Johai’s hand. He held a dagger. Johai circled the man, who slashed at him and danced away after each attack.
The other man landed a strike on Johai’s upper arm. The knife bit into Johai’s skin, but he appeared unaffected. A stream of blood rolled down his arm in a crimson trail. Johai parried with a slash to the man’s face. It caught him just beneath the eye. The man spun away, and I saw his face at last. Commander Bellhue wiped away the blood that trickled down his face. The cut had almost taken his eye. The commander, despite the close call, was undaunted. He slammed into Johai with his shoulder and brought Johai to the ground. The commander was a large man, and once he was atop Johai, who was slight of frame, the fight was over. The commander pressed the dagger to Johai’s neck. The look in Johai’s eye was one of murder. It was a fleeting look, however. Johai laughed, and the commander jumped off him. They clasped hands together, signaling the end of the fight.
The spectators were filing away now that the sport was over. Those that had bet upon the match gathered their winnings, and others walked away grumbling over empty purses. Many of the spectators had been Neaux, but there were more than a few Biski mixed in with them. The Biski men stayed near Johai, watching over him.
The commander brushed the dirt off his breeches. Across the circle from me, Aland barked with laughter. Beside him stood the ambassador, Lord Gerard Buree; he smiled smugly, most likely pleased with the outcome of the fight. What is Aland doing here? He made a pact with Danhad, did he not? Lord Buree looked thinner than the last time I had seen him. There was a hunger in his gaze when he looked at Aland.
“It seems my man has won,” Lord Buree said to Aland in the Neaux tongue. “Perhaps you should have put in a man who is more equipped for fighting.”
Aland stopped laughing and looked over to Johai. He was composed, his hands folded in front of him, and a white linen shirt covered his upper body.
“Strength comes in many forms. Perhaps now that we have seen your champion fight, we can talk?” Aland said to Lord Buree. The ambassador’s gaze flickered to Johai. That same hungry gaze devoured Johai. He knows what Johai is, and he wants to use his power for Neaux. What had happened to the ambassador and his men since we were parted, I could only guess, but months had passed, and he appeared desperate. He needs this Biski pact, and he needs Johai if they hope to defeat Danhad. He’s too late. The Stone Clan has sworn themselves to Danhad. I was surprised to even see Aland here. What had they tempted them here with, or was this Johai’s plan?
“Yes. Come with me to my tent, and we will break bread and talk.” Lord Buree turned to walk away, Aland walking with him. Three Biski men followed after along with a few Neaux soldiers, including Commander Bellhue.
The ambassador had not seen me, and that may have been for the best. Johai did see me, however, and it was too late to pretend I hadn’t been watching him. Elenna placed her hand upon my shoulder as he approached us. I had nearly forgotten she was there. Whenever he was near, he seemed to absorb most of my focus. How can Johai do this to me? Why does everything fall away when I see him? I moved away from Elenna discreetly. I did not want Johai to know that I needed Elenna’s support to face him. I forced a serene expression onto my face to not give away my fear.
“Maea, it’s good to see you this morning.” He spoke to me in an easy, familiar way. He did not reach out to touch me, but I felt as if his very essence and power were wrapped around me, suffocating me.
“You were injured.” I nodded to his arm. I did not have it in me to pretend I was glad to see him.
He touched the stream of blood and withdrew his hand bright red. An image flashed in my mind: a dagger covered in bright red blood, slicing across a young Johai’s hand, and blood dripping onto a stone floor. I blinked away the vision, and Johai with black eyes watched me with a bemused expression.
“I appreciate your concern. This is nothing but a scratch, however.” He smiled as if to say ‘man’s weapons cannot harm me’. Indeed, he did seem impervious. “This is an unexpected meeting. I had hoped I would be the one to return you to your companions, but it appears I delayed too long.” His gazed flickered to Elenna, who stood beside me.
A chill ran up my spine. He had known I was separated from the others. Did he have something to do with that? Was it him who called for the river than nearly swallowed me whole?
“Thank you for your concern,” I said, and my voice shook only a little.
He gave me another half-smile. “You are always at the forefront of my thoughts, Maea.” He brushed my face with his clean hand. “I’ll be waiting until you have need of me.”
I shivered involuntarily. Why must my body betray me like this? Since the transformation I felt a stronger connection to him than ever. Why? He was not the man I loved, yet I seemed unable to keep him away or to stay away. Is it the taint as my grandmother said, or is it something more?
“If you would excuse us, we must be on our way,” Elenna said. Her tone was honey laced with poison.
“How could I deny the woman who gave Maea the key to your freedom? Go. My master will want me to talk of war and ruin, I am certain.” He bowed in a mock of court and strode away.
Each step he took, I felt I could breathe a little easier. I stood watching him until he disappeared inside the ambassador’s tent. Then I turned to Elenna and asked, “What is the Stone Clan’s leader doing here?”
“It is as the sorcerer said, to talk of war and ruin.”
“What do you mean? The Stone Clan has aligned themselves with Danhad against Neaux.” It was foolish for me to think that Johai, possessed as he was, could be trusted with any pacts he made. He is the spirit of destruction. He thrives upon chaos and death.
“Aland says he wants to see Danhad bleed for killing the innocent. He claims they slaughtered clans in the north whose only crime was herding sheep on a lord’s land. I have been here among the tribes for the better part of the gathering, and Aland has spoken openly about war. He wants to take back the land of our ancestors.”
He wants to wipe the earth of both Neaux and Danhad, I thought. He thinks Johai will help him. They are going to play both nations against one another, and Aland thinks he shall emerge the victorious leader of all the kingdoms, but it is him who is being deceived. Johai will use him and then destroy him once his use is at an end.
“Many have already pledged themselves to his clan and have promised to fight with him when the time comes,” Elenna continued.
The vision is coming true. Danhad will call in soldiers from Jerauch, and the land will run red with blood. I have to get to the Sea Chamber and back to Danhad. The specter knows, however, and the only way I can return to Danhad is if it is in his interest. I have to make him believe I am under his spell.
“The time is coming. Johai will attack on the day the moon swallows the sun. That is the day he can gain his full power. He will go to the Sea Chamber to summon the power and end the game in one sweep.” I saw the image playing out in my mind, four nations facing each other on a battlefield, Neaux against Danhad, Biski against them both, and Jerauch slashing at any who came within their reach. That was his plan all along, to bring all the
nations to war. Everything will converge on Keisan, where the Sea Chamber lies. The vision flickered and faded.
“Then we shall save him before that,” Elenna said, unaware of my own dire vision.
I forced a smile. “We will.” And I will die to do so.
The initiation ceremony for the promised du-toath was on the last night of the gathering. It coincided with the longest night, the winter solstice. Fires burned bright along the rim of Mother Lake, three in all. The daylight was fading; orange and pinks streaked the sky. A line of female initiates had gathered at the oracle’s tent just before sunset. They all wore the white gowns once more, myself included. The oracle wore a long woolen gown of white, with gold thread at the hems. She bared twin tattoos on each wrist, one marking her as a dreau and the other as one of the du-toath. My own tattoo itched. I resisted the urge to scratch it. The sign of a dreau had not been branded on a woman’s skin since my mother’s day, but my grandmother had found the same man who had done my mother’s tattoo. It was made with purple dye and made up of three interlocking rings. They bisected at the center and resembled a flower. I walked behind the oracle, followed by the other initiates in a single file. We carried torches, which signaled our approached. Across the lake, I saw the male initiates walking in a similar procession.
We met as one at the water’s edge beside the bonfires. The mass of Biski had gathered there, silent and watching. I saw their faces in shadows cast by the bonfires. At the foot of the bonfires were the du-toath. They wore different colors: blue like the sky, red as flame, brown of the earth, and the gray-green of Mother Lake. Men and women both were intermingled. They watched us as the two lines stopped before the fires and kneeled down. The oracle stood in front of us. She was joined by her male counterpart, a withered old man with white hair that was wispy tufts across his scalp.
A du-toath in a brown robe came forward with a ram. The animal looked at us with large eyes. He was pure white, with large curving horns. He was well muscled and alert. The male leader held aloft a carved bone-handled dagger. The du-toath with the lead held the animal’s head while my grandmother came forward with a bowl. The du-toath slashed the dagger across the ram’s throat. The animal bleated before falling to its knees. The oracle gathered the blood in the bowl.
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