“He must go,” Karma said. “We cannot be so widely separated from one another for such a long time.”
“I suppose we will soon see what happens,” Worrow said.
“Don’t worry,” Nikura said. “There will not be a problem.”
Karma met Nikura’s gaze and nodded with relief as Zakiel took the seat next to her. Kapia sat on the bench opposite them and reached out to rub Nikura’s ears in an effort to calm her own nerves.
“When you are ready, Princess Kapia, close your eyes and clear your mind,” Worrow said. “Think of going to the Moon Orb.”
Kapia nodded, smiled nervously and took a deep breath. “All right, I can do this,” she whispered to herself as she closed her eyes and folded her hands in her lap. They waited quietly, the only sound an occasional bird song, or a voice drifting down from the village.
The boat began to move, so slowly at first that Karma wasn’t sure if it was the tide or Kapia. A few moments later it began to pick up speed, going faster and faster until it was barely skimming the water. Kapia opened her eyes and smiled at her success. A moment later they were all clutching the benches they sat on, worried that they’d fall out of the boat if it were to hit a wayward wave.
Zakiel watched the sun as it crawled across the sky, surprised that it was taking so long to reach their destination. They’d traveled three hours by his guess when the boat began to slow down. They searched the sea around them, but it was another half hour before they saw what looked like a big rock sticking out of the water. The boat came to a dead stop about twenty yards from the atoll, and they sat there for a few minutes, wondering what to do next.
Karma heard a sound and turned toward it, her eyes fixed on the water just beyond the bow of their boat. She saw nothing but still water reflecting the cloudless sky, and frowned.
“Greetings, Lady Techu,” a voice said. Karma looked at Kapia and Zakiel, but clearly neither of them heard the voice, though from the way Nikura stared at her, he heard it.
“I would be most grateful of you would use the Ti-Ank so that I may speak with the Maiden of the Moon,” the voice said, with an undercurrent of humor.
“Of course,” Karma said as she picked up the Ti-Ank and sent a thread of energy into it.
“I greet you, Vatra, son of Vatra,” the voice said, heard now by all of them. “I greet you, Maiden of the Moon. I am Karaken.”
“Greetings, Karaken,” Zakiel said. “Will you show yourselves to us?”
“I’ve no wish to frighten you,” Karaken replied.
“We have been told a little about your appearance,” Zakiel said. “We shall accept you as you are.”
“Very well, as you wish,” the voice replied. A moment later a gigantic orange head, easily three times the size of the boat they sat in, rose slowly from the water, revealing one large, lidless green eye.
“It has been my duty to guard the Cradle of the Moon Orb these many centuries,” Karaken said. “Now that you have come, I almost think I will miss it.”
“How do you know that we are the three you have waited for?” Kapia asked curiously.
“I was given to know by the scent of your blood,” Karaken replied casually. “Only the blood of the Maiden of the Moon can open the Cradle anyway, so even if you weren’t who I believe you to be, it would do you no good.”
“How do we get from here to there?” Karma asked.
“I could push your boat to the atoll, if you like,” Karaken replied. “Of course, for such an effort, I might wish to be recompensed.”
“Recompensed?” Karma asked. “And what exactly would you wish in exchange?”
Karaken floated in the water for a few moments, as though considering. “I think I would like a feather from the Vatra,” he said at last. “Yes, I do believe that would be a nice token to have.”
Zakiel sighed and shrugged. He would need to ask Karma to help him transform, but other than that, he saw no problem with it. He opened his mouth to agree when Karma held up one hand and shook her head sharply. He closed his mouth, frowning as he watched her.
Suddenly the form of a woman who vaguely resembled Karma appeared beside the boat, a stern expression on her face. The glow from the Ti-Ank instantly extended itself to her.
“Karaken,” she demanded angrily, “have you decided to dishonor our bargain?”
“Of course not, Techu Samyi,” Karaken replied, bobbing in the water, sending tiny ripples toward their boat.
“I heard your request for a feather from the Vatra,” she said. “If you do not honor our bargain, you will be torn from Rathira and left to float among the stars forever.”
“I did not demand a feather,” Karaken objected. “I suggested only that it would be nice.”
“Indeed, I am sure it would be,” Techu Samyi said wryly. “Nevertheless, you shall not receive one.”
“Not even as a gift?” Karaken asked hopefully.
“Beware, Karaken,” the apparition said before fading away.
“Well, you cannot blame me for trying,” Karaken said with another sighing sound.
Kapia suddenly knew that dealing with this creature was her task. She wasn’t sure why, or how she knew it, but she did. She took a deep breath, stood up, and turned to face the gigantic orange head. “I call on you, Karaken, as Maiden of the Moon, rightful claimant of the Moon Orb,” she said, not knowing what she was going to say until the words left her mouth. “Tell me true the bargain you made with Techu Samyi and the creator of the Moon Orb.”
“You are much as your ancestress,” Karaken said with a sigh. “Very well then, in return for the privilege of living in the Kytherian Sea which, I might add, is a truly lovely ocean, I promised to guard the Moon Orb, to see the rightful Maiden of the Moon safely to it, and to guard you until you return to the Sirelina.”
Kapia crossed her arms in front of her and glared at the giant green eye. “I also promised to tell you that only the blood of the Maiden of the Moon can claim the orb.”
Kapia’s eyes narrowed, but that seemed to be all.
“Thank you, Karaken,” Kapia said politely. “If you will, please take us to the atoll now.”
“As you wish, Maiden of the Moon,” Karaken replied.
A long, thick orange tentacle with curved claws embedded along its length rose from the water behind them. Kapia sat back down as the arm gently bumped against the back of the boat, then began pushing them slowly toward the atoll, Karaken’s head keeping pace alongside them. When the boat was inches from the rock, he released it to bump gently against the atoll.
Now that they were close to it, they saw that, rather than one large rock sticking straight up, it was actually a series of rocks that gradually built up toward the center. It would not be difficult for them to climb up the gentle slope to the top, though they would need to be careful of their footing on the smooth, rounded rocks.
Zakiel stepped out of the boat first, then handed Kapia and Karma out. Nikura leapt onto the rocks last, his ears back. He clearly did not like being on a rock in the middle of the ocean.
Zakiel pulled the front of the boat onto the rocks so that it wouldn’t drift away. As he started to turn around, he caught something out of the corner of his eye and spun back, his eyes widening in surprise and horror.
“Karma, Kapia,” he said tightly, “we have company.”
“What in the nine hells is that?” Karma gasped, her grip tightening on her staff as she watched what looked like a serpent with wings flying toward them with two figures on its back.
“Demon,” Nikura said, hissing furiously.
“It’s Marene,” Kapia said. Karma glanced at Kapia in shock, but Kapia’s expression was as cold as any she’d ever seen on Zakiel’s face. Karma turned back to the flying demon, but she was unable to make out the faces of those on the back of it. She didn’t doubt Kapia though. The girl was too certain.
“And the other figure?” she asked.
“Saigar,” Zakiel said.
Karma took two steps to th
e side, placing herself slightly behind and to Zakiel’s right. She sent a thread of energy into the Ti-Ank, and held it before her in both hands, ready for battle. She tested the balance, having never practiced with the ankh attached to the staff before, and shifted the staff a few inches in her hands. Satisfied, she glanced over to see Kapia follow her lead and take up a position opposite her own, her staff held before her, feet set, shoulders relaxed.
Karma felt a surge of pride in her student, and offered her a warm smile before turning her attention forward as Zakiel glanced over his shoulder at them. “I’m not sure how we’re going to deal with that demon,” he said. “Any ideas?”
Karma cocked her head and listened.
“Karaken will take the demon when it comes in to land,” Karma said. “You and Nikura take Saigar, Kapia and I will take Marene.”
“She’s the source of the demon arts,” Nikura said. “She will not be easy to take out.”
“I have the Ti-Ank against her magic,” Karma said, winking at Kapia with a smile. “That might even things up a bit.”
The four of them waited, weapons ready, all eyes on their enemies as they grew larger and larger in the sky.
“I’m curious about something,” Karma said.
“What’s that, valia?” Zakiel asked.
“How do they know where we are?”
“I do not know,” Zakiel replied. “Nikura?”
“I know that you do not have anything tainted by demon arts,” Nikura said to Karma. “And I’ve been through all of Prince Zakiel’s belongings as well.”
Karma repeated what Nikura said, then looked at Kapia, who was glancing down at herself, going over everything she wore, item by item. She looked up at Karma and started to shake her head, then her eyes widened.
“My ring!” she gasped, holding up the hand that wore the golden serpent ring.
“But that belonged to our Mother,” Zakiel said, glancing over his shoulder at her.
“Yes, but after I was abducted, Marene took the ring to have the poison well refilled for me. She did not return it until the next day.”
“It’s a good thing you did not need the ring to protect yourself,” Karma commented.
Kapia looked confused for a moment, then understanding hit her. “Yes, I’m sure that whatever is now in the ring is not poison at all,” she said. “I do hate that woman. I’m sorry I ever considered that you might one day wed her, Brother.”
Zakiel chuckled. “You are forgiven, Sister. What shall we do about the ring, Karma?”
“It is not necessary to do anything at the moment,” Karma said. “They’ve already found us. Besides, Kapia cannot throw your Mother’s ring into the sea.”
“If we destroy her, we destroy her magic,” Nikura said.
Karma repeated that bit of information to Zakiel and Karma.
“Then let us destroy her,” Kapia said.
They watched as the flying demon reached them and circled overhead, once, twice, three times, getting lower with each pass, revealing that it had hundreds of tiny legs beneath it, more like a centipede than a snake. They tensed, wondering why Marene was taking so long.
Karma had just decided that perhaps she’d changed her mind about taking them all on when the demon finally landed at the edge of the rock, far enough away from them to give Marene and Saigar a chance to dismount before being attacked. As soon as the demon touched the rocks, several long, clawed arms shot up out of the water and wrapped around the back end of it. The demon roared and began flapping it’s wings in an attempt to fly away, but Karaken’s grip was too strong, his weight too much for the demon and it slipped, scratching and screaming, into the water.
The brief struggle lasted long enough for Marene and Saigar to leap free, and for a moment they were out of sight on the far side of the demon. When the demon went into the water, they got their first good look at Marene, and though none of them showed it, they were all stunned by her appearance.
Her once beautiful face had been transformed into a rude parody of itself. Her skin was rough and gray, her large eyes red, her teeth long, pointed daggers that deformed her perfect mouth. Her hands had become scaly claws that were the furthest thing from human. Karma wondered if she were possessed by a demon to have such obvious physical changes, but a quick glance at Saigar proved that the only change in his appearance was the dead black pits of his eyes.
“She wields demon arts,” Nikura explained. “She allows dark magic to reside within her. It does not take long for that which is on the inside to show on the outside.”
“Hello, Marene,” Karma said, her voice light and casual, as though they were meeting in the palace garden instead of a barren rock in the middle of the ocean. “How...interesting...to see you. Have you been getting enough sleep lately? You look a bit tired.”
Marene bared her teeth and hissed. “You,” she spat, her voice no longer soft and cultured, but harsh and gravely. “This is your fault! You ruined everything!”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Karma said with a smile.
“I will destroy you, all of you,” Marene said. “Then I will take the Moon Orb and give it to the demons. In return, I will be Queen of Isiben.”
Karma chuckled softly. “There are a few problems with your plan, Marene,” she said.
“My plan is perfect,” Marene said. “There is nothing you can do to stop me.”
“I don’t have to stop you,” Karma replied. “You’ve already made a mess of things all by yourself.”
“What do you mean?” Marene asked, her red eyes narrowing with suspicion.
“First, you came too soon,” Karma replied. “The Moon Orb has not been claimed, so you cannot reach it to destroy it. Second, when your demon friends invade Rathira, they will destroy everyone who is not demon. You will be queen of nothing. If they let you live at all.”
While Karma and Marene had been talking, Saigar began stalking slowly toward Zakiel. Both men held a short sword in each hand as they prepared to do battle. Marene had been inching closer to Karma as she spoke, but she held no weapon. Karma inched back cautiously as she wondered what Marene was up to. Suddenly, the sea began to boil up as Karaken and the serpent demon, locked together in battle, rose to the surface for a moment before sinking back beneath the water again.
It was enough of a distraction for Marene to toss something at Nikura. Karma saw the quick motion out of the corner of her eye, and she snapped her head around to see a bag of dust break against Nikura’s side. The Sphin immediate froze.
“She got me with a stone spell,” Nikura said to Karma with disgust. “I’m afraid it will be several minutes before I am able to throw it off.”
“Will you be all right?” Karma asked.
“Yes,” Nikura replied. “Keep your eye on her and do not think of me.”
Karma’s eyes were already on Marene, and she was furious. This had just become even more personal than it had been.
Karma sent more energy into the Ti-Ank, then sent it out toward Marene, trying to determine if it would see Marene as a demon and let her use the powers of Rathira. After a few moments she realized that the Ti-Ank was not reacting to Marene as though she were a demon. She was still too human.
She poured energy into the Ti-Ank and directed it Marene, sending a beam of power at the other woman in an attempt to put her to sleep since that was all she could do. Marene wavered for a moment, then threw it off. Karma hid her surprise. Marene’s magic was stronger than she’d suspected.
Karma attacked, running forward the few steps between them and bringing the lower end of the staff up in a short, hard arc, slamming it hard against Marene’s ribs. Karma heard a sharp crack as she used her momentum to bring the upper end around in a blow aimed for Marene’s head.
Marene got one arm up in time to block the head hit, but the staff hit her arm hard enough that Karma heard a snap. Marene barely seemed to notice as she reached out with her other hand and wrapped her long, clawed fingers around it. Karma jerked the staff hard in
an attempt to break her grip, but Marene’s new demon-like hands were too strong. Karma tightened her own grip on the staff, dropped down into a squat, then swung one leg out and around, sweeping Marene off of her feet. Marene refused to release the staff and fell forward over Karma. The two women struggled against each other, Karma on her back, Marene over her, neither of them strong enough to dislodge the other’s grip on the staff. It was a stand-off. Whichever of them lasted the longest, would win.
When Karma attacked Marene with the staff, Kapia hurried forward, her own staff held ready. Unfortunately she couldn’t get behind Marene without getting too close to the battle now going on between Zakiel and Saigar.
The rapid clash of metal against metal as the two men fought caught her attention for a moment. She had watched the Hunters spar during their journey, and knew enough about combat now to see that Saigar and Zakiel were evenly matched, though the Tigren markings on Zakiel’s face told her the Tigren was close to the surface. She hoped that would be enough to offset any extra strength Saigar got from his demon.
She wished she could help her brother, but knew she would only get in the way if she tried. A quick glance at Nikura told her he was still unable to move after whatever Marene had done to him, then she turned her attention back to Karma.
She’d looked away for no more than a couple of seconds, but when she looked back she saw that Marene had one hand on the Ti-Ank, and was over Karma who was on her back. Kapia desperately wanted to help, but none of the moves Karma had taught her would work in a situation like this.
Then she remembered what Karma had told her in the beginning, before she’d learned to use the staff properly. She smiled grimly, shifted the staff in her hands so that she was holding it closer to one end, stepped forward and swung it around with all of her might directly at Marene’s head.
Kapia had become much stronger than she realized from her weeks of workouts with Karma. The thick, solid wood of the staff hit Marene’s head so hard that it not only crushed her skull, it also broke her neck. She was dead before she even knew she was in danger, and her body dropped like a rock on top of Karma. Kapia lowered her staff and grabbed hold of Marene’s shoulder, pulling her off of Karma with one hard jerk.
Quest for the Moon Orb: Orbs of Rathira Page 39
