“Thank you,” she whispered hoarsely.
He blinked at her once before jumping to the floor.
I can do this. I can be strong. I will find a way to get my memories back.
Swinging her legs out of bed, she brushed the tears from her cheeks. As she went to stand, a shimmer of light from the Seeing Stone caught her attention. She picked it up from where she’d dropped it on her pillow and stared into its glassy surface. The shallow bowl melded itself comfortably into her palm, as if it had been made to fit her hand. While she watched, clouds swirled in the centre before the image settled on a cave. She was looking at it as if she were caged inside the skeleton of some monstrous beast.
I wonder if this is a vision of the past or the future?
Small shapes flitted around her in the image, and she tilted the Seeing Stone in an attempt to understand what they were. She realised a colony of night scamps were attacking. Many of the large-eared, sharp-toothed mythics already lay dead on the ground but there were dozens more to take their place. As she watched the horrific battle a burst of flames ripped through the scene. Squeaking in fright, she jerked and fumbled the stone, dropping it to the floor. Snatching it back up, she looked to see where the fire had come from, but only empty stone stared back at her. The vision had faded. Sera cursed and shook the Seeing Stone, willing it to return. Nothing changed. Dropping her shoulders in defeat, she sighed heavily. Summoning her motivation, she forced herself to pull on a fresh set of jeans and a loose-fitting shirt, before tucking the Seeing Stone securely into her pocket.
Following Perry out of her tiny bedroom to the kitchen, she noticed a piece of paper on the island bench beside a pot of coffee and a plate of toast.
“Hey Sera, I wasn’t sure what time you were going to wake up, but I made you breakfast anyway. I’ll come home for lunch to check how you’re doing. Text me if you need anything. Hazel xx”
She smiled at her friend’s thoughtfulness and reached for the coffee. The pot was cold and she frowned. Sera glanced at the clock and was surprised to see that it was almost midday already. At that moment, she heard the control panel buzz on the front door and Hazel let herself in.
“Oh good, you’re up! How’re you feeling?” Hazel rushed over and gave Sera a hug. Without waiting for an answer, she pulled out two containers of pasta and shoved one towards Sera.
Sera’s mouth watered as she breathed in the scent of basil in the bolognaise. “Thank you so much.” She hugged her friend again. “I’m famished. This is perfect.”
Hazel blushed and muttered, “It’s no big deal.” She pulled a chair out from the small dining table for Sera before moving to the opposite side and sitting down to eat. An audible grumble came from Sera’s stomach, and she grinned sheepishly before digging into her pasta. While she stuffed her mouth, Hazel ate slowly, watching her with a peculiar expression.
Pausing her scoffing, Sera asked around a mouthful of food, “Mmph, what is it?”
“Life was already difficult for you, Sera. And then, after yesterday’s events, it’s all just gotten crazier. I can see you suffering. So, I was thinking about what helps me when my mental health is declining. And — hear me out — I really think it would help for you to go to Temple.”
Sera leant back in her chair with a scowl and said, “That’s your thing, Hazel.”
“It might make you feel better,” Hazel implored, her warm brown eyes looking even larger behind her glasses, making it difficult to say no. “And, of course, I’ll come with you.”
Sera screwed up her nose. “But you know I hate Temple.” It was one of the few things they disagreed about. Hazel believed wholeheartedly in the Four Gods. Sera was undecided on their existence but had accepted a long time ago that if they did exist, they cared little for mortals.
“Ghaia’s Temple is so peaceful. It always leaves me feeling grounded.”
Sera sniggered and asked, “Please tell me that wasn’t a pun? The Earth Goddess’ Temple leaves you feeling grounded? Really?”
Hazel flashed an impetuous smile that lit up her face and said, “I do love a good pun. But sadly no, that wasn’t intentional. I’m not that witty.”
“You’re plenty witty,” Sera mumbled whilst polishing off her lunch. “Fine. I’ll go. But I reserve the right to leave if it gets too much.”
Her friend darted around the table to her and squeezed her in an awkward side hug. “Thank you. At the very least it won’t cause any harm, and with any luck, it will help you. Why don’t we go now?”
Sera snorted drily. “You want to strike while the werewolf is still howling, huh?”
“Can’t give you a chance to come up with an excuse to get out of it.” Hazel smirked and winked.
“What about work? Your lunch break is nearly over.”
“I spoke to my boss and he let me take the rest of the day off.” She grinned wickedly. “I told him I had some final details to tie up in preparation for the Choosing. Which isn’t a lie. I’ll just do it after Temple.”
“Fine.” Sera groaned in defeat. “I give up. Seeing as you’ve got an answer for everything.”
Hazel clapped her hands together gleefully. “Come on, get your shoes on and let’s go! I’ll bring something for the offering from both of us.”
Sera groaned again. I already regret this decision.
Chapter Twelve
The Temple was the oldest building Sera had seen in Mandar City. The pillars were crumbling in places where the vines had tried to reclaim it. The massive building sat in the middle of a garden, with native trees dotting the lawn and meandering paths threading between flowering shrubs. The tinkle of a brook reached her ears as they entered through the wrought-iron gates. Sera felt as if a veil had been lifted to a time before the Mythic War. The Mandar City that she knew was a geometric maze of concrete. Ghaia’s Temple was all soft edges, arches and filled with nature. She let out a long breath that she felt she had been holding onto for weeks now.
Hazel noticed and graced her with a brilliant smile. “I told you it would help,” the brown-haired girl whispered as she nudged her with an elbow, eyebrow raised in triumph. Sera rolled her eyes but linked her arm through Hazel’s as they walked up the stairs to the massive wooden door. Together, they stepped into the shadow of Ghaia’s Temple.
Studying the mottled texture of the main door’s timber, Sera let go of her friend and allowed her fingertips to trail over the grain before hurrying to follow Hazel inside the Temple. She always claimed she was too busy or exhausted to attend the services held at the Goddess’ temple, but the truth was, she didn’t know how much faith she put in the Four Gods. Ghaia for Earth, Bhelanos for Fire, Caehli for Air and Aquera for Water. Her brows pulled together as she struggled to remember the location of the other Gods’ Temples. Hazel had told her of the Temple for Caelhi in the snowy country of Soldenheim but she couldn’t recall where the others were. She should probably find that out, but shrugged, dismissing the notion.
Does it really matter? Pretty sure I’m not planning on visiting them anytime soon.
As she traipsed after Hazel, Sera blinked, waiting for her eyes to grow accustomed to the dimness. Columns and stone statues of mythics lined the entire main hall and blossoming moonflowers that draped down from hanging pots perfumed the air. While their delicate white petals were lovely to look at, their cloying scent was too sweet, causing her nose to wrinkle and giving her an instant headache. An impressive carving of the Earth Goddess presided over the end of the hallway and Sera caught her breath as she admired the craftsmanship. The image of Ghaia had been recreated from an enormous living tree. Mythics must have helped produce this masterpiece since Sera had no doubt magic was involved in creating the living statue. Foliage cascaded around Ghaia’s face like hair, and two large branches formed her arms that were opened wide in a welcoming pose. Her body morphed into the tree trunk but the roots were exposed, spreading to create the entrance and make way for the steps that led down into the inner sanctum of Ghaia’s Temple.
>
An ominous feeling and a flash of black leathery wings flickered at the edge of Sera’s vision and she swung around, hand ready to unsheathe Firinne, anxiously searching for the attacker. The image faded as quickly as it had come and she slowly relaxed out of her fighting stance.
Maybe yesterday’s fight affected me more than I thought it did.
Mythics and humans moved through the impressive space, some leaving from prayer, others milling about and enjoying the beauty of the Earth Goddess’ home in Mandar City. A constant low hum that melted into her bones echoed through the chamber, but she couldn’t figure out where the noise came from. Before she could ask Hazel, a gluxxor caught their attention. Shivers prickled over her skin, and it wasn’t just from the cool air of the Temple. The tall reptilian mythic stood on his rear legs and was clothed in a simple brown robe that rustled softly over his scaled skin as he bowed. His eyes remained closed while his scaled tail swept downward, making the bow more extravagant than expected.
“Welcome to Ghaia’s Temple,” he droned in a soothing monotone. “I am Brother Reikuul.” His tongue flicked out over his snout, tasting the air. “Please do not take weapons into the inner sanctum. It is against Ghaia’s teachings to possess a weapon in her presence.”
Sera frowned and placed a protective hand on Firinne. She didn’t intend on losing her blade ever again, and she wasn’t sure she trusted this gluxxor. Glancing at Hazel, who nodded encouragingly, she pursed her lips, uneasy.
“Fine,” she eventually ground out. Unsheathing the knife, she placed it hilt first into the gluxxor’s waiting talons. “Where can I pick it up once we’re finished?”
“I will ensure it is returned to you safely at the end of your visit, Tracker Seraphina.”
She flinched. How does he know my name?
Hazel had walked ahead to place their offering of coffee beans, a sprig of rosemary and a small bunch of home-grown pansies beside Ghaia’s statue on the offering table and didn’t hear the exchange. Brother Reikuul held the blade tightly, drawing blood from the palm of his clawed hand, and opened his eyes. They were milky white and stared blindly at Sera as she cried out.
“What are you doing? You’ve hurt yourself, you silly fool! Let me get you some help.”
She turned to call out to Hazel, but she was gone. They were completely alone, when only moments before there had been dozens of beings milling around. Her muscles coiled, ready to fight if need be, and a hard edge crept into her voice when she asked, “What have you done?”
“I need to speak to you in private, so I have taken us to the Dreams Plain for this conversation.”
She blanched. “What in the Four Gods’ names do you mean? What’s a Dream Plain? Where is everyone?”
“They are here in Ghaia’s house still. We are on the Dreams Plain. It is my dream so I can create the space to look however I want.”
“Impossible!”
“Difficult. But not impossible for a mythic.” The gluxxor croaked out a laugh. “Now stop being hysterical so I can talk. I can’t hold us here for long. Tell me, what do you know about this knife?”
She paused, not expecting this line of questioning. “It was my mother’s before she died, and my father gifted it to me when I graduated from MINATH. Its name is Firinne. An Alchemist assisted in the forging of the blade, inlaying crystals into the metal to help the knife’s owner battle rogue mythics. That’s it.”
Brother Reikuul’s tongue flicked out again and he cocked his head. “One of my gifts is the ability to taste the truth. And what you have said is... not a lie told by you. But there are lies hidden in your statement.”
“I’m not lying!”
“Yes, I am aware of that,” he said with a bored sigh. “That’s what I said. You are not telling the lie, but there is something that tastes wrong about what you know about Firinne. The knife’s name is true though, I’ll grant you that. But did you realise that you are not using your knife to its full potential?”
“What do you mean?”
He held Firinne up between them. “See these runes on the blade? They’ve faded because their magic has been depleted. Did you really expect the crystals to work forever?” He snorted in amusement at her ignorance before explaining, “The magic contained within the crystals must be recharged.” His tongue flicked out again as he studied her with his milky eyes. Sera shifted uncomfortably under his blind scrutiny, unsure if he could see anything. “It’s odd… your aura is fractured. The path you are yet to walk is a twisted one. If you make the right choices, I believe you can aid the mythics of Mandar.” He sighed heavily before nodding his scaled head. “I will help you this time.”
He uttered strange clicking and croaking sounds in his throat and wove an intricate pattern with his clawed hands. Firinne hovered unsupported in the air between the gluxxor’s palms as golden light swirled around the knife before pouring into it. The runes on the blade flashed blinding white. With a low hiss, Brother Reikuul brought his magic to an end and passed Firinne back to Sera.
“How am I supposed to charge it once the magic drains again?” Sera wondered aloud, awestruck by the power she had witnessed. She met the gluxxor’s blank stare and asked, “Do I just come back to you?”
Brother Reikuul held up a hand. “We’ve been here too long. My strength fails me.” The Temple flickered in and out of focus in agreement with his declaration. “Good luck, Tracker Seraphina, Goddess knows we will need you in the war to come.”
Before Sera could demand more information about this so-called war, she felt a strange sensation of falling before a wave of darkness crashed over her.
Chapter Thirteen
Stirring, Sera slowly dragged herself onto her elbows from where she lay on her back. The grass brushed her arms and a stream tinkled beside her. Sitting up, she took stock of her surroundings.
Where am I?
Red bell-headed flowers nodded serenely at her feet and a charming willow tree bowed its head over the running water. Her eyes continued to travel up the tree’s trunk until she saw the façade of the Earth Temple behind it. The strange events of her visit to the Dreams Plain came rushing back and she instinctively reached for Firinne. The comforting feel of the staghorn handle met her fingertips and she exhaled in relief. Brother Reikuul had helped her, but something about him set her teeth on edge. Two titters perched on a nearby branch, whispering quietly between themselves and adding the odd indignant chirp through their conversation. They kept looking at her before putting their black beaks back together and muttering. She admired their sleek white feathers and blue breasts, realising she’d never really paid attention to their beauty before.
Normally they’re too annoying for me to notice how pretty they are.
They abruptly stopped their chatter and looked her directly in the eye. A shiver passed over her as their beady red eyes held hers, their obvious intelligence striking her. Winging their way towards the ground, both titters swooped low past her ear and chattered, “Save you, need you.”
Sera’s mouth dropped open, and she called, “Wait! What do you mean?”
The little birds chittered and flitted to the ground in front of her, one hopping forward before the other jumped in front and pecked the other.
“We been sent to you,” chirruped one.
“By him,” added the other.
“Him? Who’s him?” she demanded.
“Not gonna tell you if you rude,” squawked the first one.
“We made promise,” reprimanded the other. “He eat us, eat us if we don’t!”
Sera took a deep breath, praying for patience, and gritted her teeth in what she hoped looked like a smile. “Please. Tell me who sent you, and what they want.”
“He want you. Safe. And with him.”
“Arius,” added the second one. They both nodded in tandem and flitted up and down erratically.
This guy’s name keeps popping up. I guess we must have grown close during my time away. A niggle of worry tugged inside her, wondering exactl
y how close they had gotten and if the feeling was mutual. The fact that she had no memory of him made her doubtful.
At the moment, he’s feeling vaguely stalkerish.
She spoke slowly when she addressed the titters next. “Where is he now? Can you take me to him?”
“He coming here. He find you soon,” they exclaimed in unison, bobbing their bright heads up and down. Disquiet settled in her stomach and she opened her mouth to ask them more, but they flew away with a screech as they were interrupted by light footsteps on the grass.
“Sera! I was so worried; you disappeared! Why didn’t you tell me you were coming outside?” Hazel wrung her hands as she paced in front of Sera, who still sat on the ground where she’d woken.
“I, uh—” She stalled, not quite knowing what to say to Hazel. She decided on a portion of the truth for now. She could share everything with her friend later, once she’d sorted it out in her own mind. “The smell of those moonflowers gave me a headache so I came out here to clear my head. I lost sight of you, sorry, but I was meaning to come back in sooner. I just… got distracted.”
Hazel sank to the earth and crossed her legs with a forlorn expression. “I’m sorry, Sera. You’re right, Temple isn’t your thing. I shouldn’t have pushed you to come.”
“Don’t be daft. It was sweet of you to want to help me. And I’m sure it would have been fine if it wasn’t for the headache.” She reached out and placed a hand on Hazel’s knee. “Please, don’t beat yourself up. You’re a kind person, and a good friend. I’m lucky to have you.”
Hazel’s lips trembled and she gave Sera’s hand a squeeze before shaking her head and standing up. She reached a hand out, helping Sera to her feet, and said, “It’s no more than any friend would do.”
A Dragon's Body: A New Adult Fantasy Dragon Series (The MINATH Chronicles Book 2) Page 6
