Song of the Earth: Book Four of the Firebird's Daughter series

by Kyrja

  “Hurry,” the young woman urged, “we have to get out of here before …”

  “No!” Khashya could feel the word being ripped from her throat as she was suddenly pushed violently away from Baya, as if a giant hand had shoved her forcefully aside. As she hit the cobblestones, she saw Baya being engulfed in a fireball that had come out of nowhere. She screamed in horror at what she’d just witnessed, unable to believe Baya had just been burned alive right in front of her. She was paralyzed with fear and shock. Then she screamed again when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning around as she jerked away from the sensation, she stared mutely when Baya was standing there, offering her a hand up.

  “Don’t ask. Not now. Just come with me,” Baya ordered her. Numb with confusion, Khashya didn’t resist when Baya pulled her by both hands. Her legs didn’t seem to want to work and her stomach felt as though someone had punched her. Hard. But she struggled along, leaning against the other woman. It took her a couple of minutes of limping beside Baya to realize she felt blood soaking through the back of her shirt.

  “When we’re safe, would you check my back?” she asked, fighting the alarm she felt rising in her throat.

  “It’s not you, it’s my arm,” Baya told her curtly.

  “We need to get to the temple,” she panted, feeling exhaustion steal over her. “I’ve got some herbs and bandages there.”

  “If I know Aku, she will be waiting for us there,” Baya sighed, shifting her companion’s weight. At least I hope she is, she thought, angry she had missed her chance to meet Chared. She knew something important had just happened, and not just the fact that it had to have been Sharun who had tried to kill her. Shaking her head, she hoped High Priestess Khashya had been too shaken up to understand what she had just witnessed. If not, things were going to get a whole lot worse for all of Chared’s children.

  Chapter Seven – Nieva Knows

  “No, Hadia,” Oculis heard Siri Ventus saying as he walked out onto the rooftop patio of the building where the Goddess of Air had made her home. He stopped just outside of the doorway though, not yet ready to confront Siri. He had a surprise for her, and wanted to judge how to best approach the matter.

  “She wasn’t hurt. She is much stronger than you give her credit for,” Siri told Hadia. “And smarter too.” He knew she’d added the last for good measure. Hadia wouldn’t know it, he was sure, but Siri’s intention was clearly to make her feel inferior for being merely human. Of course, Hadia wasn’t really completely human, but Siri took her digs where she could find them. Nor was she known for being the most compassionate of gods. Still, she was talking about Nieva, so his own senses were immediately hyper-alert, and he thought his stupid heart might come out of his chest at the mention of her possibly coming to harm.

  “You knew it was going to be dangerous,” Hadia accused, her voice filled with the anger and anxiety Oculis was feeling. “You should have sent Oculis instead!“ she shouted, flinging a hand in his direction.

  “Except that he won’t let me use his eyes,” Siri seethed, leaning forward in her chair toward Hadia.

  “That doesn’t mean you send a child into danger!” Hadia yelled back.

  “What have you done?” Oculis demanded, feeling more frightened than he’d ever been, willing his heart to keep beating.

  “A better question might be to ask what have you done,” Siri returned, one eyebrow cocked in a way that told him she knew something he didn’t want her to know.

  “Chared?” Hadia asked. While he had come to appreciate the woman being here during the full of the moon to help Siri through those times when she was able to speak with her brother, she had taken far too much of an interest in his own activities for her own good. He could easily understand her curiosity, but was unable to appreciate that she was privy to his own affairs. It was something he would have to remedy soon.

  “Tell me about Nieva first,” he demanded, scowling. Of course he’d known Nieva was there, but she might have gotten into trouble after he’d left the area. Chared’s magic was not something to be underestimated.

  “You have already learned that she is unharmed. Now tell us about Chared,” Siri said quietly, while sitting up straighter. This was the Goddess of Air at her most-dangerous. He had a choice, then. Tell her what she wanted to know, or leave. He didn’t appreciate, however, having to discuss these matters in front of Hadia. He hadn’t yet decided whether she might be an ally, but had learned that Siri wasn’t likely to accommodate his request that she leave them to talk alone. Not even if he insisted. They had become far too close for his own liking, but it didn’t seem as though there was much he would be able to do about it, short of leaving. Again.

  For her part, it appeared that Hadia had come to actually enjoy Siri’s company. That may have evolved from the fact that she seemed to relish her ability to turn into a hawk at will; a “gift” with which Siri had graced her when he had left her service some time ago. She had offered herself willingly because she had been devoted to her goddess. She hadn’t liked it, though, when she had only been able to transform at Siri’s command, but had come to once she was able to perform the necessary magic on her own. Her independence had even allowed her to steal the crystal goblet from Siri, which had resulted in Denit becoming the Sun Goddess. Who knew where they would all be now if she hadn’t been so brave? He hoped Hadia’s independent streak remained intact. As long as it didn’t interfere with his own plans, of course.

  He wasn’t entirely surprised, either, that the goddess continued to enjoy Hadia’s company even though she had regained her sight and no longer needed either of them to see for her. He knew it was highly likely Hadia would be “asked” to do the same at some future date though. And, like him, she wasn’t likely to refuse.

  “Chared is unharmed as well,” he replied tightly. “I can’t say the same for his errant offspring, though,” he sighed.

  Just then Nieva, in her owl form, came whooshing in through the night sky to land with a dramatic bounce and roll, transforming while she moved, so when she came to stop, she was standing on her human feet, with her arms outstretched as if she had just completed some intricate acrobatic performance. Before anyone else could say a word, she was gushing, her words coming out on top of each other with excitement.

  “Grandmother! Grandmother! Did you see?” She paused, audibly gasping when she saw Hadia sitting next to Siri, then threw herself into the woman’s arms. “I’m so happy to see you Mother!” she exclaimed, holding her tightly.

  Oculis felt an irrational surge of jealousy burning through him, knowing quite well Nieva’s affection for him had never wavered. He knew he really needed to stop this nonsense, but all the self-placating in the world didn’t seem to make any difference in how he felt. No matter that his was not a life into which a child could conform, he found himself still aching to raise her as his own. He would have to settle for enjoying her company as often as he could and be satisfied. He knew it well. And the knowledge helped not one small bit.

  “Now tell us what you saw,” Siri told her, pulling Nieva gently away from Hadia. Oculis couldn’t help but to wonder if a spark of jealousy for the easy relationship Hadia shared with Nieva lived within the heart of the formidable Goddess of Air, or if she was merely anxious to learn what Nieva had experienced.

  “But you saw everything!” the girl protested, allowing herself to be pulled away.

  “Tell me,” Siri Ventus repeated. Oculis knew that tone. And yet, he wondered just what Siri would be willing to do to Nieva if she refused. He’d seen her on the docks when she was unable to fly away because Sabbah had been holding her, and had understood what was happening. She was evolving. She, too, would one day be able to become a storm. Just like her mother. Her real mother, Aidena. The day was coming when the Goddess of Air might be wise to reconsider just how best to treat the child. He could well imagine the destruction an angry storm maker could wreak. Especially one without adult sensibilities of the cost of that damage in lives lost.


  “Yes Grandmother,” Nieva answered sullenly, all of the enthusiasm she’d obviously been feeling only a moment ago completely absent.

  “The Sea God, Jarles said to tell you …”

  “He is not a sea god, Nieva,” Siri scolded with a frown. “You know better.”

  “But he is!” Nieva argued, and Oculis was pleased to see her refusing to be controlled by Siri. “I saw him break the bonds Giya put on him! I was there, Grandmother. You weren’t.”

  “You saw what Giya wanted you to see,” the goddess announced, the subject obviously closed as far as she was concerned. Oculis almost stepped forward to corroborate Nieva’s claim, but needed to hear what else she had to say. He could always correct Siri later and sooth Nieva’s feelings by telling her he knew Jarles was a god too. He hated to leave Nieva feeling angry like this, but it was important he learn what she had to say about tonight’s encounter with Chared and the others. From where he stood, he wasn’t able to see her face, but he imagined she was scowling at her “Grandmother the Goddess,” unhappy to be silenced or shamed. One day, he was sure, she would stand in open defiance to Siri, but he knew today was not that day.

  “You always told me I should trust my own two eyes and my own judgement,” Nieva told her in a perfectly calm, reasonable tone, “so even though you won’t admit the truth, I know Jarles is the Sea God.” To say he was surprised would have been an understatement. He found himself afraid of Siri Ventus’ response. To his utter shock she started chuckling.

  “Very good Nieva,” she cooed. “I am proud of you. Now,” she continued, clapping her hands together once, sharply, “out with it! Tell me what you saw.”

  “The Sea God said to thank you for your invitation, and that he would pay you a visit before he left the city, but his grandfather didn’t want to come at all. So when Chared said they could go with him, that’s what they did.” Oculis saw her thin shoulders shrug, telling him she felt like there wasn’t anything else she could do, but to let them go. But she had obviously followed them.

  “I circled around, like you said,” Nieva continued, “then went to the Temple of Life. It was starting to get dark, and I didn’t want to get too close, because I knew Sabbah was watching for me.” She interrupted her narrative to say, “I don’t think he likes me very much, but I’m not sure why not, since he can transform too.”

  “He knows Siri Ventus sent you, so he doesn’t trust you,” Hadia offered. “I’m sure he doesn’t dislike you at all,” she added. “He’s just afraid of what your Grandmother can do.”

  “But isn’t he a …” Nieva started to ask.

  “You can ask questions later,” Siri cut her off. “Focus on the task at-hand, Nieva.”

  “Yes, Grandmother,” she answered readily enough, and without the sulk Oculis would have expected. “Two women came out of the alleys after Chared, Jarles, and Sabbah passed them, but they weren’t together. One tried to make the other one leave, but then a bunch of people showed up and one of them threw a fireball at the two women.”

  “Which of the two women do you think the fireball was intended for?” Siri asked.

  “Fireball?” Hadia asked at the same time, obviously startled.

  “I don’t know who they were, so I don’t know,” Nieva answered, then added, “and they were very close together, so maybe the man who made it didn’t care who he threw it at. Maybe he just didn’t want anyone to see him.”

  “He made the fireball?” Hadia pressed, “what do you mean?

  “Magic,” Nieva shrugged. “He didn’t have fire in his hands before he made it,” she explained. “Some of the others had burning sticks, but he didn’t. And I saw him make it. It was small, but it got bigger before he threw it.”

  “Was anyone hurt?” Hadia wanted to know.

  “No,” Nieva answered, hesitating. “But she should have been.” Oculis could sense she was nervous or uncertain about something, and was relieved when Siri asked her to clarify.

  “Did you see it too Grandmother?” Nieva asked, a note of pleading in her voice. “The fireball hit the one woman. She should have died. Maybe burned up. To death. But she didn’t. It didn’t even really look like she was hurt at all. Was her magic stronger than the fireball?”

  “That is a very good question,” Siri smiled at Nieva in a way that made him feel both proud of her, and frightened for her. The goddess was obviously grooming her, encouraging her to not only use her own magic, but to consider that it may be being used by others, and what that might mean. He had a feeling Siri would push Nieva to her very limits. He knew that is exactly what he would do if it was up to him to raise her, but somehow it seemed more ominous that she was doing it.

  “Tell us what else you saw,” she coaxed, even leaning forward. This was the part Oculis was afraid of. What exactly had Nieva seen? What had she been looking at? But most important, what had Siri seen through her eyes? He knew from experience she didn’t always see – nor interpret what she had seen – in the same way he had. He realized he was holding his breath, but was unable to release it until he heard what Nieva would say. And yet, she seemed to hesitate. Was she trying to remember, or was she uncertain what she had witnessed?

  “I .. I didn’t … I didn’t know what you would want to see,” Nieva stammered, lifting her shoulders, as if confused. “There were people running everywhere. A lot of people.”

  “You were to watch Chared,” Siri reminded her sternly.

  “But I knew Jarles and Sabbah were important too,” she countered, her voice tight. “And that Sabbah is the one we can trust the least. You told me so yourself.”

  “Bah!” Siri exclaimed, waving a hand in front of her. “Without Jarles, he is nothing.”

  “But he is the most-important person to Jarles,” Nieva countered quickly, “so that means he is more important than you say.”

  Clever girl! Oculis smiled to himself.

  “So what did you see?” Siri asked, tilting her head and raising her chin in a way that told Oculis she, too, was waiting to hear what Nieva would say. But why? What had she seen? He needed to know, and was afraid to know.

  “The Sea God turned to water, and so did his grandfather,” Nieva told her. “But before they could do anything, Chared used his magic to knock everyone down.” She paused, shaking her head while she looked at the ground at her feet. “It was a very strange thing, his magic.”

  “What do you mean?” Hadia asked, starting to reach out a hand in empathy. It was obvious to Oculis she wanted to bring the girl to her lap, perhaps pet her hair, and tell her it was all right, that she didn’t have to answer. He knew if Hadia had her way, Nieva would be raised the same way her mother, Aidena had been, without any knowledge of her power or magic at all. He wrinkled his nose in automatic distaste. If she had done a better job of raising her own daughter, none of this would have been necessary.

  “When he uses sounds and … and … what are they called again? The things he draws?” she looked to Siri.

  “Uchawi symbols,” she replied.

  “Yes!” Nieva brightened. “Symbols! They have … sounds.”

  “Do you mean the words and chants he uses?” Hadia frowned.

  “No, not just those, but the symbols too. Like … “ Oculis imagined Nieva was frowning now too. He could feel her reaching for the right word, and knew exactly what she meant, although he hadn’t noticed it at the time. Now that it had been brought to his attention, he remembered. And he knew why nobody else would have noticed other than the two of them. Although, he supposed Hadia would be able to if she was in her hawk form.

  “Like humming, but different. The sounds that things make when they shake a little. Like everything makes if you listen closely enough.”

  “Vibrations?” Hadia asked, her eyes widening.

  “Yes! That’s it!” Nieva threw her hands up. “Vibrations! The symbols have vibrations.”

  “Nicely done, Nieva,” Siri told her, gracing her with a rare smile. “And what happened after Chared knocke
d everyone down with his magic?”

  “I … I’m not sure. It seemed like everything was a little fuzzy. Like I couldn’t see through my eyes the right way.” Oculis watched as her shoulders slumped. She was afraid she had disappointed her Grandmother the Goddess, he was sure.

  After a painful silence, she added, “I wanted to see more, but I was afraid I would fly into a building, or that Chared’s magic would hurt me. I’m sorry, Grandmother.”

  “Very well,” she said, sitting up straight again. “Then let us hear what Oculis has to say.” He was already walking out of the shadows before she nodded in his direction.

  “I agree with everything Nieva has told you,” he said, stopping to stand next to his daughter, whom he would never be able to claim other than as his granddaughter. He looked down at her, expecting her to turn her face towards him as she always did. He hoped she would even hug him. Instead, she looked away from him. Perhaps she was afraid Siri was mad at her. Pushing his disappointment in her lack of affection aside, he looked back at Siri saying, “Except that I have the young man who threw the fireballs here, with me. He is secured downstairs, awaiting your attendance, at your leisure. He is a little worse for wear, though, and could probably use some tender loving care for his burns. It seems he wasn’t aware that when water meets fire, steam can cause some nasty burns.” He smirked, pleased with himself for having brought something useful back for the Goddess of Air. And he hoped their guest would also help to turn her attention away from Nieva.

  “Hadia, gather your herbs and follow me. Nieva, go to bed,” Siri commanded as she walked past the two of them. “We will talk more in the morning.”

  Oculis turned to Nieva after the other two had left, holding out his arms for a hug, but was stopped cold when she stepped back two paces.