by Kyrja
“Can you …” but he didn’t get the chance to ask anything more, as the rooftop suddenly became unnaturally still. P’onyem had arrived. He could feel it in his bones. Glancing at Aku, he knew she felt it too. But he, like everyone around him, was shifting left and right, unable to see her. Then the wind rose and she appeared right in front of him, causing Aku to step back quickly.
Will you help Giya? he heard her voice in his mind the same way as he’d done before, when she had first appeared to him two nights ago. As before, her body seemed to be outlined in sand, neither transparent nor fully formed. But the figure in front of him was undeniably his mother. It even had her distinctive odor of sage and cinnamon, the first thing he’d remembered when she had woken him from his long sleep as the Chained Man.
“Yes, mother, I will help Giya,” he told her, bowing his head. “All of these people would like to join us. They are my children. Your grandchildren. They have asked to help Giya, too.”
All who come with me will die.
At the sound of the gasps all around him, Chared knew everyone else could hear her too. He hadn’t been certain whether they could or not.
“Then I will come alone,” he said, stepping forward. “Thank you all for …” he began, spreading his arms.
“She lies!” Aku suddenly stepped forward, pointing at P’onyem. “The Singers are dying! Giya pollutes the Song. Time must be stopped and the Earth Goddess must die. The rooster is not the one who controls time. We are.” And then she collapsed, her body twitching and trembling on the ancient stone of the roof.
All who come with me will die. P’onyem repeated.
Lifting Aku’s thin body into his arms, he stepped forward. “All who come with me will die,” he said, looking straight at his mother, his lips a thin, determined line. “Leave now or die with me,” he announced. He felt several people draw closer to him, but didn’t hear the door open or close. He waited another moment, but heard no one move. As he opened his mouth to tell his mother to proceed, the door suddenly slammed open.
“I am coming with you!” he heard Sharun’s voice and almost smiled. Nobody moved. Nobody protested.
“We are ready!” Chared announced.
Not yet. P’onyem’s voice sounded in his mind yet again. Then she lifted both of her hands above her head, and it seemed as though sand flowed from them. As the sand fell to the stones of the roof, two people slowly appeared. Drena and Jonath! No!
You are not from this time. You will come with me. P’onyem’s voice rang clearly in Chared’s mind, even as he saw Drena and Jonath start to protest. And then the sand took him.
* * * * * * * *
Shouting, Sabbah stood up, knocking his chair over when he saw Jonath and Drena dissolve into thin air right before his very eyes. Then he turned towards his prisoner, High Priest Rayisyn, sitting up from where he’d been lying on the bed, when he started to laugh.
“I told you that you would pay for your …” his words were swallowed up in silence as he, too, dissolved. Instead of disappearing though, his body disintegrated into a pile of sand – robe, sandals, and arrogant mouth.
Shocked, he turned towards the other bed, fully expecting Oculis to disappear as well. Instead, he put his uninjured arm over his eyes and moaned, saying, “You’d better get word to Siri Ventus. She may be able to sort this out.” Then he turned his face towards the wall, leaving Sabbah more terrified than he’d ever been in his life.
* * * * * * * *
“Please don’t be alarmed,” Eruitt said, standing up from the wall where he’d been sitting, waiting. He had watched Jarles and Nieva walking along the moon-drenched beach and had decided giving them a few more minutes to themselves wouldn’t change anything. And so he’d waited instead of interrupting them. He had enjoyed the brief respite, listening to the sound of the waves coming and going. He thought he might like to do this again sometime. Just sit and listen to the waves.
“Eruitt!” Nieva smiled as she approached.
“You remember me?” he asked, surprised.
“You might be surprised at just how much she remembers about everything!” Jarles chuckled, reaching out to clasp the other man’s hands. “What brings you to the city? Will you be here long?”
Eruitt sighed deeply, shaking his head. “I have come to collect you, actually,” he said, looking at Jarles.
“Me? What’s happened?”
“Giya has been trapped and now the …” he started.
“The seas are being poisoned or polluted because of it,” Jarles finished for him. “Probably the land as well, if I’m right.”
“Yes,” Eruitt nodded.
“Chared’s mother visited him,” Jarles told him. “His dead mother. She asked him to help Giya.”
“Giya created P’onyem and I am her apprentice. She has asked us both for help in freeing her,” Eruitt explained. “Although I didn’t know she had also asked P’onyem to take anyone to Jikangai.”
“We’re all going to go find her,” Nieva spoke up. “Chared, Jarles, his parents, and me.”
“P’onyem has already taken Chared,” Eruitt said, shaking his head. “As I said, I didn’t know P’onyem was involved, or I probably wouldn’t have come.”
“What?” Nieva exclaimed. “Chared told us she wasn’t coming until the morning! Why would he go without us?”
“He probably didn’t want to put you in danger, and didn’t want me to leave my parents so soon,” Jarles said, poking her gently in the chest.
“P’onyem took Drena and Jonath too,” Eruitt frowned. “I arrived just as they were … leaving. She used magic to take them to Jikangai. I am pretty sure, from the looks of it, that your parents were just as surprised to be standing on the roof of the Temple of Life as Chared was to see them appear. There was nothing I could do to stop them,” he said. “But the truth is that I need you to come, too,” he looked at Jarles.
“Why is that?” he asked, crossing his arms across his chest.
“We are hoping to get you close enough to Jikangai to have Giya release control of the seas to you. If we don’t and she dies, the seas will die.”
“If she dies, the planet will die. Giya is the planet,” Nieva said, angry.
“Sabbah …” Jarles said.
“Isn’t coming with us. Just you,” Eruitt said with conviction.
“I will be coming with you,” Nieva told him. “My Grandmother the Goddess told me something very important about how to stop the tortoise, and I won’t tell you what it is until we get there. Together.”
Eruitt looked at Jarles who just grinned. “There isn’t any point in arguing with her,” he said, then his smile fell. “Let’s go, I want to make sure my parents are all right.”
Eruitt sighed, certain Giya never had to put up with this kind of thing. “Everyone hold hands. You may want to close your eyes, or you may get sick.”
The waves continued to wash into shore with no one to enjoy the sound.
Chapter Twenty-Two – War in Bila
Kaya’s belly was in knots. The last time he’d been to war, he’d been a novice with no experience at all. What training he’d received had been under the tutelage of those who were more interested in the number of bodies they had to throw at the enemy, rather than what skills they might impart before sending them off to be killed. They had simply thrust a weapon into his hand and pointed him towards the people he was supposed to kill. He’d hated it then, and hated it worse now. This time, though, he had a weapon he’d learned how to wield, and it wasn’t made of steel. This time, he had used Uchawi symbols to poison the food of his fellow soldiers. And this time, he’d gone to war for the right reasons – because the army that was headed straight for the palace was determined to destroy his home and everything he held dear.
He’d found the Emperor’s army more than two months ago, although it hadn’t been hard to find. Using Uchawi symbols to change his appearance, he’d found plenty of others complaining about their lives, and especially their lack of money.
Many felt it was past time for a war, as soldiers were always better paid than anyone else. Men and women who blamed the Emperor for their meager lives were eager to go to war in order to put him back in the palace – once they discovered he’d been deceived and betrayed – as long as they had the promise of payment.
To Kaya, the entire situation was absurd. In time, he learned that no one cared in the least who was emperor, queen, or regent, as long as their own lives were better. And by “better,’ most agreed that more money was the only solution. He soon stopped pointing out that sturdy housing, healthy crops, clean water, and livestock were also important, because many felt that only more money would provide any of these things. It took him a while to realize everyone he spoke with had lived with the constant threat of war throughout their lives, when they weren’t actively engaged in it, so they truly knew no better. He’d had the advantage of living beyond their borders and even though he’d only lived in the City by the Sea for a short time, he’d seen the differences a people at peace enjoyed. He vowed to speak with Rhian about what was truly needed by the people she would be ruling as soon as possible.
In the meantime, he had an army to stop. If the Emperor’s army destroyed everything, it would take a much, much longer time to begin to set things right. He’d lived his life in ignorance, angry at having his own existence torn apart by war, certain that magic was the sole reason for all the conflict. He’d learned that he had been both right and wrong, and finally had some idea how to make a real difference for all of the people of Bila.
It shouldn’t be long now, before the effects of the magic he’d used should start to work. He’d had a hard time judging exactly how potent to make the poisonous effect. It was important that everyone move far enough away from their last rest stop that everything seemed normal, but not too close to the palace that the soldiers would have the opportunity to actually begin killing people. There was no doubt in his mind that Councilor Fumaini wanted everyone in the palace dead, and if that meant slaughtering everyone in the surrounding city while they were at it, that was fine with him. Kaya had learned from Rhian that Fumaini had been the former Councilor Tojiru’s aide for more than twenty years before Tojiru had died from “mysterious circumstances.”
Most assumed it had been the Emperor himself who had ordered Tojiru’s death, but Kaya had been there when Rajesh had killed him. Tojiru’s death had been one of Rajesh’s first acts as the new God of Bila, and he’d done it to protect Rhian, whom the Councilor had been threatening. His own life had been chaotic ever since. And here he was, marching towards the palace with the Emperor’s army, pretending to be one of his soldiers. He hoped Aidena had gotten word to Rhian what was coming so she was prepared. Rajesh was about to get his opportunity to show everyone just what a real god could do, he knew, whether he was ready or not.
There! A few of the soldiers were stumbling! Yes, some were dropping to their knees. Others were starting to walk in the wrong direction, or walk right into each other. Quickly following the example of others around him, Kaya stumbled, then walked toward the back of the formation in what would look like a haphazard fashion – not that he thought anyone would be well enough to watch him when there was so much going on around them. But there was always the possibility that someone hadn’t eaten earlier and wouldn’t be affected by what he’d done. Now, he thought, would be a really good time for Rajesh to show up!
Still stumbling, and falling down a time or two for good measure, he made his way back to where the metal box that supposedly held the Emperor was on a wagon. Rumor had it the Emperor hadn’t yet recovered from whatever magic the now-deceased Councilor Tojiru had used against him, so was being held in some kind of state where he could recover more quickly. Kaya didn’t think he would want to be laid out in some box on the back of wagon no matter what state he was in!
He could see that those closest to the wagon were still standing guard without, apparently, having suffered any of the effects of the poisoning. Damn! Now what? He fell to his knees, clutching his stomach, purposefully looking away from the guards, so it wouldn’t look like he was doing exactly what he was doing – trying to decide how to attack them. Where was Rajesh? He should have been here by now. Rhian had told him that the soldiers her father kept closest to him were magic makers, so it was entirely possible they would be able to defeat him if he did attack. He’d counted ten of the soldiers in the special armor of the Emperor’s personal guard surrounding the wagon. For all he knew, they practiced together, drilling until they worked as a single unit. Undoubtedly, they knew the Emperor would execute them if they failed in their duty of protecting him. If they were half as prepared as he was afraid they were, then he didn’t stand a chance. He needed to get to the box. If he could get the Emperor out of there and back to the palace, then Rhian would have him imprisoned and the war would be over before it had even begun.
Or maybe, he considered, it would be enough that so many of the soldiers were no longer under control. Maybe he wouldn’t have to do anything more at all. Surely, there was no way the army could go any further? He fell over on the ground, his face away from the wagon, making sure there was no reason for the Emperor’s personal guards to pay him any attention. There were men, women, horses, and even goats walking into each other, walking away from the battle, falling over, puking their guts out. There weren’t enough healthy people left to bring order to the mob of two hundred or more soldiers in the grip of what he’d done to them. At the very least, they would have to postpone any attack.
“Kill them!” he heard a voice shout over the chaos. “If they won’t fight for me, kill them all!”
Kaya knew he’d made a mistake even as he was doing it, but he’d reacted without any conscious thought at all. The voice – that voice – didn’t belong to Councilor Fumaini! He’d been so startled, he hadn’t been able to stop himself from reacting by suddenly turning himself towards it. Emperor Eazim! He was alive and sitting on top of a horse! Seven of his personal guards moved away from him as soon as he gave the order, most immediately drawing their swords, the rest dismounting from their own horses. He was really going to have everyone killed! No, Kaya decided, he was not! His own life would probably be forfeit, but the Emperor had killed for the last time – he was going to make sure of it!
Rising slowly to his feet, Kaya drew power into himself with Uchawi symbols Sahil had recently taught him which would increase the potency of his intentions. He could feel the energy throbbing inside of him, making his bones feel as though they might shatter. He felt a shiver of cold run up his spine, sending a cascade of vibrations through his shoulders, down his arms, and into his hands. In that moment, Kaya felt an echoing pulse outside of himself, as if some other force or entity was responding to the power he’d gathered onto himself. He looked down at his hands, the familiar Uchawi symbols outlined on his hands in blue. But there was another symbol there. One he hadn’t drawn. Frowning, he tried to look closer, but was distracted when he heard hoof beats thundering nearer.
Seeing him just standing there, one of the guards had probably changed directions, heading right for him. Kaya had never felt so angry in all of his life. All the senseless death, lies, and betrayal for what? No, he whispered quietly to himself. It stops here. Right here.
Instead of raising his sword, as Kaya had expected him to, the guard racing towards him raised his left hand, aiming it directly at him. For a moment, he was stunned into inaction, fighting against the necessity to harm or kill others. But in the next, he released his magic, feeling the power of it ripped out of him as if it had taken on a life of its own. He was horrified to see the horse and its rider shredded into nothingness as its mass raced through them, the bulk of it headed directly towards the Emperor who was just turning his head towards Kaya.
He’d never seen anything so terrifying beautiful as the energy mass he’d created moving so swiftly towards the Emperor and the three dismounted guards beside him. One yelled something he couldn’t hear, but he could see the man’
s mouth moving, and his arms waving. The other two guards raised their arms and began running towards the Uchawi weapon he’d set loose. They took no more than three or four steps, the shield they were obviously trying to erect not yet in place, when the magic overtook them, their bodies disintegrating even as had happened with the first guard and his horse. In that moment, a whirlwind swooped down out of the sky to lift the Emperor and his horse out of the path of destruction. Aidena! She had returned to help him!
Kaya stared in fascination as even the wagon which held the metal box the Emperor was supposed to be in was sucked up into the air, out of harm’s way. As the deadly mass passed, the wagon was lowered carefully to the ground, with the Emperor and his horse following shortly after. As soon as the horse’s hooves touched the sand, it bucked violently until its rider was thrown, then ran swiftly away, screaming out its displeasure.
“Watch him!” Aidena yelled at Kaya, as she secured the Emperor to the ground with straps of Air. Then she twirled herself around, transforming herself into a deadly mass of spinning air. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled all of his senses as she aimed herself toward the guards who were carrying out the order to kill those who had been unable to fight for the Emperor because they had been poisoned during their last meal. He ached to follow her, to make sure the slaughter was stopped, but knew the man lying on the ground was their most-important target. He was lying on his side, with his face away from Kaya, struggling against the bonds that held him, grunting with the effort.
“What a lousy excuse for a man you are,” Kaya mumbled sharply under his breath, feeling his lip curl with disgust. Then he drew more power into himself, carefully etching each of the Uchawi symbols for healing and health unto his palms and into the air in front of him. He needed to help everyone recover as quickly as possible. As he added one of the powerful symbols Sahil had taught him, he felt the same eerie pulsing echo he’d felt before, only this time it was much stronger. Closer, somehow.
