Balmythra

by Linda Palmer

Chapter Thirty-Three

  Legends and Nayderloest

  I grimaced. "I'm seventeen—not that little. And to be honest, I’ll be glad to give Mom this ring. It's been nothing but trouble."

  "Maybe, but it has come in handy."

  "I know." As if on cue, my ring pulsed a copper light that encompassed us.

  "I guess you’ve discovered the Gilmarden Ring's other secrets by now, too." My father tousled my hair as if I were two.

  I ducked away. "You mean it does more than destroy Dagonel? And how’s it connected to Gilmarden?"

  "It’s time you knew something of its history, though even the Sairons are a little shaky on most of it." Dad led us away from the building and took a path leading toward the gazebo in the center of the square. Once we'd settled ourselves on cool marble benches with me and Matt sitting opposite him, he began the tale. "These events happened so long ago that some truth has probably been lost to time. However, the one part of the legend we're sure of is that Gilmarden founded Balmythra."

  Koann stared into the distance as if glancing back into time itself. "I won't bother you with all myths surrounding him, since I don't know what's true. We are sure that he and a small band of Sairons who survived a great cataclysm needed a better world. They created Balmythra and brought along things to maintain it. One was a mysterious substance that we believe the ring is made from, though no one knows for sure."

  I touched my headband and felt the familiar tingle of energy.

  "The story of how Ionians got the ring is probably another myth." He paused as if to get his thoughts in order. "The tale about Ionians getting lost in a fog is true. The Sairons graciously took them in and taught them. Eventually, with their efforts, we developed our own mental abilities, and though we'll never be as skilled as Sairons, we've honed them."

  "But the ring...?" I thought he'd lost track of his tale and his mention of romance had sparked my interest.

  "I'm getting to that, sweetie." Dad's eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled. "A Sairon man named Yorwind fell in love with an Ionian woman, Owira, who came from the House of Cassiopeia. He sought permission from the Sairon council to marry her."

  A sudden flood of unwanted memories explained the difference between Sairon and Ionian social structures. My people relied on a hierarchy of houses or clans, with leaders at each level, ending with the position of Guardian. The Sairons were guided by men and women old enough to glow. Only they were considered wise enough to "sit council."

  "Intermarriage was frowned upon by the Sairons, so the council refused Yorwind’s request."

  "No kidding?" That surprised me.

  "Even noble people can harbor deep prejudices. Yorwind, a direct descendant of Gilmarden, married Owira anyway. The outcome, of course, was that their children were psychically limited, as is our own Rocc."

  "But Rocc—" I closed my mind to that thought. Apparently my father didn't know about the changes in my brother. "Never mind. Go on with the story."

  "It was a good and happy marriage that the Sairons came to look upon with favor and respect. Legend takes over here, I'm afraid. Owira supposedly saved the Sairons from a mysterious entity called the mangiatore though there's really no proof of it."

  Mangiatore? I searched my memory bank for information on that but got nothing.

  "In a show of gratitude, the Sairons formally established the connection between Ionians and themselves. The occasion was marked by their giving Owira one of their most sacred and ancient treasures."

  "The ring?" Matt was clearly loving the history lesson.

  "Yes. And during that ceremony, the first Ionian nexus occurred."

  "So the ring caused it?" I asked.

  "That time, yes. The ring, itself, is now unnecessary. There does have to be a catalyst though—a female of the House of Cassiopeia."

  "So I’m just a catalyst?"

  He smiled. "Oh, much more than that. When you wear the ring, you're the focus of the whole Ionian race. And that is why," Dad paused briefly as if to stress the point, "it will stay with you."

  "Huh?" Shattered by this news, I started to protest. But movement in the direction of the Porfyrrindor Forest totally distracted me. Out of the woods stepped Ashley. Following were Ginzy, Brady, Katie, Julie, Jeremy and Kyle. As they drew closer, I saw that Ginzy hugged a small chest, but still had my bag over her shoulder.

  What a sight. But most amazing of all were the creatures with them. Floating above their heads, I saw large butterfly things with rainbow-hued wings that continually changed shape and color. Each stroke of them resulted in gentle tintinnabulation.

  Dad's jaw dropped. "I don't believe it!"

  "Are those—?" I swallowed hard. "Nayderloest?"

  The children began running when they saw me and headed straight for the gazebo. That's when I realized each one had a chest similar to Ginzy’s, with sparkling red, blue, yellow, and green balls encircling them. I also saw that Ashley wore something around her neck that definitely clashed with her Nodyran attire: a stone, circular and roughly carved, hanging from a leather cord.

  Just then, my ring began to buzz. Before I could figure out what that meant, I saw Kenny and John darting out of Goodpringle's, both with bed heads and sleepy eyes. From the temple stepped Jor, Lucianis and Mandaus, while Tirafalen and Rocc approached from across the square. I also saw Petria and Ilsada headed our way. Every teen, including Matt, had a golden aura, as did Ginzy.

  I heard Taurelle's voice inside my head. You are the chosen ones. Come to Rezyra tomorrow at sunset.