season avatars 01 - seasons beginnings (17 page)

is, what color should I wear?”

Galia wore a yellow overtunic too big for her, so Kron assumed that

was Spring’s color. He’d been born in spring, and that goddess had spo-

ken to him the most, so maybe he was supposed to wear yellow. But he

wasn’t binding himself to any of the gods, so the thought of wearing

one color didn’t seem fitting. Should he wear all four colors instead?

Then he might look like the old city-king’s jester. Kron grimaced at the

image.

“White is best,” he said. “Clear crystals can split white light into all

colors, so it includes all of them. I’ll wear my robe from the Magic In-

stitute.”

Sea so n s’ Be gin n in gs
·
1 1 9

Domina squinted at him. “Does that mean you don’t serve a single

god?”

“I’ve had the most contact with Spring, but I wouldn’t say I serve

Her.”

“Perhaps that’s best,” Galia said. “Otherwise, She’d have four Ava-

tars while the rest of the Four have only three.” She grinned. “Not that

She doesn’t deserve more...”

The general conversation broke up as each Avatar argued why Sum-

mer was superior to Fall or Winter more important than Spring. Kron

wanted to tell the others that it didn’t matter as long as the Four could

overpower Salth. The mood was too festive to allow mention of her, but

Kron discreetly checked his magic-finder every chance he could. It

didn’t change.

After breakfast, Kron donned his white robe, then refilled a spare

pouch with beads, wire, and other objects he could enchant if necessary.

While he was reviewing his supplies, thunder boomed, and the sky

darkened so quickly he had to light candles to finish his task.

Bella stood on tiptoe to look out of the window. “It seems a shame

to have rain on our investiture. I thought the God of Winter would have

given us good weather.”

Kron consulted a magic-finder and found the stone glowing red.

“This is no ordinary storm. It’s magical.”

“Magical?” She crinkled her nose. “Did Winter send it? Maybe He

means to make the rain stop right before the ceremony to show His

power.” She frowned. “I’m not His Avatar, but that doesn’t seem like

something He would do. And He’s already made it rain in very small

areas, like a patch of flowers, so why would He do this now?”

Kron didn’t respond. Instead, he studied the magic-finder, wishing

he’d enchanted it to tell him the source of magic, not just the amount of

magic in his surroundings. He had never heard of Salth experimenting

with weather magic before, but with her power being altered by the star

magic, perhaps she’d gained the ability to control weather too, not just

time. That would make defeating her even harder than it was now.

1 2 0
·
S a n d r a U l b r i c h A l m a z a n

“Wait a heartbeat,” Bella said. “It’s not just rain. It’s snow…and

lightning! How can you have those two together?”

“Let me see.” Kron rushed over to the window. His magic-finder

glowed a shade brighter. He studied the sky. Although snowflakes

whirled around in the wind, he didn’t see any lightning. It didn’t mean

Bella had been wrong, but maybe the lightning had only happened once

and wasn’t important. Then again, with magic, everything was im-

portant.

Kron was about to finish getting ready when he glanced down at the

courtyard. When they’d arrived yesterday, the garden beds had been

lifeless. Now shoots of green poked up, taller than they would in any

normal season.

“Bella, do you see what I see?” He pointed at the garden.

As she looked, her eyes widened. “Well, maybe the God of Summer

is preparing His own display of magic.”

“What about the Goddess of Fall? Do you know anything about

Her?”

Bella shook her head.

“Do you think She would tell you about something like this, or

would She keep it a surprise?”

“I...I don’t know.”

Heavy footsteps sounded outside their quarters. “Kron, Bella, what’s

taking so long?” Janno asked. “The Four are waiting for us! You

shouldn’t be—”

“We’re coming,” Kron said before Janno could continue with some-

thing crude.

When they arrived in the courtyard, Carver’s cart had been hitched

to four oxen and decorated with scarves in the Four Gods and Goddess’s

colors. The ground was dry, although the plant shoots Kron had noticed

earlier were still there, sending out leaves and buds. “Did anyone else

notice those?” he asked, pointing at the plants.

Janno grinned. “It must be a sign from Summer!”

“What does it mean?” Galia asked.

Sea so n s’ Be gin n in gs
·
1 2 1

“You don’t know either?” Kron had thought the other Avatars might

have a deeper connection to their deities. “Have the Four given you any

sign?”

The Avatars searched the courtyard, then shook their heads.

“Maybe Their signs will be in the marketplace,” Bella suggested.

“Yes, of course, so more people see.” Galia struggled to climb into

the wagon. Her son came over to give her a boost. “We should get go-

ing. We don’t want to be late!”

Everyone else followed her example. Kron found himself in the mid-

dle, packed in with elbows thrust into sensitive parts of his body and

foul breath in his face. With a giggle, Bella sat in his lap—the best part

of the trip, as far as Kron was concerned.

He couldn’t see past the cart as they drove to the marketplace, as too

many other bodies were in the way. A blast of cold rain pelted them for

a few heartbeats once they left their quarters, but then the clouds broke

and sunshine poured through instead. Cheering sounded, though he

couldn’t tell where it was coming from.

“See?” Caye said. “Perhaps the God of Winter planned this all

along.”

Kron glanced at the sky, wondering if that was true. If so, what else

did the Four have in mind?

Sylva finally brought the cart to a halt. Everyone climbed out.

They’d stopped in the center of the marketplace, near the fruit sellers.

Traders and customers bartered as usual, paying Kron and the Avatars

no attention.

“What do we do now?” Janno asked.

“Ask the Four to appear?” Without waiting for a response, Caye

knelt and closed her eyes.

“I’m sure that isn’t necessary,” Domina said.

“Especially since We’re already here.”

Kron looked around, but he didn’t see Spring. Then She and the rest

of the Four materialized, forming a line from spring to winter. Even

though the day had brightened, a nimbus of light surrounded the Gods

1 2 2
·
S a n d r a U l b r i c h A l m a z a n

and Goddesses. A symphony of varied birdsongs blended together rang

in the air—without the birds. At a gesture from Summer, bouquets ap-

peared in the Four’s hands. Each carried different plants: daffodils for

Spring, wildflowers twined around oak branches for Summer, scarlet

flowers Kron didn’t recognize for Fall, and pine branches for Winter.

This seems more like something They would do. Why would They

cause storms They would have to clear away? They told me They want

to help humans, not cause problems.

Before he could ask, Spring stepped forward. “People of Vistichia!”

She called. “Come witness the ascent of Our Chosen into Our Avatars.

They will bear Our gifts and care for you as We do. Honor them as you

do Us!”

Shopkeepers left their wares, shoppers dropped the items they had

been haggling over, and passersby stopped to watch. Bella and the other

Avatars straightened with pride, but they focused on the Four so intently

Kron felt isolated from them. For a few heartbeats, he wished he could

pledge himself to the Four too and be a part of that unity. He shook his

head, but he couldn’t dislodge his feeling of being an outsider. Like his

magic, it had been a part of him for so long he couldn’t lose it without

losing part of himself.

Spring beckoned with Her daffodils. “Galia Midwife, come to Me.”

The midwife advanced, then bowed her head and knelt in front of

the magical healer.

“Galia, for your dedication to healing and helping others, I choose

you to be one of My three Avatars. You will dedicate this life and your

future lives to Me, healing on My behalf wherever I am worshipped. As

Spring is the first season of the year, Spring Avatars will be first among

other Season Avatars, linking them so you may work together to

achieve great things. In return, I will share with you some of My healing

magic and cause you to be given wealth and honor. Do you accept this

bargain, Galia?”

Bound not just in this life, but her future lives?
Kron had never heard

a god talk about future lives before; even the greatest magicians shied

Sea so n s’ Be gin n in gs
·
1 2 3

from prying too far into death, lest they be caught and never return.

Were future lives a promise—or a chain the poor soul would be bound

to forever? How could Bella agree to something like this? But she re-

mained in place between the other two women with red, smiling as

joyously as she had at their own wedding. Kron wanted to scream at

her, tell her to stop and come back to him, but his voice seized in his

throat.

Let her make her own choice, Kron,
Spring said in his mind.

Kron raised his eyebrows, but he heeded Spring’s advice.

“I accept,” Galia said proudly, reaching for the flower.

As soon as she grasped it, it melted—the best way Kron could de-

scribe it—then flowed over her skin and disappeared. Galia

straightened with a smile. Although her features weren’t youthened, she

returned to her spot with more vigor than she left it.

Spring repeated the ceremony twice more with the other two Avatars

she’d chosen before stepping back. The green-skinned youth, Summer,

was next in line, but he didn’t call for an Avatar. He curled his bare toes

on a patch of grass that hadn’t been there a heartbeat before. One of the

oak branches he carried lengthened and stretched toward Janno, wrap-

ping around his wrist. Janno’s eyes widened. Was this an attack? Kron

grabbed a bronze blade in his pouch. Then the branch shrank, dragging

Janno. He strutted forward as if he was in charge, not Summer. Janno

might have more muscles, but Kron knew Summer could encase Janno

in oak if he chose. Kron watched the pair, holding his breath, until Janno

glanced down at Summer’s face and Summer closed His eyes. He gave

Janno an intimate smile without meeting his gaze. As Kron tried to puz-

zle out what that meant, Janno and Summer exchanged whispers before

Janno trotted back into position, a smug smile on his ruddy face.

Several more Avatars for Summer and Fall promised themselves to

the God and Goddess. Before Kron realized it, Bella hurried toward

Fall. The woman-child watched her, one hand resting on the head of a

large feline. Kron knew he had no reason to worry about Bella’s safety,

as the cat had sniffed at the other Avatars as if to greet them, then left

1 2 4
·
S a n d r a U l b r i c h A l m a z a n

them alone. But he couldn’t help pleading mentally with Bella,
Don’t

do it. You can still turn around and come back to me. What if this puts

you at bigger risk from Salth? Or, what if you decide not to come back

to me at all? Then what will I do?

Bella didn’t respond, but Spring and Fall stared at him. Although

Their hair screened off Their eyes, Their gazes burned like a fire behind

a door. Kron could only imagine what it would feel like to have the full

heat of Their anger directed at him. He looked away and put on a false

smile for Bella when she returned, joy radiating from her beaming face.

She came over to him and whispered, “Now we have even more binding

us together.”

Was that part of the reason she’d wanted this magic, so they had

more in common? How could he have doubted her? Kron didn’t speak,

but he took her hand and squeezed it. He kept tight hold of her as Winter

transferred magic to his chosen three. The other Fall Avatars glanced at

Kron and Bella but left them alone.

After Winter finished the investiture, He spread his hands, and a

rainbow balanced on His palms. Appreciative calls rose from the crowd.

Winter smiled, but His eyes remained solemn.

Spring’s voice echoed through the marketplace. “Thank you, dear

Avatars, for your dedication. And thank you, people of Vistichia, for

your love. I know you’ve been wondering how to worship Us. We don’t

want to impose burdens on you, Vistichia, or the rest of Our domain,

but this is something all of Us—and you too—need for different rea-

sons. We would like you to honor Us at each season change, dedicate

children to their birth-season’s God or Goddess, honor Our Avatars, and

treat everyone as kindly as if they were one of Us in disguise. In return,

We, working through the Avatars, will guard this land and make it so

fruitful no one need ever starve again.”

“How will you ever do that if you can’t even keep your own seasons