Wings of Arian (22 page)

“And I would remember his thread anywhere,” she said grabbing his arm to help him. “And that was not it.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Neither do I,” she groaned pulling him to his feet.

Emane looked around, “Hand me the torch.” Bending down she handed it back to him. He took a few steps forward, waving it as he went. “Where did he go?”

“He’s gone,” Kiora whispered. “Just like the little boy.”

Emane turned in a circle breathing heavily, lighting the cavern as he went. “This is very strange.”

Kiora summoned some water in a flask and offered it to Emane. “Here, you need to drink. I don’t know what is going on, but whatever it is, it is not over yet.”

“You first,” Emane spoke, his eyes still searching the cavern.

Kiora drank quickly and passed it to Emane. Her senses were on fire, searching… feeling. She could feel more threads gathering. All magical, all neutral. She could sense them coming from every direction. This was a test, she didn’t know how she knew that, but she could feel it. A test of her feelings and Emane’s loyalty.

“Emane, I need you to promise me something,” she said grabbing his arm. “Whatever happens, you must listen to what I tell you, it’s a test.”

“Okay,” he said off handedly, focused on his environment.

“NO!” She said it with such forcefulness that Emane dropped the flask. It clattered on the rocks at their feet. “You don’t understand. Whatever I tell you,” she said squeezing his arm with urgency, “no matter what it is, you have to trust me.”

He stilled, “What?”

“You have to trust me! Please promise me that you’ll trust me.”

He nodded slowly his eyebrows furrowed. “Ok, Kiora, I understand. Do you want to tell me what is going on?”

“I don’t know exactly. I can feel something coming, and it is going to be hard, particularly for you.”

“For me? How do you know that if you don’t know what is going on?”

“I don’t know, they are questioning you.” She gripped her head, it was aching from feelings that kept slipping in among her own. It wasn’t like talking to Arturo. More like an instinct that you couldn’t explain, but you can’t ignore. “I can’t explain it, it’s just a sense I get.”

The room went from black to being completely lit without warning.

Emane yelped covering his eyes. “What is going on?”

Kiora didn’t answer, but blinked furiously trying to adjust to the light. She could feel the threads continuing to multiply and they were getting very close. She wanted to see what was going on, see what was coming. And as things came into focus she wished she wouldn’t have seen anything at all. Standing before them was the most frightening thing Kiora had ever laid eyes on. She wanted to look to Emane but was too scared to take her eyes of the creature.

This creature was created and draped in nightmares. It looked like a cross between a dragon and a serpent. Six heads, all moving independently of each other, weaving and hissing, baring long sharp fangs. It was scaly and changed colors as the light hit it, brown to green and back again. Each head had three horns and two enormous ears. It took one thunderous step in their direction. Kiora needed time to think and she wasn’t going to get it if they just stood here. She grabbed Emane’s arm and threw up a bubble. The creature screamed out in protest.

“Run, Emane!” She grabbed his arm and headed straight towards the creature.

“Why are we running at it?!” he yelled as she jerked him along.

“Because it’s the last place it will look for us.”

The creature drew each of its heads back and all six blew fire out into the room. It barely missed the Kiora and Emane as they ran straight underneath it and to the back wall. The creature continued to spray the room with fire trying to flush them out.

“This isn’t going to last forever Kiora!”

“I know! I just need a minute or two to think. Watch him.” Kiora closed her eyes and tried to purge her memories of what she had seen. Focus, she thought. Focus on the thread. She could feel it now, pulsing through her. And it was the same thread. Her eyes flew open; they were all the same thread— the boy, Dralazar, and now this thing.

“He can change himself,” she whispered.

“What do you mean, ‘change himself’?”

“They are all the same,” she said, the pieces were starting to come together. “The boy, Dralazar and now this. They are the same person… or thing.”

Emane shook his head. “I don’t understand, but I believe you. So now what?”

“I have to tell him that I know. I think that’s what he wants. He wants to test my abilities, to see if I can feel the threads clearly enough to put aside what I see with my eyes.” She stopped as the final piece fell into place. “It is a test. That’s why we’re here, alone. That’s why Arturo didn’t tell us anything.”

“What are you going to do, walk out there and tell him you know what he is?” he asked not tearing his eyes off the creature. “And what if you’re wrong?”

“That’s exactly what I have to do.”

“And what about me?” he sputtered, turning towards her. “You just want me to stand here and watch as he sets you on fire?!”

Kiora realized the rest of the test. “This test isn’t just for me, it’s for you too, Emane. To see if you will trust me.” She grabbed him by both the arms, looking into his eyes. “No matter what happens,” she said very clearly. “Do not hurt that thing.”

Emane just stared at her, wide eyed, with his mouth hanging open.

“I mean it Emane,” she glanced out into the room where the creature was swinging its heads back and forth, spurting fire in every corner and around every rock it could find. “This could look… bad.”

“Look bad!” His face was turning red. “Getting blasted by that thing doesn’t just look bad Kiora, it is bad!”

This was going to be much harder for him, she could tell. She leaned over and kissed him. “Please, Emane if you are going to be my Protector you have to listen to me!” She grabbed his face between her hands, “No matter what, do not hurt him.” Kiora didn’t give him a chance to argue, she dropped the bubble and ran out into the middle of the room.

“HEY! I am over here.” The creature stopped and slowly turned all six of its heads to look at her. “I don’t know what you are,” she yelled “but I know you are the same creature that I met earlier. I can feel your thread, and it is the same as the boy and Dralazar. I know this is test. You are not evil, and I will not fear you.”

The creature stepped closer towards her and she could see Emane step towards her as well. She held out her hand towards Emane. “Stop,” she commanded, “let him come.”

Emane froze but Kiora could see the panic written on his face. The creature got closer still, each step rattling stones along the ground. Growling it brought down one of its heads to her, peering at her with one eye. She held its gaze, trying to breath slowly despite the hammering in her chest. Looking into its eyes she knew its intentions. There was no time to explain.

“Emane!” She screamed, spinning around to face him. “DO NOT HURT HIM! I KNOW WHAT I AM DOING!”

Chapter Twelve

ALLIANCES

EMANE WATCHED AS THE creature pulled back the one head that had been staring at Kiora. It pulled itself up to its full height, opened its enormous mouth and flew down heading straight for her. Emane held his breath. Surely there would be a bubble or a shield or something. But there was nothing. Kiora sat there smiling at him with an apologetic smile as the creature came down over the top of her, and then she was gone. The creatures jaw snapped shut and tossed its head back up to swallow.

“NOOOO!” Emane screamed. “NOOO!” He reached for his sword and charged at the creature. He ran, envisioning his sword running through the creature that had just taken Kiora. Taking the life that had just taken her away from him, away from the kingdom. He had just found her, he couldn’t lose her, not now. As he pulled back his sword two memories barreled through his mind— Epona first and then Kiora saying, “trust me.” The two words wrenched him to a stop. “Trust me.” The creature was now within striking distance. He held his sword up, ready to strike, his arm shaking. He wanted to kill it so bad. Every nerve in his body was trembling, wanting to strike. “Trust me.” His hand loosened and his sword clattered to the ground. He looked up at the creature, defeated.

“I don’t know what you are,” he said through clenched teeth, kicking his sword between its giant feet. “But I promised her I wouldn’t hurt you. So, if you are going to eat me to, let’s get it over with.” He dropped to his knees, looking up to meet the creature’s eyes. If this was going to be the end, he was not going to be looking at the floor when it happened.

All six heads were staring at him but none moved to strike. The creature shuddered and started to shake. Its heads twisting and pulling within its body. The body was shrinking and changing shape as it went. It looked as if it was unraveling at the same time, colors changing, heads spinning, popping and cracking. There was a flash of light much like the one right before it had arrived. Emane shielded his face with his arm and then all was quiet. He lowered his arm to see Kiora standing there next to a man he had never seen before.

“What is this?” Emane whispered, his heart wrenching at the sight of her. He couldn’t even trust his eyes anymore.

“Emane,” Kiora whispered. “It’s me.”

“How do I know that?” he spat at the creature. “If you’re going to kill me, get on with it. At least have the decency not to toy with me.” He was tired, emotionally exhausted, and he had just watched the girl he was learning to love, be swallowed by a monster.

“Emane, if I may,” the man spoke. “You have been through a lot.”

Emane’s eyes narrowed and turned to the man. “Have I? HAVE I?” he yelled. “I don’t know what I have been through, I don’t know what is going on, I don’t know who to trust and I certainly don’t know if that is the girl I know!” He shoved his finger in Kiora’s direction.

“My name is Drustan,” the man spoke, ignoring Emane’s rant. “I am a chameleon of sorts, a Shapeshifter, you might say. I apologize for my actions, but we had to test you and the Solus. The pair of you is a little unprecedented.”

“Unprecedented?” Emane’s eyebrow rose.

“Yes, surely they have told you how unusual this is.”

“No, they did not.”

Drustan looked over at Kiora who also shook her head in the negative.

“That is surprising to me. I would like to invite you to stay with us for a time and I will explain all. But before I do, I would like to offer you a room in which to clean up and eat. That is, if you will accept our invitation.”

“Our?”

“Yes. I apologize, Prince, I forget that you cannot feel them.”

“Who?” Emane was so tired of trying to understand what was going on that he couldn’t even feign politeness.

“My friends!” the man announced as if it were a most joyous occasion. “Please come forth so we can properly introduce ourselves.”

Emane’s eyes widened as the room began to morph around them. The boulders began to stretch and grow legs. The bats flew down from the cavernous ceiling and once their tiny feet touched the floor they began changing as well, growing, turning, changing colors. The bugs amongst the walls and floors, every ant and centipede. People were appearing throughout the cavern— at least they looked like people at the moment. Who knew what they actually looked like? Emane swallowed, his stomach rolling with an unease unlike anything he had experienced before.

“My people and I will be on our way. We will allow you and Kiora time to decide if you would like to accept our offer.”

Emane looked over to the body that looked like Kiora, who was, to her credit looking surprised herself. “You still have not told me how I can be sure that this is indeed Kiora and not one of you.”

“We are masters of our own bodies,” said Drustan, “we can change into anything you can imagine. But, I am not a mind reader. If you would like to know if this Kiora is who she says she is, you only need talk to her.” He bowed and left the cavern, his people following behind him.

Emane got to his feet as the procession left the room. As the last Shapeshifter left the cavern, she turned to him.

“Emane, I am so sorry.”

Turning away from her, he clenched his fists. “For what?”

“For doing that to you, it wasn’t fair.”

Emane didn’t want to hear anymore until he knew if this was Kiora or not. “Where were we last night?” he snapped over his shoulder.

“In the Cave of Arian.”

“And where did you sleep?”

“Next to you,” she said softly. Emane’s heart contracted. “Emane, I am so… so—”

He cut her off, breathing heavily. “Kiora, I am not ready to talk. So are we staying here or not?”

“Yes.”

“Fine,” he said, “then let’s go.” Stomping ahead, he left her standing there.

***

Kiora’s heart ached looking at the angry set of Emane’s shoulders as he left. Sighing, she followed Emane out of the cavern and down the tunnel the Shapeshifters had followed. Kiora wanted to call out to him, but he was fuming, it was clear enough from the back. She was somewhat glad she couldn’t see Emane’s face.

A young woman stood half way down the long passageway. She appeared to be waiting for them. As they got closer, she stood forth and bowed.

“My Lord and Lady, Drustan has asked me to bring you to your quarters if you have decided to stay.”

A smile tugged at Kiora’s lips, she had never been called a lady before. “Thank you, we have decided to stay.”

“Wonderful! Come with me.”

She escorted them through a maze of twists and turns. Rights and lefts followed by more lefts and rights. They walked until Kiora was so turned around she didn’t think she could find her way out if she wanted to.

The guide suddenly stopped and said, “Welcome to the colony.” She swept out her arm and Kiora could not believe her eyes.

She walked forward, Emane following hesitantly a step behind her, to an iron railing and looked over. The colony was built around a hundred and fifty foot waterfall. It had rows upon rows of doors lined upon the ridges circling downward. It resembled a sort of seashell she had seen once, spiraling in upon itself. It started where they were, and if she followed the path, level by level, it would bring her all the way to the pool at the bottom. But the most curious thing was the waterfall. It was the largest one Kiora had ever seen. It was magnificent; the speed at which it flowed over the edge and down the back wall of the colony was almost frightening. And yet despite its awesome appearance, the sound was the equivalent of a quiet babbling brook. Listening to it actually reminded her very much of the brook that ran near her old home. She used to love to sit next to, allowing the sound of water to calm her.