Harvest of Dreams (The Gods' Dream Trilogy) (14 page)

Sadie grimaced. “Where I come from the walls don’t change either. At least, not by mind power.”

Wenda touched her arm. “I think you will have much to get used to here. But we will help you acclimate all we can.”

I’m in a world with seemingly real deities, mind magic, and science fiction technology. What can my sabre—a practice weapon, not even a real one—do against all that?

The tall man Cheta had singled out drew her attention. He had an attractive, careworn face with high cheekbones and a noble brow. He let Cheta sniff his hand, and then he stooped to pet the dog.

Sadie strode over to him. “I just found her.”

The man straightened and gave her a small bow.

“Her name’s Cheta. She was homeless and starving. Her owners were killed in the invasion.”

A pained expression crossed the man’s face. The tragic look in his eyes made Sadie aware he must also have lost loved ones in the destruction of Seagem. Up close she could see auburn roots in his gray hair, and she wondered why he’d bleached it.

The man extended a hand to touch the bony head of the dog. “Another to atone for,” he said cryptically, in a mournful voice.

Before Sadie could offer some words of comfort, he turned and walked through the double doors and into a garden.

With a whine, Cheta gazed after him but didn’t move to follow. Instead, the dog pressed against Sadie’s leg.

She, too, watched the man leave, wishing he’d stayed.

Devore stepped forward. “We are in dark times. The Evil One gains in power. The balance rests on a sword edge.”

At the sound of his words, goosebumps popped out on Sadie’s arms.

“We are eager to hear your story,” he continued. “But first, Priestess Wenda will show you and your companion where you may refresh yourselves.” He gestured to Wenda. “Afterward…” He gazed around the room and lifted his voice. “Peaceful Zacatlan must prepare for war. And we don’t have much time.”

~ ~ ~

Sadie and Wenda, with Cheta following, headed along the outer circle of the temple, the silence broken by the rolling sound of the luggage wheels, the click of the dog’s nails, and their footsteps. Sadie’s mind whirled, thinking about all she’d experienced in the last few hours. But foremost was the memory of Devore calling her a warrior woman.

What good is a sabre against the power of an evil dictator? Withea made a mistake. She didn’t realize my training with the sabre is for sport, not for chopping up people.

Wenda cleared her throat. “I had a difficult adjustment when I came to Zacatlan from Seagem. I can’t imagine what arriving from another world is like. Sometime, I’d enjoy learning about your home…world.”

Sadie gave her a wry smile. “On Earth, we don’t have gods and goddesses who talk to us. Many people believe in their own form of a deity. But others, like myself, do not.”

Wenda’s eyes widened. “I can’t comprehend such a thing. I miss my connection with Yadarius.”

Sadie’s interest quickened. “What happened?”

Wenda shrugged. “Yadarius was silent for weeks—even before Thaddis invaded Seagem. He turned his back on us, and we don’t know why.”

Sadie didn’t know what to make of this business with deities. “My grandmother suffered through an invasion…imprisonment because of her ethnicity and religion. My grandfather, a deeply religious man, died, but my grandmother’s strength carried her through. She lost faith in the God she’d believed in.” A wave of sadness came over her, just thinking about Bubby. “I don’t know if she felt God turned his back on her, or if God doesn’t exist. I never asked. We weren’t a religious family. Just the opposite.”

Wenda looked shocked. “Yadarius exists. He made Himself very well known to us. He loved us—all His people. I’ve felt Him, spoken with Him. He comes…came to us in our dreams. That’s why I can’t believe….” Her voice choked up.

Mass hysteria? Another magical statue? Sometimes people need a god so badly that they make one up. But Withea healed my shoulder, so maybe the deities are real.
Thinking about her vision of the man chained to the throne in the ocean, Sadie put a comforting hand on Wenda’s arm. “Perhaps Yadarius didn’t leave you on purpose. Perhaps Ontarem did something to him.”

“That has occurred to us. But it’s hard to know.” Wenda covered Sadie’s hand with hers, giving it a quick squeeze before tilting her head in the direction they were supposed to go.

The two women fell into step.

“We’d never heard of Ontarem until a few weeks ago. Nor of Withea, for that matter.” Brows drawn tight, Wenda’s voice grew fierce. “And Besolet, the Goddess of our former ally, Ocean’s Glory also betrayed us. But She is punished. Deposed by Her own people and Withea accepted in Her place.”

Sadie stopped walking to stare at Wenda in astonishment. “How could you not know about them? Especially with those magical windows. Don’t you communicate between your cities—share your cultures?”

“Yadarius never said anything about either deity. The SeaGod lives in the present, not the past. He was the God of the ocean creatures before He became ours. He doesn’t pay much attention to what happens on land, except for the peninsula that is…was…Seagem.” Her voice trailed off.

“And Guinheld,” Sadie prompted.

“Guinheld is a very withdrawn Goddess. She focuses solely on Her people to the exclusion of the rest of Kimtair. Few visit Her country. Fewer still ever leave. Sometimes our Archpriestess Anza or Archpriest Caifed would talk to Devore or Archpriestess Rodna through the temple window. But I’d never spoken to someone from Zacatlan until I came to this country.”

“That window’s convenient.”

“If that window didn’t exist, I would be dead or enslaved. When Thaddis invaded…when the temple was about to be overrun, we of the priesthood waited until the last moment, beseeching Yadarius for deliverance. Caifed ordered us to flee through the window. Of the three hundred or so priests and priestesses of Yadarius, only a quarter made it through.” She obviously strove for a lighter tone. “During the invasion, many people took refuge in the temple. Early on, Caifed sent them through the window to Zacatlan. There are about six hundred of us total from Seagem—some part of home that’s very comforting when we’re all together.”

By unspoken consent, the two women resumed their walk. The dog followed at Sadie’s heels.

Wenda picked up where she’d left off. “As for Withea, the Goddess was powerless, dead almost—although our Deities can’t completely die—until our Princess Daria and her new consort, another outworlder like you...awakened Her. Like you, those two are very powerful.”

“Another outworlder?” Sadie’s heartbeat quickened at the thought of not being the only person from Earth in this place. “Do you know where he’s from?”

Wenda shook her head. “I gather the outworlder became Withea’s priest. Withea’s the one who told us that centuries ago Ontarem attacked Her city and destroyed Her people, which rendered Her powerless.”

“Why would that make Her powerless?”

“Our Deities receive a type of...energy from the worship of their people.”

Symbiosis.
Sadie wrinkled her nose at the idea.

Wanda must have guessed her thoughts. “Our Gods and Goddess don’t take from us. We give to Them gladly.” The priestess paused. “From what we have learned of Ontarem, He takes.”

“How have you learned so much about Ontarem?”

“When Withea punished
Thaddis
for invading Her realm and trying to kidnap Princess Daria and kill her consort, the Goddess also took his
memories.” Wenda’s voice changed when she said the name of the former king. She practically spat out the word. “That’s how we know so much about Ontarem.”

“Thaddis sounds like a monster.”

“Yes.” Wenda took some deep breaths. “I must center myself. The thought of Thaddis still brings up so much rage.”

In a silent show of support, Sadie allowed her breathing to deepen, matching Wenda’s.

The priestess noticed and smiled at Sadie. “We also received good news. We thought our princess was captured or dead, and we mourned her along with the loss of the rest of the royal family—King Iceros and our three princes. But Daria lives and is free. She defeated Thaddis. We have rejoiced at the news. We hope someday to vanquish Ontarem and return home, with the princess crowned as our queen.” A look of sorrow crossed Wenda face. “And bring home the ones taken captive by the seadogs.”

“Your family?”

“My husband, Min. He’s a priest. I know he lives because I feel his heartline connection.” She pressed her lips together. “I worry about what he’s enduring. What they’re all going through.”

Heartline connection?
Before Sadie could ask, Wenda made a get-down motion with her hand. “It’s almost meditation time.”

“What’s that?”

“When we hear the sound of the six chimes, we stop what we’re doing and sit or kneel on the ground. It’s personal preference. Like this.” Wenda sank gracefully to the ground in a cross-legged position, her robe pooling around her legs. She set the backpack on the floor next to her and placed her hands in her lap, palms up in a classic mediation pose. “Or this.” She moved to her knees and prostrated herself in a low bow.

Sadie set the suitcase upright, laid the travel case on the floor, and lowered herself to sit cross-legged. “Do you face a certain direction?”

“No. The Goddess is everywhere around us. So, we scatter every which way.” Wenda circled a hand around her head. “Toward a statue of the Goddess if we’re near one.”

Cheta dropped to her haunches and licked Sadie’s face.

Sadie laughed, put her arm around the dog, and hugged her. Then she patted the floor and visualized the dog lying down next to her.

Cheta gave one more swipe of her tongue that Sadie ducked away from. Then with a grunt, the dog collapsed to the floor and put her head on her paws.

“Focus your mind on the Goddess Guinheld,” Wenda directed. “Then visualize a connection, like a line between your heart and Hers. Worship by sending your energy...adoration...gratitude….” She grimaced. “Many different names exist for the power we give our Deities. But it’s hard to explain to an outworlder because we learn this connection from the time we are babies. There’s no need for words.”

“Does it last a long time?” Curiosity rose in her, accompanied by hope. If Guinheld really was a goddess, then during the meditation Sadie might actually feel a connection with a deity.

“Not usually. Maybe ten minutes, unless Guinheld has need of more energy. Then it can last longer.”

The sound of three chimes like crystal bells rang through the air. Wenda closed her eyes. Three more chimes followed.

Sadie obediently closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing. She’d taken enough yoga classes to know what to do. But her resistance to any kind of spiritual practice kept her tense. Finally, she decided to use the exercise to just relax. Gradually, the deep breaths centered her, and Sadie felt her heartbeat slow. She became conscious of a heaviness in the air, like humidity, without the accompanying oppressive heat. She groped for a connection to the goddess these people believed in, visualized extending her hands in the direction of where they’d come from.

Nothing.
She couldn’t help feeling disappointed.

Only a few minutes seemed to have elapsed before Sadie felt Wenda stir. She opened her eyes and stretched her arms, feeling more relaxed, even if she hadn’t experienced a spiritual awakening.

Cheta rolled over and extended all four legs in the air.

Sadie laughed and rubbed the dog’s bony ribs before rising.

The dog jumped to her feet.

“That was…interesting,” Sadie said, picking up the handles of her luggage.

Wenda grabbed the straps of the backpack and stood. “The chimes ring every three hours. But if you’re sleeping, you don’t need to answer them. In fact, you won’t even hear them. Guinheld is respectful in that manner. If She does call upon you at night, then She has urgent need of power.”

The two resumed their walk.

The corridor ended at a wall. Wenda pressed a round circle set into the pale stone. “This takes us to the outside.” The circle expanded, becoming a door. “Guinheld powers these exits. You don’t have to think at doors like you do at windows.” She stepped through.

Sadie followed her out of the temple, pulling the suitcase. A breeze tossed the tendrils of hair that had slipped from her braid across her cheeks. She lifted her face, enjoying the lavender beauty of the sky. The air smelled sweet. Perhaps the fragrance came from the orange flowers in the groundcover—they looked like miniature tulips with multiple heads. The crystal domes glittered in the sunlight, an interesting form of architecture. Distant mountains loomed, covered with snow. She turned to look behind her. The rugged mountains circled the city.

A stone path led to several other domes set lower on the hill. Sadie gestured to Wenda, who’d been patiently waiting, to proceed. They took the right path until it ended at an egg-shaped building. The exterior sparkled in the sun.

“Our guest quarters,” Wenda said. “You’ll have your own suite, but the building has other…visitors from Ocean’s Glory. Men. Soldiers. They’ll have their own section, but you’ll share a relaxation and eating area.”