Season of Passage, The (22 page)

I wil always be with you. There is no end for us. We are of the light. The darkness cannot endure before us.' She kissed his numb arm, washing it

with her tears. Her warrior relaxed and closed his eyes. Warmth flowed through his flesh. He smiled faintly.

'Then we wil be triumphant, Chaneen?' he asked.

'Yes. There is no need to fear. In the end we wil win.'

'Chaneen.' He began to cough. 'My name is...'

She put her ear to his bleeding lips. 'Yes?'

He was choking. I want you to know who I am. My name...'

He did not speak again, dying in her arms. Chaneen kissed his forehead and whispered, 'Don't worry, child, I know your name.' She sat back and

closed her eyes. 'You truly wish vengeance, Janier?'

'With al my heart, 'Janier said.

Chaneen nodded. 'Come to me in the night, by the pool of waters. I wil invoke the Fire Messenger. You wil carry the flame I cannot wield. You wil

have your vengeance.'

The night was fil ed with filth. The stars labored through a thick smoke. The enemy was at hand. Their shouts could be heard even inside the palace.

Janier knelt by Chaneen's side while Chaneen dived deep into silence, forsaking the limits of her body. She drifted without center, in one place as

much as another, hearing and seeing with her inner ears and inner eyes the music of the spheres and the deities of the worlds. Silently she invoked

the presence of the Fire Messenger, and he came to her, alighting on the waters. He stood tal er than the trees of her Garden, part man, part

animal, radiant in her mind like an erupting volcano. Although Janier saw him not, his coming rattled the very foundations of their land.

He spoke, not with words, but with a sharing of thought. 'Chaneen of Earth, I have come at your bidding. What do you desire of me?'

Chaneen answered him in the same silent manner. 'Rankar has been stripped of his body by our ancient foe. Even now the Asurian army fights at

my door. Many of my children are dead. More are dying as we speak. I have cal ed you forth to beg for the al iance of your strength, and for the

casting of your flame.'

'Why didn't you summon me earlier, before so many of your children died?'

Chaneen hesitated. 'I fear to be the cause of death to others.'

'The Sun would support your cause.'

'So Rankar instructed.'

'Do you stil fear to seek my al iance, Chaneen?'

I have cal ed you forth to al y with my sister. It is she who now kneels by my side.'

The Fire Messenger shifted his burning ethereal form above the waters, staring down upon Janier from a great height. 'She could not absorb my

form. It would destroy her.'

I know that,' Chaneen said. I wil keep you here in my being, resting in the Garden, while Janier goes into battle and draws your might from me, and

through me.'

'The danger would be grave, for one such as her, to possess your power, and in turn, mine.'

I am incapable of wielding your flame,' Chaneen said. 'Our only hope is in the al iance I describe. Wil you do it?'

For a long time the Fire Messenger studied Janier. Final y he said, I wil stay with you, Chaneen, until the last of your enemy flees your land, but no

longer. Then my fire wil return to the source.'

'So be it,' Chaneen said. The Fire Messenger vanished from her vision, but Chaneen now felt his special power enlivened in her own self. She

opened her eyes and turned to her sister. 'Janier, I have good news. The Fire Messenger has agreed to help us. He wil stay with me as long as the

Asurians walk on our soil. He wil only leave when they have been beaten back.' Janier's eyes were wide. 'You wil bring the fire, Chaneen?'

'No. You wil bring it.' Janier was confused. 'How is this possible?'

'You are the same flesh as me. Your arm can be my arm, and my arm now holds the fire. You have but to desire where the flame shal fal , and it wil

fal .' Janier trembled with excitement. 'Can this be so?'

'Yes.'

'We wil be victorious? They won't be able to stand against me?'

Chaneen was troubled. 'It is not from you they wil flee, but from the gift the gods have bestowed upon us because they feel we have been wronged.

Yet there is stil danger. We can stil be defeated.' Chaneen paused and touched the waters with her finger. She realized now why she had waited

so long to invoke the Fire Messenger. Her sister was as dear to her as Rankar. The possibility of losing them both was unthinkable. 'Listen to me,

Janier. You can command the power of the immortal Fire Messenger, but you are stil human. Go to Tier and our warriors, and bring the fire. But if

the Asurian king should come forth to lead his army, return immediately to the Garden. Even with the fire, you are no match for Kratine.'

Janier was concerned. 'Wil he come?'

I don't know. He is shrewd. I can't fathom his mind, just as Rankar was unable to. But should you succeed in driving the enemy from our land, you

must make no attempt to cross over into Asure. The Fire Messenger would depart, and even I would be unable to reach you there. Do you

understand?'

I wil fol ow the wisdom of my Queen,' fanier looked to the west, to the blazing sky, and added, 'None of them shal escape me.'

Chaneen shook her head. 'You don't understand. You are to defend the Sastra, no more.' Janier bowed her head. 'I hear you, Chaneen.'

'Good. Now be close to me. I have secrets to tel you. On the second world dwel s another al y of the Sastra. She is unlike the Fire Messenger, but

stil of great value to us. She is the guardian of that joy which comes between a man and a woman, a parent and a child, a sister and another sister -

when there is love. She brings people together. She makes them happy together. But she is here at this time of parting between us. I know you

cannot see her, Janier, but I do. She stands before us on the waters wearing a resplendent form. She has jewels of starlight in her eyes, and in her

hair shines the moon.' Chaneen removed her own ring and slipped it on Janier's finger. 'She stands as a witness to this bond I forge between us,

Janier. No matter where you go, and no matter what dangers threaten you, I wil always come to...'

'Chaneen! Chaneen!' came cries from the palace hal s. Pastel, her

blind minstrel, was hurrying toward them, his face distraught. The

interruption disturbed Chaneen's invocation. She watched as the

Goddess wavered on the waters and then vanished. Janier jumped to her

feet and grabbed Pastel.

'We were to be left undisturbed, 'Janier said. 'Have you news from the battle? Speak!'

Pastel trembled in Janier's hands and was unable to answer. He had been blind since birth, and Chaneen had yet to discover how to cure him. Of

al her children, he was the only one who was handicapped. Nevertheless, what his eyes couldn't see, his mind understood, and arranged in

beautiful verse. Chaneen alone knew that Pastel sang his songs mainly for Janier, because he loved her so much.

'Be at ease,' Chaneen said. 'Your company is always welcome. Tel us of the battle.'

Pastel turned in the direction of her voice. 'The guards did not want to bring you this news, but I felt you should know it as soon as possible. Please

forgive me, my Queen.' Janier shook Pastel. 'Tel us!'

'The Asurians have al but conquered the mountains,' Pastel said, trembling. 'Already those of us left inside the Garden can hear their flying darts.'

'We're not beaten yet, 'Janier said.

'Yes,' Pastel moaned. 'Forgive me, Janier. Tier has fal en. He was taken on the last wave of attack.'

'Is he dead?' Janier cried.

I don't know,' Pastel said. 'He was alive when our warriors last saw him, but he was badly injured. The Asurians bound him and carried him away.'

Pastel lowered his head. 'I fear he is dead.'

'You fear!' Janier shouted. She shoved Pastel to the ground and glared at Chaneen. 'Tier has fought and fal en while I stayed here with you and did

nothing. I could have saved him! Why didn't you tel me of your power earlier, Chaneen?'

Chaneen slowly stood and helped Pastel to his feet. 'Do you have to

ask? Now you have your own loss to mourn. I already had my own. I was afraid to lose you along with Rankar.'

'You were afraid' Janier said, angry.

I was afraid for you.' Chaneen tried to take Janier in her arms, but her sister shook her off.

'You area coward, 'Janier said bitterly. 'You wouldn't even go forth to save your own children.'

The change in her sister was frightening. Chaneen shook her head sadly. I couldn't save them. I can't kil . The flame wouldn't come out of me for that

reason. Don't hate me, Janier. I'm not the enemy. I'm your Queen, your sister.' She held out her hand. 'I'm sorry.'

'You're sorry! I don't want your sorrow. You could have saved Tier.' Tears streamed from Janier's face and she faltered in her accusations. But then

she touched the ring Chaneen had placed on her finger and she grew hard once more. She looked to the west, to the burning mountains, and

spoke in a cold voice. I must go. Stay here, Chaneen. I don't need you. I wil bring the fire.'

Janier left the palace then, running as fast as her anger.

Janier!' Pastel cal ed. He tried to fol ow her but tripped and fel . Chaneen helped him up once more.

'No,' Chaneen said wearily. 'Let her go.'

'But I must help her.' Pastel stood and felt his way forward, bumping into a pil ar.

'You can't catch her, and you were not born to fight. Stay inside the palace until the outcome of the war is decided. Janier may yet save us, where I

have been unable to.' Chaneen sat back down by the waters. 'But leave me for now, Pastel. Janier thinks she doesn't need me, but she is wrong. I

must be with her in my thoughts.'

Pastel wept. 'Yes, my Queen.' He bowed and turned away. 'I wil pray for her safety.'

'We wil pray,' Chaneen agreed. She closed her eyes and meditated. She meditated for days. But whenever she reached for Janier in her mind,

she felt waves of heat, and saw the cold eyes of Kratine mocking her.

Janier found her warriors in retreat when she arrived at the front of battle. One final val ey lay between the enemy and the Garden. Janier spoke with

the captains who had survived her husband, and found Pastel's information correct. Tier had been wounded and captured, but there was a

possibility he was stil alive.

Janier gave orders that the Sastra were to retreat to top of the last slope, and to there stand and prevent the Asurian front line from advancing. It

was her purpose to al ow the Asurians to fil the val ey below. Her warriors did as they were told, surrendering the portion of the val ey they had

fought al day to hold. Thinking that the Sastra were on the run, the Asurians swarmed into the val ey, and it was as if a sea of green scales swayed

below Janier's feet. How she hated the sight of them!

When Janier deemed the moment was right, she raised Chaneen's ring and cal ed upon the Fire Messenger. From seemingly nowhere, a cloud of

incandescent liquid materialized above the val ey. Then in a rain of death, it fel upon the screaming Asurians. Their end came swiftly. In moments

everything in the val ey was turned to ash. There remained not even the skeleton of a tree. On the far side of the val ey, the enemy who were left alive

immediately recognized what had happened. They remembered Rankar's wrath from the previous war, and turned and fled in the direction of the

desert.

Janier stood above the ruin and laughed loudly. She drew her sword.

'See those murderers running in terror back to their master? They are

fools! Even he cannot save them. Come my warriors, and let us put an

end to these snakes. It is Janier who leads you now. And I bring the

fire!'

Accompanied by the remains of Tier's once great army, Janier chased after the Asurians. Yet the latter had always been quick, and now they had a

great fear driving them on. It was difficult for Janier to keep up with them. Many times she invoked the Fire Messenger, and each time he

responded, laying waste to the land immediately in front of her, and whoever was on that land. But the Asurians had already scattered, and

none of her bolts were as devastating as her first. And little did janier understand the size of the enemy. She kil ed thousands, tens of thousands, yet

thousands remained.

Two days after the turn in the battle, the Asurians poured from the mountains onto the desert, running for the bridge Kratine had opened by his

magic arts, trying to escape. Again and again Janier brought the fire, catching many of the enemy, yet al owing many more to pass beyond the

range of her fire.

It was at the beginning of the desert that Janier halted her troops, remembering Chaneen's warning that Kratine might come forth to lead his army.

For a moment she felt uncertain. But as she scanned the horizon, she saw no sign of the Asurian King, only signs of victory. Once more she cal ed

upon the Fire Messenger, melting the few unfortunate beasts that struggled behind their comrades. The sun was bright in the sky. Her power felt

unwavering. Urging her warriors forward, she resolved to al ow none to escape.

Another two days passed. Final y Janier reached the bridge that led to Asure. The sand before it was burned black from her bolts of flame. The

bridge appeared to her eyes as a span of impenetrable shadow, stretching across a bottomless gorge. Her endurance and the strength of her

warriors had not wavered with the great distance they had come, and now behind them lay the ashes of the bulk of the enemy. Stil , she knew many

Asurians had crossed over the bridge. She thought of how those that had escaped would breed once more, and form yet another army. She also