I quested around the city of Lantaid without finding her. My head ached as I strained to keep my awareness floating as I searched.
‘Try out in the forest,’ Tiaro suggested. ‘You know how much Sarlice loves it in the trees.’
Sure enough, there she was, up a tree in the twilit night. Lying on her stomach watching Rekala and Kestric down below. Thita was perched on the branch in front of her, chirruping about all the different lichen, creepers, vines and moths in their vicinity.
‘Sarlice,’ I called.
‘Talon?’ she said aloud, shocked.
‘Where?’ Thita barked.
‘Here in the waves,’ I said, pulling Sarlice’s thoughts toward me so she was able to reply.
‘How are you… you can communicate with other people now? I thought you had shut down your wave senses.’
‘I got them back, and with a vengeance,’ I replied. ‘It’s this belt from Jaria. It’s made from the leaves of one of the nine Ancient Sapphire Trees. You remember the tree in Centan, how they used it to enhance communications? My belt does the same thing, I just never knew it.’
‘That’s… that’s amazing, Talon. So you can read human minds…?’
‘Not exactly,’ I replied. ‘Well, strong thoughts come out and I can glean those, but I can’t just pick a random person and listen to all their thoughts. I can initiate a mental conversation from a distance. If I’m touching someone I might be able to read their thoughts, but most people have some sort of mental barrier.’
‘Talon, are you well? Is Ciera? Thita said he can’t reach him.’
‘He is exhausted,’ I replied. ‘The sky kingdom, Raer, crashed into the Dome of Gathering. Ciera couldn’t hold it any longer. He was in a battle at Lokshole while I recovered from rescuing Jaalta. So much has happened, Sarlice.’
‘Slow down and tell me all about it,’ she commanded. I obeyed.
We conversed for over half an hour before my concentration started to waver. Like most of the Defenders in Lantaid, Sarlice was aware of the Zeika army on approach.
‘I wish we could be there with you,’ Sarlice said.
‘I got your letter,’ I replied, resting my aching head in my hands. ‘Thank you. I did consider it, but it’s safer this way.’
‘Safer?’ I couldn’t decide if she was incredulous or offended. Her mental voice started to become fuzzy on the waves.
‘You and the kindred should leave Tanza, I think.’
‘Why shouldn’t we help to defend it just like you?’ she wanted to know.
‘Pretty soon, there won’t be much left to defend,’ I said.
I strained to hear her reply. ‘It sounds like you’re giving up.’
‘No, never that! I just think maybe Krii is moving Tanzans on. The Zeikas have taken most of the realm.’
‘Be that as it may,’ she replied stiffly, ‘it is our duty to defend the weak—’
‘Do it!’ I interrupted, pain making my thoughts towards her harsher than I intended. ‘Take the weak out through the Tanzan chasm. Do it while you still can.’
‘Talon, I don’t like the way you’re talking.’
‘I’m sorry,’ I said, my connection slipping. ‘I don’t want anything to happen to you.’
‘I miss you,’ I said aloud, after the wave had broken.
Ciera stirred beside me, but then went back to sleep. My head was pounding so I lay down. I wished Rekala was here. Jett had brought me a pallet and blankets, but it was hard to sleep. The noises from people and skyearls all around us made my head ache even more. I longed for the peace and quiet of Jaria’s jungles or the hush of a dry plain just before dawn.
Ciera had a fitful sleep as well. Every time he twitched, I feared he might roll on top of me. Steeling myself, I held my position by his lower jaw and hummed Halduronlei through the waves. It seemed to calm him enough to sleep more soundly. Eventually, I drifted off as well.
As soon as Crystom and Em arrived, they took charge of the strategy meetings in Condii fortress, straightening out some of the tensions that had been building. Crystom conferred with his closest advisors, including Em, Tyba, Dathan, Varal, Amadeus, Ciera and, to my surprise, me. During that time, we learned of the full details of every battle around the realm and how valiantly all the Defender commanders had conducted themselves. For every bit of ground gained by the Zeikas, they suffered unheard-of losses. The numbers of our enemy were so high that the scouts and counters all across the realm were expressing their inability to maintain accurate records.
After I explained how Jaria’s Anzaii artefact seemed to be working, Em gave Jaalta the leaf from the Ancient Sapphire Tree in Centan. It was shaped somewhat like a shield, but only slightly bigger than my hand with outstretched fingers. The edges were sharp enough to cut so we had it mounted on a steel plate with a bracket on the back so it could be held like a shield or attached to armour.
Jaalta and I used the Anzaii artefacts to facilitate a meeting on the waves between Crystom and his commanders.
‘We mourn terrible loss of life all across the realm,’ Crystom said. ‘Tanza is in its most desperate hour. If we are to have any hope of survival, we must band together now.’
‘We flee Kovain on the morrow,’ said a solemn female on the waves, Commander Lorik. ‘With some 5,000 Defender warriors and at least 16,000 civilians—we are sure to lose a few along the way. Supplies are being gathered and stored on boats. The people will travel by foot to Centan.’
‘Krii be with you,’ Crystom said.
Commander Selten of Lowford and Commander Risca of Highford agreed it was pointless now to expend more lives.
‘We concentrate, now, on helping our people to evacuate,’ Selten affirmed.
‘The Zeikas will expect us to make our last stand in Centan,’ Tyba said to the seventeen gathered minds.
‘We must not let them discover when Centan has been evacuated,’ one of the advisors agreed.
Crystom spoke up. ‘We will have hunting parties on patrol in the skies around the falls, to kill any Zeika scouts or squadrons.’
It took every bit of skill Jaalta, Galtoro, Tiaro and I had to use the two Anzaii artefacts as a bridge for their conversation. Other Anzaii, in each location, added their strength to the communion. But it was far too taxing. Somebody pushed both Jaalta and I into seats and wiped our brows with wet cloths. I devoured the food that was given to me, without even knowing what it was. I felt Ciera’s furry toe against my right shoulder when he lifted his foot up to the armrest. His touch lent me strength.
‘Do the skyearls have anything to add, Ciera?’ Crystom asked.
My Sleffion-kin used my connection to the group to get a good look at everyone who was present on the waves before responding. ‘We are greatly saddened by our inability to protect you from this foe,’ Ciera said. ‘Skyearls haven’t gathered for a meeting in many months, nor will we now that the realm is in such peril, but I have spoken with the eldest of our kind and the highest ranking skyearls in the Defender army. We all agree to follow your lead, King and Queen.’
‘We thank you for your loyalty,’ Em responded. ‘The service of the skyearls to our people is not taken for granted. We are sorry for your losses.’
‘Thousands of skyearls have perished,’ Ciera mourned, ‘but we feel the loss of human lives just as keenly. Our kind was instructed by Krii to protect you, the Tanzans. Every life lost is a mission failed,’ he lamented.
Feeling the decades of experience behind his emotion, my vision swam. Tiaro bolstered me as best she could, but the gathered minds shimmered and wavered for a moment. Em placed a hand on Ciera’s massive foreleg and there was silence for a few minutes.
Eventually Crystom spoke again. ‘Usually the skyearls have certain issues to bring to my attention. Do you—’
Ciera seemed impressed he had brought it up. ‘There are some trivial matters between some of the kin pairs and their respective leaders, but all that pales into insignificance in the face of evacuation.’
‘It does at that,’ Crystom agreed. ‘Krii knows I have a pile of scrolls taller than me from the wave messengers. Issues, bah, may Krii eat them. Ciera has the right of it. What we don’t need right now are any more issues. All right, commanders? You deal with critically important matters only now. Life and death, care for the wounded and the orphaned, shelter and supplies, weapons and armour, attack and defence. Encourage and elevate your most pragmatic and compassionate leaders. Stand down any trouble-makers.’
The plans and discussions continued, but I no longer had the energy to consciously think about them. When it became clear that Jaalta and I could hold out no longer, Ciera ended the gathering of minds.
I had invited my aunt to share my chamber, so we staggered there together. After being connected to so many minds, I felt disoriented and alone. Jett held a steadying hand on my back.
I fell into a dismal heap as soon as I made it to the bed. Jett pulled off my boots and shirt and extinguished the torches around the room.
‘I miss Sarlice,’ I said to myself, picturing her strong face and blue eyes. ‘If only we’ d had more time together.’
With the future so uncertain, I felt a longing for Sarlice that went beyond friendship. I suddenly understood why the marriage rates in many Kriite nations went up during times of war. It would be comforting to have Sarlice with me right now, to make the most of what time we had left.
No kindred could ever be what Sarlice was to me, a woman I loved. A woman I wanted with every fibre of my body and soul. The question was, did she want me?
Chapter Twenty-three—Communication
B
efore venturing from my chambers on 178 trayaday I took a few minutes to read through the scroll of Anzaii I’d obtained in Lantaid.
Anzaiia Chapter 28
The Prophecy of Anzaii
As written by Astas in 403 of the Age of Prophets before the birth of Krii
1
Krii walks through the meadows of Shamayim, awaiting the day of his return to the Fallen World in human form.
2
Krii is surrounded by the light of four stars and holds ten seeds in his right hand;
3
one for each of the final allies including the Kindred of the Wolf.
4
The White Wolf returns to Shamayim and takes the seeds in his mouth.
5
He bears each one swiftly to its place on Chryne;
6
one to the Council of Water, one to the City of Snow, one to the Land of a Thousand Perils, one to the Spring of Understanding, one to the Running Rock, one to the Shrouded Forest, one to the Plain of Slaughter, one to the Sister’s Hand, and one to the Cauldron of Storms.
7
The final seed he breaks between his teeth and swallows, saying
8
‘At the appointed time, the true believers will rise up as one body, tried and tested, ready at last to be at my side.’
9
Krii arises and spits the seed from his mouth. It flies down towards Chryne, and upon landing, an immense tree sprouts from inside it.
10
In a new vision, I see the tree’s roots plunging deep into the land, tearing it open and spilling all evil from the world.
I rubbed the Jarian belt, appreciating the cool smoothness of the sapphire tree leaves that decorated it. The blue shards glowed faintly in the torchlight of my room but, unlike the shards in my earring, they had no light of their own.
Perhaps someone in our time was meant to find the ten Ancient Sapphire Trees or an artefact made from each one’s leaves. The implications of that prophecy—the world as we knew it coming to an end—frightened me. I’m not ready for that, Krii.
After the events of the past four days, though, it didn’t seem all that far-fetched that the world might be coming to an end. Both Lowford and Highford had fallen, with less than a thousand survivors having made it to Jesath. They were refugees now, and their future was uncertain.
The legion of Zeikas that had been too numerous to count, last time I’d heard of them, had been estimated at 18,000. These had made their way to Lantaid; it was the same army that scouts had reported only a week ago near Fireflow mountain. Sarlice was among the warriors positioned at the Hills of Everstain, once again, to meet them.
The survivors from Kovain made it to Centan the same day the Zeikas engaged our people at Everstain. Under the cover of darkness that evening, the entire population of Centan and Kovain embarked on their journey toward Condii. There were tens of thousands of civilians altogether, a number neither Tiaro nor I could grasp. We relied heavily on Ciera’s greater experience and wisdom to comprehend all that was going on.
Although the Centanians had been stockpiling supplies for weeks, there was widespread panic in Condii about lack of food and potable water.
It took four days for the people of Centan and Kovain to reach Condii, during which time the barrier around the Cascade City was lifted and the mists rushed in.
Also during that time, another 20,000 Zeikas were sighted entering Tanza near Fireflow Mountain. They headed due east towards Centan, which could only mean one thing. Our enemies were coming for the killing blow.
King Crystom’s hunting parties slew any Zeika scouts that strayed towards Centan. The net of Defenders around the waterfall city was so tight that not a single spy got through. At all times there were about 500 skyearls flying at various heights around Centan, protecting it in a gigantic skyearl-bubble. Little did the Zeikas know that what they protected was an abandoned city.
‘If only all those skyearls had been able to help you with Raer,’ I said to Ciera who was outside helping coordinate fortifications at the sentry towers. His injured forearm was held in a sling at his chest and he sat with his other three paws on the ground.
‘Alas,’ he replied. ‘The art of maintaining sky kingdoms has nearly been lost. It was a speciality of my breed, but most keltoars have perished or flown away across the Kiayr Range.’
‘I wish I could reach across Kiayr with the waves,’ I replied. ‘Perhaps I could find a force of Tanzans to fly back and turn the tide on this war. I tried it, but having never been beyond those mountains, it was hard to make my mind go where I needed it to.’
‘Even with the Anzaii artefacts boosting your abilities, you must take it slowly,’ Ciera said with a sigh. ‘As much as it would be fortuitous to have some allies to help us right now, you should keep your focus here.’