{"id":137,"date":"2012-06-18T09:32:35","date_gmt":"2012-06-18T13:32:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/?p=137"},"modified":"2012-06-18T09:32:35","modified_gmt":"2012-06-18T13:32:35","slug":"zervakan-free-fantasy-novel-chapter-20","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/?p=137","title":{"rendered":"ZERVAKAN – Free Fantasy Novel – Chapter 20"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n\"\"<\/a>
Cover by TJ Lomas.<\/a>\n<\/div>\n
\nI’m posting a chapter from my latest fantasy novel for free every Monday and Friday (click Zervakan<\/a> above for a synopsis and to start from the beginning). It’s in a “pre-published state,” meaning you might find the occasional spelling\/grammar mistake. If you do, please leave a comment below or email me at robsteiner01 [at] gmail [dot] com.<\/p>\n

If you’re uncomfortable getting something for nothing, you can hit the PayPal Donate<\/a> button in the Tip Jar section to the right. If you donate more than $3, I’ll send you a non-DRM ebook once the book is published (summer 2012). If you donate more than $20, I’ll send you a printed copy.<\/p>\n

Thanks, and I hope you enjoy it!<\/em>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

ZERVAKAN<\/h1>\n

by Rob Steiner<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chapter 20<\/h2>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You have condemned our people, and you know it,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Melahara told Ollis in low, threatening tones.\u00c2\u00a0 They were tones Fatimah had never heard from Melahara, tones that would have had any Acolyte running for cover, and most Priests for that matter.\u00c2\u00a0 But Ollis remained stone-faced before Melahara\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s anger.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153He is not the Speaker, therefore he has no power to negotiate,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Ollis said.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153He cannot help us.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Fatimah was glad to stand behind Eblin, who sat between Fatimah and the two most powerful people among the Beldamark Tuatha.\u00c2\u00a0 All five members of the Master Circle sat at a round table in the highest room of the Heiron, their Apprentices standing behind them.\u00c2\u00a0 Windows from the four slanted stone walls on each side let in the light from the setting sun, though little of it was able to pierce the thick gray clouds.\u00c2\u00a0 Fatimah saw the swirling colors of Ahura\u00e2\u20ac\u201dshe tried her best to ignore the nauseating emptiness of Angra\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand its light gave her comfort in a room filled with tension.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153That may be,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Melahara said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153but you had no reason to insult them by throwing them out of the Heiron like stray dogs.\u00c2\u00a0 Edoss could very well regain the Speakership, and then where will we be?\u00c2\u00a0 We just insulted the only man on the continent that could protect us.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Ollis laughed.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Recindians would never protect us anyway.\u00c2\u00a0 They fear us.\u00c2\u00a0 They would never let us settle in their lands.\u00c2\u00a0 It is the reason we retreated to the Beldamark and it is the reason why we should stay.\u00c2\u00a0 I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve said this from the beginning.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Melahara shook her head, closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We have already had this debate.\u00c2\u00a0 Fomorians have infiltrated the Beldamark and Tuatha are dying every day from their attacks.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Ollis slammed his hand on the table, making everyone jump except Melahara.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Then we fight them!\u00c2\u00a0 I will not give up my home so easily.\u00c2\u00a0 For better or worse, the Beldamark is<\/em> our home.\u00c2\u00a0 We don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need the Recindians, with their faithless ways.\u00c2\u00a0 They despise us just as much as the Fomorians do.\u00c2\u00a0 As always, we are alone, and I say we do whatever is necessary to protect our families and our homes.\u00c2\u00a0 I say we open the Delving Jars.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Fatimah frowned, as did three other members of the Master Circle.\u00c2\u00a0 Two others, however, nodded their heads in agreement with Ollis.\u00c2\u00a0 Predictably, Nyram Suul agreed with Ollis, as she did with almost everything he said.\u00c2\u00a0 But the surprise was Ocrim Tylea.\u00c2\u00a0 He had always been a strong ally of the Holy Seat, though he made his living as a blacksmith selling knives, arrowheads, and other weapons to the Worldly Seat.\u00c2\u00a0 Perhaps the business of war was too tempting for him, Fatimah thought cynically.<\/p>\n

Eblin said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153If we open the Delving Jars, we cease to be Tuatha and become like the Fomorians.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We will be nothing like the Formorians,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Nyram Suul said, her graying red hair worn around her shoulders like a man.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We would only open the jars for the intention of destroying the Fomorians.\u00c2\u00a0 Is that not what we use the Aspects of Ahura to do?\u00c2\u00a0 It is nothing different.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153It is different,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Eblin replied, as if instructing a student.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It is the side effects of opening the Jars that is forbidden by Ahura.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know that will happen,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Ollis said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153but we don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have a choice.\u00c2\u00a0 We don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have the strength to fight the Fomorians any other way.\u00c2\u00a0 Besides, we may not have the luxury of following the law as closely as we would like.\u00c2\u00a0 Especially with our survival at stake.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The law is what makes us Tuatha,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Eblin said.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I would think the Worldly Seat would recognize that.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Ollis scowled, but said nothing.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Besides,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she continued, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153we do not know where the Fomorians are at any given time.\u00c2\u00a0 How would we know where to open the Jars when the Fomorians disappear almost as quickly as they strike?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not saying we open the Jars for a single Fomorian attack,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Ollis said.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153All I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m saying is that it should be an option if we are faced with a concentrated attack by many.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Ahura do not let it come to that,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Fatimah muttered to herself.<\/p>\n

A little too loudly, for Eblin gave her a sideways glance and said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Well said, child.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Fatimah felt heat in her cheeks, bowed her head, and then tried to melt into the wall behind her.<\/p>\n

Ollis leaned forward.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153If a Pathist Teacher is now the Speaker of the Compact, what chance do we have of negotiating an alliance with them?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Melahara opened her mouth to speak, but Ocrim cut her off.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153None.\u00c2\u00a0 We all know the Pathists hate everything we are, everything we believe.\u00c2\u00a0 That is why I say\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You have had your say,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Melahara said.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We need to see how this plays out.\u00c2\u00a0 Dylan Edoss may return to Calaman and regain his Speakership, but then he may not.\u00c2\u00a0 If he does not, we must still extend our friendship toward the Pathist Speaker.\u00c2\u00a0 All the signs tell us that the Compact will fall to Angra without an alliance with us.\u00c2\u00a0 If it has not already happened.\u00c2\u00a0 And if when it does, not even the Pathists will be able to deny \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcsupernaturalism.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Do not be so sure,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Nyram said.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Neither the appearance of Ahura and Angra nor the Fomorian weather attack on their capital city changed their beliefs.\u00c2\u00a0 They ignore anything that does not conform to their preconceived ideas.\u00c2\u00a0 Even extraordinary events.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Ocrim Tylea folded his hands on the table.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Perhaps we should abandon the idea of forging an alliance with the Compact?\u00c2\u00a0 What about Turicia or Edellia?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Melahara sighed and shook her head.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We have been over this as well.\u00c2\u00a0 There is no one else.\u00c2\u00a0 Turicia would be a faithful ally, but they are no stronger than we are; less, in most respects.\u00c2\u00a0 Edellia is large, but the Edellians fear us as much as the Pathist Compact denies us.\u00c2\u00a0 Phadeal in the east is no more than a loose confederation of city-states so isolationist that they don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even come to the defense of a fellow city-state when it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s attacked.\u00c2\u00a0 Khur in the west is no better than Phadeal.\u00c2\u00a0 And the Wild Kingdoms in the south care nothing for the troubles of the north, even if those troubles would eventually affect them.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s always Mazumdahr,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Ollis said quietly.\u00c2\u00a0 Fatimah wanted to shake her head in amazement at the man\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s foolishness.\u00c2\u00a0 First, he suggests using the Delving jars, now he suggests an alliance with the Mazumdahri?<\/p>\n

Eblin echoed Fatimah\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s thoughts.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Mazumdahri are what the Fomorians were two thousand years ago.\u00c2\u00a0 We may as well cut our throats right now and spare our people a slow death.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Melahara\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s gaze swept the entire Circle.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Like it or not, the Compact is the anchor that keeps the continent from drifting into anarchy.\u00c2\u00a0 If the Compact falls, so does the continent.\u00c2\u00a0 An alliance with the Compact is our only hope for survival.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The other continents\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Nyram began, but Melahara cut her off.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00e2\u20ac\u201dare the responsibility of the Tuatha on those continents.\u00c2\u00a0 Recindia is our<\/em> historic responsibility.\u00c2\u00a0 Once things are stabilized here, then we can worry about helping the others.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Ollis quietly asked, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153What if we need their<\/em> help?\u00c2\u00a0 The Guardians have obviously been destroyed or disabled throughout the rest of the world.\u00c2\u00a0 How do we contact them?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Melahara paused.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t.\u00c2\u00a0 At least not right now.\u00c2\u00a0 Right now, we concentrate on this continent.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153And what have your Priests discovered about those responsible for bringing down the Barrier?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Ollis asked.<\/p>\n

Fatimah winced, for it was the one thing with which Ollis knew he could challenge Melahara.\u00c2\u00a0 The Priesthood had been studying the ancient texts around the clock, and had even conscripted Acolytes into the research.\u00c2\u00a0 They were sure the Barrier was impregnable from the outside…but breaching it from the inside was a possibility almost too frightening to contemplate.\u00c2\u00a0 For that would mean someone had used the Guardians left behind by the ancient Tuatha to channel the Aspects into boring a hole through the Barrier.\u00c2\u00a0 And since none of the Guardians in the rest of the world seemed to be working\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe Window would have detected them by now\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthen it had to have been the Beldamark Guardians that were used.\u00c2\u00a0 Only Tuatha could have triggered their magic.<\/p>\n

Fatimah could not believe any Tuatha would betray everything they were to release Angra back into the world.\u00c2\u00a0 But at this point it was the only plausible explanation.<\/p>\n

Melahara cleared her throat.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We have not been able to identify them.\u00c2\u00a0 Yet.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153If I may say,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Ollis said, glaring at Melahara, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153finding those responsible for the Barrier\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fall should take precedence over the negotiations with the Recindians.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153It does,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Melahara said.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153But we can walk and talk at the same time.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153What progress have<\/em> you made?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Ollis pushed.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Nothing new since we spoke last night.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Ollis frowned, but leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms as if he were pleased with himself.\u00c2\u00a0 The relationship between the Worldly Seat and the Holy Seat had historically been adversarial, but Ollis Gray and Melahara could have been one of the most adversarial, and had grown more so since the Barrier\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fall.<\/p>\n

The rest of the meeting covered more mundane things like Fedalan\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s upkeep.\u00c2\u00a0 Garbage was piling up in the streets and refugees from the surrounding farms and villages were pouring into Fedalan at an alarming rate with terrible stories of Fomorian attacks.\u00c2\u00a0 Housing was plentiful in Fedalan\u00e2\u20ac\u201dits population, and that of all the Beldamark Tuatha had been declining for decades\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut each house needed to be cleaned up and repaired.\u00c2\u00a0 The meeting ended with the Circle deciding in a 3-2 vote\u00e2\u20ac\u201dMelahara and Eblin against, Ollis and the rest for\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfor sending Dylan Edoss back to the Compact with a request to meet the new Speaker.<\/p>\n

Once the meeting was over, Fatimah asked Eblin if she could go down to the Recindian camp and tell them the decision of the Master Circle.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You may,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Eblin said with a tired voice.<\/p>\n

She leaned on her staff while walking slowly back to her apartment on the Heiron\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fourth level.\u00c2\u00a0 Fatimah had never seen her Master so weary, and she knew the investigation into the Barrier\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fall, along with preparation for the now cancelled negotiations with the Recindians, had taken much from her already frail body.<\/p>\n

Fatimah walked with Eblin back to her apartments, just to make sure her Master arrived all right, then went back down to the Recindian encampment in front of the Heiron.\u00c2\u00a0 Fatimah counted thirty small, two-man tents arranged in neat rows on one of the grassy fields in front of the tower.\u00c2\u00a0 The Recindians had taken up as little room as possible, and had even set their cook fires on the cobblestone road next to the field.\u00c2\u00a0 The Tuatha had supplied the Recindians with wood for their fires.\u00c2\u00a0 Fatimah sadly thought that wood from all of the abandoned homes and buildings throughout the city would keep Fedalan warm for years.<\/p>\n

Fatimah saw several Tuathan Heshmen standing nearby smoking pipes and watching the Recindian camp, while several Recindian soldiers sat around campfires eyeing the gathered Tuatha.\u00c2\u00a0 She regretted that she could not bring the Crucible out here and let them understand each other’s words.\u00c2\u00a0 Eblin had taught her that most arguments stem from miscommunication.\u00c2\u00a0 The Crucible would have gone a long way toward reducing the wary glances they gave each other.<\/p>\n

She approached three Compact sentries at the border of the camp and she asked in Recindian where she could find Dylan Edoss.\u00c2\u00a0 One of the men asked her to follow him.\u00c2\u00a0 He led her around several tents until she saw Edoss and his advisor Lee Cursh sitting next to a fire.<\/p>\n

Edoss stood when he saw her.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Fatimah, welcome to our camp.\u00c2\u00a0 What brings you out here?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Fatimah knew from her studies that many Recindian diplomats smiled at your face while plotting your downfall in their minds.\u00c2\u00a0 In Dylan Edoss, however, she sensed a man who was genuinely polite and honorable.\u00c2\u00a0 She had liked him from the moment she met him.<\/p>\n

Which was why she hated telling him the Circle\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s decision.\u00c2\u00a0 His face fell, then he nodded.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t say I wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have done the same thing in their position.\u00c2\u00a0 But know this, I will<\/em> sort this out and I will<\/em> return.\u00c2\u00a0 If you will invite me again, that is.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You will be most welcome when that time comes,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Fatimah said.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll break camp tomorrow morning,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Edoss said.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Will you guide us back to Markwatch?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I will, Excellency.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 Then she looked about the camp surrounding their fire and asked, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Where can I find Taran Abraeu?\u00c2\u00a0 I promised that I would speak to him.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Edoss pointed to a tent four down from the right.\u00c2\u00a0 She bid him and Lee Cursh good night, and then walked to Abraeu\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s camp site.\u00c2\u00a0 There was a cookfire in front of it, with two men smoking pipes and talking quietly.\u00c2\u00a0 She remembered them as aids to Edoss\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Ministers.<\/p>\n

They both stood when she approached.\u00c2\u00a0 If nothing else, the Recindians seemed to have good manners.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Good evening,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said one of the men through a bushy, gray mustache that hung over his lips.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Is this the tent of Taran Abraeu?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yes, but he said was going for a walk around that obelisk, oh, about ten minutes ago,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d the mustached man said, checking a small pocket watch attached to his vest.\u00c2\u00a0 It was a device that Fatimah could not imagine owning.\u00c2\u00a0 How could knowing the exact minute of the day be so important?\u00c2\u00a0 Punctuality to the second was one of the Recindians most peculiar habits.<\/p>\n

Fatimah thanked the men and walked in the direction they pointed.\u00c2\u00a0 She did not have to walk far before she found Taran Abraeu, leaning his back against the trunk of an oak tree that had lost all of its leaves for the autumn, smoking a pipe and staring up at the Heiron.<\/p>\n

Without turning his head, he said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153What makes it glow like that?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Fatimah looked up and realized he was referring to the Heiron.\u00c2\u00a0 There was a bluish aura around the entire tower, except for the tip, which had a golden shimmer that persisted at night.\u00c2\u00a0 She had lived around the Heiron most of her life, so she sometimes forgot what a beautiful structure it was, especially against the dark sky.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The ancient builders imbued it with the Aspect of Fire,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she said.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153They wanted it to be a beacon to all Tuatha from across the Beldamark.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s beautiful,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Taran said wistfully.\u00c2\u00a0 He looked into the sky, clear of clouds for the first time in days, and at the ever-present bands of Ahura and Angra.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153My daughter Mara is suffering from a terrible illness,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Taran said, his voice distant.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153And there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s nothing I can do to stop it.\u00c2\u00a0 She\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s had it for six years, and for six years I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve studied Mystic legends with the hope of finding you so that you could use your powers to heal her.\u00c2\u00a0 Now that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve found you, you tell me there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s nothing you can do.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 Taran gave her a mirthless smile.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I just realized that I spent every waking moment for the last six years to find you, when I should have been spending that time with Mara.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Fatimah put her hand on his arm, and they were both quiet for several minutes.\u00c2\u00a0 Then she asked, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Will your daughter recover?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Taran shook his head, still staring up at Ahura.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Unless she is given the Mercy, she will die a painful death.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Murder,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Fatimah muttered before she could stop herself.\u00c2\u00a0 She glanced at Taran, who looked down at his feet.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153There was a time when I supported the Mercy,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I had always thought those who opposed it or wanted it illegal were selfish, and didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to let their loved ones rest, even if it meant letting them suffer a terrible death.\u00c2\u00a0 Now I…\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Taran took his pipe from his mouth and knocked it against the tree, dislodging the tobacco ashes from it.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153My wife wanted to give Mara the Mercy as soon as she was diagnosed with the Blood.\u00c2\u00a0 I refused.\u00c2\u00a0 Mara was already in tremendous pain, but I would not allow my daughter to die without doing everything I could to heal her.\u00c2\u00a0 Even though the Blood is incurable.\u00c2\u00a0 The slide to death is slow, painful, and messy and…\u00c2\u00a0 My wife has hated me ever since.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Fatimah did not know what to say, so she said nothing.\u00c2\u00a0 She had studied the Compact\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s arguments for the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Mercy\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and still found it to be nothing more that legalized murder.\u00c2\u00a0 Never mind that Ahura forbade the taking of human life, the Mercy smacked too much of a society that did not want the inconvenience of taking care of its sick and disabled.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153So I started looking for the Mystics,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I gave up a promising career in the University and began chasing a myth.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

The man\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s sorrow was so terrible that Fatimah wanted to say anything to him that would give him some sort of hope for his daughter.\u00c2\u00a0 She knew Eblin would be angry over what she was about to tell Taran, but the man deserved some hope.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153There is a prophecy,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Fatimah said slowly.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Well, more like a myth.\u00c2\u00a0 It says that when the First Cause sees that the balance between Ahura and Angra has shifted too much in one direction, it will send a being that will bring Ahura and Angra back into balance.\u00c2\u00a0 That being will have the powers of both Ahura and<\/em> Angra, and will fight for the side that is the weakest.\u00c2\u00a0 This being may fight with the Tuatha if the Fomorians become too powerful…or with the Fomorians if we win.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Taran listened attentively, and Fatimah could see that his scholar\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s curiosity was pushing back his sorrow a bit.\u00c2\u00a0 But only a bit.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve never heard this before,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said.\u00c2\u00a0 Then realization dawned on him.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153This being has come before.\u00c2\u00a0 A thousand years ago.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Fatimah nodded.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Much history was lost during the last war and our retreat into the Beldamark, but we do know that it was this being that helped my ancestors erect the Barrier.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153It was the Barrier that not only blocked Angra, but Ahura as well.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 Taran looked at Fatimah.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Your people gave up their powers to save the world.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153It was the sacrifice they made so that the Fomorians would not win.\u00c2\u00a0 My people were losing, and losing badly.\u00c2\u00a0 It was either that or relegate humanity and ourselves to Fomorian enslavement.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Fatimah looked up at Ahura and wondered what the ancient Tuatha must have felt when they decided to erect the Barrier.\u00c2\u00a0 They would never again feel the love of Ahura coursing through their bodies, nor be able to look up at those swirling colors and feel peace.\u00c2\u00a0 From just the limited time she had had with Ahura in the sky, and with Wielding, she did not know if she could give that up.\u00c2\u00a0 Despair filled her heart whenever she thought that she might have to.\u00c2\u00a0 The only way to defeat Angra this time might be to erect another Barrier.<\/p>\n

Taran stared at Fatimah, intensity blazing in his eyes.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153What is this being called?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Zervakan,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Fatimah said.<\/p>\n

Taran\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s eyes had grown wide, and he licked his lips.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Would the Fomorians recognize this being when they see him?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153By sight?\u00c2\u00a0 I doubt it.\u00c2\u00a0 They might be able to sense the Zervakan if…\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 Taran was frowning, staring off in the distance.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153What is wrong?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she asked.<\/p>\n

He looked at her, then said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153On our way here, we passed through a town that had been destroyed by a harrower or Fomorian.\u00c2\u00a0 He was mad, but he yelled something at the train as it went by him: Zervakan het gaklai na Zervakan.<\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Fatimah felt her heart skip a beat.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153This Fomorian shouted that to you or your train?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Taran swallowed.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Well…he seemed to be looking at me at the time.\u00c2\u00a0 But I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know if it was because I was the only face he saw, or if it was a trick of shadows, or if he really was…looking at me.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Fatimah grabbed Taran\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s arm and started pulling him toward the Heiron.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You have to tell Melahara.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

At that moment a horn sounded from the city\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s western boundaries.\u00c2\u00a0 Fatimah stopped, listened.\u00c2\u00a0 Three short bursts, followed by three more.\u00c2\u00a0 Another horn sounded to the north\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthree and three bursts\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand then to the south, near the lake.\u00c2\u00a0 Fear threatened to freeze Fatimah\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s limbs.\u00c2\u00a0 Taran grabbed her arm.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153What are those horns?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Fomorians are attacking the city,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she said.<\/p>\n

She looked up at the nauseating presence of Angra.\u00c2\u00a0 Several tendrils reached down to areas north, west, and south of the city.\u00c2\u00a0 Tendrils from Ahura swirled down to the same locations, but some stopped before they could reach the ground, then retreated back to Ahura.<\/p>\n

The Tuatha calling them had been killed before the tendrils could reach them.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Warn your people that an attack is coming,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she said to Taran.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Tell them to go to the Heiron.\u00c2\u00a0 Go now!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

She did not wait to see if he obeyed before turning and sprinting toward the Heiron.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cover by TJ Lomas. I’m posting a chapter from my latest fantasy novel for free every Monday and Friday (click Zervakan above for a synopsis and to start from the beginning). It’s in a “pre-published state,” meaning you might find the occasional spelling\/grammar mistake. If you do, please leave a comment below or email me […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,28,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-free-stuff","category-novels","category-zervakan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=137"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}