Mother of Wolves (Evalyce Worldshaper Book 1) (16 page)

“I'm fine. How long was I out?”

“It's been about two hours,” Aleister replied. Worry tinged his words and thoughts as he sensed her inner turmoil. Seeing her struggling to rise, he offered a hand and pulled her up. Araun had said to simply announce when they were done and they would be guided back to the throne room.

“Lord Araun, I have finished. I have done as you commanded,” she announced to the room in general. With a rasping laughter, two ghilan appeared before them. The spectral creatures eyed the glowing orb and nodded in satisfaction.

“Very well. Follow usss,” one sighed, in its strange, rasping voice. Kalla gave a curt nod and the ghilan trotted off, mage and magisters following behind. They crossed the door threshold and found themselves once more in the throne room.

As Kalla approached the Lord of Living Nightmare, the locks began to shift closed.
Not now!
she thought desperately. They had sustained her far longer than she expected, but she wished that the locks would stay open until she were out of Xibalba. Araun's skeletal wings rustled as they neared.

Well, Lady Amaraaq. It seems you managed to carry out the task after all.
Mist wafted from the nasal cavern as he deftly caught the orb that she threw to him.

“Yes, my Lord,” she growled out. Araun merely laughed, in that winter wind voice.

You have done well, Mother of Wolves.
He held the glass orb before him, drawing the man's spirit from within. For a moment the man looked disoriented. Then he saw where he was and dropped to his knees with a terrified wail that cut Kalla to her very core. As more locks whispered shut an altogether different kind of pressure began to build. Self-loathing. Horror at what she'd done. She tried to hide the thoughts from her magisters, using the remaining locks as a buffer.

On the throne, Araun regarded his victim impassively. He leaned forward, coming closer and the man wailed in terror again.

Forget.
The Lord snorted, blowing a thick mist over the man. As it touched him, the man shifted and changed, taking on the more solid form of a slender white hound with red ears. He would serve his term as one of the Coinn Iotair, one of the Wild Hunt. The hound settled on the floor before the throne, clearly no longer afraid.

See, I am not so heartless as you think me. He will remember nothing. When his time is up, his soul will be free to make the same choices as any other.
Araun made another gesture, conjuring a cylindrical leather case. He held it in his hands a moment before undoing the clasps. Gingerly he drew out a white plume, some two feet long. It glowed gently, a luminescence held within.
The Quill of Ma'at. Your price.
He slipped the feather gently back into its case and tossed it to Kalla. She slipped the strap over her shoulder so that the case rested against her back.

“Thank you, Lord Araun.” Kalla bowed low to the Lord of Living Nightmare.

You are welcome, Lady Amaraaq. May your journey be successful.
Another flick and a whistle fell out of the air, closer to Kalla. She reached out and caught it, a puzzled look on her face.

“I don't understand, my Lord. What need do I have of a whistle?” she asked.

This a gift I give you freely. It is a magic whistle that can call the Coinn Iotair to you. It will work twice before the magic is gone, so choose wisely, Mother of Wolves.

I will also pass this information on to you for free. You have the Quill, impressive in itself, but in order to reach Ganysha's realm, you must attain your second transition. You must be Lady of Wolves or Laeksheen and Ganysha will not let you pass.

By accepting the bond Balgeras gave you over Vander, you attained Mother of Wolves, your first transition. You are awakening Divinity, little Wolf and you must claim all of your aspects.

“And how do I claim that aspect, Lord Araun?” she whispered as the final locks slid closed.

That depends upon you. Go now, through the door you entered first. It will take you straight back to the portal chamber. Inaba Kaze. Vander kyl'Solidor. Protect her and keep her safe.

Araun's words caused Aleister to freeze for a moment.
Inaba Kaze.
It was a name he'd thought he'd rid himself of long ago. He bowed, turning just in time to catch Kalla as she sank to the ground, whimpering softly.

“What's wrong with her!” Aleister looked to the Lord of Living Nightmare for guidance.

The locks on her Divine power have closed again. They sustained her through her task. Now we see how it really affected her. You must take care of her. If she be as strong as she seems, it will pass quickly enough. If not…

Aleister nodded and scooped up the now sobbing mage. He scooped up the staff as well. Kalla seemed to be trapped in her own mind, for nothing Aleister whispered to her had any kind of reaction. With a last glance back at the Lord of Living Nightmare, Aleister plunged through the door, Vander on his heels. As Araun promised, they were back in the main chamber of the mound. With another soundless concussion of power, the gate closed, leaving them in the 'normal' world. The magister waited while Vander wove shields around them to keep off the rain, then stumbled out of the mound, still carrying the mage. Kalla was quieter now, but she wouldn't respond to anything he said and her eyes had a glassy look to them.

Back within the safety of the ship's shields, Aleister gently lay the mage down on the ground. As he withdrew his touch, she gave a strangled cry that turned back into more sobs. Both he and Vander tried to get a coherent response from her, but Kalla remained locked in her own mind.

“What are we going to do?” Aleister asked Vander. The wolf whined and lay his ears back.

“
Dashtela, ideally we would call a Healer. She has gone deep inside to hide and we may not be able to draw her out again. She may stay locked in her grief. I don't believe that will be the case, nevertheless it may hours or even days before she comes out of it.
”

Aleister sighed. Kalla was the Healer among them and she quite obviously couldn't heal herself. He was more than a little worried. To his senses, her mind felt as if she was asleep. Was it possible for certain areas of a person's mind to shut down in the face of something they couldn't handle. But she seemed so strong… Why would this have made such a difference? Yet, he had that answer too. She'd been forced to take a life 'in cold blood' and he was fairly certain that it was something she'd never done before. Help the dying, yes. Kill the healthy living, no. The Sky Fox wondered if she would have reacted the same way if she'd succeeded in killing Vander, even if it had been in a fight. How he wished Hauss were here! If she didn't get better soon, he would take her back to the Kanlon for help, consequences be damned.

Amaterasu dipped her head down, nudging the Healer gently. She fixed the Sky Fox with a piercing gaze. For the first time since they had met, the wyvern spoke to Aleister.

She is strong. She will be fine. There is more to the Lady than meets the eye.

Aleister smiled and patted the wyvern gently on the muzzle. “I certainly hope so, Lady Amaterasu.”

While Vander and Amaterasu watched over her, Aleister brought out blankets from the ship. He tried to take the case containing the Quill from her, to put in the ship, but she refused to give it up. He almost brought food out too, but he was exhausted. From the way Vander was swaying ever so slightly, Aleister guessed that the wolf was more tired than hungry as well. He joined the wolf and dragon at the Kalla's side and gently covered her with a blanket. She was now lying down, clutching the case as if it were a life preserver, still sobbing softly. Aleister gently brushed his fingers through her hair, making soft shushing noises. To his surprise, she quieted immediately. He drew away and she started sobbing again. He resumed and she quieted once more.

“Why is it only with me? She wasn't this quiet with either of you.” the magister asked.

“
Maybe some part of her can still recognize that you mean safety. Despite my bond with her, you are the one she relies on to keep her safe,
” Vander replied.

Aleister sighed and stretched out on the ground beside his mage. He gently pulled her closer to him, keeping an arm wrapped around her. The fact that she didn't object said quite a bit about her mental health. He prayed that she wouldn't be too offended when she came to her senses, but so long as the Sky Fox kept contact with her, she was quiet and still and that was all that mattered to him. Vander's blue eyes met his and Aleister could see they were filled with a mute worry. The frost wolf curled up on the other side of her and, almost as an afterthought, she reached out and pulled him closer, as if he were a giant teddy bear. Vander grunted as the case dug into his side, but didn't fight her. Amaterasu coiled around all three, covering them with a gauzy wing for added warmth.

Alert! Alert!

Heh…. I'm so mean.

This book was never intended to be broken down, so instead I have set it up as a serial, rather than sequels. The entire thing is finished, and the remaining parts should be out in quick succession. Be sure to visit the links provided at the beginning for updates on new works in progress and the status of releases.

I do hope you enjoyed this brief foray into the realm of De Sikkari.

By all means, feel free to contact me:

Twitter: @cala_gobraith

Mail: [email protected] include Sikkari in the title or it might be binned as spam.

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Mother of Wolves
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