17. The Blessing, The Curse

Kel woke slowly, partially due to the fact that she didn't want to return to reality, and partly due to the fact that her body would not fully respond to her mental commands. Her muscles felt like they had turned to warm water. She didn't really want to move, just wanted to linger in the feeling of Dom's presence. He was here. He had followed her into Scanra with no though of the consequences to his own safety. It would be unfair to hold grudges against those who did not come, but the fact that Dom had was heartwarming. A new emotion stirred. This ran deeper than the affection and shallow words traded before. Kel self-consciously touched her lips. Not that she believed their past to be shallow, however, this new feeling far surpassed those from before.

The doors to her chamber flew open. Maggur, dressed in a bright red silk shirt and black breeches, stormed up to the bed. Grabbing her by the neck, he dragged her out from the covers and threw her to the floor.

"What was that! I felt something from you. I felt the power of the Ennead - yet I know that you possess only the destiny as the Protector and the Key. What did you do?"

"I did nothing."

Rage contorted the otherwise handsome face of the King.

"Do not get smart with me. I may not kill you, but I can make it so that you will wish you were dead to end the pain."

"But I did nothing."

Maggur turned to the four guards who had followed him into the room.

"Get out."

Gritting her teeth, Kel waited for more emotional manipulations. Her enemy smiled viciously.

"While the Blood Bond is handy, it does not beat the satisfaction of doing the work by hand."

He cast red fire at her. Instead of flaring up, it changed into a mist which clung to her skin. Every inch of her body began burning. A scream slipped past her clenched teeth as the pain grew.

"Who sent you the Spirit of the Ennead?"

Kel swore she could feel her skin melting as she shook her head.

"Was it someone from outside? One of your own?"

Unbidden, the image of Dom sprung up in her mind.

"No!" She whispered.

"Liar! Who was it?" Maggur grabbed her by the throat and pulled her up to his face, his hand burning even worse than the flames. "I can sense every thought. Don't dare try and hide it from me." He smirked. "It is someone you care about. Someone quite close to you. The connection is deep. I can use that."

Kel's anger rose, dulling the pain. The heartless son of Chaos - how dare he try to use her loved ones against her. She looked up into the self-satisfied face of her tormenter. Gripping the hand on her neck, she twisted his wrist. His hold broken, she pulled him sharply towards her, bringing her knee up at the same moment. He flipped ungracefully onto his back, clutching his side. Kel staggered away, the magic still enveloping her.

"I will not be used."

Maggur laughed as he stood and the flames vanished. Exhausted by her efforts at keeping the pain back, Kel stumbled and fell.

"My dear Protector, what you want doesn't matter. This has been decided by the Fates. My life, my destiny, have been decided." Blue eyes turned to ice. "As have yours."

He stood and reached into his pocket pulling out a small golden flask. Seizing her by the chin, he forced its contents into her mouth. Anticipating her rejection, he firmly clamped his hand over her nose and mouth and waited for her to swallow.

"I have Bonded with you, Protector, but this will give me an added boost for when next that special someone tries to contact you. You have already been used, by the gods, by your people, and by me. You may as well stop trying to fight what must be."

The lack of air forced Kel to obey. Immediately she realized that it had been the same potion he gave the soldiers. She didn't know what to expect, but nothing came close to the slashing betrayal she felt in the next instant. She longed to simply close her eyes and curl up in a ball around her shattered heart. It was all an illusion, she knew that. But the knowledge was a small comfort to the new hold that Maggur held.

He left her on the floor, tears silently tracing their way down her face.

888

Tavis whistled as he walked down the stone corridor. The eery echoes bounced back and created a harmony within itself. He grinned and made the notes bounce faster. It had been years since he last felt so lighthearted. The response from the White Tigers had been greater than he had dared hope. The silence between the two tribes had gone on for far too long and now it was a matter of time before things would be taking a much more hopeful turn.

To Those of the Air,

May the Ennead bless your people and ours in this time of trial. The Prophesy is well known across the lands of Scanra, but only a few know how close it is coming to truth. The gods have left us. It has been some time since Thoth and Nut, our voices, have heard anything since they received the Prophesy. This silence in itself is a message. We must make our own way in this world now.

The coming of one from the South confirms our thoughts. We do not speak of the Chosen, but of one with perhaps as much significance as she. Through this one we have made a Cast to the Protector. It is the second best link we have to one another. Prepare your people. Our tribes have long trusted one another and it is painful to realize how divided our nation has become. Let us renew our circle.

We will Cast again two nights from the arrival of this message. A plan will be made to open the eyes of our brothers and sisters.

Climbing a narrow staircase Tavis tapped a rhythm on the rock wall with the metal cuff on his wrist. When he neared the top an answering rhythm followed by a whistle made him smile.

"The wind is coming, the mountain moaning, the sun and moon with time are flowing. From gray rock comes the black hawk. From blue sky comes the knowing eye."

He pushed open the heavy stone door and called, "How goes it Salamis? How goes it Salaman?"

Two light brown heads appeared upside down from a mass of white cloth and thin wooden rods hanging from the ceiling of a natural cavern.

"How goes it?"

"Well, right now it isn't going anywhere."

"Bucket-head, you know what he means."

"A bucket is useful. You are always crossing the lines and making a mess. That makes you un-useful."

"I'm the one who makes the lines so I can decide how we use them."

"No, Salamis, it's called a give-take relationship. You make - I use."

"Not true!"

Tavis reached up and grabbed the two by the backs of their tunics and pulled them down. The boy and girl, clearly brother and sister, immediately stopped arguing and bowed.

"Master Tavis sir, we aren't finished yet. Your honorable paternal person is waiting at the mouth."

The heir of the Black Hawk clan bowed in return.

"I'm surprised you've done this much since the last time I visited."

The boy, Salaman, smiled cheekily. "No Master Tavis sir, we argue and work at the same time. Hands always busy."

The pair had brown eyes which were unusual among the fair heads and pale eyes of their people. Even though Tavis had never seen either of the twins out in the sun, their skin was a few shades darker than the dusty tow of their hair. Deep in the brown of their eyes snapped sparks of occasional green making them look like children of earth. These children were the cheerful and brilliant secret of the Black Hawk clan.

"Those hands had better be busy. We may need your project sooner than we thought."

Salamis wrapped a skinny arm around her sibling's waist. "Master Tavis sir, we would like some sweet."

He arched an eyebrow at the request. The pair clasped their hands together and begged.

"Please? Sweet from Master Tavis sir?"

With a consoling shake of his head Tavis reached into his tunic and pulled out a cloth pouch. The youngsters immediately focused on the object with the intense concentration of well trained hunters.

"Now don't go eating this all at once."

He tossed the bag into the air. High pitched giggles and shrieks filled the cavern behind him as he walked towards the jagged shape of open blue sky.

"Now I'm going to have to deal with two hyper kids for the next couple of hours."

Atum stood on the very edge of the cliff looking down on the Eire of Horus. His goshawk had returned with a limp rabbit which he was patiently skinning and preparing to stew. The clan chief turned to his son.

"The White Tiger is with us. Reaching the Staghorns will be the next step. They were never ones to encourage violence and I doubt creating instruments of death truly sits well with them. The others I have worries for."

Tavis began feeding the innards of the rabbit to the raptor.

"And what of the rest of our clan? How do we break the Bond?"

"No matter what magic is used, one's first loyalty is to his clan. We must convince them that what the Red is doing will destroy their clan. What follows after will be dictated by the people - not some crazy man who believes himself to be a god and not by a prophesy."

Tavis turned to look out across the immense valley which bore the name of his guardian god and of his father.

888

Keladry? Keladry are you there?

Kel tossed in her sleep, searching for the person behind the familiar whisper. She had to find him. And yet, a feeling of dread accompanied her urgency.

Keladry, I'm coming. We have a plan. Where are you?

"I'm here." She whispered. "I can't see you."

Why was it so hot? Did she have a fever? Concentration was difficult, but she tried to push the fog away.

"Plan? Plan for what?"

To overthrow Maggur. We're going to try and break the Bond with the strength of the people. You've always had faith in the common people. Now we can prove that they are not merely tools of those in charge.

The heat flooded her senses again.

"What will you do?"

She could sense his pride. Pride not in himself, but in her. Why would he be proud of her? She had done nothing. She tried to voice that thought, but could not will her mouth to move.

We will gather the White Tiger clan's forces and make a frontal confrontation. It won't be an attack, but a show of will power. With help from the inside, the Seers here believe that the simple appearance of their clan will spark enough doubt in the minds of the other tribes that we can convince them to join us and break the Bond.

"But the other tribes outnumber you. Maggur has had influence over the soldiers for so long that they may not remember who they are."

You are what you were made to be. Remember that little saying of yours? Take credit that you didn't just mother your followers but gave them everything they deserved. You saved hundreds of lives believing in that.

"Hundreds?" She had saved the people at Haven and New Hope, but that came nowhere near that number. He must have picked up on her hesitation.

Yes hundreds. You destroyed Rathhausak and the maker of those killing machines an at the same time destroyed the possibility of a longer war and more death.

Something was wrong. Kel's forehead was sweaty with effort. What was she fighting? Why did the feeling of dread and anger keep growing within her chest? Her body was tangled in something and she struggled against it.

"I-I can't... something is wrong..."

The voice began to fade in confusion.

Keladry? What is it?

"I... don't... tell..."

The heat rose again but Kel's frustration blocked it for one moment. Maggur the Red had entered her mind. He was using this link. Panicked, Kel clawed at the presence.

"Dom get out! Get Out!"

She felt the heat stretch out across the darkness - reaching out to ensnare those on the other side. Reaching, and missing. They were safe but now Maggur knew.