The red of the Delonix Regia Acacia seemed to „swallow” somehow the People of Siar, that entered deeper and deeper into the forest, desperately running away from the havoc because the dragons of fire, so suddenly appeared in the morning sky, were threatening to burn each parcel of the earth in their way.
Stopped at the edge of the forest, Arvam pitifully looked at the steaming city that for 30 years had been his home, his place for rest, comfort, and shelter and which was only a ghost city at that moment, a ruin, surrounded by the shadows of the death and by the ardent flames that had no pity for anything met in their way, transforming everything in ashes and smoke.
Suddenly, a deafening sound was heard in the sky and Arvam looked at it and saw the dragons of fire coming out of the town and heading toward Rocu Forest, at the edge of which those still alive from Siar People were.
„Neruppu Dragons!” Someone shouted and his scream made everybody stop and look at the dragons.
„Lord-have-Mercy!” The women started to murmur, seeing the cruelty used by the dragons to blow fire through the nostrils and mouth, not leaving a single untouched place on Earth’s surface because they had the order to burn every single alive soul seen free and moving on his own feet.
Arvam stood out from the crowd and took a few steps in front to better see in the distance. But despite the pain that he was feeling in his soul, seeing his beloved country in flames, the man found all this weird because even if he was aware that they were paying for what they did to their princess, his heart told him that what was happening at that moment was something unrelated to that curse because their princess had never had magical powers and a simple curse couldn’t bring Neruppu dragons there.
„Tenebre!” Arvam murmured and winced when his wife touched his shoulder. Then, he looked frightened at her, not knowing what was true and what was false at that moment. „Emal, I think that not only the curse is killing us now!”
His wife kindly smiled at him instead because she understood very well what big fire was inside of her husband’s soul at that moment. „Do you also think that there are others that are looking for our perdition?”
Arvam only nodded yes and looked at the sky again, where 13 Neruppu were acting up, throwing flames right and left.
Then, when everything burst into flames, a burst of nasty laughter has been heard all around the Rocu Forest, which made Siar People look everywhere, but they saw nobody.
Anyway, that laughter seemed to Arvam to be of a woman and even if he never heard Tenebre’s voice, something deep inside him was telling him that namely she had bitched up the things, distressing them.
„Are you looking for our death?!” Arvam furiously mumbled. „Then you will be left with the desire only, Tenebre because we won’t give you this pleasure ever. We don’t know the reason why did you plan this meanness for us, but I swear that the Siar People won’t ever fall because of your madness. Let’s go!” Arvam confidently told his people.
„Where? Where to go?” The people wondered, frightened.
„In the depths of the Rocu Forest. The red of its leaves will hide us from evil and its thickets will protect us from danger. We must hide, at least until will manage to plan our triumphant return in the City Light.”
Saying these words, Arvam has been the first to enter the forest, followed by his wife that was carrying their newborn child in her arms.
Then, one by one, the others followed them because they had no chance and no hope to survive if they turned back home: their king died, they chased their princess away because of their own foolishness because none of them understood at that moment what kind of evil spirit controlled them to take such a decision because Curse neither was the first woman nor the last one to give birth to a child without a father. But to accept the truth and change things… it was too late. The only left thing was the resignation, the wandering, and without a doubt - the fight.
***
Moirae’s Palantir of Fate, the size of a nowadays miniature globe, was floating in front of Ian Gyar’s eyes, who was on the warpath while sitting on his throne, watching Arvam and his people entering the depths of Rocu Forest, of a fire red color of the leaves, and their traces were „erased” by a supernatural unseen power - Hestia’s traces of fire.
„Useless!” Ian Gyar hissed through his teeth and stared at the three Moirae, that were standing not that far from him, with their heads up because they were sure that they had no guilt. „You can’t do anything well!”
„You should have descended from your golden throne and done it with your own hand if you are so unsatisfied with another one’s job!” Klotho told him in mockery.
For her bold words, Klotho has been rewarded with a ball of water thrown against her. But, half a way, the ball of water has been suddenly turned out of the way and broke after hitting king Snake's head, wetting him all over.
While cleaning his face with his hand, still with his eyes closed, Ian Gyar growled: „Tenebre!” And, opening his eyes, he saw an old lady in front of him - the same old lady that gave the Apple of Discord to Curse.
The old lady stared at him and ironically smiled. „You aren’t that happy to see me, are you, king?!” Tenebre said to him while playing with the second Apple of Discord, the one she tried to give to Island, but her plan has been thwarted by Inlan Diar.
„And… will you be happy, knowing that your plan failed after all the work you’ve done for this?” He hissed the words.
„Well, not that you worked that much for this, but… anyway, we still have time. Not all is lost.”
„Not all is lost?!” Ian Gyar yelled. „The worms of Siar entered the Rocu Forest already. You know better than me who controls that forest and, as long as they are in the depths of that forest, we won’t have them kneeling in front of us ever.”
„We… we…,” Tenebre hummed him. „Snake, maybe we can’t get them, but there are those who can do that…,” she cunningly said, forcing Moirae and Ian Gyar to watch her in amazement. „Fate! Nobody managed to stop the Wheel of Time by now. Thus, Moirae have the right to freely move there… all over, even in…”
„…Rocu Forest! Hestia’s place!” Decuma murmured, and her words made Tenebre slowly turn toward her, smiling with great pleasure and artfully watching the younger of the Moirae.
„Bingo!” Tenebre hissed through her teeth and, with a quick movement, she threw the Apple of Discord toward Decuma.
But the apple was well-known for its magical power to sow the seeds of strife among those who it was falling between, and this made the three Moirae grab the other one by the hair, kick and punch their sisters, punch each other while trying to get the apple from off the ground, hurting themselves while trying and this was a real pleasant view to watch, both for Ian Gyar and Tenebre.
Moirae’s shouts and invectives, who were fighting for the apple, made Ian Gyar set up his bristles and he even wanted to yell at Moirae, but Tenebre put her index finger on her lips, motioning him to keep silent. Then, she approached the throne in a hurry, taking her natural shape and, being only one step from the king, she slowly bent toward him, whispering: „do you see now the power we have in our hands, king?”
However, Ian Gyar didn’t understand her hint and stared confused at her.
Tenebre only smiled and looked again at Moire, who continued their fight for the apple. „Three sisters… that swore to be ever by the side of the other one and never fall prey to avarice… three sisters that have the power of Fate in their hands fell prey to their own height and this only due to a „fallen by accident” apple between them. How do you think, what can happen to humans if such an apple will fall between them?
„They will kill each other for having it. But…”
„Exactly. If the most feared Titanides of Fate couldn’t resist in front of the power of the Apple of Discord, how can the simple humans resist such a temptation?!”
„But, Tenebre, you forget that you gave the same apple to Curse, but it hadn’t the effect we wanted. The People of Siar didn’t kill each other. They are still alive… hidden somewhere while we still didn’t get what we wanted: the Kingdom of Ice!!! For how long Inlan Diar will blow down our neck?”
„And who told you that the Kingdom of Ice was our target?” And Tenebre fixed her cunning glance into the king’s blue one.
„Then?”
„Our main aim mustn’t be the small things as Inlan Diar’s power or having supremacy over her kingdom surrounded by cold and snow, but the supreme power… the Balance of Time and Space. If we have Nēram Vāṉalai, then the rest of the Balances and Themis, eventually, will fall into our hands. We’ll be invincible then!”
„For this, we must find first the elements of the Balance of Time, Tenebre, and you know very well that nobody has a damn idea where they can be…”
„The People of Siar have them!”
„How did you find out this?!” Ian Gyar said, suddenly standing up off his throne.
„Let’s say that I have my secrets. First, we must catch the Virgins of the People of Siar on the hip because the elements of the Balance of Time are hiding in one of them. Then, when they’ll be in our hands, it will be all plain sailing to find out which one has them in her blood and when her soul will leave her body then…”
„…the Balance will resurge and its power will be leaning toward the one who will reunite it!” The snake king murmured, completely fascinated by his discovery. „But… how to do that? I don’t think that the Titans or Father Chaos will stay still and wait for us to have the Supreme Power!”
„Yātrīkars!” Tenebre hissed through the teeth.
„Yātrīkars?! The Virgins of Shadows? Those who live as ghosts in the Purgatorium?”
„Exactly. More like, they wait for millennia at the Gates of the Purgatorium already, but without having the possibility to enter the Underworld because nobody knows when they appeared there, how they died, or what kind of sins they carry on their souls. The only one that can discover their destiny is the Balance of Shadows, Niḻal, but it is also disappeared, and… until it is found, we can use their power for our plans.”
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
„For having their power on your side, you have to convince them first to fight for you,” Ian Gyar said with mistrust.
„What if I convinced them already?” And Ian Gyar stared at her thunderstruck. „Yes, yes, Yātrīkars are already on our side.”
„What did you promise them in exchange for their help?”
„Bodies! I promised them to give them immortality on Earth, and Moirae are perfect for this job. They will assure that the Virgins of Siar be in the perfect place, and your power will help their souls to leave their bodies, allowing Yātrīkar to submit them thus.”
„But… such a power isn’t easy to use, Tenebre. I need many years for making the potion of Shadows, and this will give humans time to stand up and move further.”
„It will give them only a short respite, but… what’s a short time in exchange for immortality and for the supreme power, king? Think about this and, when you decide, announce me! Moirae’s Palantir will bring me back here when you’ll need me!”
Tenebre squeezed the fist and the Apple of Discord turned back to her, and she vanished in seconds.
After Tenebre's departure, Moirae looked thunderstruck around, but they saw nothing weird as if they just woke up from a troubled sleep and they’ve been so surprised to see how they looked: shock-headed, with scratched hands, and their skin was burning because of the blows.
Then, they looked at Ian Gyar, that was sitting on his throne again, immersed in thoughts, and far too little did he care about the questions Moirae had in their mind. So, Moirae simply held hands and also vanished, taking the Palantir of Fate with them because they knew that Tenebre and Ian Gyar have planned to use it, but they had no idea in which way.
***
PRESENT TIME
„Moirae kneeled us then worse than even the humans'fire of war,” the old Solan murmured, watching the flames that were madly dancing, swallowing the thick logs.
The People of Siar were gathered around him, listening in silence to the old man’s stories because there were too few of those who knew about the tragic events which their parents and grand-grandparents suffered in the past, the same events that marked their lives too till that moment.
Island, who was sitting next to Boor and his granddaughters, stared into old Solan’s eyes, but he saw no spark of life in them and this amazed him. Then, he felt a glance piercing him from his right and when he watched there, Island saw Bestla whose blue eyes deeply mirrored into his. „Something happens, Bestla?” He asked her with his eyes.
„Time! It’s flowing too slow!” He heard Bestla’s whispers in his head and this amazed him even more. „I mean that I don’t feel the passing of time, grandpa, and this is visible on people’s faces too! I’m sure that you also spotted that the blink of life is missing in their glances!”
Preoccupied, Island turned his head and looked at each face seen there, but he saw the same empty glance at each of them as if their souls vanished somewhere. But both Island and Bestla calmed down, hearing Samaya’s telepathic voice: „it’s just an illusion! Time is playing a prank on us!”
„A prank? What do you mean?” Fenrir asked, sitting next to Sephir while calmly playing with the star Irakkam.
Sephir suddenly covered the star seen in his hand and this made Fenrir watch her amazed. „We are talking here about the changing of times, Fenrir. When the time changes, when the junctures are doubtful, Life „hides” too. Actually, this is just an illusion of people’s minds because the human instinct feels when a big change is approaching and it’s waiting in silence for what is coming: but vastly, what changes are the powers that control this world and we talk here about the real master of the Balance of Time.”
„But… as far as I recall, the Balance of Time, as the other Balances, are accepting only Themis as their master,” Fenrir said confused, still using telepathy.
„That’s right, but if the power of Darkness manages to get hold of one of the elements of the Balance, then the battle for its restoration will start and nobody knows whom in fact Themis will help to hold the power as nobody really knows what kind of power Themis has: black or white magic.”
„But, Samaya, what you say is insane. How can Themis be on the side of evil?” Fenrir insisted.
„Because it’s a Balance, Fenrir,” Island murmured. „A celestial Balance cannot be created only from kindness. It always has half of its essence taken from the darkness. So, it can be leaned on the side of whom will win the battle.”
„But, grandpa…,” Bestla asked in a whisper. „What elements does the Balance of Time have?”
„The hands, that are in Yellen’s blood…its face that it’s also found in the blood of Siar People, and the wheels of the Clock. Then, we talk about the glass of the Clock… that you have in your power, Bestla, and… the sand of the Clepsydra that is inside of Samandra.”
The only one who hasn't been amazed by Island’s words was Samaya and that amazed even Nathaniel, who stared at her.
Samaya instead looked somewhere at the horizon with a lost glance and, on that horizon, were also seen blinks of fire as if they were small explosions.
„Samaya, did you know about this?” Nathaniel whispered.
Samaya only smiled and kept watching the horizon. Then she whispered: „I’ve only suspected this. But today when I showed you your past, I saw that power flowing in my veins. That’s why Jar chose my human shape to hide on Earth and this is why I can see people’s memories.”
„But… what about the forming of the mirrors? You also have the power to control them, as I do,” Bestla asked in amazement.
„This is because you have the same element of the Balance in your blood, my girl,” Boor whispered. „You have the glass of the Clock and Samaya has the whole Clepsydra because not only its sand flows in your veins, Samaya.”
„I know,” Samaya whispered. „Edda and my mother had been part of the same people, isn’t it, God Boor?”
Everybody looked at Boor, who kept watching the fire. Even the People of Siar stopped their story and watched Boor, amazed to find out more secrets about their existence.
„That’s right,” Dike’s voice has been heard while he was approaching them along with Arion from the forest. „Samandra has been the daughter of a Water Spirit and of a mortal, and Samandra’s mother, the nymph Metope, and Edda were sisters. Both are Themis and Oceanis’daughters. Thus, through your veins is flowing the same power of the Water Nymphs, Bestla.”
„It can’t be!” Fenrir murmured. „But… how can it be that the son of a daughter of nymphs has control of the fire in his power?”
„This is a mystery still unknown for me too, son,” Dike told him, sitting down next to Fenrir and resting his hand on his son’s shoulders. „But we'll discover this secret too, in time, and maybe meanwhile Themis will be restored from people.”
***
„The first time I’ve been „called” to save the People of Siar was on the same day the People of Noear fell,” Dike said in a low voice while he and Nathaniel were standing, not that far from the entrance in the grotto and watching the same red sky of the night.
Amazed, Nathaniel turned his head and watched the Titan. „Does it mean that the People of Siar wanders for about 7 thousand years already?”
„Maybe more, Nathaniel because the snake Ian Gyar, Tenebre, and Moirae have been planning their falling for about 600 years before the curse that fell over Baradar and even before the fall of the People of Noear.
Then, when princess Curse has been chased away from the palace and her damnation burned the City Light from the ground, the three hoped that in a few years they’ll manage to control the power of time, but they've been wrong because time doesn’t stay in place and even the universe colluded against them: Gaea closed Tenebre in her den after an unequal fight and she’d been a captive there for about 600 hundred years; Ian Gyar has been chased away by his people and also kept captive in Mortor Forest, and Moirae… well Moirae were strong, but let’s say not enough smart to plan something that big as the fall of two great People as Noear and Siar were.
But… as evil never sleeps, the three powers of darkness gathered after 600 hundred years and Noear fell,” and a painful sigh came out of Dike’s chest as if a big pain had been hidden inside him all that time.
„Actually, I’ve been late to get on the Lands of Mortor because Tenebre knew well that if I am there, they’ll have no chance due to Ionas and its power because even if Shiman gave the sword to me as a gift, I wasn’t yet aware of its great power and this has been a benefit for Tenebre, who find out this somehow and while I was heading toward the party organized for the Queen Noea, she managed to force me to meet the People of Siar in my way and…”
Time turned back while Dike’s voice was heard further and further, and each word said by him was like a drop of oil fell on the wheels of time, making them move faster and faster back and back.
***
7 MILLENIAS AGO
„Ho, Shinar! Ho!” Dike spurred the black horse, suddenly stopping him when they passed by Rocu Forest and he spotted a few men and women hidden behind the trunks of the trees.
Actually, at first, Dike thought that there were only women and children. But soon, he spotted men approaching him from the depths of the forest and heading toward him.
They were all bearded, armed, and wildly looking because hundreds of years had passed since they’d been chased away from their lands, and many of them behaved like savage people, but they still had their sake and they didn’t hurt others if it wasn’t for protecting themselves.
Still watching the people living in Rocu Forest, as the People of Siar were known at that time, stopped at the edge of the forest, Dike descended from off his horse and took a few steps toward them.
But he suddenly felt a weird gust of wind around and not only Dike felt it because the men right away grabbed their axes and became alert, and the women held the children’s hands and ran into the bushes to hide. Then, a kind of music, like humming whispers, has been heard and, a few moments later, Geran, one of those men, rushed toward the Titan, and, without telling him a word, he grabbed the bridle of the horse and forced Dike to enter the forest and hide too.
Even if Dike didn’t know what all that meant, he was still aware that the People of Siar learned, in those few hundred years of living there, to make the difference between evil and simple natural conditions, something that for the Titan was still something new in that part of the world and because of this Geran forced him to hide.
In the depths of the forest, however, being already safe, Dike felt how his hand warmed, and when he watched the sword, he saw Ionas completely blue and a kind of light rays of the same color surrounded the forest, making that reddish color of the leaves got a dark-green shade.
„What’s this?” The women wondered, looking at that beauty that surrounded them while Ionas’bubble was protecting that place where they were hiding. „What kind of magic is this?”
Then, the children exited their hidden places and happily danced around because dozens of soap bubbles were floating in the air, charming them and making them happy.
Seeing them so dreamy and full of life, their mothers joined the children as if they all forgot the danger that was lurking on them.
Only then Geran approached Dike, who was still looking in the distance, but he only saw the wind that was whipping the dried leaves at the edge of the forest, even if it was early spring yet.
„It must be Maranam,” Geran told Dike in a whisper, but Dike shook his head in denial.
„Here’s rather Moirae or Tenebre’s hand than Maranam’s, who's not more than a story character invented by humans because even the Titans never saw him and we are living for millennia in this universe.”
„But yet, Titan Dike, there are still things that the humans’sixth sense feels better than anyone,” Geran calmly said. „If it was Tenebre’s power, she would have attacked us for sure because she’s the only one who’s not afraid of this forest. Moirae and the snake Ian Gyar never entered this forest because they are afraid of Hestia, who’s our guardian angel.”
Dike watched Geran in amazement. „What’s your name, son?”
„Geran. Somat’s son. I’m from Arvam’s people, the one who had been princess Curse’s guardsman and the one who lead the People of Siar after the fall of the City Light.”
Dike winced: he still remembered that guardsman because he saw him once when he also passed by that forest heading toward the Kingdom of Ice.
At that time, Arvam and his people were still living closer to the edge of the forest, hoping that things will get better and they’ll have the possibility to turn back home. But after his conversation with Dike, who told him that there are still trouble times and that it’ll be better to stay hidden, the People of Siar entered deeper into Rocu Forest, and only from time to time, their spies were seen at the edge of the forest.
„Geran, Somat’s son and Arvam’s heir, I feel that inside you quickly flows the blood of a true leader. But you’ve been deceived today, it seems because there are so few of you here.”
„Deceived? In which way?” The young man asked in amazement. „The rest of us remained in the camp. I mean the young women and the Virgins of our people, because…”
Listening to the word „the Virgins,” Dike once again winced because Inlan Diar told him once about the Yātrīkar,s who she and Island saw in the Valley of Cry, and his heart madly started to beat in his chest:
„Let’s go to the camp!” He told Geran and they rushed into the depths of the forest, where the camp of Siar People had been for centuries and which evil seemed to have found already, planning another loss for them.