Third Plane of Dominànsê, Êfphêrvêsênsê
The red leaves of the Vhmà tree provide me with enough shade to protect my closed eyes from the irritation of the triple suns of Êfphêrvêsênsê. I lie with my hands behind my head on a hill facing the castle and the crop fields that surround it. Though it is a beautiful day, I can't help but feel melancholy at the task I know is coming. I try to relax and sink into the emerald grass. I manage, but as always thoughts of a similar beautiful day cloud my mind.
The flutter of wings catches my attention, and I roll on my side to face the creature, opening my eyes. The black Ràlnê tilts its head at me. "Don't givê mê thàt look, Zoltà'àn." I roll my eyes and collapse, sprawled out, on the ground. A long suffering sigh extends from my throat.
Don't màkê thàt sound. Zoltà'àn shoots back.
I scoff and clamber to my feet in frustration. "You know I hàvê good rêàson." I walk over to Glêntwêing and pull the sword from the earth. Zoltà'àn flits to perch on my left shoulder. I sheathe my blade at my side and glance over the countryside. I linger on the color the lavender sky makes with the far horizon. The unique shade of purple seems to pull me in, a color both deep and all-knowing, yet familiar. My own eyes reflect that same shade and with memory brings the sadness of nostalgia.
A great thud vibrates the air for two hundred yards in all directions. I turn my head to find a graceful leathery beast flying straight for me. While its size is intimidating, the spikes running along its back and down its barbed tail are more so. The creature is fast and catlike even when gliding through the air. When it lands in front of me, its head darts forward to regard me with a large slitted eye.
"Sistêr." I greet. Before my eyes the monster's body crumples in on itself. Muscle, bone, and sinew writhe on full display until a female form equally like the thing coaleces. Unlike me, Ànàthêmà would rather play princess than warrior. As much as I cannot see the appeal I do not hold it against her. Though in this instance I would not have chosen a such a glittery low cut dress where we are going.
"Sinêsthêià." She replies. Her pale eyes reflect and twist the world in strange shapes. "Why do you insist on màking mê comê àll this wày to mêêt you?" Ànàthêmà's face pulls into a pout. I wave a dismissing hand.
"Àdmit thàt you could usê à brêàk from thê triviàlitiês of court."
She sashays toward me and places a delicate hand on her hip. "I will not." One eyebrow raises. "Càn wê gêt on with this? Tràvêl doês not suit mê."
Neither does that dress. Zoltà'àn shoots out. I laugh. Zoltà'àn caws beside me. "You àrê only doing this to gêt à dày off." Her face turns away though I see the small smile. "Pêrhàps." Ànàthêmà acquiesces.
She transforms back into her scaly shape. Zoltà'àn flaps from my shoulder as I follow suit. I stretch and my body grows away from me. My body feels apart from me and I fade away from myself as I twist into form.
I breathe through lungs as large as barrels. My wings stretch outward as I hop forward once, twice, then flap away. In the light of the waning suns my feathers almost seem to glow, their bronze color highlighted with streaks of black, signals its own kind of danger equal to my sister's. Zoltà'àn follows, as does the scaly form of Ànàthêmà, in the direction of the setting suns.
We arrive on time with minutes to spare. The last sun is halfway behind the horizon and in every direction stretch gentle hills. The nondescript location is topped with wild flowers which I attempt to avoid. I transform in midair and land with a bend of my knees as I hit the ground. Zoltà'àn lands beside me as does Ànàthêmà who cares nothing for the flowers to my disappointment. My sister transforms and walks briskly over to me as I stand. I reach out for her hand and hold out my other arm for Zoltà'àn to perch. Anticipation fills me. "Lêt's go." Her face mirrors my own excitement.
I feel it when Ànàthêmà gathers her power. The land responds almost immediately and I feel the pulse of Êfphêrvêsênsê beneath my feet. The world vibrates and as it starts to feel unbearable it holds its breath. My lungs empty slowly... time itself feels sluggish... my breath is gone and I begin to inhale. The power explodes.
A strangled scream is ripped from me. "Dàmn-"
The planet punches my abdomen.
HUGNHHH-
I land facedown on the ground, disoriented. A groan crawls from my throat and I climb to my feet. Zoltà'àn flails around in the dirt a few feet away.
Ànàthêmà's hand lands on my shoulder. It feels heavier than usual in this planet's gravity. She lets out a whooshing breath. "Thàt wàs fun."
"You could sày thàt." I reply. It's been too long since we Travelled. Zoltà'àn complains. He fluffs his feathers, reaching back to preen them with his beak.
The forest comes back to life around us. The birds begin to chirp again and I can see our destination in the distance. I stare up at the clear blue sky of Earth. A metal plane zooms overhead and a sigh follows. "This plànêt hàs bêên on its own too long." I say to no one in particular.
"Humàns hàvê no càrê for thê Earth. À shàmê." Ànàthêmà stares around with a bored expression. A small red bird flits to a nearby tree and looks at us curiously. Zoltà'àn glares with narrowed eyes at the creature. Even their animals are tiny and weak.
I start to walk toward the camp and the others follow. "Will you stày long, Ànà?" I inquire.
"I hàvê somê businêss hêrê." Her eyes glance at mine.
Zoltà'àn and I split off from Ànàthêmà at the entrance. We are met by one of the higher ranking members of the force at the gate. The man's Ixsà crouches on his shoulder. The Rouhg is an odd creature. Ice cold and almost crystalized, it wags its thin tail and hisses at me. I pay it no attention and get to work.
"Whàt is thê girl's nàmê?" I ask, striding toward the Êzdàl. The man leads the way and looks back at me, "Màrcêllin. How much hàvê you bêên told?"
"Shê wouldn't kill thê boy. I àm in chàrgê of hêr êxêcution. Whàt êlsê is thêrê to know?" He shoots a look at me, and I ignore it. This is the last place I would like to be right now.
We enter the Êzdàl and I sniff at the scent of burning Dêdlàfdà. The sweet smoke hovers near the ceiling of the tall circular stone room. Columns line the front edge, rising to the domed roof. The skylight lets enough of the weak sunlight in to give eerie lighting, and not enough to dispel the gloom. In the center of the room lies a circular altar inlaid with images of the Irêdêsênt's great triumphs and failures. Some of our most magnificent ancestors grace this room. I pause at the center of the circle and Zoltà'àn leaps from my shoulder to land next to our guide.
Good luck, My Làdy. He waves a sweeping wing at me as the circle vibrates softly and lowers me into the earth.
I hold my hand to the cold stone as the floor lowers into the building. Within moments the circle ceases to move and an archway hovers in front of me. I walk down the hall and survey the clean stone. There is no lighting down here and it only adds to my anticipation. The wooden door at the end of the hall is inlaid with gold. Two torches hover near the low ceiling on either side of the door which glitters in the low light.
As I enter the door my eyes take a second to adjust to the sudden brightness. Candles flood the entranceway blinding any who enter. A small, worn, table lies in the center of the small room and a hunched and wrinkled form crouches over it. A single chair rests on my side of the table.
I bend on one knee. “Làtudê.” Rise. The old woman murmurs. I move to sit in the chair across from her. This close I can feel the hidden power emanating from her frail form. I begin. "Màrcêllin rêfusês hêr sêntênce. I hàd hopêd for ànothêr outcomê."
"You know wêll thê wày thêsê things go." The worn voice warbles. "Thê girl rêsidês in Cêll Thrêê. Tàlk with hêr and complêtê your tàsk forthwith."
It may be intuition, but I feel there is something else here. I tilt my head and attempt to meet the Elder's eyes. "Why thê hàstê?" I ask. The Elder's eyes glitter up at me. "Thê Irêdêsênt hàvê bêên wàrring àgàinst thê Êlv for ovêr thrêê cênturiês. Wê hàvê sêttled on Earth for one hundrêd of thosê yêàrs. Sinêsthêià, you hàvê thê most rêàson to bê wêàry of this êndlêss bàttlê." Emotion overwhelms me and I nod slowly. "Thê timê hàs comê to stàrt thê bêginning of thê ênd to this war. For thê good of àll Irêdêsênt."
The old woman's face grows hard. My heart sinks and I crush whatever emotion clouds my thoughts. I know what she will say next. "It is time to finish what you started, child." The scrape of my chair over the stone jars me as I stand with force.
That choking sense of duty weighs heavily on me and my voice shakes when I speak. "I càn't." The Elder only stares into my soul. "Plêàsê, I càn't." I plead, falling to the floor. A tear flows from my eye to land on the stone where it glimmers in the candlelight. "Plêàsê...." I struggle to breathe. "It hurts too much." A hand lands on the crown of my head with what feels like the force of a hammer. This close, the Elder's power smothers my own until I am numb to myself.
"Fimà êvlàfnimofnê loà, Sinêsthêià." My whole body shudders. "Ovràlnà gin loà r màfê." Release your grief. "One làst tàsk ànd àll will bê ovêr. Your inhêritàncê will bê complêtê." At this my head snaps up.
"Truly?" I utter in disbelief.
"Àztàlsê zycà lêd difsà fu. Fàf loh àvlàdd yi xrdàlh." Worthy blood is needed. For the good of all. My relief fills the space between us.
Zoltà'àn makes no comment as we stroll along the back side of the Êzdàl to the prison. "I will bê finê, Zol." His head rubs my neck and I stop still in the hallway. I àm hêrê for you, Sin. I sigh, and close my eyes for a moment. "Thank you." I run my hand over his feathers and approach Cell Three.
The girl is the only prisoner in any of the four cells. The silver bars of the cell run from floor to ceiling with a simple door in the middle. The only thing in the cell is a stone bench running around the edge and the prisoner. I observe the girl in silence for a time. Lost in her misery with her face buried in her hands, she fails to notice me.
Màrcêllin's hair falls in gentle waves around her round face. Of course, she wears the simple weave of human clothes. She has probably been wearing them since she was caught. Her neck has recently been branded with the same collar of ink that I wear. The swirls of ink form their own kind of cage to warn others of and against the same dissent. I cannot tell whether she is Gàfnà or Àwmnà. I stare a moment longer and decide she is Gàfnà. The way she holds herself as she sits is not one of readiness, but resignation.
I shift one of my boots in the grain of the stone and her head whips up. Màrcêllin's posture tenses and I watch her hands ball up into fists. "What do you want?" I'm surprised to hear a language of Earth spill from her lips. I had not thought one so young would have sunken so completely into treason. Where is her Mother or Father?
I say nothing. "Are you here to mock me again?" She spits in my direction and stands to face the bars.
"My nàmê is Sinêsthêià." I respond. "Màrcêllin, will you têll mê why you chosê not to kill him?" The girl's nose wrinkles.
"Why should I tell you? You have no right to what I know." She approaches the bars, as do I. "And my name is not Màrcêllin, it is Madison."
"Madison." I roll the name on my tongue. A human name. "I have every right to what you know." I reach up to my neck and pull my scarf away. Her eyes search my face and the brand at my collarbone like she is trying to figure me out.
"Why are you speaking to me?" Màrcêllin's voice is soft. "You betrayed whoever you cared for. What nickname did yours call you? Jacob... he was so sweet." Her eyes tear up. "And you killed him." I twist my lips.
"It was not I. You and I both did this to ourselves." I glance to Zoltà'àn. "This you will learn."
Her tears fall more quickly. "You're wrong. Jacob was innocent. Innocent and beautiful. And I've done nothing wrong." A laugh bursts out of me and she frowns. "Do not worry. An executioner cares not whether the criminal they execute is guilty. The blood that coats my sword will be the same." Màrcêllin's eyes glare at me with menace. My face softens though my heart does not. "It will be quick. Your essence will join your Jacob soon enough."
The man who met us at the gate walks around the edge of the circular hall. "It is timê." He opens the cell.
As we exit the Êzdàl, Màrcêllin takes a deep breath. As she sees the others in the camp gathered in a loose circle she walks forward and turns back around to face me. I have more respect for her now than before. Let the snakes whisper to themselves. I stride forward to stand in the center of the circle with Màrcêllin. The rest of the world fades away until it is just the two of us. Even Zoltà'àn lingers off to the side.
"Màrcêllin. You hàvê brokên onê of thê Forbiddên Làws ànd colludêd with à humàn of thê plànêt Earth. You hàvê chosên to diê in dishonor ràthêr thàn dêstroy thê root of thàt dishonor ànd hàvê à chàncê àt rêdêmption. Thus, thê humàn càllêd Jacob hàs bêên rêmovêd ànd his body êliminàtêd. Ànd thus you will bê dêstroyed às wêll.
Mày your soul nêvêr comê to rêst in thê Hêàrt of Êfphêrvêsênsê."
I take a step forward. "I nàmê you às is my power às Bànishêd." My eyes go to the ring of people in the background. "Mày àll hêrê rêmêmbêr thêsê nàmês." I take another step forward until I am almost right in front of the girl.
"I nàmê you Madison, Màrcêllin, Lêi, Càêz of the Planet Rhoe, and Youngest of the Line of Ràên." At each name I feel power ricochet between us until Màrcêllin flinches at each word. "Êzpêltêm vrdà lêd Sinêsthêià." My name is Sinêsthêià. "Fimà zrfàth gin loà yi vrdài." I commit you to death. In one smooth motion I draw Glêntwêing at my side and thrust the blade easily into the girl's heart. She lets out a small choking gasp as I draw her into my arms. My eyes stare deep into hers and only then do I notice their beautiful green. For a moment another set of green eyes stares back at me.
"Fimà êvlàfnimofnê loà, Madison." I whisper into the crescent shape of her ear. Her body shakes like a leaf around mine as her hands clutch at my breast. I lower the both of us to the earth with the sword between us. I close my eyes to give myself the strength to say the word. I feel Zoltà'àn's presence nearby.
"Vyfào." Life. The word is the barest whisper. Subtly the clear blood seeping from the wound slows. With the word I hold this child back from the void. I stand and survey the others. The girl's blood flows around me as I hold her body in my arms.
"I will dispose of the body." I turn and exit the camp. Only Zoltà'àn follows me. It is done. Even he makes nary a sound.
It is done.
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