Of Gaea (10 page)

The air began to swirl violently much like it had in the
little glade with Lyris.
The sky grew instantly dark and lightning flashed
across the blackness. Ari couldn’t hear it above the scream or the
wind but she saw it. And fear began to gnaw at her.

An
enormous black cloud swooped up over the edge of the ridge. To call
it a cloud was generous. It was more of a flying ooze of darkness.
It dripped; and what it landed on immediately wilted and the land
around it turned brown and dead. It swirled in the sky for a moment
before it turned its attention to Ari.

A face, Lyris’s face, formed in the misshapen cloud; it’s
mouth wide and screaming.
She swooped down on her. “Choose!”

A
ri woke with a
start
and a scream in
her throat. She swallowed, and choked on the dryness of it. Her
heart pounded rapidly in her ears and she felt like she had run a
marathon. Her chest heaved in uneven breaths but she was scared to
close her eyes and take deep calming breaths.

It had been a dream.
It was only a dream. It had felt completely real,
but it was just a figment of her imagination from everything that
had happened. She wasn’t entirely convinced of it, but it made her
feel slightly better.

She
glanced around wildly for anything familiar. Anything that would be
comforting. Ari was alone in the Porsche. She took deep breaths,
without closing her eyes, and slowly surveyed the
location.

The
engine was off but the key was still in the ignition. The radio
still played but so low she knew Sasha had turned it down to
prevent from waking her. Out the window Highland Valley sprawled
out below the guardrail that Sasha leaned against… and the
apparition that paced in the open air in front of him.

They looked like they were talking.
She gestured with her hands and
he nodded silently. When she stopped speaking he began gesturing
and talking.

Ari
prayed they talked loud enough that the window being cracked open
wouldn’t be heard. After what had already happened tonight she was
not ashamed to eavesdrop. She wanted to know what was going on. And
she was going to find out. By any means necessary.

“
I don’t have the strength to keep doing
this.”
The apparition’s voice was fluid and feminine and vaguely
familiar.

“
I’m sorry.”
Sasha ran a hand through his hair. “How
many times do I have to say it?”

“
I
thought it would be easier being here, close to her, but her
ignorance is draining not supporting. And… he just…” The apparition
turned to face Sasha directly and Ari saw who she was. Even in a
ghostly apparition she could recognize Nasya.

“
Be patient,” Sasha sighed.
“It’s only a matter
of time. He’ll come around too.”

“
Time is
running out Sasha. You must force her hand.”

“
I
won’t.” His tone was flat and final. “My job is to
protect.”

“
You
have the responsibility of the guild. That means you act as every
member would act. You are not just a guardian, Sasha, not with the
axe Ghita holds over the guild. They have no knowledge of what goes
on here. You must be both the guard and the teacher or I fear all
will be lost. We won’t just lose Sparta. You know that. So much
more rests on her.”

“
I will
not force her hand. She’s very close. A few more days, just give
her a few more days.”

“
Do not
leave her alone with either the light or the dark, Sasha. Her
decision must be hers and not influenced by any other.” The
apparition gestured to the Cayenne and faded.

Sasha didn’t even look over his shoulder.
He sat for a moment
longer before coming back to the car. He didn’t say anything as he
climbed in and buckled his seat belt or started the engine. He
still didn’t speak as he turned on the headlights. He looked in the
mirror, began to back out, and then suddenly put the SUV back in
park and shut the engine off. He swiveled in his seat and looked at
Ari. “Aren’t you going to ask?”

Ari
shook her head. “I’ve had enough of weird for one day Sasha. I
don’t think I can handle anymore right now. Can you please take me
home?”

He gaped
a moment and looked like he wanted to say something before he
finally nodded curtly and turned back properly in his seat. “You
know, if we keep walking on the road we’re on, it’s only going to
get weirder.”

“
I
know.” Ari yawned against her will. “But I have a quota of weird.
Consider it a learning curve. I just can’t deal with anything else
today.”

She
turned to the window and watched silently as the rolling fields
turning into blooming crops. In a few more miles they gave away to
the small suburban neighbor that surrounded Main Street. It was a
small comfort to see the familiar sights.

The landmarks were prominent in all of her memories, but
instead of comforting it made her sad.
This wasn’t supposed to be her home.
Everything she knew was a lie.

What
would her life had looked like in Sparta? Would she have family she
didn’t have here? Would she still be who she was? Would she have
friends like Sasha at every turn?

The doubt and pain was mind numbing.
Ari’s reality may have been
crashing down but her face revealed none of the inner turmoil. She
didn’t want Sasha to see her weakness not when he’d carried the
burden far longer than she had. He had been so strong, so could
she.

Ari
could see her house from the top of the street. Every available
light was on. She was thankful for it, but at the same time wary.
Ghita wouldn’t have left the lights on in the middle of the
afternoon when they had left for Darentown.

“
I asked Nasya to walk over and turn the lights
on.”
Sasha spoke quietly. “I thought you’d prefer that to a dark
house.”

Ari
simply nodded at first. She shouldn’t still be surprised by the way
Sasha thought of her first, but it did. “Thank you.”

She
stared at the house as they approached and leaned forward suddenly.
There was something in the light spilling from the windows.
Something impossible.

“
What’s
wrong?” Sasha slowed the car.

Ari glanced at
him and then back at the porch.

Nasya stood in the porch light waiting patiently.
Her hair was
unbound and flowed gently down her back. The old fashion dressing
gown surprised Ari briefly but it wasn’t outside of possibilities
for Nasya’s wardrobe.

“
Nothing.
Seeing things I guess. It’s been a long
day.”

“
I hope
you don’t mind the liberties I took.” Nasya said sleepily when they
finally joined her on the porch. She gestured to the house with a
hand. “Sasha said it would be okay.”

“It’s fine,
thank you.” Ari reassured her.

“
If Sasha can bring you in, I’ll help you change
for resting while he gets your spare chair out of the
garage.”
Nasya offered.

“
That’s fine.”
Sasha maneuvered through the door
Nasya held open. “Anything exciting happen while we were
away?”

Nasya
shrugged in Ari’s peripheral vision. “There’s blood on the
moon.”

“
Lovely.” Sasha walked swiftly down the hall.

“
What’s
that?” Ari shifted to look at Nasya directly. “What’s that
mean?”

“
It’s a
sign of coming danger, or war potentially.” Nasya motioned at
Sasha’s back. “If this one had bothered to watch it’s rising he
would have noticed and been ready.”

“
I’m
sorry.” Sasha mumbled as he entered Ari’s room and set her down
carefully. “Nasya will help you. I’ll knock to check if you’re
dressed before I come back in.”

Ari
watched him close the door before shifting to focus on Nasya. She
was at the dresser rooting around. With the way her hair cascaded
around her the image Ari had seen in the tree grove came back with
brutal clarity.

“
It was
you, wasn’t it?” Ari asked. “In Darentown.”

Nasya
didn’t even pause in her search. “Yes. Could you undress please? I
want to check your injuries as well. I wish there was an Aether
Envoy or Thaumaturge here, but for now, I can make do.”

Ari
slowly pulled off what was left of her shirt and carefully wiggled
out of her jeans. The aches returned with the slight movement. “How
did you do it?”

“
You
shouldn’t take everything at face value.” Nasya turned around with
an oversized shirt in one hand and a small round jar in the other.
She tilted her head critically. “It looks like someone was slashing
at you with a knife.”

Ari
looked down at her torso and was dumbfounded. There were dozens of
thin shallow cuts going down her torso and her legs. Ari held out
her arms to look and they hadn’t been spared either. “But, it was
only wind.”

“
And I
am only a Greek exchange student.” Nasya retorted and set down the
shirt. “Here, let me.”

Ari let
Nasya rub the sweet smelling ointment from the jar all over. It
felt good. The ointment soothed the angry cuts. Ari could almost
feel them fading away.

When Nasya finished and stepped back Ari blinked in
surprise.
The more shallow cuts had faded away completely and the
deeper ones faded before her eyes. Ari ran a finger over one of the
hairlines. No pain.

She lifted her
eyes to Nasya in an unspoken question.

Nasya crouched down in front of her and held Ari’s hands in
a mimic of Sasha.
“Sasha is a protector; he will protect you from anything
and everything without worry to the consequence. That is his way.
But,” she sighed. “This cannot be for you. I know it’s hard, and
it’s confusing. But I believe you to be strong enough to handle it.
I have a gift for you. Sasha would prefer if I waited to give it to
you. However, he does not command me.” She let go and moved back to
the dresser. She came back and dropped a leather bound book into
Ari’s lap.

Ari
gasped at the cover image. It was a relief of the thing she had
thought she had seen on the porch. It had the body of a horse, but
there was an antler sticking out of the center of its dragon-like
head. The body was covered in scales yet it still had the full mane
of a horse. The tail flicked in a graceful arch shaggy on the
bottom side and short haired on the top. The hooves were cloven
like a goat’s or a unicorn’s.

“
I’ve
seen this before.” Ari looked up at her.

Nasya tilted her head curiously.
“Have you?”

“What is
it?”

Nasya shrugged.
“It has many names. The Japanese call it a Kirin,
the Chinese a Qirin, on the European side of things they call it a
unicorn, though not in that likeness but close. In Greece it’s
called a Monoceros.
American’s don’t have this kind of mythology. It’s too
young of a country. Though I’m sure the Natives have some they’re
not sharing with the world.”

“
This is
unlike any unicorn I’ve ever seen in my story books as a child.”
Ari traced the relief with her fingers before opening it to find a
blank book. She looked back to Nasya confused.

“
Let’s call it a Kirin, then.
You know I am
Greek. In ancient times when Sparta had its own monarchy we called
it Gaea’s οικείος.”

“What’s an
i-key-os?”

Nasya
gave a sleepy chuckle and sat down on the bed next to Ari.
“Spartans believe in the pantheon, but more importantly we
worshiped the Mother of the Pantheon, Gaea. Without her we would
not have the gods that help us in everyday things. If you need a
comparison it’s like praying to Mary for Jesus’s help. She is the
mother of all things.”

“What’s that
have to do with the Kirin?”

“
You’re
not very good with stories are you?” Nasya yawned and leaned
against her. “The Kirin is the familiar to Gaea. There are female
children born of Gaea; born with her power; born with the ability
to become one with Gaea, Herself. Every time one of these children
are born the Kirin appears. She is like the guide to the child
until the child chooses what she wants to be. Depending on the path
of the child the Kirin stays or the Kirin goes. If the Kirin stays,
well… it’s never happened and no one knows why.”