When Summons Echo

Chapter 6

Sharwan rolled over is his sleep, smaking his lips as he drifted back into a dream. The evening was warm as all of Meddashia celebrated the Ceremony of Divinites until the early hours of the morning. They all danced and drank in celebration. Enjoying the night with each other until they couldn't stay awake anymore and slept wherever comfortable.

Sharwan found himself above this and had gone to sleep before this real party of the evening had started.

He was sleeping peacefully, until a cold breeze drifted in through the cracks in the house. Sharwan shivered, pulling the blankets closer around him. His eyes opened suddenly as his body began to grow colder and he began to tremble in dread and fear. Strong gusts of wind blowing around him. Cautiously he turned in his bed, looking over his shoulder beholding a curious, angry wind spirit. Vynt c****d his head to one side as Sharwan become still and speechless.

Sharwan had a great feeling that he was offending the great spirit before him by staring instead of bowing. He crawled out of the bed as fast as he could, shaking and trembling. Got onto his knees and faced the floor, not finding the temptation to look up or talk face to face with a son of the gods. The room was chaotic as unrelenting wind threatened to carry him off the ground. With his lip quivering he inaudibly spoke, "Wh-What h-has an-angered y-you my divinity?"

Although, Vynt could hear his stutter perfectly. He squatted down in front of Sharwan, his fingers grazing the floor below. "I am without anger towards you, but only to that of the one you serve. She thinks herself above the kings and even the gods' own children when she is not entitled to it."

Sharwan was astounded. Could a Kimishay really have angered the most deadly of all the spirits. The one who can draw a soul out of a body with the simple commandof his voice.

Sharwan shook his head, still trembling and stuttering as he spoke. "My high-lady wouldn't do such a th-thing, your ho-holiness. She cher-cherishes Meddashia and i-it's people. She lo-loves her g-gods and th-their offspring. Fo-Forgive her, my di-divinity, if sh-she has d-done anything to offe-offend you or yo-your family. P-please..."

Vynt straightened up, towering over Sharwan as he glanced up at him briefly. Sharwan bowed lower as Vynt spoke to him, "What will you do for me if I listen to more of your pleas and spare her life?"

Sharwan quivered as he thought quickly, "I-I... I will do whatever my divinty asks of me. Please, I will pledge my soul!" Sharwan finished desperately lifting his hands up to Vynt, but still refusing to look at him directly.

Vynt smiled, "You must love her dearly to be so loyal. Fine, your soul is mine to serve me in this life and your after life."

Vynt held both of Sharwan's hands and kissed the inside of his palms.

Vynt then calmed the wind around them as he began to leave.

"I will visit again soon with your first task, High Kimay Sharwan." Vynt said over his shoulder as Sharwan watched him vanish back into the spirit relam. Sharwan took deep shaky breaths as he attempted to recover from his encounter. Wishing he could believe it was all a dream.

Finding his feet, Sharwan got back up with the help of the bed beside him. He inspected the faint scar like marks on the inside of his palms. Rubbing them thoughtfully as he wondered what the wind spirit, Vynt, would ask of him.

Sharwan suddenly recalled that Vynt did not say Ciray was going to be without punishment. Sharwan quickly grabbed his overgrown and rushed to his high lady's courters. Knowing she would be returning back at this time.

Sharwan entered into the room, finding Ciray laying limp on the floor; occasionally twitching or opening her eyes briefly. Sharwan became concerned for his young master and cradled her in his arms as he placed her on her bed. He lifted her head gently and put it in his lap as he tore a piece of cloth and dabbed the sweat from her neck and around her face. Until at last the short unofficial bond broke and Vynt left her.

He took a moment to soak in the scene and then left before the mortals noticed him.

Ciray slowly opened her eyes as Sharwan ringed out the now drenched cloth. Her eyes traveled around the room as the light of the second day of Phoexmuss began to cascade in streams of warm light through the window. Her eyes met Sharwan's as her soft voice broke through the early morning silence. "Wh-What happened?"

Sharwan was about to answer when he noticed Ciray's left eye was fogging up. Ciray sat up quickly, startled by his change in expression. "What is it? Speak to me Sharwan!"

Sharwan's lip quivered as he fought to keep his emotions back. "Vynt bonded with you briefly... but since you do not have the blood for the bond to work-"

Sharwan couldn't finish that sentence as her now blind eye began to bleed tears. Ciray cautiously lifted her fingers up to her cheek, dipping them in the small stream of blood. She was dumbfounded as she noticed the tears not to be real tears, but her own blood.

Sharwan spoke softly, clearing his throat. "My reverent-high lady, what have you done to anger the children of the gods? Vynt has now blinded you for your disrespect. Did he show you anything, can you remember if he told you anything at all?"

Ciray calmly took the cloth from Sharwan's offering hand and wiped the blood from her cheek and eye. Slowly she recalled bits of pieces of her interaction with Vynt.

His cold grip around her throat, the harsh whispers in her ear and the sudden numbing pain as her body hit the floor. She gasped in terror as she returned back to the present, wishing to forget the whole thing. Sharwan hugged her close and stroked her damp hair, "Its alright. It's over now. The elemental spirits are not able to be controlled by mortal kind. If I may speak frankly, you of all people should have remembered that."

Ciray's hands gathered Sharwan's clothes into her fists, mumbling under her breath through clenched teeth. "They can be controlled. The High Kimishay is the only one above them and below the gods. When I become High Kimishay Ciray, they will bow for mercy at my feet."

Sharwan glanced up as Ciray's Kimi, Taru, strolled into the room.

"Oh, forgive me. I was just coming to check in if my reverent-high lady had made it safely back to her room. Also if she would fancy breakfast before the days festivities."

Ciray kept her angry gaze fixated on the floor and wished not to speak with anyone. Sharwan understood her frustration and unspoken wish for solitude. He took her hands and gently kissed the back of them. Then he glided across the floor to Taru who tried to figure out the situation that had just passed.

"Vi-Kimishay Ciray, is not feeling well. Bring her some breakfast and wine, but then we must leave her to her thoughts. Only when she is ready, she will rejoin the nation in the festivities."

Taru became more curious, "What happened, High Kimay Sharwan? May I know my lady's troubles?"

Sharwan glanced behind him and then returned his attention to Taru. "Only when reverent-high lady Ciray feels it is time, she will personally disclose the information with you. For now, I beg you to not pry."

Taru nodded in acceptance of his advice. She had a final glance at Ciray's lonely frame sitting on the great double bed and then hurried out of the room to prepare breakfast.

Sharwan was just about to leave when Ciray broke through the morning's silence again. "How did you know? Did Vynt visit you before he came to me... force you into anything you could regret?"

Sharwan was silent as he contemplated weather or not it would be wise to tell her. Sharwan sighed deeply as he met Ciray's half blind gaze. "I wouldn't be able to tell you if that was the case. I am only glad that he spared your life instead of ripping it out for the afterlife."

Ciray turned away quickly, feeling her foolishness for challenging the children of the gods. Although wrath quickly drowned that feeling and engulfed her hurt pride. "Leave me." She ordered in a hushed stern tone.

Sharwan bowed briefly and then left Ciray to her thoughts. Ciray brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them close as she let her emotions free just this once. She choked up as tears began to stream down her face. Lifting silent prays of vengeance and despair to the gods above. Her jaw aching from the prolonged tension as her fists turned a shade of white.

***

The second day of Phoexmuss, the Festival of Lights. A day of celebration where it is the only day of the year where the sun and moon overlap for a few hours before sunset. Everyone in Kemaki and Meddashia hang up candles and place them floating on any water surface. The alkem, the ones gifted with magic, prepared great mounds of powder that could give the the ability the throw up bolts of light into the sky. Kept for painting pictures and retelling the legends of their island.

Ryenaè pushed through the crowd to the alkem performers, as Garnrath struggled to keep up with her. It was the time for the performance of the year. Ryenaè ducked and squeezed through the last line of the lower and middle class to where the grand stage was set. All manner of folk where crowded around as the performers began the opening act. Garnrath barely caught up to Ryenaè as he would stop and offer politely, "Please excuse me." "You may pass me first." "Forgive me, my little sister has escaped me."

Ryenaè and Garnrath eyes grew wide with anticipation and excitement. Four alkem performers stood at the four corners of the stage.

Each of them were wearing dark masks over the top half of their faces. They opened their small satchels that hung on their hip, gathering powder into their cupped hand. An awe of silence spread over the people as the dark curtian of an early dusk covered the landscape.

The performers on the stage spun around throwing the powder into the air. At their touch the powder glowed and sparked into a dazzling light. The alkem performers guided the glowing dust into brilliant shapes of flowers and trees. As the pulsing light from the dust hung in the air, illuminating the landscape, the alkem continued to cast more powder and create moving pictures in the dusk of the afternoon. Ryenaè moved toward the stage as a glowing eland walked up to her, dipping its head as if to ask for her to stroke its majestic face.

Ryenaè reached up and placed her hand between its eyes. The glowing dust moving away at her touch. Ryenaè gasped in awe as she drew her curious hand back, making eye contact with the alkem controlling the dust. He smiled at her and then gathered all the dust to himself creating a large glowing ball in unison with the other three alkem. They jumped backwards onto their hands, their orbs of glowing light following them. As they landed back on their feet they knelt, with their fists to the floor.

The balls of light collided and sparked into an explosion of pure light. Everyone shielded their eyes from the blinding blast. When they opened their eyes, a new stage welcomed their attention. Small glowing balls of light pulsed and hung in the air like little stars that had descended from the heavens. A single firgure stood on the stage. Dressed formally for the occasion as well as having his mask fixed in place to conceal his identity, he began to tell the legend of how the great nation of Meddashia had been created. His velvet voice holding everyone's attention as alkem performers painted pictures of the story he told around him.