Legends of Marithia: Book 3 - Talonsphere (39 page)

Vartan awoke, but he was not really awake. He recalled his life and was free from the weight of his body. All he could see around him were stars, as if the world had disappeared.

He wanted to bring a hand to his face, but he did not have a human form. What he had left were his thoughts, and a single emotion: love.

Where is Helenia? Are you here?

Nobody answered.

He wondered if he would be stuck in some eternal reality.

Is this my punishment for my failure to see things for what they truly are?

Vartan flew through the stars, watching as they whirred around him, spiralling out of control. Voices were all around him, but he couldn’t make out what they were saying.

Everything stopped and he found that he was surrounded by stars once more, but before him was a gigantic owl. Its wings were spread wide, but remained still. The stars of the universe were reflected in its huge, round eyes.

“You are not being punished, and there is no success or failure. There is only purpose,” the owl said.

Who are you, and why am I here?
Vartan thought.

“I am known by many names, and have taken many forms. I am the creator. I brought you to me, because it is not often that the plan I had for a mortal, is shaped by another. You were not meant to be here yet,” the owl said.

The ancients.

“Ancient by their own reality, yes. They are playing with powers they cannot understand, and have begun a war that the gods cannot allow them to win.”

Helenia.

“Is waiting for you, and she is in a lot of pain. Unlike you, her soul is bound to Marithian earth. She does not know of your death, as her vision of the world does not extend to Daessar.”

You know of Daessar?

“I know of all the places, in all the worlds. Which brings me to why you are here. What has happened to you is a violation of the way things are, and I cannot let that be. You could have been sent to
Mother Dragon
, as they call her. She is a god, not of my creation, but her heart is pure and that is what matters most to me.”

What do you want of me?

“Me? I want nothing from you but to give you the greatest gift I can: happiness.”

How is that possible?

“My child, you will one day see that anything is possible. When you wake, do not fear. I am sending you to a new world, one which is similar to your own, but it has its own differences. You will be accompanied by the one you love most, Helenia. There are no others there, and you can live out what should have been the rest of your life, with each other. There is no war, sickness, or pain in this new world. I will watch over you both, until the day you die of old age. Then, and only then, will you truly be ready for your next life.”

Thank you.

“Enjoy the rest of the life that you should have had.”

Wait. There is something I need to know. What will happen to Marithia?

“I cannot truly say for certain, but you need not worry about that now. There is nothing more you can do for them.”

But you can.

“My child, I already am.”

Vartan wanted to ask more, but with a blinding flash of light, he woke up in a large field of flowers, drawing a first breath as he sat up. The weight of being in a body again was an initial burden. He coughed as he rubbed his eyes and looked at his legs. This body was familiar, and as he raised his hands to his face, he knew that he was back in his own, although not the same. He had no scars, and his skin was flawless.

He rose to his feet and drew a sweet breath. Vartan was surrounded by mountains, a waterfall, and it was a sunny day. He noticed that he had two shadows, and as he turned around, he saw the second sun.

The sky flashed, and he was momentarily blinded. His vision soon cleared again. Laying on the ground, a short sprint away, was Helenia. Like himself, her body was flawless.

He ran to her side, picking her up in his arms as his eyes watered. “Helenia, wake up!”

Her eyes opened, and she blinked many times. She beamed as she wrapped her arms around him. “Vartan! I cannot believe it; I thought I had lost you forever.”

“You also met the—” Helenia said.

“Creator? Yes.”

He helped her to her feet, and although they were both naked, he didn’t care. It was a new world and a future that he had always wished for.

He held his wife’s hand, and led her down the field, wondering what joys this new world would give them.

Now I have my peace.

To be continued...

ISBN-10: 1477508724 ISBN-13: 978-1477508725

ISBN-10: 1467948551 ISBN-13: 978-1467948555

Peter Koevari is a writer that holds fantasy dearly close to his heart. From an early age, he was immersed in all media of fantasy that he could get his hands on. Memories of movies such as The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Star Wars, Conan, The Last Starfighter, The Princess Bride, and many more are cherished memories of fantasy nostalgia.

Peter’s hunger for storytelling was growing from a young age. Feeding off movies, video games, and books, the hunger had never been quenched. There was a yearning for something, as if he was enchanted by a spell and did not know how to release it.

The worlds held inside his imagination had to be shared with readers of the world.

It took over 10 long years to unlock the doors to worlds such as Marithia, and to pen them into books to share with anyone willing to travel to his worlds, but once he found the key and began to write… everything made sense.

Peter’s writing will surprise you, may shock you and take your emotions by its talons, but will transport your mind into a world of fantasy like you have never read before.

www.peterkoevari.com

Meet the artist: Nathalia De Matos (
http://www.behance.net/NathaliaDeMatos
)

Nathalia is a freelance illustrator based out of Bethel, Connecticut. Born in the cloudy and overpopulated city of São Paulo, Brazil, her focus mainly reflects current political and environmental issues. Nathalia is currently pursuing an Illustration degree from Western Connecticut State University and plans on focusing her skills to contribute to newspaper editorials and book illustrations once she completes the program.