The Chronicles of Heaven's War: Burning Phoenix (74 page)

Scowling, Lowenah railed contemptuously,
“
Necromancers
you both are, given sight beyond sight!
Blinded you have become because of arrogant minds and boastful
hearts. ‘I am so
great and majestic
, made with the
finest
of
gold
and
ivory!
Wonderful with power
in my acts and deeds!’ you say.
Fools
! Fools I say you are!
You have forgotten whose wisdom went into the making of you. Only
my boy, there…” she pointed at Zadar “had the insight to search me
out and beg my intrusion. I was not far off from you, having
arrived in Oros just this afternoon, and it was no secret that I
was here. But, no,
my counsel
was not sought out by
either of you
, you being
too full of yourselves
to
think my wisdom mattered
...”

Sarah begged Lowenah’s forgiveness as her
sword tumbled from her hand, clanging on the floor. She wheezed,
struggling for breath while slowly sinking to her knees, tears
running down her face mixing with blood slowly dripping from opened
lips. Removing her helm and letting it fall, she looked at the ruin
her hands had created and then at Lowenah. “Please forgive you
wayward child.” Sarah cried, and then began to cough, spattering
blood as she spoke. Her head spinning, she leaned forward, falling
onto outstretched hands watching, surprised, the crimson froth ooze
from her mouth and spatter upon the floor.

Lowenah puzzled. Squeezing around Zadar and
Trisha, she made her way to Sarah, pulling the woman’s long golden
hair aside to make a close examination of matters. She sighed
sadly, “You have been kilt, too, or would be, had time and
circumstances permitted it.”

Growing sickly pale from fearful
uncertainty, Sarah peered questioningly into Lowenah’s eyes.
Lowenah smiled grimly, “Be wary the stinger in the left hand when
your opponent carries the power in the right. A knife, I believe
hidden up a sleeve, has pierced armor and bone to lodge in your
lung. Had the hilt not broken, leaving the blade wedged where it
is, long ago you would have bled out...”

She looked over at Trisha, raising an
eyebrow while nodding sadly. “And I would have been chastising her
instead of you...”

Shaking her head, muttering, disgusted,
“Foolish children... Foolish children...” Lowenah assisted Sarah to
her feet, calling out to Zadar as she did. “Son, take your girl up
and be off to my carriage. I’ve my hands full here.”

Through his tears, Zadar dutifully obeyed,
taking Trisha up in his arms. He looked around at the destruction,
asking, “What about things here?”

Lowenah shook her head as she assisted Sarah
to her feet. “Not to worry now... We’ve got to get these
rascals
some medical attention sooner than may be. I’ll take
care of this later.”

Trisha roused just as Zadar looked into her
face, his only inches from hers. What she saw pierced her heart in
ways never before experienced. The woman knew she was broken badly,
yet this man saw not the ruined flesh. He was staring into the
depths of her soul, his love reaching out for the secret person who
resided beyond the sensual, passionate, and erstwhile. This man
loved her, was in love with her.

For the first time in her life, Trisha
wanted to be held close, to be wrapped up in a man’s arms - this
man’s arms - to be a woman for this man. Long-harbored feelings
instantly fell away into forgetfulness. She no longer saw her body
as a repository for a man’s passion, but a vessel to gather a man’s
heart, and there to keep a little part of his soul to remember the
cherished time together. A smile grew across Trisha’s heart, a warm
glow filling her body as she drifted off into a peaceful rest.

Wisdom is not easily gained, but it can be
carelessly squandered. Tonight, wisdom had been won at a terrible
cost, and Lowenah was going to make sure the lessons learned would
be lasting. But now was not the time to dwell on that. There were
so many things needed doing and little time to accomplish them. The
gray of sky’s morning was gathering over the city. They must be far
away from here before other eyes might chance upon them.

Sarah was groggy, but still managed to
stumble along with Lowenah’s help. By the time they arrived at the
carriage, Zadar had already laid Trisha across the floor between
the facing seats, and was busying with putting up its top and
installing its storm curtains. Upon seeing them, he hurried over to
help. “I believed you wanted privacy, so I put up the bonnet.” He
offered as they approach the carriage.

Lowenah smiled her approval. After assisting
Sarah into the carriage, she asked Zadar to hurry back and retrieve
the helm and weapons. “Be quick. I’ll finish up here.”

“What of the other…?” Zadar wondered. “I
can…”

“Just what I ask for...” Lowenah commanded.
“I need you with me. Now be quick.”

As soon as Zadar was returned, the little
carriage was off, zigzagging this way and that to avoid the clutter
in the narrow street that took the party south, away from the city
and into deserted countryside.

The sun was peeking over the eastern hills
when the carriage finally rolled to a stop in a small grove of
evergreen trees hidden behind a weathered rock outcropping. Zadar
stepped from the carriage to see a silvery trade ship parked in the
shadows of the cliff. A door ramp slowly opened in the ship’s side.
In moments, two silver-clothed figures with glowing, golden hair
and faces that shone bright were carrying the injured warriors
toward the ship.

Another handsome figure of a man emerged
from the ship. Smiling, with arms outstretched, he approached
Lowenah, offering friendly salutations before giving her a very
affectionate embrace, which was heartily accepted with an
additional kiss to the lips.

The man stepped back while hugging Lowenah’s
upper arms with his hands, grinning. “It’s looks to me that my
ZoeStethos has had quite a night of it! I’ve already seen to
business back in Oros.” He then asked, half teasing, “Are you still
up to this game, or would you rather steal away with me to more
pleasant places?”

Lowenah did not reply to the man’s question.
Giving his forearm an affectionate squeeze, she introduced him to
an astonished Zadar. “Ysuah, this is the child I have spoken so
much about.”

Ysuah’s face beamed as he cupped Zadar’s
hand in his, giving it a manly shake. “Yes! Oh yes! So much like
your father you are - at least in more innocent days. A pleasure… a
pleasure it is to meet you at last!”

Zadar was dumbfounded at hearing Ysuah’s
comment. He stuttered, “M… m… my fa… my father?” This was too much.
First this person, Ysuah, then ‘ZoeStethos’ for Mother? Those were
troubling enough, but ‘like your father’? What was this all
about?

Lowenah placed a finger to Zadar’s lips,
shushing him. “Time is not our friend this day. Later son,
later...”

She turned to Ysuah. “My name is hidden to
all save a few of my children. For my son, here, please teach him
its secrets. As for the other? Another day, another day...”

Giving Zadar a kiss, Lowenah motioned that
he go with Ysuah, warning, “Your traveling companion, Ysuah, will
confess many secrets to you, but secrets they must remain. I am
entrusting them to you because of your faithful loyalty to me over
these many long ages of rebellion. Some tales will confuse you,
riddles in the dark, but others will serve you well in future days.
Do not ask for riddles answered that are not yet to be revealed.
They will all arrive at their proper times.”

Zadar promised he would be a loyal child.
After kissing Lowenah, again he hurried off with Ysuah. The ramp of
the trade ship slowly closed. In seconds, the ship was little more
than a silent speck on the horizon. Lowenah frowned, tired. This
had been a long, troublesome night, and she, using little more than
mortal powers, was very tired. Crawling into the carriage and
flopping across one of the plush seats, she closed her eyes,
sighing. “Karikia...” She sleepily whispered. The carriage started
up with a sudden whirr. In moments it was zipping away toward
Palace City, a snoozing Maker of Worlds sprawled across a seat, her
quiet, rhythmic snoring filling the cabin with its musical
restfulness.

* * *

Ishtar splashed in the sudsy bathwater,
singing a whimsical little tune while wiggling her toes in the
steamy foam of her bath. The place was quiet tonight, the room
beyond hers dark and silent. Gone were the flashing lights and
half-naked man. Indeed, few had been the visitors since the girl’s
return. Oh yes, the couple claiming to be Hanna and her uncle
dropped in from time to time, as well as a woman servant delivering
some food and asking about her welfare, but no soldiers, much to
her relief. Earlier she had peeked outside, seeing the door was not
barred, but chose to stay inside fearing trickery of some
sorts.

This was a very puzzling world Ishtar found
herself in. When the woman servant was tasked with bringing the
bathtub into the girl’s room, the woman called ‘Hanna’ bent her
back to give the servant a hand, she also thanking her when they
were finished. After that, she assisted the woman with fetching the
bathwater. And the woman servant did not bow low when being spoken
to, but spoke up freely without seeking permission. She must be a
servant... Only a slave would go about naked to the waist.

And what of her room, the ever-burning fire,
and all the treasures made to fool her into thinking them to be
hers? It made no sense. Why make a place look like her room when
she could have been taken there to be held under guard? Yes, where
was
she? The forest and the animals, the machines without
horses, the wingless birds in the sky...were the gods playing with
her mind? This was all too strange to ponder.

Why no guards at the door? Wasn’t she a
highly prized prisoner? She breathed a sigh of relief to think that
Treston officer had not returned. Half-forgotten memories that
refused to wake made the girl’s skin crawl with unease when she
thought about him. Was he the reason her mother had not come to
visit? But, why? What made her so
important
to have the
governor’s chief officer bother with her?

Governor?! Ishtar sat upright in the tub,
eyes as big as saucers. She could recall the governor, see his face
as he screamed abuses at someone, at her. What was this all about?
Had the governor put this Treston up to this mischief? What had she
done that would be of interest to the governor? Something about her
uncle came to mind, but what? She closed her eyes, trying to recall
memories locked behind sealed doors, an uneasy feeling growing in
the pit of her stomach. Her heart intimated that this Treston held
the key to unlock the secrets hidden in the recesses of her
mind.

“Oh, the bother!” Ishtar snorted. Tomorrow
was soon enough to worry about the governor and Treston. Tonight
she would luxuriate in the wealth of the evening. A sudsy warm bath
and a full stomach...what more could the child ask for? The girl
leaned back, closing her eyes, sinking neck-deep in the perfumed
water, lavishing in its intoxicating bouquet as she drifted off to
sleep.

Ishtar woke with a start, bolting upright in
the tub. Something was amiss...she could feel it, an energy, a
power, both beautiful and terrifying. ‘Take the treasure and depart
this evil land. What is asked of you is too much.’ What was the
meaning of those words echoing through her mind? The girl shuddered
with creepy unease. Straining every muscle in concentration, she
searched the rooms for any possible sound. All was still, deathly
still.

Cautiously, the child stood and silently
stepped from the tub and crept quietly toward the opened doorway.
Peeking into the further room, she could see everything remained
undisturbed. The light from her room cast itself across the small
table, revealing a dinner bowl, half filled with ripe berries. Some
small creature must have been enjoying a late night feast, the
girl’s startled waking chasing it off. Well, it shouldn’t have
scared her that way.

Relieved, she turned back toward the glowing
blaze. Stopping near the hearth, she spread her arms wide and
tipped her head back, soaking in the fire’s warmth on wet skin. Oh,
she mused to herself, why couldn’t life always be this way, free of
all encumbrances of mind and flesh? Just how wonderful it would be
to remain this way forever.
“I am a free woman!”

Ishtar’s eyes popped open in shock. Why had
she nearly shouted out those dangerous words? Freedom was the
possession of but a few, and
she
was not one of them. Such a
declaration could get her imprisoned, or possibly fed to the lions!
She hoped no one had heard. Quiet... She gradually relaxed,
eventually returning to reveling in the warmth of the blaze.

Something stirred in the further room.
Ishtar froze, her heart jumping in fear. There was the sound of a
gentle footfall, she was sure of it. Someone was in the building.
Silence... Suddenly feeling naked, the girl grabbed a satin robe
and slipped it on. Her eyes searched desperately to see a movement,
a shadow. Was Treston playing his tricks on her, or possibly the
governor? She shuddered at the memory of his prurient gaze
undressing her. Nothing, only silence...

Unable to endure the suspense any longer,
the girl picked up a lighted candlestick and slowly made her way
from her room into the darkness beyond. The candle’s flickering
flame revealed little, Ishtar poking into every dark corner to make
sure no one was hiding there. Creeping to the door, she chanced a
look outside, braving to take a step onto the porch to get a good
view up and down the street. Nothing...

Stepping quietly back inside and gently
closing the door, Ishtar turned, stopping up short as she nearly
cried out aloud. The light coming from her room was no longer that
of the dancing fire. Oh yes, there was a golden light, but
brighter, and it did not cast prancing shadows on the wall as the
fire did. She should run away, but to where? This might be a trick,
but for what reason? The girl was already a prisoner here. Her
jailers could do with her as they pleased. Why play silly games? It
made no sense. As she stood there, pondering all these mysteries,
the light called out its seductive song, beckoning her to leave the
darkness behind and bask in its glow.