The Inner Circle: Holy Spirit (10 page)

‘
I know it’s not
great that we’re exposed like this,’ El-i-miir stated
apologetically, ‘but I figured that there’d be less of a chance of
waking Seeol if we made our escape by day.’

The three hurried nervously across open
fields until finding a dense patch of woods in which to hide.

Lu-ke 3

21-22. Now when all the people were
baptized, it came to pass that Lu-ke also was baptized. And while
He prayed the Holy Spirit descended in a vision with the body of an
owl.

Joh-n 1

32. And Joh-n bore record, saying, “I
saw the Spirit descend from the clouds and stand before a tree with
the body of an owl."

Scriptures of the Holy Tome

CHAPTER Six

It Begins

‘
Can I talk to you
for a minute?’ Seteal’s voice intruded upon El-i-miir’s thoughts.
She’d been watching Ilgrin at the precipice of rough terrain. He’d
flown up there to keep an eye on Far-a-mael’s men as they neared
the city. El-i-miir had been admiring his slender, yet muscular
physique, and it was for this reason that Seteal’s voice proved to
be such an intrusion.

El-i-miir turned around irritably.
‘What is it?’

‘
When you focus on
the Ways, have you ever found it difficult to come back to
normal?’

‘
I don’t understand.’
El-i-miir frowned, whilst remembering to consider the fact that
Seteal’s experience of the Ways would be significantly different
than that of her own. It took a great deal of concentration for
Seteal to create a connection with the Ways, without which she was
quite like any ordinary outlander.

‘
There is no going
back to “normal” for me,’ El-i-miir said thoughtfully, glancing at
the strands of light shimmering all about her. ‘I suppose the best
way to explain it would be that the Ways are like a book, always
open and always surrounding me. I just don’t always happen to be
reading them,’ she finished, but saw dissatisfaction to the
explanation in Seteal’s aura. ‘Do you see that plant over
there?’

‘
The dead one?’
Seteal asked.

‘
It’s not dead,’
El-i-miir replied. ‘I can tell by its aura. It’ll be dead in a day
or two, but for now it’s still clinging to life. Such information
has been available to me the whole time we’ve been standing here,
but I didn’t know it until I chose to read the information
available to me. There’s no going back to “normal,” as you put
it.’

‘
When I’m with the
Ways,’ Seteal began uncertainly, ‘sometimes it feels like I’m going
to stay there forever.’

El-i-miir peered into Seteal’s aura in
the hopes of gaining some insight into what she was talking about.
‘Something happened the last time you projected.’

‘
What? No!’ Seteal
snapped without thinking, allowing El-i-miir to detect the lie as
soon as it was spoken.

‘
You’re hiding
something,’ she stated. ‘Tell me what it is.’

‘
Just forget it.’
Seteal frowned. ‘We should catch up with Ilgrin.’ She pushed past
to continue up the slope.

‘
If you say so.’
El-i-miir attempted and probably failed to mask her concern. She
knew better than to push Seteal to open up before she was ready to
do so.

‘
Come on,’ Ilgrin
urged as the women approached. ‘You have got to see
this.’

El-i-miir stooped low as she
approached. Once level with Ilgrin, she peered over the precipice
to see what’d taken the silt’s interest. Before them stood a tall
mountain surrounded on all sides by valleys that wrapped around its
circumference. A small way up the mountain fortified walls
encircled Veret, the capitol city of Jenjol. At the top of the
mountain was perched a castle, being the palace of the royal
family. It too was encompassed by impressive walls of its own.

Far-a-mael’s great hadoan was
descending the adjacent valley along with the allied soldiers of
Garrishnell, while Veret had no defence to be seen. The city gates
were barricaded, but otherwise they were quite vulnerable.
El-i-miir shifted uneasily on the hard earth. She sensed deception.
Perhaps the Jenjen weren’t as ill-prepared as they appeared.

‘
Is that . . .’
Ilgrin trailed off, squinting against the sun.

‘
Far-a-mael,’ Seteal
finished flatly.

‘
Say what you will,
but you have to admire his courage.’ El-i-miir felt a strange
respect for the old man when she spotted him leading the mass of
troops from the front line. Seteal and Ilgrin shared an expression
of disbelief before shaking their heads in disapproval.

‘
I have no admiration
for that man.’ Seteal glared at the tiny figure below. ‘He’s a
heartless bastard who’s about to carry out an unprovoked attack on
countless innocent men.’

‘
Unprovoked?’
El-i-miir balked. ‘Jenjol has been threatening and preaching
against the Elglair for centuries. The only reason they haven’t
attacked us is due to warranted fear and a lack of
firepower.’

‘
I can’t believe
you’re defending him,’ Seteal grumbled.

‘
Look.’ Ilgrin hushed
them and pointed toward Far-a-mael’s left side, where a young
an’hadoan tumbled from his horse, having been struck by an arrow.
‘Just one arrow?’

‘
It’s the only one
that got through,’ El-i-miir whispered. ‘The gils are confusing the
Jenjen archers, likely turning them against each other.’

‘
So much for this
“great army” Jenjol has been amassing,’ Seteal murmured.

‘
Oh, Maker,’
El-i-miir gasped when a glimmer of reflected light caught her
attention to the city’s north. ‘It’s a trap.’

A horn sounded loud and clear, and a
thunderous roar could be heard as three separate teams of Jenjen
foot soldiers erupted from the hidden valleys surrounding the
Elglair. The teams submerged on the foreign invaders from every
direction, waving swords and shouting battle cries. The Elglair and
Garishian formations fell apart in the confusion. Released from
their spell, the Jenjen archers began to fire.

Burning arrows spewed away from the
fortified walls, leaving the attacking army with no defence other
than to raise their shields and hope for the best. El-i-miir stared
in wide-eyed fear for her people. She knew they were in the wrong,
but couldn’t help in caring for their wellbeing. She’d gone to
school with some of those people. She shared a home with them. And
they were outnumbered four to one.

‘
Do something,
Seteal!’

‘
What can I do?’
Seteal recoiled. ‘This isn’t my war.’

‘
Anything,’ El-i-miir
pleaded, her eyes locked on one figure in particular.

Far-a-mael carried his sword as
though it were weightless, while his free hand moved about, turning
the Ways against his victims. They fell to moan and quiver in the
dirt. The old gil’s sword spun effortlessly as he spilt a soldier’s
intestines. Another took advantage of the distraction and pounced,
but Far-a-mael spun around and relieved the man of his
head.

There was a thunderous roar as several
hundred more Jenjen soldiers flooded up from Cold Wood. The Elglair
and Garrishians retreated to the south, realising they’d been
bested. The Jenjen pursued without mercy. Swords struck, cutting
their mounts’ hamstrings. Finally, a great line of gil’hadoans
formed to forge a path of destruction away from the city. They’d
been beaten and sought retreat.

‘
We have to do
something,’ El-i-miir tried again. ‘They’re going to kill
them.’

‘
What makes you think
I don’t want that?’ Seteal snarled as she watched the Jenjen
closing in on Far-a-mael. ‘Let them destroy each other.’

Just as the battle had begun so
abruptly, it reached its conclusion in a like manner, the horn
blasting repeatedly. Thousands of Jenjen soldiers lowered their
swords, their expressions matching the level of confusion that
El-i-miir felt. The Elglair and the Garrishians hurried on into the
distance, now two-thirds the number they’d previously been.

‘
What on earth was
that all about?’ Ilgrin asked nobody in particular. ‘They’re just
letting them escape?’

The Jenjen soldiers folded back toward
the city.

‘
I’ve seen enough.’
Seteal slithered back from the edge, got to her feet and dusted
herself off. ‘Far-a-mael has been hurt. That means he’ll be
disorganised. They’ll have to stop for a few days and sort
themselves out. This is our chance to get ahead.’

‘
Get ahead?’
El-i-miir said distractedly, unable to tear her eyes away from the
bloody scene bellow. ‘He’s not going to give up, you know. Somehow,
he’ll find the reinforcements he needs and when he does, he’ll come
back to finish the job.’

‘
All the better.’
Ilgrin nodded in agreement with Seteal. ‘This is our chance to put
distance between him and ourselves. We’re destined for Old World,
remember? It’s not our job to protect Far-a-mael and his
men.’

‘
Well, yes . . . of
course.’ El-i-miir swallowed anxiously and attempted to focus on
what they were doing . . . what were they doing? Gez-reil had said
that Ilgrin would find his answers in Old World--possibly even a
way to prevent war. Surely that couldn’t have meant warning the
silts ahead of time so that they could prepare to conquer the
Elglair. Gez-reil wouldn’t do that to his own kind. To do so would
make him no better than Far-a-mael. ‘What exactly are you getting
out of this anyway?’ El-i-miir asked Seteal
suspiciously.

‘
I’ll be honest with
you,’ Seteal replied passionately. ‘Sooner or later, there will be
war with Old World and at its completion Far-a-mael will stand
alone in the centre of a battlefield. There will be no one to share
in his victory, but for the dead men at his feet. And that is the
day I’m living for, because I swear to you he will not walk away
with his life intact.’

El-i-miir shuddered at the look of
malevolence in Seteal’s eyes. They were full of hatred. How could
anybody live that way? How could it not destroy her? She looked
more closely, only to realise that perhaps it already had. But
Seteal’s eyes began to change. They became dull, losing all passion
and drive. ‘The knowing,’ she whispered.

Seteal rocked forward and stumbled
several paces before regaining balance. Contrary to before, her
eyes now bore naught but disbelief. She covered her mouth and
turned away. ‘I can’t.’ She walked in the opposite direction,
forcing Ilgrin and El-i-miir to pursue her.

‘
What is it?’ Ilgrin
asked. ‘Are you okay?’

‘
Get away from me,’
Seteal barked, running away from them, only to collapse in the dry
grass.

‘
Come on.’ Ilgrin
took El-i-miir’s hand and they approached together. He stopped
several strides away and waited patiently.

‘
I’m so tired of all
this death,’ Seteal said softly. ‘I’m tired of knowing about it,
feeling it, wanting it. Ilgrin.’ She turned slowly. ‘Please give us
a moment.’

‘
Excuse
me?’

‘
Please,’ she
insisted.

‘
Sure.’ He held up
his hands defensively and turned to walk away.

‘
He’s going to die,’
Seteal informed El-i-miir as she stood.

‘
I’m sorry?’
El-i-miir shook her head disbelievingly. ‘What’re you talking
about?’

‘
He is going to die.’
Seteal pointed wildly. ‘Ilgrin is going to die and it’ll be
forever.’

‘
Oh, Maker,’
El-i-miir choked out before lowering herself to sit on a small
boulder. ‘It cannot be. You must be wrong.’

‘
No.’ Seteal cringed
as she said the word. ‘It was a love so deep.’ She sat down beside
her friend. ‘I had no idea just how deep it was. He would die for
you. He will die to save us all.’

‘
I refuse to believe
it,’ El-i-miir sobbed.

‘
It was you,’ Seteal
murmured as she tried to make sense of the knowledge that’d so
crassly been forced into her consciousness. ‘Through all of it, I
felt his love for you. It was as though the knowing were more about
your Way than his.’

‘
It was,’ El-i-miir
said bitterly. ‘My mother used to tell me to focus on my studies
and never fall in love. She used to tell me there’d only be
darkness for the one who loved me. I used to think it was because
she wanted me to excel academically, but when I got older, she told
me love would only bring me sorrow. When I met Ilgrin, I’d assumed
that her knowing had been a misinterpretation of my falling in love
with a silt. I was naïve. I was hopeful. I was wrong.’

‘
Make him hate you,’
Seteal urged softly. ‘Save his life and save yourself from the pain
of losing him.’

‘
The knowing doesn’t
work like that,’ El-i-miir said ruefully. ‘The Ways have stained my
aura with the details of what is yet to come because of the
profound depth of love Ilgrin will eventually show me. The outcome
is inevitable.’

‘
So Ilgrin will die
even if you turn him away.’ Seteal nodded, finally understanding.
‘I’m so sorry.’

‘
Oh, you hate him
anyway,’ El-i-miir replied sullenly before standing up to walk
away.

‘
No . . . I don’t.’
Seteal looked at Ilgrin pityingly, but El-i-miir was already out of
earshot.