Chapter One-Hundred-Forty-Seven: Akah - Part Three

  Galactic Quadrant: Darna Quadrant

  Ruling Government: Talum Merchant Federation

  Solar System: D-447

  A week has passed since I came aboard this vessel that Solara charters from the Dredak syndicate. The food is… exquisite, especially after eating so many bland and bitter rations. She talks often, softly, and always patiently as she explains things to me. I sense that her hands have taken many lives, but inside she is somehow still pure hearted. Misguided perhaps, but her intentions are not polluted.

  On the third day she lingered too close for my liking, so I made it clear to her that Luna is my only interest. Solara looks at me as I put my shirt back on, having finished another lesson with tracing Maka around my body. I carefully tuck the orb in the folds once more.

  “You know, you don’t need that,” she says, motioning to it.

  My jaw flexes, she is observant, or perhaps I grew too relaxed in her presence.

  “Where did you manage to get it? From Finch perhaps?”

  I sigh, holding it out in front of me, it’s a small reactor core. “I took it from a Bipki during the challenge with the scorpions. I had thought to use it, but it would appear the element of surprise has been lost.”

  “Bipki?”

  “It is what the Kuwathi call your drones.”

  “What does it mean?” she asks, eyes dancing with curiosity as she stretches slowly.

  “Demon eye.”

  She raises an eyebrow, “Fitting, I suppose.”

  “You spoke of a legend, something to do with me writing my own runes?”

  She gives a half smile, “I told you that I would say more, once I know your truths. Yet each day you ask.” She tilts her head, giving a playful smile, “I’m beginning to think you’re stubborn.”

  She is not wrong.

  “It will take weeks to teach me how, no?”

  She nods, “If you’re as quick of a study as I think you are.”

  “And what do you expect us to talk about in the meantime?”

  “The weather,” she shrugs, crossing her leg and leaning her head on one of her hands, a sly smile on her face.

  “I do not speak of the weather.”

  “Then it will be very quiet, which is peaceful in its own way.”

  I shake my head, there must be some way that I can convince her to trust me.

  “Why are you so sure that I can help you?”

  “I told you. You wrote runes upon Fennec, you changed him.”

  “It did not remove his Goddess’s runes.”

  She looks at me sideways for a moment, “I suppose you wouldn’t know, you haven’t been able to speak with him in some time.”

  “Know what?”

  She shifts, mulling whether to tell me. The Etheric shield envelops us, something she has been turning on each day. Something her Goddess supposably told her to do in order to gain my trust. If I had not seen her heart’s truths, I do not think I would have trust with her at all. Still, I must convince her to be more trusting than me.

  “Solara, trust can be built without absolutes. Why not share what you know, and I will tell you what I know.”

  Her eyes seemed to sparkle whenever I say her name.

  “My friends call me Sola.”

  She has told me this many times now.

  “When we are friends, perhaps it shall be spoken as such,” folding my arms, “Those I call friend, have my trust, you have yet to earn it.”

  “Freeing you was not enough? Showing you my…” she looks away, “Showing you my heart?”

  “They are a start. Talon-Ben Nul Huduk.”

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  She looks at me, somewhat dejected, “Are you going to explain that, or should I guess?”

  “It means, a path does not walk itself.”

  She sighs, a small smile as she rolls her eyes.

  “You don’t even try to manipulate me, I had been worried you would use my feelings against me.”

  “There is no honor in that. Truth begets truth. Even when it is hard to hear.”

  She nods, looking down.

  “If I tell you what I know, there goes my leverage.”

  “Friends do not hold leverage, they hold confidence.”

  She licks her lips slowly before she nods.

  “Fine… a few days after Fennec awoke, his runes that were given by Ravena began to degrade, until they no longer functioned. The runes that you placed upon him devoured them. They have not completed their work, but Leora thinks they will in a few weeks or months. When that happens… well, she isn’t sure what will happen exactly. The runes they’re… not normal ones. Even when he went to pray at her altar again… she could not replace them.”

  I blink at her, taking in the information. Fennec is free of Ravena? I did not know that runes could be devoured. How could a goddess as strong as her not replace them?

  “What do you mean they are not normal?”

  “He broke a bound once the third set formed, claimed that his mana channels were improving dramatically among other things.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  She laughs lightly, “Neither does Leora. A spark bearer isn’t supposed to be able to draw runes before ascension, yet you did.”

  There is that term again, Ravena said something about me carrying a spark.

  “What is a Spark? What ascension?”

  “They didn’t tell you about that?”

  I shake my head.

  “What did they tell you?”

  “Little.”

  “Well,” she leans back, “A spark bearer is a person who carries the legacy of a god. They are a reincarnation of them.”

  “What?”

  “The souls of gods are difficult to destroy, but when their bodies are defeated, they are pulled to the well of souls just like mortals. Eventually they reincarnate, giving their reincarnation certain advantages. The soul prevents them from being automatically runed by other gods during the rebirth process. It is why you were born runeless.”

  My eyes fall to the floor, is that what the golden eyes is? A legacy from a fallen god? My eyes trace up into hers, hoping for more. Wondering why this woman is the first to speak plainly to me since this all began.

  “What spark do I carry then?”

  She shrugs, “I don’t know. Though my master may be able to help you find out.”

  “Your master?”

  She pauses, shifting uncomfortably, “You know him.”

  “Who?”

  She does not want to say.

  “Solara, trust is built, not given.”

  She breathes out, “Dargo.”

  My hand instinctually wants to reach for a blade that is not there.

  “He sought me out recently, so he could learn what happened to you when…”

  “When he left me to that monster, Mallock?”

  She nods.

  “That’s how I discovered that he was mentoring you.”

  “Mentoring…” my eyes close, the rage wishes to spill out. I hold it back. She is the first to speak without restriction. Calm, find the calm.

  “I didn’t know, and I don’t think he knew what would happen to you either.”

  Find the calm.

  “Leora tells us little.”

  “So, his goddess is Leora?”

  “Not exactly by choice, but yes. Though I don’t think he would abandon her. He has served her too long.”

  Closing my eyes again, it takes everything that I am to not yell in frustration. It was Leora that led me to that place of suffering. Why is she doing this? Does she want me to release the Golden Eyes to destroy everything? My eyes open slowly, looking down at my hands as they swear a solemn oath to take Leora’s life someday. This much they are owed… this much they are due.

  “You spoke of ascension?”

  She nods slowly, twirling a few strands of her vibrant red hair.

  “It is forbidden to speak of the upper bounds, I’m sure Luna at least told you that much.”

  I nod.

  “Well, my master told me all about the mortal boundaries. He even told me what lies beyond them.”

  I straighten, at last, the secret will be revealed.

  “What do you know so far?” she asks, her crimson eyes dancing in the ambient light of the room.

  “I know that the first boundary is finding the Realm of Dreams…” I pause, they called it something different, “The Spiritual Realm.”

  She nods.

  “The second, the heart becomes a conduit for the soul’s power. It strengthens control of Maka, or mana as you know it.”

  “Correct.”

  “The third boundary, blood infuses mana from the heart, improving organs. Making people more resistant to illness and poison.”

  “A bit simplified, but yes.”

  “The fourth boundary, mana begins to improve the physical structure of the body. Increasing bone density, tendon strength and muscles.”

  She nods with a smile.

  “And the fifth?”

  “After the fourth, each bound increases the strength given by the previous. The main change with the fifth boundary is Elemental Resonance.”

  “Like the metal that Kotina shapes and the air that Dargo commands?”

  She shakes her head, “No, the fifth attunes you, let’s you feel the element that you resonate with. It is the bridge where you learn to feel matter.”

  I tilt my head at her.

  “The sixth bound, you start to control it directly, whatever element you resonate with. Each person is different in their approach. Some shape water, some freeze it, some turn it to mist. The variations are near endless. Many control natural elements. As you said, Kotina, shapes metal. She would not be able to shape all metals though, not yet at least.”

  “The seventh?”

  “They begin to resonate with more types of matter. They are able to shape it in ways they could not before. Will becomes a physical thing.”

  “The eighth?”

  “Those who are in the eight can use mana to shape energy itself. This is where they begin to feel that which lies beyond. The first inkling of true power.”

  “The ninth?”

  She smiles, “You’ve gotten so much out of me, and I’ve received so little from you.”

  “Fair enough, what do you want to know?”

  She straightens, eyes focused on me, “Leora said that she felt you stir her from her slumber.”

  “Who?”

  “Zarae.”

  The Etheric field ripples at the mere mention of her name.

  “Did you? Have you seen her?” she asks, her concentration more than it has been before.

  “I…” the horned woman does not appear though. She does not stop me from speaking… “I have seen her.”

  I blink… does this barrier stop her too?

  Solara’s eyes widen, she swallows hard, “What did she look like?”

  “She has horns.”

  “And what else?” she moves closer to me.

  “Ethereal silver eyes, they dance with colors just beneath the surface, white hair like fresh snow,” I breathe, it is strange to finally speak of her out loud.

  “Who does she look like? Me or Luna?”

  I blink at her… how would she know that she looks like one of them?

  “I, why do you ask that?” I feel uncomfortable now with the intensity of her gaze.

  “Please… I need to know.”

  She grabs my arm gently, coming closer still.

  “She looks like Luna, but how did you know?”

  Solara’s face slackens as though all the hope in the universe was pulled away in a single breath. Her eyes slowly trace to the floor. Her hand releasing me, tears well in her eyes.

  Her voice is soft as a whisper as she says, “So, she took that from me too then.”

  She stands quietly, her stance filled with sorrow as she leaves the room. Why did she ask that? How did she know who Zarae looked like?

  December is a light posting month for me. Taking time to catch up on editing. It will be one chapter a week until the end of December, apologies, but I really need this time. Happy holidays!

  As always, thank you for reading!