Utheda gestured for him to go ahead, and looked away.

  Yens pulled Nehma in and kissed her. She enjoyed it very much.

  They made their way through the castle, towards the central lobby. Yens had directed them there in order to meet with the Seer. They descended a few pairs of stairs and came to a large room, with great windows that let in just the barest light from the far away sun. Nehma looked at it. It never moved, unless one walked away from it or towards it. The Book said that she would make it rise and set again, or at least, her child would. She wondered what that kind of world that would be like, a world with day and night. She thought it would be like Vungarde, only better.

  There was another, large staircase that led down to the central lobby. Nehma could see the Highlander from the fort where she had battled Jutyr. He was talking with a group of men, most of whom had dark skin and long, black hair. They talked with thick accents, but Nehma could still understand what they said. It was the Lowlands speech, though she had heard that the northern kingdoms of Anthi and Shem had their own language. Maybe she would ask these men. Maybe she would ask Sonsoryan himself. That thought made her giddy. He was the stuff of legends. More stories about Sonsoryan came from the north than anything else. He was a warrior of warriors, a cannibal, a reprobate, a pinnacle of morality. Every story was different, and it would be amazing to see the real man.

  The group of men turned and saw Nehma and her aunt descending the staircase towards them. They bowed as she approached them. Nehma could see now that one of them was a southerner like her, likely the High Guard from Kath. She thought she had seen him in the fort, but she was not sure.

  When she made it to the bottom with her aunt, the Highlander got up and approached her. “Mother. I am the Seer.”

  Nothing surprised her anymore. “I am honored, Seer. Do you have a name?”

  “Ennar, Mother.”

  “And I am Nehma Un’Demor, Seer.”

  He bowed. “Within the hour, I intend to name the Vessel. I would be honored if you were there at the ceremony.”

  Nehma rolled her eyes. She knew that he was aware she was the Vessel. But he had to put up a show. No one could know until he had said it officially. “Yes, I will be there.”

  “Good,” he said, smiling at her. He knew. She wanted to punch it off his smug face, but he knew.

  She thought for a moment. She worried that this was all getting to her head. She had never wanted to punch someone just because they were smug. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. She had wanted to punch Raegal because he was smug. This Ennar reminded her a bit of her brother, in truth.

  She turned to ascend back up the stairs. Gredl came down the stairs as she went back up. “Nehma!” the queen said, curtsying as she got closer. That was something Nehma would have to get used to; kings bowing and queens curtsying. “I was just headed to the terrace where the Seer will address the people. Perhaps you will join me?” She winked.

  Nehma smiled knowingly. “Yes, I would love to. How about you, Utheda?”

  “I would love to,” Utheda replied, keeping her smile small. They all three knew. They headed back up to the second floor and Gredl led them to the terrace.

  A very large crowd had gathered beneath the castle, waiting for someone to address them. Nehma guessed that half of them didn’t even know about the Seer’s plan to reveal the Vessel. Bodwein was already outside, conversing with a man who could only be Sonsoryan. He was tall, but not the tallest man she had ever seen. His hair and beard were long and dark, but had flecks and strands of grey in them. His voice was deep and powerful, a voice that was used to giving speeches and making commands. “You need more archers, Bodwein. The Dawnhand proved that,” the king said, pointing at the various guard towers.

  “We do just fine without too many. I’d rather have men in the field, for when the fighting is close and personal. Archers can only do so much. Besides, the Dawnhand had us severely outnumbered. No amount of archers could have helped that.”

  Sonsoryan threw his hands up into the air. “You will not listen to reason! If you can kill an enemy from long range, why waste the time to get close? There is just as much a chance of you dying as there is them at that point!”

  “Perhaps,” Nehma offered tenderly, “you could both think about using Gifted in your armies?” Both of the men turned to regard her, and Nehma shrunk back from Sonsoryan’s powerful gaze. Bodwein stood up in his chair and bowed deeply. Sonsoryan stayed in his chair, examining Nehma from where he sat.

  “Mother,” Bodwein said, coming up from his bow. “Are you ready? The Seer is going to name the Vessel today. It is a great time for all of us.” He grinned, turning to go back to his seat next to Sonsoryan.

  “So this is the Mother of Dawn,” Sonsoryan said, getting up from his chair. He walked over, still analyzing her closely. Finally, he bowed. “You have my loyalty, Mother.” He stood up straight and returned to his chair. “Now, the girl does have a point about the Gifted.”

  “She is the Mother, not the girl!” Bodwein shouted. “And besides, you have always had a strong point against using the Gifted in battle!”

  That appeared to sting Sonsoryan. He glared at Bodwein before waving his hand in dismissal. “After the Seer’s little Army of the Vessel, I do not see the point in avoiding it any further.”

  Nehma turned away from the two men. She found a seat on the aisle opposite of them. Other people were beginning to enter the terrace now. Yens, Ardmar, Ennar, a few Galian captains, a strange blonde man, wearing Anthi garb, the High Guard from Kath, and several other high ranking soldiers. They all took seats.

  Bodwein, seeing that everyone was present, got up from his seat and walked to the edge of the terrace. “People of Gal!” he roared. The crowd roared in return, cheering wildly. The mood of the city was frenetic with their victory over the Dawnhand. “Today is an extraordinary day! Today, the Seer names the Vessel! Today will mark the beginning of a new age, the fulfillment of the promise of a rising sun!” The people cheered even more. She could hear Bodwein’s voice echoing much farther than it should have, and guess someone Gifted was helping to project his voice. “I give you, the Seer!”

  Ennar got up from his seat. Nehma could see him carrying a beautiful scabbard in his hand. Ardmar leaned back. “That is the Eye,” he whispered. Gredl batted at him, shushing him as she did so. He scowled playfully and turned back around.

  Ennar waited for the people’s cheers to die down. “Gal!” he cried out. “I am the Seer! I have come to name the Vessel, and to make you fulfill the oaths!” The people roared once more. Nehma had to wonder if Ennar could get through one sentence without making people cheer. “But first, let us honor the Mother of Dawn, who has slain the Soldier!” He turned back, and motioned for her to come forward. Her stomach turned as she did so.

  She walked over to the edge and looked out. Ten thousand people filled the square, with many more in the streets and buildings in the inner city. The rest of Gal would hear the news by the end of the day. The crowd erupted into applause that lasted for a good minute. As it died down, Ennar turned and bowed to her.

  He stood up, and turned back to the crowd. “Now, I have come to name the Vessel! And I name Nehma Un’Demor, the Mother of Dawn!”

  The crowd went silent. Some of the people behind her gasped. She looked back to see the stunned looks of the Galian captains, several of the men of Anthi and above all, Bodwein. For some reason, Sonsoryan did not look surprised.

  She turned back to the crowd around her, unsure of what to say. Luckily, it was Ennar who made the next move. “As a testimony to this, Nehma will calm the Eye of Dru’am!” He held the scabbard above his head. The people said nothing, only waiting for what would happen next.

  Ennar got on his knees and offered the sword up to Nehma. She slowly took it from his hands. The grip was beautiful, made of a very light metal and wrapped in leather that felt like silk to touch, with golden gems inlaid into it. The scabbard was a dark blue and had white gold accentuating its tip. She grasped the handle and unsheathed the Eye.

  The power that flowed into her was astounding. It was both a torrential onrush and the gentle lapping of waves on a lake shore. She let it fill her and surround her. There was the Light, spreading around her like a storm. There was music too, music like water falls and trees rustling in the wind.

  She bid it calm and it did. Slowly but surely, the storm began to die out, receding back into the blade. After a moment, it was completely gone, and the Eye was still. She held it in her hand, admiring it, barely aware of the cheering that began to spread through the people of Gal.

  Chapter 45: Making Plans

  Even knowing they would not harm him, Talm was still afraid of the ruins of Ith. He was wholly in the snare of Sar now, amongst the god’s own Children, and the spirits here would not hurt him, would not move against him. But they were watching him, drilling into his soul with eyes unseen.

  Rygar walked two paces in front of him. He would occasionally look back and smile at Talm. Those smiles disturbed Talm deeply. They seemed just a little off, just a little too forced. They entered a building, what looked like it might have been an inn long ago.

  “Hello? Rygar called out. “Is everyone here?”

  A woman, tall and beautiful crept out of the shadows. She was the Lady. “I am here, Rygar. You have heard the news about Jutyr?” she asked, her voice like sweet poison. Her hair was black like raven’s feathers, but her lips were ruby red.

  Rygar snarled. “Yes. He was an imbecile, going after her in a direct assault.”

  “He would have had her, but luck played in her favor,” another voice said. It’s owner emerged from the shadows that filled other half of the room. He was much shorter than Rygar and Lymara but he was very lithe. His eyes had a predatory look to them. He was the Thief, Rhuic, and besides Rygar, he was the only Child of Night Talm had met. “It was not his fault.”

  “He has shown us that we cannot go after the Vessel directly. We will need to trap her, or trick her,” the Lady replied. “We need to turn her allies against her.”

  “I have worked on turning Kath. Already the nobles have been incited against this false Vessel who has sprouted up in the north,” Rygar said, grinning. “She will find no friends there.”

  “And I have swayed her brother in our favor too,” Lymara replied. Talm swallowed hard. The King of Avan was under their thumb as well? He had underestimated the Children.

  “Thiren and Ahnd are almost mine. Another week and the common people will start a revolt on what they view as the corrupt monarchies,” Rhuic added.

  “Good,” Rygar said. “Now, we have our friend to consider.” The Noble gestured to Talm. “Where does he fit in?”

  Both Lymara and Rhuic looked him over. Rhuic dismissed him with the wave of his hand. “I do not see what Sar sees in him.”

  Sar himself? Talm thought. He had only thought the Children had noticed him.

  Lymara thought for a second. “I think I may have an idea. We’ll need to make him Gifted though.”

  Rygar smiled. “Easy enough. What’s your plan?”

  And the Children of Night prepared for the coming days.

  Epilogue

  The Beast stirred in the night. Snow fell off his great hide, ice splintered from his paws and the ground trembled underneath his waking. He opened his eyes and saw across the distance of the world. He felt his consciousness, reached out for the missing pieces. They were across the world, in the Day, where he could not get to them.

  He began to think of a plan. He watched as the news of the Vessel spread across Oarthna, even reaching the ears of the Lightsingers in Thynopos. It was quick; by the end of the month, almost every person on this side of the world would know who Nehma Un’Demor was.

  Jutyr he was disappointed about. He was an ambitious, straightforward man. He was easy to make promises to, because he only thought of personal gain. That made him an excellent, loyal soldier, as no one could promise more than Sar.

  The other children he was unsure of. They worked to try and turn people against the Vessel, but they did not realize that was not where his plans were. Rygar he could trust to do something interesting, but the others remained largely useless to him.

  He closed his eyes again, settling on his next move. The other pieces of him heard, and they all agreed. It was a good plan.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Ian Everett lives in Houston, Texas, where he works, writes books, and makes music. He is the author of the Unity Cycle. You can contact him at www.ianeve.com

  Cover Design – Will Phillips – www.WillPhillips.org

  Map Design – Lindsey Slavin – www.lindseystella.wix.com/portfolio

 

 

  Ian Everett, The Mother of Dawn (The Unity Cycle)

 

 

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