Vera's Song (Creatures of the Lands Book 2) Read online

  Snow Drop leapt into the air and caught Kia before she plummeted to the ground. The fairy sat on her back, unable to move.

  Wyntier smiled at Keota. “You have a choice, Keota Motimori! I will spare your child’s life if you kill Ionan! Either kill your Changer and save your family, or let him live while you lose your son!”

  “No!” Vera cried. Ionan didn’t let Wyntier’s words phase him. He turned to grab Allie, but a spiked tail blocked his way and before he knew what was happening the little fawn was on Vera’s back.

  “Io!” she called to him. “Io, help me!”

  Wyntier smiled happily as Vera turned in the air, sailing back towards the Ice Borns. “By the way, you can thank your sister and her Changer for giving me the idea. One of the worst things that can happen to an Accompany is to lose his Changer. I would thank her, if I hadn’t pushed her and Maekrel off the side of a mountain.”

  Ionan roared in fury, and flames went spewing from his mouth towards Wyntier, but it didn’t make sense to give chase. Kia was hurt, and Vera was already gone.

  Chapter Eight

  Remembrance and Human Pasts

  The air cooled and the skies darkened, but none of them seemed to notice. Ionan kept reliving Vera hovering there and doing nothing. Keota lifted his wife from Snow Drop’s back and into his arms. She had passed out, and as the group huddled around the fairy lying in Keota’s arms, lightening struck.

  The sound woke Kia up. “Did we save Kennu?” she whispered.

  Keota stroked the hair out of her eyes. “No Kia. We didn’t.”

  Two tears leaked out of her eyes. “That bastard.”

  “This doesn’t make any sense!” Casiff said in frustration. “He followed us out here, showed us he had Allie and Kennu, and then vanishes? Why didn’t he try to bargain with us, or something else? All he did was attack Kia, and then threaten Ionan! It’s weird!”

  Nobody had any answers for him. Ionan looked up with dread, lashing his long tail. Lightening was rippling across the sky, and the clouds had turned a menacing shade of black, green and brown as the wind viciously whipped into a storm. The wolves whimpered and he saw before his very eyes a cyclone touch down. Knowing it was too dangerous to fly, he quickly changed into a cat before the wind could take him away by his giant wings.

  “Our instincts are too strong!“ Lilja called over the wind. “We must follow them! Take care of yourselves and Creator willing we’ll see you later!” He and the other wolves fled, and Snow Drop ran as fast as she could in a beautiful gallop away from the storm. As soon as they were gone, it started raining.

  Kia got shakily to her feet. “We need to worry about saving ourselves! Is there a ditch somewhere we could lay in?”

  “I don’t think so,” Keota looked around at the flat land before them. “All I can see is flatland! If we go in the trees behind us, we could get crushed!”

  “This is also weird! Tornado season is over!” Casiff cried. “WHY IS EVERYTHING SO WEIRD?!?!”

  “It’s been unusually cold and hot lately, for this time of year! It’s the only thing that makes sense!” Ionan said as he watched the tornado. Countless trees were ripped from their roots and twirled around. He gazed in horror as the giant twister spilt and became twins. One of them, he guessed, was heading in their direction. He changed into a cat, his claws sinking into the dirt to keep him steady.

  Panic started to set in the small group. Kia looked around and saw a tiny hut sitting in the middle of the prairie. “What about that house? It could have a basement or cellar we could use!”

  “Are you crazy? It’s right in the twister’s path! We could get sucked up!” Casiff said weakly.

  “It’s better than sitting here stupidly figuring out what to do!” she cried, and without another word she made her way down the cliff, her friends following closely behind. There were many dangerous rocks to slip on, and the mud that made their steps weaker. Casiff slipped and would have been crushed below if he hadn’t made his wings appear to slow his fall. Ionan found it too difficult and slid down a dozen times. Keota finally grabbed him and ordered him to hold onto his shirt despite his protests. They finally made it to the house, where they found a small cellar fastened shut with some sort of lock. Kia, Casiff and Ionan all struggled to pull it off, until Keota pushed them out of the way and ripped it in two, throwing it aside. He blasted the doors open and carried Kia below after Casiff and Ionan charged inside. Keota tied the doors shut with his belt and the four of them huddled against the back wall, all praying to the Creator they wouldn’t die and that the others were alright.

  Things were thrown against the cellar door with such force the company was sure the cellar would break. They heard timber break and saw through a crack that a beam had fallen on the door, entrapping them.

  Then, as sudden as it had started, it had ended.

  There was a hole in the door from the beam crashing down upon it. Ionan climbed up the stairs and looked out. “The skies are still dark, but it’s clearing up. As far as I can see the storm is gone. Everything seems alright.”

  “Ionan!” a voice whinnied and he peered out farther.

  “Snow Drop! Are you alright?” he asked.

  “She’s fine, Ionan, and so are we,” a familiar voice called. Lilja was pawing at the cellar. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, but this beam is blocking the way! I don’t think we can lift it ourselves, not even with Keota. Can you help?” the white cat called.

  “The wolves are loosening the dirt and mess around it,” Snow Drop explained. “It should be easier to move in a second.”

  “Here!” Keota found an abandoned old rope in the corner of the small room. “We can tie this around the beam and Snow Drop can put it on like a harness. If we all push together and you pull, we should be able to move it.”

  “Sounds like a good idea,” Snow Drop neighed. Casiff and Keota tied the ropes around the beam through holes in the door, which was some kind of metal. They pushed the loops through and Snow Drop threw them on her shoulders.

  “On the count of three!” Keota called. Kia, Casiff and himself braced against the board. Ionan changed into a white lion and put his huge paws next to Kia’s.

  “We can’t dig anymore! Everything is out of the way!” Echo called.

  Keota nodded. “Ready?” he called. “One, two three, go!”

  The four of them pushed against the wood, and Kia groaned. It was a lot heaver than they had anticipated. “Pull!” she cried up to the Pegasus. The wolves barked encouragement and the six of them struggled to lift the beam off the door. When there was finally enough room for the left door to open so they could squeeze through, Casiff let out a strangled, “Stop!”

  They all halted, gasping for air. Keota punched the door open and lifted Kia up. She went through and Casiff climbed up after her. Ionan jumped out and Keota followed. Kiatana looked around. “Oh my gosh,” she hushed.

  The house had been demolished. The timber and unknown metal lay wasted in a huge pile behind the cellar. Pipes were sticking out of the ground, cut in two. But that wasn’t the most shocking thing.

  Dozens of strange items were gathered all around them. A black box with a reflective, mirror-like face was cast a few feet away. Dozens of long, stringy things were attached to various objects that they had never seen before. Long poles with hats were scattered among the ground. All of the items were old or rusty, as if the things hadn’t been touched in years.

  “I know what these things are,” Casiff breathed. “They were made by humans.”

  “Humans?” Keota asked.

  “Yes. I know what they are because my father studies these type of things, but Malaki Shaman knew about humans more than he did.”

  “Nice to hear more good news about dear old dad,” Kia said dryly. “I bet he loved these types of things.”

  “He was fascinated with them. It actually got kind of freaky,” he confessed. He walked over to the box. “This is a television, or something like that. It shows pictures
and images through this mirror called a screen. You can see anything from anywhere without even leaving your front door.”

  “That’s impossible!” Keota cried.

  Casiff shook his head. “It’s possible alright. Those long strings are called wires, and they harness the stuff in lightning.”

  “I think we should go,” Ionan started. “Something about this place is giving me shivers.”

  “I agree,” Echo barked. “It feels like we’re being watched.”

  The fairies and Accompany paid no attention. They strode over to a long brown thing on the ground. “What’s this?” Kia asked.

  “It’s a rifle. A type of gun,” Casiff said quietly. “It can kill anything in an instant. It’s very dangerous.”

  “That’s bad,” Kia shook her head.

  “Your father had one of them,” Casiff added. “He could never figure out how to work it, though. It’s a good thing he didn’t. If he had one of those, we never could’ve saved the Verinian.”

  Without warning something moved behind them and Ionan turned. His eyes contracted with fear and he changed into his dragon form. “Everybody!” he cried as the creature rose out of the house ruins, “Run!”

  They all turned and gazed with fear as the beast rose and charged. It was a dragon, red scales glistening in the dim light. Its body was thin and every bone of its skeleton showed through the taunt skin. It was missing one horn, and the other was crooked and tilted awkwardly. Its teeth were sharp, yellow and cracked. It wore a saddle made out of the strange metal that composed the door. Chains formed a bridal. The dragon attempted to throw a flame at them but its mouth only issued billows of smoke. Nevertheless, it looked at them with the utmost hatred, and it posed to strike.

  “We do not mean to harm you,” Ionan said calmly. The dragon stopped and looked at him questioningly. “My name is Ionan. We only needed somewhere to wait out the storm.”

  “I am Bloodbath,” the dragon responded. Its voice should have boomed like Ionan’s, but the long years had ended that strong boom. “I was brought here hundreds of years ago, when the humans still existed. They used me as a watch dog and stole my fire, and worked me into the ground. They eventually all left or died, but I have been imprisoned in this house ever since. I feared that you were more humans come to torment me.”

  Kia walked forward and Bloodbath shrunk back. “It’s okay,” she said softly and placed a gentle hand on the dragon’s muzzle. “We can help if you want us to.”

  “These chains and saddle hurt me greatly,” he said softly. “The metal digs into my skin.”

  Kia ran her hand over the bridal and found a rusted spot. She pulled and the rust gave way, snapping the chain in two. It fell from Bloodbath’s snout and she moved to the saddle. She unhooked the metal straps and pulled the heavy item from his back. Deep cuts lined the dragon’s sides where the saddle had ended and flesh began. The scales beneath it were a dusty red color from years of being covered. “Oh, you poor thing.” Kia said softly.

  “It does not hurt so badly anymore,” Bloodbath told her calmly. “Thank you for releasing me from them.”

  “Of course,” Kia said distantly. She placed a hand against her head and wobbled dizzily. “I would do anything to help...a friend...”

  “Kia, are you alright?” Keota asked, reaching out a hand in concern.

  Without warning, Kia slumped to the ground.

  Chapter Nine

  To Forget and Make Toast Brings Great Pain

  Kia woke up a day later. She sat up slowly, looking around at the small campsite the group had set up. “My head is killing me,” she murmured. “Where am I? What’s going on?”

  “Looks like you finally woke up.” Keota came over and kissed her forehead. “We were starting to get worried.”

  “Some of us were starting to worry,” Casiff said. “Personally I said we should sling you on the back of Snow Drop and keep going.”

  “Who are you?” she asked Keota, recoiling from his kiss. “Who am I?” she looked down at her hands. They were covered in small bumps. The two boys looked at each other.

  “Casiff, she doesn’t remember me,” Keota said softly.

  “It must’ve been the poison or whatever it was that Wyntier gave her,” Casiff said. “Hopefully her lost memory will be the only side effect.”

  “What if it’s permanent? What if her memory never comes back?” Keota’s voice began to waver.

  “I think we may have bigger problems. Maybe that wasn’t Ortusan venom he gave her,” Ionan said. “If it was, why didn’t any of us lose our memory when we were cornered by the Ortusan coven five years ago?And why isn’t Kia an Ortusan yet?”

  “No, that’s definitely Ortusan venom. I can smell it on her. It takes enough of it for someone to lose their memory,” Lilja said. “It also depends on how big you are. You were bit many times by the Ortusans, Ionan, but you’re so large it didn’t even effect you, unlike Kia, who’s so small. When Ortusans hunt, they usually poison the victim just enough so they’re confused, but that they don’t change. Usually only young Ortusans make a mistake of injecting enough venom into someone to change them. Wyntier doesn’t want to do that. Making Kia an Ortusan would only make her a bigger threat, and giving her too much venom would kill her.” Lilja paused. “And for some strange reason, I feel like Wyntier doesn’t want us dead just yet.”

  “Of course he wants us dead! He must’ve just made a mistake and not given her enough!” Keota blurted.

  “I’m not sure...” Lilja murmured. “Wyntier doesn’t seem like the type to make mistakes.”

  “Just convince her to keep following us and everything will be okay,” Casiff said, gathering all of their things together. “We have to get moving soon. We’ve wasted too much time as it is.”

  “How am I going to do that? I can’t convince her to do what I ask when she knows who I am!” Keota said.

  “Whoever you are, you’re loud and annoying. The sound of your voice is the most irritating thing I’ve ever heard. Please shut up,” Kia said sharply.

  “Where are you all going?” Bloodbath came up behind them, looking down at the fairy between his feet.

  “To find my son and his Changer,” Keota answered, helping Kia to her feet and smiling at her kindly. “You really don’t know who I am, do you?”

  “No clue,” she answered. “I don’t even know who I am.”

  “Well, you’re Kia and you happen to be married to this fool!” Casiff punched Keota playfully, laughing.

  “I’m married to you?” Kia’s eyes grew wide and she stared up at Keota. “There is no way I could be married to you! I mean, come on!” Casiff nodded at her, and she groaned. “If I really am married to you, I am going to have to punch myself in the face.”

  “Yeah, and our son happens to be missing,” Keota added.

  “We have a son?” Kia stared at him, her eyes growing even wider. “Okay, this is just getting weirder by the minute. I must be sick. This is all a weird hallucination.” Kia placed a hand on her forehead and felt for a temperature.

  “No, it’s not,” Casiff told her, annoyed. “Come on, we have to get going.” He grabbed their things and began to load them onto Snow Drop. “We have some children to find.”

  “I don’t even know who you people are!” Kia shouted at them. “What makes you think I’m going to travel with you to Creator knows where?”

  “What other choice do you have?” Keota shouted back. “I love you Kia!” His eyes began welling up with tears. “I’ve always loved you. Why can’t you see that? Why can’t you remember?”

  Kia stared at him for a minute, then came forward and placed her hand on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry. I just have no clue what’s going on.”

  “Let’s just go,” Casiff said. “Do you want to come, Bloodbath?” Casiff turned toward the dragon.

  The dragon shook his head slowly. “No, I think I will head home, to the desert. My family should be happy to see me, after so many centuries. Thank you for rescuing
me. I won’t forget how you set me free, and will come to your aid whenever you need it.”

  With that he spread his wings, and took off into the beautiful blue sky.

  Keota tried to take Kia in his arms, but she pulled away. Looking down at the ground, he said, “You have to come with us. Without us, you’ll starve out here. I could never let you do that because I love you, Kia. But we don’t have time to wait for your memory to return. You’re Kiatana Abrilion Morimoti, queen of the Lands. You have to trust me.”

  Kia shook her head. “I don’t want to trust you. But for some reason, I do. I’ll follow you for now, because I have no other choice.”

  In a snow bank at the bottom of a large mountain, two figures stirred. Ana sat up slowly, astounded they had made it down the mountain alive. “Maekrel, are you alright?” she called.

  “I think I’m all in one piece,” he said, also sitting up. “Although I may be missing a finger.”

  “Missing a finger?” Ana whipped her head around to look at him, jumping to her feet. “Are you sure?”

  “Holy Creator, I AM missing a finger!!!” He held his hand up to his face to examine it, turning white.

  “YOU CAN’T BE!” Ana said, going pale herself and looking around.

  He held up his hand, turning it around to reveal his thumb folded against his palm. “Oh, never mind. I found it.”

  “What?” Ana said, still searching for his finger madly. “Where was it? Lying in the snow? How the hell are we going to put it back on?”

  “I bent it and didn’t realize it,” he responded. “Nothing’s wrong with me now.” He smiled broadly.

  Ana smacked herself in the head. “I can’t believe you could be so stupid,” she muttered.

  “I’m not used to having opposable thumbs yet,” he whined. “I’ve only been a human for a few days now.”

  She sighed. “Whatever, let’s get going.” Ana stood up, brushing the snow from her clothes.