30. Kyros #3
“The same reason anyone was there.” He shakes his head and scoffs, his shoulder rising with a look of confusion on his face, “After the Thunderbirds attacked at the blessing ceremony, it only solidified my doubt in the Eathian King. Anyone with knowledge of the gods would be right to question why the Cerkins and Thunderbirds were there to begin with. Both of the beings are said to come from beyond the veil. Cerkins are cruel beasts hungry for death, but for Thunderbirds to be attacking people? That is something else entirely. The king ordered his men to bring the birds down, right alongside the Cerkin. At first I thought the thunderbirds were attacking the Cerkin, fighting them off and protecting the people… That’s when I realized what they were really doing.
Thunderbirds, creatures of Runerth, were picking off the king’s guard.
When we were eventually told the princess was missing again, the king went mad with rage.
Eathian was an ocean of blood, Kyros.” He barely takes a breath before shaking his head and continuing, “Several of the suitors were there trying to appease the king in bringing her home… but when the madness was unleashed and the portal opened with the Queen of Diemos stepping through and an Umbra Vitae at her side… most either fled or at very least sent messengers back home in warning before hiding or dying there in the sand.”
“Warning of what?” I cut in before he starts again, and his face twists in disbelief.
“Was it not a clear omen from the gods? They surely must have taught you of the gods in Diemos…” He says incredulously, and I growl in warning.
He lifts his hands up in defense, and Tarin shifts on his feet; Rowan, though, stays stoically lost in thought.
I want to say that of course I was taught as much as him about the gods' magick and otherwise, but it’s clear that was not the case.
When he realizes I’m ready for him to continue, he lets out a long sigh, shaking his head.
“I don’t think you understood. Thunderbirds are guardians of balance, beings of Runerth.
Their sole purpose is to steer storms to where they’re needed.
They bring the land what it needs to survive and protect the creatures of the world from disruption of balance.
After the war, when most magick seemed to have dried up with the sea, the Thunderbirds were thought to be included in that.
Only phantom sightings from people who were considered sun-mad had mentioned them.
They became as much of a legend as the manticore and many of the other creatures placed in this realm by the gods.
” He tells the story as though he has been told it at his bedside his entire childhood.
My jaw ticks as I mill over his words. The Thunderbirds were protecting her.
In turn, the people she wanted to have protection—they would defend too.
“I know the story.” I bite out semi-distracted by my thoughts, though truthfully, I’ve only heard ramblings from Kaeleith in her rants about the gods and the creatures they brought to this land.
I keep replaying the sights from the ceremony when the birds descended and then again from the dunes.
Each time they were there, Astraea was also, and her distress was even palpable to me…
“Well, as you know, the Neer did everything they could to keep the divine fire burning with the stories they’ve told—with the souls they allowed to pass through the flames.
” Ruaan's voice interrupts my thoughts, and my focus shoots back to him. “The fire of Runerth became the creed for those outside of Eathain too, as the Neer fled and spread their beliefs. I know that to be true for you too.” I swallow the retort I was going to say. He’s right.
“It’s why you were there celebrating the Shula Morana.
Our kingdom had heard of the leaders in the border territory still keeping up the Runerth traditions. ”
“So what? You think that the gods are here to exact vengeance over something Connard has done?” I ask. Out of the corner of my eye I see Rowan blink out of whatever trance he was in, and he turns intently toward me.
“Doesn’t it make sense? Think about it… Connard has feared magick since he took his reign over the kingdom.
He clearly didn't have any magick himself—we know that much to be fact. You know I would have sensed it when I had met him, and now that we know the princess has her own well of magick… Doesn’t it seem suspicious that he was trying to marry her off by the time she turned twenty-one?
The same year that our magick often peaks…
” Rowan says, stepping closer to Ruaan and clapping him on the shoulder.
My lips part when I realize that everything Ruaan has said does make sense.
My eyes flick between the three of them.
“Fine, say it’s true, but I do believe Astraea when she says she doesn’t know, and we all know magick is passed down through blood. If she has magick…”
“Not just any magick, Senka-born magick.” Ruaan corrects me.
“Okay, Senka-born magick… What does that mean? And what does any of this have to do with you?” I ask, and his lips curl into a mischievous smile.
“Well, the latter is easier to answer than the former. Connard hurt someone who meant a great deal to me. I wanted to see him pay for what he did. The only reason I was there was to ruin his princess, but when I arrived at the palace to learn the princess was missing… The king fed his lies to the kingdom about her disappearance and thoroughly put on his show of dominance at the gates, but every kingdom has walls that talk, and his were screaming the truth. The princess fled his reign, and that changed everything.” Ruaan’s smile takes over his whole face as he speaks.
Probably loving the barely contained rage I feel over him openly admitting that wanted to ruin what is mine.
He continues, “I want to know for sure that the King is dead. If he’s not, I will watch him meet the end of a blade for the last time.
Either way, it seems we are about to uncover all the secrets he’s kept hidden for all of these years, and I for one want to know if the Diemos Queen had anything to do with all the decisions King Connard made…
One of those secrets, well… I think we’ve just figured out.
This princess he’s kept in the castle all these years—there is no way Astraea is truly his daughter. ”