57
Kora
Two nights had passed at Skybell, and Kora wasn’t making any headway. She groaned as she flicked through her seventh tome, her fingers cramping, her eyeballs spinning. Words no longer made sense, and she was losing the comprehension to read Devanian. Agatha would have been furious.
At least Kora’s chambers were luscious. More so than Windspire.
Walls made of sleek stone instead of moonstone, with aged furniture that was something out of the fantasy tales she’d read.
A grand four-poster bed, with pillows larger than her torso.
All furnishings were simple, a mix of cream and silvery blues.
The only gripe was that the bathing chamber was communal, and there were no handmaidens here to guard the door every time she bathed.
Yet, her heart raced with a small thrill whenever she thought Raiden might walk in. Or twist with dread whenever she heard Aerion giggling outside the door. She’d drop dead if he and Aryn ever decided to walk in for a watery rendezvous.
Kora fidgeted in one of the velvet chairs of the library as her neck ached from bowing her head.
Aerion and Aryn had settled across the library, a towering stack of books between them about bonds and dark magic.
Aryn turned pages with rapid speed, apparently his magic extended to the rate his eyeballs could read.
Aerion’s feet were propped up on an identical wooden table, yawning every minute that passed.
As she flicked onto the next page of what’d been so far the most boring historical record, she paused.
It’s always been thought that Thanos was the first god. The bringer of life and death. He created the world, and within it, the elements bloomed. He is the father of the gods, the all that be all.
Kora’s skin prickled. Thanos was the leader of the gods? Their father? Their creator? And she’d had a fucking therapy session with him?
Calypso came next, filling the barren world with oceans.
And then Thanos was no longer alone. Together they ruled, her stormy seas so destructive that any life trying to survive was shepherded into Thanos’ realm for nurture.
But soon it wasn’t enough, the raging ocean broken apart by erupting lands.
Kaiah blossomed like the spurt of the thickest tree, their gift bringing vegetation and colour to the bleak tempests.
Thanos’ creations collided, becoming an unstoppable force of nature.
Calypso was depicted as so . . . ruthless. Kora’s mouth twisted. Perhaps it was hereditary.
The two gods were wild, their tempers flaring so bright the world became uninhabitable.
Thanos’ control between the balance of life and death slipped, and thus Haizea arrived.
Her winds soothed the lands and oceans, giving way to new creations of life that lived on her air—humans.
She was the sister counterpart to Thanos, the giver and breather of sustainable life, so that her creations’ souls could journey to Thanos’ keep.
Surely Haizea wasn’t really the creator of humans? Had they not always existed?
But her creations cried out for more. Kaiah’s and Calypso’s reign became ruthless, a battle for who was the most revered god, who had the most control of the world they helped create.
The humans suffered in-between, and so the gods agreed to grant them their first gift. Igniso, the God of Eternal Flame.
Kora rubbed her eyes. Was this true, or simply another tale? Agatha’s teachings had never ventured prior to the fall of Devania. Kora was aware of the individual gods, some of their powers, but she mostly studied their downfall, and the scholars’ writings on the magical factions.
Warmth spread like the sun and the humans rejoiced, spreading across the lands like a wave.
Igniso blessed them with fire, parting with his single devout gift, and soon Haizea’s creation demanded more.
They tamed Calypso’s seas with boats, and hunted her handmaidens for their scales, her monsters retreating into the deepest trenches.
They chopped and burned Kaiah’s bounty, rich life taken for the sake of the paper you read this fable upon.
Vegetation became cursed, Kaiah’s blessing corrupted for greed.
Finally, Haizea’s air was polluted, and the heavens cried as the smoke rose into the skies from the burning of the dead.
“Devout Devania: A Scholar’s Fable,” Raiden read beside Kora, his shadow looming over her. She jumped, her knees knocking the table with a hiss.
“Is this history, or fantasy?” Kora raised a brow as Raiden sat adjacent to her at the end of the table, propping his legs up whilst tossing an apple in his palm. Kora’s mouth curved as Aerion waved not fifteen feet away, doing the exact same thing.
“It’s too old to tell.” He bit into the fruit, and Kora glanced away. “I can spoil the ending for you if you like.”
“I already know how it ends.” Kora’s lashes lowered as he licked the juice of the apple from his bottom lip. “The gods faded away. The demand of humankind too much for them to bear. Prayers ceased, mages became sparse. The gods no longer mattered and withered without their worship.”
Except, Thanos still existed. Somewhere in the pockets between realms.
Raiden hummed approvingly. “Very good. The Devanian Conquest pushed things along quicker. By the time I entered this world, Admiral Darkon and the Staghart’s had erased so much history, it was hard to believe magic existed.”
“Did you ever meet Darkon?” Kora leaned forward.
“No. He was always hidden, like a shade. He always commanded from behind the scenes, allowing his generals to do his dirty work.” Raiden bit into the apple harder, the ice bracelet on his wrist sliding down.
Her heart fluttered that he still wore it.
“Just for Barron to take his place instead when he died.”
Another book floated down from the shelves, encased in a binding of sparkling black. Kora spluttered as Raiden flipped the pages open with a grunt.
“What? I may have my own research to do.”
“Are you finally warming up to the concept of reading?”
“Dear Huntress, I am full of surprises.”
Kora soaked her feet in the sea once more, concentrating on summoning her power.
She came out here whenever the words blurred on the pages, focusing on reshaping and strengthening her power once again.
Except this time, she already had Raiden’s lessons memorised in her mind, and flowed through them as if they’d happened yesterday.
She followed the fluidity of her motions, merging Aerion’s teachings with Raiden’s, picturing her end goal.
She delved deep, her toes curling into the water as she called on her water beast. The smallest of purrs answered, and Kora manipulated a thin stream as thick as her arm, winding it around her body.
Moonlight shimmered in its current, illuminating the sea before her.
The moon was almost full, and her heart pounded.
They would need to leave in three days maximum, two days earliest.
As the water settled back into the ocean, Kora unsheathed her midnight dagger, clasping the cool, pearl-tipped hilt as she practised basic attacks.
Gritting her teeth, she summoned once again, her arms trembling as she attempted to shape the water to the dagger, but it was messy, the water sliding down the blade and dripping back down into the ocean.
With a sweat-soaked sigh, she released her magic.
It still wasn’t enough.
Kora pivoted on her bare feet, storming up the coastline. As the Mist thinned before her, opening like a parted wave, Kora halted in her tracks, her jaw unhinged.
“Cadence?”
The palomino mare trotted towards Kora, her sandy mane rustling in the breeze, her hooves fading into the dark shoreline. This couldn’t be real. How could Cadence be here? Hot breath blew on Kora’s face as her snout nuzzled her neck, followed by the excited swish of her tail.
“Cadence! How . . . what . . .” Kora stroked her neck, following the familiar curve of her muscles to her back. Was she hallucinating? Had she finally gone mad with grief?
Cadence neighed, her tail swatting Kora’s cheek and she laughed. “Okay, you’re real.”
“Raiden! Come quick.”
“What’s happened? Are you alright?”
Kora ignored him as Cadence trotted around her, her hooves kicking into the sand, splashing the water. Laughter tore from Kora’s throat, her body spinning as a shadow loomed behind her.
“Rayne?” Cadence’s palomino twin emerged from the Mist, with the exact same colouring and intuitive eyes. His snout dipped, his tail gently swishing as those deep chocolate eyes blinked.
“Samuel isn’t here.” Kora’s mouth twisted, her heart panging at what could be happening to him. Rayne’s head drooped, understanding her.
This was impossible. These horses couldn’t be here, they were back in Aldara, in the stables by Cadell Manor.
“Next time I ask what’s happened, don’t ignore me.” Raiden plummeted to the ground beside Kora, appearing from the night sky. Had he been flying when she’d reached out? His head flipped rapidly, his stare darting between Cadence and Rayne.
“Don’t move,” Raiden warned, edging closer to Kora. Cadence huffed, her front hooves slamming into the sand behind Kora. Raiden froze, his palms opening in warning. “Huntress, you need to move away.”
“What?” Kora frowned. “No . . . they’re horses from Aldara. I don’t know how they’re here . . .”
A third trot kicked through the sand, and Kora slowly turned as a fiery red mare joined between Cadence and Rayne. Her white mane was stark against the dark, and her eyes burned a simmering red with a subtle glow, causing Kora to step back.
“Fajra,” Kora whispered. If she was here . . .
Raiden whirled as hot steam blew from a dark shadow, ruffling his hair. Raiden rushed to Kora, their backs meeting as the two mares and two stallions surrounded them.
“Erebus,” Kora spoke calmly as the midnight stallion emerged.
“How do you know their names?” Fear laced Raiden’s voice.
“I rode with them in the desert,” Kora answered as Cadence neared.
“This was my mare.” She smiled gently as Cadence’s snout pressed down into Kora’s palm, still as warm and as soft as she remembered.
Raiden inhaled sharply, his hand hovering to snatch Kora’s away, but Erebus’ jaws snapped in warning.
“These aren’t horses,” Raiden said, his voice lowering.
Kora gasped as Cadence’s image shuddered before shifting, taking on the form of a hound, with droopy red eyes and dual black tails. She jumped, stumbling into Raiden, realising the remaining three horses had copied her.
“They’re all Conan. They’re . . .” Kora swayed, her vision dizzying as the same bloodhound stared back at her in four places.
Cadence transformed again, becoming a ferret of rippling water.
Kora collapsed to her knees, reaching out as Cadence excitedly raced around in circles.
A glance to her left, and Fajra was a fox of pure flame, her eyes like burning coals.
Rayne had taken the form of a silvered eagle, his wings and eyes translucent, and claws nearly as large as Kora’s head.
Finally, Erebus was a stag, his horns entwined with decaying flowers, his green eyes dulled and muted. Moss covered his hooves, falling off in dark clumps with every step he made.
“This can’t be,” Raiden breathed, sagging to his knees beside Kora. “You can’t still exist.”
Raiden instantly bowed before Rayne, whispering under his breath. Cadence launched at Kora, curling onto her lap, her dress remaining dry as the ferret purred.
“What are they?” Kora asked, tentatively scratching Cadence’s jellied stomach.
“True phantoms.” Raiden keenly inspected Rayne, the eagle twitching and expanding his wings, showing off to Raiden. “These were pets of the gods. Created to be their companions forever. We assumed they’d faded along with the gods.”
“This is . . . Calypso’s pet?” Cadence jumped off Kora’s lap at the mention of Calypso. The phantoms all made a joint noise, a pained cry at the mention of their original owners.
“They’ve wandered this world alone for over a thousand years.” Raiden scratched Rayne’s neck. Fajra sat back on her hind paws, blandly observing the conversation as Erebus remained still and stoic.
“And they were drawn to you.” Raiden turned, meeting Kora’s stare. “These are the original essences of power, before they gifted it to mortals and created mages. Where our power is drawn, it represents these creatures.”
Her water beast. She’d always imagined it as something ferocious like a caged, haired, wild animal. But was it a hyperactive ferret all this time? The gods loved a joke.
“They’re not drawn to me . . .” Kora drifted off as all four phantoms turned to face her at the sound of her voice.
“I beg to differ. They’ve remained in hiding all this time, to emerge as horses to be used in a desert trek.
They’ve been following you, watching over you.
There’s something about you drawing them closer.
” Raiden stood, pulling Kora with him as he studied her.
She shuddered as his warm, calloused touch turned her palms over before meeting her gaze.
“They’re shapeshifters, and can take the form of anything they desire. They copied Conan as an example. This form they’re in now is the gods’ preferred pet form. But trust me, they can become dangerous.” Raiden tilted Kora’s chin, his stare narrowing on her scar.
Erebus huffed from behind, his antlers poking into her back. At the touch of it, Kora jolted, her chest sparking with familiar white, burning hot light. Her vision warped, her hearing fading as her stomach plummeted to the ground.
One second, Raiden was holding her chin, the next, she was fifty feet away, her back slamming into the sand.
What. The. Fuck.
Raiden smacked into the ground beside her from a propelled jump, heavily panting as moonlight dazzled in his eyes like stars. His smile was so wild, his hair dishevelled as he leaned over Kora.
“Now I know why they’re following you.”