ANUNDR: THE EXODUS (46 page)

Kalani opened her eyes and saw a foggy face looking down at her.

‘Mother.’ she said, stretching her hand.

‘No, Mara.’

Kalani’s vision cleared and she realized she was in a room with Mara sitting beside her while Taharqa and Eirene stood by her bed side.

‘Am I dreaming?’ she asked.

‘No.’ Mara said, smiling. Kalani tried to rise but she yelped because of the pain on her back.

‘Careful now.’ said Mara, helping her to a sitting position. Kalani noticed she wore fresh clothes and her wounds had been bandaged. She ran her hand over her head. It was bald.

‘Am I dead?’ she asked.

‘No,’ Eirene replied, ‘but you were.’

Kalani gaped at her. ‘You talk! I knew it.’

‘Yes, I talk but certain things had to happen before I could talk to you.’

‘Like what?’

‘Like your death.’

‘I don’t understand.’ she said. ‘So I was supposed to die? Amse knew?’

‘Yes, he did. How else did we know where to find you?’

‘Was he also meant to die?’

‘Yes, he was.’ Mara said, her eyes gleamed with tears.

‘Then how did you get me out of there?’

‘Taharqa helped find you. We’ve been following you since you were taken.’

‘Welcome back to us.’ said Taharqa with a curt nod.

Kalani turned to Mara, ‘Fanndis is dead.’

‘We know.’

‘Are you happy about it?’

Mara shook her head. ‘No. I never meant what I said.’

Kalani hugged her and cleaned her tears. Eirene turned and walked towards the exit.

‘Why did I return?’ Kalani asked, stopping Eirene.  ‘How did you even know I would?’

‘We didn’t know. We only hoped that you would cry out to your father.’ Eirene replied.

‘He heard me?’

‘Yes he did, otherwise you wouldn’t be alive.’

‘So what happens now?’

‘We wait for your wounds to heal. In your state, it won’t take long.’

‘In my state?’

‘You’re no longer mortal, child. You are now a god.’

Kalani laughed, ‘Ah! A god.’ She saw the expressions on their faces. ‘Wait--you’re not joking.’

‘I don’t joke, child.’ said Eirene with a frown.

Kalani looked down at her body. ‘But I feel mortal.’

Eirene smiled. It was the first time Kalani had ever seen the matriarch curve her lips the other way.

‘It has nothing to do with how you feel. You still have a lot to learn.’

‘Is that why you saved me?’ Kalani asked, stopping Eirene’s departure again.

‘A bit of that but we saved you because you’re going to help us find Galian.’

‘Me?!’ She looked at their faces and knew they were serious. Then, she realized it was only the beginning.

                                                        *The End.*

ANUNDR: GARDENS OF WILDERNESS

CHAPTER 1

The sky didn’t only quake in Helmford as Kalani fell, but it spread like silver crevices against dark blue sky, crossing fields, hills, cities and driving into the forbidden mountains to an isolated city of high walls surrounded by rock.

The men on the watch towers saw the lightening coming fast but before they could make out what was happening the walls they stood on collapsed. Most of the people were gathered around a tall white building and they raised their heads from their prayers at the noise. They whispered and drew back when they saw the lightening coming. A greying man in white who stood ahead of the people with his arms up in the middle of the steps, looked fearfully around. The lightening stopped at the white building and the clouds gathered, pouring down silver rain on the building. The greying man ran down the stairs to prevent the rains from touching him.

There came a heart-wrenching shout that caused everyone to cover their ears and it burst open the building’s great iron door. A figure stepped out. It looked like a man. His bare arms and legs shone like bronze but his face was covered in a veil that couldn’t hide his fiery glowing eyes. He was no man. Everyone dropped on their knees and bowed.

‘Great Lord of us all’ said the greying man bowing, ‘It has been so long.’

‘Gaius, get the soldiers ready.’ he said, looking at the direction the lightening had come, ‘They march tonight for Helmford.’

‘But my lord, why?’

‘I have found my daughter.’