Awakening the Beast (8 page)

Ohanzee stayed close and listened to what Ranolo said. He had not heard her say anything about a song in her dreams before. All he knew was that she wanted to return to her own people. They could find an alternative way around the Great Lake, but he was not sure how.

“No. I haven’t heard anything,” her father answered. “I’ll keep my ears open. Have a good night.”

Ranolo left them all alone and they headed back to their home with a journey to plan.

* * * *

Illiana stared at the pack on the bed. She had to choose what to bring with her. The plans on how they were going to go get across the lake lingered in her mind. They wanted to avoid the cougar clan territory. She did not want to be captured or put to death because she was two-natured. Their clan considered her an abomination. She had to be a demon and sacrificed to the spirits. When they had first entered the village, she had exposed the leader’s younger daughter as being two-natured. It had been an accident, but they wanted to kill the little girl. Sometimes the little girl came to visit them. Illiana thought of her as a little sister.

Growing up she always wanted a sibling, someone to share secrets with. The only thing to do that with was the air. It had kept all of her desires, even the love she carried for Christopher. Here others could hear her secrets on the wind. But she pushed the thought from her mind and focused on what to bring with her. Illiana had been practicing carrying things in her talons while she flew the way her father’s people did, and could carry a few pounds, but not for long distances. The Corvi did not mind being naked in front of one another because it was easier to shift without clothes on. Robes were provided to any visitors who entered the home. Ohanzee’s people brought their clothes with them wherever they went. It was something she was still getting used to. Most of the time when she and Belik went out, they left their clothes at the house.

Illiana decided to take a black dress that she had worn to a party where she had first revealed the true nature of her dual identity to Christopher. She pressed the fabric to her nose and inhaled, but Christopher’s scent no longer clung to the cloth. Thinking of everything he had to endure made her eyes tear up and her heart harden. They had burned the Mother Tree, the sacred oak the ravens had made their lives around for ages. It was so large that not even one hundred people standing around it trying to measure its size could completely encircle the trunk. From it the rest of the forest had sprung. Illiana did not know if there was any other older tree in the great wood. It had been her home for so long that she wished she could go back there and not have to deal with the craziness of what was to come and share the beauty of her home with Ohanzee. She packed her dress and a couple of pairs of pants and a long tunic along with a pair of good traveling boots.

“Taking all that?” Belik gestured to the pile on the bed.

“No. I’m going to take what we can carry. There’s a long way to go.”

“You’re not looking forward to going home?” Belik asked.

“I know I have to go back and I want to, but there are so many things to prepare for.”

Belik wrapped her in her arms and held her close. It made her feel more secure knowing that he was behind her and everything was good. “You’ll drive out the people who took over our forest. The woods will be ours again.” He kissed her cheek and slid his hand up her waist until he cupped her breasts.

The subtle gesture stirred her passion. Illiana turned her head and captured his mouth. Belik’s soft lips made her forget all her cares of the world. She wound fingers into his dark hair, turned in his embrace, and a moan slipped between her lips. He raked his fingers down her back and answered her kiss with a hungrier one of his own.

“I really don’t want to stop,” he said after a moment.

“I know,” Illiana groaned and placed her hands on his sculptured chest. He was thinner than Ohanzee, not quite as built, but she loved them both. She rested her head against his chest listening to the steady beat of his heart and basked in the warmth of his body. His unique musk helped her to drown out the rest of the world. It made her forget all about the elements raging inside of her and the obligation weighing on her shoulders.

“We’ll be fine. Don’t worry about it. First, we plan the journey.”

“Don’t think I’ll have time. Besides, I’ll be keeping my hands on you.”

She giggled. “You are
so
bad.”

He kissed her again. “I know. I—”

The door opened and her mother walked in. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t know you were in here.”

Belik laughed, kissed her once more, and then left the room.

Illiana turned to her mother and smiled. “It’s okay, Mom. Did you need anything?”

“I was gathering food and didn’t know exactly what you wanted to take.”

“We’ll figure it out. We can hunt on the way, too.” She stuffed her clothes into her haversack. “I have some clothes for you there.” Illiana motioned at a separate pile. They were things that Belik made.

“Thank you. Do you know how we’re going to go?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know yet. I have to look at the map and talk to my father today.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

Illiana nodded and her mother exited the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

The anticipation of them traveling had Illiana antsy. She was on edge because her dreams were fraught with images of the mountain exploding, raining down thousands of pounds of stone and ash on the villages below. No other quakes had rocked the area. The most prevalent thing within her dreams had been that damned song. It had stuck with her more than ever and in her dream she realized it was coming from inside the mountain. The melody haunted her as did the images from her dream. The smoking mountain might be miles away, but that did not mean it could not devastate the village.

She slipped out of the house while the others slept and felt the feathers take over her flesh as her form shifted. Illiana let the wind take her, carrying her higher and higher while she caught the updrafts. Illiana fought through the heavy currents to the smoking mountain. Instantly, she was hit with the stench of rotting eggs. It burned her nose. She circled closer and saw a small cave from the air.

Illiana set down on the ledge and became human again. The wind wrapped around her skin trying to keep her from going into the cave, but she had no choice. Once her feet touched the earth, the fires inside the mountain called her. It sounded like the song she had been hearing in her dreams. It was a sad thing that spoke about longing and loneliness that tugged on her heart. Illiana took a deep breath and dove into the heavy darkness of the cave. It was laborious to breathe the deeper she ventured into the earth. The further she went, the more she felt the shifting temper of the element. Illiana felt her way in the darkness along the passage wall until she saw a faint orange and red glow before her. The air grew hotter and her skin flushed from the heat. At the end of the cave she discovered a frothy pool of bubbling fire. The earth shook a little and she lost her footing. Her skin hit the ground and the impact jarred her bones.

“Why have you come?”
the great fire spirit asked her.

Its voice rang in her thoughts being the strongest elemental she had ever come across.
“I heard you singing. It was so very sad I wanted to know why? That and why are you warring against the earth? It will bring much devastation.”

A large globule formed in center of the pool and burst. Illiana jumped back as a few drops landed on the rim of the pool. The surface rippled once more like a large orange snake.
“I am not the one singing. The earth has moved and covered up my resting place. I need a new place to nest. The war is inevitable.”

“In making a new home, you’re going to hurt a lot of people. Does that mean anything to you?”
If the lava was not the one singing, then who was she hearing?

“
Why should it? Humans are nothing to me. I’m living fire and all should worship me.”
At that statement an enormous column rose up in the center of the pool.

Illiana stood before the pillar of lava and did not fear it as she assumed it wanted her to.
“Many others would be frightened of you, but I can’t. I respect you for what you are and understand what you’re doing. I only ask that you try to consider those affected by you’re fighting.”

“What will you give me in return?”

“What can I give you? I’m only a lowly human. What would such a great fire elemental want?”

“There is one who is wounded deep within the mountain. If you can help him, I’ll consider your terms. But know this, all I can do is try and control my movement. The outcome of this war with the earth is inevitable.”

Illiana weighed what he said. From her communication with the elements she had figured the war would happen, but if this could give the village hope she would take it.
“How can I help another fire spirit?”

The column crashed back into the pool.
“He’s human and animal, but with the living fire within him. He calls out to me for help, but I can’t reach it. He doesn’t speak your tongue so I can help you with that. Give me a hand.”

Illiana knew the elemental did not lie because they did not understand the concept of telling a false truth.
“You’re stronger than any fire spirits I have come across. You will burn away my flesh.”

“Human, you who have walked through fire don’t even trust me. What am I, but a bigger and older fire spirit?”

Illiana weighed what the elemental said. True she had been baptized by fire and could step into it without being burned, but would that cover the liquid fire, too. She extended her arm and the lava rose up and surrounded her hand. The fiery edge of the molten rock touched her fingers and placed something in the center of her palm. It receded leaving her skin red and hot, but not burned. In her palm was a stone the size of a walnut. It was orange and when she turned it sometimes it was red.

“Take this to him because only a fire opal is given to those who are trusted.”

“Okay, where is he?”

The lava receded more to reveal a narrow ridge that led into another passageway. Illiana slipped into the other cavern. The fire opal emitted a light of its own so that she could see. At the end of the passageway, she saw a large reptile, a beast, she had never seen before. It was tightly wound together in the cave. It was a large stone taller than her and sat on its tail. She studied the sides of the cave and discovered another entrance to the cave that had collapsed. A large puff of air blasted over her and a low growl grumbled next her. Illiana froze when she heard that and turned to the origin of the grumble only to realize an enormous purple eye was staring at her. A gasp of surprise left her lips and she jumped back. Another snarl left the beast that shook the mountain. Large jaws opened next to her showing off pointed, sharp teeth. Another blast of rancid air hit her and turned her stomach, but she stood her ground. Its lips curled back from those teeth and it sounded as though it said something. Illiana walked around him and tried to climb over something before she realized it was his foot. He moved it slightly and blocked her way. The creature growled something again and she stopped when he lifted his head. Illiana slowly knelt before the large animal wondering what kind of creature he truly was. The fire elemental said he was human, but how could an animal of this size shrink down to human form?

She placed fire opal before the beast. “I’m here to help you.”

Laughter filled the cavern as the animal before her hissed in amusement.

“Glad you find that funny. The fire elemental said if I showed you the opal you’d know that I’m telling the truth.”

“What is the truth? Truth is what got me here.”

He could speak in his bestial form, but she pondered what he looked like. “I don’t know what brought you here or how long you’ve been here.” She placed her hand on his paw and instantly was rocked with the shock of pain that made her cringe and wrench her hand away. The boulders had crushed part of his back foot and some of his tail. If there was any way of getting him out of there, first she had to convince the earth it needed to move. Then she had to see if she could heal him. She had an enormous task ahead of her.

“I can help you, but you’re going to have to trust me.”

“A naked, insolent woman who comes to the beast. I should eat you. Do you know who I am?”

She shrugged. “I don’t really care who you are. I said I’d help you so when this mountain erupts—”

“Volcano. It’s called a volcano.”

“Okay, v-vo-volcano.” The unfamiliar word rolled off her tongue. “Before the volcano erupts, if you want to get out of here, let me help you.”

“If you can move tons of rock, be my guest.”

Illiana squeezed herself between the cave wall and the giant beast in the small passage. She came to the largest rock and saw it was doing the most damage. If she could get it to move, Illiana could free him. She placed her hand on the large stone and touched the element inside it.

“What do you want?”
the stone grumbled.

It was the most direct answer she had ever gotten from earth before.
“Could you move off my friend?”

“Why should I? I was perfectly happy being part of the mountain until I fell onto him. Now I’m settled.”

“You won’t be settled much longer when the fire elemental rushes in here and the pressure forces you out of the mountain to be shattered into little bits. Why not move now and take the chance to remain whole?”

The boulder was silent while Illiana grew hotter by the second. When she didn’t think it would move, it finally swayed back and forth until it rolled off the beast. The reptile roared that the whole mount shook, showering bits of rubble around her. One landed on the top of her foot, hard. Pain radiated up her leg and she knew something was broken, but she stayed focused. “You could’ve warned me before you did that.”