Page 74 of Return of the Darkness
“So, whathappens if the Princess of Nerida does not succeed?”
“She will,” said Elisara. “She has to.”
“Why is everyone so certain?”
“The princess seems to have a certain… intuition,” Elisara said. Larelle had explained as much. When Zarya last spoke with Osiris in her dreams, she awoke with glowing eyes, a sign of her power.
“Ahh,” said Sallos. “She is a seer.” Elisara whipped her head towards him, frowning. “If you’d summoned me sooner, I would have told you.” He raised a hand to his chest, feigning offence.
“What exactly is a seer? The same as the Wiccan with their prophecies?” Elisara asked, both intrigued and frustrated by what else Sallos knew yet kept to himself.
“Wiccan are gifted with prophecies and occasional visions, which are still open to interpretation, analysis, and deduction. A seer, on the other hand, sees the exact future and knows of events that will definitely happen.”
“So, was Zarya’s dream about Osiris true? And Larelle must get a message to him?”
“Yes, that was true, but that was not her gift of being a seer. She did not foresee the event; Osiris told her.” Elisara frowned, struggling to make sense of it.
“So, how exactly did Osiris speak with her?” Elisara asked. Sallos overlooked the city, as if unsure how much to divulge.
“Because Osiris is a child of two great lineages and possesses gifts from two lands.” Sallos held out his palms. “On one hand, the Hypheria, and on the other, the Staxions.”
“They are lands?” Elisara asked, rubbing her temples for focus.
“They are races, like the Wiccans and seers, but the people of Carvyre and Xyliar like to give everything a fancy name. The Hypheria are dreamwalkers. The Staxions, mind controllers.” Sallos turned from Elisara and strode back into her chambers, collapsing into an armchair before the fire and reaching for a book on the table. Elisara clenched her fists and followed. She did not know why she was shocked to learn about different races. Wiccans were different, afterall, but they descended from Garridon. These races came from lands she had never been to or seen. Larelle had spoken of Xyliar and Carvyre on the maps she had found, and if Osiris was truly the prince of Xyliar, and hailed from the legacy of two kingdoms, surely he would have enough ships to save them? Elisara sat down in the armchair opposite Sallos, resting her hands on her knees. He failed to hide his smirk as he skimmed through the pages.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you? Withholding information until I practically beg you for it?”
“Please, your Majesty. You don’t seem the begging type.”
Elisara cleared her throat and looked away, thinking of Kazaar.
“How did these lands come to be? These races and people?” she asked. Sallos held up a finger.
“Not people.”
“If they are not people, what are they?”
“They are the gods’ first attempt at humans, the first beings from which all others descend, as far back as your ancestors go. Yet they weren’t quite as the two gods wanted; they were too powerful and cunning, with too much raw power flowing through their veins, with their ears deformed into points. We call them Fae.” Elisara blinked. “Come now, you didn’t believe humans originated the same across all lands? Or what Caligh told your ancestors before their memories were hidden was the truth?” Elisara narrowed her eyes, watching the glee morph Sallos’s face as he held the power. They had grown up believing the four gods had created humans to populate their lands, as that was what Caligh taught them. He failed to mention they were, in fact, descendants of the first attempt at humans—fae.
“I trust nothing Caligh has ever said.”
“Good, you shouldn’t. Forget everything you have been told and pay attention.”
“I’m beginning not to trust anything you tell me, Sallos.”
“Gods, you sound so bitter when you say my name. Lighten up, your Majesty. New stories are the most fun.” Sallos grinned. She saw no malice in his dark eyes, only entertainment. “It’s why I abandoned myhome and dedicated my life to sailing the seas to live a life of adventure, so I could one day sit in an armchair before a fireplace and tell all my wonderful stories.” Elisara recalled Nyzaia’s story of the cult worshipping Farid like he was a god and wondered if the creators of these fae were similar. She winced, remembering Farid was trapped on the Isle of Gods, perhaps even dead. It served as a reminder of all they still had to face.
“So, these gods attempted to create humans, yet expended too much power and created fae instead, who possessed gifts like dream walking and mind control?”
“She’s piecing it together.” Sallos clapped his hands. “Yes, on Xyliar, you have fae, who possess… special gifts, and then you have the Staxions. On Carvyre, again, there are some fae with certain abilities, as well as Hypheria, who are dreamwalkers. Each one has another race of sorts, too, but that’s not significant right now. But remember, there are three races on each land.” Sallos held up three fingers.
“And Osiris can access Zarya’s mind because he can dream walk?” Elisara frowned. “But he can also control dreams, so how do we know he isn’t controlling her?”
“He won’t be. He’s too prideful of his heritage. He wouldn’t misuse it like his grandfather, nor is his power as strong. He can simply fabricate ideas rather than control an actual person.” Elisara stilled as a shiver ran up her spine. A gust of wind blew through the chambers, recalling Osiris’s admission of his relationship with the man who killed Kazaar. “His grandfather is Caligh.” Slowly, Sallos nodded, waiting for her to piece it together. “Caligh is fae. His dark shadows are the special abilities you speak of, but he can control minds too. He is a Staxion of Xyliar.” When Elisara finished her conclusion, Sallos smiled.
“You’re quick when you want to be. His mind control allows him to hide his ears the same way he hid his entire true form—well, his body. I do not know if he kept it after Larelle spoke his name, breaking his control over Osiris and the army.” Elisara flinched, sensing her shadowscrawl beneath her skin, even while asleep.
“But the gods said my power was akin to Caligh’s, which is how I broke the link.”
