good heart.” The woman continued to unravel her siblings until all the girls were hugging and sobbing.
Karri’s father stood, his matte black feathers ruffled and bloody. “My brother said there was no way to disarm the bomb. He said that my daughter would die for her loyalty to you.”
Sebena smiled. “He was mistaken. Zeering stopped the bomb and allowed me to detonate it over the city without damage to your child.”
She addressed the family. “Issul and I are not Avatars because we chose it or because we have named ourselves so. Zeering has poured a minute portion of his mind into us and speaks through us when he chooses. Only by using a body can he have a voice that the people walking his surface can hear.”
He asked another question. “Why did he never choose a Reeban as his Avatar?”
Issul smiled grimly. “Your brother will explain that at dawn in the temple. Anyone who wishes to can watch as the first of the Reeban takes Zeering into him.”
The family was confused, but Issul lifted Treesh and his cohort over his shoulders, walking easily toward the temple.
It was many hours until dawn and there were preparations to be made.
Sebena stood on the left side of the throne, Issul on the right. They were wearing matching clothing and Sebena had to admit that while the seamstresses had been sleepy when they arrived, they had perked up considerably when the realized that this was the first official clothing to be worn by the Avatars and as such, it required the utmost care to get everything just so.
The room was filled with onlookers and several had unveiled hostility burning in their eyes.
As the bright light of morning touched the throne, Zeering took over their bodies and spoke with one voice.
“People who have made their lives on my world, I have been too long without a voice and now that my Avatar has returned to me, I can speak on a subject that has waited too long for an explanation.”
Priests at the foot of the stairs to the throne were guarding Treesh. He was confused by what was going on, but he still sneered at the Avatars as they spoke.
“I am Zeering, the world under your feet. For a thousand years, the Reeban have walked my world and for nine hundred years, Issul has been my voice. Many of you have considered this an insult. Why would an off worlder be more worthy than one of your own? The truth of the matter is that the Reeban cannot take a planet into them.
“Last night, one of your own tried to kill my Avatars. He beat his own kin, threatened his family and tied his niece to a bomb meant to destroy my voices in your temple. Today, we are here to give him what he wants. If he wants to feel the touch of the planet, then let him come to the throne and sit upon it. No one will stop him. I have reduced the power flowing through it to less than one hundredth of what flows in each of these bodies right now.
“Bring him to me.”
The priests goaded the wild-eyed Treesh up the steps. He gained confidence when the throne did not glow as it had in the past when a Reeban touched it.
In a sudden surge of enthusiasm, he sat on the throne and his feathers stood on end while the mind of the planet touched his. “Amazing. I can feel Zeering inside me.”
His words caused a murmur of surprise and together, Issul and Sebena walked down and away from the throne.
Treesh lifted his hands as they took on a blue glow. “There is so much power. I can move mountains.”
The temple began to shake and outside, cries of fear spilled through the streets. Sebena wanted to halt the display, but the Reeban had to see why they were not suitable.
Treesh grinned and there was a manic madness in his face. It contorted suddenly and his hands clutched at his head. “No, no, what is happening? Stop it, Zeering. Stop it!”
They spoke, though few could hear it over the panic. “I am not yours to command, Treesh. This world is mine, my heart, my soul and you will not twist it to your purpose.”
Treesh writhed
Karri’s father stood, his matte black feathers ruffled and bloody. “My brother said there was no way to disarm the bomb. He said that my daughter would die for her loyalty to you.”
Sebena smiled. “He was mistaken. Zeering stopped the bomb and allowed me to detonate it over the city without damage to your child.”
She addressed the family. “Issul and I are not Avatars because we chose it or because we have named ourselves so. Zeering has poured a minute portion of his mind into us and speaks through us when he chooses. Only by using a body can he have a voice that the people walking his surface can hear.”
He asked another question. “Why did he never choose a Reeban as his Avatar?”
Issul smiled grimly. “Your brother will explain that at dawn in the temple. Anyone who wishes to can watch as the first of the Reeban takes Zeering into him.”
The family was confused, but Issul lifted Treesh and his cohort over his shoulders, walking easily toward the temple.
It was many hours until dawn and there were preparations to be made.
Sebena stood on the left side of the throne, Issul on the right. They were wearing matching clothing and Sebena had to admit that while the seamstresses had been sleepy when they arrived, they had perked up considerably when the realized that this was the first official clothing to be worn by the Avatars and as such, it required the utmost care to get everything just so.
The room was filled with onlookers and several had unveiled hostility burning in their eyes.
As the bright light of morning touched the throne, Zeering took over their bodies and spoke with one voice.
“People who have made their lives on my world, I have been too long without a voice and now that my Avatar has returned to me, I can speak on a subject that has waited too long for an explanation.”
Priests at the foot of the stairs to the throne were guarding Treesh. He was confused by what was going on, but he still sneered at the Avatars as they spoke.
“I am Zeering, the world under your feet. For a thousand years, the Reeban have walked my world and for nine hundred years, Issul has been my voice. Many of you have considered this an insult. Why would an off worlder be more worthy than one of your own? The truth of the matter is that the Reeban cannot take a planet into them.
“Last night, one of your own tried to kill my Avatars. He beat his own kin, threatened his family and tied his niece to a bomb meant to destroy my voices in your temple. Today, we are here to give him what he wants. If he wants to feel the touch of the planet, then let him come to the throne and sit upon it. No one will stop him. I have reduced the power flowing through it to less than one hundredth of what flows in each of these bodies right now.
“Bring him to me.”
The priests goaded the wild-eyed Treesh up the steps. He gained confidence when the throne did not glow as it had in the past when a Reeban touched it.
In a sudden surge of enthusiasm, he sat on the throne and his feathers stood on end while the mind of the planet touched his. “Amazing. I can feel Zeering inside me.”
His words caused a murmur of surprise and together, Issul and Sebena walked down and away from the throne.
Treesh lifted his hands as they took on a blue glow. “There is so much power. I can move mountains.”
The temple began to shake and outside, cries of fear spilled through the streets. Sebena wanted to halt the display, but the Reeban had to see why they were not suitable.
Treesh grinned and there was a manic madness in his face. It contorted suddenly and his hands clutched at his head. “No, no, what is happening? Stop it, Zeering. Stop it!”
They spoke, though few could hear it over the panic. “I am not yours to command, Treesh. This world is mine, my heart, my soul and you will not twist it to your purpose.”
Treesh writhed
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