Alex had a terminal Cancer diagnosis and thought she would die before she got to be the girl she always was inside. That all changes when she's in the wrong place at the right time and gets transported to another world and into the body of a girl. So what if she's not human, she's alive and a girl. Now if only she had her sister with her to navigate this new world and her new responsibilities. Wait, she's here too? The passage of their souls between worlds may have doomed the Earth to apocalypse, but Alex and Michelle won't be there to see it and they have enough problems on their hands.
 

The plan was for Visanna and me to fly Michelle and Arina to the largest of the islands and Katir, the largest of the towns. We were doing this for several reasons; almost half the Kyran on the islands lived there, that was where the council gathered, and it had been hit the hardest of all the islands and towns. Visanna told me that the other towns had suffered very little damage, but Katir had taken a massive beating. She was pretty sure that Lharus had aimed the storm right at the town, possibly to make an example of it.

When we arrived, we planned to try to convince them to accept our help. If they did so, we would all be on our best behavior while there. Helping them was our main reason for being there, and I hoped to show them that the people of Azure were friends in waiting.

If non-human countries continued being isolated, then it would only make it easier for the empire to destroy us one by one. We all needed allies if we were to survive. Until we got the okay to bring the others, it would just be the two of us and our Drakans, though Lannah would keep a mental link open with me. She wouldn’t be following my thoughts, but she would hear me if I focused my thoughts directly to her.

It didn’t take long for Arina and Michelle to fly us to Illuka, the largest of the five tropical islands that the Kyran made their home on. When we got close enough to see Katir from the air through Michelle’s long-range vision, I could see what Arina had meant about the storm. It was much worse than I ever could have imagined, the whole town looked like a war zone with all the damage and destruction.

I couldn’t see a part of the town that hadn’t been pulverized. Buildings were damaged or completely toppled, and trees had been hurled around and were either snapped like toothpicks or sticking out of damaged buildings. The beach wasn’t much better than the town, and it was teeming with injured Kyran and those trying to treat them.

~Holy shit, I knew it was going to be bad, but I didn’t think that it would be this bad,~ Michelle said in my mind, echoing my own thoughts. ~They are going to need a lot more help than we’ve brought with us.~

I shook my head sadly as I replied, ~It’s going to take passes for them to recover from this, and those people need medical attention. We need to get them to listen to us and accept our help.~

~How are we going to do that? Visanna said that they don’t trust outsiders; she might not even be able to get them to trust you, and you’re her daughter by their laws.~ I could feel that she wanted to help them as much as I did, but from what Visanna had told us, it seemed unlikely that they would accept that help.

~We do what Visanna suggested and try to impress them,~ I responded, and then as an idea popped into my head, I grinned. ~We need to show them the light.~

Michelle knew it was bad as soon as she was close enough to see the town. She almost didn’t want to let Alex look through her eyes, but she was going to see it sooner or later. Those people were going to need real disaster relief, not just supplies carried by seven Drakans. She also knew that her Chosen agreed with her before she even did so through the mind link. Alex wanted desperately to help these people; that was just the kind of person she was, but how in hell were they going to get them to accept that help?

When she pointed out that fact to her former twin, both their thoughts were filled with a dark sadness and a feeling of helplessness. Alex thought that impressing them somehow would work, but they knew very little about these people, much less what would impress them. Visanna thought that they would be impressed by Michelle since she was a big, shiny Drakan, but she had a feeling that they would need a lot more than her shiny ass to override centuries of isolationism. What was more impressive than a big shiny Drakan?

She sensed the eureka moment in Alex’s mind, but she wasn’t sure what had inspired it. What did she mean by ‘make them see the light’? She peeked into her Chosen’s thoughts and discovered her idea, eliciting a mischievous chuckle at what she saw. ~Oh, you devious Zenin, I love it!~

Alex sent her a mental image of the Cheshire cat’s grin. ~I thought you might, Sis, so let’s get to it. Will there be enough light? It’s pretty cloudy.~

~There should be enough ambient light to make it work, and it being cloudy will actually work to our advantage; it’ll be a lot more noticeable,~ she said after getting a feeling for the available light. Then she advised, ~We’d better let those two in on it, though.~

On her back, Alex called out to Visanna, “I have an idea! Just go with it!” Michelle only barely noticed that, though, as she was concentrating on the late morning light reflecting on her scales, both those on her and those that Alex’s clothes were comprised of. Then she took that light and bent it around them to make them both vanish.

Michelle chuckled once again as she saw the sudden confusion on the faces of Visanna and Arina. Then the confusion on the Kyran’s face was replaced with a very big grin. She must have informed Arina about her suspicions because the Water Drakan nodded and gave a draconic smile as she turned her head back to the island and led the way.

Soon they were directly above the town and, as they hovered above the center of town, Arina gave a mighty roar that caused the Kyran on the ground to look up, even those on the beach tending to the injured. ~Do it, Sis,~ Alex encouraged, ~but not too bright. We don’t want to blind them, just get their attention.~ Instead of replying vocally, Michelle stopped bending the light around her and instead magnified it, turning herself and her Chosen into a beacon and bathing the town below them in light.

Nearly every Kyran in sight was looking up and pointing, mixed expressions of confusion and awe on their faces. Arina winged down for a landing, and I immediately had Michelle follow suit. Once we were on the ground, the Kyran formed a circle around our two Drakans, and seven Kyran elders approached us.

Visanna wasted no time, bowing to them and stating loud enough for anyone close by to hear, “Council members, people of Katir, I would like to introduce my Jikkune, Alexis; Heir to the throne of Azure, Itari’s Favored One, and Chosen of Michelle the Radiant.”

There was a lot of talking amongst the crowd as Visanna’s words were repeated and passed along. I could feel waves of confusion, surprise, awe, and even a little hope emanating from those around us. The elder, whom I thought might be the leader of the Council, gave Visanna a long, tired look. “We acknowledge your child, Visanna, but why have you chosen to bring your Jikkune before us now, while our homes are in ruins and our people have no strength?”

I bowed my head as I got to one knee and looked up at the silver-haired Kyran, a gesture intended to show respect. “Forgive me, honored elder, for speaking out of turn, but I do not see it that way. I see strength aplenty. Not the strength which swings a sword or knocks down an opponent, but true strength, the strength to bear a great burden and keep standing proudly. That storm was sent by Lharus, intending to make you falter and lose that strength. You still stand proudly, though, rebuilding what was lost, and you bear this burden together, by dividing it upon the shoulders of all your people.”

Visanna was smiling at me, and I could feel her pleasure at my choice of words. I let those words sink in for a moment before I continued. “You are a proud and noble people, I know that you can bear this burden, and become even stronger by doing so, but you need not do so alone. Let me help you carry this burden and add to the strength of your people... our people.”

His face was stony as he contemplated my words, but beneath the surface, his emotions were conflicted. Finally, he let out a long, wheezing laugh. “This is most definitely your soul-daughter, Visanna. Like you, she is brazen and possesses wisdom beyond her years.” Then he turned to me and asked cautiously, “How would you help our people, young one?”

I breathed a small sigh of relief; at least he was willing to listen. “Honored elder, our Drakans are loaded with relief supplies for you, and we have five more Drakans with more supplies waiting. I would ask that you allow these Drakans and their Chosen to bring those supplies here. My bride is with them, and I would trust all these people with my life. Should you wish that they just drop off the supplies and leave, they shall, but I ask that you allow us to help you however we can.”

“We do not trust outsiders,” he said uncertainly, and a number of the other men nodded their heads in agreement.

“Honored elders, I do not ask that you trust them, or even me, immediately. I believe that trust is something that should not be given but earned. Please allow us to earn yours,” I told them, pushing empathically with my desire to help them. “Please, give us until sunbreak. While here, we would obey your laws and assist you however we can.”

There was more discussion, and the head of the council finally asked Visanna, “What are your impressions of these people who your daughter wishes to bring to the island?”

Visanna looked thoughtful for a moment, but I could feel the sense of satisfaction emanating from her. “Elder Manake, I have spent the last sun with the people she would bring here. They have shown themselves to be courteous, honest, and good people who are concerned about our current plight. I believe that they truly wish to help us and will do us no harm. Alexis herself is the favored of Itari. Itari and Orin guided her to us to help in our time of need.”

Manake looked thoughtful, but after a moment, he nodded. “We will allow them to come here and assist us, but only if your Jikkune herself is on the island. Also, they must not go to any of the other islands, and if we ask that they leave before sunbreak, they must comply.”

“That is fair, honored elder,” I replied with a nod. “May I contact them and let them know that they are permitted to join us here?” When he gave his approval, I bowed my head slightly. “Thank you, honored elder, I will do so then.” Then I thought to Lannah, ~Okay, Lannah, we’re good to go, you and the others can come join us for now. Hopefully, if we’re helpful and well-behaved, they won’t ask us to leave again when we’re done unloading.~

~Okay, we’re mounting up now, we should be there soon,~ she sent back in reply.

~We’ll see you when you get here, then.~ I paused in my thoughts for a moment, uncertain whether I should ask what was on my mind. ~How are you? You were still pretty out of it when we left you.~

She was quiet for a short time, and I could feel her uncertainty before she finally responded. ~I’m fine, Alex. I am just trying to get used to the idea of being a mother, I guess. When I started this relationship with Jonth, I kept telling myself that it would never happen and that I was okay with that, but now the impossible has happened, and I think I’m just in shock over it.~

~I know how you feel,~ I retorted dryly. ~Things that I figure are impossible have been happening to me with frightening regularity ever since I found that hole in the ice on Christmas Eve. I’ve learned to just accept it. These things can be good or bad; it’s all up to us to find the best in the situation.~

There was a mental nod, more of a feeling of affirmation than anything, as she replied, ~I guess you are right. I wanted to be a mother someday, but I was just never expecting it. I guess we should let the others in on our news when we have a free moment, then. I just hope Jonth takes the news well.~

~I don’t see why he wouldn’t; he’ll probably react much the same as you did, though he was kind of expecting to be a father with me, so that might dull it a bit. I’m a bit shocked myself, you know, I was only just starting to get my mind used to the idea I would be having children someday, I didn’t expect to have it confirmed so soon,~ I told her honestly. ~Anyway, we’ll see you when you get here. I think Visanna wants to introduce me to some people.~

Visanna spent the next little while introducing me to the other members of the Kyran High Council. As I thought, Manake was the head of the council and represented the island of Illuka. The other members of the council seemed to be of like mind concerning me and my offer of help. Because they had very little choice, they were willing to give me the benefit of the doubt, but only because Visanna was my Jikkara. I got the very distinct feeling that they didn’t trust me quite yet.

They weren’t rude, hostile, or anything; they were just a huge mixture of emotions that was hard to follow. My entrance on Michelle had most definitely impressed them since there was this feeling of awe and respect coming from them, but they were also reserved and concerned, probably about my motives. I couldn’t really blame them for feeling this way, after all, they had been isolated from other people and cultures for centuries, and one of the first things I asked them was to let strangers into their home. I’d probably be unsure about my motives in their position as well.

I tried to ease those feelings by being as respectful as I could, trying to find out what kind of help they would need most, and assuring them that we would try to address those needs. Things could have been a lot worse if not for the Kyrans’ emergency plan for hurricanes. As soon as they know one is coming, the alarm bell is rung.

When they hear that bell, they all drop everything they’re doing and head for the closest beach, and the deepest water they can get to. Most of the Kyran had managed to get to the safety of the deeper water before the hurricane hit land, but the storm was upon them unnaturally quickly, and some of them hadn’t gotten deep enough or far enough out in time. That was why they had so many injured lying on the beach.

The three biggest problems were the damage, the wounded, and the fact that there were still people missing. One of their two Healers on the island had been killed, the other was seriously injured, and even after a sevenday of searching through the rubble, there were still eight people unaccounted for when they took a census, including two children. As they explained the situation, I told them what skills my people had to offer and suggested ways in which we could assist. I left the final decision up to the council, of course, but they seemed to agree with my ideas, so a plan was set in motion.

Once the others arrived, and very brief introductions were made, we quickly got to work. Jezz and I set off to the beach with our medical bags, where we would care for the wounded gathered there while the others unloaded the relief supplies from the Drakans. Visanna took Lannah for a tour of the city, so they could try to locate any of the missing people who may not have gotten out of the town before the storm hit, using her telepathy.

Once the Drakans were unloaded, all seven of them were put to work as well. With the help of Patar and Rozia, they began moving the worst of the debris, including the stuff that was too large for the Kyran to move on their own. Meanwhile, Irric and Jonth began moving the supplies into the relatively undamaged Council Hall until they could be put to use.

Even Chrissy and Pounce were busy. The Kyran had never seen a neetay or kihr before, and the two were very popular with the children. They kept the children occupied and their minds off what had happened, which was probably a good thing for everyone involved. We spent until dark working on our various tasks, only pausing to eat when our Kyran hosts offered us a meal around midday. Even then, we ate quickly so that we could return to our tasks.

Jezz and I managed to do what we could for the worst of the injuries. The Kyran had done a good job of treating minor injuries, stopping bleeding, and preventing infection, but the beach was still largely occupied by those who had been injured. Some needed stitches or broken bones set, and there were a few with concussions or internal injuries.

Even though we weren’t fully trained, we did the best that we could for them. In most cases, basic treatments were enough, with a bit of magic from our Healing Gifts to speed up the healing process. Anyone who had been mortally wounded had already died long before we arrived, though some were in bad shape and required a huge effort, through both conventional means and the use of our Healing Gifts.

I think that my most unusual patient of the day was an injured soku, one of the gigantic black turtle-like creatures that are only found near the Dacotis Islands. Soku grow to roughly twenty feet tall, twenty-five feet from head to tail, and can weigh over 4000 pounds. They have very thick armored shells, and the rest of their bodies are covered with crystalline scales that make them very tough to damage. They are also very strong and move quickly in the water, so the Kyran use them as beasts of burden. While Jezz continued working on those on the beach, I accompanied Manake to the ruined market area, where the poor creature was thrashing around in pain.

“Elder, please have everyone stay back and allow me to handle this,” I told him as I began to approach the massive creature and used my Wilder empathy to project calmness. After several long minutes of doing this, I approached slowly, step by cautious step. It was somewhat calmer, and soon I was close enough to examine it and find the broken tree branch wedged between some of the scales in its left hind leg. I considered the problem and gently placed my hands on the creature’s crystalline scales. “Rest, my friend, when you wake, you will feel better,” I told it as I used all the empathy I could muster to project calm and a desire to sleep.

Once I was sure that it was asleep, I used my Healer Gift to keep it from feeling any pain as I slowly removed the sharp, broken end of the branch and any slivers that might remain. Then I used more of my Gift to encourage the wound to heal quickly, placed some large kala leaves over it to prevent infection, and bandaged it as best I could. I breathed a long sigh and leaned against the soku’s large shell when I was finished.

I wasn’t used to using my healing Gift as much as I had that day, and doing it while trying to keep the creature calm and put it to sleep had been somewhat draining. Finally, I stood up and smiled tiredly at the stunned-looking group of Kyran present. “He will sleep for a candlemark or two, but he will be feeling better when he wakes. It wasn’t a serious injury, only painful.”

Elsewhere in town, Lannah and Visanna had been successful in finding the eight missing people as well. With the help of her telepathy, Lannah had located them in a partially collapsed two-story building, and she had gotten the Drakans to clear the rubble enough to help them get free. One had died when some stonework collapsed on him, but the rest were alive and, when she sent them to the beach for us to look over, most of them were relatively unharmed. They were all dehydrated, suffering from malnutrition, and a few had injuries to be cleaned, disinfected, and stitched, but Jezz and I felt that they would all be fine with some food, water, and rest.

By the time the sun set, we were all exhausted, even the Drakans. The Kyran were in far better spirits than when we had arrived, though, and things were starting to look a lot better overall. As we ate dinner with our hosts that evening, we were introduced to some of the key members of their town, such as the High Priest of their temple of Orin, their High Priestess of Itari, and their High Priestess of Kanae. These three Gods were the most widely worshipped by the Kyran, and while Orin had his own temple, Itari and Kanae shared a temple devoted to life and healing. The other Gods weren’t really a part of the everyday life of the Kyran like they were in Azure and other places, so they shared a third temple that was really more of a library of sorts, from what Visanna told us.

Doran, the High Priest of Orin, had just excused himself to speak with my Jikkara when Manake brought the High Priestesses of Itari and Kanae over and introduced us. “Alexis, this is Tsinoda, the High Priestess of Itari, and Gerue, the High Priestess of Kanae.”

Gerue was short, even for a Kyran, and had dark blue hair and eyes, while Tsinoda was almost as tall as me with coral-colored hair, golden eyes, and a seemingly perpetual smile. “It is always a pleasure to meet a member of Itari’s order, and Kanae’s as well,” I told them with a smile while lightly jabbing my new bride in the ribs.

Apparently, Jezz didn’t need the hint, though, as she too smiled. “As m’ love said, ‘tis a pleasure t’ be sure. I come bearing a message, Priestess Gerue. I was told t’ tell you, ‘I am a bud, seekin’ t’ blossom.’ I was told you would know what it means.”

The blue-haired Kyran’s eyes widened at that, and her face wore a shocked expression, but she quickly recovered. “I knew that one would come to me bearing that message, but I was not expecting it to be an outsider. I had thought that it would be one of the older youths ready to serve Kanae. So, She wishes that for you, then? Come with us to the temple.”

The temple of Kanae and Itari had been badly damaged in the storm, but it looked like the initiates who lived and worked there had managed to clean up all but the worst of it. Gerue gave Jezz a lavender robe to wear, Tsinoda found a hunter green one for me, and then the pair led us through the temple to the garden in the rear courtyard. The garden had taken a bit of a beating, but it was being carefully tended, and the damage was being repaired even now by initiates of the temple. This was all fairly familiar to me after the day I spent serving at Kanae’s temple at home before my wedding, except for the mix of lavender and green robes rather than just lavender. At the center of the garden, just like at the one I had served at, was a willowy tree with silvery bark and lavender-hued leaves.

“This is the Nilla tree,” Gerue told us. “The tree of life. It is holy to Kanae, and they only grow at places that have special meaning to Her. There is one at every one of Her temples. They only bear fruit when Kanae wishes it, usually when a new High Priestess is to be chosen. This one bore a single fruit yesterday, and Kanae told me that it was for one of Her chosen mortals and that the chosen one would carry a specific message. Please, Lady Jezz, pick the fruit and eat it.”

Jezz flew up to one of the lower branches where a single golden fruit sat. It was small, about the size and shape of a plum, and when my wife landed, she took a tentative bite. Then she smiled and quickly finished it before licking the juices off her finger. It probably should have seemed odd to me that Kanae made such a big deal just to get Jezz to eat a piece of fruit, but this was the Greylands, and it was probably a magic fruit or something. Nothing here surprised me anymore.

“Was it good?” I queried.

“Aye, ‘twas very sweet, m’ love. I wonder why…” she trailed off in confusion before her eyes went wide in surprise. “Oh!”

“What?” I asked in concern, but there was no answer, and she had a blank expression on her face.

“Do not worry,” Gerue tried to reassure me, “your bride is speaking with Kanae. It can be a little overwhelming the first time, but she will be fine.”

I breathed a sigh of relief, and a mental one from Michelle told me that she had been watching through my eyes and had been worried as well. ~Eating the fruit must be how Kanae binds Her chosen mortals to Her, like Itari does with a person’s blood and the crystal fountain,~ I told her.

~I guess that makes sense,~ she agreed. ~What’s to keep just anyone from taking the fruit and eating it, though? Like one of the people tending the gardens.~

I thought about it for a minute before replying, ~She probably takes steps as she did here, and lets the High Priestess know who it’s for, and it is a holy tree, so most initiates would be more likely to report when the fruit appears than to eat it themselves. They wouldn’t want to piss off Kanae in the first place; She could make them barren for life or something. If the wrong person does pick it and eats it, She would probably grow a new one for the intended party, and the devourer or the first one would have a very unhappy Goddess in their head. I imagine that wouldn’t go too well for them.~

A mental shudder accompanied Michelle’s response. ~It would be bad enough just having a voice in your head, but having one that actually wanted to punish you would be horrible. I can handle what we do because you were my twin and we’ve always been close, but having a stranger in your mind all the time, I’m not sure how you manage it, Alex.~

~She’s not so bad, really. Itari cares and just wants to see me healthy and happy, and make sure that I’ll be a good Queen. At least with Her my contact is for short periods, and mostly consensual, but it could easily drive a person insane if the deity in question was constantly there and making an effort to make them suffer. I gotta know though, Sis, do I get that dopey look on my face when I talk to Itari?~ I chuckled at the vacant expression on my wife’s face.

~Yup,~ the Radiant Drakan replied with a chuckle of her own. ~Every time you talk to Her it’s like the lights are on, but nobody is home. You zonk out when you talk to Queen Nisa that way, too. I wonder, though, how Itari binds others to Her, since you and your line are the only ones who have access to Her crystal fountain.~

~That’s a good question,~ I thought back to her and turned my attention to Tsinoda’s smiling face. “Priestess, I have a question if you don’t mind.”

“I do not, what is it that you wish to ask?” replied the cheery Kyran.

I pondered my question for a second before finally figuring out what I wanted to say. “I’m assuming that the fruit is how Kanae binds Her chosen mortals to her, but how does Itari bind Her High Priestesses and other mortals of interest? I was bound to her in the manner of Azure royalty, but that method is not available to anyone outside the royal family.”

Her reply was a chuckle. “Itari told me that that would be of interest to you when She warned me yesterday of your coming.” The priestess removed a medallion from beneath her robes and allowed me to look over it. It was a simple circle of stone with a tiny crystal at its center, and I could feel it brimming with Itari’s power. “This medallion was formed from the earth when the temple was dedicated to Itari and Kanae. Every temple of Itari has one; they are passed from High Priestess to High Priestess, and bound to us by blood and oath.”

“I see,” I replied with a nod and a chuckle of my own, “that sounds like Itari, alright. Thank you for telling me.”

“You are very welcome. Do you have any other questions that we might be able to answer?” she asked.

“Well…” I began hesitantly before deciding to just come out with it. “I was told that there were only two Healers on this island before the storm and that now there is only one. In fact, I haven’t met many Gifted Kyran at all today, and I couldn’t help but notice that Selune doesn’t have her own temple here…” I trailed off, uncertain whether the question would be rude or not.

“You are wondering if we do not get Gifts here as you do because we do not follow Selune,” the shorter of the two priestesses offered. “In reality, it is the opposite. Most Kyran have little or no connection to the divine, so we choose to follow only those Gods that affect our lives the most. When one of us does show Gift potential, it is a thing to be celebrated, and we hold a party to thank Selune for Her kind offering. It is seldom that we have a divine connection to any of the Gods, but the three who affect our lives most. It is possibly due to our connection to the land and sea, or because we are not originally of this world.”

Seeing the look of surprise on my face, Tsinoda decided to explain her fellow priestess’s comment. “The legend is that we came to this world through one of the world gates over a thousand passes ago. Ours was a world of vast oceans and tropical islands with great mountains. It was a paradise until a great shadow appeared in the sky and blocked out the sun. We believe that the God of Darkness became jealous that we worshipped the Goddess of Light instead of Him and thus He slew Her and punished us. Then the land shook itself apart, the seas became wild, fire spewed from the mountaintops, and the very air slowly became a poisonous vapor. Some of our ancestors fled through one of the world gates and arrived here, but when our people later tried to go home, they found that they could not.”

~That sounds more like an asteroid strike than one God murdering another,~ Michelle commented in my mind. ~Probably a planet killer or extinction event from the sounds of it. They were lucky they had a gate.~

Meanwhile, Tsinoda was continuing her history lesson. “We tried to live among the other species we found here and learned as much as we could about this new world, and for a time, it was good. We were not suited to the vast lands of the continent, though, and the sea called to us. When the Humans began to slay or enslave non-humans and forced your people to flee their rightful homeland and cross the great sand, we too fled. We heeded Orin’s call, found these islands, and decided to keep ourselves apart from the other races.”

I shook my head sadly. “I respect your choice to keep yourselves apart, but Lharus and the Humans who serve Him will never be satisfied until they rule everything, and all non-humans are either dead or enslaved. They will come for your people. The storm was just a prelude to that, and without allies, you only make yourselves an easier target.”

Once Jezz had finished communing with her patron Goddess for the first time, we made our way, in the company of the two priestesses, to the damaged council chambers. All seven members of the High Council were already seated on cushions around the discussion table with Doran and Visanna. Visanna turned as we entered the chamber and gestured for me to sit beside her. “Alexis, we have seen to making your entourage and Drakans comfortable for the night, but the council wishes to speak with you before you retire for the night.”

Manake waited until we were all comfortable before he spoke. “Doran and Visanna both tell me that Orin wishes for us to discuss an alliance with your people. This is very unusual, never before have the Gods attempted to change our ways.”

“We live in difficult times,” I responded with a sigh. “The Gods have never tried interfering directly in anyone’s lives until now, but war is coming, to both the Gods and us. If we are to survive, we need to prepare ourselves, not just hope that it will pass us by if we stay quiet enough.”

“Itari and Kanae wish for us to make such an alliance as well,” Gerue added as she gestured to Jezz and me. “We believe that They both sent Their favored mortals here for just that reason.”

“We came here because we heard you were in need,” I quickly corrected her, "but I can’t deny that I believe an alliance could be beneficial to both our nations. Trade at the very least, military support if needed.”

I could feel the war of emotions inside Manake as he interjected. “You have impressed our people much today. You have proven yourself as Itari’s favored and as a member of this tribe. I believe that you are sincere in your desire to help us, but we also have hundreds of passes of tradition and our own laws to consider.”

I really didn’t want to spit in the face of their traditions, especially since they were such a proud people, but I couldn’t give up on a potential ally either. I needed to think of a way that both needs could be satisfied. “Perhaps there is a way for us to have an alliance, but still adhere to your laws. What exactly is the policy about contact with outsiders?”

“Only Kyran or those bound to the tribes may set foot on our islands,” one of the other council members answered. “We only allowed your comrades because they are under your direct command, and you are the daughter of Visanna and the favored of Itari.”

There was much discussion after that, but finally, a loose agreement was made. The only Kyran town we would be allowed contact with would be Katir; all trade must be done there, and no people of Azure would be allowed on the island unless I was personally there to take command of them. Trade vessels would have to remain anchored offshore, or at the dock that would be constructed, and trade goods would be loaded and unloaded by Kyran only, while the ship’s crew remained aboard. Mutual military support would be discussed at a later date, when Visanna would bring a Kyran representative to the royal palace in Velheim to iron out the finer details of the treaty and trade agreement.

When the discussion was done, I was officially inducted into the tribe as Visanna’s ‘daughter’ and given a small grotto that I could build a home in should I wish it. I doubted I would have much time for that, but I did have to admit that the islands may be a nice place to have a vacation home. I slept well that night, snuggled up with Jezz, Michelle, Chrissy, and Pounce in the grotto. It had been a productive day; we had helped the Kyran as much as we could, established an alliance of sorts, and the next day, we would have to head back to Draden to hold court the day after.