Page 124 of The Eye of the Fifth
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Nevatis.
Kano.
There had only been one time since Kano had known the merking, that his regard for him had taken an unfortunate, resentful turn. It was the first time he’d been introduced to the nymphs. Kano hadn’t known who he was, couldn’t understand the power within him, nor the fact he lived under the water like the rest of them quite easily (even without gills or a tail), and yet he’d felt very much like the merking had given him the job no one else wanted to do.
Keeping an eye on his young, capricious spies.
He hadn’t wanted to do it. Not at all. But even that bitterness had been nothing compared to how he felt now.
Gods. Goddesses. Wars. Wardens.
An explanation,finally,of what his magic was. Where it came from.
Cyraneous told him everything. After years of badgering the merking about his past (within reason, of course… Kano was not stupid enough to pester him too much), he knew the truth.
And that man, that crestfallen man, really had been his brother.
It was difficult to feel any sort of way about any of it when he simply couldn’t remember his life before Nevatis. The only emotion that hecouldfeel with any real clarity was anger.
He didn’t know himself. He thought he had… but everything he’d known to be true these last three years was nothing but a blanket of rough sand over him, concealing therealhim that lay dormant beneath.
Pacing his cave, his home, deep in the heart of Nevatis, Cyraneous watched him silently from the pool in the centre. Kano struggled to keep his anger at bay. ‘So… I am the Water Warden. Which means-?’
‘The Water Mother chose you as her protegee. Corla’s magic is one with your soul. You are the bridge between the mortal world and the divine,’ the merking told him.
He’d heard of Corla, naturally. The merking lived his entire life by Her. Though he’d never explained that it wasHermagic he himself possessed. It made so much sense that Kano berated himself for never coming to the conclusion.
‘And there are other Wardens?’ Kano asked him. ‘Of Earth and Air and…’
‘Fire,’ Cyraneous finished for him. Kano merely blinked at him, waiting for more information. Almost begrudgingly, the merking continued, ‘The Earth is ground. It is the rock our world is built upon. The Air rests unseen above us. You breathe it. It keeps you alive. Fire is destruction, but also vitality. It cleans and purges so new life might thrive. Each Element cannot exist without the others, and it is the Wardens’ duty to keep the balance the Four Mothers founded.’
‘Duty,’ Kano repeated, then demanded accusingly, ‘If itismy duty, why would you keep this from me?’
The merking’s tone was matter-of-fact as he said, ‘For the same reason your brother stole you away from the landking. To protect you, Kano. To save you from the misery that comes with being a Warden.’
‘But it was all a lie.’ Kano stopped pacing. ‘Everything was a lie. This life I have built, my relationship with you, with the twins… it’s all based on a lie.’
Cyraneous was quiet for a moment, but his black eyes did not move from Kano’s. ‘Do you truly believe that?’
He didn’t. Not really. But the bitterness within him was too thick to swallow. He ripped his gaze from the merking’s and stared at the ground instead.
‘Kano,’ Cyraneous said in a level voice. ‘I do not want you to leave. I rather feel you belonghere, not up there. But I will not get in your way should you choose to join the other Wardens. Know this,though… you do not owe the world anything. If you do choose to leave, let it be because you want to, and not because that is what you think you must do.’
The sentiment had some of that bitterness fading. ‘If I choose to stay…’ Kano began, ‘I will never be able to forget what I know now. I will always wonder if I have made the right decision. I don’t remember who I was before… but I’ve always known there was more. If I can learn who I am again… then I have to take the chance.’
‘The King of Loros will want you back in his service,’ Cyraneous warned. ‘I cannot protect you once you leave Nevatis. You know now of the hold he had over you. Is that a risk you are willing to take?’
‘But I won’t be alone, will I? I’ll be with the other Wardens,’ Kano quietly argued. He thought of the waterling man. ‘And… and my brother. I’ll be safe with them, won’t I?’
The merking heaved a great sigh. ‘I hope so. I really do.’ He wasn’t a male who showed emotion. His expression was usually one of complete impassiveness. Now it was no different, except Kano could sense his sombre disappointment in the quiet moment that followed, and even in the parting words he gave: ‘Then, this is goodbye, Kano Astaveron. Know that you will always be welcome here in Nevatis. And more importantly… know that thetruerealm of Mother Corla will always be your home.’
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‘You’re leaving?’ Akeria asked, eyebrows raised with surprise. At his confirming nod, she shook her blue head darkly. ‘Lucky you.’
Kano said sharply. ‘What do you mean?’
