June 1626, Ireland
Akil Karanis turned before reaching Belfast and took the western path along Lough Neah, he then headed west once more toward the Sperrin Mountains. His quest for answers had taken him many places. Of all those, where he was heading was the destination he feared most. It also may be the most important. The seer who’d foretold of the Anointed One so many generations ago had a specific message, which over time had been distorted. Akil was bent upon unraveling the vagaries so he could find this person himself.
He traveled on horseback along a narrow road that hadn’t seen use in decades. The rain fell hard and heavy despite sunshine in the distance. As the terrain turned up and the rolling hills along the road grew steeper, Akil stopped and dismounted his horse. To his right was a gap in the cliffs not much wider than his shoulders. He felt a compulsion to enter, yet he also wanted to reach his destination, Sawel Mountain, by sundown. Despite his haste, he tethered his horse to a small shrub and stepped into the gap.
The instant he set foot inside, the rain ceased. The path turned a sharp corner revealing a perfectly hewn set of stairs. The stairs twisted left and right with no discernable rhyme or reason until they reached their terminus. A natural archway opened onto a plateau that overlooked the green countryside to his left. Directly across were sheer cliffs that rose another hundred feet. The wind was strong. As Akil steadied himself for fear of being blown over the edge, he heard a sound in the wind. It had a musical quality like chimes in a breeze. He searched for the source of the sound but saw nothing.
Akil had a sudden compulsion to sit. Having not stopped moving since the day before last, he was weary. He deserved a break, he thought, and so he sat, resting his back against the stone arch, hoping it would shield the wind. The chime-like music continued. His mind, always thinking of his next step, his next destination, went idle, taking in the beauty of the music. Thinking of no better occasion to light his pipe, Akil reached into his pocket and fished it out along with some tobacco he’d managed to procure from the last civilized village on his route.
He sat and enjoyed the music, which grew less chimelike and more voice-like as time passed. Despite the raging wind, Akil felt warm as he puffed on his pipe and studied the striations in the stone archway above his head. It was when his vision started to blur that a warning sounded in the recesses of his mind. He was tired and would have liked little less than to take a nap right there, but the nagging warning poked at his brain. His eyelids grew heavy. It took all of his strength to fight off the sleep that was trying to take him.
The warning inside sounded again, louder this time, and Akil stirred from his stupor. He shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts. A woman stood no more than two armlengths away. He wasn’t sure how long she’d been standing there watching him. Akil quickly got to his feet. The woman was stunningly beautiful. Akil felt an overwhelming compulsion to touch her. He had to feel her dark hair in his fingers. The smooth skin on her face, to feel her lips against his. Again the warning sounded.
Akil shook his head once more. The woman stepped toward him. Akil stepped back. He felt drawn to her like he’d never felt drawn to a woman before. Yet somewhere within his desire there was a sense of caution. He stepped back, again passing through the protection of the archway and onto the windy plateau. It didn’t feel right. He knew this and still his internal struggle to keep himself from running to her, pulling her close, kissing her, raged on.
With each step forward she took, Akil stepped back. His clothes rippled in the wind as he and the mysterious woman continued their dance atop the mountain. Akil shivered from the cold. He wondered how this woman could possibly stay warm dressed as she was in nothing more than her intimates. He began to take off his traveling cloak so he could offer it to her when he stopped. The raging wind appeared to be missing her completely. She stood there staring into his eyes, and her hair hung perfectly straight at her shoulders while his cloak blew out like a kite behind him.
Suddenly, she wasn’t so beautiful. Her face grew older before his eyes. Her skin grew dark and scaled. The music she had been singing became a shriek of anger. Akil’s hands went to his ears immediately. What was left of his clouded mind cleared, and for the first time he knew he had reached his destination. He had found the Siren.
Akil quickly recited an incantation that blocked all sound except speech from reaching his ears. The siren’s expression turned fouler as she moved closer to him.
“You are not like the others,” she said.
“I should hope not. I intend to leave with what I have come for.”
“So do all men. And all of them fall under my spell and do my will until I destroy them.”
“I am not under your spell, dear Siren, and have no intention of doing your bidding. I am however willing to go peacefully if you give me what I seek.”
Akil’s words were far braver than he felt. He’d studied the legend of the Sirens. He cursed himself for allowing her to surprise him as she had.
“And what is it you’ve come for, Akil Karanis?”
“I want the lineage of the Anointed One spoken by the Seer. It was written in the book,” said Akil “the bloodline of the Anointed One.”
“And what makes you think I have the book?”
“I have followed its path for many years and many miles and evidence of its existence stopped with you.”
“Most men come because I have called them. Few come for my treasure. None have come for the book. You are indeed different than the others, Akil Karanis.”
“Give it to me, and I shall go in peace and leave you to your foul deeds.”
“No man can defeat me. Not even one so unique as you. I shall make you an offer. Turn, walk back the way you came, and never return. Do this and you shall live. Do it not, and you will serve me until your death.”
Not bothering to reply, Akil sent a massive blast of energy at the Siren. She flew up into the air, her body spinning like a top. The wind immediately ceased. The roughly hewn cliffs that lined the far side of the plateau transformed into a beautiful castle carved into the marble. With one strike, the Siren’s powers of illusion were shattered. She landed nimbly just short of the edge.
“You are powerful, Akil Karanis, but your arrogance will be your undoing,” said the Siren.
Despite her distance, Akil heard her voice as if she were standing next to him. He did not wait for her counterattack. Akil raised his arms. Several large boulders rose from the ground and flew toward her. She did not flinch or try a defensive incantation. She simply continued walking toward him. The stones crashed into her with destructive force. The impact sounded like thunder. Bits of stone and dust flew into the air, engulfing her in the rubble.
Akil lifted slabs of stone straight out of the ground, encircling the Siren and surrounding the rubble pile with a curtain of rock. He then sent a fireball into the air. It came down like a wave and crashed into the center of his stone cage and began to swirl until the entire area within his newly constructed walls was engulfed in flame.
Satisfied that the Siren was either dead or seriously injured, Akil made his way to the castle entrance. The steps leading up to the main doors were cut from a deep red marble that contrasted with the walls of the castle, which were a mottled white. This creature had an impressive gift with stonework, he thought as he inspected the entry.
“ Ireki,” he said, raising his arms and facing his palms at the doors. The doors did not respond. He said several other incantations, each more obscure than the last, before he finally resolved to use force. The castle was a masterpiece and he hated to destroy any part of it. He stepped away from the entry and said, “ Suntsitu.” The doors shuddered slightly but did not open.
Akil looked over his shoulder. The blaze still swirled within the walls and there was no evidence that she had managed to escape. Returning his attention to the entry, he sent several horse-sized pieces of rock hurtling toward the doors. Each broke upon the doors like waves upon the shore. Everything he had read and heard about Sirens indicated they had little power outside their abilities to ensnare their enemy’s minds. The magic the Siren had used on the doors, however, was extremely advanced and highly foreboding.
After trying several dozen incantations, Akil finally turned away and headed toward the swirling fire inside the stone curtain. He lifted his hands, and the fire immediately extinguished. He then commanded the stone curtain to fall back into the earth from whence it had risen. A charred ring of debris was all that remained. The heat from the fire had been so intense that it had melted the smaller pieces of stone. He saw no evidence of the Siren.
Akil could feel his heart beating faster. A noise from behind made him jump. He quickly turned. The doors to the castle stood open. Cautiously, he approached. Darkness black as sackcloth consumed the interior. Akil stepped to the entry, extended his hands, and sent several light orbs inside. Immediately upon crossing the threshold the orbs disappeared, swallowed by the darkness.
He took a deep breath, readied his mind for whatever lay inside, and stepped into the darkness. As he crossed the threshold, the ink-black air faded until he could see once more. To his surprise, Akil found himself standing in a cave. There was nothing ornate about the interior. Bones, mostly human, were piled on one side. Opposite the bones was a large pile of gold and silver. At the far end of the cave a trunk bound by leather straps sat alone against the wall.
“ Jasoketa deitu,” Akil said, summoning the trunk. It did not move. He stepped farther into the cave, ever mindful that his enemy could be lurking nearby. He quickly covered the distance between himself and the trunk, checking over his shoulder every several steps.
When he was within arm’s length of the trunk, the lid opened. Akil looked around, expecting to see the Siren rushing toward him, but he was alone. He took a step closer and peered inside. On a bed of purple satin sat an ornate pocket watch and single book.. It was the book he had been looking for, the book men of his generation did not believe was still in existence. The book that the Seer had written, detailing the events leading up to the Epoch Terminus and the lineage of the one who could stop it. Again he looked over his shoulder. He saw no sign of the Siren. Slowly, he reached his hand inside the trunk and grasped the leather binding.
Akil felt as if the blood and warmth were draining from his body. His head began to spin, and he fell to his knees. The Siren was correct, he thought, his arrogance would be his undoing. He released the book and turned as he fell to the floor. The Siren, once again perfectly beautiful, walked toward him, her bare feet padding silently on the cave floor. She stood over him with an expression of pity on her face.
“I gave you too much credit, Akil Karanis. In the end, you turned out to be just as greedy as your predecessors. While your treasure may come in a different form, your lust for it is the same. Now you will become my slave.”
The Siren crouched and placed her pale hand on Akil’s forehead. Akil could feel the Siren breaking into his mind. She extracted his thoughts and his memories. One by one, he could feel her sorting through them as if they were socks in a drawer. She appeared to relish the memories that caused Akil the most hurt. The process caused Akil to relive his past as if it were happening over again. The speed at which the emotions passed over his mind was unbearable. He cried out from the loss, laughed from the joy and screamed from the pain practically simultaneously. He felt the memories of his childhood slipping through his mind. When she reached the first memory of his love, everything stopped. Akil refused to let her have this. This belonged to him and him alone. Akil would not share it-even if it killed him.
“Well, it appears as if I’ve found something of value,” the Siren said, sneering.
She redoubled her efforts, but Akil was steadfast in his defense. Frustrated, she pulled her hand away and let out a cry. Too weak to do anything, Akil simply lay there and watched as she paced across the cave floor, her face changing from beautiful to horrible and back to beautiful as she muttered to herself. She stopped and turned, facing Akil. The Siren stepped forward and again placed her hand on his forehead. Again, Akil could feel her digging into his mind. This time she hurriedly passed every memory not taking the time to absorb them until she found the one she was looking for. He felt her pry, trying to unlock the door he had put up to keep her out.
Akil felt a surge of strength from her failure and frustration. He could see her body shaking as she tried and failed to break through the door. In an effort that would either sap the last remaining strength from his body or set him free, Akil sent a burst of energy at the Siren. Not nearly as powerful as the first, she was simply pushed back into the large pile of treasure on the far side of the cave. Seizing the mere seconds of opportunity Akil thrust his hand into the small satchel on his belt and removed a pinch of transporting powder. He threw himself on top of the trunk and tossed the powder into the air over his head. Nothing happened.
A low guttural laugh rose from deep within the Siren as she rose to her feet. “You have promise, Akil Karanis,” she said taking a step forward. “You cannot transport to or from my kingdom. Always has it been. Now, what is it you hide so fervently? Is it more important than this book you’ve sought for much of your life?”
Akil released his grip on the trunk and fell to the ground.
“Do you know who I am?” the Siren asked.
Akil remained supine, looking up at the Siren as she spoke. His body so weak he couldn’t find the strength to lift his head.
“I am Okon ak aintzinako.”
“Impossible,” Akil replied in barley a whisper.
“I was there, Akil. I was there when your so-called Seer made his prediction.”
“Okon ak aintzinako is long dead. You are a deceiver, nothing more.”
“You doubt me, Akil? Have you no desire to know what I know? The true prophecy, the entire prophecy? If you knew the truth, you wouldn’t have wasted your life searching.”
“No,” Akil said, finally finding the strength to lift his head.
“I see doubt in your eyes, Aki Karanis. Fear and doubt.”
“You are a deceiver, nothing more,” said Akil.
“I can prove to you that I speak the truth. First you must allow me into your mind.”
“Never.”
“It is the only way, Akil,” she said in a soothing, motherly voice. “We Sirens cannot create memory orbs like you sorcerers.”
“If I give you my mind, I am powerless against you.”
“Look at yourself, Akil. You lay there like a baby with concerns of powerlessness. You are mine to do with what I wish. I am willing to share with you that what you have sought your entire life yet you refuse.”
“At what cost? It is of no value if I am killed, rendered mindless, or become your slave.”
“Let us then come to a mutually agreed upon resolution, shall we?”
“Since when has a Siren ever suggested a mutually agreed upon resolution?”
“You are no fool, Akil Karanis. This is rare among humans. If I were to prove to you that I am indeed Okon ak aintzinako, would you consider attempting to reach an accord?”
“I fail to understand why the great Okon ak aintzinako would bother reaching an accord with the likes of me.”
“We are a dying race, as you know. You are a powerful sorcerer. In all my years I daresay I’ve met less than a handful with your abilities and potential. Let us help one another.”
“If you can prove to me that you are Okon ak aintzinako, I will consider your suggestion.”
“I would call you an arrogant fool for believing you have another option or just simply kill you where you lie, but in order to make progress we must occasionally bite our tongues and withhold our impulses, yes?”
The Siren walked slowly toward Akil. As she drew nearer, Akil could feel his strength returning. He stood, his face a hair-length away from hers. Her pupil-less irises were blood red and rolled like ocean waves inside her eyes. She reached for his hand and lifted it to the side of her face. Her skin was smooth, her hair soft. The Siren closed her eyes and Akil felt a surge of warmth travel through his hand and up his arm. In that instant, he knew she was Okon ak aintzinako, the greatest and eldest of all Sirens. Thought to have perished in the Great War so many centuries prior. He lowered his hand and stepped back.
“Despite the circumstances surrounding our meeting, it is truly an honor to be in your presence,” Akil said, balling his right fist, covering it with his left hand, and bowing slightly.
Okon nodded with a smile.
“What is your proposition, Lady Okon?” Akil asked.
“You truly are inimitable, Akil Karanis.”
“Despite our disagreements, you no doubt deserve the respect I bestow.”
“My proposition is this: I will share with you what your Seer decreed, and you will find, capture, and bring me Gai ak zangar.”
“Impossible. He too was thought to have perished in the Great War yet if you survived, perhaps he did as well. Even if he did survive, I wouldn’t know where to begin searching for him, and once I found him, I would have no chance of capturing a Siren so great as she. Your terms are unreasonable.”
“If I doubted your ability, Akil Karanis, your life would have been forfeited the moment you stepped through the archway.”
“I don’t even know where to begin searching.”
“I am old, Akil Karanis, as you know. Yet death from old age is scores of human lifetimes away. You will have a lifetime to search-more even.”
“More?”
Okon put both hands on Akil’s chest and closed her eyes. Again he felt a surge of heat, this time through his chest directly into his heart. The heat grew in intensity until Akil screamed. He faltered back as she lowered her hands, but he did not fall.
“It is done,” she said.
“What?” Akil asked breathlessly.
“You will live thrice as long as a normal human, perhaps longer.”
Akil gripped his chest, the burning fading. He captured his breath then looked up at the Siren.
“How do I know you will keep your word even if I am able to bring Gai ak zangar to you?”
“I will give you a taste of what you seek,” she said, glancing at the trunk beside them.
“The book?”
“The book and something else,” she said with a mirthless smile, her face changed from beautiful to terrible and back in an instant. “There is a place you must go if you are to know and understand your Seer’s decree. It is also a place where you must begin your search for Gai ak zangar, and only I can send you there.”
“Where?”
“Take the book. Hold it close, for things of value are easily lost.”
Akil looked hesitantly at the trunk. The Siren nodded with an expression of girlish innocence. He slowly reached down and picked up the large volume.
“Very good,” she said. “Now, take the trinket beside it.”
“The watch?” asked Akil.
“That is no mere watch. Your Seer predicted an end to your race, did he not?”
“The Epoch Terminus.”
“Indeed. An enchantment has been cast upon that trinket, which now belongs to you. It winds down as your Epoch Terminus approaches.”
Akil held the book against his chest, picked up the silver pocket watch, and slid it into his pocket.
“Tell me where you plan to send me.”
“We call this place it Ak Egundiano.”
“No. You cannot. There is no return from that place.”
“You must find one.”
“Impossible.”
“Then all is lost. Not simply your reward but the fulfillment of the your Seer’s decree.”
“What are you saying?”
“The Anointed One must also travel to Ak Egundiano to find his power. So you see, Akil, if there is no return, the prophecy will not be fulfilled, and your race will perish.”
“You scoffed at the prophecy, yet now you hold it in high regard.”
“I scoffed at your interpretation. Despite the information you lack, what I speak of Ak Egundiano is true. The Anointed One must return from this place or all will fall to ruin.”
“So then you believe the Epoch Terminus is tied to more than just mankind?”
“Perhaps. Nevertheless, I believe you will succeed where all others have failed.”
“The Never. It cannot be,” Akil said in a whisper. “When? When must I go?”
The Siren’s eyes clouded black as she stepped away from Akil. She spread apart her hands and the ground began to shake. Using all her strength, she fought to bring them together. As they drew closer, the quaking became more intense until, in an earsplitting clap of thunder, they came together. A wisp of grey smoke ascended from the place where, a moment ago, stood Akil Karanis.