"We all know the Great Gifts like to appear where no one expects. If you'll remember the historic texts, Latos shared the gifts were sent from the Great One, his Friend. From the past, we know the Great One has never been anything but absolutely correct. I think we've all guessed the parentage of this young woman and though her grandfather may have thrown away his gift, his granddaughter has been given a chance at another, one of the rarest and one that is always greatly needed. I do not doubt Iviana's word. I believe we should honor Naphtali in that, at least."

  When she finished, one of the council released a "Here, here." Some nodded in agreement while others appeared torn. Kurnin, leader of the island, was red with anger, though Iviana couldn't begin to understand his reaction.

  Rhimesh spoke to Iviana, "That is all we need from you for now. You are excused."

  Iviana hesitated. She did not want to be dismissed—not before she learned who her parents were—and she had the feeling they were about to discuss her fate as a healer. She wanted to listen for that as well. "But I -" she began to say, but Naii gave a short jerk of her head in warning and waved the girl out.

  Once outside, Iviana released a long, anguished sigh. She didn't know what she had expected, but it hadn't been that.

  "How did it go?" Nimua rose from a bench on the terrace and went to her friend.

  "I don't know," Iviana answered. "It didn't feel like it went well."

  "You never know with them, though," Nimua comforted. "They can change their minds in an instant and they hardly ever agree completely on anything anyway. Majority rules and it helps that you have my mother."

  "I think they would have eaten me alive had she not stepped in."

  "She likes you, and not just because Naphtali was her mother."

  Iviana jumped involuntarily. "What?" she squeaked, remembering the day she had informed Naii of Naphtali's death and the tears that Naii had shed.

  "Oh, she hasn't told you?" Nimua looked caught. "Well, she likes to think things through thoroughly before speaking about them. She would have told you in time."

  Iviana closed her eyes. "My life used to be so simple."

  Nimua was uncertain how to respond. Her life had been simple as well—too simple—and she had felt completely bored with it until Iviana arrived.

  "You need to meet Marquen," Nimua decided.

  As she suddenly raced away, Iviana had no choice but to follow.

  It's nice to have a friend, Iviana thought with a grin on her face as she went.

  They walked near the path they had taken to visit Tragor at the dragon's lair, but continued forward to begin hiking one of the tallest formations on the island.

  "Surely this is not really called Seer's Hill?" Iviana asked. "It's a mountain."

  Nimua skipped along the incline. "Maybe you just need more exercise."

  "Or maybe I'm just not used to mountain climbing," Iviana panted, holding her side. "How much further?"

  "Oh, not much. You see that fog up above?"

  "Yes."

  "Well, it's a while beyond that."

  Iviana stumbled. "You're kidding."

  "Unless you pick up the pace, we won't get there before nightfall."

  "Alright. Lets just..." Iviana sat herself on a nearby rock. "...take a little breather."

  "Fine. Drink this." Nimua pulled a small container of water from a pocket at her side.

  Iviana drank it and immediately felt strengthened. Holding the bottle to her face, she examined its contents.

  "What's in this water?" she asked.

  "Nothing. Why?"

  "I feel stronger."

  "Oh, yes. Water does that. Doesn't yours?"

  "I suppose... but not that quickly." She drank the rest of the liquid. "Lets go," Iviana sang, jumping to her feet.

  Eventually the young women came upon a rustic brown cabin amidst the fog. It was covered with greenery and surrounded with an enormous array of vegetation. The garden flourished even more than Iviana and Naphtali's garden at home, and they'd worked on it for as long as she could remember.

  "It's not white," Iviana commented in astonishment. Everything on the island that had been man-made had been some shade of white. It had almost been overwhelming.

  "Yes?" Nimua raised a brow and knocked on the door.

  "Enter!" a man's voice called.

  Nimua turned the knob to reveal a man with a thick brown beard who appeared a little older than the women.

  He smiled and greeted them. "Ah, Nimua, I knew you'd be by sometime soon." He turned to Iviana. "Hello, Ivi."

  "Uh, hello. You're Marquen?" Iviana asked.

  "Yes, of course. Please, have a seat." He motioned toward two chairs pulled out on the other side of a rustic table.

  "You built another chair," Nimua stated before taking a seat.

  Marquen smiled hugely behind his bushy beard, "I couldn't have Ivi sitting on the ground now could I? She would think my manners ill. Therefore, I would have to sit on the ground myself. I don't care for wooden floors."

  "How were you so sure I would come?" Iviana asked curiously.

  "He's a Seer, Ivi," Nimua replied as though it should be obvious.

  "Mm, yes," Marquen agreed, "but that doesn't mean I know everything. I'm not Latos ..." His eyes sparkled in a smile. "...but I am pretty close."

  "Well, aren't we chesty today?" Nimua teased.

  "Not so, not so. I simply speak as I see it," the man defended himself good-naturedly.

  Iviana looked him over as he spoke, thinking he seemed centuries older than he appeared. She tried to reason why. Was it the beard?

  She also wished she knew what his being a "Seer" meant.

  "What are you thinking so hard about, friend?" Marquen asked her.

  "I, uh..." Iviana's mind raced, searching for any answer other than the truth. "I wonder why you only had two chairs before and why you live so far from everyone else."

  "He's a hermit," Nimua supplied for him.

  "I don't think you could say that exactly," Marquen replied. "'Hermit' implies that I am a person living in solitude. 'Solitude' implies that I dwell in a lonely place. I am neither lonely or alone."

  "Picky," Nimua murmured.

  Without warning, a white blur flew in through the window.

  "Ah, here is one of the two visitors I receive who keep me from becoming lonesome."

  Iviana's attention was caught by the white bird now perched on Marquen's shoulder. "Hey! That's my—I mean, that's the dove... I keep seeing," Iviana ended cautiously. She had not meant to burst out so.

  "Yes, he confirmed the vision I had of you coming to the island."

  Vision, Iviana thought. She was beginning to understand what they meant by Seer.

  "Alright," Nimua interrupted. "I know I'm your only visitor, but do you really have to resort to birds as a means of company?"

  "He's not just a bird," Iviana corrected in a dreamy tone as she looked into the eyes of the dove.

  "Mm, 'Intuitive Ivi'," Marquen singsonged as he stroked the dove's wing. "What else can you see?" he asked her.

  "What do you mean?" Iviana inquired.

  "I'm not sure," he answered. "I think you'll know in time, if I'm correct."

  Nimua broke in, "We're here because Ivi went before the council today and she doesn't feel very good about it. I hoped you could help her feel better, as you do for me."

  "What happened?" the man asked, ready to listen.

  "Well, they..." Iviana wavered, "they wanted me to tell them about myself."

  "That sounds simple enough," the Seer said. He smirked before adding, "But I doubt the council allowed it to be so."

  "I did as they asked and when I told them I was a... a healer, they seemed to become somewhat disturbed by it. Then I was dismissed and I'm... afraid they're going to tell me that I can't heal anymore. It's the most precious thing I have right now. It's who I am and what Naphtali gave me." Iviana hadn't realized before what her true fears were concerning the meeting, but as she sat facing Marquen, her twisted, confused thoughts seemed to unravel.

  Marquen looked straight into Iviana's bright blue eyes a moment and Iviana had the uncanny feeling that what he was about to say could quite possibly change her life.

  Finally, he uttered something meaningfully, but it was in a tongue she did not understand.

  The room was silent a moment.

  "What?" Iviana asked him, perplexed.

  "Decide your own fate, Ivi... Make an earthquake."

  His words settled over her like the first, silent snowfall of winter, then plunged deep into her heart like a knife. She did not ask him what he meant. She felt he would not answer her if she did. Its true meaning was something for her to decipher.

  Make an earthquake. It was not a dream—a lofty idea out in space somewhere. It was a command—a command that she understood completely and not at all, and it came with a presence she couldn't quite grasp... Make an earthquake.

  She thought on those words as Nimua led her out the door and while they made their way down the path that led to where the rest of the islanders lived and continued to dwell on them through dinner until Nimua and Darist drew her out. The longer she thought on them, the more the words revolutionized her reality. Before, she had been merely trying to survive, but now she had purpose and design... even if she wasn't certain of the details.

  After the meal, Iviana excused herself and made her way toward the beach. The water was golden with the sunset this night as she waded idly through the ankle-deep water on the shore. She found a miniature island of dark gray rock and sat upon it. Knees folded up within her arms, she rested her chin on them and looked out at the golden sky. Shades of pink and amber were cast across the sea line and she could make out the dark image of a nearby island.

  While she'd been in the meeting with the council, she had seen a map beyond Rhimesh's head. It contained every island in the Greater Archipelagos and listed the names of each. She doubted she could ever learn even half of them and wondered if she would ever visit any. When it came down to it, she didn't know what she was doing here or how long she would stay... or how long she would be permitted to stay.

  Though she was supposed to be of the same blood as the islanders, it was apparent many of them did not trust her. Whatever her parents had done, had been, had cast a shadow on who she was. She really didn't think it fair, especially considering she didn't have a single memory of them. The islanders knew of Naphtali too. She didn't know if that was good or bad, but the bit about her having been taught healing sounded like it could be a problem. If it was, she didn't know why. Maybe they simply had a problem with the fact that she was given the chance at healing and they felt she didn't deserve it. Perhaps they would rather she not possess the knowledge at all. When she had been dismissed, she felt they were going to decide her fate... but like Marquen had insinuated... her fate was hers to control, not theirs. After all, she barely knew these people.

  When she was seven, she had seen Naphtali fixing an ointment for a cut.

  "Naphtali," she had said, "I want to do that."

  Naphtali had smiled and replied, "We'll see."

  What had she meant exactly? Was it that she wasn't certain she wanted to teach her or that it wasn't up to her at all, but a higher being? A higher being... that was something she had never thought much about before. She wondered if it would be the same being in both Kaern and the Greater Archipelagos or if each world had its own.

  The issue of her being in another realm was something else entirely. What did that even mean? Could it really be true? She had a rough memory of her trip to the Greater Archipelagos. They had traveled through... something... She didn't know what to call it. Perhaps she'd dreamed it. Even so, there had been references to such things as other realms, worlds or dimensions, but most was speculation and met with cynicism.

  If only someone would answer my questions, she thought silently.

  "Are the sunsets any different in your world?" a voice broke into her thoughts.

  Iviana looked back, but recognized the voice before she saw him.

  "They're fairly similar, but they don't feel so close there. Here, it's so big it feels like it could be sitting in my lap."

  "Mm, I never thought of it that way." Darist paused, then continued, "I heard you caused a commotion in the council today... not that, that is difficult to do."

  "They're not very trusting, are they? I mean, do I seem dangerous to you?" Iviana asked him.

  She saw a smirk appear on his face as he stood beside her. "Sort of. Everything about you is unexpected and everything about life here is pretty much the same... all day... everyday. You have no idea how happy Nimua is to have you here... or Naii and myself." There was silence for a few minutes until Darist asked what he'd been wanting to. "Are you happy to be here?"

  It took her just as long to answer as it had taken him to ask. "Before I came here and after Naphtali died, I felt like I was going to be undone with loneliness. I had no one. I'm happy not to be alone."

  Silence followed for a long while before Darist said, "I think you'll fit in after a while and be accepted. Especially with your healing gift. You could really do a lot of good."

  Iviana hesitated. "I don't know that I want to fit in here," she admitted.

  Her reply took him off guard. "Then you don't like it here?" he asked.

  "No, I do... I think I do. It's just, I want to be accepted as I am... not who I could become."

  "Mmm... you're right. These people aren't very changing though, Ivi."

  "So I am to be an outcast forever?" she asked hopelessly.

  "You're not an outcast now... you're just not... trusted by everyone. Not yet, anyway."

  Iviana nodded. "Thank you for being honest. I think Nimua tries to cushion everything for me. I prefer to know where things stand."

  They were both thoughtful for a while as it grew dark. "I guess I should be getting back. They don't like people out too late," Darist warned.

  "Of course not."

  Darist laughed. "Alright, you sleep well. Tell me what you think of the blue fish tomorrow."

  "What?"

  "Nothing." He smiled. "Good nigh-"

  "Wait..." Iviana stopped him. "Promise me you'll tell me about the Age of the Great One tomorrow— and Latos?"

  "Nimua would kill me if I beat her to it."

  "Then she can tell me or you both can. I don't care. I just want a promise that I'll be told."

  "Alright, I promise."

  Iviana had so many more questions and that may have even been the least of what she wanted to know, but she was happy for the hope of even the smallest ounce of understanding. How could they expect her to go about life here if she was never to be told the truth about anything? She was sick of her questions being ignored as if she were a small child with too much curiosity. She would not be treated like a small child. Naphtali wanted better for her than that and she would find some place where someone would see her for what she was and could live in peace with only that. If these people couldn't accept her, if they wanted her to leave, that was fine. She would be fine.

  Well, it was time for sleep. She stepped off her rock and as her foot touched the water, she noticed something shimmer next to it. Suddenly, one by one and two by two, numerous blue glowing things appeared within the water until the sea was shimmering blue under the silver of the moon. These must be the blue fish, she thought with a sigh.

  This place was full of beautiful surprises.

  IVIANA WAS STANDING by the ocean's edge when she felt a pain on the left side of her body and could no longer hold herself up. After falling upon the shore, she looked to the side of her body where she'd felt the jolt of pain... and there was nothing there. Half of her was missing. She couldn’t get up or shout for help.

  A woman came up from the ocean and started toward her. "Ah, right where I need you, my dear," her cold voice spoke. The woman from the ocean snapped her fingers and a fire flashed to life beside Iviana. Shapes formed within the flames, grasping for her half flesh. They burned her, but she couldn’t get away.

  Please, stop them! she cried desperately in her mind, unable to speak it.

  The woman heard her thoughts and laughed madly. "It is what you deserve, daughter of Latos. You will share his fate."

  You're mistaken. I am not his daughter! Iviana screamed in her mind as a flame gripped her ankle.

  "I am rarely ever mistaken, foolish girl," the woman answered lightly.

  The flame began to crawl up Iviana's leg, over her half stomach, reaching for her half heart and then she awoke with a start. She was breathing hard and sweating as if in response to the dream-flames.

  "Daughter of Latos," she whispered aloud, quickly throwing off her covers and dressing. She was going to get some answers.

  "Nimua, where's your mother?" Iviana asked when Nimua answered the door. "I need to speak with her right away."

  "I'm sorry, Ivi. She's not here. Why? Are you alright?"

  "Yes, I just have some questions."

  "Oh, well, she's visiting another island for the next day or so. Can I answer anything for you?"

  Iviana hesitated. "No, I don't think so. I just..." Suddenly Iviana noticed Nimua's attire. "What are you wearing?"

  Nimua blushed. "It was my mother's wedding frock and Naphtali's before her. I was just... trying it."

  Iviana touched the delicate fabric. "It's lovely. It really is... oh, are you—are you getting married?"

  "No!" Nimua blushed again. "Well, yes. Someday, I suppose. I just like to try it on sometimes."

  "Ah... do you have anyone in mind?" Iviana smirked, following Nimua into her home. "Darist?"

  Nimua's eyes grew wide. "No! Are you joking? He's like an annoying brother I've never been able to rid myself of. I guess when we were children we liked each other, but we've outgrown that, thank heaven."

  "Ah. Well, it's a beautiful dress." Iviana paused, then added, "You'd kill each other anyway."

  They laughed at that. "Are you kidding? I'd kill him before we even made it to the alter." They were both tearing with laughter. "He'd want to carry me around everywhere to show off his biceps!"

  When they were able to settle themselves, Nimua removed the wedding attire, saying, "You know what would be fun? We should find someone for you."

 

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