Chapter Five

"Impossible, no human is going to save Varuna from Lord Vulterian. Especially not one so weak, you are not a warrior, I sense no power coming from you." Fenia said to Seth, a suspicious gleam in her eye.

Seth was incredibly nervous standing before the icy goddess, great power and strength emanating from her very being. It seemed that with one glance, she could turn him into an ice cube.

"Please, you have to help me. I don't believe it either, that's why I have to find the water goddess, she's supposed to awaken the warrior in me. I have witches and half-horse men chasing me, and I'm scared to death!" he exclaimed, placing his hands together to emphasize his pleading.

She regarded him most angrily, furrowing her brows. His pleading did not seem the best route to have taken with this stern creature.

"You see? You are a weak human, all this begging! It is not becoming for one whom is to be our savior! You truly do have much to learn if you are the chosen one!" she boomed, her voice taking on such an octave, Seth swore the tree branches shook with fear.

Her words spun around in his mind, she was right, he was being cowardly, a whiny baby at best. He had to stop acting like some poor, piteous misfit and make a decision, these people needed to be saved. Was he in, or out?

He crossed his arms, and decided to meet her head on. "I apologize, please forgive me. It is just so difficult to believe in myself when I am regarded as so little where I come from. Not much of a hero," he scoffed at himself, "I suppose you Varunians inherit self confidence as babies then?"

"You could say that," she said, her lips curving into a slight smile. "However, one can only be born with so much, determination is left up to the individual." Her elusive smile was gone as quickly as it had come, "How did you come to find my frozen woods, human Seth?"

He turned away from her, shivering against the cold snow as he noticed a small stream that looked even more dreadfully cold. "The fire goddess, Nnenii told me you could help me, I met her at the ancient ruins to the south."

"I see...very well then, if Nnenii was adamant in sending you here, I should help you reach Quelani." she sighed.

Fenia folded her hands together quietly, looking down at the crisp, white snow. "You do realize what you will have to endure?"

Seth rubbed the back of his neck. He knew. He was scared to death, they don't call a man "evil" for nothing. "I have some idea, yes," he replied softly, staring into the calm water below.

If only we had more time.

"Vulterian must be stopped, or our land is doomed. If he unites with the Princess, he will have more power than all of us combined. He is a powerful man already but he needs the Princess' magic to fully dominate. You have to hurry to overcome this doubt in yourself, time grows short for all of us." Fenia said, seething at the thought of Vulterian taking over her homeland.

She approached Seth, who remained quiet looking at the water. "Are you all right?" she asked softly, grasping his arm gently.

Even though her tone had warmed towards him, her touch was still icy cold, his arm nearly felt like it was going numb, even through his coat. "I'm...just overwhelmed, I suppose. I know a lot is counting on me, I just hope this water goddess can really help me."

"She will, fear not. But I'm afraid the time for talk is over, we must waste no more time. You do not have enough days left to travel to her by foot, you must go through the water." she said, making Seth even more nervous, not this again!

"T-tell me m-more about this traveling through water stuff, Nnenii said she could do that too." he stammered, his eyes growing wider as the thought of how he came here entered his mind. If this was anything like that, he'd rather not go through it again.

"Well, Nnenii's magic differs from my own. She heats the water through her fire, I have to freeze it to send you through. It will be terribly cold but if you trust in me and my powers, you shall be fine." she said, matter-of-factly.

Seth finally worked up enough courage to step down into the small creek. What tests would the water goddess put him through if all that has happened is just getting to her? He'd nearly drowned, been knocked out, almost set on fire and now this? If he thought the snow and ice were cold, this had to be extremely worse.

He stood waist deep in the frigid water, holding himself steady against the bitter cold.

"Now, close your eyes and hold completely still. Empty your mind, clear your thoughts. Listen to the sound of my voice and the calmness of the water." Fenia said from above, her voice soft and soothing, almost like a mother's to her child.

Seth did as she instructed, it was very difficult but he found himself ignoring the biting cold and focusing on the sounds around him instead. Soon, he heard her voice again, loud and clear, ringing through the trees and up to the open sky.

"Ascoltare il suono, sentire la mia voce..."

"...andare a lei, Quelani, uno che si imposterà libera!"

"Volare sulle ali rapidamente al tuo destino!"

~*~*~*~

Night had fallen and the two witches Priya and Shivali wasted no time resuming their search for Seth. They traveled to the ancient ruins where Nikolai and his troop had him cornered and let him get away.

Nnenii was relaxing in the cool night air, listening to the distant waves crashing on the beach, the chirp of crickets from the forests to the east, when she suddenly heard the banshee-like screams of the witches.

Anger igniting inside her, she narrowed her eyes against the dark, searching the stone path far below her for any activity.

She finally saw them and debated whether to set them on fire or just watch quietly. She wasn't afraid of the witches but she knew they could defend themselves and she was outnumbered...she chose to wait and listen.

She watched them far below, anger rising as they talked about catching Seth and turning him over to Vulterian.

Shivali cast a spell in the water to find Seth's whereabouts, if he was near water, which she knew he would be, it would show her where. She groaned angrily at the ripples before her as they swirled into an image.

"Curses! He has already reached Fenia! We must hurry before he reaches the water goddess or there will be no stopping him!" she shrieked, piercing the night air.

"Let us not waste another minute, come, we'll get him yet!" Priya exclaimed as the ripples faded and the water returned to normal.

Not if I can help it.

Nnenii ignited the fire that constantly burned inside her, the flames danced around her wings and then she vanished. She had to reach Seth before the witches or they would all be doomed.

"Did you hear something sister?" Priya said quietly, looking up towards the decaying stone wall.

"Like what, an owl?"

Priya shrugged, "No...like fire."