Twin Suns of Arterra

13

"By the suns, I've never seen so much green!"

Thoris put voice to the thoughts that filled my brain. How many times had I looked up at the fire planet floating in the sky, hovering there like some celestial being looking down at us, without ever giving so much as a thought about whether there might be life here. It was the fire planet. Even the atmosphere of it exuded a red glow. I assumed that the surface was uninhabitable, covered in flame or noxious gas unable to be breathed.

Instead it was filled with plants so thick and green we could barely see more than a few hundred spans in any direction. Thick shrubs and bushes covered the ground, while tall trees held arms to the sky as if reaching up in supplication.

D'hana turned in a slow circle, her dark eyes wide, drinking in the sights and colors that surrounded us. There was a loud screech, and she spun to face Blade.

"Was that a bird?" Her question was almost accusatory, filled with a breathless amazement and no small amount of disbelief.

Blade gave a small smile. "Yes, there are birds here. And insects. Even some animals. But there's something more I need to show you." She turned and headed for the trees, motioning for us to follow. "This way."

I gave one final glance at the rift, which sat in the small clearing as if it was the most natural thing in the world for it to be there.

Perhaps it was.

Nothing I'd believed or understood about my universe was turning out to be right. Maybe the rift was a natural part of it. Maybe we'd been meant to travel between the two planets.

Thoris looked up at me as we followed Blade.

"I'm not sure I believe my own eyes," he said, his face a mix of uncertainty and wonder.

"Me either." I wanted to, but it was surreal. "I thought this planet was forbidden because it was toxic."

Thoris nodded. "Aye, that's what I've always known as well. Covered in ash and flame. Filled with sulfur and smoke." He cocked an eyebrow. "This," he waved an arm, "this is like a tropical paradise." He shook his head, and his braids danced beneath his chin. "I don't understand."

"The Senate always said that the planet was a barren wasteland."

He snorted, his blue eyes sparkling. "Filthy liars, all of them."

I agreed, but was a little taken back to hear him say it aloud, and so vehemently. "The Council has always stood by them."

"Janis," Thoris corrected, "and her parents before her. The Prime seat was appointed by the Senate originally. Why wouldn't they stand by their corrupt benefactors?"

"You think Janis is corrupt?" The words came out more sharply than I'd intended.

The idea surprised me. I had always felt Janis had her own agendas, but she was a young woman with ambition and power. She would have to have her own agendas to survive in her position.

"I think Janis is a product of her environment," Thoris said by way of an answer. He looked at me, and for a moment his face seemed drawn and almost sad. "If she wasn't corrupt before she took the seat, it has certainly infected her since."

I chewed on that thought as we wove between the trees and through the thick underbrush. The ground curved gently downward as we walked, making me think that we were on an elevation of some kind – a mountain, or a hill.

"Stop!"

Blade's tight voice brought us to an immediate halt.

"Get down!" She was barely loud enough for us to hear, yet her voice carried a note of urgency that had worry squirming in my belly like an eel.

We did what she said without question.

Thoris crouched low, pulling his tamer from a pocket. D'hana followed suit, flicking her wrist to extend the rod to its full length in a move so smooth it spoke of an intimate familiarity. In my training program, I'd fought opponents with tamers but never used one myself. I'd never realized what a reckless deficiency it was that I hadn't.

How many things about my life and my mission were going to turn out to be wrong? Valyn Harba had grown up outside Selecon. Her world was gritty and real, while mine was filled with falsehood. If I'd somehow managed to escape Selecon on my own, I would probably be dead already.

Blade waved for us to come closer.

Still crouching, we made our way to where she squatted, peering through the trees. She pointed to her eyes, and then through the branches. I craned my neck, twisting to see between the thick foliage.

My breath caught and stilled, dead in my chest.

It couldn't be.

The squirming eel of worry in my gut froze in shock and terror, and refused to move. Below us the hillside sloped downward toward a valley. Not twenty spans below us, enormous black wings stretched in either direction. Behind them, a scaled back and tail were visible, hinting at its enormous girth. Its wingspan alone was larger than ten men lined up head to foot. I'd seen pictures of them in books, but they were children's stories. Fables made up to convince youngsters to behave and listen to their parents.

Dragons were not real.

It simply could not be.

Nor could the thousands of structures that covered the valley floor beyond be houses; nor could the tiny figures moving between them be people.