Song of Ashes

60: A New Song

The barrier between the Opal Realm and the mortal world grew thin and fragile, and Sarka stepped onto the ash plains of her homeland. She drew a breath, and her mere desire lifted her until her feet left the earth. She rose above the land, floating, as weightless as a beam of light.

She looked down on what remained of Kogoren, the nation, now that its namesake goddess was slain.

The winds swept across the broken landscape, scattering her people's fragile hopes like so much ash. At once, she could see the geyser plains called Lady's Wrath, the burning river, the Razors, and all the trials through which she had passed on her journey toward freedom.

She saw Gold Eagle's Roost, Eagle's Rock, Horn Harbor, and a thousand more settlements, the names of which came to her in pieces, like fragmented memories: Overlook, Silvertown, Market Meet. Each city, each village, was filled with faces. She knew hardly any of them, but all the same, she knew them. Knew them deeply. Names came to her, the names of the old accompanying whispered prayers to the goddess who no longer lived, the names of the young burning with anger and sorrow.

She could see into these people's hearts. She knew their needs, their desires, their pain.

Sarka looked over her shoulder, back into the Opal Realm. There, a sea of ghostly faces awaited: the Beloved who had been barred from Kogoren's halls. Behind the crowd of Beloved stood Konn, clasping the God-Song to his chest.

"I do not know how to fix this," Sarka said. To her own ears, her voice sounded like a child's, small and afraid. This was not what she had wanted. This was nothing she had ever considered.

"We will help you," said Tayo. He had not stopped weeping. The eyes that had first gazed at Sarka in the dim belly of a ship, burning with hellfire and eager to drag her into death, were now limpid and soft. Sarka did not like to look at Tayo. She, so newly-made, could not name the emotion that brimmed in those eyes, but she knew she did not deserve such a look.

She broke her gaze away from his, glancing round at the other faces turned toward her in expectation. She said, "No. I want you all to be free."

"Then we are," Tayo said. And they were.

As Sarka watched, some of the ghostly faces faded from sight as the Beloved took hold of their freedom. She sensed their souls passing into the realm beyond realms, that place even the gods' hands could not reach. Sarka closed her eyes, tears rising unbidden to dampen her lashes as she felt the immeasurable joy and relief of those weary souls.

Was this what it was to be a god, to use one's power? The solace and comfort of the Beloved was like a balm to Sarka's own exhausted soul. It made everything she had endured worth it. She did not know what she might face. She knew she did not want what Konn had given her.

Now, though, feeling what it was to do something to help the helpless, she was ready to take up this burden.

When she opened her eyes again, Sarka saw something unexpected: Tayo's face. He had not left her.

"Are you sure, Tayo?" she asked.

"Let me help you build a new world, my lady," he said. He glanced up at Konn, then round at the few other Beloved who remained. "Let us help you." It had taken everything Sarka had-every scrap of courage, every ounce of her will, and her very life. But she had kept her promise to him. He had his freedom...and now he did not want it.

Sarka shivered. She looked once more at the wasteland she had once called home, and she nodded her head. "Fine," she said, trying not to sound too affected by his decision. "As long as you cut out the 'my lady' nonsense. You may not know this, but I am a bit of a novice when it comes to religion. This whole god thing is going to take some getting used to."

For the first time in their unsteady acquaintance, Tayo laughed. Hearing that sound made Sarka feel like she finally knew the boy he had been. She smiled.

"You?" Konn said, raising his brows. "A novice? Sarka, you sell yourself short. You are an absolute heathen."

Sarka passed through the shimmering portal and back into the Opal Realm, frowning at Konn. "You choose your candidates for god-hood poorly, then. One would think you'd be better at it, being a priest and all." She hesitated. Their banter had reminded her of someone with more wit than he deserved. "My first great act of mercy will be to save a certain headless god from a certain ash-walker. He was throwing furniture moments ago...matters have probably escalated."

...

And so, Sarka the Scarred, an absconder and refugee, became a goddess. This new path was not without difficulties, some greater even than those she had encountered on her unsteady road toward her divinity. But she was not without help.

Tayo stayed at her side, a constant reminder of what it is to show mercy.

Konn, her first priest, supported her through the first year of her journey as he raised Ro, an unlikely acolyte, into the priesthood before returning to serve Lord Atai.

Later, when Ro became Sarka's consort-an eventuality all concerned pretended not to have predicted-he left a number of trained priests to serve in his stead.

With the aid of these allies and friends, Sarka transformed the continent of Kogoren into a place of peace and prosperity, and the people there sing her praises to this very day.