Chapter Text
The Sultan traveled down to the valley by the wood and waited. The daylight slowly faded and at the last ray of sun falling behind the horizon an unearthly shriek rose up over the wood. As the moon broke through the clouds she hear the thunder of hooves across the valley a dark shape flew past her racing into the night, then a second . She stood and as the third approached she threw herself at the rider managing to grab him and pull him down.
They fell to the ground and she held him tight. He began to change in her arms. First, into a tiny sparrow. She held him a tightly praying she wouldn’t hurt him. But she would not risk losing the Nomad.
And then he changed again into a demon. Red horns rose from his forehead and tusks grew from his jaw. His body became covered in red shards and his face twisted. But she held him tightly. No matter what he was still her Storyteller.
Again he changed all in her arms into a great dragon; green and gold. He bellowed and cried into the night air and her ears rang. But she held him tight as he twisted and his claws reached for her. She would not let Genji go.
That was the third change and the last bit of the Queen’s magic broke. The dragon fell away and Geji was left in her arm. Immediately beginning to shiver in the cool night air. She quickly undid her mantle and threw it over his shoulders. Pressing her forehead to his both of them breathing hard.
“Congratulations,” The Queens voice reached them. The Sultan stood quickly standing in front of Genji. But black smoke surrounded them. When it cleared they stood in the Queen’s court. She sat on her throne.
“We’ve completed your task release us,” Satya commanded.
The Queen huffed, “you cheated” she said with a wave of her hand the Falcon and the girl appeared behind her.
Satya did not speak, she couldn't lie in front of the Queen. “In trying to steal from me…” her eyes flicked to Genji, “ and it telling her of what was to come, you’ve forfeited. I am intrigued though, that you broke my hold over him,”
“I did nothing but tell him a story, he broke your hold himself.”
“Interesting, although there is only so much I can do without your name.” The threat in her tone clear.
“You will tell me your names,” She said smiling. “Sultan if you please,”
Satya took a step forward, “I am sorry we tried to fool you your highness, accept that we lost and we concede. You ask for my name and I will oblige but I can not help but feel that you are not asking for what we are called but our names and that is not an easy answer for me but if you would humor me I will show you.”
“Go on,”
Satya smiled and gave a little bow, she walked to the edge of the naive she took off the scarf and slipped off her shoes revealing the red pattern temporarily dyed on them before crossing to stand in front of the queen.
“My family is unique, we are dancers, and the first dance we learn is the most difficult, as it is who we are and it is unique to us, we consider it our name.
Satya began slowly making several small movements with her hands. Light began to fall from her fingers like sand and with the first wide sweep of her arm it was suspended in an arch her before falling like the trails of a firework. A whisper ran threw the court.
The Queen’s eyes sparkled and the dance continued. Every movement Satya made left light hanging delicately around her. When she turned light clung to at the edges of her skirt and hair and fingertips and soon the air around her was shimmering with the dust.
Her hands twisted around each other manipulating the light. It played on the gold around her neck and face. And before long, the darkened room it looked like the night sky with the Sultan creating the Milky Way.
With one twist of her wrist the dust all rushed into her palm forming almost a star in her hand. She played with it. It danced around her, the slower particles creating a tail that simmered in a diamond ribbon.
She glanced at the Queen who was enthralled the light visible in her eyes. Satya turned and looked at the Falcon behind her she gave a small nod before turning back around facing the Queen.
The light was at her chest now, at the same level as her heart her hands twisted around each other ending with her wrists crossed her fingers splayed and her palms facing the Queen the light hovering in front of them focused into a pinprick.
Her hands swept out and as they did the light exploded expanding into a supernova burning away every shadow, driving away any darkness in the church, and breaking the Queen’s hold on the place. The shadow’s screamed and fled. And as light faded only the four of them stood in the old ruins. The sounds of the forest confirming their victory. But The Sultan could not help but feel the Queen lived, although she was banished from this place.
The traveled back to see the Lord. Who, after the recounted their story, bellowed and, breaking all decorum, drew the Sultan into a crushing hug. He called for a feast. He spoke with the Sultan saying that he could never repay her for her help but that she could count him as her ally.
The Falcon sat with the yellow haired woman who seemed to not quite believe what had happened. She found the Sultan, and asked if she could travel to Oasis with them. There was nothing for her here anymore. And the Sultan agreed. She thanked the Sultan with her name, Angela.
Eventually even the Lord tired and they all went to bed. The next day all four would return to the Sultanate.
“Will you finish the story now,” Genji asked as he and Satya lay in bed her back against his chest.
“Psyche, traveled down to the underworld and passed through all the barriers before her, I told you this before, she met the Queen Persephone and told her of her trial, Persephone agreed to help and gave her what Aphrodite asked for, a piece of Persephone’s beauty. And Psyche returned to the world above. But she was mortal and curiosity overwhelmed her. She opened the box that Persephone had given her, and inside was sleep, so complete she was all but dead.
Cupid flew to her, and demanded his mother forgive Psyche as she had already more than proven herself and so she did. Cupid gathered up his love in his arms and took her to the home of the Gods, he had her drink ambrosia and she awoke, now immortal.”
“Thank you,” Genji said. “Is it true what you told the Queen,” He asked suddenly
“What you told the queen about the dance?
“In a way. The dance is a story, it tells about how my family learned to use light and it is a wish my mother made for me before I was born, a prayer to the light to also bless me and protect me if needed. I will do the same thing when our child is born.”
She took his hand in hers and brought it to rest lightly on her center where she had begun to show.