Sancha: A Spirit Animals Story

Troubling News

To say that Sancha was puzzled by Olvan's words would be an understatement. She was incredibly confused. Though it could perhaps be simply explained as a reference to Tarik likely having informed Olvan of her coming prior to their arrival, something in the way the Greencloak leader said his last sentence made Sancha think that wasn't the whole picture.

"So you're Olvan," Sancha said, a surprising lack of emotion in her voice, to the point where it surprised even herself. "The leader of the ones who've denied my homeland the nectar."

Olvan sighed. 

"I had a feeling things would not begin well between us. What you say is true. I'd try to apologize for the sins of our order's past, but I doubt it will make any difference. I can't fix what was done, Princess Sancha, but I can help you, and you can help us as well."

"I'm not donning green, if that's what you're hoping for," Sancha snapped. "I could never be like you."

"Nor did I anticipate you would," Olvan replied. "But we do share a common enemy in the Jackal, Zerif. If our intelligence is accurate, he's conspiring to set another war against Stetriol into motion. There's even..."

Olvan trailed off.

"What?" Sancha asked. This time, Lenori spoke up, her voice kind and gentle.

"We've heard whispers of a new king in Stetriol, bonded with a fierce beast. A crocodile. Much the same as the Devourer."

"Who is this king?" Sancha asked. She had an inkling, but didn't want to believe. While Sancha wasn't one for omens, she knew her history fairly well, and wondered if somehow a repeat of past events could be manipulated, especially after the death of a king and the transfer of power to a new leader.

"He's called Gar," Olvan said. Sancha froze.

"Wait...Gar? I...I don't understand." She had expected him to tell her that her brother was this new Reptile King. It made the most sense. He was the heir, and so he'd naturally be crowned king following the death of their father. And while she had not spent enough time around her uncle to recall his animal partner, her faintest recollection was of a mammal of some kind. Not a crocodile.

But then again, the memories were very faint.

"He is your father's brother, if I'm not mistaken," Olvan continued. 

"Yes, but...my brother Shane was...my brother's the heir. Gar was just prince regent. How could he become king? Unless..."

Sancha's stomach dropped. She didn't want to consider the idea.

"Could they be dead?" she whispered to herself. Tarik looked at her sadly, placing a hand on her shoulder in comfort. "The only way my uncle would have the throne is if he killed my siblings. But..." Sancha felt her body go cold and numb. She didn't want to believe this. 

"Your homeland seems to believe you're dead. Your supposed passing was announced along with that of your father. If your siblings were deceased as well, it seems odd that no mention was made of it."

Sancha wasn't surprised that she was presumed dead. But it almost didn't matter to her any more. She could only think of Olvan's words on her siblings. No mention was made, so perhaps they were alive. Sancha wanted this to be true, but part of her doubted it. If they were dead, Drina and Shane, then...she had gambled with Zerif for nothing. She had been sent away by his doing for nothing. She'd agreed to let him cure Drina...for NOTHING! And besides, Zerif knew she'd left the island alive. Perhaps he'd covered up the truth of her siblings' fate as he had done for her's. And if so...

Shock was replaced with rage.

"They'll pay. All of them will."

"Your uncle is assembling armadas," Olvan went on. "It's unlikely he will be ready to set sail for some time, but war is inevitable. Zerif has left Stetriol. He was last spotted in Zhong, gathering support from within that country. We attempted to capture him, but he escaped, as he has before."

"If you know all of this, what is it you need from me? I know about as much if not less than you. Unless I'm to be a hostage, I see no use for me here."

"That," Olvan said, "is not true. You see, while we had hoped to gain some greater insight from you on the invasion that is to come, there's another reason we were eager for your arrival."

Sancha was confused. Then she recalled her hunch on the deeper meaning of Olvan's words when he said he'd been awaiting her arrival for a long time. 

Olvan glanced at Lenori as if silently asking her to take the lead in the talking. The Amayan quickly obliged.

"I am a seer," Lenori explained. "In my dreams, I have been given glimpses of the future. In one such dream not so long ago, I saw you. You and your spirit animal. In my dream you were lying alone in the dark, tied up with roped covered in scales. I could not reach you, though I tried. Thankfully, a harbor seal appeared, gnawing away the roped to set you free. The darkness of the dream was filled with light. You were standing in a wide field. Strange roots, corrupted and mangled, ensnared the entire landscape before me. But as soon as you and the seal touched this roots, they began to retreat and the field around you became green again, with thousands of flowers blooming as far as the eye could see. Then, as if by magic, a golden crown, lovelier than any I've ever seen, was placed atop your head. I woke up after that, but I knew immediately that you had a part to play and that finding you was of the utmost importance. It seems we didn't have to search for very long. You came to us."

"What does it mean?" Sancha asked.

"That, I cannot be sure of. Only time will tell," Lenori replied. "But I'm certain that you were sent this way for a reason, and that your summoning your spirit animal was no accident, and that we may need your help in this coming war."

Sancha was silent, unsure. She only realized then that she'd be turning against her own home by fighting against this war. But although she reviled the Greencloaks for their cruelty, she did not wish the rest of Erdas to suffer thanks to her homeland. Besides, it seemed Zerif was indeed working alongside her uncle. Zerif was the enemy. If fighting him meant having to fight her homeland, so be it. Besides, she doubted she'd ever be allowed to go back home anyway. She might as well do what she could to avenge her family.

"What do you want me to do?" Sancha asked.

"I hope you will stay here for a time. We'll have someone act as your guardian while you're here, and Lenori can help you navigate your bond with your spirit animal. Perhaps then, we may find the answers we need."

Sancha swallowed, thought, and then slowly gave a nod. She could survive this place and these people long enough, she decided, to learn how to fight back. It meant she would also have a place to stay, and food to eat. She would live, and she might even get the chance to put Zerif down herself. This hope was what carried Sancha in the beginning of her time at Greenhaven.