"Hello?" Sovanna called. "It's your Praenglutha," she added in a quiet voice, suddenly realizing how empty the place felt as if she were the only one here.

Sovanna picked her way across rubble and fallen relics, some broken to pieces. In the back was the source of the glow.

A leatherbound book with glowing engravings of vines sat in the dust. Sovanna brushed her paw across it and undid the buckle. It looked exactly like the Tome of Song that Oolid had. The glow she thought was coming from the engravings was actually coming from inside, seeping through the pages. She flipped to the page and shielded her eyes.

On the paper after short or long lines of words, a blank space followed, and new words were being scrawled into the book with a bright golden light. It continued where the last word left off. Right after "If".

Her heart thumped. It was the continuation of the poem about her race. The one claimed to be the prophecy.

She read the rest out loud as it went by. "If the power of the sun falls in its place / the sun will be freed from binding and shadow / and sing its solar song / rising and setting alone."

Then above the entire poem, "Solar Song" was inscribed.

"You have five days," came her own voice behind her. Sovanna turned to find a Kaunlutha her age who looked like her, but who had brown and black in her mane.

"Who are you?"

The Kaunlutha smiled. "Guess?"

"You sound like me."

"I wanted to meet you, Sovanna. To warn you."

Sovanna blinked at the Kaunlutha as she grew into an adult. She recognized the female from a picture Rathana drew. Her heart swelled with joy to finally meet the one who gave her life.

She ran into her mother's arms, but passed right through to the other side. She ran back and the same thing happened.

Tears pricked her eyes. She wanted to hug her mother and bury her face in the warm fur. "I-I," She stumbled over her words as her voice caught, "Mam—"

"Oh, Sovanna, I know. I could have but now I don't have time. I begged Aurvandil to let me come and it was only for so long. I used up all the time already to let you see what he's decided before anyone else. Look," She pointed behind Sovanna, "it already fades."

The Tome of Song was fading as if its only purpose was to show Sovanna the rest of Solar Song.

She turned to Kiyamanuva. "But what does it mean?"

"You have five days until sun hides behind shadow of moon. It's strongest before then. You have window to use your full power. Destroy frost beast before it does you."

Sovanna bristled. "Five? But it'll take a week to—"

"And if you fail, yes, the Ater may work in your favor for a moment but then it will burn too much and be too out of control. After that, the frost beast will move in for the kill."

Her vision tunneled. "It can't be changed? I can't rewrite it?"

"You must leave now, Sovanna, to Drazlesk in the far north," Kiyamanuva reached out and then gritted her teeth. Her one paw solidified and she caressed Sovanna's cheek. It was warm and that one touch filled with love. Sovanna rubbed her cheek against her mother's paw in yearning. After a moment, the rest of Kiyamanuva's body began to fade.

"Mama!" Sovanna called and grabbed the paw, holding it tight, but it, too, began to fade and her fingers slipped through. She reached for the paw again, but it had lost substance. "What do I do?"

In that moment, next to Kiyamanuva, Ogalutha's broad shoulders and muscular body appeared transparent.

"Papa!" She held the urge to run up to him for she would only pass through.

"Oh, Papa, what do I do? If I use the Ater, it will burn and if I don't, we will all freeze, and I can't make it, and with only three days. I can't—" Tears welled in her eyes, but she pushed them away to keep her vision clear. "I can't," she said again.

Ogalutha's eyes sparkled in admiration. "You, so strong, brave, and smart. I believe in you, my daughter," he said and put his arm around his wife's fading shoulders and looked into her eyes, "We both do."

"Mama, Papa, wait!" Sovanna called out, but then they faded.

"We love you," came their voices together, "always."

Sovanna trembled and sat on the floor. Then she screamed and tears cascaded down her cheeks. "Can't do it. I can't. I can't." She punched the floor over and over until her knuckles were scratched, sore, and bleeding. Her chest compressed and she gasped for breath. She shouted incoherent words as her whole body ached with longing for her parents and their guidance.

It's impossible. Five days for a week's journey? How can I? I'll fail.

All the weight of responsibility sat heavy on her shoulders. Choking on her tears, she lay on the ground in the dust and debris, staring up at the ceiling as tears trickled down her face, moistening her fur. She wished for her parents to be here with her. She wished Rathana didn't turn out the way she did or they would face this together.

"Why's it me?" she squeaked and staggered to her feet. Sovanna was tired. She didn't want all this even though she liked ordering others around to do her bidding. She didn't ask for all this power even though she thought it was a great honor to have it.

And I hate that I have to do it.

"Have to do it," she said, forcing strength in her voice, "Alone. I have to. I'm the future queen. I can take it all. I'm born to. Destined—"

Tears broke out again. She snarled at herself while sobbing, angry that she was stopping here while her kind needed her. She had to go now even though she thought it was impossible. Sovanna tried to make herself move but all she wanted to do was lay down and not think about it.

"Kiggi, you're not alone."

Rokki was standing in front of her with paws on hips, and Taro was leaning against the shelves. Sovanna quickly wiped away her tears. How long had they been there? She fidgeted with the fur tufts on the tip of her tail.

"What are you doing here?" she grumbled.

"I saw you leave, so I followed," Taro said coming over, "And then this sobbing mess."

She fidgeted with her tail even more as the heat of self-consciousness crept onto her cheeks.

Rokki approached her. "You're just like Fira, taking it up all on your shoulders and not allowing anyone to do anything."

Sovanna growled. "I wasn't saying I wasn't allowing—"

"We're here to help, is what he's trying to say," Taro came over and rested his hand on Rokki's shoulder, "right?"

Rokki shrugged off the hand and leaned away. "I'm Kaunlutha, too, in case you forgot."

"And I'm not evil," Taro said and gave a small smile, "as it turns out."

The weight on her shoulders lifted. Sovanna still fidgeted with her tail though because it was impossible. "Five days for a week's journey. How can we manage?"

Rokki widened his eyes. "Five? For whatever reason?"

Sovanna realized they hadn't been around to hear that part.

Just me crying, savat.

"So, there's this prophecy," she began and explained what her mother told her. She also recited the rest of Solar Song. Taro hissed between his teeth and rubbed his chin. Rokki kicked a shelf and made a relic fall on his head.

With a yowl, he kicked the relic away and the flat thing, whatever it was, went flying through the air, hit the wall on the far end and something large knocked over with a loud THUD.

Sovanna snorted and they all looked at her. She released her tail. "It's five whole days. But we need two extra days. The only thing I can think of is Vislo, and to convince him for part way."

"He said he was summoned."

She glared at Rokki. "We just convince him to ignore it then."

"Or," Taro snapped his fingers, "we tell him we'll be at a certain place and he should take us the rest of the way to Drazlesk."

"Tell him to come back and take us?" Sovanna asked. It sounded like something Vislo would agree on. Surely, he could finish whatever Aurvandil wanted him to do and come back for them to help them the rest of the way. It might be a close call, but as long as she got there before five days was up. And meanwhile, she could figure out how to use her magick more. Even on cloudy days because they will be under the frost fog during the journey.

She nodded. "Right. Then we'll do that. I'll talk to him—"

"Praenglutha—"

"We'll all talk to him," Taro said narrowing his eyes at Sovanna, "And from here on," He nudged his chin at Rokki, "He should call you Sovanna."

Rokki made a sucking sound. "No. That goes against our—"

"It's the title that carries weight. It's a lot freer mentally to be called by the name even by your subordinates."

Sovanna arched a brow at Taro. Sometimes he talked like he knew all this from experience. "What do you think you are? Special? Royal? As if you know what it's like."

He shrugged. "Does it matter? So, let's go then." He walked off into the jungle.

Rokki turned to her. "So, should I?"

"It's fine if you want to," she said, "but don't think you're my equal."

"Fine," he said and scratched his neck, "er, S-S-Sovanna."

Sovanna snickered. "You sound like a snake! S-S-Sovanna," she mocked him. Rokki snarled and Sovanna prepared her ears for a string of swear words, but then he also cracked a smile.

"Fidni, yeah," he said, and rolled his shoulders back. Then he picked up two thick cloaks from the ground. "One's for you."

"Thanks."

He peered into her face. "Are you okay?"

She blinked at him, startled by his soft voice. Tears came to her eyes again. "Shut up, I'm fine."

"Fira used to say that. And usually that's when she's not."

"Shut up your savat mouth. I told you, I'm fine," she hissed.

Rokki put an arm around her shoulder. "It's okay to cry. Cry as much as you want. No one's judging here."

But his sudden niceness sent a shiver up her spine, sending her tears away. "Don't do that," She shoved him off of her, "Why are you being nice? Is it so that I'd hire you as my personal guard when we get back and you get to be rich?"

He bristled. "I can't be nice? I was feeling bad, okay? Fira and I lost our father and we know what it's like and I didn't think you would cry that much about it. We thought you were cold."

"I'm not cold. Give me time," Sovanna said over her shoulder as she stepped out of the sun shrine. Taro was waiting for them, perched on a branch. He waved to her. Sovanna frowned. Her emotions were still in turmoil like clouds during a storm. Rokki was questionable, but Taro had only ever been helpful, and she couldn't think of anyone else.

"What's happening with Oolid?" she asked, knowing he wouldn't and probably couldn't come.

Taro flew down to the ground. "Bristya's taking him to the Human science lab where he can get the help he needs. He'll be safe there."

That's good. She nodded. Out of harm's way.

"We should run!" Taro dashed through the jungle. Rokki ran after and Sovanna took a deep breath before pelting after them. As she ran, she recalled her parents again but quickly shoved their faces away before the tears could come. She couldn't afford to slow down now.

When they got back to Vislo, it didn't take long to convince him to return at a border point that Taro described as being an old stone shrine that once belonged to an Aerisi clan.

"Abandoned because they wanted to be closer to the rest of us," Taro said. "Three, four days from here."

Vislo took to the sky. "Be careful. Safe journey. May your hearts and souls be your guide."

"Thank you!" Sovanna shouted as Vislo flew away. He raised an arm in a wave, then zoomed off. Bristya soon joined him and the two disappeared into the churning black cloud that called them. Sovanna, Rokki, and Taro exchanged glances. The coming days would test their patience and endurance like never before. Sovanna put on her cloak and Taro first took Rokki over the enclosure fence. When he came back to get her, he whispered in her ear.

"Be careful. Just because he's nice now, doesn't mean he's won't be evil again."

Evil? Isn't that extreme? Maybe "mean"? She pursed her lips as he picked her up in his arms, taking her over the fence. Sovanna watched Rokki as he hopped around to keep warm while making mean comments about Taro having too much air in his head.

Rokki grinned, and rubbed his nose. "It's fact. Learned it. Everyone does. Where birdbrain comes from."

Taro rolled his eyes, "We can trust you not to kill us?"

"Not interested." Rokki shrugged. "That's me of past. Now, me of future." He flashed a grin.

Sovanna wasn't sure about that. He could be waiting to strike at the ripest moment.

Doesn't look smart to do it, but be careful, she decided, a little. There was no guarantee he wouldn't do anything, but he had a lot to prove unlike Taro who proved many times he was willing to help even though it wasn't his problem. So far, the only thing that bothered her was how he used the word "evil" so casually.

Taro took to the sky. Then, using his magick, he sent the frost fog away for safe passage.

"Are you coming or you want us all to die?" Rokki called over his shoulder.

Then she ran to catch up, overtaking him in no time. Expecting him to pounce in retaliation, she braced herself, but he only came to walk briskly next to her. His face betrayed nothing.