Born of Fire: The Dawn of Legend (51 page)

LyCora listened to his words carefully, allowing them to absorb deep into her.
Could he be right?
she wondered.
Have I been too unforgiving all this time? Have I become so distant out of fear?

“She will not say it, but I do believe it would mean a lot to her if you would stand by her side like you used to.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Nor was allowing Rex to remain in KaNar and train him into using his powers, according to you. Yet, there you were, along with the rest of us, teaching him to be of—rather than apart from—a world that must have seemed as alien to him as he did to us.”

“So you think I’m not as cold and distant as I make myself seem to others?” she said quietly.

“Oh, that was never a doubt in anyone’s mind save for yours, perhaps, but even then I doubt that,” he said, eyeing her intently.

“So then,” she said, standing up. “What would you have me do? Go over and suddenly pretend to be his friend?”

“What for? You already are.” LyCora looked at him in surprise. “I was just suggesting you go and claim a good spot up front with the others when KyGahl unveils his big surprise.” He quickly finished his drink and thanked FeroBay before turning back to her and asking, “Coming?”

LyCora just shook her head in disbelief as she joined him at his side and proceeded back to where the others were conversing.

“Hey! There you two are,” EeNox said as he saw the pair approaching. “We were wondering where you two had disappeared to.”

“We were thirsty so we decided to whet our palates at the bar,” explained ShinGaru, giving LyCora a brief look of reassurance.

“Oh, you mean FeroBay’s bar?”

“Yes, that’s the one,” ShinGaru replied with a nod.

“I was planning on going over later myself. Rex, you should come with. He makes the best root ale this far north.”

“All right,” Rex said with a thoughtful nod, all the while keeping one wary eye on LyCora, who seemed to do the same, but rather out of nervous apprehension.

In addition, she and DiNiya exchanged a quick glance before KyGahl, climbing a small stage that had been erected in front of the large tarp, suddenly grabbed their attention.

“KaNar,” he bellowed in a deep, reverberating voice. “Hear me, please!” The whole of the tavern turned in his direction, growing silent. “I thank you for joining me this evening on such an auspicious occasion. I am both proud and deeply honored to be able to share with you all in person, on the first night of the Harvest Festival, the result of years of dedication and hard work. I must first thank my colleagues who have spread to the four corners of EeNara to unveil the fruits of our labor to the whole world. It is because of their dedication to our work and the pursuit of knowledge that I stand before you tonight to unveil that which will forever shed light on a part of our history that has long remained shrouded in mystery and shadow.”

Rex watched KyGahl captivate the whole room with every word, as they hung on each of them with bated breath. The man who he had come to see as a type of mentor now seemed larger than life standing atop the stage and casting a spell over the crowd.

“As you all know, we are a people born of a past steeped in blood and fire. A history shaped by the destructive hands of war and forged from the primeval fires born of the Grand Spark. For a time we lived in darkness of the mind, steeped in fear born of ignorance. Then the day came when those first few dared to step forward and ask what more to life there was than the carnage we bore witness and fell victim to every day. A time when we dared to ask why the skies glowed with the light of countless stars and the world breathed and changed around us. Those brave few spurred our hunger for knowledge, our insatiable desire to know more than we did the day before, and dream of what we might know tomorrow.” He paused for a moment, taking in the sea of faces that stared back, awaiting his next word. “A world where mysticism exists merely as a relic of thought, and science becomes the vessel in which we sail the endless sea of knowledge. Tonight we celebrate the realization of such a world!” The tavern suddenly came alive with the roars and cheers of both its DyVorian and SaVarian occupants. “And we celebrate the realization of such a dream by not only remembering who we were and where we come from, but also those who stoked the fires of change!”

The tarp was suddenly lifted up and the entire tavern gasped in shock. There, erected in the center of the enormous cavernous space, were two mounted skeletons of creatures the likes of which no one had ever seen alive.

“Flames of KaNar,” KyGahl said proudly. “I give you two ancient warriors from EeNara’s most savage era. The DraGon: winged conqueror from another world! And the mighty TyRanx: doom made flesh!”

Rex stared up in silent awe at the two skeletons locked forever in time in a state of perpetual combat. The DraGon circled its foe above the ground, wings spread and long neck cast downward at the massive TyRanx, which stood with legs spread wide and its horrifically massive jaws filled with teeth larger than a grown man open wide, preparing to lunge at its adversary.

It was at that moment Rex felt his entire perception of reality change, something he thought could never happen again after seeing a prehistoric paradise like EeNara. Now, however, he began to feel like the unbelievable was to be believed in a world where legends come to life.

The day after the first night of the Harvest Festival seemed to pass like a blur. The whole of KaNar had been buzzing with the unveiling of the TyRanx and DraGon skeletons in the tavern. In truth they had only been replicas, as KyGahl had eventually went on to explain, made from casts of the real fossil remains he and his team had excavated over the course of the year. The same exhibit now stood in various tribal communities all over the world, including all four capital cities.

Recalling that DraGons had mostly hollow skeletons, Rex had asked just how it was KyGahl had managed to find such intact remains, to which he explained that they were cast from the frozen remains of the DraGon found preserved at the base of ClyVen, where it still remained on display.

It was, however, the TyRanx, which now stood with a type of encroaching malevolence in the heart of KaNar, that had everyone talking. Up until that point, their species had been known only through oral and some recorded history, having become more the stuff of legend than actual history. Their appearance had been mostly left up to speculation, but now with this new discovery, the people of EeNara could gaze upon the most powerful creature that ever walked the planet. To everyone’s surprise, they were considerably larger than any had expected, growing nearly twice as large as even the TarBoranx. The DraGon, while lighter in build, was longer with a serpentine neck and tail that gave it a range of flexibility that no DyVorian or CyTorian could match. It was a battle of brawn versus grace, now preserved for all to see.

Rex and the others had been allowed to sleep in that morning, awaking to the midday sun high in the sky. The rest of the day had been spent in the shop cleaning and helping with some trades with merchants who had come to KaNar for the celebrations. Rex had been delighted to hear of all the faraway places they had traveled to and was intrigued by what he learned of the continent’s other tribes and settlements. He felt a longing desire to explore this world and see all the other cities spread across it, none more than Grand Heights, the home of KaNar’s largest CyTorian species, the High Wings. So magnificent were the tales and descriptions of their city in the clouds that Rex could close his eyes and see its high, pointed peeks and feel the cold wind on his face.

As afternoon turned into dusk, he and the other five helped BaRone close down the shop, and they made their way outside where VoRenna and KyVina awaited them.

“All finished?” KyVina asked, looking down upon them.

“Yes, indeed,” BaRone replied, stifling a yawn.

“Do not tell me you’re tired already.”

“I think I’m still recovering from last night,” he replied with a laugh. “I fear I’m not as young as I once was.”

“Well, I hope you can keep pace with us tonight, old man,” VoRenna said, fluffing her feathery coat.

“I will do my best, but remember, we SaVarians don’t age as gracefully as you DyVorians.”

“Well, then, I suppose those of us who have aged gracefully, as you say, will have to simply slow our stride so you can keep up,” VyKia mused, lowering her head and giving him a gentle nudge before winking at the six teens, who snickered.

“You are too kind,” he said sarcastically before turning back to Rex. “In any case, I hope you enjoy music, Rex, for there will be no shortage of it tonight.”

“Oh?” Rex replied, his curiosity piqued. “What kind of music?”

“Traditional EeNarin folk, mostly, but from what I hear the group performing tonight is a bit more of the contemporary sort.”

“They’re called The Vanguard,” ShinGaru explained. “I saw one of their performances last year in the capital. They were rather impressive from what I remember. I only wish I could have stayed for their entire set.”

“Well, you will tonight,” BaRone said, slapping him on the back. “Now, I don’t know about the rest of you old timers, but all this talk of young people’s music has given me my second wind. Let’s get going.”

BaRone led the way into town, where, just as the night before, it was crowded with all of KaNar.

Rex considered trying his hand at one of the many games set in the numerous booths lining the dock but decided against it after recalling what happened the last time. A concerned look from DiNiya forced him to give a reassuring smile, which in turn seemed to alleviate some of her concern but kept her close by his side.

Further up ahead, VayRonx could be seen conversing with the towering form of LyVera, who spotted them and motioned them over. They made their way through the throngs of people before reaching the two of them.

“We were beginning to wonder if you would ever show up,” LyVera said.

“Sorry about that,” BaRone replied. “I just wanted to make sure our inventory was up to date; given the amount of business we’ve been doing these past two days. I’m going to have to trade for some more maps by the time the festival is over. Still, these are what I call good problems,” he added with a grin.

“Yes, indeed,” VayRonx replied. “This whole festival could not have come at a better in time, in light of all that has happened.”

“Now, now, no talk of such things tonight,” KyVina instructed her mate. “This is a time of fun and celebration, one that the people of this tribe have very much earned. Let us not sully it with talk of that egregious incident.”

Seeing the look on her face, VayRonx immediately understood and changed the subject, but this did not go unnoticed by the six. “Right you are, my dear. Let us focus on something more uplifting. I am told tonight’s performers are in high demand all over the Northern Continent and that we are fortunate to have won their favor over all the other requests for their presence this year.”

“When do they go on?” EeNox asked.

“In two hours.”

“Plenty of time for the six of you to get into some trouble,” BaRone added with a playful nudge to Rex’s shoulder.

“Don’t put it past him,” LyCora said.

“No, don’t,” Rex said as he eyed two older women gracefully gliding by on long statuesque legs before noticing DiNiya glaring at him.

“Can we get something to eat?” AnaSaya chimed in. “I haven’t eaten since lunch.”

“Of course you haven’t,” replied LyCora testily. “It was lunch.”

“Exactly,” she replied with a polite smile, to which LyCora just threw her hands up and turned her attention to something else.

“Actually, I could go for a bite to eat myself,” Rex said. “I wasn’t able to try everything they had in the tavern last night.”

“If it’s food you want, you don’t have to go to the tavern,” VayRonx commented. “There are at least three dozen tents set up out here alone with food from all over the world. Though I would avoid much of the kind from the Southern Continent if you have a sensitive stomach.”

“Is it bad?”

“Spicy.”

“Ah.”

“Well, then, stop loitering here and go have fun,” BaRone said, shooing them along. “Go off and do what young people do when unburdened by the prying eyes of us old people.”

With that, they said goodbye and set out to see all that there was to see, determined to make the most of the night. Rex made a silent promise to himself that he would not slip up this evening and that he would do his best to prove to them that he was not a liability. He would show LyCora that she had been wrong about him, and that she was a fool for having doubted his ability to control himself and all that he was.
No one speaks for me
, he told himself.
I don’t care what she thinks; I decide what I do and don’t do, no one else, and certainly not her
.

They made their way from one tent to another, inspecting all manner of oddity and spectacle on display and sampling all manner of delicacy from the four corners of EeNara. Eventually they made their way to a series of tents playing host to a large flat iron slate covered in sizzling meat and vegetables.

Rex breathed in the spicy aroma and immediately felt himself salivating. Despite having spent the past forty-five minutes sampling a world of food, he felt his hunger spur him on and immediately found himself standing before the long row of frying food. AnaSaya, who seemed hypnotized by the sight in front of them, quickly joined him on his left. “It all looks so delicious,” she said without so much as taking her eyes off the food, which sizzled and popped in all its hunger-inducing glory. “Where do we start?”

“On the right,” Rex replied plainly as he stepped forward and grabbed himself a plate, which he filled as he moved down the line of food.

AnaSaya nodded in agreement and followed suit, trying to keep up with him as he moved down the line like a wave sweeping inland.

The others, who had at first not noticed the disappearance of two of their group, finally made their way over and watched with humorous expressions as Rex and AnaSaya indulged their ravenous appetites.

“There they go again,” DiNiya said, shaking her head.

“Rex I can understand,” EeNox said, crossing his arms. “But I just cannot figure out where someone as small as AnaSaya puts it all away. I mean, just look at her! She keeps pace with him like it’s no trouble at all!”

“Well, maybe for her it isn’t,” his sister replied thoughtfully.

“I think they’re both going to regret their gluttonous appetites before the night is over,” LyCora said.

“Oh?” replied EeNox.

LyCora pointed to the sign above the tent, which EeNox had not noticed. “Uh oh,” he replied with a nervous laugh. “I hate to say it, but I think you may be right for once.”

“For once?” she replied with a raised eyebrow.

“This is southern cooking.”

“I knew it smelled familiar,” DiNiya said, slamming a fist into an opened hand. “I ate too much of it last year and didn’t leave the bathroom the next day.”

“I remember,” her brother said, recalling being awoken that morning by sounds coming from down the hall he wished never to hear again.

“You know, there is such a thing as too much information,” LyCora offered with a pleading look.

“I personally stay away from it myself,” ShinGaru said. “It makes my chest feel like it’s on fire, and that’s saying something, considering my entire body is filled with it.” He awaited a laugh, which never came at his apparently sad attempt at humor. “Forget I said anything,” he said at last, lowering his head.

Rex and AnaSaya were making their way back with their plates overflowing. “Hey, you all should really try this,” Rex said with his mouth full.

“He’s right,” AnaSaya said beside him. “I have nothing but respect for VayRonx, but I cannot imagine anyone not loving food like this!”

“Actually, I think we’re still a little full from the last tent we visited,” DiNiya said mercifully. “Maybe once we’ve had the opportunity to digest a bit we can come back.”

“Suit yourselves,” Rex said with a shrug before swallowing the piece that was in his mouth and going for another.

“If we are to get a good spot for The Vanguard’s performance, we should probably start making our way over now,” ShinGaru said.

“He’s right,” agreed DiNiya. “I heard some people talking, back the way we came, that the area right in front of the stage is already filling up. We really should head over now.”

“All right,” said EeNox, “but try to stick together. It would be a colossal pain in the ass to try to find each other in this crowd if we got separated.”

They made their way through the throngs of people, sticking as close to one another as they could. At one point they briefly stopped to watch FenMor and RenTia performing acrobatics in front of the docks before being urged on by EeNox, who continued to lead the way with Rex bringing up the rear.

Eventually they reached a large open area where a stone stage had been built right out of the side of the mountain. Behind it stood a tree some thirty meters in height, displaying large flowers three meters in diameter whose interior surface resembled large honeycombed structures. The space around the stage was already packed with attendees of all shapes and sizes, waiting with anticipation for what they had been eager to see all year.

For Rex, the way over had been a time to devour his food as quickly as possible and establish himself as the strongest stomach in EeNara, along with educating himself on all things Vanguard. He recalled having always possessed a strong affinity for music, but he had never allowed himself the opportunity to indulge in it like with most things. Still, because he had promised himself he would do things differently in this world and not deny himself the basic pleasures that came from personal interests, he was determined to give music a try, and he would start by observing the group he was beginning to understand was, according to ShinGaru, quickly becoming one of the world’s most notable musical ensembles. As for what they sounded like, Rex could only speculate at this point. Based on what he had heard so far of EeNarin music, he was eager find out.

After some careful and unrelenting maneuvering, they managed to get twenty meters from the stage, which was filled with an assortment of instruments, most unfamiliar to Rex. Many were string instruments of varying sizes, but there were two massive drums set up towards the back that were clearly too large for any SaVarian to play.

“Hey, EeNox,” Rex called over. “Are their DyVorians in this band?”

The other boy nodded. “Yes, three of them. Why do you ask?”

“Just wondering who would be playing those drums.”

“The percussionist uses his club tail to play them,” ShinGaru said. “I remember being most impressed by how proficient he was at it.”

“Club tail?” Rex repeated as he went down the list of DyVorian species he remembered possessing such a feature from Earth’s past. “You said there were two others?”

“Yes, a BorKovora on the KinVole and a CeraVora on RowVow.” Seeing the blank expression on Rex’s face, he smiled and clarified. “The large string instrument on the far right and the wind one in the center.”

“Ah, I see,” Rex said with a nod. He recognized the name CeraVora after having encountered one not long ago, but the other DyVorian was unknown to him. He had surmised that there were still plenty of species he had yet to see, but he found himself curious just the same every time someone made mention of one. After studying the stage and its setup closely, he scanned the crowd. It had now almost doubled in size, pushing as far back as the market by the docks. It was at that moment that he noticed a figure moving in earnest towards them. He watched until he became more visible, revealing himself to be a boy many years younger. Upon spotting them, he moved with a greater sense of urgency as if he had been seeking them out.