Compis: Five Tribes (26 page)

She ran up the stairs with it clutched to her chest, and barely remembered to push the button that slid the door back into place as she passed it. Agga was standing in the hall, waiting for her, and held out her arms when Nikka came out into the hall.

“Not yet, Agga. It's too dangerous. Just a few minutes more, please. Can you wait?” she asked.

Agga nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks, and followed Nikka meekly outside and down the cliff path to the beach below.

Nikka drew her breath in and out slowly.

“Step in the water, Agga. This needs to be done quickly. I don't think I realized—Jilli will feel the loss of power when you touch this. I think she's tapped into it somehow.”

Agga stepped into the water and held out her arms.

“Before you go, I need your promise that you will come if I call you. Please, Agga. Will you come?”

“Yes, yes, please, I
need
it. Please give it to me.”

“No, this is important, Agga. When you go back there, it will be easy to forget. You need to help them, your people. You need to come to me when I call. We have to save them. Swear to me.”

Calming, finally, Agga looked at her. “I swear, I will help you save my people. I will come when you call.”

Nikka gave her the pelt and almost looked away at the naked needy look in the Roaneu's eyes as she nuzzled her pelt and whispered words to it.

“There you are. There you are. Mine, mine, mine.”

Agga threw it around her shoulders and began to change back into the seal she had been, so many years before.

“Thank you, pup. You don't know what you've done.” Then she seemed to melt and Nikka watched her swim away, beneath the sea and out of sight.

“She's right, you know,” said Jilli's voice behind her, cutting and filled with anger. Nikka whirled to face her. Jilli walked forward, face calm, eyes full of malice. “You have no idea what you've done.”

Zyander and Alys had been traveling for days, following the little fox on a quest to who knew where, rain pouring down on them. Since she was real, Zyander knew that there would be no more escaping to his dreams to offset the dull day-to-day travels. The two men talked between themselves, sometimes interrupted by the vixen with a course correction or an admonition of silence.

That day they were stopped in a copse of firs eating lunch. It was the first time in several days that there was a break in the rain and Zyander felt the urge to linger in the sun's rays. He handed Alys the cask of water once he'd finished with it and for the thousandth time, Alys asked him, “Where do you think we're going?”

For the thousandth time he was about to answer, “I have no idea, but I think it has something to do with the Ignis sacred element,” but before he could he heard the popping noise he'd heard one other time and looked up in time to catch the folder that landed in his lap. It was labeled “Ignis” and filled with several pages, but as he opened it, he felt a tug on his sleeve. The vixen had his shirt between her teeth and she dropped it to speak.

“That is not for you, Fire Child. Put it away and follow me.”

“But Nikka sent it to me!” he said.

“Only because she did not know what to do with it. Make no mistake, this is for your father's eyes, not yours. Reading it now will only interfere with your journey. It is imperative you come with me now, and learn the lesson I must teach. That is the path to saving your tribe. It does not lie with this,” she said, nosing the papers.

With reluctance, Zyander put them in his saddle bag.

“Come, Fire Child, we are close to our destination,” the vixen said, and waiting for them to pack up, led them away to the south.

As always, she was right, and she led them up a hill overlooking a long valley, encircled by evergreens. The sunlight lit up the city below, the city they had traveled so far to see: Abira. Zyander had never seen the forgotten city before, it had been evacuated early on in the years of the sickness, so that the tribe members could be closer to the healers of the Sanguis.

Not that it had helped at all
, he thought as he slid down from his perch on Twitchfoot.

He walked to the lookout with Alys behind him, and stood next to the fox. The city's spires were ethereal and shining, the craftsmanship—probably the work of some of the finest Aeris craftsman—was superb. The city was large enough to fill the valley, but silent and still. It was odd to think of it being empty and abandoned. He wondered if there were any preservation and protection spells on it.

“It looks brand new,” said Alys. “Not like Labaria.”

“How did this place survive?” asked Zyander, heart leaping in his chest at the thought of going down into the city.

“Two reasons, Fire Child. The first reason is the spells placed over the city protect it from creatures both magical and common. The second is that Abira is a powerful place, the home of the Ignis sacred element,
The Shining Stones.
The stones help hold the spells in place for longer than they would have otherwise. This is why Labaria crumbled and collapsed. There were no Ignis strong enough to hold the spells in place when they needed to be renewed.”

Zyander thought of the cracked and crumpled towers of Labaria and felt the same helplessness and bitterness he'd felt for most of his life. It wasn't fair that such a beautiful place, where people could have lived, was a wasteland now.

“Well, come, we need to be off. We're not going to the city, yet. Instead, there is a place near here we need to see first,” said the vixen. “It is where the stones are housed.”

They followed her down the hill and to the east, toward the border lands. Zyander was back on Twitchfoot and not for the first time appreciated his friend's skill as mount. The hills were rocky and seemed to rise up from nowhere, so the way down was steep. Thanks to the horses and their guide, they made their way down without issue, and after that made a straight line to their unknown destination.

They stopped in front of a building that was a large dome. The landscaping looked as though it had been maintained perfectly for the hundreds of years since the last Ignis had seen it. The place itself was pristine, rising up to a shining spire at the tip of the cupola. It was made of marble and bronze, opulent in material, yet simple in design. Compared to the riches of the city spires, the place was nondescript.

The vixen turned to him. “Zyander, only you may follow. Your friend must stay here and wait.”

After handing the reins of his horse to Alys, he turned and followed her inside.

They passed through a foyer chamber and through a set of double doors that led to one giant room. The room was as high as the dome, with many skylights filtering light down. It was a large circle, filled with soft white sand, empty with the exception of the stones in the center of the room.

The stones rose in jagged peaks from the floor, straight crystal formations. They glowed from a light within, golden as the tribe's color. They formed a rough circle in the center of the sand that would allow for two or three people to fit inside it.

“It is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen,” he said to the fox. “What is it you want me to do?”

“You will have to destroy the stones.”

“What? Why?” he asked, staring at her in astonishment.

“These stones represent the dual nature of your tribe's power. Fire has two representations in our world. The first is flame, burning, cleansing, and unforgiving. Fire can both destroy and refine.

“The other element is that which is inside us all: fire is the spark of the soul. Blood gives us life, fire gives us a reason to live. Those of the fire tribe are led by that fire in the soul to be artists, writers, and performers. It is the reason the Ignis have been the creators of some of the most wonderful objects in the Five Tribes.”

“I understand,” he said. “But I don't know why I need to destroy them to save the tribe.”

“Have you ever wondered why the animal on most of your decorations is the phoenix? It is not simply a bird that dies in flame only to be reborn. The phoenix is a clue about your tribe's true nature. Once the stones have been destroyed, they will remake themselves and your tribe's magic.”

She walked over to a place on the wall where a large hammer was hanging.

“You are the only one to do this. Your mother's spell places a special protection against magic on you. If anyone else did this they would die or go mad. You must take this hammer and break the stones into pieces.”

With a questioning mind, he took the hammer, hesitated a moment and thought about all his tribe had been through. This could be a disaster, but what other choice did the tribe have? It was dying, for certain. In a matter of years there would be nothing left of their magic or their artifacts.

He raised the hammer and with a heave, cracked the first of the stones, shattering it. The stones themselves cried out, sending whistles and chimes into the echoing dome. He wanted to cover his ears, but he finished his task, hitting each of the stones in their turn.

When he finished, he stood in the center of what had once been the circle of stones and looked at the vixen.

“Now what?” he asked.

“Now, Fire Child, be reborn,” and saying so, she ran from the room, leaving him.

Suddenly, flames shot up from the stones, burning with a fire so hot, he passed out before he could flee with her. He lay on the ground as the stones burned, licked by the flames, the hand print on his chest glowing brightly.

Luka was enjoying the change in his status since word had circulated that he'd been able to call his Lumenta. The animal had not shown up, but he hoped, like some, it would put in an appearance soon. The next gathering was few days away and he was torn, trying to figure out what he wanted more: May to agree to run away with him or his Lumenta to come and show the others that he was a true member of the tribe.

Most of the other Initiates were convinced now and once again he'd found himself the unwanted object of female attention as he attended the daily required meetings with the others. Today was another such day. Brelle kept pointing out which girls had asked about him in the past days.

“See her over there, she's been the most persistent. Her name is Kela,” Luka looked over toward the brunette with long braids falling down her back. Her brown skin was exotic, her eyes dark as midnight. All he could think about, however, was May.

“Not interested,” he sighed, then turned his face away and waited for the Duor to come and give their inevitable lecture on what would happen at the gathering.

“Well, the feeling is
not
mutual,” said Brelle with a smile. “She asks about you all the time. She wants to know about your Initiation and that girl you left behind. Asks me, was it serious? Does he still talk about her? I can't get her to leave me alone.”

“Not interested,” Luka said again, and Brelle was quieted when Duor Hama and his large tusks walked through the door.

“Good day, Initiates. If you'll settle down, please, we'll begin our discussion.” He nodded as the Initiates quieted.

“I'm sure you have a great many questions about the gathering, so let me begin by telling you what is going to happen. The day after tomorrow, we are going to use the Praete Line to travel to the Citadel. As you've learned in the past few months, it's a faster way of traveling, and this will save us the many days walk it took to get here last time.

“When we reach the Citadel, you are to stay with your assigned Duor at all times, unless they tell you otherwise. You are not to have contact with any family or friends that may be attending the gathering. When you go to your learning sessions, you must stay with those of your new tribe, and refrain from fraternizing with the other tribal groups.”

At this there were several mutterings from the Initiates. Luka himself felt a tightness in his chest at the idea that he wouldn't be allowed to talk to May. Why else had he persevered and stayed so long among those of the tribe who had been less than understanding of his differences?

“I know it seems unfair to some of you,” Duor Hama caught Luka's eye with a definitive stare, “but our reasons are sound. You must cleave to your tribe in this first and most important year among us. We must be your friends and family. We must become all that is important to you if you are to truly become one of us.

“The consequences of such a breach in this code of conduct will be severe. Do not get caught breaking the rules or you will reap the true measure of your error.”

He continued talking, but Luka heard none of it. He needed to see May,
needed
to see her. He had to talk to her, touch her, hold her, convince her that he was right. If there was a chance that he could convince her to run away with him, he had to take it, consequences or not.

When the meeting was over, he ignored the comments of the others and pushed his way out of the room.

“Luka!” said a voice behind him, and he turned, knowing that he couldn't, as much as he wanted to, ignore the Duor's voice.

“Yes, Duor?” he asked. It was a struggle to remain civil.

“Luka, I know that you, most of all, will feel stifled by the rules I outlined today. It's very important that you follow them, Luka. For your own good.”

“Yes, Duor.”

The man sighed, and gripped his shoulder.

“I have a feeling my words are falling on deaf ears, but my greatest hope is that they are not.”

“What about Nikka? Am I allowed to see
her
, like I'm allowed to write her letters? Just because she's the Compis and important to you?” His voice was bitter, but he didn't temper it.

Duor Hama looked uncomfortable.

“High Council Koen has given me instructions to ask you to speak with her, if the opportunity arises.”

“So, let's say I talk to Nikka. Would that gain me any leeway if I happen to get caught fraternizing with someone from another tribe?” he asked.

“I-I don't think so, Luka. I will talk to him for you, but I don't think that will be acceptable. I'm sorry.”