Journey to Rainbow Island (11 page)

It was decided that Suparna would transport those who wished to go to Rainbow Island, and then return for Yu-ning in several days' time. If others decided to go to Rainbow Island at any time in the future, transport would be arranged. The adults were given blankets and provisions for the journey and said goodbye to the adults who had decided to stay behind in their newly reborn, illuminated city.

Julian walked up to Yu-ning and gave her a strong hug. She could feel his tears against her forehead as he whispered, “Thank you, Yu-ning, for caring about me. I hope to see you again some day.”

“You can count on it, Julian. I wish you safe travels—until we meet again.”

“Make haste, everyone,” said Suparna. “I want to get a good start before the sun rises and the heat of the day is upon us.” With that, the travelers, starting with Julian—who took
the first position atop Suparna's neck—climbed upon the great bird's back. In all, more than fifty people were able to climb aboard and find secure positions within the thick layers of feathers upon his back.

Yu-ning approached Suparna and said her goodbyes. “I will see you within seven days' time, Yu-ning. Learn well what Balthazar has to teach you.”

As Suparna rose above the tower balcony, Julian and the other travelers waved to those below. In one swift motion, Suparna glided away from the tower and into the evening sky, heading north, in the direction of Rainbow Island. Within a few moments, his beautiful rainbow wings faded into the starry night.

I
T HAD BEEN A LONG, EVENTFUL DAY
, and Yu-ning was exhausted. She had flown through the night with Suparna, catching only snatches of sleep as they made their way over the ocean during the storm, before arriving at the Grey City. Then she had walked miles through the city streets during the storm, found the center, and led her fellow travelers to the top of the Tower of Light. The adrenaline that had been pushing her onward had now subsided, leaving her utterly spent.

“Come, Yu-ning,” said Balthazar. “A hot meal and a comfortable bed await you. Dragoncraft can wait until morning.” Yu-ning did not argue and followed Balthazar down a small corridor off the main room. There were doors on either side, and toward the end of the hallway, Balthazar led her into the last room on the left.

The room was appointed with a large bed with a down comforter and soft pillows, a closet with robes and other
finely woven garments hanging inside (that seemed to be just her size), a table with two chairs, an antique desk, and a large, floor-to-ceiling window with the lights of the city shining below. On the table was a platter covered with a silver lid.

“Eat, rest. A hot bath waits just down the hall. Just let Melodia know if you need anything at all by ringing that bell.” He pointed to a small silver bell on the table next to the food.

Yu-ning thanked Balthazar, who started to close the door to leave Yu-ning to her meal. “Master Balthazar?” said Yu-ning.

“Yes, Yu-ning?” he said, poking his head back through the door.

“What is going to happen?” Yu-ning said, her mind swirling with so many questions that she couldn't quite grab hold of any one in particular, so she asked the one question that was a piece of all the others.

“We are going to fight with the strongest weapon we have, Yu-ning. The strongest weapon we have
ever
had.”

“And what is that weapon, Master? The bow?”

“No, Yu-ning. We will fight with
love.”
Balthazar's eyes burned brightly, and it was a look that Yu-ning never forgot. Balthazar slowly closed the door, leaving Yu-ning alone with her meal and her thoughts.

That night she slept soundly and deeply. The next morning Yu-ning awakened late—well past ten—but feeling fully refreshed. She pulled back the curtains and was greeted by brilliant sunshine. The city below was washed clean by the rain and the light that now filled it. It was as if the grey and black buildings had been painted in light, transforming and renewing them.

From this height, Yu-ning could see a shining silver ribbon leading out of the city into the nearby hills. This was the old millrace, the sun reflecting off the water now running through it. It flowed from the natural spring down to the plain and into the city, where it surfaced at the water wheel at the base of the tower. It disappeared under the tower on the far side of the conveyer platform, exiting the city at the other end.

Yu-ning dressed in a clean white robe, similar to the one worn by Melodia, and placed Magic in the front pocket. “No mischief out of you today, Magic,” she said to the frog, pointing her finger at his head, which was poking out of the pocket. She walked down the corridor toward Balthazar's chambers and entered the massive room, with the desk sitting empty at the center.

No one was in sight. She crossed the room and, noticing that the huge sliding glass partitions were open, stepped onto the balcony. Balthazar was sitting at a round table at the far end, sipping a steaming bowl of tea. “Good morning, Yu-ning. I trust you had a good rest,” said Balthazar, as she joined him. Yu-ning assured him that she had and told him she was ready to learn.

“Good,” he said, “because time is precious.”

All that day they sat on the balcony, as Melodia brought manuscript upon manuscript to Balthazar. He taught Yu-ning all there was to know about the history of the obsidigons, the warlocks who created them, and the Great Obsidigon War of a century before. Midday supper came and went, and the sun began to sink lower on the horizon as the afternoon wore on.

A warm breeze blew softly across the balcony, rustling the thick brown pages of the leather-bound manuscripts that lay
on the table before them. With the beautiful view, the rainwashed city below, and the safety of the tower, it was hard for Yu-ning to believe there was such a serious threat roaming the land. She felt as if she were perched atop the world, and that no sorrow, destruction, or death could reach her here. She longed for home—for the comfort of Metatron's embrace, the friendship of Romeo, and the glow of the sacred rainbow.

But all that had been shaken—though Rainbow Island had been an oasis for her throughout her entire childhood, the attack of the obsidigon, and the horror it brought, had shaken her more than she realized. The things she took for granted—the peace and tranquility of the Island, the joy of her school and her teachers, the pleasure of an afternoon swim in the beautiful bay—she missed terribly now. She shared all these thoughts and sensations with Balthazar as they gathered up the manuscripts, getting ready to retire as night drew close.

“Ah, yes. What you are experiencing, Yu-ning, is a very
adult
thing. It's called regret. As we grow older, and leave behind more and more years of living, we have more things we wish we had done differently. And that makes us sad, and causes us to long for the opportunities we missed,” explained the wise teacher. “Does that make sense?”

“I think so,” said Yu-ning, as she picked up leather books from the marble floor and stacked them on the round wood table. “I regret not appreciating Rainbow Island more, and I regret not being able to do more to protect Romeo.”

“Yes, I understand, my child,” said Balthazar, sensing the young girl's remorse. “But don't forget that life is a book. Each day is a page. Each year is a chapter. And all those chapters form separate parts—
seasons
in our life. And of course, all
the chapters and parts make up the entire book that is our life. The ink on the early chapters of your life, Yu-ning, has barely dried! But still, what has been written in those pages cannot be changed. What you
can
control, however, is what is written on the page of your life
today.
That is all you have.”

Yu-ning smiled thoughtfully. “That is what Metatron always says:
Each day is its own page in life's mysterious book. If we try to read ahead, we lose the story.”

“Ah!” said Balthazar. “Your Metatron is a wise man . . . just like me!” He said this last part with a smile, and he and Yu-ning began to laugh.

Over the course of the next several days, Balthazar taught Yu-ning about the old lore: the rise of the obsidigon army a century earlier, and the defeat of that army by the Darq Renders—the bringers of light. Though she had learned bits and pieces of the story from Metatron and Suparna, Balthazar explained it in full. “Darq Renders are not killers—or destroyers. Just the opposite: they are bringers of light into dark places. For darkness and light cannot exist simultaneously. The light will always expel the darkness.”

“Where did the Darq Renders come from, Balthazar? And why am I one?”

“Your kind is an ancient race, Yu-ning. The Renders once had a thriving kingdom on the island of Darqendia. They came from all over the northern islands, and over the years, they developed the birthmark you carry on your left arm. In those days—hundreds of years ago, in the days of our great-grandfathers' grandfathers—the obsidigons were more common, and made frequent attacks on your villages. Over time, your kin learned how to fight them. The bows were made of the best wood, as well as the arrow shafts. And the
arrowheads were made of a gem mined only on Darqendia—a secret gem possessed only by the Renders. Even I don't know the secret of the arrowhead, Yu-ning. There is magic in those arrows—or so the legends say.”

Yu-ning looked at Balthazar thoughtfully, and in a new light. For the first time in her life, she was talking with someone who understood her history and lineage.

“Yu-ning, I have lived in this tower for many years. I came here to bring the light back to this city. I have tried to reach so many, but today, when I called down to you—you were the first person to actually hear me calling! I have yearned to descend the tower and enter the streets of the city to bring the light. But that is not my role, Yu-ning. I needed just one person—just
one
—to have the necessary faith to release the light. You had the faith to do it.”

“I still don't understand why it has to be me, Balthazar. The Empress has an army of warriors at her disposal. And I'm . . .” Yu-ning's voice trailed off as she gazed out over the city far below.

“Destiny. Do you understand this word, Yu-ning?”

“It means path, right?”

“Yes, it means one's path. But don't confuse destiny with destination. What I am talking about is the purpose behind the destination. This is your purpose, Yu-ning—to embrace the role of a Darq Render, and fulfill your destiny as a bringer of light into darkness. That mark on your arm is not about violence, it is about love. That arc is like a bow—or a
rain
bow With both, the arc points up and outward—shooting its light to the world. That is the role of a Darq Render: to extend love and to only use one's bow to fight darkness, when all other means fail. That mark means at least one of
your parents was a Darq Render also, for the birthmark is only passed down through bloodline. In that history is your future—and your destiny.”

Balthazar carried the wisdom not only of years but also of trials and tribulations. When he spoke, he did so with purpose. His ideas were well formed, as if he had already thought of the answers before being asked. But it was more than that: it was as if he had already lived through the questions, so that his answers came not by opinion, but by exploit. Yu-ning respected him, even though she also feared him a little.

With the day's lesson at an end, Melodia informed Balthazar and the girl that dinner was ready. Another day had come and gone, yet Yu-ning was surprised to see the sun setting in the west. It felt as if the two had been talking for just an hour, when in fact the entire day had raced by.

The following morning they had a hurried and early breakfast, as Balthazar felt a growing urgency to teach Yu-ning as much as he could, in the limited amount of time he had left. He knew Suparna would be returning soon from his trip to Rainbow Island, after safely transporting Julian and the adults to their new home. And over the past two days, a plan had crystallized in Balthazar's mind about where Suparna and Yu-ning would need to go next. And now that Balthazar had the plan, he was anxious to set it in motion.

“Yu-ning, do you know about the Darq creatures—what they are?” asked Balthazar, as Melodia cleared away the breakfast dishes from the balcony table.

“You mean the obisidigon?”

“The obsidigon is of a Darq nature—the former is born of the latter.”

“I'm not sure I understand,” said Yu-ning.

“Darq magic is not natural—it is not part of the natural order of things,” explained Balthazar. “This is not natural darkness we are talking about—such as the daily phenomena of the setting sun and the coming of night. This is an
unnatural
darkness—one made of malevolent magic. It is a conjured and controlled darkness, manipulated for evil, to cast the world into gloom. That is Hobaling's plan. Therefore, the obsidigon is his creation, born of a
Darq
nature.”