Strength (21 page)

“There. I’ve given you the same protection as I did Daio.”

The Elf slowly relaxed his hands away from the hilts of his swords and let out his breath.

“What happened to him?” Sodo asked.

“He died, unfortunately, but his efforts weren’t in vain.”

Kabiroas felt the blood leave his already pale face. Daio had been an Aigis, no trivial foe. What did this bode for him and the other Elves and humans?

“I must warn you,” Nexus said, “I haven’t perfected my guarding mark yet. It’s most effective at concealing you from other gods. Now go!” His servants bowed. “Oh, and Sodo, dispose of your brother for me.”

Sodo bowed again and headed to the dead man on the floor.

Chapter 17

The mid-afternoon sun started working its way west, the intense rays strong enough for Roxie to feel her skin tanning. Fluffy cotton balls of cumulus clouds brought fleeting relief and a gentle breeze with a hint of the sea in it, making the sun bearable.

Due to her injury, Roxie ended up being personally transported from the finish line up the hundred yard long slope to the celebration arena. Where Aerigo found the extra energy she had no idea, but she didn’t complain when he turned her into a human backpack. It
had
been a tough race after all.

Roxie wrapped her arms about his shoulders and rested her head next to his as his muscles corded and softened with every stride. He felt warm and sticky with sweat, and smelled of deodorant. In the past, Roxie hadn’t even liked holding hands if either her or her former boyfriend’s hand was sweaty, but for some reason Aerigo didn’t faze her. There was something about his nearness that put her at ease, too, but that didn’t stop her wondering about his scars. Giddy from the run, she chanced the question she’d wanted to ask ever since she’d first seen them. “Hey, Aerigo?”

“Yes?”

Roxie’s eyes darted to the ground and her throat tightened. She couldn’t bring herself to ask. It felt like she’d be breaking some unspoken taboo. On the other hand, his voice had sounded like he wouldn’t mind being asked a personal question. “I have a question—but you don’t have to answer it if you don’t want to. But... I was just… I was just wondering how you got the scars on your back.”

Aerigo bowed his head, leaving Roxie wondering if she’d crossed the invisible line she’d feared existed. Yayu and his two sons were walking ahead of them, far enough away to not be able to hear. Roxie listened to the padding of many pairs of feet through the thick grass before Aerigo finally spoke in his deep voice. “All my scars came from assignments where I had to play the role of a warrior, except for the first one.”

“Which one’s that?” She leaned back and Aerigo’s grip tightened around her thighs.

“The one running vertically along my right shoulder blade.”

“This one?” Roxie ran a gentle finger along the raised line of pale scar tissue.

“
Yes
—don’t do that again!”

“Why, does it tickle?” Roxie gave him a dorky grin when Aerigo sighed at her. “So, how’d you get it?”

Aerigo took a second to answer. “There were these people trying to kill me,” he said in a detached tone.

“Why?” She placed her cheek near his for comfort, and pressed her chest to Aerigo’s back, wanting, for some reason, to keep her heart as close to his as possible.

“I was different from them.”

Aerigo’s deep voice made his chest cavity vibrate under her hands and against her chest. “Was it your glowing eyes?”

Aerigo arched his eyebrows. “Good guess.”

“Wasn’t hard.”

“True. And it was also because I could do other things that a human can’t, like catch a falling tree without getting crushed.” Aerigo’s strides remained steady and strong as he made his way to the top of the hill. Yayu and his sons crested the top and waited for the two Aigis to catch up.

The tops of more trees came into view first, then their trunks, and once they reached the top, they were treated to a wondrous view of the site of Eisisumet. In the very heart of the valley sat a giant circular stage, covered with percussion instruments waiting to be played. People puttered around onstage checking instruments and making final adjustments. Ten long tables stretched out like spokes on a wheel, lined with benches, and many smaller tables squared off the outer edge. At the inside end of each table flew a banner atop a tall pole, each marked with Clan colors and symbols. A breeze blew them towards the top of the hills, bringing the smell of cooking food with it. Yayu’s eyes filled excitement to match a child seeing a mountain of Christmas presents under a tree.

“Before everyone gets too excited, we need to find a Wangama for Rox,” Aerigo said.

They made their way down the hill to the heart of the arena.

All the tables were covered with trays and bowls of food. A few fires burned on the verge of a forest on the arena’s far right side. A hundred people that looked the size of dolls from Roxie’s perch moved between tables and the fires, preparing a feast for thousands. Her stomach pulled her towards this feast, but Aerigo’s footsteps led elsewhere.

“There’s Shaku!” Yayu said, pointing out a man near the stage. He jogged up to the man and bowed. The man stopped speaking with a woman and acknowledged Yayu’s presence with a slight bow of his head and a few unheard words. Aerigo carried Roxie between two long tables and caught up with Yayu in time to hear him say, “Ah, arda man se aerigosos, ae jena ma fanta.”

Aerigo’s grip slackened on Roxie’s legs and she slid off, balancing on her left foot. Yayu’s sons bow, putting their thumbs to their forehead, and the two Aigis did the same.

Shaku turned to Yayu and gave him a puzzled look. “Kih du man se aerigosos?”

“Haz,” Yayu replied, giving a quick nod.

Shaku looked like a witch doctor or shaman with long, flaming red hair streaked with silver, strung in thick locks and tied down with beads as thick as fingers. He was taller than anyone else—almost a head taller than Aerigo—and he had eyes of metallic gold. They gave Roxie strong impressions of wisdom and cunning. It was like looking into the eyes of a tiger. He had curved tattoos all over his forearms, and his fingers had long, claw-like nails. A wide strip of cloth draped around his neck like a necklace with the stringy ends hanging down his back.

Shaku shrugged, then turned back to the rest of his audience. “Brama. You, have a seat,” he said to Roxie, pointing to the nearest bench. “I will tend to you in a second.”

She obeyed, and Yayu and his sons spoke with the healer briefly in Scondish, then headed towards the river that lay beyond the tables.

Shaku breathed in deeply and his shoulders relaxed. “You take a seat, too,” he said to Aerigo and gave him a little push to make him comply, then glanced at his hand and shook it out. “You’re the legendary Aerigo,” he said admiringly. “You proudly bear all the scars of your past.” His eyes focused on the big man’s sternum. “Except one… Such scars I cannot heal. You must handle that one yourself.”

Aerigo hadn’t even shown the Wangama his back. Which scar was he talking about?

“You’re shorter than I expected,” Shaku said.

Roxie cringed inwardly, but when she saw Aerigo shrug...
wow, he looks even stronger from—darn it! I’m doing it again!

“Nonetheless I can feel great energy inside you, and that you know how to wield such power.” Shaku opened his golden eyes and stood before Roxie. “But enough of that. I have work to do.” He sat cross-legged, delicately taking her injured foot into his claw-nailed hands. “Hmm. I doubt whatever you kicked is standing anymore.” He looked up at her with a knowing smile. “Your kind is resilient. You’re tough and quick to heal. With my touch you’ll be fine in a couple of minutes.”

“Just a couple of minutes?”

“I didn’t earn the title of ‘Wangama’ for nothing, Aigis.”

“I didn’t mean to offend you,” Roxie said quickly. “It’s just—I—”

“None taken,” he reassured her. “Hold still.”

She clenched the bench’s edge with both hands while Shaku sat with both hands poised above her foot as if he were holding an invisible ball. He started whispering. A wispy cloud materialized between his palms and his whispering chant became louder. The wisp grew and thickened until its shape filled the gap between his hands. Shaku stopped chanting and moved one hand over the cloud and poked it with a finger. The top flattened out and the healer drew a complex rune on it with a pointed nail. “By the way, this is going to hurt a bit,” he said with a straight face.

Doctors aren’t supposed to say things like that.
She clenched the bench. The wood creaked and Aerigo placed a hand on top of hers. She eased her grip but remained tense.

Shaku placed his hands on either side of his inscribed cloud and shouted, “
Han-za!”

The cloud shot into Roxie’s foot, and she let out a yelp as her foot blazed with pain as if it’d been hit with a mallet. And then her foot absorbed the wispy mass like water into a sponge, filling it with the sensation of being plunged into an ice bucket. The pain numbed away, her bruising began to disappear, the crack in her toenail fused itself, and the congealed blood turned to dust.

Shaku blew away the dust blood with a sharp exhale. “Perfect!” he said, getting to his feet. “Just give yourself another minute before you start walking. Your foot may feel sore for a little while, but you’ll be fine long before the festivities start. As for the rest of your scrapes and bruises, go on into the river. I’ve laid a tricky healing incantation on the still water. Have some of the lemon water right behind you, too.”

Roxie helped herself to the wooden pitcher and poured Aerigo some as well. The water was refreshingly cold and lemony.

“Now,” he went on seriously, “I have other hurts to tend to, so I must be going. Hopefully we shall meet again before the night is out. I’m seated with Clan Narihara. Where are you?”

“Clan Ormolu,” Aerigo said.

Shaku’s eyes lit up. “Our tables are next to each other! What an excellent surprise! Until tonight then…” The healer bowed an adieu and headed uphill.

Once he was out of earshot Roxie stood and tested her foot. It felt a little sore, but not so much that she couldn’t ignore it. “Well, he’s a good Wangama,” she said to Aerigo. “A little weird, though.” She looked up to see her friend wearing a faint smile. “What?”

Shaku was cresting the top of the hill he and Roxie had come from. “For once I have to agree with you.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

Aerigo broke into a full smile. “I don’t know. Let’s get to the river. Can you walk?”

“Yeah. Let’s go!” The two headed in the opposite direction of the cooking fires. A smooth and sandy shore hugged their bare feet and gradually sloped down under the river’s fast current. The sound of rushing water met their ears, and the river’s crisp smell filled their lungs. Near the far shore lay the patch of calm water Shaku had mentioned, outlined by rocks and fallen logs on its upstream side, and teeming with people swimming and playing. Yayu and his sons reclined against a log and waved them over. A boy swung out on a vine over the water. He let go with an exuberant “woo-hoo!” and splashed down cannon ball style. “Aw man, that looks like fun!”

“You’d break the vine.”

“How do you know?”

Aerigo gave her a look that said she shouldn’t question the obvious.

“You’re right. Let’s just get in the water.” Roxie tested it with her toes. “Ooo! Refreshing! Just a teensy bit on the chilly side.” She searched for a dock in vain, but that didn’t discourage her. She bolted for deeper water and dived in. The initial shock of cold hit once she was fully submerged, but when her head broke the surface the water felt pleasing on her skin. She stood waist-deep in the current and brushed her hair out of her face, then had to throw out her arms to keep her balance in the quick current. She dug her toes into the sandy river bottom.

Aerigo hadn’t moved. “Are you coming in or what? The water’s great!”

He took one measured step, followed by another, lifting and dropping each foot with minimal splashing.

Roxie sloshed over to him. “I’m gonna give you a big wet hug if you don’t hurry!” She held her arms wide.

Aerigo stopped to fend her off. “Don’t you dare!”

“Aw, c’mon! I know you want one!”

Aerigo shooed her away and waded a little farther out. She sloshed after him toward the deepest part of the river, when the current suddenly whisked her feet out from under her.

“Whoa!” Roxie flung her arms out but couldn’t get her feet under her. Aerigo’s grip fastened on her arm and she clung to him.

As Aerigo was pulling her upright, Roxie’s face broke into a wicked grin.
Psyche.
She gave a tremendous yank on his arm and pulled them both under water.

The water displaced around her as Aerigo landed on top of her. She felt around with her heels for a solid footing but her body was too horizontal. Aerigo rolled off her and, as the water’s momentum began to push them downstream, she wrapped her arms around the waist. Her feet slid along the bottom as Aerigo got one of his legs tangled in both of hers and his free foot dug into the sand. He put his arms around her and pulled her upright in the waist-deep water. Roxie wiped her eyes and gave him an impish smile. He returned her gaze with a look that said he might have been angry but couldn’t help smiling instead. “I win,” she whispered, having managed to get Aerigo into the river the fast way.

He didn’t answer. They held their stance for a long moment, arms wrapped around each other’s waist, Roxie’s body getting pressed into his by rushing water. Or was that Aerigo’s doing? His expression softened and his lips looked particularly tempting. She could kiss his chin, his forehead, one shoulder, then the other. And then his amazing chest and—

What’s wrong with me?
Roxie looked into his eyes, hoping that would get her mind off kissing. No dice. Her gaze wandered back to his lips.

Aerigo brushed aside a lock of hair from her face.

Roxie glanced at the hand lingering in her loose hair that wasn’t supposed to be loose, and his caress sent her into a panic. “Oh no, I’ve lost my hair-tie!”