Strength (22 page)

She more pushed away than let go and touched her hair. Aerigo’s hands withdrew from her waist and cheek. She turned away, not wanting to see him react to her change of heart. If she’d gazed at him any longer, she would’ve had to get on her tiptoes and kiss him, but that was the wrong thing to do. They had to stop a war; not start dating. That, and Aerigo was way too old for her, and her heart shouldn’t be racing at the sight or slightest touch from someone a zillion times older than her.

“You must’ve lost it when you jumped in,” Aerigo said. His voice sounded neither disappointed, relieved, angry, nor hurt; just an honest speculation.

His neutral tone allowed her to glance down river in a pointless attempt to locate her hair-tie. When she looked at him again, his face had reassumed its unreadable mold. “Guess this means I have to wear my hair down for once.” Another happy child swung off the vine, did a backflip, and dove into the river. “Let’s go sit with Yayu.”
I’m going crazy.

***

The arena was so packed, and the mood so buoyant, it was as if Roxie was at a wedding reception of gargantuan proportions. The sun had a few hours to spare before setting, and torches were already lit to provide a warm glow and to ward off bugs. The smell of food filled the air, along with the din of excited and conversational voices.

“Man, I’m starving!” Roxie said, eyeing the bowls and platters on every table.

“We don’t start eatin’ ‘til everyone else does,” Yayu said. “We have to wait ‘til Din arrives. He’s gonna say a few things and then he’ll give us the okay to dig in.” He led the way to Clan Ormolu’s table, which happened to be the very one where Roxie had her foot tended to.

“Yay! Everybody’s back!” A five year old boy left his mother’s side and ran up to his father. “Visco! Ana mer a ranta Din?”

“Soon,” Soen replied, picking his son up and hugging him. He and the rest of the family greeted each other as they took their seats.

Aerigo took up the open space next to Yayu. Roxie attempted to sit next to him, but stopped when she heard Issa Yayu’s daughter.

“Wait!” Issa said. “Your name is Roxie, right?”

“Right.”

“Come with me,” she said, getting up and grabbing Roxie by the wrist, guiding her along the tables. “Hurry! There isn’t much time before Din returns.”

The two moved at a fast jog towards the cooking fires and several small tables laden with uncooked food. Issa led her between the prep tables where people worked on last-minute delicacies, and stopped at a table covered in cloth bags. Issa let go of Roxie’s wrist to root around.

“Aha!” She held her own bag high, then hugged it to her chest. She led Roxie by the wrist again and instructed her to sit in front of a large tree. Filtered through leafy branches, the sun’s rays struck around the girls in bright shapes so vivid, they looked as if one could grab hold of them. The one that fell into Roxie’s lap played over her palms as she cradled it. Issa sat behind her and plopped her bag beside them.

“I’m going to make your hair look very beautiful for you.
And
for Aerigo,” she added mischievously. She took out a brush and began working on Roxie’s tangled hair.

“What do you mean?”

“I think you know.”

“I don’t want to assume anything so… just tell me.” Her heart began to race, sweat beaded on her forehead as she stayed very still and let Issa brush her hair, section by stubborn section.

“Come now, we’re girls,” Issa chided. “We know when we see another falling for a man.”

Roxie smiled at her hands and laughed inwardly, reminded of high school when she’d talked with friends about boys. So many times she or someone else thought they’d found the perfect guy for them, that they were so going to get married one day, only to break up, days, weeks or months later. Roxie didn’t care about marrying Aerigo. She just wanted to be with him, to listen to his deep voice, melt in his strong, gentle touch, and—

“See? I’m right, aren’t I?” Issa said, shaking Roxie fondly by the shoulders. “Besides, I saw you two holding each other in the river. Even though I was far away, I could tell what you feel for one another. Anyone can see it in your eyes, too.”

“I don’t know about that,” Roxie said, fully aware of what she felt that she shouldn’t be feeling. But Aerigo?

“About what?”

“About Aerigo feeling the same way I do.”

“What makes you say that? From what I’ve seen so far, he always tries to stay near you.” Issa started braiding a lock of hair.

Roxie wondered if there was the slightest possibility her feelings were being returned. Aerigo worked hard to keep her safe, and he got upset every time she got hurt. But still, he’d kept his distance both physically and emotionally, minus the staying at her side part. But that had to be her more than him. He’d never tried to kiss her or initiated any of the hugs. “I think he acts as he does to make me feel safe. I don’t think he really feels for me that way.”

“I think you’re lying to yourself,” Issa said. “Don’t worry; you can trust me. What’s
really
bothering you?”

Roxie slouched a little and Issa tugged at her shoulders, coaxing her upright again. Part of her just wanted to be alone, but her heart saw an opportunity to get some emotional weight off her chest. “You really want to know?”

“Of course,” Issa said sincerely, beginning another braid.

Roxie gathered her thoughts and threw in some courage for good measure. “I feel torn.”

“Between what?”

“Love and fear.”

“What are you afraid of?”

“A few things,” Roxie said evasively.

Issa paused. “And they would be…?”

Roxie skipped the war, not feeling ready to discuss that subject, even though it was the biggest reason she was trying to censor her emotions. “I want to love him, but I have this irrational fear I can’t explain. In the river I suddenly felt vulnerable, so I broke away.”

“That’s normal. You’re putting yourself in a vulnerable position when you reveal your feelings to someone. I felt the same way with Roshi. You just have to get over it.”

It felt relieving to know that she wasn’t the only who was afraid to let love show. “Aerigo is a wonderful person.”
Where the heck did that comment come from?

“I’d say. Who’d want to pass up a man like that? Though it is strange in Sconda for a man to have no hair, I also find him attractive. He does have lots of muscle,
and
a good head on those broad shoulders of his. You still sounded unsure. What’s holding you back?”

Only a few people remained playing in the river or beyond the torch-lit boundaries of the arena. When she glanced at their table, it was hard to make out individuals in the sea of fiery orange hair. One clean-shaven scalp got swallowed in the crowded dusk. “I can’t fall in love with Aerigo.”

“Why?” Issa sounded shocked.

“He’s too old for me.”

“Nonsense. And you’re not too young for him either. Many people with twenty-year age gaps have married and—”

“I’m not talking about marriage!”

“I know you’re not. All I’m saying is that when it comes to pure love, age doesn’t matter. Besides, who lives as long as an Aigis?”

“I don’t know.” She wiped her forehead tiredly and sighed. “Look, I probably shouldn’t mention this to you, but you’re not going to understand me if you don’t know what’s going on. Can I trust you not to tell anyone or freak out on me?”

“What does ‘freak out’ mean?”

“Kind of like, go temporarily insane, or get really upset.”

“Whatever it is, I’m sure I won’t ‘freak out’,” Issa said, stringing wooden beads into Roxie’s hair. “And I do promise to keep whatever you tell me secret.”

“Thanks.”
And now to spill my guts to someone I’m supposed make feel safe and hopeful. I’m hopeless
!
“Just to let you know I’m only seventeen years old. I’m younger than you.”

“That would explain your concern about the age gap,” Issa said, her voice casual.

“My being so young doesn’t bother you?”

“You’ve already proved your tremendous potential in the race. One would be foolish to not have faith in an Aigis.”

Roxie wasn’t sure how doing decently in a race could give people hope, but the revelation eased some of the tightness in her chest. Maybe she could do this give-people-hope thing after all. “Thanks. You make me feel a lot better.”

“You’re welcome. So, what’s been going on?”

“Well, it’s more like what’s to come that’s the problem. Seventeen years ago a god named Baku created me in the hope that I could stop something bad from happening. I’ve always felt like I could trust Aerigo ever since the day I met him. I don’t know what it is or how to explain it properly, but I feel drawn to him, yet I’ve been resisting it every step of the way. We have something very important to do, and I have no idea how long it’s going to take, or if we’ll survive. I think Aerigo’s being extra kind to make me feel safe, and like I have a chance to succeed in this task. I have to try, even though I feel so scared. I know Aerigo’s sincere when he says he believes I can do what I have to. It’s the same with Baku. Plus I’ve enjoyed my visit to Phaedra and your world. I want to help preserve everyone’s worlds.”

“The way you speak describes what we call
‘grammah,'
which means to face your fears.
Ruma grammas
. You are courageous. Fear can be an asset sometimes. What sounds better to you? Charging in blindly and overconfidently, or meeting obstacles head-on with wisdom and determination?”

“The latter. You sure know how to make people feel better.” So she was allowed to feel fear after all.

“
And
I know how to style hair. You’re done, Roxie,” Issa stood up.

“How do I look?” She turned her head one way, then the other.

“Beautiful. Now, what are you going to do about your emotional situation?”

“I’ll figure things out as I go along.”

Chapter 18

Roxie’s new hairstyle was greeted with enthusiasm by Yayu’s family. She returned their praise with a shy smile, repeating the words ‘thank you’ to each of them in turn. When they were finished admiring Issa’s handiwork, Roxie took her rightful seat next to Aerigo.

“You look nice,” he said. “You should wear your hair down more often.”

“Only if I can’t find or make more hair-ties,” she said, looking at the stage. “I hate wearing my hair down.”

A ball of shimmering light materialized over the stage and the arena fell silent. The orb sucked in air, causing all the surrounding trees to bow to it, and many a people to have to hold their hair back so they could see, and the orb swelled to the size of a hot-air balloon before exploding. The bang made Roxie flinch. The ten tall poles had a tiny flame hovered inches above each one. The crowd’s attention fell on these curios licks of flames with wonder, mesmerized.

Din’s voice reverberated all around them. “Welcome, everyone, to the two thousand and thirty-first Eisisumet!” The arena erupted with cheers, catcalls, whistling, and applause from every table. Before this ovation had a chance to die down, Din’s voice burst over the crowd, “As the first clan to be founded in the history of Sconda, I welcome our lovely host: CLAN ORMOLU!”

Their pole’s flame erupted with a roar, lighting up everyone’s faces in a shade of orange. Roxie could have sworn she saw a flicker of Din’s giant body standing over the stage, but it vanished too quickly for her to be certain. Her table was bathed in a gorgeous light as the arena filled with cheers and applause.

“And continuing in the order of their founding I now welcome the clan known for their prize runners: CLAN NIMBUS!” The table to their left erupted with cheering, as their flame burst forth. Once again, Roxie saw Din’s form appear for an instant, but this time a faint outline of him stayed visible. As Sconda’s god went on to welcome each of the ten Clans, his giant body became fractionally more solid with the lighting of each flame. There was Clan Mercu, famous for its fishers, Clan Seneca for its scholars, Clan Ikkyan for its crafters, Clan Jakushi for its ancient warrior tradition, Clan Fili for its beauty, Clan Yokayan for its music, Clan Yana for its inventors of spells… “And last, but not least, I welcome the final clan known for producing the best Wangamas in Sconda: CLAN NARIHARA!”

The last flame erupted and Din could be seen clearly standing astride the stage. He looked at his people with his fists on his hips and a contagious grin on his face. Everyone cheered even louder than before, then hushed once Din held up his hands. “Welcome, my beloved people! It’s so wonderful to be here. I hope you’re enjoying this year’s festivities as much as I am.”

Roxie leaned towards Yayu, and he bent towards her. “Why is Din speaking in non-Scondish?”

“He is?”

“He isn’t for you?”

“He’s speakin’ in Scondish for me,” Yayu said, and sat up straight.

Roxie shrugged and reclined against Aerigo for comfort. He put one arm around her and she put a hand over his forearm.

“Before we start eating I shall announce the results of the race, and I don’t want any sore losers starting a food-fight like last year.” The tables broke into a ripple of laughter and Din popped a smile. “I know you had some fun, and I
am
able to clean things up in an instant, but I recommend that you keep your cool this year. Consider yourselves warned.” There were more laughs all around. “Now, the results are as follows, and please no cheering until I’m done. In tenth place with four-hundred and thirty-one points is Clan Yana. In ninth place with four-hundred and forty points is Clan Narihara. In eighth with four-hundred and eighty-three points is Clan Mercu. In seventh place with four-hundred and ninety points is Clan Nimbus. In sixth with four-hundred and ninety-four points is Clan Fili. Fifth place goes to Clan Ikkayan with five-hundred points—” At this point a wave of excited whispers and murmuring could be heard at every table, and Din’s voice grew a little louder. “In fourth place with five-hundred and thirty points is Clan Yokayan.” The whispers grew louder and there were a few exasperated shouts.

“What’s all the murmuring about?” Roxie asked.

“The last two Clans are big rivals,” Aerigo said.

“In third place with five-hundred and thirty-seven points is Clan Ormolu.”

Roxie’s heart sank, just a little. They hadn’t won, but third place out of ten was definitely respectable.

“In second, with five-hundred and forty-five points is Clan Jakushi. And finally, this year’s winner, with five-hundred and fifty-one points, is Clan Seneca!”

A deafening roar filled the entire arena with clans-people cheering, banging on the tables and jumping up and down. Anyone who might be expressing disappointment was drowned out.

Roxie punched for the sky and let out a whoop. Aerigo kept his arm around her while Yayu and his family hugged each other, jumped up and down, and cheered until their voices cracked.

Once the arena settled down, Din spoke again. “Yes. Congratulations, everyone. Now that you’ve got
that
out of your system, it’s time for the Clan leaders to take their seats.”

Ten shapes zoomed down the length of the tables perpendicular to the stage and began circling the stage so fast that they were only blurs.

Aerigo brought his mouth close to Roxie’s ear. “If you pretend you’re running fast right now, you’ll be able to see them properly.”

The feel of his breath on her neck made pleasant shivers go up and down her spine, but she mentally batted the feeling away. She gazed fixedly on the circling blur of people and imagined herself running alongside them, and the shapes snapped into focus.

“Good job,” Aerigo said when Roxie sat up straighter in surprise. “You learned something new today.”

“Do I get a cookie for it?” she asked. He smiled but seemed to be sighing on the inside.

The Clan leaders looked like cool, respectable young people. The men and women had energetic faces, long, colorful hairdos, and wore straw hats with two cloth ribbons trailing alongside their flowing locks. Those hats reminded Roxie of the same ones Asians wore while working in rice fields. The leaders also wore light, flowing robes in their respective Clan colors, and no footwear.

All ten leaders leapt into a midair cartwheel and landed softly at the heads of their respective tables, took off their hats, and bowed graciously to Din. Their god bowed back, then the Clan leaders faced their tables. Benches shifted as everyone rose to their feet and bowed to their leader. And so did Roxie and Aerigo to theirs.

“Brama, Ormolu!” the female leader said as the other leaders hailed theirs.

“Brama, Spirra!” Roxie’s table hailed back.

Spirra hung her hat on a hook provided on Ormolu’s pole and sat. There was another wave of bustling as every Clan took their seats, and then pregnant silence.

Finally, Din spoke. “Your food is ready for eating.”

Bodies moved around the tables. The valley grew loud with rustling clothes, sliding baskets, clinking plates, and low murmurs.

Din shrank to human size and took up his place at the head of the winner’s table. Aerigo and Roxie both began filling their plates with a wide selection of breads, meats, cheeses, fruits and vegetables, all within reach or just for the asking. Once the food started disappearing, talk turned to the race.

***

After the better part of an hour, most people were finishing up the last of their meal. Aerigo had only reached his halfway point. People began to stare openly after he’d emptied his plate a few times over. Some realized they were staring. Others took a good minute to move on.

As he filled up yet another plate, Roxie stood and stretched. “Man, I can’t believe you’re still eating. I’m going to go over to visit Issa and her friends for a while.”

Aerigo nodded but didn’t say anything as she walked away. He wasn’t quite full yet and didn’t feel like doing anything until he was. He did feel he was close though, as he downed another cup of water.

“Where do you fit all that food?” Yayu said teasingly.

Aerigo looked up to see his friend smiling at him and couldn’t help but smile back. He didn’t know why Yayu’s smile always broke through his pensive moods. It was out of character for him, but Aerigo welcomed the mental break. It was one of the reasons why he wished he could come to Sconda more often. He turned back to his plate, slowly finished what was left with real relish, and drained one last cup of water, then sighed, satisfied.

“Done?”

Aerigo pushed away his plate, interlocked his fingers, and stretched his arms in front of him. “For now.”

Yayu laughed, his voice mingling with the din of the celebration and the crackling of the giant flames above them. He reversed the way he was sitting on the bench and rested his back against the table edge.

Aerigo did the same and looked around for Roxie. She was with Yayu’s grandchildren, along with a few more kids that’d joined in a game of tag. Roxie was getting chased a lot by whoever was “It.” The little group was alive with shouts and giggles, and the occasional scream when a child realized that they were being chased.

“Aye, to be a kid again,” Yayu said dreamily. “Such blissful innocence childhood is, isn’t it?”

Aerigo grunted and watched Roxie pick up Kika, Yayu’s youngest grandchild, on the run. “It” was chasing her but the young woman had saved her little friend.

“You really care for her, don’tcha?”

Aerigo looked Yayu.

“Roxie,” he said. “You really care for her.”

Bad memories milled around in Aerigo’s mind, along with some good. “Baku told me to protect her. I’m just making her feel safe.”

“My friend, it’s been a long time since Sandra died.”

Aerigo turned to the game of tag. “I know. And it’s tearing me apart.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want to lose someone all over again. I don’t want to feel that way for Rox, but I find myself slipping every now and then.”

“Aye. That morning hug,” his friend said, looking canny.

“That was a perfectly innocent hug,” Aerigo said.

“What about that hug in the river?”

The Aigis gave him a hard look.

“I was right there, remember? In the calm patch of water. It was hard to miss two people standing alone in the middle of the Oromo River.”

“She tricked me!”

“Ah, and all that casual cuddling you two have been doing all evening?”

“It just... happened.”

“You’ve already lost the battle, my friend. I don’t know why you’re still fighting.”

Aerigo’s eyes flicked to the ground, but soon found their way back to Roxie among the children.

“Besides, Roxie is an Aigis. She won’t succumb to old age any time soon.”

“That’s not what happened.”

Basho yelled, “Get her!”

“Help! Attack of the children!” Roxie yelled as all the kids tackled her and carefully let herself get wrestled to the ground. “No! Please! Stop! I’m too young to die!” She and the kids were all laughing but their struggle didn’t let up. “Aerigo! Yayu! Help me!” she yelled once pinned on her back.

“Your damsel is in distress, Aerigo,” Yayu observed calmly.

“I think she can handle herself this time.”

***

“Okay, you all win!” she yelled out, giving the children a few seconds to enjoy their victory. Once she was free, Roxie gave congrats all around before going back to the table. She found herself leaning against Aerigo’s side without a second thought, and Aerigo and Yayu exchanged looks. Before she had the chance to ask that was about, a nail tapped her shoulder. Shaku, the Wangama who’d healed her foot, was standing behind her and Aerigo.

“Brahma, Ichi’hun Roxie.”

“You can just call me ‘Rox’ or ‘Roxie’ if that doesn’t make you uncomfortable.”

“Not at all, Roxie. How’s your foot?”

She flexed her ankle. “All back to normal, thank you.”

“You’re quite welcome. That cave gets a few people every year, but we Scondish people would never be persuaded to alter the track onto a safer course.”

“Would you like to sit down?” Shaku settled down on the grass as she patted a modest space on the bench.
That wasn’t what I meant, but whatever.

“I prefer talking face-to-face,” Shaku said. “The other side of your table is full for the time being.”

After taking a quick glance to confirm the lack of seating, she said, “So, what brings you back to us?”

“Curiosity,” Shaku said. “More than anything. You are both aerigosos after all.”

“Aerigos?”

“Aerigosos,” the Wangama corrected. “It happens to be coincidence that Aerigo’s name is similar to what we call your kind. Then again, perhaps it’s not so coincidental. Many thousand years ago, when all the clans were isolated, there were just as many versions of Scondish as there were Clans, yet it was clear from the beginning of when Clans started interacting, that everyone’s version of Scondish had many striking similarities. Since Aerigo’s name is almost the same as what our world calls your kind, it comes as no big surprise to me. Who’s to say that worlds beyond Sconda’s stars don’t use some of the same words we do?” Roxie shrugged. It was too complicated a thought to pursue for now. “By the way, Aerigo’s name fits him very well. ‘Aerigoso’ in Scondish means ‘guardian.’ You Aigis are keepers of hope, faith, and peace.”