by D P Rowell
“That’s gonna be nearly impossible,” Cameron said.
Ace stepped closer. “Agreed. It’s really hard to focus on those two things at the same time.”
“Not if we split up though,” Trilo said. “If we check back in with Gathara and haven’t recruited anyone, The Israh will start getting suspicious anyway. Finding your cousins is your fight. Let Sebastian and I start recruiting.”
Ace and Cameron looked at each other, shrugged, then looked back at Sebastian and Trilo.
“Let’s get to it, then,” Ace said.
“Ace,” Sebastian said, “be careful out there. If you somehow find Rio, don’t take him on.”
Ace nodded. He and Cameron grabbed their AMBs, concealed them, and headed out the door.
Ace and Cameron walked a mile or two until they reached Carnival Square. A chrome, abstract statue stood in the middle of a roundabout, hundreds of feet tall. Tents and exhibits covered the block, and the smell of sugar and deep-fried foods filled the air. One jag walked around the city on stilts while juggling; a water drake, surrounded by cheering crowds, swallowed torches of fire in a thrilling performance; several cloaked people walked the road with goats on leashes and let the children pet them. Ace took notice of a billboard standing above the chaos a couple miles away. It showed a pale, young man with brown hair and a neatly trimmed beard. Next to his face read “'Peace and Unity will always be the foundation for the Neutrals’ - Sam Radar.”
“Cameron,” Ace whispered. “Whatever you do, don’t mention anything about witches here.”
“Why?”
“Trust me. I just have a strange feeling. The council has the strongest hold I’ve ever witnessed here.”
“How can you tell?”
“I just can, Cameron. I don’t know how to describe it, just trust m—Oof!”
“Oh!” A red, dragon-like drake said, “Excuse me, sir!”
Ace looked at the drake, about four inches taller than him. He had thick, scaly skin and a slithery tongue, “It’s alright,” Ace said.
“You two aren’t from here are you?” the drake said.
Ace stood close to Cameron as the crowds of people squeezed by, brushing up against their arms.
“Just visiting,” Cameron said.
“Ahh, well, welcome to Carnival Square,” the drake said, “easy to see where the name comes from, ey?”
The drake’s friendliness triggered Ace’s suspicions.
“Yeah,” Ace said, “well, we have to be going now, drake.”
“Wait, wait,” Cameron said, placing a hand on Ace’s shoulders. “We’re looking for a drake and two girls, maybe you could help us?”
“Cameron,” Ace said, his fists clenched.
The drake rubbed his chin and his pointed tongue whipped out and back in. “Hmm, it’s a big city. Lots of drakes around. I’ll tell you what I can, but I don’t know how much help I can be.”
Cameron spoke up. “The drake is green, and the two girls are very young. One is seventeen, the other is thirteen. They’re tan-skinned, both with black hair—like mine and my brother’s here—except theirs is thick and wavy. Green eyes.”
The dragon drake shook his head as Cameron listed the descriptions. He scratched his head. “Sorry, kids. Haven’t seen anything. Wish I could be more help. I’d help you look, but I’m looking for someone of my own, actually.”
Cameron sighed. “Thanks anyway.”
“Who are you looking for?” Ace said.
The drake’s diamond pupil expanded and shrunk. “I’m looking for a little jag girl, ‘bout yea high, probably a loaf of bread in her hands.”
Ace and Cameron looked at each other, then back to the drake. “Sorry, haven’t seen her.” Ace said.
“That’s okay. But if you catch the little thief, let me know, will you? She’s been sneaking loaves away from me for the past couple weeks now.”
Ace and Cameron nodded.
“Well, good luck, kids.” The drake stepped aside to continue along the crowds in Carnival Square, revealing something peculiar in the distance.
“Cameron!” Ace said, but a jag stepped in front of Ace's eyes and covered it up.
“What?” Cameron said. Ace stretched his neck and jumped up and down. Too many people. He grabbed Cameron’s wrist and bullied his way through the crowd.
“Ow!”
“Watch it, human!”
“Hey, I’m walkin’ here!”
“Ace,” Cameron said, “slow down, you’re bringing too much attention to us.”
Ace stumbled from the crowd of people and onto Hur’uk Street. Ahead stood the banner he saw from before. His jaw fell to the floor and his heart tanked. Cameron said nothing; each of them processing what they were seeing. Was it good? Bad? It was definitely important.
The banner, fifty feet tall, spotlights displaying it before all Naraka, read: Yutara Semi Finals! Neutral Colosseum, Late Week’s night! Naraka Fetch Flies vs. Genesis Sabercats.
Under the words were portraits of the point guard from each basketball team, facing each other with a snarl. For the Fetch Flies, Yug Orn, a seven-foot tall jag. For the Sabercats, Marcus Peppercorn.
“This can’t be a coincidence,” Cameron said.
“No,” Ace said, he turned to face Cameron, his eyes raw, “It’s our first lead.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The Drake, the Witch, and the Jag
Ace and Cameron changed direction, heading back to the inn. They debated their next plan of action they pushed through the crowded city, bumping into the pedestrians along the way.
“I don’t get it—excuse me,” Cameron said, “Why would Uncle Marcus—sorry—still be playing basketball? Does that—ow! Watch it!—Does that mean Aunt Kaitlyn is here too? Do you think they’re—mmf!—do you think they’re looking for the Peppercorns?”
Ace, being short enough, weaved his way through the crowd. “We still don’t know if she’s . . . you know . . . around.”
“I think—Oof!—Ace, stop walking a second,” Cameron grabbed Ace and stepped to the side of the sidewalk traffic, “I think Uncle Marcus wouldn’t be playing basketball if his wife were dead. Don’t you think it’d be on the news?”
Ace shrugged, “We haven’t seen much news though. We’ve been in Gathara for months, off the grid from the rest of Yutara in the middle of
the Heorg desert. Maybe it was on the news.”
Cameron shook his head, “No, no. Something feels strange about this. His two daughters are missing, his wife may be gone . . . and he’s still playing basketball like his life is ok?”
“He’s a parc—” Ace hushed himself and looked around, then leaned in Cameron’s ear, “he’s a parcel, Cameron. He doesn’t care about his family.”
“But don’t you think his blatant disregard for his family is too obvious? You’d think people would start to talk.”
“It’s not safe to talk about this here. Let’s get back to the inn.”
Cameron nodded. Ace turned to lead the way back to the inn when he spotted something interesting. Dressed in tattered jeans and a black shirt with tiny holes torn throughout, one little jag girl popped in and out of sight as she hustled through the crowds on the sidewalk. She stopped every now and peered around with eyes full of worry. But none of these things had stolen Ace's focus, rather, it was when she turned to continue walking along the sidewalk and a loaf of bread hung out of her back pocket.
Ace smacked his brother’s arm. “Look!”
“Ow,” Cameron said, “What is it?” Ace pointed, and Cameron didn’t respond. Ace bolted after the jag. “Ace, wait up!” Cameron said, then followed him through the crowd. The jag turned behind to see them running after her. Her eyes widened, and she ran in the other direction. Her head bobbed through the crowd, and she moved swiftly between the bodies like a master thief on a mission. Her skill proved great enough so none of the pedestrians took notice of her.
Ace, however gathered plenty of attention, bumping into every other person and yell
ing to the jag, “Wait! I just want to talk!”
“Ace, what are you doing?” Cameron shouted behind him. The people soon moved out of the way once they saw Ace and Cameron running like wild animals.
The jag girl ignored him, and soon it seemed as she had just vanished in the midst of the bodies. Ace thought he'd lost her. He stopped chasing her and stood straight, then glanced all around him to see where she had gone. He caught movement in his peripherals and jerked his head to find her running down an alley. Ace dashed to her. He took a quick glance behind him to be sure no one could see him in the alley. He turned back and fired a line of the elyr across the surface of the gravel beneath them. It caught up to her and she jumped back and screamed. She turned around and kneeled with her hands in the air. Ace stopped running and caught up to her.
“Please,” she said. She reached in her pocket and pulled out the bread, “just take and go, I swear I never take anything again.”
Ace breathed in a few deep breaths before he could get any words out. “You’re fast.”
She glanced up strangely at him.
Ace placed his hand on hers and gently lowered them. “Go ahead and keep that,” he said, pointing at the loaf of bread.
He turned around at the sound of Cameron rushing into the alley. His older brother let out a sigh of relief, caught up to them, and propped himself up over his knees. “Ace, what are you doing?”
Ace ignored Cameron and looked at the little jag girl. “What’s your name?”
She eyed him strangely and brought her bread back down. “J—Juneg.”
“Well, Juneg,” Ace said, “I need your help.”
She slowly scooched away.
“I’m not gonna hurt you,” Ace said. “We’re looking for someone and we don’t know the city as well as you.”
Cameron touched Ace’s shoulder. “Uhh, what are you doing?”
Ace held his finger up at the girl jag. “Excuse me a moment.” He turned and brought Cameron aside. “Bro,” he whispered, “she’s clearly homeless. She needs someone to look after her and she probably knows the city like the back of her hand. Besides, we’re supposed to be recruiting right? Two birds with one stone.”
Cameron opened his mouth and went to speak, then stopped. He rubbed his chin and slumped his posture. “Actually, that’s a really good idea.”
Ace smiled and turned back around to the jag. Before he could say anything, she cut him off.
“I’m looking for someone too.” She said. “You help me find him, I help you find your friend.”
Ace tipped his head in a half nod. “Okay. How about we take you to get some food and rest and we can talk about it?”
Juneg's eyes looked hesitant. “My friend and I usually spend time together around here. I afraid if I leave we won’t be able find him.”
Ace and Cameron looked at each other. Each of them held a bit of sadness in their eyes. Ace turned back to Juneg. “What’s he look like?”
“He’s a drake my age. His skin is a glossy yellow. He dressed like me.”
Cameron inched closer to her. “Where was the last place you saw him?”
Juneg hung her head. Revealing her stubby, pre-adult antlers just starting to grow from her head. “When we here last. About three hours ago.”
Ace bent down before her. “If he’s been gone for hours, he could be anywhere in the city.”
“What if he comes back and I not here!” Juneg said. “He never goes running off like this.”
“Then he’s probably not coming back,” Cameron said. Juneg’s eyes immediately glossed over and a couple tears spilled. Ace looked back at him with anger. Cameron shrugged apologetically.
Ace helped Juneg to her feet. “We’ll find him. Promise. Let’s get you something to eat.”
Juneg fell asleep on the bed at the inn within seconds of lying down. Her face was still as stone and her chest moved in kind at the breath in her nose. Ace and Cameron sat at the small table by the large window overlooking Naraka.
“Why’d you promise her we’d find her friend?” Cameron whispered.
Ace pursed his bottom lip and half shrugged. “I needed a reason to get her up here. Besides, how hard can he be to find?”
Cameron wiped his hands over his face and caused his hair to stick straight up. He looked as if he were about to speak, but the door handle rattled behind them. Sebastian stepped inside, followed by Trilo and . . . someone else? A male drake who looked to be not much older than fourteen. Ace and Cameron stood.
The drake was a slimy yellow with dominant lizard features. His webbed ears hugged his shiny scalp and his nose was just two dots beneath his green eyes. Ace and Cameron exchanged looks of joy. Just before they were about to wake Juneg, the drake saw her sleeping on the bed and rushed to her side.
“Juneg!” the drake said.
Juneg wiped the grogginess from her eyes and moaned as she slowly made her way up. Once she saw who stood before her on the bed, she leaped with elation. “Easley!” Her and the drake hugged each other.
“See,” Ace said. “What’d I say?”
Juneg kept her tight embrace on her drake friend. “Thank you!”
Sebastian and Trilo looked around with puzzled eyes. “Uh, did I miss something?” Trilo said.
Ace chuckled. “Where’d you find him?”
“He was running away from a red drake,” Sebastian said.
Easley spoke while facing Juneg. “Inan found me waiting for you at our spot. I had to run. These two men helped hide me.”
Sebastian turned towards the yellow drake. “Yeah, but you better have learned your lesson about stealing.”
Ace tilted his head at Easley. The yellow drake’s voice caught him off guard. No clicks in his tongue. It sent an unsettling feeling in his stomach. “Easely,” he said. The drake looked at him. Ace waved his hand and signaled for him to come over. Everyone’s eyes went to those two. “Easley. How’d you meet Juneg?”
The drake tensed up. He glanced around the room and cowered down a bit. “Um . . . We ran into each other on the streets one day. Just started talking. She helped rescue me from Inan, who was . . . well, he’s a bad man.” Sebastian slowly stepped close to the drake as this was occurring.
“Hmm,” Ace got close to the drake, “and this Inan . . . this bad man. . . how’d he capture you?”
“Ace, what are you—" Cameron went to say, but the palte elite stopped him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Easley stepped back. “I—I don’t remember. I’ve known him for as long as I can remember.”
When a witch casts a spell, the first thing to go is memory.
Ace nodded and stood. He turned to face Cameron and Sebastian, who were looking at him strangely. This was more than just a spell taking the drake’s memory. Running away just before Ace and Cameron found Juneg and brought her back to their hiding place at the inn? How Sebastian and Trilo found him so quickly and conveniently brought him back to Juneg? It was all coming together. Not to mention the drops of black dust on the floor. Ace’s face went stiff and he turned back to the drake.
“Who else knows about our plan?” Ace said.
“What?” Easley said, “What are you—ahh!”
Ace's hand went bright with the elyr, and he thrust it towards Easley. He pinned the drake against the wall with the pale flames and stepped closer. Black dust fell in waves to the floor and sizzled into black smoke around the flames.
“Tell me before I let this Light consume you!” Ace said.
Easley screamed and yelped. “No one! No one I swear!”
Cameron jumped in and pulled Ace’s hands down. The white fire left, and the drake fell to the floor, his skin slightly burning from the aftermath. Sebastian ran to his aid.
“How could this be?” Sebastian said, “he’s only a youth! He can’t be a parcel!”
Ace half smiled. “Funny how you’re so hesitant to believe a fifteen-year-old is too young to be a parcel, but you had no trouble believing I was when Rio turned me in.�
��
“Not the time, Ace,” Trilo said.
Juneg had backed against the wall away from the madness, her eyes wide and her slim figure rattling.
“He’s not a parcel,” Trilo said. Ace turned to the fae. “Ace, we’ve seen this before.”
He and Trilo stared at each other a moment. He was then reminded of the day of the attack on Gathara, when the witches took control of Trilo. Their eyes agreed. Ace turned to the drake and pushed Sebastian aside.
“Unless you want the Light to destroy you, leave this drake at once,” Ace said.
Easely chuckled and coughed, then eyed Ace coldly. “It’s pointless, Acce. We’ve already won. The sstone is ourss.”
Ace felt a burning inside he couldn’t contain. He grit his teeth and stood before the defeated drake.
“You may have the stone, but I am still the Elyrian.” The white fire came forth from his hands and wrapped his arms in a whirlwind as he towered over Easley. The drake went stiff.
“You are human!” The drake said, “The Light is not yours to wield.”
“I am the chosen human,” Ace said. “Chosen by Emery. Now . . .” Ace leaned into the drake’s eyes, “leave at once!” The witch gave in after a few more shrieks, and Ace pulled her free from Easley's body. Her skin was pale and rotting, and her dark robes emitted a black smoke. The old and bent witch came from inside Easley and fell to the ground, coughing and screaming at the Light stuck to her person.
She saw Ace and tried to run toward the door, but Ace threw waves of the elyr at her. He pulled her close and pinned her against the wall. The black smoke faded, and she laughed and groaned as the elyr made her disappear.
“Usseless!” She yelled, “The Sstone is ourss! Emery will fall!”
Ace released the burning sensation he felt inside with a roar and thrust the pale flames at her in great waves. A moment later, the witch vanished underneath the film of pale fire, and the Light instantly ceased.
Other than Ace’s rage-filled breathing, the room went silent. He turned to the friends behind him. All of them with their jaws to the floor.