by Kyle West
This was the height of heresy, and I had never heard such a thing. “But...why?”
“The answer is complicated, and not one fully understood, even among the Elekai. Basically, there was a lot of dissent against the Elekai at that time by the Bloodless. It was said that we ruled corruptly, and it drove the common people to rebellion. That rebellion, over time, became what is known today as the Annaran Covenant, and their hatred of the Elekai never truly went away.”
“I remember that part,” I said. “Everyone knows about the Liberation.”
Isaru chuckled. “What the Covenant calls the Liberation we call the Uprising. Go figure.”
A time passed where I could do nothing but be silent as the sky grew completely dark and the stars came out.
“We’re going to Haven, then,” I said. “In the Red Wild.”
Isaru nodded. “It is the seat of the Annajen people.”
“The Annajen are Elekai, then?”
“Yes. The Elekai are composed of Three Tribes, not counting the Wild Tribes. There are the Makai, which live to the south in the Webwood. They are the descendants of the gods Makai and Larana, and their capital city is called Sylva. Then there are the Annajen, of which I’m a part. We are the descendants of Annara and Elekim himself. Our chief city is Haven, in the Grand Canyon. Then, there are the Samalites, the descendants of the god Samal and the goddess Retha. They don’t have a city, and are spread all over the Wild. They once had a city, called Hyperborea, which was in Ragnarok Crater. But Hyperborea was destroyed over a century and a half ago.”
“Destroyed?” I asked. “How?”
“No one knows,” Isaru said. “Some say it was attacked, though none can say by whom. Some say it destroyed itself with its pride and greed. Others believe it never existed at all, and is merely a parable against the dangers of hubris. During its height, it is said Hyperborea could create wonders only dreamed of today.”
I was quiet, soaking in all this information. “Is it still there?”
“They say it is,” Isaru said. “But the far north is dangerous, and no one in their right mind ever goes there. Where the Elekai live, it isn’t dangerous, but there are places where men fear to tread. Ragnarok Crater contains the largest reversion, one so advanced that we Elekai can never hope to restore it. All efforts to do so have been in vain, so all we can do is contain it. Reversions are more common in the north, but some of the Samalites and Wild Tribes still live there.”
“What are reversions?”
“A weakening in the Xenofold. It manifests in a particular area of the Wild, and if left unchecked, the reversion becomes a Blight. The animals and plants become Mindless, lacking a connection to the Xenofold. Such life is hostile to all that is Elekai, but Mindless Dragons are the most to be feared. Mindless Askaleen are docile, but they can be trained as mounts. Mindless Radaska, on the other hand, are wild and will attack anything on sight...even other Radaska.”
“If Radaska cannot be tamed, then what about Jorla?”
“Jorla is a different kind of dragon,” Isaru said. “There are three kinds in all. There are the Mindless, of which I’ve already told you. In addition to them, there are Generational Dragons, of which Jorla is a part, and Elder Dragons, which no living man has seen.”
“What’s a Generational Dragon?”
“First, let me explain the Elders. Elder Dragons were alive during the Ragnarok War, and lived among the gods. They are of the First Generation, born from the Red Wild when it was young. They spoke with humans, at least until the Sundering.”
“And what was the Sundering?”
“It occurred shortly after we were driven into the Red Wild by the Covenant,” Isaru said. “It was an event in history where the Elder Dragons cut off all ties with humanity. No one knows what caused it, but some believe it’s because we began to train Mindless Askaleen as mounts, as the Covenant Riders did. It was the only way we could match them on the battlefield, but even then, it wasn’t enough.”
“So, the Elder Dragons don’t talk to the Elekai?”
“Not anymore. Some of their descendants, do, however. These are called Generational Dragons, and refer to dragons of any generation beyond the First. As it happens, the closer the generation is to the Elders, the more likely they are to share their views.” Isaru paused. “Jorla is of the fifth generation.”
“I see.” I paused, thinking about what he had told me. Clearly, there was a lot I had to learn about the Elekai world. “How long until we reach Haven?”
“We should be there in a few hours.”
We flew in silence for a few minutes. I was growing used to the cold, but Jorla’s body seemed to provide enough heat to make the ride bearable.
“Look,” Isaru said.
At first, I didn’t see what he was pointing at. I was about to ask what he meant when I saw it: a single, bright point of light traveling across the sky.
“The Wandering Star,” I said.
“We call it by the same name. Legend says that it was once a great city in the sky that was destroyed during the Ragnarok War.”
“A city in the sky? Sounds like something out of a story.”
“Most people take it as such, but the further one goes into the past, the harder it is to know the truth of things. So many of our writings were lost when the Covenant drove the Elekai from Colonia. What we have of the past are fragments, most of which are written in English, which is understood by very few. Seekers, mostly.”
“Who are the Seekers?”
Isaru chuckled. “You have a lot of questions. That’s good, because there’s a lot to learn. The Seekers are an Order of Elekai whose blood runs especially strong, who have the ability to tap directly into the Xenofold, either through training or natural ability. The latter is rare these days, but many Elekai can be trained to access the Gifts of the Xenofold. The most adept of these are instructed at the Seekers’ Sanctum, at Nava Mountain to the northeast. Even so, most who go to the Sanctum never become full Seekers, such is the rigor of the training.”
We flew for another few minutes, apparently following the jagged line of the river north. Though the darkness of the land made it nearly impossible to see anything besides the river, I knew the northern hills to be dangerous, the abode of robbers, outlaws, heretics, and apostates. These lands, at one time, had been firmly controlled by the Covenant, but ever since the Novan War, most everything not immediately on the Colorado River had been abandoned.
And of course, the Red Wild was even further beyond, just up the river and to the northeast. For my entire life it had been a source of fear, but tonight I was going into it.
It was then that I realized that Isaru was right; nothing would ever be the same. I couldn’t wrap my head around this new reality. I had fully expected to die – had even been prepared for it. But all that was taken away the moment Jorla swooped under me. I knew I should have been grateful, but it was hard to be grateful when I didn’t know what the future held.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
AFTER AN HOUR OR SO, a strange glow lined the horizon north to south. At first I didn’t know what it was. Dawn was still a long time in coming; it had only been full night for a couple of hours.
“What is it?” I asked.
It was a moment before Isaru answered. “Home.”
The glow had a pinkish hue and grew brighter at our approach. I wouldn’t say it was ever bright; the glow was subtle rather than brazen. It wasn’t bright enough, anyway, to blot out the stars, which were as numerous as ever. The pink covered the hills, the rocks, and the long snaking line of the river, which was cast in a silvery sheen. As we flew, the river increasingly became hidden by canyons and bluffs, only to reappear a moment later.
Even from our height I could see large plants rising from the pink. I wanted to call them trees, but they were far too tall. Their trunks were thick, bearing wide mushroom tops. Glowing branches fell in a cascade of limbs, leaves, and vines, all shimmering in the night. There were hundreds of these trees risi
ng from the ground, and each was at least a couple hundred feet in height; the tallest were probably at least five hundred. Beneath their boughs were other trees, much smaller, but they grew so thickly that they formed an impenetrable forest.
“The Selvan,” Isaru said, as Jorla descended in the sky, to about the height of the tallest structures. “It has been growing for over two centuries, planted by the Elekai as a wall to defend us from the Covenant. Before the Selvan, the Covenant’s armies struck into the Red Wild with impunity, reaching almost as far as Haven.”
Jorla sank lower in the sky until she was skirting the treetops, as if it were in her mind to give me a tour. Indeed, I was mesmerized by the sight. I had always been told the Wild was a dark, dangerous, and ugly place. Maybe it was dangerous, but it definitely wasn’t ugly. On the contrary, it was bright, beautiful, and utterly alien to anything I knew. The tree trunks often formed spirals, white and glowing, and they merged one into the other, as if they were all of one organism. For all I knew, they were.
Beneath the trees was a smooth, pink substance that clearly couldn’t be hard earth.
“What is that soil the trees are growing out of?”
“It’s xen,” Isaru said. “It’s not soil, but the turf which covers most of the Red Wild. Anywhere the xen grows is our home. Long ago, during the Ragnarok War, it is said that the xen was a menace. But when Elekim destroyed Askala, it became part of the Xenofold. Now, it nurtures and protects all that is Elekai. The people grow their crops from it, plant their gardens and trees, and from it grow plants that can’t be found anywhere else on Earth.”
Even if what Isaru said about the xen nurturing was true, I couldn’t help but be a bit unnerved by it.
“We’re nearly there,” he said.
Suddenly, the land fell away, and we were flying into a vast canyon, both sides of it sparkling with xen and its base filled thickly with trees. The Colorado ran through it far below. The canyon veered and twisted, and must have been at least a mile deep. The Selvan flanked the canyon’s sides as far as the eye could see, but the trees were lost to view as Jorla descended. The walls of the canyon rose up, and the wind, warm down here, rushed past my face.
Jorla banked, causing us to curve around a bend, and what I saw left me dumfounded. Trees with thick trunks grew alongside the river, their twisting bases joining and diverging in a complex network that was dizzying to behold. At times, the treetops merged over the river itself, forming a glowing tunnel. Trees and plants even grew sideways out of canyon walls, joining with those that grew out of the ground.
But dwarfing them all was a giant tree, only growing larger as we approached. It was almost half as tall as the canyon’s sides, and its trunk was so thick that it grew directly over the river, its deep roots delving into the xen. Lights glowed from within its silver boughs and leaves, and I could see wooden ramps and causeways circling the base, while yet more were lost in the treetop.
“We’re here,” Isaru said. “Haven.”
I’D NEVER SEEN ANYTHING so amazing in my life. It was like something out of a dream.
“People live there?”
“Yes. There are other Great Silverwoods, but Haven is the largest by far.”
As we approached, Jorla let out a high roar, as if signaling her arrival. The tree was now even larger, dominating all of my vision.
“Hold on,” Isaru said. “We’re about to land.”
I held on to the spike more tightly as Jorla billowed her wings. Her speed slowed until she was gliding through the boughs. We wove through branches, some so close that it felt as if we’d crash. Isaru, however, didn’t seem concerned.
I firmed my grip even more as Jorla spread her wings above a large wooden platform supported by several thick branches. At last, her feet settled on the platform.
Isaru swiftly slid off her back in one fluid movement, landing on the platform gracefully. He looked up, expecting me to do the same.
I didn’t dare think I could dismount with that much style, so instead, I lay on my belly and slid down backwards, using my hands to slow my descent as much as possible. Even so, the dragon’s side curved suddenly, and I lost my balance, causing me to tumble to the platform.
Isaru offered me his hand and didn’t seem to be concerned. “Come on. They’ll be waiting for us.” He paused. “And a bit of dinner might be nice.”
“Who are they?”
“The Council of Elders. They are the leaders of the Seekers. They are visiting Haven on official business with my father, but they should be departing for the Sanctum tomorrow.”
I frowned. “Who’s your father?”
Isaru hesitated for a moment. “I guess I left that part out. He’s King Taris, ruler of the Annajen. That would make me his son...Prince Isaru.”
I was a bit flabbergasted, and not sure what to say, or how to address him.
“Don’t act any differently,” Isaru said. “We’re not so formal around here. We are both Elekai, and the equal of one another.” He smiled. “Besides, I feel that we might have much in common. I’ve never met anyone close to my age who could speak to dragons.”
“What now then, Prince Isaru?”
“Just Isaru,” he said. “Let’s find something to eat. I’m sure you’re still hungry.”
At Isaru’s mention of food, my stomach rumbled, reminding me that I hadn’t had a solid meal since Shara’s going-away dinner.
“Alright,” I said. “I’m ready.”
Isaru turned to Jorla, seeming to think something at her. The Radaska’s white eyes betrayed nothing, but I felt a sort of tension between Isaru and the dragon. I thought it best not to ask at that moment.
I followed Isaru along the walkway leading to the trunk.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THOUGH IT WAS NIGHT, THE bright silver of the surrounding leaves glowed and lent ample light. Isaru and I continued on to the massive trunk of the Tree, far larger than any building I had ever seen. An archway led into its interior. Rather than having been carved, it looked as if it had grown that way naturally.
It was right before we stepped through that a voice hailed the prince.
“Prince Isaru.”
I turned to my right to see an old man in a white robe, standing in front of the railing of the veranda. Like Isaru, his hair was silver, complete with a beard that fell halfway down his chest. His most striking feature, however, was his eyes. They were such a light gray that they almost completely blended in with the whites. It reminded me very much of a dragon’s eyes.
“Elder Isandru,” Isaru said, giving a slight bow.
“You have returned, then,” the Elder said. “And this is the Elekai who made the Call?”
Isaru nodded. “Yes, Elder. Her name is Shanti. She was going to be executed until Jorla and I saved her.”
The old man looked at me for a long moment. It was hard to read those eyes, such as they were, but I couldn’t suppress the feeling that I knew him from somewhere. The feeling passed quickly, because I had definitely never seen him before.
“I’m glad you returned safely,” Elder Isandru said. “However, you will still have to answer to the Elder Council for your actions.”
Isaru nodded. “I’m aware of that.”
“You had better get going. The king has been much distressed by your sudden absence.”
Isaru gave a bow. “Of course. It is to him we are headed.”
“We will speak later, Prince.”
Isaru gave a quick bow before departing for the opening that led into the trunk. I followed him inside.
On our right, a short, wide tunnel spiraled upward around the trunk’s circumference, while on the left, it spiraled downward. I realized that it was probably like this the entire way up, and it was the main way for accessing Haven’s different levels. We started walking up.
“Who was that?” I asked.
“Elder Prophet Isandru is one of seven members of the Elder Council of the Seekers. He voted for your rescue; however, his position was outnu
mbered four to three.”
“Wait,” I said, “the Elders voted on my rescue?”
Isaru nodded. “Three were in favor, and four opposed. The four who were against it deemed it too dangerous, but I solved the whole matter by taking it into my own hands. That’s why Elder Isandru said I’d still have to account for my actions.”
“I don’t know what to say about that,” I said. “I mean, except thanks.”
Isaru shrugged, as if it had been nothing. “Something tells me that whatever the Council says, they’ll be glad you’re safe and sound.”
We fell into silence, walking by openings that led to other branches. From time to time, we passed people dressed in robes and cloaks that were far finer than my clothing. In Colonia, robes were mainly found among the clergy, while commoners wore pants and shirts, and maybe a cloak if it was cold enough. The quality here wasn’t just from the type of clothes; it was the material. The weave was fine, almost like silk, and every color seemed to cast a pale light, even typically dull colors, like gray or brown. A lot of plants in the Red Wild seemed to have a subtle glow for some reason, so it made sense that if the clothes were made from those plants, they would glow as well.
Most of the passersby gave a nod of acknowledgement as they passed Isaru, and the more formal among them stopped and gave a slight bow. When this happened, Isaru frowned, as if he resented the deference.
Any time there was a landing, there was an opening on our right, leading to another bough and walkway filled with stalls, both large and small. Oftentimes, there was no walkway at all, but rather a wide veranda upon which small wooden buildings had been constructed, silver, glowing, and rounded, as if they had been designed to complement the natural curves of the Tree. There were also shops hollowed on the inside of the trunk, with gates covering most of them – probably because they were closed for the night.
As we continued to climb up, we passed another wide opening, and outside the door was a vast balcony overspreading many thick limbs, filled with tables, benches, and even gardens with a strange assortment of plants and flowers, bearing large blooms, bell-shaped openings, and spiraling stems. A group of children laughed and played in those gardens, even though the hour was late.