by S A Edwards
Charlie worked quietly at the far end of the hall. I couldn’t make out what he was doing, but he didn’t look up, fully immersed in whatever job he had undertaken. Lallana flitted in and out of the room, carrying cloths and a bowl of water.
Yithan re-joined me to heal the last of the wounded, and then leaned against the wall, face pale. “Don’t feel discouraged,” he panted. “It’s unusual to have to heal so many at once. It saps one’s strength.” He drank from his golden, red-rimmed cup before offering it to me.
I drained the lot quickly. It held the same sweet taste as the river water, and although my hunger pains had returned, it left me invigorated.
Lallana carried a bundle of padding from the room, a blue apron tied round her waist.
I helped to clear the rest of the beds, and then wandered over to Charlie. “What’ve you been up to?”
Charlie grinned and picked up some trousers, a patch neatly sewed into the front. “Repairs.”
“How did you –”
“I told you, Mama was a seamstress. I learned a thing or two from her before …” He dropped the trousers on to a folded pile behind him with a frown.
“He was a great help,” the woman beside him said, her silver hair drawn back in a bun. “And lovely company.”
He grinned.
Yithan approached and nudged my shoulder. “Have you thought about my offer?”
Across the room, Lallana caught my eye and flashed me a smile.
“You said you were going to the City?” I asked.
“That’s right.”
“Then, we’ll travel with you, but I don’t think you should be my mentor.”
Disappointment flickered over his expression. “Why not?”
“Because I can’t stay with you. There’s somewhere else we need to be.”
“It can’t wait?”
“No.”
“But you need to be taught. Whatever it is you want to do, you can, but let me help you. This first year is of vital importance. Very soon, the corruption will begin to manifest, and you need a guiding hand.”
18
The night had been spent in the inn, and the closer morning drew, the more anxious I became. I kept the candle lit all night, afraid of the plunging darkness, the events of the previous night fresh in my mind. Even the opportunity to wash and slip into the clean clothes Yithan provided hadn’t eased my nerves.
He met us outside at first light. “I’ve arranged transport to take us to the Main City. Ah, here it is now.”
A huge shadow blocked out the light, and then a giant bird swooped down between the buildings, landing with a whoosh of giant wings, fluttering my hair and leaving me breathless with shock. The bird’s feathers were as long as my arm, and it towered above my head on long, spindly legs, as large as a cottage. It peered down at me with beady eyes and clicked its sharp beak.
I fought the urge to step back toward the inn. If these were common, I couldn’t give myself away by reacting strangely, and no one else so much as skipped in their stride.
Yithan clambered up a long ladder and slipped through the door of a large, smooth, rounded box on its back.
Lallana sidled up beside me, her surprise at the bird’s arrival still clear on her face.
“What is it?” I whispered.
“No idea.”
“Are we supposed to … ride on its back? In that?”
Charlie caught my eye and shrugged, mouth full of bread.
“Do you think it’s safe?” Lallana asked.
My gaze grazed its beak and beady eyes. “I wouldn’t count on it.”
A moment later, Yithan returned. “Githincrow’s ready. You set?”
So, a githincrow. I fought to keep my apprehension and shock hidden. “How soon will we reach the Capital?” I asked.
“Tomorrow afternoon.”
“So soon? I thought it a few days walk from here.”
“It’s several,” Yithan said. “Which is why I arranged transport.” He gestured to the box on its back.
Sucking in a quick breath, I ascended the ladder and clambered inside, Charlie following.
His eyes widened when he took in the enclosed living area.
Light filtered in through thick glass. A small table and few chairs stood to one side, and a curtain sectioned off one half of the room. Cushioned sofas faced one another near the bird’s head. Pristine sideboards and cupboards ran the length of one wall, and a door stood off to one side.
“Wow.” Charlie pushed open the door and briefly peeked in. He flashed his dimples. “It’s the bathroom.”
Lallana slipped in behind me and peered around, biting her lip. “It’s nice.”
“It’s comfortable enough. For the night, at least.” Yithan pulled the door shut – the click startled me – and settled onto one of the sofas.
My chest tightened. The box was small. Enclosed. Perfect for an ambush if the Seeker caught up. He couldn’t be far away now.
“Look!” Charlie had his nose pressed against the glass and beckoned me over.
Several of the villagers smiled and waved at us, much further down than I’d originally thought. The height made my stomach flutter.
The bird shifted, and I gasped, toppling on to a sofa. The floor jolted beneath me, and the bird’s wing extended beyond the window, nearly touching the wall.
I grabbed Charlie and pulled him away from the glass, pleased when Lallana perched safely beside me.
Yithan chuckled. “I take it you’ve never travelled with a githincrow.”
I shook my head.
“Worry not. Once we get higher in the air, it’s pretty smooth sailing.”
“The air?” I straightened and peered through the glass. The forest stretched out below us, almost a blur with the bird’s rapid speed, and growing further away with each passing moment. My cheeks grew hot. Of course, it would take us in the air. I should have known.
*
The Main City was huge, stretching into the distance with buildings that glistened in the sunlight. Tall, sleek, smooth, and made of dazzling, jewel-like materials, all I could do was gape. Several had seven interlinked rings carved into their silver sides, and a tall tower protruded from the centre.
My stomach fluttered.
Charlie leapt from one window to the other, trying to see everything at once, but Lallana stood beside me, hands together, soundless.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
She nodded but didn’t speak.
“Nervous?”
“How many Seekers do you think are down there?” she whispered.
I shivered. “I don’t know.”
“This is where we’ll part with the githincrow,” Yithan said, grabbing a pack from the sideboard. “We’ll set down at the edge of the city. I have to visit the Healer Capital first, after the incident at Fluvios, but then I’ll return. Won’t you wait for me? It really is important that you train.”
“I can’t.”
He frowned. “You underestimate the urgency. Power is corruptive, and the older you get through this first year, the more it will fight to have you. If you become addicted, if you don’t learn to control it, you will spend your life hunted, cast out, lost. Please let me help you.”
My lips tightened, and I turned to face the bright city.
“Where is the Healer Capital?” Charlie asked.
“Near the shore.”
“You’re going to the sea?” Charlie’s eyes sparkled. “I’ve always wanted to go to the sea.”
Yithan laughed. “Where else did you think it would be?”
He had a point. What better place to situate the Healer Capital than somewhere surrounded by the very water they wield?
The githincrow descended, soaring between the buildings with ease and grace, though its wing tips skimmed too close to the gleaming windows for comfort. A field stretched out below us, and the bird landed, the floor rocking under its movements.
Yithan opened the door and climbed out.
I peered t
hrough it, half-expecting a Seeker to be waiting for us, but only grassland, the distant city, and two boys stood in view.
Charlie climbed down first, followed by Lallana. The githincrow’s feathers were soft and warm against my fingers, pressing against the ladder rungs, and its breathing was slow and steady.
Across the field, more githincrows stood and sat on the lush grass. One of the boxes rested on the ground beside the huge bird.
Yithan rummaged in his cloak and dropped a coin in the hand of each boy. Then, he turned to me. “The shore is a half-day journey to the west. I’ll meet you there tomorrow at noon if you decide to take up my offer. Please do. This first year is vital.” He touched Charlie on the shoulder and smiled at Lallana before marching away across the perfect ground.
We wandered toward the city until we were out of earshot of the boys.
“We should go with him,” Lallana said.
“How are we going to explain why we’re going there?”
“Why do we need to?”
“He’ll ask.”
“He’ll think you’ve decided to take him up on his offer.”
“Do you want to break the news to him that I haven’t?” I asked.
“It won’t matter when we’re there.”
If we got there. Would he prevent them from going in? They weren’t even Mage, let alone Healers. “It will be better to give him an hour, and then follow.”
Charlie touched my arm. “We need him. Didn’t you say the Capitals are protected?”
“That’s true,” Lallana said. “We can’t get past them without him.”
Great. Two children were making more sense than I.
I stared at the city, curiosity battling my fear of any Seekers within. The Main City had been mentioned in books back home. I longed to see it. “Let’s just take a peek. A couple of minutes. That’s all. The Seekers assigned to us will still have a way to travel before they get here, right? When will we get a chance to see this again?”
They exchanged a look, but the same desire lingered in their expressions.
We reached the edge of the Main City. Curved buildings towered above us. Not a crack could be seen in the glittering walls. The ground was smooth and even. Crowds glided over it.
Even the clothing surpassed anything from home. It was easy to distinguish the Mage from the Mortals, with their long-flowing cloaks and robes, each reflecting the colour of their gift.
I paused, unsure which way to turn. So much beckoned my attention, but knowledge of the Seekers hunting us tugged at my mind.
Rounding a corner, my gaze fell on a large crack that weaved its way across the side of a shop. Candles, brass holders, and other trinkets hung on stands outside the door.
A Refiner stood before the damage, a crimson cloak with black stripe draped over her shoulders. Everyone passing gave the Mage a very wide berth.
Tingles shot through my body with her rising magic. Shivers coursed down my spine, and my heart fluttered with anticipation.
The Refiner raised her hands, and orange flames blasted against the wall. Heat washed over my face and battered my hair.
“Woah!” Charlie grabbed my arm and leaned forward to see Lallana, the fire reflected in his brown eyes. “A Refiner.”
“What’s she doing?” she asked.
I smiled. “Refining.”
Charlie’s confusion flashed in my periphery, but I offered no explanation.
The fire subsided.
The wall glistened, as smooth and perfect as the others, showing no signs that damage had ever been there.
“Wow,” Lallana gasped. “Clara, can you do that?”
I nodded, lips tight.
Charlie grinned. “Cool.”
White hot, irrational fear burned in my mind, biting against my skin. Lallana’s face turned white, and Charlie whipped around.
“I can sense you.”
“No,” I whispered.
“I’m coming for you.”
“But how?” Terror scraped my voice raw. “The Seekers should be days behind.”
“It’s not one of those Seekers,” Lallana squeaked. “There are more. Much more. And we hear them and feel the fear. Which means more have joined the hunt.”
19
My mind screamed, searching for an escape from the Seeker. “West. Go west.”
“What?”
I grabbed Lallana’s hand and reached for Charlie. “The Capital. It’s protected. Only Healers can get there.”
His eyes widened. “We aren’t Healers.”
“You’re with me. It’s our only chance. Now move!”
Our feet slapped against the flawless ground, weaving through the thick crowds, and propelled us back to the field where the githincrow now lay, its beak hidden inside a huge trough.
Turning west, we followed the direction Yithan had taken, toward the treeline. Charlie and Lallana kept pace with me easily, barely out of breath. Fear twisted my stomach, vulnerability pressing in on me.
Branches leaned over a wide path. Streaks of sunlight pooled on the floor. Fireflies buzzed. Leaves crackled when the fireflies brushed their burning tails against them.
I slowed, glancing back the shining city, no signs of pursuit visible. Could we have lost our hunter?
“Fireflies,” Lallana whispered.
Charlie grinned, but tugged on my arm.
Fear clenching my throat, I shoved her on.
Twenty minutes passed, and nothing more occurred, though cold sweat covered the back of my neck, and unease coursed through my veins. The Seeker had to be close. What else would explain the irrational fear I couldn’t shake?
“Did we do it?” Lallana asked. “We got away?”
I shook my head, gaze flitting back up the path. “I still feel him. The fear, it’s –”
“Thick. I can smell it.” The words cut into my mind, soft, menacing.
I whirled, squinting in the gathering gloom. The fireflies glowed brighter, marking the beginning of dusk, and the soft red light cast a gentle touch on the surroundings. Still, the hunter lurked at the forefront of my mind, growing larger, more threatening.
“Quick!” Lallana grabbed my hand, and we raced along the path.
A strange salty smell blocked out the aroma of the thinning woodland, and a whoosh like thickened air hissed at my ears. The treeline ended, and a line of sand replaced the trail, stretching to the biggest lake I had ever seen. The other side wasn’t visible, no matter which way I turned.
Water pulsed and ebbed over sand, foaming at the edges and sizzling on the grains. In the far distance, a cliff protruded high above the sea. A rickety tower rested on the edge, leaning as though it might fall at any moment.
Yithan stood on the shore, pushing a small wooden boat with seven interlinked rings carved into the bow into the waves. His brows shot up when we sprinted toward him, kicking sand with every step.
The sun lay low on the horizon, casting threads of pink across the sky.
“What is going on?” he asked, hand resting on the bow.
“Take us to the Capital with you,” I said.
His forehead furrowed.
“Please.”
“I can take you, but until you finish your training it’s usually not done. And I couldn’t take you two.” He glanced at Charlie and Lallana. “Only Healers can –”
“I know, but this is –”
“You cannot escape from me.”
Darkness emanated from the treeline. Wind whipped my hair, freezing my cheeks. A shadow shifted on the path.
Yithan’s eyes widened. “A Seeker.” He stepped back, the boat now floating on the rising tide. “You’re hunted.”
“Please!” I screeched. “Don’t leave us here.”
“I can’t help you.” He leapt inside, his cloak hem dark where the water had touched. The boat slid out of reach in moments.
Shadows distorted along the sand, changing the branches into claws. Purple light flickered from the blackness beneath the trees.
> Charlie slid in front of me. Lallana’s shoulders tensed.
“Get ready to run.” My voice shook. “When he goes for me, you can escape.”
“Clara –”
“I don’t want to hear it, Lallana!”
Tingles poured through me, cutting at my fear.
“Wait!” Yithan called, his focus fixed on water that swirled between us, curling in a pattern of flawless swirls. It dropped, disappearing in the waves. “Get in.”
“What?”
The boat slid back to shore. “Get in. Quickly!”
I ran into the icy water, gasping when it spilled over my boots and rushed against my skin.
Yithan grabbed my hand and pulled me in, and then reached for Lallana and Charlie. The boat tore backwards, and Yithan flung his hands toward the sky. Seawater rocketed up, a clear, thick wall blurring the shore.
Sand exploded beyond it. Purple struck through it like lightning, blocking any view of the woodland.
My heart thudded. The boat careened further away from the watery wall. The barrier pulsed and writhed, sending spray scattering across the surface with every violet flash. My fingers gripped the wooden edge of the boat, knuckles white.
A cloaked silhouette stood beyond the wall amongst the sand, something long and tall in hand. Purple light gleamed on the tip.
Something bumped the boat. I staggered, falling backwards, and water sloshed over the edge. Something grated along the underside, making the wood groan and vibrate beneath me.
“What is that?” I squeaked.
“I told you,” Yithan said, “only a Healer can go to the Capital. The presence of Mortals has summoned the Praesidio.”
20
The Praesidio knocked the boat again, sloshing water over the wooden side.
I gasped and gripped the narrow seat. Lallana grasped my arm, and Charlie fixed Yithan with a withering glare.
Yithan held his palm out over the waves, expression calm. “Don’t fear her. She can sense that.” He closed his eyes.
“She?” I asked.
He nodded.
I stared at the rippling water, braced for another attack, but it didn’t come.
After a moment, he pulled his arm back in and focused on me. Dark blue covered the sky, diminishing the dusk’s light, and I fought the desire to call upon my flames. My gaze flashed toward the distant shore, the watery wall no longer visible. No signs of the Seeker remained.