Secrets of the Tally

by Halie Fewkes

  As soon as we reached an empty corridor, I sat on a protruding piece of the wall that seemed bench-like. “With this life I used to lead… Did I save a lot of lives doing it?”

  Archie leaned against the pillar nearest me, and answered, “Tons. You were the best of any of us at getting information and using it. I know for a fact that you once hid a whole village from a surprise attack, and I’ve seen you smuggle survivors out of enemy territory — on both sides. You had one of the most secret and important jobs in the world, until you forgot what it was.”

  “But I’m still half-Escali, a hybrid of the two worst enemies in the world. I don’t know if this could get any worse.”

  “Being a Tally isn’t that bad. We get the best abilities, the best friends, we don’t have to grow old, we don’t have to live as aggressively as—”

  “We don’t grow old?” I stopped him.

  “Well, not as fast as normal people. Didn’t I mention that?”

  “No, you—” I stopped talking when an Escali walked over and joined us. Even if they weren’t as bad as I had always imagined, I still wasn’t comfortable being so close.

  “Archibald. Cruldor requests you immediately,” he said to Archie in Escalira. Archie answered accordingly.

  “I’ll see him later. We haven’t been here hardly any time at all.”

  “The council is requesting you as well. I would advise to not keep them waiting,” the Escali said, and this seemed to change Archie’s mind.

  “What am I supposed to do with— Hey, Tresca,” he got the attention of a striking Escali woman. I couldn’t tell if it was the shape of her face or her thickly slanted eyebrows that made me think of a wolf, but I would have bet my life she had the killer instinct of one. “Could you take care of Allie for a while? She just got here and isn’t quite sure what to think, but I have to go.”

  “So this is the Tally I’ve been hearing about,” she commented in Escalira. I wasn’t sure if I could speak well in a language other than my own, and I didn’t want to try.

  “Yeah, this is the one. Could you please take her? I have to go talk to the council.”

  “Yes,” she answered, showing more teeth as she spoke than I did when I was angry. “I understand the importance. You may leave.”

  “Thanks,” he said to her, and then turned to me, “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to run. I’ll be back before you know it.” He still spoke Human when he was talking to me, which I appreciated.

  “Ok, well, have a good life then,” I answered. He dashed off and I was left standing next to the Escali who had delivered the message and the dangerously attractive one who was now in charge of showing me around. The spikes on her elbows were still ominous, and when she started away in a different direction, I was hesitant to follow.

  “My name’s Tresca,” she said as I caught up. “What would you like me to show you?” Her tone of voice was almost… Normal. I thought Escalis were all about growling and snarling when they talked — it was weird to hear a conversational tone. I decided to try Escalira.

  “I don’t know,” I replied, finding it easy. I felt like I was talking normally, although the language itself was harsh and demanding. “Where did Archie have to go in such a hurry?” I asked.

  “You are being accused of treachery, and he has gone to the council in your defense.”

  “I’m being accused?”

  “Indeed. It shouldn’t take him long either, since he knows what he’s doing. Archibald should be able prevent you receiving the death sentence.”

  I laughed nervously, knowing she wasn’t joking. Tresca was anything but subtle.

  Without asking for my input, she decided, “We’ll go to the Tally caves. Perhaps you can find your way around there.”

  “Sure, that would be great.” I hadn’t even thought of the fact that I probably had my own room here. I probably had all my own stuff too.

  I followed Tresca down a few more tunnels, all of which were lit by glowing blue flowers, and I realized how very lost I was. We made a right turn, right turn, left turn, right turn, and I was fairly sure I wouldn’t be able to find my way out from wherever we were. The most interesting cavern we passed by was a very large space where Escalis younger than me played some sort of team sport. I didn’t know the rules and only witnessed a few plays, but I had to admit I envied the way they slammed each other into walls and fought as a team to keep the opposition from advancing. Not that I could ever be talked into playing with them.

  Distance grew between us as the game distracted me. When I looked back up to see where Tresca had gone, I found a group of Escali children in front of me, led by one arrogant one who seemed more aggressive than the rest. Even as children they were frightening. Their eyes only had a slight fog to them, but the arm spikes were well on their way to becoming lethal, and their slightest movements were still quick and precise.

  The one in the lead regarded me with condescension and took a bold step away from his friends. “Hey, Tally,” he addressed me in a cocky tone of challenge. “My sister tells me your kind got the most timid qualities of the Human race. Tell me, if I didn’t have six friends with me right now, would you even be brave enough to fight me?”

  I only needed to glance over this kid half my age to know how to deal with him. “Listen up, you little brat-wad,” I startled him by grabbing both his shoulders and pulling him dangerously close to my face. “I don’t care if you have twelve friends behind you — I will tear you apart in front of all of them if you ever talk to me like that again. Understand?”

  He nodded quickly, and two of the other kids behind him immediately stepped forward to retrieve him from my grasp. “We’re really sorry,” one of them said.

  The other said, “It won’t happen again, Talliendra.” Ten seconds ago the whole lot had regarded me with scorn. Now I had their respect. Order established.

  I strode straight past the group of kids without looking back and rejoined Tresca. She had a thin grin of approval on her face, and said, “There was one correct way to handle that situation, and you did it well. Perhaps you won’t be such an outcast among us.”

  I said nothing in response, but wondered if that was the way things went around here. Tallies were accepted, but only as outcasts.

  We came upon a beautiful silver archway that lined the inside of the tunnel. Across the top in elegant Escalira was the word Talliendra, and down the sides were beautiful carvings of what appeared to be words, but had no meaning. Not to me at least. Tresca had evidently already seen it before and didn’t slow to marvel as we strode underneath. We rounded a corner and saw Archie coming from the other direction, looking for us.

  “I thought I might find you down here. Have you found your room yet?”

  “No,” I replied.

  “You’re almost to it. Over here,” he said, pushing one of the round wooden doors open. I stepped in to see less than I expected. It was just a small cave similar to the prison cell I had recently occupied. One hammock swooped across the room with a few blankets piled on top, a bow leaned against the wall behind it, and a deep rounded chest sat next to everything, holding what I guessed to be my belongings.

  “We’ll probably have to cut the lock off,” Archie said to an old fashioned latch, flaked with rust.

  “Wait. I might have the key.” In high hopes, I pulled my necklace up from beneath my jerkin, and the lock sprang open as soon as I turned. Finally, something had gone right. I lifted the lid and saw a large assortment of remarkable possessions. Archie sat down to help me pull everything out while Tresca stood distantly by.

  First came a large sword, lying on top of its sheath and running the length of the chest. Its blade was gleaming silver, and its hilt was handsomely golden. Intricate dragons were engraved down the blade, and each side of the guard looked like an angel wing. I put it back in its sheath as Archie pulled out a beautiful white quiver with a couple of arrows inside.

  “That’s dragon skin,” Archie said as he tapped on the scaly exterior. Each c
link sounded like tapping on glass, yet it was durable like leather. I pulled one of the arrows out to see a sasperan tip, and I was extremely careful to not touch it.

  “Is that one of the unending quivers?” Tresca asked from behind me.

  “I don’t know, what’s that?”

  She took the quiver from me and pulled all the arrows out. They were sasperan tipped, so she carefully set them on the floor before reaching her hand back into the quiver and pulling out an entire new set of arrows from its depths.

  “Whoa,” I leaned toward it, although the idea of a bottomless quiver didn’t appear to be new to Archie. She set the new group of arrows on the ground and reached in once again to pull out a whole new set. The latest set had regular broad head tips instead of sasperan. She reached in again but came up empty handed.

  “That’s all there is at the moment, but it only holds as many as you put in.” She handed the quiver back to me, and I reached my hand into the bottom, which was exactly where it should have been.

  “Huh… So how do I get them back in?” She took the quiver back from me, put in the first group of arrows, and then took the next bundle and shoved them in on top of the first. She handed it back to me with a look that said I was ignorant for not figuring it out myself. “You two have fun sorting through the rest of it. I’m leaving.”

  She didn’t mean, I’ll leave in five seconds’ time; she was already on her way out, and I hoped she heard the “thank you” I called after her.

  We continued pulling all sorts of things out. I had a couple sets of Escali clothes, a real dress made of thick green and white fabrics, a large bag full of coins, a box that rattled around but had no apparent opening, and lastly an iridescent bracelet with tiny stones that were dominantly foggy white but reflected flecks of every other color when the light hit them.

  “So Archibald…” I said as I examined the bracelet.

  Archie grimaced. “I hate that name. Don’t ever use it. It’s terrible.”

  “Whatever you say, Archibald.”

  “I know one you don’t like either, so if it’s a war you want to start—”

  “Such as what? I don’t even know what Allie’s short for.”

  “I don’t either, but I know how much you hate Allie the Tally.”

  “Alright, fine,” I said, setting the bracelet down. I hated the name already. “We can call it a truce.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  I smiled and looked into the chest to make sure we hadn’t missed anything, but what I saw made me look again. We had hit the bottom, but it wasn’t as deep as it should have been. I could see a hole in the wood where a knot had existed, and I peered into it to see what I had expected — the chest had a false bottom.

  Archie hadn’t noticed anything — he was still trying to figure out how to open the box which lacked an opening. I decided I’d check it out later when he wasn’t around. Footsteps started coming down the tunnel as I threw a couple things back in the trunk.

  “Izfazara now requests your presence.” Archie and I looked up to see the same messenger from earlier.

  “Already?” Archie put the box down. “Alright, I’ll be there as soon as I can.” The Escali nodded and left. “Holy life,” Archie muttered in frustration. “I’m sorry I can’t be here as much as I was hoping on your first day back.”

  “That’s ok,” I told him, “I have something I need to do too.” Archie watched me inquisitively, clearly waiting for the rest of the explanation. “I told Prince Avalask I would go back to see him after I got some answers.” My stomach felt uneasy just mentioning it. Archie noticed.

  “You look worried.”

  “A little bit. I was being difficult last I saw him, so I doubt I’m his favorite person.”

  “You don’t have to worry. He understands.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “Are you… afraid?”

  “No,” I scoffed. “But, I don’t know… He was trying to get in my head when I saw him, and I don’t want him in there,” I admitted, feeling weird. I hated feeling weak. Archie put his arm around my shoulders, which was strangely comforting.

  “I’ll come with you.”

  “No, you have a king to talk to.”

  “I said I’d get there when I could. He can wait. Plus, I doubt you know the way to Prince Avalask’s hall.”

  “Not in the slightest.”

  “Then it’s settled,” Archie said, helping me put a few of the contents back into the chest.

  Chapter Twenty

  We arrived at the giant obsidian doors to Prince Avalask’s hall, and I froze as Archie made to push them open. “Don’t you have to… knock or something?” I asked.

  “It’s Prince Avalask. He already knows we’re here.”

  The doors swung open of their own accord as if to reinforce Archie’s statement. “Allie!” Prince Avalask called from the other end of the hall. “It’s been a while. I’m glad you came back to see me.”

  My stomach, throat, and mind suddenly twisted into permanent knots that might never unravel. Archie had to grab my hand just to persuade me to enter.

  “Will you stop with the dread? You’re making me sick to my stomach too, and I’m all the way over here.” Prince Avalask disappeared and reappeared right in front of us, making me jump. “We’re not enemies, and I’m not going to hurt you.”

  “Then what do you want?” I demanded, possessing just enough pride to keep from fleeing.

  “Only to help. I can’t give your memories back, but I can show you some of mine about who you used to be.”

  I wrapped my arms across myself and said, “I’d rather just not.” I didn’t want to expose my mind to him, or to anybody. “What could you know that’s of value to me?”

  Prince Avalask said, “This sounds strange, Allie, but I knew you before any of your friends did. I know all about your list of tally marks, and I can even show you memories of the first few hashes you put on there.”

  Before I could even ask, Archie interrupted, “Now isn’t a good time. Not with everything else she’s trying to take in.”

  I had to breathe out a short sigh, because of course, Archie knew about my list of tally marks. “What would you show me?” I asked Prince Avalask.

  “It’s nothing,” Archie insisted. “You’ll be happier not seeing it.”

  Although I appreciated Archie’s concern, I asked, “Who do the first hashes represent?”

  “On the saved side, a few of your friends,” Prince Avalask said. “On the death side, your parents. Which would you prefer to see?”

  “My parents.”

  “You really don’t want to,” Archie said, almost pleading.

  “I really do,” I replied. I had been waiting on answers for too long to let them get away. “Show me.”

  Prince Avalask touched my face again, and without fighting him, I fell into a vision more vivid than reality. I could sense emotions and thoughts, I could see colors more vibrantly than I ever had, I could feel the weather affecting the air in the area, and I was able to see through walls into the landscape beyond. It was a small taste of how Prince Avalask perceived the world.

  Through my heightened senses I saw a scene taking place outdoors, yet inside the walls of what appeared to be a city. A large crowd of people — Humans — had gathered as though waiting for a show to start on the elevated stone stage.

  Small curiosities stood out to me. The women wore dresses, a style I knew to be from our homeland across the ocean. Banners of King Kelian had been draped from walls and windows, whereas I had never seen one before. The anxious murmur from the crowd also had a slight accent. This had to be Tekada.

  A hidden door opened from the wall, revealing the purpose of the event. An Escali with light hair was being dragged out by four strong men, bound in ropes and looking positively worn.

  I could sense every emotion in the area, and while almost everybody exuded shock or excitement, a small pocket of mortification stood out among the crowd. I was able to see th
e faces of two women exchanging glances, their fear setting them apart from the rest. A little blond girl stood on her toes next to them, trying to get a better look. She was an unmistakably younger image of me.

  Though both of the women had the same brown hair, the one with the big tummy and beautiful complexion stood out. My mother had features that were distinctly mine. The man she was standing next to, however, didn’t resemble me at all. He had darker hair and he looked… He looked like Liz.

  “Everybody gaze upon this wretch from Kelianland!” A hook-nosed man shouted from the front. The Escali didn’t say or do anything. “Not only was he caught in our territory, but he seems to have corrupted one of our own. This woman knows who she is and has one chance to step forward of her own accord.” The speaker looked straight to my mother, but I was no longer with her. I could sense my own upset mind being shepherded away from the danger by the other woman. Little-me didn’t know what was going on, but she knew it wasn’t good.

  “I am the one you’re looking for,” my mother said as everyone around her turned to gawk. Emotions went wild — the man next to her was overwhelmed with shock, the Escali in the front was terrified, and the overseer was triumphant but confused.

  “Where is your daughter?” he demanded.

  “Not born yet.” She touched her tummy while meeting his gaze.

  “You lie!” he hissed. “They are both abominations!”

  “This child she is carrying is mine!” the man next to her defended.

  “Even on the slight chance that is true, the first daughter isn’t! Who in this crowd is harboring her? They will speak now or face the consequences of treason!”

  My younger self knew what was going on by that point, and kept quiet as she looked up at the woman gripping her hand. The presence of fear was immense, but the woman committed herself to silence.

  “I don’t know what child you’re talking about,” my mother said calmly.

  “The one who was born four years ago, yet looks like she’s eight! This is your last opportunity to bring her forward!” Everything was silent while everybody waited for something to happen. “So be it. Sir Avery, show us where she is!”