Survivors of Corrica

by Courtney Bowen

  The Corricans paused here, unnerved, while Kozu and Kiki observed their reactions. “You feel something, don’t you?” Kozu asked.

  “What is this place?” Anya asked.

  “This is a well-spring of magic,” Kiki said, wandering about the glade.

  “We don’t have time to stop here, do we?” Corr asked, eyes darting about.

  “Actually, now might be the perfect time to stop and rest, just for a little while.” Wintha said, following after Kiki.

  “I guess, but we shouldn’t stay too long.” Wilama said, turning to Kozu. “So will you give us a tour of this place? Tell us why it’s special?”

  “Certainly, I’ll be glad to. Come on, Corr.” Kozu grabbed Corr and dragged him off with Wilama and Anya, when he didn’t want the boy anywhere near his sister.

  Wintha and Kiki headed for the stone circle. “So this well-spring of magic, it’s a source of power for all of you?” Wintha asked her new friend.

  “We can’t tap into the full potential of the magic in this land, but yes, we can sip some of the residue off of it.” Kiki told her, facing Wintha. “As you’ve noticed, there’s a lot of energy that circulates through this land and we draw from it sometimes. We can see and detect things that aren’t part of the ordinary world, we can get in touch with natural forces, and we can manipulate and create our own form of these elements.”

  “Yes, that seems marvelous to me and the other Corricans.” Wintha said.

  “Well, we don’t know everything about these elements and where they come from, but we’ve discovered there are certain areas where we gain strength and renew ourselves, where we can grow in our facilities and uncover new skills. This is one of these places for us and our ancestors, on coming across such a location, would mark it out.” Kiki touched the symbols and carvings on some of the menhirs. “See, the wavy lines for water, the shooting sparks of fire, the clumps of soil and the rock.”

  Wintha traced hand movements and stick figures gesturing and dancing. “What’s all of this?”

  “It’s a guide on how to cast a spell.” Kiki copied some of the movements on the stone, and a wave of water splashed through the air, soaking the stone.

  Wintha laughed, turning back around to face her. “That’s amazing. I didn’t know you could do that.”

  “My brother and I, we inherited our Water gift from our father. It tends to run in families, although sometimes the strength and talents vary.” Kiki said.

  “Kozu can do the same thing?”

  “He’s not very good at it, or at least not as good as me.” Kiki insisted.

  “Could I take a look around? On my own?” Wintha asked her.

  “Okay, but don’t wander too far.”

  Wintha nodded and set off, heading for another stone circle close by. Kiki frowned for a moment, wondering what Wintha was searching for, but then she shook her head. It was wrong to assume that Wintha had a hidden agenda when she was probably just exploring and checking out her surroundings. The villagers’ paranoia must’ve caught up with her.

  Ever since the Corrricans had arrived here at Bahealfisaba, some of them had started displaying magical faculties they supposedly hadn’t possessed in their old lives. Rowena and some of the other villagers had discussed this strange development, wondering if the Corricans had lied about their lack of proficiency, or maybe they’d gotten in touch with some otherworldly forces when they came here and made a heinous compact to enhance themselves.

  No matter what, though, the villagers had to live with the consequences of their actions when the Corricans were already established, or it’d be difficult to remove them now. As far as Kiki knew, she hadn’t seen anything suspicious from the Corricans or caught them lying to her, but she didn’t know if she should entirely trust them yet.

  Which seemed a shame, when they appeared to be nice, and Corr might be smitten with her. Kiki wasn’t sure about him, but he was cute and she might be interested in him, too, if she got the chance to know him better. Her brother Kozu always seemed to be in the way, though, probably a deliberate maneuver to protect her when that wasn’t necessary.

  Kiki could protect herself and she swore that one day she’d bypass her brother and get closer to Corr. Maybe Corr could be key to understanding the Corricans and their characters, if they really were as honest as they seemed, or if they were hiding something else.

  Right now, though, Kiki wanted to sit in the middle of the stone circle, and attempt to rejuvenate and grow her capabilities. She positioned herself in the right spot, facing the menhir with the wavy lines of water, and focused her energy, twining her hands with her fingers fluttering as she drew from the source. She felt it, a little bit, the water trickling, seeping, then pouring into her, and she ingested as much as she could before she got sick from it.

  Wintha studied the second stone circle, going around it as she looked at all of the symbols and carvings. “It looks like a track, a trail.” She murmured to herself.

  She went around and around the stone circle again, the images appearing to be moving as she imagined that she was traveling this path, seeing all of the patterns and pairings repeating themselves. She walked faster along and then ran, giggling to herself as she was getting dizzy spinning around the circle, maybe forever.

  ℜℜℜ

  At that same time, Kozu presented a long barrow to Anya, Wilama, and Corr. “Here’s a burial tomb of an ancient chief in this area.” He said, standing at the entrance and pointing to a couple of objects visible just inside. “Note the staff planted in that corner, pointed up. That probably represents a tree, so whoever this was, they were probably endowed with Plant magic.”

  “Are you sure? It could be a bone instead and he had the Animal power.” Anya said and the others stared at her.

  “How could you possibly know that?” Kozu glared at her.

  “No reason. I was hazarding a guess.” Anya said, certain it wasn’t a good idea to remark she’d heard an incorporeal voice speaking to her and that she was certain it was the spirit of the chief buried in this barrow.

  She’d encountered a couple ghosts since arriving in the village, not sure what they were at first when they briefly appeared and then vanished. But then she and Wilama took a test for magical aptitude, after Porran and some of the other Corricans began to display their knacks. Rowena said that Anya might possess the Spirit element, and Wilama showed strong tendencies toward the Bone ability.

  Now she knew she might be glimpsing spirits from the afterlife, according to a description of what the Spirit element entailed, especially after her experience in the mist. She and Wilama were just beginning to take lessons from Rowena and the other mages, and it was still strange and new to her, so she didn’t know what to expect, what the extent of her talent might be, or what might be considered normal for a mage.

  But she knew that talking to ghosts was a more advanced skill, something more experienced mages would be familiar with, and she was just a beginner, a novice. How could she be able to spot and hear ghosts so well, unless her faculties were much stronger than even Rowena and the others suspected?

  What if there were other hazards she wasn’t aware of in her new field of study? Should she be cautious in how she handled dealing with these spirits, if she might be putting herself or others in danger?

  Kozu was about to question her, but then he noticed that Corr had wandered off, so he went after the young man instead, worried Corr might be going after his sister. Anya, meanwhile, felt unnerved enough that she left the long barrow behind, with half a mind to return to the village and discuss her problems with Rowena.

  Wilama stayed by the tomb’s entrance for a minute, making sure the others were gone before she bent down, ducking inside. She straightened up, though the roof was still low, and wandered down the dark passageway, examining the artifacts up close, but most of all she was fascinated by the human remains.

  The supposed chief wasn’t the only human buried down here, but so were dozens of others, men and wo
men of various ages, and she found herself drawn to them. She’d disclosed to Rowena the possibility that she might have magical potential early on when it became apparent the Corricans might be affected.

  When they tested her, Wilama had the distinct impression they were unnerved by her strength in the Bone element. Then as they began to train her, Wilama realized she was far more proficient than any of the Corricans. She bypassed Anya, Porran, and Mogame soon enough, whizzing through her lessons and relishing in her powers, learning how to control them.

  In fact, she was a little bored in how slow-paced, thorough, and methodical her teachers were in trying to lecture her and the students in mastering and tamping down on their potentials. She felt like there was so much more she could learn about her abilities if they’d just broaden their scopes and allow Wilama and the others to run loose and try anything.

  Though she wasn’t knowledgeable in all the tenets of magic and her particular element, Wilama was beginning to wonder if she might soon surpass Rowena and the other village mages in terms of raw force. Wilama hadn’t tested this theory yet in challenging Rowena and the others, but she was curious to know if there might be better teachers out there with greater skills who could show her how to do anything she desired.

  For instance, an idea popped into her head as she approached one of these skeletons and she decided to test it out, flexing her fingers and hands as she concentrated, humming to herself. The bones began to vibrate and come together, Wilama waving her arms like a conductor, and then the skeleton sprang up, fully formed in its decayed state, its eyeless skull staring at her.

  Wilama laughed and then she glanced around, wondering how many more she could summon, form, and hold in place. So keeping the first one standing attached together, she started to beckon even more bodies to rise from their resting places, some a collection of bones, a few with skin still hanging on.

  Amused, she conjured them to move and stagger about, and she even made them sway and dance a little, before she started sweating with the amount of energy she was exerting to keep them going. But finally, she couldn’t stand it anymore and she let them drop, pieces scattering everywhere, bones clattering on the floor.

  She panted, but she was satisfied with the idea she’d come up with, even if none of her teachers would’ve condoned this. She was certain Rowena and the other village mages would’ve frowned upon such sacrilege to ancient, treasured remains, but she didn’t care anymore about such rules and regulations.

  She’d seen her gods fall, her whole world turned upside down and destroyed, with magic the ultimate force and power that could give her anything she’d ever wanted and desired. She might use it to satiate her whim and divert her from boredom, but she craved so much more than that.

  If only she could find someone who shared such a yearning and could grant her even more knowledge and clout than she possessed. Zeldos might’ve been a diversion, Anya might’ve been a friend, Wintha a fount of information, Rowena a teacher, but none of them could give her what she truly wanted.

  For now, she’d live with them, but one day she’d leave this place behind her, and search for another that’d give her everything. Wilama abandoned the corpses and left the tomb, standing by the entrance of the long barrow again, like she hadn’t moved.

  ℜℜℜ

  Corr had been tired of listening to Kozu talk, wondering what Wintha and Kiki were up to, and trying to shake off an anxious feeling. Ever since they arrived at this long barrow, he’d been tense, sensing something was off, that they were being watched, or that there was some pall hanging about the place.

  Maybe because they were surrounded by tombs where ghosts supposedly lurk, and there was all this talk these days about spirits, demons, Fay and more being real, maybe he was starting to wonder if there was more to his world than met the eye. He might be distracted with his own thoughts about Kiki, his daydreams and nightmares, his fears and doubts, his concerns and ruminations about his family and friends, reflecting upon his past and wondering what was to come, but he was still aware that something was different.

  He was sixteen years old now, his birthday just the other day, though he didn’t think Hasbas and Lapida remembered it. They were the only ones who would’ve, and they were too busy with their jobs, building a house and forging swords, that he didn’t bother to remind them of it.

  The months and seasons were different here, too, Corr discovered when he asked Kozu, Kiki, and some of the other youths about it. Instead of the four seasons and twelve months Corr had known in Corrica, here in Bahealfisaba, they had five seasons, Reda, Plig, Suma, Havin and Sna, and ten months, Markee, Apro, Mai, Juna, Juli, Augat, Septi, Octi, Novi and Decam, alternating between thirty-six or thirty-seven days in a month.

  Comparing the Corrican and Bahealfisaba calendars, Corr realized that the season of Reda or rebirth started on February 13th in his old calendar, the season of Plig or planting started on roughly April 27th, the season of Suma or sun on roughly July 9th, the season of Havin or harvest on September 20th, and the season of Sna or snow on December 2nd. Corr recalled that Mt. Harmony in Corrica had erupted on May 1st and that they had arrived on Arria’s shore roughly around July 1st, so in Bahealfisaba’s calendar, that’d be Mai 5th and Juna 30th, near the beginning and end of their season of Plig.

  The names of the months, though, weren’t very different from his old Corrican calendar, so Corr speculated they might’ve borrowed the names from Corrica, skipping January and February and enfolding those days into the other months. That led him to consider the possibility that the people of Bahealfisaba might’ve had contact with Corrica in the past? Where else could such a similarity arise? But he didn’t question the likelihood any further, as he was satisfied at least that there was some tie between them, that they weren’t entirely separable.

  Kiki was probably sixteen years old, too, and her brother was approaching nineteen. It’d been a few months since the Corricans came to Bahealfisaba, so that it was getting closer to October in the old calendar, but the season of Havin and the month of Septi had just started in the Bahealfisaba one.

  Corr thought about Corrica less and less, but it still lingered in his mind. So much had changed since his last birthday, and he’d never be the same as he once was. Corr knew that, but he didn’t know how different everything could be.

  As he contemplated all this, he spotted a falcon flying overhead and recognized it was Fato. Wondering exactly who or what Fato was, Corr quickly dashed away before Kozu could notice and hurried into the forest, chasing after the bird.

  “Fato!” Corr hissed, glancing all around. “Are you here?”

  “Hey, Corr!” Fato cried, and Corr looked up at the falcon perched above. “What kept you?”

  “Where have you been all these months?” Corr asked, coming over to him. “I wondered where you were, why you didn’t come visit me. I thought about calling you, but it wasn’t an emergency.”

  “I’m sorry, Corr, but I was busy and I couldn’t get away without being seen. Anyway, what’s been going on? How have things been going here?”

  Corr quickly told Fato everything that happened since the bird left, how they met the villagers and settled down here in Bahealfisaba. “It’s all thanks to you, by the way. If you hadn’t told us about the village and where to go, we might never have stumbled upon them, or we might’ve wandered around too long.”

  “You’re welcome. It’s the least I could do when you all were in desperate straits.” Fato said.

  “Fato, I’ve been wondering, since we came here…the villagers, they’ve taught us all about magic, and we’ve heard all sorts of stories from them. I haven’t told them anything or suggested it to the others, but are you a Fay?”

  “Ah, yes, I am, but I’m not supposed to say anything about it either.” Fato said. “We’re not supposed to interact with humans, on account of how dangerous it can be. Technically I’m not supposed to be here, you understand? I sneak away to come, and I have to go back as soon as possible.
”

  “I understand, I suppose, but I want to thank you nonetheless for risking so much to help us out and come see me. Is it beautiful where you live?” Corr looked up at him.

  “Yes, it’s very lovely. Much like this forest, except it’s more tropical and magical, too. We live in the trees and amongst the plants, we help them grow and tend to the creatures.”

  “That sounds nice. Thanks again.” Corr turned away, certain Fato would leave him.

  Fato hesitated and then said, “By the way, Corr, have you found out about your own abilities yet?”

  “No, I haven’t even gotten myself tested yet to see if I had any magical aptitude. I just assumed I didn’t have any. Why? Do I have any powers you might be aware of?” Corr asked, curious.

  “Well, if you don’t have any yet, you might have some soon enough. I saw the potential swirling around you the first time I met you, and it seems to have grown since. I believe you and some of the Corricans were exposed to a powerful force in that mist and it takes awhile to manifest itself sometimes. But you could have the makings of a mage about you yet.”

  “Wow, thanks, Fato. I’ll do that, I’ll take that test the first chance I get. Thanks, and bye!” Corr waved at the bird and left, dashing out of the forest.

  He nearly ran into Kozu, looking for him, and Corr bubbled out an excuse, never letting the other young man know what he was up to. Kozu soon dragged Corr off, heading back towards the dolmen and Anya and Wilama, while Fato watched them go.

  Fato grimaced. “I ought to be more careful, but he’s a nice kid.” He said to himself, vanishing soon after as he headed back to P’hula.

  ℜℜℜ