by R A Lindo
Moments later, the curtain of darkness fell away, and Kaira found herself staring out at a vast expanse of water surrounded by cliffs, decorated with a multitude of colour - colour which took the form a familiar Society creature: the Williynx.
Guppy’s mouth hung open as she stared up at the sky filled with a shower of colour as hundreds of Williynx flew high above, while others joined from the surrounding cliffs.
“Wow,” uttered Jacob as the Williynx circled high in the sky.
“This is amazing,” added Guppy, her gaze caught between the circular, thatched houses on the shore and the spectacle of a group of Williynx diving towards the water. In a stunning display of transformative might and majesty, the creatures re-appeared out of the water over ten-times their original size, their squawks replaced with a battle cry.
“It’s a display of welcome,” explained Aunt Phee as she caught Kaira, Guppy and Jacob jolt in shock as the enormous, shape-shifting creatures climbed towards the sky once more, water dripping off their bright coats of varying colours: yellow, red, blue, green and snow white: a carousel of colour indeed.
“Shapeshifters!” Kaira cried in awe, stunned at the sheer beauty and scale of Gilweean and its majestic, winged inhabitants. She wondered if Mivrilyn had also made the journey here - the bright, yellow Williynx in Aunt Phee’s quarters who had cast a spell with one of her magical feathers, causing a pavement to disappear into a wall on a faceless street, beginning their journey here.
“Welcome to Gilweean,” Casper Renn added as he and Farraday raised an arm to a figure dressed in linen trousers and a white shirt, awaiting their arrival on the shore: an ageing, Caribbean man who returned the gesture of recognition.
A nudge from Guppy took Kaira’s attention away from the mysterious figure waiting on the shoreline.
“Do you think we can ride them?” asked Guppy as she studied the Williynx who continued to dive into the water before re-appearing transformed - their enormous, winged bodies dominating the sky.
“No, Guppy,” interjected Jacob who was inches away in the accompanying boat.
“I was just asking,” replied Guppy rather sullenly.
“We’re going to stay out of trouble here,” added Jacob - a comment that made Kaira wonder what trouble they could possibly get into in a place which sat proudly in a vast, open landscape, its wonders on full display.
Gilweean was a place for temporary rest where they could learn more about the dark events circling within the Society; it wasn’t the time for new discoveries and adventures - or so Kaira thought.
2
A Chorus of Welcome
The two wooden boats approached the shoreline of Gilweean as the Williynx continued to soar in the sky, some circling and others continuing their parade of welcome by diving into the water before re-appearing transformed - their majesty a sight to behold.
Kaira was transfixed by the magical creatures, her gaze flitting between their numerous forms and colours whilst attempting to identify Mivrilyn amongst them - Aunt Phee’s bright, yellow companion whose feather provided access to the Tower House hidden beneath a pavement which vanished at the touch of Mivrilyn’s magical feather.
A deep, Caribbean accent drew Kaira’s attention away from the carousel of colour above, and she turned to see her dad shaking hands with an ancient, Caribbean figure who stood with a woman younger in years - a silver-grey dress and matching headscarf adding to her regal air. The woman shared Philomeena Renn’s flawless, light-brown skin and air of grace. As Kaira watched the collection of adults and children gathered on the shoreline in welcome, she felt a tap on her shoulder.
“I bet they’re Renns,” whispered Guppy as she stepped off the boat, her eyes surveying the vast cliffs above, decorated by an array of Williynx lining the cliffs - additional protection for a land rich with beauty and history: a land Guppy was determined to explore.
“They could be anybody,” replied Kaira as she picked up her rucksack and followed Guppy off the small, wooden boat.
“Water people,” added Guppy as they approached the two awaiting adults now sharing pleasantries with Kaira’s dad, aunt and Farraday whilst Jacob waited awkwardly alongside the adults. “Maybe they can tell us more about the ‘Renn rub’ and if it’ll rub off on me,” continued Guppy with a mischievous smile - a smile which gained a laugh from Kaira who knew only too well what that look meant: mischief.
“Jacob looks a little nervous,” commented Kaira as a way of deflecting Guppy’s attention away from the exploratory possibilities of Gilweean.
“Not as nervous as he’s going to look when he’s riding on the back of a Williynx,” replied Guppy as she looked up at the sky in wonder once more.
Offering her friend a pointed look, Kaira countered, “That’s probably not on the agenda, and Jacob’s keen for us to avoid any trouble.”
“How’s riding a Williynx trouble?”
“How do you know you can ride them?”
“I don’t, but there’s only one way to find out…”
“Kaira,” came her dad’s voice, carrying over the sound of the waves. His expression suggested she was forgetting her manners as the adults, familiar and unfamiliar, waited for them on the shoreline.
“Time to find out more,” commented Kaira as they walked through the shallow water to meet the inhabitants of Gilweean.
“And my mum’s involvement in it,” added Guppy.
Defending Meyen Grayling had become an impossible task, in Kaira’s opinion. From the moment she’d met Guppy and Jacob’s mum, she sensed her unpleasant, ruthless nature, and Kaira was certain that her midnight vanishing act through The Floating Floor symbolised a pursuit for power: a dark power formed in the fragment of a legend: the legend of the Terrecet.
“Kaira, this is Elyn Renn and Cynthia Renn,” Casper Renn said in way of introduction.
Kaira shook the hand offered by both, adding, “Nice to meet you,” as she did. She felt she was somehow on display to these unknown relatives who smiled at Guppy.
“The Grayling girl,” Elyn Renn commented as he studied Guppy with his unusual, grey eyes.
Guppy had already decided that Elyn Renn was at least one hundred years old, using a walking stick to help him stand, his white afro hair complimenting the white shirt.
“Guppy,” interjected Jacob as he offered Guppy a glance which meant she had forgotten her manners again.
“You must be Jacob,” added Cynthia Renn.
“Yes, nice to meet you.”
“The brave trio,” quipped Farraday as he slapped Jacob on the back, waving over at a group in the distance.
Standing on the shores of Gilweean was another spectacular vision; here, you could study the shimmering waterfall which they had passed through in the two wooden boats. It must have been a Perium, Kaira thought, smiling at the multi-coloured wonder flowing from an unclear source - water which hadn’t touched any of them as they’d entered Gilweean.
“The waterfall changes colour throughout the day.”
Kaira, Guppy and Jacob turned to Cynthia Renn who had stepped away from the other adults, placing her feet into the clear water.
“Is it a Perium?” asked Jacob as the Williynx continued to circle in the sky above - an elegant reminder of the beauty surrounding them.
“Yes,” replied Cynthia Renn. “Gilweean stretches for miles so certain signals are required when people enter our realm. The trees communicate first - a sound only the Williynx can hear, causing each one to descend from the cliffs into the sky. The waterfall becomes translucent as the boats approach, minimising the element of surprise to those entering and those who reside here.”
“Don’t The Guards of Gilweean provide protection?” queried Guppy as her gaze followed Kaira’s to the stunning waterfall, currently shimmering a purple hue.
“Yes, but like other protective mechanisms in the Society, the most sophisticated travellers can mask their intentions. Various levels of protection are always necessary for this reason.”
Kaira studied the waterfall a little longer, thinking of The Web of Azryllis in the tunnels of The Cendryll: the layer of protection everyone had to pass through to get to Tauvin Hall where meetings with The Orium Circle occurred. She remembered her fear of being trapped in the enormous web, imagining its tentacles swallowing her.
Most of all, though, she thought of Meyen Grayling entering through the web - a perfect example of someone able to mask their intentions. The thought of Guppy and Jacob’s mother brought Kaira to ponder her relation to Cynthia and Elyn Renn - two people her dad had never mentioned … as if they had been placed in the ‘banished’ category where her grandfather, Isiah Renn, resided.
“Is everyone related here?” Kaira heard Guppy ask Cynthia Renn, knowing precisely what she was getting at.
“Not quite,” replied their elegant host. “But more of that later; we should meet the others.”
As they followed Cynthia Renn, Jacob kept pace alongside his sister.
“Incredible,” he uttered as his eyes moved between the array of colour gliding above, the shimmering waterfall - which wasn’t really a waterfall at all - and the cliffs stretching along the expanse of Gilweean.
As the small, thatched-roofed huts came into view, Kaira said, “Do you think the adults are going to let us in on what’s going on in the Society…? I mean, isn’t that the point of us tagging along…?”
“There’d be no other point in bringing us here,” replied Guppy in agreement as she kicked the sand, brushing her unruly, brown hair away from her face.
“I wonder what the people of Gilweean know,” added Kaira as the squawks of the Williynx echoed above. “Why we needed to come here, I mean.”
“Apparently, it’s one of the oldest parts of the Society,” said Jacob as he tucked his shirt into his trousers - a nervous habit he had and one exacerbated by the beauty and elegance surrounding him. “Water is the most precious part of Gilweean.”
“More precious than the Williynx?” prompted Guppy.
“The most magical, then. They say the future can be seen in it.”
“Like a Nivrium,” uttered Kaira, remembering her dad’s comment that the Renns were ‘water people’. Aunt Phee had first shown Kaira a Nivrium in the Feleecian, accessed through the most neglected door in her aunt’s quarters on the fourth floor of The Cendryll. It was the first time she had come across a Williynx, as well: Mivrilyn.
“I bet this journey’s linked to the Renns being water people, Kaira,” Guppy theorised, her brow frowning as she mused on the need to navigate new layers of knowledge. “It’s got to be. I mean, your dad, aunt and you … and the two adults who met us: both Renns.”
“I don’t suppose you know them, Kaira?” asked Jacob as Cynthia Renn gestured for them to keep up.
Kaira shook her head. “My dad rarely talks about our family … probably because he had to keep the Society a secret from me for so long.” She was no longer truly convinced of this as the reason, but had no other explanation for her lack of knowledge regarding her extended family. Her dad, it increasingly seemed, was as much a mystery as everything else in the magical universe.
Sensing that the mention of Kaira’s family had triggered conflicting feelings of loss and longing in her, Jacob decided a lighter touch was needed so turned their attention to less emotive territory: plotting secret adventures. “You know Guppy’s desperate to ride a Williynx, Kaira.”
Kaira smiled as she glanced at Guppy. “She doesn’t even know if it’s possible.”
Guppy kicked the sand once more before replying, “They fly, they can shape shift into any form … of course it’s possible, and I’m going to ask the really old man if we can.”
Guppy was referring to Elyn Renn, the aged, Caribbean figure who stood on the shore as they arrived in Gilweean. He was older than Kaira’s grandfather by some stretch … ageing and yet timeless, Kaira thought as Guppy suddenly ran off adding, “I’m going to ask him now!” as she did so, laughter bellowing from her, signalling a moment of light relief after another strange journey.
Kaira and Jacob decided to play along, running after Guppy as she allowed the wonder and majesty of Gilweean to lift her spirits, glancing up at the Williynx soaring high above as she ran - the beautiful inhabitants of the enormous cliffs offering their final chorus of welcome.
The small, thatched-roofed houses Kaira spied from the shore were more intricate and delicate close up, looking more like temporary shelter than permanent residences. The young children running in-and-out of them, forming creative charms as they did so, suggested a hidden sturdiness - another touch of magic in an ever-expanding universe of the S.P.M.A.
The wooden-framed houses sat in clusters, forming micro-villages dotted throughout Gilweean. Narrow streams ran around each collection of buildings as if forming a gentle boundary, demarcating the space in some way. The streams drew adults and children alike - the adults predominantly sitting whilst the children kneeled, peering into the clear water as if each one acted as a Nivrium, whispering the future.
Kaira, Guppy and Jacob followed Elyn and Cynthia Renn into one of the small houses, finding Kaira’s dad, aunt and Farraday already seated at the table with two other adults: a man and a very small woman.
It took Kaira a few moments to process the miniature stature of the woman and how the small, wooden house seemed no less spacious with everyone inside: a similar feeling to the one she had when first stepping into the corridor of Cribbe & Corrow.
“Taller than I’d expected, Casper,” commented the diminutive woman without a trace of humour. “Taller and wiser.”
What that meant, Kaira decided not to dwell on although she couldn’t help but notice Guppy’s open-mouthed expression, another example of her friend’s comic inability to hide her emotions. Guppy, it seemed, was still in shock at the sight of a mini-adult in her presence - a barely hidden shock that the small woman was fully aware of.
“Guppy’s feeling a little sea sick,” offered Jacob as he grimaced with mild embarrassment - a comment which finally caught his sister’s attention.
“Is she now?” uttered the woman who decided the best way to remove Guppy’s shock was to utter ‘Magneia’, watching in amusement as Guppy began moving towards her against her will. It was quite a sight to see Guppy using all of her might to stop herself putting one foot in front of the other - a display of power from the diminutive figure who finally introduced herself once Guppy was inches away.
“Seyena Follygrin. Nice to meet you, Miss Grayling.”
Unable to step back, and realising this to be an admonishment of her lack of manners, Guppy offered her hand whilst maintaining a bizarrely upright posture - the force of the magnetic charm, it seemed. “Nice to meet you, too.”
“I’ve heard much about your intellect and bravery, as I have of your brother and Kaira.”
“Bravery which forced a chang in Society admissions,” added one of the unknown figures at the table. “Lore Follygrin. Your guide for the morning.”
Kaira studied the broad man and, in particular, the large ceramic mug he was drinking from - his current state suggesting it was something other than Jysyn Juice. He reminded her of Farraday who, like her father and aunt, was unusually quiet.
“They might be guiding you at the rate you’re going,” commented Elyn Renn with a smile, his gentle, Caribbean lilt adding a warm tone to the gathering - a stark contrast to Seyena Follygrin’s abrasive response to Guppy’s shock at her diminutive figure. The comment forced a sudden pause in Lore Follygrin’s movements, his white hair and bulbous eyes narrowing momentarily … a pause Philomeena Renn used to gesture to Kaira, Guppy and Jacob to sit at a table that barely had enough room for its current residents.
“Are you hungry?” asked Kaira’s aunt.
They were starving.
The meal consisted of a strange stew which tasted far better than it looked. Neither Kaira, Guppy nor Jacob were sure what the stew contained, but they all accepted second helpings when it was offered by Cynthi
a Renn, Guppy’s overt ‘thank you’ a sign she was doing her best to rectify her earlier error which had caused offence.
A Parasil stood in the centre of the table filled with Jysyn Juice - the familiar green liquid which gave you courage. Kaira doubted any of the adults around the table lacked courage and wondered if this was an excuse to drink more of it. It certainly had an enchanting bitter-sweet taste to it … not that it was offered to ‘the youngsters’, as Lore Follygrin termed the three of them. Instead, they had to make do with water in wooden bowls.
“Not enough cups,” Cynthia Renn explained. “Although, Gilweean water is the purest water you will ever drink.”
“We’re looking forward to hearing of your recent exploits,” Elyn Renn said as he offered the salad around the table.
“Guppy and Kaira are the brave ones, really,” replied Jacob in his typically modest manner. “I just tag along to keep an eye on them.”
“Guppy and Kaira have adapted to our world surprisingly quickly,” interjected Farraday though a mouthful of food. “A trio of enquiring minds, acute intuition and a natural affinity for magic.”
“Getting The Orium Circle to change the law on underage members is quite a feat,” offered Cynthia Renn in praise of the three. “It’s certainly a pleasure to meet you all, and to meet Kaira, Casper.”
Kaira’s dad raised his glass in a toast, and everyone mirrored the movement. “To Kaira, Guppy and Jacob for shining a light on indistinct danger.”
The glasses were clinked together and the steady rhythm of the meal continued as a delicate bond was formed between a group of adults and their young counterparts - each having a role to play in unfolding events far bigger than they could imagine.
“I’m surprised the children haven’t appeared,” Cynthia Renn commented as she poured the renowned Gilweean water into her wooden mug.