by Dreagen
“Yes, a BorKovora on the KinVole and a CeraVora on RowVow.” Seeing the blank expression on Rex’s face, he smiled and clarified. “The large string instrument on the far right and the wind one in the center.”
“Ah, I see,” Rex said with a nod. He recognized the name CeraVora after having encountered one not long ago, but the other DyVorian was unknown to him. He had surmised that there were still plenty of species he had yet to see, but he found himself curious just the same every time someone made mention of one. After studying the stage and its setup closely, he scanned the crowd. It had now almost doubled in size, pushing as far back as the market by the docks. It was at that moment that he noticed a figure moving in earnest towards them. He watched until he became more visible, revealing himself to be a boy many years younger. Upon spotting them, he moved with a greater sense of urgency as if he had been seeking them out.
“EeNox!” he called out as he drew near.
Turning, EeNox smiled and waved him over. “KenSito, over here!”
The boy eventually made his way over to them, breathing heavily from the effort of pushing through the crowd. “EeNox!” he gasped. “I need to speak with you.”
“Is this regarding that little matter I asked you to look into?” EeNox asked.
“It is. Can we talk?”
“Yes, but not here,” he replied, glancing around at the crowd. “Later tonight at the usual spot.”
“All right,” he said, nodding. “But we’ll have to make it after most of the festivities have quieted down. I am to help my father clean and prepare the tavern for KyGahl’s lecture tomorrow night.”
“Fine, then. Let’s say two hours after the normal time.”
“Sounds good. I’ll see you then.”
“You’re not staying for the show?”
“I wish I could, but I still have my mother’s booth to tend to.”
“Fair enough. Tell her I said hello; and thank you, KenSito. I owe you one.”
“That you do,” he replied before giving a quick bow to the rest of them and disappearing back into the crowd.
“What was that all about?” DiNiya asked.
“Indeed,” LyCora added. “I’ve never known you to be in the business of secret late night dealings of a questionable nature.”
“Remember when I said I would find out where they were keeping that CeraVora who attacked us? Well, KenSito’s father is head of KaNar’s security force, which means he reports directly to VayRonx.”
“So, in other words, you think he can lead you to where they’re holding him,” Rex said.
“That’s the general idea,” EeNox replied.
“And?”
“There’s been no word up until now, but it seems like he finally has something of value to report to me.”
“Report to you?” DiNiya chided. “Listen to you, speaking proudly of the little network of spies you command. I had no idea my brother was so well connected. Maybe I should start talking to you about getting some of those hard-to-get items Father has been longing to have in the shop.”
“Well, I wouldn’t go so far as to say I command a network of spies, much less anything else, but having people in the know does come in handy from time to time. It’s how I knew LyCora and VoRenna were coming.”
“Wait—you knew?” DiNiya said with a look of shock.
“Well….yea.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“Can you blame me?”
“Yes! Quite a bit, actually!”
“I would appreciate if you would stop speaking of me as if I was not standing right here,” LyCora said. “Besides, you make it sound like I was eager to come.”
“Hey, now,” Rex intervened. “Let’s not start this up again. This is supposed to be a night of fun, right? Then let’s have fun!”
“This coming from the one who burned down one of the booths then took off to sulk over it for an hour yesterday,” LyCora said, giving him a stern look.
Rex bared his teeth before forcing his anger back down, doing his best not to say something he knew would cause more trouble down the line. “You make a fair point; I’ll give you that much. But following my bad example won’t help matters here and now, so let’s at least pretend that some of us here don’t hate each other.”
“I’ll give that a try when you show me how you manage to pull it off,” she said in her usual unyielding fashion.
“Damn it. I was hoping I could just watch you to figure it out.”
Faint traces of a smile appeared at the corners of her mouth before she quickly suppressed them.
“We can all learn from each other,” ShinGaru said, placing a hand on each of their backs. “After all, have we not already been doing that this entire time?”
Rex and LyCora regarded each other respectfully for a moment before turning away once again.
“Fine,” LyCora at last conceded. “As long as you don’t have any more violent outbursts or self-loathing temper tantrums, then I suppose I can be more…tolerant of you and certain others.” She glanced over at DiNiya, who did the same in turn.
“All right, and I promise to not do any of the above so long as you use that flame of yours to melt away some of the ice around your heart,” Rex offered.
Everyone else began to snicker before quickly suppressing it when they caught sight of the savage glare LyCora was giving them.
“Well, now that that is all settled, we can finally start enjoying ourselves a little,” EeNox said. “This is a festival, after all.”
“Do we know when The Vanguard will be coming out?” DiNiya asked. “It should be soon, right?”
“Should be,” her brother replied.
“This crowd seems like it’s about as ready as it’s going to be,” Rex said, looking around.
“Look! Someone is coming out,” AnaSaya suddenly exclaimed, pointing to the stage.
They all turned their attention up front where there was indeed activity now. The figures, all SaVarian, took the front of the stage just as three larger DyVorians followed behind them. Rex watched as they armed themselves with their respective instruments, all except the woman in the center, who was the singer. She was a tall, elegant green flame with the same hair color and complexion as AnaSaya. Her long fair-colored fur blew in the evening breeze as she surveyed the expansive crowd before her. She was wearing an outfit similar to that of DiNiya but mostly white in color and with more flowing parts around the sleeves. In short, she was beautiful, a captivating figure to lead a procession of sound that Rex was now sure would captivate his senses. The only thing that was left was for them to begin.
It was then that he saw long, spindly tendrils emerge from the tree behind them and connect with their instruments and the back of the woman’s neck before feeding golden electrical currents generated by its flame into them.
Then, the first chord was struck, followed immediately by an onslaught of percussive rhythms in rapid succession. Like an oncoming wave, the wall of sound struck and washed over them, triggering a rush of adrenaline that could only be compared to the one experienced when their flame was ignited. Suddenly, the performers on stage unleashed what could only be described as a mighty battle cry, igniting their flames as they did and triggering a roar of approval from the crowd, which whooped and cheered.
Rex instantly realized that the tree was amplifying the sound; the honeycombed structures growing from it serving as the equivalent of speakers. The music itself was unlike anything he had ever heard. So heavy and immense was it that he could scarcely believe it was originating from only five instruments. There was something hauntingly beautiful about it, and he could swear he felt it resonating with something deep within, almost as if it was communing directly with his flame.
All around him he could see people moving and swaying as the music’s hypnotic power took hold, igniting their flames in domino effect. It was the woman’s voice, however, that took him by the greatest surprise, for no sooner had she opened her mouth than the most beauti
ful voice he ever heard came out. It spread over him and bathed him in a warm, intoxicating sensation before his senses were startled by the DyVorian to her right, who accompanied her sweeping chorus with a deep growl, punctuated in a barrage of words. It was a pairing that if had been explained in words prior to hearing might have sounded like an odd, even abrasive duet, but was in fact a harmonious union of sound that Rex now realized spoke to him, called to him, beckoned him. In that moment, he felt as if music had at last chosen him and knew that his future, no matter what it held or what it would ultimately be, would include it.
Glancing over, he saw the other five moving their bodies to the music as it overtook them. Even DiNiya, who was normally more reserved about matters of merriment, was swaying her hips and whipping her fur back and forth and from side to side.
Soon, a large opening formed in the middle of the crowd as people began to display their own personal forms of expression through unique dances and body movements. Taking another look at DiNiya, he watched her lose seemingly any and all sense of inhibition as she allowed the music to fill her with a type of primal ecstasy. Bringing her head around, she fixed him with beautiful longing eyes that stared into his, through disheveled fur that fell wildly in front of her face.
It was in that moment that Rex decided to finally let go of the world he came from and immerse himself entirely in this one. Pushing his way through the crowd, he stepped into the circle, walked directly into the center, spread his legs, and, igniting his flame, began whipping his head and fur around in wide circles, creating a crimson ring of fire.
Rex knew this might be a mistake because people were naturally fearful of his flame, but he no longer cared, no longer wished to live a caged existence when there was so much more to be had by burning free.
Suddenly over the roar of the music, he heard a voice speak out. “The red flame is the fire of passion! Look to he who burns from it proudly and follow him into battle, warriors of KaNar!” Rex looked up and, to his astonishment, saw it was coming from The Vanguard’s beautiful vocalist. “Everyone let us join him and set the sky ablaze with the fire of a thousand flames!”
Everyone cheered and roared as they ignited their flames brighter until night turned into day. All around him, Rex could feel the whole world moving with him rather than against him as it always had. No longer did he feel like a recluse. He was a SaVarian, a member of the KaNar Tribe, a child of EeNara, and—most importantly—home. What a glorious and uplifting feeling it was to experience, for now he realized that love and happiness were truly his to obtain and that perhaps they were already within his grasp.
Looking over, he saw EeNox following his example, spinning his fur around wildly and creating a radiant ring of green. Nearby ShinGaru and LyCora were expressing all manner of aggressive and free-spirited dance, but it was AnaSaya who surprised him most, for just as he had noticed the others, he felt a warm body pressed close against his. Whipping his around, he saw the attractive lavender flame moving her body against his, a playful look in her eye as she ran her fingers through his thick flowing fur. His shock, however, did not end there, for no sooner had he began to wonder just how to interpret her sudden forward behavior than did DiNiya echo the same movement with him.
Now Rex found himself in a position he had no previous experience with. What was the proper behavior? Then he realized he was thinking too much and should simply enjoy the moment for what it was and where it was happening. Between two insanely beautiful girls, he thought as a huge smile spread across his face.
Together the six of them, along with the rest of KaNar, danced furiously into the night, until at last The Vanguard announced that they were down to their final two songs of the evening. Immediately, the BorKovora, which Rex had recognized to be a type of therizinosaurus, played a gentle and blissful melody, using his enormous hand claws to strum the thick strings on what looked and sounded like a giant variation of a viola or cello, but with a sound that seemed like it was being produced by an entire orchestra rather than a single instrument. Soon thereafter, the rest of the musical accompaniment joined in and began playing what Rex assumed was a “slow song.” All around him he saw people either swaying alone or joining with a partner. Immediately he felt a sense of crisis, for up until this point he had been dancing with two partners and thoroughly enjoying himself, but now he was unsure of what was the customary thing to do in this situation. Fortunately, the decision was made for him, for just as he started to panic, AnaSaya pushed him and DiNiya gently together with a wink and a smile before slipping back.
The two looked at each other awkwardly for a brief moment before DiNiya rolled her eyes and smiled, taking his hands and wrapping them around her waist before doing the same with hers around his upper body. “See, I’m not that scary, am I?”
“Believe me, right now you’re terrifying,” Rex replied with a grin.
“Oh?” she replied coyly. “Afraid that I’ll bite?”
“More worried that I might.”
“My, my, Rex,” she said, feigning surprise. “I had no idea you had such thoughts.”
“I think every guy here was having those thoughts when you stepped into this circle. Some of the girls, too.”
“It’s nice to be appreciated,” she said, resting against him.
“Believe me, DiNiya, if it’s anything you are, it’s appreciated. If it wasn’t for you…I don’t know what would have happened to me…what would have become of me.”
“Rex,” she began, sounding more serious. “I know you think I have done you some great act of kindness, and it is truly flattering, but I fear that my role in all this is not nearly as significant as you think.”
“I disagree.”
“And that is what makes you so kind,” she said, gently caressing the side of his face. “But the truth is, you did it because you wanted to, because you had the strength to adapt and survive. It’s you who deserves the real credit, for if you did not have such a will to not be beaten, then it really wouldn’t have mattered what any of us had done.”
“It seems my work is far from over,” he said, holding her tighter.
“What do you mean?”
“I can’t rest until I’ve finally made you realize how incredible you are.”
DiNiya regarded him with a look of silent longing before she pushed him away slightly and laughed.
“What’s so funny?” Rex asked, looking almost wounded.
“You,” she said with her now signature warm smile. “As extreme in accolade as you are in every other facet of life.”
“Extreme? I was actually trying to come across as subtle, believe it or not.”
“The mighty Rex, subtle,” she mused, pulling him back in close and resting her head on his broad shoulder. “I would not dream of it.”
The two of them stayed that way for the duration of the song, all the while being watched from a distance by eyes that witnessed their fair share of hardship and now looked upon a sight that brought them a degree of hope. BaRone watched as his daughter and Rex swayed gently together, as if the rest of the world around them had slipped away. While some fathers might look upon such a scene and feel compelled to rush down and steal their daughter away from the clutches of this foreboding male figure, BaRone found himself smiling as his heart filled with a hope he had not felt in quite some time and feared might never.
“They look good together,” came a voice from above him.
Glancing back, he saw VayRonx watching the same scene.
“That they do,” BaRone said, turning back.
“So, what will you do now?”
BaRone remained silent for a moment before lifting his chin slightly and letting out a sigh. “Stay out of their way.”
VayRonx gave a slow nod of understanding. “Then we two will both stand back for the time being and see what course nature will take.” He continued to watch them dance slowly together, neither one of them pulling away from the other, or even opening their eyes, instead losing themselves in their e
mbrace and the beautiful sound of music that filled the cool autumn night. “Nice to see that girl of yours happy again.” BaRone just smiled.
The Vanguard played one final crowd-energizing song before bringing the show to a close, where they all bowed together before retreating backstage. Immediately Rex turned to the others and said, “We need to go meet them!”
“I’m sure we’ll see them later tonight or at the very least tomorrow,” said DiNiya.
“I don’t want to wait until then! They were incredible! I need to at least tell them that.”
“If we go now, we should at least be able to catch them before they retire for the night,” EeNox offered, looking at his sister hopefully.
“Well, if you think it’s all right, then I suppose it can’t hurt,” she said. “I mean, it would be fun to meet someone famous.”
“All right,” said Rex. “Let’s hurry.”
They moved through the thinning crowd, then proceeded up the steps on the left side of the stage. Rounding the corner, they moved through a passage into the mountain until they entered a room lit by torchlight and found themselves face to face with the very same musicians who had elevated them to heights of exhilaration through their music only moments before.
The shock of suddenly standing before The Vanguard was so startling that for a moment Rex and company just stood in awkward silence, and then the singer who had captured his eye with her commanding presence on stage stepped forward. “Why, hello there,” she said, smiling.
“Hello,” he replied. “I’m sorry if we are intruding, but I just had to, I mean, we just had to come and tell you how amazing you were tonight.”
“Thank you very much,” she said. “That is very kind of you, of all of you.”
“My name is—”
“Rex,” she finished for him, much to his surprise.
“Wait, you know who I am?”
“Of course,” she replied, sounding almost surprised. “You didn’t think you were just KaNar’s little secret, did you?”
“Well, actually, since you mentioned it, yes.”