Sheridan flexed his arms. “I am considered the best of the best.” He put his emblem in Nanake’s face. “See that? I’m a space wielder, which means I’m a beast—well, if I could wield, that is.”
Aya slapped Sheridan’s arm out of the way, unable to believe his nerve. “Don’t be rude.” She turned to Nanake. “Are there any Scaiths in the area?”
“You know about Scaiths?” asked Nanake, clearly surprised.
“We ran into one once,” said Sheridan. “They have this annoying ability of suppressing the energy within a wielder, essentially making it impossible for us to use our abilities.”
“Our bravest hunters hunt them for sport,” said Nanake. “We discovered a way to harness the energy inside of them into a stone.”
“Who would be crazy enough to hunt those things?” asked Sheridan. “They’re as large as full-grown bears and have metal plates all over their body.”
Aya ran her finger atop her chin, finally figuring out what was going on. “So whoever carries said stone has the ability to stop wielders from using their elemental attacks.”
“I’m sorry,” said Nanake, smiling. “I’m not much of an alchemist. I don’t know how such a device works.”
Sheridan looked from Aya to Nanake with a worried expression. “But I assume your niece will not bring the stone with her on the mission. That would only hinder our chances of success.”
“I’m afraid it’s not us that have the stone. It’s Hotaru. He has amassed so many that wielding in Sugiko is literally impossible.” She lowered her voice. “To make matters worse, he has a device that allows his soldiers to wield.”
“Great. Just great,” whined Sheridan. “So they can wield at us all they want, but we can do nothing.”
“I don’t like it either,” Aya added.
Nanake did not look worried. “Young lady, after seeing your performance against my niece, I know I made the right choice. No one has ever lasted more than a few seconds against her in combat. You did, which can only mean you’re the perfect person for this job.”
Aya forced a smile, quietly wishing she could be as confident as Nanake.
Once the conversation was over, Aya grabbed her belongings and moved to the corner of the small camp. The men and women stared at her with curious eyes, but no one spoke.
She set out her night towel and lay atop it. She tossed and turned from side to side. Usually she wouldn’t mind sleeping on the floor, but this floor was full of jagged edges.
“You’re a rich girl, aren’t ya?” asked Rika with a large grin. Her face paint was still on.
“What makes you say that?”
“Rika, leave the pampered rich girl be,” jeered Keira, lying atop the night towel she had spread beside Aya.
“Rich, yes,” Aya countered. “Pampered, no.”
Keira laughed. “All you money girls are the same. The biggest problem you ever had to face was what color makeup you were going to wear. You know nothing of real pain. Not like me and my cousin, Rika.”
“Stop talking,” said Aya, growing agitated. “You know nothing of my life.”
“I know you fight for money and nothing else. You don’t understand loss. How could you? You have never lost anyone precious in your life.”
Selene’s smile flashed in her mind as she stood. “I told you to be quiet! Were you there when my little sister was taken from me? When she begged me for help but I was too weak to save her?”
Keira and Rika remained uncharacteristically quiet.
“Were you there when my parents asked me where Selene was and I had no answer? You want to know why I fight? It’s not for money. I do it so that no girl ever again has to cry herself to sleep wondering what became of her sister. I do it so no one suffers like I have suffered, like I suffer every day.” Aya’s voice and body trembled.
“Aya?” mumbled Sheridan. “I had no idea.”
The tips of her ears grew warm as she clutched her night towel and ran to the darkest corner of the camp, away from prying eyes. She lay down and stared at the sky, ashamed that she had allowed herself to lose control.
As she gazed at the stars, her sister’s cries echoed in her ears.
“Selene. I’m sorry for failing you,” whispered Aya. “I’m so sorry.”
Chapter 13
Falcon opened the windows. The smell of wet dirt coursed through the air. Soft rain fell on his head and face. He looked back. Faith was still fast asleep in bed.
Falcon closed the window and picked up his sheets from the floor where he had slept. He must have made more noise than he thought, because Faith’s eyes opened all of a sudden.
“Good morning,” said Faith, sitting up. With her hand she pushed down the few strands of hair that were out of place. “How did you sleep last night?”
“Not bad,” answered Falcon. “I’m used to sleeping in hard places.”
“Why? Don’t you have beds at Rohad?”
“We do, but Rohads are not only trained in battle. We never know what our mission will require of us, so we prepare for any foreseeable circumstance. Two weeks out of the year we sleep out in the open. Sometimes in the forest, desert, you name it. We have sleeping towels, of course. But it’s still uncomfortable.”
Faith winced. “That sounds harsh.”
“It’s not that bad. You get used to it after a while. Chonsey was the only one in our group who never really adjusted to sleeping outdoors. One time he even—”
A loud knock rocked the door. The tree painting crashed to the ground.
“Coming,” said Falcon. The knocks came again, even louder than the first time. He quickened his pace and opened the door.
The little girl from before glared up at him. “Hello.”
“Er…hello,” said Falcon.
“Nice morning we’re having.” The girl stared back at him expectantly.
“Um…can I help you with something?”
“Oh no, not really, I suppose. I’m here to lend my services. Anything you need, I’m your girl.”
“We won’t be needing anything anymore. We must be on our way.”
“That’s impossible. The road won’t be clear until midday.”
Falcon brought his hand to his forehead and sighed. How much longer are we going to be slowed down for?
She smiled crookedly. “Don’t feel too bad. There is an upside to everything. Now you have time to tour the village. And you’re in luck. I’m the best tour K’vitch has got. I can take you and your girlfriend to the must romantic pond in Va’siel.”
Falcon narrowed his eyes. “She’s not my girlfriend.”
“Oh, excuse me. I just assumed since you stayed in the same room and all.”
“That was only because—” He stopped himself in mid sentence. Why am I explaining myself to a twelve year old?
Faith came from behind Falcon and extended her hand. “What’s your name?”
“Me?” The girl pointed at herself as she took Faith’s hand and shook it. “My name is Iris. You know, like the flower.”
“Nice to formally meet you, Iris. I’m Faith, and this is Falcon.” She bent down to the girl’s level. “I’ll tell you what. Since we’re still stuck here, I would love a tour of the village.”
“We would?” Falcon asked, surprised by Faith’s offer.
“Of course. As soon as I get ready, we’ll be downstairs.”
Iris shot a puzzled look at Faith. “Ready? You look beautiful as it is.”
Faith smiled. “Thank you, but my hair is a mess. I’ll be out shortly. How much is your fee?”
“Are you kidding?” exclaimed Iris. “That gold coin you gave me will keep me fed for a month. This one is on me.” She closed the door. Her loud voice traveled into the room. “I’ll be waiting downstairs.”
“You don’t really want a tour, do you?” asked Falcon, suspecting that Faith only wanted to help the girl.
“No. But I feel bad for her. She’s so young, and she’s already roaming the streets by herself. Maybe there’s
something I can do to help.”
Falcon sighed. “I want to help her as much as you, but we can’t stop to aid everyone in need who gets in our way.”
“I know. But you heard Iris. We’re stuck here until midday. We can’t go anywhere else. Unless you know a different way to Missea.”
“There are different paths to Missea, but they’re all too long to traverse. The mountain pass is a ten-day trip, and a sea voyage is over thirty days.”
“So I guess we don’t have much of a choice.”
“Suppose not.”
They both washed up and headed downstairs. The girl sat on a sofa that decorated the inn. A small dog rested by her feet.
Iris stood, causing the dog to whimper. “So where do you want to go first? The pond? Rosarie’s palace of trinkets? Cesar Adrian’s weapon shop? Grimmie’s music hall?”
“Just a simple place to eat would be nice,” said Falcon, putting an end to her spiel. “We haven’t had breakfast yet.”
“Of course, follow me.” She led them out of the inn and down a stone path. The remains of the previous day’s celebration remained scattered about: flower ribbons, half-empty mugs of ale, bread crumbs, and pichion bones. Half a dozen of K’vitch’s citizens were hard at work tossing the trash into wooden barrels.
“Here we are,” said Iris, pointing at a fine oak wood building before them. The sweet aroma of blueberry and cherry pie flowed out of the two open windows. “Lana’s Stop serves the best pies and hotcakes in the village.”
“It sure smells good,” said Faith, licking her lips.
Falcon grabbed the overly smooth handle and held the door open.
Faith walked a few steps in and stopped. “Aren’t you coming, Iris?”
The girl shrank back. “Me? Oh no. I couldn’t possibly step foot in there. I’ve seen it through the window a few times. Everything is so nice, and I look like…” She gazed down at her dirt-caked clothes. “Well I look like this.”
“It’s fine,” said Faith, taking the girl’s hand. “You’re our guest today.”
With wobbly legs, Iris stepped into the restaurant. Her eyes sparkled as she gazed at the surroundings.
Falcon couldn’t see why. It looked like an average dining room to him. In fact, it was less than average. A few cut logs served as chairs. The fading polish on the wooden tables showed their advanced age. The crooked paintings that hung on the walls were cracked. Even the flowers in the pot were half dead.
The commotion in the dining room died as soon as they walked in. Everyone looked at Falcon with the same hateful eyes he was used to seeing back in Ladria.
A moment later, however, he realized that they weren’t looking at him. The people were looking past him, directly at Iris.
“What are you doing here?” asked a skinny mustached man, pointing at Iris. “I told you you’re not welcome here. It’s bad enough I always find you eating out of my trash.” The man turned to Falcon and Faith. His voice changed to one of compassion. “I’m so sorry you had to stand next to this vermin. Rohads are regarded in the highest esteem by the people of K’vitch. I assure you this won’t happen again.”
Falcon gritted his teeth. From the corner of his eye he noticed Faith shaking her head.
The man turned his attention to Iris. “You’re still here? I told you. Off with you, vermin.”
A whimper escaped Iris as she stared down at the ground and turned toward the door.
Before she could walk, Faith held the girl in place and faced the man. “Her name is Iris, not vermin.”
The man’s eyes darted nervously from Faith to Iris.
Falcon cracked his anxious knuckles. “Iris is with us. If she goes, we go as well.” He stepped in front of the man so they were face to face. “Rest assured I will report this incident back at Ladria. Your restaurant will be blacklisted from our record books.”
A look of panic came over the man’s face. “Please don’t do that. Traveling Rohads make up over eighty percent of my sales…I…I.” He took a breath as he wiped the sweat that had formed in his brow. “I misspoke earlier. I’m sorry…er…”
“Her name is Iris,” said Faith.
“Y…yes, Iris. You are welcome here any time you want. Let me make up for this little misunderstanding by providing your meal free of charge. Please follow me to our best table. It has a wonderful view of the pond.”
“What do you say, Iris?” asked Falcon. “Do you still want to eat here? Or would you rather go somewhere else?”
The owner glanced at Iris as he played with his quivering hands.
“Here will be fine.”
The man exhaled. “Please follow me.”
The rest of the people stared at them with curiosity as the owner led them to a large table at the corner of the restaurant. There was a window beside it where one had a clear view of a pristine pond. Ducks paddled in circles, with their newborn ducklings following close behind.
“Colette,” called the owner.
A blond woman emerged from behind the counter. “Yes.”
“Bring our guests some water. Make sure it’s the spring water. Nothing but the best for our three friends.”
“That’s more like it,” said Falcon, still angry. “Now make yourself scarce.”
The owner craned his neck. “Of course, sir. I’m sure you will remember my hospitality when you return to Ladria, right?”
“You’re still here?” said Falcon. He turned to the girl. “Iris, will you please tell this man to get lost?”
Iris’s eyes darted nervously from Falcon to the owner.
Faith rested her hand on Iris’s hand. “Don’t worry, honey. You don’t have to say anything.”
The girl took a breath, and the owner slunk away without saying another word.
Faith stared at Falcon. “You shouldn’t put her on the spot like that.” There was an intensity in her eyes Falcon had never seen before.
“What?” He shrugged. “He was rude to Iris. I thought she would like some payback.”
“So you’re going to teach her to be just like him? To humiliate other people because it’s fun to get payback?”
“Faith. I was angry. I wanted him to feel what she felt.”
“That’s not an excuse. If the world thought that way, we would all be treating each other with disrespect and fear.”
Falcon stopped talking as he pondered her words for a second. How many times was he going to let his anger control him? And now he was bringing other people into it. He had to make amends. “I’m sorry, Iris. Faith is right. I shouldn’t have put you on the spot like that.”
Iris didn’t answer. She remained frozen in place as if she were lost in another world.
Faith waved her hands in front of the girl. “Iris, are you well?”
“Yes,” said Iris. Her eyes were red and glassy. “It’s just that…that no one has ever been kind to me. She buried her head in her hands. “No one has ev…er stood up for me.”
Faith put her arm around Iris. “It’s fine.”
The spectacle both saddened and angered Falcon. He knew something of the pain Iris felt. How could someone be so cruel to a child?
Colette passed by and left three mugs at the table. She walked away without saying a word.
“Here, drink some water,” said Faith, handing Iris one of the mugs.
Iris grabbed the mug and drank half its contents in one gulp. A second later, the mug slipped through Iris’s fingers and crashed to the ground. A black layer formed around her eyes and lips. Her neck fell back as her eyes rolled back. Dark blood dripped from her nose. Faith caught her seconds before her limp body tumbled down.
“What’s going on?” asked Falcon.
Faith glanced at Falcon with terror in her eyes. “Poison.”
CHAPTER 14
Falcon turned to the owner of the restaurant. “You did this.”
“Me, sir?” asked the man, pointing at himself.
“Yes, you.” Falcon grabbed him by his shirt. “As soon as she drank
the water you sent her, she fell ill. What kind of poison did you use? Tell me now!”
He put up his hands defensively. “I swear by my mother that I did not poison her. That water was brought to me fresh from the river this morning.”
The owner sounded sincere, but Falcon didn’t buy his act. Who else would have reason to poison Iris?
“Aaarrghhhh!” Iris’s pained scream filled the restaurant.
“Falcon!” cried Faith. “I have never seen poison like this. I can’t extract it. Every time I try it I hurt her more. We have to take her to the infirmary as soon as possible.”
“This is not over yet,” said Falcon, letting go of the man. “I will get to the bottom of this.” He took Iris’ flimsy body in his arms and carried her out. Luckily she didn’t weigh much, so she was easy to run with.
“Where’s the infirmary?” asked Faith. A group of people stared at her in silence.
“Where is it?” repeated Falcon.
A short woman leapt to attention. “It’s not much of an infirmary, actually. But it’s the best we got. It’s more of a—”
Falcon pinched his lips together. “I don’t need details. Just tell me where it is.”
“The last building at the end of the road.”
“Thank you,” said Faith.
Falcon took off in a full-out sprint. The people and cabins became a jumble of blurs. He vaguely made out Faith’s heavy breaths as she kept pace behind him.
Faith pointed at the old white cabin. “This is it.” She knocked on the door.
Falcon paced back and forth, waiting for a response. When he looked down at Iris, his world halted. “Faith, she’s really pale.”
Faith took Iris’s sweaty face between her hands. “Don’t close your eyes.” She shook her from side to side and Iris opened them. “That’s it. Keep them open. You must stay awake.”
Legacy of Chaos (The Void Wielder Trilogy Book 2) Page 10