While I waited for the current to return, I wondered if I should alert Davison. I didn’t know exactly what to tell him though. My brother is here, looking for me? He wouldn’t see that as his fight, even if he disagreed with the Supremist’s educational policies.
“Airmasters work in the orchards, sir,” the air current hissed as it curled through my hair. It was a girl’s voice, probably an Unmanifested servant Felix had stopped to question.
I didn’t need to hear any more. I couldn’t return to my room, and I couldn’t hide out in the orchards. The laundry facilities and kitchen lay on the other side of campus, but I could avoid Felix easily enough to get there.
I hurried around the building, away from my brother and my barracks, composing an air message to Davison.
“Felix Gillman, the Supremist’s personal sentry, has arrived in Gregorio. I don’t think he’s up to anything good.” I whispered the message into the air, and then flicked it away, telling it to “Go to Davison.”
I watched it fly through the sky, physically feeling it catch on other currents and fight its way toward the Councilman’s high-rise. Davison seemed to be a good Councilman; his people loved and respected him. He didn’t house himself or his Council in a fortress like most of the other cities. Real estate in Gregorio was at a premium, and the Councilman had opted to put his Council and workers in the tallest building in the city. At night, it shone like a diamond needle piercing the sky, and during the day the sun glinted off the windows in blinding patterns.
When the current had safely reached the top floor of the Councilman’s building, I focused on my tasks on the ground. Clothing. Food. Boots. Shelter. I ran through the checklist as I walked, being careful to keep my sentry eye out for Felix. I hadn’t been actively acting as a sentry for over a month, but the skills that had been drilled into me didn’t die that easily.
I stole into the dining hall first, but it was too early for food to be out. As I pushed into the preparation area, I realized I hadn’t told Davison who the message was from. How would he know it was me, in a city of hundreds of thousands? I shook my head as a worker approached me.
“What do you need?” He looked to be only eleven or twelve years old. I thought I could simply growl and he’d wet himself.
“Food,” I said. “Enough for a few days. I’ve been asked to travel to…” I stalled, unsure of where I should flee. North, definitely. “Hesterton,” I finally said. It was due west, and several days away. If anyone came asking about a man who needed food, I hoped it would buy me some time to find refuge in a northern city.
The boy cocked his head, as if sensing my lie. “Food for traveling for a few days. Wait here, please.”
Every second he was gone felt like a lifetime. The door opening in the dining hall behind me had me scampering into a corner, away from the kitchen entrance so I could see them before they saw me.
But no one came. Finally, the servant boy returned, lugging a brown paper bag. It contained breads and cheeses, cured ham, and several oranges. I thanked him with as much enthusiasm as one who would be returning to a warm bed, but inside, I hated that I didn’t know where my next resting place would be.
I left the dining hall and turned toward the laundry when the hairs on my neck stood at attention. I spun, expecting to find Felix with his blade drawn. Or worse, Alex with her false vest and fiery eyes.
I didn’t see anyone. No, the sensation came from a tune lilting on the air. A soprano voice that struck terror straight inside my heart. Managing the bag of food the best I could, I took off at a dead sprint toward the school. I knew what I’d find there: a Watermaiden singing her Element into destruction.
I skidded around the corner, and sure enough, found a beautiful girl dressed in the Tarpulin crimson robes, one hand raised in a terrible claw. I recognized her from the field trials in Tarpulin. Her brown hair streamed over her shoulders as rivers fountained from the earth, spewed through windows and doors, drowning the school.
Felix stood nearby, his arms folded as he watched. I shrank back, wanting to stop her but unwilling to let my brother take me to Tarpulin. I felt certain if I returned, it would be the last thing I ever did.
Screams and shouts filtered from the school, and within moments, the Elementals began to fight back. Fire softened the tides, and hot air vaporized the water into meaningless steam. Columns of earth blocked the windows and doors, and still the Watermaiden sang on.
Her voice cut through the earth, outmatched the flames, rose above the air. I felt the sickening truth that she hadn’t even finished warming up yet.
Then two men arrived on-scene. I recognized Davison as he clung to his Airmaster. The Airmaster lowered them both to the ground, where Davison immediately strode forward. His loud voice boomed above the Elemental chaos around him. “Stop this instantly! What right do you have to destroy my school?”
Felix intercepted him before he could reach the Watermaiden and handed him a scroll of parchment. Davison’s sharp eyes read it, then he promptly set the paper on fire. He got right in Felix’s face, growling, “Get out of my city. Tell that joke of a Supremist he has no right to exercise his authority in Gregorio.”
He spun away from my brother, raising his hand as he did, a clear signal for someone. Sure enough, the courtyard swarmed with sentries, each as large and imposing as Felix. Elementals also emerged, each snapping, swirling, or singing to fight off the Watermaiden’s advancing tsunami.
I didn’t wait to see the result. I could sneak away during this mess without drawing any attention to myself. Abandoning the thought of extra clothes and fresh boots, I also abandoned the idea that I could be a real Airmaster one day.
I employed my Element, sure one more air current wouldn’t be noticed amidst everything else happening. I rode the wind out of Gregorio, lamenting the loss of the brief security I’d felt in the city.
I traveled all night, using the stars to navigate. I passed several small villages, some with walls, some with fences, some with only open fields surrounding them. I knew I had to be close to the city of Castleton, a decent-sized metropolis with an Elemental school.
I decided to put the wind back in the sky and use my legs to get to Castleton. I didn’t know the political climate quite as well, but I knew the Councilman had been a favorite of Alex’s. It was the ones Felix griped about that Alex didn’t like. I’d learned a lot over the course of the six months, noting that sometimes it was the people that weren’t talked about that really mattered.
And Councilman Montgomery had never been on Felix’s gossip roll. I wondered how sympathetic he would be to my plight. I slept while the sun arced through the sky, and I walked all night. By the third night, I thought perhaps my trajectory was off. Had I missed the city completely?
I ventured west for a bit, and after a couple of miles, found the river. I wasn’t that far off course, and a city the size of Castleton should be visible even if I was. At dawn, I kept going, thinking one more step, one more step, and I’d find the city sitting on the horizon.
The food I’d obtained in the kitchens of Gregorio was almost gone. I allowed myself to eat the last orange, and then I fell into an exhausted sleep.
That night, I finally saw winking lights in the distance. I quickened my pace, the anxiety I’d been feeling for twenty-four hours fueling my footsteps. I waited through half the day, hoping for a group of travelers, or merchants, or anyone, to approach Castleton. The gates didn’t open. No one went in, and no one came out.
The familiar unease ate at my insides, to the point where I couldn’t eat. That night, the city flamed with fire.
Even as the smoke painted the moon red, I composed a message to the air currents. “The Supremist, Alexander Pederson, is a woman. Her real name is Alexan dra Pederson, and she is dangerous to us all. We must unite if we have any hope of overthrowing her. Watch, and wait, for more instructions.”
I didn’t sign the message, hoping each Councilman would take it seriously. I sent multiple currents in every
direction, sending them to Elemental and Unmanifested cities and villages.
I had no idea what further instructions I might give the politicians, but I knew I needed to do something. Not just for my own safety and survival, but the continuation of our country, our way of life.
She’d buried one school, tried to drown another, and now it appeared that the school in Castleton had been reduced to ashes. I didn’t hear a single Watermaiden try to quench the flames. Alex—or Felix—had arrived before me, shut down the city, and torched it. Someone had to do something to fight back.
I thought of Davison and his unafraid nature. He’d marched right up to Felix. He’d asked his sentries and Elementals to defend themselves. I wanted to do that too, and not just for myself.
By morning, I’d received a dozen responses. Every message was from a Councilman willing and waiting to hear more.
I didn’t hear from Davison, and I knew he was the one who could really lead a rebellion. I figured he was probably still dealing with the aftermath of chaos in his own city, but I couldn’t simply wait outside the dormant wall of Castleton. I had barely a day’s worth of food remaining, and as I set my feet northward, I struggled to remember my geography lessons.
I’d never had occasion to travel this far from Tarpulin, and my geography classes were complete by age ten, when I was deemed worthy to learn how to throw knives. Somehow, working out and killing people had come before the physical location of cities in the northern half of the United Territories.
I skirted by the villages I came across, only daring to venture into them if the night was dark and deep. I found a few scraps in trashcans, but nothing of substance. I avoided the cities completely, fearing Felix, Alex, or the other sentries had beaten me to them, turned the Councilman against me, and were about to destroy the Elemental schools just so I couldn’t enroll.
Minutes became hours which became days. I slept. I walked. I ate anything I could find. It was never enough. Never enough rest. Never enough miles covered. Never enough to eat.
On top of that, I feared I’d gone in circles, though I never passed anything familiar. The terrain became more rugged, the landscape rockier with dense patches of evergreen trees, aspens, and maples. I trudged on through the forests blanketing the earth. There was surprisingly little to eat in the trees. I resorted to sucking on leaves and coaching myself to keep going.
Mental strength was important, I knew. If I believed I would survive, I could. By day nine, though, I was beginning to doubt. My vision blurred. I’d given up walking only at night. The sparseness of cities and villages this far north didn’t present the same threat.
The fall sun felt cooler here, but it was still harsh and blinding, even through the trees. My mouth felt sticky. It had been too long since I’d last had a drink. I couldn’t even remember when that was. I tripped over something I didn’t see and fell to the ground. I struggled to get up again, but my body would not cooperate. I rolled onto my back, looking up into dappled sunlight.
My chest heaved, my mind felt soft, my eyes wouldn’t open. I drifted into the sea of unconsciousness.
I woke to the scent of food, and my stomach roared for it. I sat up straight, not caring where I was or who had found me. I simply needed to eat. Now.
Darkness filled the shack where I was, but I could still see clearly enough to find the flicker of orange flames coming from under the door. I stumbled toward it, crashing into a cot and a chair before I found the exit.
A tall, broad man met me outside. He held a bowl toward me, and though it steamed, I couldn’t shovel the food into my mouth fast enough. When I finished, the man led me to the fire, where he handed me a slab of dark bread.
He waited while I ate it, and the silence and calm assurance he radiated unnerved me. He wore a chain of ivory teeth around his neck, his feet were bare, his skin brown. His hair was black as pitch, and long, tied back into a low ponytail.
He watched me with golden eyes that held absolutely no fear. I detected a hint of wariness, which made him smart.
“Thank you,” I finally said to break the silence.
He nodded back to me, and I wondered if he spoke English. Of course he does, I chided myself. I hadn’t left the country.
“Who are you?” he asked, his voice deep and full, and clearly not used often. “What brings you to my settlement?”
I swallowed, wondering how much I could tell this man. It was clear he wasn’t an Elemental. He must be Unmanifested, but they didn’t call their villages settlements, and they didn’t wear teeth around their necks.
“I’m Adam Gillman,” I said. “I’m an Airmaster from Tarpulin.” I made my voice strong, yet soft. “My Academy was buried, and I’ve been on the run for several weeks.”
“Have you broken any laws?” he asked.
“No,” I replied. “The Supremist just decided we didn’t need a school anymore. I was one of the lucky ones who survived.” Technically, everything I’d said was true.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I’m just trying to find somewhere I can stay for a while. I need to rest and gather some supplies and food.” I looked at him, silently pleading with him to let me stay in his settlement. “Are you the…?” I didn’t know what to call him. Councilman was obviously wrong. The Unmanifested villages were overseen by Councilmen, but still maintained a non-Elemental lawman. A mayor, I remembered from my lessons.
“I am Chief Tavar, leader of this Spirit-speaker settlement.” He appeared majestic as he spoke, his eyes alight with the flames in the fire.
“Spirit-speaker?” I asked. I hadn’t heard the term before.
“That is a name your Supremist gave us long ago. It has stuck.” He gazed into the black forest surrounding us. “We have some gifts that someone decided were not worthy of being Elemental. We were separated from the rest of society, and have been living in this settlement for many years now.”
I peered at him, anxious to know more. I was surprised this race of people had been left out of my education. Sentries were privileged to learn everything about every culture. We had to be knowledgeable so we could assess threats and dangers accurately.
“What kind of gifts?” I asked.
He waved his hand. “I can commune with nature. It’s how I knew you were loitering just outside my borders. I could feel your distress singing through the leaves. By the time I found you, you were unresponsive. My healer could scarcely find a pulse.”
I couldn’t seem to form a response.
“We all have varying degrees of gifts. Some can heal; some can speak with animals; some can direct energies. Your people call us Spirit-speakers, or Outcasts.”
“Oh,” I said. “Outcasts, yes. I’ve heard of you.” But it wasn’t anything good. Crazy came to mind, as that was what I’d been taught. I analyzed the Chief and decided that anyone who saved a complete stranger wasn’t crazy.
Just human.
Several air messages came in the next day. More Councilmen who had received my message and were interested in hearing what else I had to say. I had yet to get a message telling me to leave them alone. I wondered if Alex had instated other questionable policies that I didn’t know about.
“My son will show you to the bathing pool,” the Chief said after breakfast. He gestured to a teenager, maybe a few years younger than me. He wore only shorts, and he grinned from ear to ear.
“You’re an Airmaster?” he asked before I could introduce myself. He handed me a towel and a bar of soap. He set off into the forest, and I followed.
“Yes,” I said. “What’s your name?”
“Hanai,” he said. “I’m fourteen.” He glanced over his shoulder. “My father wants me to make sure you’re trustworthy.” He said the last words in a low voice, like we were conspiring together.
“What?” I asked, almost laughing. “How are you going to do that?”
Hanai shrugged. “He wants me to give you some of our terms.”
I wan
ted to stay in the Outcast settlement. In the twenty-four hours I’d been here, I’d felt more security and peace than I had in months.
“Go for it,” I said. “What does he want from me?”
“The Chief expects undying loyalty,” Hanai said, his voice floating back to me as we continued down a well-worn path. “He thinks you can teach us some survival techniques, and he expects all skills to be shared among the settlement. In return, he’ll help you with what you need.”
“All of that sounds fine,” I said, though I thought it actually sounded better than that. Perfect ran through my mind. I realized that I hadn’t felt the need to intrude on anyone’s thoughts since I’d arrived.
“Oh, and he says we can’t coexist on this earth without respect, kindness, and honesty. If you agree to abide by these terms, you can stay as long as you want.”
“I can do that, sure,” I said, hoping there wouldn’t arise a time when I’d need to lie to the Chief or his people. Just because I was good at it didn’t mean I liked it. And I trusted the Chief, and I wanted him to trust me.
“Dad says there’s been some trouble with sentries,” Hanai said, and I perked up. “He doesn’t want anything to do with those trained to kill others. He says that’s not the way of nature, but that we should be encouraging growth and cooperation.”
“Mm,” I said, suddenly unable to put my voice to words. I had a tattoo that covered my entire back—the mark of a sentry. If Hanai saw that, would I still be welcomed to the settlement? I schooled my feelings, not allowing them to show on my face.
Hanai stopped at the top of the stairs. “Are you okay?”
“Sure,” I said. “Why do you ask?”
“I can sort of feel things, and you seem tense.” He shifted uncomfortably. “Is it because my dad wants you to agree to his terms before he’ll allow you to stay? I tried to get him to relax about this, but he’s been nervous lately.”
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