The sun was slowly setting in the sky outside the window. Thankfully, Rolin, Gobi, and Serenne seemed content to leave her to her thoughts.
“If I may,” Serenne broke the silence after a few minutes, “I would like to offer my help in your training. Granted, you won’t have a lot of time, but I am at your disposal nonetheless.”
Kamo sat next to him again.
“That’s very kind of you to offer,” she said, smiling at him. “You saw me in the arena today. What do I need most?”
Serenne grinned mischievously back at her.
“From my short assessment, I’d say that you need to learn to focus and that you need to control your flame. Incidentally, the one will aid the other.”
“Panchon taught me a sort of way to meditate, but I haven’t been able to implement it into my magic use,” Kamo said. “It’s more been a way to calm my emotions and level them off so that when I do use magic, it’s not so explosive.”
“What a wonderful start,” said Serenne, patting her knee, “and now that your emotions are more tempered, shall we say, we will make sure you cannot be distracted.”
“A monumental task, if you ask me,” Gobi laughed.
Kamo shot a look in his direction. She was about to reply when Serenne’s hand covered her eyes.
“Focus,” he said, “on the sound of my voice for a moment. When I remove my hand, you will spark a flame in yours. No matter what is happening in the room when you open your eyes, do not let that flame be extinguished.”
“That won’t be too difficult,” Kamo replied. She rubbed her fingers together in anticipation.
“On my count then,” Serenne said, “three, two, one.”
Kamo snapped her fingers and lit the flame. Gobi, Rolin, and Serenne moved about the room, upending furniture, blowing out candles, making faces. It was startling but not altogether distracting.
“Good, good, so you can resist some background noise,” Serenne said. “Perhaps we need to be more personal. Close your eyes. We’re going to try a different approach.”
Kamo obeyed.
When Serenne spoke this time, it was in a whisper, coming from right behind her seat on the couch.
“Three, two, one.”
She opened her eyes, and Rolin was kneeling in front of her, inches from her fingers. Gobi was to his side, grinning mischievously.
A little surprised this time, the flame at her fingers wavered but didn’t flee. Gobi stood up and left the room.
Kamo turned around, and Serenne had also gone. She turned back to Rolin.
“What’s going on here?” she asked.
“A study in helping you focus, I suppose,” he answered.
Kamo raised an eyebrow.
“I don’t quite understand either,” Rolin laughed, “but I think you’re supposed to keep your focus on me.”
She blushed as he took her free hand.
“That shouldn’t be difficult,” she smiled softly.
After a few minutes, there was a crash at the door, and Kamo started to turn her head toward it when she felt Rolin squeeze her hand.
“Right,” she let out a breath. “What’s happening at the door?”
Rolin looked past her and let out a laugh.
“Gobi and Serenne seem to have found a distraction,” he said, “a very odd distraction.”
Kamo heard another crash and gasped in surprise. Trying to recover, she looked at her hands, then at Rolin.
“I don’t suppose you could tell me what you see?” she asked.
“I don’t think it would help,” he continued to laugh as she heard a clang of metal on metal.
She fought the urge to turn around and remained focused on the flame at her fingers.
Gobi, Serenne, and Rolin were all laughing now. Crash. Clang. Bang. And then, a different sound. A thud. The laughing stopped.
“Wo’ there, are you all right?” Serenne’s voice was concerned. Rolin was up in a flash and crossing the room. Kamo could hear Serenne shuffling toward Gobi as well.
“What’s going on?” she asked, still fighting the urge to face them.
“Hold on, Kamo,” came Serenne’s voice, “let’s take a look at him, Rolin.”
Their voices were coming from the far side of the bed.
“Is he hurt?” Kamo asked, beginning to panic.
“Don’t worry,” Rolin said, “we can handle it. It’s just a little scrape.”
Her hand dropped, and she stood from the couch, ready to rush to the other side of the room, but when she turned around, Gobi was lying on the bed, hands behind his head, grinning from ear to ear.
“But I thought—”
“He was hurt?” Serenne finished. “Yes, I supposed it would take some danger for you to become truly distracted. I was correct.”
“Sorry, we had to play along,” Gobi shrugged, still grinning. “Now you know what to watch out for during the challenges.”
Kamo thought for a moment.
“But I don’t care about the Fire elves. I don’t know,” she said. “I won’t be distracted by one of them being in danger.”
“Let us hope that is true, at least for the duration of the traditional challenges,” Serenne said. “And now, we need to discuss the festival.”
They made their way back to the sitting area, and Kamo sat next to Serenne on the couch while Gobi and Rolin took the chairs.
“The festivities begin a little before sunset,” he began. “The king and several of the noble families will parade through town, finally reaching the square. Each family will be signified by tribal color. The Linema family has elected not to participate in this particular display in the past, so we needn’t worry about Kamo arriving in such a fashion.”
Kamo nodded in understanding.
“The king’s house colors are orange and indigo. The queen’s house colors are red and silver. They may appear together or separately. When he arrives, he will enter the square, and Elesun will begin the ceremony. The king will watch the events of the festival from his royal booth, but when they are over, he will join the winner at the designated podium and invite him to stay in the palace.”
“Does he speak to the other competitors?” Kamo asked.
“Not usually,” Serenne answered, “though it is not unprecedented. In any case, your best chance to get to know him and Elesun will be after the festival at the palace.”
Kamo wasn’t sure she quite liked the idea of staying with the king, but he had answers, as did the advisor.
“What do you know of Elesun?” Kamo asked.
Serenne pondered for a moment. “His displays can be quite macabre. And the elves he trains are ruthless competitors. I’m afraid that I haven’t met him face to face, though. He has always seemed a quiet, albeit sinister man.”
Kamo’s mind wandered. Serenne didn’t seem fond of Elesun by any means, but Pacha had been sure that Kamo needed his help to change the king’s mind. Deciding to ponder that dilemma later, Kamo asked, “Serenne, do you think I’m ready for this?”
He took his time answering.
“I think you are a strong, capable elf and that if you keep your focus and control your emotions, you may be a contender.” He smiled at her softly. “For now, we have done enough. It is time for me to get home. I will see you all in the morning. Good night.”
He took Kamo’s hand and kissed it, then nodded to Gobi and Rolin and left the room.
“He’s an odd little man,” Gobi said, staring after him.
“Yes, and a helpful one,” Rolin agreed.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Serenne arrived at their hostel early in the morning and led them all to a practice arena. Kamo worked through drills and tried hard to focus as Serenne repeated the blind target practice from the day before.
“That will have to do,” Serenne said finally. “There’s no use in wearing you out completely before the event starts.”
Tired and hungry, they left the practice arena and headed back to Serenne’s shop. Kamo couldn’t
help but notice the crowds in the streets bustling with excitement. When they arrived at the door, he turned to them.
“I won’t be joining you tonight at the festival,” he said. “I have too much to prepare.”
“What are you preparing for?” Gobi asked.
Serenne smiled. “You’ll see.”
He opened the door to the shop and went inside without another word.
“Come on,” Rolin took Kamo’s hand, and she felt the familiar thrill in her stomach. “Let’s go wait for the festivities to pick up.”
The city was alive with bustle and drama. All the torches were lit, and burly elven men carted fireworks down the streets in bundles of purple and orange. Every Fire elf was wearing the color of his tribe, and the reds and yellows and blues and whites stood out like beacons against the dark of the night sky. Kamo, Rolin, and Gobi walked down the main road toward the center of the town, doing their best to fit in. Everywhere they turned, they encountered elves juggling batons of fire and noble elves shooting sparks from the tips of their fingers into the air above them. Kamo felt the spark of flame in her fingertips and almost itched to join in the fiery display. But she kept her hands tucked away as she walked.
When they entered the town square, she could no longer recognize it as the place they entered just days before. Red banners covered even the ordinary buildings, swaying like flames in the wind. Torches were lit and nestled in the ground every few feet, leaving the area warm and well lit.
“Remember, we’re searching for the king’s tribal colors,” Kamo said as they moved through the crowded square.
Gobi and Rolin nodded, keeping close behind Kamo, their eyes searching through the crowds.
A trumpet called somewhere behind them, and they turned to see a fantastic caravan enter the square. Every cart was draped in orange and purple streamers.
“That must be the king’s party,” Gobi said.
Kamo felt warm with anticipation. Somewhere in that trail of carts, her father, the king, was preparing for the evening. And hopefully, nearby him was the man who could start to give her all the answers she was seeking.
They found a place on the sidewalk in front of a small structure covered in royal purple streamers. The crowds parted to let the caravan pass to the city center, where a ceremonial bonfire would be lit.
Kamo strained her eyes to see through the curtains on each carriage and cart, hoping to catch a glimpse of a shimmering crown. Most carriages only carried men and women in stunning attire—orange silk gowns and violet tunics. Three carriages passed with fancily clad men and women inside when Kamo noticed the fourth. It was ornate, with gold dragons’ heads protruding from the doors and torches lit on each corner, illuminating the sheer curtains beneath them.
There he is.
The king, a man with a polished gold crown and stunning indigo robes and cape, rode in this carriage. She couldn’t see the expression on his face, but she saw the crown. A moment later, the curtain was pulled aside by a woman sitting opposite him, and Kamo saw the most beautiful Fire elf, the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen in her life.
The elven queen wore a silver crown, with rubies set every few inches. Her deep, cherry-red hair fell just past her shoulders in long waves. It should have looked out of place with her olive skin, but the contrast only seemed to enhance her beauty. She smiled and waved to the passing crowd, and Kamo noticed her blood-red lipstick as she blew kisses to the nearest bystanders.
“Wow,” Gobi and Rolin mouthed.
Kamo elbowed them both.
Just before they pulled out of sight, Kamo caught a glance of a third person moving in the carriage. He seemed older by his wrinkled hands, and his hair, though red at one time, no doubt, was fading to a much softer shade of pink and gray.
“I think that’s him,” Kamo said to Gobi and Rolin under her breath.
“The advisor?” Rolin whispered back.
Kamo nodded and fell in with the crowd as they followed the caravan down the street to the center of celebration, the bonfire.
As the caravan approached the ceremonial ring, each of the carriages stopped so their passengers could alight.
Kamo and Rolin were near the back of the crowds. Kamo expected to see the giant pile of logs as they crested a hill, and instead, the elves had constructed a gigantic arena that surrounded the pit and its soon-to-be burned fire. The nobility and their servants ascended to higher seats in the arena while they herded the common elves into the standing room near the action. Kamo watched closely as the king, queen, and advisor were ushered from their carriage to the highest throne at the top of the structure. A young man wearing a bronze crown with rubies followed them, and some elves also dressed in royal garb, but Kamo couldn’t recognize their rank or position. Elves in black tunics surrounded the king until he took his seat high in the top box. They seemed to disappear into the black curtains that made up the entrance to his box.
“Those are the king’s guards,” she informed Rolin and Gobi. “He’s never without them unless he’s in the palace. Sheelo said they are the most well-trained elves in combat and protection. There’s no getting past them to get to the king.”
Gobi swallowed loudly and nodded his head. Rolin stared up at the box, and Kamo imagined him calculating the guards' strength and wit.
“Did you get a better look at the advisor?” Rolin asked quietly.
“No,” she answered, “I got a little distracted.”
When the king stepped from the carriage, she expected him to look stern and unforgiving, but instead, his face was jovial, even kind. He smiled as he held out his hand for the queen, and he laughed heartily as the prince joined them, jumping from the carriage. They seemed like a picturesque family, just in the finest robes she had ever seen.
“Are you all right, Kamo?” Rolin said, putting a steadying hand on her back.
“Mm-hm,” she mumbled, “I just wasn’t prepared to see them acting so much like a family.”
The realization hit her like a gust of wind, and she took a deep breath to steady herself, grateful for Rolin’s supporting hand.
“Elesun looks pretty old,” Gobi said, keeping his eyes on the box above them as they shuffled into the arena.
Kamo’s eyes looked past the royal family to the older gentleman that had been in their carriage. His robes were black, with only a sliver of purple and orange peeking beneath the high black collar. His expression was stern and set, and he stood as firm as an oak tree, with his hands crossed behind his back. Though his hair was that odd mix of pink and gray, his beard and mustache were completely white with age. Even when the king and queen took their seats, he stood in between them, perched between the two thrones. The king gestured to him to take a comfortable cushioned seat to his right, but the man held up a hand in protest and kept his standing post between king and queen. He appeared to be scanning the crowds. What, or who, he searched for, Kamo couldn’t tell, but she suddenly felt as though she wanted to run as far away from here as possible. His beady, nearly black eyes were hungry and ambitious, and Kamo felt them pierce her soul as he spotted her briefly in the crowd. She gasped a breath and looked back at him, but if he saw anything unusual about her, he didn’t show it. His eyes were on her only for a moment before they continued to scan the crowds. Kamo let out her breath and then squinted back to Elesun’s face.
Those eyes... There is something vaguely familiar about Elesun’s eyes. I swear I’ve seen them before.
“Who is he looking for?” Gobi asked.
“I don’t know,” Rolin answered, “but whoever it is, I don’t think it’s us. He looked right at me and just kept searching.”
“Me too,” Kamo said. She was still staring into his face, attempting to stir some memory of where she had seen those beady eyes.
The last of the crowd shuffled in. A hush fell over the arena as the doors closed with a heavy thud.
The king stood from his throne and opened his arms.
“Welcome to the Festival of Flames!�
� he shouted. His voice thundered, and as he uttered the last syllable, the crowds erupted into shouts of joy and laughter and praise.
“Long live the king!” a man shouted from next to Kamo.
“Hail to the flame!” yelled another.
The king let the outbreak continue for a few moments before silencing the crowd with another wave of his hands.
“It is my great honor to be with you tonight to begin the celebration of our glorious heritage!” he called. His voice seemed to be magically amplified around the arena. “We are deeply grateful to be joined tonight by my most trusted advisor, a man who has been more than a friend to me, more than a counselor, more than family, Elesun Amblecrown!”
Elesun stepped from the shadows of the curtains and gave a formal, shallow bow. The crowds clapped courteously, if not enthusiastically.
The Last of the Sea Elves Page 23