by Tamara Moss
Lintang threw up her hands.
‘At least you tried,’ Bayani said.
When the rowboats arrived, Zazi winched the first one up, her immense muscles straining. Captain Shafira, Xiang and Eire climbed onto the deck.
‘Everything go all right, Captain?’ Hewan said.
‘We lived.’
‘What about the lightning bird?’ Dee said.
Captain Shafira gazed across the water, to the forest. ‘Hopefully it landed somewhere safe.’
There was a silence.
Then Captain Shafira turned to Hewan, her tone brisk. ‘We’re going to need you. Quahah’s broken her arm.’
Hewan left to get her kit. Zazi winched up the second rowboat. Captain Kona and Mei helped poor Quahah, who was nursing her broken arm, onto the deck.
Pelita let out a gleeful shriek and ran towards Quahah.
‘Uh-oh,’ Quahah said. Despite being an adult, she was shorter than Pelita, and often ended up sprawled on the floor whenever Pelita barrelled into her.
Captain Kona stepped forward just in time and lifted Pelita up into a hug instead. ‘There’s my little one.’
‘Vuu-Vuu!’ she said, using the nickname she’d given him when he was a mythie. She booped him on the nose.
Quahah hurried down the main hatch while Pelita was occupied.
‘How are you, Captain Kona?’ Lintang said.
He shifted Pelita onto his hip. She was supposed to be eleven years old, but she was so tiny he could hold her like a much younger child.
‘Just call me Kona,’ he said. ‘I don’t think I’m going to be a captain again anytime soon.’
‘Did Governor Jani see you?’ Bayani said.
‘Oh yes.’
Lintang cringed. ‘Was she very mad?’
‘Oh yes. I think those dispatches are going to be changed to Wanted: Dead or Alive.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Lintang said.
Kona smiled grimly. ‘It’s not your fault. I’ve made my choice. I’m with Captain Shafira now.’
Mei kissed Pelita on the temple. ‘And how is my little apprentice?’
Pelita pouted and tapped the claw marks on her cheek.
Mei gasped. ‘What happened?’
While Pelita regaled her and Kona with the tale of the gnome – changed completely from the truth, of course – Lintang approached Captain Shafira.
‘Captain,’ she said hesitantly. ‘Are you going to tell everyone about … what happened in the forest?’
‘You haven’t told anyone yet, have you?’ Captain Shafira said sharply.
‘No, I –’
‘Good.’ At Lintang’s expression, Captain Shafira added, ‘I’ll tell them, but I think you should talk to Bayani and Pelita separately. Bayani especially.’
Lintang nodded. Bayani might get upset hearing about the propheseeds. When he’d encountered them last time, he’d spent almost half a season believing he was going to die. She imagined it would be hard for him to be reminded of it.
‘Thank you,’ Captain Shafira said. ‘Take them into your cabin. When Quahah’s arm has been set, I’ll explain to the others.’
Lintang swallowed hard. ‘It’s only to let them know, though. Because the prophecy won’t come true. You medicated the propheseeds.’
‘Right.’
‘And even though we’ve lost the lightning bird, you’ll still be fine.’
‘Right.’
‘And Eire will never have to become captain, because you’ll always be with us.’ Lintang paused. ‘Right?’
‘Right,’ Captain Shafira said.
Lintang felt a smidge better.
But only a smidge.
Bayani frowned, the lantern casting flickering light across his face. ‘Where Mratzi can’t go?’ he said after Lintang had repeated the prophecy. ‘What does that mean?’
‘I have no idea. What about her second paying the price? I can’t work it out.’
They sat together on Lintang’s circular hammock while Pelita unpacked her sack of clothes into Lintang’s wooden chest. Lintang didn’t bother to stop her.
‘How are you?’ she said, watching Bayani closely. ‘Is this too hard to talk about?’
‘You medicated the propheseeds,’ he said without answering her question. ‘Surely that means the prophecy won’t come true.’
‘I don’t know.’ Lintang hesitated. ‘Can you ask Mratzi?’
He played with a string of her hammock. ‘I’ve never tried to talk to her before. She’s always come to me.’
It seemed profane to demand an audience with the harvester of stars, but he closed his eyes and said, ‘Mratzi?’
Silence, except for a quiet clatter as Pelita put on a necklace with wooden beads. She must’ve taken some of her foster mother’s things while packing.
‘Mratzi,’ Bayani said again. ‘Can you hear me?’
They waited longer. Pelita busily put on a bracelet, two more necklaces and an anklet on each foot. Bayani’s mother was going to have a fit when she discovered all her jewellery missing. Pelita stood up and shook her body so she clacked like maracas.
Bayani opened his eyes. ‘No answer. Maybe she has to be in the area.’
‘You mean if someone’s about to die?’
Bayani’s expression was answer enough.
Lintang got up from the hammock. ‘Let’s find out if anyone else has an idea about the prophecies. Come on, Pelita.’
Pelita followed them, wobbling her limbs like some bizarre jellyfish to keep the jewellery jangling. They entered the mess to tense silence. Captain Shafira wasn’t there.
Everyone turned to Lintang.
‘Did she tell you?’ Lintang said.
‘She did,’ Quahah said. Her arm was wrapped up and her woollen octopus cap was set firmly on her head.
‘Does anyone know what the prophecy means?’ Lintang said. ‘Where’s a place Mratzi can’t go?’
‘There are some possibilities.’ Mei spoke quietly. Her round face was solemn. Kona had an arm over her shoulders.
Pelita rattled over to them and climbed onto Mei’s lap.
‘When’s Marjin’s day?’ Bayani said.
‘It’s a Kanekonese celebration,’ Mei said. ‘At least, it was before the war.’ She stroked Pelita’s hair. ‘The Kanekonese calendar is different to the Vierzan one. I don’t remember exactly when Marjin’s day is, but it’s soon.’
Bayani sank down next to Avalon. ‘If the propheseeds are using a Kanekonese term, doesn’t that mean the prophecy will come to pass in Kaneko Brown?’
‘We tried to argue this with Captain.’ Eire looked sullen. ‘She does not care. We are still going.’
Xiang spoke heavily. ‘She thinks getting allies for Allay is more important. She said there are more lives at stake than just her own.’
‘There’s a chance nothing will happen,’ Lintang said. ‘We medicated the propheseeds.’
‘I have a question,’ Bayani said. ‘The way the prophecies are worded … even if we figure out the second prophecy, can we be sure it will definitely bring Captain Shafira back to our world? It sort of sounded like Mratzi would be able to harvest the captain’s star, but not that she’d be alive.’
‘It depends on what devours her, I suppose,’ Zazi said.
There was a long silence.
‘What do you think the other prophecy means?’ Lintang said. ‘What’s the captain’s second?’
Xiang started to answer, but Eire spoke over her. ‘That is me. I am Captain’s second.’
Of course. First mate – second in command.
‘You have to make a sacrifice,’ Lintang said.
‘An ultimate sacrifice,’ Zazi said. ‘That must mean death. It’s no good – the captain would never let one of us die for her.’
‘I will lay down my life for Captain, no matter what she says.’ Eire’s dark gaze seemed to cut into Lintang. ‘I hope all of you feel same.’
The others shifted uncomfortably, but Lintang didn’t look away. It was as if
Eire were challenging her. Lintang refused to blink.
‘I wish we still had the lightning bird protecting her,’ Mei said, breaking the moment.
Quahah slapped her good hand on the table. ‘Well, we don’t. So that’s enough moping. People have survived without magical protection before, and the captain’s no different. Now, she wanted us to move out. We need to beat the Vierzan navy that’s sure to be headed for us.’
‘But we won’t have the lightning bird keeping us on course anymore,’ Dee said mournfully.
Hewan frowned. ‘Won’t we?’
She got up. Her chair scraped sharply on the floorboards. When she headed out to the passageway, everyone crowded after her.
‘This place is still as big as it used to be,’ she said, gazing around. ‘Even though we decided the lightning bird was making the lower decks wider.’
Mei brightened. ‘Maybe the lightning bird didn’t get hit with Curall, after all.’
‘It definitely got hit,’ Lintang said. ‘We saw it.’
‘But maybe its magic is still working.’ Xiang pointed at Lintang. ‘You still have the fish scale from the sea guardian, don’t you?’
Lintang touched the back of her neck. Everyone who was born on the Twin Islands had the mark of Nyasamdra. Even when the sea guardian had been medicated, the scale stayed where it was.
‘So,’ Xiang said, ‘even though the mythie’s gone, its magic remains.’
Eire scowled. ‘If that is true, prophecy will still happen no matter that Captain medicated propheseeds.’
Lintang lowered her hand from her fish scale.
‘We can’t be sure,’ Xiang said, ‘so let’s focus on that. Now, the captain gave us an order. Mei, Kona, Pelita, to the rigging. Zazi, the helm. Quahah, set a course. We’re going to Kaneko Brown.’
Despite the dread of what was to come, Lintang couldn’t help being grateful to be back on the Winda. Whether it was eating Dee’s interesting food, playing rouls, sleeping on her hammock or walking down the euco-scented passageways, Lintang felt like she was home. She replaced her sarong with pants, a shirt and her usual leather boots from Avalon’s chest of clothes. The boots fit her properly now. She’d also retrieved her sword, which felt friendly and familiar after the clumsiness of the wooden sword she’d used in the village performances.
Captain Shafira had ensured everything carried on as normal. The only difference was that now she practised fighting with Eire on the top deck every day. Eire would come at her with the ferociousness of a warrior, and Captain Shafira would fend her off with her glittering black sword, constantly yelling at Eire to fight harder.
‘What’s the point?’ Yamini muttered. ‘The prophecy said skill has no worth.’
But Lintang understood why the captain was training. She would’ve done the same thing. It was better than sitting around waiting for some king of the earth to devour her.
Lintang, Bayani and Pelita were kept busy with their usual apprenticeships. Bayani continued navigation with Quahah. Pelita joined Mei and Kona on the rigging. Lintang had the overwhelming task of learning under every crew member on a rotating basis. She worked the ropes, studied carpentry, had fighting drills, medic lessons, constellation mapping, cooking – she even had to share some chores with Yamini.
And, while the captain hadn’t ordered it, Lintang requested Kanekonese lessons with Mei and Kona. Bayani wanted to sit in too. They practised after dinner each night, though Mei warned that Lintang would hardly ever be able to use the language because it was forbidden.
Kona had learned it when he was first working for the UR in Kaneko Brown.
‘To find out if the Kanekonese were planning any uprisings behind our backs,’ he’d said with a smile that told Lintang he’d planned plenty of uprisings himself.
‘Why did you betray the UR in the first place?’ Bayani said curiously.
‘Came across a young lady carrying Mratzi idols in secret,’ Kona said. ‘She looked right at me, completely unafraid even though she knew she faced imprisonment. She was barely twenty – she wouldn’t get out of prison until she was in her thirties if I turned her in. But I pretended not to see.’
‘Why?’
‘Because I always found it unfair that the Kanekonese couldn’t worship the Gods. I didn’t know then that the young lady was part of a major rebel group and would approach me later asking for my assistance.’ He and Mei exchanged a look, and Lintang realised Mei was the young lady he’d been talking about.
Kanekonese was difficult because the verbs transformed in all kinds of complex ways. There didn’t seem to be any order to them. The common language was a mix of many different dialects across all the islands. Lintang learned how to introduce herself – Annai a Lintang – and how to ask for directions or help. There was only one pronoun for people – the same word was used for both boys and girls. He, she, ehm. His, hers, ais. Him, her, hua. It was not his or her shoe, but hua shoe.
By far the hardest sessions were endurance training with Eire, but at least with these Lintang could see herself improving over time. When it came to shika with Zazi, she had yet to make any progress. And worse, Yamini insisted on joining the classes.
‘As long as the captain says it’s all right,’ Zazi had said the first time, already seated cross-legged on the top deck beneath the stars.
‘She said it’s fine.’
Lintang ground her teeth. She had enough trouble concentrating with just Bayani and Zazi there. Bayani had a different reason for wanting to learn shika. While Lintang was training to use her connection to Ytzuam to fight, Bayani only wanted to visit it. He was Niti the creator, after all, and he should’ve been able to see his home. He was hoping to retrieve his God memories, except so far he’d had as little luck with clearing his thoughts as Lintang had with clearing hers.
Lintang didn’t mind his presence too much, because he was her best friend, but she still found it difficult to focus on her breathing and keep her mind quiet when it was just the three of them. What would it be like with Yamini there too?
Yamini sat beside Bayani and sniffed as though she were angry it had taken this long to be allowed to join in.
Lintang leaned across Bayani and said to her in a low voice, ‘If you’re going to sniffle all night, can I suggest wiping your nose first? Some of us need silence to concentrate.’
Yamini made a face beneath her flop of hair. ‘Some of you mustn’t be very good, then.’
Lintang snorted softly. Wait until Yamini tried shika for herself. Then she wouldn’t be so arrogant.
‘We will begin,’ said Zazi, and her voice took on that soothing tone she used when teaching. ‘Draw in a long breath through your nose. Allow the air to rush through your body. Let it touch your inner star, and be calm. Lie back, flat on the deck, and gaze at the stars. They are our eventual destination. Breathe in, and out. And in, and out.’
Lintang had fallen asleep on more than one occasion during shika practice, especially after a hard day of training. Today, though, she didn’t doze off. She was determined to beat Yamini. She would clear her mind if it was the last thing she did.
Unfortunately, every time it started to work, her sense of triumph would ripple through the stillness and she’d find herself thinking about how pleased she was. From the annoyed huffs beside her, Bayani must’ve been having a similar problem.
Yamini was quiet through it all. Her breaths were even and slow, just like they were supposed to be. Lintang hoped she’d fallen asleep, and that thought distracted her too.
All in all, it was one of the worst sessions she’d ever had.
‘Sit up,’ Zazi said at last, after the hour was over. ‘Shake off the remnants of shika state that may have touched you, and allow yourself to feel grounded in the world again.’
Lintang grumbled as she bolted upright.
Yamini sat up smoothly, and Zazi said to her, ‘You did well. You’re already quite advanced.’
Yamini looked smug. Lintang wanted to throw something. She woul
d’ve done well too, if it hadn’t been for Yamini.
Zazi turned her attention to Lintang. ‘You haven’t been practising, have you?’
Lintang jumped, caught off guard. ‘Me? Well I … I, er … was pretty busy in Desa …’
Zazi dipped her head, disappointed. Lintang’s face burned. She pretended not to notice Yamini’s smirk.
‘What do you see when you go there?’ Yamini said to Zazi.
‘Stars,’ Zazi said. She was very mysterious about her time in Ytzuam. Unlike Captain Shafira, Mei and Xiang, Zazi didn’t use shika to fight. She actually walked through the country of the Gods and spent time with her ancestors.
‘Do you talk to them?’ Yamini said. ‘The stars?’
‘Only if they reach out to me. We don’t travel all the way to the other world to bother those who shine for eternity.’
‘And some shine brighter, don’t they?’ Yamini said.
‘There are various kinds of stars up there,’ Zazi said. ‘With every choice you make in this world, your growing star either gets brighter, stays the same or shrinks, depending on the goodness, bravery and kindness of the choice. By the time Mratzi harvests living things to put in the sky, their stars are all different sizes and degrees of brightness.’
‘Except if Mratzi can’t find you,’ Lintang said quietly.
Zazi was silent.
‘What does the prophecy mean, Zazi?’ Lintang said. ‘How can a star be lost?’
Zazi considered her answer. ‘There are places – only in myth, mind you – where stars can be trapped. Imagine a tree of ripening fruit picked by a farmer, but one piece falls into a gnome’s burrow, where the farmer can’t reach it.’
‘What kind of places are those?’ Yamini said.
‘It depends on the myth. Mei says that in ancient Kanekonese stories there’s a place called Hallaxa. It’s a shadow world, taking on the appearance of Ytzuam, but instead of stars and Gods, there is only darkness.’
Darkness and woe.
‘That sounds like the prophecy,’ Lintang said.
‘According to Mei, if someone’s star ends up in Hallaxa, they shine by themselves for all time.’