Lintang and the Brightest Star

by Tamara Moss

  A large, single merry light lit up the centre of the stage. A Kanekonese woman stood in the glow, her face painted in pinks, whites and reds. Her jacket had long tails, and her tights were striped green and purple. Her shoes were on spheres that lifted her well above the ground. It must’ve taken some practice to walk in them.

  She bowed to a sea of applause. Lintang clapped too.

  ‘Qourees,’ Mei breathed. She had moved her chair beside Lintang, her gaze fixed on the woman below.

  ‘Welcome,’ Qourees said, and although her voice was small, something about the room made it seem clear and echoing. ‘Welcome to Volant Reverie.’

  Another wave of applause.

  ‘We’ve been lucky enough to be travelling for over twenty years,’ said Qourees, ‘which means we’ve performed in two eras, both before and after Kaneko Brown joined the UR.’ She bowed in acknowledgement to several Vierzans closest to the stage. ‘We’ve used what we’ve learned over this time to bring you the best, most accomplished tricks of this age. Please enjoy the show, and remember: it’s only real if you want it to be.’

  She twirled, her coattails spinning behind her, and made as if to stalk away, but –

  ‘She’s gone,’ Lintang said as smoke billowed across the stage. People murmured in surprise. ‘She just … disappeared. How did she do that?’

  Mei’s lips twitched fondly. ‘Qourees has been doing that trick for years.’

  Blue smoke furled beneath the single merry light, growing thicker and thicker until it was like fog.

  ‘Solasta,’ said a voice that seemed to slither through the room, ‘the tamer of fyredragons.’

  Lintang straightened. Had the voice said dragons?

  More applause as the yellow lanterns grew bright again. The blue smoke gave the stage an eerie appearance. Lintang searched the room, trying to figure out how they were changing the lights, but her attention fell to the girl walking onto the stage, wearing a dress of luminous turquoise. Her hair was pink and piled on top of her head. Five glowing creatures slithered in the air around her like large flying snakes. Lintang leaned forward to see better.

  The girl, Solasta, lifted her face and Lintang caught a glimmer of studs around her left eye in the shape of a star. Music started up from somewhere below.

  Solasta lifted her arm and the glowing fyredragons swirled up in beautiful, concentric circles like the spiral of a long shell. The music changed, and so did the dance of the fyredragons. They swarmed in different directions, over heads and around the ropes between balconies. A collective ‘ohhhh’ went up, along with a few shrieks. Lintang watched one of the creatures snake in the air right by her. She reached out, her fingers just missing as it slipped away, returning to its tamer.

  ‘Why are they using mythies?’ she said.

  ‘Solasta has been collecting fyredragons all her life,’ Mei said. ‘She only had four when I left, though – she must’ve picked up another one.’

  ‘But why haven’t they changed them back? Those are people!’

  ‘The circus would make more gemstones with mythies,’ Yamini said from behind them. She nodded at the audience, some of whom were leaning right over the balcony to see. ‘The Vierzans like them.’

  Lintang snorted. ‘The Vierzans in Zaiben were terrified of mythies.’

  ‘The Vierzans in Zaiben haven’t lived with them day in, day out like we have,’ Mei said. ‘And besides, everyone likes a thrill of fear in their circuses.’

  Lintang twisted her mouth and didn’t reply. What would the people who were the fyredragons say once they were eventually turned back?

  The crowd gasped in delight as a dragon slithered in front of Solasta, allowing her to jump on. She rode it the way someone would ride an enormous flying python – at least until the acrobatics started. She stood, jumped from one dragon to another, spun and twirled and danced. The mythies followed her rhythm, pulsing in time with her movements. The audience was won over.

  And that was just the beginning.

  Every act was incredible. Acrobats walked and flipped on the ropes between balconies, just like Mei did on the rigging of the Winda. A tiny woman lifted a large Vierzan man using her own strength. Young twins, barely Lintang’s age, did incredible routines. They stood on one another, flipped to land on buckets, spun from ropes, tossed delicate plates onto each other’s heads. Lintang watched with her knuckles stuffed in her mouth to keep from crying out. She was tempted to shut her eyes so she wouldn’t see them fall. But they never fell. They never made a mistake. None of the performers did.

  Halfway through the show, a funny-dressed man with large shoes and a round nose chased a chicken across the stage, trying to hit it with an overly large hammer. The audience laughed. Pelita would’ve liked it.

  A slender girl came out to many cheers. She was obviously a favourite. She was decked in a form-fitting purple outfit, and had a scary mask with a beak. There were hoops all over her body – her waist, her neck, her wrists, her ankles. She rolled around the rink on wheeled shoes, throwing and catching the hoops as easily as walking.

  An enormous man was next. He had spiky wire around his shoulders and neck, and barbs through his tongue. He brought out a fierce animal that had the same stripy body as the cloud beast. The animal tried to eat the man several times during the act. The man dodged out of the way, then calmed it with a melodic humming.

  It was hard to believe this had once been Mei’s world.

  At the end of the show, hundreds of fat, red birds as small as pixies darted out from backstage, collecting shiny gems tossed into the air by the audience.

  ‘They’re called redbells,’ Mei said. ‘Very useful birds.’

  She gave Lintang and Yamini purple- and yellow-striped gems to throw. Birds caught them with spindly claws and soared away.

  Lintang felt as tense as if she’d battled a predator mythie. She placed a hand over her heart to make sure it was still beating while everyone filed out of the circus, filled with chatter and cheer.

  ‘What did you think?’ Mei said.

  Lintang tried to put the experience into words. ‘It was like a dream come to life.’

  ‘Most of the acts are different from when I was here. Lavandula, the hoop girl, used to walk around the stage with blades on the bottom of her shoes instead of wheels. And the acrobat routine has changed, of course.’ Mei swallowed hard and continued on in a forced cheerful tone. ‘But a few acts are the same. Barballo – the man from the last act – always works with tigris.’ She eyed the empty stage curiously. ‘I haven’t seen those young twins before. Qourees must’ve picked up new orphans since I left. I wonder if they’re helping the Scorpalla like I used to?’

  ‘Well,’ said Yamini, ‘no point hanging around talking about it. Let’s go find out.’

  The place was almost empty when Lintang reached the centre stage. A few workers were mopping bird droppings from the floor, wiping tables on the balconies, or picking up half-finished drinks in crystal glasses. Some of the blue smoke still lingered. The yellow lanterns were shining brightly again.

  Lintang stared up and up and up at the balconies. She couldn’t imagine performing in front of so many strangers, especially dangerous tricks like the ones she’d seen tonight. It was different putting on a show in Desa – she knew most of the people watching, and had been too busy concentrating on not getting thwapped by a wooden sword to worry about her audience.

  Mei stepped onto the stage and closed her eyes, inhaling deeply.

  ‘You used to perform like the acrobats,’ Lintang said, realising, properly, what it meant that Mei had once been part of the circus. ‘You used to twirl and dance and stuff … up there.’ She pointed at the ropes strung above them.

  ‘Once,’ Mei said. Her voice was heavy, her gaze thoughtful.

  ‘You miss it,’ Yamini said.

  ‘It was … a home. But the Winda is home too.’

  Lintang knew exactly how she felt.

  ‘Mei?’ Qourees, who had introduced the show, stepp
ed onto the stage. She was still wearing her long coattail and colourful tights, but her makeup had been wiped off and her high shoes were gone. Her body looked too small for her clothes now. A fragrant, powdery smell drifted from her. Mei turned, and when Qourees saw her face, she gasped. ‘It is you!’

  ‘Hello, Qourees,’ Mei said, smiling.

  Qourees seized Mei’s arms to examine her. ‘It’s been many years, and yet age has not touched you. How are you, pippit?’

  ‘I’m well,’ Mei said. ‘And wanting a word.’ She glanced around at the people still cleaning. ‘In private, if you don’t mind.’

  Qourees nodded. ‘Backstage.’

  She regarded Lintang and Yamini before leading them through a flap in the fabric. Immediately, the smoky atmosphere was gone, replaced with the bright white of merry lights and the bustle of people in dark blue uniforms cleaning wheeled shoes and polishing spikes and feeding a slab of meat to the tigris in its cage. Performers were either in their costumes with their makeup wiped off, or out of their costumes but faces still painted in the bright colours from their acts. Red birds chirruped and darted around the speckled ceiling. Pink-haired Solasta stood in the corner, filling up a trough of water with her fyredragons hovering around her.

  The chatter faded as people noticed Mei. Their faces flashed with recognition before their gazes fell to Yamini, and Lintang with her hood still up. The air changed, suddenly charged with suspicion.

  But the silence broke as Solasta let out a joyful cry. ‘Mei?’ she said. ‘Mei, is that you?’

  She rushed over, her fyredragons following. Lintang tensed as one slithered towards her, its silvery-blue scales glistening in the lights.

  ‘They won’t hurt you,’ Solasta said when the fyredragon curled around Lintang. ‘That’s Alis, saying hello.’

  ‘Hello,’ Lintang said to the dragon, but she made sure to stand very still, just in case. The other fyredragons ribboned in the air above them.

  ‘They want you to ride them,’ Solasta said with a laugh.

  ‘Ride them?’

  Mei smiled. ‘The Vierzans are all impressed that Solasta has somehow managed to tame fyredragons, not realising they’re the most helpful mythies in all of Kaneko Brown.’

  Solasta hugged her. ‘What’s taken you so long to visit? How’s life on the ship? Any news from Captain Shafira?’ Now Lintang was looking at Solasta properly, she could see that her left eye, with the studded star around it, had an orange iris, while the right eye was brown.

  Alis was still wending around Lintang like a python. Yamini smirked as if enjoying Lintang’s discomfort.

  ‘Not now, Sol,’ Qourees said, ushering Mei along.

  Solasta seemed downcast. But she whistled for Alis, who unfurled from Lintang and returned to its water trough with the others.

  Lintang followed Qourees through a door. Qourees shut it firmly behind them. They were in an ordinary room with a desk, two chairs, a cabinet and stacks of metal sheets. It felt so plain compared to the extravagance of the show. A merry light on the wall provided illumination. The only thing that stood out were the trinkets all over the room. Every surface was scattered with stuff. Padlocks and brooches and pearls and tiny bottles and a teapot holding a plant. It reminded Lintang of Mei’s room, which had a wooden chest overflowing with knick-knacks.

  Inked pieces of papil were stuck to the walls. They had pictures of the tree-like exterior of the circus, or the performers, or Solasta with her fyredragons. All pictures had the words Volant Reverie across the top and information about seasons and places of performances.

  ‘It’s a bit squashy, I’m sorry,’ Qourees said, sitting at the chair on the other side of the desk. ‘We could go to one of the rooms upstairs, but I expect you’ll want to be in and out as quickly as possible.’

  ‘Why are you using mythies in your show?’

  Everyone turned to Lintang, who had lowered her hood. She’d been bursting to ask since the moment she’d seen the fyredragons on stage. Mei frowned at her.

  ‘We have a permit,’ Qourees said. ‘The Vierzans have allowed us to keep them as mythies.’

  ‘Why?’

  Qourees spread her hands in a half-hearted gesture. ‘Most Vierzans rarely encounter mythies. It’s a thrill for them.’

  ‘But they’re people! Those dragons are real people. You can’t just use them like that!’

  Qourees laughed bitterly. She seemed to find something darkly amusing about Lintang’s argument.

  ‘Lintang,’ Mei scolded. ‘Qourees, I apologise, we’re not here to tell you how to run your show. This is Lintang of Desa, and Yamini of Zaiben. They travel with me on the Winda. We’re here on behalf of Captain Shafira to talk to you about Allay.’

  ‘Allay?’ Qourees’s brow wrinkled. ‘What do I have to do with Allay?’

  ‘We’re looking for allies. The Zulttania wants to make a stand against the UR, and she needs support.’

  ‘The Zulttania of Allay wants our help?’

  ‘As many Scorpalla as you can gather, for a summit happening soon,’ Mei said.

  Qourees hesitated.

  ‘We’re going to stop the Vierzans for good,’ Lintang said. ‘If we have enough people –’

  ‘I’m sorry.’ Qourees stood abruptly. ‘What you ask. It’s … It’s too much. You must understand.’ She started for the door. ‘Thank you for visiting, but it’s best for all of us if you left, and never came back.’

  ‘What?’ Mei sounded hurt. ‘Qourees, why …?’

  Qourees swung to Mei, her hand on the doorknob. ‘You don’t know.’ She looked at them in amazement, as if something had clicked inside her head. ‘You really don’t know.’

  ‘What don’t we know?’ Mei said.

  ‘By the Gods,’ Qourees whispered. ‘You came here with no knowledge … Oh, this is dreadful. You need to leave. Now. Right now.’

  Mei stepped forward. ‘What is it, Qourees?’

  ‘Mei,’ Qourees said, her voice quavering, ‘the lo fali-air has been awakened.’

  THE MYTHIE GUIDEBOOK ENTRY #23: Disgraced God (Kaneko Brown)

  The Disgraced God (lo fali-air) is a predator beyond the scope of ordinary mythies. In Kanekonese legends, it is considered a fourth God. It is a massive beast that walks on all fours and can be roughly described as canine, though it has four eyes and a reptilian tail and tongue. The fires of a volcano can be seen through the tendons of its thick, muscular neck. Its claws alone are said to be the size of a fully-grown human. It wears a coat of impenetrable armour.

  Diet: Human stars.

  Habitat: Mount Railin in Jafir.

  Frequency: Single entity.

  Behaviour: When it is called to this world, the Disgraced God travels across Kaneko Brown, devouring the brightest stars.

  Eradication: Unknown.

  Did you know? The Disgraced God can be controlled by tethering your star to it.

  Danger level: 10

  No one said anything at first. Then –

  ‘No,’ Mei said, and sank into the visitor’s chair. She buried her face in her hands.

  ‘What’s the lo fali-air?’ Yamini said.

  Mei moaned.

  ‘It’s a mythie,’ Lintang said, stunned. ‘The only category ten in The Mythie Guidebook.’

  Yamini straightened. ‘You mean the Disgraced God? That’s the lo fali-air?’ She spun to Qourees. ‘That’s here?’

  Mei uncovered her face. She stared at the desk without seeming to see it. ‘I was so afraid,’ she whispered. ‘So afraid this was what it meant.’

  ‘What what meant?’ Lintang said nervously. There wasn’t a whole lot of information about the lo fali-air in the guidebook, and she didn’t like the expression on Mei’s face.

  ‘It’s an old myth.’ Mei looked as if she’d been defeated already, the way she was slumped in her chair, her eyes unfocused. ‘According to Kanekonese legends, there were four Gods, not three, in the beginning. The fourth was only known as The Unnamed One. He worked to help Mratzi harvest st
ars for the sky, but he only wanted to harvest the biggest, brightest ones. Mratzi wanted to harvest them all.’

  Qourees picked up the story. ‘The two Gods fought, until The Unnamed One became so angry he turned into a vicious beast. The other three cast him out of Ytzuam and into a shadow realm called Hallaxa, and he became the lo fali-air, the Disgraced God. There are stories of him being freed from Hallaxa, either by his own strength or by the help of an evil human. To get revenge on Mratzi, whenever he returns to this world, he eats the brightest stars he can find so she can’t harvest them.’

  ‘And,’ Mei said softly, ‘once a star is devoured by the lo fali-air, it ends up in the shadow realm. In Hallaxa.’

  Lintang gasped.

  ‘He’s known on the island of Jafir as the king of the mountain, because he lives on their sacred Mount Railin,’ Mei said.

  Yamini and Lintang exchanged glances.

  Queen of the seas faces king of the earth.

  ‘So this thing has eaten all the bright stars in Kaneko Brown?’ Lintang said.

  ‘No,’ Qourees said. ‘A Vierzan got to it first.’

  Yamini frowned. ‘What does that matter?’

  ‘Many Kanekonese mythies can be controlled if you know the lore,’ Mei said. ‘It’s a cultural thing – that we can tame the most fearsome of beasts if we know how. The lo fali-air is no exception. If you tether your star to it, you can send it after any enemy within Kaneko Brown.’

  ‘It’s a dreadful thing, to bind your star to the lo fali-air. You become warped and corrupted.’ Qourees grimaced. ‘The Vierzan who did so won’t shine brightly when Mratzi harvests him.’

  ‘Then why would he do such a thing?’ Lintang said. ‘Why would he damage his immortal star?’

  Qourees smiled bleakly. ‘I suppose it shows how badly he wants to control the Kanekonese.’

  Lintang shivered and hugged herself. How could anyone be so evil?

  ‘When he gets word of rebel uprisings, all he has to do is say the name of the leader and –’ Qourees snapped her fingers ‘– the lo fali-air travels to their village or city and devours them, star and all.’