Strength

by Angela B. Macala-Guajardo

  “What is it?” Aerigo said.

  ‘I need you to go to Phailon for me. Something’s not right.’

  “Why can’t you go? Rox and I haven’t the time to spare.”

  ‘I know,’ Leviathan said. ‘But neither do I.’

  Aerigo hesitated, then said, “Can it be ignored?”

  ‘No! The evil there is growing as we speak. I wouldn’t have bothered you if it wasn’t that important.’

  “Isn’t there anyone else you can send?”

  Roxie’s heart tugged at her to go to Phailon. She didn’t want anything to happen to the beautiful city. She could feel Leviathan’s distress through their mental link.

  ‘Aerigo!’ Leviathan said in a pained voice, then fell silent, as if reluctant to say more. Seconds ticked by in dreadful silence and he whispered, ‘My icon is there.’

  Aerigo took an unsteady breath, his eyes flashing yellow. “Where is it?”

  ‘It’s the geometric teardrop floating above the giant pillar in the center of Phailon. Please don’t let anything happen to either that or the pillar holding it up. Hurry!’

  Aerigo nodded. Roxie felt like an invisible hand removed itself from her forehead. “What’s so important about Leviathan’s icon?”

  Aerigo grabbed Roxie’s hand and yanked her into motion. They darted among the trees laid out like a labyrinth. “If you destroy a god’s icon, you kill the god, or so the legend goes. I’ve never heard of anyone’s icon being found before.”

  “Maybe we should look for Nexus’s after we save Leviathan’s.”

  “Rox, I don’t even know where Baku’s is.”

  ***

  “I’m sorry to see both of you leaving so soon,” Antares said to Roxie and Aerigo.

  “I’m sorry, too, Antares,” Aerigo said. “Thank you for your hospitality. Your cooks are the best, as always. And thanks for replenishing our packs, too.” The three of them crossed the entrance hall, and the doors opened for them.

  “I take it you got what you needed from King Maharaja?” They stopped at the top of the stone stairs.

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Last night I dreamed of a gathering darkness beyond the borders of Drio. I sent Mick and Jack to investigate this morning. I fear our peace with the Balvadiers has come to an end. If so, then my people are caught unprepared.”

  Roxie sent her mind vision north of Drio and saw grey outlines of two men running as fast as their short legs could carry them. Mick and Jack. Aerigo’s snarl snapped Roxie’s vision back to the temple. His eyes burned red.

  Mick’s horror-filled voice echoed from the temple’s north side. “The Balvadiers are coming! They’re armed!”

  “Prepare yourselves!” Jack shouted.

  Roxie and Aerigo rushed to one side of the temple. Mick and Jack ran before an approaching army cresting the horizon. A bristling forest of spears and a sea of banners rode the giant, mooring mass of shields and uniforms. Roxie heard Aerigo whisper, “Not again.”

  “What do we do now?” Roxie asked nervously. Both of them were needed in two places at once.

  Aerigo bolted towards Mick and Jack.

  Before he could clear the temple platform, someone landed in front of his path, causing the rock under Roxie’s feet to vibrate, and Aerigo skidded to a halt. Maharaja growled with narrowed eyes. Aerigo took a step back.

  “I told you to ignore the Balvadiers, Aerigo,” Maharaja said with an edge to his voice. The two gave each other challenging stares. Roxie backed up, expecting them both to break into a fight, an Aigis versus a tiger more than a head taller, twice as heavily built, and able to send people into trances with a look. Maharaja pulled back his ears and bared his teeth, hissing.

  Aerigo bowed his head and hunched his shoulders.

  “Do not to go to this city I see in your mind. I sense a trap.”

  Antares ran past Aerigo and the King for an animal horn hanging on a temple pillar, and brought it to his lips. The Druid sounded a single powerful note that echoed off the temple walls, the city gates, and the surrounding mountains. He sounded three more long blasts, their echoes carrying along the Fire Mountains to the southern cities. Roxie stuck a finger in each ear to get the ringing in her head to go away.

  “Even if it is a trap,” Aerigo said gravely, “I still have to go.”

  The air suddenly felt like the pressure was dropping and Roxie looked up. A powerful presence like Baku’s and Din’s emanated from clear blue sky. A black dot became visible, then grew and began to take shape. Snakelike, with a great expanse of wing on either side, a mighty dragon bore into view.

  “Beloriah!” Antares exclaimed. “Our god has come to save us!”

  “Listen to my warning,” Maharaja said to Aerigo. Roxie peeled her eyes from the first real dragon she’d ever seen, finding the King’s voice irresistible to ignore. “I sense much death if you choose to go to the white city.”

  “There’ll be even more death if I don’t.” Aerigo glanced at Antares, whose eyes were stuck on the dragon flying towards them. Beloriah landed just north of the city, causing a tremor that even the Balvadiers must have felt. For a moment Roxie feared the temple was about get shaken from its foundation.

  The dragon’s sheer size left Roxie staring with her mouth agape. Beloriah was nearly as big as Mount Azriel, and when he spread his leathery wings, they seemed to span the mountain range. He let out a thunderous roar and then slashed a mountain with his tail. Trees were felled and dirt slid down the slope.

  The dragon god’s next guttural roar was laced with fury. “Evil spies of Nexus!” he yelled, glaring at the gash he’d made.

  Roxie sent her mind vision to the gash and saw someone even older than Aerigo lying on the ground.

  Beloriah rounded on the army. “And you! Fools! Put down your weapons and stop this madness! There are real enemies elsewhere.”

  “I hope you’re right, Aerigo,” Maharaja said gently to Aerigo. “My heart begs you not to go. I fear you’ll lose more than you can bear.”

  Roxie felt Aerigo’s eyes on her. He turned back to the King and clenched his fists. “The future isn’t set in stone,” Aerigo said, then turned and walked away. “Let’s go, Rox.” He put a hand on Roxie’s shoulder and held out his other in front of them.

  “But the past is Aerigo,” Maharaja said. “The past is… Be careful.” The King left as quickly as he came.

  For a moment Aerigo hesitated, but then he set his face into a determined expression and squeezed Roxie’s shoulder.

  ***

  Nexus sensed Kabiroas arrive in his realm and summoned the Elf to right in front him in midair. Kabiroas looked at him, flinched, looked past his booted feet, then started flailing like a drowning person.

  “Is he coming?” Nexus asked.

  “Y-yes,” Kabiroas said between gasps. “Please put me down!”

  The Elf had gone rather pale under his scratches and bruises. “You look like you’ve been clubbed by a troll. What happened?”

  “Beloriah happened,” Kabiroas said unhappily. “He sensed our presence. H-he killed Sodo. Nexus, I don’t like heights.”

  “Oh well. You’re still alive and whole,” Nexus said, heedless of the bleeding bruise on the Elf’s forehead. He darted his attention to a few hundred yards before the city’s main gate. Aerigo and the girl had arrived. Their minuscule frames bolted for the stone bridge, and Nexus’s chest swelled with hate. His fingers itched to wrap around the Aigis’ neck and squeeze. So close… “It’s almost time to compete for the reward. You’ll be joining Dakar and Gilonas. You will wait there for my command to advance.”

  “Y-yes, Nexus.”

  Nexus flicked a wrist, transporting Kabiroas to where the other Elves waited. He gazed at the buildings shrouded in fog and fading light. Phailon looked like it had been partially swallowed by a murky ocean. “I want our prey to be deep into our trap with no way out,” he whispered to himself.

  Chapter 23

  An unsettling fog greeted Roxie and Aerigo when th
ey entered Phailon, changing their movements from urgent to wary. Half the population seemed to have gathered on the streets and sidewalks, all gossiping and trying to make sense of a fog that existed only inside Phailon’s walls.

  The street lamps and building windows poured out modest light, and the evening sun’s rays could be seen clawing at the top half of the buildings through the thinner patches of fog. The air felt chill, putting everyone in a state of unease. No one spoke above a whisper.

  Roxie hurried along behind Aerigo, having difficulty keeping up. Every block was clogged with nervous people. Both of them were moving at what felt like a fast jog to them, but was faster than a human could run, and she found herself beginning to fall behind. She couldn’t navigate the crowds as smoothly as Aerigo. She reached out with her mind to keep track of his path, but couldn’t sense him anywhere.

  Roxie couldn’t even sense the people she brushed by. “Aerigo! Stop!” His silhouette stopped and turned around. “I can’t see!”

  “What do you mean?”

  Roxie stood a handbreadth from him. “Try to locate me with your mind.” Aerigo’s brows furrow in concentration, then his eyes widened.

  “It’s the fog!” He brought his hands level to his chest and pressed his fingertips together. “Bear with me a moment,” he said and closed his eyes.

  Roxie rubbed the goose bumps on her arms.

  Aerigo stood quiet, concentrating, then spoke in a commanding voice. “Ghedus ard moranon!” He flung his arms sideways as he spoke the last syllable, and his voice echoed along the city block. People looked at them.

  The fog began to recede and Aerigo stayed still with his eyes closed and arms outstretched. Shocked and excited whispers could be heard all around them as the fog dispersed, but then they turned into gasps and cries of alarm. The fog paused in its retreat and hovered in place. Aerigo grunted, his face creased with strain, veins pulsing in his temple. The fog started creeping its way back over them.

  Gasping, Aerigo snapped his eyes open and him arms fell limp at his sides.

  “Are you okay?” Roxie asked.

  He grabbed his canteen and took a big gulp. “I’ll be fine. I just didn’t put enough energy into it.” He rubbed his temple and looked at the blotched-out sky. “We need to make a detour to Rooke’s.”

  “What for? I thought we were going straight to the center of Phailon.”

  “We will after Rooke’s. C’mon!” Resuming their fast jog, Aerigo backtracked two blocks. Roxie took hold of one of his hands, not wanting to take any chances. He glanced at her, but said nothing as he accepted it.

  ***

  The fog had grown thicker by the time the two Aigis slipped between sliding glass doors. Aerigo called out Rooke’s named and a gruff voice yelled, “Be right down!” Catching a hint of fear in Rooke’s voice, Roxie and Aerigo exchanged concerned looks.

  Rooke zipped down his spiral staircase holding a newspaper. When he clapped his eyes on his guests, his feet became rooted to the bottom step. Roxie thought he was going to have a heart-attack, but the stout man broke into a tearful smile. “Thank the gods you’re here!” He slipped past his desk, dropped the newspaper, seized Roxie’s hands and kissed them. He turned to Aerigo and hugged his friend. “In all my life I’ve never been happier to see both of you!” He stepped back. “What stroke of luck brings you back on an evening like this?”

  “Something’s going on,” Aerigo said. “Rox and I have been sent here to investigate.”

  “Thank Leviathan!”

  Literally, Roxie thought.

  “Why’d you come to my store? Shouldn’t you be trying to get to the bottom of that eerie fog?”

  “I need to borrow your kulinga,” Aerigo said.

  “My kulinga? You can run faster than the thing.” Rooke sounded like he was reluctant to part with his vehicle.

  “The fog is blinding. I need to see where I’m going and to conserve energy.”

  “Fine. The two of you can use it,” Rooke said resignedly.

  “Rox is staying with you.”

  “I am?” Roxie said. “No, I’m not! You’re taking me with you.” Maharaja had told her to stay at Aerigo’s side at all times. This had to be one of the worst times to ignore such guidance.

  “I want you to stay safe,” Aerigo said, pointing at the floor.

  “But can’t I help? Isn’t this what all that training was for?”

  Aerigo thought for a long moment, then looked at Roxie and Rooke individually. “If it gets too dangerous, I’m sending you right back here.”

  “Let me go find my keys,” Rooke said. “I’ll be right back.” He disappeared up the stairs.

  Roxie picked up the newspaper left on the desk. The text consisted of a tight complex of squiggly and angular lines. She wondered what it said. In the center of the page was a large photo of a man holding a fish nearly the same size as himself in both hands. He wore a big grin on his shaggy face. “Can you read this?” she asked Aerigo.

  He stood behind her and peered at the black and white page. “No. I haven’t learned to read every language I’ve picked up,” he said regretfully. “I haven’t really had the time to.”

  “Do you like to read?” she asked, leafing through the pages.

  “It’s an essential skill, but I’ve never really read for pleasure.”

  Rooke came down the stairs jingling the keys in one hand. He reached the desk and tossed them to Aerigo, who caught them with one hand. “I expect to get my kalinga back in perfect condition, you hear?”

  Aerigo nodded.

  “And since I’m doing you a favor, could you do me a favor and check on Gem for me? I just want to know if she’s okay. I tried to phone her, but the lines are down.”

  “Where is she?”

  Rooke bent down behind his desk and rummaged around, then popped back up with a large piece of rolled parchment. He untied the string and unfurled it on top of the desk.

  The parchment had a detailed map of Phailon drawn in black ink. The title and the map’s key had been written in the same language as the newspaper with a calligraphy pen. Phailon itself was built inside a circle with a wall and moat surrounding it. And the streets were laid in a tidy grid fashion, the roads running north-to-south or east-to-west. Some roads near the wall were curved, and a few close to the heart of the city went diagonally.

  Rooke turned the map so both Aigis could read it right-side up and tapped a thick finger on the page. “We’re here,” he said, pointing at the bottom-right quadrant. “And Gem is here.” He moved his hand to the upper-left quadrant. “Gem’s clothing store is across the street from Trent University. You can’t miss it. It should take no more than twenty minutes to get there. The bike’s out back.”

  Aerigo grimaced but he nodded. “I’ll make sure your wife’s alright.”

  “Thanks,” he said. “Gem’s probably buried herself in her work room. It’s likely she hasn’t noticed this fog. Don’t forget to take care of yourselves in the process. I’ll have fresh clothes waiting for you whenever you get back.”

  ***

  There was a lone kulinga in the little parking lot in the back of the building. It was white and resembled an oversized Sea-do with aerodynamic curves and no wheels. Sitting on the black leather seat were two round, shiny helmets.

  “Are you sure it’s a good idea to find Gem?” Roxie asked.

  “It’s not a good idea,” Aerigo said. “But I can’t say no to him. He and his wife have done too much for me.”

  “But still,” Roxie said and dropped her voice to a whisper. “Isn’t what we originally came here to protect far more important?”

  “Since when are you the expert of right and wrong?” Aerigo snapped.

  Roxie flinched. “I’m sorry. I—”

  “Stop,” Aerigo said gently, turning around. “I apologize. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

  “It’s okay. You’re under a lot of stress.”

  “Maharaja didn’t agree with me going here and now you’re q
uestioning my choices.” He picked up a helmet and handed one to Roxie. “I’m just trying to keep everyone alive.” He clapped the other on his head as he took the driver’s seat. When the key turned in the ignition the machine made a low whirring noise that slowly got higher in pitch. Aerigo looped the straps of his pack and canteen over one shoulder and under the other.

  Roxie secured her pack and canteen, and looked at her visor. “In high school I always tried to help everyone with whatever was wrong. It was hard—trying to make everyone feel happy, that is. But I still tried, determined to show everyone that things will turn out okay. However, some people just didn’t want to be cheered up.” Roxie stared at her skewed reflection, her face squashed and stretched like a deformed banana. “In the midst of my efforts I lost my best friend. She’d committed suicide. I failed to save her.”

  “I’m sorry to hear,” Aerigo said.

  “It hurt a lot to lose my best friend. And it still does. But my grandmother told me something worth keeping in mind. She said, ‘no matter how hard you try you can’t save everyone, and at the very least you should save yourself. You’re no use to anyone if you’re dead.’” She looked at Aerigo’s visor. “It makes sense to me.”

  “It does. I’ll keep what your grandmother said in mind. Now, please put on your helmet and get on.”

  Roxie attempted to squeeze her helmet on, but it wouldn’t fit past her nose and ears. She pressed it down with her fingertips but stopped when the helmet got wedged against the bridge of her nose. “Can I have a little help, here? I’m afraid to break it.”

  “Keep your eyes closed.”

  Roxie squeezed her eyes shut. There was a thunk atop her head and the helmet slipped all the way on. Something pressed lightly against her eyelids, preventing her from opening them. She flung her arms out. “Aerigo! I can’t—” Her vision returned. “See?” She stopped talking and went blind again. “What the—?”

  “These are specially designed helmets,” Aerigo explained, his voice sounding mechanical through the helmet. “These kulingas move really fast and stop almost instantaneously. You don’t want your eyes falling out of their sockets when you stop like that.”