by A D Lombardo
Delicate fog rolled around them. “Weathervanes—of course, they are here,” Kai sighed.
Just as he processed the arrival of the fog, vines twisted and crept in their direction. Rayna lashed at the vines, cutting each as they reached out. “The Kodama are here too!”
The bear roared and charged. Beast against beast, the Beastmasters clashed together.
Creatures lunged. Kai slashed, kicked, and punched anything that came near. Rayna stood at his back. She slashed at vines that snaked across the ground. Several wrapped around the hind legs of the shuk on their side. Rayna hacked them away. A few pulled at her, dragging her from the group. She fought back and scurried back inside the circle of wolves.
Ryker fought in beast form and attacked another shuk. The wolf pack snapped and bit at the other animals if they came close. The alpha clamped his jaws around a leopard and shook its head violently left and right. Dazed, the leopard limped away. The other wolves grabbed at a shuk outside their circle and tore apart chunks of flesh. Rayna screamed in terror as the animal yelped in pain.
Ryker, the larger shuk, swatted his meaty paw at another shuk, sending his opponent to the ground. The black beast snapped its jaws around the neck of the bear. It pinned the raging bear to the ground, and the bear tried to scrabble for freedom with its massive claws.
An eagle flew and pecked in Kai’s direction, swinging its talons around to claw at Kai’s face. Kai ducked and swung his sword behind his head. The blade sliced through its wing. The poor bird slumped to the ground, screeching in pain. Right before his eyes, the eagle changed back into a man. Dumbfounded, the man clutched at his detached arm and fled into the fog.
The golden tips of Sabastian’s wings glided around them. With precision, he dropped his eagle form, landed on another guardian, punched him in the skull and flew away. Davi was right, Kai thought, the man has impressive control over his change. He was glad Sabastian was on his side.
Smoke charged a leopard. Smoke was clawed across the snout and yelped in pain, but then he attacked again, biting the side of the leopard. Kai watched this unfold and furiously ran his sword through the leopard’s hind leg and kicked him. It yelped and hobbled away.
More eagles darted at their heads. Kai pulled the silver throwing stars from his belt with his free hand and flung them one after the other. Each star struck a bird: one in the shoulder and one in the lower leg. They flew away haphazardly.
Anger welled in the pit of Kai’s stomach. The guardians had pushed and pushed. This was more than the usual Conhaspriga, more than the usual rite of passage. This was not fair. He yelled out, “STOP! ENOUGH.”
Kai bowed his head and dropped to his knees. The lead shuk growled at the others to step away. Smoke and the alpha closed in around Kai and Rayna. “You’ve done enough. Do you honestly mean to kill us?” Kai spat. “I never wanted to hurt any of you. This is not what our rite of passage was meant to be—a deathmatch. It was meant to test our spirit, our determination, and test our fears. You’ve gone too far.”
The remaining beasts growled in response. Furious, Kai dug deep and connected to the energy emanating within his spirit, but he needed more. A pressure built in his chest. He drew on the lifeforce around him, the magic blossomed. From the air, he pulled, and Kai felt the void created by the Lumens bend. Before he even knew what he was doing, he reached out to every living thing—plants and animals alike. The grass under his knees wilted. The animals in front of him shuddered and stepped back. He felt the power he collected amplify within his soul. It felt powerful.
Livid, Kai slammed both fists into the ground, and with it, he channeled all his fury. A blast of light-filled energy emanated outward, momentarily blinding everyone. The bear, shuks, leopards, and eagles fell to the ground—not as animals, but as men and women. Women fell from the trees wrapped in vines and covered in moss. The Lumen’s blackout magic dissipated. The injured clutched at their bloody wounds. Dumbstruck, they stared at him in awe.
“GO!” Kai roared, he felt exhilarated by the rush of magic. “Tell your chiefs and your unie that we are coming to Katori. We will not give up. When we make it to Alenga’s cave, your little tests are finished. You must let us enter. Remind them of that fact. Now go, before you make me really angry.”
Confused, the Guardians shared glances between them. Momentarily defeated, they stumbled around and helped their wounded. Kai collected his silver stars and nodded apologetically. He watched them collect severed limbs. He had done this, hurt these people, and for what? The Guardians departed and disappear back into the forest, shrouded in ere-fog.
Kai surveyed his friends. Sabastian and Ryker were both bloody with a few deep gashes, but neither were critically hurt. Smoke had three gashes across his snout. The alpha had a bite mark on his hind leg. On the ground next to them lay one of the younger wolves, covered in blood. Rayna knelt beside the beast and tears ran down her face. She stroked its fur. The other young wolf was also severely wounded and sat slumped next to its sibling.
The other wolves surrounded the fallen wolf and began to howl. Kai’s heart ached for the pack. The wolves had saved him, but at a steep cost. The second young wolf did not look good. Kai stooped down to run his hands over the animal. It whimpered under his touch. He rested his hand on Rayna’s shoulder. “Can you help?”
She shook her head, tears falling. “This is beyond me. Saving you was different. You weren’t bloody and broken, only infected with a poison that I could burn out. Even now, you still have unhealed welts. I… I am sorry.” She sobbed.
Devastated, Kai looked at the welts on his hands, now covered in claw marks. His lungs still burned from the poison, which remained in his system. He felt better, but not perfect. “It will be alright, Rayna. You tried.” He tried to comfort her, but his voice lacked the strength to be convincing.
Ryker whistled into the trees. Fog once again rolled into the area. Two women stepped through the ferns. If they had not been moving, they would have blended into the background. Ivy twisted around their bodies. Their skin was covered in a delicate moss. As they came close, the moss and ivy faded to reveal porcelain white skin and flowy green clothing. The hoods they wore partly obscured their faces.
Behind them, Kai spotted a tall man in black. His arms were across his chest, there was a glowing purple crystal secured to his wrist, like the one Yulia wore. This man must be a Weathervane, he thought. The man held his ground, but his clamped jaw told Kai he was still on guard.
The women came close. Smoke and the alpha growled. Kai touched his companion to calm him. Ryker stroked the alpha, soothing him. The older woman ran her hands down Ryker’s wounds. Kai watched in amazement as each gash closed before his eyes. Before she could finish, Ryker stayed her hand. “I did not call you for myself, Niahm.” He motioned to Rayna and the wolf.
The two women stooped beside the dead wolf. “We cannot bring life back,” Niahm said. “Only Alenga can give life. We are sorry.”
“Who are you?” Kai asked.
“We are Kodama. Tree spirits. Healers. We are friends of Ryker, and we came to heal him if needed. We do not interfere with how the elders wield their Guardians.”
“If you are healers, help us save this wolf,” Rayna begged. “Or teach me how to save him.”
Niahm shook her head. “This is not our fight. Katori may be vast, but your imminent arrival has spread like fire across our country. I want no part of why Lucca blocks your entry.” She turned to leave, pulling the other girl with her.
“Please,” Rayna called, “this is not about sides. These animals are sacred—life without blame. Alenga gave you the gift of healing, would she not wish you to use it on an enemy if you could save a life?”
Both women stopped. Niahm spoke, “Would you give your life to save this creature?”
“I would,” Rayna replied.
They turned back and approached the other wolf. Slumped on its side, its breathing was slow. Slender fingers ran tenderly through the bloodied gray fur. Niahm reached for Rayna’s ha
nd and pulled it to the surviving wolf. “I admire your sacrifice. I will help, and you can assist me. Maybe only a little, but I feel the seeds of power within you.”
Rayna let the woman guide her. Their fingers intermingled. From head to hindquarters, they moved. “The most common mistake for a young Kodama is to use her own essence. But nature, Alenga, will not allow you to sacrifice your life for another. Instead, you must mend the body with its own internal lifeforce.”
The younger woman lowered her hood and locked eyes with Rayna. The two women stared at one another. Kai glanced between them. The similarity was astonishing. If he didn’t know better, he would swear they were sisters.
Niahm took Rayna’s hands and bade her to focus. “There is life in your surroundings. Never draw life from one to save another. Borrow from the air around us or from the ground. A tiny amount from each living thing will not upset the balance.” She raised her arms into the air and swept downward, while the younger woman pushed one hand into the soil and let the other hand rest on the wolf.
“Breathe in the essence of life floating around you,” Niahm spoke softly. “Fill your lungs with it. Pull it into your core. Feel the pressure build within you. Hold it there, let it flourish with your own. Sense the power emanating down on you from the sun. Use the sunshine around us. Even the grasses can give a little.”
Eyes closed, Rayna placed one hand in the soil and one on the wolf, as the other girl had done. Her face lifted to the sun. She breathed in deep. Her chest rose and fell slowly.
The other two women closed their eyes. “Use what you’ve collected and nurtured,” Niahm continued. “Give it purpose. Let it flow through you into the wolf. Gently, ask the body to mend itself,” she instructed.
Their arms and hands surged with light. The wolf’s fur emanated with a delicate pulse. Gashes and torn flesh mended, threads of energy knit the animal back together. Kai looked on in amazement. He could hardly believe what he was witnessing.
As the light ebbed, the animal began to stir. The women pulled back their hands. Rayna opened her eyes. Tears of joy ran down her face at the sight of the young wolf stretching to stand. Grateful, it licked Rayna’s face and playfully laid into her lap. Rayna hugged the animal against her chest. Tears streaked her cheeks.
The two Katori women stood and nodded to Ryker. Niahm spoke. “Our debt to you is repaid. We want no part of the Katori fight that is to come.” She turned to Kai and glanced at the dead wolf. “We are sorry for your loss. May we take the animal and return it to Alenga?”
Kai’s eyes welled once more. “You may,” he choked, holding back his sadness.
Niahm scooped up the wolf and departed, joining the tall man in the trees. The younger woman turned to leave but stopped. Head down, she turned to Rayna. “If you need a teacher, I am willing.” She let her dark brown eyes rise to meet Rayna’s. “We are family, you and me. I feel it in my soul.”
Their soft features were eerily similar. Without warning, she pulled Rayna into her arms and whispered, “My name is Imani. I wish I could stay, but you must finish your Conhaspriga. Find me, my little Kodama sister. I live with the Matoku Tribe, near Ryker’s home.”
Rayna squeezed tight her new-found connection. The two parted, a shared feeling of sisterly love swelled in their eyes. Imani nodded to Rayna, then she joined the others. The tall man’s stone began to glow. He lifted his face to the sky, raised his arms over his head. In a downward wave, a white fog fell over them, and they disappeared into the forest.
Kneeling on the ground, Kai thanked the wolf pack. He owed them a lot, and they had paid an unfortunate price. The alpha nuzzled Kai’s cheek. A sense of understanding passed between them, and the wolves darted into the forest, gone from view. Smoke watched them go, then came to stand between Rayna and Kai.
Kai shook Ryker’s hand. “Thank you for standing with us. I am not sure what would have happened without you and Sabastian.”
“You’re a brave man.” Ryker nodded. “It was an honor to fight with you. I will escort you back to the falls.”
“I feel so relieved the fight is over.” Rayna dusted off her hands to stand with Kai.
“Don’t be too surprised if the Stonekings are unwilling to let you enter,” Ryker countered. “They still have the final say. Whatever understanding you think you have with these Guardians here, does not apply to them.”
“What do you mean?” Kai creased his brow. “Don’t we go to the falls and enter Alenga’s mountain?”
The doubtful expression on Ryker’s face puzzled Kai, but before he could ask his question, Rayna spoke. “What can they do now? My vision showed a symbol carved in stone, the entrance to Alenga’s mountain. Do we not find it and enter?”
Kai had thought the same thing: make it to the third waterfall, and you are home free. Ryker motioned for them to follow him. “The outside of the mountain belongs to them—the elders. You must get into the part Alenga controls.”
This was news to Kai. His fear now was that they had come all this way, and now they would be turned away. It didn’t seem right. He stepped through the forest as Ryker continued. “Your wolf, Smoke, will not be able to enter the cave with you. Leave him with me, and I will see him safely to the other side of the mountain within a day or so.”
“Thank you, both of you.” Kai offered a hand to Sabastian. “We are most grateful for your assistance today. I hope this will not cause you too much trouble.”
Sabastian waved him off. “Being a rebel is much better than following the rules of the elders. Besides, I go where I wish, and I think their reasons are foolish. You are nothing like Keegan. I see it and I have spent very little time with you. Lucca is not even giving you a chance. By alienating you, they will only end up creating the very thing they fear most: division amongst our people. People were forced to choose Keegan or Lucca. Now they will be forced to choose you or Lucca.”
“How do I create division among the Katori?” Kai twisted to face Sabastian.
“There are many who agree with Keegan, not so much about dominating the world, but about not living in fear or hiding our powers from the outside world. Our people want the freedom to come and go as they please, to travel the world and meet with other cultures. Imagine being told you could never leave Diu. That your children could never leave, or they would not receive Alenga’s blessing. That is what Keegan initially wanted, to open our borders and expand our influence, but then he took it too far. Many wanted to follow him.”
This news shocked Kai. Had his father merely meant to start a revolution to give the Katori more freedom? Ryker interrupted his soul-searching. “Time to go, Kai.”
Together they stood below the roaring waterfall. Out of the mist, Liam approached. “Kai. It has been a long time. This must be Rayna. Welcome. I have come to open the passage.” Liam stepped toward the falls.
Kai took a breath, overwhelmed by how far they’d come. Doubt welled in the pit of his stomach. Did he really want this? The elders clearly did not want him. He would rather turn back and suffer through the pain of his powers burning themselves out—that is, if it were not for the hope of saving his mother. He realized his Katori powers could help him do that. “Thank you, Liam.”
“By the state of you, I would say you more than earned your rites. I have never seen anyone covered in blood.”
“Have you helped others?” Rayna asked.
“No, you will be my first,” Liam responded. “But when you exit on the other side, there will be people to welcome you. The Katori almost crave the magic that stirs around a blessing. My own experience left me bruised with a few scratches, but I did not look like either of you.” He motioned up and down at Kai and Rayna.
“What did they do to you?” she asked.
“Took me almost a week to get here. Eagles would carry me off and drop me in a tree. The Stonekings had a canyon set up and then tried to crush me by closing it. I’ve never been so scared in my life.”
Kai chuckled, relieved the stone experience was not
personal and thankful they had survived. “So, now what?”
“Come, I will grant you access.” Liam motioned toward the falls. “I will open the way into Alenga’s Mountain within the Katori Mountains. The path inside will not be easy. Changes from long ago shifted her mountain, breaking the path into perilous segments. We tried repairing the tunnels, but her magic prevents our influence.”
Kai couldn’t help but ask. “Is there always someone here to open the way?”
“Yes, but I am sorry to say none volunteered to stand against the wishes of our leaders. The covenant between the Stonekings and the chiefs is everlasting. There are many traditionalists who fear your arrival. There are whispers everywhere about you being Keegan’s son.”
“Yet you stand here with us today,” Kai stated.
“True. But I was never asked by our leaders. Yulia sent word of your impending arrival. My teacher, Benmar, your grandfather, and Keegan’s own father, asked me to stand for you. Plus, no one told me I could not help you. Not that I asked.” He grinned slyly. “So, I came for my friend.”
Kai knelt to say goodbye to Smoke. Smoke nudged him and licked his face. Through their shared connection, Kai instructed Smoke to follow Ryker. Smoke complied by taking a stance beside the Beastmaster, and a feeling of strength emanated between them.
The towering waterfall surrounded by giant redwood trees thundered through his memory. His visions had brought him here many times. Water crashed down beside him, the icy mist sprayed his face. Rayna took his hand. “We’re ready,” she offered.
Kai looked at her and smiled. He knew if it were not for the promise he’d made himself to find his mother, he would not be standing here today. Rayna was right, their gifts were not worth this sacrifice. These people were not his people. Part of him wanted to walk away, but then he thought of his mother. To find her, he needed his magic. And time was running out. If he waited any longer, she might never be able to return to her human form ever again.
The base of the falls was thick trees and underbrush. They walked through the trees, and Kai closed his eyes to the mist. Together they walked through the heavy spray. The narrow stone ledge was barely a foot wide as it passed behind the falls.