by A D Lombardo
The evening had settled over the sky. The once bright skylight had turned a blend of purple and blue. Starlight pricked the night sky. More and more people sat on the floor. Placed in their center, irregular shaped blue crystals illuminated their conversations. A few groups surrounded musicians or storytellers.
Kai’s sensitive aura sensed a growing source of energy around the room. Crystals were set into the ceiling, and the walls began to glimmer. Stones on the columns and floor slowly came to life. Their orange hue gave a warm atmosphere to the Agora. Near him he watched a woman scoop the air with her cupped hand and lift it toward the crystal. The stone bloomed yellow.
On the far side of the room, Kai spotted Lucca talking with a small group, deep in conversation. An older gentleman stepped into Lucca’s space. They exchanged words, private from the group. Unhappy, Lucca stepped back from the man and cut his eyes in Kai’s direction. Distress wavered in the man’s eyes. The group waited for Lucca to respond; instead, he threw up his arms and walked away, lost in the crowd.
Unsure what to make of their exchange, Kai searched the room for a familiar face. Haygan’s aura still bloomed as he danced with Simone. The style of Katori dance was unlike anything Kai had ever seen. Their moves were primal. They danced apart as individuals, then two lines of dancers crossed and formed a circle. One circle enclosed the other. The outer ring of men circled in the opposite direction, then narrowed in on the circling women.
Their circles collapsed in tightly. Each man took the hand of their partner and swept her outward across the floor. Together as a group, they danced. They were swirls of color drifting around the room. Palms pressed against each other when a couple met. They stared into the eyes of their partner.
Then they circled and pushed away to the next person. When the pair reunited, they danced together, then split apart to start the routine again. The more he studied their moves, the more he noticed the slight similarities to Diu dance styles.
Thirsty, Kai downed the remainder of his water. A young man glided by and took his empty glass and handed him another drink. The liquid was dark. Kai took a sip. It went down warm and smooth. Across the room Kai watched Rayna. Her aura remained bright. She was still surrounded by the ladies in green and politely listened to their chatter. He desperately wanted to interrupt and sweep her away into the dancing crowd. She winked at him, and he grinned back.
Before he could take a step, three young ladies blocked his view of Rayna. They advanced in his direction. Their statuesque figures were wrapped in various layers of green silk. The girl in the middle locked eyes with Kai. Baby blue eyes fluttered at him. Her graceful stride exuded confidence. Her long legs crossed over each other; her sway and poise could have balanced on a tight rope. Kai had never seen a woman walk this way.
All three girls closed in around him. Each had porcelain white skin. The middle girl took his empty hand in hers. Her silky black hair flowed down to her waist. “My name is Senina.”
The redheaded girl circled around behind him. Her finger traced the measure of his shoulders. “I am Ciera, and this is Linnea.” She gestured to the third girl, a brunette.
“We are the oak sisters,” Linnea added.
“We want to welcome you,” Senina finished.
Senina continued to hold his hand while the other two pawed his muscular arms. He pulled at his hand gently. Her grip tightened, and she stepped closer. “You will need a teacher.”
“We are willing…” Linnea added.
“…willing to guide you.” Ciera finished.
The three ladies shared a connection, their speech woven together, each one beautiful and elegant. Yet Kai could tell by Senina’s grip that they were no wallflowers. Their muscle tone told him they could put up a good fight. Katori people were known for their exceptional strength and speed. He was sure they were not to be underestimated.
The lighting in the room softened. Gingerly, Kai tugged on his hand and Senina let go. With the most elegant bow he could muster, he placed his hand on his chest and bent graciously. “I am Kai Galloway. It is my pleasure…”
A warm hand wrapped around his arm and pulled. Rayna was suddenly by his side. She curtsied. “Excuse us, ladies. I believe Kai promised me this dance.” She escorted him away. Slow, delicate music replaced the boisterous beats of the earlier tunes.
Kai downed the strange substance in his glass and handed it to a woman with a tray. Suddenly, Kai felt like he’d had too much to drink. The feeling warmed his insides and melted his mood. Each care flitted away like dandelion spores on the wind.
Moved by the slow, delicate melody, Kai swept Rayna into his arms. Around her neck, her emerald teardrop crystal hung on a silver chain. “How did you get the chain already?” he asked.
“Orin brought it to me,” she responded softly. “He can fashion one for you as well.”
Lost in her deep brown eyes, Kai guided her around the floor. This was their first real dance. For the first time in their relationship, they were free to be open with their affection. There was no class divide, no betrothal to separate them.
The melody folded around them. In his mind, nobody else existed but them. Kai felt his heart swell with passion, and his eyes turned green. Rayna's brown eyes sparkled in the golden light. Without asking, he lowered his face to hers and kissed her. They had only kissed a few times over the years, yet none compared to this.
When he opened his eyes. Rayna gazed at him. He was sure if the lights were brighter, she would be blushing. “This is our first dance, you know.”
“Do we not count the dances in front of my house?” she asked.
“You mean with your parents watching and a two-foot space between us? No, I cannot say that counts. Plus, that was not romantic.”
“True,” she agreed.
One tune blended into the next, and they continued to dance, their conversation light and happy. When Kai and Rayna tired, they stopped for water and food, both of which helped clear his intoxicated mind.
While they ate, Kai felt a presence. Someone was watching him. Around the edge of the room, he caught a hint of a man. One moment the stranger was there; the next, he was gone. Dim lighting made it difficult to know if the man was real or imaginary. It made Kai wonder if he were more than a little drunk.
Diverting Kai’s attention, Rayna pulled him back to the dance floor. Sweet music lulled him into her arms. Then he felt it again. A presence was calling to him. He scanned the room as best he could. Each time Kai swirled around, he thought he saw someone, but then they were not really there. He squinted towards a decorative pillar. Again, he saw a man leaning against the column, dressed in dark blue with long sandy blond hair and a sharp goatee.
This time Kai stopped their spin and swayed in place. He stared at the man. The stranger had a maturity in his eyes. Upon closer inspection, Kai noticed a few gray hairs. Then the man slowly blended into the stone and disappeared.
Shocked by what he saw, Kai focused. Even with gleaning, the man was not there. How is that possible? Kai wondered. Then the man was back. The stranger pressed his hands together and bowed to Kai. With a coy smile, he vanished from sight.
Kai combed the room, both with his eyes and his mind. Determined, he focused and pushed a pulse to find the face he saw. As he searched the crowd, people turned and looked around. They had felt his energy wash over them.
Determined to find the invisible man, Kai continued to search. In the archway, Kai saw the faint outline of a man—a splash of light illuminated his face. A smirk tugged at the corner of the man’s mouth. Again, he gave Kai a bow. The stranger reached out with his hand, pulled and twisted, drawing his fist in toward his stomach. The stranger absorbed the energy into himself and disappeared.
A grin formed on Kai’s mouth. To become invisible, you absorb light, draw it into your core. Thanks for the hint. Not that it told him how, but it was a start. Kai was unsure, but he wanted to believe the man might be his grandfather, Benmar. The features and coloring were indeed a match fo
r his own—and for the vile marauder Keegan.
Kai resumed his spin around the room, Rayna nestled against his shoulder. Fewer and fewer people danced. Seated groups began to collect their belongings and depart. Many were gathering around the arches.
“I think the party is winding down,” he said. “I have no idea where we will be staying while we are here.” They stopped dancing, and Kai gestured toward the arch they had entered. “We should wait there for Haygan. We also need to find our clothes.”
Under the archway, Kai leaned against the stone wall. Rayna mingled with people saying goodnight. From a distance, Kai enjoyed watching her. Her tan skin was a sharp contrast to the white dress she wore under the green silks the women had given her. Even in the moonlight, he could see her soft aura still in bloom without gleaning.
As a face crossed in front of Kai’s view of Rayna, he beheld Lucca. His grandfather looked young, thirty-five or forty tops. Not a strand of gray hair. The years did not add up. There was too much wisdom in the man’s eyes. “Lucca.” Kai acknowledged his mother’s father with a polite nod.
“Kai,” Lucca nodded, his expression neutral.
Although the man tried to appear relaxed, he stood with his hands in his pockets. Kai had the impression the man was avoiding their history. Their real connection. It was difficult not to notice Lucca’s dark brown eyes; they reminded him of Mariana.
Unsure how to feel, Kai held his breath. He did not know this man. Not to mention he could only assume that Lucca stood against him and pushed the Guardians to fight to keep him and Rayna out. As one of the few Lumens, he himself could have helped block Kai’s ability to glean. Now he was trying to play nice. No. Lucca was a stranger. “Can I help you, Lucca?”
Lucca raised an eyebrow. “I wanted to see how you are doing.”
“Do you really care?” The hostility in Kai’s heart vomited out his mouth without thought.
Lucca seemed taken back. “Of course, I care. You may not understand my choices as a chief or as a father, but…”
Aggression boiled inside Kai. “Choices? You judged me without meeting me. Just because I am Keegan’s son, I am destined to be bad?”
“You are destined to bring war to our people,” Lucca countered.
“And you know this how?” Kai could not hold back. “In all of my seventeen years, this is the first time you’ve spoken to me. You know nothing, short of hiding behind your precious mountains. So, what, is my name carved in stone beneath this legend everyone is so afraid of?”
Lucca stepped into the space between them. Kai felt immense power radiate out of his grandfather. In fact, the man’s aura spiked, and Kai’s still-sensitive eyes blinked at the brightness. “Watch your tone. I am your chief. Do not challenge me.”
Saving them from an escalating discussion, Haygan placed a hand on Kai’s shoulder. “Father,” Haygan addressed Lucca. “Pardon the intrusion, it is rather late. Kai, we should find Simone. You and Rayna will be staying with us.”
“As you wish, son. Good evening.” Lucca nodded graciously and backed away.
Kai was relieved. “Thank you, uncle. I don’t like or trust the man. Sorry, I mean no offense. I know he is your father.”
“No offense taken. I understand. Half of the heartache in your life could have been spared if he’d have only listened to Kendra and me.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, instead of waiting to see if you would bloom into full Katori, we should have been teaching you and telling you our secrets. Helped you remember earlier. But he insisted you were a Half-Light, unworthy of our time.”
“So, when I started to show abilities, Lucca must have decided I was Keegan’s son.”
“Exactly. The older you get, the more you look like the man.”
“And now my white crystal…” Kai continued Haygan’s train of thought.
“If only he had listened to Mariana back when he had the chance,” Haygan sighed. “Anyway, let’s get you two settled.”
If it were not so late, Kai would have pressed for more details, but he’d not slept well in days—and even with the power from Alenga coursing through his veins, he felt tired.
Haygan and Simone walked hand-in-hand down the serpentine path that led away from the Agora, Kai, and Rayna following behind. Along the way, Kai tried to observe as much as he could about the new place. In many ways, the city was more advanced than Diu, yet somehow it seemed held back. Nature ruled nearly everything here. Even the man-made structures seemed to resemble plants and vines. Not that there appeared to be anything man-made in the sense he was used to seeing. Even their windmills were different, with vertical curled sails spinning carousel-like around a central shaft.
Everything was a living garden. Liam had talked about the integration of stone around the trees, and Kai noticed that to be true. The main path branched off in many directions. Finally, Haygan turned down a route towards a towering tree. Off in the grass, Kai saw a dark form. “Shiva!” Kai called to her.
Bent on one knee, he greeted the great black wolf. It was so good to see her. It had been months. Seeing her brought it home for him that Smoke was not with him. He was probably still on the other side of the Katori Mountain range. At least he was with Ryker.
Haygan gestured toward a man-sized arch at the base of the tree. “This is the entrance to our home. Above is a network of pods or nests. This is where you will be staying until you choose to live elsewhere.”
The tree and its bark were unlike anything Kai had seen before. Thin, smooth pieces of bark lay on the surface. The trunk itself was a weave of thick individual stalks, each twice the size of his body. Around the outside of the central trunk grew a honeycomb of two different vines; one a pale cream color and the other a dark red. Along the ground, exposed roots snaked through a patch of wildflowers and variegated grasses.
Haygan stepped into the network of outer vines. As he walked, tiny white and blue flowers sprang to life, luminescent. Even the vines began to glow. Together they climbed in a spiral, higher and higher up the tree. Rayna ran her hand over the vines, and they beamed brighter. She giggled with delight at the magic of the plants. Her happiness warmed his heart. The more they moved; the more flowers illuminated the staircase.
High in the tree hung several egg-like nests. Each had a different room connected and supported by living vines. The home was different than anything Kai had ever known. There were curved growths in several places on the walls, like shelves that held a few various items.
Along one wall, a stone hearth arch sat waiting for winter. Below his feet, tightly woven vines created a nearly smooth surface. In the corner of the main room, a low table had been coaxed out of the floor. Kai was surprised by how comfortable the texture was on his bare feet. Flowering vines trailed around the ceiling, illuminating the space with a warm glow. Red clay filled the cracks between the vines, making the house feel private.
The next pod was a bedroom. Limbs grown into enclosed baskets created a nest with more flowering vines and red clay. Again, the furniture grew out of the walls and floor. The living branches had been trained to create a harmonious living space built for comfort and security.
There was a narrow ledge for sitting, a round bed, hooks for hanging clothing, and shelves with folded linens and extra pillows, all illuminated by white and blue flowers.
Curious, Kai asked. “How was all this made? Why do the flowers glow?”
Simone plopped a few blankets and pillows on the round bed cushion. “The Bodhima trees are robust once they are full-size; however, when they are small, they need the Cosmos vines to support them. The trees grow as a series of tiny individual trunks that thicken over time, and the vines help hold them together while they mature. Without the trees, the flowers that grow along the vines would wilt in the sun. Even the young vines can burn in the sun until they turn woody. The dense shady canopy benefits the climbing plants. The two species need each other to reach their potential.”
Skeptical, Kai question
ed, “How do the branches form into pods?”
Simone chuckled. “It is a mystery to me how it is done, but the Kodama actually guides the tree and vines into the shapes they want. A group of Kodama can grow a tree to full size in a day. They work long hours, rotating off and on. Once the process starts, the tree must be completed, or you’ll end up with a shorter, lopsided specimen. Although some people like the squattier versions. Closer to the coast, shorter is better because of the high winds.”
“Fascinating,” Rayna interjected. “How do we get the flowers to turn off?” She reached her hand to trace the vine above her head. It beamed brighter with her touch.
Simone giggled. “The flowers glow because they are attracted to your movement and touch. Once you settle into bed, their light will fade and then go out for the night. The vines bloom at dusk and will be closed by morning.”
Simone hugged Rayna. “This will be your room. Kai, you will be in the next pod. Haygan I have the larger one, nestled near the top.” She offered the couple a slight nod and left with Haygan.
Nervous, Kai put his hands in his pockets. He clinked his nails against his crystal. “I guess this is where we say good night.”
A pink blush colored Rayna’s cheeks. “Yes, I suppose it is.” She stepped closer and nestled against his chest. “See you in the morning.” She kissed him lightly and turned him toward the stairs.
“Goodnight, Rayna,” he grinned, glancing backward as he continued up the spiral stairwell to the next pod.
As promised, there was another bed in a nest similar to Rayna’s. Simone had left additional bedding and a few pillows on the sizeable round bed. Once Kai slipped under the covers, he thought of Smoke. He hoped all was well with him and Ryker. If what Ryker told him was true, they would be reunited in a day or so. Exhausted, he let sleep take him.