by Toni Cox
“…two hundred and forty eight, two hundred and forty nine, top.”
“Counting the steps again, Maia?”
Maia jumped and had to catch hold of the post so she did not tumble back down the steps; she had not noticed her grandfather leaning against the railing, watching her ascent. He had made a game of counting the steps when she had just learned to count, and it was a habit she had never been able to shake. To her, this particular tree was especially alive; its Eläm glowed brighter than any other tree in the city. Each step seemed to have its own unique energy, yet was unequivocally part of the tree out of which it was carved.
She had always wondered if they had built the house to be exactly two hundred and fifty steps above ground, or if it had been a coincident. He grandfather had always just winked at her and told her that some things were just meant to be.
“Just like you taught me,” she replied and kissed him on the cheek.
“You have impeccable timing this morning; your grandmother has just made your favourite. She was wondering if you had forgotten about her, so she started baking this morning to lure you here.” He winked. “I see it worked.”
“Pecan nut pie!” Maia exclaimed and followed him into the house.
It smelled wonderful inside, just as she remembered. Her grand parents’ house had always been a sanctuary for her. She had come here often when she did not have to study with Silas and when she had finished all her other chores. It was her grandfather that had taught her everything she knew about dragons. He was originally from Thala Yll and had grown up with the Plains Dragons. And her grandmother had shown her the art of making suede. Her other set of grand parents, from her father’s side, lived on the other side of the tree city. Although she loved them very much as well, she had always spent more time with her mother’s parents.
“Look who I caught counting our steps again, my Flower,” Kian said to Maël before stealing a slice of freshly baked pecan nut pie.
“Maia, there you are,” Maël went to hug her, leaving floury smudges on her shirt. “Let me get you a slice of pie and then you can tell me all about your adventures.”
Maia moved over to the circular rattan chairs arranged around the fire place. Maël’s giant white hare, Danyar, was curled up on the pillows. Maia picked him up with a grunt; he had gotten heavier. She settled into the chair, Danyar in her lap and absently stroked his soft fur while her grandmother was busy finding her a plate. Kian poured them all some elderberry juice and then sat alongside Maia.
“Danyar has gotten fat, you spoil him too much Ma,” Maia said, using the affectionate term only she used for her grandmother.
Maia remembered how thin he had been when she had found him. He had been her first rescue. Silas had helped her coax him back to health and he had lived with her for a while. But then she had found Wolf and Danyar was not very fond of him. He would thump his hind leg and make these strange noises every time the wolf got too close. So eventually, she had given Danyar to her grandmother to look after and the arrangement seemed to suit them both.
Maia now put him next to her on the big chair and took the plate from Maël. Danyar snuggled against her and was soon asleep again.
“I have met your children, they are very pleasant.”
Maia looked up at her grandmother. She almost choked on her pecan nut pie and she thought of something to say. Then Maël noticed the pain on Maia’s face and leant forward to take her hand.
“Sometimes, life puts obstacles in our way to test us. It is how we deal with these obstacles that define who we will become later in life. It is an opportunity for us to choose which road we would like to travel on. So take a moment, look within yourself and consider all aspects before you take action or make a decision. Sometimes, things seem worse than they are and good can come of it yet.”
Maia spent the rest of the day avoiding going home. She wandered the upper pathways and bridges of the city, never going down to ground level. She did not feel like talking and her grandmother had given her a lot to think about. By the time she entered her home, she was feeling motivated and determined to make the best of the situation. She would sit with Aaron, discuss their dilemma like two adults, and find a solution together, something that would work for all of them.
Maia helped Biandala, the Server who worked for them, set the table and put out the food. While the rest of her family washed up and then settled down for the meal, Maia tried to find the courage to speak to Aaron, and the right words to say. However, half way though the evening meal Jagaer made an announcement that derailed any plans Maia had come up with.
“Maia, on the eve of three nights hence we will hold a feast for your return. Silas has agreed to incorporate your graduation ceremony in the evening. I thought, now that you have completed your last trial, it should be done as quickly as possible.”
Maia swallowed hard. She had not given the ceremony any thought at all. Surely, this could wait. Did they not have bigger problems right now?
“Father, can this not be delayed? I need to focus on finding a solution for our guests. My graduation does not need to be right now.”
She looked at him pleadingly. He met her gaze with stern eyes.
“No, it should be done now and Silas agrees. There are other matters that have influenced this decision and I will not allow any argument against it.”
Maia stared at her father, but he looked down and carried on eating without another word. Malyn met Maia’s eyes briefly, then her mother filled the silence with chatter about the feast to distract the guests.
Maia had lost her appetite. She realised that, of course, now after her final test was complete, it was her duty to graduate to be recognised as the Prime Elemental she was. But there was no need to hurry it along. She just did not understand. The city had all the necessary Elementals it needed. Their people had such a diverse array of elemental magic that they lacked for nothing, so why was it so important for her to graduate? Was someone sick she was not aware of? She could not think of anything that made it so important for her to become a Prime right now. Although she had been training for this all her life, she was not sure that she was quite ready for it yet. She didn’t even know what the ceremony entailed or what Silas had planned. How could he just spring this on her so soon without even giving her any warning?
She poked at her food, not really seeing or tasting any of it. Her mind was spinning. She would have to see Silas tonight and find out what kind of tests he had in mind for her. The tests were usually more illusion than magic; the message that the test contained, however, was what was important. With only three days to practice, she would not have time for anything else. She would have to concentrate solely on her test.
She was so distracted, that she only realised Jasmin was talking to her when she shook Maia's shoulder.
“Maia, hey, are you all right?”
Startled, Maia looked up. The concern was plain to see on Jasmin’s face.
“Yes, yes, I’m fine,” she mumbled, trying to put a more cheerful expression on her face. She was sure she was grimacing.
Jagaer and Aaron had already left the table and Luke was helping Malyn clear the plates; Biandala had already gone home. She noticed Malyn shoot her a worried look.
“I was saying how excited I am. Not only are we going to witness an Elven party, but we are also going to see you graduate, although I am still not sure exactly what it is that you do. But Archer told me yesterday when we were swimming that you are a very special Elemental and that you can do magic. I have been dying to ask you about it. Will you show me? And what am I going to wear? Malyn said our clothes will only be ready in a few days and I am sure she didn’t order any party dresses…”
Maia let the stream of Jasmin’s words wash over her. She nodded in all the right places and smiled when it was called for, but she was not really paying attention. She just wanted to get out of the house and see Silas. How could he do this to her? She was not ready. What if she messed it up? Her mind was reeling wi
th all the possible situations. She pictured herself fumbling through the tests, tripping on the stage, embarrassing herself in front of the clan and her guests. It was going to be a disaster.
The air smelled of earth and forest, cook fires and the sweet smell of their glowing flowers; he had forgotten their name again. Aaron almost missed the stench of the city; the smog so thick on some days that one could not see the opposite side of the street.
But now he was stuck here. Ripped out of his life with no way back. The kids seemed to enjoy it; it was like a holiday for them, but he struggled to comprehend the enormity of their situation.
And that girl…he shuddered and felt the rage building within him again. How could she have done this to them? She had had no right. And now they were stuck here and she didn’t even know how to send them back. What also really worried him was the time they had already spent here. If time travelled so much faster on Earth, then how long had they actually been away from home?
Aaron stared at the surrounding city for a moment, marvelling at the Elves’ engineering. Not even Derek from our New York division would have been able to come up with that one, he thought, looking at the convoluted twists and turns of the middle pathway that ran from one side of the tree city right through to the other. He guessed the entire structure to be over a mile long.
There were other pathways, too. The lower one, which was straighter, followed the shape of the Gathering Grounds all around it’s curve, with multiple staircases that led to the ground. An upper pathway, which was shorter, connected only the high-level houses with each other. Numerous shorter paths, bridges, ladders and staircases connected to these three main arteries of the city, enabling one to reach any part or any house of the city from anywhere, if one knew where to go. In the short time that they had been here, he had gotten lost four times already.
His thoughts turned back to the girl. Unbidden, his body reacted to the vision of her in his head when she had stepped out of that river, her exquisite body glistening with water droplets highlighted by the rays of sunlight filtering through the leaves and he felt the familiar pulling of his loins. He despised himself for his reaction. He had only just lost his wife, how could he possibly be feeling like this?
She was nothing more than a spoilt brat; a child who had always gotten what she wanted, no matter the consequences to anyone else. She was a princess, born into privilege, and he doubted she had ever gone without or faced any hardships. What did she know of love and loss? How could she possibly understand what she had done to him?
He shook himself, as if to rid himself of the image of her in his mind. There was no point in pondering about it now. He would speak to her tonight, set things straight and demand that she take responsibility for her actions. Pushing himself off the railing that lined the veranda of the house, he made for the door, just as Maia hurried through it. She knocked into him, driving the air from his lungs and he staggered back.
“Oh, I didn’t see you. I’m Sorry.”
His eyes narrowed as he looked at her. Her face was flushed and her dark hair in disarray. She was exquisitely beautiful.
“No, you never do, do you?” he sneered.
“Huh?”
He watched her frown in confusion and savoured the moment; she always seemed so in control, as if nothing could rattle her.
“You never see anyone but yourself. It’s all about you.”
He heard his own voice grow louder, but he could not stop himself. Here she stood, not even an arm’s length away from him, yet so infinitely far away. How could someone like him ever hope to be with someone like her?
“This whole thing has been about you the entire time. You gave no thought to how we might feel about it. Didn’t even give us a choice. No,” he dragged the word out long, “you brought us here just to make yourself feel better, so you didn’t have to feel guilty about abandoning us. You are the most selfish person I have ever met. How can you even live with yourself? Go now, go do whatever it is that always keeps you too busy to see what you have done. We are so much better off without you anyway.”
His heart was pumping and the blood had rushed to his face. He felt like his legs would fail him at any moment. He shot one final glance at her perfectly beautiful and confused face and stormed through the door, banging it shut behind him.
Once it was closed, he lent against it and closed his eyes. He had not meant to yell at her like that; but she made him feel so inconsequential, like he didn’t matter. His body trembled. He took some deep, steadying breaths. If all of this was really true, then he was just an old human with greying hair, no home, no job, not even a planet to call home and she was an Elf and a princess to boot; what hope was there for him?
Maia was sitting alongside Algen, her grandmother on her father’s side, peeling vegetables. She could not even remember how she had gotten here. The last few days had been exhausting.
Once she had been able to leave Jasmin without hurting her feelings, she had left the house to see Silas. On the balcony, she had bumped into Aaron, who was getting some fresh air after dinner. She had been so distracted, that she hardly understood anything he had said. She remembered him yelling at her, accusing her of being selfish, but she could not remember what had brought it on or if she had, maybe, said something that had triggered it. He had then stormed off and slammed the door in her face.
In a haze, she had made her way to Silas’ cave. He had already been waiting for her. She should have known. He had made her practice all night, and only then allowed her a few hours sleep before they continued. He must have made some excuses for her, because no-one had come looking for her that entire day and the next.
Silas had kept her busy. They went through the different facets of the test over and over again. The magic was simple, yet complex at the same time. Everything was based on the basic elements, but with an added twist. She had practiced until she thought she could not stand on her own two legs any longer, two days and two nights.
Only then had Silas relented and had sent her home. It was the middle of the night; so late, the moons were already dipping towards the west. She had gone to wash and had then curled up on the cot in the storage room. By the time her mother woke her, it was almost mid day. She felt as if she had only slept a few minutes. She had sipped the tea her mother had brought her and then, wearily, she had gotten dressed.
When she had eventually stepped out of the house, she had been greeted by a very festive scene. Lanterns and garlands decorated every house, bridge, walkway and tree in the city. Benches had been put up in the Gathering Grounds and wood had been piled high in the centre of the fire pit. Barrels of wine had been brought up from the storage caves and they now lined the far edges of the Gathering Ground. As grapes did not grow in their region, wine was a luxury, which would only come out for special occasions.
The spits were already turning over their fires, some with deer and some with boar. Maia had stood there, staring at the transformation before her and had wondered when all of this had happened.
Then, before she had figured out what to do next, her mother had whisked her away and deposited her by the women that were cutting up the vegetables for the various dishes that were to be served that evening. Her grandmother was there too, helping out. Maia had mumbled her apologies for not having come to her before, but as always her grandmother was understanding of her situation and had patted her on her cheek and told her not to worry. Maia had felt terribly guilty.
Now she was sitting there, cutting up yet another carrot, and wished she were somewhere else. She did not mind helping, but the monotonous work left her too much free time to think about the ceremony and was not doing anything to relieve the knot she felt in her stomach. She tried to think of something else, but it was of no use.
Every now and again, she glimpsed Luke and Aaron walking across the Gathering Grounds. Luke waved, but Aaron did not even look in her direction. This made her feel even worse. She knew he was upset with her, but in her current state, could no
t remember the reason why. It made her feel even worse.
It was an agonisingly long day and it was Jasmin who eventually rescued her.
“Come, Maia, you need to do my hair. I can’t go looking like this.”
Jasmin took her hand and together they walked home. Spending the rest of the afternoon with Jasmin finally seemed to take Maia’s mind off the tasks ahead. She managed to relax a little and the two girls laughed while Jasmin tried on some of Maia’s dresses. She did not own many as she wore pants most of the time, but the ones she had were beautiful and fitted Jasmin well enough. Jasmin decided on a white one, while Maia chose a green one for herself. They were dresses for formal occasions, both with low-cut neck lines and long, flowing sleeves. The white one was adorned with rich embroidery, whereas the green one was plain, with only the hems adorned with tiny ivy leaf designs, but it was cut in such a clever fashion that it accentuated every line of Maia’s body. Jasmin loved the dresses; she had never worn anything like it before. Once they were dressed, they did their hair. Maia curled Jasmin’s shoulder length hair with some of her mother’s implements and then pinned it up in curls all around her head, fastening the small curls with ivory pins. Maia thought she looked extraordinarily pretty with her hair up. Maia decided to leave her hair down, with only a small garland of flowers tying it out of her face.
“Oh, you are so beautiful. I wish I could have a figure like you.” Jasmin looked her up and down enviously.
“But you do, Jasmin. Archer will be beside himself when he sees you.”
Maia forced a smile. The tense knot in her stomach was making her nauseous.