Above World

by Jenn Reese

  “The boy?” Aluna untangled her legs from the Upgrader’s and sat up. Hoku stood by the man’s head, shaking. He held a dented metal lantern in his hand. A lantern he’d clearly used to bludgeon the Upgrader’s skull. As she watched, the lantern fell from his hand and clanked to the floor.

  Hoku’s voice cracked. “Is he . . . ?”

  “Unconscious,” Niobe said. “Good work, boy, even though I told you to stay in your room.”

  Hoku looked pale as a milkfish. Aluna opened her mouth to tell him it was okay, to tell him he’d just done what needed to be done for their survival, but she didn’t get a chance. Before she could speak, Calli hobbled into his arms.

  “You saved us,” Calli said. She hugged him and kissed his cheek.

  And Hoku kissed her back.

  HOKU STOOD next to Aluna on the red carpet of the Oval Chamber and fidgeted. The Upgrader attack had been repelled, the dead had been counted, and the prisoners had been “taken care of,” according to Senator Niobe. But now President Iolanthe wanted to speak with them, and he didn’t know why.

  Unless it was the incident in the hallway. Not the part with the Upgrader, but the part where he kissed the president’s daughter right on the lips in front of everyone.

  His insides warmed at the thought. It was difficult to even remember the whole head-bashing aspect of the fight in light of the kiss. His first kiss. Calli had kissed him. He had kissed Calli. They had kissed. He was now a person who had kissed another person, and been kissed by them in return. He would never be the same as he was before. Kissing changed everything.

  He looked over at Calli, his face hot. She sat on her throne and smiled and blushed and lowered her eyes. Hoku grinned back, and blushed some more, and lowered his eyes, too. Yes, yes. Kissing changed everything. He hoped to be kissing again very soon. And very often. He was highly in favor of kissing.

  Beside him, Aluna crossed her arms in front of her chest and shifted her weight. He could practically hear her frustration. She’d had the chance to escape, and she hadn’t taken it. It had been her choice, and now she was beating herself up over it.

  The senator by the entrance yelled, “All rise for Her Royal Highness, President Iolanthe!”

  An odd thing to say, Hoku thought, since they were standing already. But he tried to straighten up anyway.

  The president strode down the red carpet looking off balance with only one wing behind her. She nodded to Calliope and took her seat, unfurling her wing to match the metal wing built into the throne. He had no idea why they bothered with the pretense. Two wings, one wing, no wings — President Iolanthe scared the ink out of him.

  “The Upgraders have been repelled with minimal losses to our people,” the president began. “A prisoner has been released with a message for Fathom: we will never bend. We will never break. Skyfeather’s Landing will never be his!”

  The Aviars cheered and clanged their weapons against their armor. Hoku was surprised to find himself cheering right along with them. When the noise died, the president continued.

  “We are especially pleased that the vice president came to no harm during the skirmish. For this, we have High Senator Electra, Senator Niobe, and our ocean cousins to thank.”

  Hoku stood even taller. For once, he’d actually done something brave.

  “The warriors Aluna and Hoku will approach the throne.”

  Warrior! Him? He glanced at Aluna, and she gave him a quick grin. They walked forward and stopped a meter from the throne.

  The president spoke to Aluna. “A few weeks ago, when you first stood before us in this hallowed chamber, I appointed you aide to the vice president. It was my intention that you would teach my daughter about bravery.” She looked at her daughter, then back at Aluna. “I did not expect that you would also teach her about honor.”

  Hoku heard wings rustle behind him as the Aviars reacted to their president’s words.

  “You had the opportunity to leave,” Iolanthe continued. “Calliope informed me of your plan — after the battle, of course. I’m not surprised. I would have schemed similarly in your place.”

  And then the president smiled. The harsh lines of her face melted smooth, and Hoku saw, for one fragile moment, what she would have looked like had she been born a Kampii. Or a Human. Or anything except the ruler of a war-torn people.

  The president reached for the clip at her waist and unhooked something. It looked like a pair of the talon weapons that Aluna had been training with for the last few weeks.

  “Aluna of the City of Shifting Tides, I hereby grant you your freedom. You are henceforth to be considered an honored friend and ally of Skyfeather’s Landing, and you may call on us for assistance in times of need. We share the same sky.”

  At the president’s last words, all of the other Aviars in the room echoed, “We share the same sky.” Their words rang in the vast chamber, and it seemed as if all the golden Aviars carved into the ceiling were speaking them, too.

  Iolanthe held out her talons. “Spirit and Spite have been in my family for generations. Take them and use them well.”

  Aluna glanced at Calliope.

  The president waved a hand. “My daughter does not desire my talons, and my days as First Wing are long over.” She held out her hand until Aluna was forced to accept the gift. “They are yours.”

  “I . . . thank you,” Aluna said.

  Hoku had never seen her so surprised, or so humbled. For all her bravery, the Kampii back home had never treated her as anything more than a troublemaker. He felt ashamed of his people.

  The president turned to him. “To you, Hoku of the City of Shifting Tides, we also grant freedom.”

  Hoku swallowed. He’d been dreading this moment for so long. He tried to choose his words carefully.

  “Does that also mean the freedom to return one day . . . and stay?”

  He didn’t dare look at Aluna. He could picture her face, a mix of anger and astonishment. But he wanted this. He needed this. Even without Calli’s friendship, Skyfeather’s Landing offered him books and tech to study, and the opportunity to experiment that he’d never get underwater. If he was going to help the Kampii, it would be with his brain, not his spear arm.

  President Iolanthe smiled gently, then shook her head. “No, child, you cannot live here.”

  Hoku dropped his gaze to the floor and studied the dusty-red rug. He couldn’t bear to look in Calli’s direction. Or Aluna’s.

  “Skyfeather’s Landing is open only to girls and women,” the president continued. “There are other Aviar strongholds that welcome men. We can arrange transportation to Talon’s Peak if —”

  “No,” Hoku said, the word choking in his throat. “That’s okay. Never mind.”

  “Child, look at me,” the president said.

  Child, thought Hoku. No more warrior. Tides’ teeth, respectability had been short-lived. Still, he did as he was told.

  President Iolanthe knew better than to smile, knew better than to show pity. She said simply, “You may not live here, child, but you may visit.”

  “Visit?”

  He looked at Calli, suddenly hopeful. She grinned back at him.

  “Visiting would be, ah, good,” he said stiffly. “Very good.”

  Calli smothered a laugh, but the president made no attempt to hide hers. “Now that you are free, where may we take you? High Senator Electra and Senator Niobe have volunteered to fly you wherever you desire. We don’t know where HydroTek is, but we do think it is located in a dome on the ocean’s surface somewhere to the south. Farther than we can travel safely from here.”

  “Then take us to the SkyTek dome, please,” Aluna said. “That’s the only place I can think of that might have a clue for us to follow.”

  “There is nothing but devastation and danger there now,” President Iolanthe said. “But I suspect that will not deter you?”

  Aluna grinned. “How soon can we leave?”

  He wanted to kick her. Why was she in such a rush? They’d been her
e for weeks. Would another few nights make any difference? He looked at Calli. However much time, it just wouldn’t be enough.

  “Pack your things,” Iolanthe said. “Our sisters are ready to fly.”

  AN OCEAN OF GREEN FOREST bobbed below Hoku, in time with the flap of Senator Niobe’s wings. She held him close to her body as they flew. Her shoulder was freshly bandaged from the Upgrader fight, and he could smell the antiseptic the Aviar medic had slathered under the dressing in hopes of neutralizing the poison from the Upgrader’s finger blades. But Niobe had insisted on taking him despite her wound, and he was glad for her company.

  Up ahead, High Senator Electra carried Aluna, and the two chatted about the battle. He tried to follow their conversation, but he could only hear what Aluna was saying. He had no interest in tactics or strategy, but he wanted to think about something, anything, other than Calli . . . and the fact that every wing beat took him farther away from her.

  He hadn’t gotten even one last kiss before they’d left. He’d barely had time to shove his water safe and two of the smaller books Calli had given him into his satchel before Aluna had hustled him back to the Oval Chamber for their formal good-bye. He’d lingered as long as he could, trying to urge Calli off her throne with his mind. She hadn’t budged. He didn’t blame her. Kissing in front of all those people before they’d had time to practice more could have been a disaster.

  Still. One more kiss. It wouldn’t have been that bad.

  Calli wasn’t like Aluna. She understood what it felt like to be shy, to be bad at hunting and good at fiddling with tech. She made him feel like it was okay to like the things he liked.

  Grudgingly, he knew they needed to keep moving. He believed in their quest, and as much as he loved living with the Aviars, he hated the thought of more Kampii dying. He pictured his mother and father and his grandma Nani going out for their evening swim, and a familiar knot twisted in his stomach.

  Aluna was right. They had to keep looking for HydroTek. He had to fix their breathing shells’ power source and figure out how to make more of the necklaces. There was no way Aluna could do it without him.

  The mountains became forest. The Aviars dropped into small wooded clearings three separate times to rest their wings. Aluna practiced with her talons while Electra and Niobe called out tips and critiqued her form. Hoku used the privacy to examine the books he’d brought: one on microengineering, with lots of detailed diagrams, and another containing overviews of all sorts of science topics.

  He took the second book and flipped open the cover. Under the title, Calli had written him a secret note:

  Dear Hoku,

  May this book help you to save your people so you can come back and visit me soon. I wish you strong wind under your wings.

  Your friend always,

  Calli

  He read it again. And a third time. It was so like her, so sweet and thoughtful. But . . . what did she mean by “friend”? Weren’t they more than friends? Friends didn’t kiss like that, not even when they’d saved each other’s lives. Or did they? He read her note a fourth time. She mentioned him visiting, which was definitely a good sign. But the friend thing . . . was she trying to let him down easy? Was she saying, “Hey, about that kiss . . . I was just grateful that you saved us, but it didn’t mean anything more than that.”

  He slammed the book shut and shoved it back in his bag, careful not to break the collection of tiny, waterproof spice jars Niobe had insisted he pack. Over by their camp, Aluna and High Senator Electra were laughing at something Niobe had said. Girls, he thought, and shook his head.

  During the next part of the journey, he pondered every single word in Calli’s note until Niobe woke him up from his girl-induced stupor.

  “We’re here,” she said.

  A plateau jutted out of the green forest, twice as tall as the highest tree. Atop the plateau stood a massive dome, big enough to enclose the remains of a sprawling city the size of the entire Kampii colony. One side of the dome remained intact, but most of the dome’s surface had been shattered. Even from high above, he could see dark things moving amid the city’s broken buildings and detritus.

  “The dome used to house SkyTek and all the people who worked there,” Niobe said. “It was a thriving metropolis in its time. Now it’s all bones and memories, refugees and thieves.”

  “Sounds wonderful,” Hoku grumbled, and Niobe chuckled.

  The dome felt even bigger as they got closer. A wide path circled the outside of the dome and spiraled down around the plateau to the forest below. Instead of dirt, it was paved with a slick black coating, cracked and crumbling in places. Old buildings jutted up inside the dome, creating a landscape of silver and brown and gray that looked more like a forest of metal than a city. Black smoke billowed up in dozens of places. He wondered how many people lived there, or if the smoke came from old fires that refused to die.

  The Aviars landed inside the dome, in the hollowed-out shell of an old building.

  “This is our base of operations for our scavenging runs,” High Senator Electra said. “You can sleep here if you have to, but without lookouts flying overhead and an arsenal of weapons, it’s not much safer than the rest of the dome.”

  “Find what you need, and find it fast,” Niobe added. “Every day you stay here reduces the chance that you’ll ever leave.”

  “I wish you would change your mind,” Electra said. “However brave, you are still children, and this is no place for you. If I had not been ordered to return immediately . . .” Her words trailed off, and she pulled Aluna into a gruff hug.

  Niobe dropped to one knee in front of Hoku so she could look him in the eye.

  “Take this, Hoku,” she said quietly. She took his hand and pressed a small, smooth cylinder against his palm. “Use this flare if you need us. Aim high. We don’t fly far from home that often, but there’s always a chance we might see it.”

  “Thank you,” he said, putting the artifact carefully into his satchel. “I hope I don’t have to use it.”

  He could see in her eyes that there was more she wanted to say. Her mouth twitched, but stayed closed. After staring at him a few more seconds, she said, “Be safe, my ocean brother.”

  He nodded and forced his mouth into a smile. “Swift currents.”

  This good-bye was taking too long. When he’d left his family, he hadn’t even seen his mother or father. Saying farewell like this was worse than swimming into a nest of stinger crabs. He felt battered from the inside out. Niobe must have understood. She stood quickly and nodded to High Senator Electra.

  He and Aluna thanked them both again. Niobe and Electra vaulted into the air. Their wings unfurled and caught the currents. Within three blinks of his eye, they were so deep into the sky that he couldn’t tell them apart. He continued to watch anyway, until they were specks, until they had disappeared.

  STANDING INSIDE the ruins of what had once been a tall, shimmering Human building reminded Hoku of swimming through the bones of Big Blue on the ocean floor. When a whale died, all its adventures died with it. No one would ever know what treasures it had seen in the Great Ravine, or what strange melodies it had heard the night all the dolphins decided to sing at once. But a whale’s ancient bones quickly became a thriving colony of skittering crabs and shadowy eels, of bright sponges and schools of darting fish. Life went on, changed. New stories were written on top of the old.

  The same was true of this building. Humans had lived here, some only a few decades ago. What food had they eaten? What games had they played? What tech had they used? No one would ever hear their stories now. But the dome was far from desolate. Up close, the signs of new life were everywhere. Birds darted back and forth, making their nests in the building’s framework and hunting for vermin in the garbage. Rats and strange patchwork mice scampered around the fringes of the building’s interior. To them, these ruins must seem like a vast banquet of opportunity. Once they had been chased and killed by the people who lived here. Now they were kings.r />
  “Move your tail,” Aluna said, breaking his mood. She pulled at a pile of rocks and plastic barricading a hole in the building’s rim. “We should have had the Aviars drop us on the outside. Little good this place does us without wings.”

  Hoku rushed to help her, and they had a small passage cleared within a few minutes. Aluna clambered through the opening, and he scrambled after her. He barely avoided twisting his ankle two separate times, and a jagged piece of glass gave him a shallow slash on his left forearm. By the time he climbed through to the other side, his skin had already stitched itself back together — thanks to the Kampii ancients and their gift of fast healing.

  “Good thing we’re not in the ocean, or the sharks would be all over you,” she said. She’d meant it to be cheerful, but it made him miss the water.

  Outside the building, he got a better sense of the city’s shape. The debris-filled valleys between the shattered buildings must have been roads. Scorch marks stained everything, big sooty smears marring what had once been shiny silver and glass. The Battle of the Dome had killed more than Aviars and Upgraders; it had killed the city itself.

  “Hoku, look,” Aluna said quietly.

  He followed her gaze. In the distance, he saw a Human-shaped creature climbing a pile of rubble on eight hairy spider legs. When it got to the top of the pile, it picked up a boulder with its two Human hands, and another with two of its spindly spider legs, then scampered out of sight.

  “It could be a Dome Mek,” Hoku whispered, even though the creature seemed far away. “Niobe told me they were created to defend and maintain the dome. She said most of them died in the battle, when Tempest tried to use them as a shield.”

  “I wonder if they’re still trying to protect the dome,” Aluna said.

  “I don’t want to find out,” Hoku said. “Let’s give it some space.”