Zura whimpered. “My lord, more beasts are being grown, but it will take time before they—”
“An abyssal dimension, Zura! That is all.”
Razakh stormed back down the hall, leaving Zura’s lungs contracting faster than she’d ever felt them move before. She reached out the tip of one claw to the center of her heaving chest, and a strange thought came to her mind.
Was this what having a heart felt like?
CHAPTER 16
THE GODDESS OF FOREVERNESS
By now, Asha felt exhausted yet exhilarated from dancing, and managed to leave the dancing circle in only three hugs before waving the rest off and stumbling away to find a place to rest.
She noticed a fallen log tucked away from the fire, where five people already sat. The log was almost full, but Asha noticed there was room for one more.
Before she could ask, a tall woman sitting next to the empty spot waved her over, inviting her to sit down. Asha furrowed her eyebrows and studied her.
Waves of dark brown hair tumbled down from her head and brushed over the top of her brown sash, which was lined in small white feathers. Asha felt that this woman meant her no harm and walked over. Besides, if she could gain favor with these people, perhaps they would help her find Mira.
“Thanks,” Asha said as she sat down.
A small insect with tiny black wings landed on her arm and started licking her skin. She swatted it away while another one landed on her leg.
“You’re new.” The woman’s words were filled with energy and excitement, as if Asha were a freshly caught fish. “How long have you been on the island, shmoops?”
Asha brushed a few more of the bugs away and turned back to her. “What did you call me?”
“I called you shmoops, or shmoopy if you prefer. It’s what I call any woman as beautiful as you.” The woman smirked and gazed deeply into Asha’s eyes with an unexpected energy.
“Buh?” Asha blurted. The woman’s energy shocked Asha, and she broke the gaze and looked out to the fire. “Thanks,” Asha managed to say and absentmindedly stroked her hair.
“How long have you been here?”
Asha turned back. “This is my first night, actually.”
“Oh! You are new.” The woman thrust out her fist and held in the air in front of her. “Tiika. You?”
At first, Asha didn’t know how to respond. The fist moving toward her almost made her deflect Tiika, until she realized it might be a greeting.
Tiika tilted her head to one side, lowering her fist.
“Asha,” she said. In the distance, Asha noticed that the music had died down to a quiet chant now, being led by a stringed instrument near the fire. “And you’re Tiika? Interesting name.”
Tiika smirked. “Well, it’s better than Sunshine or Tree. I’ve met my share of those, and I find it confusing. I like my name. It's uniquely suited to who I am. What about you?”
“Well,” Asha said, “my father told me that my name means hope and desire.”
“Ah, a lovely name for a lovely woman. And do you have a place to stay tonight?”
A boy sitting next to Tiika regarded her with suspicion. “She could stay with me and my folks. It’s a great view, actually, up in the cliff houses.”
“Sure,” Tiika chuckled to herself, “if she wants to walk all the way up the ridge.” She turned back to Asha. “And you don’t want to walk these woods at night, especially if you’ve only just arrived on our island. Trust me.”
The boy crossed his arms. “Well, it’s better than your dusty old place, anyway.”
“Pay no heed to little Rajan, shmoops,” Tiika said. “What he may deem as dusty is only a disguise which he will never understand. Indeed, it could be the secret to my success.”
“What success?” Asha couldn’t help but be curious.
“In cave hunting, of course.” A proud grin spread across Tiika’s mouth. “How else could I avoid being noticed by the Žha?” She laughed. “You’re in luck. You happen to be talking to the most famous adventurer this island has to offer.”
Asha felt like rolling her eyes, but held back the reaction.
“Cool. So what’s a Žha?”
“The Žha,” the boy interrupted. “You’ve never heard of them? They live in the caves. No one has ever seen one, but they leave clues. More than anything my grandfather wanted to catch one before he died.”
“Did he ever find anything?”
“He never came back.” The boy Rajan looked out to the crashing waves beyond. “I’d rather not talk about it.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Asha said. “So, the Žha will kill?”
“Oh, yes. I tried to find this little guy’s grandfather, actually,” Tiika said. “Never could find anything besides his hands.”
Rajan shot Tiika an angry look, got up, and stomped away. Asha thought she heard the boy mutter something about respect.
“Why so moody, boy?” Tiika called out. “I did all I could.”
“I think he’d rather not talk about it,” Asha said. “It’s important to be sensitive to a person’s past.”
“Even so, where his grandfather failed, I will succeed. I’ve learned much about our island, Asha; things no one realizes.”
“Such as?”
“Nothing you’re meant to know, I assure you,” Tiika said. “At least, not yet.”
Asha’s expression grew dark, but Tiika only grinned.
“Anyway, you are so new!” Tiika continued. “Why would you want to think of such heavy things? Come back to my place, and in the morning I’ll be happy to show you some of the wonders this island has to offer.”
As Tiika said this, her gaze reached deeply into Asha once more, and she felt a strange pull toward this villager, even if she was one of the most presumptuous people Asha had ever met. Somehow, she found herself entranced by Tiika’s lovely bone structure and the way her dark eyes danced in the firelight.
But something else made Asha distrust her. Exactly what, she couldn’t place, but she sensed that there was more to Tiika than she was letting on.
“I’m hungry, Tiika. I’ll be back later.” Asha stood up, looking out to the table.
“Hey, don’t leave so soon!” Tiika called back. “What's the matter, Asha?”
But Asha didn’t respond and walked off. By now, the long table was mostly empty. The chips and paste were gone. Only a few bites of the sea-green bread remained, and she took some and nibbled on it.
As she chewed, a middle-aged woman approached the table, took some of the bowls, and put them into a large basket. Her long, dark hair cascaded down her shoulders and over a bright orange sari that wrapped around the woman’s tanned body, flattering her curves and lending her an air of dignity.
After she had cleared the table, the woman turned to her and bowed. “Lakshmi,” she said. “I don’t believe we’ve met before.”
She spoke with poise and immaculate timing. If she had introduced herself as royalty, Asha wouldn’t have been surprised.
“No, I don’t think so.” She offered her hand. “I’m Asha.”
But Lakshmi only opened her arms for a hug. On an impulse, Asha accepted her gesture, and they met in a warm embrace.
“That is a beautiful name.” Lakshmi smiled back, the distant firelight dancing within her eyes. “Is this your first time?”
“Thank you, and yes.” Asha looked over to where dancers were spinning and whooping around the fire. “Is it that obvious?”
“Your manner of dress and speech. But do not fear. You are welcome here.” Lakshmi’s hazel eyes were radiant.
“Where am I, exactly?”
“I do not understand. How does one find oneself here without choosing it? Surely, no one forced you to come here?”
“No, no, no, nothing like that. I—” Asha’s mind raced as she considered how much to tell Lakshmi. “—made an unexpected detour. May I ask what this place is called?”
“I see. Well, you are welcome as long as you conduct yourself with pe
ace. We are people of the peace, you see. We live on this island because we are a part of it. We have always lived here, and we always will, which is why we call it the Island of Forever.”
There was a long silence as Asha considered her words.
“I see,” Asha said, “but what if someone here grew attached to someone from far away? Someone they cared about very much? Would it be worth it to leave?”
“That depends,” Lakshmi said. “Is this person in love?”
“But what is love? Is it anything more than a chemical reaction? I’d like to think it is, but sometimes I lose faith.”
Lakshmi frowned. “Oh, Asha. Love is so much more than that, yet it’s also much more simple. On this island, we believe that to love is to be happy with.”
Asha was silent and her gaze drifted over to the dancers around the fire as they became one with the music.
“Do you have a place to sleep safely tonight, my child?” Lakshmi continued, her eyes radiating a soft warmth that encouraged Asha to trust her beyond any doubt.
“No, actually. This girl named Tiika offered me a place, but I’m not so sure I want to go with her.”
Lakshmi pursed her lips. “I would recommend that you be careful around Tiika. She has been acting more strangely than normal lately, and I’m not sure how much I trust her anymore. I don’t think she would mean you any harm, but she can be a scoundrel.” She picked up the basket. “Follow me; you are quite welcome to stay in the common space.”
“Thank you! I really appreciate it.”
Asha followed her to the edge of the clearing until they came to the beginning of a trail. Out here, so far from the bonfire, the forest was a dark soup.
Except for the stars.
Asha stopped to bask in the view. The galactic core was on full display for her to see, a billion pinpricks of light glittering just above her.
“Are you all right?” Lakshmi called back to her when she noticed Asha had fallen behind.
“Sorry. But could you slow down, please?”
“Of course.” She turned back to Asha. “I apologize, my dear. Are you having trouble seeing?”
“The path? Yes. But the stars; they’re incredible.”
“Ah, you must be from far, far, indeed. I have heard that foreigners do not have the Sight, at least not like us. I will walk slower for you.”
After walking down a series of intricate paths for some time, turning here and there, Asha saw the outline of a large round hut nestled within the forest. Though a window, she could see a lit candle, the only light visible.
“Hold this,” Lakshmi said and handed Asha the basket.
“Did you make all of that food for tonight?”
“Not all,” Lakshmi said as she opened the front door. “Some is made by others. But today was my day, and I’m happy to say that nothing I brought required cooking. More nutrients kept intact that way.” She stepped inside and disappeared into the darkness until Asha noticed a growing glow come from the center of the house. “Okay, you may enter.”
“What is that?” Asha said as she stepped inside.
“Just the fire.”
Asha walked in and followed the outline of a curving wall until she came to an open hearth, crackling with a small fire. Except that there was something odd about this fire that she couldn’t quite place.
Her eyes wandered over to a bench made from a series of long, hollow beams. She watched as Lakshmi set down a small pillow and a folded blanket made out of a puffy, woven fabric.
“The nights are warm here, so you shouldn’t need much else to keep you comfortable.” Lakshmi set a wooden cup down onto a short table at the end of the bench. “Here’s a cup of water if you are thirsty. And now, my dear, I must retire for the night. Tomorrow, I can answer any questions you have, and I should like to ask some questions of my own, as well.” She bowed to Asha. “May the Goddess of Foreverness smile upon your dreamland.” And with that, she disappeared around a corner, into the shadows of the curving room.
Asha stood there in slight bewilderment. The fire crackled, and she looked over to where a pillow and blanket had been laid out for her. She thought she heard humming, but when she strained to listen, she could hear nothing.
“All right.” Asha let out a deep sigh. “If this is how it is right now, then this is how it is.”
She took off her boots and unzipped the bottom half of her maroon uniform, realizing that she’d left her jacket back on the beach. Would she be able to find her way back there without anyone’s help? She decided not to worry about it for now.
After all, she’d had one of the most wild days of her entire life. She had crashed on a planet Mira had never even named, was held prisoner by jellies in an underwater city, ran for her life from a savage warthog, hitched a boat ride with some natives, and stumbled upon a fiery celebration. Not to mention that, for some unexplained reason, she could now breathe underwater. It was all too much to process at once, and she slipped off the rest of her uniform, now wearing only her crimson underwear and a thin, white shirt.
Asha slipped under the covers and rested her head on the pillow. The blanket was surprisingly soft. She closed her eyes and tried to get comfortable, but found that the humidity in the air, combined with the warmth of the fire, made her feel sweaty. Even after kicking the blanket to the floor, she felt sticky, and removed her shirt, as well.
Now that her skin could breathe, the warmth of the fire on her body felt wonderful. As the warmth spread across her skin, her thoughts drifted. Soon, the crackle of the fire lifted her up and carried her into the land of dreams, and Asha slept more peacefully than she had in a long time.
CHAPTER 17
AHEAD INTO THE DARKNESS
Something shocked Asha awake, and she jolted upright.
The fire was gone, and she found herself in the midst of a ruined structure. Through a large hole in the roof above, she could see the thick forest canopy obscuring a crystal blue sky beyond. Asha examined the sun that was not her own, noticing that even when filtered through this planet’s atmosphere, the star contained a tinge of violet within its bright white disc.
She looked around. The blankets and pillow were gone, and she leaned over to grab her shirt and pulled it on. Even the hearth where the fire had burned looked desolate, now filled with dust and weeds as if it hadn’t been used in years. But how could that be possible?
Had the fire been part of a dream? Then it came back to her. She had been dreaming, about Zahn.
Asha pressed her eyes shut as she tried to remember what the dream had been about. She had been looking into his eyes, those deep sapphire eyes, and speaking to him. She still couldn’t believe what had happened. How could she have let slip about his termination at the observatory? Even though Mira insisted that Zahn’s choice to leave was not her fault, Asha still felt responsible. No matter what Mira said, the fact remained: the last time she’d talked to him, she’d called him blind.
Perhaps Mira was right. Perhaps she wasn’t responsible. After all, Zahn was responsible for his own actions.
But that thought didn’t make her feel any better. Asha missed him and worried for his safety, and since she’d left Avani, those feelings had collected in the bottom of her stomach, like a heavy meal that would never sit right.
Asha covered her eyes with her palms and slowed her breathing. “Zahn, please be all right. I need you to be all right.”
She uncovered her eyes and stood up. Asha’s eyes followed the curving wall over to where the door was. Weeds grew out of a wooden bucket on the countertop, and a nearby window looked out to an overgrown mess. All around the hut, deep indigo trees reached upward, like mighty hands uncurling to praise the sun.
But hadn’t there been a trimmed path the night before? Asha looked back to the desolate hearth and squinted.
“What’s happening to me?” she wondered aloud.
She reached for the small handle on the wooden door, but when she went to turn it, the door knob broke off in her hand, st
artling her. Then she tried pushing the door, to no avail. She pushed harder, and realized that a wall of grass was blocking it. She put all of her weight into it and managed to force the door open. All around her were indigo bushes and tall grass.
No trace of the paths of the previous night.
Not even her wristcomm was helpful. Its translation subroutines were working fine, but it could detect no craft on the planet. The link was simply gone, with no explanation. Asha sighed and headed back inside.
The dwelling, while primitive, was nonetheless designed well. Essentially, the entire hut was a single, circular room that wrapped around a central fire pit, providing ample ventilation for smoke to escape. At least, when it was maintained. Asha was still surprised to see that it was now filled with dead leaves and rubbish, as if it hadn’t held a fire in many years.
At the far edge of the house was a rotted out bed frame, and beside it was a narrow tree which had entered into some kind of unholy union with the adjacent wall, eventually poking out from a hole in the ceiling.
In the distance, she heard a warbling bird call.
How could anyone possibly live here? Was this really the place she had fallen asleep in the night before? Could she have been transported in the night, perhaps drugged? Asha thought about what might have been in the food she’d eaten the night before, and her stomach, now included in her thoughts, reminded her that it was quite empty.
Asha wandered back around to the nook near the door, and searched through each of the cabinets, yet only dust remained. She searched some nearby compartments and found a machete, although it was quite rusty. Still, it was better than nothing, and Asha walked back outside to hack her way through some tall grass and ferns.
She found that, with enough speed, the machete worked, and after a little while she had made a small path leading out from the hut. As she plunged deeper into the azure wilderness, she heard ever more birds chattering above her, and in the end she found that it was much easier to push her way through, and only used the machete when necessary.
The Island on the Edge of Forever (The Epic of Aravinda Book 2) Page 10