Chapter 11 – In Routes
Between bookshelves crammed with books, papers scattered randomly, furniture corroded overloaded with curious artifacts, strange materials, and colored substances contained in bottles, someone strove to make quick notes on a painting. With whitish green hair, totally disheveled, which gave him the effect of having a head three times larger than would be normal, wearing a large lab coat with pockets – which were also loaded – and having a strange paraphernalia that whistled around his neck, the figure pronounced something over and over as he scrawled frantically on a grimy wall. He seemed to be writing the result of a complicated thought and needed to write it down quickly before he could get lost.
— KINAAAAAAITO!
The door opened in a crash and a gust of wind blew the flames of the firebox. Even so, with the dim lighting coming from a dirty window near the ceiling, it was possible to distinguish the figure stumbling from fright and falling along with a series of things that were around him, raising a cloud of dust.
Then, laughing, a woman came through the door, turning the lights on again with a wave and asking:
— Did I scare you?
The tangle of hair, now filled with small objects and papers clinging to him, emerged from behind an upturned table and summed up all his indignation at the scare in just one word of rebuke:
— Kandara!
— Sorry, I couldn't help it – she defended herself, waving her hand away from the dust of her breathing field.
More startled than angry, he stood up, dusting his clothes and adjusting the equipment on his neck: a set of lenses that could be overlapped and combined. Then he chose one of the lenses and then began to reorder the recent mess to the previous mess.
— It would be good for you to settle in here from time to time, you know? – the heiress said, carefully picking out a pot that contained something indefinable and that seemed to be there long ago. – Take out the dust, open the windows...
— What windows? Another: show that I care about where I live and risk losing my reputation as crazy? – he asked, paying more attention to what he was doing, but not ceasing to listen to her. – No, I prefer that. It is much easier to get information in Almakia by acting like someone who doesn't know what to do.
— Information! – she exclaimed, clapping her hands. – I have a lot of information! I guarantee you'll even forgive me for scaring you again.
— It's going to be difficult, but let's try – he pushed all the contents of a table, pouring on the floor and breaking several glasses in the process. Then he searched for a bank in a pile of things thrown in a corner and made a point of cleaning it with the sleeve of the robes, putting it on the table so that she sat, with a bow. – Ready, Miss Dul'Maojin.
— You didn't more than your duty, kodorin – she pretended an arrogant tone and sat majestically.
He arranged a partially destroyed crate and placed it on the other side, using it as a precarious seat.
— Did they like the spheres? – he asked, unable to hide the expectation in each of the words.
— The Lightning Dragon found it brilliant! My brother didn't seem to understand very well yet, but I guarantee that soon he will realize how useful they are. And more! I bet he'll soon find a utility for the extra ball!
— What do you mean?
— This is one of the things I need to tell – she tossed her backpack and pulled out several newspapers, some of which were written in different languages, and placed them on the table. – But let's start at the beginning. Look at this – she handed him one of the papers written in strange words.
— Good relations with the people Overseas? – he asked with a grimace of disbelief, reading without difficulty. – With Kodo? King Kodima speaking on good terms?
— It seems he got a good ally.
— Who?
— My mother – she left another newspaper, now from Almakia, and this one was filled with images produced with almaki of light, that could perfectly represent the moment captured. – In her speech at the Fire Capital, she said that Almakia should open the door to illustrious foreign guests and thus be able to approach the lower nations, giving them a chance to enjoy better living conditions.
— And let me guess: was she cheered on her feet?
— Exactly. It was a handsome speech, which will probably get into the History books, but... it's amazing how people don't realize how charged it is with intentions. The Royal State supports it blindly. King Gillion is old and has no heirs. The Royal Dragon is strategically under the influence of the Institute and she sees in this the opportunity to transfer the power of the Realm to the almakins.
— Did you see the Royal Dragon?
— I talked to him, yes. He can't avoid his Family Secret, just like his mother. Although it is the most obvious choice, it would not be the most appropriate for the Royal State.
— What does the Lightning Dragon think?
— Fortunately, he can see beyond the pomp of his title, even if he's so caught up in him. The others don't have a sense as sharp as his. But at this moment he has a much greater problem than simply being the mediating dragon for us – she picked up the newspaper that talked about good relationships and pointed to one of the latest information written on it.
— The Dul'Maojin Institute will host a kodorin student with almaki – he read aloud and reread with his eyes, to be sure of what he had uttered, and then asked unbeliever: – Is there a kodorin with almaki?!
— Oh, there, and I knew her. Get ready for a big surprise! – the heiress stared at him, leaving a few seconds of suspense hovering in the air. – Your majesty, the Princess Kidari Chanboni!
It took a few more seconds for him to process that information and then give a muffled laugh.
— I knew you'd react like this – she agreed satisfied.
— The princess?! She has an almaki power?! She was just a girl who ate dirt when I left the palace! How did you get to that point? Where's Rajin's? You must be about the age to have one.
— If she has any, I haven't seen it there. She has a strange cat with wings that protects her. But as far as I know, a Rajin is not an animal.
— Never happened to be.
— This cat speaks.
— He did?! – he was surprised.
— I also found it curious. But, as you well know, King Kodima supports experiences... this is something we have to discover. For now, the Princess is safe. She is protected from the Lightning Dragon, probably my mother's work. Which gives us a point in favor.
— Did you relay the information to him?
— Vinshu is aware of everything. The other Dragons also know they must be prepared. Only my brother is the problem.
— And what are you going to do with him?
— We should keep him away. My mother believes she has him in her hands, and he wouldn't be quiet if he took a stand. In order not to be discovered, we should leave him that way... but in those few days that I was there, I realized that there is something different.
— Different how?
— Did you know that there is a vilashi in the Institute?
— A vilashi?! At the Dul'Maojin Institute?! At your Institute?!
— It’s not my Institute. – she replied, with a tone she did not like. – Black Gates also work perfectly as a way to keep secrets that are not Almakis Secrets. She is in the fifth year and is a Fire handler, third order.
— A vilashi fire handler who has been there for five years?! – he repeated the information, as if trying to make it fit into his concept of reality.
— Surprisingly, she's the Krission’s protégé.
This revelation seemed to exert a bombastic effect on the Kodorin, who could not utter anything expressing his surprise.
— Yes, when I discovered this, I was shocked too... my brother, the Fire Dragon, accepting a vilashi under his protection... but then, I talked to Vinshu and he told me something even more surprising.
— What could be more surpr
ising than the Fire Dragon accepting a vilashi?
— She has a first-order almaki.
— But... you said that...
— The Institute ranked her in the lowest order, but her power is far beyond that. And, incredibly, Krission is training her. It was a brilliant idea for Vinshu, who acted quickly realizing her potential! But there is one more thing behind it, and I hope it develops.
— What?– he asked, not imagining what could be more in what was already inconceivable.
— For now, let's just let things go by itself, we will not interfere. It will be better. We can't use the same strategy as my mother on this subject... everything will go well if it is naturally.
He stared at her, blinking, not knowing what she was talking about. But as someone who was already accustomed to the Dul'Maojin heir's way of thinking and fully trusted in her decisions, he agreed.
— The important fact now is that Princess Kidari is in Almakia, and this only shows that they are taking her steps. My mother's speech reinforces what we already knew she had an agreement with Kodo. It's time to move.
— Are the Dragons safe?
— The Institute thinks they are in an assignment, but they are actually in Dul'Maojin Fortress, in the Routes region. My mother believes they were well controlled by the masters and that they put the Institute above all because they were Dragons. As long as we can maintain that image, they will be safe.
— So we should get together.
— I passed the code from where we would meet – she took the ball from the chain and pressed it into the palm of her hand. – They only need one warning and one day. I'll let So-ren know.
***
Garo-lin stared in fascination at the tumult of people in front of her. She already thought there were a lot of people hanging out at the Institute, but she had never imagined she would see much more. And, another, she never imagined that she would see circulating in a same place almakins with people of all the types, regions and Realms.
Even having a view of the Fire Capital movement and reading about population issues within the Realm, she still could not amplify her vilashi vision with only blurring and statistical data. And being in the middle of what was considered to be the city with the largest flow of people in perhaps all existing Realms, she had impressed herself in a way she did not like to admit.
— Unbelievable... – she murmured, letting her vision get lost in that crowd, bumping into her and getting out of sight.
— Don't stand here with your mouth open or you will distrust us! – the Fire Dragon reminded her that she was standing in the middle of one of the main streets of the city and that they should act normally.
When her mentor had said he was not going to be a dragon, at the time Garo-lin did not achieve what he was planning. But when she came upon Zawhart and he, that very early day, the two of them wearing clothes that seemed to have been picked up from the servants' closets, Garo-lin almost laughed, just as Kidari had done. She, in the simplest robes she had gained from the Institute, seemed to be in better condition than they. They could easily pass for ordinary people, were it not for the higher attitudes, which, at least for her, totally demeaned them.
Visibly dissatisfied, but aware that it was the best alternative, the Lightning Dragon quickly explained the situation to the protégés. Routes was an essentially commercial place, which always received many people from all directions, with an accelerated movement and a hectic life. Having a vilashi and a kodorin walking along with almakins would not be a great novelty. But if they even discovered that the Dragons were there, there could be an unnecessary commotion. Therefore, they should go unnoticed and they should be careful not to report them.
So, even on that day, not dawning exactly as it was most conducive to a ride, they set off on the mombelula, flying above the rain clouds.
The journey did not take long, but it was enough for Garo-lin to remember her nausea as she emerged from the safety of the ground. Regardless of not understanding the need to go to Routes, since they did not want to be recognized, Garo-lin tried to seal her complaints and concentrated on the expectation of arriving at Godan. All she had to do was stand her mentor that day and the next she could glimpse the Inland Valley after so long.
The rain had already stopped when they landed in a muddy place on the outskirts of Routes, in a sparsely populated area, where they left the mombelula in an inn-paying the owner very well not to ask questions and take care of the creature until they returned. From there, they walked on foot to the entrance of the city, where there was already a large stream of people, animals and wheel vehicles coming and going through a large arc-shaped portal that held the inscription East Route in relief. Once passing through that place, Garo-lin stopped and stared admiringly around, until she was pushed forward by the dragon.
To act normally in the midst of so many new and different things to see was practically impossible. The rainy setting, rather than being disheartening, was welcome, since people were so worried they would not get wet, they rarely gave them more than a glance. This helped in the task of passing unnoticed and still gave them the chance to act as outsiders dazzled nonchalantly. Kidari, who in her normal state was agitated, now seemed to be at her best and ran through shop windows and stalls without knowing what to see first. Behind her was an alert Lightning Dragon, mourning the fact that she had to bring her protégé along, even though she knew she could not fight the urge to jump out and look at everything at all times.
Garo-lin paused, thinking she should wait while Zawhart went to get the kodorin and scolded her for leaving so suddenly, but the Fire Dragon forced her to continue, ordering:
— Come on!
— To where? – she asked when they saw that they were heading in the opposite direction to the other two.
He tugged on a cap on his head – precariously hiding his bouncing hair that could easily be denounced as a Dul'Maojin – and pulled her by the arm to a corner.
— Hey! – she protested and tried to return, but he held her firmly and kept advancing. – We'll lose them!
And this seemed to be exactly the goal of her mentor.
It was not long before she completely consumed her sense of direction and did not know where else to go. With no choice but to follow him, she broke off abruptly:
— I know to walk alone!
— Okay then – he kept moving, unshakable, as she struggled to follow her pace, too fast for her size.
They entered and left many other streets, climbed stairs and ramps, passed large buildings, crossed a bridge over the Yue River, which cut through the city, and circulated along a path that followed the canal, and finally the dragon seemed to get where he wanted. He passed through an entrance ornamented by an arch, an opening that led to a closed set of buildings. These encircled a wide open paved space, filled with people like the rest of the city.
— What is this place? – she thought aloud, not necessarily expecting an answer.
— Routes – the dragon simply replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Preferring to ignore, she remained silent and just looked around, following him. As soon as they reached the middle of the pavement, where there were stones of various colors forming a pattern on the floor, he stopped and turned to her.
— Here is the center of Almakia – he announced.
Garo-lin looked at her feet, impressed, and immediately understood something about the city's name.
The drawing of the mosaic was an exact copy of the format of the Almakia Realm that she had seen on maps in her books. From the center of the drawing was a profusion of arrows, pointing in all directions. With a closer look around, she noticed that each arrow pointed to a path through the buildings, making the fame of the place from which one can go in all directions to have a clear sense.
— Very well, vilashi – the dragon interrupted her moment of admiration and spoke so that only those who were actually paying attention to him could hear. – As I said yesterday, yo
ur job is to be a guide.
Garo-lin stared at him, hoping he could explain himself better, but apparently the dragon had already said everything he thought needed to be said, and she had to ask:
— What do you mean?
— Here is the Routes Center! – he sighed angrily and folded his arms, demonstrating that he did not believe the protégé had yet to understand. – With everything that exists in the world! Just for today, you'll choose where you want to go, and you can go anywhere.
Had she heard him right? Was her mentor giving her the opportunity to go wherever she wanted? Surely there was a plan behind it, and her thought flashed in a grimace of disbelief.
— You can start – he waved his hand around, as if he were a salesman who gave his client the opportunity to appreciate all the products available. Uncertain, Garo-lin looked at all the possibilities that lay ahead of her and then murmured, beginning to walk:
— Unbelievable...
***
Trapped in the Institute for so long, Garo-lin had always concentrated on books and classes, since all her possibilities were simply to stay within those walls, unlike the Dragons.
To possess a series of places reserved only for them in the Institute, with all the luxury and comfort they deserved, did not seem to be enough for those heirs. They were also the only ones with whom the teachers did not care if they participated in the classes or took advantage of the study time to go where they wished. So for her, being in a big city, being able to go anywhere without having to wait for authorization, sounded rather unreal.
Even in the first few hours not believing much, she ventured into some places and looked dumb to everything that could be marketed in the Realms. There, in that center, were workshops of the most varied artisans, almakins or not, all with centennial businesses that were passed between their generations and that exhibited the proofs of this in the walls. She found the shop in which the uniforms were made for the Institute, another where they made the very fine cutlery they used in the refectory, another still in which the glasses and bowls were made. Each of these places, which showed with pride that they were in the service of the Institute, carried the same ostentatious atmosphere of the Dul'Maojin Hill, as if the mere fact of working for them already placed them on a plateau above all other trades. There were also unique jewelery and clothing stores she'd heard her classmates comment on. For someone like her who had never dreamed of having shiny objects and fine fabrics like that, being able to at least see them behind a shop window was something astonishing.
Almakia_The vilashi and the Dragons Page 14