Almakia_The vilashi and the Dragons

by Lhaisa Andria

  — Well,well, look what we have here! – Said the person with whom had struck, sounding pleased. – It seems like another uninformed woman is wandering aroundthe Routes.

  Even if she knew she should get up and run away, Garo-lin did not move as soon as looked up. The person in front of her had green hair and sandy skin, just like Kidari, and that left her with no reaction.

  — He went there! – Heard someone denounce.

  — I'll get her out of here, vilashi! – Murmured the Kodorin, grabbing his arm and pulling her along.

  ***

  — Then, your village is one of the victims of the pirates of the Inland Valley -

  Sayed the Kodorin, depositing a mug of warm milk and a plate of muffins.

  — Yes, sir – Garo-lin replied, staring at the mug and the plate willingly, but still afraid to accept them.

  She glanced around again and did not believe such a messy place could exist. There was no space that was not occupied by foreign objects, papers, cans and dusty glass jars. Piles of old books and newspapers stood up all around, broken furniture was thrown into a corner. There were clippings of figures and news pieces affixed to one of the walls, and several sections had been marked and marked. She was sitting on a crowded bench, which swayed in the slightest motion, in front of an broken table, and he, in a box in front of her.

  The kodorin, who introduced herself as Kinaito, helped her escape by entering a tissue shop and leading her to the backs, where there was a tangle of strips of curtain-like samples. Pulling a rope in a corner, there was a crack and the sound of something moving. Without explaining to her what was happening, he pushed her into the curtain, where a passageway had opened with a dimly lit corridor with flame holder. After descending a staircase, they emerged into a small area surrounded by the walls of the buildings, out of sight of any window, with only a half-camouflaged door in front of them. It was as soon as she had arrived in that messy place and had known who the rescuer had been, immediately beginning to answer the questions he asked.

  — You were not the first vilashi to come to the Routes believing that this way could solve the problems of your village, girl – he said – But not everyone was lucky enough to bump into me while I went out to buy dumplings.

  — What happened to them?

  He shrugged and opened his hands in a gesture that indicated he had no idea:

  — Some were taken out of the city; others, prisoners; others, nobody knows...

  — Why are you doing this?

  — That's a good question, but I do not think you would understand. Sorry, but it is a situation beyond your comprehension. All you need to know is that not everyone agrees with what is happening and that we are trying to change this situation. So go back to your village and resist as much as possible.

  It was perfectly understandable that he underestimated her, since his case was unique among the Vashashis. Then, trying to find a way to say that she could more or less imagine what was happening without denouncing that she was a born with almaki, she tried to ask:

  — Are the Almakins doing that?

  The kodorin stared at her, and this time she put aside that sly way of acting, changing it more seriously.

  — What do you know about what the Almakins are doing, vilashi? – He answered the question, visibly trying to assess her.

  Garo-lin saw that perhaps there was a way to get the information he first came to get. He just needed to talk enough to find out a little more. Then, thinking of each word, she said,

  — I know they do not look kindly on who is above them. Who are arrogant and think that Almakia belongs only to those who have an almaki power. I know the vilashis are completely disregarded by them, and if that happened to us, they certainly have something to do.

  Kinaito tapped his fingers on the table in a concentrated rhythm, staring at a spot on the wall, as if calculating.

  — Yeah, you know something – he finished. – The point is: how do you know?

  Realizing that he too would not say exact things if he had no more information about her and that they could stay in that game of questions for a long time, she decided she would have to make a deal, and to do that she needed to tell what she knew.

  — I've been among Almakins for a long time, I know many things about them. But I can not just tell you what I was entrusted to when I do not know who you are. As you can see, the side of which I am a part is quite obvious. I'm at a disadvantage here.

  He laughed, finding the way she spoke very funny.

  — How old are you really to be the smartest vilashi I've ever seen?

  — Seventeen – she said, hoping this would somehow help with her assignments, for by the standards of her village she was grown enough to have duties and responsibilities.

  He shook his head and sighed:

  — You're too young to get involved, Vilashi. Look, if you want, I can get you a way to get back to your village. And if you take advice, the best you can do is wait there and help your peers resist it the best they can.

  — You're the Lady of the Fire Capital, are not you? – She decided to be direct.

  The question had surprised and had upset her.

  — How do you know about it, vilashi? – and then the question immediately became a deeper one – Who are you?

  Seeing that had been able to shake all confidence and exceed expectations about her, Garo-lin decided to present herself using the title she could not deny owning:

  — My name is Garo-lin Colinpis, a former student of the Dul'Maojin Institute, third-class fire handler.

  — Garo-lin?! – He widened his eyes. – That Garo-lin?!

  — As well? – It was her turn to be upset.

  — Should not you be dead?

  — What?! – She almost choked.

  — Eeeh?! – He exclaimed, in a squeaky way, which immediately reminded her of the time when Kidari had discovered that the juices were sweetened, not salted.

  — But Kandara said that...

  — Kandara?!

  — Kandara Dul'Maojin told me there was an explosion at the Institute. Could not find the culprit!

  — An explosion? – She understood less and less.

  He got up from the crate and started pacing, talking in loose sentences and gesturing very fast.

  Unable to pay attention to him by the weight that revelation exerted on his head, Garo-lin tried to stop him by asking:

  — Excuse me, how did I die?

  — So that was it! – Kodorin did not hear her – She thought exactly of everything!" Not at all, of course, since you're here in front of me. – He held out his hands to her, indicating her with a big smile from those who could not contain happiness by a great discovery – Garo-lin Colinpis! You did not die!

  — Of course not! What are you talking about?!

  — I think there's someone better than me to tell you everything that happened. But first we have to fix this horrible disguise... eat those muffins, I'll be right back! – And he ran to the door, stopping before opening it and casting another glance, as if to confirm that she was actually there, exclaiming,

  — It's alive! – and then gone.

  Garo-lin stared at the muffins in front of her, unable to formulate a thought that summed up the state she was in.

  — How come I died? – She asked the milk mug, confused.

  ***

  They stopped in front of a large, partially-built building, where Metal Almakins drove, focused on finalizing their work.

  Garo-lin had never seen closely how the constructions with almakis were made and understood why those almakins with this ability have gained so much prestige in recent times. No matter how capable a normal person might be, she could not build with the precision of someone who directly handled building materials, nor could he get such fine detail at the same time.

  But she did not have time to wonder at what she saw. The kodorin pushed her covertly through a doorway and she tripped over the bars of the dress she wore.

  Acc
ording to him, who had come back with arms loaded with fabrics and tied her with a bizarre combination of them all, she could pose as a Kodorin lady without any problem. In addition to being covered from head to toe, as she had said was the custom in Kodo of old women, they also wore a veil that covered their faces with a semi-transparent cloth to protect themselves from the strong sun. This was precisely the advantage of the disguise: it hid his eyes and did not disturb his vision.

  The kodorin still directed her to walk slowly and not to speak to anyone. So they followed the streets with him leading her and telling smiling to disinterested people that she was his mother and that he was visiting the Realm. It might not be an ideal disguise, but it worked better than a boy's, and people did not seem to call the two Kodorins walking down the street.

  — Wait here – said, and went inside, where he greeted the almakin who seemed to be responsible.

  They talked for a while, and in the end the man gave him a direction and gestured over the path should take. Kinaito thanked her and went back to her, taking her by the arm and smiling, as if she were doing the most normal thing in the world to take her mother to walk the construction.

  — Where are we going? – Garo-lin could not resist asking when they climbed a staircase and entered a wide corridor already finished.

  — Let's find the master of finishes.

  A group turned the corner and came toward them.

  — The hall on the second floor is there, is not it? – the kodorin asked, to disguise, and instead of distrusting, the workers only affirmed that yes.

  When they reached the hall, Garo-lin's chin fell. She had no idea what was being built there, but it would definitely have the same proportions as the Dul'Maojin Institute. All Godan would fit in that place. Then she spotted someone in the background, handling what appeared to be marble.

  — Metal Dragon! – Kinaito called out, bowing formally for referring to someone important.

  Even though she clearly heard who he was and saw her turning to them, Garo-lin could not believe it. She had never imagined he would ever see that scene out of context: the spoiled Metal Dragon working.

  She knew that the Gran'Otto were a family that dealt with minerals and constructions, but he never imagined that their princess would move his mighty almaki by doing things like that. Very different from the pomp she displayed at the Institute, she wore the same outfit there as all other workers, and even dared to tear off her perfect braids with a protective helmet.

  — Kinaito? – She asked, dropping the heavy material she was handling with a bang on the floor, raising dust, and came up to them. – What are you doing here?

  — I have a surprise for you. – He pointed to Garo-lin beside him, but it was obvious the disguise would not let her know who he was, and then asked – Is there a place with a door?

  Understanding the confidential tone he wore, the dragon indicated a side room where the metal doors had already been put.

  As they entered the room and found that there was no one, the kodorin helped her take off the veil, and the expression that the Metal Dragon did upon seeing her made it clear that she was a person she never expected to see again.

  — Garo-lin?! How?

  — I also want to know – Kinaito said, folding her arms and waiting to hear the missing pieces to unravel the mystery of the reappearance of vilashi.

  — But... – Gran'Otto came close to her and touched her face, her eyes meeting yellow, as if to make sure it was real, not something built – Are you alive!

  — How come I died? – Garo-lin demanded, in her desperation to know what had happened.

  — The dorm is on fire! – She exclaimed, throwing her hands sideways and showing her complete state of perplexity. – We all ran out, and the princess was desperate because she could not find her. The masters said that you had gone mad, that you had set fire to your own room and that you should have run away!

  — I got kicked out! – Garo-lin defended himself, unable to believe the absurd story she heard. – They took me to the Black Gates and I went back to my village!

  — But they came looking for her, saying she should be found and punished. So when they were removing the debris from the bedroom, they said they found a body and it was yours.

  — It was not me!

  — Obviously. But... – She began to take small steps around, as if the movement helped her think and understand. – Everyone seemed content to think that this was the end of the vilashi that tried to burn all the almakins girls, you know? So you had died... – She stopped and all her surprise and disbelief turned to a smile. – They will not believe it! Wait till others know!

  And he began to tell exactly what had happened.

  At dawn, when Garo-lin was expelled from the Institute, a mysterious fire began in the girls' dormitory from the entrance, where her room was, and spread rapidly. It was contained before any pupil left the wound, but of course the fact that there was a vilashi there was only perceived due to the demands of the Kodo Princess to seek her. As the destructive potential of his sneezes was known to the Dragons, the fact of having started a fire was not to be doubted. So they never thought there might have been anything before the said fire, how it had been expelled. They only sought to unravel what had happened from this fact. As expected, since she was not there, the only answer seemed to be the version the Institute had given.

  Garo-lin could clearly see how perfect the plan was. The masters had rid of her before and sent her to her village without anyone knowing. Provoking a fire and blaming her afterward would have been the easy part, and it seems they did not even care what impact it might have on the other students in the dorm, putting them all at risk. Her state of shock at being expelled was essential, because she simply went away without complaining and would not have the courage to return. In the face of this new panorama, he could see how much he had stuck only to his self-protection shell and did not realize that, obediently, he was following their plan.

  Getting to understand and connecting several points, there was one thing that frightened her:

  — But if they found a body... who?

  — Well, they said they found a body. The dormitory was secluded and would not let us get close. According to what they informed us, they had taken all the necessary steps on this and only after all settled it is that they revealed to us what had happened to you. And then a stone was laid on the subject at the Institute – she made a gesture of handling of her almaki – The princess cried for days without stopping and we could not comfort her. We had to take her to the Royal Capital for a while, and little by little Vin managed to convince her that no one could have avoided what happened.

  Garo-lin looked at the dusty ground. It was clear that there were many holes in this story. The main one was how the Dragons reacted. That very day, had not they made that promise in a consensus that no one would bother her any more?

  As if guessing her thoughts, Gran'Otto explained:

  — Nu'lian, Benar and I investigated for a while to find out if anyone had set the dorm on fire. We knew you had the capacity for both, but we did not think you would have burned your own soul. An almakin destroy himself it's stupid! But Benar could not fathom any culprit, and Nu'lian said he was sure it was not you, that those flames were not his almaki. However, I think our mistake was just starting the fire. If we had imagined the hypothesis of something before that, maybe...

  Of all he had heard, there was something fundamental that Garo-lin wanted to know, but that was never said by the dragon. Then, gathering all the courage she had, she asked, as if she only wanted to check:

  — And the Fire Dragon?

  A shadow hung over Gran'Otto's face, which was as serious as Garo-lin had never seen it before.

  — Kris left the Institute soon after everything happened. The director called him to the capital and we could not see him again. He does not respond to our callers by the sphere and is incommunicable. At the Institute, the masters only said that the Fire Dragon is takin
g its place in Almakia and that there is no need to continue with their studies.

  — As well? – Garo-lin asked, astonished, for she had always imagined the Dragons as one unit, inseparable.

  The dragon cast a glance at the kodorin, who had only heard it until then, and then he told what he knew:

  — As you know, Kandara is not exactly welcome to the Dul'Maojin house, which just does not openly declare that they do not accept it to keep up appearances. She also lost the little contact she had with her brother at this time and is now in the Fire Capital trying to find out something... we need to warn you that you're here!

  — I need to warn others! – Gran'Otto rummaged through the pockets of the standard robes of the construction he was using until he found his sphere.

  — Hang on! – Garo-lin asked, both for them and for herself – My village...

  Almakin and Kodorin looked at each other, and with an affirmative answer of her, he said:

  — There's nothing we can do about it now, Garo-lin.

  — But... – Her disappointment, mingled with the sound of a dead person, flashed through her voice.

  — Let's go to the Fire Capital! – Said the dragon, as if he had an idea. – If you can show Kris that he's alive, he'll move the entire Realm to help!

  Garo-lin tried to say that he did not want to depend on the Fire Dragon, and especially that he did not want to see him. But if she said that, she would be taking into account only her will and refusing a chance that she could not deny being real to her village. Then she just kept quiet, while the other asked the kodorin:

  — I'll tell my father that I can not help him anymore, and I must go back to the Institute. I'll ask the borrowed mombelula. You come too?

  — Anything you want, absolute Metal Dragon. – He bowed in agreement.

  Chapter 24 – The one who was near the Dragon