The Beast Player

by Nahoko Uehashi

  Leelan looked and sounded far more like the wild Beasts than those at the sanctuary, and she appeared to be full grown. Yet she still could not fly, nor did she show any sign of wanting independence or of going into heat. When did wild Beasts reach maturity and set off to stake out their own territory? Did being raised by humans delay growing up?

  When I graduate…

  Elin’s dream was to study Royal Beasts in the wild and compare their behavior with those at the sanctuary. To do that and remain in charge of Leelan, however, she would have to win the right to stay at the school by placing first in the Graduation Trials. Yuyan assured her that even if she did not place first, she would still be able to stay, precisely because of Leelan, but Elin did not want special treatment. She did not want to owe anything to anyone.

  These were the thoughts in her mind as she tramped through the snowy meadow. The land began to slope gently downward, and the forest came into view. The custodians kept the trees well-trimmed to make it easy for the Royal Beasts to pass through it. Unlike the deciduous forest bordering the southeast edge of the highland, the wood here on the northern edge was filled with dark green conifers, which kept the ground virtually bare of snow.

  The wind dropped when they entered the trees, and the air felt warmer. Except for the occasional thud of snow sliding from a branch, not a sound could be heard, not even birds calling. Inhaling the tangy scent of the forest, Elin followed Leelan to the ravine where a steep cliff overlooked the river below. In summer, they could climb down, but in winter, the icy snow clinging to the rocks made it far too dangerous.

  Leelan’s favorite place was a ledge that jutted out over the ravine. Exposure to the sun kept it free of snow, and a rock outcrop sheltered it from the wind. When Leelan perched on the ledge, Elin nestled like an egg between her legs to warm herself. She was sure that Esalu would have a fit if she saw them like this, but Leelan had learnt a lot and now knew that Elin could be easily harmed. Once she was warm again, Elin pulled a book from her cloak and began to read. Leelan’s chest rumbled like a bellows as she rested in the sunshine, looking blissfully content.

  “…That, good.”

  Elin raised her head at the sound of Leelan’s voice. “What’s good?”

  “That.”

  Elin turned her eyes to follow the Beast’s gaze and saw a single bird floating in the air. It did look nice and plump. “You’re right. It’s probably very tasty. But you can’t catch it.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s flying.”

  Leelan made a cooing sound in her throat. “Fly?”

  Elin put her book away and stood up. Spreading her arms, she waved them up and down, mimicking flight. Leelan spread her wings and flapped them, but nothing happened.

  “Back, neck, itchy. Scratch.”

  Elin sighed. “The back of your neck? I can’t reach. Bend down, will you?”

  Leelan crouched and bent over.

  “I’m going to climb up, so don’t move, all right? Even if it hurts, don’t shake me off.” Leelan was three times taller than her, which made Elin feel like a tiny bug whenever she climbed onto her back. She gripped Leelan’s fur to hoist herself up.

  “Where? Here?” She noticed a spot on Leelan’s neck where the fur was ruffled. She began to scratch it, and Leelan purred ecstatically.

  Suddenly, Elin lurched. For an instant, she thought Leelan had moved, but then she knew what it was.

  Earthquake!

  The trees whipped back and forth, and snow cascaded from their branches. She could hear the rock ledge groan beneath their feet. Never had she felt such a strong quake before. Leelan gripped the ledge with her claws and spread her wings as she struggled to stay upright. Elin closed her eyes and clung desperately to her neck. With a terrible sound, the ledge beneath them snapped, then crumbled, and Leelan, whether through quick thinking or pure instinct, kicked the ledge with her feet and beat her great wings.

  Elin felt her body rise, and a blast of wind tore at her hair. Beneath her, she could feel Leelan’s powerful muscles moving rhythmically. The wind on her face was so strong that she could barely open her eyes, and even when she did, all she could see was sky.

  We can’t be…

  Gripping Leelan’s neck tighter, she shifted slightly so that she could look down. The sight made her gasp.

  We’re flying!… We’re flying through the sky!

  The river looked like a narrow ribbon. The snow-covered woods and fields, brilliant in the sunlight, extended far into the distance. Elin could feel Leelan’s joy as she thrust through the air on her great wings. She moved as if she could see the wind and the layers in the atmosphere, as if she knew instinctively which currents to use and which to avoid.

  “Happy, happy, happy…” she crooned as she soared through the heavens.

  It was all Elin could do to hang on. Wind roared past her ears. She could not bear to look down, and the knowledge that there was no earth beneath their feet made her tremble. She forced the thought from her mind. She could hardly breathe, but when she raised her head for air, the wind hit her so hard she almost let go. Hastily, she buried her face in Leelan’s neck. This offered some relief, as the force of the wind now pushed her against Leelan’s back, but there was nothing she could do to alleviate the cold. Icy air flowed across her, her hands grew numb, her teeth chattered, and tears welled in her eyes, which were screwed shut.

  “Leelan… Leelan!” She screamed. “Down! Leelan, please! I’m cold!”

  Leelan, drunk with elation, did not respond at first. Only after Elin had shouted repeatedly did she begin slowly to descend. Wings widespread, she glided down onto the snow-covered meadow. The impact as Leelan’s feet hit the ground was painfully jarring. Somehow Elin managed to disentangle her frozen fingers from Leelan’s fur and slide off her back. Unable to move, she lay huddled on the ground, shaking uncontrollably.

  Leelan whimpered anxiously, peering at her, then gently lowered herself on top of her, like a mother Beast warming its young. Even when the Beast’s warmth had seeped through her body, Elin could not stop shivering, and her hands shook as she pressed them against her mouth. When her trembling finally ceased, all strength seemed to have been leached from her body, and she lay curled fetus-like beneath Leelan’s soft, warm belly for a long time.

  At last, she crawled out, but remained crouched in the snow, eyes blank, oblivious to Leelan’s cries. It was only when she slowly raised her head and saw Leelan’s face that emotion returned.

  “Happy, happy, happy.” Leelan’s eyes were shining, and Elin could see that she was bursting with joy. A grin spread across her face.

  “You flew…” Her eyes burned with the tears that trickled down her cheeks.

  “Flew! Flew!” Leelan cried, her head raised to the sky, but then she stopped abruptly and stared toward the forest.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Leelan’s hackles rose, and she made a rumbling noise in her chest that Elin had never heard before. What could be the problem? Elin followed her gaze. At first, she could see nothing. Then, squinting her eyes, she realized that what she had taken for the shadow of a tree was actually a man. She leapt to her feet.

  Tall, dressed in gray, he stood beneath the trees watching them. Perhaps because she had seen him, he began to walk slowly toward them. Snarling, her fur standing on end, Leelan moved in front of Elin, as if to protect her, but the man showed no sign of fear as he approached. His eyes were invisible beneath the gray hood. Taking something from his cloak, he brought it to his mouth. Elin started.

  “No!” she cried, just as he blew the Silent Whistle. Leelan’s snarls ceased, and she stood frozen in place, her fangs bared and wings slightly raised. The man walked past her as though she were merely a statue and stood before Elin. Now she could see his face clearly. He looked to be in his mid-forties. Within the shadow of his hood, his green eyes shone coldly.

  “There’s no mistake. You must be Sohyon’s daughter. You look so like her.”

 
Elin stared at him blankly.

  “We need to talk. Come into the forest where the trees are denser. The Beast can’t follow us there.”

  3 THE SIN OF THE AHLYO

  As she followed him, Elin had the strange feeling that she was walking in a familiar dream. He belonged to the Ahlyo, her mother’s people, and seemed to know her mother well. Perhaps he was kin… Her heart beat in her throat and her mind was spinning. She barely felt her feet touch the snow.

  The man strode ahead into the forest. When he was deep enough among the trees that they could not be seen from the meadow, he stopped and turned to her. Then he spoke. “This is your first time to see me, but I have been watching you from a distance for several years. You and the Beast.”

  Elin’s lips felt stiff as she spoke. “Watching… us?… But why? Who are you?” For the first time, she saw a flicker of expression in his eyes.

  “…Even your voice is like Sohyon’s,” he whispered. He gestured for her to sit on a dry log and sat down beside her. “Your mother and I were of the same tribe. You wouldn’t know because you weren’t raised among us, but each tribe is divided into two kinship groups. She and I belonged to opposite groups or Toh no Hara.” A sad smile touched his lips. “We choose our life partners from our tribe’s Toh no Hara. Sohyon was to be my wife.”

  Elin stared at him, forgetting even to breathe. He smoothed the expression from his face, as if to rein in his emotions. “But it wasn’t because you are Sohyon’s daughter… I was watching you because, four years ago, a Spirit Beast warned us about you.”

  “A spirit… beast?”

  The man stared off into space. “Long ago, our ancestors committed a great sin in a far distant land beyond the Afon Noah. In their remorse, they placed a curse upon themselves so that their descendants would never make the same mistake. The curse was such that, when they died, their souls would not cross into the heaven of Afon Alma, but would remain here as a Spirit Bird to warn us should anyone use the Handler’s Art. The Spirit Beast cannot speak to the people of this world, but the Spirit Bird can. It lives within the Spirit Beast and becomes its voice… It warned us that someone had used the Art to communicate with the Royal Beasts.”

  Elin imagined the spirits of her ancestors hovering in the snow-scented gloom of the frozen forest. She hugged her arms against her body. Had they been watching her the whole time? Were they still watching her even now?

  “At first we thought that Sohyon must have taught you the Art. You cannot imagine how shocked we were when we realized that you weren’t using the skills passed down among our people.”

  He gazed at her face. “Along with the Law, we are drilled in the Art from the time we are very young—so that it will never be used again, so that our people will never forget the past and rediscover it. Yet you developed it on your own.”

  His voice was hoarse. “We do not possess the kind of magic that we are rumored to have. All we have are the skills passed down by our ancestors from a land that once flourished beyond the Afon Noah. We have no special powers at all. Yet you, without any knowledge of those skills, developed the Art from nothing.”

  He placed a hand over his face. “Our despair was deep. How, we wondered, could someone acquire this ability naturally? Is it impossible to prevent disaster even by sealing away our ancient skills? Is this how someone sets off down the path to destruction—without even realizing that she is doing so?”

  Elin stared at her fingers. White and trembling, they seemed to belong to someone else.

  Clearly, by “Handler’s Art” he meant her ability to communicate with Leelan. He thinks that what I’ve done is wrong. Is it really so terrible as to cause my mother’s people despair? Why do they think it’s a sin?

  Deep inside, she heard her mother’s voice, the words she had spoken just before she had used the finger flute to control the Toda. “Elin, you must never do what I am going to do now. To do so is to commit a mortal sin.”

  Now, with a sudden flash of understanding, she realized what her mother had meant. She was speaking to the Toda with her finger flute. And she was warning me that to do so is a crime…

  A pain stabbed her heart. To communicate with the Beasts, to tell them what she wanted and direct their actions: her mother’s people called this the Handler’s Art—and they considered it a mortal sin.

  “…why?” Elin whispered. “Why is it a sin to speak with the Royal Beasts?”

  The man did not answer immediately. He rubbed his face with a rough and bony hand as if searching for words. Finally he sighed and said, “Even if I told you, it would sound too simple. How can I possibly convey to you the true horror when you have never seen the other side of the Afon Noah? You would never believe that speaking with the Beasts could have such terrible consequences.” He raised his eyes and looked at her. “But, still, I must try… When I saw the Beast fly today, I knew that I had no choice.

  “I should probably kill you and the Beast now to avert future disaster. Our people have vowed, however, never to take a life for any reason except for food. All we can do is to share what we know and pray that you will make the right decision…” He gripped his knees. “Daughter of Sohyon, I beg you to listen carefully to my words. And then I implore you never to let that Royal Beast fly again. Return it to the shelter of the Law. This is the wish of your mother’s people. We beg you to understand, and pray, with body and soul, that you will make the right choice.” Then he began his tale.

  When he finally finished, he stood up and walked off into the forest. For a long time, Elin sat on the log as if stunned.

  The story he had told her was indeed horrific. But just as he had warned her, it sounded like something that had happened long ago. Although she now knew what had happened in the past when people had manipulated Royal Beasts and Toda, she could not see how her conversations with Leelan, or for that matter how her mother whistling to the Toda just once, could cause such a disaster. Surely, there would need to be a complex combination of factors to cause something like that. Had the Ahlyo blown the episode out of proportion because following the Law was the very reason for their existence?

  Elin buried her face in her hands. Mother, did you believe your action was a mortal sin and try to pay for it with your life? Was that why you threw away the chance of a future with me?

  She had no memory of when she stood up or how she left the forest. When the bright snow-cloaked meadow came into view, she heard a keening wail rend the air, and sound came rushing back. She dashed out of the trees into the meadow.

  Leelan, wings spread wide, was stamping her feet and crying in anguish. Running over, Elin hugged her and, burying her face in her warm glossy fur, burst into tears.

  How could it be a crime to speak with Leelan? Why was it wrong for Leelan to soar through the heavens? How could something that brought such joy possibly be a sin?

  Feeling Leelan’s warmth against her cheek, Elin’s heart cried out.

  I won’t stop Leelan from flying. No matter what they say, I refuse to bind her with the Law.

  “She what?! Leelan flew?” Esalu’s brows shot up as she listened to Elin’s stumbling account of what had happened.

  “Yes. During the earthquake, the ledge we were on crumbled and…”

  Esalu stared at her open-mouthed. “Well. Who would’ve guessed…” she whispered, absently running a hand through her graying locks. Then her expression sobered. “It’s unheard of for a Beast in captivity to fly. Absolutely amazing. But we’re going to have to make sure she doesn’t escape from the meadow.”

  “I know. I was worrying about that, too. I don’t think she would actually try to run away. And even if she left the meadow, she’d come back. But if she happened to have some kind of accident while she was gone… Just the thought makes me shudder.”

  “You’re right there, Elin. We have to be prepared for every possibility. Because she’s a Royal Beast.” Esalu pressed her fingers against her forehead and thought. After a long moment, she raised her eyes and looked
at Elin. “You said you rode on her back, didn’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “In that case, maybe you should start flight training.”

  “What?” Elin blurted out. “Flight training?”

  “Yes. Train her not to fly unless you are on her back. Teach her that even if she flies, she must come back here. Drill it into her body and mind so that it becomes a habit.” Esalu laughed at Elin’s stunned expression. “You’re lucky it’s the holidays. Make sure she’s trained before the other students come back.”

  “Er… Mistress Esalu… it was actually… quite terrifying to ride on Leelan’s back when she was flying.”

  Esalu raised her brows again. “Well, I certainly never expected to hear you say that you were afraid of anything.” Then she grinned. “I’m just teasing. Of course, we’ll have to figure out a way to make it safe. Perhaps we can make some kind of leather harness, like a saddle on a horse. I’ll talk to the custodians and get their help.” She seemed to be struggling to keep her features calm and impassive, but a gleam of excitement shone in her eyes. Elin grinned at the sight, and elation spread through her. The heaviness that had filled her heart since meeting the Ahlyo finally evaporated.

  Esalu liked to put her ideas into action immediately. She marched Elin off to the custodians’ office to explain what they needed, and found the men relaxing around the hearth. After listening to Esalu’s rapid-fire explanation, they looked at one another.

  “What should we make?” one of them asked.

  The chief rubbed the stubble on his chin thoughtfully. A darkly tanned man well on in years, he was popular with the students for the clever toys he made in his spare time. “Ain’t no time to make nothing from scratch,” he said. “If the girl’s gonna train the Beast before the others get back, we’ve gotta use somethin’ ready to hand. We could try a saddle, but most are made for horses, not the back of a Beast… I’m thinkin’ we might wanna try a quilt saddle.”