Gher must want something.
She wanted the wings.
The bells over the door chimed.
Min Min flew in front of Raih, smiling. She rushed to nestle up to Raih’s cheek, then rested on her shoulder. These were strange days. She didn't know what she expected academy life to be like, but this wasn't it. Ema talked about vocation a lot in the days before she left. The idea anyone had a calling to do something special was foreign to her. When Ema explained that everyone had one or more, her understanding of the world shook. She spent two days in this cave, wandering around without instruction. Shouldn't she be studying books, or listening to lectures from her elders who already walked this path? Instead, she had to find her own way, just like she had on the street before she met Ema. This wasn't what she expected education to look like.
“What should I do?” She whispered into Min Min’s ear.
The seiryu trilled a sweet song that lifted her spirits to the point she could fly.
Raih wasn't sure whether she received an answer to her question or not. She took it as a good sign.
“I’ll take them.”
Raih followed Jodhaa and Gher through the wending streets of the hidden village. They talked to each other in a language she didn’t know. Raih wanted to be curious, but her mind fixated on the wings in the black burlap sack slung over her shoulder.
What secrets did they hide? They called to her even now she owned them. Her back ached to wear them, but without knowing how they worked, she left them in the bag. The aether flowed through the world, giving and taking life. It empowered poets, dreamers and swordsmen. Prophets and sorcerers called upon it to work miracles. When she received her letter, she prepared herself for the awesome task before her. Even though it confused her, the cosmos opened to her and bore the nature of reality bare before her as she expected. This mystery empowered her. It didn’t matter how much it confused her. If wholeness cost her everything, the price amounted to less than its value.
The wings posed and interesting problem. None of the heroes of legend had wings. Many flew, running along the aether currents into the air and leaping great distances. Swordsmen or masters of pole arms filled the books. Most owned magical, cursed, or enchanted weapons that drove them on to great heights. Sorcerers with the power to move heaven and earth made up the rest. None of the heroes used wings to fly. The art might have been lost, and newly recovered, or an enterprising adept recently discovered it. It also might be so insignificant no one ever managed a feat worth remembering.
No. Not this time. She shook off the rote self doubt that had been her constant companion for so long. These wings called to her, and that made them special. They spoke just to her.
She smiled. Whatever their purpose, they fastened themselves to her fate. Despite her ignorance about their purpose, they comforted her, and brought about a rare peace.
Ahead of them, a group of boys she guessed were part of their class sat around a table at one of the food courts surrounded by a ring of food carts.
One of them had a luminous crystal sword across his lap. Its icy blue glow looked so strange against his golden white skin. His red brown hair was so short. He wore little more than pants, boots, and a hood, all black lined with wine red. A chain mail pauldron cradled his right shoulder while a simple black epaulette sat on his left. Together, they were lashed over his bare chest to his belt with buckled leather straps. His determined blue eyes connected with hers.
Raih stopped walking.
His face was familiar even though she didn't know him. She would have remembered meeting him. Maybe she had glimpsed him briefly with the others before they entered the labyrinth.
She stepped toward him and raised her hand to greet him.
Icy fingers dragged down her spine.
Raih turned around.
Sathi stood at the end of the alley with its conical hat shadowing its tattered robes. Cold eyes glowed from the darkness. It walked toward her.
Her muscles refused to move, and her voice abandoned her. If it pounced on her it would have her. Why didn’t it?
Sathi stood at the edge of the crossroad and stared at her. It cocked its head to the side, and its eyes narrowed.
Why was she standing there? After raging against them in the cave and finding her way here, why hadn’t she attacked. Something fluttered in Raih’s stomach. The strange flittering madness spread throughout her body. Her sight dimmed. Everything warped and twisted into a colorless mass of hairy lines. Her body dropped away.
Numbness gnawed at her. Ice pricked her skin. Her body froze, neglecting to shiver. No matter how hard she willed her body into action, it stood like a garden statue. The world faded to black.
Raih floated in the void. The beating of her heart faded. Nothingness pressed against her mind and threatened to devour her. Meer moments ago life was perfect, now it ended. How had everything fallen apart so fast? The mere sight of Sathi shouldn’t steal her bliss from her. Something was wrong.
Deep within the frigid pit, something cried. Each tear chilled the world. Every whimper sucked the air out and widened the chasm. Pain rang through her body like a jagged edge of broken glass grinding through her.
Echoing screams reverberated in to the emptiness. Waves of loss, bitterness, and pain cracked like a whip into her soul. This yawning void would devour her, leaving nothing. The pain rang as hollow as the numbing waste surrounding her.
Raih screamed. The sound echoed within, never reaching her ears. She struggled against the silence, knowing her time was running out. The last time she experienced anything like this was the night she spent in the frigid woods with the cat-fox that had the strange glowing gem in its forehead. That night, as the air stole her heat, she believed she wouldn’t see the morning. The ice chomped on her soul, tearing the life from her. If that strange creature hadn’t kept her from freezing to death she would have died. Too bad it wasn’t here now. It probably wouldn’t have been any help. She wasn’t in the wilderness, and whatever this was, she needed more than a cuddly pet now.
She felt a warm hand on her shoulder.
There was no one there.
Her breath clung to her lungs.
She couldn’t breathe in or out.
The warmth flooded her back.
Everything winked out.
CHAPTER TEN
Helpness
Jodhaa accepted the bag from Gher, holding her armil safely locked away in its box. She wished she hadn’t taken it off, but without understanding how it worked, it would be dangerous to wear it on the street. Her heart fluttered like her soul sighed. Destiny wasn’t unfamiliar, it weighed on her every decision. Life as a sword saint involved many vows that might interfere with her duties to her family. All the stories about the art told her it led to a solitary existence. She trusted that she wouldn’t have received this calling for no reason. Her father always told her to trust the flow of nature. As the current swept her away, she fought her instinct to escape as fast as possible.
She left the shop with Gher at her side and Jodhaa following close behind.
“Thank you,” Jodhaa breathed. The words tasted like poison, bitter and metallic.
“It is the least I could do, little sister,” Gher said in Nadibhasha, her native language. “I owe your father for so much. Besides, I made a good profit today.” He tapped a dagger on his belt, then touched the center of his forehead.
Why did he say a prayer?
Jodhaa watched him rub the turquoise stone set into the pummel of the masani dagger.
Gher cleared his throat. “Has your father found out what happened to the Dancer?”
The question caught her by surprise. She and her father traveled all over the world trying to find out what happened to the Ash Dancer, but they always masked their trips with commerce or a vacation. How did he find out the reason for their trips?
“No one knows what happened,” Jodhaa said as confidently as possible.
Since he switched their conversation to her nat
ive tongue, he must know their search for the Ash Dancer was a secret. It was unlikely anyone around them spoke Nadibhasha, but this was still a public place. At least he revealed why he contacted her.
“Rumors, legends to be sure,” Gher said, “But he has been looking for the Bright and Blessed Blades. Does he think they have something to do with the Ash Dancer’s disappearance?”
Where had he received his information? Her father told her that the Bright and Blessed Blades had disappeared at the same time the Ash Dancer did. They were the weapons of the first Ash Dancer’s companions. Each blade earned their name fighting by his side, and had been passed down to their successors. They were lost for generations.
“He likes to collect ancient artifacts,” Jodhaa said. “They would be a prized addition to any collection.”
“You didn’t answer my question. Not a single one. Are you afraid I want to stop him? I want the Ash Dancer found as much as anyone. Who else will restore the world? Only the Dancer. The Eye in the Waste never sleeps. If either of you want, I offer my sword and blood to the cause.”
They turned onto another narrow side street, and an awkward silence joined them.
Jodhaa smelled the desperation on him. He knew more about her family than a stranger should. Familiarity is a trait of a spy and a confidant. The fact he asked her these questions and not her father was a product of opportunity or proof his story was a lie. He had a challenge coin, and those cannot even be seen by the uninitiated. Somehow, though, he lost his honor, and accepted that to where he introduced himself without an honorific on his name. Trust had to be earned.
“We all want the world restored.” Jodhaa measured her words carefully. “That isn’t the purpose of the Ash Dancer. It may have been the shamans’ intent, but if it were possible, it would have happened millennia ago. The world is as it is. All we can do is leave it better than we found it.”
A group of boys sat around a table ahead of them in one of the food courts. Based on the ages, they were most likely fellow students. Gher would probably drop the subject surrounded by so many strangers.
Jodhaa smiled.
One boy had a luminous crystal sword across his lap. Another held a pair of wings like Raih’s, but their feathers were as black as his clothes. The last one stood, flourishing twin hook swords. This wasn’t the first time he held something like them. His technique was weak, but impressive.
Jodhaa bowed, and introduced herself, Gher, and Raih.
The boy with the crystal sword introduced himself as Kahn, the one with the wings as Percy, and the twin blades as Avishai.
“Have you found your calling yet?” Percy asked with his eyes locked on the bag in her hands.
“I hope not.” Jodhaa laughed. “Are you waiting to be led out?”
“We find our own way out of the Labyrinth,” Avishai said. His voice was deeper than she expected.
Something fell behind her.
Jodhaa spun around, adopting a combat stance.
Raih had fallen.
Across the road, Jodhaa made out Sathi’s human form as it faded into mist. Rushing to Raih’s side, she picked her up and cradled her head in her lap.
Raih’s skin was cold to the touch and milky white.
“What happened?” Percy said behind her.
Jodhaa shook Raih and called her name.
Nothing happened.
She looked around. She hadn’t felt this helpless since her brother died.
One of the kitsune walked over and sniffed Raih’s breath. “Do you know what did this?” He growled.
“It calls itself Sathi.” Jodhaa said.
“Was this its first attack?”
“No,” Jodhaa explained what happened that morning and how they escaped.
“Have one of your companions pick her up and follow me.”
Gher knelt down and picked Raih up.
They followed the kitsune through the village to a large stone building where they were greeted by a strange phantom in a blue, hooded robe wearing a white porcelain mask with a serene expression. It took Raih from Gher and after the kitsune explained what happened, carried her deeper into the building.
The kitsune told them all to wait.
Jodhaa hated waiting. Her whole life was waiting for something to happen or pass. Nothing good or bad just happened. The world loved to prolong misery as much as it could through anticipation. But what else could she do.
She took a seat and tried to remember the prayers she had said all to often. One to Brother Sun to keep Raih’s life fires burning, one to Sister Moon to heal her, one to Brother Wind to keep her breath strong, another to Sister Water to replenish her strength. Near tears, she prayed to Brother Fire to burn away the malady, then to Mother Talamh to keep life flowing through her. Finally, a prayer to Sister Death to leave her friend with her.
Friend? She hadn’t known Raih long enough to call her a friend, had she? Still, she felt connected to her. She had to survive. She couldn’t die, not like this.
Repeating her prayers, she lost her composure to tears.
Jodhaa’s tears warmed her face by steeling their heat from deep within her. Helplessness didn’t sit well on her. She wished she had the power to make everything better. Prayer burned off her worry, but their must be a healing art to fix this. She had no one to command, without knowledge of the healing arts, she wouldn't know what to tell them to do to heal Raih. No one ever collapsed into a deep sleep in front of her. This situation didn't fit into any she had read about or experienced. The powerlessness ate at her.
People milled around her. Their voices merged into a background hum that barely registered at all.
She ran the events since she met Raih through her mind, looking for their mistake. Should they have fought Sathi instead of running? The demon stood on the opposite side of the street before Raih collapsed. She saw it standing there. If she had seen it sooner, she... She had no weapons other than the dagger on Gher's belt. that wouldn't be enough. They came to learn magic. None of the students would be prepared to defeat such an enemy before they started classes. Her upbringing prepared her more than the others. Her father emphasized the defensive magics. Few of the other's in her class trained so hard before they received their letter. The masters didn't intervene. That made little sense. Besides, hadn’t they been sent down here to find their vocations, which they both had in a magic shop of all places? Honestly, if finding their vocation entailed finding a magical implement that called to them, couldn’t they have just paraded them through a hall of magical tools until they found the one that called to them? No. The masters sent them into the labyrinth to do something other than find an artifact.
Her father told her they would test her in ways she couldn’t imagine. Perhaps that is why she met Gher and Raih. Gher tested her ability to keep a secret, and Raih the limits of her compassion. That didn’t sound right. It didn’t sit well with her either. Perhaps this wasn’t even her test.
Jodhaa breathed in sharply and let it slowly escape from her.
Everything felt and looked hollow like it was suddenly unreal. That was the real illusion. She experienced the same thing after her brother died. The tether binding her to reality had loosened. Floating within her own mind, the world moved around her.
Someone laid a hand on her shoulder.
She looked up into the black eyes and slender face of a kindly looking man with long black hair and black leather armor. She squinted at him. Surely no one wore that much black.
“Jodhaa,” he said with a calculated sweetness she had learned to soothe others. “I am Master Jaan Sosin from the Academy, and I understand you saw what happened.”
Without hesitation, she told Master Sosin what she saw on the street and what happened in the cave when the great, gray beast attacked them.
He looked deeply into her eyes, “I need you to think back, did this beast show even the slightest interest in you?”
She ran her memories of the events through her mind several times. “I’m not
sure it even knew I was there until I collapsed the tunnel.”
Sosin nodded. “Very good. How long have you known Raih?”
“Since we met in the Labyrinth... I may have seen her on the platform before we entered.” Why was that important? Raih was in trouble, not her. Unless they thought Raih was attacked to get to her somehow.
Sosin nodded again and raked his teeth on his bottom lip.
Jodhaa read the confusion on his face. He expected a different answer. She thought it was strange she met another student in the labyrinth, but his reaction told her how unusual their meeting was. He believed they had known each other from before.
“What about these others?” Sosin waved an arm to Gher and the three other students, “Do you know if she knew any of them?”
Why didn’t he ask them? Maybe he had when she wasn’t paying attention and just wanted her confirmation of their answer.
“I don’t know.” Jodhaa said. She felt like his eyes pulled hers back to see through into her soul. “I introduced her to Gher, but I don’t really know him. He is a friend of the family who ran into me in the warren.”
“She was looking at me before she fell,” said the boy in the wine red hood and little more. “Then she turned and fell.”
“Thank you, Kahn,” Sosin said, “But I doubt your appearance made her weak in the knees.”
Kahn blushed.
Without another word, Master Sosin turned and walked off in the direction the masked figures had taken Raih.
“Do you know what happened?” Percy asked.
Jodhaa shook her head. “Why are you three still here?”
Avishai, Kahn, and Percy shrugged.
“Never leave a person in distress. Raih needs our support, and so do you.” Percy said.
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