Knowledge: The Fifth Division Saga: Book 1

by Kira Stüssy

  I was much too busy eating to respond. Only once I cleaned most of the plate did it dawn on me how savage and unattractive I probably looked. I always scoffed at the girls who ordered the garden salad just so their date would think them to be dainty and quaint. I always ordered the burger with extra fries and never gave it a second thought. My food choices never really had much of an effect on me or how boys treated me. So why did I stop to ponder it now?

  “Well, that’s a total bummer.” Ash sighed next to me. I glanced over, twiddling with the fork, still pausing before shoving more food in my face. His expression turned playful, “I thought you were going to break a record! I was about to start cheering but then you stopped. Did you get too full?”

  “Uh, no. Just needed to come up for air.”

  His mouth quirked up into a funny smile, “Better luck next time, although I highly doubt you will ever surpass my time. I happen to hold the champion spot when it comes to finishing my plate in the shortest amount of time. Were you aware of this?” I shook my head. “Yes, well everyone is quite jealous of it, that’s probably why. Erion is especially bitter.”

  I laughed, “Well, I’m impressed. How many people participate in this race?”

  He continued to play along, “You wouldn’t believe the number of contestants, golly, I can’t name them all. But I assure you, most of Nostos wishes they were as good as I am at eating food. I consider it quite a gift.”

  “As you should.”

  His eyes crinkled strangely, some of the true joy leaving them to be replaced with a more forced smile, the odd light slowly fading from his eyes, “Yes, well, we best be off.”

  “And where are we off to?” I finished almost three quarters of my plate and was sure I would barf all over the white rug if I tried to take another bite of bacon. Ash had already hopped to his feet before I placed the plate back on the tray. I started to clean up my mess, but Ash assured me to leave it and the maids would take care of it. It felt odd to simply leave my dirty dishes lying around for someone else to deal with; back home, such an act was blasphemous.

  “I thought you wanted to go shopping?”

  “You’re going to show me around?”

  He nodded and left me to get changed, telling me there were plenty of clothing choices in the wardrobe and a bathroom in which I could clean up in.

  I trotted to the doorway he had pointed out as the bathroom and was pleased to find a rather spacious area with a large tub and shower. I quickly cleaned off all of the muck and dirt that I was too exhausted to bother with the night before and decided to take a short shower. The warm water could be compared to Heaven on my skin. I could literally feel the grains of dust wash out of my hair as I scrubbed at the ratty mess. Feeling the droplets pour down my Knowledge created a tingling sensation, the newly developed nerves zinging from the touch. It might have been difficult, but finally I forced myself to get out and find something to wear, knowing Ash was waiting on me. Without brushing my hair (there was no point in doing so), I wrapped one of the hanging towels around me and skipped to the wardrobe. I flung the door open and gasped; inside hung dozens of old style dresses, the fashion of royalty; Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths. I thought it was a mistake; did they accidentally put me in the princess’s bedroom? But no, why would they put the princess all the way up in the tower? Plus, a misplacement such as this was tremendously unrealistic. Not to mention, the dresses all seemed to be about my size. They were certainly for me. I noticed that although they conveyed fancy extravagance, they were all cut short like sundresses and had low, swooping backs. One glance back at my Knowledge and I could guess the reasoning for the cut.

  I snatched a silky cream colored one with blue sapphires sewn onto the bodice and wriggled into it. My hair, so course that water practically slipped right off of it, was already almost dry and fell in large ringlets down my back. The white dress somehow enhanced the red in my hair, making the color pop even more than usual, something I wasn’t sure I particularly liked. But I knew Ash awaited and I did not want him to have to deal with me trying on every single dress in the closet. With a last frustrated glance in the vanity mirror, I crossed the room and opened the door.

  At first, I thought he had deserted me. As I looked out into the empty doorway, I immediately assumed he had grown tired of waiting. But when I glanced down to my right, I saw that he had not in fact left, but had sat down with his back against the wall, with his right hand lifted in front of his face. He appeared to be lost in thought, concentrating on his raised pointer finger. I almost exclaimed in surprise when I saw that the tip of his finger had caught fire. I lifted my gaze from his burning finger to his eyes. Losing control of my lips, I could not help but shout out, startled by the sight “Ash!” His normally dark irises were no longer black, but orange and yellow and red, flickering and smoldering like flames.

  At the sound of my voice, the flame on his finger extinguished and his eyes returned to their customary coal black. I caught the moment of panic flicker across his face before conforming back to his typical laid-back demeanor, “Gave me a right start just there.” His eyes raked from the top of my head and down to the white dress, pausing at the Knowledge floating behind me, I shifted uncomfortably. One glance at his finger forced me to realize one thing: there was no sign of injury or irritation. Not so much as a blemish.

  “Sorry.”

  He waved away the apology and stood up, offering his hand to me, “Nothing to fret about. Ready?”

  I stared at his hand, unmoving, “Ready for what exactly?”

  “Well, Miss Mirabelle, I am your designated guide for the week. I have the extreme pleasure of illuminating Nostos to your darkened perspective of the world. Now, come along, lots to see!”

  He started off down the hall, realizing I was not going to take his hand, with a bit of a skip in his step. I hurried after him, trailing him down the spiral staircase and through the enormous front door. The sun cast its brilliant light on the meadow and village in the distance, creating a magical appearance. I basked in the grace of the wonderful light, feeling less anxious in the cheerful glow. I glanced back at the castle we just exited and was stunned to see its beauty enhanced in daylight. We traveled towards the village in the reverse of the way we had last night, over the wooden bridge and following the cobblestone road that wove through the fields of unique and colorful flowers and plants. I reached down and plucked an especially gorgeous red flower with large petals that sparkled in the sunlight. I lifted it to my nose and breathed in the delicious aroma that reminded me of cookie dough mixed with warm vanilla.

  Ash looked back and smiled, “Ah, Bonus Cibus or as most people call it Scarlet Delight. Our cooks often add it to recipes for an extra flavor.”

  I smelled the flower again, only this time it smelled of pesto and garlic. Ash informed me, seeing the baffled look I wore, that the aroma changed constantly to match what you love or what you desire. I carried the unusual flower with me, not wanting to relinquish this little bit of magic I had discovered. I repeatedly lifted it to my nose and each time found myself impressed by a new delectable smell. Ash and I walked side by side down the road and I thought about his flaming finger in the hallway and how the apple had caught fire in my hand last night. I wanted to ask him about it but, remembering his expression when I had seen him this morning, thought better of it and remained silent.

  We reached the village and as we trudged along the path, he pointed out different shops and people. “That there is the vet clinic, Animal Elementals tend to work there…that’s Basil’s, best diner in town…oh, here’s the local market, for any groceries or whatever you need. Seeing as you are indefinitely going to live in the palace though, this place might not be of much use.” I nodded but asked to look around anyways and he consented. We strolled down the teeming aisles laden with various fruits, vegetables, and an assortment of foods I had never seen before. Observing the people around us, I noticed that the clothing styles here were much different than what I would fi
nd back home. Here, the boys and men wore old fashioned tunic style shirts tied over cinched knickerbocker type pants. The girls and women wore short colorful dresses similar to the one I wore. Everyone had perfectly proportioned bodies and lovely, symmetric faces. It was strange being around so many beautiful people.

  I glanced over at Ash in his dark tee shirt and jeans and noticed other people shooting him uncomfortable glares. Clearly I was not the only one in the market who thought he looked out of place. Just then, a pretty dark haired girl with startling green eyes stepped in front of us. She wore a short black dress and her Knowledge trailed like bright green leaf wings behind her. Her gaze focused on Ash, “Hey Ash. Have you seen my brother?”

  “Good morning, Laurel. And no, not recently. He set out early this morning with Miss Mirabelle’s brother to show him around.”

  Her eyes flitted to mine for only a moment before returning to Ash, “Alright, then. Mum was just wondering, with summer coming and all, business gets crazy around here. And you know Ivy, she is hardly any help at all. She’s always off flirting and whatnot.”

  “Ah yes,” Ash nodded in understanding, “that does not surprise me. Well, I will tell your brother to get his lazy tush over here to start helping out, alright? And if I can ever do anything to help, just call on me.”

  “Thanks.” She turned her fierce stare to me now; her expression set and determined, like that of a warrior, “How rude of you not to introduce us, Ash.” She stuck out her hand for me to shake.

  “My apologies. Laurel, this is Miss Mirabelle Durrant, you retrieved her brother last night? Caspian? And Miss Mirabelle, this is Laurel Wilmot, Erion’s younger sister.”

  I shook her hand, “Hi. And it’s actually Daily.” She pumped our arms up and down once before gruffly releasing.

  She squinted at me, “Your Caspian’s sister? You hardly look anything alike.”

  “We get that a lot.”

  “But you are twins?”

  “Yup.”

  “Odd.”

  She glanced over at Ash again and then huffed away towards her produce stand, leaving puffs of dust in her wake. Ash led me through the rest of the market, weaving around the various vendors and stands that overflowed with many brightly colored fruits and vegetables, many of which I had never seen before. As we strolled along the narrow dirt path through the market, I felt the weight of multiple stares latch on and follow us. Ash, either unknowing or uncaring, remained jovial throughout the excursion and happily pointed out the different people and what they sold. Nobody greeted us as we passed their carts.

  As we reached the end of the dirt market path and stepped back onto the main cobblestone road of the village, Ash looked down at me with a great big grin plastered on his face and said, “The market is a lovely place is it not?”

  “Beautiful. So is Laurel like your girlfriend or something?”

  His feet skidded to a sudden stop, “Excuse me?”

  “Laurel, Erion’s sister? I just thought she seemed a little put out when she saw us together.” I thought of her scrunched up face and the intimidating glare flaring in her eyes. Put out was not the right term, quite the opposite in fact, she was downright fired up.

  “Well you thought wrong.” His voice was nonchalant but he pulled at his collar uncomfortably. “Anyways, we should keep moving.”

  We traveled through the rest of the village, the stares and glares more and more physically wearing the longer we walked along the cobblestone path. Not only were they directed at Ash, but at me as well. I could practically hear their thoughts, What is that on her back? Unnatural. As we trudged along, I studiously observed the copper colored stones that made up the road. I felt like Dorothy skipping along the yellow brick road, immersed in a faraway and magical land, just wishing to be back home. Distantly I wondered if I just clicked my heels together and whispered the words “there is no place like home” I would be sent back to normalcy and reality. I glanced over at my own personal version of the Tin Man and pondered whether he was truly all metal and no soul or if a warm beating heart dwelt beneath his shiny exterior.

  In the silence that blanketed our walk, I started to really ponder what it was that I truly wanted. A huge part of me, most of me actually, yearned to be back in Lincoln City, snuggled in the comfort of my own life and house. But the smaller and quieter portion of my soul, the steadily expanding part, fought to remain in Nostos. Something here drew me in and called to me, creating the sense that I should stay. That staying was the right thing to do.

  My mind switched to an alternative route at the sight of the unimpressive hill that now loomed above us, the same grassy mound that we stumbled onto when I first arrived in Nostos. I looked up and raised my eyebrows, “You brought me to the overconfident pile of dirt. Cool.”

  “Now, now, no need to be rude.” Without looking back, he strode past me and climbed up the hill. With an impatient sigh I followed. It took a total of fifteen seconds to reach the top, but once again, surprise struck my heart at the view from the peak of the hill. I spun in a full circle, taking in the view of the four very different sections of land. I gazed in wonder at the ominous place where it still seemed the nighttime ruled supreme, the glistening wonderland of sparkling stars that floated through the air, and the forever stormy skies of the last land. I looked back at the area where I stayed last night, the place where the Elementals roamed, a realm brilliantly lit by the noonday sun that shone over flowering fields and sprouting gardens.

  “What is this place?”

  I saw a smile quirk up the sides of Ash’s mouth, “This is Center Hill, the place where the four Kingdoms of Nostos branch out into equal parts and, as you saw last night, the home of the Nostosian Court.”

  “Four Kingdoms?” I repeated. I once again took in the fantastic view.

  “Yes, each Kingdom plays a different role in the ruling of Nostos.” Ash replied, he pointed at the shadowy land, “That is the Shade Kingdom, they make up the majority of our joint army.”

  “I thought you and Erion were part of the army.”

  He nodded, “We are. But we are some of the very few Elementals in the Legion. Shades are typically better at fighting for…certain reasons.” A scrunched expression came across his face that I did not question. He shook it off and gestured to the sparkling kingdom, “That is the Seer Kingdom, they mainly make up the government.”

  “Why?”

  “They are very gifted in predicting what our country should do politically.”

  I pondered these vague answers before nodding to the Kingdom with the lightning strikes and storm clouds, “What about that Kingdom?”

  A look of repulsion spread across his features, “The Wielder Kingdom. A bunch of arrogant, Latin speaking, show offs.”

  I couldn’t help but smirk, “I take it you don’t like them much?”

  “You’re quite observant.” He muttered, digging his toe into the grass until he uprooted a small patch of green. I chose to refrain from asking more about the Shades, Seers, and especially the Wielders, despite my interest in them. I would just have to ask someone else about it later.

  “So what do the Elementals do for Nostos?”

  His face lightened slightly, “We provide almost all of the food. We’re very gifted with nature you see. Our Knowledges allow us to become one with a certain part of nature that helps us make the world more beautiful, usable, and friendly.” His words were kind and earnest but I sensed bitterness lurking beneath them, like this was a speech he had been told to memorize and recite to new members.

  “How many different Knowledges are there?” I asked.

  “Eight.” He held up eight fingers and listed them off, “The king and queen of the Elementals are always Sun and Moon Knowledges, one of each. They are considered to be the most respectable Knowledges and there are only a few alive at any given time. The most common are Plant and Animal Elementals, they work mainly in the village at different markets and shops.” I pictured Laurel’s bright green eyes and though
t that perhaps she was a Plant Knowledge. “Then the actual element Knowledges: Sky, Earth, and Water are less common than Plant and Animal but you see them often enough. Erion is a Sky Knowledge for instance. They usually take up the higher paying jobs in the palace.”

  I counted them in my head, “You’re forgetting one.”

  He looked away from me, “No I’m not.”

  I checked over the list and realized that I had always thought there to be four elements not three, “What about fire?”

  His back faced me and I watched his dark hair waver in the wind, “What about it?”

  “Well, that’s an element too, right? Earth, water, air, and fire.”

  “Yes.”

  I hesitated before responding, “Isn’t that you’re Knowledge? Fire, I mean?”

  He turned back to face me, suspicion emanating from him, “How do you reckon?”

  “Well first off, I’m not an idiot. And second, when I tried to throw that apple at you last night in the house, it seemed like you made it catch fire. You’re eyes went all…weird.” I faded out when I caught his expression of deadly calm, but with a big breath continued, “And this morning I know I saw you with fire in your hands, and it didn’t burn you. I guess I just put two and two together.”

  He looked at me a moment longer before once again turning away, “Well, you’re not dim, I’ll give you that.” He held out his hand, palm up, and a small flame lept from the center of his hand, hovering just above his flesh. He let the fire dance to his fingertips where he began to fiddle with the orange flame. I watched in wonder as he created a small show of dancing fire in the palm of his hand. He curled his hand into a fist, vanquishing the light. When he opened his hand again, the fire was gone. He tilted his head back to look at me with his dark eyes that were now tinged with a defensive spirit.

  I gazed back in awe, “That was…”

  “Frightening? Destructive? Evil? All of the above?” His voiced spiked with spite.

  “Beautiful.”