by Levi Jacobs
“Come on.” Tai said, starting down a sidestreet. “That brawler’s going to realize he can’t catch a timeslip, and then want somebody to blame.”
Aelya scowled and came after him, crutches clacking. “Right. I don’t really fancy a run-in with Tulric either. Though I will bash his face in at some point.”
“More payback?” He thought of Marrem and her talk of finding a better way.
“If that’s what it takes. Where are we going anyway?”
Tai was cutting a sharp angle through Hightown, headed for the Sanga bridge. “Forest, I thought. The rebels asked to meet at sundown, and we’ve still got a lot of day to kill so…”
Aelya smiled. “Just like old times.”
They’d met in the woods, three years ago, Tai with a tiny Fisher beside him and no idea where to go, Aelya on the run from the Maimers after she’d outgrown her begging age and they’d refused to let her guard for them. “Just like old times.”
They holed up in a hollow on the west side of the cleared plains above Ayugen, sharing some elk meat and millet cakes Tai had traded for.
“So you really think these rebels are the best thing to do?”
Tai pushed at a twig with his foot. “I do. Aelya, you haven’t seen that camp. There’s no way—I mean, I couldn’t even touch it using all my resonance. We need an army to get in there. And unless we wanna take Hake’s advice and leave the kids locked up another year while we save up enough to buy an army, I think they’re the best chance.”
“And the rebels agreed to help you take it down?”
“As soon as they get big enough.”
“And in the meantime we get to kick lighthaired ass on their side?”
“You’re not kicking anyone’s ass until that wound heals. Speaking of which,” he dug in his waistband, “Marrem said you were supposed to take these.”
“Mecking herbs,” Aelya spat. “Probably not a twig of dreamleaf in there, either.” But she took them, and soon enough fell into a doze.
Tai passed the time watching the city and the fields, visible through the edge of the trees. Farmers still worked, smoke still rose from chimney stacks, but everything felt different somehow. To be here, without any of the kids, without anyone to take care of. To be joining a rebel group, to be fighting the Councilate head-on, like the Achuri had done years ago. To not be afraid of his resonance, for the first time since he’d really been able to use it.
Hake stirred at this, but Tai ignored him. Some things were different, though—the giant stone walls of Newgen, just visible to the west. The new road they were building into the forest, Achuri work crews digging it under lawkeeper eyes. The fine clothes on his back and the bulging pocket of yura he’d kept. It was funny though, how unimportant yura seemed now. Money wouldn’t get his kids back. Only fighting would, regardless of what Marrem said.
Which made him think about the prison camp. He only had vague memories of attacking it, mostly of the Titans guarding the place. How were they realistically going to get past them? He needed to take another look, to make a plan.
Aelya stirred beside him, sat up. “Mecksickles. There was dreamleaf in there.” She yawned. “Time to go?”
“Soon. I want to get another look at the prison camp first.”
She raised her eyebrows. “And leave me here?”
“Aelya, you’re on crutches.”
“So?”
So they went together, the woods scavenged of underbrush and kindling this close to town, Aelya keeping up doggedly despite the sheen of sweat on her face. After a thousandpace or so the forest ended abruptly in a wide clearing. The ground was dotted with stumps, gangs of men working on the far side to fell more trees. A small fort sat in the middle, logs stuck vertically into the ground and tied together at the top, the twelve Council House sigils worked in iron above a closed gate. The clearing stunk of human waste, and cries sounded from inside the walls, though whether of pain or exertion he couldn’t tell.
A giant pile of logs sat next to the fort, nearly as high as the walls, prisoners working there to clean branches and bark from them. “The meck do they need all that for?” Aelya asked.
Tai was no carpenter, but could see from the amount of logs it would dwarf the current structure. “Barracks for the army? Another Newgen? If that’s just for arrested people…” He let the thought trail off, a cold feeling in his stomach.
“They could fit the whole city in there. Prophetstains, Tai. Let’s get out of here before they see us.”
Tai took another quick look around, burning the place into his memory. Soldiers on the walkway. Guard towers at each corner. One gate, all wood. “Okay.” With these walls, and this many soldiers, they would need—what? Five hundred men? He was no strategist. “It just kills me to think Fisher and the rest are in there, just over that wall.”
She eyed him. “You’re not gonna go all Blackspine again are you?”
“No. But we have to do something soon. Who knows what they’re doing in there? If they’re even feeding them?”
Aelya put a hand on his arm, face serious for once. “They’ll be alright, Tai. Come on. We do them no good getting caught too.”
They met Ilrick a hand after sunset, night air blessedly cool. The Yershman was leaning against the smooth wall of Winter Rock, pipe crackling cherry-red in the blue dimness. “Tai! And who’s this? A lad for the fight?”
Tai felt Aelya stiffen. Though she was stocky and kept her hair short, she didn’t like being mistaken for a boy. “My name is Aelya.”
“Ah, a girlfriend then.”
“Just a friend,” Tai said quickly. “A friend in need of some help—she lost a fight with the lawkeepers.”
Ilrick whistled low through his teeth. “I can see that. Nasty business. We can put her up for a few days, but—well, we’ll talk to Karhail about it.”
Tai glanced at Aelya. “Thanks. We owe you one.”
Ilrick chuckled. “Amount of yura you just got us, shatters we should be putting her up for a year. C’mon. And watch your feet—the ground gets tricky.”
Ilrick lead them, as much by his chatter and sage smoke as by sight, into the fields between the city and the mines, veering toward the rocky eastern hills. They’d walked maybe two fingers when Ilrick stopped next to a cluster of boulders. “This is it.”
“This?”
The Seinjial’s smirk was just visible in the glow from his pipe. He slipped between the boulders, and following behind Tai recognized the stairway he’d climbed up the night before. Had it only been a day?
Karhail, Lumo and a few others Tai didn’t recognize were waiting in the torchlight at the bottom as they arrived. They clapped and bellowed on seeing him, calling “There’s the man!” “Stuck it to Coldferth!” “Best wafter in Ayugen!”
Karhail clapped him on the shoulder, glancing at Aelya. “Welcome back, man. A solid blow to the Houses!”
So much praise felt strange.
“Ah--thanks. Karhail, this is my partner Aelya. Aelya, this is the Ghost Rebellion.”
He went around introducing them—mountainous Lumo and sour-faced Beal, a red-haired woman named Eyna, and several other new faces. Most greeted them with a nod or a welcome, though the timeslip Weiland got up from his lazy sprawl to give Aelya a gentlemanly bow and a kiss on the backside of her hand.
When introductions were done Karhail said, “Come, you must be tired, and I see Aelya is wounded.”
“Lawkeepers,” she said briefly, always on edge around new people.
Karhail lead them to a smaller chamber, walls partially hewn and partially natural rock that glistened in the torchlight. There were a few pallets and stools there, and they took seats, Karhail calling for porridge. “We’ve heard reports of the theft,” he said, settling on a three-legged stool. “They say you wafted through the roof of one of the stockhouses?”
Aelya goggled. Tai shrugged. “There was nowhere else to go.”
“Well it was a good thing you did, and brave. This load of arms means
we can finally start recruiting more, and equip ourselves better for strikes. We stand in your debt.”
Tai nodded. “As I stood in yours. I would collect on that debt for at least a few days. Aelya needs a safe place to rest while she heals, away from a lawkeeper named Tulric who’s likely seeking payback.”
The bulky Seinjial swung his head to Aelya. “Will you join our cause as well? What’s your resonance?”
“I’m a brawler,” she said, still clammed up. “And I don’t know. I think so.”
He nodded. “Well we’ll see you healed at least. It’s the least we can do.”
“She got hurt protecting our kids, Karhail. We come from the prison camp where they’re being held—have you seen it?”
“I have not, though I lived near the ruins of such a thing in Seingard. My father’s tales were dark.”
“It’s like a fortress, and heavily guarded. It will take more fighters than we have here.”
Karhail nodded. “There are more in the forest hideout, but it may be some time before we’re able to take them on. Months yet, or a year even. Are you still willing to stand with us?”
Tai rolled his shoulders. A year was too long. But thinking of strength put him in mind of the lighthaired woman Ella, of the story she’d told. “There—may be a way to increase our strength faster.”
Karhail’s eyes locked on him, hungry for any advantage. “Oh? What is it?”
“Well, I haven’t tried it myself. But you just need a handful of yura…”
The rebels were not as excited about the experiment as Karhail had been. “You want me to take how much moss?” Ilrick asked.
“Twelve balls. Or so,” Tai said, not remembering exactly what Ella had said.
“I don’t know,” Eyna said, braiding her red hair. “No one ever takes that much. It could be dangerous.”
“I have never heard of this thing,” Lumo rumbled from the corner. “Are you certain, Tai?”
Aelya made a dismissive psssh sound. “These are the tough rebels, Tai? I don’t know.”
Tai gave a dismissive shrug, recognizing one of their street routines. “Yeah. Maybe we should try someplace else.”
“I’ll do it,” Beal snapped. “Then we’ll see who’s the stronger wafter.”
Several bowls of wintermelon curry later Beal was unchanged, glaring at Tai across the circle of stones. “I told you it was a damn lie. I don’t think he wafts without yura either.”
“Don’t get testy,” Ilrick said, throwing dice with Lumo on the long stone, “just cuz it didn’t work for you. You know Lumo here resonates without any moss in.”
“That’s cuz he’s a Minchu,” Beal spat.
“No,” Lumo said. “This thing is not easy, but anyone can do it. Did you hear voices?”
Beal shifted his seat. “You mean temptations?”
“Ah, yes. In your beliefs, they are the temptations. You need to overcome them, if you want to take your ability back.”
Beal’s eyes glanced from Lumo to Karhail, back to the floor. “You don’t overcome temptations,” he muttered.
Karhail flexed his neck. “Who’s next?”
Silence. Aelya gave a street girl sniff that let them know exactly what she thought. Weiland got up at this, glancing at her. “I’ll do it.”
He took twelve balls, then a couple more for good measure, and they waited, Lumo playing melancholy tunes on the lute and Ilrick avidly trying to get anyone to dice with him. Two songs in, Weiland started muttering to himself, then with a zip of rent air slipped from the cavern and was gone.
“Where’n meck’d he go?” Ilrick asked.
Lumo paused. “In this time, he needs to be alone.”
Beal muttered something and left the chamber, brushing past Tai where he lay, trying to sleep. Aelya was curled up too, having taken another packet of herbs, but Tai couldn’t stop thinking of the kids. What they were doing? Who they were with? What were conditions like inside the camp? At least there were other Achuri there—they would take care of each other. After some time he gave up on sleep and walked over to Lumo, who was plucking a somber melody on his lute.
“Tai,” he said, not missing a note, “your dreams are not good?”
“No.” He sat on the rock ledge near the giant red-haired man. “I’m worried about my kids.”
“They will find their way. The Councilate has no reason to kill them.”
The words held little comfort. The Councilate had no reason to keep them alive either.
“This taking of yura, it is how you overcame your first voice?”
“No. I—my first voice?”
“Yes. Or have you overcome the second as well?”
Tai shook his head. “There are two?”
Lumo laughed, never missing a note. “There are many voices in the world, but you can only hold two at a time.”
Oh boy, Hake said inside. Here we go again.
“So what happens when you overcome the second?”
“You gain your second ability—like when you use yura now, only stronger.”
Tai shook his head. “I tried yura once, to see what would happen, but I still just wafted. I thought I didn’t need it anymore.”
Lumo nodded. “The tonic—that is what we call the second ability--is more difficult than the root. Most of my people cannot do it without training. For wafters, you become able to waft objects other than yourself.”
Tai started. Waft other objects? Other people?
You’re not seriously believing this. Tai, last time you listened to him you almost died trying to rob a mecking mine compound. Now he’s going to tell you some more elkscat and ask you to do something even more dangerous. You’re smarter than this.
Lumo smiled. “Your demon, he doesn’t like hearing this.”
“You can hear that?”
“No. But I can see from your expression. It is common. They do not like being named.”
“I—his name’s Hake. But he’s not a… demon. He’s a spirit guide.”
Thanks.
“Demon is the best translation I have for our word,” Lumo said. “I know your people believe they are guides, but trust me, they are not. They are not friends or ancestors, no matter what they may say.”
That set Hake off. Rather than listen to it Tai said “This second ability, the tonic, could you teach me?”
Lumo inclined his head, adjusting the tune of a string. “I have never wafted, but I have heard others being taught. I could try. And if I fail, that is life, yes?”
Watch. To figure it out you’ll need to put yourself in some kind of danger or something. Do the next theft they need to get richer. Tai these people are using you.
A wail sounded down the passage. Aelya started, opening her eyes. “Wha?”
A zip sounded then, a streak of ruptured air, and they all looked up, Ilrick stirring too. “Weiland?” he called. “That you?”
A moment later the lanky timeslip appeared in the center of the room, grinning. “Aye.”
Tai opened his mouth to ask him something, but the man was gone in a wail of sped-up speech. He looked at Lumo. “Did it work?”
Lumo’s lute vanished, then Ilrick’s dice and the pot from the fire. Weiland appeared in the center again, holding them all in his hands. “I’m free. Free, mates!”
Lumo stood. “You haven’t taken any more yura?”
Weiland grinned. “All gone, and slipping deeper than ever. Ever!”
Ilrick gave a shout, but Lumo looked concerned. “And you have fought with your demon? You overcame it?”
Weiland grew serious. “Aye. The challenges. Aye, we fought. I never thought you could overcome them. Prophet’s peace! You’re not supposed to overcome them. But here I am.” He grinned again, then with a rattle of steps the lute, dice and cooking pot reappeared in their places.
“That is good,” Lumo said. “Do not forget how you overcame them, or they may come back.”
“Aye,” Weiland nodded, serious.
Karhail appeared f
rom another passage, Beal behind him. “Weiland! Did it work?”
Weiland grinned. “It did!”
Karhail gave a roar, pounding his foot against the floor. “It worked! Let’s see it!”
Weiland zipped again, this time appearing in the center of the room with Karhail’s sword and sheath. Karhail gave a surprised shout, but he was grinning. “God’s Challenges man, you’re even faster than before!”
“I am,” Weiland grinned. “Feel like I can stop mecking time.”
“Yes,” Lumo put in. “The resonance is stronger this way, and it increases your power greatly when you first overcome.” He gave Tai a significant look, as if to say when Tai overcame his second demon it would be a sight to behold.
Another zip and the sword and sheath were back, Weiland appearing in the center of the room. “Prophetsmecking right.” He zipped over to Tai. “I want to thank you, Tai, really. Without you, this wouldn’t have happened. I wouldn’t have seen—“ He shook his head. “Thank you.” He held out his fist in the old rebellion style, and Tai hooked it with his forearm.
“Aye,” Karhail said from the door, checking his sword buckle. “You’ve done a lot for us Tai. If this method works for others, and with the load of weapons coming from Odril—” He grinned, wolflike. “The Houses won’t stand a chance.”
Tai stood. “Then you will take Aelya too?”
“Aye.” His eyes were feral in the torchlight. “With this method, we’ll take them all.”
16
Comparing journals and oral accounts of the fall of the Yersh Kingdom offers a more nuanced view. Worldsmouth, already a bustling and independent port, did not shatter Yershire’s glass cities so much as let them break, driven past political viability by overpopulation, poor governance, and Brinerider disease.
--Telen Fostler, Introduction to The New Yersh Kingdom: Empire Reconsidered
Ella paused on the grand concourse in Newgen. The walled village was amazing, an idealized version of Worldsmouth’s sprawling delta islands and ornate buildings, complete with pleasure boats bobbing between the artificial islands. It was better, really—gone was the mud, the crumbling old foundations underneath new, and the stink of nightpots and butcher’s waste thrown in turgid waters.