by Kyle West
Now, Isaru’s face became steely, his eyes angry, and it was easier to understand why he despised his father so much.
“Do you think she would have lived?” I asked, hoping I wasn’t prying too much.
It was long before he answered. In fact, I didn’t think he was going to answer.
“I don’t know, Shanti. Whether she would have lived or not, the fact that he wouldn’t let her go home was cruel. I had never been allowed to visit her people, even though my mother wanted to take me. It’s...complicated. I’ve already spoken too much.”
I nodded. I didn’t know what else to say. Perhaps there wasn’t anything to say. One thing I did know was that what Isaru had told me, he didn’t tell just anyone. Maybe he hadn’t ever told anyone.
We went back to gathering xen samples. It was quiet for a long time, but we just focused on our work. Any time I had a question about a particular sample, I would ask Isaru. By the end of a half hour, both our satchels were full and we started back for the Sages’ Tower.
WE WERE THE LAST TO arrive, where a line had formed for Sage Alan to inspect his pupils’ samples. By the time Isaru and I arrived, Isaru laid out our samples on the table while Sage Alan inspected each with his hands and eyes, his long gray beard nearly covering them. He picked up a nearby magnifying lens for closer inspection.
“Yes, good. I see you found some fons xen. Cleric Karai will want some of this; she was just complaining to me that her stores were getting low. It’s been weeks since I’ve found any samples myself.” Alan looked at Isaru curiously. “Where did you find it, exactly?”
“By the South Spring,” Isaru said. “It only grows under a constant, slow stream of water and in shady areas, so it was on some of the rocks in the stream itself.”
“Excellent,” Alan said. “Very good work, the both of you. It takes more than a good eye to gather samples. Cutting it the wrong way can ruin the sample, as you could cut off the connections that allow the xen to communicate with itself. It takes a great deal of intuition, an intuition born from the Agronomist within.”
Isaru nodded his agreement, but I had little idea what Sage Alan was talking about.
“Thank you, Sage Alan,” Isaru said.
“Isaru, a moment of your time, if you would kindly stay.” He turned to look at me. “Until next week, Shanti.”
I gave a slight bow, only casting a single glance back as I made my way out. Alan was speaking to Isaru in a confidential tone as Isaru listened intently. The Sage seemed to be taking Isaru under his wing already.
I headed for Cleric Karai’s office in the Seekers’ Dome, trusting that Isaru would catch up later.
CHAPTER FOUR
SEEKER KARAI LED US ON an expedition to Nava Village, where she wanted us to sit in on a house call. Often, sick people were brought to the Sanctum from hundreds of miles away, knowing the Clerics’ reputation for healing. In this case, however, the patient — a teenage girl — was too sick to even make the short journey herself.
Nava Village was quite small. It stood on a cliff above the Silverstream, containing two dozen or so wooden houses of one story, as well as some basic services, such as a grocer, a blacksmith, an apothecary, a butcher, and a tailor. These buildings served the Sanctum just as much as they served the local village. Most of the people lived on Nava’s periphery, growing crops or raising animals for the Sanctum, and these fields and pastures were clearly visible from almost any point in the village, along with the houses of those who worked them. A large stand of Silverwoods stood in the very center of the village, growing on a wide field of grass. It was on this field that gatherings took place, and it would be the site of the Spring Festival two weeks from now.
Several villagers going about their business nodded deferentially to Seeker Karai as she passed. She was well-known in the village for healing sicknesses and hurts, and her skill with xenohealing was among the best in the Order, despite her young age. I always enjoyed any trip outside the Sanctum, because it was easy to feel trapped in there. Often, I dreamed about getting away for good, but those dreams weren’t realistic. I wouldn’t get any opportunity to do that until I was an apprentice, and even then, only if I selected a Sect that necessitated travel.
We followed Karai into a small house. Isaru was tall enough that he had to duck to get in, and Nabea as well. The two of them carried themselves like the royalty they were, something that seemed out of place in this humble village. Jaim went in next, the quiet and nervous youth who hadn’t opened up much in the two months I had known him, while Ret, Samal, and I went in last.
We found ourselves in a crowded room, and the smell was the first thing that hit me. Even with the incense burning, it failed to completely mask the odor of sickness, and combined with the heat of the flame and the fireplace, my head started swimming. My eyes first went to a middle-aged woman, who was sitting on a stool near the bed where her daughter lay, whose was face was gaunt with sickness. The mother’s eyes were red, either from crying or tending to her daughter around the clock. Only the slight movement of the bed sheet told me the daughter was still breathing.
“Has she eaten?” Karai asked.
The mother shook her head. “No food, and no water. Not for two days.”
Karai nodded, as if she had expected as much. She knelt beside the bed, and reached into her leather satchel, withdrawing a vial of pink, glowing liquid.
The mother’s eyes widened. “Aether? Seeker...”
“It’s the only thing we haven’t tried, but even then, I don’t know if her blood is strong enough to take it.”
I watched the vial, remembering everything Elder Isandru had told me about Aether. It enhanced one’s inborn Elekai Gifts. It made one stronger, granting long life when taken over time. Also, it was highly addictive, and if that addiction wasn’t fed, it led to its user going mad. What was more, it sometimes didn’t work for Elekai who didn’t have any natural Giftings, overwhelming their senses and leading to a quick death.
“It will kill her...” the mother said, her face tight with fear.
“She will die anyway, Mara,” Karai said, gently, placing a hand on her arm. “She must be made well enough to eat and drink. Energy is life, and there is a lot of energy in Aether. I received approval from Elder Draeus. He doesn’t like it, but when I explained it might work in this situation...”
Mara looked at her daughter. She didn’t even seem to see us initiates, and I felt as if I were infringing on them.
“If you think it might work...” Mara sighed. “Go ahead. Do it.”
Karai unstopped the vial as Mara roused her daughter.
“Kilan. Kilan...”
Kilan opened her eyes, which were filmy and unfocused. She moved her lips, as if to speak, but no words came out.
“Seeker Karai is here,” she said. “She has some medicine that can make you better.”
“Kilan,” Karai said. “I’m going to need you to swallow. Can you do that much?”
Kilan nodded, though it was barely perceptible. She struggled to open her mouth, but was only able to fully do so when aided by her mother. She made a strange, gurgling noise. I watched as Karai tipped the vial, watched as the Aether didn’t run out, but slithered out. It seemed to move in a way that was unnatural, and I could see its glow illumine the interior of Kilan’s mouth. When her mouth closed, she swallowed.
There was no coughing or hacking, nothing I expected. She just lay there, as still as ever, as if nothing had happened, closing her eyes once again.
“What now?” Mara asked.
“We wait.”
Time passed in silence. I looked at my fellow initiates, but all they did was watch Kilan. As the minutes passed, I did notice a change. Color returned to her cheeks, and her hair seemed to regain its luster and grow thicker.
Mara looked at Karai, her eyes wide. “How...how is this possible...?”
“She’ll live,” Karai said, her relief palpable. “At least, for the next couple of days. After that comes the true test.�
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When Kilan opened her eyes, and they were no longer dim, but seemed to see and understand where she was. “Mother...”
Her voice rasped, and she went into a fit of coughing.
“Calm yourself, dear,” Mara said, tears in her eyes. “You’re going to get better.”
“I’m thirsty.”
Mara found a nearby cup of water, and slowly put it to Kilan’s lips, which were now fuller in color. Karai helped her to sit up in bed, though it seemed as if Kilan needed little help.
“Amazing,” Isaru said.
Kilan drank deeply and fully, and as soon as the cup was gone, she asked for another. When that one was done, she looked at her mother.
“Mother...do you have anything to eat?”
Mara blinked. “Of course. Let me get some soup for you.” She looked at Karai. “Seeker...thank you. I’m sorry I doubted; I’ve just heard stories about how Aether is dangerous.”
“It is. Never believe it isn’t.” Karai spoke quietly, so Kilan couldn’t hear. “As I said...we’ll need to continue watching her. Take advantage of this window to feed her and give her as much water as she can handle. The Aether fights for her, but when its energy is expended, the sickness may take hold again.”
“Thank you, Seeker,” Mara said. “I don’t know how to repay you.”
“The Clerics’ services are always free of charge to the people of Nava Village. Neither of us could live without the other.”
Mara bowed. “I will do everything you have said.” Her face grew serious. “She seems so much better. Do you really think she could return to how she was before the sickness?”
“I hope so,” Karai said. “But there are the aftereffects of the Aether to consider, which we must be ready for. Pray to Annara that she is strong for that trial.”
Mara blinked. “How long until then?”
“Three days. Perhaps four. Until then, she will appear hale and strong. Do as I have said, Mara. My prayers are with you and your daughter.”
“Of course, Seeker.”
We took our leave, each of us initiates nodding to Mara and thanking her for allowing us to learn.
We were halfway out of the village when Karai spoke.
“What you saw was a rarity. Aether is only administered in the most desperate of situations for several reasons. It is expensive and difficult to procure, and its danger cannot be understated. It doesn’t seem that Kilan’s body rejected it, which easily could have been the case. The less the purity of one’s blood, the more likely Aether will be fatal.”
“You mentioned aftereffects,” Samal said. “What are those?”
“Aether is highly addictive,” Karai said, “which is why it is hardly ever used. Even if Kilan gets better, she will form an attachment to the drug. A small amount, such as I gave her, will work itself out of her system in a few weeks’ time. However, the memory of it will persist long after. One vial is not enough to cause a dependency in most people. The greatest risk is that she falls ill again, necessitating more. It is here that addiction can form, and then she would be as good as lost. That is why she must survive now. There is no other way.” We walked up the road for another moment before Karai spoke again. “We’ll check in with them in our next lesson, two days from now.”
“What was she sick with?” I asked.
“A disease called Falerot,” Karai said. “It’s usually contracted by eating Blighted crops. Blighted, in the sense that they grew from a reverting patch of xen.”
“I thought the reversion was restored two months ago,” Ret said, uncomfortably. “Are you saying that there are more?”
“Nothing to the extent of the previous reversion,” Karai said. “Small patches can revert, like tumors in the living xen. All food is being rigorously inspected by kitchen staff before consumption. So far, nothing has been found, but both the Clerics and the Sages are keeping an eye on the Sanctum and the village. Falerot can be cured easily if found soon enough, but it’s a rare disease this far south. Mara came to us too late.”
“Perhaps not too late,” Samal said.
“If not that, then almost,” Karai said.
When we returned to the Sanctum, we parted ways. Isaru peeled off to go study in the library while I made my way to the Hall of Elders to see Elder Isandru. Isaru and I still took lessons together, but we also each had private lessons once a week. I wasn’t sure why Isandru wanted to see us separately in addition to seeing us together, but Isaru had theorized that either of us might have questions or concerns that we might not voice otherwise. I didn’t see how that could be the case, but perhaps Isaru was talking more about himself than me.
When I reached the final hallway, I knocked on the door, and Isandru called for me to enter.
CHAPTER FIVE
EVEN THOUGH I’VE HAD PRIVATE lessons for the past four weeks, it still felt strange to be there without Isaru. It wasn’t common for an initiate to get private instruction from an Elder, but the Prophets worked differently from all other Sects due to their small size. At any time, there would only be a few initiates with the potential to prophesy or envision, and at the moment, Isaru and I were the only ones. Isandru’s last apprentice had been Fiona, who had been a Prophetess for eight months, now.
“Anything new to report?” the Elder asked.
For my last four lessons, the answer had been “no,” but today I had something to share. Isandru listened to me as I explained my dream.
Once done, he settled back in his chair. “A true vision. A viewing of the past as it happened exactly.”
“What does it mean?”
“One of two things,” Isandru said. “Either your memories are returning naturally, or the Xenofold is trying to reveal things about your past self. Whether these visions are coming from within or without, I cannot say.”
“Isaru said the same thing. Only...the last time I had dreams, it was because of the reversion. Does that mean there’s another reversion nearby? Seeker Karai was talking about Blighted crops, and they come from xen that has reverted.”
“There is no reversion on the scale of what we last saw,” Isandru said. “Especially not with the Sages on high alert. A reversion is not necessary for the Xenofold to communicate to us, but it does aid the process. It allowed you to enter it, not to mention Fiona and Isaru. Even so, they could not have remained as long you did.”
“Why not?”
“It’s simply a matter of the purity of their blood,” Isandru said. “And considering your identity, yours is perfectly pure.”
I went quiet, not really wanting to talk about it.
“You are still having trouble accepting it?”
“How couldn’t I?”
“It will take time, Shanti. As I’ve told you...you needn’t become Anna. You merely have to accept that she is a part of you.”
What I didn’t tell Isandru was that even that was too much. What if I started to become Anna? What if her memories supplanted my own, until I was no longer myself? I kept those thoughts to myself.
“You’ve had only a few memories return, and besides your viewing of Annara’s Departure two months ago — forgive me, I should say Anna’s Departure — and what you’ve just described to me, they have all been vague. Likely, my guess is you’ll receive enough memories to form a clear enough picture of what your role is.”
“Which is to stop the Second Darkness, right?”
“That is the traditional answer,” Isandru said. “But only the Prophecy has the full explanation.”
“What do we do, then? So far, you say just to train and become stronger, but if my dueling sessions with Aela are any indication, I won’t be ready for years.”
“There is more to being strong than expertly using a blade,” Isandru said. “There is also wisdom, which only comes from experience. You are talented, but talent takes time to mature — and wisdom is knowing how to use your talent. Mastering the Four Disciplines is the key. When you were imprisoned in Colonia, you Called across hundreds of miles, an
d dozens of people reported seeing you in their dreams, including myself and most of the Elders. We knew little about you at the time, but anyone who could have done that untrained has amazing potential. And that potential will take more than a few weeks to tap into.”
Despite what Isandru said, I couldn’t help but feel time was short.
“What about my parents?” I asked. “How much longer can we wait before we help them?”
“Nariel has yet to return from Colonia,” Isandru said.
Nariel was the Champion that Isandru had originally tasked to go to Colonia. His specific purpose hadn’t been to inquire about my parents, but Isandru had asked that he do so if he had the chance to.
“He might have been captured,” I said.
“Nariel is more resourceful than that,” Isandru said. “It is true that Colonia is a dangerous place for an Elekai. All the more reason we should be cautious. We must be patient, Shanti. No one knows what these days before the Second Darkness entail. That is why finding the Prophecy is paramount. In them, Anna predicted what would happen. But we cannot reach the Prophecy until we can infiltrate the Red Bastion.”
“What if it’s not there?” I asked. “What then?”
“If it isn’t there, there are alternate locations to search — locations which I would never search unless the Bastion had been crossed off our list. There is Brevia, taken over by the Shen decades ago from Colonia. A large archive is there, but the Shen are a dangerous people. Remember: it was they who attacked Hyperborea unprovoked almost two centuries ago. The war led to the depletion of the Sea of Creation, which in the end destroyed the city.”
“Who are the Shen, anyway? Where did they come from?”
