by Megan Linski
“What are you doing?” Sophia asked, totally confused.
“You need to see that this is more than just a story,” I told her.
I started playing a steady beat on the drum. Every time I brought my hand down, the bells on my wrist jingled, until the drum and the bells were creating a harmonious rhythm.
Sophia didn’t know the Hawkei language, but I did. I made low chants in my throat, repeating a song that my father had drilled into my head from the moment I could understand language. I made the words mingle in time with the drum. Sophia watched curiously, mesmerized as I continued to cry out to the ancestors.
Calling them down.
After a few minutes, I put down the drum and stopped chanting, but still, the music continued. Other voices were there to replace mine now, humming a far-away song that was getting closer and closer with every second.
“What’s that music?” Sophia looked around, scared. “Where’s it coming from?”
I didn’t answer her. Somewhere in the distance, an eagle cried, and I thought I heard a howl drifting on the wind. The sounds mingled with the dancing bells and the beating of the drum. The whispering got louder, approaching us from every angle. Sophia squeezed Esis and scrunched up into a tiny ball.
I needed a piece from every House. Air was already all around us. I scooped up a bit of dirt and threw it into the wooden bowl for Nivita, then summoned what water I could from the ground. It formed in my hand, and I kept it tightly within my concealed fist before I threw the incense bag inside the bowl. I looked at Sophia.
“Fire, Sophia,” I told her. “I need fire.”
Despite her fear, she focused her intention on the incense bag in the bowl and lit it up. Her flames burned the bag quickly, sending smoke into the air and the smell of the incense floating around the mountain. The herbs burned quickly, turning to embers within moments. Before the embers could die out completely, I lashed out my hand to grab them, and Sophia gasped.
Ignoring the burning in my palm, I clenched the smoldering embers tightly before I flung them upward into the setting sky.
From the embers burst all colors, every shade possible known to creation. These colors flooded outward and upward, encircling the area and creating a spinning whirlwind around us that felt like the inside of a tornado, a column that spun up as far as the eye could see and into the sun. The entire mountaintop lit up with its glory. Sophia’s hair whipped around her face as she jumped to her feet in alarm. Esis leapt out of her arms and onto the ground, squeaking and wiggling in delight.
I too rose as the colors spread. From them emerged shapes and figures. Magical creatures. Dragons spiraled above, gigantic winged beasts like chimeras and large birds at their sides. An enormous firebird with ruby feathers and a orange beak cawed triumphantly, and a jet of flame shot across the sky. Within the whirlwind of color, other creatures spanned, running upon thin air like it was the ground. There were feathered serpents, perytons, alicorns, and species that had long since gone extinct. Aquatic creatures like leviathans and megalodons swam around Fire animals such as manticores and blazing pegasi. Among them were creatures such as big cats, like lions, panthers and lynxes, woodland creatures such as deer, bear, and raccoons, reptiles and fish transforming into their elemental forms as they ran by— Fire and Water.
Some of these creatures I didn’t even know the names of. There were hundreds, so many that they made a swirling wall on all sides that blocked out everything except the colors that painted the wind. It was hard to distinguish them all. One creature with a thin neck, a small, perched face and long limbs that was entirely made of water swam by me. Its companion, a twin to it in everything except that it was made of fire, blazed by and intertwined itself with the Water creature. They danced in unison as they returned to the stampede of charging animals.
A group of white stags circled Sophia, jumping around her before bounding off into the air. She gasped, pressing a hand to her mouth when a humpback whale swam by. Sophia gaped at the performance of the ancestors, tears streaming down her cheeks. She reached out to touch them, but their spirit essence floated through her fingers without any sense of actually being there.
I laughed as a pack of wolves ran through me, ruffling my hair. They transformed into Water canines and became a singular wave, sweeping throughout the area like it was the ocean.
A wyvern spiraled down from the sky and landed in front of Sophia. As he did, he changed shape to resemble a muscular warrior wearing a feathered headdress. Another creature, the firebird, landed in front of Sophia to become a red-headed woman wearing a ballgown with a corset. A blazing hound made of flame came to a stop in front of her to morph into a man with a cowboy hat, and a white griffin landed beside him to transform into a beautiful woman with long black hair that reached her ankles. They bowed to Sophia. She took a few steps backward, unsure of what she was experiencing.
My ancestors came down and started landing in front of me, too. They were wearing all types of clothing from various time periods, changing from animals like kelpies, krakens, and gigantic sea monsters. A pale-faced girl, her dark hair in two braids, stood near me and gave me a gentle smile. They bowed to me, too, and I nodded my head in return. Once I acknowledged them, they changed back into their animal forms and took off into the dazzling array, joining again with the crowd that was ever enclosing around us, the sound of their song welling in our ears.
I thought I saw an eagle soaring far above, out of my reach, and I wondered if it was my grandfather. The song was swelling louder and louder, and I knew it was time to bring this to a close. With a singular movement, I swung my arm over my head and downward. I opened my palm and allowed the water residing in my hand to splash upon the burning incense that was still inside the bowl. The smoke went out, and in a few seconds the ancestors retreated into a slit in the sky, taking the colors and the song with them.
When the ancestors were gone, Sophia and I were left in complete darkness. There was nothing above us except the littered array of bright stars against a dark sky. Night had come. Silence thickened the air between us, and it was harsh and ringing now that the loud chanting and drum beats were gone.
Sophia was shaking. I didn’t know what to say to her, but she spoke.
“That was… beautiful.” Her voice cracked. Esis waddled over to her to put a paw on her shoe, and she looked down at him.
“That’s our destiny,” I told her. “I don’t pretend to have all the answers to life, or to even know where the rest of the human race goes after death. I don’t even know where the ancestors go. But they’re here with us, and that’s our meaning. You don’t die until your purpose in this life is done. Once it’s accomplished, you move on to be with the rest of our kind. Elements, Elementai, and Familiars, all united as one in perfect harmony.”
Her face was still pretty white. “Who were those people that bowed to me?”
“They were your guides. Those particular ancestors that came down to greet you agreed to watch over you and specifically be involved in your life before you were born,” I said. “Every Elementai has their own ancestor guides.”
“They changed. From human to animal,” she said.
“Our Familiars fuse with us and our magic when we die. We truly become one,” I explained.
Sophia sniffled. She wiped her nose and looked at me.
“Do you understand now? Our people were almost exterminated. Everything that meant anything to us was taken and destroyed. Our culture and religion is all we have,” I told her. “That’s why the Houses need each other to survive. I know you think this is all stupid political bullshit, and everyone’s trying to one-up each other all the time.”
I sighed. “And, yeah, a lot of it is that. But underneath it all is a pact for survival. To be frank, if we all don’t work together, we’re still facing extinction. And all of us agree that our creatures deserve better than that. If we’re gone, there’s no one left to take care of them. And you know as well as I do they wouldn’t survive in thi
s modern world. Not without someone to protect them.”
Sophia nodded. She wiped away remnants of the tears that were still drying on her face and picked up Esis. “Yeah. I… I get it, Liam. I understand why you brought me up here. It took something like this to make me realize who I really am.”
Esis purred happily. She kissed him on the top of the head, and I gathered my things.
“Ready to head down?” I asked.
“Yeah.” She chuckled. “I’m starving, actually. I haven’t eaten much all day.”
“I’ll sit with you,” I blurted before I could stop myself. “It’s no big deal. I haven’t eaten, either.”
Sophia grinned. Stupid, stupid. Just a few weeks ago I was refusing to be seen in the cafeteria with her, and here I was changing my mind.
We started heading down the mountain. I noticed that Sophia was unusually silent, even more so than when we’d started heading up here. “Something bothering you?” I asked.
“Nothing. It was just…” She hesitated. “There was a wolf standing there, staring at you. He was sitting by your side the entire time we were on the mountain.”
Talk about a punch to the gut. It was nearly enough to knock me off my feet. My eyes burned, and I struggled to catch my breath. All the air had just gone out of me.
“He was your Familiar, wasn’t he?” Sophia said softly.
There was a lump in my throat. “Yes.”
“You can’t see him?” She sounded sad.
“No.” My reply was heavy.
“Oh.” She looked down. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
She brought her beautiful face back up to look at me. “What was his name?”
“Nashoma. His name was Nashoma.”
She was quiet for a moment. “Do you mind telling me what happened?”
The words were hard to get out. “He died for me.”
Sophia didn’t press any further. She just clung tighter to Esis.
“And yes, before you ask,” I added, “I’m the only one of my kind. No one else in our history has ever survived their Familiar’s death, not since Anichi was destroyed. Not even one.”
Sophia didn’t answer right away. For days afterward, I couldn’t figure out why Nashoma had sacrificed himself for me, as his death would cause my own, too. He knew that. Every Familiar did.
But I hadn’t died— I’d survived, and managed to go on without him. Though how he could’ve known that, I didn’t understand.
Maybe he’d known something I didn’t.
While I was still lost in my thoughts, Sophia added, “Well… for what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re still here, Liam. You’ve been a good friend to me. I like having you around.”
A small part of my spirits lifted, and I gave her a tiny grin. “Thanks, Soph.”
We continued our descent, but we were closer together this time, walking so our bodies almost touched. I felt fine right now, but a part of me knew I’d be paying for this walk the next morning. I only had so much energy to give these days, and I’d spent a lot of it climbing up and down this mountain.
Sophia, though. She was worth it.
I almost wanted to reach out and hold her hand, because, you know, I’m a masochist who loves torturing myself. My fingers reached out for hers, but I brought them back before she noticed. I called myself a wuss and reminded myself that we had rules.
“Can any Elementai do that?” Sophia asked abruptly, snapping me out of my stupid internal debate. “Like, if I learned how to do it, could I summon the ancestors, too?”
“There are only a few Hawkei who can summon the ancestors. The Elders, chieftains, and firstborns of chieftains,” I explained. “My dad is Chief of the Toaqua tribe, so I have the ability to call them.”
“Do you know anyone else who can?”
“Haley can. She’s the firstborn of a chief,” I said. “Her mother is Chieftess of Koigni.”
“Of course she is.” Sophia made a bitchy face. “What else has she got that I don’t have?”
“Well, for starters, her tournament team is probably phenomenal. Madame Doya already chose her for her front runner, and Doya doesn’t take losers. Most likely, she has the best pick from every House.”
“You’re not helping me feel better, Liam. You called us the reject team,” she said sourly.
“Because we are. We’re the kids that nobody wanted, so we got stuck together,” I said.
“Baine wanted us. He specifically chose us for his team,” Sophia argued.
“Baine’s being sympathetic. Or stupid. He’s about three fries short of a Happy Meal. It’s not a compliment that he’s our coach. People complain about getting him every year.” I crossed my arms. “I just want to get this thing over with and come out on the other end with all my limbs intact.”
“That’s not good enough. I want to win, and rub it in Haley’s stupid face,” Sophia snapped.
“That’s Koigni thinking. You need to get it out of your head that we have a chance of winning this thing,” I shot her down immediately. “The only thing I’m concerned about is making it out alive, because people do die in this tournament, Sophia.”
“What if we just refused to do the tournament?” Sophia asked me. “What then?”
“No one is truly forced into the Elemental Cup. People have walked before,” I tell her. “But if you walk, you become an outcast. You’re banished from the tribe and never allowed to speak with any Elementai ever again. Even worse, your Familiar will be taken away from you. You won’t die, because your Familiar is still alive, but you’ll be separated forever. An Elementai that is too cowardly to enter the tournament is considered unworthy to have a Familiar.”
“How did this whole thing get started, anyway?” Sophia asked. “Did the Elders just decide to throw a contest where people die for fun?”
I smirked. “No. Before the Familiars came, the Hawkei had a coming-of-age ceremony for every person in the tribe. They were expected to survive in the wilderness for three days alone. After Anichi fell, that ceremony turned into the Elemental Cup. This tournament is every Elementai’s way of proving they belong here. That they’re valuable to the tribe.”
“Well, I think it’s sick that we should have to prove we deserve to live.” Sophia’s face was scrunched up in a snarl.
“You don’t understand. Back then, weak people would bring the tribe down. They’d take up resources and harm everyone’s way of life. It was considered honorable to give your life for the tribe’s,” I argued.
“Things aren’t like that anymore,” Sophia said harshly. “We have more resources now. We should change.”
I took a deep breath. “Look. I get that you don’t like it. And I can understand it’s barbaric and dated. But this is your way of proving that you and Esis can contribute to our society, and that you’re strong enough to help raise magical creatures.”
“What about you?” She raised an eyebrow, challenging me. “What do you think of all of this, especially considering your situation?”
My situation. It didn’t take her long to make me blissfully happy and piss me off again all in the same hour, did it? “I get that people like me would’ve died out there, a long time ago. But I’m not turning my back on my tribe.”
“Not even to save your life?”
“No. If I’m being forced to do this, I’m going to show everyone that I still belong here. That I’m not useless,” I growled. “And since you’re doing it, too, you should use it as your opportunity to show that you’re really one of us— a true Elementai, not an outsider. Don’t do it for Haley. Do it for yourself.”
Sophia’s expression cleared. She glanced at Esis and stroked his fluffy fur. “Yeah. I get what you’re saying. I’m no coward. And after everything you’ve shown me today, I want to prove that this is where I belong. And I’m definitely not giving up Esis. Anyone who tries to make me can go straight to hell.”
“Good,” I responded sourly. My face went back to that shriveled-up pout t
hat I hated and that I only realized that I did now. It’d been set like that for months, and I hadn’t even realized.
Sophia had shattered that statue today, and bringing it back now was terribly uncomfortable. But I didn’t want to smile right now, because she’d poked the bear. Irritating.
“What, now that we’re heading into school you’re going back to being emo?” Sophia asked, laughing as we reached the bottom of the mountain.
“I’m not emo,” I grumbled, and we headed back into the forest. “You’re pushing your luck.”
“Oh, really? What are you gonna do?” She punched me in the shoulder and drew herself up. “Give me one of your salty comments, Water boy?”
“Shut up.” I laughed under my breath. I nudged her with my shoulder, and she nudged back.
It was by accident, but when Sophia leaned against me, I didn’t pull away this time. We were leaning on each other the entire way back to the castle. Esis happily cheered and left Sophia’s shoulder to hop on my head again.
When we saw the spires of the castle coming into view, it was like we were electrically jolted apart. Both of us retreated from one another until we were at least a few feet away, like it was a crime to be seen together.
I guess it kind of was.
Esis, though, didn’t come off my head until Sophia pried him away. He took a good chunk of my hair with him, too, the little shit.
“So… dinner?” Sophia asked reluctantly, as if she was scared I was gonna bow out on my promise now.
“Dinner,” I confirmed. I followed her into the cafeteria. It crossed my mind that people might talk if they saw us eating together, but I pushed it out of my head. They could look. We were tournament partners now, after all. We had to talk to each other to strategize. People wouldn’t think too much of it. We had an excuse.
Far too convenient of an excuse. Don’t get too close, I reminded myself.
It was too late for that. I really liked Sophia.
Which meant that I was totally screwed.
Orenda Academy was starting to feel more and more like home with each passing day following our trip up the mountain. If it wasn’t for Madame Doya’s class and the fact that I still worried about and missed my parents, I might actually feel like I could stay here forever.
