by C J Benjamin
Now, the hard part would be convincing everyone else. I knew I needed to start with my friends. I looked at Nova, standing loyally by my side outside the chief’s tent. My heart ached at the thought of having to ask him to join me on this mission, but Jaka said I would need the help of all of my friends. Rallying them to head back to the Troian Center after we narrowly escaped would not be easy.
Jaka told me Eja would be my appointed liaison from the Beto tribe, at my service to help me with any task. I knew what his first assignment would be—helping me come up with a plan to convince my friends that I wasn’t crazy, before I asked them to return to the Troian Center with me. Eja seemed like as good a place to start as any, so I took a deep breath as I scanned what was left of the Beto camp for him.
“Eja,” I called when I spotted him.
He gave me a wave and trotted over.
“I trust things went well with Jaka?” he asked me with a smile.
“It went much better than I expected,” I said as I took in his knowing smile.
Eja always knew more than he let on. I bet he had known that the chief would appoint him my Beto advisor. And that I would enlist his help in convincing my friends that we needed to go back to the Troian Center. He had, after all, read through the entire Book of Secrets with the chief and already knew that it was our only course of action.
Anticipating this, I simply said to him, “Shall we get started?”
He beamed. “The others are already back. I’ll gather them for you.”
As Eja went to work gathering my friends, Nova pulled me aside.
“So how are we going to do this?” he asked with a worried expression painted on his beautiful face. I hated when he looked so worried. Especially when I knew I was the cause of it. “Tippy?” he questioned, shaking me out of my all too frequent Nova trance.
“I don’t know, Nova, but I know however we do it, it’ll work out.”
“Tippy, stop,” he said grabbing my wrist as I turned to walk in the direction Eja had gone. “You need to take this seriously.”
“I am.”
“No, I mean you need a plan. A real plan. You can’t buy into the chief’s ‘whatever will be, will be’ mumbo-jumbo.”
“Nova, the chief is right. We need to stop worrying and start doing. I don’t know how I got to be the Eva, or how I got to be here, in the forest with a magical Beto tribe that is supposed to be extinct, but look around you. Here we are. Some things you can’t plan for.”
“Tippy! Do you not remember what we just went through escaping the Troian Center?” he shouted at me. “We had a plan and look how badly it went. We almost died! All of us! Greeley paralyzed us, then sent an army of Grifts after us and set half the rainforest on fire. The only reason we’re still alive is because you had to kill her to stop her from killing us.”
I wrenched my hand from his grasp furiously.
“Do you think I have forgotten that?” I whispered to him, fighting back the tears of shame that welled up at the mere mention of Greeley’s name. “I will NEVER forget what happened with Greeley. But that is precisely why we have to go back. We have no idea what the rest of the Johns and Janes are going through right now. What if they’re all alone or worse, what if someone who’s more evil than Greeley has taken over? You heard what Jaka said. There are more orphans like us, with powers they don’t understand and we need to help them and keep them safe before they’re discovered and their powers are manipulated.”
“Tippy, I know, I know,” Nova said, pulling me into an embrace. “I wasn’t trying to upset you . . .”
“Stop!” I shouted at him.
I didn’t want to be coddled or comforted. I couldn’t believe he was throwing what happened with Greeley back in my face. I’d only done what I had to do to protect myself and my friends.
“If you’re not with me, you’re against me, Nova. I’m going back to the Troian Center. With or without you!” I yelled as I jerked myself free of him and marched past the group of shocked faces Eja had assembled.
I knew I had probably let my emotions get the best of me, overreacting because Nova brought up Greeley. It was still such a raw subject. But I didn’t care. I didn’t want to apologize for my feelings. I wanted him to take me seriously and stop always questioning me. I knew he was probably just trying to protect me, but it made me feel like he only saw me as the same little girl he met at the Troian Center. I wanted him to see me as so much more.
“Eja, where is the Beto tribe camping next?”
“I can show you the way,” he replied.
“Good, walk with me so I can go over my ideas with you. We can fill the others in when we set up camp for the night,” I called over my shoulder.
“What the heck was that all about?” Sparrow whispered to Journey.
“Another lovers’ quarrel,” he joked.
Remi rolled his eyes. “It sounded like Geneva was saying she wanted to go back to the Troian Center,” he said to Sparrow, ignoring Journey’s comment.
“She can’t really want to go back, can she?” Sparrow replied.
“If she does, then I’m sure she has a reason for it,” Jemma piped up, surprising everyone by coming to Geneva’s defense.
Remi and Sparrow shot each other questioning looks.
“I’m sure she’ll fill us in on her plan when we get to camp tonight, just like she said she would. You’re all just wasting your breath speculating,” Jemma said with a huff and picked up her pace, walking past Journey, Sparrow and Remi to catch up with Nova, who was striding angrily ahead of the group, toward the next Bellamorf tree.
18
“Master, the Eva has made a decision.”
“And . . .” he demanded. “What is it, Kobel?”
“I can’t really believe it myself Master, but it has been written,” he said in wonder. “The Eva will be returning to the Troian Center.”
“You’re sure?”
“Absolutely, Master.”
“Call back the men,” he said with satisfaction as a wicked smile spread across his sharp face.
19
“We can’t go back to the Troian Center right now, especially without a plan!” Nova yelled picking right back up where he left off.
I sighed deeply. I was hoping that traveling to the new Beto camp would cool him down a bit. I knew all the hiking and morfing had worn me out. I was still trying to get the hang of morfing, but was having a hard time staving off the dizzying side effects from being sucked through the mystical portals offered by the ancient Bellamorf trees. It was much harder than just morfing from branch to branch like we had in morf tag. Remi said it had taken him a few days to get used to it and Sparrow attributed the lingering dizzy spells to my head injury. I suspected they were just being nice and attempting to make me feel better about my lackluster morfing abilities.
It was dusk and Eja gathered everyone inside a tent that had been set up for me. It glowed yellow from all the candles inside. I stood before all of my friends, surveying their expectant faces before speaking. I tried to channel the calmness that Jaka had when I’d spoken with him. After a few more deep breaths, I walked over to the Book of Secrets, which was propped open atop a decaying tree stump lined with melting candles. Eja was kneeling next to it and I nodded to him to start reading.
“ . . . they will pillage the land and stop at nothing to obtain the magical powers they seek. They’re allegiance is solely to Ravin and they worship his savage ways and operate without moral compass, only guided by an insatiable quest for power. The Ravinori, these mercenaries of greed, operate in a society of secret. Numbered and numb, they have imprisoned their subjects under the guise of patronage, imposing their cruel rules on the unspoken for. They wait, biding their time for the perfect opportunity to strike when their targets will be at their weakest, unguarded, their secrets unveiled and powers revealed. Unchecked and forgotten, the only hope for these orphaned souls is for the Eva to return and lead them to embrace their true identities. The powers that unleash
ed their secrets, will also band them together. All must oblige to defeat the Ravinori . . .”
I held my hand up to stop Eja.
“It goes on, but I think you all get the point,” I said softly.
The vibe in the tent was electric. I could sense the rush of feelings my friends were emoting—shock, fear, anxiety, anger. I wanted to soothe them, so I dove into my speech, which I hoped would inspire them to return to the Troian Center with me.
“When I met with Jaka, he helped me understand my path and it leads back to the Troian Center. From what Eja just read from the Book of Secrets, it’s clear to me that the Troian Center isn’t just an orphanage. It has been acting as a prison run by the Ravinori! It’s where all the orphans suspected to have magical powers were sent. Then they brainwashed us to forget our families and we were never allowed the freedom to develop our powers on our own. Jaka said that the Ravinori are behind the whole thing. I think they probably appointed Greeley to be our headmistress and oppress us. They have been working to find the Book of Secrets this whole time, so they can find out who has powers that they can use to bring Ravin back.”
“And we led them right to it . . .” said Sparrow shell-shocked.
“Yes,” I replied, “But we still may have the element of surprise on our side since they were oblivious to the fact that the Book of Secrets was hidden right under their nose. They may not know we have it. Which means they may still be occupying themselves with searching for it and that buys us some time. Eja has been deciphering it and if we can find the rest of the Truiets it speaks of and get to them before the Ravinori, we can help them.”
“And if we can’t?” asked Journey.
“If we can’t, then the Ravinori win and we’ll probably all be dead,” growled Nova. “This is a suicide mission!”
“It’s not!” I yelled standing my ground. “I would not have been appointed as your Eva if I was going to come up with a plan that would get us killed. This is what I have to do to free our island. I need you all to trust me. I know that I don’t have a perfect plan yet, but together we can come up with one. I know we can. But, the catch is, that we all have to agree. We all have to work together to succeed. It says it right in the Book of Secrets. ‘The powers that unleashed their secrets, will also band them together. All must oblige.’ That means all of us,” I said staring at each of my friends, letting my gaze linger longest on Nova.
His hard stare seemed to soften ever so slightly and the moment I saw the fire in his green eyes go out, I knew I won. He was with me.
I emerged from the tent and stretched my stiff legs. After an exhausting evening of talking and planning, we were finally getting somewhere. Everyone was on board to return to the Troian Center with me, but I conceded to take some time to prepare. Nova and the others felt there were a few things we needed to do before we would be ready and they were probably right.
Eja and I needed to scour the Book of Secrets to know exactly who we were looking for. Practicing our powers was also on the agenda. Remi and Jemma didn’t have a very good handle on theirs yet and as I was finding out, controlling your powers was a skill that required constant training. Nova promised to head that endeavor since he had the most experience with his powers. Journey wanted some time to track with the Beto scouts to find the safest path back to the Troian Center for us. He was always on the offense and worried that maybe the Grifts were still hunting us. We all agreed this was a good idea. I also wanted to get another chance to speak with Jaka. He promised there would be time for him to tell me more of the Book of Gods and its legends.
With all of this on our agenda, we figured we would need a few weeks in the forest to prepare. Plus we still had my party to contend with. Eja cut our planning session short so we could start preparations. It seemed it was going to be a bigger event than I had anticipated. I figured I’d just shake hands with the tribes people and introduce myself, trying not to say or do anything stupid. But, to my dismay, there was a whole ceremony planned, with a feast and festive dress and dancing. It was set for tomorrow evening and I was already dreading it. I tried to put on a smile since Jemma and Sparrow were over the moon about the whole thing. Perhaps this would be a good time for some sisterly bonding.
I let them drag me to Jovi’s tent, where we were going to prepare. Her family graciously volunteered to take us in. They had apparently been feeding and clothing my friends since we’d arrived at the Beto camp. I hadn’t met any of them besides Jovi yet, but if they were all as warm and energetic as she was, I knew I’d be in for a treat. Jovi was waiting for us outside of her tent with Quin. When she saw us, they both ran over.
“Mom! They’re here!” she called as she ran toward us.
I successfully dodged Quin’s pounce and she collided with Remi instead.
“Hi, Geneva! Hi, everyone! I hope you’re hungry! Mom and I have been cooking all day and we were just putting the finishing touches on your outfits for tomorrow! Come and see! You’re going to love them!”
As we followed Jovi back to the tent, a tall chestnut haired woman emerged. She folded her arms across her chest and gave Jovi a glance that instantly took the wild bounce out of her step.
“Jovi’s mom?” I asked Sparrow.
“Yes, that’s Vida.”
“Jovi’s mom is Vida?”
I don’t know why that surprised me. I guess I expected the tribe’s medicine woman to be old. But then again I had expected the chief to be old as well and he was far from it. It just struck me as odd that Jovi, this wild, free spirit would have such a strict mother. I hadn’t even met her yet, but I could already tell she was a no-nonsense kind of woman. I swallowed hard as we approached.
“And where exactly are your shoes, young lady?” Vida asked Jovi.
“Oh, Mom, I don’t need shoes.” Jovi smiled giving her mother a kiss on the cheek.
“We have company, Jovi. And you’re not a wild animal, you know!” she called after her pint-sized daughter, who ducked into the tent behind her.
“I beg to differ,” called a voice from behind us.
I was slightly shocked to see one of the scouts we’d met earlier with Jaka, walking up behind us. He gave a nod and smiled as he passed. He too gave Vida a kiss on the cheek and ducked past her into the tent.
“You should come out here and formally introduce yourselves!” Vida fumed, pushing a stray strand of chestnut hair back into place in its tidy bun.
We all stood silently in front of Vida for a moment. It was clear from the giggling and ruckus going on inside the tent, that they were not coming back out. Vida finally sighed and uncrossed her arms.
“I’m sorry. Try as I might, my children have no penchants for manners. They’re strictly wild!” she said throwing her hands up.
As if on cue, Jovi and the scout growled and then exploded into laughter and Quin came darting out of the tent.
“Jovi! What did I say about that wex being in our tent?” Vida hollered disappearing inside.
“Are we supposed to follow her?” I asked feeling awkward.
Journey shrugged. Before the others could answer, Vida reemerged with both of her children. She was smiling now.
“These are my children. Talon and Jovi. I believe you’ve already met, but I still adhere to the old ways and make introductions properly,” Vida said.
Both Jovi and Talon bowed dramatically and smiled at us. Talon had washed his skeletal mask off and he looked much less menacing. He was tall and thin with the same long, wild hair and brightness about him as his sister, Jovi. He was probably a few years older than Nova and almost as muscular as Journey. When he smiled at us, his deep dimples lit up his tan face. He wrapped his arm around his mother’s shoulders and gave her a squeeze.
“Oh, Mother, we’re just having a bit of fun. And we’ve already met, haven’t we, Geneva?”
Vida smacked him on the shoulder. “Son, we kneel when addressing our Eva!”
“Oh no, ma’am . . . that’s really not necessary. I don’t want people to b
ow to me.”
“See, Mom. I told you she was cool,” Jovi whispered making me smile.
“And I did meet your son early this morning when I was speaking with the chief. He was very respectful,” I added trying to get him out of hot water with his mother.
Talon gave me a thankful smile.
“Well, that will be decided at the ceremony. Until then we’ll abide by the rules.”
She turned to address me, bowing slightly. “If it pleases you, I’d like to serve dinner and get started with fitting you for your attire for tomorrow’s ceremony?”
“Of course,” I nodded and she held open the tent flap, inviting us into her humble home.
20
After an appetizing dinner and lively conversation, I was starting to learn Vida’s ways. She was stern on the outside, but it was only to mask her warm heart. She couldn’t help but smile proudly as her children spoke, laughing at their outrageous tales. She had so selflessly invited us all into her home, sharing everything she had with us; food, clothes, laughter, advice. I watched as Sparrow drooled over every word she uttered, hoping to learn more healing tips from her. I hadn’t been sure about her at first, but her genuineness won me over.
Vida’s home was full of beauty and love. It was sparse in terms of belongings. There was no table for us to gather at, only a few blankets and hammocks. My favorite part of the tent were the walls. The interior walls were painted by the hands of her children. They had traced tiny handprints, quotes, memories, drawings and even charted their height as they grew, comparing each measurement to a type of plant. Jovi was now the height of a wild iris and Talon, milkweed. I couldn’t help noticing that there was a third set of handprints and I’d only met two of her children. The name Kyo was painted next to them.
