The Spirus

by JB Trepagnier

  Esylle wanted her to be her heir even if she wasn’t Lisana and Soryn didn’t understand. Esylle knew nothing about her. How could she when Soryn didn’t even know? Esylle didn’t know anything about her to name her the successor to her family’s throne. Soryn thought Esylle only wanted her to come back because she wanted to use Soryn because she didn’t want to remarry.

  Soryn ran until she managed to stop thinking about Esylle, what she thought, and what she wanted. She didn’t know how long she ran, but it was starting to get light out. She could smell them cooking breakfast from far away and just stalked back, taking her time. She didn’t want the humans to see her as a different beast, so she changed back in the brush. She ignored all the stares she was getting and went and sat by Frog and his fire. She should have known both Esylle and Leodos were going to descend on her. They both started talking at once, about how she had been gone all night and the scratches on her face. Soryn wanted both of them to go away and concentrated on the fire.

  “Do you know how dangerous it is for you to be out there alone all night? What if someone had seen you or worse, shot at you? You’re not on Idric anymore and you don’t know this place. I don’t know how many more ways to tell you to stop acting on your emotions. You’re either going to reveal yourself to someone you shouldn’t again or you’re going to be hurt. What if one of the tribes were out there and saw you?” Leodos yelled at her.

  “So, what if they did? You think I don’t have questions for them? I want to know why they said what they did when they touched me.”

  “You’re not going to ask them anything!” Leodos yelled. He looked like he was about to lose control with her. “You’re going to stop changing and you’re going to make the rest of this journey looking like a regular girl. You know you’re going to get the answers you want when you get back. I know you’ve been waiting a long time for them, but stop risking yourself and the rest of us because you think you might get them sooner!”

  “Then tell her to stop broaching the subject with me about coming back with you. I don’t want to be her heir and I don’t belong there with her.”

  Esylle opened her mouth to say something and Soryn knew she wasn’t going to like whatever it was. Leodos put his hand on Esylle’s shoulder to stop her and look down at her. “If it bothers her this much, don’t bring it up again. She’s obviously not had to control certain emotions like you have and the next time she gets upset, I don’t even want to think about what she might do. Think about what you were like at her age.”

  Esylle looked at her like she didn’t want to not say what she had intended, but she finally dropped it. “Can you heal your face, please? I don’t like looking at it with all those scratches on it from whatever you were doing last night,” she said, going back to the other humans.

  Frog handed her a bowl. She ate and ignored the itching sensation on her face while the cuts healed.

  Leodos

  They began walking again after everyone finished eating. The guards surrounded Esylle, Soryn, and Frog again, but Tollam refused to walk in the front now. He didn’t want Soryn at his back and insisted on walking behind her. Leodos had tried to pull him aside several times while everyone was sleeping to talk to him and tell him she wasn’t going to hurt him, but he kept insisting they should just kill her. Leodos was going to keep trying to talk to him because he didn’t want to have to be the one that caused whatever accident occurred to Tollam, either before they got to Idric or on the way back because he wasn’t going to keep his mouth shut.

  Tollam continued to run his mouth while they walked, trying to antagonize Soryn and it was worse than the first day. Leodos was surprised this didn’t set off her temper the way Esylle seemed to do. Leodos wasn’t sure if Soryn’s reaction to Esylle was because deep down, she thought she could possibly be Lisana, despite all her protests, or if she was honestly sure she wasn’t. Leodos saw the way Esylle always stared at her and he knew what she thought. He knew it made Soryn uncomfortable and Esylle told him about their conversation before she disappeared into the woods. Leodos didn’t tell Esylle this, but if she did decide to come back and accept the role as heir, someone would have to work with her extensively on controlling her emotions. She pouted like a child and changed into cats when she wanted to leave a conversation. She nearly got herself killed and revealed herself when she shouldn’t when she thought someone was in danger. She could have revealed herself to anyone disappearing all night because Esylle upset her.

  She was young and Leodos could understand a little. Esylle was like that at her age. It seemed like every time someone found out about her and they didn’t try to hurt her the way she had always been taught, the more risks she took. She couldn’t keep exposing herself without risking all of their lives and she kept leaving where he couldn’t protect her.

  Tollam continued to hurl insults at her back and telling her he hoped he got to be the one to kill her. It didn’t seem to faze her at all, nor bother her. She just ignored him and never lost control. Leodos didn’t know if she was able to ignore Tollam and not everyone else’s reactions to her because that’s how she expected people to act when they found out about her.

  “I hope I get to kill your little friend too,” Tollam said. “I don’t know what he is, but it’s probably not natural like you.”

  Soryn stopped and Leodos didn’t know if she was finally going to rise up to his taunts. She turned around and faced him. “You don’t know what I am and what I can do. You make one move to hurt him and I’ll do worse to you than that bear would have done.”

  “She finally shows her true colors!” Tollam yelled. “You should let me kill her now.”

  “She didn’t show anything!” Leodos snapped at him. “You’ve been hurling insults at her back for the last two hours and I’m surprised she hasn’t responded to you until now. Now shut up and stop talking. I don’t want to hear anything from you for the rest of the day. If you’re that afraid of her, don’t provoke her. Just ignore her and leave her alone.”

  “I’m not afraid of her. I could easily kill her,” Tollam pouted.

  “You’re petrified of her and you have been since she saved you. Just ignore her and leave her alone. We know you want her dead and we’ve already told you she’s not to be killed.”

  Tollam set his mouth in a grim line and didn’t speak. Leodos was now sure he was going to have to have some sort of accident, possibly sooner than later. He didn’t know if Tollam’s fears would get the best of him and he really would try to hurt her. Soryn had told them she had never had to before, but she knew how to protect herself. Leodos didn’t know how she would react, having never been attacked before.

  When they finally stopped for lunch, Kibal stayed with Esylle and the rest of the men went hunting. Soryn disappeared with Frog to gather her own food. She was already back and sitting in front of a fire with Frog when Leodos and the men came back to their campsite. As always, Soryn was sitting away from the rest of them. Bastan had pulled Leodos aside and asked why she never sat with them and he knew part of it was because they kept asking her questions she didn’t have the answers to. He knew they tried her patience asking because the fact that she knew nothing about herself seemed to be a sore subject for her and Leodos couldn’t really fault her for that. Leodos still wasn’t sure if everything about her was kept a secret from her because she was intended for something with the tribes or there was the slight possibility that she was Lisana. Leodos never said anything to Esylle when she brought up this theory, but Rivannus did seem to be an unnaturally good hunter and tracker. Better than anything Leodos had ever seen. Maybe he really was hiding something like Esylle kept suggesting.

  He watched Bastan take his bowl and go join Soryn and Frog. He thought it was going to be a huge mistake and she would disappear again no matter what Leodos told her. He couldn’t hear what was being said, but he was surprised when he saw Soryn start to relax. He was even more surprised when he heard her laugh. She hadn’t smiled since she first revealed herself h
ere.

  Esylle leaned against his shoulder. “I’ve been waiting for that. I was hoping to see her smile to confirm who she was. Lisana smiled and laughed so much as a baby.”

  “You need to at least have a part of you prepared for the fact that this girl might not be her. Lisana was three months old when she was taken. We have no idea what she might look like now.”

  “Look at her. The parts of her that don’t look like me or my father look like him.”

  Leodos didn’t study her as intently as Esylle always did. He could see the resemblance between Soryn, Esylle, and Joron, but that’s only because he knew they were related somehow. He looked over at Soryn, who was now relaxed and chatting with Bastan. Since she wasn’t paying attention right now, he studied her face. He never noticed before, but Esylle was right. The parts of her that did not look like Esylle looked like Rivannus. She had not grown up around her, but most of her mannerisms were Esylle’s.

  He didn’t think she had been near them when Tollam ran into the bear and he didn’t think she would have been because she was looking for different roots and vegetation and they were hunting animals. But she seemed to materialize out of nowhere as soon as Tollam hit the ground. He knew most of that was because of her gifts, but Rivannus could almost do the same thing, looking back on it now. He had gotten to know Rivannus, sitting at the pond with Esylle and after they were married. Rivannus had invited him hunting with him several times. Looking back, Leodos remembered how he always seemed to know where the game was and would warn Leodos not to go places in the forest because it wasn’t safe. Leodos didn’t think anything was strange about it at the time, but thinking about it now, with this strange girl here, he could possibly see it as being different.

  He didn’t know why Rivannus would hide something like that from Esylle. Against everyone’s wishes, Esylle told him their family’s secret and he was always in the nursery with Lisana and was there sometimes when the baby would cry and the drapes would catch fire. Why would he hide a secret like that when Esylle’s secret, which was just as big, had been trusted to him? Esylle and Rivannus were so close, he couldn’t imagine him keeping that secret from her.

  He was starting to have his doubts that this girl was not Lisana. He looked back over where she, Bastan, and Frog were sitting and chatting. She looked more relaxed than she had since she showed up. He didn’t know what Bastan was saying to her and Leodos didn’t really know what her interests were because he had been too busy trying to find out what she was.

  He saw her pull her flute out of her bag and heard her start to play a bright, airy tune. He knew he was going to risk upsetting her again, but he hoped she was more relaxed now. He walked over to her and took it away. She looked up at home, confused and angry. She demanded to know why he took it.

  “You said when you played back home, animals would come to you. I don’t want to risk this flute somehow calling to the tribes.”

  “It’s just a flute! Why would he tell me to play it on the way back if it was going to hurt me?”

  “Why has he done or said any of things he has towards you? Why did he demand you come? I don’t want you playing this until you have answers from him!”

  “Playing relaxes me. You keep telling me to calm down and stop getting angry. The flute helps.”

  “You’re going to have to find another way to keep calm. I don’t want to risk anything until we are back on Idric.”

  “You don’t have any answers; I don’t have any answers. Belisarus does and he told me to play on the way back!”

  Bastan put his hand on her arm and Leodos was surprised she didn’t draw away immediately like she did every time Esylle tried to touch her. “Let’s just do it Leodos’ way for now. If the tribes do somehow find us, there’s only really four of us and Leodos who will protect you. Tollam would just let you die. You are powerful, but I don’t think you can fight off several tribe members at once. Just relax and let us take care of you. I shouldn’t tell you this since she will be my queen, but ignore Princess Esylle if she bothers you. Just stay the way you look now until we get to your home.”

  Leodos was surprised she did not protest and did not get angry again. They were able to continue with their journey and surprisingly, Tollam kept his mouth shut.

  Volaris

  It was chaos in the Farkhi camp. No one knew about the girl except Volaris and the spies he had sent out. He had instructed them not to speak about her yet. She played the Farkhi song on the Vudos Flute. It was brief and not enough for them to locate her, but all of the Farkhi heard it summoning them. He didn’t know why she had stopped. He sent someone to tell Tropos to come back immediately and report what he had seen.

  He would have to go out and address his tribe because he could hear all of the clamor from outside his door. He needed all of the facts and he didn’t have them yet. Why did she stop? If she had completed the song, they all would have known where to find her. He could triumphantly announce that the Spirus had finally come and sent them out to tell the other tribes. Only the Spirus could play that song and the Farkhi hear it so far away. He was sure of who she was now. He thought it was about to get really ugly outside his door when Tropos finally came back.

  “What happened?” he demanded. “Why did she stop playing? Everyone could hear what little she did play.”

  “She started playing and I don’t think she knew what it was. I immediately wanted to go to her and show myself, but the tall man took it away from her so I didn’t expose myself. The tall man and another guard don’t want her to play it because they suspect it may bring us. They think we mean them harm and there’s not enough of them to fight us off. She was upset, but she agreed not to play again until she was back on Idric, and by then, we won’t be able to hear it. We have to get to her before they get there because she keeps saying she won’t come back. The princess wanted the girl to return with her to be her heir and she got upset and risked exposing herself again. The man who wants to kill her is getting worse with his taunts. She seemed to be making friends with one of the human guards and I worry that the more she gets to know them and starts trusting them, if we wait to approach her, she will refuse to leave them. She still wants answers and has said she wants to ask the tribes why they reacted to her the way they did, but the tall man is trying to convince her to wait until she’s back on Idric for her answers.”

  Volaris didn’t comment and the commotion outside was getting louder. He knew he would have to go outside and address them with what he knew so far. He pushed the doors open and a good bit of the tribe members were outside talking loudly and speculating about what they had heard. When they saw him, they stopped talking and looked to him for answers.

  “I know all of you heard part of the song earlier today. I’ve suspected the Spirus is finally here for a few days and have had people watching her. This song confirms it. I was trying to find out everything I could about her until I announced it and brought the other tribes in. The Spirus is here, but she came in the form of a young, confused girl. She was kept away from us and not told anything about who she is. She was taught to fear us. She’s exposed herself to Princess Esylle and at least six other humans. Five of them don’t want to hurt her like she has always been taught and I worry that the longer she stays with them, the more she may begin to distrust us. We need to find a way to get her away from them and bring her here. She needs to be told who she is and she hasn’t been taught to do any of the things she was created to do. I know where she is and I have eyes watching her. When the time is right, I will go to her and bring her back here. Please keep this among yourselves for now. She will not play the Vudos Flute again because they are suspicious of it. Just know, I know where she is and when the time is right, I will go to her and bring her here.”

  The room erupted with questions. Why was she here now and not during the wars when they needed her? Why did the Spirus not appear fully formed and able to fight instead of being a young girl? Why did he want to wait to bring her here? They all wante
d to see her and touch her. She had been promised for so long.

  Volaris quieted the room down. “She did not just show up as the Spirus. She was apparently born a baby and raised into this young girl. She doesn’t know who her parents are, but she is somehow related to the royal family. The Princess Esylle thinks she is Lisana. No one knows yet how she came to be and those answers lie in Idric Island with that old coot Belisarus. He has been the one that has had her for so long. I’m not sure why he hid from her what she is and what she is supposed to do.”

  Disapproving murmurs went through the room at the name Belisarus. All the tribes knew him and what he had done. They didn’t punish him for it because he helped the royal family until he disappeared off the map. They never thought to check Idric Island, even if one of them would dare go there.

  He listened to the cries of his people that he should go get her now. He knew he would have to do it soon. He would bring his son, the prince and watch her, trying to find any moment where she was alone to try to convince her to come back with them.

  Leodos

  Leodos was tired from all of the walking they had done and he wasn’t sure how Soryn had done it the first time as a regular girl. Even stopping to rest for lunch and sleeping at night, his legs still hurt.