Between Starfalls

by S Kaeth

Kaemada sat up so suddenly her forehead collided with Taunos’s, knocking him backward. She scrambled to her feet. “Non-psions must pay. Lifetimes of mistreatment, and we will show—” she gagged, collapsed, and Taunos struggled to hold her again.

  Answer blinked. The words were in Traveller’s. The woman hadn’t spoken a word of Traveller’s since… since the chasm.

  “You see?” Lord Jath shouted. “You cannot trust a magic-user.”

  “E orashyi,” Kaemada screamed. “Líumkoom e orashyi!”

  Answer stepped backward. It was like a horror one might see at the amphitheater. Except there, after the story was done, one could go home and laugh off the fear. This… this was different. She’d thrown her word behind these Outsiders. Had she made a fatal error?

  “Taunos! Tachí, ozaseiwi. Abothe.”

  Taunos’s jaw clenched as he held his raving sister. A wide circle of open space stretched around them as the citizens of Codr made their way farther into the hallway, away from the Outsiders. The Scouts stood near the door, catching their breaths and looking on warily. Answer twisted her bracelet uncertainly. These displays of magic would only undo any good she’d done them, but how to stop them?

  “What barrier? Drop what barrier?” Taunos asked.

  “Die! Burn the City. Burn the vermin clean. Ah! E orashyi. Líumkoom e orashyi! Ozaseiwi!”

  “Does this building block magic?” Takiyah asked.

  “I-it must.” Answer lifted her chin, forcing herself to meet those piercing green eyes.

  “The barrier,” Kaemada’s child said. He stood by the wall behind Taunos.

  “The pain of the psions’ attack stopped when I shut us in here,” Answer realized.

  Takiyah nodded. “More precisely, it weakened when the doors closed and stopped when you did something to the wall.”

  “You cannot share the secrets of the Scouts,” warned one of the Scouts standing by the door.

  Answer fixed him with a glare as she stepped to the door, pressing the pane. The doors hissed as they unlocked, and Kaemada fell limp.

  The Scout glowered at her. “If they breach the door, it will be your fault.”

  “I outrank you. Do you really want to go against me?” she asked. “Without the help of these Outsiders, you would be outside the doors as well.”

  “You cannot trust magic users.”

  But she did. Somehow, she did. She looked at Takiyah, then at Taunos, his sister laying limp in his arms. “How is she?”

  He shook his head, looking lost. “I do not know.”

  “What matters most is making sure nothing gets through those doors.” Takiyah got to her feet, limping over to stand beside Answer and the Scouts guarding the door. She glared at Answer. “I would rather fight alongside anyone else, I think. But I will fight. And then I want to go home.”

  The trainees ushered the nobles farther into the Hall. Great thumps slammed against the doors, and Answer jumped, but the doors held.

  “They should not be here!” Lord Jath repeated, gesturing at the Outsiders. “Throw them out with the other magic-users!”

  Takiyah turned and stared at him, pointing at the refugees littering the hallways. “Remember this, you coward. None of you would be here without us.”

  Something slammed against the doors again and Lord Jath flinched. Takiyah merely turned back to the door. Stomach in knots, heart hammering against her ribs, Answer stared at her. How could she remain so calm? Lord Jath retreated, with loud grumbling, deeper into the interior where it was safer. Part of her longed to follow him, but down the hallway, her supervisor scowled at her, arms folded.

  She needed documentation. It was the only way to keep any status after going so drastically against protocol. Without support for her decision on record, she’d be stuck with all the worst jobs and lowest pay, only nominally a Scout.

  Fingers trembling, Answer opened the panel in the wall and grabbed a crystal and recorder. Commoners sprawled on the once spotless floor, weeping or groaning or just sitting and staring. The Rinaryn healer moved among them, having traded her exploding bottles for needle, thread, and bandages. With a steadying breath, Answer followed, gathering the stories of the refugees onto the crystal.

  Zhedr passed around cups and a jug of water. Taunos missed the cup Zhedr handed him, and it clattered to the ground.

  Answer gaped. “Are you alright?”

  “Headache. Overuse of my magic,” Taunos said, stressing the last word slightly with a grin. The City was under attack and Taunos was still needling her, even while mopping up the water that had spilled on his sister. She shook her head.

  “He will be able to see again when the headache calms down,” Takiyah said, still facing the door. “If we live that long.”

  “Here, let me.” Zhedr pressed the cup into Taunos’s free hand and then dribbled some water into Kaemada’s mouth. “You know, if you hadn’t rescued me—”

  Testimony from other nobles would mean more than just the tales of the commoners. She winced, knowing how Kaemada would frown at that, but it was the way society worked.

  “Wait!” Answer held out the recorder, her eyes boring into Zhedr’s. “Will you pledge your support for them on record?”

  “Of course.”

  All that long night, Takiyah and the Scouts guarded the door while Answer and Zhedr gathered testimonies and pledges of support. Throughout the night, reports came in from the Scouts still fighting outside, and the work was a good distraction from the worry. More and more reports came of the creatures simply stopping, staring at nothing or falling to the ground. Finally, they turned in a flood and swarmed back to their chasm like one enormous creature.

  They had beaten back the monsters.

  Takiyah limped to where Eian crouched near the wall. They huddled close to where Taunos slumped, eyes closed, his sister limp in his arms, and Ra’ael lay, unconscious on the floor. Magic had saved them, even those who would have left them to die.

  Maybe magic didn’t make one dangerous. And maybe monsters didn’t always look like monsters.

  JAETAN-FEN

  Chapter Twenty-six

  The dwarves broke through first, hacking their way through the stone of the mountain to evict our people from their homes. They came wreathed in flame, and fires everywhere obeyed them. They were joined, though thankfully in few numbers, by elves of like height, who came with lightning from the Outside, harnessed and trained to their bidding. Among them darted child-sized gnomes, and death was in their fingers.

  -fragment of a Kamalti children’s tale

  Answer rested her hand on Obedr’s arm as they swept into the Grand Council Chambers, already abuzz from the Codr nobility crowding the room. There were only a few empty spaces left on the benches—all the prime spots had been claimed, of course. She’d taken too much time preparing that morning, but every detail had to be perfect.

  The Detr-ward tunnel had caved in during the attack, and her brother and parents were cut off from the City. That left Answer as the sole voice for her family, casting her family’s vote, at least until the rocks were cleared and the tunnel reopened. She’d agonized over whom to pair herself with for the entry, finally deciding on Obedr. Not only was he a good family friend, but his confident, jovial demeanor would mask her nerves. It didn’t hurt that he was a powerful man from an influential family, either. It would be good to remind the other nobles of the friendship between their two families. Especially given what she planned to do.

  They headed toward the stairs, and Answer fixed a pleasant expression on her face as they made their way through the throng. She nodded to each of the Lords and Ladies of the Scouts, the Philosophers, and the Justices they passed. Zhedr, seated beside his father among the other Justices, caught her eye and smiled at her. Her smile grew of its own accord and her face heated. Would she see him at Epiphany’s dinner party tonight?

  She cleared her throat, disciplining her thoughts. This meeting was important. The decision reached today could very well change the Future fo
r their entire race. She nodded gracious greetings until Obedr paused to greet an old friend. Her entrance was done, and if she made small talk, her nerves would surely show, so she continued up the shallow steps. She spied an open bench and claimed it just as the massive doors were opened on the other side of the chambers. Conversation quickly died down as ten smartly dressed Scouts escorted the Outsiders in and sat them on a bench before the row of Justices, facing the crowd of Kamalti nobles.

  Answer’s stomach churned. Her mother may never forgive her, and her career might never recover. Was she strong enough to see this folly through? She could lose all remaining status among the Scouts. And yet these Outsiders, after everything they’d endured, forwent the chance to escape and instead lent aid to a City that was not their own. She’d seen the aftermath. She knew what it had cost them.

  Again and again, the Outsiders had saved her life, while few of her own people would have shed tears—not real tears, anyway—had she met an early demise. They had saved countless Kamalti and never asked her to save them. And yet, how could she not?

  And yet, how could she?

  Doubts clawed at her. What if she was wrong? What if they came back with an invasion force? What if there was not enough support from the other nobles and she looked like a silly child, enamored with the savages? Answer smoothed her dress and clasped her hands in her lap, hoping to assume a demure front.

  She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling her cheeks heat. She would not leave without casting her family’s vote. This was her chance to do something significant, something worthwhile. She shook her head slightly. Before the meeting, Ketrik had had the nerve to remind her that the family’s Honor depended on her actions. Even her mother had sent a message by crystal ordering her to press for execution. Only her father seemed to trust her to do what was best. Fury simmered below the surface of her mask of calm. No, she would not waste this Opportunity.

  She relaxed her shoulders and tried not to watch the Outsiders too much. The healing machines had made them presentable, but they bore guarded expressions, except for Kaemada, who slumped against Taunos and Ra’ael as if it was too difficult to sit straight herself.

  The Justices filed in and stood behind the table. Ringing a crystal, the head Justice, Lord Tokl, brought the meeting to order. “We are here today to determine whether these Outsiders before us shall be granted life and allowed to leave and rejoin their world, or if they should face death. Much has happened since the arrival of the Outsiders. All things must be taken into consideration.”

  Tokl’s tone was foreboding, and Answer shifted uncomfortably. Throughout the room, various nobles rose to claim a chance to speak, and one by one, the Justices called them forward for testimony. Answer remained seated, for she was not sure she could handle standing and waiting for so long without trembling. If she showed her nerves, it might ruin everything. Already, too many Scouts dismissed her as foolish and immature, as a youth with flights of fancy who had more say than was good for her. She held tightly to her calm, wishing it would extend to the core of her.

  Throughout the long morning, arguments were made both for and against the Outsiders. The Hall bore witness countless times to the dangers of the Outsiders and the assertion that they were a violent enemy. However, the Hall also repeatedly heard that the Kamalti had done similar damage, and the things the Outsiders had done as ebrs were no more than typical crimes the Kamalti themselves committed against each other. They were far from acts of war, the supporters of the Outsiders argued.

  The Doctors testified that the Outsiders had apparently taken care to avoid killing, aside from Ra’ael’s blood rage. The senior Doctor testified of Takiyah’s help fixing the healing machine and Elisabei’s help with herbal remedies. Dode spoke eloquently, as always, smiling broadly at Ra’ael for all to see. If only Answer could be so confident, so immune to what others thought of her. Some nobles relayed stories from the common people in their columns, stories of how the Outsiders had risked their lives when they could have escaped.

  Old Lord Jintrem wheezed as he spoke. “The Outsiders saved countless lives when they fought the psions. I would not want to face the likes of them in battle, but only be by their side.”

  Prodigy, heir to his family’s Fortune and Honor, shouted out, “Who knows but that they arranged it all?”

  Answer smiled as the cocky young man was swiftly silenced and brought back to order by his father. She’d always found his arrogance to be insufferable.

  Finally, Justice Tokl fixed his rheumy eyes on Answer. “Lady Answer, have you anything to say for your family?”

  Answer rose, keeping her focus on Justice Tokl. She took a deep breath. All the arguments her mother and father would have made had already been made. Her own arguments had been made, too. Couldn’t she just… do nothing? She could avoid going against her mother’s wishes, against the majority of the Scouts.

  She clasped her hands together, her gaze drawn to the Outsiders, to the people she’d just begun to get to know. Yes, they were terrifying with their magic and their chaos, yet how could she call them savages? No. She would not repay them with more faithlessness.

  Answer swallowed hard, returning her gaze to the Justices. “Every point that could be made has been, I am certain. I do have on crystal the names of several nobles who pledged their support to the Outsiders’ freedom, and I myself bore witness to their acts of heroism. I heard firsthand the accounts of several nobles and other citizens whom these Outsiders rescued from the onslaught. I urge the Justices to consider: if these heroes are savages, what, then, are we?”

  Obedr leaned over to whisper, “Not safe, not smart, my dear. Attacking our own? You have ended your career.”

  Answer forced a smile at him and stepped forward, sliding from the bench down the stairs until an apprentice Justice reached her to take the crystal. The boy sped away as she returned to her seat, and when Justice Kethik received it, he gave her a nod. It was done.

  Justice Tokl rose and rang the crystal again. “All testimony has been received. The Council will now retire to ponder our decision. We will reconvene at the ringing of the crystal.”

  Answer glided alongside Obedr again through the milling throng as he escorted her out of the Grand Council Chambers. It was out of her hands. Somehow, it seemed, the Outsiders had gained more support than she had thought they might. Had they needed her assistance? Silence would have been safer. Would Opportunities fade from her in the coming faces, all for naught? She shook her head to clear her thoughts, smiled at Obedr, and excused herself to think alone, losing herself among the crowd before he could object.

  The crowd thinned as she left the building behind and wandered the square. Soon enough, she found herself near the ancient statue to the Three Allied Races, her gaze roaming the features carved there in stone. Three people, all with strikingly different characteristics, and none of them Kamalti. A tall, stern man with broad shoulders stood, his arm outstretched, while beside him, turned to face slightly toward him, stood a slender woman nearly as tall with wild hair and pointed ears, her hands raised to the sky. Before them stood a diminutive man with a wrinkled face, his head bent over some contraption he held in his hands.

  “What is this?”

  Answer gave a start. She disciplined herself to composure. It was just Kaemada standing next to her, also pondering the statue. The boy stood beside her, translating again, and Taunos and Takiyah were walking toward them. Answer nodded to the two Scouts following the Outsiders.

  “It is a statue to the Three Allied Races,” Answer said, willing herself not to shudder. “The dwarves, the elves, the gnomes.”

  Eian echoed, “The Ifreesian, the Stormseekers, and the Kelm.”

  Kaemada turned to the boy as if his nonsense had meaning.

  Answer shook her head. “Their names have been lost to the ages. They left the area—”

  “Island.”

  “—when we were but infant races.” Answer fixed the mannerless boy with a stern gaz
e.

  “How did you find out about them to erect a statue?” Kaemada wondered as the others joined them.

  Answer drew herself up. “We remembered. We have artwork depicting these vile creatures. The dwarves and their allies assaulted our mountains, trying to force through to destroy us. We beat them back—with the help of the Takanis, they say—and have preserved their memory. If ever they return, we will recognize them and we will crush them!”

  Kaemada retreated a careful step, and Answer bit her lip before composing herself once more. She hated the Three Races. The stories had given her nightmares as a child. As she grew older, she’d sought out knowledge of them, refusing to let fear rule her.

  Takiyah stepped forward, inspecting the statues. She stopped, staring at the tall man with the outstretched arm, his palm upturned. “Is this one holding a flame in his hand?”

  Answer nodded. “The dwarf.”

  “Ifreesian,” Eian inserted.

  Dwarves were supposed to be short, and they were supposed to be myths. But the word had always been applied to the tall man of the statues.

  “Little sister, are you alright?” Taunos stood behind Kaemada.

  Answer eyed him. His “little sister” had fought off a horde of psions. She doubted she needed his hovering presence.

  Kaemada nodded, her gaze distant as the boy chattered away useless translations. “I understood the psions, but I fought them. I worry, will I ever be free of the shadows of them in my mind?”

  Answer shook her head. “You will fight them off again if need be. I have learned much in the past days—you Outsiders are not to be underestimated.”

  ~

  A chime echoed through the metal building and into the square outside, summoning all onlookers to return and witness the Justices’ decision. Taunos led the way with a grin as the ever-present Scouts escorted them to their benches. He refused to go to judgement already defeated.

  Finally, the Chief Justice emerged. “We must take pains to preserve our way of life. However, this way of life did not rise in seclusion, but in cooperation. Therefore, it is our decision to let the Outsiders return to their world.”