by Dreagen
“I know, I know, you’re right. But I just can’t let things go by the wayside.”
“And I’m not saying you should,” he said, tearing off another piece and making it disappear. “I’m just saying you’re going to flip out one of these days if you don’t unwind.”
“How do you know?”
“Have you met me?” he replied sarcastically.
DiNiya laughed and brushed her fur out of her face. “You’re not that bad.”
“That’s why I’ve started remodeling your house for you, right?” he said, glancing down the table that was missing two large pieces. “Is your father ever going to get that fixed?”
“Eventually, when he’s not running around like a mad man trying to get a million things done at once.”
“Sounds like someone else I know.”
DiNiya gave him a smug expression. “In any case, if you’re in the mood to feel guilty about your rampant acts of destruction, how about your most current work upstairs?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry about that.” Rex had completely forgotten that he had punched a hole through the wall in the hallway upstairs a while back.
She leaned forward and with a sly smile said, “If you’re in the mood to put holes in things, you go do it in the roof above LyCora’s room so she has a nice skylight the next time it rains.”
“You really don’t like her.”
“What’s to like?” she replied, leaning back and bitterly tearing off a piece of bread.
“Now you’re just copying me.”
“I don’t want to talk about this.”
“Yet you’re so eager to enlist his help to make my stay here even more unpleasant,” LyCora said as she rounded the corner and came down the steps.
“Aren’t you pushing the whole ‘blue’ thing too far?” Rex asked, looking her up and down.
“What do you mean?” LyCora replied, looking at herself and taking note that as always she was wearing mostly blue.
“I understand that your flame is blue, but your cape thing is blue, your eyes are blue, your jewelry is blue, even the stitching in your clothes is blue. Ever consider diversifying?”
“Blue happens to be my favorite color.”
“No shit.”
“He’s right, you know,” DiNiya said, leaning back in her seat with a certain sense of satisfaction. “Your whole image does sort of scream cliché.”
“At least I have enough pride to make an effort in front of the mirror every morning,” she said, putting a hand on her hip.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Rex was afraid of where this was going.
“Well, just look at you. You have oily skin, your clothes barely fit you, you have knots in your fur, and I can see your split ends from over here.”
“I do not have split ends!”
Suddenly the front door burst open and EeNox came rushing in, to Rex’s great relief.
“Good, you’re all up,” he said.
“Not before you, apparently,” Rex said. “Why so lively so early?”
“I guess you guys haven’t heard.”
“How could we? We just woke up,” LyCora replied.
“Speak for yourself,” said DiNiya. “By the way, your horn is coming in nicely,” she said, pointing to a large pimple on her forehead.
LyCora’s eyes widened as she turned away, and she immediately began trying to pop it.
EeNox looked at Rex, who simply shook his head as if to say “don’t bother asking” before he continued. “Yeah, so anyway, Father sent for a healer to come treat TarFor!”
The big man had been in a coma ever since the attack in the forest by the sentinel clones. The local healers had hooked his body up to what were known as MayLock trees, plants that possessed the ability to heal and keep those who were badly injured from dying long enough for a more experienced healer to see to them. Such had been the case with TarFor, for despite having shown some brief signs of being aware of activity around him, he remained utterly in a deep, unwavering sleep. Rex remembered watching in silent awe as they brought the small potted trees into the room, and watched them seek out TarFor’s motionless body, like the long tendrils of some strange predator reaching out for its prey. It had been explained to him that they hooked into the body with long, hallow barbs, and fed a type of sap into his bloodstream that acted as a kind of fuel for his own flame, keeping it burning high enough so he would not slip away entirely. The trees had to be tended to three times a day to make sure they themselves were being given enough water and light.
“Are you serious?” DiNiya exclaimed, wide-eyed.
“Dead serious! I only just heard from KyVina myself. Apparently he sent word a while ago with a message saying he needed this person to come right away!”
“How soon will he be here?”
“Tonight!”
“That soon?”
“Yes.”
“No way!”
“Way.”
“Wooah!”
“Excuse me,” Rex cut in. “What exactly makes this healer better than the ones already here?”
“You mean you don’t know?” EeNox asked with a look of surprise.
“Who founded Rome?” The boy just gave him a blank stare. “No fun feeling stupid is it? Answer the question.”
“Those born of the lavender flame are the least common of all flame types, except for yours, of course.”
“Of course,” Rex replied sarcastically, evoking a small laugh from DiNiya, who quickly muffled it by covering her mouth when she saw her brother giving her an angry look.
“There are some whose ability to treat the sick and injured surpasses what a normal lavender flame can do,” EeNox continued. “This one in particular has been working out east in the wilds, and only recently got word of father’s request. Father and VayRonx are meeting him when he arrives, so I say that gives us front row seats.”
“Have you forgotten why he’s coming?” asked DiNiya angrily.
“Well, no, but—”
“TarFor will die if this healer doesn’t treat him! The MayLock trees are already weakening, which means they’ll die, and when that happens—”
“Yeah, I know, but I—”
“Just stay out of his way when he gets here so he can work, all right?”
“Stay out of his way?” he repeated, giving her a funny look. “Just where exactly do you think he’ll be staying?”
DiNiya’s eyes suddenly went wide. “You don’t mean he’s—”
“Staying here.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes.”
“No way!”
“Way.”
“Huh.”
Rex was now more than a little curious to see this healer in action. Pretty much everything he found amazing in EeNara was just commonplace to everyone else, but to finally see something they deemed awe-inspiring was something he did not want to pass up.
LyCora was interested to see what the power of a fully realized lavender flame could really do. Blue flames had always been widely known as the most diverse kind in terms of capability, but the lavender flame always won out in mystique. True, it was supposedly the best at healing, but so few had been able to master the full spectrum of its capabilities that it led her to suspect that there was more myth than substance to the stories. As a result, most lavender flames spent their time treating basic injuries in what were considered high-risk sites: construction, excavation, and even sporting events. Anything that might result in someone needing a quick patch-up. In addition, the number of healers in a given region usually equaled only about fifteen to twenty-five percent of the population.
“Anyways, VayRonx and Father say we don’t have to work today, and that we should stay home,” said EeNox.
“So what are we supposed to do here all day?” asked Rex, looking around at the others.
“Who says we’re staying here?” replied EeNox with a grin.
“What do you have in mind?” asked his sister with a disa
pproving look.
“What’s that’s look for?”
“Because I know you; if left to your own devices you’re bound to get into some trouble.”
“Well, then, it’s a good thing you’ll all be there to keep me on the straight and narrow. Now hurry up and finish eating. We’ve got the whole day ahead of us to do whatever we want.”
“Sounds good to me,” said LyCora, much to everyone’s surprise. “With you three gone, I can actually relax around this place.”
“Oh, that reminds me,” EeNox said, remembering the other bit of news he had to deliver. “Your mother was there, too, and she made me promise to tell you that you had to come along with us and do whatever it is we’re doing.”
“Liar!”
“Go ask her if you don’t believe me!”
LyCora crossed her arms and glared furiously. DiNiya was none too pleased, either, for she did not relish the idea of spending the day anywhere near LyCora. The two of them had done a good job avoiding each other for the most part since she had arrived in KaNar, but now she feared that an incident was imminent in light of learning she would be accompanying them today.
Additionally, DiNiya knew her brother had a talent for getting into trouble, but she also figured that a day off to just spend the day together and do nothing in particular might be good for them in light of all the training they had been undergoing with Rex. Plus, she knew Rex could use it because he had been pushing himself so hard as of late.
They quickly ate breakfast and met up with EeNox in front of the tavern, where he had a large empty sack flung over his shoulder
“What’s with the bag?” Rex asked, eyeing it curiously.
“Fishing,” EeNox replied happily. “I got us a boat in town.”
“Who gave you a boat?” asked DiNiya.
“CaLar. He owed me for that time I gave him my catch when he was low at the market.”
“So he just gave you his boat?” asked LyCora suspiciously.
“Well, no, he just let me borrow it, but we’ve got it for the whole day, so I figured we could use it to catch all the non-local fish that have been driven way upstream.”
“You do know they’re only up here because of whatever tried to kill us, right?” DiNiya asked, angry that her brother did not seem to be bothered by that fact as much as she was.
“Yes,” he said, slightly irritated. “I know what’s happening out there, and believe me, I’m not happy about it, either, but we might as well try to make the best of it.”
“Turn lemons into lemonade,” Rex added.
Everyone turned and looked at him oddly, something he had grown accustomed to here.
“What are lem—” EeNox started.
“Never mind. So where’s the boat?”
“Down at the dock. I say we get going before it gets much later. The fish are always more active in the morning.”
The four of them made their way down through the market to the waterfront. Fishermen were busy securing lines as they continued to unload baskets of smoked and salted meats, vegetables, wheat, and fresh seafood. Rex immediately caught wind of fish caught only hours ago. It was an intoxicating scent, and one that he had remembered loving back on Earth the few times he had been lucky enough to go to the fish market in San Francisco.
They walked down the dock, which was made of large roots growing out of the shallows, to a wooden boat about six meters long and four meters wide.
“This is it?” Rex asked, eyeing it uncertainly.
“You were expecting something else?” EeNox replied.
“Well, yeah,” he said, eyeing the larger fishing boats that were anchored in the harbor.
“Yeah, right! As if anyone would just turn over an entire fishing vessel to a kid!”
“Do you really expect to catch anything in this glorified raft?” asked LyCora in her usual condescending tone.
“Of course. I catch dozens of fish with far less than this all the time. I thought it would be fun to go cruising downtown for the day while we do it.”
“You keep saying downtown,” said Rex, looking back the way they had walked. “But isn’t that behind us?
“What? Oh you think…” EeNox began to laugh.
“Something funny?” Rex asked with a glare.
“EeNox, be nice,” DiNiya scolded before turning to Rex. “KaNar is located at the very top of the Black Ridge Mountains of the Northern Continent. The forest that surrounds it beneath marks the boundary line.”
“Oh, so then even the places within it without homes are still part of the town?”
“You didn’t think everyone lived right here on the edges, did you?” EeNox asked. “Think about it. If that were the case, this whole area we’re in right now would be so crowded there’d be no room to even stand. This is really more of a place where people come to do business and hang out.”
“I see. Learn something new every day, I suppose.”
“So is everyone ready?”
Everyone climbed aboard the tiny vessel, looking for the best place to sit. Rex was busy trying to decide if it was safer to sit between DiNiya and LyCora to keep them apart or as far away from them as he could when EeNox handed him an oar.
“What’s this?” he asked looking at the long wooden paddle in EeNox’s outstretched hand.
“This boat isn’t powered by a plant, so we’ll have to row ourselves. I figured a strong-looking fellow like yourself would be happy to help.”
Rex furrowed his brow and gave him a look saying he was not stupid. EeNox then leaned in close and whispered, “I figured you probably wouldn’t be too fond of being caught in the middle of that little blood feud back there.” He motioned with his head over to DiNiya and LyCora, who sat with unhappy expressions as they did their best to not look at one another.
“Fair enough,” Rex said, taking the oar from him.
They pushed off from the dock and slowly made their way downstream with the gentle current.
The first twenty minutes or so went by rather quietly, with the girls still refusing to acknowledge each other and EeNox whistling a song that Rex, oddly enough, thought he recognized.
“Hey, what is that?” he asked.
“What’s what?” replied EeNox, glancing over at him.
“That song. What’s it called?”
“You mean this?” he asked, whistling a few more bars.
“Yeah.”
“Its name is ‘The Sea Beyond the Clouds.’ It’s supposed to be the first song ever written by the first SaVarians of EeNara. Everyone learns it when they’re babies. It’s a tradition, I guess. Why?”
Rex shook his head. “No reason, I suppose. Just thought it sounded…familiar.”
EeNox shrugged his shoulders. “Doesn’t surprise me. If you really were born here, you would have heard it as a baby.”
“Yes, but I wouldn’t remember a song from when I was that young.”
“Why not?” DiNiya asked from behind.
Rex turned around and saw her sitting with her head slightly cocked to one side and with a look of curiosity. “Well…I would have been less than a year old. No one has memories from that far back.”
“I do,” LyCora said, crossing her legs.
“Me too,” added DiNiya.
“Likewise,” EeNox echoed.
“Hold on,” Rex said with a look of utter confusion. “You’re telling me you can all remember being newborns?”
“Sure. Can’t everyone?”
“No! The earliest I think you’re supposed to be able to think back to is two or something, and even then that’s pushing it!”
“Two? That’s got to make it hard to keep any sort of lasting relationship early in life, when you can’t remember whom you talked to the day before for your first two years.”
“You make it sound like we’re walking and talking when we’re first born,” Rex joked as he allowed himself to laugh a little over the absurdness of the idea, a laugh that quickly turned to an uncomfortable look as soon as he noticed
the three staring at him with the same curious look DiNiya had initially. “You cannot be serious…”
“I’ll admit I was little behind,” said EeNox. “I was already like, what, three lunar cycles old or something before I started talking? But DiNiya started at one and a half.”
Rex’s jaw dropped.
“Not bad,” said LyCora—a compliment that everyone could tell was devoid of sincerity and designed solely to elicit the obvious question.
“So, how young were you, LyCora?” EeNox asked.
“Less than one cycle!” she boasted with what to her was a look of pride, but it just came across as smug to everyone else.
“Holy shit,” Rex exclaimed, dumbfounded. I’ve felt stupid before but damn, this is a bit much even for me.
“Are you saying it took you longer, Rex?” asked DiNiya with such honest sincerity that he was unable to take any offense.
“Yes. It was two or more years, like everyone else on Earth.”
“Are the people of Earth slow?” LyCora asked, giving Rex a funny look.
“Apparently.”
“It might have had something to do with the fact that your flame wasn’t active for that whole time,” EeNox offered. “That’s just a theory, though.”
“Well, regardless of when you started, you seemed to have more than made up for it,” DiNiya said, giving him a smile before she saw EeNox giving her a sly look that immediately made her stop and look off to the shoreline.
Rex, however, was more confused than ever. Why can’t I remember being a tiny baby lying in my crib? he wondered. If I was born here, I should. He had not been lying when he told them his earliest memory had been at age two. He could remember it like it had only just happened. He was sitting on the sidewalk outside of his apartment watching a parade go down the street. He could remember desperately wanting to run after it but not being able to because he was strapped down in his stroller. There was someone else there with him, too, but for some reason their image was hazy, or rather out of focus. Had it always been this way? Everything else about the memory is crystal clear. He could even recall all the smells and sounds of that moment; crisp autumn air filled with the scent of dried leaves, the beating of snare drums and the ringing of horned instruments as they moved away. The voice, however, of that figure was like its image: distant and unclear.
