Ryoko looked like she was about to explode, and I couldn’t help but finish off the titling. “Then there’s the ice shaman, who are also known as Shaman of the Snow, and their true title is a Shaman of the Frozen Waste. Next we have lightning shaman, who are also called Shaman of Lightning, and their true title is a Shaman of the Dancing Lights. And lastly we have healing shaman, who are also known as Shaman of Healing, with a true title of Shaman of the Cleansing Spirit.”
“Those are severely cool names!” Ryoko then began to count her fingers. “So there are a total of seven elements then?”
“Well ice is considered a sub-element, but there are also metal shamans, since metal is considered a sub-element as well.” I looked at Shva’sika. “Then again, metal shamans don’t have titles. Why is that?”
Shva’sika shrugged. “I’m not fully sure, but it might have to do with two factors. One, they’re rarer than Shamans of the Whispering Winds, and two, they can only bend impure metal, so they feel like they’re still Shaman of the Fractured Crystal.”
“That makes sense,” I mused.
“What do you mean by impure metal?” Ryoko questioned.
“I mean it still has a high concentration of earth in it. Copper and steel are good examples. This is why it’s a sub-element. It relies on the main earth element to bend this new form.”
“So in the case of ice, it needs water in order to freeze, making it a sub-element?”
“That’s exactly right. Some believe lightning is a sub-element of fire, but in fact, they’re completely different.”
Ryoko giggled. “I feel smart.”
The two of us laughed at her. She was too cute for her own good sometimes.
“Now I have another question. Why is it that we’re wearing cloaks and the shamans from the South Tribe aren’t?” Ryoko asked.
“That has to do with the pact we signed. In order for us to remain neutral, we’re not supposed to hold jobs in the city, aside from the traveling caravans,” Shva’sika explained. “The South Tribe shamans have no desire to own shops or work in the city, so they freely show their faces. The rest of us like holding jobs outside our tribes, so we hide our face so our true identity is never found out, giving us that freedom. The South Tribe shamans think of us as cowards, but we prefer it this way.”
Ryoko blinked. “How does being neutral prevent you from having jobs?”
“We would take away from others having jobs, meaning wouldn’t be neutral in the eyes of Zarda.”
“So why are caravans allowed?”
“They aren’t permanent. They come with wares and trade-goods all from all over Lumareon that the local shops won’t have, and they only stay for short periods of time, so shops don’t lose all their business and money.”
“That’s so dumb.”
“When does anything we’re forced to agree to have a smart backing to it?” I questioned.
Ryoko grunted. “Good point.”
“I just worry about the south shamans,” I voiced. “They aren’t going to change their ways and if they’re going to aid us, their lack of privacy is going to get them into trouble.”
Shva’sika nodded. “I agree, and they’re also going to have a harder time blending in since they have such a unique tribal look.”
Ryoko nodded. “They are hard to miss.”
Our conversation ended there when three figures walked into the room. They were shamans, but it was best not to talk about shaman affairs with them in front of Ryoko. Shamans were friendly and hospitable, but not all were okay with the idea of non-shamans meddling in the affairs of shamans.
The three shamans pulled down their hoods and smiled at us. These shamans were all women; one appeared to be from the South Tribe and the other two from the North Tribe. I guessed the South Tribe shaman to be one of fire, while the North Tribe to be ice and… earth, since her hair color was quite normal. In their arms they carried folded bundles of clothes and body jewelry.
“Those must be our costumes,” Shva’sika observed.
The fire shaman was the first to answer. “There are costumes for the Shaman of the Rising Sun, Shaman of the Dancing Lights, and the Shaman of the Fractured Crystal.”
Ryoko looked around. “Where’s the earth shaman you’re talking about?”
“It’s you silly,” the Ice Shaman scolded playfully.
That would make sense why these shamans don’t appear upset with Ryoko being here. They think she’s one of us. They weren’t too far off, that was for sure. Ryoko had quite a few earth shaman qualities.
Ryoko’s brow furrowed. “What? I think you’re a little confused. I’m the last person you’d want playing with the elements. It’d be a disaster zone.”
Shva’sika giggled. “Ryoko, you have a lot of qualities of an earth shaman, or at least, an earth elementalist.”
“Yeah? Then prove it.”
“Strong,” I stated.
“Stubborn,” Shva’sika remarked with a smile.
“Sexy as hell,” I added.
Ryoko looked at me funny. “One, you’re wrong about that last one, and two, what does that have to do with anything?”
The earth shaman holding Ryoko’s clothes handed them over to Ryoko. “Earth elementalists and Shaman of the Fractured Crystal have a high tendency to be good on the eyes, so to speak.”
“Well, nu-humans are supposed to have a higher than average rate of being lookers, so it’s not that hard for someone like me,” Ryoko mumbled. “But I’m still not convinced about any of this.”
“Ryoko, how hard can you hit?” Shva’sika inquired.
“Um, pretty hard I guess.”
“Hard enough to crack earth?”
“Well yeah. That’s easy.”
Shva’sika smiled. “You say it’s easy when not many would find it that way.”
“Yeah, but I’m altered to do that. That doesn’t mean I’m an earth shaman or elementalist. Just means I’m freakishly strong like I was designed to be.”
“Laz was altered and can use fire, but does that disqualify her from being a shaman and elementalist?”
Ryoko thought this over. “No, I guess not.”
“Then you being strong because of alterations doesn’t disqualify you either. With training, it is possible for you to control the earth, like other shamans.”
“Still don’t think it’s a good idea,” Ryoko muttered.
We laughed at her. She wasn’t going to give in, and that only reinforced how right we were.
I stood up when the fire shaman tried to hand me my clothes. I laid them out on a table and my brow furrowed. “Shva’sika, I think there’s a mistake.”
Shva’sika looked up from looking at her clothes. “What do you mean? They look right to me. You knew the tops would be small.”
“There isn’t anything in this bundle that’ll hide our faces.” I held my hands out at Ryoko when she answered for me.
Shva’sika giggled. “Of course not. Your face needs to be seen for the dance. It adds to the atmosphere. Laz, you know that as well as I do.”
“We can’t do that!” I shouted. “Soldiers in there know us, and if they see our faces, we’re screwed.”
Shva’sika smiled. “We’re not if they can’t remember it’s us.”
My brow furrowed. “What?”
“We spiked the drinks,” the fire shaman explained. “The drug we put in them makes it so the memory of anyone who drinks it gets all screwy. When they look at you, they won’t be able to piece together who you are, and by tomorrow morning they won’t remember much of what happened tonight, so they’ll think they just drank too much.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Which drinks?”
“All of them,” she replied innocently.
Ryoko gasped. “But Rylan and I drank some
of that stuff!”
Shva’sika chuckled. “Calm down, Ryoko. Do you remember the blue pill I gave you?” She nodded and I also recalled the pill she made me take. “That pill negates the effect of the drug. So unless you drink too much, or your memory is bad to begin with, you should remember everything that happens tonight.”
I laughed. “That is absolutely diabolical! Do you guys do this at every party you’re forced to attend?”
“Yeah, basically,” the three shamans replied together.
I laughed. That was the worst thing I had ever heard of a shaman doing. I could barely believe they were actually doing it.
“So Zane and the boys, did they get a pill too?” I inquired.
“Well I gave one to Zane, Argus, and Raid, but I might have accidently forgotten to give one to Blaze,” Shva’sika said.
Ryoko and I laughed. If what they were telling us was true, then he wouldn’t remember anything that happened tonight and we could rub it in his face.
I shook my head. “Man, now I wish I could find some twins and convince them to give him a quick kiss.”
Shva’sika’s brow rose. “Why?”
Ryoko giggled. “Because Blaze has a thing for twins, and if we had some twins give him a kiss, he won’t be able to remember it happening, and we could rub it in his face.”
“I think we can help you on that one,” the ice shaman said.
My brow rose. “Really?”
The fire and ice shamans looked at each other and then the ice shaman smiled at me. “We know two ladies who wouldn’t mind doing you that favor. It’s the least we could do, since you are filling in for this dance on such short notice.”
“The soldiers must be entertained,” I joked. “But if you could get that done for me, I’d appreciate it. It would make having to do this that much better.”
The shaman laughed and excused herself so she could talk to the two women she had spoken of. I just hoped if they did agree to it, I’d be able to witness it. That would make the taunts that much more rewarding.
Looking down at the clothes I was supposed to wear, I sighed and began dressing. The top and pants were simple enough, but when it came to the body ornaments and, unfortunately, makeup, I ended up needing help. The makeup was definitely not something I knew much about, but there were so many ornaments, much more than I was used to, I didn’t know what to do with them.
“You looked confused,” the fire shaman commented.
“I’ve just never worn so many ornaments when dancing before.”
The shaman chuckled. “I see. Well, then you’ve never worn a traditional tribal dance costume, have you?”
It was my turn to be amused. “No, I guess I haven’t.”
“Many of these belong to Tla’lli,” she informed me. “She insisted you use them tonight, so don’t ruin them.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
The woman smiled. “Good, now let’s get this veil on you and we’ll get you on your way.”
I waited patiently as she secured the veil, and I turned and faced my companions when I was ready. Ryoko and Shva’sika wore outfits different from mine, veil aside, but ones I was more accustomed to wearing.
Ryoko spun in circles. “Does this make me look fat?”
I snorted and Shva’sika laughed. “Of course not.”
“It doesn’t make me look too large in the chest, right?”
“Ryo, you look fine, stop fussing,” I chided.
“How come we don’t get clothes like yours?” Ryoko complained.
Shva’sika giggled. “Because Laz has to take the place of the tribal dancer from the South Tribe she’s filling in for while we are filling in for the West and North.”
“No East?” Ryoko questioned.
Shva’sika shook her head. “They’re not ones for these types of dances. They’re usually too focused on inventing to bother with learning traditional dances and customs.”
“Fair enough. So what’s with the veil we have to wear?”
Shva’sika shrugged. “It just completes the outfit.”
“So I could not wear it? It’s a little annoying.”
“Yes, but what reason would you have to not wear it? It can help with keeping your identity a secret, even if it’s only a little bit.”
“I’ll deal with it, then.”
“Besides, I think Rylan might find it quite enjoyable,” I teased.
Ryoko face reddened. “Laz, stop teasing me about that!”
“Aww she’s so cute when she’s embarrassed,” Shva’sika joined in.
“Guys!”
Shva’sika grabbed Ryoko’s shoulders and leaned close. “You’d worry if we didn’t.”
Ryoko sighed. We looked over at the door when a knock rapped on it. The ice shaman from before came back inside. “Everything is set up for all of you. I am going to warn you, the soldiers are a bit rowdy right now. I think they’re having a little extra to drink tonight.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh wonderful.”
“Zarda is probably going to send them off to take over some town or city tomorrow,” Ryoko guessed.
I nodded. “I wouldn’t doubt it. Even during peace talks, he’s plotting war tactics and scheming over the best areas to conquer.”
Shva’sika rolled her eyes. “You two need to stop thinking about work and start thinking about this dance.”
Ryoko pouted. “But I’m not going to be any good.”
“You’ll do fine.” Shva’sika started to push Ryoko toward a door I hadn’t noticed before. “For someone who had never done it before in her life, you did well during practice.”
“But Laz does better!”
“I’ve been doing this longer,” I reminded her.
“Since when do you know how to dance anyway?” Ryoko questioned.
I shrugged. “After being at the West Tribe for a while, I felt obligated to participate in the customs. Plus, I needed something to help keep my female figure, with Daren trying to fatten me up.”
Ryoko laughed and then stopped when something crossed her mind. “Wait a minute. You mean to say you’ve known how to dance all this time? You were always telling me you didn’t know how to dance and had no desire to learn.”
“Ryoko, I know real dances, not that repulsive form you do at the club.”
She winked. “You wouldn’t find it so repulsive if you picked a particular hunky dance partner.”
I did my best to repress the flush that threatened to spread across my face. “Ryoko, don’t start.”
“Oh, will you just admit it already? There’s no shame in it.”
“Ryoko, I mean it.”
“Laz and Raikidan sitting in a—”
“Ryoko!”
Shva’sika and the other shamans laughed. “Can’t you two get along, even for a little while?”
Ryoko and I both tilted our heads a bit. “We are getting along.”
Shva’sika laughed again. “If you two say so. Just stop bickering and collect yourselves.”
“Where does this hall lead us to anyway?” I asked.
“To a small, secret room under the main party hall,” the ice shaman explained as she led us. “It’s been modified to have a lift that will bring you up to the small platform where you’ll dance.”
“You guys obviously do this a lot,” Ryoko said.
“Well, we used to,” the shaman corrected. “But over the years, our ties with this city have worsened, and the parties stopped happening. Now that we’ve pretended to put some effort into improving them, they’ll be happening a lot more.”
“What are your standings like with the other cities Zarda doesn’t control?” Ryoko asked.
“We have more freedoms, if that’s what you’re wondering.” We stopped w
alking when we came to a room filled with blankets and pillows. “But we don’t have time for that. Enter the room, and once you’re in position I’ll have it lift you up. I’m not sure what your dance consists of, but when you face me, your backs will be to the audience.”
The three of us filed in and sat down in a line facing the door. Shva’sika nodded and the shaman pressed a button. Creaking and clicking noises were heard and then the floor of the room we were in began to move. The ceiling over us slid away, allowing us to see the dimmed ceiling of the main party hall and hear the music we were to dance to as it began to start up softly.
I folded myself over so I laid partially on the floor in front of my body. As we drew closer to the room, my heart began to pound. Even though half of the audience wouldn’t remember this, there were quite a few who would, many of them I knew and would have to put up with long after the party.
“Take it easy, everything is going to go well,” came a feminine voice.
I narrowed my eyes. “Who are you? I don’t enjoy Psychics in my head.”
“A friend.” I refrained from snorting. “Just relax. You won’t do well unless you do.”
“I thought you said it’s going to go well.”
“It will once you relax.”
I sighed and did my best. The floor stopped moving when we came level with the platform, and I listened. There were very few who were talking, and it was making my heart beat even faster, making it hard to hear the music for my start cue. I wasn’t doing well when it came to relaxing.
“Eira, they’re too drunk and drugged to know it’s you.”
“They’re not the ones who are getting me worked up.” The music cued the note I was looking for, and I began to move my shoulders like we had rehearsed.
“Your friends won’t say anything after. They’ll enjoy this performance but they’re supportive, and won’t say anything that would upset you. I promise.”
Secrets Page 42
