by J B Cantwell
"It's no life," Duna said.
"It's not as bad as you would say," Kaelin said. "Either of you."
I was surprised that Kaelin could speak as openly as he did without reproach. It made me wonder what his status was among the villagers who called this place home.
"I, for one, would like to see the sun sometime before I die," he said.
"Have all of you live your entire lives in the dark?" I asked. "Have none of you seen the sun?"
"Only Arte," Duna said. Her tone was harsh, and it implied that he was lying.
"You can believe me or not," Arte said. "But if you leave us now, you will not be welcomed back."
At this, a good round of bickering started up among the giants. Clearly, not everyone believed Arte's story. Some wanted to leave. It was only when Duna left my side, walked to the front, and held up her hands that quiet fell once again.
"If any of you seek to see the world outside of this place," she said, "we leave midday tomorrow. If you wish to join us, come to my house. I trust you all know where I live, for I do not hide."
It was then that somebody stood up, somebody I didn’t expect. Nia.
"There are other things hidden among us," she said, looking at me.
"Nia," Arte said, his voice a warning. "Do not."
"You cannot hide him forever," she said. She looked out at the crowd. "Somebody go fetch the boy."
The boy?
I looked at Duna, but she looked just as confused I was.
There was no joy in the conversation, and yet it was as loud as a party. There was much discussion about whether to follow Duna and me—enough discussion that it made me think I might actually have a chance of surviving this.
After a few minutes of arguments, the crowd quickly quieted. A moment later, one of the larger giants came into the circle, and from behind his back, he produced a boy. No, not a boy. A young man. And one that I knew.
I jumped down from the seat and ran to the middle of the circle.
"Connell?" I asked. "Can it be you?"
He didn't smile, but he did nod his head in recognition.
I stood across from him awkwardly, unsure if I should leave him alone or hug him. The last time I’d seen Connell, he was on a quest dictated by Zahn.
"Why are you here?" I asked. "You were supposed to be on some great journey. How did you end up in the Shadow Mountains?"
His eyes were haunted, and the firelight flickered within them.
"I was lost," he said. "My magic was taken from me, and I had no place to go, so I wandered. I wandered right into this village."
“That happened to me as well,” I said.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
“I was on a journey through these mountains, but I got lost a few days ago. Then the giants found me.”
Duna stepped in then, unwilling to hold her tongue. "Who is this child?" She stared at Arte, and I was willing to bet that at that moment, she wished she had the stick from that kitchen chair back in her cabin. Hundreds of years of mistreatment, and she was ready to fight.
“You should come with us back to Duna's cabin,” I said to Connell. “Where are you staying now?"
Connell looked back, and I was surprised when his eyes fell upon Arte.
Duna had had enough. She walked up to Arte and smacked him across the face.
"You’re a filthy liar," she said. "Hundreds of years I’ve been hidden, beaten, and cast out. And here you are, a human boy living in your cabin. How long has he been there?"
Connell looked up at Arte, but it was clear he wasn’t willing to answer Duna's question.
Now, everyone looked at Arte, and soon he was backing away.
"You don't understand," he said.
But I thought I did.
"You've been keeping him for yourself," I said.
"To do what?" he shot back. "The boy is without magic. Not even our Light is enough to heal him. In fact, he barely survives from day to day."
"What happened to you?" I turned to ask Connell. "Who took your magic away?"
Connell looked around nervously at all of the giants staring at him. Everyone fell silent, waiting for him to tell his story. He looked mortified.
"It's okay," I said. "You can stay with us. How long have you been here?"
"Three weeks," he said.
Uproar.
As the giants argued, I took Connell's hand and dragged him away from the scene. When we were well hidden inside the room with the pool of Light, I tried my question again.
"What happened?" I whispered.
"I was in, well, a sort of room—a cave. I didn't know it at the time, but it was a Keeper who lived there. Several, actually. Giant jellyfish."
"What's a jellyfish?"
"It's a sea animal. A sort of balloon-shaped creature. Their stings can be dangerous, but I was able to get to them, to take their Light. At the time, I still intended to bring it back to Zahn, but then I realized there was much more important work for me to do there. They were unprotected. Hidden, yes, but unprotected nonetheless. I stayed with them for two years. Then, Phalen found us. He took my magic from me when I tried to fight him and failed. It would've been better if he'd killed me."
Connell cast his eyes down to the floor, ashamed.
"You don't need to feel bad," I said. "You just don't understand. We have work to do, you and Duna and I.”
"What can I do? I was left with nothing. I wished for death.”
“And now?” I asked.
He shrugged, but didn’t answer.
“That’s not something you should wish for," I said. "No matter how dire your situation, you must always fight to live."
He looked up at me then, and two fat tears ran down his cheeks.
"But I failed."
"Whom did you fail? Zahn? He’s nothing more than a sick, twisted wizard. The only reason he has his power is because of all the Light he hoards."
Connell's eyes were wide with fear.
"You mustn’t speak of Zahn that way," he said. "If he finds out, it’ll be the death of you."
I laughed.
"He's already tried to kill me once," I said. “I’d like to see him try again now that I've learned a few things."
Apparently, my making light of the situation didn’t ease his fear.
"Don't take me back there," he said. "I can't go home. Promise me."
"And how would I be able to force you to go back to Eagleview?"
"You could find a way, I'm sure."
As the truth of his words sunk in, I found my heart hurting for him. This boy who’d been so talented that Zahn had sent him out into the world was now terrified of meeting his master once again.
"You’ll come with me," I said.
"I can't go home. You don't understand."
"I can't go home, either," I said. "But I have a different destination in mind."
"Where?"
"Somewhere better. Somewhere you can take your revenge."
"And where is that?"
"To war."
Chapter 13
The night was as dark as ever, but I had questions that needed answering. Connell had gone back with Arte, but I'd made him swear to join me in the morning. As long as he wasn't being kept prisoner, it shouldn't have been a problem.
But though the hour was late, I wasn't done with Arte yet.
"Duna, I need you to take me to Arte,” I said as we sat at her kitchen table.
"That sounds like a stupid idea to me," she said. "You heard him."
"Maybe, but he has information I need, we need before we set out."
She sighed, then stood up from one of the other chairs at her table, one that wasn't broken. We’d been practicing all night, and the divots of missing stone on her wall were proof of her successes.
"Take your staff with you," she said.
"Won't that make things more difficult?"
“Our leader has been keeping a human in his home for three weeks. I think it would be wise for you to have a weap
on with you if you want to talk to him."
I looked up at the staff, the piece of wood that was starting to become more friend and less tool. I imagined Arte taking it from my hands and snapping it into two. It wouldn't take much effort for him. Then again, he didn't have magic. Or so he said.
"I think I'll bring this with me too," Duna said, holding up the leg of the chair she’d been practicing with.
I had to admit, Duna had made impressive progress with only a few hours of practice. She was inexperienced but eager to learn, and I found that her cranky disposition had evaporated as she mastered more and more.
"Let's get out of here," she said. "Arte will already be unwilling to discuss our plans with us. Waiting until he's already asleep won't do us any favors. Why do you want to see him?"
"To get the rest of the story."
She laughed but then nodded her head.
"I wish the both of us luck," she said. "Getting information from that man is difficult at best."
"Well, I suspect he has answers for us, and a little magical… encouragement might get us the information we need."
"Whatever you say, girl. But be careful. He may not have magic, but he's strong despite his size."
I wondered if I should take everything with me, if I should be prepared to flee. I decided against it, but as Duna said, I would have to be careful.
She led me out into the night, and together we walked toward a rock face, plain and unassuming. But Duna walked right up to it and pounded her hand against the stone.
"Open up, Arte,” she said. "We need an audience."
From behind the rock, a door opened. I had known that the giants were good at hiding themselves, yet I was surprised when I found a woman standing across from me, a twenty-foot-tall door swinging open.
"I don't think he wants to see you," the woman said. "You did quite a number on him during the meeting."
Duna laughed and proceeded to introduce us.
"Kaeci, this is Bree. Bree, this is Kaeci, Arte's wife."
"If I were you, I would give it some time," she whispered. "He's embarrassed."
"We have a right to speak with him," Duna said. "If he's planning to banish us from the village, we need more information before we leave."
Behind her, I could see Connell sitting at the large table, his arms barely grazing the top of it. He looked up and opened his mouth, but then he seemed to think better of whatever it was he'd been about to say.
I pushed past Kaeci and headed through the door to his side.
"Are you okay?" I asked. "Did you think about what I said?"
"I'm in no shape to go to war," he said. "You know I have little to offer."
It was then that Arte came into the room.
"What is this question? The meeting is over." He raised his eyebrows when he saw that I carried my staff.
"It's not over as far as we are concerned," Duna said, pushing her way inside. "We have some answers coming our way."
"I already explained everything at the meeting."
"Not everything," I said.
"I owe you nothing," he said. His face was sour.
"You’re a liar," Duna said. "We deserve an explanation."
Arte groaned in irritation, but he opened his arms, directing us toward the table.
"What do you want to know?" he asked.
"I want to know who this boy is and how he came to be living in your house," Duna said. "After all the hell you've given me over the years, I think I deserve an answer."
"The boy doesn't have magic. He's just a boy in need of help."
"You say that now," she said. "But what about all the other times in your life that you've banished humans from our village? What about them?"
I climbed up into the chair awkwardly, then put my staff across my lap. Connell seemed unwilling to meet my gaze. What had they done to him?
Behind Duna, Kaeci closed the door with a snap.
"It really is late, Duna," she said.
"Talk to your husband, then. Leave us if you must, but I suspect the conversation might interest you.”
Arte stood with his arms crossed. I noticed one hand was close to the hilt of his sword.
"Sir," I said, "I didn't come here to fight with you. Duna suggested I bring my staff, and you'll see now that she has her wand. Put your weapon aside, and we will do the same."
Duna laughed. "He's too scared for that."
Maybe it was because of the taunt from his niece, or maybe he didn't want to look weak. Either way, he took his sword from his belt and put it in the corner of the room.
Duna raised her eyebrows, seemingly surprised at his willingness to agree to the terms of the meeting. She walked over to me, took my staff and her wand, and put them in the corner next to the sword. Then she came to sit down beside me.
"Have a seat, Arte,” she said.
He glared at her, but he did finally sit.
"Go on, then," he said.
"Tell me what else do you know about Torin," I said. "And why have you turned away those with magic all this time?"
"I would like to know the answer to that, too," Duna snarled. "And tell us, what is it about this boy that’s so different from the others? Couldn't he be lying to you as Torin did?”
"The boy has no magic. There's no reason for us to turn him away, and anyways he has no place to go."
"Well then," Duna went on. "Maybe he can take over my cabin when I leave to fight your wars."
"We are not at war, you may have noticed," Arte said. He glanced in my direction. "You are the problem. Your arrival here will surely result in consequences we cannot possibly know yet."
"I don't understand why you’re so afraid," I said. "We can help you. And I can all but assure you that there are many magical people in your midst."
"And how would you know that?"
"You've been drinking and eating from the gazelle's remains for hundreds of years. I know a man, knew a man, who did the same. His name was Malcolm. Like you, his people lived many, many years. He, himself, had a sort of magic as well. He didn't need sleep, and he was strong, stronger than any man I've ever met, yourself included. I find it unlikely that nobody in this tribe except Duna has magic. You've lived too long and too well to not have powerful people in your midst."
"You don't know what it's like to lead a people," he said. "How could I let magic run rampant in our home? When magic is the thing that draws the monster Torin to us?"
"So you do you know others," Duna said.
He didn't reply. Instead, silence was his answer.
"Do they know?" I asked.
"What our people know is that we must stay hidden if we want to survive."
"You're wrong," I said. "Magic will save you. Even from the Wicks you call Flyers. They’re dangerous, yes, but they’re not immortal, as you are."
Connell spoke up then, and I was surprised by what he had to say. "Magic is dangerous. It robs men of their free will, and it results in pain."
I sat back, frowning and confused.
"The only reason you say that is because you were sent away by Zahn," I said. I turned in the chair and reached out my hands. He took them, and I took that as a sign that it wasn't too late. "Tell us what happened to you."
He looked down at our hands, seemingly grateful that I was willing to hold his. After a few long moments, he looked up and into my eyes.
"It was Phalen," he said. "He came for me as I guarded the Keepers who swam within the rock caves. I fought with him, and I lost terribly. He was able to rid me of all magical abilities, and in the end, he took over the pool, killing the Keepers in the interior. He left me for dead, and it was only one small vial of Light that saved me."
"How did you end up here?" I asked.
"I don't know. I wandered. Eventually, the giants found me; this giant found me." He gestured to Arte.
"There was no reason for me to banish him," Arte said. "He can't hurt us. Unlike you both."
It was then that Kaeci brought five cups to
the table, setting one in front of each of us and taking the last for herself. She sat down.
"What I would like to know," she said, turning to me, "is why you were able to beat this man, this monster. Phalen is his name?”
"I didn’t beat him; I only just escaped. But I understand your fear. I once looked at my teacher, Bevyn, with mistrust and judgment. But now that he's gone, I understand just how powerful he’d been. He waited for hundreds of years for someone like me to come across his path. He taught me what he knew, and he paid for it with his life."
"Don't you realize?" Connell said. "He’ll come for you, too. Phalen or Varik or Torin, himself. And they won’t punish you with death. They will, instead, let you live, and they’ll never let you forget just how small you are."
"You've become weak," I shot back. "With the loss of your power has come despair. Every person in our world has power, though not every person has magic. It will take every person, magic or not, to defeat Torin."
The table went quiet, and I sat back in my chair.
"What is it that you want?" Connell asked.
"I would ask the same question of you. Why stay here? Whether you want to fight or not, you could go anywhere in our world and start a life for yourself. Why hide in the dark?"
"He’s found a race of people who hide," Duna said. "He’s in the perfect place for it."
"No," Kaeci said, surprising us. "This is no perfect place for anyone."
"Kaeci," Arte warned.
"You've said it yourself. We cannot stay here forever. Some of our younger brothers and sisters are already talking about leaving, and they’ve only been here for a hundred years, some even less. They understand that a life in the darkness is no life at all."
Arte looked furious at this comment from his wife. But she raised one eyebrow at him, and he sat back into his chair, slamming his cup of tea down on the table.
"I can't promise you you’ll live,” I said. "But I can promise you a way to greet the sun again. Help protect us on our way through the mountains, and you’ll find a new home on the other side."
"That's insane," Arte said. "No such life awaits us. In that world, that other world, we would be seen as freaks."
"I doubt very much that that's true," I said. "From my understanding, there are many in this world who will stand and fight alongside us. It will take giants, elves, dwarves, humans, and I don't know who else, but I do know that together we might have a chance at winning."
