by Katie Pottle
“What, really?” Devin asked.
Cadin shrugged. “It’s just a thought and we have to ask my parents first, but yeah. I’d love to show you around Glade. And honestly, I think you would be treated better than you have been on Condor. Maybe not by everyone, though,” Cadin conceded, thinking of Freddy.
“Hi, guys,” Tal said as he sat down opposite Cadin and grabbed both cake and buka cake. “What are you all chatting about?”
Cadin snatched the small plate of buka cakes and handed them out. “Dad, what do you think about the possibility of these guys going back to Glade with us and staying for a little while?”
Tal scratched his chin. Before he answered, James interrupted. “I uh, overheard something about Glade travel.” He rested his hands-on Devin’s shoulders. “I’m afraid we don’t have the resources for travel across the System. It’s hard enough to make it to Condor from the fringelands even when we acquire stuff to trade.” He shook his head. “Sorry, guys, but I don’t see it happening.”
Tal glanced into James’ weathered eyes. “What if we could offer you jobs and a place to stay, at least for a few months?”
“What do you have in mind?” James said, eyes hooded. Cadin had the impression that James wasn’t used to being offered a job he hadn’t searched the cloud-lands for and fought to secure.
“Well, off the top of my head, Sara’s department will be hiring weavers for some structures they will be building for their wildlife sanctuary. Gary needs some harvesting hands for his orchard. Oh, and Lynn who runs our local Dragon Ranch said she will be looking to hire some cloud-shifters to add another pond to accommodate her growing population of water dragons. Sara knows more about extended visitation and work visas than I do, but last I heard they were awarding them for up to six months.”
Tal smiled at James’s stunned expression. He turned and waved Sara over. “Hey, if James and the kids wanted to travel back to Glade with us, can you think of a place they can stay for a while?”
Sara smiled. “What a fantastic idea. Well we can always fit some in our house and I’m sure Lakie would be happy to host the others. However, oh, yes—if they applied for the proper visas, my Bio Department has a bunk house to host traveling students and other groups. They could easily fit all of you comfortably. I will just contact my boss and reserve a spot for you. All you would have to do in exchange is help clean up the sanctuary twice a week and share any scientific finds with us before you leave.”
“The offer is extremely generous of all of you, I’m just not sure. None of us have ever traveled that far.”
“Please, uncle James, please!” Lana begged.
“I’ll think about it and I’d also have to clear the journey with the others back home.”
“Feel free to talk to me if you’d like to work on some details,” Tal said. “Now let’s get back to celebrating!” He reached for another buka cake and got his hand swatted by Sara.
“Aren’t you going to leave some of those for our guests and your son’s winning team?”
“Well when you put it that way,” Tal grumbled.
Sara laughed, pecked him on the cheek and walked away. Tal turned back to James. “Also, if any of you are competent at metal-work, I must re-stock my equipment after this trip. We are already going to have to close the booth before the tournament ends because we are nearly sold out. We only contracted through the Warrior Path Games, so the booth will go to someone else when the Guardian Games start up. Although I guess we can continue selling Sara’s buka cakes.”
“She got ‘em tasting much better than her originals,” Cadin commented, splitting the remaining buka cake with his dad.
Tal smiled and tossed it in his mouth. “Agreed. Honestly, I didn’t expect them to sell as well as they have. The cakes may have netted more money than my armor per hour of work! Go figure.” Tal laughed as he stood up and stretched.
“Hey, maybe we can open some buka cake stands on Glade together and make extra money before school starts,” Cadin said. “And if you stay for a while, you could go to Glade Commons.”
“Is that your school?” Cinna asked.
“Yeah.”
“Condor wouldn’t let us go to school here.”
“I’ll chat with Kade,” Tal said.
“This has shifted me,” James said, peering at the sky. “Let me go and discuss it with Ferris and mull it through.”
“Going to Glade would be so epic!” Devin said.
“Who’s going to Glade?” Lep asked as he filled Tal’s empty seat. “You guys?”
“Really?” Sun asked as she joined them.
Devin nodded.
Sun reached over and took Cadin’s hand, and leaned closer so only Cadin could hear, “I told Aaron I wasn’t interested.” They both looked over when Araina laughed. Aaron had moved on quickly, and was leaning into Araina, smiling.
“I hope we can go,” Devin said. “The adults are trying to figure it out now.”
“Maybe we can help sway them a bit,” Cadin said, hugging Sun a little closer.
“How?” Devin asked.
“What do you have in mind?” Sun said at the same time.
“Well, what if we help you guys obtain stuff for the trip so it will be an easier decision?”
“I don’t like taking charity,” Crow said.
“Yeah, we always work for what we get,” Devin added.
“Well,” Cadin said, pulling his I.D. card over his head. “I have barley spent any of the per-diem that the Games Committee allocated to me just by being a competitor. And I have that bounty money. As I see it, you guys have helped us train this whole summer to get where we are in this competition, and you deserve some compensation.”
“Great idea! I’m in,” Sun said, throwing her I.D. card on the table. “And I am also going to visit my mom and Francisco tomorrow. I can ask them if they want to add a sponsorship.”
“So, we can go shopping in the Competitors’ Village?” Lana said, her eyes large.
“Heck yeah,” Lep said, adding his I.D. “Though my I.D. card may have less money left than the others. Those roshi balls are addictive!”
“Where’s Bart?” Cadin asked, looking out over the party.
“I think he went to find Cora. She is still healing after their total damage match with team Inferno,” Sun said.
“Oh, no. Is she going to be okay?” Cadin asked.
“Bart said their whole team was pretty battered, but nothing serious.”
“Good.”
“That was the next best match next to yours,” Devin said. “But not because it was close. Your Glade friends got annihilated—sorry to say. But that Inferno team was strong and meticulous in their strikes and strategy.”
“Great,” Sun said.
“At least they still might be taken down next round by the Red Ravens team. I think they were seeded number three, and Ryker’s team was of course number one,” Cadin said.
“Well if you want some help training for the Finals,” Devin said, “we are here for you and happy to work to earn this.” He patted the I.D. cards on the table. “And thanks for the offer too. It means more than you can imagine.”
Lana nodded next to him, a tear reflecting the new moon’s light.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Plans
“It is crowded around all of the new Core booths!” Lep shouted over the noise. The Competitors’ Village was packed full. Cadin caught a glimpse of one of the new black-topped tents with a Core angel organizing what looked to be a strategy game with a terrain map for a floor.
“Maybe if we edge out towards the outer ring of shops, it won’t be so chaotic,” Sun said, grabbing Lana’s hand so she wouldn’t get separated from them. Being a head shorter than everyone else, it would be difficult to find her in the crowd.
They fought their way through the center and Cadin was relieved to find that the crowd thinned considerably the further away from the new Core challenge booths they got.
“Oh, look—dress
es!” Lana exclaimed, tugging Sun along behind her.
“Not on our shopping list today, sis,” Devin said. “Let’s find that big camping store. They carry a bunch of stuff we need.”
“Good call,” Cadin said. “I think I remember a camping vendor near the Green Arch by the cloud-chess matches.”
“This way, then,” Sun said, redirecting Lana.
They searched through mid-morning and found most of the items on their list with some money to spare. Cadin hadn’t realized that with each round they won, they received aro bonuses to the accounts linked to their I.D. cards. Lep was so thrilled that he could still indulge in some roshi balls at the end of their excursion that he bought one for everyone.
“Hey, Cadin!” Bart said from the stall around the corner. Bart had been supportive of the fringelanders traveling to Glade when they told him their idea. Cadin walked up to Bart, who was standing by a large tent. “I was thinking that we all still have a substantial chunk of money left over after the bonus of getting into the Finals and we can’t take the money with us in cash form, right?”
“Right. We have to spend our per-diem aros in the Competitors’ Village before the end of the tournament or it’s gone.” Cadin said.
“Well, why don’t we buy some things here that we can later re-sell when we get back to Glade? It would be a great way to get some traveling cash for the fringelanders as well.” Bart said.
“Great idea! What do you have in mind?” Cadin asked.
Cadin squinted as Bart held up a small metal warrior figurine. Bart said, “They have a ton of different models and the cool thing is they are made from a malleable type of metal that is only produced in the Contra Quad so they will be worth more on Glade.”
“Check it out, they bend!” Lana said, raising the sword arm of the female warrior she had picked up from the table.
“Won’t find any others like em’ in the System,” an old angel hobbled up to them. “Make em’ myself outta arunium. They are three aros a piece. Whatta you say?”
“Seems kinda pricey,” Cadin responded.
“Well, I don’t mind a good bartering session. What’d you have in mind?”
Cadin looked over the displays of the beautiful figurines. Some were archers while others were scholars or metal-smiths. There was even a table in the back full of cloud-creatures. “I think your work is beautiful and we would like to buy some. But since this is the end of the summer and you most likely are looking to get rid of some inventory, how about we offer you a bulk deal?”
The old man raised his bushy white eyebrows. “I’m listening, youngster.”
“What price could you offer us to fill up this bag here?” He held forward a simple backpack that they had gotten as a bonus for all their purchases at the camping shop. It was small enough for Lana to fit comfortably on her back.
“Hmmm—interesting. That would be quite a few figurines. What are you planning to do with them?”
Cadin hoped he would not be offended by their answer. “Well, sir, we live on Glade and don’t have anything like these there. We are hoping to re-sell some of them to help fund our friends’ trip there.”
The old man glanced around. “Friends…” he eyed Lana and then Devin. Both were wearing their traditional fringelander’s garb of home-stitched leather pieced together, though Devin now sported a tactical jacket with many pockets over his top. A toothless grin spread across the old angel’s wrinkled face. “I like your style, young ones. We need more open-mindedness in this System.” He scratched his stubbly chin. “Tell you what—you can fill that bag of yours for only three betos. That should just about cover my cost to mine the arunium.”
“Holy crow! Really?” Bart asked. He had been watching the negotiations in silence.
“That is generous of you,” Cadin said. “You have a deal!”
Withered old wings fluttered as Cadin shook his hand. “It is my pleasure, young ones. And after you fill the bag, you may each choose one for yourselves.” He hobbled over to a worn stool in the back and sat down, occasionally adding comments to their choices.
Mid-way through their picks, Cadin found one he chose to keep as his own. A figure reached towards a small cluster of clouds overhead.
“Cloud-shifter,” the old angel commented when Cadin showed him his choice.
They met up with Sun, Lep, Crow and Cinna a few booths down to show them their buy.
“You are brilliant, Bart!” Sun said. “Let’s see what else we can find to sell on Glade. Honestly, I don’t think we will have much time to come back to the Competitors’ Village after today.”
“Why not?” Lep said, roshi ball half in his mouth.
“Training and the Finals,” Sun answered.
“But we will still be here after the Final Round,” Lep said.
“Yeah, but many of the booths are running out of inventory and will be closed until the Guardian Games. All of the warrior-based challenges will be too packed to even get near.”
“Yeah, okay,” Lep said, popping another ball in his mouth. “I have nine aros left.”
Sun glanced at her I.D. card. “I have one beto and four aros.”
“I’m out,” Cadin said.
“Cadin took care of those figurines by himself, so I still have nearly three betos left,” Bart added. “Let’s go spend it!”
“What’s going on?” Tal asked as they led him and Sara to a large tent set up on the outskirts of town.
“It is for the fringelanders. You’ll see,” Cadin said.
“Is this what you spent your bounty money on,” Sara asked, curiosity lacing her tone.
“Yep,” Cadin answered.
Bart walked up to the tent and poked his head through the front door. “How’s it going?”
“Great,” Cinna’s muffled voice said through the tent walls. “Everything is laid out and ready. Just waiting on Devin now.”
Sara took a step forward to try and peak in the tent.
“Hey, cheater! Be patient,” Cadin said, pulling her back. “Oh, look—here they are.”
Devin flew over a crest in the cloud followed by James and Ferris. They kicked up clouds and dust as they landed.
“Okay, just wait here,” Devin said as he walked over to the tent. He released the stakes holding the corners down. “Okay, ready!”
They pulled the top of the tent off the ground, revealing their finds for the day.
“What is all of this?” James asked, stepping forward.
“It is everything we could find in the Competitors’ Village that might help you guys travel back to Glade with us,” Sun said.
Ferris crouched next to James examining everything. “How did you afford all of this?” He glanced over his shoulder as if expecting enforcers to barge through the clouds at any moment to apprehend them for thieving.
“We pooled our leftover per-diem and bonuses,” Cadin said. He looked at his parents. “Did you know the Games add bonus money for every win?”
“Sure, every competitor knows that it is one of the perks to winning,” Tal said.
“I guess I missed that part of the announcements.”
James stood up. “This is very generous, but we can’t accept this. It is too much.”
Sun waved him off. “We already got that part figured out with these guys,” she said, patting Devin on the back. “They helped us train for the competition, so we in turn help them with our money we won in the competition. It all works out. We really want you guys to come, and there are plenty of people to help you on the way.”
“I would not be the one going,” James said. “I have obligations back home. Ferris said he would go; however, I must take the airship back with me.”
“Oh, I forgot!” Sun said. “My dad flew here with nearly an empty airship. He volunteered to fly you guys.”
“Well I’m running out of reasons to say no,” James said rubbing the back of his neck. “Except that I am going to miss you guys terribly.”
“Is that a yes?” Devin asked.
James nodded his head. “Yes, you can go to Glade. And perhaps your aunt and I will join you in a few weeks.”
The following week was spent alternating between celebrating, preparing for the fringelanders to return to Glade, and training for the Final Round in the Calvarian Games. Their celebration was slightly deflated after they viewed the Semi Final Round between Inferno and the third seeded team, the Red Ravens. Inferno was dominant and came out victorious. When Cadin and his team had to walk out and stand next to Ryker and Inferno on the battlefield so the announcer could present the two teams of the Final Round, Cadin had chills running down his spine as he evaluated them up close. Not a hair was out of place on Ryker’s head as he leaned over towards Cadin.
“It will be a pleasure competing against you.” He said with certainty and no hint of malice, which chilled Cadin even more.
“Elementals!” The announcer said to the crowd. “Air, water, lightning, and natural clouds of all types will fill the cloud-scape of the battlefield for the Final Round! Any elemental damage done to your opponent or your opponent’s Energy Cubes will be worth twice as many points as weapon damage. Good luck, Inferno of Condor and Dragon Fire of Glade in the Final Round of the Warrior Path Games!”
“Last training day before the Final Round,” Sun said as she stepped into the empty Arena.
The fringelanders had helped them develop elemental traps and weapons over the past few days and they had to work on making them fast enough to be useful during battle.
“Let’s get these traps done fast as lightning! Hehe, get it?” Lep said.
Cadin raised his arm Gur was perched on and pointed at Lep’s head. “Get him,” he said.
“Not again!” Lep said, flapping his wings to try to knock Gur off course. “No fair, Cadin. It’s not like I’m gonna hurt him and he knows it.” Lep’s voice was fading as he flew through the clouds across the Arena.
Instructor Kade waved them over to the Light Bay. “This is it,” he said. “The Arena contains everything you should need to train and prepare for tomorrow.”
