Flower's Curse

by Madison Keller

  “Night of the day?” Arara repeated slowly. “And the end, the end of what?”

  “End of Jegera, Yaka. Kin destroy all.” Ottont’s eyes went wide and his hackles rose as he said it. He was truly terrified.

  Arara and Yegra asked him several more questions, but he just sat there shivering and shaking his head. Arara poked her head out the door to find the guard standing just outside the door.

  “Please take him back to his cell, but-” Arara held up her paw and the guard stopped, ears perked towards her. “Give him extra water, he looks dehydrated. Also, if you can do something about the mats in his fur?”

  The guard looked askance at this, so Arara clarified. “Those mats look painful and he was very helpful. Plus, if we do something nice for him he’ll be more inclined to talk to us again later.”

  They waited while he unchained Ottont and led him outside. “Shall I bring the next one, sedyu?”

  “Yes, please.”

  The next Yaka turned out to be female. Although she spoke more Kin than Ottont had, she spent the entire time she was in the room cursing them out and insulting them. Arara wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out after the guard took her away, but Yegra insisted they talk to all the Yaka they could.

  However, the other two Yaka were just as unhelpful as the female had been. Claw-marks later Arara’s head and shoulders slumped as they climbed back up from the dungeon with more questions than answers.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  DAY OUT

  The midday summer sun beat down overhead on Sels’s exposed skin, pleasantly warm with a strong tang. Flies buzzed in his ears, overlaying the pounding of paws and feet on dirt, the musical Kin sing-song and Jegeran barks of the vendors hawking their wares. The air was rank with the scent of rancid meat, left sitting too long in the hot summer sun, and the thick musk of Jegera pressed too close together.

  His vines were gathered up behind his head in a bundle, tied in place with a leather strip by Arara. A commoner’s look to help him blend in. With the exception of special occasions, Kin nobles let their vines fall free around their head. His neck and ears tingled, not used to being hit with direct sunlight. He could feel his buds curling open at the unexpected pleasure.

  Sels tugged at the waist of his constricting shirt, pulling it down straight. The uncomfortable garment kept riding up as he walked between Yegra and Arara through the mainly Jegeran crowd in the marketplace. For the trip Yegra and Arara wore simple leather vests and shorts, shedding their distinctive black guard uniforms.

  After the trouble the other day, Sels really wanted to apologize to Sesay. Earlier that morning as he’d been about to order a servant to go shopping for him, to pick out a present to take to her as a peace offering, Arara had suggested that she might appreciate it more if he purchased it himself.

  Of course, leaving the palace meant a squad of guards and a full carriage. Any shop he might go into the clerks would fawn over him. No matter what he suggested they’d smile and nod and say it was a great idea. Just the thought of a day spent like that gave him shudders.

  The disguises had been Yegra’s idea. Arara had gotten her assigned as a guard on Sels’s door, so they could spend their days together. He hadn’t minded, even enjoyed the company. But, Sels had pointed out that anyone in the Garden shopping district, where the rich Kin merchants and nobles made their purchases, would likely still recognize him. Because of that the Jegeran marketplace was a better choice for this excursion.

  As a bonus, the Jegeran marketplace was close to Roel’s clinic. He could buy Sesay’s present and stop by and see Roel after. When he’d said this Arara’s ears had gone back and her disapproval stung him through the bond, but Sels shrugged it off and made his plans.

  Sels had been in the marketplace once before, when he and Arara had been on the run from the Elders’ thugs, but they’d been running for their lives at the time and Sels had ignored the brightly colored stalls and their wares. The prospect of exploring the different booths left him almost breathless with excitement.

  A steady stream of Kin carriages crawled up and down the road beside them, leaving a perpetual dusty haze over the sidewalk. Sels walked with a handkerchief held over his nose and mouth.

  Arara said through their bond.

  Sels tried not to grit his teeth as he felt the plain, rough fabric rubbing his skin as it shifted. To make matters worse, he could feel the sandals rubbing a blister into the bottom of his foot.

  Arara chastised him.

  Sels pouted.

  “Too hot,” Arara’s tongue hung out and she heaved. In the direct sun her long fur, practical in her northern home, became unbearably hot for her. Even shorn down short as it was because of the fire, she still sweltered in the summer heat. To get relief from the heat Arara pulled Sels and Yegra into the shade of a vendor’s stall at the intersection.

  Carved wooden figures, only a palm’s length high, covered the table and hung from the awning. Magic was infused in each one, to make them seem to come alive for a few moments. Children’s toys. Arara’s ears perked up and she picked up a white pine raop, turning it over in her paws. The raop sprung to life, pumping its legs in the air as if running; Arara yipped and wagged her tail. The pure delight and pleasure leaking through their bond at the simple toy made Sels smile.

  “Greetings, honored ones,” the old Kin proprietor, his petals faded to a sickly yellow-brown, bowed at the waist towards Sels. “You like it, child? Only two emeralds. A lovely toy for a fine puppy.”

  “Thank you, honored Elder.” Sels said, pulling his money pouch from his sleeve. Arara liked it, and it was a pittance compared to the amount he’d gotten from the treasury before leaving the palace. He’d still have plenty left to buy a gift for both Sesay and Roel.

  Yegra blanched. “Two emerald bits for that is outrageous, sir.” She managed to bite ‘sire’ off only at the last moment.

  “Is it?” Sels frowned down at the pouch in his hands. The Royal Treasurer had given him a variety of gems, assuring him the amount more than enough for a trip to the market. Just two didn’t sound bad at all.

  “And don’t flash your money around like that,” Yegra hissed at him under her breath, her eyes widening. “You didn’t put it all into that one bag did you?”

  “Of course,” Sels rolled his eyes and poured a pile out into his palm as he searched for the smaller emeralds among the mess of larger, and more valuable, diamonds, sapphires, and rubies. “How else would I carry it?”

  Arara whirled around and snarled.

  A force hit the back of Sels’s knees, throwing him forward. The edge of the wooden table hit his forehead with a thwack, and he fell stunned to the dirt. Gems flew everywhere as the money pouch hit the ground beside him, spilling its contents out onto the rough cobblestones.

  “Get ‘em and run!” A rough Jegera voice yelled.

  His vision swam and his head throbbed where it’d hit the table’s edge. Out of the corner of his eye Sels saw black- and brown-furred paws scooping up his gems from where they’d fallen.

  “Thieves!” Sels concentrated and rolled over, pulling what little magic he could from the shade. He flung his hand out and fire sprung from his fingers, scorching the air around him.

  A Jegera howled in pain and the smell of burning fur filled the air. Sels lowered his hand, smirking. A puppy ran around inside the booth screaming, flames licking at her fur. The thief got what they deserved.

  The fabric of the stall in front of Sels was burning and even as he watched the booth next to it started to smolder. The puppy ran past Sels, still howling, her back and tail on fire.
Sels ignored the chaos, focusing instead on scooping his spilled gems into the pouch, which he tucked back into his sleeve pocket.

  “Drop and roll,” Yegra barked and pushed the girl to the ground, rolling her sideways across the dirt until the flames were out. Wisps of smoke curled up from her fur and patches of her skin were blackened and oozing blood. The pup shuddered, screams dying off as she went limp; passed out from the pain, but not dead as far as he could tell.

  Sels crawled over to stare down at the girl’s small body, guilt twisting his stomach. Jeron used to bring his puppies to the palace with him, where Sels had loved telling them stories and playing little games with them. Sels put his hand to his mouth and struggled not to cry. He’d done this. Used his magic in a moment of anger to lash out, and this poor little one had paid the price.

  He hardly noticed paws pounding in the dirt around them as figures rushed out of the crowd, throwing dirt and water at the fire that was quickly spreading down the line of tents. Yegra, seeing the puppy was out of immediate danger rushed to help them. Arara dropped down next to Sels, eyes tracking the crowd and doing her best to keep them from being trampled.

  Wetness tracked down Sels’s face from his forehead and when he reached up his hand came away sticky with amber sap. Sels pulled off his sash, tying it around his forehead to stop it from dripping into his eyes. That done he carefully scooped up the puppy in his arms, ignoring the blood and dirt that stained his shirt. The puppy moaned, eyes fluttering for a moment, but thankfully she stayed unconscious.

  Black smoke billowed out of the stall into the street, the harsh smoke searing Sels throat. The events of the previous week flashed through his mind - Arara trapped in the flames; the acrid air burning his mouth and throat as he struggled to save her. Sesay’s words echoed in his head, ‘why didn’t you use your magic on the fire, perhaps try to put out the flames?’

  His head throbbed, but he had to work quickly. The shade around him was rapidly being eaten away and he found it difficult to work magic in direct sunlight. The table’s shade would help, but it wouldn’t be enough once the awning and tent were gone.

  The problem was that up until now he’d only ever created flames, never doused them. He shifted the limp puppy to one arm and held out an open palm. Chaos raged around him, shouts and yells of Kin and Jegera as they fought to put out the flames and the frightened exclamations coming from the old Kin proprietor as he hid underneath the table. Sels pushed it from his mind, focusing on the flames.

  Shadows surrounded him, but their magic was weak and pale compared to what he felt at night in the dark. Spots of magic danced around him, in the shadows of the table. But when he pulled the magic to him and concentrated on the flames, willing them to go out, nothing happened.

  Perhaps he was going about it wrong. He willed the fire to blaze higher, and it did so, sending a spurt of flame up into the sun and burning away more of his precious shade. So he could control it, at least, despite everything. A change of position then. He pulled the fire into towards himself, bidding it to gather in his open palm.

  Warmth caressed his hand and he opened his eyes to find trails of fire streaming down to gather into a glowing ball.

  The entire crowd stopped to watch as the flames on the tents spun away, leaving behind only charred fabric and ash. Threads of fire swirled around his palm, coalescing into a writhing ball of heat and molten fire.

  Satisfied that the market was safe, Sels contemplated the magic fire pulsing in his hands. Sesay had been right about one thing, he sorely needed training. He didn’t even know the basics of magical theory. Why couldn’t he make the fire stop?

  Then it hit him. Fire needed fuel to burn. Currently it was using up the last of the Moon magic stored in the shadows.

  Careful not to jostle his precious cargo, Sels tucked his legs under himself and rocked up onto his feet. The puppy in his left arm let out a low moan but otherwise didn’t react.

  He carried the ball of fire out into the sunshine, passing several Jegera nursing singed fur and burned paws. Their eyes widened at the sight of the flames in his hands and they fled away from him in panic.

  The sun did the rest of his job for him, burning up the last of the magic he’d pulled from the shade of the tent. The ball shrunk down and then vanished. He looked up with a smile, meeting the eyes of the stunned crowd. Arara and Yegra stood together, staring at him.

  “Do you know what you’ve done?” Yegra whispered, grabbing his free arm and pulling him away. “We need to run.”

  “What?” Sels dug in his heels and looked at Arara, who darted forward and physically pushed him after Yegra.

  “You used your magic to harm little children!” A male Jegera snarled, stalking out of the booth towards Sels, pointing to the puppy he still cradled. Smoke still wafted up from her burns and her blood was staining the sleeve of his tunic.

  “And then you tried to burn down the marketplace!”

  “Um,” Sels tried to turn and address the man, but between Arara and Yegra prodding him forward he kept losing track of him. “Someone hit me from behind then started stealing my gems. I just reacted. I didn’t know they were puppies. Anyway, I put out the fire, and I’m taking this one to a healer right now.”

  More Jegera had gathered behind the big male, an angry tilt to their heads and their claws were unsheathed. Sels gulped, finally understanding why Yegra and Arara were so insistent they get out of there. Arara shoved him again, and this time Sels made an effort to stumble after her and away.

  But the crowd had thickened around them, and three more males stopped them.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” One of them growled.

  “You rich Kin think you can just come in and throw your magic around,” Snarled the first male from behind them.

  “Just because the law lets you get away with anything! You hurt our puppies; you know us poor folk can’t afford healing, but you’ll just get a slap on the wrist. Not this time. We aren’t going to let this go unpunished.”

  “It was an accident!” Sels insisted again, knowing it wouldn’t do any good. He held up his free hand, slowly backing away while Arara and Yegra subtly positioned themselves in front of him. “I’ll pay for her healing and I’ll replace anything that burned. I’m—” he was going to say his name, but a thrown rock whizzed by, barely missing his head.

  Sels tensed, trying to gather magic but nothing remained.

  Arara pushed him even as she blocked another rock with her mental powers. Sels hugged the moaning puppy to his chest with both hands and turned, sprinting off away from the protection of his bonded.

  ARARA THREW A MIND wall up in front of the Jegera advancing on her, then turned and bolted after Sels. The barrier wouldn’t stop them for long; as she retreated from her wall it would lose power. Even now she could feel the mob pounding on it and hear their confused cries when they hit her force field. She’d been told it felt like a spongy invisible wall.

  Panic bubbled through their bond from Sels. Cries of “he’s getting away” and hunting howls came from behind them.

  Yegra sent to Arara. Yegra’s long legs carried her past Arara and Sels, but to Arara’s surprise she circled them back the way they’d come, to the burned out toy-seller’s stall.

  Yegra called, hopping onto the table. The old Kin merchant was just peeking his head out from under it when Yegra sailed over his head. He swore and ducked back underneath. The table wobbled as she landed and the few figures that remained toppled over.

  The tent had backed up on the stone walls of the market. On the other side were mud-dabble brick dens with slated roofs. By running along up-top they’d be able to get out of the market and avoid the thick street traffic while getting away from the mob. Yegra jumped, easily clearing the ten tails up to the top of the wall.

  Sels leapt onto the table after Yegra with a surprising amount of grace. He took two steps and jumped up, one hand outstretched towards Yegra’s
waiting paw. Without help he wouldn’t have made it, but Arara mentally reached out and shoved him up until his hand caught Yegra's. Yegra pulled him up the rest of the way, muscles bulging under her gray fur. The effort of holding back the pursuers and pushing Sels left Arara drained and woozy, but she couldn’t pause to catch her breath.

  The table came up to her chest, too high for her to clear like Sels and Yegra had with their longer legs. Just then her wall wavered and fell; the shock of it failing felt like a punch to the head. The mob closed in behind as Arara climbed up on the table. A snarling female leapt at Arara. Snapping teeth closed a hair’s breadth from her tail as Arara jumped. Panic caused her to over-compensate on her mental push and the Jegera gapped in surprise as Arara flew up and away.

  She overshot, tumbling over both Sels and Yegra, and even over the top of the roof’s peak. Tiles cracked and broke under her landing, sending a cascade of shards rolling down the sloped surface. Arara scrambled for purchase on the slick tiles, but the way they overlapped to keep the rain out meant there were no cracks to grab and the tiles were too hard for her claws to penetrate.

  Yegra grabbed her by the scruff of her neck, pulling her up to the point where she could get her footing.

  They ran along the peak of the roof, jumping the tail length space between dens. The tiles had been soaking up the heat of the mid-day sun and they burned the pads of her feet as they ran. Ahead of her Yegra was having the same problem, leaving tacky imprints of blood behind with each step.

  Sels, still carrying the injured puppy, kept having trouble balancing on the sloping roofs and several times Arara or Yegra had to rush to his side and support him, lest he fall off and kill both himself and the puppy.

  Even worse, the determined mob was following them through the market on the other side of the wall. The mob was slowed by the throngs of shoppers, carts and other obstacles while the roofs were clear, so they easily pulled ahead of their pursuers. However, more and more Jegera were joining the chase all the time as the mob pointed them out on the roof and then pointed back towards the smoke still rising from the burned stalls.