by Callie Kanno
“How will they survive in this awful place?” asked Adesina in a quiet voice. “They are on the verge of starving as it is.”
“Some of them will not survive,” admitted Ravi, his expression sorrowful, “but that is their decision to make.”
“It is the wrong choice,” she insisted.
“Perhaps,” the Rashad allowed.
“Is there anything we can to do make them all go?”
He shook his head. “No, dear one. The choice may not be the one that you would have them make, but it is important that it be their own.”
“Even if it results in their deaths?”
Ravi inclined his head. “Even then.”
Adesina clenched her fists in anger and frustration. She did not know how Ravi could be so calm in the face of such stubborn ignorance. “So many of them have died already. Thousands. How can I turn my back on them again?”
“The attack on the High City was not your fault, Ma’eve,” he reminded her.
She folded her arms across her chest. “I know, but I cannot help but wonder if I could have saved them.”
The feline quirked an eyebrow. “From an entire squad of Shimat? Not likely.”
“I could have saved some of them,” she amended. “Maybe even hundreds.”
“It was not in your path to do so.”
That didn’t make Adesina feel any better. Ravi had once told her that sometimes one could not realize the importance of certain decisions until much later in life. She was still seeing repercussions of choices she had made five or six years ago, and it made her feel so helpless.
Ravi had called it the Labyrinth of Destiny. He said that each choice was a different path in the maze of life. Once the decision was made, there was no option but to follow the path until a new choice was presented.
Her choices had led her to leave the High City mere weeks before the attack occurred. Now the city was in ruins, and most of its citizens were dead.
Ravi seemed to sense her train of thought. “You are not taking into account the choices of others, Ma’eve. You believe that your decision alone resulted in the attack of the High City, but that is not true. What of Faryl’s decision to hide there, when she knew she was a target of the Shimat? What of the governors’ decision to minimize military support in the city? What of the choices of the Shimat?”
The weight of his words began to sink in, and Adesina paused. “I had not considered that.”
“It would be wise for you to do so,” Ravi replied in a reasonable tone of voice. “You must certainly take responsibility for your own choices, but you cannot do the same for the choices of others.”
“You are right, my friend,” Adesina said with a heavy heart, “but it still pains me to see so much needless suffering.”
The Rashad gave one of his amused and thoughtful glances. “Some might argue that no suffering is without purpose.”
The young woman rolled her eyes. “I know better than to get into a philosophical argument with you.”
“Then listen to what I have to say,” urged her guardian. “The taking of a life is always a tragedy, but the lives that were spared have the opportunity to take that unspeakable experience and allow it to change them into something greater than before. The fires of such a horrifying event can destroy a spirit or forge it into a thing of strength and beauty. That decision is up to each individual.
“Some of the survivors of the High City are still wallowing in sorrow, letting it define them. Others engulf themselves in the present, acting as though the past never happened. True strength lies between these two extremes. Those who are able to find balance in their lives—between past, present, and future—they are the ones who are truly able to move forward.”
Adesina knew that he was not only speaking of the people of the High City. Her own past continued to haunt her, even after all these years.
“How does one do that?” she asked in a whisper.
Ravi’s golden eyes were full of understanding and empathy. “It is different for every individual.” After a brief moment of silence, he continued in a more conversational tone. “It is clear that only some of the refugees are prepared to move forward at this time. Some have shown that readiness by agreeing to go to the L’avan settlement, others have shown it by deciding to stay in Emerald Harbor.”
Adesina frowned. “How can deciding to stay in this awful place be a sign of moving forward?”
“They have accepted this as their new home, and are determined to make the most of it. That is an honorable thing to do, Ma’eve.”
She went over his statement again in her mind. “Are you saying that some of the people who agreed to go to the settlement are still not moving on?”
He inclined his head. “This is also true of some of them.”
The young queen threw up her hands in frustration. “How can I help them when they do not know their own minds?”
Ravi laughed in a good-natured manner. “You cannot help everyone, dear one. We are all here to help one another, according to our strengths. That means that sometimes it is up to someone else to assist those we care about.”
“What do I do, if not help them?”
He hesitated, looking up at the stars with a meaningful expression on his face. “Offer advice on how to travel safely; show them how to arrange for provisions.”
“And then?”
“Then, we shall continue on our journey.”
Chapter Sixteen: Suvi
Although Adesina had seen many ships throughout her life, she had never before stood on one. The constant motion was disorienting, and it made her feel slightly ill. The invigorating breeze helped her to keep her stomach under control, but she worried that it would be a long and unpleasant journey.
The sight of land was fading rapidly. Zephyr was designed for speed and maneuverability, due to the dangers of the open water. Now that the ship was well underway, the bustle of the crew began to slow to a steadier pace.
Adesina glanced over at Kendan, whose face had taken on a greenish hue.
“Are you all right?”
His jaw was clenched and there were beads of sweat forming on his brow. He tried to look calm, but he soon ran to the side of the vessel and emptied his stomach into the ocean.
Kendan wasn’t the only one who was violently seasick. Mar’sal and Maizah were also looking pale and nauseated.
Than’os helped Kendan and Mar’sal to their shared quarters, and Faryl took care of Maizah. Adesina wanted to help as well, but she felt it wise to stay in the cool air of the deck. Ravi looked slightly amused as she clenched the railing, her knuckles slowly turning white.
“Are you going to sick up?”
The young queen turned and saw the same blonde girl from when the ship had landed in Emerald Harbor. Upon closer inspection, Adesina could see that she had a sprinkle of freckles across the bridge of her nose and clear blue eyes. Her complexion was fair, even though she must have had constant exposure to the sun, and her hands were rough with hard work. She looked at the L’avan with open curiosity, exuding a sense of self-confidence.
“I might,” admitted Adesina.
“Have you not been on a ship before?”
She shook her head, trying to maintain her composure.
The teenage girl laughed. “You landers are soft. You ride horses, yes? Is it not the same?”
The girl had a strange, lilting accent, and Adesina had to concentrate to understand what she was saying. “No, it is not the same as riding a horse. It is very different.”
“Looks the same,” shrugged the girl.
“Have you never ridden a horse?” asked the young queen.
“No,” answered the teenager cheerfully. “I do not often leave this ship. Riding horses looks like it would be the same kind of swaying, though.”
Adesina smiled. “What is your name?”
“Suvi,” was the prompt reply. “Yours?”
“Adesina.”
“Well met,” she said, brushing a strand
of blonde hair out of her eyes.
The L’avan queen grinned, taking a liking to the friendly and blunt girl. “You grew up on this ship, Suvi?”
She gave a nod. “All my life. Pa used to strap me to his back when I was a baby, and he would go about his work like it was nothing.”
“Who is your father?”
“Satosh, the first mate.”
Adesina recalled the small man with some surprise. “Satosh is your father?”
“Well…” hedged Suvi, “mostly. He and my real pa grew up together. My pa died before I was born, and my ma died birthing me. Satosh was the only family I had left, so he became my pa.”
The affection in her voice brought a smile to Adesina’s face. “That was very kind of him.”
“He is one of the finest sailors in the world,” stated Suvi in a matter-of-fact tone. “Captain Zulimar says that the greatest mistake anyone could make is underestimating what my pa is capable of doing.”
Adesina didn’t doubt it. She had looked Satosh in the eyes, and she had seen his confidence and his fierce determination. In many ways, he reminded her of Sa’jan, her dear friend who had died during the rescue mission five years ago.
There was a brief lull in the conversation. Adesina used the time to remind herself that she had learned strict control over her body from the time she was a child. It would not do to lose that control now and empty her stomach into the sea.
Suvi studied her with an openly curious expression. “I have never seen anyone who looks like you.”
The L’avan queen smiled. “I am not surprised. My people have been isolated for centuries.”
“I heard that you are magic-users, but I thought that humans could not use magic. Are you not human?”
It was an interesting question, and Adesina wasn’t exactly sure of the answer. The sons of L’avan were human, but the Serraf were not. The L’avan race descended from those two groups of people. Did that make her half-human?
She turned to Ravi, and he could see her puzzlement. He answered, “The L’avan are human by culture, and half-human by blood.”
Suvi’s eyes grew wide. “You can talk!”
The Rashad nodded. “All of my people can.”
“I thought you were a pet,” the girl admitted sheepishly.
“An easy mistake to make,” he reassured her.
“My people are called the L’avan, and yes, we are magic-users,” explained Adesina. “This is Ravi, and he is my guardian. All of his people, the Rashad, act as guardians for my people.”
“All of your people have Rashad following them around?”
The young queen laughed. “Well, no. They act as general guardians. Ravi stays with me because we have a special bond.”
“It is my calling to protect Adesina personally,” added Ravi, “but that rarely happens with others.”
Suvi processed this information and nodded slowly. “So, you are only half-human, and that is why you can use magic.”
“Surely there are other humans who can use magic,” Adesina said to Ravi. “After all, what about Maizah’s ability to sense vyala?”
“There are only two ways that humans can use vyala, or magic, as you say,” instructed Ravi. “The first way is through blood, such as in the case of the L’avan. Maizah must have a distant ancestor who was a magical creature, and that is how she has her ability.”
Adesina made a sound of understanding.
He continued, “The second way is through contract. A human can make a blood vow with a magical creature, thereby gaining their powers. However, such contracts have not existed for many centuries.”
Suvi didn’t look as though she understood the finer points of what was being discussed, but that didn’t seem to bother her. She leaned forward eagerly. “Could you show me some magic?”
The L’avan enjoyed her youthful enthusiasm. “What would you like to see?”
Her brow furrowed in concentration. “Hmmmm. Could you make it nighttime?”
Adesina chuckled. “No, that is beyond my ability. Think of something smaller.”
The girl gave it some more thought. “Could you make me a flower? I have only ever seen them from far away, and I would like to have one.”
It was Adesina’s turn to pause, as she considered how to grant Suvi’s simple desire. She had the ability to make simple transformations, if she had the right base materials. Would it be possible to create a flower out of the supplies she carried?
An idea came to her mind and she asked Suvi, “Do you have a small container?”
A grin broke across her youthful face, and she ran off to fetch one. Adesina turned her attention inward and summoned her vyala. She had never attempted anything like this before, and she wasn’t sure she would succeed. Her vision took on a dark red tinge, and she used her power to gently summon millions of particles from the bottom of the ocean.
Suvi came running back with a small crate that easily fit in her hands. “Would this work?”
The L’avan nodded. “Bring it here and hold it still.”
Suvi obeyed, staring at Adesina’s eyes with an expression of wonder. The metallic purple and gold were glowing, and dark red swirled in fluid motions.
It took some time to summon enough particles, and to do it in a manner that wouldn’t upset the surrounding area. The three of them waited patiently until the dirt rose up out of the water and settled into the crate. The girl’s eyes grew even wider as she watched, but she made sure to hold very still.
Adesina reached into one of her pouches and pulled out a pod that came from a poppy plant. She carried it with her because she could use it to brew an analgesic. She cracked the pod open and took out a tiny seed from within. She showed Suvi how to plant it in the soil, and then she concentrated on changing the form of her vyala to a gold color.
“You will need to alter its nature,” advised Ravi. “She will only have salt water for it.”
Adesina followed his advice, and accordingly switched her vyala back to dark red. The tiny seed filled the vision of her mind’s eye, and she studied its botany with care. She made a miniscule change, and then another, and then another. Then she studied it again, making sure that she had not altered it too much.
With her powers switching to gold’s pure energy, she fed a thin stream into the dormant seed, waking it to life. It drank up the nutrients as it grew and sprouted, but it relied heavily on the thread of magic coming from Adesina.
Suvi gasped as a sprout appeared in the soil, growing taller and unfurling leaves. The growth began to slow, culminating with the blossoming of a vibrant red flower with a black center. The blossom gave an alluring smell, and Suvi breathed it deeply.
“Suvi,” came a stern voice.
They all turned and saw Satosh walking towards them.
“There is work to be done, girl. Why are you standing around bothering the passengers?”
The teenager didn’t seem affected by the reprimand. She held out the plant with childlike joy on her face. “Look, Pa. They made me a flower with magic!”
Satosh’s expression softened and he gave her a special look, one filled with fatherly affection. “That was very kind of them. Take it to our quarters and then get back to work.”
Suvi hurried off, taking care not to jostle the newly grown plant as she went. Satosh turned to Adesina and gave her a grateful nod.
“Thank you for that, but I am afraid that it will not live long. All of our fresh water is reserved for drinking, and Captain probably will not spare any for a flower.”
“We took that into consideration,” stated Ravi. “It will survive just as well with salt water from the ocean.”
The small man appeared pleased as he nodded again. “I appreciate your forethought. She is a good girl, and she does not have many pleasures. I would send her away from this life, but she has no other family or friends. We only have each other.”
“Have you ever considered leaving this life, yourself?” asked Adesina.
He gave a short,
barking laugh. “The sea is in my blood. Even if it were not, though, I doubt I could leave in good conscience. Someone like me is limited in the type of work they are allowed to do. I might get a job in a mine, crawling through small spaces, and I would probably be dead within a year.”
“The ocean is quite perilous as well,” pointed out Ravi.
Satosh gave a derisive snort. “Yes, but she only kills fools. On a ship I am one of the most valuable members of the crew. I can do the standard work like any other man, but I have the added advantage of being small and athletic. That allows me to do the tasks that a bigger man would have trouble managing.”
Adesina pursed her lips. “It still does not seem fair to a young girl.”
His expression spoke of his agreement. “I know it. I would wish her to have a normal life, but a child needs family most of all. I teach her everything I know, and perhaps when she is grown she will leave this life behind and settle down in some village somewhere.”
There was a brief pause as Adesina reflected on her interaction with Suvi.
“She has a very accepting heart.”
Satosh, who was tightening ropes and tying knots with a deft flick of his wrist, looked up in surprise. He had assumed the conversation was over.
“Yes, she does.”
“I have never seen anyone so open to my people. She had no fears or preconceptions about magic-users.”
The sailor gave a small smirk. “I suppose it is all those stories I have told her over the years.”
“Stories?”
He gave a modest shrug. “I am a bit of an amateur historian. I study it wherever I go, and I often tell the tales I have learned to her before we go to sleep.”
Ravi studied the man carefully with his large golden eyes. “We would be honored if you would take the time to share a few stories with us.”
Satosh didn’t appear to notice the Rashad’s scrutiny. “If we have a free evening, I would not be opposed.” He gave a careless wave and went back to his duties.
Adesina watched him go, her thoughts still on his adopted daughter.
“Do you think that Suvi’s attitude of magic-users is unique?” she asked her guardian.
