by S. S. Segran
Jag raised an eyebrow. “Reminds me of someone else I know.” He, Aari, Tegan and Mariah cast meaningful looks at Kody.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kody protested, prompting another round of laughter. This time, the teenagers joined in.
With the atmosphere now more relaxed, Nageau leaned back in his seat. “We do not intend to let your questions go unanswered, but we will enlighten you in due course. There is a saying amongst our people: ‘Only the patient bear catches the leaping salmon.’ But even then, he has to be at the right place and at the right time.” Nageau smiled as the friends nodded. “So, how long have you known each other?”
Jag drummed his fingers on his lap. “Since we were little. Our parents are close friends.”
“Where you come from, do you all spend much time together?”
Aari nodded. “Absolutely.”
Tikina smiled, then turned to Kody. “Huyani has told me that you are a food enthusiast. Do—”
The friends burst into peals of laughter until they were gasping for air. Tegan exclaimed, “Enthusiast? You’re being way too kind.”
Kody gave her a resentful look and Aari had to hold him back from lunging at her as she laughed gaily.
Mariah jumped in. “Well, what Huyani told you is right. Back where we come from, pretty much everyone knows about his love for food. The real question is, where does he hide all those calories? I mean, get a load of this.” She lifted one of Kody’s arms. “Look at that. They’re like chicken wings.”
Kody snatched his arm back, mumbling something unintelligible.
Nageau translated for the other Elders, most of whom broke into guffaws. Tikina collected herself after a few moments. “Now, let Kody speak for himself on this one,” she said. “So Kody, what are your other interests?”
Darting a glance at his friends, relieved that he finally had a say, he replied, “I’m into sports, like ice hockey—”
“What is that?” Akol asked, leaning in inquisitively.
Kody proceeded to describe the game enthusiastically. A bemused Akol nodded and commented, “It sounds fast-paced. Do many people participate?”
Kody grinned. “It’s pretty popular where I come from. And you’re right, it’s one of the fastest team sports in the world.”
“You need to clarify that you enjoy watching sports,” Jag said with a chuckle.
“Details, details.”
“What more do you enjoy?” Akol asked.
After a moment’s thought, Kody said quietly, “I love planes—I grew up around them.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah." His voice grew even softer. “My . . . my dad . . . he was a pilot at the Air Force base near our home. He's been teaching me to fly for a while.”
His friends shifted closer to him. Tegan turned to the Elders. “Kody’s one of those simple guys. Doesn’t hold a grudge, doesn’t take much to keep him happy.”
Tikina nodded at Jag in a manner that seemed cautious, as if she was attempting to avoid the subject of Kody’s father. “And what about you? What do you like?”
Taken aback by the sudden query, Jag shrugged. “I love parkour. These four like watching, but Tegan’s the one who’s started getting into it.”
“What is parkour?” Nageau asked curiously.
“It’s a physical discipline,” Jag answered. “It’s a sport that requires you to overcome obstacles by running and climbing to quickly get from one point to another. My older brother and I train together often.”
“Ah!” Nageau raised his finger and wagged it. “Yes, we are familiar with this. You will be pleased to know that the youths of this village tend to do this routinely. But surely there is more in your scope of interest. Do tell.”
Jag poked himself subconsciously on the cheek. “It’s . . . I’m not very—”
“He’s a really good football player,” Tegan supplied. She gave them a brief rundown of the sport, then added, “He plays for our school team. Says that he enjoys the grueling training, which is weird to me. But to each their own, I guess.”
“You know what I find weird about this guy?” Kody said. “The fact that he’s obsessed with being faster than he already is.”
Nageau raised an eyebrow. “Why would you want that, Jag?”
“It’s not really about wanting speed,” Jag clarified. “It’s more about being sharp, being on the edge and pushing yourself as far as you can physically and mentally. Beating your own record, striving to be better, you know?”
“We can appreciate that,” the Elder said, dipping his head agreeably, then nodded at Mariah, the question not needing to be spoken.
“Oh, my turn?” Mariah tucked her feet under her and hummed quietly as she pondered. “Uh, well . . . I’m usually surrounded by books. All of us read, but I’m pretty sure Aari and I read the most. Horseback riding’s my thing as well and Tegan’s picking it up, too. But the guys are too scared to give it a shot.”
“Not true,” Kody argued. “I was gonna try it this summer, but then we had this trip planned before vacation started.”
“Mmph—I’ll let you get away with that. For now.” Returning her gaze to the Elders, Mariah said, “I also usually don’t back down from challenges. Throw something at me, anything.”
“Okay.” Aari chucked a pebble that he’d found while walking to Huyani’s neyra. He grinned as it hit her smack on the side of her head.
“You’re a complete loser!” she growled. “You know I didn’t mean it literally.” She rubbed her head. “If I could, I would’ve flipped that thing around and made it hit you between the eyes.”
Aari’s grin widened. “Oh, I don’t doubt it. And if you had telekinesis, I think we can all agree that Kody would find himself headfirst in the nearest garbage disposal every time he goes off wise-mouthing.”
The teenagers didn’t catch the look of intrigue the Elders shared. The tribe members sat quietly for a while, observing the friends intently as they spoke amongst themselves. Finding a brief pause in their conversation, Tikina turned to Aari. “And what of you, youngling?”
Aari stretched out his toes. “Eh . . . People always say that I’m big on learning, which is true, I suppose. It’s cool to know how things works. My parents say I’m pretty good with my hands—used to try and build stuff even when I was younger. That’s what happens when you watch a lot of old-school cartoons, I guess.”
“He’s pretty tech-savvy, too,” Jag said.
“I’m a novice compared to everyone else in the field, really . . .”
“And compared to the rest of us, you’re a whiz.”
“Oh, stop it. You’re making me blush.”
Jag cuffed him lightly. A lull ensued, then Saiyu spoke up and Akol translated for the friends. “Elder Saiyu asks if you have any brothers or sisters.”
Surprised by the switch in subjects, the five answered that all had siblings except for Mariah, and she was content that way. “As long as I have either my family or my friends around,” she said, “I’m good to go.”
“What if we’re not with you?” Tegan teased.
Mariah suddenly looked uncomfortable. “I can function, obviously,” she said, though even to her friends her words lacked conviction.
The Elders posed a few more questions to the group and the five freely shared whatever they could, sprinkling the chat with funny stories and banter. After a while, Tikina realized they’d left Tegan out during their earlier conversation and looked at the sixteen-year-old. “We have not forgotten about you, youngling. What do you like? What are your interests?”
Tegan made a funny face. “I thought I got a lucky break, but you got me. I don’t really like talking about myself.” She remained silent for a while, then sighed. “I don’t know . . . I like drawing, I guess, but I really haven’t been doing much of it lately. They’re usually just sketches, anyway. I love animals—I own two big dogs and I volunteer at the rescue shelter often. Oh, and when my uncle used to run a small zoo, my brother and I would
help out a lot, too.” She thought for a moment, then stretched her arms behind her friends’ shoulders. “And I love these knuckleheads. These four—I’d give my life to protect them in a heartbeat.”
On either side of her, Jag and Aari grinned warmly while Kody reached over to ruffle her hair. Growing up in a tight-knit neighborhood with their families as close friends, the group had naturally nurtured a strong bond, and it was a connection they cherished above all else.
Kody’s cheery appearance grew sullen, his green eyes downcast, and he slowly pulled away. His friends looked at him with concern. It must be so hard, Tegan thought, not knowing where or what condition his dad’s in. Mariah and Aari gently pulled him into a group hug with the others and they held him close.
Silence loomed over them until Jag stirred and looked up at the Elders. “Okay,” he said quietly. “You’ve asked many questions, and truthfully, they seemed kind of odd, but we answered them.” He hesitated, then continued. “I guess what I’m trying to say is, you promised you’d answer our questions.”
Nageau smiled kindly at the friends. “You have all gone through a difficult ordeal. You need to rest and recover. Here in our village, you will be safe and cared for. We will answer your questions as promised, but for now, you must restore your energy. When you are revitalized, you will be ready to hear the answers to your questions. We will see each other soon, perhaps tomorrow.”
Upon hearing the finality in his tone, the other Elders stood and smiled at the teenagers, then made their way to the door. Nageau, the only one still sitting, got to his feet, unfolding his six-foot-five frame. He gave the friends a look of assurance and said his goodbye, then led the others out of the neyra.
Mariah squinted at where the Elders had been just moments ago. After a beat, she said, “We practically got ripped off here. I’m kind of tempted to go after them and make them answer our questions.”
Tegan rested an elbow on Mariah’s shoulder to calm her friend and keep her seated, but she, too, was irked at the Elders.
“Well, that wasn’t enlightening whatsoever.” Jag got up and stretched. “Man, I need a walk. Who’s with me?”
Tegan jumped up. “I am. I need some air.” She looked at Huyani and Akol. “May we?”
The siblings squinted at each other, then Huyani said, “You may, but please stick to the path behind the trees. Our valley is large, and the Elders have told us beforehand that we should keep you away from our brethren’s eyes for the time being.”
“We’ll just be around our shelters, then,” Jag said.
“Sure,” Akol said. “We will bring your afternoon meal later. Or would you like to eat here?”
“We’ll have it out there, if you don’t mind.”
“Good as done, my friend.”
The friends said goodbye to the siblings and walked out, heading toward their neyra. They remained silent the whole way, but at last Kody voiced what was on their minds.
“I want to go home.”
11
That evening as the Elders strode together toward their assembly neyra, Ashack became increasingly aware of a pair of mischievous gray eyes on him. He spun around and snapped, “What?”
Tayoka grinned. “What?”
“What?”
“What, what?”
Ashack was about ready to knock the youngest Elder’s head on the nearest tree. “Stop playing games with me, and tell me what!”
“What.”
“Tayoka . . .”
Tayoka’s grin widened. “Well, you told me to tell you ‘What,’ so I did.”
Nageau, Tikina and Saiyu let out hushed laughs. Ashack glared, but Tayoka only did a happy one-handed walkover followed by a handspring.
“What is with you?” Ashack growled, curly black hair being blown every which way by the strong breeze. He tried in vain to push it back into place.
“I do not know, exactly,” Tayoka said, straightening with his hands clasped behind his back, “but I am glad to have met the five younglings. It feels so good to have learned a few things about them.” His festive expression gradually faded. “But it makes me feel a little guilty to be in such a mood when we left them feeling unsettled.”
“While that may be true,” Ashack said, “my concern is for Fiotez’s health at the moment. Does anyone know of his condition?”
“I checked on him earlier today,” Tikina said. The other Elders stopped and listened to her keenly. She gazed along the pathway to their assembly neyra. Tall, elegant spruce trees bordered the sides of the path the Elders were on. Finally, she sighed. “It does not look as if he is faring any better. With what I gathered from Huyani and Saiyu, he is rarely conscious and none of the herbs we are using seem to work. It is uncanny. Our people have lived long and well in this valley; what could possibly be the reason for Fiotez’s condition?”
“Whatever the case, it is crucial that we find a remedy,” Tayoka said. “We do not know if this is contagious. It must be solved quickly before others begin to fall ill.”
Nageau agreed. “And to be safe, we should continue to keep Fiotez in isolation.” He turned to Tikina and Saiyu. “But what of you? Are you and Huyani doing anything to protect yourself while tending to Fiotez?”
Tikina reached for the crystal pendant hanging around her neck and clasped it, then said gently, “We will be fine, my love. We have to take care of this. You know it well.”
Ashack shook his head and softened his features as he put a muscular arm around Saiyu. “We do know. But the situation is potentially unsafe. As Nageau said, you, your granddaughter, and Saiyu risk becoming ill.”
“It is a chance we must take,” Saiyu said firmly, turning to give him a quick hug. To her cohorts, she added, “Come. We have dallied long enough here.”
The Elders started to their assembly neyra again, a long silence taking hold until Ashack saw Nageau’s head snap up as he halted to look at the trees. The other Elders instinctively followed suit.
“What is the matter?” Saiyu asked.
Nageau stood still as he focused on a particular tree not too far behind the Elders. He said nothing for a moment, then slowly turned away and muttered, “I thought I heard something.” With one last scan over the tree line, he continued on, the others falling in step. Ashack brought up the rear and couldn’t help but look back, frowning.
Fifty yards behind them, dark blue eyes had watched their every move and sharp ears had heard their every word. The lithe figure, clad in a sleeveless moose-hide jacket, had leapt like a phantom from one tree to the next, keeping pace with the Elders until, on his last jump, a protruding sliver of bark pierced the skin on his right palm when he landed. He’d bit his lip, hissing in annoyance, and suspected that that was what Nageau had heard. He was furious with himself for being so careless when he knew the Elder had highly sharpened senses. A split-second decision to leap backward to a tree away from the man’s line of sight saved him from being caught.
Now, with the splinter removed and keeping well back, the shadow jumped quietly among the next few trees as the Elders entered their assembly neyra. He waited a few precautionary moments, then descended from his perch.
Lurking in the shadows of the subalpine trees, he calmed himself and entered a meditative state. Nageau had heightened senses; so did he. Focusing on the neyra, he strained to listen in on the Elders’ discussion. Tikina’s voice became audible.
“. . . ‘Shades of Earth, Sky, River, Mist and Fire’, it says. We thought the prophecy was referring to the crystals, but I think we need to see it a little differently . . .”
Inside the neyra, the Elders had just lit a fire and were settling around it. Ashack, seated between Saiyu and Tayoka, frowned. “Please explain.”
Tikina was breathless with animation. “Let us look at the prophecy again, my friends, especially the third line. ‘Gaze upon them for portals that decipher’ . . .” She paused to study the expressions of her companions. The other Elders lowered their heads and watched the fire burning in the pi
t, deep in thought.
Tikina tried a different angle. “Think about this: When you meet someone for the first time, where does your gaze fall?”
“Their face, generally,” Tayoka offered. “And if they smile, their mouths.”
Tikina gave him a friendly wag of the finger. “That is one answer, yes. But try again.”
Saiyu’s countenance lit up with realization. “The eyes!” she exclaimed. Then she paused, tilting her head, and her eyes widened. “What if the shades mentioned in the prophecy refers not to the colors of the crystals, but instead, to the color of the youths’ eyes?”
There was dead silence.
A smile grew on Tikina’s lips. “Exactly.”
“My goodness.” Saiyu shook her head in disbelief. “And it does make sense, does it not? Eyes are portals. They are windows to the soul.”
Nageau smiled admiringly at his mate. “The younglings’ eyes are a perfect reflection of the shades mentioned in the prophecy. Earth is obviously brown, and Sky, blue. Mist is gray. Fire . . .”
“I suppose that would be amber,” Saiyu answered.
Nageau turned to Tikina. “What about River? We have seen different shades of rivers.”
Tikina’s smile turned mysterious. “True. However, what if it is referring to Esroh Lègna, the river in our valley?”
Nageau’s eyebrows rose to his hairline. “Green . . . like the boy Kody’s eyes, perhaps?”
Tikina nodded slowly. “And brown, like Mariah’s.”
Tayoka caught on. “Amber, like Jag’s.”
“And Tegan, her eyes are gray,” Saiyu added.
Ashack, under the eager, hungry looks of the other Elders, reluctantly finished, “And blue, like Aari’s eyes.”
Nageau leaned back in astonishment. “Amazing,” he murmured.
Ashack folded his arms, mouth twisted slightly to one side. “Does anyone else think that this seems too easy?”
“Perhaps,” Tayoka said, “but what are the chances of the events that have happened, happening?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“What I mean is, consider the chain of events that have unfolded. Remember the skycraft that took on the image of Cerraco as it soared overhead?”
