“Where is Panchon?” Gobi shrieked.
Kamo’s grip weakened with each of the tree’s tremors. From what she could see, Rolin didn’t have much strength left either. His knuckles were white with strain, and a small bead of sweat dripped from his forehead.
Kamo looked into the trees in desperation, squinting as far as she could for any head of green hair.
“I don’t know, but if he isn’t here soon, we’ll need a new plan!” she shouted up to Gobi.
Suddenly, a stone crashed beneath her. She looked down over the tree branch and saw pebbles flying at each of the giants’ faces. She looked into the forest, and green-haired elves rose from the ground, blooming like flowers, armed with slings and bows. Though the small pebbles didn’t seem to damage the giants, they certainly caught their attention. The giants righted the tree with a swing back into place and charged the Earth elves.
Kamo shut her eyes, waiting to hear the crunch of stone on bone, but instead, she heard a loud clap. When she opened her eyes, clouds of dust filled the air below.
“Panchon, is that you?” she cried.
“Yes, you can come down now!” he shouted up. “Although you might want to wait until the dust settles, it’s murder on the lungs!”
With a sigh of relief, Kamo climbed down a branch and sat with both legs extending down the length of the limb, letting her arms hang at her side. Gobi copied her three branches higher, and Rolin slowly shimmied to the trunk and sank with one leg on either side of the branch.
It didn’t take long for the dust to settle, and Kamo, Rolin, and Gobi were content to rest high in the tree.
“Sorry we couldn’t come sooner,” Panchon called as the clouds dissipated at his feet. “We cut off the cavalry at the source, but these slipped by.”
Kamo looked down at him and saw his shimmering gray eyes sincere with regret.
She climbed down the tree, its remaining bark and limbs covered in gray dust, and jumped to the ground next to him.
“You came just in time,” she said. “How did you do that, by the way? Whatever it is that you did…” She wiped the dust from her hands onto her trousers.
“In Blosso, there’s a method for shaping earth and stone,” Panchon said, “ We just shaped that stone into dust.”
Kamo’s arms and hands burned with exhaustion, and she stretched her fingers to their fullest extent.
“You can manipulate earth,” Kamo said, “with magic?”
“Me and my clan, yes,” Panchon replied. “Any elf of royal lineage has the magic to control the element of his tribe, but I’m guessing you’re becoming more familiar with that concept as of late? You should have studied your history.”
Kamo laughed as she remembered Pacha scolding her lack of study. She had reminded Kamo of the Fire elves’ power at the fountain. Sheelo tutored her in Sea elf history, and she could vaguely recall his voice, mentioning something about the great, royal Sea elves wielding their magic to calm the sea and storms. He hadn’t told her much beyond that. He said it was no use talking about things she didn’t have and wouldn’t need to know.
But I do have them.
“I never paid attention to it, unfortunately,” she said with regret. “If you all wield magic, does that mean your entire clan is of the royal line?”
“Yes,” he answered. “You have magic, yes? Didn’t you grow up in the Sea elf kingdom? Surely your leaders shared their magic and talents with the rest of the tribe. That’s why they wield them, to keep you safe.”
“Yes, I do have magic. But I haven’t explored it,” she said. “ And honestly, I didn’t spend a lot of time in the kingdom on the islands. My mother and father let me learn to sail early, and I spent most of my youth with my captain and my parents on a ship. They weren’t royalty.”
“I see,” Panchon replied. “So you just discovered your magic. You must be curious to see how it will change you.”
“I suppose I am.”
Kamo examined her hand and thought about Pacha. She shut her eyes and drowned out the noise of the chattering elves and Gobi and Rolin climbing down the tree. Pacha had said something. Something about the old her, something about the life she knew as a Sea elf and how that blood ran in her veins as well as the fire.
Kamo opened her eyes. Panchon had moved further off to join his men. Rolin jumped down next to her, and he took her by the shoulders.
“Are you all right?” he said, stroking her cheek.
“I’m fine, thanks for asking,” Gobi cut in behind him. “Just a little shaky from the near-death experience. I’ll be fine.”
Rolin turned to him and gave him a once-over. “Good,” he said lightly.
“I’m fine, Rolin. I just need to go and rinse my hands,” Kamo told him. “Why don’t you sit down for a while?”
Rolin nodded, almost collapsing onto his knees. An Earth elf ran over to him and offered him a waterskin.
Kamo took a deep breath and walked for the stream they had left behind on the trail.
You were just full of secrets, weren’t you, Sheelo.
She could hear Sheelo’s and Morro’s objection in her head.
“We wanted to protect you. We thought if you didn’t know how to use the magic, you’d never discover your identity. And, if by any chance the king did find you, you’d look like a civilian.”
I could have helped you. I could have saved you. If Panchon can grind giants into dust with a flick of his wrist, I could have saved thousands of lives– thousands of fleets.
There was no retort in her head.
As she approached the stream, her palm was warm, and her fingertips pulsed with energy. She dipped her hand into the icy stream, still barely trickling in some places, frozen solid in others. Steam rose from her hand. The cold water didn’t sting. It was as if the ice couldn’t extinguish the heat in her palm.
Pacha said magic is related to my emotions.
She thought of Sheelo, of Morro, of their lies about her life, about their lack of trust. She kept her hand poised over the stream, not knowing what to expect of the Sea magic in her fingers. But the angrier she got, the more fiery flames shot from her fingers and into the stream below her hand.
This is impossible. It’s useless. Perhaps magic only comes from the father’s line.
She stood and began to walk toward the Earth elves, Rolin, and Gobi. Rolin sat with his back to a tree, and Gobi recounted the events that led to them climbing the tree.
“He just crushed the boulder into a thousand pieces, and that’s when we knew we were in some trouble…”
Rolin’s eyes were closed as she approached him, and she tried to sit quietly next to him, careful not to disturb him.
“Long rinse, love,” he whispered, his eyes still closed.
“I was just trying something new,” Kamo said. “It was Panchon’s idea, but it didn’t really work the way I wanted it to.”
“Maybe he could help you,” Rolin said, opening his eyes to look at her. “He could help you control the magic, and you could enter the competition at the festival.”
“Hm,” Kamo said thoughtfully. “I suppose he could.”
“Let’s go find him.”
Kamo slowly got to her feet. She watched him. Even covered in dust and exhausted, he looked suave and confident. She offered her hand to help him stand, and he took it. She pulled him up, and they came almost nose to nose.
“You really want that kiss, don’t you,” Rolin winked.
Kamo let go of his hand and turned quickly to search for Panchon. “You wish.”
Rolin chuckled. “You’re not wrong, love.”
Kamo smiled to herself, and they walked over to Gobi and the growing crowd of elves around him.
“Has anyone seen Panchon?” Kamo interrupted as Gobi took a deep breath between sentences.
“He’s up the mountain a little way,” the youngest elf shouted. Her short, green hair was still shiny and prim even after the destruction and dust. “I think he wanted to see if it was safe to camp he
re for the rest of the day.”
“Thanks,” said Kamo.
She and Rolin made their way up the trail around a small bend and found Panchon on his knees facing away from them, his head bowed.
“Ah-hrm,” Kamo cleared her throat.
Panchon didn’t move, but his voice floated over to Kamo. “I would be honored to serve you, Kamo.”
“How did you—?”
Panchon stood and turned to face her.
“I may not have the gift of seership to the same extent as my mother, but in a meditative state, I can catch glimpses, sometimes thoughts. You want me to help you hone your newly discovered magic.”
Kamo nodded, not bothering to hide her amazement. “Pacha didn’t tell me very much about how to control it,” she started. “She only said that magic is closely tied to emotions and people and things we love.”
“She’s right,” Panchon said. “So to control the magic, we must have control of our emotions. We must channel them into the energy. Otherwise, it’s chaos and destruction.”
Kamo nodded again and looked at the ground.
“We are going to meditate,” Panchon instructed. “Major Ankor, you are welcome to join us.”
Rolin squinted at Panchon, and tilted his head.
“As I said, I catch glimpses. Your rank is no surprise to me. You may join our meditation regardless. Though as far as I know, humans don’t wield magic, so your meditation would be simply for a clearer mind.”
Panchon sat on the ground in the same spot he had been kneeling. Kamo walked closer to him and sat across from him. She looked at Rolin, who hadn’t moved since Panchon’s invitation.
“Rolin, you really are welcome to stay,” Kamo said.
“Maybe this is something you need to do by yourself,” he replied, palming the back of his neck and tilting his head. He smiled weakly and turned to walk away.
“Please, stay,” Kamo called softly. He stopped walking but still faced away from them.
Panchon peered at Kamo and then at Rolin.
“The calm in the storm,” Panchon murmured. Kamo looked at him with questioning eyes.
“Rolin,” he called, “I think it would be most beneficial to the princess if you stayed here with her.”
Rolin turned to face them and walked in their direction.
“If you say so,” he shrugged. “I just don’t want to intrude.”
As he sat down, Kamo reached for his hand and squeezed it.
“You’re not intruding,” she said, “believe me, I would let you know if you were.”
She smiled at him sincerely and let go of his hand. The corner of his mouth perked up, and both of them turned their attention solemnly to Panchon.
He sat cross-legged on the ground, and both his hands rested easily on his knees, palms to the sky.
“To be in tune with your emotions and your magic, you must first be in tune with your surroundings,” he taught. “Close your eyes, and listen and feel for everything around you.”
Rolin and Kamo mimicked his position with their legs and hands and closed their eyes.
At first, Kamo’s mind was restless, and she could only hear her breath. Then Rolin’s. His breathing was steady and unlabored, the rhythm easy and calm. Kamo’s breathing fell into rhythm with his, and soon there was only one breath that Kamo could hear. She concentrated on that rhythm, and soon she discovered other sounds around her that either fell in sync or jarred against their inhales and exhales. The stream, far off to their right, flowed slowly, its trickles constant and quiet. Occasionally, a bird cawed somewhere in the distance, not startling her but interrupting the smooth rhythm of her breathing.
“What do you sense?” Panchon asked them quietly, his voice flowing with the rhythm Kamo felt.
“The stream,” Kamo said.
“The trees.”
Kamo listened again.
How can Rolin hear the trees?
She concentrated on the pine trees around them. At first, they were silent. But then, it was as if her ears became unplugged, and the sounds of the trees came to life. Wind rustled through the branches, high and low. Pine cones fell to the ground. Eager squirrels and other tiny beasts scurried across the limbs, gathering any items that may aid them.
“Keep breathing,” Panchon’s voice fluttered, “and explore your emotions. Let them rise to the surface, but don’t let them overtake you. Let them come, and let them pass.”
Kamo tried to follow his instructions. She continued to breathe deeply, letting emotions wash over her anew. Peace, from Rolin. Happiness, at the memories of her childhood and youth. Intense sadness and longing for her family. Anger at their secrets and deception. They flowed through her, jumbled and wild, and still, she breathed, relaxing her hands. She allowed each emotion to fill her completely before the next one took its place. Tears began to stream down her cheeks as she recalled so vividly each of the faces of those she loved. And still, she breathed. Gobi, offering a hand of friendship when no one else would. Rolin, striding toward her at the table where they first met, confident and sure. Sheelo teaching her to tie knots, Kulpa ladling warm soup after a storm. The memories encompassed her.
“Open your eyes,” said Panchon.
As Kamo followed his instruction, a sunbeam peeked around a cloud, shining light into their peaceful grove.
“Each day, you must meditate. It is the only way to harness the power in the emotions you feel,” he explained. “If you do not harness it, your emotions will run rampant, as will your magic.”
Kamo bowed her head in understanding. Panchon then stood and gestured to each of them to do the same.
“Now that we have meditated, let’s start with something small,” he said. “Kamo, can you ignite one finger in flame?”
Kamo smiled in surprise and snapped her fingers. A flame appeared, and Rolin raised his eyebrows and nodded, obviously impressed with the move.
“Good, I see you have harnessed at least some of your anger,” Panchon pointed out. “Can you do the whole hand?”
At this question, Rolin stepped slightly backward.
Kamo closed her eyes and willed the flame to grow through her whole hand, but one lonely finger still burned when she opened them again.
“Sometimes we can trick our minds into certain emotions,” he said, undeterred. “Imagine that someone you love needs your protection, and then try.”
Kamo looked at Rolin and closed her eyes again. She felt a spark jump from one finger to the next, but it flickered out.
Rolin can protect himself.
She thought of Kulpa, and this time, she felt the flames envelop every finger and work their way toward her wrist. When she opened her eyes, Rolin was staring at her burning hand, and Panchon was smiling.
“Now the tricky part,” Panchon said, wagging a finger, “is putting out the fire.”
Kamo flicked her wrist and swept her fingers into a fist, taking a deep breath. The fire flickered out.
“Impressive,” Panchon said. “Though I suppose that the Sea in you is balancing the Fire.”
“What do you mean?” Kamo asked. “I’ve never done anything with water. Perhaps you know, is magic passed from the father and not the mother?”
“You’ve tried to control water, too?” Panchon asked curiously.
“Well, yes, once,” Kamo sputtered, “but it just kept coming up flames.”
“Interesting,” Panchon murmured, stroking his chin. “Let me ask you. When you want to summon the fire from your fingers, which emotion are you harnessing?”
“Anger, I think,” Kamo answered, “why?”
“Follow me,” Panchon said, walking toward the stream.
Kamo and Rolin followed, exchanging confused and excited glances.
Panchon knelt near the stream, and Kamo knelt near him. Rolin stood behind Kamo, his hands casually resting on the hilt of his sword.
“Kamo, hold your hand over the water and close your eyes,” Panchon said.
Kamo obeyed, keeping her breathing
steady.
“If I am correct, your Sea elf magic will manifest in just a moment,” Panchon said. “Your fire presents itself in times of anger and bitterness. I think your sea magic will be the opposite. Try to recall to memory the happiest, most peaceful moments in your life, and channel that energy to your hand.”
Immediately Kamo pictured her sisters and her parents. She saw them sailing with her, and she breathed in the soothing ocean air. She saw Sheelo hunched over maps in the fire light, and she climbed through the caverns of Bellia with Kali and Kara. Then, a man smiled at her with sparkling teeth, offering his hand. This same man appeared again, sitting next to her at a campfire, kissing her cheek.
“Kamo,” Panchon whispered, “Open your eyes.”
She obeyed again and nearly fell backward at the sight of water suspended in mid-air. It was as if she had taken the stream and strung it up in tiny droplets of frozen water, still dripping from the string. Not only the water in front of her: the stream looked like a net of water droplets when she followed it in both directions. Kamo twisted her wrist, and the columns of droplets rotated to mimic it. She straightened her wrist, and the beadlets were again falling perpendicular to the ground, suspended only by her fingers holding them invisibly in place. She dropped her hand gently to her knee, and the water fell back into the streambed, resuming its slow and steady course.
She looked up at Rolin. He beamed at her with pride and awe. She looked at Panchon, who had a smug smile on his face.
“I told you so.”
“How did I do that?” Kamo asked, staring at the moving stream.
“It’s simple, really,” Panchon said, “happiness is not a volatile emotion. It doesn’t need harnessing as much as it needs to be remembered and enjoyed. It probably also doesn’t hurt that most of your happier memories involve the element which you seek to control. Most of them,” he smiled. “But I think that’s enough for today. You are welcome, of course, to practice on your own, but I would focus your energies on the magic that comes more easily. You seem to have a knack for manipulating water, so my methods will best be suited to teaching you how to harness the fire.”
“Thank you for your help today, Panchon,” said Kamo. “With everything.”
The Last of the Sea Elves Page 13
