Selexi spoke out of turn. “I say let Miranda go alone as a test of her strength.”
All eyes fell on the Sultana, who held her ground. “You can’t have it both ways, Selexi. If Anaya wants to be Sultana, she has to prove herself.”
Dosha addressed the High Council. “Who is for this quest?”
All High Council members except Selexi nodded in ascent.
Bajo stood. “Both girls will travel to Sarona via sea vessel with a full crew and ample supplies. Whomever comes back with at least ten stones wins the challenge and will be crowned Sultana of Zarada Island.”
“And so it is!” proclaimed Dosha as she rang the gong.
“And so it is!” the members repeated.
Under the Sea
At the crystalline shore, another scorching day had seared and lanced at the already parched Zarada. Two great slashes of setting sunlight brazed the blanket of ocean like gold swords slicing through an enemy. Far out to sea it seemed like any other day, but beneath the waves it was anything but calm.
Two vegetable harvesters of Zarada rode darpons, quick swimming blue sea animals that raced over the ocean and down below, where the wild strands grew. They repeatedly dove below the surface with curved machetes, cutting the few remaining tufts of seaweed from their stems. When their sacks were full, they buoyed up, burst through the surface, and splashed into the air. Then they rode over to the waiting boats, tossing the harvest to women who emptied the plants into large baskets.
“There’s not much left down there,” remarked the first diver. “And it’s getting dark.”
The two divers climbed into the boats, dismissed the darpons back into the wild, and headed to shore.
As the boats arrived, young boys helped the women take the heavy baskets to the sorting house, which was always a buzz of activity. The bounty was unloaded onto a large sorting table where the strips were neatly laid out in rows. Women stood around the piles, pulling the tangled seaweed apart and placing the strips on the racks. Racks were pushed through a double belt, which wrung out the seaweed. They were then placed in drying cylinders, powered by magik crystals found in the high caves. The dried leaves were used to make soup, or sprinkled on land vegetables.
The harvest room supervisor, Janal, inspected the yield, and took notes on the quality and quantity of the plants. A knot formed in the center of her forehead. “It looks like we can last another moon cycle,” she said grimly. She was about to say more, but was interrupted by the familiar sound of low singing, which seeped into the sorting house.
It was the men of Zarada, returning from sea. They spent most of their time traveling, trading goods with people in distant lands. Most famous for their weapons, they were also great traders. This time they brought back spices, herbs, weapons, and cloth. They had managed to bring a small amount of food, which would be rationed and eaten quickly.
The village had always been ruled and run by the women. It was the natural order of things. In times of war men and women combined forces to make a mighty army. However, the women were in charge of the day to day routines and were entrusted by the men to make the best decisions for the island in their absence.
The girls looked up pleadingly at Janal. She knew what they wanted. “Okay, okay,” she said. “Go ahead.”
The women dropped what they were doing and rushed out the door.
“But only for a few minutes!” Janal shouted after them, grinning at their eagerness.
Married women found their husbands, the smaller girls their fathers, and the young ladies their budding romantic interests.
“Alright, men! You have three nights. Make good use of them!” announced Kurad, Satrah’s father. Satrah smiled as she ran up to him, giving him a warm welcome before returning to the sorting hut.
The youngest boys walked toward the village, following their fathers, uncles and grandfathers, shooting slingshots, horsing around, dreaming of coming of age so they too could go on adventures and not have to stay behind. with the women.
Anaya was looking for her boyfriend, Pallo. She didn’t like him all that much, but many of the other girls had romances and she had to keep up an image of having one too. She noticed Grideon, Miranda’s boyfriend, and tried to catch his eye.
Grideon saw Anaya, but kept panning as he walked up the path. He only had eyes for Miranda. Anaya was deflated. Her jealousy bled into every aspect of Miranda’s life. Anaya wanted to take back everything that would have been hers … that still could be hers.
She tried to show enthusiasm when Pallo found her and embraced her; but Pallo was part of her old thinking, a consolation for what she couldn’t have. Now she only wanted one thing, and Pallo wasn’t part of that.
Miranda stood amidst the crowd, searching for Grideon, her intended husband. When she spotted him walking up the path, talking with his friends, her heart melted and warmth permeated her very soul.
Grideon smiled when he saw Miranda waiting for him. He came to her, arms open wide. She fell into his embrace, intertwining her hands behind his back and burying her face in his neck. She inhaled his scent of salt air and worn leather. “I’ve missed you,” she sighed.
Anaya, who had been watching, grabbed Pallo’s hand. “Let’s get out of here.”
“But don’t you have more work to do?” asked Pallo.
“They won’t miss me,” said Anaya as she led him away.
Grideon walked Miranda back to the sorting hut.
“You’re more beautiful than I remembered,” he said as he draped his hand around her waist and kissed her cheek.
Miranda laughed. “How can I be? I am covered in sea vegetables.”
“You’re the most stunning sea creature I’ve ever seen. Maybe I should try it,” he cajoled as he led her back inside. Janal looked up and shook her head. “No no no, Grideon. You can’t be in here.”
“But it smells so nice!”
Janal laughed. “I mean it.”
All the girls stifled chuckles.
He reached into a vat of the discarded, inedible parts of the seaweed and poured a handful on his head, letting the ragged remnants drape over the front of his face.
“That’s a good start,” Miranda said.
Grideon continued to pull out the slimy scraps, sticking them to his clothes, covering himself from head to toe. Miranda dug her fingers into the vat and piled some on her own head.
“Hey! Stop that!” Janal ordered, but even she couldn’t contain a grin.
Completely covered in green muck, Grideon raised his arms up menacingly. “Rrraaaa!!” he screamed, running around the room like a crazed beast, chasing Miranda, who chased him back, growling and clawing playfully.
Janal had given up, and was enjoying the show.
Miranda ran out of the hut, Grideon following her lead. They ran all the way to the shore, leaving a trail of green behind them. They stopped when they reached the water’s edge. The moons were rising and reflecting on the water.
Grideon smoothed Miranda’s messy hair away from her face and gazed into her eyes. She pulled a piece of seaweed from his hair and smiled up at him, watching moonlight dance in the blue flecks of his amber eyes. He was the only part of becoming Sultana that felt right to her.
“Would you be with me if I didn’t…?” she started. She didn’t know if it was fair of her to ask the question.
He understood. “I could never love anyone the way I love you,” he said. “But I do see you as our next Sultana. I believe you are the one to lead us.” She looked down in doubt, then turned and gazed out to sea.
He turned her face to his, and she looked up at him, worry overtaking her. He took her hands in his. “I know you’ve been grappling with this a long time. If you decide not to become Sultana, I will also give up my claim as Sultan. We can have a beautiful life together no matter what. We know who we are.”
Miranda felt a wave of relief wash over her as Grideon leaned in and kissed her. He tasted like sea air and forever.
Anaya’s Deception
>
The island nightclub, The Casbah, was more raucous than usual. The more severe the drought got, the more frequently villagers came here to escape from their troubles. There was still a fair supply of ale in the storehouse, which filled the stomach with something, even though it wasn’t food. Musicians, having drunk down their fair share, banged out bawdy tunes in the corner.
Gaming tables were overflowing with piles of multicolored triangular chips. Trails of smoke rose from pipes held in the tightly clenched teeth of gamblers hoping for a win. Glasses clanked and the occasional crash came from behind the bar. Loud voices and laughter rippled in waves from table to table.
Anaya bet and was dealt another card, but her focus was on Grideon, who was playing in the corner on other side of the room. Her mother had coached her on the plan; tonight she would win him over, and tomorrow she would show the High Council that Miranda wasn’t even desired by the intended Sultan, in the hopes that they would cancel the quest to Sarona or at the least intimidate Miranda into capitulating.
She picked up her winnings and gave up her seat, which was quickly taken by someone else. She wandered over to Grideon’s table, pretending to chat along the way, and took a seat next to him, spreading her chips out in front of her. She laughed and joked, feigning not noticing him, and waited for her chance. When the music paused and he and the others at the table turned around to clap for the musicians, she saw the opportunity and swiftly poured a sepia colored powder into his drink.
After a few more rounds, Grideon stretched and said, “Well, I think I’ve had enough.” He gathered his chips together. He still hadn’t taken a sip of the drink.
“Wait,” she said. “I mean I haven’t had a chance to beat you. Stay one more round.”
“I’m meeting Miranda. I have to go.”
“Please, just one more.”
“Okay, fine. One more. But you’re not going to beat me.”
“We’ll see about that.”
She picked up her glass and cocked her head to the side. “Here’s to the winner.”
He raised his glass. She clinked hers against his, then watched him take a long drink.
The cards were dealt and they went around the table, placing bets, folding, raising. Anaya kept Grideon engaged. She toasted often, making sure he drank often and she extended the game by raising and seeing, then raising again. Sweat collected on Grideon’s brow. The heat in the room made him thirsty. He picked up his glass and took several swallows before finishing it off completely.
Now she could let him go. She laid her cards down. She had nothing. He looked at her with disdain. “Bluffing. Why am I not surprised?” he said as he pulled the pile of chips towards him.
Anaya got up, went out the front door, and waited on the bench outside the Casbah. Grideon collected his winnings, cashed out, and walked into the fresh air. He took a deep breath as he untied his camion.
Anaya “bumped” into him. “Oh. Grideon. Sorry, I didn’t see you.”
“Sure.”
“How much did you win tonight?”
Grideon looked sideways at her, wishing she wouldn’t talk to him. “Enough,” he replied.
Anaya approached his camion and stroked its neck. “You are so pretty,” she cooed, provoking a loud purr.
“Miranda’s waiting for me.” He pulled the reins and began walking away.
“Of course she is. But there’s something I’d like to show you first; it won’t take long.”
He kept walking. “Maybe later.”
She caught up with him, stood in his path, getting him to look right at her, and drew circles in front of his eyes. Soon his eyelids drooped. A moment later, he was in a trance.
“Follow me,” Anaya commanded softly, motioning with her hand.
She started toward the woods, which led to a place where she knew Miranda would be waiting. She wanted her to see how faithful her boyfriend really was.
After she had led him through the dark forest, they came to the beach where the reflection of two half moons shimmered on the water. She stood at an angle that showed her silhouette.
Grideon was mesmerized. Her flowing hair, sparkling green eyes, the beauty of her lips all seemed to call out to him. He moved closer and reached out to touch her.
Miranda hadn’t been at the Casbah tonight. She had to study. There were special procedures she needed to learn, protocol specific to the Sultana. She had made plans to meet Grideon on the beach after she putting in some solid hours.
When she had completed her work, she slipped on her favorite black dress and jeweled sandals. She brushed her long hair until it shone and pinned her hair up with a comb made from chartreuse shells. She wore her green stone earrings and a matching necklace.
Anaya took Grideon’s hand. “Grideon. Do you see how the moons shine? How stunning they are?”
“Yes, Anaya,” he said.
She turned to him. “That’s how you will see me from now on.”
“Yes, Anaya.”
She pulled his arms around her. “Tell me how you see me.”
Grideon echoed her, “You are as the moon, beautiful and mysterious.”
She brought him close, her lips inches from his.
“You are in love with me. You think only of me.”
He leaned in, smiling sheepishly.
“Anaya. Only of you,” he echoed.
Anaya grinned. “Now, all we have to do is seal this spell, I mean love, with one little kiss.”
Grideon leaned in to kiss her. Anaya closed her eyes and tilted her head back.
Just then Miranda emerged out of the bushes.
“Grideon? No!” she cried.
Her voice snapped Grideon out of his trance. He looked around, dazed. When he realized he was with Anaya, he backed away. “H–how did I get here?” he stammered.
Miranda seethed at Anaya. “What have you done to him?”
Anaya addressed Grideon. “Grideon, I love you as much as you love me. You know that, don’t you? I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you.”
“But I don’t love you. I love Miranda,” he said. “And you tricked me. That’s not how love is.”
Anaya dug her heals in. “Maybe you don’t know it, but I was supposed to be the Sultana. You and I were supposed to be together. And when I win the challenge, you will be mine.”
Grideon shook his head in disbelief.
“Never.”
“Yes, the High Council will demand that you marry me, the next Sultana.”
Miranda gasped. She turned and ran.
Grideon ran after her, calling out, “Miranda!” But she kept going at full speed. He chased after her as she raced along the shore, then closed in on her as she disappeared around a rocky bend, out of his sight. He finally caught up with her, grabbing her by the shoulders. She spun around angrily. “Why don’t you go back to her?!”
“She spiked my drink,” he explained. “I didn’t know what I was doing. If I had…”
“Since the announcement of the challenge, the pressure has been unbearable. And now, seeing you two, together…,” she sobbed. “If giving up the throne means losing you.…”
“You’ll never lose me.”
“How can I know that?”
Selexi’s Deception
Late into the night, Selexi hunched over her laboratory table, reveling in delusional madness. Bottles bubbled with viscous substances, beakers overflowed with moldy growths, and flasks sputtered and spewed with tenebrous distillations. In the corner, the creatures lay motionless in their cages, fast asleep.
She held a roll of paper in her hands, which she spread flat on the table. It was a map of Zarada and its neighboring islands. Earlier in the day, she had sneaked into the High Council’s offices and found the maps for the quest that would be given to each ship’s captain. If the quest were to take place, Miranda and Anaya would be taking separate ships and she wanted Anaya to have the advantage.
She burned the originals and drew up new maps, which she now spread out before her
. For Miranda, she drew a very difficult path, through treacherous storm routes and the territory of the tarwox, who could be counted on to finish them all off. With a thick red marking pencil, she traced the routes that each ship would take, and cackled at her cleverness.
She heard a knock – it was Anaya’s special rhythm. Selexi pressed a button that opened the door.
“Mother?”
At the sound of Anaya’s voice, the creatures awoke, hoping for some attention. She walked over to them and emptied her pockets, doling out goodies ... some shriveled roots and their favorite treat, beetles. She particularly liked a little creature she called Shosi. She had asked her mother many times if she could take him home and keep him as a pet, but Selexi had admonished her. “These things can never be seen outside this room! My secret would be out, and our future ruined.”
Selexi finished marking the maps and rolled them back up. “Where have you been, child! Well, never mind. Tell me! Is Grideon yours?”
Anaya scratched Shosi under the chin and avoided her mother’s gaze, fearing the wrath that could follow bad news. She had stayed away from her the past few days just to keep from bearing the shame of failure.
Selexi had no patience. “Tell me!”
Anaya took a deep breath. “I’m not going through with this challenge.”
“Wasn’t the spell effective? It was fresh; it should have been potent. What did you do wrong?”
“No. I mean yes, it worked, and for a moment I thought I had him, but….”
“But what?!”
“Miranda showed up. She broke the spell!”
Selexi grimaced. “Arhh. That Miranda, always Miranda, meddling in my plans. Can’t you outsmart her just once?!”
“I’m sorry.”
Selexi remembered the maps. “No matter. Once you are Sultana, Grideon will see Miranda for who she is, just a common girl. He will love you in the end.”
“But ... I don’t know.” Anaya twisted an end of her hair between her fingers nervously. “He loves her.”
The Larimar Quest (Island Of Zarada Book 1) Page 7
