by Toni Cox
His outburst last night made her feel like a naughty child. Everything she did seemed to displease him. And the way he looked at her! She shuddered at the thought.
She increased her pace and then climbed the tall staircase that led to her grandparents’ house. One could reach the house from many levels of the city, but the steps of The Grand, the tallest single staircase in the city, wound around the tallest redwood and led all the way from the ground to her grandparents’ door. The house was among the highest in Shadow Hall. It nestled in the canopy of the giant redwood, with six neighbouring redwoods supporting the weight of The Nest, as her grandmother affectionately called it. It was completely round and surrounded by a wide veranda, from where one could see almost the entire city. She had always loved playing up there when she was a child, but always under her grandmother’s watchful gaze.
“… two hundred and forty-eight, two hundred and forty-nine, top.”
“Counting the steps again, Maia?”
Maia jumped and had to catch hold of the post not tumble back down; she had not noticed her grandfather leaning against the railing, watching her ascent. He had made a game of counting the steps when she just learned to count, and it was a habit she had never shaken. To her, this particular tree was especially alive; its Eläm glowed brighter than any other tree in the city. Each step seemed to have its own unique energy, yet was unequivocally part of the tree out of which it was carved.
She had always wondered if they had built the house to be exactly two hundred and fifty steps above ground, or if it had been a coincidence. He grandfather always just winked at her and told her that some things were just meant to be.
“Just like you taught me,” she replied, and kissed him on the cheek.
“You have impeccable timing this morning; your grandmother has just made your favourite. She was wondering if you had forgotten about her, so she started baking this morning to lure you here.” He winked. “I see it worked.”
“Pecan nut pie!” Maia exclaimed, and followed him into the house.
It smelled wonderful inside, just as she remembered. Her grandparents’ house had ever been a sanctuary for her. She came here often when free from study with Silas and finished with all her other chores. Her grandfather taught her everything she knew about dragons. He was originally from Thala Yll and grew up with the Plains Dragons. And her grandmother had shown her the art of making suede. Her other set of grandparents, from her father’s side, lived on the other side of the tree city. Although she loved them very much as well, she had always spent more time with her mother’s parents.
“Look who I caught counting our steps again, my Flower,” Kian said to Maël before stealing a slice of freshly baked pecan nut pie.
“Maia, there you are.” Maël went to hug her, leaving floury smudges on her shirt. “Let me get you a slice of pie and then you can tell me all about your adventures.”
Maia moved over to the circular rattan chairs arranged around the fireplace. Maël’s giant white hare, Danyar, was curled up on the pillows. Maia picked him up with a grunt; he had gotten heavier. She settled into the chair, Danyar in her lap and absently stroked his soft fur while her grandmother found her a plate. Kian poured them all elderberry juice and then sat alongside Maia.
“Danyar has gotten fat, you spoil him too much, Ma,” Maia said, using the affectionate term only she used for her grandmother.
Maia remembered how thin he had been when she had found him. He had been her first rescue. Silas helped her coax him back to health and he had lived with her for a while. But then she found Wolf and Danyar was not very fond of him. He would thump his hind leg and make these strange noises every time the wolf got too close. Eventually, she gave Danyar to her grandmother to look after and the arrangement seemed to suit them both.
Maia now put him next to her on the big chair and took the plate. Danyar snuggled against her and was soon asleep again.
“I have met your children, they are very pleasant.”
Maia looked up at her grandmother. She almost choked on her pecan pie.
Maël noticed the pain on Maia’s face and leant forward to take her hand.
“Sometimes, life puts obstacles in our way to test us. It is how we deal with these obstacles that define who we will become later in life. It is an opportunity for us to choose which road we would like to travel on. So take a moment, look within yourself and consider all aspects before you take action or make a decision. Sometimes, things seem worse than they are and good can come of it yet.”
Maia spent the rest of the day avoiding going home. She wandered the upper pathways and bridges of the city, never descending to ground level. She did not feel like talking and her grandmother had given her a lot to think about. By the time she entered her home, she was feeling motivated and determined to make the best of the situation. She would sit with Aaron, discuss their dilemma like two adults, and find a solution together, something that would work for all of them.
Maia helped Biandala, the Server who worked for them, set the table and put out the food. While the rest of her family washed up and then settled down for the meal, Maia searched for courage to speak to Aaron, and the right words to say. However, half way through the evening meal Jagaer made an announcement that derailed any plans Maia had come up with.
“Maia, on the eve of three nights hence we will hold a feast for your return. Silas has agreed to incorporate your graduation ceremony in the evening. I thought, now that you have completed your last trial, it should be done as quickly as possible.”
Maia swallowed hard. She had not given the ceremony any thought at all. Surely, this could wait. Did they not have bigger problems right now?
“Father, can this not be delayed? I need to focus on finding a solution for our guests. My graduation does not need to be so soon.” She looked at him pleadingly.
He met her gaze with stern eyes. “No, it should be done now and Silas agrees. There are other matters that have influenced this decision and I will not allow any argument against it.”
Maia stared at her father, but he looked down and carried on eating without another word. Malyn met Maia’s eyes briefly, and then her mother filled the silence with chatter about the feast to distract the guests.
She had lost her appetite. She realised, of course, now that her final test was complete, it was her duty to graduate to be recognised as the Prime Elemental she was. But there was no need to hurry it along. She did not understand. The city had all the necessary Elementals it needed. Their people had such a diverse array of elemental magic that they lacked for nothing; why was it so important for her to graduate? Was someone sick she was not aware of? She could not think of anything that made it so important for her to become a Prime right now. Although she had been training for this all her life, she was not sure she was quite ready for it. She didn’t even know what the ceremony entailed or what Silas had planned. How could he spring this on her so soon without even giving her warning?
She poked at her food, not seeing or tasting any of it. Her mind was spinning. She would have to see Silas tonight and find out what kind of tests he had in mind. The tests were usually more illusion than magic; the message that the test contained, however, was what was important. With only three days to practice, she would not have time for anything else.
Jasmin shook her shoulder. “Maia, hey, are you all right?”
Startled, Maia looked up. “Yes, yes, I’m fine,” she mumbled, trying to put a more cheerful expression on her face. She was sure she was grimacing.
Jagaer and Aaron had already left the table and Luke was helping Malyn clear the plates; Biandala had already gone home. Malyn shot her a worried look.
“I was saying how excited I am. Not only are we going to witness an Elven party, but we are also going to see you graduate, although I am still not sure exactly what it is that you do. Archer told me yesterday when we were swimming that you are a very special Elemental and that you can do magic. I have been dying to ask you about it. W
ill you show me? And what am I going to wear? Malyn said our clothes will only be ready in a few days and I am sure she didn’t order any party dresses …”
Maia let the stream of Jasmin’s words wash over her. She nodded in all the right places and smiled when it was called for, but she was not really paying attention. She wanted to get out of the house and see Silas. How could he do this to her? She was not ready. What if she messed it up? Her mind was reeling with all the possible situations.
She pictured herself fumbling through the tests, tripping on the stage, embarrassing herself in front of the clan and her guests. It was going to be a disaster.
The air smelled of earth and forest, cook fires and the sweet smell of their glowing flowers; he had forgotten their name again. Aaron almost missed the stench of the city; the smog so thick on some days that one could not see the opposite side of the street.
Now he was stuck here. Ripped out of his life with no way back. The kids seemed to enjoy it; it was like a holiday for them, but he struggled to comprehend the enormity of their situation.
And that girl … he shuddered and felt the rage building within him again. How could she have done this to them? She had no right. And now they were stuck here and she didn’t even know how to send them back. What also worried him was the time they had already spent here. If time travelled so much faster on Earth, then how long had they actually been away from home?
Aaron stared at the surrounding city for a moment, marvelling at the Elves’ engineering. Not even Derek from our New York division would have been able to come up with that one, he thought, looking at the convoluted twists and turns of the middle pathway that ran from one side of the tree city right through to the other. He guessed the entire structure to be over a mile long.
There were other pathways, too. The lower one, which was straighter, followed the shape of the Gathering Grounds all around its curve, with multiple staircases leading to the ground. A shorter upper pathway connected only the high-level houses with each other. Numerous paths, bridges, ladders and staircases connected to these three main arteries of the city, enabling one to reach any part or any house from anywhere, if one knew where to go. In the short time that they had been here, he had gotten lost four times already.
His thoughts shifted back to the girl. Unbidden, his body reacted to the vision of her when she had stepped out of that river, her exquisite body glistening with water droplets highlighted by the rays of sunlight filtering through the leaves, and he felt the familiar pulling of his loins. He despised himself for his reaction. He had just lost his wife, how could he possibly be feeling like this?
She was nothing more than a spoilt brat; a child who had always gotten what she wanted, no matter the consequences to anyone else. She was a princess, born into privilege, and he doubted she had ever gone without or faced hardships. What did she know of love and loss? How could she possibly understand what she had done to him?
He shook himself, as if to rid himself of the image of her in his mind. There was no point in pondering about it now. He would speak to her tonight, set matters straight and demand that she take responsibility for her actions. Pushing himself off the railing lining the veranda of the house, he made for the door just as Maia hurried through it. She knocked into him, driving the air from his lungs and he staggered back.
“Oh, I didn’t see you. I’m sorry.”
His eyes narrowed as he looked at her. Her face was flushed and her dark hair in disarray. She was exquisite.
“No, you never do, do you?” he sneered.
“Huh?”
He watched her frown in confusion and savoured the moment; she always seemed in control, as if nothing could rattle her.
“You never see anyone but yourself. It’s all about you.”
He heard his own voice grow louder, but he could not stop himself. Here she stood, not even an arm’s length from him, yet infinitely far away. How could someone like him ever hope to be with someone like her?
“This whole thing has been about you the entire time. You gave no thought to how we might feel about it. Didn’t even give us a choice. No,” he dragged the word out long, “you brought us here just to make yourself feel better, so you didn’t have to feel guilty about abandoning us. You are the most selfish person I have ever met. How can you even live with yourself? Go now, go do whatever it is that always keeps you too busy to see what you have done. We are so much better off without you anyway.”
His heart was pumping and the blood had rushed to his face. He felt like his legs would fail him at any moment. He shot one final glance at her perfectly beautiful and confused face and stormed through the door, banging it shut behind him.
Once it was closed, he leant against it and closed his eyes. He had not meant to yell at her like that; but she made him feel inconsequential, like he didn’t matter. His body trembled. He took some deep, steadying breaths. If all of this was really true, then he was just an old human with greying hair, no home, no job, not even a planet to call home, and she was an Elf and a princess to boot; what hope was there for him?
Maia sat alongside Algen, her grandmother on her father’s side, peeling vegetables. She could not even remember how she had gotten here. The last few days had been exhausting.
Once she was to leave Jasmin without hurting her feelings, she left the house to see Silas. On the balcony, she had bumped into Aaron, who was getting some fresh air after dinner. She had been so distracted, she hardly understood anything he said. She remembered him yelling, accusing her of being selfish, but she could not remember what had brought it on or if she had, maybe, said something that triggered it. He then stormed off and slammed the door in her face.
In a haze, she had made her way to Silas’ cave. He was waiting for her. She should have known. He had made her practice all night, and only then allowed her a few hours’ sleep before they continued. He must have made some excuses for her, because no one had come looking for her that entire day and the next.
Silas had kept her busy. They went through the different facets of the test repeatedly. The magic was simple, yet complex at the same time. Everything was based on the basic elements, but with an added twist. She had practiced until she thought she could not stand on her own two legs, two days and two nights.
Only then had Silas relented and sent her home. It was the middle of the night; so late, the moons were already dipping towards the west. She went to wash and then curled up on the cot in the storage room. By the time her mother woke her, it was almost midday. She felt as if she had only slept a few minutes. She sipped the tea her mother had brought her and then, wearily, she dressed.
When she eventually stepped out of the house, a festive scene greeted her. Lanterns and garlands decorated every house, bridge, walkway and tree in the city. Benches had been put up in the Gathering Grounds and wood was piled high in the centre of the fire pit. Barrels of wine had been brought up from the storage caves and now lined the far edges of the Gathering Ground. As grapes did not grow in their region, wine was a luxury, which only came out for special occasions.
The spits were already turning over their fires, some with deer and some with boar. Maia had stood there, staring at the transformation before her and wondered when all this had happened.
Then, before she had figured out what to do next, her mother whisked her away and deposited her with the women cutting up the vegetables for the various dishes to be served that evening. Her grandmother was there too, helping out. Maia had mumbled her apologies for not having come to her before, but as always her grandmother was understanding of her situation and had patted her on her cheek and told her not to worry. Maia felt terribly guilty.
Now she sat there, cutting up yet another carrot, and wished she was somewhere else. She did not mind helping, but the monotonous work left her too much free time to think about the ceremony and did nothing to relieve the knot in her stomach. She tried to think of something else, but it was of no use.
Occasionally, she glimpsed Luke
and Aaron walking across the Gathering Grounds. Luke waved, but Aaron did not even glance in her direction. This made her feel even worse. He was upset with her, but in her current state she could not remember the reason why. It made her feel even worse.
It was an agonisingly long day and it was Jasmin who eventually rescued her.
“Come, Maia, you need to do my hair. I can’t go looking like this.”
Jasmin took her hand and together they walked home. Spending the rest of the afternoon with Jasmin finally seemed to take her mind off the tasks ahead. She managed to relax a little and the two girls laughed while Jasmin tried on some of Maia’s dresses. She did not own many as she wore pants most of the time, but the ones she had were beautiful and fitted Jasmin well enough. Jasmin decided on a white dress, while Maia chose a green one for herself.
They were dresses for formal occasions, both with low-cut neck lines and long, flowing sleeves. The white one was adorned with rich embroidery, whereas the green was plain, with only the hems adorned with tiny ivy leaf designs, but cut in such a clever fashion that it accentuated every line of Maia’s body. Jasmin loved them; she had never worn anything like it before.
Once they were dressed, they did their hair. Maia curled Jasmin’s shoulder length hair with her mother’s implements and then pinned it up in coils all around her head, fastening the small twists with ivory pins. Maia thought she looked extraordinarily pretty with her hair up. Maia decided to leave her hair down, with only a small garland of flowers tying it out of her face.
“Oh, you are so beautiful. I wish I could have a figure like you.” Jasmin looked her up and down enviously.
“But you do, Jasmin. Archer will be beside himself when he sees you.” Maia forced a smile. The tense knot in her stomach was making her nauseous. “Come, let us get this over with.”
When they stepped out onto the Gathering Grounds, it was almost dark, the torches had already been lit, the lanterns un-shuttered, and candles burned on every imaginable surface. Musicians were setting up and the sound of them tuning their instruments filled the air. Maia and Jasmin walked around the grounds looking at the decorations when they were joined by Luke, Archer and Jaik.
