by Troy Hooker
First time this problem has ever come up, he thought, smirking on the inside. But truly, the feeling of having one beautiful girl pining over you was exciting enough, but two? The possibility was intoxicating.
Lillia woke up suddenly from her I’m-so-bored-I-can-hardly-stand-it expression and motioned for them to slip out of the feast. Sam was reluctant to leave the table and the momentary glances he snuck at Sayvon, but followed them anyway, just as the Chancellor began to rise and the crowd of well-fed Liorians began to quiet down.
“Friends of the Four Corners, welcome to the City Center!” the man speaking said loudly from the podium as the four slipped out of a side door that seemed to appear magically from behind a long draping curtain. Sam stopped for a moment before exiting the hall to listen to the deep, methodical voice of the Chancellor. His voice combined with a full belly would have put anyone to sleep.
“I’m not really into speeches,” Lillia whispered as they walked down the now deserted street toward their path to the cabins. “They go on forever it seems, talking about the four regions and the strength of Lior and how important the Light Festival is. You know, a bunch of political crap.”
Sam laughed out loud, which only egged Lillia on further.
“The Chancellor says maybe three or four short sentences about the future of Lior and Creation united, then up comes each of the High Council—who pretty much ramble on about nothing until our ears bleed.”
Gus looked suddenly shocked at her words.
“What? What do you mean?” he stuttered. “They are always talking about important things of Lior, like the current status of the Protectors and arches …”
“Yeah, yeah. We all know they just want the chance to torture us with their political bullcrap—”
“Lillia!” Emma scolded her. “Watch your language! You have been around high schoolers too much!”
“Sorry, I guess the ‘Gullas have gotten to me.”
“The what?” Sam asked.
Emma had marched on ahead of them, but then turned around and waved an angry finger at a very annoyed Lillia.
“Gullas are the term some ignorant people have given to the human race. It’s silly and childish.”
“It’s from an ancient word segullah meaning treasure, but to many who do not study Ancient Text, it means ‘peculiar,’” Gus added, which only made Lillia roll her eyes even more. To Lillia he said, “Just because you wish you were one doesn’t mean we all do.”
Sam ignored Lillia, but walked determinately down the path. It was the first time Sam had seen Gus even the slightest bit annoyed, and he enjoyed watching him finally stand up for himself. And Lillia deserved it, although the meaning of ‘peculiar’ didn’t really bother him.
“No offense, newbie. I didn’t mean it that—” Lillia started to say, but he cut her off.
“It’s fine,” he told her quickly, not really caring if she apologized or not.
They strode quickly through the trees towering over the path until they reached the clearing and the smell of the salt from the ocean. There was no one to be seen in the cabin circle, but the blue lights were happily burning and giving the log buildings an inviting look.
Emma led them to the pavilion in the middle of the circle and immediately set to work building a fire in the round fireplace. Gus took the black coffee pot from the hanging rod over the fire and filled it with water from a spigot over a small sink.
“I have found the neural stimulants in coffee to be necessary on nights like these,” he said to Sam as he replaced the pot on the rod, cinched up a handful of grounds into a filter and dropped it into the pot.
Sam accepted a cup of very strong coffee from Gus as the two girls appeared with roasting sticks and a bowl full of dark purplish nuts.
“They’re called Fuzers.” Emma handed him a stick. “Go ahead and put it in the fire.”
He obeyed, but quickly realized why the others had stopped to watch him intently. The nut began to swell up to double, triple, and then four and five times its size. Even when he pulled it from the fire, the nut still swelled so badly the skin began to strain from the pressure. Looking around, he could find no suitable place to set it, so he dropped it on the floor in front of him where it promptly exploded, sending pieces of purple foamy stuff onto his hair, his clothes, and all over his face.
Emma and Lillia burst out laughing when Sam, stunned, finally realized what had happened. Gus cackled loudly, spilling his coffee all over his robe, which only made the two girls laugh even harder, until Lillia was on the ground rolling in the purple foam.
After he composed himself, Sam chuckled along with them, but tossed a teasing angry glance toward Emma. Really, he was just glad she was over the thing with Sayvon.
“Do you eat these?” he picked up the nut that now looked like a large piece of purple popcorn.
“Try it.” Emma placed a nut on her own stick and placed it just inside the flame.
Sam gingerly put the purple kernel to his lips and tasted the foamy exterior. It quickly melted in his mouth, dissolving on his tongue and leaving a soft, velvety taste. He immediately took another taste, and another, until he had eaten the whole thing.
“It’s delicious,” he said, looking at the bowl longingly. Even though his stomach was still full from the banquet, the smooth-tasting nuts made the coffee taste even better.
With the salty cool air and the warmth of the fire around him, for the first time in months, Sam began to feel the tension ebb away from his shoulders. There were no papers due for class, no Bush to avoid, and he hadn’t had the dream about the swirling shapes since arriving in Lior. It was nice to get away from it all.
“I’m guessing once the Light Festival is done we have to go back to real life,” he said, watching Emma’s Fuzer nut swell in the flames.
“Actually, these are our real homes,” Emma gestured toward the cabins. “Ours, Miss Karpatch, the Abelsworth’s, the Halfon’s, the Calpher’s, Uncle Osan, the Farmer’s, and the Mirke’s. But we can only stay here until the end of the Light Festival week.”
“So your folks have a place here too?” He glanced toward Lillia and Gus.
“They do, but not all of us are able to come at once. Someone has to watch the gate,” said Gus.
“Then, it’s back to Gibson’s class,” Lillia said bitterly.
Gus stuck another Fuzer on the end of a stick and displayed it over the fire.
“Every year we come during this time for the Festival, and then back to our houses in White Pine until summer,” he said. “We have—well our folks have—taken a calling as Protectors of the gate, and we only get to come back here when we can.”
“Until next year when we start mentoring,” Emma almost sang the words.
“Yep. No more class,” Lillia mimicked Emma’s singing sarcastically.
Gus cleared his throat.
“Technically we will still be gathering for daily study, so don’t get too excited.”
“What? You mean you won’t be back at school next year in White Pine?” Sam was intrigued. “What about the gate—or your parents?”
“Our parents chose to protect the gate, so they will be there while we’re at mentorship,” Emma offered.
“The group in White Pine is in charge of gate protection for the Thalo region that connects to the northern passage—er—North America,” Gus added. “The Sterlings are in charge of gate sealing, Lillia’s folks monitor Dark Watcher movements, and my folks manage the movement of Descendants in and out of the gate.”
Sam yawned loudly and took another sip of his steaming cup of coffee, which obviously hadn’t nearly enough caffeine to keep him awake, or to follow what they were saying.
“So let me get this straight. There are four gates, each one connects a part of the world with a region in Lior, and one is missing, but you live in Creation because your parents watch th
e gate. But you will come back here to live on your own for the ‘Mentor-thingy’ while they as alter-egos pretend to be normal citizens of a small town in northern Michigan?”
Snickering was heard around the group.
“When you put it like that, yeah, it sounds weird, but I suppose that about sums it up,” Lillia smirked.
“It’s our family,” Emma said defensively. “But it’s the way we live in Lior—in communes, or family units. Each one has their own circle they live in.”
“Like an extended family unit,” Sam mouthed. “What about Cooley and Miss Karpatch?”
Lillia looked at Gus arrogantly, as if he could respond to the one question she had been waiting ages to know.
Gus sighed and looked at Lillia directly.
“Miss Karpatch is in charge of historical records, and Mr. Cooley … is the head of Seer transmission here in Lior.”
“But Lillia thinks he is a fraud,” Emma interrupted him, her eyes showing obvious signs of disgust in Lillia’s direction.
Lillia snorted and shook her head.
“Isn’t it obvious? There’s no reason for him to be in White Pine! All he does is wander around the City and then disappear into the woods every day. If you ask me, I think he is watching us for the Council.” Then she lowered her voice to a mumble. “And I wouldn’t doubt he has something to do with Chivler missing.”
Emma was suddenly angry.
“That’s underhanded and completely against everything Lior stands for! Why would they send Cooley anyway? He’s just a messenger, not a spy!”
“But he’s still a Descendant. Can’t you just see whether or not he is a fraud?” Sam hoped to interrupt them from their bickering. “I mean, you brought me here, you must have known something …”
Gus looked at Emma quickly, who seemed to nod ever so slightly back to him, as if giving him permission to answer.
“We can’t see the Darkness within someone, although Boggle tries with his inventions. But the truth is that we can never really know for sure.”
Unbelievable, he thought. They can’t even tell if I’m a Descendant or not.
“So what do they do with people from Earth?”
Gus poked at the fire with a roasting stick, answering slowly, as he understood where Sam’s question was going.
“Whenever a possible Descendant has been discovered in Creat—er—Earth, the Council must follow a rigorous set of steps before admitting them into Lior. Yours might take a little longer to establish because your parents—” he stopped.
“You snuck me in,” Sam was flabbergasted. Not only was he a stranger, he was a potentially uninvited one.
Gus shot a look back to Emma for help.
“Yes, that’s true, but the right people believe you are a Descendant and that’s all that matters,” she jumped in quickly.
“But I am still not supposed to be here.”
“True, but—”
“What if they find out? Will one of those Protectors with the creepy hoods come and lock me up?”
“They would never do—”
Then for some reason, in that moment, it all hit him at once. Anger suddenly welled up inside of him, and he couldn’t stop it. Perhaps he had been too relaxed to remember all the needed facts that they were still keeping from him—and they weren’t telling him what he needed to know. He was in an alien world with dangerous creatures—and he was uninvited.
“Look, I’m sorry, but I just need some answers here. I still don’t understand why you have brought me to this place, and while I have had a riveting good time being here with you all, I can’t help but feel I have been lied to the whole time.”
Emma stood and placed herself directly in front of him, blocking his view of Gus’s Fuzer nut expanding in the fire.
“Sam, you can’t judge us like that yet. We haven’t really done any of this without careful consideration and prayer. The Creator’s Promise—”
Prayer? Seriously? That’s all they had for him?
It wasn’t enough.
Sam leaned back on the bench, satisfied that his rant got through to them.
Lillia lay back on her bench as well.
“Well, look at it this way, newb. At least you don’t have Bush to worry about anymore.”
“What’d you do, kill him?” Maybe if they could kidnap him, they were capable of much more.
Gus smiled and stuffed another Fuzer into his mouth.
“Nope, just scared him a bit.”
“Yep, ‘cuz no one else seemed to want to stand up to that fat lard,” Lillia mumbled from the bench, but ended her words short on account of Emma’s sharp look. Lillia then laughed loudly and sat up. “Scare him? Emma nearly dropped a tree on him! It was only inches from ripping one of his chubby cheeks off!”
“Yeah, but let’s not tell anyone about that,” Emma giggled. “Besides, a come-to-senses moment would do him good. A bully is only going to listen if he’s ‘seen the light.’”
As he stared into the fire, all sorts of questions filled Sam’s thoughts. Emma, Gus, and the rest of them believed he was one of them. But how? Who was he? What happened to his real parents? Did the Darkness play a part in their death? They were only teachers at the university, and that was before they died in the wreck. But were they really Descendants with a calling like the others to live on Earth? And, if that was true, was he a Descendant as well? Did he have the same Light gifts that the others did?
Grabbing another nut, Sam speared it and stuck it in the fire. These questions only made him want to know who he was and what happened to his parents even more, but he wasn’t ready to ask the questions now. He needed more time to think—to take in this place, and everything he had already seen but couldn’t explain.
Then, as if almost prompted by some unforeseen force, Emma scooted closer to him, putting her hand softly on his. Lillia took one look and rolled her eyes largely, which even in the darkness could be seen clearly. Sam didn’t care, though. He was just glad Emma had forgotten Sayvon. Sure, Sayvon was very pretty, but he was happy right where he was … feeling the warmth of Emma’s shoulder on his. She made him feel like he was her protector with the way she snuggled up to him so tightly. He had never been in a relationship quite like with her—not like the shallow girls he met at the country club, or even the one real girlfriend he had at his old school who ended up dumping him after the first month. No, it was deeper than that. She trusted him, and she seemed determined to believe in him.
“Wish we could go to the Cedars tomorrow,” Lillia announced quietly, throwing off his train of thought. “Maybe it would even help pretty-boy clear his thoughts.”
Gus tipped his cup of coffee over on the bench loudly, making everyone jump from their mesmerized state.
“Sounds like fun, but I was planning to go to the library tomorrow. There’s some new books out on the ancient towers of Lior …”
“I was going to see Boggle,” Lillia said.
Emma scowled and laid her head on Sam’s shoulder.
“I’m sorry, I have to help Mom with Uncle Osan tomorrow.”
Lillia looked disgusted with Emma’s display of affection. “Newbie could always go on his own, unless he needs princess here attached at his hip at all times.”
Emma shot her an angry look.
“Just because you are too—” she caught herself. “Never mind.”
Gus stood and paced the fire.
“It may be therapeutic, given the circumstances. I remember many occasions I needed to get something off my mind and it was the perfect place to do so.”
Emma nodded and smiled at Sam.
“This is your chance to have your alone time, Samuel. It may do you good.”
Sam nodded. He wasn’t going to refuse a chance to get away from people for a little while …
“There’s a path just outside the C
ity gate, right along the City wall. Follow it until you get to the coast and then take the path toward the trees. You will be in the cedars in less than a half hour,” Gus told him.
“We used to go there when we practiced Light manipulation,” Emma said quietly. “If you figure it out, it could help you understand yourself a bit more.”
“Yeah, newb, but don’t forget—we aren’t supposed to be doing Light manipulation until we’re in mentorship. So keep your big trap shu—”
“Really Lillia? Do you have to be so nasty?” Emma interrupted angrily.
“Just reminding ol’ newb here what’s at stake.”
Sam was ready to try it. He needed to find out who he was, and if he could do the same things as the Descendants, it would be a big clue. He wasn’t worried about getting in trouble, as Gus informed him that since he hadn’t gone through mentorship, he would likely not be tracked by the Seers. But the thought of learning about his past was an exhilarating feeling.
Gus stood once again and began pacing while Emma laid her head on Sam’s shoulder again, yawning loudly.
Lillia, who was tired of the lovebird display, began a perpetual round of eye rolling until she stood and stomped toward the cabin, shaking her head. Sam wondered why she was angry all the time, but instead of dwelling on the thought, he contented himself with staring into the fire, yawning and listening to Gus as he droned on to himself about the Eben stone armbands they would all receive once mentorship was complete.
After another few minutes, Gus sat down, his eyes heavy as he attempted to hold back a yawn.
“I’ve been thinking,” he said. “Tomorrow, I think I am going to check out the Protector’s Office to see if I can find out anything more about Chivler too. While I’m not always the conspiracy theory type, for Lillia’s sake, I am going to at least make a concerted inquiry.”
