This room, this mansion, wasn’t familiar. It was the home of the Aratans, and Jinn spent a long time examining the various sights, taking in and becoming acquainted with the strangeness of her surroundings. She might’ve done so last night, but the prospect of sleep had been too appealing. When she’d reached her room, she followed her first impulse and slid under the sheets.
Cozy in her bed and satisfied with what she saw, Jinn let her mind wander to those little pieces of reality nagging at her. She’d guessed where Feywen and Lacdur had gone with the Aratans after she left last night. Planning a defense would’ve come first, and the two Dwarves were seasoned veterans in the war against the Soul Seekers.
Something had come between them, stopped the dangerous confrontation between them, changed the attitude of the Aratans that discouraged their argument immediately. Darr had something to do with it, and Jinn was sure he’d done something in the Currents.
Content with her small conclusions, Jinn threw back the sheets and leapt from bed anxious to start the day. She washed in a basin and dressed in a fresh set of clothes, provided by her hosts.
She fastened a belt across her waist.A knock came at the door. A visitor wasn’t unexpected, but it might be later in the day than she thought. Perhaps she should be out doing something. She pulled on her boots and walked to the door. Conra entered before she could pull back the latch, his gray head appearing through the opening.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” The Elf hastily pulled his head back, but Jinn stopped him.
“It’s okay, Conra,” she said with a laugh. “I was coming out anyway.”
“I’m sorry. I thought maybe you’d left,” he said.
Jinn smiled at his sheepish appearance. Because Conra kept to himself, she hadn’t talked much with him on their journey, but she liked him. He treated her like an equal, always kind and straightforward with her, listening with open ears to anything she had to say.
“I woke up a while ago,” she told him. “Where are the others?”
Conra raised his head and let loose a slow sigh. “Well, it would appear we’re as useful today as we were last night. Lacdur left early this morning to track the Seekers and find out how far away they are. Feywen and Erec went out to the wall, and Darr and the Aratans are off helping the people in town. I would’ve gone, but I wanted to stay here in case you needed company.”
Jinn wasn’t bothered that her brothers had left her behind, but she felt uncomfortable being taken care of. Since learning of her role among the Chosen of the Light, Jinn perceived herself as being in the way. She had become a commodity in need of protecting.
Silence passed in the wake of Conra’s words, and Jinn hastened to find something to say. “Maybe we can go find them.”
Conra smiled, forcing a crinkling of his lined face. They walked down the hallway of the Aratan mansion, and after descending a small staircase, they stood outside the large anteroom they’d been in the night before. A serving man appeared and approached them.
“Good morning,” the man said. “Aratan Fereta has asked to meet with you. He’ll be along shortly if you’d care to wait.”
Jinn and Conra bowed their heads, and the serving man showed them over to a small stuffed couch.
“Would you like anything? Breakfast, perhaps?” he asked.
Jinn and Conra shook their heads in unison. The serving nodded and dismissed himself.
Conra leaned back casually and said, “Darr did something to those Aratans last night.”
Jinn didn’t know how to answer. Conra knew almost everything concerning their journey, but he knew next to nothing about Darr’s summoning abilities. Jinn understood Darr’s reason for keeping it secret, but at the same time, Conra had proved to be a trusted and willing ally.
“I think he did something too,” she replied, keeping her tone uninterested.
The Elf sighed. “Hmm, I wonder how he could’ve made them change their minds so easily.”
“The Aratans said he showed them something. He probably did it through the Currents.”
Engulfed with curiosity now, Conra set his hands on his knees and leaned forward, his fierce eyes riveted on her. “Tell me something about the magic he works.”
Jinn hesitated. It wasn’t her place to tell Conra anything. “Darr’s different from other Spirit Summoners. He doesn’t only listen to the spirits, he can talk to them. He can put himself in the Currents and ask them to do things for him.”
“So, the spirits are the source of his magic,” Conra said. “I never would’ve imagined they possessed that kind of power.”
Jinn shook her head. “I don’t think it’s only the spirits. It’s the Archons, also.”
The look Conra gave her suggested fascination beyond what she could see written on his face. “The Archons,” he whispered. “Everything I’ve ever known says the Archons are confined to the Sephirs.”
“They are to some extent,” Jinn answered. “It seems the Sephirs are linked to the Currents, as is everything living. The way Darr explains it, if something has life, it’s connected to the Currents.”
“Amazing. I’d never thought such a thing was possible. So, we’re all connected?”
“It would seem so.”
“What a revelation that would be for the rest of Ictar,” Conra laughed. “If everyone could see into the Currents like Darr does, could you imagine the impact it would have? Everyone would see themselves as equals.”
Jinn shook her head again. “I don’t think it’d necessarily work that way. Just because you see someone as an equal doesn’t mean a thing. Look at the power struggles going on now, in a time when the races view themselves equally.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Conra agreed.
A door opened across from them, and a small, hunched form wrapped in robes of crimson stepped into view. Aratan Fereta’s friendly face smiled. The old Dwarf amused Jinn with his white beard obscuring his wrinkled face. Despite, his appearance, he had her respect.
Fereta gave a short bow and said, “Thank you both for waiting. I apologize for the sluggishness of my ageing body. Your brothers are tending to matters concerning our defense. I thought I’d offer to show you the city while they do so.”
Conra looked as though he wanted to get out of the mansion, so Jinn nodded to Fereta. “We would like that,” she said.
A broad smile stretched across the Aratan’s face. “Come then.” He shuffled towards the anteroom, and Jinn and Conra followed after.
Out in the morning air Fereta said, “I must say, Jinn Reintol, your brother is quite a fascinating boy.”
Jinn gave a disarming smile, unsure of what to say. Conra, always blunt and to the point, forged ahead without her.
“What do you mean?” the Elf asked.
“I’m not sure I know my exact reasons,” Fereta said with a shake of his head. “I’ve been a Spirit Summoner my entire life. I’ve instructed many, but I’ve never met a Summoner that I can feel like he were a spirit himself. He has a presence in the Currents, as if he’s there all the time.”
“Is that what happened last night?” Conra asked.
Fereta cackled and shook his head. “I’m not sure what happened last night. I’ll confess, I feel as if time disappeared last night. Somehow Darr showed us the error of our ways. I don’t know how he accomplished this, but it felt like he took us inside the Currents.”
Darr mentioned Racall had done a similar thing to him once. If Darr possessed power similar to Racall, what were his limitations? How powerful had her brother become since leaving Tyfor?
At the end of the walkway, the city of Navda opened before them. The sky shone blue overhead, except for a smattering of white clouds dotting the western horizon. The clean streets were bordered by carefully maintained yards, and people hurried in a pleasant manner from one place to another. If Jinn didn’t know any better, it was just a normal day.
“Long before the end of the Aeon Wars, a group of Spirit Summoners and their families settled here,” Fereta told
them as they walked. “This peninsula was far removed from the rest of Ictar, and it had no resources that were particularly valuable. It was a perfect spot for a people who already felt removed from the rest of society.”
“Why did they feel removed?” Jinn asked.
Fereta sighed as if he’d been asked a difficult question. “During the Aeon Wars, Spirit Summoners met with discrimination, and in severe cases, torture and death because of the abilities they sometimes displayed. A group of Summoners found their way here, and together, they learned how to control their abilities. Over the years, the colony attracted scholars and historians, people who strived to learn and expand their minds. After the wars, the city was born into the Dwarf territories. We adhere to the laws of the Dwarf Elder Council, but mostly we’re governed from within, by elected Aratans.”
The old Dwarf gave Jinn a wink. She liked Aratan Fereta. While she’d never known her grandfather, she imagined he would’ve been something like Fereta, full of stories and little secrets.
As they approached the city center, the amount of people and activity increased. A singular race didn’t make up the population of the community. Elves, Dwarves, and Cortazians all worked side by side gathering and organizing weapons and supplies.
Fereta’s attention turned to a garden shed off the road with workers gathered around it. “Most of the work being done in town is focused on opening up the tunnels running beneath the city,” Fereta explained, gesturing to the workers. “In Navda’s early history, tunnels leading to the Arktary Ocean were dug in case the city fell under attack. They haven’t been used in over a century.”
Debris hauled from the shed passed from worker to worker and then tossed in a pile behind them. The shed appeared to be a hiding spot for the tunnels Fereta spoke of.
“Is that really going to work?” Conra asked. “I thought Feywen said running wasn’t an option.”
Aratan Fereta didn’t look back. “Any options we have must be explored. We have so few left to us.”
They left behind the ruckus of the city and entered into the vast garden area fronting the wall. “Cerian Gardens,” Fereta said with no small amount of pride. “Prospective teachers and students wanting to practice here are required to bring seeds or bulbs from a plant native to their home. The result is a collection of flowers, trees, and shrubs from every corner of Ictar. These gardens are a symbol of our perseverance to learn regardless of race, creed, or age.”
The feeling of harmony in the garden was omnipresent. Colors diffused and radiated through the various beds, and trees both familiar and foreign grew together in small thickets. The gardens were a promise of the peace that might one day spread through Ictar. Beyond the protective shelter of the gardens where the low wall rose up, the sounds of men shouting and the sharp clang of metal broke the soothing morning air.
Fereta’s face changed, becoming less jovial. “Nearly five hundred soldiers have gathered,” he whispered. “Most are trained soldiers who’ve come from Jakova over the years and did not return home after their dismissal. Roughly a thousand able-bodied men from many different age groups have joined them, though these men are mostly untrained. They are teachers, students, and farmers, but they can wield a sword. Right now, that’s all we need.”
Fereta led them beyond the gardens to a wide clearing fronting the walls. Men were busy training both within and outside the wall. Fereta took them to a small stairway near the city’s gate and led them up to the top of the wall. Feywen Dery worked nearby with a small group of men along one of the battlements. Aratan Fereta signaled to the once-prince and Feywen came over to them, his face tired.
“Good morning, Jinn. Conra. It’s good to see you,” he greeted.
“Has your man returned yet?” Fereta asked.
“Yes. Lacdur returned less than an hour ago. You can already see what he found.” Feywen gestured out towards the plains, pointing to a spot west and north on the horizon. Jinn saw nothing at first, but what she’d mistaken as a low bank of storm clouds became apparent as something else. On the horizon where Feywen had pointed, a heavy gray blanket, swelled and heaved, its eerie bulk sliding forward. Her heart skipped a beat.
“The Seeker mists,” Feywen said. “They’ll be here by nightfall.”
Jinn’s stomach spun in circles, threatening to fold her over. She resisted the urge to move and focused on keeping her balance.
Fereta tried to smile and failed. “I’ll have to dismiss myself now. Feel free to walk the gardens. Your brother, Erec, trains with the men below, but Darr should be in town. If you find him, I’m sure he’ll find something you can do.” The Aratan bowed once more, and with a polite nod to Feywen, they climbed down from the wall.
Jinn stood alongside Conra for a time, looking out at the men on the fields below them. She looked over the ranks of soldiers, trying to pick out Erec. With all the activity going on, she couldn’t tell one soldier from another. Some fought each other with sticks to hone their skills. Others stood in rows and fired volleys of arrows at distant targets on the field.
Training, Jinn thought desperately. Training and the Seekers will be here tonight.
“Do you think they stand a chance?” Jinn asked.
Conra said nothing. Like her, he probably didn’t want to say the answer out loud.
Unable to watch any longer, Jinn and Conra stepped down from the wall and walked back through the gardens. In silence, they made their way back to the city where people ran about in complete ignorance of what came for them. It frightened Jinn the city could be so unprepared, so unheeding of the danger.
In the early afternoon, they found Darr. Her brother worked outside a small school that had been converted to a shelter. He talked with several others while they sorted a variety of supplies, but as soon as he saw them, he stopped his work and ran over.
“Have you seen the city?” he asked, his face beaming with excitement.
Jinn nodded. “Yes, Aratan Fereta showed us around. What’ve you been doing?”
Darr gestured towards the school. “Soldiers wounded during the battle will be brought here. We’ve been working all morning to prepare it.” He looked like he would burst at the seams with excitement.
“So,I take it you like it here?” Conra asked.
“I do, very much,” Darr replied. “Everyone here knows about Summoners. For the first time in my life I don’t feel like an outcast.”
Stung by her brother’s words, Jinn refused to show it. “You were never an outcast in Tyfor,” she said. “We always took care to make sure you would never feel that way.”
“It’s different here, Jinn,” he said. “Most of the people I’ve met know what it’s like to be a Summoner. They’ve struggled with the voices of the spirits and how to shut them out. No one in Tyfor ever knew that feeling...”
“I did,” Jinn interrupted. “I knew because you always talked with me about what it meant.”
“I’m sorry,” Darr said, his brow furrowed. “Of course you understood me. You’ve always helped me, Jinn, but I don’t have any explaining to do here. Here I can learn things about myself that I couldn’t learn back at home.”
Still hurt, Jinn forced a smile. There was no point in arguing the matter. Her pain came from the thought Darr might one day come to Navda to live, and with Erec going away also, she would be left behind.
“Enough of this,” Conra said. “We still have a long journey ahead of us, Boy. We’ll see if you still feel this way about Navda once this quest is over.” The Elf shrugged and his face cast in iron. “Have you heard about the Seekers?”
The excitement drained out of Darr’s face. “Let’s walk,” he said, taking them to a side path along the school which led back to the gardens.
“I didn’t want anyone to overhear,” Darr said. “In reality, only a select few in the town know that it’s the Soul Seekers coming to attack. Everyone else has been told it’s Ogres.”
Jinn shook her head in disbelief. “You’re joking. You mean to tell us nobody knows
it’s the Seekers?”
“Only the people in town, those who can’t fight,” Darr answered. “I’m sure the soldiers know. That’s what the Aratans said they would do. Many rumors have been floating around, and the people in Navda believe the Soul Seekers are remnant pieces of magic from the Aeon Wars. They don’t believe they can be stopped. Telling them the truth would lead to mass hysteria.”
“That’s just the opinion of the Aratans, isn’t it?” Conra asked. “They don’t know for a fact it’ll really come to that.”
“I suppose not,” Darr replied, shaking his head. “But they’ve been in this city a lot longer than we have. They don’t think the Seekers will even breach the wall.”
Conra gave a look of confusion, a mirror of Jinn’s feelings. “How can that be possible?” she asked. “We saw the soldiers training out there. Half of them don’t even know what they’re doing.”
Darr leaned towards his sister and Conra. “I talked to Erec a few hours ago and he spent the morning spilling casks of oil over the fields outside the wall. He said it starts about a hundred yards out, and once it’s lit, the whole field will go up in flames. That’s Feywen’s plan, to burn the Seekers up.”
“What happens if the Seekers break free?” Conra asked. “What if they gain the wall before the fields can be fired? You can’t be telling me that’s his entire plan?”
“No,” Darr said. “No, that’s only what Erec heard. Feywen’s been studying the Seekers for months, and he has enough military experience to know not to rely on one plan.” The Summoner looked unsure of himself. “I would hope he has another plan.”
Jinn shook her head. They’d put faith in Feywen Dery to lead them through the Triker, and he’d done so successfully. Why start doubting him now?
Darr didn’t look so sure. “I wish there was something I could do to help in this fight. Both Feywen and Lacdur have banned me from setting foot on the battlefield, and if the Seekers break through the wall, I’m supposed to retreat through the tunnels with you two.”
The Children of the Light: Book 1: Spirit Summoner Page 25
