Maia and the Xifarian Conspiracy (The Lightbound Saga Book 1)

by S. G. Basu

  “Extend your left hand and roll up your sleeve a little.” The lady moved her fingers over the rock in an intricate series of waves. As her fingers danced, part of the rock curled and flew out to encircle Kusha’s wrist, forming a snugly fitted band. One by one, they received their prize.

  “You are next,” the Tierremorphe beckoned Miir after everyone else had been given their bit.

  Miir hesitated.

  “Well, this is your share of the prize. After all you have been through, you are bonded together forever, don’t you think?”

  He still seemed to waver, his gaze fixed on the stone in Mahswa Tabrin’s hand. “No . . . I am not . . . I do not want to,” he declared after the longest pause.

  A sharp pang stilled Maia’s heart for a moment as she stared in disbelief at his careless rejection. Over the last few weeks she had thought of him as a friend, and felt like he too had thought the same about them. But clearly he had not. To him, they still remained outsiders, not worthy of his friendship.

  As the team stood in silence, Mahswa Tabrin spoke, clearly and deliberately. “I am afraid you do not have a choice in this matter. This stone chooses its heirs; the moment I thought of giving it away among you, it knew and it approved. Had it not been your destiny to receive it, no amount of Terraforming would be able to nudge this piece of rock. So, like it or not, since you have been chosen, you have to accept.”

  Maia could see the aversion on Miir’s face as he stepped forward to receive the final piece of the rock from the Draegen-Mor. Maia also saw the disappointment that shone in the eyes of her teammates. The companionship that they all shared with Miir as they prepared for this contest vanished with that one broken sentence.

  No one spoke as the Raptor docked inside the hangar. As she walked toward the door with her teammates, thoughts of her mother flooded Maia’s mind. She wondered if her mother was ever truly accepted by the Xifarians. She must have been, Maia reasoned, since she had chosen to give up her family to defend her new allegiance. What did she find here that made her betray her people and her family? Was it friendship? Love? But what Xifarian would think of a girl from Tansi as an equal, as worthy of companionship? Miir certainly did not, then how could anyone else?

  “The masters,” whispered Ren, snapping Maia out of her thoughts.

  Master Demissie and Master Kehorkjin were waiting outside to receive the team. A young woman dressed in the brown robes of the Tierremorphes, who seemed to be an attendant to Mahswa Tabrin, stood behind the masters.

  “An honor,” Master Demissie said, bowing low at Mahswa Tabrin who bowed back in response.

  “I will take my leave now. It was certainly a pleasure to meet such bright young talents,” the Tierremorphe said, turning to look at the team briefly.

  After she left with her attendant, the Flight Master addressed the team. “Congratulations. You made good time, although that trip through the Draegen was not a very safe choice.”

  Maia fidgeted.

  Would we be penalized? After all this trouble? What if we are disqualified? That would leave us with nothing but shame. All because of my impulsive idea.

  “I see you have received your special rewards from the Mahswa as well,” Demissie spoke again, nodding at the bands around their wrists. “But first things first—we need to take care of that arm of yours, Maia. You will report to the Infirmary immediately for healing.”

  As the five walked in the direction of the door, Maia stole a quick glance backward. Miir stood facing Master Kehorkjin, his head bowed, his hands clasped behind his back. The Kinetics Master had turned a bright shade of crimson and by the way his hands flew around as they conversed, something had definitely displeased him a lot. Master Demissie listened, shaking his head from time to time. As they marched to the Infirmary, Maia could not help but worry about what the masters could have been saying to Miir.

  41: . . . and Retribution

  The Infirmary was an austere-looking dome, a little removed from the living quarters. Maia had heard of the healers who lorded over the region. They were famous for their irritable demeanor, and students of the XDA avoided the building with fervent zeal, and visitors did not even dare to venture in the direction.

  While Maia was not sure if all five of them needed to walk into the building of doom, she liked the idea of maintaining safety in numbers. The puffy-faced woman with flaming red hair who stopped them at the entrance reminded Maia of a dragon. She was dressed in a long, white gown and looked up and down at the group as they entered.

  “All sick tonight?” she asked, scanning their faces with quick, sharp eyes. A tag on her lapel simply read Vi. “Project deadlines coming up tomorrow I presume?”

  “Huh?” Nafi gawked.

  “Er . . . no, ma’am.” Maia quickly pointed at her arm. “I hurt my arm. These are my friends, just accompanying me.”

  “This is a place of healing and of peace and quiet, definitely not a place for congregation. I can only allow one of your friends to wait for you. The rest need to leave.” She was as sour as the rumors predicted. “And you will come with me.”

  Maia followed the healer through a pair of white swing doors to a room scattered with imposing equipment of all shapes and sizes. She motioned Maia toward one contraption that housed a tunnel through its bulbous middle.

  “You already have a nice splint,” Vi remarked, squinting at the cast Miir built. “Let’s see if it’s indeed as good as it looks. Place your arm through that channel.” She pointed at the hollow center and disappeared on the other side of the bulge. A few beeping sounds later she reappeared and led Maia to another contraption, this one far more favorable looking than the previous.

  “Whoever gave you that wound did an excellent job. Your arm was very expertly broken.” Maia cringed at the enlightening details of how the bones had shattered into a thousand forty-three pieces. “But you were lucky to get that splint in place. That’s another expert job and makes my work a breeze. Did you make it yourself?”

  “No,” Maia replied, watching as Vi placed her arm into a small box and pressed a series of buttons.

  “I don’t think any of your slipshod friends back there did it for you?”

  “No.”

  Maia was starting to get a little cross at the barrage of questions and the persistent poking at the very issue she wanted to avoid. At this moment she was not in a mood to praise Miir, and certainly not to a healer who had called her friends “slipshod.” Thankfully, the puffy-faced dragon relented.

  “Don’t mind my questions. I’m just impressed by the workmanship of that splint.”

  She released Maia’s hand from the box and led her back to the entrance of the Infirmary.

  “I have started the healing process, and you should be one piece again within a week. Meanwhile, you will report to me every afternoon so I can measure the progress.”

  “A week?” Maia stared open-mouthed.

  “Can’t do it any faster,” Vi said in a huff. “I have started a hundred plastering Deca-bots, the freshest batch I had. They are from a Rapid Action strain too. But given some of the fragments are so miniscule, that’s the best they can do.”

  “Oh, of course,” Maia gulped. She had not meant to rush the healer, but was simply surprised. On Tansi, it took months to mend a broken bone, sometimes even longer.

  She took leave of the healer, covering the distance to the entrance at a brisk pace, happy to find Dani waiting for her there.

  “Expertly broken?” she asked as Maia recounted her conversation with Healer Vi. “I wonder if I could be that aggressive in combat . . . ever.”

  “I wondered the same about myself, Dani.”

  “So our mentor is an expert in the art of healing as well. He made that splint on the fly, hearing the description of your injuries,” Dani said. “I just don’t understand why he has to be so unkind to us all the time.”

  “Tell me about it,” Maia replied, feeling a sadness descend rapidly on the conversation.

  “We had such
a wonderful time all through the challenge. He was so friendly and . . . nice. And then he just disowned us.”

  “I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks that.”

  “No, Maia. We’re all quite upset,” Dani said. “Of course, we all have our own theories. Nafi thinks he has a social handicap, Ren thinks he’s a genius and so has a right to be eccentric, and Kusha says he’s still adapting to our ‘colorful personalities.’ I think he may be all that and a little confused.”

  “He is just spoiled rotten, and someone ought to teach him some manners.”

  Dani broke into a fit of giggles at Maia’s verdict.

  The discussion about Miir continued through dinner, each member of the team participating with passion. It came to an end only when Maia brought up the subject of a possible penalty because of their flight path.

  “No, I don’t think so.” Nafi shook her head. “I don’t think flying through the Draegen will get us disqualified.”

  “True,” Kusha agreed. “Given the skills of our pilot, I don’t think we exposed ourselves to any risk at all.”

  Although no one in the team seemed concerned about the fact, Maia could not drive out the bothersome thoughts from her mind. She came to a decision as she walked back to her room that night. If it came to that, she would take the blame. She would bow out if it guaranteed that the rest of the team could move on.

  ***

  A ceremony was held the day after the Seliban Challenge. The twenty-five remaining teams had been instructed to assemble at Auditorium Gallica. Master Kehorkjin was present in person, pacing around the lectern as the participants slowly filed inside. Maia spotted Karhann and his gang on the opposite side of the room. Next to them was Jiri, the friendly boy whom Maia remembered from her trip to Arpasgula, and his team.

  “It is finally time to celebrate the successes,” the master said after all the teams had arrived. “Let us cheer for Core 21 on their win. They showed tremendous resilience and bravery yesterday, resulting in a well-deserved victory in the Seliban Challenge. Their reward, as has been announced earlier by Principal Pomewege, a trip to Armezai, is being arranged as we speak. And this win has qualified them to move on to the next phase. We wish them luck at Zagran.”

  Maia could not quite believe his words. She had been up all night, worrying, praying that their team not be punished for their chosen route. She had wiped off any hopes of a win from her mind altogether. And now . . .

  Applause filled every corner of the room as soon as the master stopped speaking and all eyes focused on the five beaming youngsters who bowed shyly in response to the ovation. From the corner of her eye, Maia saw Loriine scowl and whisper to Karhann, who simply looked away.

  “The names of the other nineteen teams that make it to the next phase will be announced soon. Then you leave for Zagran. Do not panic. You will probably have a break, although a very short one, before you take the plunge, so to speak.”

  A hand went up hesitantly at one corner of the room.

  “This break,” it was Jiri, “will we be allowed to go home? And for how long?”

  “Hmm . . . eager to go home already? Have we managed to tire you out in six months?” Master Kehorkjin mused. “Unfortunately, I do not have an answer for you today. We are not even sure that there will be a break, and I personally think you do not need any.”

  Faces faded in despair at his words.

  “But, if there is, it will be not more than two weeks. You will be allowed to go home and visit your families, and you will have the luxury to get back in touch with your sloppy side once more.”

  The master paused to watch happy grins flashing across the room.

  “And now back to the results of the Prototype Challenge. As we already announced, Core 7 has the top group scores for this challenge. But all of us want to know who among you designed the best craft? This was a close contest. We picked one winner after much deliberation, but we had to bestow secondary honors to another entry that was almost as good.” He paused and his brows knitted. “It is extremely painful for me to admit that both these entries have chosen to ignore my directives. Yet they have won by the judging panel’s mandate. While I cannot override the decision of the panel, I will have to say that this act of provoking me will not go unrewarded. I will pass on my comments to the ones who will watch you during the Jjordic run.”

  “I would not want to be either one of those two,” Ren croaked.

  “The honorable mention goes to . . . ” Master Kehorkjin paused as the whole room held its breath in anticipation, “Sliver.”

  “Yes,” Nafi shouted, her triumphant fist shooting up through the air. Then the applause rang out. In the moments that followed, a half-smiling, half-crying Ren barely survived being trampled by his wild teammates.

  “Congratulations, Ren. And when you are done celebrating up there, I will announce the winner.”

  The room soon fell silent again.

  “Sejya,” Master Kehorkjin pronounced slowly.

  Wild cheers of celebration erupted on the other side of the aisle. Maia strained to look, but from where she stood with her friends, she could not clearly spot the winner.

  “Who is it?” Nafi tugged at Maia’s sleeve, her face dark and eyes clouded with pain.

  “I don’t know, can’t see. But it has to be Core 7, since they had the top group honors.”

  “Yes, it does seem like someone from Loriine’s core.” Dani craned her neck, standing on tiptoes to catch a glimpse of the champion over the sea of bobbing heads.

  “Congratulations, Karhann, on winning this challenge.” Master Kehorkjin’s announcement put their minds at rest. “Sejya will be the model for the crafts that we will build for Ti, and you will be awarded a trip to the moon to try the first prototypes.”

  The master cleared his throat and continued. “And now for the part that irks me. Contrary to what I suggested about safety features, both these heroes have put in, not just a few, but scores of attachments of that nature. And yet, they meet all weight and energy consumption requirements.” The master sighed. “Just for the record, Sliver has twenty-five features ranging from parachutes to ejection systems. Sejya has thirty-eight—it is as invincible as a military assault craft.”

  The master paused and shook his head, as if in disbelief. “All I will say is that our friends on Ti are indeed lucky to have you design their crafts for them.”

  The whole assembly burst into another wave of spontaneous applause even before Master Kehorkjin could complete his sentence.

  ***

  The invitation for the trip to Armezai came two days later to the team communicator. Ren read the message aloud as the others listened eagerly.

  “You are hereby invited to participate in the Royal Carnival at the capital in honor of your excellent performance. In addition to the two-day visit to the enchanting and historical city, you will receive winners’ medals at the Grand Gala at the Chancery, presented by the Chancellor of Xif. You will be contacted by your team counselor with details of the arrangements.”

  As Ren read the last sentence, Nafi groaned. “Can we ever go anywhere without His Highness, the supreme source of annoyance?”

  “No, we are stuck with that pain for life,” Maia said gloomily as they strolled out to the corridors.

  In the days following their win, their team had become quite popular. Even students of the XDA had stopped to ask about their adventure at the Seliban Temple. They had just finished talking to a group of Circle Two students when Master Kehorkjin came up the stairs, looking unexpectedly mellow.

  “Maia,” he called as the crowd dissipated urgently at the sight of him. “Can I speak to you for a moment?”

  “We’ll wait right around the corner,” Dani whispered as Maia made her way toward the master.

  “How is that arm healing?” he asked.

  “Healer Vi said she’ll take it off tomorrow,” Maia replied. She quickly summarized her daily inspection routines with the healer, who now bordered on friendliness with
not just her but also with her “slipshod” friends.

  “I understand that you were the only one from your team who faced off with Core 7?”

  Maia nodded, a bit unsure of where the discussion was headed.

  “And I also understand that you fought with all three of them?”

  Maia nodded again.

  “And all of them attacked you? At the same time?”

  “No.” She remembered Yoome had never made a move while she was engaged with the others. “Yoome did not fight at the same time as Karhann and Loriine.”

  “You are sure about what you remember?” Master Kehorkjin studied her face as she nodded.

  “All right, that was all I needed to find out.”

  Maia was about to leave when the master spoke again.

  “In case you are curious,” his eyes drooped as a flush flooded his pale face, “we have been investigating the unfortunate incident at the Seliban Temple. It is a shame that Core 7 violated the code of honorable combat and they will obviously be disqualified. Yoome, however, maintained that she did not engage in the said transgression as the others, and that she tried to stop them instead. And since you have reinforced that claim, she will be excused.”

  “If I may add,” Maia started with hesitation, “this was not the first time that Yoome advocated the honor code.”

  The master’s eyes narrowed for the briefest moment before he nodded and left. Maia rushed back to find her friends, eager to share her story, happy that the disgraceful bunch was set to receive a just penalty.

  42: Sanctuary of the Stars

  The commemoration of First Passage was a time of big celebrations in the Xifarian Republic. Announcements of closures were broadcast throughout the academy, all classes were suspended for two weeks, and the buildings became as desolate as ever after most students left for their homes. For the visitors, namely the participants of the Alliance Initiative, elaborate feasts were planned during the three days of celebration. The teams were scheduled to depart right after the festivities ended, and everyone was keen on enjoying the last few days of their stay.