War of the Innocents

by Michelle Breon

  After the exhibition dance, the Dance Master returned the celebration to the Elder who thanked everyone for coming and called for the first course of the meal.

  The Cooking Guild began to pass out the salad and bread as the musicians took their appointed places. As the musicians tuned their instruments, the Dance Master announced the first dance.

  Nik noticed the Dance Master head for the floor and offered his hand to Angel. “Would you like to dance?”

  Angel gladly accepted and he led her to one of the forming circles. Most of their friends followed. They danced the set of three dances before returning to their seats.

  “Petra, you looked great out there,” Lurana commented. “I didn’t know that you had made it into the Dance Guild.”

  “They had an opening and I tried out,” Petra smiled at the group. “Tis all I ever wanted to do.” She glanced at her family’s table, noticing her grandmother Alinda’s proud smile.

  “What I don’t understand is why you chose the Data Center over the Apaugallas, Torvuld,” Hichaam asked.

  “Mi padret felt twould be a waste of my time,” he grimaced. “I like both, but I do not know if tis truly what I want to do.”

  “Angel, why are you in the Apaugallas? I thought you wanted to be in the Data Center,” Sirvana said as she passed the bread to Angel.

  “Well, I had to follow in my grandfather’s and father’s footsteps,” Angel said, hoping no one asked why.

  “But after what happened to your father, I would think that your family would object.”

  Angel remained silent. She did not remember her father because he had died on a mission for the Apaugallas. Heartbroken, her mother had never considered remarrying. Angel had been only four at the time.

  “And Nik, why did they call you for Apaugalla. Your padret was firm on you being in the Agricultural Guild.”

  “I had a message from the Gods that twas where I need to be,” Nik said calmly.

  “I wonder if that is because of the new Cerato,” Petra said.

  “I heard that the new Cerato is from Analisse.” Torvuld reached for his water glass, hiding his disappointment from his friends well.

  “I heard that he is from here,” Brok said as he set the almost empty salad bowl in the middle of the round table.

  “And I heard that she is from one of the remote villages,” Sirvana chimed in.

  Angel focused on her salad, trying to keep a mildly interested expression. If anyone started to question her, she would not be able to hide the truth for long. Her friends knew her too well not to detect when she evaded a question.

  “I heard that the Elders have known for months, but were secretly hiding her,” Petra said low.

  “No, that can’t be true. They only heard day before yesterday,” Kira said as she poured water from the pitcher into several of the glasses on the table.

  “Well, I do know that the ceremony is tomorrow. What I wouldn’t give to know when. I’d like to hide down by the lake,” said Gunther.

  “You can’t. You can’t get anywhere near what with all the cameras installed to watch the lake. The Cerato had them placed years ago, along with the cameras at the hotels.” Torvuld helped himself to more bread.

  Nik saw the Dance Master rise and talk to the musicians before heading for the dance floor. As soon as the Dance Master announced the next set, Nik quietly asked Angel to dance. She quickly agreed and he led her to the dance floor.

  “Thanks for the rescue,” she whispered.

  “Anytime.”

  The lines formed and the music started. A circle followed, then two couples dances.

  “Tis going to be a long evening, if they continue to discuss the rumors around the Cerato.”

  “Would you rather have them ask you questions?”

  “No. I don’t think I could evade them long. Especially Torvuld. He has been watching me closely all evening.”

  Nik knew that Torvuld tended to be highly suspicious of everything. “I’ll try to steer the conversation to school.”

  Angel smiled at him, then frowned. “Why did you change to Apaugalla?” she asked.

  “As I said, the Gods sent me a dream.”

  “Nik,” Angel said and waited until he looked down at her. “Are you sure tis what you want?”

  “Not exactly, but I cannot say no to the Gods.”

  “Was your father alright with your change?”

  “Aiy, after a fashion.” Nik looked away so that she would not see the pain.

  But Angel noticed his small frown. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly.

  “Twill be alright,” he replied automatically. Eventually.

  Mary and Ian waltzed up beside them. “Mind if we change partners?” Ian asked.

  Nik looked to Angel and she agreed. Nik traded with Ian and watched as Ian waltzed Angel away.

  Ian smiled down at her curious look. “This is probably the only time I will get to dance with you,” he explained.

  Angel nodded. “Are you enjoying the celebration?”

  “Yes, as much as I can. I don’t know most of your dances. But I recognized the beat to this and your mother offered to partner me out.”

  “Tis your first dance then?”

  “It’s alright. I’m not much for dancing anyway.”

  Angel looked up at him and knew he was not being completely honest. She decided to get him some help. After the third musical piece, the Dance Master called for a break again.

  When Nik and Angel returned to their table, the main course was passed around. Their friends paused in the rumors long enough to dish up food and pass the dishes around.

  Angel leaned over to Petra. “Did you notice the young man I was just dancing with?”

  “Aiy, but I do not know him. Who is he?”

  “His name is Ian and he is a friend of my family. But he doesn’t know how to dance well. Would you mind dancing with him tonight?”

  Petra smiled. “I don’t mind.”

  Angel relaxed back, content to let Petra take the lead with Ian. She spooned some vegetables onto her plate and passed the bowl on to Nik.

  “So, Angel, what have you been doing the past few weeks?” Torvuld asked.

  “We missed you at school,” Lurana said.

  Angel thought fast. “I’ve been helping my grandmother with state business.”

  “Like what?” Torvuld asked.

  “You know I can’t talk about that. I missed all of you though. Fill me in on what happened at school.”

  While the girls launched into spirited tales of relationships and the class prank, the guys contented themselves with eating. Angel listened with feigned avid interest, occasionally noticing that Torvuld continued to watch her.

  At a lull in the conversation, Torvuld leaned over to her and asked, “So what did you say you’ve been doing?”

  Angel chewed her food extra long, trying to think of how to evade the question. Nik’s quiet voice interrupted her train of thought.

  “Angel, would you like to dance?”

  Angel glanced to the dance floor where a pavan was forming. “Aiy.” She turned to Torvuld. “Please excuse me.”

  Out of hearing range, she whispered, “Thanks for the rescue again.”

  Nik just grinned at her, then indicated that most of their friends had joined the line. Petra had invited Ian out as well. After the pavan, the musicians played several more couples dances. As Nik waltzed Angel around the floor, Gillian and Mischka swung alongside.

  “Goesh nicht, Angel. Do not stay out too late,” Gillian said.

  “Goesh nicht, Mema.”

  “Nik, please escort Angel home after the celebration tonight,” Mischka commanded rather than asked.

  “Aiy.”

  “Goesh nicht, Papa.”

  “So like someone I remember,” Mischka teased. “Goesh nicht, Angelina.”

  Mischka whirled Gillian away and off the floor. “You are incorrigible,” Gillian laughed.

  “Tis more like encouragable,” he whi
spered.

  Nik kept Angel on the dance floor as much as possible. He kept the conversation away from rumors of the Cerato and questions about where she had been. When Torvuld again leaned close to Angel, Nik leaned over and whispered, “Let it go.” The vehemence in his voice squelched Torvuld’s question for the moment.

  Torvuld returned to eating his dessert and left Angel alone for the remainder of the evening. Nik’s change in Guild coupled with Angel’s absence from school had made him suspicious. He suspected that he knew the answer.

  Their group was one of the last at the celebration, begging the Dance Master for one more dance.

  “Tis time for you all to go home. Twill be another celebration tomorrow night for the new Cerato, should that rumor prove true. Go home,” he commanded, between yawns.

  Finally the others said good night and began to leave in pairs and trios for their homes. Nik tucked Angel’s hand in the crook of his elbow and nodded to Torvuld before leading her away. Angel did not stop at her house and continued on to the hillside past her house.

  “I don’t want to go to sleep,” she said quietly.

  Nik understood, but knew what tomorrow would entail for her. “Aiy, but twill be a long day tomorrow. You need to rest.”

  “I cannot rest with the dreams.”

  “Still having them?”

  “Aiy. Grandmother says they will stop tomorrow.” Angel sighed and looked to the horizon. “I fear tomorrow. I fear the lake if I am correct and I fear the dreams will continue if I am not correct. Tis not a pleasant prospect either way.”

  At those quiet words of admission, Torvuld slipped away into the darkness on the other side of the hill. He needed to know no more right now.

  Chapter 3

  Fear Not the Lake

  “Aiy, but at least the wait and uncertainty twill be over.”

  Angel nodded and remained silent. They sat there for the longest time, not saying anything. As Angel began to nod off, Nik reminded her that she needed to rest in her bed. She finally allowed him to lead her home.

  “Will you be there tomorrow morning?”

  “Aiy. All the Apaugallas will be there for the morning meeting.”

  “I wish I could skip that meeting.”

  Nik grinned at her. “Nervous?”

  “Tis an understatement.”

  “Twill be all over in a few hours.” He squeezed her hands reassuringly. “Pleasant dreams, Angel.”

  She grinned ruefully. “I wish.”

  They said good night and she went inside. She stared at her bed morosely, but another yawn made her surrender to her tiredness.

  A soft knocking on her door at five caused Angel to toss aside the covers. “I’m awake,” she called.

  “The shower is available,” Gillian said through the door.

  “Danku.” Angel gathered clean clothes and headed to wash off the sweat drenching her nightclothes.

  Too nervous to eat, they headed through the still dark streets together, flanked by Mischka and Tashi. Mary was staying with Tashi’s wife Lenni until the call came to meet the new Cerato later.

  Angel settled into Gillian’s office at the Meeting Hall, while Gillian and Mischka greeted the arriving Elders and Apaugallas in the main room. Tashi brought the hovercraft to the back door of the building.

  The main room of the Meeting Hall was full of people, most still looking sleepy. Gillian ran through her memorized list of Elders as Mischka checked for the Apaugallas. He indicated to Gillian that the Apaugallas had arrived. Gillian nodded once in acknowledgement, surveying the room a final time. As Gillian approached the front of the room, everyone found a seat. Mischka took the Elder’s seat up front and Tashi remained by the door to the hallway leading to the few offices.

  “Goesh muirnon everyone. I’m sorry for the early morning hour, but the new Cerato did not want to delay any longer than necessary.” She smiled at everyone to hide her own growing fear. “Today I stand before you as just Elder Gillian and a new Cerato will be acknowledged by the Gods.”

  From the back of the room, someone spoke loudly. “Who is the new Cerato?”

  Gillian grinned, expecting just this question. “Who is the new Cerato, you ask. Tis time you knew.” She nodded to Tashi.

  Tashi opened the door a crack and motioned for Angel to come forward. When she stood before the door, he opened it wide. On trembling legs, Angel crossed to the front of the chamber.

  A collective gasp went up from the room. “Angelina?” Andrei asked in disbelief. “But she tis only seventeen cyclistas. You must be joking.”

  “I wish I were,” Gillian responded, the anguish in her voice silencing further protests. “Angel came to me several weeks ago and reported having the Cerato dream. I too had been sent a dream from the Gods that the new Cerato had been chosen. No one else has stepped forward during these intervening weeks. For a time, Angel’s dreams went away. When the dreams came back three nights ago, I knew the calling to be true and that we could wait no longer.”

  Gillian looked around the room. “I would like two volunteers to escort Angel to Islet Llanelyn for her journey to the Gods. Who is willing to do this?”

  Andrei stepped forward. “I will.”

  Before Nik could speak, Elder Trielo stepped forward as well. “I would like to accompany her.”

  “Tis decided then.” Gillian turned to Angel. “Go and meet your destiny. Just be sure to get all your questions answered,” she reminded Angel.

  Andrei and Elder Trielo escorted Angel to the waiting hovercraft and left the village as the sun began to rise.

  “Tis happy for you am I, Angelina,” Andrei said.

  “Why is that uncle?”

  “Unlike past Ceratos including your esteemed grandmother, you have experienced family willing to help you. You do not have to go through this alone.”

  “I’m just glad that the secret has finally been revealed. Twas most hard pretending not to know anything,” Elder Trielo commented.

  “You knew?” Andrei asked incredulously. “Even I did not know.”

  “Grandmother had to tell him or he wouldn’t let me out of school.”

  “But you did very well on your final exams. I was most surprised.”

  “Grandmother hired a tutor for me and I’ve been studying with him the past several weeks.”

  “That would be Ian, aiy?”

  “Aiy. And Ian will be accompanying me on the tour of the villages to continue my lessons.”

  “Why? Do you know what the struggle twill be?” Andrei piloted the hovercraft towards the distant lake.

  “Grandmother thinks she knows, but she hasn’t told me much. That secret is being held tighter than my identity was.”

  “Who else knew?” Andrei asked, curious.

  “My mother of course. And Tashi.” Angel held back that she had told Nik.

  Curious, the two men continued to ask questions until the lake came into view between the trees. The crystal clear water lapped gently at the shore. Several feet of wooded area surrounded the lake, dotted occasionally with picnic tables. Angel knew of two other similar docks and boats around the lake, near the largest villages. Andrei parked the hovercraft in a small clearing near the picnic tables and helped Angel out while Elder Trielo remained in the back seat.

  Angel looked at the boat. How could such a small craft survive the whirlpool to the Gods?

  Andrei noticed her hesitation. “Your grandmother did tell you what to do, did she not?”

  “No. I know that I am supposed to row the boat out and I know how to row it. But tis all. When I asked, she refused to tell me anything.” Angel sighed. “She did say not to fear the whorl, but that was all.”

  Andrei remembered the words Mischka had said. “I cannot help you. As it has always been, so shall it now be. This you must do alone.”

  Angel looked at him and smiled. “You sound like Grandma. She told me the same thing once.” She looked back at the lake. “I guess if it worked for the past Ceratos then twill work for m
e.”

  “We will meet you back in the village then.”

  “I know,” Angel replied without turning away from the lake. She began walking slowly towards the boat, expertly steadying it herself as she launched it, then stepped into it. With quick strokes, she maneuvered away from the pier, turned the small craft and headed out into the center of the lake.

  Satisfied, Andrei turned back to the hovercraft and piloted it away from the lake.

  In the Meeting Hall, Gillian waited for Tashi to signal that the hovercraft had left before continuing the meeting. She quieted the room down. “I’m sure that you are wondering if tis some sort of a plot to ensure that I retain control of the government here even longer.” She noticed a few nods from the Elders. “I would think the same in your place. However, those in my generation will remember the single true indicator that someone has visited the Gods.”

  As several whispered, Lyndi spoke up. “You mean the aura?”

  “Aiy, the aura. Tis no way to duplicate that god-like light.” Gillian stifled her laughter. “I remember my surprise at the sight.” Several snickers were heard around the room from the Elders. “I have not told Angel of this aura. Tis the true mark of one who has visited the Gods, as is mentioned in the history books.”

  Gillian knew that she had only a few more minutes to end this meeting. “I’ve stationed a lookout on the edge of the village closest to the lake. I was told that there was a bright light seen over the lake only minutes before I appeared at the edge of the village. The lookout will pass the word along if and when he sees the bright light. When the call is heard, everyone in the village is to gather on the edge to greet the new Cerato.”

  “How long do we have?”

  “Tis not known. Each past Cerato has been gone different lengths of time. We must be ready whenever the call comes.” Gillian looked around the room. “Are there any questions?” When no one spoke, she adjourned the meeting.

  Once everyone had left, Mischka quickly accessed the vidphone and linked to the central computer. He established a view for each of the four cameras posted at the lake by the small dock, then stepped aside for Gillian and Tashi to watch.