by Marlow York
Vines sprouted from the side of the cliff and crawled towards the nearest opening, crisscrossing with vines summoned by the next person down the path. The plants meshed together and covered the cave openings until all evidence of a hollow disappeared.
The trees groaned and swayed, bending and inching closer together. Vines raced up the trunks and weaved among the branches, twisting and meshing until they seemed to crawl across the sky itself. The hole in the canopy closed, blocking all sunlight.
Not far away, I noticed moss creep up the houses and buildings, camouflaging them into the forest. Many of the Secara hummed or murmured softly, a noise that didn’t resemble voices at all, but sounded more like the slow whisper of wind in the leaves.
“Tree Singers,” Saven said softly, in awe of the spectacle. He turned to me in the darkness. “Just like Ysolda spoke about.”
He was right. Then, all at once, the village was dead quiet. We were surrounded by a thick dome of vines and trees. The midday sun couldn’t reach us, and even the breeze struggled to find its way in.
“The forest shrouds us from view while interfering with the airships’ sensors,” Cypress whispered, his hands still pressed to the side of the cliff while his eyes pointed upward. “Sound can’t get out, heat and motion detectors can’t find us, and any sort of equipment that gives off electrical or radio waves wouldn’t be able to get through. As far as the world is concerned, we don’t exist.”
Never in a million years could I have pictured myself surrounded by people like me—an entire village that freely and openly used their powers. Their skills were amazing, and so much stronger than my own. And yet, their persistent solitude was their real strength. The City couldn’t kill what it couldn’t find.
A soft humming noise barely made its way through the thick canopy as the airship passed overhead. We all stared upward, hoping the camouflage would work. The air grew thick and hot with every passing second. I felt a bead of sweat trickle down my spine, but I dared not move to brush away the tickling sensation.
Moments later, the ship was gone. It hadn’t found signs of life, even though there was a busy village right below.
We waited several minutes to be sure there wasn’t a second ship, or that the first one wouldn’t turn around. Eventually, a man’s voice called down from the treetops. “All clear!”
The entire village breathed a collective sigh of relief. The vines unwound from the trees and snaked back down from the cliffs into the earth. The houses reappeared. The hole in the canopy remained closed, but softly filtered sunlight turned our brief darkness into day once again.
“Does this happen often?” I asked, following Cypress towards the marketplace.
“Not usually.” He didn’t look at me. “The occasional scouting ship has passed by over the years, but it isn’t a normal occurrence. Within this month alone, we’ve seen three ships pass through, which is very unusual.”
I looked at the ground. “And it could become even more frequent.”
“We’ve overstayed our welcome,” Saven replied.
Cypress stopped so suddenly I almost ran into him. He turned to me. “I’m going to speak with our village leaders to see if they have any new information about the airship sighting. I’m sorry, but it’s not an open meeting.”
I glanced at Saven and he gave an encouraging nod. “We need to come with you,” I told Cypress. “We have some information we think will be useful to your leaders.”
Cypress stared at me, but not in a condescending or impatient manner. “Would you like to tell me first?”
I took a deep breath and sighed, observing the Secaran people as they tried to return to their normal workday. The village was lively around us, but there was tension in the air. I noticed no children outside playing. What if the Fiero had been given a warning before the attack? How many lives could have been saved? Would my parents still be alive? Would I know my sister’s whereabouts?
I turned to Cypress. “In private.”
Cypress glanced around and nodded. “Follow me.”
We stepped off the beaten path and headed towards the trees. The sounds from the village gradually faded until we were far enough into the forest that we couldn’t hear anyone at all.
“What did you want to tell me?” Cypress squared his shoulders and crossed his arms, facing me. His posture had the look of someone who needed to brace themselves for a potential impact.
“I think you may already know.” I glanced around to be sure we were alone.
“I don’t hear or smell anyone,” Saven reported.
“I may have ideas or assumptions, but that doesn’t make them true. I don’t want to assume things about someone I just met. You’ve given me no reason not to trust you yet.”
“Your mother thinks I’m Fiero.”
Cypress tilted his head in confusion, then seemed to understand. “You overheard our discussion.”
I nodded, frowning.
“So, is it true?” he asked.
I hesitated before nodding again. “I don’t know how your mother does it; how she can be so intuitive.”
Cypress looked down at the ground and smirked. “I wouldn’t call it just intuition.” He glanced up at me. “My mother is one of our village leaders, a well-respected one at that. Before she gained a leadership position, she was like me, a trader who traveled to many other villages. With each visit, she managed to earn the trust of the people she was visiting. Some, like the Grakkir, took more time than others. She told me the Fiero were one of the most welcoming clans she encountered.”
I gave him a puzzled look. “We never had traders come to our village. We were always told there were very few other villages in existence, and those that did exist were too far away for trading. We always got our goods from the City, though I’m sure that may sound as stupid to you as it now does to me.”
“Neither I nor my mother ever thought of the Fiero as stupid,” Cypress said. “Naïve, yes, but not stupid. They were ignorant to the world around them, which is understandable considering their proximity to the City. In any case, it’s been many years since we attempted to trade with the Fiero, and all trades took place in secret. Of course, the City officials, sly as they are, found out about the trading and put a stop to it.”
“You mean murdered your traders,” I said bluntly.
“Yes, unfortunately. And killed your people as well.”
I looked at my feet, feeling ashamed for my people’s blind trust in the City. “It’s my understanding the Fiero weren’t always that way,” I said quietly. “They weren’t always sheep cowering under the powerful claws of a great wolf.”
“No, they weren’t,” Cypress agreed. “They were once a powerful and fairly independent clan. Back when they were sometimes called the Fire Bringers.”
I couldn’t stop myself from flinching at the name, as though he had already found out my secret.
“You know what I’m talking about, don’t you?”
I looked up at him, my narrowed gaze piercing into his green eyes. “I do.”
He watched me carefully, expectantly. “So, is it true that you…could it even be possible…?”
I glanced at Saven. He looked down at me. “Do you think he can be trusted?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said aloud. I looked at Cypress. “Yes. It is possible.”
Cypress looked both curious and afraid. “Show me.”
I took a deep breath and raised my left hand in front of my face. I concentrated on the heat that ran through my veins, focusing it towards my hand, until a soft glow formed in my palm. The glow sparked, and my entire hand was encased in fire that would never burn me.
Cypress’s eyes went wide while his mouth opened in a smile of disbelief and excitement. “So, it is possible!” he breathed. “Everyone said your people were dead, that the bloodline had died centuries ago. They said you were no longer one of us, but more like the City Dwellers. I’m relieved to see that isn’t true.”
“It was true.” I watched th
e small flame dance on my palm. I lifted my right hand and pressed them together, passing the flame from my left hand to my right. “The bloodline had died out, but somehow it came alive again. My friend in the Grakkir clan said it didn’t actually disappear, just went dormant.”
“Interesting,” Cypress said thoughtfully. “Who knew such a thing was possible?”
“Or why it would happen.” I relaxed, and the flames dispersed. I took a breath, but I wasn’t as tired as I would have been a year ago if I’d held the flame alive for so long. I’d made a lot of progress with my powers.
“A subconscious defense mechanism, maybe?” Cypress suggested. “But that doesn’t explain how you could have an Animal God companion as well. That’s the Grakkir’s power. Never have I heard of a person having two Ancient Powers.”
“That makes two of us.” I looked up at Saven. “I can’t explain why the Goddess of Snakes came to me. Only she could tell you that.” I looked at Cypress again. “But for some reason, she thought I needed Saven at my side.”
“Every Grakkir used to have an Animal God, that’s what I heard.”
I nodded. “That’s true. But now only a few do. At one point, the Grakkir bloodline almost died out, but it doesn’t seem to have made much of a comeback.”
“So that’s what you wanted to tell us?” Cypress asked.
“Not just that,” I said. “I have more to tell the Secara leaders, if you think it would be safe to do so.”
“They won’t kill you for being Fiero any more than they would kill you for being Grakkir,” Cypress assured me.
“My Fiero blood puts this entire village in danger,” I said. “The City wants to kill me, and they’ve shown they don’t care who they hurt in the process.”
Cypress was quiet for a while, his face impassive. “Then perhaps you should speak to the leaders. But they will likely tell you to leave the village.”
“That’s fine,” I said. “We never intended to stay long, and I don’t want anyone else getting killed because of me. I’ve already seen two villages destroyed by the City and I don’t want it happening again. The leaders need to be warned and come up with a plan. The lives of all your people depend on it.”
Cypress frowned and nodded. “Let’s go.”
We hurried back towards the village, passing several houses. Cypress halted in front of a specific home. I expected a tall building or grand hall, like the Grakkir’s Elder Council had. Instead, it was an ordinary house placed beside an enormous tree with a trunk nearly as wide as the building itself.
“Perhaps a house is subtler than a hall?” Saven suggested.
“That makes sense,” I said. “The Secara thrive in solitude. Why would they want their meeting place or leaders to be in potential danger by congregating in an eye-catching building?”
Without knocking, Cypress pushed open the door. The interior was larger than his house, but there were many similarities. Herbs hung from the ceiling and several of the village leaders sat at a handmade wooden table covered in aged maps.
“Cypress, what are you doing here?” Kalea reprimanded, jumping up from her seat. She cast me a harsh look. “This is a private leadership meeting that cannot be disturbed.”
All eyes turned to us. There were seven leaders, four men and three women. Each of them looked alarmed by our intrusion, and more than one glanced uneasily at Saven outside the door.
“I apologize for interrupting.” Cypress looked from face to face. “But we have something we need to tell you.” He glanced at me. “Our Grakkir visitor has something she needs to tell you.”
I couldn’t ignore the looks from some of the leaders. A few crinkled their nose at me, taking in my Warrior’s Shield and the unkempt braid keeping my hair out of my face. Many looked apprehensive. Had Kalea already told them her suspicions about me not being who I claimed I was?
“Come forward, Cypress.” The calm yet strong voice belonged to an older man. His thinning white hair contrasted boldly with his dark, wrinkled complexion. He sat at the table with his back held straight and his hands folded on the tabletop, though I noticed the way his thumbs tapped against each other anxiously.
Kalea stepped aside to let us pass, looking defeated. We crossed the small room and stood opposite the wooden table. I glanced at the maps and recognized the City and the Fiero village—which now had a large “X” drawn through it—before a bearded man folded the paper and gave me a stern look.
“Canoga, sir, we have information concerning the City’s patrols.” Cypress glanced at me, as though that were the cue to tell my story.
I cleared my throat and tried to hide my discomfort when all eyes turned to me. “My name is Valieri.”
Saven slithered to a side window and one of the women gasped when he peeked his head in, flicking his tongue curiously.
“That is my companion, Saven,” I added. “As you may know, Cypress found us on Snowy Mountain, nearly frozen to death in a snowstorm. I am grateful for your village’s hospitality.”
I swallowed and took another deep breath, glancing at Saven. He gave an encouraging nod. “No matter what you say, I won’t allow them to harm you.”
I met the eyes staring at me. “The City attacked the Fiero and Grakkir villages because they believed the clans were harboring a fugitive.”
“A fugitive?” Canoga seemed perplexed. “A City Dweller?”
I shook my head. “A Fiero. One they believed to be dangerous.”
Canoga took a deep breath and stood up. “Dangerous in what way? What could possibly make the City feel threatened?”
“The Ancient Fire,” I replied. “They believe this particular Fiero possesses the Ancient Fire.”
Everyone shifted nervously. “How can that be true?” someone asked.
“It’s impossible,” said a large man with a long, dark beard. “The last Fire Bringer died centuries ago.”
“Or so the City says, Bersi,” Kalea added calmly, addressing the man directly.
I remained silent and kept my eyes on Canoga’s face. “Go on,” he said gently.
I took a slow breath, forcing my face to remain stoic like a true Grakkir Warrior. “Normally the City would take a criminal behind the walls to punish them. However, they felt a living Fire Bringer was not only a threat, but a criminal act in itself. They destroyed the Fiero village to kill or capture the subject and to punish the Fiero clan for not exposing them. The fugitive ran away and sought refuge within the Grakkir clan.”
“Is that typical behavior of the Grakkir?” Bersi asked.
I thought of Sarrenke and her older sister, both former City Dwellers who had escaped and lived among the Grakkir for years until they easily passed for one of them. “It has been done before under extreme circumstances,” I said.
“And the Fiero was allowed into the clan despite the dangers associated with his or her presence?” Canoga asked.
“The Grakkir elders did not know the fugitive possessed the Ancient Fire. The Fiero was captured as a slave by a group of Scouts and eventually adopted into the clan.”
“And where is this person now?” Canoga asked.
“They escaped when the City attacked the Grakkir village.” My voice grew quiet. “Many others were not so fortunate.”
The silence that followed was sad and respectful.
“Do you know the Fiero’s whereabouts?” Kalea asked. Her eyes seemed to flash when I looked at her.
“Yes.”
“How?” a man asked.
I paused. “Because I am her.”
More than one person visibly shuddered at the news. My stomach clenched, and I glanced around as voices rose to discuss the news and what it meant for the Secara. My pulse hammered painfully in my chest and neck. I swallowed hard and struggled to keep my breathing even. I didn’t want them to see my emotions. I looked at Cypress, who frowned at me. When I turned to Saven, he hissed sharply from the window, reminding everyone that he was still there and to keep their wits about them.
“Enough!�
�� Canoga shouted, banging his palms on the table. “Compose yourselves,” he added more quietly. “We will discuss this news like civilized people.” He turned to me. “Can you prove your identity to us?”
I gave a nod and lifted my palms towards the ceiling. It took no effort to call and hold the dancing flames for everyone to see. Gasps and whispers surrounded me, and despite the obvious potential dangers, Canoga’s eyes shimmered with something other than fear.
I let the fire disappear and lowered my hands to my sides. “Please listen to me.” I met the eyes of each person in turn. “The City is responsible for the near extinction of the Ancient Bloodlines, and their control is the reason people like you are hiding. It isn’t right. We can’t let them rule over us like this anymore. I can’t make anyone fight with me, but if we could all band together—all of the clans—I think we would be strong enough to overthrow the City’s leaders.”
“And who would rule in their wake?” Bersi asked. “What’s left of the Fiero?”
“Bersi,” Kalea warned. Her eyes flicked from the man and back to me.
“All of us, together. Just like it was centuries ago.”
Many faces seemed interested, but doubt weighed heavily in the air.
“It’s a suicide request,” Bersi said. “The City has soldiers and weapons beyond anything we can create.”
“The Grakkir could train you,” I insisted. “Their leader, Elder Mother Ysolda, insisted I look for other clans. I’m certain she would let her Warriors prepare the Secara for battle.”
I turned to Canoga, my eyes wide with insistence. His face was unreadable. “Help us. If not for me, then for the future of your people.”
The old man took a deep breath. “It is not for me to decide. We must deliberate and bring the topic forward to our people. I will not make them fight and risk their lives for a cause they don’t believe in. Please leave us.”
I looked to Cypress and he tilted his head towards the door, suggesting we should leave.
“Thank you for your time,” I said to Canoga.
✽ ✽ ✽
Although the village had returned to normal, tension hung in the air. More than once, I noticed eyes turn skyward, as though they feared the airships would return before they could camouflage the village.
