The Way of the Power Page 13

  “It’s happened here before. The only way to calm the people is to bribe as many as necessary to calm the rest. Usually those bribes are to the police guard and the military. Together they can muscle down any opposition. But you stopped that from happening. How things progress from here is unknown, but for the moment, the Artisoll is unclaimed. That gives me a hopeful feeling, and it is for that reason that I thank you.”

  Malja took off her long coat and rolled it into a pillow. “Glad to be of help,” she said, resting her head on the roll and letting the low-burning fire warm her back. “Let’s hope I didn’t make things worse.”

  “Now that we’re back here, my world has a chance for it not to be what would have been inevitable. I think that’s worthwhile.” Stray removed his own coat and covered it over Malja. “Get some rest. We have a hard day ahead.” Malja raised an eyebrow at the gesture. Stray scowled. “You’re no good to me or the Artisoll if you’re tired.”

  Malja looked off at the trees, watching the firelight dance upon the leaves and the snow as if it was a private illusion create by Tommy for her entertainment. Her eyes narrowed from the treeline to the rocks in front of her where she saw a curious sight — a row of stits foraging through the night to feed their colony. In teams of two the insects lugged morsels of grass and leaves across the rock, laboring together to bring these heavy items back to their nest. A larger insect — green body, hard shell, and three fur-lined feelers sticking out its back — watched the caravan just as Malja did. Only this insect wasn’t simply observing. It was hunting.

  With impressive speed, the larger insect slammed down on one of the stits and flew off with its little victim twitching in its mouth. The others kept the caravan moving. A new stit rushed in to help the survivor of the team. Malja had seen this behavior in insects before. They were each nothing more than tools for the whole colony to live.

  She knew well the joy the larger insect felt, but she also knew what it was like to twitch helplessly in an enemy’s grasp. At the moment, she thought she held both positions at the same time.

  Her eyes grew heavy, and as she slipped into sleep, a thought jolted her awake. She sat up and nudged Stray in the knee. “You’ve given up everything for her. Not even really for her specifically but for the idea of her — the idea of the Artisoll. You’re an excellent warrior. You could easily have become a General, led armies, conquered nations. You could have become as big as a legend and all would know your name. Instead, you’re little and unknown. All the guards with you were killed and yet nobody seems to notice. You’re one of a group that is expendable.”

  “You woke up to point out that I’m nobody?”

  “I want to know if you think it’s worth the sacrifices you’ve made.”

  Stray did not answer at once but gave the point serious thought. Malja liked him more for that. Scratching his stubbly chin, he said, “I think you want to know more than simply if it’s worthwhile. Because of course it’s worthwhile. Why else would you all help? What makes it worthwhile for me is certainly different than for you, but we all are here to help the Artisoll for a reason we deem worthy. If not, then we risk our lives for nothing — then we are small and insignificant. But beyond that, I think you truly want to know if I regret the choice I’ve made. I could have stayed in the streets, risen in that world, become a leader of crime. Who knows? Maybe I would have joined the military to escape that life and done as you say, become a great General. I’ve thought about this before. All sane people think about what if they had made different choices. In the end, I always come to the same conclusion — that I cannot regret what I have chosen, for being the Artisoll’s guard makes me part of something vital to our people. Fame and fortune are fleeting. I’m sure they’re fun to have around but such accolades cannot define a life because they require the approval of others. I refuse to live a life that requires a pat on the head in order to define my own worth. So, no. I will never regret my choices no matter the outcome. For they are mine. Now, you make the choice to sleep or we’ll all regret it in the morning.”

  Malja saluted the order and rested her head back on the roll. Her thoughts swam in Stray’s answer but not enough to keep her awake. She fell asleep fast, and her do-kha worked through the night.

  * * * *

  Malja grabbed her attacker by the throat and shoved the person to the ground. As she reached across her rolled coat for Viper, her head cleared and she became fully aware of her surroundings. Beneath her unyielding grip, she saw Hirasa.

  “Sorry.” She released her hand.

  Hirasa coughed and gasped. “I shouldn’t have startled you awake.”

  “We’ll both try to be more careful.”

  The brief confrontation made enough noise to stir the others. Stray twisted his torso causing audible cracks and pops from his weary bones while Tommy and the Artisoll stretched in a more graceful manner.

  Malja tensed. “Where’s Fawbry?”

  “That’s why I woke you,” Hirasa said. “He’s gone.”

  Chapter 16

  “How can Fawbry be gone?” Malja stomped around the campfire, kicking at the ground as if she would suddenly find him hiding beneath a stone. “Did you fall asleep during your watch?”

  Hirasa’s voice cracked. “No. I swear by the love of Pali and Carsite that I would never betray your trust. I was awake the entire time.”

  “Then how did he get by you? We were all sleeping around this fire. We weren’t spread far apart. You should’ve heard him, at least.”

  “I don’t know. I can’t explain it. I did as you taught me — I looked outward so the firelight didn’t make it more difficult to see in the dark. I kept my ears open. And I know him — he’s not that stealthy.”

  “This makes no sense.”

  Stray scooped several handfuls of snow onto the dying fire. “It makes plenty of sense. Fawbry has been deeply touched by the Artisoll’s aura of magic. Down to the tiniest bits of his entire being, he feels the desire, the aching need, to protect and aid the Artisoll.”

  Malja thrust her hands toward the Artisoll. “But she’s here. Not off traipsing about the woods.”

  “If he’s thinking logically — given how obsessed he is with her — he could have gone out there in search of a weapon or another person to help. But he butchered Lynoya in order to protect the Artisoll, so I doubt he’s thinking logically. He’s mad, and whatever mad thoughts he suffers, he believes his actions are justified. All in the name of the Artisoll.”

  Malja considered Stray’s words. She shook out her long coat before donning it in one smooth motion. Then she picked up Viper. “Well, let’s start searching. Hirasa, how long ago do you think he got away?”

  “No more than an hour. I remember walking a circle around all of you about an hour back, and he was there. No doubt about it.”

  “Good. If we break up into two groups —”

  “We will not be searching for Fawbry,” Stray said. “At least, myself and the Artisoll will not.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Nothing is more important than the Artisoll. She is my only care in all of this or any world. The rest of you may go off to find Fawbry, that is your decision. But I will remain with the Artisoll. I will fulfill what I have been trained to do. We must go to the Temple.”

  “Fawbry is not somebody to be discarded. And your Artisoll is the one who did this to him.”

  “None of the rest of you has succumbed like he has. It is his weak mind that did this. Wasting our efforts to find a madman is not why we are here.”

  With a shake in her voice, Hirasa broke in. “Please. There’s no need for this. Fawbry disappeared on my watch. It’s my fault. I don’t know how he managed to get away without my noticing, but he did, and that makes me responsible.” She lowered her head before Malja and placed a hand across her stomach. “Stray is right. We’re here for the Artisoll. That’s what should be primary to us all. Fawbry ... he is ill and he needs someone to bring him back. Someone capable of forgiving his terrible
crime. So, please. Allow me to find Fawbry so that you all may continue to help the Artisoll.”

  Stray removed a long dagger from his belt and handed it to Hirasa. “You’re very sensible. Be careful. May luck follow you always.”

  Malja watched this exchange and held her tongue. She wanted to veto Hirasa’s suggestion. Fawbry was her family which made him her responsibility, but if she were in Hirasa’s place, she would have volunteered as well. Perhaps it would be best to let the young woman find Fawbry — it would fill her with some pride, boost her confidence, and most importantly, relieve any guilt weighing on her from allowing this to happen in the first place. Except Malja knew better than to let emotions dictate a plan of action on the battlefield.

  “Over here,” Malja said a little too harshly. Hirasa scurried over as Malja stepped away from the group. “You have feelings for him, don’t you?”

  Hirasa looked back at the group as if they might overhear. “What do my feelings have to do —”

  “Because you are not thinking clearly. You have an interest in him that, out here, is unhealthy. Understand that it is not for you to protect him or save him from this insanity that afflicts him.”

  “You think it’s for you to do?”

  “He is my family. I should never have let him —”

  “I don’t know what I feel towards him, but yes, I feel something. After what he did, though, everything about the way I feel is mixed up. That doesn’t mean I can’t think with a clear mind. I’m not some little girl pretending to be Pali while Carsite and Scarite fight over me. Don’t insult me. I’m not naive.”

  “No insults. It’s brave of you to accept responsibility, but this isn’t like anything you’ve done before. This is an entirely new world. All you’ve done so far is camp out for one night. If you go out on your own, you may find the whole experience far more difficult, more dangerous. Bringing you here, I have my own responsibility to return you safely.”

  “It’s nice that you say all that, but it’s not true. You did not bring me. I have made my own choice to come. I believe in you all and I want to help. I let Fawbry go, I need to figure out how to deal with him and his actions, and the Artisoll needs you. Why else are we really here if not for the Artisoll?”

  Hirasa’s words split open something deep within Malja, allowing it to rise to her consciousness like air bubbles floating up from fathoms below the ocean surface. She tried to ignore it, to stay focused on the current task, but the image of Fawbry wandering the snowy woods, half-crazed and freezing, would not let her go. Because Hirasa was right — why had they all come to Reo-Koll? Why had Malja felt the need to get involved in the first place?

  She rubbed the back of her neck, inhaled deeply, and tried to clear her mind. Questioning herself would not solve any immediate problems. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Hirasa’s plan made sense. Fawbry needed to be found, and Malja’s abilities would be wasted traipsing through the forest.

  All looked at Malja, but before anybody could speak, she said, “Hirasa will track down Fawbry while the rest of us take the Artisoll to Castle Dovell and the Temple at the top.”

  The Artisoll stepped forward with one hand on her forehead.

  “Is something wrong? Can you show me where you hurt?” Stray asked like a worried midwife. “Is this the Rising already? We should hurry you to Castle Dovell.”

  She shook her head vehemently and wisps of orange light floated off her.

  “Oh,” Stray said but offered no more.

  “What’s happening here?” Malja said. She had to snap her fingers in front of Stray to get his attention. Good thing it worked because her next plan was to slap his backside with the flat of her blade.

  “We’re not going to Castle Dovell.”

  “How come?”

  “The Artisoll is about do something that hasn’t happened in many generations. We’re about to witness the Revelation, something only the Queen has seen for even longer. The Artisoll’s going to give the rule of our world to another country.”

  Chapter 17

  Stray dropped to his knees as the Artisoll walked off a short distance. The reverence on his face reflected the morning sun’s rays streaming through the trees like a painting Malja expected to see hung in a temple. Perhaps the Temple that they sought.

  Malja tried to get Stray’s attention again. “What is all this?”

  “Be quiet,” he said. “This is a rare moment. You must be respectful.”

  “But is this part of the Rising? Don’t we need to be at the Temple?”

  With an impatient bite to his voice, Stray said, “Every country on Reo-Koll has a Temple. Whichever Temple the Rising occurs in is the country that gains the rule of the Queen. Right now, we are about to witness the Artisoll telling us which country we are to go to. The fact that it is not Dovell will literally change this world. Now, get on your knees and be silent.”

  Malja had no problem being silent, but she would not lower to her knees. Instead, she stepped back and joined Hirasa to watch from a distance. To her surprise, Tommy moved next to Stray and joined the man.

  The more she thought on it, the more sense it made. Magic aside — just as Hirasa had fallen for Fawbry, Tommy had fallen for the Artisoll. If Stray said that they should be on their knees, Tommy would do so.

  The Artisoll turned towards them and closed her eyes. Her serene face blended with the calm forest around her to create a silent tableau. She lifted her arms and held them for a moment. When she breathed in, she pulled her arms close to her body. When she exhaled, she let her arms drift outward with the air.

  Three times, she did this. On the fourth inhalation, the leaves on the branches above her leaned towards her. When she exhaled, the leaves relaxed. The fifth time, the foliage on the ground rose up towards her as the trees bent inward. A few more times and the entire forest around her oscillated in rhythm with her breathing.

  Malja felt the effect on her bones. She stumbled two steps forward when the Artisoll inhaled. Hirasa’s hair reached towards the Artisoll as well. No wonder Stray went to his knees — part religious conviction, but mostly so he wouldn’t be sucked into whatever the Artisoll’s magic was about to do.

  “Get on your knees,” Malja whispered and lowered to the ground with Hirasa.

  The Artisoll’s eyes popped open. She pointed her hands at the snowy ground between her and Stray. Inhaling again, one tree behind her cracked its thick trunk and toppled over. When she exhaled, the falling tree deflected off as if nothing more than a stick playfully thrown into the air.

  The snowy ground that commanded her focus rose up. The surrounding snow rolled inward, and the growing white mound reshaped itself. Parts thrust up in sheer, jagged forms while others molded into carved, purposeful pieces.

  When the snows ceased moving, an astonishing model of a Temple remained. Built into a cliffside, the Temple’s entrance had been graced with carved statues of young woman and babies. Past Artisoll’s, Malja thought. At various spots along the wall, Malja noticed where the rock had been reworked to form balconies of different shapes. At the base, twenty steps led from the Temple entrance to a wooden dock with a small rowboat tied up. Each fifth step, wide enough to build a house upon, had small columns built at the corners.

  Stray bowed his head at the sculpture. When he came back up, tears streamed on his cheeks. “It’s Tunistall Temple. Look how beautiful it is. You see the cliffs? Right off the Rewten Ocean. This is incredible. It’s one of the lesser countries. The Artisoll is giving rule of the world to one of the lesser countries.”

  “You’re sure?” Malja asked.

  “Of course. Part of my training was to learn what every Temple in every country looked like so that I would be prepared for the Revelation — should I ever be graced with the opportunity to see it.”

  A soft cooing interrupted them. Malja looked over and saw a baby in the spot where the Artisoll had stood.

  Stray bounded over and scooped up the baby, wrapping her in his coat and tying th
e bundle to his back. “We must hurry. The Artisoll has taken this form to aid us in moving fast.”

  “Move fast? How close is this other country — Tunistall?”

  “That depends,” Stray said, eying Tommy.

  Malja gritted her teeth. “He’s not your personal transport.”

  “He can do it, though. Can’t he? With one of his tattoos, he could send us all of the way to Tunistall in seconds. Without him, six days at least — if the winds are with us, and we find a good boat.”

  “Boat? We have to go on the water?”

  “How else would we get there from the other side of the world and across two oceans?”

  Shaking off her apprehension, Malja said, “It doesn’t matter. We’ll have to take the boat. We can’t use Tommy that way. Not so soon after he got us here.”

  “Then let’s go.” Stray stuffed the Artisoll’s clothing into his pack and took off at a light jog. Tommy eagerly accompanied him.

  Before joining, Malja looked back at Hirasa. “I know you’ll find him.” Then she ran.

  Less than an hour later, Stray broke his stride long enough to check on the Artisoll. Satisfied that no harm had come to her bouncing on his back, he tightened the coat and continued on his way.

  Jogging next to him, Malja noticed the elation on his face. It had been there during the Revelation. It had been there when he wrapped up the Artisoll as a baby, and it still remained. “I understand that this is an unusual event, but why is this so big? Is Tunistall where you’re from? Your home?”

  “No. I’m from Frennio. This is big because the Eastern countries — Dovell, Ro, Bechstallon — they have held control over the Queen and the Artisoll for the last five generations. It has changed everything in our world. The rules, the laws, the policing, food distribution, wealth distribution — everything funneled through those three countries. It was unfair. The Western countries felt it. Each day, they grew poorer but were without recourse. They couldn’t change what the Artisoll had chosen.”