Chapter 34
ORDER OF LIFE
Ria’s jaw fell open at Jeif’taku’s display. She snapped it shut and scuffled back in the sand. “He used magic ... spirit,” Ria said, starting to shake. “The Curse!”
Niri’s lavender eyes widened before the laughter of the Ashanti cut in.
“Kha, Khat bek Ak’Ashanti.”
“Not here in Ak’Ashanti,” Darag translated, doubt on his face. He met Jeif’taku’s gaze steadily, neither looking away. Tension hung on the air.
Jeif’taku gave Darag a casual smile, moving his right hand out with an open palm. “Ef’katah.”
Darag hesitated a second longer, before nodding slowly. Ria relaxed, relieved. Jeif’taku looked over at her, amusement dancing on his lips.
“Rahknuhn,” he said to Ria.
“He wants you to try,” Darag said to her.
Jeif’taku motioned her forward. Ria flinched, shaking her head as she bit her lip. Jeif’taku laughed, looking away as he smiled. Kiefa'shoo chuckled deep in his chest while Behk’sah’s hissing laugh sounded cruel to Ria’s ears. She blushed and tucked her legs against her chest, staring at the sand. Nothing could make her risk summoning the Curse again. There was breathy laughter all around her.
“Life, living plants ... that is also Kith,” Darag’s voice was heavy with the realization.
“Tek ti yel selfah? Fetyiat.” Jeif’taku said, leaning back on his heels.
Lavinia’s eyes were round with the impact of the news. “You mean the Kith are Earth and Spirit Elementals and no one knew? I bet the Forest of Falin is safe then for Ria as well.”
The attention mostly off of her, Ria scooted forward to sit next to Niri again. “If that is true, I would never have bothered leaving,” she sighed. “I bet Laireag is an Air Elemental, too, and doesn’t even know it.”
“That makes sense.” There was a stir of movement as attention focused on Niri. “That was the second part of the letter. It said that talent in one element comes with birth, but it can mean latent and learnable skills in other elements.”
Ria perked up. “I could learn one of the other elements, and the Curse wouldn’t come?”
Behk’sah’s laughter rolled across the night. Jeif’taku and Kiefa’shoo snickered as well, though they tried to hide it. Rah’kana was silent and still. Tef’han, sitting near Leifa’den and Khefa'bey smirked, while the youngest two Ashanti shifted uncomfortably, glancing at each other and toward Rah’kana furtively.
“Kha,” Behk’sah said with a hissing chuckle. “Khat roke.”
“Why isn’t it simple?” Darag asked. His eyes were veiled with held back anger as he glared at Behk’sah. Ria had never seen Darag other than peaceful. She swallowed and shifted closer to Niri. On her other side, Ty’s quiet presence took on a hostile note. He clenched a fist, the muscles of his forearm tightening visibly.
Jeif’taku gestured toward Darag. “Bal Darag fetyi feitah.”
Behk’sah snorted. Niri waited for Darag's translation.
“He says he thinks I could learn.”
Niri gave a cool smile. “I don’t see what is so difficult about it. I’ve already summoned air. It is how I managed to swim out of the Temple.”
Niri’s statement brought silence. Ty chuckled. Rah’kana gaze settled on Niri as if reconsidering her potential.
“Whaf selfah ketkah teyl fetyi,” Jeif’shoo said to Behk’sah with a laugh.
“Kha,” Behk’sah stood up and spat into the sand. He turned in a swirl of robes and stalked off between the dunes.
“Tef’han ehteck Behk’sah,” Rah’kana said, his voice quiet, but heavy with authority.
Tef’han rolled to his feet and whispered off into the darkness after Behk'sah.
“Whaf selfah efti zyf, alypuh. Jah, whaf selfah khat rahth shaar, shaar selfah khat rahth whaf.” Rah’kana paused, his patient gaze resting on Darag.
“Water can summon air, but cannot touch fire. Fire cannot touch water.”
“Dih,” Rah’kana gestured toward Darag. “Tek selfah khat rahth zyf ti zyf selfah khat rahth tek.”
“Earth cannot touch air and air cannot touch earth.”
Rah’kana rolled his hands toward Ria. She looked up into his eyes, finding more kindness than hostility in them. “Ti yel selfah khat rahth kahk.”
Darag drew in a sharp breath. “Life cannot touch death.”
Breath rushed from Ria's lungs.
“That’s why you felt it when I killed the priest,” Lavinia said, sitting forward.
“And why you could not hurt Causis,” Niri added.
“I can’t kill anything,” Ria said with a mix of fear and awe. “Not even the Curse.” Her throat spasmed shut.
“Kha,” Rah’kana agreed.
“But you can call all five,” Niri said to Rah’kana.
“Dih, rikeht yelfa’teh.”
“Yes, by birth.”
Niri pressed on. “So you can be born with more than one skill. There are exceptions.”
“Dih.” A slow smile fell across Rah’kana’s face.
“Your powers are amazing,” Niri said with heartfelt honesty.
Rah’kana closed his eyes, his shoulders drooping slightly. When he looked up, there was a tiredness about him. “Nohl rashah wheytu zhezt.”
“Their power has a price.”
“Dih,” Rah’kana breathed out slowly. The other Ashanti were silent a moment, even Behk’sah where he stood outside the circle of firelight with Tef’han behind him. Kiefa’shoo bowed his head.
Ria swallowed the lump in her throat. Into the silence of the night, her voice wavered. “Can you teach us?”
Rah’kana held her gaze a moment. Ria doubted she could measure up to whatever scale he weighed her against.
“Kha, nohl befka kif’teh.”
“They must go home,” Darag said kindly to Ria. She bit her lip and looked away so that Rah’kana could not see the tears in her eyes.
“Nohl r’tohnwa ak’phesh’fah tek Karakastad, ti shaar selfah, ti whaf selfah,” Rah’kana gestured toward Niri. Then, he turned contemplative eyes on Darag, “Ti Kith.”
Darag looked uneasy as he translated, “They have to tell of the drowning of the Temple in Karakastad, and the Fire Elementals, and you, Niri, as well as the Kith.”
Niri shifted. Across the woodless fire, Lavinia paled. Ria huddled in on herself.
“Nohl befka rhaz’yel.”
“They are going to leave in the morning.”
“Dih,” Rah’kana said with some force, looking sidelong at the other Ashanti. Jeif’taku stared at the ground. Kiefa’shoo nodded, rising to his feet after Rah’kana slowly pulled himself upright with a hiss. Rah’kana followed by Kiefa’shoo, Behk’sah, and Tef’han walked away into the darkness. Jeif’taku did not move. Khefa’bay stayed with his eyes on Jeif’taku. Leifa’den shifted, but did not leave either. Her gaze remained on Ria and Niri.
“Where do you live?” Lavinia asked after the desert silence had sat undisturbed a few moments.
“Teyl ahyee nohl kif’teh.”
“He says you’ve seen their home,” Darag said, glancing at Ty and Niri with a question in his eyes.
“The city in the desert? I thought it was an illusion,” Ty replied, tension gone now that most of the Ashanti had left.
“Kha,” Jeif’taku said with a faint smile. “Teyl feitah efti nohl kif’noh.”
“He says you have to know how to summon their city.”
“That would be a trick, I bet,” Ty said flatly.
“Bal tetkah kil teyl, jah r’befka kil Rah’kana,” Jeif’taku said to Darag, standing.
“Bahl feit’haf,” Darag replied, standing as well.
“Alypuh befka, sel’ha.”
“Aylpah beyf’kah ah’teyhl, sehl’hah.”
Darag and Jeif’taku clasped right forearms, stepping close to touch each other’s shoulder with free hands.
Jeif’taku followed after Rah’kana, the two youngest Ashanti walking behind. The flam
es in the sand flickered before dying. The cold desert night wrapped around the five friends.
“What did he say,” Ria asked as her eyes adjusted to the rose light of the lesser moon.
“That he would stay, but has to go with Rah’kana,” Darag said, putting an arm around Lavinia when she leaned against him. “He called us friend.”
No one said anything to that.
—
In the morning, there was only Darag’s horse and the six camels remaining outside of the shelter. It was like the Ashanti had been a desert dream except that Darag was there, his arms around Lavinia, and a small palm tree grew next to Niri’s spring. But the ground where the Ashanti’s fire had burnt was not even scorched and the sand did not show their boot prints.
“Do you trust them?” Niri asked Darag.
“Not entirely. Certainly not Behk’sah and not their curiosity about the Kith. But in general, I do not think they mean harm.”
Ty paced a moment, bristling energy radiating from him. It made Ria feel glum and tired.
“I wish I could call fire. It’s still cold,” Ria said, sitting down in the sand.
Niri dropped a hand on her shoulder. “I don’t see why we can’t try to teach you.”
Ria stared at Niri. Darag froze as well, watching Niri thoughtfully.
“But ... but you are a Water Elemental and Rah’kana said that you can’t summon fire.” The words rushed out of Ria.
Niri knelt next to Ria. “Yes, according to the Ashanti’s rules, but I’m not so sure. I could summon Sinika, call forth a fire spirit ... I never thought about it before, how I shouldn’t be able to do that. I thought it was because of Sinika. Now that I know there are ways to call the other elements, who is to say?
Besides,” Niri continued. “Darag is an Earth and Spirit Elemental as well, if not more. He should be able to summon fire. I have already called air. I think we will be able to figure it out on our own.”
Unexpected tears filled Ria’s eyes. So much hope swelled in her that she found it hard to breathe, much less answer.
“What do you mean ‘if not more?’” Lavinia asked.
“Didn’t you see it?” Ty answered to Lavinia’s surprise. “They watched Darag like he was ... a lost brother. What was the word they used when they spoke of the language?”
“Of the same source,” Darag said, sinking down into the sand. Lavinia sat next to him and took his hand.
“Do you think?” Ria asked.
Darag shook his head. “It is hard to say. I know so little about the Ashanti.”
“I really got the impression that you were opposites. They were so aggressive, while the Kith are peaceful. You are different ... except for the language and maybe the skills. We won’t know until we try.” Niri lifted an eyebrow at Darag. His answering smile held a hint of competitiveness.
“That is all well and good, but we are not going to sit in the desert while you learn the other elements.”
Lavinia laughed at Ty’s teasing tone. “Agreed!”
“So where do we go now, then?” Ria asked, impatient.
“I would think that is obvious.” All eyes turned toward Darag. “There is only one Temple we have not seen. The place where the last free Elementals made their stand: the Temple of the Winds.”
—
It took a day and a half to reach Bakk. Ria could not believe how close they had been and how great that distance was in the desert. She was nervous the first night away from the spring, sipping sparingly from the canteen despite reassurances that Bakk was close. A little after mid-morning of the next day, Ria realized the desert sand was spotted with tiny grasses and stubby, round-leafed plants. As the dunes shrank, scrublands dominated the landscape outside the windswept town of Bakk.
Ria didn’t see the town until they had wandered into it. She had taken the conical grassy mounds as strange dunes until she saw the steps leading down to narrow doorways. Darag led them to the largest of the odd, partially underground buildings with familiar ease. Beyond it were rolling hills of grass, undulating in the wind. Ria had never seen anything so enticing.
“This is the inn,” Darag said as he helped Lavinia from her camel.
"We can stay a few days until we are rested, then head north to Ashi’Shinai,” Ty said.
Ria sighed.