 
###

### Compis

### Kate Copeseeley

### Book Description:

After thousands of years, male after male, finally —a female COMPIS is chosen. The peace of a nation seems secure, yet beneath the facade turmoil boils among its leaders. The innocent children, raised in ignorance all their lives until the Initiation of their seventeenth year, have no idea of the true face behind their High Council.

Why has a girl been chosen? Why is she special? Will she be able to do what no other Compis has done and bring the hypocrisy to an end?

### Copyright

Text Copyright © 2011 by Kate Copeseeley

Cover Image Copyright © 2011 Bethel Stoddard

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of the publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the author.

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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### To my loving, patient, wonderful husband. You are my Zyander.

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### Pronunciation Guide

Characters:

Nikka (Ni like Knee -Kah)

Zyander (Zi like High -and -er)

Alea (Ah -lay- ah)

Luka (Luk like Luke -ah)

Adjudah (Ah -Judah ) The D is silent

Jilli (Jill like the name -i is a long eee sound)

Alys (Like Alice, but with a long aaa sound)

Keran (Kee-ran)

Hama (Hae like day-mah)

Koen (Koe like Roe -en like hen)

Ryd (like Reed)

Joah (like Noah)

Etho (long e -th -long o)

Luba (like Tuba)

Kanae (Kan like can -ae like day)

Tribes and Titles:

Aquis (Aqu like aqua -is like hiss)

Aeris (Aer like air -is like hiss)

Terris (Terr like air -is like hiss)

Ignis (Ig like big -nis like hiss)

Sanguis (Sang like sang –gu like the gu in iguana -is like hiss)

Divinaris (div like divide -in like in -aris like Aeris)

Compis (com like comma -pis like hiss)

Duor (sounds like drawer without the r)

Roaneu (roan like loan -eu like ewww)

Lumenta (lum like loom -en with a short e -tah)

Places:

Praete Lines (like plate with an r)

Praetra (praet like plate with an r -trah)

Abira (Ah -bir like beer -ah)

Awatha (Ah -wa like wall with an l -thah)

Akme (Ahk -me like may)

Napalin (Nap like nap -al like all -in with a long ee sound like between)

### Part One: Initiation

In the first season, Polya Nimba, when the Aquis were born, they were blue and they rained.

In the second season, Magna Venta, when the Aeris were born, they were white, and they flew.

In the third season, Esta Inferna, when the Terris were born, they were green, and they grew.

In the fourth season, Astra Cida, when the Ignis were born, they were gold, and they burned.

In the fifth season, Friga Hiema, when the Sanguis were born, they were red, and they bled.

— _Children's Song (Sung at the Close of the Year)_

### Chapter 1:

### Zyander

Zyander stood in the center of the crowd, cursing his existence. The day was a hot one, as it was every year when the tribes gathered together for the Initiation ceremony and the council immediately following. It was a day that some looked forward to all year. Not him. Perhaps if he were not of the Ignis tribe, he would be excited instead of standing there, in a sweating crowd of people, wishing he were anywhere else.

The Initiation ceremony was an important day for all the tribes. Or had been, until his tribe had been relegated to the smallest and most insignificant of all the five. Maybe if he was one of the Sanguis, he wouldn't feel depressed.

_Initiation is a joke_ , he thought.

It was a cosmic joke, sent by Iam to vex the Ignis, to punish them for whatever crime they had committed so long ago. The Ignis tribe were once one of the most powerful in the Five Tribes, perhaps even the greatest. Their numbers were large, the Initiation always seemed to favor them, and all the other tribes clamored for their wares.

Then, the great sickness came and things changed for them. The women stopped having babies until only a few Ignis were born in a year, two or three. Soon it was even less than that. At the same time, Iam's will seemed to be turning against them. Though all the other tribes gained numbers through the choosing, the Ignis gained less and less. No new Initiates meant that their lessening proliferation became a double curse and their numbers dwindled down to a few thousand.

_The tall spires of our tribe's great cities have crumbled and broken down to dust in neglect,_ he thought, picturing the many decayed halls of Labaria in his mind. Whole buildings remained empty, weeping in agony over what they once contained—the greatest tribe in all of the Five Tribes.

Then, as if all that were not enough, the once great and powerful tribe Ignis was filled with weaklings, members who could barely use a spell, much less create one of the many glorious works of literature or art crafts of their golden days. He would weep if he had to watch one more of his tribe struggle to create the spell of _Burning_ , since it was the most basic of all their spells.
Shuffling forward, he tried to get a better look at the first in the series of ceremonies to occur over the coming week. The stage in front of him started at the height of his shoulders and reached high up towards the tower of the great meeting place: the Citadel. It was shining glass with patterns and pictures carved and wrought into it.

Behind the great stage, he recalled the small meeting room from his own Initiation days. To the left of the stage, further back, was the giant dome that led to the meeting hall of the council meetings.

He'd just come from the market and its dust lingered in the air among the audience, wafting from behind him to fall over those in front. He tried not to think about the many comfortable inns with their prosperous patrons and his tribe's tents and horses perched in their vacant field. Instead, he concentrated on the festivities before him.

There were flags and banners hanging over the square, and many people around him waved the colors of their tribe. Red, gold, green, blue, and white flapped and swayed in every direction, and the air was full of their chants, songs, and excited clamoring. Starting from his right, the crowd quieted, and Zyander looked over to see a long line moving along the front of the stage. It was the Initiates, filing in for their releasing.

Zyander saw his sister Alea, the miracle child, in the center with her golden robe shimmering over her. There were twenty-nine Sanguis in crimson robes, over seventy Aeris shining in white; sixty-five wore green—they were Terris, and finally the mild mannered Aquis wore blue. He scanned their faces, wondering and hoping if any one of them would change the tide for his tribe and be chosen one of the Ignis.

_Doubtful,_ he thought.

The Initiates stood looking out at the audience of watchers, while the Divinaris walked in behind them. There were five of them, one for each tribe, all clothed in silver robes. They stood in a circle and started chanting the words of the tribe release. This was the time when the Initiates became tribeless.

" _Without Tribe, without family, without preconceptions, we come to you now, oh great Iam, and ask for these to become tribeless._ "

As the Divinaris chanted, the Initiates raised their arms to the sky and the colors in their robes seemed to bleed from the cloth, leaving behind the same silver color as the robes of the chanters behind them. Now they became, symbolically, what they truly were—without tribe and without family. By the end of the Initiation, they would have a new tribe and a new family.

The audience, as they were wont to do every year during the ceremony, gasped and applauded when the robes changed color. Zyander was too jaded for that. He turned from the rest of the proceedings and edged his way through the crowd, trying to get even closer to the stage. Finally getting close enough to catch Alea's eyes, he gave her a smile and a wink. The tense and serious expression on her face faded as she gazed down at her brother. She stood a head taller than most in line with her. Ignis bred true.

A flash of silver caught his eye—a bracelet worn by another of the Initiates, a girl not too far down from his sister. She was as petite as his sister was tall, and true to her tribe in coloring, as well—Aeris, or he was much mistaken. Her face was delicately boned, with high sweeping cheekbones, a smooth nose with a slight turn up at the end, a small pointed chin, and pert pink lips that were pursed in concentration. His stare lingered for a moment, then as his eyes were moving back toward his sister, the girl turned her head and looked straight at him.

Zyander felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach. Her large gray eyes searched his soul, weighing and measuring what she saw in him. She cocked her head, smiled a half smile, and almost seemed about to say something; then he blinked and realized she wasn't even looking at him. His sister, however, was still looking his way, but now she was frowning. He shook his head to clear it.

What was that?

~~~~~

He met his sister backstage afterward, trying not to let his eyes wander in search of the mysterious girl. This was Alea's first gathering and she was excited to go see the market and the different tribes' exhibits.

That's only because she hasn't seen what our tent looks like compared to the others. Our tent is patched and worn in at least a dozen places. Whereas wealthy tribes, the Sanguis for one, had a display tent of the best crimson silk with ropes of rubies and other precious stones to decorate it.

At least he had the comfort of knowing that Alea would be coming home with her own tribe at the end of the ceremony. It was the one blessing of being Ignis. If you were born in the tribe, you would die in it. His thoughts wandered again to the girl and he found himself wondering if this would be the year they gained new members to their tribe.

"Zyan, what are you staring at?" Alea asked, grabbing the sleeve of his best shirt and giving it a firm yank.

He realized that his eyes had been looking for that girl again, and that as if acting on instinct alone, they'd found her. She was standing in the crowd with two of her tribe's members, laughing and talking.

He turned back to his sister.

"Sorry, Lea, my mind was wandering," he said.

"You mean your eyes were," she said, laughing. "I see you noticed Nikka."

"Neeka," he said, tasting the name.

"She's nice. I met her this morning, when they told us what to do for the ceremony," Alea said.

"What's the point of her being nice?" he said. "It doesn't matter how _nice_ she is. She could be the kindest person in the whole of the Five Tribes, and it wouldn't do me a bit of good, would it?"

"Zyan," Alea said, and laid a comforting hand on his arm. He shrugged it off.

"Come on," he said, and pulled on her hand as he led her away from the mob and toward the market.

### Nikka

Nikka had risen early that morning, unable to sleep through her excitement. She bounced up and out of the bed in the room that her father rented for her that she shared with her cousin. Throwing back the blanket, she stepped over to the other bed.

"May," she said, voice lowered, "May, wake up! You can't possibly sleep today!"

A groan rose up from the pillow-covered head on the bed. The form turned over, away from her, and a voice from underneath it, said, "I can and I will. I look forward to sleeping much more than I do waking."

Nikka smiled and brought out her secret weapon, "The sooner you get up, the sooner you'll be able to see Luka."

May's head popped up, her gold curls tousled around her perfect oval face. She propped herself up on her elbow and squinted at the morning light. Her blue eyes matched the color of the early morning sky. May's curved legs swung over the side of the bed, and she kicked them back and forth.

"Do you think he'll be up already? I wonder if he wants to eat breakfast with us."

"I'm sure he's waiting downstairs, pining away for the very sight of you," teased Nikka.

May threw the pillow at her. "In that case, I should hurry up and get ready!" She ran to the bathroom.

While May was in the bathroom, Nikka looked through her bag for what she wanted to wear before she had to don her ceremonial robes. She pulled out a fitted gray silk shirt with billowing sleeves that cut off mid-arm, and a long white skirt with gray flowers embroidered around the hem. She clasped on her favorite bracelet, a silver one with little bird charms flying around it. Birds were one of the most favored animals in the Aeris.

_Today is the beginning of my new life,_ she thought, both excited and sad. After this week, who knew if she would see any of her family or friends again. She could be Aquis or Terris, she could be wearing the crimson colors of Sanguis. Yet, she found herself wishing that she wouldn't have to go anywhere. She could stay with her parents and her sister and learn the magic and the secrets of her tribe, which until now she'd been kept from.

The chances that she'd be chosen for her own tribe weren't good. Aeris were prolific, true, but they were also the most likely of all the tribes to be chosen for a tribe other than their own. At least she wasn't counting on getting into the same tribe as someone else, as May was. May and Luka were both Initiates this year, and they were hoping to get into the same tribe.

It was foolish, both of them had been warned against forming an attachment before Initiation. The likelihood that they would end up in the same tribe was small. But May and Luka had known each other since they were babies and no one yet had been able to split them apart. She shook her head and got dressed.

~~~~~

They set out after breakfast, headed for the location of the first ceremony. It wasn't too hard to find, being in the middle of the square, with a crowd of people surrounding it. They made their way to the back of the stage, where there was a meeting room. A tall woman stood by the door, clothed in silver robes, welcoming each Initiate as they came in.

She looked troubled for a moment at the sight of of May and Luka holding hands, then smiled and said, "Please step this way. Welcome."

When Nikka touched her hand, she was surprised at the warmth that flowed from the woman's fingers. She felt calm and welcomed. She wondered if that was a part of being a Divinaris or if it was just this woman's particular talent. Even after years of interacting with them in her own tribe, the Divinaris were mysterious creatures. The woman invited her in and she walked through the door into a room crowded with other 17 year old Initiates, who were all talking and creating a hum of background noise.

There were different groups congregated, each formed their own separate clique—frightened birds flocking together to avoid a predator. Nikka started to join May over by the window, but she noticed a girl standing off by herself, near the door, as though ready to bolt at any moment.

The girl was tall and luminous, like a grand lady, clothed in by far the prettiest of the robes worn today. It was gold silk, but seemed to have little threads of real gold woven in a pattern of phoenixes dying and swooping through another pattern of flames. Her black hair was as smooth as a crow's wing, and as shiny, running down to her waist in a pair of thick braids.

It was the robe that alluded to her tribe. Gold robes meant she was Ignis, probably the only one of her tribe to be Initiated that year. Nikka had heard many things about the Ignis tribe, but the robe of that girl was rich for such a supposedly poor tribe. She wanted to touch it. She wondered if that was part of the their crafting magic. If so, she could understand why they had once been the foremost tribe in the Five Tribes.

Nikka walked up to the girl, craning her neck to meet her gaze.

"Hello," Nikka said. "That is the most beautiful embroidery I've ever seen, do you mind if I look more closely at it?"

"No, of course not," the girl said, smiling down at her. "It's okay, you can touch it."

Nikka stretched out a hesitant hand and stroked the gold pattern. She jumped, and looking again, noticed that the pattern moved. The phoenix died, before her eyes, in a burst of breathtaking flames and snapping sparks, then faded to a pile of ash. Then, as she watched, a tiny head popped up out of the golden dust of ashes. It stretched out into the beautiful neck of a phoenix which flew, hovered, and opened its mouth in a piercing silent scream.

"Wow, that's an amazing thing," she breathed. "I'm Nikka."

"I'm Alea," said the girl, "It was my mother's."

"Ah-lay-ah," Nikka said, "That's exotic."

"No more so than Neeka," said Alea.

"Do you want to come over and stand by my friends and me?" she asked.

Alea nodded, looked relieved, and followed her over to stand by May and Luka.

"Initiates!" called a commanding voice near the entrance to the stage. A Divinaris stood in her silver robes looking around at them. She was as tall as Alea, with black hair and dark skin, and shining brown eyes. Her wrists, arms and hands flowed like a butterfly's wings as she talked. The room was hushed.

"We of the Five Tribes welcome you today, to the first ceremony ushering you into your new life. In a few minutes, you will file out onto the stage and stand still. When we have finished the spell of erasure, you will raise your arms and we will move behind you, wiping the color from your robes.

"You will be attending two council meetings, where you will begin to learn what leads to a fair system of government. You will also be attending a short series of seminars, where you will learn the basic facts about each tribe and sect, including Divinaris, the Phasmas, Compis, and the tribeless.

"In five days, this gathering will end with your Initiation into each of your new tribes. For some of you, that will mean going home with your family and friends to begin learning the secrets and spells of your tribe. For the rest of you, your life will begin anew: new friends, new family, and new learnings.

"We will meet three months from the end of the gathering, at the start of the next season, for another week of learning and this will continue once a season until your Induction ceremony. Your journey will continue over the next year, at the end of which you will attend Induction. It will be the final ceremony welcoming you into your new tribe."

After delivering the prerequisite speech, she looked once more around the room.

"Are there any final questions before we proceed?" she asked.

No one answered, and she motioned the first of the Initiates through the doorway and onto the stage.

~~~~~

Nikka ended up next to May, with Luka close behind, his hand clutching hers so hard the veins stood out. Alea was further ahead in the line, but she glanced back at Nikka with a smile. Nikka looked forward to getting to know the Ignis girl better.

She stood on the stage, palms sweating, waiting for her cue, as the Divinaris chanted solemnly behind her. Her breath came fast as the spell neared its end, and she raised her arms along with the other Initiates.

As each person down the line was changed, she found herself searching the crowd for her father's face. He was down in front. He had probably gotten there early for a good spot, unlike the young man who was muscling his way to the front over on right. He was an Ignis, based on his clothing, and as tall as Alea, with the same aristocratic bearing. She wondered if he was related to Alea.

She started at the applause, and realized she'd been staring and missed the end of the ceremony. Nikka turned and followed the others backstage and fell into the large gabbling group of them. She talked with the others for a few minutes and then noticed the tall man picking his way through the crowd toward Alea. They hugged and he said something to her. Alea laughed and grabbed his sleeve, then both of them glanced her way.

Caught, she blushed and moved her gaze back to May.

"What?" May asked.

"Nothing," she said.

"Is it that man looking at you?" she said, peering around Nikka's shoulder. "He's quite handsome."

"Stop looking," Nikka said. "He's Ignis, in case you haven't noticed."

"Hmmm... well, you could be the first person in a number of years to be chosen as Ignis after Initiation."

"Not likely," she said. "Come on, let's see if we can go find our fathers."

### Luka

He was caught up in the smell of her, holding her close, face nuzzled into her neck. Her hair brushed his cheek and he blew a short breath to get it out of his face.

"Mmmm..." she sighed, sliding her arms up his back. "Do we have to leave?"

"May," Luka chided, pulling away to plant a soft kiss on her lips. "You know your father will start to look for us soon, if we don't."

"I don't care," she said, leaning into him, kissing his neck.

He groaned, and pulled her into his arms again, leaning down to kiss her. Their mouths moved against each other, and passion carried them away. She reached her arms up around his neck and pulled him closer, his hands skimmed down her back and locked around her waist.

The crackle of a branch broke them apart, startled. They both glanced around, guilty, but there was no one there. Luka laughed.

"I guess that's a sign. We need to get back, May."

He walked back toward the inn, grabbing her hand, entwining her fingers in his.

"Luka, I'm scared," she said. "What if..."

"Don't even say it. We'll be in the same tribe. Everyone knows if you love each other enough, you get chosen for the same tribe. I love you, do you love me?" He was teasing her.

"Don't even say that," she mimicked, "You know I love you. More than anything." She stepped close, leaning her head on his shoulder as they walked.

They walked in the door to the inn, and he let her step in front of him, kissing her on the cheek, then he stepped back and moved around to the courtyard behind the inn. He sat on a bench, brooding.

Despite what he'd told May, he was not hopeful about the outcome of the Initiation in five days. He would do anything to stay with her, but the ceremony didn't allow a lot of options. Once you were chosen for a tribe, you were stuck. There was no going back from the fate that Iam put in front of you. There was no appeal or council member to go to for a different outcome.

If he and May got picked for different tribes, they would be separated forever.

~~~~~

He'd known this was coming for many years. Growing up in the Five Tribes didn't leave a lot of room for questions. You learned your reading and sums in school; everything else came from the Divinaris. The Divinaris were excellent religious teachers in all things, but they had a set curriculum and it didn't include anything about what happened during Initiation or afterward.

Luka had been a curious boy, and pestered his parents with endless questions.

"Why can't I learn to write as you do?" he'd asked, when he saw his mother writing a bill for a customer in the script of the Aeris.

"You will write in the words of the tribe you are Inducted into," she said, taking up another sheet of paper.

"Why can't I learn Aeris script and then the other later on?"

"Because that is not the way of the Five Tribes," said his father, entering the room.

His mother glanced at his father, then back at Luka. She leaned in to take his hand.

"Luka," she said, "I know it seems confusing now, but there is a reason for the secrecy and separation. Keeping the script and our tribe's magic in the hands of those who will stay in the tribe, only serve to make it stronger. If we teach you Aeris magic and you become Aquis, you will go to them knowing our methods and will perhaps doubt their rites and traditions because they aren't what your parents taught you."

"I understand," he said, and left the room.

As he walked down the hall to his room, he heard his father say, "You handled that well, I thought."

"Well, I don't believe it," his mother said, "I think it's ridiculous to raise children in such secrecy. Why can't he know what we believe, how we work our magic? What would it hurt for him to go out into the world with that knowledge?"

"It would destroy the fiber of the tribes," said his father. "You know how strained the treaty is, even now. Something as small as teaching our son to read Aeris script could set off a wave of paranoia that would make it impossible for our council to keep the tribes together."

"You sound like the rest of them," said his mother and he could hear her start to leave the room, so he scrambled to his own chamber in time to hear her walk down the hall in the opposite direction. He peeked around the doorway and saw her leave the house with her papers, presumably to go to her workshop.

### Chapter 2:

### Zyander

Zyander avoided looking at their booth. Though it was well-crafted, it was also worn in spots, and those in the tribe had to conserve every bit of their power to create items to sell for food. They spent the better part of the year working delicate marvels of jewelry and clothing, but their power remained weakened, so they had few things to sell during the year that were newly constructed.

He wondered which priceless antique they were auctioning off this year. _The Rings of the Three Brothers_? _Aurelia's crown_? Maybe they should open up a show and charge people to see the most valuable artifacts in the Five Tribes. That would at least allow for money flow into the depleted coffers.

He headed toward the Aeris booth, and ridiculed himself for being such a fool. He wondered at the self-destructive attraction he felt for Nikka. Maybe it was her gold hair, cut short and lightly curling around her shoulders and swooping over one of her eyes. Her eyes, gray as the early morning sky, were captivating all on their own, but paired with those slanted wings of eyebrows, she looked naturally inquisitive as though curious about every aspect of life. The part of her he found himself most interested in was her mouth. Perfectly placed between her delicate and high cheekbones, it was an adorable pursing shape, waiting to be kissed.

The Aeris tent stood before him, tall and stately, light blue and brilliant, with white wings embroidered on it. The flags flying from the top of the tent were the same white with a pair of sky blue wings flying across the center. The accent color was the same silver as the the Divinaris's robes from that morning's ceremony. It was one of the most beautiful things he'd seen during this year's Gathering, but it wasn't as interesting as the girl walking away from the tent in the direction of the marketplace.

He watched her go, and as though his feet moved independently from his body, he followed, watching those soft yellow curls bob in front of him.

She stopped at a Terris merchant booth, filled with the exotic fruits and vegetables that only they could manage to grow. The manaka, in particular, was one of his favorites, but it was a luxury seldom tasted these days. She fingered some kinglings, long tuber vegetables with a peppery sweet taste, but moved on to the lungon berries, which when stewed and added to sweet rolls, made an excellent breakfast treat.

"I'll have a pound of those," Nikka said, pointing to them.

He gathered up his courage and stood next to her, looking over the different fruits in the section she was standing in. He smelled the sweet fragrance of the manaka and his mouth watered. He reached out to touch one, and the woman behind the counter growled.

"Don't touch the food unless you have the coin to buy it, Ignis," she said.

He felt his face heat and was just about to turn away from the booth in shame, when he heard her voice.

"He's with me, but since you're so quick to decide who can buy your wares, good merchant, I'll move on to a better booth. I saw one further down the road that seemed more apt to treat its customers kindly."

Nikka left the woman sputtering behind her and turned back when she noticed him standing behind her, mouth agape.

"Well?" she asked.

He walked forward to catch up. The marketplace was crowded with booths and different tribal merchants hawking their wares. Already dusty, the path from the plaza square was almost unbearable in the warm sun, kicked up by the steps of many feet. For the hundredth time, he wished they would pave it with stone, as the plaza was.

"So tell me, Ignis, what is the real story here?" she looked up at him.

"My name is Zyander. Alea calls me Zyan, if you prefer it," he said.

"I'm Nikka, but I have a feeling you know that already. Were you following me?" she asked.

"Not exactly," he said, "I didn't expect to run into you, but I was hoping for it."

She laughed. "An honest man. I appreciate that. You were hoping for it? Why?"

"The honest answer? I saw you this morning and I can't stop thinking about you."

"Oh, please!" she said, smiling again. "Come on, I did see a booth over here."

She took his hand and led him toward the other booth.

He went along feeling foolish. If only he wasn't too poor to buy her something. If only he didn't feel like an idiot in his threadbare clothes, even though they were the best he had. If only he could believe that Nikka had a chance at being Ignis. This was the height of folly. Yet he went along anyway, enjoying the feeling of her small hand clasped in his.

She stopped at the booth in question, looking over the fruits the merchant was offering.

"What do you think of this manaka?" she asked, holding it out for him smell.

He leaned in, smelling the delicious scent of fruit mingled with her skin.

"Smells ripe to me. But didn't you want some of the berries?" he asked, pointing to them.

"Yes, vendor, I'll have a pound of those and another of these," she said, holding out the fruit.

While she waited for him place her produce in woven bags, she said, "So, Zyan, have you seen all the market has to offer? I think I've walked it twice so far, but I still haven't seen everything."

"It seems the same as it was last year. Nothing new under the sun."

She frowned, looking sharply into his eyes. "Why would you say that? It's as though you hold yourself apart from it."

He shrugged. "Wouldn't you? In my place."

She shook her head. "I don't know. But seeing it in you is disappointing, I must admit."

He struggled to release the bitterness that he had dwelt in for so long, but ultimately lost the battle. Life was too unfair to forget it, even for a minute. He could make a small concession, though.

"How would you like to see something only a few people in the Five Tribes have ever seen?" he asked.

"Hmmm... and just what would that be? I can't imagine anything that would be that secretive."

He smiled and took her woven bags from the vendor, leading her by the arm down the path toward the Ignis tent.

"I can't tell you, you have to see it for yourself," he said.

### Nikka

Nikka couldn't say what it was about this man that drew her, but she knew that she wanted to go with him to wherever this mysterious place was that he was so keen to have her see. She didn't know what to make of him. He was dark and brooding, too lost in his own suffering to see the world around him. She wondered how it was to live a life like that—filled with the pain of realizing your tribe is failing.

She didn't know what had happened so long ago to his tribe, no one did. She only knew that soon they were dying out, and becoming smaller in numbers, not to mention watching their powers dwindle down to only a small percent of what they once were. She looked at him, knowing that he'd probably lost at least one family member, maybe more. That was a good reason in itself for his attitude.

His hand was still on her arm, it felt warm and comforting and she had a hard time keeping herself from leaning into him. He was so tall and good looking. She felt the urge to laugh with glee. Instead, she enjoyed the sunlight on her face, the sounds of the people around her, and the colors of the booths and costumes everyone was wearing.

It was then she noticed the stares she was receiving from the people around her. People were looking at her and him, mostly at him. They passed a woman who looked at her, then at Zyan, then back at her. Nikka looked at Zyan, at the color of his clothes, clearly marking his tribal affiliation. She saw that his clothes were also worn, marking the poverty of his tribe.

Everyone knew what he was, but maybe they looked at him because there were so few Ignis left. Maybe people were uncertain when they would see another such as him in the coming years. It was possible that the reason people stared was because he was so special. He was unique, like the thing he promised her she would be excited to see, whatever that was.

He stopped outside what was without question the most beautiful Tribal display tent in the Five Tribes. It stood a good half a tent higher than the others, including the Aeris, who were known for their building acumen. _At least our tent is more graceful_ , she thought. The tent was similar to Alea's robe, delicately embroidered with a thousand, no a million different scenes -tribe members creating, fighting, dancing, kissing, holding a million babies in their arms. The figures almost appeared to be moving, they looked so alive. She felt tears at the corners of her eyes, as she realized she was viewing the Ignis that was and would never be again.

He appeared not to notice. "Here we are," he said, holding up the flap that led to the inner sanctum.

She followed him in, letting her eyes adjust to the soft glow of the lamps in the multi-chambered tent. The front room was a sort of living area, with soft chairs, some tables for eating, all the appearances of affluence. There was a tall lean man standing on one side of the room, talking to some of the Aquis tribe—based on their clothing color. He gestured and smiled while they conversed, leading her to believe that he seemed an easy man to get along with. He had no frown lines.

Zyan set her fruit on an end table and let his hand slide down along her arm to clasp hers. The hairs on her arm stood up. He led her over toward the man and waited patiently for him to finish up his conversation. It was soon over and then he turned and smiled.

"Zyander! And who is this beautiful young woman?" he asked.

"Father, this is Nikka, formerly of the Aeris, but now an Initiate," Zyan said. "Nikka, this is my father, Adjudah. Father, I'd like to show Nikka the back room, if that's alright."

His father looked at him for a moment, then nodded. "Of course, of course. Enjoy. Let me know if you need anything. I'm supposed to be in another meeting, but that's an hour away."

They moved past the couches, chairs, and tables and toward a doorway with two curtains tied back—one on each side of it. As they moved through it, the glowing lamps intensified and Nikka gasped.

The room was twice the size of the room that they'd just vacated, and it was filled with every wondrous artifact in the Five Tribes.

Zyan led her to a stand on the left side of the room, it held a statue of a woman with her hands over her head as though she was embracing the sky.

"My great grandmother made this; it's been in my parent's sitting room for ages, for as long as I can remember."

"It's wonderful," Nikka said. "May I touch it?"

"Wait, watch this," he said, and waved his hand in front of the figurine. A shower of golden sparks shot from the fingertips of the woman and swirled above her head.

"Oh my!" Nikka clapped her hands, and grabbed his arm in excitement.

He smiled down at her and moved to the next item, a sword sheathed.

"This was made by the legendary Alcon. It's nameless, one of the very few that has never tasted blood. And since we will likely not see war in the near future, it might remain nameless. That makes it valuable to certain collectors, because as we all know, a sword's largest burst of power is during its first kill."

He slid it from the sheath and she looked down at the ice blue whorls and dips etched along the sharp edge. There was a phrase of intent along the mid-line, " _Let all who seek power remember that death comes inevitably._ "

After that, he led her around the room, pointing out tapestries and busts of famous tribesmembers. He played her a tune on a hival made by Lucia herself, and lastly, led her to a table near the back of the room. On it stood a rune stone of flat green jade, marked in a series of glyphs that she couldn't read.

"What is it?" she asked.

"We're not sure," he replied. "We found it recently, in one of many abandoned buildings. We aren't even sure who the building belonged to. We think it's something about the Five, see how it's circular and marks the five spots? But it doesn't seem to indicate any particular tribe."

"Is it old?"

"Well, in Ignis terms it isn't. We brought a Terris here to look at it, you know how good they are at sniffing the age out. Said it was beyond the age of any artifact he'd ever seen. We were hoping that someone could tell us what it was, but no one has been able to yet. Of course, none of the Sanguis have made an appearance yet. They usually wait until the last few days before they come to have a look. Hoping we'll be more desperate, I'm sure." He laughed, but it wasn't a good sound to hear.

"So what do you do with all these?" she asked.

He shrugged. "We sell them, of course. Just enough to feed the tribe for another year. We have to ration."

"Because these are all..." her words drifted off as she realized what she was about to say.

"These are all there are, yes," he said.

The magnitude of that statement left her silent. _They have nothing left, nothing to bring as all the other tribes do. How is it that no one knows this? How is it that no one talks about the fact that the Ignis are years away from being moneyless?_

She had idly speculated what it would be like to be the first person in hundreds of years to be initiated into the Ignis tribe from a different birth tribe. Now, however, she realized that it might be a death sentence. Though the sickness that had killed or weakened thousands of Ignis had vanished a 200 years ago, death was still haunting them with its angry grasping hands.

"What will you do when..." again she trailed off. "Can't anyone in your tribe make something... Can't you work together and share power?"

He moved away from the rune stone and she followed, wondering if he was going to answer her questions.

"We don't know," he said. "Even sharing power requires more power than we have. You can't tell anyone I told you this. No one in my tribe has made anything worth displaying, since the sickness left us."

She felt bad knowing that only a short time ago she'd told him she was disappointed in him for feeling bitter. _He has every right to be bitter, knowing he has no future._

"Thank you for showing me all of this. You have my promise, I won't tell anyone what I saw here today."

He led her back through the main meeting room, which was now empty. His shoulders were hunched, his face dark and incomprehensible. He held the tent door open for her, but she could tell that he didn't intend to follow her through it.

"I hope you enjoyed seeing everything. There are only a few people in the Five Tribes who have ever seen that room. It will become an even more rare sight in the years that follow. If you don't mind, I have some things to do for my father later this afternoon, so I have to say goodbye."

He didn't look at her.

"Zyan," she began, placing her hand on his shoulder as he stood next to her, facing the open doorway. He shrugged her hand away and held the flap open higher. She could see the people walking by outside.

She didn't know what made her do it, but looking up at him, she felt the weight of his sadness. She slipped her hand up against his cheek, turning him to face her, and leaning up on her toes, she pressed a soft kiss against his lips. Then she whispered goodbye and stepped out of the tent, leaving him silent behind her.

### Zyander

Zyander touched his fingertips to his lips, standing in place like a statue. He heard a sound behind him and turned to see his father standing there. His hand dropped.

"Zyan, what is it you think you're doing?" Adjudah looked irritated, and sad. He gestured to the chair opposite of where he was standing and took the one closest to him.

Zyander sat down, dreading the coming conversation. He cut off the lecture before it could be delivered.

"I know, you don't have to say it. I know that nothing will ever come of it. I know that she's not going to be Ignis, ever, and I wouldn't even want her to. I know that after this week I will never see her again. I know all of that." He put his face in his hands.

"Zyan, normally I wouldn't have said something. Every teenager has a gathering dalliance at one point in their life, I did myself. But, I've seen that look on your face before, son. There is heartbreak coming."

Zyander pushed to his feet, angry. "That's ridiculous!" He turned to walk away.

"It was the same look you had when you found out your mother was dying," his father said in a quiet voice.

Zyander's shoulders slumped and he walked out of the tent and behind it, to the small area where the Ignis sleeping tents stood. He ducked inside and threw himself on the cot. Laying with his hands behind his head, he stared up at the ceiling, thinking of his mother.

~~~~~

He was almost too young to remember when his parents told him that he was going to be an older brother. They were ecstatic, the whole tribe was. For a woman to have one child was unheard of, but two was a miracle. No one noticed for the longest time that his mother started looking more tired than usual. Pregnancy was hard on the healthiest woman, but it soon became evident that this pregnancy was harder than others.

They called in a Sanguis to heal her, but the woman could only shake her head.

"I've never seen anything like this. It's not the sickness, I can assure you of that, but it's almost as if the baby inside of her is draining the life from her body, little by little. The best thing you can do is make her rest and perhaps she will pull through. Don't let her get out of bed."

For the next four months, a 4 year old Zyander refused to leave his mother's bed. He played with her, sang songs with her, laid his head on her belly and listened to her tell stories of the old age. Those days were one of the brightest spots in his life and he held every memory of them like shiny coins in a purse.

When Alea was born, his mother did not get better. She spent the next months in bed, only moving to eat or nurse her baby, and spoke little, getting weaker and weaker by the day. His little body lay there with her, holding Alea for her, stroking her long dark hair, crying for her to get better.

One night, she whispered him awake, his father having slipped into an exhausted slumber next to her.

"Zyander," she said, reaching a pale, bony hand to stroke his cheek, "Zyander, wake up."

He pushed himself up, using chubby fingers to wipe the sleep from his eyes.

"Mother?" he said.

"Zyander, my time has come. I want to tell you something before I go."

They had talked about this many times, but each time she tried to talk to him about what would happen after she died, he would throw himself against her chest, crying and refuse to stop until she sang him his favorite lullaby.

"Zyander, go get your sister," she whispered.

His sister was asleep across the room, not even a year old. He lifted her from the sleeping bed, his small arms hefting her, holding her body against his as tightly as he could without hurting her. She was awake, but quiet. Alea was always watching the world around her, a peaceful baby. He laid her across the end of the bed, and pushed her forward until her arm was touching his mother's. Then he scrambled up onto the bed himself. He sat next to his mother, who had by this time worked up the strength to put herself in a reclining position. He leaned forward and pulled Alea into his arms, then rested his head on his mother's shoulder, sighing deeply. He knew, at 5 years old, what was going to happen now. He felt it inside, the ebbing of his mother's life force. He couldn't explain how, but he knew.

"Zyander, before I go, I want to give a gift to you and your sister. You are my greatest work, Zyander, the both of you. The most beautiful things I could have created, even if I had all the power in the world. I want you to protect each other and look out for each other. I know that Alea is too young to understand this, but you must remember what I say and tell her. Okay?"

He nodded, looking up at her.

"Zyander, you have a big job ahead of you. No one has been able to do it, but you must. You must save our tribe, Zyander. When the time comes, you will have a chance, all of us do, but you, of all the members of this tribe, must do it. Now, I will give you a spell to help you and your sister."

She laid a hand on his chest and a hand on his sister's head and spoke her last words.

" _In the name of the great Iam, may the life within me be used to guard you, guide you, and gift you. Take my strength and grow stronger, take my breath and breathe longer, take my words and speak louder. Become all that I cannot and dwell where I must leave._ "

She leaned down to kiss them both and then breathed her last. As though she understood that her mother was dead, Alea starting screaming in terror, and woke their father.

"Zyan, what-" his words cut off as he realized what had happened.

~~~~~

Zyander sat up on his cot, now back in the present, and brushed a hand across his dampened eyes.

The words he didn't understand as a child were now filled with adult clarity. His mother had sacrificed what life she had left, to set an extra spell of protection over her children. She had looked so fierce as she had told him to save his tribe. The only problem was, he had no idea how to do it.

### Chapter 3:

### Luka

After he left May with her cousin at the inn, Luka wandered down to the market to see if he could buy her a gift. Maybe some seashell earrings from an Aquis booth or one of the clothier's booths. Each of the tribes was known for their distinctive style of weaving and the better the weaver, the more versatile the cloth. His mother had purchased a shirt once that changed color depending on the tribe of the person who was wearing it. He thought maybe a color changing scarf would do the trick.

Luka walked from booth to booth, admiring the variety of the wares offered. Along the way he got hungry and stopped at a baker's. It was an Aeris booth, offering the lightest fruit buns imaginable, like eating a cloud, and bought a few to munch on. He was just handing the vendor his money when a commotion behind him startled him, making him drop one of the coins in the dust. He picked it up, got his buns, and turned around to see a group of people moving in his direction.

They weren't dressed in tribal colors, nor was their wagon marked with any tribal symbols. The group seemed to be led by a stocky red-haired man that was about his height. He moved through the crowded market with the authority of a Duor.

"Is anyone interested in wares that you won't be able to get from any of these tribes?" the man said, projecting his voice to carry over the noise. "We've brought with us samples and offer much more variety at our camp on the outside of the Citadel. Please, be welcome!" He started to move forward down the path, but a Terran moved to block him.

"Go on your way, tribeless," he said.

"My name is Keran, and I am not tribeless," Keran said. "These are my tribe." He gestured to the group that had followed him in, most of them still standing by the wagon.

"No indeed," came voice from the crowd. A tall Sanguis woman in a flowing scarlet dress approached the two men. "We can see that you are not tribeless, and we welcome you to join in our market. Please, don't feel the need to keep your wagons outside the Citadel. I am Lady Mordra, of the High Council. I give you leave to have your booths and your wares on display. And I caution any vendor thinking to treat Keran and his tribe with malice to think twice. Pass the word along," she said to a young man from her tribe, who then ran along spreading the word.

"If you will come with me," she said, "I will take you to the map and we will find a suitable place for you."

The Terris man muttered under his breath and stomped away, pushing through the crowd. A surge of people moved forward, Luka among them. A few of the men and woman were opening up ingenious compartments all over the wagon, which then popped out to display different wares for sale. He went over to where a boy his age was standing, holding out an unimaginable variety of animal figurines.

"Wow, these are amazing," Luka said to the boy. "Did you do these yourself? They could pass for Ignis workmanship."

"Yes, I and some of the others made these. I enjoy it. I can make these anywhere, including while we're on the road here."

"May I?" Luka asked, gesturing toward a pair of lovebirds, necks entwined.

"Surely," said the boy.

"Did you do this one?" he asked, thinking the boy must have a girlfriend, to make something so sentimental.

"No, my sis did that one. She does all the lovey dovey ones." He wrinkled his nose.

"Your sister is tribeless as well?" Luka asked. "Were you both born into this group?" He wondered how that would feel.

"No, we were Initiates last year. She's my twin." He pointed to a tall thin girl who was showing an Aquis woman a bead necklace.

"Oh." Luka didn't know what else to say. He was curious, but didn't want to be rude.

"It's okay, I can see you want to know. We were both Aquis, but I got Sanguis and she got Aeris. We couldn't bear to be separated, we'd been together all our lives. So we left as soon as we could pack up our things and buy some supplies from the marketplace."

"Was it a long journey?" he asked. He couldn't help it, he thought of May. If things didn't work out, maybe there were other options.

The boy looked at him for a moment.

"It _was_ a long journey. We had no idea where we were going. We'd heard of others leaving the Five Tribes, but we didn't know where they went or what happened to them afterward. By the time we met up with Keran's band, we were half starved and worse for the wear. That's one of the reasons we came to the gathering. Keran said he was tired of half starved Initiates running away and ending up close to dead.

"Keran is a great man. We are self-sufficient and make everything for ourselves. We wanted to make sure other Initiates know where to go. It's my job, and my sister's to tell Initiates where we are. Not that you want to join us, but maybe you will know someone that does?

"My name is Ryd, by the way."

"I'm Luka," he said, holding out a hand. "Look, I have to head back to the inn I'm staying at, but I'll come by later. Not that I'm interested in joining, but I've never met anyone who lives outside the Five Tribes."

"Fine by me, see you later," Ryd said.

"You too," said Luka, and after purchasing the lovebird statue, he made his way back to May.

### Nikka

Nikka woke up from a disturbing dream where she found herself standing in the center of a circle with all the tribes around her. She turned each way, trying to decide which tribe she would be in, but every time she tried to choose, her path was blocked by some invisible force. She saw Zyan in the crowd, but when she tried to talk to him, he shook his head, turned around and walked away. She felt sick. Being an Initiate was supposed to be the most exciting time of her life, but instead, she found herself dreading what would come in a few short days. She didn't know which tribe she wanted, but she knew which tribe she could never be a part of.

Sighing, she pushed aside her covers and got out of bed. She rummaged through her belongings for a shirt and skirt to wear. The bags had everything on earth Nikka owned, in preparation for leaving with her new tribe. Today was another big day for the Initiates. They were all supposed to meet in the great hall where the Divinaris would speak on the responsibilities and duties of the next year. She was excited about that, because each of the tribes was such a mystery. She'd grown up as an Aeris, but she knew nothing about how their spells and powers worked. It was something you found out only after you were Initiated.

She washed up in the tiny bathroom she shared with her cousin. Nikka ran a comb through her tangled curls and waited till they glistened, then pinned them to the side in a sparkling clip and slipped into her clothes.

She met her father in the dining room, and he told her that her uncle was still asleep.

"May and Luka went to get breakfast at the market," Nikka said.

Her father shook his head. "Those two are headed for trouble," he said. "I'm glad you've kept yourself away from relationships with boys."

She thought, with no little amount of guilt, about the kiss she'd given Zyander. _Well, you know very well, that's not going to happen again, and anyhow, it wasn't a romantic kiss, it was more of a pitying kiss. You felt sorry for him, nothing else,_ she told herself.

"What do you think will happen if they don't end up in the same tribe?" she asked.

He stirred his tea, and looked up, shrugging a shoulder.

"They'll do what the rest of us do. They'll grow up. You think there aren't other teenagers throughout the many ages of the Five Tribes who have lost a love to Initiation? We all have other lives before Initiation, then we are Inducted into our true tribe and we make a new life for ourselves.

"Your mother and I have prepared ourselves for this since you were born. We live as Aeris, knowing that you and your sister would most likely be sent to another tribe. We will miss you, but this is how it is. May has three sisters. They will probably all be in different tribes. Blood will always be a strong bond, but the tribe we live in must be our first loyalty, for the good of the Five Tribes."

She knew it was true, but telling yourself something was different than watching the events unfold before you. Nikka had known all her life that there would come a time when she might have to leave the tribe she'd grown up in, but realizing she might only see her parents once a year—if that—made her sad. They could still communicate, but how much would they have in common after they were in two different tribes. Imagine if she got chosen for Terris, one of the most secretive and traditional tribes. They held with the old ways, where the tribes were separate at all times, and only participated in the gatherings and other tribal ceremonies.

They finished breakfast, talking over the day's events, and then she went to find May and Luka before they headed off to the morning's meeting.

~~~~~

The market was its usual bustling and noisome self, people hurrying here or there, Initiates in their silver robes talking and walking in small groups on their way to the meeting. There seemed to be a hubbub centering around what had been a bare patch in the crowded fair only the day before. Nikka saw flashes of color and soft fluting music and was just moving in to get a better look when she plowed right into another moving body. A pair of firm arms helped her hold her balance and she looked up to see a red haired man looking down at her.

"I hope you're all right. Sorry about that," he said. He was Terris in build, shorter, stocky, firm shoulders and muscled arms, but there was a twinkle in his eye missing from most of the serious Terris faces.

"No, it's my fault. I was so taken in by the music and the movement that I forgot to look where I was going," Nikka said.

He smiled. "A young Initiate, I see. I was one myself a few years ago."

She looked at his clothing, unable to see any tribal markings.

"What tribe did you end up Inducted into?" she asked.

"Ahhh... that is a complicated story. I was Inducted into the Terris tribe, but found their lack of humor and traditional ways were not to my liking," he said.

"Oh, does that happen?" she asked. She hadn't thought about going into a tribe, only to be unhappy with it.

"More than you might think," he said. "Would _you_ want to be Terris?"

"Well, I'm sure they're very nice. I can think of a few people I know who would fit right in. But for myself? I don't know. I don't picture myself being Terris."

"I couldn't either, so I'm afraid I chose to leave them," he said. He took her elbow and steered her away from the chaos where they could hear each other better.

"My name is Keran," he said. "I'm what your people call tribeless."

"I know of you. My friend Luka met one of your group yesterday."

"What, if you don't mind my asking, do you think of Initiation?" he asked.

"Well, although it is hard on some, like my cousin and her beloved, Luka, it seems to make the greatest sense to me. I don't know if everyone here would agree though. Have you talked to any of the Ignis yet?"

He shook his head. "No, but I admit to being intrigued by their plight. Theirs is a problem that could use a little unconventional thinking."

"I think if you go to their display tent and ask for Adjudah, you will find a willing ear," she said. Maybe someone with an outside perspective could give them the edge they needed to find a way to save their tribe.

"Thank you, Miss. What was your name?"

"My name is Nikka. I'm not Ignis, but I did meet Adjudah yesterday, he seemed a kind and reasonable man."

Keran held out his hand and Nikka placed hers in it. He raised it to his lips and placed a courtly kiss on the back of her hand.

"Thank you for the help, my dear. I'm trying to form a working relationship with all the tribes, but so far only the Sanguis have been interested in hearing what I have to say."

"Well, I wish you luck in your endeavors."

With a wave, she went off to find her friends.

~~~~~

When the three friends arrived at the Great Hall, they found that it was filled with chairs for them to sit in—all in a circular formation around a podium set up in the middle of the room. As they and the other Initiates ambled in, a tall Divinaris woman went to stand at the podium.

"Look," Nikka said, "It's Adra."

Adra, a long, lean woman with gold hair that fell in multiple braids down her back was dressed in the traditional silver robes that hallmarked her vocation. She was a Divinaris for the Aeris and many of the young Aeris Initiates had called her sister, educator, and friend. She was a kind woman with a sparkling sense of humor with many a story or fable to tell on the sacred days.

Nikka remembered the last time she had seen Adra was right before they left on their journey to the Citadel, when she was hugging her mother goodbye.

~~~~~

"Nikka, behave yourself and be the daughter I have raised you to be," her mother was saying.

"Mother, I'll miss you so much. I promise that no matter what happens, I'll write to you."

They hugged again, one last time, each one wiping the tears from her eyes as they parted.

Nikka walked over to the horse that was hers to ride for the trip, looking back one last time.

"Remember her face as it is now, young Nikka," said a soft voice to her left. She looked over and saw Adra sitting atop her own mount, a placid mare of pearl gray.

"I remember my Initiation. I was nervous and sad to leave my family. At least your father can go with you. My parents weren't important enough to have a reason for going to Market, as your father does. They stayed behind and all I could do when I was Initiated as Divinaris was send them a short letter telling them of my news."

"How did you feel, not being an official tribe member?" asked Nikka.

"It was an honor to be named Divinaris. As you know, it's only once every 10 years or so that one is named."

Divinaris were perhaps the most mystical of all the Inducted, if not the most rare. They were the teachers, the spiritual leaders, and the peacemakers of the Five Tribes. They served on the High Council, acting as impartial judges during long and heated debate. They instructed their tribes on the importance of unity between the Five Tribes and counseled members to remain devoted to their duties as citizens.

"It's a wondrous vocation, Nikka, but somehow, I don't see it as the path you will walk down," Adra said, studying the girl. Her horse shifted sideways and she guided it back into line with the others who were leaving for the Gathering.

"Why not?" Nikka asked.

"Each person has a purpose that only Iam can gauge, but you strike me as someone who will one day attain a place in the High Council. You have a strong will and a kind heart. Those are a combination that will serve your future well," she said, and with that she urged her horse forward and was off down the long line, speaking to each person, making everyone feel peaceful and ready for the trip.

~~~~~

Nikka brought herself back to the present as Adra started to speak.

"Welcome, Initiates. This is only the first in a series of educational sessions to help you on your journey as new Initiates. This week you will spend either a morning in classes or you will join your fellow tribe members at one of the High Council meetings to get a greater picture of how our government works and how it helps the tribes to interact. We will inform you which is to be which each day.

"If there is one thing we want you to learn before you are Inducted, it is that we Five Tribes must work together to keep the peace. We must be responsible, productive citizens and it is up to each of us to fulfill our duties for our tribes and for our people."

"We encourage you to mix at the market. Get to know peoples from different tribes and study them. Learning about where you might fit in is part of the inner process you must go through before being Inducted into the tribe you are chosen for. Go to each display booth for the Five Tribes, see what each tribe specializes in."

"Most of what you'll see merely hints of, is what we'll be discussing this week and during the next year in great detail, but it is still important to hear it from the tribe that bears this rich history. Every tribe has a story and you should consider it your task this week to find out each one."

Nikka thought about what she'd learned so far this week about each of the tribes. It wasn't much, she had to admit. She knew almost nothing about the Terris and Aquis, and yet there was a chance she might end up in either tribe. She knew some of what the Sanguis did, since they were the healers of the Five Tribes, but other than that, she had no idea.

For the next two hours, she paid close attention as Adra outlined what the next year would bring for the Initiates. The Initiation at the end of the week was only the beginning. The year, which had 5 seasons (one for each Tribe), would become a pentare, a 5-sectioned year where each season would be followed by a journey to the Citadel for a special week of learning sessions. There were normal gatherings every season at the Citadel, these sessions would simply coincide with those.

The learning sessions would last a full year before the final Induction ceremony would occur, in a secret and shrouded ritual overseen by the Divinaris, the Duor for the tribe, and the High Council member of each tribe. Only the Initiate's Inducted tribe would be present, because each tribe had its own ritual and its own sacred rites to perform. This was how it had been done for centuries, back before the Five Tribes had even been combined into one government.

At this point, after a year of schooling, and after the final ceremony, an Initiate would no longer be an Initiate, but a true tribe member. They would be given work that best suited their talents and would bring most benefit to their tribe, along with a place to live within that tribe's jurisdiction.

She thought of the city where she had lived all her life, overlooking the Cliffs of Iverside. The trees drifted over everything, and even the houses became intermingled in the twisting trunks and bending bows. The birds, so many varieties of song birds, were a treat that she would miss if she were chosen for a different tribe. She wondered where the other tribes lived and what their homes looked like.

She'd find out tomorrow, anyway, since going over the details of the Five Tribes was the main point on the agenda for the week.

~~~~~

"What did you think of that speech?" she asked Alea, after they'd filed out of the building and were off for their afternoon of freedom.

"It was interesting, of course, but there's really no need to for me to find out that much about the other tribes, now is there?"

"Oh, you mean because Ignis begets Ignis?" she asked.

"That _is_ what they say," said Alea, smiling and shaking her head, which made her long black braids swing back and forth like wiggling snakes.

"Well, it should be even more interesting for you then," said Nikka, "Because you're never going to have the chance to interact with any of the other tribes unless it's for a gathering or if you need a healer. So I should think you'd want to soak up all the information you could while you're here."

Alea stared at her. "You have such an interesting point of view, Nikka. I can see why my brother is fascinated by you."

Nikka felt her face flush with the hot blood of her now pounding heart.

"I-" she fell silent, unable to think of a response.

"It's okay," said Alea, "We all know it's just a gathering romance. Enjoy it while it lasts."

She smiled down at Nikka and gave her a half hug, then led the way down the path to the market.

Could she have a simple romance without getting her heart broken?

### Chapter 4:

### Zyander

Zyander was sitting at the front entrance of the Ignis display tent when Keran strolled toward him. He'd heard of the tribeless leader through the gathering grapevine, that the man had paid a visit to a few of the other tribes in an effort to establish goodwill and trade agreements.

_I wonder how it feels to remove yourself from the government of the Five Tribes,_ he thought.

"Hello there," said Keran, when he saw Zyander sitting in front of him.

"Hello," said Zyander.

"I'm looking for a man by the name of Adjudah," said Keran. "A young woman -Nikka- said I might find him willing to talk."

Zyander perked up at that. "Nikka? When did you talk to her?"

Keran laughed. "This morning. You know, our group—what many of you call the tribeless—is always open to new members," he said. "We don't discriminate by tribe. An Ignis would find himself a welcome place with us."

Zyander sat back in his chair, feeling a sense of inevitability washing over him.

"Your offer is kind, but I have a responsibility to my people."

"Both admirable and respectable. What is your name? I'm Keran."

"I'm Zyander, but most call me Zyan."

"Well, Zyan, you seem a grand representative of your tribe, and I have a feeling we'll be talking again."

"Here, let me go see if my father is around. Can I ask what your visit is regarding?"

"You surely can. I'd wish to talk to him about opportunities for your tribe to find methods of income other than magical. I've talked to a few of the other tribes, but they aren't open to the idea of a trade that doesn't involve Iam and mysticism."

"I'll just be a moment," Zyander said, as he stepped through the curtain. He found his father in the relic room, marking down their inventory and estimating the amount left to sell to make their yearly budget for supplies.

"Father, Keran, the leader of the tribeless, is here and he wants to speak to you. Nikka told him that you might be the one he wanted to talk to, so he asked for you by name."

Adjudah looked up from his list, startled out of his deep concentration.

"What?" he said, paying more attention to Zyander.

Zyander repeated his sentence, more quickly than was decorous.

"I'll meet him in the front room," said Adjudah, "Zyan, ask Daen to join us, as well. This could end up being an important meeting. And why don't you come? You need to be a part of the decisions we are going to make for the Ignis. They depend on their representatives to make the well-being of the tribe their first priority.

"Bring the refreshments, such as they are, into the room when you come in."

Zyander ushered Keran into the meeting room and pointed to one of the soft chairs surrounding the meeting table. Then he left the main tent and walked around to the sleeping tents looking for Daen.

Zyander found him sitting next to his mate, talking softly to her while they shared of meal of soft cheeses, fresh fruit from the market, and the flat bread so popular among his tribe. Daen was the youngest representative in the High Council's secondary tier—a Duor.

The High Council was made up five High Council members, each representing a tribe. Along with these were five Divinaris—each assigned to a tribe—and an alternate Divinaris for times when a vote was tied. Then, in the secondary tier, representing the tribe members by population count, were the Duor. The Aeris and the Sanguis had the most of these, as their tribes were the largest, and of course, for the Ignis there were only six representatives. Daen was one of them.

He had recently married Kala, a short—for Ignis—woman with exotically tilted eyes and a wide smile, which she was always wearing, especially when she was around her husband.

"Daen, sorry to interrupt lunch with your lovely wife," he smiled at Kala, "but my father wants your input on a conversation with Keran of the tribeless."

"Can't I bring Kala? She's a Duor, too." Kala was the second youngest representative.

"You know, I'm sure he meant for you to bring her," lied Zyander. He knew his father would be pleased to have Kala's input. She had a level head, which balanced out Daen and his youthful enthusiasm. Kala was a few years older than Daen, but she had been available, which was hard to come by these days. Zyander thought about his choices for a mate and Keran's offer sounded more appealing than ever. He'd walked by the wagons and seen the variety of girls within the group, talking and laughing together as they sold their wares. It was an attractive picture and he could see himself with any one of those girls.

The rules of the Five Tribes were strict when it came to finding a mate. A person could seek out a partner only from their own tribe, in order to preserve the order and sanctity of the special magic each tribe called their own. He was uncertain what magics could be so important or secretive that the tribes couldn't intermarry. It was not as if their children were so tribe bound. Someone could have five children and each one of them could end up in a different tribe. Why this obsessive rule regarding marriage?

He knew, from his own Initiation, some of the history of the tribes, and how, at one time, they'd been completely segregated. But in another few generations his tribe would be in peril. There were only five other Initiates from his year, and each year seemed to bring fewer and fewer children. His sister was the only Initiate for her year and he knew that next year would be only two. His tribe, which had once numbered in the hundred thousands, was now down to mere thousands. Many couples were not gifted from Iam with children, and if a couple was lucky enough to have a child, no others followed. A couple that could have two children was considered miraculously fertile.

It was getting to be time for him to consider finding a mate of his own. Usually tribesman were married before their twenty-fifth year. The younger an Ignis was at marriage, the better chance they had at bearing children. He hoped that Daen and Kala would be one of the fortunate couples that Iam would gift. They would make good parents for any child.

He followed the pair back to the display tent and slipped in behind them. Keran and Adjudah were already speaking and though his father looked surprised at the addition of Kala to the group, he made introductions. Zyander moved into another room and loaded a tray with the same flat bread that Daen and Kala had been eating, along with a spicy vegetable chutney and some more soft cheese. Luckily, the one thing they had in abundance in the territories of the Ignis tribe was mahcois, a small goat that gave off copious amounts of milk. If their tribe were meat eaters, they would have been set. Being vegetarians, they preferred–because they would sicken if given meat to eat—the small amount of vegetables they were able to grow themselves and the remainder traded from the Terris.

It would be interesting to see what Keran would have to say, as a person who had learned survival skills outside of traditional magic. Maybe he and others of the tribeless would have ideas for their tribe to help them live without having to sell off their possessions.

He brought the tray back into the room, where his father and the others were already in conversation. He laid the tray near the center of the group and went back for wine and cups. Upon his return, he saw that the four of them were smiling and Keran was saying, "I knew that if I could talk to you, I would be able to find a good deal in common with you. I want to be as honest as possible, but that might require offending your pride, so I'm not sure how to go on."

"You may feel free to say what you will, Keran," said Kala. "We know our circumstances better than you, I should think." She winked at him.

"Just so, good lady," said Keran. "The way I see it, your tribe is facing a bleak future. Disease has wiped out ninety percent of your tribe and to make matters worse, the sickness has seemed to affect the fertility of your tribe. The final problem that I see is your people don't seem to be able to make the beautiful masterpieces that used to be such a hallmark of the Ignis tribe. Without those works, there is no money coming in to guarantee your well-being.

"Now, I am working from rumor, as it flies from person to person through the market, but in every rumor there is a base that it grows from.

"I'm tribeless myself, but I see the system of the Five Tribes as working for all of us. To that end, I want to help your tribe succeed. A strong Ignis tribe means a strong Five Tribes, which means that trade is working for all of us."

"We do not talk about our troubles, especially not with outsiders," said Daen, looking young, righteous and insulted.

"What good is that going to do us when we're out of money and starving?" said Zyander, joining the conversation, anger like a whirlwind flowing through his body.

"Telling the whole of the Five Tribes our problems is not going to get them solved!" said Daen.

"We don't need to tell them. They already know," said Adjudah. "We've been a topic of interest in the High Council for many years. If things get much worse, there would be no more Ignis and our magic would be lost."

"As if it isn't already," Zyander scoffed.

"I agreed to see Keran because I think he might have some valuable experiences to share with us, and because he seems willing to help us, which is more than I can say for the other tribes, who find time only to pity us," said Adjudah.

"So things are as bad as the rumors speculate," said Keran, reaching for a drink.

"If it were only one thing, like the disease," said Kala, "it wouldn't be so bad, but it seems as though every adversity is piling against us. We can't rightly see our way out of this mess."

"Well, the first step is listening to the voices of the young," said Keran. "These here are your best hope." He gestured to Zyander. "There is a reason you see so many of the young in my group. Young people are more zealous, more willing to experiment and try new things, and they are more willing to bend the rules, which is how I think your group is going to survive."

"We don't have many young people left," said Daen. "No more than ten percent of our remaining numbers are young and have passed through Induction. So it's a few hundred that we can look to."

"That is enough," said Keran, "In our case, most of us never see Induction. We have learned to look past Induction as the route to full use of our powers and instead put our focus on using our instincts and our passions to bring our powers into full use.

"As an example, Ryd and his sister Malina came to us last year, devastated because they'd been separated by Initiation. Instead of insisting that they learn their powers separately, we encouraged them to work together as they have been all their lives. We were amazed at how soon they came into the bloom of their powers. They both have different styles and spells they prefer when practicing. The result is some of the most amazing carvings, almost on par with the detail of your work, if not the magnitude.

"And as a result, we've gotten a lot of coin and goods in trade for their sculptures. So my other piece of advice is to use your young people and their ideas, and look for non-traditional ways to teach them your tribal spells."

Zyander noticed his father listening to the words, then turn toward him as if trying to consider that Zyander himself had an idea about magic that might save his tribe. Zyander didn't think he could do anything that anyone else in the tribe could do. He thought back on all the times he'd done spellwork with his father or one of the other tribe mentors, and knew that he was appallingly lacking when it came to demonstrating any skills of worth to his tribe.

"Well, thank you for kind words, but somehow I don't think that was the only subject you hoped to bring up in meeting today," said Adjudah.

"No, of course not. That would be both insulting and a waste of your time. There are two other topics I was hoping to bring up. The first is some honest trade. Our tribe isn't interested in fancy statues or weapons, but we are interested in your cheese. It is delicious and to be honest, we're good at growing vegetables and fruit, we're even good at hunting, but we are hopeless at cheese-making. Many of us miss having it at our dinner table. We would be interested in forming a trade agreement for a year-round supply, if it is available. It won't be much of an income, but at least it would give you money to use throughout the 5 seasons."

"We'd be honored to provide you and yours with cheese, if you desire it," said Daen, and outlined terms for trade.

Zyander let his mind wander while the negotiations took place, nibbling on some bread and chutney, and thought of, what else, Nikka. He thought about the way her soft golden curls just brushed her shoulders and how she was just tall enough to reach his shoulder. He thought of how pretty her mouth was when she smiled—which was all the time it seemed. Remembering her laugh was driving him to distraction, not to mention the feel of her hand clasped in his. He wanted to kiss her again, for real, he wanted to...

"Zyan," said his father.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Zyander.

"That's all right. Woolgathering, I suppose," said Adjudah.

"Or thinking of a girl, as all boys his age do," said Keran, laughing.

"Can you take this contract to my tent, so I can look it over later?" said Adjudah.

"Yes, of course, Father," he said, and ran down to the tent, not wanting to miss a single minute of the group's conversation.

"I'm sorry, Keran, I don't know if it's possible," Adjudah said, just in time for Zyander to hear it as he reached the table.

"Has it ever been done before?" asked Kala.

"Not to my knowledge," said Adjudah. "There's no precedent."

"All I ask for is a chance to say my piece," said Keran. "What happens after that is up to the council."

"What happens after that only Iam can guess," said Daen.

Keran stood. "Well, Adjudah, thank you for your time."

Adjudah and the others stood; each of them shook his hand.

"I will do what I can, Keran," said Adjudah. "As a member of the High Council, I do have some influence. Have any of the other tribes been receptive?"

"Only the Sanguis, and I was unable to tell which way they leaned afterward," Keran said.

"Well, we will find out tomorrow. You will be unable to attend, being tribeless, but be at the ready. You may be called in to give witness," said Adjudah.

After Keran had left the tent, Zyander turned to his father. "What was that all about?"

"As I said before, we'll find out tomorrow." said Adjudah, turning away with a frown.

Zyander had to be satisfied with that answer, but he vowed he wouldn't miss the High Council meeting on the morrow.

### Luka

It was a warm day and Luka was glad he'd left off his jacket, since he was going to have to wear a robe today, attending the council meeting as an Initiate. He finished his breakfast before everyone else was stirring from their beds and waited around by the door for May to arrive. He was worried about her, she'd been showing signs of stress over the past few days. Every time he tried to talk to her about it, or about what he'd learned from Keran and the tribeless members on the previous day, she would insist in a shrill voice that they would end up together, in the same tribe, as they were meant to.

It was like talking to a child who refused to see any way but her own. Frustrating though it was, a part of him could see why she continued to deny that they would be chosen for different tribes. If they were truly fated to be together, maybe they would indeed find the same home. He couldn't count on that, however. He wanted to be prepared for anything that might happen.

He needed a plan, it was who he was. He looked at all the possible outcomes, he considered each option, and he plotted every conceivable path. Right now he saw two outcomes and two paths. The first was that he and May would both be Initiated into the same tribe. He would love her, marry her, and be happy. The second outcome was that they would not be in the same tribe. In that case, he would run away with her, marry her, and be happy. Convincing her of the second would be a task, for certain, but he knew she would come around at some point.

She ran out the door, silver robe streaming behind her, and he grabbed her hand, yanking her back a step. May whirled to face him and slipped her arms around him, kissing his cheek.

"Come on, we're going to be late!" she exclaimed, whirling away with that infectious laugh she had. Her light silky hair flowed down over her back, catching the sunlight as it moved in undulating waves. He followed her, running, and caught her hand again and slowed her down to a more sedate lope as they headed toward the building where the High Council was to meet. He heard Nikka laughing behind them, walking like a normal person.

"You two are ridiculous!" she called. "We have plenty of time!"

They eventually slowed to a walk and upon reaching the meeting place, stood outside with the other Initiates who were milling around. Nikka arrived minutes later, still laughing, with Alea in tow. The two had become great friends, it seemed to Luka, considering they had only known each other three days. He thought it must have something to do with Alea's older brother, Zyander. He had never seen Nikka with the man, but May talked about him as though a romance between the two was inevitable.

A Divinaris, a jovial looking man with black curling hair that reached his shoulders, smiled at them and clapped his hands, somehow causing them to echo and seem louder than they should have been. "Come, Initiates, follow me quickly and quietly. Once we have reached the seating area reserved for Initiates, you will be expected to sit and observe. Today, your task is to take in all that the High Council and the Duor accomplish for the Five Tribes. Their task is a daunting one and our health as a people rests in their hands.

"Watch them today with respect, and honor them for their service. Let us go."

The Initiates filed in after him, whispering and staring at the grand entrance hall that flowed into the council chambers. He turned left and led them up a flight of stairs and through a doorway that became a balcony area overlooking the council floor. Luka peered down and saw a long oval platform—a stage—with five seats on one side and six on the other. There was a podium in the center of it. Surrounding this area, but lowered down a level was the area where the Duor sat, ready to make their votes or be given leave to speak. Up in the balconies, reserved stations, such as the one the Initiates sat in, were being filled with members of the Five Tribes. Luka watched as the tribes intermingled in a way they did not most of the time; he saw Terris colors next to Aeris which were next to Sanguis.

Alea was standing, looking down. She looked across the way, saw her brother and waved at him. He smiled and nodded back. Luka wondered how old he was. May was talking to Nikka and he saw her father and Nikka's down in the Duors' section. His own parents were furniture makers. They worked the whole year round to make enough to sell to the merchants who attending gatherings and some of the other festivals.

The room was alive with whispers and soft murmurs, and all the Initiates had taken their seats. He, May, Alea and Nikka were next to each other in the row. He saw several Aeris, some he knew and some he did not, and he wondered how he always got stuck with the girls. Then he saw an envious look from Kelis, one of his school mates, and remembered why he tolerated being in the company of girls so often. He looked at May, with her long lashes, soft lips and generous curves. He was a lucky man.

The noise ended as the High Council members walked in from an entrance that he hadn't noticed before. They took their seats around the large half moon table. The Divinaris came afterward, and one of them lingered in the center of the stage to conduct the opening ceremonies.

"We thank the great Iam for our meeting and our unity. May we keep open minds and live with respect for each of the Five Tribes."

He gestured to each of the High Council members and said, "Representing the Sanguis tribe: Lady Mordra. Representing the Ignis tribe: Sir Adjudah. Representing the Terris tribe: Sir Koen. Representing the Aeris tribe: Lady Salia. Representing the Aquis tribe: Lady Jilli."

He turned toward the five Divinaris and said, "These Divinaris will advocate on behalf of _all_ the tribes, being that they are apart. I will act as alternate."

The man bowed and took his place in the sixth chair.

Mordra spoke. "The first petition is from Duor Hama, of the Terris tribe. Duor, you may speak."

A man made his way from the section where the Duor sat. His clothing, green for his tribe, was straightened and groomed and perfect in every detail. He held a packet of notes and stepped up on the stage taking his place at the podium.

"Duor Hama, do you know the rules of petition and agree to adhere to them?" said Adjudah.

"I do, masters, and I thank you for this opportunity to speak," he said, bowing to the High Council members first, then to the Divinaris.

"I come today on behalf of my tribe, to discuss our complaints against the tribeless, who have infiltrated our gathering and defiled our sacred Initiation ceremonies. This group has been actively sowing seeds of unrest in our members and in members of the other four tribes. This group will soon not be content with a spot among us, simply selling their wares, but will demand a place of honor among our Five Tribes.

"I and the others in my tribe find this appalling and we ask that the tribeless be escorted from the Citadel and banned from any further contact with the Five Tribes. If they want to practice their blasphemous ways, spitting in the eye of Iam, let them, but we will have no part in it."

There was a loud murmur from the audience and the Duor, and Luka found himself growing angry at the typical conservative Terris attitude being displayed. Keran was a good person, who was looking out for the rights of his group and the many others who couldn't see themselves in one tribe or another.

"We will now hear dissenting opinions," said Adjudah, when the noise had died down.

The room was silent, then a man stood up. He wore the robes of the Sanguis and he bowed at Duor Hama—who bowed back—as they passed one another. There was another murmur that ran through the audience.

"Duor Jongul, do you know the rules of the petition and agree to adhere to them?" asked Adjudah.

"I do, masters, and I thank you for this opportunity to provide a dissent of opinion," said Duor Jongul.

It was all very formal. Luka wanted to stand up and yell that Keran was good and Hama was an idiot. The frustration for him was that they would end up wading through all these arguments and counter arguments before finally ending up at some decision, which would probably affect them all in the long run. Why couldn't they at least be quick about it?

"I speak today, in favor of the tribeless. They come with good will to our Gathering, behave politely, and engage in honest trade. Anyone who has seen their craftsmanship can not deny they are skilled in what they make. I would also argue that they are filling a niche that has been slowly ebbing in our gatherings, that of the Ignis and their artistry."

Nikka and Alea both gasped and the latter looked as though she wanted to stand up and start yelling herself. He looked out in the audience and saw that Zyander had stood up, then slowly sat back down. There were several angry cries and mutterings over that and Luka saw that it wasn't just Ignis who were upset by the Duor's words.

Mordra raised her hand above her head, which had the desired affect of silencing everyone.

"Duor Jongul, I would remind you of the rules of petition. We treat all tribes with respect, we give all tribes our loyalty, we stayed unified under Iam," she said, face severe.

Jongul bowed to the five High Council members.

"I beg your most humble pardon, masters. My intent is not to malign the Ignis, one of our oldest and greatest tribes.

"We know, however, of their difficulties. There are fewer and fewer booths every gathering, and fewer wares to sell. Isn't it the purpose of the market—to buy trinkets and favors for our loved ones? I merely point out that it is good to have some variety in our marketplace. If the tribeless had fruits or vegetables to sell or service such as the Aeris or the Aquis offer, we would be happy enough to have them in that case, as well.

"I mean, in my argument of dissent, to point out that the tribeless are useful to us."

Jongul bowed and went back to his seat.

"Are there more on the side of Duor Hama who wish to be heard?" asked Jili.

An Aeris woman stood, Luka did not recognize her, but she sat next to Nikka's father, who frowned as she moved past him.

The woman, Duor Lamna, went through the same acceptance of the rules as the others, and then spoke in a voice that carried farther than he would of thought with her slender build.

"I come as a mother, to voice my agreement with Duor Hama. My children are all too young to be Initiates, but they will someday. It is unlikely that they will be Aeris, but as we all do, they will go through Initiation and be chosen for their tribe. They will go to one of the Five Tribes, which all adhere to an agreed upon set of rules to live by. We live under the grace of Iam, and we work as a united people. Even though I will be sad when my children move on to other tribes, I know that those tribes are accountable to us all and ultimately to you, masters, the High Council.

"But who are these tribeless? I don't know their leaders. I don't know their rules or their beliefs. Who are they accountable to? What will happen if my children decide they don't want to live in whatever tribe they are chosen for? Will they go off with this group, to live in some society, apart from us all? What will become of them?

"As a mother, I object to these tribeless because they are under no one's authority. They wish to come and go as they please, answering to no one, making trade with all of us. While I don't necessarily wish for them to be removed, I do want them to be given conditional trade and access to our gatherings. I will not trade with anyone I do not know the character of."

Duor Lamna bowed and there was applause. She had made a solid case in favor of Duor Hama, but though hers was emotional, the logic of it couldn't be escaped. Luka respected her for not using a prejudicial argument filled with malice, such as Hama had.

The arguments bounced back and forth for the better part of three hours, and then, when Luka thought he couldn't take any more of it, the meeting was adjourned for the day.

"We will conclude this discussion with each of the High Council members weighing in, and then we will vote," said council member Jilli. The council members stood, along with the Divinaris and they left the chambers.

Luka stood with the rest, watching them leave.

"What do you think they'll decide?" May asked, while the other Initiates moved in their boisterous manner toward the first available exit.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" said Nikka. "They'll grant Keran and the others the right to be at the gathering, but it will come with some sort of trade agreement."

"That did seem to be where they were leading up to," agreed Luka.

"I just wish they hadn't done it at the expense of the Ignis," said Alea.

"I noticed that too," said Nikka. "I wonder what your father will have to say about that."

"It's worse than you think. The High Council is already talking about what to do with us," Alea said.

"What do you mean?" asked Nikka.

Luka put a hand on her arm. "Better not," he said. "We've got an audience."

Nikka noticed quite a few curious glances in their direction.

"Point taken," she said, and they left.

### Nikka

"I'm meeting my brother for lunch," said Alea, looking at Nikka. "Would you like to join us?"

Nikka thought about refusing, but then decided she'd look even more foolish saying no then she would saying yes.

"Yes, I will. Luka, May, would you care to come as well?"

Luka shook his head, dark blond hair falling towards his eyes. "I want to go find Ryd and tell him what the council is talking about, but I'll walk with you as far as the market."

"I'm going to have lunch with Father," said May. "It may be one of the last times I get to."

She moved off toward the market and Nikka stood with Alea and Luka at the entrance, waiting for Zyan to make his way to them. Nikka's heart pounded and she felt her face flush with excitement. _This is silly,_ she chided herself. _He's just another boy here at the gathering. There's nothing remarkable about him._

If only she could convince her body of that. It seemed as though every cell inside her was tingling with anticipation.

Zyan rounded the corner and slowed when he saw Nikka. He hesitated for a moment, then smiled at her, welcome showing on his face. They stared at each other for a minute, then broke their gaze at Alea's laughter.

"Come on, let's get some food!" she said, leading them back toward the Ignis tents.

Once again, she was taken aback by how tall he was. When she compared him to Luka, who was almost a head shorter, with light hair and eyes, Zyan was a tall dark tree from the forest. His dark hair was the same shade as his sister's and his eyes were dark green.

"What did _you_ think of the discussion during today's council meeting?" Nikka asked him.

"It was much more exciting than yesterday's discussion, that's for sure."

"How did you feel about Duor Jongul's comments? Alea was shocked."

"I found them disturbing. Not so much because of the implication that we aren't providing a needed element to the Five Tribes' Gathering, but because there was a more subtle implication in that argument.

"Jongul was insinuating that we are losing our ability to be a tribe. If we lose our power, then we may as well become Phasma. We will have no use to the Five Tribes, our people will die out or leave the country, and the way will open up for Keran to become his own tribe, if that is what he desires—which I think he does."

"Do you think Adjudah sees that?" she asked, watching Alea dancing ahead of them, oblivious.

"I don't know. It's strange. I never would have seen a such comment coming from the Sanguis. They are the most accepting, most willing to help of all the tribes."

"Maybe he didn't mean it the way it sounded," said Luka.

"You must be right. It just felt so horrible, to have the entire High Council and the Duor thinking what Jongul was thinking."

"I'm sorry, Zyan, I can't imagine how that felt," Nikka laid her hand on his arm. He touched it with his hand, then took her hand in his, running a thumb across her palm. Her breath caught and she stopped herself from stumbling.

They said goodbye to Luka, then ducked into the tent, walking back to the meeting room that she'd been in before, but this time it was filled with Ignis, eating, laughing, and talking about the day's events.

She looked for a spot at the table, but Zyan shook his head, made a large plate, handed her two drinks, and indicated for her to follow him out the side door. Outside there were more of the tribe eating in groups scattered across the lawn, but he didn't stop until he reached a small tent with a flap lifted to one side.

"Here we are," he said, and ducked inside.

She was uncertain, and nervous, but she followed. It was almost intoxicating, wondering what was going to happen next.

Careful not to spill their drinks, she bent under the tent entrance and was surprised to see him setting up lunch at a low table with two cushions placed on either side.

As she set down the glasses, he said, "This is where I was planning on eating with Alea, so don't think this is all some crazy plan to get you alone with me in my sleeping tent." He gestured at the doorway. "Look, we'll leave that wide open, and anyone passing by will be able to see in."

She smiled. "I wasn't worried," she said. It wasn't a lie. She wasn't worried about him, she was worried about herself. She couldn't seem to think straight when he was around.

"Here, have some of this cheese. It's a specialty of ours. In fact, Keran just contracted with our tribe to buy a year's supply. It's ironic that something as simple as goat cheese, which requires no magic at all, would provide us a nice chunk of supplementary income. Father is already talking about expanding the range of cheeses we make now so that we can start selling at the gatherings."

"Does it shame you?"

"Me? No. But the elders will not be so understanding. There are few of them left, thanks to the sickness, but they have loud voices. Cementing the belief in the council that we are losing our powers, seems to be their talent these days."

They ate in comfortable silence for a while. She was enjoying the cheese quite a bit.

"So, how are you feeling about Initiation?" he asked, after taking a drink of the juice.

"Uncertain, after my conversation with Keran. I believe in the Five Tribes, Zyan, but I don't want to hate the tribe I end up with."

"I don't think that's possible for you, Nikka. You're such a positive person. Any of the Five tribes would be lucky to have you."

"Really?" she asked. She didn't believe him, since it was obvious he liked her.

"I'm not just saying that because I think you're enchanting and I can't get you out of my mind," he said, laughing.

She looked down at her hands.

"I almost wish," she said, looking back up at him without finishing her sentence.

"That you could choose, Nikka?" he leaned forward and ran his hand down the side of her face, brushing aside a curl with this finger.

"Maybe," she whispered, afraid to say more.

"Would you choose Ignis? It would be a mistake. We have nothing to offer. We're poor and almost without magic. Any other tribe would be a better choice."

"You're right," she said, but she didn't move away from his hand, where it still lingered at her cheek.

"I wouldn't want you to choose Ignis, if you could."

This time she did move back, surprised. "You wouldn't?"

"No, but I do wish we had more time," he said, and slipped his hand around the back of her neck, pulling her toward him inch by inch.

She felt his breath soft on her lips, and felt her eyes close as he touched his lips to hers. _This is no pity kiss, Nikka. What are you going to tell yourself now?_

She'd tell herself to be quiet and enjoy it. So she did.

### Chapter 5:

### Zyander

Her lips were as he remembered, soft and warm and her breath was fruity from the juice she'd been drinking. His fingers traced the hairline of her neck, enjoying the silky feeling of her curls and the softness of her skin. Nikka seemed hesitant at first, as though holding back, her mouth still, but then after a moment her lips moved against his and he felt the warm stirrings of desire. He pulled back, slow as not to startle her, but he didn't want to go too far. She was only 17, after all. As a man of 20, he needed to remember that this was only about the gathering. Nothing was ever going to happen outside of that, and taking things too far would only shame them both.

Her eyes opened and she studied him. "Why did you stop?" she asked him, grabbing his hand where it was slipping from around her neck. She twined her fingers with his and brushed her lips across one of the knuckles. He sighed, and brushed his thumb across her mouth.

"Oh, this is such a mistake," he said, without thinking.

She pulled back, frowning. "Well, I thought you were enjoying yourself, but I see I was mistaken."

"Nikka..."

"No, it's fine. I don't know why I wasted my time coming out here with you. I don't know why I was looking forward to it." She stood up, jostling the remainder of the juice in her cup. He stood, as well, in one quick motion.

"Nikka, wait, please," he said, taking hold of her arm. She paused and he turned her toward him. His left hand grabbed her other arm with a light touch and he pulled her closer, looking down at her irritated face.

"This is a mistake for me, because when I'm with you all I can think about is you, not the tribe you will be Initiated into in mere days. I forget that I'm Ignis and my future is most likely written for me. I'm worried about how I'm going to feel when I see you up on that stage and your robe turns any color but gold.

"I'm an idiot for getting all caught up in you, your smell, your smile, your soft curls," he said, moving them and tipping her head back in the process.

He leaned down as she reached up, and they met in another kiss. It was even better this time, because he knew she was feeling what he was.

_Hold yourself together, Zyan_ , he told himself, _this is only a fling. It is nothing and it has no future._

When they parted again, he ignored his brain, which was still screaming at him to LET GO, and he pulled Nikka in to his chest and held her, feeling something akin to what he felt about Alea—protective—and rested his chin on her head. They stood that way for a few minutes, Zyander enjoyed the smell of her hair, flowery and light, then he let her go, smiling down at her with a smile that he hoped said, "I am interested in you, but not for longer than this gathering."

She frowned again, stepping back.

"I see, and I suppose I understand. This will be an entertaining week, but that is all it can be," she said.

He took her hand, drawing her outside and under a nearby tree.

"It's probably safer out here," he said with a sheepish smile. He hated to be the type of person she couldn't be alone with, but the truth was, he lost his head around her.

They sat in front of the tree, its wide trunk comfortably supporting both of them, as long as Nikka was snuggled against his shoulder. She settled against him without apology.

"If we only have a week," she said and left the rest of her sentence unspoken. "Tell me something of your life."

Zyander slid his arm to hold her and wrapped a curl around his finger, staring at it for a moment. It was hard to think of something that wasn't depressing.

"My home has been in my family for many years. It was built long before the sickness came, and once many generations used to live there. My father tells me that some time ago, our house was filled with parents and grandparents and great grand parents and great great great great grandparents. We are a long lived tribe, like the Sanguis. And unlike the Aeris, we tend to breed true, even now, as you will see.

"This is all to say, our house is large, our land is large and bleeds into the forest around it. In some places, our land runs into Napalin, the Great Forest. And this is what I will tell you about.

"When I was first Inducted into my tribe, I would sit with my father in our family workshop and try for hours to make the most basic spells work, but my powers are weak. I could never complete a task, because I would use up all the energy that I had to work with. As I said before, this was when I was new to the secrets of my tribe, so I had little control over the overwhelming frustrations I suffered while trying to work spells. At one point, I threw down the moonstone I was working on, and ran from the house out into the gardens and found a path I had never noticed before.

"Napalin is a mystical place, and there are things in it that no one could explain, except maybe the oldest of the elders. Even then I'm not so sure. In my haste to remove myself from the house, I ran down the path as fast as I could and ended up smack in front of the most interesting little cottage I've ever seen.

"It had a nice tall door—for you can see I'm not the short stack you are—and two high windows. The interesting part about it, however, was that it was built into a tree, a very large tree. The roof of the house was no shingled roof, but a twisting mass of bark, swirling up into the dark maelstrom of leafy branches. It was an amazing sight, this tiny little house carved—or better yet, enchanted—into that giant old tree."

Zyander looked up at the tree they were under, which, being old was quite large, but it carried none of the magnificence of the tree in his story.

"You went in, of course," she said.

"Of course," he said, smiling. "I stepped through the door into a room that was made for comfort. On my left was a small wood stove, with an outlet pipe that I couldn't find the exit for when I went back outside. Next to the wood stove was a big soft chair covered with a fuzzy red fabric and a short bookcase filled with book titles I've never seen. On my right was a small round table with two chairs seated around it. It was set for one person and straight ahead was a little cook stove with a kettle steaming with hot water.

"I pulled the kettle off the stove and set it on the trivet that was waiting for me at the table. The cupboard next to the stove held tea and sugar, and the cold cabinet had cream, jam, and small trussel cakes. I sat down and had a fine meal for myself—which was wonderful, because all the running had worked up my appetite.

"After finishing my meal, feeling satisfied and drowsy, I collapsed in the chair and let the warm fire lull me to sleep. When I woke, I felt much refreshed, and I said my thanks to the empty air and left the cottage as it was. I tried many times to find that path on my own, but I was never successful. Yet every time I've needed a place to run away to, somehow that path has moved itself beneath my feet. The room has always been there waiting with whatever I need, which most of the time is a place to think and be away from the pressures of my tribe."

"Who do you think made the house?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. I asked my father if he knew anything about a cottage in the woods, but he didn't and something about it made me keep its unique properties a secret. If you ever get a chance to visit, we'll have to see if we can find it."

She was silent for a while. "I'd enjoy that," she said.

### Luka

Luka had left May behind with a kiss, and hurried on to where he knew Keran's camp was. Keran had pulled in his wagons a few days ago, forming a semi-circle in the area that the High Council had designated for him. The bright, colorful wagons were all the colors of the tribes, plus more than he could put a name to. Each wagon seemed to have a different theme, as well.

One of the wagons was painted light blue with feathers and white wings on it. Birds swirled on the wind and the sun's rays glistened over the sides of the wagon. Another of the wagons was filled with ocean waves, cheery boats, fish splashing happily and a mermaid waving to all passersby. His favorite was the wagon with a starlit night painted on it. It had all the constellations sprinkled over it in their spreading way-- _The Five Sons_ , _The Bearded Goat_ , and his favorite, _The Sword of Zython_. He walked over that way to look at it again. There was a part of him that wanted to study the night sky and lie awake to see his way past all the stars he knew. Maybe he could discover new ones.

"Do you like that one?" said a voice next to him. He looked up to see Ryd's sister, the tall girl that had been pointed out before, next to him, red braid hanging over her shoulder. She smiled. "I know you, you're acquainted with my brother, yes?"

"I met him the other day, and we've talked a bit," said Luka, without committing to anything.

"I'm Malina," she said. "Come, Luka, I'll bring you to him."

"Thank you," he said.

"He's with Keran, but they won't mind if you join them," and gesturing for him to follow, she led the way to the winged wagon.

She opened the door and said something inaudible then turned to him and waved a hand for him to enter. He wasn't that tall, so his crouching was minimal as he stepped onto a foot stool and then inside the cool wagon. _It_ is _cool,_ he thought, though the day was warm. He wondered if there was a spell involved.

The wagon was one of the more spacious, meant for eating and sleeping, so it had a sleeping area to the left, and to the right a fold-out table and bench. Keran and Ryd sat on one side eating some sort of bird. The smell made Luka's mouth water, and he remembered he hadn't eaten lunch.

"Luka, join us for lunch!" said Keran. He pointed to the bench across from him and Ryd nodded, smiling.

Luka slid into place and nodded to both men. Ryd laid a plate and ware for him, and then spooned out some meat and vegetables. Then he poured Luka a glass of cool wine and set it next to the plate. Needing no further invitation, Luka proceeded to eat, enjoying the mix of herbs and spices and the moistness of the meat.

"So, how goes the life of an Initiate?" asked Keran, between sips of wine.

"We got to see the High Council meeting today, and we go back again tomorrow, which is a relief, for I can not bear the thought of missing the conclusion to today's meeting. Have you heard of what happened?"

"I have. We have been forming contacts among the Five Tribes," said Keran. "I am interested to hear your thoughts, however. Ryd says you are a deep thinking fellow. What did you think of today's events?"

"I think that though some of the conservatives may object, you will be granted a permanent merchantship to our gatherings, with some fair conditions attached."

"Yes, that is what I believe, as well," said Keran.

"There was another theory indirectly brought about," continued Luka. "One of the Duor arguing in your favor mentioned that you are now filling a niche that the Ignis are losing ground on. It brought about an interesting idea among some of us... that maybe your end goal is to become a tribe and fill the void that Ignis has left. Or maybe even replace them altogether."

Ryd and Keran exchanged a glance and neither spoke.

"Tell me that's not true! " He didn't know any of them very well, but Zyander was a nice enough person. He didn't deserve betrayal.

Keran laughed. "Luka, calm down! We admire the Ignis and seek no harm for them. And besides, we have no desire to be a tribe. If we were a tribe, where would the misfits go? Who would serve those who don't fit into the Five Tribes?

"We the tribeless have an important purpose, and my goal is not to usurp any other tribe, but to offer an option to those who have no other place to go. You know that, Luka."

He was a fool, but he'd gotten so caught up in the events of the day that he'd forgotten to use reason.

"You're right, I'm sorry. You've never led me to believe you wanted anything but fair trade and a measure of legitimacy. It was quite the meeting and I guess I was swept away in all the hubbub. What do you think they'll require of you?"

"We're not sure, although Mordra gave a hint of what it might be," said Ryd.

"They'll probably make us swear an holy oath to Iam or some such nonsense," said Keran with a snort.

"Don't you believe in Iam?" asked Luka. It was a shocking idea.

"Does anyone? Of all the people I've talked to, only the Divinaris believe in Iam. To everyone else Iam is just a name to throw around at ceremonies."

"Not to us," said Luka. "Not to me."

His faith was something he didn't talk about, because up until now, he didn't feel he had to. He'd always assumed that everyone in the tribes believed the same as his family. He thanked Iam every day for his good fortune in meeting May and prayed that they would be together. Without that hope for the future, he didn't know how he would be so calm right now, with the Initiation ceremony three short days away.

"We do not mean to offend," said Keran.

"We don't find much time to follow the old ways," said Ryd. "And we have no Divinaris to instruct us on the holy doctrine. Perhaps that is why Iam has fallen by the wayside."

"Iam created us all, even the tribeless. This reasoning is part of why you're allowed to be here. Someone has considered and mentioned the possibility that your group exists because Iam sensed you had a purpose that fulfilled the needs of the Five Tribes. Surely you can understand that," said Luka.

"I do, and I am grateful, not to Iam, but to the goodwill of the Five Tribes, for extending to us a welcoming hand," said Keran.

Luka was troubled, yet he couldn't fault Ryd's earlier statement. How could the tribeless know anything of Iam, when they had no teachers? He wondered what would happen if their application was accepted. Would the tribeless be given Divinaris to come live with them and teach them the ways of the Five Tribes?

"Well, no matter what happens tomorrow, I hope the outcome is as interesting as it was today," said Luka.

"I'm sure we will end up here, discussing it as we are now," said Keran with a smirk.

### Zyander

As Zyander took his place in the seating area of the High Council Chambers, he waited with anticipation for the debates to begin. In his mind, though the Duor served a purpose, the most interesting part of council meetings during gatherings was when the High Council made closing arguments and reached a judgment.

Most of the High Council were the oldest in the Five Tribes. Rumor was that Mordra was over 300 years old, while Adjudah was arguably the youngest at a mere 56. Each of the five High Council members would give a speech, and then they would sit, make notes, and gather their thoughts. After this, a vote would be taken, issuing a judgment, then they would know how to proceed.

In his mind, the tribeless were a boon—a treasure trove of talents that were not kept to one study or another. If he could get away with it, he would love to talk to some of the tribeless about how they practiced their magic, since it was almost guaranteed that they weren't able to use any of the Five Tribes' spells to make their trinkets and wares.

Sometimes he felt that all the old spells the Ignis had once used were now dead, and they needed to write out new ones if they ever hoped to make their magic work again. He imagined going home and telling Father that he refused to try and practice the old spells and would make his own new spells and laughed to himself, knowing what a hopeless fight that was.

The elders ruled the roost, not his father, and they would never hear of anyone breaking free of the old ways. He knew just what they would say, "The Ignis are a proud and noble tribe, Zyander, why do you seek to erase our history from the foundations of the Five Tribes?" They would huff and puff and all his ideas would come to nothing.

The Initiates were filing in and he saw his sister and Nikka sitting together again, along with the boy Luka. He shook his head. At least he and Nikka understood the transitory nature of their relationship, Luka and May were in for trouble or he was much mistaken. The couple sat next to each other, light blond and dark. He wondered how Nikka felt about his height. Luka and May were more well matched in that aspect.

He caught Nikka's eye and smiled. She returned the favor.

The room became silent as the Divinaris walked out and they made their customary speeches and said the opening invocation. The Duor would remain seated today as each of the High Council Members spoke on their views of the situation. He was sure of what his father would rule, but he couldn't begin to guess what the others would say. It was shaping up to be a fascinating meeting.

As the High Council member of the petitioning tribe, Koen would be the first to speak. Zyander felt bad for him, because even though as a Terris, he most likely believed what Duor Hama did, it couldn't have been easy to start off the judgment and voting by giving his speech.

"Thank you, Duor, Divinaris, and fellow council members, I shall keep my statements brief and to the point. While I do not agree with everything Duor Hama spoke of when he brought his petition before us, I do see the relevance of his point.

"As you know, we, the Terris, were the most reticent to become a united people under the Five Tribes. We were the last to join, and many times we are the last to come around when it means changing the precepts of our tribes. Yet, that has always been our role, and not a bad one at that. We breed caution, and breathe warning. The Five Tribes are the better for it, just as they are better for the more outgoing of the tribes, such as the Sanguis. We all have our purpose under Iam, who has created us each with strengths and weaknesses which help us to attain balance.

"So it must be that the tribeless have a purpose. No idea is brought about that Iam has not created, and if there is a tribe, there must also be no tribe at all. But what is the purpose of the tribeless? Is it to create things that we in the Five Tribes can not? Or is it that they are like a refuse bin, collecting our leavings and leftovers for us?

"To be honest, I do not know. I'm willing to concede that the tribeless may be of benefit to us, but what that benefit is, I can not say. Until I do know, I and my tribe will fulfill our obligations to the Five Tribes by advising us all to wait. Let us wait, and gauge the mettle of the tribeless before we enter in to trade agreements with them or endow them with the rights afforded by the other tribes. We can get to know their ways, slowly, and enter at our leisure into any partnerships we might desire. Then, perhaps, we will find their purpose."

High Council member Koen bowed, first to the other council members, then to the Divinaris, then to each side of the audience watching. He then took his place with the other four and Zyander waited for the next person to take the podium.

Mordra stood, her robes swishing in elegant folds around her. Zyander wondered if that's what happened after a person lived so many years—was it a grace and sophistication that could only come with time?

She thanked everyone as Koen had done, then turned toward the four High Council members.

"Koen is well-spoken and truthful in his comments—which we appreciate—as well as being respectful to the other High Council members, in his use of time, which we also appreciate.

"I was born into the Sanguis tribe and when my Initiation came, I was glad to be chosen for the tribe of my birth. Initiation is a rite of adulthood, and in a short year, it leads to Induction, the final herald of adulthood. Much respect to Duor Lamna, but these are not children—the ones who leave their homes and their tribes. They are new adults, yes, but adults all the same.

"The most tragic part of this argument, of these Initiates who leave—where do they go? They wander, lost and alone, to die in the wilds, away from all who might help them. This has happened many years and it is a travesty. It was the reason we formed the government of the Five Tribes in the first place.

"We must remember the history of our Five Tribes. Before we were formed, if a child was born who did not seem to have the right _talents_ to fit in with her born tribe, she was turned out, to seek her fortune elsewhere. Many of these died or wandered lost until they reached a different tribe, who would take pity on them.

"It wasn't until the first Compis was Initiated that we learned the error of our ways, and formed the Five Tribes, to make sure that Initiates went to their correct homes. For a time it seemed as though this would be the solution to our problems, but now we see there is another matter.

"There are those among us who, through no fault of their own, can not be a part of the Five Tribes. They are good people, our own children, whose unique skills and personalities don't lend to helping them integrate with the tribe they've been chosen for. Up until recently, as I said, it meant disaster, but then Keran decided to change that.

"He welcomed each lost soul into his group, which though some consider rag-tag, I can witness as being professional and well organized. Keran's groups has become a safe haven for these Initiates and tribe members. He has encouraged them to use their powers in a way all their own. Not only have our markets benefited, but our overall health as a country might benefit, as well.

"These tribeless fill a void—not as one of our own tribes, who though they may be struggling could never be replaced, but a hole we were unaware of until they came along. While it is true that we don't know them as well as our own tribes, we can see by their actions that they are honorable and compassionate. They could have gone anywhere or done anything, yet here they are among us, making honest trade and dealing out in the open.

"It is my belief, after discussion with the tribeless and their leader, that we should take this fledgling group and mold it into a tribe of its own, over time, as High Council Member Koen suggests, but starting now. If we take a vested interest and support this group and its members, we will be satisfied with the end result," so saying, Mordra bowed to the Divinaris and the other members, then took her seat.

The Aeris High Council member, then the Aquis spoke next, for and against respectively. Last to speak would be Adjudah. Zyander knew that he was well placed to make his arguments; his father's talent was to use the best reasoning for both sides to sway all to his opinion. It was one of the reasons the elders had chosen him as High Council member, when one of them could have taken the position.

His father stood and addressed the room, thanking the audience for their attention. Then bowing to the groups on either side of the podium, he began, "As usual, my fellow council members do not disappoint. A more well-thought and fair set of arguments I'm sure I have not heard. I would like to announce, once again, my pleasure at serving with such moral and compassionate people. It has been a privilege serving on the High Council these 10 years, though I know I'm the most junior of the members.

"I must be honest, I find myself torn between what is right for our tribe and what is right for the tribeless. I think, judging from the words of our members that is important not to only vote on what may benefit us, but to vote in a way that will not cause harm to these innocent tribeless, however we might feel about them. Iam did create them, as we were created, for some purpose. Even if that purpose does not intersect ours, we must not hinder it.

"As I sat here, listening to each speech, I felt pulled two ways. I knew that it would not be right to fully accept and embrace the tribeless without knowing more about them. However, I also knew that it would be wrong to deny that they do us a service in accepting and welcoming those of our origin who can't live under the rules of the Five Tribes. If my own son were to decide he couldn't be Ignis anymore—and how could I blame him, we live hard lives at times—I would feel better knowing that he had somewhere to go.

"I see the merit in a trial period, I do, yet I also side with our lady Mordra in knowing that a more full acceptance will allow us to mold and shape the tribeless into being respectful and accountable to others."

He took a breath, and almost instinctively, Zyander saw where he was going to end his speech. He looked at the other council members and wondered what they were feeling behind their impassive faces.

"Let us remember, however, no matter how the tribes began—how they were formed and became the Five Tribes, there have always been _five_. There are Five Sacred elements under Iam, and there will evermore be, until Iam comes to inform us otherwise.

"Whatever we might wish for the tribeless, under Iam's own principles, tribeless they must remain. I, as a High Council member of the Five Tribes, have sworn to uphold the rules and teachings of Iam. I must guide my tribe under their sacred element, and to protect each of the other four tribes and guard their elements as if they were my own. I can not in good conscience vote to change so deep a law.

"My vote, in closing, must be to welcome the tribeless, to teach them our ways, trade with them, send our misfits to join them, but to keep them separate, as they must be. Those who choose tribeless do so because they do not follow our ways. Asking them to join us as a tribe would be against what we believe and what they believe. And I urge you, fellow council members, to do the same."

He bowed and left the stage and the Divinaris went to the podium.

"Based on all that has been spoken here today and proposed by the Duor yesterday, these are the votes put before us all.

"Do we accept trade with the tribeless?" he said.

All the Divinaris and High Council members raised their hands. Zyander was surprised, as he had expected at least the Terris and Aquis to vote otherwise.

The Divinaris moved on to the next question.

"Will there be conditions for trade, to be outlined by the High Council at a later time?"

Again, all the Divinaris and High Council members voted in favor.

"Do we agree that they must remain separated, tribeless, for an extended period of time, without a vote on the council, without Duor, without High Council Members?"

This time, all the Divinaris raised their hands, but only Adjudah and Koen joined them. Zyander felt shaken. He hadn't figured that so many of the High Council members wanted to give the tribeless the rights and privileges of the tribes. He knew that the Divinaris would never vote in favor of changing the doctrine of the Five Tribes, they were acolytes of Iam, but that the others were so willing to embrace them, even the Aquis, who had seemed more reticent in their arguments, was frightening. He wondered if they would seek some other option, as he had postulated yesterday, such as replacing one of the lesser, poorer tribes with another.

### Chapter 6:

### Luka

It was two days since the vote to let the tribeless have free trade with the Five Tribes and Luka was pacing inside the inn, trying to keep his mind on anything except what the day would bring. Keran had been jubilant at the results, saying that all he wanted from the Five Tribes was the ability to sell his wares, and an easier way to welcome the runaways into his group.

Luka remembered Zyander's face when they met him afterward, and didn't think everyone was so pleased with the news. Zyander continued to be paranoid that along with the other bad luck that had haunted his tribe, now the other tribes were going to toss his tribe out altogether and replace it with a new one. Judging by the way the voting went, Luka doubted the viability of this theory.

The day after the second council meeting the Initiates had attended, they were sent to another learning session, where a Divinaris named Philean gave them a summary of what would happen the day of Initiation.

"You will all line up as you did on the day you became Initiates, at the front of the stage. We will be moving behind you, as we did before, and you will see your robes change color. This will tell you what tribe you will be joining."

They all knew this, having heard it from everyone else all week long. The Initiates whispered amongst themselves, each commenting on a preferred tribe.

"I don't care as long as I'm not Aquis," said one. "Who wants to live by the ocean?"

"I want to be Aeris, I'd love to build those tall elegant buildings," said another.

"Ahem," said Philean, clearing his throat for silence. "After your robe has changed colors, you must wait for all the others to be Initiated. Then the appointed Duor for your new tribe will come along and collect you. You will follow them to a designated meeting place where they will give you further direction on gathering your belongings and saying goodbye to your families—if they are here with you."

Again there were whispers, as the Initiates remembered they would be leaving everyone they knew and loved behind them. This wasn't a week of vacation, but the beginning of a whole new life. An unknown world was awaiting them.

"Each tribe has its own ways. They may be different than what you are used to, but I encourage you to embrace them, as it will make your transition into being a new tribe member easier. Iam chooses each tribe for each person, remember. The tribe you end up in is the one you are meant to be in."

Luka looked at May, who smiled and grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. He allowed himself, for a moment, to bask in the warmth of her gaze and imagined what it would be like for them to end up in the same tribe. Hope bloomed in him. Surely Iam wouldn't be so unkind as to separate them.

"Before we adjourn for the day, I must go over a few events which though unlikely, may occur, and therefore must be spoken of."

"Oh, he's going to talk about the Compis now," said a boy in front of him.

"If you find that your robes do not change, but stay silver, fear not. This means only that you will be Divinaris. Divinaris are trained here in the Citadel before they make their way out to the tribes to teach us in the ways of Iam. If you are Divinaris, wait at your spot until a Divinaris comes for you. Being chosen as Divinaris is the greatest honor an Initiate can hope for, but one is chosen every 10 years or so."

There was some uproar over this statement and Philean raised his hands, encouraging them all to quiet down.

"Yes, yes, I know what you're thinking. Is not the Compis the greatest honor an Initiate can hope for? To that I answer, no indeed, for two reasons. The first is that the Compis is not an honor for the Initiate, but for the tribes, more specifically the tribe chosen by the Compis. The second is that the Compis is so rare as to be an almost impossible circumstance, and therefore, worth mentioning only because it has happened before and therefore might happen again. Can anyone tell me why the Compis is so special?"

Several Initiates raised their hands and the one who was called on said, "The Compis isn't chosen for any tribe."

"Well, that's not the whole story. The Compis is one of the most powerful beings created by Iam. They are gifted with powers far above most of us, and with that comes a unique responsibility. We have no need to discuss it further, unless one of you has robes that turn purple, that is. In which case you will be ushered away by the Divinaris to meet with the High Council Members. Who knows when the last Compis was chosen?"

"Over 300 years ago," said a girl.

"Yes, he ended up in the Sanguis tribe and is now mate to Mordra, High Council member. It is interesting to note that all the Compis but one have been men. The first Compis chosen was a woman, and she was responsible for uniting the tribes. Since that time, many thousands of years ago, every Compis has been male, but we're not sure why that is."

~~~~~

Luka's attention came back to the present as he heard footsteps on the stairs. He turned and saw Nikka and her father come down, followed by May, whose eyes were red and bloodshot. He wondered if she'd slept at all last night. He hadn't. Pasting a smile on his face, he stepped over to her, holding out his hand.

"Do you want some breakfast?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I couldn't eat a thing."

"Let's go for a walk, then," he suggested and she nodded.

"We'll meet you there," he told Nikka and they slipped out the door, hand in hand.

He took her to the spot in the woods where they had run off days before, and sighing, he pulled her against his chest, wrapping his arms around her.

She leaned her head into his neck and cried, "I'm so afraid, Luka. What if we don't end up together?"

"We'll figure out a way to be together, May. We can always join the tribeless, you know. Or maybe one of us will be Compis. Then I could choose whatever tribe you end up in. Don't fret about it, our love is strong enough. We'll find a way."

He leaned down and kissed her with all the feeling in his heart, pouring out the endless passion he felt into her soft lips. He was desperate to touch her, to feel her, to kiss her. They clung to each other, his hands tangling in her hair, her arms around his neck, pulling him even closer. His lips moved down her neck, breathing in the scent of her skin, then he moved back, kissing her cheeks and eyes and tenderly brushed his lips against her own, quick and light.

"Oh, Luka," she whispered as his hands slid down her back and hugged her waist. He heard the chiming of the clocks and realized they needed to move or they'd be late.

"Hurry," he said and grabbed her hand as he raced down the hill with her.

The square was crowded as they moved through it, and her hand slipped from his, but he pressed on, seeing her fair hair shining beside him. They were parted in the mass of Initiates, as were most of the groupings. When the Divinaris called everyone into a line, the Initiates were divided from their fellow tribesman. It was almost symbolic, as though the Divinaris wanted to remind them before Initiation even started, that they would be forever separated from their comrades of old.

The room got quiet and he saw that their line was moving. Somehow May had gotten far ahead of him in line, with Nikka behind him by three or four Initiates. He followed them as they pushed through the great archway and into the blinding light of early morning. The air smelled fresh and there was a slight breeze, waffling the robes of the Initiates as they stood on the stage. He looked down the long line until he spotted May again, fists clenched at her sides. He felt bad for her and wished he could stand next to her and hold her hand through this, but there was no help for it.

The Divinaris started their chant. The Initiation spell they were working made the air around them seem to crackle with power and Luka felt the hair on his neck prickle.

" _Iam of power, Iam of might, give us this your special sight. Iam of glory, Iam the maker, look upon us now with favor. Choose your children, choose their homes. Choose the tribe to which they go."_

After which they held their arms above their heads and said simply, " _Guide us into the light of Iam._ "

Then they moved toward where May was standing, and starting with the first Initiate, made their way down the line, each robe changing in a swirl of color. Every time a new tribesman was chosen, a cheer rose up from the corresponding tribe in the crowd, some of the people waving colored flags of their tribe.

His heart pounded and his gut roiled as he saw them move closer and closer down the line to May. She glanced down and saw him staring at her, and she smiled, trying to be brave. The Divinaris stepped behind her and raised their arms over her. He saw a whirl of light and white washed over her robes. She had been chosen for her own tribe. Squealing, she wrapped her arms around herself and glanced again at him, happy. He didn't smile back, for he knew the chances of being white, as she was, were small. He couldn't bring himself to look into her eyes, and so he looked to his other side, where he saw Nikka standing.

She too had seen May's robe turn white and she looked at him with sympathy. He felt her pity and felt for one moment so desperately unhappy, that he almost jumped off the stage. Then he told himself to hope and he waited for the Divinaris to make their way down to him.

Their progress was slow and deliberate and he was almost ready to scream with frustration when he felt them move behind him. He felt a rush of heat, and a tingling all over his body that made him gasp, then he looked down and saw his robes turn a brilliant green.

That was when the screaming started.

### Nikka

Nikka woke to the sound of May vomiting in their bathroom. She waited until the sounds of heaving stopped and slipped from her bed. She poked her head in the bathroom and saw May, sitting on the floor, nightgown pooled over her legs, pale and sweaty.

"You look awful," said Nikka. "Did you sleep at all last night?"

May shook her head. "I can't do this, Nikka. I can't live without Luka."

"No one says you have to, May. There are plenty of options, you know. You act as though it will be the end of the world if you're chosen for different tribes."

"I can't just run off, no matter what you think."

"It's not the same as it used to be, May. The vote at the council meeting proved that. The tribeless aren't outcasts. You'll even be able to see your family again. That's more than a lot of Initiates can say."

May rose from the floor, and without saying another word pushed through the door into their room. Nikka was hurt.

_She shouldn't be mad at me,_ she thought, _I didn't fall in love with a boy from my own tribe_ before _I was Initiated._ She used the bathroom and then combed her hair, arranging it in a side part and pushed it behind her left ear. Fastening her bracelet on her wrist, she stared at the sparkling silver birds. Nikka then pulled on the white dress she'd chosen for the day, knowing that the color might soon be out of mode on her. Still it was a favorite and she remembered the day she'd worn it for the first time.

~~~~~

"Nikka, you're so grown up. Soon you'll be leaving for Initiation," said her mother, standing behind her to adjust the collar.

She stood, staring at herself in the mirror, trying to imagine the day when she wouldn't be living with her parents anymore. She could be anywhere: near the great forests of _Napalin_ , as far away as the _Sea_ _of_ _Dreegs—_ it was exciting to think about and yet she didn't want to dwell on it too much, as it would mean leaving her family.

Her sister was sitting on the floor looking up at her.

"You look so pretty, Nikka! Like a grand lady," she said.

Teah was only eleven, and she longed for the day when she'd be old enough to wear long dresses.

"What tribe do you think you'll be chosen for?" asked Teah.

~~~~~

The words echoed in Nikka's mind as she dressed and met her father in the hall. Luka was waiting at the bottom of the stairs and she gave him an encouraging smile before sitting down to breakfast.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?" her father asked.

"I can't," Nikka said, "I'll eat later."

Her father smiled. "It was some time ago, but if I recall correctly, I wasn't able to eat on the morning of my Initiation either."

They sat in silence, sipping tea until they heard the chimes of the clock on the Citadel tower. They sprang up.

"I didn't realize it was so late!" she said.

He pulled her close for a hug. "Good luck! I'll be out in the audience watching."

She found her place in line, and spotted both May and Luka in front of her. It seemed they'd all been separated here in the chaos of Initiation.

Everything happened the way the Divinaris Philean had said it would. She followed the line up the steps, through the archway, and out onto the stage. The square was a surging mass of people, all wearing tribal colors, and waving tribal flags. She saw her father, waved, and then, her heart jumping, she saw Zyander.

He looked up at her and she felt lost in the emotions she saw in his eyes. When he'd said goodbye to her yesterday, she knew that her week of dalliance was over. Looking down at him now, she wished they'd had a little longer, but this was the way Initiation had always been and there was no changing it now.

The Divinaris started their chanting and she moved her attention to May, who was the first from their group in line for choosing. When her robe washed with a bright pearl color, Nikka knew that there was no hope for her and Luka. Aeris were almost never chosen for their own tribe. May didn't seem to realize it though, as she practically seemed to hop with glee.

The Divinaris kept walking down the line changing each robe they passed, until they reached Luka. Nikka held her breath, wishing with all her might that her friends would be the luckiest couple in the whole of the Five Tribes, but to her dismay, she saw emerald green wash over Luka's robes.

May was watching Luka with wide eyes and when she saw the color of his robes, she started screaming, interrupting the entire ceremony.

"No!" she cried, "No, Luka! No! Nooooo!"

She collapsed to the ground, sobbing and screaming, pulling at her robe in her agony. Luka stood, humiliated and silent, while the Divinaris stood around as though wondering what to do.

Nikka ran down the line to where her cousin was and scooped her under the arms. She dragged May to her feet and led her back down through the opening into the room where they'd met at the start of the ceremony.

She heard a few of the Divinaris follow her in and then in the background the chanting continued and the ceremony commenced. Sitting with May on a stone bench along the wall, she put her arms around her and let her cry out her anguish. After a few minutes of this, May calmed a bit, and lifting her head, looked at Nikka.

"What am I going to do, Nikka? What should I do?"

Nikka had no answer and sat, tongue still.

"Let us deal with this, young one," said one of the Divinaris. "If you wait much longer, you will miss your own Initiation."

Remembering where she was and what was going on outside, Nikka sprang to her feet and raced up the stairs, calling attention to herself with her lack of decorum.

She couldn't take her former place, as it had already been passed by the Divinaris. Instead, Nikka made her way to the end of the line. Now she would be the last one chosen.

Nikka was closer to Zyander now, if she knelt down on the stone she would be able to touch her fingertips to his. She glanced over and saw her father making his way closer, as well. She did her best to maintain her composure but everything was moving so fast. Luka was staring at his feet. May was Iam only knew how close to suicide in the meeting room behind them and the Divinaris were almost upon her.

When it came her time, Nikka felt the gentle touch of hands on her shoulders and a palm on the top of her head. She heard the gentle chanting of the Initiation spell and felt the rush of warmth as she was chosen for her tribe. She closed her eyes for a moment before looking, but they popped open again as she heard exclamations from those around her. She saw people in the audience pointing and talking and Zyander was staring at her, mouth agape.

She looked down and saw that her robes were purple. After more than three hundred years, she had been chosen as Compis.

### Zyander

He was cramped and huddled around a wagon table with Luka and Keran.

"At least you can be happy the vote went your way today," Zyander said.

"We are pleased, to be sure," said Keran, raising his glass. "To the High Council, forever may they reign."

The others raised their glasses as well, sipping in silence.

"I have to admit, I am surprised by your father's arguments, Zyan," said Keran.

"Yes, I was too. I thought for sure he would want to bring you in to the Five Tribes."

"No, I was surprised that he made such an obvious move. It doesn't seem his style to state his opinions so decisively."

"You knew that he wouldn't want you in the Five Tribes, then?" asked Luka

"Imagine it from his position, Luka," said Keran. "His tribe is already vulnerable. Why would he want to weaken their position even further by welcoming an interloper?"

"Now, now, that's a rather cynical view," protested Zyander. "What makes you think my father doesn't truly believe in the principle of the Five Sacred Elements?"

"Think about all your father has ever said to you about them, Zyander. After your mother died, did he have anything in particular to say about Iam?"

Zyander was surprised that Keran knew about his mother. He supposed it was common knowledge, but it showed that Keran had been looking to gain further information on his family. Then he thought about what Adjudah was like after his mother died. He was just a boy, but he did remember the Divinaris who had attended their mother in her final days.

~~~~~

"Adjudah, you must believe," the woman said, grasping his arm, "This anger I feel inside you brings no benefit to you or your children."

"Don't tell me how to grieve," said his father, pushing her away before stomping from the room.

His mother was sleeping, lying pale and cold on their bed, and Zyander was standing near her, stroking her silky black hair that fanned like a shawl across the bed.

The Divinaris looked down at him.

"It is true that each person grieves in their own way, Zyander. Sometimes we are despairing, sometimes we weep uncontrollably, sometimes we feel anger at the person who's left us. Your father does not feel typical grief; his heart is full of rage. He wants to make Iam pay for sending this curse on your people.

"He chooses not to believe that Iam's purpose is something we can not always interpret or understand."

~~~~~

Zyander would have to agree with his father, if what the Divinaris had said then was true. Why would Iam curse his tribe? It didn't make sense. If his tribe represented one of the Five Sacred Elements, the protectors of flame, why would Iam weaken his own principle? Why did their magic not work?

"I think there is a lot to be gained by working with your tribe," said Zyander, coming out of his private world.

Keran and Luka exchanged glances. "Really, Zyan, do you believe that?" asked Luka. He had been there when Zyander was stating his beliefs about how someone was out to destroy his tribe.

"I do. I've been wanting to ask you something, Keran," he said, taking a large gulp of his wine. It was quite good, fruity and smooth, yet had a nice warmth to it as it trickled down his throat. "How is it, your members practice magic so well? You said most of them were hardly past Initiation when they came to you."

Keran leaned forward. "You know, I had hoped your father would ask me that question when I came to visit your tent the other day."

Luka pushed his cup aside. "I don't understand," he said.

"You won't, until you're Inducted. I mean, you'll learn some common magic spells and theory this year, but nothing similar to the deep core of magic each tribe has at its base. You see, and I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but, each tribe's magic centers around the element that it both represents and protects.

"Take Zyander here, his tribe the Ignis, represents the sacred _Flame_ element. The flame is where their magic comes from and it powers the great artistic abilities that his tribe is known for: sculpture, music, painting, dance, literature. If it weren't for the Ignis, the Five Tribes would be a very dull place indeed and you needn't worry that the other tribes have lost sight of that, Zyander."

Keran poured himself another glass and offered some more to Zyander as well, who agreed with a nod.

"In the case of the tribeless, we have no sacred element at our base. We have many individuals who are adept at tapping into one element or the other, but none of us is a true representative of the Five Sacred Elements.

"Yet you saw for yourselves that we made sculpture and design like the Ignis. We used Aeris power to build our clever wagons. We drew on Terris magics to guide our way here. How is this possible? We have no knowledge of tribal spells, and even if we did, we couldn't use them, as the Induction ceremony is the only one I know that lets a person use the spells of a tribe.

"It is simple, and for you Zyander, I think it will be the key to saving your tribe. I hinted at it during the meeting, you recall. You must cast aside the spells of your tribe. For whatever reason they don't work any more. Move away from them, and look to the power inside you. It's there, waiting to get out, I feel it.

"That's why the tribeless have elected me their leader, you know. I'm not the oldest, the wisest, or the smartest in our group. I just have this ability to see magic in a person and guide them to the best path toward harnessing it.

"All of you, the Ignis, are chock full of power. It blazes from every crack and crevice. You especially, Zyander, are one of the most powerful in your tribe. You just need to find a way to tap into it. Leave behind the old ways and find new ways to make your magic work."

~~~~~

Zyander considered this on his way back to his sleeping tent. He ducked under the flap and slipped off his shoes, ready to drop into bed, but he saw a form was in it already. He thought it was Alea for a second, then he saw the flash of gold and realized that Nikka was in his bed. She'd probably been waiting for him all this time, and he'd gone off to have a chat with Keran and Luka. He cursed himself, and knelt by the bed, brushing her curls back from her face before he pressed a kiss to her lips.

She stirred, opening her eyes and saw him next to her.

"Oh, Zyan," she yawned. "I was waiting for you and I fell asleep." She scooted over in the cot and held out her arms to him. "Hold me, please. Just for a while. I don't want to think about tomorrow."

He laid down next to her and put his arms around her, trying, as she was, not to think about the morning.

~~~~~

The next day felt like an echo of that first day, pushing his way through the crowd to get a better view of the Initiates. This time he wasn't looking for his sister and he finally admitted to himself that he was hoping beyond all reasonable hope that for the first time in many years, someone other than an Ignis born would be Initiated into his tribe.

The Initiates filed out in their great line, stretching across the stage. He saw Luka's girl, May toward the start, then Luka. Shortly after that, towards the middle of the stage, was Nikka, hair shining like a beacon in the early morning light. His eyes were on her through the whole ceremony, watching and dreaming, until he was startled out of his trance by the screams onstage.

He looked over and saw May crying and pointing at Luka, who had just been Initiated into the Terris tribe, poor fellow. Luka looked miserable, but May was inconsolable. He realized how bad it could have been between him and Nikka, if they'd allowed themselves to get too close over the course of the week.

He was startled as he saw Nikka leave her place in the line, just as the Divinaris were getting close to her. She rushed down to May and hoisted her up, then the two girls disappeared in a crowd of Divinaris through the high arch that led back to the meeting room behind the stage. Luka was staring down at his robes, and a Divinaris stepped up to him, whispering something in his ear. Luka nodded and the Divinaris moved away, speaking to the others who were left on the stage. In unison, they moved to the next person in line and began their chant again.

When it came time for Alea, no one was surprised when her robes turned gold and he let out a huge yell, bringing a smile to her face. He felt anxious now, they were nearing the end of the line and Nikka was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly he saw a movement and she raced out from the archway to find a place at the end of the line. He swallowed and their glances met, she seemed sad.

The Divinaris moved behind her and he felt the pulse of power and saw the whirl of light as her robes changed color, but not to any tribal color. Nikka had her eyes closed, and she had no idea that her robes were a deep purple.

_Compis_ , he thought, feeling as though he were trying to move through deep waters by walking, rather than swimming.

In a moment Nikka had become one of the most powerful beings in the Five Tribes. She would be a highly sought after commodity, all the tribes clamoring have her join them. And she would be one of the few in history to choose her own tribe.

_She could choose you_ , his heart told him, before his brain had a chance to squelch it with the reality of cold hard facts. He glanced up and she had finally opened her eyes, staring with surprise at the color of her robes. She looked at him and he looked back, but he couldn't deny the distance he saw in her eyes. She would never choose his tribe, he had told her himself not to. With a stifled groan, he turned and pushed his way through the square.

### Nikka

When she glanced up at Zyander, all thoughts of what she was flew from her mind as she gazed down on him, wondering if she could possibly be dreaming. His appearance was completely different. _That is a bit of an exaggeration,_ she told herself. He was still himself, in essence. Nikka looked down and knew that if she had met him in a crowd, she would have known him at once, but his features were changed. His eyes, were a light, shining violet. His mouth was wider and more feral. It was the ears she saw the most change in, they were long and tapered, and came to a point about an inch higher than most. There was one other thing, a glow about him, that she hadn't seen before, it was gold and centered in his chest, radiating outward. It was a palm print.

"How strange," Nikka said, and wondered what other changes Initiation had wrought in her. She looked around at the staring crowd in astonishment. It seemed as though everyone was frozen, unable to say a word due to the shock of her transformation.

Everyone was changed. There were beasts and winged creatures, and a few more that were Ignis. She looked for her father and saw that he was one of the ones with wings, a halo of white light surrounding his head. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned, gasping. The Divinaris were marked with tattoos, intricate and wandering, swirling over their faces around their eyes and lips. Each marking shone with power, she didn't know how she knew this, but she felt it flowing from them.

"Nikka, come quickly, we haven't much time," said Adra, who was near her. She took the woman by the hand and followed her off the stage and into a room that she had never seen before. The Initiates parted around her; they whispered and touched her as she passed them.

Adra closed the door behind her and spoke a spell over it before leading Nikka to a chair placed by a table in the center of the room. The room was richly appointed, with tall shelves, soft carpet, and sweeping draperies, yet it was dim, and secretive. Nikka felt sheltered.

"They will be here at any moment, the High Council members. It is my job to instruct you before they come. It is most important, what I have to say, so take heed."

Nikka nodded and fixed her attention on the woman.

"You will be passed from tribe to tribe for the next year, each of the tribes in its season: first Aquis, then Aeris, Terris, Ignis and finally Sanguis. You will dwell with a High Council member during each of these periods.

"Each of them will tell you great things about their tribe. They will show you their treasures, they will treat you like a priceless pearl. They know if you choose their tribe it will mean prosperity for them and their people.

"It will be your job, Nikka, to be on your guard. See what they show you, but listen and learn. Find the hidden meanings in every word. See what they hide and what they evade. Use more than your mind and your heart—use your great magic to light your way. Iam will guide you to make the right choice. We are depending you, Nikka. Events in the Five Tribes are moving toward chaos; things aren't what they seem to be. You are the hope we have been praying to Iam for. Don't let us down."

She stood, suddenly, standing in a more impersonal way, wiping all emotion from her face.

Nikka looked to the door and sure enough, all five of the High Council members came into the chamber. With a wave of her hand, Mordra set the room ablaze with light, and the sheltered feeling Nikka had been enjoying left her.

She shrank back in her chair, once again surprised by how their appearances had changed. Mordra sank down to her level.

"Nikka, are you feeling well?" she said, concern wrinkling her brow.

_If only she can see what she looks like,_ thought Nikka.

Adjudah laughed and the others looked at him.

"You all forget how it feels to have the blinding spells removed. We must look a fright. Especially you, Koen."

It was true, council member Koen did seem the most changed. For one thing, he was as close to looking like a forest cat as he could without padding about on all fours. His ears perched atop his head and were covered in soft gray fur which also went over his head and trailed down to encircle his face in a furry ruff. His face was human and much the same as his former semblance, but his hands were covered in the same soft fur, though shaped as a normal human's and she swore she saw a tail lashing behind him.

Mordra had the same hair, but her eyes were red like flames. _Or blood_ , Nikka thought. Her skin was as pale as death, and her canines came down in sharp points next to the rest of her teeth. Adjudah was much like his son, having the same violet eyes and long pointing ears. Jilli, from the Aquis, had hair that curled like strands of seaweed, light green and wrapped with bits of shell and stone. Her fingers, where she moved her hands about, were delicately webbed and her eyes were slanted. Lastly was Salia, from her own former tribe, who had wings, more beautiful than any butterfly, white and pink and gray, trailing in many patterns behind her and then there was the inevitable white halo encircling her.

"My own father had wings and I never knew it," said Nikka, staring at them.

Adjudah laughed again.

"Young Nikka, you continue to surprise me. I don't think any of us expected to see two Compis, alive at the same time. Who knows, maybe there will be one every few years until each tribe has their own."

"You must wonder what will happen next," said Mordra.

Nikka almost said she knew already, but thought that Adra might not want them to know she'd talked to Nikka.

"I know only what they told us in class, and it was little enough. No one considered Compis a worthwhile topic, considering how rare they are."

"I can tell you some, being mated to a Compis," said Mordra. "Your powers are what most will envy, child. You can see the lines of power as they radiate from each of the Five Sacred Elements and you can harvest them all, using them as though you were Inducted into each of the tribes.

"And this is why you must pick a tribe. It would harm us all for you to use whatever power you choose to. We ask that at the time of Induction you join a tribe and choose an element to harness, so that you may benefit that tribe and keep yourself from abusing the great gift you have been given.

"My mate chose the Sanguis, because in his heart he wished to be a healer. You will spend the next year with all the tribes, each tribe in its season. During that time, you will stay with one of us, so that we may protect you and instruct you. This is also to keep you from being swayed by your tribe of birth. When you go to the Aeris, you will not see your family and you will stay with Salia, a good and gracious woman."

Mordra rested a hand on Nikka's shoulder.

"Do you understand, my dear?" she asked.

Nikka looked at each of the faces around her, flushing when she met Adjudah's kind gaze.

_It will be hard not to be influenced by my attraction for Zyander_ , she thought. Though the sight of him turning away from her and pushing through the crowd without a backward glance would remain in her memory for a long time. He was so predictable in his inability to accept that they might have a future beyond the gathering.

"I am a Compis. I have powers beyond what most have. I can see lines of power flowing from the Five Sacred Elements and I can harness any one of them that I choose. At the end of the year I will choose a single tribe to benefit from my skill, so that I am not tempted to abuse my powers," she recited.

"Good, good," Koen nodded. He turned to Jilli, who stepped forward.

"Well, Nikka, let's go gather your things and say goodbye to your family, if that's agreeable to you," she said.

Nikka stood and walked out of the room, leaving Adra and the others behind her. She felt more alone than she had in her entire life.

### Part Two: Aquis

The Ocean Rushes.

The River Flows.

The Pond Ripples.

The Fog Hovers.

The Rain Falls.

The Marshes Bubble.

The Ice Crackles.

The Snow Covers.

- _A Song of the Aquis Tribe_

### Chapter 7:

### Luka

Luka was still standing, lost in his own humiliation, when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He'd glanced over and seen Nikka and her purple robes, but he was so caught up in his own misery that he only had time to curse his bad luck before he was lost in his own thoughts again. Until the tap on his shoulder, that is.

He yelped when he turned and saw Duor Hama standing behind him.

"Ah, yes, the tusks always alarm the Initiates," he said, fondling one of the five inch tusks protruding from the sides of his mouth.

Luka could not help comparing him to a warthog. His hair stood up in bristles all over his head and fanned his face with dark hair and his feet, which somehow Luka had not noticed up until now, were hooves.

"I-" the words refused to come out of his mouth.

"Yes, you see, Initiate, as I've told about twenty before you, your eyes were masked by a powerful illusion since the day you were born. This was intended to keep you from seeing any of your tribe's secrets. Now that you have been Initiated into the Terris, we'll be able to share all our secrets with you and the Aeris will be safe from any of your idle curiosity. Although I expect that is the last thing on your mind on the moment, eh?"

He gave Luka what he must have meant for a comforting pat on the back, but ended up a gentle pounding.

"Bit of a fuss there, wasn't it?" he said, in a not at all helpful way.

Luka nodded, but said nothing. He despised this man, and now he was supposed to follow him, and listen to everything he said. Not to mention the fact that he might be a warthog himself one day.

"Go to your residence and collect your things, then meet us over at the Terris display tent. We'll leave from there. You have until the midday bell chimes, and then we depart."

He turned and Luka felt as though his brain had awoken from a deep sleep.

_I need to catch May before she leaves,_ he thought. He knew that her father was staying for Induction, which happened at sunset, so chances were, she would be at the inn for a few hours longer.

He jumped off the stage, eliciting startled cries from the multifaceted crowd around him. His subconscious noted the changes in the people around him, webbed hands, pointed ears and teeth, bright eyes, and various strange appendages, but his mind was focused on pushing his way through the crowd. Running like his feet were on fire, he made it through the square, down the road, and past the market to the inn, where he blasted through the door. It hit the wall behind him and he heard someone yell at him, but he paid no attention as he raced up the steps, two at a time.

Hesitating outside May's door, he waited, gathering up some of the courage that brought him here. He heard a muffled cry from the room, and gripped the knob, turning it to open the door. May was standing near her bed crying, with her father next to her, arm around her. They looked up when he opened the door and May's father moved away from her. For a moment it seemed he was going to usher Luka from the room, but then, without a word, he left, closing the door behind him.

May looked red and puffy from her tears, and there was a soggy handkerchief clasped in her hand as though it would somehow save her grief.

_She is beautiful_ , he thought, heart aflame with all the love he felt for her.

"May," he said, moving close to her. "It doesn't have to be this way. We don't have to be separated."

She was shaking her head through his sentence, a stubborn moue forming on her face.

"Luka, that's just silly. I'm not going to run gallivanting around the countryside with a bunch of tribeless wanderers, who for all we know live in tents somewhere in the desert! You're so eager to join up with them, but you don't even _know_ them. You don't know what they eat, where they live, what they believe in."

"I'm willing to join up with them, because I want to be with _you_ , May. I don't care a bit about the tribeless, except that they're a way for us to be together and be safe. If we leave with them today, we won't have to worry about trying to find them months from now."

She started crying again and pulled away from him.

"May, please," he whispered, stroking her hair away from her face.

"No," she said, looking up. "I hate the way things have ended. I hate that we can't be together, but I'm not going to leave my family behind and go off with a bunch of people I don't trust."

"I bet you would have been singing a different tune if it were _you_ that got chosen for Terris and I for Aeris," he said, moving away from her.

"That's not true. I would have tried to accept what I'm trying to now—we were never meant to be together, and it was silly to expect the events to turn out any other way." Her eyes held finality, and knowing her as he did, he knew it would be a useless endeavor to argue with her right now. She'd always needed time to let new ideas seep in.

"You'll change your mind, May. When you do, I'll be here. I'm not going anywhere without you," he pulled her into his arms and kissed her with all the emotion in his heart, hoping it would convey to her the seriousness of his intentions. Then he pulled back.

She looked at him, watery eyes filling again.

"Oh, Luka, it's just not fair! It's not, it's not..." her voice trailed off and she laid her head on his shoulder.

He held her, reaching up a hand to rub her back, hoping to calm her.

"I mean it, May. I'll be here at the close of every season, hoping to see you, and hoping that you'll change your mind. The minute you do, we'll be off," he said. Kissing her cheek, he released her, walked through the door and down the hall to his own room.

He had a lot of thinking and packing to do before the midday bells.

### Zyander

Zyander had just put the final fold in his tent, before he packed it away in his satchel and put it across his horse's back, when he heard his father clear his throat behind him.

"Don't say it," he called. He was in no mood for another of his father's speeches. In his mind he was replaying the moment Nikka changed before his eyes from _untouchable_ to _impossible in this lifetime_. He felt the pain in his gut as he realized he had never before been closer to something he wanted and yet so far away it seemed he would never attain it.

"Zyan," his father began, ignoring his curt order.

Zyander whirled and strode over to where his father was standing. Adjudah's face was awash with compassion and pity and in that moment, Zyander hated him.

"We said our goodbyes yesterday, there is nothing more to be said. I didn't talk to her once today. Leave it be, father."

Adjudah grabbed his arm.

"I can't _let it be_ , Zyander. I am a member of the High Council. The girl will be living with us for the whole of _Astra Cida_. You need to keep your distance from her.

"If it comes out that there is even a _hint_ of bias in our favor, we will be shamed before the whole of the Five Tribes."

Zyander huffed and threw off his father's arm. He went over to retrieve his tent, stuffed it in his satchel, and grabbed the other bag with the belongings he'd brought to the gathering and threw them over his horse, who stamped and shied away.

"Sorry, Twitchfoot, I didn't mean to take my ire out on you, old friend _,_ " he said, speaking in the Ignis way to his beast.

The horse seemed to nod its head and calm down—though he wasn't sure, since Twitchfoot had never answered back.

He turned to his father. "What do you propose I do, Father? Do you want me to move to other quarters? Perhaps I can go live in Abira, the forgotten city? Better yet, I'm sure one of your good friends, the elders, would be happy to shelter me. I would hate for our tribe to suffer on account of my paltry feelings for the tribes' newest Compis.

"Maybe I should renounce my tribe and join with the tribeless. Now, that's not a bad idea," he said, considering it for a moment. If only he didn't have the spell his mother placed on him weighing on his heart. He and his sister were needed by the tribe. Iam only knew what he was supposed to do about it, but he wouldn't abandon them.

His father looked shocked. "Zyan, please, you must understand our position. Our tribe's magic is near dead. Our numbers have dwindled so far as to make our name as tribe a laughingstock and our funds are near depleted and the handful of elders that are left have all the lore of our tribe between them. If there is one more thing stacked against us, it will break us."

"What if it's not meant to break us? What if it saves us? Who cares what the other tribes think? They're going to be doing their best to try and win her over. Why shouldn't we?"

"She's seventeen, Zyander. I hardly think she's old enough to make a decision like this, much less with her girlish feelings getting in the way," said his father.

"I'm tired of hearing the same old arguments. I know the troubles of our tribe better than most. So does Nikka, for that matter. Believe me, father, I did my best to warn her away. If there is anything in _me_ that appeals to her more than the bitter future that awaits all of us, I can't help that. Her feelings are her own."

"All I want from you is to keep yourself scarce. Keep her at an arm's length. You'd be better off doing that anyway, in case she chooses a different tribe. Remember what happened with Samain."

"I'll keep myself scarce, alright. Be surprised if you see me at all," Zyander said and leaped upon his horse. Twitchfoot was eager to be away from the tense conversation, as evidenced by the jolt he gave Zyander when he bolted down the slope of ground where the Ignis had been camped and galloped through the market like it was an empty field and not a bustling marketplace.

### Nikka

Nikka led Jilli, as she insisted on being called in the most affable and friendly sort of way, back to the inn, dreading the scene she knew she was going to arrive upon. Before her own dramatic entrance into adulthood via purple robes, she had witnessed a heartbreaking scene of sadness in the form of her cousin May and her friend Luka being separated forever.

_I can't imagine what that must feel like,_ she thought, pushing Zyan from her mind with a tenacity that was one of her stronger traits. He'd made his feelings clear when he'd bolted away from her after watching her robes turn purple. Obviously he'd expected that she'd have a fine little romance with him this week, and then become a member of one of the four other tribes. She was bitter; it seemed he'd been toying with her.

Nikka left Jilli at a table sipping wine while she trudged upstairs to the room that she shared with May. She was just reaching for the doorknob, when Luka walked out of his own room down the hall and came towards her.

"Oh, Luka, I'm so sorry!" she said, throwing her arms around him to give him a tight hug.

He dropped the bags he'd been carrying and hugged her back, then pushed her away with a smile that looked almost as carefree as it had a mere seven days ago.

"I asked her to run away with me, but she's not ready yet. You know how she is. She'll change her mind," he said.

Nikka didn't want to tell him how little May's choice had surprised her. May was not the adventurous type and Nikka doubted there would be any amount of time that would change her mind. Instead, she nodded.

"I'm sure she will, I'll put in a good word for you."

"Thanks, Nikka. I'll see you at the next gathering, I suppose. Although I don't know if you'll be in any of our classes. I don't know what they do for the Compis."

"No one has told me yet either," she said. "But I'm sure I'll see you."

They hugged again and Luka's heavy tread made its way down the stairs. Nikka turned back to the door and went in, shoulders back, ready for whatever might await her inside.

She found her cousin, already packed and sitting in a chair by her bed, staring at her hands. May glanced up and smiled—she looked tired.

"I was just waiting for you, to say goodbye," she said, rising.

"May," Nikka started, but May cut her off.

"It's no use, Nikka. I wasn't meant to be a rebel. I'll be with my family; I'll get by somehow."

They hugged and May gathered her things and left Nikka to her work.

~~~~~

Nearly an hour later, Nikka had changed, freshened up and gotten all her things gathered into the bags that she'd brought with her. She dragged them down the stairs, wondering where her father had ended up, then remembered that he'd said his job would be to tell the Initiates where to meet. She sat at the table with Jilli, who had finished the last of her drink. The woman's long pale green locks seemed to move like they were alive.

"All set, then?" Jilli asked.

"I was to meet my father here to say goodbye, but he had to help with the Initiates."

"Oh yes, one of the Duor, if I remember. That's fine, I'll just have another of these delicious goblets of wine. Do you want anything, my dear?" Nikka shook her head and Jilli ordered another drink.

While they waited, Nikka found her thoughts drifting back to her Initiation. The more she thought about it, the more certain she was that Zyander hadn't been running from her, but from himself. The truth must have hit him hard when he realized that she _would_ be able to choose her tribe. She remembered his words from a few days ago.

" _Would you choose Ignis? It would be a mistake. We have nothing to offer. We're poor and almost without magic. Any other tribe would be a better choice."_

Zyander had denied that there was anything other than a simple interlude between them—fleeting. When he'd seen her up on that stage and watched her robe turn deep purple, he knew that if she wanted to, she could choose his tribe. He must have seen that he was drawn to her much more than he had been willing to admit. In the face of that overwhelming emotion, he had fled, like the coward that he was.

_He_ is _a coward, and I should tell him so,_ she thought. Just then, her father walked into the room, out of breath and rumpled.

"Sorry, I came as soon as I could, but there were many Initiates for our tribe this year and all of them were in such shock about the unveiling."

"Yes, they might have mentioned that in one of our many Initiation sessions," said Nikka.

"It's part of the process. We need to shake up your world view a bit so you're more willing to listen to all the boring prattle you're going to hear over the next year. It will get you through all the elementary spells you'll have to learn," he said, smiling.

"Your wings are quite lovely," she said to her father. They were indeed lovely, pearl colored and feathery, with a line of silver glowing through them. They stretched across the width of his shoulders and nearly brushed the ground. "What do Mother's look like?"

"Ahhh.. hers are glorious, like a pink and purple butterfly," he answered. "Nikka, how are you feeling?"

She made room for him on the bench. She glanced at Jilli, who was staring into her glass of wine.

"Excited, scared, nervous," Nikka said. "I still can't believe this is happening. This is only the second time a Compis of my gender has been chosen. I feel much pressure weighing on me—like I'm supposed to do something important, but I'm not sure what."

"Don't worry, Nikka. Your mother and I couldn't have predicted this, but you are a strong girl. You've known your mind since you were old enough to speak it, and your sister can attest that once you put your mind to something, you never sway from it."

"I just don't want to let anyone down. I don't want to make the wrong choice," she said.

"Remember to trust your judgment and don't forget to lean on Iam. You've been chosen, don't forget, so there must be a reason why the Five Tribes need you right now."

Jilli finished off her wine and stood.

"I'm sorry to cut this short, but we must been getting along," she said.

"I understand. I have my own work to do yet, as well," said her father.

He and Nikka stood and embraced.

"I love you, daughter, and I'll see you in a few months," he said.

"I love you, too, Father," she said. Then gathering her things, she followed Jilli out of the inn and into her new life.

### Chapter 8:

### Luka

As he made his way back through the market, Luka noticed several Initiates, bags full, winding through the crowds as he was. He wondered what their stories were and who they'd left behind. The market was especially raucous this morning, vendors and merchants were vocal in their desperation to unload their wares before the end of the day. He winced as he remembered the small turtledoves he'd bought for May. She'd probably thrown them away in her haste to wipe him from her life.

_Don't think like that, Luka. May will come around,_ he told himself.

"Luka!" he heard behind him. He turned and saw Ryd, standing by the road. He waved Luka over to him.

"I was hoping I'd catch you," he said, when Luka made his way past the people who were also walking the dusty path. The crowds were chaotic this morning.

"Hi, Ryd," he said, "Looking for recruits, are you?" He didn't mean to sound so cynical, but the tribeless had been open with everyone about their two reasons for coming to Gathering: selling merchandise and inviting others to join them.

Ryd blushed and looked down at his feet. "There are some people we ask, to be sure, but most come to us. We thought you would be one of them, after what happened at Initiation this morning."

Luka shrugged. "May isn't interested in leaving her family and everything she's known to join up with some band of ruffians."

"Ruffians! Is that what you really think of us, Luka? I thought we were friends!"

Sighing, Luka dropped his bags and plopped to the ground. After a moment, Ryd joined him.

"I'm sorry, Ryd," said Luka, "Today was a disappointing day for me, as you might imagine. May is so stubborn sometimes."

"So join us yourself, Luka. We will come back to the gathering during the next Initiation week. You can try to get through to her before Induction. At least then you wouldn't have to be, you know, Terris."

He was tempted, just for a moment. It would be better to be with people he liked, that he knew, than to be with the Terris, who he couldn't help disliking. How could Iam have thought he should be a part of that tribe? Just because he might be adept at that type of magic? He didn't want to be a beast man.

"Do you think I'll look like Duor Hama, with tusks and such?" he asked.

"It's my understanding, from Keran, that each person in the tribe is adept at a single animal, and spends their life transforming into it, until they are changed irrevocably. Keran doesn't talk about being a Terris often, though. In that way, he is secretive about his past."

"I can't join you, Ryd. Not yet, in any case. I have to try to convince May to join, too, and I can't do that if I'm not an Initiate. As an Initiate, we'll be in all the same classes. She'll be forced to see me, there are only a couple hundred Initiates every year. I have a better chance of winning her over the more I see her."

"What if you can't convince her? What then, Luka? Will you join the Terris, be Inducted?"

Luka hadn't thought that far ahead. He'd only thought about the next few months. Years were not something that had entered his mind.

"I honestly don't know, Ryd. I don't feel any loyalty to them right now, but who's to know how I'll feel in another couple of seasons?"

"So you reserve the right to think about it and decide later," Ryd said.

Luka stood, saying, "Yes, that will have to do as an answer for now."

"Well, it was good meeting you, Luka, and I sincerely hope we will meet again in the future. Until then, good luck to you." He bowed and clasped Luka's hand in his own, giving it a squeeze.

"Thanks, Ryd, and the same to you," said Luka, leaning over to heft his bag up over his shoulder.

The noon bell chimed by the time he made it to the Terris display tent, which was as far on the other side of the market as it could possibly be. Luka wasn't surprised and he once again questioned Iam's sense of humor in sticking him with this tribe.

Everyone turned to look at him as he walked up. He heard the midday bell ring its last chime and Duor Hama said, "Ah, Luka, you do join us then. I was beginning to wonder. Well, Initiates, come with me and I will lead you each to your assigned wagons. It is a long journey, but take heart, by the end of the season you'll be using the Praete Lines."

He walked away from them, expecting them to follow.

One of the boys turned to Luka and said, "What's a Praete Line?"

Luka shrugged. "I have no idea, but somehow I think we're going to find out."

### Nikka

"This way, Nikka, dear," said Jilli, walking with quick pace toward a place north of the Citadel that Nikka had not seen yet.

_It's easy for her to walk like that, she's not dragging a life's worth of belongings with her. The least she could do is offer to help, even in the interest of buttering me up,_ she thought.

Nikka followed her down a worn path that wove its way through the edge of the territory known as the Citadel, and passed through a gate in the outer wall. Jilli plowed ahead as though she walked several miles a day and was likely to do so tomorrow as well. Finally, when Nikka was ready to throw her bags on the ground and herself down on top of them, she stopped, standing inside a wide circle of stone, formed into a sort of platform near the river.

She turned to Nikka, smiling. "Now normally, it would be the whole journey back to Mokar that you would learn about Praete Lines. By the time we got to the end of _Polya Nimba_ , you would be ready to attempt what I'm about to tell you with a partner, and it would probably be another season again before you were able to do it yourself, if you were a quick learner.

"Without getting into too much magical theory, there are two different types of magic: tribal magic and common magic. Tribal magic comes from the Five Sacred Elements and common magic comes from the Praetra—which is the land where Iam dwells. All magic itself comes from the Praetra, but it is the places where our world touches the beyond that magic is made. The elements are direct channels to the Praetra and outside of that, there are places here in this world that intertwine with the beyond and they are called Praete Lines. We use the power in Praete Lines to perform common magic. We can light lamps, send letters, and travel more quickly.

"It is the traveling we will speak of today," she said, "Now, come here, Nikka dear." Jilli waved her over.

Nikka picked up the bags she'd set down and dragged them over to the stone circle. It was not too large, but would have stood three or four others comfortably.

"Now, you are Compis, so I expect you will pick this up rather quickly. Close your eyes. No, release your bags dear, and hold out your hands, you'll need them free."

Nikka did as she was told and waited for her next instructions.

"Now I always tell Initiates that the feeling is like trying to catch moving water. You can see it and hear it slipping beside you, but try to catch it and it's gone. Do you feel it?"

Nikka felt for whatever it was, but there was nothing she sensed. She took a deep breath and tried again, expanding her senses. She heard animals moving about in the copse of trees near to them and the water of the river rushed on her other side. She lost herself in that for a moment, until, very near the river, she felt a tug in the center of her body, as though the river was trying to lift her. She opened her eyes and gasped.

Flowing around them outside the circle, was a shimmering, pulsing light, coming up from the ground and towards the sky as high as she could see before disappearing. She reached out a hand to touch it, to catch it, as Jilli had mentioned, but it trickled through her fingers like water. It felt warm and comforting, however, so she held her hand there until Jilli interrupted.

"What in the name of Iam are you doing?" she asked, an impatient edge in her voice for the first time, "When I said it flowed like water it was a metaphor, to help you visualize it in your mind. You can't see it for real, dear."

"You can't?" Nikka wondered, staring at the strange light. "It isn't a river of light flowing around us?"

"No of course not! The Praetra is in a realm that is impossible for the human eye to see. We only know where the Praete lines themselves are because they were marked and passed down for our use many many years ago."

Nikka moved her hand with some reluctance and tried to ignore the Praete Line and its glorious beauty.

"If no one can see them, who found them in the first place?" she asked.

"You know, I don't have any idea of that. I'm sure some have wondered and there may even be a record of it in the great Library that the Divinaris care for, but no one has ever told _me_."

Nikka sighed. "So now what do we do?"

"Well, this first time, as I said, you will need me. What you do, to travel using a Praete Line, is to imagine yourself in the flow of the water I mentioned earlier, and imagine it carrying you to your destination. In this case, I will be picturing a spot near to my home where there is another Praete Line. That is the other rule, you see. You can't go where a Praete Line doesn't exist.

"Once you have the trick of this, my dear, you'll be able to go anywhere you can picture, which is how we go back and forth to the Citadel. Even the Ignis can do it, because for some reason, they have always been able to work common magic.

"I never travel by wagon if I can help it. That is only for Initiates. Now take my hand and I will take one of your bags while you take the other. Close your eyes."

Jilli closed her eyes, Nikka supposed, to concentrate on the _water_ that she couldn't see with her own eyes. Nikka's eyes remained open, and she became disoriented when the pull she'd felt in her chest became a tug. She and Jilli moved faster than she thought possible, through a whirling and bubbling cauldron of light and power. They moved for mere moments it seemed, before they were in a completely different placed than they'd started.

Jilli opened her eyes.

"Ah yes, now where is my carriage?"

### Zyander

He'd made his way home through the Praete Line and was packing a bag with extra clothing when his sister raced up the stairs and bounded into his room.

"Zyan! Father showed me how to travel without the wagons, it was wondrous! I guess there is still some magic we can do-" Her voice cut off when she saw that he was filling a satchel with clothing, choosing his oldest and most ragged clothes.

"Zyan, are you packing? Where are you going? We've just arrived home."

"Lea, I-" he stopped, sighing, and sat on the bed. "Father and I had a bit of a disagreement and he—I decided it might be best if I wasn't around here for a while."

"This is about Nikka, isn't it?" Alea asked, grabbing her brother's hand. "You care for her, don't you?"

"Father is worried about the impropriety of Nikka staying here with the boy she dallied with during the gathering. He thinks our little romance, though temporary, might cause the other tribes to believe we are influencing her to join us."

"Father doesn't think that!"

"Lea, he told me to make myself scarce, so that is what I'm doing."

"Where are you going?" she asked again.

"Well, at first, I thought I'd stay with Alys and his family until Nikka left, but then I realized, I need to be away, far away, from here."

"Why? Zyan, look at me! You and I have always told each other everything. Please, tell me, why do you need to be away?"

Zyander felt sick when he finally gathered the courage to look up and say to her, "I don't trust myself, Lea. I think about her all the time. I mean, I did before the Initiation ceremony. Now she's Compis and I told her myself that if she could choose our tribe she should run the other way. She will never choose our tribe. If she was here, for the whole of Astra Cida, I would be tempted to... I would want to... Well, let's just say Father would be justified in being worried."

"Oh, Zyan, please don't leave. We can do magic together now and maybe find a way to save our tribe. Mother always wanted us to break free of this sickness, or so you've told me again and again."

"It will be months before you're ready to do anything besides common spells, Lea. It takes years to learn the tribal spells. They're complicated and secretive. It's been three years since my Initiation and I've still barely learned a small part of what the Elders or even Father know. And even if we learned all of those things, we still have no powers to make the spells _work_.

"I'm going to help in the only way I know how. I'm going to Abira. I told Father I was going, as a joke. Yet now that I think about it, nowhere else besides the forgotten city might hold a clue to cure the illness that hundreds of years later is still holding our tribe in these heavy chains.

"Don't worry. I'm not going alone, I've already sent a message down to Alys. It will be out of the way, going to the new settlement to meet up with him, but we'll cut across the meadow and travel down The Elder Road until we catch up with the head of Napalin on its eastern side."

"Let me come too," she pleaded.

He shook his head.

"No, sister, you have work to do here. There are weeks and weeks of memorization awaiting you—not to mention your first meeting with the elders. Now, help me with this bag and we can go down to the library. I want to see if I can find any books on spell crafting."

She followed him downstairs and they spent hours hunting through the dusty tomes in the library before giving up. Zyander took a couple of books to read in his spare time and went out to where Twitchfoot stamped with much impatience.

"Won't you say goodbye to Father? He should be back any minute from his talk with the elders."

"No, we said our words hours ago. I have nothing else to say to the man who told me to ignore what I'm feeling, because the politics of the situation are more important."

"Zyan," she said, but he cut her off with a hug.

"I love you, Lea," he said and mounted his horse. "Wish me luck!"

"Come, Twitchfoot, off we go."

As the horse cantered off, he looked back and saw her, still standing near the stable door, hand raised in a goodbye.

### Chapter 9:

### Nikka

Jilli waited while Nikka put her bags in the luggage stack of the carriage and when she had scrambled up into the seat next to her, feeling flushed and disarrayed after wrestling with the bags, she took a moment to study the woman. Jilli was impeccable, not a hair in the wrong place, not a lovely, glowing pearl askew. Her gown of pale blue flowed without a wrinkle from her icy white shoulders to her slipper covered feet. She flicked the reigns and the horse trotted forward.

"We are traveling to my house; it's only a few minutes away. I am without a mate, but I do have a housewoman, Agga, who has been with me for many years. You will have your own room, but it's not a large house, I don't need one. When I find it necessary to host parties, I make arrangements to use the meeting hall in town.

"Something will also have to be done about your food. We Aquis, and our servants, as well, eat mostly raw fish. I'll have them send over some of the Initiate's food for Agga to prepare. I'm sure she'll be able to make anything you need.

"If you want to write to your family and friends—doubtless you will—there is paper in the desk and Agga will deliver them. Sea Mothers are very deft with common magic. Some say they were made when a Praete Line opened up into the ocean."

Thinking of letters made Nikka think of her family and her cousin. She wondered what they were doing now. In a few short weeks she would stay with them and then it would be on to the Terris and then, finally second to last, she would stay with the Ignis. She would be staying at _his_ house. She would see him all the time. Nikka wished that he'd at least said goodbye.

Will he continue to press upon my mind like a stone?

They pulled up in front of a cottage made of black stone. It was two-floored with several windows looking out on the road they'd come in on. Jilli slipped from the carriage and waited for Nikka to grab her bags, then she led her around the right side of the house.

"I thought I'd bring you this way so you could fully appreciate the view," she said.

Nikka dropped the bags and raced to the edge of a porch that was walled in by a wooden fence. Out in front of her, in a wide blue-green vista, was the ocean, tumbling and spraying. Nikka had never seen the ocean in her life, though she'd seen pictures in books.

"The books don't tell you how loud it is," Nikka said. "Does it always crash so?"

"Yes, and for a few nights you might have trouble sleeping, but after a while, the waves will be a lullaby that sends you to sleep every night."

Jilli, for the first time since Nikka met her, looked like more than a statue. Nikka could see the love in her face when she spoke of the sea.

"You built your house here, to overlook the sea?"

"It was some other family's home, but yes, they built it here because it looks out on the ocean. You'll understand if you become Aquis, but we can't be away from water for long. Some of us are for the ocean, and others are for streams, rivers, ponds or lakes. We must all be near water to feel happy."

She turned away and opened the glass door into the house and Nikka hurried to get her bags and follow.

Jilli's house was the perfect size for her or for a small family. There was a living area that looked out on the porch and had a beautiful view of the ocean through glistening glass windows. The room was decorated in pastel blue and green, with navy accents. The chairs didn't seem particularly comfortable and the room was as cold as it was pretty. Nikka knew that she'd be looking in her bags for a sweater, the first chance she got.

They moved through an archway and entered the foyer of the house, which split off in three directions: the left side led to a dining room and the right side led to a door, the other option was towards the front door and it was a staircase.

"The kitchen and dining area are this way," said Jilli, pointing to the left. "The necessary is down here, under the stairs, but the bath is up this way." Nikka climbed the stairs with her bags dragging behind her at this point and stopped with every gesture of her hostess.

"This is my office and over here is the bath. There is running water, hot as you want it. This will be your room, and mine is at the end of the hall on this side, if you need anything."

She opened the door and led Nikka into a small room with a bed, desk and tall bureau for her clothes. There was another of the large windows looking out onto the front yard where the long trees shaded the lane and there was not another house to be seen for miles and miles. With an ache, she once again felt loneliness invading her peace of mind.

"One more thing, my dear, and then I will leave you to get settled. You must come and meet Agga."

They went back down the stairs and through the hall into the kitchen. It was a sunny little room with a small stove and an immaculate cooking and preparation area. There was a cold box in the corner, and a small table across from it, for casual dining. Standing at the counter, moving about bits of food that smelled suspiciously like raw meat, was a little woman. At least, that's how she appeared until she looked up.

"Agga, this is Nikka. She is a creature of some rarity among the Five Tribes. She will be staying with us for all of Polya Nimba, and if we're lucky, she will decide to stay among us, the Aquis, for good. Nikka, you can come to Agga for anything you need—food, drink, household things."

Agga wore a kerchief that wrapped around her scalp as though it was meant to keep her head warm. She was bald, and her skin was soft and pink like a baby's except it was also wrinkly. It didn't fit right over her body. She had a round flat face with an even flatter nose and large black eyes that looked at Nikka with all the sadness in the world. At least, that was how it seemed, until she spoke, muttering, "So I have more work now in the form of this know-nothing girl with Iam's light all over her like honey. Fetch and carry, Agga, it's all you're good for."

Nikka looked at Jilli, who laughed and shrugged her shoulders. "Now, now, Agga," she scolded, "be nice to Nikka."

Agga wore many layers of clothing, shirts and sweaters and a long dress and the ugliest thick woolen socks Nikka had ever seen. She had short stubby fingers that seemed to be constantly pulling at the enormous apron she wore.

"I'm going to stay here and instruct Agga on what to feed you during our mealtimes. Why don't you go up and get settled in. Have a good rest, and then we'll go down into town for supper."

Nikka nodded and managed to make it all the way up the stairs and into her room, before she collapsed on the bed in a heap of tears and wrinkled bedding.

### Zyander

His journey to the new settlement was an uneventful one. Zyander took three days to leave the forest and another four crossing the wide meadowland, refusing to push his horse, telling himself that he had plenty of time. He'd brought his tent with him, the smaller one, in case of inclement weather, but he wouldn't use it until he had to. He preferred sleeping under the stars when he was traveling. There was something about laying out in a warm pallet, and staring up at the night sky—it gave him peace and took away his troubles for a time.

His favorite time to sleep under the stars was during _Astra Cida_ , when the falling stars began. Every night was magical then. When he and Alea were young, they shunned the house, laying out dozens of pillows and blankets in the yard so they could count the shining rays of light and make wishes on the brightest.

This time, he looked at the stars and imagined Nikka's hair, bouncing and twirling in the sunlight. Her hair was so bright that it looked like a million stars lived in its silky tresses. Or instead, he imagined her smile and how it blinded him. The stars were in their seasonal positions, his favorites were the _Dancing Maidens_ , and the _Dark Horse_. Soon, they would be making way for _Cyclotes_ and _Mira_ and their many children.

The long and solitary ride was also peaceful; he moved out from the forests and the deep lush greenery and into the meadows and open places, where New Settlement was. It should have been called the remnants, as there was nothing new about it. On the outskirts of what was formerly Labaria, one of the large cities in the Ignis territory, was where they had built it.

Labaria was abandoned now, empty and ghostly in its crumbling majesty. The people had left it and those that had slowly come back refused to dwell within its limits. They didn't have money to commission Aeris builders to come in, and they had no magic to do it for themselves, so instead they had salvaged any fabrics to be found within Labaria and made tents out of them. The result was a moving village of patchwork domiciles, a kaleidoscope of colors and fabrics that would have been nauseating if the sun hadn't faded the colors to a blend of pastels.

His friend Alys lived in one of these tents and worked as a goatherd most days, so that the Ignis could have all the cheese they desired.

Once, after a scavenging trip in Labaria, Zyander had gone to visit his friend out in the fields while he watched the goats.

"How can you do this all day? You're educated and intelligent," Zyander had said.

"Yes, and what good has it done any of us, education? Most of us sit in our homes, wringing our hands or trying to make babies. We can't make things any more. These goats are the best hope for our tribe right now," said Alys gesturing across the field to the large herd wandering around. Their bleatings and thumpings made a wild chorus in the warm air. "We can drink their milk, and preserve it in cheeses. With them around, we will never starve. Therefore, I laud them and pamper them, and coax them to continue their great work. Meanwhile, I sit here in the meadow with my simple tent and my book and read the day away."

It was a better life than Zyander's at times. His days were filled with trying in vain to get the simplest of his spells to work, and listening to the elders drone on and on about the "great and glorious past" of the Ignis. Sometimes he wanted to shake things up, and try something new. Thanks to the glory of politics, he now had a reason.

It was almost the end of the seventh day when he saw the familiar towers of Labaria and as he drew closer, he was finally able to see the tents, sprawled out in the meadow like the herd of goats they surrounded. He smelled the familiar scent of sweaty fur, along with the tangy odor of sour milk. Nose wrinkling, he halted Twitchfoot near a group of other horses, wandering free near the range of tents, untethered. He left the horses with a request for Twitchfoot to _behave himself_ and wandered off to find Alys, who it turned out was lounging under the only tree for miles around, reading one of his endless stream of books. Iam only knew where he got them from.

"Well, hello there, Alys. Lost in another book, I see. You know you'll only be able to bring what you can carry on our trip."

Alys stood and grabbed Zyander in a tight embrace.

"Zyan, my friend," he exclaimed, letting him go only to drag him to the large tent nearby. "I wondered when you'd arrive. Your message indicated such haste that I figured I'd see you within days of its arrival."

Zyander grimaced and ducked through the tent's entrance. "Yes, I know. I was a bit irritated with my father at that point in time."

"Let's have some supper and you can tell me all about it."

Supper consisted of cheese, a wonderful fruit preserve, and soft flat bread that seemed to melt—along with the cheese—inside his mouth. While they ate, Zyander told Alys everything that he'd neglected to in the short note he'd sent days ago. Alys listened in silence, then in his typical fashion, said nothing about Nikka or Adjudah. Instead, he asked the obvious question.

"What do you expect to find at Abira?" Alys asked.

"The question of the evening—of many evenings I suspect, since I have no idea," said Zyander. "You will call me crazy for the only reason I can think of to travel to the forgotten city. I don't think anyone has been out there in hundreds of years or will be again. I have this idea, strange idea that there is something located in the city that will help me."

"Help you what?" asked Alys.

"Save our tribe."

### Luka

The boy who asked what a Praete line was had the name Joah. He was also the only other boy who'd been formerly Aeris, as Luka himself had been. There were more than a few girls, too, off by themselves in a gaggle, whispering about him, probably.

Luka found that he was quite the topic of discussion, especially among the girls, who thought it was romantic that he and May had been torn apart in such a public fashion. He remembered May's screams, and didn't find them romantic at all. That didn't stop the girls from giggling whenever he passed them or approaching him to introduce themselves. It was a sore point for him, having to suffer the attentions of the others while he was still nursing his own heartbreak.

Most of the boys gave him a hard time, but not Joah. He seemed to understand that Luka needed some privacy in regards to the girl he'd left behind and managed to protect Luka from the curious questions the other Initiates seemed to be bursting with. They were traveling back to the Terris' main city, Akme, where the Initiates would be housed until Induction. After Induction, or so he'd been told, they would be given a job according to their skills and moved to the city that most suited the job they'd been assigned.

"Hey, Luka, I think we're going to reach Akme tomorrow. I heard the Duor talking about it today."

"Why don't they ever tell us anything?" Luka wondered, not for the first time.

"Maybe they want to help us hone our spying skills," said Joah, laughing.

"I don't understand why I'm Terris—or you for that matter. You don't seem stodgy at all," said Luka.

"Maybe it's the tribal magic that does it. Maybe changing into an animal also changes your thinking," said Joah.

"Then I hope I never acquire the skill," said Luka.

"You don't mean that," said a voice behind them. They were jostling in an open wagon, and the boys had all been assigned shifts for driving it. Right now, it was Joah's turn and Luka was sitting with him. He enjoyed looking around at the terrain surrounding them. He still didn't know what Praete Lines were, but he was glad they hadn't used the mysterious mode of transport, because it gave him time to put off facing his future. He sighed, feeling that he had no true future without May.

He missed her as he would miss any part of himself that had disappeared. He had seen her every day when he was still in the same tribe as she was. He had a hard time going through a day when they didn't talk. Wanting nothing more than to hold her one last time, Luka instead sighed and turned to face the speaker.

It was Grem, formerly of the Aquis tribe, who'd sent quite a few of their tribe over to the Terris this year.

"Let me ask you something, Grem," he said, "Do you really want to look like Duor Hama or even Duor Etho, for that matter?" Duor Etho looked like a small forest deer, with beautiful liquid black eyes, soft brown ears with white tips, a small stub of a white tail, and hooves for feet. Oh, and a tall pair of antlers to top off the facade. She was the nicest of the Terris that he'd met so far, and didn't seem as conservative as Duor Hama or High Council member Koen.

"I don't think I'd mind if I had the chance to become a bird and fly high above everyone else here. Or a deer and run like the wind through the forest," said Grem. "And maybe the old ones are a bit stuffy, but there's nothing to say we have to be. I bet there are those similar to us, who don't side with Duor Hama on everything."

"Damn you and your sensible words," said Joah, wrinkling his nose.

Luka laughed. He appreciated these fellows and their ability to pull his head from the thundering clouds they'd been stuck in of late.

"Not too long before supper now," he said.

~~~~~

The wagons always halted at dusk, and the Initiates, about fifty in number, scrambled to finish their assigned chores. For some it was setting up the tents, for others gathering firewood, still others managed the animals, each taking the job assigned and finishing it as quickly as they could so there would be plenty of time to linger at the fire.

Every night there was a bonfire and the Initiates ate foods that could be cooked over it, grilled vegetables and pieces of fruit, snap beans that popped when warmed over a hot pan, and tasted crispy and sweet, warmed drinks of many kinds—juices and wines, especially. The Initiates ate their fill and chatted like morning birds, loud and happy, when they were through. Sometimes they sang the songs they'd been taught as children by the Divinaris, to help them remember the importance of the tribes and their new families or the power of Iam.

When the Initiates were winding down after a round of songs, Duor Hama stood. After settling everyone down into silence, he spoke about the subject on everyone's minds.

"I know there has been a lot of talk among the Initiates today about when we will arrive in Akme, and what we will be learning. Rather than allow a good deal of silly talk and speculation to circulate, I will tell you all a small part of what you will have to look forward to.

"We will indeed be arriving in Akme tomorrow, around the noonday, if we are similar to the many other groups of Initiates who have made this journey. When we do, you will be taken to your respective dormitories, girls in one area and boys in the other.

"You will spend the next season learning the common magics we are required to teach you under the law of the Five Tribes. At the same time, we will be teaching you the most important and fundamental spell of our tribe—you've been discussing it endlessly—the spell of transformation. It is the method we use to become connected to our Lumenta: the beast of our soul.

"It is a lengthy process, as you'll discover in the next few days, but if you're fortunate, you'll find out something about yourself that you didn't know before.

"So go to bed and get some rest, tomorrow will be a long day."

### Chapter 10:

### Nikka

When Nikka had cried her last tear of the moment, and pushed herself up from the bed, she spent the remainder of her time unpacking her belongings and deciding what she was going to put in her letter to Zyan.

She had decided the best thing to do, while she was feeling upset, was to write and tell him what a coward he was. It would help her to feel she could leave him behind and concentrate on the business at hand—deciding which tribe she would make her own.

Walking over to the desk across from her bed, she sat down and took a sheet of paper. Just as she was lifting the pen from ink to paper, there was a knock at her door.

She went to the door and it was Jilli.

"Are you recovered enough for supper, my dear? Oh, Nikka, my dear, have you been crying? What can I do to help?"

Nikka felt uncomfortable. She had the feeling she wasn't supposed to be showing any weakness to the person who was probably trying to manipulate her in every possible way. She decided a partial truth was the easiest to dismiss.

"I think every person who has changed tribes in the space of a day feels overwhelmed and emotional. I miss my little sister. I was just getting ready to write her a letter when you knocked."

"Do you want more time? We can leave a bit later, if you wish," said Jilli.

"No, it's fine. I'm feeling much better. I can write my letter when we return. I'm anxious to see some of the other Initiates. It's strange being sheltered."

"Of course it is! This is strange for all of us! I wasn't here when Compis Samain was an Initiate, but I imagine all of the High Council Members were at their wit's end trying to deal with the situation. A Compis doesn't come along often.

"However, I think you must have forgotten that the Initiates don't arrive right away. They have rather a long journey, I fear. They won't arrive for another seven days, I'm sure. I've arranged with my sister to have dinner with her. She has young children, so she is used to making a bit more of a mainstream diet. The dietary needs of our young are similar to those of Initiates.

"I've also arranged for you to tour about with my nephew, Jerem, and some of his friends this week. I'm afraid the first week after Induction is a busy one for me, so I won't be around the house much except to sleep.

"One thing you'll find as you tour the tribes, is that each tribe has its own system of government that is separate from the Five Tribes. In our tribe, there is a group of elected members we call the Vula, representing each city or town, and each of the main industrial houses. For instance, we have a house each for fishing, herb gathering, herbal elixir production, jewelry, trinkets, and many more. There are twelve main industrial houses, each with their own needs and the same is true of each township. The Vula, of which I'm the governing head, as High Council member, makes all laws and is the caretaker of the tribal monies that we get from each gathering and trade agreement."

By this time, she and Nikka were in the carriage and traveling down the road. It was a complicated system, but instead of being bored by the trivial details of the tribe's government, Nikka was happy to have a reason to take her mind off of the things she'd left behind her only a few hours ago.

Was it just this morning that I was made Compis?

Surely it must have been many days ago that her entire world had changed. She listened to Jilli go on, and enjoyed the late afternoon sun as it lit up the ocean waves to her left. It was so beautiful, crashing and misting against the high craggy rocks. She assumed there were several cliff sides with a lovely view that they passed, but the road they took wound itself away from the ocean's edge before curling back and down into a large cove, filled with a bustling seaside town.

As they made their way down a stone-paved road through what must have been the main passage through town, with its lining of quaint shops and busy people, each person Jilli passed made a deep bow to her. Nikka couldn't help noticing the pleased expression on Jilli's face as she gave a stiff nod to each person. She wondered what it must be like to be a ruler of your tribe. It was a position of grave responsibility, and remembering what Zyander had implied about his own father, she knew that there must be a lot of worry associated with holding the whole of a tribe's welfare in your hands. If Jilli received laud from her tribe because of it, she probably deserved it.

"They seem to love you," Nikka said.

"I am not so old as the many of the Sanguis, only about 150 years old. Many years ago, however, when I was a young girl, I found an opportunity to help my tribe. You are very young, Nikka, and the older you are, the clearer the ways of the Five Tribes will become. They parade Initiates about, like little ducklings, showing off our _great_ government, our _wonderful_ Duor and High Council, but they never show you how it works. There are always ruling tribes and oppressed tribes.

"Our tribe was insignificant once, the way the Ignis are now. We were bullied and overruled in votes. Taken advantage of in every trade agreement, our tribe was not as rich and thriving as it is today. Now we stand apart, masters of ourselves as we have never been. We hold our own in the meetings and no one pushes us around any more.

"I won't lie, Nikka, dear, you will be offered many priceless things to join a certain tribe. You mean power to any tribe that feels oppressed or seeks to gain more power. This is the last you will hear about this from me, because I take my position in the High Council seriously, but we are no exception. While we hold all our own power, we would be foolish not to offer you a place among us, where you will be given whatever you need, and in return, all we ask is that you embrace us with an honest heart and do your best for our tribe."

They were silent, until Jilli halted in front of a small cottage at the end of a cobblestone lane.

"Jilli, what did you do to save your tribe?" asked Nikka.

"It is part of our tribal secrets that I can not reveal. Not because I don't want to, but because I made a promise that I wouldn't. If you do become part of the tribe, ask me again, and I will tell you freely," said Jilli, "Come, let's go inside and have some supper."

~~~~

Supper was a delicious fish stew, unlike anything Nikka had ever tasted before, with tart and watery vegetables, creamy soup and a tender fish meat that broke apart in her mouth. The company was enjoyable as well. Jilli's sister, Inia, was a short, plump woman who didn't look a thing like her. Her husband was a fisherman who was away for the season. Seated around the table with Inia were her four children: there was Jerem—who was only a few years past Induction, Liki—who would be an Initiate next year, Noni—a sweet little girl about the age of Nikka's sister, and Tomtom—the baby of the family at five years old.

It was a loud affair, supper, filled with laughter and the noise of the children. Inia's house servant, Joaga, shuffled around with the food and drink, flinching at each squeal. The house servants employed by the Aquis weren't jolly folk.

After they had finished eating, they went into the great room, everyone piling into the many cushioned chairs and couches scattered around the room. It was a large room for such a small house, which Nikka mentioned to Jerem.

"We tend to make our social rooms the biggest and skimp on the sleeping rooms," said Jerem. Nikka nodded and thought of Jilli's house, with its large room that looked out onto the sea. Jerem was long and thin like his aunt, with the same pale green hair as all the other adults, but his was cut short on the bottom, almost shaved, and longer on the top, twined with little shells.

"We are subject to some nasty storms here on the coast, especially during Magna Venta, when the winds are high. During those times, we pile into our houses and hole up, playing games, singing songs and drinking warm drinks in front of a hot fire," he continued. "So we add as many chairs as we need for a good time and when the storms come, we move from place to place, having fun with our friends, neighbors, and relatives."

"It sounds wonderful," said Nikka, and not for the first time wished her family could be with her.

"We are a tribe that values social connections. Without each other, we are nothing. Although, I suspect it is the same with the other tribes. I don't know, as I was never sent to find out," Jerem smiled.

"Were you surprised to be chosen for your own tribe?" asked Nikka.

"You know, some are, but I wasn't at all. I think I've always known that I would be Aquis. It is in my blood. Out of my mother's family, three of the five were Inducted into the Aquis."

"It makes me wonder, what is in my blood." Nikka did wonder—what it was about herself that had given rise to the Compis and all its complexities. They were both silent for a time, then Jerem sat up and clapped his hands together.

"Enough of this maudlin introspection. What shall we do this week? Aunt Jilli said I'm to take you out on the boat and I know you'll want to tour the town. We need to keep busy until the Initiates come into town, then you're going to be joining them for some lessons in common magic."

"Let's look over the town tomorrow," said Nikka. "I want to mail a letter, and I know there are some Praete Lines I can use here in town."

"I think you misunderstood," said Jerem. "There aren't any Praete Lines here in town. The closest one is out by Aunt Jilli's house."

Nikka didn't say anymore, and they arranged to meet outside Jilli's house in the morning. All the way home, she looked up into the night sky, at the thousands and thousands of stars. And shining brightly throughout them, she saw wave after wave of interconnecting lines pulsing—the Praete Lines were there, but for some reason she was the only one who saw them.

### Zyander

The journey was an easy one through the meadow lands. They took one pack horse in addition to their own, which was weighed down with several leather satchels of fermented goat's milk, several wheels of cheese, about a bushel of flat bread, and a sack of grain for morning porridge. They also couldn't live without some herbs and spices to break the monotony of taste confronting them. Anything else they needed, however, they would forage for along the way. Their destination was south and through the forests of Napalin. Once upon a time, the Ignis had been forest dwellers, but after the great sickness, they moved their people up closer to the center of the country, where the Sanguis resided.

When Zyander and Alys finally got to the edge of the meadow, the trees and other ground foliage began to pop up around them. The air started to fill with the chatter of birds and the rustle of animal movement. At the moment, they were camped right at the cusp of Napalin, just outside the place where the magic of the Ignis was born. From here, the elders said it was a few weeks journey to Abira, their final destination.

Zyander had been up at first light, scrambling around to get a fire lit in the small pit they'd dug the night before. When the fire was crackling, he put the small kettle over the hook to heat, and went about preparing herbs for his tea. He could hear Alys snoring away in the tent—he'd never been an early riser.

The kettle whistled its merry tune and he pulled it off with a thick cloth and poured it into the wood cup he always brought with him on foraging trips. Then he sat against a fallen log and sipped his drink. He was staring hard enough into the flames that he didn't hear the soft noise of paw to fern until a small, rusty voice said, "You shouldn't brood so, Fire Child. It will make you seem more peckish than you already are."

He jumped at the voice and yelled when he looked down and saw the fox—a vixen—sitting next to him.

Her chuckle was a husky rasp. "You are an idiot, no doubt about that. I knew it from the first moment I saw you, days back when you were leaving the meadows for good."

Zyander fumbled to grasp the cup and succeeded only in spilling his drink all over his shirt.

"Aww," he said, and set it on the log. Then he got up to put the kettle back over the fire again. Luckily, he'd made enough for Alys, so there was the perfect amount for a second cup.

"Listen, little fox, I'm not sure why you've been following me or why you find the need to insult me, but as I haven't done anything to you, I wish you'd go away and leave me to my one morning enjoyment."

The fox chuckled again and paced over to where he was squatting by the fire.

"Don't be so prickly, Fire Child. I'm here to help you."

"Help me? How? And while we're at it, how is it you can talk? Are you some special kind of fox?"

"More likely, you're some special kind of boy. All the animals talk, idiot. It's just that now Iam has opened your ears so you can hear us again. All of your kind used to be able to talk to the animals—or didn't your great elders teach you that?"

"I knew we used to talk to animals, but no one ever knew what happened. It just stopped, along with all our other tribal magics. So how are you going to help me?"

"You just answered your own question, Fire Child. Your tribe needs its magic, and you need to find the forgotten city. I am here to help you with both."

"Why do you want to do that?" Zyander asked.

"Because Iam told me to, Fire Child," said the vixen, looking up at him, tongue out. She sat on her haunches and sniffed the air. "We're not far now."

"Why did Iam tell you to help me? We've never been on intimate terms."

The fox huffed and poked him in the chest with her nose.

"It's all right here, as plain as the nose on your ugly man-face. Honestly, you human, are as blind as a new kit. Look, look, Fire Child."

Zyander looked down to where her nose pushed into his chest, but he didn't see a thing.

"There's nothing there," he said, even lifting his shirt to make sure he wasn't missing something—a mole or a bruise, maybe.

"No!" she barked, " _Look_!" Poking him again, he felt the air ripple and a pulse of power washed over his stomach. That is when it saw the glow—a bright marking on his chest, it was about the size of a palm. No wait, it _was_ a palm print and fingers. He was just able to make it out before it faded again.

"What- what was that?"

"That was the spell your mother placed on you all those years ago. It is one of the most powerful I've seen. She must have had more abilities than anyone in your tribe to lift the sickness—even for a moment—to place that spell."

"I thought they were just words. I mean, I knew what she meant to do—to cast the spell—but I always thought she hadn't done anything."

"They were words, but from the Praetra—where anything spoken is possible."

Zyander sat back against the log to start on his new batch of tea. The vixen scrambled up onto it and leaned over his cup to sniff at the contents before settling in beside him.

"So the spell cast on me is what brought you here?"

"Iam told me, when I was just a kit myself, that one day a Fire Child with a golden spell placed on him would enter Napalin near my home den. I was to help the Fire Child to find Abira, and protect him from the harm that Napalin might visit upon him and help him save his magic."

"My family's land intersects Napalin near Awatha, the capitol city. I've never known anything dangerous to come from it."

"This is the wild side of the forest, Fire Child. So many of the Praete Lines meet with our world on this side of the forest, that it has bred many wondrous and dangerous creations."

"Well, fox mother, what do you suggest I do first?" He looked down into her amber eyes, and she poked him in the chest.

"My first suggestion is that you wake up, Fire Child. Wake up! Wake up!" she said as she continued to poke him in the chest with her wet nose.

~~~~~

The wet nose became a finger and the raspy fox voice became Alys' voice, as Zyander was brought awake by Alys' insistence.

"Zyan, we need to get an early start on the day. I let you sleep as long as I could, but breakfast is ready and your tea is getting cold," said Alys, moving back outside, presumably to look after the food.

Zyander felt an empty ache in his chest, a feeling of loss that he wished he could let go, but the dream lingered with him in a palpable way. He felt the sorrow of a great longing for the golden age of his tribe, when they were able to speak freely with the animals and be spoken to in turn.

He pulled on his boots and laced them tightly, then wandered outside, still dazed, to eat his breakfast of tea and porridge laced with stickyweed juice—a sweetener they called claya much used in their tribe because of its portability and potency.

As he was finishing his porridge, he turned to set aside the smooth wooden bowl to wash, when he heard a loud popping noise from above. He and Alys both jumped and gasped when a bit of folded paper floated down into Zyander's lap.

"What is it?" asked Alys, staring at the curious package.

"It's a letter for me," said Zyander.

### Luka

It had been a frustrating few days for Luka. Upon reaching Akme, the Duor had installed the Initiates in their temporary quarters, where they would stay for a few weeks to a few months, depending on how their schooling and talents indicated they would be progressing. The quarters where the boys lived was a long low building with fifty beds lined up against the walls and a small trunk for their belongings at the foot of each bed. Through a doorway opposite the entry there was a bathroom with sinks and a complex bathing mechanism unlike anything Luka had ever seen that Duor Hama called a shower. He wasn't the only one nervous about the contraption, several of those from the Aquis tribe refused to go near the thing, and instead took their soap bars down to the creek to bathe in the cold water.

This wasn't the first of the alarming changes that was to take place for Luka —he was also expected to do a good deal of research every day. Luka came from parents who were carpenters, specifically furniture makers, so he was used to working with his hands, carving, sanding, hammering, and polishing. He had thought, since the Terris were legendary gardeners, able to grow several exotic varieties by some unknown technique, that he would be given some grunt labor, digging or hoeing, but that was not the case.

Instead, the next year of his life was to consist of studying: common magical theory, animal husbandry, and gardening sciences related to tribal magic. The Duor took them to the study hall where shelves and shelves of books lined the walls and he cringed. Was he to spend his life stuck inside reading?

"I thought we were going to learn about transforming into our Lumenta," said Joah, never one for staying quiet.

"This research will be part of that process. Finding your Lumenta is a delicate endeavor. You don't wake up one morning and become an animal. We need you to do painstaking research to help you narrow down which of the animal groups your Lumenta resides in, and then, with some guidance, you will pick out which animal it is. After we have done all that, you must study your animal inside and out, learn what it eats, how it breeds, how it will walk or run or fly. All these you must know for the act of transformation to be complete.

"For most of you that will take months of research and work. The lucky ones will have their animal narrowed down in a few days, but for some it can take weeks. That is why we couldn't tell you when you would move from the temporary quarters and into a mentor's house. We need to place you with the right mentor," concluded Duor Etho. She seemed sympathetic and Luka found himself grateful that she would be helping them in the coming weeks.

His discovery on the day of arrival in Akme was the worst of all the changes in his life. For the days it took to reach Akme, he was in an agony of anticipation, waiting for when he would reach his new home and write a message to May, beginning the long work of persuading her to run away with him when they met again at the next cusp of the season. He knew it was a matter of time, he only needed to keep reminding her of all that they meant to each other.

"What?" he cried, when Duor Hama read off the list of rules for the Initiates during the next year.

Most of them had made sense. _Don't wander off into the forests alone. Don't swim in the creek alone. Keep your bed, trunk and personal area neat and tidy. Complete your assigned chores in a timely manner. Treat your fellow Initiates with respect. No fighting, no violent actions. If you have a problem with any Initiates, go to your Duor._

Then came the final and most objectionable rule. _No communication with anyone from your past, whether in a letter, or at any of the gatherings in the next year. We are your tribe now and creating a longing in your heart for things of the past will hinder the bonding process with your new tribe._

"They can't keep me from writing her," he told Joah.

It seemed, however, that they could. He'd started a letter to May, but one of the other boys—probably Grem, who had turned out to be a disgusting goody-goody of the worst kind—had ratted him out. The letter was confiscated, burned in front of him, and then he was subjected to a lecture on following the rules.

This didn't stop him from composing letters to her in his mind or concocting ways to get a message to her somehow. No ideas came to him, and he withered with sadness and longing for some way to tell her how much he missed and loved her.

He lay awake at night, wishing for her in the worst way, wanting to run all the way back to her door, where he would do as he had done so many times and sneak up to her window. Climbing through the window, he would slip into her bed and hold her, kiss her soft skin, and convince her to give up the one last piece of herself she'd held back when they were together. He cursed himself for not pushing more in that regard. Maybe if she'd had his child, the Five Tribes would have been forced to keep them together.

In the end, the decision to rebel against the sanction on writing letters was taken out of Luka's hands in the form of High Council member Koen, who sought him out a few days later and asked him to take a walk along the path that wound by the creek.

"I understand you know our newest Compis, Nikka," said Koen.

"I do sir. My girlfriend is her cousin," said Luka.

Koen harrumphed and moved past the obvious comment on the shenanigans that occurred during Initiation.

"You and she were close?" he asked.

"We grew up together," said Luka, wondering where the conversation was going.

"We have a strict policy on communications with the outside world here in the Terris. I am also bound by a code of honor not to influence your friend Nikka with bribes or gifts. However, I have it on good authority, that the other tribes will be doing whatever they can to gain her favor and still stay within those bounds.

"I have talked to the others and we have agreed that we will bend the rules a bit—I'm afraid this won't allow you to write your girlfriend—and let you send letters to Nikka, telling her about your experiences in the tribe. Just think, if you convince her what a welcoming and powerful tribe we are, she would live here and you would have a friend to share experiences with!"

Luka listened with continuing skepticism to the lies spewing from Koen's lips and started to form a plan of his own. He would write to her, but he would send the letter he wanted to send to May and have her send it on for him. It was brilliant!

### Chapter 11:

### Nikka

True to her word, Jilli was gone much of the time during the first group of days Nikka was at the house. She left well before Nikka woke and came home long after she'd gone to bed. Nikka's days became filled with whatever activity Jerem could invent for them—touring the town, haunting the beach during low tide to find shells and trinkets for her hair. His friend Luba was only a year past Induction, a pretty girl with hair down to her waist entwined with every shell and pebble and pearl. She showed Nikka how to make holes in the shells and use bits of twine to tie them in her hair.

Today she was meeting them at lunch for a picnic and as she skipped downstairs for breakfast, she thought she might look over the books on Jilli's shelf in the great room and see if there was anything worth reading. She remembered seeing a book on sea tales that looked interesting. She would look first thing after breakfast, and after she had given Agga her letter to mail out.

Once again she wondered at the wisdom of writing it, but ever since she had seen Zyander practically run from her during Initiation, she'd been burning with the need to write and tell him all that was in her heart.

_It may be a mistake,_ she thought, _but I know I'll feel better after sending it_.

She went into the kitchen and sat at the small table in the corner. Agga had tried to convince her that her rightful place was in the dining room, but she'd laughed outright at the idea of sitting by herself at the large table, which seemed to swallow up the room.

"Good morning, Agga," she said, "What have you been cooking? It smells wonderful."

"It's just fried fishcakes and beans, pup. Eat up, and then there is a letter arrived for you. Herself has had her hands all over it, as you can see," said Agga, placing the plate of food, then morning tea, and finally the letter, glowing blue, next to her plate.

"Why is it blue?" she asked, touching it to make sure it wouldn't do something strange like pop or explode.

"It is blue because Herself tried to read the contents and that letter has a locking spell on it. It is a useful bit of common magic that most don't know about, unless they are used to keeping secrets, the way Herself is. She wasn't expecting your letter writer to know about it, I suppose."

"She tried to read my letter?" Nikka was appalled. In that moment she felt another part of her naivete wash away, as she realized that she would have little privacy among the powerful High Council.

"I'm sorry, pup. You are the most powerful being that Herself has ever come across. You didn't expect that she would leave you to follow your own whims, did you? They all fear you and will wish to control you. This is only one of the ways."

Nikka stared at Agga, who had never said more than four words to her up until now.

"You better not be thinking of giving me that letter to send, either," said Agga, pointing to the one that Nikka had brought down for her.

"Let me guess, you have instructions to delay any letters I send so that Jilli can read them? Can't you send it without letting her try to read it?" asked Nikka.

"I don't have the ability to say no to Herself. It's impossible for me. Better to do yourself the favor of keeping it out of my hands. The same goes for that boy you've been bustling about with."

"Jerem?" Nikka felt silly even asking, since it was clear to her now that he was a spy for Jilli, meant to watch her and coerce her into staying. He was probably under orders to make her like him, too. _If I fell in love with someone in the tribe, as Compis Samain did, then I would want to join the Aquis. Let's face it, Jerem is a handsome man_ , she thought. _If I weren't already thinking of some other man, I might be tempted to fall for him. He's charming, intelligent, funny and respectful._

Nikka glanced down at the letter she hoped to send out today. She didn't have space in her heart for another man. Even though Zyan had made it clear that he didn't want anything more to do with her, she could not change her own mind so easily.

"I see I don't have to say anything, for your quick young mind is there before I do."

"I really wanted to send my letter today," said Nikka, at a loss. "Can you take me down to the Praete Line and show me how to do it?"

"Take you down? Is my time worthless that you would waste it so, pup?" Agga huffed and took away Nikka's now empty plate.

"I'm sorry. I just thought if I could do it myself, then you wouldn't have to worry about following Jilli's orders," said Nikka.

"Well, now, that's a worthy thought. Taking the matter into your own hands is an admirable desire for one of your powers. There's no reason why we have to go all the way down to the Praete Line Herself uses. You know as well as I there are others much closer."

Nikka was startled. Looking around her with her _other_ eyes, as she tended to think of them, she saw many small Praete lines scattered throughout the room.

"You see them? You see the lines, too?" asked Nikka.

Agga chuckled—a low gurgling sound. "Did you think I was one of the Aquis tribe, pup, who can't see past the nose on my face? I'm a creature of the common magic, as tribeless as you are, and I can see all the lines in this room."

"I'm not a creature, how is it that I can see them? I'm tribal born."

"Oh, you're not entirely of the Five Tribes, I knew that the moment I saw you. You glow with the same light as we do, look at yourself. Have you ever seen the light of a person's tribe glowing from within them? It's the same with you," said Agga.

Remembering the golden light she saw pulsing within Zyander right after her vision was changed by Initiation, Nikka looked down at her skin and stared for a few moments, trying to see what Agga did.

"You try too hard," said Agga, "Relax and let your eyes show you."

Nikka closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again, looking down at her hand. This time, she saw little threads of silver light move over her skin. Then she looked at Agga, but instead of seeing the same light as the Praete Lines moving within her, as she expected, she saw nothing.

"I don't see any of the light glowing in you," she said, puzzled.

"That's because the source of my magic doesn't reside in me, like a human's does. My magic comes from other sources."

"What?" Nikka wanted to know.

"Do you want to sit here all day chirping questions like a noisy bird or do you want to learn how to send your letters without them being read by anyone else?"

"I'm sorry," said Nikka, then took her letter and stood up. "Where should we go?"

"No need to leave the kitchen, silly pup, as I said, the lines are everywhere."

Nikka hesitated. "It's just, they're so small in here."

"You want to send a letter, not a couch. A small line will do just fine. Now put the letter in its path."

Nikka moved to the nearest Praete Line, about a handspan in front of her and held the letter so the light of it seemed to flow right through the paper.

"Now, think of the person you want to send the letter to. It matters not if you don't know where that person is at this moment," she said, cutting off Nikka's objection. "When you have the person in your mind, strongly in your mind, imagine the line is a piece of thread, connecting you to the person. That thread is as strong and sure as a tree trunk, bending and moving when it needs to, but pointing straight to where you want it to go. And when you are sure the thread is connected all the way to that location, release your letter, and it will find its source."

Again, Nikka closed her eyes and pictured Zyander, with his violet eyes staring at her, just one lock of black hair falling toward his eyes. There was a kind smile on his face, the one she pictured when she fell asleep at night and he was holding out his hand to her. As she pictured him, she took the thread of power flowing from herself, through the letter, and up past the house. They moved out of Aquis territory, and south, to where the Ignis made their home. She felt as though she could almost see it herself at this point, the line threading through multiple connections and back down, down, down until she saw something else. There was a glowing light down below, growing brighter and brighter as the thread moved towards it. At the end, she recognized what it was—a golden hand, shining in front of her. Somehow, she knew it was his, and she opened her hands, releasing the letter.

Her eyes opened and she watched it lift and disappear.

"Oh!" she said, surprised that it had happened so quickly.

Agga's eyes had been closed, as well, and they opened.

"Well, done, pup. Wherever you sent it, I think it will get there."

Nikka thought about what she had seen when she had "looked"—Zyander's glowing palm and another, dimmer light. She wondered where he could be, since she didn't see a many other lights glowing around him. Maybe he was at home with his sister. She remembered that he'd mentioned living near the edge of Napalin. Perhaps that meant his home was more remote.

Feeling satisfaction at her first successful lesson, Nikka turned to Agga.

"What do I get to learn next?" she asked.

Agga chuckled. "Nothing more today. Get along and read your letter."

Nikka picked up her letter, still glowing blue, and walked toward her room. She was near the entrance to the kitchen when Agga called out.

"It would be wise were you not to tell Herself about your lesson today," she said.

Nikka nodded and ran upstairs to her room.

Lying across the bed, she opened her letter.

### Luka

Oh, great and mighty Compis,

I'm sorry, isn't that what we're supposed to call you now? Ha. See how witty I am. Hello, Nikka. How are you? I bet you didn't expect to hear from me any time in the near future. To be honest, I didn't expect to be writing you. You see, the Terris have this stupid rule about not writing anyone from your past for the full year you're an Initiate, in order to more fully "bond" with the tribe. Which of course means I can't do the one thing I most want to do—write May.

I miss her so much, and since I can't write to her myself, I was hoping you could send this on to her, so I can let her know how it's going for me. And if you could, have her reply to you, because I can have letters from you. The only problem is, I'm sure they will try to read any letters I receive, so make sure you lock it. My friend Joah showed me how. One of the other Inductees showed him how during gathering week.

Oh, I never explained how it is that I can write to you, if I'm not supposed to write to anyone. Well, the Terris are sneaky, I'll give them that much. They are hoping that somehow, I'll be able to convince you what a great and wonderful tribe the Terris are, so you'll want to come and join me in all the fun! (Can you tell I'm being sarcastic?)

Well, let me just tell you how great and wonderful they are! We are stuck here in the temporary quarters we are assigned to, until they've "tested" us and determined where our talents lie. This testing consists of sitting us in a room with different animal groups and then we try to see if we identify with any of them.

You're probably wondering what animal groups have to do with anything. After Initiation, I'm sure you noticed that the Terris all look like animals. That's because of the Lumenta. The Lumenta are our soul beasts. They are the animal spirit we relate to during our time as tribe members.

So far, I've gleaned a few interesting things about the Lumenta. First, and most obvious, we can transform into them. So if a deer was my Lumenta, I would transform into one. I would also be able to talk to all the animals in that animal group. I would also be able to call all deer to me, if I needed one to look for game or find a water source, or spot a rare flower I wanted for my greenhouse. The Terris are always looking for rare flowers.

For example, yesterday, we had a bunch of what I call bird people come to visit us in study hall. I guess someone from one animal grouping is able to pick out someone with a similar leaning. The bird people seemed think that my friend Grem was a bird person, too. So now, he has been separated from us for some of his class time and he goes off to visualize being birdlike. He'll meet with them, narrow down his choices until he finds the perfect Lumenta to become.

But of course, I can't get through anything in life without standing out. So what is my new issue, you wonder? They can't find an animal group for me. That's right, they've paraded people in and out to look at me like an exhibit. They pull out books for me to look through, animals I've never seen before. For now, I'm not the only one. There are a few— who haven't figured out what animal they will call their Lumenta.

I have a secret, though. I'm never going to have a Lumenta, because I was never meant to be Terris. The Divinaris chose me by accident, and that's why they can't figure out where I belong.

I hope you're finding your place better than I am.

-Luka

PS- May, when you read this, please remember that you will forever be in my heart. It is agony, living every day without seeing you. I'm waiting for the season's end and hoping you will choose to be with me.

~~~~~

Luka folded the letter and sealed it with the writing materials he'd been given. Then, checking to make sure no one was in the room with him, he placed a palm on the envelope and recited the words of the spell that Joah had taught him. He wasn't sure how well it would work, but took heart in the fact that it glowed silver, as Joah had mentioned it would, before fading out.

His letter had made the issues he was facing here in the tribe seem simplistic. While it was true that they'd had problems placing Initiates into their respective animal houses before now, no one had been like him—there were no single elements to draw from to help narrow down his search. They'd shown him birds of every type, furry animals, hoofed animals, water dwellers, bugs, everything they could think of.

Joah, while still having no animal to focus his new magic on, was at least labeled with an animal group. Another week and Duor Hama was sure they'd be able to find his Lumenta. Luka was at the point where he was questioning what good a Lumenta was, anyway.

"Your Lumenta will be the key to your Induction into this tribe, Luka, you _must_ take it more seriously," warned Duor Hama, in what seemed to Luka was his most annoying tone of sternness.

"I _am_ taking it seriously, but for some reason, none of you seem able to help me," he said.

"Hama, Luka, let's all remain calm," said Duor Etho. She laid her hand over Luka's, and looked at him with her large doe eyes. "Remember, you were chosen to become part of this tribe by Iam for a reason. We will find your Lumenta, but we all know, it could take some time."

Luka wanted to argue, but he knew that it would only hurt her to tell her what he suspected; he was never meant to be a part of the Terris.

### Zyander

"Who is it from, Zyander? Aren't you going to read it?" Alys was squirming with excitement and curiosity. Zyander couldn't blame him, neither of them had ever seen anything similar to this before. _What a morning this has been,_ he thought, _first the dream with the talking fox, then a message that falls from the sky and into my lap._

He opened the letter.

_You ran from me,_ the letter began. _You ran from me like a coward, Zyander. Instead of feeling the hope that I did, that there were no longer any boundaries between us, you took one look at my purple robe and dashed away from me like someone was going to chase you down and kill you if you stayed._

You silly man. If you had only stayed long enough to talk to me, if you had only made an effort to search out my feelings, I think you would have been happy. Unlike you, I have hope for us. I think, now that I'm Compis, we should see if we are compatible. Maybe we do have a chance for a future. If need be and we do find we want to pursue a relationship, I can join the Ignis, and help you figure out a way to save your tribe.

You are a good person, kind and gentle, though I admit, it's hard to see buried beneath all the bitterness you feel. I am a good person too, worthy enough for any man to desire, whether I am Compis or not.

So please, Zyander, don't run any more. Where are you going to go, anyway? Past the outer edges of the Five Tribes? We're going to meet sooner or later, I'm going to be living in your house. It would all be so much easier if you didn't make me chase you down.

Promise you'll meet me at the next gathering, when the Initiates come together at the close of the season. We have much to discuss.

Yours, if you want me,

Nikka

Zyander groaned, hating himself for his watery eyes and his aching heart. He was in deep regret over leaving his home behind in such haste. He had no idea if he would be back in time for the next gathering, but if he didn't make it, she would think he didn't want to see her. She would assume the worst, and he couldn't do anything about it. He wouldn't have access to mail drops in the forest or Abira. Even if he did, it would be inadvisable for him to alert the other tribes of their communication.

Which made him think of something else—what was she _thinking_ sending him a letter, when everyone in the world was watching each step that she made and most likely every word that she wrote? Didn't she have any idea the danger she could put them in, politically? The last thing he wanted was for his father's words to become true. He didn't want the other tribes to punish _his_ tribe because he and Nikka had formed an attachment before her Initiation.

"Zyan?" asked Alys, and Zyander came out of his inner world.

"It's from Nikka. I-it's a personal letter," he explained.

"I thought you two said your good-byes back at the gathering?" said Alys.

"We did," he said, thinking of how he'd held her close in the dark, without speaking. "It wasn't enough for her, apparently. This was ill-advised. Now everyone in the Five Tribes knows that she sent me a letter."

"I don't know about that," said Alys, as he cleaned up the remnants of breakfast. "The nearest mail drop that I know of would be in the ruins we left behind days ago. If she was going to send you a letter through normal channels, isn't that where it would have ended up? Instead, this one came right to you, almost as though she sent it herself somehow. Maybe it's a power she has as the Compis."

Zyander considered his words and in the end, let them stand. He helped Alys pack up the tent, mulling over both the letter and his dream. Since there was nothing else to be done about Nikka, he decided that the fox from his dream was the item he needed to place importance on. He wondered what the dream meant, since there was no possibility it could be taken literally.

First of all, the forest was empty, not a single bit of magic survived the great sickness. Any animals that might have remained were like the Phasma now—empty of magic. They were made to live a banal existence gathering food, hunting prey, defecating on the leaf-covered forest floor.

Second of all, supposing any magic had survived, it wouldn't matter to him, because he was insignificant to the world that had been normal for his tribe so many years ago. There were stories and legends about how his tribe had fostered many of the magical creatures that lived in Napalin—protecting the weak, and matching wits against the strong. No creatures would seek him out, they would ignore him; he was not interesting to anything dwelling in Napalin these days.

It seemed true, for as they rode through the forest, though they could hear birds chattering, the only other sounds were the crackle and crunch of the leaves and assorted brush on the ground beneath the pounding hooves. Zyander was enjoying the ride. It was peaceful, to leave behind the cares of the tribe and the daily frustration of trying to get the most simple of the tribe's spells to work for him. His body swayed with the movement of the horses and he and Alys traded jokes and stories while they traveled.

All the time, he wondered to himself, what was waiting for them at Abira. Would it hold the answers to his questions? Would he figure out a way to bring back the magic that his tribe had lost? He didn't know, but he hoped his journey would not be in vain.

### Chapter 12:

### Nikka

The crisp ocean wind pulled at her hair, while the spray the boat kicked up splattered her face. It might be annoying to some, but to Nikka it was a glorious feeling—she felt at home on the sea.

"I can't believe you're not sea sick," said Jerem, impressed. Luba looked less so. Nikka had learned in a very short time, that no matter what plans Jilli might have for her, Luba had staked her claim on Jerem and with the occasional glare at Nikka when Jerem wasn't looking, she let her claim be known.

Jerem couldn't be faulted if he did find Luba more fascinating than Nikka. She was a lovely girl—tall and slender with light green hair that fell in curls down her back. Like the other Aquis she had high cheekbones and slanted eyes, but where Jilli's and Jerem's eyes were dark green, Luba's were as blue as the cold morning sky.

The boat dipped and Nikka was called back from her revelry as she tried to keep her balance.

"I feel like I was born to live on the sea," said Nikka, lifting her nose to smell the brine of the ocean. She took a deep breath and sighed in happiness.

They'd woken up at the break of dawn to go on an overnight trip. Jerem and Luba were taking her to see Minta's Island, a favorite haunt of the young and Inducted. The plan was to sail all day, eat supper on the island, spend the night, and sail back on the morrow. All in all, it was a glorious thing, compared to the boredom Nikka had suffered since the Initiates had come into town.

When the Initiates had finally arrived and settled into their bunkhouse, they had started learning their common magics, all of which were elementary for Nikka. She had learned them in a few lessons with Agga. Her first lesson, using the Praete Line to send a letter, was only the first of many little exercises given by Agga during available opportunities.

She'd learned any number of household magics: starting a fire, dusting a room, heating water, drying damp clothing. Then they'd moved on to more complicated spells involving moving and levitating objects, transporting objects from one place to another, and even making them invisible. Compared to the struggling Initiates, she was an expert in common magic. That didn't help her perfect her skills in Aquis magic, however.

"Can you teach me about Aquis next?" she'd asked Agga after their last lesson.

The slight creature shook her head.

"Sorry, pup. I can't do a thing in that gib-gab stuff. Messy and flowing all around, like the water it's based in," she said.

Agga was still a mystery, refusing to comment on where the source of her powers lay. She moved about her business, addressed Jilli as, "Herself" and muttered sly insults under her breath whenever she thought she could get away with it.

"It's certainly better being at sea, than suffering in a classroom, isn't it, Nikka?" asked Jerem, with a grin.

"I'm thankful Jilli didn't make me stay with them," said Nikka, "Although, I probably won't learn a thing about the Aquis now."

"I promise I'll teach you," said Jerem, with a look that promised more than a lesson on the Aquis.

"I'm getting hungry, Jerem," said Luba, "why don't you see if Joaga has lunch ready?"

Jerem handed over the rudder to Luba and slipped down the narrow stairs to the galley in search of a filling meal and a hot drink.

"You don't have to hate me," Nikka said, staring with deliberate attention at crashing waves.

"Excuse me?" said Luba, in an irritated tone.

Nikka turned to look at her and saw the sour mouth and cold eyes of the girl staring at her.

"I don't have any interest in Jerem," she said.

"I never said-" started Luba, protesting.

"Oh, please, you didn't have to," said Nikka. "You've been glaring at me since Jerem introduced me."

Luba was silent, and Nikka could see that she didn't know how to proceed in the face of such honesty.

"I don't know what Jilli or Jerem have planned for me, but they didn't consult me. I have no interest in Jerem. Not one tiny bit, other than as a friend to pass the time with and this I swear to you, Luba," said Nikka and she stood. "Excuse me for a minute, I need a drink."

Luba looked at her and said, "I'll remember what you've said here." She turned away from Nikka, peering out over the sea.

Nikka made her way across the deck to the small staircase that led down below. She was just stepping down into the galley, when a high squeal made her pause.

She peered around the low doorway and saw Jerem facing away from her. She stifled a cry when she saw him. He had Joaga pinned up against the small stove and the little creature was sobbing in fear.

"Listen, you little worm," he said, in a menacing voice that made Nikka shudder. Her blood was racing and she wished the walls would swallow her up. "Your job is to do what I say. If you're having trouble doing that, maybe we can turn this boat around, go back to shore, and find the proper motivation for your obedience."

His hand tightened, knuckles turning white as he gripped Joaga's shoulder. Joaga was a mess of snot and tears.

"Please, sir, please. I meant no disrespect. I'll have your drinks ready in a few moments. I'm sorry I didn't have them ready and waiting. I've learned my lesson, sir. Please don't hurt me," said Joaga.

Jerem released him with a contemptuous shove and turned around. Nikka barely ducked back in time. She took a deep breath and walked slowly down the stairs trying to look as though she hadn't seen the exchange that had just taken place. Schooling her features into a brilliant smile, she stepped down into the galley.

"Nikka!" said Jerem, wiping the irritated mask from his face.

"I was freezing up there and I wondered if Joaga had any hot drinks for us down here," she said, giving the small creature a gentle pat on the arm. He flinched away, cowering and she fought the urge to kick Jerem.

"I misunderstood Master Jerem's request, Mistress Nikka, and made the sweet cider. I was meant to make some strong tea, unsweetened, and it will be done in mere minutes. Sorry, sorry," he said.

"Cider sounds wonderful. Honestly, I'll just have some of that. I'd drink hot sea water right now," said Nikka.

Joaga scrambled to fill her a mug of the cider and she sipped it with grateful relief. The truth was Nikka could barely swallow, but she wasn't about to let Jerem, who was staring at her, realize it. She felt ill. She had thought Jerem was a fun-loving, intelligent and charming man. Now she doubted everything she'd experienced since coming to Aquis territory. All the pleasantries that had been exchanged, each of the wonderful experiences, they were all lies, flung in her face like sour wine.

"I'd better relieve Luba," said Jerem. "I'll see you up there?"

"I'll be up as soon as this is finished and I'll bring your tea with me. Do you want some food, as well?" said Nikka, smiling at him. She felt false, but she told herself it was good practice for being Compis. There would be many times when she would have to act a part in order to gather information.

He nodded and when he had gone, she sat at the little table, sipped her cider and watched Joaga bustle around the galley, mumbling and sniffling. It was much darker down here, with a few portholes to light the small space. The stove gave a cozy heat to the room, which would have been appealing, in better circumstances.

"What do you creatures call yourselves?" she asked. It was a question she could never get Agga to answer. Agga refused to talk about herself at all, preferring to cook, clean, and teach.

The creature stopped sniveling and crept over to her, clasping his hands together, almost as though he was pleading for something, but what she couldn't guess.

"We call ourselves the Roaneu," he said.

"Why do the Aquis call you the Sea Fathers and Mothers?" she asked.

Glancing up toward the deck of the ship, he leaned forward and said in a quiet voice, "It is one of the old stories. Our people had lived in the sea since before humans came to this land. We were the shepherds of the deep, caring for the fish, and other sea creatures. We ate of them, and we protected them, as Iam willed it to be."

"Yet now you live on land," she said, making it a query.

"Iam wills it so. We have been turned into land dwelling creatures, and so we must wait, until we are united with the sea yet again," said Joaga.

That was all he would speak on the subject. Nikka waited for him to serve her several warm fish turnovers that he had carefully wrapped in a towel to keep them heated, then she went back up to join the others, wondering what she had gotten herself mixed up in.

### Luka

Luka was laying in bed, staring at the ceiling, composing his next letter to Nikka in his head. He'd sent her four thus far, in the almost four weeks he'd been living in Akme. He was the last of the Initiates left in the quarters they'd been assigned upon their arrival. All of the others, except him, he thought bitterly, had found a home with a mentor to shape their journey in joining with their Lumenta. Luka, though, they had no idea how to deal with, and so here he was, with nothing to do, and no one to do it with.

Oh sure, he still spent most of his free time with Joah, but it was harder now that they had nothing in common. Joah had his own interests, and talked during most of their time together about how connected he felt to the other members of the tribe, and how supportive his mentor, Alliac, was. Alliac was so helpful in instructing him how to form a picture of his Lumenta in his mind. Alliac had shown him how important it was to wait before transforming. Alliac was sure that he was progressing much faster than some of the other Initiates. This last statement was such a slap in the face to Luka, who couldn't help that no one knew what his Lumenta was. He was starting to regret refusing the tribeless and their invitation.

The only thing that kept him from leaving to find them now was May. He thought about her all day, when he wasn't dwelling on his frustrations with the Terris. If he could just hear one thing from her it would give him hope, but Nikka never mentioned her, though she had written him several letters. She, too, was something of a misfit, feeling out of place among the Aquis and especially the other Initiates—who she said stared and whispered about her. Well, he could sympathize.

Someone opened the door and called out his name. He slid his feet to the floor and stood, staring at Duor Hama, who had just stepped in. He was wearing a wide smile, and for a moment, Luka felt his heart leap, considering that maybe they had finally figured him out. Maybe he wasn't a freak.

"Hello, Luka. How are you doing?" He was a gruff man, and conservative, but Luka had learned Hama was also kind and sympathetic to his plight.

"I admit that I feel at loose ends around here," he said looking around the bare room and its empty beds.

"Well, I have some news that might cheer you up. We've found a mentor for you!"

Luka was skeptical. How could he have a mentor without knowing what his Lumenta was?

"But I don't have a Lumenta yet," he said.

"Luka, you _do_ have a Lumenta. We just haven't identified what it is yet. And I think you will be pleased in our choice of mentor. She was something of a puzzle to us, too, until we finally tracked down her Lumenta," said Duor Hama. "You will also be pleased to hear that she is a craftswoman, woodwork is her specialty. So you see, it was meant to be."

While he didn't have much hope that she could help him, Luka was happy to hear that he would be able to work with his hands again. Woodwork was one of the most soothing ways to put a person's hands to work.

"Get your things and come with me," said Duor Hama.

~~~~~

They walked along the path that led to the residential district. Luka had discovered that the main reason the Terris looked so fit wasn't because they did many manual tasks—gardening, digging, and building—but because they believed in walking everywhere they went. The Initiates had been instructed that the Terris believed in a simple life as much as possible, to keep them connected to the earth that was their sacred element.

To this end, they used materials that were grown from the earth—wooden and metal tools, houses made of mud and wood, clay fired bowls and cups, and a local luminous rock to light their homes. They had several hot springs located throughout the town that provided some of the most luxurious bathhouses that Luka had ever seen—all of them outfitted with the strange water boxes they called showers. After being introduced to all the ways in which the Terris stayed connected with their tribal element, it didn't surprise Luka that they insisted on walking everywhere they went, if at all possible.

They were also, to his surprise, strict vegetarians in most cases. "If you've transformed into a cow or sheep, you can hardly eat one," he'd been told. And it made sense. He hadn't missed meat that much, though he'd grown up eating it his whole life. Some—High Council member Koen—still ate meat because of their Lumentas, but they were careful to keep it from offending their fellow tribe members.

As they traveled, he looked again at the houses around him, marveling at the idea that they lived in a city of thousands, or tens of thousands. Another of the Terris' interesting beliefs seemed to be space between buildings, so a city as large as Akme sprawled for miles and miles, stretching past the bounds a normal city would encompass. Somehow, all the Initiates managed to stay close enough to the Initiate's Hall to meet every day for their classes, though.

After a long walk, in which Luka once again found himself missing the cart and pony he'd left behind with his parents, they reached a small cottage with a fenced yard and a large shop off to its right. The yard was filled with herbs and plants that Luka had learned were oily enough for extraction, which made sense since his new mentor probably had to use them for making finishes.

Duor Hama led him through the gate and had him set his things on the porch next to the door. Then they walked over to the shop, where Luka could hear the sound of a hammer pounding. Waiting for Duor Hama to heft the door open, they stepped in, blinking in the dim light, although the shop, filled with several wide windows, was bright.

The shop was wide and open and seemed bigger from the outside than it did from the inside. It was filled with various pieces of furniture and other tools in various stages of construction. Along one wall was a well-organized collection of tools, each arranged by both size and type. Luka was impressed, as his parents had employed a more relaxed workspace for themselves. On the other side of the room were buckets, full and empty, and several large covered urns. In the corner near the door was an area with tables and tools for fine decorative work and near it was a ceramic-lined chimney and fire pit with a pot hanging on a hook over it, lid rattling to let off steam.

"Kanae," Duor Hama called, gesturing for Luka to step forward.

From a door near the back of the workshop, came a woman whose appearance, after having lived with the Terris for almost three weeks, was a shock. She was the first _normal_ looking woman he had seen since leaving behind the Citadel. She stood the same height as Duor Hama, and was also solid and stocky, though not unattractive. She had dark brown, almost black, eyes and cropped brown hair. She was clothed in green coveralls that look similar to the ones his mother wore when she worked and her hands showed her trade: cracked, brown, and thickly calloused.

She smiled at him, and he found himself smiling back, noticing the deep dimples on each side of her plump lips. She was attractive, but he saw her as a kindred spirit, and felt relief at the Duor for choosing her as his mentor.

"I'll take it from here, Hama," she said, foregoing his proper title. Duor Hama seemed to take it in stride, bowing and giving Luka a pat on the back as he left.

"Now, Luka, let's go have some lunch and a nice long chat," she said.

### Zyander

He felt a cold nose against his cheek, waking him from a sound sleep. He jumped when his eyes opened and he saw he was looking into the face of the little fox he had talked to in his dreams.

"You _are_ real!" he said and pushed up to rest his weight on his forearms.

"Don't be foolish, Fire Child. Now, up, up—we need to get moving."

"Wait a minute," he said, and scrambled out of his sleeping cot, feet tangling in the blankets. He pulled on his clothes, and took a small pack with flat bread, cheese, and a flask of water to drink along the way, then followed the vixen along through the woods.

The forest seemed alive in the early morning light—he heard sounds that he hadn't heard since entering the forest. The clamor was almost terrifying in comparison to the quiet of yesterday. It made him nervous and jumpy—every sound was a new thing.

The vixen was surprisingly fast, pacing through underbrush, ferns, dead branches and every other type of forest detritus over the ground. She ducked around trees, scampering with lightning speed, and he was hard pressed to keep up with her. He had no idea where they were going, and almost no idea what direction they were heading in. The sun overhead was dim through the filter of the trees above.

"Quickly, Fire Child," she called back, craning her head to see him.

"I'm going as fast as I can," he said.

She slowed, and looked up at him with reproach.

"I remember when your tribe were like the mists of the forest, curling and floating through the brush, without noise. Listen to you, stumbling like a little kit," she said.

"I'm doing the best I can," he grunted, jumping over a log. He wished, as he landed, that he had her size and nimble feet.

After a long enough time moving through the woods that the sun had almost reached its zenith in the noonday position, the sweat was falling in generous rivulets down his forehead, neck, and pushing down his back. Still he pressed on, unwilling to let the vixen mock him any more than she already had.

Finally, he started to hear a rushing sound, indicating there was water nearby. He felt an almost palpable relief, and started thinking about how he was going to plunge his entire body into icy cold water. It was a fantasy so appealing that when she brought him to a halt near a small pool of water, he almost plunged headfirst into the soft ripples.

"You must wait, Fire Child," the vixen stared up at him. "I am to instruct you."

He collapsed on the ground, without bothering to hide his fatigue. Laying back, he stared up at the spreading branches and said, "What are you going to instruct me on?"

"Sit up and pay attention, kit, these are deep words, important to saving your tribe and its magic," she said and sat on her haunches, looking down at him.

He rolled over onto his side and considered her words. Then he sat up, legs crossed, and said, "Instruct me then, vixen. What do I need to know?"

Jerking her head, she indicated the pool. He looked at it with care for the first time. It was small, as he had seen before and about an arm's length from him. Causing the rushing sound was a waterfall that was about two hands across, not large at all. The waterfall came from a ledge that was a man's height above the water. Once again, he resisted the urge to plunge into its soothing cold stream.

"This pool is a sacred place, can you guess why? Probably not, since you are so hard in the head, like old wood."

He glared at her for a moment, then closed his eyes trying to feel something. All he felt was _other_.

"It feels entirely foreign to me. So different I can't understand it."

She barked. "You do not know how true your words are," she said, approving. "This place is special because it is where the sacred element, water, was created. Take off your clothes and step into it."

He was never so happy to follow her instructions. He felt strange undressing before her, but perhaps she just thought of him as an ugly human lump anyway. When he was naked, he plunged into the water, catching his breath at the cold. He ducked his head under and stayed as long as he could without taking a breath, then waded out to where the waterfall flowed. The water was up to his chest and he stood directly under it, relishing the flow and crash of it over his head.

"It feels wrong, touching this sacred place, especially bathing in another tribe's element," he said, after a while.

"And this is what you are to learn, Fire Child. The elements were made for _you_ , not for Iam. To the Five Tribes, were given the Five Sacred elements. To the creatures, were given the common magics. The people of the Five Tribes share in the common magics so they will always be connected to Iam's creations.

"In order to understand what happened to your own tribe's magic, you must first understand all the elements and their purpose. You need to know why they were created and why they are important. The Five Tribes are all the same, but you have been separated for so long you forget that."

"So, water was created for all of us," he said, following her words down their logical path.

"Water gives life to us, it keeps our bodies from shriveling upon our bones. Water grows the plants that nourish us and shelter us. That is water's purpose and those that wield it have a sacred duty to use it for the good of all. Are you starting to understand?"

"Maybe," he said.

"Good," she said, "Then wake up!"

He sat up and realized that he was still in his tent, and had dreamed yet another dream about the vixen. What was Iam trying to tell him?

### Chapter 13:

### Nikka

That evening was cold and moist, but they built a fine tent in the midst of the drizzle that insisted on infringing on their merry jaunt. It echoed Nikka's own feelings, for ever since seeing Jerem act that way toward the timid Joaga, she felt as though a dark cloud had descended on her mind and she was finding it hard to act towards him as she had before.

Sending her puzzled glances over the fire that went up through a conveniently placed hole in the roof of the tent, he continued to act like his charming self. The problem was, she couldn't tell which Jerem was real—the one who had been harsh or the one that had befriended her so many weeks ago.

For the first time since she had become Compis, she realized how hard the next year of life was going to be. In every tribe, she was going to have to act one way and feel another, and now she knew that sometimes, she would have to disguise revulsion in a pleasant face and manner.

She knew it might awaken Jerem to knowledge of his earlier slip, but Joaga wasn't around now to give her away and she wanted to know more.

"Why do you keep the Sea Mothers and Fathers?" she asked, shivering. "They are so ugly and shrinking. They make my stomach turn whenever I'm around them. I don't know how you can stand it, they are so... _alien_. If I lived among you, as I might have the chance to, I would insist on living without one, yet you all seem to do it."

She hoped she was able to convey enough dislike that Jerem would find her a sympathetic audience to his own leanings.

"They've always been with us, so I suppose we're used to them," he said with a shrug. "You have to understand, Nikka, they're creatures of common magic. You're right to call them alien. They don't think as we do at all. They enjoy serving us, they live for it."

"They're not very bright, poor creatures," said Luba. "We have to be like shepherds for them, they would be lost otherwise."

"Weren't they sea animals at one point?"

The two looked at each other.

"Where did you hear that?" asked Jerem.

"Well, it's there in the name, isn't it?" she said, confused and a little afraid that she might get Joaga into trouble if she confessed that he was who had told her.

Relief washed over Jerem's face.

"It's true," he said, calm and informative, back to his charming self again. "Eons ago, it's said, they lived in the sea, like fish creatures, eating and living among the other dumb animals. We don't really know when that changed. There are stories we tell the children, because they ask, too, where the Sea Mothers and Fathers came from."

"Oh," said Nikka, pretending excitement. "Tell me one of your stories!"

"You should, Jerem, you do it so well," said Luba, caressing him with her eyes.

"All right, I will," he said, then sat up and passed his hands over the flames to warm them.

"Ages ago, when humans didn't exist, Iam experimented with the other creatures of the land, wanting to make companions to dwell in the lands made to house them. Of all the creatures, the closest to humans, in the sea, were the Sea Mothers and Fathers. But when they were created, they realized they weren't meant to dwell in the sea anymore, for they had been changed during Iam's experiment.

"So they went to Iam and said, 'Please, let us leave the sea behind and dwell on the land, for our minds have become wiser and we want to build and create and use the magic you have given us.'

"Iam took away their pelts and flippers and gave them legs to walk upon. They built houses and made tools, but their lives were still empty, for they longed for someone to share knowledge with. Again, they went to Iam and petitioned, this time asking for someone to share their houses and tools and magic with them.

"Iam experimented again, this time with land creatures, where the Sea Mothers and Fathers were now living, and made the humans and gave them their own magic. Practice makes perfect, and the humans were smarter and stronger than the Sea Mothers and Fathers. Unlike some who are strong, they did not lord over the weaker creatures. Instead, they were loving and giving and inspired such devotion in the hearts of the Sea Mothers and Fathers, that those grateful creatures, realizing their inferiority, gave up their own concerns to look after their created companions.

"How long this has been going on, we are not sure, but what we do know is, it has been so long since that time, that none of us remember a time without our gentle, timid friends."

"That was a beautiful story," said Nikka, hoping her voice sounded sincere. In reality, it was a horrible story, full of arrogance and condescension. It was no wonder Agga called Jilli, "Herself," if that was how she acted towards the creatures. On the other hand, and with no little shame, Nikka recalled her own behaviors towards the Sea Mothers and Fathers, having been led by Jerem and the others to treat them with the same motherly derision. She flushed with shame over how she had bossed around Agga, even though she had never raised a hand to her, as Jerem had done with Joaga.

"That is the version we tell the children," said Luba, with a frown. "The reality is much different."

"What do you mean?" asked Nikka and noticed the glare Jerem sent Luba.

"They were dying, until we came along," said Luba. "The poor dumb creatures couldn't fashion tools and their magic is minimal at best. We took them in, caring for them, giving them shelter and food and in return, they work for us.

"We don't know why they left the sea, but it made them weak. We are the only thing standing between them and starvation."

Luba sounded as though she believed what she'd just said, but Nikka knew it wasn't true. Agga was one of the most powerful beings she'd ever met, and certainly capable of making tools, catching her own food, and taking care of herself, not to mention Jilli and Nikka. Was the girl deceived? Did she really believe the Sea Mothers and Fathers were inferior? Or was she trying to convince Nikka that their societal division was worth maintaining? Nikka fell asleep wishing she had a better perspective to the puzzle of the Aquis.

~~~~~

The sea was a foaming, frothy mess from the surface, waves crashing up and over any barrier: beach, cliff-side, scattered mounds of rocks along the shore. Underneath, however, was another world, dim, but lit by the stormy sky above. A curious calm pervaded the weightless world beneath. The kelp, seaweed, and other sea plants wafted back and forth in the gentle current of the tide. Darting to and fro, fishes found meals, fought small battles for dominion, and became meals themselves.

With every meter gained from the shore, the ocean became a wilder place, full of creatures and fish who were unknown, large water beasts with gaping mouths of teeth and delicate dark creatures who zipped beneath the rocky outcroppings, hiding from predators. It was a jungle of flora and fauna, and throughout it all, there was a magical force watching and waiting.

Suddenly, a soft furry creature, with water-smoothed skin flew past, clutching at a fish, who happened to be swimming too slow and then it was lunch, popped into a mouth full of short sharp teeth. The crunching of its feasting couldn't be heard in the muffled underwater world, but the blood and guts that drifted away from the scene of carnage conveyed a "stay away" message that was effective enough.

The seal turned, looking out toward the water, feeling the edginess of eyes watching it. Its own visual orbs were dark and large, to help with visibility in the murkiness of the underworld. Zooming away was not sufficient, for as so many other of the sea's victims, it had not been fast enough. Instead of a large mouth, it was encircled by a twining, tangling net and though it squirmed, bit and thrashed, the seal was unable to free itself.

Rising up, up, up, above the kelp and above the frothy white peaks of the waves, the seal was lobbed on the wooden deck of a boat, something it had never seen before. It landed with a wet splash and as the sun rose higher and its pelt dried off, a curious thing began to happen. The seal changed, flippers forming short stubby feet and arms. The fur left its face and legs and retreated to form a robe of sorts, that wrapped around a small, gray-skinned creature with a flat face and sad eyes.

It looked around at the astonished faces of the fishermen and women and with a pleading voice said, "Help me!"

_It was a Roaneu_ , Nikka realized, waking up from her dream.

### Luka

Kanae walked with sure strides over to the pot that was still bubbling in the corner and with a practiced hand and a protective glove, lifted it off the bar it was hanging on and walked back to him.

"Come, this stew should be nicely cooked by now," she said, leading him back to the house.

He closed the door behind him and followed her around to the back entrance of the house, which was closer.

"There's a necessary down the hall with running water where you can wash up. It's cold, but it serves the purpose," she said, settling the pot on a trivet.

"A necessary?" he asked, having never heard the word before.

"Oh, sorry. The bathroom, I meant. I grew up Aquis, and that's what we called it. Old habits die hard," she said.

She turned to her cupboards and started pulling out eating utensils and dishes, along with sides for the meal: butter, bread and such. Luka admired the craftsmanship and organization she'd created in the kitchen. It wasn't a large room, with what seemed to be only one corner for cooking. There was a stove, pantry, and sticking up from the floor he saw the handle for the cold box to keep the food fresh. On the other side of the room was a small table placed in its own corner and three chairs surrounding it. Just enough for company, if the need arose.

He remembered his things on the porch.

"My bags," he said.

"There's a small room directly past the necessary on your way down the hall. You can put your things in there," she said, without turning around. "Hurry along now. Don't want the food to get cold."

He did as she ordered, retrieving his things and then set them on the small bed—well made—and then went and washed his hands and face. He rejoined her in the kitchen where she was ladling stew into two wooden bowls.

She gave him one bowl of stew and he seated himself in a chair. Setting her own bowl at the place next to his, she went back to the counter for a platter of bread, a small plate of butter, and a pitcher of ice cold water.

"I know stew seems a bit hot for this weather, but it's quick to prepare and can cook all day without me having to tend it."

"It's delicious," he said, savoring the flavors of the herbs and vegetables. "Besides, I'll be glad enough of stew when the rains come."

"True enough. With you here to help me in the workshop, I'll be able to give more time to varying our meals. Hama said that you and your parents did woodwork?" she asked.

"Mostly decorations for buildings and some larger display pieces. The kind of thing you put in temples or use to make a house look nice," he said.

"That makes sense, given the Aeris talent for designing and crafting buildings. That spire on the Citadel tower, for instance, one of my favorites. You'll find that my work here is more practical. I make tools, harnesses, wagons, and the odd piece of furniture—although that's more hobby than fast trade.

"I'm sure you've noticed by now that the Terris aren't much for decorating. We believe in function over form, purpose over pretty. Gardening, livestock, weaving—these are the things that we prefer to put our hands to. These are things that keep us closer to the earth, our sacred element."

He slurped down the last of the liquid in the bowl, then took a large slice of bread and slathered it with butter. Kanae did the same.

"Lucky for you, the tools are all the same in our business, even though the end product is different. Once I see you at work, I'll be able to gauge what you'd best be suited for."

They ate in silence for some long minutes and then Luka asked the question he'd been longing to since Hama had mentioned his new home.

"Did Hama tell you about my problem?" he asked.

"Your problem? Oh, you mean the bit about your Lumenta?" she asked.

He nodded and swallowed. "They can't figure out what it is," he said.

"Don't let those stuffed shirts get you down, Luka. You're not the first person this sort of thing has happened to. Problem is, it's rare enough that all the leaders of this and that run around like headless bugs. You'll find your place, else Iam wouldn't have picked you for this tribe.

"Look at me, I've got the most useless Lumenta there is. Took ages to discover it. You know why? We're landlocked out here, if you haven't noticed. Know what my Lumenta is?

"Seal, that's what. Saltwater creature, waterbound, flops around like a fish on land. That's why I don't look more animal than human. Yet this is my home, it's where I fit and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. The Terris are my people and they've been good to me, despite my difficulties early on."

Luka sighed. He felt relief that he wasn't the only one who didn't fit in, but he still preferred to believe that he'd been chosen for the wrong tribe.

"You done?" she asked, clearing away her dishes.

Nodding, he helped her clean up and then followed as she led the way back to her shop for the rest of the afternoon's work. Instead of taking him through the list of tasks he'd be doing and the tools he'd be using, as he had assumed, she took him into the room that she'd come from when he and Duor Hama had first entered the building.

He was surprised to see a personal workspace that had nothing to do with furniture or tools. There were carving tools for fine work—what he'd used when working with his parents—and there were several carved figures on display in the room, in various states of completeness. In the corner, there were two shelves, one with finished statues and one with blocks of wood. The statues didn't have the polish and talent of the old Ignis pieces he'd seen in his life, but they had a life of their own and Kanae's passion for her work showed through them.

He stood in the center of the room as she walked over to the corner and after several minutes of consideration, chose a block two hands high and one hand wide. Crossing the room, she gave it to him.

"I think this will help you," she said, then explained, "When I was struggling to find my Lumenta the only thing I could do to center myself and get peace was to put my knife to wood and carve up a statue. When you have a free moment, which will be scarce, what with your training and duties here, work on this. Maybe it will give you peace, too."

He stared down at the hunk of Catalpa wood in his hand and wondered what he could make of it. The possibilities swirled through his mind and he felt excitement for the first time in days.

### Zyander

They were traveling again, he and the vixen, this time moving over broken rock and scrabbling brush on their way to the heights. She didn't rush him this time, but instead, stayed next to him as he worked, climbing slow and steady with aching fingertips reaching and gripping. He'd removed his boots, they were no help, and now they swung from their strings against his shoulder. His toes grabbed each peak and foothold with a steady grasp.

"Have you considered what we spoke of last time, Fire Child?" she asked at one point.

"I have dwelt on nothing else beside these dreams," he said. "Our travel is slow, and though Alys is excellent company, these sessions of ours are ever in my mind. I wonder what they mean and what Iam is trying to tell me."

"Is that all you do? Wonder?" she sounded disappointed.

"I try to consider what I could do when we reach the forgotten city. I am hoping to find a spell book or an artifact that will help cure us of this disease."

"Foolishness! Foolishness!" she barked. "You can not cure the illness your tribe has been cursed with. You and all your tribe are the same, obsessed with the glory of past, unable to get away from it."

"Well, how am I ever to use magic again if I can't cure the sickness? What is the purpose of all this?" he sat against the ledge looking down at her and inhaled deeply to try and get more air into his lungs.

"Did I ever say anything about curing the sickness? No, I did not. Let me tell you something and hear me, Fire Child, you will never cure the sickness. It is down in the marrow of your bones. You will never be rid of it."

The words struck him like a thunder clap and he couldn't seem to grasp them. _He would never be rid of it_. _It had sunk into the marrow of his bones_.

"We will always be sick," he whispered. "Always?"

"You should stop thinking of it as a sickness and thing of it as _The Change_. Your tribe has grown and evolved, yet you all act as though you were still the same. You must change your ways, change your magic!"

"And to do that, I have to learn about the other elements? I have to understand my own magic in order to know how to fix it?"

He turned back to the rocks and started climbing again. It was worth thinking of with more effort, this idea of changing the way he looked at the sickness.

"Each of the elements has a purpose, given by Iam. As it is with water, it is so with fire. Iam has no desire for your element to peter out, to diminish and go away. All the elements need to be present and in balance for the Five Tribes to exist. If one of the elements disappears, then they will all disappear. There will be no more elemental magic in the Five Tribes. Who is to say what will happen after that? Will any of the common magic survive?"

He dwelt on what she had said as he scrambled over the rocks, feet slipping on the occasional loose rock. He didn't dare look down; he'd done a steep climb for more than a few hours. The ground was probably so far away from him by now that it would make him sick to see it. He risked a glance upward, however, and was pleased to see that the top was only a few handholds away.

He pulled himself up and over the edge, heaving his weight with sore and shaking arms. He was eagerly anticipating the end of his dream, when he would be able to wake up on his pallet, under a warm sleeping blanket, listening to Alys' soft snores in the tent beside his.

He pulled on his boots, then they stood at the top of the cliff, the vixen and Zyander, looking out at the canyon in front of them.

"Where are we?" he asked.

The view was incredible. He was standing on one cliff of many; as far as the eye could see, they crowded around the deep canyon like the graceful spires of the Citadel. The winds whipped at his skin and dried his eyes. If he stayed up here much longer, he would experience an almost diabolical thirst. Wind was a terrible thing up so high, but luckily, right before the rains as it was, the weather was temperate, which helped temper the biting kick of the gusts around him.

"These are the Cliffs of Iverside. Every child among the Aeris knows of them. There is a ceremony once a year, during Magna Venta, where the tribe celebrates their element's origin—here. This is their holy place, and that is why we come here today.

"Wind brings our weather, it helps to keep the birds on wing. Air is what we breathe. It is a vital part of our bodies."

"Okay, so now what?" he asked, looking down at her.

"Now, you fly," she said, nipping him on the ankle, teeth penetrating through the leather of his boot. He jumped.

"Ouch, what are you-" his words cut off as his foot slid on the loose rocks and he tumbled over the edge.

He screamed as he plummeted, willing himself to wake up, but instead, he fell further and further. Staring up at her foxy face looking down at him, he was astonished to hear her bark, again, "Fly!"

Somehow, he turned, like a hotcake on the griddle being flipped over. Now he was watching himself move toward certain death and instead of the mere seconds it should have taken, time was stretching, stretching, until he slowed to a stop, feet from the bottom of the dry canyon floor.

He thought about putting his feet down, to walk back along the high cliff sides until he reached the path he'd started at, but instead he wondered if maybe he could will himself upward, and fly, as the vixen had ordered. He curled his arms and legs toward the canyon floor, not to stand up, but more to arch himself up as though he was curling into a diving position.

He shouted when it pushed him up back toward the clifftop. He whooped when somehow he was able to glide upward again, pushed by the wind itself, or so it seemed. He turned circles and swooped and dipped, enjoying the weightless sensation.

Then he woke up, again.

~~~~~

"What do they mean, the dreams? Do you think Iam seeks to tell you something?" asked Alys, as they ate their evening supper.

After the third dream, he'd related the vixen and her teachings to Alys on their journey further south. Alys was full of questions; he was a curious fellow in normal situations, but this was even more interesting than usual.

"I'm not sure. Part of me thinks they are nonsense, but then why would they be serial? Why would each dream be a continuation, with the same character and the same theme?"

"It's a good question. Personally, I think they are true dreams. Have you noticed the way you rub your chest all the time now? You never used to do that." Alys poured Zyander some more tea. Their original stash was growing smaller, but they were both well-versed in herb lore, so they were able to add to it with their findings along the way. In the same way, they dug up tubers and wild onions to add to the evening meal.

Zyander looked down at his hand, which was even now rubbing the material of his shirt over his rib cage and breast bone. He couldn't say why he did it now, except that he felt something there, growing, taking over his body.

It was only a matter of time before he lifted his shirt and saw the golden palm on his chest, he was sure of it.

### Chapter 14:

### Nikka

Nikka had never believed in true dreams until that night. She'd never had one and had never heard of anyone who had, except for the Divinaris. The Divinaris were a species unto themselves, secretive and reticent, except for festivals, gatherings, and teaching. She had heard they dreamed of the future, telling of fortune and famine alike, to keep the tribe healthy and unified. Even if a dream was true, she'd never heard of one that showed something that happened in the past.

It was as if that story of Jerem's had been the complete opposite of what had happened in reality, except the reality was a dream that didn't make sense. Seals becoming people when on dry land? She had never heard of such a thing. She couldn't erase it from her memory and the image of the seal lad becoming human haunted her brain with a fever that wouldn't extinguish.

She was quiet much of the way home; Jerem and Luba had each asked her if there was anything troubling her. She answered honestly that she'd had a nightmare, but she wouldn't say what it was about and she could see that it worried them. They were probably supposed to keep her happy and entertained.

Nikka longed to speak of her dream to Joaga, but the little Sea Father avoided her at all costs, maybe afraid that she would pester him with questions as she had before. Perhaps, even more disquieting, Jerem had threatened him. She wouldn't put it past him. After her dream, she was almost unable to bear his company, preferring to sit in isolation near the prow of the little boat, mulling over her own thoughts and the horrible burden she had to bear as Compis.

There were so few to confide in now. She couldn't talk to her parents, they would only try to convince her to stay with the Aeris. They loved her and missed her after all. She would have confided in Luka, but she wasn't certain who would have access to his letters, once he finally found a mentor. His letters were changing, too, sounding more and more hopeless. She wished that May would write and hated her cousin's silence.

Then there was Zyander. _Oh, Zyan_ , she thought, remembering their last kiss, laying next to him on the cot and dozing in his arms, sharing a large pitcher of juice, looking at all the Ignis artifacts. Nikka wanted to tell him most of all, but she wasn't sure, after her last letter, of his reception. She wished she could just transport herself to where he was, but Agga said that was the most dangerous of the common magics. A letter was one thing, but a person was quite another.

So Nikka bided her time, kept to herself until they reached port, then thanked Luba and Jerem for the lovely trip. She walked the long road back to Jilli's house just in time for supper.

Jilli was sitting at the dining table, a place where Nikka had hardly ever eaten in the month she had been living with the Aquis. She glanced up at Nikka as she came through the door, dabbed her mouth with her napkin, and gestured for Nikka to take a seat at the other place setting. Then she resumed eating her raw fish and seaweed rolls.

"Jerem tells me that you had a nightmare last night," she began. Nikka wondered how she could have gotten word so quickly and realized that there must have been some Aquis magic that allowed for quick communication. Once again, she wished she had someone to teach her. "I hope it won't affect your stay with us. It was just a dream, after all, my dear. What was it? Something about your parents?"

Agga entered the room, bowed to her and served her a plate of hot baked fish, tubers, and a creamy green sauce that made her sigh with pleasure. Nikka watched her fill the mug beside her plate and considered how much of her dream she wished to relate to the woman. Discretion might be the best idea. She couldn't get information out of anyone if they were on guard against her, after all.

She decided on a partial truth.

"I dreamed that I was part of the Terris, having chosen them as my tribe. I could transform into a beautiful golden bird, with long feathery plumes and a lilting song that could enchant the listeners under a spell of my own creation.

"One day I was flying around, as that bird, listening to the songs of the other birds, snatching berries and bugs to eat, when suddenly a wicked, barbed net was thrown over me. I was pulled from the air, cheeping miserably, unable to free myself.

"When the net was brought to the ground, I lay there, at the feet of my captors, looking into their hard faces for the mercy I hoped to find. Then, as quickly as I dared, I transformed back to my human self, hoping that they would recognize me as a friend. My bird claws turned to feet, my wings into hands, but somehow, my feathers didn't retreat completely. I was on the ground, naked, covered in a robe of gold feathers. The only word I could utter was, 'Help!'

"Instead of helping me, I was enslaved, made to bear the terrible burden of servitude for life. I woke up, shuddering in fear."

Nikka heard a crash in the kitchen and looked up, hoping that her words had hit one mark, at least.

"What an odd dream," said Jilli. "Have you any idea what it means?"

"I tend to believe as you do, that it was only a dream. Still, I can not seem to remove it from my mind," said Nikka.

"Perhaps it is a portent, meant to warn you away from the Terris, my dear. I can not say, for I know not how to interpret dreams, and I hesitate, as a High Council member, to warn you away from any tribe in particular. It _is_ strange that you were part of the Terris tribe, I must say. Odd, indeed."

She finished the last of her supper with the exquisite grace Nikka had come to expect from her, then rising, said, "Well, my dear girl, I must away to my workshop, for I have things to prepare for the next phase of the Initiates' education. One of my many duties."

With a smile she excused herself and left the room. Nikka finished what she could of her own supper, picking at the fish for a while before giving up. She went upstairs and collapsed across the bed, feeling hopeless, confused and _young_. It wasn't fair. She shouldn't have to make these kinds of decisions or feel this kind of pressure. She was just a girl, after all. Why should she have to bear the burden of being Compis?

A hand grabbed her ankle and yanked, almost pulling her off the bed. She shrieked and rolled over to stop herself from falling to the floor.

"Hush, or Herself will hear us," said Agga.

"What are you doing in here?" Nikka asked.

"You lied, down there in the dining room," she said, without preamble. She pulled up Nikka's head with a hand to the chin and looked into her eyes. "What did Iam tell you, pup?"

"I- it was just a dream, Agga. Who is to say that Iam was telling me a thing?"

"What did you dream?"

Nikka lowered her voice to a whisper.

"I dreamed the Roaneu were once seals, living in the ocean and protecting it. I dreamed that they were captured in nets and when brought to the surface transformed into humans. I dreamed that they asked for help, but no one listened. Was it a true dream, Agga? Did Iam send it to me?"

Agga looked at her and shook her head.

"I can not speak of it. This is a dangerous path you set your foot upon, pup. Best for you to turn around and choose something else."

Nikka stood up, emitting a frustrated huff of breath.

"I can't, Agga. The dream has haunted me since I had it. I can't sleep. I must know, are you prisoners here? Are you _slaves_?" Her voice dropped at the last word, she could barely utter it. Such a word was almost unheard of in the Five Tribes. It was a filthy word and made her feel ill.

"I can not speak of it, pup. Would that I could, would that I could."

With shuffling steps and not a single backward glance, she left the room, leaving Nikka more confused than ever.

### Luka

Luka was trying to find the strength to compose another letter to Nikka, but his arms ached with the fatigue of a good day's work. If only it wasn't every day that they ached. A solid week of being mentored to Kanae had been the most rewarding thus far since being chosen for the Terris, but she worked the life out of him.

His days, if he were to have the motivation to write of them to Nikka, went something like this: waking, breakfast, lessons with the other Initiates, a lunch that he scarfed down so he had enough time to carve out his wood block, afternoons and late evenings working with Kanae, supper, and then falling into bed, as he had tonight, having only enough breath left to whisper May's name before passing into a deep sleep.

It was helpful, it kept him from dwelling on his continued existence without a Lumenta. He felt slight consolation that even the other Initiates, who knew their animal family and their specific Lumenta weren't allowed to transform. The tribe had specific rules about the process to transformation, and the first step seemed to be copious amounts of research. Only when each person's mentor was satisfied with their progress, would they be allowed to transform.

"It is a serious thing, when an Initiate makes a failed attempt to transform or connect with the Lumenta inside. There are stories, I have never seen one in my lifetime, but there are cases where the Initiate is stuck as a halfling or dies in utter agony. Your mentors have a grave responsibility to protect you and usher you into your full standing as Inductees. This will be your journey over the next year," said Duor Hama.

Joah looked disappointed. He'd just learned that his Lumenta was a tawny-hearted field mouse, a small creature that hopped and jumped with nimble feet through the forest, collecting seeds and berries for the long winter sleep. All he talked about now was how much fun it was going to be to run up Grem's pant leg. He leaned toward Luka.

"Just wait, I'll figure out a way to do it early," he said. He might at that, he was one of the best at memorizing the material the Duor put before him. His mentor doted on him. Joah and his winning personality would gain him what Luka could only wish for. Still, Luka didn't have reason to complain about his circumstances any more.

Kanae seemed to understand what he needed: a steady job to keep his hands busy and no pressure regarding his longing for May or his lack of Lumenta. They got an amazing amount of work accomplished when they worked together, sometimes spending hours in silent partnership. Other times, they finished a few pieces and took a break to polish or refine, chatting the entire time.

Meanwhile, his block of wood had started to take shape. What it would be Luka had no clue, but he was coming around to the idea that it had a long graceful neck and sharp curved claws. Other than that, he had no guesses. He would rather enjoy the process of creation, using the sharp, skewer tool to carve the fine details that came to his fingertips while he worked.

He fell asleep and dreamed of flying and ripping apart prey, but he wasn't a bird, he was _other_.

~~~~~

The next day he sat with Duor Etho, as she once again, worked with him to focus his attention on the beast within, to pinpoint what family his Lumenta was in.

"Close your eyes, Luka, and think of an animal you might use to describe yourself. It can be anything, not even related to your Lumenta. When you were a child, what did you picture for yourself, in play time?"

Her voice was seductive in its talent to relax him through the tenseness in his body. All she had to do was say his name and he felt as though he could do anything. He supposed that was why she had been chosen to help him, rather than Hama, who nice as he was, found himself impatient more often than not.

Luka had never played those types of games as a child, he was too busy running around the workshop, playing hide and seek with his parents. At school, they were too busy learning lessons and the Five Tribe's beliefs to play much, and soon he was far too grown up to do such a thing as play pretend.

So instead, Luka thought of his dream, seeing the large golden wings flapping and swishing through the warm air. He remembered the feeling of lightness as he caught the warm current rising in a spiral up through the clouds. Most birds would consider it a trap, but he was strong enough that he had no fear from such a thing as a thermal. Instead, he felt a rush of power as he shot upward, circling and circling as he gazed down at the earth for prey.

In his dream, Luka had realized at once that he was hunting, as his keen eyes searched each blade of grass, each errant branch for the tiny creatures that would make up a midday snack. A movement caught his eye, a small furry creature moving from around a rock near the meadow's edge. He lifted his wings in a sharp V, dove through the air—using his body like a battering ram—and snatched the large rabbit from the ground with a solid thump.

The creature was already insensible, and near death from his attack. It was dead for certain when he ripped his sharp beak through its soft fur and muscle, letting a spray of blood splatter out into the open air. He positioned all four of his feet on the ground, tail twitching, as he devoured the rest of the creature.

"Luka, Luka," said an insistent voice, breaking him out of his revery, and he opened his eyes to Duor Etho's call.

She was concerned.

"Luka, where were you just now? You were quiet and unresponsive for several minutes. Are you all right?" she asked.

"I think," he began, and cleared his throat. "I think I might be something that flies."

### Zyander

Zyander found he was a bit more enthusiastic about his dream journeys after the time he'd had flying. There was nothing like it that he had ever experienced and he envied the Aeris, as well as some of the Terris.

"Do you think I'll ever dream about flying again?" he asked, holding out his arms as though the air would lift him up and send him soaring over the clifftops.

"What a silly kit you are," she said, with her bark of a laugh. "Today's destination will be more familiar to you than some of the others."

"Where are we off to?" he asked, as though that might give him a hope of finding out from her.

She didn't reply, but led him through a deep valley, filled with an open meadow and a rushing stream. The sun was almost blinding in the mid-morning light, adding sparkles to the water and the dew that lingered on the tall meadow grasses. He moved a hand to shield his eyes from the glare and suffered through the damp and the endless silence of his companion, who was not as talkative as she had been on the previous occasion.

After a few hours, the valley ended in a crux between two tall mountains. It was a narrow pass, but easily fit a single traveler and a full grown fox. Once again, as he passed through the quiet pathway and gazed up at the tall mountainsides above him, he was filled with the same thought he had when standing on the Cliffs of Iverside—it felt foreign to him.

He wondered if all tribes felt this way toward each other, or if he was unique, given that he had been born into the tribe he'd Inducted into. He thought about attending gatherings and staring at the members of other tribes without being able to imagine what they thought about, and what they did in their everyday lives. Most of the time, he looked at them with bitterness, angry at each well-fed, well-clothed face. It was true, his family had enough, but that was it, only enough. Nothing in reserve, nothing to spare—they had enough to survive, barring calamity.

The ground rose sharply beneath him and once again he was having to scramble and half-climb over loose shale while again, the vixen nimbly stepped beside him, at an advantage with her four feet.

When they at last made their way through the narrow passage and to the other side, he had to stop, rest, and take in the view. And what a view it was! Hidden from the outside world by the mountain range, and seemingly accessible only by the way he'd come in, this area was sacred, truly a place of Terris.

All around him, as far as he could see, there were tall oak trees. Taller than any he'd ever seen, reaching as high as the mountains, it seemed; they were scattered around the small valley, holding a stillness that rested with them. Their long leafy branches were laden with dark wavy leaves and the biggest golden acorns he'd ever seen, as big as his clenched fist.

As he walked through the gathering of mighty trees, sunlight filtered down in little beams, lighting the place like one of the temples the Divinaris resided in. He'd only seen one once, at a tribal ceremony, but he remembered windows of light, and dozens of candles around the room, a reflection of Iam's holiness. This place was hallowed, too, and the further he walked into it, the more he was a trespasser, as though the trees themselves were urging him backward, to where he'd come from.

He could hardly bring himself to speak, but he did.

"Where is this place, fox?" he asked, voice above a whisper.

"This is Yondal, the place of the trees," she said. "It is where the earth was born. This grove of oak trees is deep in the mountains where the Terris live and is looked after by caretakers."

"Who don't exist in dreams, I take it," Zyander said.

"Come, we have more to see," said the vixen and she ran on ahead of him.

Even running seemed sacrilegious in this place, but he followed her, halting, when she did, in front of the largest of the giant trees. She stood looking up at it, craning her small neck, then turned to him.

"This is it," she said, "And up you must go, to fetch an acorn from that branch." She indicated a branch on the left side of the tree, filled with more fist sized acorns.

He would have argued, but he knew at this point that it was useless. Instead, he looked for a craggy handhold in the crusty bark, to pull himself up with.

It was hard going, and in a matter of minutes, his fingers ached with the effort of keeping himself against the trunk, but after about an hour of climbing, he made it up to the branch. Shimmying across, to the first pocket of leaves, he twisted a small stem until the acorn came off in his hand. He could barely hold it in his palm, its circumference was that huge, but he pushed it down his shirt and shimmying further out upon the branch, lowered himself till he was clinging to it with only his sore hands.

Moving hand by hand to the end of the branch, he let his weight drag him closer and closer to the ground, until finally, the branch was bowed about a foot from the moist earth. He dropped, landing on his feet in a crouch, then reached into his chest to retrieve the seed.

"Here," he said, holding it out to the vixen.

"What am I to do with it, Fire Child?" she asked, with her bark of a laugh. "Plant it in the earth. Quickly, now."

He knelt on the ground, thanking Iam that the soil _was_ moist and dug at it with his fingers. When he had dug out about a foot of it, he rested the acorn, tip down, in the dirt, and filled in the opening he'd made.

While he worked, the vixen said, "Earth is where we are born. It grows our food, and gives our feet rest. We build upon it, we live upon it, we die, and sink into its depths."

He stared at the mound before him, wondering how long it would take before the acorn grew as large as the seedlings around it. Not long, apparently, for before his eyes, he watched it sprout, popping out two little leaves.

"It is not the trees here that are sacred, Zyan, remember that."

### Chapter 15:

### Nikka

The rains had come, at last, wiping away the world with their plenitude, and still Nikka hadn't resolved her confusion over the dream and her short conversation with Agga. The latter was avoiding her, which was easy to do, now that Nikka wasn't able to escape her duties as an Initiate. Her common magic might be at a higher level than the others, but now they were starting to learn some of the Aquis magics. Not many spells could be Aquis, in accordance with the laws of the Five Tribes, but enough that Nikka could insist on learning more when she progressed past the first of the spells.

Nikka was uncertain, at first, that she would be taught, and she said as much to Jilli, during breakfast one morning.

"Don't be silly, my dear girl, you need to know these if you decide to stay here and you'll have less catching up to do if you start now," she said, popping a spicy fish roll into her mouth. Once again they were at the dining room table

"What if I don't decide to stay here?" Nikka asked.

"Well, you will take a vow, as Compis, not to practice any tribe's magic except the tribe you join. It is a sacred vow. I'm not worried," Jilli said, smiling at her.

And so, the lessons in Aquis magic began. To Nikka, it was similar to learning common magic. Once she learned the basic concepts, it came all too easily. The power of Aquis flowed right from its sacred element. When she had practiced with Agga in the kitchen she had pictured the silvery lines of power, falling all around her like the rain, waiting to be plucked and used. With the Aquis, she pictured instead the crashing waves, flowing and ebbing over the shore.

Aquis magic was like running along the beach. The tide flowed in, taking the energy in a beautiful and subtle way. Their obvious magic was water control, manipulating and refining its uses. On a deeper level, they were weather caretakers, dissipating the worst of the storms to be useful, but always keeping an eye on balance of the rains and the pressure systems that came with them.

Aquis was most often a subtle magic, but at times it was as violent as the crashing waves. She enjoyed learning its intricacies, and the admiring look in Jilli or one of the other Duor's eyes was pleasing to her ego, but not to some of the others. Once she had progressed past the most elementary of the Aquis magic, she preferred to practice in private, because then she could feel the blush of success without having to bear the contempt of her fellow Initiates.

"Try this, Nikka," said Jilli, pointing to an old book on the table. Nikka put on her "eyes" and saw that it was covered in rippling blue lines.

"What is it?" she asked, reaching forward to touch it.

"Don't touch it! It's a binding spell. You'll get a nice shock, if you do," warned Jilli.

"So, I should try and unbind it, then?" she asked, looking to Jilli for instruction.

"Oh, I doubt you can, dear. This is a particularly tricky one. Bindings protect secrets and are the best protection we have. This is one of my favorites, it sends off a signal to its maker if the spell is tampered with yet not disarmed completely. I must leave to attend one of my many meetings, but I leave you here with this puzzle. See what you can do with it."

She swept from the room, gown swishing around her feet, while Nikka sat in the chair next to the work table, wondering how to crack the puzzle placed before her.

Leaning over it, she stared at the waving lines, which meshed together and formed a pattern so delicate it was a fine netting was wrapped around the thing. Even with her accelerated knowledge of the Aquis magic, it was obvious to her she wasn't going to be able to crack this spell in a day.

She sat looking at it for hours, before her lids grew heavy and she drifted off to sleep.

~~~~~

As with her dream before, Nikka was placed in the position of outside observer, watching from a distance as the scene unfolded in front of her.

She was in a small room. Agga, shivering and sobbing—looking quite different from her normal self—was on one side of the room, and on the other side was Jilli. Jilli was much the same, but the expression on her face was chilling. Cunning and malice played openly across her face.

The room was a shambles—clay pots, liquids, tools, were scattered over the counters and the floor. Books with pages ripped and wrinkled were toppled from their former shelves. A window pane was cracked and several cupboards were open, with one even hanging from its hinges. It was the setting of a major battle and from the looks of things, Jilli was the clear victor.

" _Please, please, give it back, give it back," Agga cried, reaching for something._

What she wanted was a furry sort of pelt that Jilli held in clenched fingers.

" _You are never, never getting it back," she said to the small creature. "Give up your fight with me; you won't win it. We need you and your kind and we will never let you go."_

" _We won't stop fighting!" said Agga._

" _You will, or you will suffer."_

To illustrate her point, Jilli held up the fur and taking a pair of scissors clipped a small section away from the pelt. Agga screamed in agony, clutching her side, as the blood poured from an invisible cut. The fur bled, as well, dripping like a leaky pipe from the triangle Jilli had made.

" _Don't ever defy me again. Don't ever try to enter my workshop."_

Jilli shoved Agga out the door while she still whimpered and closed it behind her, locking it. Then, with a few simple common magic spells, she cleaned up the mess in the room. After she was finished, she turned back to the table where the pelt was still resting and with a single finger, drew a complicated set of figures over it, muttering to herself the whole time.

When she was finished, Nikka could see the pattern that gleamed around it, and knew where she'd seen it before.

~~~~~

Nikka woke up face down on the table she'd been sitting in front of. Her skin stuck to the wooden surface, and she rubbed it, trying to bring the blood back into her face. She wondered where the dreams were coming from. Both of them seemed to be from the past, as though someone was showing her events in history.

She shuddered, remembering the content of her last dream and the horror that Jilli had put Agga through. No wonder Agga couldn't say anything. And what was the fur? Could it be that robe that she had seen wrapped around the Roaneu in her last dream?

Her stay with the Aquis was turning into more of a nightmare, with every day spent near them. How was it possible that she'd stumbled into such a hornet's nest? Only a few days ago, she'd cursed her fate on becoming a Compis. Now, she was hopelessly lost, trying to figure out how to pull herself out of the web of lies and deceit that she'd ended up in.

### Luka

"What did she say? Did she believe you?" asked Joah, when they were at the bathhouse, where they had been dismissed to shortly before the noon hour.

"I think she did, but when we looked at the books and I couldn't see anything that had been in my dream... well, she was disappointed."

"What _did_ you see in your dream?" he asked and looked at Luka with sympathy.

"I saw great golden wings, sharp claws, even sharper beak... and maybe... uh... a tail?" said Luka, ducking under the water, so he wouldn't have to see his friend's face.

"But you didn't see the whole creature?" asked Joah. He scrubbed and rinsed his face, then applied soap to his damp hair.

"No, because I was the creature, does that make any sense? It's similar to looking at your own parts without benefit of a mirror. You can see hands, arms, and a belly, but you have no idea what color your eyes are." He soaped up his own blond hair, plunged into the water, and came up clean and smelling of kitchen herbs from the soap.

"I don't know why I try," Luka said. "Every time I care in this place, I get beaten down. I feel like the world, Iam is against me. If it weren't for Kanae, I don't think I'd even want to be here." If it weren't for May, he added to himself.

"The others have been taking bets, you know," said Joah, who leaned back into the steaming water to wash away the suds. He then swung his head forward to spray his friend.

"Hey!" said Luka, and splashed him back. This led to an all-out water war in the bathing room, until one of the older men complained.

"Sorry, sir," said Joah, shooting him a guilty look, and the two boys moved from boys to Initiates again.

"Taking bets about what, Joah?" asked Luka.

"How long it will take you to leave us and move on to your friends, the tribeless," said Joah.

Luka sighed.

"Well, everyone knows you're not happy here, Luka. We all know that you didn't want to be here, you wanted to be with your girlfriend. And Grem saw you talking to them."

"I won't even bother denying it. I don't want to be here, and I think the Divinaris made a mistake. Why else haven't I found my Lumenta yet? It's obvious I don't have one, no one can help me find it."

"So your dream was... what, then?"

Luka got out of the water and toweled off.

"My dream was just a dream," he said.

~~~~~

He dreaded meeting with the Duor every day, but because they'd exhausted every other means of discovering his Lumenta, he was allowed to work on common magic. It was fun for him and he seemed to have a knack for it, unlike the Terris magic, which he was all thumbs at.

Today he was working with Duor Etho again. He was her personal project, since she seemed to devote much more time to him than to the others. Maybe she pitied him, but he didn't mind. He was just happy to think about something else besides the guiding force of the Terris.

"Now, Luka, yesterday we worked on movement within the Terris element, earth. I brought in this tray of sand for us to experiment with and work on your common magic skills."

She laid the tray out in front of him and moved his hands to rest on the sand. Then she set a bowl next to the tray.

"Today, we're going to start with a single grain of sand. Just move one of these into the bowl and I'll consider our work for the day accomplished."

Luka wasn't foolish enough at this point to think it was going to be an easy task. He'd learned that common magic, though thought by many to be the most elementary of the magics, was complicated when attempting even the most simple tasks. Leaning forward, he worked at moving a grain of sand, but his gestures were too sharp and most of the sand landed in the bowl.

Duor Etho picked up the bowl and poured the sand back into the tray, smoothing it back out with a little magic of her own.

"Again," she said.

He did, again and again, and yet again. He spent the entire afternoon trying, but the smallest amount of sand he could move was a handful. Yet Duor Etho was pleased.

"You've made great progress, Luka," she said.

"I don't think so," he said.

"Most Initiates couldn't make that much progress in a week, much less a single afternoon. Give yourself some credit," she said, patting him on the shoulder. "Go off and take a break. Run around or find where Joah ran off to."

Thanking her, he jumped up and ran outside and off toward Kanae's workshop, thinking of his statue. He'd started working on the feet, which fascinated him, because they were much like bird feet, with sharp talons, but also similar to hands—like a human's they had opposable thumbs. As he carved, he started to think that one of the talons was wrapped around a large salmon. He wasn't sure, everything was still fluid in his mind and he was trying to let his hands do the work, not his brain.

"I'm done for the day!" he called as he entered the workshop. Kanae was sitting near the little stove, sanding down an oxen yoke. It was especially important for an animal not to be scratched or nagged by a rough part, for sores could form, rendering the animal useless.

"Why don't you grab your sculpture and come sit here by me?" she suggested.

He was happy to comply, pulling up a chair near the warmth of the fire. Since the rains had started, there was a chill in the air that couldn't be erased from his bones. The heat helped.

"How was your lesson in common magic?" she asked, sliding the sander in a smooth line down the side of the wood.

"Frustrating, as everything is here. Duor Etho is pleased with my progress. Can I ask you something, Kanae?"

She nodded assent.

"Why is everyone so positive about my _situation_? Why am I frustrated while everyone else is satisfied?"

It was a point of contention that he was failing at being an Initiate.

"Maybe it's because we're all so much older. That sounds condescending, but it's at least partly true. When I was an Initiate, I was you—angry and confused. I didn't know my place in life. I felt out of touch.

"As the years have passed, Luka, I've felt more and more at ease. I know my place now, where I'm going, and what I'll be doing to get there. I'm happy in a way I wasn't once.

"The reason we are satisfied, is because we see ourselves in you. Someday, you'll be right where I am, talking to a confused young Initiate, saying the same sorts of words."

It was comforting, the idea that the world was circular, so Luka held onto the thought, while his blade moved through the wood.

### Zyander

It was the last of Zyander's wanderings, the lair of the Sanguis. After that, he assumed the dreams would end, since the vixen had made it clear this dream journey was about the other tribes' elements, and not his own.

He'd be sad to see them end. With the monotony of his daytime journeys, filled with rain and the smell of damp skin, the only interesting part of his travels had become his dreams. It was probably silly to dwell on them, as Zyander plodded along on a damp Twitchfoot, but the hours were endless and it was better than spending all his time thinking about Nikka.

Without the dreams to capture his attention, he would have spent hours picturing the sun glinting off her golden curls, or the way her eyes tilted up when she laughed. He could still feel her lips on his, her body in his arms, her soft voice in his ears. He would have done almost anything to see her again, but since that was a mistake, according to his father, Zyander knew he was where he should be.

He sat on a log, under the shelter of a tree large enough to keep most of the rain off his head. He was waiting for her, for once having entered his dream in a lucid state, and ready for wherever the dream would take him next.

It was quiet, without the normal forest movement, so he heard her wet snuffling when she neared him. Standing, he turned to see her looking up at him.

"I see you are ready, Fire Child," she said. "Let's be off."

The vixen nosed through some damp foliage, and they were on their way.

Unlike their previous trips, their travel time was less than an hour before she had led him to the entrance of a cave. Springing up from nowhere, it seemed, he discovered that there was a pocket of large boulders that perfectly covered the cave's mouth.

The entrance was a good foot shorter than him, so he had to duck as they entered it. Like the rest of his tribe, he wasn't partial to dark, small, enclosed places. With its tight quarters, this place gave him the chills. His breath quickened.

"Be at peace, Fire Child. Here is your light," she said and pushed him with her nose to the wall. He felt a torch under his fingers, and using a simple common magic spell, he lit it. They walked on, and he was feeling much better with a light showing the way.

The passage was long and narrow, and it took some minutes before they found what she had been leading them toward. It was a circular room, large enough for men to stand stacked in twos tall, and wide enough to fit about a hundred people standing side-by-side. The centerpiece of the room was a rough stone table, waist high, and circular.

Zyander moved around the room, lighting torches, and now he could see three objects resting on the table. When he walked over to it, he saw they were all carved from stone, like the table. There was a long spike—sharp to the touch, as thick as his arm. Next to that was a bowl, as deep as his hand and the circumference of his five fingers, spread. Finally, there was a tablet, with a picture of the five elements: water on the left, air on the top, earth on the right, and fire on the bottom. However, instead of the usual symbol for blood in the middle, there was a person, standing tall, arms stretched over its head.

The vixen leaped up onto the table, and sitting on her haunches, proceeded to tell him the story of how the Sanguis' element, blood, came to be.

"Blood is the trickiest of the elements, Fire Child. Though water, wind, earth and fire are all a part of us, they also are elements of the earth and they belong to it. Blood, however, though in many of earth's creatures, is not an element of the earth. It was given solely to the living beings that dwell here.

"Many years ago, when the earth was young, and there were no creatures to inhabit it, Iam walked its surface and thought about what would make it more rich and diverse. In all the elements of the earth, there was nothing that gave it that feeling of _other_ , nothing to draw the eye or make the heart soar. So Iam set about to make a creature that contained a pinch of the other elements, but would also have an element all its own, something to set it apart on all the earth."

Looking around at the room, she said, "This place is only a representation of what happened next, but it suits the illustration. Iam came to a room similar to this, and drawing a knife across an arm, let some blood drip into the bowl on the table. Using this blood, Iam created humans, and with the remaining blood, every other creature that walks the earth.

"So you might say that we are all special, as we have a part of Iam within us. And now, Fire Child, you have one last task before you. Take the spike and cut your palm. Let your blood flow into the bowl."

Because he knew it was a dream Zyander didn't hesitate to put out his hand and slice his palm with a shallow cut. He watched without expression as the blood dripped down into the bowl. He thought about each of the elements and wondered, yet again, what the overarching lesson was. Where did his tribe fit into this picture? Why were they dying out? How could he help them to recover their powers?

~~~~~

When he woke later, to the sound of the pouring rain filtering through the tall trees surrounding him, he realized his hand was aching. Looking at the palm, he saw a razor thin scar running across it. Heart pounding, he opened and closed his hand, feeling the dull pain lace across the remnant of the cut. For the first time, he knew his dreams were somehow real.

After they'd gotten up and eaten a quick meal of cheese, tubers found along their journey, and flat bread, they broke down camp, plodding along through the pouring rain. Each of them wore woven goat hair ponchos, set with waterproofing spells courtesy of the Aquis, at much cost. Each poncho was carefully taken care of and kept locked away except for needs such as theirs.

Suddenly, Twitchfoot whinnied, sidestepping away to the left, towards Alys and his own mount.

"Hey, hey, now, friend. What's wrong?" asked Zyander.

He looked down over his horse's forelegs and almost fell off in surprise. Looking up at him, from the soggy bottom of the forest floor, was a fox.

"Alys," he whispered, "Am I dreaming again, or is that a fox looking up at us?"

"You're not dreaming, Fire Child," said the vixen.

"In Iam's name!" shouted Alys. "That fox just spoke, Zyan!"

"We do that, silly human," said the fox. "Now, come, we have work to do."

And turning, she led them away, back to where she'd come from.

### Chapter 16:

### Nikka

Nikka couldn't sleep. She hadn't slept well in days. Every day, she stared at the book and tried to figure out what to do. Jilli was satisfied—she didn't have to come up with any new lessons for the talented young Compis. Nikka was frustrated and terrified.

After long hours of thought, and some heavy guess work, she'd put together a story that made her feel sick. The Roaneu had lived in the ocean, minding their own business, and one had been caught by a chance fisherman's net. When the creature met air and sunlight, a transformation took place, and it changed from a seal to something resembling a human. They had capitalized on the helplessness of the small creatures and taken away their pelts. The Roaneu were forced to work as slaves for them.

The Aquis were at best accidental slave owners, at worst psychotic taskmasters. A race of people—held, tortured, brutalized, and no one in the Five Tribes had said a thing. Maybe they didn't know, it was possible. She'd be surprised if anyone did. If she hadn't overheard Jerem on board the boat that day, she would have gone on, oblivious to the dark side of the Aquis.

At first, she'd been determined to break the spell on the book, sneak into Jilli's workspace, and free the pelt for her friend, Agga. After about two minutes, she had ruled out that idea. First of all, Jilli would know who had done it, the only person besides herself who could have, Nikka the Compis. Second of all, even if her plan worked and she freed Agga, that would still leave hundreds, maybe thousands of Roaneu still under duress.

There was no good way to solve this. If she could gain proof, and tell the other tribes, maybe they could use their position to force the Aquis to give up their servants. She tried to remember if there was a rule about slavery, but to be honest, she'd never heard anyone speak of it. It was an outlandish thing. Every person and animal was to be treated with respect, even when being used as a meal. It had never occurred to her that this could happen.

She got up and went downstairs. It was the middle of the night, Jilli had long since gone to bed—she was supposed to be up early to travel to the Citadel for a few days in preparation for the next gathering. It was only days away now, she could count it on her two hands. She had ten days to figure out what to do and she had no idea.

She started tea water in the kettle and searched through the cupboards for the tea mix Agga always made it with.

"It's the next cupboard over, pup," said a voice behind her.

She wilted.

"Thanks, Agga," she said, but before she could get it, Agga was there, pushing her over to the little table where she ate most days.

Nikka couldn't hold it in any longer. She folded her arms, laid her head down, and cried like a child who'd lost her favorite toy.

"Pup, what is it?" Agga touched her golden curls. "You haven't been sleeping and you look like you can't wait to be anywhere but here. Are you dreaming again?"

"I had one more dream, yes. It was about you, Agga. I saw what happened with Jilli, and I know how she keeps you prisoner here."

She looked up at Agga, but the little creature's face held no expression. _I wouldn't want to talk about it, if it had happened to me,_ she thought.

"I can't stop thinking about it, Agga. It's there, every time I see you or Jilli or all the other Initiates. It makes me sick. Jerem, yelling at Joaga. Jilli holding your pelt and cutting it. The hardest part is that I know it's in her workshop right now. All I would have to do is sneak in there, unbind the spell, and take it for you. You could have your freedom. It's driving me mad.

"I can't do this. It's too hard. I can't save your people. Being Compis is too hard," Nikka said.

"You say you can't, but, pup, whatever do you think you're here for? Why do you think Iam sent you? Do you think things like this have no consequences? Do you think what goes on in the separate tribes doesn't matter?

"You were sent here to heal the tribes, Nikka. And heal them you must. I do not tell you how, but I know it to be true. You must heal the Five Tribes."

~~~~~

Jilli was gone, and once again, she was staring at the book, trying to figure out what to do. If only Iam would just _tell_ her!

"Just tell me," she whispered. "Tell me."

It was at that moment she solved the puzzle, looking down on the whirls and squiggles of light before her. It was a trick of the light, the way she could only see it if she bent a certain way. There it was, a little orb, moving along the lines of the book as though someone had traced it with a finger.

Putting her finger above the book, she followed the ball along, tracing out the pattern, following it over and over, across, down, up, right, left, around and through. Suddenly, as though it were a heap of loose string, the spell fell apart, as though it had never existed. The book lay in front of her, begging to be touched.

Nikka opened the book, wondering if Jilli would have given her anything of value, on the off chance she would have broken the spell. She paged through it, but it was just a simple book of children's tales. Thinking through her problems as she mindlessly turned the pages, she stopped, attention caught by the page in front of her.

It was a simple story, from an old book, judging from its appearance. The story was about a rock that decided to break the tide. The rock had no hope of breaking those waves, considering the tide washed it back over the other rocks like the pebble it was.

Then the rock convinced another rock to join its fight. The rock was so passionate in its position that the other rock did join it—then another and another. It took a long time, and there were many setbacks, but the rocks formed a wall and kept back the tide.

It was a silly little story, trite and moral in all the wrong places. She cringed, reading it now, as she would have delighted over it as a child. Yet, the guiding principle was sound. Nikka had hesitated to save Agga, because she knew that she couldn't save all of the Roaneu. Agga was worth saving on her own. Having befriended her, learned from her, listened to her, been served by her, Nikka owed it to Agga to help her however she could.

Maybe there was a chance that by helping Agga, it would be a first step towards helping the others. Of course, maybe it would be the key to her own undoing. Jilli was going to know something was different when she entered her workshop and there would be consequences.

The only question in her mind right now was what those consequences would be.

### Luka

"Why, why, why do I have to go today?"

Luka had been in the middle of writing one last pleading letter to May, asking her to meet him at their "spot" in the woods behind the inn, when Joah had shown up. The Initiates had to attend a special meeting. Setting his letter aside, he got up to join his friend, and together they walked out to the large meadow near their preferred bathhouse.

Sunlight filtered through the constant clouds, but there was no rain today. Luka wondered if the Terris had arranged it somehow. The grass was damp, though, and clung to his pant legs.

The meadow was filled with Initiates, who trampled the tall grasses underfoot as they milled about, talking and playing around. Joah walked over to where Grem and Brelle stood. Head nods ensued, as they greeted one another in that universal boy way.

"What are you doing here, Luka?" asked Grem. "You don't even have a Lumenta yet."

"Shut up, Grem," said Joah, jumping to Luka's defense.

"Why? He's right. I don't," said Luka. "I shouldn't be here."

"Come on, Luka. You're still a part of the tribe, and one of us," said Brelle, brushing back his hair.

Duor Hama clapped his hands together, calling for the Initiate's attention.

"I'm sure you are wondering why we called you here today. This is something of a ritual for us. On the last week before the first session in the Citadel, we bring all the Initiates here to go through this ceremony.

"We're going to have you all gather together and one at a time, channel your Lumenta. The Duor will assist you in how to do it. Deep in the soul of each member in the Terris tribe, is a connection to your Lumenta. It takes a long time to become good at it, which is why it takes a whole year just to begin. Today will be your first step."

The Initiates buzzed with conversation and excitement, in anticipation of what was going to come next. Even as his heart sank at Duor Hama's words, Luka himself was interested in what was about to take place. He held his tongue while the others chattered, and waited for Duor Hama to continue.

"As I said before, we will go one at a time. Several Duor will be moving through the crowd and they will come to you, one by one. Then, with their help, you will call to your Lumenta, and hopefully it will come to visit you today!"

There was an exclamation from several Initiates at this revelation. For a moment, Luka envied them, then he remembered that he had no interest in staying with the Terris. He was only biding his time until he could convince May to run away with him and become tribeless.

The Initiates milled around, waiting for their turn. Luka deliberately left the others and went to the other side of the field to sit on a large rock and watch the proceedings. He found his attention captured by Duor Etho, maybe it was because she was so much taller than some of the others, with her gently curving horns seeming to sway as she moved through the crowd. As she spoke with her first Initiate, a girl that Luka was having trouble remembering the name of, the girl looked confused and then she closed her eyes.

When she opened her mouth, a charming bird call came out of her mouth and Luka watched in astonishment as a sparrow fluttered in from a nearby tree and landed in her hands. All the students around her clapped and cried out in astonishment, which startled the bird, who flew off again.

"Did the bird say anything?" one of the girls asked her.

"It said, 'Good morning.'" said the Initiate, still stunned that she could call a bird to her.

Luka watched the next girl have her turn, and wait for an animal to show up, but nothing came.

"It's no matter," said Duor Etho. "Many times, if an animal is coming from a great distance, it takes awhile for them to answer the call. Good job, my dear."

It was hours later, and close to sunset when the last of the Initiates took their turns. Many of the others had already ambled away from the field after the first few hours. After each had their turn to try calling their Lumenta, the Duor gave them leave to stay or go. There were only five other Initiates left, and half of the Duor had left as well. Luka hadn't moved. He had watched each Initiate with interest, then with increasing boredom, but since he hadn't had his _turn_ , he couldn't leave.

Duor Etho left her last Initiate, stopped to speak to Duor Hama, then looked at Luka, perched on his rock. She walked over and stood before him.

"Luka, haven't you had your turn yet?" she asked, holding out a hand for him to help her up onto the rock next to him. He had no idea how she accomplished it with her sharp hooves.

She arranged her skirts as she sat down, and laid a hand on his shoulder. He felt tears prick his eyes at her kindness, but shook his head.

"What's the point?" he asked, voice gruff with pent up emotions.

"Luka, you have a Lumenta, even if we haven't discovered what it is yet. I think you deserve a turn as much as the other Initiates do."

He thought about that for a moment, and admitted to himself that despite his feelings for May, he wanted to fit in here. More than anything, he wanted to not be different any more—he wanted to belong. It was horrible, feeling like an outcast most of the time.

"What do I do?" he asked, turning to her.

"Nothing much, dear boy. Just close your eyes and concentrate until you feel the spark of who you are deep in your being. When you do, open your mouth and whatever you are will make itself known. I will be very interested to see what answers your call," she said, looking at him.

"Okay," he said and closed his eyes as she had instructed.

It was hard to block out the noise in his own mind—conflict, loss, confusion, anguish, longing, and need covered him, keeping him from being able to find his center. After a few minutes, he seemed to plunge past them until he felt it, the itch that had begun when he'd had his dream. He focused on it, not knowing precisely what it was or how to use it, but he knew there was power to be found on that path. With moments of intense concentration, he felt it build inside of him, until suddenly there was no holding back the cry that escaped him.

He felt Etho jump at its release and couldn't blame her. It was a savage cry: angry, piercing, and achingly beautiful. It sounded almost like the shriek of a hawk or the call of an eagle, but there was a power behind it that made him question what the sound's origins were.

"Well, well, Luka," said Duor Hama, clapping as he approached. "It seems that you have a Lumenta after all."

### Nikka

She ran all the way back to Jilli's house, heart pounding. The High Council meetings were supposed to continue until tomorrow evening, so everything was clear for her to break into Jilli's workshop and take back the fur for Agga.

_If I can manage to break the spell_ , she thought.

"Agga!" she called, racing through the door and into the kitchen. "I can do it, I know how!"

Agga stood, holding a towel, staring at her.

"I can break the binding spell, Agga. I can set you free," she said.

The little creature's hands trembled and she set down the towel.

"Are you sure, pup?" her voice was cautious, but her eyes were full of hope and fear.

"I'm almost certain. Before she left, Jilli gave me a puzzle, of sorts, to solve. It was a binding spell she placed on a book. She told me it was a special spell that most people couldn't break. I think it's what she used on your pelt.

"I'll need your help to get into her workshop, though. Is it locked?"

"Herself always locks it, but she's foolish enough to use common magic for that. It should pose no problems for one such as you, pup."

Nikka walked over to her friend, clasped her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes.

"I will do this for you before I leave. I can't save all of the Roaneu, but I can at least try to help you escape her, Agga," said Nikka, then she turned and walked down the hall to where the door of the workshop was.

Agga was right, the lock was simple to disable. Stepping through the door, she realized that breaking the spell would be the easiest part of her task. She still had to find the pelt in all this mess.

The workshop looked much the way it had in her dream. The cupboards hung open, the drawers were filled with a disorganized mess of objects, and the room's main table was filled with a plethora of items that seemed to have no order or reason.

"How does she get any work done in here?" Nikka wondered to herself as she started to look through the things.

She was careful to use her other sight, so she could spot any traps or snares that Jilli had left out for someone to fall into. Starting at one end of the room, she worked her way through the shelves and drawers and endless cupboards. She came up empty every time, and after several hours realized she wasn't finding what she was looking for.

Nikka decided to take a different tack. She looked and felt for the most powerful Aquis spells she could sense in the room and that was what led her to the floorboard near the end of the table. There was another common magic lock on it, but once Nikka released it, she was able to lift the board and feel the button beneath it. She pushed it and looked up, startled, as a doorway opened in the wall.

The doorway led to a set of stairs, which Nikka followed, with the help of a light she made herself. At the foot of the stairs was a room almost too small for a person, but it gleamed with spells. The strongest of the spells came from two places, the first was a chest next to a small table and chair. There was a pen and paper on the table, and it seemed to be a place where Jilli wrote.

She sat in the chair and lifted the chest onto her lap, where it fit snugly. The spell was over the lock, but this was the same type of spell as the one Jilli had shown her before. With a bit of effort, she was able to find the glowing ball and follow it with her finger to break the spell. When she opened the box she saw many files in it, each labeled: Sanguis, Aquis, Aeris, Terris, Ignis. Exclaiming over the last, she slid it out of the box and scanned the contents.

It was a shocking bit of writing, and she felt shaken to the core when she read it. She knew that she was holding a piece of information that Zyander and his tribe should read at once, but she wasn't sure what to do with it. She thought about it a moment more, then closing her eyes, she felt for him. It took seconds this time, so familiar was his presence to her mind and there he was, his small glowing palm and the other dimmer light that seemed to follow him. She sent the folder to him, hoping he would know what to do with it. Then she closed the box without reading any of the other files. It was too dangerous to stay down here. Jilli would might kill anyone who had access to the information in the box.

Nikka concentrated, remembering the spell, and placed a new binding spell on the lock. It didn't include the alert for Jilli in case of someone tampering with it, but Nikka hoped she wouldn't notice, because of the distraction of losing the pelt.

The other strong spell in the room was in a small wall closet, doors hanging slightly open. Using both hands, she pulled them apart, gasping when she saw what hung on the hook inside.

The pelt was there, as she had suspected, but she was a fool for thinking it would be easy to break. This spell was nothing like the one on the box, it was clear that Jilli valued this pelt above anything else, so complicated were its twists and turns.

It took her an hour before she spotted the glowing ball and she made herself watch it to catch its rhythm before she attempted to work on the spell. She finally did, and lifted her finger to follow it, dancing in and out of the lighted lines in front of her. After a long time, it was done, the spell once again collapsed.

Nikka took the pelt in her hands and shuddered at the raw power she felt against her skin. She realized at that moment, that she had been wrong all along. This pelt was the reason that Jilli wanted it—Agga had nothing to do with it. The pelt had enough power to be tempting to the most innocent of tribe members, much less in the hands of a woman like Jilli.

Nikka shook as she realized how little her life would be worth once she gave the pelt back to its rightful owner, but the deed was done and there was no turning back. The fur was Agga's and it would be hers to wear again.

She ran up the stairs with it clutched to her chest, and barely remembered to push the button that slid the door back into place as she passed it. Agga was standing in the hall, waiting for her, and held out her arms when Nikka came out into the hall.

"Not yet, Agga. It's too dangerous. Just a few minutes more, please. Can you wait?" she asked.

Agga nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks, and followed Nikka meekly outside and down the cliff path to the beach below.

Nikka drew her breath in and out slowly.

"Step in the water, Agga. This needs to be done quickly. I don't think I realized—Jilli will feel the loss of power when you touch this. I think she's tapped into it somehow."

Agga stepped into the water and held out her arms.

"Before you go, I need your promise that you will come if I call you. Please, Agga. Will you come?"

"Yes, yes, please, I _need_ it. Please give it to me."

"No, this is important, Agga. When you go back there, it will be easy to forget. You need to help them, your people. You need to come to me when I call. We have to save them. Swear to me."

Calming, finally, Agga looked at her. "I swear, I will help you save my people. I will come when you call."

Nikka gave her the pelt and almost looked away at the naked needy look in the Roaneu's eyes as she nuzzled her pelt and whispered words to it.

"There you are. There you are. Mine, mine, mine."

Agga threw it around her shoulders and began to change back into the seal she had been, so many years before.

"Thank you, pup. You don't know what you've done." Then she seemed to melt and Nikka watched her swim away, beneath the sea and out of sight.

"She's right, you know," said Jilli's voice behind her, cutting and filled with anger. Nikka whirled to face her. Jilli walked forward, face calm, eyes full of malice. "You have no idea what you've done."

### Chapter 17:

### Zyander

Zyander and Alys had been traveling for days, following the little fox on a quest to who knew where, rain pouring down on them. Since she was real, Zyander knew that there would be no more escaping to his dreams to offset the dull day-to-day travels. The two men talked between themselves, sometimes interrupted by the vixen with a course correction or an admonition of silence.

That day they were stopped in a copse of firs eating lunch. It was the first time in several days that there was a break in the rain and Zyander felt the urge to linger in the sun's rays. He handed Alys the cask of water once he'd finished with it and for the thousandth time, Alys asked him, "Where do you think we're going?"

For the thousandth time he was about to answer, "I have no idea, but I think it has something to do with the Ignis sacred element," but before he could he heard the popping noise he'd heard one other time and looked up in time to catch the folder that landed in his lap. It was labeled "Ignis" and filled with several pages, but as he opened it, he felt a tug on his sleeve. The vixen had his shirt between her teeth and she dropped it to speak.

"That is not for you, Fire Child. Put it away and follow me."

"But Nikka sent it to me!" he said.

"Only because she did not know what to do with it. Make no mistake, this is for your father's eyes, not yours. Reading it now will only interfere with your journey. It is imperative you come with me now, and learn the lesson I must teach. That is the path to saving your tribe. It does not lie with this," she said, nosing the papers.

With reluctance, Zyander put them in his saddle bag.

"Come, Fire Child, we are close to our destination," the vixen said, and waiting for them to pack up, led them away to the south.

As always, she was right, and she led them up a hill overlooking a long valley, encircled by evergreens. The sunlight lit up the city below, the city they had traveled so far to see: Abira. Zyander had never seen the forgotten city before, it had been evacuated early on in the years of the sickness, so that the tribe members could be closer to the healers of the Sanguis.

_Not that it had helped at all_ , he thought as he slid down from his perch on Twitchfoot.

He walked to the lookout with Alys behind him, and stood next to the fox. The city's spires were ethereal and shining, the craftsmanship—probably the work of some of the finest Aeris craftsman—was superb. The city was large enough to fill the valley, but silent and still. It was odd to think of it being empty and abandoned. He wondered if there were any preservation and protection spells on it.

"It looks brand new," said Alys. "Not like Labaria."

"How did this place survive?" asked Zyander, heart leaping in his chest at the thought of going down into the city.

"Two reasons, Fire Child. The first reason is the spells placed over the city protect it from creatures both magical and common. The second is that Abira is a powerful place, the home of the Ignis sacred element, _The Shining Stones._ The stones help hold the spells in place for longer than they would have otherwise. This is why Labaria crumbled and collapsed. There were no Ignis strong enough to hold the spells in place when they needed to be renewed."

Zyander thought of the cracked and crumpled towers of Labaria and felt the same helplessness and bitterness he'd felt for most of his life. It wasn't fair that such a beautiful place, where people could have lived, was a wasteland now.

"Well, come, we need to be off. We're not going to the city, yet. Instead, there is a place near here we need to see first," said the vixen. "It is where the stones are housed."

They followed her down the hill and to the east, toward the border lands. Zyander was back on Twitchfoot and not for the first time appreciated his friend's skill as mount. The hills were rocky and seemed to rise up from nowhere, so the way down was steep. Thanks to the horses and their guide, they made their way down without issue, and after that made a straight line to their unknown destination.

They stopped in front of a building that was a large dome. The landscaping looked as though it had been maintained perfectly for the hundreds of years since the last Ignis had seen it. The place itself was pristine, rising up to a shining spire at the tip of the cupola. It was made of marble and bronze, opulent in material, yet simple in design. Compared to the riches of the city spires, the place was nondescript.

The vixen turned to him. "Zyander, only you may follow. Your friend must stay here and wait."

After handing the reins of his horse to Alys, he turned and followed her inside.

They passed through a foyer chamber and through a set of double doors that led to one giant room. The room was as high as the dome, with many skylights filtering light down. It was a large circle, filled with soft white sand, empty with the exception of the stones in the center of the room.

The stones rose in jagged peaks from the floor, straight crystal formations. They glowed from a light within, golden as the tribe's color. They formed a rough circle in the center of the sand that would allow for two or three people to fit inside it.

"It is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," he said to the fox. "What is it you want me to do?"

"You will have to destroy the stones."

"What? Why?" he asked, staring at her in astonishment.

"These stones represent the dual nature of your tribe's power. Fire has two representations in our world. The first is flame, burning, cleansing, and unforgiving. Fire can both destroy and refine.

"The other element is that which is inside us all: fire is the spark of the soul. Blood gives us life, fire gives us a reason to live. Those of the fire tribe are led by that fire in the soul to be artists, writers, and performers. It is the reason the Ignis have been the creators of some of the most wonderful objects in the Five Tribes."

"I understand," he said. "But I don't know why I need to destroy them to save the tribe."

"Have you ever wondered why the animal on most of your decorations is the phoenix? It is not simply a bird that dies in flame only to be reborn. The phoenix is a clue about your tribe's true nature. Once the stones have been destroyed, they will remake themselves and your tribe's magic."

She walked over to a place on the wall where a large hammer was hanging.

"You are the only one to do this. Your mother's spell places a special protection against magic on you. If anyone else did this they would die or go mad. You must take this hammer and break the stones into pieces."

With a questioning mind, he took the hammer, hesitated a moment and thought about all his tribe had been through. This could be a disaster, but what other choice did the tribe have? It was dying, for certain. In a matter of years there would be nothing left of their magic or their artifacts.

He raised the hammer and with a heave, cracked the first of the stones, shattering it. The stones themselves cried out, sending whistles and chimes into the echoing dome. He wanted to cover his ears, but he finished his task, hitting each of the stones in their turn.

When he finished, he stood in the center of what had once been the circle of stones and looked at the vixen.

"Now what?" he asked.

"Now, Fire Child, be reborn," and saying so, she ran from the room, leaving him.

Suddenly, flames shot up from the stones, burning with a fire so hot, he passed out before he could flee with her. He lay on the ground as the stones burned, licked by the flames, the hand print on his chest glowing brightly.

### Luka

Luka was enjoying the change in his status since word had circulated that he'd been able to call his Lumenta. The animal had not shown up, but he hoped, like some, it would put in an appearance soon. The next gathering was few days away and he was torn, trying to figure out what he wanted more: May to agree to run away with him or his Lumenta to come and show the others that he was a true member of the tribe.

Most of the other Initiates were convinced now and once again he'd found himself the unwanted object of female attention as he attended the daily required meetings with the others. Today was another such day. Brelle kept pointing out which girls had asked about him in the past days.

"See her over there, she's been the most persistent. Her name is Kela," Luka looked over toward the brunette with long braids falling down her back. Her brown skin seemed to shimmer, her dark as midnight eyes flashed at him. All he could think about, however, was May.

"Not interested," he sighed, then turned his face away and waited for the Duor to come and give their inevitable lecture on what would happen at the gathering.

"Well, the feeling is _not_ mutual," said Brelle with a smile. "She asks about you all the time. She wants to know about your Initiation and that girl you left behind. Asks me, was it serious? Does he still talk about her? I can't get her to leave me alone."

"Not interested," Luka said again, and Brelle was quieted when Duor Hama and his large tusks walked through the door.

"Good day, Initiates. If you'll settle down, please, we'll begin our discussion." He nodded as the Initiates quieted.

"I'm sure you have a great many questions about the gathering, so let me begin by telling you what is going to happen. The day after tomorrow, we are going to use the Praete Line to travel to the Citadel. As you've learned in the past few months, it's a faster way of traveling, and this will save us the many days walk it took to get here last time.

"When we reach the Citadel, you are to stay with your assigned Duor at all times, unless they tell you otherwise. You are not to have contact with any family or friends that may be attending the gathering. When you go to your learning sessions, you must stay with those of your new tribe, and refrain from fraternizing with the other tribal groups."

At this there were several mutterings from the Initiates. Luka himself felt a tightness in his chest at the idea that he wouldn't be allowed to talk to May. Why else had he persevered and stayed so long among those of the tribe who had been less than understanding of his differences?

"I know it seems unfair to some of you," Duor Hama caught Luka's eye with a definitive stare, "but our reasons are sound. You must cleave to your tribe in this first and most important year among us. We must be your friends and family. We must become all that is important to you if you are to truly become one of us.

"The consequences of such a breach in this code of conduct will be severe. Do not get caught breaking the rules or you will reap the true measure of your error."

He continued talking, but Luka heard none of it. He needed to see May, _needed_ to see her. He had to talk to her, touch her, hold her, convince her that he was right. If there was a chance that he could convince her to run away with him, he had to take it, consequences or not.

When the meeting was over, he ignored the comments of the others and pushed his way out of the room.

"Luka!" said a voice behind him, and he turned, knowing that he couldn't, as much as he wanted to, ignore the Duor's voice.

"Yes, Duor?" he asked. It was a struggle to remain civil.

"Luka, I know that you, most of all, will feel stifled by the rules I outlined today. It's very important that you follow them, Luka. For your own good."

"Yes, Duor."

The man sighed, and gripped his shoulder.

"I have a feeling my words are falling on deaf ears, but my greatest hope is that they are not."

"What about Nikka? Am I allowed to see _her_ , like I'm allowed to write her letters? Just because she's the Compis and important to you?" His voice was bitter, but he didn't temper it.

Duor Hama looked uncomfortable.

"High Council Koen has given me instructions to ask you to speak with her, if the opportunity arises."

"So, let's say I talk to Nikka. Would that gain me any leeway if I happen to get caught fraternizing with someone from another tribe?" he asked.

"I-I don't think so, Luka. I will talk to him for you, but I don't think that will be acceptable. I'm sorry."

"Well then, you can just forget it! I won't help you with Nikka and I won't write her any more." He broke away from the older man, and ran off into the woods, without pausing to discern where he was at or where he was going. He wanted to lose himself.

~~~~~

How long he'd been moving he didn't know. He ended up in a small open area—not large enough to call a meadow—where the trees opened up and let rare sunlight in. The rainy season hadn't ended, so the ground was drenched. He found a partly dry stump and slumped down, pitying himself, not for the first time.

Luka was lost in his own thoughts, but even he was shaken from his sadness by the enormous thump that shook the forest floor.

All thoughts left his mind as he stood, mouth open, gaping at the large creature in front of him. It had a long and graceful neck, covered with the most beautiful bronze and scarlet feathers. This led to large golden eyes and a furred ruff and ended in a sharp beak with the shape of a falcon's. It wasn't a bird, however, though it had gigantic wings—one wing alone was longer than he was tall—covered in the same scarlet, gold, and bronze feathers.

The creature was as tall as Duor Etho at its shoulder. Its forefeet were a mix of a bird's claws and a man's hands, but its hindquarters were those of a house cat's, covered in soft fur the same color as its eyes. A long tail curled away from it in the back and swished like a cat on the prowl.

It was a griffin, and it stood in front of him, looking at him.

"Well, human?" it said. "You called me, now I am here."

### Nikka

Nikka was terrified. She hadn't expected Jilli to sense the loss of her power so soon. The woman stood before her, hair neat and coiffed in intricate braids. Her long, sea foam colored gown, swept the white sands behind her as she strolled over to where Nikka was.

"I felt it almost immediately, in case you were wondering. You didn't trigger my spell's sensor, but as soon as you touched the pelt, it moved from my power to yours. That was when I knew you had discovered it.

"What I don't understand is how? How did you know where it was and what it was? Agga couldn't have told you."

"Agga didn't tell me," said Nikka, "Like Joaga and all the others, she was petrified to take a stand against you. Jerem made me question—he was cruel to Joaga once, when he thought I wasn't looking.

"It was Iam who told me, in a dream—two dreams. In the first dream, I saw the the Roaneu captured by the Aquis. In the second dream, I saw you torture Agga and cut off a piece of her pelt in order to make her bend to your will. That is how I found the pelt, that is how I knew what and where it was."

Jilli inclined her head, then walked over to a large rock on the beach and spread her skirts to sit on it.

"We may as well sit. This is going to be a long tale in the telling," said Jilli. "I was the one to discover the Roaneu for the first time. I was just a girl, newly Inducted, wandering the beach when an injured seal washed up on shore. Thinking I might be able to heal it, I dragged it out of the water, only to watch it transform in front of me. It was Agga, the first of the Sea Mothers to be captured by us.

"It wasn't my intention to keep her. It took some time to heal her and teach her our tongue, but over time, I came to understand that unlike my own lifespan, Agga would live forever. As she healed, I realized, she would leave me, go back into the sea, and live out her days in relative peace. Meanwhile I would struggle along, trying to make a name for myself in the tribe.

"So one night, while she was asleep, I stole the pelt, to see if there was anything to be gained by possessing it. I knew, the moment my fingers closed over it, that the pelt was a source of endless power. When I tried to harness its power, however, I found that because it was made for a creature of common magic, it wasn't something I could use.

"When Agga awoke, she begged for me to return it, and I used it to make her tell me all its secrets. That was when I discovered that even though I couldn't wield its power, as Agga could, by possessing it, I would have eternal life.

"You are only 17, Nikka. You don't know what it's like in the politics between tribes. You haven't seen how it is for those of us whose lifespans aren't near eternal. Sanguis live for hundreds of years, it is in the essence of their magic. The Ignis, too, live many hundreds of years, though their power has diminished.

"We are the lesser tribes, those of us who are left. Aeris, Terris, Aquis, we live shorter lives, we have less experience, we have less bargaining power. For many hundreds of years, we have been given no advantage or advances in any of the meetings. We claw our way into trading rights. We fight for equal representation."

"And why am I supposed to care? What does this have to do with the Roaneu?" asked Nikka.

"We could live forever, too, when we had them and their precious pelts. It was then that our tribe's fortune began to change. We had more to bargain with."

Nikka stood up from the rock she was sitting on.

"I've heard enough, none of this matters to me in the least," she said.

Jilli grabbed her arm. "Do you think you've made any impact today? I can cast out my hand and have five new pelts. The Roaneu, no matter what you've seen, are poor, dumb creatures. They practically swim into our nets.

"Nothing will stop what we are doing, not you, not Agga, not Iam. We are in the right. If you're wise, you'll join us, and help make our tribe what it can be. But don't try to change it. You're young, Nikka, but most of all, you have no idea how the High Council of the Five Tribes truly operates.

"You probably think no one knows what's going on, or they'd be appalled. The truth is, everyone knows and none of them care."

"I highly doubt that's true," said Nikka, thinking of Adjudah.

"It's of no consequence to me. As I said before, you've done nothing but provide me with a mild inconvenience. I will have another Sea Mother before you attend the gathering. Although, perhaps, for my own sake, I shall wait until you've left before I fetch one from the market."

It was chilling, the woman's casual attitude about acquiring a new slave. Nikka lost her temper.

"I swear to you, Jilli, as surely and as easily as I broke your binding spell, so too will I free the Roaneu from the torment they are shackled in. I'll go now and pack my things, I wouldn't want to burden you and your tribe any longer with my presence."

Nikka left the woman standing there, and ran up to her room, ducking inside just as the first of the rain started to fall. She threw all her belongings into the two bags she'd brought with her, then without bothering to trudge all the way back up the hill in what was now a downpour, she looked for the largest Praete line she could find and used it send herself to the Citadel.

### 

### END OF BOOK 1

Look for Book 2, Aeris!

Author's note: All authors enjoy feedback from their readers, whether it's positive or critical. Please consider leaving a review from the website where you purchased this book. You can also reach the author at: katecauthor@gmail.com. Thank you for reading.

**If you are interested in learning more about Kate and her writing or want occasional updates on the progress of her newest stories, you can drop by her blog:** http://katecopeseeley.blogspot.com

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### Acknowledgments:

This book would not exist without the concerted efforts of a large group of people.

To my cover artist, Bethel Stoddard: You are an amazing and talented person. I know I will continue to rely on you for every book I need a cover for.

For Lindsey Anderson, the kick ass artist who drew my world map: You rock in so many ways, and the map was so gorgeous I was blown away. May you be blessed in your work as a creator. Maybe some day I can get you to make me a ceramic of the griffin. :)

For my beta readers: Cathy, Christine, Bethel, Jordan (the boy), Jo, and Mom... Thanks for all your feedback and questions. I wouldn't have known how to describe The Five Tribes and all its rules without your diligence in pointing out every explanation I left out. Thank you for loving the book and for —in some cases— staying up all night to finish it.

Finally, thanks to my husband, Garrett, for being the best guy I know. Our sons are lucky to have a dad like you.

