What’s wrong, little one?
Azure was here! Just now!
Kaleo looked around, frantic for another clue, another hint. There were only the guards and the poor fool saddled with operating the Port Circle. Any trained alchemist or arcanist could operate one but it rarely paid well from what Kaleo understood. He was the only one outside, the guards and operator looking at him questioningly.
“Has anyone gone through the Circle recently?” Kaleo blurted. The men at their stations merely glanced at him, then at each other. “Anyone?”
“Oui,” the operator replied finally, sounding as if he’d just been told he was a piss-poor operator or worse. He sniffed down his bold nose at Kaleo and looked away.
“Where did they go?” Kaleo demanded, stepping closer. It made his head hurt. Traveling by Port Circle was an interesting event when one held as much Power as Kaleo did. He imagined it was the same for any arcanist, like magnets of the same polarity. “Please. I need to know. Where did they go?”
“Mahala,” the guard scoffed, drawing Kaleo’s attention there. “Where thieves belong.”
Kaleo’s heart sank and soared at the same time. Mahala had many Port Circles and many more questionable cities. However, it was, at the very least, a solid direction. Kaleo breathed deeply for a few moments, trying to prevent himself from hyperventilating before smiling and running all the way back to the Chateaus as if he’d just won the war against evil.
Chapter Nine
Jaysen sat in the Poppy Fields with his eyes closed. He felt the tall grass around him, the way it tickled his bare toes. Tanis sat beside him, her breathing a steady rhythm that soothed him. He waited in the Fields for Kaleo; waited and hoped that the avian boy would not show up. Jaysen felt strong enough to find his friend in the Sea, but also knew that he was being watched. Going directly to Kaleo would lead Madhavi there as well, so, he waited. When he opened his eyes again, the Fields remained empty. A flittering movement caught his attention as he watched a pair of tiny wings fly up from the grass just ahead of him. Butterflies, Tanis called them. They flew around his head, tickling his pointed ears or caressing his cheeks with their excited motions. One even landed on his hand, making him smile.
“You have Yira’s blessing when they do that,” Kaleo said, startling Jaysen. The butterfly flew away toward where Kaleo stood then flew on past him to join its partner. Jaysen frowned and stood up.
“I told you not to come back,” he said.
“I know,” Kaleo replied. “I don’t listen very well. Are you alright?”
“Am I- -” Jaysen’s frown deepened. “You worry too much about others. It isn’t safe for you here anymore.”
“But it’s safe for you?” Kaleo countered. Jaysen opened his mouth to reply but found that he had no answer. Madhavi’s creatures sought Power. They did not discriminate on the kind or where it came from. He was in as much danger as Kaleo was, perhaps more. Fell magic radiated differently than standard magic, drew more attention from the very things he was trying to avoid. Jaysen merely sighed and turned a frustrated pout on his friend.
“Did you find him yet?” he asked, altering the topic of conversation. Kaleo smirked.
“Nearly,” he answered. “I know where he’s gone.”
Jaysen nodded, opting to remain silent. Things did not used to be this way between them. They would sit for long periods of time talking about their dreams and desires or see how many different things they could conjure in the Fields. It was not like that anymore. Their time together was always short and tense like it was now.
“I should go, I guess,” Kaleo said softly. “I wanted to make sure you were all right. Take care of Tanis.”
Jaysen frowned and looked at his audeas. “Tanis?”
“She didn’t growl at me,” Kaleo said with a grin. “She must be sick.”
Jaysen grinned, looking at the chimera again. “Kaleo, be careful.”
“You too,” the avian said, vanishing from the Fields.
Jaysen woke shortly thereafter to the sound of something akin to rock striking rock. He frowned, rolling up onto his elbow in the direction of the sound. His heart felt heavy. Somehow he knew he would not see Kaleo again. He knew it was for the best, but that did not make it easier. Neither did the continued sound ringing in his ears.
“Roth,” he hissed, intuitively knowing it was the Corrupted Speaker that made the noise. It stopped. “What are you doing?”
“Slaying the rocks, Moppet. Go back to sleep. I won’t let them assassinate you.”
Jaysen blinked, eyebrows bunching in wonder. Roth had a pet name for everyone. ‘Moppet’ was what he called Jaysen, though the young olve did not know what it meant or why it was given to him. He also could not fathom why rocks needed to be slain. They were rocks.
Jaysen laid back down, listening to the sound pick up again with whispered muttering about the filthy heathen army of granite. He merely shook his head and rolled in the opposite direction. Sleep would not return, however. Eventually the noise ceased, replaced by soft snoring. Jaysen waited several long, baited breaths before rising to his feet and leaving the camp they’d made for the night. They were still some distance away from Kormaine and, while he was now feeling much better and able to Travel, he kept that bit of knowledge to himself to prolong the inevitable. He did not particularly care what happened to the Vessel. A new one would be Claimed, eventually. However, the Corruption destroyed the Node, twisted it into something ugly and made their songs hateful and vile. It hurt to listen to them, made Jaysen’s heart ache. But that was his purpose, his reason for drawing breath. Daemodan liked to remind Jaysen of his place.
