Aiyana

Chapter eight - Scattered

Ahren, Ahren Forest,
Azza Village
Elfish Tribes, Coren Tribe

Lydia Hollow

           I knew we were close to the village when I started to hear children laughing and playing. As the light from the houses peeked through the dead trees, Fern squeezed my left hand. I looked down at her wide eyes.
“Is Lizx alright,” she quietly asked, her eyes so full of worry. I think of what to say to her. It didn’t look good back there, and they were already in a tough spot. But Lizx is strong. And so is the Coren Tribe Forest Rangers.
“I’m sure she’s fine, Fern. Lizx is strong.” She manages a small smile and looks forward again. I look up to see Dorian looking at me. He smiles and nods, then looks forward.
Lizx, please be okay…

When we step out of the woods and into the bright village, the children run up and jump around, cheering. I see Dorian lift one girl up on his shoulders, her smile bright. A mother grabs my hands and smiles graciously, her daughter clinging behind her.
“You’re back,” the Azza Tribe Leader exclaimes, walking towards us from the big house from before.
“Without a scratch, I hope?” His smile is wide. I think back to make sure no one was hurt, and smile when I conclude that we are all okay.
“Yes, sir. Thank you for everything.” He lets out a deep laugh.
“Of course,” suddenly a child bumps into him, apologizes and runs away. Cyrus simply chuckles.
“I suppose you need to discuss your next location. Alright, everyone! Give ‘em some space, they’ve got places to be!” he shouts, all the children detaching from us.

We all stand around a big table looking at a map of Aiyana. Fern still clings to my leg, and Inara keeps Kazumi close.
“Our next course of action should be getting to Freya. The mountains would have been the easiest path, but there was an avalanche, making them impassable,” I say as I cross off the mountains with my red pen, “we could travel through the Elfish Tribes and cross into Freya from the Clover Village Port, but traveling through the Elfish Tribes would be long and would be too close to the mountain’s rubble.” I cross off Clover Village and Clover Village Port.
“Can’t you just teleport us in?” Devan asks, landing on the ground.
“Oh, yeah! Lydia, you can teleport us in, right?” Dorian confirms.
I pause. I am pretty drained from performing that exorcism… but what other choice do I have?
“Oh, y- yeah. I can,” I curse at myself for stuttering.
Dorian and Devan smile and Kazumi claps his hands.
“Inara,” Elara says, “what are you going to do about Ahren?” The question seems to surprise Inara.
“What do you mean, Ellie?” Inara asks.
“Who are you going to leave Ahren to? Who is going to be in charge of your nation while you are gone?”
Inara sits on her stool, thinking.
“I can do it!”
“No.” Inara cuts Kazumi off almost instantly, his bright expression fading to confusion.
“Why not,” he asks, standing up.
“Because. It’s too dangerous. And you’re only 7!” Kazumi laughs, irritated.
“You were 6! Nari, I can do this, please!”
“No!” Inara stands up and walks out of the house and slams the door.
Kazumi sits back down and glares at the ground. Elara and Dorian look at me imploringly. I take a deep breath and follow Inara’s footsteps out the door and find her sitting on the second step of the wood stairs.
I sit next to her.
“Can you feel the wood,” she asks, looking straight down at the ground.
I smile and breathe in through my nose. “Yeah. The stairs are made of maplewood.” I see her smile.
“Inara,” I say, “look at me, please.” she hesitates then she looks at me, trying to hold her composure.
“You know Kazumi is more than capable of watching over Ahren. So, what’s wrong?” her eyes pull back to the ground. She takes a few seconds before sighing.
“I was forced to protect the largest nation in Aiyana at the age of six! I had to watch as everything and everyone I loved died. Immortality… live long enough to see everything, but live long enough to see everything die. I don’t want Kazumi to go through what I did.”
My heart tightens at her words. “You’re right,” I say as she looks at me, “it’s unfair. Kazumi doesn’t deserve to go through his life the way you did. But you can help him. Guide him so he doesn’t make the same mistakes you did,” she looks down, “be the help that you never had. Rewrite history, and fix the pattern.”
She’s quiet for a few seconds, staring down at the ground.
Then she lifts her head up and looks at me, a tear rolling down her cheek and over the crease of her smile.
“Okay. you’re right. I… I have to apologize to Kazumi,” she lifts herself up and we enter the house together, everyone’s eyes instantly on us as we enter the room except for Kazumi.
Inara approaches him and kneels in front of him. “Kazumi…”
“Yeah,” he looks at her, frustrated. “I’m sorry. I realize that you are capable of making your own decisions and watching over Ahren. I shouldn’t have been so controlling and selfish…” Kazumi looks at her, his eyes widening as his sister tries not to cry. “I just… I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did - the elders did. I don’t want to force you to grow up too fast like I was.”
Suddenly, Kazumi hugs Inara, and she sniffles as his arms wrap around the back of her neck. “Thank you, Nari. I’m ready. I’ll look after Ahren while you’re gone,” Kazumi says. My heart flutters as they hold each other, then I feel Elara, Devan and Dorian looking at me with surprised expressions. Then Dorian smiles, and Elara leans to the side, placing her hand elegantly on her hip as she smiles looking down at Inara and Kazumi. Devan crosses his arms and smiles, proudness crossing his face for a moment before Inara and Kazumi get up and turn to us.
“Alright,” Inara sighs, “we need to get Kazumi to the Elfin Tribes. The leaders will discuss which tribe will stand as his guards.”
When she mentions the Elfin Tribes, all of our faces darken slightly. But no matter how little our mood changes, Inara can always tell.
“What?” me and Dorian glance at each other, silently agreeing that I’ll tell her. “The Coren Tribe was being attacked by a group of Krills when Lizx rushed us out to come save you. We don’t know how bad the situation is at the moment, and the other tribes aren’t getting along, either,”
“And there’s a killer in the southeast forest,” Dorian adds, “specifically targeting the Coren Tribe, it seems.” I look at him, then to Inara.
“Oh… then, I suppose we should get there as soon as possible.”
She looks at me. “Can you teleport us?” My stomach clenches at her request. But what can I say?
“Yes. um, everyone hold hands and focus on the Elfin Tribes,” I say as I grab Dorian and Kazumi’s hands, Fern holding Elara and Inara’s hands, and we form a circle. “Okay, now on three, say ‘Transport la destinatia dorita’. Say it clearly and speak loudly. Alright. One, two, three. Transport la destinatia dorita!”
We all suddenly glow, the colors varying from purple, to green, blue, darker blue and a lighter green. The glowing starts to disappear, and so do we.