Saturday, February 18, 2023

Chapter 10: The Kinfire Tree

 


Kin is Everything

 

We return to the Land of Skies. One battle is already behind the team, the disastrous events upon Ardosia; time now to concentrate on the stability of Valaris, or the same fate awaits her.

Hidden from humankind are fourteen sacred Valleur sites, built upon nodes of power. Vannis Valla advocates unveiling them to restore balance to the earth, which will aid in the fight against Margus. The Darak Or has other ideas, and unleashes his soltakin …

In the north, Averroes discovers her true past and she and Kylan run the Maze gauntlet. Kisha, Mordan, Cristi and Samson prepare the clans of old for eternal night. In the south, Vannis, Rayne and Saska, along with the charismatic little Falcon, Phet, move from site to site. Taranis and the Guardians delve arcane ritual in the Dome to find the answers to the ending of soltakin, while expecting Infinity to bring her Darkling Horde into the mix. Meanwhile McSee, unmasked as traitor, meets the crazy Lanto and they hatch a bold plan, involving a pirate and ancient loot.

Rayne begins the internal battle that will change all. It began for him on Ardosia when he touched Vannis only to release blue sparks between them. The ruling house is almost extinct. How, therefore, does a Valla recognise the blood for the future? By the blue flame of trebac. Kinfire. The legendary Vannis is kin, but there is more in store for Rayne than the reality of this profound connection.

The Kinfire Tree has many branches hidden in its foliage, a condition Rayne suspects, a greater truth he must reveal …


 

CHAPTER 10

 

Do not shoot the messenger! Ill tidings have warning! Listen!

~ Awl, author of Tattle’s Blunt Adventures

 

Northern Valaris

Meth Peninsula

San village

TO THE WEST, across the Bay of No Name separating the Vall Peninsula from the Meth Peninsula, Mordan, Cristi, Samson and Kisha entered the main village of the San. Cristi led them through massive wooden gates, which, in living memory, had never closed.

The San were her people, but she was somewhat nervous about her reception. She vanished from their lives without warning other than the strange semi-conscious state before her disappearance. She answered the summons from the Maghdim Medaillon, how to explain that?

How to explain Rayne? Taranis? Vannis? Annihilation beyond a Rift? A Darak Or bent on snuffing out every living entity on Valaris? How to explain the populated south, when it was contrary to every belief the clans harboured?

The north was hillier and less colourful than the south. There were fields and farms, orchards and the like, although produce, as Samson pointed out when confronted by the fertility of the southern lands, grew slower and with less success. Countless streams laced the land, but there were no large bodies of water and only three watercourses were worthy of being called rivers.

All clan villages were enclosed, with one main gate as access. The San enclosure was a wooden fence constructed of logs as thick as a man’s waist and towered three times the height. Other villages used natural barriers also, such as cliffs, mountains and ravines, but all were surrounded. For generations the gates nevertheless stood open. The paranoia after Drasso gradually eased.

Within, every family maintained abodes, from where they left each morning to tend the fields, or to the task earning their place in the village. Each evening they returned. One day in every eight was a rest day. At night, only travellers walked the paths that connected villages and clan holds, but travellers were few.

As Cristi entered, most were out, it being a few hours to sunset. Inside were those who tended fires, fed domestic animals, cared for the sick and elderly, and taught the young. The Bellwether would be listening to petitions, greeting travellers, and dispensing advice.

It was towards his hut she headed, the others following. The Bellwether was her uncle, her late father’s brother. Her mother would be nearby, as she tended house for him.

To her right, old man Marsh bent over tending his herb garden, but the poor soul was so deaf he did not hear them go by. As they twisted through the huts, they encountered children let off from lessons to go to their chores before the supper fires began. They vanished screaming and would no doubt shirk duties until the last possible moment. Ahead they heard a woman’s voice remonstrating about duties before fun, all to no avail. Cristi smiled. Janine sounded as harassed as ever.

“Cristi, that you?” a young voice asked.

A boy peeked from a window in the hut directly ahead, his mouth full of half-chewed bread. He vanished and, seconds later, flew through the open door, spitting as he ran. His red hair was an untidy mess and Cristi burst out laughing.

“Yes, Leo, it’s me!”

“Where you go?” He came to a skidding halt, eyeing the three strangers behind her. “Why you go? No say ‘bye?” His bottom lip jutted out.

“Sorry, love.” Cristi sank to her knees and took him in her arms. “I had something to do and there was no time to come give you a kiss, but I’m here now. Will you forgive your naughty cousin?”

He hugged her. Letting go, he ran, shouting at the top of his little lungs, “Aunt Berna! Mom, come see! Cristi’s back!”

He vanished between the huts as a woman appeared in the doorway. “Cristi?”

Cristi was rueful - so much for a dignified approach. Up ahead she heard a crash like that of breaking glass, and a muffled oath. “Hello, Leen … I think my mother has …” and she broke into a run, vanishing as Leo had. The other three followed more sedately, with Leen.

 

THEY ENTERED THE public space, well-trampled and well-used, set roughly in the centre of the San village. This was the heart. There was a huge fire pit, and great trunks lying in a square served as seating. Kisha, seeing it, blinked back tears, for it reminded her of her father. She realised she had not thought about him in days.

Across the clearing Cristi’s mother enfolded her, both crying. An older man sporting a big smile waited his turn. By his bearing, the three companions knew him to be the Bellwether. Leo was there, the bearer of good tidings, and loving it.

The Bellwether noticed the three. “Berna, Cristi brought visitors.”

Mother and daughter parted. Cristi waved them closer.

Already a small crowd had gathered behind Leen.

“Leo!” Leen called out, knowing her son would soon make a nuisance of himself. “Come here!”

The boy shook his head. The Bellwether looked down, and Leo changed his mind. Cristi grinned and her visitors smiled.

“Go now to your tasks; we will gather at sunset to share Cristi’s news,” the Bellwether ordered. “Jack, will you see the pit is lit?”

Berna led the three strangers into the Bellwether’s spacious hut, whilst he enfolded his niece in an embrace, whispering, “What happened to you, my girl?”


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