Chapter 71
Seventy-One
Ayla
E very day, we got closer to the date I'd circled in red. The day the Moles would come back to Lorsa. And yet, life continued on. I knew the men were doing things to prepare, but I wasn't invited to help. Zasen had told me to worry about mastering my bow first. Until I could put an arrow where I wanted every time, I couldn't do more.
And every morning, I drank venom. Two days after Boris had me sign the book to become a Dragon, however, my morning drink did nothing. I was sure they'd forgotten to add the drops, or something. I didn't feel any shortness of breath. My skin didn't even tingle, let alone get warm. When I told Zasen, he smiled.
"How brave are you?" he asked.
I lifted my chin, knowing I was now the Phoenix. "Very."
"Rymar!" he yelled.
A moment later, Rymar's steps came down the stairs, and the man stomped into the living room. "Look, you're only going to get one table upstairs. Not both. Otherwise, Kanik and I can't both sit at our desks at the same time."
"Then put the little one out back," Zasen said. "But first, would you put four drops of venom in a glass for Ayla?"
Rymar's tail went limp. "Four?"
"Four," Zasen said again. "She just reminded me that she's the Phoenix, so she's brave."
"Kanik!" Rymar bellowed. "Downstairs. Now!"
"What?!" Kanik yelled back, but I heard him moving.
Rymar just headed into the kitchen. He came back right as Kanik marched into the room. In Rymar's hand was a small glass filled full of water. Without explaining anything to Kanik, Rymar lifted his tail and expelled drop after drop into the top where we all could see.
One...two...three...four.
"Oh..." Kanik breathed.
Then Rymar passed me the glass. Zasen was standing at the side with his arms crossed over his chest, looking a little smug. Kanik's eyes were wide in an expression that was almost worried. Rymar simply made sure I had the glass, then leaned closer.
"Ayla, drink that slowly. If it starts to burn, then stop."
"Ok," I agreed.
Then I lifted the glass to my lips. I could taste something in the water, but it wasn't bad. Spicy was the best word I had for it, and only a hint. The first swallow went down easily, and then I paused. All around me, the three men were staring, waiting.
So I took another drink. Then one more. I'd seen Rymar put the venom in here with my own eyes. I knew there were four drops, but except for the taste, there was no effect on my body. So, deciding there was no sense in waiting, I tilted the glass and finished it off, gulp after gulp.
"And?" Kanik asked.
"There's a little taste," I admitted.
"Do you feel hot?" Zasen asked. "Shortness of breath, brain fog, weakened limbs. Anything, Ayla?"
I just shook my head. "No, just the taste."
And suddenly, all three of them were grinning.
"She's immune!" Kanik cheered.
"Oh, thank fuck," Rymar breathed. "I did not want to be the one to poison her. Zasen, you're an asshole."
"She already had four drops this morning," Zasen admitted. "She asked if I was sure I put it in."
"Wait, what?" I asked, twisting so I could see all of them better. "That's eight drops!"
"Which means," Kanik said proudly, "that you are now immune to Dragon venom!"
"Ayla, a sting won't kill you," Rymar added.
"Nor anything else," Zasen said. "Not sharing a drink, a kiss, or anything else. You, little Phoenix, are now one hundred percent Dragon."
"You just need to get your sign," Kanik said with a smile on his lips.
"And then put it on some Moles," I agreed.
T hat afternoon, a Dragon came to the door. They knocked, Rymar answered it, and the person on the other side handed him a piece of paper. The pair exchanged a few words, and then the strange Dragon left. All I got to see of him was the tan and orange color of his tail.
Rymar closed the door and turned, but his eyes were locked on the paper he'd been given. "Guys!" he called out. "Town meeting this evening!"
"Good," Kanik said, setting his book down.
Zasen hurried down the stairs. "What did you say?" he asked.
"Town meeting," Rymar repeated. "Jerlis is sending out notices."
"Nice," Zasen said with a smile. "Drozel and I have been trying to convince him to install a curfew for both nights."
"The ones where the Moles will be here?" I asked.
Zasen just nodded. "It's the day after tomorrow, Ayla."
"I know." And I was more worried about it than I wanted to admit. "What if I'm wrong, Zasen?"
"Then it should be the day after," he countered.
"But what if I'm wrong about all of it?" I asked.
Kanik simply looked over at me. "Do you think you are?"
I shook my head. "Phineas said that was the day. Well, he said it was twelve days before the holiday, and it would take them two days to get here."
"Which means," Zasen said, "they're on their way. Ayla, we all know they're coming. But here's the thing. This time, we know they are coming."
"What if they get here sooner?" I asked.
Rymar just shook his head. "Never, in all the time I've been making the trek to and from the Reaper farm over there, has anyone gotten here in less than a day and a half. So unless they're planning to travel by day..."
"And they can't see in the day, you said," Kanik pointed out.
Ok, they were right. I knew they were, but hearing it actually helped make me feel a bit better.
"So do I get to go to this meeting too?" I asked, looking between the three men.
They all glanced at each other before answering. I could see the expressions they shared, but I wasn't completely sure what they meant. Narrowed eyes. Tense lips. It didn't look good.
But just when I was braced to hear no, Zasen nodded. "I think she should."
"She is a Dragon," Kanik reminded us. "It's all official now."
"And I'll deal with Jerlis," Rymar promised. "Then again, he might not even recognize her."
"We should take Saveah and the kids, too," Kanik suggested. "She'll need at least one extra set of hands."
So that was what we did. When the time came, all four of us headed over to Saveah's house first. She had Taris in her arms, bundled up in her blanket again. Naturally, Rymar stole the child away. Tamin quickly claimed my hand, telling me how he had to hold it so I wouldn't get lost.
"Oh, you do, huh?" I asked the kid.
Saveah caught my eye and shrugged. "He's a good little helper, Ayla."
Which meant she was counting on me to keep an eye on him. I could understand that. I also didn't mind at all.
"Well, then don't let go, Tamin," I warned the boy. "If I got lost, I'd get scared!"
"Promise, Ayla!" he agreed with the biggest grin.
Together, the group of us headed up the street. We weren't alone. Ahead of us was a couple walking the same way. More came from the side streets. Soon enough, the road grew crowded and we all had to move slower, but up ahead was our destination.
"I have to head up there," Rymar said, passing Taris over to Kanik. "Want to make sure Jerlis doesn't mess this up." Then he pushed his way forward. "Excuse me. Pardon me."
"Why does he have to be up there?" I asked my friends.
"Because," Saveah said, "Rymar is the second in charge of this town. He's an important man, Ayla."
"I thought he owned a bar," I explained.
"He does," she agreed. "And he also helps the Mayor. He's basically the backup mayor, but people tend to like him more."
"Oh." I nodded to show I was keeping up.
More people came. The crowd pressed in closer. Our bodies were packed together, and I tried to keep Tamin safe in front of me, but he couldn't see anything but the backs before him, so Zasen picked the kid up, lifting him onto his shoulders.
Then there was a piercing whistle that cut through the sound of so many people talking. "Listen up!" a man bellowed.
On the stage in front of us, I could see a giant red-and-black-skinned man. His tail was thick, but so was the rest of him. Holding up his hands, he made that whistling sound again, and the people all began to fall silent.
"We have reason to believe the Moles will return!" the man said.
"That's the Mayor," Kanik whispered to me. "Jerlis."
I nodded, unable to tear my eyes away from the sheer size of him, but someone in the crowd yelled back, "Moles always come!"
"The refugee girl says it will be the day after tomorrow," Jerlis said. "Now, you can take this as you will, but I feel it's my responsibility to make sure everyone in town knows this. The information comes from a Mole. She says she wants to help us. In two days, according to her , they will invade again, so take the precautions you feel comfortable with."
"No!" Rymar snapped, storming up the steps and onto the stage. "If you live north of the river, sure. Take your chances. The Moles have never made it that far." He turned scanning the crowd. "For those of us on the south side, we need to be inside and hidden before sundown."
"You cannot make people lock themselves in their houses," Jerlis snapped.
Rymar just looked at the crowd. "It's one, maybe two nights. Does anyone want to take the risk of their child being carried away? Of your partner or parent being shot? Do you want to look at the drag marks and wonder which one belongs to your loved one?"
"No!" people yelled back.
So Rymar gave the Mayor a hard look. "This time, we are going to be ready when the Moles attack. This time , we will have the militia already in place. For those of you in central and northern Lorsa, if you'd like to help, then meet at the medical center. I will be there to organize volunteers, because even with advance warning, there will still be casualties!"
"Then what good is locking people in their house?" someone demanded.
This time, Jerlis was the one giving Rymar the smug look. "Well?" he asked. "And on the word of a Mole?"
"A Dragon!" a woman called out.
I looked that way but couldn't identify the speaker. Zasen, however, recognized the voice.
"That's my mother," he whispered.
I nodded, but I still hated that they still thought I was a Mole. I'd never wanted to be a Mole. Still, I could understand fear. How many times had I been afraid of the guys, only for them to prove to me I had no reason to be? They'd been patient. They'd been kind. I would try my hardest to do the same.
"The woman who brought this information," Rymar said, his voice louder and carrying easier than the Mayor's, "tricked a Mole into giving it to her. He was stung. She told him she had the antidote - water - and forced him to tell her when they were coming back. She speaks their language so she could do this - and Zasen, the head of our defensive efforts, heard the whole thing."
A swell of murmuring rose up in the crowd at that.
"Then!" Rymar went on, "She realized we don't even use the same calendars. The Moles hunt before their holidays. Holidays we have never heard of. Holidays they founded after the fall of men, while they were locked away in their underground bunker. We could not understand them because they still use English. They use the old calendar from America. But Ayla the Phoenix can! She has given us this warning, so be inside before sunset. Lock your doors. Protect your families! Even if she's wrong, all you've done is stayed safe." He held up his hands as the crowd began murmuring again. "And if she's right, she may have saved your lives."
That was more than the crowd could take. Voices lifted. People began to call things out, but there were so many, and all at the same time, that I couldn't make sense of it. I could, however, see Rymar and Jerlis trading words.
The tails of both men swayed behind them. They looked angry. I wasn't sure what was going on, but it was clear the Mayor did not want to believe me.
"Should I talk to the Mayor?" I asked Kanik, who was close enough to hear me through the voices around us.
He shook his head. "Some people hate Moles, Ayla. They lost a loved one, and they don't care that you didn't do it. You were a Mole. You lived down there. They're going to blame you just for that."
"But I'm a Dragon now!" I reminded him.
"They won't care," he said. "Just like how the men didn't care that you could do more than sew and cook. Some people are assholes, even up here."
"Oh..."
It hurt to think of my new people hating me, but I would change their mind. I would show them. Just like the woman whose daughter had died after the last attack. She looked at me and saw the hunters. She needed to blame someone, so this was probably no different. I could - and would - take it. But I would also show them I wasn't like that.
Then Rymar called out again. "The day after tomorrow!" he yelled. "Moles will come at sundown, so be locked away before that. Do not wait until the last minute. Do not tempt fate, because Moles will not care. They are here to hunt us. They want to kill us!" He glanced at Jerlis, smiled, and then added, "And if you have any questions, contact the defense militia. Zasen and Drozel will be happy to help. That is all. Thank you!"
Clearly, that was some kind of dismissal. All around us, people began leaving. Bodies shifted. Groups angled away. Some went upwards, others downwards, and more peeled off at the sides. They'd mentioned north and south, but I didn't know which ways those were yet. I'd seen them on maps, but that was all. To me, I simply followed the paths I knew.
Then someone called out my name. "Ayla!"
I turned, but so did Zasen, Kanik, and Saveah.
In that direction, people were moving out of the way. Most smiled. Some nodded at the person coming towards us, but I couldn't see the man. He was shorter than the tall tailed people near us. But when he got close enough, I recognized Boris, the sign maker.
"Ayla!" he called again, smiling as he shuffled towards me. A younger man with a tail followed him protectively.
"Grampa," the Dragon chided, "you're going to get knocked over."
Boris just flapped a hand at him. "Hush, Cyril." Then he reached me, clasping my arm with a wide smile. "Young lady, I finished it." And he held up one of those metal hourglass shapes on a leather cord. "Let me put it on you?"
"Thank you," I breathed, ducking my head to make it easy.
Boris draped the leather over my head and hair, letting it go when it rested on my shoulders. Around my neck, the weight of the pendant was heavy, but it felt good. This was my sign die!
"You can use it to stamp things," Cyril explained. "Right now, the edges are going to be sharp, so just be aware of that."
Boris grunted at him. "She's not an idiot, boy."
Cyril just sighed wearily. "And one day I'll be doing this, so let me, Grampa."
I looked from the tailed man to the ancient tailless one. "You're related?"
Boris just slapped Cyril's arm proudly. "My grandson. He's got the eye for Dragons, you see. Cyril's my apprentice."
"I helped a bit with the Phoenix," Cyril admitted. "Well, with casting the main die. Grampa sculpted the sign."
"Because," Boris said, raising his voice a bit, "I wanted to make sure our newest Dragon had a sign that suited her escape from her old life."
All those people who'd moved out of Boris's way were still hovering around. So many were watching us, and probably listening too. I could almost feel their eyes on me, and I wasn't used to being the center of attention. All my life, I'd been expected to be meek, dutiful, and invisible.
"Thank you, Boris," I said solemnly.
"Now go home and test that," he said. "If it's not like you want, let me know. I think it fits you, though. I think you're ready to become the Phoenix."
"I think she's already there," Kanik bragged for me.
"And thank you for helping stop the Moles," Cyril said. "It's more than many people in Lorsa have done."
Boris patted his arm again. "You are good at this, boy. Very good. Now take me home. My back's tired. Not used to standing up this long."
"Okay, Grampa," Cyril said, wrapping an arm around Boris's back to lead him away.
"And that," Zasen said, leaning over to whisper in my ear, "was him making sure the entire town knows you have his whole family's approval. The opinion of the scribes is important, Ayla, and it seems you've made a good one."
"I just hope I'm really helping," I admitted. "I'm even more scared now that I could be wrong."
"And if you are, we'll deal with it," Kanik assured me. "What matters most is that you're trying. You aren't ignoring the problem. You're trying to do something about it."