Chapter 5 Axel #2
Humans live shorter lives, and they’re small and weak.
From the research we did, they already shorten their own lives with unhealthy decisions, wars, and risky behavior.
It would be difficult to value their lives as being on par with the blessed, who can live for centuries, are large, and are powerful.
If we weren’t in such dire need, we would have the luxury of trying your way, Hyperion says. Our top priority now is confirming the earth blessed can bond humans, and that once they do, they can eat.
Liz lands, and she draws her swords. “And you mean to use my siblings to test your theory?”
We do. Hyperion looks almost amused. The last time you attacked me, you were at least bonded to Axel. How could you possibly harm me now?
“I doubt you want me dead,” she says. “At least, not yet. That means all I have to do is keep you away from the children.”
You can’t use the children to test. They’re too young, Gordon says. We protect our young.
Or we would, if we had any, Asteria says.
Sammy’s climbing up on Gordon’s back.
We can find other brights for the test. Brights who aren’t children. Rufus has also moved, but it appears to be in order to shield the girls. With more than ten thousand blessed, three children won’t make any difference.
We do need to see whether the earth blessed can even bond a human, I say.
“Why don’t you ask the blessed who have already bonded humans what they think?” Liz tosses her head. “Ask them whether they think you should force these bonds.”
That’s not a bad idea, I say. Ask the blessed who have been through this—they all forced their bonds, did they not?
Liz sighs. “They did, but I think they wish they hadn’t.” Her voice drops to a whisper. “Or at least, I hope that’s true.”
I wish I had asked Alice. A water blessed—Jericho—has surged toward the front of the river bank. She’s smart, fierce, and our bond is valuable to me. We haven’t entwined yet, but we’re working toward it. I can feel the bond tightening.
You forced it, and look, Hyperion says. You’re fine now.
I think we’d have been better much sooner if we’d started in a better way. Jericho inclines his head and drops back into the water, and only then do I notice the small figure with blue hair on his back.
I also wish I’d asked for permission. Helvetica, a strike blessed, circles and lands, a human with silver hair on her back.
He and I are also close to entwining, I think, but we would already have done it, if we hadn’t been enemies at the start.
I think Liz is right. Forcibly bonding humans will be bad for us and for them.
It will also enrage the rest of the humans.
They’ve already attacked us on multiple occasions, and their weapons are improving.
Their attacks may be a nuisance now, but they could grow worse.
We must protect ourselves, Hyperion says. If we don’t all bond humans soon, we’ll starve and die. There won’t be any blessed for them to attack.
“Then give me a chance to find you willing humans,” Liz says. “I think I can.”
Azar may not remember this, but every attempt he made to communicate with them was met with bombs, spears, and violence.
Hyperion looks around. He told me that himself—and then the humans killed him.
We all watched as it happened—Liz caused his death herself.
And her dear human friend, who lived among us, set the trap.
“That’s true,” Liz says. “But you also know that Gideon betrayed me. Because he was my friend, I trusted him. That trust was misplaced. But there are humans worthy of trust, and I think I can find them.”
You think you can find ten thousand trustworthy humans? I shake my head. It’s too many.
“Give me a week,” I say. “You already told me that you don’t eat very often. We should have some time. And if it doesn’t work, you can always attack and steal the humans you need.” She cringes when she talks about stealing humans, but she holds the line.
In spite of myself, I’m impressed.
Not a week, I say. Three days.
“I can’t find ten thousand brights in three days,” she says. “It’ll take more time than that.”
Time we should be using to locate and retrieve the heart. Hyperion scowls. If you don’t want your siblings bonded, let’s have an earth blessed bond you—it’ll also be good to have a blessed with control over you who can keep you in line.
She can have her three days, I say. We can evaluate what progress she’s made before we’re weakened and unable to capture humans ourselves.
We do need to determine whether the earth blessed can eat once they’re bonded, Hyperion says. If they can’t. . .
“I’ll take an earth blessed with me,” Liz says. “I need a blessed with me to identify which humans are able to be bonded, anyway. The first bright we find who’s willing, we’ll bond to that earth blessed—if it’s possible—and have them try to eat.”
I’ll go with you. Phileas isn’t the blessed I expect to squeeze his way through the gathering, straightening and shaking the frill that frames his reddish-brown head once he finds the space.
As will I, Agrippa says. She slides right past the gathered blessed, easily twisting through the open gaps, her bright green coils gathering next to Phileas. I believe she will find humans who are willing, if she says she can.
I’m especially surprised the two of them came forward, because they never get along.
I’m sure plenty of earth blessed would volunteer to go, if it makes it more likely they’ll ensnare a human, Hyperion says.
As if he was giving them permission, they all start to clamor for the chance.
But she can’t go without me, I say, turning toward Liz. Unless you’re traveling somewhere on this island. You need a portal.
“You can open one and then return to gather us later,” Liz says. “I would never impose on you to come.” Standing on the top of the platform, entirely surrounded by the blessed, she doesn’t even look frightened.
She must be.
But she doesn’t look it.
She looks like a warrior. For the first time, I actually think a pitiful, tiny human looks.
. .regal. Not in most ways of course, with her soft, vulnerable body, but with her hair blowing in the icy wind, and with her defiant expression, I can almost understand what I might have admired about her before.
You should bond Liz again, Agrippa says. She might have gotten you killed, but I think she’s learned, and I liked you better when you were entwined.
Entwined? I glance at Hyperion for confirmation. No one told me we were entwined.
My brother nods, but doesn’t elaborate.
We have a lot of work to do, I say, and Liz has some kind of connection to the volcano where we believe the heart is hidden. No one will harm her, but we won’t bond her either—the pain when that bond is broken would be too great.
Although, apparently I was entwined with her, and I feel no pain at all. Perhaps the impact of such a thing has been exaggerated.
Where will you go to search? Hyperion asks.
Liz turns toward Gordon and Rufus. “I’d like them to take my siblings somewhere safe and keep watch over them while I’m gone.”
Of course, Gordon says.
Asteria, who has kept quiet for quite a while, and whose wedding day was just destroyed, says, I’ll keep watch over them, too.
Liz bows her head. “I would very much appreciate that. Thank you. And I’m sorry that today’s celebration was interrupted.”
Asteria’s eyes narrow, but she doesn’t say anything else.
Where are we going? I ask again.
Liz may need to sleep first, Asteria says. Humans need time to recuperate each day—down time. They usually do this at night, when it’s dark. Since it’s dark here most of the time, I can’t keep track of their rest cycles as easily.
“I’m fine,” Liz says. “I think we should go now—we have no time to waste.”
To where?
“To a small town in Utah called Pleasant Grove.” Liz smiles. “I made a friend a few years ago, and he owns a shop there. I think he’ll be able to help us find people who will help.”
You really think you can find humans who will be willing to have a blessed bond them? The blessed has all the power in the bond. We can force the humans to do anything we want.
“I think the deciding factor will be whether we offer them a choice.” Liz appears to be serious.
You think they’ll choose to allow us to bond them. . .because we’re allowing them to choose? How is that different than forcing them? I ask.
She ignores my question and asks me another. “What do you need from me to find Pleasant Grove, Utah?”
It takes some time for the humans who are with the blessed to locate the things we need—images and geographical coordinates.
They spend a lot of time complaining that we don’t have something called internet.
Apparently the other humans have disabled it somehow, but Iceland has some basic library resources, and we finally locate the information.
Most of the strike and water blessed disperse, bored of waiting to hear our decisions.
Unfortunately, quite a few earth blessed have gathered.
Some are standing around, but many are practicing their flying skills, and it’s a little distracting, being surrounded by dozens and dozens of blessed, all dipping, diving, and pivoting. Some are even racing above us.
Liz watches all of it with a strange expression, her lips compressed, but her eyes almost smiling.
When Agrippa beats Lars, she claps and cheers. “Brilliant!”
Why are you all here? I push the question to all my earth blessed.
Every single earth blessed freezes and turns until they can see me. No one answers, though.
Why haven’t you dispersed like the others?
We want to come. Lars lands near Liz, and he turns to look at her. Can we?
Why are you asking her? I gnash my teeth. I’m your leader, not her.
Every single one of them duck their heads in respect, but still, none of them leave.
Elizabeth Chadwick wishes to find a peaceful way for us to bond humans, Agrippa says. But we have seen her own people treat her badly.
They tried to kill her, Phileas says. He’s lying down behind Liz like some kind of pet.
And you would risk your life to save hers?
Yes, Phileas says.
She risked her life to save ours, Agrippa says. And she has risked it to save yours as well. She liked you as Axel, and she never betrayed you to bond Azar. It was always you, either way.
And she kept your secret, Lars says.
You may be our leader, Phileas says, but we serve her by choice.
Have the earth blessed always been so irritating? Now that they’re strong, now that they’re fierce, they’re still desperate to serve? She can’t protect you. She can’t even protect herself.
That’s why we want to come, Agrippa says. She’s trying to protect us even when she hasn’t the strength.
No, she’s trying to keep her people safe, her siblings, I say.
And in so doing, she means to avoid further angering the many, many humans who are already trying to kill us, Phileas says. You agreed to give her a chance. Let us help.
Liz walks toward me. “We don’t want the humans to notice when we travel to this small town, if we can avoid it.” She turns toward the earth blessed. “I really appreciate all of you being willing to help.”
They’re watching her, listening.
“But we shouldn’t take more than three or four of you—it’ll keep us from being noticed. Even with the mountains, more than four would be pushing it.”
But four can’t keep you safe, Agrippa says.
I’m all the protection she needs. I straighten. I’ll take one earth blessed to test whether the bonding will work. Phileas.
He has the worst personality, Agrippa says. At least take someone who knows how to be pleasant while meeting a human.
“Can they both come?” Liz asks. “If we land where I showed you, behind the main mountain, before the sun rises, it should be fine.”
I can’t help my nostril flare, but saying no would probably be unreasonable. Fine.
I’m a little worried that I’ll have trouble opening a portal—who knows what dying and coming back might do—but it’s easy.
Easier than I recall it being, even. It does open a few feet off the ground, but all of us can fly, so it’s fine.
Perhaps it’s easier because I made such a small one.
The last one I made had to admit thousands of blessed across an immeasurable space. Come.
Liz peeks around the edge of the portal, her eyes widening.
Is it alright?
She inhales slowly and then exhales. “It’s fine. I’m just—I really hope this works.”
I should be enraged. She convinced all of us to trust her, and now she’s expressing fear. My people’s lives are at stake, but I can sense her honesty, too. She believes this is the best way for us and for the humans, so I can’t fault her for pushing even with her doubt.
She squares her shoulders, and her wings spread out behind her. She’s still a soft, strangely-shaped earth child, but she’s growing on me.
Not that I’d ever admit it.
When she jogs a few steps and leaps into the air, her wings beating furiously, Agrippa also takes to the air, following her through immediately.
I watched her win several races earlier, so I shouldn’t be surprised she’s a graceful flier, her wings light and quick.
Phileas flies through right after, bobbing and lurching like he’s too heavy for his own wings.
Once we’ve all passed, I close the portal and look around.
It’s dark, and it’s still chilly. The human buildings down below appear to be built more densely than they are in Selfoss, but they look more similar than I expected. How will we locate your friend?
Liz frowns. “Something just occurred to me—which means I’m an idiot.”
What? Agrippa asks.
“I was assuming I could walk around and talk to the humans. . .” Liz shakes her head. “But I have wings now.” She says a strange word under her breath and drops to the ground, kicking her feet out in front of her and dropping her head in her hands.
The strange thing is how her frustration makes me feel. Instead of being angry, or frustrated myself, I feel. . . Something I’ve never felt before. I want to help her.
And there’s nothing I can do.
I feel helpless.
Something I don’t like at all.