The Falling Star (The Trianon Series Book 1) Page 8

  Alli stepped towards the stream, ignoring Starla's question. Lifting her hands up to her face, palms inwards, she closed her eyes. The river seemed to rise towards her as she intoned an incantation, extending her arms and flipping her palms outwards. All along her body, the blue droplets began to shine.

  Starla gasped as the waters of the stream turned momentarily purple before subsiding.

  “We must join the others. Now,” Alli commanded, forestalling Starla's next question. “That enchantment will give us warning if anyone crosses the stream,” she explained as they caught up with Rya and Gaby.

  Gaby was staring off into the forest, her face a mask of sheer concentration. The trees seemed to be whispering. Starla suppressed a chill and turned to the other three, all gathered beside a hollow in the ground. It looked like an enlarged entrance to a badger set. The rune hollow, she guessed.

  “Please, I really need an explanation.” She didn't like the fact that they were planning on sleeping in a forest clearly home to something terrible. A high, keening noise suddenly tore through the woods.

  “Everyone inside, quickly.”

  Gaby was back with them, Flek by her side. The others wasted no time in climbing down into the hollow. It was a lot deeper than Starla initially thought. She took an involuntary step back as the Sacrileon Guardians were swallowed by the darkness in the hollow.

  Just how deep is that?

  “You, too,” Gaby said impatiently, waving Starla forward and looking all around them.

  “Will you answer my questions once we are inside?” Starla asked, not moving. She was done being ignored.

  Suddenly, Gaby was inches from her, looming above her, so fast Starla's eyes had missed the intervening movements.

  “If you are not too stupid to have noticed, this forest isn't safe any more. If you don't get inside now, you'll be dead in minutes, or worse. And while you can do what you want, that Star around your neck is potentially vital and I won't be the one responsible for losing it.”

  Another high-pitched keening echoed through the growing night. It seemed closer this time.

  Starla felt the familiar pain that usually followed one of Davan and Orla's tricks or insults. Of course the forest was dangerous. She knew that. Staying here was childish and stupid. Despite all of Gaby's anger, her eyes still darted around them, fearfully.

  “What is that?”

  “A pack of ergothan are hunting you,” Gaby stated. “They will be here soon.” She held out one hand for the star.

  “You will answer my questions once we are inside,” Starla said, trying to sound as authoritative as Gaby had done. She failed. The Guardians' fear had crept inside her. The sounds of ergothan calling to one another chilled her blood.

  Gaby smirked in triumph and let her hand fall. Starla held her gaze defiantly, waiting for an agreement, refusing to react as the keening drew closer still.

  The Guardian's gaze became calculating. “I agree to tell you enough. Things should move faster if you know enough to be cooperative.” With that she turned and hopped into the hollow, apparently unconcerned by the enormous drop. She would not back down. If Gaby wouldn't answer her, one of the others would. Quickened by fear of being left alone, she followed, carefully holding onto tree roots, as the darkness of the hollow rose up to swallow her.

  ***

  Starla rubbed her head and then cringed as her hand passed over a small bump on her forehead. Confused, she sat up. She was at the bottom of the hollow. Next to her, lay a broken tree root, no doubt the cause of her fall. The Guardians were watching, Lua concerned, Gaby impatient, the others seeming indifferent. Grimacing, Starla sat up, remembering that she had tried to find another foothold in the darkness as she climbed, then the sudden crack that had sent her plummeting.

  Alli knelt beside Starla. She laid her hand lightly on her shoulder, violet eyes shifting slightly out of focus. Starla felt a sudden numbness spread over her from the point under Alli's hand.

  “She's fine,” Alli announced, removing her hand and rising, orange skirt glittering in the dim light. “Good thing you're made mostly of water,” she added to Starla with a slight smile.

  “At least you were quiet as the ergothan passed us by,” Gaby grunted as Starla shifted into a sitting position.

  Starla stopped as yet another loose stone skittered away from her. “Sorry.”

  Moving a short distance away, the Guardians began a rapid back and forth in that same liquid tongue as before, Flek adding things every now and then in his super-fast speech.

  Deciding to use the exclusion productively, Starla once again ordered her thoughts. Her head ached. Too much had happened too quickly. She had no choice, now, but to accept that this strange world and everything in it was real and not the product of some fevered dream, or insanity. Yet the possibility set her mind spinning even as her heart leapt at the thought of being nearer to finding out her answers. Drawing on all her years of lessons with Father Joe, she carefully sorted and ordered the new information.

  The air in the hollow was colder than on the forest floor and as night fell it began to cool further, rapidly. Shivering, Starla wished, not for the first time that day, that she hadn't lost her shawl. It might have helped locate her parents, or someone who knew them. Rya glided over, smoothly and sat down opposite Starla, still leaving a wide gap between them. Raising her hands the way Alli had done, she flipped them palm out. The red suns on her body began to glow. Her voice seemed to echo unnaturally, before a brilliant red fire sprang to life between them.

  “Won't someone see that?” Starla asked, fear overtaking her wonder. True, the hollow was unexpectedly deep, but if someone looked down into it, a fire would be noticed.

  “It is an enchanted fire. It will provide heat and light only to those that I wish it to. No one else will even know it is there.” Rya smoothed a point on her yellow skirt.

  Starla glanced around the now-lit hollow as Alli and Lua moved toward them from Gaby.

  The hollow's walls seemed entirely made of thick tree roots, many of them thicker than the shimmering trees above. Into them, were carved hundreds and hundreds of runes. They shone in the firelight as if cast from copper.

  “Gaby thinks we should make the Royal City by dusk the day after tomorrow,” Alli said, sitting next to Rya.

  Lua flashed Starla a big smile as she sat beside her. “Astria lives there. She's—” Warning looks from the other two made Lua fall silent and begin retying one of her pig tails. Frustrated, Starla turned to the other two.

  “Royal City? Is that the Capitol? Who is Astria? Is she the, ah—” She struggled in vain to remember the strange word that had preceded 'Queen'.

  “Yes,” Rya said absently, looking back at Gaby, who was still whispering with Flek.

  “Who is she? How can she help? Why is this so important?” Starla untucked the Star from her night dress.

  “You ask too many questions. And none of them in the right order,” Gaby said, taking a seat at what suddenly seemed the natural head of the fire. The runes seemed to glow brighter with her presence.

  Unwilling to begin an argument, Starla motioned for Gaby to continue.

  “The very first thing I think you need to know is that we are at war. With whom and why is unimportant at the moment. But if you don't follow our orders, you're going to end up on the wrong side. Is that clear? Good,” she continued, barely waiting for Starla's nod. “Secondly, keep that Star hidden.” Her tone had capitalised the word, a dire warning in her eyes.

  “Why? What is it about this that makes it so special?” Starla squeezed in before Gaby could plough on to number three.

  “No need for you to know. But the only person you are ever to show that to is the Inagium.”

  That's the word. Inagium.

  “Please, Starla, everyone's safety may depend on it,” Rya interjected, earning a hiss of frustration from Gaby. Rya said something in that liquid tongue and Gaby's anger faded.

  “All right. I promise not to show it to any
one else.” She had seen no indications of a war but she didn't want to land herself in more trouble. “Though I cannot possibly understand how this little star can save anyone's life.”

  “Luckily for us, you don't need to,” Gaby said condescendingly. “Enough of your questions. We have tomorrow's journey to discuss.” Her tone turned business-like as she continued, addressing the whole circle. “I sent Flek out ahead of us today. He made it all the way across and scoped out the city. The good news is that the fastest way to it is currently the safest too. The bad news is that all gates to the city, save the southern one, are permanently locked.”

  The other Guardians gave a collective grumble.

  “Fantastic. Astria lives on the northern edge of the Imperial Circle. How are we going to get her there?” Alli muttered, pointing at Starla.

  “Gaby, we can't send her in through the south. She'll get lost. She couldn't possibly—” She let her voice trail off as Gaby rolled her eyes and sighed emphatically.

  “Don't be ridiculous, Lua. We are not going to send her in. You think I'd send her, a non-magical stranger, and a mortal, off on something so important alone?” The tone behind every word made it clear how stupid such a concept would be. Starla shifted uneasily. Gaby was reminding her an awful lot of the Salso twins, always putting others down.

  “You mean to go with her?” Rya gasped. “You can't, Gaby. The situation is precarious enough as it stands.”

  “We should all go with her,” Gaby interrupted, locking eyes with each Sacrileon in turn. “We don't know what spies exist. She may need all of us. Our only goal is to get her to Astria.”

  “Enough!” Starla's voice was full of muted anger. Anger at being treated like a pawn, anger at how Gaby treated Lua. “I'm sitting right here. You say you're at war. And that somehow this Star is key. But you won't explain anything. And now you're talking about a plan that obviously has a great deal to do with me but you're talking about me like I'm a sack of potatoes! Perhaps if you actually make me part of your plan, we will have less trouble reaching this Inagium, Astria.”

  The other Guardians looked vaguely impressed. Gaby, however, looked faintly amused, as one might when a young child insists they can do something that is obviously beyond them.

  “This discussion is more vital than your questions or your pride,” Gaby said, curtly. “Perhaps, while we travel, some of your questions may be answered. In return I will try to be more inclusive.”

  Starla pressed her mouth into a thin line. Perhaps now wasn't the best time. Starving and reeling from a bumped head wasn't ideal for adding yet more information to her already overwhelmed mind.

  “When we arrive, we'll need to consider our entry,” Gaby began as soon as Starla nodded. “The first problem will be getting through the outer gate into the South District of the Market Circle. The gate will have its usual citizen officer but there will now also be a lieutenant of the Royal Guard and—” Gaby hesitated before adding the last, “and one of the Makhi Order.

  Indignation, anger and fear were present in the protests offered up by the other Guardians, their voices echoing loudly. Starla winced and glanced up at the patch of shimmering light high above her head, half expecting to see a silhouette of something watching.

  “When were you planning on telling us? At the gate?” Alli barked, eyes glinting in fury.

  “One of the Makhi will surely have The Seal on him.” Rya folded her arms impatiently, the fire sending sparks into the air.

  Lua looked ready to cry as the others began arguing in their own language. “Please. Stop.”

  “Enough!” Starla yelled again, shocking even herself. She cut Gaby off as the Sacrileon opened her mouth. “You say Galatia is at war, that this will help you win.” She let the Star flash in the firelight. “But instead of helping me understand so that I don't ruin anything from ignorance, you sit arguing.” Four pairs of violet eyes watched her in a stunned silence.

  “She is right,” said Rya. Alli and Lua nodded their agreement.

  “Now, you've lost me on a few points. What is a 'Mac-hi'?” she said, sounding out the strange word. “And why is a seal problematic?” Starla finished. She had been following fine up until there. She prided herself on her education. Even if she felt vastly out of her depth at the moment, she was not some village simpleton. She was a fast learner. Gaby leaned back and the tree roots rose and curved to catch her. Her violet eyes narrowed in steely defiance. Clearly, she intended to remain silent but she waved a hand vaguely.

  Rya answered immediately. “'Makhi' is the word used throughout the Trianon System for someone born with what we call 'unbound' magical abilities. They can get their magic to fulfil almost any purpose, using a staff to focus and enhance it,” she said, frowning in thought. “I believe, where you come from, they would be known as witches or wizards.” She looked up, hopefully. Starla nodded to indicate that the terms made sense. “The Makhi Order is based here, on Galatia, but its Makhi have come from any of the three inhabited planets ever since the Silver Alliance was set up two thousand years ago. Their family titles are left behind and they become known only as Makhi.”

  “Is Astria a Makhi?” Starla asked, wondering if Inagium was just a higher title for a magical person.

  “No. She is an Inagium. They also have magical abilities, but limited, if potentially more powerful. Inagium magic is only found among Galatians. Their Spirit-casting ability is unique to Inagium. They also have the ability to shift into animal forms,”

  “Spirit-casting?”

  “They can use their wands to cast spells on the spirits of those around them to enhance or inhibit their abilities,” Alli said, then indicated Rya to continue addressing the initial questions.

  Starla shuddered at the thought of someone tampering with her spirit, before turning her mind to what Rya was saying.

  “Anyway, the Seal is the name given to a specific type of magical bond or link. The current High Lord of the Makhi is the only one capable of creating and maintaining it. It links him to every member of the Makhi Order of Trianon. Normally, it is not fully active but at any time the High Lord may activate anyone's, or one of the Makhi may activate their own. For instance, if they are being attacked,” she added with a pointed look at Gaby. “Once activated, the High Lord will literally be able to see, hear and feel everything that that Makhi is seeing, hearing and feeling.”

  “And he is one person we really don't want knowing that we are in the City. I really don't know how to stress it more, but he can't know, at any cost,” Alli added, catching Starla in her intent gaze. “He is the only Makhi in centuries to be so powerful. All our magic combined wouldn't likely stand up to his.” The others looked chagrined at the admission. “Not if he taps into his full strength. He is also immune to our more targeted spells. I wouldn't want to risk any innocent people being hurt. His magic may exhaust his body before we tire but the cost would be terrible.”

  “Our magic draws life from our element. Too much, and it starts to die, or disappear,” Lua added in response to Starla's furrowed brow. “So, if I kept using air, things around me would begin to suffocate.”

  “Is he one of the spies?” Starla asked softly, not liking the sound of this powerful Makhi with the ability to create such a bond, not to mention clearly able to frighten the Sacrileons, who were, in Starla's opinion, absolutely terrifying.

  “They don't exactly advertise themselves,” Gaby muttered, scratching Flek's head as he lay down beside her. “We're not allowed in the Royal City at the moment. And he is the one enforcing that rule. He has reason to turn traitor. He is feared and hated within the City, though few would dare disrespect him to his face.”

  “Why aren't you allowed in the Royal City?” Starla suddenly wondered if she wasn't with a group of spies, herself. The uncomfortable feeling squirmed in her gut. Then again, she still didn't know anything about the war. How could she say which side was better?

  Suddenly, each Guardian was wearing a silver circlet, the centre stone missing
. Starla guessed each stone to be about the size of her Star.

  “These held our Guardian Stones. They have been lent to the Galatian people. The High Lord has managed to bond them into an extremely powerful shield. However, they are part of us. If we are there for too long, the stones will try and return to us. We gave them willingly, but our promise included passing power to the High Lord,” Lua explained, after receiving a dismissive nod from Gaby. “If we allow them to return, his shield will break. And we would be considered traitors.”

  “But if you have lent him the stones, then aren't you allies? Won't he help us?” Starla was confused. Not unusual for today, she mused bitterly.

  “She was being diplomatic,” Alli murmured. “'Lent' is really not the right word. It was decreed that we hand over our Guardian Stones to aid the defence of Galatia.” Though her voice was soft, her eyes glittered dangerously.

  “The High Lord had researched them and was convinced he could use them to protect the Royal City. Make a safe haven, as it were,” Rya added, her voice tinged with sadness. “It's a small consolation that he was right.”

  Gaby broke the lengthening silence as Starla absorbed and catalogued the new information.

  “The most important thing is that if we turn up at the gate, the Makhi on duty will alert the High Lord and he won't let us through without knowing what we want in the city. We cannot risk a confrontation with the High Lord. He is too powerful and possibly dangerous. We need to get to the Inagium fast and without drawing attention.”

  “Why wouldn't he help us reach the Inagium? He seems only interested in protecting Galatia and if this is what you say, then—”

  “We can't take the risk,” Alli sighed, her shoulder length curls swaying gently. “He may have been turned, or chosen the other side willingly. As Gaby said, he'd have more reason than most. He … never mind. The point is we aren't winning and we can't risk something this important on someone we aren't sure of.”

  Starla took a moment to absorb this, deciding what she should ask next.