Kilenya Series Books One, Two, and Three (12 page)

Soon, they were able to put some distance between themselves and the Rog. Before long, Jacob couldn’t see or hear it. He and Akeno ran up the slope, exited the trees, and raced down the trail, putting more space between them and the lake.

Akeno reached out, stopping Jacob. He bent, hands on knees, and panted before saying, “We probably don’t have to run anymore, but we’d better keep going before the Rog figures out where we went. They’re not very smart, but they are dangerous.”

Jacob agreed and settled into the swift pace set by Akeno, holding his arm over the stitch in his side.

Chapter 8. Mud Bubbles

The Fat Lady sent us on our way, but not before showing us a tunnel that leads from the foothills behind her house directly to a passageway in the castle, bypassing the waterfall. Arien showed the tunnel to me once and I used it a few times, but hadn’t needed it for several years. Luckily, our Minya is able to use it as a way to travel to and from the castle.

The Fat Lady also gave me information concerning the next element. It’s in the form of a person—a Fire Pulser named Lasia. I’ve heard horrible stories about Fire Pulsers and have no confidence in my ability to defeat one. However, the Fat Lady did give me instructions that should help. It seems that Minyas have a natural sensitivity to change of temperature. I am to keep one constantly on the lookout, using it as a way to know what Lasia is doing at all times. Then I am to creep around her, placing diamonds, which the Fat Lady has given me, in five spots around her, forming a pentagon. Once the final diamond is in place, a shield will be formed around her, thus allowing us to pass by unharmed. I truly hope the Fat Lady is correct in this.

Jacob and Akeno walked in silence for a while as Jacob pondered the events of the last two days. He finally gave in to his curiosity. “Akeno, can I ask you a couple of questions?”

“Sure.”

“What happens when you touch the trees? I mean, I know it has something to do with Rezend or whatever, but how does it tell you when there’s danger around?”

“When a Makalo comes in contact with something that’s alive, we’re given a sense of what’s around us. Basically, we see what they see, but not in a visual way.”

What would that be like? Jacob looked back at the poplars behind them—trees that tall had to have a great view. “Why do you read trees? Why not me, or one of the Minyas? We’re living things.”

“Theoretically, you’re similar, but not similar enough.” Akeno paused, a slight frown on his face. “There’s a lot of history behind it—I’ll give you all of it someday, but for now, all you really need to know is that hundreds of years ago, Makalos were completely tied to trees. We lived in them and through them—they fed our Rezend. A good Makalo leader took us from them, but then our magic started to wane with each generation. By doing that, the leader saved us. ‘Course, we still maintain a connection with trees.”

Akeno sighed. “The Makalos were the most powerful people in this world, and their magic was not outdone by any, including the humans and Shiengols. There were millions upon millions of us.” He gazed toward the mountain towering above them. “Their greatest city was located not far from here. The Kaede trees, from what we know, are still standing. I can only imagine how amazing it was to see the city in its prime.”

He turned to Jacob. “You’ve probably noticed that my finger is blue—the Rezend which flows through my body creates a brilliant silver-blue glow, and a Makalo’s body shines when at his or her fullest magical ability. The Rezend is like their blood, and—”

“That’s really weird,” Jacob said.

Akeno frowned and took a minute to answer. “I guess I can see why you would feel that way. I’ve known about it my whole life, so it’s normal to me.”

“It wouldn’t be weird to you to walk up to someone who was blue all over?”

“It’s not a berry blue.” He scratched his head. “You would barely notice the shade until you got close to the individual. It was more like a silvery blue glow around them.”

Akeno paused and stretched, then put his hand on his stomach. “I’m hungry. We should probably eat now.” He knelt at the side of the path and pulled things from his pack—a pot, carrots, potatoes, seasoning, water—and made soup.

Jacob built a fire, then relaxed in the grass while the soup cooked. Neither said anything, and when the soup was finished, they ate in silence for several minutes, Jacob lost in his own thoughts. What would those original Makalos have been like? How would he have reacted when he saw their powers? Or their blue auras?

“And your village is all that remains of the Makalos. Wow.”

“Yes, mainly because of the war that occurred several years ago, but also because the Makalos aren’t as powerful, magically. In a few more generations, the village will probably be gone.”

Jacob and Akeno gathered their things in silence and continued on the path. The Minyas flitted around, playing another silly game.

Jacob looked up at the mountains, now right in front of them. The path appeared to be practically slashed into the mountainside, forming a series of switchbacks.

“Looks like we’re going up,” Akeno said.

“Good thing I don’t mind hiking.”

At first the trail wasn’t too difficult. The mountainside sloped gently upward, and the path followed naturally. However, after they’d hiked half an hour, the path rose sharply, and the switchbacks started. They were deeply cut, causing a sheer drop on one side of the path. In several sections, parts of the path had crumbled away, leaving only a few inches left on which to stand.

They paused to rest and admire the view. Smoke rose from Aldo’s chimney below, and with the forests and gently rolling hills, Jacob found himself wishing he had his camera with him.

After resting about five minutes, they continued upward. The trail became more difficult, and in many places, they had to grab branches and bushes to pull themselves along. Eventually, and much to Jacob’s relief, they reached the top where the path crested over the foothills and turned left, veering to the east.

They only followed the trail for a few more minutes before deciding to stop and set up camp in a small canyon harboring a thicket of scrub oak. The sun was setting, and a brisk, cold wind had picked up. Akeno assembled the hut while Jacob started a fire, and the Minyas raced through the branches of the small trees. When the fire was blazing, Akeno cooked dinner. They ate as they watched the sunset.

Jacob leaned back, content now that his stomach was full. “Those were amazing potatoes.” He watched the last rays of amber sunlight disappear. After a moment, his thoughts returned to the task on hand. “I wish we’d had more time to discuss the Lorkon. Do you know anything about them?”

“Not a whole lot. Just that they’re evil and prefer being in the dark.” Akeno stood and started raking dirt over the coals. “I’ve also heard they’re really ugly.”

“Yeah, they would be.”

Akeno frowned, turning to Jacob. “Why do you say that?”

“Haven’t you ever noticed? The bad guys are always ugly.”

Akeno laughed as they headed to the makeshift tent where September and Early had already turned in for the night.

Jacob was restless for a while, trying not to dwell on what had happened at the manor. He needed a good night’s rest, free from nightmares, and wasn’t sure he’d get one. After tossing for several minutes, he finally fell into a deep sleep.

Jacob woke early the next morning. Akeno murmured something in his sleep on the other side of the hut and Jacob got up, trying not to wake him. He wanted to move around a bit to stretch out his sore muscles. He’d slept well, but it would take a while for the aches to leave from the previous day.

He climbed his way through the hole Akeno had left for him in the mess of brambles and leaves. The mountains were to his back, dark and tall. He glanced up at them. They were beautiful in their ruggedness. No trees, no bushes—nothing but huge granite outcroppings. Though he was able to admire them, he was grateful the path didn’t go any higher. Instead, it led across a plateau shaped by the foothills they’d climbed yesterday.

Walking away from the campsite and back to the path, Jacob looked down at the switchbacks, maintaining a safe distance from the edge. The view was dizzying, and he had to steady himself by taking a couple deep breaths.

The wolves were making their way up the switchbacks. He rolled his eyes. What ridiculous creatures.

There was a sound behind him, and Jacob turned. Akeno was just getting out of the shelter.

“What are you looking at?” Akeno asked, picking a bunch of leaves from the branches on the hut.

“Just looking. The wolves are coming up the mountain.”

Akeno finished picking the leaves, then joined Jacob at the ledge. He glanced over. “Are they just now catching up to us?”

Jacob nodded. “How long did it take us to get up those switchbacks? A couple of hours?”

“Or a little more.”

Jacob frowned. “Let’s get out of here before they gain too much on us.”

Akeno turned. “I’ll put the branches back.”

“Why does it matter if they’re put back?”

“Because they die quickly when under so much pressure. While I’m around them, I can use my Rezend to prevent them from being damaged, but once we leave, they won’t have that protection.”

He went to the hut and Jacob followed, grabbing his backpack before Akeno dismantled his creation. The Minyas flew out, brushing themselves off and looking irritated.

“Good morning,” Jacob said, but they ignored him and flew away. He turned to Akeno. “Why don’t they talk to us very much? I’ve barely had a handful of conversations with them.”

“They’re like most Minyas,” Akeno said, pulling his tape dispenser from his bag. “They prefer games to conversing, and they’re very light-minded. They don’t find anyone but other Minyas to be interesting.” He sat and taped the leaves to his shoes. “If they didn’t have such good memories for relaying messages, no one would keep them around.”

Jacob took a drink of water from his canteen, then put it back in his knapsack. “I’ve noticed they never get tired of going back and forth.”

Akeno picked up his bag and they headed to the trail. “And they won’t. They never mess up the messages and never get lost. They’re better than cell phones.”

Jacob smiled. “Ha. Good one.”

He looked over his shoulder toward the switchbacks. No sign of the wolves. He took a breath, telling himself to relax. The wolves didn’t want to attack—at least, he hoped not.

The trail curved a couple of times around huge rocks, but it was level. There weren’t many trees here, and the mountain rose on the right with the drop-off on the left.

Strange-looking wildflowers grew in patches on both sides of the trail, and Jacob picked one to examine while walking. It was a type he’d never seen before, with bright blue petals and soft thistles on the stems and leaves. He noticed something odd and stared at it. “That’s weird. Are the petals moving?”

“Yes, they are,” Akeno said. “That’s how they attract bees. They’re my mom’s favorite flower. The petals are edible, with a spicy-sweet flavor. It does take a bit to get over the feel of them wiggling in your mouth, though.”