The Shaktra (21 page)

Ali chuckled. “I’m sure more Europeans hike Kilimanjaro than Americans.”

“True. But they’re fat, too.”

“But do you go to school?”

Ra nodded. “I did go to school, up until I started working with my uncle. Our school was lucky to have a satellite dish, and a big-screen TV. That allowed us to study programs broadcasted from all over the world. We also have an excellent teacher from Britain—Ms. Danridge.”

“I bet you were her favorite pupil.”

“Why do you say that?”

Ali teased. “She’s the one who gave you that great James Bond accent.”

He smiled briefly, nodded. “Ms. Danridge taught me a great deal of the world.” He added, “Unfortunately, in my village, people only go to class until they are twelve.”

“Must be nice,” Ali muttered.

“It’s a crime. No one can learn enough to get into a decent college with only six years of schooling. When I began training with my uncle to be a chimvi—a shaman—he insisted that I keep reading books and studying math and science. He had high
hopes for me to escape the area and maybe go to England and attend Cambridge or Oxford.”

“He sounds like he was a wonderful man,” she said.

“He was the best.”

She hesitated. “I assume he raised you because both your parents are dead?”

Ra nodded. “They died when I was young.”

“How? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“My mother died giving birth to me. My father was killed by a lion.”

“The same lion you killed?”

“No. My father died when I was three. But my uncle—as part of my training—insisted that I kill a lion to avenge my father’s soul.”

“Did you kill the lion in the wild?”

“Of course.”

“Were you alone?”

Ra nodded. “Yes. Alone in the dark.”

“The lions I’ve seen at the zoo are huge. How did you have the guts to approach one?”

“I knew my arrow was going to kill it.”

“How did you know?”

Ra hesitated. “My uncle taught me certain things, secret things. Just know that my archery skills are not just dependent on practice and physical ability.”

Ali considered, trying to get a sense for what he was saying. “Are you able to charge your arrows somehow? So that they go where you wish?”

He paused, seemingly struck by her insight, then nodded. “My uncle taught me many wonderful things.”

“You miss him, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me what else he taught you. Don’t be shy, I won’t tell a soul.”

Ra smiled. “They all say that.”

“Who is they?”

“The girls in my village.”

Ali laughed. “I bet you have lots of girlfriends!”

He blushed. “That is not true.”

“You must have at least one. What’s her name?”

Ra shook his head. “I am too young for women.”

Ali laughed harder. “Women? I’m talking about
girls
. You mean to tell me you’re not dating anyone? I don’t believe it.”

He looked at her. “It is true, I don’t date. No one in our village does.”

Ali quieted, sensing that he was speaking the truth. “So tell me more about what it takes to be a chimvi.”

Ra was silent for a moment. “When I first started to train under my uncle, he told me that the secret of becoming a chimvi was to be fearless. He said that all weakness in life, all suffering, came from fear alone.”

“What about the type of suffering that comes from others?”

Ra shook his head. “I asked him that. He said that a person’s internal fears caused such catastrophes to come to him. But he said if a person was completely at peace, as firm as a rock inside, then nothing bad would ever happen to him.”

“Do you believe that?”

“I do.” Ra added, “But I have a long way to go to find complete peace.”

Ali nodded. “I hear that.” She added, “Will anyone be missing you right now at home?”

“Not for a few days. I told them I was going to stay on the mountain for a while.”

“And after that?”

Ra just smiled. “Don’t worry about it.” He added, “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Anyone going to miss you?” he asked.

“Not really. There’s just my father, and he’s away right now, on business.”

“How did you become a fairy?” Ra asked.

“I did not
become
a fairy, I was always a fairy. I just didn’t know it is all.”

“Then how did you learn you were a fairy?”

Ali pointed to Farble. “First off, I was walking in the woods, minding my own business, when I was attacked by a couple of his pals. That was my first exposure to elementals. No, wait, I take that back. I met Paddy in town before I ran into the trolls. But I didn’t know he was a leprechaun.”

“What did you think he was?”

“A dwarf. I mean, he had on tons of makeup. He looked like some weird short guy to me.”

“Did he just walk up to you on the street?”

“Yeah. He was trying to sell me something. Something he had stolen.”

“Your town sounds much more interesting than mine.”

“It wasn’t that interesting until the elementals showed up.”

“So when you met your troll friends and Paddy you learned you were a fairy?”

“Not exactly. A tree told me that I was a fairy.”

Ra frowned. “A tree?”

“It was a talking tree. Well, actually, the tree was unimportant. It was more like this person I used to know—when I was living here—came to me in the form of a tree and told me all kinds of stuff about myself. He was the one who said I had to climb the mountain and stop the elementals from invading the Earth.”

“Could you see this person?”

“No. Just the tree.” She added, “He came as a pond later on.”

“A pond?”

“Yes. A small clear pond.”

“And you could hear his voice?”

“No. Actually, it was only in my head. It was like telepathy.”

“But if you couldn’t see him, how did you know you could trust him?”

Ali smiled. “Because of his love. I could feel it whenever he came. His love was . . . is. . . so wonderful.”

“Does he have a name?”

She hesitated. “I probably shouldn’t say his name out loud.”

Ra teased her. “Like you, I’m great at keeping secrets.”

Ali suddenly leaned over and whispered Nemi’s name in his ear.

She didn’t know why, she just trusted him. Trusted him with her life.

They had hiked for another hour when Ali heard sounds up ahead, and glimpsed through the trees a half dozen people approaching. Quickly, she got her friends off the path, behind some bushes, and waited for the strangers to come closer. From what she could see, they looked like normal people—a bit thin perhaps, with bright red hair that shone beneath the green sun, deeply tanned skin, and wearing green clothes.

But Paddy said that they were fairies.

Ali had to smile. “They look like humans. Even more so than elves.” The elves she had seen, at least, had pointed ears.

“Humans look like fairies, Missy,” Paddy corrected her.

The group came closer. They had their heads down, as if they were heavy, and their expressions were blank, and she asked Paddy about it. But he seemed reluctant to comment.

“We should let them go their own way,” he said.

“No way. If they’re fairies, I want to talk to them.” She went to get up, to wave to them. Paddy grabbed her arm.

“No, Missy! Don’t speak to these ones!” He added in a dark whisper,” They’ve been
marked
.”

“Marked? What does that mean?”

The leprechaun shook his head. “Paddy only saw it a few times, before he left for your world. But a few fairies and elves—they have a mark on their heads. These ones—they have no minds.”

Ali thought of Freddy Degear and Nira Smith—always Nira.

“Does the mark look like a thumbprint?” she asked.

“Aye. Like it was burned into their skin.” Paddy continued to try to pull her back behind the bushes. “Let them pass, Missy. Don’t mind them.”

Ali shook him off. “Where does the mark come from? Tell me, I need to know.”

He cowered. “Paddy does not know.”

She knelt in front of him, made him look her in the eye. “Does the Shaktra do this to people?”

“Paddy doesn’t. . .”

“Does it touch them and then control their minds?” she insisted.

He shook his head. “Paddy has only heard stories.”

“Tell me about these stories.”

“That when they’re marked,
it
can see through them!”

Ali glanced at the troupe of fairies. “They move like they’re drunk. They don’t look dangerous.”

Paddy was anxious. “They can be dangerous if it. . . awakens them.”

Ali stood, turned to Ra. “Do you think we can handle them?”

He nodded. “We need to talk to someone around here.”

Leaving Paddy and Farble behind, Ali and Ra stepped onto
the path in front of the fairies. None looked up, slowed down, or made a sound. Their green eyes were marbles fished from the mud. Ali had seen snakes with more emotion on their faces. Feeling cold despair, she tried to block their way, but they went around her. They had the exact same marks on their foreheads as Freddy and Nira.

Yet Ali could see that they had been beautiful at one time. Their robes were not entirely green, but mixed with lines of white and yellow, colors that seemed to shift as the sun moved in the sky. Their red hair was still bright, braided with silver and gold thread in long strands that reached past their waists. Each wore bracelets and anklets made of red and blue flowers, and their ears—although more human than elfish—were longer and
thinner
. It seemed the green sunlight passed through the soft skin without hesitation, and took the shadows from their eyes.

Yet the marks on their foreheads destroyed it all. . .

They were walking shadows. They were living nightmares.

Ali turned to Ra as the troupe started to walk away.

“Look what direction they’re headed!” she cried.

Ra, his sword in his hand, nodded. “If they keep going they’ll hit the desert.”

“The scabs will get them you mean!”

Putting away his weapon, Ra touched her arm. “This was going on long before we got here. You can’t change it in a day.”

Ali shook her head, took a step toward the gang’s lone straggler, a tall girl with a narrow face who couldn’t have been much older than herself. “Get Paddy. Drag him out here if you have to. I cannot let this go on,” she said.

The girl resisted Ali, but her effort was feeble and not sustained. Ali managed to sit her on the trunk of a fallen tree, and Ra reappeared with Paddy and Farble. The whole time the girl
kept her eyes down, and did not respond to Ali’s questions. All went so far as to strike her—the girl’s head swung like a branch in the breeze. Ali turned to Paddy.

“They are all heading south. That cannot be by chance. I assume the Shaktra sends them to the desert to be eaten by the scabs. Is that true?”

Paddy hesitated. “Aye, Missy.”

“Is there more to it than that?” she persisted.

Paddy pointed to the girl. “She will change into a scalii.”

“What’s a scalii?” Ali asked.

“It’s when a scab lands on someone and eats their brains. They turn into a scalii.”

Ali was stunned. “They don’t die?”

Paddy was grim. “They wish they could die.”

Ali had to force herself to ask her next question. “What do scaliis do?”

Paddy shuddered. “Eat other people. Anyone they can get their hands on.”

The girl tried to stand, Ali forced her back down. “We can’t let her go,” she said.

“How are you going to stop her?” Ra asked.

“I don’t know. But I have to stop all of them. Or. . .”

“Or what?” Ra asked. “Head back to the desert? Try to burn up all the scabs? There could be millions of them for all you know. There probably are.”

Ali turned to Paddy. “What do you mean that the Shaktra can see through them?”

“What Paddy heard,” the leprechaun muttered.

“More the reason to leave her behind,” Ra said.

“What is your problem?” Ali snapped. “Is this what it means to be a chimvi? To be cold and heartless?”

Ra hesitated. “Sometimes, if the situation demands it.”

“I’m going to save this girl. No matter what it takes.”

Ra nodded. “I agree, you have to try. But she might not be under a simple spell. It’s possible the damage is permanent. The Shaktra might have burned her brains out.”

Shaking her head, Ali drew out her Yanti. “Leave me alone with her.”

With the others gone, Ali was still not free to concentrate. The girl kept trying to leave, and Ali had to grip her wrist tightly. That left her fewer fingers to manipulate the Yanti. Nevertheless, she managed to repeat the cycle she had learned from Nira, while simultaneously focusing on releasing the girl from her mental bondage. Unfortunately, as she brought her power to bear, the girl began to shake as if she were having a convulsion and blood dripped from her nose. Ali’s own hand began to bleed as well, and she had to stop.

With her uninjured hand, Ali stroked the girl’s hair. “Can you tell me your name at least?” she asked.

The girl did not respond, did not even look at her. Ali signaled for Ra to return. She explained what had happened when she used the Yanti on the girl.

“I want to take her with us,” Ali added.

“Bad idea,” he replied.

Ali glared at him.”
Who’s
in charge here?”

Ra shook his head. “You may be in charge but it’s still a bad idea, and it’s my responsibility to tell you so. This woman has only one thought in her head, that’s to go south. We’re going north. She’ll wear us out, fighting her.”

“How can you just leave her to such a horrible death?”

Ra shrugged. “You’re leaving the others who just walked by to a horrible death. Why? Because you know you can’t manage them all. You can’t manage this one.” Ra added, “The best you can do is tie her to a tree, off the path, where she won’t be spotted.”

“She would be helpless. A wild animal could walk by and eat her.”

“I don’t like it, but at least it gives her a chance. Then, on our way back, maybe you’ll know more what can be done for her. By then, you might be able to reverse it.” Ra added, “Paddy shares my opinion.”

Ali snorted. “So now we’re going to the leprechaun for advice?”