Read The Fiuri Realms (Shioni of Sheba Book 5) Online
Authors: Marc Secchia
P
romises could be
so fragile.
That evening, as Altair vanished beneath the horizon, but Crysturiel continued to burn overhead, giving her the curious sensation of falling upward into those everlasting fires, Shioni found herself unable to sleep. Iri and Viri had curled up together in a grassy spot, while nearby, Char drooled on his notebook. Reaching out, Shioni moved his precious notebook–bulging with the weird doings and sayings of a certain Storm Fiuri–to a safer place. Even Chime rested, but in her case, that meant hovering above the waterfall, her wings undulating even while she slept. Shioni could feel the dragon’s warmth right across the dell. She truly was an inferno.
Once, most Fiuri had lived on Fiuriel’s surface in gardens around the mountains, like the one they rested in now. But some Fiuri had lived on Crysturiel–her kin, the Storm Fiuri. They had lived and worked in partnership with the Crystal Inferno Dragons, riding the storms and using their wild magic to fight the Black Ice Dragons and their allies. Then, everything had changed. Traitors arose among the Storm Fiuri. The different family clans clashed, growing distrustful of each other. Some Fiuri sided with the Black Ice Dragons, drawn to the power and ways of darkness.
One night the Storm Fiuri simply disappeared. Thousands vanished as if they had never been, leaving the Crystal Inferno Dragons to campaign against the Black Ice Dragons and their Elementals on their own. The dark powers rose, changing the face of Crysturiel forever. Determined to punish the Fiuri for abandoning them, great numbers of Crystal Inferno Dragons flew to Fiuriel to reason with the Blue Fiuri and all their kind, but did not find the Storm Fiuri among them. No-one knew who cast the first spell, or loosed the first fireball, but an all-out war erupted. The Elementals of wild magic appeared on Fiuriel’s surface, chasing the remaining Fiuri into the cracks and tunnels, and driving off the Crystal Inferno Dragons.
“The Elementals became more powerful than ever, here on Fiuriel,” Chime had said. “We were sorely defeated. From that day on, we Crystal Inferno Dragons cursed all Fiuri and vowed to see them dead. And we have been dying out, too.”
Shioni stirred restlessly. Crysturiel’s fires burned like no flame she had ever seen. They were opalescent, similar to a pearl necklace the King of West Sheba had given Annakiya for her tenth birthday. The colours flickered and changed shape constantly, teasing her eyes. They were like Chime’s eyes, a living flame, growing and breathing and bursting with life.
Chime watched her.
Shioni could not help the trickle of cold fear that crept into her gut. She had promised to return to help the Crystal Inferno Dragons. She must seek the other Storm Fiuri. But how could she make any promises, knowing how great Tazaka’s power had become? Could she wrest the green stone from him? Would Chief Arandal have succeeded in smuggling enough nectar beneath Tazaka’s nose that the Greens would be immune to his control? And Azurelle, most especially?
Rising from the soft grass, she flew–crazy as that sounded to a Human–over to the great dragon.
“Couldn’t sleep?” Shioni asked.
“No. There’s a storm brewing over the mountains. The Elementals have been roused.”
Shioni saw lightning playing among the peaks, and dark clouds threatening to obscure the starry night sky. “Do they know we’re here? They must.”
She found it hard to think in chime-words, so Shioni answered aloud, “Thank you, Chime. I wish you could have told me where to find my people–if they are my people.”
Chime said,
Shioni knew her smile was a fragile flower. “Chime …”
said the Crystal Inferno Dragon.
“Chime, do you long to go home?”
The dragon’s sigh stirred the grass across the dell.
“Will you willingly give one of your children, knowing they might die?”
she said.
Shioni’s eyes blurred. This from a dragon who just a few days before had been willing to kill her friends? Chime touched deep things in her life, secrets and hurts she had never wanted to see exposed.
Then, the Crystal Inferno Dragon said,
She stared at her slowly healing shoulder. Oh, flying hyenas … what now? For the flesh around her wound had begun to show a hint of Fiuri patterning. She was not sure what to make of the colours, for they were very faint, especially in the dim light–but the swirls and curlicues shimmered in the moonlight with the airy translucence of a dragonfly’s wings. Maybe Azurelle would have cause to be jealous after all?
Shioni admitted.
With the storm closing in, the dragon woke the Fiuri just after midnight. Tucking them first into a bubble of magic, and then into a pouch on her belly, she zipped off over the lush, forested hills, away from the mountains and toward the great plain of blood-red gravel and turquoise mounds.
“We will outrun the storm,” she told them, above the roar of the wind. “When you reach the Fiuri Realms, tell those who will hear that we dragons are sorry for the harm we caused.”
Shioni considered what she had discussed with Chime in the dark of the night, things she had not told her friends. She did not dare. For if her plans for Tazaka fell flat, there was one more risk she might have to take …
Chime covered in less than a day the distance it had taken the Fiuri three days to fly. A wild and windy morning greeted the travellers as they raced at the same indefatigable speed over the plain. The storm had almost kept pace with the Dragon’s flight. Peeking out of Chime’s belly-pouch, the Fiuri wondered where she would bring them. What would it mean to stare one of their mortal enemies right in the eye?
At length, the Dragon’s speed slackened. She seemed to be searching for something, flying in long swoops over the occasional mound. The frantic rippling of her wings slowed.
“Here,” said Chime. “This youngling is ready to journey. Forgive me as I speak to the little one.”
She called,
Shioni gasped. Viri elbowed her sharply. “You understand them?”
“Yes.”
“Well, little petal. A translation would be perfect.”
Instead, Shioni turned to Chardal. “Are you sure you can protect this one from the wards? I just don’t want–”
“For the fifteenth time, yes,” said Viridelle waspishly. “The bigger issue is the poison trail it’ll leave behind–we shouldn’t follow too closely.”
Just beside the Hunter, Char shrugged apologetically.
Shioni translated steadily as Chime told her larva in minute and incredibly long-winded detail, all about their need. To her surprise, the male Dragon larva was more than willing to help.
After some hours, the Crystal Inferno Dragon said,
Indicating the monstrous stone pile–which looked considerably smaller beside the mother Dragon–Shioni said, “Friends, this is Jinnzi. Like this,
Char chuckled,
“Now, I’ll teach you to give directions,” said Chime. “I assume a Green Hunter can find her way to the Green Central cavern you told me about?” Viri put on her best miffed expression. “Good. That storm’s bearing down quickly. Shioni, listen closely.”
Shortly, they were saying their farewells. Chime had barely finished wishing them fresh fires and fierce travel-worthy storms, when the ground began to shake. Shioni might have suspected an earthquake had she not known that the Jinnzi was warming up what Chime called his ‘rotating crusher teeth’. She was very glad to be at the back end of such a beast! Then, as the roar rose to a deafening pitch, the pile suddenly began to cascade inward. The four Fiuri watched wide-eyed as a great depression developed in the ground, slowly sinking away until they found themselves hovering above the entrance of a tunnel the width of many Fiuri flying side-by-side.
“Don’t get too close in case of a collapse,” the Crystal Inferno Dragon advised. “You can call Jinnzi back to tidy up.”
“As long as he doesn’t tidy us up,” Iri worried.
Cautiously, the Fiuri followed the Cave-Crawler down into the dark, fresh tunnel. A deep-throated roar preceded them as the tunnel lengthened at the speed of a Fiuri walking. All they could see was a departing tail.
“That’s the last I ever want to see of the surface,” Viridelle declared. “Nasty place–full of storms, crazy fire-breathing Dragons and wild magic.”
“Not to mention awfully open tunnel roofs,” said Iri.
“Sky,” Viri corrected her twin.
“Ah, but the stars are enough to set a Fiuri’s heart aflame,” sighed Chardal. “They sparkle like tiny fires in that great wilderness of dark space. So romantic.”
Shioni jabbed Viri with her elbow. “Wouldn’t you say, Viri?”
“Huh?” said the Hunter. “I think Jinnzi needs to tunnel a little more Spinward, Shioni. Can you tell him?”
Chardal rolled his eyes. “I can see all the gorgeous poetry I’ve been composing, inspired by the wonders of Crysturiel and Fiuriel’s exotic surface, is wasted on
some
Green Hunters!”
“Huh?” Viri repeated. “What was that about Hunters? Are you being rude, scholar Char? Because I warn you, I’ll wrestle you until I’ve tied your toes to your wingtips and braided your hair into a Shaggy Spider’s nest–”
“Would he like that?” asked Iri, a little worriedly.
“Why don’t you disorganise his pens and notebooks?” Shioni suggested.
“No …” The scholar backed off, but the cunning Hunter had snagged his belt. “Get your thieving paws off my pens! Viri, I swear … now just you listen here. That’s a valuable notebook. Viri! Don’t you dare touch my ink supplies–you pest, now I’m really getting mad.”
Viridelle mussed his hair fondly. “Ooh, scary.”
Shioni laughed at their rambunctious play. Her Fiuri friends were visibly relieved to be back underground. But her thoughts sped further ahead, beyond the tunnel Jinnzi quarried for them which aimed arrow-straight for the heart of Green Central. Tazaka would be most displeased by their plan to disrupt his forthcoming marriage to the new Queen, Azurelle. Would Chief Arandal have had enough time to stir up his nectars and potions?
Shioni said, forming the unfamiliar words carefully.
Three days’ tunnelling to Green Central, Viri had estimated. Shioni knew that their return from exile meant certain death, should they fail. She looked back over her shoulder. Nothing had followed them down the tunnel–yet.
W
HEN Shioni, Chardal,
Viridelle and Iridelle broke through to Green Central, even the upheaval of a Cave-Crawler’s demolition job on the tunnel walls went unnoticed. The four Fiuri looked about in astonishment.
Total war!
Aside, Shioni said,
The Storm Fiuri rubbed her eyes, trying to make head or tail of the scene. Burn mightily? Jinnzi’s strange form of leave-taking might prove all too accurate. There were Fiuri of every conceivable colour locked in one gigantic, sprawling battle around the spires and spars of Green Central. Huge flotillas of Vermilion Dragonflies crewed by heavily armed Yellow Fiuri faced up to battalions of Blue Fiuri, who rode much smaller, faster-looking Dragonflies. Brown Fiuri dashed about on Scarab Beetles, which appeared to be equally able to run or fly. The beetles had huge, underslung mandibles which could crush a dragonfly in seconds. Shioni pitied any Fiuri caught by a Scarab Beetle!
“Greens and Yellows against Browns, Blues and Reds. No Oranges,” Viri rattled off, clarifying what to Shioni was one mad brawl.
“Do you think we started something?” Shioni asked, in a small voice.
“No, but we need to.” Viri snapped urgently, “Follow me. Quick!”
A flight of magic-spurting Blue Fiuri swept toward them along the cavern wall. Darting around the curvature of a cave-spanning column which appeared to be home to a cloth-weaving industry, their little group had to turn tail immediately as a battle group of Yellow Fiuri soldiers led by none other than Ashkuriel stormed across their path. Shioni saw Ashkuriel’s head snap about. What rotten luck! The Yellow Fiuri bellowed his orders.
“Here.” Grabbing Shioni’s arm, Iri led her in a dizzying spin to avoid a couple of spears which hurtled past their wings.
“Thanks, Iri.”
“No time for that–
yee!
” Viridelle screeched as she avoided a marauding, riderless Scarab Beetle. “Let’s find Tazaka. Oh, unholy slug spit!”
This was as they whizzed around a knot of battling Blues and Yellows, only to run headlong into Tazaka’s personal battle-group. Suddenly, they were ducking between Vermilion Dragonflies, dodging irate kicks and buzzing arrows, following Viridelle as they shot out of the reach of the Green leader’s densely-packed troops and back toward the Blues.
A deep, resonating horn-blast cut across the hubbub of battle.
“There’s the horn!” shouted Char.
“What is it?” gasped Shioni. Her wounded shoulder was not enjoying all of this jinking about.
“A truce while the warring sides rest,” called Viri, visibly relaxing in the air, only to shout in anger as a net slapped around her twin. “The horn!” She waved furiously at the Blues, who hauled Iridelle in regardless.
Shioni stuck beside Iri, reasoning that a brush with the Blues was probably better than being attacked by Ashkuriel’s troops. But the different pursuing groups–perhaps homing in on a certain white Storm Fiuri–were suddenly winging in from all directions. A giant Blue Fiuri, all of six inches tall or so in Human terms, Shioni thought with a grim grin, had reeled Iridelle in and was trying valiantly to tie her up.
“Ho!” boomed the giant, applying a stranglehold that would have twisted Shioni’s head right off her neck. “How gratifying that they make Greens in my size, now.”
Iri punched him in the nose. “Hands off, you pathetic little larva.”
Shioni called, “Hold on, we’re friendly.”
Nobody listened. Iri and the giant wrestled furiously, making the Blue Fiuri’s Dragonfly crash into his fellows. Shioni saw a princely-looking Blue pointing at her and mouthing, ‘Seize her!’ At least, she could not hear him above the din, but his intent was clearly malicious. Somewhere, Char’s yell indicated he had thrown a shield around her; Shioni wobbled violently in the air as Blue Fiuri magic detonated nearby. Crazy lightning played around a gleaming shield just a little wider than her wingtips, before a Tazaka-style, livid green bombardment struck her sideways. The shield disintegrated under the powerful assault. Shioni dimly heard Char’s cut-off cry as she tumbled helplessly through the air, seeing Vermilion Dragonflies in a blur and Green Fiuri closing in and now the side of the tunnel and
smack!
A strong arm clutched her waist.
Shioni struggled furiously, but her Fiuri captor maintained his grip, hissing, “Shionelle. Be still.”
Ashkuriel! On the point of desperation, of pouring out her magic, Shioni groaned as her wriggling twisted her shoulder. “Let me go!”
“No, wait. We must bait Tazaka, bring him close.”
Shioni gasped, “What? Ashkuriel, what’re you doing?”
“Making this play out to our advantage. Just be patient and trust me.”
Trust Ashkuriel? Shioni did not know what to think as the lines of battle drew up. Ashkuriel had hundreds of Yellow Fiuri soldiers mounted on Vermilion Dragonflies, and a decisive grip on his captive. Tazaka emerged from the ranks of his Green Fiuri magicians, hovering on their Vermilion Dragonflies, their massed power truly intimidating. They would not allow her to attack the Green Lord again. And the Greens had captured Viri and Char, Shioni saw. Her plan was not looking very hopeful.
Opposite Tazaka, the Blue Fiuri leader made his appearance on a magnificent aquamarine-coloured dragonfly. Its needle-toothed grin put no-one at ease.
“That’s Prince Chazziki,” Ashkuriel whispered, “a powerful Azure Fiuri magician, and the son of the King.” Chazziki’s troops had captured Iridelle–in a manner of speaking, for she still fought the Blue Fiuri giant, jabbing her fingers into his eye as Shioni glanced that way–and now, Shioni caught sight of Azurelle. Her heart turned over at the smile that lit up her friend’s face. For that reaction, she would have fought off a thousand Crystal Inferno Dragons, or a Tazaka or three. She saw life and brightness in Zi where it had been absent before. Even better, Lord Tazaka seemed disgusted to find his intended Queen quite at home amongst enemy forces.
There was a deep, hostile pause in which the horn blew again, as if to remind them that the time for fighting was over.
Chazziki’s finger stabbed out. “You are the cause of this war? You?”
Shioni wanted to duck and run. Thousands of pairs of eyes–whole armies of Fiuri–fixed on her. There was a subtle jostling of ranks among the Blues and Greens as the magicians and soldiers found a clear line of sight, no doubt sizing her up for any magical ability, or a swift spear in the gut if Tazaka should order it.
Tazaka sneered, “Yes, we unmasked your little spy, Chazziki. It was cunning of you to send a creature of wild magic among us.”
Chazziki’s face turned as black as thunder. “Filthy lies! We Blues had nothing to do with that … that–”
Shioni raised her voice. “Storm Fiuri.”
Lord Tazaka rounded upon her as though a Crystal Inferno Dragon had slapped his jaw. “What did you say?”
“I’m a Storm Fiuri, Tazaka.”
After a brief, shocked silence, Chazziki gritted out, “That makes her the most dangerous creature on Fiuriel right now. Magicians, at the ready!”
Tazaka lifted his own hand. “Greens!”
Hundreds of magicians on both sides gathered their power, making the air thrum with a vibration Shioni felt in her wings and antennae, as well as sucking her lungs dry. If all that magic smashed together in the middle, not only would she be splattered across half the caverns, but she doubted that many of the magicians closest to her would survive, either.
“Now, you need to provoke Lord Tazaka,” Ashkuriel whispered in Shioni’s ear.
“What, I haven’t provoked him enough already?”
Releasing her, the Yellow Fiuri chuckled. “That you surely have, little petal. Call him a traitor.”
At once, she shouted, “Tazaka is a traitor to all Fiuri! By what authority, Tazaka, do you exile Fiuri and steal their magic? The true ruler of all Green Fiuri flies there among the Blues! And controlling your people with mind-bending nectars is pure evil!”
“And you are no Storm Fiuri,” Tazaka shouted back. “Who but a creature of wild magic has the power to return to Green Central just weeks after being banished up there?”
As he spoke, Azurelle nipped away from the Blue Fiuri forces and came over to Shioni. A low growl rose from the Blues. Zi cried, “This Fiuri is my friend. She saved my life and I will vouch for her. Now, all Greens, your Queen bids you stand down!”
Reluctantly, the Green Fiuri magicians lowered their arms.
“And your people, Chazziki.” Azurelle smiled prettily at him, and whispered to Shioni, “Told you I’d find a handsome boy-Fiuri one day. Isn’t he cute?”
Shioni hissed back, “Mister not-cute Blue is evidently planning to kill me.”
Tazaka kicked his mount, driving the Vermillion Dragonfly a few wing-lengths toward her. Playing to his audience, he drew himself up and made a dramatic gesture toward Shioni. “That creature has insulted my rule and my integrity. She insults all Fiuri by her mere presence, bringing the taint of wild magic into our Fiuri Realms. Left unchecked, she would destroy us all! Therefore I, Lord Tazaka of the Greens, according to my rights under all-Caverns law, challenge the so-called Storm Fiuri to trial by combat!”
Shioni gulped. What now? She did not want to fight Tazaka hand to hand, wounded as she was …
Drawing Shioni to her side, Azurelle said, “Lord Tazaka, this challenge is both unbecoming and dishonourable. A Fiuri warrior would challenge a wounded Fiuri child to combat? What–”
“Queen Azurelle,” he interrupted, bowing from the saddle, “I am merely doing my duty, for protecting my beloved people is my highest calling. Prince Chazziki–we are agreed! This wielder of wild magic is the most dangerous creature on Fiuriel. My fellow Fiuri, if even the powerful leader of the Blue Fiuri knows this truth, then all must bow before his insight.”
Azurelle shot the Prince a venom-laden glare.
No, definitely not cute. Chazziki had the grace to hang his head. Shioni squeezed Azurelle’s hand. “What do I do?”
“Conditions,” Zi whispered back. “If you make conditions, he gets to choose the weapons. Then, you fight in single combat until one combatant surrenders.”
“Or he kills me?”
Azurelle bit her lip. “I think you’d better win, Shioni. He has already laid out the penalty for your return from exile. Dear friend, I’m so sorry … for all this.”
“I grow impatient, white monster,” Tazaka called.
“Zi, it’s hardly your fault. I must do what I promised–someone has to stand against Tazaka, and I’m probably the only person who has the power.”
The Azure Fiuri put her arms around Shioni. “A Human hug for courage.”
Shioni gripped her friend’s arms in response. “Zi, you’re not marrying that beast. Understood?”
“Former slaves being even cheekier troublemakers than free Humans?” she laughed. “No, not for all the nectar in Fiuriel. Let me warn you, though, that Tazaka can fight with either hand. And, he’s tricky. Be careful, my friend.”
Shioni said, “Thanks, Zi.” Moving away from Azurelle, she gazed around her with all the boldness she did not feel in her heart. She stated, “My condition is, Tazaka, no magic which is not your own natural magic. You must give up your magical stone and any other artefacts.”
“Very good,” the Green Fiuri smirked, verbally rubbing his hands with glee. “I agree. For weapons, I choose swords. May the truth flower between us.”
Shioni flipped him a mock-salute, a gesture which she realised probably meant little to the assembled Fiuri. “May you be exposed for the coward and murderer that you are, Tazaka.”
He growled darkly.
While Tazaka handed Ashkuriel a surprising collection of stones, amulets and other trinkets, Shioni was startled to find Chief Arandal at her elbow. With a concerned grimace, he said, “In single combat, surrender is possible.”
Arandal received a pensive yet firm headshake. “Not for me.”
“I thought so–in which case, take this.” Chief Arandal handed her a sword, with a slight bow of his head and a look that speared a sweet ache into her heart. “I sharpened this blade the morning we left for Green Central.” Indicating the mighty, curved sword scabbarded at his belt, he added apologetically, “I didn’t think you’d manage this beast.”
Shioni grinned. “It’s sword-sized for me–Big Chief. Nice work on the nectar, by the way.”
He bobbed his antennae at her. “Mere larva-play for someone who has been described as a nectar artist.”