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“THIS IS THE TEMPLE?”
We get out of the caravan in front of a large cave that isn’t too far from the cabin. Maybe a ten minute or so ride deeper into the forest.
“Yes, this is the temple where the Ringmaster lives.” It looks nothing like the temple back in Hivena. Hivena’s temple is extravagant and elegant. This one is just a cave with a giant gaping mouth that’s too dark to see into. A shiver runs down my spine.
“Don’t worry Zemi. You’ll do just fine. I’m right here with you.” Scirocco says as she steps up next to me, entwining her arm into mine. I slowly nod at her words. If she says it’s safe, I trust her.
“Let’s head inside.” Rowan calls over his shoulder as he heads towards the mouth of the cave. Only Scirocco, Rowan, and Pierre came along. The others stayed behind to do their daily chores and practice for an upcoming performance they’re supposed to be having.
I follow closely behind Rowan as we venture into the cave. The air feels immediately cooler and is scented with sweet earthy incense.
It opens up wider as we continue and I look around in surprise at how much bigger it is than it appears on the outside. The inside walls and floor gradually turn smooth and polished, and some of the stones are carved to look like pillars and designs.
Wow, the person who stays here has taken great care with this temple. It must have taken ages to polish the inside of this place.
Sconces on the wall light themselves and illuminate our path.
Magic!
They guide us down a long hall until Rowan leads us to the right into a side room that looks quite comfortable and lived in. An old round rug has fused itself into the ground from years of being walked upon. A simple wooden dresser slouches against the left wall and a bed sits to the right with clean cream sheets and a modest headboard. Directly in front of us is a small table stacked with papers and books, and sitting in the chair bent over those papers and books, is a lanky older man with his back to us. His gray hair peeks out from under a tall black hat that sits comfortably on his head. His frame is slim but still looks strong from years of experience.
“Ringmaster,” Rowan calls. The man turns in his seat to look at us, only, his eyes are completely milky white.
“Rowan, my dear boy. Scirocco and Pierre...and I see you’ve brought a guest. What is your name dear child?”
I look at Rowan and Scirocco who look at me encouragingly.
“Z-zemira.”
“Zemira...I see you’ve heard the call.”
The call?
“She would like to be one of us, Ringmaster, so we brought her to you.”
“Yes, I see. Come Zemira, we have much to discuss.”
He gets up from his seat with ease, which seems surprising for a man his age, and heads towards the door. I follow him out of the room and down the hall, looking over my shoulder as I notice the others staying behind.
“Follow me this way.” The Ringmaster calls when he feels me falling behind. I hesitate, then hurry to keep up.
We turn the rocky corner and I’m taken aback as we enter a large dark room with a single pedestal in the center of it. I look around the vast empty space. Woah. If I didn’t know we were in a cave I would’ve mistaken the dark high ceilings for an endless night sky.
I patter after the Ringmaster, the endless black roof scaring me the longer I stare into it. I don’t know why, but it frightened me to think about what is up there.
On top of the pedestal in the center of the room sits a strange rock with cracks that glow.
“Are you going to test me now?” I ask looking around. He chuckles to himself.
“Yes indeed. The test won’t take long. Step up to the pedestal please.” I step up to the pedestal hesitantly. What if I don’t have any magic. Would they still accept me? Would they kick me out with nowhere to go?
“Place your hands here.”
I do as he says and place my hands along the cold jagged rock. He steps up to the podium on the other side and does the same.
Now what?
The Ringmaster closes his eyes and takes a deep breath as he leans his head back. I stand there awkwardly in silence, letting him do his thing. Suddenly, the entire room bursts into light as the walls and ceiling project a scenery of brilliant bright stars.
Oh my goodness!
A wind picks up from nowhere and whips through my hair and ears. I look back towards the Ringmaster and almost stumble away from the pedestal. Light emanates through his eyes, nose, and open mouth as he clutches the rock for dear life. The sight is chilling. Fear courses through me as I contemplate on what to do.
What’s happening?! What is this?!
Just as I decide to run, the walls are cast back into darkness and the Ringmaster slumps over the rock in exhaustion.
“Sir?!...Sir? Are you okay?”
I rush to help him so he doesn’t fall over. He slowly lifts his head, fixing his white eyes on me. Not seeing me at all, but somehow, able to see everything about me.
“Yes, I’m alright. I’m more than alright.”
“W-what just happened?”
“I saw you...I saw a place, a home, long lost and buried that will be resurrected.” Emotions bubble in his eyes and I stare at him blankly, wondering if I should call the others for help. “I saw you...YOU. You have come.”
He grunts in pain and I hold on to him so he doesn’t fall over.
“Maybe we should get you a seat.”
“No no, I’m fine.” He regains his composure and stares at me. “I will not be initiating you into the Lost Souls–”
A rock sinks into the pit of my stomach.
“What? Why?! But I–”
“Let me finish. I will not be initiating you into the Lost Souls...yet. The troupe will take you under their wing. They will train you and show you how to live like one of us. Then, when it is time. I will test to see if you’re ready to enter the Lost Souls.”
My shoulders deflate.
So what does this mean since I’m not official. Do I not have any magic? Can I not perform with the others?
“Oh, but before you go, I have something for you.” He beckons me to follow him out of the room and down a short hall to a storage room where there are shelves upon shelves of interesting looking bottles and ingredients.
Are these...potions?!
I follow him to the back of the room that opens up to a large garden. Light beams in through openings from the high ceiling onto long rows of garden beds growing with different plants and flowers I’ve never seen before.
“What’s all of this?”
“I keep these things on hand for those that need it. I take care of magic users, they often need magical things to help them...like you.”
“Like me?”
He stops in front of one bed in particular and I look down to see...
“Are those euphorbia flowers?!” I instantly go on guard. The euphorbia flower is only native to Hivena, and it was contained in the royal conservatorium a long time ago. How does he have access to euphorbia flowers?!
“I took the liberty of extracting its jelly myself so you wouldn’t have to go through the trouble.” He turns towards a shelf and hands me a jar full of royal jelly. My jaw drops.
“H-how do you have this? How is this–”
“I’ve been growing euphorbia since it first appeared on this planet, child. I have plenty for you.”
Since it first app– how OLD is this man?!
I stare into the man’s milky white eyes.
I thought my days would soon be numbered even though I finally escaped the castle. But since the Ringmaster has royal jelly here...
I have so many questions and emotions swirling inside me, I choke up, not knowing where to start. He places his warm aged hand gently on top of mine.
“I have it, because I knew someday you would need it. And you couldn’t survive here without it.”
*****
“WHAT DID HE SAY?” SCIROCCO asks in the caravan on the way back to the camp.
I shrug my shoulders as we jostle around on the rough terrain. I don’t know how much I should say, or how much I even want to say. I have so many questions in my head.
How old is the Ringmaster to where he was able to harvest euphorbia flowers before the first queen locked them away? Did he somehow know I was coming and that’s why he had royal jelly on hand? What was the test about if it wasn’t to determine if I have any remnants of magic to join the Lost Souls?
Just thinking about all these questions is enough to drain me.
“Nothing much really. He said that you guys will train me, and when it’s time he’ll initiate me in.” Pierre strokes his beard.
“Hmmm...that’s quite interesting. In all of my years of being a part of the Lost Souls I’ve never seen the Ringmaster delay initiation like this. Maybe it’s because you’re not a magic wielder per say, and haven’t displayed any powers? Most Lost Souls that come to us have already displayed magic use and have been ostracized from their families because of it. The Ringmaster doesn’t hesitate to give them a safe haven to stay.” Scirocco nods her head.
“You’re a special case, but I wouldn’t worry about it. We’ll train you and get you to where you need to be.” She smiles assuringly and I give her a weak smile in return. “Oh, we also have a surprise for you. There’s some place we want to take you once we get back.”
“Really?”
“Yes, you arrived just in time,” Pierre adds. “It’s festival season in the kingdom of Zaphyre!”
Zaphyre?
“Is that the kingdom that borders the forest? The one you’ll be performing at soon?”
“Yes! And they have some of the most stunning and festive festivals during this time of year. The king is a party animal.”
“They’re my kind of people!” Rowan calls back to us from the driver's seat. “Trust us. You’ll love it.”
Once we make it back to the cabin, instead of us getting out, everyone else who stayed behind to practice their routines and finish chores hops in with a whirlwind of hoots and hollers. Then we take off towards the east. They chatter away about the foods they can’t wait to eat and things they can’t wait to see once we get to the kingdom.
I’ve heard of Zaphyre before. I think the king and queen may have even come to one of Queen Nasira’s parties before, but we aren’t close dominions. I know they’re a flourishing kingdom, and we often trade with them for their fabrics and other goods, but other than that, I don’t know much about them. I’m intrigued to see what kind of culture they have. From what I can remember from history class, the crown of Zaphyre is passed down through their men.
The caravan creeps out of the forest and onto a smoother main dirt road. We find ourselves drifting past farm land and houses on the outskirts of the kingdom until we finally arrive in the city. Immediately you can tell that the houses and buildings are different from ours in Hivena. A lot of them are made with some type of white brick with dramatic slants for the roofs, and some sort of dark orange and blue trimming that decorates most of the houses and buildings. The dark blue even stains the pavement and streets. It’s like the entire kingdom is glowing.
Woah.
As we pass the outlying cities and draw nearer to the heart of the kingdom, the celebrations and music grow louder and the streets thicken with people. Rowan manages to pull the caravan over and parks it.
“Alright, we’re not gonna get anywhere in this crowd. We’ll walk the rest of the way.” His statement is met with cheers from our group.
I look out the window at all the people flooding the streets and my heart picks up speed.
What if they recognize me and–
A cool hand wraps around mine and I look over at Scirocco.
“Hey, I’m right here.” She smiles. I smile back and nod, the anxious thoughts ebbing away. I squeeze her hand back in gratitude and we hop out with the others together.
Shouts of joy ring out from the Lost Souls as they join the crowd of people dancing in the streets and selling food and wares. Many of the subjects have on pretty flower crowns made of vibrant orange and blue flowers. Scirocco pulls me over to a stand and we purchase two ourselves and put them on, giggling with glee.
“What is this?” I ask Scirocco over all the noise, gesturing to the crowd. “Why are people celebrating?”
“It’s because of the Cogency Festival!”
“What’s that?”
“The king of Zaphyre is a very boisterous and proud man. He created the Cogency Festival so he can have more opportunities to show off the might and strength of the kingdom and the culture of the Zaphyrian people.”
Sounds interesting.
“Come on! This way! You won’t want to miss this!” She pulls me along through the crowd where everyone is gathering towards the castle in the distance. A cobblestone bridge a couple of miles long leads from the market, over a moat, to the castle. But it’s barricaded so no pedestrians are allowed onto the bridge.
Scirocco and I manage to make our way to the front against the railings to the moat and find a barrel for her to climb on top of. I can see just fine over everyone’s heads, but I feel sorry for anyone who has to stand behind me.
“There!” She points towards the magnificent castle, plastered in the same white material as the rest of the kingdom with vibrant orange, green, and blue dye decorating the spokes and trim. Along with orange and blue banners hanging from the windows.
“Wow,” I breathe. I look over the railings with the rest of the crowd to see that right in front of the castle, rows upon rows of soldiers are dressed in dark silver armor that fits them snuggly. It’s also decorated in bits of oranges and blues on the shoulders and chest area.
“Are you ready, troop!” A commander calls off from the side.
“Yes sir!” The soldiers' deep voices boom as one. It vibrates through my bones and I can’t help but relate to the squealing women buckling at the knees. Especially the one that just fainted.
“Who are they?” I ask Scirocco with wide eyes. She smirks.
“Those are the Drones. Zaphyre’s all male army.”
They’re magnificent!
Their armor glitters under the sun as they begin a sequence of drills. Not one soldier was out of sync. Their movements are sharp and precise, and the stomps of their feet are thunderous. It’s a dazzling and ferocious display of power and refinement. I can hardly breathe.
They end their drill sequence in one unified stomp, and suddenly, a cheer erupts from the crowd as the king and queen, along with their entourage, wave from the palace balcony.
“That’s King Raphael and Queen Chiome!” Scirocco informs me. They look dazzling in their elaborate and bright robes and jewels. I’ve heard decent things about King Raphael. He looks like a good natured man, but he doesn’t take betrayal and dishonesty lightly.
Queen Chiome is as beautiful as the stories say, even from afar. Her striking phoenix eyes and creamy raven skin are mesmerizing.
Suddenly, a dashing young man with chiseled features and watchful eyes that look exactly like Queen Chiome’s, steps up next to the royal couple. My eyes roam over his thick lips and brown skin. His long wavy hair trickles past his shoulders and an orange and blue feather decorates a thin band wrapped around his head. He’s in the same uniform as the male soldiers, the Drones, but his is more embellished, as if he were of a higher station. My heart stutters.
“And who’s that?” I ask Scirocco, pointing him out.
“That’s Kuruk. He’s the prince of Zaphyre.” The subjects scream at the sight of Prince Kuruk, and I understand why as he smiles, showing off a deep dimple in his right cheek and stunning white teeth.
The grand display of the Drones continues, but I can’t decide on what to focus on. The army...or the prince.
The sequence ends before sunset and everyone applauds ecstatically as the Drones file back into the castle one after the other. I look wistfully towards the balcony as the royal family and their entourage also recede back into the castle, and the subjects disperse to continue their celebrations in the streets.
“Come on you guys, we're grabbing food!” Sol pulls me out of my trance as she tugs on my arm in the direction of the others waiting for us in the distance. I barely catch one last look at the prince before he disappears behind the balcony doors.
Scirocco and I trail after her and meet up with the rest of the group, then hit the stands for amazing festival food. From yummy fried meat caked in delicious spices to freshly baked halved peaches sprinkled with cinnamon, sugar, and fresh cream. It’s delightful. Malala would have a field day!
The food suddenly catches in my throat and slowly plunks down into my stomach as my sister enters my mind, blowing me a kiss from my balcony. I shake the memory away and turn towards Scirocco.
“So, you guys always come to Zaphyrian festivals?”
“Yup, we get invited to the castle regularly to perform for the king and queen.
“We have a performance coming up for them actually!” Jubilee reiterates. “It’s the prince’s birthday soon.” She wiggles her brows and Veronica and Sol giggle at her suggestive facial expressions. “And of course, the king wants none other than the esteemed Lost Souls to perform for his heir.” She says with a flourish of her hands and a slight bow.
“Wow, do you think...I could join you?” I look from Scirocco to the others.
“Of course Zemi!” Scirocco smiles. Sol squeals and grabs my arm.
“We’ll teach you the routines!”
“We’ll have you performing like a Lost Soul in no time.” Pierre bellows.
Their enthusiasm is infectious, but I wonder if it’s true. Can they make me a Lost Soul?
We laugh as we make our way through the streets with our food and play some of the street games until dusk begins to fall. The party doesn’t seem to be dying down for the Zaphyrian people, but under Rowan's orders, it was time for us to go.
Scirocco and I walk arm in arm as Jubilee, Emitt, and Dante race to the caravan to see who gets to ride in the front seat. Everyone else skipped and sang, euphoric off of the good food, music, and games.
“Did you have a good time today?” Scirocco asks, nudging me. I nod my head looking up at the darkening sky.
“Absolutely. Today was amazing.” From the food to the games to the performances. It was an adventure.
“Good, I’m glad. I’m excited for you to do more stuff like this with us.” She squeezes my arm. My eyes mist and a watery smile comes to my lips.
“I would love that.” We hop into the caravan and head back to the cabin, bursting into the doors an hour and a half later in a fit of warm jovial exhaustion.
Everyone heads their separate ways to their rooms and I go to run me a bath. Jubilee warms it for me so I don’t have to go back and forth boiling it on the stove, and I watch in awe as, with just a bit of focus from her, the water steams and becomes warm to the touch.
I thank her and close the door, finally alone. With a deep breath I undress and sink into the tub, exhausted but happy from my journey and the day. The Drones were amazing. Zaphyre is such an interesting kingdom with interesting people and customs.
This was everything I’d ever hoped for. The adventure...the freedom. Tears prick my eyes as I think of Balenda and how she’d be so happy for me.
I made it...I finally made it out of Hivena. I didn’t think I’d ever survive that place.
My smile slowly drops and my stomach turns sour as I think about my sisters and the memory of their distant screams filtering through my ears. Hurriedly I push them away and dunk my head under the warm water multiple times until I can’t breathe. It helps to distract me away from the unwanted thoughts.
When I’m done with my bath, I step out of the tub and dress for bed. Sol and Scirocco are already lying in their beds, chatting about the day and some new routine combinations, when I walk into the room. While Jubilee is sitting at a desk with a lantern, putting some type of stain on her nails.
I lay on my cool bed, breathing in the crisp night air flowing in through the open window. The women’s soft voices make me drowsy. It feels like a sleepover, like the ones I used to have with my sisters. But this one feels more...calm. I don’t have to look over my shoulder every two minutes out of fear that we'll get caught by Queen Mother or one of her servants.
I listen to their soft voices until I finally drift off to sleep, and I can’t remember the last time I ever slept so peacefully.
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