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The Dissolved Nations: CereCenter Forty-Two
20th Day of Month 6, Year 1628 DG
Ona and Lona peek over the horizon, and a waterfall of brilliant golden light lands softly on Unisa’s face, prying her eyes open. She sits up and rubs balled fists against them.
Rest escaped her all night. Alba’s and Hassan’s words toyed with her peace. She even forgot to oil and wrap her braids before bed.
Alba sits on the edge of her side, one of the low tables pulled toward her, her back to Unisa as she peruses something laid out on the tabletop.
Unisa finds her bag on the floor next to the bed. She reaches in and pulls out a vial of natural oils, along with a scarf. It takes her a few minutes to oil her hair, tie it up in a bun, and wrap the scarf around it.
The Ambassador’s eyes are locked on a map of MoonSide when Unisa joins her. Alba’s travel sack sits at her feet and Unisa sees, for the first time, just how many maps Alba has packed. The sack is overflowing with rolled paper.
“That’s a lot of maps,” Unisa remarks.
Alba’s attention moves to her bag and then to Unisa. “It is. I have a map of Aerthomni, a map of MoonSide, a map of SunSide, a map of the Castrum, a map of the Library, and a few other pertinent ones.”
Unisa sits next to her. “You were serious when you mentioned you’re a cartophile.”
A soft smile plays on Alba’s lips. “I was. I don’t think I can go anywhere without them.”
Unisa wants to offer her a smile in return, but the dense tension from last night is suffocating.
“I know last night was difficult. We shouldn’t have unloaded so much on you at once, but we didn’t have a choice. The things you’ll see today, as we travel through MoonSide, will shake the foundation of your beliefs and your philosophies, and everything you know to be true. I just want you to be prepared.”
Unisa recalls specifics from the conversation. “‘They’re slowly, but deliberately, trying to finish off the entire population.’ Is that what you want me to be prepared to see in MoonSide?”
Alba nods. “The Prime’s deceit includes forging tales of peacekeepers—assigning the role of hero to aggressors. That’s not what the Bravers are, Uni. You won’t find white-hooded heroes in MoonSide.”
Unisa remains silent. She doesn’t have the heart to tell Alba that her intervention hasn’t swayed Unisa’s understanding of the truth. Lies as old and encompassing as the ones Alba describes simply don’t seem possible, no matter how much power the liar wields.
“I know you still don’t fully believe me,” Alba says.
Unisa’s eyes widen, and she wonders if Alba read her mind, or her body language.
“By the end of the day,” Alba exhales deeply, sadly, “you will.”
“Is that what you’re hoping for?” Unisa asks.
Alba’s expression holds weight and she slowly shakes her head. “No. It’s what worries me the most.”
They pack for the day’s travel and keep breakfast light.
“Thank you for your hospitality, Hassan,” Alba says, her arms wrapped tightly around the angi Librarian as they prepare to depart.
“Always a pleasure.” He releases her and turns to Unisa. “It was an honor to host you at the CereCenter. The next time we meet, I’ll keep our dinner conversations lighter.”
The edges of Unisa’s lips curve slightly. “I would appreciate that. Perhaps it’ll be in the Library after the academic season ends.”
Hassan places his hand over his heart and bows his head slightly. “That would be wonderful.”
It isn’t until she and Alba have started walking away from the Educator and the CereCenter, that Unisa realizes her plans to meet Hassan again can only come to fruition if she still has a place in the city after they return.
If she hasn’t been exiled, or worse.
The farmlands are far behind them. On this side of the CereCenter, Unisa and Alba trek through rolling meadows and wild grasses that crawl up to their knees. Green hills scatter amongst rocky ridges as far as the angi Librarian can see.
Her mind drifts back to the previous night, stoking the flames of conflict in her heart.
Can a man who advocates so strongly for knowledge and truth, who’s revered by an entire society, be a pillar for ages of historical inaccuracy? Can he who personifies benevolence in sunlight, be wicked in shadows?
Can someone who preaches freedom be so hungry for power that he coerces the vulnerable into positions of powerlessness?
“You’re awfully quiet.”
The words shake Unisa from her trance. She turns to see Alba smiling at her and holding the map of MoonSide open in her hands.
“Sorry.”
Alba rolls the map and returns it to her bag. “Is there something on your mind?”
Of course.
“We can talk about it, if you’d like.”
I would not like.
“Or, we can talk about anything else.”
Unisa nods. “That sounds like a good idea.”
Alba smiles. “Alright. How do you think Kyoko and Rafael’s first day of travel went?”
She can only hope it went better than hers. “I hope they’re safe and well.”
Alba waves a hand flippantly. “I’m sure they’re fine. From what I hear, Rafael is quite the archer.”
“Oh, yes. He started learning from his sister as a small child.”
“Then they must be safe and well. Kyoko can protect herself. With any weapon.” She turns to Unisa, pensively. “What about you?”
Unisa raises an eyebrow. “What about me?”
“What weapons are you comfortable with? A blade?”
Unisa doesn’t know how to respond without sounding underqualified. “I’ve had tactical combat and weapon skills training.”
Alba rolls her eyes. “Of course you have. We all have. I’m not asking about training. I’m asking if you’ve ever picked up a sword and used it to protect yourself.”
Unisa hesitates, then shakes her head.
“What about an axe? A bow? A mace? A scythe, staff, or spear?”
“Outside of training in the Academy,” Unisa admits, “I have no experience in combat. And, frankly, I’d really like to keep it that way.”
Alba seems a bit taken aback. “Unisa, you do need experience protecting yourself. These aren’t elective skills you can choose whether or not to hone. In this world, they’re survival skills. I personally taught Kyoko real-world combat and weapons training. Far beyond what the Library will teach you.”
“I’d like to think I can solve problems without violence.”
Alba chuckles. “We’d all like to solve problems that way. But when a team of assassins shows up at your doorstep, good luck solving the problem without violence.”
Dread pulls in the depths of Unisa’s stomach. She hopes to never find herself in a situation where such skills would be required.
There’s stillness and spirituality in the rich verdure that surrounds them. All four suns race across the sky to their midday positions. It’s distant at first, but as Alba and Unisa continue through the meadows, the sound of flowing water gets louder and clearer.
“Take a look from up there,” Alba says to her, pointing to the top of a hill. With two hard flaps of her wings, Unisa is up on the crest, looking down at the river that lies beyond. It extends out so wide that she can barely see the stone walls of MoonSide on the opposite end. This is the most water Unisa has ever seen in one place, at one time.
“The Red-Lo,” Alba remarks, gesturing to the running river water. “Longest and widest river on the continent. The first village of MoonSide, Evic, is just beyond.”
Alba places her travel sack onto the ground and begins to remove her clothing.
“Why are you getting undressed?” Unisa asks.
“How long can you fly without a break? Or will I need to find you a bridge?” She leans in and whispers playfully. “I’ll give you a hint: there isn’t one.”
Unisa smiles. “I can fly over a river without a break.”
Alba stuffs her clothes into her bag, careful not to damage any of her maps. She then shuts the bag securely, flips it around so that it is against the front of her abdomen, and tightens the strap as much as she can. The fins on her back, along her forearms, and down her calves are now all exposed.
“You sound confident,” Alba notes. “Are you fast?”
Unisa nods. “Fast and”—she pauses, pretending to gauge Alba’s age—“about fifteen years younger than you.”
The smile on Alba’s face evaporates. She leans in close to Unisa. “I’ll give you a one-minute advantage.”
“I really don’t need that, Alba, I can beat you without it.”
“Fly, Uni,” Alba asserts. She points to the sky over the river. “Fly!”
Unisa takes six running strides toward the edge of the hill and then leaps. She pumps her wings quickly, beating them rhythmically every few seconds, accelerating her body.
She smiles wide. Alba has no idea who she’s racing. The angi turns her body and glances quickly behind her while flying backward in the same direction. She sees Alba on the riverbank, hunched over and ready to dive into the water.
There’s no way she can catch up now.
She turns back around to face forward. The feeling of the wind in her face, beneath her arms, and between her feathers is exhilarating. For the first time in what feels like days, or weeks, or months, or years, she feels free.
Like she’s floating.
And then her peaceful flotation is disrupted. She hears a noise below her, in the water. There’s something there, a trail of bubbles along the surface. She flaps her wings harder but the bubbles match her speed, and then...
A head pops out of the water. Alba swims backward, matching Unisa’s speed at the river’s surface, smiling at the angi.
Her body weaves rhythmically, coursing through the water, cutting it like a warm knife through butter. The mari winks, then dives back under the surface. The trail of bubbles moves farther and farther. Faster it goes, until Unisa loses track of it.
Alba is long gone.
Unisa flaps and pumps her wings harder and faster than she ever has before. She gains speed, but her efforts are futile. She never catches up to the Ambassador.
Her wings start to fatigue, so she stops flapping and conserves her energy to get to the end. Gliding mostly, the angi spies Alba waiting on the riverbank for her—wet, but fully clothed again.
Unisa slows herself down and shifts her body vertical. With two light pumps, she descends onto the riverbank, falling onto her hands and knees next to where Alba is standing, sweat dripping from her brow.
Alba helps Unisa stand. “Not bad for a flier.”
Unisa laughs. She severely underestimated how fast Alba can swim. “Maybe I’ll get another opportunity to race you somewhere along the journey.”
Alba’s smile fades. She turns to her right and Unisa sees the narrow stone gateway into the inaugural village of MoonSide only a few feet away. She hadn’t realized how close the entrance to Evic was to the river.
Alba turns back to Unisa and the tone of the air around them shifts. The lines on her face deepen as the color shifts to a bleak monotone.
“No more racing,” she says, her tone dripping with apprehension. “Welcome to MoonSide, Uni.”