The missile flew past the opening, hitting the rocks above the cove. The earth shook in strong tremors. Instinct took authority over her mind. Clara conjured a spherical shield. It grew out all around them, covering the cavern in a transparent hemisphere.

Chunks of rocks fell from the ceiling, stalactites plummeting like lethal knives. Red juhrars flew out of walls, fleeing from their nests. They all pummelled on her shield. The impact left her gasping for breaths. Each hit felt like a blow to her body. She channelled her power into the shield, hardening it.  Giving in would mean getting buried in a mass of debris.

“I can’t hold it for too long,” she said through gritted teeth.

Eryx created a smaller shield, placing it in front of the entrance. “Stay behind me.”

They ran out of the cove. She stopped tapping her magic to her shield the moment she was out. A cacophony of cracking glass and shattering rocks rumbled behind her. They raced along the beach, mounting the ragars. Eryx’s shield protected them from a barrage of black spears. Sending off a trickle of her magic on his shield, Clara strengthened it. The creatures flew out of the island.

She glanced behind her, spotting the ship. Most of it was concealed in thick smoke but from the gaps, she could see many figures in dark cloaks. Her eyes widened.

“Move away!” she said.

A torrent of projectiles were fired at them. Rai forced the ragar to the right. She gripped his waist, ducking her head. Eryx’s shield broke under the assault. Their ragar cried out when a spear pierced its body.

“We’re hit!” Rai said.

Weakened, the ragar swooped down fast, the movement dizzying her. She bit back a scream and closed her eyes.

“No!” Tamer yelled.

Clara heard Eryx screaming at Tamer to force the ragars to keep going. Eryx flew down to them, following their descent. Blue tendrils shot out of his right palm, hooking onto their ragar. He was muttering a spell so fast she couldn’t catch any word. The ragar made clicking sounds then froze in mid-air before rising up. It had been healed.

They flew further from the ship until it became nothing but a speck of black in a splash of blue.

---------

“I can’t believe we made it,” Rai said, tossing his head from side to side.

An hour had passed since the close encounter with the enemy. Tired and shaken, no one had spoken during that time. It was as if they had been stuck in a stupor.

Tamer looked over his shoulder, eyes stopping on her. “Is anyone hurt?”

“Everyone’s all right,” Rai replied.

She wanted to express her gratitude to Eryx. If it wasn’t for him, they would have fallen into the sea.

“Eryx, I—”

“No need to thank me,” he said.

Clara winced. “I should have stopped the fall with my magic.”

He squeezed her shoulder. “You panicked. It’s understandable.”

She felt a sliver of unease. Turning her attention to Enki, she noticed he was staring at her, his black eyes icy and calculating. Eryx waved his hand at him. The net transformed into a cloth that covered his head.

“He won’t be able to see or hear us,” the Zamari said to her. “I’ll take out the spell that binds him to me.”

He made his ragar be at level with Tamer’s. Taking out a rope from his bag, he spoke to Tamer before tying up Enki to the ragar so that the man wouldn’t fall.

The sky had darkened to bluish-black. Specks of white twinkled in intricate constellations. Two full moons hid behind pale clouds, embraced in ghostly halos. She stared at the stars, unblinking until her eyes watered.

“Could you give me a shirt from my bag? First zip,” Rai said, bridging the gap between their ragar and Eryx’s.

Opening his bag, Clara took out a beige shirt. Rai released his hold on the creature and donned it in haste.

“Nazim is all the way to the west of Aurion. How long will it take to get there?” Eryx asked.

 “Four hours,” Tamer said. “We’re crossing Ilbania Sea from the south west.”

Clara looked down at the sea. Moonlight dappled the waves in white wisps. The night was brighter in Aurion than in her world because of the twin moons. There was an ethereal beauty to it that made her appreciate the aerial view.

With Rai’s torso covered, she no longer felt embarrassed. She rested her head on his back, closing her eyes. She was feeling sleepy but the fear of losing her grip and falling down kept her awake. She didn't join the men’s conversations. They discussed their plans on sneaking past the pub owner and made guesses on what traps they might encounter.

“I’ll leave you at the outskirts of Nazim,” Tamer said to his companions. “I don’t want to attract attention. They might attack the ragars. I’m taking Enki with me to the witch’s place.”

She peeked out from Rai’s back. “Can I come with you?”

“If you wish,” he replied.

“Don’t take too long,” Eryx said. “We mustn’t waste time.”

“We won’t. If we don’t return by tomorrow, go ahead and find the seal,” Tamer said.

Yawning, Clara lowered her head. She slipped between staying alert and dozing off. When the ragars came to a standstill, she sat up straight. Countless lights shone in the distance. The town of Nazim was protected by high poles. Square buildings and tall pillars rose above them. The architecture was different from that of Kirisal. The air felt warmer, missing any traces of a night breeze.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, ahki,” Eryx said to Tamer. Facing Clara, he said, “Don’t use your powers tonight. Let your body replenish the aether you consumed.”

She nodded at him.

Rai took her hand and left a chaste kiss on her knuckles. “Farewell, milady.”

Tamer whacked him on the back of his head a little too hard. “Quit it. That won’t work on her.”

Rai responded two words at him in Shimian language. She had a feeling it was some sort of an expletive. Tamer grinned at him before retaliating with another swear.

After Eryx and Rai had left for Nazim, Tamer freed one of the ragars. Its companions growled, scratching their claws on the sand. He calmed them down, assuring them that they would return to their homes soon. He showed her how to control the ragar. She had to pull the feathers on its left side when she wanted it to move to the left and do the same for the opposite direction.

“I’m controlling their speed so no need to worry about that,” he said.

They took flight, heading for the witch’s dwelling. Minutes passed in silence.

“The ragars are getting used to me,” he said, killing the stillness. “It’s easier to keep them in control when they are less in numbers.”

She did notice the strain on his features had eased. “This witch, is she like Eryx?”

He shook his head. “They call her The Black Witch. She specializes in dark magic.”

“Isn’t that bad?”

“Normally, it is but she’s different. She won’t hurt us. I first met her when I was a child.”

 “Where does she live?” she asked.

“Near the borders of Ashura. We’ll get there soon,” he said.

Clara waited to hear more explanations on the suspicious witch but Tamer didn’t reveal anything else. From what she could gather, he seemed to trust her. Refusing to let the silence take reign, she asked, “How old are you now, Tamer?”

“I’ll be twenty two in the month of Djuni,” he said, guiding the ragar to cross through a stream of clouds.

He wasn’t much older than she. She repeated the name of the month in a whisper, the word rolling off her tongue in a familiar tone. It sounded similar to June. She wondered if it was its equivalent.

“So Eryx is a hundred and two years old and you’re twenty one. What about Rai?”

 “He’s my agemate.”

That explained their relationship. They tended to make fun of Eryx’s age despite his insistence on his youth. She knew Rai would live longer because he had said that only humans and Mirians had the shortest life spans.

“I’ve never met any Mirians,” she blurted out her thoughts.

“You?” he asked.

They had spoken at the same time. He blinked, mouth slightly parted in surprise. Clara giggled, feeling exhaustion and worry diminishing. Tamer smiled, stealing her breath away. She lowered her head, trying to clear her mind from any thoughts. The ragar’s crown hardly served as a distraction.  

“There are Mirians in Nazim. They mostly live in the region of Kaaf. I’ll show you when we get there,” he said.

She was looking forward to seeing them. Remembering his question, she said, “I’m eighteen.”

He spared her a brief glance, eyes locked on her face before shifting back to the clouds. “Too young to bear such responsibility.”

Did he think her incapable of succeeding Naaji, of preventing a disaster that could destroy his people? She wasn’t adept in her abilities nor was she fully acquainted with Aurion but she had accepted the burden she must carry, the lives she ought to protect. This was her mission and she would do her best.

What about him?

He was meant to be a prince, a ruler of a kingdom so large it covered an entire continent. Exiled as he was, Tamer was a descendant of the royal blood. He could still take over the throne if he proved his identity, if he earned forgiveness from his father.

”I know my flaws but I also know that accepting who I am is the only to get back home," she said. “I will not fail Naaji's entity.”

“That’s not what I meant,” he replied, his mouth set in a thin line.

The look he gave her made her realize what he had been talking about. He didn’t doubt her capabilities because of her age. He was worried about her safety and the difficulties she might have to endure.

“This is your home too.” Tamer sighed.

She had never thought of Aurion that way. It was Naaji’s homeland, not hers.

My home.

Clara let the chilly air fill her lungs. Aurion had given her freedom and made her recognize her true strength. She had been wooed by the thrill of adventure, becoming accustomed to travelling from one region to another, getting fascinated by the scenery and the strange creatures. She had found friends and something else. A feeling that left her skin tingling and her heart swelling with warmth.

“My home,” she said.

“Yes,” Tamer said.

She looked at the figure behind Tamer. She had forgotten about him. Seeing Enki brought out that nagging feeling she’d been having, the feeling that she was being watched. The fabric on his head shivered in the wind, reminding her that Enki could neither see where they were going nor hear their conversation. Thankful for that, Clara eased the tension between her shoulders.

As the ragars glided past the wispy clouds, she noticed a streak of light flares forming wavy patterns in the sky. Red, orange, yellow, green and blue. They shone so bright, blazing out like shooting stars.

"What's that?" she asked.

“That’s a qusahn.”

“Kousa-what?”

“Qu-sahn,” Tamer repeated each syllable. “On the night of full moons, in the presence of aether-infused solar wind, it appears in the night sky.”

She leant forward, wishing to get close to the qusahn. “Could we fly through it?”

“Sure.”

The ragars clicked and growled, beating their wings faster until they soared straight into the qusahn. They slanted to the side. Clara held out her arms, her palms glowing in radiant colors, her fingers sliding through empty air.

“It cannot be felt,” Tamer said, amused by her reaction.

“It’s lovely!” She laughed as the ragars flew high along the multi-coloured qusahn and then descended at great speeds.

The rest of the journey was spent in animated exchange. He told her of his favourite food, his hobbies and dislikes and his personal goals. He liked pasha, a sweet pie with almonds, dates and raisins. He enjoyed relaxing on the rooftops of tall buildings. His biggest goal was to become the greatest swordsman in Aurion. Tamer hated oppression and injustice.

She told him of her love for books, her desire to gain knowledge and visit exotic lands, her wish to achieve something meaningful in life so that she would be remembered for her good deeds and not her faults. She disliked haughty people and bullies.

Clara tugged at her locks, the craving for chocolate awakening within her. “I still want bonbons! I thought the village would have them.”

Tamer strengthened his grip on the ragar’s feathers. “I think Helima might have some. She has a sweet tooth.”

“Helima?”

“The witch.” He directed the ragars to go lower. “Hold tight. We’re going to land.”

A witch with a sweet tooth? She was under the impression a black witch would prefer bitter herbs and foods of the raw and wriggly kind. When the creatures swooped down, Clara grabbed the feathers. The wind bit into her cheeks but the sensation wasn’t painful. She saw a forest draped in blues and greens and to the horizon, a strip of black.

“What is that place?” she asked.

“Ashura Deadlands. A region of great evil,” he said. “Very dangerous.”

When the ragars stopped on hard ground, Clara exhaled. Soon they would get answers from Enki. Amarant would be freed and they could finally expose the enemy’s motives. Tamer untied Enki from the ragar, taking the rope in his hand. He threw it over his shoulder, pulling Enki behind him.

“Rest,” he said to the creatures.

They hung their heads, dropped to the ground and fell asleep. Clara squatted, scooping a handful of dirt. The soil was blue. Rising up, she eyed the forest. It was blossoming with unusual plants.

“The walk to Helima isn’t far,” Tamer said to her.

“Why didn’t we stop right by her place?” she asked.

Tamer cocked his head to the side, a shrewd smile teasing his mouth. “Well, the first time I visited her, I had turned her house into a menagerie so she banned me from bringing in any animals.” At the perplexed look on her face, he said, “I was nine when I first became telepathic. I didn’t know how to control it.”

“You called a lot of them. Must have been noisy,” she said.

He snorted. “Yes, and there was a lot of shit and feathers and fur, too.”

She found herself smiling. She hadn’t missed that little detail he’d given away. He had been nine years old when he had sought the witch’s help. Clara was curious to know why. 

“Why did you visit a black witch? What did she do to you, Tamer?”

“Helima saved my life.”

Gone was the light-heartedness. His footsteps were swift, his back straight. Enki’s leg tangled with a root. He stumbled but Tamer pulled the rope taut, forcing him up. She had struck a nerve. His mood turned sour whenever she brought up his past. The only time he was happy about it was when he spoke of his mother.

A fly whined in her ear. Brushing it away with the back of her hand, Clara poked a pod hanging from a tree branch. It emitted a bubbling sound. Covered in purple veins, the shell was soft and translucent. Little seeds submerged in a brown liquid shook as she moved the pod. Vines capped the trees in a canopy, blue moss varnishing the trunks.

She saw black leaves marked with yellow stripes, red plants with shiny beads on the petals, and white caps peppered in black spores. There were mushrooms as tall as huts and flower buds as large as cabbages. The wilderness glittered in a multitude of colors, more beautiful than the qusahn. They shone in the moonlight.

“This is it.” Tamer lifted up a giant frond, revealing the witch’s hideout.

It was a cottage, painted red. Green tendrils webbed around its walls. It had a tiled roof and a brick chimney that coughed out rings of grey smoke. A garden girdled the compound, rows of pretty flowers swaying in the wind. It was a normal house, so much unlike what she pictured to be the dwelling of a black witch.

“Looks quite cosy,” she said.

She had been expecting a wooden shack with peeling paint, strings of bones suspended from the gutter, thorns coiling around the doorway and gravestones spread out around it.

Tamer hummed in agreement. “Let’s go say hello to her.”

They followed the dirt path all the way to the doorstep, the buzzing of insects rising in the distance.