part 8: the mark

“No, put your hands like this.�Eamp;nbsp; Javari held up her arms crossed at the wrists, left arm parallel to and right arm perpendicular to the ground.  Veyome, standing beside her, attempted to recreate the position. 

Javari adjusted slightly the pose of the other girl’s slender arms.  “There.  Do you remember what to say?�Elt;/span>

“Yes,�Ethe young princess answered solemnly.  She closed her eyes and recited the spell.  �Elt;i>Ke esa han sel espen sto karem hu sto Secute.  Terspa e kan sto gentem este esas kas teniren.�Eamp;nbsp; I am one who bears the mark of the Cross.  Lend to me the power that is my birthright.

A faint crimson radiance, shot through with violet, shone from Veyome.  She opened her eyes and glanced down at herself, then winced as the light grew brighter.  “Is this the power?�Elt;/span>

Javari answered quietly, “‘This is the power that you command as one marked by the Cross.  This is the power that is yours by right.  This is the power that can help save or destroy entire worlds if you so wish: the power of those marked by the Cross.�Eamp;nbsp; I hope you’ll use it wisely.�Elt;/span>

“This is why you’re my teacher, isn’t it?�EVeyome asked.  “Because you have the mark too.�Elt;/span>

*              *              *

Restlessly, Skye turned over onto her back, her arms splayed on her chest.  She muttered brokenly under her breath.  �Elt;i>Ke esa han�Elt;i>sel espen�Elt;i>sto karem�Elt;i>hu�Elt;i>sto�Elt;i>Secute.�Eamp;nbsp;

After about a minute she opened her eyes blearily, half-awake.  So that’s what these marks are.  The “mark of the Cross�E  It means we have a power supposedly strong enough to destroy a world.  But why do I have it?  Why do any of us have it?  Are we supposed to do something with it?  What was it that Danica said�Ee’re supposed to save Falshad with it.  But why us?  What about these people �EVeyome and Javari and Rokan and all of them?  They all have the mark.  It’s their land and their world.  Why can’t they save it?  Do we need to do it for some reason?

Skye stared at the mark on her wrist.  What do I do with this?  What do I do with this magic?  Could somebody give us some answers?

*              *              *

Jon yawned as he shambled through Camelyn’s market.  Maybe someone will take pity on the poor, friendless foreigner and give me money or food. 

He snorted.  Hah.  Right.  What am I going to do?  I can’t even speak the damned language here.  I need to find Raven somehow.

Jon stiffened as he realized someone following him.  Actually, several people were following him.  Who are they and what do they want with me?  He continued walking, as if nothing at all were the matter, as if he were a completely unsuspecting innocent.  Maybe if I just keep on walking long enough and do nothing they’ll leave me alone.  Unless they’re looking to pick on me because I’m a stranger here.

Without warning, he stopped and whirled around, catching his trackers by surprise.  A group of young men and women, dressed uniformly in black robes and loose black pants with red trim, froze where they were and stared back at him, indecisive. 

After several moments of this silent stand-off, one of the young men snapped a brief phrase at the others.  They all began walking calmly toward him.  Knowing it would be stupid to run, Jon simply stood and waited, arms crossed and face blank.

The group halted several feet from him.  The young man who had spoken before, distinctively attractive with his dark skin, pale blue-grey eyes, and dark, dark red hair, sauntered up to Jon and threw an arm around his shoulders.  The boy began speaking in an amiable voice.  Jon eyed him warily. 

Whatever he was saying, the boy wrapped up his little speech by murmuring something in a low voice in Jon’s ear.  Jon didn’t respond.  The boy whispered something else in his ear, but Jon saw the fist coming for his stomach and seized it.  He stared coldly at the stranger. 

The redhead stared at him in surprise for a moment, then laughed in amusement.  He said something to his companions in a casual voice.  They all glanced at each other, and then they rushed forward.

People shouted as they began attacking Jon.  He managed to fend off their blows �Efor several moments.  He thought, This is hopeless.  There are too many of them.  They hit him with swift, well-placed blows, using both fists and feet.  After several minutes, as he fell to the cobblestone street, they began to simply kick him.  He heard angry yells from the crowd around them and saw through half-closed eyes, his assailants disappearing into the mass of people.  He felt someone pick him up and sling his limp body over broad shoulders before everything was swallowed in blackness.

*              *              *

“I’m worried about everyone else,�EDanica said softly.  She, Kiren, and Naruta were sitting inside the wagon, once again on their way through Falshad.

“I know.  Me too.�Elt;/span>

“I mean, what if some of them are alone?  Raven’s the only one who knows the language.  And what if whoever was alone got attacked or something?�Elt;/span>

Kiren nodded.  “I understand exactly what you’re saying.�Elt;/span>

Unknown to them, Naruta watched them from the cover of his hood.  I can’t help but have this nagging feeling that I know them, even if they aren’t Javari and Laki.  Perhaps the girl is related to Javari somehow; I sense something strong from her �Ea strong affinity with the earth. 

He cleared his throat, causing the two of them to look up at him in curiosity.  Naruta gestured to his eyes,  pointed at them, then at himself.

“I think he wants to watch something he’s going to do,�EKiren whispered.

Danica nodded, and the two of them looked at Naruta.  The old man held out his hands, fingers spread and stretched, palms facing inward.  He closed his eyes and murmured, �Elt;i>Farel koto.�Eamp;nbsp; Earth arrow.

Danica and Kiren watched open-mouthed as a sphere of energy appeared between Naruta’s hands, swirling with various shades of green.  It swiftly morphed itself into an arrow.  Naruta observed Danica and Kiren’s amazement, then undid the spell, the arrow coming apart in ribbons of green light that floated away to dissolve into the air.  The old man pointed at Danica.

“I think he wants you to do what he just did,�EKiren guessed.

In a somewhat exasperated voice, Danica answered, “I got that, thank you, but how the hell do I do that?�Elt;/span>

Her boyfriend shrugged.  “Do what he did.�Elt;/span>

Danica blew blonde bangs out of her face.  “Right.�Eamp;nbsp; She imitated Naruta’s gestures, closed her eyes, and hesitantly pronounced, �Elt;i>Farel koto.�Eamp;nbsp; Her eyes flew open as Kiren yelped in surprise.

A ball, veined with jade and olive and lime and a thousand other vibrant shades of green, had appeared in front of her, much like the one the old man had summoned.  However, the mass of energy Danica had called to herself was much larger than Naruta’s.  It formed itself into the shape of an arrow and awaited her command impatiently, quivering as it hovered.

Danica’s eyes grew wider and wider.  “What the hell?�Elt;/span>

Kiren stammered, “What�Eow�Ehat?  Danica, how did you do that?�Elt;/span>

“I don’t know, I just did what he did!  Why’s mine bigger?  What do I do with this?�Elt;/span>

“I don’t know!�Elt;/span>

Danica sensed gentle fingers of thought next to her own taking hold of the arrow.  She tentatively released it, and Naruta disassembled the arrow.  Danica looked down at her physical hands, eyes still very wide.  “Did I really just do that?�Elt;/span>

“Unless we’ve both gone insane, I saw it too,�EKiren offered, sounding somewhat shaken.

“Was that magic?�Elt;/span>

“I don’t know, you’re the one who reads fantasy books.�Elt;/span>

“I think it was,�EDanica said slowly.  “But it’s different from what I read�E

“Well, weren’t the people who wrote what you read making their stuff up?�Elt;/span>

“True.  I guess it was magic, then.�Elt;/span>

Kiren shook his head.  “First we get mysteriously transported to this land, we all get split up, and then we find out that you can do magic, of all things.  What the hell is next?�Elt;/span>

“I have no idea.�Elt;/span>

Naruta looked thoughtfully at Kiren.  “Hiri, when we arrive at the next town, would you stop?  I would like to buy something.�Elt;/span>

“No problem.�Elt;/span>

Kiren eyed Naruta uneasily.  “I don’t suppose he’s going to make me do magic or something�E

Danica pointed out, “I don’t think so, he’s sitting back now.�Elt;/span>

Kiren sighed.  “Good.  I don’t need to find out something like that.�Elt;/span>

“I’m sure there’s something, though.  He gave you a look.�Elt;/span>

“Don’t say that.  It’s nothing.  It’s gotta be nothing.�Elt;/span>

*              *              *

“Yash, I am seriously going to kill you.  As soon as we find a town or whatever, I will get a gun or whatever they have, and I will kill you.�Elt;/span>

“Aw, come on, babe.  It’s all good.  We’ll get somewhere eventually.�Elt;/span>

“Right.  Somewhere being our deaths.�Elt;/span>

“Don’t be such a pessimist,�E Yash said cheerfully, throwing an arm around Rakesh’s shoulders.  “We’ll find a road or something eventually.  Besides, there is an upshot to all this.�Elt;/span>

Rakesh rolled his eyes and asked sarcastically, “And what might that be?�Elt;/span>

“I was hoping you’d ask that question.�Eamp;nbsp; Yash pulled Rakesh close to him, caressing the brown-haired boy’s chest, and murmured throatily in his ear.  “We’re all alone, just the two of us.  We’re all by ourselves.�Eamp;nbsp; Yash lowered his voice further and whispered, “And this situation holds inside itself endless possibilities.�Elt;/span>

Rakesh simultaneously tore himself from Yash’s grasp and shoved the blonde boy away with a thrust of his arms, breathing hard.  “What the fuck?  This is no time for stuff like that!�Elt;/span>

Yash chuckled, amused; his voice was low and velvety.  “I’m sorry.  I suppose you have a point there.  Let’s keep on going, shall we?�Elt;/span>

Rakesh carefully kept his distance, annoyed.  Damn it!  How can he think of stuff like that now?  We’re stranded in a country we’ve never heard of before in our lives, so we don’t know the language or anything, we’ve gotten split off from everyone else that came here, we’re hopelessly lost, and we haven’t eaten for at least a day.  This is not the time to think about sex or whatever!  Why did I have to be stuck with him?  At least, we could have someone else with us.

After several moments of uncomfortable silence, Yash chuckled again.  “Well, would you look at that.�Elt;/span>

Rakesh lifted his eyes from the ground.  “Look at what?�Elt;/span>

“That.�Eamp;nbsp; With his hand, Yash was gesturing toward a vague shape in the distance.  “Whatever that may be, it sure doesn’t look any trees or plants to me.�Elt;/span>

“Right.  But what if that thing turns out to be something like a bunch of psycho fighters who decide they want to kill us on sight?�Elt;/span>

“Like I said, don’t be such a pessimist.  Have a little more faith than that.�Elt;/span>

“When you’re the one leading, and when we haven’t eaten for over a day, it’s hard to be optimistic,�ERakesh grumbled.

*              *              *

Half-awake, he noticed with tired astonishment that it was afternoon as he looked up into the sky.  Have I really been out for that long?  I guess they left me for dead.  I don’t mind as long as they’re gone.  Bastards.  He turned his head to the side, spotting a pile of assorted fabrics  Are those my clothes�E

Oh, shit.  Shit, shit, shit.  I am NOT going to think about what that means right now �Ethe first thing to dois  get my clothes back on quick, damn it!  Jon tried to sit up, then fell back with a cry of pain.  Right.  The first thing to do is be able to sit up, which could take a while.  They really beat the shit out of me.  Shit, that hurts!  I wonder how long I’ll have to lie here before I can move.  Hmmm�Eist of things to do: be able to sit up, be able to stand, get my clothes on, and then find a place where I can take a shower.  I think I’m in an alley or something �Esmells like fucking shit in here!

“What the –”  He bit off the surprised exclamation as a something heavy and soft landed on him.  He tried to lift his arms to push aside, winced with the movement, then realized that the fuzzy object was a blanket.  He looked up suspiciously.  Who’s trying to fuck around with my head now?

A woman wearing a cloak stood at the entrance of the narrow passage.  Her hood was thrown back, but the sun’s light was behind her, making it hard to discern her features.  Who is that, and what does she want? Jon wondered.  Is she really trying to help me?  He attempted to sit up, moving much more slowly and carefully this time, and managed to accomplish the feat.  Blearily, he looked up at the woman.

She looked back at him, a measuring look in her otherwise unreadable eyes.  Then she held out her hand.

Jon’s gaze switched to her hand.  Maybe she really is trying to help me.  God knows why, but maybe.  But what if she’s not?  What if this is a trap?  Should I accept her help?

Luralyn stood there patiently.  She had realized what the boy had been through; she could understand that he was unwilling to trust a stranger, and so she waited.  She didn’t know why she felt she had to help him, but she that was what she thought, and so she followed the feeling.  Come on, boy, I won’t hurt you.  I swear it.  Not like those little bastards that did this to you.

Perhaps he heard her thoughts somehow, or he maybe he had simply decided to trust her, for the boy put his hand in hers, and she pulled him up.  He was a good-looking boy, Luralyn noted, with his spiky black hair and dark, inscrutable brown eyes, and handsome features.  It was a pity he had gone through what he had, but he seemed to be suppressing whatever emotions he was feeling, or refusing to think about what must have happened.

Jon wrapped the blanket securely around himself.  He turned and regarded the pile of his clothing for a moment, then shook his head.  No.  Not after what happened. 

He turned his eyes to the woman again.  She made a gesture for him to follow her and began walking.  He fell into step behind her.

*              *              *

It’s burning up in here.  Did I somehow get to hell or something?  It’s hot enough for it!  Skye turned over edgily and barely managed to push her blankets off.  I’ve gotten so weak.  Why am I so sick?  So hot in here.

She flopped over onto her stomach.  Fever made it hard for her to think very coherently.  Hot�Eo hot�Elt;/i>Javari, could you�Ehow me�Eow do I do this�Egain?  The mark of the Cross�Eow do we�Eave Falshad?  Strange�Ehey want us�Eo do it.  Can’t they?

�Elt;i>Fuck!�Eshe swore violently between gritted teeth.  As the wagon jolted over a bump in the road, she fell against the side of the vehicle, clawing at the wood with one hand, wrapping the other around her stomach.  Sharp pains pierced their way through her lower abdomen, and she experienced a strange sensation that hadn’t come for a long time �Esomething rushed through her blood like raging wildfire and uncontrolled flood waters.  And there was another feeling �Ethat of gales tearing through her limbs, whipping her blood up into a foam.  Jon and Skye�E

“Raven!  Raven!�Eamp;nbsp; Enmed pulled her shaking form against his, and was startled to realized that her slender body was ablaze with feverish heat.

“It’s nothing,�Eshe hissed, now clutching both arms round herself below her stomach.  “Nothing.�Elt;/span>

“Like hell it’s nothing!�Elt;/span>

Solan glanced back over his shoulder from his perch in the driver’s seat.  He jerked hard on the reins, pulling the kerli to a halt.  “Father!  Stop now!�Elt;/span>

The lead wagon stopped; Salen Caso leapt from his seat, calling, “What’s the matter?�Elt;/span>

“Something’s wrong with Raven!�Elt;/span>

“Get her out here so I can see her,�ETenme ordered.

Gently, Solan took Raven’s frame from Enmed’s arms and jumped down from the wagon.  “Here she is.�Elt;/span>

Anxiously, Enmed watched Tenme’s face.  She frowned as she noted that Raven was trembling and holding her arms tightly around her lower abdomen.  Tenme placed a gentle hand on the girl’s forehead, then drew back in alarm, brow furrowed.  “She’s burning up!�Elt;/span>

“Mother, Mother!  What’s wrong?�Eamp;nbsp; Tenen arrived sprinting from the third wagon, followed closely by Desem.  The boy’s breath caught as he saw that Raven’s limp and quivering body was cradled in Solan’s arms, her arms and legs hanging almost lifelessly.

“Raven has a dangerously high fever.�Elt;/span>

“What?  What do we do?  We’re miles from the nearest town!�Elt;/span>

“I don’t know,�ETenme answered, wringing her hands.  “I think that all we can do is bundle her up and get to Jaudet as quickly as possible.�Eamp;nbsp;

“Should she still ride with us?�E Solan queried.

His mother glanced at Enmed, whose eyes were dark with concern.  “I think so.  It might be better for the both of them if she’s with her friend.  I’ll go get some blankets.�Eamp;nbsp; She turned and ran back to the first wagon.

“What happened?�EDesem demanded of his eldest brother.

Solan shrugged.  “I don’t know.  I heard both of them say something, I turned around, and he was holding her and she was shaking.�Elt;/span>

Rakev appeared from inside the second wagon and placed a folded cloth, soaked in cool water, on Raven’s forehead.  “Oh, what do we do?�Eshe said fretfully.  “Can it really be good for her to ride in the wagon with the way it jolts up and down on this road?�Elt;/span>

“Probably not, but what can we do?  She needs to get in a bed as soon as possible, which means we have to get to Jaudet as soon as possible.�Elt;/span>

“I guess you’re right.�Elt;/span>

Tenme returned with her arms piled high with blankets.  She clambered into the second wagon, cleared away some packages to create a space on the floor, and spread several quilts.  She poked her head out and ordered her eldest son, “Lay her inside on the blankets.�Elt;/span>

Solan moved into the wagon to comply.  Tenme covered the shaking girl with more of the thick, woolly coverlets.  The mother rolled up another blanket into a compact tube and placed it under Raven’s head.

“How do you feel?�EEnmed asked Raven softly.

She smiled weakly.  “This is nice.  I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be really babied by your mother.�Eamp;nbsp; She turned her head to look at Tenme and spoke in Falieq, which was one of many common trade dialects and the one that the Caso family used.  “Thank you, Tenme.  It’s been a long time since I’ve been pampered like this.�Elt;/span>

Tenme smiled fondly and sadly at Raven.  “Poor, sick Raven.  Doesn’t your mother baby you?�Elt;/span>

“Maybe she would if she could, but I’m the oldest child in my family and I have four younger siblings.  She spoils the two littlest ones.�Elt;/span>

Tenme nodded understandingly.  “I see.  Well, you should get some rest.  All right?�Elt;/span>

“All right.�Elt;/span>

Tenme left the wagon.  “Well,�E she said to her husband, “we should get going.  I got Raven settled in there as best I could, but I don’t like the look of her fever.�Elt;/span>

“Right,�ESalen said, nodding.  “Let’s go, everyone.�Eamp;nbsp; Everyone returned to their respective wagons.

Enmed and Rakev each took a seat on either side of Raven.  The blue-haired boy tentatively took her hand in his, and when she squeezed briefly, wrapped his fingers firmly around hers.  He heard a very faint humming sound.  “What’s that noise?�Ehe asked, glancing around.

It stopped as Raven looked up at him with a small, somewhat sheepish grin on her face.  “That was me,�Eshe confessed.  “I was kinda singing to myself.�Elt;/span>

“Oh.�Elt;/span>

“Yeah, see why I’d go crazy without my guitar?  Well, now I’ll go crazy ’cause I won’t be able to play it, but I can at least sing, right?  Heh.  I’ll shut up now.�Elt;/span>

“No, you can keep on going.�Elt;/span>

“Right, right.�Eamp;nbsp; After a moment of silence, Raven resumed her soft crooning.

Though he pretended not to pay attention, Enmed strained to hear what she was singing.  He managed to just pick out the words after a few seconds; he recognized both words and tune as belonging to a well-liked song by a band composed of students who went to White Sugar High School.

“Beautiful dreams, yours and mine, echo together in dissonant melody

Flying through time’s hallways�E

*              *              *

Now clothed in a plain grey tunic and matching pants, Jon sat on the small bed uncertainly, watching the strange woman.  She was standing at a small, rectangular table, her back to him.  He didn’t know what she was doing, but he figured she was mixing up something, for as she worked, a strong herbal scent began to permeate the air.  Gradually, it filled the room with its freshness.

She turned.  In her right hand was a small stone container, which was the source of the green scent; it held a sticky, rather stiff substance that was a mixture of assorted herbs.  With her other hand, she picked up several long, narrow strips of clean white cloth.  She climbed onto the bed and kneeled behind Jon.  Then she lifted up his shirt and began to smear the paste onto his bruises.

Jon flinched very slightly.  The paste made his sore flesh sting, but only momentarily.  Then a cooling relief would spread through the afflicted area to which the paste had been applied. 

After spreading the paste on over his lower back, Luralyn wound a cloth round Jon’s torso to cover the cream.  She lifted his shirt up past his shoulder blades �Eand froze. 

Emblazoned on the right side of Jon’s upper back in a bluish color was the sign of a cross with three curved lines on its right side forming a moon shape.  But I thought he was dead!  I saw him and everyone else �Etheir dead bodies.  And here he is; even if he looks different, it’s him �Ehe has the mark!  Confused, she stared at the mark for a moment, then shook her head to clear her thoughts.  I have to find out.

Gently Luralyn touched her fingers to his temples.  She usually never did this sort of thing without first asking permission, but the boy did not speak any of the ten or so dialects she knew.  She closed her eyes and gently searched through his thoughts.

Although he wasn’t going to repel her, Jon wondered exactly what the hell the woman was doing to his head.  It felt as if gentle, sensitive fingers were somehow probing into his mind in search of something, though he didn’t know what.  After several moments of this, the “fingers�Ewithdrew.

“Hello,�ELuralyn said slowly.  “My name is Luralyn.  Would you tell me yours?�Elt;/span>

Jon thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head.  Where had her perfect command of English come from?  “My name’s Jon,�Ehe answered warily.  “Did you pull that from my head?�Elt;/span>

“You mean your language.  Yes, I did.�Elt;/span>

“Well, at least we can talk now.�Eamp;nbsp; Jon noticed that she was rather pale and shaken.  “Is there something wrong?�Ehe asked.

Luralyn hesitated.  Then she asked, “Could you tell me about the mark on your back?�Elt;/span>

Jon cocked his head in puzzlement.  “It’s just a birthmark.�Elt;/span>

Luralyn stared at him for a moment.  Then she turned away and looked out the window.  “Either you’ve hit your head and forgotten everything, or you really are someone else with that mark,�Eshe said softly.

Jon was quite confused.  “What’s so important about the mark?  I figured that there’s something about it, but is it that big a deal?�Elt;/span>

Luralyn was murmuring softly to herself.  “Obviously, he knows nothing of the mark.  So I suppose he really isn’t Denan.  But why does this boy have the mark?�Elt;/span>

“If it helps, my friends have marks, too,�EJon volunteered, though he was still perplexed.  “They all look almost completely different.  There’s a cross shape in each of theirs, too, though.�Elt;/span>

“Your friends all have marks�Eith a cross shape in them�E the woman repeated.

Luralyn suddenly sprang off the bed and began riffling through a small black bag.  She pulled out a small wooden board, then withdrew a small blade from her belt.  She laid the board on the table and began etching in it.  In confusion, Jon watched her from his perch on the low bed for a moment.  Then he stood and slowly walked to the table.  I have a vague feeling that I’m going to see something I will not believe at first sight�Elt;/i>