World Warden, page 61
Every scale and spine had been masterfully coated with layer upon layer of pigments and something Miguel called reflective microbeads that were a reasonable approximation of the magnificent beauty Sizzra had possessed. Although a statue could never fully replicate the breathtaking way in which her colors had shifted between pure white and neon pink and green when she’d moved, it was still a beautiful work of art. It made Elias happy to know that the monument would be a constant reminder of she who had been one of the three sovereigns of the world.
Elias left the plaza behind and reached his house a couple of minutes later. He pushed open the door and was greeted by the tantalizing smell of what could only be chocolate brownies.
“I’m back!” Elias announced as he took off his boots and jacket.
“We’re in the kitchen,” his mother called.
“Finally,” Oscar complained when Elias walked in. They were all sitting at the kitchen table, where Elias’s birthday breakfast waited. “I’m starving, Eli! I want a brownie.”
“That’s Mr. Ambassador to you,” Elias rebuked him. “Maybe I should wear my sash around the house to remind you of my honored position.”
Oscar opened his mouth to say something but appeared to think better of it. Then he tried again. “You know what? I’m going along with it today. Welcome, Mr. Ambassador.”
He stood up and bowed. Then he pulled away Elias’s chair from the table slightly and gestured at it with a flourish, inviting Elias to take a seat.
Elias stared at his brother for a couple of seconds. Then he snorted, and they broke into laughter.
“Happy birthday, dear,” his mother said. She hugged him and kissed his forehead.
“Thanks, Mom.”
Elias’s father stood up and also hugged him. “You’re a man today, Elias. Seventeen.”
“Happy birthday, Eli,” Oscar said with a smile. He also came in for a hug. “I hope you like my present.”
“I have a present?” Elias asked.
“Presents later, food first,” his father said. “Making those brownies took me much longer that I’m willing to admit. We should eat while they’re hot.”
“We ought to wait for Tristan,” Elias’s mother suggested. “He texted me a minute ago to say he’s on his way. Oh wait! I see him.”
There was a knock at the door.
“May I come in?” Tristan asked.
“Come right in!” Elias’s father called. He patted Tristan on the back when he entered the kitchen. “This is your house too, Tristan. No need to knock.”
“Thanks, Mr. Trost.”
Elias’s father raised an eyebrow. “Tristan?”
“Right. Sorry. Thanks, Bradford.”
“That’s better!” his father replied. “Let’s have a seat, everyone!”
They had a simple but delicious breakfast of spicy chilaquiles with a side of refried beans, juice, and fresh fruit from the region. Then they lit a candle and put it in a brownie square for Elias, as well as another one for Tristan.
“But it’s not my birthday!” Tristan protested.
“I promised you, remember?” Elias told him. “When we were in the Forest of Light. We would celebrate our birthdays together.”
Tristan’s expression softened, and he reached for Elias’s hand. “Thanks. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“Make a wish!” Elias’s mother said.
They blew out the candles and ate the brownies, which had a strange consistency but great flavor.
“I can’t figure it out,” Elias’s dad grumbled. “Matsuo explained how to make soybean flour for pastries, but I think I messed up somewhere.”
“Well, I should get going,” Tristan informed them after dessert. “I still have a couple things to do before we leave.”
“Sure,” Elias said. “See you in a bit.”
Tristan gave him a quick kiss. “Yeah. Thanks for everything, Bradford, Irina. It was delicious.”
“Anytime,” Elias’s dad replied.
“I seem to remember something about a present?” Elias mentioned when Tristan was gone.
Oscar nodded. “Mom? Dad? Can Eli and I go upstairs?”
“Of course,” Irina said. “But make sure to give your brother enough time to come back down and say goodbye.”
“Sure! Come, Eli!”
Elias followed Oscar upstairs. They went into their room and sat down together on Elias’s bed.
“I hope you like it,” Oscar said, sounding nervous. “I mean, it’s not totally ready yet, but I wanted to give it to you in person before you left.”
“I’m really curious now. What is it?”
Oscar reached for the pad that rested on Elias’s nightstand.
“Happy birthday, Eli.”
“The pad Dad sent me when I was in Crescent Valley?”
Oscar shook his head. “No. It’s in the pad. Open the file explorer.”
Elias tapped an icon on the gadget’s screen. There was a new document in the homepage folder. He read the file name aloud.
“The Three Queens. Is this what I think it is?”
Oscar gave him a shy smile. “I’ve been working on it all month. I finished the first couple chapters, and I want you to be the first to read it.”
Elias opened the text document. “This is our story,” he said. “Our adventures across New Skye.”
“I hope you like it. These chapters are all about you.”
Elias skimmed page one. It talked about him taking the Life Seed. He flipped through the following pages and saw long descriptions, a couple of very cool illustrations of wurl, and even fragments of interviews with Tristan and other people in the colony.
“Wow, this is thorough,” Elias observed. “It’s like one of the history textbooks.”
“I wanted to get everyone’s point of view. I also want people to know what you and I went through so they understand why it’s so important to respect the wurl. I’m not sure how long the book is going to be, but I’m really enjoying the process. It’s like the letters I sent to Mom and Dad when I was back in Raasay. Writing stuff down helps me think and remember. Besides, if the book is a hit, you’ll be even more famous than you are now!”
Elias put the pad aside carefully and smiled. “Thank you so much, Oscar. This is an amazing gift, and I’m going to enjoy reading every word whenever I’m relaxing at night.”
Oscar looked up at him, his eyes bright with tears he was evidently trying hard not to shed. “I’m going to miss you, Eli.”
“Come here.”
They hugged, and Oscar gave in, crying for a little bit.
“I’m sorry,” he said, sniffling. He let go of Elias and wiped his cheeks dry. “I promised myself I wasn’t going to cry.”
“It’s okay,” Elias replied gently. “I’m going to miss you too, and Mom and Dad. But I’ll come visit often.”
“I know. It’s just, I thought we’d be together in Portree. I kind of imagined I’d go visit you and Tristan when you moved in together and stuff. I could hang out with you guys after school sometimes.”
“How is school?” Elias asked.
“It’s great!” Oscar said. It was clear he was trying to sound upbeat again as he embraced the change in topic. “All the teachers say that Samantha is one of the smartest students they’ve ever seen. I don’t know how she does it, but she can memorize information incredibly fast. She says it’s because of how she learned with Nadja. You know, when she grew up, they only had this one crappy terminal with most of the books we have here, but they couldn’t use it for a long time because they didn’t have a lot of power. So she learned how to learn quickly, if that makes any sense.”
“Impressive.”
“Yeah. I was talking to her the other day about what she wants to do for an internship. I’m with Dad, and I think Aunt Laura asked Samantha to help her in the new xenobiology lab.”
“That’s a great opportunity.”
Oscar shrugged. “Samantha said she’s going to think about it, but I don’t think that’s her thing. She’s spending a lot of time with Commander Rodriguez, and I think they’re becoming friends. Last week Samantha invited me to the gym to watch her spar with the commander. It was so cool! Samantha almost knocked her down once!”
“Right,” Elias said. “And have you… you know. Asked her out?”
Oscar looked down. “No.”
“Oscar, dude. You have to go for it!”
“I panic every time I try! I don’t know anything about romance, Eli. How did you tell Tristan you liked him?”
Elias took a moment to remember. “Well, we were alone. In a cave.”
“And?”
“And he and I had been friends for a bit, but I knew I like liked him.”
“So did you say it right away?”
“I chickened out a few times, I think,” Elias confessed. “But that night I just did.”
“Was it easy?”
“Oh no,” Elias replied with a broad smile. “I was terrified. I thought Tristan would freak out, or he’d reject me, or I don’t know what. I think it’s the scariest thing I’ve ever done bar none, and I’ve stabbed a prismatic creature of darkness in the heart.”
“And what did Tristan say?”
“Well, I think he liked me too, but not the same way I liked him. Not at first. It took him a while, and I didn’t pressure him. For me it was enough to know that I’d been honest. I’d told him how I felt.”
Oscar nodded. “I know Samantha likes me. But what if she doesn’t like like me?”
“I think that’s okay too,” Elias answered. He placed his hand on Oscar’s shoulder. “She may need a bit more time to work through everything she experienced, you know? She went through some terrible things, and she might need a chance to heal.”
“Yes. I think that’s why I haven’t said anything. I want to be there for her, though. I care a lot about her.”
“That’s great, Oscar. You can be a good friend for now, and maybe something more in the future.”
Oscar smiled. “Thanks, Eli. You’re a great big brother.”
“And you’re the best brother in the world.”
Oscar stood up a bit abruptly. “I’ll let you pack now. I’ll be downstairs with Mom and Dad when you’re ready.”
He left quickly, trying to hide the fact that he was tearing up again.
Elias took his time placing the last few things in the backpack he would be carrying. He wasn’t going to take much, aside from winter gear, some outdoor essentials, and the pad. He didn’t pack any food. He knew how to find it in the wilderness of New Skye, and part of him looked forward to the coming challenge of making his way across the untamed vastness of the world without most of the trappings of modern technology. He was confident he would discover new ways to survive, no matter the situation.
After a final look at his bedroom, he picked up Sizzra’s spine and slung the pack across his shoulders. He went downstairs and saw his family waiting for him outside the house.
“This is it,” Elias told them, stepping out into the light.
“Did you pack flint and steel?” his father asked him. “And the pad? And another pair of thermal underwear?”
“Yes, Dad.”
“And a knife and pot? And an insulated water bottle?” he insisted.
“Yeah. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”
“We know you’ll be fine, Eli,” his mother said, sort of bumping his father with her shoulder. “Isn’t that right, Bradford?”
“Right. Right,” his father answered. “You’ll be fine. You’re a grown man.”
Elias’s mother smiled. “Don’t forget to send us a message whenever you have a good signal. And call if you can!”
“I will, Mom.”
“The signal booster I added to your link should let you transmit directly to the satellite from wherever you are,” Oscar explained. “Right, Dad?”
“Correct. That was good work, Oscar.”
“I’ll send you a letter every week,” Oscar said. “And the new chapters of the book as I finish them.”
“I look forward to reading them. I’m sure they’ll be great.”
There was a brief moment of silence. They had a family hug, and then Elias stepped back.
“Where will you go?” Oscar asked. “What will you do?”
Elias grinned. “I don’t know, and that’s what’s exciting. I have my first stop planned, but after that… I’m going to let the world decide. I’ll be an explorer and go everywhere I can.”
Oscar sniffled. “That’s really cool! Sorry, I’m totally not crying.”
“You’ll visit, right?” his father asked. He had been asking the same question for the last few days.
“Of course, Dad. Every chance I get. I’ll come back to share my notes and data on the flora and fauna I’ve discovered with the scientists here, and I’ll report to the council from time to time. And I’ll make sure to stop by and visit you guys, obviously.”
“Good luck out there, Eli,” his mother wished. “And don’t worry about us. We’ll be okay too.”
Elias nodded. “I know you will. You guys are all strong.”
“Bye for now, son,” Elias’s father said. “I love you.”
“Bye, Eli!” Oscar added.
“Take care,” his mother told him.
“Goodbye,” Elias said. “I love you all!”
He left his family with a final wave and walked purposefully along the street that would take him to the edge of the colony. He wrestled with a conflicting mixture of emotions as he went. He was sad to leave his family behind but hopeful that he would see them many more times in the future. He felt a little guilty and selfish about following his wish to explore the world—that wide, unknown wilderness of enticing mystery.
But a little thrill of unbridled joy that he couldn’t suppress moved through Elias as well. He couldn’t imagine any better way to live his life or any way to make his happiness more complete.
Except for one.
Tristan was waiting for him on the outskirts of Portree with a red hiking backpack. He carried something over his right forearm that looked like a golden shield.
“Hey,” Tristan called.
“Hey.”
They kissed tenderly. Elias embraced Tristan in spite of the awkwardness of the packs.
“How did it go?” Tristan asked.
“They were sad but also happy for me. You?”
“I think this is only the second time I’ve seen my dad cry. But in a good way. He said he was proud of me, and he expects me to tell him all about our discoveries over a beer sometime when we visit. You’re invited too, of course. My dad likes you a lot.”
“My family likes you a lot.”
“And you?” Tristan asked mischievously.
“Me? I… guess I like you. Oh, and I’m madly in love with you.”
“I love you too, Eli. So much.”
They began walking hand in hand through the trees in the forest. They didn’t look back.
“Lyrana’s scale looks amazing,” Elias commented.
“I know, right? I used my dad’s workshop drill to try and punch some holes in it, but it’s tough. I ruined, like, three bits before I decided to simply use industrial adhesive on the back for the arm strap.”
“Now it looks like a true shield. I like how it shimmers and goes invisible sometimes.”
“It’s really nice. It reminds me of her.”
“Yeah,” Elias said, squeezing the spine he carried in his left hand. “I know what you mean.”
They took a similar path to the one Elias had once taken in the middle of a winter night while he ran as a fugitive with the Life Seed in his arms. The same towering yult trees appeared to reach for the sky overhead with their thick, flat branches of deepest black. Birds corkscrewed through the air occasionally, cawing in what could have been surprise at the two humans that rustled and stomped over the crinkly carpet of fallen leaves of a deep velvety red.
“This feels weird,” Elias said after a while. “Last time I went this way I was running for my life, or so I thought.”
Tristan nodded. “And I was chasing you. I was so mad back then.”
“I can’t believe I spent an entire night strapped to a yult branch.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t fall.”
“Everything’s so different now, though,” Elias observed. He took a deep breath of fragrant forest air that smelled like dry leaves, fresh sap, and moist earth. “This forest was scary, but now it’s beautiful.”
“It helps that there aren’t any wurl stalking about in the shadows about to attack us,” Tristan added.
“Yes. And there’s so much life.”
“Sometimes I’m a bit jealous,” Tristan admitted.
“Of what?”
“Of the connection you have. The way you can sense the world.”
“You did commune with Lyrana,” Elias pointed out. “You saw the world as she does. As I do.”
“I know. It was a bit overwhelming, to be honest. But also amazing.”
“Maybe you’ll develop the connection in time. Maybe all of us humans will, now that we’re trying to learn how to share the planet and find our place in it.”
“That was a very ambassadory thing to say.”
“Better get used to it. It’s our job now.”
“Our?”
“Of course. I mean, you’re not in the Colony Patrol anymore, so I formally name you Ambassador MacLeod.”
“You can’t do that.”
“Sure I can. I’m a councilmember, remember?”
“Fine. But I also want a sash.”
Elias chuckled. “I’m so happy. I couldn’t believe you’d agreed to come with me.”
