Chapter 26
"So this is the famous Ashel, only known wu bei, potential saviour of the world, and brother to the tremendous Jalya."
I spun around to see Wagna's smiling face in the doorway of the Beyjerones' doctor's quarters. He cocked his head.
"Kind of thought he'd be better looking," he smirked.
I couldn't help but smile. "Don't let Jalya hear you say that. She absolutely adores her brother."
"It seems that Miss Jalya has many handsome men in her life now. I just saw her cozying up to Oches in the dining hall."
"Yes, I told her to go get some breakfast, while I watched over Ashel. She wouldn't leave unless I promised to stay."
Wagna walked over to the bed. I happily noted that his shuffling had almost progressed back to his regular gait. "Well, he don't look too good."
Ashel did look terrible, I had to admit. His skin had a greyish cast and it stretched tightly over his cheekbones and around his jawline. Black circles ringed his eyes and black streaks covered his cheeks at the hairline. His breathing was laboured and often got caught in the middle. Every now and then he would twitch terribly, starting with his hands, moving up his arms to his face, and not ending until his head thrashed about for a while.
"The Beyjerone doctors think that he took in some black bei from somewhere," I explained. "Apparently this is how a wu bei looks when they're holding on to some black bei that they can't release. They say that he must have taken in a lot for it to have affected him so badly. I just don't understand...I don't think he knows how to collect it from the atmosphere, unless he learned something during his travels."
"Sheesh," Wagna said. "Is there anything that they can do for him?"
"Well, they can't actually get rid of it without the Lamorian rock, which is impossible now of course. So they're treating him with a combination of potent herbs. They say that will suppress the symptoms enough that he can function, though it will still affect him badly."
"Damn.....poor kid."
"I know. Jalya's really worried about him." I looked down at his gaunt face. "And so am I."
"Well, he's in good hands now," Wagna said, as he rubbed my shoulder. "Nobody knows as much about herbs and the human body as the Beyjerones. In fact nobody knows as much about anything as the Beyjerones. They'll take good care of him."
"I hope so."
"Speaking of Beyjerone smarts, apparently the Professor is done running tests on those Orlogs of hers. Seems she has some interesting news that she wants to share with us at sundown, after everyone wakes up."
"Good news, I hope."
"Maybe she's discovered how they died and then we'll have an idea of how to kill them."
"Yeah." I thought back to the Orlog that had paralyzed us in the clearing and felt bad. It had been in so much pain; it seemed like it was only trying to do what it took to end its suffering. "Perhaps death would be a relief to them."
"Death would be a relief to me right now," a voice called from across the room. I looked up to see Reyla had woken up and was sitting up in his bed on the other side of the doctor's quarters. "I'm going crazy lying in this damned bed! Doctor, I need to get out now, really; you said I could go for a walk today, come on!"
The doctor glared at him. "Yes, good sir, I will send you on a walk to get some breakfast as soon as I find someone to escort you."
"I can take him, Doc," said Wagna. "I was thinking of heading back that way before they close the kitchen for the day."
The doctor smiled and shook his head. "With all due respect, Mr. Wagna, sir, I don't think that you're strong enough yet for that job. I'm not even sure if I like you walking around unescorted."
Wagna turned back toward me and rolled his eyes. "He doesn't know what he's talking about. I'm completely fine now. Don't I seem like my old self to you, Emmy?"
"Pretty much, but it couldn't hurt to take it easy for a while, you know, just in case."
"Sure, sure, I guess I'll be playing the old man for a little longer."
"You're lucky," I said. "I wish I could sit around and relax for a while. As soon as the Beyjerone army deems it safe, I have to fly back up to the top of that mountain. And Ashel too, if he's up to it."
"Don't seem to be much point, now that there's no rock up there for you."
I scratched my head. "That's what I thought too, but apparently the Lumeai up there want to talk to us."
"Probably want to check you out for themselves," Wagna laughed. "To see if you're really what Sanjarus said you were."
"Probably." I grinned thinking about my last trip to a mountaintop. "You should have seen the stir I caused at the last Lumeai village that I visited."
Reyla swung his legs over the side of the bed. "Yeah, they're a pretty excitable bunch. We brought a bei clu up to them a few years back, and you should've seen their reaction. Crowded around him like a bunch of kids; couldn't stop staring at him. It was pretty funny."
I looked at him incredulously. "You brought a bei clu...."
"Don't get too excited, Emerin. He'd only be about twelve now." He smiled at me. "As if I wouldn't have told you if I knew your bei clu va." He slid himself off the bed and stood up on shaky feet.
"Reyla, maybe you shouldn't..." Wagna started.
"Nonsense, I'm fine," he said and walked slowly over to us. "Little bit weak, but I'm sure I'll stay upright. He leaned on the wall next to me and inspected Ashel. "Whoa, he looks a lot worse by the light of day. Hope all those herbs they're pumping into him start working soon."
"Yeah, me too," I said sadly, then looked up as I heard feet shuffling at the doorway.
"Is he still okay?" Jalya said as she peeked into the room.
"He's fine, Jalya," I said. "What are you doing back here already? Did you just gulp down your food and rush back?"
"I tried to tell her he'd be fine," said Oches as he followed her through the door. "She wouldn't listen of course...insisted on coming back here right away." He turned to look at Reyla, who was slouched against the wall. "Should you be out of bed, brother?"
"No, he shouldn't be," the doctor scolded and crossed the room to intimidate Reyla with his large wings. "But since your brother is here, Mr. Reyla, he may escort you to the dining hall if you wish."
"I do wish," Reyla boomed. "Absolutely! Get me out of here Oches; these rock walls are closing in on me!"
"Alright, let's go, but we're going slowly, Reyla. No showing off, now. If you push too hard and fall down, I'm not picking you up." Oches turned and looked at the scowling doctor with a smile. "Just kidding."
"Well, let's go then." Reyla peeled his body from the wall and shuffled toward Oches. "You coming, Wagna?"
"Sure am!" Wagna kissed me on the head as he walked by. "I'll be back to check in on you girls later." I watched him give Jalya a similar kiss and walk out the door with Oches and Reyla.
Jalya stood in the doorway and stared sadly at Ashel. I watched her for a moment, not able to believe the series of events that had led us here, how different we were from the naive little farm girls who had left our village just a few short weeks ago. How different our lives would have been had we stayed.
"Are you okay?" I finally said.
"I think so...I just wish he'd wake up."
"Well, at least we found him, Jalya; at least he's alive. We can be thankful for that."
"Yes, I am, very much so." She crossed the room and dragged the chair over from the next bed so she could sit beside me.
"Are you coming with us when we go to the Lumeai village?"
Jalya smiled. "Just try and stop me."
Ashel's hand started to tremble again, and Jalya grabbed it, curling her fingers around his blackened knuckles. There was nothing we could do to stop it, so we just sat there and watched him shake, hoping the herbs would start helping soon. Whatever we had been through in the past few weeks seemed pale in comparison to Ashel's adventure. I prayed that he would wake up soon and tell us all about it. I put my arms around Jalya and sighed, contemplating t
he uncertain future that we would all face together.
END OF BOOK ONE
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Leslie MacPherson
About the Author
Growing up in a sleepy rural town, Leslie MacPherson always enjoyed dreaming of faraway lands and exciting adventures. In her younger years, she satisfied her wanderlust by taking several road trips across North America. Now, fully settled into family life, she is content to live out her adventures through the characters in her stories.
When not reading, writing or doing ridiculous amounts of housework, Leslie can often be found working in her vegetable garden. She also enjoys hiking, camping, fishing and anything that gets her outdoors – even shovelling snow.
Leslie lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and three feisty daughters.
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