The Evertree

  But Abeke understood Rollan’s impatience. Dorian had woken each of them up that morning by pounding on their doors and shouting, like a father chiding his oversleeping children. He galloped ahead now, as if he had always been their leader, as if Tarik had never existed.

  Rollan snorted. It didn’t seem like “keeper of the maps” impressed him much.

  “Keep Briggan out, okay?” he said. One of his hands checked idly for the Coral Octopus looped around his neck. “It would be nice if we didn’t have to save you from your dreams every other day.”

  Conor shot him a guilty look, then glanced at Abeke. “Got the Granite Ram?”

  Abeke nodded, showing him the necklace that kept it securely against her chest. She tugged once on it, just to be sure. “You can hang on to it, if you want,” she said.

  Conor shook his head. “I’d rather not.”

  Abeke gave him a small smile. Even after all this time, he still seemed a little hesitant to be the one responsible for hanging on to a talisman. She stared at him for a moment longer as he turned his attention back to the trek. How different Conor looked from when they’d first started their journeys together – he’d grown taller, and lost the fat in his cheeks. Even Rollan, with all his jokes, had changed ever since he lost Tarik and donned the green cloak. He was more focused. More serious. The realization took Abeke off guard. How quickly they’d all changed.

  Her thoughts wandered back to her father and sister, and whether their village in Nilo was truly covered in snow. Uraza turned her violet eyes up at Abeke, as if she could read the girl’s mind. Abeke just smiled. “We’re okay,” she said. “I don’t need them here.” Then she turned away from her spirit animal, so Uraza couldn’t tell that she’d lied.

  Most of all, she didn’t want Uraza to see how afraid she was that she might lose her.

  By the time they reached the Tellun’s Pride, the entire party looked like a pack of waterlogged rats in wet green cloaks. The ship’s captain was already waiting for them at the pier, hollering at the top of his lungs at the crew hoisting crates and rolling barrels up the ramp.

  He shook his head grimly as Finn and Dorian approached, then pointed down at the water. “Choppy, murky waters today,” he muttered. “We’ll have some rough seas to endure.” He pointed to where taut ropes at the bow of the Tellun’s Pride disappeared beneath the waves. “And the rockback whales – they may be sick.”

  “I’ll check on them,” Kalani said, shrugging her right shoulder, which housed her dolphin tattoo. She winced – light flashed briefly around her, and a moment later, everyone heard the unmistakable call of a dolphin from the water. Kalani leaned over the pier. Abeke was certainly no sea creature expert, but even she could tell that the dolphin was unhappy to be in this cold, unfamiliar ocean. She felt her heart tug at the sight of Kalani’s brow furrowing in concern.

  “See how the rockback whales are doing,” Kalani called down to her dolphin. “Be careful.”

  The dolphin made a subtle nodding gesture before diving below the surface. They all waited for a few quiet minutes.

  All of a sudden, the dolphin exploded from the surface of the black water with a strange, sickly sound. Kalani gasped. She leaned forward and held her arm out.

  “Come back up!” she said.

  The dolphin splashed around a bit more on its side. Light engulfed the creature before it vanished from the water and returned to Kalani’s shoulder. Kalani swayed. Conor and Rollan had to rush forward to keep her from falling backward. Abeke felt sick to her stomach at the sight. She didn’t want to imagine Uraza in that kind of agony.

  Kalani finally turned to the captain. “The churning water has brought in some schools of tiny, poisonous fish. They are making the whales sick. We have to leave. Now. The whales won’t survive if they continue like this.”

  “Is Katoa okay?” Abeke asked.

  Kalani nodded with a tight mouth. “She’s very sensitive to the water, even more so than the whales.” She sighed. “With the sea around Oceanus also unhealthy, I haven’t let her into the water in days. She’s not happy.”

  Maya patted Kalani once on the shoulder. “Thank you for the warning,” she said. “We better get moving.”

  “You heard her,” the captain shouted to his crew, triggering another flurry of activity on the ship’s deck. “Move out!”

  Abeke walked up the ramp with the others. She tried not to look at the black water again.

  THE WATER TURNED LIGHTER AFTER THEY REACHED OPEN waters. Still, the air felt heavy and oppressive, in part, Abeke knew, because everyone felt a little bit anxious. Uraza’s tail swished restlessly, and Abeke knew it wasn’t just because they were on a ship – Uraza’s least favorite form of travel. In fact, everyone’s spirit animals seemed slightly on edge.

  “Donn!” Finn shouted as he chased his black wildcat across the deck of the ship. Abeke and the others were in the middle of a lesson with Dorian on how to use the ship’s cannons. Scampering barely in front of the wildcat was Maya’s fire salamander, Tini, giving off indignant little squeaks every time the wildcat swiped his claws at him. Chasing Finn was Maya, her hair in complete disarray, as if she had just awoken from a nap.

  Tini reached the end of the deck, then turned and hissed at the wildcat. Maya managed to catch up just in time to call for her salamander. “Into the dormant state with you!” she exclaimed. Tini obliged all too willingly.

  “Sorry about that,” Finn said breathlessly. He gave his wildcat a reproachful glare, while Donn gave him the same look in return. Abeke, Conor, and Rollan all looked on from the cannon they were crowded around while Finn straightened his clothes and tried to walk off in a dignified manner.

  Rollan raised an eyebrow. “I would just like to point out,” he stated, looking skyward, “that Essix has been on her best behavior.”

  “That’s because she gets to fly,” Conor said. He’d kept Briggan in dormant state for most of the journey so far.

  “Hey, Essix isn’t having the best time either,” Rollan retorted. Overhead, Essix circled restlessly, making agitated little squawks. “She thinks the fish taste funny.”

  “All right,” Dorian interrupted, nodding back down at the cannon. “Attention back there, all three of you.”

  As Dorian explained how to light the fuse once powder had been loaded into the cannon, Rollan gave him a mutinous look. Abeke tightened her lips. She shook her head at Rollan, warning him not to be so defiant to their new leader. Rollan remained silent, but the resentment stayed on his face.

  As they sailed through the narrow sea dividing Eura and Nilo, they saw more that worried them. Where fertile farmland once thrived in southern Eura, enormous cracks now marred the parched, scorched earth left behind by invading patrols of Conquerors. Farmers gathered on the shore to watch them sail past, looking lost. Abeke wondered if they thought one of the passing ships could stop and save them, or perhaps take them far away to somewhere safe. Farther east, they passed entire cities that had been overtaken, their flags now gone and replaced with the Conquerors’.

  “We must detour from our planned route,” Dorian announced to everyone one morning as he studied his maps. “The Conquerors have seized an important trade strait between Nilo and Eura.”

  “Tarik would never have let us sail this far without knowing that,” Rollan muttered under his breath. Abeke rolled her eyes at him. They’d just heard about the seizure that morning by messenger pigeon.

  She pictured her homeland overrun by Conquerors, and could hardly bear the thought: the peppers and wild grasses burned away, razed by the invading soldiers. The antelope all migrating from the fighting. Would the lions and hyenas turn on the tribes in hunger? What would the people eat? What were the Conquerors going to do to them?

  They docked that afternoon in Balanhara, a port city situated at the beginning of a thin strait between Nilo and Zhong, to restock their provisions.

  It was a mistake.

  “Look,” Conor muttered to Abeke as they walked through th
e port’s narrow streets behind Maya and Rollan. All of them were balancing barrels of water on their heads. Kalani had stayed behind to help on the ship. “Conquerors attacked this city.”

  The inner city still had some of its beauty – baskets and bags of colorful spices sat out in the open markets. Their smells were rich and enticing, reminiscent to Abeke of home. Bright glass trinkets hung from the crowded wooden stalls, reflecting the sunlight. But Conor was right. Once-beautiful homes were now pitiful structures of crumbling stone and broken wood. The harbor itself was almost completely destroyed by fire, with two of its piers washed entirely away.

  Beggars crowded the alleys, their thin arms outstretched. People paraded through the streets several times during their walk, the processions all in honor of the dead. Mourners hoisted the deceased on their shoulders in ominous white carriers.

  Abeke looked away. So many funeral processions.

  “All this couldn’t have happened in just a week,” she whispered to Conor.

  Conor bent down to pick up a glittering tile fragment that had once belonged on the side of a building. He admired it sadly, holding it in the sunlight. “The Conquerors move fast,” he muttered. He put the fragment carefully in his pocket, as if a reminder of what their mission was for.

  Maya turned back to look at them. Her fire salamander stayed hidden behind her loose hair. “I just overheard a passerby. In the past two weeks, Balanhara suffered two sieges. The Conquerors finally passed through, but they left behind a trail of destruction. They’ve destroyed huge areas of the region.” She paused to look sadly at the beggars. “A lot of victims.”

  As they passed more homes, Abeke saw that makeshift talismans hung on many of the doorways. The talismans were made out of barnacles, bits of broken clay, and beads. They were crafted in rough imitation of real talismans, the Coral Octopus and the Slate Elephant, the Marble Swan and the Silver Wolf, each dangling like a silent wish for help from the Great Beasts. Abeke’s heart twisted.

  “We have to do something,” she said. But she didn’t know what. Maybe all of this was because Kovo had already been freed from his prison – that they were too late. The thought made her shudder.

  Rollan paused as they entered a small marketplace with food carts. The space looked like it usually held many more stands, but now only a few stood here and there. Most sold small, sallow potatoes and other roots that had survived the raids. Other stands sold rotten meat swarming with flies. Abeke guessed that the meat must have been salvaged from cattle killed during the siege. She wrinkled her nose at the smell, sickened by the reality that the people would be forced to eat such things.

  The only cart selling something that looked good was situated at the far corner of the market. Abeke’s stomach rumbled; they had all skipped breakfast in order to help out with gathering provisions, and now the sun hung high overhead. She joined Rollan’s side to stare longingly at the golden-brown meat buns the vendor was frying over a flat iron disc.

  “Let’s pick some up for the others on the ship too,” Conor said as Rollan pulled out a pouch of coins.

  “Don’t worry,” Rollan replied, handing the money over. “I promise I won’t eat all of them.”

  The vendor gave them bags of meat buns, and then they continued on their way. Abeke bit enthusiastically into hers. The food was delicious – the fatty juices spilled down her chin, the spices making her tongue tingle. She wiped her mouth with the edge of her sleeve. Conor was popping his last bite into his mouth, while Rollan had already finished one and was digging for another.

  As they walked and ate, Abeke thought she could see a seagull following them from broken roof to broken roof, but it flew off every time she tried to look at it. She didn’t dwell too much on it, though. They were in a port city, after all, and close to the water. The seagulls must be just as hungry as she was.

  They turned into a filthy alley. What they saw made all of them pause in their steps.

  Beggar children huddled here, their gray rags barely able to hide their skinny arms and legs. At first, they startled at the strangers. Then their eyes darted to the bags of food in their arms.

  Abeke stared back at them, her appetite suddenly fading. These children were younger than they were – some much, much younger. Maya swallowed hard, her cheeks reddening. “Orphans,” she whispered.

  The children didn’t dare make a move. Rollan was the first to break the stillness by bending down to a little girl. She shrank away from him. “It’s okay,” he murmured. “I remember living this life.” Then he reached into his bag and pulled out a meat bun. He held it out to her. “Bet you’re hungry.”

  The girl stared at him with wide eyes. She blinked at the food right in front of her face, still steaming hot. Then she reached out and hesitantly took it from Rollan’s hand. They all looked on as she devoured the bun, as if she hadn’t had real food in days.

  The other children in the alley began to gather near them. Conor glanced at Abeke. “Give them our bags,” he said in a quiet voice. “We’ll buy more for ourselves.” He stooped down beside Rollan and started handing the food out. Rollan gave him a grateful look. Abeke followed suit, as did Maya.

  At the sight, the hesitant children suddenly surged forward, their outstretched hands everywhere. Their silence turned into laughter, smiles, and shouts. Abeke couldn’t understand what they were saying, but their desperation was obvious enough. She handed out meat buns as quickly as she could, filling the empty hands. Still, more came. She realized that others begging outside the alley had gotten a whiff of what was happening. More crowded in, cutting them off.

  “No more,” Conor said as he held up an empty bag. But the people didn’t see him, or perhaps they were too tired or hungry to notice.

  One little boy pointed at the tattoo on Abeke’s arm. He glanced back up at her. His eyes grew wide. “Uraza,” he whispered.

  Abeke shook her head quickly, trying not to draw more attention to them, but the boy had already turned back to the street. “The Four Fallen are here!” he yelled, pointing frantically at Abeke.

  The words rippled through the crowd.

  “We should get out of here,” Conor said.

  They started pushing their way through the alley. The sight of so many hungry faces tugged at Abeke’s heart. If they failed in their mission, would the entire world become this? What would happen if the Conquerors won? The thought plagued her as their group finally made it out of the alley and started heading back toward the harbor. Behind them, a steady stream of beggars trailed along, some chanting and cheering.

  The Four Fallen are here to save us!

  “We’ve attracted too much attention,” Maya said through gritted teeth. They surged on, trying to leave their followers behind. Still, Abeke thought she didn’t look like she regretted anything.

  The farther they traveled through the streets, the more people flocked in their direction. Abeke didn’t think most of them could even tell whom they were cheering for – only that there was a commotion, and excitement, and a welcome distraction from the city’s misery.

  She winced as someone bumped her shoulder hard. They were surrounded by a blur of faces, over which she could see a sliver of the harbor beyond. Too many people. Abeke’s heart began to beat faster, and she forced her rising panic down.

  Something flashed past her line of sight.

  An arrow hit the man closest to Abeke, right in the shoulder, and he screamed. The force of the hit sent him tumbling backward.

  Instantly, the crowd broke into chaos.

  Abeke dropped her barrel of water. The precious contents sloshed out and spilled all over the ground. Maya dropped down into a crouch.

  “Forget the water!” Conor hissed. He grabbed Abeke’s wrist and pulled Rollan close, abandoning their remaining barrels.

  All around them, people fled in panic, a blur of motion and colors. Abeke could hardly see in the midst of all the flying dust.

  Someone had just tried to kill her.

  The seagull t
hat had followed them came rushing back to her thoughts. What if that was a Conqueror’s spirit animal? The Conquerors had passed through not long ago.

  Another arrow came whizzing from nowhere. It hit a nearby woman in the leg.

  “Go!” Conor urged, pointing through the mass of panicking townspeople. He ducked into the thick of the crowd and pulled Abeke after him. The others followed. Screams filled their ears.

  “Someone’s firing from the roofs!” Rollan called out over his shoulder. He ducked lower. Abeke did the same, so that from the air they were all but invisible in the chaos. Abeke fought the urge to call for Uraza – this was no time to have their spirit animals out, drawing even more attention. She gritted her teeth and continued weaving through the people. She thought she saw a glimpse of blood on someone, but the image flashed past her too quickly to get a good look.

  All they wanted was a bite of food. How did this get so out of hand?

  By the time the four made it back to the port, their assailants had vanished. They were all panting. Maya rushed ahead to let everyone know that they had arrived. Rollan stopped to lean on his knees.

  “Well,” he muttered to Conor, “it’s nice to know that good deeds are rewarded.”

  “The Conquerors must be hunting for us,” Abeke replied as she leaned against a wooden post, struggling to catch her breath. “I saw a seagull following us. We need to get out of here before they catch up to us again. We don’t have much time.”

  Conor and Rollan nodded silently. They hurried onto the deck of the Tellun’s Pride, where Finn and Kalani waited impatiently for them. Kalani rushed over as soon as they were on board. “Are you all okay?” she asked. “We saw the commotion in the streets.”

  “We’re okay,” Conor replied, even though his expression didn’t look like it.

  Finn ushered them belowdecks immediately. Abeke nearly tripped on the ladder’s steps in her haste.

  Dorian was waiting for them in the hold. As they arrived, he straightened and frowned at them from behind his maps. In the sudden dark, Abeke had nearly mistaken him for Tarik, summoning a fresh pang of grief.