The two tigers trotted back to me, and I felt a nudge on my back, which was accompanied by a soft whicker. Three Qilin remained.
We will take you far from here, princess.
But how can you? I asked the leader. You must stay with your herd.
You have done us a great service, and we will return the favor. Come. Climb onto our backs, and we will speed you away from this place.
I crouched down near the tigers and stroked their heads. The black tiger licked my arm. “They want us to ride them to safety,” I explained. “They said they are fast and they want to repay their debt.”
Kishan changed into a man and smiled. “Then what are we waiting for?”
The Qilin turned on their lights and stomped the ground eagerly. Kishan lifted me onto the back of the herd leader, and as I grabbed a hold of his flickering blue mane, Kishan leapt onto the back of a beast with green coloring. Ren changed into a man and bent to pick something up, then approached a glimmering purple beast dancing nearby. He leapt onto the back of the animal and deftly maneuvered it closer to me.
Leaning down to pat my blue Qilin, he spoke quietly, “Be careful with her. She hasn’t ridden before.”
After a pause, I smiled. “The Qilin will take care of me.”
“Good,” Ren answered before tucking something between my fingers.
Kishan called out, “Follow me,” and kneed his mount forward.
With a burst of speed, Ren’s Qilin followed and mine raced along behind. Green and purple fire trailed behind Ren’s and Kishan’s Qilin, and I marveled at the beauty of the creatures once again. The Qilin I rode moved so smoothly and so gracefully, through the darkened forest that I could relax and turn my attention to the gift Ren twined through my fingers: a white fire flower. I lifted the soft petals to my nose and allowed my thoughts to fly away as fast as the Qilin’s hooves would take me.
bodha—city of light
Atop a rise, we caught our first glimpse of a beautiful, sprawling city. The City of Light stretched from one end of the valley to the other, bisected by a lava river that flowed from a black mountaintop, ran underneath the city’s center, and disappeared between the hills at the other end. All of the buildings twinkled brightly despite being surrounded by fire trees, and at the heart of the community was a glowing, dazzling temple that sparkled like a diamond. The view was breathtaking.
Ren, Kishan, and I let out a sigh, partly at the splendor before us and partly from relief at having finally made it to our destination. It certainly wasn’t home, but it was one step closer.
Somewhere down there is the Rope of Fire, I thought.
With renewed determination, I dismounted from the Qilin leader, brushed the hair from its eyes, and thanked it for taking us to safety. With a whinny, the three animals trotted through the trees and soon disappeared.
We slept all afternoon and into the early evening. At nightfall, the fire trees slept, dark as usual, but the city was alive with light and activity. Carefully we made our way into the valley toward the outskirts of town. Everyone seemed to be headed to the temple for some kind of holiday celebration or ceremonial gathering.
Spying through darkened trees, we learned that the citizens were called Bodha. They glowed like the Rakshasa, but the skin of the Bodha twinkled with a golden light, and the tattoos they wore seemed to be just decoration. The Bodha didn’t appear aggressive, though they had the muscled physiques of warriors.
As we studied the golden city, Ren whispered the words of a poem.
ELDORADO
By Edgar Allan Poe
Gaily bedight,
A gallant knight,
In sunshine and in shadow,
Had journeyed long,
Singing a song,
In search of Eldorado.
But he grew old—
This knight so bold—
And o’er his heart a shadow
Fell as he found
No spot of ground
That looked like Eldorado.
And, as his strength
Failed him at length,
He met a pilgrim shadow—
“Shadow,” said he,
“Where can it be—
This land of Eldorado?”
“Over the Mountains
Of the Moon,
Down the Valley of the Shadow,
Ride, boldly ride,”
The shade replied—
“If you seek for Eldorado!”
“Do you think this is where the legend of Eldorado came from?” I asked Ren.
He replied, “I don’t know, but it certainly looks like a city of gold.”
Kishan turned to me and asked for the Divine Scarf. Wrapping it around his body, he whispered a few words and emerged from the Scarf dressed as a citizen of Bodha. I stretched out my fingers to touch his arm. His skin was textured and iridescent, almost like the scales of the Qilin. A sarong hung from his waist, and though he wore glimmering arm and wristbands with red jewels, the rest of his upper body was bare. His golden skin was heavily tattooed with crimson and black patterns and his thick black hair had become a pearly white. Even his eyebrows and lashes gleamed with a pearly luster, and the scales around his eyes were pronounced, making it look as if his golden eyes were lined with clusters of gemstone.
Ren took the Scarf and changed as well, only his color scheme was blue, green, and purple. He handed me the Scarf, but I just stood and stared at the two golden gods standing before me until Ren gave me a nudge and Kishan snickered.
After I’d changed into a Bodha woman and removed the Scarf, Ren and Kishan circled me, admiring my costume.
“Not bad,” Kishan said after giving me the once over.
“Good,” I mumbled. I studied my arm, which was covered with emerald butterflies and twisting black vines, and tried unsuccessfully to dim the light emanating from my skin. Reaching up to touch my hair, I pulled some over my shoulder. It was long, ivory, and coarse, very different from my natural hair, which was thick, brown, and had a natural wave. I wore golden jewelry crusted with what looked like emeralds but were actually Scarf-made fabrications and a dress seemingly spun from strands of starlight.
“What does my face look like?” I asked.
“It’s pretty,” Kishan replied.
Ren had crouched down to pack our bags and responded without even looking at me.
“Your eyelids are covered with tiny emeralds that radiate out and down your cheekbones. Topaz stones dot your forehead from your eyebrows to your hairline. The skin of your cheeks and forehead are tinged a greenish hue that spills down your neck and shoulders and then fades to gold.”
He rose and walked toward me. “Your lips,” his eyes lingered on them for the briefest of moments, “are gold too. The only thing missing . . . is this.” He took the still glowing white fire flower from my fingers and placed it in my hair, twisting the stem into the tresses just over my ear. My pulse jumped at his touch. “She’s not merely pretty, Kishan. She’s perfect.”
Before I could react, Ren scooped up the bag and headed into the city. Kishan growled unhappily at Ren’s retreating back, mumbling something I didn’t catch, and then offered me his hand. Without a word, we joined the parade of people walking toward the pyramid-shaped temple in the City of Light.
“They seem to be very excited about something. Whatever’s going on hasn’t happened in a long time. This must be a special occasion,” Ren whispered after using his tiger hearing to eavesdrop on a pair of old men nearby.
A group of people had formed a circle and were clapping and singing along with musicians who played drums and instruments similar to flutes or pipes. As the music rose in tempo, some of the Bodha began dancing. The energy in the crowd was palpable. Flowers were thrown onto the lava pool where they floated without burning. The scent they gave off was heady and thick.
We wandered closer to the massive temple, and I couldn’t tear my eyes away from it. It not only reflected the light of everyone surrounding it, but also it glowed
with its own internal fire. The surface was multi-faceted like a brilliant cut jewel, and its light danced around us as if we were standing beneath a twirling disco ball. I couldn’t see the top from where I stood but I’d estimate the building was around twenty stories tall. It looked similar to pictures I’d seen of Mayan temples.
The temple was a giant crystal carved in a tetrahedron shape and had a steep, terraced staircase leading to the top. Guards armed with spears stood on each step from the base of the temple up. Though they were impressive in appearance, they smiled breezily along with the crowd and didn’t seem to expect any trouble.
Suddenly, two young, handsome men appeared through an entry-way halfway up the staircase. Together the pair descended several steps until they were just above the crowd. Their bodies were dusted in gold, and they wore sarongs similar to Ren’s and Kishan’s but much more detailed. Bands of gold circled their upper arms, forearms, and lower legs, and plumes of firebirds were woven through the white hair that hung down their backs.
“The Lords!” the crowd cheered. One of the men lifted his hand, and the shouts and hoots stilled.
“My people, it has been many, many years since we’ve added to our clan. Some have even wondered if the time for gathering new ones had passed forever. Now we know it has not. This liquid energy that runs beneath our city and sustains us has not lost its fire after all. It still speaks to the world above and brings us new life.”
“And new hope for our Lords!” the Bodha crowd hollered in response.
The man who spoke smiled and clapped his companion on the shoulder. “Yes. New hope, brother.”
“To hope!” he replied and raised a golden goblet.
With the toast still hanging in the festive air, drinks were passed out to the crowd.
The Lords once again raised golden goblets. “To hope. May this new addition be the lost lady we seek!”
“To hope!” the crowd shouted, and then everyone sipped the golden drink.
Kishan took a glass and tasted it. “It’s good,” he assured us quietly. “Kind of like a cross between firefruit and apples.”
“Do you feel it, brother? She is coming,” one of the Lords said as the pair descended into the crowd.
Guards flanked the men as they walked among the Bodha along the black sand beach. Approaching the fiery lava lake, they stepped to the edge and watched the surface intently.
I winced seeing how close their toes came to burning off and had a flashback of my own body burning and the agony I felt. I grasped Ren’s arm. He looked at me with concern but I took a deep breath and whispered, “Come on. Let’s move closer.”
We found an unobstructed view. It wasn’t long before I noticed some bubbles rising to the surface and then a ripple. The ripple grew larger, and the crowd pointed excitedly as a young girl emerged from the lava. I gasped. She was shivering and clearly afraid. As she strode toward the shore, she wiped the lava from her arms, and I saw that her skin was bright red.
The Lords strode into the lava river to greet her, totally unaffected by the heat and flame. One wrapped a beautiful robe around the girl and the other placed a circlet of fire flowers onto her hair. Gently, they guided her to the black sand.
One of the brothers spoke: “Welcome to the City of Light, little one. Here we will take care of you. Your every need will be attended to. Come with us.”
As the two men led her to the temple, the Bodha cheered and threw flowers at her feet. When she reached the edifice, she flashed a tiny smile before disappearing inside with the brothers. The guards moved back to their original positions on the staircase.
As soon as the ceremony was over, the celebration began in earnest. Music started up again, food was brought out, and the crowd reveled near the temple. We mingled as best we could and discovered the food to be delicious but spicy. I happily learned that the drink they passed around diminished the fire on my tongue.
Ren, Kishan, and I eavesdropped some more and learned that the party would continue for most of night. The Bodha hoped the Lords would reappear with the happy news that this girl was the one they’d been waiting for. I couldn’t help but empathize with her and found the entire situation a little familiar.
To our left, a group of people began to chant, “Tell us the tale!”
I wanted to listen and figure out what was going on, so I edged in closer. My silent protectors Kishan and Ren vigilantly took up spots next to me and watched the crowd.
After fending off the repeated shouts, an elderly man eventually held up his hands and spoke. “Above us are the smoking mountains— doorways from the world above to our world here below.”
The people murmured and nodded their heads.
“The Ancients knew our people suffered, that we could no longer care for the sacred flame on our own. This is when the Lords of the Flame, Shala and Wyea, came to govern us.”
A young girl added, “But they left someone behind.”
“That’s correct, Dormida. The beautiful girl, Lawala, did not come with them. Lawala was loved by both brothers, and she was to choose between them. Before each Lord departed through a different smoking mountain, she was asked to choose and follow the brother she wanted. They waited for her to come but she never came. Distraught, Shala and Wyea left their posts and sought her in the world above, but the lovely Lawala was not to be found.
“Soon it became apparent that the brothers were neglecting their duties so the Ancients promised that if the Lords would return to our world to tend the eternal flames at the center of creation, they would seek Lawala themselves and send her to the two brothers through the smoking mountains.”
Fascinated, I asked a question. “Why don’t the brothers recognize her when they see her?”
The man smiled at me. “The Ancients only know to look for a young and virtuous girl. She may have been reborn into another form, but the brothers insist they will know her regardless of what form she takes.”
“What happens to the girl if she is not the one they seek?” I asked.
“She becomes one of us and adds to our numbers.” The old man looked up at the dark night. “Tonight the smoking mountains will be still, for the brothers are content, but if this girl is not their lady, their anger will shake the sky and the lake of fire will explode into the world above.”
I grabbed Ren’s hand and motioned to Kishan that we should go. We made our way to the fire forest and set up camp.
After a brief discussion about what we’d seen, I proposed, “I think he was talking about volcanoes. When the brothers are upset, a volcano erupts aboveground . . . and I also think the girls get here by being sacrificed to a volcano god.”
“Why do you think that?” Ren asked.
“Because the man said they sought young, virtuous women and in myths, books, and movies, virgins are sacrificed to volcanoes. Also each Lord traveled here through a smoking mountain. It makes sense. Somehow, instead of burning up, the girls emerge safely in the lava pool near the temple.”
Kishan replied, “It’s a plausible explanation. Tell me what Durga’s prophecy says about the Lords of the Flame.”
I leafed through a notebook until I found what I was looking for. “Mr. Kadam’s translation says, ‘The Lords of the Fire intend to conspire to keep you from what you need.’ And don’t forget the Phoenix said we’d need to defeat them to get the Rope of Fire.”
“So it doesn’t sound like they’re going to be very cooperative,” Ren murmured.
“The good news is the guards don’t appear to be very well trained,” Kishan commented.
“How can you tell?” I asked. “They’re all muscle.”
Kishan rubbed his jaw. “Having muscle doesn’t mean they have the fighting skills of a warrior. The guards had spears, but they didn’t carry them at the ready. Their manner spoke of comfort.”
Ren nodded silently as Kishan went on with his assessment.
“Besides, there doesn’t seem to be any warfare here. The Rakshasa are far enough away not to caus
e too much trouble, and I don’t see any divisive factions among the citizens.”
“He’s right,” Ren stated. “They seem to be a peaceful people. Still, it’s best not to take chances or underestimate them. You are staying here tomorrow, Kells.”
“What? Why? Haven’t I proved myself in battle enough for you? Let’s not forget who saved the two of you when the Rakshasa took you prisoner.”
“She has a point, Ren.”
Ren seemed to wage an inner battle before acquiescing. “Alright, but stay close to us.”
I saluted him. “Yes, sir, general, sir. Cadet Kelsey Hayes, reporting for duty as assigned,” I teased.
Ren grinned and threw a newly made pillow at my head. “Get some shut-eye, Private Hayes.”
I punched the pillow a few times and lay down. “Where on Earth did you learn the word shut-eye?”
Ren laughed. “Good night, Kells.”
Giggling, I rolled over to find a quiet Kishan watching me. He was brooding. He had his could-tempt-any-girl-to-run-away-with-him lost expression on his handsome face. I smiled, but he just looked away and folded the Divine Scarf. I watched him as he moved silently in the tent, preparing to keep first watch. He positioned himself at the tent door.
Bunching my fist under my cheek, I studied his strong back and wide shoulders and could almost sense Kishan’s disappointment with me. I’d been aloof with him since my experience with the Phoenix, and I knew he could sense it. We’d have to talk, and soon, but for the moment, I didn’t want anything to distract us from our goal.
lords of the flame
Disguised once again as citizens of Bodha, we made our way to the temple. The townspeople had long since dispersed to their homes, and the city streets were quiet. We’d slept only a few hours, wanting to be up with the sun so as not to miss the goings on in the city.
I did not think it was possible, but the temple was even more dazzling in the predawn hour. We walked in without any fanfare, and the guards completely ignored us until Ren leapt onto the temple staircase. Kishan lifted me up to Ren, and by the time the three of us were standing on the first terrace of the temple, we were surrounded.