Into the Fire

There weren’t always dragons in the valley. Several times Lexi had retraced the desert path, hoping to see them again, but each time she was met with nothing more than a desolate gorge. Jinn had even accompanied her, on the rare morning when he wasn’t fishing for their breakfast or dealing with matters of state. But he had never seen the dragons. Just as he has never seen the value of staying in New Alara, she thought bitterly. Guilt wriggled beneath her skin. She knew Jinn was trying to do what was best for his people. It was only her own selfishness that made her wish he would say, to hell with the Alarans - to hell with the whole planet! - and do what was best for them.

Today she set out as soon as the first sun rose, leaving behind their shelter where the river met the sea. She followed the path that led away from the river, battling the dunes until she reached the face of the cliff. The salty smell of the sea permeated the air, fresh and invigorating. A cool breeze caressed her, but still a sheen of sweat shone on her tanned skin and her head was beginning to ache, as it did every time she attempted this climb, as if her body was saying, you can’t do this. It annoyed her.

She was built for climbing, her arms and legs long and strong, and she had scaled this wall every morning for the past three weeks. She made short work of it now, stopping at the top to catch her breath. A gust of wind blew her blond hair into her face, obscuring her view, allowing her the chance to hope. She parted her hair like a curtain, and peered into the sand-colored valley, “Nothing,” she whispered, her shoulders sagging with disappointment.

She surveyed the rocky cliffs that surrounded the valley, but they, too, were deserted. With a sigh she turned to go; the second sun would be rising soon.

When she returned to the shelter, Styra was waiting for her, her thin white cloak floating around her like a cloud. In spite of her black mood, Lexi couldn’t repress a smile at the appearance of her friend. “Does your magic let you know when I need you?” Lexi teased.

“You always need me,” Styra replied, her tone matter of fact. Petite and pale, with angelic features and a shock of orange hair, Styra was the last of the Mage class; the rest had been killed in the destruction of Alara. To the remaining Alarans, her ability to access Universal Knowledge was invaluable. But it was Styra’s unwavering friendship that mattered to Lexi.

“What troubles you?”

They sat side by side on the roughly-hewn wooden bench overlooking the sea. “The Alarans…there’s so much unrest. Half of them want to stay here, start over; half of them want to fight for their freedom…” She looked at her friend. “What do you want to do?”

“I will be pleased to be wherever my friends reside,” Styra said with a smile. “Do you wish to fight, as Jinn does?”

“I want to support Jinn. He always tries to do the right thing.” She chewed her lower lip.

Styra nodded. “He is a strong leader.”

“Exactly. He does what’s best for his people, regardless of what it costs him. I guess I’m not that strong,” she said ruefully. “I want to have a life with Jinn, and that isn’t going to happen if we get ourselves killed trying to free the whole planet!”

“So you wish to stay?” Styra asked quietly.

“No!” Lexi was pacing now, frustrated. “If we stay, we cut ourselves off from the Spire; without that tech, the Alarans will be set back centuries. I would never see my mom again. And Jinn would never forgive himself.”

“So there is no solution!” Styra said brightly,

“Yes.” Lexi eyed her friend. “Why is that a good thing?’

“Perhaps if you cannot win, then you also cannot lose.”

“So you’re saying there’s no wrong decision?”

Styra shrugged. “There is no correct decision. You, Jinn, all of us, we must make a choice with limited input. We cannot predict the outcome.”

Lexi wasn’t sure if that made her feel better or not. It seemed like no matter what they chose, they stood to lose it all.

Styra rose to go. “Will you be assisting me today?” Usually Lexi helped Styra do her rounds as Healer, but she didn’t want to take her frayed attitude out amongst the people.

“I’ll catch up with you,” she said.

Styra nodded and left. Lexi walked down the path that led to the sea. She settled into the cool sand, watching the sunlight dance across the waves, breathing deeply the salty air. Great seabirds called to one another high above her. How she had dreamt of the sea, growing up in landlocked Eyre. How she had dreamt of adventure! But she never could have known her adventure would lead to Jinn, the Alarans, running from Sorath Niim…it was only luck that had led them through the mists, to this uncharted island. And that luck would run out, eventually.

No solution presented itself and Lexi’s thoughts drifted to dragons. She had only seen them once. It was the first time she had ventured away from the landing site, on the desert side of the river, climbing the dunes that led away from the great sea. Only the first sun had risen, washing the sky in burnished tones of yellow and orange and red. A cool breeze accompanied her until she drew further inland. A cliff rose up in front of her and she stopped, cupping her hand above her eyes and looking skyward. Should she go up or head back? Once the second sun ascended it would get hot, fast. But she was curious: what could be on the other side of that cliff? More desert? Or something else?

So she climbed, enjoying the strain of muscle and sinew as she stretched and reached, each ledge just out of reach until she captured it, each movement a small victory. “I could use a victory,” she muttered. Even with one sun, she was sweating when she reached the top. She put her hands on her knees, panting. Then she heard a noise and stepped forward to investigate.

That was when she saw them.

There were half a dozen of them, golden behemoths scattered about the desert floor. They were curled up, sleeping, long tails wrapped around armored bodies. She didn’t dare to breathe. The cliff rose sharply on all sides, forming a protective valley, although what predators a dragon might have she didn’t want to imagine. One of the creatures, a dark gold, almost bronze, awakened and stretched, raising its gossamer wings like sails. Lexi gasped. The dragon blinked lazily, one eye seeming to focus on Lexi. She ducked quickly, anxious to stay out of sight, her awe at discovering dragons quickly replaced by a sense of self-preservation. Without waiting, she scrambled down the cliff side and hurried back to the Landing. The second sun was rising and her head was beginning to hurt.

Just as today, Styra had been waiting outside her shelter when she arrived. “You won’t believe what I saw!” Lexi said, holding her head.

Styra frowned. “Are you well?” She raised her hand, ready to scan Lexi for any sign of illness or injury.

“I’m fine,” Lexi said, waving her away. “Just a headache. Need water.” She headed inside and pushed the water button on the synthesizer. “I found dragons!”

Styra closed her eyes, a melodic hum emanating from deep within her. Lexi waited, used to her friend accessing info from the Universe. “A mythical monster in the form of a giant reptile?”

“Exactly!” Lexi chugged her cold water and replaced the cup. “Except not mythical, at least not here. My mother used to tell me stories of dragons in Eyre. Did Alara have dragons?”

“Not to my knowledge.” Styra paused. “In fact, no charted continent has definitive record of dragon-like creatures.” She looked puzzled.

“What’s wrong?”

“That’s statistically improbable.”

“Maybe they were killed off early in the settlement of the rest of the planet. As far as we know, we’re the first ones to discover this island, right?” Lexi was giddy with excitement. “I can’t wait to tell Jinn!”

All thoughts lead back to Jinn, she thought, her mood souring. She’d walked to that valley nearly every day since and not once had she seen any sign of dragons. “Maybe I imagined them,” she muttered. Maybe they were no more real than her illusive future with Jinn. A mirage.

Tired of searching for solutions she couldn’t find, Lexi rose, dusted herself off, and went to help Styra.

The first sun was beginning to set by the time Lexi returned to the shelter to find fish, but not Jinn. She set about gutting, cleaning, and chopping them, adding what vegetables she could synthesize into a large kettle over the fire. She was just digging around their makeshift kitchen for a ladle and two bowls when Jinn walked in.

In spite of the heat, he wore his black captain’s uniform, always. His head nearly touched the top of the doorway; his shoulders, broad from these last few months of manual labor, nearly touched the sides. Under the blazing suns, his golden skin had darkened, nearly matching the color of his sandy hair. The sight of him never failed to make her heart race.

“Perfect timing,” she said, handing him the bowls.

In exchange, he handed her a bouquet of flowers.

“They’re the color of the sea!” she exclaimed, delighting in the blue-green swirl of the buds. She closed her eyes and inhaled the scent. It reminded her of the sweet willow that grew wild around her childhood home.

“They’re the color of your eyes,” he replied, his voice deep and tinged with humor. He bent to kiss her. “I see you found the fish.” He inhaled deeply and made a satisfied noise at the savory aroma. “I’m going to miss your cooking once we’re eating nothing but synth food on the ship again.”

“Do you think we’ll be back on the ship soon?” she asked, attempting to keep her voice neutral, as she arranged the flowers in a white vase.

“Excellent question.” Jinn sighed heavily as he sat at the table. “What did you do today?”

She made note of his evasion, but recounted her day as they ate their stew. “Oh, Adina had her baby last night, did you hear? A girl.”

Jinn’s face lit up. “I’ll stop by in the morning to congratulate them!” A cloud of doubt shifted his features.

Lexi put her spoon on the table with a bit more force than necessary. “We agreed we were going to be a team, didn’t we? Talk to me, Jinn.”

“The Alarans are divided.”

“I know,” she said quietly.

“I understand why some want to stay; I do. But I’ve seen the damage Sorath Niim can do. With the Council behind him, he’s more powerful than ever. I can’t sit idly by. And even if I could, I know Niim; he’ll never stop…” He trailed off, lost in thought.

Lexi touched his hand softly, bringing him back. “You’ve always done what was best for your people; you’ve always listened to them. They won’t forget.”

“We must fight, when the time is right, but I fear it will divide our people permanently.” He paused. “What do you think?”

Lexi froze. If she told him now that she wanted to stay, would it change anything? Or would she just make his job more difficult, dividing his heart between her will and his? Didn’t he deserve her honesty? She took a steadying breath. “Actually, I’ve been wanting to talk to you about -”

The door flew open with a bang that made her jump. “Jinn, you need to get to the ship! Hudd and his men are threatening to steal her!” Jinn’s second in command, Rodin, looked positively offended that anyone would think of touching his ship without his express permission.

Jinn glanced at Lexi. “I’m right behind you,” she said, and the three of them rushed toward the ship.

They arrived to find most of the Alarans already gathered in front of the ship, its huge hull providing a shimmering backdrop for the spectacle. Half the crowd blocked the path to the silver ship, arguing loudly as Hudd and his followers tried to push past them. “Stop!” Jinn yelled, the authority in his voice carrying it beyond the din of argument. The crowd turned to face him. “Listen, my friends,” Jinn called, his voice never betraying his own doubts. “I urge you to have patience!”

A stout and swarthy man, Hudd pushed his way to the front, scowling at Jinn. “You can’t keep us here!” he said, his voice gravelly. “How are you any better than Sorath Niim if you be keeping us here against our will?” Some in the crowd murmured their assent.

“We are safe here, for now; to leave would endanger everyone…”

Hudd interrupted, taking a threatening step forward, the crowd surging at his back. “We can’t hide here forever, Captain. Being afraid to fight is what lost us our homes in the first place!”

A man named Fen had pushed his way to the front of the crowd, into the face of Hudd. “Fight? For what? Why fight for the rest of the planet when we’ve finally found what we were looking for? We’re standing on New Alara!”

“And what are we going to do, cut ourselves off from the Spire? We have the right to those resources, same as anyone!”

Before Fen could respond, Jinn stepped in, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. Rather than raising his voice, he lowered it, but Lexi was close enough to hear what he said.

“Hudd, you lost your father in the destruction of Alara, as did I, as did so many of our people. Do you truly want to bring the battle to Niim before we are ready? To risk more Alaran lives, when we have so few to give?

And Fen, you have a sister who chose to stay in Theta, don’t you? So many of us have friends and loved ones spread across the planet. Would you have us stay here, disappear, never see the rest of our people again?”

Lexi swallowed a lump in her throat, thinking of her mom, left behind in Eyre. If she’d known she might never return, would she still have gone?

The crowd had quieted now and Jinn addressed them. “Alarans! We have overcome every obstacle in our path these many months, by working together. And we will overcome this latest threat to our survival, but we must stand as one! Only together are we strong!”

A murmur of assent rippled through the crowd and broke the spell that held them there. They began to disperse. Only Hudd paused to peer up at Jinn, eyes squinting against the setting suns. “I don’t have no fancy words, Captain, but mark the ones I got: you’re running out of time.” He ambled away and Jinn breathed a sigh of relief.

“You ok?” Lexi asked. She could feel the tension in his body when she laid her hand on his arm.

“More importantly, is the ship ok?” Ronin asked, pushing past them with his scanner in hand, ready to run a full diagnostic. His typical scowl had deepened.

Jinn turned to Lexi, his scowl matching Rodin’s, and put an arm around her shoulders. To comfort her or himself, she wasn’t sure. “Hudd’s not wrong. We can’t stay here indefinitely.” He kissed the top of her head. “Go on home. I’m going to catch up with Rodin and see if we can come up with a plan.”

Lexi bristled at being dismissed but the adrenaline of the crowded confrontation was wearing off and she grew tired. She turned to go, but Jinn caught her hand and pulled her back, kissing her softly. He frowned. “You wanted to talk, before…”

“It’s ok,” she said, forcing a lightness into her voice. “It can wait.”

He returned her smile, squeezed her hand, and turned to go.

Despite her fatigue, Lexi wandered the small shelter, restless. Finally she grabbed her cerulean cloak and stepped outside. The first sun had set, muting the colors in the New Alaran sky, but the second sun would be up for hours. She turned down her well-worn desert path. It felt good to walk, to climb, to channel all her questions and doubts and worries into action of some sort. As usual, her head began to ache as she scaled the cliff face, but she didn’t let it slow her down. She crested the top of the cliff and gasped.

She had never been to the valley at sunset. It was covered so thickly in dragons, she couldn’t even see the barren ground beneath them! Their golden hides sparkled in the sunset, reminding Lexi of Jinn’s skin after a dip in the sea. Overcome with awe at the strange beauty before her, she stood, silent, the stress of the day flowing out of her body, serenity settling into her soul.

As she gazed into the valley below, her headache began to intensify. She knew she should head back, but she hated to leave. Suddenly, pain seared through the back of her skull. She cried out, falling to one knee. The coppery taste of blood filled her mouth. Blinking away tears, she tried to rise, but another stab of pain forced her to the ground. She knelt on the lifeless ledge as if in prayer. And then, a word: “help!” Had she said it? Thought it? That couldn't be; the pain made it impossible to think. Once more it echoed in her mind, a voice that wasn’t hers: “help us!” And then all was dust and darkness.