Young Flame

Eighteen hours.

That’s how long it took these damn elders to finally agree to open our borders sometime in the future. I almost rise from my rug and celebrate that we are done. It’s already been day and returned to darkness again. It took ages, and the boredom almost killed me, but we are finally done.

At least, that’s what I thought before they dove into discussions on tactical operations to counter the rapid movement and surprise attack from our southern coastline. Seriously, even the thousand áed in the viewing chambers above have been moving in and out because they’ve wasted so much time. Is this what sitting around doing nothing for hundreds of years does to you? Do they even realise that time moves forward? Can’t they be a bit more considerate to those of us still on a normal timeline?

Many of the elders were insistent on Yalun setting up eagle patrols to watch the coasts for the massive landing ships the Henosis used in their attacks. She would tell them it was infeasible with the number they had available, unless they crippled the set communication network. Of course, despite her refusal, they kept trying to apply pressure for her to make the impossible possible.

I found myself the recipient of Yalun’s mounting irritation. She would remain civil in her replies, but would curse their names in her connection with me. After such a long time being bored out of my mind, restraining my laughter was difficult.

Eventually, they settled on a few options. First, they would call all tribes to stay a few hundred kilometres from each coast to force any invaders from the ocean to waste far more water in their attempts to find us. This also helps protect them from the encroaching western ocean. Second, tribes would be encouraged to meet at an eagle communication point at least semiannually, but preferably every couple of months. This would allow the tribes to come together far quicker in retaliation to aggressive entities in the area.

There are always some grand elders ready to answer an eagle’s call for help, but they will move to the coast, to reduce response and travel times. In the best-case scenario, we can react to the Henosis’ presence in a week. Though, more realistically, it’ll be closer to a month or two. While that sounds long, it is still far more rapid than previously, especially with the immense distances involved with travelling the deserts.

Śuri tried to propose his unique way of transportation, that glass board with a sail, but was brushed off. Apparently, he needs to get more elders to try it out before the others will give it the time of day. I know a grand elder’s running speed is far greater than a tribe’s normal travel speed, but they still don’t come close to the speed of flight. They really should adopt it, but I guess the elderly take time to adjust to things.

“Now, unless anyone has a pressing matter they would like to put forward, I believe it is time for the unofficial eagle, Solvei’s judgement.” Hraun’s words bring down everyone’s heavy stares down on me again.

Can I go back to being bored?

This is it. This is where they decide if my story is satisfying enough to pardon me. Now that it isn’t taboo to grow, and the other taboo I broke is up for abolishment, I have a good feeling about my chances. For one, I didn’t know about the taboos, and even if I did, there wasn’t much option but to travel outside the wasteland after losing my tribe. They can’t punish me for doing something that is no longer taboo, right?

“We are judging Solvei for her breaching two of our taboo,” Grand Elder Hraun says. “Please remember that while a taboo may no longer exist, we must judge her in accordance to the instance she breached them.”

Well… There goes that hope.

“If I may start,” Śuri says. “Even ignoring her ignorance when she commit them, I would argue that Solvei had no choice but to do as she did. Her travel beyond the wasteland was an act of desperation after she lost her tribe to Cipactlteteo. Can you truly blame a child not yet a decade old for her mistakes?”

“Then why did she wait so long to return?” the grand elder of the Agni mountains, Vesta, demands. “Why is it only after years have passed that she crawls back?”

“I’m sorry? I didn’t know where any of our resource landmarks were. I didn’t even know where the Agglomerate was. The last thing I wanted to do was go back to living off what sand-worms I could find.” A few elders cringe at that. “What exactly should I have done?”

“None of the children under my care would have lacked such important information. Maybe we should reassess each tribe’s teachings?”

My flames churn through the chamber. It is only because of Yalun’s mixed blaze do I hold myself back from any retaliation I would regret. I want to hit Vesta. I want to burn her. To so blatantly disrespect Auntie, Uncle, Mum, and all my other lost tribesmen… in only a few words, she’s placed herself on my list of most hated people. A list with a rather high mortality rate.

“Vesta, I understand your meaning, but watch your wording.” Grand Elder Hraun glares at her, making her expression flip from arrogant to cowardly. “I will not stand contempt for those we have lost.”

She tries to back up and apologise, but Śuri speaks before she can. “The other broken taboo was a result of being caught in a war between the eastern races.”

“Wait, so she’s been fighting with that much energy where the eastern nations could watch?” The speaker, along with a few others, groan in irritation.

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“This is why we have taboo in the first place,” an elder grouses. “It appears our attempts to remain hidden are crumbling around us.”

“All the more reason that we open ourselves to the outside world on our own terms,” Śuri tries, but only receives glares in return.

“Solvei, you mentioned being captured by Henosis earlier. When was that?” Ignatia asks.

“I was running away from New Vetus, which was at war against them when they grabbed me.”

It’s not a lie, but neither is it the full truth. I really think it’s a bad idea to tell them I burnt down a city long before I grew my capacity. They’re already annoyed because the other races have seen what an áed with high energy can do. If they knew the other races might know that even the average áed could cause so much damage to their cities, my chances of a worse punishment will probably skyrocket simply to spite me.

For the next while, I answer the grand elder’s questions. Mostly, it’s clarifications on my story, trying to pick out what happened from my perspective, but every so often I would get a question stating something completely wrong. It is clear they are testing me for contradictions and holes, but besides that thing about Morne burning, everything I’ve said is true.

They spend a few minutes in silence. Unlike the discussions before, the grand elders ponder my judgement privately. I’m unable to peek into their thoughts and hear how bad it is, so I’m stuck in a nervous loop, waiting for them to state exactly how my life is over.

Most exchange glances with each other when they speak through their flames, so it is easy to see who’s talking with who. Hraun is the only one who doesn’t. I don’t know if he’s talking or not, but his gaze remains locked on me. His burning eyes are impossible to turn away from.

In the roaring flames, each elder turns my way, then in unison, turns to face Grand Elder Hraun.

“We have decided on your punishment,” the large áed says without breaking eye contact. “Despite breaking two taboos, enough grand elders sympathise with your plight that you shall not be given the typical penalty.”

Hraun’s eyes scorch with barely repressed contempt, so his words hardly seem real. I’m not going to be punished?

“Saying that, your rapid growth is cause for concern. It has been decided that you shall be confined to the Titan Alps with grand elder supervision.”

I’m… not sure if that’s a good thing or not. At least they’re not imprisoning me, but being confined, even to such an impossibly massive area as the Alps, is still a limitation on my freedom. But it’s not so bad that I need to cut ties with my people and flee the wasteland.

If I’m to be limited to the Titan Alps, does that mean I can no longer meet with Leal and Grímr? Does that mean I can’t return to my team? How can I accept that?

“How long?” I ask.

“Until your supervisor decides your control is satisfactory. Don’t expect it to come anytime soon.”

I glance between Yalun and Śuri, expecting one of them to be my supervisors, considering they’ve been the ones to teach me so far, but they shake their heads at me. Śuri seems unconcerned, but Yalun appears disappointed. Is she not allowed to teach me from now on?

“Before we implement her punishment,” Ignatia, the elder I spent most of the meeting talking to besides my two teachers, says. “I’d like to have her guide me to the cube she mentioned.”

“Ah, yes, the one somewhere in the barren lands.” Hraun ponders for a moment, before nodding. “That is acceptable.”

“What about Leal and Grímr?” I ask Yalun through our flames. I came here with both of them. How could I just leave them like this?

“You’ll have to say goodbye to them.” Her answer is not what I want to hear. “We will be too busy in the coming months. Outsiders will no longer be allowed near the Agglomerate.”

Do I run?

The thought of being stuck up on the mountains unable to see any of my friends makes me consider it. Who knows how long it will take to convince the grand elder I get stuck with that my control is competent enough… whatever that’s supposed to mean. Am I supposed to reach a grand elder’s level of control before they’ll let me wander free? How many years will that take?

Damned old elders and their lacking concept of time.

As much as I want to avoid the issue, I can’t just leave. This punishment isn’t enough to consider cutting ties with my people.

“Think of this as training, rather than a punishment.” Śuri’s voice travels through his fire. “You are unbalanced. Both your binding and capacity are obscene, but this will give you the opportunity to bring some of your other aspects up to strength.”

I know he’s right, and that’s the better way to think of it, but the very idea of being restricted in what I can do leaves a sour taste through my flames. With such pressing matters as the ocean eating away the western desert, I would have thought I’d be allowed to help. Even amongst the strongest of my kind, I still have one of the highest capacities. Surely it will be helpful. Just like it was for Śuri when we were escaping the island.

Śuri is going up the Alps to rapidly expand his reserves of energy now that he can, right? Is there a reason I’m not being placed by his side? Wouldn’t it be much more beneficial for my growth to stick to him as he takes on some obscenely dangerous creatures of the Middle Elevation, or even higher?

I’d rather not be stuck with a grand elder I don’t know. Simply imagining that I’d get stuck with Vesta is enough to send a shiver down my back. I’m still fuming at her earlier statements.

“Thank you all for joining us for this conference.” Hraun’s voice is once again laced with his presence, pounding through the glass to all that watch on. “Our discussions have now concluded. If there are questions, please feel free to join the flame and ask.”

The sudden explosion of flames joining in the mass is enough to give me a headache. I snap my flames from my elders and pull it back into myself. Somehow, none of those whose flames continue to burn seem burdened by the countless voices.

“Solvei,” Yalun speaks aloud to me for the first time in a day. “I need to hurry and take care of my eagles. It may be some time until we meet again. May Ember watch over you.”

“Huh? Wait.” I try to stop her, or at least say goodbye, but she’s already flying out of the mountain before I can follow.

“So, should we get going?” I turn around to find Ignatia already up and by my side.

“Don’t you need to talk to the spectators?” I don’t really care about those watching on, I just want something to delay. Things are moving too quick.

“Nope. The older guys have it.”

“Ignatia is right. We do,” Śuri says. “Best not waste time.”

“Alright,” I say, reluctantly. “Goodbye, then.”

My presence teacher just nods and returns to his task. As I follow Ignatia out of the burning chamber, I can’t help but cast my eyes back to Śuri. When will be the next time I see him? I am conflicted. Sure, my punishment isn’t as bad as it could have been, but both the grand elders I respect the most are so dismissive after it’s all over and done with. I know they are busy, but is it so much to ask for a better farewell than a nod and a wave when it might be months or years before we next meet?

A red glow permeates the Agglomerate. I look up to find a crimson sky through thick glass.

The conference lasted an entire day.