I hope you relish this one!
Sunset Tower. Rollan stood with his head tipped back, using one hand to shield his eyes from the sun as he followed the flight of his falcon. Essix turned in two wide circles, soaring higher than the tallest spire of the Greencloak fortress. The grass came up to Rollan's knees. Inside Sunset Tower, they had training rooms and spacious courtyards, but he preferred spending time outside the walls. Too many people inside the fortress stared at him, some with doubt, others expectantly. Either reaction unsettled him. Besides, it was prettier outside. Wilderness had surrounded Concorba at a distance, but he rarely ever saw it. There were a few parks in town, some weedy lots, and the muddy banks of Sipimiss River, but the port city was mostly a place of commerce. He had occasionally seen farmland beyond the town boundaries, but nothing like this — not big hills, not woods, not wild meadows. An imposing collection of bulky structures enclosed by tall walls of heavy stone, Sunset Tower was not the main Amayan stronghold of the Greencloaks. Rather, it served as the westernmost Greencloak outpost in Northern Amaya. Any farther west led to untamed land controlled mostly by beasts and the Amayan tribes. Rollan whistled. "Essix, to me!" The bird continued to glide on lofty breezes. "Essix, come!"
"Like always," Meilin said "She didn't listen" She smiled. Essix shrieked like she was laughing at him.
The falcon drifted through another lazy turn."Get down here! How hard is it to follow simple instructions? The dimmest kid I know can do that much!" Bad move. Essix now seemed to be flying farther away from him on purpose.
Everyone laughed
Rollan took a calming breath. He had already learned that shouting angry words would keep the bird in the sky all day. "Please, Essix," he called more gently. "Olvan wants us to learn to work as one." The falcon tucked her wings and plunged toward him. He held up a protected hand, the large brown glove a gift from Olvan. After arrowing down with blinding speed, Essix spread her wings at the last moment to slow her descent and alighted on his forearm. "Good girl," Rollan said, stroking her feathers. "Want to try the passive state? Want to become a mark on my arm?" Rollan needed no comprehension of bird speech to recognize that her piercing cry meant absolutely not.
"Obviously" Meilin said "how long did it take for you to get her to go into passive form?" "No idea" Rollan responded
Rollan gritted his teeth but kept petting her. "Come on, Essix. You don't want us to look useless when the others get here. Let's show them what we can do." The falcon cocked her head to stare at him with one amber eye. Her feathers ruffled up, but she made no further sound. "Hey, it doesn't just reflect on me," Rollan said. "It makes you look bad too."Behind him, a horn sounded. Another horn answered. The Greencloaks at Sunset Tower liked to announce their comings and goings with horns. "That probably means they're here," Rollan said. Essix hopped to his shoulder. Yesterday, Olvan had informed Rollan that two of the other three Fallen Beasts were on their way to Sunset Tower with their bonded partners. He explained that after they arrived, Rollan would learn more about what was needed from him. There was always one reason or another to delay a full explanation. Rollan wondered if the other kids had already taken the Greencloak vows.
"Yup" Conor said
Olvan said that the vows meant a lifetime commitment to defending Erdas and standing united with the other Greencloaks. In return, Rollan would receive help developing his relationship with Essix, he would be given duty and purpose, and he would never want for food, shelter, or fellowship. Rollan wasn't sure he bought it. The return of the Four Fallen was supposed to be a really big deal, but Olvan refused to say what they were actually meant to do. How long did Olvan expect him to wait? Now that Essix had freed Rollan from a life of poverty, he questioned whether he wanted to tie himself down. He had never enjoyed taking orders. People with authority tended to abuse it. With Essix on his shoulder, who knew what options awaited? It was possible that joining the Greencloaks would prove to be his best opportunity, especially if he had become a target of people like Zerif. Then again, Rollan hadn't had time to explore all of the alternatives. Instead of turning down Olvan, Rollan asked for time to think it over. That had been three days ago.
"Yeah I took me like months before I took them" Rollan said
As Rollan tromped through the tall grass toward the gate of Sunset Tower, a grim Greencloak astride a mighty horse rode into view. A girl walked beside the Greencloak on one side and a boy on the other. A panda ambled beside the girl, and a large wolf loped beside the boy. They were all headed for Rollan, so he picked up his pace. He knew the panda and wolf must be two of the other Fallen, Jhi and Briggan. The Greencloak dismounted when he drew near, and Rollan sized him up. He was the sort of stranger Rollan would have avoided on the streets of Concorba.
"You were scared of Tarik?" Conor said "I take that to offense!"
The boy had blond hair and wore a green cloak, meaning he had taken the vows.
"Hi," Conor said "I'm Conor" he held his hand out to Rollan
Although he was average height for his age, he seemed young. He had a friendly, open face — the sort of face that hadn't figured out what life was like yet. The girl was striking. She had sparkling eyes and a shy smile that stopped Rollan in his tracks.
Everyone except for Meilin and Rollan laughed. Meilin and Rollan blushed.
A faint response in her expression told Rollan that she appreciated his reaction, and he realized that her shy smile was practiced. Judging by her outfit and her features, she came from Zhong, which made sense, given her spirit animal. Rollan had never seen a real panda. Or a wolf. His only exposure to such creatures came from the Widow Renata, who used to visit the orphanage and read them picture books about the Great Beasts. I'm Tarik," the Greencloak said. "I take it you're Rollan?" I was trying to keep a low profile," Rollan said. "How could you tell? It was the falcon, wasn't it?" "Meilin, Conor, I would like you to meet Rollan," Tarik said. "He was born and raised here in Amaya. Just as you two summoned Jhi and Briggan, he called Essix."The wolf padded forward and the falcon fluttered down to stand before it. The panda moved in close as well, and Essix gave a soft screech. The three animals cautiously investigated each other. "Do they remember?" Meilin asked, speaking Common. She had a nice voice. It matched her appearance.
This time Rollan blushed and everyone else laughed.
"And your appearance matches your personality" Meilin said "Seriously,nobody was supposed to know that" Rollan said scratching his head" "I guess this book will reveal all our secrets and thoughts about each other" Abeke said "Great"
"Perhaps," Tarik said. "It's difficult to pinpoint how much of their former lives they recall. Much of it might be instinct at this stage." "What about the fourth Fallen Beast?" Rollan asked. "Uraza." Tarik scowled. "Somebody got to Uraza and her new partner before us, much as Zerif attempted with you. The girl is named Abeke. We don't know her present location, but we won't rest until we find her. Lenori believes that she and Uraza are still alive.
"Still alive?" Abeke said "I hope so"
The challenge will be finding them." "Is Lenori how you found us?" Conor asked. Tarik nodded. "Lenori is the most gifted visionary of all the Greencloaks. Thanks to her unique foresight, we suspected the Four Fallen were returning." Her powers can't be entirely unique," Rollan pointed out. "Not if somebody beat you to the girl in Nilo." "If Uraza is currently lost," Meilin said, "then the three of us must represent the Four Fallen. Aren't we supposed to learn what's going on, now that we're together?" "That information is Olvan's to share," Tarik told her. "You already know that we want you to join the Greencloaks and help us preserve Erdas." "From the Devourer?" Rollan asked, not hiding his skepticism. Tarik seemed momentarily startled by this question. "Who mentioned the Devourer?" "This guy I met," Rollan said. "He was riding a moose."
"Me" Olvan said
"We're still not positive who we're up against. If it isn't the Devourer himself, it's somebody very much like him.
"WE ARE UP AGAINST SHANE!" Conor yelled
It shouldn't be long before Olvan explains why we need your help. For the moment, you three should seize this chance to get better acquainted. You'll see a lot of each other in the coming days. I'll ride ahead to announce our arrival." "Get ready to be stared at," Rollan warned the others as Tarik rode away. "It's all people have done since I arrived. At first I worried I had food on my face."
"As you already read," Abeke said "I learned to just ignore it"
"People tend to stare at newcomers," Meilin said. "Especially important ones." "I guess our animals make us important," Conor said, sounding uncertain whether he believed it. The conversation died out. Conor looked uneasy. Rollan sized up the other two and their animals. Briggan was the most impressive beast. Rollan knew some people back in Concorba he would love to scare with a wolf like that. The panda just sat pawing at the grass. Conor seemed shy. Meilin acted uninterested. "Judging by your clothes, I take it you're rich," Rollan said to her. "Wealth is relative," she replied with a cold look. "The emperor has much more treasure than my father." Rollan chuckled. "If the Zhongese emperor is your example of someone richer than you, you have to be loaded." "My father is a general and there are also successful merchants in my bloodline." "Yep, rich," Rollan said. "What about you, Conor? Do you have a family or a bloodline?" Conor blushed a little, glancing at Meilin. "A family. We have bloodlines, I guess, but we don't use that word. We're shepherds. I got stuck as a servant for a time, but I always preferred the outdoors." "And I'm an orphan," Rollan said bluntly. "I'm only here because Essix was my ticket out of jail."
"Jail!" Conor recited
Jail!" Conor exclaimed. "What did you do?" Rollan checked to make sure they were both listening closely, then leaned in. "Actually, I was innocent — not that I had any proof. I was arrested for stealing medicine from an apothecary." "Were you sick?" Conor asked. "A friend had a bad fever. But I didn't swipe the medicine. Another friend did. I was around when it happened, so they assumed I was in on it." "Which is the lie?" Meilin asked. "That you were in jail, or that you were there for stealing medicine?" Rollan shrugged. "You got me. I'm actually Olvan's son. He's having me spy on you.
"Didn't fool me one bit." Meilin said
Meilin didn't challenge him further, but Rollan could tell she didn't trust him. Maybe she wasn't completely stupid.
"EXCUSE ME!" Meilin yelled "STUPID! GET OVER HERE!" She reached for his shirt collar, but missed by an inch as Rollan yelped, and quickly, got up and ran out of the room. She got up and chased him to the doorway, then sat down and motioned Lenori to resume reading.
It was a pretty far-fetched story. Plus she hadn't accepted a green cloak yet. Conor peered over his shoulder at Sunset Tower. "What do you think they want us to do?" "Maybe you should have asked before you put on the cloak," Rollan suggested. "I expect they'll want us as soldiers," Meilin said. "Leaders, probably. The war has already begun." "I bet they want us as mascots," Rollan said. "They'll probably add me to the Amayan flag." Conor laughed, blushing slightly. "Can you imagine? As if all the attention didn't make me uncomfortable enough." "This is a poor hour for humor," Meilin snapped, her eyes blazing. "Zhong is under heavy attack. The Greencloaks smuggled me away as my father fought to defend our city. I still haven't heard whether he lived or died! Whatever they have planned for us better be good." Rollan eyed her warily. "I'm not sure how helpful I'll be," Rollan said. "Do you two have any tips about the animals? I can hardly get Essix to do anything." "I've been trying with Briggan," Conor said, crouching to pet his wolf. "He can be stubborn. The more we've gotten to know each other, the better it's become. Tarik told me that eventually we can get powers from them." Rollan glanced at Meilin and her panda.
Rollan walked back into the room. He sat down between Conor and Olvan, far away from Meilin.
"What's your power going to be? Cuddling?" Meilin's face was pure ice.
"Rollan!" Meilin yelled. Rollan jumped up again and started toward the door. "No" Olvan said "No running out of the room and no hurting people unless Lenori or I say so. Understood"
They all nodded
"That rule is specifically for you two." he looked at Meilin and Rollan"
For a moment her lips trembled, but after that the anger only touched her eyes. She held out her arm and in a flash Jhi became a design on the back of her hand. She turned and stormed away. "See," Rollan called. "Like that! How did you figure that out?"
"Bile" Meilin said
"Too late," Conor said quietly. "I haven't known Meilin long, but I can tell she has a temper."
Meilin growled
"Can you do that too?" Rollan asked. "The tattoo thing?" "Not yet," Conor said. Rollan stroked Essix. "At least we're not the only slow learners."
"Lenori stopped reading. "Weird sign again"
Sunset Tower was dark and still as Rollan crept out of his room. He paused, listening, ready with answers if he was challenged by a watchman: He couldn't sleep; he needed a snack. But no challenge came. Peering back into his room, Rollan saw Essix roosting near the window, head tucked in sleep. He eased the door closed. The open window would allow the falcon to catch up with him. The bird might not approve of his decision, which was why he hadn't tried to explain, but she would follow. They were linked now. Along the hallway, small oil lamps trimmed to a slow burn provided dim light. Moving down the corridor, Rollan felt the alert guilt of a trespasser. The late hour meant he might not encounter anyone, but if he did, he knew it would look extra suspicious.
"You were running away?" Abeke said "Why?" "Just keep reading" Rollan said
The farther he deviated from the path to the kitchen, the more conspicuous he felt. How could he answer why he was heading for the castle gate fully dressed with a satchel? Why did he need a snack when his satchel was crammed with stolen food? His responses sounded so unlikely: He couldn't relax; he felt confined; he needed some fresh air. Anyone with half a brain would guess the truth. He was running away. The thought produced a stab of remorse, which he tried to shrug off. Had he ever asked to come here? Olvan had promised to protect him from Zerif, but who would protect him from Olvan?
"Excuse me?" Olvan boomed "Protection from me?" "Calm down Olvan" Lenori said "These thoughts weren't supposed to be shared."
Rollan knew that, in theory, he was a guest of the Greencloaks, but he was starting to feel more like a prisoner. Sure, it was mostly smiles and politeness now. But the Greencloaks' expectations were his chains. How long would the friendliness last if he quit following orders? How long would it last if they caught him tonight? He and the others had returned to the fortress earlier to — once again — the weight of the promised stares. The Greencloaks helped Conor and Meilin get settled, but no additional information was forthcoming. Rollan had asked more questions, but — once again — they were deflected. That evening, Rollan decided he had waited for specifics long enough. The more time he stayed, the clearer it became that the Greencloaks would settle for nothing less than a lifelong commitment, so they could benefit from his falcon. With Conor and Meilin here, the pressure on him would only increase. Each day he stayed implied that he meant to commit. If he wanted to get away, the time to act was now. Besides the big gate, Rollan had seen three minor gates in the outer wall. All were heavily reinforced and disguised from the outside. As far as he could tell, they only opened from within. Over the past week he had tried all of them. He knew which one he would use tonight.
"Let me guess," Meilin said "You failed because you were there the next day."
Rollan heard the tones of a distant conversation up ahead and froze. He couldn't distinguish words, but the blurry murmuring had no urgency to it. Apparently, guards were covering the main door to the courtyard, chatting to pass the time. That was no obstacle. Too many doors led from the main building out to the courtyard for them all to be guarded. There was no war here in Amaya, and people had to sleep. Stepping lightly but swiftly, Rollan advanced along a narrow corridor toward another door that would lead outside. From up ahead a voice floated his way. "Come on, Briggan! You don't want food; you don't want to go outside — can't this wait until morning?" It was Conor! What was he doing up? Rollan slipped down a side corridor, unsure where it led. He went around a corner and paused to listen. He could barely hear the wolf, but Conor was making no effort to walk quietly. They were coming his way! Moving faster, Rollan took a couple other turns before the hall ended at a locked door. Breathing softly, he listened as Conor and the wolf got nearer and nearer. Surely they would turn a different direction! Why would they come down a dead end? Unless the wolf was tracking him.
Conor petted Briggan. "Good boy"
"Let me guess" Abeke said "You got caught by Conor, so you quit because you looked suspicious."
Rollan folded his arms and leaned against the wall, hoping he could sell the idea that he was just hanging around the castle. At this hour, it didn't seem very believable, but Conor didn't give the impression that he was a genius.
"Hey!" Conor said "Really! How many feelings are you going to hurt?" "Uh…yeah" Rollan said scratching his head "Maybe we should just skip this chapter because I might have hurt a couple more people's feelings." "No" Olvan said "We continue"
Conor came into view with Briggan. The wolf stopped, staring at Rollan. Looking rumpled and tired, Conor squinted. "Rollan? What are you doing here?" "Couldn't sleep," Rollan said. "I was exploring. Why are you up so late?" Conor yawned and stretched. "I was trying to sleep, but Briggan kept pawing the door." Rollan looked at the wolf. It sat back, mouth open, tongue dangling. Conor wrinkled his nose. "Why hang out here? Are you up to something?" "Fine," Rollan said, as if about to reluctantly admit the truth. "Essix went out flying but hasn't returned. I want to make sure she's all right." "So you came here. To a dead end," Conor Clarified. "I lost my way." "So you stood against a door." Rollan thought fast. Maybe Conor wasn't so dim, after all. "I heard you coming and got embarrassed. I didn't want to seem lost. I really am concerned about Essix." Conor frowned. "If you're worried, we should tell Olvan. I'm sure he has lots of people who can help us find Essix." Rollan hesitated. It had been a feeble excuse, but better than pretending he thought the kitchen was on this side of the castle. "You're right. Why don't you and Briggan go tell Olvan? I want to get started on my own just in case." Conor glanced at the satchel. "What's in the bag?" "Falcon food. You know... as bait." Conor gave him a look. "Big bag for falcon food." Rollan sighed and gave up. "Look, don't get Olvan. Essix is fine. I'm just . . . thinking about a change of scenery." "You're running away?" Conor blurted incredulously.
"I ain't smart eh?" Conor said
Briggan cocked his head. "I'm escaping," Rollan clarified. "You're not a prisoner," Conor said. "I'm not so sure!" Rollan replied. "You think they'd let me go? Just wander off with Essix?" Conor paused. "Yeah, if you insisted." "How would you know? You signed up as soon as they dangled a cloak in front of you." Conor shifted. "I signed up after I learned that I had summoned Briggan," he replied defensively. "I never asked for my own Great Beast, but it happened, and now the Greencloaks need my help to protect the world." "From what?" Rollan scoffed. "They still haven't explained! Not really. We hear there's a war in Zhong. They whisper about the Devourer. People I've never met look at me hopefully, and I have no idea what they expect. Even if my falcon really is the same Essix from the old stories, what are we supposed to do about a war? In the stories Essix was huge and could talk. This Essix hardly seems to like me!" "I wonder why," Conor said. Briggan gave his head a quick shake. Was the wolf laughing at them?
"Yes," Conor said "Yes, he was
"Watch it, sheep boy." Rollan bristled. "You might like being herded, but that isn't my style." "Yeah, well, at least I don't run away the second I get scared," Conor replied with sputtering anger. "You think this isn't hard for me? You think I don't have doubts too? You think I want to be stuck in some castle across the sea from my home? Go ahead and call me sheep boy any time you want. Herding sheep takes a lot more courage and know-how than sneaking away in the night!" Rollan found himself temporarily at a loss for words. If Conor was working with the Greencloaks in spite of his own doubts, because he thought I was the right thing to do, well, there wasn't much fault to find in that. Not that he had to admit it. "I just need some space," Rollan said softly, choosing to fight honesty with honesty. "How am I supposed to think this through while surrounded by Greencloaks?
"You really hate us that much?" Conor said
Every meal I eat, every hand I shake, feels like pressure to join them. How am I supposed to make my own choice? The Greencloaks probably aren't bad folks. But I'm not sure their interest in me goes one inch beyond the falcon. That means they're using me and that makes me cautious." "I hear you," Conor said. "Nobody paid much mind to me either, until Briggan came along. Then I was suddenly the center of attention." "Doesn't that make you question their motives? Conor gave a little nod and Briggan stared expectantly at him. "Maybe. But I'm convinced that they're trying to defend Erdas. They need Briggan, so they need me too. Besides, Briggan seems to trust them." The wolf wagged his tail and began to pace. Rollan glanced at the corridor behind Conor. "Whatever I choose,
"Did you feel the sting of failure?" Meilin said
I guess I blew my escape tonight. You going to turn me in?" "You haven't done anything," Conor replied, meeting Rollan's eyes steadily. Rollan lowered his head and rubbed his eyebrows with his knuckles. "I guess I could wait around to hear the specifics." "You could probably make a better choice that way," Conor pointed out. "Meanwhile, they'll have the chance to keep reeling me in," Rollan said. "I won't let them force me into this. I don't care if it gets awkward. I don't even care if they lock me up. Actually, if they lock me up, l know I made the right call." Conor extended his arms and opened his mouth in a jaw-cracking yawn. "I'm glad you might stick around for now. I'd hate to be left alone with Meilin."
Meilin sucked in her breath
Rollan smirked. "Does she scare you?" Conor shrugged. "I've got two brothers. I don't know the first thing about girls." "I hear they like flowers."
"Flowers?" Meilin said "That's the best you can do?"
"If you say so." Conor turned and patted the side of his leg. "Come on, Briggan, let's get back to bed. Good night, Rollan." "Night." He watched until Conor walked out of sight. Then Rollan reconsidered his options. He supposed he could still make his escape. But the mood had left him.
"I'm glad you didn't try to escape after I left" Conor said
Rollan started back toward his room. His secret departure may have been compromised, but all was not lost. He could always steal away some other night.
"But you didn't" Conor said
"Who's next" Lenori said
"I'll go" Abeke said