Trial by Flame

Chapter 55

 Trelisti only knew the words because he'd spoken them hours before, when he gave Rowan and Lias the task. He still had to fake confusion to Kharo and Ti'mano, but considering they were much more concerned about the spontaneously-appearing flame claiming to be a god, he wasn't worried.

It helped that Lias was putting on an impressive performance. Though he didn't understand the rest of the speech, Trelisti felt the power of it, reverberating through the canyon while the flame towered above. Between the orange walls and the smoke obscuring the little sliver of sky, it truly did feel like a fire swallowing them whole, the wrath of a hungry deity demanding sacrifice. In this case, the sacrifice was only a feather, to be delivered to the rim of the cliff by none other than Tellik. It was a good plan in theory.

It all just depended on Kharo's reaction.

Trelisti watched him anticipatorily, but his face was static. Even as their false Fehr exploded into smoke, his last decree hanging plainly in the air, Kharo didn't flinch. He just uttered a few words to Ti'mano before brushing his hands together, then heading up the hill.

"Where's he going?" Trelisti said a little too flatly, before feigning a shred of fear. "What's happening?"

"He's been summoned. That flame was a divine message," said Ti'mano. Trelisti wasn't sure if it was just him, but both of the two were near-impossible to read, bare of any cracks in their demeanor. "I've heard of this happening to past chiefs, but not in at least the last two centuries. And to call for Tellik, too...I worry what this means."

His face might not have said anything, but at least his voice did. Trelisti chose to believe the words weren't a lie as he continued the act.

"What does that mean for Tellik?" Trelisti asked. It was almost refreshing to pretend he was so animated.

"A blessing or a curse." The seriousness he responded with gave Trelisti a tinge of guilt, the kind he probably would have chuckled at if he wasn't busy wearing his mask. "If Fehr's called him to the rimside, and his father to summon a fa'ih, I fear it could be either."

With that, he saw his chance, clenching a fist.

"Then I can't let him face it alone," said Trelisti, leaving before Ti'mano could stop him. Fun as it was, he didn't want to keep up the act for long.

He found Tellik and Avalon coming up the canyon's base, a smile on each of their faces. Trelisti couldn't help but share one.

"The echoes were a nice touch," he congratulated, extending a hand to help them onto the next ledge.

"I'm just glad we weren't late," Avalon replied, taking it after Tellik was up. "How did it go?"

"Well enough. They weren't a huge fan of this, though," Trelisti said, slipping the pulse chains out of his pocket. He'd have been a fool not to grab them on the way out.

In an instant, she pulled her hand away, putting distance in between them with a sharp, terrified breath. She nearly fell off the flat before catching herself, staring with panicked, betrayed eyes. "You...you kept that?"

Trelisti stared for a moment, bewildered, before his own idiocy crashed down on him.

Gods, he was an asshole.

"Sorry. I didn't think about that," he stammered, shoving them back. Tellik raised a concerned brow before Avalon replied, clutching her chest.

"No—you wouldn't. I know you wouldn't." Despite her words, she lingered back, pulling her veil further over her face. "Sorry, I-I shouldn't have reacted like that."

"You don't have to explain yourself." He pulled his hand out of his pocket, showing his empty palms. "I promise, I'd never use them on you. The only reason I kept them was for the asazai, since I had warning they might come after me."

She nodded in understanding, but it was still easy to see her discomfort, and rightfully so. Had it been any other situation, he might've thrown them off the cliff then and there. But they both knew he couldn't. Her eyes said they'd talk about it later.

"Did my father react at all?" Tellik asked, getting back on topic the moment it wasn't dangerous. Trelisti sent him a silent thank-you.

"His face was stone. But he headed up the hill," he replied. "I'm not sure he gathered the part where you were supposed to deliver it."

"No, this is good. It means he's summoning it away from the tribe," Tellik answered assuringly. His face was in a rare stroke of contemplation, like he was calculating. "How'd Ti'mano react?"

"He seemed to believe it. I think he was mostly worried for you, though."

"He's too kind for his own good," Tellik sighed, shaking his head. "We should hurry. I'm sure my father's already gotten started."