The Line Between

20: Strings and Circles

Emilu only looked back at him blankly. What was the man trying to say? Was he seriously expecting her to believe that an object had some kind of free will? And besides, so what if it did? Even if it could think for itself, what could a sword possibly know about anything? Maybe how best to cut down an enemy, she supposed. But so what?

Shayle sighed the heavy sigh of the man who had told a joke no one understood and leaned forward on the table. "Honestly, it's not that hard to understand. It means," he said slowly, enunciating each word as though he were speaking to a child with only a weak grasp of language, "that that sword over there has chosen the next king—although I'll admit its choice is a little strange."

Emilu started to laugh.

X

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Hanari asked, tugging on Toshin's sleeve. "We didn't tell anyone where we were going. What if they need us and we aren't there?"

"Calm down already," Toshin said impatiently. "It's not like we're running away from work or anything. Do you really want to go back and sit in that suite all day? The weather's wonderful, and everybody else is having fun! I'm sure no one will begrudge us a few hours to ourselves."

"Oh all right," Hanari sighed, hurrying to catch up. "But if Master Kavin is upset we left—"

"I'll say it was all my fault. Deal? Now hurry up. I heard someone say they're holding a footrace from the main gates to the market square. I don't want to miss it."

Behind him, Hanari found herself smiling despite the worry gnawing at her stomach. She hadn't seen Toshin like this in ages. He was radiating excitement like the sun did light. His eyes danced from side to side as he tried to see everything at once. And through it all, his mouth never stopped moving, telling her about all the things he'd heard were happening or going to happen and how much he wanted to see them. Participate too, if he could.

They stopped at a dessert cart and bought so many sesame rice balls that Hanari was tempted to levitate the container to spare their arms. In the end, she opted to ask for a second container and divided the treats so that they could each haul half of it. How Toshin thought they could eat that much, she couldn't imagine. Just thinking about it made her feel sick.

"But they're so good," Toshin explained through a sticky mouthful. "Only eating a few just isn't enjoyable."

"I get tired of the taste when I eat too many."

"Oh." He paused, swallowing yet another sweet. "That's unfortunate." And he meant it.

The route for the race was far too long for anyone on the ground to see all of it. A handful of men and women on windrunners had been posted in the sky to keep an eye on the runners and make sure no one took a shortcut, but the rest of the audience jostled for positions along the road.

Toshin wanted to get a spot at the finish line, but the area was packed. Not even a mouse would have found any room there. They ended up squeezed in among a group of old ladies farther up the street who smiled and offered them milk candy. It wasn't ideal, but, since they were on an elevated porch, they could at least see over the heads of those in front of them, and that was better than Hanari had expected.

Leaning on the wooden railing, Hanari propped her chin on her palm and stared at the empty 'track'. Beside her, Toshin was hanging so far out over the rails that his feet had left the ground. She expected him to topple into the crowd below. Instead, he balanced there like a seesaw. A glance around for his sesame sweets revealed only an empty container on the ground next to where his feet should be. Not sure whether she should marvel at his astonishing appetite for sweets or cringe at the mere thought of all that sugar, she settled for stacking her own box on his. Perhaps she could find a trash bin before the racers got close enough to be seen.

A cheer went up in the distance. She straightened, both boxes in hand, ready to grab the back of Toshin's shirt and haul him back to safety if he showed any signs of losing his balance. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a hand fell on her own shoulder.

Clutching the boxes to her chest, she spun around, pulling her shoulder from the stranger's grasp and taking a half-step back. She wasn't sure what she expected to see, but it certainly wasn't a Reilin mage dressed in combat clothes. She hadn't even known the ReilinTemple in Hikoma had a combat squad.

"I'm sorry," the stranger apologized, bowing. "I did not mean to startle you."

Hanari pulled an uneasy smile onto her face. The man looked and sounded nice enough, but there was something about him that made her feel uncomfortable. "That's all right. Can I help you?"

A relieved smile flashed across his features, and he nodded. "Actually, that was what I wanted to ask. I've been having some problems securing one of the buildings damaged by the vesori, but all the mages I've asked have been too busy to help me. I noticed you don't seem occupied. So...well, I'd really appreciate it if you could lend me a hand...?"

Hanari considered the request for a moment then nodded. "All right, just give me a moment please." Turning, she tapped Toshin on the shoulder. His feet hit the patio with a thud as his head snapped around to face her.

"What is it?"

"I'm going to help him," she gestured at the Reilin mage, "secure one of the damaged buildings. I'll be back."

"But the race's already started! You're going to miss the whole thing!"

"This is more important. People can get hurt if we don't stabilize the damaged buildings. You know they can collapse at any time otherwise, and—"

"All right, I get it," Toshin cut in, raising his hands as though to shield himself from her ire. Heaving an exaggerated sigh, he cast a mournful glance towards the street then grinned. "So, are we going or what?"

He was rewarded with a blank look. "We? But I thought you wanted to watch the race?"

"Well, I can't well stay here and enjoy myself while you're off working, can I? Besides," he added with a shrug. "I've never seen you do this kind of thing before. Unless you don't want me to come?"

"I don't mind. Is it all right if he comes?" she asked, turning to the combat mage. The man's brows drew together for a moment, but he only raised one shoulder in a half shrug.

The two followed him through the audience they had only just fought their way past. The kites gliding through the sky in the distance caught her eye. What would it be like to fly? Not by riding a windrunner or magic but to actually fly with the strength of one's own body?

Their surroundings morphed from festively dressed streets to shadow-laced shells of the long abandoned. The sight made her stomach clench. What it must have been like to be caught here during the attack... Just thinking about it sent a chill down her spine.

"So, um, which building is it?" she asked, turning to the Reilin mage.

He was no longer standing behind her.

Puzzled, she looked at the nearest building. Had he already gone inside? She opened her mouth to call out but remembered that she had forgotten to ask the man his name.

"Hey!" Toshin said suddently from somewhere off to her right. "What—" He was cut off by a sharp cry.

Hanari whirled around and froze.

Toshin flew through the air, propelled by an invisible force. His body cut a limp arc across the street. Hanari watched in horror as his head hit the side of the building opposite. She thought she could hear a dull crack.

Then his body crumpled to the ground to lie in a terrifyingly motionless heap. A dark smear of—of something stained the wall above him.

There was a flicker of motion in the corner of her eye. She pivoted, conjuring images of fire and the sensation of heat in her mind. But she caught only a fleeting glimpse of black cloth before the world vanished.