"You know, you almost had me believing you were a half-blooded Parshan, until you pulled that stunt," Nikal panted.
He lifted his hand, insisting Fulbright help him to his feet. Fulbright paused before he lowered the bamboo and extended his hand to pull Nikal up. Nikal sprang to his feet, smoothing the creases in his clothes. "The Orendans are the only wood benders in Peor, but you are clearly not one of them. Tell me, how did the prince of Ackerely pick up the Parshan fighting technique so quickly?"
Fulbright's eyes widened. He turned to Rahnka looking for an explanation but she could not offer him one. "What makes you think that I am--"
Nikal rolled his eyes. "A ship of traders landed here yesterday, passing along the news that the king's son had gone missing somewhere out at sea. I assumed nothing until now."
Fulbright felt his face grow warm, regretting his decision to leave the ship. He wiped the sweat from his face, a defeated sigh escaping from his short breaths. Nikal seemed to read his thoughts.
"I am not going to turn you in. That would jeopardize Rahnka and her father."
"You promise you won't say anything, Nikal?" Rahnka pleaded.
Nikal extended his hand out to Fulbright. "I will shake on it. Just try to be a little more careful. We're not stupid out here."
A few customers straggled into the showroom with curiosity. Fulbright sternly grabbed Nikal's forearm and Nikal did the same as a sign of their covenant. Nikal took the katars from Rahnka and placed them in suede sheaths and then returned them to her. He walked over to a wall of racked staffs and gave Fulbright a beautifully carved staff. Fulbright bowed gratefully.
"The strongest wood comes from Orenda, not easily split by a blade; and if you unscrew the middle, the staff becomes two."
"I could have sworn you hated me ten minutes ago. Why are you giving this to me?"
"For starters you beat me. How do you think Rahnka got those katars?" Nikal chuckled. Then he leaned in and whispered to Fulbright, "You may have beaten me here, but I can assure you that a cowardly prince is no competition for me."
Nikal pulled away and casually turned his attention away from Fulbright's ear. Fulbright followed his gaze and finally understood what the whole demonstration had been about. Rahnka. It had not dawned on Fulbright that there were already suitors waiting for her to even consider them. He chuckled at the thought of Nikal perceiving him to be a threat. The two stared at Rahnka and waved awkwardly. With exasperation, Rahnka rolled her eyes as she came toward them.
"I have no idea what you two are plotting," scolded Rahnka. "But--"
"Just a rematch," Nikal said coolly. "In Ackerley."
"Come on Fai-sahl," Rahnka grunted as she tugged on Fulbright's arm. "I am sure you have worked up quite an appetite after this escapade."
Fulbright looked down at his stomach and laughed. "I never need an excuse to be hungry."
"I know of a place I used to go to after school that makes good curried soups."
"I am game for anything. As long as it doesn't have lymokai in it."
Fulbright and Rahnka parted from the shop, leaving Nikal to tend to his customers. Rahnka led Fulbright through the markets, down a tight alley, and into a slightly more spacious section of the city. On the other end of the alley, sunlight poured onto a large, dusty courtyard with a medium-sized well in the center of it. Several buildings speckled with open windows and balconies hugged the perimeter of the courtyard. Only three buildings faced the courtyard with entrances and signs above them that Fulbright could not read.
"What do those signs say?" Fulbright asked, pointing to the buildings.
Rahnka pointed to the left of them. "That is council hall. Because we do not have a king, each district has a council leader and each province has a council hall. To the right of us is Jarra's Midway School of Magic."
"Why is it called a midway school?" Fulbright asked as they continued to walk toward the center of the courtyard.
"Each province in Peor has a primary school that teaches its strongest art," Rahnka explained. "From those schools, the top one hundred students–twenty from each school–are selected each year to attend the Midway School here in Jarra for two years."
"And where did you rank among the top twenty of your school?" Fulbright asked.
"I was among the top three," Rahnka stated without blinking.
In jest, Fulbright asked, "What were you, third?"
With pursed lips, Rahnka replied, "I was trying to be modesty, Fai-sahl. Shall I continue?"
Fulbright cleared his throat in embarrassment. "Continue."
"Anyway, this is where Nikal and I met. I learned a lot from him," Rahnka continued, her voice a bit distant.
"Why didn't he get picked to go to Ackerley as well?"
"Because he gave up his spot for me," she replied with sadness.
"But why?" asked Fulbright.
"After a two year instatement, only one is selected to continue studying in Ackerley," Rahnka explained. "It came down to either me or Nikal, which meant we had to duel for the spot. He left the school before our match. He would have beaten me, that much I know. But he knew there was nothing for me in Parsha."
"Seems like such a sad ending for the other ninety,-nine" Fulbright replied. "In Ackerley all are allowed the opportunity to get the highest level of education possible."
"Well of course," retorted Rahnka. "You are within riding distance of the school. We have to cross a desert, pay for lodgings in Ackerley, and learn how to live without family or friends. Every province helps pay for us to go to Ackerley, in the hopes that when we return we will help teach the next generation all that we have learned."
"I guess that makes sense," Fulbright conceded, feeling guilty that he had taken school for granted.
Rahnka stopped in front of a two story building mostly held up by columns. The top floor was littered with adults, while the bottom was filled with noisy school-aged children loitering near the entrance and terrace. "This is the cafeteria. Normally, this wouldn't be as crowded, but school is out," she explained.
Fulbright insisted on finding a table on the second floor away from all of the chatter. The cafeteria entrance swelled with incoming traffic. As they made their way toward the stairwell, Fulbright and Rahnka found themselves crammed shoulder to shoulder with hungry customers. They pushed ahead like salmon flowing upstream, when Fulbright heard someone calling Rahnka's name from behind them.
"Rahnka? Is that you?" came an excited shrill from a nicely dressed nymph who shamelessly shoved her way through the line.
Rahnka turned to see who it was and gasped, "Kiva?"
It is you! Dungarati, little one," Kiva replied as she slipped one arm around Rahnka's shoulder. "Although I can barely call you little anymore!"
Rahnka brought her hands together and bowed her head respectfully to Kiva. "Dungarati, Kiva-jesmerash. I see you have risen from being the most sought after girl in Parsha to an official of Jarra."
"Oh I am no official. I have the Eye of Knowing. Apparently, I slipped through the cracks at school, and it wasn't until your sister and I visited Peor last harvest that I was informed that I had the Eye. Can you imagine that? Me, a priestess?" Kiva guffawed with delight twinkling in her blue eyes.
The two giggled and continued their reunion as they let the force of the line separate them from Fulbright. In an instant, Rahnka had forgotten that Fulbright was in their company, as the two made their way to a table made for two and sat down. When Fulbright had managed to push his way through the crowd, he found a table adjacent to them and seated himself. There was fresh, hot flatbread placed in the center of the table, which occupied Fulbright's attention while Kiva and Rahnka held a conversation in their native Parshan tongue.
A server came out and handed Fulbright a menu; to his dismay, it was all in Jarran. Unable to read the menu, Fulbright mindlessly nibbled on his bread while he observed the newest character on his journey. Kiva had a taller and more slender frame than Rahnka. Her skin was a few shades darker than Fulbright, almost bronzed. Her hair, however, was pure white and her eyes an arctic blue, bluer than even the Alodians. Alodian. Fulbright felt a sharp pinch in his chest as his thoughts of retreating from a threat billowed in his mind. She could expose his identity if she was even half Alodian.
The looming threat partially subsided as Fulbright gnawed the last piece of bread with ferocity. The wooden bowl that had housed the buttery herb flatbread was empty. His grumbling stomach informed him that it was time to break into the conversation, despite the risk of being recognized. With her back facing him, Fulbright leaned in behind Rahnka, and subtly cleared his throat.
"Rahnka," Kiva lowered her voice. "I do believe that dreadful boy is trying to get your attention."
"What dreadful boy, Kiva?" Rahnka asked, looking across the room in the opposite direction of Fulbright's table.
"The boy who followed us into the restaurant and who is now sitting behind you," Kiva replied, raising an eyebrow as she smiled. "On further inspection, he is quite easy on the eyes. He looks like he might have some Parshan in him, but these days, everyone is a mingler."
"You're a mingler too, Kiva," Rahnka laughed.
"I didn't say it was a bad thing," Kiva replied, casting Fulbright a flirtatious wave. "Definitely not a bad thing at all."
Rahnka nervously turned her head to see Fulbright staring at her with a wide grin and waving back.
"Oh! Fai-sahl," Rahnka exclaimed. "I am so sorry--come, pull up a chair. You must be famished."
"You know him? Shame on you, Rahnka," Kiva teased.
Fulbright gladly pulled up a chair and gave a polite bow before sitting down. Before Kiva could resume her incessant chatter, Rahnka summoned a server and ordered food for everyone. The server poured them a lemon ginger tonic. Fulbright realized his thirst and guzzled his first glass down quickly, regretting his haste almost immediately. The heat from the ginger caught him off guard, but he did his best to refrain from choking on it. Rahnka hid her amusement as the server refilled Fulbright's cup. Once the server was out of sight, Kiva wasted no time in resuming the conversation, turning all of her attention to Fulbright.
"So, Fai-sahl is it?"
Fulbright nodded nervously, grabbing the untouched bread that was sitting on their table.
"Funny, I do not see you as a Fai-sahl. Where are you from?"
Fulbright stuffed his face full of bread as he glanced at Rahnka for backup.
"Careful Kiva, you're salivating," Rahka coolly replied.
"Well, I am only a little Parshan. I do not get the same visual cues as you do," Kiva replied smartly, grazing a finger over Rahnka's golden markings. "I have to be invasive. Now where was I?"
"Oh no, I know how long your conversations can go, Kiva, and Fai-sahl and I have to be back before the sun is high, so small talk today."
Kiva threw up her hands in surrender. "Very well, oli-na. So where are you headed after this?"
Rahnka took a sip of tonic from her cup. "Xia. Shiou promised us a brilliant feast with his family when we arrive."
Already bored by the topic, Kiva volleyed another question as she tore off a piece of flatbread from Fulbright's hand. "Will you be stopping through Peor before returning to Parsha for the summer?"
Rahnka shrugged. "Maybe during harvest season before I return to Ackerely. Papa wants to get back in time to prepare for the Dragon Festival. Thanks to the Oknaan, we were able to collect some choice lymokai--"
Kiva gagged. "Please, Rahnka, I am eating."
Irritated, Rahnka sighed. "Are you coming this year?"
Kiva shook her head. "This summer I will be heading to Orenda for a special ceremony for anyone who received the Eye of Knowing."
Their food arrived quickly, which Fulbright was grateful for. The soup was heartily mixed with wild mushrooms, lemongrass, carrots, and some sort of boiled game, all swimming in rich coconut milk and lime juice. Fulbright was not a picky eater, and immediately began to inhale the soup. He only knew a little Peorian and talking would raise suspicions. Rahnka ate hers more slowly as she continued her conversation mostly in Parshan.
As the air grew warmer, Rahnka decided that it was best that they start their trek back to the port. Fulbright paid for all of their meals, forgetting that his money was Ackerleyan. Rahnka immediately swiped it off the table and insisted that she pay. When they were outside of the restaurant and in the courtyard once again, Kiva suggested that they take an ihk-sha ride back to the ports, as this was a faster mode of transportation.
Kiva threw her hand in the air and signaled for a ride. A four-legged beast-like bird called an ihkra squawked as the driver seated on it tugged on its reins to slow it down in front of them. Behind the ihkra was a three-wheeled carriage for passengers. The driver extended his palm toward them, eager for payment. As Fulbright reached into his pocket for fare, Kiva quickly placed three silver coins in the driver's hand.
"I could have paid him," Fulbright retorted as he let his coins sink back into his pocket.
"I know," Kiva responded, her eyes narrowing on Fulbright with suspicion. "You made that very apparent at lunch today with your foreign curr-."
Fulbright inhaled deeply, realizing his earlier mistake. Rahnka broke the awkwardness with a hasty bow. "Well, it was good getting to catch up with you Kiva. Fai-sahl and I should be getting back to the ports."
Fulbright exhaled. "It was nice meeting you, Kiva," he replied as he extended his hand out to Kiva.
Kiva's scowl softened. She glanced down at his hand, then gave a curt smile. "You as well," she replied as she slid her hand into his and squeezed it.
Fulbright suddenly felt a tingling sensation travel from his palm to his arm to his shoulder. Kiva's eyes began to glow white as her grip grew tighter. Startled, Rahnka tried to pull their hands apart, but it was no use. Fulbright's eyes rolled to the back of his head and his head jerked back as he felt himself sinking slowly to the ground before everything went dark.