Knight of Wands (A Steampunk Fantasy Adventure Novel) (Devices of War Book 2) (13 page)

We were moving.

The scene outside the skin changed from the blurred view of the cavern to water, to rock. I gripped my hands tight behind my back as I watched metre after metre of rock wall pass by. How long was it going to take to get into open water, or better yet, open air?

I had thought we’d have been dumped on our heads, but the only indication that we’d changed direction of any sort was a slight tug of the gut. Riding in a
lethara
was almost as smooth as traveling in Sky City, though a lot quieter.

I had no idea where we were until the platforms lowered and the rest of command central was unfolded and brought back, the technicians replacing the planks to make it all one level again. Everyone else resumed their places at their assigned consoles.

Zara was plastered to the communications module, her dark eyes wide, her knuckles white.

I walked to the edge of the floor, and stared through the thin film wall. Sunlight stabbed through the water. We swam over a coral reef filled with many bright colors and different types of fish.

Where was Keeley? Why wasn’t she watching this?

I turned.

She had her hand on one of the trunks, talking to one of the technicians. She’d really taken to the roll of healer, which was how she used her Mark. Had that happened during the few weeks I’d been gone? Or had this happened in the time we’d spent running together? If it were the latter, how had I never realized it before?

I didn’t have much more time for contemplation. Ino City’s
lethara
loomed ahead. He made Asim City look like a small, scuttling cloud compared to a bulking, raging storm. Where my
lethara
had a couple dozen tendrils, he had a couple hundred.

The city housed inside his trunks was immense and bright. This
lethara
had lived several centurns. He housed tens of thousands of people. Asim City housed maybe a hundred. Ino City was bigger in diameter than the island of Peacock Rock was wide.

The waters around Ino City glowed in shifting colors. Soon, we were under Ino’s medusa, no longer able to see the shoots of sunlight filtering through the water.

The thin film that had held back the ocean’s water slowly rose. The air lightened minutely. Enough for an airman to notice, anyway. Zara’s shoulders relaxed as she glanced over at me. We were breathing Ino’s air now.

Whoever was directing Asim City—I needed to find out how that worked—pointed us to an empty dock. We moored, his tendrils drifting in the water directly below, some of which were tangled with Ino’s. My
lethara
was still young and needed to connect with the older ones. If he didn’t, he could die. There was no way I wanted that.

I led the way to the elevator and down to the docks, the smell of the city assaulting my nose.

It was noisy. We were far from the only people arriving at Ino City, which was normal. It was a thriving hub of information and resources. I’d only ever seen one other
letharan
city close to this size; Shankara City. I hadn’t seen it for long, as it had helped to support Sky City as it fell to the ocean.

My thoughts were on what Mother would want to know, what she would already be planning. The rest of my group dispersed almost immediately upon arrival at the docks. Everyone had something they needed to do and no one needed to be with me to meet my mother.

Standing on the docks, I could barely see the outlines of the medusa. The city stacked above me, blocking the view. On the far side and on the top most reaches sat the Family quarters. They looked like a majestic building rising out of the clouds, almost.

That’s where I needed to go. I headed up the dock and then followed the series of rope and plank bridges leading up. I could have taken the elevator. There were several along the way, but I wanted to see her city in motion. I’d never had the opportunity before.

Each level had a different purpose—or at least the portions I walked. I didn’t think a single person could walk the entire city in one hour and see much of anything. From what I saw, there were three levels dedicated to food. The houses were made of tent flaps that hung from the platform above. A few were made out of dried and flattened sea flax, but those were mostly in the very center of the city. Anything along the outer edges had to remain mobile.

The clothing market was probably the noisiest. People from all over the world had set up shop. I saw every color of hair, dress, eyes. I heard dialects from all over my travels. I’d always known Ino City was a hub, but I guess I’d never quite understood what that meant. In the El’Asim Fleet, we didn’t have shops. We weren’t a city, really. The only people who flew with us were our own.

As I got closer to the Family quarters, the space between buildings widened, the noise dampened, and the battle of smells waned.

Mother’s command central was massive and filled with many pieces of equipment, several of which were new and nothing like what I had in mine. The writing on the screens were in Sakin, each word a symbol. Mother was in deep conversation with a group of people around a large table that would have taken up my entire command center.

She looked up, nodded, and proceeded to ignore me as she pointed with her short arms to spots on the map.

I took that moment to study her. She was a tall woman for the Sakin people, but short by Adalic standards. Her round face was punctuated by sharp cheekbones, a pointed chin and almond-shaped eyes. She was dressed in turquoise and sapphire robes, her black hair pulled back in a high network of knots, shells pinned throughout her hair.

The silver
letharan
jewel which denoted her rank as high elder jingled in her hair, the many wire tendrils tangling with one another.

She was a true lady of the Sakin people.

She brought the discussion to a close and rose. “Gentlemen, ladies,” she said in Sakin, finishing in Adalic, “the El’Asim has arrived.”

The El’Asim. That had been my father. Now it was me.

It didn’t feel real.

Everyone straightened, turned to me, put fist to palm and bowed.

I didn’t know what to do. I’d been at my father’s side when others had shown that honor to him, but had never been in this position before. I just stood there, and nodded once to my mother.

She came to me and took my hands in hers. “How are you?” she asked in Adalic.

I didn’t know why she was speaking my language in her city. She and her citizens had done the same thing when we’d attempted to take down Sky City.

“I am fine,
okaasan
,” I answered in Sakin, giving her hands a gentle squeeze.

She sighed and took a step back. “You have proven your worth as a worthy leader in the Families. You are the El’Asim now.”

“That doesn’t mean we cannot speak your language in your city. It is only right.”

She shook her head. “No. When you are in my city, we shall speak your language as befitting the honor of the Families.”

I hadn’t proven anything.

“But we have other things to discuss,” she continued in Adalic.

I sighed and forfeited. It was never wise to argue with Mother. “Yes. We do.”

She turned toward the table and gestured for me to join her. “We received your queen’s message.”

“She’s not my queen.”

“It would appear she thinks so.”

“She would.”

The large, oblong table was covered in a map. Peacock Rock was newly added next to the Koko Nadie Islands. Kiwidinok was the largest continent, but there wasn’t a single city marked on it. No ports. No trade.

“So are you her knight?”

“No.” I focused on the map, tracing the paths I’d traveled in my lifetime. “But I am undecided if I’m going to use the gift she gave me by naming me as such.”

My mother’s council of elders remained around the table.

“What are you thinking, young El’Asim?”

I glanced at my old teacher. “Yotaka-
san
, I am thinking that peace should be offered to all the tribes, not just the Great Families.”

His expression didn’t shift, but it did change minutely. His eyes crinkled just a bit.

The people around him relaxed as well.

“How would we do that,
sayyd
?” The woman on the other side of the table with the mole on her chin had a high pitched voice that was hard to forget, but I didn’t know her name.

“We treaty for it, like the Hands have offered.” I held up my hands for silence. “But the only way for this to work is if all the tribes are invited into the negotiations.”

“Synn,” Mother murmured. “We cannot allow that. The power would slip.”

“It would.” I straightened, staring at the map. “The world is changing, Mother. First of all, there aren’t seven Great Families anymore. There are five. Two have been decimated to a handful of survivors, most of which are related to one another. Their Families are gone.”

Mother raised her head, working out kinks in her neck. “What do you propose?”

I had to get Mother’s approval. Otherwise, it wouldn’t go far. Everyone might treat me with respect now, but I didn’t believe for one moment that they would follow me. “Zara needs to find a suitable mate.”

Mother nodded, as did several people around the table.

“But so do others. Joshua, Keeley, Haji, Yvette, Oki.” I bit my lip and stared at the map. “They are all either the last of their Great Families, or they have lost their betrothed. It’s time to form new allegiances.”

Mother tapped the table with a long nail, but remained quiet.

“I’m sure there are other families, other tribes, who are in the same situation. So, we invite all the tribes,
all
of them, to join us here in Ino City. We set up games, challenges, and tests. The winners will have the opportunity to present themselves as potential mates.”

Mother nodded.

“What if Zara chooses someone of a lesser family?” one of the men asked.

“Then he will be accepted into my Family.” There would be no question. “If she accepts him, then he is good enough for me. You have met my sister, haven’t you?”

“What are you going to do with your cities, Synn?” Mother asked quietly.

I took in a deep breath. “If someone other than an airman finds Zara’s hand, I will give her Asim City and I will take the fleet. If she finds an airman, she will get the fleet and I will take the city.”

“And what of your refueling station?”

I hadn’t forgotten about it. I just didn’t have an answer. “Where is it now?”

“We’re hiding it in Kiwidinok. Currently, its staying with the fleet.”

I would have to think on it. “For now, it can stay there. We will need the station if the peace talks do not go well. In the meantime, we can use it as a laboratory of sorts. There are modifications we will need to make to all the planes if we are to keep them.”

Yotaka narrowed his eyes at me with a careful smile. “What modifications are you thinking,
sayyd
?”

It was odd hearing someone I respected call me sir. “We do not burn fuel. If we continue to do so, we will have to find a way to either steal more, or harvest it ourselves. I have a feeling they kill the jellies when they harvest the gas. That’s never been our practice before. I don’t see why it should be now.”

Mother took in a deep breath and put her splayed fingertips on the table. “What are your full intentions, Synn?”

It was a risk. There was the possibility that I might succeed in gathering everyone, but then no one would decide to join. It was also possible that no one would trust me, thinking that I was working for the Hands. Or . . . this could start a far larger war than the one we were already fighting.

“When we gather the tribes, we serve two purposes. We rebuild the family lines, bartering, trading, build relationships. We discuss technology. We allow them access to the Librarium.”

Mother hissed.

“That is your power, knowledge.” I stared at her, daring her to tell me I was wrong. “But in order for this to work, we have to share its knowledge.”

“And if they use it against you?” she asked.

I shrugged. “Then they do so as a stronger unit. That is what we need. The Hands are stronger than we are. It’s our responsibility to raise the lesser families up, so we can all stand against the Hands should war come.”

Yotaka bowed his head. “This is very sound. I like this plan.”

“In order for it to work, we will have to mean it.” I stared at my mother when I said that. “We are not better than they are. We’re merely bigger. That doesn’t mean the same thing.”

“You have learned much, my
sayyd
,” Yotaka murmured. He looked around the table. “I agree with this.”

The rest of the elders nodded, some reluctantly, but they all agreed.

Mother was one of those in reluctance.

“We will have to devise a set of tests,” I said. “Something—”

“Leave that to me.”

I met Mother’s gaze. “I will be entering them.”

She stilled. “Why?”

“The main objective is to negotiate the treaty. In order to find a seat on the treaty table, I thought it might be best to prove our individual worth.”

Mother narrowed her eyes.

Yotaka tipped his head.

“By entering the games, I will prove something else. You have seen what I can do. You’ve even given me the honor of speaking my language while I am in your city, but the rest of the tribes have only heard rumors of a boy who hid while cities were destroyed in a mad man’s attempt to find him. I need them behind me, behind us, in order for this to work.”

She looked me up and down as though she’d never seen me before.

“I will be joining in the games.”

She thought about that for a moment. “You want to unite the Great Families to the tribes.”

“The time of the Seven Great Families has passed. It is time to create a new path.”

Mother shook her head slowly.

I took her hand. “These are the decisions your generation could not make.”

She raised her wizened, worried gaze.

I gave her hand a squeeze. “These are the decisions I must make. Will you back me?”

She cupped my cheek with her other hand, and said in Sakin, “Yes,
musuko
, I will do this thing for you.”