Flight

[Unbelievable] Lily said.

You’ll believe once we’re flying, Blue replied, sounding pleased with himself.

She unscrewed the lids of both jars to free the kami. They twisted out to hang in the air, patterns upon their dark skin giving off a faint glow only. Even so, their eyes were brighter than usual.

[But humans are too heavy,] Gabriel said.

Emerald nodded. Yes. However, not for Elder Kami.

[There’s not one nearby, is there?] he asked, glancing around with slightly wide eyes.

No. We think we can fly you ourselves. Especially since Zarima is likely close enough now.

Lily raised a hand as she spoke, forgetting to sign. “Wait, what’s changed all of a sudden?”

Blue began to spin slowly in place. Nothing. It’s just that, on the path to Elderhood, more things are possible.

She moved her hands this time. [But I’ve never heard of kami flying people around.]

Some kami choose to share those things with their Tamers, and some do not.

[Oh… thank you,] she said. Did that mean the Silver Kami was somehow caught in a state between kami and Elder Kami? An interrupted or incomplete state? Whatever the case, it was beside the point for the moment.

The question she had to ask was about the cost.

We believe in you, remember? Emerald said.

Lily swallowed a little lump in her throat as gratitude washed over her. I can’t let them down. Not Emerald or Blue, and not other kami spread across the lands.

Not her brother, either. Or the people of Haven.

Or the earth.

She had to find Virren and make the god-spawn help.

Had to reach the Ringwood and locate the Silversong, no matter the price. Starting with whatever her kami needed in order to take flight. [Tell me about the cost. I’ll pay it.]

Blue stopped spinning. Oh, you wouldn’t have to pay the cost. Not exactly.

We will, Emerald added. Once we land in Zarima’s ruin, we’ll need rest. A lot of rest.

[How much?]

It’s likely that we’ll have to hibernate for days. Maybe a whole week, as you humans count. We won’t be able to help you while we’re sleeping, as you can imagine.

Now Lily hesitated. Part way through his answer, the cost became clear to her, and it brought a host of new concerns. How long since she’d been forced to rely totally on her own wits? She shared a glance with Gabriel.

Not since we were a lot younger, she thought.

But he was nodding to himself. [I think it’s worth the risk. We might not have enough of the sludge to find a new path. The sludge might not even work the way we want it to, right? But this way we reach the city sooner. We can find shelter before night.]

Which all made sense. [All right. And maybe best of all, we won’t have to sleep in fumes from the acid.]

Gabriel snapped his fingers. [Exactly.]

There’s one more thing you need to understand before you agree. Emerald drifted higher, peering toward Zarima, presumably. You won’t be able to control the flight because we’ll be inside each of you.

Again, Lily found herself speechless.

Suddenly, the levels of risk had changed quite drastically.

What the kami suggested meant there was a chance of becoming a mutant. Far too dangerous. And how could she expect Gabriel to do something she herself wouldn’t? She shuddered.

Yet… saving the world meant taking desperate chances.

We can scout for a more open space to camp, if you prefer, Blue said.

Lily looked to the sky. Still plenty of sunlight left… but how long would their search take? They’d have to backtrack for who knew how long and there was no guarantee of finding a safe place at all. Emerald said we’re within range of the city here and now, she reminded herself.

She turned to her brother. [Gabe?]

[I know. If something goes wrong… we could become mutants.] His jaw was set in a hard line.

Emerald nodded. Not exactly like the other mutants, but close enough. And certainly ‘feral’, as you say. It’s a risk for us, too but we’re confident.

Still, Lily could not give them an answer.

If you were strangers, we wouldn’t even suggest it to begin with, Emerald added.

“So, it’s safe because I’m your tamer and you know Gabriel?” Lily asked, just as Gabriel signed pretty much the same question.

Blue swooped closer. Short answer is yes.

[Then… we should try.] Lily lifted her hand, palm outstretched near Blue. He settled upon her skin, his small feet soft. “Will we know if something is going wrong?”

Most likely. But you won’t be able to stop it – we’ll have to free ourselves.

“That’s not comforting.”

We wouldn’t even suggest this if we didn’t think it would work, you know.

“All right.”

Blue nodded, then drifted forward.

Lily tensed.

He passed through her chest. A tingling sensation followed. Her vision dimmed and her limbs grew heavy. Doubts about their quest receded as even her awareness seemed to ‘move aside’ a little.

Then she was rising, rising to flow forward.

Below, death-marks quickly blurred as she picked up speed. Just how fast are we flying? Panic flicked across her mind – but a sense of Blue, calming now, put a stop to the feeling.

The vast sense of his age washed over her too.

A welcome reminder that her kami was absolutely more than his snark. Or his obsession with honey.

Lily glanced to one side.

Gabriel flew beside her, a green glow in his chest.

He was smiling, enjoying the flight. Maybe I can do the same – maybe nothing will go wrong.

Look ahead. It sounded as though Blue grinned.

Crumbling walls of stone were clearly visible. Despite all the decay, the walls were still four or five stories tall. More, buildings loomed beyond, like grey and green columns. There was even an empty crane slumped against the wall, its orange beams covered in grime and droppings.

A flock of plum-coloured birds with gleaming beaks took flight, as if startled by the soaring approach of two flying humans.

Blue and Emerald set them down on the dusty earth and then their glow dimmed.

Stay safe, you two.

Emerald’s voice echoed from where he was suddenly back in her jar, Blue too. Both sets of eyes were closed, patterns no longer visible on their skin.

[It worked,] Gabriel said. [Amazing.]

[And it was so fast.]

[Nice to have something go right.] He looked up to the uneven walls before them. [Think our luck will hold in there?]

Lily shook off a twinge of doubt, now that the kami were hibernating.

Plenty of gaps and openings to let them pass through the wall, so getting inside would be easy enough, at least. And we can take care of ourselves. We’re not kids anymore. [Let’s see what Zarima has to offer.]