Chapter 7: Tracking

Where'd she go???

“That was always her biggest fear, you know; getting erased from history. She would rather die with her whole Rolyk thinking she was Fallen than be forgotten or erased from history.” I explain to Jake. “Do you know any sacred spots nearby? She was wanting to kyarp.”

 

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t know… come, let’s go find her.” Jake rises, pushing his chair in and holding open the dining room for me.

 

“She may be in Jackie’s room. They were talking earlier.” I suggest.

 

“Okay. You look there and I’ll search the library.” He goes past the stairs to an out-of-the-way door. He turns to me and smiles a worried smile before disappearing into the library.

 

“Ryku?” I call, starting up the stairs. “Ryku!”

 

I look in some of the rooms but they’re all empty. The ones on the left show signs of use: laundry piles and dishes on the nightstands. I continue down the hall, looking in each room. The room just before Jackie’s is occupied. I close the door quietly once I realize Simon is asleep in his bed. I sneak into Jackie’s room and look around. Ryku is nowhere to be seen. I start to turn around when I notice a set of stairs beyond Jackie’s room. They lead up and to the right. I follow them to a door.

 

This must be an attic. I think, turning the knob.

 

“Ryku!” I look around the room. I see a climbing rope swinging at the back of the room and follow it up to where it is tied to the rafters.

“Ryk-” I cut off as I see her, dressed in black gear and equipped with weapons, crouched on the beam and staring out the window. She turns to look at me for a moment. “Ryku?” is all I say before she leans forward.

“Ryku!” I run towards her as she falls toward the floor, but I catch nothing but myself on the wall. I turn to see the remnants of a Portal closing. I dive toward the floor but it closes before I can touch it. Faint purple sparks glimmer where she had just disappeared. I sink to my knees and punch the floor, holding back the tears threatening to fall. “Ryku…” is all I whisper.

 

“Kyrin? Are you okay? What happened?” Jake races in after me. I look up at him, past the worry in his sea-at-night blue eyes, and see myself reflected in his eyes; despair overwhelming in my field-in-the-Spring-sun green eyes. Lost in my thoughts I don’t notice him beside me now, a comforting arm around my shoulders. He turns me toward him and asks me again, this time more firmly. “Kyrin? What happened?”

 

“She’s gone…” I mutter miserably. “I was so close… my only job was to take care of her… and now she’s gone…”

 

“Kyrin. What happened? I can’t help if you don’t tell me!” he shakes me by my shoulders, demanding me.

 

“She Portaled. She was on the rafters, in some gear and equipped with weapons, then she saw me. She looked so sad, like she was apologizing with her eyes, then fell off. She leaned forward and fell into a Portal at the last second. I tried to catch her, but I wasn’t fast enough… and now she’s gone!” I bury my face in my hands.

 

“It’s okay. I’m gonna get Emi. She has a little bit of training in Tracking Portals. She’s started it herself using old scrolls. Someone, an Ancient, named Apyri developed Portal-Tracking a long time ago.” He stands up and turns toward the door.

 

“Apyri?!” I’m shocked to hear the Lieutenant’s name. “You mean to say that Lieutenant Apyri started Portal-Tracking?”

 

“Yes. It was to track criminals who had escaped Trials. Why?” he tilts his head to the right, his hand still on the door.

 

“Lieutenant Apyri never liked Ryku. She hated her so much that she did what she could to make Ryku miserable. The Lieutenant had me keep Ryku in the dungeon during the week of Mourning for her parents. Then the trial was the day after their funeral, and Ryku was locked in the dungeon as soon as the funeral was over! It was horrible!” I fight back the rage and tears threatening to explode.

 

“That’s awful!” Jake says, dropping his hand from the door and walking towards the weapons on the wall. “Well, are we going after her or not?” he grabs a throwing knife and hurls it towards me. Instinctively, I lunge forward to grab it, mid-spin, by the handle.

 

“Let’s go.” I tuck the shining blade into the waist of my pants.

 

“Woah, woah. We don’t even know where she went. Why don’t you run down and tell Emi to Track Ryku, okay? Then I’ll get you geared up.” Jake is midway through putting on a black leather vest.

 

“Alright, fine.” I walk past him, throw open the door, and race down the steps. I fly past the rooms and through the foyer, my feet hardly hitting the ground, until I skid to a stop in the dining room. “Emi! Track her! Now!” I demand, gripping the back of the chair Ryku sat in earlier until my knuckles are white.

 

“Wha-… what’s going on? What’s wrong?” Her voice cracks with surprise and worry.

 

“Ryku Portaled from the attic and Jake says you can Track her. Raqide, raqide! Vayare!” I’m so eager to know where she’s going I slip into Cedarykian, my hands fluttering. “Quickly, quickly! Go!” I repeat in English before spinning on my heels and racing back to the attic.

 

“Well, I think that was a new record for this House’s messaging.” Jake laughs, amusement in his eyes.

 

“Utique, Utique. Nay me amuro.” I wave my hand non-interestedly. “Quequal, quiteras?”

 

“Umm… ” Jake stops buckling a weapons belt around his waist to stare at me. “English, please?”

 

“Sorry. I said, ‘Yes, yes. I don’t care. Now, weapons?’” I look at him expectantly.

 

“Okay, okay. Yeesh! So pushy!” he rolls his eyes and finishes buckling his belt. “Now, you’ll need to change into these.” I stare at him quizzically as he hands me a pile of black clothes. “They’ll help you move around and fight better.” He explains.

 

“Okay, if you say so.” I step behind a changing screen in the corner of the room. The silky long sleeve shirt and pants are comfortable but close fitting. I slip the black leather vest over my head and tighten the side strings. Once I step out, I see Emi crouching next to the spot where Ryku Portaled, Yatrise at her side.

 

“It was recent enough I may be able to Track her.” She says, running a finger over the floor boards. A small puff of purple glitter rises where she draws her hand and she moves to grab it, capturing it in a small bubble of golden light.

 

“Good. Now, what weapons do I get?” I turn to Jake who stands behind a line of weapons lying on the floor.

 

“These.” He grabs two matching daggers the length of my hand. “They have Runes of Speed and Aim on them. They go in the sheaths on your lower back.” He hands them to me then pats where they’re supposed to go.

 

“This is an Ancient sword. If you give it the name of an Ancient it will glow with that person’s color. It is straight and true, swift and light, strong and intelligent. It acts like a second person, working with you. It connects with your thoughts. Normally, Keepers get one when they begin training. It makes for a stronger bond with sword. We never got one. The Cryunsel ran out of Ancients’ names for people to use. One thing I should mention is that once a bataiille is named, you cannot rename it. However, some swords resist bonding with another Keeper, so many are abandoned. Lucky you, you have a bataiille that has no name. So, its name is up to you!”

 

“Really? Wow,” I breathe. “I can choose any name I want?”

 

“Yes, but be careful. You may know the person, and their Spyrit may not want to work with you.”

 

“I wonder… if I was erased from history, no one knows my name. That means no Ancient sword has my name. Could I name it for myself?” I think aloud.

 

“I don’t know what would happen. I wouldn’t trust that theory too much.” Emi warns, looking up from her glowing bubble.

 

“Then I don’t want it. I don’t want to accidentally say someone’s name while holding it. Here,” I hold the bataiille out to Jake, “take it back.”

 

“Are you sure? Okay.” He takes the sword and stares delicately at it. “May I use your name?” he raises his dark blue eyes to me and watches my expression from behind his light brown hair hanging just in his eyes.

 

“Utique. I, Kyrin Anthos, give you, Jake Silsmith, permission to use my name for your bataiille.” I hold my right hand over my heart.

 

“Thank you.” Jake bows to me. When he rises he looks me in my eyes and declares, “I, Jake Silsmith, name this bataiille with the Ancient title of Kyrin!”

 

            As soon as he speaks my name the sword glows a dark purple and a red fire bursts an inch from the blade. I feel a tugging in my heart and gasp, collapsing to the ground. Jake drops beside me and grasps my right shoulder, his blue eyes and brown eyebrows furrowed in worry.

 

“Kyrin! Are you okay?”

 

            I nod weakly, managing a breathless “Utique.” I reach out and touch the blade. The fire doesn’t burn me as I run my fingers along it. Where I touch Runes blossom, spreading out like ripples in water and my family’s Crest carves itself into the silver base of the hilt. Jake runs his finger over its five wide petals and traces the smaller rose within it. Three small circles overlap each other in the middle.

“The Tudor Rose!” He gasps. “You are a Tudor!”

 

“What’s a Tudor Rose? Or a Tudor?” I ask.

 

“The Tudors are the most famous of the Royal family of England! They lived many centuries ago. They’ve all died out now.” Emi pipes in, still staring studiously at her bubble.

 

“Wow.” Is all I mutter. “It’s strange. I feel as though I am the sword, and the sword is me. I can’t explain it… it’s… it’s like a piece of my heart is the sword!” I struggle to find a befitting explanation for the tugging at my heart.

 

“That’s amazing! I know that feeling, though. It’s like I can sense your thoughts and emotions!” Jake stares at me, gazing into my eyes. “You must really love her, huh?”

 

“What?” I gaze back at him.

 

“I can feel it,” he says, putting a hand to his heart, “your grief and longing and love for her.”

 

“Yes. I love her very much, ever since I first laid eyes on her when we were kids, but I don’t think she knows it nor does she feel the same.” I stare down into my hands, curled in my lap.

 

“Oh.” Is all he says. “Well, let’s go get her back so we can ask her!” he says, jumping up onto his feet and reaching down to pull me up.

 

“Whoa!” I say, stumbling from the unexpected lift. I crouch down next to the weapons he has lined up. I see a small wooden baton. “What’s this?”

 

“That,” he starts, bending to grab it before standing up straight, “is a bow.”

 

“Are you crazy?” I genuinely ask.

“Nope!” He declares as Emi pitches in with, “Completely!”

 

“Okay, then how does it work?” I ask skeptically.

 

“Squeeze the handle and pull your hand back.” He demonstrates, holding the baton in his left hand and moving his right hand to his cheek as if he were pulling a string. Suddenly, the baton expands and grows into a longbow and a blue-glowing string appears, pulled back by Jake’s hand.

 

“The string is made of your own Energy, so be careful with how often you use it. It can also be any kind of bow you want, but you have to reset it every time.” He slowly returns the string to a relaxed position. He squeezes the handle again and it shrinks back into a baton. Another squeeze and it becomes a compact bow. He returns it into a baton and hands it to me. I slide it into a small sheath on the side of the quiver.

 

“I thought you said he was crazy!” I turn to Emi indignantly.

 

“I didn’t say he was in this particular situation. You see, he knows his weapons better than any Keeper in history! However, he risks himself often and doesn’t think first, so watch him when you go out.” She replies nonchalantly.

 

“Fine. Are these special arrows then?”  I ask, strapping the small quiver to my left thigh.

 

“No, those are just super small arrows. But they fit better, don’t they? They’re smaller which means they’re easier to carry than full sized arrows.” Jake explains, taking up a small glossy black stone.

 

“Are you thinking of Ryku? How this looks like her hair?” Jake asks suddenly as I take the stone from his hand.

 

“No. Well, maybe. Quit reading my thoughts!” I glare angrily and the stone flashes a blinding blue light.

 

“Hey! Watch out with that thing! That’s a brujaluz. It senses if you need light and glows as bright as you need. Sometimes it flares up like that when you get really emotional. And no, I didn’t read your thoughts; I read your eyes.” He looks at me with a mixture of understanding and pity.

 

“Fine, fine. I hate that you can read my emotions so easily though.” I pout, sliding the brujaluz into my right pocket. “Are we ready to go now?” I tap my foot on the ground impatiently.

 

“Yeah, yeah. I finally Tracked her. She’s gone a long ways away. She’s up in North Las Vegas, near your old apartments, Jake.” Emi cuts in, brushing her knees off as she stands.

 

“Really? What’s she doing there?” Jake asks. “Oh! By the way, Kyrin, I like your boots. They look really comfy and durable.”

 

“Thanks, I guess. Well, Emi? What are we waiting for? Let’s go!” I rush to her side eagerly, waiting for her to open a Portal. “Well? Make a Portal!”

 

“Ma-... wha-…” She stammers. “Make a Portal? Are you crazy?!”

 

“What? Can’t you make a Portal?”

 

“Uh, no! That’s impossible! Only certain Ancients could and they were erased from history! Knowing you and Ryku and Yatrise now, we assume you are the only ones who can make Portals.” Emi says matter-of-factly.

 

“Then how do you get around? How did you Portal us here earlier?” I turn to Jake, my mind swirling with confusion.

 

“These.” He says, pulling a small green marble from a pouch on his belt. “They’re Portal-Pearls.” He looks to Emi who opens a Portal-looking window. An image of stacked, square, stone huts appears.

 

“Why can’t we use that Portal?” I ask Emi.

 

“Because, silly! It’s not a Portal. I’ve changed the Ancient Portal-Tracking methods to show where the person Portaled. It’s ‘cuz Keepers can’t make Portals unless we see our destination. I call this a Portal-Window. It shows where the Portal took the person to so we can see our destination to use the Portal-Pearls.” She explains haughtily.

 

“Sometimes, I think you’re as young as me and other times I think you’re twice your age; you act all-knowing but skim the Laws sometimes.” Jake taunts, dropping a Portal-Pearl in front of him.

 

“We should race there! Let’s see whose Portal is better, yea, Keeper?” I challenge.

 

“You’re on! Well, bye, Emi!” He jumps into his Portal and I see him get sucked into it, slowly spinning and tumbling in its space.

 

“Thank you, Emilia Hawthorn!” I hug the woman quickly before jumping into my own Portal and watching it close immediately behind me.

 

            I do a couple somersaults before gaining control. I face directly at the small hole ahead of me and speed through the Portal Realm. I don’t want to get stuck in here. I think this, watching as the Portal Realm slowly closes in around me. Don’t worry, Ryku. I’m coming. Just, please, don’t do anything stupid! I race toward the penny-sized light and jump out, landing stealthily on top of one of the stone buildings I saw in the Portal-Window.

 

I have time to stand up and take in my surroundings. There are rows of these buildings with lower ones in between. Some of the upper huts have balconies and some on the bottom lead into small enclosed patios. I am just about to sit when Jake is flung out of his Portal, landing ungracefully but recovering quickly by rolling over and onto his feet.

 

“But… but… you… how…” He stammers, seeing me, and looks around in dumbfounded surprise. I simply smile smugly as he exclaims, “But I’m the fastest Portaler in Keeper history!”

 

“Not anymore! Well, not ever, because I was born before you.” I laugh a deep throated laugh. That’s the first time for weeks I’ve laughed like that. I think to myself.

 

“Do you not laugh often?” Jake asks. “And I saw it on your face.” He adds as I start to protest. “You seemed kinda shocked you laughed.”

 

“Well, yeah. It’s been a while. Things have been so serious lately.”

 

“I see. Well, let’s go. I know these apartments better than anyone else! I lived here for a while, about a year ago, before I moved into the House with Emi. Ryku couldn’t have gone far.”

 

            I simply grunt in agreement and follow Jake as he runs atop the rooftops of the apartments and garages, explaining everything as we go. He climbs to the top of the highest apartment, 3-stories-high among the 2-story apartments, and stands on top, spinning around as he looks out across the complex.

 

“Hmm…” he growls slightly. “I don’t see any sign of her! I don’t sense any Portals or anything!”

 

“Wait… what’s this?” I crouch at his feet and he steps back. I put a finger to the stone and a small puff of purple powder rises. “She was here! This must be where she Portaled away.” I lower my voice, talking more to myself. “Kuricita intelibe, kuricita intelibe.”

 

“What?” Jake’s staring at me confusedly.

 

“Sorry. I simply said this must be where she Portaled away. Then I said ‘Smart girl, smart girl.’ She knows better than to Portal right next to each other. That only makes it easier for any Trackers!” I smile and rise.

 

“So she’s adventuring a distance away before Portaling again?”

 

“Exactly!” I tap him between the eyes, getting a small disgruntled hum from him. I simply laugh and turn back to the Portal dust, trying to see if I can figure out where she’s Portaled next.