Shieldwolf Dawning (11 page)

"Awesome!" Samarra checked again to see if anyone was looking her way before she tossed another piece — the last thing she wanted was to get caught. Everyone else was standing at attention, all eyes forward, the same as they had been since the swains had fallen into formation. Boring. The fire ant searched around for more food. Finding nothing, it headed back to the bushes.

"No, don't leave." Samarra lobbed the rest of the cookie into the air. The treat landed close enough to catch the creature's attention.

Cassian tapped Samarra on the shoulder. "Didn't you just see what happened to the kid who got in trouble? Do you want to get in trouble too?"

"I don't care. Push-ups are easy." She puffed out her chest like a peacock. "I can do a hundred on
one
hand."

"You're not taking this seriously, are you?" Cassian frowned. "Don't make me say 'I told you so.'"

"Whatever."

Cassian clenched his jaw and didn't respond to her comment.

Samarra focused on the lectern. "It's too hot to do so many push-ups, anyway." Her neck itched. She tugged at her collar and undid the top button of her jacket. "I can't handle wearing this thing." Samarra hated every aspects of her formal uniform except for the boots. Newly polished, her diamond-capped boots were bound with a blessing of agility which made her super-fast. Samarra couldn't wait to test if her kicking skills had improved as soon as she was given a chance.

"You better look," Cassian mumbled under his breath.

Samarra blushed. The most decorated battlemaster on stage was watching her. His light brown hair was pulled back into a long braid. His broad shoulders and considerable height gave him an advantage over the handful of gaians who had reached the battlemaster ranks with him. Samarra stood at attention, almost hypnotized, until he focused on another swain. His eyes were intense. She watched him for a while, then checked out the others in her row. When she reached the end of the line, she stopped.

Barely concealed in the shade, a freckle-faced gaian was scoping his environment like a bad spy. Samarra waved at him to catch his attention, but he was preoccupied with something far more important. When he thought that nobody was watching him, he rammed two fingers up his nose with anticipation.

"A double barrel!" Samarra gagged. "Hey, Cass…"

Silence.

"Cass," she said a little louder and flicked the side of his head.

"Ouch." He rubbed his temple. "What do you want now?"

She pointed at the boy. "The shoveller is digging for gold."

Cassian leaned over to look.

"Eww." Samarra turned away before she saw what the boy was about to magic out of his nose.

"That's disgusting." Cassian was mesmerized nonetheless.

"Is it a big one?" Samarra's stomach was turning.

Cassian faced the front. "I can't see."

"Aww." Samarra fell quiet.

"You're gross for a girl."

Samarra ruffled his hair. "No I'm not." She could feel him warming up to her already. It wouldn't be long before things between them were back to normal. She just knew it!

She tugged his arm. "Cass."

Cassian swatted her hand away. "Be quiet, Sammy."

It took a while for Samarra to notice that the platophibian girl in front of her had turned around and was staring. It took her a little while longer to notice that she had also captured the attention of the platophibian Elder who had appeared at the lectern. Three brown spots lined the bridge of his flat nose. His black-and-yellow slitted eyes were focused on her and only her.

Uh oh!
Where did he come from?
She snapped to attention. The Elder rested a webbed hand on his staff. He said something into his tablet before he tucked it into his pocket.

"Samarra Dawning," he said. The gills on his too long neck flared open and closed. "I am pleased that you find my appearance a source of amusement."

Samarra remembered his voice.
He thinks I'm laughing at him!
She stood gaping.

"May I begin?" The end of his green tail
tap
,
tap
,
tapped
patiently at his side.

Samarra wanted to sink underground and never come out. She could feel Cassian's
I told you so
slap her in the face with a crimson flush.

"Well?" He blinked rapidly.

Samarra nodded. The Elder croaked twice and began his speech.

"My name is Nereus Croak. It is my honour to welcome you all to Shieldwolf Proper." He bowed, as did Merganser and the others on stage.

"Here we go," Samarra mumbled.

"To become a Shieldwolf is an honourable achievement," Croak said. "You were born into our tradition. Your selection was also the result of your innate ability to communicate with the Reflection, the unchanging cause of everything, of all that is right and beautiful and good."

Samarra turned around. The fire ant was watching Cassian. Its open mouth left a trail of slobber. Croak said something that made everyone clap, but Samarra didn't hear. She turned back to face him when the fire ant was distracted by a flower.

"The path of the Shieldwolf is lit by duty to Kairuhan. Serving her is our first responsibility," Croak droned on. "The world provides for us sustenance. We who dwell in the mountains stand in awe of her many wonders. Kairuhan is the air that we breathe, the water that quenches our thirst, and the fields that provide us with food. Without her we would be nothing. To Kairuhan we offer our thanks and praise."

"Blessed be," the crowd in Parade Square said as one.

"Please kneel for the Oathing," Croak said.

The swains bent down on one knee and bowed their heads in reverence. Merganser had told Samarra what to expect next. The pledge she was about to make was one that would bind her to the Shieldwolves for life, and she was fine with that. She didn't have a choice anyway. Where else would she go? What else would she do?

She closed her eyes as the Elders led the swains through the oath. "These are my words. Bear witness to my oath," Samarra said. "I have heard the call of the wild and now my journey begins. It shall not end until my passing. I am the shield that protects the world. I am the wolf that runs fierce in the darkness. I pledge my life to the Shieldwolves, for this day and all the days to come."

When they finished, the swains remained with their heads bowed for what felt like hours.

"Please stand," Croak said.

Samarra risked a glance at him. He was looking at something in the trees. "Cass," she whispered. "What's he doing?"

Cassian was quiet. When Samarra couldn't get his attention, she resigned herself to drawing patterns in the grass with the tip of her boot, jumping in shock when Irik burst out screeching at the top of his lungs.

"Take cover!"
Croak shouted.

Parade Square erupted in screams. "Fire ant! Fire ant!" Swains scrambled in every direction.

Samarra remained unperturbed. "It's only a baby; what's the big fuss?"

"Over there, dummy." Cassian pointed at the trees.

Samarra turned around and her face instantly drained of colour. "Oh…"

A fire ant the size of a small pony had emerged from the trees and was readying itself to charge at them. Instinctively Samarra pushed Cassian behind her and shielded his body with her own, but he moved back to her side with what seemed to be stubborn resolve.

Merganser leaped off the stage and made a sign in the air with the tip of her staff. She knocked her staff on the ground and Parade Square was blasted with an ultrasonic boom that pitched short wavelengths through the area. The creature stumbled around, dazed and confused.

"
Aa-ai-aeee, aa-ai-aeee
," a veteran Shieldwolf shrilled.

"What do we do now?" Samarra raised her fists as the Shieldwolf, a female archeop, landed in front of them. Samarra's body was tense and her feet were ready to kick.

"Get ready." Cassian struck a fighting pose.

The fire ant locked onto its target and charged. Smoke poured out of its armoured back and its antennae flashed blood-red with rage. The archeop thrust out her glowing staff and summoned a shield of diamond from the ground. Samarra counted down the seconds before the fire ant hit the shield head-on.

The fire ant was thrown back by the force of impact and its exoskeleton burst into flames when it hit the ground. Fire licked the air. The shield dimmed and shifted, but the archeop held firm. The fire ant stood deathly still, its antennae — which were now more brown than red — fixed on the shield. When the flames had all but disappeared, it lowered its head and took its baby into its mouth. Keeping both antennae locked onto the figures behind the shield, it backed away slowly.

When the fire ant disappeared into the thick of trees, the archeop unbound her magic. "Well, that could have been much worse," she said with a sigh of relief. Her snowy feathers were combed back from her pretty face, and her long, slender beak was adorned with green and silver beads that refracted the light.

"Thank you," Cassian said.

Samarra couldn't help but stare at the archeop's talons, all painted in silver.

"They are useful when gripping onto branches," the archeop said when she noticed Samarra staring.

"Thank you very much for helping us." Samarra smiled politely, though she blushed.

The archeop took a handkerchief from her breast pocket and bunched it under Cassian's nose. "Inhale. I am not certain why the fire ants were so brave," she mused. "They are usually too shy to venture into the sunlight above ground."

Merganser came running. "Daria Swiftwing, is he hurt?"

"He will be fine. He was taken by surprise."

Samarra watched them make a fuss over Cassian. When the crowd had settled, a battlemaster ordered the swains to fall into formation. Samarra stared at her shiny boots, too sheepish to do anything else while also wishing she was the one getting special treatment.

"That was lavender," said the platophibian girl standing in front of Samarra. "It is a relaxant for gaians. You're all troublemakers."

"What?" Samarra looked up.

"I'm Tavani Croak." She held up her spotted green and brown hands. "No need to introduce yourself. I know
exactly
who you are."

Samarra rolled her eyes. "Great," she said under her breath. "Not another one."

"Your brother doesn't seem to like you right now. Hsss, I wonder why?" Tavani placed a webbed finger on her dark green lips as if deep in thought.

Samarra put on her best mean face. "What makes you say that?"

The girl lifted her snout high in the air and the slits in her eyes narrowed. She pointed at Cassian, who was settling into position in line. He looked angry.

"Don't point at my brother." Samarra bunched up her fists.

"Make me stop." Tavani sneered.

"Why are you being so nasty to me?" Samarra stepped up to the girl. "I haven't done anything to you."

"You were laughing at my grandfather. You should take a look at yourself sometime."

"Wait a minute. Are you crazy?" Samarra couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I wasn't laughing at your—"

"How dare you speak to me like that!" Tavani flared her gills.

"Excuse me?"

Tavani whacked her smooth tail on the ground. Pebbles jumped up and down with every thump. "Gaians like you give the entire species a bad name."

"Gaians like me?" Samarra took a big gulp of air and exhaled slowly to calm her boiling temper. "You don't know anything about me, you mouldy unripe prune."

Tavani managed to look astonished. "Now listen… you… you…"

"No,
you
listen." Samarra readied her fists for the fight of her life.

"Stand at attention." Merganser stepped between them. Samarra stretched her neck to see Tavani switching her tail in protest. After eyeing each other down, the girls fell into position. Merganser checked on Cassian before she returned to the podium. He seemed all right. Samarra figured he was still sick from the phase.

"See what I mean?" Tavani whispered when Merganser was out of earshot. "You stick out like a platophibian with no tail. I can barely understand your dialect. You know nothing about our customs, and worst of all, you laugh at us."

"What? You…"

"Hsss… Elder Ravenhair wasted her time saving you when she found your brother. Grandfather says that Cassian will win us the battle against the Ikajarri… those lovers of sights and sounds." She spat on the ground. "You, on the other hand, have no good reason to be here. What can you possibly do to protect us from the Flux?" She inspected Samarra from head to toe as if measuring her for a coffin.

Samarra ignored the venomous words. "The Flux?" She thought about the disc she had played with at the Grand Bazaar. Samarra also remembered Merganser referring to flux in the spell she'd cast when they had phased out of Gaia. Her curiosity was piqued.

"Stop pretending." Tavani looked down her rounded snout at Samarra. "You can't be as dumb as you look." The brown spots on her face were more noticeable than before. "How could you not know about the Flux?"

Samarra couldn't think of anything smart to say.

"You don't know, do you?" She threw back her head and laughed condescendingly. Samarra flinched at the sight of Tavani's razor-sharp teeth. "I think I'll let you find out on your own. I'm not feeling very helpful today. Besides, I'm allergic to gaians."

"Just face the front and be quiet." Samarra crossed her arms. "I'll find out about the Flux from someone who actually knows what they're talking about."