Fire Whispers Among the Shadows: Book One of The Brimstone Archives Read online

  Their drinks and her pomfruit arrived. Leirgab swiped a fruit from her bowl and popped it in his mouth. “I’m going to find out.”

  He hopped up and nearly bounded over one of the lounging couches seamlessly, but collided into a servant carrying platters. The plates crashed to the floor with the sound echoing throughout the lounge.

  How in the world was he ever so good at dancing back in the day? Aiesha thought.

  Most patrons who were not already sloshed peered over. Leirgab rolled out of the way, closer to the couple’s table. Servants scrambled, sweeping away the disaster. In no time, it was as if nothing happened. The servants disappeared, and patrons disregarded the clamor. Leirgab stood upright and bowed, winking at Aiesha from a distance.

  His feet glided past the bar as he grabbed a mug of slosh from an unassuming patron. He took a gulp and carelessly dragged his mug onto the couple’s table, slosh splashing. He grinned and stumbled, leaning in with his long, pointed nose inches from their own noses.

  In a sloshed voice, he said, “Hey, don’t Iiiah knows yous two? …Yeahhh! We roded in the Great Abyss back in the daysss!” Somehow he managed to spit short of their faces, the saliva landing only on their meal.

  Antenna gal muffled a gasp, while Fluffy ears coughed in a deep voice. “Sure, it has been a long time old friend.”

  Antenna gal eyed fluffy ears and then turned toward Leirgab. Mesmerized by her velvety eyes, Leirgab had not noticed his jaw drop and drool drip into her mug. Her face contorted with disgust, but she managed to giggle and said, “Of course, but we must reintroduce … I’m Zuna.”

  “Houpor, here,” said fluffy ears with a booming voice, breaking Leirgab’s trancelike state.

  Resuming his sloshed act, he said, “Gooods to see yaahs, Leirgab is what they call me. Say, where’s yaahs been lately?”

  Houpor and Zuna side-glanced at each other. Houpor said, “We have continued our travels across the lands ever since the Great Abyss.”

  “Anythings worths a seeing?” asked Leirgab prodding for more information.

  Zuna’s soft-spoken voice chimed as she said, “Various, extraordinary locations … this one by far tops them all.”

  Houpor added in a gruff tone, “I agree. Puunlo’s is probably one of my most memorable.” He shimmied his feathered drag, his poufy hood slightly falling backward.

  Leirgab caught sight of a marking on Houpor’s neck before he quickly readjusted his hood. He laughed. “Youss should have lived it with me.”

  Zuna slid her mug to the center table and eloquently glided up from her chair with Houpor following suit. “It is time for us to meander like the other guests,” she said, giggling. “We must not let these costumes go to waste.” She winked a daring eye at Leirgab, turning toward the door.

  “I’ll see yaahs around,” he said as Zuna and Houpor skulked away.

  Leirgab returned to Aiesha, who was burning with questions. “What was that last expression about by that antenna gal? What took so long … what did you find out about the Jags? Are they running from them? What were you thinking, acting sloshed? Who—”

  Leirgab finally cut her off. “Whoa, whoa, whoa … I found out a lot, and yes, I was sloshed. I had to appear as though I wouldn’t remember or pay attention to anything.”

  “Well, it certainly seems that way to me,” she said harshly.

  He peered at her, thinking he could completely drag this on to irritate her more but decided it was best not to, since they had a dance to choreograph later. He definitely did not want the raw end of the mouse’s tail. “First off, antenna gal’s name is Zuna, and the other is Houpor. They were … indiscreet, despite attempts to hide information. Nothing of great importance was actually mentioned.”

  Aiesha loomed, her ears and tail starting to twitch. Leirgab quickly continued, “Sure, sure, they acknowledged they rode in the Great Abyss. No specific recent locations other than here, of course. But he did have an unusual marking emblazoned on his neck. It seemed familiar.”

  Leirgab pulled out his knife and stabbed one of the pomfruits. He licked the remaining jelly from his plate. Astonished, Aiesha said, “That’s it? That is not much information at all … I should have gone over there and—” Leirgab’s platter clangored to the table, stopping her from continuing.

  He started to smear the juices of the pomfruit into his plate. “I travel with a puerile cub,” Aiesha said as she dropped her head into her paws.

  Leirgab slid his platter in front of Aiesha. “This.”

  She peeked through her paws. It was a replica of the ancient Corona Radiata. She gasped. “Is this what you saw?” He smirked. “Are you sure?” she asked once more.

  “And you didn’t think my sloshing would have amounted to anything,” he said as he confidently puffed his chest outward.

  Chapter 2

  Aiesha smeared the image as a servant approached from the distance. She looked up. It was Gander who spoke. “Bastion Puunlo has requested that you join him this evening for the show. He will be awaiting your presence in the tiered balcony. Your celebratory dress, as well as your dance costumes, are arranged in your guest cottage.”

  She nodded as Leirgab groaned. Gander eyed the platter before turning away.

  Aiesha looked over the platter to confirm nothing was visibly exposed. “We can’t talk here. Let’s head back to the cottage to debrief more.”

  Walking back, Aiesha started thinking aloud. “We need to follow Houpor. He knows something about the Jags, especially if he is involved with the Corona Radiata. I don’t think our cottage is safe to talk either.”

  Leirgab skirted ahead, dodging the full streets. “We still need some sort of choreographed work. How about we chat on our old dance hill?”

  “Lead the way,” said Aiesha, jogging to catch up.

  The four suns stretched across the sky. They climbed to the grassy knoll, where a patch of sleeping trees swayed in the gentle breeze. Aiesha’s fond memories of dancing among the flowers and low-level branches rushed back to her. This was one of her favorite pastimes, at least before she ventured with Leirgab in the Great Abyss. While the Abyss was a vast celestial ride among the stars and comets, it served as an escape from their new reality. It was a continuum of space that stretched beyond the portals of the lands, opened by the chaos of unforeseen powers.

  She reminisced about her last days on Puunlo’s Paradise. Leirgab, a few others, and she were rehearsing for the winter show, staying late under the dim light of the first moon’s rise. She had pounced down from a swaying branch as her partner waited for her beside the nearby tree. She landed as a flash of light followed by a deafening boom shook the ground. Dust flooded the air, as blackness overcame them all. Distressed, she spun around, feeling her way through the tangled branches, longingly reaching for her partner across the knoll. Pure darkness. A ringing silence. She tumbled, stumbling over something—a body. She crawled toward it with her paws desperately searching. Her partner silent. She could feel his face and the contour of his body. As she laid her head on his chest, another flash of light pierced the sky, momentarily breaking the darkness. She covered her head. A loud boom sounded. This time, the shockwave felt closer as it reverberated through her body. Dizzied, someone grabbed her, lifting her up, urging her to move. Her tear-filled eyes added to the nothingness.

  Leirgab gently grabbed Aiesha’s paw, dissipating the memory. He gave her a light smile as her eyes met his. “This is the place where we can find peace,” he said. He knew neither of them had returned to the site since the Great Abyss. Both of their partners lost to the darkness. Aiesha and Leirgab, almost spiritless, rode in the Great Abyss like lost souls overcome by confusion. They were not alone as they wandered, trying to find their way and new path. The good and bad merged together in this hidden dimension. As time passed, the risk of danger masked their pain and kept them entranced throughout their journey in the Abyss until they broke free.

  He spun her around; the full-feathered dress twirled with the newfound wind. S
he leaped into the air, timelessly descending down onto her other boot near a patch of flowers. She smiled. “I think you’ll need more limbering up than I will, given your growing pudge.”

  Leirgab laughed. “This pudge has been well worth it. Many shelled slugs have added to my desirable tumble and roll.” He proceeded to jump, grappling a swaying branch, letting go at the precise moment to tumble and roll behind her.

  She faced him with a sighing wink and said, “I suppose that will have to work for your magnificent trapeze dive that you suggested to Puunlo.”

  “Now that it is a little more private, we can discuss Houpor’s marking,” said Aiesha as she glanced down the hill at a couple nuzzling together. “His marking resembles the Corona Radiata’s role as the innermost trustworthy disciples of the Cerebral Realm. So, he will be relaying important messages to and from the Higher Power. We need to know what he knows. I suspect the Jags are searching for him as well, perhaps for the same information.” Do the Jags know about Cee? she wondered.

  “If that is the case, then we will need to find out soon. We don’t know how much longer they will stick around Puunlo’s, especially if they know they’re being hunted. What information could he be holding that the Jags would want?” said Leirgab.

  Aiesha thought to herself reflecting on past events. Since the Great Abyss, things have changed throughout the lands. It brought death, but it also awakened hidden powers for some who were involved, whether directly or indirectly. The Higher Power was temporarily exposed to a select few, allowing them to gain knowledge and insight into the universal lands transcending time and space. The Jags have longed for the ability to overcome the Higher Power, so they can rule all the lands. They’ve been around attempting this for years, causing mayhem and destruction in their wake. If they are hunting for someone, that means that they are inching closer to their ultimate goal. Maybe this is how I can help Cee. Maybe this will set Cee free from the metamorphs. With her final conclusion, she said, “Leirgab, I think we have to help Houpor and … that antenna gal, what was her name?”

  “Zuna. You’ll remember it when you see her face-to-face. She has unforgettable eyes,” Leirgab said, batting his eyes slowly as he became distracted by his memory. Thoughts of adventure broke his concentration as he said, “Wait, are you saying we get to ride some meladrones and chase down the Jags?” Without waiting for a response, he said, “I am all in.” Both their eyes widened in excitement with a touch of fierceness.

  The second moon was rising as the third sun was setting. Leirgab and Aiesha boundingly danced their way down the grassy knoll, reaching the busy streets filling with exuberance. They dashed, twirling about the guests, simultaneously refreshing their past choreography in preparation for tomorrow.

  Once they arrived at their cottage, they quickly rinsed in the cool water and dressed in the masquerade outfits Gander had arranged. While outlandish, this would benefit them in blending in with the villagers and guests, to further lure discussion with Houpor and Zuna.

  By the time they were ready, Gander arrived with one initial knock on the door. “Your presence has been requested to join Bastion Puunlo for drinks, prior to being seated for the grand show.”

  Gander led the way as Aiesha and Leirgab followed the winding path through the throngs of guests. As they approached an oversized wooden door, Gander paused and whispered, “You’ll find what you’re looking for inside.” He pulled the large circular handle, opening the door wide enough to let them pass through before it closed behind them.

  In front of them loomed statues and figurines that they had not seen back in their dancing days. Hunters slaying meladrones, tiki-styled but faceless metamorphs, and lastly at the end of the hall near the staircase, a grand, black marbled Jag’s plume resting on a column. They started walking toward the statue to get a closer look. “Ah, there you are,” said Puunlo, peering from the top of the stairs. He was joined by a servant at his side. “Come up here, you must see the views,” he said as he beckoned.

  Reluctantly, they climbed the steps, reaching Puunlo at the opening of a terrace framed by velvet-feathered curtains. Leirgab thought to himself, The view actually is worth the climb. Walking past the entry, there were a few tables, all with a decent overlook of Paradise. Puunlo guided them to a table nearest the bar. “Brings us some drinks,” he said, motioning to the servant beside him. The barkeep pushed three mugs of anticipated salty dog slosh toward the servant.

  “I wanted to show you what had become of Paradise.” The servant provided their drinks. “A toast to old times.” Puunlo raised his mug. “Barench za Capitec,” they said in unison as their mugs clinked.

  Brave to the end. That was what was established across the lands as Barench za Capitec. The newly formed phrase was the saying that reminded everyone of the freedom that fell before them. It was then known that anyone who dared challenge the new ruling would be destroyed. When Aiesha and Leirgab were young, there were multiple assassinations of supreme leaders who ruled over the lands. Once they were removed, anyone who dared to step in their place was also assassinated by a rebel empire, the same one that Leirgab’s father fought for in the war. Since then, no one had risen to claim a throne. Puunlo would have loved to take the complete power, but his fear and self-preservation kept him to his small village in the sky. Now the Jags sought to build an empire to rule the lands, creating fear to rule all, without any concern for their own assassination.

  Aiesha sipped and stated with sincerity, “It is an amazing change. A pleasant surprise at what you have rebuilt.” Before, Paradise was adorned with worn-down flooring and shambled makeshift seating for visitors. It was still considered grand at the time, but that Paradise had certainly seen better days. With the destruction from the Great Abyss, new beginnings for all were set in motion like dawn breaks over a fog-covered land.

  The servant brought another round of slosh. “Much has changed. I had good help from some distant friends,” Puunlo boasted.

  Leirgab scanned the room. The stained-glass windows along the side walls showed a crest of Bastion Puunlo. A soft light scattered on the floor. He glanced at a distant table, suddenly noticing Zuna and Houpor. “So, with this fancy of an area, who all comes around this side?” he asked.

  “Chook hook hook, I don’t think this is fancy, but it is exclusive. My special guests, friends, family, and … let’s see whooo’s here now. The three with gnarly beards at the back are drifters since the Great Abyss—helped rebuild. To the left, you know my auntie and brother. The couple in the corner are special guests like you … let me introduce. Houpor, Zuna, come here,” he bellowed from across the balcony.

  Startled, Houpor and Zuna quickly looked their way. “Come over,” said Puunlo in a louder voice than before. They appeared hesitant as they walked toward the table. “Dear friends, this is Houpor and Zuna. They have traveled a long way, across many lands to visit.”

  “Leirgab, right?” Houpor asked in his gruff voice.

  Leirgab said, “Sure thing, glad to see you remembered.”

  Zuna said with a raised eyebrow, “Not sloshed, I see.”

  Aiesha eyed Zuna and then Leirgab. Introducing herself, she returned her gaze to the special guests. “Aiesha, Staver of the Sloshed,” she said with a wink.

  Houpor chuckled, as Puunlo joined in the exchange with his bellowing laugh. “I’m glad to see you met. Join us at the show for dinner.”

  Aiesha knew this was a statement and not a request.

  Zuna was swift to say, “We’d be delighted to join the table with our newfound friends.”

  Leirgab corrected her. “Long-lost friends,” referencing their brief discussion of the Great Abyss during their late-morning encounter. Zuna smiled wryly with a flicker of annoyance in her eyes. Aiesha, feeling the tense but awkward presence, slammed the rest of her slosh.

  In the distance, she heard the sound of rhythmic drums. She noticed Houpor’s ears twitch as well. Soon the sounds were joined by wooden chimes. Gander appeared from nowhere and annou
nced, “The arrival of Aboriginal du Gutard has begun. Bastion Puunlo and guests, please follow me to your tiered balcony for the start of the performance.” Aiesha sighed, realizing she had been on high alert since the sighting of Jags.

  Puunlo jumped from his chair, flitting about with the excitement of a young lad. Zuna and Houpor followed in a more orderly manner as Leirgab and Aiesha casually clamored behind, singing a chant from their past, “’Tis the show, ’tis the show, with wild dress for all to crow. ’Tis the show … we must a’go!”

  They were seated at a crescent table, allowing for each to view the show as well as engage in chatter. Puunlo, overbearing the middle third of the table, spread his old wings to rest as he prepared to dig into the meal. The beginnings of a feast laid out in front of them: rolled rose petal noodles with powdered greens, wicked tuna, and slippery eel steamed the air like breath on a cold day.

  As they started to enjoy the morsels, the crowds of visitors filled the seats, and rhythmic music grew closer. Houpor, first to engage in conversation since the arrival of food, asked, “So, how long have you all been good friends with Puunlo?”

  Leirgab answered with a mouth full of crunchy wicked tuna. “We lived here some time before the Great Abyss. Strengthened our dance trade.”

  Puunlo added, “The best dancers since.”

  Aiesha swallowed a bite. Impatient to wait through the casual conversation for pertinent information, she asked, “What brings you about the Paradise?”

  Zuna answered, “Puunlo invited us along. We consider this to be a safe haven.”

  “You helped me stay in touch with the universe,” said Puunlo.

  Zuna softly giggled. “You could say this is our way of hiding from the universe, Puunlo.”

  “Chook hook hook,” laughed Puunlo as food sprayed from his beak.