Cities of Power Ch. 06

"You know he is the one?" Mica asked. His thought had been that Cobalt would lead, as always. "You have not yet met my eldest brother."

"Nothing is certain, but it is my belief that he has the capacity and strength for the task," she smiled shyly and tore her eyes away from where Flint sat. "Perhaps it is just my thinking, but I believe he is the one in here," she put her hand to her chest.

"I know, I have the same feeling," Trix put her hand to her chest and smiled at Jade. "Thank you for helping us."

"It is my role in the making of a new world," Jade said softly. "Be well, Katrix." The healer moved away allowing Talon access to his love again.

"Can you hear me?" Judah asked.

"Of course, I can," Trix turned her head to look at the man.

"No one else could because I am speaking only in your mind," he chuckled as she looked around and saw the others frowning at her.

"Of course, you can what?" Talon asked.

"I can hear when people talk to me," she frowned. "Judah spoke. You heard him, didn't you?"

"No, he never said a word," Talon looked at her with concern.

"I will explain, but you must remain silent for now," Judah said in her mind again and she nodded. "We will have time to talk very soon."

"I'm sorry, my head hurts a little, maybe I just need a little water and some rest," she whispered, squeezing his hand. "I will be fine, I promise, I'm just a little confused, that's all."

"I'll get you water," Mica offered, and went to the sideboard pouring cool water into a large goblet. Something had shifted within him, and, while he had not become feint as his siblings did, he felt sick in the pit of his stomach and his hands shook. He took a deep breath and steadied himself before turning back to the room.

"Okay, I get the gist of it, oath, spell, bound together," he said finally. "Does someone want to tell me the whole story and why I feel like puking now?"

*****

Sirrus stood in the doorway and watched as Aurora charmed his mother. Like him she had the mind of a diplomat, always seeing the best way to handle difficult people and situations. He knew that she praised him as a warrior and a diplomat to his mother, but also that she secretly whispered her respect for Clove and that she had followed her heart even though it led her to an uncertain future.

Had anyone suggested that he would be betrothed to the only daughter of the house of Hawk before now he never would have believed it possible. She was beautiful and smart and talented and, despite his misgivings, she claimed to love him enough to want to make a life with him and join the ruling council of air, as was the right of both of their families.

Aurora's mother, Zephyr, was overjoyed at the prospect of having Sirrus join their house. His close friendship with Talon had made him instantly a prize for her daughter, as Talon did not make friends or trust people easily. It was she who had forged the agreement between the families, getting first her husband to agree and then Gale of the house Falcon. Wisp, however, would need special care if this marriage was to heal the rift between the two high houses of the air clan.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, mother, but I need to speak with Aurora, if I may," Sirrus finally interrupted the hushed conversation.

"Aurora has invited me to lunch with her mother tomorrow to discuss wedding plans," Wisp looked up at her son as he entered the room.

"Whatever will make Aurora happy is perfectly fine with me," Sirrus said magnanimously. "I am a lucky man and I know it," he smiled widely at both women.

"I think I am the lucky one, but you are right, weddings are women's business. All you will have to do is be there at the appointed time and make your oath before the Justice and the entire Air clan." Aurora laughed.

"The entire air clan?" Sirrus gulped loudly.

"Well, maybe not all, but most," she teased and kissed his cheek, making Wisp laugh. "We can discuss it while you walk me home."

"As you wish, my lady," Sirrus bowed his head as she grinned at him.

"And that is why I love him. I will see you tomorrow," Aurora farewelled Wisp with a wide smile and let Sirrus escort her out.

"That seemed to be going well," Sirrus commented as they left the apartment.

"Why wouldn't it?" Aurora asked. "I understand women like your mother. Now what was so important you interrupted such a delicate negotiation, my love?"

"I need to go out again," he said, bracing himself for her disapproval.

"You have no bike, you let Mica take it," she said logically.

"I will be borrowing one," he admitted.

"Take mine, Talon had Mica work on it, so it is trustworthy and fast," she instructed in her no nonsense way.

"Hmm, not the reaction I expected," Sirrus mused.

"You wouldn't be going unless it was important," she stopped walking and turned to look at him. "Unlike my brother, you don't just ride for the sake of riding. If you tell me you have to go out then I trust that you have a very good reason, and I am hoping that reason is to bring my brother home in time for our wedding."

"I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I promise to do my best to make you happy forever," Sirrus grinned and kissed her. "You are an amazing woman."

"That's right, and don't you ever forget it," she laughed. "Just promise you won't be gone too long and that you will try to get Talon and the girl he loves to come back with you," she said.

"I promise I won't be gone any longer than absolutely necessary. As for Talon, has anyone ever successfully made him do anything he didn't want to do?" Sirrus asked.

"Point taken. But you will try, won't you?" she asked in a wheedling voice.

"Seriously?" he raised an eyebrow at her

"It was worth a shot," she laughed and took his arm, continuing to walk. "But try, and I mean use ever power of persuasion you have to get him back here in time, and take my bike, it's as good as Talon's, if not better."

"Okay," he conceded, worried that her bike would be more feminine that he would like.

"You are amazing," Sirrus said as she slipped into her room and got the key for him to unlock the garage where her bike was stored. "I will return as soon as possible," he promised and kissed her good bye.

Sirrus made his way to Mica's rooms where he knew Edge and Venn would be waiting. It had been three days and they had received no word from either Mica or Talon, and the elementals had lost their essence on the far side of the bandit village. What he hadn't expected was that Bay, Koalin and Char would be there as well.

"I don't think they will be happy with a show of force," Sirrus said, stopping to look at the three warriors.

"I invited them," Venn said. "This place is ready for civil war, and the only thing holding it together at the moment is the fact that the ruling houses of each clan have been brought together by their sons. Hawk, Faren, Lake and Wilde are all in agreement for the first time in an age.

"We are all part of this prophecy, along with the Hawk and the Unicorn," Kaolin murmured.

"To not include us now could be misinterpreted and undo all the good work our fathers have put into putting down the uprisings within our clans. Unless, of course, you believe air is superior," Char challenged.

"That's an unfair question. I am air, of course I think my clan is better than yours," Sirrus pulled a face at Char and chuckled. "Just as you all are loyal to your clans.

"That's just it," Bay finally spoke from where he sat beside Venn. "Talon didn't ever think or speak that way. He treated us all as equals. That's why we all ride with him and extend our loyalty beyond clan boarders to him."

"I have never felt as if I wasn't his equal," Venn said pointedly. As a free man he lived a very different life to the privileged first families, and Sirrus finally got the point they were making and realised a glaring deficiency in his own personality.

"Your clans know you ride today?" Sirrus asked carefully, his smile dropping as he became serious.

"Mine insisted, we bear the burden that Glow gave us until the Hawk and his Unicorn return," Char nodded.

"For us it's the burden of Tide's actions which started the chain of events," Bay said. "Not that it matters, I would have been here anyway, I had to sneak past Eddy though, he's going to be pissed I left him behind."

"I like hanging out with you guys," Kaolin shrugged. "No other agenda, just a fun ride and a bit of adventure," he gave them a rare grin, and they all looked at him, startled in silence. "What?" he chuckled, "I can relax, on occasion."

"Yeah, but we've never seen it before," Char laughed and slapped the earth warrior on the back. "Let's have some fun together this time around."

"We'll bring him back with us, Mason. You and Mica are Phoenix now, and he is just as important to us as our other friends," Sirrus said, quietly having taken what warriors said to heart about treating people as equals.

*****

Twelve warriors sat on their bikes looking over the grassy mounds and small hills in the last place that Talon and Mika's life essence had been felt. When they had ridden out of Phoenix Sirrus found that none of the original quorum were happy about being left behind and had come together and made their own plans to join the quest to find Talon again. Only Glow had not joined them, but a fire elemental had ridden with them to add her gift of sight to the search.

A lone man they hadn't noticed before approached them from a stand of dying trees and hailed them from a distance.

"Well met, warriors of Phoenix," he called. "Who leads this quorum?"

"Talon of House Hawk," Kaolin stepped from his bike and walked towards the man. "I am Kaolin of Wilde and I seek the one who led us to this place," he said formally.

"But you are already thirteen without him," Samael smiled. "Who leads this quorum?"

"There are but twelve," Kaolin asserted, confused by the man's words.

"Which is it, fire elemental? Do you hide the intentions of the thirteenth rider, or are your powers too weak to know she is there?" Samael called and pointed to a small hill a small distance to the west.

The elemental looked off into the distance and found Glow hiding and watching. She sent a snap of sizzling white fire at the girl who screamed and clutched her head as Char and Ember rode toward her.

"My apologies," Pyre said to the group. "I am not used to riding for so long and my energies were directed toward the bike. I did not sense her presence."

"There is a small wood over the small hill to the north east of here," Samael instructed. "You may camp there, and if the moon is full and you have your wits you may just see an elusive unicorn."

"He found what he was looking for?" Sirrus asked carefully.

"Do not dally here, for this is not the place for Hawk's men to nest," Samael said. "Your answers await you in the small wood."

"We'll keep her with us tonight and send her home in the morning," Char spoke to the group as they mounted their bikes. "I'd like a volunteer to ride with Ember and escort Glow home in the morning, please."

"I'll go," Edge said. "The air clan will be glad to know that nothing untoward has happened. Once we speak with Talon and be sure of that I will ride."

"I'll go," Briny said, and was immediately joined by Vale.

"It is how it should be," Kaolin nodded. "Working together for the greater good."

The sun was dipping low on the horizon by the time they had skirted the village and made it to the small wood. The smell of smoke and the crackle of a camp fire made them cautious as they hid their bikes in the undergrowth and approached the clearing in the middle of the wood.

"Twelve warriors creeping through the trees make more noise than a stampede of cattle," Mica drawled as the first warriors came into view. Then he was grabbed up into a tight bear hug as Edge laughed loudly.

"Shit, it's good to see you!" Edge finally put him down and, still laughing, took a seat, eyeing his two companions. They could be identical, except one looked as if he had been suffering from a long drawn out illness that had sapped his strength and the light from his eyes.

Sirrus introduced each of the warriors and Mica likewise introduced his brothers. There was general idle chatter amongst the group as they settled in for the evening and discovered a keg of Beer the brothers had brought with them.

"So, this is what happens when I am not around to supervise you all," Talon chuckled as he wandered into the camp holding the hand of a petite young woman while shepherding another young woman dressed in green.

"It's good to see you, my friend," Kaolin stood and clasped Talon's hand, pulling him close to bump shoulders in the way of warriors. "This must be the mythical Unicorn we have all searched for." He looked down at Trix and smiled.

"I'm sorry I put you all to so much trouble," Trix immediately apologised to the whole group. "My brother ensured I was quite safe and found Talon again." She smiled at Flint who looked pale in the moonlight. Jade moved from Talon's side toward Flint and passed him a cup of herbal tea laced with a sedative to ease the pain he still felt having such a strong link wrenched from his mind.

"Let me be the first to offer you a debt of gratitude," Kaolin said directly to Flint. "Had you not moved so quickly we perhaps would not all be gathered here in friendship and celebration. If it is in my power, ask and it should be yours," Kaolin said seriously.

"Are you of the Air clan?" Flint asked carefully, not wanting to insult the warrior.

"No, I am of the Earth," Kaolin frowned, wondering why he would ask the question.

"Would you allow me to work on your bike and improve it to show my little brother that despite his love of technology he is wrong about the materials? I will make it lighter and faster with the same strength of steel," Flint said confidently.

"You'd come to Phoenix and be our Master metal worker?" Kaolin asked incredulously.

"No, but I may visit, or you could bring your bike to me, it would be worth the ride, I assure you," Flint said earnestly.

"Of that I have no doubt," Kaolin said seriously.

"Father would kill you if you took one of those machines into the forge," Emery said.

"I was thinking it might be time to start my own forge. Cob will take over father's one day, and we can't all live at home for forever," Flint shrugged. As his head had cleared of the unnatural lust that had gripped him he had been able to take in the full extent of the journey he had been on and the joy he had found in being his own man, not the son of Spar.

"Lighter and faster works for me if you will work on all earth bikes," Terra interrupted, coming to stand with Kaolin. "Sometimes the weight of it drags at me," she added.

"I've never designed for a woman before," Flint seemed to consider her. "If Emery will design a slimmer fit I could make it," he considered the problem.

"I'd have to see it and how you sit on it," Emery pulled his lip into his mouth as they considered the proposition. "The physiology is so different. Remember that brace I made for that girl with the curved back?" He asked Flint. "The trouble with women is that they're shaped differently," he mused, looking back up at Terra who was grinning. "Oh, I'm sorry, I mean, I'm very glad women are shaped differently, but..."

"Excuse my brother, Terra, he has a bad habit of putting his foot in his mouth," Mica came to Emery's rescue as Flint chuckled.

Trix stood with Talon, secure in the knowledge that his little wood was protected and that both she and Talon wore amulets of protection. She smiled as she was introduced to the men and women who had searched for her and rode with Talon, and finally he let go of her hand to walk a few steps away with Sirrus. She walked with determination toward the red warriors.

"Hello," she smiled. "I'm sorry, I have forgotten names already. You are Char?" she questioned uncertainly and smiled as he nodded.

"I am Ember, and this is Glow," he pointed to the woman sitting between them with her hands manacled.

"Oh, good, you're exactly who I wanted to talk to. Would you mind if I sat down?" Trix asked in a sweet voice.

"Please," Ember indicated the log beside him.

"Oh, I am sorry, I wasn't very clear. I would like to talk with Glow, please. You need not worry, it is just girl stuff. I don't blame her for what happened to Talon. Neither does he, really, you were all in a bad situation and there was little alternative," she said in her easy accepting way. Ember moved aside allowing Trix to sit beside Glow.

"It's hard to grow up knowing you have little choice about who you will marry or if you will marry at all," Trix sighed. "Especially when you've fallen in love with someone who doesn't even know you exist. I might have done the same thing if the positions were reversed." She said empathetically drawing a gasp from Glow.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Glow whispered.

"I don't blame you. He is handsome and strong and kind. He treats everyone with the respect they deserve, even you. He didn't mean what he said as he was taken away. He was just scared, for me, not himself," Trix looked at Glow and saw the tears. "You did nothing wrong, there is nothing anyone could have done at the time to prevent what happened," Trix said quietly and stood up. "Thank you for allowing me to talk with Glow," she smiled at Ember and Char, who looked at her in amazement. She then walked away to where the one called Sirrus sat in conversation with another warrior.

"Congratulations on your upcoming wedding," she said, genuinely pleased for both himself and Talon, who believed they would be happy together.

"Thank you," he grinned. "She's an amazing girl, you will like her. She is very much like Talon in some ways."

"So, what do you think of the sons of the Hammer and the Jewel?" she asked casually.

"The what?" Sirrus turned to look at her, dumbfounded by the question.

"My father is known as the Hammer of the North and my mother is Opal, his Jewel. My brothers are the sons of the Hammer and the Jewel," she smiled.

"There are three sons?" Sirrus asked incredulously. Trix held up her hand wriggling four fingers. "Four sons!" he exclaimed.

"Would you like to pace?" Trix laughed as she could see the wheels in his brain turning trying to make sense of the fact and marry it to the prophecy.

"What did you do?" Venn asked her, as Sirrus began to pace, walking in a meandering figure eight and stopping to look at her brothers every few steps.

"I gave him a riddle to solve," she giggled and watched the man as he shook his head and continued his pacing until Talon stood in his path and guided him back to where she sat.

"Did you enjoy that?" Talon asked the smirking Trix.

"Oh yes, it was like winding up a clockwork toy and setting it on its path. Can we do it again?" she giggled. "I haven't had this much fun in, well... I don't think I have ever had this much fun!"

"My friends are not your toys to be played with!" he scalded her in a mocking tone.

"I'll stop if you go and talk to Glow. She needs to hear it from you," Trix said seriously.

"Alright," he agreed reluctantly. He had not been looking forward to this part of the evening, but he had promised Trix he would apologise for cursing the red warrior when there was clearly nothing any of them could have done to prevent it.

"Now if you'd like to have a little more fun, Princess," Venn whispered conspiratorially, "Tell me, is Flint as good as he says he is, or is he just teasing Mica?"

"He's even better than that. If you ask Mica he will tell you that Flint is the best of our brothers at metal work. Mica knows technology though," she gave both men credit.

"What about your other brothers? Do they specialise?" Venn asked.