Kartega

It had seemed the queen’s stories of the Al’iil were nothing but exaggerated tales to bend the truth to her will. From what Sid could gather in the days she had spent with them thus far, the Al’iil were a strong and kind people that devoted their life to following the old ways of the star. She couldn’t imagine anyone from the group she’d met thus far being able to rise to anger that would result in the kind of horror she’d heard Ashlan describe. Whoever these residents of the jungle were, she liked them quite a bit.

Was it possible that ripping out the chips had created an entire new species of star natives? Ones that didn’t fit into any of the molds the humans brought with them when they landed on the star? Sid’s stomach fluttered at the thought of fitting in with them, of spending her days with a group that didn’t carry the heavy burden of the domes and towers. Things were black and white out in the jungle, you either survive and pay respect to the star or you don’t. There were none of the grey areas that troubled the Citizens and Domers, no one or the other. If you were Al’iil, then that is all you were. There was no going back once a chip was removed and the magic flooded the system again. Sid could see the effects as clear as day in every Al’iil she met; their bodies glowing with the pulsing of the magic’s current. Even the children, un-chipped like her, had some magic in them. Though too young to be of any real use, the glow around them suggested a future generation of powerful people. A generation not unlike the one that greeted the queen’s mother when she first stepped foot on the star’s native soil.

Sid had spent most of her time shadowing Tazmin in visiting the surrounding huts and caring for the children. The high priestess made several rounds throughout the day, walking from hut to hut with two warriors at her side. When Sid asked her why a ruler would need to be so accessible, Tazmin only shrugged, saying she had no intent to rule — only to lead.

The differences between her and Leona were immeasurable.

Aside from their general appearance, Sid found that the high priestess showed no need to command her people. In fact, she spent most of her time hearing their requests and entertaining their questions. Though Sid couldn’t understand most of the conversations, she started to pick up a few words in the old tongue; most of which had something to do with food, her favorite topic since landing on the star.

Though the variety of foods the Al’iil foraged in the jungle was not nearly as complex as the meals she’d had in the domes and city, Sid much preferred their manner of eating and preparing those meals. Each night, contributions were brought in from every hut and after a blessing from the high priestess, the Al’iil joined in casting their energy into a communal fire before commencing to cook. Sid was lost when she first saw the ritual take place, asking Tazmin about it but the high priestess only nudged her closer to the fire and nodded. Taking this as a sign to join, Sid let her own magic escape into the bright yellow phosphoresce that hovered above the ground.

There were no words to describe it. Nothing in her entire life had ever centered Sid more than throwing her magic in with others like her. It was as if everything she had that was unique flowed out of her veins, mingled and then returned to her. Changed. She felt like a more complete version of herself, a stronger version.

“We are one but we are many,” Tazmin whispered behind her with a smile. And Sid nodded back because she truly understood. The Al’iil were united. Not just by the markings they shared — the etchings on their skin that paid respect to the star they lived on — but by so much more. They worked as a united front; a community that would sacrifice for one another if needed.

On the days when Tazmin left her to her own devices, Sid filled her schedule by helping with hut maintenance and tending to the herds of Tecken that passed through the camp. She quickly realized that her years of fixing the ship came in handy and the Al’iil seemed grateful for the help. Some of the women snuck gifts into the hut she shared with the beasts; intricately woven tunics and jewels carved from tree bark. She thanked them, collecting the pieces under the blankets she used for a bed but never took to changing from her suit. She felt grateful for the simple act of having given it a good wash, refusing to part with an article of clothing that felt like second skin to her.

After five days with the Al’iil, Sid was surprised when the high priestess called for her to join them in their training, a private ritual she had not yet been privy to. She had assumed that a hut would be set up for just this instance but Tazmin and the four warriors called for the Tecken, climbing onto their backs with ease. Despite her last ride, Sid was not as graceful as the rest at mounting her beast. A few failed attempts and arm flails later, she was atop the animal’s back and following closely behind the group.

They rode through the jungle for hours, until Sid could barely feel her behind from the bumpy terrain. When Tazmin finally raised her hand to signal the group to stop, she nearly plummeted from the beast’s back, eager for the feeling of using her legs again.

“This is it,” Tazmin said, effortlessly dismounting from her Tecken.

“Where exactly is ‘it’?” Sid asked.

She hadn’t seen much of the jungle aside from her initial trip into the city and the tear-stained run back to her pod. This part was something different entirely. If you glanced over it, the river’s adjacent hillside didn’t look much different from the rest of the wilderness. The same trees covered in the same vines overbearing the same mossy ground. But if you looked closely, really looked, you’d notice the glow of each leaf as it rustled in the wind. You’d see the sparks dancing between the outstretched tree branches when they grazed the purple grass below. You’d hear the low electrical hum of the water.

“What is it?”

“This,” Tazmin stretched out her arms, “is Kartega.”

“Kartega?” Sid asked, the multicolored glimmer of the jungle reflecting in her eyes. “What’s a Kartega?”

The warriors chuckled gruffly and started to unload the packs resting on their beasts’ backs.

“Kartega is not a what, Stardaughter. It is more of a where.”

“And where is it, exactly?” She looked around, trying to find something to help her pinpoint the location. The ring was right above their heads so she had an estimated time of day, just past noon, but that was about it.

“It is everywhere, it is in everything.”

“What does that mean?” Sid was even more confused now than before, the continuous laughter from the warriors as they unpacked did not help. She shot them an acidic glare but that only made them laugh harder.

Tazmin stood beside her and rested a strong hand on her shoulder. “Before the humans came to this star and polluted it with their machinery and toys, we lived in tune with the star’s magic. It gave to us and we gave to it. After the arrival of the human race, everything changed. They couldn’t use the star’s magic so they used us instead. We helped them power their ring with our magic; magic stolen from the star. Most of the jungle has been drained dry by now but there are still parts that lay untouched. The parts that we, the Al’iil, feed with our abilities as best we can. Parts like this one here. It is where our magic is strongest.”

“So Kartega is a part of the jungle?”

“No, Stardaughter, Kartega is the jungle. It is the river and the trees. Kartega is the star.”

Sid replayed the history lessons in her mind, but not one mentioned anything about the star being renamed. Though why would that be mentioned in history texts written by the humans? It made sense if she thought about it. Neostar. New. As in built over something old. Something that already had a name and a way of existing. One more lie! Good going, Colton!

Sid spotted a pair of glowing green eyes shining behind one of the trees.

“What do you call that?” She asked, pointing to the small creature with a skinny tail longer than its body and a head covered in red fur and brown spots. The creature blinked once and cocked its head to look at her.

“That is a Qualin, very harmless.”

“Kel tok manna selitek,” one of the warriors added and the rest of them laughed.

“What did he say?”

“He said they’re not so harmless when they bite through your leg.”

“Wait, what?” She looked back at the creature and wondered how something that small could hurt anyone the size of the warrior. As the thought tickled the edges of her mind, one of the warriors tossed a boiled frigger egg in the creature’s direction. The small animal leaped from its hiding spot and twisted in the air, its tail wrapping around the egg to catch it before it hit the ground again. When it landed, it stretched its already long snout and opened its mouth to reveal three rows of sharp, pointed teeth all the same green color as its eyes. Sid watch in horror as the creature bit down on the egg, snapping it in half before swallowing the pieces whole. “Stardamn! That thing is running on full blast.”

“Why don’t you try calling it over?” Tazmin said, her lips curled at the edges.

“That thing? No, thank you. I’d like to keep my limbs intact.”

Maybe this is what got that guard’s arms back in the day.

“Trust in me,” Tazmin said and lowered her palm to the ground, “like this.”

With hesitation, Sid lowered to her knees and placed her palm on the ground next to the high priestess. “That’s it?”

“Now, give it your magic.”

“Give what my magic?” Sid was getting annoyed with the high priestess. She was trying to understand but it was difficult to do when the woman was adamant about speaking in code.

“Kartega,” Tazmin said and closed her eyes.

Sid looked down at her hand and noticed the glow around her intensify. Her markings slithered again and Sid could see the priestess’s magic begin to flow, crawling through her arm in the direction of the ground. Finally understanding, Sid willed her own magic to respond, directing it into the ground to mimic the high priestess. She felt a prickle on her skin when the energy collided with the solid surface. Slowly, the star caught the strands of electricity she was projecting and pulled. Lightly, at first, then hungrily, like a starving child at a mother’s bosom. Sid wanted to pull her hand back but Tazmin steadied her with a comforting palm.

So she stayed.

Stayed until the star drank what it needed. Stayed until the ground around her glowed and sparked. Stayed until she herself starting to glow in return and the small creature crawled to her with inquisitive eyes. It hovered low to the ground at first, then as it reached the circle of magic she had electrified, it stood up on its hind legs and hopped onto her shoulder. Its nose nestled into her neck and she could feel the wetness of it cover her skin.

Sid laughed, tripping over her own legs and falling to the ground. The creature, startled, hopped onto her chest and glared. She stretched her palm out and it opened its jaw slightly. For a moment, Sid wanted to pull back, worried she’d end up being the next meal it had. Her worry cut short when the creature shoved its small face in hers and licked her cheek.

She was still laughing when Tazmin stood over her and shooed the Qualin away. The animal hesitantly climbed off Sid’s chest and scurried back into the abyss of the jungle.

“What was that?” She asked, brushing remnants of jungle off her back and legs. “It felt incredible!”

“That was your own magic, nothing more.”

“It felt like much more than just my magic. I’ve never felt that much power before!”

“Your power comes from Kartega and Kartega’s gifts are plentiful,” Tazmin said and Sid nodded, coming to terms with the vague information she’d learned to expect from the high priestess.

“So what else can it do?”

“Well, Stardaughter, that is exactly what we are here to show you.”

Tazmin stepped aside and gestured to the warriors who had gathered in a circle around a large tree. They knelt, connecting their own magic to the ground beneath and chanted words Sid could not make out. She tried to unravel a few of the words she’d learned but gave up quickly, choosing to concentrate on the wonder that formed before her.

As the warriors chanted louder, their magic moved through their bodies, ripening the markings on their skin into fire hot veins. She could see the glowing circle surrounding them grow and rise, larger and brighter until it encapsulated them in a bubble of electrical sparks. Their magic soared through the air, pushing its way to the tree in their center. Once their forces met, the sparks flew sharply in all directions and Sid had to duck as bolt of lightning rushed by her, nearly slicing her neck.

“What are they doing?” She whispered but Tazmin shook her head, urging her to stay silent.

Her heart beat sporadically and she gasped as the warriors stood tall, raising their arms high and with them, the tree.

It shook and rumbled, the heavy trunk ripping from the ground, its massive roots wriggling in midair. Each root was electrified with the warriors’ magic and each one moved as if it had life of its own.

In her peripheral, she could see sets of eyes glowing in the jungle. First one pair, then two, then more than she could count from where she was standing. Her hand covered her mouth to stifle a scream as the roots shot out into the depths of the jungle, further than her eyes could follow. Screeches echoed in the distance, followed by the scuffling of small feet. The warriors chanted louder, their voices overpowering the chaos that ensued around them.

She didn’t know what was happening but whatever it was, it didn’t sound good.

Before she could scream for them to stop, the roots shot back into the circle’s center, each end wrapped around a different Qualin’s neck.

“No!” Sid yelled but it was too late.

The tree’s roots slithered back under ground, carrying the creatures with them. The warriors chanting slowed and the tree thudded back into the space it once occupied.

Silence followed.

The jungle was so quiet that even the river seemed to have stopped flowing.

Sid ran to the warriors, picking the one closest to her as she drove her small fists into his chest. “Why? Why did you do that?” She screamed, beating his chest over and over again. Tears covered her face and she could barely see but she continued to pummel him. Every hit getting weaker until she was slouched at the warrior’s feet, unable to breathe.

“It is the way of the star,” Tazmin knelt next to her. “Do not shed tears for the Qualin. Their sacrifice feeds the thing that gives them life. Their magic feeds our magic.”

“That is disgusting! How can you allow that? You who are so against what Leona is doing to our people? You’re exactly like her!”

The high priestess raised her hand and Sid shielded herself from an oncoming slap but it never came. When she opened her eyes, Tazmin was pointing up to the tree. She followed her finger, her sight still blurry from the cries and gasps.

The tree, that was dry and barren before, was covered in small, red fruit. And on its branches, tearing at the fruit and eating it faster than was likely healthy, were dozens of Qualin.

“If it was not for the sacrifice of the few, the many would go hungry and die.”

A sob caught in her throat but she didn’t let it escape.

“Do you understand now, Stardaughter?”

She nodded but her teeth grit against each other because she didn’t understand at all. What the Al’iil were doing wasn’t any different than the ring or the domes or anything else that plagued her dreams at night. Everything on this star was a sacrifice. Sid had felt the magic of Kartega in her blood, felt its power. How can something so powerful let itself be used as an excuse for such violence? She doubted Kartega craved the lives of the Qualin or any other creature the Al’iil served up. Stars weren’t ruthless and blood-thirsty. Stars weren’t anything at all. Whatever beliefs Tazmin and her people followed, it was nothing more than close-minded opinions. Just one side of a story no one bothered to question.

The Qualin above her chittered in excitement, their sharp teeth tearing into fruit after fruit. Some were gathering batches and carrying them off into the distance, to feed others in their flock she assumed. She looked to the high priestess, the satisfaction in her eyes turning her stomach to knots. She was not like her. She couldn’t be. There were no answers for her here, the Al’iil were just another group she didn’t belong to.

“Would you like to learn?” Tazmin asked with pride. As though killing was a skill that Sid should be grateful for.

“No. Not that.”

The high priestess frowned, “What would you like us to teach you?”

“Teach me how to be strong. Teach me how to control my power.”

A hand stretched her way, one of the warriors offering to help her up. She instantly recognized him as the warrior guarding the beast hut when she awoke. She took his hand and stood with them. Her legs wanted to flee. To feel the weight shift from leg to leg as she took her body and her mind away from the Al’iil and their sacrifices. But they had power that she did not and she wanted to know what this energy locked within her could be capable of. Because if she could learn that, she might be able to find a way to help all of them. To help right the wrongs of all the people she was nothing like.

So she stayed and let them teach her their ways. Despite her aching heart and her tear-stained face. She stayed because sometimes, a heart that broke was the strongest heart of all.