Page 47 of Abalim

“Exile?” Maelani’s mother frowned with a sharp whistle. “They threatened you with exile?”

“That, and worse.” Dravik put a hand on his mother’s shoulder. “But Maelani and I found others who agreed with us that things with the Ritual have to change.” The brightness in his eyes dimmed. “Too bad everyone who did that is stuck here with us now.”

“Why do you think they don’t want you to see or speak to the elders? Did you threaten to keep them from attending the ritual?” Abalim had to ask. It was a question that had bothered him for quite some time now.

“No, not at first. It wasn’t until they told us we had to stay away did Dravik and I plan to take away ma-mere and anyone else who didn’t want to be a part of the ritual.” Maelani sat next to her mother and put her arm through her mother’s, leaning her head against Alaria’s shoulder. “That’s what we were trying to do when the guards captured us.”

Alaria snorted with a whistle. “Ever since Tharion and Nyvira took over the council, they have refused to let the selection process of the ritual happen as it had for generations. They were the ones who declared all elders had to take part, no exceptions. And I can only think of one explanation for this change.” Her lips flattened with a flat whistle. “Power.” She glanced at the other elders in the room. “Tharion and Nyvira have always acted like they were better than anyone else. It got worse when the council leaders perished in the last Ritual of Renewal. Since then, those two seized power and changed so many things in Aroonshire.”

“If you could stop the ritual, would you?” Abalim twined his fingers through Lisa’s. He wanted to hear how the group felt about the ancient tradition in their small village. It would be fruitless to intervene if these Lumarians weren’t open to stopping it. As the old saying went, it didn’t take a majority to make rebellion, it only took a few determined leaders.

Dravik snorted with loud clicks. “Anyone with half a brain would know the ritual hasn’t been working lately.” He pointed to the blackened and gray roof of the small hut. “Everything around us is disintegrating faster than ever before. It used to be we only conducted the ritual every other generation. But ever since that last ritual provided no relief, those two declared we have no choice but to sacrifice as many as we can.” He glanced at his sister and the other younger ones in the room. “Even those of us in childbearing years.”

“That is so,” Maelani chimed in. “And who knows if it’ll work or not? The rot is spreading faster and deeper. Everyone is terrified it won’t help, no matter what we do.”

“That is so. Our village is dying.” The elder Zylar’s announcement caused more in the small crowd to weep. “We don’t know if our sacrifice will help at all. If all the plants and animals die, so will we.” He gave a deep garbled whistle. “We tried to convince Tharion and Nyvira to search for a different way, but they refuse to even consider it.” He swung his hand in the air as if to emphasize his point. “There has to be a different way to appease Echovara!”

Alaria’s bright eyes dimmed with a tinge of yellow.

Abalim’s mouth soured when a sense of her sorrow swamped through him.

“To answer your question”—she stated—“yes, we should do everything in our power to stop the ritual. It may be the only way to save our people.”

Chapter Ten

Withnothingelsetosay, the group sat on the floor and leaned against the hut wall. Most of the Lumarians’ postures were slumped in defeat while Maelani and Dravik spoke in low tones with their mother.

Abalim meant to ask JR15 to do some recon work outside the hut, but the vines over the entrance were whisked open with a dramatic swirl.

In walked Tharion and Nyvira with a group of guards behind them, pointing spears at those in the hut.

“Get up!” Tharion commanded with a flourish of his open hand. “Echovara will no longer be denied!”

The bewildered expressions on the captive Lumarians’ faces probably matched Abalim’s.

“It’s not dusk yet!” Maelani exclaimed, standing. She grasped her mother’s hand and pulled her close.

Abalim held Lisa’s hand as they stood with the group.

Nyvira tilted her chin up with a regal sneer crossing her thin mouth. “Since we are offering such a large group, we have to start now.”

Sniffles and moans from the captives lessened and were replaced by growls and loud clicks that rebounded in the small space.

“We demand the Right of Ascension.” Dravik stepped forward.

“Denied.” Nyvira gave him a scathing glare. She humphed and spun around with her head high.

With a sneer, Tharion followed. “Bring them.” He glanced over his shoulder. “If they resist, blast them unconscious and carry them.”

“Everyone must follow so no one gets hurt.” Abalim put a hand on Maelani’s shoulder. “I promise we’ll figure something out.”

Maelani’s dull eyes simmered brighter before she nodded. She turned and whispered to Dravik, who whispered in a stern tone for the group to cooperate.

A few grumbles, but everyone fell in line and walked out of the hut.

The guards kept a tight ring around them.

Abalim squinted when they went from the dim hut interior to the bright sunshine. Even though it was filtered through the leaves of the gigantic trees, it was easy to see the sun had traveled down the skyline on its journey to end the day.

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