Page 40 of Synodic

Entirely mesmerized by the enchanting beauty all around me, I jerked to a stop, noticing soft globes of light floating above the ground. The spherical lanterns bobbed gently in the air as if votives on the ocean.

“What are those?” I asked wide-eyed and disbelieving, waving my hand under one of the levitating devices. I may have accepted the ludicrous idea that my dreams were real, but seeing something defy all gravity and logic still had the ability to shock me.

“These are luminorbs. They soak up the light of the sun during the day to provide us with sight in the darkness. Do you not have these where you’re from?” he asked in surprise, as though they were as common as light switches.

“Definitely not,” I huffed a laugh, unable to tear my eyes from the soft-lit orbs.

Ven drew my attention to a tucked-away path of white pebbled stones over clear blue water. “That’s the way to the Sacred Vale,” he said, his eyes squinting from the sun’s reflection. “It’s where you will meet with the Summit.”

Surrounded by lush greenery and the strange translucent plants native to Luneth, the floating path called to me like a siren’s song. I desperately wanted to know what lay beyond the bend of the watery walkway.

Nepta mentioned I needed to meet with their Summit and that they would determine my fate here with the Wyn people, but Graem had shown up, causing me to miss the engagement.

“What sort of things do they discuss?” I asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible, hoping to get a better picture of what to expect when I inevitably meet them. I had never been great at interviews and could scarcely imagine meeting the Summit of an entire village. It was daunting, to say the least.

“Ever since Rowen found you, you’re all they have been talking about,” he stated matter-of-factly as he picked up a round grey rock from the ground. He handed it to me, pointing out the hollowed center filled with tiny sparkling nodules that glittered in my hand like a star.

“It’s lovely,” I said, my fingers lightly tracing over the precious stones. The young boy took delight in my reaction, then removed the geode from my hands and placed it back where he found it. “Do you know what they’re saying about me?"

“Nepta says you could be nothing more than a failed prophecy, twenty years too late. The village is on edge and wants to know why you’re here.” He stood up and scrunched his face, looking at me as if I had all the answers.

My throat constricted. I’d only just got here, but somehow I already cared deeply for the Wyn people. “I wish I knew. But something called me here, and it seems pretty adamant that I stay.” It was a feeble answer, but it was all I had.

I was relieved he didn’t press me for more as he said, “The look on people’s faces when you finally entered our village and happened to be a girl!”

“What’s wrong with me being a girl?” I asked defensively. This village couldn’t have backward notions; their leader was a woman.

“Oh, nothing! We just heard so much about a Synodic Son that you showing up instead of him wasn’t exactly what everyone was expecting,” he replied with his big contagious smile.

Talking to Ven felt natural, easy—like the sibling I never had but desperately wanted, and I found I greatly enjoyed this kid’s company.

We continued walking through the lush maze of pathways and homes. Heads turned everywhere we went as Ven introduced me to some of the villagers. Most nodded politely, some smiled at our passing, while others seemed worried or apprehensive. I couldn’t blame them, they wanted to know why I was here, and honestly, I was just as curious.

The answer itched uncomfortably at the recesses of my mind, hidden deep within the shadows of grey matter, and even though my darkness had cleared, a pall still lingered in my memories. Before I could grasp what lay just beyond my reach, a massive white wolf came bounding around one of the homes, charging right toward us.

Without a second thought, I threw myself over Ven, shielding him from the fanged beast. I slammed my eyes shut, bracing for the stabbing pain of sharp teeth and razor claws. But the attack never came, and Ven laughed as he pushed out of the measly protection of my arms. He knelt before the wolf and scratched the thick hair behind its perked ears.

“It’s only Sabra, my she-wolf,” he said, pushing his nose deep into her snowflake-white fur that billowed like a field of wheat in the wind. Her eyes were the most piercing shade of amber, and she gazed into my soul as only an utterly wild thing can.

I offered her the back of my hand, making sure not to move a muscle as her shiny wet nostrils inhaled my scent. Her powerful sense of smell deemed me acceptable, and I gave her a good scratch behind the ear just as Ven had.

“I found her…well, she found me when she was just a pup.”

I bent down before her and showered her with more pets and scratches. She preened and panted, loving the attention. “She is absolutely magnificent.”

“She is, and she knows it,” Ven said adoringly as he stood up next to his majestic white wolf. They were quite a pair; the sweetly seated beast and standing young man. “Let’s head over to the warrior’s training grounds,” he said with a mischievous glint in his eye, “I think you’ll like it.”

17

The training grounds were off to the far side of the village. The space was long yet ample and allowed for archery as well as spear and dagger throwing.

A few warriors were training in knife combat, honing and sharpening their skills with what looked to be jabbing and feigning exercises.

Suddenly, a gleam slashed through the air and caught my attention.

A woman my age with a long silver ponytail was in the thick of a practice battle against a man slightly larger than herself. I was mesmerized by her strength, litheness, and agility. Her strikes were exact and unforgiving, deadly like a cobra.

Darting, thrusting, and arcing into fierce blow after fierce blow, her partner could do nothing but retreat with each precise attack. Her hair whipped through the air like a second dagger, looking like it could slice just as easily too. There was barely a flush upon her light brown complexion with moonlit undertones.

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