Almakia_The vilashi and the Dragons Read online

  It was one of the oldest buildings, which had been partially destroyed and since then abandoned. With only a part of the dark, muscled walls still standing, large carved stone steps, two empty floors and almost completely invaded by the forest vegetation outside was a perfect shelter for anyone who wanted to be alone and was not afraid of facing some insects and spiders.

  What Garo-lin most liked about this place was the isolation and the landscape, despised by the other students. From there, one did not have the exclusive view of the bustling Fire Capital, but it was possible to distinguish among the trees the road of the steam that followed in the direction of Routes, way to arrive at the Inland Valley. Looking at that horizon was as close as she could be to her house.

  Now, as a fifth grader, she thought that if she could go back in time, when she still had the choice between being ignored and living humbly or trying something better by improving her almaki at the Institute, she would surely close her eyes to the hopeful expressions of the people in her village and say Thank you, but I refuse! Because one thing was right: between living away from almakins snobs being ignored by them and living among almakins snobs being ignored by them, the first choice was definitely the best.

  Her early days were enough for her to understand that she was not welcome. Far from being considered a heroine, as in her Godan village, there she was only a vilashi who had dared to tarnish the respected Institute.

  Being the only one was not synonymous with value. Her appearance denounced her totally, since she was physically different from most almakins by descending of an immigrant people. Compared to the other students, she was small and withered, with black hairs mingled with light brown – as if they were always dirty with dirt, which gave room for the almakin joke that vilashis sprouted from the ground. Her yellow eyes were the most prominent in the whole context, since it was a unique feature of the Vilashi people to which she descended, and there was no one else like that in the Institute.

  Apart from her appearance, she also struggled to control herself and contain the peculiarities that she considered normal, but which were not accepted there. Most of the time, her attitudes were interpreted offensively by the almakins. Godan's vilashis had a simpler way of acting, stronger gestures, and a more prolonged, flawed, and accented way of speaking. Garo-lin had to learn, mainly, not to respond. Although naturally stubborn, being clearly the minority, she should keep her opinions to herself.

  To help, her almaki was not something great and phenomenal enough to make the pure almakins respect her in that respect.

  Despite being a fire handler, the most important of elemental powers, and being in the Fire Capital, her potential was so low that the maximum she was allowed to do fell into the category of servants. Still, even in the simplest of tasks, such as lighting the central fireplace in the girls' dormitory, she needed permission from someone superior. And lighting fireplaces or fire doors – fire containers that were used to illuminate – it was nothing grand as big names of fire handlers could do with a single gesture. She had heard that they could blow up a mountain if it were their will – though she now thinks that these feats were nothing but absurd legends circulating in the isolated villages of the Inland Valley, since she had never seen her masters do anything more than elaborate drawings with flames to impress authorities.

  Even living under restraints, this was not the worst, nor the fact of being despised by the students, ignored by the masters and not having an almaki capable of surprising. There was something that made her wander around the corridors and run away every time there was a racket of students: the Dragons. The title most acclaimed and feared among all the almakins, not only within the Institute but throughout Almakia and beyond. And to her immense misfortune, there were five of them circling the Institute.

  The Five Dragons of the Dul'Maojin Institute were a group formed by the heirs of the most powerful names within the whole Almakia. All of them with distinct souls, but with higher levels than anyone. They were Guardians of a Family Secret, which gave them total authority over the other students and even their masters, so much so that they were allowed to leave the Black Gates whenever they wished. Never in all the Realms History was the record of an almaki representation so strong, and great things were expected of them for the future.

  Descent, power, fame: this was the basic pyramid that held the Dragons. In a few years, what they did would dictate the course of all Almakia. The entire Realm would remain under their names and the entire Royal State would blindly follow its decisions... thinking about a future like that made Garo-lin sick and prefer ignorance, in which she would limit herself to following the noble profession of her family: growing tomatoes.

  Conscious of their high positions, the Dragons did not hesitate to take advantage of them already inside the Black Gates, in the way that suited them. In the very first year of the Institute, they acted as if there were a small reign there, sending and unleashing them according to their wills. They maintained this order during their six years of stay and this dictatorship was not reprimanded by the older ones, supposedly wiser, much less seen with bad eyes by the colleagues. Being a victim of their arrogance was a bit miserable, but even so it was a story to be told for generations. So no one rebelled against their actions and even the idea of rebellion sounded like something absurd.

  Being only inconsiderate in that way, Garo-lin could do nothing but close her eyes, even though her sense of justice, her strongest characteristic, roared inside her demanding that arrangements be made. When she just pulled back and held herself was not enough, she ran away. And she fled that one day she came upon those ruins and adopted them as her refuge. But on that particular day, she had not been so quick. She had been trapped in the dining room queue and witnessed another scene of injustice by the Dragons.

  An unfortunate student had made an unnecessary move by talking to his classmates and had just knocked over a jar of juice. Some students around had their clothes wet and cast angry glances at the cause of the accident. But the biggest problem was when the liquid, which slipped aimlessly across the floor, hit the bar of the Metal Dragon robes, the only girl with the title, Sumerin Gran'Otto.

  It was not necessarily the fault of the sloppy student, because she had entered majestically in the cafeteria and did not notice where she was. But her expression of shock, followed by a shadow of weeping, was enough to mobilize the rest of the Dragons. Without reacting and defending himself, the student only waited for his sentence, when two of them approached, picking jars of juices from the other table. Without any pain, they pushed him to the floor and poured the sweet contents into the boy's head, followed by the containers themselves.

  — I’m sorry – he asked, dripping the juice that ran in the husky form of his hair and making a grimace of pain through the beating of the jar. – I'm so sorry, Metal Dragon. I promise that...

  But he could not finish. The leader of the Dragons approached and, with a gesture, ordered him to stand. Obeying and fearing for what might happen, the student stood up as his knees managed to hold him firmly. The Fire Dragon clenched his fist in front of him and stood that way, as if thinking of the best way to use it. For a moment, Garo-lin held her breath, and the thought of whether or not he would use his almaki in such a situation ran through her mind. Then, deciding, the leader punched the student's stomach with the other hand, causing him to bend down without air and fall to the ground, shrinking from pain.

  — Annoying – the dragon grunted, giving it the conclusion of that act, leaving and being followed by the others, one of them consoling the girl who raised the bars of the robe so as not to worsen the situation.

  — Annoying?! Who is annoying? – Garo-lin dug her nails into the moss that covered the bulwarks. – Who are the stupid annoying who hit someone by a simple accident? Even being a proud student of the Dul'Maojin Institute, he still apologized! It wasn't enough?

  She stood up on tiptoe, took a deep breath, and screamed as loudly as she could:

  — DR
AGONS ARE NOT THE WORLD'S OWNERS!

  — Grunf, really?

  Garo-lin jumped, almost slipping down the slippery rocks, and looked around in a frightened way, scouring the place. There could not be anyone there. She would have known if anyone had arrived, she could not avoid that carpet of noisy leaves at the entrance and the unmistakable sound of footsteps on the steps. Then, when she was almost convinced she had imagined it, a chuckle above her started muffled and then a growl of laughter:

  — What if it was a dragon? What would you do, unbelievable girl?

  The voice blown, strange to hear, was no more frightening than the sight itself. Staring at her, just above her in a slum is destroyed from the wall of stones, was the most bizarre being she had ever seen. It remembered a lot like a cat, about three times bigger than normal and wild-looking. It had the same feline features, the ears were like a bat's, each with a set of metal rings on the ends. Its eyes were a deep yellow, much stronger than hers, and its hair was thick, brindle in black and white. On the half-hidden neck was a leather leash, and underneath its crossed paws hung a glass pendant. There was also something white and hairy on his back, which covered him like a hoof, but that could not be identified in the distance he was.

  Being a vilashi who had grown up surrounded by forests and creations, Garo-lin was accustomed to living with animals and knew that she did not even know half of the species that were only inside the Inland Valley. She had read about them too much in the Institute's Bookkeeper. But definitely none of the animals she knew or expected to meet would look in her eyes and speak as if she were just like her.

  — Surprise? – he asked, seeming to be amused by the reaction. – It really is a... how do they say? Vilashi. As ignorant as a dry tree.

  Garo-lin realized how easy it was to end the balance of that half-shuttered wall with only a firm kick just below him. But the intensity of the offense was not enough for her curiosity, and it was not enough for her to want to risk the collapse of the place.

  — They are, yes, the owners of the world and could have done much worse – he kept the subject from before.

  — This is not right! Even if they burned that kid, they wouldn'- – she managed to close her mouth before it was too late.

  Yes, it was not common to talk to an animal. But even more unnatural was she to curse the Dragons aloud, even if that was her only listener.

  Realizing her despair, the cat just yawned and said lazily, stretching its paws:

  — You know, I chose this space for my naps and it is not tolerable for someone like you to come here to disturb me. Therefore, if you don't want any dragon to know about your opinions, then disappear from here.

  She had not only been insulted by a snobby cat as she had just received a snobby threat.

  — And by the way this wall is yours? Got your name somewhere? – she replied, folding her arms, with all the dignity that her small size and courage allowed her.

  In response, he just stood up, stretched his paws, sharpened his claws on the rocks and then jumped to a landing above, lying down again.

  — Will I need to count to three to get out, vilashi?

  Then, with a great sigh, she thought it best to give way. She did not want to get in trouble with anyone and get the reason to be asked to leave the Institute. So she turned around and was leaving when she heard him saying good-bye:

  — And don't come back.

  — Yes, sir – she made a half-bowed almakin, graced with a grimace, and walked away, mentally emphasizing that next time she would check to make sure there was no one, whatever it was, taking a nap on those walls.

  ***

  Garo-lin watched the new schoolgirl cast an uncertain look over the empty seats in the room and was aware when she randomly chose a sitting table. Not only was Kidari Chanboni lost in a whole new world, she had no idea how dangerous this world was, and that made her five years of experience at the Institute echo, leaving her awareness alert.

  Knowing that no one else besides herself would ever think of taking action, the girl rose from her usual place in the back of the room and cautiously followed to where the stranger was:

  — Hi – Garo-lin greeted with some trepidation, since she was an unknown, and waited for an answer.

  with a fright, the new student raised her eyes and stared at her for a while, and this was the first time Garo-lin had seen closely how someone from Overseas was.

  Her hair was greenish-black and grew in a different way, as if several strands coiled and formed one, leaving them with the appearance of tubes, which were added in several layers. Kidari partially held these layers with colored tabs, revealing distinct, broader, pointy ears. Her skin was darker than the students who came from the Great Sea region and had a tint like a sand, which fell very well with her large green eyes, the only thing that was not so out of the ordinary concept, rounded and pulled in the corners. She was taller than all the almakins students, and consequently twice as tall as Garo-lin. Kidari Chanboni was exactly what the room master had announced: a kodorin, lightning handler, from outside Almakia, the first in the Institute.

  The news of a foreign driver did not surprise the other students as surprised Garo-lin. She could be the only vilashi in the Institute, but someone with almaki coming from outside of Almakia was something unthinkable until then. However, the fact was regarded by the others as nothing, and the master acted the same way, just leaving the girl in the room, giving the warning quickly and leaving as if he had more important things to do.

  The foreigner, on her part, had perceived that indifferent reception and did not seem to know how to act. And when she realized that the person in front of her was somehow trying to help, she opened a huge smile and said:

  — Hello! I'm Kidari – revealing not only an easily detectable accent, but the fact that she was not someone who mastered perfectly the language she was using. – Nice to meet you... – her smile disappeared as she realized something was missing. – No name to tell.

  Garo-lin could not help smiling at the simple way she had spoken. She smiled for the first time in a long time, and it was rather strange.

  She had grown accustomed to being serious and keeping her thoughts to herself within the Institute. Smiling with something that someone was doing was news and a little disturbing.

  — I'm sorry. My name is Garo-lin, Garo-lin Colinpis, from Vale Interior Low, fire handler – she said slowly, not only waiting for the other to understand, but also for being difficult to lose the fear of presenting that way.

  — Fire? – she repeated the information, as if it were something extraordinary. – I really want to see!

  The sincere way the green-eyed girl said it reassured her, and even dared tell her as if she were really into a normal conversation:

  — One hour or another you will see, but I will not be... I'm not authorized to use almaki without supervision.

  — Can not? – she looked disappointed, looking at her own hands. – Kidari can not?

  — Don’t worry – Garo-lin hurried to explain as she noticed a movement in the entrance of the room. – If you started the fifth level, it's a sign that you can soon use your almaki. But now we have to get out of the-

  — What do you think you're doing in my place, kodorin?

  Garo-lin regretted taking so long and not getting to the point from the start. Then, holding herself to act calmly, she turned to one of her classmates, bowed in respect to an order superior to her and explained in a grunt:

  — Sorry, I was just saying this to her – and then took Kidari by the arm and made her stand. – Come with me.

  — That's right. – said the owner of the place, and added with a tone of debauchery: – Hide her in your burrow, vilashi!

  The other girls who accompanied her giggled and dropped their books anyway on that table and around the tables, continuing with vicious comments.

  — Dul'Maojin Institute's First Lesson: do not care about what others say – Garo-lin commented with Kidari, leading her to the bac
k of the room where there were more vacant seats. – Believe me, they wouldn't be able to live a day without speaking ill of someone, and unfortunately you will not be able to get away from it for at least... a few days – she tried to hide the discouraging truth. From the context, she seemed to have understood the general situation, but not enough to break the expression of loss.

  — What do they call Garo-lin? – she asked confused.

  — Vilashi... basically I'm not an almakin – the girl explained, casting a look around to make sure nobody paid any attention to them. – I'm not exactly an almakin... my family is of the simple people, who lives in the Valley Region and serves the Royal State.

  — Same Kidari?! – she asked with a smile after processing the sentences, looking very happy with this possibility.

  — In a way... yes, about the fact that we both have an almaki. And not for our ways of being here.

  — How? – she seemed to understand all the words used, but could not find a clear meaning for the joining of all of them.

  — From what I understand, you are here for political reasons, since Almakia wants to maintain good relations with the Frontiers. Despite being an amazing fact an alien almakin... – she realized that she had been drawn into her ramblings on the subject and concluded quickly. – I'm here to be controlled.

  From the half-vague look on the girl, she still had not understood. But she could not explain more clearly, since the teacher had returned with his equipment for the lesson and had asked the attention of all.

  — Don't worry. You'll have plenty of time to figure out how to survive inside the Black Gates.

  In response the foreigner opened another huge smile, and Garo-lin involuntarily imitated her in a much smaller proportion, realizing that it was not so difficult and remembering a time before the Institute.