Bonds extend out of a person's centre, near the stomach. The thickness of the cord varies depending on the strength of the bond - it could be thin like hair or as thick as one's fingers. What I find to be the most important is not the colour, but this thickness which shows a person's strength - or potential strength - and devotion toward that bond.
The bonds my two guards possess, whether they are connected to other people or to each other, are strong. It is as though they do not know how to form any weak bonds. They are flames that burn brightly with life and all of its emotions.
I observe the bonds between the two Cold guards as they lead me to a storage room. All of their bonds are strong. The yellow bond of friendship. The pale blue of allies. And even the bond that has every colour woven into it - the soulmate bond.
"We will gather a change of clothes for the journey over seas. This is yours," the male guard says and hands me a bag. I sling it over my shoulder and again, follow them out.
"I don't know your names," I tell them.
"I am Max," the female guard says. "He's Tahlo."
"Tell me about this ship that we are going to board."
"It's one of our newer locations," Max says. "With newer people and fewer connections to our veteran bases, it is most susceptible to infiltration."
"Or utmost loyalty in excited newcomers," I say quietly. Max acknowledges my statement with a nod.
"I hope you know how to swim," Tahlo says, "because some may decide to not save you if you fall in."
"I can swim well enough."
"In the sea?"
"Yes."
"Then let us get started," says Max.
We stop at the edge of an opening from the Tree's main body connecting to a branch thick enough for five to walk side by side. The wind slaps my face and pulls at my clothing. In front of me, Max spreads out her arms and legs to balance herself. It is harder to do so after stepping onto the branch. The trick, as I learned years ago, is to be ready before the wind hits.
She steadies herself in seconds and we continue to the tip where a thick rope connects the branch to a small black dot in the bay below us.
"You attached a ship to the tree with a piece of rope," I state, slightly disbelieving. "You're planning to swing down there."
"Of course. It is the fastest way."
Until now, I was unaware of Autumn's recklessness, for it can only be hers that encourages such actions in her troops.
"We can die."
"We have done this countless times," Tahlo says.
Max threads their bags of belongings through the handle of the rope and gives it a tug. Then she lets go, allowing the bags to slide downward. As I watch, I realize that the wind acts as a buffer and pushes the bag toward us every so often, slowing its descent.
"There. It will be a smooth landing for us," Max says. She adjusts the sword on her back and buckles in a second handle onto the rope. She sits on the branch and pushes off.
My heart leaps into my throat as I watch. The rope jerks with the wind and she bounces along until she is above the ship. By then, she is too small for me to see.
Reckless. I glance at Tahlo. His bonds to Max are as strong as always, so she is alive.
"Be sure to hold on tightly," Tahlo says with a smile.
"You are trying to kill me."
"Sister Wind will slow you. When you approach the ship, there will be a net beneath you and a large gust of wind that will push you upward. At that moment, let go."
I stare at him for another moment and sit down. Unlike them, I carry no sword and no other baggage. I grip the handle tight as I would any handhold in the Tree or any weapon and push myself off.
The wind steals my screams before I clamp my mouth shut. I concentrate on holding on, finding it more difficult than I imagined but not impossible. Sister Wind, one of the elements that graces our lands, pushes me backward. The land beneath me streams by in a blur. Rooftops, roads, farms, fields, people. The people go on with their lives, already prepared and used to the change of seasons.
The harbour passes and I begin to see the large ship. All three levels of it are lit with lamps. Sailors on the deck busy themselves with the three large sails, not giving me a second glance. A large net is spread out over strong supports jutting out of the water just above the ship.
Max stands on the deck, waving her hands toward me. Her hands then raise, palms up. A heartbeat later, I feel Sister Wind blowing into my face and pushing me upward. At the peak of my rise, I release the handle and turn my back to the net.
The blue sky falls away from me quickly and before I could register it, I was bouncing on the net.
Max brings her hands together in applause. "Not bad," she says. "As expected of a Summer warrior."
I say nothing in reply and slide down the net. Tahlo falls onto the net soon after without a word and accepts his bag from Max.
"Welcome aboard Unnamed. The captain is below decks in his cabin," Max says. She is halfway down the hatch when the sound of fighting reaches our ears. She slides the rest of the way and runs.
"Move, bondseer." 807Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8GIQ2L9Q55
Without thinking, I move.
Without thinking, I had moved. I moved out of Tahlo's way.
I follow him though still unable to comprehend why I moved. For a second, I had no control over my own body.
The thought leaves my mind as I stop next to Tahlo in the hallway, where six of Autumn's soldiers brawl.
"Traitor to your own men!"
"Apologize for that, you damned - !"
" - No one here is a traitor!"
"Thief and spy, that's what she - !"
"Let go of me, Max!"
"Stay out of - !"
A stray spark of lightning from one of the men hits Tahlo just as he opens his mouth to speak. Being the closest, I catch him and lower his stunned figure to the ground as Max shouts furiously at the spell caster.
I take the time to examine the soldiers' bonds to my two guards. The pale blue bond of allies is everywhere. Some strands of the yellow friendship bond are present as well, including the dark shade of red between two, a man and woman, in the middle of the crowd.
I focus on them. The pulsing of the bond shows that it is newly formed and may not stay for longer than a few minutes. They usually last no longer than two people's spat, as this dark red bond of hate appears and disappears as people encounter strong negative feelings toward one another. In rare cases, I have seen it last and grow strong until I cannot imagine it disappearing.
I look closely at the woman. From her and extending out toward the end of the hallway is a black bond reserved for enemies.
Tahlo groans and places a hand to the wall. I watch silently as he observes the scene before him. Knives are drawn and the hallway hums with magical energy. Max readies her hands to throw up shields between the fighters and Tahlo clears this throat. "Stop. Shut up."
Everyone in the hallway stops what they are doing. Max uses the opportunity to disarm the fighters and to stand between them as they suddenly start to move again.
"Where is the captain?" Max demands. "Does he know that you are all drunk on stupidity?"
"Of course he does not!" a voice from the other end of the hall shouts. Everyone but my guards and the two fighters make themselves sparse as the captain approaches.
"Captain."
The captain nods at Max and looks directly at me. "Excuse us. This is not the welcome we would usually give a guest," he says with a glare at everyone. "Jove, make yourself useful and weigh anchor." The man quickly salutes. The captain turns to the woman. "Sparks, where are you supposed to be?"
"Bringing a message to you, sir," she says.
The black bond between her and the captain is not the strongest, but I would not scoff at it. I could see one other black bond connecting the captain to another individual. I follow the bond down another hallway with my eyes.
"Hand it over and get back to work. Both of you, stay out of each other's path until I find a fitting punishment for this behaviour."
They duck their heads and run to obey their orders. The captain starts to walk. "Max, Tahlo, come to my cabin when you are fit to move."
Max comes up on Tahlo's right side. "How are you?"
"Only slightly stunned. No worse than training."
"What would have happened if I decided to commit suicide by trying to kill all of you while Tahlo was incapacitated?" I ask. Max stares at me. I stare back. "It's an honest question," I say when she continues to stare.
"You would not do that," Max said. "It isn't you."
"I am the enemy," I say. I am loyal to Summer though Summer no longer exists. As such, the bonds connecting myself to him is gone. That does not mean I am not an enemy who is simply aiming for the same goal.
"No," Tahlo says. "I believe that we are allies. Does the bond between us not tell you what we are to each other?"
I look again at the bond between myself and the Cold guards which has given me such discomfort since I lay eyes on the two.
I sigh. "Yes, it tells. Bonds always tell."
Connecting myself to them is a yellow bond.
The bond of friendship.
ns 15.158.61.20da2
