The Key of Kilenya (7 page)

Kenji sat at the table again. “The adults
can't leave. Only the youth were unaffected by those trees outside
the entrance. Plus, Akeno's Rezend is fairly strong. Stronger than
most other Makalos, and he can control it really well. He'll be the
best company for you.”

“What's Rezend again?”

“The magic of the Makalos.” Kenji paused,
started saying something, then turned red. “Embarrassing as it is
to say, if Brojan or I were to go with you, due to the biological
clock of Makalos, it would be like sending a sixty-year-old. The
war nearly fifteen years ago killed off almost all but a small
handful of people. Akeno, though thirteen, is the oldest of the
Makalo youth here.”

Akeno entered the room with a huge slab of
stone. He carefully placed it on the table in front of Jacob.

Jacob leaned forward, eager to see. A
fragile, two-foot square piece of leather was attached to the
stone, and a map was drawn on the leather. It was a fairly
standard-looking map, with markings to show mountain ranges,
cities, and roads. He shrugged, then looked to Ebony and Kenji for
explanation.

“We’re right here,” Ebony said, pointing to a
spot near the top left edge of the map. “And this is where the
Lorkon live.” She pointed to a spot several inches south.

“Don’t let the small distance between here
and there fool you,” Kenji said. “Even though it’s just a portion
of the map, it will still take a long time to get there. Three or
four days, as we said.”

Kenji then showed Jacob the way to the Lorkon
castle. It was fairly simple. If the path on the other side of the
entrance had grown over, they’d need to head south through the
forest until they found the main trail. After that, the only thing
Jacob had to remember was to stick to the path that led them
closest to the mountains. It was the only one that would lead to
the Lorkon castle.

Kenji pointed out two cabins on the map, one
of which belonged to Aldo, and wasn't very far from the entrance to
Taga—just outside the forest. The other cabin belonged to an old
friend of the Makalos, and was pretty close to where the Lorkon
lived.

“Remember,” Kenji said, “don't spend time in
the forest outside our village. Stick to the path. It'll lead you
out of the woods, and to Aldo's cabin. Stop and talk to Aldo—he'll
give you additional information.”

“I thought you said you couldn't get hold of
him last time you tried.”

Kenji shrugged. “Yes, but he's the only
person we trust within a day's travel. We don't know anything about
the Land of Gevkan anymore. It might have changed drastically since
we last lived there.”

Jacob took in a deep breath, feeling
overwhelmed at what he had to accomplish in only a few days. “How
do you know the Key is at the castle?”

“We don’t for sure,” Kenji said. “But it's a
starting point.”

“And what happens if that's not where it
is?”

“We'll look into other locations—and send you
back home.”

Jacob nodded in relief. He felt like a wimp,
but was really scared of what he might have to go through to get
the Key.

A frantic knock sounded on the door. Akeno
jumped to answer it, and a Makalo rushed in, addressing Kenji.

“The wolves left. They guarded the path to
Jacob's town for a while, then disappeared. We waited five minutes,
but they still haven't returned. Now might be the best time . . .”
He shot a glance at Jacob.

Kenji quickly stood. “Thank you. Continue to
keep watch and alert us if anything changes.” He held the door as
the Makalo left. “We’ll need two bags prepared—Ebony, you and Akeno
do that. Gather whatever they’ll need for the trip. I’ll summon
Early and September.” He stepped out of the house.

“I’ll get September’s box,” Akeno said, going
into a back room.

“Grab that jerky while you’re at it,” Ebony
called after him, then yanked open cupboards and drawers, stuffing
things into one of the bags.

Jacob, not knowing what to do, stood
awkwardly by the table. Kenji came back, and seconds later Akeno
raced back into the room, still shoving things into a knapsack.

“Jacob, you and Akeno will leave
immediately,” Kenji said. “September and Early will meet you in the
morning. Send them back with updates as often as you feel is
necessary. You should always have one of them with you for
emergencies. Don’t worry about sending messages to your family,
Jacob—we’ll take care of it for you. I wish we had more time to
tell you everything you need to know, but we’ll fill you in as you
need more information.”

“How’re we going to keep the wolves from
attacking us?” Jacob asked.

“Akeno is able to make Rezend-strengthened
shelters that will keep predators out. You’ll be safe while you’re
sleeping. And as long as you stay on the move during the day, the
wolves won’t harm you. But don’t provoke them or stay in one place
for too long.”

Jacob nodded, feeling panic start to well up
within him. This was seriously the craziest thing he’d ever done.
Why’d he agree to it? He found himself wishing again that Matt were
here. If only—he’d know what to do. He’d probably even be able to
keep the wolves from attacking—not only would he outsmart them,
like other football players on the field, but he’d be able to stand
up to them. Show them who’s boss. He did those sorts of things all
the time. Jacob took another deep breath, putting these thoughts
away, and tuned in again to what Kenji was saying.

“The entrance to Taga is up the canyon from
here. Akeno will lead the way, using Rezend to distract the wolves.
You will need to stay close to him and do exactly as he says. Find
a safe place to spend the night between here and the barrier, and
once you get there, send a message back to us.” Kenji rubbed his
left shoulder. “I’ll walk you to the ledge.”

Akeno put on his top hat and picked up a
leather knapsack. Jacob grabbed the other, darker in color, with
two straps. He put it on the way he would his own backpack.

Ebony choked down a sob and grabbed Akeno,
giving him a big hug and making him promise to be careful. She then
wrapped her arms around Jacob’s waist. He patted her shoulder, not
sure what to say. Kenji opened the door, and Jacob and Akeno
followed him through.

“The wolves can’t have gone far,” Kenji said
as they rushed to the ledge. “So go as fast as you can.” He gave
them quick hugs. “Godspeed. Akeno, be careful when shrinking or
enlarging things. Stay together. As long as you follow my
instructions, you should be safe. Now go!”

Jacob had to scramble down the canyon wall to
keep up with Akeno. They stood still for a moment, watching the
shadows for any sign of danger.

Seeing nothing, they waved goodbye to Kenji,
who watched from above. Once they got to the sparse trees, Akeno
took off down the path, and Jacob almost tripped as he hurried to
keep up. He expected the wolves or a Rog to jump out at him at any
moment.

After running for half an hour, Akeno stopped
and put his hand up against a tree, apparently listening.
“Nothing,” he said, steadying himself against the tree to catch his
breath. “We’ll stop here to rest. I don’t want to be too close to
the barrier while it’s dark.”

Jacob readjusted his bag. “I hope the whole
trip doesn’t consist of us running from wolves.”

He followed Akeno into the forest, and they
looked around for a place to set up camp. After searching for a few
minutes, they found a large, over-turned tree with thick bushes
around it. Akeno put his finger to the tree’s trunk and
muttered.

“What are you doing?”

“Telling it and the bushes to form into a
tent.”

The branches of the tree and bushes started
to move, encircling Akeno and Jacob. Jacob stared at them, almost
not believing his eyes, then jumped out of the way as a squirrel
dashed across the ground, followed closely by intertwining
branches. Akeno wasn’t kidding when he’d said he could tell living
things what to do.

Moments later, a somewhat round little fort
had been created. There was a small opening in the roof, and the
walls were made of tightly woven branches. The floor of the hut was
matted, springy, and perfect for sleeping.

“Will this be strong enough against the
wolves?” Jacob said.

“They won’t be able to get in.” Akeno sat
close to the wall on a bouncy section of branches. He pointed to a
spot on the other side of the hut. “You’ll need all the rest you
can get.”

Jacob agreed, and they both lay down and fell
asleep.

Jacob awoke an hour or so after the sun rose,
feeling refreshed and energetic. He rolled over, looking at the
other side of the hut, and saw that Akeno had already left. He
jumped to his feet and started pushing against the walls of the
hut, but nothing gave.

“Akeno! Hey! How do I get out of this
thing?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t tell you,” Akeno’s
voice sounded muffled through the wall. “I’ll always leave a place
for us to exit. Once you’re out, though, you won’t be able to get
back in, so make sure you don’t leave anything behind.”

The branches whisked around Jacob, and then
he stood in the open, next to the bushes and fallen tree that
looked as they had the night before. It was a clear morning, and a
brisk breeze lifted his hair off his forehead. A feeling hit
him—excitement? Was it possible he was
excited
for this
trip? He frowned at himself, not ready yet to let go of his grudge
over having to go at all.

Akeno sat on a log and put on his shoes,
fresh leaves attached to them. “That ought to do it,” he said.

“That's so weird.”

“Hey—at least it keeps the dirt away.” He
stood up, adjusting his top hat. For the first time, Jacob took
notice of Akeno’s other clothing. His black T-shirt had the word
“dare”
spelled out across it in bright red, and he wore
brown pants.
Dare?

“The Minyas came while you were sleeping,”
the Makalo said, “but I let them go play. We’ll need to call them
again.” He walked to a dandelion plant and picked one of the
bigger, fluffier heads. He whispered into the seeds, and blew them
into the air, turning the head so as to get every one.

Jacob watched the seeds float off. “Why
dandelions? And what do the seeds do?”

Akeno shrugged. “They're available during a
large part of the year. The seeds carry the message to the Minyas.
I don't know how, so don't ask.” He smiled to show he wasn't trying
to be rude. “Okay, they're coming.”

“How do the Minyas fly without wings?” Jacob
asked.

“They use their magic as a way to maneuver,
and choose what does and doesn’t affect them. Gravity, resistance,
laws of physics—things like that.” Akeno motioned toward Jacob.
“September, Early, this is Jacob. He’s here to help us get the Key
back.”

“Hi, Jacob,” Early said. She spoke to
September. “My, isn’t he a big Makalo.”

September laughed, pounding his knee. “He’s
not a Makalo,” he said. “He’s a human!”

“Oh, another one?” Early looked at Jacob,
tapping the side of her face with a finger. “Why’s he here?”

“Don’t care. Come on!” September grabbed
Early’s hand, and they flitted off.

Akeno called to the Minyas to stop, then
asked Early to deliver a message to his parents, telling them the
group was heading off. Jacob was a little surprised when she acted
thrilled to do it. After a bright flash of light, she was gone.

“How fast do they go?” Jacob asked.

“They travel at the speed of light when they
combine their powers.”

“Are you sure?” Jacob asked. Akeno had to be
exaggerating. “That’s really fast. I don’t think it’s even
possible.”

“In normal cases, obviously it wouldn’t be
possible. But remember that the laws of physics don’t apply to
them. Their magic makes them invincible to anything that might
cause a resistance. There are drawbacks to using their magic,
though. A Minya must have been to, or have seen, the place where he
or she is headed. The magic draws on their memories and propels
them forward, taking them to their destination. If they’ve never
been there, it can be very dangerous, since the magic will then
take the shortest route, which is sometimes through solid objects.”
Akeno paused. “Oh, and don’t say please to them—they don’t like
it.”

“What? Why not?”

“Hundreds of years ago, they were slaves. You
don't say please to slaves. Now it's just a weird thing about them.
Honestly, no one really knows how the mind of a Minya functions.”
Akeno frowned, searching the air. “Early should be back now.”

They continued waiting in silence. After a
moment, Jacob spotted Early zooming toward them.

“What took you so long?” September said as
soon as Early was close enough.

“Kenji gave me some honey. And they say hi
and are happy that nothing bad has happened, yet.”