Scintillant- Chapter Two

Scintillant
Chapter 2 (Rough Draft 1)
By Kleo

         A gilded maiden twirls o’er desert vast,
         In robes of golden sand, her dance is sweet,
         Awash in bloody sun, until at last,
         She fades away, a whisper in the heat.

         The words of this dusty Syrtian poem surfaced in Anouk’s mind as she sat atop a palace minaret; her slippered feet planted themselves firmly on the slick gold onion as she gazed over T’Ankir. The sun glared over the dunes in the west, and its ruddy-gold light bathed the city in hot crimson, making it, as the poem said, “awash in bloody sun.”
         “Such a lovely view,” she muttered, returning her attention to the bit of canvas on her lap. Deep red chalk coated her hands as she struggled to capture the grandeur of the sunset. She cocked her head, eyebrows furrowed. “Hm.”
         Replacing the chalk in its box, she produced from her satchel a quill and ink. With it she began to sketch the intricate labyrinth of sandstone buildings and gold domes that lay in the twilight below. Her hand was quick and deft, flitting across the canvas with practiced skill.
         That’s very beautiful, thought Bindi, peering over her shoulder.
         “Thanks.”
         You know, though, he thought, nuzzling her cheek. I could do much better.
         Anouk smiled. “I'm sure you could, especially considering that you have no hands or fingers.”
         Oh, come off it. Snakes are people, too.
         “Of course.”
         Anouk continued to sketch. After a few minutes she paused to survey her work, and, not surprisingly, found Bindi nodding off. The weight of his little dozing body on her shoulders was far from unfamiliar; she savored his cool touch, stroking his head with an absent, chalk-covered finger.
         “What shall we do tonight, Bindi?” She asked.
         Mm, nothing, he thought.
         Anouk smiled. “Well we can hardly do nothing, you know- what with all the breathing required to live.”
         At that, Bindi chuckled. Fine. Then we shall breathe and do nothing else. The little snake yawned, never bothering to look up.
         “Bindi, I’m serious.” Anouk turned her head to look at him. “If you could do anything tonight, anything at all, what would it be?”
         Anything? He asked. He lifted his head, meeting Anouk’s gaze with round, thoughtful eyes.
         “Yes.”
         He paused.
         Nothing, he finally thought, resting his head again.
         It was Anouk who chuckled this time. “Well, my sluggish friend,” she said. “I know what I’m going to do.”
         As long as it’s nothing stupid.
         Anouk stowed her canvas, quill, and ink in her satchel, slung it over her shoulder, and stood- an act that a few years ago would have made her head spin. A breath of hot wind brushed her cheek, rippling through her hooded cloak. Beneath it she wore a tawny romper that exposed a lot of leg, and the pure white silk of her cloak tickled her bare skin as it swished around her ankles. She glanced below at the row of tall palms that lined the bottom of the palace. A slow, crooked smile slithered across her face. “I’d hold on if I were you,” she muttered.
         Bindi’s head shot up. Why? What’re you doing? He studied her smirking eyes for a moment before his own widened into discs. Oh, no. No, no, NO! I said NO doing anything stupid! His mental voice squeaked as he bolted off her shoulder, clinging firmly to her bicep.
         Anouk laughed. “My dearest Bindi! Tell me- in all the years we’ve known each other, when have I ever shied from doing something stupid?”
         Bindi scoffed.Nev-
         Anouk dove off the minaret.
         Body perpendicular to the ground, she fell with arms spread wide, unable to contain an exultant howl as her heart threatened to burst from exhilaration. Hot, surging air assailed her skin; Bindi locked into a vice on her arm, sputtering a stream of mental curses as she somersaulted through the air. Cloak and hair aflutter, she spun and twisted nimbly through the twilight, face lit with a brilliant smile. All too soon, however, she reached the aforementioned palms, catching hold of a frond and using it to slow her descent. The tree arched under her weight, bending until she reached the sandy walk beneath, and like water slipping off a petal, she released the tree and alighted on the stone. Dropping into a crouch, she lit yellow and ran, her feet whispering along the ground with superhuman speed.
         I could kill you, thought Bindi, quivering against her arm. She gave a vibrant laugh, and ran faster.
         She raced to the corner of the palace and turned right, entering an outdoor walkway. This walkway hugged the palace wall and was sheltered by a sandstone overhang. Two guards appeared from one of the arched doorways to her right; she froze, glancing to her left at the row of tall columns that supported the overhang. Leaving her yellow on, she lit red, scrambling up a column and out of sight. The two guards passed without incident.
         With a sigh of relief she dropped off the column, landing with catlike poise and running on. Bindi remained silent, just as he always did during stealth missions. He knew his mental voice couldn’t be heard, but some strange, instinctive apprehension always kept him quiet, as if his cerebral noises would reveal them somehow. Soon, Anouk reached her desired archway, and upon entering was met with a flight of spiraling sandstone stairs. These she bolted up without breaking pace, her cloak rippling behind her as she glided over the steps. She reached the hallway at the top and shot for the wooden doors at its end. Then, the doors opened; she gasped and threw herself out the square window to her left. Two brown robed priests shuffled by, and she dangled out the window until they passed. Slinking back into the corridor, she darted for the still open, but closing, wooden doors. With a whip of her cloak, she slipped between them and into the room beyond. The doors boomed shut behind her.
         The boom of the doors resonated through the red-lit chamber in which Anouk now stood. It was the Chamber of Lights, an architectural masterpiece- round, wide, and void of furniture, with a floor fashioned of brown stone. Its vaulted luxglass ceiling resembled an upside-down flower, with five glass panels- like petals- that swooped down from its apex. Worms of rainbow light, tinted red by the sunset, slithered through the panels, gliding like spirits through the watery glass.
         A shaft of ruddy light angled into the room through a hole in the center of the ceiling, and here stood Anouk’s target, her back to the door as she replenished her luxdiscs. A copper-topaz bobcat lounged at the woman’s feet.
         Anouk lit blue, lowering into a crouch and creeping across the room. While normally even her well-trained feet would have been heard in this echoing chamber, the cool blue light pulsing from her luxdisc silenced all her movements. Finally, she came within arm’s length of her target. Stomach twisting, palms sweating, blood throbbing loudly in her skull, she rose up ever slowly, reaching out toward her unsuspecting prey…
         “ANOUK!”
         “WHA!”
         Anouk stumbled backwards, fangs shooting out as she tripped on her cloak and tumbled to the floor. Her target Sarai, who also happened to be her mother, had the nerve to look shocked before bursting into laughter.
         “Gods, Mother!” Spat Anouk from the floor, palms pressed against her eyes. “Why is it that I can sneak up on anyone in this palace except you?!”
         “I-” Sarai struggled to speak through hoots of laughter. “W-wait a second, wait a second!” Abner, her smug bobcat unamenti, rolled his eyes.
         Anouk sat up and plucked a bristled Bindi from under her backside. Thanks a lot, he muttered as she draped him across her shoulders. Tell Abner ‘good evening’ from me. Anouk relayed the message, standing shakily. Then, she returned her attention back to her mother. “Were you tracking me?" she asked, fangs receding as she straightened her cloak. "Is that how you knew I was coming?”
         “My dear,” said Sarai, taking Anouk’s hands. “One cannot always have the convenience of Illumination to protect oneself. Besides, using orange wouldn’t have done any good; your blue was lit. Still is, I think.”
         “Oh,” said Anouk. She extinguished her blue, which had nearly depleted anyway, and her glowing sapphire eyes melted back to yellow.
         Sarai’s wide smile softened as she regarded her daughter. The mother’s eyes were young, playful, yet filled with instinct and wisdom. After a long, warm gaze, she pushed a lock of hair out of Anouk’s eyes. “I’m sorry you’re not as sneaky as you thought you were,” she teased. “And… I’m sorry for scaring you. Can you ever forgive me?”
         “Well… I suppose I could try.”
         Anouk smiled, enfolding herself into her mother’s warm embrace. The woman smelled of perfume and dust, a familiar scent that flooded Anouk’s mind with childhood memories; she closed her eyes, allowing herself to relive them. Suddenly, she found herself sitting on her bed, just a child, no older than six. Her lavish palace bedchamber was warm and dimly lit, and the firelight from her bedside lamp sent shadows dancing across the walls. Rough sketches and bright paintings had plastered those walls even then.
         Sarai sat cross-legged on the bed behind her daughter, brushing the child’s hair. Anouk had cherished these evenings, so full of peace and laughter, as well as with stories of her mother’s adventures. Most often she recounted tales of her and the queen’s Assassins, an elite force of specially trained Illuminators (all women) of whom Sarai was Master. This night, she told the story of their mission to raid a thieves’ den in the Westlands.
         “I fought my best, but there were too many of them! Soon, I was surrounded.” Sarai’s voice rose and fell dramatically, and she embellished the story with exaggerated gesticulations and facial expressions. “Those dirty thieves had me backed into a corner, the blackhearts! I thought surely I was done for!”
         “Did you die, Mama?” Anouk’s round eyes widened in fear.
         “Me? Why, of course not! For it was at that exact moment that my fearless crew swooped in as if from nowhere! Whoosh!” Anouk giggled as her mother flopped onto her stomach on the bed. “They fell upon those thieves like hungry lions, they did, and we fought until only their vicious leader Samar remained. I decided he deserved a special end. So do you know what I did?”
         “What?”
         Sarai straightened. “With my last ounce of red, I pushed a boulder in front of the entrance to his den and trapped him there forever! And they say, on dark, moonless nights, Samar’s old bones rise up from the dead and scratch away at that boulder, still trying to escape…”
         Silence.
         “…Wow...” Anouk breathed.
         Sarai laughed. “Did you like that story, little one?”
         Anouk nodded vigorously.
         “Good.”
         A quiet moment passed, penetrated only by the soft passes of Sarai’s hairbrush over Anouk’s loose curls.
         “Mother,” she finally asked. “Where did your powers come from?”
         “My Illumination?” Sarai stopped brushing. “Well... hm. How can I explain this in a way you’ll understand?” After a thoughtful pause, she pulled Anouk into her lap, grunting softly with effort. She wrapped her arms protectively around the child, resting her head against Anouk’s and settling back into the pillows. “Well,” she began. “Long ago there was a war- The Birthwar, that’s what it’s called. And during this war, there were nine warriors who fought valiantly, leading their armies with great strength and courage. When the war was over, the gods decided to reward them for their bravery. So, they gifted them with special powers-"
         “Your powers?”
         “Yes, my powers. Illumination. And anyone who is a descendant of those nine has the chance to gain their powers as well. Our lineage descends from Ra'id, the Great Warrior of Syrtis.”
         “So... you got your powers from him?”
         “Yes, that’s exactly right.”
         “Hm.” Anouk pondered this for a moment.
         “Mama,” she finally asked. “Will I be able to Illuminate, too?”
         “Well, darling… there’s no way to know for sure. But since your father was an Illuminator, too, I’d say you have a pretty good chance.”
         “What happened to Father, Mama?”
         Sarai stiffened.
         “Your father was a good man, Nou-nou," said Sarai. A decidedly cooler tone chilled her voice. “That’s all you ever need know.”
         Anouk’s mind rushed back to the present, and her eyes snapped open. She blinked, still pondering this cryptic memory. She thought about it often, wondering what it could mean. Why did her mother refuse to speak of her father? Who was he, or who had he been?
         …Why did he leave?
         “Well, Nou-nou,” said Sarai, pulling back. “You should get some sleep. Tomorrow’s a big day.”
         "Yeah. Yes." Anouk shook her head, trying to clear it. “Just, uh... Just let me refill my luxdiscs, and then I’ll turn in,” she said.
         Sarai smiled, kissed her daughter’s forehead, and left. Anouk stood still, watching her leave. She couldn't help but mull over the woman’s ambiguity.
         Try not to worry about it, love, thought Bindi, listening with quiet concern to Anouk’s troubled thoughts. For a long moment, she did nothing, standing quietly, staring at the door.
         When she finally did speak, her voice was soft.
         "I'm going to meet him someday, Bindi," she said. "I'm going to meet my father."
         And you will. I'm sure of it.
         Anouk turned to look at the little viper, searching his deep yellow eyes for sincerity. Finally she smiled, and kissed the top of his head. Then, she turned to face the cylinder of red light angling into the chamber.
         Willing herself to heed Bindi’s advice, she untied a small pouch from her belt and emptied it into her hand. Seven small glass discs, each etched with an ancient rune, tinkled softly against her skin. Selecting one of them, she centered it on the tattoo on her left palm. This sacred tattoo depicted a golden sun, the symbol of the Illuminators; its long rays glinted as they snaked across her skin. Once she’d centered the coin-sized disc perfectly, she lifted it into the shaft of light.
         At first, nothing happened. Then, a pulse of white light washed across the veins of her tattoo, and the little sun began to glow. The hot light of the tattoo seared under Anouk’s skin; it had taken her a long time to get used to the pain. Then, the luxdisc in her hand lifted from her palm, gyrating lazily as it rose into the air. Anouk glanced at the ceiling; the light that swirled therein began to glide faster, stirred by the presence of the disc. Once the little circle of glass hovered a foot below the apex of the ceiling, it stopped, still flipping slowly in the shimmering red light. Anouk watched as several tendrils of bright violet light snaked their way toward the center of the ceiling. Soon, they reached the opening, but didn’t stop. They slithered out of the glass completely and gathered in the center of the hole, forming an undulating blob of light the size of a fat rain drop. Both the disc and the light drop hovered for a moment. Then, the light fell, alighting silently on the disc and absorbing into the glass. Now full of rich, violet light, the disc dropped, and Anouk caught it with a quick swipe of her hand. She examined it briefly, watching it glow against her skin. Finally, she replaced it in its pouch, and set another clear disc on her palm to be refilled.
         She refilled her blue, which gave her the power of silence. Not only did it make her every sound inaudible to human ears, but it shielded her from being tracked by another Illuminator’s orange. Next, she refilled her yellow, and then her red. The yellow gave her superhuman speed, the red superhuman strength. Orange came next, giving her the ability to know where enemies lurked (and, occasionally, to spy on her mother.) Green gave her a very important ability: the ability to heal herself. Last, she refilled her indigo. Indigo was a light she particularly enjoyed; it improved her coordination and overall muscle function, increasing her dexterity. It made her feel calm and in control, and she used it more than any other color.
         Once all her luxdiscs were full and in their pouch, the light of Anouk’s tattoo faded out. Then, she turned to leave, simultaneously retying her pouch to her belt.
         Is it time for bed, asked Bindi. Or are you off to indulge yourself in another reckless endeavor?
         “Well…”
         Bindi scowled.
         “Alright, alright! We’ll go to bed.”