Chapter 11

It was chaos in the Farkhi camp. No one knew about the girl except Volaris, me, and the spies we sent out. My father had instructed them not to speak about her yet. She played the Farkhi War song on the Vudos Flute. It was brief and not enough for us to locate her, but all the Farkhi heard it summoning us. I didn't know why she had stopped. My father sent someone to tell Tropos to come back immediately and report what he had seen.

We would have to go out and address our tribe because I could hear all the clamor from outside the door. We needed all the facts, and we didn't have them yet. Why did she stop? If she had completed the song, we all would have known where to find her.

My father could triumphantly announce that the Spirus had finally come and sent people out to tell the other tribes. Only the Spirus could play that song and the Farkhi hear it without seeing anyone playing an instrument. I was sure of who she was now. It was about to get really ugly outside my father's door when Tropos finally came back.

"What happened?" Volaris demanded. "Why did she stop playing? Everyone could hear what little she did play."

"She started playing and I don't think she knew what it was. I immediately wanted to go to her and show myself, but the Tall Man took it away from her so I didn't expose myself. The Tall Man and another guard don't want her to play it because they suspect it may bring us. They think we mean them harm and there are not enough of them to fight us off. She was upset, but she agreed not to play again until she was back on Idric, and by then, we won't be able to hear it.

"We have to get to her before they get there because she keeps saying she won't come back. The princess wanted the girl to return with her to be her heir and she got upset and risked exposing herself again. The man who wants to kill her is getting worse with his taunts. She seemed to be making friends with the human guards and I worry that the more she gets to know them and starts trusting them, she will refuse to leave them if we wait to approach her. She still wants answers and has said she wants to ask the tribes why they reacted to her the way they did, but the Tall Man is trying to convince her to wait until she's back on Idric for her answers."

Volaris didn't comment and the commotion outside was getting louder. My father knew he would have to go outside and address them with what he knew so far. He pushed the doors open and a good bit of the tribe members were outside talking loudly and speculating about what they had heard. When they saw him, they stopped talking and looked to him for answers.

"I know all of you heard part of the song earlier today. I've suspected the Spirus is finally here for a few days and have had people watching her. This song confirms it. I was trying to find out everything I could about her until I announced it and brought the other tribes in. The Spirus is here, but she came in the form of a young, confused girl.

"She was kept away from us and not told anything about who she is. She was taught to fear us. She's exposed herself to Princess Esylle and at least six other humans. Five of them don't want to hurt her like she has always been taught and I worry that the longer she stays with them, the more she may begin to distrust us. We need to find a way to get her away from them and bring her here.

"She needs to be told who she is, and she hasn't been taught to do any of the things she was created to do. I know where she is, and I have eyes watching her. When the time is right, I will go to her and bring her back here. Please keep this among yourselves for now. She will not play the Vudos Flute again because they are suspicious of it. Just know, I know where she is and when the time is right, I will go to her and bring her here."

The room erupted with questions. Why was she here now and not during the wars when they needed her? Why did the Spirus not appear fully formed and able to fight instead of being a young girl? Why did he want to wait to bring her here? They all wanted to see her and touch her. She had been promised for so long.

Volaris quieted the room down. "She didn't just show up as the Spirus. She was apparently born a baby and raised into this young girl. She doesn't know who her parents are, but she is somehow related to the royal family. The Princess Esylle thinks she is Lisana. No one knows yet how she came to be, and those answers lie in Idric Island with that old coot Belisarus. He has been the one that has had her for so long. I'm not sure why he hid from her what she is and what she is supposed to do."

Disapproving murmurs went through the room at the name Belisarus. Most of the people my age didn't think what he did was that bad. The older generation didn't hunt him down and kill him because he helped the royal family until he disappeared off the map. They never thought to check Idric Island, even if one of us would dare go there.

I listened to the cries of my people that we should go get her now. I didn't know if my dad was planning on going to get her soon. It was pretty clear she wasn't a myth like I thought. She needed to be taught and protected. If she really was Lisana, then she was my age. I could help her adjust.