eyes itched uncontrollably until Char noticed and touched her with his magic. The itching stopped at once.
“You’re allergic to flowers?” He sounded so shocked, Shioni thought he might cry.
She squeezed his hand. “Char, you’re a star.” Viri sniggered at this, which made poor Chardal blush so furiously he turned more purple than red.
They began to pass other Fiuri tending the gardens, harvesting nectar or travelling to unknown destinations. Most were Greens, like Viri, Iri and Char, but Viri pointed out a Red Fiuri–a Burgundy, to be exact, a deep, warm red colour–and a whole troop of Browns labouring to repair a cave-in.
“Fiuriel is rather unstable at times,” said Char. “We theorise that the moon creates gravitational distortions which amplify the movements of the inner volcanic core.”
“Cave-ins can be dangerous,” Iri explained to Shioni. “Mostly, it’s because they let in Cave-Crawlers or vent poisonous gases into our caves. A small leak’s no problem, but a big one could be very dangerous.”
“The other Colours are hired to work for us,” said Viri. “Of course, we Greens also hire out our skills with plants and growing things to the other colours. Brown Fiuri specialise in building and maintenance works. That Burgundy Fiuri will probably be a nectar specialist. Very capable scientists, the Reds. Oranges and Yellows tend to enjoy military work, like training, strategy and offence. Blues make the best magicians. Of course, those are just general rules. Chardal’s a very fine ward-worker.”
“What about Black, or Grey?” asked Shioni.
Viri made a nasty gargling noise in her throat. “Bad flowers, all of them.”
“Oh. Um–is that a house?”
Iri chuckled, “I’m glad you’re around, Shionelle. I definitely don’t feel like the stupid one now.”
“You’re anything but stupid,” Shioni said, stoutly. “And I’ll wrestle you like I wrestled your sister if you say that even one more time.”
“Ooh, my wings quiver,” said Iridelle, flexing her biceps. “Whenever you’re ready.” Her smile told Shioni that while her friend would be gentle with her, she didn’t stand a chance.
“Maybe tomorrow,” Viri teased, poking Shioni in the ribs. “Word of warning. Iri’s the champion no-weapons fighter of ten caverns. Boys and girls. And don’t ever play handshakes with her. She crushes your fingers. Nasty, nasty habit.”
Shioni smiled at Iridelle. She would rather have wrestled a boulder, come to think of it, than her hulking friend.
“You’re too cute to crush, anyway,” said Viri. “Isn’t that so, Char?”
Chardal immediately found something fascinating inside his notebook.
The Fiuri had temporary work-houses outside the main city. The nicer ones were wood-frame balls dangling from trees, tied on with thick, plaited vines. Two or three round holes served as doors or windows–did it make any difference to flying creatures? Other ‘houses’ were simply a few broad-leafed plants sewn together to create a crude shelter. Shioni wondered why those Fiuri did not use hammock flowers. Perhaps there were too few to go around? Perhaps they were poor? Some of the adults’ wings lacked lustre, while the children seemed thin and hungry, despite the abundance of flowers around them.
Following Shioni’s gaze, Char said, “They starve because of the taxes. There’s the war with the Blues and five new caves being opened up.”
“Not out here, Chardal,” Viridelle warned.
Biting back her questions, Shioni followed her friends across the far-reaching fields and gardens, toward a bulge in the tunnel greater than anything she had seen before. She saw a great dome ahead of them. Squinting because of the distance and the hazing effect of the pollen in the air, she began to grasp that the dome had an unnatural regularity about it. In a few places, she saw massive struts projecting from the foliage that covered the ball. Great hawsers anchored the ball to the cavern
“You’re allergic to flowers?” He sounded so shocked, Shioni thought he might cry.
She squeezed his hand. “Char, you’re a star.” Viri sniggered at this, which made poor Chardal blush so furiously he turned more purple than red.
They began to pass other Fiuri tending the gardens, harvesting nectar or travelling to unknown destinations. Most were Greens, like Viri, Iri and Char, but Viri pointed out a Red Fiuri–a Burgundy, to be exact, a deep, warm red colour–and a whole troop of Browns labouring to repair a cave-in.
“Fiuriel is rather unstable at times,” said Char. “We theorise that the moon creates gravitational distortions which amplify the movements of the inner volcanic core.”
“Cave-ins can be dangerous,” Iri explained to Shioni. “Mostly, it’s because they let in Cave-Crawlers or vent poisonous gases into our caves. A small leak’s no problem, but a big one could be very dangerous.”
“The other Colours are hired to work for us,” said Viri. “Of course, we Greens also hire out our skills with plants and growing things to the other colours. Brown Fiuri specialise in building and maintenance works. That Burgundy Fiuri will probably be a nectar specialist. Very capable scientists, the Reds. Oranges and Yellows tend to enjoy military work, like training, strategy and offence. Blues make the best magicians. Of course, those are just general rules. Chardal’s a very fine ward-worker.”
“What about Black, or Grey?” asked Shioni.
Viri made a nasty gargling noise in her throat. “Bad flowers, all of them.”
“Oh. Um–is that a house?”
Iri chuckled, “I’m glad you’re around, Shionelle. I definitely don’t feel like the stupid one now.”
“You’re anything but stupid,” Shioni said, stoutly. “And I’ll wrestle you like I wrestled your sister if you say that even one more time.”
“Ooh, my wings quiver,” said Iridelle, flexing her biceps. “Whenever you’re ready.” Her smile told Shioni that while her friend would be gentle with her, she didn’t stand a chance.
“Maybe tomorrow,” Viri teased, poking Shioni in the ribs. “Word of warning. Iri’s the champion no-weapons fighter of ten caverns. Boys and girls. And don’t ever play handshakes with her. She crushes your fingers. Nasty, nasty habit.”
Shioni smiled at Iridelle. She would rather have wrestled a boulder, come to think of it, than her hulking friend.
“You’re too cute to crush, anyway,” said Viri. “Isn’t that so, Char?”
Chardal immediately found something fascinating inside his notebook.
The Fiuri had temporary work-houses outside the main city. The nicer ones were wood-frame balls dangling from trees, tied on with thick, plaited vines. Two or three round holes served as doors or windows–did it make any difference to flying creatures? Other ‘houses’ were simply a few broad-leafed plants sewn together to create a crude shelter. Shioni wondered why those Fiuri did not use hammock flowers. Perhaps there were too few to go around? Perhaps they were poor? Some of the adults’ wings lacked lustre, while the children seemed thin and hungry, despite the abundance of flowers around them.
Following Shioni’s gaze, Char said, “They starve because of the taxes. There’s the war with the Blues and five new caves being opened up.”
“Not out here, Chardal,” Viridelle warned.
Biting back her questions, Shioni followed her friends across the far-reaching fields and gardens, toward a bulge in the tunnel greater than anything she had seen before. She saw a great dome ahead of them. Squinting because of the distance and the hazing effect of the pollen in the air, she began to grasp that the dome had an unnatural regularity about it. In a few places, she saw massive struts projecting from the foliage that covered the ball. Great hawsers anchored the ball to the cavern
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