Alara lay on the ground for another hour, eyes tracing the vines that wove to create the ceiling of Lili’s home. The pattern was anything but natural, and Alara knew that Lili had likely used her magia to help the vines along. They twisted together across the ceiling, green leaves fluttering in the breeze that came through the window.

The architecture of Lili’s home was beautiful. Beyond the mural in the living room, Lili had used magia to tailor the branches of the tree her house was perched in. One of the walls of her bedroom was made from these branches, formed into an intricate design that depicted a forest and a river. It was the type of magia that the Council would consider a waste of time and energy. The mages would occasionally do small tricks to impress the villagers or the blameless, but it was all for show. Magia was for survival. But Alara felt a tingle of warmth at the beauty of Lili’s skills and wondered what else these abilities could create.

Alara stood up, muscles stiff from her time pouting, and she gave herself a small shake. She was spending too much time thinking. Not good. A small flicker of heat snapped in her chest. It was Runeo’s fault she was locked in this house. She had let his threats get to her and now she was slowly going crazy locked up here.

No, it wasn’t his fault. It was hers for letting him get to her.

With a determined huff, Alara slipped on the sandals that Lili had given her. She glanced at her magite clothes for a moment before slipping into the Arboreli outfit she had borrowed from Lili. The soft wool pants and tunic felt light against her skin and she wrapped her embroidered skirt around her waist, the slit still giving room for plenty of motion. She grabbed a bright red shawl and wrapped it around her shoulders before leaving the room.

As she stepped outside, she was unsurprised to see the younger bruya who had tied her up originally leaning against the outer wall, eyes half closed.

“Good morning,” she said casually, as she brushed by him.

“Wait.” He jumped to attention and hurried after her, the rope bridge that connected Lili’s home to the rest of Arbol swinging gently. “You’re not supposed to wonder around alone.”

She looked back at him with her best smile. “I’m not alone. Micos, right?”

He nodded without speaking, and Alara continued across the bridge. She felt him hesitate behind her, but knew he didn’t have an argument for her. After a moment, she felt the bridge move again as he followed after her.

She took deep breaths in the cool air, trying not to get overwhelmed by the rush of bruyas and colors that seemed to surround her like waves. It was amazing how the caves and tunnels of the Haven could somehow feel less oppressive to Alara than the wide open platforms of Arbol. At one point, she had to pause, leaning against the cool trunk of a tree as she closed her eyes and breathed.

“So, are we going anywhere in particular?”

Alara cracked an eye open and looked over to where Micos stood. He looked around uncomfortably.

He’s afraid to be seen with me.

She wondered how much of the city had heard about the Haven captive hiding away in Lili’s house.

“Anywhere but the market,” Alara finally said.

“Well, you’re definitely going the wrong way then.”

The magite stopped and looked around, frustrated with herself. Nothing looked familiar from her trip out with Lili and she thought she had been going a different way.

“Which way, then?”

Micos took a small rope bridge to his right.

It was Alara’s turn to follow as he made his way from platform to platform. Alara noted that some bridges they crossed were actually made from branches of trees, woven together to form arches. It was clear they had some powerful… tierren, as they called them in the village. She wondered if Lili or her grandmother had been responsible for any of the intricate formations.

At one point, Micos took her up a twisted staircase that wound around the trunk of a tree, leading them into a new layer of the village above where they had been. It was difficult to tell just how large Arbol was, with its twisting platforms and layers.

The Council couldn’t fathom just how big the bruya threat was.

“Where are we going?” Alara asked. The crowds had noticeably thinned since she’d first stepped outside, and there was only the occasional passerby weaving among the trees.

Micos grinned. “My favorite spot in Arbol. And the best place for peace and quiet.”

With that, Micos ducked into a nearby tree. As she stepped closer, she saw a small gap had formed in the wood, just wide enough for a small person. Alara followed through the trunk, not wanting to get lost. Stepping through, she was surprised when she realized the opening hadn’t taken them into the tree, but rather through it and to the other side.

Ahead of her, Micos took another staircase up, this one even more narrow than the one before. As they twisted their way around the trunk, the staircase seemed to wind up into the upper branches and disappear. She resisted the urge to look down, but still felt a sickening lurch in her stomach as she followed after her guard. He had disappeared in the branches above her. The surrounding branches were thick enough now that she couldn’t see below her, even if she wanted to. She tried to find relief in this.

Then suddenly the branches fell away around her and she gasped as the expanse of forest stretched before her in every direction. She saw Micos a few feet away, legs dangling off the small platform that balanced on a series of small branches. It was barely big enough for four people standing, perched on what seemed to be the tallest tree in the forest. The trees below them swayed with the wind, creating an illusion of a green sea dancing around them. In the distance, she could see the white peaks of the Ende Mountains, hazy but jagged on the horizon.

“El’dyo,” Alara breathed out, gripping the trunk next to herself with white knuckles.

“This is the only place in Arbol you can see the whole sky. The world seems so big from up here.” He smiled, looking out at the expanse. “You can step away from the trunk. There is a barrier of wind magia that keeps you from falling.”

Alara loosened her grip on the trunk and stepped forward, still keeping a few inches from the edge. She took a moment to relish the sharp breeze and the wide sky above them. It was a relief to be out of the trees, away from the press of loose magia that permeated the air.

“What is this place for?”

Micos grinned. “Honestly? I’m not sure. From what I heard, it was built when we first moved into the trees. Perhaps as a lookout or as an escape. Not everyone here even knows it even exists.”

Alara sat, legs crossed, knees just reaching the edge of the platform.

“We found it when we were just kids, my brother and I. We used to sneak up here when our parents were looking for us to make us do one chore or another. Runeo set up the air magia receptive down there to keep us from falling. Well, to keep me from falling.”

Alara blanched at the name.

Micos looked at her with a small apologetic smile, running a hand along the back of his neck. “Yeah, he’s my brother.”

“Oh.” She didn't know what else to say.

“He’s not always such an ass. He’s just… protective.”

Alara bit back a bitter response, her cheeks flushing red with unspoken anger. Protective was an interesting way of putting it.

They sat in silence for a while, Alara watching the sea of trees dancing in the wind below them. Micos was right. It was quiet here, and Alara felt a small amount of peace and calm settling into her chest, even as the voice in her head told her she couldn’t trust it. Branches in the distance bent under the weight of a pack of monkeys, and Alara wondered what it would be like to swing off into the trees, not looking back at Arbol or the Haven. But then Alara saw Emaru’s face in her mind and the ache in her chest of homesickness burned through her thoughts.

Micos was suddenly beside her. “Come on. We should go.”

He brushed by her as he made his way down the staircase and back into the cover of the trees. They walked in silence, but Alara noticed that even as they made their way back down to the main level, they didn’t head back to Lili’s as she expected.

It was only a few minutes before the silence of the trees was broken by the high-pitched screams of children. Alara gave a start before hearing the laughter mixed into the cacophony of voices. She and Micos came around a large trunk and she saw a winding platform laid out in front of them, swarming with small children. The air buzzed with magia and Alara felt the sharp awareness in her mind before pushing it away.

Most of the children on the platform barely looked seven, yet they threw around magia as if it were nothing. Alara unconsciously took a step back as a particularly zealous child clapped his hands, causing a large fire ball flew into the air above them. Nearby, a group of children were running in and out of a small rain cloud that swirled grey in the air.

What in El’dyo’s name was happening? Alara saw a few adults scattered around the edges of the platform, talking amongst themselves. Yet no one was seemingly worried about the rush of magia darting through the air, including the flames shooting across the largely wooden area.

“Should someone be telling them to be more careful?” Alara finally managed, eyes wide as another ball of flame seared by one of the children, grazing their brightly woven tunic.

Micos shrugged. “How else are they supposed to learn how to use their skills?”

“But what if they hurt someone? Or catch the trees on fire?”

“There’s always someone around if something goes wrong. I accidentally burned Runeo plenty of times when we were growing up before I learned better control.” He shrugged again at Alara’s alarmed face. “There was always someone around to help heal him.”

“So you’re a fire mage? Bruya… fire bruya?”

He made a face. “Fuegen, but yeah.” He tilted his face at her. “You?”

She reddened a bit, unsure of why she was afraid to admit that she was the same. “So, is this how they train?”

“Train for what?”

“For fighting.”

Micos look at her, eyes narrowed, “We don’t train to fight. Not most of us anyway.”

“Alara!” Quenti’s voice broke through the din of children’s screams and laughter. Micos and Alara both turned to see Quenti and Khuno making their way toward them across a nearby bridge.

“You finally made it out.”

Khuno’s eyes were warm as she looked at Alara. “Micos, Runeo is looking for you.” Khuno looked back down at Alara. “He didn’t seem too happy.”

Micos grimaced and hurried away, giving them a small wave.

Quenti smiled at Alara. “Come with us. We’re going to supper.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Don’t care,” Quenti said. “You’ve been in Lili’s house for almost a whole week. Someone finally got you outside. You’re not goin’ back, yet, got it?”

Alara hesitated, unsure of wanting to face the crowds again like she saw back in the marketplace. But a small voice in her head urged her to gather more information, to discover how many bruyas were in Arbol. She was no use to the Council locked away in Lili’s house.

A small shiver of guilt raced up Alara’s spine as she thought about speaking to the Council, her eyes still focused on the children racing around in front of them.

Of course, if the mind-walker returned and wiped her mind, none of this would matter. Alara tried to imagine what it would be to simply not remember the last few days or weeks. Would she even notice a space missing from her mind?

“Fine, I’ll go,” Alara finally said.