Viran greeted a group of thirty-odd Islanders waiting in nervous anticipation. He addressed them in fluent Ghoori. Though Keriya heard him introduce her by name, she kept a respectable distance, letting him work. She stayed by the edge of the settlement, where the jungle was battling to overtake a sorry-looking garden.
After a brief lecture, Viran set them to work on exercises. When it came time for the drudges to use their magic, a transformation came over them. Their faces lit with joy as they wielded. Viran walked around to encourage each person in the class. One man grinned and laughed as he grew a vine, creating it from nothing. A pang of longing echoed through Keriya as she watched him work. He made it look so easy.
“Kheria?” She turned to find a lanky teenage girl with wide eyes a
