House of Winter

Chapter 27, Part 1

LUMI

Lumi went to sleep late and was awoken early, and instructed to meditate for an hour before breakfast. She meditated on the sound of her grumbling stomach, until Armo and Eero finally allowed her to eat quickly, before a gruelling day of practising to quell. The more she practised, the worse she seemed to get. Her confidence had all but diminished, and now she barely even quelled their flames on command.

"Your only block is your mind, Lumikki," Armo said sternly.

"I'm worried I'll quell too much," Lumi admitted. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Then you must meditate more on this. A week of silence, to retrain your anxious thoughts. A week of solitude, to escape distractions. A week of fasting, to centre and focus yourself."

Lumi was shocked. "I can't do that."

Armo shook his head. "Nonsense, Lumikki. Tomorrow you will start with a fast in solitude for one day. Only one day. That's easy. Then after a day, you will complete three days. After another day, you will move onto the five day week. We'll start tomorrow. You are dismissed, Lumikki."

Lumi found Tom sitting at the table with Doctor Hart. His broad hands held a teapot, and he was pouring Hart's tea. Lumi noticed as she approached him that his dark hair was getting long, and was almost as shaggy as his wolf's.

Lumi slumped down beside him. "They say I should meditate and fast in complete solitude."

Tom stared at her. "That's absurd," he said, at the same time as Doctor Hart said, "Excellent idea."

"I can't possibly," Lumi said. "It's not going to help."

"Your issue is your own anxiety," Doctor Hart said. "Their suggestion is excellent. I fully endorse it."

Tom and Lumi exchanged glances.

"How was your day?" she asked glumly.

"We've learned more about the liquid star," Tom said. "It's hard to read the texts, because they're all written with a context that we're lacking. We have no idea why the Reunsgardians believe it's so important to protect the star."

"But we have heard the Lombardians have been here. They intend to pump the oil out of the ground and transport it to Lombardia as fuel."

"Fuel?" Lumi asked.

"To power ships and engines," Tom said. "The Kaio have always had fire power, and we saw how powerful that was in the Fire War. The flying ships dropping fire bombs devastated Lombardia and Vastier. But now Lombardia wants the exact same power, except this time it won't be starrling power, it will come from the liquid star."

"And the Lombardians want this in a war against Vastier, I suppose?" Lumi asked.

"Precisely," Doctor Hart said. "But my question remains. Why do they protect it so valiantly?"

"Probably because they know just how dangerous it is," Tom suggested.

Doctor Hart shook her head. "They protect it because it is sacred to them. I am determined to find out why. I have theories, of course, but I want evidence."

Tom shrugged at Lumi's bewildered expression.

"Good luck with the day of meditation and solitude," he said.

"Thanks," Lumi said. "I'm going to need it."

The next day the brothers woke her early. She was allowed to drink water and then she was taken to the cavernous room at the top of the pyramid to begin her full day of meditation in silent solitude.