My Clan: part two

THE NEXT MORNING, my earlier weariness had faded entirely. I felt like I could take on the entire Blood clan singlehandedly.

I woke Sapphire to get an early start, which she did not appreciate.

“Early early?” She groaned. “Why why why?” But she pulls together. I decide to head straight for the Sun clan. My normal rounds start with Merrial, but I knew she won’t be awake yet. The Sun clan, on the other hand, are one of the earliest risers because they harvested vegetables for the other clans. That meant a lot of veggies. I have barely landed Sapphire when I see several of the Sun goblins racing at me across their fields.

“Misses! Misses!” The leading one shouts. It was Shoul, one of the Sun clan’s mayors.

“What is it?” I ask, worried what could upset the laid back sun goblins so much.

“A vessage! A vessage! A vessage from Chieftain Moh!”

“Yes?”

The goblin produced a scroll of paper and looked up at me sheepishly. “Shoul brings pape ‘cause…” He glanced around furtively. “I’s afraid of forjetting!”

A smile escapes me. “It’s okay. I forget things too.” The goblin draws himself up importantly and glances at the paper.

“I…I never learn how read. And I forget! Sorry, Chieftain Moh!” He yells across the field.

I sigh. “I’ll just go see for myself. Come on.” I follow the goblins down the path carefully worn though the vegetables. The rows of plants are strangely bare… but then I remember harvest was yesterday. When we finally reach Moh’s main plantation, Moh flings himself out of a tent and hugs me around the middle.

“Oh, tis afwelling! Just afwelling! What shall I be doing? We shall all be starving!”
“Moh, calm down.” I say. “Can you tell me what’s wrong?”

“Better come see for yourselves, aye?” He pulls me along to the tent he had just come out of and pulls back the flap. I look inside.

“I don’t get it.” I say. “It’s empty.”

“Exacts! It empties. By somebody. Somebody empties… entire harvest crop!”

I stumble back in shock. “The entire harvest crop! But how would anyone be able to cart off that much food? And why?”

Moh shrugs. “I don’t know either. But you can! You can!”
“I can what?”

“You can figure it out! You can tell the Crown, and you’s call see if nasty bloody clan got it, nor Underground claners got it! Yes?”

“Umm…”

“Wonderbul! Wonderbul! Just perfection. The Crown hires you to do it, yes? Yes, wonderbul.”

“I don’t know, Moh. I’ve never done anything like this before. I’ll try my best, but don’t get your hopes, okay?”
“Oh too late! Hopes are tied to flagpole that up in tree on sky island! Floating with the birds and clouds! Hopes and expectaerstions! Tanks! Tanks to yers!” He jumps and down and then vaguely walks away in a daze. And there I am, with a mystery I couldn’t solve, and “expectaerstions” on flagpoles.

BY THE TIME I’m on Sapphire heading to the Blood clan, most of my earlier doubts have faded. I know without a doubt that they must have been the ones to have stolen the harvest crop. The Blood clan is one of the biggest clan: It has thousands of members, and even though it would a really low blow for them, I won’t put them past anything. They are one of the of the Sun clan’s biggest buyers because they have so many people to feed. Well, they have nowhere to hide.

Sure enough, when I arrive at the Blood clan, even though it’s still early dawn, the Blood clan is teeming with action. A table large enough to fit over half the clan stretches across the town square. As I draw closer, I can see several roast boars, Capricornia’s full of fruit and baked goods, and… vegetables. Not enough to be the entire harvest crop, but still enough that they could hide the rest away. I land as near as I dare to the table, which is pretty close, and hop off Sapphire. I had expected Phoenix to be waiting for me with his trademark smirk, but I can’t spot him anywhere. Instead, I spot his son weaving towards me through the mess of crowds. This irritates me. Is he actually hiding? When his son reaches me, I struggle to remember his name. He looks genuinely surprised to see me.


“Ginger? What are you doing here so early?” So he remembers my name. Shoot. This is embarrassing. Something that starts with an O…

Obsidian! Thank god.

“Obsidian.” I say nodding curtly. I’m not willing to fall for unprovoked fight that I could be blamed for. “I’m here because the Sun clan wants your help with a problem.” A plan started to form in my mind.

He looks at me strangely. “The… sun clan? Wants our help?”

I nod again. “Just a small favor.”


His brow knits. “Yes?”


“The Sun clan kindly asks you to return their entire harvest crop.”

“What?! What do you mean?” He’s a good actor. Shame he has such a backdrop, or I might believe him.

“Their entire vegetable crop has reappeared behind you.” I say dryly. He turns around and looks at the table in surprise.

“This? This is ours: we brought it out in celebration… its the last of our stock.”

“Celebration? Celebration of what?”


“Becoming Mayor of the clans, of course.” Says a familiar glossy voice behind me. I whirl to see Phoenix’s glossing horns bearing down on me. “Bit early for a round, aren’t you?”

“What do you mean becoming Mayor of the clans? My father has that job: the Crown Clan won’t be stupid enough to even take a look at you.” He’d been running against my father for years now, but nothing had ever changed. His smirk hadn’t faltered.

“Not for long.” He says. “You see, my darling Ginger, I’ve made a wondrous discovery.” He turned to someone standing near him. “Send news to the Crownies: I want an immediate council with the rest of the clans. I call an instantaneous.”
An instantaneous meant there has to be a meeting, immediately. It means something is very urgent, like war or a important new discovery. Whatever Phoenix had up his sleeve… it had to be dangerous to call an instantaneous.

I don’t bother to stick around: I jump right back onto Sapphire and urge her towards the Crown clan.