Free Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder

They are probably using the
    Kirakawa to grant certain members magical abilities and increase certain Warpers’
    powers. Their leader would not want all the clan members to be equally powerful.”
    “How is the Kirakawa different than the Efe ritual Ferde used?” Leif rubbed the
    cut on his cheek.
    “The Efe ritual binds a person’s soul to the practitioner, increasing their power.
    While blood is needed, it isn’t the medium holding the power in Efe. The soul carries
    the power. And the person performing the ritual must be a magician.”
    “It sounds like anyone can use this Kirakawa to gain power,” Leif said.
    “If they knew the proper steps. With the Kirakawa, the victim’s soul is trapped in
    blood. It is gruesome, too. The victim’s stomach is cut open and the heart is
    removed while the victim is still living. The Kirakawa is also more complex than the
    Efe ritual.”
    “Could any magician use Efe? Or just the Soulstealer?” I asked.
    “A Soulfinder could, but no one else. Is that a straight enough answer for you,
    Yelena?”
    I didn’t dignify his comment with a reply. Instead, I asked about Mogkan, Alea’s
    brother. In Ixia, he had captured over thirty people, turning them into mindless slaves
    so he could siphon their power and augment his own. Valek and I had eventually
    stopped him from gaining control of Ixia, which explained Alea’s desire for revenge.
    “Mogkan tortured them both physically and mentally until they could no longer
    bear to be aware of their surroundings. They retreated within themselves and just
    became a conduit for him to exploit. Their magic remained in their bodies.”

    The implications over the different ways for people to abuse power raced
    through my mind. “Going back to the Kirakawa. If the Daviian Vermin have been
    performing it for a while, then they could have more than eight Warpers.”
    Moon Man nodded. “Many more.”
    Paranoia sizzled up my spine. Convinced Warpers surrounded us, my desire to
    return my friends to the safety of the plateau pressed between my shoulder blades.
    However, if the Daviians wanted to find more victims for their ritual, the Zaltana
    Clan teemed with people and magicians. With the Warpers using a null shield, the
    clan would have no warning. Fingers of desperate fear squeezed my stomach as the
    images of my mother and father being mutilated filled my mind.

7
    “HOW DO YOU COUNTER the null shield?” I asked Moon Man, failing to
    keep the panic out of my voice. The jungle around us darkened and I imagined
    predators lurking behind every tree and bush. Only the small fire we huddled around
    gave off any light.
    “Magic cannot pierce the shield, but find a way around the shield’s edges and
    you can use your magic.”
    “What are the shield’s dimensions?”
    “Depends on the strength of the builder. The one we used in the plateau was as
    tall as a man astride a horse, and as wide as thirty men. But we had four Story
    Weavers combine their powers to build it. For one Warper, the shield would have to
    be smaller.”
    I looked up at the trees. The ambush had come from above. Would they use the
    same tactic for another ambush? No. If the first attempt hadn’t worked, then a
    different strategy would be used. Being higher than your target had many advantages,
    and if I climbed into the tree canopy, I might be able to get past the edges of another
    null shield and discover where another ambush lurked.
    Knowing my next move helped to dampen my terror for my family. I made
    contact with Kiki, projecting my awareness up toward the plateau.
    Any trouble? I asked.
    No. Bored, she replied. Go?
    Yes. I’ll meet you at the Illiais Market rendezvous location.
    I then told my plan to the others.
    “Not without me,” Leif said. “I grew up in the jungle. I know every leaf and tree.”
    His body stiffened with determination.
    “That is why you need to stay with them. To show them the way to the
    homestead. To help them avoid