Kaianan

  “Ka, Ka!”

  Kaianan rolled her eyes, got out of her tub and reached for her towel.

  She opened her door, with her towel wrapped around her, half wet. “I don’t care if you are escaping from Gaylene again, just don’t bother me when I’m soaking.”

  Reddy used his forefingers to pull his mouth wide and stick out his tongue. Kaianan grimaced.

  “She says,” Reddy got out nervously, “I have more people looking at me tomorrow, Ka.”

  “That’s really good, Reddy.” He nodded. “You know, I love that nickname, Ka. My sister—never mind.”

  “Hmmm, you promised we would go out today.” Reddy slung himself on her bed.

  Kaianan rolled her eyes behind his back. Gaylene wouldn’t be pleased, but a promise was a promise. “Fine, go get ready.”

  “I hope you know; I’m only giving you half an hour,” Kaianan said as she lifted Reddy in his yellow tracksuit from her window down to the gravel.

  “Meh, better than nothing,” he replied, holding tight to his red, oval-shaped ball.

  Kaianan scanned the dark morning, and watched a shooting star graciously fall across the sky, knowing that a Euclidean Vector had failed to reach its destination. They hurriedly passed the residential homes of the humans, catching a glimpse of George and Eleni having another argument—or maybe it was just their normal voices, she could never tell. She smiled at their strangeness; it was something she wished she had the time to study further.

  “They is so funny!” Reddy pointed.

  “Well, I guess they just found the right type of crazy.”

  “You’re crazy,” Reddy pointed at her.

  “Thanks, Reign.”

  “I don’t like that name. Normally means I’m in trouble.”

  “Reign, Reign, Reign.”

  He latched onto her leg and hugged her. She felt a tinge of feelings run around her heart and immediately pulled away from him and the sudden emotion it brought her.

  “What’s that?” he cocked his head sideways. He continued a few more blocks, and the sound of up-tempo music grew louder. Kaianan followed him with interest. The music was completely foreign to what she had heard on her first night on Earth and at Illusions. It was comprised of similar drum sounds, but it was the rapid beat and rhythm that intrigued her.

  “Well she was just seventeen … you know what I mean … and the way she looked was way beyond compare … So how could I dance with another? Ooh, when I saw her standing there!”

  She spotted the glowing house and stood behind Reddy and the short fence, staring at the two humans dancing inside. The preform woman was twirling around the male companion in her arms. Her boisterous curls flew through the air as she sung over the top of the lyrics.

  Kaianan built up with slight jealously at the couple enjoying themselves, then heard something click and looked down.

  “What are you doing?” she asked Reddy, who had his mobile device out.

  “Recording it … How about we dance?” He seized her hands and twirled her around. He sniggered and giggled through every turn—until Kaianan tripped on his feet and they both fell over.

  “Watch it …” he lashed out. Hurriedly lifting himself up and wiping down his pants, he added: “… and don’t blame gravity.”

  “What?”

  “Don’t blame gravity.” He said again.

  “What’s that?”

  “You don’t know?” She shook her head so he went on. “It’s how, like, things gravitate toward each other … how we are heavy, I mean get weighed down. The planet keeps us here, see?” He shuffled his feet under the small gravel stones.

  “You’re talking about the Siliou …” She said in obvious understanding, crossing her legs in the gravel, not wanting to get up.

  “No. Gravity.”

  Weight bearing of physical objects tying them to a planet and most likely lining up with other galaxies to form the structure of the universe? Gravitational force; Siliou. Her brain jammed. They knew about the Siliou … why didn’t they try to overcome it?

  “Why don’t you learn about the Sil—gravity and shift yourself to use it.”

  “What are you talking about? Didn’t you go to school? I walk and talk; I’m using it like everyone else.”

  “But can you do anything more with it?” Kaianan’s eyes had become wide.

  “No. Can you?”

  She shook her head. Gravity. So the humans were aware of the physical constraints and connectedness of the planets, yet didn’t bother tapping into their auras. Hmm. Kaianan waited a few moments and then said: “Reddy, you do know you can choose to be whoever you want to be.”

  “I’m just a boy.”

  “But you have just as much power as me.”

  “You’re just saying that.”

  “Why would I? You know I despise you,” she smiled gingerly.

  “That’s true.”

  “What do you truly want to be?”

  “I never really thought about it … I want to play ball.”

  “Oh, for holom’s sake does the river of vanity and superficiality run so far?”

  “What? Did you say holom again?”

  While rolling her eyes, Kaianan felt a pang in her gut: Reddy had suddenly dived into her lap; his arms were around her neck yanking her closer.

  “Reddy,” she said prying his hands from off of her and then looked at him seriously, “will you go with these people tomorrow who could, perhaps, turn into your family?”

  “Maybe. Just depends on how they are.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, if I like them, I’ll go.”

  “But you didn’t even give the last couple a chance.”

  “’course I did,” he said smiling, Kaianan was trying not to look at the gap between his two front teeth. “They kept talking about how I’d fit with them. They didn’t ask me no questions, did they? I’m not going with some-one who doesn’t want me to play ball. Who wants me to wear a suit for their friends?”

  “So, you lied, it wasn’t because of me then? Why you didn’t go?”

  “Ka, most people show their colours to you when you meet them.” He was playing with her hand and looking down when he spoke. “They don’t hide. You can tell you know. My real mamma always told me the listener and questioner are the one who will believe in you. They will listen to your thoughts, and question you on your motives. Ka, being around you, you make me feel that way.”

  “How old are you?” Kaianan snapped. “I thought you were eight or nine.”

  “I’m eleven. Old enough to know what my mamma and papa taught me meant something. And you just told me I can do whatever I want. See, I was right about you.”

  “You’re crazy,” Kaianan was laughing and hoisting him off of her, getting to her feet. “I don’t…” Kaianan suddenly stopped and turned her head impulsively. Everything seemed too quiet. “Where is everyone? What’s going—” Instinct abruptly flared within her. “Reddy!” she yelled, narrowly diving to evade an arrow hurtling in the direction of their feet.

  “Not a smart little girl, are we, Princess?” a male voice lingered somewhere near. And after a few moments, the owner of the arrow presented himself, walking towards her through the darkness on her right.

  “Kate,” Reddy ran at her.

  “Stay behind me,” she whispered, getting them both on their feet and pushing his body behind her legs.

  The pale man stopped. Long white hair ran down to his waist, he was glowing in a bright red aura and his eyes were black as night. Large pointy ears sat awkwardly on his skull, and he had high arched brows that did not match his dainty face.

  “I’m Levon,” the distorted-looking man said and his aura faded into him. Was he a Sprite?

  “Oh lovely, thanks for the introduction,” Kaianan said. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’ve come to entice you away from your lovely safe lock, and your new friends,” he grinned at Reddy, “now that you’re unguarded.”
<
br />   Kaianan scoffed. “My Guardian will come when I request him.”

  “Your Master is a Euclidean Vector away, and you know it.”

  “I am not afraid,” she said resolutely. Reddy’s hands were shaking against her thigh as she spoke the words and right now, she was having her own trouble trying to stay composed without him adding to it. “Be calm, Reddy, please.”

  “Do you think you are in any position to be making those types of claims out here, in the open, on your own?” Levon rebuked.

  “I said I’m not afraid.”

  Levon chuckled for a long moment, then paused. “No, of course you aren’t. You’re the Gorgon Princess,” he shot back snidely.

  “Well then …” Kaianan waited.

  “Damn it! I was being sarcastic. Enough chit chat, you will follow me to Croone.”

  “I shall do no such thing.”

  “So be it.” He stretched out his arms and bellowed, “Conundrum!” and a cloud of black smoke erupted out of his hands. It swiftly covered the space between them and soot began packing the air. Reddy was then gone from her leg and coughing.

  “Reddy?” Kaianan said. After a few seconds the dirt cleared, and she felt him clutch back round her thigh. Anger consumed her as she searched for Levon.

  “What the holom is wrong with—” She stopped her rant; her body became limp and her bottom lip started quivering. The smoke had cleared to reveal, in its place, a pulsing image of a person.

  The hologram was fuzzy, but Kaianan knew who it was the second she laid eyes on the carbon copy, the projection of tearful chocolate eyes and dirty long mouse brown hair staring up at her from her knees was all too familiar… her heart was in her mouth: “Chituma.”

  Chapter Twenty: Ended Beginnings

  Dersji stood in front of the huge sandstone ‘Bu-Ky’ Temple, it was at least one hundred feet tall and double that in width. It had large round windows with gold trimming all around it. The doors looked like two barely functioning bits of interlaced timber.

  “Humkar is expecting us,” Garen said.

  “Who’s that?” Sachin said.

  The walls were vibrating and Dersji could vaguely make out the sound through the holes in the doors as Garen and Sachin kept talking.

  “Ga moon ra, Ga moon ra.”

  “What are they saying?” Maki said.

  “I’m going to see if there’s a back entrance.” Dersji said, “… see if I can disable this vortex,” and without waiting for a reply he shot off towards the west.

  “Well that’s great.” Maki said shrugging to Garen.

  “Never mind, leave him—”

  Within an instant, a piercing scream wailed, the temple doors banged open and all three Liege were suddenly exposed. The chanting stopped abruptly. Hundreds of tiny maroon-skinned Daem-Raal glowered orange eyes at the Liege Shiek party.

  “What in holom’s—so much for remaining unseen,” Sachin shot Garen in a low voice.

  “It’s okay …” Garen said, “… gives Brikin a chance to disable the city’s vortex, Sachin. Now bite your tongue and for holom’s sake, stay behind me.”

  The Felrin, giant-like in comparison, watched the skinny, toddler-like creatures cock their overhanging flappy ears in alarm and flare protruding hooked noses in unease. Their tiny naked bodies made them look like stick insects. Sachin saw a Daem-Raal gnarl at her with yellow teeth.

  “They look happy to see us,” she said, smirking.

  “Silence, Sachin,” Garen said sharply, “And be diplomatic,” he added while strolling inside.

  They walked on pebble slates that were in contrast to the flat-domed sandstone exterior, and the interior was poorly draped with thick curtains from the sky-high ceiling down—a mixture of deep blues, ivory and maroon.

  Humkar sat opposite the entrance in a towering throne chair, reached by a spiral of marble stairs.

  “Foreigners,” he screeched, his Vernacular was better than the Liege expected. “You have come here to help us, no doubt, with the safe and humble return of our Relic?”

  Garen cocked his head at Humkar’s staff shining as the Daem-Raal twirled it. “That’s the silver tip of mercury. Watch yourselves,” he whispered to the Liege.

  Hundreds of Daem-Raal banged their blunt wooden staffs on the ground, stepping back to allow the Liege through. Garen assessed an illuminated, transparent, coffin-shaped box levitating in a vertical position to the right of Humkar. The bright light surrounding the box had dimmed. It contained an adolescent boy. Suited in black pants, no tunic and barefoot, the boy’s arms and legs were frozen along his sides and his eyes were rolled into the back of his head.

  “Arlise,” Sachin breathed out.

  “Move, Sachin.” Garen placed one foot on the bottom step and lowered into a slight bow. “Your grace, Humkar.” He said, “We welcome you as you welcome us. Yet I am confused as to how you coordinated a recapture of the Relic. Were you not asking the Felrin for assistance?”

  Humkar grinned; his narrow mouth full of yellowy daggered teeth. “Ah, Mr Felrin, Liege Lofar, we Daem-Raal are not as helpless as you make us out to be.”

  “I did not mean to imply that, Humkar. I only question your calling us to Croone if there is no need for our services.”

  “Oh no, Liege Lofar, there is a need. You see, we lured the Relic here on the hope of reuniting with his family, and upon his encasement he stopped functioning for our purpose of communication to the Sarinese god, Burakar …”

  “The boy does not communicate with the Gods, Humkar,” Sachin interjected. “There is no such thing. He is a Conductor of Siliou, which enables one to harness out of world forces.”

  Garen’s jaw dropped. The Daem-Raal inched closer to the Felrin.

  Humkar frowned, raising his hand to halt their advance. “What boy are you referring to, Miss Felrin? I don’t see any children in my presence?”

  She gulped loudly. Garen placed his hand softly on her upper arm and dragged her back behind him. “No boy, Humkar, just a Relic.” He said. “Excuse my fellow Felrin—she hit her head on the way in.”

  The little minions erupted in laughter and Sachin’s temper raised another notch.

  “Indeed,” Humkar twirled his little maroon hand around, “no children can remain alive in my presence, Liege.”

  Garen bowed his head. “Noted, my grace.”

  “Now, I would advise you to use your Felrin abilities to awaken the broken Relic and re-merge our alignment with Burakar above.”

  “Certainly, my grace. This will take time, though.”

  “Then get to it. My people will be guarding the Relic with their lives.” Humkar’s staff brightened in his fingers and he looked out to his Daem-Raal people and spoke something in their native tongue that made them cheer.

  “Release the Relic!” Humkar commanded and the levitating chamber begun lowering with a flick of his hand. The beady Daem-Raal clawed the opening of the glass-like coffin and pulled at the latches. The tattoo-covered and limp body of Arlise dropped out when the door swung open. Long, thin, brown hair fell over his face, neck and bare chest as he tumbled to the middle of the stairs.

  All three Felrin moved quickly. Sachin took another breath of air. She scanned the circular carvings on his skin. She noted the intricate detail, the same as the symbols on Arlise’s old ring. The drawings were black, but gleamed when the dim lighting shone on them. His back, chest and arms were covered in the intricate lines, but his face was still clear, much to her relief. She raised her shaky hand and caressed her son’s back, expecting to feel terrible scarring, but all she felt was smooth skin.

  Garen pulled her back and his words came out heated: “Sachin, refrain from participating here. You will cause more harm than good.” He shoved her weak body aside. “Maki, assist the Felrin, as she cannot assist herself …” Maki huffed at the order. “I’m going to re-awaken the Relic. Did everyone hear that?” Garen squinted at the Daem-Raal, who nodded their feeble heads.

  “You better have bloody heard me, D
ersji,” he muttered under his breath.

  Garen placed his hand over the boy’s unconscious face and started what the Daem-Raal believed to be a reawakening of the Relic. With his palm up, purple light emerged from his fingers flowing in a circular motion around Arlise.

  “Can you feel that?” Maki said, tilting her head.

  “The Vortex has dropped the Siliou hold on us,” Sachin advised, locating Dersji in her thoughts.

  “Maybe not enough to give us full ability though.” Garen said and had started to feel Arlise’s presence within the Siliou. “Deliver the cruiser to us, Arlise. Bring it here,” he whispered, a few inches from his face. Arlise’s eyelids flickered at the sound.

  “Be careful, Mr Felrin,” Humkar warned. “I don’t want you too close; he needs room to rise back into his cage.”

  Garen nodded. He continued to coerce what Kan’Ging he could around Arlise. The minutes tracked by until the unexpected sound of heavy machinery outside the temple walls broke the silence, and the tiles, curtains and walls began to vibrate. The Daem-Raal shot glances in panic and uproar. Humkar crushed his staff into the ground and their little faces became stationary.

  “Enough!” he growled.

  Garen pulsed aura one more time, into Arlise, and the boy’s body began a slow convulsion. Humkar glowered and swung his staff, smacking Garen in the face and sending him flying.

  “Destroy the Felrin, immediately!” he ordered, looking up at the roof beginning to crumble. He headed for Arlise and seized the half-conscious boy by the neck. He raised his staff and conjured a trajectory to the encasement.

  Less than a second later, another ear-splitting explosion was set off and the roof of the Bu-Ky Temple splintered through the middle. Alight with white Kan’Ging energy, – or a second skin of silver flames – the Felrin cruiser made a swift and rough descent, destroying the right side of the temple. The wall crumbled and the cruiser spiralled to an awkward landing on the pebbled tiles, crushing over a hundred Daem-Raal. The sunlight, through the breaking pieces of wall, lit up the temple like a shrine. The rays had hit Arlise across the body, and the markings on his skin flushed in white light shooting his eyes open.