by Andi Feron
The Anierisian who I spoke with both times followed me to my ship, and she brought the three others with her. They were the only ones I saw, and I wondered how many of them were actually left. They all looked incredibly similar. Two had black hair like the one who spoke to me, while the other had blonde hair.
The four of them boarded, and then there was a tap on the ship. I opened the door to see a smaller Anierisian standing there, one with blonde hair. She looked young, around the age of fifteen, if they even aged close to the same as humans did. We traveled back to the council planet.
The Anierisians were about a foot shorter than me, and they fit through the low set cave tunnel to the council easily. Luckily their wings folded nicely behind their backs, making the narrowness not as big of an issue as I thought it would be. Killreth introduced the council to the Anierisians.
“Maziellia,” the head Anierisian finally gave her name. She introduced the rest of her group and pointed to each one as she gave names. “My sisters—Callia, Elloesia, Lacharallia, and Nia. We are the leaders of the Anierisian people. We used to be a more trusting people, but now we only have the goal to live in peace and protect our people.”
The council met with the Anierisians for a few hours, and I remained present during the tedious interval. I had yet to see John since my arrival back and was surprised, as this type of meeting was his cup of tea.
The council and Maziellia came to an agreement. There was a significant battle coming up that the council felt would be a mutual benefit to the Anierisians. If the battle was successful, the Anierisians would not only be granted council protection, but they would be offered a planet well-within Loctorian space. The Khalbytians would not, in any way, be able to access the planet.
John and I were to bring the five sisters back with us and await further instructions for the battle. The sisters would be a sight on base, as their large wings would not go easily unnoticed. We went back to the shuttle and John joined us. He gawked at the Anierisians then averted his eyes when they caught him looking. Their faces were enchanting, making it difficult to avoid staring.
Back on base, John and I helped them get settled, and Allie thought we should be hospitable and invite them to dinner. They maintained a vegetarian diet so Lila and Allie put together a tray for them to try with various fruits and vegetables from all over the galaxy.
Seraphine kept her distance. She and I were the only ones present to have lived through Anierisian fog. The visions they showed Seraphine left her rattled and brought the abuse from her past to the surface. Seraphine’s strength was one of the greatest things I admired about her, but she shouldn’t have to reface the monsters she already defeated. She could have her distance.
Nia and Allie became instant friends. Allie showed Nia all things human culture on a computer. Nia told Allie about the Anierisian way of life, and Allie soaked up every bit of it. My sister spanned the divide between their worlds as if she was an anthropologist who had been studying their culture for decades. Allie invited Nia to the rec room to show her pool and bowling. They ended the night with Allie showing her our regular dance party routine.
Nia liked to dance and Allie showed her some human moves, and Nia returned the favor by showing Allie some Anierisian dancing. The other sisters seemed more reserved and proper. They sat in the chairs we offered them and watched all of us play the games and dance. I taught Maziellia and Elloesia how to play poker, and the others talked Lacharallia into bowling. Halfway through our third game, I glanced over to see Morgan deep in conversation with Callia, then about twenty minutes later they walked out of the rec room together.
The sisters stayed with us for about a month, and we were sure to host their meals and try to make them feel welcomed. Callia and Morgan were inseparable, and I could tell he was falling for her. This was unusual for him because he maintained a strict reputation as a playboy. It seemed, however, that the siren caught herself a human. Allie and Nia stayed up many nights talking and learning as much as they could about each other’s worlds. Allie would tell me later that they weren’t that much different. There were certain gaps they worked through, but overall, their friendship came easily to them.
Seraphine was a different story. She remained cordial but never warmed up to them. I presumed that to be because, for Seraphine, having dinner with the Anierisians was like a child having dinner with the monster under their bed, the monster that kept them up at night by plaguing their sleep with nightmares. Seraphine did her best to extend her welcome, but asking for anything more than formality from her was too much.
The battle was set for the last day of their month-long stay. The day before the battle, we decided to spend the day watching movies to show the sisters even more about our culture. Callia and Morgan sat next to each other, and it was clear by their closeness that something more was growing between them. I wasn’t sure how they were going to make that work and it probably wouldn’t last long past tomorrow’s battle.
After a good evening of enjoying the company of our new comrades, the battle arrived, and we brought a hundred troops against about a thousand Khalbytians. Our small army would be all that was needed once the Anierisians spread chaos to the Khalbytians. We were being equipped with specialized masks to protect us from the fog. They looked like traditional gas masks except that the eyepieces glowed green.
The battle was to take place on a planet with red skies and a black, rocky surface. The black rocks were jagged in certain areas, making it easier to injure an opponent with a shove. A thick, silver, vine-type plant pushed through the black rock randomly and stretched ten to twenty feet in the air. The scarlet skies often danced with flocks of tiny yellow birds.
Khalbytians spread across the black rock surface, and sounds of cackling spread among them as they mocked our miniature army. They had already proclaimed themselves the victors. The air was a chilly fifty degrees, meaning the Khalbytians didn’t think they needed bio-suits, which was exactly what we needed them to believe.
They began firing, and the Anierisians poured their fog over the heads of the enemy army. The hazy air generated mass chaos within our enemies and we moved in, annihilating the disoriented Khalbytians. They should have been more concerned with the fact that we were wearing masks than our size, I thought as I cut down enemy after enemy. Killing was effortless, as the Khalbytians were too stuck in their own minds to realize that we were the real threat.
The fog began to disappear, and the field lay covered with unmoving Khalbytians. We scoured the field to ensure that all were slayed, and we took care of any movement. Nia caught one moving and swooped down to attack. The Khalbytian sliced through Nia’s abdomen followed by her head. She let out a haunting, almost alluring scream and collapsed on the ground. I fired on her attacker, killing him.
Allie ran to Nia’s side and began the healing process. Halfway through Allie healing her head, a delirious Nia opened her mouth to reveal sharp pointed teeth. She grabbed Allie’s hand and bit down for about ten seconds then released, leaving a large gash of blood and tattered flesh. Allie blinked rapidly. I ran to pull Nia away from her as she bit Allie a second time right below the first bite.
“No, Talon! I’m fine. Let me finish.” Allie held her hand out to hold me back.
Nia bit her a third time on the leg, but Allie pushed through and finished healing her. The wounds sealed up, and Allie fell back flat on the ground. She had healed and brought back many, and I thought her healing energy was used up. With the fog faded, I removed Allie’s mask and looked closer.
Allie’s eyes were wide open. I removed my mask so I could assess her better. My heart pounded as I feared she was dead. I studied her closely and saw her rapid breathing. She appeared to be in shock. Nia jumped up, looked at Allie, and then at me. Nia’s eyes were wide and she backed away slowly, her body trembling.
“I didn’t mean to bite her. I’m sorry.” Nia cowered farther away from me.
Maziellia landed next to Nia. “Please do not harm my sister, she d
id not know what she was doing. We thank your sister for saving her.”
“What did she do to her?” I watched Allie for movement, but she laid completely still. Her eyes didn’t even blink.
“Nia released our defensive chemical into her bloodstream. When she was injured, her mind must have perceived your sister as a threat. This is our final safety mechanism. It causes a more intense reaction than breathing it in, and it lingers. She will recover as soon as it leaves her body, a few hours from now. She will be fine. Please don’t hurt us.”
“I’m not going to hurt you,” I said, and they both looked relieved.
Allie struggled to heal most poisons, and her body seemed to be having trouble clearing this one on its own. I wasn’t thrilled that my sister would get to experience the horrors in her head for the next few hours. John came running out of the ship where he had been debriefing with a couple other admirals.
“Where’s Allie?” he demanded.
I knew he could sense what was probably terror coming from her. He saw her, and gasped in horror. I told him what happened, and he grabbed her hand. His eyes went vacant. He was likely telling her what was going on. He let go of her hand after a few minutes.
“She’s okay. Having some trippy dreams, but I explained to her what was happening. She only wanted to know if Nia was okay and that she finished the healing.”
Nia glanced at the ground. “Can you tell her I am sorry?”
“Let’s get her to the ship and then I’ll let her know.” He scooped Allie up and began walking toward the ship.
John held Allie’s hand to help her through the nightmares, and Jasper kept her in sickbay until the poison streamed through her system. Nia came to visit her in order to apologize and thank her.
“Honestly, I’m glad I was able to heal you first, and you are fine. Don’t worry about it. Nothing like the most realistic horror movie I’ve ever experienced to shake up my boredom levels.” Allie laughed, and Nia looked confused.
Allie hugged Nia and told her she would have to visit her on her planet. Jasper let Allie go home, and she seemed fully recovered, both physically and mentally. I wondered how much having John walk her through it helped.
*
Seraphine stayed quiet as we ate dinner in our quarters.
“You okay?” I asked her.
“Yeah, I’ll be glad when the siren crew is gone. Your sister is something else. She hits her fears head on, and I have no idea how she does it. Mine sit in my gut and eat me up for weeks.”
“To be fair, she didn’t face her fog alone. John helped her know it wasn’t real. When I knew the fog wasn’t real, it diminished the terror significantly. What got me is that even as she was being bitten, she refused to let me stop Nia.” I told Seraphine the story of Allie being bitten by the dog she saved from the barbed wire fence. I told her that it was a reason I thought Allie wouldn’t do well in war.
“I think that’s because you saw her compassion for the dog as a weakness that would keep her from fighting. Instead, her compassion is a strength that helps her push through the painful and scary things around her.”
Seraphine was right. What I thought made Allie least equipped for war was actually one of her biggest advantages. We helped the sisters load the items that they had brought and acquired. All the sisters were aboard the ship except Callia. I was about to track her location when I saw Morgan and her walking up to the ship holding hands. He kissed her, and I went into the ship to give them privacy.
The next morning, John and I escorted the Anierisians to their new planet where they could build a life without fear. After getting to know them, I realized that they weren’t as terrifying as our first encounter had led me to believe. They simply wanted to survive. They used fear as a weapon to protect themselves from what they feared the most. They thanked us, and I knew we had gained permanent friends.
Chapter Twenty-One
Althea-October 15, 2014
A member of our team was worrying me. I wasn’t sure how much the others noticed Morgan’s absence at our game and movie nights. He was also quiet on missions and not his usual quick-witted self. I scanned my calendar and realized he had a birthday coming up.
The wheels in my head began turning, and I went to meet Seraphine for our weekly coffee date. The coffee shop on base was two levels above my quarters and opened about seven months ago. Black, metal chairs and tables were spread throughout the room and a glass case held scones, muffins, and other pastries. A soft jazz melody played overhead and the smell of warm cherry tarts caused me to glance at the counter where a fresh tray was being placed.
Seraphine was reading from a magazine, at a small table when I walked in. She always looked sophisticated. I admired her confidence and strived to be more like her. She was the sister I always dreamed of having and I was so glad my brother fell in love with her. I glanced over the chalkboard menu and ordered an iced caramel macchiato. Seraphine looked up and smiled as I approached her table and sat down across from her.
I decided to start in on what my mind was caught up in. “Have you noticed Morgan lately? He seems distant.”
“I think he misses Callia,” Seraphine offered.
“Nia’s sister?”
She sipped her green tea. “Yeah, Talon told me Morgan fell pretty hard for her during the month they were on base.”
“Well, he has a birthday coming up, and I thought perhaps we could throw him a party.”
“It’s not a bad idea, but I think that only time or Callia will cure the lovesickness.” A smile curled on her perfectly painted red lips.
“Hmm… you’re probably right.”
I must have glanced off for a little too long because Seraphine studied me carefully.
She laughed a little. “Uh oh, what are you devising now?”
“I was thinking maybe we should take him to see Callia or meet her somewhere. Surprise him for his birthday. I’ve been missing Nia anyway.”
“I don’t know. I think if he wanted to go see her, he could, and maybe we shouldn’t interfere. Either way, I would like to avoid the siren crew.”
“They aren’t going to fog you, Seraphine. They’re our friends now.”
“Maybe I’m a little phobic of them now.”
“Maybe you should come and get to know them better then,” I suggested.
“Some of us aren’t as fond of jumping straight into the things that scare us.” She gave me a wink.
“You’re the bravest person I know.”
“Funny, that’s what I think about you.”
I thought it was funny that she perceived me the way she did because to me she was the fearless one. I admired the great strength she pulled out anytime any of us needed it from her. Her practicality gave me wisdom on more than one occasion. I decided that it would probably be best if I simply invited Morgan along to visit Nia instead of putting effort into a big surprise that might upset them both.
*
Back in my quarters, I found John sipping his coffee and scrolling through war reports on his tablet. I said nothing but sat down and stared at him. He would get the hint soon enough.
He signed off on one and looked up at me. “Okay. What are dying to discuss with me?”
“You know how we’re off for the next week or so?”
“You are, at least. I need to get caught up on all these reports.”
Parks had recently put John in charge of signing off on all the war reports for Saturn base. He was to look for any inconsistencies and address any unresolved issues. I hated that she put even more on his plate, as it meant I had a lot less time with him.
“I want to go visit Nia for a week,” I said.
“Why don’t you wait until next month when I can take off and go with you? I’m not exactly thrilled with the idea of you traveling that far alone. Lots of things can go wrong.”
“What if I took someone else with me?”
“Like who?”
“One of the guys. Like maybe Morgan.”
&nb
sp; John put his coffee down and looked up at me with a suspicious look. “Allie, you can’t interfere with the relationships of others.”
I pretended I didn’t know what he was getting at. “What do you mean?”
“Morgan is perfectly capable of taking leave to see Callia if he wants. He must not want to.”
“He seems so sad all the time. Haven’t you noticed?”
“Of course I’ve noticed. I can literally feel the guy’s emotions. But I don’t bring up other people’s feelings,” he said. I narrowed my eyes to let him know I didn’t buy it. “Okay, unless they are my fiancé I don’t bring up their emotions.”
“Well, I miss Nia anyway. I’ll bring it up to Morgan, and if he says no, then we’ll leave it at that.”
John reluctantly relented his stance, and I was pretty sure he figured out I wasn’t going to be persuaded otherwise. The next day I called Morgan and asked him if he wouldn’t mind escorting me to see Nia. I played it off as John thinking I needed a bodyguard. Morgan eagerly agreed. I saw him light up like he hadn’t in a long time. I messaged Nia to let her know we were coming and she squealed an enthusiastic response that she couldn’t wait for my arrival.
Our shuttle landed, and I could see the white-pink Anierisian palace resting in front of us. The red rock mountain was a nice backdrop to the landscape. I could see Anierisians flying from the roof of one building to the next. The rest of the buildings were a bluish slate color, which made the shimmering palace pop even more.
Nia and Callia were waiting. I grinned when Callia and Morgan met each other’s gaze. I could see mutual happiness at the sight of each other. I told Morgan that Nia and I would be off on an adventure, and he could enjoy himself with whatever. Nia asked me to stay in her room which I was pretty sure was larger than my farmhouse. A large, white canopy bed was against the wall to the left of the entrance.
The floor was a smooth, grey stone and a large blue woven rug spanned a good portion of the floor. Nia and I climbed under her white fur blanket so we could talk comfortably. We stayed up talking long after Maziellia called curfew, and Nia brought up Morgan and Callia before I could say anything.