The Energy Crusades

by Valerie Noble

  Ajax sat up and began pulling things from our packs. "Sit up, Kaia." It was a command but it wasn't harsh. He tugged my arm and coaxed me into a sitting position, then removed the glasses from my face. Next, he handed me a rehydration drink, and I forced myself to drink slowly, although I had the urge to take huge gulps. I knew if I drank too much at once, I would throw up for sure. After a few sips, I lay back down on my side, hoping Ajax wouldn't make me move again.

  "Sit up," he ordered again, "I need to see your face." I had forgotten about the injury. There were so many other things to worry about. I dragged myself into a sitting position as he got out the healing balm. My face was dirty though, as was the rest of me, and I wasn't sure how in the world I would apply the medicine. Ajax and I regarded each other. He looked as bad as I felt. His suit was also torn in places, and he had a gash on his head just above his right ear. During the climb, his body had probably shielded mine from the worst of the avalanche of rocks, while he took the brunt of their full force. There was another cut at his shoulder, wet with blood. My stomach felt queasy at the sight of him injured. I didn't like it; it made me want to fix him.

  "Look," he said, motioning to the scene around us.

  I noticed our surroundings for the first time. We were at the top of a steep, rocky slope on a flat expanse of ground far more forgiving than the rocks we'd just climbed. If I didn't look down, I could avoid the knowledge of the return journey. The terrain was much more forgiving up here and the rocks gave way to a grassy expanse and an outcropping of trees beside a pool of water. It was a small oasis among the red rocks. I looked longingly toward the water, imagining myself sinking into it.

  "Ajax," I said, meeting his eyes again, "I'm going to have to get in the water." He managed a nod and I knew he was exhausted too. Both of our bodies were weary and he probably felt the same desire to submerge himself in the pool. "I have to get out of these clothes," I continued, "But don't worry. I have clothes on underneath. Okay?"

  He got to his feet and held out his hand, helping me to mine. After he scooped up our packs, we headed for the water, settling for a spot under the trees. I rummaged through the packs and found blankets, which I laid on the ground apart from each other so Ajax wouldn't have to be right next to me. When I sat down, I began to remove my shoes.

  The little lake of water was nothing more than a small watering hole carved out of the rocks. Cool and inviting, the water beckoned, providing enough depth to allow us to swim around a little and loosen up our legs.

  I kept my back to Ajax as I removed my clothes. My wet, dirty suit had to come off and I hoped the mud would wash away in the water. The sun was still high in the sky and I suspected our clothes would be able to dry in the trees by the time we had to descend. I peeled off my pants only to reveal a plethora of cuts and bruises on my naked legs.

  I told myself it wasn't so different from being in my tennis outfit, except for my bare arms. After I gathered my clothes, I held them in front of my body, and found the courage to look at Ajax. He watched me with the most intense expression on his face, sending chills down my body again, different this time, and my heart started to thump inside my chest. Ajax was handsome, even with his hair dirty and matted against his face, and his tired, haunted eyes.

  He'd stripped to his underwear, his necklace at his throat, and his clothing in one hand at his side. His slender frame boasted well-defined arms, chest and stomach. There were several cuts and bruises on him too, but otherwise his skin was smooth and pale, as if it hadn't had too much sun exposure. I gazed down at my own arms and legs. They were battered and bruised, and I imagined he found me a scruffy mess. I felt enormously self-conscious, but forced myself to be brave in this situation, and not intimidated by the boy staring at me.

  The grassy patch we were on gave way to a little mud bank, and I walked into the pool, letting the water swirl around me. It was cool, but not cold, and felt glorious on my body. Ripples encircled me as Ajax entered the water, but I didn't look at him. I submerged myself, sinking into the pool and allowing my clothes to float away while I ran my hands through my dirty hair and shook the debris from it underwater. With the water enveloping me and the sunlight upon my face, my limbs loosened and my body rejuvenated. Ajax swam too, but I kept my distance. It was hard to tell what he was thinking and we didn't speak.

  When I felt refreshed and a whole lot cleaner, I gathered our floating clothes and swam back to the shallow water. I spent some time rinsing our suits until Ajax kicked his way over to help with the task. The water grew cloudy with the red mud from the rocks.

  "Here, let me take those," he finally spoke, gathering our clothing to wring out piece by piece with his strong hands. I took off my tank top then, knowing it would dry a lot faster off my body. When I gave it to him, I kept my eyes downcast, too shy to face him in my wet underwear. Ajax walked off toward the trees and hung the clothing in the lowest branches. Hopefully, they would dry rapidly in the hot sun.

  An awkward silence hung in the air between us and it was strange being alone with Ajax when neither of us would speak. There was nothing for me to do but dread our return journey while my body was still hurting from the climb. I sat on my blanket and wrapped it around my body in spite of the heat. Ajax had left the healing balm under the packs, and I started to apply it to my hands and legs, while also trying to keep my body covered. When he was finished hanging the clothes, he sat down in front of me.

  "Let me see your face," he ordered, but his tone was gentle. I pulled my legs in and crossed them in front of me, raising my chin to meet his eyes while clinging to the blanket. Ajax clamped down his lips and I swear he stifled a smile at my discomfort. When he reached out a hand to touch my face, his eyes widened in surprise and I flinched as his fingers touched the wound.

  "It hurts?"

  I nodded at him. It absolutely did.

  "It looks like… it looks—" he stammered, his eyes still upon my face, "It looks like it healed?" He said it like a question, confusion in his eyes.

  "What do you mean?" My heart began to thump inside my chest.

  "I thought it was worse. Your face was bleeding, I could see it on the rocks. The gash looks a lot smaller now."

  I reached up to touch the cut. Indeed it felt much smaller than the large slash I'd imagined. Ajax took the balm from my hands and started to apply it gently. As the salve penetrated the wound, the pain lessened and I closed my eyes, hoping to stave off any further questions.

  "The balm won't heal it totally," Ajax said when he finished. His voice was a whisper in the still air. "The gash is still too wide. You'll have to go to the Healing Rooms when we get back."

  I opened my eyes and took the medicine from his hands. "Let me help you now," I dipped my head and waited while he scooted around. The cut on his shoulder wasn't as deep and horrible as I expected, and also appeared partially healed. My head tingled wondering what it meant.

  "This cut looks better too," I told him quietly. My hands trembled as I touched his skin, his broad shoulders strong beneath my fingers. A visit to the Healing Rooms would also be in his future in order to get the wound sealed properly. From his shoulder, I moved to the gash on his head. I struggled to push old memories away as his hair slid around my fingers and images of the two of us as children, my hands reaching for his hair, swarmed over me. The balm left white streaks in his raven hair.

  "Thank you, Ajax," my voice shook with emotion. I tried to make it steadier, "Thank you for getting me up the path." It was easier to say what I wanted to say without having to look into his face.

  "You got yourself up the path," he answered, scooting to his own blanket. We spent some time rubbing the balm on our own arms and legs, not speaking as we went about the task. I kept the blanket around me as much as possible.

  "I'm glad I'm training with you," I admitted. "You were excellent on the path and training me with my orb. I can only hope to be as good as you are."

  "You did a good job, Kaia," was his simple answer. "There aren't a
lot of Crusaders who could do what you did today their first time around." He looked away from me and began digging in his pack, producing some energy bars. I was tired from the climb and not ready to eat yet. I set mine aside. Ajax sat on his blanket and didn't eat right away either. I studied him, curious to know the grown up Ajax, but I didn't know how to ask all the questions I wanted to, since he didn't remember me as I remembered him. Had I been braver, I would have asked about our neighbor, about his family, about all of the things I'd missed in our Grid while I was gone. But he'd put up a wall between us and I didn't know how to ask anything. Still, I couldn't just sit and be silent.

  "What's your brother like?" I asked, thinking of Cadmus but not able to picture his face. Ajax pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. He tilted his head at me while he considered the question.

  "He told your brother that when he got done with his Crusade he was going to come home and marry his sister."

  "What?" I asked, completely taken aback by the admission. "Was he joking? I don't remember him at all." I admitted. The ghost of a smile crossed Ajax's mouth.

  "It didn't seem like he was joking," he shrugged, "maybe you'll like him too." I narrowed my eyes at him.

  "Why would he say something so absurd? Why me?"

  Ajax stared at me for several moments before answering. He reached to his throat and touched the leather string, untwisting it. The stone was smooth, gray in color, but with flecks of blue. It glinted in the sunlight, shimmering and changing colors with each movement.

  "I don't know. He thinks you're—" his voice trailed off and he looked almost embarrassed, "—pretty, I guess." Ajax didn't look at me when he said this. I turned it over in my mind. Cadmus thought I was pretty? He didn't dislike me the way Ajax did? After a horrible beginning at the University, it was nice to hear a compliment, even if it was secondhand.

  "So, he remembers me?" I asked, but Ajax was through discussing the matter. He fiddled with his mailbox and remained silent. I watched him for a while, mesmerized by the necklace twisted around his throat. "I remember your necklace, Ajax," I told him, forgetting to pretend we never knew each other.

  He put his mailbox aside and looked at me. "I don't remember the cuff on your wrist."

  My fingers circled the cuff and I rubbed my thumb along the stones embedded in the leather. It was a small admission from Ajax, just a tiny acknowledgment that he had known me once upon a time. It hurt, the way it made my heart flutter with happiness because I didn't want to feel like I needed his friendship. I let the blanket fall and held out my arm.

  "I never take it off," I told him, "It feels like part of my arm now."

  "Did someone give it to you?" he asked.

  I knew what his question meant. Jewelry was not something you gave away lightly. It was generally meant to cement a bond between two people or between families.

  "Yes," I answered and I thought I saw his eyes darken, but I added, "my brother gave it to me. Didn't you ever notice Tiergan wears a similar cuff?"

  "That's right," he nodded and this time he truly smiled. The gesture lit up his face and took away some of the exhaustion in it. I'd heard the whispers around campus about him, about his odd looks and strange demeanor, but I found him attractive. "So you don't have an Athlete back at the Academy, waiting for you?"

  "No!" I answered, "Don't be ridiculous."

  "Ridiculous? Why is it ridiculous?"

  "C'mon, Ajax. I'm not interested in any Athletes. You know nobody likes Athletes." I tried to make a joke of it, but what I really wanted to tell him was that I was a freak. I had strange eyes, strange abilities, and I worried about getting close to anyone. "What about you, do you have a girlfriend?" My heart hammered in my chest, afraid of the answer. I was jealous, I recognized the emotion, envious of anyone who could be close to him when I couldn't.

  "I'm an Unviable, Kaia. You know no one likes Unviables."

  His words stung. There was truth in them; I knew it. There was truth in both of our words, only Athletes, however arrogant and unlikable, would always be able to find a mate. "I like Unviables," I told him, trying to cement a friendship with him, but his eyes had darkened again and there was no longer any trace of a smile on his face.

  "Cadmus will be so glad to hear it" he said, and his answer cut at me in more ways than I wanted to admit. I shut my feelings down and hugged the blanket around my shoulders, done speaking to him about anything personal. Nobody had the right to 'claim' me, especially Cadmus whom I hardly remembered.

  I got up and walked over to our clothes, forgetting about being modest. They were still pretty damp. When I returned to my blanket, I scooted to the very edge of it, putting as much distance between us as possible.

  "I'm going to lie down for a minute, okay? I'll just rest a little before it's time to go." I put my head down with my back toward Ajax, and my pack under my head as a pillow. Ajax fumbled with his things and I heard the rustle of his blanket. It sounded like he brought it closer to mine, but I wasn't about to check. When he put his head down, I could feel the heat from his body. I didn't like the way my heartbeat sped up at the idea of him being so close and I had to struggle to banish all thoughts of Ajax and Cadmus Baal from my head. Usually, my swirling thoughts kept me awake, but with Ajax lying next to me, I felt a lovely sense of peace descend, and I thought of nothing at all. Almost as soon as I put my head down, I was asleep.

  Chapter Eight

  The Healing Rooms

  When I put my head down, I never expected to fall into such a deep sleep and had no idea how much time had passed when the crisp air drew me out of my slumber. Goosebumps coated my arms and legs and I started to shiver. The sun was starting to fade, and the wind had picked up, bringing with it more ominous looking dark clouds. It took me several moments to remember where I was and why I was sleeping in my damp undergarments. Ajax was asleep next to me, and somehow our bodies were closer than they had been when I first put my head down. Did I scoot closer to him? I refused to think about it. His skin was ice cold beneath my fingers and I hesitated only a moment before shaking him awake, hating to disturb the peaceful look on his sleeping features.

  "Ajax!" I said frantically, "Wake up! Hurry, we fell asleep." His eyes opened slowly and he appeared as confused as I was. "C'mon Ajax, the wind is picking up." I scrambled to my feet and hustled to the trees, afraid our clothes might blow away. Imagining myself going back down the path in my underwear was enough incentive for me to hurry. Ajax joined me and we hustled to put our energy suits back on. They were mostly dry, but cold and stiff with the residue of mud from our climb.

  "How long has it been?" I asked when we sat back on our blankets to pull on our shoes. He reached into his pack and pulled out his mailbox, checking the screen. "I don't know. Maybe two hours?" his eyebrows knitted with concern as he thought about our situation.

  "I just put my head down and I was sound asleep. I don't know what happened." My voice sounded panicky.

  "Me too," he said, without looking at me.

  "Will we make it back down the path?" I worried. We had to complete the exercise before the sun went down. There was no overnight gear in our packs, which meant we had this one day to finish. Even in the Virtual World, we had to live by the rise and fall of the sun. I knew it had to be well past dark back at the University, and I worried about what our Teachers were thinking about the length of time we'd been gone. Undoubtedly, they knew we made it up the path several hours ago.

  Ajax retrieved our drinks and bars. We took the time to consume them before packing up.

  "We don't have to go back down the footpath," he answered, to my immense relief. It had taken a long time to get up the path and would probably take just as long to get down. We wouldn't have made it in time. "We only had to make it up today. That's why it was so difficult." He pointed out a sloping path beyond the trees. "We can walk back down. If we hurry, we'll make it."

  We finished repacking and made sure the area was left as we had found it. I follo
wed Ajax to the path, and we began to hurry down. He was taller and quicker to navigate the rocky slope, and I lagged a few meters behind, following in his footsteps. Neither of us said a word, and it was a long, slow descent. Despite my nap, I was tired and feeling crabby. Though I'd slept soundly for those few hours, I was still sleep deprived. What I needed was a hot shower and a good night's rest.

  As we neared the bottom, we could see a light in the distance. We were coming to the end of the exercise, and the light was the Weapons Room. Behind us, the scenery started to change. The rocks disappeared, and we found ourselves walking into the room where we had begun. There was someone in there waiting for us, standing all the way across the room, watching as we approached. He had dark skin, a shaved head, and broad, powerful shoulders. His arms were crossed and he stood with his legs in a wide stance. I hurried to close the distance between Ajax and myself, lining up behind him so I could use him as a shield. Whoever waited for us was a stranger to me and I immediately felt shy. Though his strong stance gave him an authoritative look, he was dressed in a gray energy suit, designating his status as a Student.

  "Hello, Malik," Ajax greeted him.

  "Ajax," the boy replied, in a deep, rich voice. I wanted to stay behind Ajax, but he reached back and grabbed my shoulder, gently coaxing me to his side.

  "Kaia, this is Malik Faraj. He's part of our Crusade team and he excels at Healing."

  Malik looked into my face for several moments, and I into his. His powerful presence filled the space between us. Nearly as tall as Ajax, he had skin the color of mahogany, and beautiful black eyes speckled with bits of gold, as if the sun was trying to break through the blackest of nights. Lean and muscular, he exuded a raw, energy reminding me immediately of a large cat, full of strength and stealth. When he smiled his expression softened, revealing perfect, straight white teeth.