by Frank Morin
60
Simple-mental
As soon as Hamish set the Hawk down outside of the battered central palace of Merkland, Connor joined the others rushing to exit. He couldn’t wait to see Verena.
A remarkable amount of cleanup had already been accomplished. Debris had been removed, the broken main doors to the palace replaced by far simpler ones made of heavy timbers, reinforced with steel.
He ignored the crowd of friends gathered to greet them, his entire focus on Verena, who was rushing toward him, her smile like a Solas beacon. He was not actively tapping his tertiary affinities, but they seemed to remain subtly active anyway.
It was kind of unnerving, actually. He figured it must be a lingering effect of the ascension, coupled with his exhaustion, but for the first time in his life he struggled to turn off his affinities. He could feel people moving all around him, both because of his connection to earth as well as air. All of his normal senses were hyper acute, as if he kept a low-level connection with quartzite attuned to all of them. Even though he was not actively tapping chert, a low murmuring of voices echoed in his ears. Whenever he focused on them, thoughts snapped clearly into his mind.
He didn’t want to become like Queen Dreokt, who abused other people’s minds. Chert was very helpful sometimes, but the realization that he could easily invade his friends’ minds and pilfer their deepest secrets made him uneasy. They had all practiced techniques for shielding their thoughts, and prior to his ascension those efforts had worked pretty well unless he focused hard. Now it was like they were screaming thoughts at him. He had to figure out how to control it.
First, kiss Verena.
His heart sang to see her. He could sense her moving through space toward him, could map every inch of her if he wanted to, and he smiled when he realized it. He had long thought he’d memorized her adorable face. Now he could actually do it in minute detail. She’d washed away the grime of battle, and her armor gleamed in the sunlight. She hadn’t gotten the dents repaired, and they remained a mute testament to how nearly he’d lost her.
Connor did not try reading her mind, but couldn’t help feeling her emotions. She was thrilled to see him, eager to hear about his ascension that Hamish had only mentioned briefly when he called in to warn her they would soon return. She also felt a little annoyed that he had not waited for her to join them before making the attempt.
Connor swept her into his arms, exulting in the feel of her as he spun her in a circle and kissed her warm, minty lips.
Others pressed in around them. Rory pounded Hamish on the back in an enthusiastic greeting while Shona, Ivor, and Anika greeted Aifric and asked about the journey. Everyone was still wearing armor, although Shona sported a bright red hat with an enormous, floppy brim. Wolfram and Lady Briet greeted Kilian warmly, and even Ilse slid toward them from across the square, standing poised and calm, a little smile on her lips.
She manipulated the earth with such a subtle touch that the paving stones didn’t even ripple as she slid across them. Erich waved at Connor, but remained with the soldiers forming a perimeter against a larger crowd of curious locals who had come to see who had landed.
“You don’t look any different,” Ivor said when Connor set Verena down. “I half assumed that after your third ascension something about you would’ve changed.”
Hamish chuckled. “Well, he managed to stab himself and survive. Although I guess that’s nothing new. Maybe just an enhanced clumsiness ability. Is that a thing?”
Connor laughed. He was really looking forward to exploring the full ramifications of his ascension. He still felt wasted, but his strength was returning quickly, especially with Verena snuggled under his arm.
Tomas and Cameron left the perimeter group to jog over and greet Connor with their usual good-natured pounding that rattled his eyes in his skull, even though he tapped granite when he saw them coming.
“Heard you broke Jagdish before even setting foot on the mountain,” Tomas commented.
Cameron fixed him with a reproving look. “I know we trained you to always try to improve, but lad, we were talking about bash fighting.”
“I didn’t destroy Jagdish,” Connor protested.
“It was the queen’s fault,” Verena added.
Tomas looked impressed. “Getting the queen involved was a brilliant twist, laddie.”
“Just be careful. She likes destroying just to be mean,” Cameron added, tapping his nose with a wink in a move Connor wasn’t quite sure how to interpret.
Verena looked exasperated, but Connor just chuckled. Those two were far brighter than they pretended, and they’d never let simple logic destroy one of their arguments.
He noticed a new insignia on the lapels of their battle jackets. It was a simple spherical design, surrounding a lightning bolt. “What’s this?”
Both of the Fast Roller captains swelled with pride. Tomas tapped the design and said, “General Rory assigned us as the first two simple-mental replacement pilots for them huge Juggernaut beasties Hamish and his Builder teams are cobbling together.”
Cameron punched his partner in the shoulder hard enough to have staggered any other man, but Tomas barely shifted. “Not simple-mental, the word is supple-something-grand.”
Verena was looking from one to the other in absolute astonishment. “You can’t be serious. You’re the supplemental pilots?”
Tomas grinned. “Yes ma’am. Like I said, simple-mental.”
“What are you talking about?” Connor asked, not sure he could believe what he was hearing.
Hamish joined them, trading shoulder punches with the two big warriors. Verena demanded, “I thought you were looking for the best possible supplemental pilot candidates.”
“Right, and Rory decided to give us his Fast Roller captains,” Hamish said with a grin.
“Why?” Connor asked. He didn’t want to be rude, but what was Rory thinking? Tomas and Cameron were brilliant bash fighters, but the thought of those two piloting a couple Juggernaut mechanicals made him shiver with visions of the absolute mayhem they could unleash upon the world.
Rory had noticed them talking and joined them. His men saluted smartly. Connor was impressed. Usually their idea of discipline was pretty lax until the bash fighting started.
Rory said, “Most of the pilot spots are filled with Builders and some of Lady Jean’s flight pilots. Good folks, but not a real warrior in the bunch.”
“Piloting those mechanicals will be a unique challenge,” Verena protested.
Rory nodded. “We’ve got simulators set up in the basement of the command castle. A team updates the controls daily to match any changes made on the real thing. My men will know how to pilot them, and they’ll know how to take Ilse’s Revenge to battle in a way no other pilots could be taught in time.”
Ilse smiled, just a little, at the mention of the name Hamish had dubbed the super-mechanical all those Juggernauts could become when linked together. Connor loved the name, but still struggled to wrap his mind around those two bash fighters riding into battle inside two enormous Juggernauts.
He bet they’d crash right into the biggest concentration of enemy forces just to get the bash fighting started sooner. Then again, maybe that was what Rory was planning on. They might need that exact level of brilliant devastation if they hoped to win the day. Rory had proven many times that he was far more devious than people usually gave him credit for. Connor just hoped he was right this time.
Tomas and Cameron looked thrilled by their general’s confidence. Tomas said, “We’ve been training hard. The instructor Builder knows the controls, but he’s never actually been in a fight.”
“He’s a good man at his job, but did you know he can actually tickle his own feet?” Cameron said, leaning forward, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
Tomas grunted and said seriously, “Not a good sign, that.”
“Might help keep a man awake during watch, though. Might want to try it,” Cameron said.
�
�You usually just hit yourself in the head with a frying pan.”
Cameron nodded, a wistful smile on his face. “Got that frying pan from the blind girl I dated all those years ago. She was something.”
Verena had that incredulous look on her face that so many experienced when speaking with Tomas and Cameron for long. Connor just smiled. Their banter always helped put him in a good mood.
Rory wasn’t rattled by them. “Just practice hard. I’ve heard good reports that you’ve taken to the Juggernauts better than anyone expected. Let’s not waste that advantage. I want you ready if we need you.”
“Aye, General. Easier than walking on our hands,” Tomas assured him.
“Never did learn to walk on my hands,” Cameron admitted with a frown.
Tomas grunted. “You have a hard enough time walking on two feet and breathing at the same time.”
Cameron grunted. “Complex thinking is for officers.”
“So are forks.”
“Leave forks to those who know how to handle them,” Rory ordered, barely holding back a smile. “Back to your duties.”
They saluted and trotted off, discussing the dangers of washing socks too often.
Shona approached, her expression eager. Connor appreciated that she was so happy to see him, and was willing to greet him so warmly with Verena standing right beside him. She had seemed in earnest when she apologized back in New Schwinkendorf and they had agreed to try forging a path forward as friends. Of course, he had helped break the siege of Merkland and save all of their lives. That tended to help strengthen friendships.
She held up a piece of quartzite. “We think we’ve figured out how you can loan me quartzite. We should test it immediately.”
Shona was nothing if not motivated. Connor didn’t blame her. He really wanted to find out if he could actually loan affinities. Could he loan other things too? He’d love to loan Shona double-tap sickness when she got especially annoying.
He smiled and asked, “Do you want me to test quartzite first, or would you rather I try fixing your hair?”
Shona gasped, hands rising to her hat.
Hamish dropped a breadstick he was just about to pop into his mouth and exclaimed, “That’s right! I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before. You should be able to do the same things the queen can.”
Verena’s eyes lit with understanding and gripped Connor tighter around the waist. “You might be able to heal Jean more.”
“I certainly hope so,” Connor said, and then turned toward Captain Ilse. He gestured toward her summoned limbs that allowed her to walk and move despite her crippling injury. “I’m thinking first we should try to fix your legs.”
Captain Ilse glanced down at her marvelous summoned limbs and suddenly looked nervous, an expression so foreign to her. She always had an answer, a clever response to any situation, no matter how difficult. She had created those summoned limbs after Harley had crushed her legs and hips and murdered her husband. Now she glanced from Connor to her withered legs with a mixture of hope and fear.
Connor grinned. “Come on, Captain. Don’t you trust me?”
“You’ve never made such an attempt,” she pointed out, recovering her calm.
Hamish chuckled. “Maybe you should start with Shona after all.”
Shona clutched her hat again and withdrew half a step before she could catch herself. She glanced at Ilse guiltily and surprised Connor by saying, “You’re right. My hair is already gone. Maybe you should test the process with me.”
Hamish said, “It’s not like he can make things worse, unless maybe he made your nose fall off or something.”
Shona suddenly looked like she wished she hadn’t made the offer, and Verena slugged Hamish in the shoulder then yelped from punching his armored suit. “Don’t be a beast.”
Even though Connor was not actively tapping chert he clearly sensed how much Verena would love to see Shona’s nose fall off in a freak accident. One day maybe the two of them could become, well, not exactly friends, but maybe less enthusiastic enemies. That feat would be even more amazing in its own right than a new enhanced healing ability.
General Rory said, “Before we jump into more testing, will you introduce your guests?”
Connor had forgotten all about the Mhortair survivors, who stood behind him, outwardly calm, but he could read their tension. Mistress Four’s emotions were blanketed by excellent shielding, but he still picked up glimmers. If he focused, he could pierce her shielding.
And then she’d probably stab him through the heart. He decided to resist the urge.
Assassins weren’t often high on everyone’s Sogail invitation list. They probably half expected to be met with nooses. Most days that would probably be the right response too.
Student Eighteen made introductions. Captain Rory bowed to Mistress Four and said, “I heard about Jagdish. You have our condolences.”
Anika looked like she wanted to offer to wrestle Commander Six, probably figuring that a solid beating would help him feel more at home, but Rory moved on and introduced High Lady Shona. Mistress Four and the other Mhortair made their bow of respect.
Shona smiled warmly. “We welcome all allies as we prepare for the great battle of our day.”
She was very good at high lady stuff like that. Sometimes it amazed Connor that he’d managed to escape her plans for him. He credited Verena.
“It is our pleasure to join the cause of freedom,” Mistress Four said in perfect Obrioner. She stood as regally as Shona and spoke as an equal forming a mutual pact of defense instead of as a refugee from a broken city.
Ivor extended a hand and shook hers, then each of the others in turn. Shona radiated grace and regal grandeur, but Ivor simply showed genuine friendship and that would probably win them over even more. “Welcome. We’re a little short on formality here, so come join us. I’ve got enough space in my office for all to witness Connor’s attempt to heal our friends.”
Ivor then bowed to Shona and extended his arm. “Shall we?”
Together they all traipsed into the palace and up to Ivor’s office. As they walked, Connor managed to turn off chert with some focused effort. He vowed to exercise extreme caution with that affinity. Everyone deserved to keep their thoughts private. The queen’s invasion of his mind was one of the things that had bothered him the most, but now he saw how easy it would be to slip into similar habits.
That thought made him distinctly uncomfortable. He liked thinking of the queen as an intentionally evil despot, not a woman who had simply gotten sloppy managing her affinities.
He had brought up the idea of fixing Shona’s hair and Ilse’s legs on a whim. He probably should have tested it first, but how better to test an enhanced healing ability than by actually trying to heal someone?
First he had to share some exciting news. So when they reached Ivor’s quarters Connor said, “Before we proceed, I want to tell you all about something amazing I experienced during my ascension.” He held Mistress Four’s gaze and added, “Including you and your people. You’re part of our team now, so we don’t keep secrets.”
She inclined her head in thanks and said, “I appreciate your confidence in us.” Her mind voice added, “Thank you for not forcing me to choose between respecting your thoughts and curiosity about this announcement.”
“Friends don’t eavesdrop on friends’ minds. Please refrain from using chert on my people,” Connor replied.
She nodded slightly again, for him alone.
“You never did explain what happened. Must have been bad if you tried to kill yourself to get it over with,” Hamish said as he wandered over to Ivor’s desk and peeked inside an earthen jar where Ivor often kept snacks. With a smile he snagged a sweetbread. Ivor sighed.
Connor gestured them to take seats, but remained standing near the cold fireplace. He tried to explain what it felt like to ascend and the strange experience with the sounds. He doubted he could share just how wonderful and terrible it had been. Mistress Four produ
ced a small notebook and started jotting notes. It was so similar to what Jean would have done that Connor smiled.
When he got to the truly amazing news, Verena exclaimed, “You met Water?”
Connor grinned. “Just like you did when you activated Kirstin’s Defense.”
“This is unprecedented,” Kilian breathed.
“Yeah, since I met all of the elementals,” Connor said. “Although Verena met Water, and they mentioned they’ve met your mother.”
“I wish she’d told me more about those experiences,” Kilian said.
“You did say she liked keeping secrets,” Shona pointed out.
That habit ran in the family.
Kilian nodded, but still looked troubled. “There must have been a reason, though. If the elements truly are self-aware and we’re accessing pieces of their power, our relationship with our affinities is fundamentally different than we thought.”
“What’s Water like?” Hamish asked eagerly.
Anika asked, “What of other affinities, Connor boy? Is granite alive as strong man in sky powers?”
Her Obrioner was improving immensely. Connor hadn’t considered that question before. He shrugged. “I haven’t met any other affinities, and I don’t think they exist in the same way as the elements. The elementals consider themselves different. They spoke of other affinities as filtering the available power in a way we can access it.” To Hamish he said, “Water is something. She’s like a queen. Regal and beautiful and powerful.”
Shona’s lips curved into a wistful smile. “I wish I could meet her.”
“They said it’s hard to connect with humans. I don’t think Petralists can speak with them until they’ve ascended the third threshold.”
“How come Verena could?” Ivor asked.
Verena glanced at Connor, a question in her eyes. He nodded slightly and she said, “It was Kirstin’s Defense. It was so powerful, it lifted me right up to what I believe is a Builder threshold. That’s when she appeared to me.”
“What?” Ilse exclaimed, voicing the shock reflected on everyone’s faces. Apparently Verena had been waiting for their return to share the amazing discovery.