by L M Feldt
“The stems of the sura reeds dry out nearly instantly when touched by sunlight. They are woven, then twisted into a knot, like so.” Aito demonstrates for me. “Sabd showed us how to make fire, here in the marsh and how to know which tubers are safe to eat.”
I nod. Aito has always enjoyed learning something new, his mind never at ease. It is interesting and it will help us survive out here once the fisher people have returned to their home. I place my clean ‘plate’ in the fire and help with the cleanup. Getting the supplies out of the water would normally be Naoaki’s job since she is the best swimmer. Her arm is sprained, however, and Khane can barely walk so I wade in. I need a moment to gather myself and adjust to the fact that we are all still alive.
“Heya. I come help. I have soul touch, I am warded but you only survived.” The small blue boy has followed me into the water and helps me secure our floating supplies. Good thing the fisher people thought to put everything in air baskets.
“Soul touch?” I ask. I am up to my waist now in the lake. At least the water is clear and blue today, not the stormy black from before.
“Yes, I am marked by the water god. See.” I look and just above the boy’s heart is a small, perfect ‘X’.
“Ah huh.” I nod appreciatively. It is a simple design. It could simply be a coincidence, two scratches that happened to cross just right. He could have done it to himself to impress girls.
“Now I cannot be eaten,” He waves a few arms out at the glittering waters, “not like you. So I stay close.”
“Thank you.” I am not sure what else to say. Does he really believe that the tiny mark on his chest will protect him from the monsters that swim these waters? Apparently so. I watch as he swims smoothly out to the farthest baskets and corrals them back toward me. He dives underwater and pops up like a fish, spitting water and grinning at me.
“You swim quite well.” Six arms must come in handy when moving through water.
“Yes, better now that I am part god. I will have my choice of brides too. Even you if I wanted.” He waggles his eyebrows at me and I can’t help but laugh. He is very full of himself and his exuberant playfulness is charming. He sobers as we leave the water, turning to me and whispering low.
“The others are not soul touched but they were given a pass. You survived but not through her will. You will not have her protection in water.”
His seriousness almost makes me laugh again but I do not. I nod and assure him I will be careful. I am wondering if I will have a different form of protection should I ever enter these waters again. In any case, my vow to stay out of the water entirely is heartfelt.
Camp has been moved further up the beach and a couple of shelters erected. The camp has been moved further up the beach and a couple of shelters erected. The sunlight is starting to fade and the pale lavender sky is shading to deeper purples and reds. After a light dinner everyone wants my story. What happened? How did I survive?
I explain how I was thrown into the cold water and got disoriented. How I’d gone down instead of up and started to drown. I hesitated to bring up Fish/Ash. It is too unreal and they would want to know why I hadn’t mentioned anything before, after the first time Ash had made the mark of the fish. Instead I say that I had been close to loosing consciousness when a great black serpent struck me. I said I couldn’t remember anything after that, which is a twist of the truth.
I flick my eyes around the fire and see their accepting faces. My story has passed. Everyone believes me. All except Sabd.
Twenty Four
All night I toss on my blanket, unable to get the image of Sabd’s stare of surprise and disapproval out of my mind. He knew I had lied. I have no idea how he knew but his look said it clear enough. Would he out me? Should I have shared my belief that Fish is alive as Ash and has been following us? Really, is it even my secret to share? Clearly there is a reason he hasn’t shown himself. Maybe he is still turning? Could he be dangerous to us now? I have heard of that before, of twists that became violent mid-way through a turning. No one knows exactly why, they are either segregated or killed before anyone can find out what is happening in their heads. It is thought that they go mad from the pain of their mutations. Is this Fish’s problem? Is he half mad but sane enough to keep his distance? I wake bleary, confused and defensive. I sit through breakfast, avoiding Sabd like the plague.
“It is about a day’s journey to the home of ghosts.” Says the boy. “If we go now we get there by nightfall.”
I sense that the young adventurer would like to come with us, to see more of this place, beyond what he has already investigated, but the look on Sabd’s face says otherwise.
“It is forbidden. Lead them to the ghosts and return.” The boy translates for Sabd.
The boy’s face falls as he but he is young and can’t be kept down for long.
“Yes. I must hurry back and display my soul’s touch to all the girls!”
I sneak a peak at Sabd’s bare chest and there, just above his heart is the same small, perfect ‘X’, old and well healed. It is the mark of a bested warrior, a sign of respect….and apparently, the mark of a god. Sabd catches me looking, grins and then turns serious. He nods for me to follow him a short distance from the others.
“Why did you lie?” The boy asks for Sabd. “I will not danger the boy.” The boy in question is translating.
“It is nothing to do with the boy, he is in no danger.” Even as the words leave my mouth I wonder. What if Fish/Ash becomes half mad with the torment of mutation? Might he attack the blue boy with six arms because he doesn't recognize him and sees him as a threat? Sabd nods but I can tell he isn’t completely satisfied with my answer.
“No boy by end of second sun, I come for you.” The meaning is clear even without the finger to my chest. I get it. Because my secret poses a threat, even the suspicion of a threat, I have been made the boy’s protector while on land. I nod in agreement and try not to swallow too hard. I have sparred with this man. I have no wish to meet him armed and ready to fight for real.
We have been hiking for nearly half the day before Khane seeks me out.
“I thought you were dead.” He states while staring straight ahead.
I don’t know quite how to respond. Apologize? I am not apologizing for being alive. So, I wait. He seems to be working through things internally.
“The meat of it is, I understand your hesitation to dive into a relationship while we are still out in the wilderness….but we really have no idea what the city of lights actually promises. Will we find safety? Will we be able to make a life for ourselves in a society that is made up of twists like us? Is that what we’ll find there? Maybe we will get there and discover that our dreams are nothing but air. Maybe we’ll hate the city….I don’t know. I do know that I want to be with you both as a partner and as a lover. I know that I will wait as your friend until you want these things from me as well.” He grabs the back of my neck and kisses the top of my head, then moves quickly up the line, leaving me to stare after him in surprise.
I hike like I am in a dream for the remainder of the day. I manage to distract myself for a bit by giving the boy a quick lesson using sticks but my head is a mess. There are too many things to worry about. This is why I love fighting so much. Training back in the compound, while I’d resented it’s need, I loved the simplicity, the immediacy of the moment. Block, strike, watch your opponent. There is nothing else. There is a purity to the movements and even the pain. There is chaos plenty, but I am creating it, I am in control. Now, I am bogged down by chaos I can do nothing about.
Dark buildings appear in the distance, blocks of gray stone thrown together without any sense of symmetry or beauty. There are about five or so I’d guess, though it is hard to count as the gray stone turns dark in the coming sunset. Tomorrow we explore. Tonight we eat dried fish and tubers with something called a plum for dessert. I have never had ‘dessert’ before, it is something the fisher people have made up, a fun way to finish a meal. I don’t se
e the point but I love the taste of the sweet fruit.
“So what if the labs no longer work?” I direct my question to Aito. He is the one who believes we need to be here. I still think we should push on.
“I am sure enough equipment will still be intact. There will be spare parts everywhere. I’ll be able to distill something of value and even if it doesn’t meld completely it will be a major benefit to us.” I see him tensing for another argument so I back off. I don’t want to fight him. Our relationship has changed. What is was before I don’t think I could define. But now we are merely fellow survivors, teammates. I feel like a child that has grown up and shed old ideas, come to terms with reality as it really is.
“What about some valdor serum, think you can mix up some of that?” Khane asks jokingly.
Valdor serum is something the guards would give us for the unregulated fights, when our trainers had all gone home and they had bets to place. It kicked up your adrenaline and dampened the pain receptors. It made you believe you were invincible. It is actually a good idea. The effects were immediate, so timing wasn’t important. You could take the shot and feel the effects right away. It would come in handy if we met another creature like the multi-legged thing in the plains.
“I would like a sustaining elixir, something to keep the parts that aren’t fresh at rebirth to stay firm.” Micha pipes up. He pats his remnant on the head and I can only agree. It would definitely be an improvement if some of the greener bits on his pet would settle down, look a little less rotted.
“I need something to stop the buzzing in my head. I don’t think I can blend with all this noise.” Naoaki jokes.
I glance around at the faces of my friends, all a little banged up from the storm. I hate to admit it but Aito has a point. Whatever elixir he manages to distill will be better than nothing and may mean the difference between life and an unpleasant death.
I excuse myself and curl up in my blanket,listening to the others debate which serums would be the best to create. It becomes a game and Aito calmly points out the pros and cons for each suggestion. I wonder if he ever thanked Khane for going back and getting his pack with all his lab equipment?
I dream then. Not of ink or tats or faulty DNA. I dream of gods. Were there gods in the back before? In the days when men were dreaming of their own godhood and creating monsters of war, did they also pray to something larger than themselves?. While creating the peace loving yet fierce fisher people, did their ‘creator’ think of himself as a god? Did he worship one himself? Is the great marsh serpent really a god or is it just a twist made large? Perhaps in most cases it is merely a point of perspective. Surely, I am a god if you are an ant? Then the I remember a silvery flank rushing toward me followed by a mouthful of sharp gray teeth. My brain must have still been recording even as the oxygen deprivation was causing me to black out. My last visual was of a sleek black shape appearing in a storm of frothing water. Red gashes appear on the silvery scales and I am whisked away, saved from being eaten. Is Fish/Ash becoming a god?
Twenty Five
Morning brings a spirited, chatty blue boy and four weary adventurers. I am feeling rested despite the odd dreams of gods and I am temped to join in his joking around, if only to annoy Aito. For once I am not the moody wet blanket. I leave it, however. For now, my curiosity is greater maybe than Aito’s. He is fixated on the lab equipment and some magical elixir he thinks he can make. My thoughts run along other lines. I am wondering, who besides the fisher people were created and are there any ‘samples’ waiting for us, perhaps only asleep in the labs?
We follow the boy to the one room he was able to enter. The outer door has been stuck open just enough to squeeze through and we find ourselves in a dusty, dark place. It is difficult to see well, even for me with all the disturbed debris in the air.
“Where….” Starts Aito.
“Shhh…” The boy whispers. He is clearly waiting for something. He shuffles forward and stops again, expectant.
Aito starts to ask again but is suddenly interrupted by a disembodied glowing face, hovering at shoulder height. Everyone but Aito gasps and takes a fight pose. My wings flutter briefly but somehow I had expected something along these lines. Not this exact thing but I knew something was up. Too much mischievousness in the boy’s chatter this morning.
“Welcome again young Hurat. Have you practiced your….oh, I’m sorry. You bring guests.”
“Hello master Aadesh. I have some friends with me that want to learn. This is Aito, Khane, Keira, Naoaki, Micha and his pet.” He sounded a little uncertain about the last bit but his introduction is very polite.
“I am here to teach and advise. How may I help?”
“We would like access to the laboratories.” Says Aito firmly.
The floating face is quiet for a moment.
“Do you have the access code?” Asks the face.
“Is it fish?” Pipes up the boy.
“It is not fish. It is a combination of letters and numbers without which I will be unable to open the door.” Responds the face. It seems a bit smug at this, the pale green lips twisting at the corners.
“May we use your information panels?” Aito strides toward a row of flat shinny squares set into the wall.
“Certainly, I will divert you some power.” The room becomes better lit, a soft white glow that seems to come from the ceiling. One of the boxes now glows a pale green.
“You may direct your questions to the box.” Says the face.
“Who was the creator of this place?” Aito asks the box.
“Tum kaun ho?”
Aito stares at the box, momentarily stumped.
“Krpaya angrejee mein.” Says the blue boy, grinning. “The master is named Farhan Akhtar, One with the Sky.”
I know Aito thinks he can outwit the glowing face but it is obvious to me that we will not be allowed in. It clearly plans to use the language barrier as a way to keep information away from Aito. He may understand it enough to respond to simple questions but not nearly enough to grill a machine. It would be easy now to get my way and continue our journey. I decide to help, however. A healing elixir would come in handy, plus the smirking glowing face has irritated me. I nod to Khane and head back outside.
“No matter how advanced these labs are, the people inside would have needed fresh air. I think we should hunt for openings, a window or some kind of tube maybe.” I really have no idea but the concept seems sound. Even Aito’s secret cave back at the compound had a small tube for air. Hopefully, more people would equal bigger openings.
“Changed your mind about the lab?” Khane asks. I can see though his question, what he really wants to know is if I have changed my mind about other things.
“Maybe.” I answer blandly and stride off.
We search the immediate area but there is nothing at ground level, not even windows or any other doors. We finally find a pipe leading to the roof and Khane suggests we go up. I place my boots against the building’s side and pull myself up using the pipe. It is easy, and once on the roof we find a maze of angled panels, pipes, and boxed-in extensions with metal grating. Perfect. I run to the first one and pull on the horizontal grates. They are angled to keep the rain out. They are also well attached to the vertical extension. Khane shoulders me aside and tries but even his strength doesn’t budge it.
“Well, Keira, it was a good idea. They may have attached them in place from the inside. I don’t think we’ll get in through here.” Khane dusts his hands off and gives me an intense look.
I am suddenly aware that we are all alone up here on the roof and I see the desire in his eyes. I don’t want to deal with this right now, his desire for intimacy, his intense need, so I spin around and start walking. Maybe I’ll get lucky and find a grate that has been smashed by lightning. I can feel the burn of Khane’s stare between my shoulder blades as I walk away and I try not to twitch. I am still conflicted about starting a relationship with Khane despite the obvious spark between us. The constant questions
are becoming like a fly in my ear, however, buzzing and buzzing.
The sun is hot now and it beats down on my head and makes the air shimmer in front of me. I am on a mission now. Find another way in and in the process… avoid Khane. My stomach rumbles but I am focused, so focused that I don’t see what is right in front of me and trip over a small bump in the roof. I tumble and roll, wincing as my palms scrape across the rough pebble texture of the roof.
“Crap!” My hands sting but it is just a scrape.
“Are you ok?” Khane dives to my side and examines my hands.
I pull away, irritated, I can’t breathe. I climb to my feet and turn on him.
“Why are you treating me like a baby!” I shout. “I’s annoying and I can’t stand the constant questions. What is it with you lately?” I know what it is with him. He told me. But it is too much for me right now. I can’t get our group to the city of lights and make Khane happy too, I just can’t.