He watched Valencia move into the shade and knew he could not delay any longer. She had questions he might not want to answer, so he steeled himself before stepping into view. With a deep breath, he sat across from her, leaned back in a pretense of relaxation, and closed his eyes into slits, just open enough to see her clearly. After a few minutes of silence, the young princess gazed at him with searching eyes.
Thane watched the princess play with her fingernails. She was different from the little spitfire he remembered, although some of her spark remained. Valencia was now a beautiful, young woman. She was no longer self-centered and uncaring. He was proud of her steadfast friendship with the human. Yet, she was shy and unsure of herself as a woman. Thane inwardly smiled at how Valencia blushed when he caught her looking at him like an infatuated teen.
Although he understood why Naji had not wanted her to use her Gift, the Xeral Mlinzi caused Valencia to be afraid of her power. By now, the princess should be in control of her Gift. Yet, she was barely aware of who she was, much less in control of herself. He had to find some way to inspire her to practice her Gift.
"How old am I?" Valencia asked in a whisper.
"Eighteen." he answered just as softly. The question startled him and he sat forward to regard her. He wondered how Naji had treated her, if Valencia did not even know her own age. He knew, from first-hand experience, that the Xeral Mlinzi could be cruel, but to treat the princess with no regard to her own self-identity was immoral. Valencia looked at him with such sadness that he fought the desire to embrace her in his arms and hold her tight.
"You knew me before I was sent here." It was a statement not a question. The princess's voice grew in volume but she still played with her fingers.
"Yes." Thane held her gaze as he elaborated. "I was your Mlinzi for over year before they sent you away. Before that, I was your last Mlinzi's Tyro." He saw the change in her green eyes at his mention of her exile.
"Who sent me away? And why?" Valencia's voice was soft and pleading. However, when he did not respond fast enough for her liking, her tone developed an edge. "Please answer me." She reached out and touched his hand with her fingertips. A tiny spark of energy arced between them and Thane jerked his arm away from her as if she had burnt him.
"Answer me!"
"The Regent, your father, sent you away for your own safety." Thane stood and turned his back to her, not wanting her to see his expression. Her touch had been like an electric shock, due to the uncompleted Kleben. Desire swept through his body with the need to finish the bond and he feared his lust showed on his face. He would have to be careful not to touch her during their voyage or he might lose control and force himself on her to complete their bond. "There is civil unrest on Sora and you were in danger." Once Thane steeled his expression, he turned back to face her and saw the shock on her face. "It wasn't an easy decision for the regent to exile his only child, Princess. But he did what he thought was best for you and our world."
"Do you think it was best?" Valencia stared at him uncertainly.
He hesitated to answer, wondering if he should be honest with her. However, when he saw the determination on her fair features, he remembered the child she once had been and knew he needed to be upfront with her.
"You were a spoiled child, not caring for anything, except your own desires. On quite a few occasions, I had to protect you from your carelessness." Thane gave her a sly smile as he remembered their last encounter. He glanced over his shoulder at the human. Although, she lay prone with her head resting on her forearms, he could tell she was listening intently to their conversation. He nodded towards Donna. "You saved her and tried to save me. The child you once were wouldn't have cared in the slightest." Thane hesitated again to stress his point. "Yes, regardless of what you may have endured in the care of Naji, I think it helped you become a better person."
"What . . . what am I?" Valencia's voice held a trace of fear in it.
"You are the Matka-Zem." Thane waited for a response but only received a questioning stare. "You are the physical embodiment of Sora. There is only one Matka-Zem. When you are near death, you will birth the next Matka-Zem and she the next. It has been this way since the awakening of Sora."
"And what exactly does that entail?" Valencia asked with more inquisitiveness than fear. "I have this power inside me . . ." she trailed off, unable to finish her thoughts.
"Yes you do, Princess." Thane could feel the young woman's conflicting emotions. "You carry the Gift of Sora. Each Matka-Zem has had different abilities, so I really cannot say what you can do. However, you were very powerful for your age when you left our world. Some say you were the most powerful Matka-Zem in centuries. There are others who fear that once the Batu is completed you will be uncontrollable and will unleash death and destruction upon all."
"What is a Batu?" The princess leaned forward and tilted her head in curiosity.
"That is when you join with Sora," Thane explained softly.
"I have to join with a planet?" Valencia's voice shook and increased an octave. "How can that be? Will I lose my own free will when I do?"
"Some Matka-Zem have, but . . ." When he saw the terror on her face, Thane wondered if he should tell her about the Kleben, however decided to wait for another time. "It is imperative that you learn how to control your power to prevent this, Princess. First, we must find the Lavi Santi to assist you with the Batu. Without it, there can be no joining."
"Then let's not find it!" Valencia cried in anguish. "I don't want to lose my soul when I'm just starting to find myself." She rose and faced him, her eyes wide with fright. "Let's just stay here. Hide somewhere where no one can find us. We can have a normal life."
"You are the Matka-Zem. No matter what world you are on, you will still be who you are." Valencia's words echoed his own fantasy, but that was all it was—a fantasy. The desire to turn the ship towards the nearest shore and hide in the densest forest with the princess was strong. In time, they would become lovers and they could raise their children in peace. The princess had just offered him his heart's desire and he had refused her. He turned his back on what he was quickly realizing was the love of his life. He walked away, before she could convince him to change his mind. "Nothing can change who you are. You must return to Sora!"
***
That evening, the two women prepared a spicy meal with meat and potatoes with steamed vegetables. For dessert, they had made an apple pie and served it with a small scoop of ice cream. Thane watched the princess cleaning after their evening meal and smiled. Covered with bubbles, her long fingers scrubbed the dishes clean before she gave them to Donna to dry. Once again, he wondered just how hard Xeral Mlinzi had been on the young woman. The child of his past would never do mundane work. Yet, here was the princess, up to her elbows in soapy water. Valencia glanced over her shoulder at him.
"What?" she barked in irritation when she saw him leaning against the doorframe.
"I never thought I'd see a princess washing dishes," he answered with a hint of laughter in his voice. "Especially you." The princess gave him an irritated look before she returned to her chores. He watched her for a few more minutes, allowing his emotions to spread through his body. Although the princess was still young and immature, he loved her with all his heart. Not for the first time, he wondered what Naji grand plan might entails. The Xeral Mlinzi had forced the princess upon him even before he went through his trials and then ordered him to return to his old position of guarding the young woman if the Naji were to die. Had Naji known he would fall in love with the princess? He would never know the answer. With a quiet sigh, he turned to leave. "When you two are done, we'll start your training."
"What training do you mean?" Donna asked when the women came onto the deck.
"You'll need to learn how to defend yourself." When he saw her face light with joy, he continued firmly, "Our pursuers will be waiting for us when we reach the Gate and we will be hard-pressed to keep ourselves alive, much less you." Although her joy seemed
to diminish, it did not totally disappear.
"And you, Princess," he pointed at Valencia with his index finger. "Need to sharpen your fighting skills, practice your Gift, and be educated about the people of Sora. But first, I want to see how well Naji, your keeper, trained you in combat."
"She taught me well!" The young woman pulled her shoulders straight, proud of her fighting skills.
"We'll see about that." Thane tossed her a long sword. Before she had even caught the blade, he came at her with lightning speed. Steel upon steel rang out around the two opponents. They parried back and forth around the deck for a few minutes before he made a comment.
"Good form." He was pleased to see the princess had proper foot placement and she kept the blade close. She also kept her posture straight with her chest and torso forward.
"See, I know what I'm doing." Valencia's eyes flashed, and her voice laced with stubbornness, just like the little girl he remembered. He could not stop the laughter that bubbled to the surface.
***
As they practiced their deadly dance, Valencia had to use two hands to wield the heavy weapon for most of her thrusts. Rarely had the Keeper allowed real weapons during her training sessions and her wrists were too weak to hold the long sword. They fought for over twenty minutes, swirling and twisting as they blocked each other's blades. On one occasion, Valencia thought she had the upper hand, only to have the agile Mlinzi prove her wrong. Her anger flared when she realized Thane had allowed her to think she was winning, only to crush her excitement in a single blow. She began to tire from the continuous exertion. Even with the Keeper, she had never fought so hard. The Mlinzi tested her every move, occasionally making a comment to improve her form. As she thrust the weapon forward, he easily sidestepped and Valencia stumbled past him. She squealed in pain when Thane gave her buttock a hard smack with the flat of his blade. Off to the side, she heard Donna giggle and she felt anger flush her face.
"How dare you?" Valencia spat, as embarrassment burned her cheeks. She growled in furry and rushed forward, wanting to teach the man a lesson. However, at the last second, Thane twisted and, using her own momentum, tripped her. She landed flat on her stomach, her blade sliding across the deck. With a groan, she attempted to stand, but the Mlinzi placed his foot onto her buttocks and pushed her back down.
"Anger is the first thing your opponent will try to use against you." Thane instructed, pushing her down again when she tried to rise once more. "Remember that." He released his pressure and strolled away from her to sit beside Donna. "Your turn." The Mlinzi said quietly as Valencia pushed into the sitting position.
"Me? I can't do that!" Donna exclaimed, as she stared up at him. "I've never picked up a sword in my life, much less fought with one."
"You can and you will, if you want to live." The Mlinzi glared at the small woman. "Or go back home where you belong."
In response to his taunt, Donna stiffened her spine and stood.
Valencia saw a tiny smirk form on Thane's rugged face but it quickly changed into surprise as her friend marched over to where the weapon laid on the deck. With both hands, she raised the huge sword in front of her.
"Now what?" Donna asked seriously and glared at Thane through narrowed lids.
Thane gave a hard bark of laughter, and stepped in to begin her training.
For over an hour, they practiced the basics of swordplay, of course with a much smaller sword. The weapon Thane gave Donna was more like a short blade to his standards, but for the tiny woman, it worked well enough.
As Valencia watched Thane teach Donna the ways of combat, she wondered why she had gotten so angry. The Keeper had swatted her many times during their training. In fact, the old witch had even drawn blood on quite a few occasions, especially when she got angry. She chastised herself for the lack of control, knowing better than to lose her focus.
She was glad her friend was quickly learning the basics and she planned to practice with her. Secretly, she hoped Donna would accompany them to Sora and not just to the Gate. Fear of returning there alone tightened her stomach and it would be good to have a real friend beside her. She could trust Thane to protect her on Earth. But once they returned to their own world, would he be as willing? He mentioned civil unrest on Sora. What was the cause of the uprising? Moreover, which side was he on? Thane said he was going to educate her about her people and she wondered how prejudiced he might be with his information. The Keeper had demanded that she judge without prejudice and emotion. She'd told her, "Look at the facts and make decisions for the good of the many and the world, not solely for one individual. However, sacrifices for the greater good, must be justified." Valencia hoped she did not have to make those kinds of choices, at least in the near future. She had been so lost in her thoughts she had not realized the sword practice had stopped for the evening.
"Pennies for your thoughts." Donna plopped down beside her with a satisfied grin on her face. Beads of sweat dampened her brow and she was breathing heavily, but her face bore a smile of accomplishment. "I never dreamt of learning how to fight with a sword before. I may just be a sword woman yet!" Donna said with pride.
"That will take many years of practice, little earthling," Thane said firmly as he sat down across from the two women. Even though they had been practicing for close to two hours, Valencia notice the Mlinzi had not even broken a sweat. "For now, let's try to keep you alive."
"I think he is starting to warm up to you, Donna." Valencia smiled at her friend as Thane grunted at her statement. "At least he didn't want to throw you overboard."
"The thought crossed my mind." Thane responded in such a harsh tone that it startled the two females. The Mlinzi softened his words with a slight smile. "However, someone has to remain levelheaded among us." It took a few seconds before the women burst into laughter at Thane's use of Donna's statement earlier that day. The Mlinzi shook his head as they cackled like schoolchildren. "When you two females are finished, we can continue your education." Thane shook his head again and mumbled under his breath, "I wonder if I will still be sane when we reach the Gate." His softly spoken words only caused the women to laugh all the harder.
"What's next?" Donna was first to regain her ability to speak. She wiped tears from her eyes. She peered into Thane's glowing yellow eyes and leaned forward. "By the way, you have the coolest eyes I ever seen. Why do they change color?"
"My eyes don't change color!"
Valencia saw he was surprised by the question. "I want to know, too."
"I have the ability to see nocturnally as well as thermally, hence the yellow eyes. During the day, my eyes have a protective lid, which happens to be brown."
"How cool." Donna continued to stare at the Mlinzi with wide-eyed focus. "Are there many like you on your world?"
"There are three major species of Sora." Thane ignored Donna and spoke directly to Valencia. She realized he was trying to educate her. "They are the Apria, the Dynol, and the Sualti Yaratik. There is little interaction between the races, with each rarely leaving their own area. However, there are a few altercations on occasion," She had the feeling he wasn't fully telling the truth and wondered if these encounters had increased sense her absence. "Air, earth, and water are their domains."
Thane continued his lecture about the inhabitants of their home world. "The Apria are aerial and have two subspecies. The largest are the Syel Mel. They are intelligent, like you and me. They speak Aprial, which is a bird-type speech, and is very difficult to learn. In addition, most speak our own language Genel, also called English on Earth. They are half bird, half humanoid with round heads and beaks for mouths. They have two arms with talons instead of hands and birdlike legs. Their torsos are humanoid with huge wings on their back. They cover themselves in light clothing, mostly in the genital areas. Anything more would only hinder their flight."
"Like a harpy," Donna said, categorizing these people with the same name as a mythical creature of ancient Greek mythology.
"I'm unfamiliar with that
term," Thane responded with a glance at her, annoyed by the interruption.
"Yes, I believe so, Donna." A flash of memory of the bird-people pierced Valencia's brain. She glanced at Thane when the memory disappeared. "I think I remember seeing one once."
"I believe you did, about half a year before your departure." Thane acknowledged her memory as fact and gave her a fond smile. "And you weren't very nice to them."
"I wasn't?" She was shocked by his comment.
"You were a spoiled child and mean to everyone." Thane's constant reminder of her past behavior was becoming irritating and she scowled at him as Donna hooted in laughter.
"I was just a child then." Making excuses for something she couldn't remember was silly, but she did so anyway. "Besides, I don't remember it." Valencia shuddered at how childish she sounded and saw Donna bite back another laugh. She raised her chin in defiance. "I'm not a child anymore."
The Mlinzi regarded her with an unreadable expression for a second or two.
"No, you're not." Thane leaned back into the chair and changed the topic back to his lecture. "Although dangerous, the Syel Mel can be quite civil. However, the lower species called the Minore are not. More animal than humanoid, the Minore have no arms, only talons at the end of each wing and sharper, more birdlike features. They react with animal instinct and can only speak a crude form of Aprial." Thane paused to wait for any questions and glanced at Donna before he continued his lecture.
"There are four species of Dynol: The Torpek, the Koylu, the Ipatx, and the Mlinzi." Thane paused to take a breath, but Donna interrupted before he could continue.
"That's what you are, right?" Donna said. "A Mlinzi?"
"Yes," Thane responded sharply, obviously irritated at her inquisitiveness. "Now be quite and listen."
"Sorry." Valencia glanced at Donna. By her friend's expression, she didn't think Donna was sorry at all.
"The Torpek are extremely tall and thin, being long in limbs, neck, and torso. They are fair of skin, with almost porcelain coloring and with large eyes that dominate their face. Their hair is long, straight and silky and ranges from pale yellow to white. The Torpek age slowly. A two-hundred-year life span is common among their race. They are intelligent and are the creators of most of the technology of Sora."
Return of the Matka-Zem (The Sorain Chronicles) Page 11