by Viola Grace
“Your family is aware of that?”
“Yeah, my dad was an empath and my mother is a healer. She is the one who generated the tissue samples that we used in the fake crash. Dad retired, but he didn’t want his kids to be locked up. He taught us how to hide ourselves from the scans and how to spot other talents before they emerged. You already had a grip on your skills before we met.”
Mora set their dinner down on the table. “It started when I was eight. We had a drought and the animals needed to be watered. That was what got me in trouble this time. I called the water and our little farm flourished when all of our neighbours were struggling. My parents didn’t know why our water table was higher and I didn’t tell them.”
“And when you were called to the screening centre?”
“They told me not to come back if I was a talent. They didn’t need that kind of trouble.” It took a weight off her to say what had fuelled her anger for so long. The expression on her parents’ face as she walked to catch the transport into the city had been worth a thousand words. They didn’t want her back no matter what the result was. Her life had been over from the moment that their neighbour had pointed the finger directly at their farm.
Chapter Four
The feeling of waking without the weight of the bands on her wrists was surreal. She felt light and capable of anything.
She hadn’t been given any information on the woman who took her place at the initial interview. It was obvious that Leehan knew who the woman was, but she wasn’t telling.
After dinner, Leehan had encouraged her to sleep as long as she wanted. Mora had taken the opportunity to let her body run out a clock that had been ticking for four years.
When she had been asleep for eight hours and one minute, her body jolted her awake, and with deliberated focus, she rolled over and went back to sleep. It was a habit she was going to have to break.
Mora sat up and blinked as the elegant band around her left knee stretched in greeting. There was a tiny lav built into her quarters, and she wedged herself in and took care of the necessary parts of drinking a litre of tea before she went to bed.
The toilet ledge retracted and she stood under the shower; solar waves cleaned her, and she smiled and turned her face into the pulses of heat.
She turned front and back so that the warmth could touch her all over. When she was clean and her skin tingled, she thought about how to get dressed. The band over her knee surged up, down and wrapped around her until she was dressed again. The whole thing took three seconds.
She opened the door and unravelled her hair until the waves reached her tailbone. She had never worn her hair so long in her life, but haircuts had not been part of her maintenance.
Mora left her quarters and headed for the command deck. Leehan and Tranoth were seated and a large, glowing orb was in front of them.
“What is that?”
Tranoth smiled. “That is Station 13. Beyond it is Balen. They have a Citadel and a new Sector Guard base. That is the place you will call home unless you are reassigned.”
“I will live at Citadel Balen?”
Leehan nodded. “You will. They train all sorts of talents. You will have a chance to learn from others who have mastered their own skills and to teach the ones that you have taken charge of.”
Tranoth grinned. “Like that trick you did with your spit.”
Put that way, it didn’t sound that great. “I learned that trick while I was living in the woods for a year. There is nothing like survival to teach you what you can and cannot do.”
Tranoth chuckled. “That is what you can offer to others. Many will never have to push the boundaries of their control. That you have had to survive with your talent alone has elevated you from being an average talent to an example of self-reliance. That makes you rare, and folks will want to ask you how you managed.”
Leehan chuckled. “Fold out that seat over there and put on the harness. We are approaching Balen, and when the gravity kicks in, you are going to feel it.”
Mora followed instructions and watched as the station whizzed past, letting the full expanse of the planet below show her its wonder.
When the ship began to shudder, she was glad that Leehan had warned her. It was not an easy entry, but when they landed, the gentle rain covered the front screens.
Mora was nearly crying. “Can we go outside?”
Tranoth smiled. “We can. Leehan has to pick up another agent to rescue another citizen. My cover was blown when I had to break the programming on the cuffs. They will examine them and try to find out what I did.”
Mora chuckled. “They can try. I didn’t leave much of them to examine.”
He smiled. “Regardless, it is not a chance that the Citadel will take. Once an operative is outed, they leave. No questions about it.”
“Anyone who stayed would be in danger.”
He nodded. “There are a few Resicor agents who are trying to free more of your people, but their decisions are not impacted by the orders of the Citadel.”
“Like the woman who took my place for the interview.”
“Precisely. She has refused time and again to leave. We can’t force her from the surface until she decides it is time or the moment when her own life is in danger. I am hoping that it does not come to that.” Tranoth shrugged. “Let’s go out and greet the rain.”
He didn’t need to tell her twice. She hugged Leehan and promised to have tea the next time she was on Balen, but then, she was at Thanoth’s heels as he paced to the rear hatch.
The moment the door was opened, the scent of rain flowed in and Mora ran out.
She sprinted across the tarmac and twisted with her arms out, letting the rain pivot around her on its way to the ground. It hugged her, coated her suit and didn’t touch her. Her control stopped the rain millimetres from her skin and hair. She could feel the water in the air around her and twist it to her will, but she did hate getting dirty, and wet was nearly as bad.
* * * *
Tranoth watched her as she danced with the rain. Corkscrews, waves, ribbons and the outline of a person to dance came and went as Morakil twisted and turned her body. She wasn’t forcing the water; it was taking the shape that she wanted because she wanted it. Elementals were always special, but Morakil had made peace with her element. It was a respected tool in her hands, and she returned it to its proper place when she had completed her use of it.
He turned back to the shuttle, and Leehan was watching her friend dance in the rain. He was surprised to see the normally cheerful pilot swiping at her eyes, but when he looked back at Morakil’s embrace of the open air and her element for the first time in years, he understood.
The task of moving the water had been a job, an order to serve those who despised her. She had resented it and done only what they forced her to, for the most part. He knew all about her playing with the fountains for the children in the parks. She had found joy in watching the joy of the innocent. It was probably one of the only things that kept her sane.
“Ms. Esterhart, we are expected inside. You can play with the waters of Balen as much as you want to. No one will stop you or restrain you again.” He tried to be respectful, but she looked like a being made if living mercury, a woman covered in a shell of water. He had to admit it was hot.
He felt his body reacting to the sight, but being in standing water made his talent dangerous. With his skill with electronics had come the ability to manipulate electrical impulses. His talent had shorted out her cuffs, and his skills had let him construct a sub-network that allowed his contact with her during the last months of her confinement.
He had never felt more relieved than he had when she had burst into the open air, her eyes wide as she looked for the guards she no doubt expected. Even thinking that it was a trap, she had grasped the chance for freedom. It was heartening for her mental state after years of imprisonment. She still hoped.
Tranoth knew that he would enjoy watching
her gain confidence in her freedom, and after today, he knew that he would always try to watch her dancing in the rain.
* * * *
After grasping ribbons of water and twisting around and around, Mora stopped and caught her breath. She really was on a new world away from home. Away from Resicor and those who would hunt her.
She was free.
She heard Tranoth call to her, and she smiled as she approached him. “Lead the way.”
His eyes were gleaming as he watched her. His suit repelled the water, but his hair was hanging in his eyes.
She reached up and skimmed her hand along his hair, removing the water and dropping it to the ground in a soft cascade. “Shall we go inside?”
“We have to cross the valley first. The Citadel doesn’t have a landing area, so we use the Guard base. There are skimmers over here.”
He led her to a rack of vehicles twelve-feet long, five-feet wide and surrounded by a safety railing at waist height.
Tranoth helped her into the vehicle, and he started it up. Seconds later, they were cruising through the sky and over the empty span of the valley that separated Guard base and Citadel.
She held onto the railing and let the wind tug at her hair. She smiled at the feel of the air against her skin, the water touching the barrier between her and the impact of moisture. Mora placed her hand on Tranoth’s arm, extending her protection to him. He was able to see more clearly, and they flew straighter when the water did not strike his eyes.
The Citadel itself rose out of the stone around it with elegant spires and wide walls. It was a span designed to see into the distance and to protect those within it. There was comfort in the very design of the structure, and it made Mora smile.
The ground and the very flavour of the water told her that this was not a hallucination. She was indeed on another world and she was about to meet her host.
They landed, and she noted something just inside the door. It was small and it was hopping from foot to foot.
“What is that?”
“It is a Yaluthu. They are an introduced species that has been successful in finding its psychic matches. They bond with certain talents and offer perks for the maintenance that they require.”
“I see. Why is it hopping like that?” Mora scowled. They were getting closer to the creature.
“It is either excited or it has to go to the lav and it doesn’t like to get its feet wet.” He grinned, and they walked into the doorway where the small thing waited.
Brilliant green fluff made up most of the creature, and deep blue eyes were huge above the stubby golden beak.
Mora paused and looked down at it. “Hello.”
It flapped its little wings and hopped, chirping urgently.
Unable to stop herself, she picked it up, smiling at the comfort and happiness that it spilled into her mind.
Tranoth grinned. “It seems you have been chosen. They do wait until they have a proper match before they choose.”
“Plink has been waiting for me since she hatched.” Mora blinked rapidly. “Did I just say that?”
He patted her shoulder. “You did. Plink, I am happy to meet you.”
The creature flapped her green wings and settled in Mora’s arms.
Mora felt an inner calm beginning to well out of her and Plink was the source. “What is she doing?”
A woman in an elegant set of robes walked toward her with a raptor on her shoulder. “She is healing you. Yaluthu were enhanced from a much smaller species to become battlefield healers. They do heal any and all wounds. They are excellent healers, but their empathy and mind healing truly only comes into play with their partner.”
“She is healing my…mind?”
“She is. I am Veera, this is Fixit. Fixit is your Yaluthu’s progenitor.”
“Her name is Plink. Progenitor?”
“They are born pregnant and will have their children when it is time and not before. Plink will eventually look like Fixit here, only with plumage similar to her current colouring. Mother and father are not good comparisons. They are both at the same time.” Veera smiled. “Would you care to come inside? We can have some breakfast arranged for you.”
She looked at Tranoth, and he inclined his head.
“Yes, please. My name is Morakil, but you may call me Mora.”
Veera smiled and Fixit chirped. It was a strange noise out of such a predator, but Plink chirped back, and just like that, they were entering the Citadel where everyone had a talent and they were all allowed to use them.
Never in Mora’s life had she imagined a place like this.
Chapter Five
Veera spoke to one of the people behind the counter, and then, she returned to the table where she had installed Mora and Tranoth.
Fixit was sitting on the table and taking samples from a bowl of nuts; Fixit put the nuts in Plink’s mouth.
Once Fixit had shown her what to do, she nudged Mora’s hand in encouragement.
Mora took the hint, and she began to feed Plink, nut by nut.
Veera swept her robes aside as she sat. “They can eat by themselves, but it is slow and messy when they are young. Having you feed her will just speed things up. She will tell you when she is full, but we will get you some seeds to feed her. Despite what Fixit thinks, nuts aren’t the best thing just because they taste good.”
Mora chuckled and put another shelled nut in the small beak. There was a strange purring sound coming from Plink. Mora kept her on her lap and stroked her soft fluff.
Tranoth was smiling. “I have been here intermittently since they were first born and none have come to me.”
Mora looked down at Plink. She cautiously asked why, and she got a surprising answer. “You didn’t need one. First comes the need, then comes the match.”
Veera smiled, “Very well put. To put it in context, I was an open-minded telepath. My mind was exposed to everyone for miles. I heard every thought and I couldn’t shut them out. This caused psychic scarring. My link to Stanik was armour against the incursion, but it didn’t heal the damage already done. That was what Fixit started to do the moment that we touched.”
Tranoth inclined his head. “Fair enough.”
Mora frowned. “Telepath?”
Veera held up a hand. “I have been warned about your bias and experience. I do not intrude where I am not needed. Your time here will be of your choosing, but if there is an assignment for you, will you consider it?”
“What kind of assignment?”
“I don’t know. I can’t know. There are many situations that arise on worlds who are friendly to the Alliance or who are advanced enough to ask for help. Natural disasters are sometimes caused by lunar disturbances, by the whims of the living world or even the death of an Avatar.”
Mora scowled and gave Plink another nut. “What is an Avatar?”
“Some worlds are awake and aware, but to communicate with us, they need to occupy a body with a portion of their consciousness. Most Avatars are taken with the being’s consent and they share possession of the body equally.”
A woman with chalky skin and dark hair walked up to the table. “Talking about me, Veera?”
“Of course, Zenina-Balen. Your timing is perfect.” Veera smiled.
Mora felt more power in one being than she had ever experienced in her lifetime. “Hello.”
Zenina-Balen smiled and darkness swirled through her eyes. “Welcome to my surface, Morakil Esterhart.”
Mora blinked. “You know my name?”
“I know everyone who walks my surface.” The body shivered and the woman grinned. “Balen was just trying to freak you out. We felt your touch on the water, and it was necessary to meet you immediately. Planets have great respect for elementals.”
Veera waved her hand. “Join us for tea?”
Zenina pulled up a chair. “Thank you. We were working on the southern continent and it is thirsty work.”
Veera gesture
d and a cup was brought. She poured and served the Avatar who slurped the tea with a smile.
Zenina smiled. “Anyway, you were asking about Avatars when I arrived?”
Mora nodded. “Veera was telling me that the Avatars take on the post willingly.”
Zenina nodded. “Most of us do. For me, I was destined to do it. My mother was the Avatar to Balen centuries ago and my father was the Avatar of Saru, the sun that we orbit. I was conceived, and when I was born, my mother passed away. I was her last act. I was incubated until my very slow aging brought me to a survivable size, and as an infant, I was launched to the icy surface.”
Mora looked outside. “Icy?”
“Balen had been in mourning for my mother. He had gone to sleep for a flicker of time for him, but centuries for other creatures. There was a mining colony here and that is where I was raised. I didn’t know what I was until Balen began to wake and the Sector Guard tried to peacefully evacuate the colony. At that point, all the seventeen hells broke loose and I found out what I was in a matter of two days, taking on the position that my mother had left so long ago.”
Mora opened her mouth and then closed it.
Zenina smiled sadly. “Yes, he still grieves for her. She had been with him for thousands of years before she began to fade. Her pregnancy was her last act. She would have died regardless.”
“I am sorry to have intruded.”
“Don’t be. Everyone here knows the story. My becoming Balen’s Avatar woke the world under us. He is happy to be a host to the Sector Guard and the Citadel. He loves the Yaluthu and all of their enthusiasm. They see the world and their lives as a whole. They choose their partners because from the moment they open their eyes, they know who and what they will be with for their existence. It doesn’t mean that they don’t get impatient.” Zenina scratched Plink under her chin and did the same to Fixit.