“That’s a lot of assumptions,” observed Egg.
“Maybe. But that could explain why you didn’t get goosebumps and why Tee isn’t going to . . . you know.”
“Die. The word is die.” As soon as Jax’x said it, she cringed at her own insensitivity. The girl with extraordinary empathy for others was acting like a heartless boor. “I’m so sorry. That was beyond rude. Please forgive me.”
The reaction to her words was mixed. Spirit, Bl’azzz, Serenity and BreeZee were soul ripping angry. Po was a little beyond shocked.
Egg was . . . well, Egg was Egg. “It’s okay,” she said not just to Jax’x but to all the girls.
“What do you mean okay?” stormed Serenity - the only one of the sisters who had seen violent death – the explosion that had taken her mother.
“Now’s not the time.”
“If I’m going to risk my life for her, now is absolutely the time.” The girl was livid.
“Stop. Everyone just calm down. We came all this way to help the people of Spell ‘Bound – not just Jax’x. It’s for them that we’ll risk everything.” She paused to let that sink in. “Now, I want Jax’x to explain herself without anyone biting her head off.” Amusingly, the two new comers involuntarily looked at the dragon. “Go ahead, Jax’x.”
“I apologize. My comment was wrong on so many levels. It showed a complete lack of empathy – which is ironic. One of the attributes of an Amber Heart is an over-developed sense of compassion.”
“I didn’t know that,” exclaimed Po.
“Po, let her finish,” said Egg gently.
“Okay, here it is. I’ve lost my love Jay’gar to the Divine Ones. I lost my parents and he lost his parents to the Divine Ones. The population of this world has lost their freedom to the Divine Ones. We even lost the natural beauty of the entire planet. When Po told me about the Sisterhood I was incredibly excited that we found the help we needed.” She stopped to take a breath.
“We’re waiting,” chided Serenity, impatient for the rest.
“Legend has it that you women would sacrifice yourselves to help others. Very noble. Very selfless. Then, when one of you might have been killed – and even before you confirmed the truth of it – I watched you fall to pieces.”
“And why shouldn’t we? Tee’ka is our sister, our friend,” demanded the girl in the chair.
Egg chose to finish for Jax’x. “There’s a lot at stake for Jax’x and Po. Then they see us act like amateurs. We talk a good game about sacrifice – but when confronted with the reality of it, we lose our composure. After this mission, we’re going to have to do a little soul searching.” She raised her hand to stop the comments. “Think on it. We can have the first discussion over dinner. Right now we have work to do. We have a sister to save . . . and an entire world.”
Chapter 2 – Regrets, I’ve Had a Few
Jax’x sidled up to Egg. “Thank you. What you said . . . it’s exactly what I was feeling.”
“Doesn’t make it right.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
Po had joined her friend. “Egg, for what it’s worth, I have never heard Jax’x say anything like that before. She’s the nicest, most considerate person I’ve ever met . . . and a wonderful friend.”
Egg forced a little smile to her lips. “That’s good to hear. But what you need to know is that we sisters have been through alot . . . stumbling from one dangerous situation to another. Before the Sisterhood, all of us were loners to some extent – few friends and maybe no parents. We’re now a family. Tee, for instance, has only us. If she gets hurt – we suffer just as much. I can’t even explain to you the love and the bond we share. When someone we don’t really know belittles it, well, it makes us angry.”
“I would do anything to take back my stupid words. It was so out of character. Please believe me.”
“I do. But you hurt them . . . and it might be a little difficult to regain their trust. I’m sorry, I can’t change that.”
“I feel horrible.”
“You know what they say – it takes longer to repair a friendship than to make one.”
“What should I do?”
“Be yourself. If things are meant to work out, they will. Either way, the Sisterhood is here to help you save Spell ‘Bound. That won’t change.” Then as an afterthought she added, “Bree will be the first to forgive . . . Serenity will be the last.”
“Thanks,” she replied but the expression on her face was a picture of remorse and regret. “What about you?”
“Already old news. Time to focus on Tee and the bad guys.”
Egg turned to get everyone’s attention. “Let’s brainstorm. First, and foremost, what happened to Tee? Assuming it wasn’t a Vanishing Veil, do we go with Serenity’s idea that this guy is actually trying to help?”
Po didn’t want to embarrass her friend more, but she just had to ask, “Jax’x, why did you try to befriend Jagged Peak? Did he seem like someone that wanted to change the order of things?” What she didn’t ask was, “Or is it because he’s cute and you’ve already given up on Jay’gar?”
“Um . . . not at first. But over time, I thought I sensed a change. Then he put a Cone of Silence around us and told me flat out he did want to be part of whatever I was planning because he didn’t like the status quo.”
“How did you respond?” By Serenity’s tone, she thought the girl had given away too much information resulting in the loss of Tee’ka.
“I told him nothing . . . afraid he was setting me up to reveal my treason. I just said I had to get back to work. He wanted to continue the talk over dinner but I wanted to discuss it with the Sisters first. So, I put him off until breakfast.”
“Good thinking, Jax’x,” replied Egg, trying to do her part to reestablish the relationship between her sisters and the girl.
“Po,” asked Bree, “if it’s true that this guy wants to help, what could he have done? You didn’t really answer us before.”
“That’s just not a fair question,” answered Jax’x for her friend.
“She’s a big girl. Why don’t you let her speak for herself?” was Serenity’s sarcastic retort.
“Sorry.”
“What Jax’x already said is that as long as a Divine One can conceive of something, we can make it happen. It just takes imagination . . . something that I have little of. Sorry.”
Egg reassured her with, “That’s okay Po. Maybe the eight . . . I mean seven of us can come up with something.”
“Thank you. Anyway, if I wanted to fool an Absolute, I would have to be very, very convincing. So . . . um, well, maybe it was just made to look like a Vanishing Veil. Maybe he . . . um (she was struggling to be clever) . . . well, maybe he teleported her an instant before he created the Veil.” She shrugged, embarrassed.
“Po, that’s very good,” said Bree. “Nothing can be more convincing than the real thing.”
“Egg, I don’t buy it.”
“Buy what, Bl’azzz? . . . Him teleporting her away before the Veil was in place? I kind of like that idea.”
“No, that’s clever and all. I just don’t go along with Serenity’s idea that this guy is one of the good ones. If he was, don’t you think he might have given Jax’x or Po some kind of heads-up? Why scare the teeth out of their mouth?”
Egg had to smile at that phrasing. The Earth version was a little too crass for her taste. “So what’s his plan . . . anybody?”
“Let me take back what I had said. Obviously he wouldn’t fake Tee’ka’s death if he wanted the rest of us to try and rescue her. So maybe it was to scare us into giving up the revolt.”
“I gotta say that makes way more sense to me than the big fella playing double agent.”
“Sorry, Egg. No idea what you’re referring to”.
“Jax’x, a double agent pretends he’s working for one side when he’s actually working for the other.”
“I see. Are there many double agents on Earth?”
“Couldn’t tell you. Any who,
let’s get all our ideas on the table and decide which we’re going to use.”
“If I may,” began the dragon.
“What don’t you understand?” was Egg’s involuntary response to Bl’azzz’s inability to follow a complex line of reasoning.
“Just wanted to summarize, add another take - and then suggest a course of action.”
“Say what?”
“You heard me. Surprised?”
“No. Shocked.”
“Unkind.”
“My bad. Go on and regal us with your newly acquired sense.”
“Sense of what?” asked Spirit.
“Just your everyday, ordinary sense . . . mostly common.”
“What are they talking about?” Po whispered to Jax’x.
“They seem to joke with each other like this all the time. I thought it was cute; now it’s getting annoying.”
Po glanced at her friend – once again surprised by her words.
For Jax’x’s part, she was just being cantankerous . . . looking for a reason to be upset with the sisters as they were with her. It was petty, but she had never been in such an uncomfortable position.
“So,” continued Bl’azzz, “this guy is either good and trying to help by saving Tee from his boss or he’s what he seems to be – one of the bad guys and Tee paid the price. But, let me suggest another possibility – namely that he or his boss teleported Tee away for questioning. Forgive me Sister . . . but why destroy such a valuable commodity without first trying to squeeze as much information out of her first.”
“Rats . . . that’s also a reasonable assumption. Nice going, Hot Lips.”
“Be sure to tell Soo. She’ll never believe I thought up something like that.”
“Promise.”
“Bl’azzz, you said you had a suggestion about how to proceed,” reminded Po.
“I do. Now that they know about us, we need to split up into smaller groups. One will try to rescue Tee, one will try to figure out how to turn off the magic machine and the third will recruit Kr’eep. I take it he’s going to have a key part in all this.”
“Kr’eep?” asked Po aghast.
Her friend explained. “He is a once-in-a-generation citizen born without an X. According to information provided by a . . . um, a special Tree that they know, it will take a Hex and an Amber Heart working through a person with neither mark to turn off the M.A.G.E.K. machine.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Join the club,” added Egg. “Bl’azzz, you’re right . . . a three-pronged attack is the way to go. Anyone object?” No one did so Egg suggested, “Bl’azzz, use the Mysteria avatar and make this guy fall in love with you.”
“Epic.”
Egg just shook her head in amusement. “By the way, if this guy does help, I think he deserves a reward.”
“Hey, I’m not sleeping with him.”
“Yuk. No, of course not; you’re still a dragon and he’s not. However, we can leave him the avatar . . . he’ll never know what she really is.”
“She can’t have children. That improvement is way out of my league,” explained Serenity.
“Not a problem. They can spend the rest of their lives trying,” and Flying Girl grinned coyly. The rest either tittered or smiled.
“Po, you need to help with the Tee’ka’s rescue. Jax’x, you have to figure out where the off switch is on this machine. I want Bree and Serenity to help you. Spirit and I will work with Po. Anybody prefer a different team?”
Jax’x understood what Egg was trying to do. As much as she appreciated the idea, she was sure Serenity would not. She glanced at the girl in the wheelchair who, to her surprise, turned to Egg and stuck out her tongue. The other girl gave her an exaggerated wink . . . and a wolfish grin. Once again Jax’x could see the qualities that made this Flying Girl a good leader.
*****
They broke off into their respective groups. Serenity led her two compatriots to the control room. “Okay, let’s see what we know.”
“First, I need to apologize again. I spoke without thinking.”
BreeZee couldn’t hold a grudge. “These are trying times and people say things they don’t really mean. So, I for one, accept your apology.”
The two girls turned to Serenity . . . who just stared back.
Bree frowned at her sister. “Say something nice.”
“Look, in times of stress people can say things that they normally wouldn’t. But it’s usually not because they don’t believe it but because social protocol says you shouldn’t. Our guest here said what she felt . . . I don’t like it, but at least she was being honest.”
“Serenity,” groaned butterfly girl.
Jax’x put her hand on the girl’s arm. “It’s okay, BreeZee.” To the other girl she asked, “Can we still work together effectively? There’s too much at stake for my . . . my honesty . . . to jeopardize what we are trying to accomplish.”
“Let’s get to it,” came the reply. “So, first question, what’s with that tattoo on your face? No one else seems to have one.”
Before Bree could complain that such a question was inappropriate, Jax’x answered, “It’s the mark of an Amber Heart. Apparently they decided it was a way to be instantly recognizable to the citizenry without wearing a cape and hood uniform like the Hex’s. They thought their outfits were pretentious. Secondly, it was the Hearts way of saying symbolically that we don’t matter. We are here to serve and as individuals, we are of no consequence. We hide our individuality behind these masks. Well, that was the thinking.”
Bree thought it was a most noble gesture and said so.
Serenity’s response was an ill mannered and dismissive, “Whatever.”
Without thinking, Jax’x touched her hand to the Amber Heart around her neck which began to glow and glared at the girl. Serenity and her chair began to levitate. When she was at eye level, Jax’x spat, “Why don’t you tell Egg that you are incapable of forgiving and forgetting? Tell her that ever since you’ve became a cripple, you have no tolerance for the human frailties of others.” Then she released her hold and the girl and the chair slammed back to the deck.
“EGG,” screamed Bree into her communicator. She stepped between the two adversaries and extended her wings so neither could see the other. The girl knew that her sister became incensed if anyone dare refer to her injuries in such a way.
“What?” came a voice at the door.
“These ladies have a problem . . . with each other.” She folded her wings and stepped aside revealing a pair of glaring, fire-breathing faces.
“Bree, do me a favor and take Jax’x to the commissary (otherwise known as a kitchen) and get her some coffee.”
“Come on, Jax’x.”
“Egg . . .” began the girl.
“Jax’x, it’s okay.”
“Sorry,” she mumbled as she left the room.
When the door closed, the two remaining girls faced each other. “What’s going on with you?” Egg demanded of Serenity.
The girl had the good grace not to pretend she had done nothing. “There’s something about her I don’t like.”
“Can you be a little more specific?”
Serenity went quiet as she tried to put into words what she was feeling. “She’s so high and mighty – pretending to care about everybody. Po, her boyfriend, her people . . . she wants to protect them all. On the other hand, she’s upset that we care so much about Tee’ka . . . like she can’t understand how we could feel pain if she got hurt. It rubs me the wrong way.”
“Do you want to go home?”
“What do you mean?”
“Take your ship and leave. The rest of us promised to help and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Serenity was shocked by the suggestion. “You know shazbot well that I would never leave you guys in the middle of a mission.”
“What is a shazbot?”
Serenity rolled her eyes. “A bad word.”
“Never heard you curse before.”
“No. But I am shocked that you can’t put your feelings aside and work with Jax’x. She may be a . . . a shazbot pain in the butt, however, she is trying to do a good thing. We need to cut her some slack. Don’t forget, she is also risking her life, as is Po.”
“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t use shazbot. It really is a naughty word.”
“Hey, I’ve been around the block a few times. I know some salty language, too.”
“Yeah, I know. Rats, Epic and Oh My Gosh come to mind.”
Egg smiled at her friend. “I don’t know why, but I do love you.”
“That’s because I’m so shazboting awesome.”
*****
“My turn to apologize.”
“And I’m sorry I called you a cripple.”
“No need. I take my physical state as a badge of honor . . . even if it had been caused by an illness or birth defect, and not from the attempt to save my mother.”
“I will have to give your words some thought. In the meantime, I’m also sorry if I hurt you. Did I hurt you?”
“No. This chair, as I mentioned before, is pretty sophisticated. It absorbed all the force of the fall. So, is that what an Amber Heart can do?”
“I’ve never done anything like that before. I’ve used the power to control Ziz and a few other artifacts. But I never . . . I never attacked someone like that. Please forgive me . . . yet again.”
“My fault. I can be a bit irritable. Served me right. So, let’s get started, shall we?”
“No,” said BreeZee. The other two looked at her. “Not until we do a group hug.”
Jax’x smiled at Serenity who pretended to vomit. But, they did as they were told.
“Enough. You women have to stop being such girls,” she complained with a grin.
“Serenity is right,” agreed BreeZee. “We spend about half the day laughing, giggling and hugging. I’m sure the rest of the universe can’t take us seriously.”
“They do that at their own peril,” responded Jax’x very seriously.
Box Set #5: Nemesis: [The 4 book 5th adventure of Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood] Page 21