Daria paced the room. “I cannot possibly become what Na-Kai is to all of you. No wonder she keeps telling me how critical the time element is. There isn’t enough time! If I lived to be four hundred and eight and started this minute, I wouldn’t be able to learn what was needed.”
She twirled to confront Kyla, ready to launch a parade of excuses, but the Atlantean stood, holding up her hands. “You will be ready, Daria. You may be riddled with uncertainties, but Na-Kai knows, as do I, that you are the one. You will be our Most Sovereign Healer, and the abilities that will awaken inside you will equal those of Na-Kai.”
Daria desperately wanted to believe Kyla’s words. She already felt more at home here than she ever had topside. But she was daunted by the responsibility they had placed upon her.
Kyla closed the distance and embraced Daria. “If you cannot trust yourself, trust Na-Kai. She will light your way, and she will help you uncover the amazing gifts lying dormant within you. Of that, I have no doubt.”
As though to emphasize Kyla’s statement, the regal Healer appeared in the doorway. “Good morning. Are you ready to begin your first lesson?”
It looked to Aris as though Ni-Cio had once again wrapped himself within the golden haze of his ongoing daydream. He watched, bemused, as his friend lazed against one of the biospheres and absentmindedly tapped the side of his long leg with the tool that he had requested five minutes ago. His composure almost gone, Aris lunged for the tool just as Ni-Cio swung his hand up and used the implement for a backscratcher.
A slow smile lit the planes of his handsome face and Aris grimaced when Ni-Cio’s voice once again took flight. “She is beauty personified, Aris. I have never seen one such as her. Why, she takes my breath away! I tell you, I would give my very heart should she have need. I…”
Not that he had ever had much, but Aris’s small reservoir of patience suddenly dried up and he interrupted what promised to become an hour-long soliloquy. “I have heard enough! You have done nothing all morning but talk incessantly about that woman. You are causing me to lose my mind. I say either quit the oration and pay attention or go in search of her and be done with it!”
Aris held onto the side of the dismantled biosphere with one hand while he snapped the fingers of his free hand and jutted his chin in the direction of the withheld tool.
Ni-Cio looked abashed. He placed the instrument in Aris’s outstretched hand. Aris turned to his work again, but the touch of his friend’s hand on his shoulder brought him up short and he felt Ni-Cio crouch behind him. He gave up any thought of fixing the biosphere, let out a disgusted sigh, turned around and settled himself.
Ni-Cio’s confusion was evident. Streaks of gold outlined the sharp angles of his cheeks, and his violet eyes deepened to purple as he struggled with his thoughts. “I would go to her even now. It is just that I am not sure what I should do. She seemed none too glad to see me when I would have talked to her after the Council meeting. Na-Kai has her in lessons that require her utmost concentration, and I am at a loss.”
Aris almost laughed at the dilemma Ni-Cio presented, except for the fact that he had never seen his friend like this. He had witnessed the wild flirtations many a maid employed in the hope of gaining the attentions of his handsome friend. But Ni-Cio had always remained immune to matters of the heart. He never seemed to notice some of the most beautiful women Atlantis had to offer. Aris would have given just about anything to have them look at him in the same manner. Nevertheless, he was beginning to feel sorry for him.
Aris shrugged his shoulders, wiped his hands on a cloth and stood in order to address his addled companion.
“My friend, think of all she has been through. That poor soul was on vacation when suddenly, she is trapped in Na-Kai’s three-dimensional thought-form, shot off a cliff, saved by her hero, told she is our only hope, then very nearly besieged by highly inflamed Atlanteans who would have been overjoyed to eject her at depth! Now, I ask you, how would you react to some unknown person trying to proclaim anything, much less speak of love, after all that? I would not only have stuck my finger in your face, I would have punched you in the nose.”
Aris gripped Ni-Cio’s arm and urged him to stand. “Give her a little time to get her bearings. Then profess your love to the rafters. I am sure she will be unable to resist. Meanwhile, I am weary of this work. Let us take a swim. We need to retrieve the pollution samples anyway.”
Aris threw the towel to the floor and prodded his buddy toward the exit portal. Ni-Cio grumbled something unintelligible, but offered no other argument.
They passed through an arched doorway that brought them to one of the many exits that lent access to the open ocean. Before they entered the airlock chamber, they hung their robes on nearby hooks.
Stepping inside the airlock, their bioskins responded to their thought-commands and began to shimmer as though they had come to life. The white dots began to glow, and material that was already molded flawlessly around their bodies, moved to cover their exposed feet, hands and heads to create an airtight seal.
The doors materialized and the chamber filled with seawater. No longer able to use their voices, Aris sent a thought-form. “Come, we’ll check the harvest, get some exercise, and then retrieve the forgotten samples…by the time we get back, you will feel like a new man…”
Aris slipped under the rising water, inhaled, and jetted out the open portal. He could feel Ni-Cio close behind. They flew through the liquid blue at lightning speeds and Aris felt his muscles lose their strain. He was certain that Ni-Cio was just as glad for the respite.
Surrounded by the startling beauty of their underwater world, Aris was filled with wonder, and he marveled at the life that he and the others had been granted. “We are blessed, Ni-Cio…”
His thought was answered with a feeling of awe as he felt rather than saw Ni-Cio’s grin of agreement.
Na-Kai and Daria enjoyed only one small break in order to share the special lunch that Kyla insisted they eat, but once they had refreshed themselves, their studies immediately resumed. By the time Na-Kai indicated that the first lesson was at an end, Daria no longer had the strength to stand. She fell onto Na-Kai’s feathery sofa, closed her eyes and massaged her throbbing temples. “I think my brain has seized. Even if you used a sledgehammer, I wouldn’t be able to fit another thing in there.”
A subdued tonal harmony emanated from the waterwall and Daria felt her neck muscles loosen a bit. Na-Kai walked across the room to join her. “You have surpassed even my expectations, and have given me reason to feel a tremendous amount of relief. I understand well the monumental effort that is required to assimilate the necessary teaching.”
Daria winced and tried a few, slow deep breaths. “Well, I’m glad one of us feels that way, because it surely isn’t me.”
“Here, let me help.” Na-Kai placed her hands on either side of Daria’s head and found the temples. She began a slow massage and hummed a tone that synchronized with the note rising from the waterwall.
Daria felt as if every molecule in her body had been infused with a warm, gentle light. With each breath, her headache became less noticeable and her body felt weightless, like a feather that floated on still waters. Daria drifted in the comfort of the healing touch until she couldn’t remember when Na-Kai had removed her hands.
Stirring at last, Daria eased herself into a more upright position. She looked at her mentor. “I feel incredible. Thank you.”
Daria took the Healer’s hand in hers and gazed into eyes the color of mother-of-pearl. “I appreciate your faith in my abilities, and although I hope your faith isn’t misplaced, I promise to do my best to honor you and your people.”
Na-Kai’s eyes opened wide, and her beatific smile brought a hint of rose to color her cheeks. “Why, I would never have thought otherwise, my dear one. But you must know, we are ‘your people’ now.”
Daria blinked hard and her voice shook. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes. “I hadn’t thought about it that way. After my pa
rents died, I was moved through so many different foster homes that I never felt I belonged anywhere.
“The funny thing is that the first time I met you, even though I was so scared, I felt like I had come home.”
Na-Kai took Daria in her arms and held her close, and Daria felt her warm breath on her hair, a whispered caress. “You are now, and always shall be, part of our family.”
Daria was suffused with such an infinite joy that she thought her heart would burst. She understood what Kyla had been trying to tell her because she could breathe it, she could touch it, and her soul reveled in it. As she pulled herself from Na-Kai’s embrace, her being was filled with the unending music of love. She wiped the tears from her eyes and laughed with the sheer wonder of it. “So this is how it feels?”
Na-Kai smiled. “Now and forever.”
A tone sounded and the door dematerialized. Kyla entered and Daria laughed her delight. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to that.”
Kyla held out her hand for Daria. “Come. It is time for you to get to know your home.”
Kyla led Daria on an adventure of exploration through the entangled passageways of Atlantis. Daria was entranced by the artistry reflected in the construction of their underground home. The interiors, while built with purpose, reflected an intimate attention to detail, and the eloquence of design mirrored the joy of living that was the heart and soul of the small community.
Daria marveled to see the play of light and shadows soften the granite walls so that they appeared to be draped in textures of rich, creamy velvet. Delicate lighting, attuned to their approach, brightened to illuminate their path and dimmed with their passage.
When she noticed that the slow adagio of light brought a breath of movement to the beautiful carvings and works of art on display, she stood entranced until Kyla turned her attention elsewhere.
Daria inhaled the heady aroma of exotic plants and watched with delight as they swirled in intricate dances with graceful streams. Kyla pointed out hidden byways where lazy waterfalls filled quiet ponds, and plush seating invited moments of relaxation and contemplation.
Wherever they went, a whispered cantata flowed around them, almost but not quite out of consciousness. It tantalized Daria with its haunting refrain. “What is it that I’m hearing, Kyla? I feel if I could just concentrate hard enough, I would recognize that music.”
Kyla chuckled and stopped, taking Daria’s hand. “Forgive me, I should have explained that to you at the start of our tour. What you almost hear is a specific composition. Because we have open access to each other’s minds, we had to create a way to mask out stray thoughts. With this innovation, random musings no longer bother us. Now, in order to hear someone, we must elevate our thought patterns above the music. “To borrow your words, we blow up the sound.”
Daria was confused, so she searched her mind for Kyla’s meaning. A burst of laughter followed her sudden enlightenment. “Oh, I think you mean, pump up the volume.”
Kyla nodded, “Exactly. I have studied many idioms of your topside language and I love to use them whenever I can.” She pulled Daria down a short hallway. “Come, I will take you to see some of the biospheres and show you our mode of transportation.”
Kyla led her through an arched doorway and into a domed room. The room, while not big, was magnificent. Fanciful patterns had been artfully woven into cobalt-blue tile work, and the golden dome had been painted with powerful images of the old god, Poseidon. A soft amber glow lit the chamber, and Daria ran her hands over the sublime carvings that stood in relief against the granite walls.
Kyla walked to the edge of a calm, dark pool and with a flourish, pointed at several devices perched next to the water. “These are biospheres.”
Daria could make no connection in her mind to what she saw, so she made no immediate comment. Instead, she cocked her head and scrutinized the spherical, almost invisible devices. At last, she offered a tepid observation. “They’re quite small.”
Kyla arched her eyebrows. “Well, they probably do look small just sitting here, but what you might not realize is that one of these ‘spheres can adjust itself to fit as many as ten riders.”
“You’re kidding.” Daria hurried across the floor and bent down to inspect the inside of one of the biospheres when two hands appeared, one on either side of her foot. In an explosion of air, water and bubbles, the upper half of a person surfaced.
Daria yelped and scrambled to back out of the way, but her feet couldn’t find purchase on the wet floor. When the man catapulted from the pool, she frantically tried to keep from falling. She grabbed the strong arms of the unsuspecting swimmer and the man stumbled trying to catch her. Kyla backed out of the way, and both Daria and the swimmer fell to the slippery deck. Through Herculean gyrations, Daria’s fall was cushioned by the man, and in a tangle of arms, legs and considerable confusion, she landed on top of him with a hard thump. She fought the hair out of her eyes.
“Oh my goodness, are you all right? I’m so sorry, I, you surprised me.” She disentangled herself from the prostrate form and pushed her way to a kneeling position.
Ni-Cio clambered onto his elbows and laughed softly when he recognized the topsider. “As they say, at last we meet.”
Daria gasped. Goosebumps rippled over her body and heat rose in her face. The man was even more compelling than she remembered. He was beautiful. Against her will, a smile pulled at the corners of her mouth in response to his greeting. Her heart fluttered into a much faster beat, and butterflies started to dance in her stomach. She wanted to melt into him. The magnetic pull of him drew her closer, but her heart slammed closed when the image of him inciting the angry Atlanteans invaded her mind. She shook herself and spat out her next word like she was trying to eject a bug from her throat. “You!”
She heaved herself to her feet, and Ni-Cio scrambled to regain an upright position. He towered over her, but even in the midst of her inner turmoil, Daria could feel a quiet strength from him. A vision of his arms surrounding her startled her. She quickly erased the thought from her mind and brought her face to within inches of his. Just as she readied herself to let fly another tirade, the tableau was rudely interrupted by another dripping Atlantean. Aris made his way out of the pool. “There you are. I didn’t realize you had already come in…”
His sentence trailed off and he clamped his mouth shut. Silence crashed around them. Kyla stepped forward to help pacify Daria, but the topsider brushed her aside and jabbed her finger into Ni-Cio’s muscular chest. All the pent-up fear and emotion she felt at the council meeting spilled out of her. She poked him hard with each finger thrust. “You’re the one. You were the leader.”
Ni-Cio was forced backward toward the pool under the fury of each jab. Daria’s volatile accusations hung suspended in the air between them. He moved to explain, but Daria twisted from his touch and flung her last words as she pushed him with all her might. “You bastard!”
Ni-Cio again lost his balance. Launched unceremoniously back into the pool from which he had surfaced, he splashed a hefty wall of water onto the deck, drenching everyone. Dark water closed over Ni-Cio, and Daria stomped back to Kyla. Kyla looked at the pool, and then back at Aris, and then at her maddened friend. Daria’s sharp order rang in her ears. “Get me out of here.”
Kyla didn’t know what to do. Daria glanced apprehensively over her shoulder and watched Aris help his sputtering friend out of the pool. She strong-armed Kyla out of the chamber, but not before she heard Aris’s wry comment and Ni-Cio’s infuriated reply.
“You know, I don’t think she likes you at all. What did you do to her?”
“By the gods, Aris, I haven’t a clue. But I will be damned if I just sit here! That woman is going to answer some questions.”
Kyla had never seen such unjustifiable anger. She had no idea what Ni-Cio had done. She let Daria drag her in tow and tried to grasp the implications of what she had just witnessed. She pulled on Daria’s wrists to slow their headlong rush. “Daria, wh
at is wrong? Why did you push Ni-Cio into the pool? I don’t understand.” She dug her heels into the tunnel floor. “Wait! We mustn’t go this way.”
Daria spun around. “So, that’s his name? Ni-Cio!” The spite with which she imbued the name made it sound more like a curse and Kyla couldn’t find her voice against such unbridled antagonism. “I won’t soon forget that. And just so you know, if you want me to stay, you had better keep that man away from me.”
Kyla couldn’t begin to imagine why Daria was so upset with her brother, but she knew if she asked any more questions it would only serve to further inflame the topsider they were so hopelessly dependent upon. She reached toward Daria in an effort to placate their would-be Healer. “Come, we must go back the way we came, and I will take you to our music room. Ennael would be flattered to give you an impromptu concert.”
Daria glared at Kyla, and then around, as though she was being stalked. “I don’t think I’m in quite the frame of mind one would need to enjoy a concert. Another time, maybe….” She approached the adjacent hallway and made a quick motion with her hand. “Why can’t we go down there?”
Kyla blanched and shuddered. “Travlor lives down there. You will meet him soon enough. Come.” She guided her friend toward another passageway, but stopped and closed her eyes when she heard Daria’s next question.
“Who is Travlor?”
Kyla tried to gather her wits in order to give a quick synopsis regarding the enigma that was Travlor, when a dark shadow fell across their path. Ni-Cio stood like an immovable mountain, blocking their exit. A rumbled command bridged the short distance. “Kyla, if you would, please excuse us. I will have a word with this incomprehensible topsider.” His tone conveyed the implausibility of broaching any disagreement. No one moved, but Kyla knew her brother and she knew full well the meaning of discretion being the better part of valor.
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