by Regine Abel
“Okay,” Kira said. She froze another section then raised her hands slightly, breaking contact with the snow. Squaring her shoulders, she took in a deep breath. “Here goes nothing.”
It took a few attempts, with frost forming on her fingertips, before she finally managed to target the snow. She made all kinds of happy sounds that had me laughing while she completed her task. In her eagerness to admire her work, she lifted it up before I could warn her of the weight issue. As expected, no sooner did she pick it up than the front section broke off.
“Shoot!” she muttered. “Too heavy.”
As I didn’t believe she actually wanted me to shoot anything, I assumed it was a human way of expressing frustration. At least, she had understood the source of the problem.
“Thanks so much for that,” she said, looking into my eyes. “I’ll give it a few more tries until I get it right.”
“It pleases me to be of assistance. With your permission, it would be my honor to teach you how to hone your ability in the upcoming days.”
“I would love that! You’re very sweet.”
Sweet...
Humans had the strangest expressions. I’d heard Lydia address Qaezul similarly. When I questioned her about it, Lydia had said it was a common term of endearment. Before the change, back when I still required food to live, I had never been particularly fond of sweets. But who was I to argue with the humans’ strange ways and sayings?
“Thank you, Kira,” I said, rising to my feet. “So are you.”
It seemed to be the right thing to say as her smile broadened, and she gave me a shy look before returning her focus to her ice branch. Yet, as I headed back to the entrance to make the second ball of snow that would constitute Frosty’s torso, I could feel her eyes on me. So, I took my time reaching my destination to make it last.
ON THE NIGHT OF THE third day, the blizzard abated almost as abruptly as it had begun. As the Northern Valos no longer required sleep—and according to Kira, neither did the Fire Valos—my people would already be on their way here. Despite it being nighttime, our perfect night vision would allow them to travel without problem. Unless they encountered a creature that forced them into battle, they would be sliding here at full speed and arrive in less than two hours. The trip itself would take a little over an hour plus whatever preparation time they required before setting off.
Kira would still be asleep. I debated whether or not to wake her then decided against it. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be angry as she knew they’d be coming sometime today. I wanted to have some time to speak with them before they met her. Zak certainly had given them a warning so they wouldn’t be too shocked by her appearance, but he didn’t know her story. I needed to put all of their concerns to rest before they met her. The image of Seibkal going into a suicidal frenzy at the sight of Lydia still haunted me.
I looked out the window into the cave. Our Frosty stood proudly against the white stone of the cave. Kira had gone into a bit wild creating some kind of a decorative fence around it... him. How a pile of snow could be deemed a male baffled me. It would raise quite a few eyebrows, and that was a good thing. Despite the inevitable misgivings they would have about Kira, they would recognize this human symbol.
As expected, a little over an hour went by before the tribe entered the cave. The dubious expression on their faces, as they looked at the place Zak claimed to be the secret entrance to the lab, would have been funny if not for the seriousness of the situation. My sister Jaankeln and the two Hunters, Toerkel and Traxian, accompanied Zak. As expected, the sight of the Frosty took them aback, and they looked at the cave wall with new eyes, having lost some of the doubt.
It took Zak a few seconds to find the switch. The expressions on his companions’ faces as the door opened was unparalleled. This time, I couldn’t repress an amused snort. Zak and I had probably worn similar expressions when Kira first revealed it to us.
“Duek,” my sister greeted as she walked in and found me by the window.
She gave me a gentle embrace which I returned affectionately. Jaan was one of the few valos who continued to pronounce my name the right way, most of the others having adopted the human version that Lydia used. My name should be pronounced something closer to Duewek.
After exchanging greetings with the others, I quickly updated them about the situation with Kira, and her assumptions, while they looked upon our frozen people. It proved a particularly emotional moment when we reached our mother. The spread of her infection was severe.
“We must speak to them to understand what happened and see if they have any idea how to fix this,” Jaan said. “Coelvek is among the least affected of his tribe. He will hopefully have answers for us.”
We voiced our agreement and followed her out of the back room into the central area. The Northern Valos didn’t have a ruler, but most of us deferred to my sister. She was smart, level-headed, and completely devoted to our people, although she had a strong personality and could be stubborn at times. Toerkel was the voice of reason and also little Teo’s father. I had expected Qaezul to be present, but Traxian made more sense. Before the change, he had been apprenticing with his mother to become a healer. She had not survived the change, leaving him as the closest thing to a healer we had left.
Jaan picked up one of the empty casings from the table in the central area. She observed it from every angle before heaving a sigh. As a Miner, she would have a better knowledge of the type of metal this was.
“The ore used isn’t familiar to me. But it is definitely not the same as the one used for our heartstones,” Jaan said. “Ours are made of xorkeb. That explains why they wanted such large quantities from us, supposedly to ship to their home world.”
“But they did ship large amounts of it,” Toerkel argued.
“Yes, they did, but that was later, after we were all enslaved.” She frowned again, looking at the casing. “I’m not sure how we will manage to make those without melting the ore. Let’s see what Coelvek can tell us.”
“Wait!” I intervened as my sister moved towards his alcove. “I must waken Kira and warn her.”
“Why?” Jaan asked.
“If his awakening is anything like ours were, he will scream in agony. It will frighten Kira. She may think I’m being attacked or getting hurt and come rushing out,” I said, looking at my sister before turning to Zak. “You remember what happened to Seibkal when he saw Lydia. Imagine how Coelvek will react if he sees Kira before we’ve warned him.”
Zak shuddered. “Yes, it would be wiser that Duekeln warns her. Here,” Zak said, rummaging in a leather bag he had brought. “This is for her.”
He pulled out a long, white tunic and a pair of white sandals.
Perfect!
I touched two fingers to my heartstone in gratitude then quickly headed to the kitchen. Kira lay curled up on her side. She almost looked fragile, draped in her curtain of snowy hair. I crouched beside her and brushed aside the lock that had fallen over her face.
So beautiful.
If not for the others waiting, I could have sat there for hours, just admiring her delicate features and luminescent skin. With reluctance, I gently shook her shoulder. She frowned and mumbled an unintelligible protest before snuggling deeper into her pillow. I smiled and shook her again. She grudgingly emerged from her slumber and blinked at me, confused. When she finally regained her bearings, she sat up abruptly, looking slightly panicked.
“Calm, Kira. All is well,” I said in a soothing voice. “I’m sorry to wake you, but the others have arrived.”
Her eyes widened, and she cast a worried glance towards the door.
“Do not be afraid. They are fine with your presence. But we are going to awaken the U’Gar tribe leader. The process is often painful. I didn’t want you to be scared if you heard screaming.”
“O... okay. Thank you,” she said, shoulders tense. “Can... can I go with you?”
It took me a moment to realize I had shaken my head.
“No, Kira.
You must stay here. Do not come out under any circumstances until I come and get you. You must swear it.”
Her face took on an even more frightened expression, and I kicked myself for scaring her further rather than allaying her fears. Her alarm had my protective instincts roaring with the need to reassure her.
“Why? What’s going on out there?” she asked, the pitch of her voice rising.
“Calm, Kira. There is no reason to be fearful. Remember how Zak and I reacted when we first saw you?”
She nodded, and to my relief, understanding lit her eyes.
“It will be far worse for Coelvek because he doesn’t even know about humans. He will think you are Tarakheen’s child and could have a very violent reaction.”
“I understand,” she whispered.
“We will make it as quick as possible and prepare him to see you. Do not worry. All will be well. Here,” I said, extending the tunic and sandals to her, “Zak brought those back from the city for you.”
“Oh. That was very kind of him. Thank you.”
I smiled, despite feeling a tinge of jealousy that her first gift from E’Lek should have come from someone other than me. Thinking back on Qaezul’s reaction when I had done the same for Lydia, it certainly put things in perspective.
“I’ll come back for you soon,” I said, rising to my feet.
She nodded, but I hated that fear remained in her eyes. Sadly, I had to return to the others. Giving her a reassuring smile, I headed for the door.
“Duke?” she called out, grabbing my hand, stopping me.
“Yes, Kira?”
“You’re not going to leave with the others and abandon me here, alone, right? When you leave, you’re taking me with you, right?”
“Of course, Kira! I am taking you with me. I will not leave you behind.”
“You promise?” she asked, her eyes flicking between mine.
I cupped her face in my free hand and leaned forward. “On my honor, Kira, I will not abandon you here, alone.”
“Okay. Thank you,” she said in a breathy voice, her hands squeezing the one of mine that she still held.
I smiled and gently kissed her forehead. “I must go now, but I’m right outside the door. Do not be afraid.”
She nodded. With one last squeeze of the hand, she released me, and I left the room with a heavy heart.
Jaan watched me approach with a raised eyebrow. I had taken a bit longer than expected, and she knew me well enough to see I was upset. Her other brow shot up when she flicked her eyes at my fingers scratching my navel. I groaned inwardly and stopped my treacherous fingers from giving me away any further. She would swarm me with questions once we were done with the tribes.
As a Builder, I knew well in what type of patterns the Strangers hid their switches and controls. I had no difficulty locating the one hidden in the decorations framing Coelvek’s alcove. As soon as I depressed it, the swirly motifs around the arch of the alcove lit up with a red, pulsating glow. Drain holes opened on the ground beneath Coelvek while the ice around him melted in an increasingly heavy stream.
Zak and I stood ready to support the U’Gar tribe leader in case he collapsed, but he stood still, unwavering. Eyes closed, Coelvek remained in hibernation. Without a word, I walked over to the heartstones’ altar. They all shone bright. If not for the markings next to each heartstone, it would have been difficult to identify which one belonged to him. But the small symbol matched the one at the top of Coelvek’s chamber. I picked up the heartstone and brought it over to him. Its glow steadily increased with each step, confirming I had taken the right one.
As soon as I inserted the heartstone into the empty casing in Coelvek’s chest, it flashed bright, blinding us for a second. Coelvek’s eyes snapped open. As awareness returned to his eyes, his features contorted with agony. This time, his legs failed to support him, so Zak and I did instead. It had been over five months since my own awakening, but I remembered well the terrible pain of emotions and memories, from before and after the change, flooding back into me. Coelvek’s body swelled and expanded with the ice plating of his battle form. Zak and I whispered soothing words in his ears while he recovered from the traumatic experience.
His screams faded and he shuddered as he returned to his basic form. Looking up at us, his eyes widened with shock.
“Jaan? Duek?” he said, confused.
“All is well, Coelvek,” Jaan said. “You are safe. The Creator and the Strangers are gone. We are free.”
“They are?” he asked, hope and disbelief warring on his features.
We helped him back up to his feet and let him step out of the alcove.
“Yes, my friend. They have been gone for over a thousand years,” Jaan confirmed. “We reclaimed E’Lek over five moon cycles ago. The other valos cities are awakening, too. We have long searched for you.”
Coelvek touched each of us in turn, as if to reassure himself that we were real, then looked at our people still trapped in ice. Sorrow descended on his face, and his hand reached for his heartstone. However, it was the inflamed skin at its edges that he fingered with a wince.
We quickly updated him on recent events, including Lydia and Kira. As expected, he struggled with the idea that more strangers from the stars could have aided us instead of trying to further enslave us. Yet, he couldn’t deny our presence here, with our free will restored. Without our heartstones, we were mindless puppets at the mercy of the Creator.
“They used us for as long as they could,” Coelvek said in a grim tone, “but the casing for our heartstone is damaging us. The Strangers didn’t realize it at first. They were too focused on getting us to be as obedient as Tarakheen demanded. When the first signs of infection showed, they used a cooling cream that seemed to work for a while, but the sickness spread faster than the cream could heal.”
“Is there more of that cream?” Traxian asked. “And do you know how to make it?”
“There should be more in that room,” Coelvek said, pointing at the sterile lab. “I do not know how to make it, but some of the others probably do.” He reached a hand to Traxian’s heartstone and ran two fingers around the healthy skin surrounding it. Glancing at the rest of us, he found more of the same. “None of yours are infected, even though you two were with us,” he said, looking at Jaan and me. “How?”
“Our casings are made from a different metal,” Toerkel said. “The human, Kira, claims she was a healer in her world and that she has seen such infections.”
I cringed at his statement, which wasn’t quite accurate. She didn’t claim to be a healer, only to work in that field.
“She says we must remove your casing, cleanse the infection, and give you a new casing made of a different metal,” I said, wanting to make sure no misleading information would be passed on.
“Her assessment is accurate,” Coelvek said. “The Strangers tried to replace a few of our casings. They took longer to infect, but they infected nonetheless. In the last days, Tarakheen informed the Strangers that the experiment in E’Lek was a success and ordered them to shut down operations here.” He glanced at our iced people around the room. “That’s when they removed our heartstones and trapped us in ice.”
“Do any of you know how to safely remove the casing?” Traxian asked.
“Yes. Removing it is simple. Do you have more casings like yours?” Coelvek asked, his eyes shining with hope.
“I’m afraid not,” Traxian replied with a sympathetic look.
Coelvek’s shoulders drooped. Jaan placed a hand on his right one and gave it an encouraging squeeze.
“Do not fret, my friend,” Jaan said in a soft but determined voice. “We have plenty of xorkeb ore back in the city. We just need to figure out how to turn it into new casings for you.”
“I do not doubt your words, Jaankeln,” he said with a grateful smile. “Until then, it is best we remain dormant. The infection is far too advanced in some of us. They endured constant, excruciating pain.”
We all agreed wi
th his assessment, despite Jaan’s and my burning desire to speak with our mother again.
“Come with me,” Coelvek said.
We followed him to the sterile lab and he quickly showed us where the cream had been preserved in a cryogenic chamber. When he began removing his own casing, we all panicked, but he reassured us it was all right. As they frequently needed to reapply the cream, having the Strangers perform it would have been too heavy a burden considering the large number of valos. Once he removed it, we were horrified to see the extent of the infection on the flesh in direct contact with the casing. He sighed with relief the instant he applied a layer of cream on the swelling.
“Should you put it back in?” I asked when he made to put his casing back in.
“Yes. While in stasis, the infection doesn’t progress, but without the casing, the opening could collapse or become deformed.”
That made sense. Once done, we headed back to the central room.
“Before you activate the chamber,” Coelvek said, “I would love to see this being you call human.”
My heartstone flared with a twinge of worry.
“As would we,” Toerkel said.
I swallowed a sigh. “I will get her.”
Jaankeln’s eyebrow twitching annoyed me. She hadn’t missed my nervousness at Coelvek’s request and openly mocked me.
When I entered the kitchen, I found Kira sitting on the bench, hugging her knees to her chest. Lips parted, she looked at me, eyes wide with worry. She had put on the clothes Zak had provided. Standing up, Kira clutched her hands in front of herself while watching me approach. She cast a nervous glance over my shoulder through the door that I had left open.
It took a minute for my brain to catch up as I stood transfixed by her beauty.
Snow Spirit.
She truly embodied it now with her shimmering white outfit.
“Come, Kira.” I said, extending a hand towards her. “My people would like to meet you.”
She drew in a shuddering breath and complied with hesitant steps. The hand she placed in mine shook ever so slightly.