Aerigo dropped both packs on the floor, sat on the empty bed and unhinged five buckles on each boot. It was a relief to be taking them off for longer than to just change socks after so many days of wear. He washed his face into the bathroom, then returned to the bed and lay on his back, hands folded behind his head. He studied Rox, wishing she didn’t look just like Sandra. But no amount of wishing would change things. He’d deal with it later. He needed to focus on doing a better job of protecting her and get them to their next destination.
Aerigo’s sleep debt buried his roiling thoughts back down and he was asleep in minutes.
***
A ray of sun poked insistently at his eyelids, starting his brain into wake-up mode. He sat up and stretched the sleep out of his limbs, then glanced at Rox, who appeared to not have so much as twitched during the night. Aerigo showered and dressed, slung a backpack over each shoulder, plucked the sleeper off her bed and was out of the hotel before ten. The same receptionist was at the front desk when he returned the key and paid the bill. She looked askance at the sleeping girl in his arms, but didn’t say anything.
The morning was warm and humid. Rays of sunlight lanced between the tall buildings, and the air smelled of salt, oil and car exhaust. Vehicles congested the street like a bustling colony of mostly yellow ants, honking and revving engines with self-importance. Aerigo was amazed he hadn’t heard all this inside the hotel. To his right lay the Manhattan Cruise terminal, their ticket off Earth.
“Whoops!” exclaimed a familiar voice.
And to his left stood Daio, smirking.
Chapter 8
“I knew I was close, but not this close,” Daio said with a little laugh. “This city is so packed with people, it’s impossible to mentally pinpoint your location. It’s a little annoying.”
The port lay two blocks away. Enough distance to bolt for it, but not enough to find a proper hiding spot with Rox in his arms. Confronting Daio right there on the sidewalk didn’t appeal to him either.
“But it looks like luck is on my side today.” He gestured with his chin to the sleeping girl and grinned. “What did you do to tire her out? You dog, Aerigo.”
Eyes warming in response to his mounting anger, Aerigo widened his stance and glanced at a row of giant bows looming over a short glass building.
“We going on a ship again? What is with you and seafaring on this planet? Oh! Maybe it’s a honeymoon cruise you’re planning this time! You two seem to be starting off pretty well.”
“Just shut up.”
Hunching his shoulders, he looked away, then snapped upright and held up a finger. “I know! I’ll pick out a ship for you!” He started running for the port.
Aerigo kicked at Daio’s chest, connecting with nothing but air, then swung his other leg, which swished harmlessly over Daio. Aerigo executed an upward kick meant to shatter jaws, or at least wipe that mocking grin off Daio’s face. Daio lost his balance as he dodged backwards just in time. He fell just inside the curb, then rolled along the sidewalk and sprung to a fighting stance.
“Ha ha! I’ve got the upper hand this time! Feel free to put the girl down to make things easier for you.”
“And give you a chance to steal her?”
“Aw, you read my mind.” Daio kept smiling. “So whatcha gonna do? I know where you want to go next.”
Aerigo narrowed his eyes. Daio dropped into a lax fighting stance and bobbed on the balls of his feet. He threw a few swings but never put his weight into them. Aerigo dodged backwards and countered with fierce kicks to Daio’s chest and head, all of them slicing only the humid air. He was trying too hard to keep a firm yet painless grip on his living cargo.
“Just tell me which ship you’re boarding and I promise I won’t try to pull anything for the rest of the day.”
“When’s the last time I actually trusted you?”
Daio was still smiling, but his eyes glowed red and he dropped his fighting stance. He sidestepped to a parallel-parked car and kicked the rear bumper, sending the car into the air with as much effort as if he’d flicked a soccer ball over another player’s head. The car flipped upside-down and Aerigo caught the rear bumper with an outstretched hand as he draped Rox over his shoulder. Daio rounded the car and reached for Rox and Aerigo kicked him in the gut. Clutching his stomach, Daio fell onto the sidewalk like a sack of potatoes. Aerigo pushed the car and it dropped onto all four wheels with a suspension-ruining thud.
Daio pushed himself to his feet, grabbed an SUV three cars down and sent it flying into the busy streets.
Aerigo weaved through the moving traffic at superhuman speed, then hopped onto the back of a pickup truck, shrugged off both packs, pulled Rox into both arms and presented his back to the SUV. It felt like someone had just smacked him with a giant bat, but at least he’d saved anyone from getting crushed. The SUV dropped onto the rear of the pickup, rolled onto the hood of the car behind it, smashing it, then came to a rest, cradled between both vehicles.
Hefting his packs over both shoulders, Aerigo blocked out the stinging pain and rushed for another airborne car headed for an intersection. With Rox draped over a shoulder, he jumped and caught the car midair with his free limbs. Gravity pulled them into the busy intersection and traffic came upon them like bowling balls. Aerigo landed on his feet and dodged out of the swerving traffic as metal crunched, tires screeched, horns honked, and swearing and screaming filled the air. But no one got killed.
Aerigo ran at Daio, who was reaching for another car. Aerigo thrust out an arm and spread his fingers. “Sedal!” A sonic burst of air hit Daio. He went wide-eyed and still.
“Yyyouuu... ssssuh—ck...” Daio said, forcing the words out.
Aerigo checked Rox for injuries as he watched Daio painstakingly force his limbs from a reaching to a running posture. As much as Aerigo wanted to beat up Daio, it wouldn’t make a difference. “That hex should keep you out of trouble long enough.”
“Dooesnnnnn’t... Mmmah... terrrr...” he said, stretching his arms and one foot only inches closer. “Thiiisss... spelllll... iszzz... weeeak... hhheeerrre...”
It was true. Aerigo had learned the hex of slowing on another planet. Magic was at its most potent when used on its respective planet. On top of that, Earth was almost devoid of Crea. Instead of an hour, he’d bought himself maybe five minutes, although all he really needed was a one minute or two. Plenty of time, and plenty of people to blend in with. Aerigo began jogging for the Manhattan Cruise Terminal.
“Waaait... ffforrr... meeeeeee!”
Aerigo turned and jogged backwards as he waved good-bye.
“Iii... haaate... yyyouuu!”
He tilted into a run faster than the human eye could follow, leaving very many pedestrians staring in confusion at Daio, along with all the collateral.
Aerigo bolted among the labyrinth of cars and the throng of humans going in and out of the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, and slipped in unnoticed as a lady held a door open for an elderly couple. He slowed to a halt at the back of a wave of partitioned lines, then placed a hand on Roxie’s forehead. She was still passed out and unharmed. He whispered a spell that would deter any from noticing a girl in his arms, then read from an overhead list of cruise ships departing for the Bermuda Triangle that morning. Several of them had Bermuda on their list, but not the full name. Maybe that was how they referred to it here? That had to be it.
He took a blind step backwards and bumped into someone.
“Careful!” a man said.
“Sorry.” Aerigo turned around. The man looked to be in his late thirties. He gave the man no more notice until he turned around and looked right at Rox.
The man shrugged, hauled his suitcases a few steps, then stopped and shook his head, as if trying to clear his thoughts. He turned around again and squinted at Rox. His hazel eyes widened. “There is a girl in your arms!”
Aerigo turned, trying to shield Rox from view. “I couldn’t wake her.”
“Is she okay?”
�
�Just very tired,” Aerigo said carefully.
The man looked at Rox, then Aerigo, and then at the ship schedule. “Here. Follow me. The both of you need my help.” Baggage in tow, he lunged towards the glass doors leading to the docks.
“Why are you so willing to help?” This man didn’t feel like one of Nexus’s minions, but there was always the possibility. Yet maybe this man was Baku’s doing, the god’s own subtle way of helping him along.
“This isn’t the place to talk. We’re kind of pressed for time.”
Aerigo began to believe more in the latter. He followed the stranger, albeit with his guard up. His acquaintance headed off a man collecting boarding passes. The man pulled out a wallet and flashed an ID that made the pass collector go pale and exclaim, “Why, welcome aboard, sir! So sorry for the confusion.”
“Not a problem,” he said, stuffing his wallet back in the breast pocket of his button down palm tree shirt. “Those two are with me.” The man turned with his back to the pass collector and winked at Aerigo. “Up we go.”
They ascended the gangway and headed for the stern. A minute later a deep, baritone horn sounded and the ship disembarked.
***
Hmm, that’d be decent timing if that were Aerigo’s ship. Better hurry! The slowing hex had worn off right before he’d heard the powerful note. His body lost the feeling of trying to move while still under the effects of sleep paralysis, and he almost tumbled headfirst into the pavement from the sudden ability to move. Daio slipped through the glass doors he’d seen Aerigo disappear through, around the many lines of people to the other side with aid of his own superhuman speed, and hooked a left along the quay, in the direction the note had originated. Several piers down, a huge white ship started backing out into the river. He could barely sense both Aigis’s presence on the ship, two little ants in a bustling hive.
Daio spotted a gangway leading three stories up towards the river. He thanked his luck as he ran up it unnoticed. At the summit he pivoted, aiming for the ship, and made a superhuman jump for the vessel. A stretch of water splayed out under him, and then he landed somersaulting on the lowest deck. The deck wasn’t that wide. Daio was abruptly cut off mid-somersault when he collided like a battering ram into a white metal wall. He sat clutching the top of his head, eyes squinted shut, teeth clenched, and let out low moans until the pain dulled. “This ship is a damn fortress!” His neck and spine felt stiff and sore from the impact, and they throbbed when he saw a dent the size of a grapefruit. He massaged the back of his neck as he stood.
“Hey, use the stairs next time if you want to get to one of the lower decks,” said a man.
“Huh?” A man uniformed in a white naval outfit frowned at him.
“I just saw you land in front of me. Use the stairs next time if you know what’s good for you.” The man stood erect with his hands clasped behind him, heels of his shiny shoes together and cap tilted to one side. He looked to be pushing forty.
“Aye aye, captain,” Daio said halfheartedly. He now had a headache and needed to find a good spot to lie down for a few minutes.
“I’m not the captain. Now get moving.”
Daio headed for the bow, hoping that Aerigo had chosen to hide near the stern. He couldn’t sense the other Aigis in the multitude of people any more. This meant that they were far enough apart to stay hidden from each other. The more distance the better.
Daio found several rows of plastic beach chairs and picked one near the middle. Many men and women were already working on their vacation tans. He took in the elevated view of Manhattan, an endless view of glass, metal, iron, and smog, then set the chair flat and plopped onto his back, a forearm shielding his eyes from sunlight.
Chapter 9
“By the way, the name is Luis, and my wife and son will be catching up with us any second. Who are you?”
“My name’s Aerigo and hers is Rox.”
“Alrighty,” Luis puffed cheerfully, “just a few more steps and then we can get everything organized.” Luis led the way, to the nearest door at the top of the stairs and carelessly dropped all his bags, causing the ground to vibrate even under Aerigo’s feet. He fished out his keycard to his cabin. “Jesus! I need to weach my wife—weach? That’s not even a word,” he said with a laugh. “I meant ‘teach.’” He found the key and swiped it. “Gotta teach her to pack lighter.” Luis opened the door to reveal a large suite. It was like a miniature home without the extra walls. The first thing Aerigo noticed as they entered were the glass doors to a balcony about half the width of the suite itself. The balcony was laden with a table, chairs, and lounge chairs. In the cabin, two queen-size beds covered in identical flowery spreads, with a nightstand on each side. There was a modest kitchen with a mini-fridge, microwave and toaster oven, wooden cupboards, a sink and coffee maker. Beyond the kitchen sat a plush love seat almost as large as a couch, with a coffee table in front of it, and a plasma TV hanging on the wall.
Luis dragged all his bags inside and started unpacking as Aerigo laid Rox on a bed. “Just relax for now. We’ll worry about your own suite later.”
Luis’s behavior puzzled Aerigo. Was it normal for people from Earth to share living spaces so casually? Luis didn’t feel like any of Nexus’s minions in disguise though. Not wanting to draw extra attention to himself, Aerigo set this puzzle aside, sat on the empty bed and watched Rox for signs of wakefulness. Minutes later, Luis’ family arrived.
“Luis!” his wife said testily from the doorway. “Who are these people?”
Luis dropped a box of crackers and faced his wife. “Anna,” he said in a pained voice, “they were in need of help. You know how I am when it comes to people in need. Besides, they won’t be staying too long.”
“Who’s that?” the little boy said. He clutched his mother’s hand and pointed to the sleeping woman on the bed.
“That girl is named Rox, and she’s very tired right now, Jake, so don’t make too much noise. We don’t want to wake her, okay?”
“Okay,” Jake said with a smile. He shared his mother’s eyes and his father’s charming smile.
“And this nice, tall man here is Aerigo, little buddy,” Luis said. “He’s been helping me unpack our kitchen stuff.”
“That’s enough, Luis,” Anna said tartly. “You and I need to talk right now. Jake,” she said without looking away from Luis, “you go watch TV or something while your father and I have a word.”
Jake marched to the love seat and pulled out his Nintendo DS.
Aerigo wordlessly headed onto the balcony. As soon as the door shut behind him, he could no longer hear Anna’s peevish interrogation. Instead he heard the wind, voices, and the drone of distant planes as the ship putted down the middle of the river. He sat in one of the lounge chairs and shifted his worries to Rox.
Five minutes later, the balcony door slid open. Aerigo’s new acquaintance stood with his wife behind him, her arms wrapped around his waist. They were both smiling.
“It’s safe to come in, Aerigo,” Luis said. “You can help us finish unpacking if you wish, or grab some food or do nothing at all. Whatever suits you, my friend, go right ahead.”
“Thank you,” Aerigo said. He stood and followed the couple into the suite.
Jake was still staring intently at his Nintendo DS as the three filed in. Rox yawned. The couple stared at her, but Aerigo ran towards her, vaulting himself lightly over one bed and landing in the space between them. He bent over and put one hand on Roxie’s shoulder, calling her name in a whisper.
***
Roxie lazily opened her eyes, stretched, and looked around the room. When she noticed a pair of strangers and what must’ve been their son, she bolted upright, wide-awake, narrowly missing Aerigo’s forehead as he dodged out of her way. “Where are we?” she asked Aerigo while staring at the strangers.
“On a ship. Do you feel better now?”
“Is this a cruise ship?” She swung her legs over the side and sat up straighter.
“I guess that’s a
‘yes,’” Aerigo said.
“Hi, I’m—” She looked at Aerigo. “When did we leave the hotel?”
He sat opposite her, the plush mattress making him bounce a little. “You don’t remember passing out on the bed?”
She searched her memory and shook her head.
“Are you sure you’re feeling better?”
“Yeah, and hungry.”
The man whom Roxie assumed was the father said, “I’ll lead you to one of the food courts and we can all straighten some things out while we’re there.” He beckoned to his son and held out a hand. The boy slid off the love seat and hurried over.
Figuring the father was only referring to the strange rooming situation, Roxie eagerly followed, but had to double back and grab Aerigo by the wrist to get him moving. The father led the way to the food court section of the ship and they all agreed on the ‘Around the World’ buffet, which had everything from burgers, pasta, Chinese food and odd delicacies, to pizza, Mexican, and sandwiches galore.
While they all ate and drank at a round table Luis, the father, explained that his family went on this cruise ship every year to celebrate his and Anna’s anniversary. “It brings back memories of the first time we met,” Luis reminisced in a dreamy tone. “Anna was on vacation with a group of friends from work, and I happened to be jogging around the track when I saw her lying on a beach chair. They were all wearing such nice bikinis that I had to stop to say hello, but my attention quickly focused on Anna.” Luis paused to admire his wife. “It felt like I’d been hit by a twenty-foot wave when she smiled at me.” The two smiled, their noses within inches of each other. “I’d never believed in love at first sight until I saw Anna. By the end of the cruise we were great friends. Two years later, we were married on this very ship.”
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