Without warning, the boy’s manner switched back to that of a young child. “Are all elves pretty? How old are you? My uncle’s in his twenties. Well, he was. I’m not sure how old he is now. Time works strange for him. Do you like older men? I think he’d like you.”
The thought of a human male liking her made Jeena’s stomach churn. However, she kept her feelings hidden since she was talking to a little boy. Still, Jeena didn’t have time for an endless supply of questions from the child. Because she wanted to remain patient, Jeena made another stab at getting the boy to take her to the Oracle.
“I’ll tell you what, Captain Brachia,” Jeena said. “I’ll answer some of your questions if we start walking to our destination. Does that sound fair?”
The boy pursed his lips as if considering the idea.
“I guess so,” replied Brachia as he began walking towards the compound’s entrance. “Most of the lights no longer work inside. You’re not scared of the dark, are you?”
Jeena smiled. In her opinion, children were so innocent. She enjoyed talking to them most of the time.
“Actually,” Jeena explained, “I can see in the dark, so it’s not all that scary. Besides, you’ll protect me, won’t you?”
Brachia giggled. “Yes, fair maiden. Omar and I will protect you.”
Jeena smiled back. “Good. Now, I promised to answer your questions, so I will do my best. You asked if all elves were beautiful. Some elves are more beautiful than others. However, I was raised to believe beauty is more than just an elf’s physical appearance. Someone can appear beautiful on the outside and be quite ugly on the inside.”
Jeena looked at Brachia. “Now let me ask you a question. Which type of beauty do you think is more important?”
By this time, Brachia had led them into the tunnel which served as the entrance. He reached into a cabinet on the side wall and extracted a metal bar with a small globe of light attached. Once the light was firmly in his hand, he continued walking.
“I’d say being beautiful on the inside is more important,” said Brachia. “I think some pirates can be ugly on the outside, but they can be nice on the inside. Is that what you mean?”
“Yes, it is,” Jeena said. “You’re a very smart boy.”
“Yes, I am,” agreed Brachia matter-of-factly.
Jeena smiled again. She could tell the boy wasn’t bragging. He was just innocently agreeing with her.
“And to answer your other questions,” Jeena said. “I’m 322 years old. That would be about sixteen in human years. And no, I don’t think I’d be interested in an older man. I’m an elf. One day, I’ll find the elf who is the other part of my soul, and then we’ll pledge bonds. Once we do that, we’ll be bondmates.”
“Bondmates?” asked Brachia.
“Uh,” Jeena said trying to think of a way to put the intense feelings of a bonding pledge into a form the young boy could understand. “Being bondmates is sort of like what you humans would call marriage. But at the same time, it’s much different.”
Jeena spread her hands and shrugged her shoulders at the hopelessness of trying to explain bondmates to a non-elf. “I’m sorry. I can’t explain it any better. I think you’d have to be an elf to understand.”
The young boy continued asking questions as they walked. Jeena did her best to answer. She didn’t mind his questions for the most part. He was quite likeable, and he had a sharp mind for one so young.
As they talked, Jeena looked at her surroundings. She’d never been to the Oracle’s before. She’d heard so many stories growing up about the glory of the Oracle’s compound. However, what she saw now left her disappointed. There wasn’t much to see. At one time, the Oracle’s subterranean compound might have been grand, but those days were obviously long past. Broken pieces of aged marble tile from the walls and floor littered the hallway. Several of the side corridors showed signs of cave-ins. The evidence of extreme neglect was everywhere.
While the complex was obviously quite extensive, they met no other inhabitants on their way to the Oracle’s quarters. Jeena mentioned the lack of residents to the boy.
“Yeah,” said Brachia. “It can occasionally be a little depressing. The last time Dren and I were here, there were hundreds of guards and servants. The place was in a lot better shape then.”
Brachia pointed overhead at some broken panes of quartz in the ceiling. They were about half the length of a tall elf.
“Those used to work,” said Brachia. “The gnomes made them. When we were here before, the entire compound was lit up day and night by those lights. Now only a few of the rooms have working lights. Dren and I have to carry these light-globes with us wherever we go.”
The boy lifted his rod with the attached light-globe for emphasis.
“What do the others use?” Jeena asked.
“There aren’t any others,” said Brachia with a sigh. “The Oracle says he’s been alone for almost 400 years.”
“Oh,” Jeena said. “I didn’t know. Don’t your sister and you get lonely? Why don’t you leave? Surely you have relatives.”
The boy had just started down some rough-hewn steps. At her question, he stopped and faced her.
“We can’t leave,” said Brachia. “All our equipment is here. Besides, our uncle is going to come and get us. The Oracle says our uncle is probably just waiting until it’s safe back home.”
“Safe from what?” Jeena asked. “And how long have you been waiting?”
The boy thought for a second. “We’ve been here a little over a year. We had to come here to escape Kreathin. He’s the only other elf I’ve ever met. He’s not nice like you.”
Jeena was unsure how much of the boy’s story was true. She couldn’t imagine an elf threatening a child. But Jeena said nothing. Instead, she pondered the name used by the boy; Kreathin. It wasn’t a common elf name. Jeena wondered at the coincidence of the boy speaking the name she’d been reading about in the diary of High Priestess Remozorz.
When Jeena said nothing, the boy turned and continued walking down the stairs. Soon, they were standing in front of two massive wooden doors. The wood on the doors was so old it had turned black. The doors had intricate carvings of events long past. The figures in the carvings flickered in the glow of Brachia’s light as if trying to relive events of the past.
“The Oracle is waiting for you inside, Priestess Jeehana,” said Brachia.
Nodding her head to her young escort, Jeena said, “Thank you, Brachia. You’ve been very helpful. Will you be escorting me back after my meeting?”
With a shake of his head, Brachia said, “No, Jeehana. I was told to return to my duties after bringing you here. Do you want me to leave my light-globe?”
A thin smile crossed Jeena’s lips. “No, that won’t be necessary. I can see in the dark, remember? But thank you anyway.”
Brachia gave a deep bow from the waist as if he was a well-trained courtesan. “Then I’ll take my leave, Priestess Jeehana.”
Without skipping a beat, the boy slipped back into his world of childish imagination. “You’re more than welcome on my ship anytime. You’d make a great pirate.” Brachia paused for a second before adding, “Oh, and I hope your meeting with the Oracle is productive.”
With another bow, the boy turned and left.
Once the boy was out of earshot, Jeena whispered, “So do I, Brachia; so do I.”
When the footsteps of her young escort faded into the stillness of the Oracle’s compound, Jeena returned to the task at hand. With a light shove, she pushed the massive doors inward to reveal a brightly-lit room beyond.
The end of my quest is near, Jeena thought.
With the thought still bouncing around in her head, Jeena stepped inside to find what fate had in store for her.
Chapter 28 – Angela
_____________________________________
A few days after his talk with Tia and Daniel, Richard was jogging back to the barracks. He’d just finished a grueling day of training in heavy cats un
der the watchful eye of Colonel Santos. The regimental commander had taken it upon herself to act as his copilot during an urban-area training scenario. The two hours of simulated combat had turned into a constant stream of snide remarks from the colonel as she pointed out everything he was doing wrong. As far as Richard was concerned, it was life as a lowly cadet under the watch care of TAC Officer Gaston Myers all over again.
Richard considered revolting and telling the smug colonel what she could do with her comments, but he refrained. The truth was he knew everything she said was correct. Without his battle computer, he was only a mediocre, heavy-cat pilot. Richard was fairly certain he’d never be more than a mediocre pilot. He supposed part of the problem was he just didn’t like operating heavy cats. Plus, the Trecorian’s tactics were significantly different from the Empire’s.
When push came to shove, Richard figured it didn’t really matter. He was a wizard scout, not a heavy-cat pilot. Besides, his particular skills were tailored towards one-man missions deep behind enemy lines. The odds he’d ever need to pilot a Leviathan as part of a multi-cat unit was nil to none.
It was with little enthusiasm Richard found himself heading back to the barracks. He had no doubt in just a few hours he’d be back in a heavy cat getting lectured by either the colonel, Master Sergeant Stover, or Commander Leander as to why he’d be dead in real combat.
“Hey, soldier,” shouted a friendly-sounding voice from a hover-cycle approaching from his rear. “Need a ride?”
Richard turned and looked at the hover-cycle. The driver was Terrie Shatstot.
With a wave of his hand, Richard said, “Hey, Terrie. I thought you said I needed to run wherever I went.”
Terrie grinned. “Yeah, you do. But I’m a poor-old, disabled wizard scout living on a government-disability pension, remember? How else do you think I can afford this deluxe-model, genuine hover-cycle?”
Richard laughed. During his Academy days, he’d never have guessed his ex-TAC officer had such a laidback personality. Nothing seemed to upset him.
“Well,” Richard said. “I guess I’ve got something to look forward to if I ever get disabled.”
“That’s the spirit,” laughed Terrie. “I can see both of us banding with other disabled wizard scouts and forming our own hover-cycle gang. We’d be the terror of Trecor.”
“I’m sure,” Richard said still smiling.
Getting serious, Richard said, “I’m glad you happened by. I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Well, whatever it is can wait,” said Terrie. “I’m on a high-priority mission from the highest-possible level. And, I didn’t happen by. I was ordered to find you and bring you back to my superior.”
Suspicious, Richard asked, “And who might that be?”
“By my wife,” said Terrie smiling. “She outranks everybody as far as I’m concerned. And believe me, she doesn’t take no for an answer.”
Shocked was too mild a word to describe Richard’s feelings. His mother and the Commandant were the only two wizard scouts he’d ever met who were married. He’d been told often enough marriage and wizard scouts didn’t mix. Although he had to admit, he did have high hopes for his friends Jerad and Trinity.
“Your wife?” Richard said. “When did this happen? Is she a wizard scout? Do I know her?”
Terrie gave a wry smile. “No, she’s not a wizard scout. We got hitched last year after I got disabled. My last mission as a wizard scout was to rescue a group of settlers from a mining asteroid near the Trecorian’s boundary line. The miners were under attack by some pirates. Angela, my wife, was one of the miners. I was able to get everyone off the planet before the pirates started bombarding their camp. However, my shuttle was caught in the blast from the initial wave of missiles. My Power reserve was damaged, and I was in a coma for two weeks. Thankfully, my battle computer was able to get my shuttle back to our mother-ship. Angela took care of me until I recovered. To make a long story short, we’ve been together ever since.”
Richard didn’t know what to say. He had lots of questions, but he hesitated to ask. Terrie and he seemed to be getting along okay lately, but Richard didn’t believe for one instant he was close enough to his ex-TAC officer to ask personal questions.
“Don’t bother asking,” said Terrie as if reading Richard’s mind. “Believe me, I know. Whatever reasons you can think of why someone shouldn’t become involved with a wizard scout are the same reasons I brought up to Angela. But she’s a stubborn woman. She really doesn’t take no for an answer.”
At a loss for words on the subject, Richard decided to try a different line of questioning. “It must have been a heck of an explosion to affect your Power reserve. I’ve heard of some wizard scouts being a little too close to nukes and still making it out alive with their Power reserves intact.”
“Well, I’ve heard that too, but I’m not sure I believe it,” said Terrie with a grin. “However, in my case, it wasn’t a nuke. I’m not sure what kind of explosives were in those missiles, but they did a number on my reserve. I’ve never seen anything like them before.”
Richard tried to sort the information out in his head, but he wasn’t fast enough for Terrie.
“Enough dillydallying, cadet,” said Terrie pointing to the back of his hover-cycle. “Slide on. I’ll guarantee you a home-cooked meal that beats anything they’re serving at the mess hall.”
Unsure if he was doing the right thing, Richard slid onto the hover-cycle’s seat behind his ex-TAC officer. He snapped the seat belt around his waist and placed his hands on Terrie’s shoulders for support. The truth was he didn’t have anything to do back at the barracks. He was mentally tired, but a short nap would fix that. To be honest, Richard was more interested in meeting Terrie’s wife than he was in eating.
“All set when you are,” Richard said. “By the way, I’m not a cadet anymore in case you’ve forgotten.”
“Ha!” laughed Terrie. “You’ll always be a wet-nosed cadet to me.”
Without any warning, the hover-cycle’s engine roared to life. Richard was thrown back as he hastily tried to wrap his arms around Terrie’s waist. If not for the seat belt and a liberal use of his telekinesis, Richard was sure he would’ve fallen off the back of the cycle. By the time he recovered, Terrie had the hover-cycle at fifty meters above the ground and accelerating at a high rate of speed.
“If I’d known you were going to drive like a maniac,” Richard yelled into Terrie’s ear, “I would’ve worn a helmet.”
“Ha!” Terrie laughed back as he revved the engine and accelerated even faster. “We’re wizard scouts. We don’t need no stinking helmets.”
“Says you,” Richard shouted in order to be heard above the engine. “I’d probably be more apt to value your opinion on safety-related items if you weren’t already disabled. Besides, even though I can heal my injuries, it still freaking hurts.”
Laughing, Terrie said, “I’m glad to see you’re finally developing a sense of humor. If you can’t laugh at this old world every once in a while it will eventually beat you down.”
Richard didn’t bother telling his ex-TAC officer he hadn’t been joking.
The next ten minutes was a wild ride zooming around, down, or over the heavy traffic on the city’s sky-lanes. Richard had to admit Terrie was an excellent driver. The hover-cycle obeyed his every command with nary a problem. However, despite Terrie’s obvious skill, Richard was pretty sure they were breaking a plethora of traffic laws.
Fortunately, before any blue lights announced the presence of irate law-enforcement personnel, Richard felt the hover-cycle beginning a tight turn towards a group of tall buildings sporting windows every few meters. He estimated the tallest of the buildings was over two hundred stories in height. As the hover-cycle completed its turn, he decided the tallest of the buildings was their destination.
Surprisingly, Terrie didn’t make for the top of the building. The hover-cycle leveled off about three quarters of the way up the building and made for one
of the windows. When it became obvious Terrie wasn’t slowing the hover-cycle down fast enough to avoid a collision, Richard wrapped both Terrie and himself in Power in preparation for shifting them into the void.
“Relax,” shouted Terrie who obviously sensed Richard’s preparations. “Trust me.”
Richard decided to trust his former TAC officer enough not to shift into the void. However, he didn’t relax. Just prior to the hover-cycle ramming into the window, Richard squeezed Terrie’s shoulders tight enough to cause his ex-TAC officer to yelp.
The hover-cycle, Terrie, and Richard all sped straight through the window. Only, it wasn’t a window. It was a semi-clear force field. Richard felt a tingle as the field’s energy slowed the hover-cycle and its riders to a smooth stop. The hover-cycle’s engine automatically shut off.
“Geesh, Rick,” said Terrie rubbing his left shoulder. “Haven’t you ever parked in a high rise before?”
“No,” Richard admitted. “I was raised in a two-story orphanage. We didn’t get out much.”
“No, kidding,” said Terrie. With a grin, he added, “Now, off with you so I can park this sucker.”
After they’d both gotten off the cycle, a panel in the ceiling opened up and two mechanical arms came down to grab the cycle.
Swoosh!
The hover-cycle was lifted out of sight, and the panel closed behind it.
“This way,” said Terrie. “We’re just down the hall. It’s nothing fancy, but we call it home.”
Giving Richard a wink, his ex-TAC officer said, “Heck. Nothing on Trecor’s fancy. We tend to go more for functionality than looks.”
“Yeah,” Richard said, “Tia told me the duke doesn’t even have a palace.
“Well…, that’s not quite true,” said Terrie as he led the way down the hall. “Duke Bistoria has a palace for official functions. He just doesn’t live there. It’s more for entertaining visiting dignitaries and such.”
When they’d walked a few more steps, Terrie stopped in front of a green door with a large ‘S’ painted on it.
Wizard Omega (Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles Book 4) Page 30