Interphase

by Kira Wilson

  The tail is its most dangerous weapon. I have to avoid it at all costs.

  Again, the animal braced itself and whipped its tail, blades first, at David's head. Prepared, he rolled forward under the swing and impaled his sword full into the predator's neck.

  With a twist, he wrenched the blade free and tumbled clear of the thrashing tail. The creature emitted a gurgling howl and collapsed, the tail wriggling away the last of its life.

  David fell to one knee, blood streaming from his cuts. He'd achieved victory, but in his current state, might not live to tell anyone about it. Getting booted from the module on death would be nearly as bad as the real thing. Tearing a sleeve from his shirt, he bound the cut on his leg. A short search of the clearing yielded a long branch to lean on. Still bleeding from several wounds, he staggered out of the clearing, hoping he could find help.

  The sun was beginning to set as David made his way from the grove. Surrounded by an ocean of grass, he could only see more tree islands scattered about the plain. Despair began to well up inside him when the breeze brought a faint melody to his ears. Someone close by was singing. Clinging to the sound like a lifeline, he pointed himself toward the music and set off.

  The song grew louder as he approached the shadowy eaves. Stumbling under the willowy branches, he limped into an open clearing. Above him, Analara lay in the crook of a tree, a startled and mortified look on her face.

  "Hello again," David croaked and fell to the ground.

  Chapter 9

  Analara sighed dreamily. This was one of her favorite hideaways: a large clearing in the heart of a roanan grove, tucked in the crook of a low branch on the lone kalneth tree. It was the perfect place for lounging and letting her thoughts wander. She folded her arms behind her head and sang to the silent wilderness.

  The sound of breaking underbrush startled Analara, and before she could hide herself, a figure stumbled into the clearing and looked up at her. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment when she saw who had found her.

  "Hello again," David said, before collapsing to the ground.

  His fall startled Analara so much that she nearly tumbled off the branch. She slipped to the ground and rushed to his side, grabbing her pack as she knelt beside him. "David?"

  David gave her a flimsy grin. "We really have to stop meeting like this."

  Analara examined his wounds and instinctively reached for the appropriate herbs and bandages from the pack. Fear crept into her heart when she realized the extent of his bleeding. Trying to keep him alert and herself calm, she spoke to him gently. "When you disappeared, I was afraid I wouldn't see you again. I hoped you were well. I guess I was right to be concerned."

  "I promise I was fine when I left you," David responded weakly. "Guess I managed to get in trouble again."

  Analara pulled a small knife from its sheath and sliced away the tattered remnants of David's shirt. Deep gashes crossed his chest from shoulder to waist, the edges of the wound bearing a distinctive tearing. She gasped. "This looks like a feranal's work."

  "Large and scaled with an unfriendly tail?"

  "Indeed. They generally avoid us. It is odd that one would openly attack you." Analara unrolled a length of bandage, silently bemoaning how little she had brought. Using the cleanest remains of David's tunic, she soaked up the worst of the blood. She crushed several herbs into her water skin and washed the cuts with the mixture. She helped him sit up and wound the bandage tightly around his chest. The cuts continued to bleed, but not as heavily; the tail had missed anything vital. Her anxiety ebbed enough that she offered David a smile. "The wounds aren't quite as bad as they feel."

  David managed a smile of his own. "If they were, then I'd be in even more trouble."

  "A feranal does not back away once engaged. You must be a skilled fighter to have brought it down." She pointed at the bloodstained weapon half-hidden at his side.

  Glancing at it, David shook his head. "The beast surprised me and got the upper hand. If I hadn't received some help, it would have finished me." He frowned. "Do you have phantoms in these woods, Analara?"

  "Phantoms?" She washed the cut on his leg and used the last of her bandages to bind it.

  David paused and appeared to choose his words carefully. "I saw a… shadow. It screamed and chased me through the woods. I managed to lose it, but when the feranal attacked me, it reappeared and threw lightning at it."

  He flinched as Analara finished tying off the bandages, and she patted his shoulder sympathetically. "I know of what you speak. It started appearing in the woods one day, shortly before I was born. No one in the city knows what it is, and few desire to find out. It does not wish to be disturbed, and it hurts anyone that wanders too close. Whatever powers it uses, the wounds do not heal properly afterwards."

  David said nothing, merely laid back and closed his eyes. Analara gave him a final examination but did not notice any other injuries. She watched his face; he looked exhausted, and more than a little lost. Without thinking about it, she brushed a lock of dark hair away from his forehead. "You really are a stranger here, aren't you?"

  He opened his eyes and looked at her with a trusting gaze.

  "Why did you come back?"

  "To thank you for saving my life." David peered at his bandaged chest and smiled wanly. "Again."

  Analara blushed. He seemed to be making a habit of doing that to her. "You are welcome. Though I must admit that I would be happier to see you uninjured. Will you promise not to vanish and reappear again with fresh wounds?"

  David managed to laugh. "I hadn't meant to disappear, at least not without offering my thanks. It just… wasn't something I had control over."

  "But you do now?"

  "This time I wanted to come here."

  Something inside Analara's chest twisted. Guilt, perhaps, and worry. Rupu's warning echoed faintly in the back of her mind, but she put it aside. Glancing at the sky, she realized with surprise that it was getting very late. She had done what she could for David, but he needed better care to fully recover.

  "Do you think you can walk?"

  David shook himself from a light doze and blinked at her. "Pardon?"

  "I want to take you back to Ilinar. The night will be upon us soon, and that is when the eldranals begin their hunt. Besides, I can't tend these wounds properly out here."

  "Won't I just be more trouble for you?"

  "Far less trouble than you'll have if you dare the plains at night."

  Her tone must have made an impression, because David winced. "I don't think I have the strength to argue."

  Analara looped one of his arms over her shoulders and braced him around the back. "Come then. Lean against me."

  Slowly David rose to his feet. He assured Analara that he could walk on his own and picked up a fallen branch to steady himself. She struck the smoothest path she knew toward Ilinar, leading them out of the grove and into the grasslands beyond. The wind sighed around them, but Analara kept her ears tuned for any other predators that might take interest in the scent of David's blood.

  The grasslands gave way to scattered trees and the beginnings of cultivated fields. Returning to more civilized areas, Analara began to chat idly, but David only listened. She worriedly watched the lines of pain deepen in his face, the sweat beading his brow, and wondered how much strength it took him to keep to their brisk pace.

  The bandages soaked through, and blood started to leak down David's chest in thin rivulets. His face became a mask of grim determination, and Analara took his hand to steady him, making the occasional assurance that they were getting near.

  Analara turned them aside to avoid a steep hill, and as they circled around the side, the walls of the city came into view. David's hand quivered; she returned a squeeze. "We're almost there."

  The western gate drew near, but they didn't reach it. With a harsh moan David fell to his knees, clutching his chest. His breathing was fast and ragged. Analara wrapped her arms about him, but he was too tall for her to carry alone. H
e leaned against her, head resting on her shoulder.

  Analara heard footsteps running from the gate and looked up to see Sesh and Konnal. "We saw you coming up the path," Sesh explained. "What happened?"

  "Feranal attack," Analara said. "He is a friend."

  "I've never seen him before," Konnal said suspiciously. "Is he from Len?"

  "By the Sages, he's bleeding all over!" Sesh took David gently in his strong arms, lifting him off the ground. "Should I send for Nathalion?"

  "No, take him to Varlath. I can treat him at the house." Analara took one of David's hands. "David? Can you hear me? It will be all right now, you're safe."

  David managed to squeeze her hand once before his eyes rolled back, and he sank into darkness.

  ***

  David awoke surrounded by walls of stone. Slivers of light snuck in through a woven window-covering. The air inside the chamber was warm, and several fluffy cushions supported him. He was half tempted to drift back to sleep, when the sound of children's laughter made him open his eyes fully.

  Looking down, David noticed that he was bare to the waist with bandages wrapped around his chest. With a shock he remembered the fearsome predator in the woods, and stumbling upon Analara. He wondered how long he'd been asleep, and exactly where he was. It was odd. Normally V-Net would have disconnected him if he'd fallen asleep. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Just another mystery of the module.

  While David pondered, the cloth flap that separated his chamber from whatever lay beyond moved aside, and a familiar figure tiptoed in. Analara carried a bowl and a fresh roll of bandages tucked under her arm. The pungent odor of the bowl's contents filled the small room. She smiled brightly when she saw him watching her.

  "I expected you to sleep through the morning," she said, sitting down on the floor beside him. "How do you feel?"

  David rubbed his hand over his bandaged chest. "A little tight here, but fine otherwise." Analara checked the bandage on his leg, her touch cool and soft. "Have I caused much trouble?"

  "No one really knows you're here yet. Sesh and Konnal said they wouldn't report anything until you were better. Do you remember anything from last night?"

  David closed his eyes, grasping at thoughts that slithered away like fish in a stream. "The last thing I really remember is trudging across the plain. My body hurt, and all I wanted to do was stop and sleep."

  Analara made a thoughtful sound and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "After you fainted, we brought you here to Varlath's home. He is the patriarch of my family. I was able to better treat your wounds here. Thankfully, none of them were life-threatening, and no infection had set in."

  "So I passed out for no reason, huh?" David winced. "Boy, don't I feel like a wuss."

  Analara fixed him with a stare. "The bleeding you suffered would have felled most of the warriors in Ilinar. If we hadn't been able to get you back here so quickly, things could have ended differently. Now stop being silly and hold still. I want to change your bandages."

  David did as he was told, sinking back against the soft cushions. Analara's deft fingers untied the knots. He watched her face as she pulled the wrappings away, and he saw her eyes grow wide. "Is something wrong?"

  "No." She stared at his face, and back down at his chest. "Quite the opposite. Look!"

  The blood had been washed away last night. Faint lines no deeper than paper cuts crossed his skin. "These were still open wounds when I cleaned them last night. I've never seen injuries heal that fast."

  David brushed at the lines with his fingertips. So this module allowed long-term injury? Yesterday had been more serious than he first thought. Apparently the Wraith's rapid healing had loaded along with the blade. When he looked up again, Analara's gaze was fixed on him.

  "So you are a sage."

  "A what?"

  "A sage. A will-shaper. They control the forces of nature, and can change the world to their desires."

  David thought about how easily he could bend a module's code to his will. The memory of Jessica's departure flashed in his mind; he chose his next words very carefully. "Something like that. I'm not sure I could properly explain it though."

  "My friend Rupu says that sages are secretive about their abilities. Would you prefer that I not speak of this further?"

  "For now, I think that would be best."

  Nodding, Analara unwrapped the rest of the bandages. With no wounds to clean, she seemed to be at a loss. Shrugging to herself, she washed David's chest anyway. When she finished, he smelled strongly of herbs.

  The front flap rolled up, and this time it was a man who poked his head in. A well-worn smile shone from under a bushy beard, highlighting prominent laugh lines around his eyes. "Well, I see our wayward traveler is awake already. How do you feel, young man?"

  David got to his feet, stepped carefully out of the bowl-shaped bed and bowed. "Much better than I did last night, thanks to you and Analara."

  "Bah, it was she that did all the healing work. All I provided was a bed that needed filling."

  "David, this is Varlath," Analara said.

  "Self-appointed guardian of all lost children, and the occasional visitor." Varlath laughed. "If you feel well enough, you're free to wander through the house and meet the rest of our family. Your arrival last night caused a great stir, and everyone will be glad to see you up and about."

  David considered the offer. Though the idea of being the center of attention was daunting, his curiosity won out. "It would be an honor, sir, and the least I could do to repay your kindness."

  Varlath's grin seemed to grow wider with every word. "Most wonderful! We haven't had this much excitement in far too long."

  He ducked back out of the room, and David and Analara trailed after him through a short and narrow hallway. It seemed the entire house was crafted from stone, a dark granite-like rock, with rounded passages leading to equally rounded rooms. There were no doors, only woven flaps of cloth that could be rolled up and tied, and all of the large rooms had glassless windows open to the outside. Most of the rooms they passed seemed to be personal quarters, and the hallways wound seemingly without end.

  "How many people actually live here?" David whispered to Analara.

  "Many," she answered, smiling.

  "As many as wish to," Varlath added.

  The sound of voices ahead indicated they were nearing the main rooms of the house. With a start, David realized that he was half naked. Blushing, he tapped Analara on the shoulder. "Uh, would there be any spare clothing I could wear?"

  Analara looked confused before understanding crept into her eyes. She giggled and ran back down the hallways. Varlath chuckled as he watched the exchange. "Come now, David, you're a strong lad. Why should you be ashamed to let everyone see you?"

  Cheeks burning, David was relieved when Analara reappeared with a rough brown shirt. "I borrowed one of Rupu's tunics for you. He rarely wears them these days."

  David slipped the shirt on and motioned for them to continue.

  The hallway widened into a chamber as big as the common room of the Firebird Tavern. There were benches and cushions occupied by several people chatting away and working at various tasks. In one corner, a pair of men laid out the materials for weaving baskets. A group of girls about Analara's age sat near another wall and braided strings of beads into each others' hair. Clusters of children played on floor mats or dashed around furniture until they were chased outside by one of the adults. The scent of cooking drew David's attention to a doorway that led to an open-air kitchen.

  Varlath's eyes glistened with pride. "My family."

  With so many people about, the three of them didn't go unnoticed for long. One little girl squealed out Analara's name, which drew all eyes to them, and in particular to David. He became painfully aware of his mussed hair and torn slacks. No one else seemed to take notice of his appearance; several people got up from their places to cluster around them, asking David if he was all right and where he had come from.


  "All right, all right, settle down now." Varlath's voice cleared a space in front of them. "Give the poor boy some room. He's only been awake an hour."

  "What's your name?" The question came from a girl tucked close to Analara's side, the one that had first noticed them.

  "My name is David," he replied.

  "I'm Tirii! Are you going to be our new brother?"

  Analara laughed and scooped Tirii into her arms. "David is a friend of mine. He came to visit from a far-away city and ran into some trouble last night."

  "Was it a nargash?" one boy asked.

  "I bet it was just a kreetsa," another chimed in.

  "Well, Analara said it was a…" David glanced at her. "I can't remember what you called it."

  "Feranal," she said, and a collective gasp went up from all the children and most of the young adults.

  "Those'll chop your arms and legs off if they catch you," Tirii cried.

  "How did you get away?" the first boy asked.

  Varlath's rolling laughter interrupted the barrage. "I think you have gained instant popularity, David. But first, why don't we all pause our questionings until David gets a bit of food, eh?"

  David's stomach growled noisily. "Yes please, if you don't mind," he said with a laugh.

  "Right this way." Varlath motioned toward the kitchen.

  Many of the children followed them toward the massive kitchen. Analara sat with David on a low bench, while Varlath moved around behind a portly woman with silvery hair stirring at a large kettle. "That's Soleni," Analara said. "Varlath's wife." Soleni ladled some of the contents of her kettle into a bowl and teased Varlath with it, making him give her a kiss before she handed it over. David blushed slightly when she caught him watching, and she winked at him before returning to her cooking.

  It was a thick vegetable broth, heavily scented with herbs and very delicious. While David ate, a few of the more impetuous boys ignored Analara's scolding and questioned him about the fight with the feranal. He relayed the story between mouthfuls, relishing the delight in their eyes as he described the swordfight. They made him promise to show them his weapon when he finished eating, then wandered off to 'fight the feranal' in the yard.