by Oxford, Rain
“Excuse me, do you know what’s going on? Is this a fire drill?” I asked the frazzled woman in front of us. She was rocking one baby, much younger than Sammy, and holding two boys by their shirts with her other hand. The baby was absolutely screeching in her ear.
She managed us a quick glance. “Fire? No. We are under attack. The announcement was made on our media screens right before the alarm went off.”
When the families were all carted away, a group of three men in uniform stepped in. Seeing as how the people got in groups of about six, and we were next in line, we moved forward. The young couple behind us stopped us hesitantly.
“You do not want to go with them. They are going to fight. You need to wait for the next lift,” the man explained gently. The woman held onto his arm, looking worriedly at Sammy.
I was unsnapping the papoose before they were done talking. When I handed Sammy to Mordon, he grabbed my arm hard enough to leave distinct finger marks. “Don’t you dare!” he demanded in English.
“Protect Sammy, it could be the demon,” I replied. He couldn’t hold onto me and Sammy, who was squirming, so I broke his hold and went to the elevator. Right before I reached it, there was an electric crackle and a blue energy barrier went up over the door. I slammed my palm into it to test its power and found it as steady as a brick wall. The elevator doors slid shut and the barrier went down.
I turned to Mordon, glaring with everything I had. Though I tried to remind myself that he was my friend, I wanted to hit him.
“You forget that while you are older and more powerful than me, I have been practicing magic much longer than you,” he said quietly.
“It has always been unspoken between us that we would never use our powers against each other.” My words were more growl than voice, something Edward did when he was truly angry. I found out that it was actually a sago thing, and I had gotten it from my father.
Mordon glared back. “You brought me with you to help you, and I will, even if I have to fight you to do it. I will get you back to that girlfriend of yours alive. We fight together, or run together.”
“And leave Sammy defenseless?”
“He is hardly defenseless. Now get in the lift.” He pushed by me and entered the elevator.
I followed and we were both pushed to the back as people piled on. When the doors reopened, we were back in the garden room in the museum. Finally, there were no alarms, so I put Sammy’s earmuffs back in the baby bag.
While everyone else filed out of the museum, Mordon and I explored. It was very much like a history museum on Earth. There was a room full of pottery and rough tools made of stone and wood, and another room full of skulls showing the progression of the ancient Vaigdan people, which included several mummies.
Of course, we couldn’t read any of the writing, but it was fairly self-explanatory. Sammy listened to us tell him what we were looking at, but who knows how much he actually understood. He appeared fascinated at least.
“We should let him walk more,” I insisted as we found ourselves in a room displaying gems.
“Not in a strange place with many hiding places like this. Children can escape fast.”
After exploring a room full of science gadgets, one with books, and one with maps, Sammy got fussy again. I stood him on the floor, crouched down, and asked him what he wanted. He gave me a confused expression. “What do you want? Talk,” I said.
He looked from me to Mordon and squirmed around like his skin itched. “Hide.”
That was about the last word I expected from him, but as soon as it was out of his mouth, my skin started to tingle. Vaigda’s magic brushed against me, no longer soothing but actually wild and a little aggressive.
“Let’s get out of here,” Mordon said.
We headed for the exit, but when we rounded the corner to face the doors, we both froze. Outside it was raining, just like it had been on Earth. It was an unnatural rain.
“I can’t…”
“I know,” I said. I adjusted Sammy, grabbed Mordon’s arm, and pulled him back towards the elevator. We made it through the garden, only to find the elevator doors wouldn’t open.
Mordon moaned mournfully as the temperature suddenly dived. It dropped from about twenty-five Celsius to twenty in about ten seconds and kept sinking. Mordon’s silver band started making a loud beeping rhythm and flashed with tiny blue lights. In less than a minute, the plants and water around us started to freeze. Mordon was wearing a thicker shirt than me, but was doing much worse; he was struggling to breathe.
“Use your fire.” I pulled in the energy around me, heated it, and pushed it into him, which was difficult to do while I was freezing. His breathing did improve, though. I didn’t feel him pull energy into himself; the fire was already there inside him. It lit his skin like in a horror movie, but it was only relief on his face. His clothes scorched but did not burn into ash, so his fire must not have been too hot. His fingers turned to claws and eyes became black.
The sharp crack in the air was similar to thunder, but more sudden, like something breaking from a fall.
“Look!” Mordon demanded.
He grabbed my hand and heat rose up my arm before spreading all over. The colors of the world around me dulled, but the empty space in front of me lit up with an intense white light. The confusing image sharpened into a thick, eerie, jagged crack of bright light suspended in air. The crack opened like jaws and I could see the faint image of the demon that hounded us.
It was more a reflex from fear than a conscious action that I pulled energy from deep inside. Normally when I did magic, I had to draw in energy and think of what I wanted it to do. Some things were easy, some were difficult, and it all took control. When I healed, on the other hand, it was more like instinct. I wanted someone to heal, I knew how the bones and organs and flesh were supposed to look, and my energy made it happen. Energy that felt more a part of me than the energy I took from the worlds.
What I drew out of me was my energy; I created it. The intention I created it with was healing, but there was no way to shape it. I wanted the tear to heal, and I needed it now. What startled me even more than the demon, was that my energy shot at it like green fire. It wasn’t like when I healed people, the dragon, or even Vaigda. It was aggressive healing magic. Half my healing magic, half Mordon’s fire.
The strange magic hit the gaping tear, eliciting a roar inside from the demon as the crack violently closed, actually burning. Finally, the flames died as the wound in space was healed. My energy did not return to me but was absorbed into the wound. Mordon let my hand go, the heat rushed out, and my vision returned to normal.
With the demon gone, the temperature quickly rose to the previous twenty-five degrees. Mordon slumped against the elevator doors even as his wristband stopped beeping.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Yeah. Just tired.”
I sat down next to him and took Sammy out of the papoose. “The face we saw…”
“I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want to think about it,” he insisted. Sammy snuggled in between us.
I glanced over soon to find them both asleep, which meant that I needed to stay awake. Dealing with demons was exhausting, and with the adrenaline draining, it became harder and harder to keep my head up. I tried to stand, but Sammy started to stir and wrapped his arms around mine. My body sank like a sack of sand and I was asleep before my head fell back against the elevator.
* * *
I woke to the sound of foreign whispers. Before opening my eyes or moving, I tried to get a feel for what was happening. I never needed to pull energy into myself anymore because I absorbed it naturally. It was second nature to feel out my surroundings with nominal energy. Sammy was next to me, awake and alert, but not scared. Mordon was waking up and liable to go on the offense when he came aware.
The whispering came from two people in front of us. My magic didn’t find them threatening. I really hated reading someone’s mind because I always got a lot more
than I was looking for, so I preferred to listen to someone’s flowing thoughts.
It was easy to get into the alpha state, half asleep, half awake. It was more difficult to listen to their voices because I hadn’t heard it before. Within seconds, I knew what was wrong with this strategy; the translators did not work on their thoughts. Fortunately, the voices I heard did tell me one thing. I opened my eyes to see two young boys, watching us with curiosity.
Mordon let out a low growl.
“Calm down. Open your eyes and use your nose.”
Mordon woke completely at my voice in his head.
The children became frightened from the growl and took off for the door. I glared at Mordon, but he just shrugged and strapped Sammy back into the papoose. Sammy allowed it without a fuss, but wouldn’t let go of Mordon’s shirt.
“Since the door will not open, I think we should be moving.”
“Great. I was hoping we would get a chance to explore,” I said.
“Maybe Kiro will teach you to travel worlds.”
“He always says it’s too dangerous. Shiloh said I would be able to travel wherever I want for now. Maybe I’ll still be able to do it after we defeat the demon and save all life.” Even as I said it, I really didn’t want the ability. It was great for escapes, but the void sounded like something I did not want to mess with.
Although, finding the exit was easy, we stood in the doorway for about ten minutes just taking in the sight. The rain had ended and the sky was clear. Outside was a city of fantasy. Cutting through the city was a long canal, crystal blue with jets and lights. Surrounding the canal were tall buildings that could have passed for artwork. Some were made of glass and shiny metal, some were made of molded stone, and some were made of something translucent and colorful. I couldn’t identify everything I saw, but it was beautiful. The sun glittered off vibrant colors. There were circular patterns on some of the buildings.
To accent the buildings were statues that consisted of everything from people to animals and made of an array of materials in outstanding colors and exquisite detail. The men wore clothing of little detail for such an artistic place; the majority being a uniform of slacks, a fitted, long-sleeved shirt, and a belt. The colors were simple. The women, however; wore Celtic-styled dresses of rich colors and glittering hair pieces. All of the women and girls had long hair.
Despite the rain from moments before, nothing was damaged or muddy. If anything, it was more beautiful with the droplets of water everywhere. Unlike in major cities on Earth, there was no trash or unidentified muck anywhere in sight. It was a very clean place.
We picked a random direction and walked along the river. The path was made of large, flat, polished stones. Some of the stones were a solid color, some were swirls of color. On either side of the trail was grass greener than I had ever seen it. Water flowed loudly, but the stone, waist-high barrier prevented people from getting too close.
When Sammy started wiggling around, I stopped Mordon to dig through the baby bag. Finally accomplishing the goal of my hunt, I pulled out the tiny pair of baby shoes. Sammy immediately froze when he saw the shoes. With his shoes on, he squealed with joy when I set him down. He ran straight for the canal.
“Stop,” I said. He did and turned, nearly stumbling. “Stay on the path.” He looked down at the stones, then at the grass he was standing on. Then he looked back at the water and took a slow step. “No.”
That was the extent of the boy’s rebellion as he ran back to ram into Mordon’s legs. A young couple smiled at Sammy as they passed us, but the baby hid behind Mordon. Since he didn’t speak, I assumed he didn’t understand what we said, but Sammy definitely understood more than I had thought.
“I bet Vivian is having a heart attack,” Mordon said.
The city was beautiful. There were several café-styled restaurants where people sat outside enjoying a meal in the sun, overlooking the canal. Many of the glass buildings displayed richly colored and styled clothing. Many of the older, stone buildings sported things like travel souvenirs, floral plants, and sweets. As we walked through the city, it became apparent how significant the canal actually was; many of the taller buildings had glass bridges reaching out over it. The fountains were quite active and Sammy loved the colored lights in the water.
After an hour or so of wandering around the streets, we stopped at a shaded courtyard, where several elegant stalls were selling sweets to children. I was carrying Sammy, but he wasn’t interested in napping.
“Do you think an eighteen-month-old would appreciate sweets?” Mordon asked.
I shrugged. “Sure. I think kids are born with a sweet tooth.”
Mordon went to pick something out. Seeing others doing it, I sat down on the stone barrier between the water and the street. The water was low enough that I only got mild splashing. I picked Sammy up and let him see the water, just short of touching it, which he tried desperately to do.
Mordon returned with a small, white cup of peach-colored cream. “What is that?” I asked.
“I have no idea. It’s what most the kids wanted.” He then handed me one of three plastic, flat sticks, which resembled white popsicle sticks. He scooped some of the cream up and tried it, but immediately made a face.
“What?” I asked.
“Too sweet. Like a sweet fruit with sugar added,” he said.
I handed Sammy to him and used the second stick to taste the cream. His description was accurate, but the fruit tasted somewhere between passion-fruit, and grapefruit. While the texture was like yogurt, it didn’t have the same sourness. I dipped the third stick in it, and Sammy made a dive for the sweet cream before I could even offer it to him.
The squeal of delight was a pretty positive review. I fed Sammy the sweet while Mordon found a trash bin for the two extra sticks. With Sammy pacified, we continued our walk. Finally after arguing about our next step, we stopped a group of five women to ask for assistance.
“Excuse me. We’re lost. We were at the sky city, but the door was locked to the elevator,” I said.
Mordon nudged me. “That made no sense at all.”
One of the girls smiled indulgently. “Which sky city are you from?”
“There is more than one? We are from the one where the Noquodi, Shiloh lives,” I said. The Guardian had said that people here knew who he was.
She nodded. “Casten. That is the city called Casten. The news is that they were attacked by a magical monster, but that Shiloh scared it off. The city will be closed until any damage can be repaired. Safety comes first with the sky cities. I am sorry to say it will likely take days. Repairing damage takes only a short time, but they have to test the repairs. Shiloh will likely oversee all of the work done.”
“Is there a hotel we can stay at?” Mordan asked.
“Unfortunately, hotels must be reserved in advance here. You can go to the water city; their hotels are available without reservations. Come with us and we will show you how to get to the water city.”
“What do you think?” I asked Mordon.
“I would prefer not to wait around. Besides, I don’t want to be underwater. Fire and water are not friends, and I cannot breathe underwater.”
“I don’t know how to travel worlds, even if I have the ability. We could wait around here with no place to sleep or sleep there for a few days until we can find Shiloh.” We followed the girls to another elevator.
“The lifts use a psychic command to transport you.” Only one of the girls entered the elevator.
As soon as the door slid closed, it slid back open. It looked like we stepped into a huge aquarium, except we were the exhibit. The ceiling and most of the walls were clear, and I could see large and small fish swimming freely in the sea above us.
The girl went back into the elevator, leaving the three of us alone. Sammy squirmed to get down, then ran up to the walls to watch the fish. The room we were in was a large glass dome with small white lights illuminating the area. Despite the lights, the room had an eerie blue c
olor because of the sun shining through the ocean. The only way out was a glass hallway.
“Fish!” Sammy cried with delight.
What he was referring to did not look like a fish to me; it looked very much like a giant Octopus, but it had more than eight legs. It was also paying close attention to Sammy; with its large eyes against the glass, it reached out to hug the glass like it was trying to grab Sammy. The baby wasn’t afraid, more excited than anything else.
A man and woman entered through the tunnel. They were quietly speaking to each other, but stopped when they saw us. Mordon picked Sammy up.
“Hello,” the woman said.
She was a tall woman who looked to be in her thirties with long, dirty-blond hair. She wore a dress much like a Greek costume, which went to the floor and revealed a lot of skin above her waist. The man wore a more conservative tunic and pants. Every strip of clothes the man and woman wore was immaculate white, but the blue of the ocean cast an eerie glow on them. If they went out in the sun, people would be snow-blinded.
“Welcome to our city. I am Kela, and this is Jos. We were not expecting guests, but how can we help you?” the woman asked.
“Hi. My name is Dylan, this is Mordon, and Samhail. We were visiting someone in Casten, but the city was attacked. We were hoping that you have a hotel room available.”
Jos smiled. “Of course. Please remove your boots and follow me.”
Mordon and I understood the tradition; there were plenty of places on Duran where shoes were taken off before entering a business or home as a remnant of the old religion. We pulled off our boots and followed after. The white floor was plastic, but cushioned. We followed him through the tunnel while Kela stayed behind. The long tunnel branched off to several more tunnels on the way.
“That is the shopping district, in case you want souvenirs or need anything,” he said, indicating one hallway. “This is the technical business district. Over there is the industrial business district; I would avoid it if I were you, as it can be dangerous if you cannot read the signs. This is our childcare district. There is a playground, a music center, schools, academic activities for all ages, and daycare.”