by Clayton Wood
“What's wrong?” she asked. Kyle blinked.
“What do you mean?” he countered.
“Your heart,” she answered, putting a hand on his chest. “It's beating really fast.” Kyle slunk back from her hand.
“Uh,” he stammered.
“You're blushing,” she observed.
“I'm fine,” he mumbled.
“Are you nervous?” she asked, giving him a look he couldn't read. Kyle tried to laugh nonchalantly...and failed. Ariana was about to say something more when they both heard the front door of the suite open suddenly. A moment later, Jenkins entered the bedroom, a pillow clutched in his arms. Kyle breathed a sigh of relief, eagerly taking the pillow from the blue-clad butler. Jenkins bowed before Kyle, unsuccessfully trying to stifle a yawn himself.
“Can I get you anything else, sir?” he inquired. Kyle shook his head, thanking Jenkins. The butler left, and Ariana gently prodded Kyle toward his bed. Kyle found himself yawning, the dreamweaver pillow already starting to exert its influence over him. He'd barely made it into his bed before his eyelids grew too heavy to keep open, and sleep claimed him.
Chapter 8
Sabin withdrew from the ancient memory he'd recalled. The all-too-familiar sensation of countless nerve endings screaming in pain greeted him, arms of fire encircling him in a burning embrace. It was indescribable, this torture that served as his eternal penance.
This was his prison, this body. The Hell he'd more than earned.
Sabin stopped that train of thought, refusing to allow himself to wallow in self-pity yet again. He knew all too well where that path led; he'd been down it many times before. Spending months, sometimes years bemoaning his fate, yearning for death.
Pathetic.
He tore his mind away from those thoughts, checking the internal clock he'd created within the network...a mere half-second had passed during his reverie.
If he'd had been able to sigh, he would have.
Ahhh, Ampir.
He was an enigma, that one, and always had been. And though his appearance had barely changed in the two thousand years since they'd last seen each other, Ampir had grown extraordinarily powerful, far exceeding Sabin's expectations. Even the runes he'd placed in that girl's bones had been absolutely incredible, sophisticated beyond anything Sabin had ever seen. But utterly useless against the power of the Void.
Sabin smiled inwardly, remembering the last time he'd seen Ampir as a mortal man. They had not parted on the best of terms.
Sabin hesitated, then reached out again, to another Chosen he'd stored his memories within. His plans were progressing nicely. He could spare this indulgence now, another fraction of a second reliving the past, memories that he hadn't considered in centuries. A luxury, to reflect on one's own life. To relive each bittersweet moment in a way that no mortal ever could.
Now was the time to remember.
* * *
Central Square in Stridon is bustling with people as Sabin makes his way down the sidewalk, his gold-tipped cane clacking on the cement as he walks. A hovership zooms by a dozen feet above the rooftops around him, angling upward toward one of the three floating islands in the sky. Sabin looks upward at the floating island, or “skyland” as Renval had dubbed it. With five city blocks on each rocky surface, the skylands were an amazing invention, one of Renval's finest creations. The old Runic had certainly salvaged his family's name after his father had gone mad, babbling about alien planets. In fact, Renval was the only other inventor alive who had been awarded the same ring Sabin wore, the onyx band with its diamond-shaped emerald in the center. Renval's dream was to build an entire city in the sky – a bold goal, and one the brilliant man would no doubt achieve if he lived long enough.
Sabin lowers his gaze, watching the smaller hovercars zipping a mere foot above the wide city roads. He rarely used hovercars, much preferring to walk. He came by his best inventions when he walked, and despite an old knee injury that had necessitated his cane, he took these walks daily.
Now, however, instead of coming up with yet another idea for an invention, he finds himself thinking of Vera. He'd seen her often these last few weeks, and each visit had felt like the first. He was entirely smitten with her, and had nearly asked her out a week ago. The only thing that had stopped him was a conversation he'd had with his sister, asking her if it would be poor form to date a much younger student. His sister had stated quite definitively that such a scandal would ruin his reputation.
Sabin sighs, then jerks to a halt suddenly, nearly falling over. His left foot is numb and tingling, as if asleep. He stomps the foot on the ground to wake it, but the sensation persists. He looks around, realizing that he's blocking pedestrians from using the sidewalk, and moves to the side to sit on a bench to let them pass. The tingling in his foot intensifies, crawling up his calf. He massages his leg briskly, and the sensation subsides somewhat. He leans back on the bench, watching the crowd go by, his thoughts returning to Vera. If he'd only ignored his sister, he muses, he'd have a beautiful woman at his side.
And what a woman Vera was!
He pictures her as he saw her last, dressed in a simple summer dress, her gray eyes twinkling as she laughed at a joke he'd made. She laughed all the time, enjoying the simple pleasures of life with a passion he'd never known possible. It was infectious, that passion. It made him feel young again.
Sabin sighs again, watching as life speeds by around him. Everywhere he looks, couples walk hand-in-hand. Everyone has someone. Everyone except for him.
“Professor?”
Sabin jerks his head to the left, spotting a young woman walking down the street toward him. With her long auburn hair falling in thick curls around her, and those lovely gray eyes, his heart skips a beat.
“Vera!” he exclaims, standing up from the bench with a little difficulty. They hug, and she pulls away, smiling at him.
“Enjoying your walk?” she asks. Sabin nods.
“I was just taking a break,” he replies. “My damn knee is acting up again.”
“You're falling apart, professor,” she quips, flashing him that miraculous smile.
“The rest of me works just fine,” he says with a grin. Vera lets the comment pass without responding in kind, brushing away a lock of hair that had fallen in front of her eyes.
“Well, I have to run,” she states, giving him an apologetic look. Sabin frowns. Something is...off...about her.
“What's wrong?” he asks.
“Nothing,” she responds with a pained smile. “It's just...I'm meeting someone,” she adds. Sabin feels an icy bolt of fear stab his innards.
“Business or pleasure?” he inquires, his voice deceptively casual. Again that pained smile.
“I'm seeing someone,” she confesses, lowering her gaze. Sabin says nothing for a long moment, struggling to maintain his composure.
“Who's the lucky gentlemen?” he asks casually. She looks up at him.
“He's in the military,” she admits. “He returned from deployment two weeks ago.” Her voice starts to pick up pace. “He's a war hero,” she adds.
“A soldier?” Sabin replies, unable to keep the disapproval from his voice. She's an academic, after all...a simple thug would hardly be able to provide the intellectual stimulation she craved.
“No, he's a Runic,” she corrects. Sabin's eyebrows rise. “He's absolutely brilliant,” she gushes, making Sabin go cold. She'd talked the same way about him only two weeks ago. “He can do things with magic that I've never even imagined before,” she adds.
“And who is this fine young man?” Sabin asks, afraid that he already knows the answer. Vera smiles radiantly, unable to help herself.
“His name is Ampir.”
* * *
Kyle groaned, rolling onto his back on his bed and staring up at the ceiling above. He heard the soft patter of rain drumming on his bedroom window, and the distant rumble of thunder. He rubbed his eyes, glancing at the clock on his wall. It was nine o'clock in the morning. Fear shot
through him, and he sat bolt upright, his heart pounding in his chest. He was late for class!
He leaped from his bed, scrambling out of his pajamas and into his white Runic uniform. He pulled on some socks, then his customary black gravity boots, then yanked his bedroom door open, bursting out into the main room of the suite. He froze then, seeing Kalibar and Erasmus sitting around a table, eating breakfast.
“Ah, good morning Kyle,” Kalibar greeted, gesturing for him to join them at the table. “Come, have breakfast with us.”
“Uh...” Kyle stammered. Erasmus turned to look at Kyle, his blue eyes twinkling.
“Ready for class so early?” he quipped. Then he chuckled. “No class today my little genius,” he informed. “It's the weekend, remember?”
Kyle breathed a sigh of relief, walking up to the chair beside Kalibar and sitting down. He'd completely forgotten that it was the weekend; on Doma, weekends lasted three days, with four days left for the work week. Leisure was something taken quite seriously in the Empire.
“I trust you slept well?” Kalibar inquired. Kyle nodded.
“Jenkins got me a dreamweaver pillow,” he replied. When had he gone to bed last night, six o'clock? He'd slept for fifteen hours! No wonder why he felt sleep-drunk.
“He certainly did,” Kalibar replied with a chuckle. “I think we'll need a pillow with less dreamweaver silk,” he added. Jenkins appeared suddenly, carrying a tray of steaming vegetables and what appeared to be chicken. The ever-dutiful butler placed the tray before Kyle, and he immediately felt his stomach growling. He dug in with zest, devouring the meal in minutes. When he was done, he gave a loud burp – as was the polite thing to do in the Empire after a good meal. A flash of lightning lit up the windows at the far end of the suite, followed by a rolling thunderclap.
“How can it be raining here?” Kyle asked, turning to look out of the window. “Isn't the Gate shield up?” The massive dome-shaped gravity shield that covered the campus should've kept the rain out, after all.
“It lets rain in,” Erasmus replied. “And air. No one knows exactly how it works,” he added. “We simply copied the Ancients' original design.”
“Speaking of designs,” Kalibar cut in, “Erasmus was telling me about your new idea,” he added, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. “He's already used the K-Array to test Ariana. We've found a pattern it weaves constantly, and Erasmus is developing your screening tool.”
“Cool,” Kyle replied. Erasmus slapped his meaty palm on the tabletop.
“See, I told you he'd make a hell of a Runic,” the Grand Runic declared. “And you didn't believe me!”
“You were right,” Kalibar agreed. “You've become quite the inventor, Kyle,” he added, putting an arm around Kyle's shoulders. “I'm proud of you, son.”
“Thanks,” Kyle replied, feeling a flush of pride. He'd never been particularly good at anything on Earth, being an average student and not great at sports. But here on Doma he'd found his niche.
“When's your speech in the Southwest Quarter?” Kalibar asked Erasmus.
“In an hour,” the Grand Runic answered. “If the rain lets up. I'm making an appearance for the grand opening celebration,” he explained to Kyle. “We're done rebuilding a major residential tower.”
“Wow, that was quick,” Kyle commented.
“That's the power of my Runics,” Erasmus stated proudly. “They've been itching for a chance to show this city what they can do.”
“They've more than succeeded,” Kalibar said. “I suspect that with Kyle's inventions and the rebuilding of the city, we'll have more children applying to be Runic students than ever before.”
“About time,” Erasmus agreed. He sighed contentedly then, leaning back and patting his impressive belly. “You know, I could get used to this,” he added. Kalibar raised an eyebrow.
“More of what?” he asked. Erasmus smirked.
“Not having your damn bodyguard around,” he answered. “It's so peaceful without that meat-head constantly baiting me.”
“Wait, did Darius come back yesterday?” Kyle asked, feeling a pang of fear. Kalibar shook his head.
“No, he's still vacationing,” he replied.
“He's not back?” Kyle pressed, trying to keep the rising panic from his voice, and succeeding...barely.
“If he was, I'd know about it,” Kalibar answered. “What's wrong?”
“Nothing,” Kyle lied. There was no way he could tell them what was wrong...only Ariana knew. “Where's Ariana?”
“She's taking a walk about the campus.”
“I need to talk to her,” Kyle stated, rising out of his chair suddenly. Erasmus grinned.
“Ah, young love,” he mused. He turned to Kalibar then. “It's about time you got yourself a girlfriend,” he added with a lecherous wink. “Someone scandalously young and beautiful. Make all the guys jealous...you could have your pick of the Empire!”
“I don't have time for that,” Kalibar replied dismissively. Erasmus snorted.
“Everyone has time for that,” he retorted. “You'd better find someone before it's too late,” he added. “You're not getting any younger, you know.”
“Maybe you're right,” Kalibar mused, tapping his goatee with one finger. Erasmus's jaw dropped.
“What?”
“Maybe you're right,” Kalibar repeated. Then he sighed. “I've been avoiding it ever since Lena died.” He shook his head then, staring off into the distance. “I don't even know how to meet women anymore. When I think of how much time I've wasted...”
“Bull,” Erasmus interjected. “You're a damn national treasure, a father, and the finest Battle-Weaver in the Empire. You were just...padding your resume the last thirty years to attract the finest ladies.”
Kalibar laughed out loud at that, and Erasmus chuckled. Kyle could only manage a weak smile, considering the circumstances. He was itching to find Ariana. Erasmus must have noticed his discomfort.
“Now see what we've done,” he stated with a chuckle. “I think we burned his ears.” He waved Kyle away. “Get out of here before we do any permanent psychological damage!”
Kyle nodded, bidding them both goodbye and nearly sprinting out of the suite. He made his way down to the lobby, to the double-doors of the lobby. He stopped short before the open doors, seeing dense sheets of rain pouring down from the heavens. The entire campus was covered in a muted gray, the occasional flash of lightning searing the heavens above. A cold wind bit his flesh, and he shivered, backing away from the double-doors. He certainly wasn't dressed for being out in the rain...he'd have to go all the way back up to his room if he wanted to change.
Then a flash of inspiration struck him, and Kyle wove magic, a gravity shield appearing around him. When Kyle stepped out into the deluge, he found himself completely dry. The rain ran down his shield in rippling torrents, however, making it difficult for him to see – like a car driving through the rain with the windshield wipers off. Still, he moved onward through the rain, his gravity boots splashing on the wet stone below. It wasn't long before the Tower was merely a tall shadow behind him, a darker shade of gray amongst more of the same. He paused, realizing that there was no way he was going to find Ariana this way...if he went any farther, he might not be able to find his way back. Ariana wouldn't have that problem, not with her amazingly keen senses.
Kyle nearly smacked himself in the forehead. Why not just call out to her? She'd be able to hear him from miles away, after all. He yelled out her name once, then again, shivering in the cold air despite the thick cloth of his uniform. He wove again, creating a small fire inside of his shields, and warmed his hands by it. He stayed where he was, calling her name out a third time, and then saw a shadow approaching him.
“Ariana?” he yelled, extinguishing the flame.
“Kyle!” a voice called out. The shadow grew more distinct as it drew near, and Kyle saw that it was indeed Ariana walking up to him. She was completely drenched, her hair matted to her head,
her black Weaver uniform soaked all the way through. She hardly seemed to notice the dreadful cold, nor the biting wind.
“What are you doing out here?” Kyle shouted over the din of the rain falling all around them.
“Just taking a walk,” she shouted back. Kyle stared at her incredulously.
“It's freezing out here!” he protested. She just shrugged. “Come on,” he insisted, “...let's go back inside.”
“Drop your shield,” she countered. He blinked.
“What?”
“Drop it,” she repeated. He paused, then did as she asked, flinching at the inevitable downpour that would follow. But he remained utterly dry. He looked around, seeing a much larger gravity shield surrounding both of them, rain sliding down its edges in a 360-degree waterfall.
“How long have you been out here?”
“Since you went to sleep,” Ariana admitted. “I needed to get away from the Tower,” she explained. “I like the rain...the noise makes it hard to think.”
Kyle shivered, creating another small flame in front of him. He placed his palms before it, feeling the heat soak into his cold flesh.
“You know about, uh...” he began, then stopped. He'd almost said Darius instead of Ampir.
“He didn't come back, did he,” Ariana stated. Kyle shook his head. She turned away, putting a hand to her mouth.
“Sorry,” he mumbled. She shook her head, turning back to face him. The raindrops dripping down her cheeks gave the illusion that she was crying...something she would never be able to do.
“What do we do now?” she asked. Kyle shrugged helplessly, not knowing what to say. Ariana sighed, a flash of lightning reflecting off of her porcelain skin. “Do we have a chance without him?”