Burning Stone

by Viola Grace

Halwis-Iskan held out her hand. “And here you are. Come back to the Citadel with me. You need a meal and I have thought of the perfect material for your clothing. Mockski will need help with it, but I will have a supply of it for him by morning.”

  Leyhara slipped her hand into the Avatar’s, and she was pulled gently skyward for the flight back to the base. The breezes caught and fluttered her skirt. Leyhara could see that it was part of the suit that wouldn’t stand up to the heat. Whatever Halwis-Iskan had in mind, it was probably precisely what she needed.

  It took two days to get the black diamonds into a workable fabric, and Mockski was still stuck with the same design.

  Leyhara was given robes made of the second material but studded with vivid purple gemstones.

  “These are for your status as a Master Elemental.” Kedna wore her own vivid robes for the event. “Yours are simply designed for more heat, and now, you are ready for formal floor melting.”

  The group of gathered Citadel members laughed and applauded, all were wearing their own robes, and there were a lot of elementals in the room.

  A few healers were sprinkled in the mix, as were minders and other psychics. The group of thirty was a festive bunch, and they welcomed her with open arms.

  Kedna and Haedock were not the only couple, but whenever a man approached Leyhara, Halwis was there and making a point of directing her conversation to a different partner.

  Leyhara frowned and went to speak with Kedna. “Do you know what is going on? Every time I go to speak to a male, Halwis is in between us. Does—is there a problem with me being Resicoran?”

  Kedna sighed and took Leyhara by the arm, drawing her out onto the balcony of the ancient city hall.

  “What do you hear at night?”

  “What?”

  “What do you hear as you dream?”

  Leyhara blinked. “Singing. Halwis-Iskan told me that it was perfectly normal.”

  Kedna rubbed the back of her neck. “It is and it isn’t. In this system, there is another habitable world but it is barren and forbidden.”

  She had no idea where this was going, but she said, “Interesting.”

  “Isn’t it though? It is said that deep in the surface of that world is an ancient power, a sleeping member of a fading race. Well, it is more than said, Iskan spoke with him at length before he went to sleep. He and other Drai were scattered through space to wait for their mates. When they find a compatible woman, she will hear the song in her mind. It is their way of seducing their mate.”

  “Mate?” Leyhara inhaled sharply. “I just got out here. I don’t want a mate.”

  “He will wait. Waiting is what they do.” Halwis-Iskan came out of the shadows.

  Leyhara looked at the Avatar with narrowed eyes. “What is a Drai?”

  Kedna grinned. “I just got an upgraded holographic projector. There are files on the ancient Drai.”

  They slipped down the edge of the party and into the hall that Kedna and Haedock made their home.

  Leyhara spent the rest of the evening drinking wine and watching vids of huge beasts stomping across landscapes and taking to the air. The energy that had to be expended and absorbed as they shifted from one form to the other must have been incredible. A man with wings like a night flier and teeth that were intimidating to say the least.

  “One of those is singing to me in my sleep?” She was a little tipsy and the idea was less creepy and more intriguing with every sip.

  Halwis-Iskan gave her a long look. “His world is ready for renovation. If I speak to him and he is amenable to the work, would you go there and create landing sites?”

  She wrinkled her nose, and Halwis-Iskan waved away the idea.

  “Never mind. Your particular skills are much in demand. It is far less expensive and detrimental to the environment to get you to do the smoothing than it is for them to pave them.”

  Leyhara raised her eyebrows. “Seriously?”

  “Seriously. You have a line of requests on primitive worlds that is twenty deep.”

  Leyhara bent her knees and put her arms around them. “How would I get there?”

  “They would send a shuttle for you, and you could do as many of them as you wished and come home whenever you liked.”

  “Is this home now?”

  Kedna smiled. “It is if you want it to be. You will always have a place here, as you will always have a place on your own world. Resicor would have you back in an instant. Never doubt that.”

  Iskan took over and inclined Halwis’s head. “It is true. She has offered a whole and open link to all of her children. If you wish it, I would be able to open the link here and you could walk between worlds.”

  “What?”

  Halwis grabbed the body. “What he was trying to say is when Resicor sought help to break out of her long sleep, she asked other worlds for energy. Iskan offered her some in exchange for twelve of her people over one century. They would be remade into Iskanoi and be the seeds of a new population.”

  “Was I part of that deal?”

  “Not if you don’t wish to stay. The Drai contract supersedes all others.” Kedna smirked.

  Halwis scowled. “I was going to tell her that. No matter where she chooses to live, this is her Citadel and we will always welcome her.”

  Leyhara yawned and wobbled to her feet. “I think I want to see a bit of the universe. Is that possible? I would like to go on those twenty assignments.”

  Halwis smiled. “I will make the arrangements in the morning. You should ship out within the week.”

  Kedna got to her feet, obviously handling her alcohol better than Leyhara was. She linked her arm with Leyhara’s and helped her to her room.

  “Don’t worry about the Drai. They are not quite the beasts depicted in the vids. I have met two of them, and they are urbane, cultured and devoted partners and spouses.”

  “Are they in the Citadel?”

  “Mostly they are in the Sector Guard, but the Guard draws a lot of its personnel from the Citadel. They came here to bring a candidate who needed a bit more training. Halwis went up one side of him and down the other. He was sorted out completely in six weeks and now has an assignment on an instable world and is working to reshape the atmosphere. It should take him quite a few years to get it just right.”

  Alone in her room, Leyhara unlaced her bodice and crawled between the sheets. Tomorrow, things were going to be set in motion that would put pressure on her, but she was up for it. Well, she hoped she was. Failure was not an appealing option.

  Chapter Three

  Bohrvin’s eyes were the first thing she noticed about her pilot. His eyes were a pure emerald green with hot gold around the edge and as a pupil. It gave a new meaning to having fire in his eyes. His skin was a silvery grey and his hair a rich scarlet that made her flame-red hair seem brassy in comparison.

  He was taller, stronger and prettier than she was. She grappled with that for a moment and then put on her robes, gathered her spare clothing in her bag and hugged her few friends goodbye.

  It was an adventure that she was seeking and Bohrvin was going to help her find it.

  Halwis-Iskan took her new pilot aside and spoke to him in an urgent tone.

  Bohrvin nodded and patted the Avatar on the arm.

  Leyhara couldn’t understand what they were saying, but Halwis gave her a nervous look before finally nodding and wishing him a good journey.

  A final hug to Leyhara and she was on her way to the first mission she would undertake as a Master of her elements. Her father would enjoy the title. He always thought that she deserved some kind of recognition for not only what she was, but also what she could do.

  The shuttle that Bohrvin was piloting was a sleek design, quite a bit different from the ship that had brought Leyhara to Iskan. It was definitely something designed by another race or team of races. That thought made her smiled. Two months ago, other races had been something to fear, and now, she had not only
a curiosity about them, but also the ability to satisfy that curiosity.

  The narrow-backed seats of the shuttle were a little odd, but as long as Leyhara sat straight, they were perfectly comfortable. The interior walls were wide, doorways as well. Even in the slim shuttle, two people could walk side by side without trouble in any direction.

  Bohrvin settled next to her and he took the controls. “Are you ready?”

  She nodded. “I guess so. I am willing to try.”

  He grinned. “I meant for takeoff.”

  “Oh, yes. Right. Sorry.” She settled and placed her hands in her lap. “Ready.”

  He turned the ship with a graceful arc, and they went for a short burn down the runway before they lifted up and away.

  They left the surface of Iskan and flew through the atmosphere, heading along the curve of the world until they were pointed in the right direction and then leaving and using the spin of the orb to propel them into space.

  The move he used was one that required skill and many hours of flying.

  “You have been a pilot for a while?” It seemed a good start to their relationship. A nice easy question with no emotional ties.

  He gave her a sidelong glance. “All my life, it seems. I retired for a while but was available when Iskan called.”

  The familiarity that he used in the name made her curious. “You have known Halwis-Iskan for a while, Bohrvin?”

  “Years. I used to do supply runs in the area.” He smiled. “Call me Bohr.”

  “Bohr then. Call me Hara.” She grinned.

  He set the controls and received confirmation on location and direction from the computer before he got up and raised an eyebrow. “Cup of tea and a mission briefing?”

  She nodded and checked her chrono, stunned to realise that an hour had gone by.

  “Sure. Please.”

  He went to the galley and gave her the run down on how to operate the equipment and how to summon her ration packs until the enzyme treatment kicked in. Resicoran bodies did not really enjoy alien foods. Supplements and injections had to intervene.

  He settled the tray down on the small table in the galley, and once again, she noted that the chairs were odd and had a lot of room behind them for such a small space.

  “Who designed this interior?”

  “An old race. They don’t leave their homes anymore, so they have sold off their spacecraft.”

  His mouth tightened and she didn’t pursue it.

  He changed the conversation by getting up and retrieving a data pad. “The first stop on our tour is Jurkidal. They have found a mineral with incredible potential, but it can’t be extracted without damaging the cellular structure. They need your help to get it out of the surrounding deposit. A few pounds of it will apparently be sufficient.”

  She stared at the information and cleared her throat. “May I?”

  He slid the pad over and Leyhara took in the details of the rock they wanted her to work on. A vid of attempts to chisel, melt and otherwise extract the mineral from the rock face with rather unfortunate results was included. The mineral in question simply turned to dust.

  “Well, this does explain the drills that Halwis-Iskan had me doing. It should be possible but it might take a bit of practice.”

  He nodded. “I am sure that you will do what you can or she would not have accepted this assignment on your behalf.”

  She sipped at her tea and nodded. “Right. What comes after?”

  “I will give you the briefing after this assignment. You might want to look up the people of Jurkidal. You might need a bit of fortification to step out and greet them.”

  With his amused warning ringing in her ears, she looked at the images of the indigenous people and she swallowed hard. “Tentacles and nudity?”

  “And they exude a particular slime that can be caustic to the touch. Be careful and keep your robes hot enough to repel those who want to get close to you. Talents are rare on their world and something as powerful as you is even rarer.”

  She nodded and flicked him a quick smile. “So Halwis was telling me, but she is surrounded by strong talents and I am guessing that she just says that to keep the morale up.”

  “I am sure that if the Avatar said it, she meant it.”

  “Bohr, how did you get picked to fly me around?”

  “I volunteered for it once Iskan contacted me.”

  “That is quite a trip. Where were you retired?”

  “Oh, I was in the area.” He chuckled. “If that kind of thing can be imagined.”

  “I can imagine it, but it seems very strange. How long until we arrive at our first destination?”

  “Four hours. It is enough time for you to either rest or to get to work on a language lesson. Your Common is good, but you need to work on your sibilants.”

  She nodded ruefully. “The flash download didn’t quite take. My brain doesn’t process properly, or at least properly for a Resicoran.”

  “That was in your file.” He nodded.

  Leyhara blinked. “You read my file? Wait, I have a file?”

  He chuckled. “You do and I did. I needed to know what Iskan was asking me to do.”

  “You think you know?”

  He laughed and his teeth were displayed, white and sharp. “I think I have been undersold on your abilities, but I am more than willing to go out and help you in your journey of mastery of your talent.”

  She leaned back and groaned. “That is what this is about, isn’t it? I am just trying to prove something to myself.”

  Bohr shook his head. “No, your services have been requested and you are answering that call. In the future, you may be called out on emergencies with other elementals and these missions are exercises for the variety of duties you may be asked to perform. Halwis-Iskan is very intelligent and understands what can befall a world with little to no notice.”

  Leyhara felt a little bit better after that. She sat while he refilled her tea again and began to work her language skills. The language that she would need was a series of gargles and her enunciation was a little muddled. She worked on it for hours until her mental translation stopped coming out with insults to his lower tentacles.

  A low chime got Bohr’s attention and he grinned. “We are here. I will gain us landing clearance, and they will have land-bound transport ready for you. I will accompany you and do most of the talking. Your opinion of my lower tentacle is far too derisive. I am going to tell them you are mute.”

  She snorted and got to her feet, following him to the command deck and settling into her seat while he communicated with Jurkidal ground control.

  She breathed deep as they lowered into the atmosphere of her second alien world that month. Leyhara was definitely coming out of her shell, but she had no idea what was on the other side.

  She wore her robes with the hood covering her flame-coloured hair. The people she was near did indeed want to touch her. The robes kept their slime from touching her skin, and she was intensely grateful for the warning.

  Bohr was wearing a bodysuit, belt and two thigh weapons, which was enough to keep the locals from trying to touch him.

  Leyhara rubbed her palms together under the cover of her robes and watched as they approached the mountain that was her target. She was looking for something that translated into bright rock. A stone that was radioactive enough to use as a power source and even the dust worked as small-site illumination.

  When they landed, she let her hosts go first before she approached the barrier that had been erected for safety. One of the perks of her talent was her resistance to radiation. Her body repaired itself faster than the cells ruptured. That had been a test on day three of her training. Kedna had been nervous about it, but Halwis had hauled Leyhara away and they had covered her with monitors to see what her body did.

  They gurgled at Bohr and he nodded, “They want you to walk through the barrier and bring out a sample of bright stone. They need a few pounds
to work with and have a carrier ready for you, to your left.”

  She nodded and smiled.

  The large canister was heavy, and she checked the weight. She would need to increase it slightly to gain the correct amount of material.

  There was a security guard waiting for her, and as she approached the barrier, it flickered and lowered. She stepped through and into her new workspace.

  The outcropping of stone she stepped onto was exposed to the wind on the far side. The barrier was to stop folk from running off the edge.

  As she looked around for the first flicker, she sighed at the portion of the file that had indicated that the material was only slated for research and energy production. The locals had no need of weapons. They had a sparse population and no wars. There was no territory to claim because it was a completely communal society.

  Humming to herself, she touched the rock face that bore the marks of picks and hammers. The throb of excited energy was there. It would take a bit of work, but she was confident that she could get samples out intact.

  Four hours later, covered in sweat, she staggered to the barrier and pounded her fist against it. It went down and she staggered out with her prize.

  She spoke to Bohr. “I turned the bright stone into pellets. They are in the canister and about half an ounce each. They are intact and have all the properties of raw stone.”

  Bohr spoke quickly, and the watchers were excited, their tentacles wiggling and their pale grey bodies quivering.

  Leyhara clenched her hands together and tried to keep the blood from the inside of her robes. Clawing through molten stone was not fun, but it had been the only way to scoop out the vein once she had exposed it.

  Bohr took her by her shoulders and steered her onto the skimmer. They were taken back to the shuttle amid the excited murmurings of the scientists that now had bright rock to play with.

  Chapter Four

  The moment they were flying by instruments again and on their way to her next mission, Bohr got to his feet, eased her to hers and shepherded her to the medical unit at the back of the shuttle.