The Distance Between

by Blair Cousins

  As the sun trekked across the sky, neither had wanted to stop and eat, but now it was well into the afternoon, and they were starting to pay the price of their skipped meal. They were coming up on the outskirts of a small village town. Ester spotted a caravan and asked Pisces if they could stop. It would be faster to eat somewhere outside of town to avoid the crowds. Pisces agreed and slowed to a stop and turned off the bike. Ester took off her helmet and breathed in the fresh air.

  “Something smells good.” Ester looked around. She wouldn’t be surprised if this entire place was run by one family or two. Ester looked back at Pisces. She looked wary. “It’s okay, I’ve been to places like this before. They have them back in my home state.”

  Pisces cut her a look, but her stomach didn’t seem to care either way. Ester smiled and headed straight for the tent with Pisces not far behind. Hanging in the back, Pisces eyed every face, making sure to keep them at a comfortable distance.

  Despite it being around lunch time, there were very little people here. A few faces eyed the pair, but none seemed to care. Ester walked up to the seller and looked over their menu. It was in a language she did not know, but the seller greeted them right away.

  “Chup!” A woman with long dark brown wavy hair waved to them.

  “Hi, um what’s on your menu?” Ester asked, hoping the woman could understand her.

  “Ah, oh! Ans-on? You from Ans-on?” The woman pointed in a thick accent.

  “Yes,” Ester said.

  “Yes, hold on.” The woman disappeared, and a tall, older man with gray hair replaced her.

  “Welcome travelers to Hy’s Food and Mead. On our menu we offer stir fried goat and vegetables, baked and fried sweets, along with our sweet mead.”

  Ester rubbed her hands together. She loved stir fried goat. She turned to Pisces. “Do you like goat?”

  “G-goat?” Pisces shook her head as if she did not understand.

  “It’s good. Trust me.” Ester turned to the man. “Can we get two orders of goat and veggies, water please, and what kind of sweets to you have?”

  “Only the best sugar powdered bread.” The man reached behind the counter and offered them a sample.

  Ester gladly plucked two from the plate and offered one to Pisces. “Here.”

  Pisces pulled her hand back, but Ester would not take no for an answer. When Ester took a bite of hers and looked like she was in absolute bliss, Pisces inched forward. Pisces took her donut ball, still warm from the fryer and eyed it in discontent. She lifted it to her nose to smell and was captured by its sweet honey scent. She took a bite and made a face. The texture was foreign to her, but the taste was magical.

  “You like, yes?” The man behind the counter said with a great big smile.

  Pisces nodded and popped the entire thing in her mouth. Ester laughed and paid for their meal. They found a place to sit on the edge of the establishment. Kids ran around in the fields as the adults tended to their goats. In a matter of minutes, their food was brought to them by the woman they saw before.

  “Thank you,” Ester said as she started to scarf down the food. “Oh my gosh, this is amazing!”

  Pisces cringed at Ester’s manners then looked down at her own meal. It didn’t smell as good as Ester led her to believe, but food for her had been very sparse over the past few weeks. She picked at a chunk of meat with her fork and brought it to her mouth.

  “It’s not going to bite you,” Ester mumbled around her food.

  “I am aware the creature in this food will not attack me.” Pisces looked at the offensive piece of meat. “It is just not my taste.”

  “Well, it’s either this or a meal bar.”

  Pisces frowned even more. She brought the piece of meat to her lips and opened her mouth. Ester watched as she chewed and waited patiently to see what she thought of it.

  “Well?” Ester asked.

  Pisces took another bite. “It is not bad.”

  “Good, I’m glad you like it because they don’t make it like this in Ans-on, that’s for sure.”

  Pisces watched Ester eat as she picked around her own meal. Ester looked up and paused.

  “Do they have something like this on your home world?” Ester asked.

  “Like this?”

  “You know, like food venders?”

  “I am not sure; I have only seen my village, and beyond that everything else lays in ruin.”

  Ester felt bad for prying, but Pisces didn’t seem to mind and continued.

  “On my world, tribes do not mingle with other tribes,” Pisces offered. “I guess you can say that was the driving factor that tore us apart, but life was not always gloomy. When I was young, back when the conflict was many miles away, me and my people lived happily with our akumas.”

  “Akumas?”

  “They are what you would consider dogs, but about the size of your world’s horse. We ride them to hunt, but they are more than that. They are family.”

  “Whoa.” Ester couldn’t imagine such a beast.

  “Yes. If I could share with you fired roasted ground bird, I know that you would love it.”

  “I do like a good cooked bird.”

  Ester laughed, and Pisces smiled. Somehow things didn’t seem too different between Rean and Labadora. Pisces’ people just wanted to live their life free from oppression and war. It was not that long ago, some hundreds of years, that Rean was locked in a similar battle. If peace could come to the people of Rean, Ester was sure it would find its way to Labadora.

  ***

  The journey was long, but they finally arrived in Cha-la, the land of the ancient monks. Both Pisces and Ester were amazed by its rolling hills of rich purple grass that only grew here. Shrines and temples dotted the land, along with stone statues and herds of wild horses. They only had a half a day’s ride from here and decided to power through and break when they got there.

  It was late midday when they arrived on the dirt path leading to where Wildgrass lived. Ester was nervous. They didn’t have much in the way of a plan. The two strolled by as Pisces looked at each dome-shaped house for the address numbers. They were about four or five houses away. From what was known about Captain Wildgrass, he was the son of a high-ranking ranger and a scientist. He came from wealth, just like Angel, but there was one big difference: he was the first and only native Reanian to have a ten on the natural ability scale. Most Reanians averaged a conductivity level of about three to five, but Wildgrass was on a level all on his own. He rose through the ranks as a ranger fast, snatching crooks from Fandour, even visiting the elders of Kees. He was the best in his class and admired by all, but things changed when he suddenly quit and stepped out of the stoplight.

  Pisces slowed to a stop at the house that matched the address InyOuty gave them. The house wasn’t large like Ester imagined but modest and cozy. Smoke floated from the brick chimney as Pisces pulled up the long rocky drive way. She parked the jetter next to a chicken coup and stepped off. Ester hoped off and stretched.

  “We’re here.” Pisces placed the helmet on the jetter then walked towards the door.

  “Wait, aren’t you going to rehearse what you’re going to say?”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know, you’re asking a complete stranger to help you. What’s your game plan?”

  Pisces thought for a second. “I plan to walk to his door and demand that he help me.”

  She started to turn away again, but Ester stopped her.

  “Yeah, that’s not going to work.”

  “It really isn’t,” called a voice from behind the house.

  Ester and Pisces looked up and saw a tall, tanned middle-aged man with long vibrant green hair leaning against the house.

  “Can I help you two?” He crossed his arms as a smirk found its way to his face.

  Ester looked at Pisces who stepped forward.

  “Are you Captain Wildgrass Inspread?” Pisces asked.

  “Nope,” The man picked in his ears. “I think his house is a f
ew knocks that way.”

  Pisces nodded and was ready to leave, when Ester looked at the man closely.

  “They say Captain Inspread has vibrant natural green hair,” Ester said, stopping Pisces in her tracks.

  “You don’t say.” The man kicked himself off the wall. “Well, you’re old enough to not believe in rumors.”

  “He was about your height with tan skin, too,” Ester added.

  The man forced a smile and cut her a look. “I don’t know, I think you might want to check down that way.”

  From around the house emerged a teenager with dark skin like Ester’s, and a shaved head. She looked at the two women then at the man.

  “Pops, who are they?” she said with a deadpan look.

  “No one. Now go back in the house.”

  The teenager eyed the girls for a few seconds longer, then turned away. “I’m telling Dad.”

  “Amber, come on.” The man waved his arms as the teen disappeared around the house. He turned towards Ester and Pisces and waved them along. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to help you. Now if you don’t mind hopping back on your bike and travel about I don’t know forty knocks that way, I’m sure you’ll find—”

  “Wildgrass!” A man from the back of the house shouted. Wildgrass turned around and saw his husband walking over carrying their one-year-old son in his arms. “What is going on out here?” He looked at the two women. “Who are they?” He re-adjusted their son in his arms.

  “I can explain, Taxes,” Wildgrass protested as he looked back at the now glaring women.

  “Well, explain inside. It’s cold out here.” His husband turned and hurried back in.

  Wildgrass sighed and reluctantly waved for the woman to follow him inside of his home.

  It was dinnertime, and the air around the table couldn’t be anymore awkward as the family exchanged looks at their two uninvited guests. No one said anything for a while, while Taxes, Wildgrass’ husband, prepared two more plates of food.

  “Here you go.” Taxes laid down their plates.

  “Now, baby.” Wildgrass tried to intervene.

  “I don’t want to hear it. We’re just going to eat our meal and speak whatever needs to be spoken after.” Taxes ignored him as he went around to his seat and started to feed their son.

  Wildgrass sighed but didn’t push any further.

  Ester picked at her food in silence. It was far too awkward to chow down with that many eyes on her. Ester caught Pisces out of the counter of her eye picking at her food as well. This was not how Ester thought she would meet her hero. She glanced around the table at who she assumed to be Wildgrass’s children. Besides Amber, the girl she saw before, there was another teenage girl with dark brown hair and tan skin. His husband looked like an adult version of Angel, with golden blond hair and tan skin, and the little baby was an adorable ball of red hair. Ester picked up her glass and finished off her water before sitting it down again.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, where are my manners?” Taxes looked towards his guests. “I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced.”

  Ester froze, “Um—”

  “Forgive me,” Pisces shot up and bowed. “My name is Pisces, and this is my partner, Ester.”

  Pisces sat back down as Ester melted a little over the word ‘partner’.

  “Regardless of the circumstances, it is a pleasure to meet you both,” Taxes said. “I’m sure you know Wildgrass. I’m Taxes and these are our two daughters, Amber and Jasmine, and the little one is Monty.”

  Wildgrass coughed. “We’re in the sharing mood tonight.”

  Taxes glared at him. “Of course, they are your guests after all.”

  Wildgrass and Taxes locked themselves into a staring battle, killing the mood completely. Ester slumped in her chair praying for this to be over.

  After dinner Wildgrass, Ester, and Pisces sat in the living room staring at each other while Taxes prepared hot cocoa and biscuits. The house was clean, but lived in, with family pictures lining the walls and handmade knick-knacks on the tables and shelves. Toys littered the floor as the sweet aroma of cocoa wafted through the air. This would have been a house Ester would have liked to grow up in. Ester looked between Wildgrass and Pisces. He didn’t seem bothered at all, reclining across from them with his leg resting on his knee. Pisces, on the other hand, sat with her hands curled up in a ball on her lap. Her jaw was clenched and her eyes focused. Ester looked away; she was starting to wish she was back at the dinner table. At least there she had the distraction of their cute son to look at. Taxes passed many times from the kitchen and den carrying saucers and tea cups. Ester watched as Wildgrass followed him with his eyes. Taxes returned again carrying napkins, and Wildgrass cleared his throat.

  “Don’t rush me!” Taxes snapped and returned to the kitchen.

  Wildgrass cracked a smile but didn’t say a word. He rested comfortably on his couch and let his husband do his thing. He heard a creak from the stairs but did not turn and look.

  “Bed. Now, girls,” he said calmly.

  He heard the disappointed sighs of his two teenage daughters and listened to their footsteps as they went back to their rooms, then he turned and looked at Pisces.

  “You can take that disguise off now,” Wildgrass said as his green eyes sharpened.

  Pisces gasped. “How did you know?”

  Wildgrass smirked. “It’s an older model. I can see the glitch.”

  Pisces frowned. Ester had been so used to seeing Pisces in her Reanian form she nearly forgot that it was a disguise. Pisces slowly looked down at her wristband and pushed a button. Her Reanian form faded revealing her thick short mid-night blue fur and large curved black horns. Ester inhaled, but Wildgrass didn’t flinch.

  “Much better. Now I’m not going to ask you why you’re here because I already have an idea.”

  “Captain—” Pisces blurted, but Wildgrass raised his hand to stop her. He looked up at her with a sharp cold expression and she calmed back down.

  “Whatever it is you’re here for, the answer is no.”

  Pisces clenched and unclenched her jaw, a low growl rumbled from her throat. Ester placed her hand on Pisces’ shoulder to calm her.

  “But how can you say that when you have not heard what I am going to say?”

  Wildgrass leaned back and switched legs placing his other leg over his knee. “Let me guess, the rangers sent you here to ask me to save the world, blah, blah, blah. Like I told them sixteen years ago, you don’t need to come crying to me every time you’ve got a big problem.”

  Taxes strolled in with hot coco and biscuits.

  “Help yourself, ladies.” He placed the tray down with a smile, hoping to deflate the tension in the room.

  “No rangers have sent me,” Pisces hissed. “I was sent here by Captain Jordain of the Unity Reform on Labadora.”

  Wildgrass glared at them as his husband threw him a sharp look.

  “Go on,” Wildgrass motioned with his hand.

  “I was sent here by my leader to find Rean’s strongest warrior to help put a stop to General Tozork’s invasion plan.”

  Taxes looked at Pisces as he brought his hands close to his chest. “Invasion plan?”

  “Tozork you say?” Wildgrass said with a familiarity in his eyes.

  “Are you familiar with that name?” Pisces said

  “Yes, we are.” Wildgrass stood and started walking to the door. “This is an official ranger matter. Whether they sent you or not, I cannot help you.”

  “Fools!” Pisces hissed, jumping to her feet. “Tozork’s new weapon will put an end to the rangers, just as it did to all rival forces on my planet. Countless tribes have been destroyed. Our planet lay in waste all for his unquenchable thirst for power, and he will not stop until the whole galaxy is under his control.”

  This stopped Wildgrass in his tracks. He turned and looked at Pisces with hard eyes. He heard a creak in the floor boards and saw his two daughters standing in the doorway leading into the den.
r />   “Girls,” Wildgrass urged calmly.

  Taxes turned to their children. “Hey, why don’t we head upstairs?” Taxes eyed Wildgrass, his brown eyes pleading. Wildgrass sighed as his family left the room then continued.

  “Even if I wanted to believe you, which I don’t, I can’t do anything without the ranger’s help. I’m just one person. Granted I’m super powerful and super-hot, but one person nevertheless. I still have direct lines to the Grand Commanders.”

  Wildgrass moved towards a table and started to look for the contact information. Pisces stood there with utter disappointment in her eyes. Her heart raced as her mind spun in circles. This plan had to work; there were no other options. Ester reached for Pisces’ shoulder, but she turned away.

  “Okay, so I think this is it; we can give it a try.” Wildgrass walked over with the paper.

  “Wildgrass!” Taxes shouted from the stairs. “You have to turn on the tele screen! Now!”

  Wildgrass looked up as Taxes and their daughters came running past them. Taxes turned on the tele screen in the den and turned the volume up.

  “Breaking news, live from Ans-on metropolis. Fire in the skies as ships invade the city.”

  Explosions could be heard as the anchor room shook. Everyone gasped as they walked closer.

  “No,” Pisces quivered.

  “It appears we are under attack from an unknown enemy!”

  The transmission frizzled in and out.

  “The rangers have been deployed...”

  The camera panned to the skyline, explosions dotted the sky as smoke rose from the streets.

  “Oh my gosh,” Ester drew her hands to her mouth.

  “The Ans-on shields are going up. We’re not sure how long we’ll be able to broadcast!”