by Blake Vanier
Ryder shrugs. “I guess we'll just have to wait. So, what do you all think of him? He seems pretty cool, just a little quiet.”
Korbin nods his head. “Oh yeah, super cool. Can you believe how big and strong he is?”
“I think he’s warming up a bit,” Thea says. “We almost got him to smile once.”
“Yeah, we did,” Iona says, smiling. She turns to Ryder. “I think we can trust him.”
Just then, the children see the door open in front of Sosimo. A well-dressed Borukin with rolled up sleeves and long hair appears. He is half a head shorter than Sosimo and he has white markings on his forearms.
They embrace. Sosimo hands the other man a package. After a few moments of talk, Sosimo signals over his shoulder to Gracie. The man’s eyes widen in disbelief. He glances to the truck, then to Sosimo. Sosimo nods several times as they continue to talk. Finally, a smile appears on the other man’s face and he smacks Sosimo on the shoulder. He says one more thing, then turns to go back inside. Sosimo looks at the ground as he walks to the truck, distracted.
“What’s going on?” Thea asks when Sosimo opens the door.
“What?” Sosimo shakes his head. “Oh, sorry, I was just trying to remember if nakok were good pets.”
Thea's eyebrows jump up. “What are nakok?”
“A nakok is a mining animal with incredibly sharp claws. I can’t imagine why anyone would have them inside a house.” Sosimo grabs the keys from the dash. “My friend Gorton seems to have a few as pets, so we’ll find out soon enough. He's invited us over for dinner, and to spend the night. I just hope nakok don't eat Human children,” he says with a serious look. The children’s faces freeze in a mixture of curiosity and horror. “We can only hope for the best. Let's get our bags and go eat.” Sosimo closes the door.
“Is he joking?” Nero asks while looking at the others.
“Yeah, definitely,” Korbin says with a nervous laugh. “Right?”
The others nod with varying degrees of enthusiasm.
Ryder claps his hands. “Alright, last one inside is nakok dinner!”
The children frantically struggle to sort out their bags, yelping and grunting as they poke each other. One by one, they sprint off and trample through the front door of the house.
Korbin spins around. “Who was last?”
Iona looks back. Probably Nero.
Sosimo follows them in while shaking his head. He places his shoes off to the side. “Shoes off.”
The children kick off their shoes so they land in a mess on top of Sosimo’s. They set their bags next to the stairs. In their thick, loosely-fitting socks, they follow Sosimo toward the smell of heavily-spiced cooking. Sosimo suddenly freezes and bends his knees. A patter of clawed feet echoes through the house. Several brown creatures swarm around his legs. The creatures slip and slide on feet covered by boots that individually wrap each toe. Their black beady eyes lock onto the children and they barrel forward on long front legs. Their rough, scaled skin scratches Iona’s arm as they plunge into the midst of the children, forcing them to jump out of the way.
“No, please stop!” Nero yells out from under the three licking nakok. “Ew, stop! Not in my mouth!” Nero’s legs thrash under their hairless bodies.
“Hey!” Gorton’s voice booms.
The nakok pull their tongues back, turning to Gorton. He is holding a shiny piece of metal. They sit back on their haunches and reach up for it. Their dexterous paws flex with excitement. Gorton walks over to the front door, waving the metal in the air. The nakok follow each motion with their whiskered snouts, mesmerized. He opens the door, tossing the metal outside. The nakok begin another round of sliding as they run outside.
“Yeesh, they can be a handful,” Gorton says, wiping his hands on a red cooking apron that says ‘King of the Kitchen.’ White tattoos of interwoven patterns run up his arms. “Sorry about that. They've never tackled anyone before.” He pulls Nero up by one arm, half a meter off the ground before setting him on his feet. “Holy smokes, are you filled with air?” He turns to Sosimo. “Looks like these young ones are going to need a bit of work, especially after that impressive demonstration of bravery.”
Sosimo smacks Gorton in the stomach with the back of his hand. “Cut them a little slack, they're only Human.”
Gorton flinches, but a smile creeps across his face. He grabs Sosimo’s shoulder. “You look good, my friend.”
“Oh, get off it,” Sosimo says, pushing his arm away.
Gorton kneels down next to the children. “Looks like you children are tougher than you look if you cracked Sosimo’s stubborn shell. He’s been utterly intolerable for too long,” Gorton says in a low voice. “I’m grateful for it, and it’s a pleasure to have you as company. My name is Gorton. And yours?” He shakes each of the children’s hands as they introduce themselves. He stands and turns to Sosimo once more. “Are they with that Catalyst group you’re working with?”
Sosimo flashes him a look. “No. We just happened to bump into each other in Blue Horin.”
“All the better,” Gorton says. “Now, let’s get ready to eat!” Gorton swings an arm around Sosimo’s neck, pulling him into the kitchen. The children follow.
In the large kitchen, a Borukin woman the same size as Gorton and two Borukin teenagers are preparing food on stone countertops. They all have long, dark braided hair.
“Hey hun,” Gorton says with his arm still around Sosimo’s neck. “It looks like Sosimo’s finally out of his funk!”
The woman sets a wooden spoon to the side of a pot on the stove and turns to face the newcomers. She is wearing a blue apron that reads “Queen of Everything.”
The woman smiles affectionately, embracing Sosimo once Gorton frees him. “It’s about time, Sosimo.”
“I know. I’m sorry,” Sosimo says.
“And thanks for the chocolate. You’re making my day in more ways than one.” She looks down to the children. “Who are these little ones?”
Gorton introduces the children. “This is my wife, Kas,” Gorton says. The two Borukin teenagers, who are both easily a head taller than Ryder, walk over. Gorton grabs them around the shoulders with a grin. “These are our kids, Taris and Centara.” Taris, the girl, wears a “Grill Master” apron. She is taller than her brother, who wears a “Duke of Dicing” apron.
After quick exchanges and last-minute preparations, the Borukins set the large table with bowls of steaming rice mixed with spices, vegetables, and beef. Thea unabashedly stands on her seat to reach the food in the middle of the tall table.
“So, why do the nakok wear cute little boots?” Thea asks between bites of salad.
“The boots are to cover their exceptionally sharp claws, so they don’t shred the place to ribbons,” Gorton says.
“Though they cause plenty of other trouble anyway,” Kas says.
“Hey, they’re great pets.”
“Did you ever find your watch?” Kas asks.
“Not yet, but I have a good idea where it might be,” Gorton says.
“How about that necklace you like?”
“I’m sure the necklace and the watch are perfectly safe.”
“Buried in the backyard somewhere?”
“Yes, perfectly safe in the backyard somewhere.” Gorton lets out a sigh and turns to the children. “Nakok like to hoard precious metals, so―unfortunately―jewelry tends to go missing.”
“It was Kas’s idea to bring them to Jasmeer to help with mining,” Sosimo says.
“Aren’t Borukins a little big for mining?” Iona asks.
“That we are,” Kas says. “Borukins love to work in the earth, especially quarrying stone. It was only after we developed the proper tools and skills that we started mining. This makes nakok all the more valuable to us. They have an incredible sense of the ground, if tunnels are safe, and where to look for shiny stuff. They can also tear through the ground as easy as sand using a little bit of Aether.”
“They can use Aether?” Iona asks.
&n
bsp; “Not like a person, but Aether none the less,” Kas says. “Their abilities are limited to a few tasks that relate to digging or searching for precious material.”
“Jasmeer exploded when Kas brought them here,” Gorton says. “The people made her the mayor because she brought in so much work and figured out how to use them effectively.”
Kas sighs. “Yeah, but that was a while ago. Unfortunately, the Creature of Aza really screwed everything up.”
Gorton shakes his head. “It shouldn’t have. Borukins should have bounced back better than this.”
“It seems like all of Boruk is losing its way these days,” Sosimo says.
“Hey now, Gorton,” Kas says. “It might be slow, but people are starting to move. Tell Sosimo about your plans for the mining camp in Stone’s valley.”
Gorton smiles at Sosimo. “After ten years, I’ve finally convinced enough Borukins to head up and work on the old mining camp to actually make some progress. Kas is even allocating a generous fund for the effort. I’m hoping it’ll encourage some new developments down the road. We’re meeting the workers up there tomorrow… You should come.” He nods and smiles. “Yeah, I like that. Come up, it’ll be fun.”
Sosimo shakes his head. “No. It’d be best if we get back to Kiats.”
Gorton turns to the Humans. “Did you know Stone’s peak is one of the largest mountains on Anterra? It would take you years of training and weeks of hiking and climbing to get to the top.” The children shake their heads. “In the valley, there’s a place called Serenity Falls with natural water slides and water falls you could play in. Doesn’t that sound fun?”
“I’ve never been on a water slide before!” Thea says. “Can we, Mr. Sosimo? Please?”
“She has never been on a waterslide before… that is just heart breaking.” Gorton cracks a small smile, looking at Sosimo. “It would be cruel not to take them. Why are you in such a rush to get back anyway? Come on, I know you. A little vacation won’t kill you.”
“Is the detector array still functioning up there?”
Gorton looks at him suspiciously. “Probably―what are you thinking?”
“I’m not going to get a better opportunity to find an entity than using the detector array. The children have absorbed an essence, except for Iona and Nero, and I’d like them all Aether-capable.”
“Saraf would kill you if he found out you gave them an essence. Wait―does this mean you’re coming?”
Sosimo looks at the children. “What do you think? Feel like camping for a couple more days?”
“Yeah!”
“Great,” Gorton slaps the table. “If you’re coming up, you can absorb every essence you find and I won’t tell Saraf a damn thing!”
“Gorton!” Kas snaps.
Gorton throws a hand over his mouth, glancing at his children. “Sorry, hun, I’m just excited. Sosimo’s coming camping!” Gorton hops up from the table and rubs the top of Sosimo’s head playfully. “I’m going to find you all some gear.”
Kas watches him leave the dining room. “Sometimes I wonder how he survived the military, even with your help.”
“He has good energy,” Sosimo says, “and he knows how to use it when it counts.”
*****
Hours before Illi rises, Gracie works her way up a canyon road that follows a tributary of the Carn River. By mid-morning they reach an enormous valley surrounded by steep, impenetrable mountains. Light green grass and wildflowers of purple, red, orange, and yellow cover the valley floor. There is a lake at the opposite side of the canyon entrance. It rests below a summit that sits higher than the rest, lost among the clouds. On either side of the huge mountain, waterfalls pour into the lake.
Neat.
In the center of the valley is a cluster of dilapidated stone buildings. Many Borukin vehicles are spread out around the perimeter, tents and supplies filling the spaces. They find their own spot for Gracie, unpack some stuff, and have a quick snack before Gorton moves off to rally the Borukins for work. The workers begin on the large dining hall at the center of the camp, then move on to the smaller cabins on the outskirts. They patch the roofs and walls first, followed by work on windows and other repairs to hold back the weather. The swarm of tireless Borukins and the children strive to bring life back to the camp as the day passes by. The trio of nakok run around, tripping the workers and stealing their shiny tools, always bringing them to Nero as a prize.
Iona watches as Nero receives the latest tool. He plays with the nakok until he convinces them to run off somewhere else. Why do they like him so much? Nero looks at the new tool and marches off in search of its owner.
When Illi starts to fall, a giant bonfire is lit just to the side of the river. The Borukins sit about the fire, eating, laughing, chatting, and telling stories with a buzz of energy that invigorates the children. It is late into the night when they finally crawl into their tents, exhausted.
*****
Wisps of a dream slowly release her and the image of the shadow-shrouded man beckoning fades to nothing. Breakfast aromas eventually drag her into consciousness. Iona pulls her warm sleeping bag over her shoulders and tucks her cold nose inside of it. What did that man want? Details of her dream quickly dissolve, even as she fights to remember. Eventually, her bladder reminds her once more that she needs to get up. She reluctantly slips out of her sleeping bag and throws on a jacket. She crawls over the fitfully snoozing Thea and into the morning light.
Nero is nibbling on his breakfast at a collapsible table. His hair is messy and his skin is pale. He moves sluggishly, as though he hardly slept.
Sosimo immediately serves Iona a plate of food from a small portable grill he is using. She sits opposite Nero. At the other end of the table, the Borukin children are fiddling with a strange box. Wires poke out of the top.
A few moments later, Gorton appears. He walks over to Sosimo. “I can serve myself Sosimo.”
Sosimo fills a plate with food. “If you served yourself, there wouldn’t be enough left for the others.”
“Are you calling me fat?”
Sosimo raises an eyebrow and hands Gorton his plate.
“Let me just see that spatula for a second.”
“No.”
“I worked hard yesterday. I think I earned it.”
“I’m very proud of you,” Sosimo says dryly.
“Gimme the spatula.” He reaches around Sosimo but Sosimo blocks him with his back. “You really don’t want to mess with me, Sosimo.”
Sosimo spins around, throwing Gorton off balance, snatching the plate from his hand and standing back. “Or you could not eat.” Sosimo says, holding the spatula and the plate of food to either side.
“You are still miserable.”
Sosimo smells the food. “I doubt your stomach will agree.”
Gorton grabs the plate. “We’ll see about that.” He turns around with a smile on his face, finding a seat.
Kas is out next and is met with a plate of food, equally as fast. She smells it. “Smells as good as I remember.”
The rest of the children eventually stumble out of their tents. Sosimo is the last to sit with his own food.
“So, are you heading up to the array today?” Gorton asks.
“Yes. As soon as we get that Aether detector working.” Sosimo signals with his head to the box the Borukin children are working on. “After we’re done, I was hoping to take the children up to the falls. Are you interested in joining?”
“That'd be fun. You all want to do that later, after work?” He asks. Centara and Taris nod their heads. “Alright, as soon as you’re done messing around, we'll meet you at the falls.”
“Perfect.”
Iona’s palms suddenly become sweaty. She wipes them on her pants, irritated.
“Wasn’t there a Creature of Aza in the area?” Nero asks.
“That was ten years ago,” Gorton says. “We hunted it down with nearly a hundred Borukins and dispatched it, following the necessary protocol.”
&
nbsp; “Protocol?”
“Killing a Creature of Aza is very difficult, so there are some protocols to ensure success,” Sosimo says. “The first step is to break its vessel and expose its essence. Then, you have to keep the vessel from forming a new shell. Without a shell, the essence will slowly burn away, until the World Essence can claim it once more. It took three weeks before this one was finally pulled back.”
“No need to fear, little one,” Gorton says to Nero.
“Umm. I’m not.” Nero looks down.
Iona rolls her eyes. Yeah…
*****
Forty-five minutes from camp, on an old mining access road, the children stumble out of Gracie to gather around Sosimo.
“This is an Aether detector.” Sosimo pulls out the textbook-sized device the Borukin children had fixed. “It can measure Aetheratin, Aethersotto, and even the locations of energy signals. It's one of the more useful things the good-for-nothing Erohsians made,” he says with distaste. He kneels on the ground, so the children can see, and flips up a black screen. The screen becomes white when he turns it on.
“Before we start our search, I’m going to measure your Aether abilities.” He removes a little handheld scanner from the device. The children eye the scanner with suspicion. “It doesn't hurt. Trust me.” He points it at himself, pulling the trigger. A green light from the handheld device glows, and after a moment it beeps. “Look.” He points to the display. “This is my Aetheratin… four hundred joules. A joule is a measurement of energy. Not very good, but on the higher end for a Borukin. And here,” he points to another number, “my Aethersotto is seven hundred and eighty kilowatts, or seven hundred and eighty thousand watts, where a watt is a measurement of power, which is a joule per second. Very high by Human standards.” He turns the scanner to the kids. “Who's first?”
Korbin jumps to the front. “I'll go!” The scanner beeps, and a shiver runs through his body. “Jeez, that felt cold.”
“In order to test your Aethersotto, the scanner draws a little energy from you.” Sosimo looks at the display. “Good! Your Aetheratin is sixteen kilojoules, and your Aethersotto is one hundred and ten watts.”