by C B Williams
Wren nodded. “Just a sec.” She turned to the girl, “The black object in Genji’s hand will allow you to talk to him and understand when he speaks to you. It’s not anything to be afraid of. He’s going to turn it on, and you can tell him your name, all right?”
The girl nodded.
“Go ahead, Genj.”
Genji flipped the switch. It hummed softly to life.
The girl cleared her throat and leaned toward the box. “I am called Kalea.” She pronounced it as Ka-lay-yuh.
“Lovely,” Genji breathed, and Wren suspected he wasn’t talking about her name.
The girl smiled and lowered her eyes. Apparently the girl suspected the same.
“Kalea,” Wren said, drawing the girl’s attention again. “Genji needs to run a healing tool over your body,” she explained when she was certain Kalea was listening to her. “It will not hurt at all. You will need to lie down and be still while he does it.” She spoke softly and matter-of-factly, just as if she were speaking with any number of the shell-shocked children of SubCity she had helped when she was their KinLord. “You can trust him. He saved my life. Gave me this,” she tapped her animated, “so I could walk again.”
Kalea’s eyes widened, and she looked at Genji, “Are you a god?”
Genji barked out a laugh. “Not even close. I’m not even a med tech. Just good at fixing things. I guess I’ve got a knack for it.” He shrugged and looked away.
“Are you afraid of me?” the girl asked Wren abruptly. “Of my fire?”
Wren looked at the girl, who was still hunched under the blanket. Her thoughts drifted back to when she had had to run for her life from a pack of sniffers. She’d known scarier. She stifled a smile and cleared her throat, putting on a serious face. “I am sure you are quite dangerous and can easily take care of yourself. But we are not here to harm you.” She paused. “I think you know that,” she added softly.
The girl looked at Genji again and nodded. “His eyes are kind.”
“And so is he. Ready to let Genji fix you?”
The girl nodded again, but winced when she tried to move. Wren reached for her, but Genji had already wrapped an arm around Kalea and helped her lie flat so he could scan her, rearranging the coverlet over her body.
Was she really naked? Wren wondered.
While the girl watched Genji scan, Wren studied her. Was she a child of this planet, as Eloch was a child of Entean? Or was she originally from Spur, the offspring of those first colonizers who’d lost contact with their home planet? And if she was of Spur? Why would she need to evolve into something that breathed fire? It unnerved her when she thought about how little she knew of life among the stars. As KinLord, she had been in control. But this, this quest of Entean’s, and now Spur’s, would be a very different experience.
The girl was certainly lovely. Long legs peeked from beneath the coverlet. She looked strong. Well-muscled. Her features were broad, with defined cheekbones and full lips. Slight nose. Her wide-set almond eyes were dark. Her skin was a golden brown with rosy undertones, and her long black hair flowed thick and wavy. It reminded Wren of the moss Eloch mentioned in many of his Entean descriptions, springy and thick. Wren clenched her fist so she wouldn’t touch it. Poor, hurt girl wasn’t some moss specimen, for Spur’s sake.
The scan beeped when Genji reached Kalea’s right knee. The girl jumped, instantly sitting bolt upright with a hiss.
Wren held out a hand, “Easy, there. Genji found an injury. That’s what the noise means.” She rose. “Come, let me help you lie down again.”
With a suppressed groan, Kalea lay down, her expression wary, as Wren again rearranged the coverlet and stifled the smile trying to emerge. The girl seemed oblivious to the effect her lack of clothes was having on poor Genji, whose hands shook as he continued with the scanning procedure. Wren had never seen Genji react that way. Looks like Aiko’s finally got some competition, she thought, amused.
“You’re doing great, Kalea,” Wren told her. “This must be very strange. It was for me.”
Kalea shot a look at her.
“Truly. I never had access to many of these medical gadgets and tools where I come from. The only difference is I knew they existed. You most likely don’t. I admire how brave you are. Keep being brave. He’s nearly finished.”
The scan beeped again. This time Kalea held still.
Genji cleared his throat. “All done, Kalea. I can fix you, but it will hurt.”
“Hurt more? It hurts now.”
“You’ve dislocated your shoulder and twisted your knee. The knee injury needs to be kept cold for a while, and you’ll need to rest it for a few days so it can heal. The dislocated shoulder needs to be put right,” he made a sympathetic face, “and that is what will hurt, more than it does now, while I put it back in place. And then it will feel a little better.”
“Do it now,” Kalea said, her face pale.
Genji’s eyes widened. “Now?”
“Yes, I am ready,” she answered.
Genji looked at Wren. “Can you hold her still? Like this?” He showed Wren what was needed. “Now, Kalea,” he said, gently lifting her injured arm, “I’ll do this as quickly as I can.” As he spoke he tugged and pulled the joint back into place.
Kalea hissed and her eyes darkened, but she said nothing. Then she sighed. “Better. I still have pain, but it is less.”
“Good. I’ll give you something for the pain in a moment. I want to wrap your shoulder and knee before I do, though. I want to make them as comfortable as possible before the painkiller sets in. Tell me how it feels as I go along. Ready?”
Having the girl participate was a good idea, Wren thought, as she observed Genji working with her. She kept quiet, even though neither seemed to notice her.
“How did you get hurt?” Genji asked.
“I don’t remember. I was hit by something, or I fell, or both.” She frowned.
Genji patted her gently. “It will come back to you, I’m sure. You were unconscious when we found you. You probably bumped your head. But your head isn’t badly hurt, or the healing device would have made the sound that startled you the first time.” His voice trailed off.
Kalea wasn’t listening to him, her brows furrowed in thought. “I remember climbing up to Longwei.”
“There, see? It’s already coming back to you.”
Kalea smiled into his eyes.
Wren raised an eyebrow when their gazes locked and held. She cleared her throat.
Both jumped.
When Kalea was bandaged and as comfortable as possible, Wren helped her into a tunic top. “You’ll be warmer this way,” she said while she tucked the top around her wounded shoulder.
“I’m also giving you something to help you sleep through the night,” Genji explained. “It will prick a bit like a thorn, but the pain won’t last long. I find it helps not to look. Ready?”
When Kalea nodded and turned her head as he had instructed, Genji injected her with a painkiller.
“I want to go home,” Kalea said.
“And you shall after a nice, long rest.”
She nodded, eyeing them both suspiciously.
“I promise, Kalea,” Genji said. “I will make sure you get home as soon as you’re rested and healed.”
He waited while her eyes got heavy and closed. Her breathing became regular and slow. “Why do you suppose she was up there on that mountain slope, anyway?” he asked Wren. “Naked, too.”
“To pray,” Kalea answered, her voice slurred. “To find my Calling. It’s my Calling Moon.”
“She said she was climbing up to Longwei,” Wren said, taking a bite of the sandwich she’d left behind when Spider burst in and demanded she and Eloch follow him immediately.
The group was gathered again in the galley.
“Is that the name of the mountain, or something else? Spur called the planet Longwei. Was Kalea going to visit the spirit of the planet?” She picked up the other half of her sandwich and resumed eating.
>
“At the mouth of a volcano? I don’t know about that, Wren,” Spider said.
She shrugged at Spider. “This planet has no technology, just like yours, Eloch. How does Entean make Her presence known to people who live on a less…” she paused to search for the proper word, “…a less sophisticated world?” She shook her head, “I don’t mean it to sound condescending.”
“He knows what you mean,” Aiko said. “I saw him react to our gadgets and gizmos before Entean poked around our shuttle and educated him.” She shot him a wink.
Eloch lifted an eyebrow at Aiko. “Before I was educated,” he said dryly, “I wasn’t afraid. Just curious. And no, Wren, Entean did not make Her presence known, as Spur has been known to do. Entean communicates through Her Champion. Since She is the planet, She doesn’t have one central location. The whole planet is Her central location, so to speak. No one would make a pilgrimage to Her.”
Wren opened her mouth, but he lifted a finger. “Besides, this is Longwei. Not Entean. Not Spur. A whole different planet. We have no idea how She relates to Her people. But if Kalea...why did she say she was on the mountain?”
“To pray,” Genji supplied.
“Right, to pray. Apparently we should begin our search for Longwei on the mountain, Wren.”
“Look out for the lizards,” Aiko warned.
“I’ll bring my knives,” Wren promised.
“I’d bring something bigger. They’re big.”
“Little Sister, too.”
Aiko looked askance at the sleeping animal and nodded. “That might even the odds.”
“Have you done enough fly-overs?” Wren asked Aiko and Genji. “Have enough information for Eloch?” She glanced at Eloch. “I’m thinking you’re ready to get down there.”
He grinned back at her. “I’m thinking you’re right.” He turned to Genji. “What other wildlife have you found during your fly-overs? How many people?”
“There are close to a million people living on the coastal areas of the continents,” Genji said. “But it’s sparsely populated in this region. Maybe fifteen thousand souls? Just a guess.”
“A million for a planet this size. That’s not very many people.” Wren said, used to the confines of Spur’s SubCity.
“Well, they’ve got no medical aid,” Genji speculated. “I’m assuming life is pretty hard. It’s tropical. Infections from wounds would run rampant.”
Wren pursed her lips and nodded. “Makes sense.”
“And then there are those lizards,” Aiko put in. “Who knows what other predators are down there? Genji mentioned some large sea creatures when we were flying over the ocean.”
Wren waggled her eyebrows at Aiko. “Those lizards have sure got you worried.”
“Hey! You didn’t see them. Did I mention they fly? One actually attacked the shuttle. Mean sons of bitches.”
“Sorry, Aiko. I didn’t mean to tease you.”
Aiko shrugged. “You didn’t see them. You wouldn’t know.” She looked at Genji. “Help me out here, Genj.”
Genji glanced at Wren. “She’s right. No laughing matter.”
“Okay, then. Infections and giant predators. We’ve established the people have a challenging life. What else?” Wren asked.
“It’s active volcanically,” Spider volunteered. Genji had been training him to analyze data, hoping to lighten his own load.
Genji nodded. “Stay out of the smoke plumes. I suggest taking some oxygen breathers with you.”
“Good to know,” Wren said. “Anything else?”
“The active volcanoes spew rivers of lava as well. Best keep away from that,” Genji answered.
“Got that, too. Probably why all the inhabitants live along the coast and leave interior lands to the volcanoes,” she commented.
“Not all people live along the coasts. We found some indication that groups live inland as well,” Aiko put in. “On one of the fly-overs we saw signs of farming.”
“The soil would be rich from all the minerals,” Genji speculated.
Wren looked over at Eloch, who was thoughtfully stroking his chin. “Eloch, you’ve been quiet. What do you think? Should we set up a base camp down there when we take Kalea back to her people?”
Eloch nodded. “A scouting mission, Wren. You and me. They can drop us off at the same time.” He paused and looked at the others. His jaw tightened. “Remember, we don’t know what happened to the last search party, the one that tried to find out what happened to the colonizers. I’d feel much safer knowing a piloted starship was circling above us.”
“That’s fine by me,” Aiko said. “I like my perch.”
Wren nodded and shot Eloch a quick look of delight. “A starship. Did you ever imagine you’d be saying that word so casually, Eloch?”
Chapter 5
The Ancestors
“What are you thinking?” Wren skimmed her hand along Eloch’s chest because she enjoyed feeling the soft bristles of chest hair tickle her palm.
He glanced at her with a lazy smile. “I’m thinking, my love, how one communicates with a planet who doesn’t want to listen.”
“You don’t think Longwei wants to have a conversation with us? Why not?”
“Because I feel nothing.”
“But you felt nothing with Spur.”
Eloch shook his head. “This is different. From the reports, this planet flourishes with life. The spirit is alive and well. That I know. She simply wants nothing to do with us. If I do feel anything, it’s the feeling of being ignored. Like I’ve hit some mental barrier.”
“Hmmm.” Wren skimmed her hand back the other way and left it over his heart. She also enjoyed feeling Eloch’s heartbeat with her palm. “Admit it, you enjoy pretty much anything that’s Eloch-related,” she murmured to herself.
“I heard that.”
She felt her mouth curl up at the corners. “Maybe I wanted you to hear that.”
He chuckled and pulled her closer.
“At least we don’t have to wake Her up like Spur. We just have to get Her to communicate with us and with Her Sisters.” Wren curled against him as she spoke.
“Why do you suppose Spur was so anxious for us to visit this Sister first?” Eloch wondered.
Wren shrugged. “But you’re right. She was anxious. She still is. Flick and Mouse both mentioned it when I spoke with them.” She settled her cheek where her hand had been. “I still find it hard to believe that my friend Flick is now Spur’s Champion. And Mouse? Who knew my fellow assassin could become such a good administrator?”
Eloch absently rubbed her shoulder, following its contours to her back. “Did Spider want to talk to Mouse?”
“Dunno,” Wren mumbled, closing her eyes, “I don’t think Mouse would have talked to him if he did.”
“Is she still angry he came with us?”
Wren shook her head. “Not angry. Hurt. Hurt he’d pick our mission over helping Flick and, more importantly I think, over his relationship with her.”
“Spider doesn’t seem to miss her.”
Wren snorted. “He’s pretty infatuated with Aiko. Although I don’t think Aiko’s that impressed with Spider. Especially since he tried to hide behind her earlier.” She lifted her head to look at him, “What is it with Aiko? The fact that she can fly through wormholes? Or the way she maneuvers her shuttle?”
Eloch bent down and kissed her mouth. “I’m not the one to ask,” he kissed her again. “Ever.”
Wren kissed him back. “Funny, I suddenly don’t feel like thinking about other people and their relationships. If I did, I’d be telling you what I thought of Genji’s reaction to Kalea.”
“We can talk about it later.” He kissed her neck.
“Yes, we can,” She slid on top of him. “Much later. Like in the morning.”
Kalea rolled onto her side and the pain woke her up. She sat up, confused. An unfamiliar, sharp smell flooded her consciousness with memory. It was so still. She looked around the room. It seemed larger without Genj
i and Wren.
In the dim light she surveyed her surroundings and studied the unfamiliar objects. Her people would never believe her when she told them where she’d been. Metal boxes whirred softly. Things with blinking lights. Genji and Wren had called them “gadgets.” Wonders only described by the legends of the People and in the dances. Her stomach fluttered. She wanted their true names, to know their purposes. She couldn’t wait to share what she was seeing with Pika. He would be so jealous. She looked around again, memorizing the details so she could tell her brother. She contemplated taking something as proof. Otherwise, how could anyone believe her? The sleeping tunic she wore? Perhaps she would. And where was she, exactly? A cave on the mountain? And who were these people with their…gadgets?
As she kept scanning the room she noticed a sleeping figure lying on a nearby pallet. Not alone, then. Genji? She reached with her senses, felt his essence. Yes. Genji. She felt the smile in her heart as well as on her face. He was a very kind man. She had seen the pain in his eyes when he had been forced to hurt her. Gentle, too, with big, soulful eyes that swirled with the colors of lagoons and trees. Those eyes had known sorrow. It still lived there.
She scowled and shook her head, blocking any further thoughts of Genji. Foolish thoughts.
She didn’t belong here. She needed to be home. She needed her people and familiar things. Needed her family. My brothers! She thought abruptly. She’d seen them right before she crashed. What had happened to them? Did anyone know where she had been taken? Her mother would be sending warriors to search for her. If the warriors were on their way, these kind people were in danger.
Because of her.
Time to leave.
She sat up carefully and noticed with satisfaction that the pain was much less. She’d always been a fast healer. She thought to remove her bandages and then realized they could be part of her proof. She looked around, saw the spare clothes left out for her. More proof. She removed her tunic and slipped them on, slinging the shirt over her shoulders like a cape. When she glimpsed a translator box, she decided to take that as well.