New Cali

by Erik Schubach

  I dropped my hand from the scars on my face when Celeste took my other hand and I realized Misty and Shan were hugging me. Shanny pulled back and wiped a tear that was on my cheek for some reason.

  Misty said so the crew couldn't hear, “You get lost like that more and more often, mom. It'll all be great. The world is changing, you'll see.” Bitsy popped up from the folds of her riding cloak and chittered at me like she was punctuating my scarily insightful daughter's words. I smiled and kissed her cheek. I used to be able to kiss the top of her head. In rebellion to the thought of my children growing up, I kissed the top of Shan's head.

  We turned to the windows which had steel slats covering them and watched the world pass by as the Highland lumbered south toward the Gap.

  Chapter 6 – Take one Down and Pass It Around

  Flying used to be an amazing wonder to me. My mind wandered as we headed down to the Southern Outpost at the southernmost arm of Far Reach. We would camp there before starting the three to four day crossing to New Cali. We would stop at some of the resupply stations the New Calians have seeded the uninhabitable lands with to document them. Emily says she just might remember their locations.

  We all chuckled when Shanny said, “But I thought you couldn't forget anything.”

  Than I sat back as Donovan crouched next to her at the windows to explain facetiousness to her, which rolled into flippancy, and irreverence. I always loved listening to Donovan, he had a way of explaining things with words that fascinated me so and I always looked them up later. These words? I am pleased to say, that I was familiar with. And I was sure Shanny got the general gist of them by the context, but she loved learning like I did.

  The captain, Lord Lowery cleared his throat then coughed out, “Smartass.”

  Then Shan brightened. “Oh, I know that word. Mom calls mother that all the time.”

  Both Celeste and I looked at each other and said, “Hey!”

  Wait... which one of us was she talking about? And how had she overheard us when we banter playfully when the girls are asleep? I try not to use harsh cursing around the children, and opt for the tame curses like Mother Luna. It is a point of endless teasing for the unruly bunch I hang around with, and they are not as careful with their language.

  I feel blessed that in addition to the girls being taught by both the instructor of the Keep with the other children, they also have the benefit of being instructed by the three most intelligent people I know, Bexington is always showing the girls how to create things with their hands, showing them science and chemistry, and Emily and Donovan instruct them in topics and concepts most children don't get the chance to.

  I watch them just absorb the lessons like sponges, even the ones I have trouble grasping. I've always been fascinated by knowledge in general, but was not blessed like the children of the current generation to have access to so much of it. So I find myself learning with them, and I feel I am so much more than I had been without all the things, no matter how trivial, I can assimilate.

  I looked down at the world passing by beneath us with the girls, and the stick up the posterior guards cleared their throats. I looked back at them and growled. I would not be afraid of my own shadow, besides, as the last two assassination attempts should remind them, I am always watching a few seconds ahead when we are away from home.

  That's not to say I still don't feel the deaths, as the curse of my transference makes me experience them as if they had happened, which in some way, I guess they did and I get sort of a second chance. It has saved me and those I love on countless occasions.

  Celeste joined us to watch the world pass by and Misty said, “Ingr would love this. A chance to meet a new people.”

  I nodded and assured her, “If things go well, I'm sure she will soon join us on one of our trips. I'm sure the Crown will see fit to put me in the middle of any trade negotiations because George enjoys making me suffer as I pretend to even understand politics. It's all doublespeak, I can tell you that from my experiences in the past few years. So there will plenty of chances to come visit with us.”

  Celeste was no help. “It is because you are a natural at it, love. You have something most politicians do not have, a sense of fairness and integrity.”

  We looked over to Misty as she asked, “What do you think it will be like in New Cali?”

  I swayed and fell toward her, and just kept falling as I felt myself being pulled to the south as a vision began. Fragmented images assaulted me, nothing congruent, just flashes of instances in time that flooded all of my senses and imprinted snapshots of emotion on my psyche before I could make sense of them and the next pieces of one or more possible futures pounded upon my awareness.

  I gasped and stumbled in oppressive heat and looked up to see Father Sol burning through a gap in an unbelievably huge mountain range, like a burning eye looking down upon me and I screamed and looked around in a panic to find myself back where I had started, just laying on the Highland's deck, cradled in Celeste's powerful arms.

  She smiled down at me, though I could see the concern she always has when I return from one of these visions. I've learned to control them to some extent when they are close at hand. And I've even been able to initiate them a couple times, but only an hour or two in the future. Unlike Mother Udele who could use a focus to peer into about any future she may choose. I trade off control and accuracy for transference.

  She was wiping something cold on my cheeks and the rag in her hand came away red. It's been a long time since I bled from the experience. She prompted, “Vision?”

  I nodded with a weak smile. “Vision, Captain Obvious.”

  She snorted. “That's Commander Obvious to you, short stuff.”

  I noted that Misty and Shanny were holding my hands almost desperately and I gave them reassuring smiles. “I'm...” I trailed off and noticed that there were a lot of eyes looking down on me, more than should be in the main cabin where the captain was trying to fly the ship. I felt the burn of a blush as I squeaked to everyone, “I'm fine everyone. It was just a seeing.”

  Emily said in frustration, “That's what I've been telling them, but many of them have never seen a Mountain Gypsy seeing before.” She snapped at them all, “She isn't a sideshow at Carnival you louts.” She clapped her hands three times. “Out out, all of you.”

  The Perth Hollow representative, Lord Martin, asked, “What did you see? Will Perth Hollow secure our trade treaty?” Another started asking about spider silk trade over Jezelle's shoulder where she and my other guard, stood with Sarafine between the gawking people and me.

  Someone was actually growling and I looked up to see emerald sparks drizzling from Celeste's eyes. People actually paled at the glare she was sending their way and everyone left swiftly, the captain telling a steward, “Lock that fucking...” He looked at the children and reworded. “Lock that darn door.”

  Once we were as alone as we could get and Celeste and Sarafine helped me to my feet then over to a seat, Donovan asked as Emily and Celeste wiped my face down with cloths and a basin of water someone brought over from the tiny autopot room, “Was it clear?”

  He knew the farther off something was, or the more information was being relayed, the more vague the vision and the more I forgot it like mist burning off the surface of a pond with the first rays from Father Sol. So it was best for me to try to remember the things I saw before they were just some nagging memory I just couldn't place in the back of my mind.

  I looked at my daughters, the worried looks on their faces, Misty's eyes glowing violet showing she was barely containing her magics. That control would come with experience both Donovan and Rain tells us, as it is much harder to control the sheer amount of power contained within her. I assured them again. “I'm fine really. Just let me sort through what I saw.”

  Someone handed me a cup of water and I drank, then closed my eyes and sorted through the already fading flashes I saw that were more of just a whisper of memories now. I had to
start talking or I'd lose them.

  I began. “A flaming airship. An orange sky of ochre and honeys. An impossibly blue lake that stretched to the horizon. People in strange garb, silver cloaks.”

  I smiled and looked at Shanicia, her dark eyes wide as she listened. “And you were there, saying something about not being afraid... it had something to do with Verna. Then pain and ecstasy, some sort of breathtakingly beautiful woman, forty feet tall, in armor and blinding light shooting from her eyes which was consuming everything.”

  I repeated... “Eyes... the air was so hot as I drew it into my lungs, there was a giant flaming eye in the sky watching. I think it was Father Sol... then I was here. There was so much more but I've already lost it.”

  Emily smiled. “That sounds like home. The heat and Father Sol peering through the Eye in the Upheaval. And that blue lake would be the Cradle. I don't know about the rest except the people in silver cloaks... all women?”

  I nodded and she grinned. “The Sect. And the other standing forty feet tall, that sounds like an abstract of how some in our Sect saw AnaMaria Truthseeker. Some viewed her as a goddess because of all the knowledge she had inside her. The sum of all knowledge at the time of her death, none has ever assimilated more...”

  She trailed off, looking ashen, and I heard her unspoken words “Until now,” as she has been consuming all of the tomes in the Cedar Ridge Library, including the most precious tome of all a complete dictionary of old English, so she knew how the Great Wizards spoke in the Before Times.

  Em shook her head and got back on topic. “Some were pushing for the Knowledge Seekers to worship her almost as a religion, while the Prime keeps us on task in our efforts to rebuild what was lost to us forever with the passing of AnaMaria.”

  I asked, simply because my mouth always works before my brain, “Will you share with them all you have amassed?”

  She shook her head slowly as she pondered it, her brow furrowed, a bit of worry on her face. “I... don't know.” I knew the worry, as I had already sussed it out, and I knew most of the others had too. If she did, then they may press her into service as they had with AnaMaria Truthseeker, and keep her in New Cali the rest of her days so their scribes could document the tomes and scrolls locked within her.

  Donovan gave her a warm smile and said, “Great Mother Laney will blow up that bridge when we get to it, love.”

  I pouted. “Hey, I only did that once.”

  This got some chuckles.

  Sarafine offered with a sly smile, “Now that Sparo knows of your people, subterfuge to gather knowledge is no longer necessary. Perhaps you can convince them just to send all your available scribes and Seekers to the Penny Library to record it all in a much more efficient manner. And it is neutral ground after all.”

  Emily brightened at that and said, “Yet another reason to love you Sara, a swift mind. That's brilliant.” And she tossed a tangerine to the smug looking Gypsy woman, who caught it smoothly and started to peel it. Was Emily always carrying fruit in her pockets, like Rain? I was personally happy to see her relief, and the strain on Emily's face since she announced this expedition had lifted.

  We all relaxed then when I was feeling more steady on my feet I stood and joined the girls at the window. We were skipping lunch to fly straight through to the Southern Outpost where we would overnight before heading to the weigh station and outer marker then into the uninhabitable barren landscape not yet explored by Sparo.

  I rolled my eyes when we heard the people in the other part of the ship singing loudly, “Fifty seven bottles of mead on the wall, fifty seven bottles of mead.”

  Then I groaned as the captain and his crew chimed in, “Take one down and pass it around...”

  I smirked as I rasped out, “Fifty six bottles of mead on the wall.” To cheers.

  Lord we were all hopeless.

  Chapter 7 – Shantopia

  That night, we all ate around the makeshift plank tables and seating pulled out of the storage and barracks buildings of the Southern Outpost. Everyone was upbeat and the excitement of the adventure we would be embarking on in the morning was palpable... a buzz in the air.

  I kept one eye on the girls as Misty ran around into the darkness to investigate all the living things she could feel around us, I asked our absentminded brainy friend who was sitting across from us, “How did the twins handle the news you volunteered for the expedition? And what did Brenda say when you told her you'd be saddling her with my god children for three weeks?”

  He snorted. “I'm sure I'll be watching them for at least two months while she makes a point of going out to do girl stuff with you lot. She loves our little hellions to death but they can sometimes be a handful.”

  I grinned and asked, “Girl stuff?”

  Verna supplied, “Yeah, like sparring or honing our weapon's skills.”

  Bex touched his nose and pointed at her with a silly grin. Ah, his head was always in the clouds. He spent easily three times the amount of time in his workshops dreaming up the impossible than he did in the training yard. But his brain is his most powerful muscle.

  Then he sighed. “I miss them already.”

  He brightened. “They said they'd work on a special project for me in the workshop while I'm gone.”

  Kristof asked, “Like the time they tried drying your dress cape with electric coils?”

  The poor man hung his head. “Their concept was sound, but their execution was... well it was an execution. Brenda didn't even say a word, she just handed me the immolated cape when I got home and walked off.”

  Celeste chewed on some flat bread with jerky stew I had made out of some of the supplies and pan fried for the meal for everyone. Most of the nobles with us have never cooked for themselves in their lives, so most were just eating the perishables we brought along for the crossing. The knights and our resident blacksmith, Laura, all smirked when it was announced that we didn't have a cook along with us so everyone had to fend for themselves.

  The looks on some of the nobles' faces were priceless. So I and a couple knights made extra so the poor widdle Lords and Ladies didn't starve trying to figure out how to open a dry ration pack. Mother Luna, I still sounded resentful when I was one of the Lords and Ladies I was speaking of now. I'm sure that I'll never feel quite comfortable in my position. Though I did find that I had to make a conscious effort to remember from whence I came the more time that passed.

  I assured our scarecrow of a Templar, “Well I think it is amazing how intelligent the twins are, once they get past their destructive phase, I'm positive they will change the world the way your inventions already have.”

  He beamed in pride. He was such a great father, and I found I was just as proud of him and Brenda as I was their children. It was my prerogative as godmother.

  Then I grinned mischievously and asked, “So Kristof, Verna says you two are thinking of little ones yourselves.” He spit out the mouthful of mead in a spray, his eyes wide. We all laughed heartily at that as Verna slapped his back and rolled her eyes.

  Since I was feeling all tricksy and scandalous I said to everyone within earshot, “The King and Queen are wanting to foster.”

  There was a pregnant pause in all the conversations as everyone swung their gazes my way, searching out any deception. Then the tables burst out in cheers and animated discussions about how it was about time. An heir... the Crown would have an heir, and Everly will finally have a child of her own to dote upon. This was almost as exciting as the news of New Cali.

  I was already planning on helping to spoil the boy or girl they chose. And I turned my eyes to the Three Sisters traversing the night sky and prayed they didn't deliberate forever on deciding a suitable candidate like they did for most every other important decision that would affect all the lands of Sparo.

  The only thing I dreaded were some of the Nobles who were in the line of succession, just waiting for George to step down as King so they could get the Crown. With a heir, t
hose nobles would still only maintain their place in the line of succession. Which to me was a boon to Sparo as I positively detested Lord Cornelius of Highland, second in line for the throne.

  As the evening went on I stepped away to where the arable, fertile soil met the lifeless rugged landscape of a broken land intent on healing itself. I thought that we as a people were doing the same thing as we tried to leave conflict and strife behind to build something greater then the sum of its parts. I crouched to lift the mixed soil and volcanic sand and let it drift off in the wind.

  I smiled at it. It wanted to be whole again, like us. Each year the habitable lands creep out farther and farther into the wastelands beyond, reclaiming them. It was a slow march, just a hundred yards or so a year, but just as the relentless drip of water can carve stone, the growth could not be stopped. The world... she wanted to live again.

  Looking back over my shoulder, the illusion of my privacy was broken when I saw my ever present guards standing a respectable distance away. They did an admirable job to pretend to look at anything but me to give me my illusion, but in some ways, I felt a prisoner in my life, never allowed to be my own person again.

  I smiled back at Celeste, who was doing just as admirable of a job letting me have a moment as she sat with the other knights when I knew she always had a eye on me, my forever knight, and I loved her for it.

  A sound in the darkness made me look back into the unlivable rocky terrain, and Misty and Shanny came walking out of it, illuminated by the Three Sisters in the sky. There was some sort of large lizard on Misty's arm. They were talking to it then noticed me and their smiles lit up my soul.

  My eldest said, “Look, mom. This one isn't like the ones near the northern outer marker, see how the hood around its cheeks flare up like fish gills to make it look bigger?” With a coaxing of her magics, the hood which had been folded back along the lizard's neck flared wide.