New Cali

by Erik Schubach

  A voice to my other side said just above a whisper, “The healers say it will grow back. The human body was never intended to channel so much power. I know it's your hobby or something, but you really should cut back on that.”

  I turned the other way and smiled hugely at the man who was apparently assembling a whatzit or thingamadoodle on his lap, fingers moving deftly manipulating the parts. I said to him, “My hero. You really are something, Bex. Thank you for coming for me.”

  He shrugged though even in the dark I could see his heavily freckled face darken in a blush. “Well, it was that or standing watch. Idle hands and all you see, who knows what trouble I'd of gotten up to if I hadn't.” He chuckled nervously. There's the awkward squire in him I knew.

  Looking up into the night sky, seeing all those other worlds twinkling around in a cosmic dance, I said, “Well, I'm glad you chose chaos over doldrums, you gave me the distraction I needed to act.”

  He shrugged and looked at me as he continued to assemble the mechanical device, then he looked up into the sky as well, “I saw it... I mean I can always see that misty magic and the afterimages you leave behind when you move, the magik of the People. And very rarely can someone like me, without a spark, see Altii magic, unless a lot is pooled in one spot. But what you did... it scared me, Laney. Then I reminded myself who you were, and I wasn't scared anymore.”

  I shook my head and rasped out an admission, “You're right to be scared. It terrifies me. When it happens, there is nothing of me, of Laney, left. And I thought I'd not find my way back since part of me was reveling in it. I had completely lost to it...”

  He said plainly as he tested a little lever on the doodad, “No, you hadn't. It was still you in that mass of seething power.”

  Twisting to look back at the flickering glow of unnatural fire coming from behind some buildings at the Place of Learning up the hill. I pointed. “Do you think I wanted... that?”

  He stood and stepped up to the cot and shrugged again, asking, “You really believe you were out of control?”

  I nodded and he sighed. “Laney, I watched as twice you stopped yourself. I saw you starting to strike out at Eris, but Aelwen was there. Why you didn't just end her too is lost on me, but you stopped yourself and redirected to the ones who were helping the Prime of their own free will. Then again, you stopped, once Eris was dead, what was to stop you from taking it all down, killing everyone on the battlefield, killing me?”

  The man shrugged. “No matter how far the temptation or seduction of the power took you, it was you, Laney, who held it in check. You made a decision not to kill...”

  He hesitated and asked, “Seriously though... Aelwen? And a truce?”

  “Shut up.”

  “Well, you weren't of your right of mind I guess.”

  “This isn't you shutting up.”

  “I know, but I'm having so much fun knowing that you're too weak to hit... ow! You hit me, wretch.”

  Ok, his little ploy was successful, I was smiling at the man and slapped his leg again. “You deserve it.”

  Bex smiled and started back toward the patchwork, jury-rigged, mammoth beast of an airship that now had the colors of Wexbury painted over the other markings on the lift envelope. “I'm glad you're ok.” Then since he was out of striking distance, he turned back to say, “You'll start a new hairstyle trend back in Sparo when we return.” He wiped a hand over his head.

  I called after him, “Brat!”

  Celeste said from her chair, “You two can wake the dead. If you wake the girls after we finally got them settled again, I will load them up with hard candies from the confectioners back home and drop them with you while I go to attend some high-level game of cards, I mean security briefing.”

  I blushed then looked at her pleadingly as I pointed at my head. She winked. “I don't know... once you have skin that isn't bright red, it'll be kind of sexy. I'm told that hair grows half an inch a month. So in a couple years, you'll never know.”

  Ok, it was a little painful when I blushed, with blood rushing to my face. I really had done a number on myself, hadn't I? I felt a warmth in my head, like the little fact she shared about hair growth rate had rooted itself within me.

  Then she said as she reached over to take my hand. “Sleep, and maybe we'll try some solid food in the morning.”

  Ooo... ok, I could be a good girl for a bit. Food sounded like the best idea I have ever heard in my life just about then.

  I nodded and shut my eyes, just to open them again and asked, “Aelwen?”

  She sighed. “Under guard. Did you really agree to a truce with her?”

  “I really don't remember, though I do remember her asking as I decided that consciousness was just a passing fad that I didn't need to prescribe to. Not sure if I had said anything, but... love?”

  She cocked her head in question and I squinted one eye in pain at admitting it, “She's pretty much the only reason I had survived so long. She saved me in there. I think we should honor a truce, even if it goes against every bone in my body.”

  “If she did, it was to save her own hide.”

  Nodding, I agreed. “Of course, but it doesn't change the fact that she did.”

  Celeste just looked at me and I could see all the possible scenarios being calculated in her sharp tactical mind before she huffed and said, “Fine, but a guard detachment goes with her everywhere.”

  I nodded and then smiled at her and made a show of closing my eyes. I wanted the promised food. Odd that I wasn't more hungry than I was. Probably a side effect of the healing magics. I grinned and said, “Love you. G'night.”

  She said, “G'Night, Love.”

  Then the girls, who were playing possum, giggled out, “G'night, mom.”

  Chapter 19 – Monster

  The next few days were excruciating, and not painwise as I had a semblance of normal skin, though it was very scarred and rough. I was assured that with proper healer attention over the next few weeks I would be almost fully healed.

  It was so excruciating because it was mind-numbing, sitting in the makeshift Cristea camp that was set up around the Airship everyone had taken to calling Redemption. And I was not allowed out of the Gypsy Wagon assigned to me when their people started arriving from their home in the Uninhabitable Lands.

  All I was allowed to do was convalesce and could only leave the wagon to join everyone for meals. Emily and Donovan were up and about in just a couple days, but with me, they babbled nonsense about my In-Laws not having ruptured most of the cells in their bodies. Well if that was the yardstick...

  I whined every day to Bex, “How long does it take to generate enough hydrogen?” He had it calculated down to the minute almost and shared the formula he used to do the calculation. I felt that warmth in my head again, and it was starting to worry me.

  His last answer was given out of striking distance. “It'll take however long it takes. You're pretty impatient for a Great Mother.” I took the high road and stuck my tongue out at the evil man.

  I had so many questions, and since I wasn't allowed to do anything else, I pestered everyone with a barrage of those same questions. My first victims were pushovers, and super cute. I asked my daughters how they wound up in the dungeon, rescuing our people if they hadn't arrived there with Celeste and the Cristea.

  They were a little disconcerted that I knew that, until Misty snapped her fingers in realization and shared with her younger sister, “Vision.” I nodded in confirmation.

  Shan dramatically laid across Misty's lap on her growing bed of feathery moss near the plank tables set out for the meals. And as my eldest started braiding Shanny's hair she shared, “Three days after you left to seek help, riders came in numbers to the farm.”

  “They were riding with intent and were well-armed. So Sara told us to come with her until they knew if these were friend or foe. So we hid in the treeline. Your royal guard, Monte, stepped out to meet them. I felt magic and he just stood the
re, not offering any resistance as the others rushed past him to secure our people. Aunt Sara wouldn't let me go to stop them.”

  She had lavender glowing in her eyes and I could taste her frustration, and I assured her, “Sarafine did the right thing.”

  Mist shook her head. “No, you don't understand. They just took them, whatever witchery they had made our people just follow them without fighting it. And then they...” Her voice hitched and she hissed out in anger, “They just killed our wounded right there in front of everyone before leading them all back the way they came. They just left the bodies of our people behind like they were nothing... inconsequential...”

  My girl continued, “The farmers helped us build the pyres, we sent them to the beyond that night. Aunt Sara... well I probably owe her an apology... she told us that we were going to stay at the farmhouse until mumsy returned. Then we would go after our people.”

  I prompted, “Why would you owe her an...” I trailed off and exhaled in frustration as I guessed, “You pulled rank and went anyway, or told her that as a Garda Personala, she's not supposed to interfere in any boneheaded decisions you make, just protect you if they land you in hot water.”

  Shan giggled. “All of the above?”

  My sigh could probably be heard in Sparo as I told them, “Both of you, when we're done here, are to locate your aunt and apologize for your recklessness.”

  They said in unison, “Yes, ma'am.” They didn't sound repentant in any way, shape, nor form.

  I prompted, “What then?”

  Misty looked sheepish. “We asked Gael to tell Mumsy what happened when she returned, then we went after our people. We followed the road to the Cradle, then Doctrina. For a few days, we scouted the wall and their defenses. We scavenged while Aunt Sara hunted, moving all the time to avoid patrols.”

  Shan added, “Auntie Sarafine was following something. Always checking trees, dirt, and plants, I didn't understand until we heard a bird call signal. Jezelle joined us.”

  Misty puffed up in pride. “She knew a way into the settlement and had been wreaking havoc every night to keep them in disarray while she searched for you. When they brought the others into the small castle, she knew you'd be there too.”

  Jezelle said from behind me, making me jump a little, “That posed a little problem, I had almost figured out a way in to reconnoiter, but the arrival of our other people made a quick snatch and grab impossible.”

  Misty nodded. “And I insisted that it was everyone or no one. We are of House Laney and none are left behind.”

  Jezelle sounded frustrated when she said, “The building was the most heavily guarded in all the village. I figured that is where the leaders of the oppressors holed up. People would go in under duress and come out later, passively, with vacant eyes. Which complicated things even farther. I noted that very few of the defenders seemed of their right of mind, so that precluded us from killing any.”

  Misty looked toward the Place of Learning and said through clenched teeth as she finished up Shanny's braids, “It took a few more days to formulate a plan Auntie Sara and Jezelle thought would have a marginal chance of success.”

  My eyes widened as I looked at the leader of the Great Mother's Own in disbelief. “And you led the girls in there? With just a marginal...” I trailed off as she looked at me with a plaintive, expectant look. “Ah... on their orders as the Soras of the Great Mother.”

  Jezelle nodded with a smirk. “She's got your tone of voice down when she spits out 'decreed', like a mini you.” Then she pointed at my daughters accusingly. “We needed some sort of big diversion or the plan had no chance of working. So Sora Misty was going to have a stand of trees erupt in the middle of their courtyard. When guards went to investigate the unfathomable, we would slip in and locate you and the others.”

  She chuckled. “And just as Father Sol set, seconds before we initiated our plan, an unanticipated diversion arrived in the form of an army of Mountain Gypsies led by the Lightbringer herself!” She shook her head. “That woman is frightening, she just wades into the enemy without hesitation, leading the charge.”

  I felt the heat on my cheeks that didn't hurt as much as before and nodded. Celeste truly was amazing, and she was all mine.

  I nodded and said, “So you used your mother's ever so minor distraction to sneak inside and down to the dungeons where you thought I and our people would be. Restrained the jailers and guards with Misty's power while Shan went to unlock the cells as the rest stood guard at the stairs.”

  They all stared at me with wide eyes, shock on their faces. “But when I decided to lose control... Misty, Jezelle, and Sara ran upstairs to see what the new threat was. Unfortunately, that's when another guard made his way to the cells and confronted Shanny.”

  I smirked over the fact I was leaving them speechless as I reprimanded, “One of you should have stayed with Shan. If Verna hadn't risen from the dead and saved her...”

  Jezelle looked sheepish and Misty blurted, “How did you...”

  Shan cut her off, “Her vision, remember? Duh. She said she heard me saying Verna's name in it. I knew I felt mom's presence there.”

  Misty insisted, “No you didn't”

  “Yuh huh!”

  “Girls!”

  They looked at me and said in unison, “Sorry, mom.”

  Was fate just playing with us all? What were the odds that both groups would have converged on the building at the same time? And just where had Celeste and the Cristea come from? They were all supposed to have perished in the Uninhabitable Lands, but instead, they had been running raids on the city for years. They seemed pretty upset that the Mountain Gypsy groups were getting into the city somehow. And how do you sneak a whole army past the wall?

  I had so many questions.

  Emily checked in on me once I let the girls know they were going to be confined to their rooms... forever, once we returned home.

  She just gave her, 'Hi I'm Emily, the super cute librarian who is telling you to get lost lest I get perturbed,' look. Everyone scattered, but not before she gave my daughters rocking hugs, and in Misty's case, my girl held her grandmother off the ground and swung her side to side.

  She just seemed to study me, like she was looking for something in particular. It was a little unnerving, but before I could question it she smiled warmly then asked in a tone that reminded me of Misty when she was getting into mischief but was trying to hide it from me, “Can you do me a favor and take a look at the first few pages of this tome, Laney? Don't worry about reading it all.”

  I'm sure if I tried to be any more confused than I was, I'd have failed as once you hit the bottom, you can't get any further confused. I admired the condition of the tome, the cover was in fantastic shape, covered in some sort of textured leather, with gold lettering. I opened the cover that simply read, “Spanish 101 – Pre Sky Fire.” Then I looked at the cover page.

  Its lettering was too precise, like the tomes and scrolls from the Before, only it stated it was a reproduction created by the Sect. I mentioned that. “Do you have the machines from the Before that made the lettering in tomes so precise instead of using scribes?”

  She shook her head. “No, but we found writings about manual printing presses and duplicated them for our own uses. It involves small carved letters that you arrange in rows on... never mind that now. Just thumb through the first pages for me if you will?”

  Ooo... I wanted to learn about these printing presses she spoke of and wondered if we could use them in the Cedar Ridge Library to duplicate some of the reference tomes to send to all the realms. But my cryptic mother in law was being cryptic, and I'm sure she'd go all double cryptic on me unless I humored her.

  I started turning the pages, the first few were like the tomes back home, full of rights of copying and marks of the trade and dates that made no sense, then legal disclaimers that the Wizards of the Before times seemed to put on everything. They must have had rules and laws for everythi
ng we could possibly imagine, so it had to have been quite an orderly society, dedicated to knowledge and furthering oneself to help their community, with such a structured set of rules.

  I wasn't used to the sweltering heat, and with my raw sensitive skin, it was quite oppressive. My head felt warm as I started to turn the pages, I started turning faster and faster, and it felt as if the pages were burning into my soul and I wanted more. I was almost flipping from page to page with barely a glance until a hand rested on mine, stopping me.

  I looked up, wide-eyed. “But I'm not finished yet, I need more.”

  Emily looked grim, her lips pressed in a thin line as she said almost absently, “You can finish in a minute, love. I just need to ask you something ok?”

  I nodded wondering what she was on about now, and she asked, “¿cómo te llamas? Me llamo Emilathia.”

  Giving her duck lips, I shook my head. She knew I didn't speak the tongue of the New Calians. First the tome, now... wait... was it a tome that taught Spanish? Just the thought caused my head to heat and I could see the pages in my mind as if the tome was still open in front of me, and one of the first lessons in it was how to introduce yourself.

  It was a little frightening realizing that I knew what she had asked! I whispered out as I started to panic, knowing what was happening, as I had been trying to refuse it since the night I was rescued by Bex. “Me llamo Laney.”

  I shook my head and started to hyperventilate.

  She quickly took my hands as she looked around quickly, speaking quietly but urgently, “Calm down, Laney. Look at me... come on, look at me.”

  I glanced up at her, and she was smiling encouragingly, a touch of sadness touching her expression.