by K J Carr
“Come, Nica. We have much to discuss.”
I stood, moving slowly up the stairs. I wasn’t sure how to even respond to her, since my dream self typically interacted with her. I moved into my bedroom, staring sightlessly down at my bed.
“Enough of this. Sleep. Come.”
Her voice was insistent as I fell onto my bed, instantly asleep.
∞∞∞
El’noviria was waiting for me. She was in the cave tonight, her arms crossed over her chest. I wasn’t sure what had gotten her so worked up. I sighed. She tended to be impatient, but when she decided to focus on me and teach me something, it was generally something that totally blew my mind.
And was necessary. I couldn’t forget that.
“Hey, El. A little rattled today, eh?” I sat down in front of her on a pillow.
The cave we were in never was the same twice in a row. Today, one entire wall was open to look out into the Void, while the other three walls appeared to be solid rock, gently bathed in a soft light. Despite how they looked, they were fluid, changing as needed. El was the master in creating what she wanted using the Void material, and she had been teaching me.
I guess that means I have some sort-of affinity for working the Void.
Huh. Perhaps that is another superpower. I hadn’t thought of it that way.
“Nica. Achilah…” El stuttered.
Interesting. This was so unlike her.
“Yes, El? What is it? I know he is obsessed with me, but he hasn’t personally come after me yet.” I raised an eyebrow.
“Achilah somehow is able to manipulate the Void, Nica! Daemons shouldn’t be able to do this!” Yep, she was shouting. “He has been using the Void to heal, as well as using it to build his Void cages. He has been experimenting with a material that should have been poisoning him.”
O…kay. That wasn’t good. But note to self, Void is dangerous for daemons. Good to know. Well, except Achilah, that is. Fuck my life.
“I need to explain something to you as long as he continues to use Void material. You are more in alignment with the Void than he could ever be.”
“In alignment, El?” I was going to ignore the uncertainty that was thick in her voice right now.
“In alignment. Sympathetic to it. Partner with it.” El was getting more flustered trying to find the right words.
“Have an kinship to it?”
“Yes!” She jumped around with her hands in the air.
I shook my head, confused. “So…. What does that really mean for me, El? I mean, he obviously has some sort of kinship with it as well.”
She stopped jumping and slumped down next to me on the floor.
“The Void does whatever you want, Nica. Intention shapes the Void. Achilah doesn’t really understand this. Not many do. Intention is how you make the protection stones. It is how you transport from point A to point B. It makes the Void malleable for you. Intention makes it work for you.”
I thought about that.
“I understand that for shaping it, but what about teleporting? Others move through the Void to get from point A to point B. Isn’t that intention as well?”
“Others teleport by hopping over the spaces in the Void via special islands — pieces of worlds that have broken away from where they originate but still vibrate with their energy. These islands don’t need to be large for the travelers to touch them and then push off.
You, though, walk through it. That is how you were able to stop and talk with me the first time you teleported without using a teleport room. You can still get lost in the Void, but it will not drive you insane. Because you can always find your way once you concentrate on those you know best. Others, if they get lost, will be lost. And will go crazy.”
I shook my head. That wasn’t clear to me at all. “Since that one time, I haven’t physically been in the Void. How do you know I can walk it? How do I know? I don’t know how to enter it or even what I am doing without you!” My voice increased in both pitch and volume.
“Ah. I missed something, I see.” El’s voice was thoughtful. She stayed sitting in front of me but straightened up. Her face was a mask as if she was playing at being human. It was so very disconcerting to talk to someone without understanding the little tells facial expression and eyes movements provided.
“I didn’t show you how to enter yourself because I was worried your guardians would miss you if you came when you were awake.”
Well, she had a point there. Also…
“You often demand me to come to you, El.” I said gently. “You basically make me go to sleep and pull me in here. It is a tad disconcerting.”
“I am sorry, Nica. I should have thought this through better.” El paused and then shrugged. “For you to enter the Void, you just need to think about it, with intent, and enter. Your dizziness? That means you are close to a spot where it is easier for you to enter the Void. When you feel that feeling, you can very easily step in.”
Fuck! All these years I had thought of my vertigo as a problem, a disease, when it was showing me a skill that I could have been using? I lifted my chin and looked up at what I would pretend was a ceiling, shaking my head. Unbelievable!
“I never thought of my problem this way, El!”
“Most human diseases are showing a path to a skill or power. They either build mental strength or are an insight. Vertigo for you was a sign that the Void was near. Someone might vomit near a daemon or some other type of being.” She shrugged. “It is not supposed to be easy to determine if you have a power.”
“I guess not!” I could see her point, but it still was exasperating.
“You gain the wisdom when you are most ready to need it, Nica.” Her voice was soft.
We sat quietly while I thought about this.
“El, how can Achilah use the Void if he is a daemon?”
El squirmed, frowning. “I don’t know, Nica. Daemons never have used the Void before. It is a special skill of…” Her voice trailed off, her eyes getting wide. “I will have to think of this more, Nica. I hope what may have happened really hadn’t — something that would allow him to have this skill.” That last part was stammered quickly.
I got the feeling she wouldn’t say more about this now, so I shook my head and decided it was time to change the topic.
“El, how do I get around in the Void? Without your help, I mean.” This had bothered me for some time.
“Close your eyes. Think about those that you know. Can you see them?”
I thought about Marcus and Kaitie. It wasn’t immediate, but slowly I saw their sparks of life, surrounded by a bluish sphere. I thought about T’Koran, and what came a little faster was a small yellow spark in a tan colored ball. Malak, Ridwan and Inias were in the blue area, except Malak was much farther away; Inias and Ridwan were close together and near to Marcus and Kaitie.
I then thought of one more – Enoch. I didn’t know him well, but I wanted to see if I could find him. His spark was bright and seemed to echo within a white area.
I opened my eyes. “What are the areas, the spheres, all about?” I leaned forward.
“Spheres? Areas?” El sounded confused.
“When I think about various people, I see a spark that represents them. But then they are in different color areas. Marcus, my brother, and Kaitie were in a blue area. Ridwan and Inias were there as well. T’Koran was in a tan area, while Enoch was in a white one that was very bright.”
I wasn’t sure if I was misreading her, but I got the impression that El was surprised.
“Very well done, Nica. Blue represents Earth. Tan is the Daemon world. Not everyone can see that.”
“And the white?” I thought I might know but I wanted confirmation.
“That is more than the Tennin world.” She seemed hesitant to answer.
“More than the Tennin world? So, where is he? And what color is the Tennin world?” I know I was pushing her, but I was afraid she wasn’t going to answer. She was giving me more information this time
than ever before and I wanted to get everything I could.
“He is in Olari which is the ruling world. I will tell you about that place later.” El was being deliberately vague, so I decided to push on.
“And what color is the Tennin world?” I leaned forward.
“It is a green color, I think.” She answered, glad to be off the other topic.
I sat back and thought a minute. “Where do you come from, El? What color is your world?”
“It isn’t time to let you know this, Nica. You will know soon enough.” And she side-stepped again. “I need to give you something tonight, Nica. You must promise to keep it with you always. It will allow me to find you on earth. If you have it, I can help you as much as I am able.”
“That sounds good. What is this thing?”
El put out her hand and a pendant dropped into my lap. Another Void stone. Except this one felt different. It felt more like a pulsing light or a signal beacon. A mild beam of light seemed to both go out into the Void as well as bath my body with its warmth.
“It is a token that will measure your life force and report it to me. I will need to be with you before you die. Without me, you will not successfully transition.”
I tilted my head to the side, confused. “I thought the Tennins controlled the transition.”
“That would be so if you were to become Tennin. But you will not be a Tennin, Nica. You have been chosen for something greater.”
“Like…?” Since I was observing El, I could just tell that she wouldn’t answer me directly. “Never mind. You will tell me when I need to know.”
I stood and placed the pendant over my head, settling it under my shirt. It felt right to be wearing it, no matter what El had said, or not said.
“This won’t hurt T’Koran, will it?” I stretched out my back slowly.
El looked at me curiously. “No, these won’t hurt him. He is also more than he appears, Nica. Trust in him.”
Wow. El was just a bundle of vague hints tonight.
“How many Void stones do you have, Nica?” El appeared curious.
“Gods, I think about fifty million. I have made them almost every time I came here over the last five years. I have them in the diner, in my house, around my yard, in Kaitie’s house, on Kaitie, in my car. I think there may also be one or two in Marcus’s house, even though he tends to not take them.”
“Make a collar for his dog.” El seemed strangely insistent. Still, it was a good idea, if these had the protection capabilities El seemed to state they did.
“Okay. But then I need to sleep, El. I have work tomorrow and I promised Marcus I would work with him and the puppy. I also must train with the twins after that. I think tomorrow will only be intense meditation, but the way Inias does it, I am always exhausted by the time we are done.”
She nodded absently as we got started pulling the Void into a series of stones for Vern’s collar.
Chapter 6
“Hey, Marcus! Where is the little runt?” I walked into the diner carrying a folded wire crate, making my way towards the kitchen. It was a silly question, since I could hear the puppy yapping behind the door of a storeroom.
Marcus pushed a hand over his head, a desperate look on his face. “In the storeroom. Vern has already chewed on two of my shoes, destroyed some of my office here, and peed and pooped everywhere!”
I laughed. My big brother had been in the military and had handled life and death decisions. He had then come home and had finished raising Kaitie and myself. Yet here he was, being laid low by a fuzzy little puppy!
“Hey! This is worse than a baby!” He frowned at me and turned to sign the delivery bill that one of the delivery men shoved at him. He took his copy and then waved at the guy. “Thanks, Dave.”
Dave grinned at both of us. “I got a puppy just last year. All I can say is two words: crate training.” Dave waved at us and left.
Marcus turned back to me. “Crate training?” He looked tired as well. Guess the pup had kept him up all night.
I lifted the folded crate in my hand a little. I was glad I had been lifting weights these last few years. The crate wasn’t that heavy, but it was a tad awkward, being for an extra-large dog. “Crate training. I’ve got your back, big brother.”
In no time, we had the crate set up in Marcus’s small office. It was a tight fit, but I figured it was better than the storeroom, since Vern would be able to see and smell Marcus in here. The wide wire crate had a pull-out tray bottom to make it easy to clean. Extra-large was a must so that it could be used even as the pup grew into an adult.
After stuffing a blanket and some toys into the back of the crate, and then putting a bowl of water in the front corner, I stood up and looked at it with satisfaction.
“There. It will be his home away from home. But before we introduce him to it, let’s take him out for some exercise and a potty-break.”
Marcus grabbed his leash.
I suddenly remembered. “Oh, I got him a special collar, Marc.” I pulled out the Void collar and showed it to him. “I think this is supposed to keep him calm or something. Figured we should try it.”
I am a horrible liar most of the time, but this time, my brother must have been seriously distraught. He just took the collar from my hand and went into the storeroom. Minutes later, the puppy and he came out, the puppy tumbling happily after him.
I glanced into the main dining room and then pointed down the hall in the opposite direction. “Let’s go out the back. Just in case.”
Marcus did grin at that. “It didn’t take me long to realize that is best. Either he pees in the middle of the dining room or he gets stopped by everyone trying to pet him and he gets so excited that he pees in the middle of the dining room.”
I grinned at him. “Let’s hope the state inspector doesn’t pay a visit anytime soon!” I moved down the hall, Marcus following me.
“God, me too.”
We exited the diner and moved to the side of it. There was a small yard in the back, nothing fancy, but Marcus did keep the grass mowed. He walked around the space, letting the puppy sniff everywhere.
“Dude, you need an extender leash.” I mumbled.
“What’s that?” He looked up at me.
“Extender leash. It is retractable, so that you can stay in one spot and Vern can move further out and then back in, without the leash getting tangled on anything. Well, as long as he doesn’t wrap it around a tree or another person, that is.”
Marcus rolled his eyes. “Which is what I am sure he will do.”
Vern squatted and did his business. Marcus squatted as well and put his arms out. “Good boy, Vern! Good boy!” The puppy scampered back to him and jumped into his arms.
I shook my head. “Training?”
Marcus put the puppy down and stood up. “Besides house-breaking, we have worked on a few commands, I guess. I mean, it has only been a day or so, Nica.”
I looked at the puppy. “Vern. Sit.” The puppy looked at me and looked back at Marcus.
Marcus smirked and repeated the command. “Vern. Sit.” He also snapped his fingers at the dog.
Vern sat, grinning up at the man.
“Very good. I am impressed.”
“Well, I think I was lucky this time. Out of ten times I ask, he does it maybe four. But he is still young.”
“Indeed.” I looked up at the sky. It was getting dark and the air cooler. “Let’s see how he likes the crate.”
Marcus and I went inside, the collar on the puppy gleaming in the evening light. “That collar acts like a light reflector. That will be good for evening walks.”
I frowned and then cleared my face. “Didn’t even know that it did that. Guess that is a plus.”
We moved into his office and Marcus took off the leash. Vern instantly scampered under his desk. “Vern!” Marcus roared, moving to the other side. The puppy came running out and I snatched him up.
“He thinks this is a game.” I cuddled him, breathing in his puppy scent.
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“Yes, indeed. He runs, I chase.” Marcus came around and took him from me. His eyes filled with delight even as he held the puppy up in one hand and started chastising him.
“You are so doomed, Marcus. Even I can tell you don’t mean any of that.” I chortled.
Marcus sighed and leaned down to put the puppy in the crate. As he closed the door, Vern yipped a couple of times.
“Are you sure this will work, Nica?” Marcus looked worried.
Vern turned and started to investigate the back of the crate. Finding the toy, he soon settled down on the blanket to chew on it.
“It won’t work all the time at first. You also need a crate for at home. Eventually, he will see it as his den, a place of safety. At that point, you will be able to leave the door open and he will just go in it to get away from everyone else. It is good while house-breaking as well, because he will try not to mess his space up, so he will hold it. Try to make sure you take him out every hour at first, slowly increasing the time. He should house-break pretty easily this way.”
Marcus looked at me for a few minutes and then pulled me into a tight hug. “Thanks, Nica. Thank you for Vern and thank you for helping me with him.”
I hugged him tight and then struggled to get out of his stranglehold. “No problem. Remember, I have had a couple of dogs in my life, so this became standard operating procedure for me.”
Marcus sat down on his desk. “I never paid attention.” He looked over at the puppy, who had fallen asleep. “Crates are magic!”
I laughed softly. “No, not really. Vern just wants to be able to see you. He needs his own space, but he also needs to know his alpha is there with him. He is young and will outgrow some of this clinginess, but dogs are pack animals and you are now his pack.”
“Marcus!” Teresa popped her head in the door way. “Can you get us change?” She disappeared, not waiting for an answer from him.
He stood, hesitating, before walking over and hugging me again. “Thanks again, for Vern and all the help, Nica. I needed him.”
I looked up into my big brother’s strong face. He had been so moody lately, but I could see that Vern was pulling him out of his head. I touched his cheek, feeling the rough hairs of his beard. There was a confidence in his eyes that I hadn’t seen in a long time, not since he had been possessed by that bastard.
