by P. R. Garcia
Terrance and Europa watched out the window as the lights ahead grew brighter. Before long they could make out the inside of a large cave with a modest dock, but both were surprised at how few people were waiting for them. They had assumed, after what they just went through, the dock would be swarming with security personnel holding assault rifles and bazookas. They could see six, maybe seven men. And only one of them had a weapon.
Runbee steered the vessel along the side of the dock. He stepped down into the galley to wish his monarch farewell. “You have arrived safely, Your Majesty,” he announced, placing his hand to his forehead and giving a slight bow. “If you have no further use of me, I will take my leave of you and leave you in the capable hands of the commander of this facility.”
“Thank you, Runbee, for all your help and the help of your team,” Europa said. “Please thank them for me. I owe you and them much, as does my brother,”
“Part of our duty, Your Majesty.” Turning toward Terrance, Runbee added, “It was nice to meet you, Terrance. I hope we have the pleasure of meeting again.” With that said, Runbee stepped up into the wheel house and said goodbye to Earon, then walked over to Jeanip. After saying a few words to him, he jumped overboard and returned to the ocean. Europa and Terrance watched as he surfaced, transformed back into a dolphin. The other dolphins joined him and together they swam back down the channel to patrol its entrance from the sea.
Europa poked her head through the doorway. “Okay for us to come out now?” she asked Jeanip. Jeanip said nothing, only gave a nod of his head. As she stepped onto the deck Europa noticed Jeanip still sitting on the bench where he had been before they had lost the light. His skin color was pale, he was covered in sweat and it appeared he was having some trouble breathing. Realizing Jeanip had not risen when she entered the wheel house, she knew he was in serious trouble.
“Your Majesties, I am thankful you arrived here safely,” came a voice from a man stepping down onto the deck from the dock. Although the cave was well lit, Europa could not see the man’s face because he wore a hooded cloak that hid his face from view. “And, Mr. Landers, I see you continue on your quest for knowledge,” the man said, seeming to know Terrance.
Terrance took a step closer to the man. Now able to see the face under the hood, he immediately recognized the man. “Mr. Dark Feather, how nice to see you again.”
“Mr. Dark Feather,” Europa said, “I did not recognize you at first. I do not know if you know my brother,” she said.
“Earon, it is so nice to see you without your covering. It has been many years since I got to see the man who protects our treasure.”
“Hi, Mr. Dark Feather. It is a pleasure to see you again also,” Earon stated.
Europa was not surprised Mr. Dark Feather knew Earon, or that he knew Earon was a shape-shifter and had spent the past twenty years in the form of her guardian canine. She now wondered in what other form she knew Mr. Dark Feather as.
“Jeanip, I see the journey has not been kind to you,” Mr. Dark Feather said, as he walked over to Jeanip.
“I have had more agreeable journeys,” Jeanip softly spoke, trying to force a smile on to his face but not having the strength to accomplish it.
“Let the unkindness of your journey end here. You need rest before you begin a new journey,” Mr. Dark Feather said, knowing before he even spoke the words Jeanip would object and insist they must continue on their way.
“There is no time for rest, Chancee,” Jeanip said, addressing Mr. Dark Feather by his Waters’ name. “JeffRa is out there hunting for her. I must get her to safety as I promised Medaron.”
“And so you shall, My Old Friend,” Mr. Dark Feather said, as he injected Jeanip with a syringe of sedatives.
Realizing he had been tricked into a false sense of security, Jeanip tried to jump to his feet. “Chancee, not you,” he shouted, as he stared at the betrayer standing before him. But due to his physical condition, the adrenaline pumping through his system was not enough to keep him standing. As his eyes closed, Jeanip summoned every ounce of energy he could find and yelled one final command to Europa and Earon, “RUN!” Darkness engulfed him as his legs buckled beneath him and he slumped forward, sedatives pulsing through his body. Chancee caught the motionless Jeanip in his arms, motioning to the males on the dock, who immediately came aboard with a stretcher for Jeanip.
Fearing they had been betrayed, Europa screamed out as Jeanip crumbled into Chancee’s arms. “NO!” Earon grabbed her arm and pulled her back, positioning her behind Terrance and himself. He raised the rifle he still had in his hands and aimed it toward the oncoming males.
“I’m sorry, Your Highnesses, I did not mean to alarm you,” Mr. Dark Feather said, firmly holding onto the unconscious Jeanip. “I had to surprise Jeanip with the sedatives. He would not have allowed us to treat him until he had you hidden safely away. He is so dedicated to you two he will not consider slowing down. Unfortunately, this time that dedication would have cost him his life. You can lower your weapon, young Earon. You are safe. You all are safe. This I swear is true, and bind the truth with my life and water.”
Earon looked at Mr. Dark Feather. The binding of the truth with his life was the most sacred, the highest assurance a Waters could give. To break the truth would mean he would not only forfeit his life, but he would not be allowed to flow out in water. His essence would be condemned to a nonexistence in dirt. Earon lowered his rifle but remained standing in front of Europa.
As the two males with the stretcher came closer, Europa noticed a tall, dark skinned man with long hair tied at his neck in a ponytail accompanying them. He waited until the males lifted Jeanip from Mr. Dark Feather’s arms on to the stretcher, and then began to scan Jeanip’s body with mechanical devices. He then removed a syringe from his pocket and injected Jeanip with it, followed by instructing the males to take Jeanip to the medical room.
“Forgive me, Your Highnesses, for not introducing myself upon arriving in your presence, but I needed to get Jeanip stabilized,” the male said, addressing both Europa and Earon. “My name is Leenow,” he said, as he raised his hand to his forehead and gave a small bow. “I am a medical helper. And I too apologize if our tactics gave you worry. We knew the only way Jeanip would allow us to treat him would be if he didn’t know about it.”
“How is he?” Europa asked, pushing her way past Earon. “He does not look well. Is he going to be okay?”
“I wish I could say he was going to be fine, but the truth is, I do not know. The shot he took in the side seems to have done a lot of damage and is extremely serious. I will have a better idea of a prognosis in a few hours, after I’ve had time to remove the bullets and repair his wounds,” Leenow replied. “Now I must take leave of you and tend to my patient while I’m able to. Once he wakes up he probably won’t let me within ten feet of him.” Leenow hurried off after Jeanip.
“There must be some mistake,” Europa said, staring at Mr. Dark Feather, confused at Leenow’s statement. “Jeanip took a hit to his leg. There is one, possibly two bullets in the leg, but it did not hit his artery. The bleeding was contained.”
“That is true, Europa,” Mr. Dark Feather confirmed. “But what you did not know is he had also taken injury to his side. He kept that truth from you. And, as Leenow has stated, that wound is very serious, serious enough to end his life. Fortunately for us, Runbee saw the wound and had Graybin swim ahead and advise us of his condition.”
“Why did he not tell us? He could have died,” Europa said, trying to contain the terror growing inside her that she might lose another person whom she loved, another member of her family.
“Because he thought he was,” Earon said, shaking his head slowly from side to side, angry with himself that he did not realize the seriousness of Jeanip’s condition.
“What do you mean, Earon?” Europa asked, looking into her brother’s eyes for clarification.
“Europa, do you
not see? Jeanip never thought he would make it here, at least not alive. After all the Waters we lost today, he did not want us to worry about losing him too. Crazy as it sounds, he would have believed us knowing would somehow jeopardize our safety. Plus, he would not want to be disgraced in front of you.”
“Disgraced in front of me?” Europa asked, still trying to comprehend Jeanip’s thinking. “Why in the world would he be disgraced?”
“Because he is a soldier,” Earon replied. “If for any reason, including death, prevents him from completing the mission Enok and Medaron gave him – namely our safe arrival at you know where – he failed the pledge he made to the royal family. Failure to him is a disgrace.”
“You understand him well, Earon,” Mr. Dark Feather softly said, admiring the young monarch standing before him. He was definitely his father’s son, possessing the same intuition as Enok. “Failure is not a word in Jeanip’s vocabulary. And your safekeeping is ingrained in every part of his being, in every corner of his soul, in every thought and action he thinks and does. He would forego any thoughts not related to your safe journey.”
“But if our safety is such a high priority to him, did he not realize we could not go on without him?” Europa asked while still trying to understand. Wiping away a tear she softly added, “Does he not know I need him?”
“No, Sis, all Jeanip knew was he had to get us here,” Earon answered. “He did not fail us; it was us who failed him, especially me. As his monarchs, it was our responsibility to make sure he was okay, that he was able to fulfill his promise to keep us safe. We became so wrapped up in ourselves, what happened to us, who we lost today that we did not see the pain he was in or recognize that his very life was dwindling away. It was OUR duty to keep HIM safe!”
Mr. Dark Feather looked at Earon, astonished at the wisdom this young monarch processed. “Not only do you understand Jeanip, young Earon, but you truly understand what it is to be a monarch. Yes, the role of a monarch is to ensure his or her people are safe and are able to fulfill the vows they have made. But no one expects that of you two – not yet. Europa has been a true monarch for less than a day and you have not been given the ability to reign over your people yet because your father is still alive.” Seeing the seriousness on the faces of Earon and Europa and the weariness on Terrance’s, Mr. Dark Feather changed the subject. “For now, let us put such talk aside to be discussed later. Come, I know you are tired and hungry. Jeanip is alive and in the best hands possible. We have a dinner waiting for you, and warm, soft beds for you to rest in.” He extended his arm, palm up indicating they move onto the dock and into the cave.
“By any chance, Mr. Dark Feather, might there be coffee?” Europa asked, stepping onto the dock. The thought of food and a warm bed sounded like heaven.
“As much as you would like, My Child,” Mr. Dark Feather answered with a smile, thinking how much Europa was like her mother. “As much as you would like.”
____________
Europa lifted the steaming brew to her lips, slowly sipping it into her mouth, savoring the beloved taste of fresh brewed coffee. As before, her thoughts returned to Misso and she wondered if the day would ever come when she could drink a cup of coffee without thinking of her. She took another sip, then sat the cup down softly on the table, allowing her head to hang down. All the simple, wonderful things Misso had done for her without receiving many thanks. Misso was now gone, as was the kitchen she had made that coffee in. Now she was in danger of losing the only father figure she had ever known – Jeanip. She could survive all that had happened, all she had lost. But she didn’t believe she could survive loosing Jeanip and her mother both. She could survive the loss of one, but not both.
“Unless you would like something more to eat, I’ll show you to where you can lay down for a while,” Mr. Dark Feather said, bringing Europa back to the present.
“Mr. Dark Feather, I would like to see Jeanip before I retire,” Europa announced, as she turned to address him. “Would you please take me to his room?”
“I’m not sure Leenow would want him disturbed,” Mr. Dark Feather answered. “I’ll make sure you’re taken there first thing tomorrow morning, Your Majesty.”
“This is not a request, Mr. Dark Feather,” Europa said, putting down her cup of coffee and rising to her feet, taking one step toward her caregiver. “It is a statement, an order. I want to see Jeanip. You are to take me to him now.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. This way,” Mr. Dark Feather said, gesturing down the corridor to the left. He was delighted to hear Europa using such a commanding voice. She was becoming the leader she was born to be, she needed to be. That leader, along with her quanish and brother, would get her safely to Saint’s Isle.
As Europa walked with Mr. Dark Feather, Earon and Terrance quickly rose and followed the two. Europa turned toward them, saying, “You two can go ahead to the sleeping area. I will be okay going by myself.”
Earon shook his head negatively. “Europa, I have been your guardian since you were born. I was given this assignment by our father. Unless I am mistaken, he has not been here to tell me my assignment is over. Therefore, I am coming with you. If you would prefer I can accompany you as Triton.”
Europa gave him a smile. “The form of Earon is perfectly okay.” She reached out and grabbed his hand.
“Well, if he gets to go, I’m going too,” Terrance said. “I’m an honorary protector.”
“That you are,” Europa said, as she slipped her arm inside Terrance’s. Together, the three followed behind Mr. Dark Feather as he led them to the medical room.
A few feet down the hallway Mr. Dark Feather turned right and walked down several steps. He continued down this hallway for thirty feet until he stood before a double set of doors with the word “MEDICAL” above the door frame. As they entered they saw a large, semi-lit room that reminded them of an Emergency Room. White drapes hung from the ceiling dividing the room into twelve different sections. In each section was a medical bed, a basin, two chairs, an IV pole, numerous medical machines and a tray of supplies. All of the beds were empty except for the one straight ahead. Europa could see Jeanip laying in the bed and still being attended to by Leenow. In silence and alone, she walked straight across the floor to Jeanip’s bed. As Terrance stepped to follow, Earon grabbed him by the arm.
“Give her some time with him by herself,” Earon said. “We can wait over here.” The two men stepped to the side where they waited while still keeping an eye on Europa.
“How is he doing?” Europa asked Leenow as she neared Jeanip.
Leenow looked up from the pad he was writing on. “He’s about the same. So far he hasn’t been responding to any of our treatment. We’re pumping him full of fluids, vitamins and other elements his body needs, but his organs may be past the capability of utilizing them.”
“Is he going to die?” Europa asked, her voice emotionless, the thought of Jeanip’s death something she could not fathom at the moment.
“I honestly don’t know, Your Majesty. We’re doing all we can. If he had gotten here just a few hours sooner he’d have a better chance. If he can make it through the night without any organs failing, then I’d say he has a fighting chance.”
Europa looked at the IV tube in Jeanip’s arm. With her eyes she followed the tubing back to the bottle of lilac liquid that flowed through the IV tube. “Leenow, is that the same lilac water Jeanip gave Misso?”
“Yes, Your Majesty, it is the water from our homeworld,” Leenow replied. “In our transformed shapes we Oonocks take on the healing process of the animal we have transformed into. But in our true state, our healing process is accelerated. A two-week healing would be completed in several hours in our true state. When an Oonock cannot return to the deep ocean to heal, we have found putting some of our water in our blood stream will also accelerate the healing process.”
“So, if Jeanip was to return to the deep and transf
orm into his true self, he’d be okay?” Europa asked.
“More than likely. There could be some side effects from his wounds, but for the most part he’d be completely healed.”
“Then why doesn’t he return to the deep?”
“Probably for the same reason he didn’t head for here when he could. Until you reach your security destination, everything else is of no importance, including his own life,” Mr. Dark Feather answered, stepping closer.
“Then, as your leader, I command you to take him down to the Complex,” Europa ordered. She saw neither Mr. Dark Feather nor Leenow were moving, were not carrying out her orders. “Why are you still standing there? Carry out my orders immediately. HE MUST NOT DIE!”
“Forgive me, Your Highness, but it is too late to transport him below,” Leenow replied. “If you so order it again, I will prepare him to return to the Complex. But in his present condition, I can assure you he will not survive the journey.” Leenow waited, letting Europa comprehend his words. “Do you wish me to transport him?”
“No,” whispered Europa.
“I’ll give you some time alone with him.” Leenow pulled one of the chairs closer to the bed for Europa to sit in. He pulled the white curtain shut as Chancee and he left the room, giving her privacy.
Europa gently lifted Jeanip’s hand and held it lightly in her own. She looked down upon his face, seeing the fine lines of crow’s feet around his eyes, the dimple in his chin, the gray in his temples, the battle scars on his face. It was the same face she had been looking into all her life. It was a face of strength, of determination, of honor. A face that always showed her love and tenderness, a face that always reassured her she could do anything. A face that believed in her for who she was, especially when she didn’t. But for the first time she could remember, this beautiful face also looked pale, fragile, beyond help.
“Jeanip, it is me, Europa. I do not know if you can hear me or not,” Europa softly spoke. “You did it. You got us here to Mr. Dark Feather. We are safe. But you were hurt and did not tell me, and now you might leave me. And Jeanip, I cannot go on if you are not there to take me the rest of the way.” Tears began to fill her eyes until it was hard to see his face, then they rolled down her cheeks on to his hand. “I cannot lose you, Jeanip. You are the only father figure I have ever known. I never realized it until now how much I love you, how much you mean to me. It was your face I saw above my crib when I would wake up at night and was afraid. You would rock me and hum to me until I would fall asleep. When I learned how to ride my bike, it was your hands that held it steady for me until I gained my balance. You taught me so many things, Jeanip. You may think you have no more to teach me, but you do. I do not know how to lead our people, how to be a monarch. I need you to help me, to show me how to be a great one like my mother. Do you hear me, Jeanip? I NEED you – now more than ever.” The tears continued to drip onto his arm, soaking the sheet beneath it. “Earon needs you too. He will not tell you that, but I can sense he is afraid of losing you also. Neither of us can make it without you. Do you hear me? You have to get better.”
Suddenly, an alarm began to sound on the panel above Jeanip’s bed, bringing her to her feet. Another alarm followed. Jeanip’s body began to shake as a wave of convulsions swept through his body. Europa heard the white curtain pushed open as Leenow rushed in, medical scanner in hand. He began to scan Jeanip’s body, giving orders to two other medical personnel who had entered with him.
She felt someone’s hands on her shoulder urging her away from Jeanip’s bed. “The medical personnel need room to work on him, Sis. Why do we not wait over here?” she heard her brother’s voice say.
“No, I am not leaving him,” she said, trying to shake Earon’s hands off her shoulders as she firmly planted her feet on the ground.
“Europa, you are right. You should stay here,” this time is was Terrance’s voice she heard from behind her. “But you do not want to get in the medical team’s way and prevent them from helping Jeanip. Just take five steps backwards. That’s all. Just five steps.” Terrance looked at Earon and nodded, indicating for him to walk her back five steps. “Come on, I’ll count them with you. One, two, three . . .”
“Four, five,” she said, as she allowed Earon to lead her back five steps. There she stood, frozen in time, watching the medical team work frantically on her protector.
For what seemed like hours, Europa, along with Earon and Terrance, watched as the medical team worked to stabilize Jeanip. They injected more medications into his IV and directly into his body. Several medical instruments of unknown design were used to repair internal organ damage and strengthen his heart. Finally, Jeanip’s convulsions stopped and his body laid there motionless. Europa strained her eyes to see if Jeanip’s chest still rose and fell as he breathed, but she could not see past the medical assistants who were wiping the perspiration off of Jeanip’s face and body. After laying a clean sheet across him, all left except Leenow. Leenow turned and walked toward the three.
“Is he still alive? Is he okay?” Europa asked, not taking her eyes off Jeanip.
Leenow met Earon’s gaze and shook his head negatively. He then turned his attention to Europa. “Your Majesty, he’s not responding to the treatments. There’s nothing else we can do. I believe it’s time to take him down to the water so he can go home.”
Europa jerked her head around to stare at Leenow, her eyes wide open, filled with emotion. “What are you saying?” she yelled.
“He’s been a magnificent and noble commander for thousands of years,” came a voice from behind them. Europa turned to see Mr. Dark Feather standing there. “He deserves to be allowed to go home and flow back into the water.”
“No, you cannot be serious,” Europa shouted, wiggling herself free of her brother’s grasp. She stood there, at the side of Jeanip’s bed, looking at the faces of all who stood before her, her face pleading with them to tell here there was another way.
“Sis, we owe him that,” Earon said, knowing not to give this wonderful commander of theirs the honorable death he deserved would be unspeakable. “He has given so much to us and our parents. It is time for us to honor his dedication by giving him the death he deserves.”
Standing there, staring at her brother in disbelief, she knew he spoke the truth. “That we do,” she quietly whispered, as she sank into the chair beside the bed. “Make it so.”
“I’ll give you a couple of minutes to say goodbye,” Leenow announced. “I’m sorry I can’t give you more time, but he won’t hold on much longer. We have to get him into the water before he passes.”
Everyone but Earon and Europa stepped out of the room, closing the white curtain once again to give the monarchs privacy. Earon leaned down and put his arms around Jeanip, laying his head on Jeanip’s chest, tears flowing down his face as he said his goodbyes to his protector. Europa gently took Jeanip’s hand and held it in one of hers. With her other hand, she reached up and enclosed her fingers over the amulet around her neck, saying a prayer. Unexpectedly, Earon heard Jeanip’s heart beat begin to beat stronger.
“What did you just do?” Earon asked, jerking his head up, staring at his sister, a glimmer of hope in his eyes and his heart.
“I didn’t do anything.”
“Yes, you did. THINK!”
“I was just holding his hand.”
“What else?”
“I reached up and took hold of the amulet Mother gave me in one hand and said a prayer for Jeanip,” Europa responded, wondering why Earon was so excited.
“Do it again.”
“What?”
“DO IT AGAIN!”
Europa reached up and again took hold of the amulet around her neck. As she and Earon watched, the amulet began to glow as a soft lilac light began to travel into her body, travel down her arm and through her fingertips into Jeanip’s body.
“Look at the panel,” Earon shouted.
As they both watched in amazement, the instruments on the panel above Jeanip began to move into the green area, indicating he was better. As soon as Europa let go of the amulet the dials recessed back into the red, but not as far back as before.
A look of surprise and knowledge spread over Europa’s face. “I know what to do, Earon. I know how to save Jeanip,” she shouted, as she jumped up from the chair. Europa ripped the curtain back and began to run as fast as she possibly could toward the exit. “Terrance, whatever you do, DO NOT let them put Jeanip in the water,” she yelled behind her at a confused Terrance. “Do you understand? I know how to save Jeanip! He is not going to die on us.”
“Where are you going?” Earon asked, running behind her through the doors and down the hallways.
“To the boat,” she yelled back. “We need that Orb Jeanip brought from Mother’s attic. It’s in the box Sunam brought aboard.”
“The Orb?” Earon questioned, following her down to the dock. “What do you need the Orb for?” Then the comprehension of what his sister had realized became apparent to him also. “You can use the Orb to heal him. But what if the box is not still there?”
“It is. I heard Mr. Dark Feather tell his men not to take anything off the ship.”
Racing against time, the two siblings raced to the dock and leapt onto the ship. They frantically looked for the box Sunam had carried aboard containing Europa’s paintings of the Dumbo Octopus, hers and Terrance’s backpacks and the Orb. Unable to locate the box on deck, they ran down into the galley in case it had rolled down the stairs during their journey. Earon reached under the bench and pulled out the box, a huge grin upon his face.
“Found it,” he yelled.
“Hurry, get it,” Europa replied, watching anxiously as her brother reached inside the box. Earon raised his face to see his sister, his grin turned to disappointment. Europa could see the box was empty, indicating somehow the lid had come loose during their voyage and its contents scattered below.
“It is not in here,” he said. “Nothing is. Everything has fallen out.”
“Oh, no,” Europa said, panic now seizing her. “It could be anywhere then. It could even have rolled overboard.”
Just then they heard Terrance yelling for them from the dock. “What are you two doing down there? They’ve taken Jeanip down to the ocean. I couldn’t stop them.”
“We are trying to find the Orb we brought with us,” yelled Earon, still frantically searching for the lost Orb. “Europa needs it in order to help Jeanip.”
“The Orb? I have it here in my backpack. I put it in there before it got dark last night so we wouldn’t lose it.”
Looking at each other, they leaped off the vessel. Europa grabbed Terrance’s backpack as she ran past him. “Which way did they go to the ocean?”
“Straight ahead, over by that flag,” Terrance yelled, as he tried to keep up with her and Earon.
“There they are,” Earon said, pointing toward a small band of people standing at the water’s edge. “They are getting ready to walk into the water.”
“Stop,” yelled Europa. “As your monarch, I order you to cease what you are doing and put Jeanip down on the sand.”
Mr. Dark Feather turned his attention to the three running toward them. He ordered the medical personnel to follow her orders and place Jeanip on the sand. As she reached Jeanip’s still body, she dropped to her knees on the sand beside him, trying to catch her breath from all the running.
“Your Majesty, we cannot wait to take Jeanip out into the water,” Mr. Dark Feather began. “If he dies over land we will lose his essence forever. It is imperative that we take him out into the water now.”
Unable to speak as her human lungs sucked in air, she held out her hand to silence Mr. Dark Feather. Reaching inside Terrance’s backpack Europa brought out the silent Orb. Calming her insides so she could concentrate on nothing but the Orb, Europa placed it inside her cupped hands, then laid them upon Jeanip’s chest. She closed her eyes and began to hum the song of the Orb. It began to emit a low hum in unison with Europa and it began to glow a faint glow. The glow grew brighter and brighter as threads of lavender, purple, blue and yellow began to emanate from the Orb, entwining around Europa’s hands and flowing down from her fingertips into Jeanip’s body. In Europa’s mind she heard her mother’s voice speak the words she had spoken that day on the road before she died. “Ennay Benu Carif,” Europa said out loud. The Orb’s humming intensified, the threads of light encasing Jeanip’s entire body. The amulets around Europa’s and Earon’s necks began to cast off a soft purple glow. The group watched in awe as color began to return to Jeanip’s face, his breathing becoming regular and the blood on his bandages began to disappear. After five minutes the Orb grew dim, the humming ceased. The threads of light that had encased Jeanip’s body and Europa’s hands returned to the Orb. As Europa released her grip of the Orb, she fell backwards. Terrance rushed forward to grab her before she hit the ground.
Leenow ran over to the still Jeanip and scanned his medical detector over Jeanip’s body. He looked at the readings, then rescanned his patient, unable to believe what he was reading. “This isn’t possible,” he said, a look of astonishment upon his face as he turned to stare at Chancee. “There’s nothing wrong with him. His injuries are gone”. Leenow turned to stare at Europa. “There are no bullet wounds and all damage done to his body has been reversed. He’s completely healed.”
“What have you done, Child?” Mr. Dark Feather asked, trying to make sense out of what just happened as he turned to stare at Europa.
Everyone stared at Europa in disbelief as she laid in Terrance’s arms. All knew the miracle they had just witnessed and its impossibility. She had saved their commander, brought him back from the very brink of death. No Oonock had been capable of such powers for thousands of years, and then only in the legends of old. One by one, they lowered themselves on one knee, placing their hands on their forehead and bowing before their monarch, paying her their deep respect and honoring her for what she had done. Europa slowly bowed her head in response. Today she saved the life of the man who had saved her life countless times. Today she had become a true monarch, a true leader of her people as Jeanip had always believed she could be.
THE ORB HEALING
