by D N Meinster
"I did," M'dalla said, and she touched the side of her head that Lodmac had burned.
Aros stared at the immobile WEXO suit. She hadn't killed him to save them. She'd done it for revenge, either for Yuurei or for her hair. "We'd already defeated him. This is too far."
M'dalla snorted. "This sort of thing happens in war, kid."
"I know," Aros murmured, and he saw Leidess' face flash before his eyes. "But he wasn't a Thalian. He was just..."
"An obstacle," M'dalla completed his thought. "One that I've removed for you. You're welcome." A black slate slipped from the arm of her cloak and into her grasp. "Here." She held it out for him.
Aros put his blade back and took the device.
"Did you get the master control?" she asked him.
Aros shook his head.
"Well, you can either plunge on by yourself or come back with your friends. It's your call."
"You're my friend," Aros reiterated.
"Even though I'm a murderer?" M'dalla teased.
"Yes," Aros meekly replied. He didn't approve of what she'd done, but it hadn't much changed his opinion of her. They were in the midst of a battle. He couldn't judge her too harshly.
M'dalla rolled her eyes. "I can't help you this time. I need some rest, Aros."
Aros looked past her, to the weapons lab. He wasn't about to break inside again; not with his leg the way it was.
"Find me when you get to Terrastream."
"I thought you were from the Twilight Islands."
"I am," she replied. "But that's not where the Roamers are."
"What are the Roamers?" Aros asked.
"Couldn't go one conversation without a question, huh?" She gave him a weak smile. "We're leftovers from another time. And apparently, we weren't needed."
"I needed you," Aros said. "I still do."
"I told you, I have a boyfriend." M'dalla's grin widened and she tapped his arm. "Let the Goddess point you true." She wobbled a bit before spinning and shifting away.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Progress
Doren wasn't sure if he had been dreaming. His last clear memory was him and his friends on a rooftop, battling men that had the same face. Everything that happened afterward was a haze. He knew he had been infected with the MR, which was turning him bronze for some reason, but the events that followed lacked any clarity. Limb-by-limb, his body began weighing him down and ceased to obey any of his thoughts. And once it spread to his head, the entire world became nothing but a foggy blur.
The moment lucidity returned was one he would have been sure was a dream. Rikki's lips had been on his in a romantic gesture he would have missed had it not awoken him. But she didn't stop with one kiss. She did it again and again, which not only convinced him he wasn't imagining it, but also, somehow, cured the Bellish disease.
As he examined the parts of his body underneath the sheets, a thought occurred to Doren. "Why am I naked?" He didn't recall undressing, but then, he didn't even remember coming back to the hospital.
Rikki's giggle hinted at embarrassment. "It was getting hard to tell the difference between you and your armor. So they undressed you before you got in bed."
"You didn't..." Doren wasn't sure he wanted to finish the question, as it may have been better not knowing the answer.
Rikki refused to look him in the eye. "I kept my hand on you to hold the MR back."
Doren couldn't remember what she had done before she kissed him. He didn't know what anyone had done. But her non-answer basically confirmed what he feared. She'd seen more of him than he would've liked.
The muscles in his arms resisted as he tried to push himself up in bed. "Where's Aros?" he asked, noticing that their friend wasn't in the room. Only a couple of peacekeepers were around to keep them company.
"He went to shut down the generators," Rikki told him. "We still have a mission, you know."
"You let him go alone?" Aros had an obvious problem adjusting and accepting the technology in Belliore. He might not be able to handle what awaited him out there all by himself.
Rikki folded her arms and dragged her feet away from the bed. "Did you hear anything I said, Doren?"
Doren pinched his earlobe. "I was in a daze. My ears were bronze. I haven't heard your voice since before we got here."
Rikki's shoulders dropped. "Oh."
"Why?" She must've been referring to something more than Aros' departure. Was it what preceded her kiss?
"Nothing," she remarked.
"No," Doren said as he pushed himself up even higher in his bed. "You said something to me. Something important."
She finally turned back around, her eyes moist with fresh tears. "We can discuss it later."
"No," he replied. "You kissed me, Rikki."
"To save you," she bluntly insisted.
"Was it?" His eyes were locked onto hers. "Or did you think this was your last chance to do something we should've done ages ago?"
"Doren..." She tried looking away. "You're right. We should go check on Aros."
"No." Doren tied a sheet around his waist and carefully slid himself off the bed. The cold floor shocked the bottom of his bare feet, but did little to make his legs more flexible. He kept one hand pressed against the mattress as he tried to prop himself up to his full height.
"What are you doing?" Rikki asked, moving closer to him.
"This." Doren pushed himself forward, wrapped both arms around Rikki, and kissed her with as much passion as he could muster.
Tears dripped from the corner of her eyes as she kissed him back. This time, there was no fear nor ulterior motive. They were finally able to express their feelings to each other.
The sheet slipped from Doren's waist as their lip-lock went on. Neither was able to let go of the other, even as the Doren felt a breeze against his nether regions. They had waited so long and had almost never gotten the chance.
They didn't have to speak the words "I love you." It would have been redundant. Doren knew how he felt about Rikki, and Rikki knew how she felt about him. And as compatible as their emotions were, so to were their lips and the rest of their bodies.
"Ahem." An obvious cough sounded from the corner of the room. But both Rikki and Doren were content to ignore it. They didn't want this moment to end, as they were finally in sync.
"I know I'm interrupting!" Keisler's holographic projection shouted from the corner.
Rikki and Doren pulled apart, though neither were able to look away from the other.
"I wasn't expecting to find you so lively," Keisler continued, though he realized he didn't have either of the Kytheran's full attention. "Will one of you fetch new undergarments for him?" he demanded of the peacekeepers. They promptly left to obey the order.
Doren could've peered into Rikki's green eyes forever. She'd never looked back at him in this way, that made him feel more courageous while also making him go all wobbly. If almost dying was what it took to bring him to this moment, it was worth it. It'd finally given them the chance they'd been waiting for.
"I wanted to update you on your friend's progress," Keisler stated.
With that, the Director finally grabbed their attention. Both Rikki and Doren broke their gazes and focused on him.
"Aros went a smidge further than I would've wanted," Keisler went on. "He completely destroyed our geothermal generators. I suppose it will take longer for us to get them back up and running, which is good for you, I'd say. Our solar reserves are at 8 percent. Keep that storm going for another hour and they'll be depleted."
"Where is he?" Rikki asked.
"There was commotion at the weapons lab," Keisler informed them. "So I would assume he's there."
At that moment, the room's door slid open to reveal Aros on the other side. His expression of joy at seeing Doren out of bed transformed to horror as he realized his friend was completely nude. He slapped a hand over his eyes and walked into the door as it tried to slide closed.
Aros fell back into an approaching peac
ekeeper, toppling them both to the floor. He rubbed at the newly acquired bump on his forehead, grateful that his focus was now on the ceiling instead of his unclothed friend. As he lay atop the chrome man, gray undergarments were pulled into the air from beneath him, and they soared in his friends' direction.
"Put these on before Aros kills himself," Rikki lightly urged. She left Doren's side and assisted Aros on getting back to his feet.
"My leg," Aros whined, lightly tapping on it.
Rikki touched her staff to it, healing the damage and eradicating the pain. "We were told you were at the weapons lab."
"I was," Aros said, staring at Keisler as they proceeded into the room.
"How did it go?" Doren asked.
Aros checked on Doren from the corner of his eye, making sure he was dressed before he hurried over to him and wrapped him a compassionate embrace.
A surprised Doren only briefly returned the hug before Aros broke free.
"When the rain stopped, I was afraid..." Aros said. He examined Doren head-to-toe to see if he could spot any residual bronze. "But you're okay. I'm so glad."
Doren hadn't expected such a warm reaction from Aros. The two had gotten over the hostility that plagued them in Faunli, but he wasn't sure they'd ever be as close as had once seemed possible. Aros' behavior was already proving him wrong, though aging guilt rebounded as he thought of how he'd attempted to ostracize him. They'd have been completely ineffective in Belliore without Aros. The MR had sidelined Rikki and Doren, if for different reasons, and only Aros was able to do what they'd come here to do.
"It's good to see you, Aros," Doren replied, patting his friend's shoulder. "So, how did it go?"
Rikki sidled up to Aros' side while Aros explained what he'd been doing since he left. He described the different zones and their accompanying generators, what had happened at the weapons lab, and M'dalla's assistance throughout. All remained quiet as he told his tale, including Keisler, who was as intrigued as any of them.
"So I got this," Aros said, displaying the electromagnetic device. "But I wasn't able to get the master control."
"You might not need it," Keisler spoke, "if the news I'm receiving is true."
"Which is what?" Doren asked.
"You need not worry about that," he replied. "With that device, you'll be able to get to the Key."
Doren scrutinized the black tablet that was allegedly their salvation. It was smooth, without any noticeable way to activate it. "How do we use it?"
"Aros must have a decent idea, if he's been able to use the armor," Keisler stated.
Aros swiped on his arm so that the hidden lines on it lit up.
"Precisely," Keisler said.
Doren prepared to run a finger along the device, but Keisler said, "Don't. We don't need you accidently killing the power in the hospital."
Doren stared at the device despondently, but he handed it back over to Aros.
While Aros took control of it, he was reminded of a question he had for the Director. "Have you weaponized Oblivion?"
"Have we what?"
"You have a weapon that creates holes as black as this," he said, holding up the device.
"You mean null space," Keisler stated.
"Null space?"
"They must have a different name for it," Rikki suggested.
"Do Kytherans call it Oblivion?" Keisler inquired.
"Fauns do, actually," Doren answered.
"Interesting," Keisler said, poking his chin. "Null space is an unfortunate side effect of the Parting. We can't get rid of it, can't go out into it. It even prevents us from breaching the atmosphere. But we've learned how to recreate it without magic."
"It ruined M'dalla's flail," Aros informed them.
"It can do worse than that," Keisler warned.
"Why hide it behind..." Aros wasn't sure what to call the glass that made it seem like the jungle went on forever.
"Our dome not only prevents us from going into Oblivion, but also gives us complete control of all atmospheric and meteorological events," Keisler said. When he noticed their blank expressions, he simplified his language. "It lets us control the weather. At least, it does when a mage isn't doing so herself."
Rikki gave a sly smile.
"When's supper?" Doren asked, patting his stomach.
All three of them looked ravenously at the Director.
"Get them some food," Keisler ordered the fallen peacekeeper as another helped it back up. "They'll need a decent meal before they head off."
"How about a nap as well?" Aros asked, eyeing a nearby chair.
"No time," Keisler said.
"We're all kind of exhausted," Rikki replied.
"You can sleep and control your storm?" Keisler asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
"Naturally," Rikki said, folding her arms.
"Very well. I'll give you three hours. Don't waste it." Keisler's projection disappeared, leaving the trio alone in the room.
"Are they still bringing food?" Doren asked.
"What about extra beds?" Aros followed up.
"I can handle that," Rikki assured him. She directed her staff toward the door, which opened so two additional beds could roll themselves into the room.
Aros left his clawblades and the device in a pile on the floor before he hopped onto the mattress. He didn't bother trying to take his armor off, knowing it'd be unnecessarily problematic and that he'd have to put it back on within hours.
Doren and Rikki sat on the edges of their beds, not so eager to drift off into sleep.
"Can you really keep the storm going?" Doren asked.
Rikki held her staff out vertically, and let it go so it stood up on its own. Black clouds swirled within the channeling crystal, which occasionally flashed with a bolt of lightning. "I think I can manage."
"So Aros," Doren said, turning toward his friend's bed. "Did you learn anything about the Roamers when you were with M'dalla?" They still knew very little about the opposing entity.
Aros' snores indicated that they weren't about to get an answer.
Doren looked back at Rikki and they smiled at each other. "I don't think he's faking."
"But do you think Aros could actually learn anything?" she joshed.
Doren snickered. "Well, he's impressed me already. Three generators. One electromagnetic device."
"Three pieces of toast," a peacekeeper announced as it returned to the room carrying a tray of food. "Nine sausages. Three glasses of zalga." It set them at the foot of Doren's bed before departing.
Doren went for the toast, though he was momentarily entranced by the light blue drink that accompanied it. "I guess Aros has breakfast," he said as he munched on the nearly burnt bread.
Rikki dug into the sausages first and gulped down an entire glass of zalga. "These people don't offer us food nearly enough."
"One of the many reasons I'll be happy to leave," Doren said, spitting out some crumbs.
"Don't you think we should come back?" Rikki asked, grabbing a slice of toast. "These scientific advancements need to be shared with all of Ghumai."
"There isn't a Ghumai anymore, Rikki," Doren said, finally taking a swig of zalga. "There are five separate kingdoms. And all the technology here doesn't make them better than Kytheras or Faunli or anywhere else."
"But they should have a choice whether they want it or not," Rikki insisted, waving around her toast as she spoke.
"I don't want it," Doren said, equating Belliore's science with the MR. If all their knowledge inevitably led to the MR, he wouldn't want to bring that to any other kingdom.
Rikki appeared to understand what he meant. "Magenine's Retribution. We don't know for sure what it is. They keep their secrets well."
"It seems obvious to me." Doren finished his sausage link and lied back in his bed.
Rikki tossed a bit of toast back onto the tray before heading back to her bed. She slid a finger down her chest and the silver armor loosened and tumbled off her piece-by-piece. "This isn't the Goddess
' fault."
"No, it's Keisler's. It's Versil Talap's. It's all of them."
"You sound awfully resentful," Rikki said, standing beside his bed in nothing but red undergarments. She slid under the sheets of the adjacent cot and stared at Doren.
"They did almost kill me," Doren said with bitterness.
"Almost."
The two of them sprawled out on their mattresses, ending their conversation as they tried to fall to sleep. Doren did not find falling asleep as easy as Aros had. His mind raced through the blurry events of the preceding hours and all they had led up to.
Like his mother before him, he had contracted a deadly plague. Unlike the Palmarose, which had eaten away at her skin, the MR's effects had turned his skin to bronze. The mages that his father had ordered to save her were all feckless in their attempts. One-by-one they failed the Queen, and her husband and son watched helplessly as she succumbed. But the mage that lay nearby had succeeded in saving his life. Why could she save him but no mage could save his mother? Was it the emotion behind the magic? The Queen was respected, some were even enamored with her, but the mages did not personally love her. Rikki felt something much stronger for him. Was that all it took?
Or was it Magenine? The Goddess had allowed for his mother to die, but because he was fighting on Her behalf, was he granted permission to stay? It was almost petty to allow for such an outcome. Nevertheless, it made sense if that was the case.
Magenine didn't care if his mother died. She didn't care how deeply it would affect the King or the relationship the King would have with his son. No, the Queen wasn't in a position to stop Hatswick or gather Keys. That made her expendable.
As his fury started to burn, Doren opened his eyes as he felt his sheets ruffle. Rikki climbed into bed with him and laid her arm around him. He was so taken aback that his rage disappeared, though his train of thought was stuck on the Goddess. "Why do you think Magenine allowed my mother to die and me to live?"
Rikki squeezed him as she snuggled against him. "So you're giving the Goddess all the credit?"
"I..." Doren wasn't sure how to respond to that. "Thank you, Rikki, for saving me."
"That's better," she said haughtily. "Now, let's get some rest."
