by Viola Grace
Skiria smiled and waited. Water squirted out of his neck in foamy jets, and he flexed his head a little.
“Pardon me. The Avatar has arrived and your presence is requested in the meeting hall once again.” There was amusement in Tyvor’s expression.
“Now?” She touched her hair. She wasn’t sure how the suit would deal with her loose locks.
“Now. Your hair looks fine.”
She sighed. “Fine.” Without hesitating, she turned to the side of the dock and jumped feet first into the water.
She was breathing easily before her head had cleared the surface and her hair floated around her in a ghostly blue cloud.
Seven minute splashes sounded, and Tyvor wrapped an arm around her waist to help propel her through the water. Without a psychic word, they were off.
A crowd formed around the meeting hall. Folk stood or floated as they chose, all gazes aimed inward toward the hall itself.
Skiria felt a powerful mind up ahead of them and that appeared to be their target. She relaxed and let Tyvor move her around the members of the crowd oblivious to their approach. Her guards also took care of some of the others, creating a corridor through the curious dark gazes and into the meeting hall itself.
The guards paused and Tyvor continued toward the man leaning against the podium who was speaking with Tyvor’s mother.
He pulled up short and helped Skiria regain her upright posture.
Avatar Raygar-Salass, this is Skiria Linz of Resicor. Skiria, this is my great-grandfather, Raygar, Avatar of Salass.
She felt her cheeks heat as he followed her earlier instructions to the letter. She bowed her head.
It is delightful to meet you, Skiria. I have looked forward to this moment.
Skiria looked at the hand that Raygar extended to her. It was strange, as the Salass did not shake hands. It is an honour to meet you, Avatar. Tyvor has spoken highly of you.
Take my hand, child, there is nothing to fear here.
She blinked and extended her hand to his. His kind, smiling features went blank for a moment when she made contact. The electric pulse that ran between them was a surprise, as was the sudden discharge of mental energy that pushed the Avatar away from her.
Skiria floated back and flipped end over end while the councilwoman ran to her grandfather. To Skiria’s shock two of her own guards grabbed her and swam with her, deep into the city.
When they pulled up in a dark hallway, she heard one whisper in her thoughts, You are under arrest for attacking our Avatar. I hope for your sake that he recovers.
What? I didn’t…
It doesn’t matter if you meant to; you injured our Avatar. That carries a death sentence.
She looked frantically from one to the other as they stuffed her into a cell and sealed it as they exited. Tyvor was nowhere to be seen.
Skiria looked around at the smooth walls, and her knees buckled when the water left the sealed cell. The suit didn’t drop her shield when the water departed, so she guessed that the pressure was still intense. Unsure of what else to do, she sat in the corner of the cell, pulled her knees to her chest, wrapped her arms around them and tried to find out what was going on with as much range as she could muster.
The results were not good.
Twelve hours of waiting confirmed that the Avatar was dead as far as the citizens were concerned. The immediate response was to provide a formal Avatar burial and that meant that Skiria’s sentence was going to be carried out at the same time.
The guards that came for her didn’t speak. They weren’t from her original contingent, and they were bristling with fury at having to touch a murderer.
To her surprise, they hauled her toward the surface where a large structure was floating in shadow. The guards sped up as they approached the surface, and they pulled her out of the water and through the air to land on the flat barge with the bier in the centre. The manacles at the edge of the bier didn’t bode well, nor did the careful application of a thick oil into a trench on the sides of the barge.
With no ceremony, Skiria was cuffed in place at the feet of the Avatar.
The councilwoman came out of the sea with a smooth motion. She cleared her gills and hissed, “Skiria Linz, you have killed a good and true man, and in return, you will watch his body burn while your own death is assured under the sun. Make peace with your gods; you are about to meet them.”
The woman turned to jump, and Skiria asked, “Where is Tyvor?”
The councilwoman’s shoulders tensed. “You have contaminated him with your presence. He is being restrained until after your sentence has been carried out.”
Skiria read the truth in the woman’s mind and curled her hands into fists while the small splashes told her she was now alone.
Breathing in, the oil filled the air. All that she needed was an ignition source and she would be on fire.
The Avatar was moving slightly as the barge rocked. There was no colour in his face aside from the standard blue and green with cream accents. Skiria felt the heat of the new sun on her back, and she looked around to see the heat waves rising from the oil in the two troughs. Apparently, it had a low ignition point.
Skiria breathed in and out with as much calm as she could muster. Sure, she could have lashed out in panic, she could have screamed and fought with the guards, she could even have knocked them out and tried to swim away, but then, where would she be? On a world where she was wanted for murder with no way of getting to safety, that is where she would be.
She flinched when the flames shot up but faced the man that Resicor had set a trap for. She had been the means by which the Avatar had been killed, and she would take the doom that awaited her. It wasn’t a great plan, but it had dignity.
“Really? Dignity? Hmm. I thought a woman with your hair would put up more of a fight, but then, Resicor said you would do what she asked of you, and I didn’t believe that either. I am wrong a lot.”
Skiria watched in shock as the Avatar sat up and doused the flames with a wave of his hand.
“Coora whale oil. Very low flashpoint. Excellent for heating areas when wood is in low supply.”
“You are alive.”
“And so are you, child. I must give my compliments to Resicor; she really packs a punch.” He sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bier. “Come along now and we will get you back with Tyvor, and we can have a nice land-walker dinner at your cottage. You have an assignment that your world has given you, and you need to begin it as quickly as you are able. My great-grandson will assist you.”
He gave her a wink and unlocked the manacles with a touch. Once she was loose, he lifted her and jumped off the bier and into the water.
Your suit is good, Skiria, but would you consider gill implants? It would be simpler for you and you could get the fins to go along with it.
She couldn’t believe what he was asking her. If I am to go to other worlds, it isn’t really practical, is it?
You will have to go home to some world sometime and returning to Resicor is not what she wants for you.
How do you know?
The touch you gave me was a connection of sorts. You ran a strand of psychic energy from Resicor to me. The touch sealed the connection, and now, she is going to ask more of you.
What?
You will be her ambassador, Skiria. You are going to touch as many worlds as you can, carrying your link to your home world to every one of them and sharing your mind strike with the Avatars.
A thousand more questions rose in her mind, but he gave her a look that told her she was not to beak off quite yet. He had to make a point.
Chapter Five
After the Avatar informed his people that Skiria was under his protection, he demanded that Tyvor be brought to him, and the blooded and bruised man was produced in minutes.
Raygar didn’t let her go. He held her tight against him and waited for his great-grandson. When Tyvor came forward with relief in his expression, Raygar extended one arm, pulled him in
for a hug and then launched all three of them toward the surface with as much speed as he could manage. It was extremely impressive.
They didn’t just leave the water; they flew to the beach near her home. Her suit just snapped back into its normal position when he was setting her on her feet and checking Tyvor’s wounds.
He had gashes on his skin and he winced when he moved.
“I am sorry, Tyvor. There was no way to test the ambassador without seeing how she would react to a people who didn’t understand her actions. It was her final test, set by her own world. I was merely the means for the test to be administered.” As he spoke, he placed his hands a few inches from Tyvor’s skin and healing followed the slow sweep.
“Why were you the means?”
“We are close to Resicor, or we will be at the correct time. I believe that Tyvor was also a factor. He needs to get away from his mother and be his own man, plus you like him.”
Her cheeks flushed scarlet. “How would she know that before I had even seen him?”
“That would be the Archive mixed with the Commander. He made a match.”
She blinked. “I know about the Archive, but what is the Commander?”
“He is a matchmaker talent and one of the first of the Sector Guard. He and his wife fly from base to base finding mates for those who are not precisely in the right place to meet the one for them.” Raygar kept the healing going but he shrugged. “I have never found much of a problem locating a willing female.”
Tyvor snorted. “Willing, sure, but the one you want to wake with and work with, that is something else entirely, Avatar.”
Raygar smiled. “That explains your remaining on duty since she arrived, right down to sleeping in her vicinity when you needed a rest. Your mother, Yinka, disapproves.”
“She disapproves of many of the things in my life, why should the woman I want be any different.”
Skiria blinked and listened to their conversation for a moment before she realized that they were talking about her. “Hey!”
Raygar smirked but kept working. “The ladies do enjoy protesting, but I believe it is the feeling of being caught that startles that sound out of them. I was asking Skiria if she would consider alteration for our environment when her time as ambassador has run its course; she might consider it. She would certainly be able to wear nicer clothing. That suit’s design screams functional.”
Skiria looked down and scowled. “It isn’t that bad.”
“It isn’t feminine either aside from the body inside it. If you didn’t have that marvellous hair, I would have given up hope.”
Her mind bubbled with amusement at the situation. She had almost been burned alive for a crime she never meant to commit, and now, she was discussing fashion and femininity with the body and mind of a living planet.
Tyvor was standing and swaying slightly as his great-grandparent completed the healing. He was amused by the conversation, that much was certain.
“I haven’t had time or the opportunity to shop, Avatar.” She crossed her arms self-consciously.
“And I do not mean to mock you, Ambassador. You have many assets and that suit does a good job of concealing them. It will serve you well while you travel, but when you return to Salass, you will need a new wardrobe. I will make the arrangements while you travel. Things should be in order by the time your return.”
He straightened and stepped away from Tyvor. “There, good as new.”
“Thank you, Raygar-Salass. Your guard was upset by your passing.” Tyvor nodded and then grunted when his great-grandparent hugged him.
Raygar ruffled Tyvor’s hair, pulling it out of the braid. “I am sorry that they were so rough with you.”
Tyvor paused and then crushed Raygar in another hug. “I thought you were dead.”
“A handshake from a woman wearing gloves can’t kill me, Tyvor. You should know that; you flew with her. Does she have a malicious bone in her body?”
Tyvor released his grandparent and stepped back, wiping his eyes. “No, but you were not breathing, there were no life signs and your temperature dropped.”
“Did Salass grieve? Were there tremors in the depths?”
Tyvor shook his head. “No.”
“Look for those signs before you allow your mother to kill in my name again. I will have a long talk with her and make my wishes clear. Salass will take the necessary revenge if he chooses to. It is not for my people to decide.”
Tyvor nodded. “I will pass it along. I doubt that she will listen.”
Skiria blinked. “Right. Tea?”
She led the way into her cottage and went to the dispenser, summoning a pot of tea and three cups with all the accessories. With a tray loaded, she went to her outdoor table and gestured for her guests to sit.
Tyvor and Raygar-Salass looked surprisingly at ease sitting in the sun with a cup of tea in front of them. Skiria took her chair and sat primly while sipping at the sweet brew.
Raygar leaned back and his eyes changed to pure blue. “Well, it is good to see you up and around, Ambassador.”
Tyvor sat straight and inclined his head. “Salass, this is Skiria Linz. Skiria, this is the soul of the world speaking through my grandfather. The eyes are the clue.”
“She knows who I am, or she would if she would just check the outer dome of her mind. Lovely structure by the way; it was why Resicor chose you to be her ambassador. You can carry the message and remain untouched by it. It is a rare talent.”
“Um, thank you. May I take a moment?” Skiria bit her lip and crept up on the tenth ring in her mind. One band was alive and bright and bore the touch of Salass. They must have actually made contact for him to have made an impression on her.
Now that one segment glowed, she could see the rings on the outer layer. A quick count gave her twenty-nine dark rings in the exterior layer of her mind that hadn’t been there when she had developed her talent. The pain of the final contact with Resicor made sense now. Resicor had capped her mind, and the world hadn’t mentioned a thing.
“Do not blame your world. She could not send you out with the knowledge of what she had done. If you had been intercepted at any time, it would have ruined the plan and exposed those who assisted in it.” Salass smiled and sipped at his tea without touching the cup. It levitated into position and tilted automatically.
“I see. You are the donator for Tyvor’s power, aren’t you? It runs in your family.”
The eyes of the Avatar resumed their dark appearance. “Yes, it does. It is carried in the male genes and standard telepathy is carried on the female side. The women don’t appreciate the lack of power, but they make up for it with unforgettable personalities.”
Tyvor snorted. “That is putting it lightly. My mother’s thoughts can peel the cilia off the anemone.”
Skiria smiled and poured another round of tea. “I couldn’t possibly disagree with that statement.”
They shared a moment of laughter, and then, it was time to start planning.
Raygar tapped the table and a display of tiny glowing worlds began to spin above the table. “These are the chosen worlds, and they are waiting for you. They know of Resicor’s plan and contact with you will move it along.”
The bright globes swirled happily, and Skiria correlated them with the count in her mind. “How long do I have to do this?”
Raygar smiled. “You have eight weeks.”
Tyvor blinked, and he checked the tiny location tags. “We can’t. There is no ship in the sector that can manage that many stops, even with a jump engine.”
The smile turned into a grin. “I have an answer for that. Finish your tea and come with me.”
Skiria and Tyvor bolted their tea back and got to their feet. There was something in Raygar’s eyes…this was going to be interesting.
At the far edge of her tiny island, they stood on a platform and Raygar extended his hand over the water.
The sea churned and lashed at the surface as something very large began to approach.
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Raygar was still grinning. “You are about to see the most treasured visitor of Salass. She has been here for two hundred years and is a tremendous chess player. I confess that I have been dreading this day as well as looking forward to it.”
Skiria blinked. “She?”
He didn’t explain, half a kilometer of shining metal came out of the sea and the water beaded and slid off. No sediment remained on its surface; the slick hull simply rejected the touch of the ocean as it climbed back into the air.
“Tyvor, Skiria, I would like to introduce you to the Yesnic Laksor.”
Skiria’s brain translated for her. “The Mind Strike?”
“Very good. It is in ancient Resicoran, but it translates well to your situation.”
“How do you know ancient Resicoran?” she looked at him briefly before watching the rest of the ship ascend until it was completely out of the water and slowly gliding toward them. Raygar was no longer controlling it. Whatever was inside the ship was now in complete control and moving on its own.
The ship cruised close to their steps, and it hovered soundlessly by the steps.
The sudden move made Skiria blink. “Now? You want us to go now?”
“There is no time to waste, and the ship has been in preparation mode for the last three months. Get going and come back. I will gather the information you need and make arrangements for an environmental alteration if you are interested. Resicor tells me that you would make the transition easily.”
Tyvor jerked his head at the ship. “Are there extra suits on board?”
“Yes, and a full food and design centre. You will have everything you need. You and Skiria will be comfortable, protected and well-armed. I am confident that you can begin and end your task with the skill you have shown in your other duties.”
Raygar hugged his great-grandson and then brought Skiria in for a crushing display of affection as well.
She felt power as well as arms surround her, and she didn’t fight the embrace.
When she stood back and looked toward the ship, it had extended a long plank toward the stone where they stood, and it was waiting patiently for them to conclude their goodbyes.
