Cadence

by China Dennington

  “Well, we all have jobs. I’ve had the last few days off. I’m surprised you haven’t been assigned one yet. That makes me think that you’ll get a mission soon. When we’re not working...we do have a special place we go,” her eyes began to twinkle, and her dimples showed. “Oh, It’s so much fun, Astrid! Much more fun than I think even the Akaytan recreational places would be. Do you want me to show it to you after we finish eating?”

  Astrid smiled, “Definitely.” She looked down at the heavy lumps of green olan on her plate. She’d always loved olan.

  A restlessness occupied her body. In the back of her mind, a clock of doom seemed to be ticking down. Rune hadn’t mentioned anything about the core since the first day she’d been well. I told the Akaytans and the Veleens. Both rejected my message and tried to imprison or kill me. I gave them warning, so why do I feel like my job isn’t done? Like I need to try again? The reaction is not going to change. What about the Fillerra though? I haven’t heard anyone mention them. They need to be told.

  “Where are the Fillerra?” she asked abruptly, interrupting the silence.

  Ris became solemn. “You don’t know? I guess you wouldn’t since you just came from Akayta.”

  “Know what?”

  “The Fillerra were torn apart by a civil war a couple of years ago. They managed to wipe out everyone in the tribe. Well, almost everyone. Only one person escaped. Actually, she’s sitting right over there,” Adamaris replied, pointing to a serious-looking girl sitting at a table in the corner.

  She was all alone. Something sad burned in her dark blue eyes. Her black hair hung around her face in thick waterfalls. Her indigo tail gave her an air of solemn beauty. Astrid’s heart went out to her. At that moment she realized that everyone here had a backstory. A tale as to how they’d become outcasts, how they’d come to join the Star Tribe. All of them held wisps of the pain of rejection in their souls. All of them had sadness that they’d been forced to endure for years.

  And we all have a fresh start.

  “What’s her name?” Astrid asked.

  ​“Honor.”

  Astrid got up and began to swim toward her.

  “I wouldn’t recommend asking her about it...it’s kind of a touchy topic.”

  Astrid turned her head back toward Ris as she kept swimming. “I wasn’t planning on it.”

  Ris followed hesitantly.

  When they reached the table, Honor peered up at them, not smiling.

  “My name is Astrid,” she said, holding out her hand.

  Honor looked at it dubiously before shaking it. “Yes…”

  “Well...I’m new and I wanted to meet some people and you...look like someone good to meet.”

  Honor looked back down at the book she’d been reading. “If you want to know about Fillerra, forget it. It’s dead, and as far as I’m concerned the memory is dead also. Just leave me alone.”

  Astrid sat down. She could tell that what Honor said wasn’t true. The memory still lived within her. It haunted her every day, every hour, and every minute. That much could be seen in her eyes. She was still dealing with her grief.

  A current of discomfort ran through her. She’d never really tried to make friends in Akayta, and figured it would take some kind of guts. So she took a deep breath and decided to make friends with Honor. She felt like she understood her in a strange way. Even here, this girl seemed lonely. She needed a friend, and likewise, Astrid wanted to forge new relationships.

  “No, that’s not why I came over here.”

  “Oh, really? Why then? That’s the only reason anyone ever wants to talk to me.”

  “I know what it’s like to be alone, and I don’t like to see anyone else alone.”

  Honor gave a harrumph, “You are new. Everyone here knows what it’s like to be alone. I’m the outcast of the outcasts. I prefer it this way,” she replied sarcastically. Her eyes returned to her book.

  ​“No, you don’t. I can see it in your eyes.”

  ​Honor slammed her book shut. “Would you just give up?”

  ​Getting up, Astrid blushed a deep shade of red. Embarrassment overwhelmed her as she began to swim away. Why would I even try that. Ugh!

  ​A deep sigh was issued, “Wait.”

  ​Astrid and Ris turned back toward Honor.

  ​“Look. I’m sorry. I’m used to people being curious about Fillerra, not me. I could probably use a couple of friends,” she said with a tired look in her eyes.

  ​Astrid and Ris sat back down quietly.

  “So...what are you reading?” Astrid asked.

  ​“Time’s Grudge,” she replied glancing at the book. Even though they had notetablets, many still loved the feeling of turning the thick pieces of palare.

  “Have you read it? Nevermind, that’s a stupid question. Of course you haven’t. You’re from Akayta, and it was written post-war. I bought a copy of it from our book shop. It’s Veleen.

  ​Astrid smiled, “What’s it about?”

  ​“It’s...an interesting book to say the least. It’s about our ‘long lost’ time-traveling ability. Completely fiction. The book is intriguing. It follows the adventures of a girl named Rain. She’s caught in the middle of the civil war that split Atoa into Akayta, Velee, and Fillerra. She discovers that we all have the ability to time-travel.”

  ​“Is it good?”

  ​“So far...the emotional journey of the protagonist seem very realistic to me.”

  ​Astrid’s heart rose into her throat. Because you were caught in the middle of a civil war.

  ​“Do you want to borrow it sometime?” Honor asked.

  ​“Sure!” Astrid replied.

  ​“What are your favorite books?”

  ​“Hmm...That’s a hard one. I love to read. Let’s see...I like Prosper and Another Way Gone… I know. My favorite book is Verity. It’s about a girl who won’t stop working toward her goal of saving an alternate realm from destruction. I admire her determination. You know, I think characters in books can be very inspirational,” Astrid replied.

  ​“There’s no doubt about that,” Honor said with a small smile.

  ​Ris looked thoughtful. “I was just going to take Astrid to the Avocation Hall. Do you want to come?”

  ​“I never step foot in the place.”

  ​“Are you sure?” Astrid asked.

  ​Honor paused. “Alright. Only this time though.” She got up and put her book in a brown messenger bag at her side.

  ​Ris smiled.

  ​They both followed Ris’s blonde head through the streets of the complex for a while. Finally a large, square building came into view. Astrid gasped. It was remarkably different from the white structures surrounding it. The light gleamed off its shiny shades of purple and blue. She could hear the noise from inside all the way out to where she was hovering.

  ​“And that is the Avocation Hall,” Ris said with satisfaction. “It’s my number one, favorite place in the entire world.”

  ​“Wow. What’s inside?”

  ​“I’ll show you,” she said with a laugh, swimming quickly through the automatic doors. When they entered Astrid felt like she was plunged into an entirely different world.

  They were in a massive room structured like a hallway. Along the sides, various things were happening. A loud noise sent shivers down her back.

  Music— sweeping, heartfelt music— was being played by three merpeople on a stage to the side. Her head seemed to be spinning every which way as she tried to take in all of the things that were going on.

  The first thing that she saw (besides the musicians) was an area full of sculptures. Two sculptors sat with their tools, gracefully chipping the stone into different shapes.

  Next, on the right side of the hallway was a marble area, where merpeople were dancing to the smooth music being poured out from the musician’s fingers. The sound engulfed her.

  After that was something Astrid didn’t understand. It was a big machine with two metal pieces extending out o
f it, one to the right, one to the left.

  ​“What is that?” she asked in amazement.

  ​“That’s my favorite part of the hall. Come on!”

  With that she pulled Astrid up to the machine, then she put her hand onto a pad and closed her eyes. There were eight more pads like it. Astrid cautiously followed Ris’s example and placed her hand on the pad, closing her eyes.

  Suddenly she felt her mind being drawn into something. Colors flashed before her eyes and formed into a mountain. But she was floating on the mountain, looking down into a current of purple water.

  “What’s this?” she asked Ris in confusion.

  ​She laughed happily. “It’s The Paradise. The planet that Rune has discovered. Once we strain the last inklings of prejudice from Dalanda, we will go to The Paradise and populate it. There are so many wonderful things about it, Astrid! You’re only seeing a small part of its beauty right now.”

  ​A feeling of dread settled in Astrid’s stomach. She didn’t know why, but something felt wrong.

  “How do I get out of this?” she asked in panic, her breath becoming ragged.

  ​Ris looked at her in confusion. “All you have to do is pull your hand away. I don’t know why you would want to get out of it this early though…There’s a bit of a jolt at first, but it will be gone soon.”

  ​Astrid realized that her hand was still extended, even in this simulation. She quickly pulled it back, and the view faded away, leaving her in the Avocation Hall. She felt shaken. It was just... all wrong.

  Ris pulled her hand away and opened her eyes, frowning. “Why did you decide to leave?”

  “I just...didn’t like it,” she said.

  There was no reasonable explanation, but it felt deceitful to her. The powerful pull it exuded was frightening.

  Ris smiled dismissively. “Like I said, it can be pretty shocking the first time.”

  Honor snorted. “Shocking is right. I feel the same way about it, Astrid. That’s why I haven’t come here since then,” she said.

  Astrid smiled at her understandingly. As Ris continued to show her the various attractions, Astrid kept thinking about her experience. It had certainly been beautiful, but it felt too good to be true.

  She shook her head. I’m too suspicious.

  The hall contained a cafeteria, and games of all kinds. It was fun, but by the time she was done, Astrid was more than ready to go to bed. After she said goodbye to Honor and Ris, she swam back to her assigned room in one of the residential buildings.

  As soon as she turned off the lights, she got in bed. She wanted to spend time thinking about all that had happened in the past few days, but her body refused and went right to sleep.

  chapter eight

  The guider sat in his office in the Star Tribe complex, memories bombarding him with pain.

  ​He was only nine years old. The small boy swam through his neighborhood, quickly, silently, fearfully. He just hoped he wouldn’t be seen as he tugged the hood of his cloak up nervously. A hand grabbed his shoulder, and he knew that his hopes had been in vain.

  ​“Hold on there, little eleven,” a mocking voice said, stressing the last word.

  ​“You think you can just swim around our streets, littering it with your dirty presence?” the voice growled, spinning the small boy around to face him. The teenage boy glared, his smile lit with malice. His orange hair floated in a tangle of curls and the symbol of a one marked his arm like a burning reminder of what the small boy would never be.

  It was Endeavour. Dev for short. One of the many people who made it their mission to make him miserable.

  ​“Please stop, I…” the small boy began, looking down to show the proper submission, hoping that Dev would somehow decide to show mercy. But no, it just made the wicked grin on his face widen.

  ​“You shouldn’t even be allowed to live, leech. Maybe I should do Akayta a service by ensuring that you never sully our roads again.”

  The boy wondered if this would be the time Dev made good on his threat. Dev’s grip tightened so much that he could feel his own heartbeat pounding through his arm. The young boy only tried to yank away for a moment before stopping to prepare himself for what he knew was coming. It was the risk he took whenever he went out anywhere.

  Dev’s fist crashed into his stomach, causing him to lose breathe and give a little cry. Dev was hitting even harder than he had last time. His fists crashed into the small boy again and again. He kept on until the boy’s stomach and face were bleeding. With one last malicious grin and snarky comment, he twisted one of the boy’s arms the wrong way. Tears poured out of the child’s eyes as he slid down onto the ground, holding his arm. With one last curse, Dev left. Everything hurt as the small boy tried to move, but eventually he made it home. None of the single digits he passed cared to help him at all, or even give him a second glance.

  Chapter nine

  As soon as Astrid was up and about, she went to the cafeteria for breakfast. After she got some fruity blue marja, she sat down, and soon Ris joined her.

  ​“Why are you wearing the Star uniform today?” asked Astrid, as it wasn’t her normal fashion choice.

  ​“It’s required for everyone because it’s monthly training day. Many of us will be doing work for our missions and Rune says it’s good for us to see a representation of our unity every now and then. But onwards from that boring stuff. So...you’ve been here a few days, what do you think?”

  “It’s wonderful,” she replied, but in reality she’d been asking herself the same question.

  She didn’t quite feel like she fit in yet, though there was no reason to feel that way. I just have to get used to it. Everything seemed wonderful, but mysterious at the same time. That mysterious air made Astrid feel unstable, like everything could change in an instant and she wouldn’t be prepared.

  “Don’t worry. I know you may not be feeling secure right now. That’s exactly how I felt at first, but after a while I got used to people actually being nice to me without any ulterior motives.”

  “Thanks,” she replied with a smile.

  She understands exactly how I feel. That means I’m not strange, I’m just getting used to my surroundings.

  At that moment Astrid felt a change in the water. Chills ran over her arms. It was strange, like a current of electricity warning them. She saw that everyone else had stopped their conversations and were looking around alertly.

  “Oh no,” Ris muttered her face going pale.

  “What?” asked Astrid, getting the strong sense that she didn’t understand something.

  “The Feeling. It’s a signal Rune is sending out. It means that we need to be alert and ready to act.”

  Ready to act? Astrid looked around waiting for something to happen. The room was deathly silent.

  “He’s never sent The Feeling out before,

  except in training exercises,” Ris muttered clutching the table with her hands.

  What’s happening?

  All of a sudden, Rune’s voice came over the speakers across the complex, as he rushed into the cafeteria, speaking into a band on his wrist. “We are under attack by the Veleens. Battle positions. Repeat, battle positions everyone.”

  Battle positions? What am I supposed to do? They haven’t told me anything about this yet. Panic began to rise in her. She was completely unequipped. Ris jumped up and rushed off without even waiting for her. Astrid was left floating in a flurry of merpeople rushing every which way. A hand grabbed hers, firmly and warmly wrapping around her own. She looked up into Rune’s eyes.

  “I know you haven’t been trained for this. You need to come with me now,” he said with a tone of urgency.

  She nodded as he led her through the halls speedily and out into the open. At that moment a large boom rang through the complex, shaking the ground and causing white dust to fall from the dome overhead. Rune kept a firm grasp on her hand. Shouts rang out all around. What am I going to do? I should be doing something.

  Su
ddenly he bent down and opened a hatch in the ground that she hadn’t seen until that moment. He let go of her hand and began to go through it, then he looked up, saying, “Come on.”

  He was completely calm. She followed him down into the darkness, closing the hatch behind her. After several minutes, she hit the ground and lights flipped on.

  They were in a circular room with large monitors everywhere. Many of them showed live footage of what Astrid supposed were cameras on the outside, and inside, of the dome.

  What she saw made her gasp. Hundreds of Veleens were charging the dome, attaching explosive devices to it. Astrid could feel the rumbling noises from above. Rune sat down at one of the stations and began speaking back and forth with several people. At the same time he was typing different things onto the screens with quick swipes of his fingers. Probably giving commands.

  She continued to turn, looking at all of the monitors, which were playing live footage. One in particular caught her eye. Astrid noticed the difference because it didn’t show attacking Veleens. It showed two figures. She swam closer. After a couple of minutes she realized that it was a sixty second clip playing over and over on a loop.

  It was familiar. A merman with jet-black hair swam towards the dome, carrying someone in his arms. Mist and I, she realized as she watched the clip. He approached and gently set her down on the sandy ground. His eyes became gentle as he gazed down at her. As he stood up, he looked straight at the camera and said something. The noise of the attack was coming from the various cameras, so she had to get closer and wait until the clip reached that part once again.

  “I’m giving her to you so you can take care of her. She’s been poisoned by the Veleens with densbane. I wouldn’t give this responsibility to you if it were anyone else, but I know you won’t harm Astrid because of the soft spot you’ve always had for her. I believe it’s the only soft spot left in that cold heart of yours. If I’m wrong, then so be it, but if you harm her in any way, small or great,” a protective light entered his eyes, “you will have to answer to me. You claim I am a criminal, and you know I’ve never once harmed you. You have done many things to me, but I still haven’t done anything to you. But if she is hurt, that will change. She’s mine to protect. I just hope she won’t be fooled by your lies.”