by Viola Grace
She chuckled. “Morganti. It looks like I will be meeting Relay face to face eventually.”
“Fascinating. I happen to have an invitation to take a post at Morganti. The Sector Guard there specializes in natural disasters, and it is right up my alley.” He slipped his arm around her waist as he often did.
She chuckled. “That is a strange coincidence. I wonder what the odds are that you would have an offer from the place I am being posted.”
“Pretty good. I made the call two weeks ago.” He turned her in his arms. “Do you mind?”
She stroked the hard line of his jaw and rubbed at the smudge of dirt on his cheek. Unable to resist the temptation, she leaned up and kissed him.
Sunlight danced around them as he held her tight, and their lips continued to make contact. Music swelled, and Reyan leaned back with a laugh.
Unrik stroked her cheek. “What does that music mean? Why does the Reyan Ikali Mar symphony mean something to you?”
She sighed and closed her eyes. “It was written for me by my friend and lover. He started it after I designed the weather machine, and he apparently completed it after I left to attend another drought on the next world.”
He frowned. “What happened when you returned?”
“He was dead and had been for over fifty years. I met with what survived from his family and laid flowers and offerings at his tomb.” She smiled softly. “He was a well-loved composer. There were many other offerings to him, so mine joined them.”
“So, you loved him and he died?”
“No, I loved him and I lived. I don’t keep track of time the way others do. I came back after his lifetime had expired, and I didn’t even notice how much time had passed. There was always another mission, another disaster to attend. I even walked his world a few times, but there was always something to call me away.”
He cupped her jaw and kissed her. “Well, there is one solution to that.”
“What? I have tried living alone. It gets very boring.”
He chuckled. “No, to travel from disaster to disaster with your lover or partner if you prefer. I am offering myself for either position or both if possible.”
She blinked. “That is very blunt.”
“What is your answer?”
She cocked her head. “Well, we do seem to work well together. I do enjoy your company and our talents are complementary. I agree.”
He blinked. “That is very blunt.”
She patted his cheek. “You are on a life span. I don’t want to waste any of your time.”
Unrik kissed her, and she laughed when he lifted her and shouted happily.
It seemed he was good with whatever time he could offer her, and if he was fine with it, she would find a way to deal with their inevitable parting when it happened, for now, it seemed that they had a future together.
Music swelled again, laughter and applause broke out all over the fields, and Unrik refused to stop grinning. It seemed they were going to Morganti Citadel as soon as Nekahar had a new mayor.
Chapter Eight
Leaving Jarko was surprisingly hard. It had been more home to her than any other world since Ichadra.
The new mayor was wearing some of the new official Nekahar clothing—a tunic, trousers, boots and a wide fabric scarf that could easily be pulled up to fend off wind or sun. The weaving centres were already making the clothing with fibres traded from the nearby Karok prefecture in exchange for three free calls to the Citadel.
Reyan was starting with a heavy ledger, but she was positive that she could earn her way out in short order.
“Thank you, Ancient Rain, for coming when we needed you. Your help and offer to encase yourself in servitude for our continuing prosperity will not be forgotten. Every year, this day shall be known as Rain Day and every attempt will be made to execute the symphony in your honour.”
She laughed and bowed. “It was my pleasure to correct an error that I made eight hundred years ago. Sometimes, you need to stay even if the world is going to hell around you. Treat the dome and the weather machine gently, and they will provide for you.”
Mayor Ar smiled. “We will. Should anyone try to abuse what you have given, we will rise up and defend them.”
The crowd roared in agreement.
Reyan leaned forward and whispered, “Good, because if you hurt my machine, I will come and dust storms will be the least of your problems.”
The mayor paled slightly, but he nodded. “We will honour what has been bestowed. Feel free to check on us anytime.”
“Oh, I will.” Reyan pecked him on the cheek and took Unrik’s hand as they left the exposed conference room that now featured outside the mayor’s office.
All public meetings were now literally held in public. Watchers could comment after any debates and keep in touch with what was going on in Nekahar. The area for the port was marked out and new structures were in the design stages. The town was tearing down the old and rebuilding the new with a nod to the weather that now embraced them.
Reyan asked Unrik, “Do you think they will be all right?”
“I think they will try, and there is nothing else you can ask of them. Each time you try, you either succeed or fail, but your character is determined by your willingness to keep trying.”
She smiled at that piece of wisdom. “You sound much older than you look.”
He chuckled. “And you sound younger than you are. I can’t even imagine what you have seen and what you have done, but through it all, you have kept a sense of humour and a willingness to work with those who need just a little help.”
She shrugged. “Helping them costs me nothing but time. I enjoy the work. It is all I have had for a very long time.”
He wrapped his arm around her. “Not for much longer.”
They entered the shuttle, and as the door shut her off from the air of Jarko, there was that moment of panic when she felt she couldn’t breathe, but it faded in a few moments.
She settled into a seat and waved at the pilot. “Hello.”
The woman grinned. “I am Pilot Leahki. I will be flying you to Morganti. Have you engaged in jumps before?”
“I have, well, the primitive ones. Don’t worry. Space travel holds no mysteries for me.”
Unrik sat next to her as the engines powered up. “I have never asked you, where did you come by such an interesting fashion sense?”
She laughed. “I came by it via trial and error. With the weather, I think leather is a good choice for outerwear, and this material is made on Jatkil.” She plucked at her shirt.
“What about the metal? I would have thought it would attract lightning.”
She laughed. “I learned what would and wouldn’t through trial and error. It was a detailed process, and I paid close attention. I was highly motivated.”
He smiled and held her hand. “I can imagine you would be. The designs on your buckles are fascinating.”
Reyan caressed the buckle on her belt with a sad smile. “Designed by Yrutha Wil of Jurla. She has been gone for five hundred years.”
“How do you have the buckle?”
“She drafted dozens of designs for me. Each was functional, but I have only had a few made into actual objects. The knife in my boot is one of my favourites.”
He blinked. “You carry a knife in your boot?”
“Well, I used to carry it between my breasts, but the handle stuck out.” She scowled and pulled the artistic object in question out so he could see it.
He took it with the masculine interest that it deserved and pulled it from its sheath.
She snickered when he stuck himself and took the blade away from him, cleaning it before she re-sheathed it.
“Where else do you have blades? I haven’t seen you shower, but you don’t smell like you don’t bathe.” He blurted out observations and questions that had obviously been on his mind for several weeks.
“Oh, as a side effect of my talent, I don’t have sweat glands. I simply secrete and absorb water f
rom the air. No sweat. Literally. If my shirt gets dirty, I just give off more water. The leather is cleaned with air and humidity. Cleaning my clothing is another thing that took practice.”
“So, you don’t bathe?”
“Of course I do. I just need a room of my own and a few changes of clothing to engage in that kind of routine. No sense in smelling pretty when you climb into the same leathers again.”
He shrugged. “Bathing is a ritual for my people. We do it at every opportunity.”
Reyan laughed. “You will hate Morganti then. From what I was told, it has the same feel as Nekahar city.”
“Ah well, I will have to look forward to more tropical assignments. We are registered as a team now, by the way.”
She chuckled. “I expect no less. Do you always dress in greens and browns?”
He sighed. “No, these colours are assigned to you when they determine what your focus is. I am an agricultural specialist, so brown and green are the choices.”
“What about the weather?”
“I think you get to pick your own clothing. You are a master by the way. Weather Master Reyan Ikali Mar. It has quite the ring to it.”
Reyan smirked. “I outrank you. Age has its privileges.”
“You are better at your job than I am. That is why you are given master classification.”
“How long have you been in the Citadel?” It was her turn to ask questions.
“Seventy years. My kind don’t age rapidly so look forward to my tormenting you for a very, very long time.”
She looked into his face, his dark eyes, the dark wings of his brows and the amused curve of his lips in skin that was tanned with a hint of green. “If that is a threat, you need to work on your delivery.”
He lifted one of her hands to his lips. “I will practice at every opportunity.”
Chapter Nine
Seeing a woman flying next to the shuttle and waving a greeting as they descended brought a surreal effect to the entire planet.
Unrik was sleeping with his head on her shoulder, so Reyan waved carefully with her left hand, and the woman gave her a thumbs up before flying away. Pilot Leahki was right, the uniforms on Morganti were something special. The black glittering suit of the flying woman had been covered with lines of studs that accentuated her figure and left the observer in no doubt that the costume contained a female.
Reyan could live with that kind of a suit.
The lights of the Citadel were visible over the pilot’s shoulder.
Reyan stroked Unrik’s face and woke him up. “I think we are here.”
His eyes opened slowly, and he smiled as he sat up. “Good. I am looking forward to solid ground under my feet again.”
She chuckled. “We have only been in flight for a day.”
“It was long enough. The months since I landed on Jarko have been long and being back in the embrace of the Citadel is going to be refreshing.”
Reyan laughed. “I will take your word for it. I am just looking forward to someone else arranging my travel for me. New clothing that can stand up to my talent would be good as well.”
Unrik stretched where he sat. “You have very simple needs.”
“I do. The first two hundred years teach you what you need to be happy. After that, it comes down to a matter of choice.”
The shuttle settled with a soft thud. Their pilot smiled brightly. “We are here, and there is a gathered group waiting for you.”
Unrik groaned as he got to his feet and helped Reyan to hers.
She sighed. “I expected nothing less.”
Unrik rubbed his eyes, looking like an almost-seven-foot child. “I need some more rest.”
She patted him on the arm. “I am sure that they will show you your quarters and let you rest.”
Unrik wrapped an arm around her waist. “I had hoped to have some private time with you.”
For the last few days, they had danced around the idea of intimacy but had finally agreed that privacy was a necessary component. Unrik had been looking forward to having private quarters at the Citadel Morganti with a determined focus.
“We have time. That is not the problem. Let them ask me what they want to ask me, and then, we can have some time together.” She drew him down to her by tugging on his shoulders, her mouth touched his softly and he trembled against her.
“It had better be soon.” He ran his hands down her back, and she chuckled.
Their pilot cleared her throat, and a few seconds later, they were on their way out the door, greeting the folk who waited for them.
The flying woman was standing there with a grin on her features. “Hello, Rain. I am Carella or Star Breaker if you prefer. Fixer has asked that you come in for a fitting for a custom suit.”
A male standing next to her scowled. “I am Turnari, head of Citadel Morganti. Welcome, Weather Master Rain. Welcome, Specialist Hobbs.”
Unrik spoke. “Thank you for the welcome. Are you needing anything from me, Star Breaker?”
The woman smiled. “No, Specialist. Thank you for the offer, but your specs are already on file. Fixer has a wind tunnel she wants to try out, and Rain is the perfect talent to test it. Do you need some rest, Master Rain?”
Reyan shook her head. “I would like to get any suiting up out of the way, so we can go immediately if you do not object, Master Turnari?”
She waited, and the man fought whatever was going on in his mind. He nodded his head. “Master Rain, please accompany Star Breaker to the Guard Base. I look forward to speaking with you upon your return to Citadel Morganti.”
Star Breaker stepped forward and put her arms around Reyan. “Hold on. Don’t worry, Turnari, I will have her back before dark.”
There wasn’t the feeling of being lifted, but rather, gravity ceased to have an effect on Reyan as the strange woman flew her rapidly to the sprawling base several kilometres away.
Reyan was shocked as a Moreski noblewoman walked toward her across the tarmac. “Master Rain. I am pleased to meet you.”
“Fixer, I gather?”
“Indeed, but call me Mala. I have to confess that I am very curious about you.”
The woman was the friendliest Moreski that Reyan had ever met. “I am developing an extreme curiosity about you as well.”
They clasped hands, and there was a small spark as power collided on a molecular level.
Mala laughed. “I did wonder about that. My grandmother gave me a book, and they mentioned the repulsion between Moreski and Ichadra.”
“It was designed in with the genes that caused the rainbow effect. It was so no Ichadran could meet a Moreski without either knowing what the other was. The species did not get along.”
“You know about that?”
“I was given a full Ichadran history education before I left. I know more secrets about my people than anyone in the known worlds. Funny thing is that no one ever asks.” She laughed and followed Fixer inside.
“Well, my father was a noble, but he wasn’t a jackass. He left his family and married my mother, having me. My talent alone would have gotten me destroyed on Moreski.”
Reyan nodded. “Oh, call me Reyan, by the way. Rain is a description of my job.”
Mala grinned. “Well, Reyan, take this suit, get behind that screen and change. After you are dressed, we will take you to the testing area.”
The next few hours were spent fitting the suit and then subjecting it to lightning strikes. When Mala had come up with a combination that she was satisfied with, Reyan produced her knife and belt, asking for the designs to be incorporated into the suit.
Mala rose to the challenge, and soon, the suit was a deep blue fading to grey and back again with swirling patterns based on the icons that had been designed for Reyan so long ago.
The end result rendered Reyan speechless. She turned and hugged Mala, ignoring the sparks along the contact points. Mala returned the hug.
“You may want to get yourself some Masuo to act as boots, but I will leave that up
to you. From what I have heard, you keep more contact with the ground than your sisters do.”
Rain chuckled. “I do. I walk the land and call the skies. It is what I was designed for.”
“Do you know how to pilot a shuttle?”
“I do. I rarely have to though. I try to pay for my travels.”
Mala looked at her curiously. “No offense, but how can you earn money when you just use your talent to effect the weather?”
Rain laughed. “I fill swimming pools.”
“What?”
“You heard me. I create a localized storm and fill swimming pools. It takes me a while, but eventually, I do enough to get me off to the next world.”
Mala giggled. “You are enterprising.”
“Oh, I am. I have also herded animals, created skating environments in mountain gullies and helped balloonists. Anything to get me closer to the goal of the next world. It is why the Citadel offer was so agreeable. Having unlimited transport was far too tempting.”
Mala looked around and whispered. “How are you enjoying your partner?”
“Why are you whispering?”
Fixer scowled. “Because my husband or one of my daughters can be lurking around any corner. He hides in shadows, and she is just invisible when she chooses to be.”
“You have children?”
“Three. Twin girls and a boy. We don’t know which one of us he takes after yet or if he has something unique to him.” There was nothing but pride in her features. Mala cleared her face and asked, “So, how are you getting along with him?”
“Well, he is going to be a little upset with me when I return. Tonight was our first night with complete privacy, and he is going to be twitchy when I arrive and have to spend time talking to Turnari.” Reyan paused. “We are a good match. He knows what I am and what it means.”
Mala’s features took on an understanding cast. “I know how good that feels, so I wish you luck with him. Feel free to come over here for lunch anytime you are stationed at the Citadel. I love talking to others, and I think my girls will love the sparks when you touch their little hands.”
Reyan groaned. “You don’t want me to zap them repeatedly, do you?”
