The Falcoran’s Faith

by Laura Jo Phillips

  Faith listened as the man continued to ramble, more curious than ever as to why they were there. Jon had made an appointment with him for this meeting, but she couldn’t imagine why.

  “Mr. Fray,” Jon said when he could get a word in edgewise, “these are my brothers Tristan and Gray, and our friend, Faith.”

  “Oh, it’s good to meet you, yes, good to meet all of you,” Mr. Fray said, bobbing his head up and down. He walked over to a chair and lowered himself into it, gesturing for them to be seated as well. Faith and Tristan sat on a sofa, while Gray and Jon stood behind them.

  “Now, which of you wish to bond with a raktsasa today?” he asked.

  “Faith is unfamiliar with raktsasa,” Tristan said. “We’d like her to have one, but only if she agrees after seeing them, and learning about them. In the event she agrees, she will bond, but we must form a companion link at the same time.”

  “Yes, yes, quite wise, actually, quite wise,” Mr. Fray said, bobbing his head again. “I always recommend that a companion link be made, but my advice is not always well received. Most people who want a raktsasa are interested in personal protection only, so a companion link is not an idea to their liking.”

  “We are pleased to hear any advice you may wish to offer us concerning raktsasa,” Tristan said. “You are the expert, not we.”

  “Quite wise, quite wise indeed,’ Mr. Fray said, his round cheeks turning pink with pleasure. “Now, if I might suggest, it would be best to bring in those raktsasa that are currently available. I have only six, mind you, which is why I must make my trip tomorrow. This way, they will have time to relax while I speak.”

  “Of course, Mr. Fray,” Tristan agreed.

  Mr. Fray bobbed his head some more, then excused himself and left the room. Faith’s curiosity was raging, but she refused to ask the Falcorans any questions since they so obviously wanted her to. She would wait until Mr. Fray returned and explained, as he’d promised.

  “You are no fun,” Gray complained from behind her, sensing her curiosity and her determination to hold it in check.

  “You, on the other hand, are a great deal of fun,” Faith replied. “And so easy to tease.” The Falcorans chuckled softly, and she grinned, pleased with herself.

  Mr. Fray returned with a large, clear plastic box containing what looked like six brightly colored balls of fur not much larger than Faith’s fist. One was bright yellow, one bright red, one turquoise, one purple, one lime green and one hot pink. Mr. Fray set the box gently on the low table directly in front of Faith and Tristan.

  “Now, Miss Faith, if you would be so kind, please place one hand over those little holes on the side of the box, just for a moment.”

  Faith did as Mr. Fray asked, though none of the little balls of fur inside the box moved.

  “That will do, thank you,” he said. Faith withdrew her hand and Mr. Fray returned to his chair.

  “They are a little shy so, if you would, please do not make any sudden loud noises,” he said. “If you do, it will take that much longer for them to relax.”

  “We’ll be careful,” Tristan said, smiling at Faith’s obvious curiosity as she studied the brightly colored balls.

  “Now, to begin, raktsasa are, of course, shape shifters,” Mr. Fray said. “Their intelligence is perhaps twice that of the average Earth canine, though of course that varies as it does in all creatures. Raktsasa are also symbiotic. They evolved in tandem with their sentient counterparts on Kolusin, a world on the far edge of our galaxy. Unfortunately, the Kolusians very nearly exterminated themselves in internecine wars, leaving many raktsasa without a bonder. Many tens of thousands of raktsasa died as a result, since they must have a bonder by the time they reach adulthood. It is unfortunate as they are truly delightful creatures, but their evolution has brought them to this point and it cannot be changed any more than we can suddenly breathe water instead of air.”

  Faith listened, fascinated by what Mr. Fray was telling them. It had the feel of a speech designed to answer commonly asked questions, but that was fine with her. Considering the way he’d rambled earlier, this was probably the most effective way for him to get information across to people.

  “A raktsasa is, as you can see, quite small and sweet looking with their bright colors and furry bodies. However, it must be remembered that they can be quite deadly if not properly trained and cared for.”

  Faith caught the strong note of warning and caution in the man’s voice and tore her eyes from the brightly colored balls. She met Mr. Fray’s gaze, and saw that he was very serious.

  “Those six are the only ones I have that are in the optimum bonding stage of between eight and eighteen months of age,” he said. “They are taking this time to determine for themselves whether they would like to bond with you, Miss Faith. That’s why I had you place your hand there, so they could get your scent, you see. Now, if more than one of them wants to make a bond with you, they will decide among themselves which of them has the strongest desire, and is therefore the best choice for you. Please understand, you cannot pick and choose. They must make the choice. You may then agree, or disagree, with their decision if you wish. If none of them want to make the bond, I’m afraid that there is nothing to be done about it other than to wait until I have more raktsasa on hand.”

  Mr. Fray was looking at Faith with a question in his eyes, so she smiled at him. “I like that they get to make the choice,” she said. “I like it a lot, actually.”

  “Very good, very good,” Mr. Fray said smiling and bobbing his head.

  “Now, once it is agreed that one will bond with you, you will allow it to sit upon your shoulder and it will make the bond. It is not a physical bond, mind you. The raktsasa will sense your particular and specific brainwaves and lock onto them, merging it’s own brainwaves with yours. It won’t know what you are thinking, but it will know what you are feeling. The Falcorans wish to be accepted by the raktsasa as companions, so they will remain near to you during the process so that the raktsasa can form a lesser bond with them at the same time. If anything should happen to you, this will allow the raktsasa to live on with one of them, or to be cared for by them should you become ill.”

  “Wait,” Faith interrupted. “Do you mean that if I get sick, or hurt, or die, that the raktsasa would die?”

  “Oh yes, yes,” Mr. Fray said gravely, bobbing his head again. “You must never abandon it, or leave it alone for any length of time beyond a few hours. As I said, it is a symbiotic creature. Once bonded to you, it will perish without you. Unless it has a companion bond.”

  Faith looked at Tristan, then turned around to look at Gray, and Jon. “You guys are all going to do this, right?” she asked. “I don’t want this creature to die just because something might happen to me.”

  “We will each form a companion bond,” Tristan assured her. “You have our word that we will always care for the raktsasa in your absence.”

  “All right, thank you,” Faith said, relaxing. She turned back around to face Mr. Fray. “I apologize, I just had be sure.”

  Mr. Fray was looking at her in mild surprise. Then he beamed at her. “Very good, very good,” he said. “Now, you must understand that where you go, your raktsasa must also go. They generally prefer to ride upon one’s shoulder. They are very lightweight and have good balance. You will not need to worry about them falling, or ruining your clothing or anything of that nature. There will, of course, be times when you will wish to be alone, without the raktsasa present. In those instances it is best if they have a small space of their own. A bed, a protective box such as this one, or other suitable area. Just remember that they will become distressed if left alone for more than a few hours.

  “Now, this is the reason that most people wish to bond with a raktsasa,” Mr. Fray said. “As I said at the beginning, they are shape shifters. Through your bond, it will know if you are angry or afraid. If you, or the raktsasa is threatened, it will shift into a creature of great size, formidable power, and potentially vicious te
mperament. It will never, ever harm those it is bonded to, nor will it ever harm a child, even if greatly provoked. Aside from that, it will absolutely destroy anyone or anything that seriously threatens you.

  “You can train your raktsasa to refrain from shifting without your express approval. You can learn to modulate your moods and reactions so that the raktsasa does not overreact at inappropriate times. As I said they are quite intelligent, and they are motivated by a desire to please their bonder. But once they shift, once they release themselves to the fury of their protective instincts, it can be difficult to control them.”

  Mr. Fray cleared his throat. “If you are in full understanding of the risks and responsibilities involved in forming a bond with a raktsasa, then we may continue.”

  Faith sat very still, shocked to her toes as understanding hit her. This was why the Falcorans had brought her here. This was why they wanted to give her this gift. Somehow, even without asking her for details, they knew that she was afraid. How did they know? she wondered. She tsked silently to herself. Of course they knew. She could feel their emotions. Why shouldn’t they be able to feel hers just as clearly?

  So, the question was, did she want one of these protective little fur-balls? She gazed at the raktsasa for a long moment, then looked up, meeting Mr. Fray’s gaze once more.

  “Absolutely,” she said firmly, excitement racing through her. Protection riding on her shoulder. A living, breathing being who would put her first at all times, in all things. Who would look after her and fight for her if necessary. As it would protect her, so too would she protect it, she promised herself. Best of all, she wouldn’t be alone any more. She would have a constant companion. She couldn’t wait.

  “If I may say,” Mr. Fray said, smiling at Faith, “rarely have I been so happy to see a bond form. You will be a perfect bonder and companion for a raktsasa, Miss Faith.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Fray,” she said. “If I’m lucky enough that one of these little guys will accept me, I promise, I will take excellent care of him, or her.”

  “Actually, all raktsasa are female, Miss Faith. The males are much larger, and are not allowed to leave their home world. Now, shall we see what they have decided?”

  Faith nodded as she turned her attention back to the clear box on the table before them. She was surprise to see that all of the little balls had unrolled themselves and were now rather thin and flat. They were each about two inches wide and about six to eight inches long. They had six small legs spaced evenly along their underside, tiny black noses on the end of little pointed snouts, and big oval shaped eyes that matched the color of their fur.

  All six of them were standing in a row facing Faith, their noses pressed against the side of the box nearest her. A rumbling sound came from the box, reminding Faith of a cat’s purr.

  “Oh my,” Mr. Fray said as he stood up and approached the box. “I must say that this is a first for me, and I’ve been handling raktsasa for many years now.”

  “What’s a first?” Faith asked, suddenly worried that none of them would choose her.

  “They have all chosen you, Miss Faith,” Mr. Fray replied. “They have all found you to be worthy of their love.”

  Faith blinked rapidly at that. Then a thought occurred to her. “Mr. Fray, please tell me they won’t fight over me,” she said.

  “No, no, not to worry, Miss Faith,” Mr. Fray said. “Unbonded raktsasa will not fight among themselves. They will compare notes, so to speak, and decide which of them has the strongest need and deepest desire to bond with you.”

  “All right,” Faith said, relieved. “May I ask another question?”

  “Of course, of course,” Mr. Fray said, returning to his chair and lowering himself carefully into it.

  “If the raktsasa doesn’t have any others of its own kind around, will it become lonely?”

  “No, no, no indeed not,” Mr. Fray replied. “Once they bond, their bonder is all they need. In fact, having more than one raktsasa in the same household can be problematic unless they are very carefully trained to accept one another.”

  “Okay, that’s good since I’ve never even seen one of these before,” Faith said. “What does it eat?”

  “You will be provided with a full supply of food, supplements, grooming supplies, a bed, and a booklet that will answer the most common questions,” Mr. Fray said. “And of course the vid terminal should answer anything that is not in the book.”

  “Okay,” Faith said, then hesitated. She didn’t want to ask the next question, but from all that Mr. Fray had told her about the little creatures, she knew it was necessary. “I have just one more question. I have nightmares sometimes. Bad ones. How will the raktsasa react to that?”

  “It shouldn’t be a problem,” Mr. Fray replied. “Many people have nightmares, Miss Faith. The raktsasa have a rudimentary understanding of such things, and will know that you are sleeping and that there is no tangible threat. It may be upsetting at first, but she will become accustomed to it.”

  Faith was relieved that her nightmares wouldn’t prevent her from having a raktsasa of her own. She’d been watching the raktsasa in the box as Mr. Fray spoke, fascinated by the brightly colored creatures. They’d all turned to face each other in a circle, their noses together in the center. After a few moments the purple one rose up, cast her a sad look, then rolled itself into a ball. A few moments later the turquoise one did the same. She continued to watch as the others followed in the same manner until, finally, there were only two left. The red one and the yellow one. Her heart was pounding with anticipation. Then the yellow one gave her a sad look and rolled into a ball, leaving the red one to approach the side of the box and rear up on its two hindmost legs. It’s bright red eyes were fixed on her as it made soft little noises that sounded to Faith like the popping of bubbles.

  Mr. Fray approached the box again and raised the lid. But he didn’t reach in for the raktsasa as she expected. Instead, he stepped back and gestured her forward. “Miss Faith, if you would,” he said. “Now that the raktsasa has chosen her bonder, she will not take kindly to me should I attempt to touch her.”

  Faith stood up and bent over the box. She looked uncertainly at Mr. Fray. “Just place your hand beside her and she will walk up your arm to your shoulder.”

  Faith did as Mr. Fray said and smiled happily as the little creature climbed onto her forearm. It was very light, and its tiny feet were soft and warm as it walked calmly up her arm. It paused a moment to look into her eyes, and Faith saw its joy, and shared in it. The red eyes looked almost unreal, like they were made of plastic, but even though the color was strange, there was intelligence and warmth in them. The raktsasa climbed the rest of the way up her arm to her shoulder where it took a moment to rub against her neck in a gentle caress before making itself comfortable.

  “Now, I will take these raktsasa to the other room and leave you in peace while you bond,” Mr. Fray said. “It will take only a few minutes. I will return when it’s complete. If I may suggest, it is a good idea to give your raktsasa a name at this time. They like having names, and look forward to the day their bonder gives them one.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Fray,” Faith said. She turned her head to look into the raktsasa’s big eyes. “How about Bubbles?” she asked it. “That little noise of excitement you were making reminded me of popping bubbles.”

  The raktsasa made the popping noises again and rubbed against Faith’s neck at the same time, it’s fur tickling her jaw. Faith laughed with delight. “All right then, Bubbles it is.”

  Tristan, Gray, and Jon were mesmerized by the sound of Faith’s laughter. It was the first time they’d heard it. They’d heard a few soft chuckles from her over the past few days, but never anything like this.

  Getting to know Faith had done a lot to ease Tristan’s anger over the past week. He had come to enjoy her company, and he wanted her suffering to end as much as his brothers did. But his wounds ran deeper then theirs, and though he wanted Faith to be a part of their li
ves as a friend, he’d steadfastly refused to reconsider claiming her as their Arima.

  Until now. The pure, unrestrained joy in the sound of Faith’s laughter acted as a healing balm on his wounds. For one brief moment he allowed himself to wonder what it would be like to claim her.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Saige Lobo stood beneath the bare branches of an ancient tree at the edge of a deep gorge, her eyes closed, head tilted back slightly, hands resting comfortably on the large bulge of her belly. Her Rami, Faron, Dav, and Ban Lobo, stood close beside her, their eyes focused on the floor of the gorge, a jumble of boulders, dirt and gravel. A harsh grating sound suddenly filled the air, but the Lobos didn’t move, even when the sound grew louder, and louder still, until they would have had to yell if they wanted to speak to each other.

  The bottom of the mile long gorge, three hundred feet below them, shifted, then began to rise, sending gigantic boulders rolling around like marbles. The Lobos remained motionless, though a light sheen of sweat broke out on their foreheads. The floor of the gorge continued to rise, higher and higher. Fifty feet. Seventy five. One hundred. Faron wavered slightly and the enormous chunk of earth held steady. He blinked and refocused. The mass rose again, a little jerky now, but still rising nonetheless. A hundred and fifty feet. Two hundred.

  Dav swallowed, not allowing himself to think about the fact that they’d never managed to get it this high before. Not allowing the excitement to bleed through his concentration. Not wanting to be the weak link.

  A tiny whimper came from Saige, so soft it was almost nonexistent. But the Lobos heard it. They released the earth immediately and turned to their Arima, barely noticing the enormous crash that shook the granite walls of the gorge beneath their feet.

  “Are you all right?” Dav asked worriedly.

  “What happened?” Faron asked at the same time.

  “We need to get you home,” Ban said, just before the Dracon princes flashed to their sides with Lariah.