When she put it that way, I had trouble arguing with her.
And, truth be told, I already knew what I wanted to do with my next wisp of mana.
Another of my parents’ lessons came to my mind, one of the later ones, that they had insisted on pounding into my mind even though it should have been ten years too early to understand anything so complicated. But they had insisted, and so I had walked away with my current line of thinking: if math allowed one to apply and understand physics, engineering allowed one to use the laws of matter for practical purposes.
Like physics, it had been a concept I had only grasped the barest of basics for. But at this level of my Advancement, that was all I needed. Mana practitioners at the tin stage were not expecting to already know all the mysteries of what they wanted to study, and it was Vessa’s pounding of that fact into my mind that let me dare to make the choices I had.
As I reactivated my new strength charm and lifted the obnoxiously heavy door halves into their seams, I noted that they had been torn free from other metal connectors. I still didn’t even begin to understand the technology that made up the ship side of Vessa, but I knew that metal could be reconnected with each other if it was reduced to a liquid, or at least viscous, state.
“Nova, Nestor,” I grunted, as holding this massive door high over my head was taking all of my strength. “I need us to rely on Nestor’s senses to detect any danger, and I need you, Nova,” I said as I swallowed the rest of my masculine pride, “to hold this door in place while I work on fitting it back. Because you’re stronger than me.”
Even though you are several inches shorter than me and dozens of pounds lighter, I said in my mind. And even though you started Advancing days or even weeks after my own training.
When Elder Mara chuckled at me, I realized I still had an audience, and stopped pitying myself.
Nova, thankfully, did not so much as smirk as she walked over and grasped the top metal barricade, holding it in place with one hand.
“Is this good enough, Jas?” she asked me, and I nodded. I also wondered how these doors were expected to stop anyone if they could be handled this well by practitioners at the beginning stages of advancement.
They are normally reinforced with Source energy, Elder Mara offered, before adding patronizingly, and Nova actually has a total of seven stages of Advancement to her power, dear. You technically have three, if the beginning stages can count on their own.
I would very much prefer if you went back to being nice to me, I admonished my guest, as I turned my attention to where the metal had broken apart between the frame and the door. The break was more of a clean snap, which to my new engineering spell, thankfully was a manageable problem. It cost a disturbingly large amount of my mana, but I was able to mend the metal back into holding the door in the frame. It was still far from being in pristine condition, but it would hopefully do for now, barring the emergence of another tyrannically strong monster. Nevertheless, after I mended the bottom door back into place, I did what I could to connect the metal right where the door was supposed to open, technically breaking it by making it unable to open.
At least I hoped it would never open again, barring Vessa’s own repair magic.
“That’s the best I can do,” I explained when I was finally finished. “Anything more than that will take Vessa bringing the room online. Nestor, did you smell or hear anything nearby while I worked?”
Course-not, the lifemouse sent indignantly. Would-warn. All-clear.
“I guess that’s good enough,” Nova conceded, finally looking behind her at the door leading back to our part of the ship. “And I probably need to fix whatever that thing did to lock down the door behind us... though I have no idea how that freak was even able to do that.”
“Let’s ask Vessa when we see her,” I said as I took my weapon back from Nestor. “Until then, let’s hurry and get back.”
CHAPTER TEN
Nova had regained control over our own doors immediately, to our immense relief. The way back to safety opened immediately upon her command, and closed just as quickly behind us once we had returned to the emergency drive room. Nova and I both shuddered as we finally began to feel safe, back in the familiar hum in the brightly lit parts of the ship.
At least, they were brightly lit compared to the horrible room we had left behind.
“Jasper?” Nova spoke up, her rare timid side coming out again. “I’m not sure I want to go back in there.”
“I am certain that I don’t,” I admitted, shaking away the images of dead men from the shadows grappling with me. “Fighting outside, on the planets below, or fighting weak eaterlings in the halls, is one matter. But fighting that... thing, that Longman, is fuel for nightmares.”
Little Nestor squeaked in agreement, which somehow made us both grin.
“But we have to,” Nova finished, her confidence slowly returning. “We came out of all that on top, stronger even, especially you,” she pointed out. “I gained another substage in bronze, so I’m even closer to silver than Vessa had projected for me, but you’re already halfway to every second stage.”
“Still feels too far, after fighting that thing,” I admitted. “And its minions would have had me, if it wasn’t for Nestor.”
Another squeak, this one sounding much prouder, but just as adorable.
“I know,” Nova said back, “and it’s absolutely hair-raising to know that these things are lurking a short distance beyond us. I’m not sure if I can feel safe again in here, despite everything Vessa has shown me.”
That made perfect sense, and probably explained why I wasn’t panicking myself.
Because I never felt safe anywhere.
I felt Elder Mara rear back inexplicably as she caught that thought from me.
Oh... the dragon said softly, for reasons I could not understand.
“But all along, we were in just as much danger back on Earth as we were here,” I told her, reaching to put my arm around her. This time my friend didn’t resist, leaning against me, despite our earlier awkwardness, and despite the fact that she was more powerful than me.
That second one doesn’t matter in these moments, young rider, Elder Mara said softly. And I am sorry I mocked you earlier. I should have paid more attention to your wounds.
Wounds? I demanded, still holding Nova. What wounds? I am fine.
The ancient dragon did not reply to me, so I focused on comforting my friend, no longer speaking, since it did not appear to help. A moment later, she smiled gratefully, and composed herself.
“Thank you, Jasper,” my friend said, still wearing a warm look over her beautiful face. “You’ve always been good at being there for me.”
“I do not regret it.” I smiled back. “We should stop lingering about though. It’s what got us in trouble in the first place.”
“Right.” Nova nodded, turning to look back at the massive door behind us. Along with its twin on the other wall, it was the sturdiest barrier I had seen yet down here, which somehow made it feel safer than Vessa’s sanctuary. But I suspected I would change my mind in the next few moments, and we began walking quickly down the halls back to the gray-skinned, bedridden woman, Nestor scampering about near our feet.
Our footsteps sounded loud to our own ears, but they didn’t bother us anymore, now that we were traveling down lit rooms and clean hallways. We used that time to steady our breathing, and to deal with the fact that a thousand gibbering, hungry horrors could very well be lurking just beyond the walls and floor and ceiling around us, and some of them were far stronger than we were.
But there was nothing that could be done, except to try and survive them.
And I reminded myself that, unlike on Earth, we could grow strong enough to battle them and win.
We just needed time.
We stepped back into Vessa’s sanctuary, and I was once again shocked by the size. It was so comfortingly large, and had everything we needed. Food. Warmth. Comfortable beds. I asked myself why I had ever both
ered to leave it before, when the hallways beyond were so dangerous.
Then I saw Vessa leaning out of her capsule, her body halfway out, trembling all over as she reached desperately for the new food cooler that was just out of reach. She was gritting her teeth, and had defiance written all over her face, but it was clear she wasn’t going to make it, and would fall tumbling onto the floor any moment now, probably face-first for her troubles.
Nestor squeaked in alarm. Nova shouted in frustration. I burned my speed charm and fire technique and rushed forward, faster than I could have run before gaining my newest substages.
Nestor flashed by, running with me, since he wasn’t able to catch Vessa all by himself. Nova was stomping forward herself, still shouting at Vessa for her carelessness, and Vessa shouted something back at Nova that I didn’t pay attention to, because the silly woman was about to break her neck if she wasn’t careful, and for all I knew she hadn’t even bothered to protect herself with Source energy before trying this little endeavor.
The two women-who-were-also-one-woman shouted louder and louder at each other, until Vessa turned to point angrily at her Beacon, and promptly slipped. I slid to the floor so that I would be low enough to catch her, skidding across the blue tiles just in time for her to tumble onto me, her head landing against my chest.
“Ow!” the light, but ungrateful woman said as she impacted lightly against me, braced by my arms. “Blast it, Jas, you could have knocked the wind out of me!”
“Or you could have landed head-first on solid metal instead, and cracked your skull!” Nova snapped as she caught up with us. “What in the hollow American hells were you even thinking? You know how brittle your bones are right now! You could have undone all the progress we just gained for you! And what would have happened if you had knocked yourself out, and we hadn’t come back yet? You could have just lain there, with no one to treat you while you had a concussion or internal bleeding or one of the other host of problems you’ve gained from decades of malnutrition and battle damage!”
“Stop yelling at me!” Vessa shouted, wincing in regret when she realized she was yelling into my ear. “I’m sorry, okay? I just wanted to try and get my own food for once. To see if I finally had enough power to do something basic like crawl out of bed on my own. It turns out that I still don’t. So excuse me for trying not to be invalid for once.”
“Fine,” Nova said, not backing down. “Would you like to explain why you took this risk when we were both gone and unable to help you when you may have needed it?”
“It seemed like a way to pass the time, Nova,” Vessa shot back, “while you both were taking an even more dangerous risk, one that I was completely unable to help with even though I was the one who had sent you on that mission. I figured the least I could do was try and get my own blasted snack!”
“Well then—” Nova started to retort, but I interrupted.
“Are you okay?” I asked, as clearly and gently as I could.
“What?” Both heads swiveled around at me, speaking at once, then immediately turning to look at each other in irritation.
“Is Vessa okay?” I repeated, patiently enunciating every word, before addressing the gray woman directly. “You just tumbled out of your bed and slammed your head against my chest. Does your head hurt? Did any of your limbs get yanked on the way down? Does Nova need to have a look at you?”
“I’m...” Vessa began, looking around as if she wasn’t sure what she should look at. As I tried to figure out why she had suddenly gotten shy, she continued talking. “It was a clean fall, and no, my head doesn’t hurt. Your muscles aren’t that hard. I mean—” She winced at herself. “That was a bad choice of words. Can we continue this conversation in a language that’s safer than English? Or maybe Jasper can just let go of me?”
“I can do that,” I told the light woman still in my arms. “But would you prefer if I just carried you back into your capsule? Or should I take you with us back to the room Nova and I just cleared?”
“Wait,” the Beacon spoke up. “Do we have to go back there right away?”
“Sooner is actually better,” Vessa declared, sounding confident now that she could give us directions again. “Less chance of anything going wrong. That said, I don’t think you stand up while carrying me at the same time, Jas, no offense.”
“None taken,” I replied calmly. “Please brace yourself.”
And with that, I lifted her body a little higher, repositioning the surprised, lightweight woman in my arms until I could roll upward into a sitting position, my legs crossed on the floor.
“Jas, don’t—oh, not again,” the gray woman complained, though she didn’t struggle against my grip. “But you still have to stand up and you can’t—”
Still carefully keeping her elevated, I used the basic standing method my mother had taught me to rise from the floor in a cross-legged position. Vessa groaned in disbelief.
“Aaaaand you win again,” she announced with a sigh. “Actually, maybe Nova should carry me—”
“Nope,” my blonde friend said cheerfully. “I’m the better fighter, so I need my arms free in case we get attacked again. Sorry, Vessa, but this is happening.”
The ship-woman shot her Beacon an annoyed look, before slumping in defeat.
“At least I’ve finally gotten to bathe now,” she mumbled, leaning against my chest. “Fine. I’ll just take another nap. And how did his muscles grow so much again...” she muttered. “You didn’t hear... that... though...”
With that, she was asleep again.
“Ha,” Nova said triumphantly. “That’ll show her.” Then she turned and opened the cooler, pulling out some more wolf meat I had cooked as jerky this morning. “You want one, too, Jas?”
“We probably all will, as soon as she wakes up,” I pointed out, trying to figure out just why Nova was so happy about Vessa resting in my arms. “Nova,” I added, struggling to find the proper words. “Is everything, um, okay right now?”
“Everything’s fantastic!” she announced, grabbing some more jerky. “But I’m not going to share any of my lunch, so you’ll have to be the one to give her the rest of it. Be sure to ask first, though, like you always do. She hates how much she likes it.”
“Wait,” I spoke up suddenly, “what?”
“Just agree with me, Jasper,” Nova demanded as she walked over and slipped Vessa’s lunch into my pocket. “And don’t get between a Beacon and her vengeance... this might actually be a lot of fun after all.”
Senior, I whispered desperately to the ancient dragon inside my Soulscape. I do not understand at all what is happening. Please offer me guidance.
You poor doomed thing, Elder Mara said ominously, and sympathetically. I cannot help you here. I can only wish you fortune, and mercy.
I gave up, realizing the ancient Sourcebeast was going to be dramatic every time anything even remotely relating to Vessa came up in a conversation. The next moment, I grew annoyed with myself for expecting today to make any kind of sense to begin with.
Nestor raced ahead to scout for us, ensuring that nothing had somehow managed to sneak in again, and also to listen by the door to the room we had just cleared.
“It just occurred to me that we haven’t even told her anything about what happened in that room,” I pointed out to Nova. But my friend just shook her golden head.
“She has a basic idea of what happened. When the two of us are this close, it’s easy for us to share information. She has an awareness for me similar to what you have with Nestor, although it’s complicated to explain. But the short of it is, she already knows we had a couple of fights, that we got through it without any real injuries, and that the second group of monsters were really creepy. Especially their leader.”
“We need to tell her more than that,” I urged. “That thing was able to manipulate the door to the emergency drive room. He was controlled by an intelligence looking specifically for her, one that knew about her. One that sounded almost exactly like the voices
I had heard earlier.”
“Wait,” my blue-eyed friend said, slowing her pace to turn and look at me. “What?”
“I hadn’t mentioned it during the fight,” I said, grimacing. “But that creature’s voice was identical to at least one of the three voices I had heard when Vessa was re-powering the emergency drive room.”
“You mean that creepy thing that wants me to play with dolls is still out there?” Nova demanded in wide-eyed anger. “I... never mind. I’m not going to think about that right now. We have a job to do. Let’s go ahead and make that room freak-free, permanently. That should help us all sleep better.”
“Agreed,” I said, as the other, frailer woman drowsed in my arms. I looked from her, to Nova, one woman pale-gray and dark-haired, the other with sun-colored hair and sun-colored skin. Both brave. Both strong, each in their own way. Both connected on a level I still couldn’t understand yet.
I will protect them, I said to myself, feeling a pulse from my Soulscape in response to that thought. My own weakness be damned. I will protect them. So that they can be as glorious and free as they wish.
It was a silly vow, and I expected Elder Mara to mock me for it. But the old dragon remained quiet. I took that as a sign of respect.
Nestor was waiting for us inside the emergency drive room. A quick impression from the little mouse confirmed that nothing had forced its way into the room, and that he heard no noises from the other side of the barrier. Nova wasn’t willing to take any chances, however, closing her eyes to link with Vessa’s ship-body and verify what was waiting for us in the room just beyond.
“Still clear,” Nova said after opening her eyes again. “Nothing new’s moved in since we left. Looks like your trick with the door has been holding, Jasper. Good job.”
“Hmm?” Vessa said as she stirred in my arms. “What did Jasper do with my doors?”
“I broke them shut, to keep them from breaking open,” I explained. “Though I have no idea if it will work for long.”
Soul Shelter Page 21
