by Dale Furse
The blood in Nell’s veins pumped at the cruelty in his voice. Stay focused, Nell. ‘That might be a problem then,’ she said. ‘Do you mind if I test it?’
His shrug said he knew she would. ‘Go ahead.’
She threw a bolt of energy. It dissipated on impact. ‘The Grarl did nice work,’ she said, and meant it. She’d have to use a bit more power than that. She gazed at the two Corls and chicken-face. ‘If I can’t get you, I can still hurt your men a bit.’
He snorted. ‘My men are also protected.’
She shrugged and threw a light blast at the closest underling. Nothing.
‘Satisfied?’ Varlor said. He waved his men forward. The stench from underneath his arm wafted around the bridge. Nell covered her nose and, as if she’d given some sort of go-ahead, Varlor’s men hurled their bodies at Nell.
She laughed, flicked her fingers at them, and whooshed them back against the hull so hard, they crumpled in a heap onto the floor.
Her shoulder burst into pain. An involuntary cry passed through her lips. She glanced at the bloody gash and covered it with her hand. What? She faced Varlor. Now he was the one laughing. And he had a laser gun pointed at her. ‘You shot me?’ Nell said, shaking her head. She should have kept an eye on him. His hand twitched. She sent an energy blast at the gun. It glowed bright red in his hand. He cried out, dropped the gun that melted and blended with the hull.
Nell harnessed all her power, let it blaze in her eyes. Pure energy thrummed through her body. ‘You dare attack me? I am of Wexkia. You are nothing in comparison. An unevolved dinosaur. A lizard. Wexkians ruled the universe before your kind crawled out the swamps.’
He flinched, glassy eyes wide. ‘You can’t hurt me. We, the Elders of Corl, defeated the people of Wexkia once and we’ll do it again.’
Nell stepped forward, snickered. ‘The Elders of old won by deceit. You can’t trick me.’
He sprung toward her. Nell’s mind, boiling lava, froze him mid step. Her mind whirred. ‘You think a Grarl’s spell can stop me? You’re a fool.’ She pushed him to his knees. He growled, trying to stay upright. She laughed. It sounded strangely witch-like to her ears. ‘To your knees, lizard.’ He grunted. She slammed his knees into the floor of the bridge, kept him kneeling.
‘Bow to me.’
He held his head high, closed his eyes.
Nell rose into the air, looked down on the blue Corl. His eyes flew open. ‘Bow down.’
‘I will never accede to a Wexkian.’ He spat out the last word.
Nell’s glared at him. ‘You puny lizard, I can crush you with a thought.’ She raised her arms above her head and spread her fingers wide. Her now two healthy wings extended to their full width. She glanced to her left then her right; drew in a quick breath. Her new wings were as black and glossy as a crow’s feathers. A bright light flickered in her eyes.
Varlor’s mouth fell open. His jowls shook. He cowered under her gaze, trying again to look away.
Nell slashed her hand down across her body. He fell prostrate at her feet. He couldn’t move. His body, glued to the hull.
She laughed, revelling in her true self. She had fully transformed. It wasn’t painful like when she transformed into her true Wintar self. Other than the physicality of her wings, the change came from within her mind, her core…her soul. Elation fluctuated erratically throughout her body. She breathed long, deep breaths, endeavouring to stabilise the waves of headiness until she calmed them to ripples of excitement. She was now a true woman of Wexkia.
Not thinking, Nell transported outside of the ship without shifting to her Eldorap form. She gazed at it. Mouthed, ‘No…More.’ Another slash of her hand and she flung the ston toward Grarlon’s surface. Nell laughed as she twirled and winged after the ston. The ship tumbled as it catapulted toward the mountain. She slowed the ston’s advance. She wanted Varlor to watch as his own demise neared.
She twirled in the air again. She loved her new wings, her Wexkian wings.
Nell neared the surface. Deesc, Sam, Mekie and Kale looked up at her, fear filling their eyes. Nell pulled up. Her wings fluttered as they kept her aloft.
She stared at the faces of her loved ones. Their horror doused her fire, her energised heat cooled. They’re scared of me. A lake of tears cascaded down her cheeks.
The roar of the ston had her friends and her turning her head toward the mountain. ‘Save them,’ Mekie screamed at her.
Nell glanced at her cousin then back at the tumbling ston. No. Not Varlor, she thought. She flicked her wrist, withdrew Varlor’s cohorts and sent them to the dungeon under the palace. So as not to change her mind, Nell sent out a whirl of blue energy, throwing the ship into the mountain. It exploded on impact, a ball of fire rising up and over the mountain. Varlor was gone.
She wiped away her tears as she landed before Deesc and drew in her raven wings.
‘You killed them,’ he said, his eyes cold.
Nell wanted to crumple to the ground and weep into her hands, but she held her place. ‘Only Varlor,’ she said. ‘He deserved death. He had planned it all. He killed all those Grarls, Deesc. He killed my father, my mother, killed Kandar’s mother.’ She wiped new tears away. ‘He killed so many people. He didn’t only want to kill me, he wanted me to watch as he obliterated my family, my friends.’ She looked at her friends. ‘He wanted to enslave us all and those he couldn’t enslave, he would have killed.’
Not wanting to defend her actions any longer, she opened her wings and flew to the palace.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
NELL TRANSPORTED TO THE PALACE’S DUNGEON AND was more aware of the sensation of travelling in Wexkian form. It was like blending into the air around her. That’s why everyone who could travel that way disappeared as if by magic.
Once in the dungeon, she hesitated. Keela was there. She sighed and strode to the Eldorap. Holding her arms out and with her wrists together, she said, ‘Right then, I guess you’d better arrest me’
Keela tipped her head to her shoulder. ‘Arrest? Oh, yes. An Earthen expression. We don’t arrest people nor do we try them before courts. We punish, as you put it, in whatever way we see fit.’
Her eyes flickered. Nell stepped back. Even if Eldoraps weren’t more powerful than Wexkians, Nell wouldn’t fight with Keela, but she would defend herself. Nell flinched at the feeling emanating from those eyes. It was like an animalistic hunger. Was she going to eat Nell?
Keela laughed her silly donkey laugh. Nell relaxed somewhat, but her nerves stayed on guard for any sudden movement.
Quietening, Keela said, ‘I am not going to eat you today.’ Her eyes flicked again. ‘I could.’ The orbs returned to their normal, calm black. ‘However, I won’t.’
‘You’ve had your fun, Keela. Stop scaring the girl,’ Haast said.
‘Oh, all right.’
Her movement was almost imperceptible, but instead of backing away, Nell stood her ground and accepted Keela’s long fingered hands on her shoulders. Whatever her friend was going to do to her, Nell had to admit she deserved it. She had used Keela’s Eldorap form for violence.
Throwing her arms up in the air, Keela flitted back to Haast. ‘That wasn’t so bad, was it?’ she said.
‘What?’ Nell asked. She hadn’t felt anything. Nothing had changed.
‘Yes, it has,’ Deesc said, moving to her side. ‘We can no longer shift to Eldorap.’
‘No,’ Keela said. ‘Not quite. I had already taken my gift away when Nell was in the space ship with the Corl.’
‘What did you do then?’ Nell asked.
‘I wanted to confirm my suspicion that you had evolved completely.’
‘Do you know what she’s talking about,’ Deesc asked Nell.
‘I do. Ah, you see, I don’t need the Eldorap form to travel any more. I can do it myself.’
‘What?’ Deesc gasped and shook his head.
To prove her point, Nell shifted and appeared face to face to Deesc.
He ogled her a moment then wrapp
ed his arms around her and laughing, drew her in close. ‘I had heard of it, but I never thought I’d see it.’
Nell pushed him away. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘You, my love, are the first returned Wexkian Elder.’
‘Huh?’
‘Nell,’ Haast said. ‘Only Wexkian Elders could travel as you do. That’s how they were chosen for their positions.’
She turned away. She had to think about what that meant. As she thought and paced and thought some more, she realised he was right, but there was something else. She was responsible for all future Wexkians, for all their actions.
‘Will we ever see you again?’ Nell asked the Eldoraps.
‘Perhaps,’ said Haast.
‘When you have grown up, Nell child,’ Keela said. They disappeared, Keela’s laugh hanging in the air.
‘She was laughing at me,’ Nell said.
Deesc drew her into his arms. He brought his slightly open mouth down onto her closed mouth, the tip of his tongue teasing her lips open. Warmth spread through Nell, travelling from the pit of her stomach to rest between her legs. She moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck, pushing her body against his. Nibbling on his bottom lip, she opened her eyes to see his face. A flash of green moved to her side. Kale? She stiffened and gasped into Deesc’s mouth, remembering where they were. She pulled away.
Deesc glanced at Kale and smiled down at Nell. ‘I have to learn to control myself,’ he said.
‘I hope you never can,’ Nell said. She giggled. ‘I guess we are what we should be.’
‘Yes, my love. We are Wexkians and you and I will build a new Wexkia.’
‘What a wonderful idea.’ She gazed at Kale.
‘I…I wanted to make certain you were okay.’ His eyes moved to Deesc. ‘I can see you are, so I’ll go.’ He left on that instant.
Deesc laughed. ‘I think we embarrassed the little Corl.’
‘Ah, yeah, I think we did.’ She giggled and looked around, noticing, for the first time, they were in a private cell. It was a sitting room with an adjoining bedroom. ‘A bit of luxury for a special prisoner?’ she said.
‘Compore was mislead,’ Deesc said. ‘Grarls are by nature a caring species.’ He fell onto the sofa. ‘Come here.’
She almost sprang into the seat beside him and snuggled into his chest. ‘Where are the Corl and Varlor’s offsider?’
‘Kandar took them to Corl for judgement.’ He stroked her hair. ‘Rest now,’ he said.
Disappointed that he didn’t resume his earlier kiss, her thoughts turned to their new Wexkia. Perhaps if they found the old Wexkia, like she had wanted to, they could go there. The buildings might still be standing and all the possessions of the old ones should be okay if they hadn’t been disturbed over the centuries. She didn’t know anything about being a first Elder of an entire people. Maybe she could find help with her task in the old city of the Elders on the real Wexkia.
She glanced up at Deesc. His eyes were shut, but he wasn’t resting. With his chin tense, she was sure he was upset about something. And that something always meant her. Was he worried she would look for Wexkia? No. That was silly. Why would he be? He was probably worried that others would want to hurt them.
She snuggled down against Deesc again. She yawned. She hadn’t realised how tired she was and closed her eyes. A memory from the first time she’d mentioned looking for Wexkia washed over her mind. Deesc hadn’t thought it was a good idea at the time. But if she was really an Elder then she had to act like one and any Elder worth their position would do all they could to unearth their lost civilisation. Deesc probably thought they could return to his home on Eldorapal. However, they didn’t have Eldorapal now and the old Wexkia had to be as good, if not better, than a new one.
She weighed up the cons and pros of Deesc’s argument and decided she was right. With or without his help, she’d find her planet.
Having finally fallen into a much-needed sleep, Nell tried to shirk off the incessant hand shaking her shoulder. She gave up and opened her eyes. Kale. ‘What do you want?’ she moaned.
‘Time to wake up, Nell. Everyone is leaving.’
‘Oh.’ She shook her head to clear the mugginess from her mind. It only helped a little. ‘Where are we going?’
‘Home, of course,’ Kale said, not looking at Nell.
She stood up and followed his eyes to Kandar and Deesc speaking in hush tones outside the cell. Her mind blazed with the thought they were talking about her. Ugh. She was sick of all the secrets.
Striding towards them, she said, ‘What are you two whispering about?’
‘Ah, Nell. You are awake.’
‘Ah, Deesc. Very observant of you,’ she echoed his tone, but hoped he didn’t miss her sarcasm.
‘Kandar was just telling me how much the prince is thankful to everyone, especially you. He wants to make you a lifetime Grarlon citizen.’
‘Really?’ She wondered if that was Orenda’s idea. Who cared? ‘Up there?’ She pointed to the ceiling of the dungeon. Kandar nodded. ‘I’m going up,’ she said.
She appeared in the foyer and gazed through the open doors. There was no sign of the makeshift hospital where her father had died, where Deesc and she had nearly died. It and the adjoining barracks room had been transformed into one great hall.
Prince Ephry sat on his throne regaled in red and blue royal finery. Orenda sat on his right, but she looked uncomfortable with her stiff, jade princess outfit. She kept pulling at the lace neckline as if it was choking her.
Three long tables stretched before the doors to the royal thrones. Corls and Grarls filled every seat except for the throne end of the middle table. Dar-Seldra, Mekie and Sam sat there amongst four empty chairs.
Kandar, Deesc and Kale appeared. ‘The prince is waiting for us, Nell,’ Kandar said.
‘Of course,’ she said. Nell hooked one arm through Kale’s, the other through Deesc’s arm. ‘Lead on,’ she said. They followed Kandar through the large doors to what was now the throne room.
Kandar threw a whisper over his shoulder. ‘We must approach the prince.’
As Nell stopped in front of the thrones, Orenda’s voice screeched in her mind. ‘Help me get out of here.’
Nell raised her eyebrows at her. ‘Did you accept the prince’s proposal?’
‘Yes, but—’
‘But nothing. That’s where you belong now, teacher.’
‘You are a cruel child.’
‘I know. But you love me.’
Orenda flipped her head. Her tiara fell to the floor with a clatter. She floated up from her throne and whizzing to Nell, hugged her neck. ‘I do love you, pupil of mine,’ she said.
‘Orenda,’ said Prince Ephry.
She dipped her head, but her eyes flashed at the prince. She floated back to her seat.
A Grarl offered the prince a chain with a medal on it. Prince Ephry took it and flew before Nell. He placed the chain over her head, saying, ‘We are forever grateful to you, Nell of Wexkia.’
Nell smiled. ‘Thank you, Prince Ephry.’
After he had prattled on about her so-called bravery forever, she had to stand there as each one of her friends and family received their medals. Nell, still weary, grew increasingly impatient with the prince’s award ceremony. It wasn’t that she thought their medals were undeserved, she just wanted to sit down. She couldn’t understand why Dar-Seldra, Cay-Meka, Kale and Sam were allowed to leave the hall completely.
By the time he began calling out more names, Nell had had enough.
‘How many medals are there?’ she asked Orenda silently.
‘Everyone here,’ the enchantress said with a mean smile.
‘And you call me cruel, you witch.’ Nell said aloud, ‘Hey, Eph.’ He glared at Nell. ‘Um…’ She curtsied as best she could. ‘Prince Ephry. Do you mind if we sit out the rest of the ceremony? We have a lot to discuss.’
‘I understand,’ he said. ‘You may go.’
Deesc and Kandar le
ft. Nell curtsied again and spun around to follow them.
‘Don’t you dare leave without me,’ Orenda screeched.
Nell took two more steps then stopped and sighed. She faced the prince. ‘Could I impose once more and ask if Orenda can accompany me. I’d like to speak with her alone.’
The prince hesitated on that one. A few seconds later, he turned to Orenda and took her hand. ‘I am sorry, my betrothed, but we must be good hosts to our special guest. Please don’t be upset. I want you to go with Nell.’
She bent her head, and said, ‘It will be my pleasure, your highness.’
‘You’re lucky, I love you, O,’ Nell said as soon as they were in the foyer.
‘I knew you would save me,’ Orenda said, giving Nell a peck on the cheek. Resting her hand on Nell’s shoulder, she took her to the kitchen.
The table was still in the same position with everyone sitting around it. Pren and Melt hovered at the end closest to her. She gave them a hug before taking her seat.
It took more than two hours for everyone to exchange their news. She explained what had happened on Varlor’s ston and how she dispensed with the weapon. Sam told his story next. He relayed his saving of the Krolls from Varlor’s army so humbly that Pren and Melt had to expand his story from time to time. Some physicians had accompanied Varlor’s minions back to Corl and the rest had decided to stay until every Grarl that could be saved, was saved.
Wondering if she actually slept at all earlier, Nell yawned. Deesc held her hand, giving her the strength to stay focused on the ever-changing discussions.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
DURING THE YEAR OF MOURNING FOR ALL the victims of the monstrous Varlor, Nell, Sam and his parents stayed on Corl with Dar-Seldra. Kandar had resumed his office as leader of the United Council. The UC tried and imprisoned Varlor’s cohorts in the closed restoration in Zafer, Kafir’s twin city on the other side of the eastern sea.
A different restoration far in the west housed the rest of the Corl Elders who Carl, Annet and Tish’s resistance had rounded up. The temporary United Council had judged them guilty in Dar-tern and Kandar’s absence.
