by Scott Baron
“I cannot say. He is quite weak,” Hozark replied.
“I’ve gotta let Henni know,” Bud said, rising from his seat. “The visla took good care of her while they were in there. She’ll want to know.”
“Where is that little troublemaker, anyway?” Laskar asked. “I thought it seemed a bit too quiet in here.”
Bud flashed him a grim little smile. “She’s washing off the blood from all of the people she just killed,” he said.
Laskar’s grin faltered. “Oh.”
“Yeah. Oh. Anyway, I’ll let her know. He in the chambers next to yours, Hozark?”
“He is.”
“Great. Thanks.”
Bud strode out of the command chamber with purpose and walked straight to the showers.
“Henni, you need to hurry up in there.”
“Leave me alone, creeper,” the young woman replied, but something had changed. This time, her tone was one of amusement rather than reproach.
“We’re making a detour to Prombatz’s place. Hozark is hopeful he can help Jinnik.”
“Help with what?”
“Jinnik is in a bad way. I’m not sure exactly what the deal is, but Hozark seemed concerned. And Prombatz is much closer than Corann, so he was hoping we could get there fast enough to help. That’s why you need to finish up in there. I thought you would want to check in on––”
Henni burst from the showers, soaking wet and half clothed, pulling on the rest of the blood-free attire she’d laid out as she ran. She didn’t care one bit that Bud had seen her that way. Jinnik was in trouble.
Henni raced straight to the quarters he was in. Bud hadn’t told her where the visla was, but her powers were flowing strong, and she picked out his familiar magical scent in an instant, following it like a tracking animal on its quarry’s trail.
She burst into his room. The exhausted man turned his head painfully but did not rise from his cot.
“Ah, hello, Henni. I’m sorry I left you all alone down in that cell, but they relocated me to another part of the facility. Apparently, Niallik caught on to my helping you train.”
“She’s dead,” Henni said with cold certainty.
Jinnik saw the look in her eye and nodded. He didn’t need any more confirmation than that.
He winced as the collar’s power flared, his movement having shifted the Ootaki hair slightly, stirring the device’s powerful protections once more. The magical ribbon was slowly losing strength, and it was only a matter of time before it failed entirely.
“No,” Henni growled, walking to her friend and grabbing the collar firmly in her fists.
Hozark and Bud arrived at the chambers at the same time, both crowding in at once.
“What are you doing, Henni? That is the only thing keeping him protected. Stand back,” Hozark said.
“No. I’ve got this,” she replied with an unusual confidence in her voice. She turned to her friends. “You may want to step outside. I don’t know what this will do.”
She then focused her power on the collar with a furious intensity. Hozark sensed it immediately, and even Bud, less sensitive to those things as he was, felt the flare in magic and conflicting powers.
“Uh, I think we better do what she said.”
Hozark was already halfway out the door. “I agree.”
Henni ignored everything around her, focusing on her power as Jinnik had taught her, reaching out and grasping control of it and shaping it to her will. She drove the magic through her arms, down to her hands, and into the collar at the receiving end.
The Ootaki hair began to glow as she unintentionally fed some of her magic into the ribbon instead of the collar. Henni adjusted her power and refocused, sending the entirety of it into the golden band fastened around her friend’s neck.
It warmed and began to bend under her hands as the energy surged through her. Hers was not remotely the same magic as his, and though the band instinctively defended itself, it was simply not geared for this kind of fight with a novel form of power.
Bud peeked in the door.
“Holy shit. She’s stretching the metal,” he gasped.
Hozark pulled him back into the corridor and applied a strong containment spell to the doorway. “We do not know what will happen next, Bud.”
“Oh, yeah,” the pirate replied. “But how the hell is she doing that?”
Hozark hesitated a moment. “I cannot say for certain, but it would appear our friend has learned to control her power, though to what degree is unclear.”
A loud snap emanated from Jinnik’s quarters, accompanied by a bright flash of light and a crackling of dissipating power. The light quickly returned to normal, and all traces of magical conflict faded.
“It’s safe to come in now,” Henni called out.
Hozark and Bud stepped inside, amazed at what they were seeing.
Henni’s eyes were blazing with energy, though it was slowly calming to her normal sparkle. On the ground lay Visla Jinnik’s shattered control collar, broken to pieces by her odd magic. And in her hands was the Ootaki hair ribbon, glowing with warm golden energy.
Henni, it seemed, had pumped quite a bit into the strip of material in the process of freeing her friend.
“This is yours, Hozark,” she said, handing him the ribbon.
“Thank you, Henni,” he replied, carefully rolling it up and tucking it into his pocket.
Visla Jinnik was still too weak to sit upright, but he smiled up at his pupil. “You have come a long way, Henni,” he said, reaching out for her hand and squeezing it with pride.
Hozark stepped forward when the moment seemed right. “Visla, we have taken a bit of a detour on our return to your son. I believed you would require the assistance of another of my order to overcome your control collar and heal from the effort. Obviously, I was mistaken,”
“A pleasant surprise, indeed,” Jinnik said.
“I shall have the ship change course at once.”
“Wait,” the visla said. “You mentioned healing. Is this friend of yours a rehabilitator? A healer?”
“Not exactly, but he has those under his employ who have such gifts. Why do you ask?”
Jinnik tried to sit up, but his strength failed him. Henni wrapped her arms around him and helped until he was finally in a seated position. Jinnik took a deep breath, composing himself as best he could.
“I would like to spend a day or two with this friend of yours before completing our journey, if that is possible.”
“Of course, Visla.”
“But don’t you want to get back?” Bud asked.
The look in Jinnik’s eye spoke volumes. “More than anything,” he replied. “But not like this. When I see my son, I intend to walk to him tall and strong on my own two feet.”
Bud realized he was right. Visla Jinnik was an immensely powerful man, and to be reduced to a shell of himself like this was difficult for him. As an adult, he could deal with that, but for his young son, that was another story entirely, and he had no intention of subjecting the boy to seeing his father in this state.
“I’ll get us there fast,” Bud said. “The sooner you rest up, the sooner you see your boy.”
Jinnik smiled and lay back down on his cot. “Thank you,” he said just before drifting off to sleep. “Thank you all.”
Chapter Fifty-Four
By the time Bud’s mothership had set down in the landing zone nearest Master Prombatz’s home, Visla Jinnik had managed to rouse himself from his drained stupor and eat something. Henni had gone all out in the galley, focusing her efforts on replenishing the man’s energy the only way she knew how.
Uzabud had stepped away from command and left the flying to Laskar for a while so he could help her however she might need. Whether that was assistance slicing and dicing, or just being an ear to listen, he was there for her.
The others left them to do their thing. They had some issues to deal with, both of them, be it Henni’s guilt over what had been done to Visla Jinnik because he
had helped her, or Bud’s for letting her be captured under his watch.
What they talked about, no one knew, but when the two emerged carrying a pair of trays of easily digested food, it seemed both were at least in decent headspace.
Jinnik was slow to eat at first, sticking with Arambis juice supplemented with a bit of powdered Zoramin powder for additional nutrients. The sugars hit his system first, flooding his bloodstream with that initial spark of vitality he was so desperately in need of. After that, his recovery accelerated as he slowly worked his way to solid foods, gratefully sampling each of the dishes the pair had made for him.
“You say you made this? It is delicious,” Jinnik asked between mouthfuls.
“Yeah. Bud helped, though.”
“Hey, I was just lending a hand. This is all Henni,” Bud said, not wanting an ounce of Henni’s spotlight.
“Well, I must thank both of you. I’m finally starting to feel at least a little like myself,” the visla said, gingerly rising to his feet.
He swayed a moment, then sat back down, but far more in control of his body than he had been just a few hours prior. If he continued to improve like this, his stay with Prombatz would be a short one indeed.
“So, tell me a bit more of this place we are going to.”
Master Prombatz was a killer of rare skill, but also one who had quite a healing setup within his spacious residence. It was not at all normal for a Ghalian master to do so, but prior to arrival Visla Jinnik had been informed that in his particular case he had been caring for one of his pupils gravely wounded in battle with the Council of Twenty.
“They ambushed a Ghalian?” Jinnik asked when they landed, astonished that even someone from the Council of Twenty would be so brazen.
“Yes. We later learned that Visla Maktan was behind the plot, working to capture a Ghalian master to attempt to harvest our unique abilities,” Hozark informed him as they stepped from the ship. “They failed, but others of our kind were not so lucky. Not Ghalian, but Wampeh with our gift, captured and drained.”
“It’s horrifying,” Jinnik said. “I’ve heard of people attempting to enhance their power with another’s––abhorrent experiments performed on children, most often––but never something like this.”
“The guy deserves what’s coming for him,” Laskar said. “Hey, here comes Prombatz.”
The Ghalian approached on a floating conveyance large enough to carry them all. Normally they would simply have walked the relatively short distance to his residence, but as his esteemed guest was mending, that simply would not do.
“Visla, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Please, take a seat, and we shall ferry you to my home.”
“Thank you, Master Prombatz. Your hospitality is greatly appreciated,” Jinnik replied.
The group loaded onto the conveyance and were quickly whisked away to Prombatz’s spacious but unassuming abode. Little would any looking at it dream of the myriad deadly defenses and countless layered protective spells guarding the place. Even Visla Jinnik could not sense them all, though he could make out a good many of them.
This was as safe a place as any to convalesce. He was hoping, however, his stay would be a brief one. Already his legs were recovering more of their strength, and as he walked into the building his body felt even more like his own once more. His power was coming back as well, and faster than his physical body, in fact. This was good. It meant he was not defenseless should they fall under attack. It also meant––
He paused. A strange magic tickled his senses. There was unusual casting going on here. Not like Henni’s but equally unique.
“I’m sorry to impose after only now entering your home, but I feel the presence of an unusual sort of magic. And not that belonging to our violet-haired friend here.”
Master Prombatz smiled. “Very impressive, Visla. Impressive indeed. Come, I shall introduce you to the source of that power. A former pupil of mine, Aargun. And yes, his power is unusual, indeed.”
They walked up a level and through the building toward the large training room at the far end. With every step, Jinnik felt more and more certain he was close to something special.
“I should warn you,” Prombatz said, “Aargun suffered great disfigurement at the hands of Maktan’s people. They took his eyes from him, as well as his tongue.”
“I see. But if they took his tongue, who is it I sense casting?”
“As you said, most unusual,” Prombatz replied as they stepped into the chamber. “Aargun, we have guests. And look who is back.”
Henni ran across the room, wrapping her arms around the blind, mute assassin. “Aargun!”
He smiled and returned the hug. For a stoic Ghalian aspirant, the display was rather unusual, but his and Henni’s connection was as well.
“What? No, Hap’s not with us. But we found his father!” Henni said, pointing to Jinnik.
Aargun cocked his head, and for just a moment Jinnik could feel a mild probing spell tickle his senses.
“Don’t worry,” Henni said. “He’s a good man. You can trust me on that. He’s the only reason I survived Maktan’s goons.”
Jinnik stepped forward, his legs feeling sturdy beneath him. “No, Henni, your strength is the reason you survived. I merely helped guide you as best as I could given our circumstances.”
Aargun felt comfortable with the reply, nodding once to the visla. He had no eyes, but nevertheless, to Jinnik it felt like he was looking right at him.
“I felt something just now. Henni, that wasn’t you, was it?”
“Nope.”
“Then, Aargun, you can cast silently? But you are a Wampeh. It’s not something your kind, or any kind for that matter, can do. Besides Zomoki, Henni is the only person I’ve ever seen do it.”
“Yeah, well, whatever they did to him when they were experimenting on him kinda changed all of that,” Henni said. “What? Oh, yeah. He says he regrets the losses from what happened, but this would almost make up for it if he could get the hang of it.”
Visla Jinnik crossed over to the young man and sized him up with an appraising gaze. Barely out of his teens, yet possessing that self-assured confidence of the Wampeh Ghalian. And it seemed as though his senses had sharpened to such a degree that he could function as well as if he still had his eyes.
He made a decision then and there.
“I am still recovering my strength, but having worked with Henni to help her get in touch with her power, I wonder, when I am whole again, may I be of assistance to you in learning to control yours?”
Aargun’s eyebrows raised.
“Really?” Henni said, and it was clear her words were for her friend.
“Yes. It would be my great honor to at least partly repay all that your friends have done for me in this way. Once I have my boy safe by my side, I would very much like to help you, if I may.”
Aargun’s smile matched Henni’s. “Oh, he knows Hap,” she said. “He was teaching him how to throw knives.”
“To throw knives?”
Aargun’s arm was a flash of motion, no more than a blur, and a dagger suddenly appeared in the target across the room, dead-center. The young man hadn’t even turned his attention that direction.
Jinnik laughed with amusement. “Oh, that’s marvelous. And Happizano actually showed enough patience to try it himself?”
“He’s actually getting pretty good,” Bud interjected. “Kid’s learning to push the blades with his power and everything. Rather impressive for his age.”
Visla Jinnik’s spirits seemed to be returning to him at an even faster rate. “This is wonderful. Most wonderful. I look forward to helping you while you in turn continue to tutor him,” he said to Aargun. “If you wish, of course.”
Aargun nodded.
“He says he’d be glad for the opportunity,” Henni said.
“Yeah, I think we could all get that without your translating,” Laskar said.
Prombatz looked over at his Ghalian comrades. All seemed qui
te glad with the way that had gone. Having a powerful visla working to help Aargun was something of a coup for them.
“Then it is settled,” Prombatz said. “But now, let us dine and relax. You have all come a long way, and I am sure you are hungry.”
“Damn right I am!” Henni chirped.
“You’re always hungry,” Bud chuckled.
Prombatz turned for the door. “Then come. Let us share food and companionship. I wish to hear all about your victory at Actaris.”
Chapter Fifty-Five
The two nights spent at Master Prombatz’s home were a wonderful time of bonding and levity for both Henni and Visla Jinnik. The smell of free air and the taste of good food just seemed that much better after their recent enslavement.
Being under the care of not one but two Wampeh Ghalian masters had also put them both at great ease as Jinnik regained his strength. But now the visla was back to his old self. Not one hundred percent. Not even close. But more than enough to be the image of a strong father his son needed.
“I am ready,” he informed Hozark on that second morning after enjoying a hearty breakfast with his new friends.
“Then we depart as soon as the ship is loaded,” Hozark replied. “I shall inform the others at once.”
It was a novel feeling for the visla. He had hired this man and his associates to find and protect his son, but somehow along the way he wound up requiring their assistance as well. That, along with the bond he and Henni had formed as he helped her realize her true potential, had imparted him with something he had not expected from that initial arrangement.
New friends.
They had transcended the employer-employee relationship and were now something else. And he was glad for it.
The flight to Corann’s home was a relatively quick one. In just a few jumps they arrived at the quiet little world of Inskip. Corann had been aware of their coming, of course. Hozark had seen to it that the network informed her of their detour and subsequent movements the moment any change in plans had been made.
Happizano stood beside a kindly looking older woman, waiting patiently as his father stepped off of Bud’s ship. Jinnik beamed at the sight of his son, a comforting wave of relief washing over him as the two were finally reunited.
