by C B Williams
“The Nuri is not healing. It still burns.” Her voice so low, he had to lean forward to catch the words.
“The Nuri?”
She glanced at him and just as quickly looked down again. “The Nuri, what I become.”
He was quiet for a several moments.
“Genji?”
“Yes, yes, I see. And how do I treat the Nuri?”
“I must change for you to heal it.”
Could a voice get any quieter? And then it hit him. “Kalea, are you afraid to change?”
She nodded.
“But why?”
“You would find me monstrous.”
Yes, a voice could get quieter. He had to lean in very close to catch those words. It took him a moment to register their meaning. “Oh, Kalea, No. No. I understand that this...this Nuri is what you are. It’s fine. I want you healed. I want you healthy. I’ll do whatever is needed.”
“But I’m frightening and ugly to you as a Nuri.”
“Why would you ever think that?”
“I saw your face when I was Nuri.”
She looked so woebegone he had to smile. “You’re greatly mistaken, Kalea. I was surprised. I didn’t even know shape-shifters existed. And remember, your brothers were trying to kill me at the time.” He touched her shoulder. “You’re just...different. That’s all. Just different. Something I had to get used to. And I have. Honestly, it’s okay. You can change. It’s safe.”
Her expression was like sunshine on water. It dazzled.
“Tonight? When people are sleeping. Will you come to my room with the ointment?”
“Of course, Kalea.”
She was frightening, especially in such a confined space. But she could never be called ugly. How could a creature so magnificent be called ugly?
Kalea turned her back to him and unfurled her damaged wing. She looked around when she heard his quick intake of breath.
“Oh, my dear,” he murmured. “It’s melted.” More than melted. Her wing was red, angry, and on the verge of infection. “I’m glad you told me. I’m going to apply the ointment now. I’ll try to be gentle.”
As Nuri, she towered over him. Genji reached up to gently smooth on the ointment.
She hissed and shuddered with the first touch. But as the medication began to take effect, he saw her relax. When he was done, he closed the jar and stood back. Kalea dropped forward and used her clawed hands as forefeet. She turned to look at him.
“Better?”
The Nuri curved its graceful neck into a nod. It had Kalea’s eyes. He spoke to the eyes. “I think it best if you wait before changing. The ointment needs to sink into the webbing.” He hesitated, “Kalea, may I look at your wings? Study them? I wish to understand.”
The Nuri looked at him for several moments, then slowly stretched out her healthy wing.
Now she was on all fours, her back came to his mid-chest. He stepped forward for a closer look.
It had markings that flowed like her hair, like the lava. A thick membrane ran from the Nuri’s shoulder to hand, which now had taken the form of claws. Vicious, razor-sharp claws. Genji swallowed.
The membrane, smooth and cool to the touch, attached itself to the body at waist level. There were several panels comprising the wing, separated by thin dark bones that extended from her vertebrae. The bones fanned out and ended in a sharp point.
“Can you actually fly, or do you soar with the wind?” he asked, then grinned. “Hold that thought and tell me when you shift. And how do you know you’re shifting? What do you feel? Does it hurt? Hold those answers, too.”
The dark eyes seemed to smile.
He found himself smiling in return. “I know. One question seems to lead to another, doesn’t it?”
The body was also black and red, with different markings. He wondered if her brothers were marked differently, if the tattoos on their human forms transferred when they shifted. He had been too terrified to notice. As for Kalea, she had no tattoos to his knowledge. At least not where he could see them, and he had seen most of her body.
He swallowed, trying not to imagine her human curves. Genji swallowed again, clenched and unclenched his fingers, very much aware of his increased heart rate, very glad she was still in the Nuri form. He rolled his shoulders and concentrated on his scientific explorations. The thick hide was smooth and cool to the touch. That was interesting. He’d imagined, with its ability to make fire, the creature would be hot or warm, at least. He bent down to examine the claws. They reminded him of Little Sister’s.
“Why don’t you have tattoos?” he wondered, and caught himself. “Save that answer as well. Turn around, let’s see how the ointment is absorbing.”
She turned and held out the injured wing. She didn’t have enough space in the cabin to fully extend both wings. As it was, they touched the walls on either side of the cabin, the claws softly scraping the bulkheads. Genji gently inspected the injured wing. No residue remained from the ointment. “Perfect. Go ahead and change. I’ll apply more ointment tomorrow night.”
The Nuri rose onto its hind legs, shimmered, shrank, and became Kalea. She sighed with relief and took the sarong Genji had unfolded between them to conceal her nakedness.
“It has stopped burning. Thank you, kind Genji.”
Her sweetness increased his heart rate again. Unnerving. And he could feel his face heating. What to do with his hands? He reached for his jar of ointment, twisted the lid. “It may heal faster if I apply this twice a day,” he said, relieved his voice wasn’t shaking.
She shook her head. “I don’t wish to risk being discovered.”
He nodded. “Kalea, how do you know you’re about to shift? Apparently it’s a controlled physiological change.”
“I don’t understand that word, but I can change when I want to,” she said sheepishly, “But sometimes I may start to change without thinking, if I feel I’m in danger or very angry. But I can stop it if it’s early enough.”
“Early enough?”
“There is a point where I have to fully change before I can change back.”
“I see. And how do you know? What does it feel like?”
Kalea frowned and rubbed her neck. “It starts with a buzzing feeling at the top of my head then runs up and down my spine. And my eyes sting.”
“Sting? Why?”
“I don’t know. Pika thinks it’s when our eyes begin to change into Nuri eyes.”
Can you show me?”
She nodded and began her shift as Genji focused on her face, head cocked. “Your pupils!” He exclaimed. “They lengthen into slits.” He witnessed them return to normal. “You stopped the shift. Can you do it again? Shift, I mean? Can you slow it down?”
She shook her head. “I can’t slow it down. After my eyes stop stinging, I lose control. It just…happens.”
He stood back. “Can you make it happen one more time? Just once more? Is that okay?”
She had to laugh. “Just once more,” she said and dropped her sarong.
Genji focused, saw the pupils change and then Kalea’s entire body shimmered. He got the sense that the Nuri emerged from her spine and either engulfed or transformed her human shape. And she was right. It was fast. Nearly instantaneous. But now he knew what to look for.
He absently handed her sarong to her when she changed back. “Thank you, Kalea. That was riveting. It looks like it begins with your central nervous system. Fascinating. And can you fly?”
“Yes, I can fly. And I have no tattoos,” she continued, remembering his final questions, “because only the Goddess can mark me. When or if She marks me, is up to Her. I belong to Her, you see.”
“You must have been flying when you dislocated your shoulder and injured your knee.” He said after he pondered a moment.
She shrugged sheepishly and looked down.
“And your brothers as Nuri were trying to save you?”
Again she nodded.
“What happened? Did you fall? Were you pushed?”
/> “The plume shifted and I didn’t see your invisible shuttle.”
Genji closed his mouth so he could swallow and spoke. “You were hit by our shuttle? Gods, Kalea, you could have been killed!”
“I think not. I think the Goddess shifted the plume. I think She caused the events.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.” She wrung her hands. “I need to talk with Her. I very much need to talk with Longwei.”
“Then rest, Kalea. Sleep. Heal.” He put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her forehead. “Goodnight, now. And thank you.”
Long after the door panel shut, Kalea stood, relishing the warmth of his kiss.
Queen Ululani and the small band of warriors accompanying her were greeted with campfire smoke and roasting meat long before they saw signs of the two strangers.
“Smells good,” the Queen said. “Perhaps there’s no need to rescue them after all.”
Haku grunted and raised the conch shell to his lips to announce their presence.
By the campfire, Wren lifted her head at the sound. “I wonder what that is?”
“Perhaps more company?” Eloch put a hand on Little Sister, calming her before a growl rose from her chest.
Wren scowled. “Not fair! We’re hungry, Eloch! We’re tired. I don’t want to have to fight anybody right now.”
“You may not have to,” Eloch said looking past her.
She followed his gaze and followed his lead when he slowly reached for his staff and rose to his feet to greet a striking older woman wearing a cape of yellow bird feathers.
“Oh!” she whispered. “She’s beautiful. Looks enough like Kalea, I’ll wager that’s her mother, the queen.”
“And I doubt they’d bring their queen on a raiding party,” Eloch said, moving toward the group that had stopped just inside the clearing.
“Unless she’s a dragon shifter too,” Wren said as she loosened the sheath closure on the knife strapped to her thigh. “I want my knife handy, just in case.”
The queen studied the pair just as intently as they were studying her. “He’s quite tall.”
“And she’s dangerous,” Pika said touching his thigh. “Have a care, Mother. The beast, too. Its claws could damage even a Nuri, I’m sure of it.”
“They look pleasant enough at the moment, and the beast is under control. Stay where you are, I go alone.” Ululani stepped forward.
The three met in the center of the clearing.
The queen spoke first, “I am Queen Ululani and I have come to make amends.”
Eloch nodded, “Greetings, I am Eloch, Champion of Entean, and this is Wren of Spur.”
The queen furrowed her brow. “I do not know these places.” She studied Little Sister. “And I’ve never seen a beast such as this.”
Wren glanced at Eloch. “Little Sister is from Spur as well. You must be Kalea’s mother.”
“I am. My sons have told me one of your people has taken her.”
“Genji. Yes, because she needed healing,” Eloch said. “We will return her when she is whole.”
“My sons have confirmed this but did not believe she went with her free will.”
Wren scowled. “Did they tell you they attacked our med tech, our healer? Did they tell you Kalea was injured because she was protecting him?”
Eloch touched Wren’s hand and shook his head.
The queen glanced back at her sons, lips pursed. “No they did not,” she replied. “I see I have more to make amends for than the destruction of your hut. Please, you will live with us. We can make peace while we wait for my daughter’s return.”
It wasn’t an invitation.
The three studied one another.
“We thank you and accept your hospitality,” Eloch said. “But first, please share this meal. There is more than enough.”
The queen inclined her head. “Or, perhaps you will permit us to carry the pig back, where we shall add it to the meal awaiting your arrival. We shall make a feast of welcome.”
Eloch looked at Wren, who shrugged. “Who doesn’t love additions to a meal?” she asked.
He bowed to the queen. “Lead the way.”
“Your belongings?”
“What was saved from the fire was swept out to sea.” Eloch said. “What we wear is all we own.”
The queen frowned. “Somehow you have angered the Goddess.”
Eloch inclined his head, “I’m afraid we have. I used force to protect us. I’m sure She felt its foreignness.”
The queen scowled. “My sons were the cause of this. Kalea is our priestess. When she returns, we will ask her to negotiate on your behalf.” She signaled to two of her warriors to bring the pig. “You will walk on either side of me,” she told Eloch with a smile that included Wren. “Come, let me introduce you to my sons, Haku and Pika.”
At Ululani’s nod, the two strode forward.
“This is Pika, my youngest,” Ululani said.
Pika bowed his head, eyes downcast. Wren recognized him immediately. He was the one she had wounded in his dragon form. She glanced at the bandage on his leg. Must still hurt, she thought as she felt a sympathetic twinge. She knew all about walking with wounded legs.
“And this is my eldest, Haku.”
Nothing humble about this one, Wren thought. His set expression and warrior stance let Eloch and Wren know exactly how he felt. This one has already made up his mind about us, Wren thought, and gave him a toothy smile. Going to be keeping my knives very close when I’m around him.
The return to the village was a long and gentle journey over a coastline path. With the queen’s consent, Eloch allowed Little Sister to explore but stay close. She darted in and out of the foliage, tracking the new scents, humming with pleasure, and sticking her nose into burrows to savor the subtle essences of soil so different from what she knew.
The sun was setting, softening and muting the foliage with its warm, orangey glow. The birds sang their evening songs as the breeze stilled. Wren inhaled a breath of the sweet, salty air and let it out slowly. It’s nice to be on the ground, outdoors in the fresh air.
Although the beach was hidden most of the time by the jungle of trees and vines, she heard the waves rumbling onto the shore. For the first time since the demolition of their encampment, she finally begin to relax and enjoyed answering Queen Ululani’s questions about Kalea, what had been injured, and how it was being treated.
“I must see this ointment. Perhaps you will trade with us? We use special crystals to heal.”
“We’ll gladly give you some. Perhaps Genji, our healer, will show you its many uses. He made it himself. We use it for everything from minor wounds to very serious ones. It’s amazing stuff.”
“I consider myself something of a healer and would appreciate the opportunity, thank you.”
“Of course,” Wren said. “Will you tell me a little about your village life?” she added. She’d been waiting for a chance to ask.
“We live simply,” the queen informed them, including Eloch with a look. “We hunt and fish. We grow vegetables and harvest fruit. As Nuri, we control and govern those within our kingdom. But we all answer to the Goddess. Longwei has the final say. If She is unhappy, She will let us know.”
“How does She let you know?” Eloch asked. “Kalea gave me some information about your Goddess. The more information I can gather, the more easily I can understand how and why Wren and I have angered Her.”
The queen nodded. “You are wise not to displease Longwei. The Goddess is quick to anger. We communicate with Her through messages from Her priestesses, and there is a priestess in every kingdom. Or, She will give a sign of Her displeasure. You received such a sign when all you owned was swept into the sea. The earth will shake from time to time if Longwei is emotional about something. Her greatest displeasure is shown through fire, ash, and smoke.”
“The volcano.” Wren said.
“Yes. She will send us a sign from the mountain, Her home. The poison smoke may visit.”<
br />
“Not the lava?”
“The lava, too, but sometimes it is just for Her pleasure. She may want to visit the ocean. Or She may wish to create something new. She is a creator goddess as well as a destroyer.” The queen shrugged. “And why not? The world is Her creation to do with as She will. We welcome Her visits in whatever form She takes.”
“She takes other forms?” Eloch asked.
The queen nodded. “Oh, yes. She does not always appear as lava. She also visits as a beautiful woman, a warrior woman, or a very old woman. I have had the honor of witnessing all Her forms.”
Wren relaxed further, but not enough to refasten her sheath. She could feel Haku’s angry eyes pierce her when he walked behind them. Not only that, he could become a giant dragon in an instant. Unsettling. She felt her shoulders tense at the thought.
Torchlight flickered through the palms, indicating they were near the village. While Wren silently called Little Sister back to their sides, Ululani sent one of her guards ahead with instructions to prepare for a feast.
“Since it is nearly dark,” the queen told them, “we will show you only where you’ll be staying and provide clothing. Tomorrow I will have Haku show you our village.” She looked behind them at Haku and was quick enough to catch her son’s scowl and deliver one of her own.
When they reached the village, Haku gave a curt jerk of his head for the two to follow him down what appeared to be a newly made path. A short distance away stood a hut in a freshly cleared portion of the jungle. “You will stay here,” he growled.
Little Sister growled at his tone, and he hissed at her in return.
“Thank you,” Eloch replied mildly.
Wren didn’t bother to speak, and kept her face blank while she faced him. She’d met many a gaze such as his in the past. All it told her was to keep up her guard. Despite the fact they were under the queen’s protection, accidents could always happen.
“Go in,” he said. “Someone will bring you clothing.”
“You don’t have to wait,” Eloch told him. “It’s an easy enough trail to follow. We’ll rejoin you shortly.”
