by C B Williams
Eloch nodded. “The mining crew. Another resource for Longwei to use while preparing Her people to join the technological age.”
They’d reached the hut.
Wren paused outside. “Tell me, if this threat to the planets hadn’t been discovered, would Longwei be making these changes?”
“I think so. Maybe not so soon, but Longwei was getting bored. And the Nuri were getting curious.”
“Like Pika.”
“Yes, like Pika and Kalea and their mother. Even Makini. Longwei’s seen her at the miners’ camps. Let’s go inside.” He used his power to part the curtain and to make the temperature cooler. He propped his staff by the doorway and stood waiting.
Little Sister flopped into a corner and stretched out.
Wren sighed. “Nice to get away from the mugginess for a bit.” She turned to him.
“And what of Entean?” she asked gently. “Can you talk with Her again?”
Eloch drew Wren down onto their mat, encircled her with his arms, and buried his face in her lap.
She stroked his back, brushed her hand over his dark curls, and waited.
After a while he looked up at her, green eyes haunted with the same aching look she’d seen earlier.
“Yes, I can communicate with Entean.”
“That’s good, isn’t it? It’s what you wanted.”
He nodded. “But there was a price.”
She waited.
“Longwei had to manipulate my DNA, insert Herself into it so I can be more attuned with Entean’s plant. She told me there is now no more difference between me and the plant. None.”
“I don’t understand.”
Eloch sat up and held up his hand. “This is me.” He held up the other hand. “This is Entean’s plant. Think of Longwei as the glue...” he put his two hands together, “...that sealed us together. More than glue.”
He stopped and searched for words. “More like the substance that Entean and I merged into. And now we are one thing, but there is so much Longwei in me I am not the same. Can never be Entean’s Champion. So, yes I can speak with Her, but I can never speak for Her. Can never have a home, not with Spur and Longwei’s power also flowing through me. Not with Longwei’s essence within me. I’m even wondering if I’m more Longwei’s creature than I have ever been Entean’s. Or worse, more planet than person.”
Wren pushed away from him and scowled. “You’re wrong, Eloch. Dead wrong. You’re nobody’s creature. You’re your own creature. Unique. And you’re still a person. You don’t look anything like a planet.”
“You’ve already noticed the changes in my personality.”
Wren scoffed. “We all change, Eloch. We don’t need to be tampered with by...by some planet’s essence to change. Simply living changes people. Look at me. Look at what life’s done to me. Look how much I’ve changed since you met me, and I’m tamper-free.”
He did look at her. At her scowl, the two red spots on her cheeks, the way she’d twisted around so she could put her fists on her waist and glare at him, the way she impatiently crossed her leg over her artificial limb, the scars he knew covered her back. Yes. Yes, Wren had changed, yet she was still the woman he loved, the woman he would always love.
And then he understood what she was so impatiently waiting for him to realize.
Just as he would always love her, she would always love him.
And who needed a home when you had love?
He nodded. “Oh. Oh, I see.”
She grinned. “About time.”
Little Sister thumped her tail.
Chapter 21
Testing
Longwei had buried her Nuri deep within the volcano, right under the caldera. Around them, through the cracks in the walls, they could see glimpses of red-gold fire. The ceiling glowed red, only a thin membrane of rock shielding them from scorching magma.
Makini hissed and crouched beside her mother.
Seeing her, Longwei laughed. “Would you cower before your Creator, Nuri? Stand and face Me.” Waiting for Makini to rise, Longwei studied Her Nuri and willed their wounds to heal. “Help your parent,” she told Makini and waited while the girl helped Ululani to her feet.
Ululani bowed low. “Thank you, my Goddess, for your healing care.”
“I am only sorry I could not save the other one.”
Ululani looked at Kalea, who took her mother’s hand.
“Haku died in battle, Mother.”
The queen’s lip trembled, and she gripped Kalea’s hand hard, but she remained silent.
Genji moved to stand beside Kalea.
“Where were you in the battle?” Longwei asked him.
“I would not let him fight,” Pika said before Genji could answer. “He’s not like us. He would not have survived.” He looked over at Genji. “He is precious to my sister. To all of us.”
Longwei nodded and looked fondly at Her consort. “You did well with your defense, Pika. I am pleased.” She narrowed her eyes at Genji, who had wrapped a protective arm around Kalea. “There may be hope for this off-worlder, yet. Although he could do with a little more height.”
She dismissed the off-worlder from her thoughts, focused on the twin. With gleeful anticipation, Longwei watched Makini’s face while She shifted into Her Old Woman persona and back again.
Makini gasped and hung her head.
Longwei chuckled. “I see you’re realizing your errors, Nuri. Perhaps you are finally gaining wisdom?”
She turned to Kalea. “I have plans for you, for each of you, but yours will be the most difficult and,” she nodded toward Genji, “your lover must be tested before I make My final decision.
“In the meantime, Pika, My Chosen Consort, you will be King of all the People from this day forward, even those not on this island. I charge you to reunite the Nuri and The Ancestors, and allow The Ancestors to teach you all they know. We have a need to rapidly assimilate the technologies I’ve hidden from you. I have deliberately kept you away from all off-worlders, but can do so no longer. It is time. I need intelligent and brave warriors. I need ships. I need pilots. Defenses. We will discuss this in greater depth later.
“You,” she said to Ululani, “I shall need a priestess of priestesses who is My voice.” She smiled, thinking of Eloch. “My Champion. This will be you. And you,” she said to Makini, “you will fly to the other settlements, gather the Nuri, and bring them here to learn from The Ancestors.”
Makini’s eyes widened.
“Can I trust you to do this?”
She looked at her mother and back to Longwei before bowing low. “It will be my honor to obey You. It is all I’ve ever wanted.”
Longwei turned toward Genji and Kalea.
“Now,” She said.
Genji found himself standing beside Kalea on the edge of the glowing caldera. He looked up at Longwei, who stared at him unblinkingly, Her eyes swirling with flames. He was tempted to squirm under that red gaze.
“Do you, off-worlder? Do you truly love my priestess?”
“Yes,” Genji answered, feeling the sweat trickle down his back, undecided whether it was the caldera’s heat or because of his fear.
Longwei pointed at Kalea. Instantly, she was Nuri.
He stepped back to give Kalea room.
“And now? Do you love her now?”
“Yes! Of course I do.”
“Even if this is her only form for the rest of her life? Even if you never see Kalea again? Only Nuri? For the rest of your life?”
Genji looked into the eyes of the Nuri. Kalea’s eyes. “Yes.”
Longwei laughed. Her laughter shook the ground, shifted the vent plumes. “Truly.” Sarcasm laced her voice. “You would take this creature as yours? You would mate with it? You would give it pleasure? Be as attentive to this body as you were to Kalea’s woman’s body? Would you, off-worlder? Would you truly?”
“YES!” Genji shouted into Kalea’s eyes. “God help me I would,” he sobbed. “I surely would.”
Longwei
was silent for a moment. “And would you die for her? Would you do that as well, off-worlder?”
Genji’s gaze shifted to Longwei’s. “Yes, Goddess, I would do that as well.”
Longwei looked at the Nuri. “Kill him Kalea.”
The Nuri whipped its massive head around to look at Longwei.
“As you are Mine, you will kill him. He is a worthy sacrifice. I accept him.”
The Nuri whimpered and shuddered while it shook its graceful neck like a horse refusing a jump.
The ground trembled.
“Kalea, you are My priestess. You will do as I bid. Now, kill him…or I will.”
The plume shifted a fraction.
The Nuri looked at Longwei and then at Genji.
“Now, Priestess.”
“It’s okay, Kalea. I forgive you.” Genji’s voice shook, and he cleared his throat. “Please know, Kalea, I have no regrets for loving you. I said I would die for you, and I will.” He closed his eyes to make it easier for her. “Longwei is right. I do not belong with a priestess of the Goddess.”
Genji waited for the inevitable. Why was Kalea taking so long? Didn’t she realize it was making it worse?
“You are wrong, off-worlder.”
He opened his eyes.
“You do belong,” Longwei said. “You’re just unacceptable. So far.”
A wave of dizziness made him stagger, and Longwei chuckled when Kalea steadied him with her tail.
“You have passed your test, off-worlder. I shall make you Nuri. Then you shall be acceptable. As Nuri, I will allow you to be My priestess’s consort.”
And she proceeded to do just that.
She made him magnificent, the largest Nuri she had ever created. Only the largest and most powerful was suitable for Her beloved priestess. And like Kalea, he would be able to spit fire in his human form. She knew that of all her Nuri, he would never abuse these powerful gifts. Longwei took pleasure in Her creating, gave Genji extra height to match Kalea. Gave him more muscle to sustain the constant shifting. She hesitated. It was tempting, but in deference to Her priestess, She left his features alone, for they pleased Kalea. But She gave him extra fire to match the passions Her people displayed.
“My priestess has chosen well,” she told them both, “I am pleased. I shall mark you, off-Worlder, so others will know I have claimed you. I shall mark you both.”
She traced intricate patterns down Genji’s left side and on Kalea’s right. They disappeared under their thick hide. When they returned to their human forms, Genji and Kalea would discover they carried identical tattoos, but mirror images.
“Now go, Priestess, and teach this Nuri to fly and to shift. Tomorrow at this time, bring him back to Me, so I may tell you both of your Calling.”
With a hiss, Kalea extend her wings and launched herself into the air. Genji paused and bowed deeply towards Longwei before he followed.
Flying was not as easy as it seemed. Only when he was falling (and his mind had shut down from the terror of seeing the ocean race closer and closer) was his Nuri body able to take over. Instinctively he flexed his wings, caught the wind, and soared away from harm.
It was exhilarating.
“Trust the Nuri,” Kalea hissed, “and enjoy the feeling of freedom.”
He hadn’t realized the hissing was a language.
Chapter 22
Brightness Calling
The second time they came, Mink happened to be on watch duty. For several minutes she did nothing but observe. There were more of them. She zoomed in her monitor to study them and recognized the original four.
A gasp escaped when she saw the sniffer standing between the woman from SubCity with the coilmats and the tall man. Had there been a sniffer with them before? Surely she would have remembered something like a sniffer, wouldn’t she?
The tall man was interesting. Such a commanding presence. A little frightening, even. She couldn’t place his planet of origin. “Oh!” she exclaimed. “Those two are wearing Ring Colonizing uniforms!” She looked down at her own dark green tunic. Couldn’t help the grin when she realized they hadn’t changed in over a thousand years.
A thousand years.
And then there were the natives, the great-great-great grandchildren of friends long gone.
Mink’s hand swept over the instrument panel and activated a long-ignored switch that bathed the cavern in light. With her other hand she swiped the tears from her cheeks, steadied her breathing, and punched the comm line.
“Wade,” she said. “They’re back. I think it’s time we said hello.”
Grale wrung out the bandana, dipped it back into the cold water, wrung it out again, and tied it around his forehead. The heat was brutal. He didn’t know which heat was worse: the dry heat of the fire crystal mine or the wet, humid heat of the blue crystals. Either was bad.
He rubbed the back of his neck. That nagging feeling of being watched had been there for a while now. On several occasions, he stopped what he’d been doing and looked around. But no one had been where he or she shouldn’t have been.
No Nuri, either. They’d all but disappeared. He missed them, especially Makini, which alarmed him a little.
After her failed seduction, he’d been surprised when Makini kept showing up. But she had, hungry for any knowledge he was willing to share. And not just him, she’d ask anybody. At first he was uneasy about allowing her to mingle with his men and told her so. She’d laughed and shifted into that fire-breathing beast she was and blew a whole arc of flames.
The memory could still make him grin. Anyway, he missed her. Surprised himself that he did. He missed the other one, too. Pika. He’d come once or twice. Their off-world technology seemed like a drug to those two.
Strange planet. He would carry away interesting memories. Not that he ever wanted to return, doubted he’d need to, with the masses of crystals they’d be taking back to Talamh. Every single man on his crew would be able to live like a king for the rest of his days. They deserved it, too. They all had sweated and strained, nearly killing themselves to get those crystals, now stored safely away in what would be the hold when their ship was reassembled.
Which would be any day now. He and Jocko estimated the upper mine would be cleaned up by the end of the day. They’d need tomorrow to pack up and move the equipment back down to first mine. After that, all that was left was the ship reassembly…and then home. They’d be out of here in just a couple of weeks.
He looked around the site. His crew had done a good job putting the mine to bed. He took pride in that aspect. Most miners just dug and drove. Not him. He’d leave this place looking like they’d never been there. “Nope, they’ll be none the wiser,” he said out loud.
A footfall from behind made him freeze. Slowly he turned and blew out a breath. “I was wondering when I’d see you again,” he told the old woman.
“You broke your word,” She said. “I’m still annoyed.”
He shrugged and tried his smile out on her.
It didn’t work.
She stood glowering at him.
“Yeah, Wei, I did. But I kept my word about putting the mine to bed. That’s got to count for something.” He swept his arm. “Like I promised, when we go, you’ll never be able to tell we were here. At both sites. Not a trace.”
“And can you promise you will keep your word? That you never tell anyone where you came by the crystals?”
“Yes, I can promise you. Just like we agreed.”
She smiled.
He relaxed.
“You take me as a fool? That I would believe you after you’ve broken your word once?”
He stiffened. “But that was different, Wei. Believe me, I’ll never tell anyone, and I’ll never be back.”
She nodded. “Oh you’ll never be back because you’ll never be leaving. I have other plans for you.”
He blinked. “Come again?”
“If you stay, help me with my plans, I will let your crew go.”
“And if I don�
�t?”
She gazed at him silently.
He felt an icy chill creep up his neck.
“I am not giving you a choice. You and your whole crew stays, or you stay and your crew goes. Those are your two choices.” She paused. “Or, I could kill you all for breaking your word.” Her eyes gleamed red as Her hand snaked out to grip his arm, blackening his skin, branding Her handprint onto his forearm.
Grale cried out. “What the hell are you? What is this place?”
“I am this place,” Longwei said and dropped his arm.
He shook his head and cradled his arm. “It hurts.” He felt cold. Clammy. “What did you do to me?”
“Nothing one of your blue crystals won’t cure,” She chuckled. “Although I’ve marked you for life.” She swept Her hand and lifted him off the ground only to send him smashing back to earth.
He cried out again.
Jocko came running. “Boss?”
“Stay back, Jocko. She’s not what we thought!”
Jocko stopped several paces away and looked at Longwei. “She one of them? Those monsters?”
“I don’t think so. Something...more. Just stay back.”
“You like this one?” Longwei asked, turning cunning eyes toward Jocko. “A friend? You value his life?” She lifted him high off the ground, so high he was a mere speck in the sky. “I’m not sure if your friend could survive the fall.”
A circle formed around the two as the rest of the crew came running.
“Stand back!” Grale shouted at his men. “Put down your weapons.” He looked at Wei and held out his hands. “Please...whatever you are...please. Don’t do it. I’ll stay. Just let him live. Let him go. Let them all go. I’ll stay. I’ll do what you want.”
Longwei shifted into Her goddess form, lovely and seductive. “This is a good decision,” She said, enjoying the gasps. She waved Her hand and Jocko landed gently beside Grale, who steadied him before he fell on his ass.
“What the fuck?” Jocko turned a frightened, pale face to Grale. “I want to leave this place. Now. It’s not worth it.”
