Twin Suns of Arterra

9

A laugh bubbled up from my chest before I could stop it.

The irony.

I had been saved from certain death by Janis' elite guard. Was this the one stationed outside of my building, or another? It didn't matter, I supposed. I was saved, and I was caught.

The man scowled at my laughter.

"Get him up."

Hands grabbed me again, a bit rougher this time as I was hauled to a waiting duracraft and assisted inside. The scowling guard followed me in, forcing me to slide along the seat, a feat in and of itself with a body barely strong enough to sit upright.

He eyed the cushion that I still hugged against my chest.

"I think you can let go of that now." His voice dripped with disdain.

I could only shake my head in response. They were going to have to pry it from my fingers. There was no way I was letting go of it anytime soon.

The guard pressed a button

"Med center."

Immediately the duracraft lurched forward, gliding over the other transports up into the emergency level and then launching into high speed.

Less than four minutes later we reached the central med center. You had to hand it the duracraft designers. For all its bulk and armaments, it could really move. It would have taken a normal transport at least three times as long to get here.

The duracraft parked near the entrance and the guard climbed out, motioning to someone I couldn't see, and removing something from his pocket.

Would he take me in as a prisoner, walk me into the med center in shacklers?

Certainly I couldn't pose much of a threat in my current condition.

There was a muffled thump, and then the guard was climbing backwards back into the duracraft. No, that wasn't quite right. He didn't climb so much as fold. He landed on the seat, eyes closed. Two dark shapes pushed him out of the way as they got in behind him. Were those uniforms? They were dark, but didn't look quite right.

A lock of red hair slipped down from beneath a visored helmet. Braided into it was a brown and white feather.

"Blade?"

Her head whipped around.

"Quiet!" She hissed. Then she seemed to truly see me for the first time and her flashing eyes softened. "Are you all right?"

"I'll live."

She nodded and turned back to her compatriot as they pulled the door shut. The other person pressed the same button the guard had.

"Seyin Plaza."

The market? Why on Arterra would we be going there?

The duracraft lifted off, drifting back into the stream of transports that filled the city passageways.

Blade rolled the guard over, checking something before hauling him onto the seat opposite us. For a slight girl, she was strong. The guard was at least twice her size. I made a mental note.

The other person scooted closer to me, pulling off her visored helmet.

"Aaliyah?" I couldn't help myself. The surprise of seeing her under that uniform pulled the name from my lips.

Blade shot me an annoyed glance, then went back to checking the guard.

Aaliyah smiled tentatively. She nodded her head, indicating one of my many wounds. "I can help."

She lifted her hands as if seeking my permission.

I nodded.

She laid one hand on my right arm, and the other on my leg. The warmth of her skin immediately penetrated my wet clothes. A shiver worked its way through me, reminding my body of the location of each ache and pain. She looked into my face. I had always thought her eyes were gray, but now I saw there was a pale green light threaded through them.

"This may feel a bit strange to you." Her voice was soft and calm, as if soothing a skittish dog. "Don't be afraid."

Then her shining eyes closed and the warmth of her hands spread over me like a warm blanket. I heard sounds coming from her lips, but they were too faint to make out the words. As she breathed them, tendrils of light sparked along my skin, curling around my wrists and arms, snaking up and across my chest like live wires conducting some strange current. The glow brightened, and the heat increased. The air inside the duracraft increased. I could feel it, could sense it was hot enough to burn, yet I felt no pain. Instead, the discomfort began to fade from my skin and my muscles. Even my bones released an aching soreness I hadn't fully noticed until it drained away.

The filaments of energy wrapped around me, coiling like vines, growing and wrapping until nearly every part of me had the shining threads across. Beneath them, the skin at the edges of my cuts began to knit together. The bruises faded and disappeared. A thrumming energy built inside me, filling me up until I thought I might burst with it.

Finally, with a sigh, Aaliyah opened her eyes and removed her hands. Instantly the glowing strands began to fade until they were gone. She looked up at me.

"Better?"

I licked lips that felt as though they were dry and cracked, but tested normal against my tongue. "Fine," I rasped.

Amazed.

Overwhelmed.

There were plenty of words I could use in that moment.

"Good," Blade answered, turning to face us. "You'll need your strength where we're going."

The market?

I turned questioning eyes to Aaliyahh, but her face was unreadable.

I turned back to Blade. "Where exactly are we going?"

It was obvious the market was just a diversion. What I really wanted to know was a diversion for what. I'd done enough daring maneuvers for one day. I didn't want it to end in a pulse of green blasted from a hover-barge.

Blade's stormy eyes drilled into me.

"You'll find out soon enough."