| Phase 17 Closing her hands around the whips to keep them from tearing up her arms, Axyl landed and began to walk backwards. When that did no good, I had Axyl use the wings to pull as well. Sure enough, the wings� strength helped. Heimdal shrieked against the sides of the pod, but slid out onto the sand. I had Axyl jump up and down. It�s a boy! It�s a boy! � Kris, listen.� I flicked on the �eaves-dropping device� (another Bart-suggested installation) as Axyl�s cameras focused on some activity several kelts away and relayed it over to Citan, knowing he couldn�t hear them as easily as I could. � . . . This the missing Gear?� � Yeah. Let�s take it all back to the Kaiser.� They didn�t say anything else more interesting, so I cut the device. They�re taking him to Nortune? � So it seems. We must get there as soon as possible.� Yeah right. We have to fix Heimdal first. � Agreed.� That�ll take a day, at least. And we need to think of how we�re going to get in there without getting stuck in D Block. So I set Axyl on idle and told her to keep watch for us. And while Talic watched Devon romp as an elder would to a younger, Citan and I worked on restoring Heimdal�s movement and plotted on how to sneak into Nortune. If one of us could pull off needing medical attention . . . I trailed absently. Citan looked up. � That is it! Kris, you gave me an idea.� It�s a wonder I have any left for myself. � We will, of course, need to leave the Gears somewhere nearby.� You pick the spot, Axyl can go there. � There is a small forest at the foot of the mountains.� Sounds good to me. We worked without stopping for a day and a half. Neither of us had food or water, so we were hungry and thirsty. Luckily, Talic and Devon had given it a lot of thought and came back right during the heat of the day with two full canteens. Where did you find these? I asked, taking one from Devon when she offered it. I don�t remember having one. They were in the back of the Gears, she told me, in a little compartment. I pet her and praised her. You�re an angel, Devon. She grinned toothily and purred at me. Unfortunately, the water could only keep us from dehydrating. Half way through the repairs, we heard an odd growling, hissing noise. We stopped, but didn�t hear it again. About an hour later, we heard it once more. What is that? � I do not know.� We quit working and just listened. A few seconds later, there was more his- sing and growling. Citan laughed quietly, which was a distinct signal to me that he had figured it out. What is it? � My stomach is demanding a meal.� I laughed as well. Well keep it quiet so mine doesn�t hear it. They might gang up and start a revolt. We continued to work and eight hours later, we finished. I pretended to pass out on the sand and threw my arm over my eyes to keep any airborne sand away. My eyes were dry and watery as it was because of that. � Time is growing short, Kris.� I gathered Devon and went to Axyl. I put the helmet on and switched her to normal running power. You�re going to have to sit and wait, Axyl. [Don�t I always?] Well, this time is going to be different. You have to wait in a forest in Kislev with Heimdal. [Oh. At least I�ll have company.] It shouldn�t be too awfully long. We�re going to try to get Fei and get out of there. Unless he has gotten himself into something. Three kelts from Nortune, Citan and I sent the Gears away and continued in on foot. As we neared the capital, Talic and Devon--who had been trotting placidly at our heels--climbed us like trees to look for a place to hide. Talic ducked totally under Citan�s hair and then, over a scant minute, blended in almost perfectly with his hair, clothing, and skin. With his blue eyes closed, Talic was invisible to anyone who wasn�t looking for him. Devon slid under my vest and flattened herself against my back, perched carefully on the pack that held the wings. The guards stopped us at the entrance to the city. � What is your business here?� Citan was not ruffled by the rudely-posed question. � I am a doctor---� � You must be the new one that was called in for D Block,� the other guard assumed. Citan didn�t let the chance go. � Yes.� � All right,� said the first. � You can go in.� But then he noticed me. � Who are you?� I averted my eyes to the ground and crossed my arms over my stomach protectively. Quickly, Citan put his right arm around my shoulders and his left hand on my arm. � This is my younger sister, Krista.� The guard snarled. � She can�t speak for herself?� � No, sir, she is mute.� I looked away in feigned embarrassment. � . . . Fine.� Citan guided me down the street. As soon as we were around the corner, he let me go and sighed. � That was good acting, Kris. If I had not known better, I would have believed you as well.� I spoke to him on a closed channel. The last thing we needed was somebody ratting on us because I had a stronger mind than most. Thanks. I picked most of it up when I was a kid. It got me out of trouble a lot. We stopped to ask a civilian directions and once we had gotten into D Block, my skin started to crawl. I hate being watched and that was exactly what was going on. I stared at the ground the whole way. Upon reaching the designated criminal . . . house, I guess is what I�m looking for . . . we were struck by the smell of food. Our stomachs, which had grudgingly fallen silent once they remained unfed, pestered us with a vengeance. � I guess we�ll be eating then.� Sounds like a plan. The food was better than I�d expected. It wasn�t cuisine (get real, this is D Block), but it wasn�t formless blobs of something that was colored too unnaturally to be healthy. After that, we went downstairs and found what was obviously the doctor�s place. I looked at all the beds and nearly drooled. Hey, I hadn�t slept for two days and then I ate a big meal, which is notorious for making people sleepy. I rubbed at my eyes like a child and Citan suggested that I sleep. What about you? � I will be fine. I am not tired.� You�re crazy. I�m exhausted. � Then go to bed. I will not leave. Fei will eventually have to come by here, so I have no reason to go looking for him.� Devon went to pester Talic and I climbed up onto the top bunk across from the stairs. I laid there and kept an eye out for Fei for about . . . . . . oh . . . . . . thirty seconds. *>*<* Fei was surprised. � Doc?! When did you get here?!� Citan shook his head. � Just a few hours ago. Now please keep your voice down. Kris is trying to sleep.� � Kris is here?!� Fei cried, though it was quiet. � Where?!� � Yes, she is here. In one of the upper bunks.� � Is she all right?� � She is just fine. You need not worry about her so.� � I can�t help it, Doc. She�s my kid sister.� � I do not believe that fifteen months difference is enough to allow you to call her �kid�. At least not around her.� � Point.� Fei peeked through the curtain and glanced back and forth through the room. Up in the very top bunk of the set of beds across from the stairs laid a sleeping Kris. She rolled and he frowned. She was awfully close to the edge of the bed . . . Kris rolled again . . . but it was back the other way. Fei sighed and decided to keep an eye on her. If she knew she was that fidgety, she should never have climbed up that high. Citan came through the curtain and followed Fei�s gaze. � She is going to fall if she keeps that up.� � Yeah, I know. I�m going to sit here and watch her to make sure she really doesn�t---!� Kris rolled twice and went right over the edge of the bed. She woke up as soon as she felt open air under her and began to twist cat-like to land on her feet. But it was too short a distance for her to get it done and Fei was already there to catch her. She landed lightly in his arms with a soft �oomph� and looked up at him gratefully. Thanks, Fei. He smiled. � It�s my job to keep you out of trouble.� She reached up and hugged him. Are you okay? � Yeah. Just scratched up from my �Baptism�.� Baptism? she asked flatly. � Determines my rank. Pecking order.� Right. They just like to kick peoples� asses. Who did it, anyhow? � A demi-human named Rico. He�s also called �Champ� because he�s won all the Gear battles for almost three years straight.� You can take him. � . . . I don�t know about that. He beat the shit out of me last time.� But you�re good with Gears. � . . . I suppose.� Where does he live? Fei looked down at her. � Oh no. I�m not telling you.� Why? � Because you want to kill him, I can tell.� What�s so bad about that? Fei rolled his eyes. � I�m trying to get out of here by battling, not get into more trouble.� She snapped her fingers. Damn. Another thought hit her. Oh yeah. I�m on a closed channel because Doc got me through as a mute. So if we�re outside, we can�t carry on a normal conversation. He nodded. � Okay.� She yawned and he yawned back. She giggled. You look tired. � I�m worn-out,� he admitted with another yawn. Then go to bed. I�ll be okay by myself. � You have to promise you won�t get in the top bunk anymore.� . . . Okay. � Don�t go back on it,� he warned as he set her down. � If I catch you on the top bunk or hear about you being up there I�ll . . .� She grinned. You�ll what? � I�ll make Weltall kick your ass!� She laughed. Making a Gear do it �cause you can�t! she teased. � Ah, shut up and go to bed!� Big brother�s a baby big brother! He lunged at her and tossed her high up in the air. She let out a surprised cry, then burst into laughter again. � Maybe that�ll teach you to tease me!� Not a chance! He yawned again and she ushered him to bed. He slept in the top bunk in the corner and she drew the covers up over his shoulder and kissed his cheek. Good night, Fei. Sleep tight. � �Night, Kris,� he slurred sleepily. She pet him briefly, then slid down into the bunk right under his. Devon hopped into the bed with her and Kris tucked the little dragon under the sheets and fell into a light sleep. Citan, who had watched the interaction, paused thoughtfully. �They�ve hardly known each other for more than a few days and they act as though they know each other perfectly. Fei knew it would bother Kris if he asked about the young one and his ship and Kris knew that Fei didn�t want to talk about his battling. How very odd.� As he sat down on a nearby stool to think, Talic settled beside him like a faithful pet. Do not give it too much thought. Your brain will melt. <--Phase 16 Phase 18--> |