| Phase 28 We were sitting at the table inside and talking about nothing of any importance; friendly chatter, small talk. We ignored the dragons, who were sniffing at the other�s human cautiously. Without looking at the dracling, I held my hand to his face so he could sniff my knuckles. You smell funny, he told me. You smell very like a female, but a little like a male. Why? I looked at him finally. � Because I�m living on a submarine with a maximum of five other women. The rest are all men.� But you smell familiar. Like the male who found me. I held my free hand up as high as it would go. � Tall, blond hair in a braid, red jacket, useless eyepatch, big mouth . . .?� Yes! � Yeah. Bart. We stick together a lot.� Did he find you too? � As a matter of fact, he did. Out in the deserts of Aveh on a cold night.� Billy, thanks to Synek, was now intrigued. � In the desert? But hasn�t he always had a submarine? He sure acts like he does.� He suddenly clapped his hand over his mouth and turned pink. � I�m sorry. That was rude.� I smiled. � It�s all right. And yes, he always has had a submarine. However, at the time he had a desert submarine, a sand cruiser.� � I see. But . . . if you�re travelling on the sub, where are the others?� I gestured vaguely in the direction of the beach. � Down that way. We, well, they were told at the headquarters that you were here. Elly and I wanted to thank you for your help.� � The redheaded girl in the Gebler uniform?� I nodded. � She was awfully worried about your brother.� He frowned. � I�m just blurting things, aren�t I?� � A dragon�s curiosity leaks onto its human. I don�t mind. You�ll get used to it and learn to watch what you say. Elly thinks Fei�s being injured is her fault because she was there and didn�t save him. The thing is, I was there too. And Bart. We all just kind of went blank for a second, but she�s taking it hard.� � You don�t seem to be.� He blinked, then covered his eyes with his hand as his face turned red. This kid is so cute. � My brother is not weak. He�ll pull through just fine.� The door opened and a little girl entered. Her hair was the same shade of grey as Billy�s and her eyes were a soft crimson. She came around the table and stood a few steps away from me, near Billy. � Hello, Primera,� I said quietly, sensing her wariness of me. � I�m Kris.� Billy�s eyes were wide. � How did you know her name?� � I can read minds,� I told him. � But that�s only when I�m actively searching with my own mind. This time I just happened to catch a stray thought.� � Could you find out someone�s deepest secrets?� � I suppose I could, if they weren�t purposefully hiding it.� � You could be an Etone,� he said excitedly. � You could find sinners and make them repent.� Zealous little monster, isn�t he? � I could,� I answered evasively. I really didn�t want to get caught up in a religion. I have enough problems without it. Not to say that I don�t believe in a higher power--I do--but I�d rather it be my own idea than somebody else�s. I believe, and that�s the only important part. The door suddenly opened and Primera jumped, turning toward Billy to hide in his coat. He stood as I did, ready to fight, but we both sighed in relief when we saw that it was only Elly, Bart, and Citan. � Don�t scare us like that!� I growled. � You scared us!� Bart shot back. � What were you thinking, walking off after talking about death like that?! Sig�s about to have a nervous breakdown! He�s going on and on about saying too much and I have no idea what he means!� � He�ll make it,� I muttered, stepping away from the table. The door opened again and Sig entered calmly, holding out a headset to Bart. � Young Master, a large object has been detected northeast of our position.� Bart sheepishly accepted the headset. He was always leaving it laying around. � Is it moving?� � It doesn�t seem to be.� Sig noticed me and sighed in relief. � Kris, you have to stop wandering off like that.� � Why? Where could I have gone?� � Anywhere! You find ways to go places even if you just swam!� � You worry too much. You and Bart. I can�t do anything by myself, can I? I�m too stupid to realize that there is something out there that can hurt me, is that it? Huh?� He blinked and I knew I�d hit the nail on the head. I turned away disgustedly and grumbled, � Been alone for ten years and he thinks I can�t take care of myself. As if I�m mentally unstable or something.� � Sometimes you are!� Bart snarled. � Do you two do this all the time?� Billy asked. � All the time,� Sig assured him. Billy started, as if noticing Sig for the first time. � Siggy?!� Bart�s glare of doom shot to Billy. � �Siggy�?� Billy completely ignored him. � What happened to your eye?� Sig shook his head. � Nothing. It�s all right. I just . . . forgot about it.� � Forgot about it?� Sig removed the patch. � It was something I agreed to do several years ago and I . . .�--he shrugged helplessly--� forgot about it.� Bart crossed his arms. � Hey, quit getting cozy with my officers, kid.� � He�s not a kid!� I snapped. � He�s nearly as old as you!� Bart jerked back at my quick defense of Billy. He started to make a snide remark about it, but the door across the room opened and a man in a brown trenchcoat entered. His face had multiple scars on it from several fights. Billy hid his face in his hands momentarily and murmured, � Oh no . . .� � Don�t look that much different than last time,� the man said to Sig. Sig, caught off guard by the man�s flippant and knowing tone, bristled at his words. � Excuse me?� Citan shook his head. � That would not be smart, Sigurd. He is our senior.� Sig turned to him. � Senior?� He looked at the man again. � . . . Jesiah?� . . .? Jesiah . . .? Where have I . . .? //You were an Element for Ramsus; one of his personal guards. You and your three teammates, who were all men. You lie! Ha. I do not.// Dominia said . . . //Question your equally treasonous teammates if you do not believe me. They are all here on the surface with you. Who are they?! Well there�s Jesiah, Fire; Hy---!// Hy . . .? The woman who tried to kill me . . . //Look, Hyuga, I don�t care about your job.// She called Citan �Hyuga� . . . This strange man and Citan were Elements . . .? Then Dominia was telling the truth . . . I worked for Solaris as an Element . . . Citan caught me as I made a mad dash for the door. � Where are you going?� � Dominia was telling the truth!� I wailed. � I was an Element, wasn�t I?!� Jesiah made a face. � What are you talking about? Of course you were.� Citan and Sig shushed him, but it was too late. I began to sob and turned to the nearest person, who happened to be Citan. He seemed surprised at my actions, but then sighed and hugged me, patting my back soothingly. Fathers are some of the best comforters, in my opinion (Fei had helpfully filled me in and told me about his family when we were stuck in Nortune). Since they have their own kids, they know exactly how to deal with a minor crisis like this (if this particular crisis can be considered minor). Sig whirled on Jesiah. � Look at what you�ve done! Why can�t you keep your mouth shut once in a while?!� � What�s she upset about?� � Something happened and it caused her to have a memory loss,� Citan explained as my sobs died to hiccups and an occasional whimper. � Well why didn�t you tell her?� � We wanted her to be happy and not have to worry about it!� Sig spat. � As usual, however, you have torn everything apart single-handedly.� � What I do best.� Sig looked at Citan. � May I kill him? Please?� Citan shook his head. � That would not be wise.� Growling, Sig spun away. Jesiah laughed to himself. � Hey, Sigurd. We can catch up over a drink.� � No.� � Why?� � Because I have a job to do. I am not going to get drop-dead drunk. You may if you like, but leave me out of it.� � You�re just chicken.� Sig spun slowly and asked dangerously, � I�m what?� Jesiah shrugged. � Chicken.� Citan rolled his eyes and heaved a knowing sigh. � Here we go . . .� � That�s it!� Sig yelled. He pointed menacingly at Jesiah. � You, me, in the gunroom, right now!� He stomped out and Jesiah followed, chuckling. � Gets him every time.� Citan let me go with a final pat to my back and left as well, muttering under his breath, � Why am I always the one that has to call it quits?� I listened to Billy gripe about Jesiah�s actions. � Ah, don�t worry about it. If that�s the way he is, there�s no changing it now.� � I suppose . . .� Worried for Sig�s health, I returned to the Yggdrasil. As I opened the hatch, I heard Bart calling for me and looked up. � Yeah?� I shouted in reply. � Wait up!� So I waited until they got to the ship and then entered and went down to the gunroom. Across the room, Jesiah walked back and forth between the tables, laughing stupidly. That was the only indication that he was drunk; he walked as if he was sober. Speaking of which, Citan seemed to be the only one of the three who wasn�t plastered out of his head. He looked between Jesiah and Sig, apparently waiting for one of them to drop to the floor--though from the un-Citan-like look on his face and the empty gin �n tonic glass on the table beside him, he�d miss by a kelt if he tried to catch them. I went over to Sig, who was just setting a newly finished screwdriver (which obviously had more alcohol than oranges in it) on the table next to him. � Sig?� He turned his head, nearly falling over from the simple movement. � Oh, hi, Kris. Didn�t hear you come in.� He sounded okay . . . Bart stepped forward. � I agreed to take Billy out to the �Ethos� transport ship that you said was northeast of our position.� � Oh, okay. I�ll be up in a second.� Sig held his hand against his face to prevent Jesiah from reading his lips (I don�t think he had to be that wary) and pointed at the other man with his thumb. � Gotta get away from him first.� He really was drunk. He was acting like a five-year-old! Jesiah, however, had been listening and heard Bart. � You�re leaving? Okay then. We need to do something for good luck. You know . . . the �paint the face on your stomach and dance around trick�. Come on, the three of us together!� Citan�s face reddened (pale complexions suck, don�t they?) and he cleared his throat. � Uh . . . maybe another time.� Jesiah snorted and headed out. � I�ll see you all later.� � I hope not,� Sig grumbled. � Did you win?� I asked. � Of course I did.� Citan shook his head. � I have never met anyone who could outdrink Jesiah. Sigurd has no idea what he is talking about.� � I do so! . . . I think.� Sig glanced around, one hand on the table for support, then said, � . . . I guess I should get to the bridge.� He took one step and collapsed. Elly screamed. � Is he . . .?!� I knelt by him and rolled him onto his back. � Sig?� Citan shook his head. � Sigurd never could hold a drink for long. We should probably let him rest tonight and head out tomorrow.� Bart poked at Sig with the toe of his boot. � Man, I don�t think he�s ever gotten that smashed before . . .� <--Phase 27 Phase 29--> |