Hullo there Sparks!
New chapter means brand-new graphics. I hope you like them as much as I do.
You’ll notice these are a little more expansive, this chapter like the last one is all about the strings attached but where the last one was about ties that bind, this one is about cutting ties, burning bridges, and breaking out. Embracing freedom.
As for the story…
INDEX | Chapter 7 | Scenes 1 & 2 | Next Scene → Coming soon.
Previously: At the conclusion of last chapter we saw Misty breaking her way out of Luke’s Manor to escape his hounding for information.
My body is racked with sobs as I force myself to fly away. It’s almost impossible, just like it was leaving Chrys behind after she died. I have no choice. They will try it again if I stay... I have no choice...
I look back once, and as my feet clear the thin smoke, it’s as if this planet’s too-heavy gravity suddenly drops off of me. All the weight I have been carrying around the past few months stays behind with barely conscious Logan and I am finally free.
This is so different from the last time I ran away. No binding ties are holding me back, no abandoned responsibilities or duties. I have no plan. I have no idea how this world works other than what Logan told me, and back when he was telling me things I had no thoughts of running away. I just need to get away.
I go straight up at first, feeling the sun's warmth increasing with each kilometer I rise until the air is so thin that I start to feel giddy and maneuvering gets uncertain. Then I simply hang in the thin air, turning around and around to get the lay of the land.
From what Logan taught me, I know that this planet is about three times the size of Telera, but not as dense, and much more sparsely populated. From what I can see, it is far more beautiful than anything I ever imagined. As I revolve trying to think of a plan the magnificence of Earth-Prime slowly starts to seep into my bones.
Luke's Manor doesn’t look like much from this height. It is just a black and grey smudge in the middle of a large forest. There are green fields in the distance, east and south, with the white-grey blob of the city up north, and at my back, a long mountain range reaching all along the western coast.
I close my eyes for a moment and search for approaching energy signatures. There doesn’t seem to be anyone after me. It’s not that surprising, all the soldiers were Lesser beings, that would barely be able to sense me at this high level of release, let alone track my energy signature. The only one at the Manor who might be able to do that besides Logan is Tom and I think he probably has his hands full right now trying to keep his brother alive.
Once I am sure I am in the clear, I drop, falling freely to about a hundred meters from the surface and then I fly towards the morning sun.
The forest surrounding Luke’s Manor is almost tall enough for me to touch. A rich, medley of deep greens, forms a velvety canopy that stretches into the distance, until after a few leagues the texture changes, and the ordered plantation is replaced by the jumble of natural forest.
The small countryside houses are far apart, surrounded by short fences, with footpaths leading up to the front doors and colorful shuttles passing here and there a few meters from the ground. Not at all like the high-walled little boxes packed closely together back home. The rank and file they called it, for former or low-level soldiers, like my parents and sister. I don’t really know where the Talented live once they’ve finished their training. I don’t know much of anything about how my life would have gone, other than that I belong to the Crown to use as they see fit. Not anymore.
I try not to think of the past, but the further I get from the Manor the more my mind turns to Logan, and I start to hope that Luke was able to save him. I have to think of now, what happens next.
Taking a moment to appreciate how good this feels, flying, with the energy that has harrowed me for months, finally flowing freely enough to stop corroding my cells, I don’t hurt. I know it will be worse when it builds back up, and I’ll have to work harder than ever to keep it under control or risk another episode like the one that destroyed Luke’s house. They’ll find me for sure if that happens.
I slow down. I still have to get far enough away that they won’t be able to sense me in the area, but if I release less energy, the buildup will be slower, which will give me a better chance of handling it, and it also means my trail will dissipate faster. Hopefully fast enough.
I have just crossed a large loop of that ribbon of river, over an expanse of natural forest, and I am distracted, wondering if I am far enough yet when something hot and solid flies at me out of the trees up ahead.
It misses me by a full fathom and then explodes a little way behind me in a puff of smoke and plasma. Missile? I stop dead to figure out what happened. Short range. I think to myself while I scan the canopy to narrow down the source, but before I can pinpoint it, a disembodied voice orders loudly: "This is restricted airspace! Land your craft immediately or you will be shot down!"
“No, Elle!” I mumble, weakly trying to bat Tom’s hands away while he fusses around me. My vision is blurred. “Heeeyy, bro. You stay with me, okay?” He says shakily. I try to nod and smile.
“You have to hurry. It’s bad, there’s a lot of blood,” Tom says to his phone looking very worried. I can’t make out who is on the other side of the call. I hear something about applying pressure and Tom turns to grab a sheet off of the bed. I try to look but something isn’t working…
* * *
I blink and there are soldiers around me. Luke is here, shouting orders. “I need those vials, adrenaline, atropine, lidocaine. Yes yes. It’s all here, good. Come on, Logan, come back to us. There that’s it,” I feel Luke holding my wrist, then against my neck. His hands come away bloody.
“It’s still too fast. Irregular. I need that crash cart!” He flashes a light in my eyes and then moves out of sight. After a moment I hear “Clear!” then my teeth clench hard, just about cracking against one another and everything goes blue as my whole body convulses.
It’s weird. It doesn’t even hurt.
* * *
Standing over me, Elle moves into the stance of a signature Manorian attack, Eimyrja Brasa. It’s one my father taught us as kids, and we have few that are more powerful. I’ve never needed to use it. It’s supposed to be a Manorian thing. I didn’t know Telerans could condense their power enough to form the wide shaft of hot light.
She crosses her palms and braces herself, lifting her outstretched arms, and directing them at the window. Suddenly a column of bright green energy bursts forth from between her splayed fingers, burning rather than blasting away half the wall. It’s smart. Anything less concentrated would have been absorbed and dissipated by the conductive array below the paint. I can see traces of it along the melted edges like frazzled little silver springs poking out where they were able to conduct enough away to survive themselves but not save the surrounding material.
She looks down at me with remorse in her clear gray eyes before shooting out of the hole and disappearing into the clear blue sky.
What did we do?
* * *
I can't move. I can feel the broken ribs grinding against each other, with each labored breath. Luke and Tom lift me, and my vision swings. Where did all the blood come from?
Luke’s voice echoes, “Lower jaw, dislocated, and then knocked back into place. Thank goodness it's not broken as well. Punctured and lacerated lungs and liver. Three pints of synthesized whole blood and an extra unit of plasma after the direct transfusion from Thomas. Multiple compression fractures, including three ribs, sternum, two missing teeth, nose, and both cheekbones…”
The list goes on. It feels like I’ve been run over by something. I try to rub my eyes but my hands won’t come up for some reason. Gosh, the tip of my nose itches.
“And that’s why you let her get away?” A familiar voice intones with a sarcastic edge.
“What did you expect? She gave Logan the beating of his life. Then she blasted a hole right through the wall that was supposed to absorb and dissipate all the energy and then flew off. I don’t see what we could have done differently. Your men were in the garden, why didn’t they follow her?” Tom barks impatiently. I flutter my eyelids halfway open. I can’t see much. I can make out a General Morgan-shaped blob, and I can sense Luke though he seems distracted.
“The priority should have been capture. Luke was here, he could have managed perfectly with our support.” Chimes the General’s rich baritone.
I squeeze out a chuckle, drawing their attention. It hurts all over, but I can’t help but laugh. I instantly feel Luke’s mind touch mine, cautioning me against trying to talk, so I think, “Seriously? You expected slowpoke here to catch her when she was too fast for me?” while Luke translates.
Soon Tom is laughing too, and Luke can’t hold himself back either. The General looks at me, and even blurred the malice in his eyes is unmistakeable. After a few seconds, enraged, Morgan storms out of the infirmary.
I’m not laughing because it’s funny. I laugh simply to free the emotion that is tearing me apart: that look in her eyes. She was sorry.
Next Time: Logan is in tough shape
P.S. I’m not sure I’m up to speed yet, still sorting some start of year stuff out. I’m not promising anything for Tuesday, but I’ll try my best.
Thanks so much for reading! If you like, please:
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and as always, I love hearing what you think so, feel free to:
First, the graphics are a great fit. I love the shift.
Second Jenny, the way the story is evolving is wonderful. I feel some grit, some edge there that makes it even more real I think. I probably should be careful how I choose my words here...Up to now, and I am looking in retrospect, there is a kind of fairy tale aspect with 'Elle' as the character to be rescued and protected and exploited by an evil villian. And with Luke, Tom and Logan as the heroic protectors. I'm speaking very broadly here and there are plenty of exceptions to this aspect. But now it takes on the grime of a reality with blood and broken bones, where Jenina uses calculated violence, as she sees it, to win her freedom and protect herself where Luke couldn't or wouldn't! She is forced to become the warrior and now she has to figure out Earth and it's topology to find a place to conceal herself. The wonder that she experiences with her initial views of the grand expanse of Earth was a nice touch. Then reality sets in with the need to reduce her energy signatures and visibility. And eventually this is going include finding a way to return home I think. This is taking on a little of the "Jason Bourne" type of characterization, if you will forgive the loose flawed hero comparison. I know she is still young by physical age, but that is much less relevant by now. Just loving it!!!
Another excellent entry. You know you have your hooks in me when I'm struggling to figure out who the root for so you're doing something right