Valycion [draft]

Part 6

Some people blazed on regardless of the world around them or any challenges that they may encounter, some of them had the innate quality not only to survive but to thrive and become a living part of their environment. She was learning that though he possessed a sharp mind and considerable power, Valaz was not one of those people. He would pick up the lessons given to him with an ease that would have frustrated with her if he had been anything but her subordinate, he adapted quickly to having to live on the ship and in secrecy, but he would ultimately not attempt to advance. She supposed that it was a good thing that he seemed to lack ambition, for her at least. Easily guided or misled. But that did mean that he required a push, the kind of push that she could not give him.

She pulled him out of his lessons that day and wondered if he would always be hopeless at hand to hand combat when denied the use of his powers. They made him strong but he failed to see that they also made him weak – that was how his people fell but he had not learned that. But she knew that he hadn't forgotten, it was in the way his body still tensed when he was suddenly thrusted into new rooms and the door was shut. He followed eagerly his legs staying beneath him despite the fact that he was ready to trip over air, he didn't have many friends; the guards stayed away from him whether from fear, superiority, or pity, Juni was a hard taskmaster and didn't much care of him, and there were not any other children around the ship for him to interact with. It made her task easier, fewer creatures pulling him in different directions when his path was already set.

They were sitting in her room and she was gauging how much he had adjusted to their language in the few months that he had been there. She was being friendly and relaxed, and his voice held a smile in it. Not a softness or gentleness but certainly some cousin of contentment. Complacency. Snorting she tried to check the time but he demanded her attention, lively and energetic, as he asked her questions and talked about nothing important.

A loud bang interrupted them instantly she gripped his arm, her claws reaching out like snake fangs as she dragged him to the other side of the bed rolling their bodies roughly to the floor as he was in the middle of a word that turned into a yelp. Shots fired above them and she could feel her weapon digging into her back, between her and the wall.

He heard the firing, it was slowing now all energy had a limit, and shivered against her, she could feel the movement of his body in time with the racing of his heart – but she knew that it was not from excitement but rather from fear and she felt the sudden urge to stand up. So she did, drawing her weapon out from its cramped space and allowing it full access, two shots. One more blast that would have gone for her heart but the aim was interrupted by the pain of the shooter and it was pillowed by her bed just like the others. Two bodies laid on the ground and she stared at them, as if unsure if they would move even though she knew her aim was true. Valaz was still curled up between the bed and the wall.

It took more time that it was worth to coax him out from the place he had lodged himself and it was more frustrating having to do it the easy way but eventually he emerged, the bed still had holes in it and he stared at them for a long time with navy blue eyes that were glazed over. She waited, wondering if he would talk or if he was still waiting for something to happen. All of his questions seemed to have disappeared. His eyes were wide, white showing, and when he finally sat down on the least ruined portion of the bed she looked down at him, but not on him no matter how much she wanted to, panting slightly "I'm not sure how much longer I can protect you, my siblings" She motioned her rifle towards the two bodies "are trying to kill me and you as well for being close to me."

The whites of his eyes turned towards the two bodies, not the first that he had seen but this time they were crisp and clear in front of him and his words held a dazed and far away quality "These are your brothers?" Two masculine figures on the floor, dead. Really they were just sacrifices, Valaz had the potential to be worth a hundred times more than these two grunts if this succeeded.

"No, they are soldiers sent by one of my siblings." That wasn't true, but they had believed that her brothers ordered it. Only she knew that she was the mastermind behind it all. But that secret could die with her, it was entirely true that any of her siblings would welcome her death.

Valaz was silent and she sensed no more words would come from him. Sighing she grabbed his arm, dragging him back to his room, not rough in her movements but at this point she just needed to make sure the shock wasn't so bad that it made him useless.