Little Lightning

Chapter 18

Song of the Chapter: The Prowler by Daniel Pemberton

Lyrical sighed. She stared up at the bed above her, in which Kalypso was sleeping soundly. Azalea was sleeping in the lower bunk across from Lyrical. Zaylee slept in the bunk above Azalea, her back to Lyrical.

The only sounds were the sound of soft snoring and the occasional shifting of sheets. 

Giving up on sleep, Lyrical swung her legs over the side of the bed silently, the metal floor cold against her bare feet. She glanced at the knife that lay half hidden under her pillow, the sheath still safely attached to her belt. After a moment of arguing with herself, she fastened the belt across her hips, the sheathed knife pressing against the small of her back. Shivering slightly, she slipped out of the room, silently closing the sliding door behind her.

Her white borrowed nightgown swished against her legs, the fabric warm from where she had laid on it. She wandered around the ship, having no idea where she was. Though this ship wasn't nearly as large as the Consilium, it was still easy to get lost. 

Smiling, Lyrical recalled her first time on a ship. She had been so amazed at it, though it was only a small scouting ship. She recalled tracing her hands over the buttons, and her joy when she sat in the pilots chair for the first time.

She turned a corner to see a semi-familiar door. Her feet whispered against the cool metal as she moved forward. The automatic door opened to reveal the cockpit. She slipped into the room, and after a moment of hesitation, she sank into the pilots chair. Placing her hands on the joysticks used to control the ship, she fought the sense of exhilaration that filled her at the prospect of piloting a ship again. Zaylee had explained a little of how to operate the ship earlier, but Lyrical was fairly sure she could figure it out on her own if she wanted to.

One thing that Lyrical had observed as Zaylee had shown her the functions of the ship was that Earths ships and this ship was fairly similar. Though this one was far more advanced, and the language was different, the basic functions were all mostly the same. She just had to learn where everything was placed and what the extra details were and she would be all set.

Sadness filled her at the thought of the ships on earth. Sighing, she found it hard to breath. A lump rose in her throat, her eyes burning with unshed tears.

The sound of the automatic door opening reached Lyrical's ears and one hand crept to her knife instinctively. She knew she wouldn't use it, even in a fight, but eight years of habit were hard to break.

The sound of little footsteps approached her. She relaxed and turned the pilots chair.

Little Lucas stood there, his bandages hiding the left half of his face and his entire left arm and leg. The shirt that Zyan had lent him to sleep in hung to his knees and the shirt hung off his small frame crookedly, baring his bandaged shoulder. He worried the edge of the shirt under his hands. Undeniably, he was the cutest thing she had ever seen.

"Lyrical?" He mumbled, tears welling up in his visible eye. He ran to her and she scooped him up in her arms.

"Lucas? What are you doing awake?" Lyrical asked softly, rubbing his back gently as he cried into her nightgown. When he stopped crying, he looked up at her with wide sorrowful eyes, his chin trembling.

"I had a scary dream. The mean man with the green hair was there and he was hurting you, and Azalea was hurt and wouldn't wake up and--"

"Hey, hey. Calm down, Lucas. You're ok." Lyrical soothed as he burst right back into tears. "And I'm right here. I'm ok. Do I look like someone is hurting me?" Lucas looked at her, his bright blue eye thoughtful.