Spectator

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Now

They left immediately. It was not a short trip, and morning meant less eyes drawn to their departure. Zakariah walked confidently and sure, ready to bark at anyone who asked that he had the Shaman's permission, but Kali followed more slowly. She was looking for Sh'an, she knew, and right before they left camp, she caught a glimpse. He was waist deep in the water, his fingers working deftly through a net. Her chest constricted painfully. Had she chased him from his own home, then? He didn't want to return if she was there?

And she wanted him, she did. But other than it being probably a bad idea, it wasn't something she could fall into without being able to communicate her feelings. Eloquently, not stuttering with pictures. And she couldn't even explain that, either. And yet part of her still wanted to try, her steps slowing nearly to a stop. But any hope of a quick reconciliation was dashed by Zakariah wrenching her along by the elbow.

"We got to get a move on. And we don't want an escort, remember?" His words were a little scathing, but then again he still sounded clogged from his nose.

"Right," she said, albeit reluctantly, and picked up her pace. She cast one more look back before he was gone from view, but Sh'an hadn't looked up from his endeavour.

It was a nice day. Dew still clung heavy to the trees, the moisture in the air as thick as ever, but there were no sudden downpours, and not many clouds above them; fat strips of sunlight hooked down to the forest floor. If they didn't have a mission to consider, Kali might have lingered. She liked the way this sun felt on her skin. It wasn't like the dull red haze on Mars. The dome took excess heat and light and converted it into power; inside the dome, everything was carefully regulated and monitored. The beaches were allowed to be warmer, but it wasn't quite the same as here. This dome only filtered out poisons and radiation in the air and soil and kept the rest of the world from contaminating it.

Kali's breath thickened quickly; days without a strict training regimen has not been overly good for her fitness. But she wasn't about to complain to Zakariah to slow his pace, so the both of them trudged on, thoroughly slick with sweat long before they even reached the meadow. Zakariah would make them stop here and there for a flower or a plant, happily giving Kali details of its origins. She didn't mind his bluster - it meant a moment to sit as he tried his best to scrape some of it away for later. He certainly wasn't as practiced with herbology as Sh'an was, though the comparison only made her grimace with fresh regret.

They made it to the meeting spot, a wide grove with thick grasses swaying in the wind. Zakariah immediately went to work, but Kali paused, scanning the clearing fervently.

"I don't see them. Did you give them the right coordinates?"

"Yes, yes," Zakariah said crossly. "Now stop standing there and get to -"

Two figures emerged from the trees. Literally from, as they descended from a hidden spot among the branches. Her heart skipped a beat, once, then twice. Jae and Nari.

Jae was unruffled and roguish as he cut through the grasses with ease, straight towards Kali. She went to meet him, only barely keeping herself from running. Nari followed more slowly, which wasn't a surprise, her hair limp and skin pale, maybe even with a greenish tinge.

"Welcome," Jae said, and kissed Kali full on the mouth.

Kali let out a wordless sound of surprise. She kissed him back, more as a reaction than anyone else. He was sweet and tasted like mango, and when he broke away, she was left dizzy and breathless. And.... Guilty. Definitely guilty.

Jae took a step towards Zakariah as if considering, and then shook his head. "Not even in the face of certain death."

"Stay away from me," Zakariah said sourly.