Lifelight: Calypso Returns

5.

The two ships sat in the middle of the sea. They were wooden titanics rising out of the waves high and proud. As they got closer, she heard the familiar noise of haggling fishermen and boat crews.

"We're late." Kairu said.

They rowed to the smaller but steadier looking ship. The sides of it shone, it looked like a lot of work polishing something that spent its life in corrosive salt water. Hera had the feeling that she was crossing into another world. The demons and demented shadow cats did not do it but the two gleaming ships did. She did not have a phone,no one knew where she was, what about the library? Who would take care of the library?

Panic rose like a block of chalk in her throat. Hera had lived her entire life on the island, in that time she spoke regularly to about five people. That was the point, she thought. The library had been an escape, to new exciting worlds. This, whatever this was with Kairu and Yuli, was the chance to see new and exciting worlds. If there were demons, there had to be angels.

A grunt from Yuli lifted her from her thoughts. Kairu seemed to remember something right then.

"I feel like I should warn you. But really there is no way to prepare you for a manoar, especially not this manoar." Kairu said.

"What's a manoar?" Hera asked.

"You'relate! You think now that you are not just another camel runner in the desert you can prance in and out as you wish? King's guard indeed! "A voice yelled down. It was like he was speaking under water,muffled, bubbly, and furious.

"Shut up, you trout! We ran into trouble." Kairu yelled back.

Rope ladders came down as Kairu and the voice exchanged insults.

"Camel runner?" Hera said.

Yuli shrugged and helped her grab onto the rope ladder. Climbing proved to be more difficult than she had anticipated whatever had happened on the beach had drained her. It was not vanish on the ship, Hera realized as her screaming muscles forced her to take a break,the wood just gleamed. Shiny trees or a trick of the light?

The wind was stronger near the deck. She risked a look down, her feet almost gave out. She was at least four stories high.

"What the hell are you doing?"The small voice was a nagging little drill in the back of her head. A different calming voice said that it was time, its exact words were it is time, in a dreamy ethereal voice.

Hands grabbed at her when she reached the top. She was lifted and dropped onto the deck with such speed that she sat on the wooden deck to make sure she had not just been thrown into the sea. Assured, Hera looked up to see a...well...a manoar. The thick voice was still yelling at Kairu, even more disgusted. He was furry, like a seal. Brown human eyes, human Levi's and leather boots, human voice if a bit throaty, stood nice and upright, even a strong jaw, and head to toe seal fur coat.

"A human you camel heard! You think the Justurs are going to let me through. That's a 30 scallors fine."

Hera stood, she was a head taller than him. He stopped shouting then.

"Hi,I'm Hera."

"Hello Hera. I am wrong aren't I? You are not human. You are a nice desert Sairan, lost and mistakenly traveling with two of the king's guard.Go on girl, say it." He said.

He sounded sincere in his concern. The concern of a man worried about his profit, curious if she could make him more money. If he substituted the fur for a suit, he could have been an insurance salesman.

"Sorry, I can't." She said.

"You can at least stop staring. Humans." He said.

"Sorry."

He started the tirade up again pretending she was not there. If he was going to ignore her... Hera turned away to find an audience. The rest of the crew looked normal, human. A few noses too long, hair the wrong shade and things but normal by her new standards.

"Hello."Hera said. At that moment, they all scattered like they had not realized she was capable of seeing them.

When Yuli finally leaped onto the deck, Hera was rooted to the spot trying to imagine what evolution on a separate plane might be like. He patted her on the shoulder and signaled for her to follow him. She was led past crew members doing what she imagined people did to prepare a ship for a journey. They went below deck, another hive of activity met them. He stopped at the end of a corridor with doors on either side. The doors had symbols on them she did not recognize. He opened it with an ordinary key.

"What,no incantation?" Hera asked.

"Afraid not. Not today at least." Kairu said from behind them.

All three got in the tiny cabin and Yuli dumped their bags onto the lower bunk of a single bunk bed. Hera realized that she only had Cori's provisions, not even a proper change of clothes. It also came to her,after a subtle sniff, that she was badly in need of a shower.

"Kairu, since you kidnapped me and stuff, do you think you could find me a change of clothes and a bathroom?" Hera said.

"Yes,sure. I keep forgetting you're not... Never mind. But first, sit down for a second." He said. Hera sat on the bed, "This is very important. No one can know who you are or where you come from,especially not where you come from. You are just a human girl under our care. Do not say your aunt's last name, under any circumstances."

"Fine. Balar... It is my name too. I understand." Hera said.

Hera woke up to dead silence. The ship was asleep but she could not. Ever since they had hit the water something in her had changed. It did not feel like a good thing, so she ignored it. Old habits and what have you. The deck was dark when she stepped onto it, the moon was a crescent and the sea quiet.

Hera went to stand at the bow. The feeling at the beach came to her again.It was a sense of deep purpose and total helplessness. Hera was not used to the powerful emotions of the past days, she had learned to shut things away in nice little boxes but there was no way to block this new world out.

"We call her Khatya." The throaty voice said from behind her.

"Oh,that's a beautiful name."

"It is, after the water nymph. She keeps us safe. Crossing the rift you know."

"Do you have a name?" Hera asked.

"They call me Berrka. You call me Berry."

"I will." Hera said.

They stood looking out into the sea for a few moments. Hera fought the need to reach out to it. For what, she did not know. Khatya was her aunt, not everyone named Mary was the virgin. Just one of those things.

"Is it far, where we are going?"

"Three nights. Humans, always so impatient. But you, men have fainted at the sight of me. You take a deep breath and look me in the eye."

"I was rude."

"No.You were something else. Perhaps it is human arrogance, you know nothing so you fear nothing. Even Yuli waits to look me in the eye."That was a lie, Yuli did not roll over for anyone.

"I should be more cautious then."

"Perhaps it is I who should be more cautious." He gave her a long look and then turned away. "Don't tarry too long, the breeze is a vicious thing when it gets into your bones. Weak little girl that you are."

Hera watched him leave. He would have been good friends with her uncle,slimy creep that he was.