Immortalia

Chapter 7 - Compelled

Chapter 7 – Compelled

Aurora stood in the middle of what looked like some sort of training area. She glanced around the place, seeing the various forms of equipment set about the room. Above her there were fans blowing chilly air, causing goose bumps to appear on her bare arms.

Her fingers tapped her spandex-clad thighs. Doctor Aaron Reed had instructed her to get dressed and wait for him in here. Now she was staring at the many—and slightly terrifying—tools available to her. She didn’t know the purpose of any of them, but one of the parts reminded her of an obstacle course, complete with rings hanging from the ceiling over a pool. Small air bubbles rippled to the surface of the water, and Aurora narrowed her eyes, trying to spot what was causing the motion in the pool. Did they have something down there?

A door opened, and she jerked around to meet the new arrival. Dr. Aaron came in with two women following closely behind. Her gaze went to them, causing her to drop her jaw a few moments later. While all of the equipment was extraordinary and new to her, it didn’t measure up to what was right in front of her. She couldn’t believe her own eyes, and when they walked closer, she found herself studying their faces of the two women.

No... she thought. That can’t be…

Everything from their eyes to their height could fool anyone into thinking they were just regular, ordinary humans. Aurora inhaled deeply, sniffing slightly. Those two weren’t human though—they were Immortalias. Aurora could feel it. Her skin buzzed all over, yet she felt at ease. This was her kin. She had so many questions, but found herself unable to form a single coherent sentence. Raising a hand, she waved carefully, causing them to smile.

“Ah, Aurora, hope we didn’t let you wait too long,” Aaron said. “Let me introduce you to your trainers. This is—“

The redheaded Immortalia rushed forth and circled Aurora as if she were some sort of exotic exhibit at a foreign zoo. “I’m Milada,” she said, coming close, inhaling deeply. She smiled and gestured to the other Immortalia. “That’s Valeria.”

Aurora glanced between the two of them. Milada had deep red curls flowing down her back, framing her head in a seemingly artistic way, while Valeria had short black hair. Even their body type was different. Milada’s red hair covered a round, curvy body while Valeria had long, slender limbs.

 “I-I’m Aurora,” she stuttered. “Nice t-to meet you.”

Milada and Valeria were invading her personal space. If they came just slightly closer, their skin would touch. For some reason, Aurora felt uncomfortable by the thought of making physical contact with these Immortalias. She’d never socialized with her kin before, and while she wanted to get to know them, she didn’t quite want them to touch her. It didn’t help that she saw how fit both of them were. Compared to these two Immortalias, Aurora felt like a fragile old woman with no positive qualities, and she wasn’t fooling herself in the slightest. If it came down to an athletic contest between the three of them, she wouldn’t come out of it with a victory.

 Her eyes roamed around cautiously, until they finally settled on Aaron, who was watching with interest. “You didn’t say I’d be working with other Immortalias,” she said.

Aaron widened his eyes at her remark, then chuckled. “Don’t be silly, Aurora. You have absolutely no control over your arms or the power they wield. I’m not going to set you up with someone who doesn’t know how to heal themselves once you’ve let loose on them.” He shrugged. “And so far, only Immortalias have the ability to heal if injured.”

Aurora could see the sense in that, but it still didn’t lessen the shock of finally standing face to face with another Immortalia. “Errh.” She coughed. “I guess we’ll be working together then, right?”