Chrysalis of the Creator

Chapter 17

Nara rested, like she had never before, a deep calm dreamless sleep. At the point of greatest relief there was a sudden sensation of soft detachment. Her body was at rest but her spirit was now drifting. She looked down upon herself being tenderly cradled and surrounded by those that would protect her. A smile crossed her lips at the show of their affection. She let her mind go to Michael and her ghostly form drifted unseen through the corridors to the healer station.

Michael was also sleeping, the steady rise and fall of his massive chest gave her great relief. Her mind was wandering again. Glimpsing the view offered by the windows that banked one full wall of the healer station, she sighed. The star speckled space outside, beckoned. Before the thought had even been developed in her mind, she was now drifting outside the battle cruiser. For the first time she could appreciate its immense size and the sleekness of its shape, as well as the multitude of weaponry that seemed to hang from each and every inch of its hull. It was designed to intimidate and that it did with ease.

She now looked to the space that surrounded her. To the universe, finally realising that she could instantly travel anywhere.

***

Michael woke bellowing. "Nara!"

His cry startling every being in earshot.

Adams was immediately at his side to reassure him. "She is well Michael, in your quarters."

"No she is gone," he shouted.

"I have just seen her." Adams advised.

"Yes, but that is but her shell." He was struggling to get off the bed, ripping the covers back, he stood on shaky legs. "She is not tethered and travelling alone."

***

An insidious voice clawed at Nara beckoning her to come closer.

"You are a genetic aberration who should never have been born. A creature betrayed by all that should have protected you but you still survived." It taunted her. "I sent a sire that should have sapped your will but no you still survived. I sent a man not to protect but to dominate and control but you still survive and I even had him organise your death but you even survived that." Without seeing anything Nara could tell that the creature's features had drawn into a tight smirk as she had stiffened at its last words.

"My death!" Nara whispered. "Well, yes I survived."

It went on tormenting her. "Even the two beings that showed you love while you slithered through your primordial ooze abandoned you. Your engineer and your senator. They were easily tempted away from your company. It was all so simple."

Nara sighed. "Then they were not mine, were they?"

The space around her began to feel cold and harsh as the stars that lit her way extinguished one at a time.

"Now watch as I draw your champions away." The voice sneered.

Nara stayed calm even at the thought of their potential loss. "You may try for I offer them free will. I will always allow that. For that is our difference I serve them not the other way around. I am devoted to them without them showing it to me. And my love is offered without expectation of its return. As to those you speak of, I wish them well. Engineer, senator, angel and protector." She sighed again. "I do not regret loving them. If your words are meant to cause harm then you are wrong to try. I cannot! No will not regret what made me stronger." She went on listing the harshness this evil stated it had lumped onto her. "Marriage to the wrong man, living under the roof of an abusive drunk these are things that made me stronger. You can try and break me many have but each crack in my soul has been filled. I am kintsukuroi, a creation of golden repair, a precious vessel mended by precious material. My flaws are what make me who I am." Nara paused noticing for the first time that the space around her was totally black, totally void. She was lost.

"Yes, and now you are alone. You left your fragile form unguarded, your body is dying. Creator or not you are now nothing more than a disembodied spirit," it laughed harshly. "You forgot to tether yourself to another. You now swim in my vast ocean of despair. Think on that for eternity." There was a shadow nothing she could make out or see clearly but it was there. Not showing its face under the mistaken belief that if she could not see its face it would remain hidden to work is illness into the hearts and minds of weakened beings.

Mustering all her courage, Nara raised her hand a brilliant beacon shone. "I am never alone. I am the creator. I am the one who you fear and who you recoil from." She went to say more but her wrist was caught fast in the fist of a tendril. She smiled. "See I am never alone."

The unseen beast shrieked as her body was torn from the clutches of its darkness.

***

Nara's body jerked at the invasion of the electronic pulse device in Adams fist. She sucked in a harsh breath. Her body felt like it had been hit by a solar blast, she winced in pain and took in another breath and then another. Adams fell back, his face streaked with tears. "Dammit little one, never do that again."

She raised a hand to his cheek and drew him down for a kiss. "I'm Ok Adams."

"Healer," Samuel called, his voice panicked. "He's stopped breathing."

Adams cursed stood back and went to move to where Michael lay. "I told the idiot he was too weak. Let me in."

Before he could move any closer to Michael. Nara halted time. She went to his side and looked into his angelic face. There was a peaceful contentment, she shook her head this was twice he had given his life for her, in a matter of hours. She touched his cheek commanding. "It's not your time yet my warrior, breathe!" and he did his eyes opened looking up into her face.

"You're glowing," he grinned.

"I know so are you," she smirked back.

"Why?" he questioned.

Nara knew he was questioning why she had saved him again. "I'm not 100% sure it seems my predecessor had a wicked sense of humour and has decided I'm not whole without a Chorum which you are an intricate part of."

"A Chorum." Michael was confused at the word.

"It's a minimum number of beings needed to assemble to undertake a task or challenge." Pausing before adding, "in this case it also refers to a troupe, some would call it a harem." Nara knew as soon as the word was out of her mouth, what his reaction would be. Michael growled. Nara giggled poking a finger into his chest. "Really you need to get over that. You are prime but I apparently need all those who are here now to win this war."

Nara suddenly felt herself being drawn down into Michael's arms. "You woman are still driving me nuts." He looked around. "Have you halted time again?"

"Yes, Adams would have tried to stop me," she winked at him. "I am stronger than I was when I last tried to save you and this time, I wasn't using a regeneration power, its limited." Now Michael was puzzled. "Then what wisdom did you use?"

"I used resurrection. Works pretty well, though I am not sure how that affects timelines but I will deal with it, if it becomes an issue."