Sky Swimmer

We All Have Power, Part 15

Floe examines the stone amulet that Bollingsworth gave her.

"He said to look inside yourself," says Dan.

"Why did he give me this?"

A voice startles them all ...

"It is a Focal Stone," Transgressa stands just outside their cell, they never heard her coming. "It is similar to mine." She touches a stone hanging on a chain around her own neck. "It gathers, focuses the power that you channel through it. But in order for it to work, you must be in possession of substantial raw energy. Do you control such elemental powers of nature, princess?"

Floe, Eric and Dan are shocked as a sultry Transgressa walks, melts through the prison cell bars till she stands amongst the three prisoners. Four Soiler Guards wait outside, their long lances held at the ready.

Transgressa continues, "I think not. You have none of the Harm Arts that your father wielded so elegantly in the Aireons' last defense against Soildom. But in the end, their art was not enough. Your mother is to blame. She was always the weak link in the Aireon kingdom."

Eric hates bullies and he is having his fill of them on this day, he tenses and starts to lunge ... his father holds him back. He was always telling Eric that he needs to control his temper, that the world was not a fair place but that the almighty would serve up justice in his own good time. Eric was not so sure. When did God make creatures like this woman before him? With the power to manipulate matter and walk through bars? Of course Eric did not believe in a God, or had not, but now he wasn't so sure any more. Maybe there were Gods walking among us? The kind of Gods the Romans and Greeks believed in? Suddenly he wished he had paid better attention in history class.

Eric's dad holds his son back with one hand and rests his other on Floe's shoulder, urging her to stay calm. "You people are none too friendly and like I was trying to tell the man on his out-dated fancy throne ... you do not want to upset this girl."

Transgressa is intrigued.

"She could not possibly possess abilities. She is a product of her mother, a weak being who always preached against the Harm Arts thus weakening her husband's forces and ensuring the demise of his Kingdom. She is responsible for your father's death and the end of your kind. I loathed her. No, this young thing has nothing but fear within her. Hand me the Focal Stone. Mr. Bollingsworth shall be appropriately punished, dissolved along with you Walkers."

Floe has reached her limit. The fear she first felt when Transgressa entered the cell, the icy chilled tendrils of fear that had gripped her heart and even froze the breath within her had suddenly cracked and fallen under the onslaught of heated anger that now rose on the tide of an uncontrolled wave of anxiety. How dare this woman speak of her mother this way? Who did she think she was?

Floe raises her hand with the Focal Stone amulet.

"Never talk about my mother that way again, Dirt Bag."

A tremendous whoosh of air is sucked straight into the amulet and erratic bolts of energy shoot every-which-way, some scorching Eric's shirt, others hitting three of the guards outside the cell and an intense electric discharge slams into Transgressa like a sledgehammer ... she is thrown backwards, bursting the prison bars into shards and knocking out the one remaining guard.

"Come on!" says Floe.

As they climb out from the breached cell Dan leans over and takes a lance off one of the guards and Eric rips away the other Focal Stone amulet from an unconscious Transgressa.

"Thanks for the lessons, bitch," he mutters, his father casting a disapproving eye in his direction,

"Mind your manners son, do not lower yourself to their despicable level."