Holy Smokes, it's been a long time! I want to start off by saying that you guys are awesome. While I hadn't been able to reply to everyone's review of the last chapter, I read every single one and I have to say, I have the best readers in the world. Seriously, I'd have stopped writing this years ago if it wasn't for you. Thank you.
Though this chapter is shorter than usual, it's fairly important for chapters to come, so I hope you enjoy it!
Jess frowned, trying to take in the things that As'lng was telling her. It seemed that she was now some kind of medium or something, though the larger female referred to it as "the Gift." Really, it didn't seem like much of a gift. As'lng was patient, but clearly disliked repeating herself. Through a series of awkward questions, she conveyed to Jess that, even in the waking world, she would be there to guide her and tell her what she needed to know. She had indicated that she had been sent to help once before, but Jess had refused to open herself to the instruction, leading to a worse situation than had been truly necessary.
"When was this?" Jess asked, confused.
The large female sighed at the interruption, shaking her dreads out in irritation, "When you and the Arbitrator were hunting down the female Bad Blood. I was in the cave with you, trying to get your attention. There were times after this when others had been sent as well, but you refused to acknowledge them. When you ignore your abilities, things become worse for you. It is no longer a luxury that you have and you and your mate and companions are in danger. There is more than one threat to your lives and it would be poor repayment to the Dark Warrior to waste your life needlessly after it has been returned to you more than once. Do you understand this?"
"Well... I guess so. You keep saying that we're in danger, though, but you're never specific. What are we in danger from?"
"There are conspirators on the Clan Ship that you now reside on. They actively seek your death and the deaths of those you travel with. The Leader wishes to use the Kainde Amedha as his weapons. Even now, he uses others to place eggs in locations so that when they hatch, you all will be the most likely targets. There is more, but this is the most pressing issue. No, you must focus on learning as quickly as possible so that when you wake, you will be able to warn your mate before it's too late."
"Was the rhyme intentional?"
"Hmm?" Her piercing yellow eyes narrowed in confusion, clearly having no idea what I was talking about.
I sighed, "Never mind. What am I supposed to be learning?"
"All things are made up of energy. It is a force that cannot be created or destroyed, simply changed. You are now able to tune in on a layer of energy that most are incapable of sensing. You are now sensitive to these waves and should be able to differentiate between animate, inanimate, and spirit. You should be able to speak to those that have crossed the veil, as you have done and are currently are doing."
"Wait, what?" Jess was mildly alarmed, "Am I dead again?"
"Not quite. Your body is alive, but you are not currently with it."
And yet, it felt as though her headache were coming back. Jess massaged her forehead with the pads of her fingertips and shook her head, her own little beads clicking together and sparkling a bit in the dim light, "Are you saying I'm having an out of body experience?"
As'lng tilted her head in consideration before nodding, "I am unfamiliar with that term, but it sounds accurate. Yes, you are 'out of your body', so to speak. Now, I want you to close your eyes and empty your thoughts." When Jess hesitated, As'lng gave an annoyed growl that made the Young Blood snap her eyes shut. She sat cross legged, stiff, and awkward enough that the larger female gave a grumbling sigh.
"What? I'm trying...!"
"You're being ridiculous," As'lng responded with a frown. "Relax. Close your eyes and take a slow, deep breath." She waited for the smaller female to follow orders before continuing in a quiet, soothing, purring voice. "Relax your shoulders and let your hands rest on your knees, palms up. Breathe in slowly, and when you exhale, allow your breath to expel some of your stress and anxiety. Like opening a window to a breeze after a long season, let the air you take in mingle with your thoughts and worries. When you exhale, let that breeze take the stale thoughts and emotions with it until you feel as light and airy as a cloud. Slow breath in, and exhale. Feel the ground under you. Feel the grass, take in the scent and texture of it and the soil beneath it. Feel yourself, light and buoyant, but anchored to this soil."
As As'lng kept speaking, Jess found her mind still and her heart ease. The large Huntress guided her deep underground, helping her reach to the fiery core beneath where she filled herself with warmth and the thrumming beat of the space around her. She wondered why she'd never noticed it before, it was so profound and moving. As she spread her awareness out, she felt a brilliant, white light surround and fill her. It seemed like a very protective and loving force, one that she knew instinctively as "home", but she was unable to become lost in that power, prevented somehow she couldn't understand, but accepted peacefully.
The Huntress guided her back to awareness of her surroundings, giving her a few moments to collect her thoughts before continuing the lesson. She explained things like "grounding" and "shielding." Apparently, these were immensely important and without them, she would be open to many things that were... unpleasant. Jess could still feel that pure light with her, but it didn't distract her from what she was supposed to be learning.
"What you just did was grounding. You can do this any time, but you should make it a daily habit. Shielding is different and more challenging, and each individual has a different method that they use in order to gain the protection of a shield. It's important that you learn how to do this automatically. In fact, you should shield all the time and only lower those shield when necessary."
"Why would it be necessary? Wouldn't that be dangerous?"
"Nothing in life is without risk," As'lng replied calmly, "You should know that by now. The trouble is, if you shield all the time, you'll be cutting yourself off from things that you'll need to know. I can see your confusion. Think of it this way; wearing a blindfold. You still have eyes. You can still see, but any information you gain from your surroundings will be through your other senses and that limits you. You gain a better picture and take in more information by taking the blindfold off and looking around. You are protected from seeing things you don't want to see while wearing the blindfold, and this is necessary for your own wellbeing, but you must risk seeing the things you don't want to in order to see the things that you must."
Jess mulled that over for a moment, "So, what you're saying is that shielding will limit the juju that I can pick up on."
As'lng tilted her head, frowning, "Juju? I am unfamiliar with this term."
"Oh! Umm... It means vibes or energy."
"Ah," the Huntress's cloudy expression cleared and she nodded, "Yes. You will be protected from this... juju... but there will be times that you'll need to plug into it. Being adept at shielding will help you with this, and eventually, it will be as natural to you as breathing or blinking. You have been unconsciously doing this all along in your attempt to refuse to acknowledge your gift, but your shield is poorly constructed and easily broken. Close your eyes again and I will teach you what you must do."
Jess did as she was told, still relaxed from grounding. She didn't really know how she ended up in this place in her life, but As'lng seemed confident that she could teach her. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad. Idly, she wondered if Luar'ke-de knew how to do all of this. Did he once have the same problems that she did? And if so, how long had it taken him to learn what he needed to know? Not long, probably. He was very serious when it came to learning things that he felt was important. This would have undoubtedly been one of those things.
Jess suddenly found herself laying on her back, reeling from a blinding pain in her head. Gasping, the pain faded and she found herself staring up at the night sky in the clearing, As'lng's annoyed chittering filling the space, "What the hell just happened?"
As'lng hauled her back to a sitting position, frowning hard, "You were not paying attention. If you had been, that hit wouldn't have landed. You must focus."
"How do you know?" Jess asked, rubbing her head with a frown.
"This is a place of spirit. Of energy. Juju, if that is what you prefer. If you were shielding, we would be able to see it. It would appear as real to you as the ground."
"But what if my shield were invisible?"
As'lng stared for a second before reaching out and cuffing Jess upside the head.
"Ow! Okay, okay. Geeze."
"Even if you chose to shield with air, we would still see it here. Few are capable of managing an adequate shield with that element, though, so I would advise against it. Of course, it is your choice if you wish to try. Everyone's shield is different."
"So, what do I do when I decide? I mean, do I flip a switch or something?"
The Huntress sighed, "You really weren't paying attention at all, were you?"
Jess blushed, "Sorry..."
"I cannot force you to take this seriously."
"I know. Really, I'm sorry."
"Very well. Close your eyes and picture your shield surrounding you. Do not answer out loud, but consider what material it is. What is its texture? What configuration is it? How thick is it? Begin to build it slowly, surrounding you completely, starting from under your feet until it closes over your head."
Jess took a moment to consider. What material would she choose for her shield? She could pick anything at all, but it was supposed to keep her safe, so it needed to be stong and impenetrable. She listened to As'lng while thinking. It wasn't an easy decision. She also didn't want it to just defend her. If anyone attacked her and hit her shield, it should be unpleasant and leave a lasting impression. An idea slowly came to her and, not knowing if it would even work, she began building.
The process was slow at first. Any time her attention would shift away, the shield winked out of existence and she had to start over from the beginning. Finally, her persistence paid off and she was rewarded with a chirp of surprise from As'lng, "A dual shield?"
Jess, fighting to keep the image of her shield fixed in her mind's eyes, opened her eyes to see what she had made. She was surrounded in a bubble of thick, transparent ice that was as hard as steel. Any impact would slide off harmlessly, leaving Jess completely protected. On the outside of the shield, however, was a layer of fire licking up the sides of the bubble. Should anyone try to touch her shield, it would result in pain for the attacker.
"It worked!" Jess's surprise was all it took and the shield dissolved, "... Damn it."
"That was a good first try. In time, with practice, you won't need to consciously be thinking about it to keep it in place. Now, try again."
Luar'ke-de had seen Kn'cit'l off after discussing the ramifications of their present circumstances a little further. He needed more information than he currently had access to and feared that it meant he would need to bring more people into the situation. He would have to chose each individual carefully, as it was unknown just how extensive the conspiracy was. If he revealed too much to the wrong person, all of his work up to this point would be for nothing. The roots of corruption, he feared, were far deeper and more widespread than anyone knew.
Who could he speak to about this? It would have to be someone in a position of authority, who was well-connected, well-financed, and had the resources necessary to make inquiries without much personal risk. He frowned in thought, looking at Yin'tekai-di as she yawned and lay down on the bed, the empty food containers from her meal long gone, having been sent through a chute to the incinerators. His Student's cats were curled up next to the ooman, thankfully uninjured from the clumsy Eta.
Glancing back to his combi-stick, he could only think of one Hunter that was beyond reproach and had both the means and desire to search out the corruption that threatened oomans and Yautja alike. The head of the Arbitrators, the Drot'n, was a stern Elder who didn't suffer fools kindly. Rumors and legends surround him and his name, and he was as elusive as he was dangerous. To Luar'ke-de's knowledge, few could say that they'd ever met him, though many have claimed to have seen him... But only from a distance. It was said that he was also a skilled craftsman and blacksmith, and any tool or weapon that bore his mark were worth more than the life of the one who wielded it.
Any communication the Arbitrators received were passed along a chain of command, so even though one may be following orders from the Drot'n, none received those orders directly. It would take a little time and effort to reach him, and would be a considerable risk, but Luar'ke-de believed it was necessary.
Returning his attention to the console that he and Kn'cit'l had been using, he began his search, working his way through the chain of command slowly. Every inquiry he made was met with a demand for information, and suspicion of motive, before finally being sent on. By the time he was finally able to send his message to the Drot'n, he had a headache forming behind his eyes. Provided this worked, however, it would be well worth any trouble. There was literally no other Warrior as feared or respected as Yeyin'its-pa. It was said that he was so fearsome, he must be the son of Cetanu himself.
Cetanu's son or not, it didn't really matter. If Luar'ke-de could get him to listen and enlist his help, it would indeed be worth any amount of trouble.
The large, black-skinned male sat in front of the main console in his ship's forward command, the room dark save for the light from the screen. A deep, low rumble of clicks reverberated from his throat as he read the message from one of his Arbitrators, his piercing red eyes frowning. He didn't personally know this individual, this Luar'ke-de, but the reports on him were mostly positive, at least.
The message contained no real information, though it expressed the need of the writer to get in communication with him. Were Yeyin'its-pa to read between the lines, he would say that this Luar'ke-de was almost desperate, though the language was moderate and polite without being effusive and full of useless flattery. He chuffed. It was rare when one of the Arbitrators took it upon themselves to find him, and even rarer when they didn't choose to make use of the opportunity to "kiss his ass," as the oomans would say. He never responded to those messages. What would be the point? He would not allow them to use him to make their name. If they wished to waste their time and youth in pursuit of glory, that was their business, not his.
This Luar'ke-de sounded different. "A matter of earnest importance," he'd called it. Perhaps it was and perhaps it wasn't. If it was an attempt to secure fame, it was a good one, but would easily be confirmed upon any real investigation. Leaning back in his chair, he tapped one sharpened claw idly on the armrest, deep in thought that remained unbroken until one large, white hand came to rest on his right shoulder. The claws of that hand were painted with black enamel and though the hand was large and strong, the bones were almost delicate in design. He breathed in the scent of the owner of that hand and felt the muscles in his broad shoulders relax a little, mandibles pulling in a slight smile of pleasure.
"What do you think of this, Brg'ild?"
The tall, albino female read the missive carefully, head tilted, "It sounds important. Will you meet with him?"
"I'm not sure. Probably. It's been a long time since one of my Arbitrators have bothered to contact me. I'm curious what this one has to say."
"Do you know who he is? This Luar'ke-de?"
"I researched a little when I got this message. He seems to be solid. Honorable without being pretentious about it like so many of our kind tend to be."
Her purring chuckle made him smile a little more. There had been a time when he would have given anything to hear her happiness and he enjoyed knowing that he was the cause of it. She smiled at him, green eyes sparkling a little, "You have made your feelings on our kind quite clear to me, Yeyin."
He grinned, "Then I'll spare you having to hear it again."
"Thank you. So, will you meet with him?"
"You know, I believe I will. If he's anything like the reports have said, it may be worth it."
"And if he is not?"
"Then he won't live long enough for it to matter either way."
"Ah," she said through a roll of warm clicks, "That is my mate."
He smirked, pleased, before responding to the message with a time and place to meet. As a seasoned Elder, there was little that surprised him any more. He hope that the meeting would at least be interesting. Standing up, he made for the door, "I will be in my forge if you need me, my Brg'ild."
She chuckled, that warm purr filling the air, "Nonsense. You know I enjoy watching you swing a hammer. I will join you."
He chuckled as well, leading the way through the large ship. There were times when she would tell him that he had saved her, but at moments like this, he believed that the opposite was true. It had been a long time since he had been able to believe or trust in anyone. He had lived isolated and was in contact with only a few that he could call friend, and that list got shorter every cycle. He hadn't realized how frozen he'd been until he had met her and she had restored his faith that there were others he could trust in the universe.
Even if they were few and far between.
Just a few notes. The term Drot'n is actually derived from the Norse "Drottin". From everything I've read, it's an independent Norse warlord who commands a large military force. If anyone has info that contradicts this, please let me know and I'll change it in the story.
Also, Yeyin'its-pa is not my character. He belongs to NYaxemaster and I'm using him in collaboration with Yeyin's author. I also don't own AvP, but my characters are mine. :-)
I hope to get the next chapter out sometime next month. I want to start writing on a schedule again. No promises, but I'm gonna try like crazy! Thank you again and I hope you guys liked the chapter!
Happy reading! ^.^