Star Wars: The Dark Calling
By R. C. Carpenter
Chapter Six
Ciel sat inside a flowery garden that was the center of the orphanage. She stared dreamily at a lizard that was crawling up the side of the rock she was sitting on. The door to the garden flew open and the boy she had been playing with earlier, her best friend, Badge, came running through excitedly.
"Ciel! Ciel! Guess what!" he panted as he approached. He bent over to try and catch his breath, his hands gripping his knees.
Ciel smiled over at him, glad to see him so enthusiastic about something for once. "What is it?"
"Well, I just saw them again." His smile stretched straight across his face.
"Them? All of them?" Ciel inched closer to her friend, trying to keep her voice down.
Badge said in a hushed voice, "No, only the tall man. He was coming out of the hotel down the street and was walking back to where he came from."
Ciel nodded. She had been very interested in the newcomers on Cimmeria. Especially the shorter man. The tall one was hard to read because he was too far off and unfocused. Wandering thoughts bugged her, they were so toilsome to try and regroup. As far as the hairy bestial creature that had accompanied them, he was of little use to her. It had been her upbringing that such barbaric organisms were hard to understand and train. They were almost a complete waste of resources. She did not really believe this theory, but until it could be proven to her otherwise, that is what she would just have to accept.
She whispered, "Do you think he'll be coming back or is he going off planet?"
Badge shut his eyes and twisted his lips, "I dunno. I think he's staying here, he didn't seem like he was in a big hurry."
He moved onto the rock next to her. He looked at the lemon-colored reptile that had now crawled behind his friend. He reached out for it and it waddled with its broad pads onto his open palm. Badge brought the animal around to his front to watch it walk around his hand as he turned it to give it more walking distance.
Ciel, too, watched the little lizard. She touched the tip of her fingers to its back and created a mind link between it and herself. She didn't mind doing the links with tiny beings. It was humanoids and other aliens that drained her. She wished she knew what it was that she was doing. She wished that the tall man would come back so she could link with him.
The lizard stopped its walk and looked up at her. It listened to her thoughts as she listened to his. *"Why is the journey I walk so long?"* he asked her.
"*It is not the journey that's long, it is the path you take."* The lizard nodded and she broke her link. Badge did not notice her little game.
The lizard turned right and started walking up Badge's arm instead of around his palm again and again.
Badge looked at Ciel who was aglow with a smile, "Hey! You did it again, didn't you?"
She smiled wider and looked at the lizard. Badge smiled at her and almost laughed. He knew her tricks. The lizard continued to crawl up his arm.
"What did it say?" Badge asked as he stared down at the lizard.
He wished he could do what Ciel did. He thought that it was the most amazing thing to be able to talk to other beings without speaking. But he knew that there was an abundant amount of pressure and predicaments that went along with it as well.
She had told him most of the stories of the ordeals she had undergone, though it remained mainly in obscurity. She had told him about how when she was first brought to Cimmeria, she had been placed under the care of the orphanage and taught how to use this power that she had. She had so many times wished that there was a way to get rid of this ability, but there was none she could think of. Badge would give anything to help her but he didn't understand it himself, so it was basically useless.
He considered himself lucky to know her and took it upon himself to be her protector and watch over her. He wanted to keep her from ever being hurt again. Ciel had told him, though, that now she felt the newcomers to the planet were a key to helping her either control the ability or loose it. He hoped she was right.
"I gave him some helpful advice." She smiled softly and gazed at the lizard. She was suddenly swept with a strange sensation that she could ordinarily brush aside. It seemed stronger for some reason. Closer. Could they be here now? Were they back already?
Badge studied her closely. He might not have the sixth sense she did, but there was an undeniable connection between the two, be it that she made it that way or not, and he could tell there was definitely something wrong. She never got scared, but he could see a wave of terror flash over her face for a split second.
"It's Them, isn't it? They're back, aren't they?" He backed off the rock a bit and put the lizard on the pseudo-soil.
Ciel couldn't lie well to him, but she tried anyway, "It's nothing. Don't worry, They aren't coming back for a long time. We'll be off the planet when They do anyway."
She stepped down off the rock and walked to an oversized blue flower and sniffed at it nonchalantly, trying to mask the panic. She began to twist the leaves of the plant in her hands and could sense Badge's increasing nervousness.
"Don't try and fool me. I'm not blind, I know when something's wrong and something is really wrong here." He marched over to her, he felt he could protect both of them properly when they were closer.
"I...I don't know what you're talking about. It's nothing. I'm just kind of sick today."
"Sick of Them coming and taking you away." Badge added quickly.
She sighed and her head hung limp. Badge placed a hand on her back and took hold of her left arm to bring her to the ground.
Her voice was shaky and scared, "Why do They keep coming back here? Don't They have other kids they can torture? Why always me?"
She leaned over onto his shoulder and cried. He placed his right arm around her shoulder and brought her head down to his lap. He hated Them. He vowed he would get even with them for making her so upset all the time. She was so young and helpless, why didn't They pick on someone older? Like him. He'd gladly change places if it meant she was out of harm's way. He might only be two years older, but that was enough for him.
"Shh...it'll be okay." He said, rubbing her hair gently to try and soothe her. He rocked back and forth with her in his arms. She sobbed softly. Badge felt something, something strong growing within him, as if something Ciel had said made a hidden sense inside his mind snap open. And he watched his best friend, crying as she was, and knew then that he had to protect her and help her with her quest. Ciel was special, he knew this, but maybe he was special too, in other ways. Maybe he could find the tall man again, and talk with him. Then they both could get off that forsaken planet and live simple lives.
But what Badge could never have known at that moment, when he made his silent vow to watch over Ciel like a brother would his sister, was that their lives would never be simple again.
By R. C. Carpenter
Chapter Six
Ciel sat inside a flowery garden that was the center of the orphanage. She stared dreamily at a lizard that was crawling up the side of the rock she was sitting on. The door to the garden flew open and the boy she had been playing with earlier, her best friend, Badge, came running through excitedly.
"Ciel! Ciel! Guess what!" he panted as he approached. He bent over to try and catch his breath, his hands gripping his knees.
Ciel smiled over at him, glad to see him so enthusiastic about something for once. "What is it?"
"Well, I just saw them again." His smile stretched straight across his face.
"Them? All of them?" Ciel inched closer to her friend, trying to keep her voice down.
Badge said in a hushed voice, "No, only the tall man. He was coming out of the hotel down the street and was walking back to where he came from."
Ciel nodded. She had been very interested in the newcomers on Cimmeria. Especially the shorter man. The tall one was hard to read because he was too far off and unfocused. Wandering thoughts bugged her, they were so toilsome to try and regroup. As far as the hairy bestial creature that had accompanied them, he was of little use to her. It had been her upbringing that such barbaric organisms were hard to understand and train. They were almost a complete waste of resources. She did not really believe this theory, but until it could be proven to her otherwise, that is what she would just have to accept.
She whispered, "Do you think he'll be coming back or is he going off planet?"
Badge shut his eyes and twisted his lips, "I dunno. I think he's staying here, he didn't seem like he was in a big hurry."
He moved onto the rock next to her. He looked at the lemon-colored reptile that had now crawled behind his friend. He reached out for it and it waddled with its broad pads onto his open palm. Badge brought the animal around to his front to watch it walk around his hand as he turned it to give it more walking distance.
Ciel, too, watched the little lizard. She touched the tip of her fingers to its back and created a mind link between it and herself. She didn't mind doing the links with tiny beings. It was humanoids and other aliens that drained her. She wished she knew what it was that she was doing. She wished that the tall man would come back so she could link with him.
The lizard stopped its walk and looked up at her. It listened to her thoughts as she listened to his. *"Why is the journey I walk so long?"* he asked her.
"*It is not the journey that's long, it is the path you take."* The lizard nodded and she broke her link. Badge did not notice her little game.
The lizard turned right and started walking up Badge's arm instead of around his palm again and again.
Badge looked at Ciel who was aglow with a smile, "Hey! You did it again, didn't you?"
She smiled wider and looked at the lizard. Badge smiled at her and almost laughed. He knew her tricks. The lizard continued to crawl up his arm.
"What did it say?" Badge asked as he stared down at the lizard.
He wished he could do what Ciel did. He thought that it was the most amazing thing to be able to talk to other beings without speaking. But he knew that there was an abundant amount of pressure and predicaments that went along with it as well.
She had told him most of the stories of the ordeals she had undergone, though it remained mainly in obscurity. She had told him about how when she was first brought to Cimmeria, she had been placed under the care of the orphanage and taught how to use this power that she had. She had so many times wished that there was a way to get rid of this ability, but there was none she could think of. Badge would give anything to help her but he didn't understand it himself, so it was basically useless.
He considered himself lucky to know her and took it upon himself to be her protector and watch over her. He wanted to keep her from ever being hurt again. Ciel had told him, though, that now she felt the newcomers to the planet were a key to helping her either control the ability or loose it. He hoped she was right.
"I gave him some helpful advice." She smiled softly and gazed at the lizard. She was suddenly swept with a strange sensation that she could ordinarily brush aside. It seemed stronger for some reason. Closer. Could they be here now? Were they back already?
Badge studied her closely. He might not have the sixth sense she did, but there was an undeniable connection between the two, be it that she made it that way or not, and he could tell there was definitely something wrong. She never got scared, but he could see a wave of terror flash over her face for a split second.
"It's Them, isn't it? They're back, aren't they?" He backed off the rock a bit and put the lizard on the pseudo-soil.
Ciel couldn't lie well to him, but she tried anyway, "It's nothing. Don't worry, They aren't coming back for a long time. We'll be off the planet when They do anyway."
She stepped down off the rock and walked to an oversized blue flower and sniffed at it nonchalantly, trying to mask the panic. She began to twist the leaves of the plant in her hands and could sense Badge's increasing nervousness.
"Don't try and fool me. I'm not blind, I know when something's wrong and something is really wrong here." He marched over to her, he felt he could protect both of them properly when they were closer.
"I...I don't know what you're talking about. It's nothing. I'm just kind of sick today."
"Sick of Them coming and taking you away." Badge added quickly.
She sighed and her head hung limp. Badge placed a hand on her back and took hold of her left arm to bring her to the ground.
Her voice was shaky and scared, "Why do They keep coming back here? Don't They have other kids they can torture? Why always me?"
She leaned over onto his shoulder and cried. He placed his right arm around her shoulder and brought her head down to his lap. He hated Them. He vowed he would get even with them for making her so upset all the time. She was so young and helpless, why didn't They pick on someone older? Like him. He'd gladly change places if it meant she was out of harm's way. He might only be two years older, but that was enough for him.
"Shh...it'll be okay." He said, rubbing her hair gently to try and soothe her. He rocked back and forth with her in his arms. She sobbed softly. Badge felt something, something strong growing within him, as if something Ciel had said made a hidden sense inside his mind snap open. And he watched his best friend, crying as she was, and knew then that he had to protect her and help her with her quest. Ciel was special, he knew this, but maybe he was special too, in other ways. Maybe he could find the tall man again, and talk with him. Then they both could get off that forsaken planet and live simple lives.
But what Badge could never have known at that moment, when he made his silent vow to watch over Ciel like a brother would his sister, was that their lives would never be simple again.