Chapter 52: Room for Improvement
This felt wrong. Everything about this made her uncomfortable. Her surroundings were full of sights and scents that she didn't associate with any sense of welcome. Oddly shaped tools that she wasn't allowed to touch. Jars of bitter and sour-smelling chemicals that she definitely shouldn't touch. Then in front of Krystal, she watched two people whose minds she didn't want to touch with a 10-foot pole.
She tried to stay still and not draw attention to herself. Yet Krystal felt an insistent itch, almost driving her to squirm in her seat. Would that she could meld with Fox's thoughts for his reassurance. Sadly, Fox laid quietly on the cot next to Krystal, sleeping off his gruelling experience on Andross's spinning centrifuge. Thinking about the fearsome contraption in action still made Krystal ill. It might as well have been a torture device for the immense strain it imposed on Fox's body when he rode it around in wild circles. He had been confident beforehand, but to Krystal's worry, though not her surprise, he overexerted himself and passed out before Andross finally turned the machine off. Fortunately, he believed that Fox had not sustained any lasting injuries. He just needed rest.
Unfortunately, that left Krystal to sit inside Andross's laboratory alone with the ape and Thene. Rather than put her through the same torment, Andross had other ideas. Space was cleared across the floor. For what purpose, Krystal couldn't fathom. She tried not to make eye contact with Thene, who seemed to throw glares at her more often than usual. Whatever she and Andross had planned, that woman wasn't happy about it, and Krystal appeared connected to the problem.
"Is there anything else we need?" Andross asked.
"No," Thene replied stiffly. "We can run the trial as we are."
"Excuse me? What trial?" Krystal asked nervously. Although she didn't sense any malice from Andross, Fox's current condition didn't give confidence that this meant good news.
Andross turned to her. "Do you have any skill with magical barriers?"
Curiosity pulled away Krystal's tension. "Most lythans do. I can at least create one around myself and a few others, but I don't usually use barriers while fighting." Maintaining them tended to distract her too much from striking back at a foe, so Krystal always preferred to parry, block, and evade attacks with her physical skills. In a magical duel, a good offence could counter as effectively as a barrier, as far as she was concerned.
"I see," Andross replied. "It has occurred to me that if we were to fly through the arethansphere, the dust would cling to our ship as we go. Since we will need some electrical power when we reach space, that creates a problem for us."
Krystal's confusion seemed apparent to him. "Imagine you are swimming through a lake. When you climb onto the shore, some water will cling to you because it's soaked into your fur. Now imagine that you want to swim in the lake but not let your fur get wet in the process. That's essentially what we want with the arethanite."
Which meant they needed to clear away Arethan's dust from the rocket as soon as they break through his cloak. "So, how do barriers come into this?" Krystal asked. "To protect us from the dust?"
Andross nodded. "Precisely. I expect that the radiation will still interfere with our equipment regardless. However, if the dust clings to the barrier instead of the ship, we can mitigate the problem so that we're not without power for as long." He then glanced towards Thene. "The question now is whether we can create a barrier that can encompass the entire rocket."
"How big will you need it?" Krystal asked.
"The rocket we'll be using will be much larger than the test model. Another 20 metres taller at least. And the barrier will need to cover everything from nose to tail."
Krystal blanched. The first rocket had been as tall as the Temple of Cerinia, and that was one of Kezamat's largest buildings. "I don't think anyone could create a barrier that size all by themselves."
"Not alone," Andross nodded. "Which is why I want you to work with Thene to make the barrier together." Krystal's stare snapped straight towards the other vixen. Thene declined to meet it.
"I abhor this idea," Thene sneered.
Andross eyed her evenly. "Be that as it may, this is necessary. Neither of you have the strength or skill to perform the task alone. Our only chance is if the two of you join forces."
Thene folded her arms. "Will it be enough though? We'd be pushing ourselves to our limit just to cover as much area as we can. I can't even guarantee we'd be able to make the barrier last through the arethansphere."
"A good point." Andross touched his chin. "If we build magic crystals into the ship's hull, would the stored energy make it easier to sustain you?"
Thene's head bobbed once. "If the crystals are set out in an array, we might even gain better control over the range and shape. We could shield the rocket using an oblong shape, which would require less energy than a sphere."
In response, Andross smiled. It was a true smile; one of adoration. Krystal doubted that she had ever seen him wear such an expression before. For a moment, Krystal felt forgotten as the pair in front of her gazed upon one another as their thoughts struck the same vein.
"Um…"
Andross snapped from his trance first. "Ah! Yes…" He cleared his throat. "If you would not mind, Lady Krystal. Please stand here and demonstrate a barrier for me."
Rising to her feet, Krystal followed his gesture to the centre of the floor. "How large do you want me to make it?" she asked.
"Just enough to cover yourself will suffice. As we progress, we will move outside to practice maximising your range."
Krystal nodded and closed her eyes. She called the power forth from within her then projected it in all directions. Concentrating, Krystal willed the magic to harden, converting it into a solid shell. A white haze soon surrounded Krystal.
"Is that the fastest you can do?" Thene scoffed.
Anger spiked through Krystal, compromising her control of the barrier. It fizzled out of existence. "It takes me a while to complete the spell," she bristled. "I can't whip up a barrier just like that."
"And here I thought you were a master lythan. I didn't realise that the Jad's standards had dropped so low."
Krystal snarled. How dare she – someone who was banished during their apprenticeship – criticise her on ability? "Let's see you do it then."
"Gladly." Thene pulled out a slender rod strapped to the belt around her waist. In the span of a second, its two ends extended from the shaft, tripling its length. Krystal blinked in surprise. She'd never seen anything of the sort, yet the fuchsia staff that Thene now held looked remarkably similar to a lythan's.
Twirling it in her hand, Thene took place standing opposite to Krystal. Energy burst from her centre without warning. It coagulated around Thene, encasing her in a perfect dome of mana. The process took only a second. Krystal's jaw dropped. Thene's eyes never left hers the whole time.
"There. Simple," she boasted.
"I…" Krystal started. Yet, she was too stunned to say more.
"Ever since her cart accident last year, Thene has trained hard to use this spell with the skill that you just witnessed. Interestingly though, she chose this over learning not to repeat the same mistake that caused all that trouble," Andross explained casually. His words knocked the uppity scowl from Thene's face, making Krystal feel somewhat better.
"Now," Andross went on. "Try to combine your powers and create a barrier together. Again, just focus on the form."
Krystal turned to face Thene. The disdain that she felt again was mutual. This was the woman who defiled her mother's thoughts for her own selfish gain. The idea that they should harmonise their power like this made Krystal's gut turn. However… 'If it helps me get Fox home, then I have to try.'
She took a breath. "I'm ready."
Thene held her staff upright. "Let's begin."
To cast a spell using two mages, a light telepathic connection was required to synchronise the flows of their energy. For Fox's sake, Krystal quashed her displeasure as she felt Thene's mind touch hers. She raised a quick mental wall almost subconsciously. Krystal would abide Thene to peer at her surface thoughts but no deeper.
At first, they examined each other, trying to obtain a sense of how much power the other was putting out and how quickly. That was standard practice for any two spellcasters who were unattuned. After a few seconds of this, Krystal began to direct her mana. Thene's met it in the middle, where they each worked to give the building mass shape.
The magic ballooned to the size of a kickball. However, the balance between Krystal and Thene then tipped. Their energies spilled over each other before the spell collapsed entirely. Thene cursed.
"It didn't work," Krystal muttered.
"Try again," Andross said calmly.
The second time started off smoothly. They reached the point where they tripped up earlier and fortunately pushed past it. Their power soon spread wide enough to cover both Krystal and Thene. However, when they tried to complete the barrier's form, Thene's mana overtook Krystal's. The combined energy became unstable again. It burst outward, rattling several nearby objects, and making Andross flinch.
"Again," he instructed.
With frustration growing inside, Krystal complied. Alas, when it came to hardening the barrier, Thene's pace left Krystal behind once more. The spell could not hold. It ended in the same disaster. "Will you stop getting ahead of me?!" Krystal snapped.
"You're working too slow!" Thene bristled back.
"I'm trying to focus on getting it right!"
"And I'm sure anyone who wants to attack you will wait patiently while you try to make a barrier correctly," Thene scoffed. "How long is it going to take you to make one big enough to shield the rocket?"
"Enough!" Andross's voice cracked like a whip. Krystal and Thene's attention switched to meet his scowl. "You're supposed to be working together on this. I fail to see how bickering like children will accomplish that."
A flash of embarrassment cut through Krystal's pride and anger. She could no longer look Andross in the eye. His words, however, had the opposite effect on Thene, who turned her back on them both. "This is a waste of time. There's no way this will work if she can barely cast a simple barrier."
"You will need to make it work," Andross growled before Krystal could bite back herself. "You and Krystal will be the only people onboard who can use magic, and we won't be able to rely on technology to solve the problem instead. Either you two learn how to cooperate, or we'll all have to hope that we don't freeze or suffocate when we reach space."
Thene then bowed her head, falling silent. Andross rose. "We have roughly one year before the next rocket is ready for launch. You have until then to produce a barrier larger than it, using your combined powers."
Slowly, he walked away. "Let's all take a break to clear our heads."
With one last glare towards Krystal, Thene left the building. Being as far from her as possible was fine by Krystal. She sat down and glanced over Fox. Her emotions ebbed as she held his hand while he slept. Breathing in slowly, Krystal focused on their touch.
After a few minutes, she felt Fox's fingers twitch. Realising this, Krystal watched his face keenly. Miniscule movements tugged his lips and eyelids. A soft, haggard moan croaked from his throat. Krystal felt his first conscious thoughts. Fox ached while his body debated whether to let him wake or not. Eventually, Fox made the decision. His eyes cracked open. They were red around his usually bright, green irises.
Krystal cupped his cheek as Fox rolled his head to look at her. Her thumb brush gently along the fur of his muzzle. "Hey," she smiled.
"What… happened…?" Fox mumbled.
"You passed out during the test. We're inside the laboratory now."
Fox tried to lift himself up. Failing that, he glanced around at their surroundings. "My vision's fuzzy…"
Krystal's ears dropped. "Andross said that might happen. Spinning around that fast messed up the blood flow to your eyes. It should clear up after you rest some more."
To push her point, Krystal nudged Fox back down onto the pillow. He didn't resist. "What'd I miss?"
Krystal sighed. For this, she answered him telepathically. "Andross wants me and Thene to practice making barriers together. It's not going well."
Fox decided that talking was easier than thinking. "Barriers? Like… magic shields?" He creased his brow. "I don't think I've ever seen you make one before."
"I'm not very good with them. I barely passed my apprentice's exam, in fact," Krystal admitted, and only to Fox.
His frown deepened. "Would have been a handy skill to have when you rescued me from that ordus."
"I didn't need it to save you, so what does it matter?" Krystal huffed, crossing her arms.
Fox pondered for an answer. Though when none came, he abandoned the attempt. "I used to have a barrier. Lit up in a hexagon shape. Used it to bounce eggs back at that damned, green lizard."
His words were more bizarre than anything else that Fox ever told her about his time in Lylat. When Krystal pried into his immediate thoughts to see for herself, they were blurry and incoherent like remnants of a dream. It could be that he was simply delirious. She'd better let Andross know about this in case there were any serious issues they'd need to watch out for.
"I think that centrifuge did more to your brain than we first thought."
She might have been right, considering how Fox was too worn out to argue. He closed his eyes. "You'll get the hang of it. I believe in you."
In a flash, Fox fells fast asleep again. Krystal still worried about his wellbeing. But for now, she appreciated Fox's confidence in her. She straightened the blankets over him and kissed his cheek.
"Sleep well, love. And thank you."
A loud whistle pierced over the steady flame. Krystal removed the wailing kettle and poured three cups near to the brim. Steam lifted the fragrance of honey and citrus, lifting Krystal's spirits. After the day she'd had, she eagerly looked forward to a pleasant sip of tea.
While Krystal carried the cups to the table, her father added the last few sprigs to the soup starting to boil. Thalse gave it a stir before covering the pot. He soon joined Krystal. Taking a cup for himself, he inhaled its vapours deeply.
"Smells delightful, little one," he praised.
Krystal smiled. "Thank you for making dinner for us, Papa. With Fox still unwell and my mana so low, I think I might have gone to bed without feeding either of us."
"You're most welcome, Krystal." A parent's concern etched Thalse's features. "So… You're practicing barrier spells now."
Krystal barely felt herself nod. "Yes," she said quietly. "But it's not working out like I hoped."
"Barriers were never your strong suit, were they?" Thalse sipped his tea.
"No." Resigned, Krystal did the same. The tea's sharp sweetness cut through her melancholy for a moment. "I thought I could do them well if I just focused enough. But… today taught me that I'm still barely better than a novice with those spells."
"That must be disheartening."
"It is." Krystal sighed. "I can project the mana and shape it around me just fine. But it's giving the barrier substance that takes me so long. It's nothing like using attack spells."
Thalse leaned back, humming. "I could offer you some advice. However, I think your mother can explain it better."
Following his gaze, Krystal found Nomar emerge from upstairs. She sat up in rapt attention. "How is Fox?"
Nomar smiled. "Better now. I've healed the stress put onto his body. He ought to wake in a few more minutes."
Relief filled Krystal. "I'm glad." Really, she ought to have healed Fox herself. Unfortunately, Andross made her practice until Krystal became so tired that she had to call her father to help carry Fox home. "Thank you both for doing all this for us."
As Nomar approached to sit, Thalse moved her cup precisely into the spot her hand reached out for. The exchange appeared seamless. "Carrying on from what your father was going to say: barriers are fundamentally different from most spells you've mastered. Instead of manipulating mana in a concentrated space, you need to mould it across a much broader area. That requires a little more mental dexterity than you're used to."
She summed it up perfectly. "It feels like I'm trying to think about a dozen different things at once," Krystal sighed. "And that's just to make a small barrier around myself. I don't know how I'm supposed to create one large enough to cover a rocket."
Nomar sipped her tea. "I can help you practice in my spare time if you'd like."
That sounded much better than working with the training partner Krystal had to put up with all day. "Thank you, Mama," she smiled.
"Mind you, I reckon it'll be a tall order to create a barrier that size," Thalse remarked.
"When the time comes, I won't be doing it alone. I'll be working with… with…" Krystal fell short of saying the name. It wouldn't rise to her tongue in front of her mother.
The light faded from Nomar's expression. She knew well enough. "With Thene." Thalse wrapped his arms around her shoulders. A boulder might as well have burst through the wall for as welcome as those two words felt. Krystal's ears dropped as she nodded.
"You'll have your work cut out for you with that one," Thalse grumbled darkly.
Krystal rested her chin on her fist. "You're telling me. How did you ever take her on as a student, Mama?"
Moments passed with Nomar only staring into her cup. Finally, a weary sigh fled from her. "Everything seemed so different back then," she murmured. "Thene was… driven. If there was something new to learn, she dived straight into it. But even at the time, I noticed that her morals were… questionable. She always seemed more interested in learning how to make medicine rather than using that knowledge to help people. When I discovered that Thene was also experimenting with poisons, I realised how easy it would be for her to slip into darkness."
That aligned with several of the rumours that Krystal heard circulated across the Lythan Jad during her own apprenticeship. It shouldn't have astounded her that Thene's character hadn't changed at all in the years since.
"I thought that I could guide Thene to focus her efforts for the sake of others," Nomar continued. "However, she was stubborn and refused to listen. I eventually stopped teaching her altogether until she learned to behave. Randorn and the other masters supported my decision."
Another sigh escaped Nomar, one thick with old grievance. "Unfortunately, Thene tried to circumvent us by learning solely through our books. When we barred her from those too, she only grew more frustrated. That… led her to more drastic methods."
Thalse's hand found Nomar's. He squeezed gently, never taking his eyes off Nomar as she hung her head. "When I found that girl inside your mother's mind, I was furious," he growled. "I wanted to arrest her and throw her before the council. But Randorn insisted that expelling Thene from the Jad was the better course to take. To this day, we still disagree on it."
Anger flashed through Krystal. Eccentric as her uncle could be, she never questioned Randorn's judgement. This, however, was a first. Memories of Fox telling her about his same experience with Thene fanned those flames hotter.
"All of that aside though," Nomar spoke again. "If you have to combine your strength with Thene's, Krystal, you might find it easier working with her than against her."
Krystal became confused. "I thought that's what I was doing all day?"
"You might have been willing to share power. However, your technique needs so much more work that you're not able to keep up with Thene's ability. If you don't find a balance, your spells will fail every time. But since I doubt Thene will change how she does things, you might need to be the one to adapt instead."
"How am I supposed to do that?" Krystal frowned.
"I'm afraid that's something you'll need to figure out yourself," Nomar answered.
Krystal grumbled. "I'd much rather find someone else to work with."
"I don't believe you have that kind of choice, little one," Thalse sympathised. "But if you need incentive, I suggest you remember a promise that you once made to someone."
When he pointed, Krystal glanced over to the stairs. A shadow moved across the wall. Footsteps and wooden creaks followed. Soon, Fox emerged into view. He leaned heavily against the railing. His hand held the side of his head as Fox took each step with care.
Krystal rose to meet him at the landing. She cupped his face in both hands. "How do you feel?" she asked, worried all over again.
"Like a truck ran over me," Fox mumbled. He fell into Krystal's embrace, nestling his chin into the crook of her neck. "How long was I out?"
"You've been in an out of consciousness all afternoon. Andross started to think you were bleeding in the brain."
Concern jolted Fox. "Was I?"
"Fortunately, no," Krystal said, feeling as much relief as he did. "But Mama healed your injuries just in case."
He turned his head towards Nomar. "Thanks for that."
"It was my pleasure," she smiled back.
Leaning upon Krystal again, Fox let out a terrible sigh. "It's a huge hit to my pride though. I'm one of Lylat's best starship pilots, and I pass out at 6 g. Falco's going to piss himself laughing if he ever finds out."
Poor Fox. Krystal stroked his back. "Your secret is safe with us." Her words didn't make Fox feel any better, but Krystal knew he would bounce back with enough time and tender care. He had endured worse setbacks than this before.
"Did I miss anything at the lab?" Fox asked.
"How much do you remember?" Krystal replied.
Fox shook his head. "Not a lot."
Cradling his face, Krystal touched her brow to his. "I'll tell you over dinner. Papa cooked tonight."
Fox sniffed the air. "Smells good." Krystal agreed. A good bowl of hearty soup would be exactly what Fox needed after a day like this.
Guiding him to the table beside her, Krystal thought about her father's last words and the promise that she made Fox long ago. She vowed to help him get home to his family no matter what. Now Krystal realised what Thalse meant. She encountered a wall with Thene today, one which she griped and spat upon whilst forgetting why she meant to face it in the first place. If she wanted to keep her promise to Fox, Krystal needed to overcome this struggle.
Upon watching Fox and having seen what he willingly put himself through to achieve his goal, Krystal knew that she couldn't simply sit and wait for the world to bend her way. She needed to work just as hard. She needed to do whatever it took to help them succeed. That meant Krystal had to master barrier spells.
She had to do it for Fox.
The kitchen space was thick with roaring heat and the sizzling shriek of fresh meat. The air clouded above the stove, obscuring Andross's vision. He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. His jaw set square. His eyes training fully on the task at hand. Swift yet meticulously, he carved through the large wok in front of him, turning over the ingredients before any could burn upon its surface.
Cooking and chemistry weren't so different when broken down to their core elements. Both required some understanding of raw materials and what went well together. Then through following a formula to trigger reactions, one achieved their desired product. Granted, with cooking, there was more room for creativity. That difference aside, there was no reason for Andross to tie an apron on and not be able to prepare an exquisite meal for two. Thene's opinion to the contrary was simply her being grouchy and needing to take it out on someone now that both McClouds had left.
Presently, Thene laid across the maroon sofa that she had custom-made several years ago. She demonstrated no desire to move from it after an arduous day of spellcasting. Every time she and Krystal attempted to form the largest barrier that they could, it failed after a few expanding a few pathetic inches from their standard size. The pair often ended up at each other's throats afterwards. Andross needed to intervene more than once to get them back on task. If he knew more about the finer points of magic, he might have been able to determine where their faults laid and help them improve. Unfortunately, he could not.
After a few minutes, the rice finished boiling beside the wok. Andross turned off the stove and began serving. A more generous helping went into Thene's bowl. He spent little time thinking about it, but she needed the extra nutrition.
"Dinner is ready," he announced, carrying both dishes to the table. Thene pried herself off the couch and shuffled to join him. The same glower remained on her face where Andross last saw it an hour ago. She at least ate without any urging or complaint.
"Is there something that you would like to get off your mind?" Andross asked. He took a spoonful for himself. Not too spicy, though could have used a pinch more salt.
Thene huffed. "I cannot believe that I have to cast spells with that Sharrde woman just to get us off this planet."
"The barrier is at least a two-person job. There's no one else who can take Krystal's place," Andross replied calmly. Things might go differently if Sabre Sythast still wished to accompany them. Alas, his interest nosedived the same way the test rocket did into the western mountain range. Who could blame him after witnessing that disaster?
"She's incompetent!" Thene snapped. "No matter what she tried, she kept messing up the spell."
"What do you propose we do instead?"
At that, Thene didn't answer. They could hardly replace Krystal with someone else. Even if they could, Andross didn't believe that to be the correct solution. "Her aptitude for barriers aside, Krystal McCloud is a lythan of the highest calibre. She has the raw power that we need. The only thing I saw lacking in her performance today was skill. That's something that can be fixed in a year; if people were willing to help her improve instead of criticising her all the time."
Grumbling, Thene looked away. This told Andross that she knew she had no decent argument against his case, but she was too stubborn to admit it. As satisfied as that made him, it didn't resolve the root problem. He needed to do more to convince Thene to change her attitude.
Andross peered down at his bowl. He stirred it whilst his thoughts drifted elsewhere. "When I lived on Corneria, I worked with different people on countless projects. Some shared the same ideals as me, and we got along efficiently. However, there were others with very different personalities who resisted me on several occasions. Those few cause me no shortage of frustration."
Thene's eye carefully shifted back to him. She was at least listening. "Eventually, I realised I could save a lot of time and energy if I tried helping the people in my way instead of constantly butting heads with them. Understanding their perspectives allowed me to learn why they opposed me. More often than not, providing for their needs first got them to trust me. That then made it easier to convince them to finally help me."
"Are you suggesting that I try to become friends with Sharrde?" Thene frowned.
Andross fought the urge to roll his eyes. "No… I'm simply suggesting that you make better use of your time and build her skills closer to your standards." He then resumed eating. "Although, if you wish to be her friend, I won't stop you."
Thene huffed and shovelled a heaping mound into her mouth. She chewed for several long moments. "It's good…" she mumbled.
"Thank you," Andross smiled. That seemed to mark the end of their discussion. Andross believed it better to allow Thene time to reflect on his advice thus far before pressing further. Although she could be stubborn as hell at times, Thene was an intelligent vixen. She would likely find a way to resolve her issues with Krystal and keep her pride intact at the same time.
Andross gave her two weeks. A month, tops.
"System rebooting… Aparoid Unit: GA15998X3, online.
"Initiating diagnostic analysis…
"Metamorphosis complete. Transition to Class: Queen successful.
"New objective: generate drones to execute primary directive. Scanning immediate area…
"Notice: multiple organic lifeforms detected nearby. Commencing pursuit to assimilate.
"All will belong to Aparoid. All will become Aparoid."