Read The Crystals of Tlalli: Awakened Affinities Page 13

caught it and held it in both hands. The wood hit with a force that made her palms sting.

  Zos led the way to the clearing that he and Melnone had used to practice in. Zafira and Nottia sat on a fallen tree watching Rica’s impromptu lesson. Jim scurried over to set on the tree trunk watching with anxious eyes. No one noticed him as he watched his little body tense, his eyes following Rica’s every move.

  Zos instructed her on how to hold the staff and how to block. He made slow strikes at her and she awkwardly blocked them.

  “Good. Now lets try it a bit faster. You try to hit me and I’ll block so you can see how it’s supposed to feel.”

  Rica swung the staff like Zos had told her and hit at his head. Zos easily blocked it and swung his staff over making Rica’s staff become pinned between his and the ground.

  “Not bad. Try it a bit harder and this time stand like this when you strike so you won’t be off balance.” Zos demonstrated what he meant; his feet were shoulder width apart, his back straight, and his knees slightly bent. Rica tried it and hit harder, Zos easily blocked her but this time he spun around and hit Rica behind the knees making her sit abruptly on the ground. As Zos hit Rica, Jim streaked and launched himself at Zos. His little body flew through the air as he sprang his front paws out wide, his mouth open, teeth bared. Zos put his arm up and blocked him. Jim’s sharp little claws scratched his arm slightly. The rako ran to Rica and stood between Zos and her in a defensive stance that brought a laugh from Zafira. A high-pitched snarl came from Jim’s tense shaking body. Rica reached down and picked up the defending rako. Jim clung to Rica’s hand, never taking his eyes from Zos. Rica pet him trying to calm him down. Feelings of anger washed over her in a wave that astonished her. She could feel what Jim felt! Rica took a breath and got control of the emotions coming to her.

  “Careful Zos. Rica’s rako will defend her to the death.” Zafira joked. The others joined in at the jest. Zos frowned but then laughed shaking his head at the little animal.

  “Sorry about Jim scratching you. I didn’t know he would do that.” Rica laughed as she stood up dusting her bottom off. Jim had moved up to her shoulder now and clung to her hair for balance. Rica scratched his chest and could feel him start to calm down. Relief came from her little friend as she stood and looked at Zos.

  “Its ok. I think he was trying to protect you.” Zos laughed and shook his head looking at the little rako and grinned. “You have a fierce little friend!” He stooped and picked up the staff Rica had dropped. “You weren’t bad with the staff I think you just need practice. You are welcome to join me at the studio I work out at. Our instructor is good. She would get you in shape in no time at all.” Rica nodded.

  “That sounds like fun. I don’t know if I will be here long. But if I am I will check it out.” Rica said in a happy voice so Jim wouldn’t react again. She had a sudden thought. Maybe Zos just wanted someone to go with him to his studio, first he had asked Mel now her. Was he lonely? Feelings of interest and friendship seemed to come to her when she was around him.

  “I think it will take a while to find out how to get you back. I have never heard of any one coming through a portal from your world for as long as I remember.” Zos said off hand. Zafira hit him on the shoulder.

  “Zos!”

  “Its true and you know it. If any one would know it would be mother, at least she could set you on the right path to find out.” Rica went to bed thinking about what Zos had said. What if she was trapped here? Then what?

  7 - Shani

  The forest had gradually changed into plains as the treb slowly made its way down the road. This morning was much like the one before. Melnone was actively avoiding her now. What had she done to cause him to dislike her so much? Was it just because she was human? Could it be that simple? They had turned onto a wider road now but still there were no other trebs. Zafira was worried about it.

  “This is a major flow way to north and south. There should be a lot of traffic on it.” Zafira called to Zosimo. Zafira had said that same thing about five times now.

  “Don’t worry about it Zaf. Maybe it’s just to early or there is another problem up the way. I don’t know why the flow way is empty.” Zos was tired of saying it, Rica could tell, annoyance radiated from him.

  “Is this road usually busy? Or flow way or what ever you call it?” Rica had run out of things to say to distract her, maybe a more head on approach would work.

  “Yes. This is a major trade route from Kahsha Nation to the Opia Pass. There should be traffic.” Her tactic wasn’t working, if anything Zafira was more worried now. Emotions were becoming hard to separate for Rica now. She couldn’t stop feeling what everyone else was feeling. It was hard to concentrate.

  “Maybe there was a flood. Do they close the road for that kind of thing?” Rica asked.

  “No, trebs would just float over the flood. The only reason to close it would be the boarder was closed. The boarder hasn’t been closed for over a hundred years and then it was because of a fire in the mountain range. There is no smoke. Why would they close the boarder?” Zafira was near panic. Rica hadn’t known her long but she didn’t think Zafira was the kind of person to panic easily. Ever since they had left the caves she had been jumpy.

  “Do you have a phone or something? You could call someone to find out.” The word phone did not get translated. Every time Rica tried to use a technical term or jargon here the word would not be translated. She was a little frustrated by that.

  “Ph-lone?” Nottia frowned. Annoyance was growing from her side of the treb now at an alarming rate.

  “Never mind.” Rica rubbed her temples. A real duesy of a headache had started and was getting worse. “A phone is a device on my world that makes it possible to talk over great distances.” Rica sighed. At this rate she would never get home.

  “Oh! A communication device! Yes we have those. Except Zafira thought we shouldn’t take them with us.” Nottia glared at Zafira. It seemed every one was annoyed with her.

  “We were going camping what would we need a Shalat for?” The word Shalat did not get translated but Rica assumed it was like a phone.

  “Well we could have called our parents and maybe the guardians about Rica!” Annoyance was turning rapidly into full-blown anger now. Nottia’s claws were out, literally, her ears were flat and she was scowling. Rica didn’t like setting between them at this moment. A now familiar tingling swirled within her as a wave built up and flowed out from her. When it hit the two women beside her, they calmed down. Static sparks danced across Rica’s skin in a painful residual of the energy that had been generated. Rica felt bad about doing that, but try as she did she couldn’t control the wave. She didn’t even know how to start one if she wanted to, let alone stop one she had started. The painful whiplash from the wave was something Rica wanted to avoid.

  “This is pretty country, the plains. Doesn’t all that grass look like an ocean in the wind?” The two women looked at her. Rica could feel them calm down even more.

  “It is pretty.” Nottia said turning to look out at the wind gently blowing the tall grass like plants making them bend and wave. The grass was a dark shade of orange. When Rica had first seen it she had been a little jarred by it. Now she could appreciate its beauty though orange wasn’t her favorite color.

  “We will join up with the Jamara flow way soon. We can stop at that little town at the cross flow.” Zafira said still a little apprehensive. Even the wave had not stopped Zafira’s anxiousness. They had been on the road two days now since the first camp and they had met no one else on the road. Maybe Zafira was right to feel panicky. Zosimo had said the first day on this road (flow way as the cat’s called it) that it was strange to not see traffic. He had said while they practiced the staff in the evening that it was usually packed with trevals. Trevals were trucks as far as Rica could determine. Zosimo was not the kind to stay worried for long. He just shrugged off what he couldn’t change and continued on.

  When
Zosimo finally stopped at the little town there were more people and other trebs about so Zafira seemed more at ease. There were no other humans though that Rica saw just cat people. Zosimo parked the treb and stayed with the Yemis as Zafira and Nottia went to get food and drink from a place there. They came back with two bags of sandwiches and some drinks for everyone. Zafira climbed into the treb and sat next to Rica again handing her a package and a drink. Rica had been eating the broth and bread at camp and dried fruit they had. It had taken a bit to get used to the difference in colors and textures. She found she like the little crackers that tasted like nuts and were slightly sweet. This was a new experience. Rica opened the package and sniffed the sandwich. It smelled ok sort of like fish. The meat was a dark brown color like a hamburger and had a dark green leafy thing on it. Rica took a bite yeah defiantly fishy. She swallowed and took a drink of the hot beverage they had brought her. It was bitter. Rica took the lid off and looked at it. It was dark purple. The fishy hamburger she could take but the purple drink was a little two bitter for her. She put the lid back on and sat it down. She would stick with water.

  “You don’t like the Atin?” Nottia asked.

  “The drink? It’s a little bitter. I’ll stick with the water. Thank you