Dust of a Star

I walked out of Hol'ræ's unit with a feeling of relief and joy. Elation. And now I could head back to Leatho, But Hol'ræ did say it was against some law that I was staying with him since both of us were unmated as she put it. She also said it was reasonable under the law that pertained to Ol'ams. So which one would rule above the other? I was scared to find out.

“...she should not be here, Kalbah.” Kalbah? And was that Tüvo Ga'li speaking? “She is a disgrace to all. And you were suppose to take care of it. If Leatho finds anything...” She left off there as if finding me hiding behind a wall. I was crouched down and up against a wall, wondering what to do. I couldn't go out there and pretend I heard nothing. I was a terrible liar. Leatho could attest to it.

Footsteps. They were leading away from me. Luckily. I stood up straight and inched my way over the corner to peer out at the large hallway before me. It was late now. Most people were in bed, sleeping. Only guards and a few people working were up.

Tüvo Ga'li was walking away with a taller male. But he wasn't Eltherâk. He hunched slightly and had long arms covered with thick hair. I didn't know what he was. But he was someone I did not want to meet. His skin was dark reddish brown with raised scars that looked to be tribal markings, down his biceps. His hands, having only four fingers, were massive. One of his equaled two of mine.

The two of them walked down the hallway, disappearing around the bend. I followed, curious. “...kill...paid...and live...” was all I caught. I didn't know what that meant, but I knew it couldn't be good. Kalbah turned his head around. I stepped onto a side path, pressing myself against the dimly lit hallway, praying to whomever I could that I wasn't caught. If I was, I was doomed.

Ping.

There was the worst time for Leatho to be sending me something. I didn't wait to see if they heard it or not. Instead, I took off. I ran. Left. Right. Up stairs. Down stairs. I continued this until I realized no one was following me, and I was hopelessly lost. Breathing hard, I gazed at the multi-tool, looking at the message Leatho sent. He was wondering where I was because it had been a while since Hol'ræ sent him a message saying I was on my way back.

Well, now I was lost. So no going back until I figure out where I was and then go from there. “Map.” The message disappeared as a map of my location appeared. I some how got down five levels below where I needed to be and all the way on the other side of the station. I knew I was still within the same sector because I didn't cross a Space Bridge.

But one sector was big. So I had to get where I needed to be without raising suspicion. I casually walked where my map led. I avoided people as much as possible, going down another hall if I had to. I made it to the right level, but I was exhausted. I just wanted to collapse right there. That would go over well with the High Council and the Hunsal. I could see the headlines for the news: A woman sleeping in the hallways. What was she thinking?

Sighing, I trudged to Leatho's door. I opened it with ease, not even realizing it should have been locked. But I walked to my room and fell onto the bed, kicking off my shoes and going to sleep. I barely heard someone call for me softly. In answer, I just grumbled, wanting to fall into my dreams. My escape.

My door opened softly. “Ol'am,” Leatho started before pausing. I was guessing he noticed I was halfway to Dreamville already. “Valrokna, ol'am.” I waved my hand in answer. I tried to get the word from my lips, but all that came out was a mumble into the pillow. I heard my door close and I was gone.

Gone away into my mind and imagination. My dreams took over.

I dreamed of places that no longer exist. Not above ground any more. Of ruins that were beneath the dirt and sand. Earth. I dreamed of Earth.

I had seen pictures of Era before when it was Earth. It was beautiful and staggering to see. They seemed so primitive in ways and in others doing what we could not. But we were descended from them. We were humans. All of us. Did life change that much? Did we change that much?

I had no answers.

My dreams started to shift. They changed to present times. Warped and twisted around, but of the time I live in. On Era.

Standing on the cliff, I overlooked the valley below. It was filled with a city, walled and sprawling. The towers reached up towards the sky, but not as tall as the cliff I was on. I knew this city. I had traveled here for one reason and only one. I knew there was medicine here. Stuff that could help my father. I had the money for it now.

Taking the dangerous path in the side of the rock face, I moved slowly downward. I placed a hand against the rocks to my right. My partially covered hand. I had on fingerless knitted gloves. They kept my hands warm during the winters, but let me still have feeling and maneuverability.

The descent was long and tedious. I nearly fell three times. Luckily, I had quick reflexes and grabbed the ledge before I fell or grabbed the side. So I was filled with relief when I walked into the city. The guards at the wall had not even questioned me. They only questioned when it was night. And now it was high noon. The sun was glaring down at the red dirt. Pounding against anything it touched. But it was cold. Not cold enough to snow or freeze, but it was cold enough to need extra layers.

I trudged through the streets, looking for the sign for the pharmacy. It was at the end of the block. The red sign showed the symbol that became known for medicine. Not that anyone knew why it meant that any more. It was a bowl and a stick. I walked inside, glancing around at the shelves. I knew what I needed. I had to look it up at the library, but I knew the name of the medicine. “Yes? Help you?” Ah, a Mutu'a. She was yellow with black spots and green stripes.

“Yes. I need Wavento. One bottle, please.” The Mutu'a nodded and headed back to the shelves behind the counter. Unlocking them with a few taps, the glass slid open. She reached up and pulled down a white bottle. I dropped the money onto the counter as she handed it over. Quickly, she counted it and smiled.

“Thank be to you, shopping here.” I nodded and walked out. I stuffed the medicine in my bag, and making my way out of the large city. I had to get back to Væjü'lo. They shut the doors early. So once outside of the walls, I started to run. I followed the path up the cliff and moved as quickly as my body would go.

I knew I had to stay outside tonight because it took a day to get to Væjü'lo from Gharn. But I was prepared for that. I always was.

“Ol'am.” I groaned. I did not want to wake up. I wanted to sleep more. It shouldn't be morning yet. “You need to wake up. We have...some things to discuss.” My shoulder was being shaken. Prying one eye opened, I glanced at who was waking me. Leatho stood there, looking like his usual self. His robe was pristine and green in color this time. His hair was pulled back with plaited braids on either side of his head. “Up. Morning meal will be waiting.” He walked out. The door slid closed. I groaned, wanting just a few more minutes, but I knew I shouldn't keep Leatho waiting. He did not like it.

Pushing myself up, I turned to my closet, eying a few pieces of clothes that would be suitable for today. But first, I needed to take a long, warm shower.

I slumped and walked slowly into the wash room, locking the door behind me. It clicked, signaling it was locked. I stripped and hopped into the glass encased shower. Water sprayed down from above, oscillating against my skin in different rhythms. It was like the water was massaging away my tension and any grime I had on me. I was content to just stay in there for the rest of the day, but I figured Leatho would not like that. He would probably come in to find me. Possibly even drag me out.

My cheeks flushed at the thought of him seeing me naked. Quickly, to get my mind away from that thought, I washed my hair and dried myself off. Getting into a robe, I unlocked the door and stepped out. My hair was limp as it sat against my head. It was weighed down greatly by the water it held. My hair was like a desert. It held so much water and still it didn't seem to ever have enough.

But I didn't have time to properly care for it now. I had to get dressed. I walked to my closet, picking out a thigh length dress that would go over a slip. Showing that much skin was considered bad in Eltherâk culture. Basically, what I got from it, was that you were a “Street Walker” or something like that. And it was more of the legs than anything. Arms were not frowned upon, but if their was too much cleavage showing, you were in trouble.

I shook my head, trying to get the last few droplets that I could out of my hair. After a few swishes, I made my way out. Leatho was at the table, waiting. I shuffled to my seat opposite him and sat down. Once my butt touched the cool seat, he picked up his utensils and started to eat. “I apologize for taking so long...” I wanted to add why, but I knew he didn't like excuses. He always gave me a look when I did give him an excuse.

“Very well.” Short and concise. He seemed to always say what needed to be said, but nothing more. Meaning short most of the time. Leatho wasn't one for illogical, fancy sentences. “Eat.” I did as I was told. Picking up the fork, I ate carefully the breakfast before me. We ate in silence. Neither one of us felt the need to talk. At least not yet.

Once both of us were done with breakfast, I cleared the table and put everything in the sink to be washed. The machine that washed the dishes (the Eltherâk call it "cycler") was doing its job now. “Ol'am,” I turned to the male sitting at the square table, across from me. “There will be a hearing tomorrow and the day after.”

“What for? Is this about what Tüvo Ga'li was talking about?” I was curious and a bit apprehensive. This was not what I wanted to happen. And I did not want to move.

“Yes. It will be decided if it is lawful, by religious standards and government standards.” Leatho seemed so calm about this. Was he? I mean he wouldn't have me around any more. How would his plan work then? Or was this a scheme to do just that?

My head started to hurt from thinking of all the possibilities. But none of that mattered. Whatever was to be my fate was not in my hands. And that infuriated and scared me.

A soft sigh escaped my lips. My life seemed to never be easy. I figured that was my fate. A fate that I was beginning to wonder about. Wonder if there was such a thing and if there was, why would it work like this? Eltherâks believed in fate. There was a story about them and one of the gods. I didn't remember it. Maybe I should look it up sometime.

“Do not worry. Either way, you will stay with someone you know. Hol'ræ or myself.”

“Really?” That made me feel better. It made my future less surprising and uncertain. That made me calm.

And all of this made me realize something important. I had to tell Leatho about what I heard while following Tüvo Ga'li. But what would that do? It was just something I heard and couldn't be proven. What good was that to him?

“Speak.” I blinked. “You have something to say, say it.” He could read me too well. It was frightening.

“I...” How should I put this? I tried to form the sentences in my mind, but nothing seemed correct. So I went with just spilling everything. “I overheard Tüvo Ga'li talking with Kalbach? Kehlbah?”

“Kalbah,” he offered.

“Thank you. Kalbah. I could only get pieces but they wanted to hide something from you. Something about a female not suppose to be here. And I heard the words 'kill,' and 'paid,'” Leatho gazed long and hard at me. I felt like he was looking through me as if I wasn't there.

I shifted from one foot to the other, uncomfortable. “Mehej rùnit,” he said finally. But he didn't say anything more after that. Not that, that was surprising at all. Leatho kept things to himself, and I respected that. And this was one of those times that I knew not to ask. To not let my curiosity get the better of me.