CHRISTELLE TAKES A FLIGHT
3061 Words
CHRISTELLE TAKES A FLIGHT
Christelle stepped out of her bungalow, one of many on the tree airship, and surveyed the twinkling green canopy, energy bright amidst the dark night. Uliee swelled and swirled within her to the rhythm of the energy all around her. Deep connections, almost background noise at this point, was rooted deep inside her now and every breeze or mist of the ocean connected with her body, mind, and maybe even her soul. Whatever a soul might be.
Trees near her swayed within a flirty breeze and she blushed at the same moment as a yawn contorted her face. Before she could finish that face altering yawn, a creaking, high up, grabbed her attention. Way above, the cloth canopy bulged upward and the sparkling forest surrounding her floated lightly up with it. Ahead and behind her, giant sails, which connected the forest and canopy, pushed forward, challenging the pull of the upward momentum. Air spirits bounced around both, chattering excitedly at the outcome of the push and pull contest. Bets were taken.
Christelle frowned at the impossible setup. The expansive, star-blocking canopy, holding this living ship aloft in the air, and the three stories high sails, pulling them forward.
Had Wakers actually weave those canopies and sails?
That’s, like, three football fields of fabric.
And what about the forest.
“It’s really floating.” She whispered. It was a ship like Win and Sema’s boat, but with more bungalows dotted throughout the trees and denser greenery, the trees around her weaving into a world. As strange as it still sounded to her, this living world around her seemed more natural than the Asleep world ever had.
And now, with the help of the airship crew, she might find her mother. Or at least someone that could point her in the right direction. Isamea, how she loved the sound of her mother’s name, had traveled on this ship a long time ago and they’d dropped her at a Nova Scotia Waker Community. It was a long shot, so much time had passed, but it was the only clue anyone had.
Off in a distant tree, two small, glowing figures distracted her. Air danced around them as they urged the little spirits up into the slightly creaking canopy and lightly flapping sails.
A smile crept across her face; she recognized the sharp, red-brown uliee of Ping and the mellower green uliee next to it, of Jason. Familiar faces were just what she needed right now. And maybe they’d seen where Eka had gone. She’d been MIA for hours and Christelle really needed to talk with her.
She briefly smiled at the unlikely pair, social butterfly Jason and stoic Ping, her old teammate in the Hawaiian Rally. She’d never would have guessed they were dating, Ping was so quiet about his life during their whole Hawaiian ordeal.
She headed toward the two air wranglers, across the clearing, and just as her stride picked up, a group of Wakers, passengers like her, bustled out of the trees then stopped and just…stared.
Don’t roll your eyes.
But that was almost impossible. Two days on this incredible, floating, tree ship should’ve been amazing and awe-inspiring. Well, it was, when she wasn’t being admired and whispered about. Just because Gaia had given her special gifts didn’t make her special, all her mess-ups in Hawaii proved that. Besides, she’d been able to upgrade other Wakers’ gifts as Gaia had shown her, using all this new energy. Granted, they weren’t a vast source of energy, like she was, and couldn’t talk with Gaia, but more Wakers were seeing the spirits around them and their gifts were now at monumental levels. So why did everyone keep singling her out?
Then the whispers started, words like ‘the one’ and ‘like Gaia’ drifted over to Christelle.
No.
Before the chittering group could approached her, because they always did, she called to the air and lifted herself, shooting up like a rocket and nearly tumbling off the air cushion. She hung for just a moment before calling up more air below her. She stared down at the shrinking group, hoping her tumble would dampen their crazy admiration.
Ugh. I can’t even lift myself up without almost falling over. I’m definitely not worth worshiping. What’s wrong with them?
She headed toward Ping and Jason, the air spirits crowding in as she swept closer to the duo. The swooshing and zipping sounds of the spirits had recently morphed into a song only she seemed to hear. Not even Eka noticed song or that melody soothed Christelle’s irritation. When had the sounds around her, from all the spirits, turned into singing. Was it before this trip? On it? She really couldn’t remember, but now she heard it all the time, faint but constant.
Doesn’t make me special. Everyone has their talents.
She was just another upgraded Waker. Just here to fight with the others.
“That’s with.” She whispered into the wind.
“What?” Jason, grinning as she jumped off her air cushion, asked.
“Nothing.” Christelle touched down on the dense branches, still frowning slightly. In the quiet melody of the night, Jason fed the air spirits his uliee. They danced at this feast, the air heating and rising as a result and spiraling up into the canopy. Beside him, Ping fed the spirits his own flavor of uliee, and they zig-zagged off into the sails.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Jason’s smile dropped into a frown.
“People around here are acting like I’m royalty or something. Always whispering,” she grumbled, “and sometimes even bowing!”
“That’s only because they don’t know you.” Ping mumbled.
“Hey!” Christelle narrowed her gaze at him briefly, then slumped down. “But, yeah.”
Jason shoulder checked Ping, then moved to sit next to her. “You can’t blame them too much, you do have some pretty incredible gifts. Directly from Gaia.”
Not him too.
“Lots of Wakers have super gifts now. We’re all getting stronger, getting ready to fight. I’m just part of the team.”
Not the leader.
Jason c****d his head for a moment, then put his arm around her. “Everyone is still a bit on edge, and all these new gifts are disconcerting. They just need to get used to you being Gaia’s protege.”
“I’m not her protege!”
Jason, and even Ping, raised their eyebrows.
“I’m not.” She crossed her arms.
Jason laughed. “Hey, just let them have a little hero worship…”
“But…” Christelle sat up, mouth open, but Jason held up his hand.
“It’ll die down, just hang in there.”
She sighed. “I guess.”
Not to change the subject but…
“Have either of you seen Eka?”
Ping shook his head.
“No.” Jason gave her shoulders a squeeze then stood back up. “But we’re finished gifting the spirits, want us to help you look?”
Ping shook his head slightly at Jason, but before Christelle could glare at him, she heard whooping above. They all stared up as a tiny, rainbow dot zipped along under the canopy, then disappeared over the edge.
“Looks like you found her.” Jason smiled, giving her a hand up, then patted her on the back. “Thanks again for helping gift the spirits the other night. You were a natural.”
Ping nodded slightly. Was he agreeing with a compliment for Christelle?
Jason c****d his head. “Ever thought about becoming an Airer? We could use a few more crew members.”
“Me?” Christelle couldn’t even think about what she was doing tomorrow, let alone joining a flying ship crew. “I really haven’t thought about where I would live…”
“Well, if you ever want to, you have a spot here.” He winked.
Maybe, when she’d figured out her gifts, found her mom, helped defeat Lintu…the list was long. But maybe she could think about living on a ship. Flying, or more like floating, on this ship, forest…whatever, really was a beautiful idea.
Jason winked again before Ping grabbed his hand and headed down. She never, ever, would’ve pictured those two together. How did Jason get Ping to utter more than two sentences?
Shaking her head, she glanced up again, the rainbow blur zipping along the edges of the canopy. Eka had been so elusive lately.
Christelle called some silver spirits again, but before she could chase the rainbow blur, hot breath slid against the back of her neck sending goosebumps skittering down her spine. A warmth spread through her, as familiar lips brushed across her shoulder. “Now that’s a way better greeting.” She whispered.
“Better?” Pekoi whispered back. “Do I have competition?”
Christelle spun. “No! Just those Wakers were bowing and…Oh.” She slapped his shoulder as he burst into laughter. Ever since the Hawaiian Rally ended and they’d won, they’d been almost inseparable. The fact that he almost died because of one of her mistakes never left her mind but his light-hearted temperament and endless forgiveness helped ease her guilt.
“Still gullible.”
“Am not.” But she was, a little.
A whoosh of air swept around her ankles, then leapt up to Pekoi’s shoulders, the little breeze morphing into a lemon-yellow spirit, curled around his neck.
Christelle squinted at the spirit. “Is that a…cat?”
He wiggled his brows. “Cute air spirit, huh?”
“But why?” She muttered.
He shrugged. “She likes me.” He reached to the spirit and kind of stroked its head. Weirdly, his hand didn’t go through it. “Think I’ll call her Fluffy.”
“And you’re naming it?”
“Can’t just call out ‘hey spirit’? I can’t believe I’ve gone my whole life without seeing spirits. This Waker upgrade is so cool.”
Did Fluffy just purr?
Am I calling it Fluffy now?
“So,” Pekoi grinned. “Where’re you headed?”
Christelle starred at Fluffy a moment more, then nodded up toward the canopy. “Um, going to find Eka.”
He swept her towards him suddenly and Eka was forgotten as his warm arms drew around her, short circuiting her brain as usual. And she stumbled, tackling him as them tumbled down as Fluffy leapt off Pekoi’s shoulders. Maybe hiss-grumbling a bit. It really acted like a cat.
“That went different than I pictured.” Pekoi grinned next to her, pushing her hair off her face and behind her ears.
Looking down at his face, brown skin glowing with lemon uliee, dark eyes crinkling, Christelle smiled back. He had been there for her, risked his life to help her. A burst of uliee spread through her and she leaned in, pushing her lips into his wonderfully familiar lips. And his response was always immediate.
“Get a room.” Jason’s light laugh interrupted their moment.
“We have one.” Pekoi wiggled his brows at Jason while Christelle rolled away, heat spreading across her face. She glanced towards Jason, who picked up a discarded sweater before drifting away again, then pecked Pekoi on the cheek at his attempts to rekindle their passion.
“I really need to talk with Eka.” Christelle shrug-smiled at him, squeezing his hand.
He sighed but nodded and wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her in. “Rain check?”
She nodded back, his warm skin comforting and inviting but she quickly wiggled away. She definitely never wanted an audience.
“Okay.” Pekoi hopped up and offered Christelle a hand just as a wind kicked up and Fluffy swirled around him then wrapped back around his shoulders. He kissed her, Fluffy staring at her from inches away, and tapped her nose with his finger. “See you later.”
She nodded, just nodded, and lingered on his assets as he chased Fluffy, who’d uncurled and sprang into the air.
“Oh, you think you’re faster.” His laugh danced with the spirits as he looped around Fluffy’s weaving form and zipped off toward the sails at the forward edge of the ship. Fluffy floundered in the air a moment, before dissolving into pure energy and taking off after him.
Focus!
She shook her head and pulled her eyes away from his disappearing form, looking straight up in search of the rainbow blur. She’d see more of him later.
Overhead, nothing zipped around anymore, but a familiar whoop drifted downward. Grinning to herself, she floated up then raced toward the fading sound.
Speeding above the trees, the forest drifted under her, a living, flying air ship while way below them the land barely seemed to move. All of them floated on a faintly glowing oasis under the stars, trying not to be noticed.
Like her.
Luckily the Lighter on board kept any Asleep from seeing the ship. Christelle was still amazed at their unique ability to work with light to hide things from all those people in the ‘normal’ world. She couldn’t believe she’d been part of that world before, been asleep to all this energy. Eka was right, it really was a magical place.
Christelle wove back and forth through the sky, faint bluish-green air energy running across her and trailing in an undulating pattern. Gifting uliee naturally to the world, without any thought, her whole body vibrated in rhythm with it all. This was her world, where she belonged. Maybe the road had been rocky, but that didn’t matter any more. She really had a home. Her brows furrowed.
When had that happen?
Couldn’t have been long. If only she could disappear into it, not stand out so much.
Christelle passed over the top edge of the overhead canopy and spotted Eka’s rainbow glow laid out on the bulging middle, next to her glowing surfboard. Eka seemed so relaxed she didn’t even open her eyes as Christelle swooped in.
“This is amazing.” Eka whispered.
“Amazing.” Christelle echoed back, dropping lightly off the air and next to Eka. So much easier to do now that she wasn’t fighting against the spirits.
“You look happy.” Christelle plopped down.
Eka spread her arms out on the canopy, the whole night above her, then rolled her head toward Christelle. “Absolutely.” Her entire face seemed to smile. “I’m magic!”
Christelle nudge Eka. “I knew you’d do it. Just took a while to jump start your gifts, with them being so unique.”
“Not the only one.” Eka nudged Christelle back. “Gaia level magic is pretty amazing.”
“I’m not at Gaia’s level, I’m just a Waker!”
“Hey, just admiring your magic.” Eka narrowed her eyes at Christelle then sat up. “What’s happening?”
Christelle deflated. “I…I’m not some hero, or leader, or planet. I wish everyone would stop expecting, I don’t know, great stuff. I’m just another Waker, like everyone else.”
“No one said you had to be anything.” Eka squeezed her arm. “You can lead or just, I don’t know, grow trees, if you want. You’re choice. But,” Eka gave her a warm smile. “I think you’d make a great leader.”
“Thanks.” Christelle’s smile floundered on her face. “It’s just, I almost got people killed last time we went up against Lintu. I can’t do that again, let people die because of my stupidity.”
At the mention of their last encounter, Eka’s whole body dimmed and her smile disappeared, along with the glowing board, morphing back into the tiny marble Eka had picked up somewhere on Hawaii.
“Oh Eka, I didn’t mean to bring up that fight.”
What’s wrong with me?
Eka sighed. “I really miss her.”
“Eka…” Christelle winced at the image of Eka’s grandmother, Sema, disappearing into dust as Lintu drained all her uliee.
“It’s not you, it’s just gonna take more than two weeks.” Eka inhaled deeply, holding it and staring out at the stars and sky and universe for a long moment, before exhaling.
Christelle squeezed her arm. “It took a lot for her and Win to decipher the instructions in that old book then confront him with us. If they hadn’t figured all that out, I couldn’t have overloaded Lintu, hurt him enough to make him run.”
She smiled weakly at Christelle. “Agreed. And I’m tired of crying, so I’m trying to focus on the how heroic she was, instead of her being gone.” Eka shook her head. “Who knew a book about an old Waker war would come in handy?”
Christelle nodded.
“And maybe,” Eka looked at her hands, focus completely there, “if Ke is still alive, maybe I could help him. At least I have to try.”
Christelle could almost feel the question of whether Ke was alive or not lingering between them and her stomach tightened. If Eka’s brother was still out there, who, or maybe what, would he be. He disappeared, as a child, into a portal with Lintu decades ago. That can’t have been okay for him. Would he be whole? Sane?
Next to her, Eka fidgeted. “Look, I know it’s a long shot. He might be…” her voice wavered. “He might be dead, but what if he’s not? What if he was lost? What if he escaped and he’s been hiding, all this time, alone and afraid? I can’t just quit on him.” Eka wrung her hands, the movement so out of place on her. “He’s all that’s left of my family.”
Christelle grabbed Eka’s hand. “You have family. I’m here and you could always go see Win in his old Community.”
Eka slumped. “I know.”
Christelle took a deep breath, fighting her uncertainty. “And I’ve got your back.”
“Really?” Eka stared at her, wide-eyed and she seemed so small in that blink-of-an-eye moment.
“Always. That’s what family’s for.”
Eka pulled Christelle into a rare hug and squeezed. “Thanks.”
“ ‘elcome.” Christelle mumbled, buried in Eka’s shoulder.
Tired of all the emotional turmoil, Christelle sat back and rerouted the conversation. “So, have you seen Liney?”
Eka fidgeted, then lay back, shaking her head. “No. I’ve looked but she doesn’t like showing herself to others, even Wakers. I can’t blame her. Most Wakers think I’m strange and are openly hostile, but with her? They’d probably attack first and wonder later.”
“They would wouldn’t they?” Christelle growled suddenly, fists forming. “What is wrong with them? You’ve proven yourself over and over. Twice we’ve stopped Lintu from destroying them. No, three times.”
“Two and a half.” Eka smiled briefly at Christelle.
Christelle dropped her fists and crossed her arms. “You know what I mean. I should go down there right now and tell them exactly why they’re wrong.”
“Wouldn’t stop the whispers.”
Fury drained from Christelle. “No. You’re right.” An image of raining down righteous anger on all the Wakers elicited a tiny curled up lip from Christelle. “But it would feel great.”
“Completely.” Eka full on grinned. “Hey, at least the whispers about you are the rock star kind. Mine are more of the sleeper agent variety.”
Christelle hit Eka.
“What?”
“No way sleeper describes you, more like a chaos agent.”
Eka nodded and hopped up. “I’ll take it.” She threw the little marble up and it morphed back into her hovering surfboard.
“That’s really cool.” Christelle watched Eka hop on the board, knowing her own gifts would never lead to creating things.
“I know, right? Maybe someday I won’t need the marble.” Eka winked at Christelle. “First one around the ship skips bathroom duty!”
“What?” Christelle called up to her friend, thinking of all the trips she’d made off ship to the surface. “There are bathrooms? Why don’t I ever know these things?” And she took off after Eka.
- Writer
