The Pilgrim of Cele — 5
Chapter 5 — Two Sisters
This was becoming quite an annoying chore, and the new Samuel was only making it worse. Taking care of Kai was hard enough, Layla didn’t need someone else getting in the way.
Whoever this Samuel was, he certainly had an unlucky predisposition. Aboard the Ark for only 38 Standard and he’d already managed to tick off Brother Stephens and excite Kai into a sintap frenzy.
I’m going to have to be more careful now, Layla thought to herself as she lowered the trembling Kai down onto the metal table. Dutiful Sister Diane was already approaching.
Layla eyed the Sister carefully as she came near. That iron statue of a woman, the only other trained sintap on board, was the most likely candidate to blow her cover. Though the Sister was focused on the young Kai, Layla safeguarded her introspections within the back of her mind.
Sister Diane walked around to the other side of the table, placed her hand on Kai’s rapidly rising and falling stomach, and Layla felt the rush of warmth, like a slow dip into a soothing bath, flow from Sister Diane, through Kai and up her own arm still on Kai’s chest. This woman’s sintap control was astounding. A true match to even her most talented instructors back at The Institute; yet, Sister Diane’s inner fortitude seemed to be built atop decades of layered scars rather than dedicated training.
Calming Kai would have been challenging alone. He was a powerful sintap, someone whom The Institute would have gone great lengths to acquire; however, much of his strength still lay dormant.
Like most young, male sintaps, Kai was helpless to control his abilities, more a slave to his own mind than anything else, but this was no surprise. Unlike female sintaps, the vast majority of males never learned how to restrain themselves.
As the only two aboard able to resist Kai’s fits, it was up to Layla and Sister Diane to de-escalate the boy. Staring back into the woman’s verdant green eyes, Layla prepared herself for the sintap link.
The first task was to protect the Ark and its crew by wrapping Kai in a bubble of their own energies. Pushing against the pulsating surges emanating from Kai, they created an egg of dense, fragmented air around the boy.
Once the egg stabilized and Kai’s energies had been contained, the two then sank into his mind. This was the most dangerous step. If either of them slipped up while connected with Kai’s mind, his rage would rush outward like a tidal wave, overwhelming them both, and they would feel each and every one of their synapses bursting as their minds amplified Kai’s raw energies beyond manageable proportions.
To Layla, this fit seemed a tad stronger than the others, but with the help of Sister Diane, Kai was still easy to restrain. Just as soon as the sweat began to bead on their foreheads, they had him within their grasp. In a matter of minutes Kai was fast asleep.
Layla blinked purposefully a couple of times as her eyes regained focus, and saw Sister Diane do the same. Still feeling the residual connection, they both forced a heavy breath out of their nostrils.
Sister Diane was the first to break eye contact as she regarded the room, but she stopped on a spot just behind Layla, where Layla knew the new Samuel lay incapacitated. In her characteristic tone, both comforting and irrefusable, Sister Diane then said, “Thank you for catching Kai, dear. I’ll take care of everyone in here, if you could get him to his bed.”
Keeping her head pointed at the boy, Layla said, “Yes, Sister,” then returned her attention to Kai. With her hand still on the boy’s chest she looked over his placid face. Due to the danger, galaxy wide precautions had been in effect for more than one hundred years to prevent the birth of male sintaps, and, before Kai, Layla had met only two others. The first she had reviled but respected, the second she had loved but constantly pushed from her thoughts.
Shaking off the final remnants of their connection, Layla straightened herself out and hefted Kai up into her arms. She could hear Sister Diane already shuffling about the snoring crew, collecting med guns, but Layla did not turn to look as she marched out into the corridor.
Wanting to check in on Kai, Diane arrived a little late to the meeting. Brother Stephens was already knee deep in one of his tirades, but that was expected. Though an unswerving pragmatist, Brother Stephens was hardly ever patient enough for formalities.
As she circled behind Sister Layla, behind the two elders, Brother Emmanuel and Sister Niyata, and into her seat between Brother Kelly and Brother Stephens, she listened as the frontier man dug into their leader.
“The prophecy tells us that Samuel, the real Samuel, will be able to control the boy. This fella, whoever he is, couldn’t even make it through his first encounter. ‘Splain that to me Brother Kelly,” Brother Stephens was saying.
Brother Kelly, like any good religious leader, was too sure of the guiding hand of divinity to be goaded. “The prophecy tells us that, ‘With Time revealed, the mind of the Chosen Child will become Hand to he who Navigates that which is Hidden.’” he intoned with kind confidence, but Diane could hear the desperation woven into the lining of his words.
At that, Brother Stephens gave a huff and blew out his cheeks, provoking Brother Emmanuel, the shrewd politician, to chime in. “Brother Stephens, we greatly value your efforts, but as our spiritual leader and speaker of the Great Hidden, there is none other better equipped to guide us down the proper path than Brother Kelly.”
Why can’t you just keep your mouth shut, Diane thought to herself, and as if on cue Brother Stephens smacked both his palms on the tabletop, and spat, “I know Brother Kelly’s job, I know my job, but what I can’t figure out is who invited you,” using his chin to point to the shriveling elder.
The old man feigned a mortal wound and began to protest, but Sister Niyata broke in. With one hand on Brother Emmanuel’s shoulder and the other outstretched over the table, she pleaded, “Brothers! These words are unproductive! Calm yourselves and find the wisdom within each.”
Diane had always liked Sister Niyata, but like everyone else aboard, she knew very little about the elder with scars splitting both her cheeks. Though the woman rarely spoke, what little she did say was indispensably wise.
Brother Kelly then rejoined the debate. “We should take heed of our Sister’s wisdom. Though I do believe we have found our Samuel, I know that ship security, Brother Stephens, is your job, and you have seen us through many dark times. For now we will keep a close watch on our new Brother.” It was clear that he also appreciated the wise woman’s council.
“Not a place on this ship he’ll go, where I won’t be watchin’ him,” Brother Stephens gloated eagerly.
With a side glance towards Sister Layla, Diane made a snap decision. “Brother, you shouldn’t be the one to watch him.”
Brother Stephens jumped up, but before he could refute, Diane continued. “He already expects you to be watching him, so he will never let his guard down around you. If he is a fraud, we need someone he won’t expect. Someone less…severe. Vocally and physically,” and she gave him a wink.
“Who would you propose?” asked Brother Kelly.
“Sister Layla,” Diane said matter of factly, leaving no room for another option.
All eyes then turned towards the quiet Sister. For five long seconds no one said anything, then Brother Samuel plopped back into his chair, shrugged and said, “Welp, much as I’d like to be the one, I can’t argue with that. But, I’d like it if, being ‘Head of Security’ and all, I got regular updates.”
Brother Kelly turned back to Sister Layla, and seeing no dissention in her face, he stood and announced, “It is decided then. Sister Layla will shadow our new Brother, and report to Brother Stephens every 48 Standard. Sister Layla, though I don’t think you will, but if you should see anything to arouse your suspicions, I implore you to inform Brother Stephens immediately.”
Everyone then rose, nodded to Brother Kelly, and shuffled out the room. Diane stayed standing in front of her chair for a moment longer, and watched Sister Layla as she followed the others out.
Though none of the others realized, Diane knew that she might be taking a dangerous risk. During the strain to silence Kai, Diane had felt something dark hidden within their laconic Sister. It had felt like scratching at the surface of a steel safe.
Remembering her lifetime of Pasticha training, Diane intoned to herself, Two liars, caught within each other’s lies, will reveal each other’s truths.
Editor’s Note: Sorry guys for waiting so long to get this chapter out to you. I’ve been a bit busier than I thought I would be. Thanks to Tomas for writing this awesome chapter!
We’ll be needing new writers soon as we only have assigned writers for the next two weeks. The next writers are
C. Allen Exline — May 26 Ch6
Leo Charles M. — June 2 Ch7
This story is turning out to be super awesome and I’m not gonna lie, I think I like it more than anything we’ve posted on The Unending Tales so far. Thanks for all of the contributions!
