Akira Rises (20 page)

T
he healer named Pater was called into the infirmary by an excited assistant. The assistant waving his arms about, could barely contain his excitement. “Pater, Pater! Come quickly! The young miss is floating above her bed, and getting closer to the ceiling. She glows! She is calling for her mother and seems agitated ...but her eyes are closed.”

Pater hurried to the infirmary, trying not break into a run. Entering the strangely lighted room, the healer stared at the young woman. Her hair fanned about her head as if it were blowing in the wind. Her fingers twitched. Her arms were spread out as if she were floating in water.

“Fetch Mage Morgan, for this is magic, and beyond my ability to help. Go quickly!” Pater the healer was fascinated. He was unsure if he should touch her or stand back. Tentatively, he reached up and touched a finger to the tip of her hand. A spark shocked his arm. He jerked his hand back quickly. The assistant who followed him into the infirmary gasped. Pater stepped back. The young woman called out, “Mama ...mama.”

Pater turned to his assistant. “Our patient has need of a mother’s voice, fetch Lady Shy. A woman’s voice may calm this young woman.” No sooner had he spoke, then Mage Morgan appeared.

“That was fast, Morgan! Did one of my assistants fetch you or were you already near?” Pater was curious.

“I felt the young woman’s aura and was already on my way. I wondered who was using magic in the infirmary. I felt drawn here.” Morgan studied the floating young woman. His eyes were first drawn to her long hair splayed out around her. Her hair was dark almost black. It reminded him of another’s hair. Her profile made him take a deep breath. His eyes widened. His thoughts raced and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. With slow deliberation he started to reach up to touch her hand.

Pater called out, “Be careful as she sparked my hand.” Pater looked embarrassed that he warned the mage.

“Not to worry, Pater,” said the mage as he grasped the young woman’s hand. The glow on the room increased. Instead of sparks when the mage touched the young woman a light seemed to flow back and forth between the two connected arms. The young woman sighed. She smiled in her trance-like state. Mage Morgan pulled her gently downwards back onto the bed. He was shaken and elated. Behind him Lady Shy hobbled into the room. He heard her gasp of surprise and relief.

“Akira!” Lady Shy dropped her crutch and clasped Morgan’s arm for support as she reached for her daughter’s hand. Lady Shy looked at the healer and the mage. “Why did no one tell me my daughter was here?” She quickly returned her gaze to inspect her daughter’s face. Tears of joy welled up in her eyes. When she clasped her daughter’s hand a warmth traveled up her arm and filled her with a sense of peace. She turned to mage Morgan with a look of sudden comprehension. The mage nodded. “Yes my lady, you felt her magic just now. As for why you were not notified I do believe Akira was thought to be a young lady named Suraj.”

Lady Shy sighed. “She used my father’s name. How ill is she?” She caressed her daughter's forehead, noting the flush on Akira’s cheeks and felt the feverish warmth of her smooth forehead. She noted a small scar on Akira’s lip. “What ails my daughter?”

Pater stepped forward. “She had a wound that festered and caused a fever. She will recover. Her fever is working for her now instead of against her. We have administered powerful medicines and cleaned her wound.

“Where is she wounded?” Lady Shy was quick to ask and impatient for an answer as Pater cleared his throat.

“Her backside… her butt cheek had piece of dirty wood embedded inside. It was cleaned and has a drawing poultice applied. Unfortunately, it will leave a small scar, but it is a consolation that it is where no one will notice.” Pater smiled at Lady Shy. “I’m happy your daughter has been returned to you. It must be a great relief.”

Mage Morgan stood behind Lady Shy and studied his daughter’s face. He compared it with the face of Lady Shy. Akira was beautiful, but her beauty was not in a mirrored image of her mother. Morgan ran his finger over his own nose as he noted that Akira's nose was like his own. Her fingers were long like his and her pinky finger had the small little twist as his own did. Her lips curved like her mother’s lips. He moved around to the opposite side of the bed. “Because she is imbued with the gift of A’kil I can help her heal faster.”

Pater nodded. He stepped back.

Morgan clasped his daughter’s hand and the hand of Lady Shy who still clasped her daughter’s hand. The circle that created Akira was complete. Father, mother, daughter. Morgan closed his eyes and started chanting. The glow that had subsided when he pulled Akira down from her ethereal float again filled the room.

~

Akira dreamed of running through a forest calling her mother's name. She could hear her mother's voice and it beckoned her to follow. She felt hot and cold at the same time. Was it because one minute she was in sunshine and the next knee deep in snow? Her mother's voice was suddenly now soothing and reassuring. The dream was too comforting and the hand on her shoulder trying to arouse her was annoying. She pushed at the hand at her shoulder. The hand did not go away. The hand was placing cool cloths across her forehead, wiping her neck and cheeks. Akira dreamed of floating, feeling as light as air. Hands would push her back down onto a bed. The hands annoyed her. The light feeling was peaceful. She wanted to enjoy the dreams a little longer, listen for her mother's voice. The darkness was fading and she could feel a brightness. Eyes that had been heavy fluttered open. A face leaned into her view. It was the face of her mother.
Ah,
thought Akira,
the dream is getting better.
“I miss you so, dear Mother.” The sound of her own voice brought clarity. Akira felt awake but the dream face was still in front of her smiling as annoying hands were helping her to sit up.

“Akira my darling girl … you don't have to miss me anymore. I’m here.” The voice was clear.

Akira blinked as if to clear her unbelieving eyes. The fog that had wrapped itself around her brain lifted. “Mother? But you are dead?” Her heart soared. What mean imaging was this? It was cruel to be taunted with a vision of her mother. She searched the dreamed face in front of hers. She could smell the familiar scent of her mother. It was no ghost, no dream, she slowly realized. She reached out and cupped her mother's cheeks in her hands. Tears welled up in the eyes of mother and daughter alike.

“Mother?” Relief and joy was in her voice.” Mother!” She pulled the face closer and as mother and daughter hugged there were several smiles and suspiciously damp eyes in the room.

“But how?” Akira, was feeling fuzzy and did not finish her question. It did not matter. She clung to her mother for a few minutes longer. Then gentle hands propped her up with pillows. A strange looking white haired man in a white robe put a spoon to her lips, and a broth that tasted somewhat like chicken soup tipped its contents into her mouth. She accepted and swallowed the broth, but refused to take her eyes off of her mother. Her mother held one hand as she sat beside the bed.
What miracle is this,
she thought foggily and drifted back asleep.

Shy and the healer looked at each other with relief. The fever had broken. The mage standing on the other side of the bed placed a hand on Shy's shoulder.

“You did not tell me our daughter was gifted.” There was a soft reprimand in his tone of voice.

“I did not know. I truly did not know.” Shy looked at the mage, then at her daughter. Their eyes were the same blue, their hair coloring exactly the same. Akira had her father's finely sculpted nose and high cheek bones. Even the curves of Akira's ears were a daintier version of her father's. Akira had many of her mother’s beautiful features, but if one knew how to look for her father’s stamp, one could see them. Lady Shy smiled. Akira’s true father was a handsome man.

“Does she have an inkling of what she possesses?” Morgan asked.

“No Morgan, unless something happened since I came for your help.” Shy reduced her voice to a whisper. “She was such a rebellious strong willed child, I could not tell her the Baron was not her father for fear she would flaunt it to that bastard when he tormented her. I longed for the day when it would be safe to tell her his blood did not flow in her veins. She has no idea she is the daughter of a mage, that she is of mixed blood, a halfling.”

The mage nodded his understanding. “She is as beautiful as you Shy.” He handed Shy her crutches carved from diamond willow tree limbs. It was time assist her to the healing pools. Her broken leg was just starting to mend and they needed to talk in private, talk about the extraordinary revelation of Akira’s ability to levitate.

Lady Shy was reluctant to leave Akira, but indeed she and Morgan did need to talk in private. Shy wanted to know what powers her daughter could have, and what needed to be done to help her control them. Floating in a trance was not a good thing. She knew Akira would be gowned for an immersing in one of the hot pools very soon, as she had been herself when she had been brought up the mountain. Her thoughts retraced her own arrival to the mountaintop. It had been surreal. A beautiful dragon carried her gently and swiftly to the sanctuary of the mountain. She had been broken and semi-conscious, believing she was dead. Lady Shy had thought she was being carried into the spirit world.

“You are in good hands darling.” She kissed Akira’s forehead and noticed it was cooler. “Sleep.” Lady Shy allowed Morgan to lead her from the infirmary. She looked back once. Good hands aside, she was still wanting to hold her daughter to her heart. Morgan gave Lady Shy a hug as soon as they were alone.

When Akira next awoke, her mother was again in the room.

Akira smiled and was enveloped in a long hug with kisses to her cheeks.

Lady Shy touched Akira’s scarred lip. “Dare I ask how you got that?”

“Long story, but it was worth it.” Akira gave a sheepish smile. “I spat upon a snake.”

“A snake, with fists?” Lady Shy raised her eyebrows.” Did this snake harm you in any other way?” Lady Shy worried what her daughter might reveal. She mentally cursed her husband.

“No, I did not give the snake a chance to harm me.” Akira smiled reassuringly. “Let us forget the evil snake until I’m well. Then we will discuss how to cut the head of the snake off.”

“Very well, then. I see it is time for an immersion into the healing pools.” Lady Shy pointed to the assistants waiting by the entrance door to the infirmary. One assistant handed Lady Shy a modesty gown. Lady Shy helped Akira into a gauzy white gown much like that of a night gown while the assistants turned their backs and waited patiently.

“You are a bit weak, my dear. Can you walk?” Lady Shy hovered.

“I shall try,” replied Akira. She stood up slowly. “I can’t believe how weak I feel.” Lady motioned the white robed men into the room.

The two assistants helped the wobbly patient walk through a corridor. When Akira's legs threatened to buckle, they formed a chair with their arms and carried her through an archway into a torch lighted cavern with a steamy pool of sulfurous smelling waters. An iridescent phosphorus glow shimmered on the walls. Wide steps had been carved into the pool side. Akira was gently set on her feet and with an assistant on each side of her she was led into the coolest end of the pool. The assistants instructed Akira to lay back into the water. Much to Akira's relief, she seemed extra buoyant in the water. It took no effort to float. Akira’s mother followed in them into the pool leaving her crutches to the side of the carved steps. She limped to a seat in the water and made herself comfortable.

“Ah it feels so good to float. This is amazing.” Akira's whispery voice had gained strength after her last nap. The healer Pater had earlier removed the poultice from her wound, and said he would apply another after she had soaked in the second level healing pond. The first level healing pond was hotter and one needed to drink great quantities of water to replace that which was sweated out.

Shy smiled kindly but dismissively at the attendants. The attendants bowed and left Akira to Lady Shy’s care. “Yes it feels good to float. Have you ever floated so lightly and effortlessly before?” Shy was quick to use the opportunity of Akira's comment about floating to ask about any other floating experiences.

“Only in my dreams.” Akira replied, happy to be holding her mother's hand as she floated. Both mother and daughter needed to be touching. It was as if touching was extra reassurance that proved neither of them was dreaming. They were alive and together.

Akira put her feelings into words. “How is it you are alive, Mother? I was told you were dead...told that you had drowned.”

“I almost did drown. I was trying to arrange our escape plans when things went horribly wrong trying to cross the river. Our poor Matilde fell off her horse and was pulled under the current and trapped beneath a log jam. She drowned. We had exchanged clothes so that if we were spotted, we would ride in separate directions and she would lead anyone following us away from me. When her body was found, it was probably assumed that I had drowned.”

“Poor Matilde!” Akira felt hollow.

“I was miraculously pulled out of the river where I broke this damn leg. As soon as I could, I sent a message for the villagers to watch over and protect you. I dared not let them tell you I was alive. Your grief had to be real to arouse no suspicion. I wept for you... but could see no other way. Can you forgive me?”

Akira replied, “There is nothing to forgive. Mother. I’m so grateful you are not dead. We seem to have had a little bad luck with our damned escape plan.”

“Truly my daughter. Now my daughter... it is time for another truth that I’ve hidden from you.”

Akira sat up on the ledge beside her mother, carefully avoiding put weight on her wound. “If you kept a secret from me it must have been for my own good.”

Shy looked at her daughter. A new maturity was in her eyes and in her words. She continued, “Baron Rolfe is not your father.”

It took a minute for Akira to respond. “Mother! You didn't...you did?” Akira's eyes were wide. Suddenly she looked sad. “You…you were raped?” Akira was trying to make sense of what her mother had just revealed.