Lindsay Buroker: Torrent

Temi finally found her tongue. “But I’m not a warrior. I’ve never even smacked anyone. Besides-” she gestured at her leg, “-I can’t move that fast any more. It was nothing more than luck that we managed to trap that monster beneath the rock. I couldn’t have killed it if it hadn’t been pinned. I’m not even sure I did kill it. It might have simply drowned.”

“Modesty is an admirable quality in a warrior,” Eleriss said.

“You’re not listening to me.” Temi faced me. “They’re not listening.”

“We have noted your injury,” Eleriss said, “and it is a minor obstacle. I can find someone to heal the wound.”

Jakatra’s nose twitched. I wasn’t yet sure how to read all of their body language-some was similar to ours while some wasn’t-but I read that one as skepticism. Maybe it wouldn’t be as easy as Eleriss thought to find someone skilled enough-or willing enough-to heal the wound.

Still, Temi’s eyes lit with an intensity I couldn’t remember seeing before. Intensity and calculation. Right, if her leg were fully functional again, there’d be nothing stopping her from trying to get her career back, ostracized or not. You didn’t have to be popular to win tennis matches.

“How long would I have to be the warrior you need in exchange for this… healing?” she asked.

Eleriss tilted his head. “The warrior we need? Do you not yet understand? This, all of this, is for your people’s sake. There is nothing here for us. Rather, it would be easier on us if we’d never come at all.”

“Indeed,” Jakatra said dryly. “Our presence isn’t sanctioned.”

I wasn’t sure what to make of that-some division amongst his people? — but filed it away to remember if it became important later.

“I see,” Temi said. “Let me rephrase my question, please. How long do you think it would take to fight all of these… jibtabs you believe are coming?”

“ Jibtab may be singular or plural without modification,” Eleriss said. “As to the rest, who can know? Not I.”

Not for the first time, I sensed he knew more than he was telling us.

Temi didn’t look happy with the answer, but she didn’t press for more. “Who would do this training?”

“Jakatra has volunteered,” Eleriss said.

I had no trouble reading the flare to Jakatra’s nostrils; if he’d “volunteered,” he’d been strong-armed into doing so.

“Oh.” Temi considered him. If she’d been intrigued by his handsome face before, she seemed to have lost some of that now, for she regarded him with wariness. “When would we begin?”

“Soon,” Eleriss said. “There won’t be much time. If you agree, I’ll search for a healer for you.”

A hint of doubt returned to Temi’s face. “I’ve been to all the best surgeons already.”

“I will not search here ,” Eleriss said.

“Here? Prescott?” Temi asked.

“Earth,” I guessed.

Eleriss did not agree out loud, but he inclined his head toward me. And now I was really jealous. Maybe I could go along and hold Temi’s scabbard for her. Like a golf caddy. Except with swords. Just because I hadn’t encountered the “sword caddy” profession in RealmSaga didn’t meant it wasn’t a thing.

The skeptical expression hadn’t left Temi’s face. Either she didn’t believe-which was understandable-or she didn’t think this was a job for her. I gave her an encouraging nod when she looked at me. For as much as I’d love to take the job, if she could get her leg fixed, she’d be the ideal choice.

“I’ll have to think about it,” Temi said.

Jakatra tossed a few surprised words to his comrade. What, was he shocked someone would have to “think about” training with him? Maybe he was something special where he came from and his own people would line up for the opportunity. Personally, I’d rather have Eleriss.

“We will leave you time to do so,” Eleriss said. “But we cannot give you too much time. If your decision is no… another alternative must be sought.”

“Are there other alternatives?” I asked.

“If the criminal did not survive the flood, there are not. Not that we have discovered yet. And time… time is a concern.”

Jakatra said a word in his own language and walked out the door.

More polite, Eleriss said, “Good night,” before heading in the same direction.

“Wait,” I blurted, a thousand questions on the tip of my tongue. They’d told us so little. Who was responsible for making the monster? Why had it been made? Would the next one be the same or worse? Where were his people from? How long had they been visiting our world and why? Why had they plucked humans out of history and locked them up? What crimes had those people committed? “What are your people called?” I asked, thinking he might at least answer a simple question like that.

Standing in the doorway, Eleriss gazed back at us thoughtfully. Perhaps he wouldn’t answer even that question. Then he glanced over his shoulder into the hotel parking lot. Checking to see if Jakatra was out of earshot?

“We call ourselves the Dhekarzha ,” Eleriss said quietly.

Simon stepped forward. “Are you at all aware of our people’s mythology stories that speak of elves?” He wriggled his eyebrows, silently asking if Eleriss would like to confess to being an elf.

My first inclination was to jab him with an elbow, but I found myself watching for a response instead.

“I am aware of some of the mythologies of your numerous cultures,” Eleriss said.

“And?” Simon prompted.

“They’re very creative.” Eleriss inclined his head again, repeated, “Good night,” and stepped outside.

As soon as he was gone, Simon and I faced Temi together.

“You’re going to do it, right?” I asked.

Simon nodded, though he looked like he wanted to say something too. Apparently, now that the life-and-death situation was over, he was back to having a hard time speaking to her.

“I… don’t know,” Temi said. “It sounds ludicrous. I don’t really believe…” She frowned toward the parking lot. “But if there’s even a chance…” Her hand drifted to her knee.

“You have to take it.” I kept myself from adding that the only way we’d get our questions answered was by having further contact with that pair. That wouldn’t likely be Temi’s driving motivator.

“The idea of having my leg back is appealing,” she said. “Fighting monsters and risking my life every day is less so.”

“I’m sure you’d make a fine Xena Warrior Princess,” Simon said and smiled, proud perhaps to have offered this compliment without stuttering.

Temi’s brow furrowed. “A who?”

“Xena.” Simon’s smile faded. “From the… uh, did you not ever see that show?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

While Simon studied his socks, I told Temi, “Think of it this way: today you killed a creature that was killing innocent people. You’re being given the opportunity to save more lives in a way nobody else can. I’d think that’s a much more important contribution to the world than entertaining people by playing a sport.”

Temi’s lips flattened. “Have you been talking to my parents?”

“Nah, they’d tell you to wander off the grid, plant a big garden, and have a small carbon footprint. This is way better. You get to wield a magic sword.”

Simon had grown tired of studying his threadbare socks and lifted his head to nod at this notion. “That would be the selling point for me.”

“Because you’d want the honor of defending your world and making this a better place for your fellow man?” I asked him. “Or because you think a glowing sword would be a chick magnet?”