Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
Draikis was true to his word, and Ella’s healing body was soon put to the test. The very next day, in fact.
“Take my arm. We are getting you out of bed.”
It was unexpected. She could reach her table, and moving around was no longer painful, but she hadn’t gotten to her feet since her arrival.
“Are-are you sure?”
“What? You don’t trust me?”
“I didn’t say that. It’s just—”
“Less talking, more moving. You can do this.”
“I know I can,” she bluffed. “It’s just I need to take it slow.”
“Go as slow as you like. But the healers are in agreement. You are ready. More than ready. Movement at this stage will help you. Blood flow. Respiration. Not to mention how load bearing will further mend your bones.”
“I told you, I get it. I just need a second here.”
“Very well. One. Now, let’s go.”
“Ha-ha. So funny.”
“I thought so. But seriously we need to get started. No time like the present, and I have a feeling you will perform better than the healers anticipate.”
“Hang on. You’re saying they don’t think I’ll do well?”
He shrugged. “Not exactly. They merely seem to be of the opinion that you will still require a bit of work. Something about your race healing fast but appearing slower to rebound in some ways.”
“Oh, really?” she shot back, grabbing his arm harder than either anticipated, pulling herself out of the bed and gingerly onto her feet. “We’ll see about that.”
“Apparently, we will. How do you feel?”
“Like I was hit by a truck. Or a planet, is more like it.”
He stared at her silently, his lone, raised brow speaking more than words could.
“Ugh. Fine. I actually feel pretty good. A bit wobbly and weaker than normal, but not much, surprisingly.”
“As is to be expected. A minor muscle stimulation field was projected onto your bed these last few weeks. Helping your muscles retain strength rather than atrophy as you recovered once your bones had started to knit. In fact, you should be able to walk short distances once your balance returns. And your wind, of course. Your lungs are healed after the smoke inhalation, but it can still take time to restore cardiovascular fitness. They figure it will be another week before you’re ready for that sort of rehabilitation. ”
“Oh, they do, do they? Then let’s get started.”
“Are you sure?”
“No time like the present, you said.”
“Using my words against me. I’ll have to be more careful what I say around you.”
“Good boy. He’s learning. Now, where are you taking me? A grand tour of the compound, perhaps?”
“Let’s start simple, shall we? We’ll walk to the garden just outside. Sunlight will do you good, and there are plenty of places to sit.”
“You think I can’t keep up?”
“I think you would try to even at your own expense. This isn’t a competition, Ella. Just come with me and take your time. No one expects you to be running sprints on your first day out since your crash.”
“Fine. We’ll save the foot race for later,” she quipped. “Lead the way.”
He offered his arm, which she gladly took, admiring the man’s firm musculature. His forearms were thick and hard, and standing close she could feel the hidden bulges of his arms and shoulders as she brushed up against him as they walked.
The gardens were not as expansive as she’d expected.
One of the smaller inner courtyards, but one with carefully manicured flowers, trees, and bushes.
It was beautiful, no doubt, and impressive in its alienness.
But this was nature forced to conform to the will of man.
She wanted to see the real nature of this world.
“Soon,” Draikis said when she made her desire clear. “For now, just enjoy the fresh air and sunshine on your skin. We’ll take a few laps and see how you do. If your energy holds, we can plan a longer outing in coming days.”
“Fine,” she grumbled, letting go of his arm and striding ahead of him. “Well, what are you waiting for?”
His laugh was bright and joyful. “As you wish. Lead the way.”
Ella did just that, walking the perimeter, then the inner pathways, crisscrossing between the different rows of flowers and plants.
Other priests were present, tending to the plants in silence, only their stares making plain their discomfiture at the woman in their midst. They knew she was being healed in their walls, but to see their unexpected guest? It was a bit much for some.
“Harlot,” one hissed, eyes shooting daggers of displeasure at her presence.
“Brother, mind your tongue. This woman is our guest. Behave accordingly.”
The man scowled but said no more, turning his attention back to the task at hand, angrily weeding as he watched her pass.
Draikis put his hand on her lower back, gently redirecting her to a different path.
Normally, it would have annoyed her, but after spending so much time with him, she was okay with it.
In fact, she felt a little jolt of heat flare in her belly and a spike in her pulse at his touch, much to her surprise.
Draikis didn’t seem to notice. “Pay them no mind. The men tending the gardens tend to be the younger brothers. Their oaths are still somewhat fresh, as are their priestly runes.”
“Poor guys. I’m a distraction, am I?” she asked, watching Draikis’s expressions closely.
His grin was warm and amused. “To some.”
“And priestly runes, you say?”
“Those of our order. They help ensure the vows are upheld. There can be no Infala bonding among our kind. Not ever.”
Infala bonding. I’ve heard him talk about that a few times now.
Some kind of special connection that has to do with their tattoos somehow.
A big deal, from what it seems. I guess I can’t really go asking about it, though.
Not without giving away my real story. No runes equals no life. Best to just zip it.
“Ah, yeah, of course,” Ella said, playing off her confusion. “I suppose we’ll need to shift our walks sooner than later and maybe go outside proper. You know, to make it easier on these poor guys.”
“Of course,” he said with a chuckle. “When you are ready, I shall make it so. But tell me, how do you feel? The healers were quite confident in your recovery.”
“Wait, you said they thought I wasn’t—you son of a bitch! You just said that to get me out of bed!”
“And it worked.”
“Ass!”
“I’ve been called far worse,” he replied with a laugh. “But yes, we will expand our walks, and sooner than later. You’ve performed admirably today. Let’s get you back for dinner and a rest. You’ll surely need it after the exertion.”
“I feel fine.”
“I’m sure you do. But you’ll need your energy for tomorrow.”
“What’s tomorrow?”
“What you requested. Tomorrow, we go outside.”
Comfortably back in her room Ella ate more than usual and slept sound and long, her body happy to drift off with a full belly, recovering from the day, recharging for more, just as he’d said she would. And more it would be.
The next day’s trek was taken at a slow pace—she was still just getting used to walking on her newly healed bones, after all. But they covered quite a distance, both inside and outside the compound. A tour of the expansive grounds followed by a loop of the exterior, all at a leisurely stroll.
“Sit. I brought lunch,” he said after several hours of walking.
“A picnic?”
“Is that what you call it on your world?”
“Yeah.”
“Then a picnic it is. Eat up. It will do you well.”
“What’ve you got in there?”
“A nice selection of treats I thought you might enjoy, now that you are free of your bedrest,” he replied, pulling out a rather impressive little spread of things to sample.
Ella didn’t hesitate, indulging her curiosity and tasting them all.
The fruits were sweet, sour, tangy, and one sort of berry was even oddly tropical in taste.
The breads and baked items, courtesy of the in-house bakers, were delightful and equally varied.
Sweet and savory, light and hearty. By the time she reached the small containers of cooked items hermetically sealed and still as hot and fresh as the moment they were packed, she was actually beginning to feel a bit full.
That didn’t stop her, though. She’d been forced to eat sustenance food balls aboard the Raxxian ship. To have real food, and good food at that, was an incredible delight. And now that she was done with bed rest, her diet could be expanded to include all manner of interesting things.
Her priestly host packed up the leftovers when they’d finished and continued on their little excursion, showing her all manner of things new to her alien eyes.
Plants and animals she’d never seen before, as well as technological marvels hidden within the walls of the compound itself, seamlessly integrated without distracting from the lines of the buildings.
At long last, he returned her to her chambers.
“Again, tomorrow?” he asked, confident of her reply.
“You know it.”
“I will see you then.”
She watched him leave, his sculpted ass really filling out his trousers marvelously as he moved. Priest or not, Draikis definitely didn’t skip leg day.
The next day they walked a bit farther, and again the next one.
There were so many things to see, all novelties to the woman from Earth.
And her host was quite delighted to show them to her.
He was proud of his home, and the two found themselves rather enjoying their bantering walks together.
Draikis was always known to be something of a quick wit, and Ella was more than able to keep up with him.
It was on their sixth outing that he showed her the secret chapel that had been abandoned hundreds of years earlier when new facilities were constructed.
Draikis pushed aside some foliage on the side of one of the older buildings on the periphery of the compound, revealing a discolored door.
He pressed an indentation, releasing the mechanism with a click, then pushed the heavy door open.
It stopped halfway, rust, broken wall, and debris blocking the mechanism.
“This way. It’s a bit of a squeeze, but it’s worth it.”
“I trust you. Lead on.”
He did just that, activating the internal lights with a wave of his hand. At least, the few that were still functional.
“Mind your step,” he said, offering his hand.
“Thanks,” she said, taking it and holding on tight.
“Your eyes will adjust to the light in a moment. And it’s just a short walk,” he noted as he led her down a rather dark stone corridor.
The lighting elements were ancient, whatever gave illumination faded to barely more than a flicker decades ago. The walls were still intact, however, and the floor, while uneven in spots, was relatively unobstructed. Interestingly, their footfall was somehow muffled with every step.
“The elders of the Norvalian Sect have always valued silence,” he noted, clocking her as she stepped louder to try to get some sort of an echo. “The sound-dampening nature of this structure is a testament to both their beliefs as well as the building abilities of our elders all those years ago.”
“The walls absorb sound?”
“Essentially, yes. There is a more complex explanation, of course, but let’s just leave it at that. This place is designed to keep prayers quiet. To offer one absolute serenity.”
“Echo!” Ella shouted.
Draikis twitched at the yell, but the walls did their magic, absorbing nearly all of the sound in an instant. It was almost disconcerting, but also rather peaceful.
“Sorry. Had to test it.”
“I understand. But the corridor is not the best place. The chapel itself? Now that is the right spot for an experiment. And it’s right through here.”
He turned left, stepping through an arched doorway into a small, ornate chapel.
The ceiling was domed and high, the walls decorated with statues and spaces where statues had once stood.
Seats and tables dotted the room, all intricately carved.
The whole place was an absolute marvel. But nothing held a candle to the myriad glowing lights dancing in the air.
“How does it do that?”
“Prismatic lenses built into the dome. The light from the sun is bent and funneled through the stone, its constituent rays then released into the air above.”
“But it’s dancing, like an aurora borealis.”
“I don’t know what an aurora borealis is, but I do know that what you are witnessing is a marvel of the elders not replicated in modern chapel design.”
“Why not? It’s beautiful.”
“Beautiful, but distracting, is what I’ve been told. But at least this chapel still exists, and I am pleased to be able to share it with you, Ella. It is my special place, ignored by all others.”
“Really?”
“I think the order has simply forgotten about it over the years.”
“Except you.”
“Yes. Except me.”
“You’re a bit of an anomaly, aren’t you?”
“Perhaps some might say that. Now, go ahead. See what happens when you shout in the main chamber.”
“You sure?”
“Oh, I am,” he replied with a knowing grin.
“Okay, here goes. Echoooooo!”
Where the corridor had felt almost claustrophobic when it absorbed the sound, in this open space it felt entirely different. More than that, the undulating waves of light dancing in the air reacted, churning and folding upon themselves as the soundwaves were somehow swallowed by the light.
Ella’s eyes went wide, her whole body tingling with emotion.
It was quite possibly the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen, and it was reacting to her.
To her voice. Her sounds. Tears welled up in her eyes and she shouted out again.
Sound after sound, singing, yelling, laughing, all of it creating a light and color show the likes of which she’d never imagined possible.
Finally, after what felt like forever, she lowered her gaze to the man watching her with an affectionate gleam in his eyes.
“I’m glad you like it,” he said, pleased with her reaction.
“Like it? I love it.”
“I had hoped you would. And tomorrow, if you’re up for it, we will visit another wonder.”
“Up for it? You know I am.”
“Then it’s a date. I mean, an outing. You know what I mean.”
“Why, Father, are you getting fresh?”
“You know I’m not. And, though I know you enjoy calling me that, again, my kind have taken vows. You would do better to put those thoughts out of your mind. It will only lead to frustration.”
Ella chuckled, a warm ball of fuzzy heat in her belly. Vows or not, Draikis was charming as hell, and she’d have had to be a corpse to not be attracted to him.
“So, you have more secret places to show me?”
“Not all are secret, but all are wonderful. And with your skin finally healed enough, I think you are ready for what I have planned for tomorrow’s outing.”
“Oh? What is it?”
“You’ll see. And I’m sure you’ll love it.”