A View Form Above
Chapter 9 A long walk (with good company)

Sleep invited her. She slept deeper than she had thought possible, because of Zekka’s luxurious, yet unfamiliar, home. Her dreams were of Frick and his touch, which she had been too long without. She regretted waking up. She hoped that this would be the last night she would sleep without holding him. The hat did too; she could feel it. After May donned her armor, she walked back through the sliding door.Zekka was filling her bag with various things from her bronze home. When she finished, she politely asked, “Would you mind taking us back?” May pulled on the muscle, sending them back where they were when they left the horses. They hopped on them, continuing the journey. “The trees told me the town’s name is Longlass, and Trecan who is the Arcane disciple there, will help us replace Prince Eric.” Zekka explained. They started out with their horses, expecting the journey to take all day.

“I remember Trecan, he was a kind young man. Back in the war, at night, we could hear him crying; he told us it’s for all the people he killed, but I secretly thought he was just afraid to fight.” She paused, looking into the foliage. Then she continued in a softer tone. “He disabused me of this thinking the first time I saw him fight. There was no anger in his eyes, no determination in his teeth, and no joy in his breath. Just sadness, a yearning to stop the madness,” she said, looking into the trees again, this time responding. “Truly, he was a hero. Regardless, he never made it our problem. Though fighting for good was never as enjoyable with him around.” Zekka said she was not really thinking too much about what she was saying.

“It is commonplace for the disciples of Nature to be of that demeanor; maybe he missed his calling.” May wondered aloud. She was idly feeling around her newfound powers. Like her mind could wrap around it and feel the size and strength without doing any of that pesky tightening. Though she did truly want to know what she was capable of, “I can feel all the muscles everywhere; is there anything I can do?” she asked Zekka, changing the subject.

Zekka Raised an eyebrow in May. “Most of my powers are aided by the one that keeps me youthful. However, there are a few for combat purposes, and others for daily life. The danger is ever present; if you pull on the wrong one, you could make all water disappear or everyone could start speaking a different language.” She looked at the trees, and they were saying something. It was distracting, Zekka. After some quick thinking, she continued, “The trees are talking about the muscle that can pull in all the surrounding heat.” She giggled. “They called it the ‘Scary muscle’. I never thought the forest would be so cute.”

“What does it feel like?” May asked cautiously.

“It’s tight and stiff, like when you hold your breath.” Zekka explained, “Pull gently.” She added, repeating the trees

May took a deep breath and held it, feeling a similar feeling. When she found the muscle she pulled gently, a cold emanated. The sudden shock of the cold made her horse whinny, so she relaxed it. The warmth took a short time to return; there was no pain. “That is quite the trick,” she muttered, her lip quivering.

“There is much more to learn, and much more pain to feel,” she smiled

“Pain, I felt no pain from the cold. If that is what you mean,” she said.

Zekka was left speechless, the Forest guiding her. “If the forest is to be believed, then the power you hold is not mine. It is like mine, but something greater.”

“What do the trees have to say?”

“They said, ‘Power combined, Brings Unlife.’” She translated. “Are they always this cryptic?” she asked. May nodded. The town was appearing through the trees. It was small and bustling. “I can show you where Trecan lives; let us make haste.”