The Gift of Volkeye (6 page)

“Daddy, I thought you said we couldn’t go down by ourselves?”

Zynathian frowned in anger. Lyn Sha had distracted him, and therefore he hadn’t realized that Khye had gone below without her. As young as they were, he wanted them together at all times when outside the quarters of their home—especially with Phyllamon Xyecah in the world! Knowing that Jalum would take good care of Khyeryn put him more at ease, but that still wasn’t the point. It was forbidden to go below without the other. Khyeryn had disobeyed the most important house rule.

“That’s exactly what I said, sweets, and Khyeryn
will hear about this! It may seem that I’m being overprotective, but there are good reasons for me wanting you both to stick together. Do you remember the bad man that Daddy is always talking about?” Zynathian asked, suddenly shocked as he realized how long it had been since checking on Phyllamon and his behaviour—fifteen years, more or less. Though he wasn’t sure of the exact amount of time, it had been an age, nonetheless!

“Yes.”

“What does Daddy say?”

“
Beware the bald man with the unibrow!”
Lyn Sha quickly recited.

Zynathian kissed his obedient daughter on the forehead. Khyeryn, however, seemed to not care about the house rules!

Someone is due for a nice long punishment, yes sir,
he thought.

As Zynathian paced about with Lyn in his arms, he heard a huge thump and then scratching at the landing dock shield below. Due to the amount of cold air that was allowed in, Zynathian never liked to open that shield, unless he was landing a ship indoors rather than attaching it to the bottom of the complex. Now he was even angrier, because he’d trained Jalum to enter the house by way of his nest from the deck, outback. Yet here he was flying to the front door again! Khye also knew that Zynathian hated that. More disobedience!

Now he’s really gonna’ get it!

Zynathian, still carrying Lyn Sha, ran briskly downstairs to the front entrance. It was an immense metallic substance of his design, standing forty feet high and one hundred feet wide. He shoved with all his might on the large metal lever to the left of the door and ran
to take cover from the cold wind.

As the door slid upward, an enormous bird swayed to and fro in the air. Except for the white ring of feathers circling both of its eyes, yellow legs and feet, and a large tan beak, the bird was completely black. The wings, which spanned about eighty feet, flapped vigorously.

Jalum entered, carrying something. He gently released the object from his claws and landed, lowering his head in sadness.

They approached.

Only a moment ago, Zynathian had been contemplating punishments for his son. Now, all irrelevant matters had left his mind, and he was seized with horror. He let Lyn to the floor, and they held hands as they ran closer, wailing.

“Khyeryn!” Zynathian ran to his son.

Jalum sat in a nearby corner with his head slumped to the floor, while Lyn stood beside her father with her hands clasped over her mouth, tears streaming down her face. Khyeryn lay still on the cold stone floor, staring blankly at the ceiling, unresponsive to the vigorous shaking.

Along with blood dripping from the open wound where his right arm used to be, Khyeryn’s chest had been ripped open. His clothes were so saturated with blood that what was once a two-piece set of bright red was now black. However, the majority of the bleeding had stopped, because he was nearly drained. Khyeryn was now living by will alone.

Zynathian rocked back and forth, cradling him, already having given up.

“Daddy, save him!”

Zynathian looked up with a blank stare. He had heard what his daughter said, but he hadn’t actually
heard
her. Then, from somewhere within, Zynathian heard that voice speaking to him. She rebuked him in the tone that she always used when he was under an immeasurable amount of pressure, which rendered him unable to think.

What do you think you’re doing? I did not give you such talent for you to become a coward when your gift is most needed! There is still life in him, and it is not my intention to call Khyeryn up now! So don’t be a fool, act now while you still can.
“Protect and nurture your children…”
Isn’t that part of your motto, or am I mistaken?

Lyn saw a sudden flare in her father’s eyes, and she stepped back to give him room, so he could bolt to his lab. Zynathian curled his arms around Khye, hoisted him up to chest level, and began sprinting to the back end of the house.

“Lyn Sha, follow me…we must give your brother some of your blood!”

Upon arriving, Lyn quickly undressed and sat on a cushioned table in the middle of the room, worried as her father performed doctor’s acts that were unfamiliar to her. Zynathian had just poured a white powder solution over each of Khyeryn’s wounds. He was especially thorough where Khyeryn’s arm had been…

…bitten?

Yes, bitten off. Now that Khyeryn’s clothes were removed, Zynathian could see large teeth marks surrounding the area where the arm had been severed. He put the tip of his dropper into a bowl of blue liquid and squeezed the soft rubber end. After the solution was sucked into the tiny glass tube, he quickly shot the liquid into the wound.

Whoooooooof!

An intense blue flame ensued. Khyeryn’s body violently convulsed, nearly shaking itself from the table. Lyn Sha was traumatized.

“Daddy, you’re hurting him!” she cried.

“Hush, child! I’m only cauterizing the wounds, should they start bleeding again!”

Lyn quieted, knowing that her father hated to be disturbed, much less
startled
, when he was working.

He’d finished lighting his son afire now. Throughout Zynathian’s life, this crude method of cauterization had proven to be more immediate and effective than the documented, scholarly process. It was no less a success now, and he was glad of it, drumming his fingers along the operating table, deep in thought.

Butterflies swam about in Zynathian’s belly, as he contemplated the remainder of the operation. He needed to get some blood into Khyeryn’s system now, but he was disturbed by the fact that it had to come from Lyn. Not only was human-to-human blood a more simple operation, but also, he would’ve never been able to get Jalum back into such a small room. Though his lab was larger than any other in the world, a beast as enormous as Jalum made this fact meaningless.

…And I can’t give him my blood. How can I perform such an intensive operation if I’m fatigued and ill? Alas, it must be Lyn. But she’s so small! Taking enough blood from her to get Khyeryn running again just might...

As Zynathian paced back and forth, Lyn got off the table, walked over, and wrapped her hand around his index finger.

“I’m ready when you are, Daddy.”

He was overwhelmed at the sight of such bravery from a ten-year-old. Zynathian knelt over and hugged Lyn Sha.

“Do you trust me?” he asked.

“I trust you, Daddy,” she said, seeing Zynathian hit the
‘On’
switch of the machine that would put her under.

She sat atop the table next to Khye, and her father slipped a soft, plastic mask over her face. As she leaned back to rest her head on the pillow, tears ran down the sides of her face. She looked over at Khyeryn, imagining they were down on the earth, playing
It
. Only Khyeryn was too fast for her—just like always! She grinned, thinking that it would always be that way, having no idea that she was so wrong. Things were about to change. After this operation, her body would never be the same again.

As Lyn Sha’s eyes closed, she dreamt herself away into her fantasy world with Khyeryn. There was no house in the clouds. There was only space. As far as the eye could see, there were long blades of grass and trees, swaying in the wind. The hum of the warm dusk air could be heard as it wisped in and out of the crevices near the trees and rocks. The sunset was beautiful with an enduring reddish-orange hue in the sky. Lyn Sha and Khyeryn played in their normal world like normal people, but in another world it was their last day as
normal human beings.

It was twelve days later that Lyn Sha and Khyeryn both opened their eyes. Zynathian, who’d been sleeping like someone in a coma for the last ten hours, was on a cot a few feet away from the children. He finished operating the night before, and all he wanted now was rest. It was mid morning and, normally, time for breakfast.

Khyeryn’s stomach growled as he lay awake, but he ignored his hunger due to his disorientation. What day was it? What time was it? Why was he naked when he always slept in his pajamas? Most importantly, why was he lying on a cold, uncomfortable table in his father’s lab?

Khyeryn sat up and yawned, stretching.
This is strange
, he thought.

His upper body felt so strong. Of course, he was no bigger, but for some reason Khyeryn felt extremely powerful…especially in his right arm.

He got off the table and wrapped the lower half of himself in the blanket he was covered with, standing idle as he perused over his torso. Yes, something was different. Khyeryn walked to the window and drew the curtains to get a better look at his arm. It felt so good—like it had a mind of its own, or a purpose.

Then he heard movement behind him. It was Lynnie, yawning.

“Lyn Sha…”

She looked over her shoulder and began to cry. Khyeryn quickly ran to the table and embraced her.

“What’s wrong?”

“You’re better now…Daddy fixed you—I knew he could do it. You had me so worried, being all torn up and bloody. Promise you won’t get hurt again, please!” she begged, beating on his chest with anger and relief.

As Lyn’s tears ran down his chest, Khye held her in shock, trying to make sense of everything she’d said. Suddenly he froze, recalling everything vividly. He remembered the very reason he was down below without Lyn anyway.

“Happy birthday, Lyn Sha,” Zynathian said, stealing the words from Khyeryn’s mouth.

They both turned around to see their father sitting awake in his cot. Lyn covered herself in her blanket, and they ran and hugged him. Zynathian looked as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

“Hey, sport…didn’t know if you were going to stay with us or not.”

Khyeryn saw the curiosity on his father’s face, knowing that he’d go berserk when he shared the details. He had to tell him, even though he hated the idea of ruining Lyn Sha’s birthday.

“Dad…it was Phyllamon.”

T
welve days ago, Khyeryn had risen early to go find a birthday present for Lyn. He easily got out of bed although they’d only retired two hours previous from a fun night with their father.

Though he was quite reserved with his feelings (going red in the face and breathing heavily every time his deep emotions were called upon) Khyeryn adored his family, especially Lyn Sha. He always took her birthday seriously, and this year was no exception. So, he’d risen early to embark on his task.

He quickly washed and put on his thick, red cotton suit. After slipping on his boots and putting on his warm fur cap, he grabbed an empty canvas sack from the edge of his bed and opened his window.

Whenever he and Lyn Sha played hide-n-go-seek, Khyeryn loved to elude her by jumping out of his window. This time he decided against it, for it had been a cold night and the stones on the deck would be frosty. He could badly hurt himself or wake everyone with the sound of his landing, foiling his escape.

Being so anxious to get moving, Khyeryn had broken one of the biggest house rules and absentmindedly left his window open. Tiptoeing through the house, he made his way to the long hallway that led out to the balcony. Arriving at the end of the hall, he hit a green button, and the airlocks hissed as the shield, which opened up to the patio, slid aside. Khyeryn could only pray that neither Lyn nor his father was roused from their sleep with the noise, which seemed to echo all throughout the complex.

Once outside, he walked over to where Jalum rested in his huge nest, gently running his fingers along Jay’s feathers to wake him.

Jalum batted at Khyeryn with one of his wings, as he didn’t like being bothered so early on cold mornings—that was when he slept the best. But Khye was persistent. Now irritated, Jalum sat up in his nest and squawked as loud as he could. Khyeryn was hit with a huge blast of hot breath and fell on his bottom.

Jalum was raising hell.

“Shut up, Jay…you’ll wake them!”

Khyeryn quickly got up and wrapped both his arms around the beak of the beast and squeezed with all of his might, muffling the sound. Jalum swung him about in the air with ease, and when he saw that there was no changing Khyeryn’s mind, he let him down and listened.

“This is important! I have to go and get a present for Lyn, and you have to help me. I know it’s early, and I’m sorry about that, but it’s not like I can go down without you—I don’t know how to use the hover! …And dad says I’m too young to fly the car all by myself. C’mon, take me, pleaaaase. It’ll be fun…I promise I’ll get you a treat when we get down there,” Khyeryn said with a huge smile on his face.

Jalum shook his head with annoyance and climbed out of his nest. His clawed feet made slight crackling sounds as they moved on the frosty, stone deck of the castle. Then he sat down long enough for Khyeryn to saddle him and waited.

Soon Khyeryn was upon his back and strapped in. Jalum walked slowly to the edge of the balcony and stood there for a moment. Meanwhile, Khye held the reins and cringed with excitement as Jay prepared to take off. Suddenly, the winged beast leapt vertically and sent them skyrocketing one hundred feet into the air.

“Whhhhooooooooooaaaaaaaaah!”

When Jalum reached his peak, he let himself fall freely. Khyeryn squealed like a child on a ride at one of the amusement parks below. After descending a couple of thousand feet or so beneath the castle, Jalum extended his wings and soared.

Khyeryn was panting with exhilaration, having kept his eyes open through every second of the drop. Jalum looked back over his wing and squawked lightly at him, snapping Khyeryn out of his daze.

“Jay, head for Bahzee’s,” he said, as he relaxed to enjoy the rest of the ride.