Dimension of Abnormality, Part V: The Culprit

By Rebecka Jones, Staff Writer

She was airborne. The world was upside down, the amber sky tilting and the trees turning and replacing the clouds. The green and amber melted together around her and began to spin.

Nova was floating in slow motion, her chocolate hair fanning around her. Her arms were outstretched as if she were hugging the sky, and her stomach dropped as her body began its descent back to the ground, the exhilarating sensation bringing a smile onto her face. Her cheeks hurt, unused to the movement.

Below her, the golden grass came back into focus. It rapidly drew closer, but she was prepared. Her fingertips bursted with electricity, and the power flowed out of her and manifested into a small portal that transported her from the sky to the ground beside Adira, her observer.

Her momentum caused her to nearly knock Adira over, but she dug her feet into the dirt and stopped right in front of her friend.

“Hi,” Nova breathed, the smile still plastered onto her face. Her heart was pounding rapidly, her fingers still tingling with energy.

Unfortunately, her friend didn’t match her joy. Adira had her wings crossed in front of her chest, ears twitching and eyes narrowed. She studied the girl for a long moment, her calculating look making the smile drop from Nova’s face. Was Adira unimpressed?

Nova’s assumption was incorrect, however, when Adira tilted her head in acknowledgement. “Excellent job. You completed faster than your last run and have shown you have improved in stamina and endurance. Your power has also grown.”

Nova’s chest filled with pride. She felt stronger and more confident in herself. Power came to her easily now; she trained her mind to blur out everything when she needed to focus and channel her ability. It was as easy as riding a hover bike—she only needed more time to practice. Of course, she could only transport herself to different places on Apricus. Being able to portal to another planet was still a work in progress, but she wasn’t deterred; she had almost portalled to Caligo and to her father. She could do it again.

Regardless, something in her friend’s appearance kept her from bringing the smile back onto her face. Adira had turned her head away and seemed to be in her own world, gazing off into the dark oak forest with squinted eyes. Her feathery tail had sunk to the ground and her bat-nose was working. She typically would’ve been drilling Nova about what she needed to improve on without holding back. Surely there was something Adira wasn’t satisfied with in Nova’s training, though it didn’t seem like it.

“Adira? Is there something the matter?”

Her friend spun her head around to look at her, eyes filling with light as she was brought back to the present. “No, everything is good,” she replied, shifting her posture by standing more upright. “I’m just thinking.”

“About…” Nova baited. She was curious about her friend but concern was starting to grow behind the curiosity. She’d never seen someone as single-minded as Adira so out of it.

Just as Nova knew she couldn’t hide anything from her forever, Adira realized it went both ways, so she huffed out an exasperated breath. “I haven’t heard any good news about the human; it seems the searches are leading nowhere. I’m worried we will never catch him.”

Nova flinched. She had gone back to the dungeons after she helped Amias settle in the cave. There was fresh blood on the ground in the cell Amias was in because of his open leg wound, so Nova had trailed it up the stone walls and into the hole she’d made with an axe. The stone was a struggle to destroy, but Nova had taken the axe to it multiple times before it crumbled, making it seem as if Amias had broken out with his strength. He was very well-built, so it was possible he could have broken out with his bare hands…at least to the Alaptera.

Nova had then dug a tunnel into a cave underneath the Great Tree, using the remaining blood smeared on her hand to make a trail along the walls of the cave to make it seem as if Amias had escaped through there.

It wasn’t an easy task to break through the stone wall and dig a fifty-foot tunnel into a cave. It took her the rest of the day, and she was almost late to her evening training with Adira after taking a rushed bath in the river. However, the easy part was the fact that she had had no conflict with the royal guards. It was surprisingly quiet down in the dungeons, but the absence of guards didn’t settle well with Nova. She assumed they were busy recovering the ship crash site, but it was odd that all of them were presumably assigned that task at once.

Nova’s heart ached. She cared deeply for Adira and wanted her worries to disappear, but she couldn’t tell her about Amias. Her friend wouldn’t understand why Nova needed a human to get back home to her father. Her heart was cold for the humans after what they did to her planet, as Nova’s should’ve been, but Nova was willing to sacrifice all she’s worked for to see her father one last time. She hadn’t seen him in years and finally got the chance to, though it was not an ideal situation. She needed her father nevertheless; he was the only one who truly understood her and loved her despite her power, and he was the only person she felt at home with.

She realized she hadn’t responded to Adira, who was now pacing and muttering incoherently. She didn’t know how to respond, so she settled with, “They’ll catch him. Alaptera are great trackers, are they not?” Nova hoped her shaky voice sounded convincing.

Fortunately, it was. Her friend stopped pacing and nodded her head, her ears pointing upwards. “They are. The human will finally get what he deserves.”

Nova’s stomach dropped. She didn’t like the implication there, or the way Adira’s face darkened when she’d said the words. She was grateful that she hadn’t revealed anything to her, but that didn’t mean she was safe. Adira would soon see through Nova’s facade as she always did.

She hoped by then that she would have already seen her father…and that Adira would have forgiven her.

---

The sun was resting on the horizon when Nova portalled into the field by the cave. The grass was coated in sapphire light from the triplet moons, and the stars were peppered in the sky and twinkling. A light breeze had started, and it rustled the plumes at her feet; even with the sun going to sleep, it felt like daytime.

Nova threw a sack full of food over her shoulder and stepped into the mouth of the cave. She followed the white lines towards where she had set camp, but she was met with a rumpled blanket and a dying fire. Her heart plummeted as she turned her head in every direction to observe her empty surroundings.

Where had Amias gone? She’d left him with lunch and bedding before she took off for training and had instructed him to stay in the cave unless he had to relieve himself. He couldn’t have gone for that reason, however, because the fire hadn’t been fed and had died. The cave must’ve been empty for an hour or more.

Nova had a sickening thought that he’d gone to the colony to fight the Alaptera for imprisoning him, or that he’d gone to his ship to find his own way out without her. Either way, she would be exposed if he was discovered. Then she’d lose the trust of the Chieftess, Adira, and the rest of the colony. She would have to forget about seeing her father because they would trap her here, and she wasn’t sure she could fight against the creatures who had raised and helped her.

The sack fell onto the ground with a loud thud that echoed in crashing waves off the cave walls. Nova ran outside and searched the area, looking behind trees and inside bushes, finding no signs of Amias. Her fingers were tingling with nervous energy. She didn’t know what to do next. Go back to Great Tree and search? Go to the crash site? Search the woods? Wait and hope?

Nova felt faint and dropped her head into her hands. She knew she shouldn’t have trusted a human. Amias was just like the rest—hateful and untrustworthy. She didn’t know whether to scream, cry, or collapse onto the grass and lay there forever. She was never going to see her father now. She would have to live as a liar and a traitor and—

“Am I interrupting something?”

Nova lifted her head and spun around towards the voice. There he was, his tan skin glowing bronze in the orange moonlight. Glossy black locks fell over his stormy-gray eyes, dripping water as if he were fresh from a bath. He was wearing the clothing Nova had stolen for him this morning: mycelium leather pants paired with a spider-silk jacket. The outfit hugged his muscles flawlessly, and Nova had to pull her eyes away from his beautifully-toned arms and legs to focus on the worried look on his face and the relief warming her chest.

“You didn’t run away,” she whispered.

“I didn’t,” he nodded. “I went to bathe in the river. I also explored a bit and found these interesting looking plants.” He held out an armful of vibrant fruits and legumes. “Are they edible?”

She blinked at him, the relief from a second earlier quickly replaced with terror. “Are you crazy!?” She shrieked, storming up to him. “You can’t just go out exploring because you feel like it—that’s how you get caught! I told you to stay near the cave and only leave if you had to relieve yourself or bathe.”

Amias took a step back and raised his arms in the air, dropping the plants. “I explored the area around the cave. I promise you I didn’t go any further.”

She took a deep breath and settled her heart. “Okay, okay. Good. But you still disobeyed me by leaving the cave for reasons that didn’t include the ones I gave.”

Amias shrugged one shoulder. “I left for one of the reasons you gave. I just did some things on the side.”

The smile that appeared on his face made that odd fuzziness return to Nova’s stomach, and she shook her head to clear her mind. She was frustrated with this man; she couldn’t let a stupid, handsome smile blind her.

“Don’t do it again,” she huffed and walked around him, heading towards the cave.

A low, resonant laugh sounded behind her. “Were you worried about me, starshine?”

She paused in her tracks and spun around. Amias was taken aback by the sudden stop and almost collided with her. She took advantage of their closeness and jabbed a finger into his hard chest, her face burning – From anger or embarrassment, she didn’t know. “Don’t play with me, human,” she spat. “You’re on my planet now, so you listen to my rules or else you will get killed. Understand?”

Amias stared down at her, eyes shining. The smile only grew wider, and it made Nova want to wipe it straight off. She knew he was messing with her, but she couldn’t understand why his deep voice and warm smile were getting to her so much. She would never allow herself to show such strong emotions like that.

“I understand, starshine,” Amias replied while backing off.

That name didn’t stop the tingling inside her either. “Don’t call me that.”

“Fine,” he sighed. “But you didn’t answer my question earlier. Are any of these plants edible? Are some poisonous?”

Nova turned towards the cave and began walking again. “Since you think you’re so clever,” she started. “Why don’t you try them and find out?” Hopefully they’d finish him off for her so she wouldn’t have to see that pretty face again.

---

After another long day of training, Nova was exhausted and sore. She was eating and chatting with other Alaptera in the mess hall, feeling surprisingly relaxed as they held simple conversation with her. She felt she had had a successful week—her body and mind were much stronger, she’d kept Adira and the Chieftess pleased with her power, and she had Amias safely hidden.

She was anxious to see her father again, and she was confident she would get to see him soon. Her portals were more powerful, growing in size and distance. If she opened up a portal to Caligo again, she knew she could step through successfully. All her training finally brought her to the moment of truth. She had to contain her excitement until she got to see Amias tonight.

Her heart warmed at the thought of seeing him again. Every night she’d bring him dinner, and they would chat around the fire. He would ask her how her training was going, and she’d give him all the details. However, she always caught a glimmer in his silver eyes when he listened to her, as if he were curious about something else. Nova recalled when she first brought him to the cave, when he asked her what the lines meant.

She’d never answered his question, but she was beginning to think she should. The only person she ever revealed the full story to was Adira and the Chieftess, but never another human. Ever since her exile, she was taught to never trust them or let her heart grow soft for them, but she was letting her heart soften for the human soldier. She felt she could tell him every part of herself, and he wouldn’t be afraid of her. He never once betrayed her while hiding in the cave, and he was patient when she didn’t want to say a word. Though he may have been afraid of her when they first met, he was comfortable enough around her now that he would hold playful and thoughtful conversations with her.

“Something delightful on your mind?” A voice shattered her thoughts, and she turned in her seat to see the Chieftess standing before her, a smile on her face.

Nova realized she had been smiling like a child who opened up a gift on Christmas morning, so she quickly composed herself and stood up, bowing to the Chieftess. The Alaptera around her did the same.

“I’m happy about my progress in training,” Nova replied after lifting her head. She took in the Chieftess. Her dark eyes were as bright as her smile. Instead of her emerald green robe, the Chieftess wore a dark orange one that was just as long, pooling onto the ground and trailing behind her.

The Chieftess nodded then gestured for Nova to follow. She obeyed, and they left the mess hall together. It was a decently warm day. The sun shone on the golden grass and made it glow so bright that Nova had to shield her eyes as she and the Chieftess stepped outside of the Great Tree.

They’d always had one-on-one conversations about her training and life on Apricus, so this was probably going to be one of those. However, Nova felt a nervous energy rush through her veins – with her hiding a human soldier and planning to return to her home planet, she was worried the Chieftess had somehow discovered her. The guards were still out there desperately searching for Amias, so Nova wouldn’t be surprised if the Chieftess were to question her. She just didn’t know if she could hide her guilt.

“I’ve been watching you train,” the Chieftess said once they approached the forest. They came across a golden river, and the Chieftess stooped down and put a wing in the water. She lifted it up and revealed a diamond in her claws. “Your power is truly magnificent. I am proud of how far you’ve come.”

Nova smiled widely, though she couldn’t feel the pride in her chest. It should’ve meant a lot more coming from the Chieftess, but Nova felt her heart aching at the guilt she had from keeping her secrets. She tried to remind herself it was for her father, but she wondered if betraying the creatures who raised her was really going to be worth it.

“Thank you, Chieftess,” she bowed, hiding the guilt that was most likely present on her face. “Your approval means a lot to me.”

She heard the Chieftess chuckle lightly above her, and she raised her head to see the creature observing the diamond. “I’m glad to see you so humble. We need humility in a universe full of such prideful, power-seeking monsters.” She then turned to Nova, her mouth pressed into a thin line.

Nova wasn’t sure what the Chieftess was implying, but the look on her face made Nova shudder. She nodded her head, regardless. “I agree.”

“Of course,” the Chieftess continued, turning her attention back towards the diamond. “Too much humility can lead to gullibility. A lack of defensiveness makes one vulnerable to being taken advantage of. Humans are the species prone to taking advantage of the kind and innocent, as they have proven by taking over an Alaptera planet and killing millions of beings with abilities. Wouldn’t you agree, Nova?”

Her throat was dry, her mind a whirling mess of thoughts. She still wasn’t sure what the Chieftess was getting at, but she knew something wasn’t right here. Why is the Chieftess telling her these things which she already knew? Why did she have to remind her of the horror she went through on Caligo? All Nova could do was nod again.

The Chieftess lowered her head to reach Nova’s height, and she held the diamond in front of her with two sharp talons. Her furry face had darkened, her mouth turned into a frown. “Don’t let them take advantage of you. You are powerful. You are above this heartless species. But even the most beautiful and strong can shatter.” Her talons wrapped around the diamond and squeezed until bits and pieces of it fell between her sharp claws.

Nova flinched when the Chieftess opened up her claws and let the diamond pieces fall into the river. As she watched the pieces flow down the river and disappear forever, Nova’s heart lodged in her throat. She looked back at the Chieftess to find her expression unreadable – the creature just stared at Nova with beady eyes and a straight mouth.

Suddenly, Nova felt sick. The Chieftess wouldn’t tell her these things…unless she knew. She knew about Amias. She knew Nova broke him out. She knew Nova was planning to go back to Caligo with him to see her father.

Nova braced for the Chieftess to arrest her on the spot, to lock her up in the dungeons and sentence her to a tormenting fate. She would never get to see her father. She would never get to say goodbye. She would never get to warn Amias about what’s coming—wouldn’t be able to return the favor of loyalty he’d shown her. It was all over…

…except…

A smile grew on the Chieftess’ face. She stood up tall, sweeping her orange robe around herself before walking past Nova and towards the Great Tree without another word. Nova watched her as she moved with confidence and ease, unaffected by the betrayal.

Nova was quite the opposite. Her heart plummeted, and she had to brace herself against a tree as her surroundings began to spin. She wasn’t sure she felt faint from relief – she should’ve been relieved that the Chieftess hadn’t sentenced her to the dungeons or execution, but her ironic pleasure was worse.

Nova didn’t know what was going to happen to her now. Would the Chieftess tell all the Alaptera and send them after her? Would she stay quiet?

She couldn’t think clearly with the hundreds of scenarios running through her head, but she knew one thing: she had to tell Amias before the Chieftess found him…unless she already had.

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