the stars incline, they do not compel; PHASE I

[Joscelin]

They are there, and then suddenly they are not. All thirteen of them of flung away, into space, his words ringing inside their minds. The red girl can feel the urgency in them. Hurry, he said. Gail, he said. And so she does. She hurries to find Gail.

There is a moment of disconnect as she disappears in one place and reappears in another. She does not flail though, does not gasp. Her mind recalculates quickly, as it does when she flies. In this one instance, she may have an advantage, however slight it may be. She is used to the weightlessness of flight, the way the stomach hollows as you drop. This is different, but somehow similar. She adjusts quickly, her body and mind acclimatizing to the false atmosphere with the ease of one used to change.

It is then that she is struck by awe, the beauty of her surroundings hitting her like a sledgehammer. She cannot help but admire vastness and be chilled by the stillness at the same time. But she is recalled to her mission, reminded of the reason she has been flung into this far off expanse. Gail. The word continues to whisper through her mind, a constant reminder of why she is here.

Other voices begin to echo, cries for help in this vast, startling space. When she hears Ramiel’s shout, she goes cold, colder than she already is. The thought that he is in trouble spurs her on, drives her forward. In her own childish way, she loves him. Loves him as she loves her mother and her father. As any sister would love their brother.

She is used to flight, so the odd weightlessness does not disorient her as much as it might another. Her flight aids her, propelling her forward, giving her speed. It is sluggish though, almost as if her ability cannot find proper purchase within the air, as though it cannot behave as it normally might on earth. But she is able to move forward, floating through the still expanse despite the lethargic way her gift performs. Finally, she sees him, perched atop the back of a strange creature. A grin lights her visage, her fascination evident as she watches the captivatingly unique alien. She floats closer, following Ramiel and the creature. For a moment, curiosity nearly overwhelms the persistent echo inside her mind. But that echo wins out in the end. Gail, he says. And she obeys.

She lands, just behind Ramiel, the ambient warmth of the place surrounding her, heating her chilled skin. She stares, golden eyes wide, curiousity, wonder, and a slight hint of trepidation vying for domination within her.

joscelin