Carefully observing the change in the wind and in his surroundings, Iramo does something… bizarre. He stretches out his hands, throwing them high to the sky, watching everything move slowly as the star dolls fist approaches Iramo's face, reflecting off his eye.
An in an instance, the doll's hand lands on the ground as Iramo appears behind it with his hands to his side, without a single sound. Swiftly moving them to the back of its head as the winds grow stale. Smiling with his mouth wide open as jagged winds gather around him, tightening around his arms andwrapping around his hands the moment he goes to strike the doll in the head.
I was hoping for a clone but I'm okay with this instead.
In one motion with the wind, Iramo swiftly knocks off its head with the back of his hand and watches its body crumble up in the winds as they pull the pull the doll apart. Yet what should be the joy of victory was replaced with a strong sense of grief gripping his heart. Growing stronger with each passing moment as he watches its head roll in the dark, slowly fading away.
"I swear… I will find you. And I'll save you this time."
Reaching out from behind him, Maradi puts her a hand over his eyes and uses the other to pet his hair.
"Take it easy star boy, that's enough for now. You already showed me you can reach stage two. So lets take a break, get you a shower, and something cute to wear."
Looking back at her with pure confusion, realization filled Iramo's eyes as he turned to run away but was pulled back by his hair.
"AHHHHH! But I wanna rest for a bit! At least be fair!"
But no matter how desperately he pleads to escape, Maradi just keeps dragging him along, lifting his battered body into the air.
"Too late! I already told her your up and she's almost here. So hurry up and get ready before she gets here! Then go lay in your bed! An while we're waiting on her, I can get you up to speed and hopefully get you the answers you need."
It was a faint shift but Iramo felt the chill in her voice run her blood cold. An for the first time since he arrived on Verna he didn't fight back. Iramo silently looked around the hall as she put him down, admiring the design of the rhombus shaped halls and their ethereal walls. Up until he bumped into Maradi's back at the end of the hall, drawing in his wandering eyes to the entrance of the room.
"Hey, pay attention we made it back to your room. So go take a shower and we'll talk after your clean."
After tossing him a towel Maradi turns to leave and shouts out last thing.
"Oh yeah you've probably never used this model before so just press CC and it will match your size! An when your done go up to the closet and it will make you something nice to wear! I'm going to go freshen up myself so just wait here, I'll come get you when I'm done."
Nodding his head in agreement despite his confusion, Iramo, took his towel and turned to face the bathroom door, sweating as he stared it down. Waiting for the sound of the door shutting behind her, before he took his first step forward, watching the door vanish before his eyes.
"WHATTTTTT!?"
Frantically looking all over for the door, Iramo freaks out and takes a step back, shocked to see it reappear but skeptical he dipped his foot in and out over and over again watching it reform and vanish on loop. Until he gathers the courage to jump right in.
"This is crazy! We don't have anything like this where I'm from. Maybe their rich here? Or is this just the standard for them? Either way this is nice, I could get used to living with them… at least for a while."
Stepping up to the mirror, Iramo gazed into his eyes as he rest his hands on the counter, peering deep into his mind.
"Everything's changed, it doesn't feel any different than my dreams but its better than any I've had up to now. I just have to figure out whats going on and find a way back. So if I gotta play warrior for a while I'm okay with that."
Walking over to the massive, translucent dodecahedron structure, sitting in the corner on the wall, Iramo saw three button running along its side. CC, FC, and DC all glowing in a faint blue light.
"Hmmmm she said CC but I hope that doesn't mean cold. I can handle it but I guess I'll never know."
The moment he pressed the button, the door folded inward to the sides, clearing a path inward as the frame moves on its own as Iramo walks inside and it seals the entrance again and blurring the view. Making a unique one way effect with its semi permeable layering preventing anyone from looking through as water begins to rain down from above and steam began to fly.
An after a long over due shower, Iramo put on a fresh set of blue and purple clothes with a new set of shoes to match as well. Sitting at the base of his bed while Maradi walks in with a towel wrapped around her hair.
"How was the shower? I bet your feeling much better now right?"
Beaming with joy, Iramo holds his face as he recalls his time.
"Feel better? I've never been so happy to bathe! The water was so smooth and gentle it felt like a luxury massage on the ocean side! Its something about that warm water and the building heat, that really relaxes the body and mind!"
Smiling as he talks in pure awe Maradi takes a seat by the window sill and folds her hands.
"Well, I'm glad you had a great time! Now lets talk business so I can get you something to eat."
Pulling the curtain shut, Maradi waves her fingers in the air, gently dazzling them as light spreads across the room.
"Now that show and tells ready, lets start off strong with the yes and no's. You can't leave our lovely home until the Scan begins. If you do it'll be hard to explain how and why we have you since I can't exactly say you fell out of the sky. An after your grand entrance you know exactly why that won't end well."
Crosses his arms in defiance, Iramo dejectedly agrees.
"Fine, how long do I have till then? I wanna go look around."
Pointing to the center of the room, a deserted set of buildings appears in the outer edge of Centria as Maradi pans back in to its center, going all the way to the top layer, floating high in the sky.
"Well if you behave and actually listen, I'll take you to a secret place underground. An while we're on the topic, you have to get an Izoa of your own before the Scan. Without it you'll be at the mercy of that man and I might not reach you in time, before the others do. So its important that once you put it on— NOBODY takes it off you or swaps the one on your hand. It can read your output and appraise how strong you are which we can't reveal for now and you don't exactly have the best control."
Holding a small purple and blue band in her hand, Maradi grabs his left arm and puts it in on his wrist as Iramo watches it adapt to his size. Etching a cloudy pattern across the band that keeps swirling around as phases in between black and grey.
"This is nice and all but what does it do for me? This doesn't seem like the one Saranai has but it can still make portals right?"
Activating her Izoa, Maradi band begins to glow purple and twinkle with a pattern of stars, stretching out into the air and onto her skin. Etching a unique pattern all the way to her neck as unique markings appear below her eyes.
"Oh a rift? That's just a taste of what they can do but each Izoa has a set skill of its own. An they all develop through the shared link you have with your minds. Think of it like a new friend you get to keep with you all the time because their very much alive. An in order to get off planet and really whenever your in a pinch… you're gonna need that friend as much as they need you. So just like me and Ireen— once you've bonded together make sure you have each others back until the very end. So go ahead and say hi to your new best friend!"
Curious to learn its name Iramo reaches to press his fingers onto his band but a grey mass appears floating in front of his face before he can. An out of that mass came a brown hand similar to his own, reaching out for his hand as Iramo pulled away looking distressed.
"Is it supposed to look like that? Where's the rest?"
As soon as he says those words it stretches up to his face and starts poking him in the center of the head while Maradi tries not to laugh.
"H- you… your supposed to wait until your both in sync, otherwise that will happen. But a hand is good for your first time meeting, means you both match well. Just give it some time before you try again and your Izoa should be standing tall next time!"
With a snap of her fingers the lingering lights in the air quickly gather and form into six silhouettes circling above the settlement in the sky and sitting high above.
"Pay attention because now is the time you've been waiting for… the way out. It won't be easy and plenty of people will stand in your way but its those who wait beyond them, that will strike you down where you stand. An with your grand goal will surely come your way so if you want to make it out of here alive you need to be wary of the six hands that control Centria's fate. The Derion Drivers and their wicked star."
As the words settle in the air the understanding dawns on Iramo but the numbers don't quite add up as he looks take a count of each figure hanging in the sky.
"You said six but I see seven, did someone die?"
Covering her mouth with her hand, Maradi can't help but laugh.
"Not quite but that one won't come your way so don't worry about that for now. What matters is understanding what it will take to get to them or at least getting high enough to get off world on your own. An the only way to do that here is by power. The strongest rule and the weak abide so you'll have to prove your as strong as any Crusader and climb your way to the top."
Shifting the silhouettes into countless soldiers, towering endlessly to the sky, Maradi drags her finger from the bottom to the top.
"The first way to both join the Crusaders and earn a name is through a Scan. The methodical scavenging and recovery of the lost technology that our world is so well known for and that your using right now… Bio Life. The secret passed down by the Havens that's evolved so much life across so many worlds… and has taken many— many more, along the way. I don't know exactly where it went wrong but those lives somewhere along the way evolved faster than they could control, all on their own. Even those considered defective trash that didn't fit the model of life."
Furrowing his brow, Iramo felt a surge of confusion bubbling up with a hint of rage.
"But why? How did they get away if they weren't in control? An why not let them go? They could of released them, they don't have to kill for their goal."
After a long pause she continued on with a pained expression spread across her face.
"Because just like all mad scientist they overlook the simple things, like the random chance a one becomes a two. Because something of that size can't make a change. But I believe it's because of something so small, so insignificant, so out of sight that they let it slip their mind. Evolution is the natural order of all things, we're all bound to change overtime but that change can come quick if its out of a need. An I don't know a better need than the need to survive. An these creatures… organic or not, know that as well."
Without hesitation Iramo looks at Maradi and asked her something that had never crossed her mind.
"So how can we help them?"
An for the first time she was truly at a lost of words, thinking of an answer, thinking why she hadn't thought to try that before. But she could only muster up three words that came to mind.
"I'm… not sure."
But before Maradi could find an answer to give Iramo, Saranai came walking through the door. An without hesitation both Maradi and her lights began to fade as the curtains fly open, an the lingering light change into purple butteries rising to the top of the room.
I don't have an answer for you yet star boy but your kind heart might just lead to your doom.
It's through intention that people can change. All it takes is one moment of weakness to explore and grow strong. So why stop yourself? Embrace your soul's song.