Return of the Matka-Zem (The Sorain Chronicles) (22 page)

"
I caused this?" Mortified by the devastation, Valencia felt tears burn in her eyes.

"
Not just you, Princess." Thane took hold of her elbow to guide her off the road. They were on the outskirts of a larger township, as worn-looking as the fields around it. The sense of desperation hung about the settlement, too. "Let's go around this. It best we don't walk through the town."

"
It was the other Matka-Zem that caused this," Alana answered with heat in her voice. "Your absence just made it worse."

"
What did they do?" Valencia glanced at the female Mlinzi in curiosity.

"
They were inadequate in their position, Princess."

Thane glared at Alana for her judgmental comment.
"There are some things best learned on your own, Valencia, without judging others."

"
You can tell me what you think later," Donna whispered to Alana as the shamed Mlinzi fell back a step.

"
There will be several versions as to why this happened, Thane. I value your opinion of the situation as a warrior of Sora and would like to hear your side of the story." Valencia raised her chin proudly, but was surprised she had quoted the Keeper, Naji, almost verbatim. To her surprise, both Mlinzi chuckled at her words.

"
She really was with the Xeral Mlinzi all those years." Alana shook her head in wonder.

"
Yes, she was. Now keep quiet. We don't want unwelcome visitors." Thane hushed them as they walked between two withered fields. It was the harvest season, yet the plants were brown and stunted in height, barely reaching Valencia's knees. Thane pulled her to a stop when a small, brown object bounced out of the field. A baseball-sized object rolled to a stop at her feet and she knelt to retrieve it. When she touched the ball, she realized it was not a toy at all, but a dried, rotten fruit. She studied the fruit for a second before she noticed a pair of tiny, dirty feet in front of her. Her eyes slid up the length of their owner and she saw a little child no more than six, standing in front of her. She could not tell the child's gender through all the dirt and matted hair. The child's clothes were grey and tattered, with no shoes on the mud-caked feet.

"
Hello there." Valencia smiled but did not receive a smile in return. The child eyed the fruit with anxiety and timidly extended a filthy hand towards it. Anger bolted through her at how the half-starved child begged for the rotten fruit. Valencia swiftly rose to her feet, scaring the child, who quickly stepped backward.

"
Alana, give this child something to eat." Without waiting for the female Mlinzi to respond, she grabbed Thane's hand and marched him into the field.

"
What are you doing, Valencia?" Thane asked, but he did not try to stop her.

"
Listening to my heart." Valencia stopped in the middle of the field and gave him a smile. "I need you here, just in case." Without another word, she released his hand and closed her eyes. To her amazement, the energy instantly surged inside her as if she had plugged herself into a power socket. She felt like an electrical conduit receiving energy directly from the source. Reveling in the force of the current, she moaned with exhilaration. She sank to her knees, barely aware that Thane prevented her from falling and was gently guiding her down to the ground.

"
Control it, Valencia." Although he spoke in a whisper, Thane's words were loud inside her. In her mind's eye, a hand materialized and drew her back from eternal bliss. She felt the Mlinzi's firm hold on her shoulders and she opened her eyes to peer into his face.

"
Focus on what you want to achieve," he said softly.

"
Grow," Valencia whispered as she leaned forward and placed her hands flat on the ground. The energy flowed through her into the planet. She heard Donna's cry of surprise as the ground heaved under them like a single enormous heartbeat. The energy spread like a tsunami racing across the land. All around them, crops sprang to life and quickly grew before their eyes. Astonished shouts from the village filled the air, along with the songs of birds that had quickly flocked overhead. Strong hands grasped her tighter and she collapsed against the Mlinzi.

"
That wasn't exactly stealthy, Princess," Thane chuckled in her ear as he helped her to her feet.

"
How could I let these people starve when I had the ability to help?" With Thane's strong arm around her waist, she barely had enough strength to walk back to the others. "See why I need you? We are a team," Valencia whispered to the Mlinzi, but she only received a chuckle for response. Once again, Thane had guided her back from the euphoria of the Gift.

The cowl had fallen off her head, revealing her fiery hair to the world. Holding a nibbled piece of bread in a dirty hand, the child gawked at her in astonishment. When Valencia peered into the wide brown eyes, the child squealed in fright and fled, yelling that the Matka-Zem was in their field.

"We better keep moving," Thane ordered in a stern voice, wanting to avoid the rush of people into the fields. Within a matter of minutes, the fields had sprung to life and now plants reached for the rays of the suns. As the companions hurried down the path, the fields continued to grow, concealing them from prying eyes. They rushed out of the fields as the villagers poured out of their homes to stare at the miracle. The Mlinzi realized she was too weak to keep the swift pace, for he swung her into his arms and carried her into the steep hills below the city walls. Closing her eyes, she lay her head on his shoulder and listened to the rhythm of his heart. She liked the sound of it. The steady beat caused her to doze off just as the Mlinzi reached a steep pathway at the base of the cliffs.

She woke as Thane lowered her onto a flattened boulder.

"It's time to wake, Valencia,"" said Thane, "you've been asleep for an hour."

Still gathering strength, she looked with the others as they peered over the valley and marveled at the fields before them.

"You sure know how to make an entrance, Val." Donna whistled as they stared at the valley below them. The once withered fields were now erect and blooming, with some of the plants ready to harvest. Every plant and animal seemed to flourish for as far as the eyes could see. Jubilation had replaced depression as the townspeople celebrated in the fields.

"
I wonder how far your power traveled," said Donna.

"
Across the whole planet," Alana answered with a wide smile. "The Matka-Zem has revived Sora." Alana and Thane each placed a fist to their heart and lowered to one knee, giving Valencia a formal bow of respect. Donna gave her friend a bow too, but with a giggle, that brought a smile to her lips.

This time, Valencia did not feel anxiety about the Mlinzi
's formality, only reserved acceptance. Although she was exhausted, she liked the feeling of bringing life and hope back into the world. She acknowledged their gesture with a slight bow of her head.

"
After you rest a little, we have to keep moving," Thane said. He sat next to her and took hold of her hand, intertwining their fingers. "The city will be aware of your arrival by now and your father will be waiting for you."

"
My father . . . I remember only bits and pieces about him." She stared at their entwined hands and thought she saw sparks arc between their fingers. "Do you know him?"

"
Yes, I do. He's a good man, although misguided." Thane squeezed her hand before letting go. "Don't judge him too harshly."

"
You're speaking like the Keeper again, Thane. She always spoke in riddles too," Valencia said with authority. After touching with Sora and seeing the good she could do, she no long felt like a scared child. She was the Matka-Zem and deserved the truth. "I hate riddles. Please speak plainly to me."

Thane shifted his hips to face her. Looking into her eyes, the Mlinzi lectured her like a teacher to student.

"This is where you will make your life choices, Valencia. In the next few days, you will learn who you really are—and how everyone thinks you should be. You will have to make some important decisions soon and I do not want to influence your opinions with judgments of my own." Thane tenderly brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. "Do you understand my reluctance?"

"
Yes I do, but you also must understand that I trust you and value your opinions. Don't be surprised when I call upon you to be one of my advisers." Valencia gave Thane a little smile. "Most of all, I can't use my power unless you're around, Thane. We are a team, you and I. You brought me back to reality three times now and I will need you to do so again." A hint of fear flashed in her eyes. She realized wielding the Gift alone was dangerous. Once again, his words had brought her from the brink of total, irreversible bliss. "I don't understand how my Gift works. When we first escaped the compound, the power surged to live on its own, but when I call upon it, I get lost within myself.

"
I don't know exactly how it works either, Princess, but I think your subconscious takes over when you're in trouble. Self-preservation is a powerful instinct." Thane grasped her hand again and played with her fingers. She felt a tingle of electricity arc between their digits. "Anyway, I won't be gone for long, Valencia. I must report to the Mlinzi council, but we will be together again soon."

As they fell quiet, content to hold each other
's hand, she peered down upon the lush valley. Jubilation sparked through the land and she wished she could stay among the Koylu for the night of celebration that was sure to follow.

After a short rest, they all began to hike up the steep pass to the city gates. Kota Emas shined like molten gold in the setting suns. The towers of Kota Emas were in stark contrast from the skyscrapers on Earth, which were mostly square and boxy. Spiraling towards the heavens with elegance and grace, the city
's towers soared above them. The city walls were stone, adorned with gold and silver that sparkled in the setting suns. On top of the wall stood a handful of Torpek soldiers, dressed is golden armor and spiked helmets. The main gate was made of silvery steel that stood open to allow her entrance. Four Mlinzi waited outside, while an armed escort of Torpek soldiers controlled the waiting crowd. Her step faltered when Valencia saw people waiting for her to appear.

"
This is where we say goodbye, Princess." Thane pulled her to a stop and turned her to face him. He unhurriedly removed the cloak from her shoulders. Valencia held her tongue due to the lump in her throat as she watched him don his cape.

"
Goodbye?" asked Donna. "You're leaving us?" She gasped in shock and stared at the Mlinzi. "But I thought . . ." She looked from Thane to Valencia and back to the Mlinzi. "You're breaking up the team?"

"
Remember, I will always be with you, Valencia." Thane ignored Donna and tenderly cupped her chin and rubbed his thumb over her lips before placing two fingers on her forehead. "I'll be in here." He lower his fingers to her heart. "And in here." With a sad smile, Thane stepped back and faced Donna.

"
You can't leave us, Thane." Donna frowned at the Mlinzi as tears shimmered in her eyes. "Didn't you two solve your problems last night?"

"
Don't worry, little earthling, all is well. Besides, I'm sure I'll have to rescue you again one day." Thane squatted before Donna to brush a tear from her face, then he ruffled her hair like a big brother might.

"
You take care of yourself." Donna threw her arms around Thane's neck and Valencia overheard her whisper, "Don't do anything stupid, okay?" She released him just as abruptly and marched to Valencia's side. With a nod to all of them, Thane walked away. Valencia and Donna quietly stood, hand in hand, until the Mlinzi disappeared from sight.

"
Well, at least we're together," said Valencia. She looked at the gate and squeezed Donna's hand for reassurance.

"
I won't leave your side, Val." Donna took the first step forward, clearly intending to keep her vow.

The human's vow was broken within the first five minutes of entering the gate. People filled the courtyard, crowding to see the return of the Matka-Zem. As the Torpek guards tried to control the excited crowd, a group of veiled women swarmed around the princess as soon as she cleared the threshold of the walls and hustled her through the thong of people before anyone was the wiser. They roughly pushed Donna to one side and pulled the princess down the courtyard before anyone could form a retort. Alana tried to keep pace with the Matka-Zem, but the women were pushing the princess along so fast that she lost sight of her in the mass of bodies. Cursing under her breath for her lack of height among the tall Torpek people, Alana hopped onto a statue to peer over the crowd.

Alana
's position caught Valencia's attention and the princess yelled, "Keep Donna safe!" over the heads of the women

"
Bring her to me," Valencia added just as she disappeared in a hovercraft.

Alana waited for the crowd to dissipate, not bothering to look for Donna. She knew the human would still be by the gate. As she waited for the mob to thin, she reflected over the past day. To her shame, she had made a fool of herself when she first saw the Matka-Zem. Thane should have warned her, but even if he had, she doubted she would have reacted any differently. Returning from exile, the Matka-Zem was unaccustomed to formality. There she was groveling at her feet like a complete imbecile, making the deity feel more uncomfortable than she already was. She
'd seen the panic in the young Matka-Zem's face and she chastised herself for her nitwitted behavior. With a heavy sigh, Alana vowed to make amends one day.

Her thoughts shifted to Thane and she shook her head in wonder. Throughout the day, she
'd watched the affection her brethren bestowed upon the women and could not believe he was the same Mlinzi she had known for most of her life. Deadly silent, like a venomous snake, Thane was death in human form, a lethal warrior who was cold and calculating. Nothing had ever affected him and he had always kept his emotions in check. He was the perfection of the Mlinzi Nation. Everyone strived to be like Thane.

Yet he now teased and playfully bantered with the earthling, as if they were siblings. Moreover, his intimacy towards the Matka-Zem was just as baffling. His voice lowered into a soft tone when he addressed her, almost as if he was cooing his affection. He touched her skin at the slightest reason and looked at her with adoration, like a love-struck boy. During the months of his absence, Thane was now a changed man and Alana was not so sure she liked it.

When the crowd finally disappeared, she made her way to the main gate. As she suspected, Donna sat on a wooden keg with one of the Mlinzi standing by her side. When the human saw her, she tried to stand but the big hand of her guard pushed her down.

"
Tell Conan here that I'm with Val, Alana." Donna glared at the male Mlinzi. Parth was a big, burly kind of man, solid muscle with a broad chest and muscular arms. Although he was dressed the same as Alana, the tunic was taunt across his huge chest. His short, boxed, black beard and customary Mlinzi braid had a hint of grey woven into the mass. A mixture of irritation and amusement clouded his hazel eyes.

"
She speaks the truth, Parth." Alana clasped forearms with the other Mlinzi in greeting. "The Matka-Zem wants the earthling to join her."

"
Is that what she is?" Parth peered at Donna more closely and raised a hand to touch her goldenrod hair.

"
Don't touch me!" Donna jerked her head away and swatted his hand as she pointedly looked at Alana. "Is Val okay? Where did they take her?"

"
I never seen hair that color," said Parth.

Both Mlinzi ignored Donna
's questions.

"
Be wary, Alana. This one never shuts up. Are you sure the princess wants her?"

"
Yes, I know, I've endured her constant chatter for a day now, but she's harmless," said Alana. Parth snorted in disbelief. She motioned for Donna to follow her. "Come on, Donna, I'll take you to the princess."

"
Only dangerous to your sanity," Parth mumbled under his breath as he fell in behind them. Alana muffled her laughter as she led the earthling to the Matka-Zem. ***

"
Where are you taking me?"

Four veiled women pushed Valencia into a golden vehicle that hovered about a foot off the ground. One woman waved her hand over a sensor to make the windows opaque, to prevent prying eyes. They remained quiet, not answering her question. The women varied in size and shape. Their leader was stooped in her shoulders. One was plump, almost as round as a ball, while another was thin as a stick. The last was small, and shy, and stood slightly apart from the others. All the females were dressed the same, shrouded in a dress that reminded Valencia of a burka from the Middle East on Earth. The color of the veils was dark purple and they completely covered the women from head to toe, concealing their identities. They were shorter than the crowd, who were mostly comprised of tall, skinny people with fair complexions
—the Torpek.

Valencia could not see where they were heading, but it was not long before the craft stopped. In an organized rush, the women hauled her along a long golden hallway. Valencia had the feeling she had walked this hall before, but the women did not give her enough time to study the area to confirm her suspicion. The rest of the crowd tapered off, leaving her alone with the women. They shuffled her into a glass elevator that whisked them high into the air. Valencia only had time to glance at the sprawling city below her before the women pushed her out of the tube into an enormous room. Once the elevator door slid shut behind them, the women started to tear at Valencia
's clothing. Frantically, she swatted their hands and spun in a circle to loosen their grip. She quickly sidestepped them, getting out of their reach, but they came at her like bloodthirsty hounds.

"
Stop . . . stop!" Valencia ordered, with her hands out in front of her to prevent them from getting closer. "What in the hell are you doing?"

"
We are your servants, Matka-Zem. We are helping you prepare for your bath," the stooped woman answered, then came at her again.

"
I don't need help with my clothes." Valencia raised her hand to stop the women. Although, she had not had a decent bath since the night at Donna's apartment and on the yacht, they had had to conserve water; she still did not want them to touch her. However, a hot bath sounded like heaven. "But taking a bath does sound nice." As she stared at the women, they shifted uneasily under her gaze. She did not know why they wore the burkas, but the garments reminded Valencia of the repression of the female gender on Earth and decided as a ruler, she would immediately stop the practice.

"
You can take me to the bathroom, but first throw those veils away and do not wear them in my presence."

The women gasped in unison and cowered before her.

"Now, show me your faces and say your names." Valencia pointed at the stooped woman, who seemed to be their leader. "You first."

Three of the women huddled together, unsure what to do, while the smaller one cowered a few steps behind them. With a slight push from the others, the stooped woman meekly stepped forward and removed her veil. She was an older woman in her fifties, with graying black hair and lightly tinted green skin. A broad-tipped nose in a rectangular face made the woman handsome, if not pretty. Her round, brown eyes were frightened and she quivered in fear.

"I am Ona." She waved her fingers to the other women and two of them removed their veils. The one to the right of Ona was the thin, stick-like woman with lightly tanned skin. Her oval face had a pinched appearance and her brown eyes were closely set, and beady. Her face was framed with chestnut hair and the way she pursed her lips made it seem this was a habit of longstanding. Her oversized, hooked nose, in combination with her other features, made Valencia think of a bird.

"
This is Kai," said Ona. She pulled the woman forward.

"
Hello, Kai," Valencia smiled at the woman, who quickly lowered her eyes and gave a short curtsy.

The woman to the right of Ona curtsied her introduction.

"This is Carha."

Carha was plump as a ball and seemed jolly in spirit. She gave Valencia a huge smile that made Valencia smile back.

"This one is Gabby," Ona said in a disgusted tone as she firmly pushed the shy woman forward and ripped off her veil, taking some hair with it.

Valencia narrowed her eyes with displeasure at the unnecessary roughness, but withheld her judgment for a later time. The girl was petite and in the preteen, awkward stage of life. Her skin was fair and pale and a mane of jet-black, curly hair complemented her ice-blue eyes. A faint yellow tint surrounded her slightly swollen left eye.

"Hello, Gabby." Valencia felt her heart reach out to the girl as the scared child shivered in front of her.

"
This way, Princess." With the introduction completed, Ona bowed low and with a wave of her hand directed her to the far door. As Valencia followed the woman, she glanced around the spacious, circle-shaped room. The curved opaque windows prevented the setting suns from warming the room, while the soft, silver light illuminated the plush furniture. With the bare metallic walls and the steel blue carpet, the room was cast into a ghostly shade, cold and lifeless.

A shiver of apprehension trickled down her spine as she followed the older woman into the bedroom. Draped with a silver comforter, a gigantic half-circle bed filled the room. Ten fluffy pillows lined the large headboard and a silver bug netting hung from the ceiling. The beautiful bedroom displayed the elegance of wealth; however, it seemed just as lifeless as the other room. The similarities to the compound on Earth sent another quiver of uneasiness through her.

As she stared around the bedroom, a suffocating feeling of imprisonment coursed through Valencia's veins. She bit her lip as she controlled the desire to bolt out of the suite and quickened her step to catch up to the older woman. Ona stopped at another set of double doors and with a curtsy opened the room for Valencia.

Valencia lost her breath at the site of the bath. An enormous half-moon tub took most of the large room. Four white marble step surrounded the curved side of the midnight blue tiled tub. At the opposite end, the water ran over its flat side like a gentle waterfall, cleaning and recycling the hot water. Pressure jets throughout the tub churned the water white for privacy while providing massages for tired muscles. With no need of encouragement, she stripped off her dirty traveling clothes and practically jumped into the tub. Relieved, the women quietly gathered the pile of clothing and left her in peace.

After Valencia scrubbed her skin pink, she settled into one of the seats carved into the sides of the tub and closed her eyes. With the long emotional day still not over, it took some time to clear her mind. Finally, with a relaxing sigh, her muscles loosened and her thoughts roamed. She thought back on her mad escape from the compound, the time she spent with the elderly couple and how she met Donna. She missed the tranquil time on the yacht, practicing sword craft and relaxing while they drifted south towards the gate. Her thoughts shifted to the Mlinzi . . . and her heart flipped inside her breast. During their time on Earth, she assumed he disliked her. However, after last night, it was plain to see he desired her and she him. She wondered if the real reason for the Mlinzi's departure was to allow her time to meet other men in the hope she would still choose him. Valencia chuckled at her childish fantasies as the notion of Thane bathing with her flashed into her mind. Her body tingled with longing as she visualized them leisurely soaping each other in the enormous tub. She gave a soft moan and opened her eyes. Her body ached with desire and she wondered how it would really feel to have Thane's hands upon her.

A familiar voice echoed from the bedroom and Valencia quickly dismissed the intimate image. The thick doors muffled the raised voices before Donna entered the room, followed by Alana.

"Your new pit bulls tried to stop us from entering," Donna started to explain, but she trailed off as she stared at the humongous bath. "Wow, look at the size of that tub!"

"
It's wonderful. Hop on in." The four servants moaned in despair as Donna stripped and gingerly stepped into the steaming water.

"
The bath is for you only, Matka-Zem," Ona said, nervously wringing her hands together. "It is customary that only your chosen mate may join you in the water."

"
And who thought of that stupid rule?" Donna huffed in irritation as she settled in the hot tub. She ducked under the surface only to emerge a few feet away. "This isn't a bathtub, Val, it's a hot spring."

"
Bring us something to eat and drink, then leave us for the evening." Valencia waved her hand to dismiss the women that hovered nearby. "Thank you, Alana, for bringing me Donna." She swam over to the female Mlinzi, who knelt at the pool's edge when she approached.

"
I'm at your service." A faint blush touched her cheeks as Alana bowed her head.

"
After my bath, I need to talk with you and any other Mlinzi who's around, so don't go anywhere." Before Alana could respond, Valencia pushed off the wall to head to Donna, dismissing the Mlinzi. She watched her guard leave before she touched her friend's arm and directed her to the waterfall.