Chapter 29: Grafael’s Vision

As we fought, I unleashed the secret technique passed down through the generations of the Lurranna Clan. The Black Hole. Shadow Elemency was based on the power of black holes after all. Anything that touched Shadow Elemency vanished out of existence, leading us to believe that it was some form of anti-matter. But if Shadow Elemency was like a black hole, then a black hole was Shadow Elemency in its purest form. There were very few within the Lurrannas who had ever been privy to the technique. Fewer still capable of accomplishing it. I was the sole Lurranna to have achieved it in well over a thousand years. When I saw the look of shock on the Conjurer’s face when he beheld my true power, I felt a delighted sneer spread across my lips. So certain of my superiority that I thought my victory was assured. But my passion to win would soon prove to be my downfall.

Rachel stomped through hallways and corridors, still fuming after her tussle with Éclair. Rachel was not entirely sure who she was mad at, or rather, who she was most mad at. Éclair, herself for being so pathetic, or Saria in all her stoic glory. All Rachel knew was that she was mad, but that she should not let that detract from her duty. Saria had told her to report in as soon as the preliminaries were over and give her assessment on Éclair.

Once again, it all revolves around that little princess, thought Rachel bitterly to herself. And now I have to suck it up and give her a glowing recommendation after that little hussy all but humiliated me in front of the judges. This is just another one of those days when life feels like taking a dump on me.

Even within the grips of her inner rage, Rachel could not help but notice the telltale signs of something amiss. Guards were everywhere, seeming more sourly than usual. They glanced from the right to the left, clearly ready to draw their Psionic Weapons at the first sign of trouble. Though Rachel was a fairly familiar sight to them at this point, the guards still gave her a once over as if gauging how much of a threat she posed.

Okay, something’s up!

Rachel walked into her grandmother’s white marble office just in time to see the young wolf girl who had been assigned as Ryan’s mentor being carted off in an orange-glowing psionic gurney. Frustration was soon displaced by utter confusion and concern as she caught sight of the brooding figure of her grandmother. Saria was flanked by her customary guards as well as two other men that Rachel did not recognize. But she did recognize their uniforms. They were the loose-fitting red robes of those more accustomed to negotiation. They also wore hoods and face masks that hid their features. There was only one branch whose members were required to hide their identities while in the Minister’s service. Rachel soon realized that the men were telepaths, sometimes called Thinkers. They had their hands raised towards Saria as if they were praying. She couldn’t see their faces with the red cloths over their mouths and their hoods over their heads, but she could see their eyes which were closed in concentration. It seemed that the telepaths were putting mental seals over Saria’s mind, a precaution that Rachel would think to be unnecessary for a being as powerful as Saria Kaves. But that was not what worried Rachel.

Rachel had always been able to tell when Saria was upset. The Fire Minister’s emotions were so powerful that they flowed from her like a hot and violent wind. But this was the first time that Saria’s anger felt so potent to Rachel. Even if all Rachel could see of her was her backside, she could tell that the Minister of Fire was seething with ireful rage. It was emasculating just to be in her presence, like standing on the precipice of a volcano as it was on the verge of erupting.

Why is she so angry? And what happened to Torsha? What the hell is going on around here?

Rachel’s questioning thoughts were quickly becoming incoherent as she found herself slowly walking towards her grandmother despite all the danger signs that the woman gave off. For whatever reason, Rachel felt that she needed to speak to Saria in this instance despite her wrathful mood; or perhaps it was because of it. Rachel would quibble over the reasons later. For now, it was time to face the storm.

“Um, Granny?” asked Rachel tentatively.

“Apologies, Lady Kaves,” said the bodyguard named Bradford, holding up a dark hand in a stopping motion. “But now may not be the best time.”

“It’s alright, Bradford,” spoke Saria without facing either of them as she continued to stare out over the training fields of the preliminary rounds. “The telepaths have already done their sweep, so there is no immediate danger. Please, let me speak with my granddaughter. It might help calm me.”

The telepaths at Saria’s side lowered their hands simultaneously, acknowledging the Minister’s request. Bradford nodded obediently before standing aside. Rachel noted the worried look in his eyes. Bradford was a veteran who had seen more combat than all of Squad 99 combined, so if he was afraid, then there was definitely something wrong here.

Rachel walked forward until she was only a few steps away from her grandmother. “Granny ... I mean, my Lady Minister, may I ask what’s going on? What happened here?”

“It’s nothing you need be concerned about,” said the Minister in a dreary voice, still refusing to face Rachel. “More importantly, tell me how Eclair did on her test. I was so preoccupied that I did not see the full outcome.”

Rachel found herself gritting her teeth in frustration. “There’s some kind of crisis going on, and you’re worried about her?”

“Rachel, I’ve told you before many times,” started Saria in a lecturing tone. “Eclair could hold the future in her hands. Her development is paramount to our survival. I put her in your care because I knew that you would make sure that she is ready.”

“Yeah, yeah,” groaned Rachel, her own mood going sour. “For the umpteenth time, I know already. I know how uber-important Eclair is. I know you wanna gear her up to be our savior and all that jazz. I get it already. Éclair’s more important to you than I’ll ever be.”

Rachel knew that she was acting childish, but she couldn’t help herself. Saria was the person that Rachel respected the most, and just as usual, all her grandmother could think about was Éclair’s wellbeing. Sensing an uncomfortable turn in this conversation, Rachel turned to leave.

“I have not dismissed you, Second,” called out Saria in a commanding voice.

Rachel stopped in her tracks with her back facing towards her grandmother. Even with her emotions at the boiling point, Rachel could not bring herself to ignore a command from her Minister once it had been given. She heard Saria turn around as she addressed her entourage.

“Wait outside, all of you,” ordered Saria. By the sound of her voice, she would broach no debate on this point no matter how much her guards may have wanted to object.

Bradford nodded as he and his fellow guards teleported away in flashes of orange light. The telepaths had to leave the room the old-fashioned way, and soon, Rachel was left alone with perhaps the most powerful woman in the universe.

“You’re upset with me,” said Saria, her voice a little gentler than before.

Rachel tightened her fists, determined not to have a heart-to-heart with the person that she was most frustrated with. “She did great, by the way,” blurted out Rachel suddenly, hoping for a change of topic. “Better than I would have thought possible. I may not have been coming at her full force, but she more than held her own. You would have been proud. In a few years, I won’t be able to hold a candle to her. But I guess you knew that, didn’t you? It’s what you’ve been hoping for since we took her in from the Prime Minister. You want her to be the first Hamashe in over five centuries to fully master Elemency. With that combined with her royal heritage, it would go a long way to increasing our status in the Empire. I’m sure that makes you happy.”

“Rachel,” started Saria, but Rachel cut her off.

“I’ve already given her the highest marks, so you don’t have to worry about me being swayed by personal feelings. Despite what you may think, I know when to set my emotions aside and do what is best for the Ministry. The truth is that she’ll be a great asset to the Ministry as a Second. In a few years’ time, she might even make Third or higher.” Rachel stood trembling with her back to Saria as tears started to roll down her cheeks.

“Tell me what is upsetting you?” Saria asked. If Rachel had not known better, she could have sworn that the Minister was pleading with her. “Let me help. I may be your Minister, but I’m also your grandmother. I...”

Saria’s voice trailed off as she lost the words to say. It was just as well. The Fire Minister always knew what to say in front of big crowds, but to her own flesh and blood, she might as well be a mute. Rachel started laughing ironically, though there was no life in her voice.

“You can’t say it, can you?” asked Rachel in a bitter voice. “In all the years since you took me in, you’ve never been able to say it ... at least not in a way that matters. I can say it though. I can say that I’ve loved and respected you my whole life. That’s all I ever wanted from you in return even though I knew that it was far too much to hope for.”

Saria did not respond right away, as if she were trying to decipher clues from Rachel’s words and posture. “This isn’t about Éclair, is it? And I don’t think it’s about me, not completely at least.”

Rachel laughed in her mirthless voice again before slowly turning around to face the Minister of Fire. Most people would have been terrified to speak to Saria Kaves in this way. In fact, Rachel was still a little afraid herself. But more than the fear was the feeling of satisfaction coursing through her as she finally told her grandmother everything that had been stirring in her heart. She did not know when it happened, but somewhere along the lines, unnecessary things like emotions had become illegal within the Kaves household. Now was the time to change that status quo.

“I guess you might be right about that. Maybe it’s about the fact that when my mother went off on that mission with you five years ago, instead of bringing her back, you bring back the spoiled adopted brat of the Prime Minister. Or maybe it has something to do with how you took me away from my dad just because he didn’t have any Elemental powers ... like that makes him inferior or something.”

Rachel then raised her head, letting her fury and indignation shine brightly before the Minister of Fire. “Or perhaps, it could be that you never bothered to tell me how you let my mother die, or told me anything for that matter since we lost her. And now, you won’t even tell me why that wolf girl was just carted off to the medical ward. You’ve always been like that! You never tell me anything! When we lost mom, you just took over my training and expected me to move on like a good little Elemental ... never any kindness or empathy for your own granddaughter, let alone trust!”

Saria stood too stunned to speak. Rachel had always seen her grandmother as being cold and callous, but she could have sworn that she saw sincere hurt and heartbreak in those wizened eyes. For a moment, Rachel was tempted to believe that she might have driven her own grandmother to tears. The sight was so shocking that Rachel actually considered apologizing. Then, Saria’s sorrowful face turned into a scowl, her once vulnerable eyes descending into anger as she stared down at Rachel coldly.

“I command the most powerful Ministry of Elementals in the Tarrus Empire. I have no obligation to explain my actions to anyone, least of all to an embittered Second. I already told you years ago that mission was classified beyond top secret!” said Saria, her voice steadily rising. As her temper flared, the lights in the room flickered on and off. Smoke started to froth from her mouth. Rachel’s face turned ashen, flinching back in terror at the Fire Minister’s fury.

On some level, Saria knew she was getting too angry, but she found it difficult wrenching her own emotions under control. “I have fought and bled for this Empire hundreds of years before your own mother was born! Regardless of how much it hurts your adolescent pride, this universe does not revolve around you and your delusions of martyrdom! If you can’t accept that, then just get out! Get out and go back to your Pureskin father for all I care! And it just so happens that I really am dealing with a crisis right now! There are more ... more...”

Saria cut off as her face broke with emotion. She was straining to keep herself under control, to keep that massive power from spilling out and hurting her granddaughter like it had hurt Torsha, and others in the past. Rachel’s words had struck deep into Saria’s heart, and she was on the verge of giving into despair. But she knew that she could hardly afford despair right now. Tava was kept in line by strength and fortitude. The slightest sign of weakness from his Vessel, and he would rage against his bonds and go wild. So Saria turned her sorrow into anger, turned her despair into resolve. She did it for Rachel’s sake ... though after the things she had just said to her, she wondered if she could even claim such a thing within her own heart.

Rachel stood speechless before Saria’s wrath, transfixed by the power that the Minister kept hidden just below the surface. Swirls of orange energy radiated from Saria’s body, making the room hotter and blowing Rachel back a step, causing her eyes to pop in fright. Saria could feel Tava’s power rising within her. The Great Lion Spirit was still roused after the mental duel with the shadow intruder. He wanted blood, something that Saria knew she must deny him at all costs. The encounter with the shadow had stirred rumblings within Saria and Tava that they had not had to deal with in many years. Saria felt like a geyser that was ready to burst. This was not the time for such unfettered emotions. Such an internal threat was very ill-timed, especially when outside forces threatened to tear her Ministry apart. As much as it pained her, now was not the time to deal with Rachel’s grief, or her own for that matter.

Taking a deep breath, and cursing herself for not being able to think of anything better to say, not being able to comfort Rachel in her time of need, Saria spoke thusly. “There are more important things than your feelings right now.”

As Saria spoke in a quieter voice, Rachel soon recovered from the Minister’s angry display. Rachel lowered her head, her brazen eyes now hidden behind the bangs of her auburn hair. When she spoke, all the fire and passion from earlier was gone, replaced solely by contempt and loathing.

“There always is,” whispered Rachel, seemingly more to herself than anyone else as she turned around and left the office.

Saria waited for Rachel to get a safe distance away from the office. Then the Fire Minister slumped into her chair and wept. Now that Rachel was out of the room, she wept and let her emotions go wild as Tava’s power spiraled through the air, destroying computer consoles and melting furniture. Orange energy swirled around her, threatening to engulf the entire room. Even after decades of being bonded to the Great Spirit, Saria had yet to fully master him. She could not show her tears to anyone, lest she risk destroying them.

I can’t even be vulnerable with my own granddaughter. And now she hates me because of it. Oh, Sasha, forgive me! Forgive me for everything, my dear! I tried to raise your daughter well, but once again, I’m a failure as a mother. How can I expect to run this Ministry when I can’t even help my own family?

Saria knelt on the floor with her hands furrowed in her brow in a state of despondency. Then she heard a beep from her intercom on her wrist, and quickly composed herself, wiping her face until no sign of tears remained before answering the communication. Bradford’s head came into view in holoform from the communicator.

“My lady. We’re reading unstable fluctuations of psions within your office. Is everything alright?”

This bald one is annoying us, said a voice in Saria’s head that she had not heard in a long time. Why does he blather on so much, as if we were as helpless as cubs?

“You need to calm down, Tava,” said Saria quietly to her inner voice. “It’s dangerous for you to get so riled up like this.”

“My lady?” asked Bradford inquisitively.

“Nothing,” said Saria, turning her attention to her head of security. “There’s nothing wrong, I was just talking to myself. As for the energy fluctuations, Tava’s just throwing a fit again.”

“Oh,” said Bradford, clearly nervous about Saria talking so openly about the Great Flame Lion.

I’m only responding in tangent with your inner agony, continued Tava in his growling voice. Plus, that shadow creature left a bad taste in my mouth. It reminded me of some troubling memories of my family in ancient times.

“You’re not usually this chatty,” stated Saria, starting to get annoyed with the deep, booming voice that echoed through her brain like a choir.

You don’t usually listen, retorted the lion.

“Cheeky kitty.”

“I’m sorry, my lady, I didn’t catch that,” said Bradford, as baffled as ever.

“No, I’m the one who’s sorry,” apologized Saria. “I’m a little distracted right now. Listen, Bradford. I ... I want you to do a favor for me.”

“Anything, my lady,” said Bradford with a resolute nod, as eager to please as ever.

“I need you to get in touch with ... with Dr. Lanchester.”

“Dr. Lanchester,” repeated Bradford in astonishment. “But the scientist has not been heard from in years. He’s a hermit ... a recluse completely engrossed in his research.”

Why would you want to contact that buffoon?! roared Tava so loudly in Saria’s head that it caused her to recoil slightly. Did you forget the time he tried to experiment on me?

“Will you shut up,” growled Saria, her own temper a match for the lion’s.

Bradford winced as if he had been physically struck.

“Not you, the angry voice in my head! Listen! I know you have ways of finding people. Besides, it shouldn’t be too difficult to get his attention. I hear that he still keeps tabs on us from time to time.”

“But what about the rumors that Andrew Lanchester is now being employed by ... by Emperor Chissler?” asked Bradford in concern.

Saria sighed, her frustrations with her son-in-law only growing by the second. “Right now, that is beside the point. The fact of the matter is we need him for more reasons than one. His research in the applications of Elemency and technology might help us uncover how we’ve had so many breaches in security lately. And there is another personal matter that we need to discuss.”

“If that is your wish, my lady, then I’ll see to it at once,” stated Bradford with a salute before his figure vanished from view.

If that imbecile comes anywhere near us with a needle again, I can’t promise you that I won’t incinerate him on the spot, said Tava with a growl.

“I can’t promise that either, but right now we need him,” said Saria as she looked over the scorched remains of her office. “For Rachel’s sake, we need him now more than ever.”

However useful he may be right now, I still don’t think I’ll ever understand what my daughter saw in that man. Though given my own choice in mates, I’m hardly one to judge, thought Saria to herself despite the fact that Tava would hear her thoughts as clearly as her own words.

Speaking of your old flame, said Tava. I think he’s been meddling near my den again.

“What? What do you mean?”

I mean that he sent a team down to the catacombs where I sleep, and during a very important nap too. I’ve been trying to break my record of napping for a full century, but I can’t with you single beings making so much noise all the time!

“A team?! Who? When?”

Just now, said Tava. They left a few minutes ago. Oh, yeah! That’s why I needed to talk to you. But then we had to deal with that psychic interloper, and then your granddaughter came in and you started getting emotional, and that always gets me all emotional. Which, if I may say, really messes up my dreams during nap time. If you knew half of the disturbing images I get when you’re in one of your female tantrums...

“JUST TELL ME WHO THE HELL WAS DOWN THERE, YOU LOAFER!” screamed Saria.

“My lady?” asked one of the guards, poking his head in.

“NOT YOU!”

The guard quickly retreated.

Tava growled dangerously. The growl of a Celestial Beast was almost enough to make even Saria feel the tendrils of fear. Need I remind you that you’re the one loafing off of my powers! You and every Elemental leash holder that’s come before you!

Saria sighed, pinching the top of her nose. “Are we really going to discuss the minutia of our contract again, a contract that you chose me for, even when I wasn’t even being considered for the Minister’s seat?”

Tava gave another wrathful growl, but he seemed to calm somewhat. Whatever! I still think you should be more respectful! The first Ministers practically worshiped me, and rightfully so. I did help light the sun that warmed your species’ planet of origin, but I suppose that’s beside the point. It was Eramar and Dr. Wilson accompanied by a Sage.

“W-What?” stammered Saria. “What on Ancient Earth were those two doing down there?”

That’s what I wanted to know! There I was enjoying my nap within the molten core of Tarrus, and then the Guardians are up in arms about intruders! I was so livid that I nearly turned them all into dust!

“But you just said you already recognized Eramar and Dr. Wilson!”

Yeah, but you know I have a hard time distinguishing you single-formed beings, especially the human kind. You tiny bald monkeys all look the same. But then the Sage explained things to me through telepathy. Brainwaves are much more distinguishable than your pudgy, greasy faces.