The Olana

Lily lay back and lifted an arm to wave Gabriel closer. Drops of blood flicked to the floor around her as she did.

He was at her side in an instant, hands almost a blur in the lamplight.

But she understood enough of what he’d asked and smiled up at him with a nod.

The mutant knelt at Lily’s side and extended both hands. A warm glow rose from both palms. “Ready?”

“For what, exactly? How does this work?”

“Similar to a kami’s power,” she said. “It will feel like burning, but it won’t last.”

It had to be done. “I’m ready.”

A faint golden glow rose. Swiftly, it was enough to light the entire floor, revealing more empty stores surrounding them.

Searing pain hit her side.

It plunged deep, seeking her bones. Lily kicked out, her hands balled into fists. Her vision dimmed… and then, as quickly as it came, the agony faded.

Searing heat turned into welcome warmth and she sighed.

All the pain was gone.

She sat up, examining the skin beneath her ripped, bloodstained clothing. A thin white line was all that remained. Just how bad had her wound been? Maybe the cut wasn’t deep to begin with… or maybe not.

One thing had been obvious each time she’d moved or spoke while injured – at least one rib had been cracked. Or worse. And how hard would that have made travelling? Walking, even? she thought.

The mutant was smiling. “You’ll need to drink and eat right away, but it looks like your body accepted the healing.”

She was hungry. Famished, actually.

But Gabriel was asking more questions. Lily explained, only speaking aloud for the final part of what had happened. “She must have made enough sound when she stole the jars that I woke in time. But she’s agreed to return them if we help her.”

He frowned at the mutant as he asked his next question. [What is she asking for?]

[Our help to stop a creature that’d been threatening their homes – in what she called a honey-field.]

[Interesting.] He exhaled. [Do you trust her? I know she healed you… but she did steal the kami to begin with.]

[She could have left me after I fell. Maybe that’s enough to give her a chance.]

Sasha glanced from face to face. “Have you agreed to help me?”

“For now,” Lily said, signing as she continued. “Where are my kami?”

The mutant removed a small pack and lifted both kami jars free, placing them before Lily. “I’m sorry. I know some humans grow attached… and I never would have taken them if I thought they were still alive.”

“We do, because they are like…” Lily trailed off with a frown. “Wait. What are you saying? My kami are alive.”

Sasha’s eyes widened. “But they didn’t move and there was no glow. Not the whole time I watched them.”

Lily reached for the jars and examined them. Nothing amiss, thankfully. Relief flooded through her body. “They’re hibernating.”

“Oh.”

[Maybe she actually didn’t know,] Gabriel said.

[Maybe.] It was true that even the bodies of kami held power… but nothing like when they were alive. Just how desperate was the mutant? Lily spoke her next words as she signed. “We’ll try to help you but only on one more condition.”

“What do you ask?”

“Once you’ve guided us from the city, we need honey or nectar.”

The mutant nodded. “Of course.” She stood, lifting her lamp as she did. “There is an underground railway close by. Once you have gathered your belongings, please follow me.”

Lily and Gabriel returned to the computer store and gathered everything before rejoining the young woman. And though they discussed it, they did not know what she meant by an underground rail.

[She can be polite for a thief, can’t she?] Gabriel said once they were following the mutant down another set of stairs.

[So it seems. I wonder if she’s part of the gangs that followed Amir’s family all those years ago.]

[Could be. Did she offer much about her people?]

Sasha stopped. “I appreciate that you’ve agreed to help someone who stole from you but I would ask you not to communicate without including me, please. To build trust.”

Lily met the young woman’s gaze. It was a reasonable request.

And yet...

That didn’t make the mutant fully trustworthy by any stretch. “There will be times we will speak in private. But we will include you as often as possible.”

“Thank you.”

The rest of their descent was undertaken in silence. Guided by the mutant’s lamp, they travelled several more floors down until she stopped before a large tunnel. In the centre, large steel tracks disappeared into darkness.

The underground railway?

A small flight of steps led to a spacious platform. There, a lever painted bright red waited at the limits of Sasha’s lamplight. “If we pull that lever, a wheeled platform will arrive to take us to the outer edge of the city.”

Lily translated for Gabriel, then asked a question. “Who else knows about this tunnel?”

“Most who regularly visit Zarima. There is an agreement.”

“Between mutant and human?”

Sasha frowned. “Yes. But we have our own name. We are Olana.”

Lily nodded. She could have apologised but it was still too soon after the theft. Maybe she was being childish, but she just couldn’t say the words. “What’s involved in the agreement?”

“Only two things.” The mutant moved to the lever and pulled it down. “That any who use the rail care for it, and that all quarrels are left behind when setting foot in this place.”

“Sounds fair.”

Distant grinding and rumbling filled the tunnel, but it did not take long for a large shape to enter the light. As Sasha had promised, it was a platform of steel on wheels. It had hand rails and little else, save for a second lever, also painted red.

“Is it always close by?” Lily asked as she followed the mutant onto the platform.

“No. Sometimes it takes far, far longer to arrive. Whoever used it last must have got off early, at one of the side tunnels.” She pushed the red lever.

The platform slid into the darkness.

With only the lamplight to light their way, Lily saw only a few of the side tunnels Sasha had mentioned, flowing by like dark maws.

But they weren’t important.

No, getting out of the city was. There was so much left to do, and helping the mutant could end up adding to their troubles… but the honey-fields would be useful if they needed to barter with other mutants.

Not to mention, feed her kami.

Something that had to be done. Not only to keep them satisfied, but there were other benefits – improving their senses and strength, among them.

Probably other things, too, she thought. Since I’ve been surprised a few times lately.

But there was always a chance that any further surprises would be good ones.