At Last

“I love you Ingrid.”, Kelly’s gentle whisper enters my ear. “I just wanted you to hear me say it back.”, She adds quietly.

I do not necessarily hear her say the words to me so much as I sense them like the crops growing in the land nearby. But I am filled with joy at the words. She loves me too. What does this mean for us though? Alton is alive thankfully and he is clearly heading here finally. I have to leave with him. Even if I find this place almost as comforting as the colony ship. Like a new home...

“Huh?”, Kelly mutters as I feel her soft hand wipe my cheek. “Why are you crying?”, She asks my unconscious body. It is not as though I can answer her. “I don’t know what’s happening to you right now.”, She continues, “But I hope those are tears of joy.” They are. I just cannot tell you that.

The caring embrace of my love is so comforting. I can feel an energy from Kelly, not as strong as the world’s but it feels almost as rejuvenating to me.

“Damn it.”, Kelly says as she looks at my unconscious form. “I can’t move you by myself…”, She speaks with a sad tone.

I cannot say what I wish to say… I want her to know it is alright. I am okay now. But my body does not move.

“Guess we’re stuck here then.”, Kelly mutters in resignation.

-- -- --

My eyes languidly open to the sight of the sun cresting the horizon. I slowly turn to see the sun’s rays bathe Kelly in its bright light. The heat has not yet become unbearable thankfully.

“Kelly.”, I say. My voice is raspy and barely audible from disuse.

“Ingrid.”, Kelly responds in an oddly sensual tone with eyes still closed. I have never heard her use that tone, but I kind of like it. “Ingrid?”, She asks her voice now full of worry. Whatever she was dreaming about it must not be good.

My head does not move from its turned position facing Kelly’s sleeping face. With this wondrous sight in my vision I try to move my left hand to touch it. Make sure this is real. My fingers begin to twitch for a moment. It is very tiring to try to move your body after not moving it for so long.

“Kelly.”, I weakly say again. I try to move my hand again this time my fingers close together and my wrist flicks towards Kelly’s arm.

“Ingrid.”, Kelly murmurs dreamily still obviously asleep. Damn it! She is such a heavy sleeper.

“Kelly.”, My voice is still raspy but louder this time. I try to move my arm again to no avail.

“Ingrid!?”, Kelly inquires, finally waking up. Her beautiful eyes open slowly and meet my gaze. “You’re finally awake!”, She yells loudly enough to echo in the surrounding area as she sits up and hugs me tightly. I start to attempt to clear my throat.

“I can’t move.”, I finally manage to say. Kelly gets off of me and begins to examine my body for anything wrong.

“That’s bizarre.”, She replies. “Last time you were in a coma for longer but you were able to move once you woke up.”, She continues as she examines my burn scarred arm.

“Didn’t even move, huh?”, Sarah’s lyrical voice says to the two of us. “I could help you out I suppose.”, She says as she walks into my field of view. “You’re awake!”, She exclaims with a hint of surprise in her voice as her empty gaze meets my sorrowful one.

I am about to say something but Kelly puts a gentle hand on my shoulder to signal to me that she will speak instead.

“She can’t move for some reason.”, Kelly explains as she stops her examination temporarily.

“Well we both know it’s not really physical.”, Sarah says with her normal stoic tone returned to her voice. “Let me help you get her up.”, She adds to Kelly.

My two caretakers lift me up to my feet, resting an arm on each of their shoulders.

“Where are we going?”, I ask my voice still raspy and weak despite me trying to clear my throat.

“You might not know about it. So I’m gonna keep it a surprise.”, Sarah says nonchalantly.

-- -- --

We step out onto the hill of the main road of New Yuma. A feeling of awe washes over me at the sight of the wall of stone. While I know that I created it. I never truly looked at it. If I was out for a week, why was the wall still there?

“It’s been slowly sinking.”, Sarah explains as if I asked my question aloud while we begin to walk towards the large stone. “But every time they’ve tried to break through it because of the sinking along with possible regenerative capabilities nothing has seemed to make any head way.”

“It’s quite problematic.”, Kelly adds in annoyance.

“I’m sorry.”, I meekly say to Kelly.

“No need to apologize. If you hadn’t done it we would all be dead right now.”, The short medic responds.

We travel in relative silence until we are much closer to the massive stone. When we are only a few steps away Sarah slides out from under my arm and grabs the wrist of my burnt arm.

“Now for an experiment.”, Sarah says. Is that glee I hear in her voice? But before I can be certain, she pushes the palm of my hand against the stone. “Now Ingrid.”, She continues, “I’m gonna need you to focus on the stone. It’s very essence. You know, the usual thing you do to replenish yourself.”

I close my eyes and focus on the wall of earth before me. I feel something from it. Something familiar, it is not the same as the uncaring embrace of Mother Nature. Nor is it the caring and gentle energy of Kelly. It is somewhere in between and it feels so familiar but I cannot place it.

“And there it is.”, Sarah mutters.

I slowly open my eyes to see the stone no longer in front of me.

“How do you feel?”, Sarah asks me.

I tentatively move my left hand and inspect it. I can move just fine.

“I’m fine now.”, I finally reply breaking the silence between us.

“Just as I thought.”, Sarah crosses her arms as she speaks. “I don’t know how you did it but your very life force was put into that spell.”, The older mage explains to Kelly and I.

“What?”, Kelly asks before another silence can creep up on us.

“I’ve heard it is possible for a mage to cast spells well beyond their limits.”, Sarah turns to Kelly as she answers. “Normally the mage would just find another mage to pool their power together.”, She continues as she turns her emotionless gaze upon me. “However, in rare circumstances if another mage cannot be found the mage can basically use the energy of their body to increase their own mystic power temporarily.”, She lectures. “Usually the person uses their blood so I’m not sure how you did that.”, She adds.

I look at my right hand and notice a new mark. The shape of a tornado over a boulder. How strange.

“What is it?”, Kelly asks me with a concerned look. “You look like you’ve never seen your palm before.”

I slowly move my hand to show the pair the symbol.

“I don’t know where this came from.”, I explain with an unfocused look resting on the mysterious symbol.

“It wasn’t there when you were unconscious.”, Kelly quickly answers.

“I don’t believe this.”, Sarah says with a hint of surprise. She puts her hand in mine and closes her eyes. “Tell me Ingrid.”, She continues almost as if she is ordering me. “When you created that wall did you hear someone?”, She inquires.

“I…”, I stammer, “I did…”

“What did they sound like?”, She continues her questions.

“Emotionless.”, I answer.

“What did this emotionless voice say?”, She interrogates.

“And so you shall.”, I answer. Sarah raises a brow before she continues her interrogation.

“What did you say to prompt that response?”, The stoic woman asks.

I look at Kelly sheepishly for a moment. But I finally gather the courage to answer after what feels like an eternity.

“Please, I need to protect these people.”, I weakly reply.

“And so you shall…”, Kelly mutters. I look at Kelly with surprise. I would not expect her to really be paying attention to this questioning.

“Somehow.”, Sarah says knocking my thoughts back to the conversation. “And I will probably never understand how mind you.”, She adds as she looks at me. “But you did not cast that spell. It was as if you became possessed by a mage far stronger than you.”, She finishes.

Should I tell her? I don’t remember everything probably but I remember Mother Nature herself speaking to me. And Alton…

“Heyyyyyy kiiiiiid.”, Sarah says knocking me out of my thoughts one again. “You wanna say something?”, She adds.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”, Kelly says to me with her gentle and caring voice.

A stillness falls between us as various people yell and celebrate about the wall being gone.

“I’ll tell you two in private.”, I finally manage to answer Sarah.