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EARTH DATE: JUNE 28 7:00 AM
Gardenside Alberta, Brooke’s Home
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SHE STOOD OUTSIDE HER house in the early morning sunshine and stared up into the blue sky. Her smartphone was in her hand, earphones plugged in, her running playlist pulled up on the screen. She stared at the path, and her mind kept replaying the events of the last time she’d run on that trail.
It struck her that she no longer had to run, because her ass wasn’t a size sixteen anymore. She could eat as much chocolate as she wanted, forever. No running involved.
She swallowed, her heart and thoughts racing, her breath sawing out of her lungs even as she logically understood that she was experiencing an anxiety attack.
She took a step forward, her heart pounding, and stopped. I don’t have to run. I can turn around, go back in the house, and have tea. Maybe a cinnamon bun. Looking back at the house, she thought of how she’d longed for life to return to normal. How having her routine and purpose back filled her thoughts. She leaned down, putting her hands on her knees, breathing deeply, willing the anxiety to leave, unable to make a decision that would either send her home or on a run.
A warm hand settled on her back, and Theiv crouched down in front of her. “Breathe, Dragoness.”
She looked up at him and took a deep breath. “I don’t need to run.”
Theiv tilted his head slightly, watching her. “No, it’s not necessary for you to run.”
“I used to run because I was a bigger person. I ran to lose weight.” She sat down abruptly and began to frantically flip through the pictures stored on the device. “Here! See.” She practically shoved the device into his face. Theiv caught her hand and looked down at what she was trying to show him. He smiled as he recognized Brooke. “I like this picture.”
She stared at him, then pulled her hand back, and stared down at the picture, her thumb gently rubbing the image. “I hated it. I rarely allowed anyone to take my picture.”
“Why?”
“I was too big.”
“Too big?” Theiv frowned and looked at Brooke. “People come in all shapes and sizes. Is it not the person you are inside that counts?”
Brooke laughed, a brief harsh bark of sound. Even on Earth, Theiv, women seek the illusion of perfection. She looked up into Theiv’s concerned eyes. “I was a counsellor. I taught that truth to young women and teenagers. And yet, I see that I did not understand it for myself.”
“Your beauty is not in the perfection of this Zepto-created body. It is not the sensuality of the Zemyneah.” His hand slid into her hair, and he tilted her face up to his. “It is the light of goodness in your eyes. It is the energy of hope that pours out of you. It is the resilience of your soul, and the compassion of your heart. In any dimension, on any planet that I encountered you, Brooke, I would’ve chosen you. No matter your shape or age, I would’ve chosen you, and I would have pursued you and made you mine.”
She started to cry and Theiv reached for her. “Why am I crying? This is so stupid. I should be happy. I’ve got a body that so many would do anything to achieve and the sex drive to go with it. I can produce pheromones that drive a man into insatiable lust for me. Heck, I get to have sex whenever I want with the most beautiful man in the universe. Why am I crying?”
Theiv gave her a slight crooked grin before tightening his hug. “You did not choose this new body or way of being, Brooke, or even me. Tears and rage seem reasonable when you understand the violation you endured at the hands of an evil being. Healing, under the best of circumstances, is a tangled messy procedure. There is no star map, no coordinates. You must find your way on a journey you have never been on before. The way of healing, meanders through many star systems, explores many planets, communes with hidden galaxies, doubles back on itself many times, and you must pause often for repairs, to consult with experts, and to rest.
“Do you do counselling on your home world?”
Theiv looked startled. “I’m warrior class.”
Brooke smiled. “You are a wise warrior. I shall take your counsel under consideration.” She stood, stretched, then stared at the path that led into the thick forest, wiping her suddenly damp palms on her leggings. Pressing her lips together, she shrugged her tight shoulders.
Theiv watched her silently, then picked up a large straight stick. He began to slash it through the air, his movements smooth and coordinated, and she thought it like a graceful dance. When he was done, his skin glistened with sweat, and he was breathing heavily. He handed her the stick and nodded, stepping back. “Now, you.”
Brooke stared at him in surprise. “I can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“You obviously have years of training.”
Theiv nodded. “I am a warrior. My job is to protect. We fight with modern weapons, and hand to hand combat, if needed. I am proficient in many weapons and fighting styles. It is necessary. Control is also essential. Fear could render me unable to do my job, unable to protect those who need me. Fear could leave me vulnerable to attack. There is no lack of fear as a Dragon Warrior, there is only control. A thin shield of protection, indeed.”
Brooke’s eyes met his.
“What I just demonstrated, is an ancient form of combat called Najaesh. Najaesh is not a practical form of combat any longer. Our weapons are far superior. It is not necessary for me to know this form of combat.” He watched her for a long moment. “I practice Najaesh, because when I learned about it, I was intrigued. It takes control, discipline, and many years of training to become proficient at it. You must travel to the dangerous Najaeshian Expanse to find a master to teach you. You take your life in your hands just by going to that region. The Expanse is dangerous to navigate. Massive asteroid fields, rogue planets, unpredictable space vortexes. The lessons are taught on Jaeshia, a planet that is all plunging gorges and soaring rock spires. Every zepto-second could mean your death. One wrong step, the momentary loss of concentration, the loss of balance, could send you plummeting to your death. Many died in times past. I have never experienced such fear as I did learning this form of combat. But I also learned to not let the fear control me. I had to face it. Accept it. Move past it, and finally control it.” He reached out and tipped up her chin, until her eyes met his.
“I keep training because it is good for my soul. It helps me to sort through many things. It relieves stress for me, and it is good for my body. I think that I am a better fighter because of it, and I am a better man. Sometimes things are not necessary but are essential for our souls. Do you understand?”
Brooke nodded, and looked again at the path before her. Fear beat at her, and this time she recognized it for what it was. Of course, she was afraid. It was this path that led her to a monster. She’d barely survived the encounter. But this was her land, and this was her life. She would not cede it to the evil that sought to destroy her. So, this was her Najaeshian Expanse—her Jaeshia. She could make the journey, or she could run away. Courage is not the lack of fear, but the strength that overcomes it.
She was shaking, but she took a step, and Theiv stepped up beside her. She looked at him questioningly.
“This is the path you ran, when you were taken?”
Brooke swallowed, and nodded.
“Then I go with you.”