The Law of Glork Pt. 06

I am back from a long hiatus, and ready to write!

Hope you guys enjoy this next portion, and get ready for more!

"Jack?"

Jack stirred. "What?" he murmured. "What is it?"

"Jack?" A voice called from the distance.

He groaned and opened his eyes. Nelra stirred beside him. After their rather intense session earlier, they had taken a brief nap. If she wasn't calling him, then who was?

"Jack?" A head peeked into the stall. "Jack, it's time to-"

Sara stopped short, her eyes widening in surprise. She quickly turned away. "Oh, uh..."

Jack winced. "It's... fine. Sorry, what were you saying?"

Sara's face remained locked on the floor. "Ksfm sent me to round everyone up. We're leaving soon - apparently there's a storm or something. We couldn't find you anywhere." Her face reddened. "Probably for the best."

"We'll be right out."

Sara nodded and left briskly, her footsteps sounding in the now empty baths.

Nelra yawned and stretched her arms. Her chest hadn't yet returned to its normal size, but it was much smaller than it had been an hour or so ago. Her purple skin had returned from its reddened shade.

"What did she say?" Nelra's question broke Jack from his gaze.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "You were right here. And I thought Vagonals were good at hearing."

She folded her arms. "Not when it's in a different language. You were speaking hmn, not Vagonal."

Jack blinked. He hadn't even noticed. "She said it's time to go." He looked around the room. "Wait, where are our clothes?"

Nelra smirked. "Next to the baths, of course."

She rose to her feet but wobbled a bit. Jack steadied her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just... need a minute."

He helped her as they walked from the stall. He was expecting to see their clothing strewn about where they had tossed it, but, to his surprise, it was folded neatly next to the flowing water.

Nelra, noticing his befuddlement, explained. "The women from the gtkr. I suppose they must've known it was you. Afterall," she said wryly, "Your smell probably gave you away."

As they started dressing, Jack paused. He shook out his clothing, bright yellow petals falling from the inside. "Is this their idea of a practical joke? If so, it's not very funny, and that's coming from an objective prankster."

He turned to smile at Nelra, but she looked solemn. "Leaves of the Fsps tree. Said to bring fertility and long life to those who wear them in their clothing - difficult to obtain. It is a sign of great respect for you."

Jack abruptly stopped his shaking. "Oh. Uh..." He looked at the scattered petals floating across the water. "I didn't - I mean, I wasn't -"

Nelra placed a hand on his arm. "Don't worry." She smiled. "I'm sure any who bathe here will be grateful for their influence."

Jack hesitated. "Bathing with them gives the same benefits? I guess that's settled, then." He reached in and grabbed a handful of the smooth petals and tossed them over the baths. They fluttered gracefully, before landing on the surface with the remainder of the petals.

After finishing with emptying his clothes and dressing, they were ready to go. Nelra linked her arm through his, and they walked out of the baths.

It didn't take long to find where Ksfm and the others had gathered.

Ksfm scowled as they arrived. "What took so long?"

"Well..."

"We don't have time for your explanation. We need to move quickly."

Jack cocked his head at the odd reaction. "To beat the storm?"

Ksfm nodded as he lead the way out of the palace. "Perhaps on your planet storms are merely an inconvenience. Here, they can be deadly."

The moment the doors opened for them, Jack was hit by a shrill gust of wind. The usually sunny weather had turned dark and grim, the wind howling loudly. And the temperature was cold... Jack estimated it was 10 degrees Celsius. And going down.

Ksfm hesitated for just a moment. He licked his lips. "Let's move!"

And so they did. Immediately, the Vagonal's hair collectively shrank against their heads and backs. Vilet and Lizbeth exchanged a nervous glance.

They moved as a huddle, Nelra keeping her arm firmly locked with Jack's. Occasionally, a cold gust of win would blow over the group, causing a collective shiver. They moved quickly at first, Ksfm holding the pace at a steady jog over the rocky ground. But as they went on, moving quickly became less of a priority.

As the wind picked up, the gusts became more frequent, until soon there was a steady wind. It changed somewhat, but mostly blew against the direction of home.

Jack shivered as a slice of air trickled down his back. He glanced over to see how everyone else was faring.

Howard had his jaw set and held his overcoat around him tightly. Jack absentmindedly wished he had a jacket of his own - but he never would have guessed at this weather.

Sara and Lily seemed miserable, but overall, not freezing. In any case, they were faring better than the Vagonals.

Nelra's skin had lightened almost to a blue color, and Lizbeth hardly had any tint. They were shivering terribly. Vilet had an arm around Lizbeth, trying to warm her, but with no avail.

Finally, Jack looked at Ksfm. He was bearing the brunt of the wind, and it was taking its toll. His teeth were clamped, and his pace had slowed considerably. He was trembling from cold and exhaustion.

Jack gave Nelra's hand a squeeze before he stepped forward to catch up to Ksfm. The moment he stepped away, the wind hit him full force, and he shuddered. He forced himself to move faster, catching up to Ksfm in a couple of paces.

"Kisfim!" Jack shouted over the howling wind. "Move to the back - I'll lead."

Ksfm hesitated, but ultimately conceded, falling back. The group paused in confusion.

"Vilet, stand behind me!" Jack ordered. "Lizbeth and Nelra in the middle, Sara and Lily keep them warm from the sides. Howard, help Kisfim in the back. Okay?"

A few of them nodded, and there was some murmured assent. Nelra and Lizbeth huddled together, but Jack kept moving before he could see if anyone else followed. Overall, he hoped it would help.

Their pace was much faster than before, but the winds were only getting worse. Every step felt like he was walking up a mountain at a deep slant. The wind dug into his skin, through his clothing. It didn't take long for him to go completely numb, which was a relief.

He suddenly understood what Ksfm had been fighting. The wind was buffeting, and completely merciless. Part of him felt like calling back and having Howard take the lead - just for a while.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his back. Jack gritted his teeth. No, he could do this.

He closed his eyes and pressed forward, focusing on nothing but moving forward. They had to be at least halfway there, right? He was grateful for the lack of rain so far. The last thing he needed was to slip and fall or be soaking wet.

The temperature was hard to separate from the wind, but after a while, Jack felt certain it was dropping. A small crash of thunder sounded overhead. Back home, he had thought storms were pretty cool. Like snakes. Or frogs. Stars, why did EVERYTHING on this planet want him dead?

Left. Right. Left. Jack heard the marching sounds in his head. One foot in front of the other. One step at a time.

He glanced over his shoulder to make sure everyone was there. Vilet seemed fine, but he could glimpse some worry in her gaze. Lizbeth was stumbling, supported by Nelra, who didn't look much better. Lily and Sara were doing what they could, but it wasn't much.

Howard and Ksfm had fallen behind. Jack hesitated. Should he wait for them? Looking back in front of him, he could make out the distant outline of the house in the dimming light. They were so close...

Howard waved at him. Go, he mouthed. Jack hesitated a second longer, but pressed forward. He needed to get everyone else safe - he'd come back for them. They just needed to hang in there.

A blast of wind nearly knocked him off his feet. He ground his feet into the ground, ignoring the sharp pains of the rocks stabbing into them. He focused his attention on the hand on his back. Someone needs me.

Another blast came, but he didn't budge. They moved forward at a crawl, but the house came steadily closer.

About fifty yards away, Jack squeezed his eyes shut and focused on keeping his muscles from trembling. Just fifty yards.

Forty-nine.

Forty-eight.

Hand on his back. Feet on the ground. Wind in his hair. Cold in his bones.

Thirty-five.

Thirty-four.

Just a stone's throw away.

Twenty.

Nineteen.

His feet had gone numb too. The warmth of earlier this morning seemed so welcoming.

Eight.

Seven.

Vilet caught him by the collar of his shirt. He looked up to find the wall of the house inches from his nose.

"Oh, thanks."

She didn't reply.

Jack stumbled to the door and fumbled with it - he reached for a doorknob, forgetting that they used a hole instead.

Everyone burst into the room and collapsed into the various seats. Jack almost went to sit down, when the open door reminded him.

Gritting his teeth, he strode over to the door. "Howard!"

Howard was outright carrying Ksfm at this point, holding him over his shoulders. They were much closer than Jack would have expected. He ran out to them, the wind at his back no longer a liability.

With his help, Howard carried Ksfm into the house, collapsing upon entry. Ksfm was still conscious, but clearly exhausted.

Jack drove the door shut with his shoulder, resulting in a loud thud. Immediately, the air felt warmer. Whatever they used to insulate the home with, it was sure working.

"I recommend everyone get warm tonight," Howard said between breaths. "Nothing we can do until the Storm dies down."

Jack wanted nothing more than to sleep. He looked around the room. Nelra was breathing hard, but her skin was already regaining its glow. Sara's cheeks were flushed, but otherwise she and Lily looked fine.

Vilet seemed almost completely unaffected, despite the light tone of her skin.

Jack's eyes widened. She was currently trying to rouse an unconscious Lizbeth.

Ignoring his body's protests, Jack rushed to her side. "Is she okay?"

Vilet gave him a quick glance. "Just cold." She put her hands together and rubbed them, before applying them to Lizbeth's skin, trying to warm her.

Lizbeth was already small, but now... she seemed frail, vulnerable. Jack sat beside on her on couch-like shape and took her into his arms.

She was freezing. He had no idea how long they'd been out there, but it clearly was too long for her, especially with such limited insulation. What was it Lily had said? Something about hair helping to cool them down?

He ignored Vilet's glare as he wrapped his arms around Lizbeth. The intense exercise had been keeping his temperature up, and he was warming much faster than her.

"Come on, Lizbeth. You're okay," Jack murmured quietly. "We're home now."

Home. It had been what, a week? Ten days, maybe? The word had come so naturally to him. Memories of Earth seemed... Real, but distant. He could remember almost every detail, but he hardly cared about any of it.

But here... Just looking at the eln in his arms, Jack knew that he could never go back, not really. This was his home, strange as it still was to him.

Between Vilets ministrations and his body heat, Lizbeth slowly began to wake. Her eyes fluttered open. "Jck?"

"Hey, Liz." Jack smiled. "Welcome back."

Lizbeth smiled for a moment, before the smile faded. She frowned and sat up, releasing Jack's hold on her.

"What?" Jack questioned.

Lizbeth gave a fake smile. "Nothing. I'm feeling better, thank you."

Jack raised an eyebrow as she grabbed Vilet's hand. They quickly retreated up the ramp, leaving Jack to stare after them.

"Was it something I said?" Jack muttered to himself. It felt like everyone was keeping secrets. First, Sara kept Klingler's secret a secret. Then Vilet was doing something that SOUNDED suspiciously like... Well, he didn't really know. Something bad.

And now Lizbeth? Even when she KNEW that he knew that she was lying? He rubbed his eyes. It was giving him a headache.

All at once, the exhaustion of the walk home hit him. Suddenly, Howard's idea had gone from a great idea to the only one that he could think of.

Leaving the others in their exhausted silence, Jack went up to his room. He barely slipped over the edge of the bowl before he passed out.

************************

Thunder rumbled overhead. Jack groaned. He had slept solidly for a few hours, but then had woken up for seemingly no reason. He wasn't hungry, he didn't need to go to the bathroom, and he wasn't really having any nightmares.

But he DID have a lot to think about. It seemed like everyone was okay after the storm, which left him to ponder on some earlier events. Like Vilet. Talking with another guy.

He closed his eyes. Was he mistaken, or had they sounded... close? Of course, that was the least of his worries...

He tried to remember the snippet of conversation he had overheard. Something about manipulation. Was Vilet trying to manipulate him? If so, into doing... what, exactly? She hadn't really made any suggestions or anything. Maybe she was just smarter than he was, and he was completely falling for it.

No, no that couldn't be it. They had sounded unhappy. What had she called him? Erratic. Unpredictable. Really, he was offended. What had he done that even vaguely qualified as "unpredictable?" He was just going along with what he was told!

More importantly... She was hiding something. Something that sounded threatening. He didn't like it at all.

But how was he supposed to bring that up? Just walk in and be like, "So I couldn't help but overhear you talking with so and so..." And even if he COULD tell if she was lying, that didn't really help him get her to answer honestly.

Should he mention this to the council? They seemed preoccupied, and he didn't really have anything to go off of. Ksfm? Jack snorted bitterly. He'd think he was just seeing shadows.

The image of the kntr flashed back into his mind. Jack squeezed his eyes shut. He used to like snakes. He really did. What could he POSSIBLY have done to warrant such hatred?

Thunder boomed once more. His body demanded that he sleep, and even his mind wanted to. But he just... couldn't.

"This is stupid," he muttered aloud. "Really stupid. I'm going to have to be up tomorrow morning, dealing with stars know what problems, and I can't even get to sleep."

The wind picked up, howling and pulling at the house. At least it sounded sturdy.

I should go out and feel the storm.

Jack scoffed at the thought. This wasn't a storm like back home, where you could just wander outside and think for a while. It had only picked up since they had gotten inside, the wind screaming for entry at every corner. It was probably enough knock him off his feet.

The feeling came again. Jack frowned. That was kind of odd. Maybe he was just exhausted. But he knew that wasn't it.

Go outside.

Jack groaned. "Okay, look. I've done a lot of stupid ideas, okay? I get it. But do I really have to do THIS one?"

The feeling didn't leave, but there was no answer. Not that that surprised him.

Jack sighed and struggled from out of the bowl. "Okay, okay. I just... go outside, right? And if I don't see anything important, I just come back in?"

No response.

"Okay, fine. That's the plan then."

His legs groaned as he stumbled out of the room. It seemed like he was sore almost permanently now. But still... he was getting stronger. A few months ago, there was no way he could've done any of this stuff, especially in increased gravity.

He tried to move silently as he opened the front door. The wind slammed it open, forcing him back. He hesitated. Was it really worth it?

He closed the door and slumped against it. "Was that close enough? I could die if I go out there! I'm going back to bed."

The feeling persisted. Jack swore, cursing the Stupid Idea under his breath.

During moments of strife and pressure, he just followed it - you know, no other option, really. But here? This wasn't a life-or-death situation. At least, not unless he went outside.

So what was it, exactly? Just good instincts? He had initially dismissed it as such, but it seemed a bit stronger than that. Intuition, maybe?

Yeah, that had to be it. The real question was... Should he follow it? If his subconscious was really picking up on all these clues, it sure seemed like it knew what it was doing. But... there was no reason to go? And that wind... It didn't seem harmless at all. Getting caught out there, especially in his current state, would almost certainly mean death.

So it was settled. With a grunt, Jack stood and started walking back to his room. No more stupid ideas, at least, not when they really were stupid.

On his way up to his room, he paused for a moment in front of Lizbeth and Vilet's room. Something was definitely wrong.

He peeked in. And there, in the bowl, laid Lizbeth... alone. Jack's heart quickened. No, no, no...

Where could she have gone? He quickly checked the other rooms in the house, a sinking feeling making its home in his gut. Sara and Lily slept soundly. Nelra was snoring. Ksfm had taken refuge in the empty room, with Howard in his own.

Jack walked up the ramp, his soreness fading to hi fear. "Please don't be empty, please don't be empty..." He arrived back to his room, finding it completely empty.

This didn't make any sense. But where else could she be? She wasn't stupid enough to have gone into the storm... was she? Jack raced back down the ramp. Maybe the bigger question was... was he stupid enough to go after her?

"Oh please, let her be safe. I promise. I'll do everything I feel, just..." Just what? "So long as she's safe." He didn't even know who he was pleading to - any gods that existed, the Universe, anything. At this moment, any atheistic pride went out the window.

He'd deal with how little sense this made later. He ran to the door and yanked it open, the cold wind swirling around him. He stepped outside, just enough to yell. "Vilet?!" His voice was lost in the howling wind. "VILET?!"

A gust of wind knocked him off his feet instantly, pushing him farther from the house. He rolled, only to get yanked up by another. He panicked, feeling himself lifted into the air, his fingers scrabbling for a hold. This had been a bad idea. Still, if Vilet was out there...

He dropped suddenly, rolling and planting himself on his hands and knees. "Vil-"

This time, the wind didn't mess around. He was hoisted into the air in one fell swoop, blasting what must've been ten feet before falling again.

Just before landing, a second gust blew in and sent him flying across the rocky ground. He tasted blood. This had been a terrible idea. No way she came out here - no one is that stupid.

He could hardly catch his bearings before another gust sent him reeling backwards. There was no time to even react to the absolute mayhem being inflicted on him. A blow would come from above, then behind him. Sometimes two gusts would blow at the same time, leaving him spinning.

Every once in a while, he would be taken outright airborne, sailing into the air a great distance before getting yanked away by another current. He closed his eyes and curled into a defensive posture, hoping to prevent any damage.

Again, he was lifted into the air, but this time his descent was interrupted. The harsh reality of the ground slammed into him, forcing the air from his lungs. He gasped for air, feeling as though he had perhaps broken a rib or two.