Free Emergence by Adrienne Gordon

shall we proceed?”
    She sat for many minutes with her head hung low, thinking. Finally, she said; “call the hlenna in.”
    Asil went in the next room as Melissa gathered herself and wiped her face. The hlenna came in slowly, following Asil.
    “Are you two fighting?” asked one of them. “We’re scared.”
    “No need to be scared, my precious joys,” said Melissa cheerfully, putting on her bravest face. “It’s just that I’ve decided to leave on a trip.”
    “No!” they all cried, “what will happen to us?”
    She took a deep breath, and managed to look at them all, save Asil. “You need to find yourselves, as I need to find out who and what I really am. I will miss you all, and will be back as soon as I can.”
    She got to her feet, and gathered her things quickly with the aid of sussa. She slung a small backpack over her shoulder, and went out the main door.
    “Won’t you be cold?” asked Asil.
    “Thank you for thinking of me, but I have learned enough to take care of myself.” She managed a sideways glance at him, and said; “I have charged the storage tanks for the platform with sussa, and it should last for many months. In the event I’m not back before then, the platform will seek out Imathrin, and deposit you all there.” She sighed deeply. “Take care of yourself, Asil. Forgive me, if you can.”
    She leapt off the platform and flew along the rushing currents of air, which quickly carried her far away from her mother’s home.

Part III
     
    Chapter 10
     
    Flying above the snow-covered surface of the world, Melissa wandered aimlessly through the frigid skies, kicking up massive plumes of white powder in her wake. Her thin blue robe billowed under her sweater as dozens of firespheres spun constantly around her creating a tunnel of warmth. Across snowdunes and through mountain passes she darted, randomly incinerating immense tracts of landscape with white-hot tendrils of sussa, bemoaning the mistakes she made. For while she was able to filter water for drinking and manipulate rough roots into something edible, though she was warm and never felt more powerful, her soul ached with remembrance of what she had almost done.
    In her travels she came across several more of the metal relics she and her hlenna had found, and paused to excavate and explore inside. The metal beasts were grey and black constructs -- quite unlike the faded white ship she found with Asil -- with many small dark windows set into metal boxes and many sticks and levers set into the walls. She felt they were weapons of war, and wondered what it was that could have defeated them. Faded dusty footprints inside the vessels warned that she wasn’t the first explorer, making her wonder if anyone alive knew what exactly the vessels were.
    As she left the third vessel, having slung her sac of supplies over her back, a dozen figures dressed in thick white clothing carrying grey metal sticks with handles stood in the snow, waiting. They stood soundlessly, and she was amazed that she didn’t hear their approach.
    “Who are you?” she asked.
    “Kill it -- quick!” shouted one of the men.
    One of them raised their stick, pulled something, and expelled a brilliant flash of light. Melissa instinctually deflected the bolt, but could feel a small degree of pain.
    “Why do you do this?” she demanded, becoming incensed. “Explain yourselves quickly, or feel the wrath of an Archsussa!”
    Melissa crouched down, trying to focus her mind. It was the first time she would use sussa in an offensive capability, and was conflicted about how far to go.
    Could I really kill someone -- even if it was in the protection of my own life?
    “I knew it!” yelled one of the figures. “Turn it on!”
    One of the figures pressed into a small grey box he was carrying and suddenly all Melissa’s senses felt distant. She could still breathe and think, but the world was suddenly dark and cold. The cold felt close and sharp, and her legs began to buckle