Crystal Guardian

8

The following day stretched by. Though he was beginning to get over his flight sickness, Aldric still felt a sickening sensation drumming away in the middle of his stomach. He couldn't stop imagining horrible things about back home.

His thoughts snapped to Jaireth. Even though he didn't know him well, Aldric felt like he could feel the boy's fear from thousands of miles away. Of course, that was impossible, but it was easier to believe that than to admit it was he who felt like a scared child. He wanted to curl up into a little ball and sleep until the whole incident had passed by. If only he could sleep for the next ten years. Would that be enough time for the horrors to pass? Aldric didn't think so. Besides, what would the others say? They would have to prise him off the floor.

Then there was December, her smile beaming at him in the front of his mind. If only he could hang onto that image for a little longer before it was replaced by visions of her skeleton. But she wouldn't be a skeleton yet would she? Aldric shuddered and turned to the others in the hope that they would have something a bit more uplifting to say.

'How's everyone holding up?' he asked them.

K shot him a quick but pained smile whilst Raiden didn't even look up.

'Fine,' muttered Evie when neither of the other two said anything. This surprised Aldric as Evie had hardly spoken to him at all. She was busy removing her dressing to reveal a nasty looking half healed wound. Evie caught Aldric staring at it. Aldric's face went warm. He had to say something.

'Jaireth will be okay you know,' he told her. 'He's with December. You can trust her.'

'You're not much of an actor,' she told him. 'Even if you were, I wouldn't be convinced. You know we have no chance, especially not if the Jagophites start to become like Incursio.'

'They won't,' said Aldric. 'They have a leader now so the other Jagophites will be ordered not to take on the genetics of their prey. They're more intelligent than they look which is bad news for us.'

'Can we please not talk about them,' said K.

'What shall we talk about?' said Raiden.

'Tell us what LendoZiya's like,' said Aldric, trying to address Raiden and avoid looking at him at the same time. 'I've never been and, seeing as I'm half-Isahiel, I feel like I should know more than I do.'

'What do you want to know?' Raiden leaned forward and clasped his hands together. He had an unnerving look about him that suggested that he was older and wiser than any of them. Aldric knew that Isahiels aged differently to other humanoid species. K had noticed this. Aldric could see her eyes squinting at Raiden suspiciously.

'How old are you exactly?' she asked.

'One hundred and seventy four,' he replied smugly.

'Wow,' K sighed. 'What about Aldric? We've grown up together. He's the same age as me.'

'He's just a kid,' Raiden replied, 'but his aging will slow down. He'll begin to notice changes, and not the normal kind.'

Aldric felt invisible again. 'Can you stop talking about me. I'm sitting right here!'

'Okay,' said Raiden. 'We'll talk about you when you're not around instead.'

'You're not going to have a chance for a while then, are you?' said Aldric, wishing he was back at home. 'I thought we were going to talk about LendoZiya anyways.'

'Come on Aldric,' said K. 'We weren't being nasty or anything. Please cheer up.' He tried to smile at her but couldn't. 'I know,' she exclaimed, rising to her feet. 'Let's do some laps of the ship. Exercise always helps to clear the mind.'