Chapter 3: Rachel’s Nerdy Dad

It soon came to pass that Chissler once again had control over our fate. I would’ve revealed his part in our conspiracy, but he held many of the young Lurrannas captive, including you. To this day, I still have no idea what happened to Lucille though. Either she or you were meant to be the heir to the Lurranna clan. If one was free, I might have considered crossing Chissler, but not with both gone. For all I knew, he had Lucille as well, and just hadn’t revealed it to me yet. It was time to strike another deal.

Rachel could hardly believe her grandmother lately. First, the woman treats her like dirt for asking questions, then she sulks like a child when Rachel avoids her. And now this.

You picked a heck of a time to act like a worried relative, Saria.

Just like any respectable Second Level Elemental Mentor, Rachel had chosen to stay to help Éclair with her training for the Final Exam. This was her first time mentoring, and she would have to take many more tests of her own before she was chosen to take the Third Level Trials. It might take years, or perhaps even decades, or perhaps never. Some Elementals never made it to Third Level. Most did and stopped advancing there, but some didn’t. But Rachel would never be able to look Saria in the eye if she didn’t at least make it to Third.

Of course, Rachel would rather be doing other things. Perhaps work on her own skills back at the Ministry, or maybe go on a long-term mission for a few months to get away from Tarrus for a little while. But like the studious Kaves granddaughter she was, she had decided to stay for Éclair’s sake, and to show her grandmother that she could be responsible when she felt like it. And how does Saria Kaves react? Does she give even the slightest acknowledgment to how difficult this decision must’ve been for Rachel due to years of resentment towards Éclair that she was only beginning to resolve? No! Instead, she badgers Rachel to go back to the Ministry and stay out of the way, just when things were getting interesting.

Seething inwardly, Rachel still recalled the overly fatalistic conversation.

“All I’m saying is that it would probably be safer for you to stay back at the Ministry for a little while. At least until the Final Exam is ended,” reiterated the Fire Minister, clearly trying to stay civil this time, but that old manner of condescension in her voice was hard to shake.

Saria Kaves was a tall woman, and very well endowed too, something that not even her flowing red and gold robes could hide. She had mid-length curly brown hair, and brown eyes, which Rachel had inherited. The symbols of the Fire Ministry adorned her robes, with depictions of Lions and four-legged Dragons sown into the silken fabric. Her face was oval-shaped, but also possessed a regality one would only expect to find in royalty. She had fair skin, like Rachel, and was much taller, rendering her already menacing presence all the more intimidating.

“Elementals should not expect to be safe. The Elemental will make the universe safe for others, but never for himself,” quoted Rachel from the Toramir Edict. She didn’t usually quote from the Edict directly as it seemed too stuffy for her. That was something Éclair would do, but it seemed appropriate as her grandmother did enjoy talking down at her. Now, she had the high ground for once.

“Danger goes hand in hand with the Elemental. He walks with it, but never fears it,” Rachel continued, maintaining a calm expression despite her irritation.

Saria sighed and crossed her arms under her large bosom. “Don’t throw the Toramir Edict back at me, girl. I memorized all ten thousand verses before even your mother was born. Besides, you said it wrong.”

Despite herself, Rachel frowned, and couldn’t help the petulant tone that came out when she asked, “Which part?”

“Not the point,” retorted Saria with a dismissive wave, though Rachel was genuinely curious to know. “The point is that something is coming ... here ... to this moon. Why do you think the Fire Fleet and the Monastery’s Armada are buzzing all over the skies? Or did you really believe that tripe about it being nothing but a joint training exercise?”

Rachel stiffened at the jibe, but maintained her stance at attention, straight back and arms at her side with a stoic expression. “It’s gotta do with Éclair, doesn’t it? Whatever’s coming, it’s coming for her.”

Saria didn’t answer, but from the way her mouth tightened, she didn’t have to. Her grandmother never did have a good poker face.

Rachel spoke calmly, but inwardly rejoiced for scoring at least one victory over her grandmother for once. “If there is anything you’ve taught me, it’s that personal feelings don’t matter when a job needs to be done. The way I see it, my job as Éclair’s elder teammate is to help in her training and protect her if she’s in danger. You’ve drilled it into my skull how she’s more important than I’ll ever be. Even though I doubt she’ll ever take her throne back from Chissler, I’ll still give my life to see to her safety.”

Saria raised her hand in concern, reaching towards Rachel. “I never wanted that for-”

Rachel interrupted, though most would’ve been terrified to do so in the presence of the Fire Minister, and with good reason. “Further, she’s still in the middle of the Final Exam. She hasn’t even figured out she’s taking it yet despite how smart everyone thinks she is. I’m still one of the proctors in charge of judging how she scores, am I not?”

Saria’s hand froze in midair as if she had intended to take Rachel by the shoulder and shake her, then she lowered it slowly. She seemed displeased at being interrupted, but neglected to comment as she said dryly, “Yes.”

“Then according to tradition, the decision of my removal rests with the Exam Overseers who answer to the Wielder Council, not to the Minister. You can’t dismiss me without convening the Council, or unless the Overseers lodge a formal complaint against me, which they haven’t. Not even the Minister can influence the Exams, at least not directly. The balance of governmental bodies is maintained within the Ministry much the same as within the whole of the Empire itself. You’re no more an Empress than Éclair is at this point.”

Rachel was feeling rather smug right up until Saria smiled at her. It was not a grandmotherly smile. “Seems you’ve learned the art of how to find loopholes to annoy me. I always hated that about your mother. Never quite figured out where she got it from. In any case, you do know that I could probably get you removed eventually if I pressed this with the Wielder Council. That and much, much more.” Saria leaned forward intimidatingly, a hint of a threat in her leveled tone.

It took every ounce of Rachel’s willpower to stand her ground before the glaring Minister, a virtual demigod in human form. “I know you can, but I don’t think you will. Because in all the time I’ve known you, you’ve rarely taken away a person’s choice before. Especially when that choice involved doing their duty. It’s not like you to coddle those under you and shield them from danger. So don’t give me special treatment now.”

Saria’s glare would not relent as she leaned forward, seeming to loom over Rachel even though she remained sitting. “You’re willing to press this, even if it means the end of your career? Even if I threatened to make sure you stayed a Second for the rest of your life?”

Rachel didn’t flinch at the bluff, or at least she hoped it was a bluff. “Without hesitation, my lady.”

Saria sighed, relaxing as she leaned back. The ‘my lady’ thing seemed to annoy Saria, but strangely softened her at the same time. “You’re right. I wouldn’t take that choice from you. I was already a soldier at your age, so I can expect no less from you. And if even I can’t frighten you at this point, girl, then not much will.” She added almost hesitantly. “Though perhaps, there is much that should.”

Rachel almost jolted, not expecting the Minister to concede so easily. Apparently, she had passed whatever test was meant in that steely-eyed glare. She drew in a deep breath, only now realizing that she had stopped breathing as she waited for Saria’s response. “Will that be all, my Lady Minister?”

The Minster grinned wryly, and Rachel was loathed to find out what it meant. Has she not given up yet? Does she still have something up her sleeve?

“Not quite yet, Second,” said Saria as she went to her desk and grabbed a datapad that sat on the translucent, glass top. The datapad was made of glass with green holographic images of ships from the Fire Fleet floating centimeters above its surface. “Could you take this communique over to the Relay Station for me?”

Rachel frowned. “Can’t you just ... you know ... send it? There’s this little thing called the universal web, also called the uniweb. It’s been around for a while now. Like, the past ten thousand years, give or take.”

I don’t think she’s older than that. Is she?

Saria nodded absently. “I could do that, but you know, I’m old and stuff. And technology scares us old gals, so I’d really rather you take it there for me, ‘kay?” The Fire Minister mockingly copied Rachel’s voice when she spoke.

Rachel knew she should stop arguing and just do the chore. The Relay Station wasn’t even that far. But the way that Saria mocked her way of speaking made Rachel feel like being stubborn. “I’m pretty sure you have plenty of lackeys that can do that kind of stuff for you.”

The Minister’s smile never left her face. “Oh, that I do, but I think I’d rather you be one of those lackeys for me today.”

Rachel opened her mouth to bring up how a proctor should not be detained from her training duties with her student without due cause. As if reading her mind, the Minister cut her off with a finger.

“And before you try to find another loophole to countermand me, you should know that this Communique pertains to the Exams, already reviewed and approved by the Overseers and the Wielder Council. It might even affect the way you are to judge your students going forward. So I’m perfectly within my rights to request that it be brought to the Relay Station in a manner that I deem safest and most efficient ... according to tradition, as you so aptly put it. And right now, that means you, dear granddaughter.” The Minister held out the datapad expectantly.

Rachel ground her teeth as she snatched the datapad from Saria’s hands and stalked away.

She just had to find a way to have the last word, didn’t she/? And put me in my place while she was at it!

As Rachel made her way around the corner towards the Relay Station, it really wasn’t that far, she couldn’t help but overhear the sound of conversation coming from inside. The door had been left open as if someone had just entered. A guard still stood stationary outside the entrance, of course, but he leaned towards the inside slightly as if fascinated by what was being said inside.

There was an insistent and frantic chattering going on inside that seemed somewhat familiar. Someone was speaking so fast that his words were almost indecipherable. But that breathy, chittering voice was unmistakable. The way he spoke, so excited and giddy that he hardly bothered taking a breath between sentences, as if desperate to get everything out as fast as possible. Before Rachel knew what she was doing, she ran inside the Relay Station, right past the guard before he could protest.

And right before her eyes stood none other than her father. Renowned Scientist and Psionic Researcher, Doctor Andrew Lanchester. He had slightly pudgy features and half-shaven stubble on his cheeks and chin. His face seemed youthful, but the man was well into his fifties, which wasn’t young for most regular humans Rachel had to remind herself. The man had a messy mop of greasy black hair that hung in tangles all across his face, almost hiding his eyes. He wore a white lab coat over a green t-shirt that bore several green and purple stains, no doubt from his countless experiments with various chemicals and such. The man was portly. Not terribly fat, but he did have a sizeable gut all the same.

His girth was complimented by the apple he had in his hand that he snacked on occasionally in between sentences, though barely pausing to chew before continuing his lecture. He was often snacking as he rarely took the time to stop for an actual meal, especially while in the midst of a particularly complex project. Most notable about the man’s appearance were his glasses which glowed green as dozens of small letters and numbers danced across the spectacles. His brownish-green eyes were still visible behind the glowing spectacles, but only barely. Andrew Lanchester was constantly receiving feed through his glasses from his associates. They also acted as a storage device, recording any breakthroughs he might have in one of his verbal rants of pure mad genius.

“And that’s why the temporal variance emitted from Light Elemency is so phenomenal. The astral distortion created by a single Monk is enough to ... to-to aggravate the space-time continuum itself. I-I think that’s why you don’t see them using their powers too much. It’s made it increasingly difficult to collect data. But I digress, the energy field produced by Elementals operates on more or less the same frequency, with only slight variations of harmonic resonance that make it less strenuous for the stability of reality. Especially among your Wielders. Although, their energy signatures are very nearly identical to Monks. Perhaps even more powerful. It’s-it’s like they have mixed it in a way. Like Light Elemency is mixed into their element somehow when they use their powers.”

He paused a moment to listen to the excited buzzing of his droids, then he walked by several Elementals while saying, “Do you think any of you could tell me the exact RPM of your radioactive cycles when you manifest pyrogenic properties, pyrokinesis as some in my field have referred to your Flamer abilities? I mean, I assume all of you can shoot fire. Though I’ve heard that, to a lesser degree, there are other types of Elementals in the Fire Ministry who use Earth Elemency, or even Water Elemency. I find that fascinating. Is there any differentiation in the social structure of those who use different elements in your Ministry?”

As he spoke, the man typed frantically on a hovering datapad that moved with him as he strode around the room. He would keep typing with one hand while holding the apple in the other, occasionally snacking. His manic typing was even more persistent than his talking, if that could be believed, as the Doctor never ceased inputting data with every step he took. Occasionally he would pause to look at a screen of the various consoles that littered the relay room. He sometimes asked about how they went about incorporating their Elemental defenses with the technology of their facilities, but he never paused long enough for anyone to answer. Not that anyone would if given the chance, such things were classified.

The other Elementals around the room had all stopped what they were doing and just gaped at the man as if he were the most fascinating and mysterious anomaly they had ever discovered in all their years of exploring the universe. Rachel could relate. She’d often stare at her own father like that when he was on one of his mad rants. As always, his vocabulary was advanced, but the way he asked questions excitedly was almost childlike. An innocent love for the pursuit of knowledge. That’s what she’d always loved the most about her father. It’s what her mother loved most as well.

Dr. Lanchester passed Rachel at the doorway several times as he made his way around the room. She was beginning to wonder if he would even notice her when he suddenly stopped in his tracks. He was still typing, but the talking had ceased. With a jerk, he stuffed the apple in his pocket, pushed the datapad to hover behind his head, and removed his glasses. He stared at Rachel as if noticing her for the first time.

Rachel couldn’t find anything to say. She’d missed her father for so long, but felt guilty to see him at the same time. It had been a few months since she’d bothered to send him an email, let alone talked to him through a hologram. She didn’t know exactly why she stopped keeping in touch with him. She supposed it was a number of reasons, but none of which diminished her love for this adorable man she knew from childhood.

Before Rachel could fully process her feelings, the man bound up to her in a few quick strides. He moved surprisingly fast for a man that was slightly overweight. He stared at her like she was the completion of a long and intricate experiment.

“You went and grew up on me, Little Bunny,” he said breathlessly, as if not believing it himself.

Little Bunny was his nickname for her when she was a child. She used to call him Big Bear. Rachel almost felt embarrassed to hear her dad call her Little Bunny in front of so many of her peers, but the way he was staring at her made her want to cry. It was almost the same way he used to stare at her mother.

He reached a hand forward hesitantly, though his hand stopped in midair. But then, as if forcing himself, he took hold of her shoulder tenderly. “You’re just as beautiful as your mother,” he said quietly, almost as a whisper.

Rachel felt her eyes growing wet, but she refused to cry in front of her fellow Elementals. Thankfully, she was saved by her unwitting father who suddenly took her in his arms, and buried her face into his bosom as he hugged her tightly. Rachel wasn’t short, but her father was still large enough that she could lean into his chest easily. She allowed the hug despite the embarrassment it brought her. It was better than letting the other Elementals around the room see her break down and cry like a little kid. Although, the hug did feel good on some level. It was almost exactly the way he would hug her when she was a little girl.

Rachel drew away from her father’s embrace, almost hesitantly, holding him at arm’s length. She realized that she was blushing now, but she tried to ignore that as well as the myriad of Elementals who were still watching her. “Dad! What ... what’re you doing here?”

“I sent for him.”

Rachel turned to see her grandmother waiting at the entrance to the Relay Station. She had no idea how long the Minister had been standing there.

“I need his help with a ... a project of mine,” admitted the Minister grudgingly.

Saria never liked Rachel’s father for some reason. Maybe because he was a normal human despite all the Ministry’s claims for tolerance of all forms of life. Or maybe it was because he was a doctor. Saria did have a tendency to dislike people of certain professions. Namely doctors, lawyers, professors, senators, and actors.

Noticing that the room continued to stare at the eccentric scientist, Saria gave everyone a leveled glare and they all quickly returned to their consoles as if nothing had occurred at all. “Although he won’t be able to stay with us for very long. After we’ve finished with our little project, he’ll probably need to go back to the Ministry to work in a more secure environment,” asserted the Minister pointedly.

Rachel almost gasped. Everything was clicking into place. She’s hoping I’ll want to go back with him! That’s why she sent me over here! When did she become so sly?

Dr. Lanchester chuckled nervously. He’d always been a little cowardly around Saria. Though, who could blame him really? Rachel herself was only now learning how to stand up to the woman, and that came after knowing her all her life.

“About that, Saria. Oh! I mean, Minister Kaves,” started Dr. Lanchester furtively. “I-I may need a little more time here to get the preliminary results of the-”

“After our project is finished, you will continue your research at the Ministry of Fire as we agreed, Doctor. You need this research as much as I do,” snapped the Minister sharply.

The scientist flinched back, cringing slightly behind Rachel. Rachel tried not to feel ashamed by her father’s behavior, but a large part of being an Elemental was standing up to confrontation. Being the farthest thing from a confrontational man, that was the last thing that Andrew Lanchester would ever think to do. Especially after that one time that Saria became frustrated with one of his experiments and displayed her powers in front of him. An experiment she had volunteered for, Rachel remembered angrily.

Rachel glared at her grandmother while her father literally cowered behind her.

Abruptly, Saria’s features softened, and she said more gently, “But, of course, I recognize the fact that you haven’t seen your daughter in quite some time. No doubt the two of you will ... will want to spend some time together.”

If Rachel hadn’t known any better, she could’ve sworn that look on Saria’s face might’ve been envy. But no, that couldn’t be.

The doctor immediately brightened and stood up straight with a cheerful expression, as if he’d never been cringing in fear only seconds ago. “Why, that’s – that’s a fantastic idea!” Then the man looked sheepish. “I mean ... if Little Bunny - I mean Rachel - really wants to.”

Rachel hesitated, conflicted with her desire to be with her father, and her need to defy the Minister’s designs for her. “Well, I-”

“Then it’s decided,” said the Minister matter-of-factly. “Come to me when you’ve finished gathering the necessary data, and I’ll see to it that you’re safely escorted to the Ministry, Dr. Lanchester.”

The Minister turned her back to leave, but surprisingly, Rachel’s father called out after her, showing more bravery than Rachel once thought him capable. “You-you know, Saria. You-you could call me Andrew. Or son even, since ... you know ... I am still, technically.”

Then he muttered under his breath as if he hoped she wouldn’t hear, “Though I can’t remember a time when you ever called me anything else but doctor ... or idiot, despite how paradoxical that is to my profession. Quack would be more suitable. Uh ... I mean, in my - in my opinion ... as - as far as derogatory slurs go.”

Rachel feared that the Minister might explode on the poor man like she had so many times before, but the Minister just groaned, as if pained. Then she sauntered off without a word.

The Elementals were continuing to go about their work, but Rachel still noticed them glancing at her and her father occasionally. She wished she could scare them into submission with a single look like her grandmother could.

“Listen, dad,” said Rachel tentatively, unsure of how to go forward. She didn’t want to disappoint the man again like she knew she had so many times before, but she couldn’t just abandon her duties to go with him to the Ministry like he probably hoped she would. “I-I don’t know if I can-”

“Hold that thought, Little Bunny,” said the Doctor as he poked her nose the way he used to when she was a kid. He drew his glowing glasses down and brought his datapad back around typing madly. “We’ll have plenty of time to talk later. Come to my quarters in exactly ... twenty point seven minutes. I should reach a consensus on this latest variable by then. Then we can decide where we’ll go from there.”

He paused his typing, and cupped her chin lovingly. “It’s ... it’s simply stupendous to see you, Little Bunny. No, not simply stupendous. Absolutely stupendous!”

He then made his way out of the Relay Station on jittery black shoes. The way he walked in short, quick steps always reminded Rachel of the way an insect might move, jerky and twitching as their feet clicked the ground. Click! Click! Click! Click! Click!

Rachel sighed. Whatever I do, I think we’d better talk about this ‘Little Bunny’ thing, and how I’m not five anymore.

Éclair lunged at her opponent yet again. Though he was much larger than her, he was no less fast as he easily deflected her barrage of dozens of separate kicks and punches. Almost before she could react, he turned her attack into a counterstroke as he swung at her with a powerful right hook. Éclair deftly jumped back, knowing full well that the wall was close behind her. Her opponent had been steadily trying to box her in, but she was having none of that. Instead of putting her back to the wall, she planted her feet against it, kicking off at the wall and soaring over her opponent seconds before he slammed into the wall with his shoulder with the intention of flattening her. The impact was so powerful that the metal wall was shattered, the crater at least as large as her opponent himself. Éclair smiled to herself as she somersaulted, twisting to her feet gracefully behind her opponent.

He’s going all out today, she thought with no small amount of pride. He must finally be taking me seriously as an opponent.

Grafael removed his shoulder from the metal wall with a grunt, his movement causing more dust and debris to slide off the damaged wall and his shoulder. Grafael T’Macor was a Saurian, a subspecies of the Dragons that lacked wings, and thus were sometimes called Wingless Dragons. He was over eight feet tall, powerfully built with a humanoid torso, but the long claws on his hands and feet were very not human. Three sharp spikes stuck out from the top of his skull in place of hair, and he had small, slightly pointed ears on the sides of his head. He had a short snout and a strong jaw with a mouth full of sharp teeth. Many Pure-Skins would call his appearance repulsive, and yet, for Éclair, there was something in his reptilian face that could almost be described as handsome given his smooth chin that resembled a human’s, and his intelligent, azure eyes. He wore nothing but black pants, revealing his muscular chest covered in hard, blue scales. His long, thick tail thumped the ground behind him. Éclair was also barely dressed in a revealing white tank top and tight blue pants, but she only wore such skimpy garments when she sparred with Grafael to honor his traditions.

The Wingless Dragon was grinning maniacally. If anyone else saw that grin of pure battle glee, they’d probably be peeing their pants. But for Éclair, it was confirmation that Grafael was having fun. Saurians only considered physical challenges to be fun. He’d shown her that grin rarely in their sparring matches, but when he did, she knew that it meant that she was giving him a good workout. Éclair might’ve been human, but she understood the emotion. Win or lose, battling a worthy opponent was fun for her too.

“A little overzealous, don’t you think, Grafy?” said Éclair chidingly, though not really meaning it as she circled him, waiting for an opening. “What if I hadn’t dodged?”

“I’ve trained you better than that,” he said, mirroring her movements as he circled as well. He stepped lithely with obvious finesse despite his bulk. “If you’d fallen for that old trick again, you’d hardly be a worthy student. The fact that I didn’t wait to see if you would dodge is a testament to my faith in you.”

Éclair tried not to beam at the compliment as she wanted to stay focused on the fight, but it was difficult. Despite the way he acted like her subordinate most of the time, in many ways, Éclair considered their relationship the opposite. Though Grafael had little to do with her training in Elemency, his teachings in the ancient Saurian martial arts was perhaps the greatest honor that any Earth Dragon could show an outsider. In many ways, he was like the big brother she’d always wished she’d had. And like any sibling, she’d developed a bit of a competitive nature when it came to their sparring sessions, which were too few and far between. True, she’d never beaten him, and she doubted she ever would. Only Elemental Beaters with strength enhancement had even a prayer of competing with Saurians physically in hand-to-hand combat. But still, she could be proud of the progress she’d made in her own journey of martial arts, one which would never have come to pass without Grafael T’Macor.

The Wingless Dragon didn’t wait for a reply as he swung at her with his tail, its length easily closing the gap between them and nearly sweeping her off her feet. As Éclair jumped over the tail, she grabbed it as it soared under her. She knew it was a little underhanded to touch Grafael’s tail which was a testament of his honor, but he always told her that those rules did not apply in the midst of combat when a warrior was inclined to use every available resource. She would have to find out more about their tail-thing, but those thoughts were quickly expunged as she soared with the momentum of Grafael’s powerful movement. Eclair’s arms went taut as she was swung around by Grafael’s tail, but she had a very specific trick she’d been thinking of trying, and she knew that it would only work once. Before Grafael even realized that she held onto his tail, she let go, letting the power of his attack swing her into the air, giving her ample height to aim a kick at Grafael’s neck, the only soft spot on his body. Or rather, the least hard spot as she knew his neck was still much stronger than that of a human. Even his nether regions were as tough as iron. She knew this as she once tried to kick them to get an advantage in one of their matches, but Grafael had only laughed and swatted her away like a fly.

As Eclair twisted in midair to kick his chin, Grafael still dodged the blow, though only barely. She’d caught him by surprise with that one. However, being in midair did give him the opportunity to attack without hope of dodging. Éclair braced herself, blocking with both arms as Grafael punched at her face with a powerful downward thrust that slammed her back to the ground. Though pained, Éclair hardly acknowledged her defeat as she rolled away before Grafael could crush her as he stomped down where her body would’ve been. Still, she did manage to trip him up a bit as she kicked at his shin while she spun to her feet in a move similar to break dancing. For a moment, Grafael tittered on one foot, giving Éclair enough time to regain her own footing.