The Mantis Continuum - Book Four - 17. Chapter 17 - Unadi & Olona, Part Two

After Ilya flew off with Lahari’s unconscious body, Olona began testing Unadi’s photonova gland to see if it was indeed no longer active. The two of them were still close to the edge of his lifeless grey realm, with the living forest surrounding it.

Olona was not feeling ill at all.

When Unadi and Lahari collapsed to the earth, Unadi had gotten right back up again, but Lahari was unresponsive to anything Olona or Ilya tried to do to help her recover.

“I’m so sorry about your friend,” Unadi said to Olona. He had said it many times in the few minutes since Ilya flew off with Lahari.

Olona did not reply. She was shocked at the effect her devices had on Lahari, but she was keeping her emotions hidden. “I don’t feel any symptoms from your power,” she told Unadi in as strong a voice as her emotions would allow. “I think it worked; I think you’re not a Shift anymore. I’m not getting any readings at all.” She was looking down at a device connected to the cable from the organic machine inside her forearm.

Unadi was hopeful. “You really don’t feel anything?”

Olona took a deep breath of fresh air and said, “I feel completely fine.” A lump threatened to rise in her throat at the thought of Lahari’s condition. She forced a cough and continued. “But what do you feel? You told me you could feel the life forces you absorb; can you feel yourself absorbing anything now? The trees or plants,” she asked, waving toward the living part of the forest outside of his ring of death, “or any animals, or even me?”

Unadi hesitated. “No, I can’t. I can’t feel anything at all.” A wide smile spread across his face that made his eyes squint almost completely shut. “I’m not a curse anymore!” he declared, and he began to cry with joy. “Thank you, thank you! I have no way to repay you for this incredible gift you’ve given me!” He took one of Olona’s hands and repeated himself through his sobs. “Thank you! I’m so overwhelmed right now that I’ve completely forgotten your name, but thank you a thousand times!”

Olona laughed. “It’s Olona,” she reminded him. “And I’m so happy it worked. I’m sure Lahari is going to be okay. Her father is a healer and will know what to do.” She gave him a smile that she hoped did not look halfhearted. “Since it’ll be a long time before Ilya returns, why don’t we head back to your place so we can get to know each other a bit?” Olona picked up the tent in its carrying case and the sack of remaining food.

“I would love that! Follow me,” Unadi replied, and he started to lead.

Olona lit a joint as they walked, and after a short time, they arrived at his shack. Olona returned his books to their shelves, and she sat on a floor cushion positioned at a low table.

Unadi sat across from her.

“How old were you when you left Bahlim Town?” Olona asked. She added, “I found the old photograph and the article about the so-called ghost sickness in one of your books.”

Unadi nodded. “Yeah, that’s what the villagers called what was happening to people before they realized it was coming from my mother, while she was pregnant with me.”

“I was so surprised to read how your mantis gland activated before you were born,” Olona continued. “I’ve never heard of something like that happening.”

“Yes, as a child, none of my tutors or nurses had ever heard of someone with my condition. None of my history books have accounts of a single Shift’s mantis gland activating before puberty.” He waved over at the shelves lined with old volumes. “The Oselians knew so much, but I guess they never came across anyone like me.”

“You’re an anomaly,” Olona agreed. “You mentioned tutors and nurses; do you mind telling me what your childhood was like?”

“I haven’t thought about those days in a long time,” Unadi replied. “My earliest memories are a blur of people who cycled through my youth. Since no one could remain in my presence for any extended period of time, there was a constant flow of adults coming and going. As I got older, teachers eventually replaced most of my nurses, and I got some education until I was 15 when I left, but I never spent any time with anyone my own age.”

“No one?” Olona asked.

“My powers are worst for Shifts, but children and the elderly also experience the sickness intensely, so the only people who came up the mountain were healthy adults who could deal with my powers for a little while before returning to the valley below. Eventually I left Bahlim and ventured into this wilderness. I’ve been here for over two decades.”

Olona was taken aback. “You’ve been out here for 20 years?!”

Unadi sighed and shrugged. “Yeah, I’m used to being alone.”

Olona shook her head and continued. “You just said that your powers are worst for Shifts, but I think you meant were worst,” she corrected with a kind smile. “The ghost sickness is gone.”

Unadi’s hands came to his face as another sob of joy threatened to bring him to tears, and he whispered, “Yes, it’s gone.”

Olona took one of his hands and gave it a squeeze. “You’re not going to make anyone sick anymore.” She looked around. “Unadi, why don’t you show me how you normally spend your days?” Olona stood. “Where do you make food?”

There was a fireplace but no stove, no pots or pans, no kitchen at all. There was no lavatory or privy chamber. The little house did not even have a bedroom. Olona had not noticed these peculiar facts when she was there before and Unadi’s powers had been beginning to affect her. Now the shack seemed odd; it was little more than an oversized shed.

“Oh,” Unadi replied, recognizing her confusion, “I don’t need to eat. My powers absorb life energy and make it so I don’t need food.”

Olona furrowed her brow. “Well, now that you don’t have your power anymore, you’re probably going to need to eat.”

Unadi scrunched up his nose. “Really? You think so?”

“I guess if your stomach starts grumbling in a few hours, we’ll know you’re hungry. So,” Olona pivoted, “can you run through what your typical days have been like out here in the forest?”

Unadi pointed at a small desk in one corner. “Mostly I write poetry, but I always burn them up.”

“What?” Olona responded. “What do you mean?”

He looked at his books. “I’ve read them all,” he stated, “but the ones you took while you waited for Ilya to return are the ones I find least interesting. I have several books of poetry and short story collections, and I love to read them.”

“Then you write your own, and you burn them?”

“Yes,” Unadi confirmed, “I burn them. I was certain no one would ever read them. Also, any time I go back and reread my own writing, it never seemed as good as the writing in my books.” He looked over at them again. “I could never write like them.”

“Do you have any poems that you didn’t burn? I’d love to read one.” She did not know why she said it; Olona did not like poetry.

“No, I’ve burned it all.”

“Well, I hope you’ll write something someday that you’ll share,” Olona replied with a smile. “Listen, I don’t think we should expect Ilya back tonight, and I’m getting tired. Incidentally, where do you sleep?” She yawned and looked around the small hut.

“Oh, sleep,” Unadi replied, as if being reminded of some long-forgotten memory, “I don’t sleep. My powers make it so I don’t need to.”

Olona was concerned. “What other human requirements have been negated by your power? I suspect going forward you’ll need both food and sleep.” She paused and thought for a moment. “Since you’re not used to sleep, but I certainly need some, why don’t I set this up?” and she patted the tent Ilya left behind. “I can sleep and you can stay awake if you want to.”

She took out another joint, lit it, and she set about assembling the tent with Unadi watching her.

“Can you tell me about where you’re from?” he asked.

“Do you mean where I was born down in Xin, or where I live now in Teshon City?”

“The city, yes, where you three live.”

“Ilya and Lahari are both from that region,” Olona answered, “but I moved there two years ago. No, a little less than that,” she corrected.

Olona told him about the Teshon City neighborhoods and inhabitants. She informed him of the attack on the underground and the Battle of Gate Town the following year. Olona explained how many of the worst people in the city had been killed or driven away, and that there was a new brightness to the place. She made Teshon City sound very enticing to Unadi.

Not long after Olona started assembling the tent, her sturdy little fabric structure was standing.

“You sure you don’t want some food?” she offered.

Unadi furrowed his brow. “I’m not ready for that yet. It all seems so weird.”

“Okay, well, I’m gonna eat a little something and get some sleep, but I’m looking forward to bringing you to Teshon City with us tomorrow.” Olona smiled at him again and closed the flap of the tent.

A few hours later in the middle of the night, Olona was awakened, and she was surprised to hear the sounds of talking. She sat up in the darkness and listened. Unadi’s voice was speaking, but Olona could not make out the words. It sounded like he was in the middle of a conversation, and she peeked out the flap of the tent.

Ilya was back! She was inside Unadi’s house.

Olona entered the shack and interrupted their quiet discussion. “What are you doing back here so soon?”

“Oh no, I’m sorry,” Ilya replied. “Did we wake you? We were trying to keep it down.”

“It’s okay,” Olona said. “Why didn’t you stay the night in Teshon?”

“I left Lahari with her father, but I was so worried because of how badly everything went here, that I figured I should come straight back and check on you both, but Unadi says it worked.”

Olona felt very worried about Lahari, but she wanted to sound upbeat and opted for, “We’re fine, aren’t we, Unadi? I still don’t feel anything, and Ilya, you seem fine, too. Unadi, can you feel yourself absorbing any lifeforce?”

“No, nothing,” he replied. “Ilya and I were just discussing where I should go.”

“Go?” Olona asked. “What do you mean?”

He smiled. “When you invited me to Teshon City last night, it got me thinking. Ever since Ilya first found me here in the forest, I’ve been planning to go back to Bahlim. But should I return to my village?” Unadi looked at each of the young women. “I’d love to see Bahlim again, but what you’ve both told me about the city, it just sounds so good.”

Olona flashed him a smile. “Well, what are your thoughts? Do you want to come to the big city, or go back home again?” she asked.
“That’s just it,” Unadi replied, “I don’t think I want to return to Bahlim Town.”★