Page 93 of Alien Warlord's Fury

"Your lights dance together," she said in our language, her voice soft but clear.

Claire looked to me for translation.

"She can see how our energies interact," I explained, then addressed the youngling. "Yes, they do. Are you feeling stronger today?"

The girl nodded. "The bad man's machines are gone from my head." She touched her temple, where faint scars remained from Hammond's interfaces.

"But I still hear the whispers."

"The Nexus," Claire said, understanding without translation. "She's still connected to it."

I nodded. "Hammond forced the connection, but it's natural for Nyxari to have some level of awareness of the planetary energy. She'll learn to manage it with time."

The girl studied Claire with open curiosity. "You touched the deep currents. Like he made us do. But you didn't break."

Claire's expression softened. "I had help." Her eyes flicked to mine.

"Someone anchored me."

The girl seemed to consider this, then simply nodded and returned to the other younglings. One of the healers caught my eye, nodding in approval. The younglings' willingness to interact was a positive sign.

"What was it like?" I asked Claire when we were alone again. "Inside the interface?"

She was quiet for a long moment. "Like drowning in light. Hammond's corruption was... oily, slick."

"It coated everything." Her fingers twitched against her leg. "But underneath, I could feel the true patterns."

"The younglings helped me find them."

"And you redirected the energy."

"Yes." Her silver markings pulsed once, bright then dim. "I couldn't have done it without your strength. I felt you there, even with Hammond between us."

The bond between us pulsed, a constant awareness that had only grown stronger since the battle. I could sense her fatigue, the lingering ache in her muscles, but also her quiet determination. My tail rested in a relaxed position on the ground beside me, mirroring my internal calm.

"We should continue," Veren called, and the group began to gather their things.

I stood first, offering my hand to Claire. She took it without hesitation, and I pulled her carefully to her feet. Her body swayed slightly, and I steadied her with my hand at her waist.

"I've got you," I said.

"I know." She looked up at me, her eyes clear despite her exhaustion. "You always do."

The path narrowed as we continued, forcing the group into a longer line. Claire walked just ahead of me, her steps moreconfident after the rest. I watched her navigate the uneven ground, noting how she tested each step before committing her weight.

Cautious now, where before she might have rushed ahead. My tail occasionally brushed against her side as we moved through tighter sections, an unconscious seeking of proximity.

"Tell me more about your mountains," she said over her shoulder. "The ones you grew up in."

"Why?"

"Because I want to know you better." She glanced back. "And because it helps to focus on something besides how much everything hurts."

I understood the strategy. "The Aerie Peaks rise above the tree line. The air is thin but clean, and in winter, the snow covers everything except the highest stone faces."

"Sounds cold."

"It is. But the cold has its own beauty." I stepped over a fallen branch. "The Aerie dwellings are built into the mountain itself, with terraces for growing the hardier plants."

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