Chapter 6: Altair

  I give up.

  I give up trying to live here.

  I couldn’t even make it past the - what did Messenger call it again? Oh! The current! I couldn’t even make it past that stupid current! I was on the ground, queasy and about to throw up in this glass cage that somehow was able to pump ocean water out.

  “Are you okay?”

  The guy just stretched casually! Was it that normal to switch between water and air here?

  “Totally… it’s all good here,” I gasped, leaning against the glass on all fours.

  “Seriously, you look like you’re dying. Is this the first time you’ve used your gills?” Messenger asked.

  “Not really,” I panted, trying to get used to pushing all the water out of my system before I could properly breathe in air again.

  “Okay then. This is called a cubicle. If you see this, it means that the facility inside is waterproof. But, it takes some getting used to. If you quickly switch between your breathing systems without getting the water out of your system, your body will automatically block your normal respiratory system to prevent water from entering your lungs, so it feels like you're suffocating if you continue to use your gills on land,” Messenger explained, holding out a hand.

  “Oh. How do you like the secret current? It was fun, wasn’t it?” Messenger chuckled when he saw my beet-red face.

  “That was meant to kill people,” I protested, trying to keep my breakfast from leaking out onto the floor.

  “You’re kind of right. If you don’t know which current to take, leaning to one side can slam you straight into a rock, while leaning to the other side will get you burned in an underground volcano. So, it’s the natural defense system for nosy hybrids,” he smiled, and I shook my head.

  “Way to use natural resources,” I rolled my eyes.

  The cubicle was a weird contraption to get used to. It was supposed to keep the water out of airtight rooms, but its side benefit was that it gave hybrids the time to switch between their breathing systems. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to grasp that side hint. Its smooth glass walls made it hard for me to grip, but Messenger easily pulled me up and dragged me through the hallway.

  “Come along, Altair. The cubicle must really be a miracle. It really stopped you from asking questions!” Messenger wondered aloud in fascination, and all I could do to reply with my water-clogged lungs was scowl at him.

  I turned my attention to the hallway in front of me. It was warm and cozy, with glass hallways that took in the sun’s small, insignificant rays and lamps lining the hallways. While fish swam lazily outside, there were a motley of different doors that were decorated in totally different styles, probably according to each of their tastes, while pictures of each person and handwritten Christmas, Easter, and birthday cards lined the walls and doors to their offices. However, the door that we stopped at had no pictures on it, and it was a worn, wooden door with no embellishments except for a brass door knob with a small, almost unnoticeable dent on it.

  “Here we go.”

  Messenger opened the door and entered, and I followed.

  The room was covered in books and science equipment were propped in precarious positions that made me wince just looking at it. It looked like a scientist’s haven with everything a scientist could ever want, and the dark wooden floor was decorated with a circular ornate carpet. A table was put in the middle of the room, while a beautiful mahogany desk was crammed to the side and topped with a pile of papers tall enough to almost touch the ceiling.

  “Um, maybe you can try to find a place on the sofa, if there aren't books on it. You can move those to the floor if there’s really too much.”

  Messenger aired out a dusty and flattened pillow, trying to revive it to its normal state. He was right. There was too much stuff in this one room. I tried to wedge myself between two stacks of books, feeling like a victim hiding out behind some very sturdy bushes.

  “What are you doing in there? You won’t be able to breathe if-”

  Boom.

  An earth-shattering sound shook the room, and I saw Messenger fly towards the wall before my vision was blocked by falling books.

  “Edana, are you trying to kill me? I just came out from the Infirmary! If I go back there, Eir will disown me!”

  I heard Messenger crying out in dismay, but I was busy with trying to save myself to make sense of who just stepped into the room.

  “Actually, it’s about time she disowned you, considering your sorry state. But, you’re not going to die today, at least.”

  “Edana! Look at what you did! Now our guest is dying between a pile of books.”

  Oh finally, a saint looked my way!

  I was going to live another day!

  I felt someone peel a book off my face, and I instantly clung onto this angelic-looking being.

  “An angel. You truly came to save me,” I beamed, and she froze, staring at me before laughing.

  “I’m no angel, just a normal hybrid. I’m Amber. You must be Altair, right?”

  She pulled me out, and I stumbled to breathe and feel fresh air that wasn’t muddled with dust and the smell of musty books. When there was finally enough oxygen in my lungs to enter my brain, I was able to study my saint even further, and my jaw dropped in shock. How could someone be so pretty? Her red hair was positively glowing in the dim light of the room, braided like a Roman princess in the stories I read with Mom while her amber eyes and gills were like a fiery orange, which made her look like a living flame.

  “Yep, that’s our melodramatic and sheltered new student, Altair. Don’t entertain him any further, Amber. You’re going to catch some contagious disease from him.”

  “What? I’m not contagious-”

  I stopped squawking as soon as I saw her.

  She had beautiful onyx black tresses cascading down her back in graceful patterns and intense obsidian eyes, and her gills were a startling shade of snow white, which contrasted with her dark hair. Her features were feline-like, as if she were a mix between all the different kinds of wild cats and human without the whiskers and fur.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “For the first time, I agree with you, Messenger.”

  She gave me a look as cold as ice, and if I stared at her any further, I was afraid she was going to turn me into stone like Medusa.

  “Edana, try smiling a bit. I think our guest is frightened to death, especially after you threw a spear at Messenger.”

  A soft voice emanated from the back of the room. I looked around to find the source of the sound, and almost whimpered out loud like a puppy. I tried to stop fidgeting and at least act brave, but my knees were knocking against each other and my hand was latching and unlatching Blue’s watch frantically, fidgeting way too much to look calm.

  This man had dark brown hair streaked with silver and sparkling emerald eyes. He would have been the most handsome man on Earth except that he had a huge, ugly scar that ran from the tip of his forehead to the edge of his jaw in a diagonal line.

  “Dr. Liam.”

  Her personality changed instantly, and now I couldn’t speak because I was flabbergasted by her sudden change in face. The man was right; when she smiled, it was completely different that it made me blush at the thoughts that surrounded my mind.

  She’s pretty cute when she smiles. It’s a shame that she’s so scary around me, my mind couldn’t help thinking, and the man turned his head toward me in a small wink.

  Wait, what was that for? Did he know-

  That all-knowing smile made my heart stop. He did know, and he didn’t have to tell me for me to know that he could hear what I was thinking.

  “Amber, Edana, please join. I’m pretty sure there will be a lot of people wanting to hear this, and I don’t feel like repeating stories to anyone.”

  He smiled down upon the two girls fondly, and they grinned back at him.

  “Now, Altair, isn’t it? Welcome to Meliora’s Institute of Learning, as others may have briefed about it to you before. Let’s hear your story. How did you get here? Who sent you here?”

  He looked at me kindly despite his terrifying face, which calmed me down a little bit.

  “I…”

  I tried to start, but realized that there was nothing to say. I didn’t even know what was going on. Mr. Crazy-long-bangs didn’t tell me anything. I still had no idea where Mom was. Did they find her yet? Where was she? Is she safe?

  “Amber, Edana, Messenger, would you please give us a moment?”

  Dr. Liam’s face grew serious, and they all stared at him with concern.

  “Of course, Dad,” Amber replied.

  They all left silently with serious gazes directed at me before they closed the door and the tension grew heavy in the room as there was only me and him. I gulped in fear. What was he going to do-

  “Do you know about Telepaths, Altair?”

  He gave me an intense stare.

  “I’m guessing they read minds?”

  “Yes, you’re partially correct. But, they can also force information out of other people’s heads by triggering an emotion. For example, I say the word ‘ocean’. Do you want to know what I heard from your mind?” he asked.

  Ocean.

  I slapped a hand over my mouth, trying not to barf.

  I could finally remember.

  We were sitting together, enjoying spaghetti as usual when Mom was kidnapped. Mr. Crazy-long-bangs saved me again, incapacitating the man with the gun and slicing down two more agents while I escaped. Then, I swam for ages, following a beam of light from a watch dangling on my wrist before getting sucked into a storm. And now here I was, miraculously saved by Messenger and brought here before Dr. Liam, or so what I remember.

  Why was no one explaining to me what was happening? Could someone please just tell me why I was here? Was that so much to ask?

  “No, child, that is not too much to ask. You are a hybrid, someone able to live both on land in water. And right now, the government is trying to get rid of these beings. Everyone who even has a gill on them, functional or not, is brought to be executed. So, what most likely happened was someone tried to save you by bringing you here, one of the last havens for hybrids on Earth.”

  “Why? What did we do wrong? Why do we need to be killed?” I demanded, my heart somehow wanting to break now that someone was finally telling me the truth.

  “I’m so sorry, child. I can only guess that we are different, and that is what makes them afraid. The more capable and different we are, the more people are going to fear us. When they can’t control us or their actions, they will act up, finding ways to suppress us so we are just like any ordinary citizen up on land. It is how people naturally are,” he answered, his eyes filled with sadness so profound I could hardly breathe at the weight of his gaze.

  I threw up over the carpet floor, unable to hold in the fear grappling me anymore.

  I was afraid.

  I was utterly scared.

  Here, I didn’t know anyone. I had no one to depend on. Mom was gone. That man was still fighting, for what all I knew. Who could I turn to?

  “Hey, it’s okay to be scared. People weren’t meant to go through life without being scared. But, what are you going to do about it?”

  His voice was as gentle as a summer breeze, but his words pierced my heart.

  “I… am not sure. I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do here. Live here, I guess? I don’t have anywhere else to go,” I admitted, feeling like I could pour out my thoughts to him.

  Honestly, he could read my mind anyway, so it didn’t matter whether I was being honest or not. He would know, and I couldn’t do a single thing about it.

  “No, it’s not like that, Altair. I was only demonstrating to you what I can do. You see, I am the Headmaster of this Institute. Here, my job is to help each child find and reach their true potential. That is what my power is for. I might not even know if you’re lying, because I choose not to delve further into your mind. That is your solace, and I will never intrude unless you have given permission for me to do so. So, it is your choice to be honest to me. The reason I asked you what you want to do is because you are now a student of this Institute. There are many things that you can pursue here, and I will try my best to support you. So, where do you want to begin?” he winked at me with his good eye.

  “Um…”

  I really wanted to think about his question, but I couldn’t help but think about what happened to his eye. Did he get into an accident, or-

  A laugh interrupted my thoughts. I looked up in surprise, and a confused smile formed on my face. His laugh was low, deep, and full, and listening to it felt like hearing ocean waves crashing against the shore. I tried to stop laughing too just to make sure I wasn’t offending the Headmaster on my first week here.

  “No, you’re not offending me at all. It’s just that I think that I figured out what you want to do. I was in a war, and this was a casualty of the war. That’s it,” he smiled, and I felt instantly comfortable around him.

  “Really? How do you fight a war in water?”

  My curiosity got the better of me, and I wanted to know everything about this place.

  “Well, it’s not much different from fighting on land. Our weapons are a bit different, since we have to account for resistance and everything. If you want the details, you should go ask Professor Gunnar or Eir, since they’re mostly creating the weapons that we have in our stores. However, it’s not pretty, if that’s what you were wondering. Everything is the same; the grief, the loss, the sounds - it’s still messy and gruesome,” he sighed, looking away in sadness.

  “Why do you fight wars, then? If it’s messy and it hurts, why do you keep fighting?”

  I stared up at his eyes in quiet wonder.

  “Hmm… why do we? Maybe that’s for you to figure out, Altair. Maybe you can find the answer for me.”

  He looked at me with a melancholic smile.

  “I will, Dr. Liam. I will find that answer for you.”

  I didn’t know what happened to me, but at that moment, I was going to do everything I could to find out that answer.

  For some reason, I just wanted to know. And maybe, I could make the Headmaster smile a bit more widely too.