SOMEWHERE IN MILAVE

JANUAE

The fortune teller Yeri was somehow able to convince Ossam to allow me to work for the Traveling Menagerie and Soaring Circus in exchange for passage to Orrila. I was told it would be at least a couple of weeks before we reached the city and that I would be expected to work the entire time. I was also made to swear an oath of secrecy regarding whatever I learned of the workings of the troupe.

The next town was three days travel from the last and the circus set up to spend three nights there as it had in Clepteel. Those were busy days, helping to erect tents, platforms, stages, and cages. I would help out backstage preparing the next performers during whatever act was being presented. It was here that I learned the reason for me being sworn to secrecy. The Great Theon’s cragworms were merely holograms projected over trained seskii. The moranx was just a deformed aneen presented in a blurred fashion. The Kaprof Brothers, however, were the real deal and remarkably skilled in their acrobatics, as was the phenomenal glaive.

Travel between towns however was an exercise in ennui, as I soon learned. There is no work to be done while riding in wagons across the land. I was quartered with Yeri in her already cramped wagon, which may have been a condition  Ossam had imposed on her to grant me passage. It was far from ideal for me but the old lady seemed to enjoy the company, drawing out from me tales of my jaunts. She also tried to take advantage of the downtime by trying to take advantage of me. I resisted, as my nature is one who tends to be willing to share my body as part of some form of exchange. With this being the case, Yeri decided to make me another offer.

YERI

You are just a daupsam by nature, aren’t you, Lost Nano? Well I do believe I can offer you something in exchange for you providing me with some of that gratification.

JANUAE

What is that?

YERI

I can help you to learn to control your jaunting.

JANUAE

(laughs bitterly)

Please. Believe me, I’ve tried numerous ways to control it. Some methods have been tried on me… at a considerable cost.

YERI

But there was the giant creature you told me about. You said you knew you could jaunt to your escape when it had you in its grasp.

JANUAE

I did, yes.

YERI

Your mind was clear. Just like when you dealt with the Stratharian War Moths. The ganch created a stillness in your mind. Your mind is normally so filled with compulsion and anxiety that you can hardly clear it enough to control this condition within you.

JANUAE

So what are you saying? I need to use the ganch to still my mind?

YERI

Perhaps, it could at least help.

JANUAE

Well, as gracious of an offer as that is, you’ll pardon me if I’m a bit dubious-

YERI

I’ve done it before.

JANUAE

(pause)

You’ve done… what?

YERI

I’ve trained a person to control his teleportation abilities.

JANUAE

You’ve… you’ve met someone who’s… had my condition?

YERI

Yes. Well, similar to yours, at least. I taught him to focus his mind in order to control his abilities. It took time, it wasn’t quick, but we got there.

JANUAE

What happened to this man?

YERI

He… teleported away one day and didn’t return. I knew the day would come when he’d do so, and alas…

JANUAE

How long did this take? For you to teach this man?

YERI

It took several months. It is not a quick process, Lost Nano.

JANUAE

You said we will pass near Orrila in a couple of weeks, right? Could you teach me until then?

YERI

I can share with you some techniques you can work on, but it’s a slow process-

JANUAE

Well then teach me as much as you can until then. Perhaps I can learn the rest on my own.

YERI

Well it’s not that simple-

JANUAE

It’s worth a try. I may prove to be a quick study.

YERI

(after a pause)

I suppose it’s worth a try. But I still expect to be compensated. At least while you’re willing.

JANUAE

As long as you’re willing to work with me on this, I’ll be willing to provide my services.

YERI

Perhaps for now, but we’ll see about that.

Transition

JANUAE

Yeri was right about it not being a simple process. According to her we have to take time conditioning me to quiet the mind, then practice repeated, measured jaunts until I feel I have full control of it.

The wagon ride between towns is far too noisy and bumpy to afford me the means to quiet my mind so Yeri suggests we wait until we’ve reached the next town before we can commence. Once we arrive at the town in the morning there is far too much work to do getting the circus acts set up and staged, and although I’m kept quite busy it’s not enough to keep my mind off the excitement of working with Yeri on my training. After everything has been set up for the show in the evening Yeri takes me to one of the wagons to begin.

YERI

This is where all your training will be conducted. This is the best time to do this, when it’s quiet just before we open the gates. That way you can focus most easily.

JANUAE

Alright, what do I do first?

YERI

Be patient, Lost Nano, or do you know how to do that? You’re going to have to learn, as that’s your biggest barrier to controlling this condition of yours.

JANUAE

Fine.

(exhales heavily)

I’m ready.

YERI

Well let me explain the process. First, we need to make it to where you can come back here after you’ve jaunted. Give me your hand.

JANUAE

Alright…

(he winces as she cuts his palm)

Ow! Why’d you have to do that?

YERI

I need your blood. At least the nanites in your bloodstream. Hold your hand over this glass tube. That’s it. This is like a homing beacon. It’s what will allow you to come back here when you’re done.

JANUAE

When I’m done…?

YERI

Hush. Let me explain. We will start by quieting your mind. You can smoke some of the ganch at first to help you but we’ll need to get you to the point where you won’t need it anymore. Once your mind is clear you will feel yourself transporting to another place, jaunting, as you refer to it. After you’ve remained in the location for a period of time you will return here. Do you understand?

JANUAE

I believe so, but can you tell me… where will I be jaunting to? What am I to expect?

YERI

I’ll say nothing as I don’t want to give you any preconceived ideas of what to expect. This will only serve to create mental chatter for you. Here, let me see the cut in your palm. This poultice will take away the sting so it won’t distract you.

YERI applies the poultice to JANUAE’s cut

Better?

JANUAE

Yes. Thank you.

YERI

Now sit here on this cushion. Take in the ganch. Nice. Alright. Now just clear your mind. The herbs should help. I will be back soon.

JANUAE

Wait, you’re leaving me here?

YERI

You don’t need my presence to distract you. Just relax. Enjoy the experience.

JANUAE

With that, Yeri leaves me and I feel my mind and body start to relax with the effects of the ganch. My anxiety with the unknown wanes as well, and I find myself slipping into a euphoric, calm state. Thoughts seem to thin out until they become devoid of any substance.

A few moments have passed before I realize I am no longer in the wagon. I am sitting in a field of very tall grass, nearly shoulder height. The air has a very slight chill but there is no breeze. I see a few hills in the distance but the kilometers beyond are cloaked in a haze.

I rise to my feet and slowly stroll about this place, taking in the scents, the scenery, the environment. Aside from the grasses, a few trees, the hills and the haze beyond, there is not much to see.

Before I know it three odd looking creatures pop up out of the tall grasses and surround me. They are maybe a head shorter than me, somewhat conical shape with bands of blue and yellow running from the narrow top to the wide base. They each have a golden rectangular patch near their top point that face me. For a moment there is no movement from either them or myself. I am about to utter a greeting when they each take turns spraying me with a fine mist of sorts, which needless to say completely takes me aback and leaves me a bit annoyed, frankly. Deciding I do not need to reckon with these beings I proceed to walk away, but they float along with me, pacing me and keeping me at the center of their triangle.

Now I’m beginning to itch. Whatever they’ve sprayed me with is irritating my skin. I try to run and scratch at the same time but they maintain their distance, keeping me surrounded just out of arm’s reach. I stumble, regain my feet, and there they are. They spray me again. I yell at them. I try to swat at them but I cannot close the distance between myself and any of them. I try running again and they still follow! This is absolutely maddening! Where in the Ninth World have I jaunted to? What insanity am I in right now?

Yeri! Get me out of here! Bring me back right now!

I must have been scratching and running and yelling for twenty minutes, as a guess. I finally curl up in a ball, trying to minimize how much of the spray I’m getting covered with. Soon enough I realize I can hear the sound of circus music not far away, and I realize I am back in the wagon.

Completely irritated, in every sense of the word, I storm out of the wagon, making my way through the thinning audience over to Yeri’s fortune table. Upon seeing me she stands up readily.

YERI

Hey, you really needed to wait in the wagon for me to come get you-

JANUAE

What the hell was that?

YERI

Well clearly it worked. Come sit down and tell me about your experience.

JANUAE

It was terrible! Look at my face, my hands. See how irritated my skin is?

YERI

Actually, I can’t, not by this candlelight. It’s dark out here and your skin is dark.

JANUAE

I jaunted to some place where these creatures persisted in spraying me with some sort of irritant. I couldn’t get away from them.

YERI

It sounds like you lucked out, Lost Nano.

JANUAE

Well I don’t feel all that lucky. I’m still itchy all over.

YERI

It could have been much worse for you. You could have jaunted to some place with more ferocious creatures that might have taken you for a meal. Look, I’m sorry about whatever you faced, but that’s nothing compared to what you could come up against. We need to get you trained with Heth Narhaa in the ways of combat and defense.

JANUAE

Wait… I’m going to end up in harm’s way throughout this process? Isn’t there a way I can control where I go so I can avoid that?

YERI

Not at this point. Eventually I can teach you to jaunt at will under the right conditions. It’s up to you to hone that skill, and beyond that I couldn’t tell you. Now don’t worry yourself, Lost Nano. I wanted to show you that you could do it, that you could jaunt on your own, soon without the help of the ganch. We’ll get you well versed in self-defense so you can handle yourself.

JANUAE

In the meantime can you get me to a basin so I can rinse whatever this is off my skin?

YERI

We can get you that too. You have a debt to pay and I want all of that off of you beforehand. Let’s go get you cleaned up.