Planet: Eteran

First Insurgency War

JAMES

Autumn winds caressed his cheek in gentle swirls along his skin while he slumbered in darkness of golden oranges. It lit the ideas in his mind with compositions of fire. Framed by a picture perfect horizon, a gas giant rose out of the void to spread its colours and shine across the stars. Grass tickled his skin and leaves whispered above his head, lulling him into contentment.

A familiar whir jolted him back to reality. He dared not open his eyes and listened instead. Worlds fluttered when he tore through his sleepy haze. Lounging beside him, a black-haired, golden eyed figure adjusted the lens of a high end datacam. James sighed and kept his hands on the back of his head and crossed his leg. Honestly... people should leave the photography to me.

James lifted his hand to Rayan's forearm on his chest. "What do you think you're doing?"

Rayan peeked around the datacam with a sheepish grin. James gazed into the lens, then sat up to grasp the precious instrument of capturing the beauty of a frozen moment. His fingers drifted against Rayan's as he adjusted the lens. "You dabbling in photography now?" he questioned and returned to his blanket of grass.

"Nope." Rayan undocked the infopod out of the datacam's slot. "I just thought I'd see if I could catch you off guard for once. Good to see I succeeded."

James motioned for Rayan to put down the datacam onto the grass of the mansion's backyard. Once it left Rayan's hands he tackled him to the ground. Rayan yelped when he shoved his fingers underneath his ribcage. It never failed to get a reaction out of anybody he used it on. Knees against Rayan's stomach, he wrestled him to the embrace of grass.

"This is what you get for disturbing my nap." He struggled against Rayan's attempts to shove him off.

Rayan laughed and wriggled. "Hey! You've taken pictures of me — didn't even get my good side." His hand shoved into his cheek, and James tried not to bite on it. "Only fair that I have some payback."

"I'm the photographer. You're the painter." James dropped all his weight on Rayan. "Besides, you're the one who impedes on my shots every time." Rayan raised an eyebrow, and James scowled at him while conductive electricity lit through his cheeks.

"You certain about that? It seems too coincidental. I mean, if you need a model—" Rayan grinned with wicked fervor.

James smacked him on the arm, and he grunted when Rayan brought his legs up and shoved him. His back hit the grass with a thump, where small pebbles dug into his spine. Soreness crawled across his shoulder blades as he rolled over onto his stomach. "Ow," he whispered while he traced the spot. "Damn, Ray. Don't let Jon see you do that. He'd ask you to be our first frontliner in a blink."

He jolted when Rayan grabbed his arm with an expression of terror. "Did I hurt you?"

"What?" James let Rayan pull him to his feet, and frowned when Rayan rested a hand on his tickled back. "I'm fine. Give me more credit than that. I've had worse in Starcross." He headed to the datacam, tucked in the autumn grass to investigate it. "Really, Ray." He checked the shutters, the settings. Every single button and the variety of transforming lenses. "So, what's this for?"

Rayan's sheepish grin returned. "Uh, well... I was debating on what to get you for your birthday. Meryn helped me decide and we picked it up a couple days ago." James froze at the information, and turned to Rayan, who jolted. "I-I just know you were getting frustrated with that other datacam, and seeing it was my fault I... I just wanted to do something nice." He rubbed the back of his neck, and James stared at the beautiful instrument of his art.

"You didn't have to..."

Rayan rushed over to him, hand raised. "It wasn't a problem, really!" he said. "I want to see the shots you can make with it." He gave him a thumbs up. "I wanted to make sure it worked." The evening glow settled itself on Rayan's cheeks while he shuffled in place. "It holds more than your old datacam — and has all the lenses you'd ever need." He folded his arms with a satisfied nod. "You already know what I'm giving to Ava."

"Oh, yeah." James hugged the datacam. "Thanks, Ray."

"No problem."

His soreness from his back stabbed straight through his heart. James sucked in a painful breath and nodded. "Right, well..." He lifted his face to the overcast sky where the little curtains of sunrays tore through the smallest crack. "I should return my old datacam to... my dad." Venom salted his tongue, but he swallowed it. I won't let him ruin my good mood. "Should I let Ava know her birthday present is ready?"

"I'd rather it be a surprise."

James tucked the datacam into his bag. "Your grass is too comfortable," he mumbled while Rayan walked him to the mansion. "Tell me you used the right settings and saturation while taking a picture of my wonderful face." He tapped his own cheek then cleaned the infopod of Rayan's test drives to avoid looking at a mirror.

"Nope. No idea how datacams work. It's incredible what you can do," Rayan pointed out, and James stomped on the warm jitters centralised over his heart. "I would love to see you paint though."

"No."

"Aw, come on!" Rayan wrapped his arm around his neck, and James sank into his shoulders at the closeness. "It won't be that bad. I can help you."

"And what would I even draw?" James asked and shoved Rayan out of his space, but the tingles remained. "There is a divide between my writing skills and my drawing skills. You can draw these gorgeous landscapes. I have all the technique of being able to draw a wriggly worm."

"It'd be your version of a wriggly worm," Rayan whispered, a sense of despair in the golds. "Isn't that what art is all about?"

James clenched his fists. "Can we not do the praise game, Ray?"

Rayan went silent and took him to the front door while his smile rang hollow. One full of uncertainty and pain. "Thanks for coming," Rayan said. "I know what happened last time you were here wasn't... the best time. I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable. I didn't even know my dad was going to be home."

James held onto the door. "It's fine. I get it."

Rayan lowered his head with a frown. "Am I selfish? Am I selfish for wanting you to stay?"

James stared at him, confused, and nervous. "Well, uh... I'm not good with the whole father bonding, if you haven't noticed," he pointed out. "What use would I have been to you if I stayed?" He shrugged, and swallowed in agony. "Ava... Ava would know what to do. If you ask her, I'm sure she'd help you."

Rayan went quiet, then shook his head. "No, I won't ask that of either of you. I want you to enjoy your new present and your birthday... don't worry about my family issues."

"I'll be sure to."

Rayan blinked, then tipped forward. "Are you going to take pictures of me?"

James shoved back into the house. Rayan laughed with a wave, and James hopped off the front steps, through the barrier gate. His soreness crept out of his heart the more he put distance between him and the mansion — and Rayan Falae. Back through the familiar forest paths, he headed back home. Gravel crunched underneath his feet as he raced through the park. Kids bounced along the monkey bars and punted balls through the air while parents watched nearby.

His quick pace broke into a brisk jog when home came into view. He beamed at the sight of Ava and Meryn tossing starballs to each other using his back up necks. James rushed forward to take the ball out of Meryn's reach, who made a loud noise of complaint.

"Oh, come on!" Meryn waved the bat. "I'm trying to get better at this!"

"Don't let Jon see you. He won't leave you alone," James said and tossed the starball back to Ava. He headed to the steps, but hesitated. "Avie, is Dad home?"

Her eyebrows disappeared behind her dirty-blonde bangs. "You want to know if Dad is home? Who are you and what have you done to my twin brother?"

"Harhar." James folded his arms. "I need to return something to him."

"His keys?"

"Nope." James left Meryn and Ava to the game, throwing his schoolbag onto the hook, rifling through it to grab Dad's datacam. It had been a reluctant hand-me-down, but he treated it with respect and care every datacam needed.

It was the tool of the trade.

Dad sat on the couch with his attention stuck on the I-Screen. A smoking ashtray sat on the windowsil, where through the glass Ava and Meryn joked and practised their lack of Starcross skills. Tendrils of smoke framed them in a haunted visage and sent embers across the distant grass.

James crept closer and stood in front of the I-Screen, forcing his attention on him.

"Yes, James?"

"Here's your datacam." James dropped it into his lap. "I don't need it anymore."

"Oh?" Dad examined it. "Why?"

"Rayan got me a new one for my birthday," James explained and showed it to him. "Look."

He expected another Dad tirade about the troublemaker Rayan Falae, but he said nothing as he bit down on his cigar with an expression of stone. James brought it back against his chest. "Are you getting Ava anything for her birthday?"

"She said she didn't want anything, so I gave her some exal so she can get something nice for herself." Dad shrugged, but then narrowed his hazel eyes. "Why, you want something?"

"There's nothing you can give me."

Dad leaned back onto the couch with a heavy sigh. "How about I have Illiya set an extra keypod for your use so you don't have to keep taking mine?" He folded his arms. "It'd work best for both of us. I need my set for work."

"I never heard Mrs. Falae complain," James snapped. "You couldn't use compearls?"

"There's not enough security and encryption around standard compearls. Most of what we discuss has to be in private and in person," Dad commented, then glared at him. "You're far too young to understand."

"Understand what?" James questioned.

"I've said too much." Dad lifted himself off the couch.

"I'm turning seventeen soon, Dad. I'm not eight."

"You're still too young." Dad grunted and moved past him. "Enjoy your new datacam."

James huffed at his fleeing back. "I will." He rushed up to his bedroom to put it among his things, so out of place to his many hand-me-downs. Fancy and hi-tech. Rayan spared no expense for him, but his thoughts dulled. He headed for his window where Meryn hooted at an impressive catch Ava made, only to scream when she whiffed it back to him.

He longed to join their fun, but his body stopped him short. Everything wanted to melt into his bed, where he found himself unable to write out his confusion he continued to experience with his lack of inspiration. One high wall he tried to scale alone — forever. He followed the wish of his mind and body both to slump into his bed with a groan to listen to the sounds of Meryn and Ava laughing outside.

He rolled through his documents, and the wall lowered itself while he followed Rayan's advice. If writing itself refused to work, he had to take a step back and view the whole picture from every angle. He tapped his I-Pen on his notepad, but the silence buzzed in his ear and made it hard to concentrate.

Why is it that I can only seem to write in Rayan's art room? I mean, sure, it breathes inspiration, but... James leaned into his cheek when Janie stomped past his room, complaining about something he tuned out. He gazed down at the notepad while the inspiration of the art room faded into Rayan's endless golden gaze while he smiled, laughed, and sent strokes of colour through a monochrome world.

His I-Pen slipped out of his fingers and rolled off his bed.

He put his face in his pillow, and screamed along with Ava's laugh outside.

He snapped back up at a snort.

Janie peeked her head around his door with a wicked, devious sneer as she put a foot over the doorframe.

James scowled at the wall and his slamming heart as he grabbed the pillow, and whiffed it straight at her head to get her out of his room.

Out of his heart to escape the burning field of gold.