<< Chapter 18
The multi-talented @verbal-d (who, by the way, edited this chapter) has bestowed a wonderful gift for this story. Known for his lyrical rhymes, he's also a master when it comes to mixing melodious beats. To enhance the reading experience, play this on loop in the background as you read this chapter. Take a deep breath, and allow yourself to be consumed by the entire experience. Please be sure to follow and donate to @verbal-d! You can also follow his work on SoundCloud.
The prison cell became stuffy real quick. With Mamie moist, the air in the room became very humid. Soon, it became a chore to breathe.
The giant was slow to get up, her eyes still as glassy as melting ice. Night time had a way of weakening my titanic adversaries. Unfortunately, it had a way of weakening most other creatures as well, save for the children of the night. I wasn't one, but I try to not let the changes of the atmosphere affect me.
With the giant's strength powering me, I felt my viento surge through me. I almost felt the same way as that time I carved out a crater in the back of the compound. Could it be that I was able to reabsorb some of the power that they pilfered from me? If that was the case, then it wasn't the giant powering me at all.
"I love you, Ledd," Mamie muttered in an almost exhausted tone. "You know that, right?"
Isle la view? What could it have meant? Was it the name of the prison? Why would she even say it out of the blue? Isle la view. The words themselves meant something individually. But, when strung together, they didn't make any sense. Perhaps, her drunken stupor caused her to abruptly lose her energy.
I looked at her, confused, and replied only with a smile and a nod. Whatever "isle la view" meant, I'm pretty sure that it's something important. Or, I could be wrong and it could be totally useless. It could go either way, or both ways at the same time. Time, as they say, will tell.
Sweat trickled down my back, and I could bear the heat no longer. I walked towards the rectangular vent that normally spews cold air. It seemed like after years of use, it had ceased to function. Kicking it didn't seem to help in bringing it back to life, though it did draw the ire of the giant.
"Ledd!" she scolded. "Don't do that! You might break it."
Break it? That means it wasn't already broken. If only I could find a way to bring it back to life, then it might help in getting on the giant's good graces.
The giant was slow to get up, and the heat was quickly becoming intolerable. I didn't know if she felt as uncomfortable as I did, but at that point, I couldn't care less.
"Isle la view," I whispered to the rectangular vent, hoping that it was some sort of password to get it to function. Sadly, it wasn't, and Mamie was almost on her feet. I had to act swiftly.
I raised both of my arms, and lowered them slowly to form a semi-circular pattern in the air. My right hand thrusted diagonally to the left, I traced the same circular pattern on its descent. My left hand followed half a circle's perimeter after. The ground shook, and I felt my viento surge like it did in years past. As my left hand joined my right, I focused my viento in the space between them.
Carefully containing the tremendous force, I shaped my viento into a spherical armas. I leaned back, and slid my left foot in a semi-circular pattern going to the back. My right knee folded immediately after. This was a reparacion tecnica. The elders used it whenever a mechanical device wasn't functioning. With the giant's force powering me, I figured I could use it to relieve me of this smoldering atmosphere.
This was the first time I attempted this, so I might have botched a few steps. I was nervous of letting my armas go, fearing that it might result into another crater. It wasn't a terrible thing if that would happen, but I would certainly incur the wrath of my titanic captors.
I felt my fingers trembling more the longer I held my pose. Lurching forward, I threw my armas into the rectangular vent and hoped for the best. As soon as my armas hit it, the rectangular vent gave off a robotic tone and came back to life.
"It worked!" I exclaimed. I turned towards Mamie, surprised to see the giant amused instead of angry. It seemed that I learned more from the elders of my village than I imagined. If only I could teach other species how to harness viento. Even if we don't share the same bloodline, I could carry on the practices of my people, and forge my own legacy. "Did you see?"
"That's very good, Ledd," she said, clasping her hands. I wasn't quite sure if it was sarcastic or if she was genuinely delighted about the feat. Her face seemed to point to the latter, but why would she be delighted?
Was it because they were hoping I would regain the full extent of my powers? It made sense if they wanted to siphon it in its entirety. Did she lead me placing my lips against hers so that I could charge up? It was all very confusing, and a flurry of other questions rushed to my head.
She sauntered out of the prison cell, closing the door behind her. I hurriedly trailed her, not wanting to be locked inside.
The frigid air was always biting whenever I was the only one in the room. It's like they were torturing me using the glacial temperature. As a Sachaphoyan, the cold mountain air was but a norm. Although, ever since my imprisonment here, I became averse to chilly environments. It must be the humidity of the low-lying plains. My body adjusted so that I can bear the smoldering temperatures.
My viento strengthened my every step and carried me as I ran. Literally walking on air, I slipped out the door, as it was about to close. My left foot got snagged on the door, and I fell on the wooden floorboard.
"Oh, Ledd!" Mamie yelled. She grabbed me by my arm and helped me to get up. "Are you alright? What happened?"
"I-I ... I'm alright," I replied, waving her off. I was onto her tricks, and I wasn't going to let her subject me to that freezing torture once again. Maybe that's why she doused me with the water treatment. The water increased the efficiency of the cold air torture. "I'm okay, don't worry about me."
The ones who should be worried are you and your kin. I stood up, and brushed myself off. It took a special kind of patience to restrain myself from unleashing my enhanced power. But, if that's what's needed to enact my improvised plan, then so be it.
"Dadier," Mamie called out. "I'm going down to fetch Eddie, watch Ledd, okay?"
Dadier put up his right hand and acknowledged the command without speaking. The gesture might have been a pre-discussed sign of confirmation. Or, the giant telepathically replied to Mamie. If only I could figure out their hand gestures, then maybe I could improve my communication with them. Considering they don't understand the way I speak.
I put my augmented viento to good use by directing it to my brain. Not wanting to waste time, I busied myself in trying to figure out how I could make a weapon out of these trinkets. There must be some way that I could get a weapon like Ayesa's. I couldn't accept that it was handed to her just like that. What, with the destruction it could create? There was no way that the giants would be so careless, even if they've successfully turned her to their side.
From time to time, Dadier slid his mobile throne to see what I was up to. Whenever he felt like it, he would stand up and play around with what I was making. It seemed like he was crafting something of value. But, it might be that he was distracting me from seeing the true potential of the trinkets.
I was careful not to assemble anything that had any semblance to a weapon. The last thing I wanted to do was to risk rousing Dadier's suspicion. Hours passed and I still couldn't make any sense of them. There must be a pattern, but I wasn't sure where to start looking.
With my augmented viento running out, I decided to turn my attention to Dadier. I went inside his station and, as expected, he lifted me up onto his lap. The giant changed the display of the computer into a series of moving pictures. It wasn't the same hypnotic nonsense that the teevee displayed.
The information that the computer provided was substantial. With the help of my viento, I was able to digest every single morsel. Dadier's close watch prevented me from looking at details on how to tinker with the trinkets. But, I had to take advantage of the opportunity afforded to me.
I turned around to face the giant, scaled his craggy abdomen and grabbed hold to both of his cheeks, as well as I can. He looked confused, and his eyes crossed as he tried to meet my gaze. I placed my lips on his to absorb his energy. The giant didn't flinch or resist my advance. Barb-like quills that protruded his chin abraded my skin. I didn't care about the pain. The reward heavily outweighed the cost. I felt his breath on my face; it was searing, like the steam that emanated from the caps of the holed mountains.
Dadier carried me, as he stood up from his throne. He set me back down where he sat, tousled my hair, and walked outside his station. The ground shook fiercely with every unhurried step he took.
"You be good now, you hear?" he remarked as he bid goodbye.
And, just like that, I had gained full control of the computer. With it, I had access to the giants' global surveillance network.
"That was easier than I thought," I whispered, grinning.
The extremely passionate @ryivhnn has created this magnificent viento-inspired artwork for this story. Close your eyes and picture this masterpiece, as you imagine Ledd soaring to new heights. Please be sure to check out @ryivhnn's wonderful artwork and in-depth logs of her experiences with homeschooling her children. You can also become a patron of hers on Patreon so that you can support her regularly.
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