“She began by sharing with me the pain and rage she felt at her brother’s murder. She has a way of seeing things that happen in distant places, and there were witnesses; she knows it to be true. Her pain was much like I would feel if such a thing happened to William, but the way she expressed it… I’d never dreamed such powers existed. Then, when that also did not have the desired effect upon me…” I let my voice drop down to a low, accusing tone, “She made me feel every pain and indignity that you subjected her to, as if it was happening to me.” His face pales slightly, and I continue, “When you receive your final judgment, Lucian, you will burn.”
He smiles in a way that on another I would call rueful, “That, Shi'ahn, I already know. Do you have anything else to add?”
“I despise you.” Again that odd expression, not a real smile, not a grimace; acceptance? I get up and walk out; he does not move to stop me.
Chapter 12
A Day of Rest
Surprisingly, the next few days are relatively peaceful. William and I are finally given a thorough, though of course not complete, tour of the citadel, which I do my best to memorize, and we have a chance to walk around outdoors. On the other side of the citadel, other side of the mountain, or however you wish to describe it, there are forests and fields. The higher altitudes consist primarily of fairly untouched forests, and are reserved for family, as is a ‘middle’ ground; filled with many truly beautiful gardens, it could take years to walk them all. Beyond a high wall of flowering trees lie the lower areas, where much of the food of Lumina is grown. Those fields are also quite pretty, and seem to stretch on for miles on end. We are told that further down the foods are processed primarily by the noble houses of Lumina. The political standings of those houses are closely bound to the quality of the products they provide, a system that tends to guarantee that the Citadel always has truly superior sustenance available. We are also given a lecture on the importance of eating as many of our meals in Lumina as possible – the food grown here is apparently more nutritious to us than any other. It’s fine to tour the outer worlds, but we should always return home periodically or risk growing weakened through lack of essential nutrients. Weakened, of course, not meaning that we would be unable to function seemingly normally, but that the extensive strengths of our kind would slowly dissipate, leaving us more 'normal' for the area we are in. Our guide confides that our relative lack of this affliction, even though we had never been to Lumina, has been considered highly suspect. How could we be so well nourished and obviously well developed, both physically and mentally, while being away all our lives? It doesn’t make sense.
I have to wonder, Cailli said that the moons and core of Shiral are of Luminite, the very ore that she used to create the crystals of the Path. Could Luminite be the source of these essential nutrients?
As we walk up the mountain toward an obviously ancient forest, I find my mind filled with peace, almost as if…
“William, do you sense it? It feels like… home.”
William stops to concentrate, “You’re right… this does seem oddly familiar. Hey, Shi'ahn, wait for me!”
I just can’t wait; I need to enter the forest. As I walk faster toward the beckoning trees, a song Mathair taught me escapes my lips, a devotion to the land. The very song from which I later named the living soul of Shiral. William follows me, but for some reason our guide stands rooted in place. I split my voice into melody and harmony, and Mathair’s voice seemingly joins as though echoing mine. I become caught up not only in the song, but in dance as well, yet still I continue toward my goal. Somewhere along the way I kick off my shoes; I want to experience the land! My song ends at the forest edge, and the dance leaves me kneeling deeply in awe of this tremendous place, head bowed near to the land I have been singing to. I begin to rise as I open my eyes and find myself before a great stag. I drop back in respect, then tentatively raise my eyes. He is magnificent… I hear it - he belongs here; this forest is his.
“Excuse me, Great One, may I please enter your domain?”
Deep brown eyes gaze down into mine; I do not feel penetrated as so many make me feel, and yet I'm certain he can see everything there is of me. I feel almost naked, but not endangered. I hold my place – I have intruded upon his domain, he has the right to know who and what I am. He nods slightly and takes a step back.
“I thank you, forest lord.” Instead of proceeding freely, though, I find myself facing yet another figure, a woman. She is unlike anyone I have ever seen before. Her hair is green, her eyes brown, her skin the color of light bark, and her clothing spun from forest matter. Even more remarkable is how she sounds - she belongs here just as truly as does the great stag.
“Who are you, Child? We do not know you.” Her voice is like the whisper of leaves.
“I am Shi'ahn. I’m, we, my brother William and I, are new here, we only arrived days ago. We are from Shiral.”
“Shiral, I have not heard of it. Where is this Shiral?”
“In relation to here? I’m sorry, I don’t really know. This is all very new to me.”
“And yet you sing a devotional song to us?”
“It is a song Mathair taught me as a child. This place seems so much like home; the song arose unbidden. I am sorry if I have acted inappropriately.”
“Who is your Mathair?” I don’t know if it is my sigh or my expression, but she continues almost immediately. “You don’t know, do you?”
“I was only a child when she was taken from me; from us. The people called her ‘Beautiful Lady’ and that’s all I knew her as aside from Mathair.”
“And your father?”
My voice becomes unexpectedly cold, “I never knew him.” So many people ask that, and they all look condescending when I reply, but not this woman.
“It’s alright, child, I understand your plight.”
William finally reaches us, but our guide is nowhere in sight. “Shi'ahn?” I glance at him, then address the forest woman.
“This is my brother, William. William, this is…”
She returns her gaze to me, “My name is Fauna. Come, you are welcome here. Your brother may come as well.” I glance behind her, looking for the great stag, but he is nowhere to be seen. She takes my arm and leads us into the most ancient and beautiful forest I have ever seen. The trees become very dense, soon there is little to no undergrowth aside from the plushest mosses I've ever had the pleasure to walk upon. They are also strong, our passage does them no harm. When the forest canopy occasionally opens up, the plants are amazing – exotic wildflowers abound, as do so many other beautiful plants. The cleanest, purest stream I have ever encountered runs through the forest, and as the land is on a tremendous mountain, it forms astoundingly beautiful waterfalls. Their mists give the surrounding areas a mystical look; this must be the greatest forest in all existence.
My heart suddenly feels heavy as I realize she has just led us back to the edge of the forest; Fauna looks deeply into my eyes. “I believe, Shi'ahn, that you will always be welcome here. I will inform the guard that you are to be allowed unrestricted access unless I inform them otherwise. I do not believe I will have to do that, though. You may visit as well, William. It is refreshing to meet family members who revere the land. Those in the Citadel are so caught up in their sciences that the natural world means comparatively little to them. Well met, cousin.”
Cousin? “Are we truly…” It's too late, with her last words she backed away and somehow disappeared into the forest. I want to follow, but William tugs at my arm.
“No, Shi'ahn, I think we are meant to leave now.”
“But…”
“We have been without our guide for quite some time now, I think it best we return.” He concentrates on his crystal and returns us to the citadel. We've missed dinner, but servants deliver plentiful meals to our rooms. As I finish mine I hear a knock, on the inside of my door.
~~~
“Shi'ahn? Please excuse me, may we speak?”
“Celeste! What a
re you doing here - inside my rooms?”
“Avoiding Novanus' scrutiny. I know what he has said to you, and I am sorry you had to experience that. Generally we - those of Nebulaea's descent - stick together. I don't understand what his problem with you is, but I want you to understand that I do not share it. And, I'll admit, I don't want him to know it. He is my elder, after all.”
“Are you then also bound to obey your elders?”
“To a certain extent, yes, we all are. Fortunately I don't have many. That's something you need to understand, though. Novanus is my elder, but the Emperor is not. That's one of the reasons he doesn't care for us, we are not as completely under his authority as are his own children. We have a choice as to whether we follow where he leads… or not.
“Yet Novanus is your elder, and he clearly disapproves of me. Why are you here, Celeste?”
Oddly, she smiles. “I am not a child, Shi'ahn. Novanus' directives are more like recommendations, to me. You saved our lives – you truly did; I would not have figured out the crystal trap on my own, for I was certain there was no escape. You wouldn't give up, though, you insisted that we work away at our problem until we solved it, and for that I owe you for not only my own life, but for my Mother's. Novanus' directive to cast you aside as unworthy pales in comparison.”
“You don't hate me, then?”
“No! I couldn't. Not privately, at least. Publicly, however, I feel I must follow Novanus' lead. I am truly sorry to do so, though – it's important to me that you understand. For some reason, he feels it is of utmost importance that we distance ourselves from you. He speaks as though it is not only a matter of personal safety, but for the good of our realm. He is rarely wrong – and so while I do not understand or agree with him, I will, publicly, comply.”
“I see. So, in other words, I'm to stay away from you as well.”
“Only in public! Privately, though, Shi'ahn, I would be honored if you would think of me as a friend. As family.”
I don't know what to say, she is the first person here to, at least privately, refer to herself as my friend. I hate secrecy and misdirection, but even to think of her privately as my friend fills my heart with joy. “Alright, Celeste, privately you are my family and my friend, but I will not speak of it publicly.” I step forward and hug her, momentarily letting my tremendous joy at finally finding family willing to accept me flood my heart. I feel her surprise at the unexpected warmth that floods through her as I hold her in my arms. I smile joyously, engulfing her in the harmonies of my happiness. Her smile as she pulls away is amazingly tender. Then it turns playful.
“If our deception begins to weigh you down, think on this: my mind floods with mirth beyond measure when I think that Mithridia, while attempting to kill one Nebulaean, let the majority of the entire line slip through her fingers, because she was preoccupied with you. That was truly cosmic justice.” Still smiling playfully, she transports away.
~~~
The next day Joanna appears with a man, her brother Johan, who offers us a tour of the Oceanside. We utilize a transport device, and appear near the Imperial docks. This time I get a better look at them – when we returned from our dubious rescue mission we were a bit rushed and distracted. They are an unusual sight, as I'm almost certain most of the docked ships are actually meant for flight in space. I suppose that makes sense, though, everyone here is so caught up in their scientific worlds that I doubt many of them spend much time sailing for recreation. I do see Gwenllian's ship Hiraeth.
“Where would you like to begin, my Lord and Lady?”
I know where William would like to go, so I beat him to answering; I don't want to go on a tour of ships just now. “Wherever the waters are the most beautiful, if you don’t mind.”
“Do you not wish to tour the city, my Lady? There are many magnificent sights to see. The Temple of the Bodhisattva is the most magnificent structure in all of the universe, in my humble opinion.”
“I suppose that would be nice, but I wish to see the water first.” I see slight disappointment in William's eyes, but he takes it well.
“As you wish, my Lady.” He takes us to a truly beautiful seashore; the sand seems very like the blue and violet veined quartz of the citadel, and indeed the waves crash against large boulders of similar stone off to the right. The water is deep, deep blue, and sparkles alluringly in the light of the great spire. Johan's smile proves that he finds the sight magnificent as well, then his expression turns to shock as William and I take off running into the water and frolic in the waves.
Finally I turn back toward the shore and ask, “What about underwater – are there any noteworthy sights there?”
“Many, I understand. The nearby coral reefs are magnificent, and beyond I am told there are wonders beyond description.”
“Really? Well, what do you think, William – care for a swim?”
“We have no underwater gear, Shi'ahn.”
“Oh really, William – you should know that isn’t a concern.” He smiles back, and I dive. I cast an underwater breathing spell around myself, causing my exhaled breath to combine with the oxygen in the water around my face to form breathable air. I hear William follow me, and cast a similar spell around him. Although there is not another splash, I hear someone swimming far behind us – I trust whoever it is has their own method for obtaining breathable air, and swim on.
The coral reefs are easy to find, and are truly magnificent. We swim over their length, then I look to William and project my voice just behind his ear, to the bone that transmits sound so well. “Care to look for some of the wonders beyond?” He nods, then mouths the word 'time'. “Don't worry.” He nods again and I haste us slightly, enough to speed our progress without making the water seem too slow to move out of our way. The bottom of this ocean is beautiful – a great deal of rock is visible, like the oceans of Shiral. It's majestic. Eventually we come upon odd stone formations, no, I believe they are constructions. One even vaguely resembles the Lunarium! I long to swim into it, but just beyond it is a stand of plants of some sort. The overall effect is much like a forest, and so I simply must heed its call.
William takes hold of my arm and speaks to my mind. 'I'm not so sure that's a good idea, Shi'ahn. This area is obviously tended, and I haven't seen anywhere that the caretakers might live. Until now. Barging into their home uninvited doesn't seem like a wise move.'
'But I can hear it, William, it is a forest – it calls!' I try to swim away from him, but his grasp strengthens; he is stronger than he used to be. I hear another sound then, someone else swimming toward us, it's Lucian. I turn angry eyes to him and project my voice to his ear. “What do you want, Lucian?”
His voice reaches us fine – though I suspect he uses a device – the vibrations aren't quite right, as though there is something in his mouth as he speaks. “To keep you from making a grave mistake.”
“And why would you want to do that – you haven't taken much care with my safety lately.” I do not disguise any of my anger with him.
“Because, even though the Old One would not let me take official responsibility for you, the Emperor wants you watched – by me. You are developing a bit of a reputation for finding trouble.”
William laughs, and since he's still holding on to me, I hear his thoughts, 'He's got you there, Sis.' I shoot him a disapproving glare, then turn back to Lucian.
“And what terrible mistake are you trying to save me from now? What could possibly be so bad that you would intervene to help me?”
“You have been lucky recently, Shi'ahn. Those that you have approached uninvited have been family, and therefore not likely to harm you for such a small offense – but those who live in that forest are not family. They are also not friends, they may delight in taking one of ours to do with as they please.”
I remain defiant, “And you care because?”
“I am here to stop you because the Emperor would find it embarrassing for any of us to be taken by them.” His words do not ring with truthfuln
ess, and yet it feels right to heed them.
“Fine. I suppose we should be returning anyway.” Lucian moves as though to escort us back, but I'm not about to travel with him. I nod to William, he concentrates on his transport crystal and sends us back to the shore. Poor Johan still waits for us, looking terribly worried. His expression of relief as we walk out of the water is almost profound.
“My Lady! Lord William; is everything alright?”
“Yes, we're fine, though hungry.”
“It's no wonder, you have missed lunch and it is nearly time for dinner.”
I cast a drying spell over William and I, and Johan's jaw drops. I look around us and understand, William added a bit of light to the drying process, we are surrounded by shimmering sparkles as the water evaporates away at a highly accelerated rate.
“William!”
“Just having some fun.”
I first look disapprovingly at him, and then expectant.
“Oh all right.” He transports us back to my rooms. Just in time to dress for dinner.
~~~
We find ourselves seated next to Alma. Cas is unusually absent from her side. During our discussion I happen to refer to a ninebreath; her eyes snap onto mine.
“You know, Shi'ahn, you're going to have to get used to the decimal system of mathematics if you're ever to fully avail yourself of the true source of power in Lumina. Everything here depends upon it.”
“Not everything, certainly. Your computers must, at their base level, run on binary.”
“Binary? You mean, primitive, electromagnetic-only technology? Hardly.”
“Well then, how do they work?”
“By careful manipulation of the dimensions, of course. Four of them, to be exact. The four that tend to be the most reliable throughout the Universe, on our side, at least: mass, or physical space if you prefer, electromagnetism, gravity and energy. Truly superior computers can switch over to the use of alternate dimensions if necessary.”
She laces her fingers together, raises them out in front of herself and cracks her knuckles. An odd gesture, but in combination with her self satisfied smile, I assume she is one of those who designs these superior computers. It doesn't make sense, though.
Between Darkness and Light Trilogy Page 15