Assimilated

by Nick Webb

  “She is Clara. I met her long ago far away in the north. When we each discovered that the other had the true knowledge of ourselves—a story for another time, perhaps—we decided that we must form a group that could pass along this knowledge, and help to uncover more of it. We decided that she would be the leader, being the elder and frankly the more skilled of the two of us. Now we number a little over one hundred. If you choose to join us, you would become number one hundred and thirteen since we started all those years ago.”

  “And they all live here in the kingdom?”

  “Mostly, yes. Many of us have travelled widely in the world, though none have encountered others like us in their journeys, apart from Clara and me meeting each other. In the beginning, when there were only a handful of us, we decided to keep our society, our abilities, our knowledge, everything, a secret.”

  “Why?” Though Aeden instantly perked up at the mention of secrets, the thought unsettled him a little, that the Society considered its powers so powerful that they must remain secret. Powerful, or maybe just dangerous.

  The man leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath. “Who knows what would happen if all of the kingdom, or even the world were suddenly forced to face the truth about ourselves? Where did we really come from? Our religion? Our families? Friendships? What happens to these things when the secret is out? Our people have lived as we do for thousands of years. Thousands of years of culture, tradition, progress, faith … what becomes of it all? That is why we are very selective in our recruiting, and that brings us back to you. We only ask a few to confront this truth and whatever delights and horrors it might bring.” He paused, reflecting for a moment before he shook himself, suddenly returning to the present moment. “Now, the demonstration. Come here, and as before I will touch your head, and this time you touch mine as well. Right then, here we go …”

  Can you hear me?

  Aeden’s eyes once again grew wide, but he nodded. “Yes.”

  Now, come follow me.

  “How?”

  Draw attention within yourself. Focus on my mind, and choose to enter it.

  Aeden concentrated intensely. He thought about the man’s head, and what lay inside. He struggled to enter.

  “Nothing’s happening. What’s wrong?” Aeden said, disappointed.

  Nothing is wrong with you. It’s your first time, and most struggle at first. Here, let me help you.

  Aeden felt a sensation of something pulling him, though nothing touched him but the stationary hands of the healer. He tried again, and somehow, he rushed forward. The world turned dark. He looked around himself nervously. “I can’t see anything!”

  No, you can’t. You are in my mind and I have not chosen our surroundings yet. What do you see now?

  “Oh, there you are. I see you.” Aeden eyed the man suspiciously. “You’re different. You look younger!”

  Ah yes. This is how I looked long ago, many years before even your father’s birth. The man smiled wistfully. We all look much better in our heads, don’t we? I see you’ve packed a little muscle on yourself? I’m not the only one with an idealized self-image, hmm?

  Aeden looked down and saw a bulging chest and shoulders, much like he dreamed of having when he was fully grown up. “Wow! Would you look at that?”

  By the way, you can stop talking out loud, and simply think the words you want to say. And in here, it is much more difficult to hide what you are feeling. It shows up right in our faces.

  Aeden noticed now that the healer was grinning. Positively beaming. He looked at himself—strangely enough he could see his own face too, though he couldn’t understand how, and he had a look of shock on his face, which slowly turned to a grin. So, I’m in your head? He looked around at the darkness surrounding them, Not the head I was expecting, really.

  Well! I can change that. What would you like to see? We can be anywhere here. How about the red forest of the northern march? Gradually the darkness gave way to a verdant wooded setting. Colossal trees surrounded them, towering towards the sky. Sunlight trickled down though the canopy in gently angled beams, suggesting late afternoon or early morning. Aeden gazed in wonder at his surroundings.

  I’ve never been past Glendale. This is really the red forest? The trees! They’re massive!

  Stunning, isn’t it? I was here just five years ago, passing through on my way to the northern kingdoms. They say some of these trees are older than the kingdom itself. The old, but now quite young, man ambled over to a giant tree and rested his back up against it. Aeden followed, still looking up at the behemoth.

  You’re touching it? You can touch things in your brain?

  Yes. Ah yes, thank you for reminding me. With that, he looked to his right, and replacing the view of the forest in that direction appeared a wall, taller than the trees, extending far out of sight in either direction. The wall was covered with lights, some flashing, some steady, of all colors. Strange shapes dotted its surface, some of the large square shapes held moving images of people in places he did not recognize. Well, there it is.

  There what is?

  My brain.

  That’s your brain?

  Sorry, no. It’s my mind. They are different, you know. Those lights and strange shapes you see are a mental manifestation of physical things in my head, and these moving tapestries you see here behind these glass window-like panels are memories of mine. On these panels I can also cause to appear the source instructions, if you will, that make me work. All living things, rohva or otherwise, only work according to the source instructions given him by the creator. He nodded to a blank glass panel, which suddenly filled with a strange looking script Aeden had never seen before. Look here. I don’t understand hardly any of it. No one does. And therefore I don’t dare meddle with it. Would it kill me? Change me? Turn me into a woman? Make me young again? I don’t know. One man of the Society gave into temptation, once. He altered part of his instructions. He was … never the same again—are you even listening to me?

  Aeden’s eyes had drifted over to another glass panel. He gazed, transfixed on the image. Who is that?

  The healer followed his gaze, and smiled. That is Betha. Several years ago I approached her as I did you—she being the daughter of a dear friend of mine. She is now a part of the society and lives in the city of Ramath … you seem a bit distracted.

  She’s … well … she’s hot! You’ve got people like this in the society? I thought they were all like you! I’m in. He joked, but he nearly meant it.

  Thank you for your … tact. Is this all it takes to get a seventeen-year-old male into the society? I would have brought her along on my recruiting trip—I could have returned home months ago. He grinned even larger than before, his eyes twinkling, reflecting the shafts of sunlight. His appearance exuded joy and the boisterous energy of youth, but could not hide the great wisdom of his years. Aeden wondered how old the man really was, but returned his eyes to the panel of the young woman moving within it.

  Tell me about her.

  She is eighteen, I believe. Short, kind, intelligent, and quite a cook. Her father is a shop owner, but served in the royal guard. He is quite handy with a sword, mind you, so don’t get any naughty ideas. He winked. I’d be glad to …

  “Master Healer!” A voice echoed tumultuously through the forest.

  Aeden’s eyes widened in alarm. The old man lost focus for a moment, and said, We have company.

  How long have we been here?

  Oh, just half a minute I believe.

  But, we’ve been here far longer than that! Ten minutes at least!

  We can think much faster than we can speak, boy. Now let’s see what this gentleman wants.

  The forest grew dim and blurry. The healer’s cluttered office came into focus around him, and he became aware again of the old man’s hand resting on his head. The master opened his eyes and said, “There you go my lad. That rash shouldn’t be bothering you anymore, do be more careful next time you visit the southern quarter.” He win
ked again, and turning to face the newcomer said “And now, what can I do for you?”

  By his armor it was plain the man belonged to the city guard. Chest heaving, he said, “Master, a large army has been sighted in the hills to the east, not twenty-five miles hence. They are marching straight towards us. The lord of the city requests your presence in the castle.”

  “An army?” The healer got to his feet with a scowl on his face. “How? Where did they come from? I have heard nothing of any gathering armies in my travels!”

  “I know not, master healer, and neither does the lord of the city. Please come with me.” The two men marched to the door and left the room, the healer calling back, “Aeden—go home.”

  Home? Aeden sprang after them.

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  Nick Webb