Levels of Ascension BoxSet

by Amy Proebstel

  “Ready when you are!”

  Juila jumped down from her stool and led the way back to the library to begin teaching Behn the sixth level of skill for harnessing the use of the Earth’s elemental energy. As they walked past the office, Juila could feel the elemy being reshaped and decided she would find out later where Valentina had progressed since their last lesson.

  Valentina had proved to be a very eager pupil and was advancing at a much faster rate than Behn. Perhaps her own involvement with her student was impeding his progress. She decided to discuss swapping students with her sister to see if Behn’s attention to detail would improve without his being distracted by his physical attraction to his instructor.

  Chapter Four

  THE PHONE RANG again and went unanswered. Amanda listened as Neal left yet another message. Each call was like a stab in the heart. She wanted to help Neal get through this ordeal, yet she had no explanation for his absence which would be believed. Nobody in the Taivas household wanted to hear their son had been transported to another world, called Tuala, and had lived in a drug-addicted state as a prisoner of Elder Vargen for eight years.

  Several times Amanda had sat down to write a note to the family. Each time she only got as far as the first sentence before balling up the paper and tossing it into the trash. There simply was no explanation which would keep her and her husband out of trouble. They had to maintain their silence.

  Amanda knew it would only be a matter of time before the Taivas family contacted the authorities to compel them to share their knowledge. Sometimes she wished she had left Neal in Tuala, then she remembered the mortal danger the drug resh had put him in and she knew she had done the right thing.

  To take her mind off of the troubles on Earth, Amanda decided she should plan a visit with Vinia. She owed it to the woman who loved Neal and who had helped them get him out of Elder Vargen’s district and home to Earth. She knew Bryon Kesh had agreed to help take care of Vinia, yet she did not know the exact plan for taking her to a safe house.

  Amanda went into the office and opened the secret compartment which contained the patil. With this device she was able to make contact across the veil into Tuala and speak with the people in the other realm. She was still amazed by her husband’s connections which allowed him to have such technology on Earth even though the two realms had been kept separate by the Ascension Gates since the beginning of time. It probably helped that Riccan was the son and successor of an Elder.

  Once the screen on the patil was activated, Amanda punched in several codes to make a video call with Bryon at his work. She figured it would be the most likely place he would be considering the time of day. As her intuition guessed, she was correct. Bryon’s face filled the screen and he smiled at Amanda.

  “Hi, Amanda. What’s going on now? Is Nealan doing okay?”

  “I suppose. We dropped him off at his parents’ house yesterday morning. I haven’t spoken with them since. Frankly, I’m scared to talk to them at all. I mean, really, what can I tell them which would make sense?”

  “Good point. I’m sure you’ll come up with something.”

  Amanda raised one eyebrow at Bryon’s optimism and then asked the question she had called for, “I was wondering if you could tell me how I might get ahold of Vinia. I’d like to thank her for her help.”

  “Sure, she’s at Barla’s house.”

  “Barla’s house?” Amanda wondered why she had not thought of the solution herself. It made perfect sense for Barla to take in a stranger and help her.

  “Yeah, she offered to take in Vinia and Danika until we can find somewhere else for her to live and work. I think Barla even offered her some job training in her apprenticeship program.”

  “What a wonderful idea. Do you think they would mind if I came for a visit? I don’t want to interfere in Vinia’s training.”

  “Contact Barla and see what she has to say. I’m sure she’ll agree it would be great for you to come over. Is it true that Barla’s your mother’s sister?”

  “Strangely enough, yes. Can you believe it?”

  “I’m beginning to believe everything these days!”

  “Thanks for letting me know what’s going on with Vinia and where I can find her. I’m going to reach out to Barla now and see what we can arrange. And Bryon?”

  “Yes?”

  “Thank you for helping us rescue Neal. I know it put you in some danger and I really appreciate your willingness to help.”

  “It was my honor, Amanda. Don’t think anything of it.”

  Amanda smiled in response since she felt tears stinging her eyes. She suddenly found it hard to speak. Here was a man who was willing to do anything for her, including risking himself and possibly his family, to help a man he had never met. Bryon was the epitome of a gentleman.

  “I’m sorry, Bryon, I don’t want to embarrass you with my blubbering. It’s just because I’ve gone through so much in this past year and I’m still having a hard time getting used to how kind people really are. Okay,” she said and took a deep breath to compose herself before she continued, “I’m going to call Barla now.”

  “Sounds good,” Bryon answered with a smile. He still wondered at some of the odd things Amanda said such as the word ‘year’. “Take care, Amanda. Feel free to call on us whenever you have a need or a question.”

  “Thanks, Bryon. You know I will! Goodbye.”

  “Bye.” The screen went blank as he disconnected.

  Amanda sniffed deeply to clear her sinuses and dabbed at her eyes before she looked up Barla’s connection code. She had to get herself together before she spoke with Vinia. This next call would be a very delicate conversation considering Vinia’s relationship with Neal. She would have to go lightly.

  With her emotions in check and Barla’s code entered into the patil, Amanda pressed the connection button and waited. After the third ring through she thought she would have to try again at a later time when the screen lit up with Barla’s face.

  “Hi Aunt Barla,” Amanda began the conversation.

  “Amanda! It’s so nice to see you! How are things going with Neal?”

  “Ugh, Aunt Barla! I had no idea what kind of trouble I was getting myself into by bringing him home.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “All I thought about was getting him home safely so he wouldn’t be in danger of dying from his addiction to resh. I never even thought about all of the questions his family would have about where he’s been and how I found him. I was really stupid!”

  “It’s never stupid to be kind and compassionate toward your fellow man, Amanda. I’m sure everything will work out for the best, just have patience and faith.”

  “Thanks, I really needed to hear encouraging words!”

  “Think nothing of it. So what else is going on?”

  “Well, I wanted to find out about how Vinia was doing. I called Bryon and he told me about her living with you. I think it’s great that you’ve put her into your job-training program. How’s she doing?”

  “I’d say the training is just a distraction at this point. She really wants to know how Neal is doing. Of course she knows him as Nealan, you know.”

  “Yes, I know.”

  “She asks everyday whether or not I’ve heard about how he’s doing.”

  “His addiction was cured, yet his memory is still in the past. He still believed he and I were engaged. He didn’t take kindly to the idea of me being married to Riccan. I’m embarrassed to say I’ve been avoiding his phone calls. I just don’t know what I’d tell him which would make any sense.”

  “I understand.”

  “I know you do!”

  They both smiled at one another and an awkward silence continued for another couple of seconds before Amanda blurted, “I’d like to visit with Vinia.”

  “I think she’d like that. She’s so much lonelier this time.”

  “This time? Did you know Vinia before?”

  “As a matter of fact, Bryon and I both knew
her. Of course, we knew her by a different name. It’s a long story, which we can tell you at a later date. When do you think you’d like to come over to visit?”

  “Would today be too soon?”

  Barla smiled at Amanda’s eagerness and shook her head, “No, today would be perfect. We’re here all day. Do you remember the way to our house from the landing field?”

  “I do. I’m going to get ready right now. I’ll probably be there within twenty or thirty minutes. Are you sure it’s okay?”

  “Absolutely! I’ll get out some snacks while we’re waiting.”

  “Let me guess…tocolas and tomato sandwiches?” She remembered from her coma dreams having that very snack and really looked forward to trying it in real life.

  Barla raised one eyebrow at Amanda’s guess and then shook her head slightly before replying, “Yes, they’re Vinia’s favorites. It sounds like you have some stories to share with me as well!” She had heard about Amanda’s abilities to know unusual facts, now she had witnessed it first-hand. She wondered what else Amanda might know about their personal lives.

  Barla’s comment startled Amanda and made her want to get over to their house even faster. “Okay, I’ll see you in a couple of minutes.”

  “Bye,” Barla said and waited for Amanda to disconnect the call.

  Amanda waved cheerfully and pressed the ‘end’ button on the screen. She stowed away the patil in its hiding place before she left the office and ran upstairs to get ready. For some reason she was both nervous and excited to get back to Tuala to speak with Vinia. She had a niggling feeling something important was about to happen, yet she had no idea what it could be.

  Chapter Five

  PETRE BELIEVED ENOUGH time had passed since he had originally been banned from the Port of Cresdon by Captain Ahn. Really, how long could the Harbor Master hold a grudge? Even so, Petre docked his water craft quite far away from the main pier. He tried to remember just how many anons it had been since he had set foot in this bustling harbor town. Too long, considering what he had lost the last time.

  He shook his head and finished securing his water craft to the dock. He had to get to the marketplace and pick up a few supplies before his next trade run. Maybe he could spend a few extra hours down at one of the pleasure houses before sailing out again. His solitary life was hard on a man with his physical needs.

  The marketplace was bustling with customers and vendors bargaining their wares. It did not take Petre long to find all of the supplies he would need for his next journey. Laden with packages, Petre wished he would have gone first to the pleasure houses and worried about the provisions later when the crowds were thinner.

  He was just about to turn out of the main stream of traffic when a familiar voice caught his attention. He looked around hurriedly trying to locate the woman whose voice he had heard. If it really were her, he could not believe his luck. All thoughts of the pleasure house went out of his head at the idea of being reunited with the love of his life.

  After several minutes of scanning the crowd for her face and coming up empty handed, Petre began to panic. Surely he would not come this close only to be thwarted once again. He had to find her before he could leave. Once again he cursed the bulky packages he carried as they only slowed him down and made it nearly impossible to continue his search.

  The people around him began to scowl darkly at how rudely he was pushing past them. He did not care, he only wanted to find his long-lost love. Memories of the past seemed to flood through his mind. Maybe it was only his imagination which made him think he had heard her voice. After all, this was the town where he had lost her.

  Petre managed to find an upturned crate which he could stand on and get himself above the height of the crowd. With one last desperate attempt he yelled out, “Jinya!”

  There! Just on the edge of the crowd he was certain he had seen a woman look over in his direction before turning rapidly down a side street. He jumped down from the crate and pushed his way through the crowd, ignoring all of the shouts of protest at his rude behavior. If they knew what was at stake, they would surely excuse his passing, he thought to himself.

  He made it to where he had last seen the girl and yet she was nowhere in sight. He turned desperately, looking in every direction. He had to find her. He ran down the street where she must have gone, looking down each alley as he passed them. By the time he was in a residential area he had to admit defeat. It was beyond his comprehension why she would not have come to him when he called; surely she would want to be reunited with him.

  Maybe he would stay in town for a while longer to see if he could find her. He could ask around town for anybody who knew her and where she might be staying. A sense of déjà vu hit him as he considered the next course of action. So many anons ago he had gone through the same scenario with her.

  Again, he was reminded of his past and the time he had found the old soul water craft. Strange things were happening these days, he thought as he turned out of the nice neighborhood and back down toward the docks. It almost felt as though the past were repeating itself.

  His thoughts were interrupted by the abrupt entrance of a telepod in the air not far above him. It was strange to see a telepod in a harbor town, not many people liked to fly so close to the water where unpredictable winds could blow the small aircraft off course so easily. He paused to watch the graceful decent of the pod as it maneuvered its way over to the landing square not too far from where he stood. There must be some urgent matter to bring someone to town, he wondered what it could be even as he continued walking back to his water craft.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Riccan closed the door to his office softly, even though he felt like slamming it. Never before had he been so embarrassed and enraged at a meeting and Ela Nena was completely responsible. He knew his boss had suddenly taken a disliking to him, but she had gone too far this time. If she had kept her snide comments and slights only against him then he could have handled it. For her to have attacked his team in such a way was inexcusable.

  He sat down wearily at his desk and wondered what recourse he would have to her latest actions. Surely there was something behind all of her accusations. They had always worked well as a team until he had suddenly married Amanda, or so it seemed. Riccan could not understand the connection since Ela Nena had never even met Amanda so it seemed a hard correlation to conclude and yet it made the most sense.

  Since he was thinking of his wife he decided he could use a break from the stresses of work to call Amanda. He wondered whether she were at home or traveling somewhere in the telepod. These days it was hard to keep track of her movements since she was so involved in searching for the eight missing samaras. He was thankful she was so successful at finding the mysterious crystal skulls, yet they seemed to bring their own sets of problems with the amount of power they exuded in the secret room at their house on Earth.

  Riccan punched in the code to the patil in his office and hoped Amanda would be somewhere nearby to hear the call. After almost a minute of trying the connection, Riccan had to admit she had probably gone out somewhere. He ended the call and stared at the screen for a few minutes before he realized he had an unread message. He tapped the button on the screen and was delighted to find it was from Amanda.

  Hi my love,

  I hope you’re having a great day at work. I miss you already. I just wanted to let you know I’m heading over to Barla’s house today as it appears she and Captain Ahn have taken in Vinia and started her on their apprenticeship program. I’m not sure what time I’ll be home, but if you need me, then give Barla’s house a call.

  Love,

  Amanda

  Riccan wondered why Amanda would be seeking the company of Vinia. In the several months since they had been married Riccan began to realize Amanda’s instincts for people was very keen and to be trusted implicitly. Still, it would be fascinating to discover Amanda’s reasoning for the visit.

  Most likely the visit had to do with Neal since Vinia had be
en living with him. Just thinking about the man made him shiver. Neal had been only a shell of himself when they rescued him from Elder Vargen and returned him home to his family on Earth. He could not imagine the amount of confusion which must be going through Neal’s head to find he had been missing for eight years and then not being able to account for even a fraction of the time he had been gone.

  He sat back in his chair and thought about Amanda’s history with Neal. His was the only real story of events which had been written in Amanda’s journal about her dreams she had experienced while she had been in her coma for seven years. Amanda had read her journal to him on two different occasions and each time he was surprised at the level of details she had described about a land she had barely seen during her own captivity with Elder Vargen.

  Maybe he should put some extra effort into studying the details of the book of dreams. It was possible they were missing some vital clues. The idea so intrigued him that he was having a hard time concentrating on any mundane office politics. He would much rather be unraveling the mysteries of Amanda’s memories than dealing with the bazaar behavior of his boss.

  The idea so intrigued him, he could no longer concentrate on anything work-related. He surged out of his chair and grabbed his coat off of the back of the door. With a new sense of purpose, Riccan opened his office door and looked around for anyone he could talk to so he could tell them he was leaving. On his way through the main office, the first person he encountered was one of his designers named Gilora.

  “Hey, Gilora, I’m going to take an early lunch. Send me a message on the patil if you need me.”

  “I don’t blame you for wanting to get out of here after Ela Nena’s performance in that meeting. Have a good lunch,” she answered before turning back to her own patil to continue her work.

  Riccan left the office and turned into the hallway. He considered waiting for the elevator to take him to the roof, yet he decided the walk up the eleven flights of stairs would help him burn off some of his anger. By the time he reached the rooftop landing pad, he was breathing heavier than normal and realized it had been quite some time since he had exercised so much.