by Almney King
“The fallen,” Uway answered, “the castaways from the land of Kurios.”
I couldn’t speak for a moment. Hearing this was too far out to be true.
“In our harmony with each other, we shared many things. And among that was our history of creation.”
Uway looked at me strangely, and I supposed it seemed to him that I was on the verge of death hearing everything he was saying. I must have been, because it was if I could barely hear him, as if he were speaking from a distance.
“Did you not know this?” he asked.
I shook my head. His eyes narrowed.
“Do you not know the meaning of Niaysia?”
I shook my head again.
“New Eden,” he said. “The land of the blessed.”
Everything became clear in that moment. He no longer needed to explain. I knew what it all meant, ARTIKA’s truest desire. And it was not halos. And it was not longevity. And it was not wealth. It was superiority, a take back of what once was ours, of what we as a people had lost in the time before time.
The arsenal was more than a slave, he was the failed pursuit of perfection, the man’s prototype of the blessed being. He was the redesigning of an old and undesired world. And I, with my ignorance and my foolish curiosity, was standing here before the whole truth without a word or thought to speak of.
“It was all well in the beginning. But as your people explored, basking in the wealth of the land, we saw something within them. Greed. Pride. Lust. Violence. A great hunger for destruction. We tried to teach them the righteousness of our ways. And they were greatly offended. We had hoped to see them cleansed of their evil, but in return, they shunned our guidance and mocked our sacrilege.”
“Then the battles began,” I whispered.
“It was a slow and bitter uprising. I went to the Taiya with my concerns of their hostility and they agreed. It was time for your kind to return from where they came.”
“But we couldn’t leave. We were too dependent on your planet.”
“Or so they claimed. Your people were greatly offended. They declared us an arrogant race. They believed that we claimed too high of a power above them.”
I believed it. There was no doubt that ARTIKA had said it, because it was ARTIKA’s deepest fear—the evidence of God. Because if God was real to them, then no amount of halos or power could aid them in their conquest of destiny.
Uway continued. “We bid them to leave at once, but they were not so easily moved. I was traveling in the woods of Algas when a mighty cry came from the west.”
Uway was silent for a moment, and the world fell quiet with him. And it was not a stillness of peace, but of mourning. “The land reeked of death. And there upon the ground, lay hundreds of my people . . . slaughtered. We did not understand the meaning of such evil, the purpose of such death. And then came war, as vain and wicked as the day they came.”
“Vain?” I interrupted. “How can it be vain to protect your world?”
“It is simply not our way.”
I had heard those words before, from the Meridian boy back in Fesafaun. I couldn’t understand it. What shame was there to take a life that threatened to take another?
“And what of war? Is that also in vain, even with the deaths of your people?” I asked.
“There is no justification in war,” Uway asserted. His tone was absolute. “Death breeds death. And all vengeance belongs to Kurios. It is when the heart of the lesser takes it into his own hand that breeds destruction. If I were to say, ‘I shall slay my brethren for the wings of freedom,’ or ‘I shall slay my brethren for the staff of justice,’ then do the meanings of liberty and justice still possess a heart of virtue?”
I did not respond, and Uway continued.
“I see it in your kind,” he whispered. “The manner in which you have controlled justice as a means to uplift your guilt, and to rob and to slay nations.”
I was at a blank. I could say nothing. His words cut deep with truth. I understood why my people were offended by their virtue. It was impossible to stand by. And even more for us. Greed, and lust, and pride were a part of our nature, in the breath and voice of our bodies.
“If you don’t believe in taking a life, why do you?” I asked.
“Our customs have changed. Kurios calls that we take up arms. If one should seek the blood of another, then his blood too shall flow.”
“I see,” I said. Because wasn’t that justice, an eye for an eye?
Uway pressed his hand to the earth, the patch of life glowing between his fingertips “A morning shall come when the beat of war is silenced. We shall be judged then, even beyond our actions.”
That too was justice, I suppose, that even the righteous must suffer. It was cruel, but sometimes it took only one man’s sin for God to raise his hand and strike the entire whole of the earth.
“Let us rest now,” Uway said. “You must heal.”
I closed my eyes. I didn’t wish to think of the truth I’d leaned. I wanted rest. Even for a moment.
I woke in the dark of night. There was a wicked fire in my chest, searing all though my body. I turned over, rolling madly in the grass. The pain was sharp in my head, like a needle. I could no longer hold onto it.
My cry was fierce.
There was darkness, then a flash of blue that stung my eyes.
“Haya ni jaunei!” The voice shocked me to life.
Uway moved before me in a blur of white silver. His lips moved soundlessly. My hand jetted forward, gripping the silk of his shirt.
“...stop ...die,” he said.
A flash of silver appeared and sliced his palm. The dark closed in, the thuds of my heart rapidly fading. I felt a cut against my wrist and saw Uway stretch forth his hand. He was bleeding.
Then he drew me in. I was blinded by the bright of his eyes. And then the pain was gone, slowly ebbing away at the command of his words.
I could sense it, my body unraveling, rearranging, strengthening. I wandered the realm of light. Colorful patterns burst through the dark. The shapes shifted endlessly, weaving in and out of each other until a white blaze exploded in the deep.
I saw images, visions of the marsh, the jewel casted murals, and the glass statues of the north. I saw it all, everything moving, everything alive until the darkness came and the light was no more.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
AWAKENING
Soft winds whispered against my face. They carried the warmth and spirit of a newborn spring. I felt the sway of the earth, my body moving to the drumming of the forest. It reminded me of Fern, that sweet and soulful crooning.
I opened my eyes. The morning woke me. I was being carried, and looking up, I saw a familiar face staring down at me.
Uway Levíí.
Seeing as I was awake, he gently set me on my feet. I unwound my arm from his shoulder. We were close, and I soon noticed that something about him had changed. Every bodily detail seemed sharper to the eye.
My fingers unconsciously searched the air. I reached for the bend of my neck. Uway grabbed my wrist.
“Do not,” he ordered. “It must heal.”
As we touched, I could feel the rhythm of our hearts strum in flawless accord. It was as if they were revealing our secrets without our consensus. I jerked my arm away, unnerved by his touch.
“I feel different,” I said. And to my wonderment, Niaysia had changed too.
The whole forest was saturated with color. I could feel the planet beating; the trees in bloom and the small life forms that scurried through the thicket. Every sound and twitch of nature echoed in my mind, like it was inside of me, a part of me.
“Are you well, Celeste?” Uway asked. His tone lacked concern.
I faced him. “What did you do to me?”
Uway blinked impassively, his blank expression unchanging as I glared at him.
“I spared your life,” he said simply, “yet you do not express your gratitude.”
I clutched my shoulder and tried to avoid the urge to inspect my w
ound. “Spared my life?” A rush of darkness swarmed my thoughts. “The other night?”
Uway turned and began through the forest. “You were nearly lost.”
I jogged after him, gaping at the bright flower stems shrugging tall against the tree stumps. The dangled buds curled towards the forest pathways, creating a canopy of low-ceiling petals.
“I want to know what you did to me.”
“I spared your life did I not?”
“Obviously.”
“Very well, you can express your gratitude by not asking such questions.”
He broadened his stride. I quickly matched his pace.
“I have the right to know. I feel... strange.”
“Is that so?” Uway replied.
“Yes. Now answer me.”
Uway paused. He spun on his heels, the lengthy strands of his hair flaring like a silver fan. Before I could exhale, he was before me.
“You misjudge me, Celeste,” he warned. “I am not so easily moved or intimidated. Sparing your life was a risk beyond explanation, and that sacrifice must never be revealed. Hia’ne, as I have already spoken, be grateful and speak of it no more.”
I shook at his words, at the fire in his eyes, and being so close to him again, I could hardly keep my eyes from wandering. I stared at the incline between his jawline and shoulder. The skin was too unnatural for that of a human—too polished and far too radiant.
“Alright,” I told him.
Uway sighed. “Do not be troubled, Celeste. I only wish for you to understand.”
“I understand,” I said sternly. But in truth, I did not. I wanted to know his secret, and anything else he had to hide. Because I was curious, I was so foolishly curious of him.
“Ell’may,” he whispered. “Shall we go?” He began away. “We are very near. Once we pass the brooks of Hallis, we will have arrived. But first, there is something you must see.”
I hustled after him as he began our journey northward. I was curious as to what he might show me.
There was a modest quietness among us until Uway indulged me with conversation. He spoke easily, as if he had known me for some time. But I suppose he had no reason to be cautious. If the moment called for it, he could overpower me without question.
Uway pushed through the underbrush, holding back the branches until I passed.
We came upon a nearby brook, the azure waters overflowing a ledge of white rock. A flock of lulu birds groomed their feathers along the velvety bank. And deep in the mossy grasses, large blue-dappled eggs rested among a bed of shrubs.
“Do not mind them. They will do you no harm,” Uway informed. He treaded into the stream, his silken cape drifting among the current. I followed his lead.
Uway hiked out of the stream. The lulus scattered. He ignored them and extended his hand to me. Hesitantly, I took it.
He hoisted me onto the bank, the lulus squawking as we eased by. Their wings expanded in attack.
“I thought they were harmless,” I said.
“They only wish to draw fright. They will not attack,” Uway assured. “Come.”
I trailed behind him, a lulu bird thrusting me forward with the crown of its beak. After I had gone, it relaxed with a shake, flattening its peacock-like feathers.
“Not very kind, are they,” I complained.
Uway forced his way through the tree line, clearing a path for me to follow.
“As kind as any other form of nature when undisturbed,” he replied. “Imagine the harmony of this world and of the worlds beyond if one could look without the urge to touch.”
He was right. That was exactly ARTIKA’s desire. Mankind’s desire. To touch what he could not reach. To build what he could not create. And to kill what he could not control.
A wall of overhanging shrubs kept us from advancing any farther. The twine fell in thick braided cords as one smoothly flowing drape. Gentle screeching rang within the shadowy woods.
“I will show you now, the sight that you must see.” Uway disappeared into the woods. I followed him and on the other side, I stopped still in my tracks.
What I saw was darkly familiar. It was death. Down the cliff from where we stood, a black gash, like an opened wound, slithered long across the land. It was all ash, but not an ash struck by fire. It was a withering ash, as if the life had been sucked dry out of everything that had once existed.
“What is this?” I whispered.
“The shadow of your people,” Uway answered.
I shook my head. “I don’t understand.”
“The halos you carry, that substance inside you. Do you not know what that is?” he questioned.
I didn’t know. “Energy?” I said.
Uway turned towards me. “I assure you it is much more than that.”
I stared back at the rotted lowlands. “Then what is it?”
“I have answered your questions. And now you must answer mine. We shall go now, the fleet is not far off.” He turned back towards the forest. My eyes lingered on the hills for a moment longer. I thought to myself about how much that gray and hideous scar reminded me so much of Earth.
CHAPTER TWENTY–TWO
DIVINITY
“We have arrived,” Uway announced. He pushed through the tree line. The blink of the sun found its way to us.
An assembly of navy and gold patterned tents stretched through the valley, weaving between tall pillars of water. Not a river or stream connected these wonders. They flowed by their own unbound power into the deep below. The Meridian valdor crowded around the lagoons, drinking the crystal waters and cooling their skin. Their intimate chatter was quickly silenced by Uway’s arrival.
They honored him with a bow. Uway did not speak, his eyes high above them as he sailed through. I felt their eyes on me, glaring with a hidden rage, but not one of them was bold enough to speak.
Just then, a cry thundered through the valley, drawing every gaze to the high of the hills. One of the valdor came trampling from the slope. When he turned our way, his eyes widened in shock.
“Aieti! You have come indeed. We are in great need of you, Aieti,” he said in Hedai.
Uway approached the Meridian, gripping the valdor by the shoulders. “What is the trouble?” he asked. “Whose cry did I hear?”
“It is San-Adais,” he sighed, “and I am afraid our Lord has lost himself, Aieti.”
“Lead me to him,” Uway demanded.
“Ay Aieti, this way,” he gestured.
The valdor rushed after them, and I eagerly followed.
We followed the screams. The cries possessed such a tortured sadness that I could hardly bear to hear them.
Uway’s glide quickened as we neared the disarray. The howls went on, echoing from the convoy’s noble tent. They were drawn and fierce and violent enough to shatter seas.
“At long last, Aieti!” Zurel greeted. He bowed before approaching his lord.
“Zurel!” Uway growled, disregarding his subordinate’s welcome. “Explain this!”
“Allow me, Aieti,” a voice interrupted.
Uway faced the valdor who had spoken, a shadow of urgency lining his face.
“Speak,” he encouraged.
The warrior stepped into the clearing. He spoke in Hedai, his voice jagged and painful. “It was the battle fought against Lord Centric that did away with his sanity, your Lordship. I never did fathom such evil.”
With each spoken word, he took a step towards Uway. “The hovec blocked our armies against the mountain face. Our land drowned in the blood of our kin. We could not endure.” The warrior paused on the brink of weeping. “When we heard the cries of our brothers, the shrieks of our children echoed within them. We could do nothing, Aieti. We forbid San-Adais to yield, yet he saw that nothing gave pause to his decision.”
His woe peaked, and we watched the valdor shrink into the gravel beneath him. “We surrendered him to the hands of that hai’ek, Centric, who struck our Lord to his knees and mocked his greatness.” He began to sob. “Mercy, that
sword as it raised, fai ni landya orinai, was as the jaw of a devil as it cut though him!”
Uway was in rage, and I had never imagined the beauty of his face could look so wretched. He stormed over to the entrance of the tent. Zurel stepped in front of him, and he nearly threw him aside.
“San-Adais left us without a choice, Aieti. We had to bind him, for on several accounts did he attempt to take his life.”
Uway ripped back the overhangs of the tent then disappeared inside. The cries were immediately silenced. The world stilled. Livid whispers were exchanged behind the tent folds, escaping out into the quiet.
A sudden crash killed the calm.
“Do not turn your face from me!” the voice bellowed.
Uway exited the tent, his face leaking the grimy content of whatever had been thrown. A subordinate quickly rushed to his aid, offering him a silky piece of linen to clean his face. Uway did so gracefully, shooting his soldiers a glare.
“There is nothing to witness here,” he demanded.
“You believe that you are mightier than me, brother!” Adais cried, stumbling from the tent.
I nearly shrunk back in horror by the sight of him. There was a deep ache in my chest as I stared upon the Meridian.
His knees were rooted in the earth. Violet tresses whipped the bandage wrapped tight over his eyes, expressing the wrath those wounded eyes could not. His glare blazed straight through that dark cloth and shattered the light of day. Never before had I witnessed such a twisted, forlorn and hideous display of beauty.
His lips parted, softly and slowly, as if to kiss the air. “Far too pompous and prudish to face me brother?” he hissed in Hedai. “Too smitten with thyself, thy glory and thy glamorous prestige!” Adais stumbled to a stand. His rich robes fell from his chest and pooled beneath him. I gasped.
Before me, and before the horrified stares of his people, stood Adais, reaching out for his brother with a violent and desperate hand. The other had been stolen, robbed, cut off just below the bend of the elbow.
“What do make of this brother?” Adais cried, gesturing to his ghastly wound. “Have I become all the more incompetent in your eyes? And why not! I cannot see! Nor can I wield my sword, protect and guide my people!”