by Jasmine Walt
“Incredible!”
Rai casts a shrewd glance at Yudi and wonders, What it is about commanding the future that strikes such a chord with my new friend? “So what do you want us to do?”
“Retrieve the Isthmus from Shaitan and return it to its home at the Temple of Arkana. Restore the balance of power to the universe.”
“Wait. So you are saying that we have to save the world?” Yudi’s expression turns from surprise to disbelief.
“To restore peace to the living.”
Yudi rolls his eyes. “Steal it back from Shaitan, only the meanest half life who has ever lived. That should be easy!”
“It should not be very difficult; as long as you are together, there is not much you cannot do.”
“Wait! Why did you choose us?”
“Why is it that young people ask so many questions? I guess you realise by now that you are connected. You share a future.”
Tiina nibbles on her lower lip. “So, this is meant to be? It’s a little too convenient, isn’t it? Is that your explanation on the random choice of the three of us, being chosen for this…this mission?”
“Can I add, three very different people picked at random,” says Yudi.
“It is not random at all. You have been chosen to be here at this time and place to undertake this journey.”
“So it is our destiny?”
The guardian’s robes ripple as he strides through the dimension they are in. “You said it, Tiina. But yes, it is your future, so to speak.”
“So that is why you searched for us?” she asks.
“I meant it when I said that I was looking for those who deserved a second chance, but it couldn’t be just anyone. It had to be the three of you. Only you together can do this. I must warn you that you will be tested, and you will discover new things about yourself.”
“Sounds fun!” says Rai. “What do you think, Yudi?”
The other half life’s tone is sceptical. “Yeah. Sure.”
“But it will be. You will have amazing adventures while finding your way, and that, I think, is the best part. It is so much more exciting to lose your way first. It will not be boring, I promise you that.”
“Mimir, you sound wistful,” says Tiina.
“Wish I could come along, but I am a bit too old to go adventuring around the galaxy.”
A thought strikes Rai. “Do spirits grow old?”
“No, I just became weary of responsibility,” replies Mimir. “But the three of you are young. Your experiences make you hungry for answers. You still see the promise of the future through kind and trusting eyes, and this is what will keep you going on the journey.”
“You will still be with us, won’t you?” asks Tiina.
“I will. When you really need me, just call for me and I will be there.”
The three are quiet, taking everything in. Rai eyes his two new companions, two people he has never before met, but is thrust into saving the universe with.
Then Yudi asks, his tone calculating, “And if we defeat Shaitan…do we get a reward?”
“Ah! The old ‘what’s in it for me?’” says Mimir. “Surely the journey is the reward in itself.”
The three of them voice their protest and he concedes.
“But that’s not—”
“Really?”
“Okay, I’m kidding you.” He grins. “If you defeat Shaitan, then rest assured you will be rich beyond your wildest dreams.”
A huge smile breaks out on Yudi’s face. “Did you say riches?”
“Pay off, both spiritual and material, is to be had. We the spirits are not completely alienated from reality. We know what is important to you.”
Tiina’s voice quivers and she rubs her hands together nervously. “Mimir, will you be really there for us when we need you?”
“I promise.”
“Hey, but what about graduation?” asks Rai.
Yudi groans. “Why did you have to remind him about that? We don’t have to complete our course, do we? We have a world to save now.”
Mimir laughs. “Afraid that does not get you out of studying, Yudi.”
“What? Shaitan is not going to wait around doing nothing while we finish the coursework, you know.”
“Even heroes need to get their basics right. This is no ordinary course. It’s going to equip you with important mental and physical survival skills. And you have to admit, you are yet raw when it comes to fighting on the battlefield.”
“Don’t forget I learnt from the best sword master in the world—my father.”
“But you need more than that. Such as learning to think before you speak.”
“Boring!” mutters Yudi.
Mimir prepares to depart, opening his arms and twirling his staff about.
“Wait! Mimir, ah! I have just one more question.” Tiina clears her throat. “It is a…uh…a personal one. How can I reach my heart’s desire?”
“You already have it in the palm of your hand, Tiina. You just have to reach out and take it, accept it without fear.”
Rai tries to hide his laughter as she looks down to see her palm clasped in Yudi’s. She hastily releases it and turns back. Mimir has disappeared. The way they fit each other, the fact that the two of them were quite complimentary to each other had yet to sink in for Tiina, Rai realised.
Yudi breaks the silence. “I so hate it when he does that. Just creeps up on us and then disappears.”
“Really? I kind of think its cool. I’d love to do that myself.” She grins.
Rai realises she already knows the power she wields over Yudi, that such a comment would just rile him further. Before Yudi can reply, Rai turns to his companions.
“You know what this means, right?” When they look at him questioningly, he says, “Well, there is no way out once you take this on.”
While tapping his chin in thought, Yudi replies, “You heard him, though; there is a payoff at the end.”
Tiina tries to reassure him. “Who can refuse when Mimir asks? He is clever, though. Making it look so good that you cannot refuse.”
“Don’t I know about that? He brought us to Arkana, said all the right things, and now sends us off on this crazy mission.”
“What do we do, then?” asks Tiina. “It’s not like we have a choice, do we?”
Looping his arms around his head, Rai replies, “We always have a choice.”
Yudi rubs his chin. “He has challenged us. I see no option but to accept.”
“Fate, here I come!”
Rai shakes his head. “You young people are so impetuous.”
“How old are you, anyway?” she asks.
“Older than you, at least in my head.” He walks away from them, wondering if he dare tell them what he saw in the earlier visions Mimir showed him, then decides against it. Why bother them? If this is my fate, then so be it.
“Wait,” she says.
“I need a little time alone to think this through.” Still, Rai stays close enough to overhear them.
Tiina asks, “What’s with him? I wonder what he saw in the visions Mimir showed us that has upset him so much.”
“I don’t remember much, I have to say. I am kind of getting used to being flung around space. So much so that standing on solid ground is a shock.”
“Really?”
“No, I am kidding. Don’t worry; I am sure he’ll come around. Come on, Tiina, we should celebrate. We have been given our mission, and as Mimir said, we’d better use every moment we have here at Arkana.”
“You know, this is possibly the first time that we have agreed on something.”
“Oh! Really? I hadn’t noticed.” His eyes alight with mischief.
“I do believe that you are growing up, accepting your place in the larger scheme, and all that.”
“Who, me?”
Before Rai can hear Tiina’s reply, the vision fades and they are back in their classroom in Arkana.
16
After the strange encounter with Mimir, the th
ree companions spend every free minute huddled together, discussing their future. The three discover they actually like spending time together. They share a fun, easygoing friendship; an “all is well with the world” kind of attitude. They like hanging out and the possibility of the future adventure seems far away. The year passes quickly and soon it is graduation night.
Tiina, Rai, and Yudi join the other half lives at the graduation ceremony. They are excited to face the future; their hearts alight with the hope of dreams and adventures to come. The ceremony is held in the Hall of Great Mirrors at the Academy of Half Lives. This is the first time they have had the opportunity to be present in this stately room, and its grandeur silences the normal chatter among the students.
The hall is rectangular with ceilings that soar forty feet into the air. Fifty students line up single file along one of the long walls, barely taking up one fourth of the space. The rest of the area is taken up by returning seniors, the batch that will join Arkana after them and are there to witness their initiation into the real world, as well as various class prefects and teachers.
The principal feature of the hall is the seventeen mirror-clad arches that reflect the seventeen arcaded windows overlooking the gardens of the Academy. Each arch contains twenty-one mirrors reflecting the faces below. Some are emotional about the end of this phase of their life, a slice of time when they could afford to be carefree, despite much in the world that was wrong. A few are fearful about stepping into the wide world. Others look forward to entering the race of life, to beginning the true experience of existence without responsibility to anything except themselves.
For now, though, it is time to celebrate. All the formalities of the evening being done with, the new graduates of Arkana, still clad in their formal graduation robes, head off to party at the only bar on campus.
Yudi and Tiina are wrapped up in each other on the dance floor. He draws her closer, then twirls her around in an exaggerated move, only to bring her right back in an even further intimate gesture.
“I adore you.”
Love shines in her eyes. “That is the first time you have said that.” About to reveal her own feelings, she stops when she notices that his eyes are fixed elsewhere.
She follows his gaze to a breathtakingly beautiful female standing not very far away, wearing an odd out-of-fashion white and gold dress, which sweeps behind her in a train. It is a timeless design, tailored to meet the demanding requirements of modern fashion.
Her body calls to Yudi, seduction in every step as she takes to the floor and dances; her movements slow, just for him. Their eyes lock over Tiina’s head. The DJ takes a break and the music winds down into a slower beat.
Tiina leaves to get them another drink at his request. As soon as she is swallowed up by the crowd of students at the bar, Yudi follows the other woman as she leaves the dance floor and walks out the door. She pauses at the threshold and turns around, locking eyes with someone behind him. Then her eyes flick back to him and she walks out of the dance hall and through the open field, heading in the direction of a small hill not far from the Academy.
Halfway up the hill, she turns, taunting him to follow. Desire rips through him in a surprising rush. To his fevered imagination, flowers bloom with her every step, grass springs up underfoot, a gentle breeze wafts over his skin, scented now with the smell of seduction. The entire space sighs with pleasure.
They reach a grassy ledge on the top of the small hill. Yudi has eyes only for her, though, and fails to see the lights of the city beyond her. After tearing off her clothes, he makes violent love with her. When he is spent, he turns to her.
“Who are you? A goddess?”
“Your lust come true.”
She breaks into laughter as he stares into her blue eyes.
“Remember, you are mine!” she whispers before walking away, leaving him weak in the knees.
Wham, wham, wham, his heart beats fast and a feeling of déjà vu washes over him. He has set in motion an entire sequence of events that seem vaguely familiar. Both ecstatic and unhappy at the same time, he realises he has been here before, but does not regret the pleasures of the past few hours. Still, he has lost Tiina a second time.
Tiina looks up from the bar to see Yudi follow the woman toward the exit of the dance hall. At the threshold, the woman turns and locks eyes with her for a few seconds. There is something disturbingly familiar in the tilt of her head, the look in her eyes, which Tiina is unable to place. Then the gorgeous woman breaks eye contact and is gone with Yudi.
She downs the plastic glasses filled with beer in her hands one after the other before heading back to the dance floor and flinging herself into the rock song blaring from the speakers.
The next morning, Tiina wakes with a sense of something being extremely wrong. She lies in bed, emptiness washing over her, and cannot remember what has changed. Then the events of the past night rush back.
Without even looking for him, she knows that Yudi is gone. No more will she hear his stupid jokes, feel his calming presence. Everything was okay as long as he was with her, but now she has lost him again. All her old insecurities tumble back and bitter tears run down her cheeks.
That evening, Rai enters her chamber; she is still in bed, not having moved an inch from the morning.
He tries to reassure her, picking up the pieces one-by-one, but not sounding very confident. “You’ll see him again. I promise.”
“I am not sure I really want to.”
“That is what you say now. Things will change.”
“Time and new memories?” She sniffles.
“And new adventures to replace old dreams.”
“I know, I know.”
“Your heart will heal. I promise.”
“Surely you don’t believe that, do you?”
“No,” he admits. “I was just trying to be nice. But remember the mission? We have to find the Isthmus; we have a world to save. Go on adventures together. Don’t we?”
She rolls out of bed and walks away, putting a little distance between them. At last, she looks at him, disbelief writ on her face. “My heart is breaking and all you can think of is this stupid mission.”
Rai’s brow wrinkles and his mouth hangs open helplessly. “You are still coming, aren’t you? You have to come.”
“Why should I?”
“You heard Mimir. We have to go on this mission together.”
“Do you believe everything Mimir says?”
“Not everything.” He hesitates. “But almost—”
“Ah!”
“You have to admit, he is more accurate than not.”
She nods without spirit. “Well, he is wrong this time. I am not coming with the two of you. This is one task you’ll have to take on without me.” After wiping away fresh tears, she drags her suitcase out from under the bed, then heads to the wardrobe and after flinging it open, proceeds to dump clothes from it into the suitcase.
“What are you doing?”
She snaps, “What does it look like?”
“You don’t have to make it easy for Yudi.”
“No, I won’t. And when he comes crawling back, I am not going to be around.”
A dark grin spreads over Rai’s lips. “Make him grovel!”
“And even then, it will take a lot for us to be together again. There will be adventures, but for now they will be my own. I am going to take a little trip.”
“Where are you going?”
“To the only other home I have known, Java.”
“You are leaving?”
“Isn’t that what I just said?”
“What…what should I tell Yudi?”
“Nothing! In fact, that is what I want you to do. Don’t tell him where I am going, Rai.”
“But…but…you two are so cute together.”
“Yeah! Right! So cute that one minute he declares his love…his worthless love…” She dumps more clothes into the suitcase and then slams it shut. “…and the next he is off chasing anot
her pretty face.”
“I am sorry, Tiina.”
Bitterness makes her arms heavy, and she shrugs, exhausted from the emotional toll Yudi has taken on her. “You guys always stick together, don’t you? But if you are my real friend at all, then don’t…don’t tell him where I am going, okay?”
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.”
Tiina merely smiles.
17
Arkana, 3017—Present Day
Round two! Yudi stares into the darkness, wondering how to proceed. So far, so good. At least I have managed to convince Tiina to accompany me back to Arkana. He is still unsure why she agreed to come along, but at the moment he is too relieved to probe her motives further. And together with Rai, we are about to embark on the mission, finally—with Mimir’s blessings, of course.
Yudi sighs in relief, though Tiina seems impatient. Artemis, the super intelligent tell-it-like-it-is spacecraft, has been idling for a few moments, the most patient of the four and not in much of a hurry to set off on their journey.
Then Yudi exclaims, “Ah!”
“What? Have you plotted the fastest route to the Eye-Mountain?”
Even after all this time, she makes me nervous sometimes. Especially now, when he is aware that he is not in her good books. It’s a good thing she isn’t aware of it. Yudi fumbles around, trying to figure out how to get Artemis started, while Rai tries to keep the peace by distracting her.
“So, in the past few months I’ve discovered a bit more about it. The Eye-Mountain is supposed to be the junction between Heaven and Earth, where the most good and the most evil reside side-by-side.”
“A place of extremes! Like us.”
Yudi, who has been quiet so far, finally murmurs, “Okay. Let’s take the road straight ahead.”
“It took you a quarter of an hour to come up with that piece of amazing advice, eh?”
Not paying her any attention, Yudi tries to gently disengage the ship from the holding bay, but for some reason, it refuses to slide off its perch. A grumble of annoyance escapes his lips, and his friends turn to him.