Rhuna, The Star Child

by Barbara Underwood

  Rhuna returned home, barely noticing the pitter-patter of raindrops on her portable rain shelter as she mentally replayed her experience in The Infinite. She entered her home and found Aradin sorting through his large wooden casket containing clay tablets. Before he could say anything, Rhuna dragged him into the special room, switched the lever and began a long and excited account of her experiences in The Infinite and learning to control her Extended Consciousness.

  Rhuna watched her husband’s face change from astonishment to horror when she described every detail of his meeting with the woman trading olives and olive oil for wheat, barley and rose petals. When she finished, she saw only grave concern and disapproval in his face.

  “Why, Rhuna? Why does he teach you these things? Why does he hide from everyone? Why, why, Rhuna?!” Aradin paced the floor in agitation.

  “He said that you would object,” Rhuna said, uncomfortable with his anger.

  “Did he, now? He knows everything, doesn’t he!” Aradin shouted.

  “He said that our abilities will be needed soon,” Rhuna explained, trying to keep calm. “There’s a reason my father and I were granted these abilities…by the Pyramid,” she stammered.

  “What? Granted? By the Pyramid?” Aradin hissed as he stopped his pacing in front of her.

  “Possessor of Discernment…he knows. He showed me the secret room inside the pyramid which enhances powers at certain times of the cosmic, lunar and solar cycles. He did the same for my father many solar cycles ago.” Rhuna stopped to take a breath, and felt relieved when Aradin remained quiet as he digested her words.

  “You never told me about this,” he said in a sulky tone, and Rhuna reached out to throw her arms around his neck.

  “Don’t be upset!” she said in his ear. “I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone, but I’m glad I can tell you about everything now!”

  Aradin tightened his arms around her, and she let him silently hold her for a while.

  “It’s just that I don’t want you getting involved…” he began slowly. “…in more trouble and even danger. I wish we could just live a normal life without responsibilities and constant fear of the Dark Ones!” he said letting out a sigh of emotion.

  Rhuna squeezed him hard and said that she wished that, too. “More than anything!” she whispered in his ear.

  Several days passed before The Observers met again in the special room to discuss their findings, and Rhuna tingled with anticipation as the friends were seated and the low buzz of the protective field was engaged.

  “They appear to have a complex network of contacts and so-called operatives in lands near and far, and they regularly meet secretly in underground places as well!” grumbled Divider of Fortunes in his deep voice, the furrows across his brow indicating his consternation at this finding.

  “Furthermore,” added Revealer of Truths, “…my observations have shown that they communicate with written messages in code.”

  “Code?” asked Rhuna, baffled.

  “This is the word they use for it,” nodded Revealer of Truths. “Symbols to represent words and ideas, painted on thin leather or linen parchment, then conveyed to the groups in other parts by way of travelling merchants and traders.”

  “You mean writing, then?” Rhuna asked, struggling to understand the concept.

  “No,” Divider of Fortunes shook his head and began to explain that writing was understood by everyone in the entire land, whereas a code was like a secret language that only certain people could understand. “In this case, the Dark Ones.”

  “They are very clever and ingenious,” nodded Echo of the Evening, his fingers twitching with agitation.

  “My observations reveal that many other people in Safu and surrounding lands support them by co-operating with the Dark Ones, even carrying out assignments for them in return for something of value,” said Designer of Works.

  “Their influence and power are much greater than we expected!” grumbled Divider of Fortunes, tugging at his bushy beard.

  “We, also, have a disturbing report,” said Reaching the Moon as he reached across to hold the hand of Softness of the Clouds. Rhuna realized with pleasant surprise that the two friends had become lovers during their assignment to learn more about amulets and curses.

  “As we mingled, pretending innocent interest in the amulets, we found ourselves with a group of Atlans who had acquired amulets,” Reaching the Moon continued.

  “They told us that their amulets were for success in business undertakings, good fortune in finding a compatible partner, and even happiness in love,” added Softness of the Clouds, glancing aside at Reaching the Moon and gently squeezing his hand. Rhuna thought to herself that the new couple did not need amulets to find each other.

  “Incomprehensible!” grumbled Divider of Fortunes. “Such beliefs are completely un-Atlan!” he scoffed angrily.

  “Yes, these Atlans really should know better!” Aradin quipped as he shook his head in dismay.

  “Furthermore,” added Reaching the Moon quickly, “We have learned that the Dark Ones call themselves the Guardians of Knowledge.”

  “Guardians of Knowledge?” repeated Divider of Fortunes as his eyebrows shot up. A moment of silence followed as The Observers assimilated this new information.

  “Dark Knowledge! The Dark Master’s Knowledge!” said Echo of the Evening as he nervously rubbed his hands together.

  “An advanced, complex and efficient organization with an enigmatic name,” nodded Revealer of Truths thoughtfully, and The Observers continued to comment and discuss the matter among themselves for a little while.

  Rhuna waited for the right opportunity to mention what Faleesh had told her after she had asked her to be observant when visiting her sister in the Commoners’ part of the city.

  “There is constant talk about the curses and amulets, almost as if it’s a normal part of life already,” she said.

  The Observers continued their meeting by recounting visions summoned by means of hallucinatory herbs. Divider of Fortunes cleared his throat and began his personal account.

  “My vision was most disturbing indeed. Several people in dark garments had gathered in a room lit only with candles. They began moving in a certain manner resembling waves of the sea, and then chanting unrecognizable words,” he said with a frown. “As I moved closer, I became acutely aware of burning incense, the combination of scents also unfamiliar to me, yet not altogether unpleasant. Then the entire group began speaking an incantation, and it was my impression that they were calling upon the Dark Master himself.”

  Rhuna shuddered, but continued to listen with bated breath.

  “Then I observed another event in which I heard two of them speak of a conjuration, which I later concluded to be a special kind of incantation to effect injury or illness upon a target. Their movements gave the impression of re-directed energy drawn down from an unknown source onto the target, like re-directing the sun’s rays by means of glass or mirrors.”

  “My visions also reveal an unknown source of energy which is manipulated and funneled for malicious purposes,” said Revealer of Truths.

  “In my visions, I repeatedly observed wax or clay figures at the center of the Dark Ones’ attention,” added Softness of the Clouds. “These doll-like figures appeared to represent certain individuals. However, in another vision, some of these figures began to move, as if alive!”

  “What a terrifying vision!” said Reaching the Moon. “Mine was terrifying in another manner, namely mirrors reflecting distorted and frightening images. Although I attempted to look more closely and observe other objects, the mirrors continually assaulted my senses,” he said shaking his head with revulsion.

  “Describe the mirrors, Reaching the Moon,” asked Divider of Fortunes with a perplexed expression. The brown-haired Atlan with the soft voice answered, saying that they varied from small and unevenly shaped, to large and smooth, like a door.

  “My vision also contained odd
mirrors, the strong smell of unusual incense, and the use of small human-like figures,” said Designer of Works.

  “As a Healer, I attempted to summon the nature of the ailments with which the Dark Ones purport to afflict innocent ones,” said Roses of the Field as she tossed her long fair hair across one shoulder. “The symptoms experienced by the victims are real, but completely without logical cause!” Rhuna heard the tone of distress in the gentle Healer’s voice as she finished her account.

  “This is what I observed, too,” said Rhuna, and began to relate her experience with the Benshi and the woman with the pain in her side. Then she remembered the aggressive woman with the amulet, and that she experienced a moment of dizziness and nausea when she first held it.

  “This implies that the amulets indeed emit a certain energy,” said Revealer of Truths with a deep frown. “Until now, I had assumed the Dark Ones merely remove the curse after giving the victim an amulet, leading them to believe that the amulet has special protective powers.”

  “How can this be?” asked Softness of the Clouds. “These things are completely unknown in Atlán!”

  “It appears, from what all of us have observed, that they can modify energy from as yet unknown source,” said Aradin. “Like the Dark One himself, his followers continue to reach beyond the known boundaries.”

  “May this not be true!” said Softness of the Clouds, and Reaching the Moon added a murmur of agreement.

  “Most regrettably so!” Revealer of Truths said. “These…Guardians of Knowledge…have developed a power, as yet unknown to us, that binds objects to a person, as well as objects that attract certain…forces,” she continued with a frown. “They utilize items such as amulets and similar complex items of jewellery, in combination with signs and Words of Power, to summon an Activating Force.”

  “What are these strange expressions you use, Revealer of Truths?” asked Echo of the Evening with a nervous twitch of his lips.

  “The terms used by the Dark Ones,” the red-haired woman answered.

  “This implies that…it appears that…these practices are firmly established in their works…for such new terms to be used,” twittered Echo of the Evening as he shook his head in dismay.

  Rhuna looked at Aradin as he cleared his throat and began to speak resolutely. “We should have learned by now that we cannot dismiss any possibilities when dealing with the Dark Ones.”

  “Such despicable powers are unknown in Atlán!” pronounced Designer of Works as his bushy eyebrows cast deep shadows over his eyes.

  “We must report these things to the High Council of Atlan!” exclaimed Designer of Works, and the others expressed words of agreement.

  “Speaking such a message would risk exposure…of our purpose and our acquired knowledge of the Dark Ones…” twittered Echo of the Evening. “I suggest the message be spoken by the least suspicious among us, such as I.”

  “It is too dangerous! You must not risk your wellbeing, Echo of the Evening,” protested Revealer of Truths, but the old grey Atlan shook his head, determined to have his way.

  “An ageing Atlan Master, such as I,” began Echo of the Evening, this time with more resolve and in a slow and steady voice, “...who has come by this knowledge in …normal…ways, let us say…”

  “Be extremely careful with your choice of words!” warned Designer of Works.

  “Must one of us do this, and risk our safety?” asked Softness of the Clouds with a hint of fear in her voice.

  “Let me risk only myself,” offered Revealer of Truths. “No one shall suffer great loss, should anything befall me,” she said, referring to her single status and lone lifestyle.

  “Not so, Revealer of Truths!” interjected Echo of the Evening. “It is I who have the least to lose. All of you have either occupation, reputation, families or other connections. Allow me to speak the message! The High Council of Atlán is familiar with my past, my reputation,” he said as firmly as his ageing voice could muster.

  “So be it then,” said Divider of Fortunes in his booming deep voice. “Echo of the Evening shall inform the High Council of Atlán of these Dark activities, choosing his words most carefully!”

  “At this time, it appears the Dark Ones are not concerned with scrutiny of their activities, yet this may change as soon as they have reason to suspect they are being observed,” added Revealer of Truths, and shortly thereafter the Observers went their separate ways.

  Part Three

  (Uxbana)

  Rhuna awoke to a violent thunderclap which tore her out of a jumble of strange, vivid dreams. She sat upright in bed and breathed in deeply, letting the storm-charged air energize her body and clear her mind. Beside her, Aradin moved slightly as the first light of day crept into their sleeping chamber and threw light onto the colourful textile wall-hangings and other decorations she had acquired since she arrived in Safu. Her many beautiful possessions gave her comfort, but a deep unease began to rise again, filling her with dread.

  Pushing the heavy feelings aside, she rose and quietly moved towards the basin of water in the dark corner of the room. Without the assistance of powders and incantations, she summoned first messages and then general visions of events connected to her personally, to Aradin and then to the residents of Safu. She held her breath as the visions appeared, afraid that her feeling of dread was a subtle mental vision of some calamity. After watching images of people rising and preparing for the day, of merchants arriving and departing Safu, and people familiar to her going about their morning routine, Rhuna finally sighed with relief and turned around to begin her own day.

  The rain had been pounding on the roof and outdoor paving stones for some time already when Rhuna heard a knock on the door. She looked expectantly at Aradin, who shrugged his shoulders as he chewed a mouthful of their morning meal of oats, milk and fruit.

  “Black woman!” squeaked Shandi with a happy giggle, and then took the morsel of food that Faleesh gave her. Rhuna opened the door and immediately recognized one of The Reigning One’s messengers standing in the downpour without any rain shelter or footwear.

  “The Reigning One wishes to have audience with The Star Child,” the messenger said, and Rhuna quickly grabbed a cloak and portable rain shelter, then offered one to the messenger who shook his head and smiled.

  “I like rain,” he said, and for a brief moment, a childhood memory from her simple island home flashed across her mind, when she also walked barefoot in the rain. She matched the young messenger’s long-legged stride back to the residence of The Reigning One, intensely curious why he had called for her.

  As expected, Abu-Malech greeted Rhuna warmly with his usual courteous bow as she entered the main hall of the grand building, and after her cloak and wet rain shelter were taken by attendants, she was ushered into one of The Reigning One’s many rooms of audience. She recognized the smaller room she entered as one for certain individual guests, usually of a prominent standing in the community.

  Rhuna stood in the doorway and smiled inwardly at the familiar sight of The Reigning One, dressed formally and standing rigidly, looking like one of the many statues that filled every corner and passageway of the sprawling residence. His bronze skin appeared to be freshly shaved, glistening with scented body oils, and Rhuna wondered why he had prepared himself so immaculately. She noticed that he wore more gold jewellery and coloured gemstones than usual, and a large turquoise stone featured on his breastplate. He made a quick, stiff gesture with two fingers, which Rhuna understood to mean that she should enter.

  “My new guest wishes to meet you,” he said in his strong and level voice which rarely changed or expressed emotion. Rhuna nodded and waited for him to tell her more.

  “The Ruler of the Land of Ubanti has journeyed to my land of Benshu,” he continued, and Rhuna remembered that he always referred to Safu as the land of Benshu, while the Atlan residents called the land Safu. “This land is several days’ journey on the Great River, and has been an import
ant trade partner of Benshu, of my people,” he explained.

  Rhuna said that she was aware of the important trade relations between Safu and nearby nations, including the land at the other end of the Great River.

  “The Ruler of this land would like to meet me?” asked Rhuna, surprised.

  “Yes,” replied The Reigning One bluntly. “She is an exceptional Ruler who speaks in four languages and has knowledge of the entire world. Her wealth and power exceeds even my own, and she is continually seeking more knowledge, more wealth and more power,” he explained in a flat monotone. “She has heard of The Star Child and wishes to meet you,” he added.

  “Oh, I see,” said Rhuna, unsure what to expect.

  A rustle of fabric alerted Rhuna of a presence behind her, and she turned to look at the open doorway where an attendant ushered in the prominent guest.

  Rhuna watched in awe as a tall woman with intensely dark skin strode elegantly towards them, her bare arms boasting gold bracelets and other glittering jewels. She remembered Shandi’s words, black woman, and let her gaze quickly take in the impressive stature and colourful textiles.

  “I greet you,” she said, startling Rhuna with her deep and resonating voice. “I am Uxbana of Zambalu, The Queen of the Land of Ubanti and of the Ubanti People,” she said proudly.

  Rhuna stepped forward to greet her in the traditional Atlan way, and a black hand with long, slender fingers reached to firmly grasp Rhuna’s hand. The tall woman’s arm jewellery jingled briefly, and Rhuna sensed both the woman’s outer and inner strength of character.

  “You? You are the one they call The Star Child?” Uxbana said with arched eyebrows. “You are so…small.”

  “The people of the Land of Ubanti are among the tallest I have encountered,” stated The Reigning One in his usual monotone, and then quickly motioned for Uxbana to be seated opposite Rhuna in a richly decorated chair. Rhuna remembered what she was told about chairs at her arrival in Safu, and still found it amusing that The Reigning One’s forefathers liked to sit higher off the ground than others in order to emphasize their status and superiority over others sitting on the floor.