by S. E. Duncan
The village… would he ever see it again? Ever again walk through the cobblestone streets? It was a much simpler life, and he missed so many things about it. People took care of each other and had the highest respect for life. They grew their own food and survived through trade. If you needed to see a healer, you did. If you needed help in any way you simply asked for it. People honored, respected, and appreciated each other.
This world with all of its technology was spoiled in so many ways. Burke often thought about the differences between his world and this one. He knew most humans would think his home behind or backward. They wouldn’t understand that lack of desire and need rather than lack of intelligence had kept technological advances at bay. There was no need for medical machinery and equipment when people seldom became sick. The skills of a healer had always been sufficient. Who needed things like televisions, computers, or cars when there was singing, dancing, and long walks with the one you loved? He missed the village, and he missed his family even more. Burke had enjoyed working with his dad and had spent a great deal of his spare time helping his father even after he had awakened as a healer. He was proud to be a healer like his mother - just as Willow would have been had she lived long enough to have the chance.
All healers had a natural passion for herbal medicine, but Zera’s skill was beyond compare. Willow had been in awe of her mother. She’d followed Zera around the herb garden since she could walk. She knew the names and uses of every plant. Her family used to tease her that if she didn’t go through an awakening, she could fake it and no one would ever question her skills as a healer. And beautiful! To describe Willow as beautiful would have been an understatement. She’d had long raven hair; it was so dark it sometimes looked highlighted with blue in the sun. Her eyes were lavender, and her skin was pale as porcelain. Her lips were dark as if she’d just eaten berries, and in the months before her death it seemed her cheeks were always pink. She’d been in love.
Love was of a higher plane in their world than it was on Earth. Humans were fickle and not all of them, but most, seemed to fall in and out of love as easily as the seasons changed. Burke’s people believed that the Mother of All carved two hearts from one piece of wood and delivered them with a blessing to a man and woman. These two hearts were linked and would forever be drawn to one another. Soul mates weren’t a dream, but a certainty. Willow’s heart had found its twin in Barret. One wasn’t often blessed to love so young, but Willow and Barret had become enamored very early. They ran in the fields together as children, tumbling and chasing each other. Eventually the running evolved into long walks with fingers intertwined. Everyone expected them to be bonded once they had finished school and passed the age of awakening. Willow was happy and her family was happy for her.
Then the devastation had come. Something in Burke had died along with Willow. No matter how long he lived he would always remember every detail of her last moments. The moments he’d shared with her when he’d found her, held her head in his hands, and lived through them himself.
Barret had come to the workshop where Reid and Burke were working. He was frantic with worry. He and Willow were supposed to meet that afternoon but she hadn’t shown up. Burke didn’t bother trying to calm Barret down or to wait for the search parties to be formed. He set out immediately with a sickness in the pit of his stomach and the knowledge that two people had already been killed. He had found her lying shattered on the rocks below the village cliffs. Later, he wouldn’t be able to recall how he’d made it down to her so quickly. He had screamed and fallen to his knees next to her soaked body. He lifted her into his arms before the incoming tide could carry her out to sea. He took over an hour to carry Willow up the winding path. Burke had stumbled along half blinded by his own tears. When he reached the top of the trail he collapsed and lovingly cradled her head in his hands.
Instantly, he was Willow. There was a young man beckoning him, claiming to have found an injured child. Without hesitation he followed the young man toward the edge of the cliff. When the man turned with glowing red eyes and pulled her to him, Willow didn’t even scream. She was more saddened by the knowledge of what would never be than frightened. Her eyes filled with tears and she whispered a single word - “Barret” - before the Demon stole her breath and pushed her lifeless body over the cliff’s edge.
Burke had still been engaged in the vision when his mother and father found him. They had pried Willow’s body from him, and Reid had carried her home. Burke had wrestled his hysterical mother to the ground and held her there, not wanting her to lay her hands on Willow’s head and see the vision. A mother’s memories of her child shouldn’t include sharing her daughter’s heart wrenching sorrow over being stolen from her love.
Burke had left everything to avenge Willow. He’d lost not only his family and friends and the village, but his entire world. Now, at last, it seemed the Mother of All was showing him mercy.
~~
When Ella made the final turn into her neighborhood, Burke continued on and turned on the next street up. He doubled around and parked at the end of the block where he could see without being seen. He would just lay low and follow her back later tonight. They still had a lot to talk about and much to accomplish in a short time. He felt at least a little better just being closer to her in case she needed him. With nothing to do but sit and wait, Burke seemed unable to control his own thoughts as they replayed and analyzed the last few days he had spent with Ella.
Of course he’d had to rip her top when she had begun to convulse, so he could bring her breathing and heart rate back. But now that it was over and she was well, he couldn’t help but dwell on the, shall we say, bright side of the situation. He closed his eyes and pictured the perfect shape of her creamy white breasts and the exact placement of her tan lines. How he would love to be able to touch her under different circumstances. How many times over the past few days had he held her close to him? Now that she was well would he have the nerve to take her into his arms? He thought for the second time that day, about how he had kissed her that morning. He had just been so overjoyed that she was okay. More than okay, she was pretty close to perfect. He wondered how she had felt about the kiss. Was it just his hopeful imagination, or had she leaned into him? He couldn’t afford to run her off. He was going to have to feel her out, to take it very slow and easy. He gave a little grin at the wording of his own thoughts - feel her out. He thought about her soft curves and how he would indeed love to feel them. He was lost in his visual heaven when a sudden tap at his window brought him crashing back to reality. He actually gave a little yelp. Only a warrior could sneak up on him like that. James used to think it was hilarious.
“Christ, Ella.” He said as he looked up to see her standing next to the truck with her hands on her hips.
“Boy, do I feel safe,” she said. “I assume you’re here to protect me, yet I march right up and just about give you a heart attack. What in the world were you staring off into space grinning about anyway?”
“Nothing,” Burke said, wondering how red his cheeks were.
“So spill it, what are you doing?” she prompted.
“Okay, okay. Geez. On my way back to the house after dropping you at your car, I just couldn’t shake the worry that the Demon is out there somewhere. So... I turned around and followed you.”
“Listen, I’ve already talked to Aunt Rachel about the internship. She knows I start tomorrow, and that I need to get back to Sarah’s room at a decent hour. She’s very excited that I have what she feels is an excellent opportunity. We’re all going out for a late lunch instead of dinner, and then I’ll pack a few things and be back to your house in three hours at the most. So you, paranoid guy, can just turn this truck of yours right around and I’ll see you soon.”
“I’m just being cautious, Ella. We haven’t talked about everything, and I’m concerned for your safety.”
“I’m flattered, but I think I’m a little more in tune with the gravity of the situation than you give me credi
t for, hence, the making of arrangements to get back as quickly as possible. You, however, need to stop assuming I am going to be dead within the hour and let me take care of things here so we can get on with… whatever we need to be getting on with.” Ella figured she sounded like an idiot, but she needed to get rid of Burke, have lunch with her family, and get back. “Look,” she said. Ella leaned into the truck window and spoke through her teeth. Of course Burke was more preoccupied with the smell of her hair than what she was actually saying. “Will you just get the heck out of here before my Aunt comes out and I have to explain who you are and what you’re doing here? Don’t you think that may just turn into an issue if she ever comes to your office to see me, and - hello - the guy her niece is working for is the same guy who was parked outside of her house? She’ll think you’re a stalker for Pete’s sake! Bye now. I’ll be back in a few hours.” Without another word, she walked away.
Well Hell, Burke thought as he drove away.
Chapter 5: Gifts
True to her word, Ella pulled into the driveway almost exactly three hours later. She grabbed her bag out of the passenger seat and headed up the walk. Burke met her at the door.
“Hi,” she said with a smile. “I hope you’re not upset with me for running you off.”
“No, it’s okay, obviously I wasn’t being as stealth as I thought I was,” he replied.
“Must be a warrior thing; I guess I’m a little harder to sneak up on than you are.” She grinned and nudged him with her shoulder as she walked through the door he held open for her.
Burke took Ella’s bag from her and put it in the bedroom closet with her other bag. “Come on, I believe we had a date for cake and presents.”
Once they were each seated at the table with a piece of cake in front of them, Burke slid the smaller of the two packages across the table to Ella. “Open this one first,” he said.
Ella tore off the wrapping paper and opened the small box. Inside was an elaborate charm suspended from a short necklace. The charm was a disc about the size of a nickel; the bottom third was covered in chips of gemstones in varying shades of purples - everything from pale lavender to deep violet. Above the purple stones were three bezel set diamonds. Each diamond had a fine wire of colored metal mounted across its diameter. Ella didn’t know what to think. It was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen, but not the kind of gift you gave someone you’d known for only a few days.
“Burke, this is absolutely gorgeous. I’m not sure if I can accept such an obviously expensive present.” Ella whispered and slid the box back across the table towards him.
Burke removed the necklace from the box. He ran his finger over the stones and smiled sadly. “It belonged to my sister,” he breathed so softly she might not have heard him before her awakening. “I want you to have it Ella. Willow would have adored you. I want you to have something special from my home – your home. Our planet had three moons. Each moon had a ring around it similar to the planet Saturn in this solar system. This charm is a depiction of the moons over the ocean. This is your heritage and your history, whether you’ll ever get to set eyes on it or not.”
Burke stood and walked behind Ella. He fastened the necklace around her neck. Ella reached up and laid her hand over Willow’s necklace and her mother’s black diamond.
“They look nice together,” Burke told her as he returned to his chair across from her.
“I don’t know what to say,” Ella looked into Burke’s eyes; violet eyes like the water on his world. How appropriate that she thought she could drown in them. “I’ll always cherish it.”
“I’m glad you like it.” Burke took Ella’s hand and gave it a small squeeze before sliding the other package across the table to her.
“Slow down,” Ella laughed, “I’m still trying to imagine purple oceans.”
“Okay,” Burke smiled, “maybe I can help. Our village was on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Think lush green rolling hills like Ireland. Cobblestone streets connected simple cottages. There were animals in pens and yards full of colorful vegetation like what you’ve seen in the greenhouse. It’s true that the flowers were more vibrant there than they are here, but the grass was still green. There were forests for hunting, fields for planting, and oceans for fishing. The water was very clear like in the Caribbean, only more lavender than blue. When it stormed, angry dark purple waves would crash against the cliffs. The sunsets would take your breath away and at night millions of stars lit up the sky as the three moons rose over the ocean.”
“You keep saying was and were. Sometimes when you talk about your world you use the present tense, at other times you use the past tense.”
“Was and were, is and are. I don’t know Ella.” Burke raked his hand through his hair. “I’m sure it’s all still there somewhere, but it’s in the past for me. I miss it, and I wish I could show it to you instead of just try to describe it.”
“I’m sorry. It must still be very difficult for you. You must feel trapped here. It’s still so much for me to wrap my head around – you’re from a whole other world. My father’s world and I guess, maybe, my world now, too. If I had a choice, would I belong there or here? I wonder if I’ll ever have an opportunity to see it. Do you think there’s any possibility that you’ll ever be able to go back?”
Ella waited for him to answer. The seconds stretched and Burke sat with a faraway look in his eye. What’s he thinking? “What is the name of your home Burke?” she asked.
Burke looked at her. “Quintar, my planet is called Quintar. And I just don’t know if you’ll ever get to see it, or if I’ll ever get to see my family again. I can tell you though, Ella, there are a lot of people who would love to meet you.” Burke gave the second package another little nudge towards Ella.
Ella tore the paper from the second package. Inside was a beautiful wooden box with a crest engraved on the lid. The wood was dark, though whether from age or the finish Ella couldn’t be certain. The crest depicted a bird, much like some kind of hawk, on a twisting and curling branch. She ran her hand over the crest to feel the elaborate detail of the carving, but drew back suddenly when a slight vibration moved through her fingers. Ella glanced up at Burke, but he only nodded his head and made a gesture of encouragement. She unlatched the box and opened it to reveal two identical weapons. They looked like short swords, something that would be used in karate or another form of martial arts. Each was a little less than two feet in length. The guards that protruded where the handle and blade came together looked more like prongs than traditional guards. One prong curved up in the same direction as the blade of the weapon, and the other curved down in the same direction as the weapon’s handle. At the center point where the blade, handle, and two prong-like guards came together sat a large, smooth, blood-red stone.
“These were your father’s sai. The sai are the weapons of the warriors from my world. I have kept them for you in case you ever awakened. Now that you have, they are rightfully yours.”
Ella stood and picked up one of the sai, and the red stone glowed for a few seconds. Burke picked up the second weapon and handed it to Ella. When she touched it, its stone glowed briefly also.
“The sai stones glowed in recognition of your worthiness to wield them. They wouldn’t have glowed had you not been a warrior. The sai are the weapons of balance. The north and south facing yoku, or prongs, represent this balance. Everything in the universe has an opposite, and equilibrium must be maintained. For darkness there is light, for male there is female, for good there is evil, for ocean there is sky; the examples are endless. Warriors have protected and kept this balance for all time. These are lessons all children back home learn, whether they’ll be warriors, healers, or common folk. The legends of the sai are very important to us.”
“I know,” Ella said. “I mean I didn’t know what they were called, but I could just feel the importance when I touched them… the vibration and the glow, it’s like they’re speaking to me. No…it’s more than that; it’s lik
e they are a part of me. There’s nothing more natural or right than the weight of them in my hands.”
Ella took a step forward and struck out with one sai as she brought the other across her chest in a defensive maneuver. “I just know how to use them,” she said with awe. “Let’s go outside; I need some room.”
Burke followed Ella as she excitedly went out to the back yard. He watched as she took off at a run and flung herself into the air. She did a series of twists and flips, jabbing and cutting at the air with the sai. It was hard to believe this was the same girl who only twenty-four hours ago was so weak she could hardly sit up. It wasn’t as if Burke had never seen the beauty and gracefulness of a warrior in action, but his heart soared to bear witness to it once again. Ella’s natural form, strength, and talent rivaled her father’s. He was saddened by the fact that James wasn’t here - he would truly be proud of his daughter.
Working her way back across the yard in what could only be described as a dance of battle, Ella came to a stop kneeling before Burke with her head bowed and the sai crossed in front of her. “Very impressive,” Burke said.
“I can hardly believe how natural this all feels. Although for some reason, I think it would be even more exciting if I didn’t know there was something out there waiting to put my abilities to the test,” Ella told him. “The warriors didn’t have some kind of magical armor did they?” she asked only half joking.
“Unfortunately not,” Burke answered. “The warriors mostly wore leather to protect them against abrasions and such. Their speed and strength had always been armor enough from the dangers of our world. Of course, the Demon wasn’t of our world. Why don’t we go back inside; we still have a lot to talk about, though you will also need to train and run through drills and maneuvers much like you were just doing.”