Yerina hid her mouth with her small hand and giggled. “Silly, you can’t eat me. I would eat you first!” Slipping her tiny hand into his paw, she led Klain through the garden area toward the back entrance of the villa.
The time Klain had spent at the Honored One’s villa had been the most enjoyable of his short life. It had taken Klain only a few tendays to understand the full implications of the word free. He was forbidden to leave the grounds without an escort, yes, yet he understood now that he was not ready to leave them—that his upbringing inside a tiny cage had not prepared him for interactions with so many others.
I am learning, however.
He spent all his time with the servants of the villa, although he had developed a fondness for the girl-cub, Yerina, the cub of one of the cooks. Without understanding why, he enjoyed her company, and even though he saw her as a cub, he sometimes felt she was his older. They explored the grounds together for aurns without end. Rolling and climbing, leaping and running; everything that had been denied him in his youth now filled him with elation. It was as if he had been reborn into a new existence—an existence of peace and love.
As the pair walked hand in paw down the crushed-gravel paths, Klain marveled at the variety of fauna that surrounded him. How lush and green. Manicured shrubs, their foliage groomed to take on the shapes of low walls, or sculpted into marvelous designs and even wondrous creatures. Massive trees, their canopy bathing the area in cool shadows, littered the gardens, offering up delectable fruit hanging for the taking by any passerby.
Even though high walls surround all, I know they are not there to hold me. I may leave when I am ready.
Just outside the door to the kitchen sat a large stone table and benches surrounded by lush green bushes displaying a wide array of multicolored flowers. Yerina let go of Klain’s paw and motioned him to the sitting area. “You wait here and I will fetch us something for halfmeal.”
Klain stared after her as the little girl skipped into the villa. Sitting down upon a bench, he closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, allowing the fragrances of the air to invade every corner of his senses.
It is intoxicating out here, under the sun. I may never be ready to leave.
“It is lovely at that, yes?” Sarshia came strolling out of some deeper part of the garden. “Alas, I am afraid the time draws near when you must depart.”
It always shocked Klain that he could neither hear nor smell nor feel the vibrations of the Elmorr’Antien’s approach.
I feel vulnerable when in her presence.
A look that Klain had grown to suspect as being one of mirth passed over the Elmorr’Antien’s cold, gray features. He watched her stroll over the gravel path—her impossibly thin legs moving gracefully despite their odd appearance—until she sat on the stone bench opposite him.
“I see you have been enjoying your time with Yerina, hmm?”
“Aye.” Klain did not know why her words made him feel uncomfortable, yet his eyes drew to his paws and he ground one sharp toeclaw into the crushed stone below the table.
“You need not be embarrassed, Klain, you are still merely a cub yourself. If you had grown up amongst your own kind, you would be doing much the same with other Kithians your age, yes?”
“Mayhaps, yet I did not grow up that way!” Anger filled him and he clinched his jaw.
Sarshia cocked her teardrop shaped head to one side and her long, flowing white hair slid to cover her shoulder. “Why does your upbringing still anger you so, hmm? I have told you, your past is what will give you the strength to achieve what you must in the future, yes?”
Raising his head, Klain looked the blue-gray being in her black, liquid-pool eyes. For a moment, he thought of the feelings he experienced on their first encounter. “This is not the first time you have mentioned my future. How can someone know what will take place on the morrow?”
Again, the look of amusement passed over Sarshia’s features, and she gazed at Klain for a long moment. Finally, she nodded her head. “You have improved much during your stay here. You feel more at ease with your freedom, yes?”
“I understand what you have given me, aye. As well as the debt I owe you, if that is what you mean.”
“You owe me nothing, Klain.” She raised her three-fingered hand to forestall Klain’s rebuttal. “It is I who owe you.”
Letting out a snort, Klain waved a paw in dismissal. “What could you possibly owe to me? If not for you, I would be long dead.”
“Of that I have no doubt. Yet, I also have no doubt that that was never to become your fate. You remember our first meeting in the dungeons of the Coliseum and the feelings you felt, hmm?”
Klain nodded, his golden mane bouncing with the motion of his head.
“It was at that time when I performed the Chi’tar upon you.”
“Chi’tar?”
“I hope you are hungry—oh!” Yerina’s voice squeaked as she came bounding out the back door of the villa. Stopping abruptly, the little girl curtsied while balancing a large, silver tray of meats and cheeses. “My apologies, Honored One.”
“Nonsense, child. Please, bring the food to the table, yes?”
Keeping her gaze averted to the ground, the blond girl hurried to the table, set the tray down, and took a step back, standing with her hands clasped behind her back.
“My thanks, Yerina. Alas, I must ask you to eat halfmeal elsewhere, yes?” Sarshia raised a hand indicating the kitchen area. “I have some things to discuss with Klain before I depart.” Her thin black lips parted into a semblance of a smile. “You will have him back soon enough, hmm?”
“Aye, Honored One. As you say.” Yerina bowed once more, then spun around so fast her golden locks of hair twirled into the air. Casting a shy grin over her shoulder, she disappeared back inside the villa.
Watching the dark doorway for a moment longer, Klain returned his attention to his host. “What do you mean, before you depart?”
Picking up a slim, silver eating prong, Sarshia stabbed a small cube of cheese and held it up between them. “I must return to my home in Hath’oolan. There are—things there I must attend to. Yet, that is no concern of yours, yes?” She put the cheese to her lips and slipped it into her mouth.
“It is, if I am to somehow repay you for what you have done!” Reaching out a paw, Klain stabbed a thin cut of meat with one claw and shoveled it into his maw.
“I think that can be arranged before I leave the shores of Ro’Arith, yes?” She set down her eating prong. “I am in debt to a Human in much the same way you feel you are in debt to me.”
“And this Human, he saved your life?” Klain was astonished at the thought.
A small snort emanated from Sarshia. “No. I owe him a debt of a different kind, yes? Suffice it to say that he is in need of an additional bodyguard for himself and his family. I think this would be a fine profession for you to consider, hmm?”
Klain let this roll over in his mind. “So, this Human, he would be my Master?” It surprised him that the term did not leave a bad taste in his mouth.
“Not Master in the way you have come to know, Klain. You are a free being. The man would be your employer. You would be able to leave his services any time you wish should you become dissatisfied with the arrangement.” Sarshia reached out and idly moved a second piece of cheese with her eating prong. “He is a good man and I feel you will learn much under his guidance—many things that could help you in the tasks you will encounter on the path which you now walk, yes?”
Swallowing a bit of meat, Klain leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Again, you speak of my future as if you know something. Tell me of this Chi’tar that you spoke of earlier.”
Nodding, the semi-transparent sheets that were Sarshia’s eyelids slid down and remained closed. Klain had never seen her keep her eyes shut, and the sight disturbed him. He could still see the Elmorr’
Antien’s dark black eyes through the semi-transparent lids, yet now the normally deep-black eyes held a hazy film over them. It was unsettling to realize that even with their eyes closed, an Elmorr’Antien would still be able to see everything around them.
Sarshia took in a deep breath. Releasing it slowly, she opened her eyes. “It is considered taboo for one of my race to speak of the Chi’tar to another. It is a gift that almost all Elmorr’Antiens possess. And a few from the other species as well. Kithians, however, are different. Your race was not born from the Essence like the others—yours was created by the Essence.” Klain did not understand where she was leading him. Her look of amusement returned. “It does not matter, yes? You knowing what the Chi’tar is will not affect the balance.”
“Whether you believe it or not, each of us has a role to play during our life. Some might call it destiny, others fate, yes? The Essence that is within all things—within you and I—contains a shadowy glimpse—an image, if you will, yes?—of the possible outcomes that may happen based on the path one is heading.”
“I do not understand.”
Reaching down, Sarshia plucked a small stone from beneath her bench. “Take this rock.” She held it out and Klain took it into his paw. “If you were to throw the rock at the villa wall, what do you think the outcome would be, hmm?”
“It would not damage the wall, no matter how hard I threw it. It is too small.”
“No, it would not damage the wall, in that you are correct. Alas, that is not what I meant. I mean would the rock hit the wall, hmm?”
Klain looked from the wall to the stone. “It is only a few paces. I could hit it with my eyes shut if I wished.”
“Possibly. You see, that is the obvious outcome. Yet, what if a bird swooped down just as you threw it, and intersected it. The rock would then fall to the ground without hitting the wall. Or, what if a mighty gust of wind blew the stone from its course, or one of a thousand other outcomes, hmm?”
Eyeing the sky, Klain searched for anything that may impede his throw. “I see none of these.”
Sarshia smiled. “No. None of those are likely to happen. I am just using the stone as an example, yes? To show that what you perceive—a stone about to be thrown against a wall—is all you know for certain. The Chi’tar is something that we Elmorr’Antiens have been able to do for millennia. It allows us to glimpse a few of the possible outcomes of what may or may not come to pass. Specifically, it allows us to see the possible outcomes of a being’s life based on the paths they have traveled and are about to walk—the choices they have made and could make in the future.”
“You can see the future?”
Sarshia tilted her blue-gray, teardrop shaped head to the side. “No. Not the future exactly, more of possible futures, yes?”
“And you have seen mine? That is what I felt in my cell the first time we met?”
Nodding her head, her semi-transparent eyelids slid down and up her pool-like eyes. “That is what you felt. However, I could not discern anything of your future.”
“Why? I do not understand.” Klain’s confusion threatened to morph into anger. Feeling his hackles rise, he forced himself to calm down as he had learned to do over the past few moons.
I know very little of this new life I find myself in. Yet, I know anger will not solve these issues.
A smile crept over the thin, dark-gray lips of the Elmorr’Antien. “You have gained much wisdom in your short stay here at my villa. There are beings on this Plane who have the potential to do great things during their lifespan. When performing the Chi’tar upon these individuals, it is like looking into a blinding light, as if one looked directly at the sun. This is what I saw when I performed the Chi’tar upon you, Klain, and it intrigued me.”
“I am destined for greatness?” Klain sat up straighter on his bench, a feeling of euphoria passing through him.
“No, there is no such thing as destiny, yes? We—all the sentient beings upon the Plane of Talic’Nauth—are shaped either by the decisions and actions we ourselves make, or those that others make for or against us. There are no set paths, no guaranteed outcomes, nor futures. Yet, based on where a person has been, what they have experienced, and the road upon which they currently walk, the Chi’tar can give a glimpse of possible outcomes. When I performed it upon you, I saw potential, that is all. Potential so great, it could rock the very foundations of everything, to be sure. Yet, it is all dust on the wind depending on what you choose in life, yes?”
“I have never chosen anything in my life. Even the freedom I have now, I had no say in. You are the one who chose this for me.”
“In this you are correct. Yet, I think it is time that you take the reins of your life now, yes?” Sarshia rose from her bench. “Duty calls to me, and I must leave Mocley and return to my home in Hath’oolan.”
The statement hit Klain in the chest like a hammer. “What is to become of me?”
“I have some suggestions, yet as to where you go from here, that is for you to decide, yes?”
Klain felt an unnatural sense of fear creep into him.
No!
Clinching his paws, he forced the feeling away.
I am not a slave anymore! I will not fear the decisions I must make! I am my own master now!
Standing, paws clinched so tight his claws dug into his pads, he nodded to his host who had helped him overcome so much. “I welcome your council, Sarshia, yet you are correct. I must face any challenges head on. I will not fear my future!”
Smiling, Sarshia bowed her head toward him. “The Human whom I owe the debt to is named Rohann Vimith. He is a merchant in the trade of diamonds, and wished to speak with you about protecting his son. If you were to take employment with this man, you would relieve me of my obligation to him. Also, by doing me this favor, your debt to me will be considered paid in full.”
“And in doing this, I would not be obligated to stay with this Human?”
Nodding, Sarshia indicated that he was correct.
“Then I will meet with this Rohann. If his manner is to my liking, I will let him employ me.”
Bowing low, the Elmorr’Antien smiled. “That is all that one being can ask of another. I will arrange a meeting on the morrow, yes?” With that, Sarshia turned and glided into the back door of the villa.
Watching her go, Klain once again tried in vain to pick up any vibrations that her steps made upon the ground, and found he could detect nothing through the pads of his hindpaws.
I do not think I will ever be at ease around one of their kind.
Arderi Cor woke with a start. He lay on something soft. A cool wet cloth covered his forehead. Sitting up and removing the rag from his head, he found that he occupied a small sleeping chamber. A tiny writing desk sat against the wall opposite the bed. A little stand with a washbasin on top took up the entire wall adjacent from the room’s only door. It reminded him of the place Alant had been during the private message he had shared with Arderi in the last Memory Crystal.
The door opened, and Sier Witlan Singe entered carrying a large bowl. “Ah, you are up. How do you feel?”
Taking a moments pause, Arderi realized he did not feel anything out of sorts. Even his headache from earlier this morn was gone. “I feel fine, Sier, sir. What happened? Why am I here?”
Sier Singe set the bowl on the desk—steam rose from the water inside as it sloshed about. “The Master Shaper is also well. A nasty bump on his head. Sier Quilart is tending to the wound.”
“The Master Shaper was hurt?” Arderi did not understand. “How?”
Pulling out the small stool from under the desk, the Shaper sat motionless for a long while, boring his eyes into Arderi’s before speaking. “Do you know what happened? Did you do something to interfere with the Test? Keep a true tongue with me, boy.”
“Nix, Sier! I do not know what you mean.” Arderi retreated further ont
o the bed, putting some distance between the two of them.
“Tell me what happened.” Witlan Singe’s tone was harsh and commanding. “I will know if you lie!”
Swallowing hard, stories of a Shaper’s power bubbled up inside Arderi’s head. He searched his memory—his fuzzy mind, stuffed with what felt like cotton, would not bring up the actual turn of events that had led him here. He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head weakly. “Aye, Sier, sir. You sent me in to see the Master Shaper. We talked for a time. He told me what the Test would be like. He stared at me for about half an aurn until I felt a tingling. We put our hands on the large Crystal thing and then…”
Then what?
He racked his brain and could find no answers. “Then… then I woke up here.” He gestured feebly at the bed.
Sier Singe sat in silence. Finally, he stood. “Come. The Master Shaper wished to see you when you felt up to it. I think that time has arrived.” He strode out of the room.
Arderi followed the Shaper through the halls once more, this time taking no notice of all the grandiose paraphernalia that lined them. His mind raced as he struggled to remember what had happened. They ascended a long flight of steps that ended in a large waiting area. Plush chairs and small ornate tables lined the walls. Rich tapestries, elegant statues, and magnificent vases were scattered about to please the eye. Arderi saw none of it.
Witlan Singe turned and gestured to a couch. “Be seated. I will see if the Master Shaper is ready to see you.” Turning, he disappeared through a set of double doors.
Walking to the indicated seat, Arderi stood, arms crossed over his chest, fear and doubt threatening to overwhelm him. He stared at a tapestry without seeing what it held, looking over his shoulder when he heard the doors open again. Sier Singe waved him over and shuffled him inside the room.
Light spilled into the study from two tall windows set on either wall flanking the doors. More finery—statues, portraits, carvings and other artifacts—littered the place. A monstrous desk filled much of the center of the area, the top of it neatly organized with quills, parchment, and stacks of books and scrolls.
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