Emergent

by Natasha Brown

  It sounded fascinating to Ana, but what she really wanted to hear was a story. Outside of their beauty, Ana was drawn to the stars because of the myths and folklore surrounding them.

  “Are there any important stars or planets? Any good legends?”

  Lifen wrapped her arms across her chest and said with a touch of bitterness in her voice, “One of the most commonly told tales is the story of the weaver girl and the ox herder. It is told to children and celebrated by fools during the Chinese Valentine’s Day.”

  Ana’s eyes widened and she couldn’t help but stare agape at Lifen. Had she just heard her right? “Um, what do you mean?”

  Lifen’s dark eyes stared up at the sky and reflected the moonlight. “It is a silly love story with a sad ending. I no longer fill my head with ideas of true love. It is not possible for a man to love a woman unconditionally. Impossible.”

  Ana was unsure what to do or say. She didn’t want to upset her teacher, but she was taken by surprise. How could someone truly feel that way?

  Those were only words for the heartbroken.

  “I am sorry,” Ana whispered.

  “For what?”

  “That you feel that way.”

  Lifen turned her almond eyes on Ana and gave a pitying smile. “I can see you are a romantic. Well, I will tell you the story and you can decide for yourself. Happiness and a perfect ending are impossible.”

  Ana hoped she was wrong.

  Lifen continued. “Long ago, it is said a poor orphan boy was left to be raised by his elder brother and sister-in-law. Time was not kind to them and they passed from this Earth, leaving the boy with a meager farm and an old ox. Every morning the boy would wake and till the fields and plant his crops. It was a simple life, but with his ox by his side he was satisfied. Little did the boy know, the ox was no earthly animal. It was an immortal who had been banished from heaven for the wrongs he had committed. Having spent much time by the boy’s side, the beast decided the boy was a good and honest being who deserved a wife. So, one day he encouraged him to go down to the stream near their home. The ox said he would find a good woman and the brook would bring him a treasure.

  “When the ox herder arrived at the stream he discovered seven exquisite maidens bathing. Just like the oxen, these women were no mortals—they were the daughters of the Emperor of Heaven. As wrong as he knew it was, the boy hid behind some bushes and watched them because he was too nervous and shy to approach. One maiden in particular caught his eye, the youngest of all her sisters. While the day passed, each of the girls left and returned to heaven, all except the youngest. She was stubborn and tired after a long day’s work and wished to have more time to herself. She was a talented weaver and her father had bid her to weave rainbows and clouds to make the world beautiful every day.

  “Before the weaver girl could leave the stream, the ox herder went to the opposite bank and found her pile of clothing. Ashamed, but sure of his love for her, he stole them and hid them from sight. When the weaver girl came out of the brook he was there waiting. He said, ‘If you marry me, I will return your clothes to you. I have fallen in love with you and promise to treat you well.’ The girl knew she could not return home without her clothing, and after studying him she decided he had a kind heart. After thinking it over for some time, she shyly agreed to marry him. They lived happily for the next few years and she bore two children with him. While she enjoyed her time on Earth, she no longer wove clouds or rainbows—she was too focused on her family. This did not go unnoticed by her father, who sent the weaver girl’s grandmother to bring her back to heaven.

  “The husband was devastated to see her taken from him. When his friend, the ox, saw how upset he was, he said, ‘You have always been good to me and I hate to see you so sad. If you kill me and take my magic hide, you may fly up to heaven to get your wife back.’ The ox herder thanked his old friend and did as he said. He collected his children and they took to the skies, chasing after the weaver girl. The grandmother turned back to see him following them. Worried she would not be able to lose him and tired from running, she took out a hairpin and scratched out a river of stars that he could not pass, which is the Milky Way. Trapped on the opposite side from her husband and children, the girl was forced to continue her work for her father, weaving colorful clouds and rainbows for the world below. You can see her there—the star of Vega, and her love is Altair, on the opposite side of the river.” Lifen lifted her finger, pointing out the stars that shone perfectly above.

  “That’s such a sad love story,” Ana said in response.

  “Aren’t they all?” Lifen turned to look at her with a melancholy expression.

  “I don’t know . . . it can feel like it sometimes.” Ana considered how confidently Lifen told the story. She must have heard it many times. The ending was so abrupt though, it couldn’t be complete. “So, they never got to be together again? The weaver girl and the ox herder?”

  Lifen sighed and blinked up at the stars. “Oh, it is said that her father took pity on the lovers and on the seventh day of the seventh month, all the magpies make a bridge across the river so they can reunite once a year. On that day my people celebrate the Qixi Festival, our Valentine’s Day.”

  Ana stared up at the two stars separated from each other. She felt a connection to the weaver girl and to Lifen, who had clearly experienced her share of pain. As favorably as she’d treated Ana, her mentor hadn’t appeared comfortable enough to talk about her past. Ana was dying to ask, but worried it would cut the evening short.

  “It’s almost Shakespearean. Like Romeo and Juliet. At least the story doesn’t end with their deaths. I can’t imagine how hard it would be to see your love and not be able to be with him.”

  “It is more painful than you can imagine. But nothing compares to the pain of being betrayed.”

  A tear fell from Lifen’s cheek and Ana felt like hugging her but instead, placed her hand over her mentor’s. Her energy swelled within her and she whispered, “I’m sorry.”

  Lifen squeezed.

  “Healing is natural to you, Ana. You do not need to send me your energy, but I do appreciate it.”

  Ana frowned. “What?”

  “You do not realize what you just did? You reacted to my emotions and reached out with your energy to soothe my psyche. Women are so different from men. We wish to bring harmony to the world and everything a man does only causes imbalance and destruction.”

  “I’m not sure I know what you mean.” Up until the point she’d met Chance, she’d felt similarly about men. After all, her father hadn’t been the most reliable or nurturing, and where was he now? Chance, however, was extremely compassionate and she trusted him with her life. Maybe Lifen had simply had a long line of bad experiences.

  “Long ago,” Lifen said, “I knew the pulse-racing excitement from being with the one that held my heart. I knew the chill down my spine from his warm breath on my cheek when no one was looking. That was the time when I romanticized about the weaver girl and ox herder and believed in the strength of love. But my long life has proven time and again that men only wish to seek power, riches and the esteem of others.”

  Ana lifted her knees, wrapped her arms around them, the perfect place to rest her chin. “Well, what about the guys? Derek, Ryan and Jordan. You must’ve trained other men too. Do you think they’re all evil or something?”

  “Evil? No. I feel it is most important for me to select promising shapeshifters so that I can mold them and teach them kindness and patience. So that they do not grow up and seek to sway the movement of the world in the wrong direction, or worse, be used by powerful men who only wish to see themselves built up into gods.”

  Ana could see that. It made sense, especially if there were power-hungry shifters in the world. “I like Derek. He seems to be a nice, genuine guy, although he doesn’t appear to get along with the others all the time. It’s obvious Jordan just wants to please you, and Ryan—he’s got issues, but even though he keeps doing things to upset me,
I think he’s just in pain. Deep down, I bet he’s a softy…real deep down.” Ana laughed.

  “Yes, I selected Derek because of how protective he is of women. He listens to what I say and accepts it, which is probably due to his being raised by a strong woman, but he doesn’t get along well with other men and has had issues controlling his temper. Jordan seeks approval, which is his weakness. His parents never paid attention to him or spent time with him and he’s hungry for it now. I am trying to work with him on that. He is kind, but is pushed around easily. He may remain with me for some time until he is ready to enter the world. Then there is Ryan. When I found him, he was living on the streets. His parents kicked him out when they discovered what he was, too scared and disgusted to look at him.”

  “That’s so sad. I feel really bad about earlier. I was so excited today to learn as much as I could, I didn’t even think about how it would be for the guys. I watched Chance struggle with different forms and get frustrated. I should have known better—I didn’t mean to appear like a show-off or rub it in anyone’s face. How is he? He doesn’t hate me, does he?” The agony on his face when she came back into the training building from recharging her energy had stayed with her.

  “He will be okay. I guided him through a meditation to calm his chi and bring him back to center. I have a special technique that assists me in the process. And no, I do not think he hates you. Frustration and impatience are a shifter’s enemies, and he has been struggling with moving on to reptile form, something he’s been very eager for. You see, I brought Ryan here to try to guide him, to keep him from going down a dark road. He has been here the longest and I imagine he will remain here when the others are ready to leave.”

  “How do you know when they’re ready to leave?”

  “When their actions are not guided by greed, selfishness or self-gratification and they are prepared to protect others who need protecting.”

  It sounded like a hero training camp or something. But Lifen hadn’t mentioned her. “What about me?”

  Lifen pursed her delicate lips together. “Ana, you are very different from them or any other shapeshifter. You are also a healer, a being whose intuitive abilities help others. You can sense when something is wrong and you want to help. Like me, you were brought to this life not by your own choosing. At first I thought I was cursed when I woke, my clothing torn, wet with blood, but no injuries in sight. I had gone to the other side and was prepared for death. For a very long time I couldn’t understand how I’d become what I am. I never truly trusted another shapeshifter, so I taught myself what I could and had to discover my other abilities. This is why I feel it is such a blessing that we found each other—that you reached out to me in your dreams. No one can understand as well as I can Ana. No one.”

  While Lifen spoke about her death and reintroduction to her life, Ana couldn’t help but revisit those moments when she too thought she’d been dead—the peaceful calm that fell around her, soothing like being swaddled by your mother, and then the sensation of flying over the mountains. It was like nothing else she’d ever experienced. No dream could put a candle to it. The chaos and emotional agony that followed had been unreal when she’d woken to find Niyol collapsing over Chance’s lifeless body.

  Ana knew Lifen spoke the truth. Not even Chance could fully understand what she was and empathize with her like Lifen could.

  “I’m glad we found each other too.”

  Chapter 15

  A sparse forest surrounded her as she ran low to the ground, ducking under scrub and leaping over rocks. A shadow ran alongside her. It wasn’t chasing her but was a companion. She could hear a roadway nearby, and see its snaky gray form cutting through the wilderness. Her ragged breath and thundering heartbeat echoed in her ears.

  Soft music overcame her senses and the hum from the highway fell away. Lyrics from a familiar song grasped her consciousness and the gravel under her paws evaporated into fluffy clouds. Ana stretched and her down comforter crinkled from her movement. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling.

  It was still too early for the sunlight to pour in through her high, narrow windows, but her room was far from inky black. Ana lay in bed listening to her music for a minute before turning it off. She had set her alarm early the last couple of mornings to get up before the guys so she could practice her energy work with the candle. It continued to be challenging, but she wasn’t about to give up. It only made her work harder.

  After a quick shower, she slipped into a pair of jeans and a loose knit sweater. Her slippers moved silently over the bamboo floors as she walked down to the living room. She spent an hour at the coffee table drawing in the energy around her without affecting the flame of the candle. After working on it for four days, she was beginning to see improvement. She remembered what Balam had told Chance about his abilities being like a muscle that had to be exercised and used. If that was the case, then she intended to work on it daily. Just like true exercise, it was tiring and when she was done she was ready for breakfast.

  When she entered the kitchen she started the electric kettle. Morning caffeine was in order, especially if she wanted to perk up for their group meditation and energy work. It was the way Lifen liked starting the day, and Ana could see why. The windows facing out to the mountains and lake were truly picturesque and relaxing.

  Ana opened the fridge and stood there for a moment, staring blankly at the contents while she decided what to eat. A few containers of yogurt were stacked on top of each other and she grabbed one since it involved the least amount of steps. Tear off the cap, and eat. Voila!

  While she opened a drawer for a spoon she studied a statue that was inset into a cubby in the wall. She’d noticed it before, but hadn’t taken the time to really look at it. A carved wooden man, sitting on a seat, stared out at her. The figure appeared quite aged. The grain was nearly black, but golden highlights shone along his face, hat and hands, which were holding what she guessed were a bowl and a stick.

  Ana touched her finger to his bowl and muttered, “Good morning.”

  “Morning.”

  Her eyes widened and she cocked her head. That was impossible . . .

  Snickers and laughter came from behind. She turned around, feeling very sheepish.

  “If you were wondering, no, statues can’t talk,” Ryan said with a smirk. He was enjoying it just a little too much, but she let him have his fun. In some way she felt like he deserved it.

  “Then how do you speak?”

  Ryan struck his best Greek god pose and raised his eyebrows. “I know I’m sculpted, but I didn’t think you were into me.”

  Ana hadn’t intended it that way, but whatever. She was happy to see he came fully dressed this morning, which wasn’t always his mode of operation.

  Ana waved to the little wooden man. “I hadn’t really paid any attention to it before. He seems so serious. Why is he in the kitchen? Seems like an odd place for art like this.”

  “He’s there to make sure you don’t overeat. Please don’t—it would be a shame to ruin that body of yours.”

  It was either mean and rude behavior, or flippant comments from Ryan, never anything serious or heartfelt. She sighed. “Sorry, I would have thought you’d know something about him since you’ve lived here for so long. I’m going to make some tea—you want any?”

  “Sure.”

  He pulled the tray of eggs out of the fridge and set them on the counter beside the stove, and then he grabbed a pan from the cupboards. Without looking at her he said, “He’s the kitchen god. Lifen’s told the story so many times I practically dream about him, which is sick. I mean look at that face.” He tapped an egg on the side of the counter and dropped its yellow core into the skillet.

  She couldn’t believe it. Was he actually going to talk to her like a human being? She didn’t want to ruin the moment so she busied herself by taking out two mugs for tea.

  “So, long ago, there was this dude who had it all—the love of an honest woman and a booming farm. Th
ey were happily married until the guy fell for this young hottie, who he became totally infatuated with. He wanted to upgrade for a younger model and abandoned his wife. His mistress got bored with him and left him for another man, and the dude had nothing, but he totally had it coming to him, right? The heavens saw his adultery and punished him by taking away his sight. One day, while the dude was stumbling around begging for money, he smelled some seriously tasty food. He followed his nose to the door of his ex’s house, but he didn’t know it was her. She recognized her husband and felt sorry for him, so she welcomed him in and gave him some food. While he was chowing on the tasty food, he started telling his story and became real sad for how he’d treated his wife. The heavens gave him his sight and he opened his eyes to see her standing in front of him. He was so ashamed that he threw himself into her kitchen stove. She tried to save him, but could only grab one of his legs.”

  By the time he was done telling the story, he’d finished cooking his eggs and scraped them onto a plate. Ana finished steeping the tea and poured it into both mugs. She pushed one toward him and lifted hers to take a sip. “So, why’s he in the kitchen? To remind people to behave?”

  “Basically. Every December just before the Chinese New Year I guess he reports back to the Jade Emperor on the activities of your family. He’s offered rice, and honey’s smeared on his lips to bribe him to give a good report. I guess it’s good luck. Lifen does it every year and tells us his story when she thinks we’re being selfish, or full of ourselves.”

  Ana laughed. “So, you really do hear it often then.”

  Ryan smirked and grabbed his food and tea.

  “What’s so funny?” Derek asked while he strode through the doorway.

  “I was telling her Lifen’s favorite story,” Ryan said.

  Derek laughed. “Ah, the kitchen god. He’s kinda like Santa Claus—he’s always watching to see if you’re naughty or nice.”

  “That’s bad news for you guys,” Ana said into her steaming cup.