by BC Powell
“I wanted to feel my light crossing our plane as only the Travelers can. I wanted to travel south to the Great Falls, north to the Springs where the Serquatine dwell, to the west to stand at the edge of the Eternal Canyon, and to the Desert east of the Mount. I wanted to travel through the Infinite Expanse to see it stretch out in front of me.”
“Your wisdom as a Disciple is unsurpassed,” the young woman says. “All in Krymzyn appreciate and honor your service.”
“Don’t misunderstand me. I’m honored to serve as a Disciple. In retrospect, I was wrong to hope for anything else.”
“I feel privileged to live during your Era,” the young woman replies.
“And I,” the Disciple says, gazing deeply into the young woman’s eyes, “to witness the exceptional person you are and the events in your life. I know you never fully understood your Vision of the Future until it came to pass. Only recently have I understood mine. I believe I’m meant to share with you what I was shown in my Vision.”
“Why would you tell me of your Vision?”
“So you understand what you saw at his Ritual of Purpose. Your Vision of the Future weighed on your mind since your own Ritual. You’ve lived a brave, selfless life with the image of your death constantly in your eyes. I believe you deserve peace as you move forward with your life, and now that I understand my own Vision, I can give that to you.
“In my Vision,” the Disciple continues, “I was shown several events that have never occurred in Krymzyn. I saw a female Hunter holding a little girl in her arms. The Hunter had been chosen for the Ritual of Balance and given birth to that child. The Hunter was you, and the girl in your arms looked exactly as you did when you were a small child. I have such vivid memories of the way your face looked.
“But the girl you were holding had blue eyes passed on from the man who will be chosen to join you in the Ritual of Balance. Your relationship with that child will be different than any other in Krymzyn. As she grows, she’ll know you’re the woman who gave birth to her. I believe what you saw during his Ritual was a glimpse of her.”
A serene, peaceful smile slowly spreads across the young woman’s face. “Thank you,” she says warmly to the Disciple. “What I saw makes sense now.”
The Disciple stands and looks down at the young woman. “Do you know if he’ll arrive soon?”
“The next time I sleep, he’ll be beside me,” the young woman answers.
“The two of you should spend some time alone together before he begins his journey here. He may find his transition into our world and leaving his own difficult at first. When you’re both ready, then he can begin his Apprenticeship.”
“Thank you,” the young woman says, deep appreciation in her eyes.
The Disciple walks down the hill towards Sanctuary. As the young woman watches the Disciple, she tightens her grasp on the brushed-steel pitcher in her hands, curls her bare toes in the crimson blades of grass, and slowly inhales a long, deep breath.
“Were you ever chosen for the Ritual of Balance?” the young woman calls to the Disciple.
The Disciple stops walking. Another decisive moment is before her, a break with ways that have existed in Krymzyn since the beginning of time. She turns to face the young woman and stares into her eyes.
“I was chosen for the Ritual once. I was later in my life than when most are chosen.”
“Before I was born?”
“Yes,” the Disciple answers. “Before you were born.”
“But after the child born before me?” the young woman asks, already knowing the answer.
“I should say no more. You and I seem to often break with our ways, and change must come slowly.”
“Changing our ways,” the young woman says, “appears to be in our blood.”
“I believe you’re correct,” the Disciple replies, a hint of a smile appearing on her face. “Change is in our blood.”
* * *
“The Infinite Expanse”
by
BC Powell
book two
The Journals of Krymzyn
March, 2015
* * *
Author’s Note
The author and publisher of this fictional work do not condone suicide. If you ever have thoughts of suicide for any reason, please seek counseling.