Zylar's Moon: Selven Refuge

by Ravyn Wilde

  “Tanar. He had intended on visiting you there with Tar and Nyssa,” replied Toma.

  Mica crossed to the com portal. “Naja, thank the moons you have gotten my message.” Naja had been the ancient in charge of Mica’s initial training in the healing arts. They had spent many life cycles together. Naja was now close to 200 life cycles old. His hair and beard were almost completely white. But his body and mind were still strong. It should be, the average life expectancy on Zylar was over 150, and many lived to be over 300.

  “Mica, Tar has explained that Raj is unconscious and that you are concerned. What is it?” Naja asked.

  Mica explained what he had discovered while moving in his brother’s mind. He told Naja that Raj’s body had healed but there continued to be no apparent brain activity. He quickly detailed his findings of the blue threads and the ball at the center of Raj’s brain.

  Naja frowned and then questioned, “Do you know anything about where Raj was when he was hurt?”

  Mica replied in despair, “No idea. Though the last time I spoke with him, he had headed out on a job up into the Northern Mountains.”

  Naja sighed, “Mica, I do know what this is. In my lifetime I have never seen it but one of the ancients of my youth mentioned a particular insect during my training. However, they have long been thought to be extinct. This insect is much like Earth’s spiders, spinning webs, injecting venom in its victims. Instead of two fangs, it had only one. And the venom acted as its own web. If a humanoid was bitten, it lost all brain function. Many attempts were made to discover how to heal these bites. The first healers tried to destroy the small ball but the patients died. The next tried to sever the threads. Again, the patients died. If left alone, the victim became a zombie, only doing what they are clearly told to do. Incapable of any thought process.”

  Naja paused, considering, “The ancient that trained me said the only way to heal the patient was to unravel the threads. They have built themselves around the core of brain activity that is Raj, shutting it off from the rest of the body. Once the core is released, each thread must be destroyed and the hole cauterized from the inside. If you leave even a single tendril, it will rejuvenate itself and rapidly grow again. The second time it will be resistant to any effort to unravel it. It must be completely finished at one time, Mica. You cannot withdraw and rest. There is also a danger that one of the threads could reach out and attach to your mind as you travel within your brother. It will be more physically and mentally draining than anything you have done before. It will take you nons to recover fully. Be careful, Mica. We would not want to lose you both.”

  Mica thanked Naja and spent several minons reassuring Tar and Nyssa that he would be fine. There was no question in his mind about taking the chance. If he had already been linked to Tala, he might have paused to think for a moment. Linked companions almost always followed each other in death; the companion left alive only delaying if there were children left to raise. Maybe this was the true reason he had waited, resisting the pull to forever join her body and soul to his. Subconsciously he had known he would need to do this for his brother.

  Preparations for a healing were usually very simple. Pause, reflect, breathe and then concentrate on synchronizing the rhythms of your body to the person you were going to heal. For this healing however, Mica needed to call upon additional resources.

  He was the High Priest of Zylar. He had once told Nyssa that it wasn’t a religious Zylar’s Moon: Selven Refuge but a ritualistic one. That wasn’t entirely true. Zylan’s didn’t actually pray to a Goddess. They felt, however, that there was a divine source and power to all things. On Zylar, the guiding influence was their three moons. The moons gave them the psychic abilities they possessed. Even if you weren’t born on Zylar, after spending time here, you developed whichever potential mind power you carried as a latent talent. But with a history and practice that must have, at some point, connected or paralleled the Wicca of Earth, the moons were thought of as female, as Goddesses. There was power that could be called upon, rituals that could be performed.

  He reflected on the thirteen laws, the laws of Zylan psychic power. Nyssa would say the laws of magik. The first of these was: Ritual practices are used to attune yourself to the natural rhythms of nature, the world, and the universe in an effort to commune with the divine force offered by Zylar’s Moons. Well, tonight he would use ritual practice to focus and hopefully commune with the divine force.

  That night, Mica shut himself in the room with his brother. He left instructions with Toma that he not be disturbed for many bi-nons. He knew that if he didn’t open the doors before then, he would die with Raj.

  To prepare for this healing, Mica ritually cleansed himself, his brother and the chamber with the four elements, a summoned swirl of air from the window, water from the ritual chalice, dirt sprinkled about the room from the land around Zelph. The last of the four elements was fire. He flash-lit several carved incense bowls and multi-colored candles that he had placed around the room. The ritual bowls were filled with Myrrh for protection, healing and purification. He had also added musk, for courage and vitality. Sighing, he realized he would pay later for this, as the scent of musk also heightened sexual passion. He didn’t need that right now. The combined scents would purify the space and promote mental awareness and strength during the healing ritual. Hopefully they would lend him strength and focus when he needed them most.

  Going to each candle, he took a minion to reflect on why he had chosen the color, what assistance he wanted from every one. The black candle he had selected to assist in ridding himself of negativity and to help him reach a deep state of concentration. The white candles were positioned in several places. He would need the energy from them to help with the healing, to add spiritual strength and enlightenment. They were especially powerful with anything involving ‘lunar’ energy. The blue and purple candles would assist with healing his brother’s mind.

  He then called upon the Goddess, acknowledging her symbol: the moon. Zylar was blessed with three and they held power over all.

  “Hail fair Moons,

  Rulers of night

  Guard me and mine

  Until the light.

  Waxing, growing,

  Power flowing

  Open me to your mystic sight.”

  Infused with spiritual energy, Mica fell to his knees at Raj’s side. Placing the palm of his right hand on his brother’s forehead and cradling Raj’s neck with his left hand, he effectively locked himself to his brother by using a position that would be harder to break. If Raj tried to pull away with any unconscious body movement, the press of fingers to his brother’s temple could have been dislodged. Mica needed to take what precautions he could to keep the contact uninterrupted. The disruption could kill both of them. Mica sent himself searching into Raj’s mind.

  * * * * *

  Mica slowly pulled his mind back from his brother. He had been at the unraveling and healing for almost a full bi-non. He was exhausted but pleased with the results. He had done it! Being outside his body for so long had been a tremendous struggle. Without the added ritual asking for increased strength, he doubted he would have been able to finish the healing. When his energy had been at it’s lowest ebb, he had taken a deep breath filled with the incense and had felt empowered. He had been able to destroy the insect’s entire web and to cauterize the wound from the inside without any further problems.

  As soon as he could, he would need to speak to Raj about where he had been when this happened. If these creatures were still out there, information would need to be exchanged among the healers, people would need to be warned. As he turned to move from the bedside, his hand was grabbed in a weak grip. Looking down, he stared into his brother’s tired, ice blue eyes—eyes that mirrored his own.

  “You look like death, Mica,” Raj mumbled weakly.

  Looking at the pale face, the matted brown hair and the creases worn into his brother’s face, Mica replied, “So do you, little brother. So do you.”
He smiled as Raj tumbled immediately back into sleep.

  Leaving his brother’s chamber, he spoke quietly to the old healer that had been sitting guard outside the door, “Toma, see to him, please. Don’t wake me unless the planet is about to come to an end.” Mica stumbled to his own chamber; he planned on sleeping for at least a non.

  Chapter 6

  Tala wasn’t having any luck finding Shalan. Evidently the priestess was busy somewhere else. She decided to visit the communal bathing pools and see if she couldn’t soak away the scent and the feel of Mica that continued to linger.

  As she was resting in the soothing, violet colored water that bubbled from hot springs deep under the Selven holdings, she let her mind drift. Her body still sweetly ached. The dream had been so real. It served to convince her the time to move on was now: she couldn’t afford to wait any longer to take final rites. If she did, she might lose herself to her unattainable dreams. It didn’t matter that she loved Mica mind, body and soul. He wasn’t hers. If she was his Link Companion, he would know and he would have claimed her by now. It was up to her to get on with her life and to move forward. She would track down Shalan this bi-non, and ask—no, demand—to be allowed to go through the final rites.

  Tala was disturbed from her unhappy thoughts by the arrival of several of the priestesses-in-training. They slipped quietly into the hot pool with her. Silent for a time, one finally spoke, “I envy you.”

  Tala glanced up and looked around. The one whom had spoken was obviously talking to her. “I’m sorry, what did you say?” she queried.

  The woman smiled, her dark eyes shining. Her shoulder length hair was slicked back with the water from the pools. “I said, ‘I envy you.’”

  Tala frowned, “Why?”

  Speaking in a soft voice, the woman said, “You are here to take final rites. Part of the initiation is the training by the High Priest. Once you have been released from your inactive companion links, you will spend several nilts being taught about pleasure. It is usually the only time the High Priest comes to us. But it is always memorable. So. I envy you.”

  “I don’t understand. Are you saying that Mica…the High Priest, trains all the priestesses in pleasure?” Tala knew her mouth was hanging open. This was too much. There was no way in the moons that she would have Mica.

  “Yes, almost always the first initiation is with the High Priest. Occasionally it might be with his brother, the Vampen. Either way…”

  Tala didn’t wait to hear anymore. Climbing frantically out of the pools, barely taking time to throw on her robe, she panicked. There had to be another way. She would have to find Shalan and make her understand. She couldn’t be initiated by Mica. Damn him for initiating anyone, she thought. She wrinkled her nose in distaste. Or Raj for that matter. It was too weird; with Raj, it would be like having sex with her brother. There just had to be another solution. With a shudder, she imagined someone else touching her as Mica had in her dreams last night. With Raj sick and Mica out of the way, there had to be someone else that could do the pleasure training. She would just have to grit her teeth and get through it. She didn’t want to wait and take the chance of having Mica train her. She couldn’t let him touch her and somehow sense her hunger for him. It just couldn’t happen that way. Anxious, she ran from the pools and her brief escape from thoughts of her dream.

  * * * * *

  Shalan watched Tala with concern as she strode purposefully across the large common room towards her. Sighing, she could tell by the look on the woman’s face…not to mention that Tala’s hair was wet and streaming down across her flapping robe—that time had run out. Tala had only been with them for about a non. She had hoped to delay Tala for one or two more, but somehow she knew that wasn’t going to happen. “Tala, are you looking for me? You look upset. What can I do for you?” Shalan questioned with forced innocence.

  Tala glanced quickly around, ensuring first that no one was listening. She didn’t want anyone else to hear what she had to say. “Shalan, I feel I am ready for final rites. And I have only just learned of something that will be a big problem. I was relaxing in the bathing pools when one of the priestesses mentioned that either Mica or Raj will do the training for sexual pleasure.” Tala paused briefly, and switched subjects, “By the way, have you heard anything about Raj? Is he okay?” she asked, distracted for a moment by thoughts of Raj’s mystery illness.

  “I haven’t had any updates, Tala. I will try and find out what I can,” Shalan replied seriously.

  “All right, but please let me know when you hear something. But the point right now is, they can’t do my training, Shalan! I have known both of them all my life. It would just be too weird, like having sex with my brother or something. Isn’t there another way?” Tala had seized upon this excuse. While it was definitely true in the case with Raj, she didn’t want Shalan to know her real feelings regarding Mica. It might interfere with her acceptance into the Selven.

  Shalan looked at Tala closely. She read her agitation easily, and while she understood that indeed having Raj initiate Tala would seem incestuous, Tala’s true thoughts about Mica were screaming at her. Here then, was a chance to stall. Shalan thought for a moment, seeking inside herself for answers. Ah…

  “Tala. I sense within you a deep conflict. One that could prevent you from being part of the Selven.” Shalan raised her hand, palm out, to silence Tala’s coming protests. “Wait, hear me through. Can you deny that you have an abhorrence of being touched by someone other than your dream lover?”

  Tala looked at her, shocked. “Shalan…” she started.

  Shaking her head, Shalan continued, “I can read your emotions, Tala. I can sense that in some part, the desire to be one of the Selven is exactly as it should be. Yet there is something more. You have a need to hide from someone, and want to close yourself off. Emotionally. Physically. Until you rid yourself of this feeling, you will not be allowed to take the final rites.”

  Tonelessly, Tala asked, “How much do you see?”

  “All.” Shalan smiled. “It’s not the end of Zylar, Tala. Knowing what is stopping you, I have a couple of suggestions. Are you sure you wish to become Selven and leave our High Priest behind for good?”

  “Yes. If we were destined to share our future together, he would have known and done something long before now. This is the only way. What should I do now? I want to put him out of my mind.” Tala said.

  “Hamm. I have one suggestion. You dread physical contact with any male other than Mica. Your thoughts of him will prevent the links from being released from your body. To become Selven, you must get over that.” Shalan smiled at the look on Tala’s tortured face. Mica was going to kill her for pushing Tala to this, but in many ways he deserved it. He had pushed her into this deception by waiting too long for Tala’s mental health. He had been playing at being all knowing and thinking only of himself and not what was best for the young woman who stood confused and hurting in front of her.

  “How?” Tala asked. “How can I work through this to clear Mica from my mind?”

  “Well.” Shalan paused as she turned to hide the mischievous grin on her face. “Something that has worked for others before you, is to put yourself in a position to be touched. To feel another’s hands on your body and experience physical pleasure that isn’t only in your mind. Are you willing to try this?”

  “With whom? The priestess in the pool said that Mica does the training. I don’t think it would help much if it was his hands…”

  “No, that wouldn’t work,” Shalan cut in, “I was thinking of something that would have no emotional pull, just physical ‘training’. It would give you the chance to see if you would even be able to go forward sexually. To see if you would ever feel as if you could replace the dreams with something tangible.” Again Shalan hesitated before proceeding, “The Selven have the care of several Nubes. They have been with us for almost a hundred life cycles. We have five of them. They are male in body, but have no discernible mind or emotion. We have n
o written record of where they came from, or how they came to be with us. The last Priestess kept them locked in her quarters for her own personal uses and trained them to give sexual pleasure. Since I have been chosen to lead, they have been given the run of the place. As a group, we’ve decided that, because they couldn’t give their consent or show any enthusiasm for pleasuring, we would stop using them for that purpose. We have begun using them simply as servants. We ask for something and they bring it. We tell them to do something and they do it. However, they do nothing on their own. We have to tell them to eat, to drink, and to bathe. They don’t talk, they don’t ask questions. I say they have the run of the place, meaning they can go anywhere they want. Only they don’t want. So we have to tell them that when they are not needed for something, they are to go to a specific suite of rooms and rest.”

  She sighed heavily. “Not using them for pleasure didn’t work. Normally the Nubes never got sick, but during this time many of them became feverish. They all became agitated. They’ve always been so calm and serene but when the touching stopped, they started to twitch and pace and didn’t stop to rest. Their gaze and minds were still empty, but their bodies were rebelling “

  Shalan paused, looking directly at Tala. “They are male and they seem to need to have this contact with us. They can touch and taste and, over the many life cycles, they have become very skilled in pleasuring the Selven. What they don’t do is recognize or receive any pleasure themselves, except—possibly—the need for human touch.”