Rhuna- New Horizons

by Barbara Underwood

  Rhuna inhaled as she leaned back on the plush cushions and in an instant she sat upright again and snapped her eyes open. She looked around and saw only moonlight and shadows, while a feeling of dread slowly crept up her back. She turned around but saw only walls and buildings, and then she suddenly recognized the area as part of Suchinda.

  She heard rustling in some shrubs to her side and turned to investigate. As she approached the clump of shrubs, she saw someone staggering and then falling forward. The person was motionless when Rhuna approached, and she knew instinctively that this was the recent case of death in Suchinda that Rustle of the Leaves had mentioned.

  Rhuna looked around in the moonlight but saw and heard nothing. She examined the dead person, an average man, who had no apparent wounds. Suddenly, she was transported to another dark place, this time lit by only a few candles. Three dark figures were huddled around a table and chanting in unison. The resonance of their chanting began to make Rhuna feel uncomfortable and she wanted to flee, but felt an irresistible force restraining her.

  One of the dark figures moved, giving Rhuna a view of the object in their midst. A doll made of cloth and straw was at the center of attention, and she immediately recognized the technique from her observations of the Dark Ones in Safu.

  “Rhu-u-na!” came a familiar hoarse whisper from behind her. Stifling her feeling of horror, Rhuna turned around and saw the Dark Master, only this time his appearance appeared much more youthful.

  “You are teaching these conjurers, aren’t you,” Rhuna stated simply.

  “Of course,” answered the young version of the Dark Master.

  “You look different,” Rhuna observed.

  “It is my appearance as a young man, when I was merely Gatherer of Sage, an apothecary in the splendid city of Atlán,” he said in a melodious tone, unlike the voice Rhuna usually heard.

  “My powers are increasing, and I feel as young and vigorous as you see me now!” he said triumphantly.

  “Why did you direct these conjurers to kill that man from Suchinda?” Rhuna demanded to know.

  “This was not done under my direction,” answered the Dark Master. “They are competent enough to do their own necessary work.”

  “Necessary work?”

  “The Atlans of Suchinda are a threat to my followers, the Conjurers,” the Dark One stated simply. “They are merely taking pre-emptive action to show their formidable powers.”

  “And if the Suchinda Atlans aren’t afraid and keep trying to get rid of your followers?” asked Rhuna.

  “Ah, you mean eradicate them?” The Dark Master began to laugh in the disembodied and crackling manner Rhuna had often heard in the past. “Yes, Rhuna, I have observed and heard everything, as always!”

  Rhuna began to feel dismayed and wished to leave.

  “It is futile to resist them, and you cannot kill me,” the Dark Master continued his taunting laughter until Rhuna felt a scream of anguish and rage burst from her mouth. In that moment, she found herself back in the cozy sleeping chamber with Aradin, Goram and Lozira who were all startled by her scream.

  “The Dark Master spoke to me again,” she said, still gasping after the frightening experience. “He always talks to me in these visions.”

  Her scream echoed in her head even as she quickly began to recount her vision.

  “They used a doll to kill that man in Suchinda,” she said.

  “Ah yes,” nodded Goram. “Most probably they acquired a small personal item of the man in question, and attached it to the doll so that it would directly represent him. Then whatever they do to the doll befalls the man.”

  “How awful,” said Lozira with a shudder.

  “In my vision I saw how they made the ferocious feline beast appear,” said Aradin.

  “Also a doll in the shape of that animal?” asked Rhuna.

  “No. They seem to have the ability to cause illusions in the minds of certain people they target…” Aradin replied.

  “That’s unbelievable!” exclaimed Rhuna.

  “It is very impressive!” said Goram with a tone of envy.

  Rhuna looked at Goram, wondering about his first experience with hallucinatory herbs. “What did you see?” she asked him.

  “Ah, it was very enlightening indeed,” he said nodding. “They are preoccupied with life and death. Those in my vision were examining dead people, and even causing deaths so to acquire more bodies. These deaths appeared natural but were done by them using various techniques. They are searching for the life essence, the source of life that animates a body, and they ask the Dark Master directly for guidance. They induce trances and gaze into black mirrors where they see and hear the Master, or something that is relevant to their questions.”

  “That’s awful,” whispered Aradin.

  “It is the work the Master began before his physical demise,” Goram said. “He sought to conquer death, find immortality…”

  “And he has found a way to keep his Extended Consciousness alive in The Infinite,” Rhuna added.

  “Yes. In Safu, we believed the Master required the life force of living beings, and small animals were killed to release this life force which he then assimilated,” Goram concluded.

  “What can we do?” asked Rhuna. “It feels hopeless!” she said with dismay.

  “Why must we do anything?” asked Goram.

  “The Atlans of Suchinda asked us to help,” answered Aradin with annoyance. “And it should be a natural reaction to such abominations!”

  “Pah!” spat Goram. “They are seeking higher knowledge, and a few unimportant deaths in pursuit of such a noble quest are of no consequence!”

  “You talk like one of them!” Aradin said angrily.

  “I was one of them, do you not recall?”

  “I want to leave now,” said Lozira in a small voice, and Goram directed his attention to his new and young wife.

  “Good idea!” he said softly, and quickly rose to his feet. Rhuna watched Goram and Lozira grasp each other’s hands as they left the chamber, leaving her and Aradin to sit in silence and contemplate their newly-found insights.

  “Let’s just keep observing them and see what happens,” suggested Aradin.

  Rhuna struggled to accept this frustrating situation. “We can’t just do nothing!”

  “We will do something – later, when we know more. In the meantime, think about other things – like learning to fly a RTE!” Aradin said cheerfully.

  She realized how much she needed his positive and cheerful outlook at times.

  “I could not live without you!” she said with sudden deep passion, and Aradin reacted accordingly by pulling her towards him onto the bed.

  In the following days, Rhuna went with Kitlamu on her usual rounds in and around Judharo, learning the procedures for operating a Rapid Transport Enclosure.

  “The sequence is most important!” said Kitlamu, as she showed Rhuna how to start the generator of electromagnetic energy, and then how to adjust the volume of its output.

  “Slowly, slowly!” she kept saying every time they landed. “Coming down is the most difficult. You must judge the distance and adjust the vertical magnetic output very precisely,” she explained. Kitlamu appeared proud and excited to have a student as she introduced Rhuna to other RTE operators who gladly invited Rhuna to inspect their own crafts, each one very different from the other.

  Rhuna soon acquired her own ear-protectors, and quickly learned which sticks with colour-coded knobs to move, which levers to slide left or right, and how to avoid other RTEs when approaching a busy area such as Judharo.

  The main difficulty in learning was understanding Kitlamu’s instructions when the RTE was operating, as the ear-protectors Rhuna needed to wear greatly muffled all sound. Eventually, Rhuna instinctively learned Kitlamu’s hand and body language, as well as her manner of operating the controls.

  “You are ready to operate the RTE – under careful supervision, of course!” Kitlamu announced proudly after only a shor
t period of days. “Now, go to Suchinda,” she instructed. Rhuna looked at the navigation map she had received from a colleague of Kitlamu, and scrutinized it carefully until she found Suchinda. Then she produced the magnetic item she had made herself, following Kitlamu’s instructions, in order to establish exact directions in relation to the earth’s magnetic poles.

  Despite finding Suchinda on the map, Rhuna struggled to recognize landmarks and find her way to the Atlan stronghold, and Kitlamu gave her directions when she erred too greatly. Her first landing was a painful jolt, but Kitlamu merely laughed and related stories of other new operators and their disastrous landings.

  “You shall learn quickly and soon be an excellent RTE operator!” beamed Kitlamu.

  Part Four

  (Aradin)

  Rhuna awoke sensing that the bed was empty beside her, and she opened her eyes to see the weak early morning rays of sun stretching across the lake and into their home. She sat up and saw Aradin sitting on the porch, gazing out across the lake. As quietly as possible, Rhuna stepped out of bed and tip-toed up behind Aradin to surprise him.

  “What’s wrong?” Rhuna asked, when Aradin barely reacted and continued to look solemnly ahead.

  “There is snow on the mountain tops,” Aradin answered in a strange tone. Rhuna looked across the lake at the glorious mountain range in the distance.

  “It looks beautiful,” she said.

  “It’s cold,” Aradin answered in the same strange tone.

  “Of course it’s cold – we’re entering the cold season, and after living in Safu for so long, you’re not used to this kind of cold season!” Rhuna said with exaggerated cheeriness, hoping to pull Aradin out of his glum mood.

  Aradin shook his head and agreed that it had been a long time since he saw snow, and suggested they go to the Markets to acquire new warm clothes and blankets for the coming season. Relieved, Rhuna quickly dressed and prepared a light morning meal before telling Lozira and Goram of their plans.

  As the day progressed, Rhuna’s concern increased when there was no change in Aradin’s coldness and indifference towards her, even after he had donned his new warm clothes and eaten one of his favourite hot meals.

  “You keep looking out at the mountains,” she observed.

  Aradin simply nodded.

  “Are you…worried about the snow?” she asked, attempting to understand Aradin’s strange behaviour.

  “I don’t think so,” he said absently.

  Rhuna began talking about several other topics during the day, and each time Aradin barely responded, the painful knot in her chest tightened. She made one more valiant attempt to shake off the paralyzing coldness that threated to engulf her, showing Aradin the thick wool blanket she had found at the Market.

  “Look! It’s made out of goat’s hair, but it’s so soft and warm!” she said with fake cheerfulness.

  Despite the warmth of the new blanket, Rhuna felt cold in bed. She sensed Aradin’s rigid body next to her, and the dark silence of the night suddenly felt ominous and threatening. She reached across and touched Aradin’s shoulder, then waited for a response which never came.

  She moved her hand further across his chest, gently teasing the hairs as she slowly slid her body closer to his.

  “Are you sick? I mean, aren’t you feeling…well?” she asked awkwardly when he remained unresponsive.

  “I don’t know,” he said, and then turned his back to her.

  Rhuna lay awake for most of the night struggling with painful feelings of rejection, confusion and deep uncertainty. When she finally awoke in the early morning, she felt as if she had not slept at all. She turned and saw Aradin rise out of bed without a word or glance at her.

  “No morning kiss?” Rhuna asked.

  Aradin merely grumbled as he continued to prepare himself for the day ahead.

  “You’ve changed. There must be something troubling you,” Rhuna said shakily.

  Aradin shrugged his shoulders without looking at her. “It’s cold,” he stated simply.

  Rhuna watched as Aradin approached Shandi’s crib and began speaking to her in his usual playful manner. The little girl responded as usual, and as she watched them both, Rhuna felt the pain of rejection cut deeper.

  Rhuna felt cold and numb as she went through the motions of preparing food and doing household chores after getting up, and not even sunshine and clear blue sky could make her feel better. She tried to enjoy the beautiful scene in front of her, watching Panapu play with Shandi while Aradin sat lazily nearby.

  “I think I’ll go to Judharo today,” she said to Aradin, who merely shrugged without looking up at her. Rhuna turned to leave her lovely home, and her steps quickened as she realized that she needed to distance herself from Aradin and allow the turmoil inside her to settle.

  Rhuna walked the short distance across a flowering meadow to the flat open area where Rapid Transport Enclosures frequently landed, and before long she could see an RTE approach. She recognized the craft which belonged to one of the other RTE operators, and she quickly reached into her bag for the small pouch of precious gemstones.

  “Ah, the red ones are my favourites!” said the little round man with a bald pate when he opened the hatch of his RTE and saw what Rhuna offered him in exchange for transport to Judharo.

  Rhuna entered the small RTE and looked around at the panels, making a quick mental comparison with the inside of Kitlamu’s craft.

  “Lovely day today, no?” asked the funny little man in his high-pitched voice. Rhuna nodded and smiled, grateful for the momentary distraction from the troubling situation at home. The balding man kept chattering as he operated his RTE, and Rhuna kept smiling and nodding. Before she knew it, they had arrived at the main RTE base of Judharo, and Rhuna disembarked, then walked in the direction of the avenue of forums. The prospect of attending some interesting forums that day alleviated some of her worry, and she felt a bounce in her step as she walked towards them.

  Rhuna stopped at a forum assembly which was about to commence, and she quickly took a seat in the audience.

  “Which forum is this?” she asked the person seated beside her.

  “The Forum of Crystal Dynamics,” the woman answered casually.

  A hunched old man with a large head and shriveled hands shuffled towards the dais, his footwear making an odd scratching sound on the smooth paving stones. Rhuna watched as the grizzled old man moved awkwardly into position and then loudly cleared his throat. When he opened his mouth, a faint voice tumbled out in cadences unfamiliar to Rhuna. She instinctively leaned forward to listen more carefully, and quickly realized that the old man came from a faraway land where speech was different from that of Varappa, Safu or Atlán.

  “Perceive the replication of a being…” said the frail voice as his long fingers pointed at a statuette of a person on a small stool in front of him. Rhuna observed with slight disgust that his fingernails were very long and curved, exactly like animals’ claws or birds’ talons.

  “Observe these unique markings, which cannot be duplicated with exactness,” he said as one of his talon-like fingernails scraped along the back of the baked clay form which had fine indentations and a colourful pattern glazed over it.

  “Subjected to certain forces, the replica vanishes!” he said with a sudden intonation of excitement.

  Rhuna forgot about the man’s disturbing appearance and began to watch his hands and the statuette carefully, eagerly awaiting its disappearance with both curiosity and skepticism.

  After assembling a strange device on the table platform and placing the statuette within, he straightened as much as possible and held up his hands to announce his readiness.

  “Begin the demonstration of electromagnetic pulses of a particular frequency, amplified with harmonic oscillation, to create extraordinary events…” Rhuna watched with bated breath as he switched some levers on the device. “The replica moves back in time due to the changed energy field around it!”

  Rhuna watched as a green
mist began to swirl around the statuette, and a hum emanated from the unusual device, gradually increasing in volume. Rhuna placed her hands over her ears when the sound gave her a vibrating sensation, and in that instance, the statuette disappeared from view.

  Rhuna leaned in closer to focus through the green haze, and then gasped in amazement when she realized it was gone.

  “Pah!” scoffed a woman with a loud and resonant voice. “It is a common manipulation used by tricksters to entertain the gullible!”

  “Look over here!” called a young man’s voice. Rhuna moved to look between the heads of people in front of her, and saw the small stool on which the figure had been when the demonstration began. She recognized that it was the very same clay statuette, complete with the same distinct markings.

  “You made two of the same!” said someone from the crowd that had scurried around the new site of the statuette.

  “Why show us these childish tricks, Old Man!” said another voice from further away.

  “Not trick!” called the old man as loudly as possible. Rhuna looked back and forth between the strange man and the doubters in the group, and then realized that she was unable to decide whom to believe. Rhuna began to feel uncomfortable as the agitated group pressed her on all sides as they moved around. She stepped outside the group of people and walked out of the forum area and onto the wide, open avenue towards Damell’s home.

  Rhuna stepped onto the small porch entrance of her father’s house and then gasped in surprise as the door opened at precisely the right moment. She took a careful step through the threshold and saw Hari Tal behind the door.

  “How did you know I was coming?” she asked the man she had almost overlooked again. Hari Tal merely gave her his usual enigmatic smile, and she once again assumed that his language skills were limited.