Rhuna- New Horizons

by Barbara Underwood

  “Ha. I know. Love. It makes everyone do stupid things!” she said with an angry huff.

  On the way back to Judharo, Rhuna reached a decision about how to deal with the problem her own way.

  Rhuna continued to reside in Judharo with her father, despite feeling uncomfortable in the presence of Hari Tal, and despite Damell’s evasive behaviour at times. She watched the sun set behind the distant mountain range which she had begun to despise for its snow-covered peaks which turned Aradin’s love to cool detachment. She forced her thoughts towards the quest she had taken upon herself, and decided that she would observe the gathering of the conjurers with her Extended Consciousness.

  Rhuna made a special effort to notice the location and details of their place of meeting so that she could find it and attempt to enter and observe them in the material world. She immediately saw a group of unassuming men and women gathering in a dark underground chamber which reminded her of Safu and the secret rooms under the pyramid. She observed pairs and threesomes deep in discussion, some animated and agitated, others in solemn contemplation. Rhuna’s Extended Consciousness approached a gathering, noting that they were of various ages, and when she focused on their hands, she saw that most of them wore their Identifiers.

  Rhuna moved her Extended Consciousness through the door to the outside to explore the exact location, and she was surprised to find that the room was not underground at all, but a natural cavern inside a rocky hill. She let her Extended Consciousness float upwards so that she could see the surroundings and proximity to Judharo or other landmark with which she was familiar. She was pleasantly surprised to find that the rocky outcrop was within walking distance from the city of Judharo, and she was confident of finding it in the material plane.

  Rhuna noticed that no more people were outside the rocky cavern entrance, so she moved her Extended Consciousness back inside, curious to observe as much of their activities as possible. She positioned herself inside the dimly-lit space, and felt momentarily disoriented by the many new impressions that overwhelmed her senses. The flames of many small candles flickered and bounced across the room like fireflies, and there was a strong scent of sweet smoke.

  As she moved her Extended Consciousness towards a wall, she realized that the flickering flames were being reflected by many mirrors and crystals, but instead of increasing the light, the cavernous room appeared unusually dark.

  Rhuna focused her attention on the mirrors along the wall and discovered that they were not real mirrors, but obsidian or similar black stone polished smooth to reflect images like a mirror.

  Sounds of movement and speech attracted her attention, and Rhuna made a renewed effort to observe the people and listen to the speaker for as long as possible.

  “…do not feel restrained by any rules or ethics,” said the speaker. “We may do as we please, without owing any explanation or moral debt…”

  Rhuna heard whispering and then some snickering nearby, and she focused on the two men nearby.

  “Once I master the mind control, I shall have my way with those women I told you about!” whispered one man to the other. The other man made sounds of agreement and excitement, and Rhuna turned her attention away from them in disgust.

  “May these crystals enhance your work and empower you!” she heard the speaker say, and she watched as finely-shaped and polished crystals of various colours and sizes were handed out among several groups.

  “My intended subject will give me the wealth I’ve always wanted!” said a woman to her companion, who replied with words of vengeance on her husband who had left her.

  Rhuna quickly returned to her body and groaned as she slowly rose from the cushions. Outside her chamber, she heard footsteps near her door, and she stood up to open it.

  “Father,” she said, hoping he would not be evasive this time. “I’ve been observing the Conjurers.”

  “Very good,” he said, and entered her private chamber. “What is your opinion?”

  Rhuna was happy that he was interested in her thoughts, and that his behaviour appeared normal. She began to describe the most recent observations in detail, and then concluded that there is much more to observe and investigate.

  “Everyone does what they want, and it’s not a group working together in unity, like the Guardians of Knowledge were,” she said. “I think we need to find out exactly how they’re doing things so that we can figure out a way to stop them!”

  “Should there be such a possibility…” Damell countered solemnly. “They are very powerful…and completely out of control.”

  Rhuna watched her father’s face remain closed and dark, and she decided to broach the subject that bothered her.

  “Father, have you been avoiding me? For doing things you disapprove of?”

  Damell’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, and then he shook his head firmly. “No, My Daughter. It is not you I have attempted to avoid; rather your mother.”

  “You’ve been avoiding Kiana?” Rhuna asked, startled.

  “Yes.”

  “But why?”

  Damell huffed and became agitated. “Should it not be obvious? A brief encounter under exceptional circumstances, an entire lifetime in the past?”

  “Oh,” said Rhuna, quickly trying to imagine the situation from her father’s point of view.

  “I didn’t think…” Rhuna began, but Damell stopped her with a dismissive wave of his hand.

  “Do not be concerned with my personal matters,” he said as he turned to leave. When he had left the corridor, Rhuna heard the door of her mother’s chamber open, and she looked expectantly at Kiana.

  “Can we go to the markets?” she asked Rhuna. “I want to get some more clothes and things!” Rhuna felt obligated to care for her mother’s happiness, and she decided to continue her investigation into the Conjurers as soon as they returned from the markets.

  This time, Rhuna noticed that her mother behaved with confidence and certainty when choosing some textiles, footwear and some bathing soaps and oils.

  “I’m going to make a dress out of this,” she told Rhuna, holding up a roll of green-dyed textile. Rhuna nodded happily, and told her mother that the colour would suit her very well.

  As they walked back to Damell’s house, stopping frequently when Kiana saw something she had not previously discovered, Rhuna also stopped at the Forum for Awareness of Occurrences.

  “My house was full of big, hairy spiders!” squealed one woman, her fingers twisting the fabric of her clothes in distress. “We are leaving that house – I cannot go back inside it - the memory of those spiders…” The woman flung her hands up to cover her face as she screamed with horror.

  “They were gone later in the day,” explained the man standing next to the screaming woman. “But she won’t go back inside,” said the man shaking his head. The woman frantically brushed off invisible spiders and shuddered at the memory.

  “We are also leaving Judharo,” said a man as he stood up to recount his experience. “Our house was full of snakes! Big ones that can wrap around a man and squeeze him to death!”

  “Where did they come from?” asked someone in the gathering.

  “They are illusions, like the blood in the lake!” answered someone else.

  “My house was full of crawling insects,” continued another man, standing up as the previous speaker sat down. “In the bed, in the food pantry, in the bathing tub… And when we returned, the following day it happened again. We do not want to leave, but if these insects keep returning…”

  “Do not leave your homes – they are mere illusions created by the Conjurers!” said an Atlan man who Rhuna assumed was a resident of Suchinda.

  “The Conjurers!” boomed an elderly man, shaking his walking stick as he stammered his condemnation.

  “This is an unprecedented occurrence in our fair and beautiful land,” said a younger man.

  She looked around at the people who had spoken about snakes and spiders, and realized that they had firmly decided to leav
e Judharo. In the background, she saw some men carrying large bags and other items out of a house and walk towards the city gate.

  “We are going to the villages in the mountains. Come with us,” said someone nearby.

  “The Suchinda Atlans are to blame – they are making the Conjurers angry!” said a dark-skinned man shaking his fist.

  “It is necessary!” responded the Atlan man Rhuna had assumed to be from Suchinda. “They must be eradicated!”

  “You are the one who should be eradicated!” shouted someone from the crowd.

  “Yes!” called out a man in response. “I saw it happen: a Suchinda Atlan simply approached one of the Conjurers as he was sampling some fruit in the markets. The Atlan just lowered his head, closed his eyes, and then the next thing I saw was the Conjurer flopping to the ground like a dead bird!”

  “They can cook a man’s blood and flesh in an instant with just the power of their minds!” a woman said in support of the group rallying against the Suchinda Atlans.

  Rhuna translated for her mother and then ushered her back to the peaceful sanctuary of her father’s home.

  “They don’t like those Suchinda people either, eh?” Kiana said, nodding with understanding. As they walked through the narrower streets of Judharo, Rhuna saw commotion in front of Pirem’s luxurious home, and she slowed to look more closely. Small furniture and floor rugs had been carried outside and attached to some donkeys for transport. Further along the street, Rhuna saw that some more pack animals were already heading for the city gate.

  Rhuna was surprised when she saw Kitlamu walking briskly ahead of her, and she called out to her former instructor. The woman with untamable hair and many fine facial wrinkles looked very different, and Rhuna immediately recognized fear and deep distress in her face.

  “We are leaving Judharo,” she said without preamble. “My friends and colleagues at the RTE base are all leaving,” she told Rhuna.

  Rhuna said she was saddened to hear this, and asked where she would go.

  “Somewhere far away,” she answered. “A friend knows a peaceful settlement in the mountains in that direction.” Rhuna looked in the direction she pointed.

  “You should go to your home in Cha’al,” she added. “They tell me much water has accumulated in the upper valleys,” Kitlamu said. “That means the Great River shall once again become a massive torrent, and the city of Judharo become trapped within it. Those who remain inside the city walls must prepare well; procure sufficient provisions and food supplies for the two or three lunar cycles they shall be unable to leave the city!”

  “That sounds extraordinary,” Rhuna said, trying to imagine so much water that a city would be inaccessible for several lunar cycles.

  “No one wants to remain trapped in Judharo with those Conjurers!” Kitlamu added with emphasis. “There is much to do – I must go!” she said, and dashed off before Rhuna could wish her farewell.

  “People are beginning to leave the city,” Rhuna told her mother as they continued to walk back to her father’s home.

  “Because of the bad things?” Kiana asked, and Rhuna nodded. “They must have been very frightened to leave such beautiful homes!”

  Rhuna felt saddened that people were driven from their lovely homes, and she talked about her forced departure from Safu, telling her mother what a beautiful home she and Aradin had to leave.

  When they entered Damell’s house, Rhuna followed the sounds of the stringed instrument to find her father and tell him what she had heard and seen.

  “It is very disturbing,” Damell agreed, but remained seated with the instrument on his lap. “Music restores my mental energy,” he said, knowing Rhuna’s thoughts. “My priority is to release Aradin and Lozira from the Dark One’s control,”

  Rhuna left her father to play his music, and withdrew to her own private chamber to practice Inner Focussing and calm her surging emotions.

  Rhuna felt refreshed after her practice of Inner Focussing, accompanied by specific breathing exercises, and stood up with renewed energy and determination. Before she could pursue her plans, she felt obligated to see if her mother needed her.

  Rhuna peered into her mother’s chamber and saw her sitting on the floor with the green textile draped over her lap.

  “Oh, I can do this myself,” she said happily. “You go ahead with what you have to do,” she said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You have important things to do, don’t you? That little man told me.”

  “Hari Tal?” Rhuna asked surprised. Kiana nodded.

  “How did he tell you? He can’t speak the Zao language, can he?”

  “No…I mean…I don’t know!” Kiana said putting her sewing down and looking at Rhuna with a deeply puzzled expression.

  “What exactly happened?” Rhuna asked urgently. Kiana’s face creased with the effort of remembering.

  “He was just there when I went down to get something to drink…and then he told me,” she said.

  “But how did he tell you? Which language did he speak?” Rhuna pressed her mother.

  “I…I don’t know! It must have been Zao, because I don’t understand any other language!”

  “How strange!” said Rhuna. “How can someone like him know our language? It’s only spoken by people on Chinza!”

  “Yes, you’re right,” Kiana said nodding. “Weird, eh?”

  Rhuna decided to find the meeting place of the conjurers that her Extended Consciousness had visited, and she began by searching the horizon for the unusual hill she had observed. When she had located it, she walked along a road through the flood plains surrounding Judharo, and looked at the area where the cave of the Conjurers should be in relation to the hill.

  Rhuna stopped near a rocky hillside partly covered in trees, wondering how she would locate the entrance to the meeting cave. She scanned the entire area from top to bottom and left to right, and just as she began to think she had made a mistake in directions, she heard voices approach behind her.

  Rhuna bent down instinctively and hid behind the rock and shrubbery where she had stood. Two women passed her, talking softly, and then a group of four men also appeared on the track behind them. She watched them walk towards a clump of trees near a rocky cliff and observed them step between them and disappear. When the men also disappeared into the rocky cliff near the clump of trees, Rhuna decided to follow.

  As she expected, there was a short and narrow passage between the rocks, sheltered by trees, and the entrance reminded her of the small caves on her homeland island of Chinza. As a child, she had enjoyed exploring the caves and finding openings to undiscovered ones. Then she was reminded of how she found her mother cowering in such a cave like a frightened animal.

  “Who goes there?!” boomed a voice from the dark hole in front of Rhuna.

  “I…I would like to join your group,” Rhuna stammered, annoyed that she was taken by surprise and had answered so weakly.

  “You must be an initiated member to enter!” the booming voice said. “Be gone from here until you are a member and know the secret words of passage!”

  Rhuna obeyed and stepped back outside, chiding herself for believing she could have entered the cave of Conjurers so easily. As she walked back to the city of Judharo, she thought of Yarqi and her invitation to join her group of Conjurers, and in that moment Rhuna formed a new plan to infiltrate the Conjurers.

  “Yarqi!” Rhuna called, and walked briskly towards the woman. Yarqi stopped and waited for Rhuna to approach, her face expressing surprise and curiosity.

  “Tell me, Yarqi, how can I join the Conjurers?”

  “Why do you ask?” she wanted to know, pursing her lips with suspicion. Rhuna noticed dark rings under Yarqi’s eyes, and she wondered what might be the cause.

  “You wanted me to join you before. I wasn’t ready then, but now I want to join you,” Rhuna said, hoping her deception was good enough to pass by Yarqi’s sharp perception.

  “Is that so? Why now?” Yarqi a
sked, her tone softer and her eyes wider with interest.

  Rhuna began to explain about her unhappy family situation, omitting the fact that the Dark Master had caused Aradin’s loss of love.

  “I see,” Yarqi said with surprise. She hesitated a while and looked at Rhuna more sharply before deciding.

  “Meet me here at the setting of the sun, and I shall escort you,” she said concisely. “Interested persons must be escorted by a reputable member, and then you must satisfy the senior ranks of your sincerity and ability,” she said and turned to walk away.

  Rhuna felt uneasy about the evening, afraid that she might not be able to convince the senior members, but waited at the meeting place for Yarqi, as instructed. Without speaking, Yarqi led Rhuna to a large building where they entered a narrow, secret door behind a large piece of furniture. The hidden portal led directly to descending stairs, and only a single weak lamp lit the steps.

  “Aren’t there other places where you meet? Such as the cavern in the rocky hill?” Rhuna asked, puzzled.

  Yarqi stopped in her tracks and glared at Rhuna. “You have attempted to join another Order?” she asked sharply.

  “Another what? N-no,” Rhuna stammered. “I thought it was the same group you attend.”

  “No,” she said sharply. “Other Orders have different and inferior goals, and their motives are questionable. Our Order is the only genuine and pure one,” she said forcefully, and then turned as she saw movement ahead.

  “You must trust me, and only me!” Yarqi hissed in a whisper as they approached another hidden doorway. “Stay by my side the entire time we are inside,” she ordered, and Rhuna nodded obediently.

  Inside the dank underground chamber, Rhuna immediately recalled the passages and secret room under the Great Pyramid in Safu, and her heart began to thud in the same manner as in Safu.

  Rhuna heard the scraping of footwear on the stone floor, the breathing of several people around her, and the rustle of clothes as she slowly moved alongside Yarqi into the dark interior.