A Division of Souls - A Novel of the Mendaihu Universe
Page 83
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All is Light…
The air trembled around her. The Rain of Light throbbed and thrummed with a nervous, directionless energy that could not be seen or heard, only felt by those within it. She immersed herself in this energy, allowing it to seep well within her own spirit until she understood its collective voice crying out in confusion. She had heard the voices some time ago, but only as aggressive white noise. She chose to drift even deeper into the Rain than Nehalé had suggested or even thought possible. She wanted to know her limits and surpass them. She wanted to hear them as they would hear her.
All is Light.
The Rain of Light had heard her voice…and waited.
Denysia exhaled slowly and opened her eyes within the Light, stared into its blinding whiteness, and spoke to the Rain, first in Anjshé, then in Terran English.
Hra Denysia Shalei Shé nyhndah eilee…madin Aaramis si Cheylan Shalei si Emmadha si Dhumélis…kinléshi Mendaihu Gharra Karinna Shalei…hra Shé.
Rhade hra imhsha.
I am Denysia Shalei, One of All Sacred…daughter of Aaramis and Cheylan Shalei si Emmadha si Dhumélis…sister to Protector Karinna Shalei…I am One.
Do not be afraid.
A million voices, all at once, spilled forth like a burst dam and raced outwards, howling and screeching as it engulfed everything within its reach. Denni braved the onslaught and stood her ground, letting the disembodied voices wash through her and over her. She waited now, expecting one voice…or any multitude of voices…to call back. Nearly five minutes passed before she heard something coherent.
Denysia… the unified voices said. She could not guess how many were talking in unison, each voice and tone blending into one another, creating a surreal echo within her spirit. Denysia… it called again. You are the One of All Sacred…the Shé nyhndah eilee…you enter the Rain of Light of your own free will. The Rain of Light welcomes you.
Despite the utter seriousness of the situation, Denni found herself smiling at the invitation.
You bring a brother, it/they said. We sense the Watcher Nehalé Usarai Né Mendaihu Gharra. The one who awakened us. He is close.
Had Nehalé made it this far? She had not sensed him at all since her arrival here, yet she knew him to be here…somewhere. She called his name but recieved no answer.
It seems he finally sleeps, the voice said eventually. He has done his part. It is now our duty to disperse…to Truly Awaken the city.
Denni drew an uneven breath. She had to ask now, before it was too late. What is happening? Why has Nehalé Awakened you all? I was… She paused, measuring her words before she spoke them. She may be the One, but she was also just a fifteen year-old kid dropped into the middle of this insanity, and she was certainly far from perfect. She concealed her own embarrassment and continued. I was under the impression that you were already sentient to the level of Gharné. I was led to believe that you could become cho-nyhndah with anyone whenever you chose.
The silence that followed was unnerving. She felt a dread of having asked the wrong question of these bodiless souls, and pleaded silently to herself that they answer with words and not destructive action. She was the hope of millions of civilians in Bridgetown.
Finally, they gave their answer. It was not spoken in anger, nor did they reply with another violent storm surge, but it was not what Denni wanted to hear.
We do not know, Dearest One. Only the eicho Nehalé can answer that question.
…and he’s ‘asleep,’ she thought miserably. What happens next?
The voices once again erupted in a cacophony of excitement. So many different explanations and hopes and fears poured forth at the same time, inundating her mind and heart with more than she could possibly handle. She squirmed in this Lightspace, arms flailing at bodies and energy that were not truly there in physical form. She barely found her voice within it all. Please, she cried. Please! Give me order!
The voices faded to a low rumble just as quickly as they’d risen, and the change made her feel strangely off balance. She staggered forward, then backward until her legs finally gave out from under her. The sensation of falling, however, did not come. She was being cradled by the souls themselves. She was hovering above nothingness, and still they caught her, easing her fears.
Thank you, she mumbled. I have recently Awakened myself…and I’m still not completely comfortable with everything here. Please grant me patience, if you will.
It is granted, the voices responded softly, to her relief. We understand.
I must explain my presence, she said. We here on Gharra…we are fearful of your anger. If unattended, it can do us harm. I am here to guide you the rest of the way. This is part of my duties as the One of All Sacred. The voices agreed quietly amongst themselves and let her continue. I admit I am following instinct here, she said. All I can say is that I can feel — no, I can sense all of you here, both individually and as a whole. I can sense you are equally as lost. Can you tell me…what it is that you seek?
We seek Light, they said.
Light? She blinked, noting the irony. Here she was, in this formless reality of brilliant whiteness, unable to see anything except her own shimmering form, itself a shade of white ever so slightly brighter.
What is this Light, she asked. She had to ask, even though she knew the answer to some extent. Peace, Love and Light… the creed of the Mendaihu. It was the simple yet unending search for the completeness of being physically and spiritually. Light could only mean one thing to her, and ultimately to these souls.
It is knowledge, Dearest One. We all search for the Universal constants, for the concrete and scientific. But that is all easy to come by, given the supplies, the dedication, and the time. That is not the Light we seek. We are looking for the Light that feeds us, Denysia, and that which keeps our souls forever alive, even past mortal death. It is hard to describe in such words…it is something we can only experience individually.
But to us, it is Peace, and it is Love.
Denni nodded, visibly relieved. Their motives were pure enough, in that they did not wish to utterly destroy Bridgetown. She now understood that these souls, if they were to fully awaken and leave the Rain of Light once and for all, they would need to become fully conscious within a human body. It was something about humans…humans from Gharra/Earth…that these souls from Trisanda held so dear. This adoration went far past the ancient familial ties, however. It was as if…
…as if a profound change were to happen regarding the human race.
We must all be awakened, the voices pleaded. Those of us here, on this spiritual plane, and on the physical plane. We must all awaken soon.
Come, Dearest One. Let us show you what will happen.
And inside this Light, she felt the rush of love of these spirits surging through her, filling her with such unspeakable bliss she could no longer speak within or without. She was drowning in this ecstasy that went beyond anything she could ever have conceived. She no longer felt any fear within herself, so certain was her trust in these spirits. Inside this Light, she felt herself disintegrating, her physical and spiritual body falling apart and becoming one with the universe. With all universes. She no longer feared anything, even death.
The only thing keeping her here on this plane was her sister.
And inside this Light, she felt herself stepping through to a much higher level.