Ascension Seekers

by Amy Proebstel

  When everyone was gathered again in the living room, Rasa paced nervously in front of the fireplace. She stopped pacing and said, “I told you all that I had two items of news to share with the family. The first thing was Mom’s birth crystal. Well, the second thing is that I’ve been transferred away from Acaim.”

  “What? Why?” Barla asked with genuine concern. She hoped nothing had gone wrong for such a thing to happen.

  “It’s good news actually. Jehoban asked me to meet with Elder Wilken and to study with him. I told the Elder I would only be away for a few days and then I would return to Manzanit to resume my studies.”

  “I don’t understand what Elder Wilken could teach you which Jehoban would not be able. What’s going on, Rasa?” Ahn asked.

  Rasa glanced nervously at her brother and watched his expression intently as she answered, “I’m to be Elder Wilken’s successor when he steps down.”

  Gravin’s eyes grew wide as he understood what Rasa had told them all. He asked, “How is that possible? There’s never been a female Elder.”

  “Jehoban said I was to be the first. It was His wish. I could hardly refuse the honor.” Rasa clasped her hands in front of her and willed her brother to not be angry or jealous. She wanted the easygoing and carefree relationship they had shared when they were little. These past couple days had made her think it could be a possibility, but only if Gravin would accept her new post.

  “This is wonderful and amazing news, Rasa,” Barla exclaimed as she jumped up from her chair to come and embrace her daughter. She had always known Rasa would do special things with her life. This had never even been a consideration in her mind, but she could easily accept it since it was Jehoban’s wish.

  “Gravin, are you okay with this? If you aren’t then I’ll ask Jehoban to reconsider,” Rasa spoke softly to her brother.

  “Are you kidding? You can’t turn down this opportunity. Besides, it’s better you than me in this situation. I’m having entirely too much fun being retired to even consider what you’re going to have to go through for the next several anons. Then when Elder Wilken decides to retire, all of the problems of the district will be squarely on you.” He came over and hugged his sister and whispered in her ear. “I’m really proud of you. Don’t ever give up a dream because of someone else, not even me.”

  Rasa could feel tears forming in her eyes as she pulled back slightly and said quietly, “Thank you, Gravin. Your support means the world to me.”

  “I have been jealous of you from time to time…” he began.

  Rasa cocked her head sideways, crossed her arms, and raised one eyebrow at her brother.

  “Okay, okay! I was jealous for a long time, but I’ve gotten over it. You have the better temperament for being an Elder than I would ever have. You bring honor to our family just by being asked by Jehoban to take on this task.”

  “I know and I must admit the whole idea scares me. Elder Wilken said he believes I’ll be good at the job so I’ll have to trust everyone knows best for my future. I’m going to do everything possible to prove everybody correct.”

  “When will it be made formal?” Ahn asked.

  “Elder Debbon has scheduled a convocation of the Elders to be held on Selasa, Adar 1st so I imagine it will be sometime after that. It’s anybody’s guess how long it will take for all of the Elders to agree to allow me to be a successor. If I were a boy then it wouldn’t even be a discussion.”

  “Are they allowed to decline the promotion?” Barla asked.

  “I don’t really know. I would imagine they could, but then Jehoban might step in and override them. After all, this was His decision in the first place. Who are the Elders to say no to something Jehoban has said will be done.”

  “There are some really stupid people in this world,” Gravin muttered.

  “Will you be present at the convocation? Is family allowed to attend?” Ahn asked.

  “I don’t know the answer to either of your questions, Dad. I’ll find out and let you know. Meanwhile, I really need to get back to Manzanit. There’s so much I need to learn and if I can prove my worth before the convocation, then it will be ever so much harder for the other Elders to disagree with Elder Wilken’s choice.”

  “When do you have to go?” Barla hated the thought of any of her children leaving her again.

  “Right now, Mom.”

  “No, Rasa. Can’t you wait until tomorrow? What about my crystal lessons? Surely there’s something more you need to teach me.”

  “I’m sorry, Mom. This can’t be helped. Besides, Gravin has agreed to continue to teach you until he leaves. He’s very skilled and patient.” She looked over at her brother and smiled. “If you get stuck on anything, send me a message on the patil. I’ll be checking it several times a day and I’ll help whenever I can.”

  “You don’t need to worry about your mother, Rasa. I have a few skills of my own. Gravin and I will continue your mother’s training. We love you and want you to do your best with this new task,” Ahn said, also standing up so he could hug his daughter.

  Rasa found herself surrounded by her family’s arms. She had forgotten how good it felt to have family to support her and want her to be happy. Living on Acaim had been wonderful, but nothing could compare to this moment of bliss. “I have the best family!”

  Chapter Sixteen

  JUST AS DAVEN had predicted, Amanda only needed ten days before she was proficient in piloting her own telepod. They had begun training in the smaller craft on their second day so she would be comfortable with the systems. There was a sense of urgency for her to get started on her journey to rescue Neal before the first of December.

  It was already November twenty-fifth and Amanda was itching to get herself to Tuala. She had it in her mind that she would go and meet Bryon and Alena for the first time. The meeting had the potential to be very awkward, but she could not shake the feeling it was the right thing to do.

  Right after Riccan left for work and the girls had been picked up for school, Amanda packed a bag with some snacks and she was ready to go. If only her nerves would calm down, then she could start to enjoy this new adventure. She had already discussed her plans for the day with Riccan so he would know where to look for her should anything go wrong.

  Just as she thought she was ready to go, she felt a desperate need to go to the bathroom. Her bowels were quite upset with how nervous she had made herself. She remained in the living room for a few more minutes and convinced herself how ridiculous this whole thing was. She had things which needed to get arranged and she was the only one who had the time to get it done.

  She went out to the garage and palmed open the door with the remote even as she was walked toward the telepod. Never before had she attempted this alone. Her heart was racing as she buckled herself into the pilot’s seat. She flipped the master power switch and began the startup procedures.

  Looking down on the glass panel she saw there was a red button lit up. Immediately alarmed since Riccan had told her anything red was bad, she started to review the potential problems. When she discovered the cause, she could have kicked herself. She had left the side door open. Of course she could not very well take off with the door hanging open. It was at that point where she wondered what other things Riccan had done out of habit which she might forget to do for herself.

  She hit the door switch and watched the panel to verify the red light had gone out. Everything was now displayed in green and she took a deep breath to try to calm herself before going any further. Deciding to take one step at a time and not worry about future events, she entered the location of Kirma into the system and pressed enter.

  As Riccan had taught her, she looked at the visual coordinates to keep them in mind as she traveled. While technology was a good thing, it was important to remember it had flaws. Even though the system was automated, she always wanted to be linked with the crystal drive to verify she would end up at her desired location.

  She touched the screen to begin the transfer
and then counted her heartbeats until she entered the outskirts of Kirma. Because she had been so nervous, Amanda had counted many more heartbeats than normal and she had to chuckle at her own self-doubt. Getting back into the piloting mode, Amanda concentrated on landing the telepod on a level patch of grass. She issued all of the shutdown procedures and unbuckled her seat harness.

  Amanda picked up her small bag and left the telepod. She palmed the door shut with a satisfying slap on the outside switch and then turned on the cloaking mode with the remote. After she securely put the remote into her pants pocket, she began walking toward Kirma.

  She checked her watch and saw it was almost nine o’clock. Bryon would be in his office at Kirma Shipping and Receiving at this time of day. She had decided to go to his work to speak with him in private.

  Hoping her memory was correct she began walking toward the end of town where she believed the business was located. It only took about fifteen minutes for Amanda to reach the edge of town. She smiled when she saw the road which looked eerily familiar even though this was the first time she had seen it in reality.

  Another ten minutes passed and Amanda was facing the entrance of Kirma Shipping and Receiving. She had only been here a couple of times during her dream. It looked larger than her memories and she started to doubt whether or not this were a good idea. Don’t be silly, she said to herself. You came here to accomplish something, now do it! With new resolve, she stepped onto the business property and walked toward the building where she knew Bryon kept his office.

  She went up the couple of steps and opened the door. In front of her was a woman who was in her mid-thirties with dark red hair and bright, green eyes. Amanda looked down and saw the sign in front of her said her name was Frasnia. “So far, so good,” Amanda whispered. She stepped into the office and let the door shut behind her.

  “May I help you?” Frasnia asked.

  “Yes. I’d like to meet with Bryon Kesh, please.”

  “May I tell him your name?”

  “Oh, sorry. My name’s Amanda Stel.” Amanda fidgeted with the bag she was holding and then forced her hands to her sides so she could relax. Frasnia was exactly as she remembered and Bryon obviously worked here since Frasnia had not seemed confused with her request. All was going according to plan.

  “Bryon will be available in a few minutes. Please feel free to take a seat.” Frasnia smiled and then turned away as a call came through her patil for her to answer.

  Amanda shifted her gaze to give Frasnia some privacy and she wandered over to the waiting chairs. Even though she really did not want to sit down because of her nerves, she thought it would be more polite to appear relaxed. She looked at her watch for something to do and then fidgeted with the bag she had brought.

  Since she was sitting here, she was not so sure this was the right way to go about this part of her plan. Bryon was a very busy man and he might not want to be interrupted with some stranger’s crazy tale. Amanda was about ready to get up and leave when Bryon’s office door opened and he walked out to the lobby to greet her. Amanda stood up. He looked the same. He was extremely tall, very muscular, with dark expressive eyes, and dark hair which he liked to spike up.

  “Hello, Amanda. I’m pleased to meet you,” he said as he held out his hand in greeting.

  “Me, too.” She took his hand and hastily shook it.

  “Please, come into my office. I’m curious to hear what you have to tell me.” He led the way back to his own room and shut the door behind her. “Have a seat. Can I get you anything? Water? Java? Steena tea?”

  “Water, please,” Amanda replied as she took the offered seat.

  Bryon created a glass of water and handed it to her and then he went around the desk to sit in his big, black chair. “I was told to expect a visit from you. What can I do to help you?”

  Amanda took a quick sip of the water as she tried to hide her amazement in how easy this seemed to be going. She asked, “Do you know who I am?”

  “Sure. You’re Elder Daven’s First-daughter. I was told to expect a visit from you sometime in the future and to render any assistance which you might request. I’m at your service!” He smiled and leaned forward as he wiggled his eyebrows amusingly.

  Amanda laughed at his foolishness and felt herself calming down because she was back in the presence of a friend. She knew the friendship was very different than what she had experienced, but at least this was not going to be as awkward as she had imagined. She cleared her throat and said, “This may seem like a strange question…”

  “It’s okay. Ask whatever you want.”

  “Alright. When you were a teenager did you go to Earth?”

  Bryon’s eyes opened wide. He had expected any number of bazaar questions, but not this one. “Actually, yes. I did. Why is it important?”

  “I can explain, but first I have another question. Did you or Linden bring anything back from Earth?”

  Again, Bryon was surprised to hear Amanda speak the name of his childhood friend. He had been told Amanda knew strange details about their lives and now he believed it. “Yes. We brought back a crystal skull.” He shivered even as he remembered that time in his life. They had been so terrified when they had seen it glow they had fallen all over themselves to get out of the cave and away from it.

  Amanda nodded with a small smile on her lips. “Would you have some time to take me to the cave where you two left it?”

  He stared at her for a few seconds before speaking. Once again, she had known a detail he had only shared with two other people on Tuala. He knew both of them would never talk to anybody else about it. Amanda had once again proven her ability to know unusual details of his life. He could hardly wait to get home and tell Alena about Amanda.

  “Sure. Let me check my schedule really quick.” He turned and touched the screen on his patil a few times and then he stood up. He walked around the desk and opened the door to speak with Frasnia.

  “Can you clear my schedule for the rest of the day? Something important has come up and I’m going to have to leave. Hopefully, I’ll be back tomorrow morning. If not, I’ll call you before the end of today and let you know.”

  Frasnia’s brow furrowed in confusion, yet she nodded and said, “Of course. I’ll take care of it.”

  Bryon remained standing where he was, turned back to Amanda, and said, “I’m ready whenever you are!”

  Amanda put the glass of water down on his desk and stood up swiftly. “Great! Lead on!”

  Wishing he had not chosen to walk to work, Bryon walked over to a small key box mounted to the wall, opened it, and took out one of the sets of keys. “I’ll be taking telepod number twenty, Frasnia.”

  Frasnia nodded calmly even as she grew more curious. She already planned on tracking the telepod beacon to see what her boss was up to. It was not like him to make sudden plans and she was intrigued.

  Amanda and Bryon left the office together. They walked across the shipping yard to where the telepods were stored and entered number twenty. Bryon obviously sat in the pilot’s seat and Amanda sat beside him. They buckled up and Bryon performed all of the procedures to get them to their location.

  Amanda was staring at all of the controls on the panel. This looked just like she remembered from her dream, which meant it was nothing like what she had trained on to get her here. She was glad Bryon had taken the lead since she was sure she would not have gotten them to the cave.

  Bryon asked, “Are you ready?”

  “Yes. Let’s go.”

  Everything went black and Amanda counted three seconds before they arrived back into the bright sunshine at a different location. Amanda looked out the window and saw the cave she remembered exiting when she had returned to Tuala in her dream. This next part was what had her most anxious because in her dream, the crystal no longer sat in the niche near the gate.

  They exited the telepod and walked to the cave entrance. Amanda’s nerves were calmed as she could feel the energy of the samara projecting from dark
ness within. She smiled over at Bryon and said, “Do you want to take the lead, or shall I?”

  Bryon desperately wanted to tell her to go first, but the man in him said, “I can go first.” He stepped forward while at the same time he created a sphere of elemy to light their way. Immediately, he felt the same sense of strange energy which he assumed was the gate. Just like when he was a teenager, he felt so nervous he could feel sweat starting to form in his armpits and his mouth was getting dry.

  Amanda nudged him to continue walking. When they neared the gate, Amanda could clearly see the samara nestled in a niche of the wall. She stared at the skull to check the color of its aura. Swiftly, she determined it to be a dark shade of orange. She turned to Bryon and asked, “What color is your birth crystal?”

  Again, Bryon was surprised at Amanda’s question, but answered, “It is dark orange. Why does it matter?”

  Instead of answering, Amanda created her own sphere of light and said, “Let go of your elemy and go get your samara from the niche.”

  “My what?”

  “That’s what the crystal skull is called. It’s a samara and this one is yours, Bryon. Go and claim it. I’ll wait right here.” She could fully understand his confusion and his reluctance to get near the object which projected so much power. She also knew he had been scared of it for a couple of declans which would make this even harder. “Don’t be afraid of it, Bryon. I promise you everything will turn out just as it should.”

  Bryon had said he would do whatever was asked of him, but he had never expected this to be his task. He was scared out of his mind. His feet felt rooted to the floor of the cave and his mind could not convince them to move toward the object of many terrifying dreams since he was a teenager.

  Amanda could see this was going to be more difficult than she had anticipated. She said, “Use your birth crystal, Bryon, and feel the energy from the samara and how it interacts with your own crystals.”

  Even as she was telling him to move forward, Amanda recalled several things at once. First, when her two girls had initially held their samaras they had been held in thrall for quite some time. Second, when she found the skull at the asylum, she had been pulled into several visions of her own. Third, the unsanctioned gate next to where the samara was tucked away may have an unpredictable energy of its own. And fourth, the second time the girls had used their crystals, they had carried them in towels until they were ready to touch them.