Reincarnation

by Timothy McGowen

  Examining its face, I saw a patch of rough skin where eyebrows would be, and an otherwise oval head looked down at me. Before I had a chance to focus on the eyes, I noticed a clear gem pressed into its forehead. Spreading outward from the center of the gem were bright sapphire blue veins that created a pool of color a few inches around the gem.

  With a considerable effort, I pulled my eyes from the polished gem and examined the eyes. Fiery pools of orange with sapphire flecks stared back at me. The entire eye, slightly larger than a human’s eye and shaped in an oval fashion, were completely colored with no whites to be seen and only a small tiny black pupil in the center.

  Pulling myself away from the eyes, I noted the hands and feet. The hands had large thumbs and three larger fingers. The feet were an odd mix between a hoof and a toed foot. They were half the length of a human foot but much thicker with the same rough skin as the shoulders and knees. But stranger still was the color of the nails, sapphire, just like the veins.

  “Can I see all the species in the galaxy cluster where this one lives,” I said motioning towards the alien form in front of me.

  “These are the thirty species that currently reside in the sector.”

  Several more species than I expected solidified in front of me. I examined a huge lizard man with a long, strong tail and dangerous-looking teeth before asking my question.

  “I thought you said only a dozen species lived here?” I asked, inspecting the other forms.

  “That is incorrect,” The voice said, “I stated that only a dozen planets were inhabited. This section of the universe is uniquely suited to sustain life, and all but a few planetoid bodies support sentient species.”

  “What else can you tell me?” I asked, wondering what other information I could get out of the disembodied voice.

  “I can only answer questions that you ask,” the voice paused before continuing, “Most questions can be answered if they are pertinent to your selection.”

  “Which would you choose?” I asked. Maybe he would slip up and give me the ideal race. It was worth a shot, I figured.

  “I cannot answer that question.”

  “Why was I picked for reincarnation?”

  “I cannot answer that question.”

  “What is the point of all this?”

  “I cannot answer that question.”

  This went on for several more minutes, and none of my unrelated probing got me anywhere. I was disappointed that this voice was being even less helpful that Hakarus had been. Well, nothing to do now but to choose and see what happens next.

  “You have chosen.” The voice echoed, and all other species faded away, leaving only the Ki’darthian staring down at me.

  I stared back and felt my hazy form begin to tingle. Then as I stared into the Ki’darthian’s eyes, I began to feel myself being pulled in, and before I knew it, I was the Ki’darthian.

  My previous hazy form was gone. I flexed my new hands, I felt strong, powerful, and solid. I had only moments to get used to my new body when everything began to fade, and I was pulled to someplace new.

  Chapter Four

  The pulling stopped abruptly. I felt suddenly wet, warm, and pressed into close confines. A moment of panic took me, and I pushed outward, my warm wet prison gave way. Cracks formed all around my darkened cage, and light began to stream in. I took this for a good sign and began to smash outward with my hands, feet, and head.

  It appeared I was inside a large egg. A section had cracked over my face as I stood blocking my view of the world around me. I could feel a warm thick liquid dripping and sliding off me as I stood fully erect. Finally, being completely free from my egg, I lifted the final piece off my head.

  I was in a small oval room. It was lit by a single fire in the middle, and I followed the pillar of smoke up and saw it being vented out of the top of the building. Several large carpets lay scattered along the floor in various reds, oranges, and a few blues. A doorway and several small windows were the only things to break the pattern of smooth spherical walls.

  Standing a few feet away was a familiar-looking humanoid. It was a copy of the body I had seen not moments ago. But no, I realized as I continued to study the thing, it was similar in many ways, but several things were different. The ivory skin wasn’t as tight as the skin I had seen, and the rough spots on the shoulders, knees, chest, and head were much less prominent and had very little visible sapphire blue.

  I noticed the thing take a step backward, his loincloth swaying back and forth as he did. Whoever it was, it looked very startled to see me standing here. I looked down, and sure enough, I had broken free of an egg, is this not the normal way for… Ki’darthians, to be born. The name of the species was hard to recall. In fact, I began struggling to remember anything. I grew frantic as I repeated who and what I was over in my head. I am a cat, and I had two humans. A god sent me on a mission and I … and I don’t even remember what I was just saying.

  I am a newborn, and I came out of this egg, I thought, as I looked at the egg below me. Something important was on the tip of my brain but I couldn’t figure out what it had been.

  Is this thing on? A high pitched nasally voice said. I shot my eyes forward to look at the other person in the small spherical building, but just as I did, he turned and ran out without a word. A ray of sunlight filled the room momentarily as the cloth doorway opened and shut.

  Hellllooooo, can you hear me? The voice again. My eyes searched around the room and saw no one. My hand flexed around something in my hand, and I looked down. I was holding a book. A very plain brown leather book, with a simple diamond shape on the cover. I was startled by the sudden appearance of the book in my hand and my four fingers shot open and it fell into a puddle of egg juices.

  Really? This is how you treat me? Try to help a guy out, and he throws you into his birthing fluids.

  “Is that you talking?” I asked, leaning down to examine the book. It didn’t look special, and it wasn’t even that thick of a book.

  Is that you talking? The voice said, mimicking my own voice but failing to drop the nasal sound that dominated its own voice. Who did you think it was? Look around you, see anyone else?

  I looked around, nope still alone. “No, but you’re a book. You can’t talk,” I said as I pondered whether it was worth getting more of the nasty sticky goo on me to pick the book up.

  And you are a newborn, how is it YOU can speak? Let’s both agree today is a strange day and move on, shall we?

  “Okay?” I half asked, half answered.

  Would you mind picking me up out of your juices now?

  I sighed and took a deep breath. I really didn’t want to touch the dirty book, but as it was the only thing that had talked to me, I steeled myself for the grossest thing that I had ever done. I reached into the warm, thick, smelly pile of body juices and lifted the book free. To my surprise, the book came out clean. The goo and gunk seemed to be repelled by its cover.

  “Okay, I got you,” I told the book, “Now what?”

  How should I know? The book answered back. I’m just as new as you. Sumahon is the name, what’s yours?

  “Neak’o,” I said without thinking. Was that my name? I honestly couldn’t remember, but it felt right.

  Well met, Neak’o, so now what? Sumahon said, echoing my own question.

  I stared down at him and sighed. This has been an odd few minutes, I thought. A ray of light caught my attention, and I watched as several forms entered the small enclosure. Six in total.

  Who are they?

  “Be quiet, and maybe we will find out,” I hissed down at the book. This caught the closest person’s attention, and his eyes widened slightly, revealing a dull mustard yellow color with flecks of a pale blue.

  “It is true!” One of the newcomers said. These six were all dressed differently than the loin-clothed man that had been in front
of me after I had hatched. Each of them had a different colored robe. Large hoods draped over their faces just above their eyes, and the sleeves went several inches past their fingertips, but strangest of all were the many cloth belts. They started just above the waist and continuing every few inches until they reached just below the armpits. The colorless grey belts of cloth were tied in woven braided patterns. They were different on each one, some continued down the arms and even around the neck and one on the forehead. Everywhere except below the waist.

  The smallest among them stepped forward. His robes where bright orange and his eyes matched the color perfectly.

  “Do you know what you are?” He said, his voice was low and strained. Like the sound of breaking rocks that would prefer not to be broken.

  “I’m not sure what you mean,” I answered honestly. I strained my brain, but I couldn’t remember anything before pushing free of the egg. And I certainly didn’t know anything more than my own name and that a book had decided to talk to me.

  “You are an Erusha,” the man said, kneeling down in front of me. The others followed suit, and I fumbled from foot to foot under the awkward gaze of six bowed Ki’darthian elders. The oldest of the group stood and locked eyes with me. His skin was a faded ivory color and sagged in places that couldn’t be normal.

  “What is an Erusha?” I asked after they had all stood. Before any of them had a chance to answer, a voice filled my head.

  Erusha, meaning champion, savior, warrior of the people. The term is only commonly used among the remnants of the Ki’darthian people. Would you like to know more about the Ki’darthians? Whoa, where’d that come from? How’d you make me do that, stop that!

  The voice seemed incensed about answering a question I hadn’t even posed to it.

  “I wasn’t even talking to you,” I whispered, the elder Ki’darthian had been speaking but I hadn’t heard a word of it. “What was that again?” I asked the elder.

  “You are to be a warrior for our people, young one,” The elderly Ki’darthian said, “My name is Yuh’nal, and you shall be called...” He raised his long-sleeved arm and scratched his chin, considering.

  “My name is Neak’o,” I said before he was able to think of a name. I knew that much at least.

  “Oh, how unconventional,” he said, looking over his shoulder and signaling to the men behind him, “Bring the bathing waters and Erusha garments. We will get you prepared and send you to Aetex. He will oversee your training.”

  “My training?” I asked, “I’m not completely sure what is happening, and I don’t mean to be rude, but what if I don’t want to be your Erusha?” Before the words were even completely out of my mouth, a wave of gasps filled the room from the remaining members. Several had left already, flickering spots of light being the only sign I had seen of the curtain opening.

  “I don’t know how to even,” Yuh’nal said, “Come here and sit, child. I was hasty. Let me speak to you of our ways. We rarely receive such a spirited and,” He paused to looked down at the book I was holding, “Unique Erusha. I will explain matters to you more thoroughly.”

  Yuh’nal pulled a small three-legged stool from behind a hanging rug and sat it just outside the circle of my egg and fluid mess. I stepped out and caught sight of my naked body. My skin was the brightest Ivory, ascended by darker patches of flesh with lines of sapphire between the rough creases in the thick flesh around my knees and feet.

  My large stubby three-toed feet made a squishing sound as I stepped on a drenched carpet that had raised edges cradling what was left of the bottom of my egg. I realized as I stepped forward that each of the robed figures stood easily one, if not two heads, taller than me. I examined my arms and chest as I sat and noted that I didn’t look particularly muscled either.

  Ask them for a towel before you get any of that nasty junk on me. Sumahon said in an even more disgusted tone than he had managed before.

  I ignored him and made a point to rub his cover against my leg so that some of the thick wet fluid would rub onto his cover. To my surprise, it actually did and wasn’t repelled like before.

  Oh, how dare you! If you aren’t careful, I will never speak to you again!

  “I don’t know if that would be such a problem,” I whispered as I sat down beside Yuh’nal. The book made a kind of humph sound but said nothing.

  “What was that child?” Yuh’nal asked, his eyes narrowing as he watched me.

  “Oh nothing,” I said, “Just strange voices in my head.” I laughed at my attempt at a joke, but Yuh’nal seemed horrified. His eyes were open wider than I’d seen before, and he actually recoiled back. “I was joking, I don’t…uh hear anything in my head.”

  My words had the desired effect, and he leaned back, but he still kept a perplexed look in my direction.

  “Yes, very funny indeed,” Yuh’nal said, “Let’s get to it, shall we? You are a newborn, but you are also an Erusha. You hold the fate of our people in your hands. We have fallen from grace, and our world rejects us. But once we were a mighty race of warriors. Each of us would be born with the mark,” He motioned towards my head, and I quickly brought my thick fingers to my forehead. I followed the rough flesh above my eyes to something hard embedded into my forehead. It was no bigger than the tip of my finger, but I hadn’t seen anything like it on the nearly naked man who was present when I was born.

  “What is this?” I asked, still fingering the hard object.

  “It is a gift and a great burden. A gem that marks you as an Erusha, a champion to our people. You will help bring us back from the brink of extinction. Our world grows more and more dangerous each passing cycle. If you are willing, Aetex, our oldest and wisest warrior, will teach you the ways of an Erusha, and you can beat back the dangers that threaten to overtake us each day. In the end, it is your choice, will you raise up and defend your people?”

  With a speech like that, how can you say no? Gosh, I am ready to sign up, tell him I’d like to be an Erusha as well…oh, and ask what the benefits are! Do I get extra pages if we do well?

  I did my best to keep a straight face and ignore the obnoxious book. He did have a point after the speech Yuh’nal gave, I felt inspired and my first instinct, which was to worry only about myself, washed away for the time being. I would help my people and be their defender. Now I just had to figure out how I would do that as a short, skinny thing with only an annoying talking book as my only possession.

  “I will fulfill the role I was born into,” I said, doing my best to mimic the inspired tone that Yuh’nal had, but failing to do so with my soft and even-toned voice.

  Chapter Five

  About an hour had passed since my acceptance. I had been washed by a group of old men with sponges, dressed in some kind of armor. Now I was standing outside the small spherical hut I was hatched in waiting for an escort to take me to someone named Aetex. I leaned over a large water trough and inspected my new look in the reflection of the soft green water.

  They had dressed me in clothing not unlike the robes they wore. My attire lacked the colorful variety that the elder’s robes had, instead mine were a faded black. Several short lengths of cloth had been tied around my body in a special way. They had explained that each tie represented a special committed the Erusha made to their people. To me it was like they were testing my blood flow and my inability to breath around my chest. To top it off they had given me an acorn shaped helm that sat atop my head. It had been crafted in a way that the gem on my forehead still reflected stray beams of light as I moved.

  I leaned forward to better examine my eyes when someone behind me spoke, and I nearly fell forward in the water trough. Doing my best to hide my fright, I slowly turned and pulled the long sleeves up so that my hands weren’t covered, they quickly fell back down, but I ignored them.

  “I was sent to take you to Master Aetex,” the voice said. I looked the man over and tilted my head to
the side as I examined him. He wore a loincloth and nothing else. His entire body was painted with a variety of colors that mimicked the colors of the elder’s robes. I peered up into his face; it was painted entirely white, and on his bald bare forehead was a black mark shaped like a diamond.

  Wonder what is up with his forehead? You think that’s normal, or is he just jealous of the rock in your head?

  I grinned; I wasn’t thinking those exact thoughts, but they weren’t far off.

  “Do you have an off button?” I asked in a low whisper, turning my head down towards the book. It had been cleaned by the elders as well, and I had to listen to him complain the entire time about how he didn’t like to be touched.

  “I am apprentice to the elders,” the man said, he seemed to notice I was still staring at his forehead, “My name is Ah’can, please follow me Erusha, the journey is not long.”

  And with that, Ah’can turned and began to walk away. I followed quickly behind him; several apologies, forming and dying before they made it to my tongue. My head tilted in confusion again as I caught up with Ah’can; he was about my height. He walked with exaggerated steps and kept his fist clenched and pressed together in front of his stomach. I wondered how uncomfortable that must be and glanced down at my book.

  “Why do I have a talking book?” I asked in a whisper while allowing myself to fall behind the stiff walking Ah’can.

  You don’t HAVE anything. Oh, wait, no, you do. Okay, so let’s see...something about system still loading...aw here we go, I am a Seinkah. An object born of the energies of the specific Erusha and tasked with aiding them. Apparently, Seinkah’s are usually manifested as weapons. I hope you don’t think you can start swinging me around like a club!