by Kyle Perkins
Teary and choked up, I consider telling my people everything. I want to scream from the treetops that I want for nothing from them. I only want the freedom that I was given, my gift from Orrin.
Although Garret has remained still, the others are becoming restless as they wait for me to say something. I am speechless. So many men, women and children were lost to Caius and his men. I now know what defeat feels like.
Garret speaks up before I have a chance to address the crowd, “Aya, you are their new leader. With that, we will honor the life of your father. As for him… the intruder…”
“Don’t,” my voice lowers as I fume from within, “Don’t. You. Dare.” I can feel the wind pick up around me as Garret covers his eyes. “He was a good man, a captain. Yes, he is the only reason you, or any one of these people still breathe the air that we have been given. Know this. If he has taught me anything, it is to forgive. If you ever speak poorly of him, I will make it so you will beg for a quick death. This is your only warning.” The dirt and leaves swirl above the ground as I threaten Garret.
He opens his mouth to speak and he stalls, as he should. He has no idea what Orrin is to me and I refuse to have him speak in an ill nature about him.
“Orrin is a hero. He gave up everything he came here for, to protect me and the people of Redisia. I don’t expect you to understand as I did not at first,” my voice begins to crack as I try to continue. Taking deep breaths, the wind ceases, throwing everything to the ground.
Without notice, Garret begins to speak to the remaining Vaklarn people, “The safety of our settlement is the most important. We will rebuild our center and we will do it under Aya’s reign.” He leans in close to my ear. “I know what he means to you and I will make sure that he is treated with the same honor and respect that he showed you. I truly am sorry, for everything.”
I nod quickly as he motions for me to address the people of Vaklarn. I choke on the words that I want to say – I wasn’t ready to accept reality. The orders that are to be given are simple, if only I could be as strong as Orrin.
“The burial will commence before the next sleep. We have little time before we lose the light. Prepare the bodies of the fallen.”
Garret stands beside me, giving me the space I need and lending me the support that I desire. I take notice of the changes he has shown towards me.
Before I lose what little strength I have left, there is one place that I am meant to be. I turn to Garret out of respect, and tell him what I wish for my loved ones, “My father is to be buried with the others. As their leader, he would want that. But, Garret…” He turns to look at me directly in the eyes. “No-one is to touch Orrin until I return, do you understand me?”
Without hesitation, he bows his head. “Of course.”
***
The power that I have is fading slowly with my lack of sleep. I can feel the exhaustion catching up with me as I race to the bluff. Standing at the opening of the cave, our cave, I take a moment to gather my thoughts.
There is something that I need to do, if not for myself, for answers.
The plant life along the rocks are already glowing. Without Orrin by my side, they illuminate a pale blue to match my hair. I will miss the indigo as I will miss him. Without the darkness to fear, I make my way through the cave pathways. The walls begin to widen as I approach the place that I am desperate to find.
Suddenly, the ceiling breaks away to the darkened sky. Stars decorate the background of Kepler – as Orrin called it. The images come and go as they had before, but this time I am faced with a far greater pain.
As the flickers of light decorate the ceiling, it quickly focuses on Orrin. He is holding the spear in his hand, tossing it away while ordering his men to stop the fight. The next image is that of Caius being locked away. Another flash brings visions of us together in quick succession. The cave, the pathway, the kiss, the meadow, the lake, the mountains… and the fight. All of the places that made me fall a little more in love with him are put on display for me to reflect on.
I miss him, already.
I can’t watch anymore. Even if this is the last time that I will get to see him, I want my memories to be mine, not anyone else’s.
“Stop, please. I know you are here. Talk to me,” the echoes of my voice are loud and demanding.
As the room goes dark, I hear the door on the other side of the room open. I watch as the plant life brightens above the archway to a floral pink. I can feel my heart beat faster as the adrenaline pumps through me while I wait for the arrival of the one that has been calling me.
The far half of the room illuminates pink as my half glows in my familiar blue. At no point do they blend or change color. Footsteps move closer as I back away slowly.
The figure that enters the room stills my blood. Her hair flows in a matching pink to her plant life. I can’t help but revel in her beauty while more tears stream down my cheeks.
“Mother?” I call to her.
“Aya, dear. I don’t have much time but I need you to listen to me,” her voice sings in a calming tone, slowing my racing heart. She moves towards me, motioning me closer to her.
Shocked and frozen in place, I am reluctant to try to move. I must be hallucinating.
“No, Aya. You are not hallucinating,” she says with a smile.
“If not, then how are you here? Alive?”
“Let me explain a few things to you, things that only now are you ready to understand. You have been very brave, and brought pride to the Gods. Lorqa is more than the magic of land, it is the magic within you.”
The stories she told me as a child were supposed to be just that, stories. Now she is telling me that Lorqa is real and I have been gifted the coveted magic of the land.
“How is any of this possible? Lorqa never gifts the living, only condemns the dead.
She looks like she is going to cry as she grins. “Much of this you will soon forget, but it is important that you do exactly what I am asking of you before that time comes,” she speaks in her motherly tone that I remember as a child. “I have been watching you grow up and I know the struggles that you have experienced, as I have had the same. You were born a leader and will forever be changed. The power that you have been given was not only your greatest reward, but also your destiny.” She moves closer to me, reaching for my hands.
“I don’t understand. Orrin was the only one that knew what to do. I was never stronger than when I was with him,” I exhale a long, controlled breath as I regain my failing composure.
“Oh, Aya. Orrin was a good man with you, but you are a strong woman with anyone. Do not think that without him you are weak. You were given your powers at an earlier age than I, but you had the love of a man that understood you to get you through the transition. He did understand your gift and he recognized the triggers. Orrin was an amazing man, but you are equally an amazing woman.” She places her hand on my chest. “He may not be standing next to you, or fighting the same demons that you are, but he will always be in here.”
My chest expands and contracts with each deep breath I take, accepting the words of my mother.
“Thank you, Mother.”
“I am going to introduce you to someone; someone very important to our world and to your future,” her words are interrupted by a man entering the cave from the same entry that my mother ascended from.
“Hello, Aya. My name is Lucian.” He reaches for my hand. “I really don’t want to overload you with a ton of crap that you will be unable to comprehend in your state, so I will give you the basic rundown.” He sounds like Orrin when he speaks. I already like him.
“Your mother is not dead, but she is not alive. She plays in a different ballpark than you and I do, for now. I know, I know, too much at once. Well, Orrin seemed to think you could handle it, so here it goes,” Lucian begins pacing the room as he tells the story of the planet, the spriggans and natural order of things on Redisia.
My mother nods as he addresses me, “You were born to follow
in your mother’s footsteps as she did her mother before her. The secrets that you fear Orrin took with him about your planet, are nothing that you won’t learn in your own time. What you need to know is that you have been given a gift, one that is not given to you the same as the women before you. The powers that you possess have never been released into civilization. Having Orrin by your side, you had a controlled leader guiding you to your full potential.”
I am starting to feel a little overwhelmed as he continues, “Aya, let’s keep it simple. You were betrothed to Garret, not because your father chose him for you, but because you must provide strong offspring. Natural strength and born leadership are things that we don’t have time to teach someone like, say, Ricon. Let’s be serious, he might be a great warrior, but no-one takes him seriously.” His laughter fills the cave as my eyes narrow.
Did he just tell me that I have to mate with Garret?
My mother speaks up before the dust kicks off the dirt floor, “Losing your temper is a sure way to a quick death in here. Please listen to me. You were given a chance to be free – take it. If Garret proves to be the man for you, so be it. If not, we are confident that you will make the best decision. Your happiness is of the utmost importance to us.”
“Well, yeah. When she is pissed, all hell will break loose. Are you sure she is ready for this?” Lucian’s words bring a smile to my face. Orrin was smart enough to only think those words, while Lucian has no filter.
“I am ready,” I say to both of them. “I will give Garret a chance to redeem himself, but I will not wed or mate out of greed or necessity. It will be for love or the destiny ends with me.”
“I like her. Now I see why a human would, too,” he says to my mother as if I am not in the room. “We must go, I have been gone far too long and I think she gets it. Long story short, you are now the guardian of the cave. I’m fresh out of gold stars, and I don’t have any fireworks, but, just keep people out of the cave, alright?”
“I… guardian of the cave? What does that mean?” I am more confused than before this whole conversation started.
Lucian turns to my mother, “You got this? Make it quick.”
“It is exactly as he has stated. There is a reason for the torment and pain that is given to the ones who try to move too far into the cave. You broke through the fear and the torturous pain that the cave gives. It is a form of protection from those that trespass. You were always meant to be a guardian but you needed to be ready. Now, you are more prepared than ever before. Please, keep the cave protected. You are its keeper, Aya.”
Torn between being told that I am ready and knowing if I am ready, I accept the strength and power given to me. If my mother and the planet think that I am ready, then I must be the person that Orrin believed that I was. The one meant for more than just being a simple girl from the treetops. I am now the guardian of the cave.
“Goodbye, my love. I can assure you that everything has and will happen for a reason. You learned to trust Orrin, even though you were hesitant. Another will prove to deserve you, as well.” She winks and turns towards Lucian, waiting by the stone passageway. “Remember, you know where to find me if you need me, but you are stronger than you are willing to admit. Listen to your heart as it will mend with time, but don’t alienate the ones that are willing to help care for it.”
“I will,” I say with a sigh. “Goodbye.” I close my eyes as she walks away. I can’t watch another person in my life leave me.
I hear the door slide shut; only then do I open my eyes. The pink has begun to fade and I find myself alone in the desolate cave. Finding this to be the only place that I can break down without being judged, I do just that; I break.
As the final tears fall from my eyes, I lie on my back. Memories of our time together are all that I have left and I begin to be less hurt and more thankful for Orrin. He was everything that I wanted, but he helped me to see what I couldn’t. I was sheltered and protected, but now I see it was for the right reason.
Staring at the pale blue illuminated walls, I say the only thing that I have left to say to Orrin, “Thank you.”
For just a moment, a quick burst of indigo glows around me, letting me know that he is exactly where he wanted to be; everywhere.
***
As I collect the stones that I need for the burial, I move towards the opening of the cave. I see Garret leaning against a tree, his head hanging low and his hands in his pockets. I can see the defeat in his features before I cross the threshold. Maybe my mother was right, maybe Garret has changed, too. He doesn’t see me as I walk towards him.
“Hi,” I say.
Startled, he stands up straighter. “I had to make sure you were okay. I swear that I didn’t follow you for any other reason.” He looks genuinely concerned for me. He has been beaten pretty bad. I hadn’t noticed before, but he has scratches down his face and arms that were not quick to heal.
“I am sorry it took me so long. There were a few things that I had to retrieve for the burial.”
“Aya, you were only in there a couple of minutes. That’s why I was so shocked to see you.”
Time stands still in the cave. Orrin must have known that when he left me to sleep. Looking back, he was always in a hurry except when we were in the cave. With a smile, I start to figure out that he was so much smarter than I ever could’ve imagined.
“Let’s go back to the trees, Garret. I have some changes to make immediately.”
Neither of us say a word as he allows me to lead the way back to my home, our home. The greenery has lost their protective blue flowers and thorns. I can’t help but notice that the blood bushes have been emptied of their poison. The threat of the stars has been removed, allowing nature to return to its original beauty.
As we make the final steps towards the tree line, I notice the people busying themselves with clearing away the damaged homes. They are already rebuilding the center.
“I am sorry, for everything that I put you through. I know you have been through a lot today and now is not the best time, but I had to say it,” Garret breaks the silence with his confession. “I was being the warrior that your father wanted me to be, and I only wanted to keep you safe. You are not the easiest person to protect. Until Orrin… I only did it for you. I need you to know that I only did it for you.”
I know, all too well, what it is like to have something that I have to say and there is no right or wrong time to say it. I can’t imagine it was easy for him to impress my father, and be the man that I wanted him to be. Right now, I only have one man on my mind and he is dead. That doesn’t mean that I can’t give Garret the decency that he deserves if he is being honest with me. I need to trust that what he is saying is true.
With the words of my mother once again echoing in my head, I turn to him and do the one thing that I never thought I would be able to do. I tell him the truth and I give him another chance.
“I forgive you, Garret.”
With a smile, I turn to the Vaklarn people to avoid any more emotional conversation. They have not noticed my presence, yet they move about as if orders were given. “What are they doing? Who told them to do this?”
Garret rests his hands on my shoulders. “They have already accepted you as their leader, Aya. You are everything that we need right now. Go be the person that you are, not the person that you think they all expect you to be.”
He brushes past me, leaving me in my own thoughts. Scanning the area, I notice that Orrin hasn’t been touched. He still lies there, dressed in the suit that killed him. I want to cry; I want to fall apart again.
Instead, I smile at the sacrifice that he made and the choice he was forced to make. I am here because of him. I am alive because of him. I will not let it be for nothing. He wanted me to be strong, and I will. Not for him, I will do it for me.
With my decisions in place I take the final steps in the direction of my people. The bodies have all been removed, aside from Caius and his men. The suits are far too heavy for many of us to mo
ve. I have to worry about that later, right now we have to honor the fallen heroes.
Climbing the rock steps to the podium, I take the place of my father and begin my speech.
“Please, gather around.”
Many of them move quickly to appease my request. Patiently, I wait for the survivors of the battle to fall into place. There are many more than I had thought. I stare at them in wonder. How did I protect so many people for so long? The help that I was given was a necessity, but I was the main source for their survival.
In awe of the life we have been gifted, I begin, “This is slightly unconventional, being that I am a woman. The leader of our people has always been a man, and I intend to provide you with a leader that you deserve. I know that the parchment states that I am to be wed immediately, but I can assure you that I will not. I will not stand for the women of our tribe to be forced into any situation where they are not free to make their own decision. I fought too hard for my life and gave up too much. Too many gave their lives for a chance to live, and I will protect that chance with everything that I have.”
Speaking of Orrin will be the hardest thing I have had to do, but they feared him and they need to know why he is their hero.
“Captain Orrin Windhelm was one of the people sent from the stars. He was on a mission to find a place to live, suitable for the conditions that they were used to on his own planet. He was sent to kill everything in his way, as Caius attempted, but he realized something; something that changed a trained man. He sacrificed himself to save you. Each and every one of you that stands here today is only living and breathing because he gave himself to you. Captain Windhelm knew the consequences of doing what he did and he knew that you would be safe.”
There is so much more that I could say, but I am starting to lose my ability to be strong with every word about him. I have to keep going, “He didn’t deserve to die, but he did. The changes in me were reflected by the changes in him. He wanted to kill us, to take over the planet and rule it as his own. In the end, he was the one that gained from all of this. Orrin died with his humanity; the one thing that the rest of these men lacked the understanding of. As a leader of their kind and the man that stood by me during every moment of this hell, he will be honored in death as one of our Elites. He earned that, even if he had no idea how important he was. It wasn’t only me, Orrin,” I begin saying to him, lying on the ground.
