Rhuna, The Star Child

by Barbara Underwood

  “He is doing the same as we are,” remarked Aradin when she had described her visions to him. “Let us keep observing him closely, in case he contacts the other Dark Ones stealthily, in a way we don’t expect.”

  Rhuna barely slept that night, and drifted from one disturbing dream to another before awakening at daybreak. Her comfortable home was full of tension as the family gathered around the eating table for the morning meal, and Faleesh gave her a questioning look as she brought the food.

  “Melody of the Dawn has been seeing someone we don’t approve of,” Rhuna whispered in Faleesh’s ear as she helped the older woman bring dishes of food to the table.

  “Aah,” Faleesh said knowingly. “A man.” She nodded her simple understanding of the situation, and continued preparing the eating table with a wistful smile on her face.

  The family ate in uncomfortable silence until Shandi began to name the food items in front of her. Grateful for the distraction, Rhuna announced that she had many things to do at home today. “You’re staying home with us,” she told Lozira, who responded with a glowering look.

  “Stay home with me!” Shandi said excitedly, and Rhuna felt the heavy tension in the room dissipate instantly. Lozira looked at her little sister and smiled happily, and Aradin let out a silent sigh of relief.

  After finishing some daily chores, and when Shandi was asleep in the adjoining room, Rhuna felt it was the right time to broach the subject of drinking intoxicating beverages with Lozira. She entered the wash room where Lozira had been washing some of her new clothes and told her that she had seen her drinking the fermented barley beverage.

  “It felt good,” Lozira responded bluntly.

  “But you know that it’s against Atlan principles, and back in Atlán you would never have considered partaking,” Rhuna objected.

  “That was then,” Lozira answered in the same blunt manner as she continued washing one of her dresses.

  Rhuna touched her daughter’s arm to get her full attention. “What is different here, now?” she asked, suddenly afraid of what the answer might be.

  “Everything!” Lozira spat, suddenly flushed with anger. When Rhuna waited silently for an explanation, Lozira sighed and shrugged her shoulders.

  “I think Atlan principles are too strict!” she said forcefully. “All the things Tozar said and did made me see clearly that it’s not right, even though they keep saying it is.”

  “Your father was particularly strict with you because of me,” Rhuna stated firmly. “You mustn’t judge Atlan principles based on how Tozar treated you in recent times.”

  Lozira thought about Rhuna’s words for a moment, and then shrugged. “Besides, Aradin drinks those beverages at meal time, and I saw other Atlans in the building where they make and distribute it,” see countered.

  Rhuna nodded and said she knew about the more relaxed attitude towards intoxicating beverages in Safu, but that this was not the point.

  “What worries me is that you so easily lowered your Atlan standards,” Rhuna said. “And it’s because of him, isn’t it!”

  Lozira’s face flushed red again as she pulled away from her mother. “He did not force me to do it!” she retorted angrily. “I wanted to try it! I want to be with him! What he is or does makes no difference to me!” she shot at Rhuna, throwing the wash soap to the floor and leaving the room with long, angry strides.

  Later that day, as gentle rain soothed Rhuna’s ragged nerves, she took the position for relaxation techniques and special breathing to restore her mental energy. Before she could start, she heard the high-pitched screech of Shandi’s scream and lunged through the doorway, her heart pounding at the terror in her small child’s voice. She burst into the adjoining room and swooped onto the small cot where Shandi had been sleeping. The little round face was bright pink and contorted by cries which quickly abated when Rhuna wrapped her arms around Shandi, cooing and speaking words of comfort.

  “What is it, Little Honey Cake,” Rhuna asked, still shaken by the intensity of Shandi’s cries.

  “Lozira,” she said between sobs. “Lozira crying, crying!”

  “What happened?” Aradin asked as he descended next to Rhuna and stroked Shandi’s head.

  “I think she’s had another vision,” whispered Rhuna, and began to wipe Shandi’s tears. Then she reached for some of Shandi’s toys, hoping that some playful distraction would soon quell the terror of what the little girl had seen.

  “She saw Lozira crying badly,” she told Aradin in a whisper as Shandi began to play normally with her animal toy. “It has to be that scoundrel, Beacon of the Night – he’s going to make Lozira cry!”

  “Yes, probably,” Aradin agreed. “Shandi is too young to describe her visions, so we can’t find out more.”

  “I’m going to watch him very closely. Maybe we can change what will happen, or at least be prepared!” Rhuna said, determined to protect her daughter from emotional harm.

  Rhuna struggled to keep up a pretense of a normal daily routine, frequently watching Beacon of the Night by means of the Gazing of the Waters, and then by summoning mental visions when she appeared to be merely practicing Inside Focussing.

  In most visions, Beacon of the Night was going about usual activities in his workroom making various items of jewellery, some of them with orrichalcum, the reddish gold of Atlán. At the middle of the day, Rhuna observed him meeting with two Atlans for a meal, and with whom he shared normal every-day conversation. The low light in the eating hall made Beacon of the Night appear much younger in this particular image, reminding Rhuna of how he looked when he was her teacher in Atlán. The sudden rush of memories reminded her that she had liked him when she was his student, and that those qualities which had appealed to her then had now attracted Lozira.

  When the long and depressing day became unbearable, Rhuna decided to visit her father at The Reigning One’s residence. Abu-Malech greeted her with his usual friendly manner and respectful bow, and Rhuna tried to appear cheerful as well. She ascended the wide stone stairs to her father’s chambers, once again recalling her first lunar cycle in Safu when she resided in the same rooms. By now she had become accustomed to her father’s foreknowledge of her visits, and she opened the door without signaling her arrival.

  Damell was sitting in his usual position near the window, looking at the door expectantly. Rhuna walked towards him but stopped abruptly when she saw the light cast deep creases and shadows across his face. She knew instinctively that he was deeply concerned about something.

  “He has discovered our secrets, and discovered my existence,” said Damell gloomily.

  “The Dark Master?” asked Rhuna as a chill raced up her spine.

  “Much worse,” answered Damell. “Tozar.”

  “Tozar?” Rhuna repeated, not understanding.

  “Tozar is our most dangerous enemy,” Damell said with a slow and heavy nod of his grey head. “He has been scrutinizing every action taken by you, every word spoken by you, in all this time,” Damell began to explain with a long sigh. “He is the reason I have been shielding my existence for as long as possible.”

  “But why? You were friends in the past!” Rhuna said, alarmed and confused.

  “A lifetime ago, My Child,” Damell said with a dismissive shake of his head. “Friendships change and die,” he added on a bitter note.

  “How can you say that Tozar is a much more dangerous enemy than the Dark One?”

  “Who presides over more people and commands much higher esteem and influence? Is it not Tozar, whose long-standing reputation excuses his shortcomings, whose superior wisdom intimidates his peers, and whose mere position as the longest-serving senior member of the High Council of Atlán fills most people with awe so that his words and actions are never questioned, criticized or scrutinized?”

  “Yes…but how exactly is Tozar dangerous?”

  “You have not been observing him since your ways parted,” stated Damell, and Rhuna shook her
head. “You must do so now, Rhuna. You must see for yourself what has become of him.”

  “What has become of him?” she asked nervously. Rhuna thought about the things Lozira had said, and which she had dismissed as merely Tozar’s lack of proper information about Rhuna’s circumstances of several solar cycles past.

  “He still thinks I’m irrational and a bad influence on Lozira,” Rhuna replied, but stopped when she saw Damell shake his head gloomily.

  “I can summon a vision of him now, then,” Rhuna suggested.

  “Yes, and then visit him with your Extended Consciousness by which means you shall experience and observe much more accurately and intimately,” instructed Damell.

  Rhuna obediently approached the water basin in the dimly-lit corner of her father’s chamber, and with great trepidation focused her thoughts on Tozar.

  As soon as the water cleared, she saw Tozar pacing angrily in his private rooms, muttering to himself and expressing frustration at not being able to summon certain things. Rhuna had never seen him behave in this manner, and she found the vision very disturbing. The next image showed Tozar marching towards the other members of the High Council of Atlán who were gathered in the Council’s private discussion chamber.

  “Do you not comprehend that my message to the innkeeper at the land of the isthmus was intercepted? It could only be she, who has such power and ability!”

  “We agree that it is highly irregular,” said an Atlan woman in a Master’s Robe, nodding solemnly and walking around uneasily as Tozar spoke.

  “We must find a way to stop her! Where is her knowledge and power coming from? She is in league with the Dark One himself, I tell you!” Tozar growled, shocking the Council members.

  “Harbinger of Solace,” said another Atlan Master. “Your preoccupation with Keeper of Wis…”

  “Do not speak her name!” Tozar spat venomously.

  “How can I not be preoccupied when my daughter is in her grasp? She is being deluded, misled and turned against me as well as all Atlan principles! Such a course can only lead to misery, depravity and even death!”

  “Surely you are overreacting, Harbinger of Solace!” said one of the Council members whom Rhuna remembered from her past in Atlán.

  “What does she do in the guest chamber of The Reigning One? There is something most sinister and uncanny about it – have you not observed?” Tozar continued his rampage.

  “Yes, and we concluded it was of no importance,” answered another of the Council members. “…and there are other matters the High Council of Atlán must discuss, weigh and debate…if I may point out, Harbinger of Solace, you have not been present…”

  “Of course I have been present, what are you saying?”

  “Present in body, yet you have been absent in mind and spirit for some time already. We have been concerned and even discussed it…”

  “You have been discussing my manner in secret, even conspiring against me?” bellowed Tozar.

  “Conspiring? Why no, Harbinger of Solace,” exclaimed the Council member.

  The image shifted to another time in a similar setting, and Rhuna noticed with horror that Tozar looked unkempt and unwashed.

  “It is Avenger of Justice!” Tozar spluttered with outrage.

  “Pardon me…he died many solar cycles past…” stuttered one of the Council members.

  “Evidently he did not, and he has been deceiving us!” Tozar scoffed loudly. “He and his daughter are a far greater threat to the Atlan Empire than the Dark Master ever was!” declared Tozar, and Rhuna realized he had summoned specific visions, such as incidental comments with Faleesh about her father, and drawn the correct conclusions.

  “What kind of power enables one to be unseen by visions, and be able to observe mentally with such accuracy? It is the power she has inherited from her father! She experienced these mental visions at an early age already…”

  The image faded and Rhuna exhaled loudly. She stood at the water basin silently for a while, thinking about what she had just seen.

  “He seems so different,” Rhuna said.

  “Indeed.”

  “He seems…unbalanced and obsessive,” Rhuna said, choosing the words carefully.

  “Exactly,” Damell responded with a grave nod of his head. “Yet there is more, Rhuna. Summon visions concerning his close scrutiny of Lozira.”

  She turned back towards the water basin and concentrated on Tozar’s obsession with their daughter’s wellbeing. The familiar coloured swirls appeared and then cleared to reveal Tozar, deep creases across his brow and his beard unkempt.

  “My daughter is being seduced by the new leader of the Dark Master’s followers!” he shouted at several other members of the High Council of Atlán. “Her mother knows it and does nothing!”

  The Council members nodded in agreement, and one of the women reached out to place a comforting hand on his arm.

  “Be assured, Harbinger of Solace, that the new Atlan Council of Safu shall take firm action in this matter!” said the woman.

  “This is proof that my daughter’s mother is affiliated with the followers of the Dark Master!” Tozar thundered as his whole body trembled and spittle appeared on his lower lip and beard. “I tell you, they are dangerous and must be stopped! Intercepting messages, placing so-called curses on innocent people, and now the leader himself has taken my daughter!” he said desperately.

  “We have examined Beacon of the Night’s activities closely, and agree with you that he is a grave threat to the Atlan Empire, and certainly to innocent and naïve individuals such as your daughter,” said Tamer of Fire, the red-bearded senior member of the High Council.

  “Beacon of the Night and other Atlans calling themselves the New Arrivals in Safu are developing these new powers by seeking knowledge unfamiliar in Atlán,” said the woman who was attempting to calm Tozar.

  “I declare this to be Forbidden Knowledge!” Tozar shouted hoarsely.

  The vision ended and Rhuna sank to the floor where she sat in silence for a long time.

  Part Six

  (Beacon of the Night)

  Rhuna used a head-covering to hide most of her face as she walked to the Red Lion statue to attend the meeting of the Guardians of Knowledge.

  “I can’t believe we’re going to one of their meetings!” she whispered to Aradin.

  “It’s an opportunity to learn more about their ways,” he said, and Rhuna felt grateful for his continual positive attitude. She looked to her side and noted the particularly stylish clothes Lozira had chosen to wear for this event.

  They walked along several Atlan-built streets, past some prestigious homes with expansive and well-kept gardens, and then along a broad, tree-lined road which led to the lion statue. The lion loomed above them as they approached it, and Rhuna examined the fine pinkish stone appreciatively.

  “Very rare stone,” said a voice behind them, and Rhuna turned to see Charmer of Snakes approaching them. “Beautifully made, truly exquisite,” he said, admiring the colossal statue.

  “We are here to attend a meeting,” said Aradin in a hushed voice.

  “Ah, very good, very good!” Charmer of Snakes responded. “This I had assumed, although your faces are not familiar to me.”

  “This is our first meeting,” said Lozira softly.

  Charmer of Snakes smiled in his lopsided way which always repulsed Rhuna. “Come this way,” he whispered, and began walking around to the rear of the Red Lion.

  Rhuna wondered where he was leading them when she suddenly realized that he was approaching a secret door in the massive rectangular base of the statue. She heard a scraping noise as Charmer of Snakes moved something with one hand, and pulled a door open with the other.

  “Bend down until you have walked down exactly five steps,” he instructed, and then he disappeared into the black square hole. Rhuna let her eyes adjust to the darkness before placing a foot inside the low doorway, and when she had stooped and taken
two steps down the stairs, she was able to see a dim light ahead of her. She kept her arms outstretched so that she could feel the walls on either side with her hands.

  “It smells down here,” Lozira said, and Rhuna noticed how her voice bounced off the thick stone walls around them.

  Rhuna took several more careful steps on level ground, and then realized that the narrow passage took a sharp turn. Around the corner she saw a dimly-lit room and the dark forms of people moving about. She recognized the nearby figure standing and waiting for them.

  “This is the usual venue for Newcomers and guests, where we have general discussions and get to know our fellow members,” Beacon of the Night explained. Each core member invites individuals whom they avouch to use the necessary discretion, and in due course members may ascend to the higher levels of power and activity, entering the greater secrecy of the inner circles.”

  Rhuna glanced across the long rectangular room with its oppressive low ceiling, and quickly estimated that at least thirty people were in attendance. The smooth surface of the solid stone blocks reflected the flickering lights of candles and small lamps, and in each corner of the room a small, narrow table held smoking incense.

  We are hidden from any summons by means of the Gazing of the Waters,” Charmer of Snakes whispered furtively. “The nature of the large stone above,” he said with his devious and crooked grin. When Rhuna looked at him uncomprehendingly, he explained further. “The rock contains many small grains of crystals which conduct the Lightning Force and other earth energies, and this disrupts any summons!” he said triumphantly.

  “It’s so simple?” Rhuna gasped.

  Progress of the Wind approached them with a welcoming smile, shaking hands politely and introducing several people to Rhuna and Aradin. After the usual exchange of greetings, Rhuna mingled with her new acquaintances and learned that two of them were also attending a meeting of the Guardians of Knowledge for the first time.