by W. M. Martin
“Lead the way,” Elliot instructed Maggie, who stood frozen in awe of her surroundings.
“Where?” cross-examined Maggie breathlessly.
Elliot answered simply, “Anywhere.”
Maggie, having returned to her senses, shrugged her shoulders and took off towards the ocean. As they walked Maggie wondered to herself about her parents. She found it difficult to imagine either of them being a part of whatever all of this was.
“They were brave, Maggie Bennett,” claimed Elliot as though Maggie had been speaking about her parents out loud.
Maggie was only mildly surprised by this point that her enigmatic companion could hear her thoughts.
“They never told me about any of this, you know,” stated Maggie.
She was desperately trying not to betray the fact that it hurt to find out that she actually knew so little about her father and her mother. Elliot did not respond to Maggie’s proclamation.
Once they reached the shore Maggie plopped down onto the sand and crossed her legs. She grabbed a handful of the soft beach and let it slowly sift through her fingers. The crystalline waters rolled back and forth carrying freshly wet sand with it and tossing it back out to sea. Up by Maggie’s feet, the surf tried desperately, but in vain, to reach her. Close to the shore, a blue crab skittered in front of Maggie. She barely gave it a second glance.
“What do you feel?” inquired Elliot.
Maggie gave a half of a giggle and answered, “I feel like that crab is as interested in me as I am with it, Elliot. It probably finds me plain and boring, and the feeling’s mutual. Why? What do you feel?”
Elliot knelt down to the sand behind Maggie and grabbed a handful of the beach and mimicked Maggie’s action of allowing the sand to slip away.
“We feel uninterested also. We find it plain and boring,” Elliot replied.
Maggie cocked an eyebrow at Elliot’s response to her question. She thought it strange how Elliot had mimicked her answer to his own question more or less verbatim.
“Let us continue onward, Maggie Bennett,” instructed Elliot.
As they left the ocean behind them, Maggie and Elliot walked in silence while they made their way up to where a phalanx of trees stood sentry over a clearing into their densely guarded center.
“Shall we rest against this tree?” Elliot offered.
“Yes, please,” responded Maggie gratefully.
Maggie craned her neck to try and glimpse the upper most portion of the massive tree. Her attempt was futile at best. She could not make out the peak of any of the monstrous trees that were standing vigil in the forest. They were so large in fact that each one appeared to be bigger in circumference than Decker’s Double-Decker Diner.
As Maggie leaned against the giant tree, Elliot queried, “What do you feel?”
“This again?” asked Maggie.
At that moment a caterpillar crawled across her hand.
“Yuck! Ew! Gross!” Maggie exclaimed while jumping away.
Again, Elliot repeated, “What do you feel?”
“Disgust, Elliot! I feel disgust! That nasty thing just crawled all over my hand!” screamed Maggie. She rejoindered, “What do you think I feel?”
“Disgust, as do We,” answered Elliot.
“Come, we have rested enough, Maggie Bennett,” said Elliot.
They entered into the forest and Maggie was beginning to wonder where she was supposed to be going. She was obviously leading the way but it was clear that Elliot was prodding her to continue forward. Elliot stopped a few feet away from a single fallen tree in a well-lit clearing of the forest. It was odd because every single tree was the very definition of perfection, as was everything in this place. Why then, Maggie wondered was there what she perceived to be a blemish on an otherwise flawless canvas.
“Look there, Maggie Bennett,” Elliot ordered as he pointed to the log.
Elliot then asked, “What do you feel?”
Maggie said, “Geez, Elliot, this is getting monotonous. I don't feel anything, but I hear a bunch of frogs croaking and it's starting to creep me out.”
At that very moment a bright green frog hopped on the felled tree.
“See?!” exclaimed Maggie and she continued, “I don't even want to know what's underneath that tree. Can we please get out of here? Seriously.”
“Yes. We also feel that it is creepy,” stated Elliot before continuing, “Further, Maggie Bennett, we must go further.”
“Thank goodness,” mumbled Maggie.
They moved around the fallen tree cautiously so as not to disturb whatever creepy, crawly or slimey things it most certainly would be home to and made their way further into the woods. It was getting dark now and the golden blaze which had shone like a radiant star through the trees had been replaced, rather suddenly and without warning, by dazzling, silver strands of moonlight. They walked deeper into the woods until they came upon a huge stone that seemed to draw every beam of light from the lunar disc overhead. There was an odd shine to the formation as the moon’s rays ricocheted off of the granules embedded within the rock. A lone wolf bounded to the top of the boulder and tilted its head back and let out a deep, primal howl that crescendoed into a loud and lonesome echo that flew to the mountains beyond the forest and back again.
“What do you feel?” inquired Elliot.
Maggie’s eyes were like saucers when she answered in a hurried whisper, “I feel a little nervous, Elliot, don't you? That thing is huge and I don't feel like being a late night snack!”
“We feel nervous as well,” stated Elliot a little too calmly for Maggie’s taste.
They tried, stealthily, to circumnavigate the stone so as not to disturb its solitary occupant. They failed. The wolf easily caught sight of them when a twig snapped under Maggie's foot, betraying their position, but made no move to give chase.
It seemed to Maggie that as soon as she and Elliot could no longer see the boulder or the wolf behind them that they had arrived on the other side of the forest. Together, they walked up a hill which was pocked with wild grass. The grass gave off hues of blue whenever the wind blew across it, making the turf dance to an unheard tune. The grass was high and almost up to their knees all the way up to the top of the hill. The duo had found themselves on the hill’s peak and Maggie marveled at the ground as it shifted beneath her feet; they were in fact now standing on a steep cliff. Maggie peered over the edge and smiled. She took in the beauty of the night as the stars’ gaze bore down on her and seemed to see through to her soul.
Maggie closed her eyes while standing on the edge of the cliff, fearless and intoxicated by the gentle breeze that rushed across her face. She felt an inexorable desire to spread her arms wide and so answering that desire, she did. She felt as if she were greeting the night, the stars, the height of the cliff as though they were old friends. Maggie opened her eyes and stared out into the distant night. A stiff gust of wind whirled Maggie’s hair wildly across her eyes. She slowly ran her fingers through her light-brown tresses to move them out of her field of view. She felt invincible. Maggie closed her sky-blue eyes once more. She felt her heartbeat hasten slightly. The force of the updraft coming from beneath her as she stood motionless on the edge was compounding in intensity. The only thing that Maggie could feel or hear was the wind. Far off, as if from a fading dream, Maggie heard a high pitched sound pierce through the wind that was whipping her hair all around her face. She recognized the sound as a cry from a bird of prey.
Maggie opened her eyes and the night had been stolen by what seemed to be midday.
“What kind of bird is that, Elliot?” asked Maggie breathlessly.
“It is a falcon, Maggie Bennett,” answered the enigmatic Elliot.
“A falcon,” Maggie echoed before continuing on in awe of the bird of prey. “It's amazing.”
The falcon suddenly dove toward Maggie. She could feel her heart racing as if she were the one plunging headlong toward the earth. Maggie stood her ground on the cliff’s steep edge and
just before the falcon could hit her, it shifted and shot up just above her head. Maggie burst out into a hearty, full-bellied laugh and she could hardly contain her excitement.
“Elliot! Did you see that?” Maggie gushed with pure delight.
“What do you feel?” Elliot questioned yet again.
Maggie replied with an enormous smile on her face, “Alive, Elliot! I feel alive!”
Elliot stated, “I feel alive as well.”
Maggie stopped, blinked a few times and turned around to face Elliot.
“You just referred to yourself as “I” and not “We” for the first time since I've met you,” Maggie stated.
“That is correct, Maggie Bennett,” came the multiple voices from Elliot.
“Why the sudden change? Are you not a “We” anymore?” Maggie asked half-jokingly.
“The time has come for you to return, Maggie Bennett,” stated Elliot without giving Maggie an answer to her question.
“Okay, but how do I get back? I honestly don't even remember how I got here,” replied Maggie.
“Come closer, Maggie Bennett,” instructed Elliot.
“Hey,” interjected Maggie with a warm smile, “you can just call me Mags, all of my friends do.”
“Very well... Mags,” responded Elliot.
With that, the entity whom Maggie had been calling Elliot moved to pull back the white hood that had obscured what should've been a face. The hood was empty and nothing was there. When the pristine, white cloak flew open, it fell immediately to the ground. Where there should have been a body was a hurricane of billowing clouds with purple lightning swirling in a furious rotation. It engulfed Maggie so swiftly that she only had enough time to gasp once and shut her eyes as tightly as possible.
When Maggie opened her eyes she was standing in the massive chamber at the Kindred Academy with Nancy Decker by her side. Maggie looked around in amazement because she had apparently never even left the enormous room that housed the Spire, much less journeyed to a far away land. It felt to Maggie, in her mind, like she had been gone for at least a full day. Maggie’s hand was still inside of the core of the Spire where she had thrust it before.
With an ear shattering cry a blue and gray peregrine falcon shot out of the Spire. It flew high up into the roofless dome of the auditorium that was open to the heavens and circled tight before plunging toward Maggie. The falcon pulled up and buffeted Maggie’s hair before landing on her shoulder. Maggie held out her left arm for the incredible specimen to walk down. She was surprised that the falcon’s extremely sharp talons did not hurt her soft skin even by a little.
Nancy Decker winked at Maggie and instructed, “Place your right hand on your totem, Maggie.”
Maggie gently stroked the noble and elegant peregrine falcon that was perched on her left arm then she placed her right hand on its back.
“What is your totem’s name?” asked Nancy with the slightest hint of excitement betraying her.
Maggie closed her eyes and giggled. She was now a part of a conversation which no one else could hear. She looked out over the crowded Macrocosm Chamber at the gathered Kindred and announced to them all with great pride, “He says his name is Elliot!”
In a flash of light, Elliot appeared to melt into Maggie’s arm. The seemingly liquid form that Elliot had taken swirled around, formed into the shape of a falcon in flight and vanished into Maggie's skin. Maggie turned toward the Spire and a round, blue sapphire medallion with a raised image of a falcon soaring over a cliff floated out of the heart of the settling vortex. She was gifted a lustrous, black cloak which Nancy carefully draped around her. The medallion attached itself to Maggie’s cloak, clasping itself snugly to the front.
Nancy announced to the crowd ahead of her, “Clan Avior!”
Maggie beamed with pride at the proclamation. A bright light shot down from the heavens of the boundless dome of galaxies, illuminating a corridor between a pair of marble columns at the rear of the chamber. Maggie strode past the other hopefuls, with confidence, to the passageway and entered into it without a moment’s hesitation. As she accessed the first hall, the walls on either side of her came to life. There were raised murals that swirled and took the forms of a multitude of various birds. Some of the birds of prey were gliding against a golden sun while others swooped down to catch their meals. Small robins pecked at the ground searching for grub worms, sometimes victoriously. There were flightless birds such as penguins that were waddling on vast plains of ice and ostriches running wild. Maggie saw plenty of birds that she couldn't name but found them beautiful just the same. She laughed to herself when she saw a duck on a still pond bobbing for fish and a rooster flapping its wings furiously at another challenging rooster.
“I wonder if all of these birds are totems,” Maggie mused to herself.
“Yes, indeed they are,” came a voice from within her mind.
“Elliot? Is that you?” asked Maggie out loud.
“Yes, Mags, it is I,” replied Elliot.
Maggie paused in the long hallway that was vibrant and alive with the images of so very many other totems.
“Elliot,” stated Maggie, “You sound so different.”
Elliot explained, “It is because when I was One with the Nexus I was many. When I found you and we linked I was given autonomy. I became Elliot because of you.”
“How is that? Nancy told all of us that the totem chooses us, not the other way around,” countered Maggie.
Elliot continued on, “I did choose you, but you accepted Me. It is a part of what we have become. Our lives are tethered to one another by a cycle that cannot be divided.”
Maggie felt the unerring truth of Elliot’s statement. It was an unspoken oath, a bond which if it were ever sundered would destroy them both. It was equally exhilarating and frightening all at once.
“So, how do I contact you if I need you?” questioned Maggie.
Elliot replied, “I am always present within you, Mags. You need not even speak out loud for I am always here. I can feel your innermost thoughts and I will respond whenever I'm sought.”
Maggie, still standing stationary, said, “Elliot, how come your voice is different but you still speak in that same, strange manner?”
“It is because you seem to prefer it. Remember, I can feel your thoughts. My dialect would change the moment you so desired,” answered Elliot.
Maggie, still coming to grips with the sentient being living within her, thoughtfully admitted, “You’re right, Elliot. I do like the way that you speak. It gives you a distinct personality.”
“Let us head toward our enclave, Mags, there is much to learn,” insisted Elliot.
Maggie shook her head in agreement and started toward the end of the long passage that would end at a pair of large, round sapphire doors. On either side of each door stood two very intimidating guards in shining armor, similar in ways to the armor that had been worn by the Fallen battling Edgar earlier. Their armor, however, wasn’t black like his was. Instead, their armor was radiant with an aura of blue light. One of the sentry’s helmets looked like a vulture and the other resembled a hawk. Each of the immense doors had emblazoned on them a single wing fashioned together by radiant sapphires. As Maggie reached the great doors, she raised her hand to knock. Before her hand could make contact, the entrance opened of its own accord. As the opening widened Maggie’s eyes feasted on another immeasurably large, round room that had walls bedecked with even more blue sapphires. The magnificent corundum walls served as the framework for virtually every type of bird. Each bird was created with gems corresponding to every appropriate color scheme and pattern.
There was a gilded, spiral staircase toward the rear of the room that seemed to have no end. There were innumerable rooms that pocked every floor like the stars in the night sky. Maggie could see that each of the rooms possessed their own flame lit lantern, hanging uniformly, just to the upper left of their respective doors. The floor on which she now stood was made of the smoothest marble, but was not t
he least bit slick. There were so very many pieces of furniture set about with such care and precision that a master decorator was certainly somewhere within the confines of the Avior enclave.
Situated in the center of it all was a great roaring fireplace that was crafted in the shape of an eagle with its beak wide open serving aptly as the fire pit. The hearth was embellished with eight sapphires, each as tall as Maggie and just as wide. It was so overwhelming that Maggie decided it best to have a seat in one of the many plump and comfortable looking sofas placed so meticulously around the massive, round room. The moment that she plopped down, she laid her head back and gave a sigh of complete contentment. The sofa was so luxurious that Maggie closed her eyes and tried to reach out to Elliot with her mind.
“Hey, Elliot,” she thought, “Can you see this place?”
Elliot responded without delay, “I can see all things as you do, Mags. Your eyes are mine as mine are yours.”
“So what do you think about this place, huh? I think that it's unreal. I mean, a few hours ago I was taking out trash and doing dishes at a diner in Thieves and now I'm some kind of girl with a bird in her head. Hang on. That makes me a bird brain!” Maggie laughed at her not very funny or original pun.
Elliot did not understand the reference and due to their mutual link, Maggie could feel his bemusement.
Maggie explained with a bit of a sigh, “It’s a joke, Elliot. Y’know, haha?”
Elliot was silent for a moment then rejoindered, “I found no humor in it. I shall try harder. As for what I think about the enclave? I think that it is wondrous.”
