by Jon Chaisson
Kai leaned in closer. “Is it really that bad?” she whispered.
“That's the thing, Kai. It isn't bad at all. It's not debilitating, and I can easily keep it under control. It’s just irritating and embarrassing. I hate it when it slips out. And getting back to the subject — maybe I’m just too paranoid. Maybe it's because Caren seems to have completely discarded all the neuroses she's had over the last five years, and I'm not used to the change. You work that close with someone for that long, you get to know their reactions and their quirks. Caren’s change has been — well, not unsettling, just unexpected.”
Kai understood. She’d been working with her brother for almost her whole life. “She's not ignoring everything else in the process, is she?”
“No,” he said, and let out a short laugh. “As a matter of fact, she's been more connected to the outside than ever. It's weird, seeing her interact with so many people in a positive way, after five years of wanting to get the hell out of the Sprawl.”
Kai nodded. “Perhaps she's connected with her True Self, Alec.”
“I still worry about her,” he said. He paused again, this time a little longer.
This was that special pause, where she listened to him, whether he spoke or not. Their souls were now interconnected, Love and Light entwining, even at such a distance. She didn’t say anything, but only watched him. This was the point of the conversation where they didn't have to speak. It wasn’t the physical link he wanted or needed right now, but this. Just the fact that she was there for him. It was comfort enough.
“You worry about me too much, Akaina,” he said.
“I do not!” she said a little too quickly and laughed, a blush rising on her cheeks. “Where did that come from?”
He laughed. “You do, Kai, face it.” Allei aiya, Akaina Shalei, he thought, only to himself. He didn't have to say it. She already knew. My guardian angel.
“We’ll talk tomorrow?” she asked.
“Of course. Pleasant dreams, Alec Poe,” she said.
“Sweetest dreams to you, Akaina,” he answered.
“Good night, my shadhisi,” she said with a smile, and disconnected.
He let himself smile like an idiot as he let her words sink in. Belatedly he realized he hadn’t brought up Saisshalé in the conversation, but it hadn't warranted it. Perhaps it wasn't the man he'd been worried about after all; perhaps it had been himself. He stood up, lit another cigarette, and paused at the windows to watch the lights of Bridgetown, watching life start, end, and start again. Nothing ever ended in this town. But the knowledge that Kai was there for him, with him in this Sprawl even at a distance, somehow made it all bearable.
CHAPTER SIX
Decision
Nehalé Usarai rose from his meditation, took a series of slow, deep breaths of cool mountain air, and opened his eyes. A cool springlike breeze came in from the east, gently pushing at his spirit, refreshing him. He picked up the fragrances of the skrihad and kriosi trees that lined the field. Just underneath he picked up a faint hint of cooking meat hung as well. The Elders of the One of All Sacred were having a late night gathering at the Gathering Table.
To his surprise, the Elders had invited him up here to Trisanda for this meeting. They'd considered the Ninth Coming of the One to be of high importance, higher than even he'd expected, for she was what the other eight were not. Due to her failed Ascension, poor Denni Johnson had become the One of All Sacred in physical form. Né Gharné, the Elders were calling her. 'Goddess on Earth', and the only Embodiment ever to do so. All nine had carried the divine spirit of the One within them, and they had all been brought forth in mass awakenings, Nehalé's being the latest. The other eight had become a body-spirit hybrid, able to take on whatever form they wished, but Denni could only do so in the spirit world. On Earth's reality, she remained her fifteen-year-old self.
Truth be told, Nehalé was a little more than anxious about meeting this group. He'd been here only once before, just before Denni's arrival at the warehouse. Mancka Udéma had taken him here to prove that his motives for resurrecting the One had been pure. She had taken him to emha sehndayen-ne Eprysia — Ampryss, the World Watcher — and the woman had deemed him worthy of the task.
Only he'd failed.
The Elders, ever resourceful, had decided to take this as an omen rather than a burden, and beckoned him up here. Resigned to is fate, he rose to his feet and headed eastward towards the tree line.
He heard their voices even from this distance, some boisterous and audible, others soft and from within. He chose not to focus on either until he actually reached his destination, using them only as his guide and compass. The forest path was lined with flickering lanterns hung from high branches, a rarity here at the Landing Field. The Elders must have strung these up when they’d arrived earlier. They weren’t exactly needed, but he appreciated the gesture.
Nehalé Usarai, he heard.
He stopped short and looked off to his left. The voice sounded familiar. His name was called again, calm and patient, just a slight prod to get his attention.
I am here, Nehalé answered.
Please join us at the Gathering Table, sehnadha, the man said. We welcome you here as an honored guest.
“You want to know what the hell happened,” he said to himself with a smirk. I shall be there within a few minutes, edha, he responded. The man sent a wave of spirit energy in response, flitting past like a swallow, here and gone before its presence had been acknowledged. He smiled again; the Mendaihu on Earth rarely used nonverbal communication except in times of distress or utter joy. They were in fact quite keen on meeting him.
As for what they were going to ask, he had no idea. He could only wait and see.
“Somfei, edha Usarai! Welcome, welcome!” the young man said, approaching Nehalé with an outstretched hand. “I am Dolan Usara. We met very briefly during your last visit.” The man, possibly a distant spiritual cousin of his, clasped his outstretched palm and shook it vigorously with both hands. Nehalé responded in kind; they were all equals here. Dolan beamed at the gesture, and led him towards the table. The Elders of the One had congregated at one end, all busy talking over one another. Ampryss was there as well, sitting equally among the other Elders rather than at the head, and motioned him over as soon as she saw him. She wore her dark hood halfway back this time, letting her fiery red locks spill out the sides. There was a livelier aura about her this time, barely containing her excitement.
“Somfei, edha Usarai,” she said. “We are happy that you could make it here. I gather your journey was a safe one?”
“Safe and pleasant, thank you,” Nehalé said with a slight bow. “Things are still a little unstable in Bridgetown, but it's nothing that can't be handled by the Mendaihu Gharra. I felt no reason to worry during my travels.”
“I am very glad to hear that,” she said. “Please, have a seat.”
“Thank you, emha,” he bowed, and took his spot. The Elders nearby acknowledged his presence briefly, glancing at him with a courteous smile and a slight nod of the head. Others were more straightforward, walking up and introducing themselves, fascinated by his presence. It took him a few minutes for him to realize they looked upon him as some kind of high adept well above their own rank, and when it did, he fell silent in shock. He’d been certain the Elders were going to be disappointed.
He leaned over to Ampryss and spoke quietly. “Nyhnd’aladh, emha, but I don't understand. These Elders are thrilled that I'm here.”
Ampryss flashed a smile at him and laughed warmly. “They are, Nehalé! Don't you realize what has happened?”
He shook his head and shrugged, clearly at a loss.
Ampryss shifted in her seat to face him and adjusted the hood she wore over her head, revealing more of her flowing red locks. “Your Awakening ritual was a success,” she said. “And Dennise Johnson has taken it upon herself to extend this ritual to span an entire planet. She is the first embodiment of the One of All Sacred to choose to do that.”<
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Nehalé stared at her. “Surely others have at least thought about it?” he started.
Ampryss shook her head. “None have bothered. The others had all decided the risk was too great. The fact that she did it purely as a gesture of love and peace and not for personal or political reasons only reinforces her will on the Mendaihu spirit.”
“Yes, but...”
“Nehalé,” she said, touching his forearm. “She's become the One and the Goddess in human form. She controls Gharra. She can control the universes if she so wished.”
Nehalé could not respond. He’d been so close to Denni and everyone else at the warehouse that he hadn’t noticed the change. Had she really progressed so far, so soon?
Moments later, the steaming plates of meat and vegetables were brought to the table and served, easily distracting him from his worries. He recognized a few Meraladian delicacies but most were new to him, and tried a bit of everything that passed his way. He probably wouldn't remember half of what he ate when he returned home, but to enjoy Trisandi cuisine was a rare thing indeed, and he wasn't about to pass any of it up. It was nearly an hour later when all plates were cleared, all dessert trays were taken away, and goblets of wine were offered. Nehalé sipped very slowly from his, relishing the moment.
Ampryss stood then, silently watching over her Council of Elders. She commanded such respect that, seconds later, all talking had ceased and the entire table fell quiet. Even the trees in the distance seemed to calm to her request, all silent except for a breeze rustling through branches. “Peace, Love and Light to all of you,” she said, nodding slowly at everyone. “I bring to you the Mendaihu Gharra who brought forth the Ninth Embodiment of the One of All Sacred, Dennise Jeannette Johnson. Nehalé, please introduce yourself.”
Nehalé managed a thin and nervous smile and bowed to the twenty or so people in attendance. “Peace, Love and Light to all of you,” he said in the best voice he could muster. “I am Nehalé Usarai si Dhumélis si Kariktas, and Warrior of the One of All Sacred.”
Peace, Love and Light, Nehalé, they said in unison.
He shuddered from the effect; he hadn’t expected them all to respond within like that. He cleared his throat and continued. “Sa’im taftika, emha si edha. I'm honored to have been welcomed so warmly to Trisanda, to our ancestral home.”
A heavyset bearded man leaned across the table and offered his hand. “Welcome, sehnadha. I am Roshan Eiyashné si Dhumélis si Shaleii. I'm a Mendaihu for the ARU up in NewCanta. Seems we're close neighbors. You did an excellent job on the Awakening ritual. Best one I've ever witnessed.”
Nehalé warmed to the man instantly and shook his hand, thanking him multiple times for the ARU’s assistance up and down the eastern shore. He felt the twinges of Mendaihu emotion flashing through him, more intensely than before. He felt more relaxed now, to the point that he was beginning to believe the Council of Elders really had accepted him. Perhaps not as an equal, but at least an ally.
“Thank you, Nehalé,” Ampryss said, smiling at him. “My dear sehnadha, as I am sure you are aware, we have brought you here to discuss the fate of the One of All Sacred.”
“Odd choice of words,” he replied.
Bemused, Ampryss tilted her head at him, as if he had spoken out of turn. “You believe the One is above the whims of fate? We are all tied to fate, in one way or another, edha. But we must constantly remind ourselves not to be ruled by it. The One of All Sacred has not ascended. Though she has the mastery of Lightwalking and wielding energies of Light and Spirit, she is still a vulnerable fifteen year-old Gharné. I have summoned all of you here because I have reason to believe that the Shenaihu nuhm'ndah are going to make their next move very soon, and we need as many Protectors of the One as we can possibly have, to surround her at all times.
“What about her sister?” Nehalé asked. “She's a Protector. Why isn't she here?”
He detected a hint of sadness in her eyes. “She is not yet ready to visit Trisanda. Although she has fully awakened, and she has shown considerable improvement in her Mendaihu abilities, she is not yet ready. She won't be until we have more sehndayen-ne of the Mendaihu set up around the city. I applaud your efforts so far, Nehalé, but I'm afraid we need much more, and in a very short amount of time.”
Nehalé nodded, and slowly eased himself back into his seat as Ampryss laid out her plans to move as many sehndayen-ne volunteers towards Bridgetown as soon as possible. He only half-listened though, because he’d already guessed what her plans were. She did what she could from a distance, relying on this Council of Elders to take action. She could not leave Trisanda, not while she was the Watcher of Worlds. And that was her downfall.
Ampryss was avoiding the obvious: whatever the Mendaihu did, the Shenaihu answered back with equal force. Each side would throw a volley, the other would reciprocate. Every Mendaihu-Shenaihu skirmish had ended exactly the same way, with damage to both sides and no closer to a real and lasting peace. The violence would only continue and escalate until one or the other would call a truce. And this was his downfall: he could come up with no better plan.
What is on your mind? Ampryss said from within. He glanced over, noticed her still talking to the others out loud. It still amazed him that Elders could carry on multiple conversations like that. Her inner attention was focused solely on him, and awaited an answer.
I don't think Denni's in full control, he said. There's a chance she may never gain it.
Ampryss faltered momentarily in her spoken words, only continuing after a quick beaded glance at Nehalé. Why do you say this?
Unless she chooses to learn in her own way how to emulate the other eight embodiments, perhaps learn from their pasts, her strength is finite. I agree, gathering the Elders and dispatching them around the area to protect her and to be at her beck and call is a good idea...but it will only prolong the inevitable.
Ampryss said nothing. In fact, she had stopped talking aloud, and sat rock still, staring out into the space in front of her, pursing her lips in frustration. Nehalé could sense anger rising out of her, directed first at him, but quickly deflected back at herself.
“...and just how do you propose we push things forward, edha Usarai?” she said icily. “We are Watchers and Protectors. We cannot interfere unless it is to defend the lives and the spirits of others.”
Nehalé stared at her, nonplussed. Bless it, how could she be this stubborn at a time like this? Was it out of tradition that these Elders always reacted to events, rather than prevent them? He certainly wasn't one to follow tradition. He'd awakened Bridgetown out of necessity, because he knew a war was coming soon and no one, not even the Elders had done anything to prevent it from happening.
He'd interfered, why couldn't they?
“Why not, emha? The dawn of another war between the Mendaihu and the Shenaihu is coming, and coming soon, and all we’re doing is talking! Think of the past, Ampryss...two of the embodiments of the One died because of we did nothing. I'm not about to make Denni the third, Ampryss. I won’t let that happen.”
Her eyes narrowed at him. “You can't —”
“Denni is a young girl, damn it all!” he barked. “Give her life, Ampryss. Give her the life she deserves, not the stigma of death! She wants peace, just like any of us. But we'd be equally to blame for her death if she isn't ready to fight for it. Or don't you understand that?”
The rest of the table had quieted down to whispers and gasps as the other Elders focused in on their argument. Had no one ever bothered to question the Great emha Eprysia before? Ampryss' face reddened, almost to the same hue as the hair framing her face, and she had to keep herself from lashing out at him. The air around her was electric, ready to spark at any moment, but she held it back. Slowly, grudgingly, she accepted his message and unclenched her jaw. She blinked slowly and looked away. He had made his point.
“What do you propose, Nehalé?” she asked as evenly as she could.
“I propose we open her eyes. Give her the opening
she needs to learn from the past. Give her access. Give her memories.”
Ampryss glared at him. “You're asking about giving her access to the sehna lumia, aren't you?” she said. “You're certainly skirting a thin line, Nehalé. Those who visit there can only access their own memories. They cannot access anyone else's without permission.”
“She'd be reaching the memories of the former Ones of All Sacred,” he said. “In essence, she'd be accessing the memories of her past selves. I see no rules broken here.”
She winced at his weak attempt at twisting her words, but said nothing in response. The other Elders leaned forward, listening intently. Ampryss motioned for them to wait. “I wish it were otherwise, but you've raised a valid point,” she said. She turned to the other Elders with a hint of annoyance.
Roshan Eiyashné leaned forward first. “I support the idea, but how can we be sure that the Ones of the past would willingly agree to go along with this? Sa’im nyhnd’aladh, emha, I mean no disrespect to the girl, but can we trust her in such a sacred place?”
“I agree,” said another Elder, an older woman by the name of Andra Selissia. “If she were chaperoned? We could offer to bring Karinna to sehna lumia as well. I’m sure she would —”
“Out of the question,” another woman interrupted. Her short frame squeezed in between two burly men, elbowing them aside. Nehalé thought he recognized her but couldn't place where, and he hadn’t caught her name. “Karinna cannot leave Gharra just yet. It is too soon.”
“Why can't —” Nehalé started.
“Let me finish. There is one person who may be up to the task. I know of one young girl who may be able to help. There's only one problem: although she's been awakened as a cho-nyhndah and a Protector, her real soul has not.”
Ampryss frowned. “Please elaborate.”
“She's a Né madhyané, milady,” she said. “An offspring of the One.”
