by Jon Chaisson
“I have studied philosophy and religion in school, you know,” she retorted, a wicked smile on her face.
“Perhaps. But you are not the Embodiment that everyone expected.” He sat back against the window arch, smiling at her. “I am a strong Watcher, but you never cease to amaze me.”
“You said that earlier,” she said. “You’re a Watcher of Worlds, like Ampryss. You were one of the people behind my Awakening. Nehalé admitted as much.”
“Purely as a Watcher,” he said quickly. “I took no part in it except to warn your sister of impending crises. I never told you directly to go to that warehouse. I told your sister and her partner. You moved on your own. Whether you were influenced by her or by the situation at hand was entirely your own choice. Regardless: I watched, and you acted. I want you to know that, Dearest: I have no plans to interfere with your Embodiment. I do not want to influence your actions. But if it pleases you, I offer my allegiance. I am yours if you need me.”
Denni cocked an eyebrow at him. “I'm only fifteen, Kindeiya. I'm just trying to do the right thing. I’m not planning on world domination. I'm a Watcher like you. I prefer observation and learning rather than shaking it all up.”
“A quite admirable decision,” he said. “The offer remains regardless, Dearest One.”
“You know,” she added. “Karinna was absolutely livid about that deadline you gave her. Was that only a suggestion of yours? You told her I had to be there. It felt more like inevitability, now that it's behind me. But regardless of how it all turned out, I think I would have made it to the warehouse eventually, on my own terms. Is that what you really meant?”
Kindeiya nodded. “As a Watcher, the things we say are often misunderstood. We are often mislabeled as visionaries...but we're merely reality seers.”
“What's the difference?”
“Visionaries are commonly lumped with fortune tellers and diviners, making educated and sometimes lucky guesses at a limited number of outcomes to a specific event. Watchers, on the other hand, could be seen as reverse profilers. We see all possible — no, let me rephrase that. We understand all possible futures, and choose what we believe is the most inevitable outcome.”
Denni frowned again. Was she a reality seer? Or was that ability in the realm of the One? She’d been running on instinct from the beginning, going with whatever made her soul sing, but she knew there had to be more to it. She huffed in frustration; there were too many questions and not enough answers.
She used the silence to take another quick study of her surroundings. There was something vaguely familiar about this place, the gazebo and the garden both. She had definitely been here before, or at least someplace very much like this. The sensation of familiarity was much like a dream or a false sense of déjà-vu, as if her subconscious had been there without her.
“How did I get here, anyway?” she asked. “And where are Amna and Dolan Usara? Are they safe?”
“They are safe,” Kindeiya said. “They are currently at their own sehna lumia. They have already been told of your whereabouts, so all is well between the three of you. Since this is the first time visiting for emha Ehramanis and yourself, you probably will not be able to connect just yet, as you are still acclimating to your own. Edha Usara is choosing to remain disconnected for now, as he wishes not to influence your visit. As for how you got here? Well, you'll have to ask Dolan yourself. He was the one to guide Amna and yourself to where you are now.”
“Dolan did this?” she asked. “I knew there was something about edha Usara, but I could never figure out what it was. Is he a Traveler of some sort?”
His face grew dark momentarily. “A reality traveler,” he said. “There aren't too many around...sadly, their numbers are dwindling fast, and we have very little sehndayen-ne on Trisanda or Gharra who are strong enough spiritually and physically to teach it. But…”
“It's not the same as Lightwalking?” Denni asked.
“Lightwalking is...” Kindeiya faltered. “Well, it's not linear, but it's not using multiple realities, either. It's more the absence of linear space travel, though time is still present. That's why a shuttle from Gharra to Mannaka is still an eight-hour ride. I gather you’ve stepped into the nonspace before?”
Denni shuddered at the sudden turn in the conversation. If Kindeiya knew of her whereabouts after the failed Ascension, then surely she'd spent far too long in nonspace. With a slight hesitation she told him as much, giving him the barest of personal details. Kindeiya had just offered allegiance. He was a part of the Mendaihu following, the Warriors of the One that she had inherited. He was owed that much. Perhaps, once she learned to trust him a bit more, she would enlist him as an advisor. If she were to go to war with the Shenaihu nuhm'ndah —Goddess forbid — she would need someone who knew things she didn't.
She steered the conversation back to its normal route. “A reality traveler doesn't so much use Lightwalking to move, as they choose their desired path and move along it regardless of outside influence, am I right?”
“You’re very close,” Kindeiya said. “A reality traveler can have a foothold in many places at once. They are constantly within the Light, fully and completely connected to it. And in that respect, they are able to move towards a specific destination by merely shifting which reality they are in.” His mood seemed to lighten a little, now that she began to understand. “A reality traveler influences the path to his desire, and moves towards it without hindrance. Dolan must have wanted to bring the two of you to these Gardens, bypassing the normal routes. He may have felt it was important to do so, I don't know. You'd have to ask him.”
Denni stood up and stretched. It wasn't often that she participated in these philosophical discussions such as these, even with Caren and Poe. She enjoyed them immensely, though they were few and far between, and she treasured the lessons learned from them. Unfortunately, she would need to be heading back to Bridgetown soon, to Caren and to the problems that the Sprawl held for her as the One of All Sacred. Again she winced at that thought; she did not want to fix everybody else's spiritual problems, especially when they needed to learn it all themselves.
“The reluctant shepherd,” Kindeiya said.
“I wish you wouldn't do that,” Denni said, shooting a hard glance at him. “Read my thoughts, I mean.”
“For that I do apologize,” he said, standing up and joining her. “But I’m afraid Dolan is correct; you leave yourself far too open for influence. And in this instance, I must. You consider yourself a leader of Gharra while in your role as the One of All Sacred, do you not?”
Denni nodded. “Yes, and I’ve accepted that role for the most part.”
“So if you don't like it, why do you do it?”
Denni gaped at him. “Well, I don't have much of a choice, do I? I lead them out of a sense of need, Kindeiya. I feel I owe it to them. I want to lead them. I want to be someone they can rely on. If the One of All Sacred were a pathetic figurehead of a leader, an icon rather than a person of compassion and strength, would you want that person to lead you? I know I wouldn't.”
“You don't believe you're an icon,” he offered. “Do you?”
“I certainly hope not!” she laughed, in spite of the serious tone of the conversation. “Look at me, I'm just a kid! Seriously, though, I’m more worried of being seen as one years from now. I know it sounds stupid, but it's only a matter of time. Say what you will about Meraladians and Mannaki, but give us time and we Earth humans turn into raving zealots once we have enough people and the right belief system behind us. History proves that.”
Kindeiya grinned. “Being cynical won't help matters,” he joked. “No, I think the problem is not your followers. I think it's you.”
Denni blinked. “Me?”
“As I said, the reluctant shepherd. You're not afraid of your sheep following you. You're afraid of what will happen once they stop following you and take their own paths to greener pastures.”
“Well put,” she said. “I don’t think th
at’s entirely the reason, but it’s part of it.” She smiled at him as she sat down again. She took another look at herself, at her mature body, the slightly taller and sleeker frame. She guessed herself to be in her late twenties here, about ten or so years ahead. She wanted to remember what she looked like here, if only as an anchor to remember how she had gotten here and could do it on her own. It was time to return.
“As lovely as it is here, I'm afraid I must leave,” Denni said. “I thank you for the wonderful conversation, edha Shalei. We must meet here again sometime.”
“I'd enjoy that,” Kindeiya said, and outstretched a hand for her to shake. She took her hand in his, covering it with her other hand, and did not let go right away. He seemed to blush slightly, but didn't hide the fact. “You are always welcome to visit me at the KJS building in McCleever,” he offered. “Call any time. We can continue these conversations if you’d like.”
Denni smiled and shook his hand again. “I would like that. Thanks again, Kindeiya. Love, Peace and Light to you.”
“And to you, Dearest One,” he said, bowing his head in reverence. His image wavered as he lifted back up to full stature. He took a few steps backwards then disappeared with the rest of her surroundings. Her grip on his hand faded into nothingness, and she no longer felt the body of her older self. She closed her eyes, opened them, and knew she was back in the inescapable darkness that she had taken to get to that Garden.
She embraced that darkness, no longer afraid of it.
Denni woke to the sound of a BMPD transport’s siren as it shot past her building. She opened her eyes and took in a deep breath of warm, humid air, the kind that settled upon the city in the early evening during the summer. She was back on the roof again. She was squatting under the parapet, facing southeast towards the Mirades Tower. Amna was nowhere to be found, but she could sense her nearby, possibly back in the apartment.
Why had she been dropped here rather than back on the couch? Was that Dolan's doing, or was it her own subconscious? Did it really matter? She stood up, stretched, and took in her surroundings. She was herself again, her own scrawny teenage body draped by a baggy tee shirt and loose pants. A far cry from her much more attractive older self, but that didn’t matter. She leaned up against the parapet and watched the city again. The sun had just set over the western horizon but the sky still held its blue-gray color, offset by the bright pinpoints of light that dotted the skyscrapers downtown. She smiled at it all, enjoying just how peaceful and beautiful this city could be. In spite of everything, she found herself holding back tears.
I am Light...I am thought, she said within, only to herself. I am Love.
I am Hope.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Progress
Poe opened the door to Yoshi's Diner and a gust of high-blast air conditioning and the noise of fifteen different conversations hit him square in the face. There were plenty of ARU agents were occupying the booths today, sipping their coffees and going over their current cases. He recognized a good number of officers from his department, some by their spirit signatures as well. The mood was electric, full of both excitement and agitation.
He headed towards one of the rear booths, where a young rookie named Colin Strasbourg was talking to Drew Kaplan, an older agent from Poe's department. The two agents were as opposite as one could find at the ARU; Colin was diminutive, twitchy, and easily riled up, while Drew was heavyset, calm, and only spoke when necessary. Poe had met Colin about a year ago when the kid first came to the Unit, had trained him on a few things, but other than that they rarely crossed paths. Drew, on the other hand, was an old friend and mentor from when Poe himself was a rookie. They looked to be in the midst of a heated debate and neither was willing to give in.
“Settle down, you two,” Poe said, leaning over their table. “Don't make me call the Chief Inspector on you.”
“Alec!” Drew said, bursting into a wide smile. “Excellent timing. Have a seat!”
“Thanks,” he replied, and gave Colin a withering glance, waving fingers at him to scoot over. Clearly embarrassed but too proud to admit it, the kid rolled his eyes and moved further in. Poe nodded his appreciation and gave him a wide smile. “I'm on your side, kid. Lighten up.”
This elicited a chuckle out of him. “Thanks, Poe. I need all the help I can get with this guy.”
“Quit while you're ahead,” Poe said. “Either of you seen Gorecki come in yet? We're supposed to meet here in a half an hour.”
Drew frowned. “Christine? Goddess, how is she? I haven’t seen her in months.”
“She's freelance now,” he said. “She's been assisting with Caren and I as of late. If she hasn't come in, I suppose this is a good place as any to wait, if you don't mind.”
“Not at all,” Colin said. “Maybe you can prove to this guy that the rush of graffiti lately corresponds with the recent street attacks.”
Poe raised an eyebrow at him. “Why are you so interested?”
“Ugh. Not you, too? Fine, I can't prove it right now, but I'm convinced the tags are a direct link. There’s no other reason they’re there, unless some jackass is trolling us.”
“It could be anything, really. Could be the signature of the attacker, or it could be someone just wanting to divert attention by making us look for connections where there aren't any.”
“Or it could be the signature of the victim,” Colin suggested.
Poe grimaced, shaking his head at him. “I don't see how that could be the case,” he said. “Why would they want to deliberately put themselves in harm's way?”
“My point exactly,” Drew huffed. “A reality seer can make mistakes with their predictions, but making themselves a target would be suicide.”
Colin waved him down. “That's not the point, Kaplan! Look — I said before, if they are doing it on purpose, we have to figure out what that purpose is!”
“Well, have fun, kid,” Drew shrugged. “I've got paperwork to do.”
Poe laughed as Colin spouted a string of stuttered epithets. He’d had this same kind of conversation with Drew when he first started out ages ago. All the new rookies would have some brilliant and revolutionary idea for the Unit that would change everything, only to be shot down by cursed logic and reality. Everyone went through this, even him.
“Okay,” Poe said as Colin calmed down. “Just for the fun of it, let's pretend your conspiracy makes some sense.” Colin bristled but said nothing. “Let's say our reality seer victim has deliberately put himself in harm's way. Why? For what reason?”
“He's protecting something, or someone,” Colin started.
“Okay, but who? Could be anyone.”
“Well...” Colin faltered. “I heard somewhere that most of the victims were either Mendaihu or had some sort of spiritual connection somehow. That's why the ARU's been covering these cases.”
“That's true, to an extent,” Poe said. He hid a smile, appreciating how cathartic it was to talk to someone about these cases, however obliquely, and work them out aloud and with others who weren't directly involved. “I'm not sure why they've been targeted,” he continued, “but you have to admit it certainly puts the ARU in a difficult position. Our main objective is to find whoever is organizing the situation.”
“The Spiral gang…” Colin started.
“…have been a nonentity for the past four years,” Poe interrupted. “Highly doubtful they’re even involved. Not with the nature of these assaults. For all we know, someone’s tagging the areas as misdirection so we won’t see who’s actually doing it and why.” He shivered, reminded of the little argument he'd had with Caren earlier today. He masked it by covering his mouth and frowning in thought. His lack of words was soon forgotten, however, when he saw Christine walk through the door. He waved her over and introduced her to Drew and Colin. She remembered Drew from her earlier days, and immediately took a liking to Colin. If Poe's observation was correct, she'd just found someone who could be just as much of a wiseass.
“What's
the word, eicho?” she said happily. “Let me just say this is the one place where I can feel both out of place and at home at the same time.”
Drew laughed and gave her a hug. “We miss you down at the Ay Are Zoo, Chris,” he said. “How have you been?”
“Busy,” she said. “Freelance is taking up more time than I’d expected, especially lately.”
“Great to hear you’re doing well, Chris,” Drew said warmly. “Well — we're in a heated debate right now, and perhaps a fourth corner could finally put an end to it.” He briefly explained what they'd discussed so far for her, Colin interrupting as much as he could.
Poe took the time to glance at his watch, and nodded to himself. It was twenty to five — Christine had been uncharacteristically early — and he had a little over an hour to kill here before dashing back to his apartment to gather his bags before heading up to New Boston.
“Is that all?” Christine she said when Drew finished.
“Pretty much,” he shrugged, sipping from his coffee.
“Sounds like you need a Mendaihu agent to figure this one out,” Christine said pointedly, arching an eyebrow at Poe. “I'm sure they could come up with a logical explanation.”
“Possibly,” Drew said. “I know there are a few on it already. Then again, they're not looking for these connections. They're treating them as regular cases, not as conspiracies.”
Poe smirked at Drew's dig. “Some of them are just looking for anything at this point,” he said. “They want to make sure their work is thorough before coming to any conclusions.”
Colin, not to be outdone, chimed in. “Honestly, would it make a difference if a Mendaihu were on the case? It's not a matter of spiritual attacks, anyway. Sure, a few bright lights and a few energy blasts, but since the Awakening, pretty much anyone has the ability to do that now. So let's start at the beginning — the victim sprays the tag, victim gets assaulted by big ugly psychic guy. To what end? To distract. They're keeping the suspect from achieving their goal. What goal, then? Well, if the tag is any suggestion, I'd say something bigger...much bigger. And if history tells us anything...”
