Ascension Vision- The Levels of Ascension Box Set

by Amy Proebstel

  “What? No! I was just talking with him! This can’t be right, Riccan! He was fine; a little tired maybe, but he was laughing, and…and he was fine!” Amanda jumped up from the couch and stared down at Riccan in disbelief.

  “Please sit down, Amanda. Rasa told me he died peacefully in his sleep. She was preparing for the release ceremony when I found her crying.”

  “What is a release ceremony?” Amanda asked as she returned to her seat.

  “It’s what we call it when an Elder dies. He is sent into the Ascension Gate without an end destination. His body will forever be between dimensions.”

  “That’s terrible, Riccan!”

  “No, think about it for a moment. Wilken spent his entire life guarding the Gate and the dimensions. Now he can continue to do so from within. Do you see now?”

  “Not really. So, now Elder Wilkens has been ‘released,’ what happens now with Rasa?”

  “I’m sure she’s already been elevated to Elder status.”

  “This has got to be so hard on her. First, Elder Wilken gave her her own samara and then the same day he dies, and she has to take his place. It’s too much, Riccan.”

  “What about a samara, Amanda? You said Rasa got a samara today?”

  Amanda nodded and told the story of the day’s events to her avid audience. “I was going to come home and tell you about the new part of the prophecy and have you set up a meeting with the group. But now I think we’ll have to postpone it until Rasa gets settled into her new job.

  “She was going to wait until tomorrow to claim her samara. I told her to keep it in a secure place until she had enough time to devote to the connection. Who knows how long she’ll have to wait now?” Amanda suddenly went silent as her mind made an intuitive leap. “Do you think Elder Wilken died because he no longer had control of the samara? He did say his family was all long-lived and they had held the samara since they were first given. He said he was a descendant of the Watchers.”

  Riccan considered her questions and then nodded. “It’s possible. Amanda, nobody forced Elder Wilken to give up the samara. You said yourself he gave it freely to Rasa and was pleased to find she was the true owner of it. He made the decision himself.”

  “I suppose, but it’s still horrible to think he knew he was going to die by giving it up. I’m certain if Rasa knew the consequences, she never would have agreed to accept it. She loves Elder Wilken; she told me how much she still has to learn from him. Now she can’t do it; she’s left alone. I’m sure she’s got to be scared.”

  “She has people there to help her. I’m sure Elder Debbon is going to be instructing her as well; he is First, after all, it’s his job.”

  “I guess, I still feel horrible.” She shook her head and tried to refocus. “So did you stick around to help her? Is that why you’ve been gone so long.”

  “No, Rasa insisted on sending me through to Central Park. She said it would help calm her nerves to have something to do.”

  “So you let her send you? Didn’t you worry she’d lose her concentration and ‘release’ you, too?” Amanda was beginning to wish she had convinced Riccan to stay home for the evening rather than race off to defend the family. Just the thought of losing Riccan made her feel sick. She looked over at their daughters and wondered how they had remained so calm throughout the story. They did not even look concerned.

  “Am I missing something here?” Amanda asked.

  “You don’t understand the dynamics of the Gates. There was no risk to my journey. Central Park is where it’s designed to go, so she just had to make sure there was enough energy. Technically, I could have sent myself, and I was monitoring the power as I went. I’m not stupid, Amanda. I do have some self-preservation.”

  “Okay, so go on with your story, Riccan.”

  Riccan went through the events and how he decided to come home by conventional means. “One good thing, I most likely neutralized the stalker on the way in. He must have left his cell phone on silent and didn’t receive the message from Gascon yet. Anyway, he’s out of the picture.”

  “So what are you going to do about your telepod? It’s still in Manzanit, right?”

  “Maybe you could take me there tomorrow in your telepod,” Riccan suggested with a quirked eyebrow. “It’s either that or I take your telepod to work tomorrow leaving you without one at all. The choice is yours.”

  “It’s not much of a choice,” she pouted. “Besides, Willian asked to borrow my telepod to go to Manzanit tomorrow with Valentina. Maybe you could hitch a ride with him; I want to be able to sleep in.”

  “Oh, really? Foisting me off already, are you? Even after I avenged the family honor?”

  “Oh, please, I think you’re being a bit melodramatic. I would offer to go if I thought Rasa might need me, but somehow I think she’ll be much too busy to entertain a social call.”

  “You’re probably right. Okay, I’ll call Willian and see if he can get here early enough for me to be to work on time.”

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~

  With Tirsha holding onto his arm, Petre walked across the street to his house. It was pretty spectacular to be seeing inside it for the first time with the woman he hoped to spend the rest of his life. How perfect would it be for Corva to live across the street from the family who had raised her and still be with her mother? This was the solution to Tirsha’s problem for which he had been searching all along.

  “It’s beautiful, Petre! I just can’t believe how lucky you’ve been. Aren’t you glad you went to see Elder Daven now? I’m sure your conscience feels lighter,” Tirsha whispered. They stood in the foyer, and she was nervous about who might hear their conversation.

  “So true, Tirsha. You were right to talk me into it. Let’s take a tour; shall we?” Petre began to walk down the hallway and had to smile. “Is it just me, or does this floor plan seem like the mirror image of Captain Ahn’s house?”

  “You know, I think you might be right. There is a slight difference, though. I think these rooms might be slightly smaller. Does all this furniture come with the house, too? Oh, I hope so, it’s just perfect. Don’t you think?”

  Petre had actually been thinking about how formal everything looked, which made him slightly uncomfortable, but if Tirsha liked it, then he could learn to as well. He grinned at Tirsha and said, “Elder Rylon said the house was fully equipped, even with staff. I have to assume the furniture stays.”

  They walked through room after room, encountering a cook in the kitchen and a maid in the family room. When they went upstairs and discovered the three bedrooms and two bathrooms, each space had its own theme of color and design. Nothing was left to do to make the house more livable.

  “I’m so happy for you, Petre. This home is so lovely, and I’m sure you’ll be content here.”

  “It’ll only bring me joy if you are here with me, Tirsha.”

  “What are you saying, Petre? I can’t live here with you; we’re not married. I’m not even sure what we are to one another.”

  “Do you really think that? I thought I made my intentions clear where you’re concerned. Tirsha, I want to be with you forever. I want to marry you and have you move in here with me.” He turned to face her and held both of her hands in his. “Please tell me you want the same thing.”

  “Oh, Petre, I do! I just…I just need more time. My whole life has changed in a matter of days; please understand.” Tirsha’s eyes began to fill with tears.

  “Hey, hey, don’t cry, Tirsha. I understand, and I’ll take this as slow as you want. I’ll wait forever for you.” He pulled her against his chest and rubbed her back slowly as he continued to make shushing noises.

  “Thank you, Petre. I’m sorry I’m such a mess of emotions. I didn’t used to be like this.”

  “Hey, no worries. We can take things slowly; you can come over and visit whenever you want. We can eat our meals together, and you can bring Corva over here so she can get used to both of us. This is going to work, Tirsha; trust me.”

  Tirsh
a sniffled loudly and pulled away from him as she nodded. “I believe you, Petre, and I agree this is the perfect solution for all of us. I never wanted to take Corva away from Barla and Ahn, she thinks of them as her parents. I’ve been trying to find a solution short of living with them forever, which just seemed like I was asking a bit too much of their hospitality.”

  “Good, then we’re agreed. You are welcome in this house any time, day or night: no invitation needed, you understand?”

  She nodded and smiled up at him with excitement over the new possibilities for their lives together. For the first time, she could see a way to work everything out for everyone to be happy. She had the ability to be with a man who loved and adored her and, she had to admit to herself, it was slightly scary to contemplate.

  To keep from thinking too long on her last thought, she shook her head to clear her mind and said, “Let’s walk through the house again. I’m sure I missed so much the first time, and I want to know it all!”

  Petre smiled and gestured for her to lead the way. He happily followed after her, listening to her running commentary of the beauty of each room, the proportions, and so many other details which interested him not at all. This was probably the happiest day he had ever known.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  RICCAN HAD LET Willian pilot the telepod to Manzanit just as Amanda had done the day before. He was interested in seeing how other pilots operated the machinery since it gave him insights in innovations for future models. He gladly answered all of Willian’s questions about the programming and the placement of different controls. It was fun having an interested listener when he talked about one of his favorite subjects. As an avid pilot, both in Tuala and Earth, Riccan loved all things avionic.

  They arrived on the landing field only a few spaces away from where Riccan had parked his telepod. He did not want to have to time his arrival to work, so he hustled out and jogged over to his own ‘pod. In less than a minute, he was ready to leave. With a final wave out the window, Riccan and his telepod blinked out of sight.

  Willian turned around in the pilot’s seat and smiled mischievously at Valentina. “We don’t have anywhere to be until lunchtime when Gevena gets out of school. What do you want to do? What do you want to see?”

  Valentina, sitting in the back seat in front of the open telepod door, shrugged her shoulders as she peered outside. “I don’t even know what to ask to see. I’ve never been to a city before in Tuala. You’ve seen where I was born; it’s slightly primitive compared to this. I mean, we didn’t even have a patil until a couple of weeks ago when Mom asked for one. Why don’t you surprise me?”

  “Great! I know just the thing! Come on; let’s go.” Willian jumped out of his seat and held out his hand for Valentina. He noticed her fingers shook slightly when he wrapped his fingers around hers. “Was this trip a little better?”

  “Yes. I just kept concentrating on where we were going and not how we were going to get there. It was a little easier.”

  “And each time will be better than the last,” he assured her as he stepped onto the ramp and into the sunshine. “The day sure looks a lot warmer than it feels,” he commented as the wind blew his hair over his eyes.

  “Oh, brrr! I’m so glad it doesn’t get this cold in Florida,” she announced as she grabbed the lapels of her light jacket and pulled them close together.

  “Hey,” Willian leaned close and whispered, “don’t mention the names of places on Earth here. Okay? If you want, you can call it Pantano, after all, it is the same geographical place.”

  “Oops, I’m sorry. I’m going to have to watch what I say so I don’t draw attention to us.” She looked down at her feet and chided herself again for her carelessness. She knew what the people of Tuala thought about old souls, as they termed the people from Earth, they were scared of them. It still did not make much sense to Valentina since the old souls were essentially powerless in Tuala. It would be scarier for a Tualan to come to Earth when they knew how to use extraordinary powers through their birth crystals using the elemy.

  Willian tugged on Valentina’s hand until she moved off of the ramp. He palmed the door to close, and they walked across the landing field to the exit they had used the day before. Once there, Willian flagged a transport vehicle and instructed the pilot to take them to the marketplace. A few minutes later, they got out. Willian let Valentina stare for a bit to get her bearings before he led her down the many aisles of goods, wares, textiles, and trinkets.

  “There’s so much stuff here, I almost feel drunk with the sights,” Valentina whispered. She paused to touch the fabric hanging from the corner post of a stall. “This feels amazing, and I love the bright colors.”

  “You know, we should buy you a couple of outfits to help you fit in a little better,” he suggested.

  “Do I stick out too much?”

  “Only a little.” He turned his head, pretending to look around, as he smiled at her consternation.

  “Okay, smarty pants, pick me out some stuff then. Make me look unremarkable.”

  “Unremarkable? Never! I’ll make you look amazing, like a first-daughter!”

  “A first-daughter? What’s that?” she whispered.

  “It’s the term used to describe a boy’s betrothed. Jena was the first-daughter to my parents. I’m sorry; I probably shouldn’t have brought it up.” Willian began to fiddle with some garments on the table in front of them.

  “Hey, Willian, I don’t want you to think you can’t talk about your time with Jena. She was a big part of your past, and she’s my friend. I know how things were and how they are now. It’s really okay, you know?”

  “I’m glad you understand. I just haven’t said much about that time because I didn’t want to make you feel like a replacement.”

  “Am I? A replacement, I mean?”

  “NO! Never,” his gaze immediately turned to her face and saw her smiling devilishly. “Hey, that wasn’t funny!”

  “Come on, quit stalling and pick something out for me.”

  They continued to wander through the market, gathering supplies, gifts, and clothes. The people seemed rather subdued as they moved through the crowds. Willian wondered what had happened to make the usually cheerful people so quiet and withdrawn.

  Willian checked his timepiece and realized they were going to have to hustle to get back to the Residence in time for Gevena’s lesson. He was unsure if they were going to be able to eat so he grabbed some hot glawlets from one of the vendors near where they could catch a transport.

  He handed one of the rolls to Valentina with a grin and said, “Have you had one of these before?”

  “I don’t think so. What is it?” She took the warm roll, surprised at how heavy it was, and looked at it carefully.

  “A glawlet is filled with a poached egg and sausage gravy. If you have it at home, then the gravy would be on the outside, but here in the marketplace, it would be pretty messy, so they inverted it. Give it a bite and let me know if you want a second one before we go.”

  Valentina complied and took a large bite. She was pretty fearless when it came to food, and this time was no disappointment. Her mouth was too full to reply, but she hummed her pleasure and nodded her head in agreement.

  Willian turned and ordered two more before he flagged a transport. They ate on the way to the Residence with their bags of purchases stacked around their feet. By the time they got to their stop, they were almost finished eating. Willian shoved his last bite into his mouth and began gathering the bags after he paid the pilot.

  They got to the main gate and received the same solemn reception as they had found in the market. “Is it just me, or does everyone seem sadder today than they were yesterday?” Willian whispered to Valentina as they entered the main corridor.

  “I was just thinking the same thing. I felt it in the market, but I just thought it was normal for there. But, then the guards looked downright beat when we go here. There’s definitely something going on. Maybe Gevena will know so
mething. Let’s hurry up and go see her. Besides, you still have a promise to keep with me when we get there.”

  “A promise?”

  “You know, calling your dad on the patil?”

  “Oh, that promise.”

  “Yeah. You need to get it handled, Willian, and you know it.”

  “I know. I know. Fine, I’ll do it as soon as I get to a patil. You might have to remind me, however.”

  “You can count on it.”

  They finally arrived at the West wing and entered the outer public rooms where Gevena lived. They did not even have to search for her as she was already waiting for them. She seemed down, like everyone else. When they got close enough, Willian asked, “What’s with everyone today? It’s so quiet around here.”

  “Haven’t you heard?”

  “No, heard what?”

  “Elder Wilken died yesterday.”

  “What? No! I just had tea with him. We spent the whole afternoon together. There’s got to be some kind of mistake.” Willian sank onto the couch and held his head between his palms. It seemed unreal; his friend was gone? He had a hard time making sense of it all. He felt an arm cross over his shoulders and pull him to the side.

  “I’m sorry, Willian,” Valentina soothed him while she rubbed his arm and held him tightly to her chest. “I know you respected him and thought of him as a friend. We don’t have to stay if you want to go home to grieve.”

  “I just need a minute to process this, besides, leaving won’t bring him back. Maybe I should go see Rasa, I mean Elder Rasa, and see if she needs anything.” It felt so strange to give her name the title to which she was not entitled to use. To him, she was just a teacher and a friend. He drew in a deep breath and shook his head, lifting it from his hands. The tears flowed freely down his cheeks, and he suddenly stood up. “I’ll be right back.” He promptly left the room.