by Ania Bo
His voice echoed loudly, and Shasta wondered if the Creators heard them coming. When they neared the staircase, they looked back at Zeorgan and sought his approval, wondering if there was another ritual they had to perform before they mounted the steps.
“You may go,” he reassured them, and again they took the steps slowly.
The upper floor was another open and empty space, but all the walls were covered with green, yellow and white paintings that were mostly abstract. Right ahead of them, on the side of the temple facing the town, were twelve additional columns, and in front of each column, awaiting their arrival, stood a woman, each clearly near the end of her pregnancy. The mothers all wore flowing, light dresses of white silk, and the calm wind kept the tail of their dresses from resting on the ground. Some of the women were dark, others were fair, some had curly hair and some straight. Not one of them looked alike. Shasta was unsure why she had thought they would all appear similar.
The women stood at attention and faced the onlookers. As practiced as this whole scene appeared, Dwade could tell the women were tense. They were nowhere near as jubilant as the Zaend people had been at the feast. Their eyes were downcast and none of them smiled.
Shasta bit her lip. The pain she experienced the moment she entered the village came back to her now. These girls really were in pain, and girls was a proper description as most of them couldn’t have been older than eighteen. Dwade grabbed Shasta’s hand firmly. Don’t worry. I’m right here beside you. She gave him a warm smile at his words then turned her attention back to the girls.
Lucidum stood between them and the women and addressed Shasta. “These are our twelve Creators. It is your task to tell us which one or ones are the Regenerator. Please, girls, lift your heads so the Visionary Reader may look upon your faces to seal your destiny.”
One by one the women lifted their chins and gave Shasta their full attention. Their stares made her very uncomfortable, but she tried to concentrate and look at them all carefully. The longer Shasta took, the more anxious they became. Many of them were fiddling with their fingers or hair, while some constantly shifted their weight from side to side. Shasta couldn’t help but notice how ordinary these women appeared to be. She had pictured them as powerful goddesses, but in truth, they were just young women waiting to learn if they would live or die. This shocking reality made it difficult for her to concentrate, and after several minutes of waiting, nothing had happened. She experienced no vision felt nothing other than fear. Not one woman stood out from the others.
She shook her head and said, “I can’t tell.”
Han insisted, “Try again and focus.”
She tried again as Han asked her, desperately not wanting to let anyone down. But still, nothing happened. Zeorgan and Lucidum did not seem as concerned as her companions. Lucidum finally placed his hand compassionately on Shasta’s shoulder once he saw she was overexerting herself.
“You may stay if it’ll help, but maybe you should come back once you have had time to rest. Just looking upon the twelve Creators can be draining.”
Shasta nodded with gratitude. “Yes, I would like to try again later.” She turned to the mothers who looked at her with sad eyes. “I’m sorry,” she said to them. They responded only by forming a single line and walking out of view.
There were no words to express how Shasta felt. The energy and the feelings within her were so tense. Everything in her mind was a blur. Far from pointing out the Regenerator, she wasn’t even able to think clearly. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t see anything as if something were blocking her clarity. Although she didn’t mention it to anyone, she sensed the Balance didn’t let her determine the Regenerator. She was confused; the Balance assigned her as the Visionary Reader, but now it restrained her from her duty. She had no one else to blame but herself. The Balance must have decided she wasn’t fit for this mission after all.
Lucidum and Zeorgan led the group back down the stairs and to the bottom of the temple. Shasta rushed to catch up with Dwade. “Can we walk together? I might feel better.” She desperately needed help and support. Dwade signaled the others to go on ahead without them. They nodded and let them walk and talk.
Dwade sensed all too clearly the heartbreak Shasta had. He decided to say nothing, not wanting to twist the knife in her soul even worse. She’d talk when she was ready.
As they walked toward the city, Shasta broke the silence. “Do you remember that vision I had in the forest when we were with Skull and Hati?” Dwade nodded in affirmation. “I think I’m making a mistake. I don’t think I can manage this task. Perhaps it was because of me that we took so many tests. Perhaps the universe never wanted me to get here. Or maybe she decided I was the wrong choice.” She looked to Dwade with despair in her eyes.
Dwade longed to comfort her. “Had the universe not wanted you here, you wouldn’t be here. Don’t jump to conclusions. But you are right about one thing. Something isn’t right here. We shouldn’t have been tested so harshly. We’re missing something, and I fear we might be in great danger.” He waited for a moment. What he was about to tell Shasta went against everything she had learned as a Reader of Atlantis, but Dwade didn’t know who else to confide in. “I don’t think we should take the Regenerator back to Atlantis…back to Chancellor Amel.”
Shasta stopped midstride. “What did you just say?”
Dwade swallowed. “I said I don’t think we should bring the Regenerator back to Atlantis.”
“Why on earth wouldn’t we bring her back?”
“Consider the things we were told. We didn’t need to pass through Dvay lands, but they advised us so. The Chancellor talked about the Zaends as if they weren’t strong enough. But you saw the test no army can make it through. You saw the Zaend people last night. They are more powerful than any other race. They have dragons, Shasta! Bigger than the flying cottages of the Readers! Besides, I don’t trust the Chancellor anymore. Can’t you sense something’s off about this whole mission? Why were we tested before we could enter this land? Why were there so many dead Readers on the way here? Because there is something wrong with our intentions!”
“So many dead Readers? I thought we only saw one.” Shasta stopped and curiously stared at Dwade. She knew he could easily lie, so she didn’t even blink, not wanting to miss any hint that he was.
Dwade hesitated to say the truth, but he had no other choice. “I saw two more when you were all blindfolded, and something tells me many of those bones at the temple also belonged to Readers.” He continued fast before she could protest, “I didn’t want to alarm you. We were already worried we wouldn’t make it out alive.”
Shasta closed her mouth before she said anything. He was right. Telling them about the dead Readers would have only caused them to panic. Everything he said made sense, that might be the reason the Balance blocked her senses, but that was just too heavy a burden to accept. “If the Chancellor is up to something foul, what could possibly be her motive? Her deception would go against the very framework of our existence. We do not lie; we do not deceive. You do! What you are suggesting, Dwade is impossible. No, you’re wrong. I think we should continue as planned. Look around you. The Zaend is an incredible race, but they do not have the army or the weaponry that we possess. The Regenerator will be safer in Atlantis.”
Dwade stared at Shasta in frustration. He knew his suspicions were correct, but he also knew if he couldn’t convince Shasta, he couldn’t convince Violen or Han either. He was outnumbered. “Very well,” he said calmly, though inside he could barely contain his anger. The Readers were so loyal they would drown in their own blood before they suspected one another. But he had to protect the Regenerator even if it meant betraying his fellows. That would break his heart, but he had no choice. That was his duty.
Dwade walked ahead of Shasta, at a loss now that she wasn’t on his side when he heard her fall to the ground. Before Dwade understood what was going on and help Shasta up, she lifted her head, and her eyes turned completely
white. She raised her hands with her fingers wide apart as though she were holding something very fragile in her grasp.
In a voice deeper than her own, she said, “Protector, at the cost of your life and the lives of others, the Balance gives you the Regenerator to look after her and to guide her on the right path. Obey!” Shasta’s arms dropped, and she slumped back to the ground.
It was the first time Dwade had felt so scared. But the message was clear and made him realize he was right. He tried to wake Shasta quickly to find out what had happened, but she remained limp for a few agonizing minutes.
When she eventually came to, she looked at Dwade with frantic eyes. “We must go back. I’ve seen the spirit that will give you the baby. Hurry, Dwade!” She sprinted toward the temple, and Dwade followed.
When they reached the steps, they ignored Zeorgan’s previous advice and went up the stairway rapidly, but they were forced to stop at the top when their lungs pleaded for air. To their surprise, Lucidum waited for them at the door. “Nothing happens without reason. Every action has a purpose.” He put his hands on their chests and slowed down their racing heartbeats. “Go inside. The twelve spirits wait for you.”
The twelve women were eating and drinking on cushions placed on the floor in the upper story where they had been before. Their anxiety returned when they saw Shasta and Dwade approach, but they smiled politely nonetheless. They knew the choosing of the Regenerator was inevitable and would mean death for most of them. Despite her body shaking, Shasta locked eyes with the spirit that would give birth to the child who would save the humans. She was a lovely girl with curly hair and dark skin. She was barely sixteen.
Powerful energy came from her—something Shasta hadn’t been able to detect before—as if the Balance itself was flowing through her. That young soul was the one in her vision in which Shasta was delivering her to Dwade. She took a few tentative steps toward the girl, and all twelve girls rose as they understood the time had now come.
Shasta reached out her hands, and the Regenerator took them, giving her a shy smile. As Shasta stared into her dark eyes, the young woman appeared even younger up close. The Regenerator couldn’t hide both the fear and relief she felt for being chosen. The pressure to fulfill her duty was overpowering; she would produce the savior of an entire race, but she was also spared the fate her fellow creators would face. She would live on while they would die. But a Zaend would never mind dying to serve the Balance.
As the Regenerator looked back into Shasta’s fiery eyes, she gasped and swiftly moved her hands to her belly. “It’s kicking!” she cried with excitement. She reached for Shasta’s hand and placed it on her swollen belly.
At first, Shasta didn’t feel anything, and then there it was, a slight pressure as the baby changed her position in her mother’s belly. Shasta gave the Regenerator’s hand to Dwade, and she felt like she completed her mission. But the fear in her heart didn’t go away. Something was still wrong.
The other Creators gathered around the mother. Their eyes were filled with tears, but they congratulated their friend with heartfelt hugs and kisses. It was a joyous but also sorrowful celebration. These girls were afraid of death like every other being but also were pleased they served the Balance.
To Shasta’s surprise, Lucidum embraced the Regenerator and placed his palm on her belly to feel the life inside of her. The Zaend leader gave an approving nod and kissed each Creator on the forehead before returning to Shasta and Dwade.
“You have successfully fulfilled your duty, Visionary Reader.” He cupped her cheek with his hand, wiping a tear from beneath her eye. “Return to the city. I will follow shortly.”
Instinct made Dwade say, “I would prefer staying with the Regenerator from now on.”
Lucidum sadly shook his head, “I respect that, but for the next two days, she has to prepare to increase her energy. Otherwise, the birth will cause her death.” Shasta and Dwade stared at him in surprise and confusion. Lucidum placed a smile on his face and said, “It is nothing to fear. And after that, you will be able to stay with her as long as the Balance wants.”
Dwade knew to insist wouldn’t make any difference, so he just nodded and left with Shasta. Zeorgan flew them back to the guesthouse where they found Han and Violen waiting for them.
Han leapt up from his seat. “Where have you been?”
Shasta took his hand, shocking Han. Zeorgan turned to Dwade with a cheeky grin. “It seems they are beginning to take after your human ways. Good job, you even managed to affect Readers.”
Dwade shrugged. Now, he didn’t care about Shasta and Han’s evolving romance. What mattered was what to do now that they had found the Regenerator.
“I’ve seen the Regenerator,” Shasta announced a bit timidly. She was at a loss. It was one thing to find the Regenerator, but now they had to figure out how to protect her.
Dwade wished he had told her not to say anything. He needed time to figure out what to do next. He couldn’t stop hoping the Regenerator wouldn’t give birth. He deeply wanted his race to be safe.
Violen and Han were excited to hear the news. But the look in Zeorgan’s eyes was an affirmation of Dwade’s fear. He shook his head, and Dwade’s heart sank.
“Which one was she?” Han asked, trying not to sound over eager.
“The curly-haired one with the darker skin. She was young, about sixteen. Oh my Balance, she is such a pure soul,” Shasta answered excitedly.
Zeorgan sulked, stepping away from the happy Shasta. This Reader was so naïve and ignorant, but she was chosen.
Han, Dwade, and Violen fell silent and they found a place to sit on the floor as they contemplated their next step. Shasta wished they had celebrated it, but on the contrary, her companions suddenly became so serious and thoughtful.
“What do we do now?” Violen asked.
Dwade’s answer was clear. “We protect her and ensure she gives birth or dies in peace, whichever is required by the Balance.”
Violen was tense. All she could say was, “Things get complicated at this point.”
What they did know was that the baby about to be born signaled the extinction of an entire race. “Is it from the human race?” Han asked with the hope of hearing no as an answer so the Protector would be able to relax a bit.
Shasta nodded, indicating that it was. Everyone looked to Dwade realizing what this meant. They all knew the annihilation of mankind would mean the death of the Protector as well. Every day he was walking to his own end along with his race.
“That’s not the problem,” Dwade said. “Even if we do go extinct, this baby will allow our kind and the Balance to continue. I’m not worried about my own life. I’m only worried about deciding on a safe place to keep the Regenerator.”
Han gave Dwade a quizzical look. “I thought that had already been determined. We’re taking the Regenerator to Atlantis. That is our mission.”
Zeorgan opposed this idea vehemently. “No. You go, but she will stay. We can protect her and the baby. No Dvay or any other miscreant has ever crossed our borders. Why should this war be any different?”
Shasta shot a confused look at Han, not knowing whether to remain loyal to the Chancellor or to the Protector and the Zaend people. She was aware she could have a vision that would determine who was truly right.
Dwade nodded. “Perhaps it’s for the best.”
“Yes, and you will be safe here too, Dwade,” Violen interjected with the hope of Dwade staying alive if he stayed in this magical land.
Shasta gave Violen a knowing look. She listens to her heart instead of her mind. She is trying to protect you; otherwise, she would never disobey the Chancellor, she said to Dwade.
I know but if the baby is born, there’s no protecting me, he confessed.
Zeorgan reiterated Dwade’s thoughts. “We need to accept the facts. A single human cannot survive. He will die because he won’t be strong enough to handle all the energy that will be transferred to him. We must accept the fact that Dwade will die,
even if he stays here.”
The others fell silent. It was the first time anyone admitted the truth aloud, and they were unable to face the fact that the continuation of the universe required their friend to die. The truth was too cruel to be easily accepted. Violen swiped harshly at her eyes and sniffed hard.
“You should find a reasonable solution, Protector. We have to end this one way or another,” Zeorgan advised.
“Fine. Let’s stay calm and think some more. Zeorgan is right. It would not do to travel away from here with a pregnant woman, but I also can’t stay here and await my death.” Dwade rose from the mat. “I need some time to think alone. I’ll be back with a solution. I hope.”
But Dwade had no intention of thinking alone. He was on his way to find Lucidum. After roaming the streets of the village for about a half hour, he found the leader laying on the ground in the middle of the square. The strangeness of the situation no longer affected Dwade. He had come to find nothing in this world strange anymore.
“How do we leave this place?” he asked Lucidum abruptly.
Lucidum remained motionless as he answered. “You have decided to leave and face another fate.”
Dwade nodded. “If I am destined to die, and it seems that I am going to, I will not do it here in the safest place on earth. I will do it on the battlefield. I plan on joining Zeus and my people to fight for the humans. I promised my family that I would try to stop this war, and that is what I will do.”
Lucidum gave him a satisfied nod. “And what of the Regenerator? Isn’t your duty to protect her? Or will you take her to the Chancellor as you have been directed?”
“No,” Dwade said firmly. “I believe she is better off here.” Even as he said it, the realization hit him that Lucidum somehow knew all of this already.
The old leader lifted himself slowly off the ground. “A wise choice. A wise choice indeed. Leaving our land is quite easy if that’s what you wish. There is a staircase chiseled into the cliff you floated down from. Once you climb it and walk beyond, you will leave our village behind. Think it over carefully, Protector, and be aware that even if you don’t leave, the Readers must. Things will be different soon.”
