NOVEL NEXT 68: What Ren Did
RYST
I'm publishing teasers—just little tidbits. And collecting stories from Shurwinn. They're creating the Legend of Sibsil Creed. So when it's time, people will really want to know the whole story.
- Sibsil Creed, Stories of Shurwinn (2800)
"MEHTH-eh-la. MEHTH-eh-la. MEHTH-eh-la."
It was Ren's voice, but it was inside me. It was within. It was without. That pounding. That hounding. Never stopping. For days. It had been within me, and it was Ren's voice now, not just some unseen pressure.
It was one word: "Methela. Methela. Methela." I fell forward. I floated. I was carried out.
And I wrapped my arms around my only one, my Ahtah. He stiffened. He knew I was there, with my face pressed against the back of his jacket, and my arms wrapped around his torso, clinging to him with all that I was. He stilled. He felt me.
I heard talking, but did not understand it. Then movement. I held on, clinging desperately. So tight. I was so tired. So tired, my Ahtah, I have you! I won't let go! I wanted to cry, but he felt back to me:
I'm here, love. I have you.
I realized we were lying down, and I was on top of him, in his arms. I tried to relax, but I was too tired. If I relaxed, I'd fall asleep, and I lose him again. He'd disappear.
He just felt calm to me. Calm and confident. He was sure. He had no doubt. I had come to him, and we would do this. I felt him showing me something. He wanted to show me something about himself. I let go of fear and focused. What did he want me to know?
Oh! I suddenly knew something!
My Ahtah, you are so young!
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The feeling I got back did not like that or agree with it. He was so much more than an age. He had accomplished ten times more than men twice his age. Then I felt his joy, yes joy! That was a clue. He urged me to see the clue.
Clue? Your age. You are young, but dislike me pointing it out? You are accomplished.
More started pushing at me, but I paused him. My friends, Ahtah, my friends are here. I'll tell them so I can remember.
"Peydran, write!" I rasped out, holding onto my Ahtah. "Younger than me, but proud of accomplishments."
Ahtah, what have you accomplished? What are you so proud of?
He felt patient and calm. Not arrogant or proud. Calm. Matter of fact. This was a truth, and it would help me find him. He knew I could do it. So I got glimpses of things. A river of gold coins. Skyscrapers. The Galaxy.
Hold on, Ahtah. River of gold? Great wealth?
I felt his excitement. I was getting it. He encouraged me: keep going!
Skyscrapers? Big, tall buildings? Offices?
No. Buildings, yes. Offices, no. Keep going. I would get it.
I kept muttering the details to Peydran and Ren.
Tall buildings that aren't offices? I couldn't think about it. I was getting too tired. I needed to get more. I kept going.
The Galaxy, my love?
Patiently. Yes.
I didn't understand. What else? What part of the Galaxy?
I saw two spheres and felt something like, My two worlds.
You have two worlds? I do too!
He felt happy. He thought I was understanding. That was a fact I couldn't interpret right now, so I tried to keep going. Another image was before me. A tall skyscraper and a candlestick with a flame atop it.
A skyscraper and a candle?
Not quite right was the feeling I got back, but keep trying, he encouraged. Tall building. Lit candle. Tall building. Lit candle.
Is it a candle, Ahtah?
No, but it could look like a candle.
Is it a building that looks like a lit candle?
Excitement. Pure joy! He knew that if I could find the building, I would find him! Oh stars, I wanted to shout at his joy, but I had to focus. There was something else he wanted me to see. The Galaxy. The accomplishment. I needed to see it; it would help. Then I felt like he was looking far, far away at another distant Galaxy. Not ours— not Andromeda. So, he was in Andromeda!
That wasn't what he wanted me to see. He wanted me to think of a story. A story about the close Galaxy that wasn't Andromeda.
Milky Way?
Yes! Enthusiasm. I could do it, he knew. People. People leaving a sphere. An isolated sphere in Milky Way.
EARTHENS?
Yes! How? How, think of the story. How did the Earthens leave?
Spaceships? Starliners? Do you build starliners in your tall buildings?
Humor. No, that wasn't right, but keep going. The story. The story of Earth. I couldn't get it. I'd think on it later. I was growing weak and too tired. I was loosing the connection. I couldn't focus. Oh no, Ahtah! I'm too tired!
Confidence. Faith. Belief. Love.
I fell asleep in my Ahtah's arms.