This is a continuation of a story begun in the post “Chapter 1. Part 1.” If you enjoy it, please like and share it with others!
I saw Fwik and Fwish darting around in the trees collecting sticks into a pile just next to the large gray spike, Shishu was assisting Thrump with the other two tents, Brew and Flye were unpacking different miniature versions of the contraptions I had seen in Chak’s kitchen back in the Syllogy, and Chak was talking upward at the large gray spike. I walked over next to Chak and peered up into the night sky. I could See Dr. Lee buzzing around the pole.
“Is he there?” Chak shouted up to the Doctor.
“I don’t see anyone on any level.”
“Okay. New moons always bring out the wild animals. He’s probably on a sedation tour to deal with it. I can go up there later tonight and send the message myself. I’ll check in with the posted Umbili at the City of Falling Water.”
“Very well then,” yelled Dr. Lee.
“Mind if I take a look?” Shishu had silently appeared behind us.
“I don’t care,” said Chak. “Do whatever you want.”
Shishu bent down and shot upward like a rocket. He flew into the darkness out of sight, and I heard a small clink sound indicating that he had grabbed the spike fairly high up. I waited. A few moments later, he came barreling back to the earth and landed gracefully next to Chak.
“The bug is correct. There is no one.”
“Thanks,” Said Chak patronizingly, and I could almost hear him add for telling us what we already knew.
I turned around and saw Fwik and Fwish constructing a pyramid with the sticks they had collected. Fwish pulled a small rock out of her belt, laid it down next to the sticks and, in one swift motion, slung her whip around her head striking the rock, which emitted a huge spurt of flame onto the pyramid. It caught instantly, and Fwik was knocked off his feet at the ignition. Fwish picked up the rock laughing, and Fwik regained his balance and then charged at his sister, knocking her to the ground. They rolled around exchanging blows and shouting at each other, but everyone else carried on without taking notice. This seemed to be normal behavior for the two of them.
Flye and Brew had advanced to preparing the meal, and I could see Flye glancing at me every so often with a timidly quizzical look on her face. Half the time I would pretend not to notice, but when I did catch her eye she would look back down at her work quickly. Brew was chatting at her, mindlessly, and I could tell that she was not listening. Flye appeared to be either perpetually embarrassed, scared, or lost in thought, and again it made me wonder why she was here on an—as Chak had described it—adventure. She just didn’t seem the type.
Plink glided over to me and said, “She’s a nice dade, and very useful. You just need to give her some time to warm up to you.” Apparently my study of Flye had been noticed.
After my tongue dislodged itself from the roof of my mouth due to the shock of Plink speaking to me I asked her, “What do you mean very useful?”
“Oh, you’ll see. So, did Chak explain why you are here?” Plink’s silky voice was calming.
“Yes, most of it. Unfortunately, he doesn’t even entirely know why I’m here. He said I have special gifts as a human that Umbili don’t have that I would have to learn as I went along. Do you know what gifts I have?” I asked.
“Well you can disobey and you already proved that you have a great capacity to reason.”
“Yeah, Chak told me those two.”
“You also obviously have a sense of Mendrax that other humans don’t, which must be helpful. And the Higher-ups said that your ignorance will be your greatest strength!”
“How on earth will that help?” I asked.
“Well you’re not on earth now, are you?” she said smoothly. We shared a small silence then she spoke again.
“I don’t know what it means, that’s just what they said. I’ve also heard stories of humans being able to move things with their mind. Is that true? Can you do that?”
“Not that I know of, but maybe it’s something that I can do here that I couldn’t do on earth,” I said.
“Here,” she said, drawing her unfamiliar weapon from her hip and holding it in the palm of her hand, “try and move this from my hand.” She shook with excitement.
I stared hard at it, willing with all my might for it to rise into the air. Nothing happened.
“It’s not working,” I said.
“Try again!” She had suddenly turned into a giddy little girl.
I stared at the object again trying to get it to do anything but lay in her hands. Again, nothing happened.
“I don’t think I have that power,” I said.
“Well, that’s a shame. I was excited for a moment there,” her smooth tone was back. In a flash the weapon was back on her hip. “Maybe you’ll figure out some other powers you have along the way. Wouldn’t it be terrific if you found out you could disappear in one place and re-appear in another, or jump like an Umbra, or,” she stopped speaking abruptly and a deeper pink color than the rest of her skin filled her face. “That would be interesting,” she finished abruptly.
I couldn’t be sure, but I thought she had glanced at Shishu for a moment.
Another small silence, in which I caught her gaze and a small smile curled the corner of her mouth. I was dumbstruck for a moment. This was Plink’s gift and curse. With a look she could make a male mind completely empty but for her face.
“That’s the look I use when I’m about to grab an enemy by the throat,” she said serenely.
Again, I was caught completely off guard, but shaken out of my spell. I quickly looked for words to say, but the only ones that came out were, “That’d work.”
She laughed. “Oh, it does.” I caught her eyes again, but this time there was no magical spell working on me, just friendship.
“I’m glad to finally be on this journey,” she said. “We’ve been waiting so long for the correct human to join us so that we could embark on the mission set to us by the Higher-ups. I’m glad it was you Nicholas. You seem very kind.” She bowed her head slightly, with another beautiful smile, and walked away toward one of the tents she had set up.
I looked back over at Flye and caught her eye again. Apparently she had been watching me talk with Plink. I walked over to where she and Brew were cooking and the wonderful aroma of fresh bread met my nostrils. I sat down in the dirt next to them and listened to Brew talk about nothing in particular. I leaned over to Flye, who recoiled from me slightly, I tried not to take notice. “Do you think she even knows what she’s saying?” I asked under my breath. Flye gave a small laugh looking at her work, but made no response. Eventually Brew asked me, “Nick which one do you like better, Snorgag or Crampshue?”
I stared at her blankly.
“Oh that’s right, you haven’t gotten there yet on earth. Ya’ know the Scorstavians taking over that planet is the best thing that’s ever gonna happen to you humans.”
I nodded along, still completely lost. “I’m making you beef cutlets with bread and rice, since if you ate Umbili food you’d probably vomit. You better like it, cause I’ve been practicing the different human cooking through the centuries for about a year now waiting for this trip and I gotta say your time period makes the least sense. You guys eat yogurt with everything. I find the stuff repulsive and I can’t imagine a good reason to cover up the taste of lamb with some yogurt spread, but whatever rocks your fancy I guess. Flye how’s that rice cookin’?”
“Fine,” she said quietly, not looking up.
“Good. Now then Nicholas, we’re about ready here so why don’t you go round up the gang, except for Shishu, and we’ll start eating.”
“Ok. Why not Shishu?”
“Umbra don’t eat, but actually I’m guessin’ Thrump will want him to be here anyway so I guess you can bring him too.” Brew spoke quickly as she spread out a cloth on the ground and laid eight dishes on top of it.
I walked off in search of everyone, and found Chak, and Thrump talking to each other with Shishu standing silently next to them. Fwish and Fwik were recovering from their wrestling match and sat on the ground in front of one of the tents, leaning against each other and breathing hard. I found Plink kneeling behind one of the tents looking at the ground. Dr. Lee was sitting on her shoulder talking to her. With a little prompting, they all came and grabbed a dish that Brew and Flye had prepared, and the whole group sat or stood around the fire eating. A few conversations were going on between Thrump and Shishu, Chak and Flye, and Brew and no one.
I inserted myself into Chak and Flye’s discussion.
“He’s just a town loon Flye! He’s a crazy man wandering the desert outside The Settlement. You really think he’s gaining some following and leading some sort of rebellion against the Umbili?”
“No I don’t think that’s what he’s doing. From what I’ve heard, Teleon isn’t as crazy as some Umbili make him out to be. What if he’s just a good teacher, someone who knows the Higher-ups better than even we do? What if we should be giving him a hearing in the City of the Syllogy instead of using his name as a euphemism?” she spoke rather sheepishly, never really making eye-contact with Chak.
“Where are you getting the idea that he’s a good teacher. Haven’t you heard about his weird salute his followers do?” said Chak.
“You mean this?” said Flye. With her right hand she smoothly and briefly covered her eyes, then her right ear, then tapped her chest twice with her middle finger. “I think it’s rather poetic. ‘Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, and into the heart the plans of the Higher-ups have not penetrated.’ Have you ever heard or seen the Higher-ups? Doesn’t it make sense?” asked Flye quietly.
“You know I haven’t. No Umbili currently alive has, and certainly no human,” said Chak.
This shocked me I thought that Chak had gotten his orders straight from the Higher-ups. Now it turns out there was a different mode of communication.
“But Teleon talks about a time when they will,” said Flye. “He seems to think he’s a part of it. And not everyone in the Syllogy is as convinced he’s a loon as you are Chak.” This last statement had a little more force than the rest of her words.
“Flye, you know I respect you and your gifts, but I think you’re way off on this one. Teleon’s no different than any of the other ‘prophets’ the Settlement keeps pumping out.”
Flye smiled and said more to herself than to Chak, “If only.”
I couldn’t keep silent any longer.
“So Teleon is a man?” I asked.
“Yes, he’s a crazy man, and nothing more,” said Chak definitively. Flye was still looking at the ground.
“I thought there weren’t any men in the Syllogy?” I asked.
“There’s a colony of them in a city called The Settlement. That’s a long story. It’s not important. You don’t need to worry yourself with fairytales about Teleon, Nicholas.” He may have said this to Nicholas, but he was looking intently at Flye and clearly conveying the message Don’t you go distracting him with fairytales about Teleon either. “You just focus on that seed.”
We quickly got off the subject of Teleon, to my dismay, and chatted about the sleeping arrangements, the food, and Brew’s haircut. The conversation dwindled and we ended up finishing our meals in relative silence. Then Chak directed us to our respective tents and explained the shifts for keeping watch. Shishu and Thrump would be first, and Plink and Fwik would each take turns with them throughout the night. After explaining all of that, he raised his arms. The glowing balls each descended to the ground, extinguishing their light along the way. The camp was dark, silent, and still, save for the crackling fire, which blazed on through the night.
Want to keep reading? Go to the next section! >>> “Chapter 7. Part 1.”