She was sure it was all a dream as she woke to the sun filtering through the mouth of the cave. She could barely remember the night except waking up to find a strangely glowing figure caring for her. Remembering the way he smiled at her warmed her. He looked alot like Dannic, she thought, with obvious differences. She remembered how he looked like a grown man, but spoke like a young boy in a language she couldn't understand. He had been brighter than the sun, making it difficult to look directly at him. She raised herself from the furs and found a piece of her parchment folded neatly beside her.
Good Morning,
I'm glad I was able to make you feel better. It made me very sad to see you so sick. I forgot what being sick was and forgot a person could even get sick. It was because I didn't keep you warm enough maybe. It was fun getting to play with you though, and I hope we can play again very soon. Will you be my friend?
Love,
Me
Who is ME?" she asked aloud, torn between delight and frustration. "Why won't 'me' come out?"
Because I'm afraid you won't like me." came a barely audible reply.
"Of course I will like you. You have taken such good care of me. I've been a burden on you for many days now and it's all because I don't know how to go back home."
"I've been lonely here. Having someone with me makes me feel like I'm alive. But I know you're lonely too and miss your family. If I could leave this place I would take you home." The voice was a little louder this time.
"But what about you. Won't you be lonely again."
Silence.
"I don't want you to be lonely. Let's be friends."
"I'd like that very much. And I promise to take care of you until the next procession comes and your family comes back."
The thought of her family returning and reuniting with them made her heart leap. Home, the thought of being back in the palace, feeling the cold stone under her barefeet as she padded to her brother's room to spy on him churned in her stomach. She had tried so hard not to think about home but this time she couldn't fight back the tears. She was suddenly caught in a warm embrace, filled with light and love.
Tears fell from her cheeks, intermingling with the radiant light of her companion as he eased her.
"Don't be sad, I won't leave you alone anymore. I promise."
"Who are you?" she asked between sobs.
"My name is Zchi, and you're Ya' Embaela."
At the utterance of his name, she pushed away, covering herself with a fur.
"Are you scared of me?" He asked sadly.
"I'm embarassed!" her reply muffled under the fur. "I'm crying like a small child on the shoulder of Zchi!" Gently he pulled the cover from her and held a hand to her tiny face.
"You are a child, you're supposed to cry like a child. When i first came here I cried for a long time. Maybe it was 388 Winters I cried. I cried because I missed Jawn. Jawn was my bestfried, and it took care of me."
She listened intently. She gathered from Zchi referring to Jawn as "it" that his friend was an androgen, likely a Tarik.
"Did you know Tu'Mai?"
"I talked to him sometimes. That's how I learned about how friendly you were was by talking to him. I talk to Tariks using teledialogue. It's like writing a letter without using parchment and ink. He was angry because he couldn't heal you on the procession."
Ya Embaela remembered the strange way Tu'Mai regarded her after his failed healing attempt. Zchis smile dropped as he spoke again.
" I didn't let him heal you because I wanted to heal you so you could be my friend. But then I was afraid to come out and meet you so I hid in my cave instead."
"I'm glad you're my friend now, Zchi. You didn't have to be afraid. But what does a deity have to be afraid of?" she asked innocently. Zchi sighed gently.
"I'm not a deity, I'm a freak. I'm a boy tarik, that's all."
"Then how were you able to do all those great things, like know who the next emperor would be in ancient times, or talk to other Tariks, or keep Tu'Mai from healing me."
"I don't know. Jawn once said that androgen's are tariks because they could never be strong enough to be dangerous, but when I become a man and I'm still Tarik, I can hurt alot of people."
"You don't seem like the type to do something like that though. I bet when you grow up you'll be a very powerful benevolent Tarik. A King of the Tariks."
Zchi was quiet enough for Ya Embaela to hear the waves crashing on the rocks beneath them.
"I won't be an adult, I'm dying."
Good Morning,
I'm glad I was able to make you feel better. It made me very sad to see you so sick. I forgot what being sick was and forgot a person could even get sick. It was because I didn't keep you warm enough maybe. It was fun getting to play with you though, and I hope we can play again very soon. Will you be my friend?
Love,
Me
Who is ME?" she asked aloud, torn between delight and frustration. "Why won't 'me' come out?"
Because I'm afraid you won't like me." came a barely audible reply.
"Of course I will like you. You have taken such good care of me. I've been a burden on you for many days now and it's all because I don't know how to go back home."
"I've been lonely here. Having someone with me makes me feel like I'm alive. But I know you're lonely too and miss your family. If I could leave this place I would take you home." The voice was a little louder this time.
"But what about you. Won't you be lonely again."
Silence.
"I don't want you to be lonely. Let's be friends."
"I'd like that very much. And I promise to take care of you until the next procession comes and your family comes back."
The thought of her family returning and reuniting with them made her heart leap. Home, the thought of being back in the palace, feeling the cold stone under her barefeet as she padded to her brother's room to spy on him churned in her stomach. She had tried so hard not to think about home but this time she couldn't fight back the tears. She was suddenly caught in a warm embrace, filled with light and love.
Tears fell from her cheeks, intermingling with the radiant light of her companion as he eased her.
"Don't be sad, I won't leave you alone anymore. I promise."
"Who are you?" she asked between sobs.
"My name is Zchi, and you're Ya' Embaela."
At the utterance of his name, she pushed away, covering herself with a fur.
"Are you scared of me?" He asked sadly.
"I'm embarassed!" her reply muffled under the fur. "I'm crying like a small child on the shoulder of Zchi!" Gently he pulled the cover from her and held a hand to her tiny face.
"You are a child, you're supposed to cry like a child. When i first came here I cried for a long time. Maybe it was 388 Winters I cried. I cried because I missed Jawn. Jawn was my bestfried, and it took care of me."
She listened intently. She gathered from Zchi referring to Jawn as "it" that his friend was an androgen, likely a Tarik.
"Did you know Tu'Mai?"
"I talked to him sometimes. That's how I learned about how friendly you were was by talking to him. I talk to Tariks using teledialogue. It's like writing a letter without using parchment and ink. He was angry because he couldn't heal you on the procession."
Ya Embaela remembered the strange way Tu'Mai regarded her after his failed healing attempt. Zchis smile dropped as he spoke again.
" I didn't let him heal you because I wanted to heal you so you could be my friend. But then I was afraid to come out and meet you so I hid in my cave instead."
"I'm glad you're my friend now, Zchi. You didn't have to be afraid. But what does a deity have to be afraid of?" she asked innocently. Zchi sighed gently.
"I'm not a deity, I'm a freak. I'm a boy tarik, that's all."
"Then how were you able to do all those great things, like know who the next emperor would be in ancient times, or talk to other Tariks, or keep Tu'Mai from healing me."
"I don't know. Jawn once said that androgen's are tariks because they could never be strong enough to be dangerous, but when I become a man and I'm still Tarik, I can hurt alot of people."
"You don't seem like the type to do something like that though. I bet when you grow up you'll be a very powerful benevolent Tarik. A King of the Tariks."
Zchi was quiet enough for Ya Embaela to hear the waves crashing on the rocks beneath them.
"I won't be an adult, I'm dying."
