Between ascension, p.6
Between Ascension, page 6
part #9 of Levels of Ascension Series
“What a jerk! I wish Val were here so she could tell me what was going through her mind to allow things to get so out of hand.”
“Well guess what Val did next?”
“What?”
“She gave him her phone number! Can you believe it?”
“Okay, now I’m really confused. It sounds as though Val wants to be with him. What is he thinking? He’s betrothed to Jena, after all.”
“Exactly. Why would Val want to be with her best friend’s fiancé? It doesn’t make any sense. If it were up to me, I’d send him home today. I don’t want him anywhere near Val or Jena. He doesn’t deserve either of them if he’s going to be such a player.”
“You got that right. I guess there’s not much we can do until we can talk with Val and Jena. What else is going on with you, Jon?”
“Not much.” He reached up and touched the pendant hanging from the leather thong around his neck. “I’ve started learning how to use my birth crystal.”
“That’s awesome. I bet it’s pretty cool knowing you’ve had this power all along and not knowing how to access it. What can you do?”
“Silly stuff really. Do you want me to show you?”
“Uh, yeah! Are you kidding? Of course, I want to see!”
“Okay, I’m not an expert or anything so don’t expect much,” he said shyly, suddenly feeling self-conscious about his newly acquired skill. He held out his hands and closed his eyes. After a few seconds, some wisps of light swirled over his palms.
“Woah, that’s cool! What is it?” Sofia leaned forward and inspected the product of Jon’s thoughts.
The elemy dissipated as soon as his concentration broke. He smiled shyly and said, “That’s what they call elemy, or elemental energy. It’s supposed to form a ball and be a brighter light, but I’m still working on it.”
“I thought it was perfect. You’re too hard on yourself.”
“Well if you saw how Behn and Val do it, then you’d know why I’m disappointed in mine.”
“They’ve been doing it longer. I’m sure yours will look like theirs if you had as much practice as they’ve had. Is there more?”
“Yes. Okay, I have to concentrate so I won’t be able to talk once I’ve started.”
Pulling her thumb and index finger across her mouth, she said, “I promise to keep my lips zipped!”
Jon smiled at her silliness and closed his eyes again. In his still cupped hands, he gathered elemy and this time it did form a better, brighter ball. It shifted up and moved several inches away from him; then he pulled it back into the crystals of his pendant. He knew he had performed much better and he smiled triumphantly as he opened his eyes. “I did it!”
“Yes you did, and it was much stronger this time. What do they call all of that? What is it used for?”
“Those were the first three lessons which all six-year-olds learn. Our mom had taught us before she sent us to Earth, but we forgot about it over time until it all seemed like a dream. I didn’t really remember any of it until I went back to the village where we were raised. It all came back to me in a rush, but now I have to practice it all over again. I’m not sure any of it actually has a use other than to teach kids how to control the elemy so it can be put to other uses in later lessons. I have a few other things to show you, but I need to get something for the last two things. I’ll be right back,” he said as he rushed out of the room.
Sofia watched him leave and was glad to see she had managed to distract him enough for him to be almost himself again. She wondered what he would need for his next demonstration. When he returned with two glasses of water, she was even more confounded. He handed her a cup of water, and she accepted it by saying, “Thanks.”
Jon smirked and said, “Don’t drink it. I’m going to need it for a demonstration in a minute.”
“Okay, I’m glad you told me!” She giggled nervously.
He set the second glass down on his nightstand and then turned to face her. “This next skill is to create a breeze. Let me know when you feel it on your face.”
Thinking he was probably going to blow on her and make a joke of it, she did not really take him seriously. She smirked and waited while watching his mouth closely.
Again, Jon closed his eyes and kept his mouth firmly shut. Several seconds passed without anything happening. Sofia felt a tickling as if the small hairs on her face were being moved and then she felt a definite breeze. Her eyes grew wide as she realized Jon was actually creating a breeze and he was not using his own breath to make it happen. “I felt it!” she cried out in excitement.
“I was starting to wonder if I were doing something wrong!” Jon was more relieved than he was even letting on. Creating the breeze was a harder skill than anything he had learned to date. There was something elusive about air which caused him much difficulty. “Okay, now turn your attention to the glass of water on the table. Let me know when you see something happen.”
Not knowing what to expect, she shifted her gaze to the water and waited, and waited, and waited. Remembering his injunction to remain quiet, she resisted the urge to tell him nothing was happening. Then she realized there were small bubbles forming throughout the water. Even as she leaned closer, the water began to move until the bubbles rose and broke through the surface. Steam rose and then she knew he had heated it until it boiled.
“Cool,” she enthused. She shifted her gaze to Jon and saw he was pleased with what he had done. “Why don’t you keep your eyes open? It might make it easier if you can see your progress.”
“You might be right,” he conceded as he reached for the glass she still held in her hand. “I’ll try your idea for this last demonstration.” He put the glass down in front of the now simmering water and stared intently at the liquid which was gently moving. Without missing a beat, he used the movement to increase the activity of the water and drop the temperature at the same time. Much quicker than ever before, he had the water frozen. “You’re right! That was much easier.” He turned and grinned at Sofia. “I can’t tell what use any of these skills are yet, but that’s what I’ve learned so far.”
“Well, as you said, it’s teaching you control of the elemy. I’m sure they have a good reason for the order of the lessons. When you learn more, I know it’ll make more sense. Until then, I must say, I’m very jealous you can do this and I can’t!”
“Maybe you could learn it. Do you want to try? I could try to teach you.”
Sofia held up her hands and said, “Once you learn more, then maybe, but until then, I think I’ll just live vicariously through you.”
“Are you scared?” Jon accused jokingly.
“A little,” Sofia answered seriously.
Jon sobered immediately. “You’re not scared of me, are you?”
“No! Never! I just don’t know if it’d be dangerous for me to try to do what you just showed me without having my own birth crystal. We don’t know what could happen and I don’t want to risk it yet.”
“I guess it makes sense. I’ll talk to Jena and Juila about it when they get home. I’m sure they’d know since they’ve already finished all of the levels of crystal skills.”
“Really? They’ve really learned them all? How many levels are there?” Sofia raised her eyebrows at this new revelation.
“There are twenty-seven known levels, but Jena once said they were only limited by our imagination, so I’m sure there’s bound to be more.”
“Wow, that’s amazing. What else did they say?”
As Jon began explaining, Sofia soaked up everything she learned. She was going to have a lot of questions for the girls when they returned in two weeks. She was so glad she had been on guide duty at the school the day the girls first came to town. Sofia was certain the twins were probably the most fascinating people she would ever meet.
Chapter Nine
THE ARRANGEMENTS WERE made, and Petre found himself in yet another transport. The journey lasted only three seconds as the telepod erupted in the air over Genip proper. He leaned toward the window to see the palatial Residence sprawling beneath the rapidly descending telepod. The pilot remained silent as he efficiently landed the telepod in the designated landing field.
Petre did not even bother to address the pilot as the door opened whisper quiet beside him. He unlatched his seatbelt, stood up and walked out of the telepod. Before he even took two steps away, the telepod was already ascending. Petre scowled at the pilot’s disregard for his own safety and raised a fist in anger. He could almost swear he saw a smirk on the pilot’s face just before the telepod disappeared from the sky above him.
Before his new resolve, he would have planned ten ways to get revenge on the pilot for his slight to himself. Now Petre decided to keep focused on his assignment and forget all about the lowly pilot who would never see such adventures as he was about to embark upon. He marched across the landing field and stood in the short line of visitors to the Residence.
When he was finally at the front of the line, the bored attendant asked, “State your name and your reason for going into the Residence.”
“Petre MacVeen, I’m here to use the Ascension Gate.”
The guard did a double-take at Petre as he recognized the name. “The Gate is by appointment only. You’ll have to come back later. Next!” He leaned around Petre to address the person behind him.
“Wait!” Petre moved to block his view. “I have it on good authority I will be granted permission today. Allow me through!”
“Step aside while I send a request. Next!”
Petre had no other option than to stand in the cold breeze to the side of the guard shack. His patience was wearing thin as more than a dozen other patrons were allowed entrance to the Residence before the guard called Petre back to the shack. Petre could tell the guard had enjoyed keeping him waiting in the cold. He kept his expression blank as he took several steps to be at the front of the line again.
“Permission has been granted. Proceed into the Residence.” The guard barely made eye contact, and he was already busy tapping requests on his patil keyboard.
Unsure of the layout of this particular Residence, Petre asked several people along the way for the proper direction to the Ascension Gate. More than one person seemed hesitant to tell him, so he shrugged and continued on his way. As he suspected, his questions had caused someone to report him to the staff. Before he got too much further into the main hallway, an older man stopped in front of him.
“Are you Petre MacVeen?”
“Yes, Sir, I am.”
“Follow me,” he replied curtly as he turned on his heel and set a quick pace through the expansive hallway. Before long, they were winding their way through narrow, dark corridors.
Petre gave up trying to memorize the path they had taken. He soon realized it was a moot point anyway since he would not be returning through this Gate. Besides, the chances of him ever having to come back to Genip were remote at best.
Each step brought him closer to the unknown destination, and he could feel his palms and armpits sweating. He tried to keep his face drawn to neutrality, but he could feel the tension around his eyes as his fear made his heart beat faster and his breathing became irregular. It would be humiliating to pass out in front of his guide, so he tried to think of something other than the feared Gate at the end of this walk.
“Have you used a Gate before?” the guide asked.
Petre looked over at him sharply, wondering if he had been rude enough to read his mind. He saw only curiosity, so he curbed his reply to, “No, this will be my first. How about you?”
“Sure, it’s one of the perks of working here. My family is from the Telae District, so I make certain to go out to see them several times an anon. I know how you must be feeling, with this being your first time and all. There’s nothing to worry about, you know. Elder Olguin is an expert at using the Gate; besides the journey only lasts three seconds. There’s hardly any time at all to get nervous.” The guide kept his head facing forward to continue navigating the hallways, so he did not see Petre’s look of relief.
This was the first time Petre had experienced someone genuinely trying to be nice to him. It felt pretty good to be on the receiving end. He did gather some measure of comfort from his guide’s advice, and he was also thankful to know how long the journey would take. From what the guide had said, the transfer would only take as long as a telepod relocation, so it did not seem too bad. He felt the constriction in his chest begin to loosen and his breathing became easier and less labored.
“And here we are, Petre. Just go through this last door. Elder Olguin will be waiting for you. Have a safe journey.” He patted Petre’s arm as he moved past him and back up the hallway the way they had come.
Petre looked after him and then turned to face the final door. He felt a chill run through him as he realized this was a one-way trip through the door. How many other people had walked through this same passageway and never returned? His thoughts turned darker as he wondered how many people had been lost for all time on their journey.
Shaking his head abruptly, Petre dismissed his last macabre idea and had to believe Elder Olguin knew what he was doing. Besides, the Elder would hardly want to anger Lucinden by sending Petre somewhere other than his intended destination. With this in mind, Petre confidently took the last remaining steps, reached out and turned the knob, and stepped through the entrance.
With his hand still holding the doorknob, Petre was surprised to see how plain and dark the room actually was since it was windowless and only spheres of elemy were used to light the middle. After seeing all of the grand opulence of the Residence, it seemed odd that the most important room should be left unrefined.
“Shut the door and come forward, MacVeen. I’d like to get this transfer finished promptly so my final favor to Lucinden can be discharged.”
Petre jumped at the seemingly bodiless voice since he had yet to see where Elder Olguin was located. Knowing the direction from where the voice had sounded gave him his only clue as to where to look. He promptly shut the door behind him and then boldly looked toward where he thought the Elder would be, only to be startled again when the Elder appeared right in front of him. His eyes grew wide as he tried to control his sharp intake of breath. He hated seeming weak to anybody, especially in front of powerful people.
“This way, MacVeen. Come swiftly!” He plucked at Petre’s sleeve for emphasis before turning and leading the way, confident in Petre’s compliance.
“Why is it so dark in here?” Petre asked as he fell into step behind the short, old man.
“I already know where everything is, and I hate to waste my energy creating more light than is necessary. Step down into the depression, just there,” he said as he pointed several feet ahead of him. “I’m told you wish to go to Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Earth. Is this correct?”
“More or less.”
“MacVeen, this is no time for games. I must be certain of your destination, so please say yes or no.”
“Yes,” Petre answered with a slight rolling of his eyes at how dramatic Elder Olguin was acting. He kept his final destination to himself, as he was beginning to feel as though all of this were a test regarding his discretion. He was not going to reveal anything unnecessarily to anybody. He stepped down into the shallow, dirt hollow. Again, he wondered why the space was left in its natural state rather than being made to look pristine.
“Good, good. Now keep your hands to your sides, you don’t want to lose them in the transfer,” Elder Olguin admonished as he turned to the control panel and began tapping out commands on the plascreen.
“Wait just a minute,” Petre began to protest as his mind registered Elder Olguin’s last words. “Is this going to be dangerous?” He started to raise his arms in protest until his fear of losing them stopped the motion.
With a final tap to his plascreen, Elder Olguin looked up with a glint in his eyes as he answered, “All transfers contain an element of danger. Goodbye, MacVeen.” He smiled wickedly as he could see the fear register on Petre’s face as he hit the activation button to send him on his way.
Petre wished he were anywhere other than where he currently was, yet he was terrified to move a muscle since he could feel the elemy gathering around his body. The sensation was similar to that of a telepod transfer, yet so much different because it was only him. Instantly he began counting in his head, certain he could endure three seconds of the unknown. Panic began to rise faster as he counted five then six seconds. Surely Elder Olguin would not have purposely sent him to his death; the Elder had more scruples than that.
Relief rushed through him as his mind registered full feeling throughout his body again. The transfer had worked, yet he had no knowledge of his actual destination. Supposedly, he had arrived on Earth, yet what it should look like remained a mystery. The utter darkness surrounding him surpassed what he had experienced in Elder Olguin’s room.
Recalling the Elder’s elemy spheres, Petre conjured one of his own in his outstretched hand. He soon discovered he was inside of a cave. He turned around in a full circle before he decided on which direction to attempt to leave. Only two tunnels were leading off of the place where he had been standing.
He had a fifty percent chance of choosing the correct path. Of course, he had chosen the wrong one as he found himself facing a dead end. With a growl of displeasure, Petre turned around and followed his own dusty footprints to lead him back to his starting point. He hated small dark spaces, and this cave was not inspiring any confidence with its seemingly endless twists and turns. He chose the second tunnel and soon found himself outside, facing a vast expanse of forested land and a steep drop off.
Laughing at his own idea of where this Gate would have brought him, he realized the error of his thinking. Civilization was nowhere near. Not only would have to navigate unknown territory, but he would also have to rely solely on his own survival skills until he could ask anyone for assistance in getting to New York City. This task just turned monumental.
