Chapter 1
It was unheard of for the selection to continue longer than one hour. Her deep green eyes were focused on the Master, unwavering in her stare. Surely within ten minutes of the presentation of the existences, most children would have chosen the one that seemed to be prominent. Ahluv, on her third-birth day, was anxious to choose an existence and begin her teaching with the esteemed Master Blahk. From rumors flying around the nursery, she had learned that a child was able to pick the existence to which they were drawn. Then, after seven years of learning about the chosen existence from the Master, the child would be declared a “matured” at the age of ten. But Ahluv’s excitement began to fade. It grew darker outside, and the matured in the room began to frown. The Master wore a look of confusion for never had he experienced such a long and uncooperative presentation. Clothed in the required blue robes, Ahluv’s blood-mother, Evanna, approached the table where the existences laid out for selection remained untouched. Her dark forest green eyes appraised the child, her child.
“Ahluv, do you not see an existence you like?” said the blood-mother, one of the few females still willing to give birth to children. It was quite a risk to have children since a female could have anywhere from five to ten children at a time; certainly no less than five. Although each infant was very small when born after six months in the womb, it was very painful to give birth. It was uncommon for the blood-mother to become attached to those she birthed, but Evanna was not an ordinary blood-mother. Even so, she liked Ahluv more than any other infant she had birthed. Ahluv had caused her no pain when she was delivered, a rarity that made the child a frequent topic in conversation among the bloods of the town Tal-kan.
Ahluv had heard her blood-mother and felt the questioning gaze of her blood-father, but she took her time answering her bloods. The problem wasn’t that she did not feel drawn to any of the existences; in fact she was drawn to all nine of them. When she first laid eyes on the nine necklaces before her, she couldn’t focus on just one.
“I cannot separate them,” Ahluv finally replied. “It is not nine existences spread out before me but one blurred image on which I cannot settle.” The matured looked at each other with a hint of confusion and fear.
The worried master told the two other matured, “It is not possible for a child not to be drawn to one existence, and one only. This is terrible! She cannot choose an existence! I do not know the proper procedure for such a situation!”
The Master was concerned about the threat this abnormality posed to his reputation. This Master, called Blahk by the citizens of Tal-kan, was well-known for his gift of teaching. After a child spent the first three years of life in the nurseries, a Master would take the child from the nursery and present him or her with the existences. Then, the Master would raise the child in the chosen existence until he or she became a matured. There were many masters within each town, but Blahk was considered the best Master, not only in Tal-kan, but in all of Tal. Yet, in all of his years of teaching, never had he come across a child who could not choose an existence.
After much deliberation amongst the matured, it was agreed that Ahluv would be taken back to her nursery while the Master determined what to do with her. Ahluv understood the gravity of her inability to choose an existence. She did not want to return to the nursery and tried to dissuade the Master from sending her back.
“Please, can you pick one for me? I will accept whichever existence you choose,” she suggested eagerly. It would have been more acceptable to have an existence chosen for oneself than to have no existence at all.
But the Master could not concede. “It is strictly forbidden for anyone, even a Master, to choose an existence for another person.” He assured Ahluv that he would ask the eldars of Tal for advice, promising to keep her updated. But in his heart, Blahk feared the reaction of the eldars. So set in their ways, they were known for their drastic measures in order to keep problems from arising in Tal. Yet, he saw no other way in which to resolve the circumstances.
After four days within the now too comfortable walls of the nursery, Ahluv yearned for the word from Blahk that would grant her leave of the juvenile place. But it did not come that fifth day. She went to sleep in her small room at the end of the sixth day. A few hours later, Ahluv heard a soft tap at the door of the female chamber. She crept from her room into the main living area, peeking silently into the other rooms to see if anyone else had heard the noise. The other girls slept peacefully. Wondering what type of emergency would require a visit from one of the nurses at such an hour, Ahluv quietly opened the door, surprised to find her Master standing before her in black robes rather than his traditional mahogany dressings. By the dim light of the outside hall, she could make out the bearded face with the knowledgeable blue eyes of a teacher.
Despite the great number of questions bursting forth in her mind, Ahluv managed a slight “Hello, Master” in her high clear tone. “What has brought you to this door at the resting time? Have you news from the eldars?” she inquired. She was worried at the presence of a grim line on the Master’s face in place of the normally bright smile reserved for his young students. Whatever her Master had to say was not good news and this realization caused her senses to tingle with apprehension.
Reluctantly, Blahk walked past and into her room. He turned, deeming it too small for the unique and interesting student before him. He took a moment to take in her distinct appearance, which was so different from the average person of Tal. In addition to those bright green eyes, the sliver of moon let in by the window gave her a phantom presence as it illuminated her pale skin. She was certainly a sight to behold as everyone in Tal but she had darker complexions ranging from sun-based olive to the dark brown of the richest earth. Even more mysterious, the natural red tints of her hair lent itself to her beauty; but he was distracted by the fear in her eyes and felt the need to protect her from the blows to come.
Already wasting too much time, the Master spoke abruptly, “Gather your belongings,” causing the girl to jump.
She packed the few clothes allotted to her and the generic stuffed tiger that had been her comfort during her nursery years. She had a hunch that the white hair of the animal was the reason she was assigned that particular comfort, but she gladly shared her feelings and ideas with the beast that shared her pale skin.
“Will you tell me why you have come in the middle of the resting time, and where you are taking me? Have I done something wrong, Master?”
“Child, no, you have done nothing but breathed the air around you, yet they would condemn you for it. We must hurry to get you safely outside of the land limits before dawn. Can you make the trip to the land limits, to the outer lands?” asked Blahk, now rushing to make up for his lapse of objectivity.
“Yes, Master. May I ask you why we are going to the outer lands?” Just speaking of the space beyond the land limits of Tal sent a shiver down Ahluv’s spine.
“The eldars refuse to listen to reason, and your life is now in danger as you threaten to disrupt the very foundation of our essence as the people of Tal. We must seek the only person who can help you. She goes by Fridum the Servant, but do not be deceived by this title for she is very powerful and may not be sympathetic to the troubles of men. Many have spoken of her, and the stories vary so much that one cannot prepare for a meeting with such a great being. Yet, her power may prove helpful in your position.”
The unnerving silence enveloped them as they slipped from the nursery and down the neatly paved road on the east side of the town of Tal-kan. It seemed to Ahluv that she had been holding her breath since her first glimpse of the Master, but she did not dare breathe louder than the rustling of his robes.
The darkness was silent and suffocating during the resting time. Ahluv searched dark corners and streets for signs of people following them. She had never seen an eldar, but it was easy to imagine humanlike monsters who wanted to hurt her just because she could not choose an existence. The peacefulness of Tal-kan did not require the local watch during the resting time. There was no one on the streets. However, as they passed into Tal-may, the only town between theirs and the land limits, Blahk was watching for the watchman who would surely be patrolling. Tal-may had experienced some minor difficulties in the past few months, making it necessary for the local watch to have men patrol during the resting time, as well. It would be difficult to explain their business of walking between towns in the middle of the night to someone on the local watch. As they rounded a corner, Blahk and Ahluv almost collided with a man in the deep crimson robes of a watchman. Blahk quickly grabbed Ahluv and shoved her down a small side street before the watchman could turn and see them in the dim light of the moon. They both held their breath as the watchman walked past the opening of the street without looking down the narrow path. Silently, the two moved smoothly out of their hiding spot, hoping the man was far enough away so as not to notice their departure; but, as they continued east, the watchman stole one last glance over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of the two figures hurrying away. He was unprepared for this sight, and it took a moment before he thought to take out his small handheld flute. The instrument made a high-pitched whistle, which could reach the main post of the local watch and report a situation and the watchman’s location.
Blahk heard the high sound and desperately commanded Ahluv to run. They took off toward the eastern edge of Tal-may. The man did not expect this, and he fell behind in his pursuit. But he was not worried about them getting away. The only thing ahead of them was the eastern land limit. Surely they wouldn’t go past the limits and enter the outer lands. Yet, he saw them approaching the giant wall representing the land limits of Tal. Rather than stopping or changing their direction, the bigger of the two leaped up to the top of the wall, reaching down after to help the other figure climb, as well. Stunned, he could only watch as the pair successfully climbed the wall and entered the outer lands. It was not that people were restricted from leaving the Tal land limits, but no one in their right mind would actually want to leave. It was well into the resting time, and the watchman was extremely tired. I am so exhausted, it seems I am seeing things that are not really there, he reasoned with himself. Hesitantly, he turned away from the wall to continue his route for the night.
Out of breath, Blahk and Ahluv ran for a few more moments before they were both satisfied that the watchman was not following them. Slowing to a more normal pace, they continued to walk in the strange field beginning the outer lands. Blahk visibly relaxed after the first hour of walking, encouraging Ahluv to release her tension, as well. But she was still anxious from the rumors about the dangers of the outer lands. She kept a careful watch on her surroundings.
They walked for nearly two hours when Ahluv saw another black figure in the distance near the eastern border of Tal, and bile rose in her throat as she reached for her Master in warning. Yet, he ignored her tugging on his robes and continued steadily toward the dark silhouette. Ahluv began to wonder if she was wise in following her Master for although she knew him to be a great teacher; it seemed he was leading her to her capture. She followed despite the fear knotting her stomach.
As they drew closer, Ahluv saw blue robes slip from the black hooded-coat and felt the strong gaze of familiar green eyes slightly darker than her own.
