Page 24 of Triadic
His features set in determination, Marit squared his shoulders. "I'll go looking for him. If anyone in our generation is fit to become an instructor and attempt such a thing, it's me. The instructors who are still alive aren't here, and it would take too long to go back and call for them. The monastery is kicking people out so fast, there's hardlyany future left, but you and I have stubbornly stayed, Corbi. We stayed and trained even against the wishes of older monks. If anyone can do this, it's me. I will go and bring him back."
"No," I begged. "Marit. I love Peter, but I can't lose you."
Marit's mouth opened, his eyes wide with surprise, but then for the quickest moment he softened and smiled at me, and I hoped that meant he felt the same.
"You will never lose me, not in any real way," Marit promised, eyes locked on mine. "Lightning could obliterate my body this very instant, and in the beyond, my soul will always know you and remember you, Corbi."
That firmness gave me enough pause to finally gather my wits so I was not ruled by panic. I nodded. "I'll wait here where I can feel him in case he comes back. If you can't find him, or he runs from you, please leave him and come back to me."
"I will do what I can," he promised. "I will not sacrifice myself, Corbi. If rescuing him would involve sacrificing myself, then I will return to you and face that karma."
Others might call us cowards, but I was so grateful for his words. "Thank you, Marit. Go with my blessing."
He rounded the last of the little houses on the edge of town. When I didn't see him pass between two houses in the tiny alleyway, I knew he was gone.
Turning back to the darkness, I took a long breath to calm myself and steel my resolve. Then I cupped my mitts around my mouth and shouted as loudly as I could. "Peter!"
Stamping my feet to keep warm, I called his name over and over.
Chapter Twelve: Peter
"Geh," Dunu ordered, telling me to go. She pointed back toward the town, then pushed at my hips, her touch wet and cold.
Hope bloomed in my chest. "If I can't get back to my world, I can't take these beads with me." I bargained, hoping that I wasn't about to transport some kind of Pandora's Box back to the regular world just to save my own skin.
Dunu pressed my left wrist, the one that had the faux-rosary wrapped around it, pushing my arm till it folded against my chest, as if for safe-keeping. She certainly didn't seem as if she were trying to lure me away anymore, or like she was about to eat me for dinner.
"Geh," she hissed again, pushing me back toward the town.
I figured politeness was the best option. "I'll go. Nice to meet you, Dunu. Thanks for thebeads."
But when I glanced behind me, looking for her, she was already gone. Only the dark forest met me.
"Okay, we're absolutely done here," I declared and charged back into the town.
Except the town had disappeared, and I was met only with more forest. Though the sun was up now at least, and blessed heaven, it was springtime.
Birds sang, and a cool breeze rustled through the leaves, touching maples going to seed and sending thousands of seed pods with little dragonfly wings twirling everywhere. Caterpillars munched on milkweed to fatten themselves up before they spun their cocoons. The air smelled rich and fresh. The sun shone through the trees and warmed my skin. It was truly a beautiful sight.
Something pricked my arm, and I looked down to find the beaded chain Dunu had given me biting into my skin, as if it wanted to fuse with me. Carefully I unwound it, at some sections having to really insist because it seemed locked to me, and took a closer look. Separated evenly among the beads were small metal contraptions, and upon opening the long necklace-like loop completely, the contraptions unfolded as if to hold something.
Kneeling in the lush dewy grass, I laid the rosary down to try and see what the little metal contraptions could be designed to hold. The chain would not completely separate from me; it clung to me like sticky nectar from a wildflower. But I managed to get it spread out evenly for a good examination. As if doing so had triggered something, a vision sprang intobeing.
As clear as day, I counted seven of the little metal contraptions, and once I counted the seventh, a candle filled each one. But if the random appearance of springtime, when I knew that instead tonight was the winter solstice, wasn't enough of an indicator, now I knew for sure I was dreaming—these candles were uniform, identical in their shape and the smoothness of the pale beeswax. No candles from the real world looked like this. Even lovingly crafted by a master, they would still hold their own eccentricities, perfectly imperfect, a prime example of human art and craftwork reflecting the natural world.
I was meant to do something here in this peaceful pasture on the edge of the Alpine forest. Knowing at least my guardian angel and higher soul were watching, I spoke aloud. "If these are candles, then if they want to be lit, I will light them. On one condition: that their fire be used to nourish, not harm."
Like hell would I light these dream candles if they would go on to set the forest on fire or something.
Taking in the scene around me, my gut instinct gave me no indication that these candles were vindictive. If anything, I simply didn't know what they were, but I supposed that was better than feeling danger from them.
"Ja, okay," I said aloud, somehow knowing that I could speak things into existence in this dream space. "I will light the candles, then. Be lit and bless this world."
Seven little flames puffed into existence, and I waited for what would happen next.
The next instant, dusk fell, too quickly for a natural dusk. I pushed down my fear. I absolutely did not want to be alone in a dark forest at night, yet candles were hardly useful during daylight hours, so maybe they were trying to tell me something.
The stars came out, but no moon. The temperature dropped, and I shivered as it got colder.