Awoken (23 page)

“What are you trying to do?” Ohm asked quietly in an understanding tone.

“I am trying to connect with Kai’s ember the way that the Enlightened do,” Oa replied as he concentrated.

“That form of meditation takes time, Oa. You have no ember with which to connect to Kai’s. I’m afraid such a focus may never be attained by you,” Ohm said heavily as he sat down cross-legged on the couch next to his pupil. He placed the ember in his palm, focusing as he had countless times before. “I used to do this with Ari’s ember,” he explained softly. After some time he handed the ember back to Oa. “This is full of memories—good and bad, though the brightest by far were the weebles she shared with us, a beautiful painting of happiness and friendship. Kai died at peace.”

Oa held the stone, focusing intently. “I wish I could feel that too.” Frustration filled the young Awoken.

“Here, let me keep watch over her for you,” Ohm said, standing up. He took the ember and placed it into the pocket on his hip. “Do not become obsessed with the embers as I did, Oa. You are a creature of more than the past or future. Unlike the Awoken around us, your gaze can pierce through what has been and what could be. You perceive how things truly should be in the p-present …” he stumbled backwards slightly.

“Ohm, what’s wrong?” Oa asked concerned.

“I am not sure … I am losing my sight, I-I can’t focus,” Ohm stuttered. His hand reached up to the side of his head.

“You are falling asleep again,” Fred informed.

“No, this is different. I can feel it. The timing is too coincidental. Oa, this is a trap. Do not trust her,” Ohm sputtered frantically before he collapsed limply back into the chair.

“Ohm slept too recently. This timing implies sabotage of some sort. Expect them to return before Ohm wakes,” Fred cautioned.

No sooner had Fred spoken the ominous prediction than the whine of an engine sounded from outside the balcony. Oa took up a defensive stance in front of Ohm as Abur and his warriors stepped into the room. Abur nodded toward Ohm’s reclining figure concealed behind Oa.

“Your friend isn’t well. It’s to be expected from a Sleeper,” Abur said. His voice held deception.

“You didn’t know Ohm was a sleeper,” Oa accused.

“Do not fight us, Oa. We seek only the betterment of all Awoken. Is that not your goal, too?” Abur asked, his voice slightly pleading.

Oa considered the question for a moment, then he relaxed and called Seeker back. The orb dropped lightly into his satchel. Susan hovered protectively beside him, the violet light of her eyes flashed at Abur. Oa rested his hand calmly on her head. “I’ll do whatever it takes to protect these Awoken. I don’t fully understand what I am, but I’m not your enemy. I’ll come with you.”

Abur nodded and strode from the room. Oa looked back at Ohm the Sleeper, infected and motionless. He did not know what to do. His mentor had left him at a crucial moment. He hoped Ohm’s suspicions were wrong, but he felt a growing dread, as if his fate was sealed. Oa did not know what awaited him, but he held on to his desire to aid the Awoken.
I must not compromise on that conviction
. He faced forward and walked out onto the balcony with Susan. Together they boarded the transport. Susan huddled close to Oa, shielding him from the fierce wind as they returned to the city.

Back in the room, Ohm lay still. His left hand shifted suddenly, as the old Awoken fought to free himself of the infection that had chained him for so long.

Oa and Susan were taken to the edge of the city, straight toward the rock face that led up to the peak. As they neared the stone, Oa could see that the fissure in the rock was actually a trail. A long series of switchbacks had been hewn out of the granite. The transport barge coasted out from under the city shell, halting at the beginning of the trail. The passengers climbed off the ship and its engines revved up, quickly returning the vessel to the city.

“We will make the remainder of the journey on foot. This path is sacred,” Abur informed Oa.

The three Enlightened warriors started up the trail. Oa and Susan looked back at the city and the tower where Ohm was sleeping. After a moment, they turned and followed Abur. There were no special adornments to mark the beginning of the path. It was simple and barren, cut deep into the rock. The walls, floor, and ceiling were smooth. Oa wondered what had created the path. It led in an upward slope. When it reached a corner, the trail looped around through a brief tunnel in the mineral to head the other way. The path switched directions numerous times as it climbed up the peak. Oa spent most of his time looking down as they hiked above of the city. At one point, he noticed a glowing pale-green fuzz that poked through cracks in the stone.

“What is this?” Oa asked, reaching to touch the soft organic material.

Abur and his soldiers halted briefly. “The remaining life that still chooses to come from the ground. All other rock is barren but this one,” he replied reverently over his shoulder.

They continued on in the fading twilight of the cycle, always moving upwards toward the peak—the pinnacle of Oa’s journey. Ever since he had spotted the mountain on the horizon, he had somehow known he would end up at the point where sky met land.

The hike dragged on, as if it would never end. Oa had time to think about what potential decisions awaited him. He wished the trek to be eternal, but eventually all paths reach a destination. Oa rounded another bend in the trail and saw the route conclude before him on a ledge atop the stone they had been hiking through. Overhead, the grand structure of the Temple of Souls fanned out in a broad arc. A crystal-clear stairway climbed from the clearing high over their heads and into open air. The stairs led out to an opening in the far edge of the temple floor.

Oa hesitantly stepped onto the first step behind the confident strides of Abur, Trae, and Kendry. The lack of any railing made Oa uneasy as he tried to walk with confidence. Susan hovered close. She rested her paws on either side of him, steadying his balance as he climbed. He took comfort in the varl’s company. Emerging up through the temple floor, Oa found himself standing on the edge of the platform that the Temple of Souls rested on. He was finally able to fully appreciate the view. He looked out across the mountain that extended far below. The black line on the horizon had thickened. The Void had moved, Oa was sure of it. The abyss was closer than it had been before.
I hope this meeting is quick. The other Enlightened forces need our help dealing with the Legion
, he thought to himself.

Oa turned back and strode around the entrance in the floor. He followed Abur to the gates of the temple. The structure was an elegantly arching half-shell, opaque like the city below. Ascending up from the temple’s center was a tower composed of six metal pillars. The thick columns sat in a semicircle against the flat face of the rock, stretching up to the peak. Energy coursed up the pillars, becoming a beacon in the sky. The peak lay in the brightest spot. The Awoken walked toward a set of stately white gates. A guard stood to the left of the entrance, still as stone. Abur raised his arms, and the gates swung open for him.

They entered the Temple of Souls, passing underneath the huge archway. Oa looked up at the roof overhead. The interior of the ceiling was transparent. Like the city below, it revealed the beauty of the sky above. Shards of translucent crystal hung from the ceiling of the immense chamber. Oa likened the hanging crystals to the stalactites from the Marauder’s cave. He was reminded of his first adventure with Ohm. The stalactites gleamed as reflections of sky-light lit them. The rays twinkled through the facets of countless soul embers that were stored within the stalactites. Oa looked closer and realized each ember seemed to rest in a special slot that had been custom-cut for it.

At the rear of the chamber, a round flight of stairs rose up to a platform. From this platform, the six pillars rose up to the peak. In between the two center masts, another archway led to an antechamber enclosed by the colonnades. In front of the arch stood a figure clothed in white. One hundred of the finest Enlightened Warriors were stationed around the stairs, guarding the chamber. They stood in an intricate formation, unmoving and serene.

Oa followed Abur through the display, stopping at the base of the stairs. The figure above gazed down on him.

“I have brought him before you. He is a loyal comrade and was an integral part of our victory. I request your haste and fairness with these proceedings. We must depart soon if we are to aid Iron Flower and Cycle’s Light,” Abur said stiffly.

“There will be no need for that, Abur. I thank you for your valiant service. The end of the conflict will be decided here and now,” the figure above said sweetly.

Abur and his two warriors stood to the side of Oa becoming motionless.

“Now?” Oa asked in bewilderment, but Abur did not respond. Oa looked back up toward the figure at the top of the stairs.
This must be Lida or the Esteemed Seven
, he thought to himself. She wore a long flowing white gown and her face was soft with one singular face plate, smooth and round. It glowed softly. She was the image of grace and elegance.

“Why did you bring me here?” Oa asked impatiently, his voice projecting through the temple.

“I am the Esteemed Seven. You are here because you contain the power to end this war,” Lida said. Her voice was soft and soothing.

Oa stood straight. “I am prepared to do that.”

“Are you?” Lida asked.

“Of course I am,” Oa insisted in confusion. “I’ll do anything to help the Awoken. I already proved my willingness to defend them.”

“Oa, your existence conflicts with Eol’s. It is a conflict that has now consumed most all of this world. I ask not for your resolve to fight Eol but for your willingness to give yourself to him,” Lida said. Her soft words crashed down on Oa. From the chamber behind her a familiar figure strode out to stand next to her. Oa instantly recognized the shrouded effigy of evil.

“Eol!” Oa could not help but cry out the name in shock.

“Eol is an entity that exists to counter the mathematical impossibility you pose, Oa. An Awoken of such pure creative power cannot exist without an equally opposite creature of chaos. If you fight, the conflict will consume this world; but if you concede, Eol’s lust for death will be sated, and he will leave us. In this pure glimmer of life, at the focal point of the Great Planes, we who remain shall protect our past, haunted not by the ravages of creation or destruction. It is what is best,” Lida explained softly.

“Yes, Oa. Do you not want your friend Kai to be kept safe? All of her memories? The joy and happiness you shared—don’t let that fade away,” Eol whispered. His chilling voice rippled through the air causing Oa to shudder slightly. Susan growled next to him.

“You’re lying, Eol! You will devour this city all the same,” he called back.

“He is not lying, Oa. You know that it was your coming which gave Eol strength. The Void’s movement accelerated when you launched from the sacred circle atop this mountain,” Lida countered, her voice calm.

“Your perfect nature empowers me. It enrages me with an unending hunger, driving me to consume this world. If we oppose each other, all things will end; but if you let go and cease to be, I can preserve this existence forever,” Eol said, his voice thick with a mixture of hatred, bitterness, and despair.

Oa spun around looking everywhere, seeking answers; but nothing could be gleaned from the stagnant atmosphere of the hall. He wanted to question Lida and every Awoken in the room to reason further, but his path had led him into a corner. He could no longer run. His choice was either to fight for himself or let go. No one else around would join him.
Susan would stand by me
, Oa thought happily to himself, but such loyalty should be rewarded not abused. He knew struggle would only lead to greater loss. His shoulders slumped slightly in defeat. Lida made sense. Ohm had confirmed the connection between Eol and Seeker. This was not how Oa wanted his journey and purpose to end, but he also felt doubt. Perhaps he had been wrong all along.
My dream must be flawed. If I want to stop Eol I must let go of my vision
, he thought sadly.

“Susan, please stay here. Protect Ohm now. Even if Eol goes back on his word, he should be too weak to bring the Void any further once I’m gone. You will be able to defeat him,” Oa said embracing Susan. She growled in frustration but remained in her spot. She nudged Oa comfortingly as he stepped forward to slowly walk up the stairs toward his end.

“Do not be afraid, Oa. My law is truth. Your sacrifice will preserve this world and all its memories, the beauty of its entirety,” Eol said with honest conviction.

Oa did not respond as he walked up the stairs in silence. He reached into his satchel and held Seeker again. His heart tugged at him, reminding him of all the potential he had, all the things he wanted to do. Oa wanted to mend others, to turn the tide of decay into a rushing wave of growth. Finally, he understood his mentor.
We feel the same. Like our existence is just a cruel trick. The only good it seems I can do for this world is to leave it
. He had failed: Buri, Ibra, Jad, and Kai had all died. Like Ohm, Oa had saved no one. Now he had a chance to act in accordance with his bold words; to protect what remained of the Great Planes. He could save the world he was responsible in part for destroying.

Oa began to walk with purpose. His beginning was inevitable, as was his end. Even in the face of destruction, he would never stop believing in the Awoken; in the good he had seen. The Marauders and Kai had given themselves to protect others. Oa had inherited the same task. The remaining Awoken would thrive in the cradle of the mountain. They would grow and create. They would find a way to give the embers life again. Somehow they would push back the Void. All would be well, and Oa’s end would make sure of it.

Oa neared the top of the stairs, looking up at the last few steps. Eol stood, staff held at his side. The softly glowing face of Lida looked down on him, her arms held out in acceptance and gratitude.