1.24 {Karrick's Journey}

His body felt weightless, his soul felt calm. Inhaling deeply he scented pine, fresh earth, and the scent of pure water. Instead of the usual cacophony of sounds he could hear the wind whispering to the trees, birds twittering and the gurgling of water running over rocks. Sighing he opened his eyes and was so startled at what he saw he lost his focus and fell to the ground with a thump. Getting up he absently rubbed his backside as he stared at the scene before him.

Trees covered the plateau where before there had just been grass and empty space. His hearts started to hammer in his chest. "I made it, The Wise have granted me counsel," he whispered in his native tongue. It seemed appropriate to give thanks for such a miraculous event in the language he had grown up speaking. He stared down at the serenity pool at his feet. All R'ouglians kept serenity pools. What else could be so calming and yet so destructive? was a reflection of the struggles of the soul. A frog stared back at him before plopping into the water. Taking that as a sign to get moving Karrick edged his way around the pool and started forward.



He stared at the tiny tea table. He didn't know how long he had been meditating but he suddenly realized that his throat was dry. They must have anticipated as much to leave this for him. Sitting down he went about the ritual of making tea. When it was done he carefully poured a cup for himself. Inhaling the scent he closed is eyes and took a small sip.
One warrior to another I hail you Karrick K'atri.
The voice in his head was low, calm and spoke in his native tongue. He had a different accent but it was still like coming home. It didn't even startle him. It was almost as if he had been expecting him. Slowly he opened his eyes and was startled at what he saw before him.

"What do you wear Guardian?" he blurted out. The Guardian was a warrior that had been picked from birth and instructed on how to protect The Wise. It was his sole purpose for being. As far back as Karrick could remember The Guardian is what every warrior strived to be but once someone was picked they were rarely seen since The Wise weren't seen in public. They left everything and everyone behind to become the shield to The Wise. When they were seen the tales passed down were they were veritable giants, who had forbidding expressions and whose black robes would swallow up interlopers. The Guardian sitting before him was... none of those things. He had laugh lines around his mouth and eyes and he was wearing brightly colored clothes. He noticed that The Guardian was staring at him. He bowed his head.
Forgive me.
There is nothing to forgive. The Wise thought to amuse themselves at my expense. I see that now after studying your attire. It's not often we come to this plane.
And what plane is this?
Where they thought you would be most comfortable. A place for your troubled spirit to rest. Come tell me of Earth. I've watched it on occasion but there seems to be so much pain there. It hurts to look there for long.
But there is love there as well, brother. Karrick used the familial name that most warriors called each other. He waited to be reprimanded but the Guardian nodded.
Tell me of this love.
And so Karrick told him about Shakespeare and Byron. Of Jane Austen and Elizabeth Browning. Of Valentine's Day and Christmas. Lastly he told him of Ty and Kaylee.
Their love is a physical thing. They can't see it but the shimmering bonds that tie them are so strong and they wrap around each other. Always twirling and twining. It encompasses everyone they call family and friend...even I have been touched by it.
What is the R'ouglian equivalent of this emotion.
There...there is none.
The Guardian stared at him for a moment and then gestured to the table. The teapot and cups disappeared. Come. Let me take you to The Wise. You are ready now.

Getting up Karrick followed after the Guardian. The Guardian pointed out things that The Wise had put in place especially for him. The patch of flowers that looked out of place.
They know how much you enjoy flowers although you'll never admit it.
Karrick rubbed the back of his neck and kept silent as he heard the Guardian's laughter in his head. He pointed out the pond and the fish.
They remember how you liked to swim with the fish while you were growing up. We all remember how our world used to be covered in water, much like the old Earth. Now, it's a dry barren place.
You've been back?
Of course I've been back. The Wise give counsel to all and who needs more healing than the people back on our world? The ones who are sick and dying. The ones who are heartbroken over their lost loved ones. I have gone back many times. And no matter how many times I go back my hearts still cry.
Karrick opened his mouth to speak but snapped it closed when he heard a blood curdling shriek.
Warrior training took over as he and the Guardian rushed through the woods to get to The Wise.



"You cheat sister!"
Karrick's eyes welled with tears as he took in the scene before him. He dropped to his knees and bowed his head to the two standing before him playing an old traditional game.
"You honor me Wise Ones," he murmured. "It has been long since I've seen others that weren't on my ship. My hearts are every grateful that you heard me calling for your counsel and answered me."
"Karrick, we are honored to see you as well Brother. You've never sought our counsel so we knew it must be important."
Their voices sounded odd coming from them. It was hard to describe but he felt like an infant recognizing his mother's voice. Their voices were deep, yet not. Were young, yet old. He stared at the ground before him. There was a rustling and then a grinning face appeared before him.

"So serious Karrick. Look what Kava did to my hair. Pretty yes?"
He was startled. "My sister has been here?"
"I am called Nirvana. And yes, Kava has been to see us. Not here because we made this place for you, but she comes to visit us often. She wants to see us...not to ask for counsel."
He bowed his head further in shame. "I apologize most humbly. I-"
We do not tell you that for your apologies. My sister tells you this because you too can come to visit us whenever you like Karrick. Why have you not Brother?
Karrick swallowed and watched as Nirvana walked on her hands. She stuck her tongue out at him. "I-I..."
"Exactly. You don't know so you must come see us more!"

"Yay!"
Karrick looked up at that loud pronouncement then quickly looked back down.
"Come Karrick, I am called J'enshi. I can't see you but I can fill your reverence. Get up Brother. You are among friends. We don't mean to criticize. We know you meant well. Walk with us." She kissed his forehead then helped him up before slipping her hand in his.
"You weren't expecting us to look like this were you?" Nirvana asked as she slipped her small hand into his free hand.
"I don't know how I picture you," he said as a current went through his body. He seemed surrounded by knowledge. Looking at the tree in front of him it seemed as if he could hear it speaking to him.
"Because he is. This old oak is telling that he was once a sapling and now his roots run deep and strong."
"What my sister means is this is not how we are. We don't actually look this way but since your heart is troubled what better thing to lightened it than the innocence of a child? Especially children of your own race which you haven't seen for years."
"Decades. I have not seen little ones for decades."
"Yes, we know. And it pains you doesn't it? You always enjoyed the little ones. Sit down Karrick."

"We all carry burdens. We understand your sorrow at the lost of our people's children. It was always hard for us to have them to begin with but then when the disease hit it struck the women hardest. The fertility rate dropped drastically and then with our planet turning her back on us...it just made it that much harder." J'enisha sighed heavily.
Karrick blinked when a bubble floated by his face. He glanced over to see that Nirvana had a bottle of bubbles and was blowing enthusiastically. More bubbles filled the air and he smiled when Nirvana winked at him.
"But our troubles are like these bubbles compared to the grand scheme of things. Sometimes what weighs us down isn't as heavy as we first thought. Sometimes we just have to let those troubles bubble up and bring them into the light."
Karrick looked in the direction she nodded to see a bubble capture the reflection of the sun. It glowed brilliantly and iridescently for a moment before it seemed to wink out of existence.
"And when we bring them to the light and examine them sometimes they work themselves out and disappear. Tell us what troubles you Karrick."
"You don't know?"
"Of course we know. But knowing is the same as speaking it aloud. Is that not why you came? To speak with us?"
"Yes." He shifted on the ground trying to decide where he should start. Finally he decided to start with the easiest.
"Hannah. What-"

"Hannah!" Nirvana slashed a hand in the air and her upper lip curled in disgust. "If Hannah and Anastasha had left well enough alone maybe our planet wouldn't have revolted against us. Do people not understand they reap what they sow? She's destroyed lives, families. She's disgraced the R'ouglia way of life. We've always been a peaceful people. Naturally there has been some suspicion on us because of our...borrowing of the male species. We always return them but still. I guess humans don't look too kindly on being experiments."
Nirvana paced, her sneakers causing the debris to crackle under her sneakers. "It's one thing to take men who are looking at the stars wondering about other life forms. We do answers some of their questions before we return them. It's another thing completely to take life for selfish gain. When I think..."
She spun around and her shoulders shook slightly. Karrick looked down when J'enshi tapped his forearm.

"For Nirvana the pain is still fresh. One of her sisters was one of Hannah's experiments. We arrived too late to save her. The guilt...the guilt weighs heavily on our shoulders. We are the counselors to our people yet who can we turn to in our need?" She spread her arms wide and stared up at him from sightless eyes that he felt somehow saw everything.
He touched his lips then placed a palm over his chest in the R'ouglians gesture of sympathy. I mourn the loss of your sister as if she were my own. And if it were in my power I would take this burden from you. I am a warrior yet I cower on Earth doing nothing for my people.
She shook her head. "You live brother. And you still honor our traditions as well as those on Earth. What better way could you help our people by making a home for yourself? Would you rather we all die and be just a memory? No," she said with a shake of her head. "To live and to enjoy life is to honor all we have gone before you...and those that come after you."

She grinned cheekily up to him. "And now we come to the real reason why you seek counsel yes? Speak of it so we may rejoice with you."
"So it's true?"
She shrugged. "Is what true?"
He looked from her to Nirvana to see each of them staring at him expectantly. He swallowed dryly. "I've felt drawn to Kaylee for months now. It ate at me. She is my friend's wife. Why would I feel drawn to her? I examined my feelings and realized that I wasn't drawn to her as Ty is. He can barely keep his hands off of her. He tried to explain this 'attraction' but I don't get." He shrugged. "And yet, I felt this...pull to be near her. It suddenly became clear to me when I touched her stomach. Their child. I'm drawn to their child."
"And why is that Karrick?"
He shook his head. "It can't be. This doesn't happen."
"It happens. It's not a common occurrence but it happens. Look at your parents. You reject what they have by calling them your donors because you don't understand it. And because you don't understand it you think it doesn't happen? Silly boy."
"What did you feel Karrick?" Nirvana demanded.
He scrubbed a hand over his face. "I felt...I felt as if my life was no longer mine. That the baby residing in Kaylee's womb is now my life."
"A true mate bond!" Nirvana clapped and J'enshi giggled.
"I don't believe it. I don't want a true mate bond!"

"You would reject the Creator's gift to you? Why do your fear what you don't know?"
He stared down at her in stunned amazement. So it was true? The baby in Kaylee's womb was his destined mate? True mate bonds were a rare occurrence. True melding of the hearts. So true that when mate passed on into the next life the other mate didn't hesitate to follow. As far as he knew there had been no inter-speices true mate bonding. Usually the R'ouglians just provided donor material to make children. They didn't marry and sexual partners varied from the same sex to the opposite sex. But true mate bonds...it was like a marriage. They could communicate on an entirely different plane than others and there were no donors.
"I don't want to reject the gift but...how will this work? This baby will be human and-"
"Karrick, think. What do you feel when you imagine this baby marrying, having a life with someone else?"
His hand flew to his chest. It felt as if someone had just pierced his chest with an icy blade. He stared in dawning horror at The Wise. "I've already started the bonding process."
They nodded in unison. "The moment you touched Kaylee's stomach you imprinted yourself on the baby. Whether you like it or not Kaylee is the mother of a whole new generation of R'ouglians. She's going to give birth to a human baby whose union with you will generate the first natural hybrids. You are a warrior...you're going to create a whole new race. This is what you were saved for."

After they dropped that bombshell they told him to relax in the steaming pond. As if he could relax! Much to his surprise the soothing water and the steam soon relaxed his muscles and calmed his nerves enough for him to think clearly. A true mate bond was rare but...those involved in those pairings always seemed to radiate such peace. His...parents were always laughing and just enjoyed being in each others company. He remembered that he and his sister were always encompassed in that bubble. Well, at least he had been until he had decided that he wanted to be part of the Warrior class and had went off to school. He shook his head. How would he explain this to a human? They were so sensitive and believed in all that romantic drivel. He knew nothing about it. Maybe he could study up on it?
Closing his eyes he started to plan although he knew he had several years ahead of him but to him eighteen years, or however long it took for the child to mature, was not long at all considering that he had lived for over five hundred.

"One of these days Karrick, our home world will be whole once again and then those living on Earth will be able to go home without fear of death."
He grinned. "I can't wait for that day."
J'enshi buried her boots into the leaves before kicking them up. Leaves rained down on them and his grin widened into a smile as they bothed laughed. They fell into a friendly silence as they stared up at the birds flying overhead and the sun filtering through the leaves.
"Tell me, how did you two become The Wise?"
In unison they reached up and touched the marks on their face. "This marked us from the moment of our births. You willing placed the mark of the warrior on your face. We were born with it. It symbolizes that the Creator smiled upon us and placed the gift within us. Before we were old enough to realize it we were separated from the other children to be cultivated."
"You were lonely," he whispered in understanding.
"Being The Wise can be a lonely existence. We're both revered and feared. It's strange. While some look upon death with fear we look forward to it. Only than will we be free to just be."
"I had not realized how heavy a burden it was for you. Come, let us not speak of your burdens. We can be silent and just enjoy each others company."
They looked at him with wide smiles. "We would like that."
He nodded and they once again fell silent. He didn't know how long they sat their sharing random thoughts but after awhile he heard The Guardian clear his throat.
They have need of us elsewhere.

At once The Wise stood. "You've been here long enough Karrick. Your soul is refreshed. It's time for you to head back. You've been here longer than you think. Don't worry. You may visit us whenever you feel the need."
"Thank you for granting me this visit." May your path be blessed.
And may your journey end well, they responded in unison.
Grinning he got up and with a quick bow to them and The Guardian he turned on his heel and started to walk away.
Karrick!
He paused but didn't turn around. Yes?
Tell Kaylee that only fools hold onto hope when all seems hopeless. And only the truly hopeless are fools. Until we meet again brother.



They watched as he disappeared then started to giggle. "He's so confused by that last statement."
"Yes sister but only fools give up hope. Hope is what substains us when all else is lost. Kaylee still has a tough road ahead of her and if she gives up hope...then all may indeed be lost."