The Emerging Part I: Dream

Santhemum’s mother and the squat man embrace with Santhemum warmly before they all turn to face Vaiqon directly. Vaiqon nods towards Santhemum’s mother and the squat man, but says, “Santhemum, if you would desire, you can bring with you one of your most prized possessions.”

Santhemum merely gazes at Vaiqon as if staring directly into his aura, then nods, and disappears inside the house. Vaiqon then gestures for Santhemum’s mother and the squat man to accompany him well out of ear shot of the boys that are behaving uncharacteristically well.

Vaiqon then speaks, “Rose, your daughter has surpassed the obstacle course, the first Southern has seen in quite some time. And the first girl to have surpassed the obstacle course in and even longer time.”

Rose blanches at the fact that Vaiqon knew her name, but then steels herself to say, “And, with this accomplishment, does this mean she can go to the Injhihato?”

Vaiqon nods warmly, “Yes, should she so choose, the choice is entirely hers. Though, from glancing into her memories and learning of her past, I can predict with great certainty that she will be more than eager to venture to the Injhihato where her training to become a Rniti will take place.”

Rose nods, her thoughts of Santhemum leaving for years to come the only thoughts worth her time at the present, but the squat man glares at Vaiqon.

“What do you mean you’ve learned of her past?” the squat man demands. “Santhemum rarely speaks, there is no way she talked to a stranger like you. I don’t care who you are.”

“Tristan,” Rose chides, her eyes burning into the squat man.

Tristan waves Rose away, “No, I wanna know what Vaiqon knows, honey.”

Vaiqon looks down, breathes deeply, and says, “I have observed that your daughter is the culprit behind the murder of the man that has spread as wildfire. In fact, Rose, you are projecting feelings of utter happiness and joy at the fact that this man is dead for this man once was your husband, a most evil, abusive, pathetic excuse for a man, but your husband nonetheless.”

Rose starts at the blunt accusation and does not speak nor try to defend the truth of the statement, but Tristan glares at Vaiqon with even more fury. Tristan must look up into Vaiqon’s eyes, but says, “There’s no way you can know all that just by what you’ve heard around town. The man’s only been dead two days.”

“Less than that even,” Vaiqon counters, “Santhemum killed him two nights ago at the change of the guards. A most brilliant choice on her part.”

“Quit accusing my little girl of murder!” Tristan explodes.

“She’s not your little girl, Tristan,” Rose not unkindly states as fact. She looks deep into Tristan’s eyes, “I will not deny that I am more than glad that my terrible marriage is over, and I will not deny that I am more than glad that our treacherous affair is no longer a sinful occurrence. But, I will never admit that my daughter has the capability of murder,” she says the last statement after turning to stare directly into Vaiqon’s eyes.

Vaiqon raises his hands, palm outward in a sign of calm, “I am not investigating nor passing judgement. I am merely saying that Santhemum has great potential in her and that the Rniti will be more than welcoming of her skills and ferocity. We have been lacking in that as of late.”

Rose beams, but Tristan merely glares slightly at the Rniti before him.

Santhemum exits the house with sadness on her face. She glances around to see the boys hovering by a merchant stand performing wonderful feats of mystery, then turns to her right to see Vaiqon in discussion with her mother and soon to be step-father.

She walks to join the adults where Vaiqon seems to quiet the conversation in light of her arrival. She shrugs then stares at Vaiqon with wide eyes. Vaiqon reads Santhemum’s aura briefly before nodding solemnly.

“It is okay, little one,” Vaiqon says. “It is not required to take anything with you but your aura and self.”

Santhemum continues to stare at Vaiqon, her expression nearly blank.

“She will have a possession to take with her,” Rose states.

Santhemum turns to look at her mother. Rose then raises her arms to her neck where she unclasps the golden cheetah necklace she has worn ever since she was a little girl. She kneels then takes Santhemum’s arm where she then overturns Santhemum’s hand. She places the cheetah holding a rose necklace into her daughter’s hand where she closes Santhemum’s hand tightly around the pendant.

Santhemum smiles widely at her mother where they then embrace warmly. Vaiqon smiles at the scene before him and then leaves the odd family to say their farewells while he moves to gather the boys.

Santhemum separates from her mother where she turns to face Tristan. Tristan smiles, kneels, and embraces with Santhemum, but distantly. Santhemum separates from Tristan, turns to her mother, stares directly, deeply into Roses’ eyes, and says, “I love you,” before she turns on her heels and walks straight for Vaiqon and the boys.

Vaiqon smiles warmly as he feels Santhemum’s presence approaching. He then waves farewell to Santhemum’s mother and leads the group through the Central Trading Circuit and to the northern gate where they find their waiting batch of horses and gear. Vaiqon purchases one more horse and set of gear for Santhemum, and they all set off on a lax pace through the plains towards the west.

Santhemum turns in her saddle at the most opportune moment to see the domed Trading Circuit, the largest building in all of Southern, disappear under the horizon. Her serene green eyes twinkle with a tear, but she does not let it fall.

Santhemum turns to face front and steels herself into utter concentration.