Trojian Horse

“What happened to him?” Roue asked.

“He’s on a journey into himself,” Gerin answered winking at Roue.

“What does that mean? Is he dead? What did you give him? Everything really is cryptic with you.”

The questions rolled out of Roue almost in a single breath, coupled with a look of incredulity. He jumped to his feet and stood over Arien trying to verify if there were any signs of life. Arien’s face looked rather uncomfortable, and when he extended his hand to touch him he found Arien was incredibly cold to the touch Arien’s forehead though, was dripping with sweat.

“Calm yourself Roue,” Gerin answered.

“No, really? What did you do to him?” Roue asked, hands on his hips insistent on receiving an answer.

“He’ll be fine. He’s just in a deep state of concentration to help him remember but the Thalios will also help him to see things that will help to fill the blanks in his mind. He will be made to understand his mission,” Gerin answered.

“I don’t know why I bothered to ask?”

“In a sense. But it’s much more than that. He’s very nearly there, physically. He can feel, hear, see everything even things that are not exactly not part of his memories. Essentially he’s a part of that world as much as he is part of this one.”

“How is that even possible?” Roue asked. Turo sat silently studying the inscriptions on the blade in her hand. Roue directed his next question at her. “Are you listening to any of this? How does this not mess with your head?”

Turo simply snickered at Roue and turned her attention back to her blade.

“The problem with your beings is that because you’ve seen some bits of the galaxy you tend to think you’ve seen everything there is to see and what you’ve seen is all there is to see. The universe is more than you could possibly imagine,” Gerin said.

“Do you always talk like this?” Roue asked.

“I know many things. I thought I told you this already. You better start listening because what I’m about to tell you is very important.”

“I don’t understand any of this. I don’t understand why I’m here and I certainly understand what or who you are.” Roue slumped to the floor and crossed his hands.

“It is all rather simple when you forget everything you think you know. The universe seems a lot more mythical when you look at it closer. What I like to call the micro world is more complex and confusing than anything you could ever imagine.”

“If your purpose was to confuse me even more you’re doing a great job.”

“Well,” Gerin laughed. “Let me put it to you this way, Yanwe is a being that is hard to fathom and that is mostly because creatures like you can only comprehend Him in ways that you can understand and you think that limits His existence to only those things you can understand and name. Yanwe is what you choose to name the parts of the universe that you don’t understand.”

“How do you mean?” Roue asked trying hard not to betray that he was interested in the answer.

“Yanwe is everything and nothing. He is a part of everything and part of the nothing in the something. He is the entire universe, which is why it appears the universe has a mind of its own. It actually does. And when the universe behaves in a way that seems to suggest it has a mind of its own you want to give it a name. Something different for each tribe, race, and society. Like I said the universe is more complex than you could imagine. You have no idea who the real gods are and if you did meet them you may not like them so much. Occasionally there are those who are given the ability to tap into this Universal Power and do things that defy reason, see things that normal beings wouldn’t see.”

“Such as?”

“Such as enabling Arien to be in two places at once.”

“I actually think I understood that.”

“Now you’ve started listening Roue. He was born on Ser-oos and he is the one of those who have that ability to tap into the power of the cosmos. He just doesn’t know it yet which is what necessitates this,” Gerin said and waved his hands over Arien as he described ‘this’.

“How did he come to be here?”

“Your friends of course. The Vulpeculae!”

“I see. And will I meet them?”

“Yes. Before the day is over you will all be reunited and depending on how this battle ends you will have a fair amount of time to think on old memories.”

“You’re not trying very hard to sound encouraging.”

“You were brought here because you can’t be conflicted about this fight anymore. It is only going to get harder and Arien will need your help.”

“My help? How am I going to help him?”

“He has immense power which is yet to discover which I hope will be enough to see through this battle but the war is far from over. Arien will need help connecting with his humanity. You are probably more human than he has ever been in his entire life so far.”

Roue sat thoughtfully for a few moments before answering.

“Say you’re right, so I’m only here to watch over him like his mother would?”

“I wouldn’t underestimate the importance of emotional support once you see what he could become. You too Turo,” Gerin said, casting a look in the direction of Turo who was still busy with her blade. “You need him more than you’ll ever know right now. And he you.”

Turo made no response and simply stared defiantly at Gerin.

“Children,” Gerin whispered to Trerin and Ferin. They nodded in agreement but maintained their silence.

“So, we just need to beat Reeger and all will be well in the universe, right? I can go back to my business of transportation?” Roue asked.

“I wish it were that simple or that final.”

“I get the feeling there’s still a lot you’re not telling me,” Roue said. “Who are you really?”

“I told you before Gerin, Trerin and Ferin. Since you asked so nicely; I am the Elder of time, Trerin is the Elder of Dimensions, yes those do exist, and Ferin is the Elder of the Elements.”

“What does that all mean?”

“Yes. Well, simply put I control time, and -”

“Trerin can access dimensions, and I’m guessing Ferin can manipulate the elements…that right?”

“As close to the truth as a mortal can get,” Gerin answered with a smile on his grey face.

“So if you’re so powerful why not just rid us of the problem of Reeger once and for all?”

“We can’t interfere remember? Except to tell you that you need to win and mentally prepare you for it.”

“Why not?”

“I’d tell you but it wouldn’t make sense to you right now. The next time we meet perhaps I’ll tell you. For now, time is really not on your side. Arien is going to get up soon and I need you to help him do what he asks of you. Both of you.”

“What? Aren’t you going to help us?”

“We already have. Our time together is almost at an end and it is up to you three to save them all.”

“That is a lot of pressure to put on me. Granted I’ll be happy to see my old friends again but this is all a bit too much for me. I don’t know if I can do this,” Roue said hanging his head.

“You can. And you will. Because there’s a warrior in you. There always has been.”

Turo stood up and went over to Gerin who whispered something in her ear. Roue could see a tear in her eye as she turned and left the room rather hurriedly.

“What’s that about?” Roue asked.

“Our time with her has also come to an end. We are the only parents she has known since she was born. You can understand why this may be hard for her right?”

“Maybe. Although there’s a lot I don’t understand about this entire situation. When will I see you again?”

“When the time is right,” came the reply.

’Of course, when else would it be?”

“We must go Roue. Watch Arien a little while longer. When he wakes up you need to put your hands in the flame, together with Turo, and think of where you need to go when you do. It will take you where you need to go. I expect you have one eagerly waiting to hear from you.”

“How do you guys really know the things you know?” Roue asked. “How do we know we can trust you?” By ‘we’ he really meant ‘I’.

“We wouldn’t hurt you Roue. Thanks to us you can breathe freely on this planet now and many others you will soon visit,” Gerin said. “Oh, and your helmet will be delivered to you here soon. I think you might need it really soon.”

Gerin stood up and winked at Roue who remained seated. Ferin, Trerin and Durbein followed him out of the room. They never came back to that room. Roue sat silently for a few moments after they left when a guard strolled into the room and handed him his helmet and earpiece. He tried the earpiece on and found he still could not communicate with the Rogue. Arien lay motionless for several minutes but then leapt to his feet when Turo walked into the room. His first words were about helping them escape. Roue couldn’t understand any of it of course and though he would have liked nothing better than to get back to the rogue and fly away, a sense of duty kept him on Trojian. He had to at least meet the Vulpeculae, to warn them. How he dearly missed Hethios. Turo was dressed for a battle.