OOC: Sorry for being so inactive, but Ive been writing little snatches of this post whenever Ive had spare time...anyway, its not done, but after today I wont be able to post until Monday, so heres the first half.
**Everything below in italics is spoken in Acaran.
Consciousness returned slowly, fading back into existence as did the memory of how she had arrived in this strange dimension. Feeling hard rock beneath her, Larra sat up and glanced around, though even her sharp violet eyes could see nothing in the dark. She felt calmer than before, as though she had been given time to think over her situation, and was prepared to deal with it. Now, Larra realized that the stifling sense of terror, overlaid with a memory of death and destruction, was not in her own mind, but here, scattered throughout the world.
Realizing that she no longer felt any pain, the Acaran raised her hand to the back of her head, feeling where she had hit it before. There was no cut, bump, or anything out of the ordinary, and her hair was soft and smooth as usual, showing no signs of having once been matted with blood. Larra frowned, confused.
A faint glow appeared off in the distance, and she turned her attention to it, squinting to make sense of it. Large, bulky shapes periodically passed in front of the light, causing it to blink every now and then. At first the vague glow, appearing intense in contrast to the thick darkness around her, seemed to be getting larger. When Larra became aware that it was actually coming closer, she was almost alarmed to realize that she felt no fear.
But by the time the form closed the distance between the two, Larra had no doubts as to who it was.
Carnexi, she asked quietly, staring up into the telepaths illuminated face, where are we? Is this somewhere in my mind again?
Smiling serenely, the women shook her head, but offered no other explanation. She seemed much different than she had in Larras mind, more commanding, more authorative.
Confused, Larra frowned. So why are you...out there? I mean, not in my mind?
We were hoping that you could figure that one out, another voice piped up, from directly behind her. Larra spun around as quickly as she could, only to find herself face to face with a second glowing form. The figure held up his hand in an attempt to stop her from asking any questions.
Who are- Larra began to say anyway, but was cut off as the wind picked up from nowhere, nearly knocking her off her feet. Another light appeared to her right, and Larra found herself staring at another women, who could have been easily been Carnexis younger sister.
If you want to know where you are, the woman commented, in her smooth, lilting voice. think about why you feel like you have been here before.
Or, another voice spoke out, as a fourth glowing form, a man, appeared, you could ponder why, though you are out in space, you are not dying of any of the countless ailments that afflict unprotected people out here.
I dont know, Larra said helplessly, staring out at the people around her. The glow from their bodies now illuminated more of her surroundings, and she realized that she had been standing on a small asteroid. Others, stretching farther than she could see, were the only distraction from the engulfing blackness. There were no stars.
Then how come there is gravity? And why do you feel the pain of this world? This time the new voice was right in her left ear, nearly causing Larra to fall off her rock with surprise. This place, this world full of the lingering aura of death and cold shock of still terror, combined with these glowing spirits who knew what she was feeling and seemed to relish in using that information to confused her, were becoming far too much. Larra hadnt exactly been stable before entering the strange dimension, but now she was falling apart. Overwhelmed, she sat back down on her asteroid and tried to block out everything around her.
Watch it, Desrin, One of the men glared at the most recent arrival. Dont scare her.
Im not afraid, Larra lied from down on her rock. The thought had just occurred to her that with Carnexi out here, Nevell might be too.
As if she had heard her name being thought, the Second Telepath floated down to the asteroid to stand beside the confused Seventh. Carnexi, wheres Nevell? Larra asked softly, fearing the answer but using a tone that demanded the truth.
Safe, the glowing woman replied. In here. She made a move as if to tap Larras forehead, but didnt quite connect the touch. Thats when it hit her. Ghosts. Or spirits. They were spirits.
Backing off to let Larra adjust to this new idea, Carnexi met the eyes of the others. Almost immediately, the five moved together, so Larra wouldnt have to look around constantly to see them.
The spirit that appeared oldest floated a little ahead and snapped his transparent fingers in front of Larras face. Though theoretically it shouldnt, he snap still made a sound, echoing eerily around the empty dimension before fading into nothing. Blankly, she stared up into his eyes. She wouldnt call him old, exactly, especially because he looked like he could have been in his early twenties. But there was something in his eyes, an ageless quality that proved this man was thousands of years old. Volicia, he commanded, Listen up. We probably dont have much time.
Larra snapped back into reality a little at the sound of what Nevell had said was her Acaran name. If this was reality. It sure didnt seem like it. First, tell me who you all are. she demanded. It seemed right to speak her native language with these people.
The ghost smiled. I am Levvitt, the First Telepath. Its me you got that unfailing intuition of yours from. He turned and gestured with a hand, past Carnexi, to the other woman. This is the person responsible for making you think that the wind is always whispering to you. I give you Santora the Windtalker, Third Telepath of the Acarans." Santora smiled and inclined her head forward in a nod. Several strands of windswept hair fell into her face, a trait Larra recognized in herself.
Levvitt continued his introduction with the last two men. Desrin, the Fifth Telepath, was known for his teleporting abilities, while to the Sixth, Retren, any mind was an open book. Carnexis specialty, Larra remembered, was healing. Hers was dimensional travel.
The Seventh nodded slowly, unsure what to say. These five people had been in her head all her life, yet she had never been able to speak freely with them, save her brief chat with Carnexi during Nevells reign. They knew her better than she knew herself, yet they might as well have never existed for all she knew of them.
Nevell couldnt make it to the introduction," Desrin said cheerily, "Hes a little tied up at the moment." The other four spirits rolled their eyes at the terrible joke.
"Look what we have to suffer through, Carnexi gestured towards him, smiling at Larra, who, for once in her life, was quiet and a little shy.
Lets get down to business, Retren announced, fixing his fierce, mind piercing stare on Larra. That, too, she had seen in herself. "Volicia, where do you think you are?
She met his gaze solidly, wishing she could ask him to just call her Larra. But from what she understood, it was an insult to ask him to call her something other than her Acaran name, and to refuse to call him by his was saying the same thing. Confusing.
"If I didnt know better," Larra said quietly, making her best guess, "Id say this was, or used to be, my homeworld."
Slowly, Levvitt nodded. It is.
"So the answer to all those questions before, Larra continued, still confused, Was simply because this is whats left of my home?" It felt extremely strange for her to say the words my and home in the same sentence. She was a nomad, home was nowhere.
Yes and no, Carnexi answered. You have gravity, air, and warmth because your mind automatically assumed, when you arrived, that it should be here. Well explain that better later. What I want to know is, why arent you searching this dimension with your mind? I thought Darbain would have taught you better than that. I suggest you do that now.
Though she had been about to protest that she had tried to search the dimension upon her arrival, but that her probes had bounced back, Larra decided that humoring them would take a lot less time than convincing them.
She sent her mind out again, realizing all too soon why she had messed up before. In a panic, she had put more strength to the task as needed. Her thoughts had not been thrown back at her, they had rebounded off the limits of the dimension.
With no trouble at all, Larra quickly took inventory of the entire, lifeless world. It took shockingly little effort, and to her surprise, she suddenly knew exactly how many asteroids were there. It was easy to mentally leave her body behind, and coast with her minds eye through the asteroid field, zooming in on anything of interest. Focusing her thoughts more on things closer to her body, Larra was stuck with another sensation, one that she realized she had been searching for all her life.
The contrast was like using a butter knife to cut something, then swapping over to one of her sharp swords. Larra had been sensing other telepathies, such as weave, with the dull butter knife. She could tell they were there, but everything seemed so fuzzy and incomplete. Now she had the sword in her hand, focusing her attention on the signals put out by the only other chae telepaths she had ever met.
It was incredible, how clear and concise everything seemed. She didnt have to struggle, not even a little, to become aware of the goings-on here. After a moment, Larra convinced herself to return to her physical plane of awareness, only to find her senses still just as strong. The Five stood before her still, each wearing a big grin.
Okay, I give," Larra didnt blame them, she couldnt stop smiling either. "Maybe there is something to this place after all.
I dont know how you live with your senses all in a mess out there in those other worlds. Santora commented, If you ever need an advantage in battle, this is the place to go. Your abilities will be back up where they should be, and after a while maybe we can live here.
Larra cast her psychicly enhanced gaze around the dimension again, searching for whatever had given Santora the idea that it was habitable. But this place is....empty, she objected, confused.
Desrin shrugged, You can change that. It is your world, after all.
My world? Larra was beginning to believe that she was unconscious who-knows-where, having the strange dream to top all. Why is it my world?
Besides there obvious job of keeping the peace, Levvitt explained, We telepaths also had much influence over the world itself, keeping it safe for the Acaran people. Now theyre gone, and were a part of you, not including the fact that youre one of us in the first place. That makes it your world. You command it.
Larra raked a hand through her hair, attempting to make sense of this all. If this wasnt a dream, all that time in her mind must have scrambled the telepaths brains. People cant command worlds," she protested, What is there to command?
Youve even been in a world that was commanded by another, Retren commented. You must of some idea of the concept."
I have? Where?
He smiled. The Coded World. If Darbain were to one day decided gravity should disappear, it would without hesitation, and no one but he would have the power to change it back.
Larra thought this over. It made sense, she realized, after seeing some of the things he could do. That makes one out of...how many new things had she been told today?
"I understand Darbain, she said finally, "but were not weave users. What allows us to alter the weaves here like he does?
I think youve been around those Vell-os for far too long, Retren declared, smirking. There are no weaves here.
OOC: Now to go back and see if I got all those dang tags right...
Edit: There's always one..
Edit2: Err...two?
This post has been edited by Synesthesia : 04 October 2004 - 09:46 PM