Elsteba looked out over the land, her emotions turning over in her stomach. She sat on an outcropping that overlooked the whole area she had become familiar with the past few days. From her perch, she could see the vast expanse of the ocean, as well as the small island that Amorak lived on, as well as the place where the other three members of the party now stood. Amorak was still out cold with no real guess as to when he would arise.
Now that she was alone, without the constant strange happenings occuring everywhere she looked, she got her first real opportunity to mull over what had happened over the course of the few days.
Where am I, she thought, and how can I get home? And then outloud, projecting her voice out as far as she could, "Where am I?!?"
The only response was her own anguished voice crying back to her from off in the distance. She felt so very alone, and so very homesick. Jacob had been sent here from his home, and this was Amorak's home. As for Alsifar, from what he had said, he didn't really have a home, and even then he still had come willingly and knowingly. Only she didn't have a real reason to be here; she didn't even know how she got here, and much less what she was supposed to do now that she was here, if she was supposed to do anything.
She brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. She felt so feeble and weak for even thinking these things. At home (wherever home was) she had been tough and independent. Whenever a boy had approached her with the assumption that she was easy, they quickly learned otherwise. At home, she was a master. Here, she could barely be considered a puppet, and likely no more useful than a rock thrown at a mirror.
"Having a rough time, little one?"
Elsteba whirled around, startled. Standing behind her, barely visible in the sunlight, was Athelia.
"Don't scare me like that!" Elstema yammered out, "I nearly swallowed my lungs!"
Heart still pumping, Elsteba stood up. How long had she been there?
"I am sorry. I could tell you were thinking, and what you were thinking about was causing you some concern."
"...you are correct," said Elsteba. Then she turned her back on the teacher and stared out over the ocean, not looking at any particular thing.
Without looking, she could feel that Athelia was still there, watching her. How she longed to be alone with her thoughts, so she could at the very least savor the peace of the moment.
"Do you wish to talk, little one?" asked Athelia tentatively, "I am a hologram, and so I am a very good listener."
Elsteba almost immediately flatly refused her offer, but something inside her begged to tell, needed to spill her sorrow onto another person. A sorrow shared was a sorrow relieved.
"...alright," Elsteba said finally, "Just promise you won't tell the others."
"You have my word."
So Elsteba recounted her past. She told of how the school system always seemingly treated her unfairly, how she had always felt as if something was wrong, and how she had no real friends. She then talked of what had happened in the transfer tube, how she got stuck, how she walked through abyss, and how she eventually found herself on the patch of grass.
"...And even when I was comfortable, Amorak stormed over the next morning and got mad at me for laying on his property," Elsteba concluded, "I don't blame him or harbor any mean thoughts. I just think of how fate must enjoy keeping me constantly unhappy."
Athelia was silent for a small while, and Elsteba couldn't make out her facial features to distinguish what she was thinking - she was hard enough to see in the light, any attemp to make out details was futile.
"You have been under a great deal of stress," she finally said, her eyes kind and full of motherly affection. The look puzzled Elsteba, for she had never seen that expression directed at her before. "However, " Athelia continued, "you show great promise, little one. To be as strong as you are and still be able to feel these emotions...that shows you are among the great of your kind. You are a prodigy, and, sadly, prodigies are rarely happy for a great deal of time into their lives.
"But do not lose hope, little one. You have the power to shape a wonderful future for a great many people, and in so doing, find your true happiness. Have faith. When you find your happiness, it will be greater than the happiness of anyone else in existance, and you can count yourself among the great and true of all time."
Elsteba was left astonished at her words. To think she may be a prodigy was, of course, absurd. She was a normal person who has had a lifelong string of bad luck, and that was all. And yet...
A warmth from deep inside of her filled Elsteba with a simmering passion. She could feel it working through every fiber of her being, from the tips of her fingers to the tapers of her hair. For the first time in her life, she had an overlying purpose blossom forth. She didn't yet know what the purpose was, but the mere feeling made her leap inwardly with joy.
Athelia watched her with quiet amusement, then said, "Come, little one. Your friend stirs and will wake soon."
Now that she was alone, without the constant strange happenings occuring everywhere she looked, she got her first real opportunity to mull over what had happened over the course of the few days.
Where am I, she thought, and how can I get home? And then outloud, projecting her voice out as far as she could, "Where am I?!?"
The only response was her own anguished voice crying back to her from off in the distance. She felt so very alone, and so very homesick. Jacob had been sent here from his home, and this was Amorak's home. As for Alsifar, from what he had said, he didn't really have a home, and even then he still had come willingly and knowingly. Only she didn't have a real reason to be here; she didn't even know how she got here, and much less what she was supposed to do now that she was here, if she was supposed to do anything.
She brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. She felt so feeble and weak for even thinking these things. At home (wherever home was) she had been tough and independent. Whenever a boy had approached her with the assumption that she was easy, they quickly learned otherwise. At home, she was a master. Here, she could barely be considered a puppet, and likely no more useful than a rock thrown at a mirror.
"Having a rough time, little one?"
Elsteba whirled around, startled. Standing behind her, barely visible in the sunlight, was Athelia.
"Don't scare me like that!" Elstema yammered out, "I nearly swallowed my lungs!"
Heart still pumping, Elsteba stood up. How long had she been there?
"I am sorry. I could tell you were thinking, and what you were thinking about was causing you some concern."
"...you are correct," said Elsteba. Then she turned her back on the teacher and stared out over the ocean, not looking at any particular thing.
Without looking, she could feel that Athelia was still there, watching her. How she longed to be alone with her thoughts, so she could at the very least savor the peace of the moment.
"Do you wish to talk, little one?" asked Athelia tentatively, "I am a hologram, and so I am a very good listener."
Elsteba almost immediately flatly refused her offer, but something inside her begged to tell, needed to spill her sorrow onto another person. A sorrow shared was a sorrow relieved.
"...alright," Elsteba said finally, "Just promise you won't tell the others."
"You have my word."
So Elsteba recounted her past. She told of how the school system always seemingly treated her unfairly, how she had always felt as if something was wrong, and how she had no real friends. She then talked of what had happened in the transfer tube, how she got stuck, how she walked through abyss, and how she eventually found herself on the patch of grass.
"...And even when I was comfortable, Amorak stormed over the next morning and got mad at me for laying on his property," Elsteba concluded, "I don't blame him or harbor any mean thoughts. I just think of how fate must enjoy keeping me constantly unhappy."
Athelia was silent for a small while, and Elsteba couldn't make out her facial features to distinguish what she was thinking - she was hard enough to see in the light, any attemp to make out details was futile.
"You have been under a great deal of stress," she finally said, her eyes kind and full of motherly affection. The look puzzled Elsteba, for she had never seen that expression directed at her before. "However, " Athelia continued, "you show great promise, little one. To be as strong as you are and still be able to feel these emotions...that shows you are among the great of your kind. You are a prodigy, and, sadly, prodigies are rarely happy for a great deal of time into their lives.
"But do not lose hope, little one. You have the power to shape a wonderful future for a great many people, and in so doing, find your true happiness. Have faith. When you find your happiness, it will be greater than the happiness of anyone else in existance, and you can count yourself among the great and true of all time."
Elsteba was left astonished at her words. To think she may be a prodigy was, of course, absurd. She was a normal person who has had a lifelong string of bad luck, and that was all. And yet...
A warmth from deep inside of her filled Elsteba with a simmering passion. She could feel it working through every fiber of her being, from the tips of her fingers to the tapers of her hair. For the first time in her life, she had an overlying purpose blossom forth. She didn't yet know what the purpose was, but the mere feeling made her leap inwardly with joy.
Athelia watched her with quiet amusement, then said, "Come, little one. Your friend stirs and will wake soon."
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