Dreamwalker 14
-SoYa has come-come back?- the soft melodic voice questioned from behind him.
The mind mage glanced up into the quizzical face of Hunt, who watched him with growing curiosity. Finally, he nodded, “Yes. I came back. I just needed a place to think about things.”
After the falling out between Fu, AsaHi and himself, SoYa wasn’t sure where to turn. Maybe he should have gone back to his office to organize his requests as he said he would. But his own mind was cluttered with stress, guilt and confusion. He knew that if he wanted to approach this conundrum correctly, he needed to sort through it from the inside out.
Instead, he went back to the great Zemitree. Something about the glade was soothing and protected, somewhere that he could mull through his thoughts and clear his mind. A place where he could coordinate a plan for how he was going to deal with Fu’s situation.
-Something wrong?- Hunt asked, crouching down next to SoYa quietly. The Ingway’s tail flicked back and forth in quick, subtle motions, demonstrating his concern.
SoYa’s first instinct was to deny the issue and reassure the creature that all was well. But something about that felt wrong, especially after the Ingways had openly accepted him and shared so much.
“Actually,” SoYa answered instead, “There are problems at home. With my son. With the Manor.”
The two pointed ears shifted forward, indicating the willingness to listen. –Speak-speak. It is not a trouble.-
“If you’re sure you want to hear…”
-I will hear-hear,- Hunt nodded patiently.
SoYa began to talk, to explain the situation. At first, the words came to him slowly, cautiously. As he spoke, realizing that the Ingway had no associations with the Manor, he began to loosen up and say the things that he never expressed before. The mind mage told of the rising darkness within the heart of the institution that once protected and taught. He spoke of the frustration and helplessness he felt in what the Manor was doing to Fu.
“I don’t know what to do,” SoYa ended, spreading his hands. “I’m afraid if I act out, it could be a danger to Fu and AsaHi. I don’t worry about what might happen to myself, but if my family has to pay for my actions, I can’t forgive myself.”
-Then do not act-act out. Not where it is seen-seen,- Hunt suggested.
“What do you mean?” the mind mage furrowed his brows.
-If it was-was my kit, I would fight,- the Ingway’s tail flicked with more intensity. –But unable to fight-fight openly, fight-fight secretly.-
“Secretly? Like a resistance?” SoYa shook his head, dismissing it at once. “There’s nothing that goes on that the Masters don’t know about. I couldn’t keep it a secret.”
-Masters do not know-know of this place. This Zemitree. Our people. These banks safe from Manor,- Hunt disagreed. –Manor knows-knows not all.-
“Well, no, they don’t know about what happens here, that’s true. But it’s only because no one dares to come here,” SoYa debated.
-Not come-come because the Stone protects,- the Ingway added. –Stone accept-accepts SoYa, though.-
“You mean, it’s the Stone that causes that feeling I felt when I first came here?” he mused. Then he realized, this time, the feeling was gone. In fact, he felt more comfort than fear in returning to the Zemitree.
-We believe-believe.-
SoYa removed his cap and ran his fingers through his hair, “I suppose I can’t argue with that. Still, there’s a danger for your people and this place. If I tried to do anything, even in secret… I don’t know where I would even begin.”
-At the start,- Hunt advised. –Decide-decide what to accomplish. Plan-plan how to make it done.-
“That’s easy to say,” SoYa frowned. “Not so easy to do.”
-Must have-have courage. Risk is-is rarely easy,- the creature frowned. –But if Manor take-takes your kit, whose kit is next? What will stop-stop?-
The mind mage looked down at his hands and the book still folded between them. Fu’s words still echoed sharply in his mind. Even though the boy was acting out of frustration, the words were true.
I’m nothing but a coward. I don’t stand up to the Manor. I don’t do the things I teach. I don’t set a good example for my son or any of the children.
Still, Hunt was right. Something had to be done. Not many knew the workings of the Manor as well as he did. Not many had been there from the start like him. Very few were aware that the breaking point of everything was slowly coming, and the dangers that the Manor would soon pose to its own people.
Perhaps if I could organize something, I could bring Fu into it. I could earn back his respect. And AsaHi’s, too. I could protect the children. I could protect our people. I could expose the Manor for what it’s becoming and help restructure things. Make it all better again.
SoYa’s heart began to beat more quickly with the exhilaration of the crazy thoughts.
We could use this place as a base. It’s safe. It also has all the scripts and books from the other place. We could study and plan here.
His hands tightened around the book. A light, tingling feeling rushed through him, filling him with a spark of determination and vision. Something about it felt familiar. That strange itch again, in the back of his mind.
We could unlock the secrets of who we were… If…
Then the moment passed. He was once again just a small man pit up against the impossible.
“We’d need a proper leader,” SoYa murmured.
-You have-have proper leader,- Hunt motioned to the mind mage with a catty smile.
“What? Me? No…. no…” he shook his head, getting quickly to his feet. “I can organize things, maybe. But I’m not a leader, Hunt.”
-Why no?-
“Because I’m not.”
-Not try-try. How can you know-know?- the Ingway sniffed and fiddled with one of his arrows.
“I just know,” SoYa grit his teeth.
-Prove-prove it can’t be done,- Hunt challenged, eyes fixed on the arrow’s shaft.
“I…” the mind mage stood, boggled.
It was true. SoYa had not actually tried. All of his doubts and fears kept him from moving forward, the same doubts and fears that allowed the Manor to fragment his family and take his son.
Hunt just sat quietly, ears flicking from time to time. Waiting for the answer.
“You… believe there’s a chance?” SoYa finally asked.
-Always chance. You make-make the way. The way does not make-make you,- Hunt grinned widely.
“Burringway won’t like that I’d use your land for something like this.”
-Land belong-belongs to no-way. Land belong-belongs to the earth,- the Ingway told him. –Earth Stone approve-approves. Zemitree call-calls you. Ingway know-knows the time for change to come. It is-is well, SoYa Strangething.-
The mind mage took a long breath in, staring up at the towering tree’s canopy above him. Slowly, he got to his feet. SoYa’s voice quavered, but his words were forward-motion, “I must talk to Burringway first… about this Resistance.”