The Realms of Ethair (5 page)

“
You can’t even move without hurting
yourself,” he snapped. Kristina didn’t know how to respond, she had
counted on him to be calm about it. “Close your eyes,” he
instructed more gently.

“Why?”

“It will help with the dizziness.”

She complied. She felt Arty loop her arm
around his neck and carry her inside the house. He settled her down
on the sofa in the living room.

“That was fun.” She smiled up at him,
teasing, trying to ease his concern to no avail.

He moved away from her and paced the room
deep in thought, his surroundings forgotten. Kristina shut her
eyes, Arty’s activity was making her dizzier and her head ache.

“
There’s something I need to tell you,”
Arty finally said.

“It’s not life-threatening, is it?” His mood
infected her that her light-heartened tone sounded forced.

He hesitated.

“
Are you in trouble?” Her eyes flew
open.

“No. I am not.”

“What? Did you find something about my
sickness? Am I…”

“I’m not sure. I asked someone about you. She
said the symptoms are familiar but it’s an advanced stage – as if
it’s accelerated threefold. She wants to see you as soon as
possible.”

“Okay. So, where is she?”

“That’s the other thing. Kristina, I need you
to keep an open mind on what I’m about to tell you.” He met her
gaze and drew a deep breath.

Don’t think about it
now
, she recited to
herself like a mantra. Most of Arty’s story seemed impossible to
believe; yet, it explained a lot of things about him, his behavior
and how they had met.

“
How long will it take?” Kristina asked.
She kept her eyes closed to ease the lightheadedness caused more by
the shock of learning the truth about him than her
illness.

“We’re not sure.” Arty shook his head. “Your
situation is…unique.”

“
You’re going to have to try harder if
you’re to tell my sister that I’m leaving.” She rearranged the
throw pillow supporting her head. It slipped from the sofa’s
armrest and her skull hit the wood with a dull thud. Gentle hands
lifted her head and placed the pillow underneath.

The cushion beneath Kristina shifted as he
sat beside her and held her hand with both of his. The heaviness
she felt on the crown of her head gradually dissipated.
“Better?”

“Yes.” She sighed. “Thank you.”

“
Open your eyes.” Kristina cracked an eye
open. No sudden wave of nausea assaulted her. She released her
breath and gazed up at him.

“Much better,” he murmured after examining
her face.

“How did you do that?”

He shrugged.

“It’s something you learn in our land. I’m
not allowed to tell you – I’m not even sure I can explain something
so natural for us to do.”

She pulled her hand away from him. There were
so many things he couldn’t or wouldn’t say and most of it seemed to
concern her. It – he was beginning to irritate her.

Fine. Don’t bother telling me
anything anymore
, she
was tempted to say.

“You’re angry with me.”

“I’m not.” Arty still doubted her. “Look, I’m
trying my best to understand your side of things. There’s just too
much to cope with. Your home doesn’t even sound like it’s a part of
this world. Now, I have to go there and leave everything
behind.”

“
No one’s forcing you to leave.” He
frowned. “It is a choice you have to make on your own.” Arty had
something more to say; then, stopped. His mouth pursed into a thin
line. He was quiet for a moment, his face devoid of emotion, and
stared at the staircase.

“
We have to go,” he whispered and moved to
grab her hand.

She pulled away.

“Why?”

A creak resonated from the upper floor.

“Trust me.” The urgency in his eyes betrayed
his calm demeanor. He extended his hand towards her. “Please.”

“
Take his hand, Tina,” her mother’s fearful
voice whispered. For a moment, she saw her mother’s spirit beside
Arty. Her face was directed at the area where he was looking before
she vanished completely.

The moment her hand touched Arty’s,
blinding light engulfed them.
At the last moment, she panicked but Kristina couldn’t turn away
from his searing gaze and Arty’s viselike grip held her in
place.

She would later learn that he and his people
use Merkaba to transport one’s self from one dimensional plane to
another. The transfer had taken place in less than a second; but to
Kristina, it felt like ages.

The moment they arrived at their
destination, Arty released his hold. Without his support, she fell
into the shallow waters of a lake.

It was evening. The gibbous moon and stars
shone above them and served as their source of light. People
gathered at the shore. They wore robes that fell to their
ankles.

A shadow fell over Kristina and was
reminded of the person who had brought her here. Arty bent towards
her with his hand, once more, outstretched to help her up. He
muttered something unintelligible and said sorry when she frowned
at him.

They waded toward the group watching them.
As they got closer, she saw that their faces were youthful with
eyes that held wisdom beyond their years. Their clothes were
immaculate that she felt self-conscious of her appearance. Her
recent dip hadn’t improved her shabby t-shirt and
shorts.

A red-haired man and a platinum blonde
woman came forward. They exchanged a look between each other in
silent communication. The rest looked on quietly. It was eerie when
none of them spoke and held themselves so still that they didn’t
seem to be breathing.

Arty and the red-haired man clasped each
other’s forearm in greeting, their gazes locked into each other.
The man’s forehead wrinkled and spun towards Kristina, his eyes
wide with understanding and nodded.

“
What is your first name, child?” The man
addressed Kristina with a vague accent, his mouth rounding out the
words.

“Kristina.”

“True names are important and should be
guarded with utmost caution. For now, you will be called Karina
Menesarios. Menesarios is he who has found you and saved you from
Them.” He patted her arm. “You may call me Sola and she Sara.” The
man gestured towards the woman beside him.

“There are many things Arturion and I have to
discuss. We will talk again when next we meet.”

Sola drew his arm around Arty’s shoulder. The
man led him and the rest of the company away. Arty looked over his
shoulder and smiled. A smile that promised everything will be
alright. If only she could trust him enough to stop thinking that
they have changed places. She was now the stranger in a much
stranger land.

Sara linked arms with Karina and guided
her to a road. Three women with matching blue eyes followed at
their heels.

“
Do not mind them,” Sara spoke. “They are
simply curious about you. If you doubt it, then be assured that the
Mother protects her people from harm always.” She looked at Karina
at the corner of her eye. “You have a question.”

“What happens to those who want to harm
you?”

“It has never happened before.” Sara
considered it for a moment. “Our world is still a part of yours
only to a certain point. You have heard of faeries and spirits,
correct?”

“Yes.”

“The physical eye does not see these
creatures because they stay in another world. Your people would
call it a dimensional plane. It is much the same way with ours. Our
world is like an onion covered in layers; only, this time, it is
less discernible to the naked eye. People who are driven by evil
intentions simply cannot see us… It is not easy to explain.” Sara
shook her head apologetically. “Our nature is less driven by ego
compared to your people. It makes us slow to anger and to take
offense.”

“
I don’t understand. I’m nothing like you,
I’m very much human. Why am I here?” Karina halted, forcing the
others to stop as well.

“
Did Arturion not tell you?” The woman
angled her head to the side. “Your condition is not an illness.
Yours is an accelerated state of development.”

“What are you saying?” She took a step back
from the woman.

Sara frowned at her confusion.

“Karina, you are evolving.”

Evolution wasn’t the word she expected to
hear. Still, it was better than hearing that your days are numbered
with a wasting disease. Her mother had died of cancer and she had
begun considering the possibility that she also has the same
illness.

The rest of the trip was spent in silence
as Karina tried to absorb her guide’s information.

Sara explained that Karina’s world,
situated at the third dimensional plane, was shifting. The Mother,
the Essence of the planet, had wanted to raise Her frequency for
years. She had waited for humans to realize that their destructive
actions would continue to deplete natural resources and pollute the
environment.

The Mother, however, could no longer risk
waiting as the planet was gradually becoming uninhabitable. She had
taken matters in Her own hands. Species thought to be extinct were
actually disappearing because animals and plants were transferring
to a higher dimension.

The human souls were an exception. Having
the gift of choice, mankind was given the option either to continue
living in a world where people blindly follow those in power; or,
to follow the Earth as it ascends to the higher realms, governed by
compassion and truth. Humans, who chose the latter, inevitably had
to adapt to the changes; hence, their evolution, which some people
coined as
Ascension
.

Half an hour later, they reached a
different road. Glass orbs, running parallel the tree-lined paths,
glowed softly as they hovered in mid-air.

“Welcome to Merleina. The City of Learning,”
Sara spoke.

“
Where is everyone?” Trees towered above
them, its shadows extending beyond. There were neither buildings
nor a living being present. It felt more like a haunted forest than
a city.

“Our homes reside beyond these trees.” Sara
ushered her past an ancient tree. “It is a countermeasure of a time
long past. They formed an alliance with Merleina to protect the
city against Them. The tree spirits remain good friends of the
community.”

Twigs snapped and leaves rustled in their
passage. Karina kept her eyes on the ground made uneven by roots
and detritus. Her companions made walking in a dark forest as easy
as strolling in a park.

Sara paused. Her hand gestured to Karina
to stay behind her. The woman’s face set with calm authority and
seemed to stand taller. She stared ahead of her and advanced a
step.

Gradually, the trees before them diminished
and a narrow path appeared.

Karina
heard one of the three sisters sigh.

Sara continued walking and Karina didn’t
have a chance to question her guides what had happened.

They arrived at a small round structure
which her companions called a house. The look of skepticism must
have been etched on her face when she caught the younger of three
sisters smother a smile.

Karina
was instructed to leave her shoes on a shoe rack next to
the door before entering the house.

Inside, her jaw dropped at the number of
rooms it accommodated. The external façade and structure of the
house had deceived her. A quick scan of her surroundings made her
notice that the furnishings were made of fibers, glass, wood,
earth, and stone. She made a mental note that there was an absence
of metal.

The living area was dominated by a woven
carpet of golden whorls. At its center, stood a low circular table;
its flat wooden surface balanced on a leg made of slender glass. A
stack of papers and glass tablet with etched symbols lay at the
table’s edge. Colorful silk pillows littered around the table. The
corner of the room, however, made her smile. It was occupied by a
floor-to-ceiling glass book case, filled with books bound in
different colors and various crystals.

“
I see that you have noticed the glass
room,” Sara said delightedly. “You will have time to read them once
you have settled. You will rest tonight and tomorrow, we shall try
to answer more of your questions.”

A brief tour of the house commenced,
preceded by a hot bath and change of clothes (one of the longish
robes but made of lighter material); a cup of the familiar green
tea; then, Karina was off to bed.

Someone shook her lightly by the shoulder. She
groaned and turned to the side. Even with eyes closed, the glare of
the sun beat at her eyelids.
Lying on her back again, she looked up. Smooth white
ceiling without corners nor breaks to indicate the standard painted
plywood of home greeted her. The sheets of her bed were soft and
smooth, made of fine material unlike the cotton bed covers at
home.

Where am I?
She rubbed her eyes. Events of the
previous night came back to her.

Karina
shot up.
I haven’t even said goodbye to anyone. Aly must be sick
with worry.
She threw
the covers and… Then what? She was a stranger to this place. The
only friend she knew had left her stranded in a house in the middle
of the forest.