Chapter 31

“I’ve given him some herbs to stay in a deep sleep.” Ra’Nelle said, stepping away from Dylan as he rested. “He will heal faster in this state. You may wait here, but I see no reason you should not take your friend to see Telos. And perhaps to get a fresh change of clothing.”

“Whaddaya mean?” Norm asked, looking down at his torn, dirty, bloodstained, I’m with stupid t-shirt. “I look awesome.”

“I believe we have different meanings for that word.” Zalee shook her head. “But please, let me show you the rest of Telos.”

She led Norm to the levidisc for a quick tour of the city. They hovered through the main level, regarding some of the more ornate and vital buildings, including the Sanctuary, the basalt towers where Adama and the elders lived. Like a tour guide, she referenced the most significant parts of the city before dropping into a tunnel to another world within Telos. The humidity rose quickly as they approached the entrance to the brightly lit cavern. Norm’s nose and stomach also became alert to the scent of fresh fruits and vegetables in what was a city-sized hothouse.

“Old MacDonald had a farm. Wow!” Norm wiped the steam from his glasses to get a clear view. The second level was larger, composed of agriculture and plant life across the entire expanse. A handful of Lemurians were still at work, operating machinery, tending to crops, pulling giant levidiscs filled with harvests. The buildings lining edges were for storage and preparing food for the city’s inhabitants. The purple light source above the city on the first level was gone, but the crystal walls gave off a teal luminescence, sufficiently lighting the cavern.

They proceeded to the third level, the largest yet. The land expanded for miles in all directions, countless animals roamed free, grazing, living as they would if they were on the surface. Zalee explained about the common areas where most animals lived in moderate zone, but at the extreme far ends of the cavern were specific climate-controlled regions such as rainforest, swamp, tundra, desert and arctic.

Norm spotted an elephant walking into a pool of water when he realized it was covered in fur. “Is that a wooly mammoth?” he asked, almost too excited to keep his balance on the disc.

“It is.” Zalee flashed her eyebrows. “We have preserved many animals that are extinct on the surface. Almost every creature that has lived since the time of man exists in Telos. I consider myself lucky. It is one of my tasks to care for them.”

“Got any dinosaurs? A T-Rex?” He asked, mocking tiny arms.

“They existed long before us, but some may still dwell within the dark Earth.”

“The dark Earth? Sounds scary.” Norm wiggled his fingers at Zalee.

“There are many things that live within the dark Earth.” Zalee’s eyes narrowed. “And some that don’t live. The tales of what lies beneath…. I truly hope I never find out.” Zalee and Norm exchanged a serious glance. “It is time we return. If Dylan is well enough, he will set out quickly, and I wish to see him before he leaves.”

“Me too, but what’s on the other two levels of Telos?” Norm asked, pointing below.

“Below this is the community level, the largest. My home is there, as well as most Lemurians. The fifth is for our defenses-”

“Spaceships?” Norm put his arms to the side like he was flying.

“Yes, but that level is restricted. I have also heard of two hidden levels, forbidden to all but the elders.”

As Zalee navigated the levidisc through the city level, Norm finally mustered the guts to ask her the big question. “So, what’s the deal with you and Dylan?”

Her eyes averted awkwardly, concealing her embarrassment. “That is a private matter I shall discuss with him first.”

“Is it normal in your world to just walk up and kiss a total stranger?” squinting through his glasses. “I’m sure living underground can make some people a little wacky, but we usually get to know a person before we go kissing them.”

Zalee folded her arms uncomfortably. “We do not walk up and kiss total strangers.”

“Then, as his friend, I should tell you,” Norm paused, thumbing his chin. “Or maybe I shouldn’t.”

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“Tell me what, Norm?”

“It’s a private matter. I should-”

“Tell me, Norm.” Zalee’s eyebrows furrowed in a frown.

“He might get-”

“Norm!”

“Alright, alright, already!” Norm put his hands up defensively. “He never kissed anyone before.”

Zalee drew back with a smug smile. “Wonderful! Then I must speak with him as soon as he wakes.” She rushed toward Ra’Nelle’s, her head swaying from side to side, humming a song to herself.

Norm shook his head. “Living underground has definitely messed these people up.”

Norm and Zalee peeked into the Ra’Nelle’s den. Dylan lay propped up on a pillow, taking small sips of fluid. His clothes had been changed, replaced by an embroidered long sleeve, light-brown shirt to go with baggy dark gray pants that seemed to fit him better than his own.

“Come in. Dylan is nearly recovered.” Ra’Nelle announced. “His ability to heal is miraculous. It is not only a gift of the Scion, but one of youth.”

“Norm!” Dylan sat up, excited to see his friend.

Norm hugged him and pinched his cheek. “I missed you, too.”

“I thought I was-” Dylan shrugged, pointing toward the sky.

Norm nodded thoughtfully. “I saw it up close. It got kinda scary. But I gotta tell you… I always knew you’d pull through.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, man, it’s kinda strange, but I guess…I just…” Norm paused. “I believe in you. Everything I’ve seen you do the past few days, you changed, like nothing could stop you. But you’re still the same guy. My best friend.” They bumped fists, pressing their knuckles for a few extra seconds.

Dylan smiled. “Thanks Norm, it means a lot.”

“Listen,” Norm leaned in with a mischievous grin, motioning to Zalee, pacing on the far side of the room. “I think Zalee may want to talk to you… like alone. So, I’m just gonna skedaddle.”

“Well, wait! Do you think now is-” Dylan’s eyes darted, nervously.

“This really can’t wait.” Norm chuckled and followed Ra’Nelle out of the room.

Zalee took a seat beside him on his bed, his cheeks flushed sunset pink. “H-hi,” he stammered, still nervous to be alone with the stunning Lemurian girl.

“Hello, Dylan.” She fought back her smile. “I guess I owe you an explanation.”

“I dunno. Everything’s cool. I gotta go back- up there soon so, uh-”

“Dylan?” She put a finger to his lips. “Have you ever felt like you have been somewhere before, even though you never were there, or that you knew someone you had never met?”

Dylan folded his hands. “Everything here kinda seems that way. I feel like I know everything and everyone here.”

“That is because…” Zalee took a deep breath. “you have been here before. And not only in this body or this lifetime.”

“What?”

Zalee placed her hands over his. “We live many lives, Dylan.”

“Um, ok.” Dylan said suspiciously, pausing for her to continue.

“Lemurians understand when we die, it is only physical. Our souls pass from one plane to another, from one body to another, from lifetime to lifetime.”

Dylan shook his head. “So, how do you know this?”

“Because Dylan… I, and all Lemurians,” she paused again, “to some extent, are able to recall the essence of our past lives. We don’t know who exactly we were, or recall specific memories, but we know the soul of the person we were, and we recognize the souls of those we shared our lives with.”

“Really?” His mind flooded with a wave of familiarity. “So, that’s why… Telos…you, Ra’Nelle, Adama…we’ve known each other?” His eyes flashed with newfound awareness. “For a really long time.”

Zalee smiled, overjoyed by his realization. “Yes, and you and I are, well,” she paused, searching the depths of his blue eyes, “soulmates.”

“Soulmates?” Dylan’s eyes shifted back and forth, coupling with a dumbfounded expression. He had heard the term before in a movie about people who married in different lifetimes. “We’ve been together, like in other lives. So, you really know me already.”

“Yes, well, in a way, but Dylan, I know your soul and the soul of a person does not change. They grow over time, but they are who they are… and you, Dylan, are my love. We have shared lives, families-”

“This all makes sense now.” Dylan’s face glowed with enlightenment. “It seemed like I knew you. Why couldn’t I just know it, like you do?”

“You sense more than most. Humans cannot retain their past-life senses yet, but one day they may recall something more than they can now. To know that death is not the end of all and that your soul continues throughout time will be an immense step.”

“The more I think about it, the more right it seems.” Dylan threw his legs over the edge of the table, gazing at Zalee’s amber irises. “And why do I trust you so much already?”

“Because trust is the foundation of love.” She ran a hand down his cheek. “And you can sense what we have had was built from that trust and will be again.”

Dylan grinned impishly. “Does that mean I can kiss you whenever I want?”

Zalee folded her arms. “Perhaps I should have waited. Despite all the memories of my soul, I am still subject to the impulsiveness of my fifteen-year-old self. I wanted to kiss you. But a girl still wishes to be courted. It is part of the ritual. Until then, I will determine when we kiss.”

Dylan sulked playfully. “You wouldn’t let me go off to climb Shasta by myself against all those void and Terovians without one last kiss, would you?” Dylan surprised himself with his own confidence.

Zalee looked around and leaned forward, pressing her soft, warm lips to his. Dylan threw his arms around her and pulled her close, absorbing the familiar energy between them. He did not remember his past-life, but this, the sharing of their mutual affection… he liked it. A lot.

“Ahem,” Norm cleared his throat, Ra’Nelle and Adama a few steps behind.

“I apologize for disturbing you,” Adama spoke quickly. “I have consulted with the Luminary. Dylan, if you are recovered, you must resume your journey. Our time is even less than we originally believed.”

Energized with a new hope, Dylan hopped off the table. “I’m ready!”

“You okay, dude?” Norm asked, surprised by Dylan’s sudden burst of energy.

“Yeah, I’m more than okay! They took their best shot to take me out.” His hands crackled with electric blue sparks, pulling them into a fiery fist. “Now, it’s my turn.”