Ariock hesitated as Vy tugged him towards the fairground. It sounded like an actual nighttime festival was underway. With crowds.

“Come on!” Vy said.

Ariock was sure that once he ducked beneath the entrance archway, everyone would stare. Some fair-goers would fall to their knees in worship. They’d shout “Messiah!” and draw an unending, relentless mob.

And there would be haters. Albinos would probably spit at Ariock and turn away in disgust, blaming him for getting their loved ones killed.

He couldn’t go to a carnival. He would be the biggest freak in sight.

Nope.

He turned to head back home.

“Ariock!” Vy sounded exasperated. “The seer won’t make appointments outside the fairgrounds. He won’t see anyone except on this one night, the Festival of Lights. It’s holy to the Alashani.” She gripped his hand. “Please?”

Her eyes were so pretty.

Ariock wondered what sort of seer refused to see the messiah except on his own terms. A carnival huckster? This would likely just be a humiliating waste of time, unlike his encounter with the prophet Migyatel. Prophets were so rare as to be once-in-a-generation.

Anyway, the whole concept of talking to a spiritualist was an exercise in futility, Ariock thought. His problems were galactic in scale. Talk therapy wouldn’t fix them. Why had he agreed to this nonsensical outing?

He opened his mouth to excuse himself.

“If you buy me flowers,” Vy said, “then we won’t stand out so much.”

Her cheeks were pink, and not just from the chilly nighttime weather.

Oh. Wait.

Was this a date?

Ariock had never imagined that he would have an actual girlfriend. It seemed absurd. Did Vy really want to be seen with the freakish giant around the general population? This wasn’t the war council. How would she feel once everyone started pointing and staring?

How could she be so brave?

“Come on,” Vy said. “I don’t think anyone will yell at you for showing me a good time.”

Ariock allowed her to pull him towards the archway. Vy had never pressured him into a decision that he’d later regretted. Maybe he should trust her?

They entered a wonderland.

They passed albino fire dancers. Vendors sold concessions and toys. There were games with prizes. Ice sculptures. A shop with rainbow-scaled dresses and tunics. Street performers in outlandish costumes, reenacting tales of heroism. A petting zoo with children cuddling alien wildlife.

Ariock couldn’t see inside the warmly lit kiosks unless he bent down. To him, the festival was mostly canopies and crowds.

People gawped at him. A handful passersby did look sour when they saw Ariock, but in those cases, a companion said something that lightened their expression, and they moved on.

The worshipers were actually polite. A few did bow to Ariock, but they didn’t block his way or mob him. Most of them wished him well and moved on.

It seemed people were too wrapped up in enjoying themselves to give Ariock more than half a minute’s worth of reaction.

Sure, he was excessively tall. But was he really more eye-catching than a multi-species acrobatics performance?

Ariock clapped in appreciation of the acrobats, along with Vy and the rest of the impromptu street audience. He felt foolish for his narcissistic assumption that he would be the most fascinating attraction at the fair.

“Weren’t they talented? That was amazing!” Vy looked happier than Ariock had seen her in a long time. “How could they somersault like that?”

Her eyes sparkled. As she tugged Ariock by the hand, her exuberance was infectious. Ariock couldn’t help but smile back.

There was a difference between bringing hope and bringing joy. He was no good at the latter. The real experts were here.

“Want to go to the salted truffle kiosk?” Vy looked immensely pleased. “Oh! Look over there. Are those children Yeresunsa? Oh, we have to see what they can do.”

Ariock had expected to get his talk therapy session over with as early as possible. Instead? He found himself following Vy here, there, and everywhere. He watched her play a seashell-themed game. She donated credits to a booth full of cute ummin children who were selling handcrafted gadgets. When Ariock saw a vendor selling tiaras made of flowers, he bought a garland for Vy and placed it on her head. She giggled, looking like a fairy princess.

“Okay, there’s Mystic Avenue.” Vy pointed. “That’s where your appointment is.”

Ariock followed Vy down the subdued street. His size still attracted stares, but at least the pedestrians here looked preoccupied with their own thoughts. Some were deep in serious chitchat.

He passed bejeweled yurts. All of the tents were sized for shani. It was like the underground cities, where most ceilings were too low for him.

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Vy stopped at a yurt festooned with black velvet drapes and purple glass lanterns. “This must be it.”

Ariock knelt, searching for a doorway. The wall was all curtains.

“Wait here,” Vy said. “I’ll see if he’s ready.”

She nearly bumped into a bejeweled man who emerged from the yurt. Although the albino was small and perfumed, an enormous cushioned hat plumped up his head. His elaborate robes also added to his size. Artful fabric flowers, metallic lace, and gemstones adorned every inch of the costume.

“Peaceful and joyous greetings!” The albino was as flamboyant as his costume, his gestures large and animated. “Where is my next client?”

“I’m looking for the Great Mwagru?” Vy said.

“Then look no further. You have found him!” The Great Mwagru did a double-take and stared at Vy with surprised reverence. “Oh my my. Am I to interpret the mystical dreams of a most lovely angel from paradise?” He crossed his bejeweled hands over his heart. “I am honored.”

“Sorry, no.” Vy offered an apologetic smile. “The appointment is not for me.”

“Then who?”

“It’s for him.” Vy aimed a thumb at Ariock.

The seer’s teasing manner drained away as his gaze followed Vy’s gesture. He had to crane his head back to find Ariock’s face, which was probably lost in shadows, silhouetted against the overcast night sky. “Oh!” He squeaked, then cleared his throat. “Oh, the holy messiah? Bringer of Storms? Son of Hope? Oh my. Are you truly here for my services?”

Ariock nodded.

“We booked this appointment through Nezertorl,” Vy said, as if that would clarify things.

“Ah, okay,” the seer said. “Nezertorl told me to expect an illustrious client tonight, but I expected a war hero, or a military mayor, or, you know. I did not expect…” He chuckled, perhaps realizing that he was nattering on. “You are most welcome, Ariock Dovanack. This is too great an honor.”

The Great Mwagru did not look like someone who would comfortably bow. Nevertheless, he made an attempt.

Vy seemed to pick up on Ariock’s skepticism. She leaned close, shielded her mouth, and whispered, “A lot of people recommended this guy. Not just shani.”

“Come in! Come in!” The seer swept a gesture towards the door flap.

Ariock had plenty of experience with places that were not sized for him. He spread his awareness and estimated the interior space of the yurt. Satisfied that it was large enough, he used his powers to push the drapes aside. He awkwardly crawled into a curtained, candlelit, and perfumed interior.

He settled cross-legged on the ornate carpet. He had to hunch in order to keep his head from poking the low ceiling.

Vy sat on a cushion close by.

The seer scampered inside. “I apologize, great messiah. My services may be too meager for you. Are you seeking a horoscope? Or a dream interpretation?”

Vy gave Ariock an encouraging look.

“Dream interpretation.” Ariock inwardly braced for embarrassment. This was going to be such a humiliating waste of time.

“Excellent.” The seer tapped a display of mirrored crystals, causing them to chime. Candle flames reflected off their vibrating surfaces, making the whole room shimmer. “Oh. Uh…” He gave Vy an apologetic look. “Dream interpretations can get personal. Would you like your Lady angel to wait outside?”

Ariock hesitated. He didn’t want to make a habit of keeping secrets from Vy.

On the other hand, if the seer did happen to dig into his recurring nightmare, Vy might take it personally. Would she fear that Ariock was subconsciously willing her to die? He really didn’t want Vy to overhear any of the disturbing details.

Vy seemed to catch a hint in Ariock’s gaze. She stood and squeezed his shoulder in reassurance. “I’ll go for a walk.”

“You don’t have to,” Ariock said, knowing he sounded lame. Maybe he should beg her to stay? Wasn’t that what boyfriends were supposed to do?

“No, it’s okay. This session is for you.” Vy grinned. “Just tell me about it afterwards.”

She bounced onto her tiptoes and kissed him. Then she exited.

Ariock gazed at the swinging drapery where she had gone. Vy was his bedrock, his perfect reminder of why the war needed to be won. Little moments with her were enough to get him through any number of violent events and sad reports. He almost begged her to stay.

He just didn’t know what to expect from the albino stranger.

Probably nothing bad. There was no reason to be nervous. The Great Mwagru was probably a charlatan.

Probably.

“All righty.” The seer ignored a cushioned chair that was studded with gems and plopped onto the tasseled carpet. “This works by touch.”

He reached for Ariock’s hand.

Ariock jerked away, remembering blind Migyatel and her gnarled little hands. She had touched him and foreseen quite a lot.

“Oh, I am not a prophet,” the seer said with kindness, perhaps realizing what Ariock was afraid of. “I will not glimpse your future. The touch is just an aid, to help me visualize…” He seemed to give up. “If you’d rather not?” He held up his hands in a gesture of harmlessness. “You can just tell me your dream. We don’t have to touch.”

Ariock felt foolish. He was being paranoid.

“It’s fine.” Ariock relented, offering his hand. “If it helps, go ahead.”

The seer delicately grasped Ariock’s hand with his albino digits. He closed his eyes, as if entering a trance. “Tell me your dream.”

“It’s a recurring nightmare.”

The seer looked politely interested. “Tell me about it,” he said in an encouraging tone.

“I’m trying to stop a weapon that will destroy the universe.” Ariock saw a menacing, overly complex holographic display in his mind’s eye. “It was invented by an enemy super-genius. I’m the only one who can stop it from happening.”

The seer was clearly trying to look nonchalant, but his lavender eyes widened beneath his plump hat. “Ooh,” he said. “Um, where does this dream take place?”

“The details are vague.” Ariock wished he knew. “I think it’s an asteroid.”

The seer nodded for him to go on. He was probably imagining some sort of stalactite in the sky. Alashani tended to have a shaky grasp of astronomy.

“So anyway,” Ariock said, “I’m using all of my strength. I mean, all of it.” His voice broke. He hadn’t realized this would be so hard to talk about. “And some kind of secondary bomb goes off. I don’t detect it in time. And I realize that everyone I care about…” He lowered his voice, as if speaking quietly would reduce the risk of some aspect of the dream coming true. “Everyone. Everyone is dead or dying.”

The seer let go of Ariock’s hand. He must have a lot of practice as a professional listener, yet even so, his look of disturbance was so great, it might be theatrical.

Ariock expected some profound comment.

But the seer only said, “Go on. Is there more to your dream?”

“Yes.” Ariock wanted to make sure that his emotional devastation was plain. As long as he was sitting across from a professional dream interpreter, he might as well see if he could gain any semblance of sagacious advice. “Vy is tumbling away from me, through space, without a spacesuit. And I’m too weak to save her.”

Ariock stretched for Vy’s diminutive body in the dark vastness of space.

But she was flying away at a rapid pace, and no matter how far he stretched his awareness, it wasn’t enough. The air was leaving her lungs. Frost formed on her lips and eyes. Her life spark was indistinguishable from radiation and space dust. It was a guttering ember. She was dying.

“I’m not fast enough,” Ariock explained with a shiver. “Not strong enough. And I fail.”

All his power was worthless. It didn’t matter that he had the power of a god. It wasn’t enough.

“And everything ends.”

He fumbled and failed to protect Vy, and he could never catch up to her, or find her, or save her. He was bereft.

The devastation was so total, he knew only darkness afterwards. Nothing existed anymore. Death was all there was.

“Half the time, when I wake up, I’m causing bedroom furniture to float.” Ariock figured the seer must be familiar with Yeresunsa clients. Just in case, though, he added, “That’s a sign of emotional disturbance in Yeresunsa.”

The seer appeared to be deep in thought.

Ariock waited for advice.

They gazed at each other.

“Uh, that’s it,” Ariock said. “That’s my dream. I fail and the universe ends and everyone dies.”