As I lay asleep, in the midst of a dream going over the events which occurred last night, trying to figure out if what actually happened last night really did happen, or if I just dreamed it all up; for even in my dreams the sights I see pale in comparison to the actual events themselves. Going over said events again and again within my dreams, to the point where they began to start feeling more like out of body experiences rather than events that I actually lived through. Almost like someone else was speaking through my body, making my body and lips do what they want rather than what I wanted; the more I saw the ground rushing towards me and the soft pale blue glow of Luna, the more difficult I found in actually believing them.
I mean, me? Meeting a God? I may be a devotee of Sol, but I certainly know that I was never destined to be blessed by him, let alone to be blessed by his direct appearance. While I am thankful for all that Sol does for me and my way of life, I’ve never felt close enough to Sol to be concerned with furthering my way up the rungs of the church’s hierarchy , as much like my Solar Slice, I was happy with my little lot in life.
Knowing that which was in my possession was not mine originally, that all was simply a gift from Sol in one form or another, and that everything is given back to Sol in the end. Sol gave me food to give me strength, that strength in turn let me harvest more food to give to others as well as to myself and my family, to give all the strength to spread out like the rays of Sol’s presence in the early morning hours. And at the end of it all, as our strength exhaust and we breathe our last, we go into Sol’s embrace; the ever welcoming father that he is, returning all that was given by tenfold through our existences and all the lives we influenced, directly or otherwise.
“…as… ke up.”
What was that? I ponder to myself before going back to what I was thinking prior. That was to be my lot, on my next celebration of growing older with Sol, a celebration of the moment when Sol blessed my coming into this world. Thanks to Sol’s blessing, every child born into the Conclave is born within Sol’s hours, those being when he dominates the sky. And I was coming up on my nineteenth trip with Sol as my guide.
Upon coming to that point, the words of Luna come to mind as I feel a slight burning sensation start to form on my forehead. Three charges… right. First was to help those who are lost… but what does lost even mean? Like, did she mean literally lost? Or lost within the throws of life? Or what, is it my own interpretation?
“You… ed to… up!”
Great, now I’m hearing things again. Wait, again? When did I… oh right… Luna doesn’t know where I live… she something about dropping me off asleep near the place in the dream we shared. And the dream where we first semi properly conversed was located within… crap. The study, don’t tell me I’m asleep in the study on a pile of books. I already don’t like going there as it is and everyone knows that, if I end up walking out of the Study then everyone would think that I’d been making it up all this time.
A sudden jerking motion takes my world view, as I recognized it now to be a dream, and shook it vigorously. “You need to wake up, Adamas!”
Ah, the voice that I had been hearing actually wasn’t just in my head. As the blurriness began to clear from my eyes, I almost started to sigh in relief as I looked up and saw the vast azure expanse indicative of an open sky. Before once again being reminded that, once again, Luna had no idea where I lived and basically dumped me after bringing me to the general area. Panic began to set in rapidly as I shot up from where I was laying. I was greeted by the face of my Bright, a mortified expression upon her face. I quickly look down and, to my relief, Luna was kind enough to make sure my clothes had stayed intact, so that at least isn’t the reason for the mortified expression the Bright currently had.
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“What are you doing sleeping in the Center?” the Bright asked. That would be why she had that expression, we’re only supposed to use the Center for weekly sermons and other important events that crop up occasionally and throughout the cycle around Sol. “Do you have any idea how worried your parents are? They woke up only to find that you weren’t in the house, or out in the field. They couldn’t find you anywhere!”
The Bright, a rather new addition to the role, was roughly twice my age minus a few cycles. She had been assistant to the bright who taught me and several others previously, so we knew her prior to her taking over the role. She was good at it, being a Bright that is. Made difficult ideas easy to understand, but tended to travel down roads opened by questions a little to far for steady work to be made.
Getting up, or at least attempting to before falling to my knees, I begin to speak. “Sol’s greetings, Bright Daphne. I uhh…” I stammer as I look around quickly before back at the Bright. “I can’t talk my way out of this. Speaking of, this looks bad, doesn’t it?”
Without uttering a word in response, she shook her head in acknowledgement. Briskly walking over to me, she leans over to give me a hand up. After I’m on my feet, she looks me over to look for any obvious signs of damage or otherwise bodily harm. I could feel her stern yet caring gaze rapidly drifting across my body, and not finding anything amiss, she comes to look at my eyes before speaking again. “You’re not in as much trouble as you really should be. His Luminous came about and calmed everyone down before your parents managed to get the whole of the Conclave up in a search party.”
Uh-oh, his Luminous is involved… this isn’t good. I thought at the sound of the name of Sol’s Saint.
Her eyes not leaving mine, the Bright continued. “At least you understand what it means now that his Luminous is directly involved.” Letting out a sigh, she stepped to my right, put my arm over her shoulder, and all but dragged me up the stairs and out of the Center. Looking over my shoulder, I saw that the location Luna had left me was the pedestal his Luminous used when talking about those who have left for Sol’s embrace. Well that explains why I slept like I did. I can’t tell if Luna has a horrible sense of humor, or just coincidental placement. Regardless, I’m probably the only living being that has been on those stones for well over ten Sol cycles, emphasis on living.
The suddenness of this situation had left me at a general loss for words. Looking for something to break the now growing silence as Bright Daphne lead me out of the Center, I speak the first words that came to mind. “How did you find me so quickly?” looking up to the sky, Sol had yet to fully rise from his nightly slumber. “It can’t have been more than an hour or so since everything happened here. What made you look here instead of somewhere else?”
As I said that, the thought of where I might have been crossed my mind if I had actually up and disappeared. If not my home, my field, or my friends, there aren’t any overly obvious areas for which I would actually go to. Without missing a beat and not turning around, Bright daphne spoke. “I have been watching you since you were but a small Ray, you and every other Ray under my care since before I became a Bright. Each and every one of you is unique, and as much as you say you hated the Study during the years I was in charge of your education, you were by far one of the most inquisitive Rays I’ve had the pleasure of teaching.” At that she stopped moving and looked to her left, looking at me. “Any time you ever had a question, you always came to me. And in turn, I usually sent you to the Study to find an answer for yourself. I have sent you here for you to find your own answers to your questions, not because I did not like you, Ray Adamas.” At that, she looked forward once more, not quite pulling me along so much as she was guiding my footsteps.
Getting to the arch of the Center, we turn down the main road in the opposite direction from where my house was. “Uhh… Bright? Where are we going? My house is the other way. What’s down this way for me?”
“I assumed you went to the Study because you had a question. Seeing as your ascension from Ray to Beam is in a few rotations, I figured you had questions about what that all entails. And while I may be your teacher, I know of one who can give you the answers you might be looking for.” Before I could even respond, Bright Daphne spoke once more. “Be prepared for at least a brief lecture, as the one you are going to see is the one that calmed your parents down.”
“Wait, you’re taking me to meet his Luminous?”
The only answer to my question was the rhythmic sound of our footsteps, echoing down the empty early morning road.