Assembling

The trees closed in on him as though to suffocate him. They surrounded him sucking away the very air he breathed. Or at least that’s what Eirik felt.

He'd never liked forests, jungles or any other kind of dense vegetation. He wasn’t blind to the beauty of plant life nor was he ignorant of its importance but, besides to provide his food and herbs for medicine, he cared not for it. He preferred the freedom and peace of the open air to the unbearable heat and stuffiness that came with the trees surrounding the forest. He is reminded of that heat as sweat trickled down his forehead. He grumbled as he wiped it away, wondering why he couldn’t have been the one to go to Anahita. Yet he knew it was logical for he was much closer to the keeper of forest.

Alayni, a child keeper. The essence chose her long after peace was restored. At the time he had questioned the need for another keeper when nothing threatened the peace, he mourned the death of Citali. Now, he wondered whether it had to do with whatever was at play.

As he neared the keeper’s forest or as Citali liked to call it, foresthome, his sense of Alayni’s essence grew stronger. He was close. He began to see signs of Foresthome when flora that should not survive in the dense forest revealed themselves to him. The forest recognised his radiance and the buttresses parted as he approached them. For anyone else, it would have been impossible to traverse the density of foresthome but, keepers had never been concealed from one another and neither was their power.

Eirik came upon a clearing and finally the stuffy air is left behind. There, the air was fresh, wind blew gently and the sun shone brightly. Up ahead he saw Citali’s cabin, now Alayni’s. He made short of the distance but slowed when he grew nearer and sees no sign of Alayni. His eyebrows are furrowed by the time he reaches the door. He stood before it and waited, still the door didn't open. He looked around, nothing was amiss. Her essence was very strong so, he knew she was inside. She should’ve been waiting for him the moment he crossed into the clearing.

Is she that oblivious? He groaned before letting out a deep sigh.

Perfect! He thought, not only did I have to go through a bloody forest, I had to be lumped with an ignoramus.

The door opened as he raised his hand to knock. Her confused expression was all it took to confirm his earlier thoughts.

“Who are you?” she questioned. He scoffed at her question. His scowl deepening before he spoke.

“A stranger shows up on the doorstep of your cabin, surrounded by a forest so thick man rarely ventures. A keeper’s forest nonetheless and that’s what you do? Open your door and ask ‘who are you’?”

He pushed past her and walked inside. The scowl did not let up as he saw the cabin had changed quite a bit since Citali lived in it. He found he did not like it.

There were no plants in the cabin. All windows were shut and the curtains drawn, a half eaten apple lay on the centre of the eating table. Lying next to it was what looked to be one of the books of old. The fireplace was dead and from the looks it'd been so for long. Citali always kept everything in order. It felt wrong to see the cabin in that state.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” she screeched as he walked past her and sat on one of the chairs at the eating table. “You can’t be here, this is a private home.” She walked up to him, hands on her hips glaring at him. He only snorted in reply, irking her further. Her annoyance showed as her face flushed a deep red. If looks could kill, he would very much be dead.

“Sit down, child! You’ve wasted enough of my time already.” He looked her dead in the eyes, daring her to object. She doesn’t. Her eyes widened with realization and she moved to sit on the chair opposite him.

“You’re a keeper” she breathed as her expression changed to one of awe. A keeper was sitting before her. Now that she'd seen him closely, she recalled having met him once or twice before. He along with the one they called 'wavecaller' had sought her out after the essence chose her. They'd led her to this very cabin but had left soon after.

What a fool she was. She should have known him for who and what he was the moment she sensed him approaching. The similarity between their essence' was so strong she was surprised it hadn't occurred to her.

"That should have been your first thought. You've been a keeper for what, four years now? And you don't even recognise the essence of your kind?" Erin's voice was sharp as he spoke. His patience had run out somewhere between the forest and the clearing. He was weary after that onslaught of heat. His pale blonde hair was matted to his forehead and his skin felt clammy to the touch. His clothes had begun drying and the sweat caused them to cake against his body.

Alayni scowled at him. His words may have had some truth but, it was not as though she was well versed in being a keeper. They had left her to her devices soon after she'd moved into the cabin.

"I did sense you, i just didn't know it was a keeper!" she gritted out. "It's not my fault your essence resembles that thing. Besides, I've only ever seen you..."

Eirin silenced her with a raised hand. What she said had caught his attention. His essence could not be mistaken for anything besides another keeper's. And from what she said he could confirm she'd had a similar encounter as he. Could it be? Was there a fifth keeper they didn't know of? If so, perhaps this person or being was trying to reach out to them. If not then it could only be the harbinger but, this was not her way.

He rubbed a path down his face. All that thinking was making his head hurt. He would wait until they met up with the others. It was not his job to do the thinking. He turned his gaze to the girl. She would be a pain, that much he knew but, until Calida arrived she was his responsibility. He sighed once again, he dreaded the days to come.

"Do you at least have something for me to eat?"

*****

Calida stood watching the sea. The setting sun shone brightly on the horizon. It's rays lit up the water. It shimmered like liquid gold, calling out to whoever beheld its magnificent beauty. She watched mesmerized by it. Slowly it started to fade until the sun dipped further down and the water was restored to its majestic blue.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Ana's voice called out from behind her.

"Magnificent" she agreed. "Is it time?" Calida asked turning her head to face Ana.

Anahita nodded. She walked to the water, her steps light and graceful. The fluid motion of her body was just as mesmerizing, if not more, as the setting sun. Her long and silky midnight black hair flowed down her back all the way to her waist. Her pale skin complimented it perfectly. Ida found herself admiring her, it never ceased to amaze her just how fluid Ana truly was. She was the sea, in every sense.

Anahita did not stop walking until the water reached her torso. She placed her palms lightly onto the surface and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and began her linkage. She would not need to attune herself with the sea, she only need use it as a medium. Deeper and deeper her mind went, into the heart and soul of the sea. Once she'd attained enough linkage with the it, she reached out to its inhabitants, searching for her beloved mahalakuka.

And soon enough, she heard its response. It sounded deep in her heart, loud and clear. He was close.

Her familiar, Mahalakuka, a dolphin, never drifted too far from from her. He roamed the seas freely but always stayed close enough to reach when she needed him. He was to her what Fury was to Eirik.

It was not long before Ida could also hear the shrill cries of the dolphin. She spotted him in the distance, he and another swam hard toward them not slowing for a second until they reached their caller. The beasts were truly a beauty to behold. She watched Ana pet them for a second before bending to pick up their bags. She slunk hers over her shoulders and walked to where Ana stood with the beasts. It was time to go. Riding a sea animal was as exciting as it was exhausting, and they had a long journey ahead of them.

With Ana's guidance and the beasts vision, they set out in the dark of night to join the other two. The harbinger's keepers would assemble, this time, not only for the sake of the world but the harbinger herself.