Venedir was not surprised when his driftfellows ran off and left him essentially alone.
The only unexpected thing was that Sylviane – who Venedir had been subconsciously counting upon to be his companion in taking in the city – had disappeared with Callie and Gwenyth; faster than even the couples, he noted with some amusement.
As planned, he fell in with Linny and the duo then with the majority.
The drifts’ discussion the day before had brought forth some conventional activities suited for tourists such as them.
Most of them had to do with the occult.
And so, despite a lukewarm attitude from Linny’s end, they went with the Windriders to see what all was available.
First on their list was psychic reading, for which they found several options.
The market was almost perfectly competitive – what with all the mind-reading.
At one moment of time, Venedir even saw two psychics exchange a narrow-eyed glance at each other, then simultaneously increase their prices for a five-minute session by ten coins.
Venedir pointed it out to Linny, but the demon was not as amused as him.
As their group started to disperse to different vendors, Venedir turned to Linny.
“Do you have anyone you want to talk to?”
Linny shrugged and shook his head.
“No.
Nor do you, I imagine.
This city is not meant for us.
We have not known people long enough or loved deeply enough for this to be of much use to us.”
“Well, what are all of these people doing then?” Venedir said, referring to their friends.
“Amusing themselves.
Reaching for what little knowledge and reassurances the psychics can give them.”
Venedir frowned.
“You make them sound like drowning people, flailing about for the smallest twig.”
“Their condition is like that.
So is yours.
Though you may not realise it yet.
This lack of a family and lack of knowledge about them will get to you as it seems to have gotten to them.
What else do they have?
Most of them are too young to have lost people they knew.
So all the spirit and mind magic in the world holds significance only in that maybe it can help them know of what was lost so long ago that it’s like they never had it in the first place.
Or maybe they want to know the future: that’s harder to project than the past, especially since we’re young.
The world is before us.”
“You weave optimism and pessimism so deftly.
I do not know whether to take or lose heart.” Venedir murmured.
“I assume this is why you avoid them, then.
It is at odds with fate.”
“No.
I just don’t have real requirement of their skills.
Knowing one’s thoughts and being granted vision to different planes in time or existence can very well affect one’s fate but demons do not count it as a forbidden fruit.
I just feel no particular need to transcend these planes.
I feel I know enough.”
And so Venedir too felt a feeling of contentment.
Indeed, knowing was not always better.
He was inclined by his nature to be curious and to seek, though it could very well bring more disturbances to the peace within.
Maybe that was what made Linny so wise.
Such clarity about one’s wants, but Venedir wasn’t envious.
Not having that clarity – just like ignorance in those other matters – was a blessing as well.
It brought with it a sense of freedom.
Besides, Venedir could never be jealous of his friends’ good qualities, he only ever felt happy for their gifts.
The second attraction was not quite an attraction at all.
Séances were not something that were made a spectacle of since unless one had confirmation to the contrary, it was assumed that a public séance was disrespectful and should involve little living presence.
Given that no one had expressed an interest in conducting one – besides Gwenyth – that left only the various cultural sites in the city.
But art in Jalakide was said to be a different beast altogether.
In combination with the occult and the distinct effect the island had on its residents: delusions, prophecies, obsessions, neuroticisms, visions and other such occurrences wholly conducive with the creation of art were visited upon the more permanent residents.
These occurrences also acted as a tool for making the city gain prominence as a cultural capital.
Jalakide art was far more salient than any other, at least in its neighbouring seas and isles.
With that mutually agreed upon, Venedir and Linny decided to just roam about a bit, take in the architecture and the atmosphere of the city.
Their friends would take a fair few minutes to bring to conclusion their psychic business.
They eventually settled upon an ice cream parlor on the same street to pass the time.
Venedir tried to convince Linny that it would not make for a substantial breakfast but was overruled by the power of persuasion and sugar.
They found a nice table for two outside the parlor and Linny set his cap down on the table to reserve it.
“Don’t you worry someone might steal it?” Venedir questioned as they entered the shop.
Linny shrugged.
“Even if they do, I’ll find it or it will find me.”
“It’s magical, then?” he asked.
“Yes.
It was my grandfather’s.
He had no need for it – he didn’t travel anymore – and so he gave it to me when I was ten.”
“Must be nice getting to carry a family heirloom like that.” Venedir said wistfully, ordering a scoop each of some variant of chocolate that they had come up with – quite creatively, he noticed.
One was a blend of cake and ice cream, visible as clearly in its texture as in its name.
The other one was mixed with coffee, giving it a unique hue where the two could not be distinguished.
“Are farers allowed to keep such tokens of love?” Linny said, ordering four scoops and taking an extra large cone to fit them all.
Venedir shrugged.
“Given the kind of parents most of us have, we don’t have much by the way of bequest, not until our mandatory service is over, anyway.
Lockets and toys are allowed in a limited quantity – provided they don’t give away any form of familial identity – upon the first and final separation after birth – when we are taken away for better or worse.”
“Surely it is better.”
“I think so… most of the time.
I will find out in a couple years anyway.
It’ll just be a disappointment so I’ll need to brace myself for it.”
Linny nodded as they were handed their ice creams and the heaviness of the subject could be easily discarded through the segue.
They returned to the warmth outside and took their seats.
“So…” Venedir said and took a lick of the scoop which was on top.
“So.” Linny replied after a few seconds, already halfway through his first scoop.
“There’s no hurry.
No one’s going to steal your ice cream out of your hand.”
“You never know.”
And so they ate in silence until they were joined by Rovenna, who pulled up a chair to their table and sat down with a sigh.
“Ice cream?” Venedir offered, despite having no intention of sharing.
“No.
A little too rich for my taste given I’m on an empty stomach.
I just got done early and saw you guys: thought I’d join you.”
“How’d your reading go?
What’d they say?”
“She says I’m going to lose someone soon.
Most likely Perisone – she wants to go back to Lament after our assignment is completed.”
“You all have been together for five years now, right?” she nodded.
“I imagine you’re quite attached.”
“We are.” she said earnestly.
“But it is a matter of way of living.
If it were some minor change, surely most – if not all – of us could have found it in ourselves to adjust.
But this is too essential.
Perisone was the one adjusting for us when we left the ninety-sixth.
She tried to be happy – she really did.
But I see it’s not possible.
Her heart’s not here.
Your driftfellow is a welcome salve to be sure, just as we were until her distress won out.”
“And here we were trying to avoid these intense topics.” Linny said dryly but not without empathy.
Rovenna smiled a little.
“I’m sorry-” she started to say but was interrupted by Linny hastily who told her that he was merely jesting.
“She’s intimidated by you.” teased Venedir and Linny’s cheeks flushed a little – though it was hard to say for sure.
The demon seemed to shrink into his seat a little and peeked his face up from his ice cream.
“Are you really?” he asked timidly.
Rovenna shook her head.
“Why would I be?”
Linny smiled and nodded happily.
“I agree.
I think Venedir is scarier than I am.”
“Of course he is.
In fact, I’d say Venedir is the most intimidating one in your drift.”
“He is!
Isn’t he?” Linny had forgotten his ice cream for the past several seconds which Venedir deemed to be no small achievement – even though it was attained at his own expense.
“What is it that is scary about me?” Venedir asked in a falsely indignant tone.
He was more curious than anything.
“Come on.” said Rovenna.
“You look like a typical military or police man.
All those muscles, that buzz cut, and your resting facial expression is that of a hunter – like you’re scouting your target and getting ready to pounce.
It’s only when someone talks to you that they realise that your features aren’t set in stone.”
“That is unfair.” he protested but seeing their faces Venedir could tell that the judgement was not so biased and he sighed.
“It’s okay, Venny-boy.” Linny patted his shoulder.
“We still like you.” he said and promptly went back to attacking parts of the cone that protected the remaining two scoops.
His dismay must have persisted because after a few seconds, Rovenna leaned over the table in his direction, using her elbows to anchor her, cradling her chin in her hands, tilting her face slightly to one side, eyes fixed on him.
“Mixed in that restful hardness, there’s also signs of a Tender there.”
Venedir couldn’t help but be skeptical of that, no matter how much intrigue was aroused within him.
“No one’s ever said that to me.”
“Maybe you’ve never shown that part of you.
Or… no one has observed you as I have.”
Venedir could feel his skin flush.
“Maybe because all these things aren’t as observable as you think… or worth observing for that matter.” he said – not to hurt her, but to comfort himself that it was indeed an anomaly how good she was at reading people because the alternative – that he would not have been misjudged if people had just paid more attention – was too saddening.
He quickly leaned back and slid down in his seat, as if to distance and hide himself from her.
Rovenna saw that, he knew: courtesy the inevitabilities of peripheral vision.
She stayed still was a few seconds before leaning back as well and puffing her cheeks up before exhaling audibly – purposefully, to be sure.
As if that could erase what he was feeling.
But it helped, and the ice cream did the rest to support the realisation that he could not be seen how he wanted to be seen.
Even those like Rovenna – who could see well enough to see one’s entirety – could not truly know him.
My being is not restricted to my appearance, nor to even my reality in life.
I cannot allow it to be.
Not until my existence is perfect enough – in true harmony with everything I am: which cannot happen – even if life could bend to my will – because I myself am not harmonious within my soul.
I am a multitude trying to do justice to every facet – but the mere presence of the others is an injustice, let alone the fact that I will never be able to fully become any of the countless Venedirs within me.
I can only be me.
Helplessly torn and filled with so much, so many.
Licking his coffee-chocolate ice cream, he realised that it was the same problem as was within him.
Even though the two made a beautiful mixture, he never could taste one flavor in its entirety.
The other was always there to dampen it.
But he could never have ordered just coffee or just chocolate.
He wanted both in one.
Why do I want so much?
There was no answer, but luckily Axill and Mibrel had joined their table, having grabbed rolls from the bistro across the street.
The savory smell combined with the sweet aroma of chocolate fudge distorted into something togetherly unpleasant.
So when Linny got up to throw a tissue in the trash bin, Venedir went with him under a similar pretext and then took him further up the street.
“But my hat.” he objected and was met with an indifferent smile.
“It’ll come to you, right?” Venedir teased, then relented.
“We’ll get it later.
Stop being a baby.”
“I have two and a half decades on you.
You’re the baby.”
They took a small walk up the street, up until where it split in two and Linny convinced Venedir to turn back.
Venedir did not see any museums or galleries on the street and resorted to asking passersby where they could find the city’s cultural centers.
Linny hid his chagrin well, but Venedir caught a few vexed glances thrown his way.
The demon felt that he was delaying his reunion with his hat – which Venedir was guilty of, but it couldn’t be helped.
And it was amusing to see some proof that Linny was indeed a child – apart from his affinity for desserts.
It was around an hour after breakfast, when all – even the couples – were assembled in a single place.
Coslac and Svena had found that the largest museums in the city was only a couple miles away from where they were.
And because the weather was conducive – despite darkening clouds and the scent of a storm in the breeze – they decided to make a walk of it.
But with the coming of Wairo, the weather remained altogether pleasant and there was a quiet pleasantness in the air, though Venedir was filled with an equal part of anticipation (for rougher conditions) and satisfaction in the current state of the city.
It was strange that in such a small period of time he could grow used to conditions and be so eager for novelty within newness.
The museum provided a respite from the introspective theme of his morning.
He grew chatty as he saw such elegant and ethereal expression of thought and self.
He could not resist keeping his thoughts within him.
It was as if the splendour and richness of the art and history lent those qualities to the perceptions and interpretations that arose out of their perusal.
And those views – armed with such conviction of their essence and vitality – begged to be released from the petty confines of his head, if only to dissipate as quickly as they had been conceived once given flight.
There was another way to dispel these notions – or at least the strength thereof.
It involved listening to those one had contemptuous feelings towards expressing musings that were even slightly akin to one’s own ponderings.
Alas, that was not to be the case that day.
Venedir felt a warm kinship towards every person in the group without exception.
And so he was not only doubly eager to communicate his own reflections, he was also curious to know what the beautiful minds around him made of these complex intricacies.
In this phase of his mind, he perceived all to be of a similar temperament and to be holding his contemplation in as a high a regard as he did theirs.
This bubble of his did not burst and Venedir took part in spirited conversation for a majority of the many fleeting hours they stayed in the museum, exiting the seven-storied building in the early parts of afternoon.
Venedir quickly noticed that the weather – which was supposed to be at its most calm – had grown considerably worse, much to his delight.
The perennial warmth of the city mixed starkly yet pliantly with the cold darkness looming above.
His shirt – a little loose and hanging around his frame – billowed in the wind slightly, his eyes squinting in playful avoidance against the teasing intermittent gusts.
It was enough for him to walk in smiling silence and be distracted by the gay leaves, cheerful and adorable children, and the general unmistakable din of merriment.
He did not know how far he was carried upon the wings of these rapturous observations – only that he felt unfairly deprived when they were snatched away from him in an inevitability that could not have been anticipated. This chapter was copied from novelping.com without permission.
It wasn’t something that happened in an instant, though it was in an instant that a shadow was thrown: the likes of which no storm could have ever affected.
In that instant a loud thunder-like noise boomed, only it wasn’t thunder and instead of rippling across the sky, it was across the ground.
It did not repeat itself in the coming seconds – it did not need to.
Smiles faded, the wind ceased gradually – as if tugged like one pulls on one’s blanket to cover them the moment they step out of a hot bath in winter – and a stillness seemed to come over the city.
It wasn’t as if someone had frozen time – no.
It seemed – on the contrary – that time was going by a tad too fast with too little movement.
It was like a terribly unsynchronised orchestra and it almost hurt Venedir’s eyes to process it.
He had only been in darkness for a second (in between an extended blink of his eyes) that the thunder came again and his eyes were wrenched open by force and shock.
Even though it was just sound and the cobblestones beneath him unmoving, he staggered a little.
The group had stopped in their tracks by then.
Only Linny showed some signs of active restlessness, as if he could do something about the thunder.
After another blow rippled through the city, a harsh downpour began and a loud voice was heard somewhere from behind.
“It’s the walls!” Whoever this person was, they sounded certain.
Venedir had only begun contemplating how a wall could make such a sound when the group broke into chaotic conversation.
He could not make out anything over the overlapping voices, reduced to murmurs in the echo of the roar that had resided in his ears.
Venedir’s eyes found Linny again, who seemed to be the only other who had not expressed any verbal reaction.
“Should we go?” Venedir asked, not knowing where they could go even if it was answered in the affirmative.
But stillness was feeling increasingly wrong and there was a renewed rapidity in movement around them, much more purposeful than ever.
These people knew something the drifts did not.
“I do not know.
It is up to them.” Linny said, giving their friends a glance that betrayed his lack of trust in their decision-making ability.
But the drifts proved to be of sound judgement, especially given the paucity of time.
It was decided that they would return to Old Jalakide, talk to a government official and see where to go from there.
The usual crowd in the public transport of Jalakide felt like a state of desolation when Venedir saw how many people were present at the platform of the station.
Granted, they were in the city center – but Venedir was having a hard time believing that the city could conjure those many people who wished to travel from that particular station.
He was taller than a lot of people in his train, and having that vantage point he was in utter disbelief of how many people had been stuffed into the train.
While he had the privilege of not being suffocated by the people around him, he could feel the heaviness of the air and was concerned for some of the shorter and more cramped beings he saw.
The train with all its air-conditioning and ventilation felt more akin to a sauna than anything.
The train leading to Old Jalakide was no different.
It seemed that the people of the fort were heading back to the place of greatest safety.
But neither Venedir nor those around him were in the spirit of conversation so he could merely speculate at their intentions.
When they reached the lower levels, he fell in with his driftfellows, finding it most instinctive to begin a chat with Gwenyth.
“How did your séance go?”
Callie scoffed behind him and Venedir felt that it was directed at his question.
That inkling was confirmed when Gwenyth just shrugged and answered “It went.”
“Well, I hope it was what you’re hoping for.” Venedir offered.
“Meh, not really.
But I didn’t have any expectations.
You tell, what did you get up to?”
“Spent time with Linny.
Saw him demolish four scoops of ice cream in seconds.” he said exaggeratingly with a wide grin, managing to infect Gwenyth with a smile.
“I’ll miss him when he’s gone.”
“You and me both.” he said as their group stopped momentarily and Denive told the receptionist to contact one of the officials on their behalf – since they by themselves had no way of contacting anyone from the middle or upper levels.
“Do you think they’ll tell us anything?” Venedir said.
“It’ll come out soon enough.” Gwenyth answered.
“They can try to hide it from us, but the people of the city would be informed to some degree as well.
I hope to get it straight from the horse’s mouth – I do think they’re the source of whatever mess the city’s in – since it’ll be most complete.
Even if we are not told everything, we’ll at least know as much as one of the more informed non-human citizens here.”
It was hard to argue with that logic, no matter how cynical one might have been of the government.
The drifts separated and the Serendipity went into the guys’ room since they wanted to sit together for lunch and their room was larger than the gals’.
Finley volunteered to get lunch since Venedir was feeling lazy.
Linny went with him to make sure that his sugar intake wasn’t too compromised in that meal.
Venedir fell in conversation with Zander.
“Not dining with Therese?” he teased and Zander grinned.
“Well, I figure if Finley can manage without his lover, I can as well.”
“You’re lucky he’s not here.” said Sylviane.
“I’m sure he would have words to exchange with you if he knew you were talking of him in this regard.” she said, though her tone had no hint of prosecuting them for their offense.
“Zanny-boy and I are just undertaking some much-needed gossip.
It is the lifeblood of any good friendship.” Venedir said with a wide smile.
The lifeblood of the Serendipity was generously pumped through what was a slow lunch and it was close to the end of the twenty-second hour when they finally winded up and went to wash the dishes.
The next couple hours went by in idle lounging about and going to and coming from the Windriders’ rooms.
Venedir himself spent some time with their tenders, talking of healing and food – which they agreed was its own form of ameliorator and assuager.
All through the evening, the outside weather had only grown worse and it had been a fair bit of time since the atmosphere was like that of a winter night.
Even the store and street lights seemed to have lost their dim brilliance.
When Venedir finally did end up back in his room and was at leisure to lounge in the balcony, he could only stand in reverie and watch through the unending haze of dark, glistening drops as rivulets of water flowed down the slight slope of the ground.
Somewhere in the distance, Venedir thought he heard the thunder continue, that of the ground mixed with and nearly indistinguishable from one in the sky.
“The drainage is too good.
I do not think it will flood.” said Finley, who had been standing there when Venedir had come out.
“Even if the rain doesn’t stop?
It doesn’t feel all-natural.” said Venedir.
“Hmm… I do not have experience with supernatural rain.
Could be worse than a rainstorm.” Finley shrugged.
“A little bit of standing water would be nice for splashing about in.” he said wistfully.
“I would not hold out on that hope.
But let’s see.” Finley said kindly.
“So… what’s up with the Windriders?
When are they planning to leave?”
“Not tomorrow for sure, at least before all of this happened.
But now it’s all up in the air.
Even I can see it may not be wise to stick around more than it is necessary.” he said so gloomily that Venedir had to deign to move a couple steps towards him to pat his back.
“Maybe you guys will meet in Plemos, huh?” he said with false cheer.
“Maybe.” Finley replied quietly.
The two of them knew that there was no chance of that happening.
Perisone would be long gone by the time they would be even halfway to Noirskov.
“Better to have loved and lost and all that, right?” said Venedir, his tone sincere even if his words did not sound so.
It was just that Venedir had never been a romantic.
While he respected and valued people, he understood that most people in one’s lives were transient.
They were by their nature independent and dynamic to that extent.
Even institutions to hold people together and provide them with stability – like schools, religion, marriage and the Faring – could not do a great job of it.
And so there was some value in being more rational about it and seeing one’s relationships with people as a social good – one relationship partly substitutable with another.
It was not to say that he dehumanized his friends or other relations.
He used this consciousness merely to protect himself.
“Indeed.” answered Finley and perhaps may have even spoken further if they were not interrupted by Callie who – peeking her head out at them informed that Mr.
Corroway had come with their payment.