Sekali, "The Sister City"

 

                                Chapter 99

 

     Sunlight warmed his face, and he opened his eyes to Finyat and Uther sitting beside a bed he was lying upon. Finyat snapped his fingers loudly for Uther’s attention.
     “Well, well, the hero awakens from blissful dreams of dragons and wolves chasing him. So you think to adventure without us, eh?”
     Sekali focused on Uther’s voice and smiled slightly.
     Uther placed a hand upon Sekali’s arm briefly and grinned, “Good to see you weren’t killed.”
     Sekali sat up a bit, taking in his surroundings. He did not recognize the area he was in. With a confused look, he glanced at them both.
     “We did it!”
     Finyat nodded solemnly and lowered his head for a moment, a haunted look in his eyes. “Yes, we did, thanks to you. You slew many of those foul Veleighen, Sekali. We didn’t know you studied the art of the elemental magician. But we saw what you did . . .”
     Finyat said it quietly, evenly, at times exerting all the effort he could without becoming emotional.
     Uther grunted. “Keeping secrets! Hrmph!”
     Sekali looked puzzled for a few moments, and then began to recall everything; the amulets, the shrine, lightning!
     “Where is Mahkaia?” He slowly raised himself from his bed and headed to the doorway as      Mabuhi entered into the chamber and saw him standing.
     “Sekali, lie down now.” She tightened her jaw just so, signifying her seriousness. Uther stood and grunted. “Typical elf!”
     Finyat looked at the floor and frowned shortly and beckoned to Uther. “Uther, I challenge you to a drinking contest.” He didn’t say it with any enthusiasm, but Uther brightened up.
     “I accept your challenge. Prepare to lose!” With that they both turned to Sekali and bowed shortly; then to Mabuhi.
     As they left the room, Mabuhi smiled with amusement as Sekali shook his head after them both.
     A silence fell upon the room as they looked at each other. Mabuhi stepped closer to Sekali and beamed up a smile at him, taking his hands in hers. “You did it; you really did it.”
     Sekali looked about the room, which consisted of a structure designed from living trees. It dawned on him where he was; he was in Mabuhi’s personal home.
     “We did it, Mabuhi, not I alone.” He stated quietly as his thoughts strayed to his beloved Mahkaia. He had seen her again, and it re-opened many memories and pains. It had been many years, and yet the misery of her loss was still fresh within his mind and heart.
     Guessing his thoughts, Mabuhi’s eyes glistened as tears welled up in them. She pointed to the bed. “Please, Sekali, do take the rest you need. Please.” She almost begged him. The tone of her voice resigned him fully to his bed.
     “I saw her again, Mabuhi; she helped us.”
     Mabuhi raised an eyebrow at him and nodded slowly, pulling up a chair and setting it before him. She gripped his hands in both of hers as tears flooded her cheeks. She slipped something into his hand, but did not let go. Silence filled the room as she looked up at him. At length, they talked, throughout the remainder of the night until they were both out of words.
     Sekali loved her company. She was loving and caring, so gentle and giving. It was almost as if he . . .
     “Mabuhi, I would like to see the Sister City. I would like to see the City of Knowledge, but not now. The sorrow of losing Mahkaia is too near my heart. I want to go home. There is much to report to my people that concerns them.” Mabuhi nodded, still holding Sekali’s hands tightly. She squeezed hard.

     “Take rest and I will arrange everything.” Without realizing it, Sekali began to whisper.

     “You are life and light; a true healer. I would give all I have . . . all that I have become, to learn your ways. There is, instilled within you, a peace which I desire to share. I do not wish to leave your forested home, and I would do it all again a hundred times to find the peace and serenity you radiate.” Genuinely flattered, Mabuhi stood.

     “Sekali, take some rest,” she whispered as she let go and slowly left the room. Sekali lay back, noticing for the first time the thing she had placed in his hands. Looking down he slowly uncurled his fingers, revealing what it was. Coiled within his palm lay a golden chain of woven links. At the end of the chain, there was a golden clasp that held nothing. He blinked at the chain, suddenly recalling a scene from his distant past, when he knelt in the center of Mahkaia’s chamber holding a chain much like this one, yet at the end of it was fastened a thumb-sized heart; the heart of the Glyph Imp.
     Then the dawn of realization washed over him not unlike a tidal wave striking a ship. His mind reeled in astonished disbelief as he gripped the chain tightly in both hands. An excitement struck him speechless as he tried to call after her and failed.
     He found himself running; out into the forest, sprinting after her. Looking every way as he ran, he noticed her not far off into the forest, slowly walking away. He raced to her as she turned, tears streaking her face. Without hesitation he wrapped his arms about her waist and lifted her off the ground, laughing and crying in the same moment.
     “Is it you? Is it really you?” He managed the words, though choked on them. Mabuhi wrapped her arms about his neck and passionately kissed him and nodded, laughing for joy.
     Sekali’s emotions were suddenly overwhelmed, taking his strength from him as he let go of Mabuhi and fell to his knees, she followed in like manner, kneeling before him as she wrapped her arms about his neck and squeezed.
     “Yes, yes, it is I, Sekali; it is I, Mahkaia.”
Sekali embraced her as if by letting go, he would lose her forever.

     “It worked, Mahkaia, it worked! Why didn’t you tell me?” She nodded as he began to sob her name over and over and over.
     “You were not in our homeland, Sekali. I had to be sure you had not been banished by our master. I had to be sure. I wanted to tell you from the moment I first saw you. I’m sorry.” Sekali shook his head and stroked her hair, no longer black.
     “It is enough that you are alive. Unlooked for, I am healed of a great and terrible wound.”
Soon they were both walking and talking, arm in arm, through her forest as she answered the myriad of questions he peppered her with. In return, she asked many questions of him as the day passed and the night wore on into the early predawn hours of the next day.
     In the end, they both retired to her home. Sekali held her, as she slept, wrapped in his arms that night, beneath the soft glow of a moon lantern above. He kissed her softly and said a small prayer of thanks to Vannar for his wife’s safe return.

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