Shan confirmed the Diano’s character.
“Our Proctor has spoken. And I can vouch for Darmond. I interviewed him: personally, supervised his preliminary placement exams. The man is sharp, well educated. Give Darmond serious, consideration.”
I nodded, mentally noting to interview the Diano captain.
Then the General made a startling statement.
“I know you have special experiences from your previous life.”
The man, coughed, and then added.
“I expect you to make good use of them, son!”
The officer had been starkly aloof, except at this moment his words had reflected open respect.
Romos rose to his feet, indicating the meeting was ended.
“You’ll be sent activation orders shortly. So make the most of your remaining time in Bel-loniea.”
He thusly dismissed me.
* * * *
Two days later the Janis’ family Muti approached me. It was a gnarly hooded pundit who, for generations, had been part of my wife’s household. I always felt unsure whether I’d conversed privately with this one or not. To me, in their identical drab, hooded cloaks, they all appeared the same, difficult to define as separate personalities. The Mutis wandered through our lives, briefly lingering and then slipping away into their own solitude. On occasion, one would take bold, brazen, command over a particular event in human society. Like shadows they lurked; uninvolved, disinterested, and unseen. They drifted alone and rarely with perhaps a single companion.
In whispering silences they breezed in and out of a room, observing without inter-reacting. When they connected directly with people, they could appear highly dramatic and even threatening by their implied power. Though usually, they emitted a gentle and nurturing energy.
Personal names: they never responded to labels. I found that confusing and tended to apply descriptive nicknames to those of the royal household. They were interchangeable; yet could easily be defined as separate personalities.
The Janis’ Muti seldom surfaced in my presence. It had been with the Proctor’s family even before Youi’s mother was born. Mutis were quite old and may have been born full-grown. No human had seen a Muti birthing. Some people wondered if they had a beginning, a childhood. Maybe they were born old. Maybe they were immortal as were the many gods of Noomas. Nobody knew.
Mysterious and somewhat alarming, the populace considered them a gift to humanity. I felt less certain; accepting their placement as part of the Noomasian culture.
A large hooded visitor was not an everyday event. They never attempted to be companions or friends with me, to my knowledge. Mutis appeared sporadically and mingled among us without permission.
And so the Janis’ Muti approached, its deep black hollows turned towards my face. Those empty sockets held an inner invisible glow that sensed far more than humans could imagine. Its low, gravelly voice pierced my depths.
“Your future journeys appear erratic. Your shadow cascades extensively across the timeline. The event of Kamina intersects with your line. It permeates the plane of your journeys; most unsettling. The visions are multiple.”
It paused, stock-still.
“I see a place where segments splinter into diverse alternatives. You are a powerful force down one pathway. You are missing from another.”
Then it wavered, shaking its head slowly.
“Wait!” I cried out, knowing the Muti habit of walking away without ceremony.
It froze, and glared down at me with set lines on the multi-leveled map of its face.
I asked.
“What dangers do you see?”
“None to concern you; do not surrender to easy solutions. You will be alone at the darkest of moments. Stand strong on your convictions. Fear not the illusions for they only confuse. And remember, the mission must direct its own destiny.”
“What about Youi and Bel-loniea?”
I seldom made requests. In fact it was rude to make personal inquiries. Mutis were not fortunetellers. They simply announced their prophecy when they deemed it fitting.
“Kamina is your future. Connect with KiNal. Set your goal towards the north. It will unmask your destiny. And reveal your true comrades. Many will die. Sziat can aide you.”
Then it simply stepped away with a rapid twist of its dark cloak.
I studied the empty space it had occupied and considered its words, trying to dismiss all of it as nonsense. Nobody ignored a Muti’s divination.
III. Third Council Debates
Seek understanding of the unknown.
Seek wisdom during the search.
Explore beyond the limits of the known.
True wisdom comes with open knowledge,
Explore through boundless quests.
And find where truth speaks.
—Songs of the Helandi
Illusions and dreams develop from within our consciousness into a perceived reality. The line between these mental states and awareness is often blurred. Nightmarish visions had plagued me since I’d arrived on Noomas and my memory had returned ever so slowly.
Recall is a delicate balance of real and imagined experiences, whether they be shared events or remembered concepts formulated only within. All thoughts are subject to becoming part of that which we call memory. What lives for the moment; slips away to make room for the next event. And we are forever growing, expanding and continually tripping down new pathways much as little children exploring the unknown. Hence we continually journey through a constant living expansion. The Ancients left for us their wisdom and legends handed down to future generations, ever evolving from one culture to the next.
* * * *
Present events were changing rapidly. Talk of war was secretly whispered in anxious voices.
The inner city was still swollen beyond capacity from the holiday festivities. The mood of the populace had taken a decisive shift. An odd air of ominous foreboding had blanketed the gaiety in the streets. Colorful market stalls still bustled with heavy trade, yet the tone of the people had fallen to a hushed urgency. A few wild rogues rambled among the inns and taverns extending the holiday celebrations beyond their natural limits. Rumors of what the future might bring down upon us, rumbled through the alleyways. Stressful anxiety was heavy in the air.
Those who had access to the palace grounds made no pretense about the somber business at hand. The guards at all the gates had been doubled. Extra quarters made ready for the frequent arrivals of dignitaries.
Meetings occurred daily in the Proctor’s chambers. Concerns over the Muti Empire of Kamina had created uproar among the Grand Council members and, indeed, left me with a very uneasy feeling.
My department was no less busy than the rest of the palace. Strategic reports from central intelligence were rapidly piling up on my desk. I scanned the latest summary from the previous day’s meeting, which reflected the popular uncertainty developing into a serious debate over these issues of war. Among these reports was one from Andon, which caught my attention.
JANIS GEOLOGICAL REPORT
A galactic map of the world found in early documentations, recorded topographical details of the major continents through images and data retrieved from my spaceship before it landed in the mountains south of Bel-loniea. The Janis Foundation integrated older charts from their archives and compiled an updated rendition of the area.
Because of the political delicacy, this information was classified.
Knowledge of the continent to the west, Kamina, was shadowed in with few details