2.74 The Ladder To Nowhere

While the Moon rose in the sky, blanketing the village of Anur with her silvery reflected light, friends gathered once again in the Crystal Temple for celebration, stories and song. Tonight, however, the mood was somber; Neter had been gone a long time. No one wanted to ask, but everyone was wondering the same thing inside; had he survived the trip to Hellias?

         Zara found herself staring at the Tower tile, disconnecting from the banter around the table, it was still laying outside the box... She reached for the spooky game piece so as to admire it's intricate craftmanship, amazing talent carved this stone. She ran her finger over the engraved flames, fascinated how they animated to life in the reflected light of the candles. What did it mean? Mina said it represented a journey... She glanced towards her, Mina was already looking her way

         "How will I know what the journey is?"

         "Look at the image" Mina replied, moving closer. "Tell me what you see."

         Zara studied the engraved image of a burning monument. "It's a burning tower" she pointed out the obvious, but other than a possible link to the bell tower of the Temple of Medel, she was lost on it’s symbolism.

         "That's right."

         Zara sensed a trick. "Why is it on fire?"

         "There are many reasons it could be on fire. Start at the beginning of the story" she hinted. "What is a tower?"

         Zara was feeling mocked now but she played along as if it were a serious question. "A tall narrow building" she replied, quoting her text book.

         "Made of bricks, stacked tall, one on top of another?"

         Zara didn't like where Mina was going, her riddles only made her more confused, she no longer wanted to play this game but as she studied the tile again, she noticed the teeny-tiny bricks.

         "Bricks don’t burn. Why do you think it is burning?"

         "I don't know!" Zara snapped, frustrated now.

         Nulu tried to confuse her even more with another trick question. "What is the tower symbolic of?"

         "Symbolic?" Zara frowned, she didn’t like what Nulu was insinuating, either, were they cornering her with their Serpent Sorcery? Is this why Atalon hated them so much?

         "Only the inner framing and materials are burning" Mina expanded. "What if the bricks were accomplishments you had made in your life?" Mina put it another way "What if the materials were your goals?"

         "And something inside of you caught fire and made it all fall apart…" Zara was beginning to see an allegory now as images of her tortured past returned to haunt her, all that struggling to climb the ladder to nowhere...

         "Or your education?"

         Horrors as she realized the struggle she had endured for nothing...

         "Your dreams?"

         Tears welled in her eyes as she recalled her storefront dreams... All that pining for Nolan… Her desire to save Orien... Blurred by tears, the image on the tile melted away as the shocking reality began to take hold, suddenly it was crystal clear. "It's all burning up!" The truth hurt. "Everything I ever worked for has been destroyed... Everything I was building...... My job... My dreams.... Orien... Everything I worshipped Medel for was a LIE!!!”

         Mina reached across the table and took her hand, trying to comfort her as she rode the rollercoaster of reality into another chasm.

         The sound of galloping hooves approaching caught everyone's attention at once. Jasun paused his harp.

         "That’s Neter!"

         Seconds later the god of Mu strode into the temple on fire, followed by Nel, struggling to keep up. The friends rushed to greet him, relieved by his safe return and for a few joyful moments they reunited in a warm embrace, eager to hear the news.

         He turned to introduce the new refugee. "Nel, allow me to introduce you to Mina, the goddess of Anur."

         "Your Honor!" Nel curtseyed, immediately sensing her power, knowing already she had to be one of the legendary ancient Origians of which they were not to speak of.

         "Nel?" Zara's heart leapt when she heard the introduction. She craned her neck up to catch a better glimpse of the new refugee, she recognized her face and leapt to her feet! "Culloom Nel?"

         Nel searched for the source of the voice she recognized... However as their eyes met, she didn't recognize the bald Lemurian girl who sounded so familiar... Seconds later the recognition snapped into place... But how could it be? It was unbelievable! Was it really? It was! 

         "Zara?"

         Tears of joy streamed down their faces as they ran into each other's arms. After hugs and introductions were exchanged, they stood back to admire each other in wonder, so many years had gone by since the day they graduated from Culloom.

         "What happened?" Nel asked, concerned for her long lost friend. "What happened to your hair?"

         Startled, Zara reached for her scalp, reminded of her lost wig, of the terrible event. "They... It was an accident" she replied, realizing how easily she had forgotten about it, nobody in Anur ever asked her about her hair. Zara noticed Nel had a bandaged head too, just like she had, just like Sophia had had. "What happened to your head?"

         Startled, Nel reached for her head. "I...  I don't remember" she replied. "I remember everything up until I went to the TLS Program... I saw Dr Seton... Next thing I knew I was in some horrible cell!"