Chapter 22 -
04/08/2018
We decided to head back to Doe’s place and vet our new findings.“What do you think?” I asked my friends as soon as we settled on the mats inside Doe’s tree house.
“I can compile gazillions of names for BionicShapes beyond your wildest dreams. But none makes a good fit for the riddle,” said Bulkee.
My heart sank with disappointment. I had banked the wits and knowledge of Bulkee. What was my chance of resolving it, if the riddle was lost even on him?
“Sasha, the Guru might be referring to something that only exists in alternative reality that you are familiar with,” said Sye. “The riddle was meant for you.”
He had a point. I was impressed with Sye’s keen observation. But the possibility presented a far greater challenge, as I had no idea where to start.
I decided to try another approach and began reciting the riddle out loud. “He who holds control to it which you may spend but with no way to receive, you may waste but with no way to save and you may kill but with no way to revive is controlled by the lacking of it.”
I mentally dissected the riddle and boiled it down to two key elements – “he”, my abductor, and “it”, the link to his identity. I was ninety-nine percent sure that I had been kidnapped by the Ashendron leader Chaundomic X.
My mind was flooded with fictitious images of him as a heinous and monstrous creature with stinging fangs. I shuddered, catching a gut-wrenching nausea in my stomach. I had to confirm his identity and the only way was to first understand what “it” referred to.
What could “it” be?
The fangs? No. It wasn’t something that you may waste but couldn’t save.
The Mocirium for building the Apogee Course? Possible. But it wasn’t something from my world.
I raked a hand through my curls, feeling that I wasn’t getting anywhere.
Doe let out a loud yawn. It was possible that he had sensed my frustration in the dark. “Do you want to take a quick nap first and think about it later?” he asked.
“Sorry, Doe. I can’t afford for the Big Gloom to steal everyone’s memories again,” I said bluntly. “We don’t have time to break until we figure this out.”
“Of course, we don’t have time,” Doe replied good-naturedly. “No time to chip away. More of a reason that we should be resting and sound asleep.”
“Wait, what was that?” I sat up.
“More of a reason that we should be resting and sound asleep.”
“Before that?”
“No time to chip away,” Doe attempted to explain, “Time is irrelevant in AohhoA.”
“That’s it!” I sprung up and squeezed his shoulders. Doe tensed up but I began laughing despite his obvious concerns. “Time! That’s the answer to the ‘it’ in the riddle, Doe.”
“Time?”
“Yes. In our world, people are always talking about spending time, wasting time, and even idling to kill time.”
“Just like the riddle,” I heard Sye’s voice. “You may spend time but you can’t receive it. You may waste time but you can’t save it. And you may kill time but you can’t revive it.”
“That’s exactly it. Sye!” I practically cried out loud, thrilled that he had picked up on my train of thought. I drew in a quick shallow breath. “Now the question is who the ‘he’ is in the riddle. He who holds control to time. Does Chaundomic X hold control to time?”
“No. Ears,” a shout burst from Bulkee. “None of the Ashendrons does,” he sounded angry. “AohhoA is a timeless place, and the only connection one has to time is through the restriction of it. You understand?”
My body turned cold at Bulkee’s grievance. A lump grew in my throat. “What do you mean?” I asked.
“There are less than a handful of individuals who hold control to time, which is restricted through the Cycles,” he replied. “First there is the King. During his legacy he reigns over AohhoA and determines the Cycle of all Pockets. Then there is the Prince. In the absence of the King, the Prince resets the Cycles and governs AohhoA to his preference.”
“Wait,” I interrupted him. “What are you trying to say?” I asked.
“It means that we can’t accuse any of them for abducting you, even though the King and the Prince both have control over the concept of ‘time’,” he said sternly.
“I’m not making any accusations,” I grew defiant. “I had thought that I was brought in by Chaundomic X. But if he doesn’t hold control over time, then who is behind all this? Who has taken me here?”
“Let’s all take a step back,” Sye reminded us. “Bulkee and Sasha. Let’s look at the possibilities together.”
“Fine,” Bulkee replied. “King Wuiet had left AohhoA before Sasha arrived so he couldn’t be the one. The Prince has to deal with the Ashendrons. I doubt that he is the one who initiated the call.”
There was a brief moment of silence before an agonizing worry seized me. Adding the dry air, my body turned cold and rigid and strangely I couldn’t force out a sound.
“Sasha, are you alright?” Sye sensed my unease.
I tried to move my tongue and reply. But my jaw was tight. Panic rose from my stomach leaving me the aftertaste of vile. I couldn’t speak, even though words were hanging on the tip of my tongue.
Help me please. Help.
I heard Sye move to stand in front of me. He lowered his chin and leaned in so close that I felt his nose touch mine. His opaque eyes flashed with light and I saw him take my wrists into his grip.
My arms were numb, when he stretched them out. He slowly brought my hands close together, till my index fingers were linked and my two thumbs pressed up against each other.
“There it is,” he said, looking at a triangle he had created with my fingers. Gently he brought it over my head. “Relax and let me look into you,” he whispered to me.
Still unable to speak, I started seeing images inside the triangle. They darted across my hands like light blazes and my eyes failed to catch any of them. Through my peripherical vision, I was vaguely aware of Sye studying the images intensely.
My heart thumped, and twelve pounding beats later, I grew lightheaded and my body began trembling. Sye placed his palm to my back, offering me his support, as he brought my hands down to the sides again. Finally, my knees buckled and I slipped down, collapsing into his arms.
“What just happened,” my voice finally returned and I managed to ask.
“You were seized by your flashback,” I heard him reply. “And I used Syoncept to access it and release you.”
“Is it the triangular shape that you drew with my fingers?”
“The triangle was a portal to link my Syoncept to your awareness,” said Sye. “I can use Syoncept without a portal to visualize anything unhindered. But to penetrate something on the level of consciousness, like your flashback, I needed to use a portal.”
“What did you see?” I asked.
“I saw something every interesting,” he said. “Remember I told you at the Lake of Tears that I had overheard the Enchantresses talking to someone who ordered your detention?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“I didn’t know who he was, until a Flash came to me just now. He might be the one who abducted you, but I had to confirm,” Sye went on. “When I accessed your flashback, I saw you speak with a group of creatures. They were flying around you, shortly after you arrived AohhoA.”
“They looked like music notes. They had tiny wings that flapped very fast.” I responded warily.
“They must be the Timekeepers,” said Bulkee. “They can appear in any form that they believe is pleasing to their viewers. Did they say anything to you?”
My thoughts shifted to Treble. “Yes. One of them did. He talked about a promise and a secret. But it sounded so confusing that I didn’t understand any of it. The only thing I caught was something about the honor of the status quo.”
“The ‘honor of the status quo’,” said Bulkee. “I am certain that they are the Timekeepers and you had spoken with the head of the group.”
“The head of the Timekeepers. Is his name Gerkolli?” asked Sye.
“Yes,” replied Bulkee. “Warden Gerkolli.”
“That confirmed it,” Sye turned to me. “Sasha. It was Warden Gerkolli whom I heard ordered the Enchantresses to entrap you. He was the one who took you here. He was the kidnapper.”
I didn’t know how to respond. My gaze shifted from Sye to Bulkee and to the blank expression of Doe.
“Think about the riddle,” Sye told me. “He, who holds the control to time is controlled by the lacking of it. Like Bulkee said, Warden Gerkolli is in charge of keeping time, which refers to guarding the status quo. But he is also restricted by not having access to time, because AohhoA is timeless.”
My head was spinning. An overpowering urge to laugh bubbled up my belly. How ridiculous everything had been that my abductor was none other than the head of the Timekeepers, while all through my fear had been pinpointed to Chaundomic X! I couldn’t contain the inappropriate chuckle, so instead I released it as a loud moan.
“Warden Gerkolli certainly has access to engage the Apogee Course. But he doesn’t have the right to transport a living being,” Bulkee seemed concerned. “It’s very strange because the Timekeepers are committed to inspecting activities within AohhoA and guarding the current state of affairs. Why would they disrupt something they’ve pledged their dedications to?”
“It must be a mistake, even if it was Warden Gerkoli who brought me in. Somehow things got mixed up,” I said.
“You might want to confirm it with Guru Gumii,” Doe spoke.
“We absolutely should,” said Bulkee.
“But we will need to wait till the Guru is fully rested. She’s very much spent from helping us with your last request,” Doe reminded us.
I thought of how depleted the Guru had appeared, sitting enmeshed in the white fumes. “Yes, we should wait. We should be find, as long as we get to her before the sun makes to the first Grit on the Belt of Sunpath,” I said.
Sye recommended that we take the opportunity to get some sleep. The suggestion was accepted without question, as we had all been swept by fatigue from running around in the Pocket of Tree Houses.
We quickly settled on a plan to take turns monitoring the progress of the sun, so that we would be ready to hit the road at the crack of dawn.
I asked for the first shift, despite Sye’s concerns. “I got some thinking to do,” I said. “Besides, I am wide-awake now and I won’t be able to turn in.”
Sye finally relented after I promised to wake him at the first sign of drowsiness. I watched his large body curl into a half ball, as I slouched on the ivy mat and let out a deep sigh.
I couldn’t stop replaying in my conversation with Guru Gumii. A part of me insisted that there was a mix-up, be it with Chaundomic X or Warden Gerkolli. I felt certain that the Warden had made a mistake getting me here, when in fact he was bringing in some inanimate objects. I could straighten it out, once I found the Prince.
But the other park of me kept on returning to the Guru’s question. “Is that so simple?” Was it truly just an innocent mix-up? The question spoke volumes. It was unsettling and it weighted on me like a giant metal hand pressing over my chest, smothering any trace of hope.
“I can compile gazillions of names for BionicShapes beyond your wildest dreams. But none makes a good fit for the riddle,” said Bulkee.
My heart sank with disappointment. I had banked the wits and knowledge of Bulkee. What was my chance of resolving it, if the riddle was lost even on him?
“Sasha, the Guru might be referring to something that only exists in alternative reality that you are familiar with,” said Sye. “The riddle was meant for you.”
He had a point. I was impressed with Sye’s keen observation. But the possibility presented a far greater challenge, as I had no idea where to start.
I decided to try another approach and began reciting the riddle out loud. “He who holds control to it which you may spend but with no way to receive, you may waste but with no way to save and you may kill but with no way to revive is controlled by the lacking of it.”
I mentally dissected the riddle and boiled it down to two key elements – “he”, my abductor, and “it”, the link to his identity. I was ninety-nine percent sure that I had been kidnapped by the Ashendron leader Chaundomic X.
My mind was flooded with fictitious images of him as a heinous and monstrous creature with stinging fangs. I shuddered, catching a gut-wrenching nausea in my stomach. I had to confirm his identity and the only way was to first understand what “it” referred to.
What could “it” be?
The fangs? No. It wasn’t something that you may waste but couldn’t save.
The Mocirium for building the Apogee Course? Possible. But it wasn’t something from my world.
I raked a hand through my curls, feeling that I wasn’t getting anywhere.
Doe let out a loud yawn. It was possible that he had sensed my frustration in the dark. “Do you want to take a quick nap first and think about it later?” he asked.
“Sorry, Doe. I can’t afford for the Big Gloom to steal everyone’s memories again,” I said bluntly. “We don’t have time to break until we figure this out.”
“Of course, we don’t have time,” Doe replied good-naturedly. “No time to chip away. More of a reason that we should be resting and sound asleep.”
“Wait, what was that?” I sat up.
“More of a reason that we should be resting and sound asleep.”
“Before that?”
“No time to chip away,” Doe attempted to explain, “Time is irrelevant in AohhoA.”
“That’s it!” I sprung up and squeezed his shoulders. Doe tensed up but I began laughing despite his obvious concerns. “Time! That’s the answer to the ‘it’ in the riddle, Doe.”
“Time?”
“Yes. In our world, people are always talking about spending time, wasting time, and even idling to kill time.”
“Just like the riddle,” I heard Sye’s voice. “You may spend time but you can’t receive it. You may waste time but you can’t save it. And you may kill time but you can’t revive it.”
“That’s exactly it. Sye!” I practically cried out loud, thrilled that he had picked up on my train of thought. I drew in a quick shallow breath. “Now the question is who the ‘he’ is in the riddle. He who holds control to time. Does Chaundomic X hold control to time?”
“No. Ears,” a shout burst from Bulkee. “None of the Ashendrons does,” he sounded angry. “AohhoA is a timeless place, and the only connection one has to time is through the restriction of it. You understand?”
My body turned cold at Bulkee’s grievance. A lump grew in my throat. “What do you mean?” I asked.
“There are less than a handful of individuals who hold control to time, which is restricted through the Cycles,” he replied. “First there is the King. During his legacy he reigns over AohhoA and determines the Cycle of all Pockets. Then there is the Prince. In the absence of the King, the Prince resets the Cycles and governs AohhoA to his preference.”
“Wait,” I interrupted him. “What are you trying to say?” I asked.
“It means that we can’t accuse any of them for abducting you, even though the King and the Prince both have control over the concept of ‘time’,” he said sternly.
“I’m not making any accusations,” I grew defiant. “I had thought that I was brought in by Chaundomic X. But if he doesn’t hold control over time, then who is behind all this? Who has taken me here?”
“Let’s all take a step back,” Sye reminded us. “Bulkee and Sasha. Let’s look at the possibilities together.”
“Fine,” Bulkee replied. “King Wuiet had left AohhoA before Sasha arrived so he couldn’t be the one. The Prince has to deal with the Ashendrons. I doubt that he is the one who initiated the call.”
There was a brief moment of silence before an agonizing worry seized me. Adding the dry air, my body turned cold and rigid and strangely I couldn’t force out a sound.
“Sasha, are you alright?” Sye sensed my unease.
I tried to move my tongue and reply. But my jaw was tight. Panic rose from my stomach leaving me the aftertaste of vile. I couldn’t speak, even though words were hanging on the tip of my tongue.
Help me please. Help.
I heard Sye move to stand in front of me. He lowered his chin and leaned in so close that I felt his nose touch mine. His opaque eyes flashed with light and I saw him take my wrists into his grip.
My arms were numb, when he stretched them out. He slowly brought my hands close together, till my index fingers were linked and my two thumbs pressed up against each other.
“There it is,” he said, looking at a triangle he had created with my fingers. Gently he brought it over my head. “Relax and let me look into you,” he whispered to me.
Still unable to speak, I started seeing images inside the triangle. They darted across my hands like light blazes and my eyes failed to catch any of them. Through my peripherical vision, I was vaguely aware of Sye studying the images intensely.
My heart thumped, and twelve pounding beats later, I grew lightheaded and my body began trembling. Sye placed his palm to my back, offering me his support, as he brought my hands down to the sides again. Finally, my knees buckled and I slipped down, collapsing into his arms.
“What just happened,” my voice finally returned and I managed to ask.
“You were seized by your flashback,” I heard him reply. “And I used Syoncept to access it and release you.”
“Is it the triangular shape that you drew with my fingers?”
“The triangle was a portal to link my Syoncept to your awareness,” said Sye. “I can use Syoncept without a portal to visualize anything unhindered. But to penetrate something on the level of consciousness, like your flashback, I needed to use a portal.”
“What did you see?” I asked.
“I saw something every interesting,” he said. “Remember I told you at the Lake of Tears that I had overheard the Enchantresses talking to someone who ordered your detention?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“I didn’t know who he was, until a Flash came to me just now. He might be the one who abducted you, but I had to confirm,” Sye went on. “When I accessed your flashback, I saw you speak with a group of creatures. They were flying around you, shortly after you arrived AohhoA.”
“They looked like music notes. They had tiny wings that flapped very fast.” I responded warily.
“They must be the Timekeepers,” said Bulkee. “They can appear in any form that they believe is pleasing to their viewers. Did they say anything to you?”
My thoughts shifted to Treble. “Yes. One of them did. He talked about a promise and a secret. But it sounded so confusing that I didn’t understand any of it. The only thing I caught was something about the honor of the status quo.”
“The ‘honor of the status quo’,” said Bulkee. “I am certain that they are the Timekeepers and you had spoken with the head of the group.”
“The head of the Timekeepers. Is his name Gerkolli?” asked Sye.
“Yes,” replied Bulkee. “Warden Gerkolli.”
“That confirmed it,” Sye turned to me. “Sasha. It was Warden Gerkolli whom I heard ordered the Enchantresses to entrap you. He was the one who took you here. He was the kidnapper.”
I didn’t know how to respond. My gaze shifted from Sye to Bulkee and to the blank expression of Doe.
“Think about the riddle,” Sye told me. “He, who holds the control to time is controlled by the lacking of it. Like Bulkee said, Warden Gerkolli is in charge of keeping time, which refers to guarding the status quo. But he is also restricted by not having access to time, because AohhoA is timeless.”
My head was spinning. An overpowering urge to laugh bubbled up my belly. How ridiculous everything had been that my abductor was none other than the head of the Timekeepers, while all through my fear had been pinpointed to Chaundomic X! I couldn’t contain the inappropriate chuckle, so instead I released it as a loud moan.
“Warden Gerkolli certainly has access to engage the Apogee Course. But he doesn’t have the right to transport a living being,” Bulkee seemed concerned. “It’s very strange because the Timekeepers are committed to inspecting activities within AohhoA and guarding the current state of affairs. Why would they disrupt something they’ve pledged their dedications to?”
“It must be a mistake, even if it was Warden Gerkoli who brought me in. Somehow things got mixed up,” I said.
“You might want to confirm it with Guru Gumii,” Doe spoke.
“We absolutely should,” said Bulkee.
“But we will need to wait till the Guru is fully rested. She’s very much spent from helping us with your last request,” Doe reminded us.
I thought of how depleted the Guru had appeared, sitting enmeshed in the white fumes. “Yes, we should wait. We should be find, as long as we get to her before the sun makes to the first Grit on the Belt of Sunpath,” I said.
Sye recommended that we take the opportunity to get some sleep. The suggestion was accepted without question, as we had all been swept by fatigue from running around in the Pocket of Tree Houses.
We quickly settled on a plan to take turns monitoring the progress of the sun, so that we would be ready to hit the road at the crack of dawn.
I asked for the first shift, despite Sye’s concerns. “I got some thinking to do,” I said. “Besides, I am wide-awake now and I won’t be able to turn in.”
Sye finally relented after I promised to wake him at the first sign of drowsiness. I watched his large body curl into a half ball, as I slouched on the ivy mat and let out a deep sigh.
I couldn’t stop replaying in my conversation with Guru Gumii. A part of me insisted that there was a mix-up, be it with Chaundomic X or Warden Gerkolli. I felt certain that the Warden had made a mistake getting me here, when in fact he was bringing in some inanimate objects. I could straighten it out, once I found the Prince.
But the other park of me kept on returning to the Guru’s question. “Is that so simple?” Was it truly just an innocent mix-up? The question spoke volumes. It was unsettling and it weighted on me like a giant metal hand pressing over my chest, smothering any trace of hope.
