Immortal

20. Black Sun

I walked slowly making mental landmarks of the forest terrain around me. I noticed small painted black spirals or spirals carved into rock and left lying around almost too naturally. The trail back was marked by the symbol of the spiral. It was hidden well enough that it wouldn't stick out but bold enough that it forced me to actually pay attention and look for the small inconsistencies.
The indirect details of area, imperfections found in a perfect way. It was almost poetic.

I stopped in my tracks at the sight of an abandoned factory or castle in the middle of the forest. The overgrowth made it look like something out of a fantasy novel. The tree moss and silence. This territory wasn't on the maps, it was a hidden gem. The serious tones from before melted off the men that ambushed me as soon as we got within a ten mile radius. They started cracking jokes, and howling in an animalistic manner. Some ran ahead while others still hung back. One of the windows of the building was in different color hues, and designed in a black spiral.

The mark of the Black sun.

It wasn't until I got closer that I noticed just how many were in their ranks, and in the actual group. It was a community. It worked, did chores, shared their profits, had organized plans, missions, even had smaller dwellings outside of the one large castle like building. The other dwellings were self built. It was lively and there was freedom.

"We were supposed to put a hood on your head." The leader startled me. "Not because you wouldn't run, but because of a lack of trust." Now that he was standing closer his voice had deeper notes in it. It carried a slight accent that didn't register as originating from around here. "Makes sense." I understood the logic of why. "Now that you've learned how to get here, you can never go back to the life you knew before." He spoke seriously. "You belong with us now." The authoritative ring in his voice made me think of Eliam. I wasn't sure that's how these things worked, but he had chosen to trust me enough back at the clearing not to blind me.

"I joined a cult then." I said charismatically. I felt his heavy hand smack me in the back, as he erupted into a deep laugh. "I'd call it a family." His accent was more prominent now, and I fell quiet. I already had a family, I didn't need another one. "Never caught your name." I said indifferently. "Plenty of time for introduction later." He walked away joining the groups of people. "First, you must meet Dahlia."

I followed him. I always had my reservations on things like this. I figured I'd stick out but everyone here was a slight bit odd. It looked like a crew of outcasts, rejects, and miscreants. Those of us that didn't belong out in the open doing ordinary work for an oppressive system. I figured, I wouldn't mention my family roots. The less these people really knew about me the better it would be. Sharing personal information would only be done when necessary. I didn't see a reason to why something like personal information that would ever be necessary either.

The whole exterior structure of the huge building was made of stone. There were mosses and plants blooming everywhere. Sections of crops and food being grown. They had resources and enough people to be their own self sufficient district. On the outlines they set up perimeter lines with thin silver wire. Material you'd find from northern sectors and force field walls. Small square batteries that you buried in the ground and they would activate into a shield. Items that were generated and mass produced in areas no where near this sector.
Their reputation spoke for itself.

Dahlia was the leader of this specific branch/division. She pretty much ran a district of outcasts. She was watching a match with her back turned toward me when we approached. The ringleader, told me to wait and after an exchange of a few words she turned toward me. I honestly didn't know what to expect from someone like Dahlia. With light brown hair that fell past her shoulders. She was wearing torn up hand me downs that were faded and in rough condition. I was surprised. When she turned toward me, I felt an instant air of respect for her, within seconds of meeting her. She had golden markings on her face and arms. In the dead center of her chest the same black spiral was burned into the skin and exposed at all times for all to see. Her hair was braided in some places and left loose in others and she had a claw gash that ran from one side of her face to the other. Her eyes were wise, and the color of pure silver.

She only glanced at me for a few seconds, before asking.

"What do you expect of us?" Her voice was soft but aged.

The question caught me off guard. I didn't know how to answer her. She turned away from the match going on in the background and approached me. "He tells me you joined without a fight, cooperated even." Her tone was quizzical.

"What are you running from?" She raised an eyebrow. "Nothing." I answered. She didn't seem convinced by my answer. I thought for a moment and answered her first question."I expect an experience." I answered her question carefully. She didn't say anything to my answer. She just stared into my eyes. Reading them. Looking for whatever answers about me might possibly be found in them.

"Esai." She spoke. The other guy turned to her. "Hm." He said. "Put him with Jala and Finn." She said casually never breaking eye contact with me. "Inform them." She said. I felt him leave, but my eyes were locked with hers. Everything around us was tuned out.

"I see you." Where her first words to me. The words made me feel exposed, stripped down to something deep within me. "You have a darkness that you bury. It cannot be tamed. It cannot be owned. It will be your destruction and your salvation." I stared at her taking in the words of someone I'd just met but somehow I felt the connection that was forming between us would stand much greater feats and longer spans of time.

"I hope we can teach you something of value. You have a very long journey ahead." She closed her eyes and sighed.

"What do you mean?" I wanted her to clarify what the words she said meant. I didn't understand them but each one stuck something inside me. "You have no idea where you are headed do you?" She asked.

I stared at her lost in her words. "You are following a long winding path. You don't know it but it is opening to you. The journey is long, and you will know things many will never know." She looked me with a sadness that was full of hope.

"I don't know what you're trying to say?" I stammered and fell silent when she placed a hand on my cheek. "No one will ever know, all the things you will do, they will never understand how far you'll go." She let go of me in a way that almost hurt her.

"Wait." I reached to take her hand again but she pulled away. She turned away from me again, and was looking elsewhere. I was confused by her words. Her last sentence caused an agony in me I didn't understand and I shook my head. I walked away from the group she had her undivided attention on now.
The feeling of her words never went away.

They haunted me.