The Twenty Five Percent Rayanna

While You Were Sleeping

                I awaken with a start and look around. The amount of sunlight streaming down around me, indicates that it's late afternoon. I'm in the middle of a meadow, leaned up against a large rock. Oh, yeah, the meadow. Hunting for the dangerous experimental creature. Kat. Is she real or did I make her up? Right now, I'm not sure of anything except the fact that I seem to be completely alone. Was that a dream or a memory? I recall camping by the lake, Gelyan and Carina showing up, at some point being pushed in by Gelyan. Her jealousy of me and Altair. But does everyone actually hate me? They must because I feel as though something heavy is sitting on my chest. Maybe Kat isn't actually real. I mean, the very idea that I'm not actually a human doesn't make sense. I just can't wrap my head around it. It would be great if it's true.

                   "I see you are awake." A familiar voice says.

                     I'm startled back into reality. "Kat?" I ask, turning in the direction of the voice.

                     "Yeah, who else?" In her hands is a long thick tree branch.

                       "Where were you? What's with the big stick?"

                        "While you were sleeping, I figured I would check out this cave. See what I could find. And this 'big stick' as you called it, is for you. Since you get tired easily, I thought you could use it to lean on a little bit." She walks over to me and holds out her hand.

                   "Thanks." I say taking her hand and pulling myself to my feet. She hands me the walking stick and I lean on it. Feels nice to have something prop me up.

                 "You ready to finish this scavenger hunt?" she asks.

                     "No," I say.

                    "I'm sorry?" she asks confused. Clearly, that was not the answer she was expecting.

                    "No. I will not be finishing the scavenger hunt. I will not become a Dini. I'm done. I'm tired of being told what to do and where to go and who I am. I get to decide that no one else does."

                  "Okay..."

                    "If I'm not a human as I thought I was, what's the point of this? Of any of this? To get married? To become a Dini? Why? What's the ultimate goal? Nothing makes sense anymore." I watch as the wind picks up swirls some dead leaves around.

                    "So, don't do it." Kat says. "Don't become a Dini. It's not that important. Without their leader, they will fall apart, anyways."

                    "So, why finish the scavenger hunt then?"

                   "Because the scavenger hunt has us looking for the creature. If I... we could somehow just capture one of these creatures..."

                  "Why do you want to catch one?" I ask.

                     "What better way to end a dangerous, violent, man then through his own creation? After all, those who love to start wars, end up dying in a war."

                    "What does that mean?"

                   "It's a saying I've picked up in my travels. Basically, justice would be best served if Altair was taken out by the very thing he used to threaten and extort so many planets."

                    "What does that have to do with me?" I ask.

                      "I need your help to catch one of the creatures and then to lure Altair out here," Kat says.

                       "What?! I can't do that!"

                        "Why not? We can't take the thing into town, too many innocent lives are at stake. So, we have to do it here, this cave is perfect for it."

                          "No. I'm not killing anyone." I say.

                             "Of course not. The creature will take care of that."

                             "I can't lure him to his death, either. That's the same as if I killed him myself. No way."

                                "Don't you remember what I told you about how dangerous he is? By doing this, you are saving millions, if not billions, of lives. He is an evil man. Didn't you tell me that he had you killed in the other reality? Do you really think he is so different here? In fact, I told you"

                         "Well, no, but..."

                        "I really need your help to save all of those planets from extinction. I need your help to save my planet, my people, from extinction." Kat says.

                      I'm shocked into silence. That's a big bomb to drop on someone. I guess that's why she decided to travel back in time. But still... "How do I know you are telling the truth? How do I know you aren't making this all up? How do I know that your people aren't the enemy of the Dini and just want to get back at them? Can you prove it? Any of it?"

                        Kat sighs. "No, I can't."

                        "Then, as I said earlier, I'm done. No more sad stories about distant places. No more wild plans. No leading Altair to his death. And you know what? I changed my mind. I am going to marry Altair. In this reality, he is good to me, and maybe I was wrong about his traveling realities. This Altair is so different from the other. If you want to stop whatever grand plan he has, you are going to have to do it on your own."

                     "If you are going to marry Altair, you need to become a Dini. You need to complete the scavenger hunt." Kat says in a matter-of-fact tone.

                   "Hmph. Fine. I will help you complete the scavenger hunt. After that, you will be completely on your own."

                 "Fine." She says, holding something up, "let's go claim our prize."

                   "What is that?"

                    "The hair of the creature. I got it while you were sleeping."