Solitude: Alone, Together

Chapter 6

One day, Selea sat in a comfortable chair near the window of gigantic round observatory window. Sil stood nearby, hands clasped behind his back. He'd been staring out the window for ages and she knew his mind was elsewhere. He'd been this way for weeks. Duke would announce his arrival, she would acknowledge and allow his entrance, he'd appear, and after brief conversation, he'd disappear into his thoughts. He often referred to these times as the solitude she'd once discussed.

"I appreciate your version of solitude now more than ever, Selea. To be alone... together."

And so she didn't push him any more than she ever had. But she had to be honest with herself that ever since their conversation about the possibility of a path that led to them spending the rest of their days together on Artaeum as mortals, she found these moments more concerning. And so, she'd come to a decision.

"I believe I am ready, Sil."

"Ready? For what?"

She stood and approached him. He turned and looked down at her. The fact that he didn't levitate her to his height told her he was distracted. "Ready for you to tell me, to show me, what has been going on out there in the world.

He frowned. "Are you certain?"

She nodded. "I wish to share some of your burden, Sil. The only way to do that is to know what the burden is."

He shook his head. "The burden is mine to carry, Selea. But thank you for your thoughtfulness."

"Indeed, it is yours to carry. But that does not change the fact that I want to help." She took the chance to rest a comforting hand on his flesh arm. "Will you let me help you? If only by being the one other person in existence that knows of what you are considering?"

He sighed. "It would be easier to show you than explain with words."

She nodded. "I expected as much. You have trained me for mental communication and transfer of information, please do."

He raised his hands into the air. "Are you certain?"

She nodded, looking him in the eyes and raising her own hands so that their fingertips were almost touching. "I am."

"Very well."

As she closed her eyes and visions began to flow through her mind she heard his voice in her head. "I am considering my death at the hands of Amalexia. I have forseen it through all of time since my ascension and gifting with these powers. But as the time draws closer and the number of possible paths grows fewer, the picture becomes clearer."

"I want to see it."

"I cannot show you all the paths, it is too much for your mind to bear, Selea."

"Then show me what you can, as much as you can. Let me bear the burden with you, Sil."

He felt her fingertips touch his—a successful attempt at showing comfort. As the images flashed through her mind, she was overcome with a sense of dread. The last image she saw before the world faded around her into black was Sil... her beloved Sil... hanging dead in the Cognitum Centralis.

When she awoke, she was lying in her bed. She immediately sensed his presence and opened her eyes to find him sitting in a chair across the room, elbows on the arms of the chair, the fingertips of each hand touching each other with his hand steepled. He spoke first, then opened his eyes. "You are awake. Good. I'm afraid I may have overwhelmed you with too many images. You lost consciousness. I apologize."

She stared up at the ceiling. "Don't. You didn't do anything I didn't ask for."

"You musn't worry over what you saw. I cannot. There is nothing to be done about what is coming."

"I'm afraid you and I must have a difference of opinion on this matter, Sil."

"You never did believe in the impossible, did you?" he asked.

"I've beaten the odds and overcome the impossible enough times that the concept holds very little meaning for me anymore."

"Fair."

"I'm going to figure out a way to save you, Sil."

"We are all bound by our nature, Selea." He paused for a beat. "I would not attempt to stop you."

She sat up and swung her feet over the edge of the bed. "And how would you describe my nature, Sil?"

"Persistent. Unwavering. Determined. Fixated..."

"I get the point. And so should you. I don't give up easily."

"So I've noticed." There was a moment of silence before he spoke again. "I heard your last thoughts... before you blacked out."

She frowned, trying to remember what her last thoughts were. All she could remember was the image of his dead, mangled body. "I can't even remember my last thoughts very clearly. I only remember the images."

He stood slowly and approached. She looked up at him, even several feet away he towered over her. "My beloved Sil," he whispered.

She immediately blushed and looked down at her knees. "Oh."

"Do not be embarrassed. I have always sought your honesty, Selea."

"Yes."

"We have spent much time together."

"We have."

"I only mentioned it because I thought you should know..."

"What?"

"I am not opposed to the term of endearment—from you."

She glanced up several times before raising her head to look at him more clearly. "Oh."

He nodded. "If you are feeling well, I must go."

She nodded, and he was gone.

*****

It was only on the rarest of occasions that Selea had Duke communicate a message to Sil. Normally she waited for him to communicate with her, knowing that his time was spent on much greater things than hers. But this time, she had to. Because she had come up with a plan.

She was pacing across the Observatory when Duke flew in. "My lord and creator Sotha Sil requests entry."

"Granted."

Sil appeared in front of her. "What requires such urgency that you sent Duke squawking into my ear while I studied?"

"I figured it out."

"Figured what out?"

She rolled her eyes. "Really? For a not-god with omniscience you sure do miss things sometimes."

"Indeed."

"I figured out how to save you."

He paused, blinked, and nodded. "Very well, I will consider your thoughts."

She shook her head. "Not yet. First, I need to know something."

"Very well. What?"

"Once we stood in this very room and considered the paths that lie ahead. We considered one path in particular. I need to know if you would still find that path... acceptable."

"You are referring to Artaeum."

"I am referring to Artaeum," she confirmed with a nod. "Together."

He nodded. "Yes."

"Yes, you understand the path I am referring to, or yes you find that path acceptable."

He nodded again. "Yes, I find that path highly satisfactory."

She smiled. "Very well." She raised her hands in preparation. The action on both their parts wasn't at all necessary for his mental connection with her, but when he had first trained her in some mental telepathy work, she had joked that it should really include some physical sign of interaction and suggested the act. Ever since it had been their practice.