Legacy's Ghost

Episode 43: The Heart's Desire

My mind is in complete and utter melt-down mode. I'm twelve years old. I shouldn't be making these kinds of decisions. I should be worrying about my next meal or doing good on Mr. Francois' next test.

Who thought giving me twenty-four hours to decide whether I'm going to be a god or a warrior or a ghost was a good idea?

I stand and turn to pick up my nearly uneaten plate full of food.

Edmond waves his hand dismissively. "Leave it." Then he jerks his head toward the doors and the guards. I walk with him over the clear floors with the flowing waters, and carved rock, watching the colorful fish swimming beneath our feet. The trickling sound of the waterfalls descending from the ceiling are calming, but not enough to ease the tension in my stomach, threatening to make me collapse in on myself.

When we exit the Receiving room, Edmond pauses to talk to one of the guards, then veers to the left rather than back up the spiral to the surface.

There's a small arched entryway hidden in the shadows, partially hidden by vines. Edmond pushes the vines to the side, and we enter, disappearing into a dimly lit hall that opens into a round courtyard, roughly one hundred feet in diameter with smooth rock walls.

Flowery vines drape from the ceiling where hidden lights illuminate the courtyard, making it feel as if we're outside at midday. Trees and bushes filled with a rainbow of colored flowers surround the courtyard, filling the area with sweet and flowery fragrances. Above us, purple-feathered flowers flit in circles, chasing their yellow and gray counterparts, chirping and warbling. A couple of bunnies hop onto the wide swath of thick green flowering moss near a wooden bench overlooking a small stream zigzagging lazily through the center of the garden.

Edmond meanders along the moss, stooping to pet the rabbits--at least I think they're rabbits. I've never seen them in Legacy before. Only in my books--that seem unworried that he wants to touch them. When he straightens again, he adjusts his white robes, and sits on one end of the bench, patting the other end with his hand. "Come. Sit," he says to me.

I do as instructed, focusing my attention on the gray and brown bunnies, mere feet from me.

We sit in comfortable silence for a few minutes, listening to the splash of the waterfalls, smelling the flowers, and watching the birds and bunnies. With the rich green plants edged with black soil, and vibrant yellows and blues and white flowers, this courtyard is nothing like any of the places I've seen in Legacy.

Legacy is mainly brown from the tree bark, red from the sand and caves, and green from the foliage of the trees. Occasionally I find a flower or two in the distance of the city, but unless a plant is specifically designed to nourish the people, we do not have such luxuries as flowers that bloom for no purpose.

I open my mouth to talk, but snap it closed when two treeouse workers, dressed in tan linen clothing arrive with a portable table that they place in front of myself and Edmond, and a platter full of fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and meats, followed by two goblets and a decanter of water.

As quickly as they arrive, they disappear again into the hallway leading back to the Receiving Room.

Edmond reaches out and plucks a piece of cheese from the platter. He takes a bite, then pauses and turns to me. "Ah, I forgot about Tradon's little trick. If you'd like to remove your mask, you may do so. No one else will come here, and I will not tell a soul."

I let out a puff of air, and pull off my googles, hood, then my mask. Stretching my jaw from side to side, then rubbing at my face, I let out a deep sigh. "I hate that thing."

Edmond nods. "Tradon has said the same thing. In time, it forces you to rely on your other senses, which heightens your ability to perceive." He pours water into each of the goblets, then glances over at me. "Have you made your decision? Do you have questions about what each of the Trinity proposed to you?"

He offers me a goblet and I hold it, staring into the water.

Anxiety swirls inside me like a dark, inky mass, infecting my insides, and coloring every nerve ending with fear and worry. "I don't know what to think."

"That's fair. They've been Trinity for more than a decade. They've negotiated, persuaded, and made life-altering decisions for years now. This is your first one."

I nod.

Edmond smooths the front of his robe down his legs then turns to me. "Let's start with the basics of decision making. Step one: What is it you desire most?"