Dimensions

Chapter 21: The Believers

Written by PhoenixAndHippogriff

Carina's words echo around the cave like a memory. In my head, dreams and casual thoughts that seemed meaningless reverberate through my head, like the sounds do in the cave. The same four words.  Carina keeps talking, but I think back to what she said earlier. Fate. My obsession with humans, could that have been a foreshadowing of my destiny? Does such a thing exist? And at this, I become more lost than I was in the Labrynth. I am more lost than I have ever been before.

Carina finishes speaking, and gestures to me to come to the front of the stage. But when I do yells and angry shouts greet me. 

"We want the human!" they cry, desperate for Carina to take centre-stage again. 

So instead of speaking I mumble an excuse and pull Carina to the side, dragging her off the stage.

"What are you doing?" she says, irritated.

"I can't take it. We're making promises we can't keep. We need a plan."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"I'm out of depth here. You know this dimension so well, and I'm only just accustomed."

"Carina, how are we going to join two separate dimensions. I mean, once they were joint, connected, but surely they've drifted apart by now?"

"I'm here, aren't I? They can't be that far away if I can move between them."

"I guess," I murmur, still unsure, "But you are a single human. We have to get two dimensions realigned. That's major, Carina. Make a wrong move and you could kill us all."

She stares at her feet. "This doesn't seem real, somehow. I feel like this doesn't matter, whatever I do. It's like a dream where no matter what, you'll wake up and be fine. But it'll still make a nice story. Ember, this doesn't feel real. After all this, it doesn't feel real."

I roll up my robes to above my elbow. "Look at this. Does this seem real. Do I feel real? This is human flesh, Carina. Real human flesh. And it's me. I'm a Deviann. Why is this happening? Does that problem feel real? Carina, do I feel real? You need to wake up. This is all real, and the sooner you realise, the safer we'll all be."

"Okay, I'll try, but can we please leave before the crowds try and follow us?"

"Sure," I reply.

We run down the corridors and to my cave. Walking inside, I collapse on the floor, trying to relax. But it is not five minutes before a knock sounds at the door.

"Who is it?" Carina asks.

"The High Priest," the knocker responds.

I jump up and sprint to the door.

"Yes, Your Honour?"

"I would like to speak to you about your plans." He moves forwards and the door swings shut behind him. He sits in a chair by my table.

"Explain," he demands.

"We, uh... Plans. Right. So, we have to align the dimensions. And we're... To do that... We, uh-"

"We don't have a plan." Carina cuts in.

I almost scream. No one tells the High Priest that you don't have what he wants. No one. The Deviann has grown up with everything he wants and if he doesn't get that, things tend to get messy.

But to my surprise, he smiles.

"Of course. I couldn't expect you to dimension travel and have a complete plan, perfected and ready to execute. Oh, I am quite delusional. Take your time. Traveling must be exhausting. It is quite a long way. Would you like to be escorted to a deluxe cave? We have three available at the moment, so that would be fine, if not convenient, as it is less distance for me to travel. So what do you say?"

"Ember, what do you think? Would you like us to move?"

"Oh, hang on," the High Priest cuts in, "the offer was open to the human, not the regular citizen. These caves are very special and not for just anyone."

I grit my teeth, my tail flicking side to side. Tears threaten to spill. Regular citizen. Regular citizen. I am a descendant of the person who my race has been praying to for centuries, owner of probably the most valuable heirloom in existence, only Deviann in history to escape the Labrynth and now one of the people at the face of a revolution and the High Priest of an empty religion has the nerve to call me a regular citizen.

I expect Carina to dismiss what he's said, and just refuse his offer but she doesn't. Instead she voices my thoughts and demands that we both be moved to better caves or else she's out. The High Priest doesn't know what to do. He grunts and stands up, fleeing the room.

"Thank you," I whisper, the tears dangerously close.

But then there's another knock at my door.

I wipe my eyes quickly, and open it. Outside is a queue of Deviann, one after the other, all along the corridor.

"No visits to the human. She's busy." I announce.

"Oh. We were hoping to see both of you but just you will be fine."

"I'm sorry, but I'm also currently occupied. As I said, no visitors. Goodbye."

I slam the door and Carina frowns. 

"Was that really necessary?" she asks.

"You didn't see the line. It must have been all the way to Frettel!"

"The next settlement... right," Carina mumbles.

KNOCK KNOCK

I fling the door open.

"What the Devil do you- Oh, hi Tempest. What can I do for you?"

She sighs. "Let us in."

"Us? Oh. They're with you? This isn't a 'Meet the Human' attraction. We are private creatures leading private lives that have somehow become public. So please make them go away."

"We're not here to make a fuss over Carina. We need to talk to you both. Can we come in?"

I cross my arms.

"This is important."

"Fine. But I can get anyone to leave at any time."

"Of course," Tempest turns to the queue, "Come on in. Single file. Order, please. No pushing, Flame. Despair, I told you not to bring snacks. No, it was no snacks, not that's great thanks. Despair, really? You got twenty Deviann to carry them. No, Scream, bring them in. Put them in the corner please Storm. In the corner. Good. There's still space at the back. That's it, that way. Are you the last, Torch? No? Okay. One more. Done." 

Tempest pushes through and collapses into a chair next to Carina. I sit next to her, and look around at my cave, which is now filled to the brim with Deviann. Carina looks a little sick.

"Tempest, what's going on?" I ask. 

"We're The Believers. We believed your speech and pledge allegiance to your cause. We'll do anything to help you realign the dimensions. Carina, Ember, we are on your side."

"That's inspiring, and thank you," I nod at the gathered 'Believers', "But what exactly can you do?"

"Anything. Half of us are very intelligent and the other half strong and loyal. We are the best shot you've got."

"So you've got a plan?" Carina asks. She still looks nauseous.

"We have theories. And we'd like to go through them with you. When you're ready, that is."

Carina stands up. She is shaking. 

"Are you okay?" I run to her, as coughs wrack her body. Blood stains the floor.

"Carina you're coughing up blood. What's wrong?"

"I- this is important," she mutters, "Everything's going to change. Everythi-"

And she disappears. But on the floor where she stood is a shadow, imprinted into the stone.

"Carina... " I murmur, "What's happening?"