The Voyager

Chapter Three

The voice that accompanies the hot breath asks "how old are you?"

"I'm sixteen." I answer shakily. I feel paws clamp down on my arms. The claws on the paws dig into my arm, sending sharp bolts of pain up to my shoulder.

"Hey, what are you doing, leave her alone!" Jordan says, sounding quite mad.

"You know the Eminence wants all sixteen-year-olds brought to see the Master. If he doesn't want her, she will be left alone." A creature growls, detached, like it has better things to do.

The creatures drag me away from Nicole and Jordan. I hear Nicole say that she will see me there, and help me with whatever possible. Jordan storms away, shouting obscenities at the sky. The creature drags me for a long time, not even giving me the chance to walk. What is this about? Why am I being brought to someone called the Master?

They bring me to a large hut. A creature hobbles into the hut while another holds me just outside. What is this? I have many cuts on my arms, but the creatures won't let me go.

There is blood dripping down my arm. Does this affect my real body? I will have to ask Nicole about that.

The creature soon comes back outside. He says something in creature language, consisting of a lot of grunts and snorts and gestures. They drag me into the large hut. There are portraits all along the walls. They alternate from man to women. I see changes in the people. They are from different time periods. But they aren't mixed, one isn't from the 1700s then from the 1300s, they go in order. Why is this? Who are these people?

The creatures drag me into another little room. There is a large man sitting at a small table. Maybe the table isn't actually small, it just looks like it compared to the size of the man. He has a long grey beard. His face is wrinkled, and pale. The only thing about him that looks alive are his eyes. They shine as he looks around. He asks the creatures "who is this?"

The creature who is holding me answers "she is sixteen, Master. We are to bring all sixteen-year-olds to see you, sir." The Masters eyes find mine. He takes all of me in. From my feet to my head.

"Why are you here?" He asks me.

"The creatures brought me here."

"No, why are you here, as in the realm?"

"I fell of my dirt bike, and hit my head on something. Why does that matter?"

"It has been 64 years since someone answered that question honestly, did you know that?"

How would I know that? "No, sir, I had no idea."

"It has been 64 years ago that the last Voyager was 16. He died 4 years ago. This was the longest time it has taken me to find the next Voyager. But now I have found her, and you are her."

What is he talking about? He is a nut. "I am confused, sir. The Voyager? What is the Voyager?"

"Creatures, you may go. I will talk to the young lady for a little while." The creatures grunt, but comply. They saunter from the room, like they have no purpose. "Miss, you will be the next Voyager. The Voyager is the only person who can travel between the realm and The Life."

"The Life, sir?"

"The Life is what we call the mortal world. Though there are a few immortals, which you will learn about in your training. The immortals in The Life are the reason that we need you. You are our link to those immortals. You will agree to undergo training, correct?"

"Why would I want to be the Voyager, sir? It sounds like it is just a transfer of communication. That doesn't appeal to me."

"The Voyager is a large part of saving lives in The Life. I have to decide who is ready to be sent back into The Life. But I can't see what is going on there. The immortals can. The Voyager will tell me anything that might increase the number of spirits that will pass through or stay here in the realm. There is a great deal more to this position than I can explain. You will undergo training or you will not get back home to The Life. I am the one who sends spirits back from where they came. Only the Voyager, whom I train, can come and go without my say so."

"So, what you're saying is that I have to train with you, or never see my family again?"

"Essentially, yes. You can choose not to train, but then you are also choosing to live your life in the realm."

"Well, I guess I will have to think about it, sir. Can I come back and talk to you tomorrow?" If that is how time works here.

"I will look forward to your visit tomorrow. You can leave the way you came. But know, your training will be rugged, maybe not physically, but mentally."

"Good day, sir."

The Master just nods, dismissing me. The way out is much better than the way in. Of course, I am walking on my own, this time. Outside the hut, Nicole is waiting for me.

"I've never seen him talk to someone like that before. Without the creatures present, I mean. What did he want?"

Jordan staggers up, looking as confused as Nicole.

"Can we talk somewhere private?"

"Yeah, let's go to our hut." Nicole suggests.

Minutes later we are walking through the door to our small hut. Nicole sits at the table, Jordan sits next to her, patting the chair next to him. I sit by Jordan and Nicole rolls her eyes.

"Do you have to flirt with everyone?"

"I don't flirt with you, do I?"

"Oh, quiet you! Vicki, what's going on?"

"The Master said I am the next Voyager. I told him I'd get back to him about my decision on the matter tomorrow. I don't know what to do."

I put my head on the table. I am thinking too hard, my head hurts.

Jordan pats my back awkwardly.

"So, you have to be the Voyager, right. Like, he didn't give you much of a choice?"

"He gave me no choice, I am to undergo training to get back home."

"Well, I guess we have an answer, then. You will be the Voyager, and every time you come back, as long as we are still here, we will be able to see each other sometimes!" Well, at least Nicole is excited about it.

Jordan says, "Just think, you can have all this power. You are like a mentor to anyone who is around you. We don't know much about it, no one but the Master, the Eminence and the Voyager know what it is really about."

"Well, I have tonight to have fun. Training will probably begin tomorrow."

"I guess we will just have to jam-pack the rest of the day with fun!" Nicole says.

"Okay, let's do something exhilarating." I say.

"Alright!" Jordan says, excited.