Oriehn

Chapter 46- Taliesin

Chapter 46- Taliesin

I gazed up at the stars twinkling in the night sky. One of the shining specks could very well be where my kindred people lived.

I could only wonder what was happening up there on Oriehn. Strategizing plans to save me? Maybe celebrating? My thoughts trailed to Alice...what would she be doing? The commander had said that she was going through the sieve, so did that mean she loved Ian?

I frowned. If she was actually going through it willingly, then did that mean she did not love me? Had she ever truly loved me? Or was she doing it for the sake of the rest of the Oriehns? Just going through the sieve did not mean she necessarily loved Ian, either. Maybe she was just doing it until I got back.

Or not?

Was she going to reject Ian at the end, or get paired up with someone else? If I did not arrive in time, would she forget about me? Would she lose hope that I would ever come back? Did she already think I was dead?

I clutched my head, resting my elbows on my knees as I sat up, breaking my stare. Questions of varying magnitudes filtered through my mind. None of them had answers. None of them would ever have answers until I could find my way back to Oriehn and Crious.

Was I just being paranoid and overthinking things? Maybe Alice was not going through the sieve, having decided against. Maybe she was settling in to a government job, or something else.

No, she would not be doing a government job at this time. When Drai had died,  that only left Alice and the oracle. And since the oracle doesn't get matched with someone, Alice would be their only option for continuing the race.

"Ugh," I banged my head against my knees. Groaning, I stared back up at the sky again, towards a small speck in the distance. I remembered flying to the north on the night of our escape, so that could perfectly well be where Alice was standing.

Maybe she was even staring back down at Earth. Was she wondering about me? Thinking about me as I had done her? Or did she completely forget about me, being wooed by Ian?

"Hey," A rather loud voice interrupted my thoughts. It was quite a contrast to Alice's softer tone, but I had grown accustomed to this one as well.

"Hey, Robin," I greeted, and she sat down on the grass besides me. Smiling, Robin laid onto my shoulder and looked up at the stars.

"Do you see any constellations?" She asked. When I shook my head no, she used her hand to point out stars in the sky. I traced the patterns in the sky as well, and followed her hand's lead. "That one is the Big Dipper, and the Little Dipper next to it. It is upside down, see?"

Her hand accidentally bumped into mine and she retracted it immediately, staring at the ground. Silence fell upon us after the incident until she spoke.

Robin coughed slightly. "Um, so about...uh, the immortality. And our efforts to get you back to your home planet."

I nodded. "Yes. I would like to be back as soon as possible. If there is anything I can do to help, I certainly will."

"No need for that. We already have a plan, after all. In one week, you will be back with all of your people," Robin grinned at me. Then her face grew serious. "How about your end of the bargain? Immortality for us? How do we know that you will uphold it?"

"I swear it," I said solemnly, then sighed. "But I don't even know if I am immortal anymore. Didn't you see? My blood is red." I growled, raking my palm across a sharp stone. Bright, angry red blossomed out, instead of the calming blue.

"Can you lose your immortality?" Robin raised an eyebrow.

I shook my head. "We are weakened by your atmosphere. If we stay any longer than three weeks, it puts our bodies under too much stress.  You know, immortality is a privilege you are generally born with, not granted," I stared at my hand. "Perhaps even if your blood is red, you could still be immortal."

Robin shrugged. "I don't think you can just lose your immortality that easily. I mean, it is not as if you can just stay on Earth for a second, and poof, your immortality is gone!" She joked, and I laughed.

"It isn't really that easy. And your earlier question, about how if we can give you the key to being immortal. I..." I trailed off. "I am not that sure that we can. If I can lose my immortality, then what are the odds that you can get it back? It would not be that easy. It could not be."

Robin frowned. "But you promised, Sin. You said that you would give all of us immortality. Unless you are going to go back on your word? Or just ditch us and send us back?"

"No, no!" I said quickly. "I promise that if there is a way, you will get it. If inserting human blood in to my veins and staying on Earth  for an extended period of time will make me lose my immortality, maybe if we can get Oriehn blood in your veins..."

"Would that work?" Robin asked, intrigued, leaning in closer. I shifted uncomfortably as her breath hit the back of my neck.

"I do not know. I feel as though I have been saying that quite often these days," I gave a dry laugh. "But our immortality is not quite the same like the gods in your myths. We will grow older. Though it will much slower, expanding over a long period of time. You will not necessarily live  forever, as even the Oriehns do not. It is more like a few millennia or so. We can still die."

She nodded. "So it is more of a..." Robin struggled to find her words.

"You get what I mean," I nodded.

"Alright, then. I believe in your words, Taliesin. I know that you will try your best, and even if that does not work, we will be okay with that." Robin placed her hand on mine and pointed back up at the sky, holding my hand with hers. "According to your descriptions, I think that is where your home planet is."

I nodded. "And that is where we will be going."