The Allegory Of Triberias: The Call Of Destiny .

A Meeting of Sorts

TRIBERIAS,
The Eastern Scaffold,
2420AA, After the Great Ascension.

Time dragged out more slowly in Triberias than anywhere else in the land below or so Havillah had been taught as a child.
Of course, there was evidence to the fact and from what she had gathered from her own research, she had come to deduce that much as well. And so, by the time she had gathered enough courage to wade back to the viewpoint, it was already morning already.
However, she could tell how much time had passed.  Was it days, weeks or merely a few hours from the evening of the incidence?
From the position of the sun, she could tell it was dawn. That much was evident as the scene at the viewpoint was also the same. The same patch of Dark Ocean with the a rocky island that spotted jutting cliffs and a small beach on the western side. It was definitely the same view that they had watched as they sat on the clouds several Triveria hours before. Meaning, no one else had been here apart from her. Not Moriella, not even the ever inquisitive Cjaira who always found a way to escape her training to come out here.
Havillah took a seat on the vacant fluffy cloud and took to watching the sunrise. Her mind deeply buried in the myriad of problems that now besotted her. She had heard of the new decree and her mother's moods had worsened because of it. In fact, it was because of her mother's need to be alone that she had been able to escape and visit this viewpoint.
There were not many in the city. The viewpoints that is and it was a lucky thing that few Great felt the need to use them.
Either that or this one was yet to be acknowledged and therefore, Havillah was able to furnish herself with the solitude that she had been seeking.
So she watched on. Admiring the crimsons and the corals. The peach and even the dark violets. The shades of blue and the swirling oranges on the canvas that was an almost bare horizon. And even as she did so, her mind drifted back to that day years ago. The day that was the culmination of all her troubles.
"Humans are weak. They are brash, rebellious and forgetful!" Those were the words that had been repeated every single day for the last several years at the beginning of all her lessons.
Words have power or so she had been brought up to believe and declaring them had led her to her undoing. Still, she could not bring herself to get those sentiments out of her mind, and try as she may, she had failed to convince herself of the weakness of this species that continued to live on perilously in that dangerous but beautiful world below.
And now, with news of the new decree, if she didn't try hard enough. If she didn’t teach herself to hold her tongue. She knew. She would soon find out what it meant to live in the same circumstances as these humans.
Was it truly that terrible? She found herself wondering and very much unable to decide on the matter. However, she was sure she did not want to be parted with her family and definitely, not in the manner of a banishment. If only the gates to the realm were fully open. Then, there was a chance that she could always go down on an adventure and still be able to return.
However, as she had also learnt at a tender age. That too was also forbidden for a Great, according to her mentor's words. Words that she was sure her own mother would also echo if the question did pop up especially after the proclamation of the new decree.
Either way she would still probably end up there. After all who could not see it? With the way that things were now panning out, that would be her only conclusion.
Suddenly a shadow caught her gaze and she broke herself out self induced solemn reverie. Her silver eyes squinting as they struggled hard to make out the form that had just appeared beneath the shadows of the clouds.
Unfortunately, before she could make it out, the form disappeared leaving behind it a wispy trail of dark vapour that even now was quickly fading with the coming of the sunrise.
Havillah looked away.
It must have been her eyes playing tricks on her or so she told herself. Evaporating shadows? She scoffed, but then, from the periphery of her eyes. She zeroed in on another dark form. One that was not fading like the first one. It was much smaller though and was now moving. To be more accurate, it was falling. Falling down to the depths below even as all around it, deep swirls of black and darkened smog that seemed to be engulfing it, quickly dissipated like the dark vapour from the first bigger shadow.
What is this? She wondered even with her knowledge as a Great researcher. After a moment of contemplation, she soon realised that it was a humanoid form. Yes, and it was falling, fast into the depths of the dark cold ocean waiting below.
In a spur of the moment, the new decree already forgotten, Havillah found herself shooting down from the heavens, descending from the realm as she fell towards the figure. She did not stop to wonder how she had managed it. Why the gates had not activated against her. She just knew that she had to get it. To save it from disappearing into the depths below.
Therefore she employed Virtue and sped up and like a bolt of lightening, she reached out a hand and grabbed the figure moments before it hit the surface of the water and sunk into the dark waters below.
She had done it. She breathed out a sigh of relief, having managed to keep it from sinking in just the nick of time. It was heavy though and oddly shaped. She groaned as she hefted it up, setting her feet precariously upon the water's surface to support it.
She would have to somehow walk on it, she finally acknowledged. Knowing fully well her current level of the First Virtue. It was enough to make her drift or take flight, but with the heavier passenger on board.
So she dragged the form. Pulling it across the water's surface and towards the small beach on the western shore of the nearby rocky island.
A little infusion of the Second Virtue and lagging it became easier. Hope crystals were her forte and therefore, where there was a will and of course, a mental picture, there was nothing that she could not accomplish. The problem was always with the First Virtue and the mastering the Modus of seeing the unseen that was essential with this Virtue.
Havillah dropped the still humanoid form on a soft parch of sand that was further away from the tides reach, and stopped to study it. It must have been six feet tall or more. A height that was a whole lot taller than her barely there five feet and three inches. No wonder it had been so hard to carry it. With the height difference and the heavy weight that was attached to it, anyone in her shoes would have found it challenging, all the factors considered.
From the first glance, she could not tell if the form was male or female as there were no visible bumps on the chest or its groin areas that she could go by. Instead, it was just plain. A plain, asexual humanoid form that made her wonder if such things truly existed. However, after a moment studying it, she finally surmised that it had to be human. A human being wearing some sort of armoured suit and since everyone knew that aliens from outer planets did not actually exist, that had to be her closest guess.
But why would a human being be wearing such a thing? Their latest fashion maybe? Truly this had to be uncomfortable. With their faces hidden, how could they even tell each other apart?
Slowly, she traced the edge of what she now knew to be a helmet and pulled at it to no avail. Taking in a deep breath, she stood up and took another step backwards and began studying the suit again. It was obviously made to be sturdy. May be indestructible, but even as shr thought on this, she noticed the different colours that marked the lower mid section where there were scratch marks and a puncture hole with a red fluid that was dripping from it.
Blood! Most of it had dried up of course. No, clotted was the right word and she deduced that the blood must have come from a fresh wound from the level of clotting that she had found there.
Probably from the impact of hitting the water after falling down from such an elevated distance? But really? No, she had saved it in the nick of time and she was sure that she was not responsible for those scratch marks either.
"Then, it must not be indestructible." she muttered softly to herself. "And it must be human too. Definitely human." she agreed with herself, her eyes now regarding the red fluid that had stopped flowing from the punctured hole with a thoughtful expression on her face.
A suit? As she thought on this, she hunched her shoulders forward and stared at the humanoid form from a closer distance.
What then was this suit's secret? This time, she took her time and studied it more intently, and was more thorough when she took in the intricate design and the mechanisms that made up the dark suit. She studied the clear crystal like visor and the shiny black helmet. The breastplate and back piece that were made of several sections that were overlapping together like an armadillo armour. The mesh-like pants, the fancy shoes and the belt that carried various gadgets. All the seams and notches and the lines and the crooks that hinted at a hidden compartment and then, she finally realised it!
The helmet had been made separate from the rest of the suit. This she remarked even as she reached down to press the small red button that she had just discovered a few inches just below the helmet’s chin. There was a beep and then, the suit's visor retracted into the helmet revealing the very human face of a man that was lying unconscious behind it.
"I knew it!" she smirked as she bent over to study the face of the young man.
Unlike her, he was of a fairer complexion with olive skin that was much lighter than her own light caramel. Despite the slight tan, his skin appeared clammy and was quite pasty with a hint of paleness that made her believe that he was not doing quite well. What with the bleeding, the puncture wound, the scratch marks and all.
All in all, his features were all quite outstanding with dark long rashes, probably the longest that she had ever seen on a man and dark moist strands that matted his forehead, peeking out from beneath his armour where the helmet had not completely covered his head.
She took in his angular face, the high aristocratic cheek bones. The strong jaws and she had to admit that despite all the paleness that came from the bleeding, this man still exuded that sort of 'masculine' charm that only a man of his stature could afford. And what is that stature? She wondered at herself as she sat back to think.
"What shall I do with you?" she muttered again as she reached out her hand to wipe away the wet strands that had matted his dampened forehead. As her fingers grazed his moist skin, green eyes fluttered open and she fell back with a cry of surprise.