Child of Time (2 page)

All too soon the morning swim was over and the boys
were drying off in the morning sun. The ride back to the village
was quiet until Ray spoke in Kiyan's mind.

“
Perhaps you should talk to the teacher or a seer
or even an ascended. The ascended would surely know what the dream
means.”

“
True”
Kiyan thought, the ascended seem to
know pretty much everything. But the woman that stopped the dream,
she seemed so familiar yet unknown at the same time. Maybe she was
real maybe not. As it was he had only seen her in the dreams of
this last week even though he had been having the dream for over a
month now. That one and others some of a lighter tone. He could not
but help the feeling that the dreams were related even though they
showed different things. This line of thought was interrupted by
Fred.

“Are you scared of the testing?” Asked Fred.

“No.” Lied Kiyan. “Are you?”

“Not even a little?” Responded Fred sidestepping the
question.

“Maybe a little.” Kiyan grudgingly admitted.

The testing as Kiyan told himself was nothing to be
afraid of. It was merely a ceremony that was held each year a child
turned twelve years old. It was here that they would be tested for
any gifts and what skills they had. Some of the elders that had
watch him through his life as well as his parents and any other
adult interested in his future. They would question him and find
out what he wanted to do in life and determine what profession
would best suit him. Above all it would be his choice and if
anything the others were there to guide him and give advice. He
knew everyone in the community and had quite a few friends but he
knew also that of the one hundred and fourteen people in the
village there was only eight children so for each member of the
community the testings were important occasions.

“Have you thought about what you want to do? If you
have any gifts? If you want to go to Samtan? If you are going to be
an ascended?” Jeremy was like that sometimes, never one question at
a time.

Kiyan laughed. “Somewhat but not really. I don't know
what I want to do. And if I have any gifts then I would have to go
to Samtan to the academy probably and I don't want to go that far
away.” The three of them would be going through the ceremony
together. Sometimes Kiyan thought that all the parents planned it
so there would be three to four kids about the same age in the
village at a time. Often it would be a hundred years before a
family decided to have another child.

“But you could use the teleporter and come home every
night so it wouldn't be that far away.” Fred and his logic. Not far
away! Even now he could see Samtan and one of its suns in the sky.
But still the idea of going and being around so many people was
intimidating.

“Well what do you two want to be?” Asked Kiyan.

“I want to be a bender. I can already swim really
well so maybe I'm a waterbender or even a water former like the man
who moved the river nearer the town.” Jeremy blurted out his lofty
aspirations.

“Ah I don't care if I have any gifts, I just want to
be me.” Said Fred.

“Me too.” Responded Kiyan.

-------

Marisa couldn't help but laugh at Kiyan’s enthusiasm
each morning to go for his swim. She watched as Ray lumbered up
behind Kiyan as he was joined by Fred and Jeremy. It made her more
comfortable knowing that Ray was with Kiyan. She knew that he would
keep them safe in case of an accident. The smile returned with the
memory of the chaos caused by Ray when he thought Kiyan was downing
because he held his breath so long. “Oh the eggs, I'll burn them if
I daydream.” She felt James' hands on her shoulders and she turned
to him after taking care of the eggs.

“Do you think she will take him away?” She asked a
quiver in her voice.

“I don't know. She said to care for him like our own
until he was old enough. I never found out when that would be.”
James responded. Kiyan was a good boy but he was still a boy. Kiyan
knew the circumstances of how he came to be in the village as did
most everyone else. James remembered the day when the ascendant had
appeared at their door with an infant in her arms and said that the
child needed a home to grow up in. She had offered no explanation
as to his origins or his future. James and Marisa had only been
married for a couple years and the child had fit right into their
home.

-------

Hmmmm the smell of a well-cooked breakfast
.
Mom was one of the best cooks in the village and she had cooked
Kiyan's favorite breakfast. The fresh fruit and breakfast cakes had
no equal in his mind.

“Now Kiyan run a comb through your hair before
someone thinks you a madman.” Marisa commented lovingly.

“That's too late Marisa dear.” James said earning him
a glance from Marisa. “The new has been out for some time.”

“You're no help James.”

“OK breakfast is on the table, Get it while it is
hot.”

After breakfast James Marisa with Kiyan and Ray
walked to the village center. The largest building in the village
had been built from several live oak trees into a large round
building capable of housing all the residents of Loomis. There were
eight of the elders as well as the village teacher, the parents of
Fred and Jeremy, Carlisle the seer, a couple benders and someone on
the outskirts of the room dressed in the white robe of the
ascended. A short gasp from Marisa made Kiyan look up but she said
it was nothing, just a pebble in her shoe.

The oldest elder was named Joshua. He was the one who
everyone agreed was the most similar to a leader as was needed in
the village. Joshua stood and commenced the testing. As he
explained the details and the importance of the testing, the
lifelong implications and the choices before each of the
participants, Kiyan's mind wandered. Trying to ignore the
uneasiness he felt from those assembled here he watched the faces
of those sitting in the circle around him.

Kiyan had always been able to sense the feelings of
others and had as such assumed everyone could so never talked about
it to anyone. He felt an oddly quiet spot in the room. Allowing his
eyes to focus on that spot he saw Carlisle watching him. Then he
felt a glimmer of surprise before it was stillness again. Quickly
glancing down he hoped Carlisle hadn't felt him observing him. That
would be rude. He didn't dare try and look at the ascendant sure he
or she would know it.

Finally the speech was over. The elemental tests were
the first. Kiyan watched as a torch, a cup of water, a piece of
earth and some ribbons and chimes were set up. The object was, with
the guiding hand of the benders present, to try and manipulate each
of the elements to determine if you had any bending ability. Fred
went first and was not surprised when he didn't move anything. Fred
returned to his seat and Kiyan sensed relief. Jeremy went next and
was able to disturb the surface of the water much to his
delight.

Now it was Kiyan’s turn. When he got up so did the
ascended. Kiyan was surprised that an ascended would take an
interest in him. Perhaps it was the kayloo, it was said that they
only bonded with the most gifted or else they would not be able to
create a proper bond. As it was an ascended was going to give him
the bending test, this made him even more nervous. Feeling for the
support of mom and dad and drawing on the stillness that was
Carlisle, Kiyan stepped forward again noting the flicker of
surprise from the seer. The ascended made no move to reveal its
identity at this time but stepped behind Kiyan at the torch.

He felt her hands on his shoulders for at her touch
he knew her. Kendra was real. The confusion was momentary. With a
wave of calm from Carlisle and the memory of the emotion he felt in
the dream from Kendra he was able to focus on the task at hand.

“Close your eyes and feel the heat from the fire.
Understand the workings of the fire and let your will be one with
the fire.” Kendra whispered.

Closing his eyes Kiyan felt the heat, it felt good
not hot but soothing. Remembering what the teacher had said about
the nature of heat being particles and atoms moving he focused on
the sensation of heat on his core and directed it to his hands. He
felt the startled gasps before he heard them. Opening his eyes he
yanked his hands back as quickly as the flames radiating from them
went out. Realizing also in that moment that the rock shattered,
the cup froze and broke and the chimes were sounding. Something was
not normal. The waves of apprehension tinged with fear and
suspicion broke on him. He felt Kendra and Carlisle trying to
shelter him from the chaotic emotions but it was too much.
I
can't think, here, so many voices, have to go.
He felt the warm
comforting embrace of Ray's mind. The Kayloo seized him and
proceeded to carry Kiyan from the room at a rapid pace.

--------

Joshua and Carlisle talked for a few minutes as the
others began to arrive. The ascended had come this morning and been
waiting in the Center for an hour or so now. Joshua had thought to
ask her some questions but she seemed to want to be left alone.
Perhaps she was the same one who had brought Kiyan as a child. No
matter we shall soon see if that is her purpose thought Carlisle on
the matter.

Carlisle still wondered about Kiyan. An ascended had
chosen the family that he was to grow up in. She had even chosen
the village. She could not have chosen a better family than the
Simons. As the circumstances of Kiyan’s arrival had piqued his
interest he had watched him over his life. He was pretty sure
Jeremy was a waterbender but the truth of that observation would be
seen. As for Fred the boy was quiet, logical and seemed intelligent
but also seemed to feel no pressure to be something other than what
he was, the characteristics of a good farmer or grower. Perhaps
even a life mage but those were rare.

Carlisle himself was a seer, one gifted with a sense
of the future. He could see glimpses of what might be and what
could have been but with Kiyan he could see nothing. This only
served to increase his curiosity. Carlisle also was an empath but
this he did not tell anyone about. People’s suspicion that they
were being spied upon was most annoying. Watching Kiyan had not
offered any further clues as he seemed normal in every way.
Sometimes he wondered though. Trying to study him emphatically was
unusually difficult. It was hard to define him from those around
him. Perhaps a deeper probe today was in order, no harm would come
to anyone. Kiyan wouldn't even know as only skilled empaths could
feel themselves being observed. Something about sensing their own
emotions in another person. Carlisle hadn't met anyone with that
skill but the ascended could probably. Then there was the matter of
the dream.

Everyone was here now. Time to sit and observe. As
Joshua began the speech Carlisle began to observe Kiyan. Again
finding it difficult to define Kiyan he marveled when he realized
that it was not Kiyan but himself he felt looking at him. A near
perfect mirror reflection. A glimmer of surprise that he realized
was his own then the reflection was gone. An empath with as much if
not more natural talent as himself. No wonder Kiyan was hard to
define. He reflected those around him. Now he began to question the
dream, was it his or was it Kiyan's. He had felt like an observer
but the raw emotion of the dream made it difficult to define
anything. However Kiyan had never seen the old world so how could
he know what it might look like.

He felt his emotions being reflected again. Looking
up he saw James, Marisa and himself with an undertone of
nervousness all in Kiyan. Carlisle knew both of them knew about it
now so why not try to help. Carlisle tried his best to project
tranquility. He saw the smile on Kiyan’s face as the tension melted
away. Then he saw the ascendant step up to Kiyan.
So it was her
then
. Another surprise when she touched Kiyan’s shoulder. The
instant recognition and the name "Kendra". The leader of the
ascended here at the testing of a human?

Carlisle realized that Kiyan was no longer drawing
off of him any more so he drew back his support leaving only a
thread of a connection. He watched as Kiyan moved his hands around
the flame. The flame began to shimmer than Kiyan's hands burst into
flame. There was indeed more to the boy than Carlisle had expected.
Stunned by the revelation Carlisle was too late in his attempt to
shield Kiyan from the raw startled emotions of those present. When
the emotions hit Kiyan he channeled it into bending. With a crack
the rock gave way to the boy’s shattered concentration and in
disturbed waved the air reverberated through the room. In an
instant the water was froze. Stunned Carlisle sat barely able to
process the information his senses were receiving. A bender of all
the elements was unheard of aside from an ascended. A talented
empath on top of it. When he was able to focus on the room again
Kiyan was gone and the ascended was suppressing the uncontrolled
emotions in the room.

---------

Evening had begun to set as James and Marisa sat at
the table talking. Carlisle had come and gone some hours ago. They
had always know Kiyan was different but not to what extent.
Carlisle only confirmed what they had already suspected about Kiyan
being empathic. What he described of the emotions in the Center
made them wonder why Carlisle had not fled also. What Kiyan needed
now was silence and them to be understanding.

A knock on the door startled them as they had been
waiting for the door to open without a knock signaling Kiyan's
return. The suspicion that the ascendant lady had taken Kiyan had
grown with the evening shadows. Carlisle's belief that Kiyan knew
who the ascended woman was only added to the dread. When James
opened the door he started a little then asked if the person would
come in. In an instant Marisa recognized Kendra and would have
jumped up if James hadn't been holding her down with a firm
hand.