Chapter 8 - Omnious Visions

The stars shone brightly as Siala stared out the window at them. She needed something to occupy her mind. Initially, she had tried to concentrate on the words being said by the seven other people that occupied the small hut, but the conversation was dull and the voices monotone. On top of that, it seemed that they were talking in some sort of code, none of what they said made sense to Siala. So, she began to watch the stars. The sky was clear for the most part, only a few clouds dotted the sky above.

“We need to find out what the danger is and when it will be here,” Atres, the High Elder explained, “Without knowing that, there is no way for us to prepare properly.”

“We understand the urgency Atres, but we have only the word of one to interpret. None of the other Chosen shared in the same vision, so how can we be sure sure how events will unfold, or that it will come to pass at all?” Eldee, another of the elders, asked.

“We can’t be, and at the same time we can not just ignore the words of a Chosen, especially one that had such a violent response to their vision. Taen still has not woken since the occurrence. Such a powerful vision must not be ignored,” Atres replied calmly.

“Siala, what are your thoughts on this?” Loaray asked.

Siala jerked at the call of her name. She looked back to the room of elders, all now looked at her expectantly.

Siala swallowed before she spoke, “I am not entirely sure. I must confess that I have not been paying attention.”

The faces looking at her changed from looks of expectation and curiosity to looks of disappointment.

“Siala,” Atres began calmly, “you have been brought before us because unlike most of our people, you have a way of thinking that is different. While we do not always approve of your methods and ideas, we understand that difference is not always something to be frowned upon,” Atres paused before continuing, taking a slow breathe, “Now, one of the Chosen has had a vision. The vision is disturbing, yet none of the others shared in the vision.”

Siala’s eyebrows lowered in confusion. The Chosen were light weavers, powerful ones at that. There were few that could catch glimpses of the future with their ability, yet the Chosen did so regularly, though completely uncontrolled. They were held in the highest respect in Quel'dan culture. When one was found, they were immediately brought to Rwendia, the largest settlement of the Quel'dan, as well as the home of the Elders. It was there that the visions of the Chosen were compared and debated.

“What was the vision High Elder Atres?” Siala asked respectively.

“The listeners told us that it was a map of Elaesif, or more correctly, all of the world. Darkness began to spread over the map, quickly followed by fire, then all the other threads of creation. What was left behind was something completely different, a new world. In the vision, the spread of darkness and fire began in Garlin,” Atres’ face looked pained and confused as he spoke.

Siala thought for a moment, examining the wooden planks that made up the floor of the hut. She ran a hand through her short-cut hair. She pondered what the vision could mean, going through every possible scenario but coming up with nothing. She gave up on trying to interpret what the vision meant, the Elder’s had obviously been trying to to that very same thing with no avail, so instead she moved to what they could do. How could they learn more. She wasn’t sure what she could do about darkness and fire, not if it was powerful enough to destroy the entire tapestry of creation and begin again. She had to look at the situation as she would a slumbering enemy about to awake.

“Our best choice would be to send a group of watchers to Garlin,” she began explaining, looking back up to Elders who continued to watch her, “they will need to be familiar with larger cities and able to blend in with the populations that are there. From what I know of Garlin it is rather diverse in its people and there are a good number of Quel'dan that already live there,” she paused, swallowing before continuing on, “I have not any clue what the vision means, however, it does seem that things will start in Garlin and spread out from there, so we should watch Garlin for anything strange. The watchers should report back to you often, and if you were to learn anything new, they should be informed as soon as possible so that plans may be adjusted to match the new information.”

The Elders glanced around at one another, considering what Siala had just said. Their body language seemed to suggest that they agreed with, or at least were considering, what she had just said. She could not be sure however, these seven men and women were the oldest and wisest members of the Quel'dan and were known for being able to hide their true intentions.

“Siala,” Atres finally broke the silence, “would you please leave us while we consider what you have said. Stay near, in the case we need to summon you again.”

Siala rose and exited the small hut, glad to be outside again. Or was she glad to be out of the presence of the Elders? She moved to the tree line of the small clearing and stared up at the sky again, watching as the twin moons shone from above. Noemet shone bright in the sky, so blue that it almost seemed white near his center. He proclaimed his summer dominance over his brother, Lauros, currently a red sliver in the sky.

Siala thought back to the vision, going over it in her head as she watched the moons make their journey across the night sky. There must be something massive coming for it to be able to engulf all of the world. Nothing seemed to reveal itself to Siala. The humans and Quel'dan had been at peace for nearly five centuries, besides the small skirmishes that might break out when one group expanded too far out of the agreed upon borders. The Glaekith had been silent on their island prison of Norena, seemingly pleased with it as long as they were left alone for nearly as long. There was nothing that Siala could imagine that would threaten Elaesif with destruction, let alone the entire world.

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“Siala, would you come back in please?” Siala opened her eyes to see Loaray standing in the door to the hut.

She wasn’t sure exactly how long she had been waiting, having fell asleep, but by the position of the moons, she estimated it had been a little over an hour. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind of sleep as she walked towards the hut.

Kildeen motioned Siala to sit as she entered the building. The Elders all sat with unreadable faces, just as they often did. It was disarming to find seven individuals all appearing to be calm and uncaring, though Siala knew that it was quite different. As she sat, Siala felt as if she wasn’t going to like when the Elders spoke.

“Siala, we have decided to agree to your suggestion. We do not have enough information at this time, but that does not mean we should not act. We will be sending a team of Watchers to Garlin to investigate the going ons and hopefully to discover this possible threat,” Atres said calmly, though there seemed to be looks given by the other Elders that made it seem as if they were not in complete agreement.

Siala nodded in understanding, but the knot in her stomach was still there, the feeling that they had something more planned. She sat with her legs crossed, hand set on her knees, it took all her control to keep from ringing them.

“The way you think, the way you act and react, it isn’t like the rest of our people,” the knot in her stomach grew bigger as Atres went on, “you look at things differently, with a unique perspective. It is because of that we have decided to send you with the Watchers to Garlin.”

Siala’s jaw clenched, keeping her from speaking anything that would anger the Elders. She was barely old enough to leave Rwendia for a few days, let alone the time it would take to travel to Garlin, and however long they would be there.

Atres continued, seeing that Siala had nothing to say, or at least that she would say nothing, “We will be sending hawks in front of you with messages for a the few Watchers we already have in Garlin. Should we find anything new before you arrive, it will be there waiting for you.”

“If you already have Watchers in place, why send me? Why not keep me here where I could confer with you directly?” Siala lost her control, the words leaving her mouth before she could stop them.
A smile crept along elder Saelet’s face, as if she had expected Siala to say such things, “It is quite a different matter trying to understand second-hand accounts rather than seeing things for yourself child. This is why we will be sending you.”

For the first time in a long time, Siala was scared. She was use doing things her own way, it was true, but this was something completely different. She preferred to be able to see what was coming. This darkness; this danger to all of the world was all still a mystery to her. She knew nothing of it’s source, of how to stop it. She knew not what to look for. It was as if they were sending her into a den of starved wolves to steal a cub and expecting her to come out unscathed.

Siala stood and started for the door. Atres spoke, “And where are you going?”

She stopped, staring at the floor for a moment, a smile slowly crept onto her face as she turned to look at them, “I suppose to Garlin.”