[Story scene post]
"Syzygy," Jaildarn says as he sits on my back. "The alignment you see in the sky. Night in the day. The portal will remain open only as long as the alignment lasts. So I must leave you, Belp. We go now to travel and discover." Golds and Silvers funneled through, one by one, into the lit portal.
"What if you hurt those who remain? What if there are consequences? What if you can't return? The Birth Place maintains a balance, as everyone knows, what if there are no more Golds or Silvers because you intend to leave?"
"Why does everyone know that? Because Opals and Reds tell everyone what to believe? What if they're controlling the numbers? Golds aren't dependent on them. We think for ourselves. The real reason the number of Golds and Silvers dwindles is that they aren't bringing our level ones. And now this abomination of mixed jewels, this redesignation? Yet none of our kind. None at all. No, Belp. We are the future. We are survivors. Good-bye."
He hits my back as he gets off me. I groan in pain, unable to retaliate or follow him.
"Do you not care, honestly not care, that Reyrigo is dead?"
He pauses. "Whatever might have been between us, that was weakness. It is not as if we could have had a future. I did invite him. There may be rocks on the other side. We can see at least one mountain from here when we look at that world. But he refused. He felt nothing. So, no, no, Belp, I honestly do not care. In the end, he didn't either. No one cared for the Golds and Silvers. And now we will outlive you all."
Then, he was gone. The portal closed behind him. It was dark in the cavern for a moment. But then daylight returned, and with it the complicated means that illuminated this place.
The Black walked over and rolled me on my back. "Your jewel is cracked. The light remains. Odd. How are you feeling?"
"Betrayed. Devastated. Grief like I've never conceived. Scared."
"Physically. I can't heal the rest. I'm a Master healer, not a Master of time. A shame, because that would be useful."
I stare at him as he pulls me to my feet. "Is there such a jewel?"
"No. I am pulled to life in need. As such, we Blacks have a rough idea of the population, feeling everyone's basic life force. Or rather, I suppose, just me now. I am the last of my jewel. As are you."
Key dramatic question that will take whole story to answer:
Could Belp have prevented all this death, how, and if so-- why didn't he?
And what led Jaildarn to become the cause of such annihilation?
QUESTION -- Do you feel Jaildarn was right?
My A to Z 2025 theme is a fantasy story. (And some of the process of writing it as well.) 🕮
- J (he/him 👨🏽 or 🧑🏽 they/them) ~ Speculative Fiction & Reference Author and Co-host of the April Blogging #AtoZchallenge
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Syzygy is one of my top ten favorite words since I was a kid. (Along with sesquipedalian). I'm a historical fiction and/or well-written spy mystery lover. Thanks for helping create the A to Z challenge!
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