Sentari: ICE (7 page)

“Great, now what?” said Ariana.

On the other side of the lake was a small path that wound its way up to the top of the ridge.

“It would appear that the only way to get up the cliff is to go through the lake,” said Julius, as he dropped his bag to the ground. “But I, for one, want some sleep before I contemplate submerging myself in that,” he continued.

“I’m really sick of being wet and cold,” said Ariana.

The next morning, Julius cleverly fashioned a raft out of a large chunk of ice he was able to break off the glacier. They put everything they owned onto the raft to try and keep it dry.

Julius took his clothes off and delicately put his foot into the water, expecting it to be so cold that his big toe would break off the instant it went in, but he was pleasantly surprised. The water was warm. Julius dove into the water head first.

Ariana and Te’oma looked at each other shocked. They thought that Julius had lost his mind. “Come on in. It’s like a relaxing, hot bath,” said Julius.

Ariana and Te’oma made their way towards the water’s edge, still a little unsure if Julius was playing a prank on them but, sure enough, the water was warm and inviting.

Julius kept a firm grip on his raft as they swam across the lake. The water was so warm and peaceful that a sense of calmness came over them. This feeling of warmth and comfort was something Ariana and Julius had not felt for a very long time. For Te’oma, it was the first time that he had felt this warm and safe. It was almost as if the water was warming their very souls.

As they got further into the lake, they began to drift through the water aimlessly. Julius lost his grip on the raft and let it drift away. He floated in the water, blissfully unaware of what had happened.

Their minds began to wander. Suddenly their purpose for crossing the lake seemed unimaginable. The more their minds relaxed, the more they sank into the water, until they were completely submerged. Their eyes closed and their minds turned off as they drifted through the crystal lake.

Julius and Ariana drifted deeper and deeper into the illusion, their minds taken to where they were most happy. For Ariana it was with her family in their pool, for Julius it was in the arms of the woman he loved.

Te’oma’s mind wandered back to his earliest memory. He lay on a thick woollen blanket on the floor of his parents’ old wood cabin. He was only three years old. His mother was making funny faces at him. Her eyes were so bright and full of life, her smile lit up the room. Te’oma felt a warmth that he had forgotten. He laughed and laughed until his sides began to hurt, then he laughed some more.

Gaia glowed like an angel. She took Te’oma by the hand, her eyes piercing through to his very soul. “You must wake up,” she said. Te’oma just smiled back at her, so captivated was he by her warmth.

The walls to the cabin began to rumble and creak. Gaia got up and slowly stepped away from Te’oma. Her smile started to fade as a tear rolled down her face. Te’oma reached out to her, “Mother, please,” he said.

“You must wake up, my son,” said Gaia.

Suddenly, water burst through the walls and wood flew everywhere. Gaia and Te’oma were engulfed by the deluge. The water levels rose higher and higher as Te’oma desperately tried to keep his head above it.

The water reached the top of the cabin. Te’oma held his breath as he was submerged. Gaia stood before him. She was relaxed. She took his hand and looked deep into his eyes. In his mind he heard her voice, “You must wake up!”

Te’oma’s eyes opened. He suddenly realised he was in the crystal lake. He looked around and, to his shock, there were dozens and dozens of people and animals of all kinds floating in the water.

Te’oma swam to the surface and gasped for air. He looked around but could not see Ariana or Julius. He ducked back under the water and frantically swam around. There were so many faces down there, some of them were old and wrinkled, their skin soft from years of being in the water.

A glimmer of light from deep in the water caught the corner of Te’oma’s eye. He swam down towards it, pushing away the floating bodies that blocked his path. Behind them was Ariana; her necklace was reflecting the sunlight. Te’oma grabbed her and pulled her up to the surface.

She did not wake up. Te’oma dragged her to the edge of the lake and pulled her up onto the dirt. He turned around and looked for Julius. He saw the raft that Julius had made, floating not far from the shore. He dove back into the water and out to the raft. Te’oma went under and, to his enormous relief, Julius floated below the raft. Te’oma dragged him and their supplies to the shore.

Ariana started to cough and splutter. She sat up and coughed out a huge amount of water. Te’oma rushed to her aid. “What happened?” she said.

“I don’t know,” said Te’oma.

“Where’s Julius?” said Ariana in a panic.

“Relax,” said Te’oma. “He’s right next to you. He just hasn’t woken up yet.”

Ariana shivered in the cold air. Te’oma took their clothes from the raft and handed them to Ariana. “You wait here with Julius. I’ll see if I can find some bushes to make a fire,” he said.

The night set in. The days seemed to be getting shorter. Te’oma had managed to make a small fire, around which he and Ariana sat, enjoying its welcome warmth. Julius, still asleep, lay next to them.

“When do you think he’ll wake up?” asked Te’oma.

“I don’t know, but I hope it’s soon,” replied Ariana.

“Memories can sometimes keep us from seeing what is in front of us.”

Distant Memories

At the Grand Cross Junction, centre of all transport, hundreds of people wearing stunningly colourful silk clothing, scurried in all directions – the noise was deafening.

The building housed a massive tunnel. Immaculate gold pillars wrapped around the tunnel walls, with gorgeous coloured glass between each pillar. Large crystals hung from the roof, lighting the tunnel. Hundreds of smaller tunnels led out of the junction.

Ethaniol walked with purpose through the busy crowd. He was Grand Chancellor of the council, a man of class, a man so well presented that every hair on his head was in its place. His son, Julius, walked three steps behind him. Julius was terrified of his father.

Ethaniol walked past a line of people. A glass dome with a mirror-like surface sat upon a pair of crystal tracks. Two guards in full armour, with large staffs, stood next to the dome.

“Get in,” said Ethaniol.

One of the guards tapped the glass of the dome. It started to ripple like a drop of rain in water. Then, from nothing, a small hole appeared in the side of the dome. It rippled outwards until the hole was big enough for a person.

Julius got into the dome. Inside was a plush, burgundy leather couch that wrapped around the sides. The walls were dark grey. Julius and Ethaniol sat down on the couch. The opening in the dome quickly disappeared and everything went quiet. The grey walls became transparent and the junction came into view, distorted only by the tiniest of water blurs.

“How old are you, Julius?” Ethaniol would always start a lecture by asking a question he already knew the answer to.

“You know how old I am, Father,” replied Julius.

“How old are you?” demanded Ethaniol.

“Nineteen, Father,” replied Julius dejectedly.

“Hmmm,” said Ethaniol. He never had to say much to get his point across.

The dome began to move, bursting out of the junction and speeding down a dark tunnel at an incredible rate. The rapid motion did not seem to affect Julius and Ethaniol.

Faster and faster, the dome travelled along the tracks. The tunnel outside was just a dark blur. Soon, the tunnel walls turned to glass and the depths of the ocean were visible through it. The tunnel wove its way around the bottom of the ocean. Thousands of fish, stingrays, and sharks the size of houses swam around the glass passage, oblivious to their presence. They were so far down that the surface of the water could barely be seen above them.

Julius looked up longingly toward the surface and wondered what it was like up there.

“Stop gazing up into nothing and focus on the here and now,” snapped Ethaniol. Julius looked down at the floor, dejected. “Your mother tells me that you have been seeing Jade,” he said.

“Yes,” replied Julius, terrified that he was going to tell him to stop.

“She is a fine young lady, Julius. Make sure you treat her well,” said Ethaniol. He could always surprise Julius when he least expected it but there was always a self-serving purpose behind his episodes of goodwill. “You represent our house in everything you do,” continued Ethaniol.

The dome disappeared into a dark tunnel again. As it started to slow down, they emerged from the tunnel and came to a stop in a small room. Plain grey walls surrounded the room, with only one doorway, which lead into darkness. The doorway was lined with gold, woven into a pattern that appeared like a vine growing around a tree. A single crystal hung down from the roof, lighting up the room.

The dome opened up and Ethaniol stepped out. Julius went to leave, but Ethaniol stopped him. “Go see her. You have no classes tomorrow and remember your actions reflect back on us,” he said.

“Yes Father,” said Julius.

Julius sat back down in the dome as the door closed. It whisked back out into the tunnel. Julius couldn’t help but feel excited. He did not expect his father to be so generous. He could not wait to tell Jade the news.

The dome sped through the massive expanse of ocean, in and out of tunnels, then plunged down along the ocean bed.

The dome came to rest at the base of an enormous cave. Solid see-through crystal walls kept the flowing lava at bay. Gorgeous black granite floors shimmered from the light of green gemstones embedded in the crystal, glowing from the energy provided by the lava.

Two large statues of men dressed in silk stood next to a giant, stone, double-doorway, with a golden sword hanging on each door.

Julius stepped out of the dome. Time seemed to stand still as Jade, the most beautiful woman – in his eyes – came running into the room. Her long, soft blonde hair flowed as she ran towards him and leapt into his arms. He stared into her deep green eyes, a colour befitting her name.

“What are you doing here?” asked Jade.

“My father approves of you,” replied Julius.

“He approves?” said Jade curiously.

“Yes, isn’t that great?” said Julius.

“That’s more than great. That’s amazing,” she replied.

Julius and Jade had been in love for a long time. They had kept their relationship secret from the world because they feared the repercussions. Jade’s father was the former chancellor and their families had been bitter rivals for generations. Ethaniol had drummed into Julius from a young age that they were Jade’s family were not to be trusted, but Julius could not help his love her.

Jade’s family also had no idea of their relationship. Julius was very careful to always go to her house when no one else was home. This was to be the first night that Jade’s family would learn of their relationship.

Jade held Julius’s shaking hand and squeezed it tight.

Julius stopped near the entrance of the home.

“What are you waiting for?” said Jade.

“Come with me,” said Julius.

“Where?” Jade asked.

“Let us spend one last night together before everyone knows about us,” pleaded Julius.

The two got in the dome and headed out of the tunnel. “Where will we go?” asked Jade. Julius ran his hand over a silver disc on the floor of the dome. The disc rose up from the floor, then moulded into a steering panel. Julius twisted the panel and the dome exited the tunnel. It slowed down and floated in the water.

“What are we doing here?” said Jade.

Julius pulled back on the steering panel. The dome slowly floated upwards. “Let’s spend the evening, just you and I, alone in the ocean, just drifting,” said Julius.

Julius and Jade floated through the water, without a care in the world. Snuggled closely in each other’s embrace, they enjoyed their last night of peace together. They both knew, deep down, that tomorrow would be a different story.

***

The artificial light that slowly grew brighter crept its way into Julius’s eyes, slowly but surely waking him up. Living so far under the water, his people had created an ingenious way of mimicking a sunrise, to great effect.

Julius sat up in Jade’s bed in the small and unassuming room. The bed was comprised of a large slab of granite with a soft white mattress on top.

Shiny brown silk sheets covered Julius, but the one thing that caught his attention was the stunning Jade, lying asleep next to him. He had almost forgotten that they had spent their first night together. She slept peacefully, almost smiling as she snored. The gorgeous necklace that Julius had given her dangled around her neck, glimmering in the morning light.

Julius leaned down and gave her a kiss good morning. Jade struggled to open her eyes, then smiled when she saw Julius looking back at her. Suddenly her carefree smile turned to panic.

“Relax. It’s still very early,” said Julius, as he stroked Jade’s long hair.

“You don’t understand. My father comes in each morning to wake me up. If he sees you here, well, I don’t know what he’ll do, but it won’t be good,” said Jade.

Julius quickly got to his feet and put his clothes on. Jade kissed him and led him out the front door, telling him to wait there until she was ready.

At the very moment that Jade closed the door, Dengrid, Jade’s father, walked into the entrance hall. He was a brute of a man, tall and stocky with a thick, bristly beard. He was a very mean-looking man.

“What are you doing out of bed so early? Normally I have to tear you out of bed,” said Dengrid in his deep and crackly voice.

“I invited someone over,” said Jade. “Now, don’t freak out,” she said as she opened the front door. Dengrid looked outside, but there was no one there. “You can come in,” said Jade. Julius peeked his head nervously around the corner, then walked in.

Dengrid’s eyes turned a shade of red, as he visibly did his best to hide his anger. Julius reached his hand out. “It’s nice to meet you, sir,” said Julius. Dengrid stood, unmoved, with his chest puffed out, ignoring Julius’s hand.

“Father!” snapped Jade. Dengrid reluctantly shook Julius’s hand. He shook it so hard that Julius squealed in pain.

“Does the Chancellor know he is here?” were the first words that Dengrid could bring himself to utter.

“We have his full blessing,” said Jade.

“We?” said Dengrid, in a slightly elevated tone of voice.

“Yes. Julius and I are in love. Isn’t that fantastic, Daddy?” said Jade.

Dengrid looked down at Julius with a cold stare that any father would give to a boy who was trying to take his little girl away. “Is this true?” asked Dengrid. Julius shook so much with nervous energy that he felt like he was going to fall over. Jade grabbed Julius by the hand, which seemed to calm him slightly. “Yes,” Julius murmured.

“Speak up, boy!” said Dengrid.

“Yes, sir. I love your daughter.”

Julius looked across at Jade. “I love you,” he said. It was the first time he had ever told her. It was the first time he had told any girl.

“I love you, too,” said Jade as she jumped into Julius’s arms.

Dengrid looked down from his lofty height, with very disapproving eyes.

For the next few months, Dengrid and Julius learned to have an unspoken truce. Julius would stay out of Dengrid’s way and would follow his rules to the letter. For Jade and Julius these were the greatest months of their lives. They spent all their time together, their love growing ever stronger.

They would spend their days with their friends in the large town square. It was an amazing place with a solid glass ceiling letting the light beam through the ocean above, which filled the room with glorious waves of blue light. But its beauty was lost on Jade and Julius. They were so wrapped up in each other that they didn’t notice anything else.

By night they would ride the domes to each other’s houses, always stopping along to the way to spend time just floating in the water, staring into each other’s eyes. That’s how it began.

One night, whilst floating in the blue waters, Julius had an idea. It was something he had been curious about for a very long time.

“Jade,” he said, curiously, “I want to see what’s outside of our city. I want to see the surface.”

“We can’t. You know it’s forbidden,” said Jade.

“Yes, but why? Haven’t you ever wondered what it’s like up there?” said Julius. “We won’t be caught. I promise. We’ll just go up, have a look then come back down again.”

Jade was not easily convinced and she thought long and hard before giving in to Julius’s charm. “Alright,” she finally conceded. “But do it quickly.”

The dome slowly rose. Julius smiled with excitement while Jade looked around nervously. When the dome broke through surface, Jade and Julius both pressed up against the transparent walls, looking out in anticipation. But they were disappointed; there was just ocean as far as the eye could see. Jade sat back down. Julius continued to look out in the hope of seeing something far away. “I can’t believe there’s nothing out there,” he said. “Why are we not allowed up here if there is nothing out there?”

Jade got to her feet. “Julius!” she snapped as she walked towards the other side of the dome. “Julius. Come over here.”

Julius followed her and peered out in the same direction. Coming into sight was a mighty mountain range with peaks that seemed to disappear into the sky. Wispy clouds floated around the summits of the mountains. The sun beamed out from behind, giving off an array of colours. Lush, green grass rolled out into the distance, giving way to forests at the base of the mountains.

Jade took Julius by the hand. “Have you ever seen anything like it?” she asked.

“It’s beautiful,” said Julius.

That place on the surface of the water became their new home away from home. They would sit together in the dome, bobbing on the ocean, looking out at the mountains and dreaming of a time when the two of them could wander the rolling green grass, hand in hand.

Each time they travelled there they got a little more careless. It seemed so innocent to them that they almost didn’t try to hide their crime. That’s when it happened. As they sat snuggled in each other’s arms, the dome started to move of its own accord. Julius looked around in a panic. “What’s happening?” said Jade. The dome began to descend back into the water as if on autopilot.

Julius frantically tried to take control, but it was like it had a mind of its own. Julius sat down next to Jade on the floor. “I think we’re in a lot of trouble,” he said.