Sacred meeting the esk - part 2

The landscape appeared as a wash of diluted shapes. There were only grey values in all directions. Her first sensation was of a comforting warmth emanating from above, alerting her to the matter of her own existence. Feeling this physical sensation, she realized — she had a body.

She reflected on this concept.

Sounds reached her– another interesting change. Something silky tapped her and this confirmed that yes, she did in fact exist.

Time passed. The shades of grey began to darken, except for one glowing sphere. The word moonlight came to mind.

Everything shifted.

It was as if that singular word finished opening the gates of sentience and suddenly the world clicked into place. A thick wave of fog rolled off her as if clearing her mind.

Her vision remained the same, but something in her awareness widened and she felt two blue figures watching her. She turned to them.

* * *

Wuxi didn’t move, worried he might startle her. Yutian followed his lead and remained still as well.

He’d wondered for a long time how this first conversation would go. He thought back on his own transformation. Sacred had renewed his life, but overall it was a bleak, depressing experience. This already seemed different. Sacred hovered over the water in an ethereal way as if she held none of the grief that inevitably comes with being human.

“You are familiar,” Sacred said to Wuxi, her telepathic voice barely detectable.

“You recognize me?” Wuxi asked, a little confused, but willing to accept oddness surrounding their transformations.

“Yes, you were the soft light that brought me from the mud,” she explained.

“Ah, right, I am.” His disorientation lessened a little — she did not have memories from her own future, he realized. He consciously dulled his enchantment. He could already sense the reverberations of memories from his enchantment. He didn’t want to confuse her further by having his enchantment mix his previous forms, or glimpse herself in the echoes.

“I’m Wuxi, and this is Yutian. You’ve become an esk, like us. We were humans but you were a lotus, like the flower that now hovers over your head.”

She looked up towards her lotus but it moved with her head out of sight. She tried again and failed. The gesture felt youthful, like a puppy chasing its tail. Wuxi was almost stunned by the uncharacteristic behavior, but Yutian gave a soft laugh.

“You two can be so serious,” they said, and padded over to Sacred. “It’s alright, I can help. Here, try again.” And this time, Yutian telepathically held the flower in place.

She gazed up at the delicate flower hovering above her featureless face. The light from her enchantment swirled around petals and mesmerized her. It gave her confidence to enter this strange reality.

“It’s pretty,” she stated, and Wuxi and Yutian were both endeared by her brevity. She looked down at the other lotuses in the pond, they were equally as beautiful, and asked, “Why my flower?”

Yutian and Wuxi shared a look, and Wuxi wondered if some deeper part of Sacred knew to ask that question. He crossed the garden to join Yutian by the pond and answered, “Because I recognized you. But before we get into that, what do you already know about being an esk?”

Sacred gave this some thought. She reclined on the water surface to make herself comfortable and sat with her feet tucked under her like a bird. Fog rolled across the pond and it began to move in loose patterns.

“We are spirits, tied to the earth with invisible roots. The world is bland and grey, but esk are full of energy. We stand out as harmonious shades of pale sapphire and indigo,” she answered.

“Hm, yes we are spirits. But– oh of course, your vision! Your perception might be skewed, but I think you’ll discover that the world isn’t actually bland,” Wuxi clarified. He and Yutian both knew she saw in monochrome. Neither of them were aware she saw esk as certain colors.

“Esk aren’t the only beings worth attention. Things might look simple here on this terrace, but I promise there’s so much to do,” Wuxi assured. Then with Yutian’s help, he began to acquaint her with the basics of esk life.

Sacred listened carefully, and Wuxi pondered this backwards relationship. It was odd teaching these concepts to an esk he’d always viewed as arcane and wise. But here she was, unaware of how to see her own lotus, let alone more complicated things like performing transformations or time travel.

Finally Wuxi came back to her initial question: why her flower?

“We came here on a whim. Yutian and I stumbled onto this temple water garden accidentally. When I saw the pond and your lotus, I recognized you instantly with help from my enchantment. We’ve met before, Sacred. You will go on to see the whole planet in every era by traveling through time. On one of those journeys you’ll find me, as a human, and transform me into an esk. The cycle will repeat. Today is just another spoke in the wheel that will keep turning indefinitely.”

A jolt of lucidity flashed through Sacred and Wuxi’s minds. For a brief instant they saw a metaphysical view of the whole cycle as if from outside of time. The vision was so fleeting and paradoxical that neither could be sure it happened. Yutian shuddered as if the flicker had reverberated around them too.

When the cosmos righted itself again Sacred appeared more settled. It was as if the knowledge completed her sense of self.

“Thank you Wuxi, for continuing the cycle. And to you Yutian, for your part in this. I am fortunate to be in this spiral with kind, thoughtful esk.”

“And you as well. We are lucky, too,” Wuxi agreed. Yutian nodded, and gave Wuxi a subtle, questioning glance as if to ask, are we going to warn her your transformation isn’t exactly as gracious and easy?

Wuxi moved his head imperceptibly in a no. They could save that discussion for a later date. Why ruin this peaceful moment?

“Also, thank you for the name Sacred,” she added.

Wuxi was taken aback, “I didn’t name you… Oh, I guess I did!” He needed a moment to wrap his head around the paradox, but… it felt fitting, somehow. Another part of the cycle. He beamed with moonlight at the delightful revelation.