SABA

-Epilogue-

I woke up early. The Scorching Ball had not yet begun to caress the horizon by the time I had already packed all the necessary things into my backpack.

Iltira was waiting for me at the agreed spot, nervously tapping her foot.

A note of irritation drew across her face: “You’re late again, Litka. What needs to happen for you to arrive on time just once? You know they won’t wait for us.”

“I’m sorry.” – was all I could say. Anything else would have sounded like, and been, a lie. I was not good at time management. No matter how early I woke up, the morning lethargy prevented me from being efficient and responsible.

Iltira, older than me by two Virteleon rotations, was both taller and sturdier than I was. One of her steps was almost like two of mine. And she walked fast. This meant that I practically had to be in a half-run just to keep up with her pace.

We were silent as we approached the location. She, because she was angry, and I, because I didn’t want to irritate her further with superficial topics. If I had the nerve to ask her, my question would be: Why such a rush when the first location won’t be the right one anyway? There was a possibility it could be the right one, but the probability bordered on the impossible. It happened maybe once in a million times, and we weren’t even born yet back then. Nothing guarantees us that the one time it did happen was actually the truth. Someone could have made up that story just to force all the participants to be punctual.

Somewhat tired from the pace of the walk, I gathered the courage to start a conversation: “Why didn’t Saba have a husband?”

Iltira looked at me with that angry glare that carried a hint of despair. The question was too direct for the answer to be avoided. And she didn’t want to talk. In the midst of her inner turmoil, she hissed through her teeth: “That was her sacrifice. She could have had an easy life. A husband, a king, right. Children. Mind you, even though she didn’t have children, she had a community and a school where she taught children. Taught them martial arts. But you already know that. It’s no use starting a conversation just to cheer me up. I’m still angry. This is our first time. And because of you, we might be late.”

I pretended not to hear the last part. “But why? She could have achieved everything even if she had a man by her side.”

“Litka, sometimes you really don’t understand the obvious things. Being young is no excuse. You’re too lazy to think. To delve deeper into a topic.”

“But please, answer me. I have some ideas, but I want to hear your opinion.”

“My opinion? That’s not an opinion. It’s a known fact. Don’t mix things up. The focus and the energy are in the story. The greater the distraction, the more the focus diminishes and the energy scatters. Saba started on a lonely path from her earliest childhood. She crossed the whole of Virteleon on foot. She was attacked, she almost died. She didn’t do it because she was bored. Or because she was a spoiled brat. She did it so that the whole planet would be better off. So that we could stand on our feet again, after the catastrophic epilogue of the fight against the bug-like occupiers. She started building the world from scratch.” – Iltira changed the tone of her voice as she spoke. She started angrily and finished with a soft voice, full of respect.

In the distance, the outlines of the location were coming into view. I wanted to ask Iltira one more question before we arrived. “Who do you think will be the successor?”

“It could be anyone from her group. Some say Okuda is the main candidate. I don’t know how interested she is in sitting on the throne. She is fearless and brilliant. Her flaw is that she is more of an independent, lonely wanderer. She is not cut out for working with a large number of people. In my opinion, it should be Kaidu. She is tailor-made to be a queen. Most similar to Saba in every way. That’s why Saba was the strictest with her. She trained and taught her to the point of unbearability and painful suffering. That all strengthened Kaidu. If it were up to me, she is the best choice.” – a slight tension could be felt in Iltira’s voice.

The Portal Field, bathed in the rays of the Scorching Ball, welcomed the newcomers. It stretched across a huge clearing, overgrown with beautiful golden–grey grass, which retained its hue regardless of the weather conditions.

Iltira, seeing that moments separated us from finding out if this was the right location, caught me by the hand and we ran together. In the middle of the field, an altar was set up, upon which rested a large, hardbound book. Unopened, it represented possibilities. Once it opened, it would no longer represent a possibility. It would represent reality and the name of the new Queen of Virteleon. The excitement in the air was taking on solid forms.

One of the women, closest to the altar, spoke loudly: “Dear friends. We are extremely happy about the fact that you have come in such large numbers. Today we will find out the name of the new Queen of Virteleon. Make yourselves comfortable and witness a historical event. For the first time in a hundred Virteleon rotations, someone new will rule our planet…”

My sister and I found a spot a short distance from the altar itself. Behind the altar some ten meters away from it, the air was shimmering. Iltira and I looked at each other, shocked to realize that this was actually the right location. The shimmering of the air meant that a Portal was about to appear. I smiled at Iltira, with relief but also a little teasing because of her unnecessary worry.

“You see, there’s no reason to be nervous. We arrived just in time. And this is the right location. Take that negative expression off your face. Let’s enjoy the ceremony.” – I said excitedly.

Not much time passed. About ten minutes. My sister and I held hands, as if clutching a lifeline. Her green hair fell carelessly all over her face.

The shimmering of the air intensified. The Portal would appear soon. And out of it would come Saba, in full glory. The murmur of the crowd was replaced by cheers and joyful shouting of Saba’s name. On Iltira’s face, I noticed tears streaming down. Why is she crying, right now? She tightened her grip on my hand. The moment of summoning Saba had come. Everyone gathered began to sing a melody dedicated to the Portal. It was called the Anthem to the Portal. It was believed that Saba would appear at any moment. She would step out of the Portal and greet the crowd.

The ground trembled, the air behind the altar shimmered violently, slowly forming the contours of the Portal. Finally, the waiting came to an end.

What followed is difficult to explain. Light began to radiate from the Portal, revealing the contours of Saba’s body. The light caressed our very existence. It cleansed the mind, killed all ego. I don’t know how long it all lasted, nor did I hear a message if there was one. In a daze, touched by the absolute purity and well-being of the energy she radiated, we didn’t even notice that she was gone. She left the Light to remain there on the field with us. But she was no longer there. The book on the altar opened with a loud sound of the cover striking the wood.

Iltira gestured with her hand for me to go and see what was written. Approaching the book, I had no idea what would follow. I looked at the text. I looked a second time. After the fifth time, the crowd began to grumble at my stalling.

“My successor will be dear Litka. Greet the new Queen.”

-End-