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"The Scale" (In a dream) Eternal darkness enveloped Sasalai's mind as he fell into a deep sleep. He floated through the dream-world as he tried to comprehend, untangle, understand what the visions had meant. Dove and wolf. Dove and wolf. What do they have in common? Hmmm. Oh yes! His eyes lit up the night. The garb of the High Priest! There are doves on the hat, and a double-headed wolf on the chest! What does that mean? Hmmm. The wolf is obviously Ruka. That much I know. Doves are peace. Hmmmmm... perhaps it means the only way through peace is to destroy Ruka. He will not stop until he destroys everything. He has to be stopped... through force. He frowned, not wishing to take another life... but it couldn't be helped. Suddenly, the darkness erupted into calm, soothing waters. Sasalai saw himself on a boat, holding a small red stone. The alternate Sasalai glared at the stone... Sasalai recognized it as the Infinity Stone... with contempt. "Cursed stone," the other Sasalai announced, as a few of the lower-ranking priests on the boat looked on. "Tool of the Sindar. You were not meant to be upon this blessed world, or used by mere mortals. Return to the hell from whence you came." He dropped the stone, which plummeted into the waters. Sasalai, in his ethereal form, followed the stone downward. A priest, from the boat, called upon his Mother Earth Rune, and the earth yawned open, swallowing the tiny red stone as it snapped shut. Soon afterward, another priest applied a heavy dose of fire magic, fusing the ocean bottom plates together. Fearing the stone, the Harmonian priests had sealed the Infinity Stone for eternity. That happened, Sasalai thought. Last year. We had to find such a cursed relic. To ensure no one could abuse the Sindars' horrid gift. It appears to have paid off. He smiled smugly. Foolish Agares. Suddenly, the watery depths disappeared, and a figure took its place, a figure clad in green robe, white pants and shirt underneath. At first, he couldn't see the other's features, but they focused rapidly, granting him sight of a familiar face framed by dark blond locks. Meeting Sasalai's deep brown eyes was a gaze of green. He recognized him immediately. Luc was the boy's name. Luc fell asleep quickly, wanting more than anything to get away from reality. He hated being home. He was scared of it, and he hated being scared. Too many bad memories. And whatever good ones he had, he couldn't find them easily. So he stayed in the dark, shrinking away from every memory, every dream. But something kept coming. Luc wanted to stay away from it...wanted it to stay away from him...but whatever it was, it wouldn't go away. He saw the image. It became clearer and clearer every moment. The image was the person he was looking for, but he had never expected to find him here. Wherever "here" was. Sasalai. Sasalai glared at him. Luc felt suddenly very, very cold. But he stared back. "So it's you." "Of course it's me. Who did you expect?"
"I was expecting Piette, but then I remembered his unfortunate fate at the hands of assassins." Sasalai shook his head. Things seemed so real... "Only the good seem to die." "Assassins...that stupid rune killed him!"
"Enough of your ridiculous theories. The records state his cause of death. I suggest you read them." "Those records are just to cover up the truth." "The truth? The truth is only what the majority believes. Quite sad to tell his parents." "It was the rune...how could you let it kill him?! He had been so nice to us...he was such a nice person..." "His death was unfortunate... quite a blow to Harmonia. But there is little we can do now, is there not?" Luc didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say. Plus, he was trying to fight off as much of that memory as he could. "Don't think of the past. It stings." "You're right..." "What are you doing here? This is no place for children." "Children? I'm no child, Sasalai. And this isn't Here. This is Nowhere. Or didn't you notice?" "So silly. So, so silly. Here is wherever you imagine it." "I don't like to imagine. Whenever I do, everything comes back to me. So to me, this is Nowhere." "Oh really?"
"What is this...?"
"Like I said, Here is wherever you imagine." "I don't like it Here..." "Does it bother you?"
"Why lie in a dream? Yes, it bothers me..." "Why does it? Familiar?" "Yes...but I can't remember it exactly..."
"I'm cold...I want to leave Here..." "Why?" Luc didn't answer. He huddled up, hugging his knees. Some memory wanted to come up. He couldn't let it. He wouldn't. Sasalai turned away from Luc. "Sasalai...why won't you get rid of that rune?" "What's wrong with it?" "It's evil..."
Sasalai just laughed. But it wasn't evil. It was...nice. "What?" "You're really quite... amusing."
"Amusing? Why?" Sasalai turned around, and walked right up to Luc, and stared him in the eye.
"What...?" Sasalai just tilted his head slightly towards the right. "Sasalai?" "Yes?"
Luc tried to say something, but couldn't. He had forgotten what he was going
to say, or if he was really even going to say anything at all.
"What is it?" "Why do you seem so happy?" "I'm not like you." "What?" "I'm not the depression coverboy you are, Luc. I'm perfectly content with who I am." "But you're being controlled..." "It pains me to tell you this, but you are the mistaken one." "Why would it pain you? Anyway, I'm not mistaken. That stupid rune is controlling you. So I'm going to come and take it, and destroy it." "Luc." "What?"
"Don't kid yourself. Leknaat guides your path through fate, just as she guides you here. Tell me this. Why do you even bother following her?" Luc looked down, fists clenched.
"What has she ever done for you? Forced you to do battle for a cause you didn't believe in?" "She gave me a place to live..." "Where? In that quaint little tourist trap?" "It..it's not a tourist trap...people are just stupid...so they come anyway..." "I know what you're thinking. You can't lie to me, so don't even bother." "You don't know!"
"This is a dream. In dreams, the true nature of things is reflected. I can feel your anxiety. You don't want to talk about this because it remains a threat to you." "Shut up!"
"What's bothering you?"
Luc shut his eyes.
"I'm rather sorry to say this, but I must be off now. I have things to do, people to see, you understand, and I haven't all day to play with you." He let go of Luc's chin. "Ta ta." And then he vanished. Luc could finally move. He stepped backwards, everything around him starting
to fade.
Sasalai's eyes slowly fluttered open. Whereas he had been wiped out the night before, he felt himself refreshed. Sleep rarely allowed him to feel this well; his encounter with Luc was a fortunate one indeed, as the boy's fear cleared his head and strengthened him. "Luc, Luc, Luc," he said, sighing contentedly. "Don't bother resisting the Beast Rune. It only hurts more in the end if you fight back. It certainly does not tickle, but at least you won't feel your flesh being torn to shreds."
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