Quantum Ascension Book

As Azuri’s setting blue light filtered through the remnants of the once dense canopy of the Ooguluan forest, Minkah departed the castle alone. The air smelled of damp earth, dead foliage, and the sharp, clean scent left after torrential rainfall. Hours after the relief of discovering that Oogulu was safe, a different kind of heaviness sat in his chest. He stopped in a mossy clearing and dismounted from the horse-like creature he rode. The only sounds were the distant river and his own restless thoughts.

He pulled off his vest, a reminder of his stepmother’s silly new clothing initiative. Then, his fingers closed around his amulet. It felt warm, its blue light pulsing faintly and now flickering with hints of deep red. Amma was still Alive, but gone. Why? With a sigh that felt like shedding a weight, he hung both vest and amulet on the saddle horn. The sleek, scaled steed nudged his shoulder gently before lowering its head to graze on glowing blue grass.

He pushed into the dying forest. Bioluminescent fungi, the only vibrant vegetation left, watched from gnarled trunks. Wilting, cobalt-blue leaves, slick with moisture, brushed against him as he moved with the quiet grace Amma had trained into him, but tension tightened his shoulders. He broke through to a moonlit bank where the serpentine river churned over smooth, dark rocks. He paused, breathed in the cool, wet air, and let out a series of low, resonant grunts – the call for someone expecting him.

Silence. Just the river. He crossed the clearing, silver-tipped grass whispering against his legs.

He didn’t hear her; he sensed the subtle shift in the air. He turned.

Goluwari stepped from the wilted trees like shadow given form. She came forward, her long skirt with open sides to her hips, swayed with her easy stride. Her slender bare skin was accentuated only by swirling ash patterns on her shoulders and s simple stone necklaces resting against her collarbones. Her form showed her maturity: the gentle swell of her upper breasts, firm and distinct, contrasting with the flat dark nipples that marked potential growth – a clear sign she hadn’t yet bonded. Her large, luminous blue eyes, appearing to radiate light on their own, were fixed on him.

A tired but genuine smile touched Minkah’s lips. They met on the bank. A quick exchange of soft grunts, a brief touch of foreheads, a light brush of fingertips along a jawline – the familiar greeting. Their hands found each other naturally as they walked beside the rushing water, speaking in native tongue, understanding each other plain.

“I was so excited to see you again,” Goluwari said, her voice a low purr. “Feels better knowing you’re back walking these woods.”

“I am very excited to be back home. This is my real home,” Minkah said, eyes on the churning water.

“Everyone says it’s over. That Deja and Leonard saved us. But… I’m still anxious. When’s Amma coming back? When will things really be back to normal?”

Minkah stopped, facing her. Bioluminescent light showed the conflict on his face. “Goluwari… I gotta be straight with you. My amulet… it’s glowing. That means Amma’s alive, somewhere out there.” He jerked his head towards the sky. “But it’s silent. I can’t reach him. I don’t know where he is. Or if he’s coming back.”

Goluwari’s eyes widened, darting to his bare neck. “Your amulet! The Creator’s stone! Where is it? Did you lose it?” Her voice held real fear.

“No,” Minkah said firmly, hand on his chest. “It’s with the steed. I wanted… I needed to talk just us. No prying eyes. No listening ears.” He took a breath. “The elders say Amma’s the only power. But I’ve… learned things. Seen things. There are other powers out there, Goluwari. Big ones. I’m scared one of them found him. Maybe he ran away to hide.”

Goluwari pulled back slightly, a low growl rumbling. “Hide? From what? That doesn’t make sense, Minkah. It sounds… wrong.” She turned away, the comfortable silence turning stiff.

Minkah felt the danger. Too much truth could break her world. He grasped for something normal.

“Let’s swim,” he said, his voice softer. “This whole mess… it’s got me wound tight. You feel it too, right? The water always helped clear our heads. Come on.”>

Goluwari kept her back to him, shoulders tense. “The water hasn’t warmed enough yet. Maybe in a few days.”

“Okay, I get it. You don’t miss me like I miss you.

“Don’t be silly. If you really want to swim, then we’ll swim,” she gave in. She removed her skirt and her underwear, prompting him to do the same and as the low hanging bioluminescent flora casted an eerie glow on the river, they waded into the cool blue water. After a period of swimming about, Goluwari spoke again. “Before the crisis, preparations were being made for this cycle’s bonding ceremony. My mother said that it will still proceed,” she stated. Minkah remained expressionless, his eyes distant and his limbs focused on threading water. “You’ve surpassed the bonding ceremony by many cycles; will you finally participate? You know this is my first year of eligibility.”

“I don’t think so. Amma and I never discussed me taking a mate,” Minkah replied, his tone cold.

“Are you serious? You will never take a mate?”

“When my education is completed, I am to return to oversee life on the Earth.”

“So, maybe you will bond with someone there, then?”

“I don’t know…. What about you; are you considering someone already or are you going to wait for whoever chooses you? I’m sure there will be many.”

“I am considering you,” she stated.

“Me? You’re the most popular female in the village. A lot of males will choose to bond with you, which means that there will have to be an extensive competition that will take hours to complete. There is no way that I would win, considering the physical challenges involved.”

“Then I won’t participate in the ceremony.”

“Goluwari, that isn’t right. If I am destined to return to the Earth, you cannot stay single for the rest of your life.”

“Maybe I will go the Earth with you then.”

“I hate to break it to you, but humans are deathly afraid of different beings. My blue eyes are the only difference between me and other humans, yet you should see how they stare at me. Imagine when they see you?”

“I’ve already experienced the discomfort when the rest of your Earth family arrived here two cycles ago. I sensed deep fear in their pheromones.”

“Humans have places there called a Zoo and, in the Zoo, they keep different creatures in cages so they can safely view and study them. I fear that they would do the same to you,” Minkah laughed for the first time since reuniting, prompting her to glare at him in a serious demeanor. “I’m joking but you never know. Come here,” he instructed and after she waded to him, he turned her to hug her tightly from behind. The tiny hairs of her feline humanoid body prickled at his bare skin while he savored the unusual sensation.

“What are you doing?” she purred softly.

“I saw my brother holding his girlfriend like this in the water and I wanted to channel the feeling. —Actually, I knew that they were mating.”

“They were mating—In front of you? That’s disrespectful. Humans are obnoxious.”

“No, you don’t understand. We were at an enclosed body of water they call a pool. They didn’t know that I can see through water almost as good as the air.”

“Yes, I do understand. They were mating frequently here at the castle as well. Everyone could tell. Are they trying to reproduce?”

“See, I told you that you wouldn’t understand. Humans do not only mate to reproduce, they mostly mate for pleasure and even abort unwanted children.”

“Then I never want to go to the Earth. —Hey! Are you saying that you want to mate with me to know the pleasure it provides. Remember that we cannot mate until we complete the bonding ritual. If I do, my lower breasts will begin to grow and everyone will know that I’ve broken the rules. The elders will petition Amma to place a curse on me and my family.”

“I know the rules. And I’m not trying to create trouble for you. As I said; I simply wanted to experience desire.”

“Okay, well now you know,” she said while breaking their embrace. “I must return to the village before my family starts looking for me. Let’s go,” she instructed.

“Okay,” Minkah agreed.

They waded out. Goluwari stood on the bank, water streaming off her fur. She gave a full-body shake, droplets flying. Minkah scraped water off his skin, the simple act feeling suddenly awkward. They’d swum nude together since they were kids. But now… he noticed. The curve of her hips under the bioluminescent lights, the strength in her backside, the dark patch of auburn fur between her legs. A strange warmth stirred low in his belly, fighting against the cold chants Amma had drilled into him to squash this very feeling. ‘So, this is it?’ He needed to figure this out… but not now.

Goluwari paused pulling up her undergarment to stand with her hands on her hips. “Did you invite me out here to experiment on me?” she asked.

“No, definitely not. I wanted to see you. I messed you. Your telepathy is stronger than mine. You should know that.”

“My telepathy maybe stronger but your ability to mask your thoughts are stronger than mine.”

“Please, let us not quarrel,” he pleaded.

“My older sister said that the desire to mate always begins in the mind, which means that if you find me desirable, your Tali would have grown. Do you find me desirable or will I sacrifice my traditions for you for nothing?”

Minkah glanced down at his water-soaked, shrunken Tali then back at her. “Goluwari, several years ago, Amma insisted that I practice a desire suppression mantra. I suspect that he knew that I had a crush on you. He warned that my instinctual human desires would grow to conflict with my ability to learn.”

“Okay, I’ll take your word for it,” she stated.

“As soon as Amma returns, I intend to have a comprehensive conversation on the matter with him.”

“I hope that he will appear soon because I will need a very good excuse for not taking part in the bonding ceremony.”

“Trust me, Goluwari, Amma and I will have a very serious conversation.”