Passacaglia

Aura... there was something about her now; a calming presence. Aaron's heart rate began to slow, and he tapped into the tranquility of the woods.

"Those injuries…" Aaron noticed her back was covered in scrapes. "We should go. I can make ointment for those scrapes and bruises, but we'd have to get back to my farm."

Aura didn't respond. She stood silently, unfazed by pain, looking discontentedly out onto the river. Aaron walked to her side, "Come, please, nothing around here is going to help."

There was no response, when Aaron started to say something again, Aura interjected.

"Let's go."

Aaron nodded, and they made their way back into the woods. They traveled mainly in darkness, as the moonlight shown through few breaks in the trees. Fortunately, Aaron knew the path well.

"Are you from Tara?" asked Aaron. "Have we met before?"

He didn't want to pry, but it was going to be a long walk in silence if he didn't.

"I am Tara, yes."

Aaron noticed her far-off tone, and surmised she might have been more frazzled from the explosion than he'd thought.

Their travel was laden with emptiness; Aaron wanted to help Aura, but he was always annoyed when strangers gave empathetic condolences. He did wish he could provide some form of comfort however. It was then he saw gradients of blue lifting along the horizon.

"It should be close to sunrise now," he said reassuringly. There was no reply.

"You knew…" Aura said. "Did you feel it?"

Aaron was caught off guard. "I was already close by… I saw the lights but…"

He paused. He wanted to know what she was thinking, but he was too afraid to ask. His immediate assumption was that she was still shaken up from the intensity of it all. He didn't blame her, he was feeling the same way.

A memory of being blasted through the air made him shudder.

"We're close now... you can stay the night after I take care of your bruises. There's an open room you can have to yourself."

She didn't say anything.

As they reached a clearing, they spied the sun breaking over the horizon. Aura gazed at the rapidly changing colors and seemed to whisper something.

Aaron's extended state of adrenaline-fueled adventure had taken its toll. His eyes were getting heavy, and each step seemed to take more energy than the last. When they broke through the edge of the woods, Aaron gave an emotional burst. The farm was finally in sight.

It was midday when Aaron woke in a sweat. Lying in bed, he was recalling the bizarre rain of light of his dreams, when sharp pain coursed his side. Timidly, he reached over and felt the bandages wrapped along his side… it was not a dream.

Chasing wild memories, Aaron remembered the shaking ground, running through a rain of lights, an explosion, and… the girl.

Aaron's muscles tensed realizing she still must be in the next room. Aaron swung out of bed and immediately regretted it. The previously dormant pain awoke with wrath, and seared all the way up his back. Aaron froze until the pain began to subside, acknowledging the repercussions of reality.

Mustering the nerve, he threw some clothes on and hobbled to the door. What if she wasn't there? Despite his wounds, his night being a dream would have been much more plausible. He rounded the corner with apprehension, yet there she was, a young girl asleep.

Too perfect. He had never seen anyone like her. Where did she come from?

He stepped away and headed towards the kitchen. All those lights… who had the answers?

Aaron recalled stories of the teacher of Eros. Sailors would often drink, and rumor about the man who had phenomenological knowledge of the stars. If anyone knew what had happened last night…

"Are you thinking about Eros?" a soft voice spoke from the doorway.

"You're up!" Aaron coughed with surprise. A sudden rush of blood bloomed to his face. "Eros," he repeated, trying to buy some time, "…Yes."

He cleared a spot for Aura at the table and began to look for some food. "Do you know anybody there?"

"I do, Eros is a home to many."

"I was thinking… have you ever heard of someone called The Teacher?"

"The Astronomer of Eros," Aura said with mild surprise.

"Yeah," Aaron replied, "I was thinking about him before you came in."

He grabbed a loaf of bread from the pantry and placed it on the cutting board. "Sailors talk about him all the time, I mean, I hear stories… I think he would know what happened last night…"

"Hmm" said Aura

"Do you know him?"

"We will."

The air around them awkwardly came to a halt. Aaron considered this to be a very forward and strange answer.

"Eros," he said, his focus detracted to some place far away. "…I always wanted to go there."

"What's stopping you?"

"Money."

"I have money." Aura extended her arm to reveal a handful of silver. Aaron stopped cutting and peered, stunned and still.

"You can come with me," she offered, placing the pieces back in her torn clothing.

"Well that would be something." His voice held a modest shock. After some deliberation he let out a sigh.

"I can't just leave here."

"Can't you?"

Another stillness fell over the room, but this time Aaron's thoughts were pulled by the sound of the birds. His imagination erupted and he could see all of Eros: the fabled market at the port, the infamous cedar ships of Nonabel, and all of the people.

"Eros, huh?" Aaron was still half in dream.

Aura took a large bite of her bread, hiding a face that already knew he was coming.

Within two days Aaron began packing for Eros. If he had not convinced Aura to take time to heal, they would have already been on their way. Throwing his bag over his shoulder, he took a final look around Tara.

Is this really happening?

Aura's voice came to him. "You look ready to me… trust in me, we'll be a good team."

Aaron let out an overwhelmed burst of disbelief; He was leaving… he was heading to Eros… and he was doing it all with her.