The Stars

The Elgia transited the endless waters, crossing under clouds made of quick wisps of pearl. By the fourth day, untidy strangers became untidy comrades, and Aaron's anxieties faded in the wake of the ship.

For the most part, Aaron and Aura kept to themselves. Every once in a while Ilyich or Matis would ask Aaron for his assistance, but it was more for Aaron's interest than their own. Men passed the time by playing card games under the deck, while general schedules persisted throughout the day.

Aaron learned how to tie new knots, like the rolling hitch and peripatetic, while Aura was often found in the forecastle peering out to sea.

At twilight, everyone gathered in front of the captain's quarters for the large meal, and at least one barrel of ale. Afterwards, it became a habit for Aaron and Aura to survey the horizon, and watch the night accede.

"How are my stowaways, the guys aren't messing wi'cha too much, I hope?" The Captain gave Aaron a hearty slap on the back.

Aaron nodded in agreement, satisfied he had not been thrown overboard for sport.

"We appreciate everything, thank you," Aura said, speaking for the both of them. The three of them looked out over the rails, and took a moment to take in the stars.

Aaron recognized his chance to ask the Captain some questions, he wanted to know if the rumors were true, or if he should prepare for disappointment. "Captain, have you ever heard of someone they call, The Teacher?"

The deck was quiet, with only the faint chattering of men at the end of their meal.

"See that group of stars over there?" the Captain said, pointing to his upper left.

"Mmm… The Ram?" Aaron replied.

"That's right... the brightest star of that bunch is called 'The First Point of Aries'… It was The Teacher who first taught me that... he called it celestial navigation."

"He said, when the full cycle saw equal dark and equal light, the sun would align in front of those stars, the planet would be in balance."

"From there, you could map out the whole sky… you have no idea how many times I was able to reorient from that one… whatever you want from The Teacher, I'd say he's probably got the answer."

Aaron looked intently at Aura. He wanted to tell the captain about the rain of lights and how they met, but he didn't want to sound crazy. Instead, the three of them stared into the stars, thinking about from whence they came, and whither they go.

"It's late," the Captain sighed. "The two of you better get some sleep while the waves are still calm."

Aaron nodded, but remained in place without movement.

"Goodnight Captain," Aura said, taking Aaron's arm and kindly guiding him away.

The room next to the spice racks was probably the best spot in the hull. Two cots lined the walls of what used to be a small storage area. Aaron laid in the cot next to Aura, but the possibility of sleeping was thin. He had not slept well since boarding the ship, the closer they got to Eros, the more anxious he became. His longing for answers weighed heavily on his thoughts, while he desperately tried to quiet his mind.

Elgia lore lasant, enta ty…

Aaron tossed in his sleep, re-adjusting and burying his head. Throwing off his blanket, he looked around to notice Aura was no longer there. He jostled on some clothes and made his way towards the ladder ascending to the deck.

As his head reached the surface, a cool breeze rushed across his face. The ship was mostly deserted except for Jericks at the rudder. Aaron walked toward the front of the ship, certain that he would catch Aura at the forecastle.

The sight of the sea was magnificent, while the cloudless sky exhibited an aggregation of stars, collecting in a silver river across the sky.

"Unbelievable, isn't it?" Aura's smooth voice emerged at his side. He was about to agree when an embarrassing rumble originated from his stomach.

"Guess I should've had more to eat." He rubbed his stomach.

"How about one of these?" A sapphire fruit appeared in her hand.

"Where did you get that?" The situation of her surprising him oddly reminded him of her handful of silver back at the farm. A memory of seeing Aura for the first time exploded in his head: a thick haze of dark blue and silver vapor evaporating to deep-cut turquoise eyes.

The Elgia dove into a fresh wave and returned Aaron from his daydream.

"You wanted it." Aura replied. "So take it."

"Yyees…" Aaron suspiciously agreed. He reached out and took the fruit from her hand. It was firm and the same temperature as the ambient air. Aura was clearly hiding something, but he was hungry, so he took a bite nonetheless. It was perfect, probably the best sapphire he'd ever tasted.

"Aura," he began with a mouth full of food, "Where did you get this?"

"I made it," replying as if normal.

"You made it…" Aaron felt he was being pulled into something strange. "How?"

In response to his question, Aura looked towards the sky, and raised both her arms into the air. With what seemed like an invisible tug, she rotated her wrist and pulled down with her arms.

An agglomeration of lights lowered from the sky, and gracefully hovered over the deck. It was as though the stars had descended to become a thick layer of luminous motes. Different blues, yellows, and whites drifted about the ship, floating along as if transported by an invisible body of water.

Amidst the deck of the Elgia, Aaron was standing in the middle of the stars. Lights brushed past his eyes and swirled into a congregation behind the foremast. Then, with a gentle lift of her palm, the stars returned to their rightful places in the sky, and the Elgia continued sailing as if nothing had happened.

Aaron wasn't breathing. Although Aura enjoyed the look of shock on his face, she steadily grew concerned and nudged him in the stomach to cue a gasp of air.

"Whaaat!?"

"You wanted me to show you."

There was an uncomfortable silence as Aaron began to pinch his arms. He might have felt some pain, but he was too deep in shock to notice.

"Maybe Aaa… maybe aaa." Aaron was confident he had lost his mind.

"Would you like some more?" Aura held out the sapphire fruit as if this would resolve the matter. Aaron's eyes grew wide with fear.

"You know, you don't look so good."

Aaron's hands began to tingle.

"Maybe you should get that sleep." Aura placed her hand on his back, in what would have been a comforting manner.

Deliberating on what action would restore his sanity, he agreed some sleep was probably a good idea.

"Okay."

Aaron descended awkwardly to the lower level with Aura close behind. Rounding the spice racks, he laid down in his cot, careful not to bang his head. His heart was pounding out of his chest when Aura came in to lay down in her cot beside him.

"Good night, Aura," Aaron said, testing to see if reality still worked the same way he remembered.

"Good night, Aaron," she assured him it did.