The Teacher

Aaron woke to a barrage of footsteps. It was too early for this type of noise, but the clamor continued. Two crew members rushed by his room when Aaron vehemently threw off his blanket and bounded out of bed; the Elgia had arrived in Eros.

Tripping around in the dark, Aaron quickly grabbed his things and tossed his bag over his shoulder. Climbing the ladder to the surface, Aaron opened the hatch, and was temporarily blinded by the light. He stepped onto the deck shielding his eyes, and slowly squinted into the horizon.

Magnificent vanilla sails waved above the port of Eros, as more than twenty vessels jockeyed for position. Huge ships from Nonabel dwarfed the Elgia while the Captain could be heard yelling at the crew to adjust the mizzen sails.

As a large vessel cleared the way, Aaron was consecrated with his first vista of the city. The market alongside the dock exploded with myriad of banners and flags, each representing a seller of different foods, drinks, and merchandise.

Aaron spotted Aura leaning over the railing and ran over to her, jumping the center banister and sliding to a halt. It was a picture of pure enchantment.

"You ready?!" Aaron smiled. They both leaned back as another large ship sailed between them and the docks.

Birds flew overhead as the ship glided parallel into position. Aaron's excitement was so perceptible, even the Captain broke into a restrained smile.

The Captain yelled for the anchor to be dropped, and Jericks released the wedge freeing the chains. After four men threw ropes over to the dockhands, the Elgia was quickly secured.

Aaron and Aura ducked and dove through the crew, racing their way to the ramp. At the boundary of the movable plank, Aaron drew a final glance at Aura, and took his first step off the ship.

Eros was a tumult of peripatetic commerce. The market fumed of cardamom and chili, while throngs of patrons jostled in the streets. To prevent becoming separated, Aaron reached for Aura's hand, consequently making navigation through the crowds even more difficult.

To his right, a purple fabric stand was lined with coats and furs from exotic realms. A thin bearded man stood behind the table, exchanging tenacious looks with a competitor across the aisle.

"Two for one!" yelled another villager the next stall over, selling birds as big as his head. It was nearly impossible for Aaron to walk without bumping into people.

"Euclidian roots! Get your fresh roots!" A voice burst from behind them. Aaron was overwhelmed in the best way, he ogled at everything he saw, tugging on Aura's arm as they pushed through the crowds.

"Pocket Scopes! See the stars in a brand new way!"

Aaron's mind reeled back to the stars floating on the deck of the Elgia… Did that really happen…

"Snargle Pods, five for a dozen!"

Aura spotted an opening, and tugged on Aaron. The two weaved their way along the water into the heart of the city. Passing a vegetable stand, ale house, jewelry booth, medical store, horse stable, and butcher; Aaron managed to only bump a few shoulders before reaching a break in the crowd.

A new fragrance lofted in the air, Aaron looked around, but couldn't match any of the shops with its origin. Aura caught the scent, and pulled Aaron through a small alley. The smell grew stronger, rounding a corner to a mint doorway, with its windows open to the street.

Beckoning them to approach was a floral shop with verdant charm. Arrangements spread across the room gave off the most pleasing aromas, as vivid displays of delicate flowers lined the walls.

"Hello," said an older woman. "Can I interest you in anything?"

Aaron admired a bed of flowers which exhibited bizarre petals somewhat in the family of lilies.

"Ooo yes, those are nice protocultures… Just two silvers."

Aura stepped forward and handed over the pieces.

Everything moved like a dream with Aura, but it was all too easy… how quickly he abandoned life in Tara to go on an adventure. Everything he wanted was happening, so why couldn't he just enjoy it?

"What brings you to Eros?" The woman asked, looking at Aaron. "Forgive me for noticing, but you seem to be from out of town, yes?"

Aaron pulled himself together. "We're here to find The Teacher… have you heard of him?"

"The Teacher," she echoed, recalling an old friend. "Of course... of course."

"Do you know where we can find him then?"

"Well no… I mean… he runs an academy now, up North, but it's far from here, definitely not walking distance."

Aaron considered this and gauged Aura's reaction.

"Thanks for the flower," Aura smiled and began to leave the shop. Stuck in his thoughts, Aaron gave a half wave and followed Aura out.

"Not around here…" Aaron muttered to himself.

"Well, you know what that means, don't you?" Aura probed.

Aaron stared inquisitively.

"We'll just have to explore!"

Aaron agreed with a smile, but it was only on the surface. As much as he wanted to trust Aura, too many things were out of place… like where she kept getting all that silver.

Eros was much bigger than Aaron had anticipated, and his enthusiasm began to wane. The people were different here, some were overloaded with strange furs, while others almost had no clothes at all. Aaron would ask if they knew the way to the academy, but either no one knew, or no one cared.

The approaching twilight signaled a change in their adventure from leisurely enjoyment, to ominous defeat. Aaron didn't want to admit it, but they were no closer to finding The Teacher than when they first stepped off the ship.

"Should we rest?" Aura asked.

"Yeah" Aaron replied dejectedly. His legs were sore from walking, and he didn't have the will to be denied by any more strangers. As the merchants closed up their stands, two lamplighters walked the streets, signaling the imminent approach of night.

A boy ten years of age stood on the corner, carrying a bag too heavy for his size. When he set it on the ground to rearrange its contents, he pulled out a thick green book with an interesting silver triangle on the cover.

"What's that?" Aaron asked.

"The real thing, that's what. Take a look." The boy proudly held up a textbook reading: COMPLEX HARMONIES AND THEIR DIRECTIONS IN TIME.

"It's from the Academy see. It's a treatise. This one's on music… how it's in the very language that we speak."

Aura leaned in and cast a sideways look to Aaron. "The Teacher wrote that…"

"Where'd you get it?!" Aaron responded so fast the boy's eyes grew wide with fright.

"I didn't steal it! They gave it to me!"

Aaron was confused, but quickly realized he was talking to a ten-year-old. "Relax, I didn't say that you stole it. I just wanted to know directions to the Academy."

"Eeee…" The boy fixed on Aaron, scrutinizing his face for signs of deception. "Okay."

"It's about three hours from here, but you can only get there by horse. Exit north through the city and follow the main route to Tritaselo Pass… that's the only one to the bluffs. Once the pines get thick, you'll see markers for The Academy."

Aaron shot a smile at Aura and handed the book back to the boy. Immediately turning on his heel, the two of them headed back towards the center of the city.

"Don't steal things!" Aaron shouted over his shoulder with brotherly reverence.

They moved quickly across Eros, making way to the stables near the port. Twilight was almost over, leaving only purple and lavender clouds left to fall to the night, when they finally stopped in front of the banner that read: WEST EROS STABLES.

A rather large man loomed behind the gate, shoveling out hay with a fork. "Be right with you," he called bluntly.

"Getting late, ay… what do you want?"

"We came for a horse," Aaron said.

"Come back tomorrow, it's late." The burly man went back to shoveling hay and ignored them. A few seconds passed when he noticed they weren't giving up.

"Fine. How many?"

"Just one," Aura said, extending another handful of silver. The man quickly changed his attitude and welcomed them in.

"Just a moment, let me see who's ready." A few minutes passed and he returned around the corner with a stunning Erosian Black Hair.

"This is Peridot… the eyes… she's one of our best, just don't let her eat everything she sees."

Aaron walked around the horse and laid his hand on her side. Her deep breaths raised Aaron's arm as she stomped her front leg against the ground.

Aaron mounted Peridot and extended Aura his hand, when in that instant, he saw something deep within Aura's eyes: everything was her; the stable, the horse, his arm, her face… everything was an extension of Aura…

With a bray from Peridot, Aaron was wrenched back to reality. He took a deep breath and hoisted Aura onto the saddle. With a quick kick, they exited the stables and cantered down the road.

Galloping down the streets of Eros, Aura held tight around Aaron's waist. Both of them were eager to reach the Academy, but Aaron noticed fewer and fewer street lanterns providing light.

"We might be too late tonight," Aaron shouted over his shoulder. "It's getting too dark to see."

Aura began to adjust behind him, and with a closed fist raised her right arm in the air. When she opened her hand, a light burst through her caged fingers and illuminated the path in front of them. The bright emission continued to hover above their heads, while Aura returned her arms back around Aaron's body.

Aaron didn't even want to look, he continued galloping on knowing full well Aura had done something impossible. Nevertheless, it was too much to sort out in his head, either he was crazy, or Aura had done something unimaginable, and neither case reconciled with his sensibility.

Instead, Aaron focused on riding, and the hours passed like a dream. Peridot was a joy as they wound their way through the countryside and up the Tritaselo Pass. Once Aaron noticed the pine trees thickening, he abated their travels to a four-beat walk.

An unusually thick pine tree stood at the left of a fork in the road. Aaron pulled back on the reins, noticing its trimmed trunk bore some sort of marking at the base. As they moved in closer, Aaron saw a triangle that circled around itself.

"There, that's the sign of the Academy."

He looked up the trail and patted Peridot's side. With a swift kick, they ascended the hill in the direction of the bluffs.

Just as Peridot neared exhaustion, a man-made structure rose along the horizon, its prominence grew in length, spreading wide along the edge of the bluff. Covered with thick vines, the whole building seemed to glow in the night.

Indeed the moons had risen, and waves could be heard crashing against the cliff. Aaron realized he had no idea what to expect, and his nervousness began to rise. Stopping Peridot in front of the entrance, he motioned for Aura to slide off, and they both dismounted securing Peridot's reins.

Contemplating his next decision, Aaron knew there was only one way forward. A few daunting steps towards the entrance exposed its ancient and crumbling facade. Standing one step in front of the door, a familiar silver triangle glimmered in the light. Aura gave Aaron a reassuring look, and he banged three times with the side of his fist.

They waited in uneasy silence while off-balance waves struck below. Aaron went to lift his arm, when a latch sprung from behind the thick wooden door. The entrance dislodged from its frame and opened inward towards a candlelit foyer.

A bald-headed man with neutral face appeared in the opening, wearing a long gray robe that descended to his feet. A peaceful sentry, he stared empty at them, causing Aaron to swallow his nerves. With the slightest of nods, the bald man motioned for their entrance, and Aaron and Aura stepped in.

Open saucers of oil lit their way around the foyer, as they moved towards the back of the room. The three walked in silence, their footsteps echoing softly against the walls. Descending into a dreadfully dark staircase, Aaron's apprehensions grew vexing.

A circular room revealed itself in elegant gray and white marble. As they walked, the brighter ambiance of flickering oil lamps highlighted staggering pedestals throughout the room. Displayed on each pedestal was a metallic and geometric sculpture, contrasting boldly against the ancient stone and marble in the walls. Aaron reached out to touch one when he heard advancing footsteps.

"Well, it's not often we receive visitors in the middle of the night." A tall dark man in grey robes entered the room.

Aaron could see Aura's unique beauty was pulling this man's attention, but the interaction between him and Aura was different. He wasn't being swayed or charmed by her. Instead, he walked about her in a wide circle, scrutinizing her presence. Though Aura remained poised and unwavering, beneath the surface was concern. The man quickly pivoted and snapped his eyes on Aaron.

Aaron could feel the weight of a boulder upon him. His thoughts raced quickly to block and repel the intensity, "Sorry for arriving in the night... we came to find The Teacher… are we in the right place… the academy?"

The man turned to his helper and gave him instructions with his eyes.

"Follow me."

Aaron was sure this man was The Teacher. Following a new passageway, Aaron thought he could still hear the crashing of the waves as they walked parallel to the bluffs. They entered a new room and Aaron found himself in awe. A library at least three stories tall opened before him with brightly illuminated scrolls on display. Aaron had never seen so many writings in one place.

"I am The Teacher, and this is the Athenaeum… what was so important for you to come in the middle of the night?"

"I wanted…" Aaron's voice trailed off.

The Teacher had seen this look a thousand times. "Yes, my students often get lost in this room as well. If you have the discipline, it can teach you many things. More often than not, however, it remains the vestige of better men."

Aaron took a moment to look at Aura, and drew forth determination. "There was… a rain of lights, about a week ago…"

"You're from Tara!" the Teacher interrupted.

"Yes," Aaron recoiled in surprise. He was astonished that The Teacher even knew of the place. "I was in the forest when the rain of lights began. After I had been thrown by a blast, I found Aura in the river."

"You certainly did," The Teacher chuckled. He paused for a moment, then continued to walk around the library. He looked like he had something to say, but was trying to figure out how to say it.

"You came because you thought I had the answers about that night… but now, what you really want answers for, is her… correct?"

Aaron was thrown off guard. He did have questions about Aura, and for his sanity he desperately needed answers, but as for what he wanted, it was for someone else to take the reins.

"I must confess," The Teacher continued, "though I think I know what happened that night… the only one who has answers about Aura…is you."

Aaron looked at Aura who seemed as confused as he was. "No. You don't understand. Aura can… Aura can do things… she can… make light."

The Teacher looked straight through Aaron, seeing through his every choice.

"Aura is not the one who is making light."

Aaron was getting upset. He had not come here to play word games, or philosophize about cause and effect. He wanted answers.

The Teacher recognized Aaron's frustration, and stepped in front of him to ensure his message was understood. "Aura is an Einai… she is… energy without form."

Aaron's muscles began to lock.

"Aura… as you call her, is a reflection. When an Einai comes in contact with a Human, it turns into Ousia, that is to say, it becomes the substance form of the human's imagination…you see…Aura is the manifestation of your thoughts."

Aaron's face shifted through various shades of white. He looked at Aura in panic. She's there… she's not energy… she's normal…well, not normal… but definitely…

"Aaron… why don't you follow me?" The Teacher gestured towards a den at the corner of the library.

"Just you and I."

Aaron didn't move. It wasn't panic, but shock. He had forgotten how to walk. Taking a step forward, he began to follow the teacher, unable to process whether any of his actions were the right choice. He crossed the library and stepped into the corner den. Before he was obscured, Aaron looked back for a longing glimpse of uncompromising deep-cut turquoise eyes.