Destination Starlight (17) They heard a door open nearby after a quiet knock. A young girl entered, and Rijiin recognized it as Charity. She was clad in the blue gown over her narrow body, her long blond hair spilling down to her legs, and her bangs covering her round face. She peered at the couple in silence with her lake blue eyes. Chelle and Joe met the young girl’s gaze with astonishment. Kay greeted her warmly. “Greeting Charity…” He said, “Blessings upon you.” “Kay.” She said, her voice soft, smooth, an almost lisp as she spoke. The young girl turned, sensing the elf and immediately embraced Rijiin warmly. “Blessings upon you this day, fair one.” “Alanae ea yolisi, Elthia, Carai.” He said nodding, and returned the embrace. Joe and Chelle had glanced at each other, as they heard her greeting, an almost gentry greeting to the youthful looking elf that stood beside her. Rijiin had spoken to her in another language and again it totally blew the human couple away. The language he spoke was completely natural to the couple. Chelle and Joe were so amazed by the language and he seemed much older too, than he was before hand in the future. Chelle tilted her head at the strange and usual name she had heard. The young girl was absolutely beautiful and exotic to the human couple. “Charity… What an unusual name for such a lovely young girl.” Chelle thought, “I wonder if she is like Rijiin, an elf maiden?” Charity turned her head and showed surprise by the thought, like the elves, able to read thoughts as they could. She grimaced as she glanced at the elf that stood there next to her. The human couple watched Charity hug the elf again, peering into his gray eyes. “So what brings you to Saint Brigid, Rijiin?” Charity asked. “I am here to look after these fine folk.” Rijiin said, “They are visitors from a very long and far away land.” The young woman turned her head, beholding the human couple in perplexed silence. “Be welcome to Saint Brigid.” She said calmly, and both the couple smiled. Chelle and Joe both saw the flash of what seemed to be starlight in her eyes. It had startled them, but she continued to interact with the youthful priest and the elf. “I brought a little bit of fresh bread and a loaned two pairs of clothes for our visitors. The villagers were kind enough to help as needed.” “That is most kind of them.” Rijiin said quickly, “They have my thanks.” With that, the young girl handed the couple the large basket. She bowed slightly. “T-thank you…” The couple replied astonished, making Rijiin smile openly. “So is Natil with this you this time, Rijiin?” “No, she is safe with the others.” The elf replied, “I am not planning on traveling very soon after I take care of our guests and lead them to where they belong. After what we went through up north once was enough for me to see what this land is like.” The girl managed a nod. “It is not a nice world Rijiin. It is very cruel, and a very harsh one.” “As it will be many decades, perhaps centuries from now and much worse.” The elf murmured, and the couple glanced at him quickly. They had heard his words and grimaced at the elf, a frown showing their silent disagreement at his statement. “You both are so strange.” Charity observed as she peered at the human couple and the elf nodded. “We’re not from this place, as Rijiin said, we are from a far away land.” Joe replied, seeing the elf cringe slightly. He sensed his school chum was going to say time, and his smile had faded rapidly. The elf made a throat cutting gesture and his friend fell silent when he saw the motion. Charity had turned, not catching the elf’s motion and glanced at Kay who was grimacing. “Perhaps we can let them change, and I can show them the beauty of Saint Brigid.” The elf said, nodding to the couple formally. “With thanks, Na…” Joe snapped his fingers, “Rijiin.” Charity had turned on the elf, sensing something wrong and a playful frown appeared on her face. The young girl had heard the slip, and the elf merely shrugged as if it was not important. “I must be off. I have to help Roxanne and Lake today.” Charity said, “We must prepare for the winter solstice celebration. It was nice meeting you both.” “Winter Solstice…?” Chelle gasped, grimacing at the information at hand. The elf did not flinch at all. The young woman was astonished they actually paid attention to the Solstices of the seasons and realized it was an old-fashioned custom to the couple. She grimaced as she kept glancing at the elf, trying to read his expression and found she could not. “We’ll see you later, Charity.” Kay said, “Go in peace.” The young girl paused, bowing to the priest, but embraced Rijiin warmly before she left. “May the hand of the lady be upon you, Rijiin…” “Manea, Carai.” He replied, glancing at the couple who gasped when he spoke Elfish to her again. Charity waved as she walked through the door. The couple stared at the silent expression of Rijiin that was very unreadable. “Cara?” Chelle asked, and the elf nodded. “It is the elves equivalent to her given name, Charity.” He replied, “She is a witch, and a priestess to the elves’ goddess.” The couple had gasped, both glancing at each other, showing their surprise to the information at hand. However, to the couple, they knew that Wicca was a common thing here, even though it was persecuted by the church of the north. Chelle gathered the utensils, plates and glasses. “You don’t have to do that.” Kay started to say, and the young woman touched his shoulder. “Let me help you at least, to show our thanks.” She said, “You are a fine personality, and a very good man Kay.” The priest nodded, smiling as he bowed slightly to the compliment. Chelle helped Kay clear the table of the dishes, turning to wash them using water from the fireplace. The dishes and utensils they used, made of wood, were unusual to the couple. They had never seen utensils made of wood. The young woman batted out the dishes quickly, and let them drain on the counter. “Thank you for the meal, Kay.” The couple said, “It was wonderful.” The couple both retreated up the narrow stairs, and Chelle slipped on the beautiful gown, and soft shoes, after stripping off the robe. Joe slid on a simple tunic and breeches. They looked like the residence of this village. Both peered at the mirror at themselves, Chelle twirling in the mirror, the green gown made of silk hanging down to her ankles. She nodded at the mirror in silent approval. “Jesus, it’s lovely.” She remarked, and Joe nodded, whistling at her, making her laugh and blush. He slid his hand up her skirt to her bare butt, squeezing it. She gasped, and turned her head, blushing quietly at him as she squirmed. “Not now Joe.” Chelle said, “Somebody might hear us if we do that.” He grinned at the young woman who was blushing at his loving stare at her, especially in that gorgeous gown. Joe was astonished how beautiful she looked in it. “I just cannot believe we are really here, and look like the local folks. Man we are blending in now.” Joe said, “This place is out of time, out of space, and totally beyond whatever games they bring in V.R or not. It still blows me away.” “That’s for damn sure.” The young woman said, “I still don’t understand why Rijiin won’t come with us and return home. I have a feeling that he just wants to lead us to the portal and that is it. I don’t think he wants us to say anything to anyone when we get back either.” “I know, dear.” Joe said, “But he knows he’s dead back home, maybe I shouldn’t have told him. He cannot return home, his family and the others will not accept the fact that he is alive, let alone what he looks like now. Despite it is so different.” “He can easily say he had plastic surgery or something for his looks, to explain it, but where he was will be difficult.” She said, “I just don’t like it that he won’t make things right. He might have been an ass, but he was always a good person to do the right thing.” “His death was wrong, yes.” He told her, “But he’s here, and wants to remain here. I do not want to force him to go. It might mean him dying all over again, though. I cannot handle that again.” “Oh no…” Chelle replied, gasping as she thought of the report, the investigation and funeral. She remembered how much it hurt to go through that. The young woman shook her head. “Me neither, that is the furthest thing on my mind.” “It might upset everyone if they knew he was alive, even the notions as crazy as jumping out of time and space.” Joe said, venturing a notion. “I don’t want to upset the balance of things, if possible. That means if he stays here, he is at least safe and alive.” “So we can’t say anything to the others?” Chelle asked, and Joe shrugged. He grinned at the thought to the reaction they would get if they were told. Her boyfriend laughed loudly, amused by the thought. “They’d never believe us.” He replied, “Not in a million years.” “Cmike and the others might believe us, but we can’t deny we were not where we were supposed to be for the last three or so days.” She pointed out, and he nodded. The young woman let out a gasp. “Jesus, I just had a thought. If the others know we’re in the shop, they’ll come looking for us.” Chelle yelped with a sharp breath, gasping loudly. “We have to get out of here and get home before they come looking. You didn’t mention our going to the shop at Eastridge, did you?” “Monte, Mike, Chesh, Cmike, Anna and the others don’t know we are there.” He replied, “Neither do they know we would think of doing it, but they might still come looking. You are right, we’ve been here over three days, absent from the BBS and they might put two and two together.” “Rijiin is downstairs still, right?” Chelle asked and Joe nodded. “It seems he doesn’t like to be in Saint Brigid much, among humans for long.” Joe remarked, and it made Chelle nod and smile. They walked to the window and peered down onto the street. They saw Rijiin standing with a few of the local villagers, speaking with them. They saw the young girl, known as Charity with him, and a tall lean young woman, with long brown hair, holding a young baby boy in her arms. They walked away leaving he elf alone in the street. “He’s still there.” Joe observed. “Let’s go!” They ran to the doorway, hurrying down the narrow steps to the first floor, and to the outside where the elf stood outside. When they appeared at the door, Rijiin smiled seeing them. “Nice garb and a refreshing change.” He said, smiling. “The villagers have our thanks for the clothes.” Joe told the elf, and Chelle nodded. “The gown is absolutely, lovely.” Chelle added. “The clothes are so you may blend in here in Saint Brigid. Soldiers come here often, as do the churchman from the north to interfere in the ways we live here.” The elf explained, “They would find you as Heretics and arrest you, if you were dressed any differently than usual.” “You are very wise, Rijiin.” Joe replied, “I can see why you seem to love it here.” “It is my home. You both should find your happiness with each other, though.” The elf replied, “When you return to your time, you should never mention what you saw here, or risk more people from your time coming to this place and possibly find death at the hands of the torturers. I do not know how many have come through, of any age, but you can see, a harsh reality unfolds here. It is how things are.” “But, enough of that notion.” He said, “Come, I shall show you Saint Brigid. Be at peace, there is no need of your steel here.” The elf had noted that Joe had strapped on his blade on his side and Chelle had a dagger in her sash. “We were just trying to be ready and safe.” Joe said, and the elf shrugged in silence. Back in the twentieth century, Mike, Monte, Cmike, Cheshire, and many others came to the mall, to discover where their friends are currently. It had been at least three or four days since they saw them, last and their friends were reported missing by their jobs to police. The other BBS members told police they did not know they were gone, only until they logged in and no one had been on. Now they too stood on the threshold of the mall, on a Monday afternoon and ended up standing outside the shop at Eastridge. “I can bet they are here.” Monte said to CMike and his girl who stood at the door. They were here with twelve others, coming as they had when they followed their member from the Red Robin™ to this place. Now the lot of them was here again, searching for their other friends. One of them had already been killed, found in the creek near Eastridge but now two were missing. “Jesus, it’s a repeater.” Cmike murmured, “Just like Varden. I hope we won’t find them like he ended up.”
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