Finding Yourself

Background: Mina is now in the Shii'vyi village. It is night time and everyone else is asleep.

A/N "text" is speech; 'text' is thought speech

Mina woke up refreshed. She looked around and saw only darkness. Mina smiled; ordinary darkness had no meaning for her. If Mina wanted to see, she would be able to see. Mina left the tent which she was sleeping in and went to look around. She could see huts and she could see that they had people in them. The aura of love which enveloped each of the Shii'vyi allowed Mina to pinpoint their locations.

Only one hut did not have such a "love light" in it. This hut drew Mina nearer because it did not have emptiness, but rather a pulsing darkness. Never had there been such a darkness, a blind spot, in her vision. Mina headed towards this hut to try to learn what was causing this abnormality. When she reached the door way of the hut, Mina experienced the most frustrating thing. She could see light streaming out through the doorway, yet when she looked in she could only see the same pulsing darkness.

'Come in, Mina,' a voice spoke in her head.

Mina thought back at the person who contacted her, 'Who are you?'

'I am Kein'shula,' he spoke to her, his mental voice quivering with hope and joy. Mina stepped into the hut and suddenly she could see again. There, in the hut was the boy who she had seen when she first came through to this world. 'Please, sit down, you needn't tire yourself. This will be an interesting talk, won't it?'

'I realize,' Mina replied.

'I knew you were different the moment the moment I saw you,' Kein'shula said. 'I felt a kinship towards you, Mina. You will do great things. I know you must be confused if you know about as much about me as I do you'

'Actually, I'm not all together that confused. I know that you are a Sko'nait, a protector of your people'

'Who told you this?' asked a startled Kein'shula.

'Sha'vii Sholé'vie Shiv'yn told me,' explained Mina.

'Oh, okay. Sha'vii is the only person who would tell you about the Sko'nait for a good purpose'

'Why do you say that?' asked Mina.

'Sha'vii is my twin sister. The second Sko'nait in our generation'

'Oh'

'When you came through the Khalac, I was captivated by your beauty. When I was able to run I felt as if you ran along side me. You remind me of Kytava, the Protectress of another tribe. Kytava would visit the place where I was trained every so often. She looked like you, only she had midnight hair and wine colored eyes. She spoke to me once. "Stormy seas along blood will be the one who you can trust," that is what she said. Then, she told me more. "By the fountain come now five, they will save those left alive. Find the lost world, through one young girl. Silence you speak until my challenge is met. Find the last of the first, the oldest of new, the youngest of old; find the story yet to be told. My champion does come to join in your fate. Solitaire, Virtue, lost planet found, true lies will bring the chosen around," after that she was gone, and I could no longer speak. I think that you are Kytava's chosen one; will you help us, Mina?' Kein'shula asked, his eyes pleading.

Mina smiled. 'Of course I will help you, Kein'shula. I'd be less than human if I didn't,' she was rewarded by the glow of Kein'shula's smile.

'You must go to Kyzan, the planet where the Sko'nait of Kytava were trained. But Kyzan has been lost for Egonls,' he said using a word meaning centuries.

'Kheb was lost too,' mused Mina.

'Kheb?' asked Kein'shula.

'A lost world where Daniel developed powers similar to those of a Sko'nait, but it was only borrowed power, not a gift the way the Sko'nait are given power,' Mina explained.

'That's weird,' Kein'shula thought.

'Do you know what Kyzan looks like?' asked Mina trying to change to topic.

'Yes, actually,' replied a very relieved Kein'shula, who caused an illusion of the planet, the way Mina had caused herself to appear to be wearing native garb. Mina smiled and joined her will power with Kein'shula's making the illusion waver, tantalizingly close to becoming real. Suddenly there was a surge of will power and the illusion became reality, carrying the three who powered it onto Kyzan.

"I'm sorry, do you mind if I come along?" asked the third person sounding rather foolish.

"Not at all, Sha'vii," said Mina. 'We don't mind at all'

"Huh!"

'Thoughts, Sha'vii, thoughts,' Mina's voice drifted through Sha'vii's head.

Sha'vii thought one word, not meaning to do anything, 'Mina?' she meant to say it, but for some reason she didn't.

'Yes Sha'vii, I am here'

'I'm here too, twin,' Kein'shula added.

'Kein?' thought a very confused Sha'vii.

'Yes, Sha'vii, I can speak like this to those who choose to listen to it. Thanks are in order towards you, Mina; you opened the connection between my twin and myself'

'It was nothing,' Mina answered modestly.

'We are here to find the Temple of Cleaf'mil, in the honor of Kytava. Mina must go into the temple and commune with Kytava, and then we will be confronted with our greatest challenge yet,' explained Kein'shula.

'Now, where is this temple?' asked Mina.

'No one knows. It is said that lightning brings one to the temple, I've also heard tell that the temple will only be found in a rain of blood'

'Lightning and a rain of blood, got it,' thought Mina. 'Here comes the rain,' and blood began to poor down from the sky and suddenly lightning surrounded the trio.