Mira's Crystal
by Darlene Ybarra
The sun shone brightly and the day was warm as Bennu sat and meditated. As his energy increased, he thought of the night before.
Yago had tried once again to take the medallion from him. The park where they had met had been deserted except for the two of them. Bennu smiled as he remembered the shock on Yago's face as RVs of all kinds began pulling into the area. Yago, being the coward he was, fled, leaving Bennu to face the crowd that exited the vehicles.
"Hello there," said an elderly gentleman. "Are you Mr. Carter, our guide?"
"I'm sorry, no," Bennu replied, smiling as he watched others exit their RVs.
"Harold," said another, "He's too tall to be Carter. The description said 5'6"." Turning to Bennu, he continued, "May I ask if you're part of this group, young man?"
"No, sir, I'm just passing through."
Surprise rippled through the small group, and several made comments to each other.
"Where's his car?"
"Can't you see his pack? He's walking."
"Walking? This late at night?!"
Some of the women came up to Bennu. "Young man, have you a place to stay tonight?" asked one.
"Have you eaten yet?" asked another.
"Obviously not - look at him, he's skin and bones," said a third.
Bennu was embarrassed by all the attention. But after declining many invitations, he found out that the group was part of a naturalist society. They tried to gather once a year at a national park or territory, to observe and catalog the wild life. He was just grateful they had showed up when they did.
Bennu enjoyed the conversations that lasted well into the night. Before dawn, he left the campsite and traveled to a more secluded spot to greet the sun.
The glow around him faded as he opened his eyes and returned to the present. The park had yielded nothing about Mira. He reached into his pack and took out the crystal.
The smile returned to his face as he remembered Mira. She had been happy to have been chosen for this endeavor. She had always wanted to teach as well as observe. Her experience in micro-circuitry was exceptional. The elders knew they had chosen well.
Bennu had spoken with her the day before they were to leave.
"The crystals can be programmed with the conductors," she said as she held one out. "They can be used for detection of alloys we may need or if necessary, viruses that can harm." Her eyes were bright with excitement.
"To be able to teach on a new world is ... a privilege," Bennu had told her.
"More than a privilege, Bennu," she replied. "It is an honor. The chance to teach a world about this universe is the hope of many and we will be among those that can see it happen."
Bennu opened his eyes again and stared at the crystal. He had returned to the cave where Mira had been and placed the crystal back in the alcove. It had begun to glow faintly. He understood. The crystal had been picking up Mira's signature. Though faded with time, it proved what it was programmed for - to find her.
Putting the crystal back in his pack, Bennu shouldered the pack and stood. He took a deep breath of the crisp morning air and started walking.
Soon he would find Mira and together they would defeat Yago and somehow remove him from this young precious world.
The End