Chapter 14: Jumpers Stick Together

   This time, everything was pitch-black and closed off. The child couldn't hear anything except for its own beating heart. It was a fast rhythm that disturbed it greatly. It was scared and angry and sad. Now that they know... From this moment on, they will hate it. And it knew it would be impossible to change their minds.

 

 

   It still couldn't go up there, it couldn't see that place full of uncommon people and creatures, and the blue wisteria tree wouldn't let it sleep on its vines. It was alone in this sealed space. It wanted to see Ariel and Saren again. And it wanted to know more about that pretentious youth, what was his name... What was it?

 

 

   Huh, what's it thinking about? Was it... And everything the child felt and remembered stopped there.

 

 

   In the God's Realm, Amrei tripped on flat ground, but after landing a theatrical somersault out of pure habit from his circus days, he looked around, wondering if Heinrich was the one to trip him. After all, he did take his apple jam without asking... It was just a jar of apple jam, why so fussy.

 

 

   He shrugged, and after seeing no sign of bluish magic trace, he continued down the brick path to Saren's pagoda. They had business to talk. It wasn't a carefree matter, however he seemed unreliable to others. They also knew he wasn't as foolish as his title could lead them to believe. Besides, earning Saren's respect wasn't an easy feat.

 

 

   Three lesser angels patrolled around the pagoda, waiting for him to come so that they could temporarily amuse him before his appointed time came. After chatting for a short while and showing him some newly learnt tricks, they let him go through the gate.

 

 

   Amrei sighed. The pagoda was made out of walnut wood, pretty sturdy in his opinion, and although it was barred from any excessive decorations, it still had an overbearing air because of the dark wood and its six floors. In contrast, the garden surrounding it was as colourful as it could be.

 

 

   That was Saniel's contribution, and Saren was always happy to get a new flower from her. Grapevines took over one of the pillars and spread over the lowest roof of the pagoda, soaking in the sun. Luckily, they had no fruit, or Saren's pagoda would have smelled acerbic during summer and autumn.

 

 

   Although the entrance to the pagoda was just after the gate, Amrei steered to the left, heading for the porch where he could get the best view of the greenery, so to say, as there was less green than any other colour. As expected, a low marble table with a teapot and two cups waited for him.

 

 

   He couldn't see Saren, but that man could be just held up with some documents. Much of the documents regarding the official business of God's Realm fell into his hands, making it improbable for him to attend the Conference of Gods. That's why he could be seen skipping it so blatantly and nobody would mention it.

 

 

He had the right. Amrei and Ariel, on the other hand...they just wanted to skip.

 

 

   Pouring a cup of hibiscus tea, he sat on the cold marble and waited, observing the emperor butterflies and honeybees flying around the bushes. Soon enough, Saren appeared, carrying two thin books under his arm. ''I see that you've made yourself comfortable, do you like the tea?''

 

 

   This casual start relaxed Amrei, making him smile. ''I like it very much, it seems that Heinrich once again made a great blend.''

 

 

   Saren sighed once he heard the praise, ''It's a shame that he won't come deliver it in person, making my mother bring it to me for him, not to mention that she mentioned he insisted that I do not need know he was the one to make the blends.''

 

 

   ''Let him be. He'll learn better. Saniel takes care of him well, in secrecy, of course. I think that she thinks of him as a grandson.'' Amrei giggled, picturing the young looking Saniel with even younger Heinrich. They looked more like siblings than a grandmother and her grandson.

 

 

   No, scratch that, they weren't even of the same race! Just friends then.

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   ''Amrei, let's start with the matter you came to me for.'' Saren's somber voice pulled him out of his delusions, making him stiffen with tension. Great, he was nervous again.

 

 

   ''Alright, alright. Just don't use that voice on me, I get chills and bad premonitions whenever you do.'' Watching Saren scrunch his brows, he smiled. Moving the couple of locks back, he leaned on the wooden fence of the porch.

 

 

   ''Saren, could you tell me why no one told me about the jumper's appearance? You know that I prefer keeping them under my watch. Yes, I know that barely any of them last long, but this one... Saren, it lasted for seven years already. In Bailey Kingdom, at that! Imagine being in such an environment and succeeding in keeping your being pure enough to enter the Realm regularly, though involuntarily. How much of a saint would you have to be?''

 

 

   As he spoke, Amrei's voice fluctuated with emotions. Seriousness, sombreness, questioning, pleading, demanding, anger, and grief at the end. Saren kept quiet.

 

 

   ''Please tell me, Saren. I need to know why all of you kept quiet.''

 

 

   Saren's steady voice disturbed the air around them, as well as Amrei's heart. ''Your faith in jumpers has been wavering. Although you do take care of them, and sometimes even unburden them from seipsy or anything other that could connect them to the God's Realm for their own happiness, your efforts haven't been repaid in a long time. We... We were hesitant about telling you for your own good. We knew you'd suffer knowing that a child like that is in such a pathetic state yet you're unable to help him. You need rest. Not more responsibilities.''

 

 

   This left Amrei stunned. He didn't know how to refute. Whatever he said, it would seem defensive and superfluous. ''I... I understand. Whose idea was it? To keep quiet?''

 

 

   ''Mihaelle's.'' The answer was simple. Amrei sighed, defeated. He couldn't get angry at her. She knew him, guided him from the beginning. She also guided Saniel in raising Saren. She was the one who gave him the responsibility of paying attention to jumpers. As to why, it was because Amrei was a jumper himself.

 

 

   For his whole life, short as it had been.

 

 

   ''So I've got no choice but to listen. Alright.'' Amrei made a motion to stand up, but Saren stopped him. ''Sit down. I haven't finished yet. Mihaelle has been thinking about letting you help the child soon.''

 

 

   Seeing the hope spark in Amrei's eyes, he felt a lump in his throat. What he was about to say was something that would push Amrei into a bad episode of depression. And it would last.

 

 

   ''You can't do it right now. The connection between the jumper's consciousness and the God's Realm has been temporarily severed.''

 

   Amrei was stiff as a rock. When he came to himself, he gathered the courage to ask, ''How did it happen?''

 

   ''Your outburst of rage uprooted the wisteria. It will take about a year for it to recover.'' Amrei's vision was spinning. He fell, and Saren sent the angels for Mihaelle.

 

 

   Only she could stop the convulsing and struggling Amrei. He had reverted back to his mortal form for a moment, just enough to remember how it was to feel the self-loathing of having seipsy.