Outcasts

Chapter Nineteen (Jeah)

A question that every person asks themselves at least once in their lifetime inhabits my mind: what pain awaits the dead? As far as I can say, none. A weight has been lifted off of me, eroding any worries, insecurities and pain. Darkness danced under my closed eyes. Every fiber in my body was trapped at a standstill, but I didn't fight it. Completely at peace.

But I am not dead, am I?

My eyes snapped open as if I were waking from a horrid dream. I winced at feeling the magma pressing on my open eyes. The hot and cold atmosphere holds me in a warm hug.

Even though I couldn't feel more relaxed, my lungs burned with the urgency to breathe. Opening my mouth, my air supply floated out in a big bubble. Oh no.

Shaking my head, I began to panic. My body shuddered every time I thought of drowning, and this time it was actually happening. If I hadn't died from the burning lava, like I should have, I will die by drowning. I flailed my body to attempt to swim to the surface. My head felt light and woozy. The fiery colored magma began to blur in my vision. Even when my fingers were in front of my face, everything was disoriented.

"Hello Jeah." Said a new voice. It was calming and serene, it sounded of authority, it was gentle and light. I stopped flailing my arms, my eyes widened in curiosity and fear. Although I believed my safety was assured, my body refused to stop trembling.

My two eyes darted everywhere to find where the voice came from. Was that just in my head? What's going on?

"You need to breathe!" The voice snapped, the kindness not separating from her words..

She is right, but there is no air! No air! No-

I sucked in to fill my lungs with the magma, but instead of magma, I felt air inside my lungs. Air. The freshest air I've ever breathed. I did my best to catch my breath in the midst of confusion. Clawing the lava with my fingers, I feel something opaque and viscous, unbreathable.

I was able to find words when I caught my breath. "Who are you?"

The female voice came back. "Do you recollect the things your family has been telling you?"

I nodded and listened to this smooth voice.

"I am the Beginner. A special, you could say. The very first of your kind." She continued.

I almost wanted to laugh at how weird this sounded, "A special? Beginner? My kind?"

The voice paused before speaking in a language I've never heard of before. "A Teslent."

I blinked as two words hit me at once. "Tes-lent." Enunciating the word made the phrase sound different, different than the way the Beginner said it. "Say it again?"

The voice seemed to have pondered this carefully, then spoke again, "I am a Teslent." My brain hears the sound and words blending together, and I grasp it. "And so are you."

I pick my head up and interrupt her in a whisper as if not to disturb the peace, "We are Outcasts." When the Beginner doesn't speak, I explain. "I don't know how but those were the words I heard." Linking arms, skipping side by side, were two words, Teslent and Outcast.

"Exactly!" The Beginner spoke with a hint of a smile. "I see that you are smart enough to translate our native tongue, Abrydien," Abrydien? "And translate it into English!"

Why create a new language? Wouldn't that make it even more confusing?

"Good question!" The Beginner exclaims. She can read my mind too. "This language will be key to the future. This language will bring all the people of the world together. If you speak it correctly, no matter where you go, everyone will understand you. Teslent means Outcast, in my language, no matter where you go. It's almost like." The Beginner giggles, a childish tune ringing out. "magic!"