Eseere: The Language of Wind

The Academy for the Psychic Sciences

Fourteen Years Later . . .

 The Academy for Psychic Sciences, Hu’saan Province, Ward 4

Nasai, White Moon 3303 – September

The Neutral Zone

Rebecca was stunned. Two days before the start of classes – the day before her meeting with Ahmed – and Safiya runs off. The timing couldn’t have been worse. Maryam’s brown eyes were filled with worry as she waited for Rebecca’s response.

“I’ll do what I can to track her down, Mary, and thank you for informing me. Do not worry, her place is secure for her should she decide to attend classes,” Rebecca replied to Maryam’s image within the wide compu-screen upon her desk. “She’s been through a lot. Don’t take it personally. She’ll come back.”

Safiya was due to begin her sixth and final year at the Academy for Psychic Science, the only all girls school in the Neutral Zone and the only school on Sahyun that catered to the higher disciplines, but she had run away from the convent again. 

“She had been doing so much better,” Maryam whispered tearfully and Rebecca was distraught at seeing her friend, who was generally very reserved, display such emotion. “I don’t know what else to do with her. If I don’t punish her this time then the other girls may begin to think that they may follow in her behavior.”

Rebecca completely understood. Safiya would have to understand that there were consquences for her behavior.

“Let’s concentrate on getting her back before we determine what needs to be done with her,” Rebecca replied gently.

Maryam nodded and wiped the tears away from her eyes.

“You’re right. Thank you, sister. May the Creator reward you. Will you let me know if you find her? Fidal and his sons are searching the grounds and the village here and I will do the same if they learn anything,” Maryam said, collecting herself.

“I absolutely will. Relax and have faith. As Salaamu Alaikum, beloved sis,” Rebecca answered with a small, encouraging smile.

Maryam smiled back feebly and responded, “Walaikum As Salaam Wa Rahmahtuhlahi Wa Barakahtuh, habibti.”

The box upon the compu-screen that had been displaying Maryam’s image closed and Rebecca’s homescreen rebooted to reveal the picture of the Temple atop the snow-capped mountain forests of Sufa. Rebecca stood from her desk and walked over to the wall of glass windows that curved along the front of the room. The view of the bustling gallery and walkways before her was soothing, even in all of the activity, and she took a deep breath, forcing her nerves to calm down.

The Academy campus lay sheltered in the fertile river valley region of Hu’saan Province on the border between Urnah and Am’maah directly beneath the Sufa Mountains and was surrounded by the lush, green trees of Sufa Forest.  It was the largest of the schools within the Wards and the only one with a fully functional dining hall, an immense library, dormitories and cottages for the students, and a masjid large enough to house the entire faculty, staff and student body at once. 

The sun was bright overhead and the blooming whana trees that lined the narrow, cobbled footpaths winding their way towards the entrance of the Administration Building dangled their glossy pink globes of acacia fruit from their branches as their tiny pink blossoms, loosened by the breeze, dusted the grounds around them. Intricately carved wooden benches were spread intermittently alongside the paths and the sense of urgency upon the campus was nearly tangible as professors rushed up and down the lanes between the administration and the faculty buildings in preparation for the new school year. 

Groups of students sat on the manicured lawns in their brightly colored uniforms, decorating the expanse of green in pretty pastels and filling the air with the buzz of laughter and animated conversations. The gallery below her was swarming with parents and students and motivated her into action. Despite this setback, the meeting would have to take place tonight. She returned to her desk and picked up her mobil communicator to contact Wi’shaw Temple. Mikal would help, even if he didn’t approve.

As a Reverend Sister and Head Mistress/founder of the Academy, Rebecca El-Amra was used to containing potential catastrophes and this situation certainly had the makings of one. She readjusted her dark blue headscarf that covered her black hair and shoulders and dialed her brother’s private contact number.

Her dark green eyes glanced over at her bookshelves and the honeyed brown complexion of her face pinkened as she considered what Mikal would say when she revealed that Safiya had run away again. Mikal, like Yahya, had been friends with Safiya’s father Amere and Rebecca was well aware of Mikal’s concern for the girl. Thinking of Yahya, even for that brief moment, sent a jolt of pain to her heart. She didn’t like remembering her brief marriage to Yahya. He had been everything that she had sought in a mate and more, but had been taken away from her too soon.  She had thrown herself into the completion of the Academy once her mourning period had ended as a way of keeping his memory close to her. She and Yahya had begun the project of building the school together, and she liked to think of it as the child that they had never had. 

Mikal answered his communicator, greeting her by name, and Rebecca could sense through her eseeri that he already knew why she was calling. She took a deep breath and began to explain anyway, grateful that he would at least hear her out and do what he could to help.