Dimensions

Chapter 3: The Waiting Human

Written by PhoenixAndHippogriff

Dressed in my long black cloak I rush to work. I'm going to be late. Again. But the bees don't mind. As long as I am there.

Ash and Raven are waiting for me when I get there. I frown. They are always usually at work; counting the bees, feeding them, training them and guarding them. But today they're not.

"What are you doing?" I ask, staring at the unmoving faces of Ash and Raven.

"What did you do is the more important question. Where are the bees?" Raven scowls at me unnecessarily, his bright red skin and light grey hair falling into the light as he moves towards me.

"I did nothing!" I cry.

"Really?" It's Ash talking this time, her brown hair and ruby red skin moving into foul facial expressions I never expected to see on her usually sweet face.

I run towards the bee cave but they grab me and stop me.

"No!" I shout, "Let me see the bees!"

"They're gone." Raven says.

"But if you find them before the next Creseen festival we won't report you." Ash adds.

"For hell's sake, let me at least see the cave. I have done nothing wrong!" I exclaim. They let go of me and I run to one of my favourite places on Bryris. The Bee Cave.

Inside it is filled with crystals, everywhere. Of all shapes and colours, on all sides. The smallish cave is usually buzzing with activity as the little red and black insects bustle about. But today it is quiet. Empty. And I can't help but feel sad. Where have they gone?

***

When I get home that night, after an exhausting day of playing hunt the bees, I see Tempest waiting outside my cave. She looks at me worriedly. Glancing around she whispers.

"She's inside. Don't tell anyone I was involved. Just don't tell anyone."

Then she scuttles off, leaving me confused by her words. I press my hand to the wall and the door slides open. It is when I get inside that I understand.

There are bees buzzing around my cave, everywhere. But it is not them I am struck by. At the centre of their hub of activity is a Chaser. A human, a real life human, looking up in wonder as the bees fly around her. I clear my throat and she gasps.

"OH MY DEVIL!" I scream. She looks terrified but I run up to her, the bees parting for me, and squeeze her tight. "I told them you were real," I whisper in her ear, "But none of them believed me."

"Humans?" She says in puzzlement.

"I'll be one minute," I tell her and rush off to change.

When I get back in a black shirt and trousers I ask her how she knows Devanish.

"I don't," she replies, "That other Deviann just touched me and I understood."

"What's your name?"

"Carina."

"Pretty. We don't have names like the stars here," I smile at her and stick out my hand in the way humans greet one another and she shakes it, "I'm Ember."

"So you're a Deviann, huh?"

"Yeah. And you're a Human."

"Yeah."

There is a moment of silence between us before I shatter it.

"Why were the bees here?"

"I don't know. One minute I'm being ushered inside by the other Deviann and the next hundreds of bees are there, all around me. We don't have bees on Earth anymore, you know. They're all gone. Extinct. We're the only living beings left."

"Oh my Devil! That must be horrible!"

"It is. And we're dying too. When we're gone the only living thing will be a rose. But that will wither and die soon." She looks incredibly sad and I am at a loss for what to do. I've spent my entire life fascinated by these beings and I have no idea how to comfort one. In fact, I never actually believed I would meet one.

"So... erm, well, do you want to, erm, go somewhere?"

"Okay."

"First you'll need a disguise." I grin.

***

We walk silently through the halls, her footsteps echoing around the caves.

"Can you not keep your feet quieter?" I whisper.

"I'm trying!" She mutters.

"We're almost there," I say, "Just around the corner."

We turn around the corner and the halls are empty. I walk forward and climb through a tiny gap, halfway up the stone wall. Carina follows. We crawl along a tight passage but are finally met with a light. Carina screws up her eyes but I am used to the brightness and scramble out of the hole.

"Wow," she gasps.

We are in a long, high-ceilinged, circular cave. The walls are silver and they sparkle in the Creseen light, casting tiny beams around the cave. The Creseen is visible through the Ice-Drikener woven ceiling. Transparent, the ceiling makes you feel like you are among the stars. You can see the throbbing glow of the pale blue Creseen and the red glowing form at its centre that pulses with every throb. And then there are the stars. Everywhere, thousands of glowing orbs of varying shades shimmer in the dark sky. I let out a breath and smile.

"Like it?" I ask.

"Wow," Carina sighs, "Yes."

I look at her. The beams make her face glow. She takes off her cloak and slowly turns around.

"Tell me about the Deviann," she says softly.

"Of course."