Luminosity - The Beginning (Book 1) - 6. Chapter 6

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Aneurin motioned Henry to join him.

"Henry, are you happy running with our phalanx?"

"Yes, I am Aneurin. I've never been happier."

"That is good to hear. We enjoy running with you. You make a good addition to our band of plainsrunners. We would like you to join us permanently."

"I would like that more than anything!"

After a pause, Henry asked, "Aneurin, where is Tomas?"

"Tomas has an urgent matter to attend to."

"When will he return?"

"I don't know Henry. Perhaps he'll meet us in Dinas for the gwyl festival."

"It's time to travel. Take your position in the phalanx. We will drink water and sing a song of celebration tonight to honor you joining us."

Heartbroken, Henry thought, 'Time for a run.'

**

As much as Henry looked forward to the gorffwys welcoming celebration, he couldn't get his mind off Tomas. Things would have been perfect if only Tomas liked him … loved him. Then Henry caught himself. 'Why would Tomas love any boy, let alone me? Most boys didn't like other boys that way. Besides, Tomas could have anyone he liked, boy or girl.' He decided to forget about Tomas. He knew in his heart it wouldn't be possible, but … maybe things would get better in time.

Henry saw something in the distance while running with the phalanx one day. He had learned by observation that this world was much larger than his home world. The horizon never fell away; things like other phalanxes would appear small and out of focus until they were close enough to be seen clearly. First sightings could be hundreds of miles away.

Speaking to Hapus and Diffuant, "What is that off in the distance? It must be huge!"

"I don't see anything," said Hapus.

"Me either," added Diffuant. "Wait, maybe there is something."

"Is it the obelisk?" Hapus excitingly asked.

"It might be!" answered Diffuant.

Hapus started shouting to all the plainsrunners, "It's the obelisk, the obelisk, look, look, it's the obelisk!"

The entire phalanx reacted excitedly, shouting and pointing.

"What's the obelisk?" Henry asked Diffuant.

"There's sure a lot of things you don't know about. I'm beginning to wonder about you," he added with a smile.

Henry shrugged meekly.

"Anyway, the Obelisk of Dinas marks the beginning of the protected lands of Dinas and is only two days from Dinas itself. Once we reach the obelisk, we'll head northeast until we reach the cliffs and the entry to the settlement."

That gorffwys, the phalanx rested close to the strangely shadowless obelisk. It stood over a hundred feet high with graceful reliefs of strange animals, plants, trees, and grand megastructures, unlike anything Henry had seen before.

"Diffuant, what are the symbols on the obelisk?"

"I don't think anyone knows for sure what they are. The Obelisk of Dinas is ancient, and even the legends have faded over time. Some say it was built at a time when the plains were very different, with lakes full of fish and forests full of animals, and expansive settlements with many thousands of residents. Others say the figures represent nothing but the fantasies of craftsmen from long ago."

After gorffwys, the boys eagerly took their positions and began the run. The energy of the phalanx was palpable. Even the primaries couldn't contain their excitement.

Henry's phalanx originated in the settlement of Carreg, and most of the boys were from that settlement's mangeni. Carreg was one of the larger settlements and only an eighth from Dinas. Fractions of the circumference of the world generally measure distance on the plains. Carreg and Dinas were relatively close to each other, but the journey between the settlements still took weeks to complete. Some boys had visited Dinas, but most like Henry had not. They all knew more about it than Henry. As was common on the plains, the phalanx planned to stay in Dinas for two cycles, maybe more. This practice ensured that the settlements remained unified.

One of the novices, Boneddigaidd, was from Dinas and was the authority on everything about the settlement. Hapus nicknamed him Boner for short, and it stuck. At first, Boneddigaidd resented the nickname but got to like it when he realized his nickname always brought good-natured smiles and chuckles from his companions.

As they ran, the boys would barrage Boner with questions about the settlement. Henry discovered that over a thousand plainsrunners populated Dinas with over a hundred phalanxes, twice as many as the next largest settlement. It was also the location of the Great Shrine of Gartwin. "Wait till you see it," Boner proudly gushed, "it's magnificent!"

The next day, Henry was the first to see the hint of the formation of the northern cliffs. Rather than traveling northward directly to the cliffs, the phalanx was traveling northwest to simultaneously arrive at the cliffs and the entrance to Dinas. This area of the plains was safe from nmblings, for they would not dare to attack plainsrunners in the protected area of Dinas, but one tactic of the nmblings was to trap plainsrunners against cliffs or other obstructions, negating their speed advantage. As a result, plainsrunners avoided situations in which they might be compromised, even in an area as safe as this.

Henry had grown accustomed to the dryness of the plains, but now he sensed a change. He could feel and taste it; humidity was in the air. Boner confirmed Dinas was a settlement of lakes and a source of water.

Henry often observed other phalanxes on the plains. They were all traveling to Dinas for the gwyl celebration. As they drew closer, the number of converging phalanxes increased dramatically until scores of flaring plainsrunner packs were within sight of each other. He noticed a sort of competition developing between the bands. Even Aneurin, Hywel, and Cadan couldn't help but flair more spectacularly. All the boys in the various phalanxes enthusiastically enjoyed the competition and added anything they could to the ostentatious display.

As they traveled, the cliffs became more prominent on the skyline. There were few passes through the cliffs in the northern regions. Most of these were the locations of plainsrunner settlements and, in some cases, associated mangeni. Some say the southern cliffs housed similar nmbling settlements, although no plainsrunner lived to confirm whether it was true.

Henry hadn't seen trees since he left California, yet there they were, flanking the entrance to a canyon, the entrance to Dinas.

It took them several hours to approach the entrance. They stopped erupting several hundred feet from the entrance and walked the remaining distance. Henry's phalanx wasn't the only one entering the canyon. There were other visiting phalanxes, as well as locals, usually walking in small casual groups. Everyone was excited to be there.

As they entered, Henry's eyes were immediately drawn to an incredible pyramid dominating the left portion of the canyon. Unlike the Egyptian pyramids he studied in National Geographic documentaries, this structure was elaborately carved with giant reliefs, much like the reliefs he observed on the Obelisk of Dinas, only larger and more impressive. Boner enthusiastically exclaimed, "Isn't it beautiful, the Great Shrine or Gartwin!"

And indeed, it was a magnificent sight to behold. Other smaller ceremonial buildings stood close by. A lake with many tributaries filled the center of the canyon. Between the tributaries and along the lakefront were later confirmed to be circular open-air dwellings among the towering trees. Immediately in front of the exit to the settlement was a lightly wooded assembly area facing a raised dais carved into the side of the canyon.

The boys settled in. The phalanx was assigned two roundhouses about midway into the canyon, beautifully situated between two tributaries with a view of the lake and the Great Shrine in the distance.

Although gwyl didn't begin until the next day, there were many activities and wondrous things for the boys to explore. Boner enthusiastically took on the duties of tour guide.

The first point of interest was the path to Dinas' mangeni. The canyon of the settlement rapidly narrowed in the northwest corner, finally becoming a pathway no wider than twenty-five feet. At this point, a carved portal announced the entry into the Dinas Mangeni. According to Boner, the trail meandered another day's journey until it opened into a vast fertile valley. There were only two times plainsrunners walked this path: traveling to the plains as fledglings and returning to the mangeni when a plainsrunner's days on the plains were over. Just on the other side of the portal were hundreds of colored pebbles of various sizes and shapes pressed into the wall of the path. Boner explained that every fledgling, upon completion of training in the mangeni, chose a stone, brought it with them on their trip to the plains, and implanted it here. Upon returning to the mangeni, they would find their stone, dig it out, and keep it as a cherished reminder of their days on the plains. Boner proudly pointed and exclaimed, "See that one, the blue oval one! That's mine!" They all stared in admiration.

Most of the mangeni had similar traditions. In Carreg, the home settlement for most of Henry's phalanx, the fledglings would carve small totems after their mangeni training and place them on shelves near the portal.

The highlight for all visitors to Dinas was a visit to the Great Shrine of Gartwin. There was nothing like it anywhere.

The shrine had both spiritual and historical significance for all plainsrunners: everyone but Henry learned of the legends of the reliquary as children in the mangeni. Boner recited the familiar ancient tome as they climbed the steps to the entrance.

"Earlier than time itself, there were two united in Ymuno â. One was kind and one was strong, and they both shined brightly together on the plains. One died in the preservation of his people and the other wreaked terrible revenge. Here lies Gar the kind."

They entered the shrine. It was dark inside, only illuminated by large candles and several open hearths surrounding a massive raised stone tomb.

The boys were quiet and respectful, each using this special moment to reflect on their journey as plainsrunners.

That gorffwys Diffuant nervously assembled all the novices and fledglings. Diffuant began, "I would like you all to sing for me during ymuno â. All the boys, except Henry, let out exclamatory shouts followed by raucous laughter and hoots.

Henry was confused. "Why do you want us to sing to you?" Yet again astonished at Henry's ignorance, Diffuant explained, "Ymuno â is the coupling ritual. It's performed when two plainsrunners pledge themselves to each other. Part of the ceremony calls for friends to sing."

"Pledge themselves?" Henry had so many questions but was embarrassed to display his naive innocence in front of his companions. "Who are you pledging?"

Diffuant inexplicably blushed and shyly answered. "Aneurin, of course." All the other novices laughed at Henry's lack of awareness. To anyone with eyes to see, it was obvious that Aneurin and Diffuant had been meeting secretly for months.

"Wow, that's amazing! Of course, I'll sing for you. When is it, and what do I do?"

Diffuant explained that the ymuno â ritual was scheduled on the third day of gwyl. "Don't worry, we have several days to practice. There will be eleven other boys pledging at the same time."

"Yeah!" Hapus cheered. "The plains run should be spectacular this cycle. Besides Aneurin, there are several others strong in lumin pledging that day. I can't wait." Enthused Hapus.

After a pause, Hapus added sheepishly, "I'm sure Aneurin and you will have the best of all the flares."

"I don't care if we do or not," adamantly replied Diffuant.

Henry had no idea what they were talking about. Later that gorffwys, Hapus explained that part of the ritual of ymuno â, was a flaring display after the ceremony by the newly pledged couples on the plains in front of the canyon entrance. It was one of the highlights of gwyl.

The big day arrived. All of the fledglings and novices assembled facing the dais. On and in front of the dais were the primaries, with those of higher status featured more prominently. Aneurin stood at the base of the dais as was customary for those participating in the ymuno â ritual. Hywel and Cadan stood with him as a sign of their support. In total, there were over twelve hundred plainsrunners in attendance. There had rarely been a more extensive gathering on the plains.

The singing began. Diffuant's pledging was the ninth of the eleven that day. All the novices and fledglings sang in support of the pledging phalanx. It was beyond Henry's ability to suppress his emotions. Each pledging and phalanx supporter would approach the dais solemnly while singing the hopeful song of binding. It was never certain. In most cases, there was an understanding, but no novice or fledgling was sure their offer of ymuno â would be accepted.

Henry couldn't believe how nervous he was when it was Diffuant turn to approach the dais. They all sang and followed Diffuant as they approached Aneurin, imploring him to accept the bond Diffuant offered him. Aneurin paused, then stepped forward and grasped Diffuant's two hands with his. Aneurin accepted Diffuant's offer of bonding. They were pledged to each other. The harmonizing voices swelled joyously.

After the last Ymuno â was complete, the mated couples formed a procession in order of their pledging. All twelve hundred of the attending plainsrunners followed them out of the entrance to the settlement and formed along the face of the cliffs to observe the display.

As each pairing cleared the safe zone, they would erupt. One after the other, the eleven pairs flared eastward, gaining speed and brilliance as they ran. Unlike normal travel across the plains, there was no conservation of lumin processing this day. Today was about the maximum presentation of lumin flares in honor of the affection of the newly formed couples.

Henry was overwhelmed. Mighty flares filled the sky, each one greater than the last. The observers cheered and applauded as the couples swept around in a wide arch and returned to the entrance of Dinas.

Aneurin and Diffuant were exceptional. Henry knew he was biased, but he was confident they were the best of the best!

Henry thought, 'Maybe someday he would flare across the plains with someone special. If only he loved me.'