Eidos

Chapter 4: A Town Called Mine

Chapter 4: A Town Called Mine

"It's no use Bird, I can't find it again. When I close my eyes...I just can't see anything...."

Harmonia had awoken with high hopes after finding Bird safely tucked into the crevice of her arm. It had remained there all night, softly snoring through its chirps and cheeps. She had unsuccessfully tried to shut her eyes the night before, if only for a moment, to capture the radiant beauty of distant Eidos. For a second time now meditation had offered nothing but an endless stream of questions.

Bird could sense the disappointment in Harmonia's voice. It offered what little comfort it could as it gave a soft reply, "Chirp, cheep-cheep, chirrup."

It had been enough to evoke a smile from Harmonia. It felt good having someone respond to her when she spoke aloud. Bird was the closest thing she had ever had to a genuine friend. Years of asking questions which had been answered by the same person who had asked them had long since lost its appeal. Now a cheep-cheep, or a sweet toned chirrup, always followed. She tried weighing the sound of Bird's approval or disapproval by the tone of its voice. Her busy imagination had already led her to believe she could fully understand the language of birds.

"Yes," she answered her red tailed friend. "You're probably right about that. Still, can I even believe what I just...saw...or experienced? How can I put it into words!"

"Cheep-cheep," answered Bird as it flew down to the edge of the water.

Harmonia did not realize her imagination was filling in much of what her friend was trying to say. Despite that fact, she spoke aloud all the same, "Whatever it was, it was definitely Eidos. The way it shone, the colour, the energy, the way it pulsated with life. I mean, the planet actually had a pulse! Can you believe it Bird?"

She continued vocalizing the thoughts that came into her head as she pondered on what to do next. All the while Bird simply began bathing in the fresh pool of water, paying no mind to the wild rants of its new friend Harmony.

"Only living things can have a pulse Bird. So how can a planet have one too? If a planet has a pulse, even when we don't hold it in our hands – as if we ever could hold an entire planet - would that mean it was alive just like you or me? Oh there are so many questions! I don't know where to start."

Still no answer came from the bathing red feathered Bird.

"Grandpa George believed Eidos was real. He used his dying words to remind me about that lesson. That's got to mean something, doesn't it Bird? Grandpa George could have said so many things, and instead he chose to remind me. Now what was it he said." Harmonia paused staring up at a lone white cloud that was passing in front of the sun, "I'd need a ship...a good crew...and then he said something about a map. But where can we find the map?"

By then Bird had finished bathing its wings as it flew back and landed on Harmonia's shoulder, "Chirp, cheep-cheep."

"Well that's where we have to start then, don't we? We have to find this map. Now where do we start looking?"

A short cheep-cheep was its only reply, and still Harmonia had imagined it was only trying to express that it did not know where to go, "Very well then. That settles it. We will have to settle on finding a ship and a crew. Hopefully along the way we will find the map mentioned by Grandpa George. How's that sound Bird?"

It immediately took flight, opening its crimson feathers, "Chirp, cheep-cheep, chirrup."

That had settled it. Harmonia wasted no time putting back on her boots after taking them off to soak her mud clad feet in the water. Her pack was no more than a foot away. Next the two bottles of sludge had been emptied off the edge of the mountain, she would not miss the rare chance to fill up on a fresh supply of water. Harmonia then took a final look at the reflection which had replaced the filthy girl from the day before.