I ducked into my tent after talking with some of my men. The day was hot and that only made the tent hotter. I sat the oversized Dingo down on the ground. He whimpered a bit, so I decided to untie his mouth. My mouth suddenly became as dry as saw dust.

Thirst 01

My data pad alerted me. I found a waterskin among the dead. I wondered to myself what would have happened if I had not decided to raid, and my thirst had dropped to zero. I took a swig and poured some into the large wild dog's mouth. His eyes looked grateful. I gave him a gentle pat. Then I went over and sat on my roll.

"Cross your legs." Tootsie demonstrated for me hovering in the air. "Close your eyes." I did as she asked. "Now most people say you should blank your mind of all thought, give way to the nothing. But the mind is only the steering wheel of the ship and there are other entities in the void. Bad ones. If you let go of the wheel, and they see it, they will gladly steer for you."

"So, what do I think on?"

"Something good, something true. Let that be all there is."

I thought of the red curls with the sunlight coming through them. It was hard at first. I couldn't quite see her face, but I knew she was smiling, laughing. She was saying something. I couldn't quite hear it. I struggled to just hear her voice again. Stella. Then I heard her laughter, and it was so true. So full of joy and innocence. Untarnished by the cruel realities of life, free from the anguish of betrayal, abandonment, and loss. "Higher." She joyfully bagged. I pushed her and she swing up and away from me. She reached the apex and her red curls lifted up around her head. Then she swung back down. I had been truly happy at this moment. This time before I failed her and her mother.

Before I could follow that dark thought I was taken away. I felt as if I were floating. Like all gravity had been taken away from me. I was in another place then. Someplace I had never been. It was a green dew-covered hill surrounded by fog. There was a single tree there with branches that reached out into the fog on all sides. It was a dead tree, with a single tiny green leaf on it. It was so alone.

It had once been a wonderful tree. So wide and tall. The trunk twisted and arched up to the sky like a ballerina frozen in her dance. I walked over and touched the tree and a spark of life touched me back. There was something there. Something longing for another. I felt sorry for the tree alone on its hill. No sun to admire it, no birds to sing to it. It was a tree alone in its sorrow forever frozen in its grief.

I sat down under the tree and wept. I was letting out the tears the tree could not. After I had wept, I grew weary. I sat wondering at the magic of this place of the magic within the tree. I could feel it pulsing ever so slightly as I rested against it. Like the last beats of a heart. So faint yet clinging to life. I let the heartbeat of the tree flow through me.

Mana 7

Seven? I had gained two points. I crossed my legs and meditated under the tree. I shared my memory of the red curls with the spirit of the tree. I got lost in the moment just watching my daughter swing up and away from me and back down.

Mana 10

I heard buzzing as I awoke, Tootsie hovering near my face a big creepy grin on her pale humanoid face. I wanted to swat at her, but the dingo was licking my hand. The flap was open on my tent and Mia stood at the entrance. She looked at the oversized dingo and then up at me.

"We have company."