The street resembled a ghost town. Tumbled down, burned out facades that used to house humans. No longer. The soil heavy with lead, asbestos, and other toxic chemicals from an old turn of the century industrial plant that had died and shut down somewhere in the 60’s or 70’s. Random leftover bodies, shells like the former homes they currently occupied, barely existed among the barren landscape. They were of no consequence. Their hope had died with them years ago. They would turn to dust and blow away just like so many others elsewhere. This land would be easier to heal, there was less to tear down. It was the pristine sterile and highly designed fabricated landscapes humans had built for themselves that would be the challenge. To un-construct what had been constructed in a frenzy of ego filled maniacal growth. To un-construct the energy plants and nuclear facilities, the military complexes, the factories, the towers. Not everything would go but much would have to and put back, piece by piece. They would be here for no less a thousand cycles, definitely a lot longer than that perhaps 10 times longer. No matter. Why here and why they would care for this place no one knew, but it mattered now.

Maelen looked out across the muddy bay, he bent down and placed his hand upon the earth. He felt the burning energy rise within him. It flowed through his spine and down his arm and through his hand. The energy moved out. Conscious, sentient it knew the way. He released it to do what it needed to do.

A dark wind blew across the sunless sky. It blew Maelen’s hair about his face. His harsh beautiful face was thoughtful. He glanced down at the direction of the sentient light that now moved like a line of fire burning across the graveled path.

He closed his eyes and felt the energy build within him as he tensed to transform and shift his being towards his current home.