Life a Million Miles Away (Part 2)

Nerboo has his hands in his lap and is sitting indian-style in the pagoda, discussing the unfolding development involving two of the villages children: Eleran and Amaryu.

Seated around him are the other elders, each of them listening intently to Nerboo's voice.

"It is written that this day would come. It should not be a surprise to any one of you - our village's destiny has been outlined well in the scrolls of Kharthlan," he said. A few of the elders nod in agreement.

Then, reciting from memory, Nerboo calls out the parts of the scroll that foretell the events that took place earlier that day. The volume of his voice increases and his words carry the authority of his 89 years as a member of his village:

"Before the turn of the 300th year, warriors will be selected from the youth by chance. You will know these warriors for the findings they will bring you: 5 stones of the Ancients, bound by the sigils of the Gods, each stone part of the Wheel of Souls."

The elders knew the scrolls well. They documented the origins of their village and contained immaculate prophecies each of which had come to pass exactly as described. Some involved famine; some involved warring with opposing village-tribes. In any event, the scrolls of Kharthlan were the source of all wisdom passed down by Nerboo's ancestors who were the founders of his village and of Pfan'Khet, the practice of traveling to heaven while still on earth.

Pfan'Khet is the villages sacred, closely held treasure. If the practice of heaven-travel were to be released to the rest of the world, total chaos would ensue. The scrolls warned of this.

Nerboo continues.

"These warriors must be escorted to the marshes of the east within 7 nights of their selection by chance. On the 8th night they are to be left at the base of the Yeurng Temple with provisions for 20 days. Do not provide anything but your wishes of hope for them both. Though they are young, they will survive. This is decreed by Kharthlan and so it shall be."

Nerboo glances around the group of elders.

"Who will take these warriors to the marshes?" he asks, "If not one of you, decide amongst yourselves who will escort them. Be sure he is able-bodied and reliable. I will arrange for mule and pack-horse to leave by the 7th day. Are there questions?"

Cervins speaks.

"Nerboo, we are sacrificing two of our young boys to the land, to become warriors as foretold by the Kharthlanic. The scrolls tell us they will heaven-travel on their own, without our help. Should we leave the stones with them, then?"

Nerboo ponders the question and finishes the stale remainder of his tea.

"No. It is written. 20 days of provisions," he replies.

Cervins immediately responds, "That's murder! They'll surely DIE out there! The Yeurng will hang them by their entrails and feed their hearts to the wolves!"

Nerboo patiently waits for Cervins to finish speaking. His eyes stare deeply into Cervins' as he responds.

"Cervins, do you doubt the prophecies of the Kharthlanic?" Nerboo asks.

"Exalted Nerboo, I do not. I merely mean to suggest that..."

"THEN SILENCE," commands Nerboo.

"The fate of our people hangs on these two young men. They are but children now - when they return to us from the east they will be warriors. They will be our saviors, and for us to meddle in this destiny is to seal our own fates."

Silence befalls everyone.

Nerboo clears his throat.

"Meet back here with the designated escort in 6 days. I will take care of explaining to the boys families what will be happening to them. Kharthlanic blessings be with you," Nerboo finishes.

Mumbling softly amongst themselves, the elders meander off and return to their duties.

Nerboo sequesters the stones in his hand and retreats to his quarters, where he begins to pray.

A Life a Million Miles Away (part 1)

This morning a young child awakens from his slumber and blinks his eyes into a powerful yet kind sun, greeting the world with a yawn and eager ambition.

The hovel from which the boy arises isn't anything to speak of. Nothing about it distinguishes it from the other hundreds of poorly constructed homes stuffed into the commune.

The air is dry and filled with the smells of hot tea and vegetables frying on an old skillet a few yards down from the child's home. A wisp of dust greets the boy's sandaled feet as he steps into the day.

"Amaryu! Are you ready!?" comes a voice from afar.

Amaryu starts walking briskly towards Eleran, who is anxiously waiting for him.

"Today's the day! Do you have the stones?" Eleran asks.

Amaryu reaches into his pocket and confirms that they are still there - the 5 small, rust-colored stones that the two boys had found last week in a pouch sitting inconspicuously on the shore of a nearby river.

Eleran was the one who first spotted the pouch. It seemed a bit out of place, and upon investigating it's contents further, the two young boys discovered these strange stones, each of them with a small engraving which neither of them could make sense of.

Amaryu agreed to bring the stones to the village elders who would certainly know what to do with them. Eleran suggested waiting until today, the day of the month when the elders convened, to present them with their find.

"Yup, got them right here," replies Amaryu, "Can I give them to the elders?"

"No I wanna! I saw them first!" contends Eleran.

"Too bad!" replied Amaryu, and the two of them run off into the direction of the Temple, where the elders are just sitting down to tea, ready to begin their proceedings for the day.

There is much to discuss this day, at the meeting of the 10 most tenured and knowledgeable members of the village. As they take their seats in a large circle, they greet each other with kind salutations.

Eleran and Amaryu rush to the side of Nerboo, the exalted chief elder who is responsible for archiving the collected discoveries and intellectual works of the village.

"Nerboo! We have something to show you!" the boys say, almost in unison.

Nerboo looks down at the boys standing near the pagoda. He strokes his beard and sets aside his tea to give them his attention.

"We begin our meetings in short order. What have you that warrants our focus?" inquires Nerboo.

Amaryu reaches into his pocket and fishes out the 5 stones. He walks up to Nerboo and raises his cupped hands to him, smiling broadly.

Nerboo's eyes widen with immediate interest.

"Amaryu, where did you get these?" Nerboo asks.

"Eleran and I found them near the river. He saw them first but I picked them up. Are they worth anything?" inquires Amaryu.

"Hand them to me, boy," commands Nerboo, "you know not what you hold."

And with that, Nerboo takes the 5 stones from the small hands of Amaryu and immediately stands to summon the others. A small circle forms around Nerboo as the elders take stock of this new discovery.

Mumbling and whispered discussion emanates from the small gathering.

Amaryu and Eleran watch intently as Nerboo stoops to his haunches and arranges the stones in a circle. He raises a hand and motions for one of the elders.

Cervins, another high-ranking member amongst them, brings Nerboo a small handful of gold shavings, their source unknown to the boys.

Nerboo places the gold shavings in the center of the circle of stones.

What happens then confirms what Nerboo suspected about the stones.

A column of purple light immediately forms where the gold sits. This column reaches up through each level of the pagoda and straight through to the sky, with no end. It appears to rise completely up to the heavens, and it slowly turns as it radiates a very warm, pleasing light.

Each stone in the circle vibrates softly.

Nerboo immediately breaks the ritual by removing one of the stones. He has seen what he needed to see. The stones are in fact what he suspected they are.

"Boys, return to your homes. In one week's time I will call for you to leave with me. We will not be returning to our village and your lives will soon be changed forever. Say your goodbyes, and be prepared to venture in 7 days."

Amaryu and Eleran are dumbfounded.

As instructed, they each walk back to their hovels and explain to their families what had just happened.

From that day forth the two boys would be inseparable - bound by a common cause, their destinies foretold for decades by the lore of their ancestors.