Listen to the audio version of Mage or read below.
“El’L’Amine-Thee who triumphs and saves the seeds”
Walking through the desert protecting himself against the harsh Ul’ledraw sun. He prods the beast with a gentle whisper and comforting stroke to his elongated neck. Both man and beast struggle forward, muscles bulging, straining under the weight of their shared packs. Only stopping briefly to adjust the straps to ensure their loads are a bit lighter for the remaining miles of their journey. He gazes up at the burning 3rd sun and tightens the white cloth wrapped around his neck and shoulders, briefly pondering the removal of the thick cotton wrap as a means to lighten the weight bearing down on his head. The protective covering is both a salve and a burden. Useful for protection against the harsh rays of the laser focus of the red sun but also an albatross as it is now sweat drenched and twice its normal weight.’
One foot in front of the other, one foot in front of the other, one foot in front of the other is his prayer and his mantra as he trudges along, the last 126 miles of this 540 mile journey. Squinting his eyes, he sees a shadow up ahead, an outline of another lone traveler heading towards him. He straightens his back and lifts his head tilting it at the prescribed angle expected of one of his stature. His current posture, the result of a body deprived of food and water, was a violation, an affront to his rank, it made him suspect and if caught, could result in demotion from the Collective. Any signs of physical deterioration in an Adept, one level below a master of manifestation was perceived as sloth and unbefitting of an Initiate. His disheveled appearance from weeks in the desert would be viewed as evidence of his devolving talents, and his rivals would quickly seize the opportunity to petition The Collective to transfer to them his rank and status that he had worked so hard to achieve.
In extreme cases a prolonged infirmary would be perceived as an insurmountable weakness, a potential threat to overall security. He could be replaced in both his family and the Collective Council, by a man or woman considered more suitable for the responsibility. As a result, in spite of his distress, wasting valuable mental alchemy, he tapped into his third eye for a a charge, a quick burst of energy that would not only allow his weary body to stretch to the full height of his six-foot five frame, but would present to the stranger the illusion of robustness and good health, thereby leaving no room for doubt as to his rank and status.
As the stranger approaches or more correctly as he approaches the stranger…the stranger's visage becomes clearer and more pronounced. Reddish brown complexion, prominent cheekbones, shaven head and full, though closely cropped, white beard and mustache. Aha, even at this distance it is clear that the stranger is one of the El’L’Amine: healer, scientist, technician, reader of the stars, Master of the Sacred formulas…El’LAmine, thee who is trained to connect to the “The Source of all that is and is not''. Thee who coordinates with the Source the frequencies required to bring objects into 3D physicality. He had himself begun his training with such an El’L’Amine as an apprentice many years ago, and although he had achieved high status as an Adept, he was not yet considered a Master. He relaxes his stance as there is no rank beyond the El’L’amine and prepares himself to bow instead. However, another 100 meters of walking he notices that the figure continues to float just beyond his reach. He begins to realize that the stranger is just a mirage, perhaps the result of heat stroke and the now dry salt from days old sweat and tears.
He can’t stop. He wants to stop. He can’t stop. He wants to give up. He can’t give up, too much at stake, too much depending on him. He must warn the others on the far western coast of the great sea of danger that awaits those caught unaware. He had already prepared the people in his Collective. His daughters and wives had harvested the corn and okra seeds and spent hours braiding the seeds in intricate patterns throughout their tightly woven hair. Even the young men, those who hadn't yet shorned their locks were tasked with braiding the heavier seeds into the coarse plaits falling past their waists.
Initially his people thought the rumors were fanciful tales made up to scare recalcitrant children. Who would have guessed that the time-honored tradition of capture and release (after a period of reparations) of one’s enemies could become so perverted and distorted by visitor’s...barbarians from strange lands purportedly on the other side of the Great Ocean?
“Preposterous” he had declared! He himself had led many voyages across the Great Ocean and not encountered these barbarians. The people of the lands he visited were peaceful people who revered life and would have taken their own lives before debasing another human being in such a manner. Were these other lands yet unexplored, somehow beyond these territories? Or perhaps they lay in another direction as few had gone beyond the established routes in millennia.
Also, the description of these people did not fit those of anyone in the known universe.
Hair growing all over their bodies? Dangling from their heads like the thinnest of fine rope, shades of yellow and red/orange. Eyes the color of the sea on a clear day? If not barbarians, Aliens for sure or maybe a little of both. But where did they come from and what did they want? More importantly, why us?
The beast stumbles and utters a loud grunt of protest as he struggles to regain his foothold on the shifting sands, limbs weakened by the demands of the long journey. Jolted out of his revelry, the traveler’s forehead wrinkles with concern, and he mutters through his blanched and sore lips, soothing sounds of comfort to the beast. It is not his nature to be so insensitive to another sentient being’s distress. However, he is left without choice. They either both kept going or they will both perish. No Collectives within miles, only their combined natural instincts and intuition to guide them and to divinate water and sustenance on this journey.
While walking 540 miles was nothing new to either of them, this particular trip was different.
Their annual trip to the sacred places required sometimes twice as many miles. However, there would have been months and months of preparation. The intelligence accumulated over centuries of families sharing the best routes, maps with the locations of water, plants and trees with the most nutritious sustenance starred along the route. Even the location of quarries where you could find the best stones and boulders that could be transmuted into food and water were all noted, though only useful if you had an El’L’amine or advanced Adept traveling with you. This journey however was different. Forced to leave during the harshest months of the 13th silver moon, an auspicious time for the harvest, but the worst time for traveling through the desert.
He needs to find something, any object with the barest traces of sentience combined with his highly melanated DNA could serve as a fuel to spark the alchemical transmutation of plant, animal or mineral into sustenance and healing medicine for himself and the beast. Both he and the beast’s strength were waning, furtively searching the distant horizon…looking for any signs of melanin containing life…a tree, a plant, water, even a boulder or large stone would work.
Along the prescribed pilgrimage route, living things had been placed strategically throughout the path to provide the plasma necessary for transmutation. However, as he was hoping to travel undetected, he had abandoned the route early on and
In this desolate wasteland there was nothing but sand, which could only be used to create an illusion of substance as it did with the vision of –the El’L’amine.
Sand, while having some sentience, was too ephemeral as it cools quickly, and cannot hold the geometric forms or crystalline structures required for this level of alchemical transmutation. It could not maintain the weight of physicality long enough to be of practical use and was only useful to entertain children and/or for the amusement of the uninitiated. But for life! one needed LIFE! Even a small spark, a plant, a bush, a large rock or stone would do as they still contained enough of the required frequency to accelerate and mold into patterns of food and liquids. Plants of course had the most rapid vibration and could not only be transmuted faster but would also require less human energy to mold into the desired patterns. But there was nothing here, nothing here…nothing here.
Comments