Chenga

Prophecy

Kahutchek Simarl woke and looked down at his leg.  A faint blue-ish light fell from pinpoints up above and he lay on a straw filled pallet inside the Murga and Treaga cavern on Chenga.

Nirgalen stood over him.

'Sooo, who's my new friend?'  Simarl pointed at the fat leech, that was busily sucking away at the wound on his leg.

'Some sucker.  You've gotta be a sucker to be your friend.'  Nirgalen grinned.  It was good to see Simarl back in the world of the living.  'Anyways, it good to have you back.'

'Where are we?'  Simarl looked dazed and confused.

'Chenga.'  As Nirgalen said this he raised his arms to indicate the cave around them.

'Oooh... and how's tricks?'

'Not bad... considering.  By all accounts we might even survive a few months or a year, before the toxins from the spice do us in.'

'Looking good then.'  Simarl flashed his crazy grin... and for that Nirgalen was truly grateful.

'What happened to Eylana?'  Simarl glanced around the cave.

'She's left us for some other guys... Peytahns.'

'Ahh, story of my life.  Well... what's the plan?  When we getting out of here?'  Simarl looked hopefully towards Nirgalen.

'Well, you rest up there.  Just so happens, there's a crazy priest down here... and I'm getting fond of these crazy priests.  I'll go see what he has to say.'  With that, Nirgalen left Simarl and headed towards the rough door and the room where Cauthen was usually to be found.

He knocked on the door.

'Come on in.'  The old man's voice called out and Nirgalen entered the room.  Just as before Cauthen was sitting cross-legged on the floor.

'Simarl is awake.  Looks like your leech did the trick.  I was wondering... is there any way off of this gods forsaken island?'  It was now Nirgalen's turn to look hopeful.

'There is a way off the island... but first, come sit.'  Cauthen patted the cushion next to him and Nirgalen sat cross-legged, just as Cauthen did.

'Before we talk.  Close your eyes, relax.  I want you to clear the spice from your body.'

Nirgalen looked across at the priest, then closed his eyes.

'When you close your eyes... what do you see?'  As Cauthen said this Nirgalen thought he was mad and was going to say nothing... and yet, with his eyes closed he didn't see just darkness.  'What do you see?'

'A blue... swirling blue mist.'

'Good.  Now picture a flame, just a small candle.'

Nirgalen wondered just where this was going.  All the same he started to think of a candle, flickering away amidst the swirling blue fog that he could see in his mind's eye.  At first there was nothing, but then, with his eyes still closed tight, he could see a tiny fleck of light, as if it were a candle, flickering, far away in the distance.  He thought, closer, come closer.  Slowly the tiny speck of light grew, until it was a candle, that looked as if he was holding it.  And all this was in his mind.

'And finally.  Watch the candle burn away the blue mist, until just the candle remains.'

Nirgalen smiled.  In his mind he saw the small flickering yellowy-orange flame, eating away at the fog of blue mist... and then, there was just the candle.

'Now... open your eyes and tell me how you feel.'

Nirgalen opened his eyes and looked at Cauthen.  'I feel good.  The 'spiced up' feeling, it's gone.  No euphoria, no paranoia.  Is that just a mind trick?'  Nirgalen wondered what this crazy old coot was up to.

'The only things that are real are what you see with your mind.  Your eyes can play tricks on you.  Remember that.  It's what's in your head that's important.'  As Cauthen said this, he tapped Nirgalen's head.

'You said before that you would tell me who you are.  Can you do that?'

'That I can.  I was a priest of the Shardahn Temple, not far off 90 years ago.'

'Wouldn't that make you over a hundred years old?' 

Cauthen laughed.  'Time... always with you it's time.  You could say I'm almost 130 years old, but I'm actually much, much older than that.'

'And... The Shardahn Temple... did you know Elkira?'

'I did, I do and I will.  Elkira was also of the Shardahn Temple.  And, long ago, the two of us went by other names.  I was Mutchak Tengh and she was Djan Gohdar.'

Nirgalen rubbed his chin, as a memory of the words 'Gohdar Tengh' came back to him.  Those had been the words, or symbols, or numbers, that had opened the second door at the Tomb of Katchu-Pek.

'And Taromahn, the priest at Kimlar, do you know him?'

'Taromahn is also of The Shardahn Temple.'

'What is it that The Shardahn Temple believes in?'

'You... we believe in you.'

Nirgalen shook his head.  'I don't understand.'

'Don't worry... you will.  But now, I will tell you how you get off this island.'