The Prophecy

The Stormy Road (10)

It was only at sunset that Siegfried was brought back. The Great Pope stood up to greet him and see how he had endured a grueling day. Siegfried sat down, seemingly exhausted from a long run, and after drinking some water from the jug, he learned about the events that had led to the cell change. Upon learning that Childeric was injured, he quickly checked to see if everything was all right and was amazed to see that his wound was almost healed and that he had even regained all the colors of life. The wise elves men in turn told him that Childeric had been hurt, explaining everything from La Mouse's magical actions to the intervention of the "divine creature with the cape", according Flavien, who explained everything that she had done and then repeated her recommendations.

There was nothing to say: Childeric had been treated to perfection. Seeing that he was useful for nothing, in this field at least and for the time being, he began the account of his own adventures: how they had flown to Mintas without alas going beyond the impressive ramparts, how he had tried, in vain, to warn the guards of the gate, how they had escaped from the Guards of the Order and, hidden in a cave near the city, he had treated a few of the brigands who were lightly wounded and finally how his group had joined the others. It was only on the way back that he had learned that something had happened in the brigands' hideout.

_I must confess that I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was simply another failed escape attempt! In short, it was not as bad as I had imagined.

_ Not as bad! exclaimed Manoël. While Childeric almost died when the prison wall exploded!

_ To die?! An explosion? What explosion?

_ What do you mean "what explosion?" The one that threw the walls of our prison into the void, almost crushing our bones at the same time!

_ Are you sure? But there's nothing wrong with the walls of our old cell! They are intact!

_ So I was right, Quicksilver yelped, the walls have indeed rebuilt themselves!

The others looked at him more and more surprised and amazed.

_ But then, how do you explain the lack of reaction of the brigands? Weren't they surprised by this supernatural event?

_ It must be force of habit! Flavian remarked. It is as easy for them to accept this as I do the fact that the Irdra, that marvelous river of Lenaic, flows in the opposite direction of all the rivers of Innàa: from the sea to its "source"!

_ I see what you mean, said Old Bear.

_ Yes, sighed the Stallion, Alas!

_ Why do you sigh, Stallion? asked Manoël.

_ Because, again, there is no hope of escape for us. We are indeed the prisoners of these "gentlemen". We are in their hands and for as long as they want us...

_ Fear not, suddenly said Old Bear, all this has not been done in pure waste. I now have the feeling that all freedom is not taken away from us. Hope is what we must keep with us. Hope and invention will allow us to emerge victorious from this dark cave. And soon, I am convinced of it.

_ May The Eternals are listening to you! said Siegfried.

The new morning brought no message of hope and invention to the group of wise men, some of whom, from then on, no longer knew what to think or whether they should still believe in a radiant future, despite the Pope's words. Materially, they were still as well cared for, almost pampered by the Cook, as one can be. It was perhaps his way of thanking Childeric for not being dead! But nothing seemed indicate a clearer horizon, nor what would be their imminent fate.

That changed in the after-zen. Then the winds changed. There was still as much noise on the brigands' side, as usual, however, by listening, one could perceive very well that these movements were unusual, violent, irrational, almost jubilant.

One could hear screams and even "hurrah! "in the few snippets of phrases that could be discerned. Then there was silence. Not the silence that we sometimes hear and which is only a masquerade of silence; but the silence of nature when we go from day to night, before the nocturnal animals take precedence over the diurnal ones. A silence that amplifies, suspends time. During these few millennial moments, the wise elves men were almost out of breath. Their outstretched ears were looking for the slightest little sound, the slightest little cry. And as suddenly as the silence had imposed itself, a clamor rose up to the limestone vaults of the cave and took possession of the auditory space. And once again it was chaos, the greatest and most incredible debauchery of noise.

Some wise elves men blocked their ears. After long minutes, the clamor diminished until it turned into haunting murmurs, like multiple conversations that kept bumping into each other. Strangely, since this agitation had begun, the Cook seemed to have forgotten them and it was only long after zen that their door finally opened. But it wasn't the Cook who appeared in the door frame, it was the Chief. He had a gigantic smile that illuminated his face with a disturbing glow.

He looked at them for a short moment and then, still smiling, he said:

_ I knew that my guts had not deceived me; your carcasses smelled of gold to twenty lunias around: Gentlemen, your ransom has been paid!

The Stallion sighed; Quicksilver sat down.

_ And now Siegfried growled. What are YOU going to do?

_ Indeed... What am I going to do with you? I've sometimes asked myself that question and until now I haven't found the slightest beginning of an answer. I have a good mind to keep you Siegfried: you are a good healer and we need you. That's a good thing, isn't it? As for the others... I don't know yet! But don't worry, I'm going to meditate on your fate!

_ Wrong! You don't need me! You already have a healer and better than I will ever be. You have La Mouse! cried Siegfried.

_ La Mouse, a healer?! That's a good one! You must have been dreaming. And with that, he turned around and left the room.

_ By my pointed ears! It's incredible! He doesn't believe us! Yet he saw it while he was treating you. All the magic of the healing invaded the room, he can't have not felt it, Abela said with increasing surprise.

_ Unless... What if he haven't felt it? Manoël remarked.

_ Well, he's far too barbaric to have smelled that delicate scent... said the Stallion.

_ Don't talk nonsense. No... The chief entered just after La Souris had finished his incantation... Perhaps...

_ ...maybe strange things are happening here, Childeric said.

_ I'm afraid we must finally prepare for the worst, my friends, said the Great Pope. I encourage that you gather yourselves and bring your souls and hearts into harmony.

They nodded and all entered into meditation, including the twins.

None of them could accept the idea of a fatal outcome, so many, while agreeing on how to face the Day of the End, were in fact looking for a back door.

The rest of the day was spent in meditation. And it was better this way: they did not bother the brigands, so the brigands, in return, did not bother them. Moreover, the brigands, rejoicing at this sudden and unexpected enrichment, were overwhelmed by a joy that managed to imprison their natural cruelty deep within them for a few happy hours.