“Very well,” she said, standing up. As she stepped out of the pit, Rhuna felt heavy in her body as her mind began to accept the weighty responsibility of being the next keeper of the Great Secrets.
As she walked slowly around the grounds of the inn to find Aradin or Damell, she came cross Yarqi milking the goat as Shandi and Panapu watched.
“So, the goat is your responsibility?” Rhuna asked Yarqi as she approached the pen.
“Mine and Shandi’s” Yarqi replied, smiling at the young girl who giggled with delight. “Right now she only knows how to pat the goat, but I’ll teach her to milk it.”
Rhuna noticed that the mysterious dark woman sounded relaxed and happy, and Panapu also smiled gently as he watched Shandi pat the goat’s pretty face. She left the peaceful scene to find Aradin rummaging through the strewn pieces of furniture and other rubble.
“Goram wants to pass the Secrets of the Pyramids on to me,” Rhuna said as soon she was near to him. Aradin stood up straight and turned to look at Rhuna.
“Oh. Because he thinks he’s going away, into the past,” Aradin surmised gloomily.
“I think I have to accept, but it feels like such an enormous responsibility,” she said, shaking her head.
Aradin stepped out of the rubble heap and placed his arm around Rhuna’s shoulders.
“You can handle it,” he said confidently with a smile.
Rhuna wrapped her arms around her husband’s waist and squeezed with gratitude.
Rhuna found Damell in the smaller adjoining building where he had repaired a doorway to a small chamber. He showed Rhuna how the thick textile he had found in the storage rooms made suitable drapes on the window and doorway.
“It shall serve as our room for solitude, Inside Focussing and, of course, accessing The Infinite,” he said softly. Rhuna looked around the room which had already been furnished with thick floor mats and seating cushions.
“It’s very comfortable,” she said, lowering herself onto one of the cushions. “I’ve come to tell you something.”
Damell sat down opposite Rhuna and listened as she related her observations of Goram’s obsessiveness, and then the revelation that she would be the next keeper of the Secrets of the Pyramids.
“The Great Secrets,” Damell said with raised eyebrows. “Impressive,” he nodded slowly.
“He really believes that he will depart,” Rhuna said with mixed feelings.
“We cannot restrain him,” Damell answered.
“But we should try to reason with him!” Rhuna insisted.
“Yes, we shall certainly do that,” Damell responded firmly. “Yet at present we are seated comfortably in this chamber…”
“And I need to clear my head,” Rhuna sighed.
Rhuna and her father closed their eyes and began their practice of controlled rhythmic breathing to release negative vibrations and replenish the mind and body with positive energy. When she felt sufficiently energized, Rhuna reclined on the soft cushions and relaxed her entire body completely. She stilled her mind until she reached the dark depths which allowed her to release her Extended Consciousness from her physical body.
As soon as the usual moment of disorientation passed, Rhuna saw her body reclined on the cushions below, and felt her Extended Consciousness float at the top of the room. She willed herself to rise up above the building so that she could view the surrounding landscape. Suddenly, she sensed the warmth of the sun and saw the rooftops of the inn’s buildings below, surrounded by trees and green bushes which in turn were surrounded by yellow-green grassy plains.
Rhuna focussed her thoughts on the Black City, wondering whether she would be able to perceive anything clearly this time. Her Extended Consciousness soared through the air, across green plains and a scattering of large trees until she saw the river flowing with dark water. Nearby, a hazy cloud of muddy colours swirled like a giant spiralling storm, and she knew that it represented the Black City.
The more Rhuna attempted to penetrate the mass of spinning fog with her Extended Consciousness, the more disoriented and dizzy she became. Finally, she retreated and turned her attention to her new home; the inn on the famous trade route. Rhuna concentrated on the inn’s origin and builders, reaching back in time with her thoughts until she began to perceive several hazy images and sounds.
“A confluence of energies,” someone had said a long time ago. Rhuna focussed on the people she sensed, and soon saw a vague image of a small group of Atlan men and women planning the construction of the pyramid. She continued to observe the surroundings, watching as the Atlans built the main house of the inn. Suddenly, she felt time pass by as her Extended Consciousness watched the inn, and she began to see other non-Atlan people inhabiting the inn. She realized that each group of people represented a new generation of innkeepers, each one adding a new building or an animal pen, part of the garden and then the pond.
Rhuna felt happy when she had glimpsed a brief history of her new home, and allowed her Extended Consciousness to slowly return to her body. She breathed deeply several times before opening her eyes and observing her father who was reclined beside her.
Damell’s forehead twitched and creased with effort, and Rhuna assumed he was trying to see through the swirling fog that engulfed the Black City. She waited patiently until her father breathed in deeply and then slowly opened his eyes.
“Did you succeed?” she asked him.
Damell sat up and shook his head.
“My current goal is to probe farther into the past to observe the origins of the Black City, before time distortions created such an impenetrable thick fog in The Infinite,” he answered. “This time I perceived the Dark One appearing at the point of confluence which facilitates time manipulation, at which time he immediately established the Black City. From that point onward, perceptions in The Infinite become very distorted.”
They sat in silence for a brief time, pondering this new information about the Dark Master before Rhuna told her father about the history of the inn which she had perceived through The Infinite.
“Perhaps they were Atlans who journeyed along the trade route many generations past, before the Black City came into existence,” Damell said.
“Then it’s a very old building, like those in the City of Atlán,” Rhuna concluded. “Many other people have lived here since then, adding to it and maintaining it.”
Damell smiled at Rhuna.
“You feel happy here,” he observed.
“Yes, I do.”
Rhuna returned to the main building where she heard a commotion ahead of her. She saw Goll walking speedily across the main room, through the windowed doors and across the terrace to greet new guests. Mohandu and Greeter of Friends followed the scribe.
“New guests already,” remarked Lozira. “The men from Farsa departed only this morning.”
“It is a very positive indication,” said Protector of Remembrance from the cosy seating area at the back wall which the Atlan representatives frequently occupied. Rhuna surmised that their position offered a clear view of the entire main building, as well as the outside terrace and the landscape beyond.
Rhuna stood next to Lozira as they both gazed out of the large windows, watching Goll greet a long caravan. Then she leaned in towards her daughter to speak in a personal, soft tone.
“How is Goram with you, since we arrived here?” she whispered.
“He is at the pyramid all day,” Lozira began, and then lowered her voice. “Yet in the evening and at night he is…attentive to me and affectionate.”
“Good,” Rhuna said, feeling slightly less concerned about Goram and his relationship with her daughter. “Then let’s get ready to make a big meal for our new guests.”
Rhuna assisted Kiana, Lozira and Stillness of the Lake in retrieving cooking pots and food supplies, and then waited for Goll, Mohandu and Greeter of Friends to return with a report about their new guests.
“They are from the land of the Ling-Yu,” Greeter of Friends said as he
entered the main building.
“Yet many of them can speak the Atlan language, and other languages also,” Goll added.
“They prefer to eat rice, yet are accustomed to the food of this land,” Greeter of Friends said.
“Do they eat with sticks?” Lozira asked. “We have such sticks in one of the storage rooms.”
Rhuna went into the storage room Lozira had indicated and looked for the curious items. “Let’s give them these tonight and see how they eat food with them,” she told Lozira.
The descending sun created hues of purple along the horizon, and a cool breeze began to sweep across the endless plains around the inn. Rhuna wrapped a soft shawl around her shoulders which she had obtained from the Farsan traders, and then helped Aradin light the terrace lamps. Soon the hungry visitors followed the cooking aromas from the lodging house to the terrace, and Rhuna welcomed them alongside Aradin, Yarqi and Mohandu.
“Yeah, we speak a bit Atlan language,” said one of the men from Ling-Yu. Rhuna counted five men and four women, some of them already advancing in age.
“Ahh, you cook rice for us,” said one of the women in a squeaky high voice. “That very nice, very nice!”
Rhuna ate the unfamiliar little white grains and decided they were quite delicious. She watched the guests eat deftly with the sticks they had provided, and then attempted to use the sticks in the same way.
“You new here, eh?” asked one of the men with a mouthful of rice. “Where you from?”
“We have just recently arrived from the Land at the Top of the World,” Aradin answered.
“Ah-ha, ah-ha,” said several of them in unison, making Rhuna smile.
“But you not live there all the time,” said one of the older women. “You not like people of that land.”
Rhuna looked at Aradin as she contemplated telling the guests about their connections to the land of Atlán.
“You not Atlan, eh? You look different,” the woman continued, looking sharply at Rhuna.
“I’m from the island of Chinza, far across the oceans,” Rhuna answered.
“Oh?” the woman seemed more than simply surprised, and Rhuna decided to relate a little more about the places she had visited.
“We lived in Safu a while,” she told the Ling-Yu woman, and that’s where our daughter was born.” She pointed to Shandi who had appeared at the gathering, curious to see the visitors and how they eat little white grains with sticks.
Suddenly, Rhuna noticed that the Ling-Yu women were muttering to each other in their own language, and then the message was relayed to the men. She feared that something said had aroused suspicion about their Atlan connections, and then she wondered if they were talking about Shandi.
“Is there a problem?” Aradin asked, looking from one face to the other.
“No problem, no problem,” said two of the men shaking their heads. They resumed eating, and then made general comments to further the meal-time conversation. When the night had progressed, the visitors expressed their need to retire, and Rhuna began to clear the thick floor rug of all food bowls and plates.
As the guests began to leave, Rhuna noticed that the older woman seemed to linger.
“What your name?” asked the woman as Rhuna moved past her to grab more bowls.
“Rhuna, Keeper of Wisdom,” she answered, and then watched a strange reaction in the old woman’s face.
“Ah!” the woman said, then quickly turned and hurried to follow her companions back to the lodging house.
“That was strange,” she said to Aradin. “It was as if that woman knew my name.”
“Or just recognized that you have an Atlan name,” Aradin added with a frown.
“Oh, I hope they won’t tell the Mages about us,” Rhuna said as a cold chill ran down her spine.
“Many people without Atlan appearance, like us, still have Atlan names,” Mohandu offered hopefully.
“Why would they want to tell the Mages about us?” Yarqi reasoned.
“We don’t know enough about the rules of the Black City, and whether trade visitors know about them,” Aradin said.
Rhuna and Aradin hurried inside to tell the Atlan representatives in the main building about their concerns.
“It was merely a curious reaction by the Ling-Yu,” Greeter of Friends said. “Their ways are different, and misunderstandings easily occur.”
“Yes,” nodded Protector of Remembrance. “Let us not be too fearful, yet always alert and prepared for possible danger.”
In that moment, the senior Atlan looked behind Rhuna with a startled expression. Rhuna spun around and saw that the guests had returned to the terrace.
“Perhaps we shall find our answers now,” Protector of Remembrance said.
Rhuna and Aradin walked onto the terrace, followed by Mohandu and Yarqi.
“What else can we do for you?” Aradin asked politely.
The group of Ling-Yu traders stood close together in silence, their eyes focussed on Rhuna.
“You are the Promised One,” said the older woman of the group.
“They told us about you in Ling-Yu,” said one of the men.
“The Promised One?” Aradin repeated. “What does that mean?”
“Many people, in our land and other lands; they have waited for the One called Rhuna,” explained one of the other men.
“They have waited for me?” Rhuna asked, thoroughly bewildered.
“Why have they been waiting for someone called Rhuna?” Aradin asked forcefully. “What does it mean?”
“You not know?” asked the Ling-Yu woman with astonishment.
“You are the Sula-tana!” said one of the younger women.
“Sula-tana?” Rhuna instantly recognised the name that Shandi had chanted several times.
“What does Sula-tana mean?” asked Yarqi, moving up to stand protectively next to Rhuna.
“It mean something like…ah, maker of peace.”
“Peacemaker!”
“They say you would come, make peace!”
Rhuna looked at each person as they spoke, their faces filled with joy and awe.
“So…what do you think I will do?” Rhuna asked, still nervous with uncertainty.
“Make peace, make peace,” they said.
Rhuna looked at Aradin and then at Mohandu and Yarqi as they struggled to understand the words of their guests. Before they could formulate any further questions, the Ling-Yu group quickly returned to the lodging house, jabbering excitedly in their own language.
“What did they say?” asked Greeter of Friends as he came out onto the terrace.
“They think Rhuna is a Promised One for whom they have been waiting in Ling-Yu,” Aradin answered.
“They said Sula-tana – the word Shandi has spoken several times since we left the land at the Top of the World,” Rhuna added.
“We must discuss this,” Greeter of Friends said in a serious tone. They followed the young Atlan back into the main house and sat on the cushions opposite the other Atlan Representatives. Damell and Tozar stood next to them, and as Rhuna looked up she saw Goram and Lozira approach them and then sit nearby to listen.
“It’s the name that Shandi spoke,” Rhuna repeated to the Atlan representatives as she related every word spoken by the Ling-Yu guests.
“What else did the child say in connection with this word, Sula-tana?” asked Protector of Remembrance with a deep frown of concern.
“She said that the Dark Master wants to see Sula-tana,” Rhuna replied.
“What does that mean?” Yarqi said, frustrated by the riddles spoken by both Shandi and the Ling-Yu guests.
“It means there is a connection between the Dark Master and the promise or foretelling of a Sula-tana, a peacemaker,” said Preserver of Faith.
“The only person able to make an accurate foretelling of a person many generations later is, of course, the Dark One,” Greeter of Friends added.
“But why?” Rhuna asked, still feeling bewildered and slightly fearful.
>
The Atlan representatives thought for a moment.
“To distract you - and us - of course,” Goram interjected loudly. “A most cunning manoeuvre indeed!”
Rhuna noticed that Goram was grinning as he spoke with admiration for the Dark Master’s tactics.
The Atlan representatives looked at each other and then back at Goram.
“Yes, that appears to be the most obvious answer,” Protector of Remembrance conceded.
“Is there any danger to Rhuna, or to us?” Lozira asked.
“Possibly,” answered Damell. “We must acquire more information about this foretelling and what the people of Ling-Yu expect from a peacemaker in order to evaluate any possible danger.”
The large room fell silent for an uncomfortably long period for Rhuna, and she felt her skin begin to crawl at the mere thought of the Dark Master.
“Perhaps this is a good opportunity to address the mental bond you have with the Dark One,” Protector of Remembrance said to Rhuna.
“Any visions, unsummoned or directed, would help us understand the Dark One’s plans,” Stillness of the Lake added.
“What do you suggest I do to summon a vision of him?” Rhuna asked, feeling her body tremble slightly.
“There is a process by which you may enhance the mental communication with him,” Protector of Remembrance began. “In the state of Inside Focussing, when the mind has shifted to a different plane, you should focus on the Dark One and beckon his thoughts.”
“Beckon his thoughts?” Rhuna repeated as a shudder of horror passed through her.
“Is such a thing even possible?” Lozira asked, her expression reflecting Rhuna’s feeling of horror.
“It is the way Goram…Beacon of the Night, saved me from the destruction of Judharo,” Yarqi said, her dark eyes flitting between Goram, Lozira and Rhuna.
“By mental communication?” Rhuna asked, startled. She glanced at Goram and then at Yarqi again. “You have a mental bond of some kind?”
Goram reached into his inner garment pocket and pulled out a cloth pouch. Rhuna recognized it from the mysterious exchange she had observed between him and Yarqi when they were still in the abode of the Masters of Ancient Wisdom. She watched expectantly as he opened it to reveal the unusual silver pendant and chain.
Rhuna- Black City Page 17