Immortal Beauty (The Immortals)

by Thomas McDermott

  “I can’t be sure but I remember three distinct lifetimes including this one. I remember my family and friends and everything I learned from each life. It’s amazing how much information I possess.” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

  “How did you come to drink the waters my dear? You weren’t in the Roman army were you?” Celine tried her hardest to remain genteel.

  “It was with Rene here and Sky Fire.” She was interrupted by her hostess.

  “Sky Fire?” Celine was confused.

  “Yes, our friend here from the New World has many abilities and one of them is to bring fire down from the sky wherever he wishes it.” She had said it simply and plainly but Celine knew a threat when she heard one. The strange woman continued. “These two were best friends and I was Sky Fire’s wife. They returned from the campaigns victorious with vessels filled with the magic water. Rene’s sister Delphinia drank as well. We were all friends and we were celebrating the return of our loved ones.” The woman lowered her eyes and her voice dropped to a whisper. “We don’t know where she is. We have not found her on our travels. We were hoping she would already be here. Maybe she doesn’t remember anything yet. I myself only remembered everything a few years ago and embarked on my journey here.” She looked amazed at herself for revealing so much but after a lifetime of secrets it was a relief to speak out in the open like this.

  “Hopefully she will find her way back. So there are only four of you? No one else?” Celine tried not to sound obvious but she had to know how many people were responsible for her centuries of torture locked away inside the hill.

  “No there are only the four of us.” Rene answered now. “Once we drank the waters we couldn’t get enough. We tried to return to the hill and the waters but were ambused on the road back to the north by the barbarians. We never made it. Since then it seems we keep coming back over and over again tormented by thirst and memories that do not belong to us. This is the first time we have been able to find our way back here.” He looked across the table at his companions fondly. Celine stopped all conversation by standing up abruptly.

  “I think it’s time you saw the source of all this mystery. Come with me.” They all stood up and followed Celine. She led them through a small door in the corner of the room. It contained a narrow stairway made of stone. She and Marcel carried lanterns to light the way. The stairs continued down for a long time and ended in a long hall carved in the same stone as the house. The walls were decorated with gold paint and revealed scenes from an older world. There was a goddess on the hillside obviously Celine and it showed the Romans advancing upon the Celts. Another scene showed a cave with a large stone being removed by a royal looking figure. Upon closer inspection Rene saw that it must be the Count and from the cave emerged a naked woman with wild hair. It was all very meticulously executed and must have taken years to accomplish. Finally they were in front of a golden doorway. Marcel removed a key from his pocket and placed it in the fancy lock underneath the enormous golden handle. The handle turned with a loud click that carried down the narrow stone hallway. The woman with the short hair placed her hand on the sword. She did not trust the Countess. Her instincts were telling her that she was not as amiable as she appeared. They followed in suit through a door and before them was a small round cave with a pool of water in the cneter. There were even more primitive drawings on the rock walls and the only sound that could be heard was the drip of water coming form the ceiling. In a quiet murmur Celine finally spoke.

  “This is where it all began. This was the pool which my people have guarded since the beginning of time. It was the water of the gods and no mortal was ever to drink from it. We never knew why. But you came and changed all that.” She waited dramatically before she spoke again. “You gave me the gift of immortality and for that I could never repay you.” She wiped a tear that did not exist from her eye. The others simply stared at the pool. The two men remembered this unassuming pool of water. Of course it was all different now with the house and the elaborate hallway of gold paintings but the pool was exactly the same after all this time. The woman with her hand still on the sword looked down unimpressed.

  “This is it? These are the fabled waters of immortality? Somehow I expected more.” The exotic stranger sighed as if she were bored with all of this.

  “How dare you?” Celine turned on her. “Don’t mock my religion!” She tried in vain to control her temper. “This is the sacred pool of Lycium. What were you expecting? Angels singing by the poolside? Please show respect for that which you do not understand.” Celine knew she was destined to hate this woman. “What did you say your name was?” She turned on the woman whose hand was still gripped tightly on her sword as if she were ready to chop Celine’s head off.

  “I didn’t.” She smiled at the countess. “My name is Nyorin. It is the name of the goddess of compassion where I come from. I guess this means you are no longer the only deity in the room.”

  “Well Neeorin.” Celine mispronounced her name on purpose. “It seems that we are both goddesses now. Forgive my outburst. It is just that this place holds so much meaning for me and my people who are now lost to time thanks to the Romans. Of course I understand now that you could not possibly understand what all this means. I am sorry.” She was speaking down to her as if Nyorin were some poor thing to be pitied. The insult slid off Nyorin like water down a bird’s back. This woman did not intimidate her. She had fought enemies more fierce and more powerful than this silly feminine creature.. Still, she did not trust her one bit and couldn’t wait to be alone with her friends to tell them of her intuition. They needed to formulate a plan. The thought of living in this house with this self important woman was unbearable. Her husband, the count had not spoken a single word since they met. Nyorin was suddenly curious about him. What did he have to do with all of this and why was he so quiet and subservient acting more like a slave than a husband? They left the chambers and returned to the comfort and the friendliness of the grand room looking out onto the terrace and the winter gardens. Nyorin decided to ask some questions herself.

  “What about your husband here? How is it that he is here? Is he one of us? The word ‘us’ actually made her cringe. She stared at her distinguished silent host. For some reason she felt she could trust this man. She would have to find a way to talk to him alone without his domineering wife.

  “He is now.” Celine replied in the nicest of manners. “He rescued me from the hill where I had become trapped ages ago. I fell in love with him and had to share the secret of the waters. The thought of going on through eternity without him was too much to bear.” She grabbed one of his hands into her own and pressed it firmly. He smiled at her kindly and for the first time he spoke.

  “My wife and I have been expecting you for so long now it’s hard to believe you are actually here. We are so happy that you are here and urge you to consider our request. This house is large and there is room for all of you. We can tell everyone that you are cousins of ours or some such story. You will fit in perfectly without any trouble. I am sure of that.” His voice was low and warm and sincere. The more he spoke the more Nyorin liked him. “You see we are wealthy and our life here is perfect. France is in a great time of artistic and intellectual advances. We often go to Paris for entertainment and I assure you there is no better entertainment in all the world than that of Paris.” He sounded very proud of his country. He was a true French Nobleman. “You will not be bored here. Please think about our offer and remember that as long as you continue to drink the water you will never perish. You will become immortal like us. You need never know the pain of illness and death again. You need not be punished by having to be born over and over again searching your entire lives for something you are completely unsure of. The yearning could end forever. You have truly come home my friends.” There was an incredible sadness in his face. For a moment he believed his own words and wondered if there was any way to convince Celine to abandon her appalling plan. Maybe after meeting them now she w
ould think of things differently. After all it was she who said that they were the ones responsible for her immortality. He would talk to her this evening when they were alone. They talked well into the night trying to piece together all of the lifetimes and events that led them here. Celine found out that they had come upon each other and were amazed to recognize people they had never seen before except in vague memories and dreams. Nyorin and Skyfire were obviously in love and for some reason this bothered Celine immensely. She had thought for a time that she was in love with Marcel but that time had long since passed. She would always need something stronger and more exciting than the affairs of the heart. The ambition that she was born with had come back to the surface now that she was secure in this world of finery and foolishness. She herself was bored with her life as the Countess and the arrival of her enemies provided her the thrill that was missing. During the night while they sat there talking as the hours slipped away unnoticed she began to think of ways in which she could punish her three guests and these dark thoughts gave her great pleasure. Finally it was obvious that her guests were tired and she rang her bell again to call the maid to see that the fires in the guest rooms were ablaze and that they had every comfort available to them. She kissed them all falsely on the cheek and she felt Nyorin tense up as her hands grasped her strong shoulders. In that instant she knew this woman hated her with the same intensity she herself felt. She would have to be dealt with soon before she became a problem. She obviously knew how to use a sword though this did not scare Celine in the least. The two men seemed content and even happy to be in her home but this woman was ungrateful and rude. Celine contemplated just how much pleasure could be derived from watching her suffer.

  Nyorin stood in front of her small fireplace in the room her hosts had given her in their grand palace. She had never in this lifetime or any other that she could remember encountered so much luxury and wealth. The decadence felt vulgar to a woman who was literally raised on a straw mat. She had been raised in a Tibetan monastery in the mountains maintaining a Spartan like existence with days of endless training. She felt uneasy surrounded by all this softness. She regarded herself in the mirror and wondered what she would look like if she grew her hair long and wore the blatant make up that Celine had on. Would she be pretty? She never once in her life entertained such an idea and she had no idea what to do with it. There was a soft knock on her door and she knew it was Skyfire. She let him in and they kissed deeply. Finally she broke away from his embrace. She needed to know what he thought about their new situation.

  “Is it strange being back here? I mean back where it all began?” She quietly asked him as she led him to sit with her on the softest bed in the world.

  “It is not yet real to me. My journey had been so long and I have been searching all these years for the waters but I know now I was really searching for you. I care nothing for this cursed fountain. Once we met again the waters did not matter. Only you.” He kissed her again passionately.

  “Then let us leave here tonight.” Nyorin whispered in his ear. “There is something about our hostess that is not quite right. She is not telling the truth.” She looked into his eyes to gauge his response.

  “Leave here? Did you hear what she said? If we do not drink the waters then we are doomed to return again and again and suffer many lifetimes of not finding each other. It took too long for this reunion. Would you really risk losing me all over again?” He stood up from the bed and faced the glowing flames. “I could not bear losing you again.” He was so very sad that Nyorin couldn’t bear it for one more second.

  “It was just a question my love. I am trying to think things over. Somehow I can’t imagine living forever. Especially with her.” She frowned and didn’t like how she was sounding. She felt feminine and jealous and this too was alien to her eastern mind.

  “Why Don’t you like her Nyorin? She had been nothing but gracious and kind since we met. She has offered us her home and our share of the waters. I don’t understand. Finally we can be together in peace without any more searching…” His voice faded away as he stared into the marble fireplace.

  “Without death.” Nyorin said to herself more than she did to him. The idea was suddenly abysmal to her. What was life without death? All of her teachings had taught her that death and life were a balance or a dance. Death gave life meaning and without it what meaning could there be for her or for any of them? She shuddered to think what she might become.

  “Yes, without death!” Sky Fire was excited now. “We could be together forever and be a part of this changing world like Celine said. It could be such an adventure. Think about it Nyorin. We would never have to say goodbye again.” He returned to her side on the bed and held her in his arms. “I can’t stand the thought of spending another lifetime looking for you. I almost died several times on this journey but I continued on knowing that you were out there somewhere. Let’s not make any quick decisions. Let’s remain and observe as you are always telling me to do. Let’s watch and listen and gather more information. We can always leave at any time. If the time comes we will just continue our journey elsewhere. I would like one day to see the land you were raised in. It sounds beautiful.” He began to kiss her throat and the heat from his lips caused her to shudder.

  “Alright darling. Let us bide our time. But if the time comes for us to leave, we leave together. On this we must agree.” She ran her fingers through his long wavy hair.

  “Together darling. Always together.” He began to kiss her again and again until they forgot all of their talk and all of their worries. For now they were together. If only she could be sure that they were truly safe.

  Rene sat at the desk in his room biding his time. He waited until he was sure that the entire household had gone to sleep. He wanted to explore this house and the cave far below without anyone else around. When he was certain that no one was awake any longer he slipped out of his room and found the long stairway leading down. He quietly moved through the dark house without making any noise. He remembered his days in the great libraries of Alexandria as a scholar and a teacher. He remembered his upbringing in the brothels of the same city where he lived most of his life as a courtesan and a spy until a rich gentleman paid for him in gold ignots to live with him in his large house where he began to teach the young man things like numbers and stars and ancient formulas. His mind was thirsty for the knowledge and he had a preternatural ability to remember everything he was taught. He knew how to move about someone’s home without detection and he knew how to open every lock that came his way. Tonight he was putting those early skills to the test. He found the doorway that contained the long hall leading to the water. He pulled a slender piece of metal from his coat and inserted it into the lock. It opened easily and without any noise. He moved through the hall stealthily not needing any light as he used his other senses to guide him. His heart skipped a beat when he heard the voices. It was Celine and Marcel. They were in the cavern with the sacred pool. He moved in as closely as he dared finally seeing the ornately carved golden door ajar just slightly. He listened as they spoke in hushed tones.

  “Celine I beg of you to thinnk again of what you’re doing. You said it yourself tonight that is was because of them you have become immortal. They are responsible for your life today. We have got to reconsider.” Marcel was pleading with his wife and it was obvious that she was the one in control of their relationship. It was also obvious over dinner where her husband sat sheepishly by her side never uttering a word allowing her to carry on in her regal pretentious manner.

  “They are also responsible for me bing locked in this cave for centuries!” Her voice carried venomous tones. “They must be punished for what they did to me. There’s no turning back Marel. We must do this together as we agreed.”

  Rene listened more closely. So this was all a ruse to gain their trust? He knew it was too good to be true. He couldn’t wait to get back to his friends and warn them but he needed as much information as he could glean so he remai
ned perfectly still.

  “Celine! Now that we’ve met them you’ve got to feel differently about them. I know I do! They could be our friends and our family. Don’t you realize everyone we know is going to grow old and die over and over again? We could have a real family and be ourselves with no pretense. It could be glorious, it could be..” Celine cut him off sharply.

  “Marcel you are living in a fantasy! They will turn on us eventually. They came here searching for the waters. Now that they found them don’t you think that they will want to control them? To control us? Don’t be so naïve Marcel it’s beneath you!” There was a long pause and finally Marcel spoke and Rene could hear the fear in his words.

  “Celine, tell me the truth. Did you kill my family?” He could barely get the words out.

  “Did I what?” She bellowed and the cavern echoed her anger. “Don’t be ridiculous! They ate poisoned mushrooms. You know that as well as I do. It could have happened to anyone. don’t change the subject and do not accuse me of such terrible things. I won’t stand for it. How could you even ask me such a thing? I gave you eternal life and this is how you repay me?” She was so furious that Rene thought she might attack her awestruck husband.

  “You never gave me a choice.” Marcel said with an enormity of despondency. “You never asked me if I wanted this. You never told me what the waters would do to me.” His last sentence sounded more like a sigh.

  “I can’t believe this. I give you what the rest of the world has been searching for since the beginning of time and you are complaining about it? Really Marcel what has gotten into you tonight?” Celine laughed at the absurdity of it all. “Perhaps we are just tired and are saying things we don’t mean. Of course I forgive you for your accusations and we shall never speak of it again. As for the others lets not do anything until we find the fourth. She’s got to be out there somewhere. Do you think it is a coincidence that three of them have come back at the same time? After all these lifetimes they are finally converging. Now they outnumber us and soon they will be stronger than the two of us and then what? Something is happening. I can feel it.” There was a long pause and Rene waited anxiously to hear more. After the longest of pauses Celine finally spoke in a faint whisper. “Marcel, someone is listening to us. I can sense it.” With that Rene took off running down the long hallway. He could hear the golden door being pushed open and saw a flicker of light from behind him. He prayed they couldn’t see him. He was almost back in the gallery with it’s beautiful windows and self indulgent furnishinhgs when he felt the air disappear from around him. He couldn’t breathe and he couldn’t move. Something was happenig to him and he felt Celine and Marcel move in behind him.