The Ghosts of Blood and Innocence

by Storm Constantine

  Tava-edzen gave Darq another long stare and said, ‘Thank you. Please take care of him.’

  ‘We will,’ Tiy said. ‘Have no fears about that.’

  ‘Good luck, Darq,’ Slinque said. The Weavers gathered around Darq and held him close for a moment. Darq wondered whether they were scared for him in some way; their thoughts were shielded against him.

  Tiy and Nimron took Darquiel to a room at the top of the house. The chamber was empty of furniture and its ceiling was low. The floorboards were painted with a large circle of symbols; a place to work magic. ‘This is my workroom,’ Nimron said. ‘As you’ve no doubt deduced, the only tool I use here is my mind.’

  Tiy gestured at the floor within the circle. ‘Please sit down, Darquiel.’

  Darq did so. Tiy and Nimron sat before and behind him.

  ‘What exactly are we going to do?’ Darq asked.

  ‘Simply be open,’ Tiy said, her voice gentle. ‘Be who you really are. Step into yourself.’

  Darq frowned. ‘I’m not sure I know what you mean.’

  ‘You’ll see,’ Nimron said. ‘Just open your mind to any possibility. It’s sometimes difficult to achieve at first, but ultimately it’s the simplest procedure. You just have to get used to it.’

  ‘OK.’ Darq settled himself more comfortably. ‘I’ll do my best.’

  ‘That’s more than enough,’ Nimron said.

  Tiy put her hands upon Darq’s shoulders from behind him. ‘Close your eyes now,’ she said. ‘Just relax.’

  The moment Darq closed his eyes it was as if the room grew immense around him. He felt as if he was sitting in a vast cavern, and the walls were breathing. It was disorientating, and for a moment he nearly opened his eyes, but he managed to keep them closed. The suddenness of it all convinced him: this was what he’d come for. This would hopefully be the end of his search, the answer to all questions.

  Tiy and Nimron began to vibrate low tones, deep in the cavities of their chests. Darq imagined these sounds weaving into the air like twin serpents of vapor. They wound around each other, forming a double helix, until it was one serpent eating its own tail. Darq did not know what he saw, but a thought came to him that it was a representation of the building block of life. The serpent was all around him. He was part of it, as was everything else upon earth. The sounds wove visions in his head; the song of creation. He was melting into it, becoming sound himself, a sigh upon the air.

  He sensed a mighty presence become aware of him. It was almost impossible to describe, but he felt it throughout his being and beyond. He sank back into a vast sentience that had been with him all along, yet he’d been unaware of it. Sometimes he’d glimpsed it in the ecstasies of aruna, felt it stirring his soul in the forest around Samway, tasted it in spring air, but this was far more intense. He was filled with an immense feeling that was part joy, part awe, part fear. He was sinking into the earth itself, falling back, supported and known.

  And the earth spoke to him. This was not in words, but in impressions. The world had known that eventually a being would come who would initiate something previously unknown in this realm. It was the moment when the tiny parasite becomes aware of the creature upon and from which it lives. It realises that the sweet blood it sups is alive, and part of something greater. And the host itself realises that the smallest nuisance – one is but an irritant, a multitude an agony – has become aware.

  Darq was flooded with impressions. He saw the spread of humanity across the world, hastened by the actions of the rebel Zehk. Humanity became aware in some respects, self-aware at least, but like parasites, they ravaged their host. There was no symbiotic contract, merely a voracious swell. If it had continued, the world would have had to take action, but then something else occurred, something unexpected. Humanity was devastated.

  The most enlightened humans believed the earth had taken its revenge, because they were unaware of the higher powers. They prayed too late and pointlessly. They did not know that in eons past they had been made guardians of the very thing they abused. If they had taken more care, it might all have ended very differently. The earth might have flexed itself and repelled the invisible invasion. How humans would have felt, had they known their destruction was merely a by-product of a greater purge, Darq could only imagine.

  Wraeththu had been created as part of this purge, an attempt to forge guardians who would not abuse their home realm. Instilled within them, hidden beneath the initial wildness, was the imperative not to lay waste, nor to choke, use up and make barren. Through their superior mental powers, not yet come to full bloom, they would have no need for the industries that ravaged the world.

  Then Darq’s perception was guided outwards, through the multi-layers of the realms. The earth was with him and now he sensed it as female; an intelligence. He learned of the silencing of Thanatep and the rivalry between the Aasp and the Zehk. He saw that the Zehk, though critical of what the Aasp did to the Thanadrim, decided ultimately not to intervene, for the resulting situation could be exploited by themselves also. The earth knew this, because she communed with fellow entities throughout the otherlanes. Messages came to her, images from far worlds. She watched and listened as the Zehk considered what should be done with her. Their own rebel sons and daughters had damaged this jewel of realms. Action must be taken to restore her health.

  The rebel Zehk, known by many names throughout history, were considered by their superiors to be the authors of the earth’s troubles. It was vital that their monstrous hybrid offspring finally be removed. Really, it was very simple. All it took was visions and dreams sent to the right fanatics and inventors. Certain natural calamities were easily nudged into being, because they had been waiting to happen for a long time. Humanity was scourged by its hatred of itself, and the germ of Wraeththu took root in the ruins. The face of the world could be changed without any overt interference on behalf of the Zehk. They merely had to implant the right stimuli for events to initiate a chain reaction. And the Krim Sri, so long hidden within the human population, were nearly destroyed. Only two thousand or so escaped and had fled to the ancient underground realm of Helek Sah, which was a refuge from the times when the Zehk had first tried to expunge their rebel children.

  Darquiel saw all this in a rapid succession of impressions and images, swooning in the barrage of information, but it ceased as quickly as it had begun. He opened his eyes and found himself standing upon a high hilltop beneath the light of the moon. His consciousness had moved from his physical body.

  A grove of trees surrounded the brow of the hill: birch and oak. Darq heard the song of night birds and the trill of crickets in the summer grasses. Below and around him, an endless landscape spread out, lush and untouched: the earth as it should be, as it was coming to be again. Something pale moved at the edge of Darq’s vision and he turned his head. A woman was walking to him across the soft grass of the hill. She was barefoot, clad in close-fitting trousers and tunic that appeared to be made entirely of leaves and feathers. Her long hair was red, its color visible even in the moonlight. Darq felt he should sink to his knees, because he knew she was a goddess. He knew in his heart, as if he’d known her all his life, that she was the spirit of the world itself.

  She paused some feet away from him and he heard the voice of the world for the first time. ‘Welcome, Darquiel. You may know me as Divozenky.’

  Darq bowed. He wasn’t sure how to react. ‘You are… the mind of the world?’

  Divozenky laughed. ‘I am the mind, body and soul that all earthly creatures inhabit. I’m your guardian, but you are my sentinel now. You’re the shepherd of my skin, who can hear the words of my soul. You’re beyond all others, for no har or human has ever communed with me this way. Not even the Krim Sri can come to me so intimately. Many beings have dreamed and wished, and worked magic to know me, but you are the first who has reached me. It might be that others will follow.’

  ‘Tell me,’ Darq said, ‘what must I do?’

  Divozenky came closer to
him and linked an arm through one of his. She indicated they should walk down the hill. Darq was astonished. She felt real to him, as real as Amelza had been. He could smell the perfume of her; cut grass, pine needles, ripe fruit and summer flowers.

  ‘Humans could never manipulate my essence,’ Divozenky said, ‘and neither can hara, not in the way that other powers can. Wraeththu is not yet ready to wield this power. However, despite this, I give you custody of it.’

  Darq sucked his upper lip for a moment. ‘I don’t understand what your essence really is. How can I be its custodian?’

  Divozenky patted his arm. ‘I’ll put it simply. The essence of a realm is what nourishes evolution and advancement for creatures throughout the many layers of reality. You can’t see it, and the subtle energies Wraeththu work with are of lower frequency than essence – I’m talking about the energy hara use for healing and to affect reality, what they call agmara. Really, you don’t need to know any more than that.’

  Darq nodded slowly. ‘I think I see. So, in your opinion, who should hara favor: the Aasp or the Zehk?’

  Divozenky guided Darq towards a path that had appeared nearby. They had nearly reached the bottom of the hill. ‘All I’ll say is that both factions would like to control Wraeththu, and hence earthly essence, but because of you, they can’t do that – well, not easily. You should discover what they have to offer and make your choice.’

  ‘What if I should choose neither?’

  Divozenky laughed. ‘They’ll both be very upset! There’s no reason, though, why you can’t make a deal with these factions. It’s not as if I don’t have essence to spare. Strike a hard bargain.’

  ‘Such as guaranteed protection for the Krim Sri?’

  Divozenky nodded. ‘It would only be fair if that was part of the deal. The time of the Krim Sri is past, but rare animals, if husbanded properly, may thrive in captivity.’

  Darq was quite shocked by these words. ‘That seems a cruel way to look at it.’

  Divozenky shrugged. ‘Just a simple observation. As for whatever else you asked for...’ She gestured widely with her free arm. ‘Ask for what you like.’

  Darq sighed. ‘This is insane. It all sounds so… so easy.’

  Divozenky clasped his shoulder. ‘Easy? Oh, Darquiel, child, not yet, not yet. You are unique, but in some ways you’re also a great wrongness, come before her time.’

  They now followed a fairly wide road made of marble slabs. In the distance, Darq saw shadowy shapes that might be the spire of a city. ‘Do you see me as female, then?’ he asked.

  Divozenky considered. ‘I suppose I do see you that way, because my creatures have formed for me a female image, and I regard you as an avatar of mine. But my view is of no consequence.’

  ‘It’s of consequence to me, Divozenky,’ Darq said.

  Even though they had covered a great deal of ground – the hill was far behind them – the city ahead was drawing no closer. But a forest had appeared to the left of the road. A herd of white deer came out of it and ran across the path.

  ‘What else would you like to ask me?’ Divozenky said.

  Darq shook his head. ‘Too many things, and my mind’s a blank! OK, one thing: do you know about Zu? Who is he?’

  ‘Ah, Zu,’ said Divozenky, smiling. ‘Let’s just say he’s a har who hasn’t forgotten the past. He’s a skein of smoke that has swirled through the corridors of power in Immanion. He has been many things to many hara, but not one of them was aware of his origins, not even Thiede.’

  Darq laughed. ‘Is there nothing you can’t tell me?’

  Divozenky ducked her head. ‘Very little, Darquiel. The things I don’t know are far from this realm.’

  ‘I can’t believe I’m here talking to you like this,’ Darq said. He screwed up his face. ‘It feels so… well, right, I suppose. I’m glad you’re so willing to interact with me. I appreciate it’s a great privilege.’

  Divozenky stopped walking and pulled Darq round to face her. ‘You must understand, it’s not a case of me being willing, but being able. I’ve never done this before with one of my own creatures. Sometimes, I’ve had to scratch my skin and rid myself of a few of them, and sometimes in dreams and visions I came near to certain individuals, but that’s all. I’m not simply a benevolent mother entity, as people have always thought me to be. I’m far more than that. You’ll be as useful to me as I can be to you. You can be a tool for me, a mediator, and many other things.’

  Darq stared into her eyes. They glowed with blue and green light. ‘I’ve thought of something else to ask,’ he said. ‘Will you teach me to travel the otherlanes as the sedu king, Lurlei, promised me?’

  ‘No,’ Divozenky said and for a moment, Darq’s heart contracted. ‘Don’t look so disappointed!’ she continued. ‘I won’t teach you, simply because there’s no need for me to do so. You’ll find your teacher on my skin.’

  Darq nodded. ‘OK. I also want to ask what I should do next. Should I go to Immanion?’

  ‘That’s your decision,’ Divozenky replied. ‘It’s not my job to tell you what to do. You have free will, Darquiel! However, you should be aware that certain issues need to be resolved so that balance can be restored. The realm of Thanatep must be reawakened. We must hope the individuals involved in this task will succeed.’

  Darq frowned. ‘And if they don’t?’

  ‘Then we can speak again on the matter.’

  ‘How?’ Darq asked. ‘How do I come here without the aid of the Krim Sri?’

  Divozenky’s eyes were the color of the sea, and then the color of the sky. She smiled and it was like the sun rising over her body. ‘Think yourself into me,’ she said. ‘Do it alone, or during the throes of delight with another. We know each other now. Come, let’s continue our walk.’

  They now ambled beside a wide river, on the other side of which was spreading heathland. The spires were still visible in the distance. ‘Where exactly are we?’ Darq asked. ‘Is this real or a dream vision?’

  ‘This is my home,’ said Divozenky. ‘It’s a realm within a realm. There are many other beings here, but not in this spot. I’ve kept us away from them, because I didn’t want them to be curious about you.’

  ‘What others?’

  Divozenky put her head to one side, ‘Oh, gods, dehara… all the entities dreamed up by humans and hara throughout history.’

  ‘Amazing!’ Darq grinned. ‘Do you sometimes have lunch with Aruhani?’

  Divozenky threw back her head and laughed gustily, ‘Oh, much more than that, Darquiel!’

  ‘Can I meet them one day, the dehara, I mean?’

  ‘You’ve already met Aruhani, I know, but yes, if you wish for a less visionary meeting, you may come here for it.’

  Darq knew that the idea of meeting a dehar should seem at the very least like fantasy, but in that place, it seemed merely appropriate. ‘There’s something else I’d like to know,’ Darq said. ‘It’s for my mentor, Thiede.’

  ‘Aha!’ said Divozenky. ‘You want to know how Wraeththu began, how it all really started. You want to know who created you. I think you already know why.’

  ‘Yes,’ Darq said. ‘I want to know those things.’

  Divozenky gestured towards a willow tree that hung over the water. Its trunk was surrounded by a wooden bench. ‘Let’s sit down,’ she said. ‘I’ll tell you what you want to know, and more.’ She sat down and crossed her legs, clasping one knee with her hands. ‘I once sent a message to you. Do you remember?’

  Darq sat down beside her and shook his head. ‘I don’t know… what message?’

  Divozenky grinned at him. ‘There are four of you?’

  ‘That was you?’ Darq was astounded. ‘I thought it must have been Zu.’

  ‘No, I sent a message to you from the lunar sphere.’

  ‘What did it mean? Was it about my parents?’

  Divozenky swung one of her legs like a carefree girl. ‘I just felt that because it was a special moment, and I could make tenuous contact, th
en I should. It was meant to make you aware you were part of something. There will come a time when four hara of the second generation will work together and you will be one of them. I have visions too, you know.’

  ‘Who are they?’

  Divozenky put a finger to her lips, then said, ‘I won’t reveal that. Some things you must find out for yourself. Life would be tedious if you knew everything, don’t you think?’

  Darq was dubious about that. ‘I don’t know. It might be helpful for me to know.’

  ‘There are important things I can tell you, which you can later tell Thiede. I also think it’s right I tell you certain things about the Kamagrian. When this is done, you must return to your body. We’ll have time for more conversation in the future.’ She patted Darq’s knee. ‘Remember everything I say to you now.’

  ‘I won’t forget,’ Darq said.

  When Darq came out of his trance, the first thing he did was open his eyes to stare at Nimron and say: ‘Do you think you were right to influence humanity’s development?’

  Nimron stared at him without expression for some moments. Then he said, ‘We too are hybrid, Darquiel. We’re closer to the Zehk than humans are, but it wasn’t us who interfered in human development. We’re merely part of the interference. It was our forbears who made those decisions. In the light of all that has followed, I think yes, the rebel Zehk were wrong. This could have been a different world.’

  Darq nodded slowly. He was conscious of Tiy’s hands upon his shoulders. ‘I met the earth herself,’ Darq said. ‘That’s what you wanted me to do, wasn’t it?’

  Nimron smiled gently. ‘Yes. Your ability to commune with her is your unique talent.’

  Darq rubbed his face. ‘She told me so many things. It was incredible. It all felt so real.’ He lowered his hands. ‘She’s not a goddess, though. Humans were wrong about that. She’s just a living creature, like we are, only much bigger.’

  Tiy let go of Darq’s shoulders and moved round so she could look into his face. ‘To primitive beings, she is a goddess,’ she said, ‘as is the sun, the moon and the stars. It’s because they are often misunderstood.’