“One thing remains constant, however,” interjected Divider of Fortunes. “They persist in their pretense of being principled Atlans serving the community with good deeds, exactly as in the recent past, when The Star Child revealed the members of the Atlan Council of Safu to be the Dark Ones, perpetrating their vile deeds in the dark of night.”
“One could almost believe that the Dark Master has defied death and continues to teach, guide and lead his followers!” exclaimed Softness of the Clouds in her usual tender voice.
Rhuna reacted quickly. “Yes! His followers actually believe that the Dark One is still alive and communicating with them, telling them what to do!” she said, remembering her own frightening visions when she first arrived in Safu and realized that the Atlan Council members she had trusted were leading a double life as followers of the Dark Master. “We never discussed the question of the Dark One’s immortality…” Rhuna began, but stopped when she saw that Echo of the Evening was about to begin one of his lengthy speeches.
“Indeed, the Dark Master’s legacy grows ever stronger, becoming deeply entrenched in society,” Echo of the Evening twittered. The ageing Atlan man reminded Rhuna of a scrawny grey-headed little bird. “In Safu society, to be precise,” he added quickly, and then took a deep breath.
“In recent solar cycles, as we have all come to hear…and indeed, most residents of the city of Safu are aware…that many people have succumbed to a new and aberrant superstition,” he said as his fingers twitched nervously. “On first learning of these peculiar beliefs, it was believed only a certain number of the Benshi populace fell victim to this odd…yes, even fantastic…custom…of fearing unseen forces that cause ailments or mishaps to befall a person…without discernable reason.”
“Finding the cause of certain ailments can be very difficult,” said Rhuna confidently, looking at Roses of the Field for confirmation. The woman with the very long and pale hair nodded firmly.
“As healers, both The Star Child and I know only too well that this is indeed so,” Roses of the Field stated. Rhuna smiled at the woman’s use of her new title bestowed upon her by the awe-struck Benshi people several solar cycles past.
“Yes, yes,” twittered Echo of the Evening as he prepared to continue his speech. “This very manner of thought prevented us from considering the possibility that the mysterious afflictions befalling many Benshi…and indeed some Atlan residents of Safu, may indeed by caused by…by unknown forces…perhaps even Dark forces…”
“Surely it is merely superstition!” said Roses of the Field looking horrified.
Echo of the Evening shook his head and raised his hands to gesture patience as he continued. “Divider of Fortunes, Designer of Works and I…yes, all three of us, have observed by means of hallucination-induced visions that certain Dark Ones are involved in performing uncanny activities, and in so doing, we observed them discussing individuals who had succumbed to ailments or mishaps…discussing them in such a manner as believing to have directly and deliberately caused those ailments!”
“Who has been afflicted?” Rhuna asked.
“Mostly traders and travellers coming to Safu for various reasons,” answered Divider of Fortunes. “It has even been assumed that these incidences have been acts of sabotage, yet they cannot be proven.”
“But why would someone want to…sabotage…these traders?” asked Rhuna, carefully testing this unfamiliar word.
“Some of my clients have expressed concern,” nodded Aradin. “But they don’t know who would want to do such a thing, nor why. Safu has always enjoyed very good trade relations with near and distant lands, and these worrisome events have only begun in the past solar cycle,” he added with a frown.
Echo of the Evening continued his report with rhythmic movements of his long, narrow fingers. “These Dark Ones have been colluding, yes, meeting in secret in the depth of night, to be precise…to combine their powers and skills to…to cause injury or illness to certain individuals!” His last words sounded like a strangled tweet.
“Pictures on walls or clay tablets, also figurines and statuettes are made to represent certain individuals,” Revealer of Truths added, “and when these objects are subjected to various forces, the individual connected to the object succumbs to ailments.”
Rhuna suddenly remembered the last report by Wanderer of Plains, an Atlan scout who journeyed with her from Atlán to Safu nearly four solar cycles past. His initial account of mysterious behaviour by the Atlan Council of Safu was the reason Rhuna came to Safu, as a representative of the High Council of Atlán, and she had received further reports from the scout during his short stay among the inhabitants of Safu.
Rhuna spoke up and told her fellow-Observers what she remembered from the scout’s reports.
“That’s right, I remember this,” said Aradin with a firm nod. “He also reported that the general populace had become afraid, superstitious, and had begun believing in the protection of amulets…which we dismissed at the time because it sounded too absurd!”
“These are matters we, The Observers, must investigate!” said Divider of Fortunes with authority, and Rhuna observed the determined nods of agreement by everyone in the room. The Observers muttered amongst themselves, nodded and then looked at Revealer of Truths as she moved from her seat and spoke up. “May one of you summon visions of these amulets, here in this water basin using the Gazing of the Waters?”
“Excellent suggestion!” twittered Echo of the Evening, and promptly all Observers huddled into position around the basin.
“Divider of Fortunes, you are most qualified in the summoning of the Gazing of the Waters,” Aradin said to the deep-voiced man who merely nodded solemnly.
Rhuna watched as the skilled Atlan Master spoke the words of incantation for the summoning of certain visions, his intense concentration taking the place of the coloured powder that most Atlans must use as an aid in summoning visions in a still body of water. Rhuna held her breath as the familiar swirls of colour appeared in the water. The water’s reflection turned opaque for a brief moment before revealing a clear image of a past event.
Rhuna watched intensely as the vision revealed three men in Atlan robes conversing with Benshi people, giving them strange items of jewellery.
“This amulet shall protect you from curses of physical ailments,” said one of them to a woman who gratefully accepted the item and immediately hung it around her neck. A man standing beside her stepped forward to ask a question of the Atlan men.
“I am a trader, travelling many treacherous paths through wilderness,” he said with a lilting accent, and Rhuna assumed he was from Aradin’s homeland, Varappa. She had met many traders from this mysterious and distant land through Aradin’s occupation as maker and keeper of deeds and trade agreements.
“May you walk in peace and security!” announced the leader of the Atlans as he handed him a large item of shining metals and gemstones. “This is a talisman imbued with protective power,” he told the trader. “Be fearful no longer, My Friend!” he said as he clapped a hand on the trader’s shoulder in a gesture of friendship. Rhuna felt there was something familiar about the Atlan man, but before she could examine his face more carefully, the image in the Gazing of the Waters faded.
“It is a fact that traders and wealthy merchants seeking trade with Safu have been targeted by strange ailments or unexplained mishaps,” commented Revealer of Truths.
“Perhaps we should ask The Star Child to summon a vision using her superior skills,” suggested Designer of Works. “More than once have her visions revealed activity hidden from the rest of us.”
Rhuna nodded her consent, and as she glanced across at Aradin, he gave her a reassuring nod and smile. She positioned herself in front of the basin and began the gentle deep breathing her father had taught her. With each inhalation, Rhuna felt the energy tingle through her body and her power of concentration increasing.
She closed her eyes to focus on the nature of the visi
ons she wanted to summon, and when she opened them again, the water of the Gazing of the Waters was swirling with vibrant colours. Rhuna and her fellow-Observers waited silently as the colours turned to opaqueness, then cleared to reveal a vision.
Three men were huddled together in a dark room lit with only a candle, whispering covertly, “We have succeeded! The trader has succumbed to his ailment in precisely the manner we had determined!” The other two men nodded and voiced expressions of both awe and deep satisfaction.
“Brother, your skills are sublime!” said one of them with an ugly sneer, which immediately repulsed Rhuna. She watched the men’s movements and expressions carefully, trying to impress their faces on her memory.
“The many experiments of utilizing figurines at the precise point of the lunar cycle have produced favorable results!” said the first man in a confident tone, and Rhuna now felt certain that she knew him. She scrutinized his face once more before the vision faded and the water became clear.
After a moment of thoughtful silence in the room, Echo of the Evening piped up. “There it is, there it is! As we have surmised,” he nodded nervously. “They intentionally targeted a trader…with deliberate, malicious intent!”
“May it not be true!” added Softness of the Clouds in almost a whisper.
“We must at all times be receptive to new and unfamiliar activities, else we shall fail in our quest to stop the Dark Ones!” said Reaching the Moon to murmurs of agreement.
Divider of Fortunes nodded. “Indeed, it would be to our detriment to assume something to be impossible. Whenever a person, or a people collectively, believe to have complete knowledge of a matter, then their path becomes stagnant, even decaying.”
Rhuna found these words disturbing, but had no time to think about their deeper meaning.
“I think I know the Atlan man we saw in the Gazing of the Waters,” said Rhuna. “The one who seems to be their leader. His voice…and those green eyes are so familiar, but I can’t remember…”
“Perhaps summoning more visions of this man may refresh your memories,” suggested Reaching the Moon with a smile, and Rhuna nodded in reply.
After a moment of silence, Revealer of Truths cleared her throat and began to speak. “The most recent vision summoned by us showed the Dark Ones discussing The Reigning One, and that’s why Divider of Fortunes summoned visions of The Reigning One…”
“And that’s when we saw you,” Aradin said as he looked at Rhuna with deep concern.
The room fell silent and Rhuna tensed with discomfort.
“The vision was so…unusual,” began Divider of Fortunes carefully, “…that each of us summoned the same event several times, yet the images remained unchanged. Keeper of Wisdom…I should say, the Star Child,” he corrected himself, “seated alone, talking as if in conversation with another person seated opposite.”
“I don’t understand this,” she said shaking her head vehemently. “Are you saying that my father is not a real person…that I’ve been imagining him all these past three solar cycles?”
Roses of the Field lowered her gaze and carefully began to recount the events leading up to the arrival of Rhuna’s mysterious father.
“It would not be such an unusual outcome when the events of past solar cycles are considered,” she said softly, watching Rhuna’s reaction closely.
“But I’ve recovered from those things!” insisted Rhuna, then looked at Aradin. “Since meeting Keeper of Justice, having our child, living in this beautiful, peaceful home, I have been happier than ever before in my life!”
Aradin smiled and leaned over to place his arm around her shoulders. “The happiest time for both of us,” he said with conviction as he squeezed Rhuna’s arm.
“This fact is apparent to all of us,” said Roses of the Field with genuine warmth as the other Observers nodded and voiced their agreement.
“However, as you know yourself, Star Child,” she continued cautiously, “emotional imbalances can remain hidden underneath peace and happiness. Great distress, even trauma, may be buried deep, and emerge in an unexpected manner.”
Rhuna looked down at the floor as she recalled the many instances of healing emotional imbalances with Solar Light Healing in Atlán, where she had learned to become a Healer of both body and mind.
“The High Council of Atlán condemned you, put you on the same level as the Dark Master…” began Roses of the Field before Rhuna could brace herself for the painful reminders of events only several solar cycles past. “A devastating ordeal no other Atlan has yet had to bear,” she said solemnly. “Yet to compound the emotional assault, Harbinger of Solace demanded that you send your daughter back home, and has forbidden any contact between you and her…a harsh and bitter wound indeed! The fulfilling and rewarding life in Atlán, the husband and daughter you had in Atlán…taken from you with such cruel force…” she trailed off as Rhuna lowered her head.
“Such deep frustration at not being able to defend yourself and explain because you had to protect our secret as The Observers because other Dark Ones operating outside the Council of Safu were still watching and actively working against us,” she added softly.
“So are you saying…” Rhuna suddenly had to stop and swallow hard. “…that these events have caused me to hallucinate and imagine…my father?”
“Is he not a continual source of comfort and support to you?” Roses of the Field asked.
“He has been teaching me new techniques of Inside Focussing to calm my mind, to find balance, harmony and restore my …”
“Is it not also possible that your subconscious mind is doing these things automatically to heal you, but an avatar is necessary for your mind to do this?’’
“I can’t believe this!” Rhuna blurted, moving to stand up.
Aradin motioned for silence and shook his head vehemently. “No, I am convinced this is not the way it is,” he began, springing up to follow Rhuna to the door.
“I’m going to see my father, right now!” Rhuna stormed out of the room as tears began to stream down her cheeks.
“I’m coming with you!” Aradin said firmly as he jumped up to follow her to the doorway.
As she stepped out onto the wet stone path, Rhuna realized she had forgotten to put on footwear or take a portable rain shelter, but her agitation was so strong that she could not stop her determined fast strides. Heavy raindrops drummed on her forehead, but the odd sensation had a calming effect on her, and she soon slowed her pace to a normal brisk walk.
Rhuna felt the steam of the hot morning rise from the drenched paving stones, and as she looked down at her feet, she realized that she was not properly dressed to visit The Reigning One’s residence. She felt self-conscious in her plain tunic which she wore at home, and felt under-dressed even for the street she was walking on. The houses around her had well-kept gardens, some with fences or low stone walls, and the road beneath her feet was perfectly flat, straight and smooth, like every production of the Atlan Masters.
“Roses of the Field is wrong,” Aradin said, keeping pace with Rhuna and wiping raindrops from his brow. “She doesn’t know you as well as I do.”
“What do you think then?” Rhuna asked him in a shaky voice as she continued her steady brisk pace down the street.
“I have had misgivings…fears…that perhaps your father is…like the Dark Master,” he said hesitantly.
Rhuna stopped and turned sharply towards her husband. “Like the Dark Master? How can you think such a thing?”
“Simply the way he is able to hide himself from the Gazing of the Waters, exactly as the Dark One did,” he said, taking a deep breath.
“But he has been helping me, and there’s nothing wrong with him…”
“Don’t you remember that the Dark Master also appeared good, friendly and even helpful, just to mislead people?’’
“I can’t believe that my father could deceive or mislead anyone, especially me!” Rhuna spat, then turned to
resume walking, this time more slowly as she thought about Aradin’s words and felt a disturbing doubt rise within her.
Before she could ponder over Aradin’s words at length, they had approached the gates of the imposing building, its smooth polished stone walls glistening in the rain. The grand palatial complex was built by Atlan Masters of the past, and now it was the residence of the leader of the Benshi people who lived peacefully alongside the small Atlan population of Safu.
The Reigning One’s Primary Attendant was at his usual post, ready to welcome any visitors, and as Rhuna entered through the gates, the ageing Benshi man opened the main doorway. His welcoming smile faded when he observed Rhuna’s appearance, and then glanced at Aradin, whose hair and clothes were also drenched by the increasingly heavy rainfall.
Abu-Malech had become like a trusted old friend to her now, and he reacted to Rhuna’s agitated stride by quickly motioning to junior attendants carrying towels and comfortable indoor footwear.
“Avenger of Justice awaits you in his chambers,” Abu-Malech announced with his usual courteous bow.
“You know Avenger of Justice?” Aradin asked the older man sharply. “And he is awaiting us? How did he know we were coming?” Rhuna heard the unease and suspicion in her husband’s voice.
“Most certainly, I know Avenger of Justice, the special personal guest of The Reigning One,” the Primary Attendant said confidently. “He told me of your arrival only a moment past,” he added, and then directed the young attendants to hand them some towels and attend to their feet. Rhuna took the soft cloth thankfully and hid her face in it for a moment before looking at Aradin. He returned her look with a worried frown as he dabbed the excess moisture from his face and arms.
Still uneasy about her casual dress, but more comfortable in dry footwear, Rhuna walked through the familiar grand hallway towards the staircase which led to the guests’ chambers. A glint of bright yellow light caught Rhuna’s eye and she turned to look at an alcove where several men were fussing over new decorations. They appeared to be discussing the placement of some small vases with flowers at the base of a new statue. The Reigning One had amassed a wondrous collection of artifacts, sculptures, wall-hangings, furniture and other items of the highest quality workmanship from around the known world, all of them adorned with precious gemstones and pure gold.
Rhuna, The Star Child Page 2