Rhuna, Keeper of Wisdom

by Barbara Underwood

  “He’s giving them dolls! Like the ones I gave to the Arawana!”

  “Curse the weeds!” said Tozar angrily as he hastily stood up. “I shall inform Revealer of Brightness. The situation is escalating rapidly.”

  Rhuna tried to relax that afternoon by continuing work on a large tapestry in a variety of harmonious colours, and then decided to summon one more vision before the afternoon’s end. This time she saw the Dark Master as he arrived at his small stone house, remove his new garments and resume the usual appearance in the dark clothes with long, loose hair. The image was of no further significance, and Rhuna wondered when he would realize that she had begun summoning visions of him at other times during the day.

  That evening, after a pleasant time at the dining hall and a comforting bath, Rhuna summoned messages by means of the Gazing of the Waters while Tozar relaxed on their bed with a puzzle. She was only a little startled to see the face of the Dark Master appear before her.

  “You are still watching me, Rhuna, as I am watching you! Did you observe the Rhuna-dolls that the Piruquán people desired? See what you have started, Rhuna! These people need dolls and statues to remind them of their leaders, and without them, without us, Rhuna, they are as helpless as wild beasts of the field. It is our responsibility to lead them and keep strict control of them, like the tight reigns on a donkey! Without your leadership, Rhuna, the Arawana shall quickly revert to their primitive and animalistic ways. It is futile to teach them, they cannot learn! The leadership of the Atlan Empire is based on false beliefs and principles, this you shall soon realize, Rhuna! Observe my activity among the Atlans of Piruquán and learn! Expelling individuals from society is in fact against Atlan principles because it causes that one emotional injury! Better to let each one live as his own nature directs him. By what authority does the Atlan Council condemn and expel those ones of a different nature? Our reasoning in Piruquán is far more harmonious and beneficial to everyone, not merely to those who put themselves in high positions of judgment over others! Consider these things, Rhuna, and contemplate what you yourself discovered in the nature of these people by giving dolls to the Arawana! Remember this, Rhuna! Remember!”

  Rhuna stepped back from the stone basin and felt the usual cold heaviness come over her body that always followed such a message.

  “He knows I’ve summoned visions during the day!” said Rhuna as she entered their bedroom and let herself fall heavily on the bed next to Tozar. He tossed his puzzle aside and put his arm around her as she told him of yet another message intended to give Rhuna serious doubts about Atlan principles and society.

  “You are bearing it well,” said Tozar. “It is his new strategy…although not unlike that of many solar cycles past.” He stroked her arm as he thought about those times. “He was forced to flee the Atlan Empire at that time, and perhaps this shall occur once more. I believe he is reacting out of anger against you, and this may cause his downfall.”

  Rhuna thought about his words and said she hoped it was so. Then she asked if they should go tell Revealer of Brightness about the message, but Tozar said that the following morning would be soon enough. Then he told her to rest beside him so that they could talk about pleasant things for the remainder of the evening.

  “He gave them dolls?” asked Revealer of Brightness with raised eyebrows at the early morning meeting of the High Council. “I agree with Harbinger of Solace. He reacts to Keeper of Wisdom, and such purely emotional responses eventually lead to ruin,” he said nodding. “No doubt he is enraged that Keeper of Wisdom summons his actions at any time of day, and therefore he may act yet more irrationally.”

  “Is not this attempt to subvert the Atlan Empire by corrupting the Piruquán colony already an irrational act?” asked the stout woman of the High Council members. “He cannot fight a large gathering of Atlans, and there is the probability several skilled Atlans may raise a weapon against him. He exposes himself to considerable danger by merely entering Atlan territory!”

  “He has eluded and deceived us often enough,” said a man from the circle. “No doubt he has evaluated the risks and therefore chosen this particular colony for his undermining assault!”

  The lively discussion continued a while, until it was resolved to await a report from one of the journeying parties in the vicinity that would reach the Piruquán colony the following day.

  “Is it necessary for Keeper of Wisdom to summon messages so frequently? She shows signs of mental strain and exhaustion,” said Tozar. Revealer of Brightness looked at Rhuna and expressed his gratitude for her continued assistance in this unpleasant matter, and then told her to take rest and not to feel pressured in any way.

  After the meeting was dissolved, Rhuna told Tozar that both of them should visit Tamer of the Storm for a quick treatment of Solar Light Healing, to which he readily agreed.

  The following days, Rhuna summoned only one vision at a random time during the day when she was free from treating patients or other activities. The images revealed further progress of statue-making by Revealer of Souls and the second man in his company, as well as more conversations with Atlan men and woman residing in the Piruquán colony. Tozar left the High Council early in the day, and proposed various pleasant activities in and around the city of Atlán to enjoy the afternoon winter sun and fresh air. Then they both received a treatment of green solar light by Tamer of the Storm who looked puzzled at Rhuna’s request. They told the solar light healer that it was due to a distressing matter discussed at the High Council, and she gracefully accepted their explanation.

  When the next closed meeting of High Council members took place early in the morning, Seer of Worlds also joined them in the small chamber. Revealer of Brightness opened the meeting by announcing that a report from the journeying party had been received, and Seer of Worlds had observed them closely by means of the Gazing of the Waters.

  “It was not impeded?” asked Tozar astounded.

  “No,” said Seer of Worlds gloomily. “I even glimpsed…him,” he said with a shudder.

  “He desires us to hear his subversive talk!” said Revealer of Brightness. “The journeying party reported such beguiling talk by various ones, not only by him who calls himself Reaper of the Harvest among the Atlans in Piruquán. They were welcomed pleasantly and invited to spend the night with various ones. When partaking of meals, they observed the one named Reaper of the Harvest leading discussions concerning the morality of our judgments in matters of those who cause emotional harm to others. Some members of the party were deeply troubled thereafter, and the party continues its journey back to Atlán at present.”

  “He has corrupted all the leading Masters of the colony!” spat Seer of Worlds. “After the journeying party left the dining hall, I observed by means of the Gazing of the Waters how derisively those ones spoke of them!”

  “How has this occurred?” asked one of the circle members. “We selected mature men and women of integrity to lead such colonies where reproved ones are supervised!”

  Revealer of Brightness plucked at his beard. “Most probably, the Dark One spied out the colonies with the aim to seek such leaders who demonstrated certain tendencies, and therefore the ones most vulnerable to beguiling talk.”

  “It is most disturbing!” said the stout woman staring down at the floor in front of her.

  “I propose the entire colony be isolated,” said Tozar.

  “And the neighbouring colonies and settlements be alerted!” spoke another man from the circle.

  “I support these two proposals,” said the stout woman. “If we cannot heal the wound, then we must prevent the poison from spreading throughout the entire body.”

  Revealer of Brightness said that he agreed with the proposals, and then gave directions concerning the messages to each of the nearby colony’s Councils and visitors’ inns along the roads passing the colony of Piruquán. “It shall suffice to say that the entire colony has been corrupted due to the working teams of reproved individuals.”

&n
bsp; “I shall further summon visions of the area to ascertain the secure execution of this isolation,” said Seer of Worlds.

  Rhuna said she would continue summoning her visions, also, at random times. Shortly thereafter, everyone left the small chamber with drawn faces.

  Another lunar cycle passed without event for the residents of the city of Atlán, and Rhuna found satisfaction in seeing the recovery of several patients she had been treating, as well as being invited to present more speeches about Solar Light Healing and her experiences with the Arawana. On several occasions, she summoned visions of the Arawana by means of the Gazing of the Waters, and was relieved to see that they continued to prosper and learn how to harvest their own food, as well as how to sow seeds for the next harvest. She saw that they still cherished their dolls, and she wondered whether they would ever abandon them after all.

  Between treating patients and giving speeches at the Orator’s Square, Rhuna continued to summon visions of the Dark Master, who no longer wore his dark robes in the evening to deceive her, and who openly revealed his intention to further undermine the entire Atlan community in Piruquán. Furthermore, he began demonstrations of his exceptional powers by creating light and fire by means of his concentrated thought energies in order to intimidate the brown-skinned people of the area. He instructed them to prostate themselves to him when he made such spectacular displays, so that in a short time, they had become like the Arawana in their fear and practices of bowing down and chanting to their leader.

  Rhuna also observed through her regular summoning of these visions that other Atlans accompanied the Dark Master as he controlled the gathering of frightened people, and that they approved of his actions because he had convinced them of the necessity to bring these people under such control in order to lead them productively.

  Seer of Worlds often asked Rhuna about her visions, so she described them in detail and then they discussed the significance of the visions. Seer of Worlds could not summon any further visions of these activities in the Piruquán colony due to the impediment, but he continued to summon the immediate areas around the colony to make sure it remained completely isolated.

  There were regular early morning closed meetings of the High Council to discuss new developments, and each time it was concluded that as long as the Piruquán colony remained isolated from the rest of the Atlan Empire, no immediate threat existed. However, the underlying tension of a suspended threat remained in the air, and Rhuna felt obligated to continue summoning her visions of the Dark Master’s activities on a daily basis.

  In the following lunar cycle, Rhuna’s visions revealed the Dark Master’s plans to erect a large pyramid for harnessing energy, like those in Safu, with inner passages and chambers. Several of the Atlan Masters of the colony approved of the plan and expressed their desire to use the pyramid as well, so construction of this pyramid began. In one such vision, Rhuna heard discussions about a sliding stone that would act as a permanent barrier to one of the inside chambers, and she wondered what the Dark Master intended with such a mechanism inside the pyramid. It occurred to her that its purpose might be to contain any Atlan who attempted to hinder the Dark Master in his course.

  When not supervising the construction of his pyramid and the nearby tall stone statues made by Revealer of Souls and his partner, then the Dark Master was actively intimidating further people in the surrounding forests, dominating them by the use of his powers.

  “Isn’t there anything we can do to stop him doing those things?” asked Rhuna one evening when she had seen another such vision of frightened people chanting to him in obeisance.

  Tozar shook his head sadly. “While the area is contained and the amount of people affected only relatively few, it is wiser to leave the situation as it is.” Then he reminded her of Chipka and how they had freed the Arawana of the Dark One’s influence. They also discussed reports about the other people who had fled into Atlan territory at that time, and that the majority of those living in Atlan settlements had also fared well since then. Rhuna said she wanted to visit such a settlement again one day to help people heal from their severe oppression at the hand of the Dark Master.

  When another lunar cycle had passed, Rhuna saw in her visions that the Dark Master’s pyramid has been completed, and that he used it to harness energies and create even more spectacular displays of energy. He could produce effects like lightening, and strike a person down from many paces away with just a glance. Five other Atlan Masters who assisted in the building of the pyramid began to harness energy as well, eager to imitate the Dark One, if not in displays of power, then in the oppression of the brown-skinned people living in the Piruquán territory. Rhuna often felt dismayed after seeing such visions, but Tozar frequently suggested pleasant outings, boat rides on the lake and other distracting activities around Atlán which helped them both.

  It was on one such occasion as they returned from enjoying a musical and theatrical performance in the capital, that they saw Seer of Worlds walking very briskly towards to the High Council building. Tozar said that he suspected an important development, and that they should follow him.

  “Eight Masters have left the Piruquán territory!” said Seer of Worlds when he had been led inside the small chamber with Tozar and Rhuna in tow. “They proceed northwards to the neighbouring colonies!”

  The High Council members gathered in their circle and were seated, and Seer of Worlds continued describing the visions he had summoned of this breach in isolation.

  “Should these ones have been corrupted to be like the Dark One himself, a serious situation arises,” said one of the circle members gloomily.

  “Is there no way to physically apprehend and contain the Dark One and his followers?” asked Tozar desperately.

  Rhuna remembered her visions of the Dark Master’s unusual pyramid.

  “Stones that have been transformed could contain them, especially if the construction is so big or made in a way that lightening the weight of the stones would also be futile,” said Rhuna.

  “With transformed metals on the doors, perhaps?” suggested Tozar. “Is it feasible? Is it within Atlan principles to contain someone in such a manner?”

  Various High Council members looked around at each other during a brief silence.

  “Many may argue against such a course,” said Revealer of Brightness thoughtfully. “We must continually consider the mental and emotional welfare of the Atlan Empire, and how our judgments and actions may affect our society. The Dark One has already sown seeds of serious doubt among many, and only by containment of those ones and preventing open discussions about the Dark One in our communities are the continued freedom and contentment of our people ensured.”

  “Should these corrupted Masters continue to spread doubts and corruptive ideas in other colonies, the result shall be worse!” said the stout woman whose cheeks had become swollen and red. “What consequences to the Atlan Empire, should we direct the execution of the Dark One and his corrupted followers?” asked one of the older men from the circle.

  Silence followed, and Rhuna suspected that everyone had secretly thought about this question.

  “Fear,” stated Revealer of Brightness at last. “Fear of us, the High Council, due to our order to take human life.”

  “Surely people would realize that such a decision benefits the entire Empire!” said the stout woman.

  “If we execute him and some of his followers at this time, serious doubts may arise in the observers, namely the very issues the Dark One himself raised: by whose authority do we judge and deem to take a life? Forget not, all these matters may be summoned by the Gazing of the Waters by anyone, should such an act be carried out. We shall be the object of the most severe scrutinizing ever experienced in the Atlan Empire!” said Revealer of Brightness.

  “Does this mean that some of the Dark One’s words were partly true, such as whether we’re really doing the right thing by expelling some from our society and teaching other peoples our ways?” Rhuna a
sked nervously. Tozar looked at her and then reached across to hold her hand.

  “This is a constant issue,” answered Revealer of Brightness. “It only arises when problems occur.” He tugged at his beard a few times.

  Rhuna felt as if the ground beneath her threatened to crumble and cause her to fall into a bottomless pit. She tightened her grasp on Tozar’s hand.

  “I perceive…” began Tozar with a shaky voice, “that the Atlan Empire and its future are under the severest threat imaginable.”

  “It is most probably so, Harbinger of Solace,” said Revealer of Brightness slowly.

  A long period of silence ensued, and Rhuna continued her tight grip on Tozar’s hand.

  The meeting ended with only a few words and the agreement to observe the eight Masters’ activities in their destinations, and to send warning messages to the Councils in those colonies. Seer of Worlds shook his head and said that it was like spitting on a fire of dry wood. Rhuna felt a heaviness in her chest as they left the building and walked home in silence.

  “Isn’t there anything we can do, Tozar?” she asked desperately. “Could the whole empire really be affected so badly?”

  Tozar didn’t reply, and Rhuna felt the bottomless pit beneath her yawn open. When they entered their home, she flung her arms around Tozar and said that she felt it was the end of the world. Tozar held her tightly and reassured her that such a thing would not easily happen, and that their way of life in Atlán would most probably remain unchanged for a long time.

  “Every action produces a counteraction, My Dear. There shall be a reaction of some nature, and perhaps it shall reveal to us the proper course to restore security to the Atlan Empire,” he said calmly as he stroked her head. Rhuna felt comforted and let the tension inside her ebb away.