by Ema Alves
She now felt the limitations of her ambition. If she continued to live, there was a life of solitude waiting for her down the road. A life like the one of her nanny, Lotus.
But she was a sorceress, had a strong personality and that would give her some advantages. Looking at nature, she realized that the most perfect beings were just as she was. She was not freak! She was perfect and, yet again, she had failed to understand the way that perfection can scare men.
All the teachings, quickly and brightly, hit her mind like lightning bolts of unquestionable certainties. Aware, she found that all of those converged towards a single, powerful knowledge: the One God is the Whole. She, as part of the Whole, could only be sacred, not a demon!
Her thoughts, now that she had mastered them, allowed her to analyze, dissect and believe in that truth which she considered absolute. She finally stopped blaming herself. Her soul had been reclaimed by calmness.
Moments later, a bleeping and agonizing desire to stay alive tried to emerge from her core, neglecting the will to die.
The anxiousness, the love, the respect for life had warmly returned. She wanted to stay alive, even if she had to suffer in the process.
But now that she had clung herself to life, it was too late.
The flames of the immense stake had been enticed by the population.
- No! – Drakur shrieked, trying to stop the people and showing his regret. She was not a demon, she was a victim. Just a victim.
The flames soared higher and tried to engulf the air that overpowered and fed it.
Feeling helpless to save the one he could have loved, the count looked at her. She looked back at him and, in a low voice, said: “I forgive you”.
Between the flames, he understood the words uttered by those plump limps. He knelt down and allowed herself to be consumed by the inconsolable weeping of a child who had been fueled by hatred. A hatred that masked love. He felt himself at war with the world, against the prejudiced Humanity that prevented him from freely loving whoever he wanted.
*
An earsplitting screech came from the crowd. A rotating and continuous noise of wheels erupted in the middle of the lake. A carriage that looked uncontrolled forced everyone to step aside. Behind that car, a man appeared, who, given the strength he showed, could not be human.
The wooden vehicle hit the stake. Oak barrels filled with water dropped into the flames, which, sensing their own death by an opposite element, released sparks like cries of horror.
The water had defeated the fire, which, like a snake, had fled, producing a continuous hissing from the cooling of the heated wood.
A linen hood was removed. The face of a huge man unmasked his disguise. Running between the charred wood, he stunned everyone with the braveness of his act.
- Offerus!!! – Elektra yelled, her eyes now had a different spark.
Hearing his friend’s name, Meridian looked at him and the hope of salvation strengthened his body.
Offerus, without wasting any time, was trying to cut ropes that tied Meridian.
A man approached the three of them. The danger lurked around and, before Offerus could react, a deeply sharp dagger hit the ropes that were still securing Meridian to the pole. Astonished, they looked at the man who was now helping them as well. The repentant Drakur!!
- Don’t look at me, go away…! – the count yelled.
And, as he released Elektra, he said: - ... run! – pointing to the North Gate.
Wielding his sword, count Drakur faced the crowd advancing and calling him a traitor.
The soldiers could not grasp what was going on and, undaunted, they did not know whether to continue serving that man or to kill him for his betrayal.
The count attempted to push the crowd away, to no avail, which, grabbing him, killed him with his own sword. Lying on the ground, he was trampled by the people trying to prevent Offerus from leaving the village with the two wizards.
A few meters ahead, Elektra stopped moving forward, noticing that their advance was not enough to prevent them from being caught by the exhilarated mob. A measure had to be taken, one that could give their escape some time, which now seemed impossible to perpetuate.
In a couple of seconds, the young witch turned to East, pointing her finger at the soil before her. She closed her eyes and focused. Then, channeling her power, she could see a bluish flame coming out of her heart, moving towards the place she was pointing at. She quickly noticed that the fatigue, the anxiety and the fear had driven her to exhaustion. She felt weak and struggled to have the energy to edify a magic barrier. Nevertheless, the enraged mob was getting closer. Absent-minded, Elektra predicted that there was nothing she could do, except to be consumed by the flames of dissuasion, imperturbably waiting for their mutilation. But when she thought everything was lost, an everlasting strength animated her with the fleeting impression that she was not alone. Her guides expressed through subtle manifestations that imprinted on her brain the action to take. Then, through a simple wish, she summoned the powers of earth and air to combine them with her weakened energy. Immediately, she saw a solid light coming down from the skies, which, together with another that emerged from the ground, united the virtues of what is superior and what is inferior. With a circular motion ending in the West, she guided those energies to establish an insurmountable barrier in a matter of seconds.
Offerus, understanding the sorceress’ intention, stopped for a brief moment as well, although he doubted the barrier’s efficacy. He still tried to go back to grab Elektra, since every moment counted, but the summoned power proved its efficiency. The people who were trying to reach them fell down unconscious, hit by the subtle energies that had been awakened.
Outside, after crossing a long bridge, there was another kingdom that provided the much-need protection.
On the other side, the guards of the kingdom of Safed, noticing the noise that came from the other side of the Soamandrakrisal walls, assumed a defensive position. From the enormous gate, they saw three silhouettes emerging, in their hurried attempt to reach the bridge towards their kingdom. Even in the distance, one of the figures was easily identifiable, due to his massive size. As those three got closer, they saw the titan carrying another man, slightly smaller and staggering, trying not to drag his feet. It was a frighteningly alarming scenario. The defensive position was readjusted, turned into an offensive attitude. Just a few meters away, another silhouette could be discerned, a beautiful girl who, in her torn dress, tried with one hand to cover her body’s intimate parts.
Noticing how shook the three travelers were, as they approached the frontier, the guards pointed their spears at them.
- Master Danui-an is expecting us – Meridian difficultly declared, weakened by his wounds, staggering against Offerus.
The guards knew Danui-an quite well, the master of magic who, along with their king, ruled Safed with soberness. Although drenched in blood, they also recognized Meridian, since he was a recurring presence in their territory. Furthermore, they had been informed of his coming and had specific orders to send him to the castle of Midgard, where Danui-an was expecting him.
One of the guards approached them and, putting his body under the wizard’ arm, helped Offerus to find a seat for him in the darkness of a stone guardhouse.
Elektra stood beside her father, whose breath was now calmer. Pressing the wounded spot, she covered his arm with an improvised bandage made from her dress. Then, looking for a legitimate reasoning that could validate all that effort, she asked:
- Why are we going to Shekhinah?
Her father’s motivation to endure the dangers they had experienced so far was certainly fueled by something more important than the willingness to serve a kingdom. Wanting to protect her from the eyes of mankind, for years Meridian had declined all offers to become a potential spiritual leader of an empire and, now, he had accepted this challenge, even knowing the dangers that she would eventually her. “What sort of convenience did that kingdom hold?” - she tho
ught, before she found the answer to her question.
- So that you can know happiness – Meridian declared, using almost all of his strength.
The answer shook Elektra’s core:
- How so? - she inquired
After a short and anxious pause, Elektra’s father finally revealed what awaited her. A faint hopeful spark that shone in the horizon, which, like a lighthouse, could lead her towards happiness.
- The prince of Shekhinah... he is like you!
But that pleasing revelation did not satisfy Elektra’s heart. She understood her father’s good intentions but, now that she had tasted the love for Offerus, she did not think she could ever forget him. Even if the prince was the most graceful of men, she would prefer to be alone than have to love whoever she did not to be with.
- For years, I looked for someone like you, so that, when you finally discovered what you were, you could see that you were not alone and that you could love and be loved. – Meridian added, with a smile on his lips, even though he was about to pass out.
Her father’s words revealed an extraordinary affection for her. He had always cared about her happiness, but unfortunately things did not go as planned. Now that he brought her to meet what he considered to be her destiny, she could not disappoint him. “If your wish is to see me loving that prince, so be it” – she said with grief.
- I promise I will make you happy, Father - she said, hugging him.
Meridian sensed a shattered heart in his daughter’s words. The icy, painful tears proved just that, which were now touching his neck, dripping from Elektra’s face.
He felt guilty for having manipulated destiny. For having chosen what he considered the best for her. Since the moment he had done that, nothing had happened as he planned: her daughter found her own secret and they almost stared into the algid face of death at the burning stake. Fate was clearly showing that the path he had chosen was not the right one.
How wrong he had been! He decided to manipulate destiny and he paid a high price for his boldness. He was now tasting his own medicine.
He noticed that his daughter had discovered love already. That burning flame, impossible to extinguish or turn into an icy hatred. “How can she be happy with someone she doesn’t love?” He thought, self-absorbed. “But... how can she be happy with someone who cannot love her” – however, looking at Offerus’ affection whenever he looked at Elektra, he realized – “But what is stopping him from loving her?”
Thinking more clearly, he wondered if the irony of the destiny, the concatenation, the manipulation and all those terrible events had not been all necessary for Offerus and Elektra to fall in love with each other. Couldn’t the end justify the means? Did the destiny use Meridian to achieve what it wanted? To join two beings who, albeit different, could love each other!!
Leaning into her daughter’s tender embrace, he smiled and fell asleep.
“When all is deemed lost, magic reveals its presence, offering more than what it takes.”
*
Moments after, they were taken to Danui-an by a carriage that had been made available to them quickly.
Looking back, Elektra noticed that she was not only moving away from the kingdom where she had been raised and loved. She realized that she was stepping away from her past, from an era of lies. From a past drenched in ignorance. A time when she was happy. Happy to know that she was just like so many others.
Now there was only embarrassment... confusion... grief.
How would she behave from now on, aware of what she really was? In what way could she be loved? How could she face the one she wanted, now that he knew about her secret as well?!
Elektra glanced at Offerus. He, sensing it, looked at her. Elektra stared at the ground immediately, shedding a tear, aware of that love’s impossibility.
The future was ambiguous and now she could only walk towards her destiny. The prince whom she did not want, the one who was like her. Different. However, she did not want to love someone who suffered as much as she did.
She wanted Offerus. The good, the great, the virile Offerus.
8
The farewell
Encircled by fluctuating shades of green, a castle boasted its creamy color. Presenting itself gracefully, the fortress displayed its presence above the treetops.
From the vast kingdom of Safed, a small tongue of land stood out, which separated other two kingdoms with a distance of only a couple dozens of leagues. The kingdom of Telema was in the south, of which Heidegger and Soamandrakrisal were part, and the north was delimited by the dark kingdom of Shekhinah.
One could see, from the castle of Midgard, the dark and bitter lands of that territory, which had once been as fertile as a young mother’s womb.
Looking through a window, Danui-an and Meridian, who in the meantime had recovered from his wounds, stared the inhospitable earth land reached the horizon. The border between Safed and Shekhinah was easily noticeable. An almost perfect line divided the green of prosperity and the earthy brown of hostility. It seemed that not even the smallest weed dared to be born beyond that limit.
- There’s your challenge! - Danui-an said, pointing beyond the trees.
Meridian remained quiet. He had arrived there several days ago and this was the first time he had stood up to look at the kingdom that had been waiting for him in desolation. His recovery had only been possible due to Danui-an’s perseverance and extensive knowledge: infusions of willow bark to relieve pain and salt pans to tackle any infection.
Turning himself, Meridian headed inside. He was now more concerned with his daughter, with the psychological caused by her discovery, than with the barren land that required his help.
- How’s Elektra?
- She appears to be recovering well!... you know... her strength...!
- Yes, she’s strong... but... where is she?
- Let her be alone for a bit more - Danui-an proceeded, staring continuously at the horizon. “She needs to find peace within her. She needs time to gather the fragments of her shattered ego. She knows there are new pieces of herself that she is unaware of, and she is doing her best in her attempt to fit them into her new being.
- May she find… perfection! – Meridian concluded, sitting down.
*
Sitting on an old, worn trunk, whose deep end encountered death on the sterile soil of Shekhinah, Elektra also stared at that dusty ground.
She was wearing some of her father’s pants, which she considered uncomfortable, and a tunic so large that prevented anyone from taking a look at her well-shaped silhouette.
She had been raised to think she was something that she was not. However, they had not lied to her. All her personality, her feelings, her body had evolved in the best way possible, matching that reality. After pondering the situation, she was not different, after all. She was just... perfect.
Sighing with relief, she took off the uncomfortable pants and, glad to know that she no longer had to wear that piece of cloth, she stopped feeling embarrassed. The pride of being what she really is came down on her like a purge.
After a couple of silent moments, she heard footsteps, but remained motionless. Someone was getting nearer. Seated, she covered her legs with the tunic as much as possible.
Cautiously, Offerus sat beside her. Since they had left Soamandrakrisal, Elektra kept avoiding him. He understood the girl’s attitude, he did not condemn her, but it was time to show her that he did not consider her a monster. As a matter of fact, ever since he had seen her for the first time, he compared her to something heavenlike and not even the fact that she had been unaware of her secret had made him think otherwise, quite the opposite, it had proved the truth behind his feeling.
- You know...
- I know, otherwise you wouldn’t have appeared to save me – Elektra interrupted, as if she had read Offerus’ thoughts.
They remained quiet for a long time. They both kept an absent and compromising stare. Suddenly, no longer able to withstand such an ag
ony of that disturbing silence, Offerus stood up and, swallowing hard, said as he walked away:
- So you know!
Elektra kept her silence as Offerus disappeared through the foliage.
She had been too harsh. She turned back, but Offerus was gone. She felt she had yet to make peace with herself. She was still confused, dazed by the love she felt for him. She loved him and no reciprocation was feasible. She blamed him. She blamed him for having popped up in her life. She accused him of being what he was. Beautiful, kind. Suddenly, she realized that that man only had virtues and she felt even worse. Trying to lie to herself, she said:
- I hate you!!
*
Thoughtfully, Offerus was now heading to the castle. The feeling he felt for Elektra was burning inside him. He loved her blindly and she didn’t notice it. He recalled Meridian’s words the day he met Elektra. “Someone has been promised to her, he has been waiting for her without knowing she exists”. He now understood what he had meant with the word different. Elektra was walking forward to meet her destiny, her well-deserved happiness, the prince of Shekhinah, the one who was as perfect as she was.
Why had he considered himself capable of changing that destiny – Offerus thought. There was some sort of force propelling him to follow Elektra, perhaps that was the reason that had pushed him to abandon his boat, the river and the hermitlike solitude, in short, everything had been God’s way to ensure her survival. Now that he had fulfilled the intended mission, leaving was the only option left. He would have to go to the river again and forget that whole conundrum. Forget the love of his life.