Priestess of Paracas

by K Patrick Donoghue

  Until we meet under the same sky.

  It was not until that moment that Pebbles understood the purpose of the ritual. When Jennifer had whispered it to her at the campsite, she had thought it was simply a primitive reenactment of the instructions given to the Keeper in the goddess-evil-spirit legend. But Pebbles now realized it went back further than that. All the way to the day of darkness. It was intended to be a visceral reminder to the new one of the suffering of the people who survived the passing of the asteroid, and the solemn obligation of the new one to lend aid, to comfort the weak and weary.

  That’s where you went wrong, Citali. You saw yourself as the new goddess instead of the Keeper. And you decided to kill the evil spirit instead of protecting the weak. But, instead, you led the weak to their deaths.

  Dizziness overtook Pebbles and all went dark.

  Thunder and lightning. Pounding rain. Through the deluge, Pebbles saw Citali. She was atop a masked figure, snarling as she squeezed the figure’s neck.

  Don’t try that, Citali. I know what she did to me. I get how evil she was. It doesn’t make what you did right.

  Citali pulled her hands from the figure’s neck and slapped the mask from her face. Pebbles felt the blow and looked up to see Citali straddling her, knife in hand. Snarling again, Citali yelled, “Do you? Do you know what she did to my people? I will show you.”

  She plunged the knife into Pebbles, over and over again. Each strike felt like a laser piercing clear through her body. Pebbles flailed her arms to knock the knife away, but she was too slow. Blood spattered her eyes. Citali screamed uncontrollably as she stabbed and stabbed. Citali paused the onslaught and grabbed Pebbles’ head with her bloody hands. Leaning close to Pebbles’ ears, she railed.

  “She cut the head off my sister. She burned my city. My brother’s too. She was evil. She had to die.”

  Pebbles yanked Citali’s hands away. She wiped the blood from her eyes and pushed Citali off. Rising to her feet, Pebbles looked down at her body. There were no wounds. Citali, however, was a blood-soaked mess. Pebbles spoke to her.

  “What did you do to anger her, Citali? Was it the volcano? Did you or your sister know it was going to blow? Did you purposely not warn her?”

  “You know nothing.”

  “I know enough. No matter how many ways you tried to hide the truth, some squeaked through. And the more I’ve thought about the visions you’ve shown me, the more truth…and lies…I’ve noticed. For example, there were no invaders at the temple. You killed the girl who warmed your bed yourself and blamed it on imaginary assassins. You needed a reason to justify leaving the city before it was overrun.”

  “Lies.”

  “Don’t think so. You know how I know? You showed me the items you put into your bag before you left your bedchamber, Citali. There was no knife. But, suddenly, there you are in the dark hall near the dead body of the girl and you pull a knife from your bag to defend yourself. That’s not the only lie in that vision, Citali. There are others. I should have noticed them right away, but I never stopped to consider the possibility you were intentionally deceiving me. Want another example?”

  Pebbles conjured the image of the Flash Stone.

  “Where did you learn to use the Tuliskaera, Citali? No one could have done what you did to the lake without a helluva lot of practice. Which means you had the stone long before you used it on the lake. You didn’t pluck it from the rubble of the Maerlif right before using it.”

  A fresh cycle of images flashed through Pebbles’ mind…standing on the mountain in the dark…a beam shooting down toward the lake…more beams, one strafing dunes in the desert, another slicing furrows into a hillside, a third cutting across the path of a river…

  “That was a no-no, Citali. You were the Keeper. You were supposed to guard what was given and what was hidden until new ones arrived. You weren’t supposed to use the Tyls yourself. I’m right, aren’t I? The Tyls were what was given. You were supposed to turn them over to someone who knew how to use them.”

  “Bah. What do you know of it? The evil bitch had Tyls. She used them to take many lands, kill many people. She used a Tuliskaera to crack open the volcano to intimidate Nonali’s city into submission.”

  “So, you were just defending yourself, is that it?”

  “What else was I to do?”

  The revelation about Muran stimulating a volcanic eruption puzzled Pebbles. If they were both talking about the same eruption, it was the one that wiped out the settlements of La Tolita, the culture Cesar believed Muran had ruled during the time period when Citali lived in Paracas. Who would wipe out their own city to intimidate another city?

  Then she remembered. La Tolita had not been destroyed by the volcano directly. Cesar had said the lava flow had changed the course of a river and the resulting flood leveled the settlement. The image of a beam cutting across a river filled Pebbles’ mind again.

  “So that’s what started this string of tragedies. You moved the river. You destroyed her city to send a message. Back off from Nonali’s city. Did Nonali know what you did?”

  Defiance etched on her face, Citali said nothing.

  “I’ll take that as a no. You didn’t count on the masked lady surviving the flood, did you? Actually, I’ll take that back. You didn’t care. You’d decimated her population, her army, with the flood. You figured she would be too weak to defeat Nonali’s city. But she did. She sacked it and cut off Nonali’s head.”

  Another realization pinged Pebbles’ brain. Muran had not known about the connection between the oracles and the Munuorians until she saw the cuts in the ground that changed the river’s course. As soon as she saw them, she knew the flood had not been a natural disaster…it had been sabotage. And Muran knew exactly what weapon had raked the cuts.

  “No wonder you were so stunned by Rashana’s message. Not just seeing Nonali’s head, but also hearing Rashana reference the legend.”

  Rashana’s message told Citali that Nonali had been compelled, likely in a very unpleasant way, to reveal Citali was the one who had access to the Tyls. From that information, Muran would have surmised Citali had been the one who moved the river. With that conclusion reached, Muran headed Citali’s way, not only to exact revenge on Citali and her city, but also to take possession of the Tyls.

  Pebbles recalled Mereau and Cesar discussing the goddess-evil-spirit legend, how it appeared to pre-date Citali but not Muran. She then thought of Citali’s anger-filled comments from earlier in their conversation. Do you know what she did to my people? Citali was not talking about the people of her own city or those of her siblings; she was talking about her ancestors.

  “When she forced your sister to talk, and Nonali told her the legend, the masked lady recognized it, didn’t she?”

  Citali seethed, bloody fists clenched by her sides.

  The three Seers must have known for some time that the masked lady of La Tolita was the re-embodiment of the evil spirit that had killed the goddess in the legend — their ancestor — but they did not act against her. Pebbles could understand why. They were no match for Muran. They were not a collection of bloodthirsty warriors. They were mystics, guardians of a secret. So, they kept quiet, kept their distance and turned a blind eye toward Muran’s conquests…until Muran directed her attention to Nonali’s city.

  Pebbles felt a pang of sympathy for the Seers’ predicament. If they did nothing, Muran was sure to eventually overrun their cities. Even if they fought back using conventional means, they knew they were outmatched and knew their cities would fall. And usually, conquerors were not keen on letting deposed leaders stick around…especially beloved leaders with mystical powers. No, those kinds of leaders ended up with their heads on spikes at the city gates.

  So, really, what Citali had done was hasten what she had viewed as an unavoidable conflict. And in making that choice, she had decided to even the odds by turning from Keeper to wielder of what was given…a new goddess. But Pebbles did not think it was a choice Citali made
in the moment. She had made her decision to fight Muran long before Muran harassed Nonali’s city.

  “Your brother and sister rejected the idea of taking the fight to the evil spirit, didn’t they?”

  “More lies!”

  “They wanted you to honor the pledge. They wanted you to protect what was given and what was hidden. But you couldn’t do it.”

  As Citali trembled, a pool of blood spread around her feet.

  “Come on, Citali. There’s no point in trying to hide the truth any longer. I know what happened. I’ve seen through your lies.”

  The blood coating Citali’s body began to turn black. Pebbles saw a burst of new visions…the entry stone of a Maerlif…a chamber filled with relics…a catacomb-like crypt…skeletons draped with cloaks of crimson and gold…hands opening a chest of Lifintyls…a trail of switchbacks…walking along a ledge…slipping into a cave, a torch lighting the way down a dark tunnel…a hand placing a bulging bag in a cranny of rock…

  “You weren’t a helpless observer at the bonfire, Citali. You set the whole thing up. You tried to trap the masked lady, but it didn’t work. By the time you came upon your dead children — yes, Citali, don’t look surprised, I know none of them survived — by the time you found their bodies, you knew the masked lady had survived your second attempt to drown her.

  “So, you sent one of your men to be captured. You fed him the words he was to say. You told him to tell her where you were hiding. You knew she had to be incredibly angry, mad enough that she would come after you.”

  Citali’s body began to fade into a mist. Pebbles rushed forward and grabbed her arm.

  “Nice try. You’re here to the end. You’re going to listen to me and face up to what you did.”

  Pebbles felt Citali try to pull away.

  “You stood in the bushes and watched her butcher the dwellers. You watched a man devoted to you kill his own daughter before he died himself. And then you yelled at the masked lady and ran. In your vision, you make it seem like you were afraid as you ran through the forest. Men with torches bearing down upon you. But I don’t think you were afraid at all. You knew what was waiting in the jungle on the other side of the river.

  “You let them catch you, tear your clothes off. You knew they wouldn’t kill you. That was reserved for the masked lady. She’s the one who tried to suffocate you in the mud. And then the arrows let loose, and the men you had in hiding lit the jungle in front and behind. You’d trapped her. In the confusion, you slipped away but you didn’t make it far.”

  Citali’s tugging waned. Through the mist, she saw Citali bow her head.

  “She caught up to you, took your necklace and killed you with her knife. You died with her mask in your hand. There was no ride down a torchlit river. You were not comforted on your deathbed. You received no promises that what was hidden was safe.

  Pebbles could feel Citali’s body jerk as she sobbed.

  “You died not knowing if the evil bitch found the Maerlif, without knowing whether your children were laid to rest properly. Worst of all, you died without a chance to say to your children and the other people you hurt — your brother and sister, the people of your and their cities, the people who lived along the rivers who lost their lives in the flood, the dwellers and the ancestors you sought to avenge — ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for things to work out this way.’”

  The hand slid from Pebbles’ grip. Citali’s body spread out into a pool of black.

  “I can’t forgive you, Citali. It’s not my place. But I can help you learn whether the Maerlif is intact and whether your children lie among the long line of past Keepers buried inside.”

  The inky pool faded into mist.

  Through the mist, Pebbles heard the distant sound of cascading water. As the sound grew louder, she detected the scent of flowers and felt a warm breeze pass over her body. Colors invaded the mist, shapes formed and soon Pebbles looked upon the pool at the base of the waterfall. The sun was shining bright and a symphony of bird calls echoed in the surrounding trees. Sitting on a rock by the pool was a gray-haired man dressed in a crimson tunic trimmed with gold. His eyes focused on a young, bare-shouldered woman in the water. He spoke to her.

  “In accepting this responsibility, child, you will face many temptations, but you must never give in to them. The Tyls can bring you power and riches, but they can also eat your heart. They can fell mountainsides and part waters, but they can blacken your soul. They can right many injustices and protect, but they can defile and usurp with equal ease.”

  “Yes, father of fathers, I will honor the pledge.”

  “Your voice is strong, young Citali, but I do not feel the same conviction in your gensae. Your mind and voice should speak as one.”

  Citali lowered her head and sighed.

  “Unburden your mind, child. Tell me what troubles you.”

  Citali looked up at the man and said, “Many Keepers have passed, and still no new ones like you have come. Meanwhile, people starve. They labor to survive. They suffer from the lash of oppressors. The Tyls could do much to ease these difficulties, but instead they gather dust in this dark hole. Your wisdom and the wisdom of your brothers and sisters could bring relief and hope, but your minds stay hidden in stone, resting atop lifeless bones.”

  The man replied softly. “Yet, for all of our wisdom, all of our Tyls, we could not overcome the Betrayer, the taker of souls. Our gensae was too weak. And the gensae of our line has steadily weakened over the long march of time.” He paused and smiled at Citali. “But one day, my child, a new one will arrive with gensae strong enough to defeat the most evil of spirits.”

  “But, first father, what if they never come? What if the taker of souls rises again? What then?”

  “You must keep this place a secret at all costs, just as the Keepers who preceded you pledged to me. Even if it means your death. If the Betrayer finds this place, she will destroy all that is in it. Then there will be nothing left to aid new ones that come, and no one left who can stop her. The suffering of the people will know no end. Do you understand?”

  Citali nodded.

  “Then arise from the water, Citali, Keeper of Secrets, and accept that which is given to you as a reminder of your oath.”

  In his hand, he held out a necklace.

  The scene began to fade from Pebbles’ mind until there was only a faint glow in the darkness. In the dim light, Pebbles saw Citali return a Sinethal to the chest of a skeleton draped in crimson and gold. From his palm of bones, she picked up a necklace, clasped it around her neck and once again disappeared into the mist.

  CHAPTER 26: UNDER THE SAME SKY

  Cataratas las Tres Hermanas (Three Sisters Falls)

  Otishi National Park, Peru

  September 30

  When the mist inside her mind cleared, Pebbles was once again being held. This time, by Anlon. She looked around and saw the rest of her friends, including Pablo and her new friend, Tuka. Anlon squeezed tighter. “Hey there. You okay? You’re shivering like crazy.”

  She nodded. “What are you doing here? I thought you weren’t allowed?”

  “Tuka sent for us once the ritual was over.”

  “Oh. That was nice of him.” Pebbles noticed she was still wrapped in a blanket-like cloth. “Where are my clothes?”

  “Got ’em right here,” Jennifer said. “Let’s get you dressed.”

  While the men turned away, Jennifer held up the blanket while Pebbles redressed.

  “What happened during your vision?” Anlon asked.

  “Had a heart-to-heart with Citali.”

  “So, she talked with you. Did you learn anything new?”

  “Yeah. Ironically, though, I did most of the talking.”

  Pebbles emerged from behind the blanket. As she zipped her jacket up, she said, “I’ll fill you in on it later. Right now, I want to find the Maerlif. Where’s the Sound Stone?”

  “Right here,” Mereau said. Pebbles turned to see him holding it out toward her. “Tuka sa
ys he will show us the hiding place. The honor of finding the beacon, opening it to see what Citali hid should be yours.”

  “Citali didn’t hide anything in it. She took some things, but she never made it back here to replace what she took. You should be the one to open it. It’s your people who are buried inside.”

  “My people?”

  “Uh huh. There was no Maerlif in the cave on the mountain. Complete fabrication on Citali’s part. One of many. There has only ever been one Maerlif guarded by the generations of Keepers. And it’s here, where descendants of your people who survived the day of darkness built it after they fled into the jungle to escape Muran…long before Citali was born. I just hope it is intact. I hope Muran didn’t find it and desecrate it.”

  They climbed up farther on the mountain, guided by Tuka and the light provided by torches they took from their places around the pool. Along the way, Pebbles was peppered with questions about her vision. She deferred all answers, saying she would address them later.

  Finally, Tuka disappeared behind a thicket of vines. Pebbles and the others followed. They walked along a thin ledge. Overhead, a prominence of the mountain formed an overhang. Where the ledge ended, there was a cave. Inside there were three tunnels. Holding his torch ahead of him, Tuka started down one of them. Pebbles’ heart raced. The tunnel looked exactly like the one from Citali’s vision on the mountaintop at Churcampa. And just like what Citali had shown Pebbles, the tunnel eventually widened out into a chamber with an arched ceiling.

  There was the seashell mosaic of the symbol that looked similar to, though not exactly like, the Paracas Candelabra. On the opposing wall, there were painted scenes. Pebbles had not seen them clearly in Citali’s earlier vision of the cave, but it did not take her long to understand their purpose now. Nor did it take long for Cesar to reach the same conclusion.

  “No wonder the Keepers have been able to carry the memory of the legend throughout time,” he said.