Journey to Water's Heart

by Lea Ben Shlomo

  Ninei and Ninai would’ve rolled about laughing had they been there. However, he was alone, minus one shoe, walking on a ground full of sharp, knife-like stones. He wished the two of them were there, with their round faces and moon smiles, laughing and teasing him, confidently leading him to the right place.

  How close he’d been to his end. He could now clearly see the glimmer of the fern’s eye announcing the sinkhole’s next victim. The tiny eye swayed on the edge of the worm-like branch, delighting in the moment. He shuddered when he imagined himself being sucked into the sinkhole, disappearing beneath the green circle of water.

  Tanti continued walking. He made slow progress as he limped and stumbled, carefully studying the ferns surrounding the puddles. He knew the green ones were deadly sinkholes. Several times, he stepped on a sharp stalagmite, cutting his bare foot, which was already injured and gashed. Groaning in pain, he continued walking. Now the puddles united and became a slowly flowing muddy river. Tanti looked around and studied the direction in which the river flowed.

  The river of mud stopped against a rocky wall, which created a pool of clear water that flowed beneath it. Before him, at the far edge of the hall, glowed a faint light. Tanti held his breath.

  A magnificent tree grew out of the pool. Its leaves were round and its trunk transparent, as though made of crystal. Branches burst out of it, as did the water, which mixed among the delicate branches and half-transparent leaves, until he couldn’t tell the difference between the tree and water.

  Tanti came closer. Now, he noticed the movement of the muddy river, which flowed into the nearby wall, and burst out of the ground at the bottom of the pool, nourishing the pool with its murky water. The water surrounding the pool was swallowed beneath and rose through the transparent tree trunk, filling its veins, concentrating in its throbbing body, shrinking and stretching, a bit murky at its base and clear on top. It broke from it and branched into willowy capillaries of water, which continued to rise and branch out until the tips of the leaves, from which it spouted like the water of a fountain, returning to the clear, clean pool water. Fascinated, Tanti followed the course of the muddy water, through the tree’s trunk and branches, until it was pure and soft. “The heart of the water,” he whispered and made his way to the place.

  The leaves of the tree enjoyed the water that spouted from them and then returned to them, wrapping and washing the tree, embracing its branches.

  “Where the water is purified, you’ll find it. Because water is the tears of the earth. These tears flow, spouting from the spring of pain. From the murky rage. From a desperate, displaced desire. The tears will carry the confused saltiness of the heart, and will wash the soul of man and the land.” The words of old Aklivor echoed in his mind, filling the space of the cave. He could now feel with certainty the presence of the mushroom. His heart beat faster. Another step and another one. Ignoring the pain in his foot, Tanti felt drawn to the cyclic throb of the heart of the water. The mushroom revealed itself in all its glory.

  Colonies of pentagonal crystals surrounded the base of the tree, like piles of jewels, reflecting the light of the cave and its magic. The clusters spread in chains along the water and dropped from the pool toward the river of mud, where they merged with the slow flow.

  He took the cloth sack out of his pocket and reached out, eager to get a handful of the soft cache.

  Sssssss… The mushroom trembled. Tanti recoiled. Then he remembered. He had to search for the lone crystals separated from the clusters. These were the ripe mushrooms, the ones good for healing and curing the land. He was forbidden from touching the chains of mushrooms sticking close to the tree trunk, decorating it, so that he wouldn’t harm the thin tissue of life building the life of the place.

  He searched for lone mushrooms but couldn’t see any on the surface of the water. Perhaps he should take one or two from the edges, carefully and quickly? He couldn’t return home empty-handed.

  “Channel your consciousness toward the heart of the water. In this wondrous world, which has no beginning and no end, only accuracy will bring you clarity.” Tanti reached out again. He continued looking at the mushroom. Just then, he noticed crystals separating from it, getting swept toward the mud. Now, he recognized the pentagonal crystals, covered with mud. He reached out and then recoiled. He couldn’t touch them. His hasty move imbalanced him. He slipped and fell.

  The mud covered him, sweeping him with it in circular movements. Tanti reached out and blindly searched for a place to hold on.

  To his relief, he felt the ground stabilize beneath his feet. The muddy river spat him out. He reached the place where the water became a thin flow.

  “What an idiot I am,” he said to himself, his mouth full of earth.

  He opened his fist, in which he had unintentionally grasped a handful of mud. Smooth crystals glimmered in the mud.

  Gently, he poured the precious crystals into the bag held in his other hand, careful not to touch them with his fingers, as Aklivor had instructed him. He bent over and collected more mushrooms, as many as he could, without separating them from the mud where they were submerged, and put them in the sack. Then he put the sack in the inner pocket of his chest.

  “Tanti Marin, you really are an idiot.” The sound of a human voice startled him.

  Before him, standing as high as his tiny stature allowed, was the Lizard in his black clothes, his blue eyes sparkling with excitement.

  It took Tanti some time to shake off his amazement and say, “Zeek, what are you doing here?”

  “What you’re doing here, Tanti.” He pointed at the fountain. “But I’m not going to be satisfied with crumbs like you. I intend to stock myself appropriately.”

  “Zeek, I don’t understand. What is it with you and the cave?”

  “What does a man ask for if not eternal life, eternal youth, power. And if he’s blessed with a dedicated mentor like you, he won’t let the opportunity slip between his fingers.” Zeek started toward the tree, but Tanti blocked his way.

  “Zeek, you don’t know what you’re talking about. This mushroom is dangerous. It is more damaging than beneficial.”

  “What about you? Aren’t you afraid of its damage?”

  “I’m careful…”

  “Tanti, my good friend. There’s more than enough for the two of us, and many more.”

  “You don’t understand. The mushroom isn’t a treasure that will enrich you and bless you with a long life, not without you paying the price a hundred times over. Zeek, its power will control you. It’ll grip you, then mock your body and soul. I’ve seen a man damaged by it. Don’t touch it.”

  “Out of my way, Tanti, and spare me your lies.”

  “If Dionun discovers your treachery, he’ll punish you.”

  “Ha! Who do you think sent me after you?”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “And I don’t believe you. We’re even, then.”

  “Since when do you know about the mushroom?”

  “Dionun suspected your intentions the moment you said you were going to the white mountains. He called me and ordered me to follow you.”

  “But Dionun is stronger and healthier than any other person I’ve ever met. Why would he need…”

  Zeek shoved Tanti aside. “The Lizards will rule this land, and Dionun will lead them. And as for me, the smallest and youngest Lizard, I’ll grow and be tall, and I’ll be his right hand forever.”

  Tanti continued grappling with Zeek, preventing him from reaching the pool.

  “What a fool you were, Tanti, for believing your secret wouldn’t be discovered.” Zeek raised his hand and punched him in the face. Tanti fell to the ground. He didn’t know what hurt more, the blow he received to his face, or the disappointment in his heart.

  Zeek took several steps back, leaped in the air, and landed softly on the edge of the pool. He reached out toward th
e cluster of mushrooms.

  “No!” Tanti cried out to warn him. “Not that way. Don’t destroy the cluster—” But before he could finish the sentence, Zeek ripped out a handful of crystals.

  The fizzing sound resumed. Something red filled the place where mushrooms had been. Jets of blood sprayed from it. Zeek flinched and found himself in a raging pool. The branches of the tree shook and hit him.

  He jumped from the red water, rolled onto the ledge of the pool, and skipped lightly over the mud, the moist lump fluttering in his hand.

  The red color in the pool spread, flowing up the trunk and branches of the tree and bursting out of them. A scream was heard. The mud bubbled and seethed. Tanti hurried to put distance between himself and the sight that pained his heart. He bypassed the green puddles carefully and groaned every time he stepped on a sharp stone. Many times, he slipped, fell, and bruised his knees. He glanced back and saw Zeek trying to take another handful of the mushroom clusters. The place raged and boiled. The water was stormy, threatening to drown the little man.

  “Get away from there!” Tanti yelled. “And throw away the mushroom in your hand.”

  Zeek laughed. He stood on the edge of the water and grabbed another handful, ignoring the fury rising from the pool. “The mushroom is in my hand. I have the power.”

  He started smearing his arms with the crystals. “No more ‘Little Zeek.’ I’ll grow, and my power will grow and grow!”

  The rage spouting from the center of the pool spread, shaking the cave. Red mud flowed like lava. Stalactites fell from the cave’s ceiling. The glow grew fainter until it went out altogether. Tanti continued fleeing, limping on his bare foot.

  A lump of earth that fell from the ceiling deterred Zeek and drove him away from the pool. He ran after Tanti. They passed by the big cave and were close to the passage. Tanti didn’t stop, despite his increasing pain. Zeek quickly overtook him and blocked his way.

  Tanti found himself standing before a drawn knife.

  “Zeek, what’s the matter with you? The mushroom is controlling your actions. Get rid of it.”

  “I’m sorry, my friend. I can’t let you leave this place. I keep my secrets better than you.”

  Tanti was frozen in place, trapped between the avalanche and the knife. There was no rational way to talk to Zeek, who was waving his knife in his face. Tanti reached out to defend himself, and immediately felt the knife slash his hand. He recoiled and stepped back, despite the stones and dust falling behind him.

  A thin red web of cobwebs crept between the crystals in Zeek’s hand. It crawled up his arm and wrapped around it. Zeek tried to peel it off, but in vain. The cobwebs attached themselves to his other arm and continued creeping up toward his neck.

  “Goodbye, Izmerandi,” Zeek said, sure of his advantage. “Dionun will be sorry to hear of the awful accident that befell you and Yoven.”

  “Yoven? What happened to him?”

  Zeek didn’t answer. Madness ignited in his eyes. His neck and face were now covered with the cobwebs, which multiplied and tightened around him. He tried to tear them off and dropped the knife. He turned toward the cave’s entrance, trying to block Tanti’s exit. Tanti hurried to pick up the dagger. Zeek laughed mockingly, stopped, and lifted the hand holding the bloody mushroom crystals, ignoring the chaos surrounding them and the crumbling ceiling. He shouted, “You’re mine forever and I’m yours. Together we’ll grow, tall and high-ranking.”

  “Leave the mushroom!” Tanti shouted. “And get out of here as fast as you can!”

  He didn’t want to hurt Zeek, yet he gripped the dagger in order to protect himself. The ceiling trembled. The air bubbles exploded and fell down. The stone columns collapsed. Tanti pressed against the wall, making his way to the exit.

  Beyond Zeek’s foot, he saw a tiny glimmer.

  “The sinkhole!” Tanti yelled. “Stop!”

  Zeek stepped in the middle of the green puddle, and suddenly, half of his body was submerged in the water. Before Tanti could reach him, he was sucked deep inside. Just for a moment, the top of his head peeked above the water, and then Tanti heard a sucking and bubbling sound, the water spun like a whirlpool, and then was calm again. The greenish circle, with its gleaming metallic shade, remained as tranquil as before, with only the blinking eye of the fern disclosing it.

  The roar of the avalanche jerked Tanti out of his stupor. He pressed against the wall. A pile of stones blocked his way out. He put the dagger in his belt and started lifting the stones and throwing them over his shoulder, tearing his nails in his rush, clearing a narrow path. He crawled among the rocks as fast as he could and found himself in a dark corridor, protected from the avalanche.

  His legs could no longer carry him, and he stumbled, crawling his way out, leaving a path of blood from his injured foot.

  Chapter 43

  White Secrets

  Nikon paced back and forth on the palace’s balcony, unsure if he should wake up Queen Laorin or hide from her the information that he himself had difficulty absorbing. In the past, she’d talked to him and consulted with him. Now, she listened mainly to Galrock or to his messengers, who brought information and suggestions from the battlefield. And when she read his letters to them at headquarter meetings, she’d quote his instructions to continue the present course of action, and turned a deaf ear to other suggestions, questions, and considerations.

  Nikon feared the contradictions he discovered in Galrock’s reports. If the White army’s victories were so crushing and complete, why wasn’t the war ending? Why the need to reinforce more and more troops if the Blues were cowardly and confused warriors? Weren’t they fighting for peace in their country and along their borders? Well before the war had begun, he hadn’t trusted the information of the captain of the guard and the people he surrounded himself with. He decided to check the situation on the battlefield himself. Unfortunately, he couldn’t approach the battleground. Wherever there were soldiers or military-related facilities, Galrock ruled. The order was that no one was permitted to pass. Not even the queen’s head minister and personal advisor, who was losing his influence over her, as well as his power in the rulership.

  He had to leave the place out of concern “for his personal safety,” he was told.

  Nikon was frustrated when he set to turn back. On the way, he strayed from his route and passed through the villages. He stayed with friends and family, where he heard their despair. Would the queen listen to him now, when he had proof of Galrock’s treachery?

  “Good morning, Nikon. You look alert and robust at this early hour.”

  Halior, the queen’s sister, stood before him, magnificent in her snowy white garments. Her hair was gathered tightly into a bun, decorated with pearls, and her sweet face studied his. He bowed and lowered his head. Halior was smart and quick-minded. She was involved in matters of the kingdom and was of great help to her sister. Nikon was glad to see her. They had an understanding that sometimes exceeded words.

  “Where have you been, Nikon? I waited for your reports from the battlefield. Your trip was longer than expected, and now you look concerned and somber.”

  “Princess, I’ve seen and heard difficult things, and I’d like to share them with you.”

  “Not here, Nikon,” Halior said, her smile fading. “Let’s enter my study. I’ll order that we not be disturbed in the next hour.”

  Nikon was once again glad to see that Halior understood him before he had said a word. He knew his words would reach her heart. Perhaps she’d be able to talk with her sister.

  “I fear Galrock is hiding the real situation and is sending false reports,” he said, after telling her about his journey, the obstacles he faced, and the attempts to keep him away from the action. In his birth village, which he’d visited, the people spoke with him honestly. “There have been so many losses until now. Galrock reports of glorious victories, but the battles are harsh
, and the White army has been forced to retreat more than once. The people are suffering from the burden of heavy taxes, which they’ve been forced to pay to fund the expenses of the war. Many people lost their properties when their farms and businesses collapsed because of heavy taxes. Many homes were left without a main breadwinner, after the heads of the families and the young men were recruited to the army and salaries and compensations didn’t arrive as promised. Forgive me, Princess, for my blunt words. I am agitated and concerned. Our country is on the brink of a disaster, just because an imprudent Blue king wrote foolish letters, letters we could’ve ignored instead of embarking on a painful venture.”

  “The people are contributing to the war effort. It’s only natural that they experience distress during war, Nikon. After conquering fertile, abundant Nautilin, they’ll complain no more.”

  “So by plundering the Blues, we’ll achieve our own happiness?”

  “One might claim that they brought this misfortune upon themselves.”

  “Riches and expanded territories aren’t something that will reach our subjects, who are paying with their properties and lives. You know very well who’ll enjoy the taxes. It will be necessary to finance the damages of war. What has been taken from the people won’t be returned to them.”

  “And pride, Nikon? Has it no value to you?”

  “Pride won’t last for long. The Blues won’t rest until they’ve recovered what they’ve lost. And the wars won’t end.”

  “That is the nature of war, Nikon. What of your love for your country?”

  Nikon stared at her. He knew she wasn’t jesting. “Princess, you know there is no doubting my love for Anura.”