“The Guides weren’t here first?” asked Kael.
“No,” replied Teeg. “The Guides were created out of Avra’s compassion and love for man. He anguished when men struggled. He pitied their failures. His compassion welled to the surface and out of it he created the Seraphim, Awoi and Amird. Their task was to push and prod man in the proper direction. The brother Seraphim roamed the world and helped man. They were teachers, counselors and healers.
“The brothers were long-lived, virtually immortal. When Avra dipped his hand into the life pool, he created the guides with a tremendous force of his will. His hand rushed through the pool and on either side a swirl of equal, powerful force was created. Their spirits spun in the pool strong and enduring. They lived for thousands of years.
“Just as Avra couldn’t create man to be a slave, subservient to Avra’s will, so he could not create the Seraphim as such. The brothers were instructed by their Creator then left to fulfill his wishes. They took different paths.
“Amird immersed himself in the culture of men. Pushing them toward fulfillment. Amird directed cultivation of the soil and spread its use. Amird helped men develop language skills and writing. He guided men toward using their minds to better themselves. Amird set men off on the right track with a hard shove and eventually they built speed, progressing forward on their own. The seeds Amird planted grew into art, literature and math. He truly was the father of the society men know today.”
“But, Amird is evil. I mean, that’s what the stories say,” said Kael.
“Ah, again you refer to stories. Kael Brelgson you’ll be much better off in this world if you start to believe, truly believe. Look around you. Do you honestly think this whole world just happened? How do you explain its existence? From the great Hdjmir Mountain down to a grain of wheat, the world is a most complex and beautiful place. Do you think it just stumbled upon itself?”
“I’m uncertain,” mumbled Kael.
“Uncertainty is the springboard for faith, Kael. Will you stand on that platform forever, or take the leap and experience a deeper understanding of the world?” asked Teeg.
The boy looked down at his feet and fidgeted. Teeg smiled and put a hand on his shoulder.
“Take your time, boy. For now we’ll stick with uncertainty and the possibility of faith. Now, where was I? Oh yes, Amird.
“Evil? Possibly. However, at this point in the lesson, he was simply the servant of a master he adored. All that he did was to fulfill the wishes of Avra. He worked hard, striving mightily to glorify his lord. Men flourished under his tutelage. Over a span of hundreds of years they moved out of their caves and huts and gathered in villages. Farms were planted. Societies formed and grew.”
“Awoi held an extremely different take on man and the world. He recognized this world as unstoppable, a vast and ever expanding wildfire of newness. The world continually changes and transforms itself. Some of it is left behind and fades away as other parts evolve. An always advancing, improving world.
“Awoi looked at man and saw a creature capable of wonders. A being so infinitely advanced over all others, that he holds the power to create a course for all in this world. Awoi also saw a being ruled by desires and temptations, aware of so much around him, that he is also pulled by the power of Chaos. A creature possessing an equally immense ability to produce evil.
“Awoi felt his task was to instruct man in the ways of love, compassion and kindness and to show all men the task at hand. We are to glorify Avra through works of kindness, to hold those up who cannot hold themselves, to care for the weak and sick, to shelter those without a dwelling place. Awoi spent his time reaching out to the dispossessed and unwanted. Those wretched creatures left behind as the strong moved on. They were the projects of Awoi.”
“Why did he do that? He would be forced to care for them. They were weak, a burden,” interjected Kael.
“Not true, Kael Brelgson,” returned Teeg. “Often, those who fall to the bottom and survive are the strongest among us. When you learn to survive in your most desperate hour, you learn how to truly live. Many of those Awoi helped rose to be leaders of tremendous spiritual depth and understanding. Men and women of compassion, who made their lives a testament to his principles. Men and women who sacrificed all for the betterment of mankind.”
“Then what happened to Awoi?” asked Kael.
“The unthinkable. Awoi and Amird led their separate existences. The world proceeded on its course for millennia. Then one day Amird and Awoi crossed paths. The brothers knew of each other’s work but had not met for centuries. Awoi looked upon his brother’s accomplishments with awe. Such progress. So many wonders. Man truly prospered with the guiding hand of his beloved brother.
“Amird privately smirked at his brother’s successes and failures. To waste time on a man starving in the wilderness, while cities were springing up throughout that wilderness appeared absurd. One life meant nothing in the great scheme. Progress created casualties, such was the life bequeathed upon man.
“The brothers spoke for days. Amird’s confident talk heartened Awoi. Amird rambled on and on about his triumphs and basked in the adoration of his brother. Awoi saw the pride well up in his brother and it pleased him to make Amird feel good about his triumphs.
“One day the brothers were standing in a glade by the Northern Mountains. Without warning, Avra appeared to them. The brothers fell to their knees and praised their Creator. Avra bade them rise and walk with him. He asked them of the world and their work in it.
“Amird took the lead and described his progress with men. The building of societies and cultures. The nurturing of mathematics and language skills. The development of art and literature. Avra was quite pleased.
“The Creator turned and asked Awoi what he accomplished. The guide spoke glowingly of his attempt to instill a wonder and love of all things in people. His attempt to foster a culture of caring amongst men. Avra listened and again smiled in approval.
“The trio walked together as the two Seraphim basked in the glory of their Creator. Avra turned and spoke to the brothers. He praised them for their work. Their efforts were not going unnoticed. He then suggested that the two begin to work together more closely.
“Amird questioned his Creator, asking what benefit his great accomplishments might derive from Awoi’s trifling. Avra corrected the Guide. The Almighty acknowledged the works of Amird but questioned their direction. Did they really glorify the world and create more beauty? Certainly many of them did. But almost as certainly they created a byproduct of sorrow for some inhabitants of this world. As cities develop and territories encroach on one another, battle lines are drawn. As men band together in societies, there are those who are different, outsiders to fear, mistrust and shun.
“Avra praised the work of Awoi. All of Avra’s creations are beautiful in his eyes. No being is expendable as Amird suggested. Amird was told to think how beautiful all of his work becomes if the lives of all are improved, not just the strong and their followers. Avra departed the brothers with a blessing and left them to further their work.
“At first, Amird embraced this effort and tried to incorporate Awoi’s work into his own. The Seraphim struggled to advance society but remain compassionate to the poor and lowly. However, Amird grew annoyed. He was used to quick successes and stunning advancements. Men in high places and of great power deferred to him, kneeling before him and seeking counsel. Awoi went unnoticed, happy to let his brother deal with such people. Soon, Awoi was coming to his brother to ask for favor.
“As a city outgrew its borders and encroached on a peasant’s farm, the king’s soldiers arrived to turn the peasant and his family into the street. Awoi went to his brother and asked for help relocating the family. When disease broke out in a region, Awoi went to Amird and requested supplies and food.
“Amird judged these efforts a waste of time. The strong survived and moved on. Amird felt his brother’s efforts weakened the human race, adding weak bodies and weak minds to the
population. His resentment grew. He reflected on his accomplishments. Avra created this world, but Amird in his wisdom and power pushed it to an apex. His vanity grew along with his hatred of his brother’s compassion. Avra dared to chastise him and praise Awoi. Chaos and evil filled his mind. Power corrupted his spirit. He longed to be rid of his brother and rule these ignorant beings as they should be ruled. Man was only fit to follow orders. Amird would never be a party to another of Awoi’s charitable causes.
“Avra was not seen again, and Amird pushed his brother aside. Amird involved himself in the development of all people and their leaders. Men made great advancements from their days of small villages and towns. Awoi, on the other hand, struggled to make men recognize the beauty in all Avra’s creations. Many followed his example. Slowly, men found their hearts.
“One day, in the small city-state of Zodra, the queen gave birth to a child. The delivery of the child was very difficult, and the queen died. The king was heart broken. He adored his wife and fits of sorrow overcame him. When the child was brought to him, he was horrified. The girl child was huge and misshapen. The king recoiled in horror at the thing he blamed for his wife’s untimely death. He told the midwives to take it from his sight and never to let him see her again.
“The child was housed and raised in the dank bowels of the castle. Kindly nursemaids cared for and taught the girl, but she was rarely allowed out of the innards of the huge castle. The nursemaids named the girl Gretcha, ‘beautiful heart’ in the old tongue.
“The king fell into despair. Despair turned to anger and abuse. He grabbed power and land, turning out those who did not bow to him and his tax collectors. Amird saw all this and determined to make Zodra the jewel in his crown. This king’s misery made him ruthless. Ruthlessness led to advancement. Zodra grew in power and influence in the area. Councils or elders ruled many other cities. Soon they found it impossible to make decisions without first seeking permission from Zodra. Men of arms gravitated to the service of Zodra. Power drawn to even more power.
“Awoi learned of the girl in his travels through the lands near Zodra. On her seventeenth birthday Awoi visited the castle. He spoke soothingly to the king. He spoke of compassion and duty. He spoke of Avra and all the wonders the Creator bestowed upon the world. He spoke of a daughter being imprisoned for simply existing. He spoke of a girl with a brilliant mind and a beautiful heart alone in the world with no parents. A girl who sang like a bird and danced in the darkness of her world. The king was greatly moved. His anger turned back to sorrow and his sorrow to pity. He ignored his duties and sat in his chambers for days. The king was reluctant to face the girl. He still mourned his beautiful wife and he was ashamed at how he treated his daughter.
“Amird returned to Zodra to find his plans interrupted. He visited the king and found a man in a completely different mindset than the one he left behind. The king spoke of his duty to the people, his duty as a caretaker of their good fortune and their future. He questioned Amird as to how they could best serve the people, how they might improve the living conditions of all the peasants to prevent disease and starvation. Avra smiles on the compassionate.
“Amird was not pleased. He reminded the king that no one, not even Avra, prevented the death of his lovely wife. Amird reminded the king of life’s trials and tribulations. Peasants were born into the world to serve. How could it be that his beautiful wife was taken from him while peasants bear handfuls of healthy babies in the squalor of their huts? Avra neither watches nor cares about this world. It’s a trifle he’s set before him, a toy with which to amuse himself. It’s Amird who cares for the advancement of men, only Amird.
“Amird departed and left the king alone. The king considered all he was told. His pity turned back into despair. He wallowed in hopelessness.
“Awoi returned, unaware of his brother’s visit. He found the king in a dark mood. The king refused to listen to his soothing words. In fact, the confusion he felt from the conflicting messages of the Seraphim added to his melancholy. He ordered Awoi to remove Gretcha from the castle. She was to be banished from the kingdom of Zodra. Awoi saw the king’s dark mood for what it was. The distress would soon turn back to anger. The Seraph decided to save the girl.
“As Awoi and the Zodrian princess departed the city, women screeched and children fled from the sight of Gretcha. She was a full head taller than any man in the city and her powerful arms and legs rippled with muscle. Her features were pronounced and angular, as if her face were cut from granite. Awoi looked at the young woman and saw only her name, ‘beautiful heart’.
“The pair traveled north. Whenever they stopped and tried to find a place for Gretcha to settle, people in the area eventually arrived and drove them out. Awoi feared for her safety and determined that they must find a place far from others. The Great Northern Mountains were uninhabited. The weather was harsh and the living hard, but Gretcha possessed enormous strength and fortitude. Awoi determined she would be fine and he planned to visit her periodically to insure her wellbeing.
“They built a cabin on the slopes of the tallest of the Northern Mountains and Awoi stayed with Gretcha for two years. He taught the woman how to hunt the mountain rams and the migrating caribou herds. He taught her how to find the edible mountain berries in the spring and summer. Awoi showed the Zodrian princess the tracks of the great grizzled bear and how to determine the passage of time since it made those tracks. Gretcha was extremely intelligent and a fast learner. She soaked in the world that was hidden from her in the dungeons of Zodra. Her naturally inquisitive mind propelled her knowledge and understanding of the world around her.
“As time passed, the hard life and harsh conditions of the Northern Mountains changed Gretcha even further. She added even more muscle to her frame, and her hair grew long and shaggy. When traders or trappers wandered through the area and came across Awoi and Gretcha, they fled in fear of the huge woman. However, all that Awoi saw was the beauty in her smile and the compassion in her heart. She was truly one of Avra’s blessed creatures.
“When the two years ended, Awoi returned to his work in the name of Avra. He told Gretcha he planned to return within the year and reluctantly journeyed back to the world of men. Gretcha filled with sorrow, but knew Awoi must follow his calling. The Guide bade her farewell and departed, walking south.
“When he returned to civilization, he found it changed dramatically. As he approached small towns or villages, Awoi was challenged by armed troops. Often he was told there was no room for outsiders or strangers. Hospitality vanished. Many of the guards still wore the emblem of their land on their uniforms. However, the influence of the city of Zodra grew. Many soldiers wore the Zodrian emblem as well and paid tribute to her king for protection.
“After nearly a year of traveling, Awoi approached Zodra. As he reached the great city, he found it completely walled to outsiders. Guards ranged along fresh ramparts and called challenges to those who approached. Awoi was required to state his name and his business. After some time he, was turned away from the city.
“Undeterred, the Guide returned to the city day after day for a week and attempted entry. On the seventh day, Awoi called to the city walls once more and this time was told to wait. Eventually, a contingent of guards stepped from the gates and surrounded the Seraph. He was commanded to follow them to their king’s high chamber.
“As Awoi stepped into the great hall of the castle of Zodra he was shocked. The throne was removed from its dais and placed in front of the platform’s steps. The king, haggard and worn, sat hunched within it. An enormous marble bench was set upon the dais, and Amird lounged upon it, surrounded by young women. He frowned as Awoi entered the room.
‘Did the gatekeepers not tell thee to depart, Awoi?’ asked Amird.
‘They did,’ replied Awoi.
‘Why didn’t you follow the advice of your precious humans? Go now. I must attend to important business,’ pronounced Amird.
‘Amird, my brother, we must talk,’ said Awoi
.
‘What of, a widow whose son has contracted a ragged cough? I cannot be bothered with such trifles. You think on the small scale, Awoi. I concern myself with nations and empires, while you worry over nothing. Be gone from me so I may complete my work,’ demanded Amird.
‘I leave you now, brother,’ bowed Awoi, ‘but as I go I ask you to think on whose work you are completing. His work or your own?’
Awoi turned and walked from the room. Amird arose and approached the king.
‘He who harbors the beast that killed your precious wife stands before you and you do nothing? Are you a king or a peasant slave? Honor me and yourself by avenging the death of your wife!’
“Awoi walked through the city noticing the dramatic changes that overcame the population. Fear reigned in the eyes of all who dwelt there. Even the soldiers feared retribution for failure. The tension in the city was high. As Awoi tried to converse with those on the street, they kept their conversation short and quickly moved on their way.
“Awoi rounded a corner near the palace and was confronted by a troop of armed guards brandishing their weapons. The Seraph smiled and extended his hands, palms upward.
‘I’m not armed and haven’t raised a hand in violence my entire existence. What is it you good folk require?’ questioned the Guide.
‘You’re to be taken into custody and killed if you resist,’ answered their leader.
‘I must continue the work of my Master. I’ve neither wronged nor harmed any here and request to go on my way,’ said Awoi.
“The leader stepped forward and struck the Guide with a cudgel. Awoi fell to his knees and once again addressed the group.
‘You are acting under the orders of your king. I forgive your transgression, for you are misled.’
“The leader struck him once more across the face and blood flowed from a large gash on his forehead. Awoi wiped the blood from his face and as he looked upward he saw movement on the castle’s balconies. Amird stood above robed in black and scarlet, a smile on his face.
The Merchant and the Menace Page 12