by Brad Stucki
"That would be hard to miss," Sauros said, chuckling.
"You know me by my sister?" Kokos' brother said, finally disengaging her arms from about his neck and turning to Javin and Sauros. He seemed a bit defensive . . . or was it 'protective,' Javin thought.
"Who are you? What are you?" His eyes narrowed and then he gasped. "You are the 'Promised Ones!' You have the 'Gift'?" It almost wasn't a question.
For a second, Javin was stunned, then he remembered this man was trained as a Keeper. He would have had access to the 'Book' where he and Sauros were more or less pictured.
“We have the 'Gift'. Javin admitted. “If you want to call it that. Seems more like a burden if you want to know the truth.”
“Of course I want to know the truth,” the man said. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“It’s just the way he speaks,” Koko’s said, smiling and looping her arm through her brother’s, holding him close. “He is from far away and talks strangely at times.” She continued to smile, and nodded at Javin to take the sting out of her words.
Kokos' brother turned to Sauros. “And you? You are also from far away as is obvious.” He turned to look at Kokos as if in reassurance. “You vouch for them? You have the ‘Gift’ I assume or you wouldn’t be here with them.”
“I have the 'Gift',” she said. “Because of you.” She hesitated a moment. “I have ‘felt’ them and they are good and honorable. They are who they say, and they are here to help. You must trust them.”
Kokos took a deep breath. “What happened to you? Why did you leave?”
“I will answer you later. For now, we must go inside and do what you have obviously come here to do.”
“How could you know that?” Kokos asked before Javin could ask the same thing. Sauros started looking around as if expecting a trap, an ambush of some sort.
“You knew we would come here?” Sauros asked his tone was not pleasant as before. It was low and controlled. “We only just decided to come here without telling anyone. How could you know?”
“That is a long answer which will answer many of your other questions. And I will answer them all – the best I can. First, I think it prudent we move inside and get to where we will not be seen.
"By the way, I am Manos."
"I'm sorry," Kokos said. "This is Javin and Sauros," indicating each in turn. Manos nodded to each.
Javin looked at Kokos. And then searched the memories Javin had of Manos from childhood on. It was strange. He'd already known his name and who he was without any introduction. It was also confusing and disorienting as if living in another’s mind for a brief time while searching through the relevant memories. He didn’t see anything of malice or dissembling. Nor did he sense anything ill-favored now. Yet he had been gone for a time and could be under the influence of Nemesis, especially turning up here now and knowing what he did. Javin hadn’t a clue as to what powers Nemesis had based on their last encounter with those he’d influenced. Had he already learned and refined it to the point where he’d pierced their shielding? And had he been able to control it to the point where Javin could not detect any problems? Nemesis had access to the Articles of Power. There was no telling what he might be able to do, and how quickly he could do it.
“You will trust me, especially once you hear all. But now is not the time. You know the way through the maze inside? I don’t. I was told by Father that I shouldn’t go too far inside without Kokos. She would have the ‘Gift’ that would allow us to pass into the center chamber where we must go. He didn’t say that she would have anyone with her, so I have to trust her vouching of you. You are not the only ones having to trust.” He turned to Kokos.
“My sister is our bridge. If she vouches for you, I trust her.”
Kokos turned and looked into his eyes, after having seen Javin’s hesitation and understanding it now especially in light of their recent experience -- with Kaffen being affected. That memory rose up and pained her, and Javin put a hand on her arm. Then Kokos turned, pursed her lips and reached up to touch Manos on the face, still staring into his eyes.
For a moment Javin watched and was silent as was Sauros, who’d taken the position of guard to watch all around, seeking for signs of any pursuit, though how he could ever see anything through the jungle foliage Javin didn’t know. But as he felt the faint surge of Koko’s ‘delving’ her brother, Javin also, then, caught the faint trace of Sauros’ senses reaching out cautiously, just enough to touch any close by, but faint enough not to let anyone of great power (Nemesis) feel the surge . . . he hoped.
Javin smiled at his friends, acting so valiantly and dedicated to this work, whatever it was. None of them understood what they were doing and why. They all, though, were pressed into doing this, along with him, to a result none knew other than it probably didn’t bode well based on the prophecies of dark times ahead.
Snapped out of these thoughts, Sauros touched his arm. “We are clear as far as I can tell.”
“I can’t discern any interference in him,” Kokos said, smiling at her brother in apology for even having to test him. He smiled back with good grace.
“We all trust, now?” he looked at Javin. “May we proceed? I really want to get you to where I was instructed to take you. Then we will have all the time we need.”
Javin was a bit confused as why Kokos’ brother was now deferring to him. He shrugged and looking to Kokos, then gestured for Sauros to lead the way.
“Every branch to the right,” Sauros said aloud as if reminding himself as to the way. “If this structure is related to all the others that will be the way to the central chamber.” And he led the way into the darkened maze.
They walked in a small way and then got used to the gloomy light that, like all the other pyramid structures Javin and Sauros had been in, was lit not by the glowing lichen of this world, but by a strange glowing of the very air. There was no discernible source of light, yet it was there, as if the very air they were breathing had a faint luminescence.
Javin and Sauros were used to it. Kokos and Manos remarked on it. Manos truly hadn’t come into the maze very far or he would have already experienced it. And he’d been instructed not to enter without Kokos, who would have the ‘Gift'. Javin thought he knew why.
It didn't take them long to transverse the maze and reach the doorway to the central chamber. Sauros walked through. Manos stopped just at the threshold. He turned to look at Kokos.
"I must go through with you," he said. "Father said there was a barrier that kept all without a 'Gift' out of the doorway.
Javin stopped and watched. He'd suspected as much but he also remembered the first time he'd ended up in a central chamber he'd gotten there without a 'Gift', or a crystal in his breast. It had only been after he'd been in the pyramid's central room that he'd gotten the crystal. Why had it let him pass? Another mystery for another time.
Kokos stepped up and arm in arm passed through the doorway into the central chamber with Manos.
Javin stepped forward and as he broke the plane of the doorway felt the slight energy barrier. He paused and looked closely and could see the tiny blue seam that ran around the interior of the doorway. Then he stepped onto the first tier of the central chamber.
It was like the other chamber on Sauros' world. Three tiers led down to a central landing which had an archway standing in the center. On each equally divided tier sat seemingly random slabs of rectangular stones sitting every which way. Javin looked at the floor this time. There were no marks indicating the slabs ever moved. Javin knew they did.
The slabs were part of the circuit used by the archway. They were arranged in certain ways that set the destination of the archway. Or at least that's what he supposed.
He followed them all down to the central platform standing in front of the Archway. Here they paused and turned to Manos.
"Father instructed me to come here and teach you how to get through to the Archive. Father knew you were the true one who was destined for the 'Gift' but knew the king w
ould never support it without some drastic measures to force it. That's why he insisted you always sit in on the lessons. He told me early on I had another work to perform. But that 'you' were the one who was supposed to get the 'Gift'.
"Now, I'm to tell you to remember back with the 'Gift'. There is a certain memory that is passed on but it is so old, cannot be found without direction. Picture in your mind a bright being, a Guardian, standing in front of an ancient ancestor. Open your mind to this."
Javin looked at Kokos. She was trembling. These revelations were all new to her. Javin put an arm around her, holding her. He couldn't imagine what she must be feeling. She'd just learned that she was to be the recipient of the 'Gift' all along. That they had duped the king, that her father had set this all up just so she could be here, now.
"I'm sorry this is so abrupt for you," Manos said, reaching out a hand to touch her face. "When we get to the Archive, we will be safe and have time to talk more. For now, please concentrate."
Kokos nodded and closed her eyes. Javin found himself delving into the shared memories. He too sought out the memory of a Guardian standing before a member of Kokos' race. Images swirled and swam into his consciousness. He dove deeper, further back seeking, trying to find that particular memory. There was just so much, and it was all so new.
Kokos reached down and grasped his free hand, holding it tightly. She reached out to Sauros then too, seeking for comfort, for strength, and instinctively, they both gave it through the bond they had formed with the sharing. It was amazing!
"There!" Kokos breathed.
An image just as Manos described swam into Javin's consciousness. Kokos finding the memory had in turn fixed it for him, and he assumed also for Sauros, because he sensed Sauros saw it too.
The memory flowed:
A majestic human-looking figure bathed in a brilliant white light seemed to stand hovering in the air about a span above a kneeling member of Kokos' race. The man, what must be a Guardian, wore loose white robes draped over his frame and platinum hair that was just off his ears and the nape of his neck. Javin was astonished. He was 'human.' Or at least he couldn’t tell any difference between what he looked like and any other human.
Sauros stared at Javin as did Kokos. They had realized it too!
"Pay heed," the Guardian was saying to the ancient ancestor of Kokos and Manos. "You have the 'Gift' and now I will show you a room to which your descendent must flee when the times begin. Here your descendent will be taught what must be done or everything will be destroyed as it was in the past."
This was pretty heady stuff. Javin could tell from the ‘feeling’ of the words the ‘Guardian’ wasn’t kidding. And he didn’t mean just the destruction of the world. He meant the destruction of everything! Then he remembered the vision gained from Chahzuu through the ‘Gift', or the stone embedded in his breast. It was all fitting into a piece. Hopefully he was getting closer to getting the full picture. At least this ‘Archive’ Manos had been talking about proved to be a solid lead as to getting more information. Maybe the whole picture.
“You have it in your mind?” Manos asked Kokos. They all nodded and Manos looked between them all.
“You must have a desire to go to the Archive. You must think this desire very strongly in this room and the Door will open and take us there. You understand?” Manos recited the words he’d been taught. It was clear he didn’t completely understand, and hoped his sister did.
“I think so,” Kokos answered.
“We do,” Javin added. We’ve used these ‘doorways’ before. And with that, Javin focused his thoughts, and felt Sauros and Kokos doing the same. They desired to get to the Archive and focused that desire on what Manos had called a ‘doorway.’
Well it was of sorts, Javin knew. And he also knew that just thinking about where he wanted to go wasn’t all there was to it. Still, it was where they needed to start.
Javin continued to think, to ‘desire’ to get to the place called ‘Archive.’ He dropped Kokos’ hand and moved closer to the free standing archway. All of them were standing in a slight circle in front of it. Gently Javin reached forth his hand to the plane of the center of the empty arch.
“Pop!” there was a slight arc of energy and Javin snatched his hand back. It was activated now just like it had activated in the first pyramid he’d entered on Sauros’ world. He reached his hand back to the now gray shimmering that filled the archway. He rubbed his hand back and forth along the imperceptible barrier and could faintly see the rippling as his hand moved along it. They all moved closer, continuing to ‘desire’ to get through to the Archive.
Javin wasn’t surprised when the slabs in the room started to slowly move, to re arrange themselves into a new pattern. They were forming the proper circuit. Soon they would be able to step through to their destination. It was amazing what the Guardians had accomplished. Too bad it was all leading to the possible destruction of everything. Javin shook his head and waited for the stone slabs to come to a rest, then looked back at the archway. It had turned black, no light escaping or reflecting. It was ready.
Manos looked at Javin. They all looked at Javin. He didn’t know why, except that maybe it had something to do with the memory of the Guardian they’d seen. He was so human-like as to not really be any different than even Javin could see – except for the glowing bit. He didn’t know any humans who ‘glowed.’
“Okay, I’ll go first,” Javin said, not wanting to think any more about the possible meanings of it all. It was time to get some concrete information if possible, and not more questions. He had plenty of those already.
He took a step forward and felt himself drawn into the archway. His movement carried him forward and he felt the incredible movement take him as it had before.
Chapter 21
Javin felt himself moving at incredible speed. This time it remained totally dark. There usually were the small pinpoints of light Javin normally thought of as stars that sped by. Then he saw the small dot of light starting to grow as he moved forward. Faintly he could ‘feel’ the others right behind him as the circle of light grew swiftly until it engulfed him and he felt himself thrust outward.
This time Javin kept his feet. He was starting to get used to this mode of travel, especially as he began to understand the experience. He turned and held out his hands.
Sauros came through next. He too kept his feet, and turned as well to welcome and steady Kokos and Manos as they came through. They were both breathing deeply, shocked at the experience.
“Quite a rush, isn’t it?” Javin said.
Kokos tilted her head staring at Javin, trying to understand his meaning. “Yes, I guess we’re in a hurry, but we’ve arrived now, yes?”
Javin chuckled and looked at Sauros. Manos was gaining control of his breathing and then staring around into the room they’d arrived in.
“This time through was swift,” Sauros said glancing around the room they’d arrived in.
“Yes,” Javin agreed. “Just like the time we escaped the throne room on your world.”
Sauros nodded.
“It must mean we didn’t travel far. Probably that we’re still on the same planet,” Javin concluded.
“What’s this word, ‘planet?’?” Manos asked.
“It means, we probably haven’t left your world,” Javin answered.
“How could we have left our world?” Manos asked.
“That’s a long story,” Javin said. “Let’s first take a look at where we are and then I’ll fill you in.”
“Fill me in? Am I empty after going through the doorway?” Manos tilted his head, confused.
Sauros emitted a low chuckle that sounded half growl. “Give it time, Manos. You will learn his strange sayings for what they are.”
Javin shook his head. “Can I help it if you all don’t talk right? Why don’t we explore?”
With that, they all started looking at their surroundings. They had arrived into a sterile room with a polished concrete floor,
smooth opaque gray walls made of a material Javin couldn’t determine. The room was rectangular and well lit with what appeared to be glowing panels set flush with the ceiling.
The portal from which they had entered the room sat in the center of the back end from where they stood, leaving the bulk of the room where the four of them occupied about half the space. So this room wasn’t designed for large gatherings, Javin surmised.
Directly in front at the far end of the room from where they’d entered was a man-sized open doorway beyond which looked to be a corridor.
“I was told your memories would give you instructions on how to use this place. I was told to take you to the main chamber where you can rest and ‘remember.’ It is this way,” Manos stepped forward and gestured for them to follow.
“You’ve been here before?”Sauros asked.
“No, but it was described to me by my father,” Manos said. “Come.” Javin noted his words were tight. He hadn’t realized until just now that Kokos possessing the ‘Gift’ meant that his father had died, and Manos hadn’t been there when it had happened. He had sacrificed to bring them here, to show them this place.
Javin paid attention as they wandered down the straight corridor. There were several other doorways, though closed. He guessed they’d have time for exploring later. It didn’t take them long to reach the other end of the straight corridor and step into what Manos had called the ‘main chamber.’
Inside, the room broadened out to at least five times the size of the room they had come from. This room had the same sterile look but interspersed throughout were different couches, cushions and chairs arranged in groupings. Clearly this was a gathering room of sorts.
The room was all the same shade of opaque gray, the monochrome color tending to sooth and not distract. There was no art, no color, nothing to indicate it had been constructed for anything aesthetic, just purely functional. The lighting was also the same – glowing panels flush with the ceiling. The furnishings were all the same color, and heavily padded.