Cheilin Saga ~ 32

 Cheilin Saga ~ 32 Abbey at Samishaam 2

By Len Morgan

“How fare you,” asked the father Abbot.

Aldor sighed, “Another Conjunction has come and gone and Bedelacq’s brood still remain on the eastern shore of the Stalbech.”

“It is good to hear that.”

“What of his Brides, the ones we are holding?” Aldor asked.

The Abbot’s face wrinkled in a frown, “it will take time,” he replied.   “The main problem is, their bodies are not of this time.   When he withdraws his power from them their physical body ages rapidly they shrivel and die.   The first four are already gone only, these five remain, Efelel amongst them.”

“Are any yet ready for return to this world?” Aldor asked.   Two could be rehabilitated but of course, their bodies are gone,” said the Abbot.

“Show me,” said Aldor.

He was led to the roof garden, where five globes rested in cups atop their individual posts set in the middle of a pleasantly aromatic herb garden.   Aldor sniffed appreciatively.

“It aids concentration” the Abbot explained.

Aldor smiled.   A brother, clothed in the red habit of their order, sat cross-legged before each globe meditating intently.   Which is Efelel? He gazed over the shoulder of her observer, at swirling deep black clouds.  

“That one, Efelel, I’m afraid is beyond redemption, she rages against the universe.   It’s been more than a month and the clouds are darker than ever.   We really should be considering releasing her to return to the wheel…”

Aldor gazed intently into the globe; his face became fixed.   The clouds slowed visibly in their race, then gradually, they began to clear.   He plunged down and down, down into the darkness plumbing their depths.   Just as he began to doubt his senses, he heard an embryonic scream.   It reached down into his depths churning his innards, causing retching nausea, his head spun and he began to freefall.   The scream repeated, much closer this time, momentarily he thought to flee, but this was not the physical world, where could he go?   Then without warning the beast attacked, with fiery breath, tooth, and claw.   The pain was very real.

“Aaaah!   He cried out in anger recalling his own incarceration.   The beast retreated.   He saw a feint green glow, to one side, and moved towards it.   As he drew nearer he saw a young female child, within the glow, and a menacing green dragon towering over her.   Its tail curled around her many times, marking her as its possession.

 

“Approach at your peril,” the dragon warned, belching flame and acrid smoke in his direction.   The child’s wide blue eyes beseeched him soundlessly, but her words popped into his mind.

“Please release me from his clutches,” she begged.

Aldor looked at the dragon he was conjured from her own mind so he thought to deal with it without too much trouble but, when he felt its breath he beat a hasty retreat.   Fortunately, it showed no inclination to chase after him, contenting itself to stay close to its charge.   He cursed his arrogance; he hadn’t even taken the trouble to discover her birth name, before entering the globe.   Now he discovered there was no mind for him to read, least none he could enter in his present state.

“What is your name” he called out.

Her answer was drowned by the volcanic roar that issued from the beast.   He returned towards the green glow under cover of the black smoke and in its centre was the girl, still encircled by the dragon; she looked to be twelve or thirteen.   She had straw coloured hair and bright blue eyes sparkling with intelligence.   She was slim and waife like, giving the impression of being resigned to her fate, he detected an overriding melancholy.   She looked at him and as their eyes met waves of sadness and loss flowed from her to him.

“Help me,” she implored.   The beast's grip tightened around her waist forcing a gasp from her lips.

He realised as he had never done before that it was Bedelacq’s creature and not of her creation.   His forehead began to throb, he rubbed at the distraction, and it seemed as though he had rubbed a scaling from his third eye; the jewel.

“You have no weapons that can harm me,” the beast mocked.

In answer he visualised his sword; his alter ego.   As it materialised the beast blew a stream of green flame in his direction.   The flow increased steadily but Aldor pierced the stream with his sword and the heat was dissipated.  

“Then you will not be afeared to leave the child in order to deal with me?” he said.

The creature detached itself from its charge and swept rapidly towards him.   Aldors forehead opened fully to reveal the imbedded jewel.   The beast roared and attacked.

The flames became more intense a glaring white lance.   Aldor stood calmly, ignoring it.   The beast stopped and stood in disbelief.   The jewel turned a deep violet and returned the flames it had ignored; beam after beam of blinding blue light the beast stood against it briefly and then it was gone.

Aldor rubbed his forehead and turned, away from the globe, breaking contact.

“It’s clearing, there’s a young girl inside, she is smiling, and speaking,” said the priest.

 ‘She was a child of thirteen, all memory of her association with Bedelacq had been wiped away, all they lacked was a body of the appropriate age.

He heard her thanks repeated in his mind, ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you,’ ’but, he was already gazing into the next globe.

(To be Continued)

Copyright Len Morgan