The Choosing (35 page)

“You want to go take a look?”  Sara stated more than asked.

“How did you guess?”  Seth answered with a look of surprise.

“I think I know you well enough.”  Sara stated honestly.

“Well then, let’s go have a look.”  Seth said.

Seth led Sara to the door, their hands clinging tightly to one another.  As they reached the door Seth paused to read the inscription upon it, but found he was unable.  The characters of the word were alien to him.  Written in a different time, perhaps in a different language, the words meaning was lost upon the two attempting to decipher it.  Seth turned and looked deeply into Sara’s eyes, and seeing her hope once again blazing in their depths, he grasped the handle upon the door.  With a loud sigh Seth pulled the door open and warm air rushed past them from within.  The scent of jasmine and other various spicy scents tickled their nostrils as they stepped into the small room through the door.  Letting the door close behind them, they examined the room before them.  It was empty except for two torches that were held in iron bands fastened into the walls to either side of them.  Ahead of them, the only structure within the room was a staircase.  Stone stairs led down into the earth and ended at a lighted room below.  Besides the fact that the room below was lit, no other detail could be ascertained from the top of the stairs.  Without speaking Seth led Sara down the stone staircase.  They descended slowly towards the light, attempting to see what lay beyond.  Reaching the foot of the stairs they peered into the room before them blinking frequently as their eyes adjusted to the bright light.  The air here was thick with incents, and Sara coughed lightly trying to clear it from her throat.  Even her cough reminded Seth of an angel.  The room was larger than either had expected.  It was not an elaborate room, having no furniture or decorations.  The walls hung bare except for more torches running its length on either side.  The room too was bare except for stone pillars that stood at regular distances supporting the ceiling above them.  Looking across the long room Seth noticed one single statue standing at its far end looking back at them.  Seth noted a familiar feeling about the statue, and wanting a closer look he began to cross the room towards it leading Sara by the hand.  The back of the room was not as well lit as the entrance had been and being as such the statue was cast in shadow.  Seth noticed that even as he was growing nearer he could not see the statue clearly enough to discern its details.  As Seth made the halfway point across the room he thought he heard a foot scuff on the stone somewhere and slowed his pace to look around for its source.  Spying nothing but the stone pillars Seth decided he must have been mistaken and turned his head once again toward the statue.  Seth stopped abruptly before colliding with his intended target.  Regaining himself Seth looked to the stone figure before him and gasped in realization.  The stature before him was of a person he recognized.  Not only did he recognize the stone features, but he remembered the voice that belonged to the stone woman before him.  He remembered it, because it had only been a handful of days since he had spoken to her in a dream.

Before Seth stood a stone statue of a woman bearing a stark resemblance to his mother.  Where before the woman’s hair had been braided in tight rows to her head, now it hung loosely across her shoulders.  The statue stood, a calm look upon its face, its eyes fixed on Seth, who returned its gaze.  Seth could not believe his eyes.  In fact he closed them briefly only to reopen them revealing the same face as before.  Without thinking about what he was doing, Seth reached out to touch the statue, a strange compulsion guiding his hand.  Pressing his fingertips against the cool stone figure Seth heard a whisper.  Removing his hand he turned to look at Sara to better hear her words, but Sara stood silently watching him with a curious and hopeful look upon her face.  Thinking this odd, Seth returned his gaze to the statue in front of him.  Again his hand rose as if of its own accord.  Touching the stone again Seth could hear the whisper, only this time it was louder and more coherent.  He closed his eyes to focus better upon the sound and found himself in a familiar stone room.  The room was circular with no windows or doors just as it had been in his dream.  He turned in the room mentally, conscious that it was simply a vision in his mind.  Finding nothing out of the ordinary he again tried to listen for the whisper.  No whisper came, instead as if standing directly before him, he heard the woman’s voice from his dream so many nights before.

“Seek me out amongst the oldest buildings of Valdadore.”  The disembodied voice said into the room created by Seth’s mind.

“I have.”  Seth replied not knowing what else to say.

“Go then.  Call to me when you have need of me.  Serve me and I shall reward you.”  The voice said almost as if it were a command.

The circular stone room vanished taking with it the voice leaving Seth within the darkness of his mind.  Seth’s eyes fluttered open and he found himself shaking as if from cold.  Sara had come to support him, wrapping her arms around him gingerly from behind.  Seth twisted in her arms attempting to turn to face her.  Sara realizing his intentions loosened her grip upon him letting him turn.  Seth turned, still in Sara’s embrace, and sought out her angelic face.  Looking into her deep amber eyes Seth smiled to reassure her.  Sara released his waist taking a step back to analyze him further.  The shaking had ceased and Seth watched as Sara looked him from head to toe.

“I’m ok Sara.”  Seth said.

“What was that all about?”  Sara asked with a concerned expression.

“I’m not sure I can explain it correctly, but I will try.”  Seth stated trying to plan his explanation so that it would make the most sense.

Just as Seth began to speak again a movement from something behind Sara caught his attention.  Leaning slightly to his side he peered over Sara’s head to reveal a man cloaked all in black just a few paces away from them.  Instinctively Seth sidestepped Sara and brought himself between her and the man that was now approaching slowly.  Seth placed his hand on the hilt of his sword in silent warning to the other man.

“No need for that young master.”  The man spoke with a thick accent causing his words to sound akin to a hiss.

“Why do you sneak up on us then?”  Seth asked in a demanding tone.

“It has been some time since we have had a visitor to the temple, I was trying to see if you were vandalizing the statue.”  The man hissed again.

“We mean no harm to your temple sir, in fact we were just about to leave.”  Seth said, adding the last part as an afterthought.

The man again stepped forward towards them as if to get a better look.  The man was staring intently at Seth’s face when he froze in place with a loud gasp.  Regaining himself the man bowed low to the ground.

“Forgive me Sire for I did not recognize you.  Nor was I aware you would be arriving with a guest.”  The man spoke quickly making his hissing hard to interpret.

Seth was thoroughly confused at this point, sure the man was mistaken

“I am afraid you must have me mistaken for someone else.”  Seth stated his thoughts.

“No sire, though you may not know it I have been expecting you.  The mistress showed you to me and told me to await your arrival.  I should never forget your face she told me and I did not.  She too told me to give you something.”  The man said quickly not stopping for a single breath.

“Who are you and what do you speak of?”  Seth asked demanding an answer.

“Forgive me master, my name is Borrik.  I am the last surviving follower of her holiness Ishanya.”  The man stated beckoning towards the statue behind Seth.  “She showed me a vision of you, in the very clothing you wear now.  She told me you would come and she sent me to retrieve an ancient relic for you.  I have it here with me now.”  Borrik stated reaching one of his hands deep inside his robe.

Borrik reached up with his free hand and pulled back his cowl revealing his withered face and greasy black hair.  He was neither old nor young, but somewhere in between.  Around his eyes were dark circles that made it appear as if he had not slept for many days.  His face was nearly clean shaven except for a small patch of hair beneath his lower lip, and his nose had a distinct knot in it where it had been broken long ago and the bone had not mended properly.  His eyes were charcoal gray, and his pupils abnormally large as if unable to focus.  Borrik took another step towards Seth and pulled his hand from his heavy black robe.  He then presented his hand to Seth, and within it lay a small book.  The book looked to be nothing of great value.  The black leather cover had a tear in it, and its edges were worn or missing altogether.  The edges of the pages that were visible through the ruined cover were stained shades of yellow and brown.  Seth did not reach to accept it.

“What is it, and what does Ishanya want of me?”  Seth asked the man named Borrik.

“It is a book sire.  A book penned in the hand of a powerful servant of Ishanya many generations ago.  It is a catalogue of sorts of his many services to the mistress, a journal of his powers, of his creations.  That is what the mistress told me though I am unable to read it for myself.”  Borrik stated remembering the words of his Goddess.

“What of Ishanya, what is it she wants from me?”  Seth demanded.

“This I know not master.  Only I know she told me you would seek her temple.  She told me get the book for you at any cost, and so I have.  She says for me to serve you now master for you will soon do her will upon Thurr.  That is what she told me master.  That and nothing more I swear to you.”  Borrik stated with honesty.

Sara had come to stand beside Seth with a look of concern mixed with a look of confusion.  Seth took his eyes off Borrik only for a moment to meet her eyes.  He could see she was afraid, and he wished to ease her fear.  Seth did not trust the gods, he felt what was near to loathing for them.  Now it seemed however a god had taken interest in him.  This Seth knew could not be a good sign.  Though Ashton had a Goddess.  A Goddess he loved and worshipped and it seemed to make him happy.  All this Seth thought about before speaking again.

“Do you have a place we can sit and talk?”  Seth asked Borrik still refusing to accept the small book.

“Yes master, past the statue there is a hall.  Through the hall there is a room with a table and some chairs.”  Borrik stated gesturing towards the darkness.

“Will you take us there?”  Seth asked unwilling to enter a dark room first as it could be some sort of trap.

“Yes sire I will do as you command.”  Borrik said again bowing low to the ground.

Borrik walked past Seth and Sara.  Circling around the statue he continued on into the darkness.  Seth followed next pulling Sara along behind him.  They traversed the short hall and stepped into a room where a single candle sputtered upon a table.  Borrik plucked the candle up from where it sat and used its small flame to ignite several torches that clung to the walls of the room.  As the light increased the room was revealed.  Inside the room was a long table with a dozen chairs situated around it.  There were two ways out of the room.  The first was the hall they had entered through, the second was a wooden door across from the hallway that at this time remained closed.  Deciding it was safe, Seth pulled out a chair and gestured for Sara to sit.  Sara quickly sat in the chair he offered, wanting to quickly learn what was going on.  Seth then waited for Borrik to seat himself before sitting beside Sara.  Organizing his thoughts Seth looked to Sara before he began to speak.

“Many nights ago I had a dream.  Only it was not like a dream, it was as if it was more real than even when I was awake.  In the dream I was at first alone in a round room.  The room had no doors or windows.  I could see plainly but there was no source of light.  I searched for a way out but there were none to be found.  Giving up my search I had turned around and before me there stood a woman.  I know now that the woman was Ishanya.  She told me to seek her out in the oldest buildings in Valdadore.  I did not know that she had meant a temple, and thinking it a dream I had no intentions of pursuing her wishes.  When we came here to the temple I recognized the statue and when I touched it I could hear her voice.  She again spoke to me.  This time she told me to leave.  She told me to call upon her when I had need of her.  She said that if I served her, she would reward me.”  Seth told his tale looking always to Sara and waiting for her to respond.

“So the Goddess spoke to you in your dreams, and even though you did not intend to you found the place she wanted you to come?”  Sara asked to confirm her understanding.

“Yes.”  Seth stated simply.

“Then you touch the statue and she tells you to serve her and in return she will reward you.  That must be when you started shaking.”  Sara said to Seth.

“Yes that is right.”  Seth answered.

“Then you Mr. Borrik say that the Goddess sent you on an errand to fetch a book.  The book you are to give to Seth because the Goddess told you that he would serve her.  Now you bring the book to him, and tell him that you are to serve him instead of the Goddess?”  Sara asked

“Almost M’lady.”  Borrik hissed.  “I serve the Goddess by serving him.”  He stated gesturing towards Seth.

“What do you get in return?”  Sara asked knowing a piece of the puzzle was still missing.

“The mistress told me that in time my new master would be able to reward me with a great strength and lasting life.”  Borrik answered quickly.

“May I see the book?”  Seth asked.