Teng P.O.V.

  “Catch it, catch it!”

  I ran with precise steps until I jumped like a gazelle and caught a wofer rabbit.

  The mud under my feet and over my clothes wasn’t much of a hassle. The little animal wrestled for freedom but couldn’t leave my grasp. The rain over my head felt invigorating. I opened my mouth for a fill with closed eyes.

  I was enjoying the happy occurrence.

  “That’s five! We get to feast tonight!”

  “Yeah. Let’s head to the cave and setup the stove.”

  Before long we were helping the flames and waiting for the smolder.

  “You got so much better brother. I can’t believe how fast you caught the game without much light.”

  I placed the makeshift covering over the stove once the embers were there.

  “The ashes, the ashes, brother.”

  I cleared them with a quick movement. We waited for the rabbit stew with mushrooms to be ready.

  “It’s been a while since we spent the night out like this. I’m surprised by your new skills.”

  “I’m even more surprised that I get to talk like this to you, Ikrei.”

  “Wha…u…say…nng?” He was eating a couple of carrots.

  “It’s fun to be here.” I took a carrot from him and ate.

  I stood up and motioned Ikrei towards a few tree branches I had brought. I wanted to test myself and also have a little fun.

  “Knight of Light Teng challenges the descendant of the ancient order!”

  “Ha, ha, ha. That’s a funny new title you gave yourself, brother.”

  Ikrei let go of his carrot and grabbed a branch, it was time for a spar. The little game we used to play when we wanted to dream. I also grabbed a branch.

  SMACK! SWAT! SMACK! SWAT!

  A rapid exchange that repeated several times, enough to work out a sweat.

  The poor wood branches were a mess.

  “Bro, how the hell did you do that?”

  “Wrist rotation, I’ll teach it to you someday.”

  We shared a handshake.

  “You can truly be a knight. I didn’t take it seriously before.”

  The little supper was ready, we sat and ate with smiles upon our faces. We talked about all the little things and dreams we had. A heartwarming experience that lasted until sunrise.

  “I need to get going. There’s something I need to find.”

  I gave my friend a parting hug.

  ‘Whatever I need is got to be somewhere.’

  I started to walk away from the cave.

  “You already have sword of Zur. You need to have a long conversation with the King.”

  Ikrei was just smiling as he said those words just as I turned my neck.

  My legs almost gave way.

  ‘The strange paths of Zur.’

  Alzra P.O.V.

  “You are awake.” I cleaned his forehead with a cloth.

  Teng’s perspiration was intense, even if he was just laying on the bed. It was his first experience and communion with the blessing inside his soul. He was panting.

  “M…ter, master! I need to talk to King Erel!”

  He sprung up like a broken bow after a bad refinement.

  “Calm yourself down. Breathe in, exhale, release.”

  After he found his center, Teng retold me his experience, the dream given by the great wind, the guiding light of all true believers of Zur. The hidden hand of our Almighty.

  “Don’t tell anybody else you are having dreams from our God. Not a soul, you hear me?”

  My young charge didn’t understand but nodded nevertheless. There can be joyful implications and also terrible consequences that come from being blessed like Teng at such a tender age.

  “Let’s prepare a meal. There’s much to discuss, my Ishun.”

  I made sure all possible protections and seals around my house were activated to their full extent. Even more, I used the artifact given to me by the Temple once Teng became my understudy. It wasn’t just a communication device but a blessed seal. I used it on the room where the food was served.

  “It is time to open up the understanding of a young easterner that carries the blessing from an ancient faith that encompasses many things beyond human comprehension.”

  I sat in front of my successor, serving wine with a kind smile on our table. He was still getting used to sitting cross legged without chairs on magical beasts’ skins. The customs of Zurian culture when discussing holy matters.

  “Be'or hatuv, Zur, in hoshiach. shmachet haluv shla.”

  “In the Good Light, Zur, there is no darkness. Joy of My Heart.”

  We ate bread and drunk the wine.

  “Keep studying our tongue, it is inexcusable for a sword of Zur.”

  “Yes master. I will do my outmost.”

  We ate without pause and in tranquility all the little fish dishes Teng had prepared. The light in the room dimmed, dusk had arrived.

  “What you are requiring is a private audience with the King. That is not a simple matter, you have little chance of obtaining one, the requests take years to process. Everyone wants to talk to the most powerful human being on Ladnahlayr. Everyone, my Ishun.”

  “Zur gave me the dream with my brother in it, there is a reason. I must, I must! Master, help me!”

  We drank a little more. I signaled for him to calm down.

  “There a couple of ways that I can help you with that but both of them require intensive, painful and dangerous training. Are you sure?”

  He nodded.

  ‘I wonder if you internalize what you are agreeing to, my boy. Let it be God’s will.’

  “I will teach you a secret of secrets from the book our prophet left for you.”

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  “The one I must teach to the people.”

  “Keep in mind that the writings you have read might not be the ones the people will read. The Clethora has many interests. Some writings given by the Almighty are only for the wise and the chosen.”

  I placed my index finger on my temple. Our signal for remembering without writing it down. He agreed.

  “When light dissipated the darkness, it was Zur who did this. But when man was created you have heard it said let him be made in our image.”

  “You mean that that there is one origin but many gods?”

  “There are as many gods as there are worlds. An endless cosmic tapestry and in every world and every expanse, the same test. There are many here who come from other places and many from this place that went somewhere else. And like this, faiths and beliefs of many worlds became intertwined.”

  I drank a lot more, I let Teng process what I had said.

  “Master, what about the easterner practitioners and their teachings?”

  “Great truth, great power but flawed. I hope you don’t feel insulted.” I was as mellow as I possibly could with my boy.

  “Don’t worry but I would like an explanation.” He drank as well.

  “I will keep it short for simplicity. If there is no desire there is no pain of loss, if you have no wants all that remains are needs. Regardless of how powerful one can become, there are needs. For some it is food, for someone else it is companionship. Humans need to share; we cannot be left alone forever. Cultivators are a rare breed, masters of the ying and the yang. Ice and fire, light and shadow, life and death. Full immersion or full detachment. Righteous or demonic. Unorthodox dance in the middle like the Andurin but in reality, there is no middle.”

  My words weren’t something pleasant for the young boy.

  “Are you saying my brother is evil?”

  “Their morality is a matter of experience and learning, ours is absolute, it has been the same since time immemorial. Whoever is not with us is against us. But a Zurian is not one to throw the first stone. And you are now a Zurian sword, your brother is whosoever tries to follow the Zurian divine law wholeheartedly.”

  It didn’t matter how Teng felt. I Iaid down our law.

  ‘Zur’s crossroads. Show me why our God called you here.’

  Teng P.O.V.

  Several weeks ago on the holy Zurian day. In the inner court of the lavish, magnanimous and extensive Temple of Zur.

  The moon was shining brightly.

  The Temple was built just outside the city of Luz. A place with no name, the size of a city of seven hundred furlongs. The Temple had many buildings and areas for communion, training, living and several other necessities. And within them, a circle shaped inner court where the true inner Temple resided upon the highest hill.

  ‘The Temple of Zur or the Temple of Worlds.’

  “Even if he is a blessed of Zur, he cannot be accepted as a sword!” One of the elders reprimanded.

  “He can be taught to be a great knight; we can take things slowly.”

  “A Dodekor’s successor?! It is not her place to determine that!”

  The dissident voices were deafening for a kid standing in the midst of a religious storm.

  “What should be do? Only two of the four grand elders of the Clethora are here. We cannot summon the entire Clethora for such a matter.”

  I was looking at sister Alzra; she was standing calmly a couple of steps behind me.

  “I will take him under my wing, there shouldn’t be a problem with that. What do you say?”

  “Good idea!” “The blessed of God!” “What a fortune!”

  The people in the Temple were nodding, approving and some even clapping with the suggested plan. The old man before us was wearing a white and golden garb of intricate details with twelve different jewels. He was standing on the entry steps that led to the true inner Temple. The famous stairway to heaven.

  “Even if it is you Clethar, the one who must train this boy must be me!”

  Murmurs exploded all around us, the hundreds of people present were thunderstrucked with sister Alzra’s words.

  “A Dodekor wants to be a teacher of a blessed one?!” “Impudent behavior!” “Not since Debriah has a woman been granted the honor.”

  Many people spoke many things. The lights of the Temple became a blinding nuisance to me. I was worried. The calm voice of the Clethar spread throughout the court.

  “You are the youngest of the Dodekors and have never taken in a disciple, I hope you have a proper justification for your actions.” He gesticulated towards sister Alzra.

  “There are none brothers, sisters. I have no fancy words or proper means to justify what I must do other than tell you that our God wills it so.”

  She took out a dagger and in less than a breath, there were cuts.

  ZIT! ZIT! ZIT! ZIT! ZIT! ZIT! ZIT! ZIT! ZIT! ZIT!

  Sister Alzra’s beautiful dark brown hair fell down to the stone floor. She was bald minus a couple of strands.

  The women in the crowd made strange sounds, some dared not to watch further.

  “I will take the Oath of Consecration right now. Zur is with me!”

  I was shaking all over.

  The oath of oaths, there is none greater. To give up your life in the service of your god. It meant sister Alzra had no chance of ever getting married and many other restrictions, according to Zurian law.

  ‘Zur is hers and she is His.’

  “What are you doing sister?! Stop! Stop!”

  “The child is right. If there is an ounce, a drop, a sliver of doubt, trouble, darkness, the oath will kill you, child.” The Clethar spoke sternly.

  “And if it doesn’t, this discussion is over, is it not?”

  The sisters of the Clethora had beaming eyes.

  “Let her take it!” “For the glory of Zur!” “If she speaks the truth, this must be done!”

  The couple of elders, the Clethar and a few others began chatting and exchanging glances. There was a lot of mental communication. The crowd inside the court bursted into many tongues. The inner court is reserved only for those with good standing in the Zurian faith, their opinions mattered.

  “I believe you sister!” “Dodekor, it is an honor!” “God is speaking, open your heart!”

  Four hundred breaths.

  The golden ipsrum doors of the sealed inner temple were opened. The elders motioned for sister Alzra to walk inside.

  “Brother Nataph, take care of Teng while I’m gone.” She walked with resolution.

  An elderly long haired white bearded man stood next to me. Her steps felt like thunders inside my heart. I wasn’t well.

  “The oath is no joke, elder Nataph. People die, people of ALL faiths die!”

  Before I could say anything more or hear a reply, the crowd shouted with zeal. The courtyard resonated, the orgon vibrated with joy. The marvel that is the Temple of Zur came alive. The twelve golden discs shone and manifested. Each of the present saw what they needed to see or what their hearts allowed them to see.

  The strange nature of a blessed edifice built with the power of God.

  “Lei tis'u et sheym Zur Elohai leshaviy.”

  “Lei tis'u et sheym Zur Elohai leshaviy.”

  “Lei tis'u et sheym Zur Elohai leshaviy.”

  The doors closed with the elder, a few more and the Clethar following sister Alzra just behind.

  And even if I didn’t know the Zurian language properly, I knew what they meant. It was one of the twelve commandments.

  ‘You shall not take the name of your Lord Zur in vain.’

  And so, in the middle of a resonance effect and chanting, I waited. I waited with bated breath while everyone else was delighted.

  Time passed slower than a snail, I lost count of the number of sheep I counted in my mind.

  A ray of light descended upon the exact center of the inner Temple.

  BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

  The entire place shook, an earthquake. People lost their footing. Elder Nataph held me up with one of his hands.

  “Zur has answered! Zur has answered!” The eyes of the old elder were filled with joy and dread.

  The grand doors of the inner Temple were breached from the inside. In a single swoop, they let the light through as they were pushed aside.

  Seventy breaths. The blinding light receded, everyone was able to see the female standing on the top step of the stairway leading to the inner Temple. It was Alzra.

  She had changed, she had long lush green hair and multicolored eyes that seemed golden.

  The crowd fell on their knees and shouted. They shouted like their lives depended on it, raising their hands to the sky.

  Even though I wasn’t kneeling, I was absorbed by the image of sister Alzra. I joined the shouts with a high fist pump alongside elder Nataph.

  “ZURA!” “ZURA!” “ZURA!” “ZURA” “ZURA!”

  Alzra P.O.V.

  My words were heavy on the child but there was no way of helping it.

  “I’ll meet my brother and then decide on what to do about him. Please understand me master.”

  “I do. This much is fine. Ready for the greatest secret of all?”

  “The reason, the meaning of existence master?”

  We drank a few more cups with the bread.

  “All worlds are a test, a test of worthiness before the gods, this is the great truth. But not every god leads to the same end, this is the great lie.”

  “Master it all sounds like a massive prison for the amusement of some high nosed cosmic pricks. You are making me lose faith here.”

  More bread and more wine was passed around.

  “Who would want to live under a test? Schooling is a bother to most, apprenticeship is hard and repetitive. We are all conditioned to choose the path of least resistance. Just let me be, leave me alone with my life. I don’t need preaching! I have my power, I can do magic, I know the arcane! But deep down, we don’t like the reflection in the mirror. I don’t like mine, to be honest. We all want to escape in one way or another.”

  “Forgive me master, you are full of hot air so much. You are one of the most beautiful things anyone can ever see.”

  “Even if you leave this world, the test will continue in another under different rules. Here in Ladnahlayr no one questions the existence of the gods, in other places, there are people who denied them. What good does my beauty do when I’m set apart for Zur? No one can touch me, ever. It’s just more tests and trails for me. Women will resent me; men will desire me. A perfect blood sacrifice for the dark ones.”

  I pointed straight into the heart of my Ishun with my index finger.

  “You like me. The petal of desire is about to grow in your little heart.”

  My eyes shone with their power. Teng was anything but calm.

  “The Angaros descended upon this realm due to the beauty of women like me. And because of their sin, God had to wipe out an entire world and start over. The agency, the power of the free will of the people, of creation. Evil didn’t come into the world through God but through people. We all want the power but want none of the responsibility.”

  “You sound just like the Great Rohais in the moads around here, master. I don’t know if I should clap or shake my head. I get it, I do. Just answer the hard questions. Zur is with you, you can answer unlike those fake wise men in the seats of the law or the bemas. Just like my brother used to ask me. Why master, why?”

  I was going to drop an orgonoid charge of cosmic ramifications on my questioning Ishun. It was time to share a tale, a tale preserved outside of books, parchments, crystals or tablets.

  ‘A future Dodekor and Zuranin must know the reasons he fights for.’

  It was time to drawback the curtain, return the sands of time to the beginning, to the origin of all things.