Rhuna- Black City Read online

  “Many changed texts are of our esteemed forebears whose great deeds were recorded in generations past, and whose names and deeds were well known to each one of us,” Goll began. “Then some of the texts changed, saying that certain eminent individuals left the Land at the Top of the World and journeyed to the Black City where they became greedy, cruel and even savagely ruinous.”

  “How dreadful for you,” said Preserver of Faith with genuine sympathy.

  “The lineage of such individuals also changed, just like that,” he said, snapping his fingers.

  “That’s how the drivers of the camel caravan described the changes in the Black City,” Aradin interjected. “They said buildings appeared and disappeared just like that, in an instant.”

  “What causes such a sudden appearance of a building?” Stillness of the Lake asked with a deep frown as she struggled to imagine instantly appearing and disappearing buildings.

  “We believe these instant changes in the city and in these historic records are caused by the Dark Master’s actions,” Aradin answered. “And possibly the actions of others in ensuing time periods.”

  “But how?” Stillness of the Lake’s frown deepened.

  “The Dark One ordered or caused the erection of a building in the time period he entered, thereby suddenly changing the outcome in our present time,” Damell explained carefully.

  Stillness of the Lake shook her head briskly. “It is so difficult to comprehend!

  “This is the tome for recorded events in the land of the Black City,” Goll continued his demonstration of the changed texts. “The lower part of this page was still empty until the latest addition appeared as we stood here watching.”

  Goll’s finger pointed to the text and began to read it aloud.

  “In the first generation after the Immortal One’s arrival in the Splendid City on the Black River, the Atlan Empire despatched another group, larger and more formidable, in an attempt to curb the powerful forces. Fifty-seven women and sixty men, all with various impressive physical and mental attributes were chosen to combat the Dark Forces in the City. They arrived in the second lunar cycle of the hot season, establishing a settlement one day’s foot journey from the City from whence they planned various strategic attacks. They transformed sand into large stone blocks to build a barricade, while others used their mental powers to discharge energy when attacked by the dark-robed inhabitants of the city. But the Dark One was too powerful, and when he ordered a strike against the Atlan settlement the Atlans were completely overwhelmed. A total of ninety-five Atlans were slaughtered on the open sandy plains that day, most of them killed by sharp cutting weapons that flew through the air on their accord, or were flung by assailants not visible to the Atlans despite the open land.”

  Goll’s finger reached the end of the newly-written text, and he slowly looked up at the Atlans standing around him.

  “Remarkable,” muttered Protector of Remembrance.

  “Disquieting,” Stillness of the Lake said.

  “We received a message from the High Council of Atlán about changes in our oral record-keeping that described the same incident,” Protector of Remembrance said gravely.

  “Some Atlans survived the massacre, and a small community of their descendants still resides in that area,” added Stillness of the Lake. “This is how it came to be imparted orally into our history.”

  “Logically, this community should be our first destination,” Protector of Remembrance said decisively.

  “I’ll look for it on my maps,” Rhuna said, walking briskly to the table on which several folded textile items had been placed for her.

  “The name of the Atlan township is Axla,” Goll said as she began to look at a map.

  “I can’t find it on any of the maps,” Rhuna said in dismay when she had carefully examined each one.

  “We shall find it somehow,” Damell said.

  Rhuna gathered the maps together and took them with her as they left the Depository. She heard the Atlan representatives walking behind her talking about the immenseness of record-keeping, then about the startling revelation that Goll had spent almost his entire life in the Depository of Archival Records.

  When they returned to their familiar rooms, Rhuna left the group to look for Tozar in the many alcoves, passages and dark corners of the mountain dwelling. She found him sitting near a heating stove, his hands wrapped around a steaming cup of strong tea.

  “It is cold at this high altitude,” he croaked feebly as Rhuna sat down next to him. He rubbed his bare hands around the hot cup and gingerly took a sip.

  “We live, eat and drink hot tea like the native people, and we seem to have adapted,” Rhuna said.

  “Impressive.”

  Rhuna looked down at the floor in silence as Tozar carefully took another sip of the hot and stimulating beverage.

  “Is she happy with him?”

  Rhuna hesitated as she thought carefully about Lozira’s emotional state.

  “He displayed true love and devotion when Lozira became emotionally ill, and he is always good to her,” Rhuna stated.

  “Is she happy?” Tozar repeated his question more firmly.

  “I don’t know exactly,” Rhuna answered honestly. “She wants to have a baby, but Goram is too distracted by other things, particularly how to stop the Dark Master.”

  “Hmm.”

  After another lengthy silence, Rhuna decided to tell him about the Atlan representatives’ visit to the Depository, the changing texts and that Goll will journey with them to the Black City.

  “He has never even left the Depository of Archival Texts!” Rhuna remarked.

  “Extraordinary.”

  Rhuna stood up and left Tozar to finish his tea, then decided to find her father. She pushed aside the heavy drapes that apportioned some areas of the labyrinth that was the home of most mountain-dwellers of this land. Damell was already seated in the small alcove lit only by two small candles. He smiled through half-opened eyes as Rhuna entered and lowered herself onto a cushion in front of him.

  “Shall we explore The Infinite for certain information?” he asked.

  “I’m curious about the massacre of Atlans told by both the Archival Texts and the Atlan oral tradition,” she replied.

  “They are one and the same,” Damell replied gloomily.

  “You’ve already explored The Infinite?” she asked her father.

  “For a brief moment, to ascertain that they refer to the same incident,” Damell answered. “It is difficult to perceive much more due to the length of elapsed time since the event.”

  “I’ve only gone into the recent past, and already found it a bit confusing,” Rhuna said.

  “The impressions become weaker the further into the past one observes,” Damell confirmed.

  “Strange…” Rhuna began with a sigh. “For us it’s as if the massacre only just happened, when in fact it occurred many generations in the past.”

  “The impressions of The Infinite become distorted near the Black City and the Dark One himself due to his manipulation of time,” Damell replied.

  “The Masters were right when they described his action as breaking time,” Rhuna said. “Breaking the fibre of time.”

  “He must be stopped!” Damell said with sudden vehemence. “Should this escalation of broken time continue across the entire world, then…”

  “Then what, Father?” Rhuna said, suddenly horrified.

  Damell sighed loudly.

  “Let us focus on the immediate issues,” he said firmly, shaking off the paralysing doubt and fear of the future.

  “I wanted to see the Atlan township called Axla by means of The Infinite,” Rhuna said, also regaining her composure. “If I know how it looks from above, I’ll be able to find it when we arrive in the RTE.”

  “Excellent plan,” Damell smiled.

  Rhuna arranged the large cushions behind her and leaned back, closing her eyes and breathing rhythmically to focus her mental concentration. She heard the
deep hum of vibrating energy as her awareness shifted from the physical conscious level to the higher levels of The Infinite. When she could no longer feel her body, Rhuna released her Extended Consciousness and began rising above the small enclosure in which she lay. She looked at her reclining body below, briefly observed the top of her father’s head as he sat nearby, and then willed herself to rise above the rocky roof.

  Rhuna’s Extended Consciousness passed through the massive mountain rock in an instant, and soon she was soaring above the snow-capped peaks like a bird. The sensations distracted her for a moment and she lingered to enjoy them before turning her attention to the town of Axla. She concentrated on the Atlan descendants who remained in the small settlement after the horrible massacre, and in the blink of an eye she was transported across endless plains and hills.

  Rhuna willed her Extended Consciousness to hover high above the township so that she could see its size, colours and surrounding landscapes. The land was flat and open, yellow-brown with some fields of green, but the township appeared dull brown and without any particular features. She felt disappointed that an Atlan town should be so ordinary, and willed her Extended Consciousness to float further downwards.

  The township of Axla had no paved roads, and the buildings were simple square structures made of sun-baked mud and straw bricks. The only feature resembling an Atlan township was the open court in the centre, and a small pyramidal structure at the end of a wide avenue. Rhuna noted the arrangement of roads around the plaza, and was satisfied that she would recognize it later when approaching it in her Rapid Transport Enclosure.

  Rhuna directed her Extended Consciousness back to her body, reminding herself not to rush the process of returning to the physical plane of consciousness. She breathed in deeply before opening her eyes and sitting up.

  “You saw the township?” Damell asked when she was seated upright.

  “Yes. It looks forlorn and desolated.”

  “Perhaps the ideal location for our habitation as we plan our foray to the Black City,” Damell said thoughtfully.

  The bustle of new season preparations throughout the mountainside communities continued throughout the days and most of the nights, and Rhuna felt impelled to join in the activities. The happy native people with brown skin, prominent cheekbones and dark slanted eyes displayed vibrant energy that greatly surprised Rhuna. She concluded that the end of the long, dark cold season released dormant and even pent-up energy, and this release was put to good use by cleaning indoor rooms and preparing the outside areas.

  Rhuna stepped outside to watch the people sweep away the last vestiges of snow and ice on the plateau, and then she walked along the short trail to her Rapid Transport Enclosure.

  “I hope it still functions properly after being in snow and ice for so long,” Rhuna remarked as she approached it with Aradin, Goram and Lozira.

  “Should it fail to function, I shall happily walk indefinitely to be far removed from this wretched place!” Goram declared loudly.

  “It was a good place to learn – and heal,” Lozira countered, smiling up at the warm sunshine and looking back at the entrance to the mountain dwelling. Rhuna also looked around, seeing only a wide wooden door in the ground out of which people streamed like ants out of an underground nest.

  “Here they come,” Goram grumbled as the four Atlan representatives emerged from the portal in the ground.

  “We are curious to see your vessel,” Stillness of the Lake said as she walked briskly towards Rhuna, looking up at the RTE beside her.

  “Such bright, gleaming metal,” Preserver of Faith remarked.

  “What is the purpose of its round shape?” asked Protector of Remembrance as he began to walk slowly around the vessel that had the appearance of an upturned food bowl.

  “It has many apertures all around it which emit a certain frequency of magnetic pulse, and this allows the vessel to move in any direction without turning or stopping,” Rhuna answered.

  “Ah, of course!” Protector of Remembrance responded. “So simple.”

  “Yet unknown in the land of Atlán,” remarked Greeter of Friends.

  “The earliest Atlan records allude to such air transport,” Protector of Remembrance said as he absent-mindedly stroked his long, white beard. “In the very early times.”

  “The time of the First Atlans, perhaps,” Goram said cautiously.

  “Yes, yes,” Protector of Remembrance nodded. “The First Atlans possessed vast knowledge, it is true.”

  “This knowledge was forgotten in Atlán, but not in the Atlan colony of Varappa, where the knowledge was used to produce many of these RTEs,” Aradin added.

  “Why was such knowledge forgotten in Atlán?” Lozira wondered.

  Rhuna looked around, surprised by the sudden silence among the Atlans.

  “It is…not fully understood,” Protector of Remembrance uttered cautiously.

  Goram grunted, and Rhuna looked at him, assuming that he knew the answer but was not willing to share his knowledge of certain elusive Atlan mysteries.

  After entering the RTE and finding the interior with levers, paddles and switches to be in good working order, Rhuna began to make preparations for their journey to the Black City. She searched the underground labyrinth for the storeroom of herbs, and was pleased to find Duga, the friendly Atlan-speaking native, working industriously among the sacks, pots and jars.

  “I need various herbs in case someone becomes ill during our journey,” she told Duga. The friendly man nodded and smiled, showing Rhuna where certain dried herbs and some prepared tinctures were stored. Rhuna took a large weaved basket from the corner and began filling it with the items she needed. Suddenly, Duga stood next to her, holding a bundle of herbs above the basket.

  “For Lozira.”

  Rhuna took the bundle from Duga’s hand and looked at the five familiar herbs with surprise, then horror.

  “Lozira? But this combination is used to expel an early pregnancy!” Rhuna exclaimed, looking at Duga with alarm.

  The gentle man merely smiled awkwardly and shrugged his shoulders.

  “Lozira asked you for these herbs before?” she demanded to know.

  Duga nodded. “At the beginning of cold season.”

  “Ohhh,” Rhuna groaned with full realization. “But…but I’m a Healer, and her mother!” Rhuna said with dismay. “ Why didn’t she come to me if she needed treatment?” she asked puzzled.

  Duga once again smiled awkwardly and shrugged his shoulders, then turned around to continue his work.

  Rhuna carried the basket of herbs to the RTE and carefully stored them alongside lamps, cushions and blankets in the floor cabinets of the round vessel. As she secured the tinctures and dried herbs, Rhuna’s eyes welled up with tears as she thought of her daughter withholding her terrible plight from her. She hurried to finish, and then rushed back into the mountain abode to find Aradin.

  “What’s wrong?” Aradin asked, when Rhuna burst into their sleeping alcove where he was cleaning melted candle wax from a shelf. She wiped her cheek and told him in a low whisper what she had learned from Duga.

  “Oh…” Aradin said with surprise and dismay. “That’s…sad,” he said at last. “And it’s sad that she didn’t tell you about her pregnancy and ask for help.”

  Rhuna shook her head. “I don’t understand why she didn’t tell me!”

  Aradin laid a comforting arm around her shoulders. “She would have had a reason.”

  “Should I go speak to her about it?”

  “Maybe this isn’t a good time, with Tozar here and the journey just ahead. Better wait until the right time,” he suggested.

  Rhuna nodded, grateful for her husband’s counsel during such times of emotional upheaval.

  As the sun descended behind the towering peaks surrounding the mountainside abode, the Atlans gathered around the table in one of the common rooms to enjoy hot soup and freshly baked barley dumplings. Rhuna washed the used food bowls in silence, standing next to Kiana
and Panapu who regularly assisted in the food preparation area. Suddenly, she heard the discussion by the Atlan representatives turn to the subject of the Dark Master, and she promptly returned to the table.

  “We are discussing a crucial issue of this time-conundrum,” Protector of Remembrance said as Rhuna took her seat between Aradin and Damell. She looked around the room and saw Tozar listening from a distance, seated against the far wall.

  “We have not been able to ascertain where the Dark One is at the present time,” the senior Atlan man continued.

  “ He is from our time,” Shandi interrupted chirpily, startling everyone.

  “She has said that before,” Rhuna said. “It means something important, but we don’t quite understand it yet.”

  The Atlan representatives looked puzzled.

  “She has the ability to foresee the future,” Aradin quickly explained. “The Masters of Ancient Wisdom call her a Time Dreamer.”

  “A Time Dreamer?” repeated Stillness of the Lake.

  “This is also new to us,” Greeter of Friends said, his voice tinged with awe as he looked at Shandi.

  “What does it actually mean, Honey Cakes?” Aradin asked, prodding his daughter gently for more information about her knowledge of the future.

  “He has to come back to his own time,” Shandi replied innocently, puzzled that no one around her seemed to understand her simple statement. “He wants to see Sula-tana,” the young girl added.

  “Sula-tana?” Rhuna repeated.

  Shandi smiled and nodded.

  “This only deepens our confusion,” Goram complained.

  Rhuna decided to remember the unusual name and her small daughter’s seemingly nonsensical words as the conversation returned to the original subject.

  “Yes,” Stillness of the Lake carried forth. “Events caused by him at the time of his arrival in the past continue to change throughout the generations up to our present time, which explains the ever-changing scape of the Black City and its many, diverse inhabitants. Yet what of him? Did he expire in death after a normal lifespan, or has he continued to inhabit other bodies with his Extended Consciousness?”