Universal Parallels: The Earth
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After a moment of silence, Stephen finally answered:
«You are right, as always, Harold,» he breathed, and pulled his sword from its scabbard. He put it against the thin neck of a young girl.
The elders held their breath for a moment, and Stephen wanted to see the reaction of the unexpected guest to it. The maiden was standing still. Not a muscle moved on her face. Stephen was amazed at her calmness. He pursed his lips, removed the point from her neck and hooked the ropes on which the cloak was tied. He cut them in one easy move. The fabric tinted in the Earth Clan color fell heavily on the floor, freeing of its shackles, the shoulders and the fragile figure of Deva. A startled «oh-oh-oh» echoed through the room. Even the calloused and hardened elders admired such beauty, which was previously hidden from them, and now shone with a starry sky right in front of their faces. Stephen, pleased with his escapade, returned to his throne and, sitting down comfortably, he coolly gave the command:
«Take her to the tower.»
The guards did not take long to wait. They approached Deva and wanted to take her by the elbows, as they used to do, but stopped near her, afraid to touch her. This charming cloak, covering the girl, both attracted and repelled with its beauty. It seemed that their hands weren’t below them, and their brains stubbornly resisted obeying their master. Seeing this hitch, Stephen, who was already pretty tired of all the events of the day, roared:
«What kind of ceremony?! Take her away!»
The guards, frightened by the anger of their leader, still found the strength to move. But as soon as they held out their hands, the girl recoiled. Turning around and looking at each of them, the maiden said in a firm voice:
«I will follow you whenever you say.»
Those, unable to withstand the pressure of her gaze, retreated. One of them nodded to her and went first. She followed him. The second guard closed the chain. He followed the maiden and could not take his eyes off her wonderful cloak, which stretched like a weightless mantle. Stephen, watching this picture, shook his head in displeasure.
The door slammed behind Deva, and she was escorted back through the winding corridors. They were on their way to the prisoner’s tower. She had read it all from the elders’ minds when she was in the room where they sat on their carved thrones. She understood perfectly well where she was being led, but she was still not afraid for herself or her fate. The only thing she aspired to was to understand where to begin the path to reconciliation of people. For all the time she had spent here, she had never seen any spark of desire for change in any person. They were all faded, as if they had frozen and died while alive. Everyone she met that day was not burning with any desire or aspiration related to a peaceful existence. More precisely, they wanted to live in peace, but they wanted to dominate, be above others, be stronger than others. But what could move them, what could help them to change, she didn’t know or hadn’t found yet. Her path was obviously long and thorny. Given the place where she was being led, the future seemed not just shrouded in fog, it was obscured by an impenetrable smoke screen, from which she had to find a way out, both for herself and for all mankind.
Getting higher up the endless steps of the spiral staircase, they finally stopped. Hearing the clang of the key in the keyhole, Deva realized that her path was over at the moment. «Now the door will close behind me and, probably, my mission will be completed,» she thought, giving in to despair, but tried to hold on and not to show it.
The guard opened the door for her, and without waiting for an invitation, she stepped inside with her head held high. At the same moment, the iron door slammed shut behind, leaving her completely alone. The key rattled in the keyhole again. One turn. The second. The sound of retreating footsteps. Deva was left along with herself and the bare walls that stared at her with bulging stones. Only a small elongated window was kindly positioned towards her, offering bird’s-eye views. Looking around, she saw a shabbily made bed in the corner. More precisely, its likeness, made of rough boards. Opposite, was exactly the same bed. The window was in the middle and divided the small room into two halves.
Deva, without thinking twice, walked forward. Ignoring the beds, she went straight to the window, the lower part of which was reaching the floor.
«So, these were the towers… the towers for prisoners,» she said softly and cheerlessly, now understanding the purpose of those four inner towers of the settlement. She stared into the inevitable dusk, and tears gradually welled up in her eyes.
From a height, Deva saw the valley. It stretched like a lifeless cradle for miles. To the right, there were peaks of mountains, probably belonging to a hostile clan. The lands were devastated and deserted. Seeing this whole miserable picture, even with such poor lightning, she was even more deeply struck by all the devastation going on outside the settlement wall. Deva finally allowed herself to exhale. She closed her eyes, and streams of tears poured down her cheeks. There was nothing she could do. She gripped the wall and sank smoothly to her knees. Her heart was almost not beating, and there was a continuous cloudy veil in front of her eyes. She sobbed with the realization of her impotence, swallowing salty tears. «Are they doomed, and did the Creators make a mistake?» she wondered. The tears did not stop running, filling the rivers formed on her cheeks with new streams.
Leaning back against the wall, she pulled her legs up to her and wrapped her arms around them. Resting her head on her knees, she watched as the night mist descended to the ground, taking over more and more new territories. Covering with a dark veil, hiding the ugliness that people have created.
Eventually, Deva falls asleep. It seemed like only a minute had passed since she closed her eyes when she heard the heavy footsteps of a warrior and the clang of a key in the keyhole. She lifted her eyelids and looked towards the opening door. There was the same guard who had brought her here yesterday. The face of the guard was gloomy and tense, but he didn’t say a word. Probably he noticed that the night had passed for the maiden quickly and brought neither cheerfulness nor rest. Deva indifferently turned away from him and looked out the window again. The sun was shining brightly and she squinted. The piercing blue sky appeared to her in its all glory, and, having got used to the light, she opened her eyes wide to enjoy its azure in a golden glow.
Gazing into its endless, she felt hope again. Gathering her courage, she turned her head and looked at the guard. He was still standing in the doorway, steadfastly waiting and not bothering her.
Stealing a curious glance at the girl, he decided to give her time, which was obviously vital for her now. She looked up at the sky as if it gave her the strength she needed after a night spent in captivity. And as soon as she looked at him again, he nodded at her, as if asking if she was ready. The maiden, without saying a word, got up from the floor, shook off the hem of her dress, straightened her hair and cloak and moved towards him confidently. He stepped aside a little to make way for her. The weightless cloak trailed behind her and didn’t even seem to touch the floor. He looked at it again, as if mesmerized, remembering how quiet starry nights can be.
CHAPTER 4
Stephen did not sleep that night again. Tossing from side to side, he ran in his head through the events of the previous day. «It’s already the second night without sleep. An endless stream of worries. I thought a miracle had fallen on our heads that would help us to cope with the enemies, but it turns out that it is of no use. Let’s see if the tower will bring her to reason. But if not? Then the dungeons?» He was full of doubts about what to do with her. «Why did you come to us? To remind us once again of our plight? Yes, we are falling into decline, no matter how deplorable it may sound. I, my elders, and perhaps the people already understand that this cannot be fixed. It is not possible to change or fix something that was broken centuries ago. I’m just trying to save time. I’m trying to slow it down as much as I can. If we win the war, it will probably revitalize the clan, pour new blood, and inspire the exhausted people. And if not? Don’t you dare doubt it! Don’t you dare lose faith! You have a son. It’s not all gone yet. Sleep, Stephen!» he closed his eyes tightly, trying not to let his feelings run away. Tried not to think about anything else. His body, like his head, demanded rest, and he obeyed then fell into a short and troubled sleep.
They wanted to notify him that morning was coming, but he didn’t seem to need it. Coming out of the dressing room and not believing his eyes, Stephen stopped in the doorway. He stared in amazement at the floor, which was covered with weightless golden lights. It had been a lot of time since the sun had looked into their lands. He took the first step, crossing the line, grunted contentedly to himself and headed to the exit of the chamber.
At the same time, the prisoner was taken out of captivity. Deva stopped at the wall and waited for further commands from her escort. The guard was rattling the keys as he closed the door and, having finished with it, he turned to the prisoner, showering her with a wave of derogatory gaze. The maiden shrank a little and lowered her head.
Convinced with his complete superiority, he headed for the stairs. The guard walked steadily down the steps and struck a rhythm with the iron tips of his boots. The maiden followed him noiselessly, and her light tread resembled the breath of a spring wind. The guard was silent, and Deva did not want to bother him with unnecessary questions. She followed him, maintaining their mutual silence.
Quickly descending the stairs of the tower, they found themselves in the corridors of the castle that she already knew. «How easy it is to remember the path that may be the last in your life,» she mused, running her thoughtful gaze over the walls, windows, ceilings and floor.
And here, again, is the very door on which the bird was carved, forever sealed in a tree. Stopping in front of it, she reflected on the vicissitudes of fate, which, as if frozen in one day, decided to repeat this scene.
«It’s just like yesterday,» she thought, walking to the middle of the council room. «The head of the clan is on a raised platform in the center, flanked by his elders. It seems that they didn’t even change their clothes, as if they had been sitting here all night making a decision about my fate. Or maybe about someone else’s.» She ran her eyes over the rich robes of the elders sitting in front of her.
When she stopped her eyes at the head, she tripped over his sword, which she had noticed the day before. Something about the sword seemed familiar to her, but she couldn’t figure out what it was. Stephen also stared at her with a long, tenacious and searching gaze. There was silence in the room from the moment the maiden appeared.
«What an interesting thing,» she mused, not taking her eyes off the sword, which seemed to have especially attracted all her attention. «I remember something, but I can’t get to the truth,» she frowned and narrowed her eyes, looking for a trace in her memories.
The minutes of silence seemed to last forever.
«Well, Deva, how was the night? Tell us,» Stephen finally broke the long silence.
«I’m fine, thank you,» she replied humbly, not taking her eyes off the sword until he covered it with his robe. Then she stared at the floor.
All this annoyed Stephen very much. He was used to being feared, and all these sickening pleasantries made him unbalanced. He was frowning. The words of the girl about the extinction which she had said earlier were moving in his head. He couldn’t move the word out of his head. After examining her with his eyes to the holes, he thought: «She is not who she says she is. What kind of assistance is she? She won’t even be able to kill a fly,» he was indignant and to some extent upset.
«So, you liked our tower,» he smiled smugly and looked at his elders, who, like him, bared their teeth in response. «Would you like to spend another night there?»
«As you wish,» the maiden replied meekly.
«Why are you nursing her, Stephen?» Meatraw shouted, who was also starting to get mad at this humility. «Send her to the dungeons and that’s it!» he banged his fist on the arm of the chair.
«I agree with Meatraw,» Oleo said. «We are all terribly tired and it seems that there is no escape from this scourge.»
«Who else hopes to find salvation for themselves in the dungeons?» Stephen asked an ambiguous question, looking pressive at the council, but there was no answer.
The elders feared the dungeons like fire. They hadn’t been down there for a long time, and people weren’t sent often to the tunnels. It was all the fault of the legend, the truthfulness of which they were afraid to test on their own skins. So they intimidated all the prisoners who needed to loosen their tongues. And what’s add more, it really worked. They had a special cave where the too intractable were kept – they instantly became silk and soft. But they wanted to deal with this lady once and for all. They did not see any benefit in it for themselves. Nothing supernatural, except for how she got to them, and an unusual cloak.
«And is there any use in them? Will they help us to resolve our issue?» he turned to the elders, nodding towards Deva. «Let’s start it again,» he gave her another chance, without hearing any sensible suggestions or objections from the council. «Why did you come to us?»
«To help,» the maiden whispered, but everyone heard her voice.
«In what way?» Stephen decided to support the absurdity of this dialogue, when suddenly the door of the council room burst open, banging against the wall. The guard dragged the fugitive, unceremoniously throwing him on the floor next to Deva and right in front of the council. Startled, she flinched and jumped aside, and everyone in the room fell silent, watching the scene unfold. The fugitive got all the attention now. The one, who slowly rose from the floor, stood up to his hull height. The one who looked fearlessly and contemptuously at the council.
Standing slightly to the left, Deva had the opportunity to see them from the side. She examined the very young, but already so self-confident man. He was dressed in upscale fabrics that were badly tattered and now looked more like rags, which were hanging and exposing wounded skin. He didn’t have a sword with him. The young man did not notice Deva at all. All his attention was addressed only to the head. He seemed ready to incinerate Stephen, but he clearly lacked the strength to do it. His jaw was clenched, and his hands were clenched into fists every now and then. Rage bubbled and boiled in him.
Stephen was looking at the young man as well. He was not taking his displeased eyes off him. He was obviously very angry, but he didn’t show it so much that it was noticeable from the outside. The head was clearly doing well with emotional control and the ability to put on masks, unlike the young man who had not yet learned this skill. Looking at him standing in this rag, Stephen maintaining complete external calm, said:
«Good morning, son. I am glad that you have returned home,» he said coldly and aloof, showing indifference and contempt.
At this time, Daniel was furiously clenching his fists. His stern gaze was still fixed on his father.
«I didn’t ask to be returned anywhere,» he said through clenched teeth with the hatred he could muster.
«It was necessary,» Stephen answered him harshly, raising his voice. «Do you know what the penalty is for running away?»
«Do whatever you want,» Daniel answered indifferently, lowering his lifeless gaze to the floor.
«What were you thinking about? What prompted you to run away? Is life so bad in your native walls?» Stephen broke up.
«Yes! It’s bad!» Daniel shouted. «And I certainly wasn’t thinking about new conquests. That is all… All is meaningless!» he looked at his father and waved his hand towards the windows.
«Is it meaningless? Meaningless? Come to your senses, son! Are you refusing to defend your people? The future sovereign escapes from the clan, where has this been seen? Well, the mother is not here, she does not see such a shame,» Stephen burst into words.
«It’s good thing she is not here. She doesn’t see everything you do. You are all doing,» he nodded at the hushed elders.
«You can’t judge me,» Stephen snapped. «When the time comes and you take my place, you will regret saying those words.»
«Or maybe I don’t want to sit on a throne drowning in blood,» Daniel snapped.
«You don’t have a choice. You will have to take over the reins,» Stephen answered him unexpectedly calmly. «And I want you to be ready for that.»
«I am always ready, father. But not to fratricidal wars,» Daniel shook his head.
«Then they will kill you first. To whom you will leave your people? Did you think about that before you ran off with your tail between your legs?»
«As you put it, I didn’t keep my tail between my legs. And if I hadn’t been caught, then you wouldn’t have to justify yourself to your henchmen right now,» Daniel answered him defiantly and willfully.
Stephen took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and shook his head. He could not believe that his son could go against his father’s will. That his son does not understand the importance of all that his ancestors have been building for so long.
«Yes, blood. What did you want? To sit on white soft feather beds and soar in the clouds? Did you think it was so easy to hold power in the hands, control an entire clan, protect it and not let it disappear from the face of this Earth?» After a pause, Stephen started to talk with his son again.
«The face of this Earth is kind of creepy. And I don’t want to live like that,» Daniel disgusted him.
«You are not just speaking for yourself!» Stephan roared. «There are thousands of other people behind you. Finally understand this! And stop playing your games. The price for your irresponsibility will be paid by the whole clan!»
Daniel closed his eyes and shook his head. There was silence in the room again. The elders looked at each other, waiting to see how this battle would end. Father and son showdowns have become a frequent occurrence lately, but they preferred not to interfere, giving them the opportunity to solve their problems by themselves. However, after Daniel’s escape, they actually gave up on him, realizing that he will be a lousy head and will not bring anything good to the clan. Daniel, standing in front of his father and the council like an eternal outcast, could not understand why they liked the lifestyle they lead. He couldn’t believe that it was impossible to live any other way and there was only one way. The one that was once laid by his ancestors. The one who, in pursuit of the right of primacy, destroys, sweeps away everything in his path.
After coming to himself, he opened his eyes and turned his head to the left. Suddenly, a wonderfully beautiful cape came into his field of vision. The fabric of it shone silver and shimmered slightly. Interested, he ran over it higher and stopped his gaze on a sweet face bottomless oceans of eyes. Unexpectedly, he felt as if he had fallen through somewhere and was falling down a dipper. Deva stared at him intently, without blinking or looking away and he could not tear himself away – she captivated him so much with her gaze. It seemed to Daniel that time had stopped around him. He even stopped hearing his heartbeat and maybe even breathing. The traps of her eyes caught him as if he were a helpless mouse who had just fallen for the bait.
Deva listened attentively to their entire dialogue and wondered what actions the father would take to pacify his wayward son. Will he relent or give instructions to execute the heir? She looked into the eyes of everyone. She read their minds, all except Stephen. She still didn’t see him. He, like yesterday, was close to her. But when she managed to catch the young man’s gaze, she saw everything that he hid from others, but could not hide from her. Looking into his soul, Deva saw hatred and rage blazing with bright fire, and indifference and hopelessness replaced them, like the colors of multicolored crystals shimmering in the sun. The son hated not his father, but his actions: wars, bloodshed, separation from his beloved from another clan. After reading this, Deva raised an eyebrow. She was pleasantly surprised by the young man’s outburst of feelings for a girl not from his lands. Despite the fact that communication with enemy clans was strictly forbidden, this did not stop any of the two of them. They strove for each other, as if a plant seeks to put down its roots in fertile soil. And it seems that even his father’s will could not stop him. Even now, after all Stephen’s sobering speeches, Daniel was determined. He wanted to escape again, leaving this place forever. «What is the force driving him?» she mused, contemplating his destined future. «A force that will move not only mountains, stop not only rivers, but also go against the father’s will. It’s a pity that he has to make such a choice. He could be a good leader.»
«Traitors deserve only death,» an unexpected phrase that popped up in Daniel’s head intruded into her visions. This was the law of the Earth Clan, which did not bode well for him. At this time, Stephen was closely watching the silent communication between the maiden and his son. For a moment, it even seemed to him that he had seen it somewhere before. These strange, but familiar «peepers» to the point of suffocating pain in the throat.
«What’s going on here?» he wondered mentally, noticeably cooled down after a stormy dialogue with his son and heir. «In her eyes I see sympathy, sadness, genuine interest, courage. It’s been a long time since I’ve met such a person, pure and sincere,» he marveled at his own out of nowhere gentleness towards this young lady.
A loud, harsh and slightly shouty voice pulled Stephen out of his thoughts:
«He needs to be executed! He is a traitor, and you know our laws. Stephen,» said Harold, his deputy, who was already tired of the inaction of the leader.
Smoothly and even reluctantly, Stephen turned the head in his direction and calmly replied:
«I have to listen to the opinions of all the elders, given the special circumstances,» by which he meant his son, the sole heir to the throne.
The elders exchanged glances. They understood that executing Daniel was not such an easy task. Even though he broke the law. Although he went against the head, in case of his death there will be no one to pass the reins of government. They supported Stephen, nodding, wanting to take part in the discussion of the future fate of his son, taking into account all that he had done. Daniel wasn’t a bad boy. This strange obsession attacked him not so long ago. As long as they remembered him, he was always easy-going, intelligent, inquisitive and never contradicted his father. Now it’s like he’s been replaced. And after he was caught in the woods and returned home, he was not at ease with himself at all: he was rude, impertinent, and said various stupid things.
After a moment’s hesitation, Stephen coldly gave the command:
«Lock him in the tower.»
Right now, his only desire was to get his son out of sight. He didn’t want to see him, and even more, he wanted to erase from his memory and the memory of the elders what had just happened in this room. «What a shame. In front of everyone, I listened to my son’s nonsense. I raised him, educated him, and he did… Who is he to talk to me like that?» Stephen looked at the approaching guards who were standing at the door. «How could he betray my expectations? Betray the people?» he shifted his disappointed gaze to his offspring. «Where was your head when you ran away from the clan? And what should I do with all this?»
The guards approached Daniel. He didn’t resist. Only twitched once when his hands were put behind his back. Without taking his gaze off his father, who made the decision to lock him in the tower, Daniel did not condemn him for this. Rather, his eyes expressed sympathy and were full of sorrow. A heavy and inconsolable grief for the father he used to be.