Ized- the Ancestors

by Esther Barvar

  Ugar had explained to him that the very first transformation for the magician was associated with terrible pain. When the dragon awoke in him and broke out for the first time, the magician suffered. This moment was critical, and only when the dragon was ready to speak the sentence of transformation did the magician become the priest. After that, both beings had to find their way together. They had to learn to harmonize.

  Ugar himself had never experienced this ceremony. However, it was familiar to him, as it was passed on from generation to generation.

  A metamorphosis was not harmless. An unimaginably long time ago, a few dragons refused the sentence of transformation. If something like that happened, the magician got lost in the dragon. The priest did not wake up. These wild dragons flew away and were never seen again.

  But it was even worse when priest and dragon went mad. Then they were unpredictable, just as the Red was.

  The power of the Red had increased immeasurably over the years. He could not only create the Naga out of anything, which attacked and killed the villages without really living himself. Many thousands of years ago, shortly after the death of the last Black and his priest, the Red raised the entire land of Emeishan with his magic. The wall that was created was so high that it became impossible to overcome it and enter or leave the land. The borders were steeply sloping rock faces in all directions, with no protrusions or niches. The Red granted only one entrance, and that was a trap for all who entered it. Anyone who was not killed by the Red on the narrow path would die on the hot plateau. And the wasteland grew from year to year. At some point, all of Emeishan would be a wasteland.

  Maioshan looked doubtfully from Ugar to Balor.

  Ugar noticed her gaze and smiled soothingly. »I went through the ceremony several times with the young man. Again and again, he spoke the words. He masters every sentence and every hand movement. Do not hesitate, priestess, that the Red will not find a way to harm him after all.« With this, he pointed to Adar.

  Maioshan finally smiled and nodded. »Tomorrow at sunrise. Will you also join his Ugar?«

  Smiling, he blinked at her. »Of course, priestess. I won’t miss such an event. When does a mortal have the opportunity to be present at the ceremony? When was the last priest awakened? For so many generations, no one has dared to go the way, for everyone knows that he is more a curse than a blessing to the magician, as long as the Red exists«.

  Adar left with Maioshan again.

  Balor leaned pale against the wall. »And if I do something wrong, Ugar?« he asked in an uncertain voice.

  Ugar looked happily over at him. »Not every word has to be spoken that way, but the context has to be right. So first calm down. You know everything inside and out. Shall we perform the ritual again for safety’s sake,« he asked friendly.

  Balor nodded thoughtfully and carefully adjusted the dagger and cup. Then he breathed deeply and held the ceremony again. Balor watched him critically. Every word and gesture agreed with what his predecessor had taught him. He smiled contentedly.

  Maioshan led Adar up into the cave. Many servants cleaned up the mess the Naga had made here. Adar, together with Maioshan, looked out of the cave over the land.

  »It is a beautiful sight, dearest. Here I want to be with you more often and just look over the beautiful country.«

  He stood behind Maioshan, put his hands on her shoulders, and tenderly kissed her slender neck.

  »This is a lovely idea. We should create a niche here again, a place where we can sit and relax, maybe drink tea together«.

  She smiled pensively, leaned against him, but then quickly became serious. »I brought you here to explain the procedure for tomorrow morning.«

  He looked attentively at the golden altar. It was covered again with the black velvet cloth. Maioshan went over and smoothed out the few folds with her hands. Then she turned to him.

  »This cloth is folded into a rectangle in front of the altar tomorrow,« she explained, »You are asked if you are ready to go the priest’s way. If you answer no, neither this ceremony nor any other will ever take place. If you answer yes, Balor will ask the Brown for the gift. He will inflict a small wound on my dragon with the Stone Dagger. The little blood that comes out flows into the cup. Then you will kneel on the black cloth, accept the vessel and drink the little sip of dragon’s blood. The first transformation happens in terrible pain. The awakening of the dragon when it breaks out of you is awful. There is no pain comparable to this. When the Black has awakened, he must speak the sentence of transformation. It reads - I am the Black, and the Black is the Priest -. Only when this formula is pronounced will you become a priest. Then your eyes will be golden, like mine. If the dragon refuses to pronounce the sentence, then you are lost, Adar.«

  »So will I be a Black?«

  »No, my love.« She shook her head. »You are not the Black. You are not a dragon, any more than I am a dragon. But a Black is in you. You are two in one. Each of you has his own will, but the priest is the one who makes the decision. And since a Black has always rested in a man, I assume that your dragon is also a Black. Women usually carry a Red or Brown in them. There were only a few exceptions. Before ancient times there was the white-golden, the primal dragon. The beginning of all magic. He gave his children the gift to walk among humans in human form. The direct children were dragons in all possible colors. But that changed. We have to wait for the ceremony to know the details.«

  »This story, Atesch told me about it,« Adar pondered. He remembered it. So it had been a real story that Maioshan had told her son over and over again.

  She looked at him for a long time and then nodded. »Yes, I told him. It was long before I was born. I am not a direct child of the white-golden one. Adar, you don’t necessarily have to go that way, but then you must never leave this fortress again. You could fall into the hands of the Red. Only here, you are safe. Because, as Ugar already said, the priest is curse and blessing at the same time. And the dragon also has rights. He is a fighter and a flyer. You must learn to harmonize with each other. The power that the awakening of the dragon causes in you is immeasurable. It also affects. We don’t age anymore. But you do not become invulnerable. The Red can kill us, just as the Naga can. We are not like him, who cannot be destroyed by anything. We can no longer go to Ized if we don’t want to endanger the people and our son there. Should we ever enter Ized again, the Red will suspect that something exists there that is important to us. He will look for our weak spot. He will be ruthless and would destroy your country and kill Atesch.«

  »And if we would bring him here to us?« he asked quietly.

  »The Red would find ways to kidnap him from Taishan. Atesch is still a child, gullible. As much as I believe in the good in people, there will be others. Those who hope, if they pass on information to the Red, to gain advantages from it. We could not protect him all the time, and he would be an easy victim. Mamien would, without batting an eye, make him suffer before she kills him. He is still too young to make him a priest. Since he is not a priest by birth, he would not age anymore. The old law suggests that the magician should be as twenty as possible before he goes this way. Besides, I don’t want to force him to live as a priest. He should be allowed to lead his life, start a family, and become happy. A priest hardly experiences the happiness of having a family, as I have had in recent years.« She leaned her head against his chest.

  But Adar had seen a tear run down her cheek. She loved Atesch, and because she loved him, she was never allowed to see him again. Otherwise, his life would be in danger. It hurt him, but it seemed to be the only way to protect his son. »I told Ugar about my son, but I think your butler will be silent and not tell anyone,« he confessed quietly.

  She nodded, but she would still talk to Ugar and ask him never to say anything about her son. Ugar was like a father to her. He would be silent.

  The Red had sensed Maioshan in Ized and searched for her there. He had come a little closer to her from time to time. When she returned to Emeishan, the
fires that the Red had brought across the land also stopped. His interest in the land had died out. But since Adar had followed her, the Red now even knew about him. If one of them would return to Ized, however, the interest in the land could revive. The risk was too great. They were not allowed to go back. Otherwise, the Red could find out about Atesch and use the knowledge against them. Adar had understood the problem.

  When they later returned to the rooms, they lived in together, and he realized that this might be their last get-together. If the dragon were not ready to speak the sentence of transformation, Adar would cease to exist.

  Tenderly he stroked her cheek and chin with one hand. He kissed the corners of her mouth. While his hands stroked her body, he penetrated her mouth with his tongue. She opened the shirt and shoved it over his shoulders as he loosened the band holding her tunic. Both growled softly, and as they kissed, she slowly pushed him towards the bedroom. All the clothes gradually fell to the floor. He gently sucked on her breasts while her hand stroked his clothes.

  Both trembled with excitement even before they reached the bed. He shuddered into her, and she too trembled again and again under his blows.

  Adar stood before Balor and the golden altar in the cave of Taishan.

  »Magician, are you ready to follow the priest’s path?«

  A fleeting smile scurried Adar over the trains. There was no other way for him. He replied calmly: »Yes, I am ready to go the way of the priest.«

  The young man who stood before the magician nodded contentedly and turned to the golden altar after the answer. You could see the nervousness as he grasped the Stone Dagger and the Silver Cup with trembling hands. Only for a few days had he been practicing the ceremony. Ugar had had him perform all movements and sentences countless times, yet he feared to do anything wrong.

  That was the most important ceremony in all of Emeishan. That was the only way to awaken the dragon in the magician. Otherwise, he slept an eternal sleep. But the magician only became a priest when the dragon recognized him.

  This ceremony had not been held for many thousands of years. Many priests had died since then. Meanwhile, there were only two priestesses left. But today, with a little luck, a new priest would be created.

  Balor took the Stone Dagger in his right hand and the small Silver Cup in his left. With them, he stepped before the Brown, who sat beside the altar and bowed deeply before him.

  »The magician standing before the altar is ready to walk the way of the priest. He asks for the gift of the Brown. Do you grant him the gift?«

  The huge head of the Brown nodded thoughtfully. »I grant the gift of blood.« Then the Brown lowered his head and offered his neck.

  Balor pressed the sharp edge of the dagger firmly against the neck of the Brown. The stone tip pointed towards the ground, and the dark blood that flowed along the blade dripped into the cup. Only a small sip fit in. When it was full, Balor loosened the dagger from the Brown’s scales and returned it to its place on the altar. The wound on the Brown’s neck healed immediately.

  The young man took a step back and bowed to the altar. With the cup in his hand, he turned to Adar and stepped up to the cloth. »The path of the priest should not be taken carelessly, for he changes the magician. The blood awakens the second soul in your breast. But be warned, for it happens in unspeakable pain. If you are ready to go the way, kneel and accept the gift of the Brown. As soon as you drink this blood, it will transform you and awaken your second soul. The woman gives her blood to the man, and the man gives his blood to the woman.«

  Adar did not hesitate for a moment. He took the last step and kneeled silently on the cloth that otherwise hid the altar. With both hands, he took the cup, looked inside, breathed deeply once, and drank the one sip of blood. Then he returned the cup.

  Balor placed the empty cup on the altar, turned back to the magician, and held out his hands to support him.

  Ugar had told Balor what would happen now. He knew the pain would come, the terrible agonies of the very first transformation. There had not been a magician for a long time who had gone this way. But Ugar, who knew all the legends and legends, had told it.

  Adar also knew what was going to happen and closed his eyes expectantly. But in his wildest dreams, he could not have imagined what was to come. He had never felt such pain.

  Fire ran down his throat. The fire burned in his stomach and ran through his whole body.

  Pain!

  All he noticed were terrible pain. It exceeded everything he could have imagined. He had the feeling of burning from within.

  Adar screamed, and his body cramped, he bent down. He broke away from Balor and wrapped his arms around his body with clenched fists. The moment he threw himself back in pain, his body lit up in a glaring light. The entire cave was flooded, dazzling all present. The magician changed, and the Black awoke. Roaring, he broke out of the magician for the very first time.

  Balor spoke reassuringly to him: »You are the Black, and the Black is the priest. Speak the truth and make peace with each other.« Several times and quietly, Balor spoke the phrase. It took a few moments, but then the Black spoke the words of transformation with the voice of the magician.

  »I am the Black, and the Black is the priest,« it sounded through the cave, and instantly the Black turned back into the magician. This time, however, without the bright glow. It was only a soft light that now accompanied the transformation.

  The young man who stood there was no longer the same, for the brown of his eyes had given way to the gold of the priests. Now everyone could recognize the priest by his eyes. The original and absolute power of the magician was awakened.

  Adar staggered strongly, and Balor supported him. He led the young priest, trembling with weakness, to an armchair where he could rest. The priestess knelt before him. Adar took her face between his hands. He lowered his head and sank into a long kiss. Then he let himself fall back into the armchair exhausted. Shortly afterward, she carried a cup of water on his lips.

  Ugar, who had sat in another chair and watched the ceremony, had tears in his eyes. He was happy about the auspicious ceremony. Now the priest and the dragon could start a life together. Moreover, the priestess was no longer alone.

  Balor stepped behind him and laid a hand on his shoulder. Ugar put his hand over it and whispered: »Balor, it was beautiful. You did it well. Finally, I was able to see priests and dragons awaken. It is overwhelming! A really touching moment, wasn’t it?«

  »Yes, Ugar, it was awesome. But it would have been even better if you had been able to perform the ceremony.«

  Ugar shook his head and smiled knowingly: »It was good the way you did it. You will take over more and more of my tasks in the future. I am happy to have found a successor like you. Because the butler of the priests is an important reference person for this one. Does your wife like working in the kitchen?«

  »Very even. She has not only the talent to cook. She is also very good at trading. She also discovers the best vegetable and fruit growers. So now the cook regularly sends her to the villages to do some shopping for the fortress.«

  Later Adar stood alone in the cave and looked over the fertile land. He was now a priest in the land of Emeishan.

  The priest of the Black!

  Now his eyes were no longer brown, as is often the case in his homeland Ized, but golden. And by these golden eyes, he could also be recognized as a priest, for only the priests possessed such eyes.

  The tiny sip of the Brown’s blood that Balor had given him freed the Black in him. It felt right to allow his second soul the right to live. Nevertheless, something shuddered him. The reason of what had always driven him into the distance. He felt this urge now as well, but now he knew where he was coming from. It was the dragon in him who sought distance.

  He was the only male priest.

  Maioshan, his wife, was one of the two female priests. It was his duty to support her, to help her fight the Red and his priestess until the Ringbearer finally appeared.
/>   There had been a Black before, but the Red had killed him. The only thing that was left of the Black was fragments of the extinct eyes - two black jewels. The priestess of the Brown had had them set in rings. The rings were far away from the priestess of the Red. They were in Ized, a land where there were still many magicians. There was hope that they would awaken at some point.

  The Red could not take these rings. For they were the only hope for the land and promised the destruction of the Red. If the Ringbearer ever appeared and walked the priest’s path, he could only free the land with their help.

  She walked a lonely and dangerous path, the priestess of Brown. In the future, he would walk it together with her. Adar went it not only for the woman he loved. He went this way because so many innocent people suffered and died under the priestess of the Red. He had never been able to stand idly by and watch innocent people suffer.

  The priestess of the Red killed everything that stood in her way. He had experienced it himself a few weeks ago when all the inhabitants of a village were executed just because these people had helped him - him, a magician!

  Besides the people the Red killed, he murdered above all magicians. For only these could become priests and thus fulfill the prophecy of his destruction. But because he killed them, many magicians had fled their homeland thousands of years ago, away to other lands. First to Ized, and from there on to Nenok, and also to Gupan. All magicians of the known world originally came from Emeishan, the land of magicians and dragons. From the land of priests.

  He wanted to wait with Maioshan for the prophecy to come true. They would wait for the Ringbearer so that the land would finally be free. Year after year and if it lasted thousands of years. For he was now a priest, and time played only a subordinate role for him.