To Tame the Sentry Being

by Michael Georgiou

  “How do you do it?” Amelia asked.

  “It’s easy. See this stance I’m in?”

  She nodded.

  “Just copy what I’m doing.”

  She sat down beside him. Ednon felt his face redden.

  “Like this, Ed?” she asked, trying to copy his position.

  “Yep.”

  “Now what?”

  “Close your eyes.”

  “Oww!” she yelped. “Why do we have to do this in the field, there’s so many bugs and prickly leaves. Can’t we go inside?”

  “It’s sunny.”

  Once again she shut her eyes. Ednon opened his slightly to make sure they were, in fact, closed, plus it was a chance to look at her. He did not know what intoxicated him more – how beautiful she was or her pure unconditional kindness. Almost the same age, she had lived in Jovian ever since Ira brought Ednon and his brother up here from their old village down south. He continued to stare mindlessly, as if he were once again under a trance, until she opened her eyes, confused at the lack of instruction. He looked away, embarrassed she had caught his gaze.

  “So…”

  She reached out and grabbed his hand. “What do we do next, Ed?”

  Ednon literally could not think, which was ironic when trying to teach someone the method of meditation. He cleared his throat and regained his stance.

  “All you need to do is try to wipe everything from your mind.”

  “Everything?”

  “Yep… try and clear your head of every thought.”

  “Well, that’s going to be impossible.”

  Ednon wondered what she meant; he would have liked to have thought it was because they were now sitting so close that their faces were only inches away from each other’s.

  After almost a minute of them sitting with their eyes shut, Amelia broke the nothingness. “I told you this was going to be impossible.”

  “It will be if you keep talking…”

  They tried again, this time lasting slightly longer. Ednon could feel the tall grass underneath him, stroking his skin as Amelia had earlier. He could feel small insects moving slowly over him; he could smell the sunlight mixed with Amelia’s sweet aroma as it drifted into the ether. She was so close he could almost feel her life-essence.

  “I think a bug went up my nose…” she announced, once again breaking the silence.

  A while later, Ednon entered the back door of his farmhouse and was surprised to find Ira standing by the kitchen window.

  “Grandfather! You should still be in bed.”

  “Don’t worry, Ednon; I was just talking to Abacus.”

  Amelia’s father was sitting on one of the wooden chairs. In contrast to Ira’s smile, Abacus had a deeply worried expression upon his face.

  “Ednon,” Abacus announced, getting up from his chair to greet him.

  “Hello, Abacus.”

  The man was large and muscled, in his late thirties and shared many similar appearance traits with his daughter. He had the same freckles and strawberry blond hair, only much shorter.

  “Is Ami still playing outside?” He tried not to show it, but Ednon could sense pain emanating from his look.

  “No, she went home a while ago.”

  “Then I best go home too.” Abacus looked to Ira, who was continuing to idly stare outwards upon the fields. “Goodbye, Ira…” Ednon could swear he heard a slight waver in the man’s voice.

  “Goodbye, old friend.”

  Abacus gave Ednon a pat on the shoulder before proceeding to make his way to the door.

  “What was that about?” Ednon asked, after he was sure Abacus had left.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Mr Abacus sounded worried. What were the two of you talking about?”

  Ira turned, and in this moment showed him the same pained expression that Abacus had displayed. “You will find out in due course…” and with that, he coughed so violently he fell onto the hard floor. Ednon rushed over, helping him to his feet and onto a chair. He stared into his grandfather’s eyes; they seemed so distant and far away, as if they were no longer a part of him. Ira continued to hack into his hand. “Ednon…”

  “What is it?”

  “I need you to do something for me.”

  “What?”

  “Travel to Asterleigh.” Another coughing fit broke his flow. “Go to the Grand Library and bring back Poems from Worlds Long Gone.”

  “Poems from Worlds Long Gone,” Ednon repeated. “Okay. Let me bring you to your bed. It won’t take me long to get to the capital and back.”

  “No!” Ira demanded assertively. “I wish to have a moment of reflection underneath the sunlight. And Ednon…”

  “Yes?”

  Ira smiled again, but this time it was a genuine one. “Take Amelia with you and heed some advice. Once you take her hand, do not ever let it go.”

  Ednon, with Amelia beside him, made his way through the grassy meadows towards the capital, Asterleigh. It was a mere fifteen-minute walk from their homes in Jovian. Instead of joining the busy roads of men, carts and horses travelling back and forth from the capital, the two decided to take the path through the meadows, to walk through the long winding grass.

  “Okay… I’ve got one,” Ednon said, after passing a herd of cows. “Why do cows like being told jokes?”

  “Why?”

  “Because they like being amoooosed!”

  “That was awful…”

  “Let’s hear your joke then!”

  She thought it over for a while as the two moved closer towards the gates of the city walls.

  “What do you get when you cross an angry sheep with a moody cow?”

  Ednon shook his head, anticipating the answer.

  “An animal that’s in a baaaaaaaad mooooood!”

  Ednon continued to shake his head, as they laughingly walked past the sentry garrison and through the open gates of South Asterleigh. The streets were swarming with people. Always so different on a sunny day, Ednon reflected; everyone seemed happier. Ednon watched a family with two sons playfully fighting with each other and his mind drifted to Syros. It had been well over a month since he had last seen his brother on the night after the eclipse. He must have already set off on his military campaign. Nerves swirled around his stomach; he hoped Syros was okay and he wondered whether he would write. He never used to; when he had moved away to the military hostel in Asterleigh, he’d normally sneak back to their home on odd nights to engage him in discussion. However, with Syros travelling so far away, he assumed there would be no chance whatsoever of his brother keeping in contact. He felt his eyes fill up, but quickly wiped them before Amelia noticed. Ednon made a conscious decision at that moment that, if there was a way to bring his brother back, he would do all he could to make that happen.

  After travelling through the congested streets, Ednon and Amelia found themselves in front of the gilded doors of the Grand Library. It was more of a temple than a library, as large as a palace, its marble walls patterned in gold. The Grand Library of Asterleigh had apparently stood for thousands of years, many centuries before humans had even inhabited the area. Statues of all five gods of mythology flanked the pathway leading to the entrance. He looked at Medzu. This statue was infinitely smaller than the one looming over the city from the clouds. It did not have the colour pattern, nor was it emitting a heavenly glow.

  “Here we are,” Amelia said, interrupting Ednon’s thoughts. “I’ve walked past this building many times with my parents, but this will be the first time I’ve ever gone in.”

  Ednon was a regular visitor to the Library, borrowing books for either himself or the sickly Ira. It was the only reason for him to ever visit the capital. Ira used to take him before his sickness, saying it was not for the books or the knowledge they held, but because he found the atmosphere calm
and cerebral. He told Ednon this was where, as a young man, he would meet with other local pacifists, to discuss ways of trying to change the military state into a democracy. He would say it was the perfect place to hold these kinds of treasonous meetings because “it was almost always completely empty”.

  They both entered through the jewel-encrusted golden doors, where they were instantly greeted by the old caretaker of the Library, with book in hand and sitting by her desk only yards away from the entrance – the elderly Ageth.

  “Ednon!” she beamed. “It’s good to see you… and who is this young thing you have brought?” She tilted her glasses to get a better look at Amelia’s face. Ageth was short and skinny and black of skin, with wrinkles covering every inch of her visible body. She had worked in the Library for most of her long life, using a wooden walking stick for assistance to move around its dimly lit halls. She was even older than Ira and almost as wise, Ednon found himself thinking, whenever the two were in discussion.

  “This is Amelia,” he explained to her in an elevated half-shout. He had to remember to speak loudly as she was almost completely deaf. “She’s my next-door neighbour from Jovian.”

  “Oh, you’ve got yourself a girlfriend, Ednon, well isn’t that the sweet-”

  “She’s not my girlfriend!” Ednon interrupted, his face enflamed. He glanced over to Amelia, who was looking just as awkward.

  “What have you come searching for today, my little burning star?”

  “Ira sent me. Do you remember where the book Poems from Worlds Long Gone is stored?”

  The old woman thought to herself for a moment. “Row Q, right next to the fountain, third book on the left, middle row.”

  “Wow,” Amelia gasped. “How did you… ”

  “Years of walking these hallways. When you spend as much time here as I do, you start to dream of books and where they are located. So, how is dear Ira?”

  “Ira’s not been well lately but he’s been doing…” He queried whether he was going to tell her the truth. “Better.”

  “Oh dear. Please tell him to come and visit when he’s feeling well.”

  “I will.”

  “Ednon, I’ll wait outside. I saw someone selling ice cream. I will get some for when you’re done.”

  The two of them thanked the old woman and Ednon, now by himself, continued to explore the Grand Library attempting to find the area Ageth had told them to search for. The library was extensive and seemed to stretch on for miles. The halls were completely desolate except for the shadowy figure of a man lurking in the corner of his eyes each time he passed a new row of vacated aisles. Ednon assumed it was a man. In fact, he could not determine any physical appearance whatsoever. He could only see a face partially bandaged with white cloth and two bloodshot eyes that matched Ednon’s stare each time he glanced over. Just as the time before, they were in a long black cloak that ran far down past their arms, hands and feet. He had seen this figure the last time he had visited the Grand Library and, much like this occasion, the two of them were the only people present. The shadowy figure was watching his every movement, as if it was surveying an animal that was about to be hunted.

  Ednon had asked Ageth about the figure the last time he had visited. She had just smiled and answered with, “Must be another keen reader.”

  Ednon was deep in the darkened depths of the library, surrounded by rows upon rows of books. This side of the building had no windows, so he did not have the benefit of any natural light for assistance. He picked up a lit lantern hanging upon the white marble walls and was searching for either the fountain Ageth had mentioned or an indication of the start of row Q, when a distant, far-off voice caught his attention.

  “This world will end… ” It was so faint Ednon questioned whether he had truly heard it. However, he could feel a presence behind him. Lantern in hand and nerves jangling in his stomach, he turned to see the bandaged figure only a couple of feet away, looming over him like a shadow being cast from an early sun.

  “W-what did you say?” Ednon asked, fear etched into every syllable.

  The shadow was large, twice the size of Ednon. The cloak surrounding it was the darkest shade of black he had ever seen; its eyes were red, fierce and terrifying. They were open wide and not wavering from Ednon’s own. He could sense only emptiness and a dark fluorescence emanating from his shadow-like stalker.

  “This world will end…” This time, there was more clarity in its emotionless voice.

  The figure started to move towards him. Ednon stumbled backwards onto the floor, trying desperately to get away. The figure was only an arm’s reach from him; its red eyes grew fiercer, gleaming like rubies in the dark. With each step, it moved forwards, with hand extended to within touching distance of Ednon’s face. Ednon had never thrown a punch before, but this seemed as good a time as any. He curled his hand into a fist, let out a sort of feeble war cry, and attempted to strike the figure. However, just as he was about to make contact, to his astonishment, his hand moved through it, as if it was not truly there at all.

  “What happened!” Ednon gasped, heart and mind rattling. “Why did it go through you?”

  “Stand upon your feet, my shining lodestar.” The bandaged being’s eyes locked onto Ednon’s own, refusing to flicker for an instant.

  What did it call me? Ednon questioned. However, he felt something change inside him after he heard these words. He no longer felt afraid. In fact, he had never felt this confident.

  He stood with purpose, looked intently at the shadowy figure, right into those sharp bloodshot eyes that for some unknown reason felt so familiar, and asked in a clear, calm voice, “Who are you?”

  “A shadow,” the figure told him. “Lost molecules and matter. Dispersed within space and time, searching long and tirelessly for you, my young starry wayfarer.”

  “What do you want with me?” Ednon asked. Is this thing for real? Is it, truly, even here with me? Is this really happening or am I merely dreaming once more?

  “Your essence glows like the brightest of lights engulfed within the darkest of nightmares.” It was as if it were not truly present there in front of him. “Yes… I am sure that it shines within you. When the time comes, child, you must leave this world behind. The gods’ hands are in motion; plans from long ago have begun. The end has come riding upon the Star of Sechen, travelling across the cosmos. This world will soon cease to be…”

  “There must be a way to stop this from happening?” Ednon shouted.

  The figure appeared to be shaking its head. It was hard for Ednon to see, only a few dim lanterns were illuminating his field of vision.

  “This world has had its chance; it no longer deserves its place in the universe. There is only misery and death here.”

  “It’s not all misery and death. Many of us are trying to change it.”

  “Whether you do or you don’t no longer makes any difference. As I said before, this is a plan from the gods. We are merely pawns in their games, helpless and subservient. The only course left is to escape, and hope the darkness left lingering from this world doesn’t follow you when you go.”

  Ednon had so many questions racing through his mind that he did not know where to begin. “How will I know when the end comes?” was the question he found himself asking. “What will I have to do when it’s time?”

  “Stay close to your friends. The old and the new. When the time does come, you will know it. We shall next meet upon the shores of Xerus.”

  The lanterns upon the walls witnessing them flickered violently. Did it say Xerus? Ednon asked himself. Xerus was one of the five worlds sharing its planetary rotation around the twin suns along with Vena. His grandfather once told him if there was life on another planet within this solar system, it would most likely be Xerus; but how could he ever possibly get there, through the black void of space?

  The figure’s dark cloak swayed from it
s movement. “Sleep tight, my divine prince. Follow where your dreams lead you… ” it finished quietly, before slowly dematerialising, much like smoke fading within air, into the shadows of the Library.

  4

  The Placid Forest

  They had been riding east for many weeks, under still azure darkness and radiant sunlit days. Syros and his fellow comrades of Zelta had finally crossed beyond the borders of the human territories and had entered into the realms of the unknown. It had taken its time, but Syros could sense his first bloodshed. The moment for which he had been craving almost his entire life was soon approaching. He had found all the travelling tedious at best. Saniya had not spoken to him once since he had upset her back in Asterleigh, which left the downtime dull and uneventful. Torjan had tried to broker a peace between them many times, either while on horseback or by the fireside while they camped. However, she had refused each time. I don’t care, Syros thought to himself when he saw her being so painfully unsubtle whenever she passed him. Makes her more in the mood for battle if she remains angry with me. They were not out here on vacation, as some of the other members of Zelta Squadron seemed to believe with their joking and games. We are here to kill the enemy not frolic on the fields. Most of his cohort had already begun to shun him; even Torjan was growing weary of his cynicism and moody behaviour. I don’t care anymore, he once again told himself.

  He felt the anger grow inside him each day. Whenever he slept he dreamt of Dashera’s face and when he awoke, he felt a little more coldness engraving itself inside him. The feelings of enmity and angst held onto him so tightly, he couldn’t any longer remember a time without them. He pictured his grandfather going off on one of his tangents on hatred and he felt like punching something; and Ed, he was always the faultless one. No matter the circumstance, Ed would always find a way of reminding the world of how perfect he was. But he must admit deep down that he did miss them both, especially Ednon. They at least did not scare him, not as Mercivous did. He had not appeared to have taken his eyes off Syros ever since they had first set out upon their campaign. Not for one moment had his cold dead stare stopped fixating on Syros, with those baleful eyes that penetrated through the flickering flames of the campfire, while displaying a haunting and menacing smile. Syros was no longer in doubt that the devil rode here beside him, wearing false human skin.