Stealing Sacred Fire

by Constantine, Storm

  Then someone called his name, and the image shattered, sparks of light and colour flying out to either side to be absorbed by the watchful cliffs.

  Daniel turned and saw Shem strolling towards him. He uttered a low sound of annoyance. ‘Thanks!’

  Shem frowned. ‘For what?’

  Daniel sighed, shook his head. ‘I saw something, and your voice dispelled the vision, that’s all.’ He related what he’d seen.

  Shem nodded thoughtfully. ‘Could have been a memory of people who once lived here — Watcher descendants. The nomads of the mountains are referred to as ‘pale tall trees,’ did you know that?’

  ‘No. But I don’t think the vision was simply that.’

  Shem put a hand on Daniel’s arm. ‘This country: you can feel the magic, can’t you?’ He inhaled slowly. ‘Smell it.’

  It was almost touching how at ease Shem felt in these surroundings. Daniel glanced around him. He’d always thought of Eden as being an oasis in a desert, but of course that was not so. It had existed somewhere in the mountains. How much did the Yarasadi know of their heritage? Was it all demons and angels to them, or did they realise that the Grigori still walked among them?

  Shem put his hands upon Daniel’s shoulders and looked directly into his eyes. ‘Well, it has to be said by one of us, so it might as well be me. Can we rescue what we once had?’

  Daniel forced himself to hold Shem’s gaze. He felt cornered, unable to organise his thoughts. ‘I don’t know.’ He shook his head. ‘No. We can only move on.’

  ‘Together or alone?’

  Daniel could feel himself responding to Shem’s presence. He wanted to curl his arms around Shem’s body, hold him close, but something still prevented him. Instead, he rested his hands upon Shem’s arms. ‘I was only a child when you showed to me the secrets of your history and gave me extended life. I was in awe of you, Shem, dazzled by your beauty. You have to remember I had only recently discovered my own sexuality. You were a god to me then.’

  Shem smiled sadly. ‘Are you telling me that your feelings for me have gone?’

  Daniel shook his head, frowning. ‘I don’t know what I feel. After you retreated into yourself, I could not think of becoming close to anyone else. I’ve been alone for five years. That’s a long time to live without love. It’s changed me. I think I ‘shut down’ more than just my psychic abilities.’

  Shem brushed the fingers of one hand down Daniel’s face. ‘Perhaps the two are connected.’

  Daniel pulled away, nodded. ‘Could be. I have to work it out.’

  Shem folded his arms. ‘Come back to me, Daniel. I will wait, but I want you back.’ He paused. ‘Is this anything to do with the fight we had at Fatime’s village?’

  Daniel stared at him. ‘No. I can’t say that helped, but...’ He waited for an apology, but none was forthcoming. Resigned to the fact, he sighed. ‘Anyway, what happened there is irrelevant. I know we have to talk, Shem, and it will be soon, but I don’t feel ready yet.’ He looked around himself. ‘Maybe here, I can think more clearly.’ He smiled. ‘No doubt I’ll have plenty of time. How long do you think Gadreel will make us wait?’

  Shem accepted the change of subject without comment. ‘Who knows? But he will come, Daniel. I am convinced of it.’ He slung an arm around Daniel’s shoulders. ‘Come on, let’s forget our differences for a while and just walk. This country should be enjoyed through the senses.’

  That evening Qimir decreed that a feast should be set for his guests. Gone now was the reticence of when they’d first arrived at the camp. The settlement was decked with garlands of flowers, and the atmosphere was light and joyous, as if the tribe were happy to forget their problems for the slightest cause and give in to the urge to celebrate. Fires burned among the dwellings, sending cascades of sparks into the night sky and filling the air with the scent of wood-smoke. Musicians practised around the tents, playing stringed instruments named tamburas, an oboe-like object called a zurna and drums they called duhuls. Everybody’s feet seemed to itch to dance; robes swung more widely as people walked around the settlement and eyes sparked with a desire for childish wickedness. Daniel was caught up in the atmosphere of it, and felt his heart soar like a bird over the mountains. Deep, throbbing echoes seemed to boom from crag to crag, and he had a vague sense as of vast wings flapping ponderously overhead. Something was due to happen; he could sense it.

  As dusk fell, and fires were lit around the tents to roast spitted sheep, Daniel walked once more to the path that led to the cliff dwellings. At the edge of the valley, he turned and gazed back down over the settlement. It seemed to him that he’d slipped back in time, that at any moment tall, robed shapes, wearing cloaks of feathers would melt out of the trees, and the people would fall down before them in adoration. Duhuls beat a tattoo upon the night and above, the stars were piercingly bright. It was like the eve of a great battle; a certain repressed hysteria in the air. Gadreel is coming, he thought, but perhaps it was more than that.

  On impulse, Daniel began to ascend the narrow path that led towards the caves. Something was drawing him there. Small stones crunched beneath his feet, rolling down into the valley. He noticed that one of the caves was illuminated by a red, flickering glow. As he drew closer to the entrance, he saw a straight-backed, seated figure silhouetted against the light within. Daniel had thought all the Yarasadi were present at the feast below. Even in the dim radiance, Daniel sensed this person was watching him intently, calling out to him with a firm inner voice.

  The sounds and sights of the night seemed more alive, as if his senses had become more acute. It reminded him of the time in High Crag, when Shem had bestowed longevity upon him. At first, he’d been unable to bear the intensity of his senses. Even inanimate objects had seemed threatening. Now, Daniel did not feel threatened by his heightened perception, but intoxicated.

  By the time he’d reached the small fire at the cave mouth, Daniel was panting, but not because of the climb. He could now see that the seated figure was male, but before he arrived at the rocky entrance, the man stood up and retreated swiftly into the cave. Daniel was compelled to follow. Music and laughter in the valley called him back, but the summons was weak.

  The interior of the cave was lit by the warm glow of several oil lamps that rested on the floor and in niches in the rock. The walls were covered in strange designs that looked very old: pictures of figures seated in a cross-legged position, wearing tall, conical hats. There was no sign of the man who had been seated outside, and but for the sputtering of oil, no sound. Daniel called, Hello!’, and it seemed as if his voice conjured the chuckle of trickling water that appeared to originate from the back of the cave. Daniel noticed a narrow opening in the stone there, partly hidden by a hanging rug. Cautiously, he went towards it.

  A mature male voice called from the chamber beyond. ‘Well, are you going to come through, or do I have to wait all night?’

  Daniel hesitated for a moment, then squeezed through the crack in the wall and emerged into another chamber, smaller than the one he’d left behind. It was almost empty but for a pool of water that flowed out of a narrow fissure in the rock. The pool was about six feet wide, its surface glittering with the starfire reflections from an old brass oil lamp that hung on the wall. A couple of thread-bare, gold-embroidered cushions were scattered along the nearside of the pool, suggesting people came here to contemplate, or else scry, by the waters. The air was damp and fresh against the skin.

  A man stood before Daniel, hands on hips, smiling in welcome. ‘Ah, here you are at last!’ He appeared older than the other Yarasadi Daniel had met and was dressed in a white robe cinched with a crimson sash. His hair was short, his feet bare. ‘Come forward. Let me have a look at you.’

  Daniel ventured further into the cave. ‘Are you a priest?’ he asked.

  The old man sat down on one of the cushions by the pool, and gestured with his hands. ‘In many ways. I am Mani, the last of my kind.’

  ‘Why have you called to me?’ />
  Mani’s weathered face rippled with splashes of golden light that were reflected from the water. ‘We share similar gifts, young one. We have business together. Please, sit with me a while. We must talk.’

  Daniel sat down opposite the old man, on the brocade cushions. ‘What gifts do we share?’

  ‘That of the sight,’ Mani said. He gestured widely. ‘I would like to tell you about myself.’

  Daniel shrugged, displayed the palms of his hands. ‘Then please do.’

  Mani settled himself on the cushions. ‘I am not of this tribe. My family were Magians, who lived in the city that now is Babylon. I was the last of my father’s line and have no children of my own. When King Nimnezzar came to power, he summoned me to his court and told me I must join the ranks of his elite company of Magi. I would not join the pretender and had to flee for my life. I already had enemies at court who envied my powers. The Yarasadi gave me sanctuary, so here I am. Mani the Magian, at your service.’ He bowed his head and spread his arms wide.

  Daniel bowed his head in return. ‘I’m Daniel Cranton, from England.’

  Mani nodded. ‘Yes. Daniel of the Lion.’

  Daniel smiled. ‘That’s not the first time I’ve heard that.’

  Mani raised his brows. ‘Your soul has a long affinity with the lion. An ancestress of yours once worked in the house of Sekhmet, She of the Eye of Fire.’

  ‘The Egyptian lioness goddess?’ Daniel shook his head. ‘How can you know that?’

  Mani grinned and made a languid gesture with his hands. ‘I know much about you, Daniel. I’ve been waiting a long time for you and your companions to arrive.’ He nodded to himself for a moment, then said, ‘Tell me what you thought of your vision of the holy twins.’

  Daniel could not conceal his surprise. ‘You know of that too? Is it a common phenomenon around here?’

  ‘Not at all. But I knew that you would see it.’

  ‘Why did I? Can you tell me what it meant?’

  Mani rested his hands on his crossed knees. ‘Let me tell you a little of what your coming here means. The prophet Gadreel has spoken to Qimir, and has told him of the Grigori. The Yarasadi have been made aware of their ancestry. I have known of the Grigori’s existence since I was a young man. I was curious, and in those days a scholar hungry for knowledge. I learned much of the secret history of the Fallen Ones, the Daevic race, for I was not afraid to delve into areas that were fraught with danger. Often, I ran for my life, clutching nothing but a fragment of papyrus containing a single sentence that was only another tiny piece in the puzzle I was trying to solve. I learned things that even Gadreel did not know. Now, I instruct Qimir, for he too wants to share this knowledge.’

  ‘So you knew that Shemyaza would come here?’

  Mani shrugged expressively. ‘Not exactly. Gadreel would ask me questions constantly, for I too wear the mantle of the vizier. Gadreel was, like your master, driven to do certain things. But what was the great purpose of it? I searched the hidden world for answers, but all I learned was that the fallen Watchers must once again form a brotherhood. How would that happen? Gadreel had met no others, and I could find no trace of them through my spirit guides. When the news came to us that your master, Shemyaza, was seeking Gadreel, we all knew that the time had come for us to learn the answer to our questions. Shemyaza has returned to his home land to put right the wrongs of ancient times, to reverse history.’

  Daniel kept his face expressionless. ‘Go on…’

  ‘When we received the news, Gadreel was suspicious. It seemed almost too convenient that Shemyaza would come seeking his own kind in this forsaken and ravaged country. Gadreel had always believed the Watchers would have to find their king for themselves. It was possible that Nimnezzar might have sent an impostor to infiltrate the Yarasadi. We had to have proof that Shemyaza is who he claims to be. Yesterday, he unveiled himself in the dwelling of Qimir and the light of the angels filled our little settlement. I watched, here from my cave, with the sight of my inner eye. I noted quickly that you were different from your two companions. They are Grigori, but you are not, yet you have an important part to play in Shemyaza’s destiny. The vision of the twins was sent to tell you that something lies hidden within you. Your seams, too, are ready to split.’

  Daniel frowned. ‘What does that mean exactly?’

  Mani gestured with one hand. ‘I cannot tell you the answer. You must learn it for yourself. But I can guide you. Shemyaza does not yet have awareness of the true nature of his destiny, does he?’

  Daniel shrugged. ‘Shem is opaque at the best of times, but I know that he still feels confused. The role of divine kingship has been thrust upon him and I think part of him resents it.’

  ‘As his vizier, he considers it your job to answer the questions in his heart.’

  Daniel nodded, with a sad smile. ‘That’s true. I keep failing him.’

  Mani leaned forward and spoke more urgently. ‘Daniel of the Lion, can’t you feel what is happening? A new epoch is dawning, bringing with it a higher spirituality for the races of the world. Your visions lead you to a specific goal. Surely you have begun to work out their message?’

  Daniel shrugged perplexed. ‘All I know is that Shem felt driven to come here and find Gadreel. Back in England, I received information in trance about some kind of hall of records, where the lost knowledge of the Grigori’s ancestors is stored. I’ve also been told about a key to this place, a key in the sky. Shem feels the answer to whatever his destiny is lies in Old Eden, but as yet, I’ve been unable to discover exactly what it is he must do here.’

  Mani nodded as Daniel spoke. ‘You are on the right path. Gadreel too has had visions similar to yours. Perhaps it would help if you examined Kurdish beliefs, for they relate to Shemyaza’s task. Time, or history, for the spiritual Kurd is divided into a number of epochs. When the last epoch has run its course, humankind will walk the sacred bridge into heaven. In each epoch, there are seven avatars of the divine creator incarnated upon the earth. We are now at the last epoch. What comes after will be as different to anything this world has experienced before as a little crawling caterpillar is different to a butterfly. The lost knowledge of the Grigori belongs to the world, but until now it has not been ready for it. Shemyaza and his companions are the seven avatars for this epoch. You, Daniel, are one of these avatars. You represent the Khidir, the Kurdish Green Man of the earth. He is a spirit of nature, of love, beauty and emotion. It is the task of the seven to fulfil the world’s destiny, so it may pass to its next stage of evolution.’

  ‘But Shem does not have six companions,’ Daniel said.

  ‘They will come to him,’ Mani said, and smiled. ‘He is here to gather his brethren around him in order to rebuild his kingdom. Your task is to show him the vision of what that kingdom will be.’

  Daniel gestured helplessly with wide arms. ‘I feel my sight is deserting me. How can I show him anything?’

  Mani laughed. ‘You saw the holy twins in the valley. Think, Daniel. What else have you seen since you have been here among these people?’

  Daniel glanced at him sharply. ‘Well, I had a dream. There was a strange being in it, who seemed like a Grigori, but was not.’

  ‘Describe this dream to me.’

  Daniel told everything that he could remember. ‘The being seemed older than time. The more I think about it the stronger I feel that he was Grigori, or at least connected with them, but unlike the Grigori, he had no human elements within him. I don’t think he was of this earth.’

  Mani nodded. ‘What you have described is one of the Elder Gods. They came to this world straight from the source of all creation and initiated the beginnings of life. The Elders came before the Grigori, long before. They are no more, but the Anannage and then the Grigori were their legacy to the world.’

  ‘But what was the Elder trying to show me?’

  Mani considered, then made an abrupt gesture. ‘He was offering you the key to the Chambers of Light.’

 
‘The Chambers of Light? The hall of records?’

  ‘Yes, it is where the knowledge of the Elder Gods is stored and hidden. Once you have the key, you will discover more about them. For now, you must concentrate on the significance of the seven, and of forming this brotherhood.’

  ‘You said that I was one of them,’ Daniel said. ‘But I can’t see how. I’m not Grigori like the others.’

  Mani grinned. ‘In your vision, the Elder was offering back to you all that you have lost.’

  Daniel raised his eyebrows. ‘My sight?’

  Mani smiled. ‘No, far more than that, Daniel of the Lion. You will see.’ He gestured around him. ‘There is a purpose to your coming here, more than just to talk with me. This cave is a shrine to Khidir. Through this shrine, and Khidir’s help, a person may enter the hidden worlds. What is to happen to you cannot take place in this world. You must leave it for a time.’

  Daniel couldn’t repress a shudder. ‘That sounds like death.’

  Mani shrugged. ‘Perhaps it is. There are many forms of death and not all are final. Are you afraid?’

  Daniel uttered a nervous laugh. ‘Only a fool would not be.’

  ‘True. Yet will you trust me?’

  Daniel rested his chin in his hands. ‘I was drawn here and my instincts tell me you mean me no harm. Yes, I will trust you. I’ve been in darkness. Whatever light you can offer me, I must take.’

  Mani smiled. ‘Good. Now listen to me. To summon the Khidir, preparations have to be made for forty days and forty nights. I have made these preparations in readiness for this night. Come, we must gaze into the sacred pool.’

  They sat together beside the dark water that shone with points of light. It was like staring at a reflection of the night sky, but no sky that had ever looked down upon the earth. Its constellations were unknown to Daniel. Mani pulled out a small, blackened pottery bowl from a pocket in his robes, along with other implements for the ritual to come. He began to chant in a soft sing-song voice, and crumbled what looked like dried leaves into the bowl. To these, he added a few drops of an oily liquid from a small, stoppered bottle.