Two tiny membranes, like the wings of a butterfly, were clearly palpable. While Manchego racked his brains trying to imagine the plant and its purpose while in complete darkness, there came a spark.
AND THERE WAS LIGHT!
A shock of nourishing energy purged his soul from all his recent worries. In an instant he felt abnormally ecstatic.
The radiance exploded into a powerful fan of rosy lights. His eyes, which by now had grown used to pitch darkness, suffered as the light poured into his dilated pupils. He was not blind! What joy he felt! He was suddenly overcome by the fear of meeting a ghost, but the presence which radiated light assured him—without words—that all was well.
Little by little he began to notice details around him. The earth was black and moist, and kept the mark of his footsteps. The walls, of very dark rock, were stained by centuries of falling water. From the ground rose stalagmites, like alien structures. From the ceiling hung stalactites like the fangs of some terrible beast. He saw his body through his clothes, which were now in tatters. His legs were dirty with mud and blood. The right one was swollen and purple at the thigh and heel. His torn boot left his foot visible, badly injured and skinned.
But what most impressed him was his right arm, which had lost its regular shape and now looked like a branch broken at different points. Manchego focused on the bright light of the sphere, which was beating its wings before his face. He felt he was spellbound by something divine.
The sphere stopped at the level of his eyes. It no longer hurt to look at that dazzling light, radiant as the sun. Ideas and images began to course through his mind. In that wordless communication, the boy guessed that inside that globe there was a depth only accessible to a privileged few. He simply looked and thought. He felt a new current of ideas. He could not believe it. Another flow of thoughts made him pause, and from there a conclusion emerged: The sphere was transmitting its own thoughts to him.
Chapter XXI – Embracing the Sun
The most unusual thing happened. Manchego and the sphere communicated fluently, sharing ideas and thoughts without any boundaries. It was like talking to himself in his mind, only that when he talked to this presence it felt like he was talking to someone else, even though he was technically thinking to himself.
The boy suddenly felt hungry. He knew this had been prompted by the sphere, which offered him nothing less than the plant it had been born from. This was very odd. Manchego should have felt unease at being offered food so rapidly by an anomaly like the one before him. However, he felt like he could trust his life to this magnificent being.
He took a leaf, put it in his mouth, and chewed warily. At first he noticed only a grassy taste, but then the juices of the leaf entered his bloodstream. He felt a surge of energy which raised his spirits. Wolfishly he stuffed all the leaves he could in his mouth and chewed avidly. Very soon he had eaten all the foliage.
He closed his eyes. The pains in his body began to recede; strength came back to his muscles; he felt full of energy and vitality; his mind seemed to be thinking more quickly. And it was all thanks to the Teitú nut.
Seriously, am I helping you? In my opinion you’re the one who’s helping me.
What was that? the boy thought.
I don’t know, perhaps many things.
“Who said that?” he asked aloud.
Me.
“Who?”
Me!
“But who’s “me”? I don’t know who you are!”
It’s me! I’m right here, in front of your face!
Manchego saw the light floating before his eyes.
“Who are you?”
I’m me, replied the foreign thought. The reply did not satisfy Manchego.
“What’s your name?”
What’s a name? Do we have to have one?
Manchego had never wondered about this before. “It’s so that other people have something to call you.”
I don’t know who would need to call me. Did you have a name when you were born?
“No. The moment when I was born I didn’t.” The boy put a finger to his lips, pondering.
Who gave you your name?
“My grandmother, I guess…”
Then does that mean you’re my grandmother? What’s a grandmother?
“Oh, for the Gods’ sake! You’re showing up my ignorance; now I don’t even know why my grandmother gave me the name of a cheese. I guess I’m responsible for your birth, but I’m not your grandmother… How about calling you Teitú?
Am I Teitú? Right. I like it! Teitú and Manchego… Hello, Manchego!
“How do you know my name?”
I’ve known it for quite a while.
The boy realized he had had the nut for several months, and now that it had shown itself to be so magical, he was not surprised that in its primitive form it would already hold so much wisdom, so many mysteries. Had Ramancia transferred them to it? Why had the witch given him an object that would end up saving him from the shadow?
Manchego studied the sphere. There were no eyes or mouth; just light.
“How come you can speak my language?”
I don’t speak your language. I communicate with you through thoughts; you put them into words. It’s a useless conversation, because you can understand everything I think without any need to make a system out of it. But we’ve only just met, it’s too soon. One day you won’t do that any longer.
Manchego felt overwhelmed by so much wisdom. Could an ancient soul be dwelling within that light? “All right, but… who are you?”
I’m Teitú!
“I don’t mean the name; I want to know who you are.”
And what about you… who are you?
.“I’m Manchego.”
I don’t mean the name; I want to know who you are.
“Um… I don’t know. Well, I mean… I’m a lot of things; for instance, I’m a shepherd.”
That is “what” you are, or what you do, not “who” you are.
Manchego felt he was trapped in his own question. Answering “who” you are is not easy to do. “What are you?”
I don’t know. I am. What are you?
“I’m human.”
I don’t know what I am. I just am!
“Fine. That’s enough for now… Now what?”
Manchego did not know what to do with Teitú. Was it just a light to illuminate his way? Was it nothing more than a fruit of the plant he had fed on? Or did it have a more important purpose? How could he find out?
I don’t know. I don’t know what my purpose is. The only thing that’s clear is that we’re both trapped in the shadow, we both want to get out of it, and we have to do that as soon as possible. There’s a very evil presence lurking here.
“Let’s be friends!”
I like that idea!
“I ended up in this place for some reason I still don’t understand. If you like, I can tell you later.”
No, don’t tell me. You don’t need to. I can see.
“So what do you see?”
Everything that goes through your mind. Like the fact that you saw Ounces possessed by a spirit.
“You see inside my mind? How?” Manchego felt intimidated.
I don’t know. I just can.
“And why can’t I do the same thing?”
I don’t know. I don’t understand all your questions.
“How about setting off? I’m concerned about my grandmother and Luchy and I have to get out of here as soon as possible. Shall we look for the exit together?”
Sure! Quite honestly, I can’t think of anything else to do. I don’t want to stay here. I want to help you get out of here and get together with your family again. And for you to become the best rancher of the Empire.
“Thank you! And I want to help you to be who you must be. I’d like to tell you things; I trust you. I think this is going to be a very special relationship!”
Excellent! I think it would better if I guided you. I can fly and see obstacles and ways throu
gh. We’ll have to be careful; that arm of yours doesn’t look very healthy. You ought to get it looked at it when we get out of this horrible place.
“I agree. Listen, do you eat?”
I don’t know. I’ve only just been born, I’m still not sure of anything. Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. We’ll find out.
“Right then. Let’s get going, I don’t want to delay any longer.”
Follow me.
“What about the plant?”
I don’t know. What do you suggest?
“How about bringing it with us?”
Manchego uprooted the stem. The flower petals he kept as a possible source of food. The bud Teitú had emerged from was now burnt. Teitú took off and led the way, with Manchego following. Now he had a light, and more importantly, a new friend and guide. At last, after so many misfortunes, the boy was smiling.
Chapter XXII – Kanumorsus
Teitú proved to be the perfect ally during that journey. Thanks to its light, Manchego enjoyed visibility and safety so as to overcome the horrors of the shadows. The light spread for some distance around, and unlike the fire of the torch, it was steady and would not go out.
More than this, Teitú encouraged him, offering him the necessary link to keep him safe and sound, and covered him with its protective energy. The terrain was as rough as Manchego had guessed from the sound: rocks, wetness, cracks, landslides, and forests of stalagmites and stalactites.
The roof was so high that at times he could not make it out. The fact that Eromes had gone into this place for the sake of a newborn baby who had nothing to do with him, with just a torch and nothing else, entitled him to the deepest respect.
The stem of the plant turned out to be an excellent staff to lean on as he walked. The complexity of the place suggested that perhaps busy hands had shaped it with some very specific aim, but with only a superficial glance he could not deduce anything more. Tunnels opened out everywhere, like branches of the main passage.
“How long before we get out?” he asked, on the brink of despair. They had been walking for a long time and the path seemed interminable.
I have no idea. All I know is that this place is wonderful and terrible, created thousands and thousands of years ago.
Manchego sensed that Teitú was growing restless, and seconds later he felt the same sense of disturbance himself. It was a feeling of death and evil which sprang up all of a sudden, as if they had crossed an invisible portal and now found themselves in a new dimension.
Teitú confirmed this. I fear we’re coming closer to a source of evil energy. Something terrible is happening, or has happened, but this presence is strange… Wait a moment… what’s that? Green light? An abomination…
Teitú went closer to a group of rocks. His companion’s light was so bright that Manchego could not see what he was referring to, but he remembered the passage in Eromes’ book in which he talked about a green light.
Manchego… How strange this light is! The evil energy oozes between the rocks.
The boy went closer and saw the radiation of the green light for himself. With his staff he turned over a rock, and just as his grandfather had written in the red book, the rock stopped shining.
Manchego, listen carefully. You’ll realize that moment by moment, the light breathes out something like a symphony of sadness, death, and desolation. It’s the saddest and most evil thing I’ve witnessed in my short life, since I was just a nut. And listen… I think there’s more of the same further ahead. I hear echoes, I don’t perceive them by hearing them, but through my soul.
“Teitú, we need to go on and get out of here. These tunnels killed my grandfather.”
That’s right… I’m very sorry. You know… you should communicate with me through thoughts only. I don’t think it’s a good idea to speak out loud in these tunnels. Someone might hear us, said the seraph.
“You’re right… but… how do I do that?”
Try it out.
Like this? thought Manchego.
Just like that! You’ve got it. You’re a natural, thought Teitú.
Manchego felt good when he found communicating with Teitú was easy. Was it communication from mind to mind? It probably was. He wondered at the trust he felt in this light. It could be a trap, but something told him he could be at his ease with this sphere. He followed his odd companion. Teitú was continuing along a passage of massive rocks, heavy and smooth-surfaced. The dark mouth opened gradually into a cavern on a grand scale. The walls rose so high that the ceiling was invisible. Far away and high up, something vaguely reflected Teitú’s light and revealed the presence of precious stones.
At one point Manchego was obliged to climb a slope. At the top he was surprised to find a space of smooth rock, no more than five yards across. There was nothing but dust and rubble. It had the air of a lookout point.
There are no signs that anybody has passed through here for a long time.
Would you mind if we took a rest? thought the lad.
Excellent idea!
Here, Manchego thought, and sat down. You can rest between my legs; they’ll hide your light. You ought to rest as well.
I like the way you think!
Teitú flew to Manchego’s crossed legs and sheltered in the hollow of his knee.
I’d love to eat something… like tamalitos or arequipe from Luchy’s ranch.
That sounds delicious. But I’d advise you not to go there. Remembering what you love will only bring you emotional pain.
Manchego sighed. He lay down and stretched. His right arm was still in a bad state. He placed it on his chest so that it would not hurt.
How strange you are, Teitú. It means a lot to me, the honor of knowing a being like you. You give me the best advice and we barely know each other. He felt a great deal of curiosity about this luminous being.
Could I hold you? I’d like to see you from close to. He sat up.
I don’t see why not, thought the seraph.
Manchego stretched out a finger toward the sphere, inch by inch. How strange you are, Teitú. I don’t see that you have eyes or ears or a mouth. And those wings are something out of this world. I don’t know whether you’re masculine or feminine… You’re weightless! You’re wonderful!
What’s this about masculine or feminine?
The sex you belong to, and as he said the word, Luchy’s naked body came to his mind. He shook that image from his head. I was born a man. You know that by my genitals… between my legs.
What? What do you have between your legs?
Manchego blushed. He had opened up a thorny subject. Uh… perhaps you still have some growing up to do… We’d better talk about this some other time, he thought, still blushing.
D’you mean human reproduction?
Better another day, huh? Manchego lay back, ready to take a well-deserved nap. Teitú flew at ground level and got into the boy’s shirt, close to his heart.
***
Teitú went out to explore their surroundings. After a while it addressed Manchego. Can you hear me?
Manchego woke up immediately. He concentrated. The sound was crystal-clear and unmistakable.
Echoes.
Let’s go now, Manchego. Better safe than sorry, Teitú urged him. Something’s woken up…
The boy got to his feet with a start, and at once they began to descend from the top of the rise. The noise of stones moving sounded again at an incalculable distance, reverberating in the cave.
The walls became two thick columns of solid rock which supported a great arch, badly shaped, which gave entrance to a tunnel whose contours were smooth and well-cared-for. They went on, awed by the look of this new tunnel. Manchego imagined that only majestic beings, of great power, could have created this world. None of this could have been the result of any mere whim of nature.
Further on they identified the roar of water falling over a rockslide. The origin of the stream must be high up, beyond the range of sight. A restless breeze sprang up, and Teitú’s light t
ook on the colors of the rainbow. Then Manchego felt the ground trembling. An earthquake? No, it was not the ground, it was his legs. He was shivering with fear. He was not the only one; Teitú’s light was dimmer. Manchego began to understand.
“This is what the shadow wishes to do with its poison: to contaminate our souls and take away their spirits,” he told himself. “It’s what happened to my grandfather, and that’s why he lost his life.”
He composed himself and gathered his courage together. A powerful vital energy surged from the depths of his being. “I won’t let the shadow subdue me!” he said forcefully. He clenched his fists, tensed his muscles. “I’m not one to let myself be beaten. A man’s courage is forged out of pain and virtue, values and principles, sorrows and rewards; and if he perishes in his mission, let it be with the courage he showed when he gave himself over to the battle, and not with the cowardice which reduced him to rubble.”
Manchego stared at the sphere. “Your light is vital on my way, and my mind vital for your strength. If we don’t fight together we’ll lose, we’ll be left alone in this shadow which won’t rest till it devours us. Come on, then, let’s defeat this shadow!” Teitú replied by giving out an intense red flash. They went on. His step was firm, without any trace of doubt, illuminated by that beam of crimson light.
The waterfall flowed into a river. Manchego plunged into it and began to swim. He dodged rocks; sometimes the current pushed him off his course. When he glimpsed a shore, he made his way towards it and saw that it was the starting-point of a multitude of tunnels. His grandfather must have passed that way too. He did not know whether to be happy or sad, although at least he was now sure he was coming close to the heart of the evil, the place where Eromes had found his mother murdered and himself, newborn.
The green light they had seen before was everywhere here, illuminating floor, walls and ceiling.
Voices! Voices! Insane and sinister. I don’t even want to imagine whoever’s responsible for sorrow like that, Teitú thought.
Shepherd’s Awakening (Books 1-3) Page 15
