Part 21 (1/2)
”Sit,” he said, indicating a log to his left. She did, and he joined her.
”Let me begin by saying that I am not simply a holy man stirred to anger by your pacifistic tendencies. That was merely a role I deemed likely to lead you in the correct direction. My true name, or at least, the one by which I am most frequently known, is Oriech,” he said.
”If you aren't a priest, then what are you?” she asked.
”A difficult question to answer. I suppose the simplest description of my place in this world is the hand of fate. For the most part, the course of history is left to its own devices. On occasion, there is an imperative. Something that must be done to ensure the course stays true. I am charged with a.s.suring such events,” he said.
”You mean the prophesy,” she said.
He sighed.
”To a certain degree, it can be viewed that way, yes,” he reluctantly agreed.
”But that doesn't make any sense. You didn't help me. You didn't lead me! You forced me back out into the cold when I first met you,” she said.
”And I told you to go to Bydell, where you met Lain. It isn't much, I know, but it had to occur at that time, in that way, or other more important things could not have been possible. I have done the same for each of the Chosen. Lain knew me as an old man named Ben. Others knew me by other names. Had I done my job better, this meeting might not have been necessary, but as it stands, things are not precisely as they should have been. There are things you believe that are not so, and things you need to know which you do not. Now is the time to rectify that,” he said.
”So you can answer all of my questions,” she said.
”No, not all. I am here merely to inform you of that which you already know, and which you would have known had the path not s.h.i.+fted,” he said.
”Why? Why now?” she asked.
”The point of no return has been reached. The names of the Chosen have been written in stone. The Great Convergence has occurred,” he said.
”What? No! How can that be? We have only found three,” she said.
”I count four,” he said.
”Lain, Ether, and Ivy,” she said.
”And you,” he added.
The words made Myranda's heart leap into her throat.
”It can't be! I can't be Chosen!” she said frantically.
”You are pure of soul . . . ” he began.
”But I am not divine of birth. My mother and father were human. They were mortal,” she remarked.
”You needn't be born of a G.o.d to be divine of birth. Your existence in this world must simply be the work of the direct will of the divine,” he clarified.
”Then how? How am I the work of the divine?” she asked.
”I am not certain you truly wish to know that answer. It is not as . . . inspiring as one might hope,” he warned.
”Tell me,” she demanded.
He sighed again.
”The G.o.ds are many things. They are mighty, they are wise, and above all, they are anxious for change. As such they take great interest in the lives of mortals. One day, your mother and father became of particular interest to two of them. You see, the two G.o.ds question were in disagreement over whether love was a thing of the body or a thing of the mind. A wager had been made about it, and when it became clear that despite the duties of a soldier keeping them apart your parents remained in love, rather than lose the wager, the more unscrupulous of the divine ones . . . tipped the scales in his favor. I cannot be specific and remain discreet, but suffice to say the physical aspect of the emotion in question was made firmly obvious upon your father's next visit. Nine months later, you were born.”
”I was born because one of the powers that be cheated on a wager?” she said in disbelief.
”In a manner of speaking,” he said apologetically. ”It was for that reason that the possibility of your taking the place of a fallen Chosen was never given any consideration until recently. The divine circ.u.mstances of your birth were concealed even from the other G.o.ds, lest the treachery be known.”
Myranda shook the absurd thought from her mind.
”I was not born with the mark,” she said, holding up her scarred left palm.
In place of the thin white curve and point that had been left by the sting of the sword all those months ago, there was a black, distinct mark. A birthmark.
”The mark is not an aspect of the body. It is an aspect of the soul. It becomes visible at the moment of the quickening, the moment that you are selected. For most of the Chosen, that moment is their birth. In your case, it was the moment you touched the hilt of the sword. You see, the swordsman you found that day was to be one of the Chosen. His name was Rasa. When he was struck down, his spirit lingered within the sword. When you touched it, your soul was bared to him. Your worth was made clear to him. He chose you to take his place. And so the quickening occurred. For others it might have occurred differently. Perhaps silently, perhaps with a drastic change of mind and body,” he explained.
”But . . . even if I have been Chosen, that still only makes four. The five of us need to be together in the same place, don't we?” she asked.
”That is one of the many misapprehensions you have been laboring under. There is more to the Great Convergence than five specific beings being within an arbitrary radius of each other at the same moment in time. More than anything, it is a moment of decision. Yes, you have met the final Chosen One, but just because that being is not present does not mean the decision couldn't be made. What you do correctly comprehend is the consequence of the Great Convergence. From this point forward, there can be no subst.i.tutions. If there is a fatality or a betrayal, there shall arise no one to take their place. It is of crucial importance that the integrity of the team be maintained. Every day another path to victory is closed forever. All five of you have a role to fulfill,” he said.
”Who is the final Chosen One?” she asked.
”I cannot tell you,” he said.
”Why not?” Myranda objected.
”Listen. This is a test of the worth of your people and of your world. The Chosen did not have to exist. Another foolish belief you have is that the Chosen were put here to guarantee success. That is simply not so. You were created to make success a possibility. You represent the bare minimum that is needed to fend off this threat,” he said.
”Why would the G.o.ds test us against each other? What can possibly be proved by letting us fight one another? By making it harder for us to end this war?” she demanded.
”Therein lies your most dangerous misguided belief. The war is not the reason the Chosen were created. The war is merely a symptom of the disease. I ask you again to think of the actions of Ether. Her concern rests solely upon the destruction of the D'karon. That is the true purpose of the Chosen. That is why you were brought together. You are being tested against the D'karon. They are products of other G.o.ds. They are not of this world. They are not of this plane of existence. The war is a weapon in their a.r.s.enal, a brilliant tactic. They have kept us fighting against ourselves, doing their work for them. The G.o.ds could not care less about a war between men, or any other of their creations. It is merely sibling rivalry. With the D'Karon, it is another thing altogether. You and all of the people of our world become pieces on a game board. Existence is a privilege. I exist only to keep the playing field level. I am forbidden from holding your hand through this. If we cannot defend this world through our own merit, we have no right to it,” he explained.
Myranda struggled to accept what she had been told. Ending the war had been the most important thing to her. It had seemed like the most important thing in the world. Now that she knew the truth, the meaning it had carried before seemed insignificant. It was impossible to comprehend it all at once.
”I am sorry this had to be placed on your shoulders. This burden was not meant for you, but I want you to know that you have risen to the challenge better than any of us could have hoped,” he said.
She shook her head slowly.
”How can you say that? I have been near death so often. I have been captured again and again. I couldn't even save the life of Myn! How can I be one of the Chosen?” she cried.
”Know this. The spark of the divine is in you. Your every act is an extension of divine will. Remember that. It is nearly time for you to turn back to your task. If you have any more questions, I shall answer those that I can. Remember, I am not permitted to answer any question that may distract you from your task,” he offered.
”What happened to the others? The other Chosen?” she asked.
”Lain and Ether are as they were created, and you know what happened to Rasa. The others wound up in the hands of the D'karon. Their fate is best left unspoken,” he said.
”There are so many parts to the prophesy . . . I have even heard that five must enter the final battle . . . but only four will leave. Is that true? Is one of the Chosen doomed to die if we are to succeed,” she asked.
”The prophesy . . . let me tell you something about prophesy, Myranda. We do not have a plan for each and every person. You shape your own lives. I and those like me do not seek to preserve a path we have selected for you. You have selected your own path. All we do is ensure that the way forward is clear. When a prophet looks ahead or questions the spirits and speaks of a tragedy you must avert, or a mistake you must avoid, you must remember that it was your decisions that led you to that point. To trust him is to distrust yourself, to second guess yourself before you've even had a chance to guess. Live your life now. The future will come regardless,” he said.
”You didn't answer my question,” she said.