Two Halves: chapter 40

Lets go chapter 40, hells to the yes!

Without his mother in the room Nicolas broke down for a moment and buried his face in his hands. He was trying not to sob openly, but it was difficult. After a long while he looked up again, his eyes rimmed with red; a thought had occurred to him while he was mourning.

 

“How did you know what the High Father brought?” he asked Bestalel, who was pouring himself another cup of tea calmly. At Nicolas’s words he again tensed for a moment before speaking.

 

“I was on the extermination force.” He paused before speaking again, as if gathering his thoughts. “We were sent to destroy Gen, and when we were met with the High Father we relayed what he had done back to command. Command told us to spare the city and follow him to Heart Caller monastery. Outside the monastery one lone rebel fighting tried to attack the convoy to the monastery. I was shot, and fairly badly wounded. The High Father rushed me to the inner sanctum to administer aid, inside was a body. A body to looked exactly like mine, with the gunshot wound. By this time I was resisting, but they used a powerful anesthetic to knock me out. Then healed my body then hid me, and presented Salex with the fake body along with a sincere apology and a few extra crates of gold ingots and precious stones. Salex accepted it as one last rebel trying to ruin an operation, and accepted all the goods without destroying the town.” He sighed at Nicolas and Zeckle’s astonished looks, but continued his story all the same.

 

“The High Father then tried to turn me away from Salex, to open my eyes to Kintera and show me the true path. I would have nothing of it, and after three days he was starting to give up. On the morning of the fourth day he brought me into the main Cathedral, and stood above the alter. The light shone from behind him and looked as if he was etched in gold. He spoke to me, and it was if I was hearing his voice for the first time. He told me on Kintera, and the legends of the world. It felt as he reached into my very soul and chased away the darkness that Salex had implanted there. I don’t know how he did it, but he showed me the world for what it really way, not was Salex wanted me to see,” Bestalel finished his story and put down his glass of tea before getting up. “We need to get going, getting on top of the cleft will take a fairly long time, and renting Zanas will cost money.” He picked up the few bags of clothing they had and put them onto his back. They had left the food, which made up most of their luggage, back on the crab. Now they were here in Gen they could easily buy food again if need be.

 

“No it won’t take hours, and we won’t have to buy Zana,” Nicolas said with a grin. His mood had changed since Bestalel had told them his past. It felt like they were more of a unit now.  “Follow me.” Nicolas led them back through the house and to a small door set into the wall. Inside was a tall staircase leading upwards with a Jeori lamp on a hook at the bottom. They followed the staircase up for several flights, and along the way it became rougher. The steps were less even and it became more cave like as they descended past the doorways. They were above the main house now and ascending quickly. After a good three minutes of climbing they came out into a small building. On either side there was the rustle of feathers.

 

“This is the Flamel family stable. We have enough Zana here for us to each have one to get to Heart Caller with.” Nicolas surveyed the stalls. There were noticeably less of the birds than there were when he was a kid. There used to be over twenty inhabiting the large stable, now there were only eight. Unlike their Zenzi cousins the Zana were not blindfolded, and could see the entire time. Nicolas walked over to the supply closet and selected three saddles. Nicolas tossed one to each of them and selected one of the remaining birds. It was old, and the feathers around its crest had fallen out giving a small pink dome. Bestalel had already brought his Zana out and was fitting a saddle onto its back, and Zeckle has still selecting hers.

 

Nicolas saddled up and bird and hooked the feedbag onto its beak, and waited for the other two to be ready as he mounted up. When everyone was ready they headed for the open end of the stable where sunlight was pouring in. Because of all the food and water inside of the stables it became outrageously humid in the heat, but once they got outside the humidity dramatically dropped back to the normal arid dryness the mountains had,

 

The only way anyone could survive among the peaks was because the myriad of springs, geysers, and sinkholes that provided water from deep within the earth. Towns were founded around such sources of life, and if they were to dry up the town would dry up with it.

 

They crossed the great ledge that hung over Gen until they made it to the backside of the cleft. They continued farther away from city’s roof and into the valley behind it. In the low point of the basin was the monastery. It was lain out in a rough “U” shape. The stone buildings were centered around a garden in its center. A creek burbled merrily out of the middle of the garden and pooled into a series of ponds slowly draining into one another until they pooled together into a small lake. Monks walked around the grounds, most were tending the garden, pruning here, snipping there, and doing the general upkeep of the mission.

 

The monetary was founded by the first High Father centuries before. The legend went that he belonged to a tribe of people wandering the plains, and the tribe was forced off their land by an enemy clan. The man who was to become the High Father volunteered to travel into the mountains in search of land for his people. He traveled for many weeks across the peaks and between the valleys before coming to the great cave that became Gen city. He stayed there for a week in order to regain supplies to make the journey back to his people. On the mourning of the day before he was to leave a light blocked his way from the great cavern. The god and goddess Kintera and Kinsara had descended upon the valley in order to share with the man the beginning of the world.

 

It was said in the beginning there was nothing. Kinsara looked upon the empty blackness and decided to fill it. With two of her fists she held the two suns and when she opened her hands they began their spin through space. Then she opened her other hands in order and released the planets on their track around the twin stars.

 

The god Kintera looked upon his sister’s creation with boredom. He selected the planet that was in the middle of the procession from the suns. Then he swept his hand over the ground adding to it the water and sky. He saw the ground, barren and rocky, and decided he was still not done. Kintera plunged a hand into the earth and took a fist full of dirt. The crater left by his hand became cavern where the High Father then sat, and what was to become Gen.

 

He took his handful of dirt and molded from it the first creatures. He scattered the creatures across the planet where they took root. Though there was one creature he kept in his hand longer, man. He held man up to his face and whispered to him the secrets of the world. He gave man the means to control magic, as he had to create the world.

 

The man was astonished by this and returned to his people and told them of his tale. They did not believe him, and thought he had gone mad on the journey home. Though they did follow his map to the great cave. The man continued to tell people of his story and eventually convinced enough to come and help him build Heart Callers monastery. They labored for years creating the buildings. Their labor made worse by the fact that they had to bring water from the spring in the city, but when the last stone of the buildings fell into place the first miracle happened. A spring burst from the center of the buildings and gave life to their monastery.

 

They were walking by this mystic stream right then. As they had come into the mission they had received strange looks from the priests and monks that inhabited the buildings. Nicolas had never been inside the grounds before, normally you would not be allowed inside the grounds unless you were devoted to Kintera. After a little while Nicolas realized that none of the strange looks were directed at him, there were all pointed at Bestalel. As they came to Heart Caller’s cathedral an aged monk came up to them, his head was as bald as Nicolas’s Zana. He pulled himself along using a tall walking stick, and hobbled lamely because one his legs were slightly deformed and crooked.

 

“Who might you people be? I recognize the boy there,” he pointed at Nicolas, his hand shook violently. “You have the features of one of the Flamel clan. It is good to see that at least one of you has seen the light of Kintera, but may I ask who are the other two?”

 

“Renzi, it is me, Bestalel. I have returned to seek an audience with the High Father.” the old man gazed up to where Bestalel was sitting on his Zana.

 

“But you do not look like our Bestalel.”

 

“It is the technology of Earth-1. It has changed my appearance so that I can hide there effectively. Though I still have proof of who I am,” said Bestalel as he dismounted. He pulled of his cowl and pulled down the back of his collar, exposing his neck. On his neck was a small tattoo in the shape of a seven-sided star in the eye of a human skull. It is one of the signs of Kintera and only given to followers who had express permission of the High Father himself. Renzi looked at the tattoo and then grinned happily, there was not a single tooth inside him mouth and his gums were red and inflamed.

 

“Well Bestalel. The High Father is in the cathedral now meditating. I am sure he would allow a interruption because it is you.” They dismounted and follow the old man, who called for several younger monks to come and take their Zana to the stables at the front of the gardens. Renzi led them through the pathways of grounds towards the cathedral. There were plants from all over the planet here; it was customary for a person when making a pilgrimage to bring a single plant or animal with them. It was a symbolic effort of bringing together what Kintera had once scattered. In the large lake swam a myriad of fish, and several of the building were devoted completely to housing animals. From within the stables came the mixed voices of various creatures.

 

A large lily tree grew at the entrance of the chapel. The central spire stuck up over the rest of the buildings precariously. From its top was the brass star of Kintera, and directly under that was a series of bells waiting to be rung. Renzi pushed the door open to allow them entry, and they walked into the inside of the chambers. Rows of low benches were set into a semi-circle around the alter. Instead of a magnificent figure as they had been in the sisterhood there were thousands of brass stars covering the wall. Each one gleamed in the daylight shinning in through the windows that lined the other walls. Each window was made of stained glass and showed pictures of various High Fathers from the monastery’s past.

 

At the foot of the alter a man knelt. When he heard the doors open he got up to see who hand entered.

 

“I thought I told you to disturb me during my medita�"Bestalel? Bestalel is that you?” He rushed over to Bestalel’s side and embraced him warmly. “I thought I would never see you again after you traveled back to the other side.”

 

“It is good to see you to Genma, but how did you know it was me?” said Bestalel with a chuckle.

 

“How could I not recognize the best mistake of my life? No matter how much they change your face your eyes will always stay the same.” He released Bestalel and shook Nicolas and Zeckle’s hands. “Hello, you must be pilgrims brought here by Bestalel. I welcome you to my monastery.” When he had turned around Nicolas and Zeckle exchanged sheepish grins.

 

“Renzi, you may leave us. I would like to speak with Bestalel and his friends in private.” He walked back towards the alter, and Renzi shut the doors behind them. They were alone inside the cavernous hall. Genma turned to them and waved to the room with one hand. “So, what have you come to monastery for?”

 

“I am sorry to ask this of you Genma, but I need some information,” said Bestalel as he walked towards the alter as well.

 

“What is it my child?”

 

“Me and my friends here have not simply come to seek out the monastery. We have come here so that we might learn the location of the Cloud Walkers from you. I know you know where they are, and it is of the utmost importance that we know where they are.” Genma frowned at his and sighed. He looked up at Bestalel longingly for a moment before speaking.

 

“I knew from the moment I saw you it was going to be about them. No doubt you plan to contact them in order to recruit them. I am sorry, but I can not tell you where they are. I have sworn by Kintera himself to not reveal their where abouts.” He stood defiantly before Bestalel, and instead of a Bestalel returning his steely gaze he looked away.

 

“Please, master. I need to know. It is our only chance.”

 

“I said no Bestalel. I will not tell you unless Kintera himself comes here to tell me that I shou�"“ his voice suddenly cut off, but his mouth still move as is he was saying words. Suddenly his head snapped back and his eyes fluttered. It looked like several golden tears had started to roll down his face, but abruptly at the check they turned and began to draw. The orbs of white gold left trails of light across Genma’s skin. They curled in on themselves forming complicated patterns across the man’s face, and the light did not stop there. It swept under his robe where the light shone through the fabric, and down his hands making his fingernails turn into pinpoints of light. Finally Genma stopped his transformation and stood there rubbing his head wearily.

 

“Hello there.” the voice was not Genma’s but felt as if it was coming at them from all direction, shaking the room itself. Genma coughed before he spoke again, and his voice had returned to the caliber of a normal human’s, but it was still strangely deep and powerful for Genma’s small form. “Hello, I am sorry that he won’t tell you where they are, so I’ll do it for him.”

 

“Who are you?” asked Nicolas.

 

“Good question. I like your attitude. Who I really am would be hard to explain, but for your benefit I will use the name you know me by. I am Kintera,” after the wards had escaped his lips Bestalel immediately bowed before him; Kintera looked at him for a moment before laughing. “No need for such formalities. I am the one who came to talk to you. Now you are all probably wondering why I would come to talk to mortals like this. The answer is this; to warn you.” Bestalel lifted his head slowly but stayed in the bowing position.

 

“ This war you are fighting. It concerns much more than simply the lives of mortals. The group you call Salex is doing irreversible damage to the space between dimensions. Every time they punch a hole between their world and this they tear apart a little more of the boundaries between them. At the rate they are going the wall is going to break down completely within the century. Once that happens nothing will be able to fix it. Both our worlds will be destroyed. That’s why I chose you.” He pointed at Bestalel where was on the floor. Bestalel slowly lifted his head to look up into the eyes of his god.

 

“Me? But why, my lord?” Bestalel was now completely humble before what had been the High Father. His eyes shone with admiration Nicolas would not have thought possible. Nicolas looked beside him, and Zeckle was kneeling there. It was only then that Nicolas realized he was the only one standing before a god, and decided to kneel as well.

 

“Because you and both of your friends here have fate about you. As a being of this world I can only influence things from this world, but I watched you. Ever since you were born in the town below the metal. I can see the strings of fate and many of them converge on you. I waited and watched as you became the soldier of our enemy, and I know you were either going to become my greatest shield, or their greatest sword. I waited and bided my time until you came to this world. To my world. I then used the High Father and implanted the idea of taking you into his head. After he had captured you and was interrogating you I saw that he was having trouble. On the morning of the fourth day I took control of the High Father like I have now, and showed you the truth. I broke through to your heart and showed you a life without Salex that wasn’t dyed red with blood. Now stand, and receive he knowledge you need to complete your journey.” Bestalel leapt up as quickly as he could, nearly stumbling over his own feet. Kintera reached out through the High Father and put a hand on either side of Bestalel’s head, and for a moment they stood there.

 

The muscles in Kintera’s arms constricted and Bestalel threw his head back.  From his eyes and mouth golden light poured. The scream came up from his, but it wasn’t in pain, it was in joy. Then Kintera released him and Bestalel fell to the floor. The High Father staggered for a moment and the golden light left him, and then stood there in front of them with eyes unseeing. The moment stood frozen until the High Father regained his bearings.

 

“What happened here? Why is Bestalel on the ground?” he shouted. His fatherly façade was gone, and now he was only trying to protect his own.

 

“I don’t have time to explain, but Bestalel needs a place to lie down.” Nicolas bent down and picked Bestalel up in his arms. He was much heavier then Nicolas would have expected, but after lifting him into a carry it was much easier to bring him along.

 

“Ok, bring him to the healing chambers, but the explanation had better be astounding.” It was.

Author's Note

Well, a bunch of stuff happens to Bestalel in this chapter.

Reviews

[AJChallenger]

You need to learn when to make new paragraphs.

A clause is part of an idea, a sentence is a complete one. A paragraph is a set of related setences on the same topic.

Less narrative, more dialogue and action. It was tough to get through.

**NOTE. My policy on reviews has changed. I will be happy to review on or two pieces of work, but will do no more without compensation. People are payed to do this kind of thing, don't think you'll get free editing from me.

[RDOriginal]

This is certainly a labour of love. I envy your ability to produce such a volume of work! It's all I can do sometimes to get a few paragraphs down in a day. Although I've not read the other chapters I can see good character development and a genuine style of your own in this writing. I think this is high quality work - keep going and let your imagination run wild!

[aaaa]

I am reviewing myself and i don't know why!

[Faye]

I admire your stamina to write so much. It's taken me four years to get seven chapters on the computer(the rest is on paper or in my mind). Good job.

[Huggy Bear]

Great work with this latest chapter:)

[trish420]

So I just read all of thsi over the last two days (at work LOL) and I have to say I am very imressed. Admittedly the beginning is not very strong (but, clearly, good enough that I kept reading) but now, wow, DEFINITE improvement, it flows better and the descriptions are great. A very, very enjoyable read! Yes, there are spelling errors and punctuation issues but you will get to them just like you will clean up the beginnign when you get the story out; that is the important part, getting the story out :-) I can't wait to read more!!

[Nishmas]

Zachary, I don't usually pick favorites. You are an exception to that rule. You write very well and your ideas are great.

[Nicaushio Yamaki]

nice work