I: The Climb
Road to Neldemense/Ojiweh Road
“Don’t look him in the eye.”, Aiden thought as he made the climb to Neldemense,”Any of them.” At this time yesterday he was chasing Tonius through the marketplace and trying to steal a glance at Elder Rhine’s daughters as they offered their dance up to The Provider. They danced vibrantly to the pulse of the drums. Aiden was fond of the oldest daughter. He would have liked to tell her how fair and graceful she was, but these were the thoughts of a boy, and the task before him had forced him into manhood.
Half a dozen times he almost turned back. But the weight of his village kept him on his course. He had been charged with traveling to Neldemense and procuring six cycles worth of food and other resources for the entire village. Granted that The Provider accepted his offering, of course. The road to Neldemense was a steep winding climb of rock, dust, dirt, and the remains of the fallen. There have been many elderly who, out of necessity and desperation, attempted the climb and fell horribly short. The winds around the mountainous cliff made it hard to concentrate on little else than your footing, and the rocks below were not at all forgiving. The sky was gray and this sun was fading, dying. So too was this world.
None of the men in his village were in their prime. They were either elderly, wounded, or children. So, lots had been cast to select which of the children of working age would make the climb. His friend Tonius’ younger brother, Thomas, had been chosen to go before the Ancient and give his plea. In truth, they were all as brothers, though he and Tonius were of the same age. Their father had been killed ten year’s ago by an enraged Ancient half a world away. And so, Aiden trekked on.
He came across a couple over sixty in age in a clearing on the path upward. They looked on at him solemnly as he pressed forward. Too weak to go forward and too scared to turn back he guessed. He was told to not speak to anyone or anything he may encounter on the way to The Ancient One. He carried a long walking staff, made of ironwood, that was given to him by the counsel of The Elders. Such was the tradition of the one chosen to make the climb. He also carried a sack across his back filled with the best grains, meat, and oil that they could gather. Elder Rhine had also given him a golden nugget the size of an orange to sweeten the offering.
The higher Aiden climbed, the steeper the path became. Soon, he would have to lift himself up rock by rock. Aiden wondered what his parents would think about him going before an Ancient. Would they have stopped him? Would they be proud that he took the place of his friend, or upset that he had done something so foolhardy and dangerous? These questions he would never have answers for. Both of his parents were dead. He had been raised by his mother’s brother, his uncle Oliver. Although Oliver did little raising and more drinking. Oliver had inherited a wine garden in close proximity to Hadeen from their father. But, being the drunk that he was, he had squandered that inheritance. So now he did many different tasks and jobs for others in order to feed his demons.
Shiela, Toinius’ mother, had taught Aiden everything he knew about the world. She saw Aiden as her own. He’d learned about The Ancients, The Garden, and the Nephites from her, she taught him how to read and write. She disapproved of him taking Thomas’ place, but to The Elders she had little say seeing as she wasn’t Aiden’s mother. It was either Thomas went, or Aiden. Their family had already suffered a lost at the hand of an Ancient, Aiden couldn’t bare the possibility of them suffering another.
By the time he reached the top of the cliff, Aiden’s clothes were torn and ripped from the jagged rocks, but the burden across his back was still intact. He pulled himself up from over the edge and rolled over on his back, he immediately rolled back over forgetting he’d tucked the staff into the sack. Worn and weary, Aiden pushed himself up onto one knee. This was a high place, he realized, the air was different here. There were bodies here, some asleep, some resting from the climb he assumed, and some dead. He rose suddenly, almost as if to not count himself one of the number.
He lifted his head to behold the beautiful and ancient temple of Neldemense. It was a strong structure of marble and granite. There were saplings and other agriculture growing in places where there shouldn’t be. It was a stronghold and a ruin. There were two sets of stone stairs leading up into the temple. Both cracked with age. Aiden took the staff out of the sack and proceeded toward the stairs. He walked in between and across the bodies on the yard. He saw a mother clutching her unresponsive child in her arms, muttering a silent prayer. There was a lot of sickness. Some of the bodies looked as if they perished of starvation. He felt a warmth shoot through him as a woman grabbed his leg as he passed her. “Help my husband, take him inside with you. I beg you!”, she pleaded. One look at her husband and Aiden could see the cold hand of death upon him. He wrenched his leg free of her grip and pressed on. He would have loved to help, but the man was beyond saving. And this was the wrong Ancient to ask for healing. For Neldemense was home to The Provider. Many make the mistake or confuse which Ancients were which. Others simply can’t make the journey to the particular Ancient that they need and settle for the closest one, praying that they are shown mercy. But the Ancients weren’t known for being merciful.
Aiden reached the top of the stone steps and stopped at the threshold of the temple. He felt a heaviness here. Maybe carrying the sack up the cliff had taken a toll on his back. There were two great granite doors that had seemed to be held back by some unseen force. Ahead, there was only darkness. The Elders told him that he would not be able to see inside of the temple from the outside, that he would only be able to see once he crossed the threshold. He left the staff on the ground outside of the temple and entered. The world slowly crept into view around him. All he could make out at first was gold and marble. As the world took shape, he saw there were pools of water on either side of him. He took a few more steps in and saw himself reflected in the pool. The climb had left his appearance rough and ragged. He hoped his humble appearance would help him plead his case to The Provider. The ground was completely covered in marble. There were columns of marble and gold. He looked up and saw that the walls and columns faded upward into a white light that covered the entire temple. He felt as if he were inside and outside at the same time. There were kept gardens and even wildlife here. He walked further on the marble path and felt eyes upon him.
He looked up into the trees and the many balconies and saw the Nephites, the children of The Ancient One staring down at him. He had never seen them this close before. There were dozens of them, all twice the size of a normal man. They were all products of The Ancient One laying with mortal women. They all watched him make his way to the inner sanctum which was through another set of great doors, this time made of onyx. There were more of The Ancient’s children here on either side of a golden path cut into the marble floor. All of their eyes were upon Aiden. He saw rage and what he could have mistaken for fear in some of their eyes. Ahead, at the top of a set of stairs was a vacant ivory throne and next to it with his back facing Aiden and his arms folded behind him, was The Ancient one, The Provider.
He was smaller than his offspring; the size of a tall man. His flesh was as white as his throne. Out of his silvery wisps of hair were pointed bones protruding from his skull reminiscent of a crown. His silver hair and bones seemed to be retaining light. He was garbed in a white robe with detailed golden inscriptions about the collar and sleeves. His robes seemed to be illuminated as well. Beyond the throne and its platform was darkness and shadows that seemed to move. Aiden began to walk toward the throne but froze at the sound of The Ancient’s voice. “What have you to offer?”, He said in a tone that was proud and dangerous. The Provider turned his head back toward Aiden and he saw the same look that was upon his children’s faces upon his old carved face. His eyes looked like the night sky flaked with specs of gold. “How dare you?”, The Ancient spat out violently, “You come here? I rule here!”
The Provider jumped from the platform and ran toward Aiden. Stricken with fear, Aiden was unable to bring himself to move. The Ancient stopped just short of where Aiden was standing, leaving a small crater in the marble floor and sending Aiden flying into the wall behind him. Aiden tried to pull himself up off the floor and felt a pain unyielding which informed him that his right arm was broken. In half a heartbeat The Ancient was on him. He held Aiden up against the wall by his neck. He then snatched Aiden’s sack off of him. Aiden’s skin began to burn where The Ancient’s hand gripped his skin. The Ancient dropped him onto the marble floor, Aiden saw that his ivory palm was smoking. The Ancient dropped the sack on Aiden’s head to clutch his burning hand. There was something leaking from the bag onto Aiden’s forehead. Behind the throne Aiden saw a shadow move and a drum roll down the stairs, there seemed to be a liquid substance leaking from it as it made its way down. Aiden wiped his forehead as another drum was thrown from the right of the platform, and then the left. Aiden could smell the oil from the drums and so could the old Ancient. He turned towards his throne as a torch set it aflame.
The Nephites all rushed the throne but the fire cut them off at the foot of the platform. Aiden could see the Nephites from the outer sanctum all descending from the balconies that both courts shared. From beyond the great doors of onyx, a figure in a hooded robe grabbed Aiden and pulled him up from the ground. He grabbed the sack from the ground that was his burden. Aiden could hear The Provider mutter something in an ancient tongue that he had never heard before, yet it felt familiar. A portal opened over the inner sanctum and a heavy rain began to fall. Aiden saw the fire begin to spread as the hooded man pulled him beyond the onyx doors and into the outer room. He pushed Aiden out of the way and threw a vial of oil at the onyx doors. He grabbed some sort of powder from inside his robes and threw it where the vial had smashed against the doors. Almost instantly, The onyx was engulfed in flames. “Go, don’t just stand there!”, he barked at Aiden. “There, hurry!”, he gestured to a hole in the floor. Aiden ran to the opening and saw stairs descending into darkness. He did not hesitate.
There was only darkness and dry air when the hooded man covered the hole they had both descended into. When he finally reached the bottom of the stairs, Aiden could see light dancing on the walls of a passage up ahead. “Follow the light.”, the man said. Aiden obeyed. He followed the light down the passage until he reached the source. There were torches placed every few yards along the wall. “Hurry, this way.”, the man said as he led Aiden down yet another path of torches and stone. Every step against the hard uneven floor sent a shot of pain through Aiden’s arm. But stopping even for an instant was out of the question.
“Who are you?”, Aiden finally gathered the courage to ask. After a few moments of silence, the man responded, “I am Seemn.” Everything seemed so surreal. Aiden felt as if none of this had just happened to him, that he was watching someone else’s life in a dream or a vision. “Why did you help me, why did he attack me?”, Aiden asked. “At the end of this passage there is an opening to the side of the cliff, Terran will be waiting for you a little ways down the road. She will take you to safety. You are not safe at your village. They will come for you.” , said Seemn, “I cannot answer any more questions for you, now hurry.” They reached an old wooden door at the end of the path. Seemn kicked the door three times creating a cloud of dust. It rattled a bit but did not budge. Aiden could hear booming footsteps approaching a few passages back heading their way. There was a clicking sound and the old wooden door flung open letting in a blinding light inside the tunnel.
Aiden recognized the woman standing in the doorway. It was the woman in the yard who grabbed his leg, who pleaded for her dead husband. “Terran, thank Jeicu.”, Seemn said to his relief, “Hurry, take him. They are coming. I will hold them off while you two go.” As he said that, a massive figure darkened the end of the tunnel behind them. “Here!”, the Nephite’s voice boomed, filling the entire passage. “Come, Now!”, said Terran as she grabbed Aiden’s arm. He could feel her nails digging into him through his linen. She pulled him forcefully outside and closed the door. On this side of the door, Aiden saw was all rock and dirt. Never in a thousand lifetimes would he had known that the door existed from this side. They started to make their way down the road when they heard a loud thunder from inside the tunnel. Terran stopped in her tracks. “Go, I’ll find you.”, Terran said as she ran back towards the door. Aiden watched her pull open the rock covered door, then turned and ran as fast as the pain in his right arm allowed.
As Aiden raced down the path, his mind took him to peculiar places. He thought of flying over the woods that encompassed his village, drifting high above the world below. He thought of Elder Rhine’s daughters being led into dark places from where they would never return. Before he knew it, He was on level ground, a thicket a few yards before him. He felt himself growing weak. He fought through the fatigue for a time, but eventually he felt the fever take over. He collapsed against a strong oak as his legs gave way beneath him.