Author´s note: Heading for the last stages of our story and I can tell you now that in this season we will come across the North people more than often. The battle is about to come to its decisive point, for I don´t like extending such things too much. Aker is about to meet the "Hand of Sorrow", the Rain God, one of my own favourite characters and if I were you, I will surely be peeing my pants.
Song belong to Within Temptation, Mike Olfield,Avril Lavigne and Cat Stevens.
21. Hand of Sorrow
All of us have to admit it when something overpowers us, but specially the mighty when they meet their match. Aker is no favorable position. The mouse. This mouse! His appearance can´t be a coincidence. But there is no way he is loosing to a boy.
"You run like a mad cow and there is no point in telling otherwise." Says the rodent.
"Well, that does not come as a surprise." Sneers Papyrus.
"You think can judge what I do? You are just a commoner. The lap dog of a spoiled princess." (Man, how we all hate to agree with him! SUCKS!)
"Well, look who talks, by Horus! The world´s number one megalomaniac."
"Childish."
"You love the sound of your voice."
"And you are the gods pet."
"Old gag."
"Pup."
"Huhuhu. I could watch this all day!" Says a voice. Around Fenr, a big group of strange looking wolves has gathered. The hounds of the Rain God are around them and are not common dogs. Some of them have more than two eyes or four legs. "Oops. I broke something back there."
"Tha waf tolking too muff." One of the hounds wrinkles his muzzle. "Hey, Pale. Wha waf the laft thin they zed?"
"Pup. But I think the conversation´s over." This one is all bones and lies on a rock. The boy notices that the hound´s hip is like sunk, preventing him from walk.
"Dratz. Ye talk too muff, Greef." The wolf shows four huge fangs, two in the upper lip and two in the one below.
"Is not my fault." A large howl´s heard. "Ow."
"Show´s over, fellas. The boss is here." The Pale moves his ears.
"Ow, man."
"The boss?" Papyrus looks around but sees nobody. Aker takes advantage on this and tackles him again, only this time he manages to bite him hard in an arm.
"Now, you can´t use that one." The monster jumps to take him down when something very powerful hits him square into the jaw.
"And there you go." Smiles Fenr.
"The child without a name grew up to be the hand
To watch you, to shield you or kill on demand
The choice he'd made he could not comprehend
His blood a grim secret they had to command
He's torn between his honor and the true love of his life
He prayed for both but was denied
So many dreams were broken and so much was sacrificed
Was it worth the ones we loved and had to leave behind?
So many years have past, who are the noble and the wise?
Will all our sins be justified?
The curse of his powers tormented his life
Obeying the crown was a sinister price
His soul was tortured by love and by pain
He surely would flee but the oath made him stay
He's torn between his honor and the true love of his life
He prayed for both but was denied
So many dreams were broken and so much was sacrificed
Was it worth the ones we loved and had to leave behind?
So many years have past, who are the noble and the wise?
Will all our sins be justified?
Please forgive me for the sorrow, for leaving you in fear
For the dreams we had to silence, that's all they'll ever be
Still I'll be the hand that serves you
Though you'll not see that it is me
So many dreams were broken and so much was sacrificed
Was it worth the ones we loved and had to leave behind?
So many years have past, who are the noble and the wise?
Will all our sins be justified?"
"InTerrUptinG oUr gaME… THis ONe diD Not KNow hOw to PLay… PRoperLY." A huge shadow emerges from Papyrus own shade taking the form of a huge wolf like creature with one eye missing and that looks made out of black smoke but its cruel grin is far more scary than all of Seth´s creatures and its voice, although soothing and whispering, is cold and fierce.
"Who are you?"
"I? WhY aM thE KiNG oF All MEn, GOD oF RaIN aNd GOD of SWordS. NighTMAre of PEOple liKE tHIs PuNY priEST. I Am thy HANd Of SOrrOW."
"The protector of the jewell. Some god you are thinking I will give it back so easily when I intend to put it under Seth´s grasp."
"Keep dreaming." Sneers one of the hounds.
"You are powerless against me. Far from your country, far from..." Aker stops dead.
The Rain God is laughing like crazy. And he is far from concern, he is amused!
"TeLL Me, My ChiLd." The god adresses Papyrus."DO YoU KNoW THis ONe, RiVEr CHilD? QUIte NAUghtY… QuITE thE NAUghtiEST of THEM ALL."
"Yes, I do."
"YeS yOU DO. BUt Not AS GoOD as I DO." The boy remembers then that the River god said that this is his brother and it is not strange if he can read minds too. The wolf must have the ability too to change shapes and this one almost represents everything that is scary and dark for people because he can tell that Aker is very pale. The only eye that is like made out of light and water narrows. "TherE IS SO MUch TO teLL aBOUt thIS MAn. BUt I HavE NO REAsonS TO LeT HIm lIVE." The wolf opens his jaws and is about to bite away the creature´s head when something hits him. Chepseska has outrun Gen and has used his magic to attack. The Rain God snarls and the Menphitian goes pale. "FoUL PLay, YoU Dirt. BUt NO matTER… U loSE!" The dragon Darkness comes out of his hideout and smiles at the Rain God. When Chepseska sees him, he has no time to react. The dark beast breaths on him, turning him into stone.
"Bravo, Master. A new gnome for the garden."
"Nep. Too fat." Comments Greed.
"I agree. And besides, he will only be stone until they need him again although I am pretty tempted to break it right now." Darkness smiles. (If I were Darkness I would.)
"I am not finish with you,boy." Aker jumps to attack Papyrus who dodges and tries to find a gap to hit but the monster gives him no chances. In one of Aker´s claw slashes he almost cuts away the boy´s head but the Rain God keeps it in his place.
"KEep yoUR WIts ABouT Ye, BOY. DO u NOT wiSH to MAke IT in ONe PIEce?" Says the wolf.
"Thank you, I think." Papyrus hits Aker in the ribs.
"You're the one who's nearly breaking my heart.
Had your chance, you just threw it all away.
Living in a world that you could never be a part of
And never time to walk away.
[ chorus ]
You can't stay, no, you can't stay.
You're no loser, there's still time to ride that train
And you must be on your way tonight.
Think anew right through, you're a man in the rain.
What's the use in hanging round these walls.
Lamps are burning, but nobody's at home.
There's a new day dawning as a cold rain falls
And now's the time to walk alone.
[ repeat chorus ]
How's it feel when there's time to remember?
Branches bare, like the trees in November.
Had it all, threw it all away.
Now's the time to walk away.
[ repeat chorus ]
How's it feel when there's time to remember?
Branches bare, like the trees in November.
How's it feel when there's time to remember?
Branches bare, like the trees in november.
[ repeat chorus ]
Threw it all away, threw it all away
And now's the time to walk away.
[ repeat chorus ]"
Papyrus dodges and hits but he is getting too worn off while Aker does not get tired at all and the injure in his arm is bleeding badly. When the boy is almost going to lose all of his strength, the Rain God looks at Darkness and Ariel with a smile.
Thousands of ravens cover the place while Ariel smiles in a cruel fashion. The final blow is here. The hounds are ready to jump over the monster. Darkness breaths his dark smoke chocking the priest who glances at the young man now covered with raven feathers.
"You might be Seth´s favourite. But I promise you this... I will drive you mad!" All the ravens crash against the beast while the hounds jump to tore its neck. Aker makes one last attack towards the boy who can barely move. The Rain God sees his chance and covers the bloody arm with his own, moving it like a puppet and finally taking down the monster with the sword.
Papyrus lies unconcious and the smoke vanishes as he has arrived. Gen kneels near the boy and picks him up. They must find shelter for him while Ko picks up the long lost jewell.
Papyrus tosses and turns in his dreams plagued by visions of Ratopher and Aker. Gen spends hours fighting his fever until one of Ariel´s crows arrives with some herbs and Piccolum is able to find some clean water. After a while, the temperature goes down and the boy sleeps peacefully in a dreamless state.
"Chepseska has delayed us too much. That sac of pride kept us away from the boy." Grumbles Gen.
"And now he is a stone."
"Yes, yes but I could have barbecued him if I wanted to." The magician shakes his head.
"How are we going to get back to Thebes?" Asks Ko.
"I have no idea, my dear."
"Let me worry about that." Ariel covers the boy with a wolf skin. Fenr´s pack is guarding the entrance to Darkness cave where they have took shelter. "The gods will be please when they see this." He shows the golden chain with the golden figure of the two brothers: The River God and the Rain God, both as two dragons.
"No doubt about it."
"Ouch!" Piccolum is cleaning some wounds.
"Sorry, Wise Man. But you got a pretty ugly bite there."
"Don´t worry, I had had worse injuries in my life." He lets him finish. Now that the raven feathers are gone, he can fully feel the pain. "We should wait for daylight."
"Agree."
"The Master is taking a flight tonight. But fear not. Since you are giving back the jewell, he will not harm you." Says the little man.
"Your Master is a strange creature, Piccolum. For a god, he is very peculiar." He gets up and sits near Papyrus. "Now, if you excuse me. I will do the watch on Papyrus."
"Very well." They leave them alone.
"It´s been a long way here, my boy. But tonight, no harm shall come to you."
"I'm standing on a bridge
I'm waiting in the dark
I thought that you'd be here by now
There's nothing but the rain
No footsteps on the ground
I'm listening but there's no sound
Isn't anyone tryin to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home
It's a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Won't you take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I... I'm with you
I'm with you
I'm looking for a place
I'm searching for a face
Is anybody here I know
'Cause nothing's going right
And everything's a mess
And no one likes to be alone
Isn't anyone trying to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home
It's a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Won't you take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I... I'm with you
I'm with you
Oh why is everything so confusing
Maybe I'm just out of my mind
Yea yea yea
It's a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Won't you take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I... I'm with you
I'm with you
Take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I... I'm with you
I'm with you
Take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I... I'm with you
I'm with you
I'm with you..."
Around midnight, a sounds wakes the Wise Man. Darkness is gone, the others are asleep but at the entrance of the cave there is a magnificent white barn owl with a red cross on his forehead. The man holds his breath as in the place of the bird, appears a beautiful woman with a silver hair smiling down at him. He recognizes her with just one glance. He has thought her dead for so long but there she is. His only love.
Perhaps all this was not in vain.
Specially if they are both so happy to see each other and the boy that has to do with their story. The woman caress him and smiles.
"A gardener's daughter stopped me on my way, on the day I was
to wed
It is you who I wish to share my body with she said
We'll find a dry place under the sky with a flower for a bed
And for my joy I will give you a boy with a moon and
star on his head.
Her silver hair flowed in the air laying waves across the sun
Her hands were like the white sands, and her eyes had
diamonds on.
We left the road and headed up to the top of the
Whisper Wood
And we walked 'till we came to where the holy magnolia stood.
And there we laid cool in the shade singing songs and
making love...
With the naked earth beneath us and the universe above.
The time was late my wedding wouldn't wait I was sad but
I had to go,
So while she was asleep I kissed her cheek for cheerio.
The wedding took place and people came from many
miles around
There was plenty merriment, cider and wine abound
But out of all that I recall I remembered the girl I met
'Cause she had given me something that my hear could not
forget.
A year had passed and everything was just as it was a year
before...
As if was a year before...
Until the gift that someone left, a basket by my door.
And in there lay the fairest little baby crying to be fed,
I got down on my knees and kissed the moon and star on
his head.
As years went by the boy grew high and the village looked
on in awe
They'd never seen anything like the boy with the moon and
star before.
And people would ride from far and wide just to seek the
word he spread
I'll tell you everything I've learned, and Love is all...he said."
For one, just for one night. The Wise Man can forget about how old is he. And remember that day when he met the most beautiful woman of all on his way to become priest of Horus.
Hope you like it!
This last part brings tears to my eyes! And the next episode will be a bit more peaceful. Promise!
More mysteries to come, more to be solved.
Next stop: Where Rivers Flow Away